In this Cyberpunk society our characters live in, there is a prominent (or sometimes not-so-prominent) criminal element. For those who are more oriented to the "light" or "good" side of the spectrum of archetypes, these criminal elements only come into play when you are fighting them or they impact you directly. However if you are of a more "evil" player then knowing the gangs and factions that control the streets of District 1 and its surrounding towns are a critical to your way of life (and sometimes critical to saving it). The following is a list of all the relevant gangs and factions that have footholds in D1 and its surrounding towns:
The Cartel The Kepler branch of the Intergalactic Mexican Cartel is renowned on Kepler for a colorful variety of reasons, the most recent of which is getting "disbanded" by one Phoenix Escobar. They promptly flipped him the bird, and the fragments of a supposedly beaten Cartel reformed quietly under the shadowy influence of a figure who has yet to make himself known. This new Cartel seems to have gone to ground, with no apparent presence in D1.
The Yakuza
Like the Cartel, the Yakuza did not start on Kepler- they too are but a branch of a massive crime syndicate. Unlike the Cartel, however, the Yakuza's presence has not been noticed as much in the Kepler System. They hold strong influences in District One's China Town and in the little fishing village of Otoh Espa. It is rumored that they mostly work out of the giant gambling house known as "Iemori Hotel and Gambling", however no one can confirm this since anyone who goes in to gather intel never comes back out.
The Queens / Regal Inc.
Like the monarchs of nineteenth century Earth, the monarchy of the slums known as "The Queens" fell from grace and are now one of the smallest gangs on the planet. After the death of their leader Amy, Dima Volkov picked up the mantle of the leadership, and lead The Queens on a new path. They are now the company known as Regal Inc., a paramilitary organization specializing in arms manufacturing. They are often found patrolling the slums of District 1. They’re a neutral but well armed force that isn’t known to cause any trouble in the area, in fact they move and operate in such a manner as if they are actively looking for it.
The Speeding Angels
Despite carrying the name of their former gang, this biker group is but a splintered cell of the original, mars-based group of riders. The angels have a steady hold on several of the bars and taverns around D1, and are only responsible for a few minor public disorder charges. They are fairly passive and have decent relations with all of the major players in D1. If they were provoked, however, one could only imagine the hellfire that would rain from the heavens.
The Black Sun Smugglers
This band of "honorable businessmen" is responsible for all of the drug trafficking to and from Kepler. They take pride in being able to run good business deals both on top and under the table. This pride comes back to bite them more often than not, however, with the gambles they take on a daily basis becoming more and more dangerous. The threat of being searched and arrested is a very real one, as is being stabbed (or shot) in the back by a partner in crime. "Upstanding" men and women, they'll shake your hand in an honorable trade with one hand, while holding a knife or gun at the ready in the other.
The Ship of Theseus This apparently spontaneously appearing faction made its name in the underground quite quickly. This is due to the sudden uprooting and removal of a group of cartel workers from their original base in the slums. Rumored to only have been performed by two enforcers of the gang, their actual whereabouts and goals are unknown at the moment. Those looking to find information about the gang have only gotten small snippets of responses from passerby in the neutral zone, but who knows what is true.
Achium Enterprises
What started as a small tech company working out of an office in the slums is now a full-fledged paramilitary corporation. Who controls this force is not apparent, but the blue-clad soldiers sure are. They guard their main building in D1, their office in the slums, and are sometimes seen paroling the streets. For the most part, however, they are a very low-key, neutral faction when it comes to the Unseen War.
PlaceHolder Inc. & Artemis Security
The new "big man" of Kepler, PlaceHolder Inc. (PHI) has taken over a good chunk of the economy. Empires such as this need an army, so PHI has taken to hiring mercenaries and putting them into the group known as Artemis Security (ASEC) under the command of Colonel DR4C0. ASEC's main base of operations is actually outside of D1, however they keep a small garrison of first-responders inside D1. ASEC actively hunts for threats in D1, mostly on a whim but sometimes under orders of the upper echelons of PHI. One can only wonder if that is too much power in one place.
The Kepler Domestic Police
The law of the lawless land; the ones attempting to tame the streets. The KDP are the supposed "good guys", but when you turn a force full of dirty and crooked cops loose on the streets, it turns into a recipe for disaster. That's not to say that there are not some good cops in the force, but when good apples sit with rotten ones, its only a matter of time before they too are infected or killed off. The KDP is in more of a defensive stance at the moment, holing up in their main station and responding to incidents rather than actively hunt for trouble.