From Caine:
I wanted to (finally) introduce myself as the GC Crime Propco, and get started on seeing what Fun Crime Can Make For You. As it's been a little tricky to corner all of the propcos, I wanted to toss out some questions to get thinking about what you guys want, for your own shadow, as far as crime and such. This doesn't replace chatting with me, but may help you flesh out an area that hasn't been yet. Questions welcome, and I hope to talk with each of you when we can. (Reply to me, not ReplyAll) Thanks!
1. How powerful or influential is crime in your shadow? With the legit government? With day to day living?
These are three questions, so the answer to them in order:
- Begma is relatively corrupt from top to bottom. The type of crime depends where you are in the social strata. Corruption and white collar crime is heavily prevalent at the top where the more visceral crimes (theft, rape, murder) are more common toward the lower strata. People naturally tailor their theft to their social understanding. Since Begman government is so regulation-averse fraud, embezzlement, theft, and grand scale larceny happens commonly at the corporate level. It is very much turn of the century large scale corporate swindling and snake oil down to your regular crime.
- The legit government has the occasional good, earnest, and honest government worker but this is a democracy and there is plenty of corporate graft, corporate influence peddling, and government stacking of the deck in exchange for favors or outright bribery.
- If you are a good upper class citizen of Begma you may not see much day to day crime. The Ministry of Safety is active, they do not allow personal weaponry of subjects, and they crack down on little crime with a fascist zeal. Begma advertises itself as "safe" and "fun" to their trading partners so the day to day crime is shuffled off from public view. However, Begma has an active media…
2. What are the primary areas or industries that crime has the most control and/or influence over in your shadow?
Since the Government absolutely outlaws rogue magic in a way to control it and force it to be device-based magic instead of the magic of old, the organized crime of Begma is very black market focused with trying to get all of those banned items and ideas and books from before the Civil War into the hands of people to create general mayhem. Many of the great sorcerous families of Begma have given their sons to the cause of fighting the government or organized crime. They are highly involved with everything banned by the government and trying to get it into the hands of people — where it naturally blows up or addicts people to what the organized crime has to sell.
In general: Smuggling of black market items. Influence peddling. Construction. Insurance Scams. Pyramid Schemes. Outright Fraud. Drugs and Hookers.
3. Is crime mostly organized (Mafia, etc) or disorganized?
Begma tends to naturally organize along very hierarchical and orderly lines. While there is definitely individual crimes and crimes of passion, big crime is handled by Organized Crime, usually hidden behind Corporate Faces or through a rigid hierarchical model. One organization is scoped out in The Dragon Emperor of Boneburn Yards.
As a note, crime sometimes comes in the form of Terrorist Organizations which organize violent terrorist-like protests against the sitting government. They also tend to organize into Brotherhoods or other groups.
4. What is the usual response of Law to criminal activity?
As mentioned above, to little crime the Ministry of Safety will drag you away with a nigh-fascist zeal and do horrible things to you. Big crime depends on the level of government influence. Big corporations and criminal organizations make a point of buying up their politicians so the government never prosecutes them.
To take down a big crime ring, it requires the government.
However, Begma does have a fully functional Court system with a trial by jury of peers, a right to representation, and a right to a fair trial. But they do not have "innocent until proven guilty" any more than any other 19th century court system did.
In East Begma, outside the cities, if they catch you, they just hang you.
5. Are you willing for criminal activity in your shadow to have potentially negative impacts on you and/or your allies/enemies? Mainly looking for what you do NOT want to happen because of crime, though major activities will always be cleared with the Propco beforehand.
Absolutely. I would prefer you not take down the entire government but beyond that, bring on the mayhem.
6. Do you know of any PCs who would represent opposition to crime? (law officialy, other criminal groups, etc)
Faith, as a Begman Safety Inspector is directly involved with law enforcement from Begma. She has a broad mandate as a cop, and this mandate can easily be slimmed down with a few scenes.
Another PC is also a Tourist but that is Secret Information.
7. What would you like to see, plotwise, from IC criminal activity in your shadow?
Organized crime that has a grip on corrupted government officials would be fantastic. Even better would be Organized Crime involved with dealing with the underground "rogue" non-device based magic of Begma that is being stomped on by the Government since all of these items are banned.
Organized crime that has fronts with corporations and pumps snake oil into the economy while committed large scale fraud is also good. Definitely a Mafia-like organization operating out of Begma City.
