It's a Small Underworld After All - Revision history

Terry Amburgey at 21:38, 14 March 2025

2025-03-14T21:38:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:38, 14 March 2025
Line 355:		Line 355:
	* Michaela Mugnaio, Efisio Ioni, Salvatore Toro and Co. (A,G,N,K). Michaela runs the security firm the Ferettis use for laundering money and professional legbreakers. Most are fellow orks, but she's not metaracist. Efisio, her right hand ork, leads them in terms of meatspace combat. The dwarf Salvatore is responsible for drones and vehicles - both the wheels to move around and what sends lead raining down upon you. Calogero's combat gear comes from them. They're also quite savvy with the lower rungs of the mafia if you need an ear to the ground.		* Michaela Mugnaio, Efisio Ioni, Salvatore Toro and Co. (A,G,N,K). Michaela runs the security firm the Ferettis use for laundering money and professional legbreakers. Most are fellow orks, but she's not metaracist. Efisio, her right hand ork, leads them in terms of meatspace combat. The dwarf Salvatore is responsible for drones and vehicles - both the wheels to move around and what sends lead raining down upon you. Calogero's combat gear comes from them. They're also quite savvy with the lower rungs of the mafia if you need an ear to the ground.
	* Bruno Angelo and Cecilio Cieco (A,K,N,G). The adept duet is something of a household name in Gangi. Bruno plays the guitar - acoustic, electric, he doesn't mind - while Cecilio sings. They are both charismatic with the authentic feel. Still, Enthralling Performance, Improved Ability (Performance) and other social powers can't be underestimated. You may hire them as distractions or just listen to them at Trattoria Sant'Anna. They love gossip, so you can hear a lot of interesting through-the-grapevine things from them.		* Bruno Angelo and Cecilio Cieco (A,K,N,G). The adept duet is something of a household name in Gangi. Bruno plays the guitar - acoustic, electric, he doesn't mind - while Cecilio sings. They are both charismatic with the authentic feel. Still, Enthralling Performance, Improved Ability (Performance) and other social powers can't be underestimated. You may hire them as distractions or just listen to them at Trattoria Sant'Anna. They love gossip, so you can hear a lot of interesting through-the-grapevine things from them.

			===Toronto===
			Toronto is on the northern shore of Lake Ontario and part of the collection of metroplexes that make up the Lake Ontario Ring. (New York: Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo/Niagara Falls, and Watertown; Ontario: St. Catherine, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Toronto, and Peterborough). Toronto’s main industries are finance, matrix tech, and entertainment. The city is the third major financial center in the UCAS after Boston and New York. Toronto has a thriving computer hardware and software industry, mostly start-ups and “cottage” operations specializing in software or making better widgets for computers and cyberdecks. Toronto is also the entertainment capital of the UCAS. The city served as the ‘stunt double’ for other city locations, particularly New York, for years. When the UCAS lost California and Nashville, and most of its major film and television industry, New York and Toronto tried to take up the slack.

			====Sources====
			https://shadowrun.fandom.com/wiki/Toronto

			Loose Alliances. 25

			Portfolio of a Dragon: Dunkelzahn's Secrets. 26

			Safehouses. 2

			Shadows of North America. 27, 71, 109, 110, 166, 174, 175-176, 201, 202

			Sixth World Almanac. 66, 195-196

			State of the Art: 2064. 167

			System Failure. 47, 86

			Target: UCAS. 65

			Threats. 24

			====Underworld====
			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Violi_Mafia_Family

			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Maria_Violi

			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Slick_Willy

			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/No_Tell_Motel

			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Commisso_Mafia_Family

			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/White_Lotus_Triad

			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Golden_Pagoda_Triad

			====Do Gooders====
			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Alain_%22Al%22_Levant
			https://shreloaded.net/wiki/Imagination_Foundation

Bulldogc: Changed protection settings for "It's a Small Underworld After All" ([Edit=Allow only autoconfirmed users] (indefinite))

2025-03-13T22:22:45Z

Changed protection settings for "It's a Small Underworld After All" ([Edit=Allow only autoconfirmed users] (indefinite))

← Older revision	Revision as of 22:22, 13 March 2025
(No difference)

EnigmaticOxygen at 19:54, 19 December 2023

2023-12-19T19:54:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:54, 19 December 2023
Line 309:		Line 309:
	* Regis Greentree (Gear). Horizon's prison reconditioning programs are sold as the most humane incarcerations on the globe and produce a significantly lower recidivism rate than other mega programs. A well-placed director of therapy at one of these facilities has wide access to powerful pharmaceuticals, mind control magic, ASSIST facilities, conditioned catspaws, under-the-table imprisonment and even actual therapeutic tools - if they can be convinced to take the risks. Dr Greentree, a prison psychologist, can be convinced, but not cheaply. He is a Native with close-cropped hair and an easy smile that never reaches his eyes.		* Regis Greentree (Gear). Horizon's prison reconditioning programs are sold as the most humane incarcerations on the globe and produce a significantly lower recidivism rate than other mega programs. A well-placed director of therapy at one of these facilities has wide access to powerful pharmaceuticals, mind control magic, ASSIST facilities, conditioned catspaws, under-the-table imprisonment and even actual therapeutic tools - if they can be convinced to take the risks. Dr Greentree, a prison psychologist, can be convinced, but not cheaply. He is a Native with close-cropped hair and an easy smile that never reaches his eyes.
	* Andy Wataro (Legwork). Andy is one of many P2.1 "coaches" who provide services to those who need help raising their social credit score. By necessity, he is perpetually up-to-date on the latest developments and scandals across the Horizon and LA matrix and the fine art of P2.1 optimisation. He also provides assistance with the creation of burner profiles.		* Andy Wataro (Legwork). Andy is one of many P2.1 "coaches" who provide services to those who need help raising their social credit score. By necessity, he is perpetually up-to-date on the latest developments and scandals across the Horizon and LA matrix and the fine art of P2.1 optimisation. He also provides assistance with the creation of burner profiles.

