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The vast majority of the gangs in the Southowilson metro area are small, relatively non-descript gangs based around a local... from ten to a hundred individuals in their teens and early twenties who claim an area of turf as their own. Gangs may form around ties of meme; ethnicity, language, culture, or simply locale. The nature of the bond usually influences the name of the gang, as well as it's size and cohesion. Gangs generally war with one another over turf, resources, honor, unsettled grudges, or even simple boredom. Most of these gangers have few useful skills and limited access to equipment or weaponry. Most of their incomes are generated through petty crime, small-scale extortion, and the sale of black-market goods on their turf... drugs and weapons being typical. On occasion, gangs will have ties to the larger crime syndicates, either acting as dealers, soldiers, or markets. The majority of gangs in Southowilson fit into the general qualities described above, though not all. There are more specialized sub-types of gang that bear mentioning due to their unique natures, a few of which are briefly explained below:
Boosters: Boosters are organized like conventional gangs, but are oriented towards body-modification and random violence... while many people in 2190 have modifications of one sort or another, Boosters generally load up on streetware combat cyber, battledrugs, and powerful weaponry. They then will go out onto the street and look for victims/enemies to attack. Boosters are generally short-lived and flashy... the most dangerous ones are those that are tough and smart enough to survive encounters with rival gangs and law enforcement. On certain nights of the year (the specific one depends on the gang) the entire group will go on a massive rampage, killing as many people as possible in a massacre, then disappearing in the confusion.
Culties: Culties are among the most sinister of gang types. While other gangs are motivated by greed, rage, or thrill seeking, Culties are motivated solely by religious or political memes. Such gangs are usually very cohesive, often fanatical in the pursuit of their ideological aims. Some may be covert and active, while others may be the glassy-eyed zombies passing out flyers at the transit center. Culties are often very ritualistic... understanding their activities often requires an insider's insight into their beliefs. The worst sorts of Culties are "maltheists" who worship Satan, Outer Gods, or other figures of pure evil. These gangs often commit atrocities such as human sacrifice, cannibalism, or worse, and are responsible for the oppressive "vibe" found in some districts of Southowilson.
Guardians: These gangs are organized like a conventional gang, but they are oriented towards defending the populace of a particular area from predation by other criminals. These gangs spring up in areas where there is a power vacuum, and usually function with the tacit support of local residents and occasionally law enforcement. Many Guardian gangs are based around mainstream religions (those practiced by a majority of residents), and tend to be fairly ruthless when dealing with criminals not of their particular faith or creed. Sometimes they exceed their original mandate, and become a greater menace than the criminals they purport to oppose.
GoGangs: GoGangs are like any other type of gang, differing only in their mobility; all members will have heavily modified vehicles of a certain type, which they maintain lovingly and use in the commission of crimes. In the past, GoGangs would have been known as biker gangs, car clubs, or bosozoku; all are lumped together in common parlance. GoGangs travel a lot, and may not have one permanent base. Some reside in the ruins outside the Metro area, only coming into the city to re-supply or raid. A few of the larger GoGangs are believed to be the direct descendants of the marauder packs of the 2020's, though this is more a matter of legend than fact.
Moddies: Moddies are gangs focused on radical body modifications, aimed at changing their identities. A radical outgrowth of the zombie walks and cosplay communities of the early 21st century, the Moddy movement takes this from an hobby of expression to an all-consuming identity. Some gangs emulate celebrities, historical or fictional characters, or persona archetypes, or animals. Moddies are often post-human in outlook, and while nowhere near as dangerous as Boosters, they often are of dubious sanity. Moddies usually have implants to match their adopted personae, including the requisite brainwork to alter their personalities to fit. Subtypes include Zombies, Furries, Societal Anachronists, and Attacking Clones.
The Notorious Nine
The gangs on the list below are the most notorious gangs in Southowilson. While they may or may not be the most powerful, they are the ones best known or most visible to the citizens and other gangs in the Southowilson metro area.
Imperial Slayers: The Imperial Slayers are the best known booster gang in the city. They claim McKinley District and Ikebara District as theirs, frequently warring with the Death’s Heads. Most of their operations are devoted towards getting more cyber, guns, drugs, et cetera. The gang lairs in an abandoned office complex near the Suisun Tunnel, and is ruled by a full body cyborg called "The King". All Imperial Slayers wear short-sleeved black armor jackets with a blood red fleur-de-lis on the back. The gang is fond of random carnage, making them a textbook booster gang.
