Originally posted by Fesarius
As depicted on DS9, the Ferengi are the worst sort of predatory capitalists. Caveat emptor is the watchword when dealing with them. The Orion Syndicate is a criminal organization. The fusion of these two is unlikely to produce anything benevolent.
Your depiction seems a little softer than I would imagine such an organization would be. Did something happen to soften them up? Or do you have a different outlook from me on the Ferengi and/or the Orions.
Near the end of DS9, Rom was the Nagus. He was said to be instituting reforms. What's your take on that? Did the Replicator Invasion wipe all those out? Or did someone murder Rom early in his tenure and install a more traditional sort of Ferengi as Nagus? (Personally, I don't think Rom would have lasted very long attempting to institute reforms, but that's just me...)
The idea is that the Ferengi were softened by Rom's reforms making them less predatory although still capitalistic. He just made them more "socially conscious" about making money. Successive Grand Nagi (?) have continued the trend.
The Orions well like the Mafia, they decided that they should go legit as it may be easier to make money. Initially it was about using the alliance to cover their criminal activities but over the years, they found they could make more money legitimately than by piracy, drug smuggling etc. They still control the night clubs etc. but in a sense they've turned against pirates and smugglers who are bad for their business.
Its important to note that we're looking 500 years in the future after an apocalyptic event, an almost total revision of the socio-political dynamic of the AQ/BQ so expect things to change.
The whole point of my new campaign is to take away the familiar crutches and pre-conceptions that the PCs and see how they deal with it. Most players are used to seeing Ferengi as money grubbing low lives and Orions as criminals. So lets see how they deal with a Daimon who's out to make a buck but can be altuistic as well. Go figure...
Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden!
Fell deed awake: fire and slaughter!
Spear shall be shaken, shields be splintered,
a sword-day, a red-day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!
Theoden King: The Return of the King