FtA: Antagonists vs. Rivals

Rereading some of my earlier posts regarding some of the other beings inhabiting the world of From the Ashes, it struck me that I wasn't setting up antagonists, but rather rivals.  Each of the groups that I have introduced have their own vision for rebuilding the world, and I think that it is important to play that aspect up.  Their purpose in the game is not to antagonize the PCs, at least not in the same way that a party of orcs do.  Rather, they have a competing system of values which they see as the means to the end which is a new, better, stronger, Six Million Dollar Civilization.  The Prophets want to cleanse the earth and prepare the way for True Man's return, the Racists want to reclaim the world for themselves and make things "the way they used to be", the ants want to create an orderly, regimented society.  Even the Plague, in its sad broken way, wants to make things better the best way it knows how.

I think there is value in setting up the game this way - not as creatures to be knocked over so you can plunder their loot, but rivals with hopes and dreams and aspirations of their own, at least collectively.  I'm going to retag those posts now.