			===Gangi===

			Before you book a cheap flight to Gangi, one of the lost treasures of Sicily, a small primer on the history of the island is necessary. It established itself as a sovereign state in 2038 after the collapse of the Italian Republic, then joined the Italian Confederation as a member state. In all the Italian states, the Roman Catholic Church has a strong presence among the movers and shakers. Their current involvement with magic to research and regulate rivals that of Aztlan, with a robust network of screening and reporting recruitment schemes.

			In Sicily, there's someone even more powerful, however. La Cosa Nostra, the Italian mob, the ur-mafia if you will. Over two hundred years of experience, families spanning the entire world and inspiring other ethnic syndicates, Sicily ''birthed'' them around the Napoleonic Wars. It cannot be too surprising they're the de facto government of the island, serving as a deterrent to ''foreign'' crime while taking advantage of the good rap they receive, not to mention the fiscal paradise of overseeing the decisions made by the puppet officials before they become official. The Feretti family boasts of it, with Don Feretti Capo di Tutti Capi. After all, it was Don Lucio Feretti who created the Alta Commissione in 2046. And fight off Franco Draghi, the challenger with the support of several other dons. The old hound emerged victorious from the ensuing bloodbath and proved his - and his progeny's - right to rule.

			In a nutshell: in Italy, one must honour the Roman Catholic Church, the Alta Commissione, the traditions of omertà (silence to the outsiders, be they cops or foreigners) and rispetto (respect to your higher-up mafiosi), but also speak at least some Italian and fear the Italian nonnas - the matriarchs of families ruling them with an iron fist and a smile for the grandchildren. All this is truth incarnate trumped up to eleven in Sicily. Because of the migratory storm Erebus influences the climate of the Middle Mediterranean, the countryside is much greener and with increased amounts of flora compared to the 5th World. Speaking of that: shortly before the Awakening, the enterprising mayor of Gangi, a sleepy village in about the upper part of the island's centre, started a peculiar revitalisation scheme of selling abandoned villas for a single euro in exchange for the obligation to renovate them with at least 35000€ invested over fifteen years. This actually proved a great success…

			Then Awakening hit.

			Due to the ability to take advantage of the revitalisation offer, paired with the turmoil and needing to hide from the mainland (closer to the Vatican and Pope John Paul IV), a lot of Italian metahumans, first elves and dwarves, then orks and trolls, fled to the sleepier areas of Sicily. This is why humans tend to congregate to the shoreline while villages like Gangi are mostly metahuman. While the mafia generally isn't too keen on metas, magic and women in their ranks, the Feretti family soon discovered they couldn't afford it. Instead, they tapped into the disenfranchised people unable to find work and opportunities outside the famiglia, tying them to themselves through a mixture of genuine loyalty and pragmatism. In Palermo, the front is quite human indeed, but for example in the interior areas like Gangi are dominated by metas. Say, metas like Bella Feretti, the mafia consigliere and the troll granddaughter of the current don, sent there to seize land before prices skyrocket due to the region calming down after Crash 2.0, the de facto ruler of the settlement through her boyfriend, Antonio "Toni" Caruso, the current elven mayor.

			Gangi of today is a flower only opening its petals once again after decades of dormancy. It's got a few historical landmarks worth visiting, but several fell into disuse and their renovation is just being planned. If you consider the fact Gangi had seen some of the most ferocious opposition of the mafia when the local prefect, Cesare Mori, tried to cull its influence in 1926, the Ferettis ruling it in all but name should more than explain why business and pleasure both trickle down to their involvement, one way or another.

			* Castello di Gangi on Mount Marone is the former residence of the Gangi princes like the Graffeos and the Valguarneras. Built in the 14th century by Francesco I Ventimiglia, Count of Geraci, it's open for visitors with a single small family-run hotel and an even tinier museum of the village's history not far from it. The custodian, Barbara Caia, is in bed with the mafia, owing to her Emerged skill on the Matrix.
			* Chiesa della Badia is a Baroque church, no longer in use, although the mayor has big plans of revitalisation. By this, we mean Bella Feretti does, capitalising on history becoming trendy with guided tours and hospitality business infrastructure.
			* Similarly to it, the churches of Santa Maria del Gesù with art by the late local artist, Filippo Quattrocchi, and the Spirito Santo are rich in legends and await ambitious revitalisation plans. They don't hold masses, but can be visited with a licensed guide like Bice Portinari, privately a Feretti made woman.
			* Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Ricchi is another abandoned church with a storied past. This time, the architectural style is Romanesque. It was built in the 15th century, originally dedicated to St Paul until the change in 1812. According to the rather recent folk legend, the statue of St Paul originally found there came to life in 2035 and defended a group of metahuman orphans from a human mob. Afterwards, it went to places unknown and different parties would really like to locate it.
			* The Abbey of Gangivecchio was built in the 14th century by Benedictine monks, but it's still in operation. Benedetto Girolamo is the elderly (if perhaps not by elven standards) abbot and a devout Roman Catholic theurge, even with a Vatican dispensation for summoning. He and the other friars are known for doing charity which actually yields long-term results. You won't just be given a fish. You'll receive a fishing rod and some bait. The monks also produce wine and preserves for sale, which are very popular with the locals and start to garner good publicity among foodies. Occasionally, the Ferettis hire intermediaries - read: runners - to place orders without making direct contact so as not to risk wrath of the pious, which could easily pose PR problems for them.
			* Trattoria Sant'Anna is the only - for now! - restaurant in Gangi, but a fine if acceptably affordable one. Supplied by the local farmers and the abbey, it boasts all the traditional dishes and is a main employer to many. Predictably, the profitable business is all in the grasp of the mafia. Say, Bella Feretti herself owns it. There's live music provided by the duet of Cecilio Cieco on vocals and Bruno Angelo on the guitar, both made men. Luca Brasi rules in the kitchen, Christiano Gio heads the service and Michaela Mugnaio's firm provides security for the restaurant (as well as to the lion's share of other village businesses). If you're a tourist visiting Gangi, it's almost a given you will end up eating there - all the better for the mob to keep tabs on who's coming for dinner.
			* Chiesa di San Nicolò di Bari may be abandoned, but if you had to fly a drone into one landmark, head there. Built in the 14th century, it still houses a number of artworks like the frescoes from the 18th century, Filippo Quattrocchi's sculptures or "The Final Judgment" by Giuseppe Salerno. How come they haven't been stolen yet? A very good question. Some theorise that the old church has paranormal defenders. A Fossa di Parrini hosts the remains of mummified priests who served in the parish. Perhaps it's related to that?

