The year 2027 of the Cyberpunk world has a wide variety of Yogangs, unofficial youth organizations dedicated to the pursuit of specific lifestyles, fashions, and social causes. Presented in this article is a new Yogang type for your CyberGeneration campaign. Said by some to he an offshoot of the Tribals or Squats, this particular Yogang has its own very unique view in the chaotic world of the 21st century. They're commonly known. as Ferals, the latest offspring of Generation X. Ferals "Evolve or die. Darwin had it right." "The dead guys think they're leaving beyond the wilderness.. They're SO wrong." "Humans are obsolete. We're the new future." As a Feral, you're aware of how much society is changing. Rather than shy from that change, however, you embrace it. After all, adaptation is the key to survival. The raccoons taught you that. So did the rats and the crows and the cockroaches. They'll all be around long after humanity has choked itself to death, and so will you. You know the city. Not the useless tunnels within the Arcologies, or the stinking sewers, but the real streets. One day everything will fall apart, and the city will be your kingdom. Until then it's your playground, filled with the dying ruins of the old species. The revolution is a nice idea, but change will happen anyway. The corporate towers will fall someday, and when they do your kind will be amongst the few survivors. What You Look Like Taking a lesson from the most adaptable urban species, you wear as little clothing as possible. After all, when everything falls apart you're going to have to be used to the cold. What clothing you do wear is made of very durable materials, and is primarily dark in color or patterned in urban camo. You use body paint as well, or have tattoos if you can afford them. These cover your entire body, and usually imitate such patterns as raccoon rings, or other forms of natural camouflage. You might choose to take on more specific pattern, such as brickwork, and if you have a light complexion or hair color you probably try to darken it. Not that you're interested in slinking around in the shadows, but there's no point advertising your presence to the dead guys if you can help it. A satchel or utility belt is also common wear, to keep your loot and weapons. Your world has only one rule: Survival of the fittest. Subculture Taking a look at Darwin's theory of evolution, it is easy for you to see that humanity is on a one-way road to extinction The whole society, based on non-renewable resources, is suffering more and more from pollution and is riddled with decay and corruption. Its members consist primarily of mindless drones who work to death without complaint, and its leaders are concerned only with amassing wealth for themselves. They think they can keep their heads above the rising waters of urban violence and corruption but they're wrong. You've seen the future, and it holds a message of doom for the cancer known as humanity. To prepare for the coming twilight of human civilization, you have studied your city intensely. Every street, alley, walkway, and bridge is known to you, and you constantly work to keep track of the ciry's expanding borders. In the remotest corners of the sprawl your Yogang has amassed caches of food, weapons, ammo, and tools. Every part of Feral subculture revolves around preparation for the fall of society, and you are committed to toughening up your mind and body. When not busy putting together caches of supplies, you and your Yogang like to either hang out at your communal den, or prowl the streets. Observing the activities of other youths is especially entertaining, and you take delight in sabotaging their plans and efforts. Mall Brats are an especially favored target, and you often make a point of ripping up their operations. Belonging Ferals stem from all social levels, but what made you a part of the group was your sense of pessimism about the future of humaniry. In fact you don't even like to consider yourself to be truly "human", preferring to compare yourself with the animals of the urban environment. As a Feral you dismiss any ideas of a bright tomorrow, and don't even like to consider the idea that society will manage to stay together another generation. Fortunately there are signs of the impending disaster every day in the news, and you like to share word of declining economic conditions, ecological disasters, and resource shortages with your friends. Word of recovery or improvement on any front only serves to depress you. It is this morbid fascination that allows you to identify with the group, along with your dedication to surviving the long awaited disaster. You regard your fellows as brothers and sisters, and see them as being the only part of your life that will always be with you. Every other relationship b doomed. You wollldil't have it any other way. Your Allies and Enemies Some Yogangs have a good sense of the coming catastrophe, such as the Ecoraiders and Neopioneers. They know the score, but they're dealing with the future in the wrong way. After all, although the heart of the Ecoraiders is in the right place, they don't stand a chance of defeating the ISA. The Neopioneers have a better idea, but they're too impatient. Why scrape out a miserable existence in the badlands when they could just wait and have an empire fall into their laps? As for the other Yogangs, you have mixed feelings. You feel that you share a certain amount of common cause with the Trogs and Squats, seeing them as fellow (if not as successful) survivors. You also have a strange respect for the Goths, in that they seem to have an understanding that they are in fact already dead. Your enemies include the Mall Brats, who sicken you with their propagation of human greed, and the Rads, whose political and academic fascination inexplicably makes you angry. Perhaps you are afraid that they might be able to reform the system through their efforts, and that would anger you to no end. Slang Cancer: humanity in general, though often used to refer to anything bad. Keeper: a person, place, or thing likely to survive the coming apocalypse. Mug: to interfere in the activities of others. Old World: a reference to non-urban areas, such as forests or deserts. Pack: a group of Ferals, who share a communal den and network of caches. Soft Shell: any currently powerful person or instimtion that shall be swept away with the fall of humanity. Winge: a person or organization which supports the notion of humanity's survival. Yogang Skill: Urban Lore (INT) As a Feral, it will be necessary for you to make your way around the city after the collapse. You have amassed a great deal of knowledge conerning the layout of the sprawl, including many unconventional routes and shortcuts. You also have a very good idea where various facilities in the city are located. Not only major locations such as city hall and CorpSec HQ, but lesser known places such as police armories, food warehouses, and the meeting grounds of various other yogangs. Through careful study and observation, experienced Ferals can even estimate the level of security at certain sites, and know which corporations own certain buildings. In addition, they also know of safe places to hide from the authorities, and the locations of numerous caches of medical supplies, and weaponry. With your Urban Lore skill, you can find safe places to hide during BuReloc crackdowns (Easy), where the city's buses are repaired (Moderate), be aware of which unmarked warehouses in the city belong to Arasaka (Difficult), or where to find a CorpSec safehouse (Very Difficult ). If You're a Feral: 1) Tell me your name, age, and sex. 2) Describe what you look like. 3) Besides your V-Trodes pick three different things from the list below that you are currently carrying: Snoopbox Personal Intrusion Sensor. Urban Camouflage Body Paint. Sleeping Bag. Maps of Home City. BoosterGogg SmartGoggles. Knife Back to Shadis #25 Table of Contents Back to Shadis List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1996 by Alderac Entertainment Group This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com