 Eta Engineering & the Zubayr Chong Clan, in Runners Havens |
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 Jan 15 2008, 01:08 PM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: 5-December 07 Member No.: 14,509  |
Hi fellows! I'm a newbie on this board and in the Shadowrun universe itself. Just started playing Shadowrun (4th edition) a couple of months ago. I've got a question concerning the Shadowrun background (hope somebody can help me): In Runners Haven, p. 75 is written:
It seems to me, that the author of the text wants to point out something, but I didn't get it yet. Is there anything more he wants to point out, than the fact, that a rich family own s a company which offers poor Asiatic immigrants shitty jobs and makes a lot of money by cleaning the polluted city of Seattle? Does anybody have any further information to this "Zubayr-Chong clan"? The name appears to be a mix of arabic and chinese ... Eta Engineering is mainly operating in Tacoma. An area which is famous for underworld groups fighting against each other on a daily basis. Does this mean, that this company has ties to some crime organisation as well? Maybe the Triads? It says as well, that Shiawase is the big competitor of Eta Engineering in Tacoma and that there are responsible for the contaminated areas in the Tacoma district. How would these two competitors battle each other in the shadows? Maybe there would be some kind of replacement war between Yakuza (Shiawase) and Triads (EtaEngineering). What I want to ask if it could possibly be that this is just a replacement for the conflict between the two dragons Lung (RedDragonTriad) & Ryomo(Yakuza). It's just an idea for a chronicle. What does the community think about it? Hope it is understandable what I want to say - English isn't my native tongue - that's why it's sometimes a bit difficult for me to make myself clear. |
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Jan 15 2008, 01:16 PM
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#2
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Target Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 11-September 07 From: Saeder-Krupp Rhine-Ruhr Regional HQ Member No.: 13,215 |
The point to Zubayr-Chong is that although the family is rich and offers jobs to other East Asian immigrants, the clan itself belongs to (and thus can never get out of, if you use the Indian understanding) the lowest caste, id est the social bottom rung. Happens a lot in caste-based societies where the lowest end has the quasi-monopoly on the jobs no-one else wants, and thus they get rich off of it. Well, riches can buy them better clothing and education in Western society, but for the Asians, they'll always be the dregs no matter how much money they throw around.
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Jan 15 2008, 01:42 PM
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#3
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Awakened Asset Group: Members Posts: 4,464 Joined: 9-April 05 From: AGS, North German League Member No.: 7,309 |
Eta and Shiawase do not fight by proxy, unless your campaign makes it so.
A shadow war is conducted by information theft, sabotage, extraction (read "kidnapping") of key personell, or framing the other corp for something you did, causing retaliation from a third party. By the book, profits are the main concern in this conflict. No dragon in sight. Shiawase is also not a strong candidate for a syndicate pawn. Eta is mostly unknown. |
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Jan 15 2008, 07:25 PM
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#4
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Target Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: 5-December 07 Member No.: 14,509 |
Alright, this sounds evident. Do you have any idea where this clan is coming from? In a German shadowrun-forum (www.sr-nexus.de) some belief that they belong to the Uyghur people (Wikipedia) which are living in west china. I searched on Google for the name Zubayr and found out that there is a town in Iraq called Az Zubair (Wikipedia). Further I found a guy called Al Zubayr (Wikipedia) who has been a companion of the prophet Muhammad and belonged to an arab tribe in Iraq. But "Chong" is a normal Chinese name, isn't it? Does anybody has a clue, how I can connect/adopt/use this information to/for the shadowrun background. And how does the information above fit to the thesis, that this clan belongs to and will always be part of a low caste? |
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Jan 15 2008, 07:36 PM
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#5
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Target Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: 5-December 07 Member No.: 14,509 |
Indeed Shiawase might be too strong and influential for that, but what, if both, the dragon and the corporation, would benifit from their alliance? The connection to Lung via the Triads (Oktagon -> Red Dragon Triad -> Lung). The connection to Ryomo (is this the correct spelling?) via the Yakuza. The shadow war between Shiawase & Eta Engineering is handed to these two crime organizations. I just need to find a cause, why two dragons should be interested in that! Both are struggling to gain power over the "Ring of Fire", which surounds the Pacific Ocean - correct? Do they have any other goals? |
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Jan 15 2008, 07:42 PM
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#6
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,174 Joined: 13-May 04 From: UCAS Member No.: 6,327 |
*koff*Cheech and Chong*koff* Probably one of the most well known usage of the name Chong... Yes, Tommy Chong's father is Chinese. Chong is definitely a chinese surname. Normal? As normal as no, not Smith, that would be reserved for Chan/Chang... Still, yes, it's normal. :P |
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Jan 15 2008, 07:55 PM
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#7
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
One could make a case that his daughter, Rae Dawn Chong is even more well known. |
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Jan 15 2008, 08:00 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 640 Joined: 8-October 07 Member No.: 13,611 |
One could.
Doesn't make it true. |
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Jan 15 2008, 08:02 PM
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#9
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
I guess it may depend on your age (although it doesn't with me! :D). Tommy isn't doing much lately, but Rae Dawn keeps popping up in movie after movie. |
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Jan 15 2008, 08:17 PM
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#10
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Awakened Asset Group: Members Posts: 4,464 Joined: 9-April 05 From: AGS, North German League Member No.: 7,309 |
Shiawase could turn to the Yakuza for support. Yes.
Eta could turn to the Triads for support, also possible (Tacoma, Little China). That would however only touch distant parts of the dragons empires. |
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Jan 15 2008, 08:36 PM
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#11
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Do you really think Shiawase is going to tie themselves to Mitsuhama (even indirectly) in that manner? Do you really think they'd need to do so? |
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Jan 15 2008, 08:41 PM
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#12
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Awakened Asset Group: Members Posts: 4,464 Joined: 9-April 05 From: AGS, North German League Member No.: 7,309 |
Not to the same Yakuza at the same time, at least not by intent. But using the same partners once in a while, yes. The Yakuza clans are only loosely allied.
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Jan 16 2008, 08:56 PM
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#13
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Target Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: 5-December 07 Member No.: 14,509 |
This is basically what I meant! My shadowrun group is not that experienced that I could let them interfere in the affairs of a dragon! (Btw is there any?) It's just the beginning of a chronicle. I want my runners to start as greenhorns doing some jobs for a small Yakuza or Triad group. Bit by bit they'll gain more and more background information. Who is allied with whom , who wants to achieve which goals and so on. Finally, after month/years(ingame) of playing, when they are experienced and think that they are already big movers and shakers, I still want to be able to challenge and surprise them. And then maybe they'll find out, that some "puppet master" ultimately got them where he wants them ... Isn't that what a good Shadowrun campaign is all about? //I'm currently planning! |
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Jan 16 2008, 10:50 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 640 Joined: 8-October 07 Member No.: 13,611 |
She does? This is news. |
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Jan 16 2008, 11:05 PM
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#15
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Well, movies and tv shows. Note that at no time did I say, or even imply that they were actually good movies and tv shows. ;) :D
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