Gang Name: Outlanders

Gang Focus: The Outlanders are the external face of a fairly extensive community of squatters and rejects along the Sammamish river and Woodinville/Redmond Road. Calling them a gang from an external perspective represents them well, but from an internal perspective fails to account for either the depth or size of their operations.

The Outlanders' home turf is the strip of land north of 143d street and the Sammamish river. They operate down into the loosely developed areas that adjoin this strip of land, but derive their power from the squatter community further out along the river.

To external observers, the Outlanders are a small and extremely young gang of humans, metahumans, and (for lack of a better word) parahumans operating out of the loosely developed area NE of the Raider Nation. They have an breathtakingly paranoid us-versus-them mentality, even by the standards of distrustful barrens gangs. They only rarely trade with other gangs or communities, mostly just commiting intermittent and random acts of violence and theivery against the other nearby gangs and communities. Occasionally they will trade food and salvage for weapons, tools, or medicine.

To internal observers, the situation is more nuanced. The outlanders are sort of an 'agoge' for the youth of a paranoid and reclusive "tribe" of denizens of the river/railfront area. Their families and friends live in this tribe, and exist through subsistence agriculture and fishing along the river and in the run-down railroad properties. The Outlanders serve as a buffer for the rest of the tribe, and occasionally as a means of getting supplies from the outside world.

Leader: The Outlanders rotate leaders fairly quickly, both because of the gang dynamics and the fact that many of their members retire back to the river dwellings.

The current leader of the gang is "Lenny," a 16 year old half-crazed Elf Shaman who claims the Sammasish River as his mentor (use the stats for Sea mentor spirits). Lenny, for his age, is a quite powerful Shaman who believes unflinchingly in the superiority of Sammamish tribe way of life. His education is half from his elders, half from his own insanity, and half from patriotic Native American Nations trid broadcasts piped from Salish territory.

Lenny takes the paranoid us-versus-them mentality of the gang and tribe to new heights, beleiving in the spiritual virtue of predating the other Redmond inhabitants and stealing what is necessary. He will only trade or negotiate with anyone else reluctantly. Though he is certain that the Outlanders have a right to destroy anyone near their borders, he genuinely has no idea how to make this happen. Instead, he condones violence, theivery, and occasional kidnapping and rape to operate the gang.

Lenny's power is based of his (relative) seniority and legitimate fear of his magical powers. He uses spirits to aid in gang operations and earth spirits to reinforce and enlarge the tunnels that lead back into the Sammamish tribe's home ground. He actually has very little control over the day-to-day operations of the gang - many of the other members, led by Charlie and Mudbug (below) actively ignore him.

Lieutenants: 3
- Charlie - Charlie is an extraordinarily reasonable and wise-beyond-his-years young Sasquatch. He rarely leaves the gang territory, as he is terrified of the reactions of the other Redmond-dwellers to him. He believes in the lifestyle of the Sammamish tribe, and sees the utility of the gang as a way to perpetuate that lifestyle rather than prove its superiority. He and Mudbug are close friends, influence much of the gang's behavior, and serve to keep Lenny from pissing off the Raiders, Lotus, and Brute Force enough to destroy them or endanger the tribe.

- MudBug - one of the only Outlanders to receive something like an education, Mudbug is a human/dwarf mutt (use the stats for a human looking dwarf). Mudbug is the second youngest member of the gang (at 11), but his parents were recent additions to the tribe and still had a customized wireless receiver which they used to provide him with some online classes and education. He has grown up hard, and still has dreams of leigitimizing the Sammamish tribe and operating peacefully and openly.

- Pluto - Pluto is an ork ghoul, and leads the more stealthy operations of the gang. Pluto is the longest member of the Sammamish tribe to server in the gang, for 8 years (4 of which as a ghoul). Pluto sees no need to return back home for the moment, though it has long since completed its agoge. Pluto instead leads a number of the members of the gang in thievery and kidnapping, and the few other ghouls in seeking out metahumans out too late.

Head Count: 58

- "Lenny"
- Lenny's Faction:
- 8 13-15 year old raiders
- 2 16+ year old veterans - Mule and Crash, a male troll and female dwarf, respectively, who serve as Lenny's guards and enforcers.

- Charlie and MudBug
- Charlie and MudBug's Faction:
- 7 13-15 year old traders, scouts, and scavengers
- White Fox, a 16 year old pureblood native american who helps Charlie and Mudbug arrange many of their trades.

