Ohannes
Ohannes (elf) is the current leader, the youngest brother of one of the original founders of the group. He tends to be reserved but has a powerful presence that makes you pause and listen to what he has to say. He keeps the gang in order when disagreements break out simply by stating how things are going to be. He holds no court, but he does consider both sides before coming to a decision, although he's not above letting disputes be settled by blows. Just so long as it doesn't tear the gang apart. He doesn't race much himself, but he does have a souped up monocycle for when he wants to get out and tear up some sand.
B A R S C I L W Ess M
3 4 4 2 6 4 2 3 6.0 2
Skills: Leadership 4, Etiquette (Karavan) 2, Negotiation 2, Intimidation 1, Survival (Desert) 2, Blades 2, Automatics 1, Pistols 3, Pilot Ground Craft 3, Perception 2, Running 1
Adept Powers: Improved Leadership 1, Piercing Senses 2, Temperature Tolerance 1, Iron Will 1, Commanding Voice, Cool Resolve 2
Vehicle: Horizon-Doble Revolution (enclosed monocycle) w/ motorcycle gyro stabilization, smart tires, engine customization (acceleration), engine customization (speed), passenger protection 4, extreme environment mod (desert)
Weapon: Ares Viper Slivergun w/ laser sight
Tariq
Tariq (dwarf) is presently the champion of the Dunes, and also happens to be one of the oldest. He holds the fastest time in the most events the Dune Rats have held, and has proved his valor in taking extra risky shortcuts to maximize his speed. He also has a quick temper and a nasty arrogant streak, and lords his position over others. Ohannes keeps a close eye on him but considers him more of a fool than a real threat to his leadership and the group's cohesion. Tariq has a heavily modified racing truck that he doesn't let anyone else touch or get near, including (especially, in fact) Nalan, much to her frustration. He rarely ever goes anywhere without two or three of the younger, more impressionable members tailing after him, as he enjoys having an entourage to stroke his ego.
B A R S C I L W Ess
6 2 5 4 2 3 3 5 3.0
Skills: Navigation 3, Longarms 2, Etiquette (Karavan) 1, Automotive Mechanic 3, Perception 2, Intimidation 1, Leadership 1, Survival (Desert) 1, Pilot Ground Craft 4, Unarmed Combat 1
Cyberware: Reaction Enhancers 2, Cybereyes (Rating 1, w/ Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 2, Protective Covers), Dermal Plating 2, Aluminum Bone Lacing, Voice Modulator
Vehicle: Land Rover Impulse (off-road racing truck) w/ off-road suspension, engine customization (acceleration), engine customization (speed), nitrous injection x 2, pimped ride 2, extreme environment mod (desert), personal armor 3, off-road tires, metahuman adjustment (dwarf)
Weapon: Defiance T-250
Ekrim and Elvan
Ekrim (boy) and Elvan (girl) (both human) are fraternal twins who've taken an interest in mechanics and are learning some of the basics from Nalan. They're 12 and wiry as monkeys with the main difference between them being that Ekrim has a full, tangled head of dirty (literally) blond hair and Elvan has straighter dark brown hair that goes to her shoulders. They both share a habit of squinting all the time, and they've gotten to the point where they can finish each others' sentences, much to the annoyance of Nalan who considers them otherwise exemplary students. She knows she can't stay with the Dune Rats all the time and that eventually someone will have to take over the group's maintenance work, and these two are the most likely candidates.
Ekrim:
B A R S C I L W Ess
3 3 3 2 3 4 5 3 5.0
Elvan:
B A R S C I L W Ess
2 4 3 2 4 5 4 2 6.0
Skills: Ekrim: Automatics 2, Pilot Ground Craft 2, Etiquette (Karavan) 1, Automotive Mechanic 3, Perception 1, Aeronautic Mechanic 2, Cybertechnology 1, Survival (Desert) 1, Armorer 1
Elvan: Automatics 1, Pilot Ground Craft 1, Pilot Aircraft 1, Etiquette (Karavan) 1, Automotive Mechanic 3, Perception 2, Aeronautic Mechanic 3, Cybertechnology 1, Survival (Desert) 1, Hardware 1
Cyberware: Ekrim: Synthetic left cyberleg
Vehicle: Suzuki Quad (ATV) w/ off-road suspension, off-road tires, extreme environment mod (desert), passenger protection 3, amenities (squatter)
Weapons: Ekrim: HK MP-5 TX, Elvan: HK-227X w/ gas-vent 3
Odina
Odina (ork) represents the seedier side of the Dune Rats. She has a finger on the drug trade in Karavan and is always there to help the more adventurous thrill-seekers in the group get that extra bit of edge. She's even come up with her own special concoction, a NoPaint, NoFear, Novacoke, and Jazz speedball which she calls 'NoStops'. The addictive and expensive nature of drugs makes Odina a powerful player in the group, and Ohannes is actively watching her closely. He doesn't interfere with her business, and she doesn't throw her influence around, but the relations between the two are very tense, even if it doesn't show externally.
