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Steampunk Factions at Herofest LARP

All player characters must belong to one of the eight recognised factions:

• 1. Her Majesty’s Great Expedition (the Expedition) - the British Empire

  The British Empire at the height of its power and influence, seeking to claim honour and territory for her majesty. Primarily a military led expedition the British have kept their ‘stiff upper lip’; loyal to the Queen they remain convinced that it is only a matter of time before they are reunited with the Empire.

  Archetypes

  Members of the armed forces (uniforms tend towards Red or Green) officers and ‘salt of the earth’ soldiers, Aristocracy and servants, eccentric inventors, Archaeologists and adventurers, thieves and criminals looking for an opportunity, allied merchants.

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  2. The Zollern Korporation (the Corporation) - the Germans

  The German Empire is rising! But a few years since it was formed the German Empire is advancing technologically and militarily at an awesome rate, determined to show that they are more than a match for the other nations. Leading the edge of this rapid development is the Corporation. The first mining and heavy industry company to land on Mars, they are owned by members of the Imperial family together with leading industrialists with heavy government backing. They await renewed contact with Earth and see their job to expand their domain; but is this for the Empire or the company?

  Archetypes

  Scientists and inventors, wealthy Industrialists, Sky Captain, attached members of the armed forces (uniforms tend towards Black, White or Blue and Red), miners and industrial workers, aristocrats.

• 3. New Dakota Territory (the Pioneers) - the Americans

  On Earth the United States of America is a nation for those who want to find a new life and make money, when the chance came to expand into a new world there was no sh0rtage of volunteers. Some are backed by companies or the government but there are also small groups and individuals who have scraped together the money to explore this new world of opportunity. Following the Great Calamity they declared themselves the self-governing Territory of New Dakota unhindered by expectations, or laws, from Earth.

  Archetypes

  Frontiersmen, miners and prospectors, opportunists, gunslingers, pioneers and inventors, wealthy folk seeking adventure, merchants, native Americans, settlers, gamblers and show folk.

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  4. The Foreign Legion (the Legion) - soldiers of fortune

  The French Republic was slow to pursue the opportunities of Mars. Finally and reluctantly acting they sent a Foreign Legion detachment, under supplied and poorly led. In the Great Calamity the French Colonel in charge died falling (or pushed) from a collapsing Aether ships. The remaining Legionnaires decided that with no clear orders they needed to look after themselves and this soon inspired others! The first to join were the merchant seamen who captained any independent Aether ships. The Legion is now a rather loose (in military terms) company of soldiers and adventurers from a wide variety of nations.

  Archetypes

  Soldier of fortune, French Foreign Legion glory hunters and ex-criminals, Independent Sky Captain, isolated soldiers from smaller nations, camp followers, independent inventors and explorers.

• 5. The Narodik and Nhilist Coalition (the Revolutionaries) - the Russians

  Tsar Alexander II decided that the Russian Empire need to be represented on this dangerous venture and so just decided who should go. Some had key skills, others were deemed expendable. The Russian mines were filled with conscripted labour and convicted criminals working out their sentences. In 1881 Tsar Alexander II was assassinated by Nihilists and shortly after the last Russian ship before the Great Calamity departed Earth. Following the Great Calamity the people of the Russian colony and mines took the opportunity and rose up: the leaders and overseers were killed and the Coalition was created.

  Archetypes

  Workers’ leaders, skilled workers, exiled Aristocrats, poets, radical philosophers, Cossacks, socialists from other nations, convicted criminals, conscripted doctors, freedom fighters/assassins.

• 6. The Al-Azhar Alliance (the Corsairs) - the Ottomans

  The fading Ottoman Empire was determined that it wouldn't miss out on this brave new world and so an Alliance was formed between significant people in the Ottoman Empire and key Arab leaders including the Sultan of Egypt and the Sultan of Morocco. The inclusion of the fabled Al Azhar University of Cairo and the adoption of this name as the main title for the group may have lent the group an academic sheen but there does seem to be rather a lot of armed Corsair types amongst their number.

  Archetypes

  Desert Sheikh, Arab corsair, wise Professor, student, cunning merchant, archaeologist, noble Ottoman Bey (Chieftain), entrepreneurial industrialist, spiritual wise woman.

• 7. Tripartite Scholars (the University) - Italians, Spanish and Hungarians

  Three great Universities (of Bologna, Budapest and Salamanca) were at the forefront of research into Aether devices and as such were amongst the first to discover the route and means to get to Mars. Gathering together an alliance of sponsoring merchants they decided to launch their own expedition and then establish their own research both academic and industrial, together with a mining operation.

  Archetypes

  Professor, Inventor, Wealthy Merchant, Student, Mercenary guard, Aristocratic benefactor, Spiritualist Researcher, Innovative Miner.

• 8. The Grackle-backs (the Goblins) - Low Martians

  The Grackle-backs are also referred to as the low Martians or ‘Goblins’. They take many shapes and colours though green does seem rather prominent. They are notoriously curious and fantastic tinkerers with technology, if prone to laziness and dishonesty. Those that embraced the arrival of humans (as a welcome distraction from picking over the remains of once great Martian civilisations and being told what to do by the High Martians) quickly became scouts and guides for various factions. Not all Martian tribes welcomed this and after the Great Calamity those who wished to pursue a living amongst the humans were no longer welcome in their tribes or fully trusted by humans and so banded together in a new tribe, called the Grackle-backs.

  Archetypes

  Technology Tinkerer, scout, witch-doctor, Miner, Dentist, Tribal Chief, Warrior, thief/scrounger, Humanophile, archaeologist/tomb robber.

Masonic Lodges

As well as being part of a faction all player&s join a secret society linked to their out-of-character (OOC) birthday, there are 12 zodiacs signs divided into 6 Lodges, the principles, aims and laws of these societies will un-fold during the game.

Symbol	Latin name	English Translation	Lodge
♈	Aries	The Ram	The Seal of the Sacred Horn
♉	Taurus	The Bull	The Seal of the Sacred Horn
♊	Gemini	The Twins	Solidarity of the Twice Born
♋	Cancer	The Crab	Solidarity of the Twice Born
♌	Leo	The Lion	The Old Hearts Club
♍	Virgo	The Maiden	The Old Hearts Club
♎	Libra	The Scales	Venusians Vengeance
♏	Scorpio	The Scorpion	Venusians Vengeance
♐	Sagittarius	The Centaur	The Centaur and the Sea-Goat
♑	Capricorn	The Sea-Goat	The Centaur and the Sea-Goat
♒	Aquarius	The Water-Bearer	The Ancient Mariners
♓	Pisces	The Fish	The Ancient Mariners

Booking details for Steampunk @ Herofest LARP/LRP are here »

For more information, or to post your completed booking, contact Paul Matthews at Herofest LARP/LRP, Unit 42A/6, Morelands Trading Estate, Bristol Road, Gloucester, GL15RZ.  Alternatively email us for information or details on how to make a Steampunk @ Herofest booking at: paul@herofest.co.uk.

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