In this thread we can discuss the familial relations; primarily arising from the 'history' bit of each Playbook but also more generally.

I'm playing a slightly modified, secretive, Synthetic Hive.

History-wise, my first one is big.
Everyone worries you could strike at any moment.Each  Family  says  what  event  caused  this  fear, and you take 1-Treaty on them.
Potential ideas, if you can't think of anything, mostly based around the fact that they have access to anti-grav swift flyers:

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1. Unbidden forces dropped out of the sky to help a rival secure a much needed resource, apparently the result of a last minute deal.
   
2. A fugitive/traitor was forcefully spirited away as soon as he reached the border.
   
3. An Unbidden retrieval squad tracked your families scavengers to an important data repository, and kindly but forcefully took it.
   
4. Protection of a caravan was regretfully but suddenly withdrawn when contract was breached, leaving them to an unknown, horrible fate.

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On top of that, another family holds  an  important  node  of    your   ancestral   infrastructure. They gain 2 treaty, and I'll state what it is/why they can't access its deeper secrets.

Finally playbook history: Which  of   you  hosts  a  leader  that  could  unite everyone and crush us?Why hasn’t she done that yet? Give them 2-Treaty.

As for the Eldritch abominations, Unbidden is Hostile. They battle Eldritch forces with fervent, uncharacteristic hatred, turning their own baleful advantages against them. Aethernauts get to say how they've helped Unbidden survive such as campaign thus far.

I like the thrall thing. Here's my idea:

At some point, a task-force of a handful of Unbidden parties was attempting to accomplish some goal, when they were intercepted by an Olympian.

They're stuck as thralls now, because an unforeseen interaction between the Olympian's brute-force(hubris?) attempt on their comms-encryption and a local energy-surge basically chain-lightning'd their brains, frying out their implants and higher-level thinking, but leaving durable, lobotomized laborers.

Hmmmm. I need to get clarity on the nature of the Unbidden members as i assumed they were 100% synthetic creations from the past. If they are not (meaning if they were simply cyborged humans that that would survive if their artificial parts were removed) then the Olympians would just have returned the hive members rather than keeping them as mindless human labor.

Now if they were fully constructed synthetics, then sure they'd keep em.

Sometime within the last generation or so, a mid- to high-ranking Protean researcher left and went over to Unbidden.  Maybe this was a voluntary move on his part, or maybe it was the price we paid for contracting your services, or maybe something else.  But the point is that you got our guy, and some significant knowledge that he took with him, and it really only works to humanity's benefit if we are the ones controlling access to that knowledge.

HISTORY
Each other Family or Faction discloses their stance in the shadow war:
Devoted:
They say what secret practices they hold to honour the Eldritch Powers. You say how they are rewarded. You give them 2-Treaty.
Infiltrated:
They say who among their people worship the Eldritch Powers. You tell us how. Exchange 2-Treaty.
Hostile:
They say how they battle against the Eldritch Powers. You tell us how you helped them survive this far. Take 2-Treaty on them. --Unbidden Inc

I've been through all the histories and identified where there may be some outstanding slots to fill to sort out the last few treaties and the like. Where there seemed like an obvious choice of family to fill it I've added that in but that's just my musings and by no means a requirement!

Protean Foundation

Everyone has a need for the Protean Foundation's products so they have 1 treaty on everyone right off the bat.

Which of you has made agreements with the Protean Foundation that might just end up saving mankind AND the planet? You take 1-Treaty on them.
I think the Bennington's have covered this one, just need to sort out the detail of the agreements (though that could be done in play). Could be just as simple as the Protean's experiments may be the key to salvation and the Bennington's firepower keeps them safe to do their thing?

Which of you supplies the Protean Foundation with resources vital for cultivation? Work out what the supplies are and give that Family 1-Treaty on you.
I think this synergises with the Eternal Olympians similar one so it's covered.

Bennington Family

Which of you supports our crusade the most? Give them 2-Treaty on you.
The Olympians

Which of you did we save from slaughter at the hand of raiders? Take 2-Treaty on them.
Still up for grabs and, again, could probably be anyone? Raiders could have had their eyes on anyone save for perhaps the Olympians who are a bit removed.

Which of you raised the Homeland’s worst criminal? Take 1-Treaty on them; they give another Family that the criminal victimised 1-Treaty
Still up for grabs. Obvious choice is the Aethernauts as they ended the world and all, whoever the architect behind that was probably a bit of a wrong 'un! Though the Olympians I suspect might have some bad apples with power corrupting and all that.

Unbidden Inc

Everyone worries you could strike at any moment. Each Family says what event caused this fear, and you take 1-Treaty on them.

Which of you holds an important node of your ancestral infrastructure? Say what prevents them from unlocking its deeper mysteries and give them 2-Treaty.
Buried far underneath the Olympian's redoubt, beyond even their domain and all but hidden from their most powerful means of perception lies a mysterious sequestered Node, currently cut off from the world, and of some power.

Which of you hosts a leader that could unite everyone and crush us? Why hasn’t she done that yet? Give them 2-Treaty.
Up for grabs and, again, could probably fit with just about anyone.

Eternal Olympians

Which one of you first found power in the confines of the Redoubt? They say the price they paid
for that power and give you 2-Treaty.
I think we have the Protean's covering this one having an arrangement where they take biochemical waste off the Olympian's hands. Best not to think too much about what they do with it!

Which one of you was saved by an inhuman traveller? Give them 2-Treaty as you crave to know more about this wanderer.
Up for grabs and just a really weird one! Maybe the Aethernauts as they would have a fair bit to do with inhuman travellers?

Whose kin suffer as our thralls? Give them 2-Treaty, and they say why the thralls can’t leave.
I think we've got this covered by Unbidden Inc having lost some, now mindless, thralls in Olympian lands.

Aethernauts
Each other Family or Faction discloses their stance in the shadow war:

Devoted: They say what secret practices they hold to honour the Eldritch Powers. You say how they are rewarded. You give them 2-Treaty.

Infiltrated: They say who among their people worship the Eldritch Powers. You tell us how. Exchange 2-Treaty.
The Olympians - The immortal, Dionysus, and his retinue (who he calls Maenads)
Protean Foundation - There is a small faction within the Foundation that believes the Eldritch Powers are the impetus we need to push our species further.

Hostile: They say how they battle against the Eldritch Powers. You tell us how you helped them survive this far. Take  2-Treaty on them.
- Unbidden Inc

I think all the other families are yet to confirm their position.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:37, Sat 17 Apr 2021.

I like it: buried far underneath the Olympian's redoubt, beyond even their domain and all but hidden from their most powerful means of perception lies a mysterious sequestered Node, currently cut off from the world, and of some power.



I'd love to have Bennington's Worst Criminal. Perhaps some rogue agent, or a sentient special-project gone wrong?

Well, worship might be too strong a word for it, but there is a small faction within the Foundation that believes the Eldritch Powers are the impetus we need to push our species further.  And, depending on what these Powers can do, maybe also a tool to make it happen.