			In essence, in Gangi, runners have two kinds of jobs available to them if they don't feel like just kicking back. They either work for the mafia (a whole myriad of jobs, espionage, protection rackets, sabotage, embezzlement, but also being hired to help old Nonna Rini clear her olive grove from agropelters) or - an extreme minority - collect paydata on what they're up to for foreign groups. Add an occasional hooding job which the abbot can't (or just is unwilling) to hire the Ferettis for or a rare task for academics not even from Palermo to study the Awakened phenomena. Rest assured that you won't be bored there. Thems the breaks of the busman's holiday.

			====Sources====

			* [https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1932564101/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 "Shadows of Europe"]
			* [https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/75129/Shadowrun-Vice "Vice"]
			* [https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/1882/shadowrun-underworld-sourcebook "Underworld Sourcebook"]
			* [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangi,_Sicily Gangi (Wikipedia)]
			* [https://shadowrun.fandom.com/wiki/Sicily Sicily (wiki)]
			* [https://shadowrun.fandom.com/wiki/Italian_Confederation Italian Confederation (wiki)]
			* [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/81942 "Sixth World Almanac"]

			=====Example NPCs=====

			* Bella Feretti (Networking). As established, the troll is the granddaughter of the current don of the Feretti family. She owes her standing in the famiglia - a woman metahuman consigliere! - to her smarts and the morals of an alley cat. Maybe she doesn't have an outstanding deal of charisma in comparison to a typical elven starlet, but you can't deny her the sheer ''presence''. Moreover, although mundane, she's got a brain like a freight train, doing very well for herself in terms of business. Originally, her plans towards Antonio ''Toni'' Caruso were seduction into a puppet, but since then, she fell hard for him and the mayor, though perfectly aware of who wears the trousers in this relationship, happily does what she advises him. Why? Because Bella ''is'' genuinely invested in the betterment of Gangi, which she's got fond childhood vacation memories of.
			* Antonio ''Toni'' Caruso (Networking). The elven mayor of Gangi may not be the actual power in the village, but his easygoing ways and real investment in the settlement's future earn him popularity - and the heart of the eminence grise in the person of Bella Feretti. He looks good, makes new contacts easily and generally fits the stereotype of la dolce vita. You can easily meet him outside the office too, which certainly helps. If you want to get in touch with the mafia and have plausible deniability, he's the most straightforward choice.
			* Benedetto Girolamo (Service). The abbot of Gangivecchio is the local expert on theology and magic alike. Actual charity as investment rather than tossing a credstick at someone and never thinking about them twice. It's not unlikely to receive help from the monks if you stumble to their doorstep while heavily wounded, for instance.
			* Calogero Oso (Gear). This Feretti made man, old school and famously stubborn, always seen with a smoking pipe, owns the largest vineyard, olive and orange grove as well as tomato plantations and many other businesses. If you shop in Gangi for anything from tomato concentrate to offroad trucks to transport the produce and, curiously enough, rugged toughs, sufficiently armoured to withstand country paracritters and Tommy gun fire, your purchase will probably bear the Sicilian bear logo. Calogero also has extensive connections to buy you "professional toys" - weapons, armour, drones, even more available decks and RCCs through his niece, Barbara Caia - if he trusts you not to use them against the famiglia. And if you cheat him, commission your tombstone already - the vindictive veteran doesn't forget. Due to their wealth and connections, the Osos often co-organise village fairs, harvest festivals and so on with the mayor's office.
			* Barbara Caia (Legwork). Calogero's niece is the custodian of the local museum. Deep in the tourism business in Gangi, she organises various tours and cultural events with the mayor's office and her best friend, the elf Bice Portinari, a licensed guide. This dwarf is also a rather accomplished sourceress, not to mention a made woman, so whoever isn't at war with the Ferettis and needs a snoop to dig up dirt on someone - or just ask about the history of the area - does well hiring her.
			* Gianni Costa (Fixer). This Feretti mobster runs the Mount Marone - the only real hotel in Gangi. Suave and generally recognisable due to the family wealth and participation in various village cultural events, he knows people over and under the counter. Nothing important really escapes him, so it's best to give the famiglia rispetto. If you want to meet other Ferettis, but don't have the kind of face to show up at the mayor's office, you have no choice but to go through him.
			* Luca Brasi, Christiano Gio and Co. (Service). In other words, the troll chef of Trattoria Sant'Anna, the manager and servers. Not only can they help you connect to the other Ferettis, but they offer a truly memorable service. The decor is unpretentious and authentic. The food has soul. There's live music every evening. The abbey and farmers like Calogero Oso supply the best products to cook with. And Luca, a retired consigliere and a terror in his youth, really fragging knows how to cook. You don't take marks to Trattoria Sant'Anna just because it's the only restaurant in Gangi - you do due to the atmosphere and service. Excellent distraction, especially when you can pay the server to discreetly swipe a commlink, have a hacker friend copy the contents and then return it with the mark none the wiser.
			* Michaela Mugnaio, Efisio Ioni, Salvatore Toro and Co. (A,G,N,K). Michaela runs the security firm the Ferettis use for laundering money and professional legbreakers. Most are fellow orks, but she's not metaracist. Efisio, her right hand ork, leads them in terms of meatspace combat. The dwarf Salvatore is responsible for drones and vehicles - both the wheels to move around and what sends lead raining down upon you. Calogero's combat gear comes from them. They're also quite savvy with the lower rungs of the mafia if you need an ear to the ground.
			* Bruno Angelo and Cecilio Cieco (A,K,N,G). The adept duet is something of a household name in Gangi. Bruno plays the guitar - acoustic, electric, he doesn't mind - while Cecilio sings. They are both charismatic with the authentic feel. Still, Enthralling Performance, Improved Ability (Performance) and other social powers can't be underestimated. You may hire them as distractions or just listen to them at Trattoria Sant'Anna. They love gossip, so you can hear a lot of interesting through-the-grapevine things from them.