- Pluto
- Pluto's Faction:
- 3 other metahuman ghouls
- Stumpy, Jackie, and Mauler- Stumpy and Jackie are two 15 year old humans born to the Sammamish tribe's kennel master, and own and care for Mauler, a true Barghest. Mauler is friendly and fiercely loyal to Stumpy and Jackie, but a bit overeager sometime (hence Stumpy's name.)
- 3 other 15+ year old toughs.
- 26 young (11-14 year old) non-initiated gang members

Initiation Rituals: Properly speaking, the Outlanders ARE the initiation ritual for the Sammamish river tribe. Within the gang, most of the initiation focuses on a proof of loyalty to one of the lieutenants.

Lenny requires his initiates to dress in the "traditional" Sammamish tribe "Warpaint" and go with him to raid houses in some of the other gangs' territories.

Charlie and MudBug tend to require a simple spiritual test - Charlie asks that his initiates float down the Sammamish to lake Sammamish, then swim back. Mudbug generally requires several days of service - clearing out wreckage, rebuilding parts of the gangs buildings, or salvaging useful equipment from the area.

Pluto's test is simple. Bring back a peice of 'ware or kidnap someone.

Uniforms: Usually, none, except for Lenny's group. When a credible external threat forces the gang to act en masse, all of them will dress in "Warpaint" - red and blue slashes of paint from upper left to lower right across the whole body.

Symbol: A black fist rising out of the earth, with deep roots underneath, imposed on a yellow circle.

Territory: Sammamish river area to NE of the Raider Nation

Foes: The Outlanders have never been on good terms with anyone, but maintain various levels of relations with the other nearby gangs. They have nothing to fear from the Emerald Lotus because of the extensive tunnels and hiding areas in their terrain, but are not well enough armed to threaten them. They are in some constant level of fight with Brute Force. They have learned by hard experience to avoid the Raiders entirely, since the Raiders are so much better armed and organized. However, the Raiders only rarely attack the Outlanders, since taking any territory from them is so difficult and they fight like demons when pushed against their own turf.

Uniqueness: The Outlanders have little of the common fears of other Redmond gangs - they owe little defense to their homes, since their home tribe is hidden and relatively self-supporting; they don't fear losses much because they are fed new recruits every year from home.

They live in an underdeveloped area, even by the barrens, but communicate through underground tunnels, hidden routes, and sparse forest with their families and the agricultural community on the river.

Their 'traditions' - save for their paranoia and reclusive natures - change often, by the whim of whatever new leader cycles through and the caprice of youth.

Operations: The Outlanders operations are inconsistent and difficult to explain, given the inconsistency of their leadership. They steal extensively for gear and weapons from other communities, and ship most of the not-immediately-useful gear back home. Sometimes Outlanders can be found trading food for equipemtn or supplies, but equally often they will be found brawling in the streets with other gang members. Because they have few money-making operations and run internally off barter and trade, they are generally grossly underequipped or underarmed compared to other gangs. However, the strange nature of their home community brings many magically active within the gang.

Pluto runs some more cruel operations, possibly with some affiliation or connection to the 162s or Tamanous. Pluto will kidnap pedestrains or families, steal used cyberware, and occasionally ransom victims to other gangs or their own families.

The Outlanders are difficult to retaliate against, as they can often run and hide within their territory extraordinarily effectively. Though underarmed, they are strong, motivated, and vicious when on the defensive; and even Charlie is rumored to have savaged 3 young Raiders once.

Markets:
• Computer Crime - 0
• Controlled Substances - 1
• Counterfeiting and Forgery - 0
• Fencing - 2
• Fixing - 0
• Gambling - 2
• Hijacking - 0
• Kidnapping - 0
• Loansharking - 1
• Pornography - 0
• Prostitution - 1
• Protection - 2
• Robbery - 3
• Shadow Services - 0
• Smuggling - 3
• White-Collar Crime - 0
• Total = 15
Operations:
• Enforcement - 2
• Fiscal - 1
• Intelligence - 2
• Management - 1
• Reputation - 2
• Total = 8
Grand Total = 23
Ranking:

 0 - Nonexistent
 1 - Turf player (only within the gang’s turf)
 2 - Neighborhood player (with a several block radius around gang’s turf)
 3 - Area player (e.g. Kingsgate, Avodale, Hollywood, etc.)
 4 - District player (e.g. Redmond, Tacoma, Renton, etc.)
 5 - Minor player in Seattle
 6 - Player in Seattle
 7 - Major player in Seattle
 8 - Top tier player in Seattle
 9 - Dominant player in Seattle
 10 - Leader in Seattle

Gang Name: Heartbreakers

Gang Focus: The Heartbreakers are an all female gang formed by girl gangers who were tired of being treated as second-class citizens or simply sex objects by their male counterparts. Banding together for protection and the chance to carve out a safe (or as safe as it gets in the Barrens) haven of sorts, the Heartbreakers have occupied a unique niche in the Kingsgate gang world.

