Before I get to the juicy bits of our story, I should probably give a quick roll-call to the gonks that run the streets of Night City.
"Spunky Booster" - Our resident Hothead, Spunky was one of two twin daughters to a London Mob Boss. However, discovering some of their Family's darker Business, she devoted the rest of her adolescence to tarnishing their reputation, adopting a Punk Rock aesthetic and trashing reputable establishments as a form of rebellion. One particular instance brought government attention to her Father's dealings, which finally broke his tenuous patience. Selling her to associates in Night City, she was forced into Brothel Work, but she took matters into her own hands, killing one of her captors and eacaping. Taken in by a local street band, "CxNTROL/ALT/DELETE," she uses her anger and hostility to spit hate (and lead) at Night City's Gangs.
"Thardus" - A Gun-For-Hire, this Solo bears a dark past. The son of the Don of a Pacific Island Mafia Branch in Night City, the Pepe Aeto, Thardus enjoyed a rather lavish life. However, rather than indulge in the safety net his position supplied, he took active hand in Family dealings, performing hits and network to further his Family's Goals. However, a local Gang, The Los Illuminados, killed his Mother and Father in an Initiation Ceremony, kick-starting a War between the two Crime Syndicates. After days of fighting, the Pepe Aeto were no more, either killed or imprisoned by their rivals. The Sole Pepe Aeto, Thardus wanders across the desolate streets, gun in hand, to find meaning, and more importantly, a new Family.
Norman Skye - Born on the Sea, Norman was a Pirate in the Atlantic, living off a Ukrainian Oil Rig co-opted by 2 Nomad Families. Life was rough, and the Sea was rougher; Fishing Dried up, so they turned to Piracy to stay afloat. Then, ships stopped coming through their waters. Tensions were high, and in a desperate gambit, Norman and another Family member, his friend and Half-Brother Ivan, attempted to steal valuables from the other family under the cover of night. The hope was to purchase a ticket for their family to hop on the next Cargo Ship. They waited for a heavy storm for cover, and although they managed to secure the Valuable Cargo, the alarm was raised. Norman ran as fast as he could, and made it back to camp. Ivan was found the next morning, floating in the waters below. A gunfight ensued, many Nomads on both sides lost their lives, but finally, the Skyes found their way on a Ship. Traveling from coast to coast, their last stop signaled their departure; the Port of Night City.
Marek "Veðrfölnir" Vesely - A Ripperdoc hailing from the Czech Republic, Marek Vesely found himself uprooted from his childhood home and shipped to Night City; Marek's Father, a Militech Engineer, landed himself a rather cushy gig. This opportunity allowed Marek to establish himself in Academia, and he achieved his Medical Degree freshly out of School. His Medical License was freshly around the corner, but it was practically a done deal. So when Clients began to approach him from in the company, seeking cheap Implants on the down-low, who was he to refuse? One client in particular payed rather handsomely for his work; it's a shame he turned up dead, a supposed critical malfunction from poor installation by an unlicenced Ripperdoc. Marek spent 9 years in NC Penitentiary, his Father demoted, and upon his sentence served, he wasn't welcomed back to the Family. Almost dying on the streets, Marek was taken in by a local Ripper, and after establishing his own clinic, Veðrfölnir bides his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to clear his name and leave these Gutters behind.
"Ghoti" - The first thing Ghoti remembers is Corporate Soldiers invading the Sea Vessel he was on, his parents murdered in the attack. The soldier that found him couldn't find it in him to kill a defenseless child, so he was brought back to the local Arasaka branch for processing. No papers, proof of citizenship, or even identification on file, the child was no one. From Branch to Branch, he was shipped around, finally ending up in Night City in an Education Facility, to train AV Techs for the Arasaka Corporation. A few years went by, and Ghoti had proven himself a whiz with Machinery. However, the Headmaster of the Facility received word that due to low scores, the Facility was to be shut down, unless "Emergency Liquidation" was enacted. One night, the ventilation shut off, and the children began to suffocate, and it was only due to the quick thinking of Ghoti that the children lived at all. An Auditor came in next day and declared the jobs the children were training for were no longer available, which freed the children to the streets. Ghoti found himself working at an Auto Garage, working for Ennies, but if given the chance, he'd always take the risk for more.
"Oberon" - An enigmatic Author, Oberon grew up extremely sheltered from the rest of the world, and so the Collapse simply blew right by him. Born in the ever-shrinking Middle Class, Oberon managed to dance the line between Corporate Shill and Homeless Streetrat, landing himself a nice gig at a Publishing Firm in Night City. However, always ready to take on another challenge, Oberon sought to write a novel exposing the systems of control the Corps exploited to manipulate the masses for profit, and took to the streets for inspiration; and inspiration he found...