“I’m with the Guild, and the Guild’s with me. If I ever try to run away, may I run to my grave”.
-Part of the Guild’s initiation oath
The Guild is the biggest criminal organization on the planet, with chapters and businesses all over the globe. This organization operates akin to a Corporation, but with even higher levels of secrecy. While corporations are usually known for advertising their products and services, the Guild discretely offers theirs to selected individuals who make contact via the deep web and through several layers of protection.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Guild is its Grid, probably one of the most complex, deadly, and beautiful grids in existence, with over one hundred layers of protective ICE, several higher and lesser AIs, and thousands of automated bots. The sophistication of its engineering and architecture is almost unrivaled amongst equivalent organizations. Many corporations and government agencies have tried to break into it, but none have succeeded. The Grid’s strength comes from the unbreakable loyalty and dedication the Guild’s runners have for the organization, as they zealously maintain it and would never reveal any secrets that could be used to harm it.
The Guild’s members are usually inducted when they are very young, and the grooming process begins when prospective members are in their early teens. The Guild’s recruiters use sophisticated algorithms to find youngsters with potential for running and reach them as early as possible. This way, the prospective runners are raised in an environment of luxury while being taught loyalty and respect for the organization, something they take extremely seriously.
There are no publicly known cases of runners leaving the Guild, only rumors. Theories are that if anybody leaves, it would not be on good terms. Members of the Guild will always have the resources needed to thrive and live a comfortable life, no matter where in the world they are. However, working for the Guild means being obedient and doing things many other runners and most ordinary people wouldn’t do. Guild runners operate from facilities known as “caves” that the organization provides, stocked with state-of-the-art hardware and software, safely under the protection of the Guild’s Grids. Members have access to all sorts of sophisticated equipment, despite not actually owning any of it.
Guild runners like to spend all the money they make in exclusive nightclubs and resorts or buying expensive clothes. Aesthetically, members are perfectly groomed and place great value on deluxe clothing and accessories. Guild runners tend to wear expensive suits and watches when making public appearances and on business, and top-of-the-line urban wear when on leisure time. These style choices serve both the member’s comfort and the image of the Guild as a whole, inspiring respect from some, and fear in others. Even if the Guild doesn’t have an official uniform, all their members agree that they should dress both luxuriously and with class.
The Cyphers are human runners that are allegedly in contact with beings from the planet Syrinx through encoded cyphers called “Enigmas”. They maintain contact, trading technology and code with them, often in exchange for doing their bidding. Not much is known about the Syrinx race: their planet is on the edge of the galaxy, too far away for humans to visit. However, the space probe that first informed humanity of this planet’s existence, Cygnus X-1, was knocked by an asteroid and ended up crashing on the surface of Syrinx. All the Enigmas and all other communications appear to be sent from this probe and bear an unforgeable digital signature.
Runners in this faction are varied, but they all share some common ground: they all have been contacted by the Syrinx and have solved different Enigmas which make them believe they are special and “the chosen ones”. This recruitment technique leads most Cyphers to believe that they are superior to other human beings.
Once the first Enigma is received and solved, Cyphers must install a proprietary implant in order to receive further communications without interference, among other functionalities. This implant, known as “the Glass” due to it being installed on one eye and making said eye look glassy, was developed by the first human believed to have been contacted by the Syrinx and the one person who appears to have the most direct contact with them: the runner coincidentally called GL4SS. This implant is always noticeably prosthetic unless it is covered. It is also quite painful and dangerous to install, as it connects to various nervous clusters that other implants avoid due to health and safety issues. Outsiders have suggested that some Cyphers suffer from hallucinations and psychosis because of the implant. Other’s claim that those mental ailments are in fact a requirement for selection. Whatever the case, some Cyphers decide to take a medication called Cranium to retain more control, while others choose to let the implants fuse with their minds unimpaired, believing this is what the Syrinx would prefer.
Some Cyphers decide to undergo the implant procedure because they truly believe that they should follow the Syrinx instructions, while others are not so interested in being servants as they are in the challenge of the Enigmas. Lastly, there are those who only have in mind the technological rewards that come with being a part of the Cyphers. Regardless of the initial reason, Cyphers tend to get themselves increasingly lost in the mysteries of Syrinx. The challenge and the purpose provided by the Syrinx often become the main axis for the life of the Cyphers.
