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=== Races | Factions, Tribes & Movements ===

====== JANE MENDOZA GANG ======

The Jane Mendoza Gang is a criminal association of [[the_humans|exohuman]] [[outlaws|Outlaws]] in the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]]. It was founded in June 2634 by [[jane_bold|Jane Mendoza]], who is also the leader of the gang. The gang has an estimated 120 members and is based in the [[firetown|Firetown]] region on the [[dark_side|Dark Side]] of the planet [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]].

Gang headquarters are believed to be in the in the geothermal caves in the Dark Side Tundra near Firetown. 

===== Background =====

The Jane Mendoza Gang, led by the infamous [[jane_bold|Jane Mendoza]], rose from the fringes of the [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation`s]] society to become one of the planet’s most powerful and feared criminal organizations. The gang’s origins are deeply rooted in Mendoza’s own history of defiance and resilience, shaping the gang into a highly organized, unrelenting force that challenges the Federal Confederation’s control at every turn.

The Jane Mendoza Gang gathers a mix of [[outlaws|Outlaws]], dissidents, and skilled individuals who have in common that they disagree with the strictly regulated system of [[communardism|Communardism]].

Initially, the gang focused on ambushing [[federal_courier_service|Federal Courier Service]] caravans transporting valuable goods on the [[trade_route|Trade Route]]. Their success forced the Confederation to bolster caravan security, prompting Jane to diversify the gang’s activities to evade capture and increase revenue.

By establishing a covert network for drug production, smuggling, and black-market dealings, the gang infiltrated the underbelly of [[firetown|Firetown]]. Mendoza’s connections with other crime figures allowed the gang to distribute their own narcotics through Firetown’s underground bar scene and maintain an unbroken supply line to both the [[habitual_belt|Habitual Belt]] and the [[dark_side|Dark Side]]. In addition, law enforcement suspects the gang of using forged [[allottment_cards|Allotment Cards]] to obtain resources, ensuring the gang’s self-sufficiency in their remote hideouts.

===== The Gang`s Headquarters =====

The [[Headquarters of the Jane Mendoza Gang|Headquarters of the Jane Mendoza Gang]] is located in volcanic caves, about 30 km from Firetown, hidden behind a mountain range and guarded by a pack of [[korozo|Korozos]] trained by Jane and the Zark Tribe.

===== Organizational Structure of the Jane Mendoza Gang =====

The Jane Mendoza Gang is structured into four core departments, each managed by an Associate who oversees specific operations essential to the gang’s influence and survival:

  * **Department for Robbery, Manslaughter, Kidnapping, & Extortion:** This department handles the gang’s violent operations, including robbery-murder, manslaughter, hostage-taking, kidnapping, and extortion (blackmail).
  * **Department for Illegal Trade and Gambling:** Handles smuggling routes, black market deals, and the sale of stolen or restricted goods as well as the organization of illegal gambling and betting games.
  * **Department for Drug Operations:** Manages the production, trafficking, and distribution of narcotics, ensuring profitability and security within the gang’s drug empire.
  * **Department for Gang Organization:** Responsible for internal logistics, recruitment, and resource management to maintain gang cohesion and efficiency.

Each department operates independently under its Associate, while collectively forming the operational backbone of the Jane Mendoza Gang.

===== Roles and Responsibilities =====

The gang follows a strict hierarchy that defines the roles, responsibilities, and progression of its members:

  * **Leader:** Jane Mendoza holds absolute authority within the gang, making final decisions on all major operations and maintaining control over the leadership structure.
  * **Associates:** Four key leaders, each managing one of the core departments, form Jane’s inner circle and lead their respective areas with near-autonomous control.
  * **Top 10:** Comprising the ten most experienced members in each department, the Top 10 act as line managers, supporting their Associate with tactical decisions and team coordination. Together with Jane and the Associates, the Top 10 of each department form the Top 45, the primary decision-makers within the gang.
  * **Hands:** Regular gang members assigned specific tasks and missions within their departments. They make up the bulk of the gang’s workforce, carrying out the day-to-day operations.
  * **Prospects:** Newcomers who are initially mentored and assigned to a department under the guidance of an Associate. Prospects remain in this role until they successfully complete three missions. Failure to succeed as a Prospect is fatal. The gang cannot risk outsiders knowing their secrets, so any Prospect who fails to complete the required three missions or demonstrates incompetence is executed without exception.

