The Factory

The Factory is the name given to the sentient version of the Rainbow Factory of Equestria, inhabited by the soul of an SDM from a parallel universe. After Gensokyo was invaded and successfully destroyed by the Nihilius Clan, SDM and the few remaining survivors followed the Clansmen and landed in Equestria. Offering their support to this new land, SDM agreed to merge with the existing Weather Factory and assist in the production for war materials and leading the defense of Equestria.

Following the apparent end of the Equestria-Nihilius War, Factory retired and returned to life as a mansion, only to be called back into action once again as the Vocus Remnant unveiled their Lunar Cell. His family all but annihiliated, including Patchouli Knowledge, the Factory lived only for revenge. Once the Remnant was destroyed, the Factory, now permanently stuck in that body, left Equestria altogether for parts unknown. He remains there to this day.

History

 * Main Article: Scarlet Devil Mansion
 * Main Article: Hellgate

The Factory began as a successful experiment by his assembler, Patchouli Knowledge, to piece together fragments from other souls into a new one. As an anchor to the physical world, this new being was bonded to the house she resided in, granting it sentience. Constant mistreatment by those he called "fleshies" led him to becoming bitter and hostile towards any organic being that was not considered a resident. In particular, he disliked being unable to do anything to protect either himself or his residents. This changed during an encounter with the multiversal corporation Kizeki Corp., in which he was granted both mobility and weaponry. From then on, SDM swore to use his new abilities to the benefit of his residents.

SDM's conviction to hist duty was put to the test after a creature known as the Black Spawn invaded Gensokyo, and infected him with its Dark Spore. Over the next several centuries SDM had his desires and wishes twisted and perverted until all he cared for was power and death. Now known as Hellgate, he travelled back in time with the goal of killing his past self, and in doing so casuing a massive time paradox that would destroy the universe. He himself would survive because of the god aura he had obtained, allowing him to reshape it in his image. Ironically, it would be his past self's sacrfice that stopped Hellgate's reign of terror, completely annihiliating them both at the same time and therefore skirting the paradox.

Hellgate spent the next few months in Nihility, and used unknown means to reach across the void. He subtly manipulated Patchouli from the shadows, taking advantage of her grief, and convinced her to summon him back to the physical world. She performed the ritual successfully, but because only Hellgate survived Nihility thanks ot his God Aura, he wa summoned in the place of his past self. Once back in Gensokyo, he immediately set about his revenge, forcing all of his residents into an endless sleep and then eventually putting the entire world into his dream along with them. During the final confrontation with him, Hellgate had his Spore knocked out of him and he reverted back to SDM, havinng lost all memories of his time as Hellgate.

For reasons not entirely understood, this SDM was never informed of his time as Hellgate, and in fact the entire topic was considered taboo around him. Perhaps they simply never had a chance, because shortly thereafter Gensokyo was invaded by the Coronai Branch of the Nihilius Clan. Having somehow been flung into the future, the Clan immediately set about destroying Gensokyo. Their magic proved to be too much, and Gensokyo was overwhelmed. Only SDM, his residents (sans Flandre) and those who would eventually become part of the Special A Unit survived the attack. The Coronai Branch itself suffered heavy losses, with Vocus and the Steel Mage being the only survivors, the latter shortly thereafter leaving his master. Vocus would remain forever bitter about the loss of his brothers, but nevertheless left Gensokyo, believing his job to be done.

The few Gensokian survivors pursued Vocus, with SDM charging after for the sake of revenge. The loss of Flandre drove him to pursue endless bloodshed of the Clan in the name of the Scarlet Estate. They followed Vocus to a new world filled with horses and castles. This land, called Equestria, was shortly brought under siege by Vocus. The Gensokian survivors informed Equestria of Vocus and the Nihilius Clan, but oddly enough it was SDM who urged to push for an alliance. An agreement was reached at the Canterlot Accords, and SDM was merged with Equestria's existing weather and rainbow factory. Following the agreement, the Rainbow Factory was outfitted for combat, using the very essence of the rainbows themselves, known as Spectra. Instead of prismatic sky patterns, the Factory churned out weapons of war, designed by the newly-elected Chief Engineer, Arachnos.

Seeing this, Vocus called for help. In response, a very large division of the Nihilius Clan was sent to oppose Equestria and the Factory, including several other Vocusi from other dimensions. This group of the same individual formed a council that was placed in charge of the Clan's military operations against Equestria. Thus began the Equestrian-Nihilius War.