EnigmaticOxygen: /* Example NPCs */

2023-07-26T15:18:08Z

Example NPCs

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:18, 26 July 2023
Line 251:		Line 251:
	* Gang Quan (Service). The Black Chrysanthemum rules Kowloon City with an iron fist. Seemingly, nothing is too heinous for them to do if the pay is right. Gang is one of their enforcers. The day job has him oversee one of the sweatshops in the worst slums of the district, Kowloon Walled City, taking advantage of his strength and propensity for violence to cow the indentured workers into obedience (or else; there's always money to be made organlegging if you ask him). The ex-con troll is as swole as they get, wared back up when his friends broke him out for deadly efficiency, mixing unarmed combat augmented by the 52 Blocks prison martial art with about any automatic or heavy weapon. When necessary, he will act as a shock trooper without any issues. He's not the most sneaky person around, but if you agree with his attitude (there's no "kill" like "overkill"), you can hire him for "locate and destroy" tasks or ask for tips on what's going on in the district. As long as his comrades in the Triad aren't unhappy with you, that is.		* Gang Quan (Service). The Black Chrysanthemum rules Kowloon City with an iron fist. Seemingly, nothing is too heinous for them to do if the pay is right. Gang is one of their enforcers. The day job has him oversee one of the sweatshops in the worst slums of the district, Kowloon Walled City, taking advantage of his strength and propensity for violence to cow the indentured workers into obedience (or else; there's always money to be made organlegging if you ask him). The ex-con troll is as swole as they get, wared back up when his friends broke him out for deadly efficiency, mixing unarmed combat augmented by the 52 Blocks prison martial art with about any automatic or heavy weapon. When necessary, he will act as a shock trooper without any issues. He's not the most sneaky person around, but if you agree with his attitude (there's no "kill" like "overkill"), you can hire him for "locate and destroy" tasks or ask for tips on what's going on in the district. As long as his comrades in the Triad aren't unhappy with you, that is.
	* Peng Cui (Legwork). The White Lotus Triad focuses on prostitution and gambling rackets, so Peng is highly useful as an infobroker if you're looking for dirt on the high and mighty of Hong-Kong. He seemingly always knows about the vice of this or that executive. The habit a starlet develops with the Golden Triangle drug trade roaring like it does isn't a secret for him. If it's something you wouldn't tell your grandmother about doing (and enjoying), chances are he knows. His words - and silence - are golden, but he accepts escrow and credsticks.		* Peng Cui (Legwork). The White Lotus Triad focuses on prostitution and gambling rackets, so Peng is highly useful as an infobroker if you're looking for dirt on the high and mighty of Hong-Kong. He seemingly always knows about the vice of this or that executive. The habit a starlet develops with the Golden Triangle drug trade roaring like it does isn't a secret for him. If it's something you wouldn't tell your grandmother about doing (and enjoying), chances are he knows. His words - and silence - are golden, but he accepts escrow and credsticks.
	* Yang Lang (A,N,G,K). In Hong-Kong, the lowest power is the Triads. Above are the megacorps, especially Wuxing. The absolute top is taken up by the struggle between the two eastern great dragons, Lung and Ryumyo. ~~She~~'s one of the many agents the latter has. He's connected, he knows secrets, but not many runners would freely work for this particular Mr Johnson.		* Yang Lang (A,N,G,K). In Hong-Kong, the lowest power is the Triads. Above are the megacorps, especially Wuxing. The absolute top is taken up by the struggle between the two eastern great dragons, Lung and Ryumyo. He's one of the many agents the latter has. He's connected, he knows secrets, but not many runners would freely work for this particular Mr Johnson.
	* Yin Lin (A,N,K,G). In Hong-Kong, the lowest power is the Triads. Above are the megacorps, especially Wuxing. The absolute top is taken up by the struggle between the two eastern great dragons, Lung and Ryumyo. She's one of the many agents the former has. She's connected, she knows secrets, but not many runners would freely work for this particular Mrs Johnson.		* Yin Lin (A,N,K,G). In Hong-Kong, the lowest power is the Triads. Above are the megacorps, especially Wuxing. The absolute top is taken up by the struggle between the two eastern great dragons, Lung and Ryumyo. She's one of the many agents the former has. She's connected, she knows secrets, but not many runners would freely work for this particular Mrs Johnson.

EnigmaticOxygen: /* =Example NPCs */

2023-07-13T16:06:18Z

=Example NPCs

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:06, 13 July 2023
Line 303:		Line 303:
	* [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/81942 "Sixth World Almanac"]		* [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/81942 "Sixth World Almanac"]

	=====Example NPCs====		=====Example NPCs=====

	* Jack Drew (Fixer). A man who never quite made it as a proper talent agent and dipped a finger into the shadows to keep up with the bills, his legitimate career has by now almost completely evaporated in favor of full-time fixing and now, increasingly, professional Johnsoning. Jack Drew is a muscular black man of average height, with collar-length black hair and grey eyes. He has a wide face and wider smile that matches his easygoing, null-perspiration sense of humor. Jack is easy to get along with and always delivers on the absolute contractual minimum, but he is incurious about his employers, uninvested in his talent and totally unwilling to put himself at risk.		* Jack Drew (Fixer). A man who never quite made it as a proper talent agent and dipped a finger into the shadows to keep up with the bills, his legitimate career has by now almost completely evaporated in favor of full-time fixing and now, increasingly, professional Johnsoning. Jack Drew is a muscular black man of average height, with collar-length black hair and grey eyes. He has a wide face and wider smile that matches his easygoing, null-perspiration sense of humor. Jack is easy to get along with and always delivers on the absolute contractual minimum, but he is incurious about his employers, uninvested in his talent and totally unwilling to put himself at risk.

