10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the Benelux countries; Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Amsterdam is very popular with tourists and it generates a lot of money for the Dutch economy from this. It’s rumoured that there are occasional attempts to sabotage the tourist trade in Amsterdam, possibly by other European cities or countries that want to scoop it up, with Berlin and Germany being favourites.
Brussels is the heart of the EC and the presence of so many EC employees, and all those who cluster where the centre of power is, results in many average Belgians being trampled underfoot. It’s said that the average Belgian is getting sick of this, but hasn’t been able to find a way to fight back.
In the Netherlands, the country was forced to abandon some of its hard-won lowlands and retreat behind higher and thicker seawalls. There’s reputedly a push to try and reclaim some of the lost lands, using the dome technologies that were pioneered in the Scandinavian Bloc.
It’s rumoured that the Netherlands is seeking allies in the EC outside of the Low Countries to help them deal with Germany once and for all, as the latter country has designs on Holland that the Dutch have no interest in facilitating, and the Dutch are therefore seeking to increase their influence.
Just about any sexual experience can be found in Amsterdam’s red-light district, including some that are illegal. It’s rumoured that there have been attempts to crack down on the really illegal things, but this has proven difficult, thanks to what appears to be support in high places.
Luxembourg is essentially the banking capital of the EC, at least when it comes to money of more dubious origin. Though Luxembourg itself isn’t bothered where such money comes from, Interpol is, and it’s rumoured that various of Interpol’s directorates have tried to get people on the inside of Luxembourg’s banks.
Much of the Netherlands is used to grow flowers for export, a luxury item and a highly profitable trade. It’s rumoured that recently some of the flower fields have been suffering from blight, ruining the crop, and that there’s evidence this blight has been tailored, suggesting a deliberate attack.
Soft drugs are easy to get in Holland and, though illegal, little is done to crackdown on their use. This results in said drugs being exported to other members of the EC, and it’s said that some are unhappy about this and want the Netherlands to be forced to do more about controlling the trade.
The super-port complex that built up around the original port of Oostende in Belgium now takes up all of the country’s coastline and extends up to 15 km inland. It’s rumoured that some within Belgium want the port restructuring so that they have access to the coast once more, and that some are willing to encourage parts of the port to move by destroying them.
The United Benelux Congress is the government that runs all three countries and gives them a united voice in the EC, but some within the countries are unhappy about the current representation their own countries have, even though this is defined by population. Some believe that, for whatever reason, they should have more people in congress than their population gives them a right to.
D10: Europe Rumours: Benelux is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about France. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
A renewal drive in Paris has seen many of the older blocks replaced with more efficient, modern buildings. This is reputedly annoying the Parisians to the extent that some have started protesting about it, and protests by the French have a tendency to rapidly lead to what the French believe is their God-given right to riot.
Dreampainting, where everyone envisioned a future and tried to make it happen, used to be common in France, but it fell out of favour, with some believing it was pushed. Recently, there are rumours that dreampainting has started seeing a resurgence in some areas, and that news stories about harmful incidents related to dreampainting have also seen a rise again.
France has been making the French Armed Forces available for hire, with the exception of strategic forces and le Legion Étranger. Though this seems to be merely a way of France making money from its well trained and often combat proven forces, others remember how France has used methods other than directly military to spread its influence, especially within Africa.
France is now up to the Seventh Republic, a morass that is mostly used to avoid making political decisions in the country. It’s rumoured that this Republic is now starting to falter, with some claiming that the country needs a monarch of some kind again.
Paris is known as the city for artists, and artists experiment and dream, looking for something new to hold the public interest. It’s rumoured that some have travelled down paths so extreme that the authorities ended up cracking down on them due to the harm that was being caused.
Parts of France are getting nationalistic urges, thanks to differences between them and the rest of the country, and there are rumours that these nationalistic movements are starting to see unusual levels of resources backing them, leading to suspicions that outside forces, whether EU rivals or genuine outsiders, are funding them.