Lacking the sheer muscle and raw combat acumen that many of the other gangs in the area have, the Heartbreakers have turned to the one asset they have in abundance, namely their feminine ones. The gang’s primary source of income comes from prostitution, mostly from clients who come through the Touristville area just to the south of them. However there is no shortage of business among the other gangs in Redmond. Recently the quality of the girls has started to attract clients from Bellevue and Snohomish as well, although clients tend to insist the girls meet them somewhere safer rather than risking a trek through the Barrens.

The Heartbreakers look out for their own, and despite the fact that most, if not all of the girls have prostituted themselves at one point or another, considerable effort is made to protect the girls throughout the process. They are very careful to ensure each member can take care of themselves if things get nasty, and if someone is abusive to one of the girls, unless he or she has paid for the privilege, they can bet on receiving a visit with a not-so-happy ending from the rest of the gang. Compared to most of their fellow Barrens residents, the members of the Heartbreakers pay considerably more attention to their grooming and personal appearance, since that is the gang’s primary source of income.

One area the gang has recently expanded to is working as security escorts, going not only as a date for their client, but providing security as a bodyguard in addition to their usual sexual services. Within Barrens circles especially it is considered quite prestigious to have a Heartbreaker on your arm. After all, even if the other gangers know you had to pay for her, they also know you’ll certainly be getting luckier than they will tonight.

Leader: Frosty has earned her nickname a dozen times over. Cold-blooded, calculating, and ruthless, she built the Heartbreakers over the (mostly naked) bodies of her enemies. If Valentina is the nurturing aunt who takes the girls under her wing to show them the ropes of life in the gang and Dominique is the rough-and-tumble older sister who watches out for them on the streets, Frosty is the domineering matriarch that no one wants to cross.

Not much is known of her early years, but what is known is that at some point Frosty got sick of the proverbial glass ceiling (yes it exists even in the Barrens) and took matters into her own hands. Silently recruiting among the other girl gangers she knew in the area, she worked her way to becoming the girlfriend of the former gang leader in the area before murdering him after a particularly exhausting bout of sex when he was too dazed to properly defend himself. She promptly told the surviving male members the roles were reversing and they were now the ones around solely for sex. After she killed the first several dissenters, the others took the hint and left.
She rules with an iron hand and a mind like a steel trap. No one questions her dictates and her will is absolute. Her policies have been good for business however, and her cunning political acumen has ensured the Heartbreakers have plenty of allies to make up for their own comparative lack of muscle. For now, she’s been content to simply carve out a stretch of turf the girls can call their own, but for someone who’s come this far, the question is not does she have further ambitions, but what are they.

Lieutenants: 2
- Valentina, a Russian woman in her late 20s. Not much is known about her past, although it’s rumored that she worked as a high class call girl in Russia before fleeing to Seattle. What she’s running from and why she’d run to the Barrens is the subject of much speculation, but then again, who knows if any of the rumors have even the slightest ounce of truth? What is known about her is that she is in charge of prostitution training. Grooming, makeup, etiquette, fashion, sexual techniques, cosplay, you name it, and she’s in charge of teaching the girls how to do it. Not only does she teach it, but anyone who’s had her will tell you she’s a master at practicing what she preaches. Don’t mistake her for simply a high quality whore though. She is obviously educated and has a keen mind, and also serves as the gang’s chief strategist as well.

- Dominique, an absolute animal in the bedroom and on the streets. It’s well known she doesn’t carry a weapon, largely because she doesn’t need one. She is a weapon, packing various cyberweapons and enhancements to make her a force to be reckoned with even when she’s completely naked. She is in charge of teaching the girls to fight, and while few of them are even close to her level, there’s little doubt that Dominique herself could join any of the harder, nastier gangs in Kingsgate and not only fit in, but thrive. If Valentina is the one you want to have in the sack with you, Dominique is the one you want when it’s time to throw down.