EnigmaticOxygen: /* =Los Angeles */

2023-07-13T16:05:51Z

=Los Angeles

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:05, 13 July 2023
Line 276:		Line 276:
	* Zonta Tahcawin (Networking). Clubs which don't have bias are few and far between in Cheyenne, but Zonta's Dancing Maid is a proud exception. Located in the No Boundaries Neighbourhood, the furnishings are nothing extraordinary, just decor like three dozen tables, a bar with licensed alcohol and tobacco, bar games and a modest dancefloor, but the kicker for runners is the availability of seven private booths and a couple apartments for rental upstairs. Zonta, a Sioux shaman and aspected sorceress, isn't biased against Anglos or any specific tribe, instead cheerfully profit-oriented, so you are a valued customer as long as you pay.		* Zonta Tahcawin (Networking). Clubs which don't have bias are few and far between in Cheyenne, but Zonta's Dancing Maid is a proud exception. Located in the No Boundaries Neighbourhood, the furnishings are nothing extraordinary, just decor like three dozen tables, a bar with licensed alcohol and tobacco, bar games and a modest dancefloor, but the kicker for runners is the availability of seven private booths and a couple apartments for rental upstairs. Zonta, a Sioux shaman and aspected sorceress, isn't biased against Anglos or any specific tribe, instead cheerfully profit-oriented, so you are a valued customer as long as you pay.

	===Los Angeles==		===Los Angeles===

	Today's LA is a gemstone still being cut - coveted not just for what it is, but what it will soon be.		Today's LA is a gemstone still being cut - coveted not just for what it is, but what it will soon be.

EnigmaticOxygen at 14:58, 13 July 2023

2023-07-13T14:58:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:58, 13 July 2023
Line 275:		Line 275:
	* Nathan Nootau (Gear). He works as a senior R&D designer at DeckTech Inc., a B-grade Cheyenne-based corporation producing middle-of-the-road cyberdecks, remotely now. His father was a Sioux Nation SINner, his mother - an "Anglo", resulting in a happy household, but prejudice outside as typical for the Sioux Nation. After her death, Nootau Senior remarried, Nathan coming to genuinely love his stepmother Carly and half-sister Evie Jefferson-Nootau, even living with them in Seattle for almost a decade while his father commuted. Sadly, after the deaths of the seniors of the patchwork family, Nathan and Evie only have each other. After Evie's graduation, he expected to live in Cheyenne with her, but Hanska Akecheta, a fellow Miracle Shooter and the grandson of a Council of Elders politician, Chaska, became infatuated with Evie to a level where she was kidnapped. Runners broke her out, killing the Akechetas, but Nathan would take no chances. He moved to Seattle with Evie.		* Nathan Nootau (Gear). He works as a senior R&D designer at DeckTech Inc., a B-grade Cheyenne-based corporation producing middle-of-the-road cyberdecks, remotely now. His father was a Sioux Nation SINner, his mother - an "Anglo", resulting in a happy household, but prejudice outside as typical for the Sioux Nation. After her death, Nootau Senior remarried, Nathan coming to genuinely love his stepmother Carly and half-sister Evie Jefferson-Nootau, even living with them in Seattle for almost a decade while his father commuted. Sadly, after the deaths of the seniors of the patchwork family, Nathan and Evie only have each other. After Evie's graduation, he expected to live in Cheyenne with her, but Hanska Akecheta, a fellow Miracle Shooter and the grandson of a Council of Elders politician, Chaska, became infatuated with Evie to a level where she was kidnapped. Runners broke her out, killing the Akechetas, but Nathan would take no chances. He moved to Seattle with Evie.
	* Zonta Tahcawin (Networking). Clubs which don't have bias are few and far between in Cheyenne, but Zonta's Dancing Maid is a proud exception. Located in the No Boundaries Neighbourhood, the furnishings are nothing extraordinary, just decor like three dozen tables, a bar with licensed alcohol and tobacco, bar games and a modest dancefloor, but the kicker for runners is the availability of seven private booths and a couple apartments for rental upstairs. Zonta, a Sioux shaman and aspected sorceress, isn't biased against Anglos or any specific tribe, instead cheerfully profit-oriented, so you are a valued customer as long as you pay.		* Zonta Tahcawin (Networking). Clubs which don't have bias are few and far between in Cheyenne, but Zonta's Dancing Maid is a proud exception. Located in the No Boundaries Neighbourhood, the furnishings are nothing extraordinary, just decor like three dozen tables, a bar with licensed alcohol and tobacco, bar games and a modest dancefloor, but the kicker for runners is the availability of seven private booths and a couple apartments for rental upstairs. Zonta, a Sioux shaman and aspected sorceress, isn't biased against Anglos or any specific tribe, instead cheerfully profit-oriented, so you are a valued customer as long as you pay.

			===Los Angeles==

			Today's LA is a gemstone still being cut - coveted not just for what it is, but what it will soon be.

			In 2069, Los Angeles' physical infrastructure was shattered, its population devastated and its geography upended. Epochal earthquakes, tsunamis and random magical phenomena wracked the landscape. Hard industry was flooded, crushed, destroyed in civil unrest or disappeared beneath the onrushing water. Los Angeles' greatest industry, however, survived mostly unscathed - the production of beautiful and influential people. Cartelised by Horizon, the media industry in LA printed money even when the Twins reshaped the very land itself. That ever-beating heart stopped LA from slipping into dissolution and abandonment. Since 2070, however, the need for land reclamation and the noxious stew that was the Pacific coast have driven a construction boom that has grown from a raucous auction for poorly-regulated scavenger plots into a decade of reconstructive clawback. Horizon money and MCT manufacturing have seen a massive boom in these new "California Polders" and an expanding footprint of revitalized land and water resources. Naturally, as the dream of a truly resurrected Los Angeles grows closer to a reality, power mongers all dream of taking control for themselves.

