The old guard. The Kings have been running the upper tunnels since 2041. They are the aristocrats of the underground, operating out of a converted nuclear locomotive known as The Iron Throne. In 2066, the Kings are losing ground. They rely on heavy, outdated exo-suits and diesel-belching war-trains. Their warfare is attrition-based: armored cars, flamethrower turrets, and sonic cannons that cause tunnel collapses. They are desperate, which makes them the most dangerous faction this cycle.
The Redline Gang, initially formed in the early 2050s, started as a small group of thrill-seekers and tech-savvy individuals who exploited the latest advancements in cyber warfare and artificial intelligence. Over the years, they evolved into a highly organized and powerful entity, engaging in various illicit activities such as cybercrime, arms trafficking, and high-stakes heists.
Several factors contributed to the escalation of gang warfare in 2066:
How does one fight a war where the ceiling is four meters high and the enemy can hear your heartbeat through the rails?
1. The "Rumble" (Predictive Seismology)
Older gangs used lookouts. In 2066, gangs deploy Seismic Lice—micro-robots that burrow into the gravel between the ties. These bugs detect footstep patterns, train vibrations, and respiratory rates. The first sign of an attack is not a shout, but a subtle shift in your phone’s vibration pattern. If your hand twitches, you have three seconds to draw.
2. The "Splice and Dice" (Hijacking Infrastructure)
Modern Redline combat is 70% cyber-warfare, 30% bloodshed. Gangs employ "Rust Witches"—hackers who splice into the city’s outdated traffic grid. During the Battle of the Sepulveda Trench (January 2066), the Rail-Spawn reversed the polarity of an entire express line, sending a packed commuter train into a Signal Martyrs checkpoint as a human-guided missile.
3. The Lamprey Protocol (Boarding Actions)
Since the Redline Kings still operate heavy locomotives, boarding actions have returned to fashion. Combatants use magnetic boots and carbon-fiber claws to scale moving trains at 150 kph. The preferred weapon here is the Ultrasound Blade—a monofilament edge vibrating at a frequency that shatters untreated glass and ruptures unprotected eardrums.
The lore is deep, and the gangs are distinct. Who are you repping?