This section was written by my friend George, it details his character Kevillen Manfred's gang, and their impact on Meridian. It is also the gang with which Ramsey Dreadslay is most associated with...at the moment.

The Reapers
Anarch Street Gang

George - This is just a short description I wrote, concerning my Anarch character's greatest tool - the Reapers street gang. I believe that mortals in the World of Darkness are often overlooked and misused as cardboard dupes and cannon fodder. Not so for Kevillen's crew. I have delved into the relationship between master and servant, leader and follower, on both ends. Every mortal institution in the World of Darkness games have faces, personalities, and human aspects. The Reapers are no different...

The Reapers: Villains turned Crusaders

The Reapers are considered by many to be the deadliest of the People-aligned gangs of young hoodlums on the East Side, and their ruthless 'take no prisoners' attitude has helped them earn their name on the mean streets of Meridian's slums. Though not directly involved with the Sabbat in any way, they are one of countless reminders of the hellish conditions that Meridian was left in after the Black Hand's reign of terror had long ended. The gang was founded in the mid-90s as a small band of youths who ran drugs, guns, and other contraband for higher gangbangers on the East Side. Lead by Ethan O'Shay, the Reapers quickly became infamous by gunning down several members of Meridian's Gangsta Disciples, who were currently vying for turf with the gang and their allies. The youths became yet another feared and murderous set in the midst of the city's urban decay. After Sabbat-dominance in Meridian was crushed by Mattias Ezekiel and the Camarilla, the gang's days as independent lesser predators running in the shadows of the real sharks began to come to an end and they quickly came under the influence of the Anarchs in the nights of partisan warfare between Camarilla/Anarch and Sabbat vampires - which the Black Hand lost badly on all fronts. Ethan O'Shay became the ghoul of the Anarch overlord Kayin and the Reapers, like the rest of the Dreadslay's East Side gang alliance were supplied by the Brujah's Irish Republican Army contacts with the top-quality automatic weapons and phosphorus ammunition. Even after Kayin's assassination and O'Shay's disappearance, the Reapers still have access to the IRA contacts and stockpiles of deadly explosives and firearms. Kevillen Manfred resurfaced in East Meridian after fleeing Los Angeles and has easily taken control of the gang - and its arsenal.

Kevillen Manfred has begun to indoctrinate the Reapers into a Gothic-Punk flavored 'dark fantasy' ideology - stressing the existence of 'demons and werewolves' as the enemy and urging his young followers to delve into the occult to learn more about the world they live in. He has also stressed the corruption of parts of the Catholic church and encouraged paganistic outlooks in his followers. Reaper gangbangers often carry incendiary and silver ammunition to deal with these 'demons' and see themselves as dark crusaders and reluctant killers - protecting themselves and the people who live on their 'turf' from the forces of evil. Despite this manipulation, Kevillen sees himself as their protector and savior - teaching his followers to defend themselves and others against the monsters of the night - from the Camarilla and the Sabbat to the lupines and the Inquisition. The Reapers hold a true siege mentality. The whole world is at war and they are fighting for a righteous cause, so says their leader.

Kevillen Manfred's sharpest dagger may indeed be the gang of vampire-hunters he has created on the city's East Side, but he hopes to salvage their once fleeting humanity by teaching them that there is more at stake than greed and corruption.

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000 Chris McKinney