This list contains Factions for the various locals frequented during the current SR4 campaign. As PCs deal with faction-aligned NPCs they may develop good or bad standing with many of the underworld organizations. These standings will affect their ability to interact with those groups.
In game play, characters will gain bonus dice or suffer dice pool penalties for each point (positive or negative) of faction they have for social interactions dealing with NPCs belonging to those groups. Characters can only gain or lose standing through game play.
- Dubai Factions
- Hong Kong Factions
- Hong Kong Factions
- New York Factions
- Seattle Factions
- Tokyo Factions
Hong Kong Factions:
Organized Crime:
Red Dragon Association – Triad
The Red Dragon triad is the largest and most influential triad in Hong Kong. They operate heavily in the Kwai Tsing district, and are headquartered near the HK Container Port, but gangs from all over the region swear allegiance to them. The Red Dragon is also an international organization, with vassal gangs throughout Asia, Australia, and North America. A big rumor in Hong Kong is that the real Shan Chu of the Triad is the great dragon Lung.
The Ten Thousand Lions – Triad
The Yellow Lotus triad was decimated by the Red Dragon a few years ago, after targeted raids against all of their leadership. Well, almost all of the leadership. Rizal Fei, ended up the only surviving officer. A canny survivalist, Rizal pieced together the patchwork survivors among the former Yellow Lotus gangs and built up the Ten Thousand Lions, becoming the Shan Chu of the new Triad.
Black Crysathimums – Triad
The Black Chrysanthemums are a ruthless new arrival to Hong Kong. They established themselves in some of the worst slums of Hong Kong during the struggle between the Red Dragon and the Yellow Lotus. The Black Chrysanthemums are Hong Kong’s main human trafficking syndicate in every sense of the word. They transport refugees in and out of Hong Kong, Seattle, and San Francisco, trade in slaves and indentured servants, and run the largest most aggressive organ-legging operations in the area.
289s (Easy Money Gang) – Triad
The 289s is more of a a confederation of young gangs pooling their resources for survival than a ‘traditional’ triad. They apply less traditional methods to their skills to their enterprises, and have cornered the market on media piracy, identity theft, gambling, and counterfeiting.
Smoke Circle Society – Triad
The Smoke Circle Society is known as holding the controlling interest Hong Kong’s drug trade. They also deal heavily in talislegging, illegal trade in animal parts and telesma, and prostitution. Though the Smoke Circle has vassal gangs in Kowloon, the majority of their leader ship operates out of the Southern Hong Kong.
Tolo Vory – Vory v Zarkone
TheTolo Vory runs prostitution rings, pornographic sim studios, and abrisk BTL trade from the northern reaches of Hong Kong. They boast corporate military officers among their members, which ensures the syndicate some room to work.
Kim Dragons – Seolpa Ring
The Kim Dragons are a loose grouping of Korean gangs operating out of the Kowloon Peninsula. The Dragons survive between the shadows of the Triads through kidnappings, home invasions, and other violent crimes.
Wanabuchi-Rengo – Yakuza
The Watada-rengo Yakuza have pulled back their operations quite a bit since the security contract for Hong Kong was given over the Ares Knight Errant earlier in the year. As such, their rival the Wanabuchi-Rengo is putting out feelers.
Gangs:
Northern Angels – Go-Gang
The Northern Angels is a small time go-gang based out of Hoi Pa (north west of Kowloon). They’re a small time gang who’s beginning to make a reputation as a matrix-savvy gang as well.
The 8 Front – Go-Gang
The 8 Front is a long-standing go-gang in Kowloon and downtown Hong Kong. Due to agreements with the Red Dragons, the gang still maintains enough independence to pursue their own interests, as well as work protection, errand running, and strong-arming for the Triad.
Corps:
Mitsuhama Computer Technologies – Megacorp
MCT is primarily a computer company that’s also involved in robotics, heavy industry, and the manufacturing of magical goods. They’re rumored to be in bed with the Yakuza, though the jury’s still out on who’s pulling the strings in that relationship. MCT’s interests in the shadows are fixed by several individuals, Ang Tien being the one man that the players can connect to the corporation in Hong Kong.
