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|
Information and Rumours: Ciudad Juarez |
By: Dustin M. Ramsey (DustinM@rifts-rpg.com)
Based on Concepts and Game Design by: Kevin Siembieda and
Palladium Books (http://www.palladiumbooks.com)
Through the course of wandering about the city for a few days, a good creature of magic may have heard the following rumours and information...
There are over a dozen gangs in Ciudad Juarez, however, there are only a few, significant ones. Two of the largest gangs are the Guard and the Psykes.
The Guard. The Guard is more of a militant vigilante group, organized as an unofficial people's militia, than a gang in the traditional sense. They wander the streets, protecting the citizens of Juarez from criminals, supernatural monsters, D-Bees, and humans who prey on innocent people, particularly the citizens of Juarez. The justice of the Guard is brutal. All members are concerned with the plight of the people, both D-Bee and humans, who live in poverty and who are the constant victims of vampires, gangs, brigands, corruption, and evil. If the police will do nothing for their people, then they will take the law into their own hands. Although extremist, often acting as police, judge, jury, and executioner, these are desperate times in a place devoid of true justice. The Guard dress entirely in black or dark grey clothes, and body armour with brown or red boots and gloves; often wear a black hood, ski mask, or stalking to cover the face. A white or silver cross is almost always evident as a patch on the shoulder, chest, or back. All wear a silver cross around their neck.
The Psykes. They are a gang whose only requirement is that you have psychic abilities. The Psykes (pronounced "sikes") tend to be more intelligent, organized, and subversive than most gangs. They control the west side and the nicer section of the North Town slums. The marority of gang members wear bright, multicoloured ponchos. Their insignia is an eye (as in the psychic third eye) which many members have tatooed in the middle of their forehead. The Psykes are hated and feared by most people in Juarez.
Word on the street also has it that despite the claim by the Ciudad Juarez government that the city is "Vampire Free," there is a gang of intelligent vampires that prey on and reck havoc with the residents of the city during the evening.
The Ciudad Juarez Police force is a haphazard militia that (many believe) is as corrupt and brutal as the criminals and gangs they allegedly protect the citizens from. Many will deal in bribery, pay offs, extortion, and the sale of information and services. Most are callous, though, and often, savage law enforcers.
Another powerful, yet very secretive organization, is the Guild for the Gifted, also known simply as "The Gifted." The guild is a combination trade union and exclusive club for powerful men of magic and the occasional psychic and super-powered beings. The citizens of Ciudad Juarez avoid all members of the Guild for fear of becoming victims of human sacrifice, plagued by bad luck, or beseiged by demons. Rumours tell of nightly magic rituals, blood sacrifices, visitations by demons and god-beings, summonings of monsters, wizard feuds, and depravities of all kinds.
Saloons/Enertainment: The Good Cheers Saloon, The Duke's Card Parlour & Saloon, The Serpent Claw Bar, Riverview Movie Theatre 1 & 2, North Side Massage Parlour, The Blazing Saddle Dance Hall and Saloon, The Peacock Club, Mo's Tavern ("Where the elite meet to drink and eat."), The Mid-North Arena (home of monster wrestling), Dagger Inn & Souvenir Shop, The Glib Goblin, North Town Recreation Centre, The Carmen Movie-Plex, New Town Health Spa, The Mayfair Nightclub, and The Juarez Arena.
Places of Psychic/Magic Services/Equipment: Maliki's Curio Shop (magic items and services), Punta's Magic Shop (TW weapons and magic items), The House of Healing (psychic healing for reasonable fees), The Third Eye - Fortune Teller (offers palm reading, tarot cards, and fortune telling), The Thaloc Shop (TW weapons and equipment/vehicles), The Supernatural Protection Agency (escort service and detective agency owned and run by supernatural beings), The Techno-Wizard Conversion House (TW conversion of vehicles, weapons, and equipment; also recharges P.P.E. devices), Mind Games Shelter (almost every possible psychic service available from eroticism to healing; place for those with exotic and decadent taste), and The Wizard's Hut (healing potions, amulets, the occasional scroll or TW item, and magical services).
Popular stories/rumours/information on the street are:
Yet another foolhearty band of two score mercenaries have disappeared into the desert of the vampire infested lands of northern Mexico.
The big thing that crashed in the desert earlier this week was really a Coalition test spacecraft. They swarmed over the crash site for days!
Last week, the great Doc Reid and his fearless vampire hunters saved five hundred people in the village of Dazaxc from an attacking plague of insane, marauding vampires.
You get lots more bang for your buck at Kimmie's.
Intelligent vampires are a rarity; the vast majority (95%) are little more than insane animals dedicated to the destruction of all other life.
A rival gang (probably the Hammer) had Vlad the Inincible, the gang leader of the Subs, taken out.
Water melons can be used as very effective grenades against vampires (do to their high water content).
The Arena pays big bucks to people who are willing to wrestle monsters, and even more to those that beat them!
El Paso police destroyed over fifty of the crazy vampires that had been terrorizing a suburb.
Sunlight, water, wood, silver, electricty, and the touch of the cross will kill a vampire.
During the witching hour, one o'clock a.m., vampires are at there most powerful and are only vulnerable to water and the holy wood (dogwood).
Jon Newlove, slumlord, was killed by a demon days after he refused to sell out to the Guild.
Sir Lazarious, Cyber-Knight and general of Reid's Rangers, captured three rare, intelligent vampires that had been behind the unintelligent masses of vampires that had been slaughtering the people of the village of Dazax.
A vampire's victim is cursed to walking the earth for eternity, feeding off of the living.
Garlic, wolfbay, parsley, fresh spinach, fresh rhubarb, and faerie eyes will hold the undead at bay.
Big shipments of cocain and monst-hash (a potent smokable drug preferred by the Subs and many D-Bees) just came in through the Blackmarket last week.
Avrax the Stupendious is favoured over Kang the Conquerer in the upcoming Arena fight.
The Guard is desperately searching for a dozen children that have disappeared over the past two weeks from the Slums.
Over two dozen bodies, torn to shreads and drained of blood, were found in the old cemetary outside of town.
A big rumble is brewing between the racist Hammer Gang (of El Paso) and the Subs.
Erin Tarn, the famous historian and explorer, has become the victim of a vampire's bite and is now condemned to an eternity of preying on the living for their blood.