Rumours that the French government may be planning a new tax on wine are said to have been causing riots in parts of the country, especially the major wine producing regions. The government has stated that these rumours are not true and that they are intended to just cause social discord.
The constant civil problems in Marseilles means that the city’s sea walls are not getting the maintenance they need and parts are regularly under a bit of water. It’s rumoured that the situation is even worse than it looks, and that some of the sea wall is on the brink of collapse, and that a bad storm could flood the entire city.
The French, despite being ardent supporters of the EC, have a long habit of ignoring any EC rulings they don’t care for. However, recently the government has been obeying the EC’s rulings more than it has before, and it’s rumoured that the French populace dislikes this and that some Councillors have been threatened over this.
The largest amount of arable land in Europe is in France and the country produces far more than it needs. The French are resistant to the idea of large corporate farms, however, which would increase efficiency, and it’s rumoured that the EC’s Food Commission is trying to force through changes to this.
D10: Europe Rumours: France is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Europe’s Communication, Energy, Food, Population and Technology Commissions. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Europe’s Food Commission has constant problems with surpluses and shortages, as well as the local politics of the agricultural business. Their main weapons are quotas and subsidies, and it’s rumoured that the commission has started using these as a blunt instrument to defeat some of the local politics that get in the way of food production.
Europe’s power needs are the responsibility of the Energy Commission, who invest in all kinds of power sources, meaning that in theory the EC now has enough power for its current needs. It’s rumoured that the commission has realised that Europe is going to need significantly more power generation capabilities if it’s to continue, though, and has been investing even more into renewable sources of energy, as well as ways of defending such from outside attack.
Europe’s Technology Commission keeps Europe’s technology up with the rest of the world, investing money into universities and colleges that do research and giving grants to companies with promising ideas. The commission doesn’t condone espionage or intellectual property theft, but there are rumours that occasionally some within the commission do stoop to such methods, feeling that not doing so gives the commission a disadvantage when dealing with the rest of the world.
Making sure there is enough food for everyone is the responsibility of the Food Commission, and it has control of many artificial food supplies. There are constant rumours of what goes into some of these artificial foods, with some calling them “Soylent Green” thanks to claims that the dead are recycled into food.
Terrorism is a problem for Europe’s power distribution network, comprised as it is of large targets, such as power lines, that often don’t have anyone near them. The Energy Commission is reputedly petitioning to have its own armed protective force intended to reduce the chance of attacks and proactively go after potential terrorists.
The ESA is the largest and most advanced space organisation, though it has lost some of its lead recently. The Technology Commission is rumoured to be pouring large amounts of money into space research to recapture what was lost, and especially to counter the military threat of the US.
The Communication Commission is responsible for all non-physical communications within the EC. It’s rumoured that the commission has set up eavesdropping programs in many places around the net to intercept communications, perhaps those definitely of interest, perhaps everything.
The European Space Agency is currently part of the EC’s Technology Commission, but there are rumours that some within the ESA believe that the organisation would be better served if it was its own separate commission, just like the EDF. Given that the ESA makes the Technology Commission the only commission to make a profit, this is a less than popular idea with the ESA’s current parent.
The Population Commission has been running into problems. Part of its duties are to ensure that the population in different parts of the EC is sufficient for the needs, and population decline has been causing issues with this. It’s rumoured that the commission is looking to pay families a stipend to have more children, whether their own or adopted from outside the EC.
The Technology Commission is effectively divided into three different sections; general, transport and military. It’s rumoured that the general section is currently cooperating with the military section, using the resources of both, to develop some new generations of bioweapons.
D10: Europe Rumours: The Communication, Energy, Food, Population and Technology Commissions is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Europe’s Defence Commission. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
A significant task for the European Air Force is to provide air superiority, and it’s rumoured that the EAF has started moving into an area normally more the province of the Army in order to maintain this; namely, ground-based systems intended to strike at enemy aircraft.