**Succession in Case of Death**

The gang has clear protocols for succession to maintain continuity in case a leadership position becomes vacant:

  * **Associate Succession:** If an Associate dies, the Top 10 members of the affected department are responsible for selecting a replacement. This choice must then be approved by Jane Mendoza to ensure alignment with her vision and standards.
  * **Top 10 Succession:** Should a Top 10 member die, any Hand within the department may apply for the vacant position. The Associate of that department evaluates the candidates, often by setting a test of leadership, skill, or a challenging mission to determine the most suitable successor.

This structure of succession ensures that the gang’s operational integrity is maintained and that capable members have the opportunity to rise within the ranks, reinforcing loyalty and skill-based advancement throughout the organization.

===== Recognition marks, symbols and fashion =====

The members of the Jane Mendoza Gang distinguish themselves from the majority of Gamma Age society through their clothing style. While "ordinary citizens" wear the "standard clothing set" from the Federal Garment Manufacture, gang members display an extravagant and individual style, mostly using old clothes taken during raids on Federal Courier Service caravans to create their own unique look.

Their clothing style is a "soft identifier" and is not mandatory, having developed organically over time.

However, a "hard identifying mark" is an infrared tattoo on their right forearm. These tattoos, invisible in normal light and visible only through infrared night vision, display the gang member's initials and the date they joined the gang, written in the rune-like script of the Zark Tribe, which is allied with the gang.

Since the gang spends most of its time on the Dark Side, where they all wear [[Night Vision Device|Night Vision Devices]], these tattoos serve as a visible and practical identifier. 

===== Culture and Way of Life =====

Life within the Jane Mendoza Gang is marked by strict discipline and a deeply stratified social structure, upheld by Jane Mendoza’s uncompromising authority. While members joined the gang seeking freedom from the Federal Confederation’s rigid rules, they now adhere to an equally regimented lifestyle, bound by loyalty, rituals, and a shared sense of survival.

**Daily Rituals and Dining**

Each evening, the gang observes a structured dining ritual that reinforces its hierarchy. The Top 45—comprised of Jane Mendoza, her Associates, and the Top 10 of each department—dine together in the main hall of the headquarters, symbolizing their leadership and unity. Meals are treated as solemn gatherings, with each member expected to bring respect and reverence to the table. The Hands dine separately, and each night, two Hands from each department are chosen to serve the Top 45, highlighting their commitment and reinforcing the gang’s hierarchical order.

**Sharing of Profits and Prey**

Income generated by the gang’s various activities is communal, first allocated to fund necessary infrastructure, weaponry, and supplies. Once essential expenses are met, the remaining profits are divided among the ranks:

  * **Jane’s Share:** 20% of the net profits go directly to Jane Mendoza, recognizing her leadership and central role in the gang.
  * **Associates’ Share:** Another 20% is allocated among the four Associates, who are responsible for further dividing these profits within their departments. This distribution not only rewards their loyalty **but also motivates Hands and Top 10 members under each Associate.
  * Hands and Top 10 Distribution:** The Associates determine how their department’s share is divided between their Top 10 and Hands, typically rewarding those who contribute most actively to the gang’s success.
  * **Prospects:** Prospects receive no payment and are expected to prove their loyalty and service before being fully integrated into the gang’s profit structure.

**Work, Discipline, and Honor**

In the Jane Mendoza Gang, discipline is both a tool for survival and a source of honor. Violations of the gang’s rules or betrayal of trust are met with harsh punishment, typically carried out publicly to maintain order and serve as a warning to others. Hands and Prospects live with a keen awareness of their responsibilities, knowing that loyalty is paramount and that each member’s actions impact the whole.





===== Ceremonies of the Jane Mendoza Gang =====

The [[Jane Mendoza Gang’s ceremonies|Jane Mendoza Gang’s ceremonies]] are organized into categories that reflect the stages of a gang member's journey, from recruitment to initiation, promotions and special occasions. The Gang Organization Department.

