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The Sons of Hephaestus

Sons of Hephaestus

A closer look at the no-nonsense, anti-terraforming clan: the Sons of Hephaestus.

The Sons of Hephaestus are here to get things done. These guys would be able to thrive on a desert island with their practical skills and natural instinct for survival. What sets the faction apart from the rest is their focus on planetary purity — the belief that every planet has inherent rights. This philosophy has made the group engineers by necessity, making The Sons of Hephaestus and their revolutionary characteristics a tough and resourceful team well-equipped for intergalactic survival.

No-frills craftsmanship

The Sons of Hephaestus are practical people. They survey their surroundings and make use of the resources available to them. Predominately coming from working class backgrounds, they have the trades and problem-solving skills that enable them to adapt to the new and interesting planets they inhabit. Although part of this engineering background stems from their tradition of being hired by corporations to build and maintain systems across the solar system, another is due to their belief that humanity has no business majorly altering another world. This means living in spacefaring metal mobile homes, and their lives depend on the facilities working properly.

Practicality trumps aesthetics

With expertise in construction and fabrication, the Sons of Hephaestus are industrious folk. They are focused on practicality and use-value rather than aesthetic appeal. One might consider them to be totally in contrast to The Daughters of Gaia in this regard, as the Sons prefer function over form while the Gaians are quite the opposite. While their developments have a no-frills design, they are made for ease of use – which is again necessary, since children must learn engineering as soon as they are old enough to hold a wrench. They are planet-loving people and respect each world for its individual and unique characteristics that can be used to support homonization. They do not feel that every planet should have the characteristics of planet Earth. 

The irony of the group

Sons of Hephaestus

Because of their direct, blunt, and no-nonsense approach, The Sons of Hephaestus are thought of by some as brutish and unintelligent who are ignorant to the views of those outside their circle. People also regard them to be extremist hicks due to their working-class roots. Ironically, the opposite is quite true! They are an incredibly well-educated group who depend on their deep engineering knowledge to survive in the desolate vastness of space. With a belief that intelligence allows them to be better prepared for survival, The Sons of Hephaestus possess both academic and practical knowledge in order to help them build and sustain habitats on other planets. 

Don’t judge a book by its cover

The Sons of Hephaestus have a brash and rugged appearance, fitting of a typical blue-collar worker. With muscular physiques and rugged, utility-focused clothing they are able to build and retain habitability on new planets. They even have members in nearly every known off-world society. They are collectivist in nature, preferring the objectives of the group rather than those of an individual. This demonstrates their compassion when exploring beyond their tough exterior. 

This anti-terraforming splinter group are concerned with preventing contamination in the quest for planet homonization. They have the practical and resourceful skills to achieve planetary purity and will fight hard to obtain independence — judge them at your own risk!

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The United Nations Space Administration

A closer look at the democratic and humanitarian faction of TerraGenesis

The UNSA Poster

For those who believe that every voice should be heard, the United Nations Space Administration are an international, democratic faction that believe the exploration of space is a special privilege that comes with a sacred responsibility. Consider the UNSA an extension of the global government we have here on Earth.

Their goal is simple: International homonization of entirely new worlds that benefit all – not just those with means.

With great power comes great responsibility

UNSA

The opportunity to explore space and settle new planets is a fantastic privilege, granted to us through years of technological advancements. The United Nations Space Administration is founded on the back of our history on planet Earth. They believe that with the power to visit new and interesting planets comes the responsibility to behave and develop with a humanistic approach that is beneficial for everyone, rather than individual groups.

A compassionate team, the administration works in a collaborative and democratic manner, in the belief that this is the fairest and most effective method of space travel. Bureaucratic procedures ensure that rogue colonization is prevented. Rules and hierarchy bring order to proceedings in this faction, and this high level of organisation can work well to achieve their goals.

This is an international space exploration faction, following a pooling of resources from the surviving nations of the world after the Sundering. They aim to achieve harmony through new worlds, in the name of humanity across interplanetary realms. They have had some high profile successes, and with a stable economy the faction have been able to invest in high-tech equipment that makes them well prepared to take the big step of uniting humanity.

Sleek and futuristic 

UNSA

Just how you would expect an intergalactic administration faction to be dressed; well-fitted suits and well-groomed members that bring an air of authority to their appearance. Their equipment is professional and high-tech, making them well equipped for intergalactic colonization. The United Nations Space Administration appears to be a wise and philosophical collaboration. They unsurprisingly are exporters of academia, culture, and art used to unite us all — their goal of interplanetary humanisation. 

Slow and ineffective?

UNSA

Similar to public opinion of those on planet Earth, some consider the United Nations Space Administration to be a bunch of bureaucratic sissies, who are out of touch with their entrepreneurial spirit, constricted by red tape that prevents them from thinking for themselves. Rather ironic that some consider them to be a collaboration of intellectual geniuses. 

Despite the restrictive nature of their structure, the UNSA is actually a very determined faction who will push forcefully to achieve their goals. They are also a well-meaning team who try and appeal as the saviours to those with less power than them. 

With a seemingly moral appeal, well-organised structure and high-tech equipment, the UNSA might be the right one for your TerraGenesis homonization efforts!

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The Horizon Corporation

Horizon Corporation

An introduction to the ambitious business leaders of TerraGenesis 

The Horizon Corporation are here to talk money. They are motivated beyond the comprehension of those outside of their circle. Their core belief is that capitalism is the only way for us to reach our potential. One of the first powerhouses of private spaceflight, the Horizon Corporation dominates the interplanetary market. If you believe in the free market, you’ll get along well with them.