EDF General Jürgen Vogel is the commander of the EDF and the longest-serving of the commissioners. He’s disliked by many of the Secretariat, but after the trade commissioner was killed in an anti-terrorist raid after accusing the general of incompetence and suggesting he be removed, they have been reluctant to speak out against him. It’s rumoured, though, that given the general’s habit of leading from the front, some in the Secretariat are considering how he could meet a similar kind of accident during a raid.
It’s rumoured that Interpol has been assigned to look into claims of extensive corruption in the EDF’s Procurement, something that has always been a concern. It’s said that the EDF isn’t cooperating, though, wanting to deal with any potential problems internally, rather than having outsiders do so.
One of the tasks of the EDF Air Force is to work with the ESA, going after smugglers’ deltas whilst within the atmosphere. It’s rumoured that recently the Air Force has suffered some unexpected losses of aircraft whilst doing this. Though there have been no fatalities so far, there’s a concern that some smugglers may have discovered a vulnerability in the fighters sent after them.
Procurement for the EDF can be a complicated process, one that is affected by both political considerations and the fear of getting needed technology from a potential enemy. It’s rumoured that some European companies are being quietly and secretly bought up by foreign nationals in order to affect the supply and procurement chain of the EDF in the event of war.
The European Air Force is rumoured to be looking into developing a new kind of air superiority fighter, and this would be one that has suborbital capabilities too, allowing it to strike into low Earth orbit. It’s said that the ESA is currently fighting with the Air Force about this, given they feel that even suborbital operations fall under their purview.
The European Medical Corps provides medical support to Europe’s military and are often called in when disasters or emergencies happen. It’s rumoured that the EC is considering using the EMC outside of Europe when disasters hit other regions, with the idea of using the EMC’s abilities as useful European propaganda.
The Weapons Design Team in Brussels is the autonomous arm of the EDF that designs new equipment and then module building and final construction is spread around the rest of the EC. It’s rumoured that Interpol has been investigating reports of kickbacks to members of the WDT from companies that have been selected to do construction.
There are rumours that EDF Medical, when it’s on any frontline operation, sometimes takes enemy combatants, especially such as terrorists who won’t be missed, and writes them up as having died in combat, so that they can be shipped back to European corporations to be used as unwilling test subjects for new technologies and medicines.
There is usually at least one EMC trooper with every army unit and on every naval vessel. Some within the EDF believe that the requirements for EMC troopers with the naval units in particular need to be stepped up, as it’s thought that sometimes having only one is inadequate.
D10: Europe Rumours – The Defence Commission II is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Europe’s Defence Commission. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Heavily armed fast patrol boats are the primary vessels of the EDF Navy, used to intercept shipping and patrol the coasts, and it’s rumoured that recently the navy has been funding development of a new kind of patrol boat, one intended to be even faster and more dangerous than the current ones, using advanced technology that would make them capable of going up against larger craft.
It’s rumoured that the EDF Navy has a number of old ICBM subs stashed away, and there are also rumours about just why the EDF might have such. They range from their traditional role, that of launching missiles, though not necessarily nuclear ones, to carrier subs that have had the missile tubes stripped out and replaced with everything from mini submarines to aircraft to drones to marines.
The Defence Commission is rumoured to be looking into the idea of folding all the EC’s existing national militaries into the banner of the EDF, which is something more than a few member states would be unhappy with if it were to happen. The commission is reputed to believe that having all the militaries permanently working together would make them a more effective fighting force.
The EDF Army’s Covert Operations Units are the elite units of the army, and specialise in undercover missions, where they blend into the populace of the area to which they are assigned. Though they are often used for anti-terrorism operations, there are rumours of black units operating in foreign countries, ready to strike if needs be.
The EDF has three of its own officer training camps, which were opened in 2019. One of these camps is in Turkey, and there are rumours that this camp in particular has been suffering problems with the locals, especially the local fundamentalists who would seem to prefer if the camp was abandoned. It’s rumoured that as a result the EDF is assembling a counter-terror team to strike back.
