An expansion for Exodus - VII. Han-Xia Dynasty

As promised, we continue to present the different factions present in the Exodus expansion. Before we get to the main topic of the day and talk about the Han-Xia Dynasty, let's have a quick look at early sketches of the artwork....

Box cover sketch

Han-Xia faction sketch

Han-Xia Dynasty is the faction with the best skills during space combat. Using Advanced and Fringe tactics, the Dynasty can create positive outcome out of almost any space confrontation. With their unique Hyperspace Drives, they also have the ability to move unrestricted throughout space, surprising their enemies and engaging in fights they almost always win. Without being neither moral nor immoral, their simple yet effective set of laws and amoral vision among the most powerful and fearsome factions, equaled perhaps only by Blackwater.

When others were leaving Earth in panic, escaping the cruel fate of a dead world, we were ready. We had  the best and brightest of us chosen to become our future. We did not escape into the far blackness of space. We went as conquerors. We have a history longer than many other nations of the world. We stood the test of time when others faded. We flourished when others merely survived. As our fleets dominate the void of space, so will we dominate all those who try to oppose us. And who are you to judge our ways?

The Han-Xia Dynasty originated in greater China, which probably explains why this specific faction seems more closely tied to its nationality than any other. Centred around effectiveness and unrelenting exploitation of its seemingly endless human potential, the Han-Xia adapted to the new world with astonishing speed, assimilating and modifying Centaurian technology faster than any other survivor group.

Although the Centaurians welcomed humanity and peace and did a lot to impose their pacifistic doctrines upon their new protégés, the Han-Xia Dynasty knew from the start that humanity will need a single leader – a leader forged in the rapidly dying flame of an exploding enemy fleet. With that in mind, the Dynasty introduced a cruel but frighteningly effective training regime for their pilots, quickly building a force of specialists able to best any opponents in space combat.

However, the war for domination requires not only strength, but also speed, and the Han-Xia’s ships are quickly becoming a legend, for the Dynasty is the only faction controlling the technology of faster than light travel – and this but one of many technologies the Han-Xia scientists were able to not only learn to use, but also modify heavily so that it would serve the Dynasty’s purpose.

The Han-Xia Dynasty works with the fearsome effectiveness of a human hive, able to react to change with incredible speed and to respond violently to even the slightest of provocations. Some believe that it is because of its leaders inborn cruelty. Others, better schooled in the ways of Han-Xia know that the truth is far more terrifying. The Dynasty is here to rule, its purpose is clear, and it will not shy away from achieving its goal in the most effective way possible, even if the effectiveness means resorting to lethal brutality or cold genocide.

If you missed our earlier articles, you can read here about the Sirius Theocracy and the Arctic Dominion.


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An expansion for Exodus - VI. Arctic Dominion

Last week we started presenting the factions fighting for supremacy in Exodus: Proxima Centauri. We continue this series with the Arctic Dominion, the experts of trading.

The Dominion is the single faction with the ability to convert resources into victory points. This ability is backed by their trading, banking and mining skills supported by specific technologies, allowing the Dominion to convert very fast their territorial claims into power. Another unique technology of the Arctic Dominion, the Quantum Reflection, is their key to take full advantage of fighting the Centaurian Resistance, getting both the victory points and the direct benefits from the resistance cards.

Some see space as a dark, cold and unwelcoming place. In the ancient times seas were similarly perceived, but even then our ancestors braved the freezing blackness, acknowledging the dangers, but also seeing the possibilities it offered. They were warriors and traders; we are businessmen. If there is a price on something, and if it is the right price,  we can deliver. And as far as we know, there is a price on everything.

On Earth the Arctic Dominion grew where all else would either freeze, or have the right mind to leave. The cold and unwelcoming place of the northern part of North America and the territories north of Siberia, though rich with natural resources, forged the shrewdness and mettle of the people living there. With time it became clear that the common focus on turning a profit became more unifying than any particular nationalities and beliefs, becoming a deciding factor in the origin of Arctic Dominion.

There is and has always been only one guiding force behind Arctic Dominion: money. Leaders of the faction believe that although Old Earth might be merely a legendary home world with a legacy many hope to fall into oblivion, there are still lessons that should never be forgotten. And for the Dominion, those lessons allow them to flourish and profit where others struggle for survival.

Members of the Arctic Dominion are descendants of Earth’s miners, traders and bankers, today unified mostly by a mutual desire to build the wealth and power of their organization. A long tradition of trading with yesterday’s enemies and tomorrow’s allies makes them a group of business negotiators, with a level of skill unmatched by any other. Their economic potential allows them to also remain a challenging wartime opponent. It is not unknown for the Arctic Dominion to profit from their conflicts by auctioning off carefully obtained POV’s that are the key figures for other factions.

Although concentrated on their own power, the Arctic Dominion managed to maintain the closest relations with the Centaurians, learning as much as possible from humanity’s benefactors and supplementing civil science research with a focus on Centaurian technologies that allow them to maximize the gains even from fighting off indigenous resistance. 

We will continue our detailed presentation of the expansion next week with the Han-Xia Dynasty. 

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