Data File: Who are the Street Wolves Fighting?
The heroes of Street Wolves are street level heroes who fight evil that lurks in the shadows. But just who are these villains? For this Data File lets quickly explore a few of the enemy factions in the Street Wolves ttrpg setting for Savage Worlds.
Cabal of Shadows
The biggest threat in Street Wolves is Cabal of Shadows. Before the start of the setting in 1987 (when Players begin their adventures) CoS was a flashy international terrorist organization with a standing army. That changed after some high profile battles (which we won’t get into here). They went underground and were successful as a quieter, more sinister organization, working their way into the fabric of American society.
The Cabal has their evil fingers in organized crime and law enforcement with cops and judges in its pockets along with those in power such as business people and politicians. This makes the Cabal an incredibly dangerous opponent and a very slippery one to fight.
The CoS maintains control through a variety of methods including bribery, extortion, and in some cases, straight up mind control.
Any incident a team is sent to investigate may be part of some insidious plot by CoS to enrich themselves or to cause fear, and sow distrust.
What is the ultimate plan of the Cabal of Shadows? It’s up to GMs to decide, however the focus of Street Wolves is the street level battles against the forces of evil. Upper ranks of the CoS and epic world changing schemes aren’t something the Street Wolves really deal in. The heroes are fire fighters, putting out small fires when they see smoke, unable to take care of the overall fire raging under the surface.
Followers of the Divine Light
The Followers of the Divine Light are a cult, disguising themselves as a cool new religion that has gone mainstream. They are flush with cash and have loads of influence. They’ve incorporated Vapor (the strange glowing energy found in multiple cities across the world) into their religion. They know that Vapor gives some people fantastic powers and they’re collecting as many of those enhanced with abilities as they can, willingly or unwillingly.
One of the more interesting aspects of the Followers will resort to unconventional tactics to fight their enemies. They’re not your typical group of fanatics that resort to violence at the drop of a hat. They dig up compromising intel on their enemies and use it to bribe, harass, and extort them. They call the cops and use every loophole and law in the legal system against their foes. Street Wolves operatives have watched with horror as surveillance footage featuring them has appeared on the nightly news.
Street Wolves most often run into the Followers when investigating Vapor related incidents. They rescue kidnap victims and help those who the church has marked as enemies.
Viktorscape
Street Wolves will find themselves fighting various corporations, but Viktorscape (formally Viktorscape Electronics) is at the top of their list of business based enemies.
Viktorscape is a major corporation whose founder and CEO, Francis William Viktor, also just happens to have a grudge against Cabal of Shadows and Wolfpack. Once betrayed by Cabal of Shadows and imprisoned by Wolfpack’s predecessors, Viktor has vowed to destroy his enemies.
Viktorscape isn’t just some maker of VR units and TVs. They’re involved in weapons development and research, with some of the top scientists in the world working on breakthrough weapons tech.
The corporation is ruthless and often spies on their rivals, getting rid of key figures by bribing, extorting them, or arranging an “accident.”
Homefront
Homefront is like the evil version of Wolfpack. They’re made up of nationalist militias from around the U.S. and their goal is to eradicate Cabal of Shadows, but their methodology and beliefs are both morally bankrupt and flat out dangerous (both to themselves and others).
Homefront operates on faulty data and assumptions, putting innocent people in the crosshairs. Wolfpack operatives may not have a a Homefront unit as their main objective, but rather they’re more likely to run into them as an obstacle to completing a mission.
Homefront is known to blow their covers, bring unwanted attention upon Street Wolves, or target the innocent in their quest to protect the USA. Street Wolves can be caught in the middle or left cleaning up their mess.
Soviets
The Cold War is colder than ever in Street Wolves. In the real world things were warming up a bit, but not so in this setting.
The Soviet Union and its allies were quick to recognize the threat of the Cabal of Shadows and eliminated them from operating inside their borders. That and other world political events have made it so they’re stronger than ever. With their closed borders, strong economy, and unified focus against the Cabal of Shadows, and nuclear weapons, they’re a global super power to be reckoned with.
Street Wolves may end up chasing down a Soviet spy. Or facing a unit of Soviet special forces as they have competing goals. They may even team up with them if the circumstances are right.
Other Foes!
There’s plenty of other foes out there for Street Wolves to face. Ninja clans are out for hire and some have their own insidious agendas.
Criminal empires like the mafia aren’t fully controlled by the Cabal of Shadows (yet) and operate the booming and deadly drug trade, most notable in cities like New York and Miami.
Biker gangs threaten the roads and street gangs operate in blighted neighborhoods. Dirty cops take advantage of a system that allows them to operate with impunity. Corrupt politicians squeeze the people that put them in power.
These groups may be connected to a major faction or they may just be operating on their own accord with their own schemes. In either case, the Street Wolves are there to put a stop to the abuses and help those who are powerless against the rising tide of evil.