The EDF Navy has a lot of subs, from old hunter killers to sub freighters to fast patrol subs to old ICBM subs. It’s rumoured that the navy is in the process of developing new assault submarines with similar capabilities to their assault carriers, though smaller and intended to spend most of the time beneath the surface.
The EDF started recruiting their own personnel in 2015, making the standards high so that they only recruited the best. Some of the member nations of the EU have been complaining that the EDF is now siphoning away the best of their own military personnel, both those currently serving and those who might have joined in the future.
The EN’s primary missions are around Europe, which means that they lack the sort of vessels needed for force projection. It’s rumoured that some within the navy are trying to raise funds to build some vessels that could be used to project the EC’s influence to other parts of the world, though most feel this is outside the community’s purview.
The organisation of the EDF means that the force isn’t expected to deal with major invasions, with such being left to the militaries of the EC’s member countries. It’s rumoured, though, that some within the Defence Commission believe that the EDF needs to broaden its role by incorporating more units intended for front-line battle.
There has been a battle between Interpol and the EDF Army over which should be responsible for dealing with terrorism, with the effectiveness of the army’s Covert Operations Units at dealing with terrorism meaning that the army is starting to win the political conflict. It’s rumoured that Interpol has been attempting to recruit its own similar units, and often by poaching personnel from the army’s COUs.
D10: Europe Rumours – The Defence Commission is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Europe’s Exterior Commission. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Europe feels somewhat responsible for the South American nations, most of which were colonised by EC members, though the drugs and human rights issues are a problem. The Exterior Commission is reputedly working with some of the more honest South American politicians to try and solve the drug problem.
Europe on the whole deals with the small states of Southern Africa on a case-by-case basis, allowing the EC to deal with two countries who are bitter enemies with less trouble. It’s rumoured that agents of the Exterior Commission have been attempting to increase European influence in the area, slowly creating regimes that are favourable to, or beholden to, the EC.
Europe’s Exterior Commission is the diplomatic corps and are the visible face of Europe around the world, tasked with keeping relations with others at least cordial. It’s rumoured that the commission will generously pay for information on what other nations and trading groups are up to, not so much for underhanded purposes but so that the EC can adapt and ensure relations remain stable if not outright improve.
Europe’s relations with the countries of Asia are pretty straightforward, in that everyone knows where they stand, even if that is in a fight with each other over the world’s markets. It’s rumoured that the Exterior Commission is attempting to parlay this understanding into a better relationship for each side, so that they can divide the world between them.
It’s rumoured that agents of the Exterior Commission are attempting to create a ground roots swell of tolerance for Europe and the EC within the US. They have reputedly been playing on the long-standing alliances between the different nations, recalling them as a better time with the intention of getting American citizens to start considering a return to such times.
Representatives of the Exterior Commission are said to be in negotiations with those from the Pan-African Confederation about the member countries of the latter joining the EC. The negotiations are said to still be in their earliest stages, though this is something that other countries would object to and there may already have been attempts to sabotage the talks.
Sub-Saharan Africa has strong links to the EC and it’s rumoured that representative of the Exterior Commission are trying to make these even stronger. It’s also rumoured that the Free Africa Foundation is concerned about what might happen should ties between the EC and that region of Africa become even stronger.
The Exterior Commission is reputedly investing resources into improving the EC’s relations with Eastern Europe and the Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics by trying to convince the in habitants of Eastern Europe that the EC does not regard them as backwards cousins valuable only for cheap labour and land. This is reportedly hitting snags as that is precisely how the EC views them.
The Exterior Commission is trying to convince the nations of the Free Africa Foundation that the EC is not trying to take back the old European African colonies, so that relations between the EC and the FAF can be improved. It’s rumoured that part of this involves spending comparatively large amounts of money on FAF politicians, and that many of these politicians are just pocketing the cash.
