Factions

Map of New Eden showing faction-controlled areas.

Empires

The EVE Online universe includes a series of five established governments. These include one government for each of the four dominant empires (Amarr, Caldari, Gallente, and Minmatar) as well as one for the fifth isolated empire (Jove). Each includes an established hierarchy, political system, and corporation membership.

The largest of the five main empires, the Amarr Empire is a sprawling patchwork of feudal-like provinces held together by the might of the emperor. Religion has always played a big part in Amarrian politics and the Amarrians believe they are the rightful masters of the world, souring their relations with their neighbors. Another source of ill-feelings on the part of the other empires is the fact that the Amarrians embrace slavery.	The Caldari State is ruled by several mega-corporations. There is no central government to speak of - all territories within the State are owned and ruled by corporations. Duty and discipline are required traits in Caldari citizens, plus unquestioning loyalty to the corporation they live to serve. The corporations compete aggressively amongst themselves and with companies outside the State, resulting in a highly capitalistic society.	The Gallente Federation encompasses several races, the Gallenteans the largest by far. The Federation is democratic and very liberal in a world full of dictators and oligarchies. The Caldari State was once part of the Federation, but a severe dispute resulted in their departure and a long war between the Gallente Federation and the Caldari State. The Gallenteans are the masters of pleasure and entertainment and their rich trade empire has given the world many of its most glorious and extravagant sights.	The Minmatar Republic was formed over a century ago when the Matari threw out their Amarrians overlords in what is known as the Minmatar Rebellion. The Matari had the support of the Gallente Federation and to this day, the two nations remain close allies. Yet, only a quarter of the Matari people reside within the Republic. The rest are scattered around the world, including a large portion still enslaved within the Amarr Empire. Minmatar individuals are independent and proud, possessing a strong will and a multitude of tribal traditions.

Governments

Despite significant size and organization, some factions are not recognized by the five main governments as equals. These factions also differ in their sovereignty status: the Ammatar Mandate and the Khanid Kingdom are semi-autonomous client states of the Amarr Empire while the Thukker Tribe is an independent offshoot of the Minmatar Republic.

The Ammatar Mandate is part of the Amarr Empire, a client state of Minmatar origin. During the time the Amarrians occupied the Minmatar homeworlds one of the Minmatar tribes, the Nefantars, collaborated heavily with the Amarrians. The Nefantars fled Minmatar space during the Minmatar Rebellion and the Amarr Emperor set them up in Amarr controlled areas close to Minmatar space, and soon everyone had started calling them Ammatars. Today, the Ammatars enjoy semi-autonomy in their own space and are still embroiled in a war with their former Minmatar brethren.	The Khanid Kingdom, also known as the "Dark Amarr" due to the coloration of their ships, was founded a few centuries ago when the last Amarr Emperor was chosen. Khanid was one of the royal heirs at the time and, in accordance with tradition, should have killed himself after failing to become emperor. This Khanid refused to do so and split his vast domains from the Amarr Empire. The empire retaliated, but only managed to conquer some of the vulnerable outer regions from Khanid. The Kingdom still upholds many of the traditions of Amarrian society but has also wholeheartedly embraced the customs of others, mainly the Caldari. Many visitors to the Kingdom feel like it is a surreal mix of the Amarr and Caldari empires.	The Thukker Tribe is one of the seven original Minmatar tribes. After the Minmatar Rebellion, the Thukkers left Minmatar space and took up the nomadic lifestyles of their ancestors, only this time in space. The closest thing they've got to home is the Great Wildlands region, where they are very numerous, but the Thukkers like to be on the move, constantly going from one solar system to another in their huge caravans, trading, and scavenging. Respectable citizens of EVE frown upon the Thukkers, considering them to be nothing but scoundrels and thieves. Indeed, the Thukkers often operate on the shadier side of the law, but their resourcefulness and diligence count a lot more for their success than their criminal activities.

Institutions

The EVE Online universe also includes a number of non-governmental or pseudo-political entities. Included among these are officially recognized entities designed to handle operations between various government factions (The InterBus) as well as on the behalf of all government factions (CONCORD Assembly).

