| Mutant Mongrels MC
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xxxxxThe New York chapter of a mutant 1%er motorcycle club, the Mongrels love their bikes, love their community, and love a bit of chaos.
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| Reputation
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xxxxxAmong humans who live relatively innocuous lives, they probably haven't heard much in terms of serious detail. The Mongrels are a loud and criminal mutant biker gang, not infrequently referenced in some story or other involving Mutant Trouble or Drug Crime, but actual details? Average PTA Mom, Joe NIMBY, probably don't know much except they're trouble, the way they might vaguely know what a Blood or a Crip is (enough to know they don't want them around their neighborhood!) but not have any real idea what a gang is'.
xxxxxAmong those with any connections to the seedier side of town, most especially but not exclusively around Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, the Mongrels are very active and distressingly successful players in the drugs, weapons, and stolen goods markets. The relatively tiny size of their gang is made up for by their firepower, as more than one human gang with considerably larger manpower has learned the hard way. They have a reputation for doing everything the Wrong Way, as 1%er clubs go (they allow in women, they have members of all races, wtf is going ON over there); anyone who wants to offer cultural critique is welcome to offer it to their often very bitey faces. They have a reputation for being very fair in their business dealings to those who respect them, and extremely terrifying to those who try and mess with them.
xxxxxAmong several marginalized communities in the city, their reputation is immense -- what their feelings are might be more complex! It's well known that they're involved in a lot of crime, that they have a reputation for violence, that they're the place to go if you want a fix -- probably, plenty of people are going to have Opinions about them and the ways that they reflect on mutants at large.
xxxxxIt is, however, also pretty commonly known that they're also the people to go to if your mom can't afford her insulin. If your little sister needs her college textbooks. If you have to choose between the electricity bill or your abuela's arthritis medication this month. The Mongrels run a free pop-up community clinic for folks who can't access regular medications and doctors, they make frequent house calls to check in on folks who have been struggling for food or basics, they'll remember your kid's birthday and slip you something great to give them. They put the smackdown on bigots who have been harassing mutants in the community, they'll bail you out when the cops pick you up for Being Blue In Public. They are also the de facto keepers-of-the-peace and managers-of-logistics for Freaktown, the mutant autonomous zone growing in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx, which has spread their reputation far from their usual haunts in Brooklyn and Manhattan and extended it through most of mutant community citywide.
xxxxxThough their primary focus and protectorate is mutants and mutants are by far the most likely to know of and have SOME opinion on the Mongrels, they have a solid reputation among immigrant communities, particularly Latine and Chinese. Their name and insignia is quite well-known throughout neighborhoods dominated by these groups, and people tend to be very well aware of their business. While opinions of them are extremely varied, there is often a reluctance in community to outright turn them in to the cops -- whether this comes from fear or the fact that everyone and their mother has a family member who has been helped by the Mongrels at some time or other.
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| Structure
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xxxxxThe Mongrels have a fairly extensive set of bylaws! They are not all getting written down here. Many of them detail what various rank responsibilities are, how meetings and elections happen, etc. There is a hierarchy, with most of the top positions in the club gained or lost by member vote.
- President: Leader of the club. Represents the club in dealings with outside organizations, expected to be guide and mentor to the rest of the club members. Does not normally vote during meetings but has the tie-breaking vote when necessary, and can make final executive decisions on matters not covered in the bylaws. Elected position.
- Vice President: Second-in-command, Takes on duties of the President if the President is incapacitated; perhaps more importantly, expected to be an intermediary between the club and the President in case of any disputes or conflicts. Ideally, someone who can and will stand up to the President and check them if they are making Bad Decisions. Elected position.
- Secretary - Records keeper, club historian, ideally should know Everyone's Business and be the person who has all the info if someone needs it. Elected position.
- Treasurer - $$$! Elected position.
- Sergeant-at-Arms - Sort of a club enforcer -- responsible internally for making sure club members are actually following their rules. Keeps order at meetings, keeps order culturally, Handles Shit when people need to be disciplined or evicted from the club. Also looks after the prospects, both making sure they are not fucking up and making sure nobody in the club is fucking them over. Often acts as bodyguard to the President. Elected position.
- Enforcer - like a deputy to the sergeant-at-arms, similar responsibilities but answers to them. Chosen by the SAA.
- Road Captain - In charge of club runs. Organizes them, plans them, has authority over everyone on the road while on a run. Should know the streets real well, should know the club members and their needs real well, should know rival crews real well. Responsible for everyone's health and safety on the road during official club rides. Elected position.
- Tail gunner - like a deputy to the Road Captain, responsible for riding at the back of the ride and making sure nobody is left behind, seeing to anyone who falls behind if they need first aid for themselves or their bikes. Chosen by the Road Captain.