The Exterior Commission is trying to sort out the EC’s relationship with the US, as it declined drastically and now it appears that different sections want different relationships, with some verging on open warfare. The commission is said to be funding some US politicians to try and create a more coherent relationship with the country.
D10: Europe Rumours- Exterior Commission is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Europe’s Interior and Trade Commissions. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
EC citizenship papers are issued by the Interior Commission, and such have a great deal of value to non-citizens. It’s rumoured that if you know the right palms to grease, you can get citizenship papers made to spec, but it’s also rumoured that many of these schemes are traps intended to catch the unwary.
Electric trains funded by the Interior Commission crisscross the EC, and they link the continent together in a speedy and supposedly safe web. There are rumours, though, of accidents on part of the network, caused by funds supposedly for superior quality materials being diverted elsewhere and substandard materials used instead.
Maglev trains are one of the ways in which the Interior Commission has improved the transport infrastructure within the EC, and that project alone involved vast sums of money. There are rumours that there is an internal investigation going into just how the money was spent, and rumours that corruption may have been excessive.
Member states of the EC who fail to follow EC rulings are punished by the Interior Commission by cutting their area development grants. It’s rumoured that the commission has sometimes used this ability as a weapon in order to force politicians to do what they want, or even leave office.
Some believe that the Trade Commission, which fights hard against excessively high import tariffs on European goods, has at times used means that could only be described as being underhanded in order to convince other countries that the tariffs they are considering would be a very bad idea, and that for everyone’s sake it would be best to abandon such ideas.
The Interior Commission has, over the last decade, changed the focus of their endeavours to improving conditions for EC residents in the hopes that this will help reduce stress and crime. It’s rumoured that some within the commission have been looking into other, less savoury, ways of getting people to behave, from drugs in the water and food to programming with subliminal messages incorporated.
The powers of the Interior Commission have been used to great effect in southern Europe, where countries are poorer and a loss of an area development grant can make a great deal of difference to the economy. There are rumours that the commission’s powers are wielded in such a way as to keep the poorer countries poor, so that they can’t challenge the richer ones.
The sea walls built on the coasts of Europe have provided an easy way for smugglers to dock and get their goods into the EC. It’s rumoured that the Trade Commission is looking into adding automated defences to the sea walls that will fire on those lacking the correct IFF response, but so far, they have been running into problems over fears that such automated defences might end up accidentally firing on someone foolish but connected who has turned off their IFF.
The Trade Commission has to deal with goods being smuggled into Europe, which costs the EC large amounts of money. It’s rumoured that many smugglers are backed by foreign powers and megacorps who want to see the EC weakened, and reducing the community’s tax income is one way of achieving this.
The Trade Commission is responsible for balancing out Europe’s trade, both imports and exports, and it is essential to ensure trading partners’ economies aren’t grinding to a halt. It’s rumoured that bribes are common in the Trade Commission, or at least bribery attempts are, with various exterior partners trying to get investment in their own economies and have their rivals shunned.
D10: Europe Rumours: The Interior and Trade Commissions is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Europe’s Finance Commission. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Audits by the Finance Commission are done on individuals and companies with holdings or throughput in excess of 20,000 eurodollars, with random samplings done on those with less value. It’s rumoured that the random samplings are not entirely random, and that it’s possible to get individuals or companies specifically targeted.
Commissioners of the Finance Commission often work with Interpol to help the latter with their cases. It’s rumoured that some within the Finance Commission and within Interpol believe that those employed by the other should be permanently assigned to them as part of their own organisation.
Company and personal finances are audited by the Finance Commission, and it’s rumoured that some of the auditors working for the commission are little more than thugs running a protection racket, with those refusing to pay the necessary “fees” ending up on the wrong ends of audits which, without fail, always find indications of illegal activity.
