Anarchs

Runners are a fractious and varied group. It’s nearly impossible to generalize about them, except to say that individuality is core to their identity. By definition they live outside the law, and as a consequence they mostly lead a solitary existence. They do not have overarching organizations or affiliations, or indeed much of anything that makes any one runner similar to another. They come from all walks of life, vary dramatically in skill sets, goals, and available resources, and don’t even have a dress code.

Anarchs have strong contempt for the corporate oligarchs, the whole corrupt system, and often for society in general. Whatever the exact target of their rage, their unifying characteristic is their anger. At their worst, Anarchs just want to watch the world burn. At their best, Anarchs are tireless champions for the downtrodden and oppressed. They’re very good at breaking things, spreading viruses, and trashing Corporation assets and programs.

Case Study: LOS SCORPIONES

After losing ground at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the remaining Latin American drug cartels banded together to stay strong. Thanks to their proximity, they were one of the first organized crime syndicates to move in during the construction of the Beanstalk. Base de Cayambe is still their home turf, but they have spheres of influence in almost every district of New Angeles. Although they are a relatively small player in the New Angelino criminal underworld, their wide and diversified list of contacts, penchant for brutal violence, and the leadership of local bosses like Lívia Teixeira and the brilliant and charismatic Miguel “Monsignor” Moreno give them all the leverage they need against their larger competitors. Los Scorpiones specializes in the more gruesome elements of organized crime. Their primary source of income is the drug trade, specifically stim and related amphetamines manufactured in mobile labs across the globe. They also dabble in human trafficking, gun running, and assassinations. They are perhaps best known for operating numerous dangerous “organ grinding” rings throughout New Angeles. Organ grinding is a particularly heinous crime wherein people are kidnapped and killed for their organs and cybernetic augmentations. Snatched off the street, out of busy clubs, and even from their homes, these poor unfortunates are taken to front businesses, typically clinics or doctor’s offices, where their implants are forcibly removed by crooked cyberdocs, paramedics, and even butchers to be sold on the black market. This frequently kills the individual, and their remains are disposed of quietly, often never to be found.