CONCORD is an independent organization founded a century ago to facilitate negotiations between the races to improve relations, as well as to foster inter-stellar trade through policing and regulations. Starting as a fledgling meeting ground for diplomats, CONCORD has in the decades since it was founded, slowly increased its power and influence. It has become an entity independent of the races, as it is able to largely fund its own operation through customs, confiscation of contraband goods, and other means.	The InterBus is one of the more successful joint ventures the empires have undertaken. It was formed some 30 years ago to act as a neutral passenger transportation company that would span the entire known world. Since then, it has evolved a bit, especially when it started to ferry goods too. The InterBus is used by the SCC to ferry goods between stations, as they are reliable and operate in every station in the world. As InterBus has to operate not only in empire stations but also in pirate havens and other stations associated with organized crime, the company has to uphold a very strict policy regarding neutrality and secrecy. Even if the company is owned by the empires, no information regarding shipments or station locations is ever given out. The strict adherence to these rules has allowed InterBus to operate without harassment in every corner of the world of EVE, making them one of the pillars of the interstellar community.	The Society of Conscious Thought is three centuries old and was founded by a Jovian named Ior Labron, who was in search of spiritual enlightenment. The Society has since then taken many guises and been anything from a religious sect full of hermits to a political institute playing the power game. Today, the Society is mainly known for their scholastic achievements. Their schools are widely regarded as the best ones in the world of EVE and rich and influential parents everywhere fight to get their kids admitted. Offering large sums of money is, however, no guarantee for admittance, as the Society has its own peculiar selection process that seems to have little rhyme or reason to outsiders. The Society operates in remote areas, where they build strongholds called Kitz. Not all kitz are schools, some are still devoted to spiritual enlightenment or scientific pursuits.

Independent Organizations

Some large organized factions operate with little to no sovereign space. These groups usually operate both inside and outside of the five empires. Most are born out of corporations and their institutions.

The origin of Mordu's Legion lies in the Gallente-Caldari War when a group Intaki military personnel sided with the Caldari. The Intaki were put into a separate unit with a Caldari officer named Mordu. After the war the Intaki settled in Caldari space, but unwillingly became entangled with Caldari locals in the Waschi Uprising. Mordu's Legion was formed at that time as a mercenary fighting force and after the uprising, it continued in existence. The Legion is loosely associated with the Caldari Navy, but are in most part totally independent. Mordu's Legion is commonly hired by companies to protect valuable assets outside empire space, for instance Outer Ring Excavations pays them handsomely to patrol the Outer Ring region.	Outer Ring Excavations, or ORE, is the largest independent mining corporation around. ORE was originally a fledgling Gallentean company that struck gold when they found extremely rich Nocxium asteroid belts in the Outer Ring region. When the Gallente Federation tried to force ORE to reveal the location of the asteroid fields the company left Gallentean space and set up base in the Outer Ring region. They used their massive wealth to buy protection for their bases and keep their operation secret. Several pirate factions have tried to muscle in on the ORE territories, with little success.	The Servant Sisters of EVE are mainly known for their humanitarian aid efforts to those suffering because of war, famine, or even just being lost in space. But the Sisters of EVE base their existence on strong religious beliefs, which they have coupled with scientific facts. They believe that the EVE Gate is a gateway to heaven - that God resides on the other side of the Gate. As well as dedicating themselves to aiding those in need, they are also busy with scientific experiments around the EVE Gate, hoping to gain a better understanding of the forces at work there.	The Syndicate was formed by Intaki exiles from the Gallente Federation during the Caldari-Gallente War, slowly growing in stature and influence until it reached its current status as an important link between the empires and the illegal elements in the outer regions. Syndicate space is a pirate haven but still retains enough civility to allow pretty much anyone to travel there to do business; their markets are always chock full of contraband goods and illegal wares that are hard or impossible to come by elsewhere. Each Syndicate station is an autonomous entity, but they cooperate on security and information issues. The unofficial leader of the Syndicate is Silphy en Diabel, a former Sister of EVE that returned to Syndicate space to save her family's fortune. Since then she's turned out to be just as resourceful and ruthless as her late father.

