Relationships
Faction & Character Dynamics
This document outlines the known and secret relationships that define the political and personal landscape of the Age of Challenge. (With the current to date roster of 20 Characters)
The Crimson Fist's Inner Circle (Salas)
The Saiyan leadership is a delicate balance of competing philosophies, held together only by their loyalty to @Kaleerus.
@Commander Kado's view on @Archon Vokka: He sees Vokka's obsession with magic and technology as a dangerous dilution of the Saiyan warrior spirit. He considers him a necessary evil for maintaining their technology but distrusts his methods and long-term goals.
Vokka's view on Kado: He views Kado as a relic, a powerful but simple tool whose mindset will lead the Saiyans to extinction. He sees Kado's aggression as predictable and useful for keeping their enemies off-balance while he conducts his important work.
@Mistress Zukini's view on Kado & Vokka: She finds Kado's rigid politics suffocating and Vokka's endless research boring. She respects both for their power and dedication but chooses to live outside their spheres of influence. They, in turn, see her as the embodiment of the Saiyan spirit but underestimate her intelligence.
The Underbelly of Salas
The non-elites of the Saiyan homeworld have their own complex web.
@Xylia Vorn's Web: The Syndicate fixer has a professional, if wary, relationship with Warden Kaelix on the Gilded Chain, seeing the Aegis Compact as reliable but expensive muscle. She uses the disgraced Saiyan Kaelen as a source of information on the Scrapheap's activities and secretly monitors the progress of the pit fighters Vexia and Cinder, viewing them as potentially valuable future assets.
@Kaelen's Grudge: His primary motivation is a deep-seated hatred for Commander Kado, the one who exiled him. He has a grudging respect for Xylia, seeing her as a fellow survivor. He feels a quiet kinship with other outcasts like Vexia and Cinder, seeing their struggles as a reflection of his own.
The Imperial Chessboard (Sol Prime)
The Imperium is a network of power, ambition, and secrets, with the Inquisitor at its center.
@Grand Inquisitor Valerius Thane's Network: His primary active operation is the hunt for the deserter @Anya Lerium, whom he views as both a traitor and a dangerous loose end. He considers the corporate director@Director Varina Sol a necessary, powerful tool for the Imperium's economy, but one he watches constantly for signs of overreach. He sees@Curator Lyra Valerius as a naive idealist whose quest for "truth" is a threat to Imperial stability. He knows of the informant Silas Varr and has a standing bounty for his capture.
The Scholars' Alliance: Curator Lyra Valerius has a secret, encrypted line of communication with First Scribe Elara Vex of the Star-Wanderer's League, sharing historical data they both believe is for the good of the galaxy, an act Thane would consider high treason.
The Gilded Chain's Underworld
A chaotic web of contracts, debts, and professional rivalries.
@Warden Kaelix's Code: He has a tense professional respect for Inquisitor Thane, having taken Imperial contracts before, but dislikes his zealotry. He views the smuggler Jax Corr as an unreliable but skilled amateur. He sees Dr. Aris Thorne as a master of his craft, a useful specialist to have on call, but keeps him at arm's length due to his unsettling amorality.
@Doctor Aris Thorne's Obsessions: The chrome-surgeon is intellectually fascinated by the unique biologies of Warden Kaelix (The Marked), Vexia (Cosmic Dragonborn), and any Saiyan he can get close to. He would pay a fortune to get any of them on his operating table, for "upgrades."
The Pit Fighters' Bond: @Vexia has taken the newly transformed Tiefling, @Cinder, under her wing. She sees his fear and desperation and tries to protect him from the arena's worst predators, creating a fragile alliance between the two indebted champions.
The Neutral Powers
The independent players who navigate the gaps between the great factions.
The @Star-Wanderer's League: The Triumvirate views the Imperium's desire for control and the Syndicate's lust for profit as equal threats to their mission. @First Scribe Elara Vex considers @Curator Lyra Valerius a valuable ally. Grak respects the professionalism of The Aegis Compact. Finn has likely hired (and outsmarted) the smuggler Jax Corr on more than one occasion.
@Ren's Position: The young Saiyan Wayfinder deeply admires Mistress Zukini as an idol but is wary of Commander Kado's brutal reputation. He would be fascinated and perhaps sympathetic to the story of the outcast Kaelen.