Head Count: 20-25

Initiation Rituals: The Heartbreakers do not have a consistent initiation ritual. Instead they must demonstrate three things to the leaders’ satisfaction: absolute unyielding loyalty to the gang over anyone or anything else despite other emotional commitments, combat acumen, and not only sexual prowess, but the willingness to use it in the service of the gang. The test is tailored to each recruit, and sometimes said recruit is not even aware she is being tested.

Uniforms: Red and hot pink colors. Beyond that and the gang symbol, the Heartbreakers have no specific uniforms, although they always dress in ways to attract attention from the male gender, favoring small, tight, revealing outfits that display all the things men usually want to see.

Symbol: A Valentine-like red heart that is broken down the middle with jagged edges, a classic symbol of a broken heart.

Territory: See map
Friends: The Heartbreakers are strong allies with the Emerald Lotus, who have their own code of honor and generally have treated them with respect. Although their turf is on opposite ends of Kingsgate, the fact that they are a go-gang means they often work with the Heartbreakers as escorts when they’re traveling to and from a job, even working as security for them sometimes. They’re also on good terms with the Black Plague, who like the Heartbreakers feel that the general majority of the world is out to hold them down. The two are on friendly terms and generally do not conflict much.

Foes: The now extinct LoCoS and their machismo stood in direct contrast to the Heartbreakers, and the two gangs clashed frequently. They are always on tense terms with their neighbors, the 162s. After all, ghouls don’t want to have sex with the girls; they just want to eat them. Despite this, the two gangs generally stay out of each other’s way, as the girls want no part of the ghouls, and the ghouls don’t want the heat the Heartbreakers allies might bring to bear on them if they push the issue.

Uniqueness: The Heartbreakers are an unusual all female gang in that they actively seek to make sex the primary focus of their gang, whereas most girl gangs form to get away from that. Gang members are indoctrinated to see their body as a weapon, and are trained to be able to make the best use possible of it.

Operations: The Heartbreakers operate primarily as an organized brothel, providing services to whoever can afford to pay. In addition to their sexual services, they sometimes function as bodyguards for those who can afford to pay. They put all their girls through an extensive training regimen to ensure quality service and make most of their money from the various aspects of the sex trade, going so far as to ply their craft in surrounding districts at times.

In exchange for actually being a very minor player in Seattle’s sex market, the rest of their operations tend to be fairly weak. They occasionally sell illegal substances to their clients or those in Touristville brave enough to cross 124th Street. They also dabble in the usual gang related stuff (fencing, gambling, loansharking, protection etc.) but only on their own turf.

Markets:
• Computer Crime - 0
• Controlled Substances - 2
• Counterfeiting and Forgery - 0
• Fencing - 1
• Fixing - 0
• Gambling - 1
• Hijacking - 0
• Kidnapping - 0
• Loansharking - 1
• Pornography - 5
• Prostitution - 5
• Protection - 1
• Robbery - 1
• Shadow Services - 0
• Smuggling - 2
• White-Collar Crime - 0
• Total = 19
Operations:
• Enforcement - 2
• Fiscal - 3
• Intelligence - 3
• Management - 3
• Reputation - 5
• Total = 16
Grand Total = 35
Ranking:

 0 - Nonexistent
 1 - Turf player (only within the gang’s turf)
 2 - Neighborhood player (with a several block radius around gang’s turf)
 3 - Area player (e.g. Kingsgate, Avodale, Hollywood, etc.)
 4 - District player (e.g. Redmond, Tacoma, Renton, etc.)
 5 - Minor player in Seattle
 6 - Player in Seattle
 7 - Major player in Seattle
 8 - Top tier player in Seattle
 9 - Dominant player in Seattle
 10 - Leader in Seattle

Lainnir grew up an elf in a loving home. His parents both had cushy corporate jobs. He always had plenty of friends, and lots of extracurricular activities to pursue. One day, when Lainnir was 15 his folks didn't come home. To this day Lainnir has no idea what happened. All he knows is that when the mortgage got a month behind they repossesed the house. He was out on the street. His friends didn't want anything to do with him anymore. The enormity of his situation didn't really hit home until he got hungry. Suddenly Lainnir found himself with no resources, and a gnawing pain in his stomach.

2 years later:

Lainnir was part of the hammerpack. He had connections the gang needed. He was able to feed himself, most days, by acting as the middleman in various deals. Constantly putting people in touch, and skimming some off the top was invigorating. Sure, he didn't make any 'big' decisions, but he always knew what was going on in the barrens. The gang was like a second home. Doing bad things came easily to Lainnir when the alternative was going hungry. With his contacts, and his charming smile he usually found a way to get things done without resorting to his pistol. The few times he'd had to use force hadn't worked out so well...