Criminal Organizations

Some factions are organized to perpetuate illegal practices outside the control of the five governments. Among these activities are piracy and drug manufacturing (Guristas Pirates and Serpentis) as well as banned religious and social practices (The Blood Raider Covenant). Sansha's Nation is a rogue state which none of the Empires recognize as legitimate and was destroyed in the past by an ad-hoc coalition of all four with the assistance of the Jove.

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Operating from the heart of the Curse region, the Angel Cartel is today the largest and best organized of the space-based criminal factions. The Angels are divided into several groups, each with a very special function. It is commanded by the Dominations and in the century they've been lurking in deep space they have stolen, plundered or sabotaged countless number of ships and kidnapped, molested or murdered thousands of people. The Angels recruit members from all the races, and are thus not bound to any one zone of operation, which spans almost the entire known world. Many believe that the Angels got their power by uncovering Jovian technologies hidden in their ancient homes, now infested by the Angel Cartel.	The Amarr Empire has had its share of religious cults and fanatics in the past, but few have been as successful, or been feared as much, as the Blood Raiders. The Blood Raiders are a sect of a ancient cult called Sani Sabik, which uses blood in their rituals. The Blood Raiders believe that cloned bodies have 'purer' blood than other bodies and this explains why they operate mainly in space, attacking unwary space farers and draining their bodies of blood. The Blood Raiders are led by the fearsome Omir Sarikusa, who has remained on top of the DED most wanted list for many years now. Under his leadership the Blood Raiders have become more organized and they have established several bases in the Bleak Lands region.	The Guristas Pirates were founded by Jirai "Fatal" Laitanen and his friend Korako "the Rabbit" Kosakami, a pair of ex-Caldari Navy officers who proceeded to make themselves a constant thorn in the side of the Caldari State. The Guristas are traditional pirates in the sense that, rather than a creed or ideology, their operations are motivated by plain and simple greed. While they are based in the region of Tenal, they have many bases close to Caldari space from which they embark on daring raids, often into the State itself. Though the Guristas are considered more honorable than many of their counterparts, they are still extremely dangerous and not to be trifled with.	Sansha's Nation was founded more than a century ago, shortly after all the empires had come into contact, just when space exploration and colonization was taking off. Sansha was a Caldari tycoon who carved out a sizeable piece of space for himself. There, he set out to create a utopian state. His vision and charm attracted thousands of people and for some time the Nation flourished. But Sansha became ever more warped as his success increased. He started experiments, combining capsule technology with the human mind, creating zombie-like creatures that had the cold, calculating mind of a computer, but the ingenuity of a human. When this became public knowledge, Sansha was condemned and the other empires joined forces to bring him down. His forces were decimated and scattered to the winds. Remnants still remain far in the outer regions, but the once glorious Nation has been reduced to pirates and pillagers.	The Serpentis Corporation was founded several decades ago by Igil Sarpati and made its name in the galaxy through hi-tech neural booster research, but was crippled by the discovery of their fatal side-effects and subsequent ban throughout Empire space. The company was re-established by Igil's adopted son, Salvador Sarpati, and with time its ties with the underworld grew and the Serpentis research stations, scattered around in remote areas, became infamous pirate havens. Sarpati made a deal with the Angel Cartel early on to provide protection for his stations and the duty was taken on by the Guardian Angels. Both sides have prospered enormously for this deal - Serpentis can operate in peace and the Angel Cartel gets access to the illegal research efforts of the Serpentis. It is strongly believed that Serpentis is the main developer and manufacturer of illegal neural boosters, especially since Sarpati's father was a renowned specialist in that field. The home of Serpentis is in the Phoenix constellation in the Fountain region.	The Equilibrium of Mankind is a doomsday cult of Amarr origin founded roughly 1500 years ago by Ocilan Ardishapur, who was both the head of the Ardishapur Family and a relative of the reigning Amarr Emperor. The cult is centered around the corrupted teachings of Aramon Khalid and believes that those who do not follow the Equilibrium's way should be exterminated in order to bring about paradise. Under this belief, they have committed several atrocities throughout their history, including the activation of an Avatar-class titan's Judgement doomsday weapon in orbit of the planet Reschard IV, killing almost 90% of all living things on the planet.