B A R S C I L W Ess
6 3 5 4 2 4 2 3 4.3
Skills: Automatics 2, Pilot Ground Craft 3, Etiquette (Karavan) 2, Chemistry (Drugs) 4, Perception 1, Blades (Cyber-Implant Blades) 1, Survival (Desert) 3, Negotiation (Bargaining) 3, Infiltration (Vehicle) 2
Cyber- and bioware: Internal Air Tank, Tracheal Filter 2, Toxin Extractor 3, Olfactory Booster 2, Nephritic Screen 3, Handblade
Vehicle: Wuxing Peng You 4x4 (pickup truck) w/ multi-fuel engine, extreme environment mod (desert), amenities (squatter), personal armor 8, anti-theft system, off-road suspension, workshop (chemistry), smart tires, interior cameras, smuggling compartment (shielded, airtight) x 6
Weapon: AK-97 Carbine w/ extreme environment mod (desert), melee hardening, reduced weight
Gulhayo
Gulhayo (human) is the group's resident gun nut, and he trains the younger members in sharpshooting and weapon maintenance. He is a tall, lanky fellow, but is a very friendly guy and considers teaching the Dune Rats how to fend for themselves both an honor and his personal responsibility. His weapon of choice is his Ares Desert Strike sniper rifle, and he is rumored to have sniped the driver out of a speeding truck full of bandits from over 2 kilometers away with it, flipping the whole thing and killing them all in a giant fireball. How much of that is fact and how much is hyperbole remains to be seen, and if asked about it, Gulhayo merely smiles secretively and keeps his mouth shut.
B A R S C I L W Ess
4 5 4 3 4 3 2 3 3.7
Skills: Firearms Group 4, Pilot Ground Craft 1, Ettiquette (Karavan) 1, Perception (Visual) 3, Survival (Desert) 2, Negotiation 1, Tracking 2, Infiltration 3, Shadowing 1, Instruction (Combat Skills) 3, Armorer 3, Running 3, Climbing 2
Cyber- and bioware: Extended Volume 1, Muscle Toner 2, Move-by-Wire System 1
Vehicle: Evo Falcon (off-road bike) w/ tracked vehicle, multi-fuel engine, improved economy, extreme environment mod (desert), suncell, engine customization (acceleration), off-road suspension, off-road tires
Weapons: Ares Desert Strike w/ extended barrel, extreme environment mod (desert), rigid stock, shock pad, image scope, smartgun system, electronic firing
Ruger Super Warhawk w/ personalized grip, increased cylinder, custom look 1
Rabia
Rabia (elf) joined the Dune Rats later than most, a refugee from the splintering Anatolia tribe. She quickly made an impact though when she learned that, as semi-outcasts, the boys in the Dune Rats lacked any role models or counselors or tutors during the most chaotic years of every teenager's life. Her Anatolian upbringing lead her to do something to change this, and she decided to make herself available as positive outlet for the awkward energy and urges of puberty. Her laid back manner and sincere desire to help others makes her sought after for advice and companionship alike. To different people she is different things, ranging from therapist to adviser to lover, and she is renowned for her relaxing massages.