The bus rolls into the Redmond station with a prolonged squeal and a following waft of ozone and chassis grease. The guy who I just won a nickel off of steps up with a huff and grabs his gym bag. He gives me a dirty look because he thinks I cheated him. He ain't gonna say nothin' about it, though. I light a cigarette while I wait for the other folks to shuffle off the bus. Sling my pack over my shoulder and step out myself.

It's about an hour walk back home, so I go to the little kiosk and buy another carton of smokes, a disposable water filter and a soda. Fill up the bladder in my backpack in the restroom, take a leak. While I'm in the john I check the wrapping on the AK and tighten it in. Swerve the slivergun around a bit so it doesn't chafe my back on the walk.

Touristville looks the same, from the bored sec' man - I think his brother is in the 8-balls - sitting at coffee machine in the bus stop, to the skinny pimp across 132nd who used to beat up my aunt for copping his 'coke. I don't think many of them will recognize me - I got the tatoos all over my skull, and I'm not crackhead-skinny no more. Maybe the backpack will keep the idiots away - the AK is wrapped in just that sorta way meant to discourage peeps from pryin'.

On the walk home, I pop the 'link on and call up my cousin Leon. Leon's been rolling with the Gurkhas. They may've changed their name or some shit, but Leon still responds when Gurkha gets dropped. He's nervous on the phone, probably been hitting the fry a little too hard. Gives me the number for an old container garden where I can piece together a pad. He vouches for the landlord, says the hefe pays up to both the Hammerpack (whoever the fuck thought up that name needs slapped) and the plague-boys. Call the dude and schedule a meeting. Leon's been helping me out, but he owes me big time for that time he told the Raiders that I stole a dime worth of bliss off one of their gangers, and they broke all my ribs. Guess he's trying to make amends.

Kingsgate. Home. Something's going down - as I roll in there's an air of tension in the air that I don't fucking appreciate. I see Leroy and Gupta sittin' on the back of that burned-out chevy bus that hasn't moved for 7 years. I try to strike up a chat with em, offer 'em a puff of skunk, but they don't recognize me and talk a little shit. They're lookin down the street like the mongol-fucking-horde is getting lunch at that diner on 143rd. The slumlord at the container garden won't say much, because I'm big and cocky and he assumes I'm a 'banger. Shows me some containers - I end up picking a double-wide nicked back in the yard, on the second level, with limited visibility of the entrance and a gap between the containers it rests on.

That night I sleep on my backpack, with the AK on the bipod covering the door and my 'link set to wake me up if it sees anything. This shipping container is nice - the roof doesn't even leak. In the morning, I kick the family of 4 squatters out of the container below me. The stink is unbearable - woman and 3 kids, obviously been squatting there for a while. They're going to die soon anyway, they're pretty sick. I left another one of the containers open a ways down the row. Hope they get the clue. Wherever they're staying, it ain't gonna be under me. Padlock my unit and the ones under me.

I see a lot of new blood on the streets, as I start running my errands. Most of the old blood doesn't spot me, or turns away. I've been gone too long, and they ain't gonna trust shit. The tension is high. I buy some shit from one of those Outlanders wierdos - used commconsole, some plywood, mattress. Pay for it with a magazine of pistol ammo. Tell em to drop it off down the block from me at 7. The Outlanders balk a little bit at transporting it through other gangs' turf, but we talk shop for a while and they just decide to roll it in with some of their new kids who ain't got reps yet.

Buy the diner's spare soy-kitchen and a couple 50-gallon water tanks. Spend a night ripping off someone's sattelite dish so I can make a wireless antenna. Guess I can spend some of the time martha-stewarting my pad and watching my back. It's gonna be hard to roll business in this kind of atmosphere until I get a crew. Nobody will tell me shit, but it's fairly obvious some of the old beefs are about to get shoved in the slaughterhouse. Shit's about to hit the fan, but nobody wants to throw the first load.

3 days later, I'm building myself a shower and bathroom when Leon calls, urgent, so my throwaway 'link routes the call straight to my brain. Can hear the pops in the background. He says his peeps are getting jacked, and they need help now. 128th and Vineyard. And then, the magic words, the ones that let me know that I'm in the crew when this shit is over - "Bring your strap. This is real."