The Blasphemers are a street gang in Orpheus primarily composed of the spirits and hues of deceased gang members that have allied themselves with living gangs; they are the only such "spook gang" in existence. They are also a major part of the pigment distribution network.
The Blasphemers received their name from Uriah Bishop, a Flatliner who felt those who did not follow him in death were defying God. Although he referred to any other Flatliner who did not come with him as a Blasphemer, the name was liked and adopted by those who became leaders of the gang.
Gang Statistics[]
There are eighteen ghostly members of the gang total. The four leaders are Flatliners and were former gang leaders before their escape and subsequent death; each controls a different division of the gang and have their own dedicated followers among the ghostly gang members. The rest of the spirits and hues serve as subordinates and grunts to the four.
Lucas "Big Man" Broad: The de-facto leader of the Blasphemers.
Carlton Jackson: Assists Broad in running the gang.
Stephen Moluxe: Helps the gang in order to realize his eventual dream of creating a Hispanic empire in the United States.
Jeffrey Rose: A member for reasons known only to himself, Rose suffers from a multiple-personality disorder.
Gang Business[]
While most members of the actual Blasphemers are ghosts, many of them work through living gangs to get their business done. They do everything to providing their allies with information to using their Horrors to "enhance" the abilities of their living counterparts. The gangs involved keep a close watch on their turf and strictly enforce the boundaries of their territory against other gangs and invaders. As deals are constantly being made and broken, the boundaries are also constantly shifting. It is easy for an unwitting gang-banger or ghost to accidentally encroach on the Blasphemers turf and receive a swift retaliation.
The Blasphemers have a strict policies when it comes to getting new gangs or would-be contacts directly involved. Interested members and allies have to prove themselves to not only the living gang, but also the Flatliners in charge before they are accepted. Money works, but a more established bond is created through doing a job for the Blasphemers; killing a target is one of the usual methods of initiation. Approaching the Flatliners directly is not easy, and any charge at them earns the wrath of their subordinates, both living and dead. Sometimes, deals that work in one part of the gang do not apply to others, especially where Moluxe and Rose are involved; Jackson and Broad do not trust their judgement and seem to have distanced themselves from those parts of the gang.
The Blasphemers cause a lot of trouble for Orpheus Group employees who survived the attack on the company by NextWorld, but also serve as an early source of information on the Flatliners and Project Flatline in the wake of the company's destruction.
References[]
- Orpheus: Shades of Gray, p. 35 -38, 55-57