08-14-2012, 05:46 PM
I got the inspiration for this small faction when Ace detailed Kickassia, and with the latest discussion about the future in fenspace I decided to flesh it further. I was originally going to create original club members, but then I realized that the Open Characters are there for something, so most of the named members are open characters (despite how unlikely the idea of, say, a french supermodel would want to be skulking around in secret conspiracies somewhere in Jupiter)
The Hellfire Club
The Hellfire Club is a secret organization -nothing is known about this group, except the fact that they uncovered a dangerous boskonian infiltration in the Marduk shipyards, sending word to Great Justice. This was the first time the name of the organization was made public -and the last.
But rumors of their involvement all over Luna, Cislunar space, and even Venus, Mars and ocasionally beyond, are plenty, and always present in any fen with conspiracy inclinations. They control the water trade in Venus, they secretly rule Marduk, tthey have infiltrated the Space Patrol, hey order around fen criminal gangs for their own interests. The list is almost endless, and often contradicting.
Any fen worth their name, of course, knows the origin of the name, so the one rumor that is said so often to be considered truth is the organization, with the members taking the names of chess pieces -16 members in the inner circle, and a seemingly endless number of Pawns (most of whom do not even known they are pawns). The colors of the pieces -Red, White or Black- are a matter of spirited debate in the bianual Conspiracy Convention at Marduk city.
Even more loudly debated in forums and the convention are the names of the members -given the original involvement of the Club in Marduk city, Vykos, with his white clothes, is often considered a shoe in as the White King, but others thing it is just too evident (unless that's what he wants you to think). Most BNF have found themselves placed as this or that member over the years, though of course Mal Fnord has always topped the list as possible Red King.
The Truth
In 2008, Michael Weston was one more college student in California, who spent his free time geeking over comic books and D&D campaigns, with a group of friends. Like many other geeks, he had all the marking to bug of out the old dirt ball and become a fen (well, that or go formal, find an accounting job and suburb home, but in fenspace we do not talk about those people).
One thing than set him apart from other fen was one of his internet contacts, a social worker named Tanith Curtis, which had build an internet friendship due to shared interests -and being born in the same town.
When Tanith, whom Michael considered a serious (if nice) woman, suddenly packed up and mover to the moon, he had a revelation. He gathered his gaming group, and they began to plan they super space station.
Their skills were, maybe, not up to the task, but there was nothing wrong with their imagination. The huge prank than would eventually become Kickassia Station was born, an amazing floating luxury manor in the sky for millionaires. Who cared if it was simply an outer shell with a few hovering drives? It was home, and cool.
Tanith found her friend's babbling about the prank cute, but that was when she was far away. After her first visit she was horrified about the suicidal danger the station posed to their inhabitants; two weeks after her visit, Oscar Vykos had appeared with a couple of construction droids and a building guide.
The Federation had helped Oscar when he first came to fenspace, a penniless explored with a badly designed ship, asking for no reward. Since then, Oscar had vowed to offer help to new fen who needed it, so when he discovered a group of girls trying to build a moon kingdom a few miles north of his home, he did not hesitate to lent then several temporary habitats, offering gossip and building tips as needed; he earned several lifelong friendships then.
So when one of his friends came ranting about insane stunts in L5, he was happy to lend a hand, and a couple old droids than weren't in use right then (there almost certainly is no truth in the rumor than Tanith has several blackmail photos about Vykos, a lost bet and pink flower dresses).
The year 2009 was a busy time in Kickassia, as they rebuild (rather, they built) the interior of the station. Michael and his group visited fenspace, geeked out with the super city of Kandor, made new friends, and in general joined the fen nation. Some of those friends had risen to high places indeed -Vykos had turned Genesis Construction into a mayor company, Hélène Aronnax became an international supermodel... and Tanith was now known as Her Royal Majesty, Queen Serenity the First.
Kickassia hosted a Christmas party that year, to celebrate the completion of the station, and the success of the prank; their closest friend were invited. Once the party had gone for long, and the eggnog and sugar had time to act, discussion mover to politics, handwavium, and their nature. Most of the guests agreed that handwavium thrives in imagination and dreams, and that's why 'danes were worse at it.
The next day the party broke up and everyone returned to their homes, but Michael kept thinkign about the debate on hanwavium and dreams. What would happen if the Factions grew up, matured and turned into normal nations? He kept coming back to this problem, so three months after the part, he summoned back his friends to a secret reunion.
That reunion went form a few hours to two days, and then a week, while Michael, which had woken up a newfound passion, convinced then to the danger. The group decided that the best path was to make sure that there were as much small factions as possible -but that was not enough. Fendanes, and eventually everybody back on earth, had to awaken their dreams -in short, everybody should eventually become fen.
The Dream Makers were born -fortunately, that horrid name only lasted the few minutes before someone joked that with Serenity present, they had their own White Queen, so they were renamed by acclamation the Hellfire Club. Kickassia Station is their (secret) base.
Goals
The Hellfire Club goals are to make sure fen, and humans in general, keep realizing their dreams, no matter how strange. Their eventual goal, should it be possible, is to turn everybody into fen, but for the moment they concentrate in 'danes living in space.
They do this by making sure there are as many factions as possible, so everybody can find their own place. They have sworn to help young factions withing their possibilities -but it is of note than this does not mean they are always altruistic; Oscar Vykos has made a fortune building (even if cheap, it's not free) habitats, Esposito has built a net of contacts (which he loves offering Deals They Can't Refuse), Michael himself has created a transport company.
But even thay they will always be on the lookout for new factions, ready to lend a hand -no matter the faction, if they will abide to the Convention, then they will help it (this is why, hidden in the deepest level of the Genesis Zigurrat, behind seven sealed doors, lies a set of templates and implants than would help a sentient pony to fly, manipulate objects, or trwo pretty lights. Osacr prays then he never will have to open the vault)
Despite the dark rumors -most of which are started by then- they try to remain firmly on the side of the law, and Great Justice has (mostly) full access to their dealings -one the OF-7 troubleshooters is a member, and he makes regular report to everything the Club discovers and he thinks his superiors need to know.
The Club is actually a firm defender of Great Justice and the Space Patrol: They know than by encouraging small factions, fenspace risks splintering, so they support interfaction groups than help unity.
Organization and Members:
The had adopted the chess names of the marvel Hellfire Club, though there is no actual leader, and all members are equal. There are White and Black pieces, and, despite rumors, no pawns; should they ever grow over 16 members, they will pick a new color, like red, and start a new “court”.
Members:
Black King: Michael Weston
Black Queen: Hélène Aronnax
Black Bishop: Anthony Esposito
Balck Knight: Kalyn Telana
Black Bishop: Tiamat Vykos
White King: Oscar Vykos
White Queen: Tanith Curtis (Serenity I)
White Rook: Erin Simmah
White Knight: Arthur Nkomo
There are seven unnamed spots -a few of then are filled by Michael's gaming club, which helped build Kickassia and are now members of other factions, like the Supers or the Federation, and a few of then empty for future members; those spots are left blank for future needs, like other background details (like how a french Monster of the Black Lagoon girl ended up joining a bunch of californians); those details may be filled in stories, or completed by another author.