Eurobonds are issued by the Eurobank to investors, offering fixed interest rates and available for multiples of five years. It’s rumoured that recently the bank has been issuing Eurobonds in greater than normal numbers, with some wondering just why the bank is seeking so much investor money.
Part of the Finance Commission is currently running blind tests with members of the general public, both within the EU and without, to see what neutral name the eurodollar should be renamed to, so that there is less objection to it becoming the world’s currency.
The auditors and inspectors of the Finance Commission all have degrees of at least masters level, though some study in their spare time whilst at more junior levels. It’s rumoured that the commission has been considering founding its own college in order to train its staff with the degrees they need.
The EC’s finances are controlled by the Finance Commission, which ensures that the budgets of the different commissions are sufficient for their needs. It’s rumoured that those commissions who annoy the Finance Commission in any way find their income drying up and the reasons for this always seem to be corruption within the targeted commission.
The Eurobank is the most powerful financial institution in the world, and rumour is that it’s even more powerful than it seems. It’s said that the Eurobank has been quietly picking up stakes in financial institutions in other countries, slowly allowing it to affect a country’s economics without wielding the brute force of the eurodollar against them.
The Finance Commission has a large number of security personnel, for transportation and site security and as the bodyguards of inspectors and auditors. It’s rumoured that the commission is planning to organise its security personnel so that they are more like a military force than a security one.
The reserves of the Eurobank are stored within vaults in the mountains between Freilassing and Salzburg. These have a reputation for being the strongest vaults on the planet, and it’s rumoured that, so far, no-one has managed to successfully breach them. Which doesn’t stop people from trying, and it’s said that those who get closest, and survive the experience, are offered the choice of either indenture to the Finance Commission or being disappeared.
D10: Europe Rumours: The Finance Commission is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about Interpol. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Counter-espionage, against both countries and corporations, is handled by Interpol’s I-2 directorate. The tension between Europe and the US has led the latter to be I-2’s primary target, and some within Interpol and the European Commission are concerned that this means other potential enemies are being allowed to operate far more freely than they should. It’s said that they are trying to redirect some of I-2’s efforts towards other nations.
Europe’s Mediterranean Patrols have very similar aims to Interpol’s I-6 directorate, so much so that the bureaucracy is trying to incorporate the patrols into I-6. Not everyone in the Mediterranean Patrols is happy with that idea, though, and are pulling in every favour they can to stop it.
I-4, the Interpol directorate that monitors corporations that operates in Europe, is intended to deal with corporations that try to bypass the law. It’s rumoured that in cases where there is a European corporation and a foreign one that I-4 will concentrate its efforts on the foreign one, so that the local company comes out of it better than the foreign one.
I-3’s new policy of recruiting caught netrunners to their own side has resulted in an influx of new, less hidebound talent, but also an influx of ‘runners who bear something of a grudge. Though these criminal netrunners are watched carefully, it’s said that a number of them are quietly working together to compromise the whole directorate so that they can regain their freedom.
Interpol never really caught on as the international police force it was originally intended to be, and it functions more like a strictly European one. However, it’s said that some within the organisation have never really given up on the international idea, and will do what they can to further this goal, which does include helping out the constabularies of other countries outside Europe to gain influence and favours.
Interpol’s I-1 directorate was founded as a counter-terrorism arm and originally used to conduct raids themselves but this has now been taken over by the army. However, both the army and Interpol feel that the intelligence and operations parts should be combined under one command; whose depends on whether it’s the army or Interpol. This is causing some friction in the operations as well as some manoeuvring on the council.
Interpol’s I-5 directorate is responsible for law enforcement in space and has recently been given jurisdiction over off planet interests by most orbit capable nations, with the US being the exception. It’s rumoured that a covert war is being waged in space between I-5 and the US, with the latter trying to impair I-5 in any way it can in order to protect its own interests.