B A R S C I L W Ess M
2 5 3 2 7 4 3 3 6.0 4
Skills: Unarmed Combat 2, Pistols 1, Perception (Touch) 3, Shadowing (Tail Evasion) 1, Influence Group 4, Instruction (Social Skills) 3, Artisan (Singing) 2
Adept Powers: Flexibility 1, Pain Relief, Sustenance, Kinesics 3
Weapon: Cavalier Scout
Asli
Asli (human) was originally a yabanci, she left her hometown to join Karavan after a series of arduous races hosted by the Dune Rats in Tajikistan. The harsh, unforgiving terrain made for a difficult course, and the conditions were compounded by the ambitious three-day circuit. By the end of the event there were multiple casualties from crashed vehicles, including one racer who managed to crawl out of his wrecked buggy just to die later from dehydration. But when the smoke settled, the participants who had completed the race all had a deeper appreciation for each other, a bond formed under fire. After crossing the finish line in third place, Asli became the first (and only) yabanci to receive an invitation to join the Dune Rats. She brought with her a love of singing, and has been trying (with little success) to encourage an interest in music amongst the gang.
B A R S C I L W Ess
3 3 5 3 4 3 2 4 5.9
Skills: Artisan (Singing) 5, Instruction (Technical) 2, Pilot Ground Craft 4, Automatics 3, Heavy Weapons 2, Perception 4, Con 1, Automotive Mechanic 2
Bioware: Vocal Range Enhancer
Vehicle: Thundercloud Morgan (ATV) w/ off-road suspension, engine customization (acceleration), engine customization (speed) nitrous injection, extreme environment mod (desert), passenger protection 5, weapon mount (RPD)
Weapon: AK-98
Uzay
Uzay (ork) gave up his role as a sous-chef in a Beylik restaurant to embrace the care-free life of a desert racer. Ironically, his training meant that he filled an important niche within the group: that of head cook. But he accepted the role with grace with the condition that he be allowed to participate in group racing events. The arrangement turned out to be ideal for him, as he still enjoys cooking and experimenting with food, although his meals vary from fantastic and filling to just barely pallet (and sometimes not even that). But considering the fact that he singlehandedly procures and prepares most of the gang's food, his shortcomings are as rapidly overlooked as his less successful meals can be scraped into the trash.
B A R S C I L W Ess
6 2 3 7 2 4 4 3 5.8
Skills: Cooking (Improvised Meals) 4, Survival (Scrounging Food) 3, Chemistry 1, Perception (Taste) 2, Pilot Ground Craft (Wheeled) 2, Negotiation 2, Artisan (Cooking) 1, Etiquette (Karavan) 1, Longarms 2
Cyberware: Taste Booster 3
Vehicles: GAZ P-179 (pickup truck) w/ off-road suspension, extreme environment mod (desert), personal armor 6, workshop (cooking)
Toyota Gopher (pickup truck) w/ off-road suspension, extreme environment mod (desert), improved economy, engine customization (acceleration), engine customization (speed)
Weapon: Remington 990 w/ extreme environment mod (desert), electronic firing, extended barrel
Also, here's the stat block for Odina's speedball.
NoStops
Price: 300¥
Availability: 12
Duration: 15 x 1d6 minutes
Effect: +2 Reaction, +1 Initiative Pass, +1 Perception, -1 Logic, Immunity to Fear, +1 to rolls involving Edge, High Pain Tolerance 10, cannot pass out from Stun Damage (overflow still becomes Physical Damage)
A chemical cocktail crafted by the Dune Rats' own Odina, NoStops is not a drug for the weak. It was designed to give an edge to the brazen youths cutting swaths through the deserts, and many a winner has benefited from it greatly, as well as passed out because of it shortly after crossing the finish line. When the drug wears off, the user crashes hard, and must make a Willpower (3) test or suffer the affects of Nausea (SR4 Anniversary ed, p. 254). Regardless of whether the character succeeds or not, the user suffers the affects of Disorientation (p. 254), and receives 6 Stun Damage (unresisted). After the drug wears off, Charisma is reduced by 2, Willpower and Logic are reduced by 1, and the character receives a -2 penalty to all healing tests carried out by the character (does not apply to receiving first aid from someone else). This penalty lasts for (12 - Body) ÷ 2 hours until the drug can be fully flushed from the user's system.
While on NoStops, the character becomes reckless and experiences delusions of invulnerability. At the gamemaster’s discretion, he may call for the character to make a Logic + Willpower (3) Test to avoid doing something that would normally be considered foolish, dangerous, or socially inappropriate.
The drug is often referred to mockingly by detractors as 'NoPlugs' due to the unintended side effect caused by one memorable batch with a particularly nasty filler material: uncontrollable explosive diarrhea.