Dungeon Masters can refer to the Detailed overview of the ceremonies for use in gameplay.
===== Relationship with the Zark Tribe =====

The Jane Mendoza Gang has forged a strong alliance with the [[the_zark|Zark Tribe]], a splinter group of the peace-loving [[the_honga|Honga]] tribe, who were exiled for defying their spiritual leaders. Residing in volcanic caves on the Dark Side, the Zark adapted to a harsh lifestyle, subsisting on kajanga meat, fish, and the hallucinogenic mushrooms known as [[luminofera|Luminofera dualis]] (referred to as "Shika Me La" in the native tongue).

When humans arrived on VOI 700 D, the Zark initially viewed them as divine beings but later began raiding human camps. Their relationship with humans shifted after Jane Mendoza convinced them to partner with her gang. She managed to manipulate the Zark by refining and producing an addictive concentrate from their sacred mushrooms, which she offered in exchange for use of their cave system as the gang’s headquarters. Over time, Jane gained significant control over the tribe, effectively becoming their secret leader. The Zark now assist the gang in raids, drug production, and other criminal enterprises, creating a symbiotic yet unequal partnership that furthers the gang’s operations across the Dark Side.

===== Armament of Jane Mendoza Gang =====

In the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]], where the Jane Mendoza Gang operates, strict regulations govern weapon possession. Despite this, the gang has amassed a substantial arsenal, primarily consisting of improvised and homemade weapons, along with a few rare, high-value items. Each weapon in their armory has been adapted to suit the gang’s needs in their ongoing defiance against the Federal Confederation.

Dungeon Masters can refer to the [[Detailed overview of the weapons commonly used by the gang members|Detailed overview of the weapons commonly used by the gang members]], complete with damage, range, and key properties for use in gameplay.
===== Infamous members of the Jane Mendoza Gang =====

  * **Jane Mendoza** (Gang Leader and Founder): [[jane_bold|Jane Mendoza]] 

**Associates of the Gang**

  * **Guy Mikkelstein** (Associate for Gang Organization): [[guy_mikkelstein|Guy Mikkelstein]] 
  * **Valen "Grim" Radoslav** (Associate for Robbery, Manslaughter, Kidnapping and Extortion): [[Valen Grim Radoslav|Valen "Grim" Radoslav]]
  * **Zhang "Venom" Langley** (Associate for drug production, trafficking, and distribution): [[Zhang "Venom" Langley|Zhang "Venom" Langley]] 
  * **Elke van Veldhoven** (Associate for Illegal Trade: Oversees smuggling, black market deals, and the sale of stolen goods Handles smuggling routes, black market deals, and the sale of stolen or restricted goods as well as the organization of illegal gambling and betting games.): [[Elke van Veldhoven|Elke van Veldhoven]]

**Top 10-Members**

  * **Jack Alders** (Recruiter in Firetown, Top10 in "Gang Organization"): [[Jack Alders|Jack Alders]]
  * **Tom Zanders** (Top 10 in "Robbery, Manslaughter, Kidnapping and Extortion"): [[Tom Zanders | Tom Zanders]]

**Hands**

  * **Sergio Adams** (Doorkeeper in "Illegal Trade"): [[Sergio Adams|Sergio Adams]]
  * **Adelina Boussadani**  (Drug Dealer in "Drug Operations): [[Adelina Boussadani|Adelina Boussadani]]
  * **Olai Nygard** (Courier Rider in "Illegal Trade:"): [[Olai Nygard|Olai Nygard]]
  * **Bastien Sorensen** (Hostage Specialist in "Robbery, Manslaughter, Kidnapping and Extortion"): [[Bastien Sorensen|Bastien Sorensen]]
  * **Klaus "Bird" Vikström** (Drug Dealer in Drug Operations): [[Klaus Vikström|Klaus Vikström]]

===== Related pages with additional information =====

  * [[outlaws|Outlaws]]
  * [[jane_mendoza_gang_s_ceremonies|Ceremonies of the Jane Mendoza Gang]]
  * [[detailed_overview_of_the_weapons_commonly_used_by_the_gang_members|Armament of the Jane Mendoza Gang]]
  * [[headquarters_of_the_jane_mendoza_gang|The Headquarters of the Jane Mendoza Gang]]
  * [[fate_song|The Song of Fate]]
  * [[song_of_gratefulness|The Song of Gratefulness]]
  * [[Chain Walk|Chain Walk]]