Precursors

A tiny handful of civilizations survived the collapse of the EVE Gate, with the Jove being the sole example of such "precursor" civilizations that remained in New Eden. Recent events have seen the emergence of other organizations that can claim the title, such as the Drifters and the Triglavian Collective.

The Jove Empire is isolated from the rest of the world to all but a selected few, and the Jovians are a mystery to the other races. fueled not only by their elusiveness but also their highly advanced technology, eons ahead of the other races. The Jovians have been civilized longer than any other race in the world of EVE and have gone through several golden ages, now long-since shrouded in the past. The current Jovian Empire is only a pale shadow of its former self, mainly because of the Jovian Disease - a psychological disorder that is always fatal. While they are technically part of the CONCORD-aligned Empires, barring a few rare exceptions they have stayed isolated in their home regions, and recent events indicate that the Jove Empire has effectively ceased to exist.	The Drifters are an ancient race of Jovian origin. Their history is mostly unknown, though we do know that they splintered from the rest of the Jove during the first or second Jovian Empire and appear to be working with Sleeper technology. Whether this is voluntary on behalf of the Sleepers is unknown.	The Triglavian Collective is an ancient human civilization with a mostly unknown past who isolated themselves in Abyssal Deadspace at some point in the distant past. Triglavian society consists of multiple clades and subclades that do not always appear to agree with each other and resort to what they call "provings" to resolve disputes. They are currently engaging in hostilities with the Drifters and seem to have allied themselves with some elements of the Rogue Drones.

Ancient Civilizations

Some factions have little to no presence in the EVE Online universe; lost civilizations which only exist in the form of historical artifacts or long-silent creations.

Sleepers	Takmahl	Talocan	Yan Jung	Terrans
The Sleepers are, like the other ancient races, an ancient human civilization that populated New Eden thousands of years ago before vanishing. These days the only remains of them in the New Eden cluster itself are ruins and strange artifacts that can be found in the Ani constellation of the Metropolis region. Sleeper technology is said to be comparable to T2 in some areas, while in others they had much more advanced knowledge. From those few known artifacts, it was also deduced that the Sleepers were masters of virtual reality, neural interfacing, and cryotechnology. Considerably more was learned about the Sleepers with the release of the "Apocrypha" expansion in Spring 2009, which introduced Sleepers as inhabitants of the newly introduced wormhole space, aka Anoikis. Subsequent investigations of wormhole space eventually revealed that the Sleepers were an offshoot of the ancient Jove Empire's "Stasis People". At this point, all interactions within Anoikis appear to be with drones rather than manned vehicles; the Sleepers themselves are currently in stasis, with their inert bodies plundered for technology by capsuleers.	The Takmahl were once part of the Amarr Empire but migrated to the Araz constellation after being exiled from the Empire proper, living isolated from other interstellar civilizations for centuries. The reasons for their exile remain unclear, but they were supposedly labeled heretics due to their Sani Sabik practices and/or because they worshiped different gods. Their fate is unknown, but while the Takmahl themselves are no longer present in New Eden some in the Amarr Empire believe them to be the precursors of the Blood Raiders. The relics and technology they left behind show they were undoubtedly masters of cybernetics and bio-engineering technology, and many can be found in the Museum Arcana to this day.	Talocan archaeological sites were discovered by the Caldari State in the Okkelen constellation, and examination of the technology found there indicated the Talocan were masters of spatial manipulation and "hypereuclidean mathematics". Unfortunately, this was the limit of what could be determined from the ruins there, as the sites were overrun by Rogue Drones.	According to Sebast Mathon, the Yan Jung nation immigrated into New Eden through the EVE Gate and settled in the Deltole system, especially on Deltole V and VI, which seem to have been much more inhabitable back then. Yan Jung archaeological sites can be found in the Algintal Constellation within Gallente Federation space and, judging from the remains of the technology found there, were masters of advanced gravitronic technology and force field theories.	The civilization(s) from which all others in New Eden originated, little-known by anyone in-universe and commonly regarded as a myth by those who do. While there have been many rumors and fan theories about them over the years, ranging from their technological level to whether they still exist at all, almost nothing about them has been revealed by sources in-universe or out.