Issue 16

Last issue, I talked about some moons and asteroids nearby Ita. This issue, Ill cover some people that the crew will meet during their journeys. First, the PCs need a good bad guy/crimeboss to go up against. Im not going to have the game be about beating down an underworld Don but I figure that if I have one in the works, then I can pop him in anytime I want. And hes gonna be a good foil for the PCs.

the laughing buddha

Li Ho Fook is a crimelord on planet ____________ (GMs choice). Hes a mostly good man in an evil business, forced to do many evil things in order to survive. And Li Ho is all about survival. As a child, he was a musical prodigy, playing an excellent violin. He kept mostly to himself, but practiced. His father, a plant manager, made some enemies and ended up dead. Soon after, his mother died, just wasting away due to extreme sorrow. Li Ho was alone. But hed been noticed. A local crimelord, eager to appear genteel, picked Li Ho up off the streets, gave him a new violin and only required that little Li play for him. And play Li did. And watched. Never wanting to face that helpless situation again, Li Ho spent his teen years learning. He killed his first man at 14, saving his bosss life. That day he became a full member of the gang. Li Ho married and had children and worked his way up. He made friends and eliminated rivals and noone could trace any dirty deeds back to him. He cultivated friendships with other criminal groups and gathered allies. Because of his great loyalty to his boss, he waited until the death of the old man before personally killing his bosss son with his bare hands and only he knows where the body is buried. Li Ho was still a young man when he inherited his position. Those friendships with other gangs lead to a larger, more organized enterprise. He took on the big figures on his planet and came out on top, eliminating the older kingpins to become boss of bosses. And there were plenty of obstacles to remove.

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When the Unification War came, he used the opportunity to infuse both sides of the conflict with his influence, resulting in him coming out on top, whichever side won. Li Ho secretly betrayed several Independent divisions to Alliance forces while still maintaining his good standing with both sides. At the end of the war, a number of people knew too much and the stain had to be removed. Li Ho is, if anything, habitually clean. Unfortunately, his family life hasnt been very good. While his wife loves him, his three sons have grown up arrogant and plot against him and each other. His own No. 1 son shot and killed him just last year. But he didnt stay dead. Yes, Li Ho Fook came back as a Harrowed. His son, however, did not. He blamed the death on a convenient enemy and wiped them completely out as a warning to others who would attack his family. His wife does not know the truth, about her son or about Lis condition. Li Ho still plays the violin every day. He supports young artists and cultural events. Hes a pillar of the community, with multiple legitimate businesses. He gives to the poor. He works hard to protect himself and his family and wonders where he went wrong with his own children. He insists that his crew behave appropriately to people and keep violence to a minimum, where required. Politeness, even while squeezing protection money, it a virtue. He kills child abusers and thats a strong warning to everyone in his circle of influence. In the grand scheme of things, as a crimelord, hes actually pretty benevolent. But hes still a crimelord. Appearancewise, hes a fat, jolly man who is always smiling and never seems to take offense at anything, simply brushing aside any rudeness he encounters with a negligent wave of his hand (later, his men correct the offending person). He dresses conservatively in expensive but understated clothing and is always willing to listen to young musicians (which has lead to more than one attempt on his life). Since hes become Harrowed, hes not sure if he really was killed but there was a lot of blood. A voice in his head keeps telling him to do horrible things, but the control hes exerted with his life has kept him from succumbing. But his easy access to violence and the role he plays will lead to an end that may not result in his death but will end in his eternal damnation by the slaughter he will cause.