A good faction network serves multiple purpose.

• It outlines the world they live in. Who are those people? What do they do?
• It creates a crucible that allows you to generate conflicts. And conflicts create interesting stories.

Let's have a look at the factions of the frozen colony!

Note on How to get in: This can be used as a hook for an adventure. It does not mean that players can become part of any organization, just that they can earn some level of protection.

Iberium is the first city the player will visit. It is a place where the old kingdoms have some presence. However it provides an outlook into the rest of the world. It is a mix of a late medieval port and a nomad camp.

The authorities

The authorities are the reason why this whole thing exists. They have enough forces to maintain some order but are still a minority.

• The company is at the same time the main administrator and the law enforcement of the city. Its soldiers are cold and brutal. Its administrators are even worse. It is making a lot of money out of this situation. Its power is slowly rising to a level comparable to the old kingdom. Iberium is a key place for the company since it is where it collects all the riches from the colony and send them away. The main fort serves as a storage place. The company collect a hefty tax on all boats docking at the port.

  How to get in: player can act as informant for the soldiers. They can reveal where the dockers have hidden a bunch of weapons, or they can clean a street that a priest is going to visit from its beggars.

• The kingdom of Rowia (referred by the colonist as "the Old Kingdom") sends a few nobles to supervise an audit the operations. Most of them hate the lack of comfort and being far from the political game. They try to shake things up a bit and come back to brag about it as soon as possible. Or they pocket some corruption money and move on.

  How to get in: the player can provide interesting information about the company. A hidden commercial route. A mean to communicate with a corrupted politician. Think of a high risk/high reward operation. If they get caught the chances of escaping death are slim. If they succeed, they will have significant leverage.

• Some church representative come to make sure that the colonists keep praying and respecting their commandments. Those who don't are publicly burnt. This is always a popular event thanks to the warmth.

  Missionaries are coming in order to convert the tribes, but those usually move quickly further in the mainland.

  How to get in: players can reveal some forbidden behaviors. Beggars have been stealing the corpses of exiled who died during their first night. They steal their clothes and use the bodies as fuel. Other people may be aware but don't want to draw attention on this point because even the company could resort to such practice if they need to. As everyone knows, the church has the monopoly on burning people.

  Missionaries may request the help from the player to travel.

The guilds

Guilds represent the main workforce of the colony. They act like medieval unions. Most members are workers but some older leaders take a more political role.

• The docker's guild is the biggest one. Iberium is the biggest port on the coast and the only one where the merchant boats can dock. From the old kingdoms the boats bring all kind of material (food, clothes, construction materials) and the poor exiled. The dockers are numerous and extremely loyal. The company's soldiers don't really need or want to stick their neck too much in the area. They will come when important cargo is moved that day but won't stay too long.

  How to get in

• The sea hunter's guild is also quite big. Don't call them fishermen if you want good relations. Around Silberland fishes are often big enough to break a boat in half. You could sail out there with a net and try to grab a few salmons but without a big harpoon to defend yourself the risk is too high. So the only people crazy enough to wander around are trying to bring back big game. When they succeed, they can make a nice profit out of it. A sea creature will provide meat for the hungry, oil for the torches, skin for the clothes, etc. With that money they will need to pay the salaries to their men or their widows, fix the damages on their boat, and finance the next expedition.