[taleteller50]

I'm running a game for a few of my chummers and two of them (cooperating together) just beat Belial in a small bike race.  One of them was rigging the bike and acting as the primary driver while the other one was the rider, helping to balance the Bike with a Teamwork Test.  They needed info from Belial to advance the plot so I figured Belial would lead them around a bit, Buying 6 Hits each turn, and keep the race close until blowing off their doors.  Problem was that right off the bat the Rigger rolled max for his Piloting and was able to keep the lead right up to the end with several High Risk maneuvers even after I switched to rolling and using Edge.  Belial could have absolutely matched said stunts but I figured he wasn't really taking the challenge seriously.  It still ended with them neck and neck but since the Players did so well I figure Belial would invite the two of them to join the Ancients, impressed that they raced so well even though he wasn't giving his all.

So here's the question.  I am aware the Ancients have recruits participate in physical and violent tests like “Razor Biking” and “Head Hurling” but I'm not sure about what these would actually be.  What is “Razor Biking” and “Head Hurling”?  I'm thinking Razor Biking would be racing other initiates or young bloods while you and they had razor wire wrapped around your arms for attacking each other.  On the other hand, Head Hurling might be stealing rival ganger's helmets and hurling them through windows before racing away.  I want to have the players still prove themselves to the gang, individually, so I was wondering what the tests should be.

What do you all think?

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

Well, joining a gang involves a long process of repeatedly proving your loyalty, even moreso than your ability to be awesome. 

But, that's "realistic".  Shadowrun isn't a particularly realistic setting... it's governed moreso by "movie logic" and "rule of cool".  So if it serves your story that a gang would extend an offer of membership (as opposed to cooperation), then so be it!

The Ancients are one of the biggest gangs in the Sixth World, and gangs are a pretty anarchic lot even before considering that the Ancients tag is literally the Anarchy A.  Whatever brutal "ceremony" you can think of that justifies the names "Razor Biking" or "Head Hurling" is probably workable from a "does it conflict with canon" point of view.  Different chapters will have their own local spins, and even the same chapter will do it different ways over time.

All that being said:  I'd imagine "Head Hurling" would involve actual heads.  We ARE still talking about a go-gang, here.

[Reaver]

Also keep in mind the Ancients are an Elf only go-gang. (The name 'Ancients is a double play on words, part of it being tied to a certain immortal Elf...)

So traditionally, unless the character is an elf, they aren't getting in... (sure thr go gang will string them along, until they get killed or outlive their usefullness...)

The Cutters are an other go gang, more meta-friendly, and almost as big...

The Trashers are an Ork and Troll only go-gang. Smallest of the 3 big ones... and compete with the Ancients (cause, you know, racist dandelion eaters got it comming!)

[taleteller50]

I am aware that the Ancient's are an all elf gang (although I heard that one of their chapters does accept non-elves, maybe Chicago or New York?).  The pair who raced Belial did include one elf (the rider) while the other (the rigger) was human.  Now the elf in this example would be an obvious in if she wished to join but even the human might be given an invite because of a combination of several factors.

First is impressing Belial himself.  Even if the race wasn't at Belial's 'full power' the rigger showed he knew his craft.  Second, Belial, although likely to be an Ancient for life, isn't your typical biker badass.  If you use his appearance in the 4th edition Book 'Elven Blood' as a baseline he's actually very charismatic and chill.  At the very least he didn't appear to have a problem hiring non-elves to represent him in his bid for Sting's position.  Third, Tir itself has gone under a lot of shifts by '72 (the placement of game), even allowing non-elves to be included in positions of power.

Now if we were talking Green Lucifer or any of the other Exiles from Tir it would be a none question, they'd only let in an elf.  But given Belial's background in Seattle, his willingness to work with non-elves, and the changes in political climate I think, if he was impressed enough, he might consider letting a human in to his chapter.

Now will it be easy for said 'round ear'?  He** NO!  If he does choose to take up Belial up on the offer I plan on every other Ancient he meets spitting the ground he walks on.  I'll probably even have Green Lucifer come up to figure out if his son has gone crazy and deal with the situation himself.  That'll make for some great games

As for the possible 'Savage/Bloody' nature of the two tests in question I don't know if the Ancients are really THAT blood thirsty.  Yes, they will kill their enemies but they're not psychos like the Halloweeners or a hate group like the Spikes.  Using 'Elven Blood' as an example again, not only were the 'runners' in that not allowed to kill the opposite team but if they lost and Belial had to resort to a trial by combat against Sting it was only to first blood.

Are the Ancient's tests bloody?  Absolutely!  Are they willing to kill enemies of the gang as a part of these tests? Yep!  But I don't know if they would expect a prospective member to go after said enemies without the rest of the gang.  The Head part might be like tossing a pig or other animal head through a window of a rival's house/bar and then making an escape back to the Ancients but I don't know if it would involve tossing Humanoid Heads.  Seems too morbid for the Ancients.