MASKS
Why are you wearing a mask? Were you burned by acid or something like that?
No, it's just that they are terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future.
-- The Princess Bride
♫
The year is 1987, and a strange fashion trend has swept through San Marzano's youth; Latex animal masks. This spike in popularity seems to be due to their connotation with gang activity and their frequent use in burglaries and other crimes, as well as their popularity spanning throughout different subcultures. Although wearing masks in the city has recently been made illegal, it is a largely unenforceable law, and so there remains a staggering population of masked youth roaming the city after dark. This RP will focus on the relations, in-fighting, and politics of San Marzano's gang population. Stylistically, I'm trying to blend the ultraviolent 80's worlds of Hotline Miami and Drive with the unrealistically obvious gangs of The Warriors and A Clockwork Orange. Whether your character is struggling to keep their turf, escape a life they've found themselves in, or bring unity to the city's criminal underworld, crime is a major theme in the RP.
If you know me, you know I like half-assed interest checks to see if I should actually begin developing the RP, so I'll end the post with a few questions.
• Obvious question out of the way first. Do the masks give you powers, or are we just a bunch of douchebags in costumes? If we go the supernatural route, bear in mind the furthest I'll go is low-fantasy and keep strictly combative powers out of this. I'd prefer to altogether keep powers out of this, but if everyone in the interest check has a raging superpower-boner, I'll bear this in mind.
POWERS ARE LAME
• The Warriors faced every other gang, The Jets faced The Sharks, The Outsiders faced class warfare, and The Sons of Anarchy faced themselves. Which kind of story would you be most interested in?
• Should every player be from the same gang, or should there be members from different gangs? Alternatively, should every player's character be the leader of a gang, or not? Should we accept non-gang players like police officers?
POWERS ARE LAME
• The Warriors faced every other gang, The Jets faced The Sharks, The Outsiders faced class warfare, and The Sons of Anarchy faced themselves. Which kind of story would you be most interested in?
• Should every player be from the same gang, or should there be members from different gangs? Alternatively, should every player's character be the leader of a gang, or not? Should we accept non-gang players like police officers?
"A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job."
The evil you know is very often better than the evil you don't, and this old saying rings true in San Marzano. Bombers Social Club, more commonly known simply as The Bombers, are a gang that covers a large portion of East and South San Marzano. Founded roughly thirty-five years ago to keep Cuban, Puerto Rican and Italian immigrants and their businesses protected, The Bombers have gone through two major changes -- They have evolved (Or some might argue, devolved) from a mafia-styled organization to a street gang, and they have branched off to include Bombers MC, a motorcycle-based sect of the gang.
They are Lawful Evil, and operate on a criminal code that has largely stayed the same throughout their existence. The "Four Golden Rules" are; No Women or children, No Drugs, No Sex, and No Cops. No women or children is the age-old rule against killing women or children, or more specifically a victim's family, No Drugs is the gang's rule against selling heroin or crack, which they had deemed too destructive,No Sex is the gang's rule against engaging in prostitution, pimping, or rape, and No Cops is a shorter and less catchy version of "Snitches get Stitches". Loyalty and Honor are important features.
The Bombers are known for favoring Blunt Weapons such as bats, brass knuckles, pool cues, and canes. Most prefer Motorcycles rather than cars, and favor Heavy Metal and Punk Rock styles. With the recent trend in animal masks, many members have chosen Plain Animals. Their headquarters is an Abandoned Factory, and their color is Blue. They view The Razors as bloodthirsty thugs and low-class.
"There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it."
Sometimes you meet a bastard, but sometimes you meet a fucking bastard. Of the two, The 33rd St Razors are very much in the second category. More commonly called The Razors, this gang was brought to San Marzano by Jimmy "The Razor" Lewis and four friends he had met in prison twelve years ago. Though their leader has been serving the beginning of a life sentence for the past eight years, his gang still has a healthy following. Having lost their leader shortly after forming, the gang is largely Chaotic Evil, and operates without a leader or laws. Instead of a code of conduct, the only rule of The Razors is that they do not betray one another. Other than that, Anything Goes is their unofficial motto, and is scribbled in tattoos on the bodies of many members, along with the number 3.
They are known for favoring Bladed Weapons such as knives, machetes, and bottles, and frequently drive tricked-out Sportscars. Many members favor Hip-Hop and New Wave styles, and with the recent trend of latex masks, Exotic Animals. Their turf is North and West San Marzano, and their headquarters is a very extorted nightclub named The Grotto. Many members sell drugs from The Grotto, as it is a safe spot for The Razors at all times, and the atmosphere is always a means to attract new members. Their color is Pink. They view The Bombers as outdated and stuck-up.