The first few months of the war were tiled in neither side's favor. Though the Nihilius Clan was able to generally ransack most of the nations of the world, the Factory's resistance on behalf of Equestria made it difficult for them to make much headway into the country. That is, until the Clan enlisted the help of The General, who provided them with some meager weaponry and tools. Still, Gentech being Gentech, it was enough to start pushing back against the Factory. The Rebellion, taking note of The General's presence, albeit minimal, offered to supply Equestria with technology to counter some of the Clan's newest toys. Still, it was only enough to slow the Clan down, and little by little they began to capture and destroy Equestrian territories such as the Crystal Empire.

The Factory, realizing that unless they struck at the heart of the Clan the war would be over, commanded his forces to scour the planet, looking for the Nihilius Clan's central base. Scout forces were sent across the globe in search of their base, and even one agent was sent out into space on the chance that their base wasn't even planetside.

By this time, The Factory's mental condition was slightly unstable, and he started to be come extremely paranoid. This was caused by both the loss of his homeworld and Flandre, combined with the current war and their losing streak. Equestria was the only standing nation left on the face of the world, and he and the forces under his command were the only thing stopping the Clan from drowning their little "island" in genocide. He also took the Clan's warnings about Anathemus seriously. Not to the degree that he agreed with their extermination plan, but he was convinced that Anathemus' awakening would be the end of everything, even outside the supposed "Dream." In response he had special sensors designed to detect Nihility installed in the Factory's sensor array. If all went well, they would be warned in advance of His coming.

Other Selves
Rainbow Factories are present in other versions of Equestria explored within the Xat RP, including Oneiros and Lynna's homeworld (this Factory would later become known as Executor), Terminos' homeworld and one Equestria annihilated by Anathemus. Those Factories tend to have a different origin story wherein SDM is abducted and modified by a powerful and shadowy corporation. In some worlds, this organization has Hellgate as CEO.

Those Factories usually employ the lifeforce of living beings to produce rainbows. Typically, this involves the apprehension and execution of living ponies branded as "criminals", done behind the back of Equestrian officials - although Terminos managed to perfect a nonlethal and remote way to extract lifeforce. Those Factories' personalities are typically darker than the usual SDM's, as they have no problem leading their monstrous activities. By contrast, the EQ4 Factory refused to use this barbaric method of rainbow production, even in the face of Nihilius Clan threat.

Personality and Traits
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Skills and Abilities
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Weapons and Combat Gear
The Factory is equipped with powerful weapon and defense systems fueled by Spectra, which is also used to produce rainbows. Typically, such weaponry fires a blast of rainbow-colored damaging energy. The Factory also fields troops equipped with armor and weapons powered by the same source.

The most powerful weapon of a Rainbow Factory is usually a Friendship Cannon, which fires an immense rainbow beam. The EQ4 Factory has a particularly powerful Orbital Friendship Cannon, fired from a satellite stationed in space. At least one Factory has been known to use a Hate Cannon, a beam of inverse-colored rainbows which inflicts negative emotions upon all living creatures within the vicinity of its impact point.

Factories also come equipped with potent Rainnukes, massive warheads causing mushroom cloud detonations of rainbow energy.

Rainbow Factories also come equipped with Anti-Hate Shield, a transcluscent defensive forcefield.

Weaknesses and Flaws
Being essentially an SDM, the Rainbow Factory has the same personality flaws.

Unlike a regular SDM, Rainbow Factories have no hands nor feet, somewhat diminishing their combat options, although this is compensated for by immense firepower.

Relationships
Arachnos - Always the Grand Engineer of a Rainbow Factory (this stems from a joke at the very beginnings of the RP, wherein he came up with the "Pony Gun", a device that can turn a human into a pony - itself derived from a joke on the old Doujinstyle, the "Loli Gun"). In most worlds, Arachnos and the Factory are on relatively friendly terms, though in those realms where the Factory practices live pony murder, Arachnos sometimes protests against such unsavory activities.

Patchouli Knowledge - The relationship of the primary Factory and Patchouli is identical to a typical SDM's, in that she is his very close friend and resident. The same does not go for at least the Techquestria Factory, however, who froze his creator cryogenically and stored her "until such a time where she may be of use". Naturally, when she is unfrozen, that leads to some very hostile relationships between the two.

Hellgate - The primary Factory is himself a former Hellgate. Other versions of the Factory tend to coexist in the same realm with a Hellgate, with varying relationships - both the EG1 and EQ3 Factories had Hellgate as a CEO, while to the EQ2 Factory (also known as Executor) Hellgate was only an enemy.

Design and Influence
The Rainbow Factory, at least its first incarnations (the ones that use live ponies as rainbow fuel), are inspired by the song "Rainbow Factory" and to a lesser extent the fanfiction of the same name. Some elements from "The Factory", an organization from the SCP Foundation universe, were also incorporated. At the beginning, the Factory and everything based around it was mostly treated as a joke, though this changed as the Xat roleplay developed and became more serious.

Appearances

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Quotes

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Trivia

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