The Politics and Security of the Twin CitiesOkay. I’ve gone over
the major gangs,
the crime syndicates, and
the other miscellaneous criminals in the St. Paul-Minneapolis Sprawl. Now to start talking about the more respectable corners: first the politics, then the security corporations and the like. I’m not going into too much detail on the city’s government, but this would be plenty.
The PoliticsGovernmentMayor Robert “Bob” Kahler: The German-descended mayor of Saint Paul. A balding, weak man with a tendency to wait for a poll to come out before doing anything. This makes him easy to manipulate – so many corporations throw their funds behind him that his reelection a sure thing. Easy to contact, hard to convince without cash or a poll.
Mayor Onaiwah (“Dove”) Olafson: A half Swedish, half Ojibwa troll woman who is the mayor of Minneapolis. Whatever power she has she tries to use to help the SINless and homeless of the city. Her image is good enough that her reelection among the middle class SINners is guaranteed, but corporations are annoyed at being given no advantage. Hard to contact, but if you’re for her goals she will generally try and help you. Elected on a M.O.M. ticket and with their campaign funding.
Mayor Sven Sunsgaard: The mayor of Bloomington is over one hundred years old, but still going. He managed to hold it together through the dragon Brekkar moving into the Mall of America and the magic-defended wild forest that sprung up two miles square around it. He ensures the city stays its own and strong – with backing from Ares Macrotechnology, EVO Corporation and the A-rank Hollingway International.
State Supreme Court Justice Hnub Thao: Hmong woman who is the highest legal authority in the state. She is entirely concerned with legal matters and not moral. She can be influenced, not bribed, via arguing along those lines – and if you’re a SINless petitioner you are more likely to be arrested by her bailiffs.
Policlubs (and Terrorists)Humanis Policlub: To spite the fact that the Twin Cities sprawl is 87 percent human, Humanis is no more popular than it is in any other average city. As such, the racist policlub puts out triple the effort in their actions. They have enough people to demonstrate regularly – and these demonstrations tend to progress into fair-sized riots when they run across their M.O.M. and neo-anarchist counterparts.
Leader – Werner Shaw: The ‘voice’ of the local Humanis group is a middle-aged man who speaks quietly, but in some of the most offensive anti-metahuman vitriol possible. Often champions new laws and guidelines that make hell for trolls, as they have an acceptance that means they are just as likely as humans to hold places of power.
Contacts: Really, they have a guy on every corner who can direct you to a rally location, but my players are mostly metahuman so they won’t do that.
Affiliated: There is a small Alamos 20,000 group in the city – namely the “Color Team” noted in the miscellaneous criminals. They are the ones doing the majority of the criminal action so the Policlub can technically keep its nose clean.
True Liberty Policlub: To spite their name, this is actually the neo-anarchist policlub for the city. Most of their membership is of the lower class – they have a great reputation for championing aid for the needy, SINner and SINless alike. They are less isolationist than most, but just as anti-corporate. While they have more influence than one would expect they never get elected and rarely succeed in passing legislation.
Leader – Jonathon Maier: A less-than-enthusiastic leader of the TLP, the human Jon Maier is nonetheless a popular figure who has been on the ticket for mayor of St. Paul for the last two elections. He is idealistic, charismatic, and kindhearted. Maier is the perfect leader for their group, according to his people. But not him.
Contacts: Approaching one of their communities would be enough, but shadowrunners can also gain contact through just about any fixer – they are not above illegal acts to supply their communities and relief efforts, or to oppose Humanis/Alamos activities.
Affiliated: As stated in the miscellaneous criminals thread, shadowrunner Amy Trellane/Chatter is affiliated with the Policlub and often does their jobs for a discount. The TLP also supports the activities of M.O.M. (unreciprocated) and often sees traffic – which given its nature it does not mind – from the Lakota Mafia.
M.O.M. Policlub: Exactly what you would expect of the Mothers of Metahumans policlub. That said they are far more successful in the Twin Cities Sprawl than in most other locations. Troll rights in particular have advanced significantly, with Ork and Dwarf rights riding those coattails. As such, every metahuman that can vote votes for them. Everyone who knows and likes (or doesn’t dislike) a metahuman will at least not mind them. Many of their people hold public office. Predominantly female.
Leader – Miranda Kahler: Sister of the mayor of St. Paul, she champions the rights of metahumans throughout the UCAS – though her reach extends only to the limits of the state. Her brother hates this, but can do nothing about it. She is bubbly and loves the spotlight her position brings. Miranda is to marry her troll fiancé in a few months.
Contacts: Just attend an advertised meeting. Harleen Graves/5P4C35H1P 91RL (from miscellaneous criminals) does all Matrix-related activity for them, and can be contacted using information from her blog, if there is a need to skip straight to the leadership.