Sabbat: The Sabbat are a low-key Moddie gang, uniformly pale and gaunt, and are fond of vampiric affectations. They tend to dress in all black, and listen to various forms of Spook Music. Sabbat prefer drugs and bioware, and use diplomacy and stealth where possible. In a stand-up fight, they usually melt away, attacking indirectly and with terrifying subtlety. The Sabbat tends to focus on the upper end of the black market, dealing is stolen information, computer wares, and drugs and bioware of various sorts. While individual Sabbat can be found all over Southowilson, their main turf is Glory Lane, where they do the majority of their business.
Bakemono: The Bakemono are an ethnic Japanese gang centered in Amur Station. They run small extortion and drug operations in the areas around Amur Station, which they protect from outsiders. Because the Japanese are not a popular ethnic group in North America, the Bakemono are clannish, insular, and even more violent than one would expect. Most have motorcycles, and are very skilled martial artists. When seen in groups, the Bakemono are often dressed in outlandish garb based on kabuki costumes, including armored "Noh masks" and ultratech katana or bits of samurai garb. In many respects they are a mishmash of various archetypical Japanese tropes, none especially accurate.
Valkyrie: The Valkyrie are an all-female Moddie gang based around a specific physical type, the Nordic female ideal. All are tall, blonde, and artificially perfect, and are frequently highly trained martial artists. Their membership includes the black sheep of some wealthy families, giving them access to resources far beyond their numbers. The Valkyrie serve as bodyguards, assassins, and prestige muscle for the wealthy and powerful in Southowilson, and run an exclusive escort and prostitution business in Glory Lane to fund their other operations. Valkyrie are much sought after as companions, but they tend to be vindictive and dangerous to cross.
Reapers: The Reapers are a large Booster Gang which claims the Barrens on both sides of the river, Suisen Point, and certain parts of Rust belt for their own. This brings them into frequent conflict with the Imperial Slayers. They are best known for their extensive facial tattoos, which are based loosely on Maori patterns. The Reapers main claim to fame is their size... there are many more Reapers than perhaps any other gang in Southowilson, with a membership numbering into the hundreds.
Demons: The Demons are a bizarre Moddie gang residing in Ike Tower. All members are extensively sculpted to resemble mythical demons or gargoyles, and definitely fit in at Ike Tower. Night vision and retractable claws are the minimum; horns, fangs, tails, scales, spines, and even nonfunctional wings are common. Surgery is paid for out of a group fund by freelance operations carried out by the more skilled members. As a group, the Demons have a twisted sense of humor, and a few belong to strange cults. Most are practitioners of one supernatural tradition or another, and most locals credit them with psychic powers at the very least. Many are talented musicians, and are thus regarded as a somewhat dangerous tourist attraction. The gang is lead by a truly gigantic red beast called "Baphomet", who is something of a celebrity as the lead singer of a band called "Ninth Circle and Chilled".
Espada Z: The Espada Z are a SoCali Hispanic gang, the largest and most successful such gang in the South Projects. They have a proud heritage which can be traced all the way back to the chaotic days after WWIII. Due to their size and ferocity, Espada Z has all the other local gangs either cowed into submission or constantly ready for war. Their leadership has always been affiliated with the Chavez SoCali crime syndicate; in fact, Espada Z serves as a sort of "training league" for those who would later be hitters or higher ups in the syndicate. Espada Z is famous for distinctive garb, a wide-shouldered, tight-waisted look patterned after an obscure SoCali style of the mid 20th Century, completed with a wide brimmed hat and a slender sword of some sort. The look, called "SoCali Zeta", has become fashionable among the young and rebellious of the South American Republic, who make occasional pilgrimages to meet the originators of the style. they often either wind up recruited into the gang or dead.
Death Heads: The Death Heads are the Lindsey District resident boosters, but they also claim Ikebara as their own – the Imperial Slayers are their main rivals. Most sport facial tattoos giving them a skull-like visage, but the hardcore members go for gruesome biosculpt jobs intended to make them look fearsome and grotesque. The Death Heads are utterly fearless, and have no subtlety at all; they will hit any target, and have the numbers and firepower to make it stick. Despite their vile nature, the residents of Lindsey District take a perverse pride in the gang, cheering when word of a major Death Head victory over another area's gangs.
Trogs: The Trogs are something of an unknown quantity, being referred to as Trogs, Chuds, or Plague Zombies. They are the dregs of society, living in the lowest levels of the city, traveling via the sewers throughout the city. They are of course believed to have their headquarters in some unknown basement level of Ikebara Tower, though this has never been substantiated. What is known is that the Trogs are dangerous. Many are insane, and cannibalism is the least of their crimes. Trogs are universally despised, and would probably be hunted down were it not for their resilience, mastery of the subsurface, and their utility as information brokers. Individual Trogs are often an odd color, unhealthy looking but nevertheless ferociously strong. They do not actively recruit... members just find their way into the gang somehow. Despite rumors to the contrary, they are NOT vampires... daylight is no guarantee of safety from Trog incursions.
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