			Now, in addition to Horizon's glitterati empire, Los Angeles and its technological institutes are ground zero for the research, development, and deployment of manned and automated technologies meant to sift clean water from filth, land from the ocean, and a biome back from a poisoned landscape. The population is growing, businesses are booming, and telesmic exploitation of the Deep Lacuna means no shortage of magical talent even in a city renowned for astral instability. The work of rebuilding Los Angeles is ongoing and so-called "settlers" experience constant friction with displaced locals and those who call the unreclaimed ruins and wastelands home. Whether a settler or a visitor, you want to know about the most interesting places.
			* The Ruins. Despite fourteen years of ongoing industrial effort, there still remain many acres of unreclaimed ruins, decaying day by day and housing the SINless and desperate (not to mention those who prey on them). Small watercraft moving to and fro from squatter communities living in the upper stories of flooded towers still putter around daily and while the vault-diving craze has cooled, the calcification of these ungoverned communities has proven fertile ground for organized crime. Refugee camps, hardened into prefab housing blocks, have inevitably decayed into the hives and warrens of those too poor not to engage in petty crime to survive and sit around the inland edges of the city. There's nothing as permanent as a temporary solution.
			* The Polders. The most visible fruits of the oceans of money poured into LA, the polders are a vision of the recovery, ton by ton and kilometre by kilometre, of broken land rebuilt according to the will of those who can afford to make it happen. Gated communities, new industries, vertical farming, religious communes - and, of course, rank upon rank of housing and services for the upstanding citizens and settlers of the realm. Even some low-income housing for the serfs who must serve rises up toward the sky here. The patchwork of ownership claims and extraterritorial exclaves here means jurisdictions can change block by block (or canal-by-canal). This is where you find the top 50%.
			* The Arcologies. The keep and the castle, Arcology Mile is now the home of the top 10% of the LA population. Unlike the homes and haunts of the glitterati, here the security is anything but discreet, the SINs are all Horizon issued and the machinery of power grinds day and night.
			* The Glittering West. Hollywood is shinier than ever, the plastic people are more beautiful than ever and Horizon is richer than ever. Tourism brings in hefty margins, the celebs keep the whole marketing machine turning, and the daggers of their courtiers are razor-sharp. This is where you find the top 1%.
			* The Deeps. The Lacuna is no longer an alchera cypher - it's a multidimensional space originating from one of the desperate experiments from the height of the fourth world. Echoes of the kaers of the ancient past and the strange history that developed within it during its long separation from the mortal world, along with its vast reaches, mean that it is hotly contested territory by everyone with an interest in powerful magic, abundant telesma or ungovernable smuggling routes (i.e. everyone). The deeper the explorations, the stranger the paracritters and the more dangerous the magical phenomena.
			The key players mustn't be overlooked either.
			* Horizon - still their backyard as well as the beating heart of the economy and political power within the city. Predators with open hands look upon their works with hungry eyes and offer sweetheart deals, but for now, Horizon remains perched at the top of the heap, carefully keeping their rivals balanced against one another.
			* Aztechnology - still feels like LA is theirs to take and they are hungry to assert control over the Deep Lacuna. In the race to pour money into redevelopment, they've managed to slide quite a bit of their own cash in over the last decade, so their "exclusion" from the city has gone from fig leaf to farce.
			* PCC - too weak to fend off AZT themselves, too greedy to let go completely, they need a partner to help them keep collecting taxes here. For now, that remains Horizon, but others are eager to suggest alternatives.
			* MCT - co-investment in UCLA and CalTech has borne enormous fruit for MCT since 2070 - the Japanese population of the city, which bottomed out in the mid-60s, has been consistently rising for the last ten years. Japanese students now make up a significant fraction of the student body and innovations in drone technology are tested here daily. Much of MCT's best press in the past decade has come from here and the drone designs and fleets born from the minds of CalTech researchers are the only things turning the vision of a restored Los Angeles into a reality. To make this miracle happen, of course, MCT had to build a significant presence in the city - now, they guard that investment jealously and dream of forcing Horizon to accept their place as "little brother".
			* UCAS - with PCCs grasp on the city tenuous and Horizon unable to assert a forceful monopoly over the city, many within the UCAS dream of returning another great pacific port to its rightful place under the stars and stripes. Naturally, anywhere the UCAS flag is being flown, Ares can be found in its shadow.
			* Organised crime - the mafia has the homefield advantage here, but with a major aerospace port and extensive waterfront, the easy money in LA has been attracting ambitious competitors from the world over - a war in the ungoverned spaces seems inevitable if a new status quo arrangement cannot be struck.

			====Sources====

			* [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/57427/Shadowrun-Corporate-Enclaves "Corporate Enclaves"]

			* [https://shadowrun.fandom.com/wiki/Los_Angeles Los Angeles (wiki)]
			* [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/81942 "Sixth World Almanac"]

			=====Example NPCs====

			* Jack Drew (Fixer). A man who never quite made it as a proper talent agent and dipped a finger into the shadows to keep up with the bills, his legitimate career has by now almost completely evaporated in favor of full-time fixing and now, increasingly, professional Johnsoning. Jack Drew is a muscular black man of average height, with collar-length black hair and grey eyes. He has a wide face and wider smile that matches his easygoing, null-perspiration sense of humor. Jack is easy to get along with and always delivers on the absolute contractual minimum, but he is incurious about his employers, uninvested in his talent and totally unwilling to put himself at risk.
			* Pomona Regis (Networking). When your life revolves around unwanted surveillance, it's only natural to offer your wares to whoever is willing to pay - and some people are willing to pay a great deal. Pomona, a paparazzo-turned-infobroker, is a nonbinary mestizo dwarf with brown hair and such eyes with a keen eye for detail. For the right price, they can buy or sell valuable paydata or provide stakeout and surveillance support.
			* Regis Greentree (Gear). Horizon's prison reconditioning programs are sold as the most humane incarcerations on the globe and produce a significantly lower recidivism rate than other mega programs. A well-placed director of therapy at one of these facilities has wide access to powerful pharmaceuticals, mind control magic, ASSIST facilities, conditioned catspaws, under-the-table imprisonment and even actual therapeutic tools - if they can be convinced to take the risks. Dr Greentree, a prison psychologist, can be convinced, but not cheaply. He is a Native with close-cropped hair and an easy smile that never reaches his eyes.
			* Andy Wataro (Legwork). Andy is one of many P2.1 "coaches" who provide services to those who need help raising their social credit score. By necessity, he is perpetually up-to-date on the latest developments and scandals across the Horizon and LA matrix and the fine art of P2.1 optimisation. He also provides assistance with the creation of burner profiles.