If this faction gets their way, we will soon witness the transformation of an entire planet into a new, corporate civilisation.

Ambitious and driven individuals 

With an emphasis on individuality, the members of this factor are motivated by their own needs, fears, and desires. A capitalist society on Earth has been very kind to them, enabling them to achieve a high level of wealth and status. Their focus and ambition has been used to maximise opportunities and climb the corporate ladder.

These capitalists are profit motivated at the expense of anything else and will stop at nothing to improve their bottom line. 

Expensive taste

Ever heard of living within your means? Not an issue for the Horizon Corporation. With seemingly unlimited funds comes an appetite for expensive clothing and products. Rocking designer brands at all times, living in luxurious houses with ornate decor throughout. The ultra rich will do outlandish things to one-up each other, such as purchasing entire fleets of starships or funding exploration missions to get their own personal exoplanet real estate. It’s rumored one member of the Matiba clan even brought back previously extinct species to keep as pets!

Being hyper consumers, members of the Horizon Corporation are addicted to buying new fancy products that they don’t really need. They do this in the belief that it will make them happy. Expect this faction to seek materialistic gains through the settlement of new planets in our universe.

Negative attention

As you might expect, The Horizon Corporation catch a lot of stick for their exploits. Those from lower social classes consider them to be greedy and heartless, putting profit over equality and fairness. They worry that the Horizon Corporation will damage any planets they inhabit due to their reckless pursuit of cash and that the quality of life for those who are not able to “hack it” will suffer under the illusion of this ability to climb any ladder (despite the lower rungs being removed for the masses). It should be considered however, that the faction is a genuinely idealistic one. That is, they truly believe that free market forces will lead to a utopia for everyone. Many of the members are self-made winners, meaning that their grit and determination must be respected. 

There are also good things to come from the Horizon Corporation. The Horizon Corporation are exporters of wholesale consumer products, which in volume are cheaper for everyone. They own and run entertainment channels that are extremely popular worldwide. They may be at the top of the capitalist ladder, but through them there are benefits for everyone globally. 

A powerful faction

As we have seen, the Horizon Corporation are a rich, determined, and successful faction in TerraGenesis. They will do all that they can to create a planetary corporation that satisfies their desire to generate untold profits. Choose this group if you are a capitalist and believe that the competitive nature of the free market is the conduit for reaching our true potential.

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The Daughters of Gaia – TerraGenesis Factions

A closer look at the nature loving, environmentalist faction of TerraGenesis

Daughters of Gaia

They may look like free-spirited and harmless nature lovers, but be warned: the Daughters of Gaia are known to break expectations. They are callous in the pursuit of their objectives, and this combination has made them a powerful force in interplanetary politics. The Daughters of Gaia are certainly an interesting faction to explore further.

Beliefs & Focus 

The Daughters of Gaia have a simple focus: to transform each world into its own paradise. Viewing entropy as sin, this faction believes that life is the greatest gift in the universe, and that we should spread this gift to every planet. They are one of the earliest groups that staunchly advocated off-world terraforming and habitability, believing that the Earth’s beauty should be prioritised over all other objectives. This dictates the way that they live, build, and rule. Beauty and nature-based artistry is consistent throughout everything the Daughters of Gaia do.

They are not all they seem

On the surface, they are a calm and peaceful people, with a graceful and well-mannered demeanor that represents their spirituality with the universe and their appreciation of nature. However, while seemingly harmless, the Daughters of Gaia can be surprisingly ruthless in the pursuit of their goals. Their Darwinian beliefs mean that they take a “survival of the fittest” approach, believing life as they know it is the strongest and most deserving of them all.

Nature inspired

Gaia poster

The Daughters of Gaia have a fluid aesthetic design, made up of clean and sleek clothing with plenty of bright and colourful detail. Their organic sentiment is reflected in their architecture, which combines indoor comfort with the beauty of the outdoor elements. Naturally, their home is a scenic and tranquil place and must be seen to be believed. The Daughters of Gaia are elegant, dressed in ornate, ceremonial clothing pulling from Earth cultures.

Strength in numbers

This faction has a close family bond, meaning they will stand by each other and defend themselves in numbers. They have a matriarchal social structure with female leaders, which has led outsiders to consider them radical feminists who denounce men. Those same critics may also argue that the Daughters of Gaia are spoilt, tree loving hippies who are born into privileged conditions that allow them to pass judgement on lower classes. Of course, those critics are often silent when they see a Gaian spacecraft approaching – a terror among the stars, striking fear in the hearts of those who know what’s about to come.

Masters of their craft

The Daughters of Gaia are masters of biochemical engineering, pushing life’s limits to its boundaries and beyond. By modifying the ecological conditions of other planets in their pursuit of paradise habitability, they create veritable Gardens of Eden to suit their own needs. Their experiments don’t always stop at planetary changes, however, as prominent Gaian scientists have been known to engineer and alter other lifeforms – humans included. After all, it is survival of the fittest – who’s to say humankind couldn’t be even fitter?

A powerful force

If it wasn’t clear already, The Daughters of Gaia are the most nature-focused faction in TerraGenesis. While they are not as industrious as the Sons of Hesphaestus, as populous as the UNSA, or as wealthy as the Horizon Corporation, their skills, demanded conformity among its membership, and their intense beliefs make them a force to be reckoned with!