The mysterious approach the Syrinx have in their communications and the secrecy surrounding their origin has turned the Cyphers into some kind of cult. They organize in groups in which the one who has received and solved more Enigmas outranks the others, meaning all Cyphers should be subordinates of GL4SS, who is the self-proclaimed head of the Children of Syrinx. Rumours seem to indicate that some Cyphers sacrifice their own identities to the Syrinx in exchange for knowledge, renouncing most possessions and devoting themselves to solving and studying the Enigmas. There are reports of Cyphers even disappearing physically, but remaining active in cyberspace. There are other cases in which Cyphers claim to have been selected for ascension and later on have disappeared entirely without a trace. However, there are also those who attempt to maintain their individuality and try to not get involved with the more fanatic wing of the faction, concentrating instead on just solving the Enigmas to reap the rewards.
Public opinion is divided regarding how real the Syrinx are. Some believe they exist in the form of aliens from outer space, or some other supernatural being, while others say they are simply a figment of the imagination of a crazy cult. There is a middle ground opinion on this subject that speculates that the Syrinx are in fact something or someone masquerading as aliens in order to control all these Cryptorunners. However, the fact is that the Cyphers have some technology that is unbelievably advanced and nobody can quite explain where they get it from.
The Cyphers push themselves to the limit and are more open to having implants than other factions. In their view, devotion to solving riddles is more important than physical looks or wellbeing. Cyphers can look like cyborgs, as they enhance their bodies trying to be more efficient at decoding Enigmas and unveiling the mysteries of the Syrinx.
Some unchosen people try to contact the Syrinx directly, without receiving an Enigma, but there is no known successful case.
“It’s a dog-eat-dog kind of world. If you wanna eat, you gotta be a Dog.”
-mensch.frame, Stray Dog referent.
Any runner that doesn’t fit in with any other faction is labeled a Stray Dog, whether they want to or not. Although some runners are Strays from the beginning of their careers, most of them are runners who used to be part of other factions and decided to go solo for some reason. This is why most Stray Dogs are older, more experienced runners.
Having no allegiance means they are more flexible with what they are capable and willing to do, but being a jack of all trades means that they are also masters of none. They are more versatile than any other faction and thus feel like the most balanced one. This also means they miss out on the bonuses and perks of being part of specialized organizations. Personality-wise, Strays have no problem with expressing themselves however they like. United by a work philosophy, each one is pretty much free to be who they feel they are.
Stray Dogs are loners by nature, but they are also known to cooperate amongst themselves, as long as their interests do not conflict. Whenever Strays choose to socialize, they like to hang with others who share their creed of profit and self-reliance, both physically in bars and pubs favored by mercenary runners, and virtually in dedicated forums, servers, and chatrooms. Many of the younger Strays like to frequent these places in order to get advice from more experienced Strays who don’t really see the young Pups as serious competition. A digital booklet called “The Cryptorunner’s Pocket Guide” written by a legendary Stray Dog has circulated in recent years. The text seems to be directed to young runners who are starting out, although it is believed it was written for someone in particular and it simply went viral.
Strays are mainly interested in being the best at what they do and cashing in the biggest contracts they can find. Some are driven by a desire to reach the almost mythical status of the few runners who lived long enough to retire. Others actually have families they need to support. More than a few are wanted by enough adversaries that they need to stay off the grid and have as few connections as possible. Some hardcore Strays who are wanted by authorities, corporations, and even factions alike are homeless by choice, making use of public networks to blend with the crowds and attract as little attention as possible. Some call these Strays Ronin Runners. Still, they all try to get the most important and best-paid gigs, each in its own fashion, but true to the competitive spirit of the Stray Dogs.
Because each Stray is mostly on its own, their equipment is usually not as sophisticated or new as the runners from other factions typically have. Most factions have people dedicated to developing hardware and software for their special needs. Strays have no such luxury and they depend on whatever they can get on the secondary market, what they can scavenge and what they can steal. There is a quite lively market of specialists who work mostly with Stray Dogs retrofitting and adapting whatever equipment they have, turning odds and ends into somewhat cohesive gear. This is why most Stray Dog equipment and gear seem to be heavily worn, beaten, and sometimes rusted. If the gear was stolen from some group and has any recognizable logos, Strays usually vandalize them in some way, mocking the original owners.
