Endless References

Inspiration for factions comes from many places

TheRiftborn Inspired by: Demogorgon (Stranger Things)

De Waubert watched the Netflix TV show while EndlessSpace2 was in Early Access, and used its monster as an inspiration for the Riftborn.

Horatio Inspired by: Narcissus

Horatio, the massive egomaniac who has cloned himself into an entire faction, is based on the myth of Narcissus—the hunter who fell in love with his own reflection.

RovingClans Inspired by: Asian Nomads

Initially written as Silk Road-style merchants, this faction’s inspirations moved eastward over time, eventually settling on Mongol-style horse tribes with a splash of color.

Ar dentMages Inspired by: BDSM/Brom

The self-mutilating Ardent Mages base their society around suffering to gain power. Rather than your usual shtick, their look is like an Elizabethan twist on the art of Gerald Brom.

United Empire Inspired by: House Harkonnen (Dune)

The leader looks more Donald Sutherland than Baron Harkonnen. But with its royal houses and military ideology, it takes plenty of cues from Herbert’s epic. TheSophons Inspired by: Greys, Mangbetu traditions The obvious reference point here is the traditional ‘Grey’ alien of pop culture, but the team also looked to head binding practices for the elongated skull shapes.