| Name | Clan Zarrakmarr (Za-Rack-Mar) |
|---|---|
| Faction Type | Dominion |
| Dominion | Technology, Diplomacy, Exploration |
| Dominion: Leadership | Oligarchic Triumvirate |
| Faction Projects | Convince a rival asset to turn traitor, Obtain a needed commodity |
| Faction Quirks | Distinctive style of dress, Membership requires service |
| Faction Rumors | Developing dangerous technology |
Overview
Named for their Ark's original captain, Clan Zarrakmar are a founding clan who still hold to traditions brought over from before The Exodus. The three great houses within the clan share power in a triumvirate, making decisions based off of mutual consensus. Below them, the minor houses are treated in a rather utilitarian way, each given a task or area of expertise to master in service of the clan. For example, there are minor houses in each great house who specialize in inter-house trade, others in mapping and surveying new sectors, others still in xenosciences and first contact. Should a new problem arise that requires sustained expertise, it's not unheard of for a promising member of a great house to be allowed to create a new minor house dedicated to solving that problem.
Internal Structure
Each great house is led by a Paragon, who is in turn advised by a council of experts made up of respected and accomplished members from both the great house and it's scion minor houses.
While the clan professes to be a meritocracy, the reality is that being skilled is only half of the battle toward recognition and status. Due to the complex, almost byzantine nature of the laws and procedures by which the three great houses promote from within the average council hopeful will have many tasks to complete and rivals to overcome before accomplishing their aims.
Being on the council doesn't make you untouchable either, while not commonplace it's not unheard of for minor houses to have feuds with each other that end in scandal or on rare occasion violence when jockeying for favor. While internal struggles still exist, each house still acts for the prosperity of the clan as a whole, though the reasons for some houses doing so can still be self serving.
Externally, Clan Zarrakmar is viewed as warm but exclusionary. This is in part because they prefer to work within the clan, even a member of a rival great house is preferrable to someone with no ties to the clan. That said, once you have earned their confidence a member of Clan Zarrakmar can be a generous employer and offer valuable resources otherwise unavailable. If you truly impress a powerful clan member, you may be fortunate enough to earn sponsorship as a prospective new member of the clan. The trial the prospect is required to pass to fully earn membership is unique to the prospect, but is always in service of the clan in some form or another.
Specialties
Clan Zarrakmar is renown for its exotic technologies, often integrating experimental or novel tech in unusual ways. This is often supported by the unproven but persistent rumor that the clan's ark was actually briefly intercepted by an alien civilization during the clan's exodus to the forge, who exchanged knowledge and technology with them.
The clan maintains a significant number of minor houses who serve as explorers and scientists who map, survey, and subsequently exploit new resources and technologies for the benefit of the clan. Over time these technologies tickle their way outside of the clan, but the average soldier of clan Zarrakmar is still using tech that is unknown to significant portions of the Forge. Consequently, the clan boasts a smaller military force compared to the other active founding clans, but uses its technology as a force multiplier.
Additionally, Clan Zarrakmar makes a point of maintaining embassies and trade relationships with the other founding clans and major powers in the Forge. This makes them exceptionally well connected and a ensures they have at least a small presence in most populated sectors.