The factions are deeply rooted in the values and ethos of each Cryptorunner, that is why technically each Cryptorunner’s faction is determined when the character is minted, and cannot be changed. The minted characters will be distributed equally among the existing factions.
With the implementation of world-changing events, you can expect new Factions to be born in the event that new characters need to be minted.
Anyway, we will always keep the uniqueness of our Genesis collection through their distinctive art style and characteristics that only they will have.
From a gameplay point of view, each Faction will grant specific bonuses to their members and will have access to specific items and game mechanics.
“Decentralizing the currency should only have been the beginning. We’ve got to decentralize the government, decentralize power, decentralize resources. The whole thing.”
-d.r10t’s manifesto.
The Punks are a group of mostly lower-class, disillusioned, angry young runners. Though there are some old-school, hardcore, older Punks, most of their members are under 30 years of age.
Punks have no real vertical hierarchy, as they despise authority in every form and fight it wherever they find it. However, they do organize horizontally, often in small, local cells that join with other similar cells whenever the cause needs them to.
Some may think that the Punks are simply teenagers acting out, but in reality, their behavior is the result of a more profound interpretation of the world they live in. These people have been raised in a world of scarcity where the majority has very little and a few have almost everything.
This disparity in economic wealth, the apparent lack of future wellbeing for their generation, the absence of adequate measures taken by the world governments, and the overall decay of the moral, ethical and spiritual fabric of society has led the Punks to understand one thing: this game is rigged, the system is corrupt and will never change. The only alternative is to run it to the ground and build up from there, with a less greedy and unjust idiosyncrasy.
Punks are unashamed and unapologetic in the expression of their disconformity. They have less interest in aesthetics that simply try to be beautiful and are more drawn towards styles that have a message behind them.
They usually cut and dye their hair in the fashion of the punks of yore, with aggressive styles dyed in neon green, magenta, and cyan. They don’t mind being seen, as they feel society should be made aware of them and “deal” with their disconformity. The classic combat boots and plaid fabrics have been refurbished and redeployed on the newly available technology.
The Punk movement has a strong sexual component, as they understand that the only thing they really own are their bodies and that consensual sexual pleasure is one of the few pure, untainted positive things left in this world.
The Punks are not into running because of the monetary rewards, although they certainly welcome every cryptocoin they can get. Their drive is one of genuine rebellion. They actively search for instances of corporate or government oppression and fight it, often planning attacks that yield no rewards, simply because they want to hurt the system.
Notable Punk activities include altering school textbooks in order to spread what they believe is the truth about companies and authorities and erasing the debts random civilians have in order to free them from oppression and hurt the revenue of the corporations that profit from keeping common people down.
“What’s the point of doing something if you don’t do it with panache?”.
-Maker saying
The Makers are Cryptorunners obsessed with creating and inventing the best hardware and software possible and expressing their creativity through their inventions. They are creative and curious people by nature and are constantly trying new things. Makers are often self-initiated, simply drawn towards experimenting on their own at the beginning and later on joining in with like-minded runners in order to stimulate each other.
Makers prioritize the quality and usefulness of their creations while making sure their looks and aesthetics in The Grid are as original and awe-inspiring as they can be. In situations where other factions might favor brute force virtual attacks or discrete hacking techniques, Makers go the extra mile and have their creations do the job and make a loud statement on their own at the same time. They all share the same passion and drive for building things, although some are more ready to share their knowledge than others. Makers usually believe in the open-source philosophy, making all their knowledge available to fellow Makers. However, some members of this faction are exceptions and are quite overzealous and protective about what they make.
Makers have no interest in being celebrities themselves and prefer to keep the spotlight on their creations. The common Maker approach is usually letting their code and inventions do the talking, instead of bragging with empty words. Makers usually wear practical clothes, sturdy and durable, with many functional pockets. They also favor goggles and protective gear in order to make their building processes safer. Makers usually do not favor commercial implants out of the box, but instead are known to tinker with them in order to customize and enhance them and sometimes even make their own from the ground up.
The Maker community is driven by self-improvement, curiosity, and the belief that knowledge should be accessible to as many people as possible in order to advance technology. This is the reason they run and rob corporations of their secrets in order to make available as much information and resources as possible.