EnigmaticOxygen at 15:05, 13 June 2023

2023-06-13T15:05:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 13 June 2023
Line 220:		Line 220:
	* The White Lotus Triad is international, with a "division" in Hong-Kong. Their strong ties with the Singaporean technology A-grade corporation Tan Tien, one of founders of the Pacific Prosperity Group, lend them much clout. In fact, given their enmity with the Red Dragon Association, they ''need'' that. Their focus is on prostitution and gambling rackets.		* The White Lotus Triad is international, with a "division" in Hong-Kong. Their strong ties with the Singaporean technology A-grade corporation Tan Tien, one of founders of the Pacific Prosperity Group, lend them much clout. In fact, given their enmity with the Red Dragon Association, they ''need'' that. Their focus is on prostitution and gambling rackets.
	* The Smoke Circle Society is one of the most powerful Triads of Asia, controlling the largest share of the trade in Golden Triangle opium and Awakened drugs, including the infamous Tempo. As demonstrated in the Smoke Circle-Black Chrysanthemum War during the Battle of Kowloon City of 2071, their magical might is significant even after losing approximately half their power. The conflict with the Black Chrysanthemum continues. They're also strong with gambling (in Hong-Kong) and metahuman trafficking for the flesh trade (across mainland Asia). The Golden Army, one of the lesser Triads, is vassalised to them and fought in the Smoke Circle-Black Chrysanthemum War on their side.		* The Smoke Circle Society is one of the most powerful Triads of Asia, controlling the largest share of the trade in Golden Triangle opium and Awakened drugs, including the infamous Tempo. As demonstrated in the Smoke Circle-Black Chrysanthemum War during the Battle of Kowloon City of 2071, their magical might is significant even after losing approximately half their power. The conflict with the Black Chrysanthemum continues. They're also strong with gambling (in Hong-Kong) and metahuman trafficking for the flesh trade (across mainland Asia). The Golden Army, one of the lesser Triads, is vassalised to them and fought in the Smoke Circle-Black Chrysanthemum War on their side.
	* The Black Chrysanthemum, while based in Macao, has a stronghold in the worst part of Hong-Kong: the Kowloon City. One of the most brutal and cruel syndicates in the Sixth World, one which is as feared there as Tamanous is in Seattle. Its backbone are the Kowloon gangs made up mostly of mainland refugees, although unlike most Triads, it's willing to recruit non-Chinese (still Asian though: Filipinos, Vietnamese and Indians). Because of the strong focus on Awakened members, it triumphed in the Smoke Circle-Black Chrysanthemum War of 2071, currently at 70% of its power prior to it. Mundanes working for them are wared up. The main metahuman trafficking syndicate, it forces its clients into slavery to pay off their debts, such as working in sweatshops or factories producing counterfeit goods), frequently to the death. Other forms of slavery include victims they need for the international sex trade, SINless residents of Hong-Kong to be harvested for their organs, possibly even those indentured workers deemed too slow at work to be useful outside their guts. They oversee gambling rackets and are involved in the trafficking part of the Golden Triangle. In the Canton Confederation outside of Macao, they do gunrunning and organlegging. Other branches include the Kingdom of Hawai'i represented by Honolulu, the JIS (Neo-Tokyo), the Philippines (Manila) and the North American West Coast (Seattle, San Francisco).		* The Black Chrysanthemum, while based in Macao, has a stronghold in the worst part of Hong-Kong: the Kowloon City. One of the most brutal and cruel syndicates in the Sixth World, one which is as feared there as Tamanous is in Seattle. Its backbone are the Kowloon gangs made up mostly of mainland refugees, although unlike most Triads, it's willing to recruit non-Chinese (still Asian though: Filipinos, Vietnamese and Indians). Because of the strong focus on Awakened members, it triumphed in the Smoke Circle-Black Chrysanthemum War of 2071, currently at 70% of its power prior to it. Mundanes working for them are wared up. The main metahuman trafficking syndicate, it forces its clients into slavery to pay off their debts, such as working in sweatshops or factories producing counterfeit goods, frequently to the death. Other forms of slavery include victims they need for the international sex trade, SINless residents of Hong-Kong to be harvested for their organs, possibly even those indentured workers deemed too slow at work to be useful outside their guts. They oversee gambling rackets and are involved in the trafficking part of the Golden Triangle. In the Canton Confederation outside of Macao, they do gunrunning and organlegging. Other branches include the Kingdom of Hawai'i represented by Honolulu, the JIS (Neo-Tokyo), the Philippines (Manila) and the North American West Coast (Seattle, San Francisco).
	* The Red Lotus Triad, while focused on mainland China, has two branches: Vancouver, SSC, where, overseen by the dragon Chiao, they largely control the water-based smuggling and drugs due to the partnership with Kyuusei Medical, and Hong-Kong. They work out of the Wan Chai and the Yau Tsim Mong. In the latter, not like in the former, Chinese ethnicity matters. Both focus on the drug trade, however, so if you want substances, you could certainly do worse than ask them.		* The Red Lotus Triad, while focused on mainland China, has two branches: Vancouver, SSC, where, overseen by the dragon Chiao, they largely control the water-based smuggling and drugs due to the partnership with Kyuusei Medical, and Hong-Kong. They work out of the Wan Chai and the Yau Tsim Mong. In the latter, not like in the former, Chinese ethnicity matters. Both focus on the drug trade, however, so if you want substances, you could certainly do worse than ask them.
	* The Red Lantern Triad is another outfit with Hong-Kong presence actually more significant elsewhere. Before the brutal mob war of 2064-2065 they were decimated by the Kabul Maffiya, they had a stronghold in Tashkent, overseeing the local crime bosses and profits from the drug smuggling routes going from Afghanistan to Russia. In Hong-Kong, they use a marine salvage company named "ReVage" as a front for smuggling drugs.		* The Red Lantern Triad is another outfit with Hong-Kong presence actually more significant elsewhere. Before the brutal mob war of 2064-2065 they were decimated by the Kabul Maffiya, they had a stronghold in Tashkent, overseeing the local crime bosses and profits from the drug smuggling routes going from Afghanistan to Russia. In Hong-Kong, they use a marine salvage company named "ReVage" as a front for smuggling drugs.