- Dog of War - not a position; a patch earned by performing acts of particular bravery of note in defense of the club. Anyone can nominate a member for this at a meeting; approved by vote.
xxxxxThough in many ways they are a somewhat unconventional 1%er MC, in many respects a lot of their laws are quite typical of the culture. Members are expected to treat other Mongrels with respect (this includes treating the significant others of another Mongrel with respect, meaning both looking out for them when necessary and not tryna get in their pants), are expected to defend other Mongrels if they are attacked, are expected to attend a reasonable percentage of Club meetings and rides and pay their dues, are expected not to discuss Club business with outsiders. Belonging to another outlaw club is strictly forbidden. Owning a motorcycle is required, though the club will absoulutely help a member out if their bike is damaged or otherwise lost. Riding your bike to Official Club Business also required. Wearing Mongrels colors is taken very seriously; they are required to wear their colors at all official business; letting anyone outside the Club handle their colors is a violation and even within the Club a member will generally not touch anyone else's cut without explicit permission. Participating in the Club's business is mandatory. Stepping up to defend the Club when necessary, also mandatory. If there is ever doubt about something, unranked members defer to ranked members and everyone defers to the President. Violation of any club rules can be met with a range of repercussions ranging from fines to ass-whupping to being kicked out of the club with your colors confiscated (and if you've had them tattooed on you, they'll take those as well.)
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| Spaces
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xxxxxFreaktown - a mutant autonomous zone in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, Freaktown is a small community where the Mongrels attempt to give any mutant who turns up safe harbor. It's a bit chaotic there at any given time -- a lots of formerly Very Swank Estates repurposed to be a refuge for mutantkind. Freaktown consists of a number of enormous mansions and their surrounding grounds augmented by a LOT of patchwork structures that the community has put together to keep itself running, all around a central 'town square' of sorts that is sort of gathering space and marketplace in one.
xxxxxHellhound Bikes - The Mongrels' actual home base, their garage and clubhouse. Actually a functioning motorcycle garage, not just a den of crimes.
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| Recruitment
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xxxxxPotential interested members ICly need to be sponsored by an existing member. Any member can sponsor a prospect; the prospect is then there at that member's discretion and their Sponsor can pull their rocker at any time for any reason so it's best to not piss your sponsor off. The Mongrels do not participate in any kind of violent/traumatic hazing that some clubs do, but the Prospects are still the drudges of the Club. They are expected, within reason, to do Literally Any odd jobs and club tasks a club member asks while on Club property/at Club events/with Club members. ("Within reason" as defined by their bylaws is, anything that that club member would themselves be willing to do or has previously done in service of the club.) Prospects have to attend club meetings and pay dues but cannot vote. Minimum time spent as a prospect is 6 months, after which the sponsor can, if they feel the prospect is ready, bring it to the club for a vote. Two or more 'nos' is automatic rejection. Nobody will be given a second opportunity to prospect. 'Readiness' is usually gauged by a combination of factors -- whether they can handle themselves on a bike, whether they've learned their way around the garage, how they've treated the other members, whether they seem level-headed/have discretion to handle club business, whether they aren't a chickenshit.
xxxxxObviously, any potential members need to be mutants.
xxxxxJoining is hard and leaving is also hard. Joining an MC is a lifestyle, not a hobby. Members who have been in the club for years and would like to leave amicably are generally given that respect but must go through the Club president to officially turn over their colors; people who are seen as disloyal, untrustworthy, flaky, etc, often only leave with significantly more bruises than they came in with and, depending on the circumstances, it may not be safe to show their faces around Club territory in future. Attempting to leave but keep your colors is seen as an offense to be met with violence.
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| Roster
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- Ion - President. Insignia - a fanged and horned skull over a pair of crossed lightning bolts
- B - Pack Member/Dog of War. Insignia - a sharktoothed skull over a pair of crossed fencing foils
- Shane - Pack Member. Insignia - a sharktoothed skull over a pair of crossed violin bows
- Scramble - Pack Member/Dog of War. Insignia - a fanged and horned skull over a pair of crossbones; the skull has hypnotic swirling eyesockets and brightly colored birds circling it
- Taylor - Pack Member
- Nick - Pack Member
- J.C. - Pack Member. Insignia - a skull with long curved fangs and two short rounded horns over a pair of crossbones
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xxxxxThe Mongrels' emblem is a Jolly Roger, though each one is personalized to the rider. It is universal that the MC logo contains a skull and crossbones, with the skull always altered in some way to look other-than-human (horns, fangs, etc.) but the particular manner of freakishness as well as the crossbones below vary heavily from member to member.
xxxxxFor patched members, insignia patches are worn as so: on the back, a top rocker that says MUTANT MONGRELS; a bottom rocker that says EMPIRE STATE, their club insignia large in the center between these. On the front, smaller patches on the left side of the vest for chapter (EMPIRE STATE), MUTANT MONGRELS, and any earned but non-ranked patches such as DOG OF WAR; on the right side patches with their road name and club rank. Some members choose to add other patches beside these but that is the standard all patched members will have.
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