Pinning down the Serps seems a lot harder than most factions. There are a couple really easy generalizations out there, but they really don't seem to fit.
On the one hand, you have the simple drug dealers motif - a bunch of heartless, profiteering bastards preying upon society, selling drugs to kids, etc. This seems to be how most people view the Serps if they don't bother to look closer.
Next you have the research aspect - selling drugs is a way to profit from it, but at its core, the corporation was founded for cutting edge R&D and became "outlaw" when their research went beyond what society/law permitted. There really isn't a real world comparison, as the resources required for such research in today's world require that you be in a major industrial country under the rule of law or even funded/run by the government.
Then you have the pure business aspect. Oops, I just bought ORE. All your miners are belong to me. Things like control and manipulation of legitimate markets, just like any other corporation.
Hard to find a simple way to describe them, then, unless I’m missing something obvious – a distinct possibility. Comparisons to the mafia seem apt, if incomplete. I suppose the distinction between the Angels and Serps could be similar to that of the Italian and Eastern Eurpoean/Russian mafias – though which is which would be a matter of debate. Perhaps if you crossed the mafia with Pfizer and removed some of the corporate stupidity?
Orthic IC is pretty strictly a businessman, only associated with the Serps for backstory reasons that were partly out of my control – not that I regret the decision to pursue them in the slightest. I have, however, had some ideas for fun stuff you could do.
Rehab Center – perfect place to gather information on the impact of your product on your customers, while providing a valuable service and making lives better. And really, it’s a Serpentis-run Rehab. My sense of irony almost demands that I make it happen.
Welfare/service system. Think Hamas in Palestine. The entire world considered them terrorists, but they won local elections in a landslide and took over. Why did they have the local support? Because within Palestine, they were known for helping people out – simple things like driving them to the store/doctor/etc, providing services, whatever the people needed. So, set up an operation providing human services and get the entire local community to love you, despite the fact that the world thinks you’re a dirty drug dealer.
Pure researcher – just trying to make the best human you possibly can, in ways that the law might not approve of. See thread discussing body mods.
Booster addict trying to get better prices by working for his supplier, or make a buck by learning to deal as well as use.