EnigmaticOxygen: /* Example NPCs */

2023-02-27T00:22:53Z

Example NPCs

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:22, 27 February 2023
Line 273:		Line 273:
	* Ehawee Chapa (Legwork). University of Cheyenne is an important fixture of the education landscape not just in the sprawl, but the whole Sioux Nation. Professor Ehawee Chapa is Chair of the Matrix Science Department and leads the think-tank investigating CFD. As a Lakota tribal, she's friends with President Tatonga, potentially groomed to take over from him. If you want research done, you certainly are in the correct place, although bear her tribal allegiances in mind. The dwarf is not going to help you if you officially target Lakota.		* Ehawee Chapa (Legwork). University of Cheyenne is an important fixture of the education landscape not just in the sprawl, but the whole Sioux Nation. Professor Ehawee Chapa is Chair of the Matrix Science Department and leads the think-tank investigating CFD. As a Lakota tribal, she's friends with President Tatonga, potentially groomed to take over from him. If you want research done, you certainly are in the correct place, although bear her tribal allegiances in mind. The dwarf is not going to help you if you officially target Lakota.
	* Hotah Mahkah (Fixer). Tobacco and alcohol are severely restricted in the Sioux Nation. Of course the Lakota mafia Whiteclay mob family capitalises on that. Hotah focuses on smuggling these goods in and having his people enforce protection money from a number of businesses with less than legal booze and smokes sold under the counter. He also fixes on the side - the mob needs out-of-town talent and is willing to set you up in exchange for work. Conveniently, through Hotah, it's possible to be connected with Whiteclay smugglers and forgers - crucial for running in the Sioux Nation.		* Hotah Mahkah (Fixer). Tobacco and alcohol are severely restricted in the Sioux Nation. Of course the Lakota mafia Whiteclay mob family capitalises on that. Hotah focuses on smuggling these goods in and having his people enforce protection money from a number of businesses with less than legal booze and smokes sold under the counter. He also fixes on the side - the mob needs out-of-town talent and is willing to set you up in exchange for work. Conveniently, through Hotah, it's possible to be connected with Whiteclay smugglers and forgers - crucial for running in the Sioux Nation.
	* Nathan Nootau (Gear). He works as a senior R&D designer at DeckTech Inc., a B-grade corporation producing middle-of-the-road cyberdecks. His father was a Sioux Nation SINner, his mother - an "Anglo", resulting in a happy household, but prejudice outside. After her death, Nootau Senior remarried, Nathan coming to genuinely love his stepmother and half-sister Evie, even living with them in Seattle for almost a decade while his father commuted. Sadly, after the deaths of the seniors of the patchwork family, Nathan and Evie only have each other. ~~The man moved~~ to Cheyenne ~~for good~~ with ~~his post~~ and ~~awaits his half-sibling's arrival in~~ the ~~sprawl -~~ to ~~stay this time~~.		* Nathan Nootau (Gear). He works as a senior R&D designer at DeckTech Inc., a B-grade Cheyenne-based corporation producing middle-of-the-road cyberdecks, remotely now. His father was a Sioux Nation SINner, his mother - an "Anglo", resulting in a happy household, but prejudice outside as typical for the Sioux Nation. After her death, Nootau Senior remarried, Nathan coming to genuinely love his stepmother Carly and half-sister Evie Jefferson-Nootau, even living with them in Seattle for almost a decade while his father commuted. Sadly, after the deaths of the seniors of the patchwork family, Nathan and Evie only have each other. After Evie's graduation, he expected to live in Cheyenne with her, but Hanska Akecheta, a fellow Miracle Shooter and the grandson of a Council of Elders politician, Chaska, became infatuated with Evie to a level where she was kidnapped. Runners broke her out, killing the Akechetas, but Nathan would take no chances. He moved to Seattle with Evie.
	* Zonta Tahcawin (Networking). Clubs which don't have bias are few and far between in Cheyenne, but Zonta's Dancing Maid is a proud exception. Located in the No Boundaries Neighbourhood, the furnishings are nothing extraordinary, just decor like three dozen tables, a bar with licensed alcohol and tobacco, bar games and a modest dancefloor, but the kicker for runners is the availability of seven private booths and a couple apartments for rental upstairs. Zonta, a Sioux shaman and aspected sorceress, isn't biased against Anglos or any specific tribe, instead cheerfully profit-oriented, so you are a valued customer as long as you pay.		* Zonta Tahcawin (Networking). Clubs which don't have bias are few and far between in Cheyenne, but Zonta's Dancing Maid is a proud exception. Located in the No Boundaries Neighbourhood, the furnishings are nothing extraordinary, just decor like three dozen tables, a bar with licensed alcohol and tobacco, bar games and a modest dancefloor, but the kicker for runners is the availability of seven private booths and a couple apartments for rental upstairs. Zonta, a Sioux shaman and aspected sorceress, isn't biased against Anglos or any specific tribe, instead cheerfully profit-oriented, so you are a valued customer as long as you pay.

EnigmaticOxygen: Protected "It's a Small Underworld After All" ([Edit=Allow only administrators] (indefinite))

2023-02-21T17:09:07Z

Protected "It's a Small Underworld After All" ([Edit=Allow only administrators] (indefinite))

← Older revision	Revision as of 17:09, 21 February 2023
(No difference)