Evo Corporation – Megacorp
Formerly called Yamatetsu, the Japanese megacorp with its headquarters in Russia and a free spirit as its largest stockholder has reinvented itself, focusing its considerable resources on transhumanist projects ranging from bioware and genetics to cutting-edge nanotech, anti-aging experiments, and other even more out-there projects designed to take metahumanity to the next stage of evolution. Evo’s local shadow operations are run by a man named Vladimir Prelovac, out of Macao.
Other Organizations:
Joho-Lowah – Pirates
For the pirate clan known as the Joho-Lowah, piracy is a multi-generational family trade. They are brazen, striking targets all around the port of Hong Kong before retreating to their many hideouts. The waters in this area have been this clan’s home for decades and they know them better than anyone.
Neo-Anarchists – Crime Syndicate
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Children of the Dragon – Cult
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First Nations – Gang
The First Nations gang is led by a Salish elf known as Blood-of-the Buffalo and recruits primarily from disenchanted Native American youths in the sprawl. The gang currently numbers circa 130 members. The group appears to be motivated by a need to reestablish themselves as a formidable presence in the local gang scene. Originally based out of Battery City, the First Nations has been actively attempting to reestablish themselves as a metroplex-wide power ever since they severed its ties with the Shotozumi-rengo.
Merlyn’s Pride – Gang
Merlyn’s Pride had its early beginnings in Manhattan. They use magic as well as hacking existing security systems to spy on corporate executives, watching for information that’s marketable. With these same tools, they burglarize homes and steal from delivery trucks. The gang has branched out into the Westside, Lower West Side, and Southside as a turf gang. Initiation into the Merlyn’s Pride requires committing to an Oath meant to prevent corporate infiltration.
Ragers – Gang
Shotozumi-gumi – Yakuza
The Shotozumi-gumi is the most powerful of the Yakuza clans in Seattle, and the head of the Shotozumi-rengo. The Shotozumi-gumi is a traditionalist organization that maintains many ancient rites and ceremonies that have been discarded or forgotten by other Yakuza clans. As should be expected, the Shotozumi-gumi consists almost entirely of males of pure Japanese descent, often members of the Shotozumi clan.
Shigeda-gumi – Yakuza
The Shigeda-gumi is the second largest gumi in Seattle, having expanded their operations and membership considerably following successful campaigns against both the Seoulpa Rings and the traitorous Nishidon-gumi. Oyabun Takeo Shigeda is a fervent follower of Shotozumi-sama’s vision to expand the rengo and challenge the aging and obsolete Watada clan in Japan. The Shigeda-gumi is far more eclectic and less traditional than the Shotozumi-gumi, as Oyabun Shigeda invests a great deal of responsibility in his kobun. The Shigeda clan handles most of the Yakuza dealings in northern and western Seattle (Everett, Snohomish, and Auburn) as well as the Redmond Barrens.
Kenran-kai – Yakuza
The Kenran-kai is a new association, formed by Shotozumisama from a core of former Nishidon members who refused to take part in treason. Supplemented by some fresh talent from Japan and led by Oyabun Kosuke Tomizawa, the Kenran-kai manages community services in Puyallup. They specialize in dealing with the troublesome low-life gangs that infest the area, and have also been called on whenever a direct confrontation has been needed with our Mafia rivals.
The Finnigan Family – Mafia
An Irish mob integrated into the Mafia in the 1950s, the Finnigan family has a long history in Seattle. Capa Rowena O’Malley became dona of the family when her father, the former capo of Seattle, James O’Malley, was assassinated—a hit allegedly ordered by Bigio. She has already forced the Commissione to recognize her as the Mafia commander of Seattle. Most Finnigan activity is centered around Downtown (particularly the docks) and Bellevue, and ranges from smuggling and black market deals to protection and financial services.
The Ciarniello Family – Mafia
The most stable of the Three Families, the Ciarniello Family is also our strongest competitor in the lucrative trades of corporate finance and sexual vices. Don Vince “Numbers” Ciarniello heads a team of accountants that are equivalent to our sokaiya in purpose, while his son and heir Caesar “Chrome” Ciarniello manages the family’s extensive assets in pornography and prostitution. The Ciarniellos have major interests in both Snohomish and Everett.
The Gianelli Family – Mafia
Following the untimely death of Don Maurice “The Butcher” Bigio, the Bigio Family fell under the control of Joseph Gianelli, grandson of the retired don, Tony “The Chef ” Gianelli, who acts as his consiglieri. Don Gianelli renamed and reorganized the scattered family, focusing on street-level operations. Gianelli operates throughout Seattle’s southern districts, particularly Tacoma, Puyallup, and Auburn, where they engage in fencing, loan-sharking, hijacking, and smuggling.
The Octagon – Triad
Seattle’s smallest Triad, the Octagon, is tied to the Red Dragon Association in Hong Kong. Like their counterparts, they have been engaged in a long-standing battle with the Yellow Lotus Triad. Unlike the Red Dragons, however, the Octagon has failed to eliminate their rivals here, and in fact has lost significant ground. The Octagon maintains a hold in the Little Asia area in Tacoma. Due to their contacts in China, they are the primary distributor of weapons in Seattle, typically inexpensive knock-offs of popular Western firearms. Their only other major operation is opiate smuggling, including clinical-quality morphine and the street drug bliss.
The Yellow Lotus – Triad
Initially a branch of the Yellow Lotus Triad from Hong Kong, the Seattle lodge is now the only chapter still extant. The Red Dragon Association wiped out the rest of the Yellow Lotus in Hong Kong after an extended struggle. The principle business of the Yellow Lotus is BTL dealing, peddling low-quality optical chips rather than direct downloads. A close second is importing illegal Chinese residents to work in sweat shops in the Barrens, manufacturing knock-offs for later resale.
Eighty-Eights – Triad
The origin of this Triad is unclear. It appears to have severed all ties to Triad organizations outside the Seattle Metroplex, concentrating its criminal activities locally. The Eighty-Eights’ operations consist of low-key vice and gambling; they also receive percentages from a network of Asian gangs throughout the Metroplex.
The Choson Ring – Seoulpa Ring
This Ring consists almost entirely of hackers; most of their operations involve Matrix schemes, info brokering, and identity theft/fabrication. They operate a number of online casinos throughout the world, some legal and some illegal. Their entire operation is mobile, never staying in one place for more than a few days, making them difficult to pin down. The Ring has a series of dead e-mail drops where potential clients can contact them for services, and their virtual clearing houses sell pirated software, including IC and BTL programs.
The Komun’go Ring – Seoulpa Ring
The Komun’go Ring continues to elude us. Led by Chulsoon Gray-Wolf, the half-Korean, half-AmerInd son of one of the Schism survivors, this Ring has managed to survive despite our efforts to permanently put them out of business. To bolster his Ring, Gray-Wolf has formed an alliance with the Dogmen, a Salish-Shidhe outfit, engaging in limited smuggling operations across the NAN border, particularly in Snohomish and north Redmond.
The Ancients – Gang
Turf: All over Seattle
Colors: Green
The Ancients are an all-elf go-gang and one of the largest in Seattle. They have chapters all over North America—make that the world—but the Seattle chapter has been infused with numerous exiles from Tir Tairngire. Their symbol is a modified anarchy symbol (circled “A”), usually in red or green. They control smuggling from Salem and Portland into Seattle, as well as running protection rackets and other small-time operations.
The Cutters – Gang
Turf: All over Seattle
Colors: Green and Gold
Once upon a time the Cutters were Seattle’s most prominent gang, tied in with chapters across North America. They nearly fell out of the picture though when the majority of the Seattle crew was wiped out fifteen years ago—some say it was rival gang activity while others say it was poisoning by dissatisfied customers (it’s never been proven either way). The Cutters are doing much better these days, though, having built their numbers back up to their former glory days. Organized like a business operation and taking cues from the corporate world, the gang focuses primarily on smuggling, extortion, and freelance security work. Their existence in multiple cities makes smuggling easier for them than it would be for smaller, one-sprawl gangs.
Watada-rengo – Yakuza
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Watada-gumi – Yakuza
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Mita-gumi – Yakuza
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Wanibuchi-rengo – Yakuza
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Wanibuchi-gumi – Yakuza
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Kodachi-gumi – Yakuza
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Inagawa-kai – Yakuza
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701 Club – bosozoku
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Bakuto no Bakuta – erekizoku
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