With civil society all-but dismantled and most functions of the state now subsumed into Corporate control, people have moved to older forms of group expression: Gangs, Religions and for want of a better word, Cults.

Gangs

Gangs are ubiquitous. Sometimes this means violent nut-jobs, sometimes it's more like extended family.

Maelstrom

Allegiance: Independent
Imagery: Leather, spikes, Mohican haircuts

Maelstrom are a classic 'booster gang', united by their love of cyberwear and chemical enhancement. They can be extremely violent and run all manner of crime endeavours to maintain their lifestyle. Their leader 'WarCrimes' is a particularly scary individual.

Blackbeard’s Boys

Allegiance: Linked to SovOil
Imagery: Pirate clobber

The Boys are a 'combat gang' who've fixated on a pop culture version of ancient seagoing privateers for their structure. They can be violent but are more often people you can pay to do a dirty job and they'll do it. Cross them though and there will be hell to pay. Mostly you'll see 'The Bosun' when dealing with them but 'Blackbeard' is in the background issuing orders.

Religions & Cults

In the face of misery religion is a powerful draw.

The Faceless

Allegience: Independent
Imagery: Plain or mesmerising face masks, simple clothing

Cult? Religion? Extreme communist Experiment?. Nobody really know how to classify the Faceless. When you become one of The Faceless you surrender reputation, money, gear, weapons etc. It all goes to most appropriate member. It’s a collective.

The Faceless are expanding their numbers and territory quickly often through acts of transactional assistance. They will help you if you join them. When you're truly desperate it can seem a good offer. Nobody knows what happens if you try to leave.

The Inquisition

Allegiance: Unknown
Image: white shirts, black trousers and black ties, like stereotypical Mormons. They may have copies of the book "At One With Body And Soul" with them which they consider holy.

The Inquisition are a growing number of people who believe in the sanctity of the human body and soul. They see the addition of technology as a corruption of the body and the cause of a disconnect between body and soul.

Some of them fear the chance that their body could be taken over through using Cyberware. They are going for a more evangelical model recently and engaging a media campaign to promote their views.

More militant members are suspected of forcibly removing Cyberware from its owner.

Special Interest groups

Not so much gangs, these groups have shadowy intent not clearly visible to non-members and are usually pulling the strings of the various New London gangs and Operators to do their bidding.

Bullingdon Club

Allegiance: Self only
Image: Tailoring and ostentatious formal wear

A club you'll never be admitted to. Made of the less scrupulous membered of the cream of society willing to use any means to further their own ends.

Cybermancers

Allegiance: Unknown, generally anti-Corporate
Image: None/Anonymous

A loose alliance of Netrunners of exceptional skill who are reputed to be working towards some 'grand design'. Their antics online mean they are highly targeted by Corporations and are rarely seen in public. A strictly neutral party in many of New London's gang squabbles they can be engaged with transactionally if and only if they also want something from you.

Nomads

The extra-urban and usually less violent response to the collapse are the Nomads. Great sprawling pseudo-families, some more on the move than others. Sometimes looking for work, safety or victims depending on their temperament and the moment.

Notable Nomad groups include

Aldecaldos

Adam Stevenson’s family

The Goodhearts

Many were killed in an unknown military attack, some have now joined the Faceless.

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Groups