Affiliated: The TLP will grant whatever M.O.M. asks for within reason. They also have the public support of EVO Corporation, DocWagon, and Hollingway International.
Constitution First Policlub: Most of the sprawl’s political leaders come from this policlub. Their platform is simply the status quo. This attitude means that most of the major corporations around the sprawl throw their weight behind CFP candidates.
Leader – Joseph Kahler: The father of Robert and Miranda and the architect behind the election of the former. He is a stern, hard man mostly interested in the power of his family. A former military man who fought the NAN in many assorted battles.
Contacts: You need to be of a higher society to get anyone who isn’t just there to rally voters to their (often bribed) place in the polls. The best way is to go through a higher corporate contact. If not, well, good luck with that omae.
Affiliated: The majority of major corporations and most political leaders in the sprawl.
Security CorporationsLone Star Security ServicesOriginally held contracts for the whole sprawl, but after the Syndicates War (dictated in the organized crime thread) several of the cities decided to sign up with alternate contracts. They still hold most of the territory of the Twin Cities Sprawl, but aren’t nearly as influential even where they do control security. As such, they are more reactionary and brutal than their counterparts. Their people have come to violently hate their competitors.
Leader – Chief Benjamin Lehrer: Born in the St. Paul to LSSS parents, Ben Lehrer is an administrator who has generally shied away from combat. After the Syndicates War and the loss of territory his predecessor (who rose traditionally) was removed and he put in place. His negotiation skill helped keep them where they are, but he knows nothing of combat – he leaves that to a group of captains who don’t always agree.
Territory: 62% of Sprawl including: St. Paul, Bloomington, Plymouth, Woodbury, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, and Burnsville.
Significant Individuals: People PCs are likely to interact with for good or ill.
Detective Eliot Munsh: Corrupt vice detective, a lazy dwarf who has enough criminal contacts in and out of the sprawl. Greedy, but measured – he will take your money unless it might get him caught and in trouble. Then he’ll have his beat cops drag you to jail.
Detective Carolyn Rhett: Honest troll occult detective (brother of Nathan Rhett) who hates SINless. She will hunt down any runner that uses flashy magic to kill. A great magician: detection spells and lightning combat spells. Her former street nickname is “White Lightning.” Will marry M.O.M. leader Miranda Kahler in a few months.
Grid Overwatch DivisionNeoNET provided for a discount, the only unaffected security left after the Syndicates War. They have three substations in the sprawl. Two are protected by a nearby corporate police station. The third has its own in-house team – former Seraphim, two squads.
Knight Errant Security ServicesAres moved its security corporation in before the bodies cooled from the last fight in the Syndicates War. They managed to claim a few choice territories in the St. Paul-Minneapolis Sprawl before Lone Star renegotiated with their other areas of influence. Their personnel aren’t big fans of their main competition, and will hinder each other in any way possible. Sometimes they even fight in near-battles – though major trouble has been avoided thus far. More militant than Lone Star, and better equipped.
Leader – Jedidiah “Jed” Cooper; The Hanged Man: Chief of Knight-Errant operations in the parts of the city where they hold contracts. A former member of the old “Cowboy Way” shadowrunner group, a mystic adept who was left for dead unintentionally. He joined K-E and struggled his way to the top. Hates all shadowrunners and often goes along to hunt them. His skill in assensing is great for tracking magicians.
Territory: 37.9 percent of the sprawl including: Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, Eagan, and Blaine.
Significant Individuals: Only one this time.
Lieutenant Giada Pilatis: Undercover ork within the Cabrini Mafia family – where she was recently promoted to capo, though she doesn’t know who the Dona truly is. Works under the Consigliere. Unfortunately she is in Lone Star territory and therefore has trouble getting information back. Honest reputation, but her need for a courier leads to her giving information and favors to those who are messenger. Surly and quiescent.
Vargas Security SolutionsThe town of Medina – around 6,000 people total on the edge of the Sprawl – decided that rather than move from Lone Star to Knight Errant they would try a smaller security corporation. The C-rank they went with, Vargas Security Solutions, has a small (maybe 24 magical officers and 72 regular ones) and specialized method of dealing with enforcement. They keep order in town through employment of a vast amount of spirits – a higher than average number of awakened help with that. Their mundane cops are terrible in comparison to other security corporations. As such, VSS lack any real HTR or FTR teams. The only gang that dares enter is the Dirt Devils, and the only syndicate that does regular business is the magician-heavy Lakota Mafia.
Leader – Julio “Ibid.” Vargas: A cold, unforgiving man. He is also a former member of Aztechnology’s local magical research division. The magical researcher’s entire magical police force was trained by his own hand. His experiment is successful.
Territory: Just the small town of Medina, though they have ambition to expand.
Thoughts?