Netcrime, Interpol’s I-3 directorate, only has a limited jurisdiction, tasked with only reacting to crimes that may affect the EC or EC property. It’s rumoured, though, that the agents of the directorate often have a very liberal interpretation when it comes to judging what crimes affect the EC, and regularly go beyond the letter of their mandate against those they believe could harm or are plotting to harm the EC electronically.
The newest directorate of Interpol is I-6, which covers organised crime. Perhaps because they are new, they have had some early successes, and it’s rumoured that some of the larger criminal groups have started putting prices on the heads of I-6 agents, because they have caused a drop in profitability.
The Pyramid is the main administrative centre for Interpol and it’s also home to its central datafortress. It’s rumoured that there are high bounties for any runners who can manage to breach the Pyramid’s protections and get into the datafortress, and that many who have tried have ended up mind burned as a result.
D10: Europe Rumours – Interpol is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the European Council and the Secretariat. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
Councillor Evienne de Tours is notorious for getting into trouble, with photos and other things that most would find compromising turning up. So far, this doesn’t seem to have harmed the councillor, and there are rumours that if anything they may have increased her popularity with some citizens, with even suggestions that de Tours has arranged for such leaks herself.
Increased threats against some members of the Secretariat have resulted in the more high-ranking members pressing to, quietly, increase the size of their protection details, in particular seeking to get some of the more skilled members of the EDF protecting them. This is naturally something the EDF commanders feel is a waste of their soldiers’ talents.
It’s rumoured that the Secretariat, as the true force behind the running of Europe, have been increasing their power by ensuring that councillors elected to the European Council are chosen from candidates that the Secretariat have secretly approved. Though this doesn’t always work, it’s said that a growing percentage of the council is completely under the sway of the civil servants supposed to serve it.
Joachim Krüger is a former rocker and current representative for the Free Earth Alliance for the East Central Munich seat. Shortly after his victory, he was non-fatally shot in a drive-by that the police are treating as accidental. Neither Krüger nor his supporters believe that, and are attempting to investigate the connections that the police have with the People’s Democratic Party, whose candidate was defeated. It’s rumoured that there have been a number of anonymous threats received by those doing the investigating.
Members of the European Council may have to do a lot of work, but there’s also a lot of money to be made by the councillors, not just from the salary and allowances which are already huge, but the gifts from corporations who want councillors to be seen with their goods. It’s rumoured that there have been a number of attempts to reign in any excess, but these never get anywhere and those who push too hard frequently discover they’ve broken the law.
More than one group within Europe has a poor opinion of the councillors and the Secretariat, but the councillors and the highest-ranking members of the Secretariat all have heavy security. It’s rumoured, though, that lower down the food chain more than one member of the Secretariat has recently suffered an “accident” that was anything but.
Rolf Schneider is the Speaker of the European Council and he has a reputation for being a middle of the road selection. This makes him a compromise candidate and the definition of a good compromise is one that makes everyone unhappy, and it’s rumoured that this is indeed the case with Schneider, with neither the left nor the right liking his choosing.
The member states of the European Community are entitled to one councillor on the Euro Council for every 100 million eurodollars it pays into the EC. This gives the richer states a greater influence, and it’s rumoured that the smaller states have been seeking ways of boosting their income by inviting the wealthy and megacorps into their countries, and are not exactly bothered by just how legal their monies are, in exchange for substantial tax breaks.
The Secretariat are the high-level civil servants of Europe, with the commissioners assigned from the top tier of the Secretariat. Though the Secretariat and the commissioners are nominally subject to the orders of the councillors, most remain in their positions far longer than any councillor and are said to be the hidden power behind the throne.
There are rumours that some of the members of the European Council have become troubled by the amount of power that the Secretariat has, which even influences everything the counsellors do. However, it’s also rumoured that any councillor who makes too much of a fuss has dubious events from their past suddenly being discovered by the media.
D10: Europe Rumours – The European Council is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Want to Get a Discount on New Releases?
Sign up for our newsletter and get them by email in our weekly update together with discounts on new releases.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe