Sacred Blades

The Sacred Blades are one of the many gangs in Night City.

Details
The Sacred Blades are a combat gang favoring large bowie and machete-style blades. Much like Heidelburg sabre scars, no member of the Sacred Bladeswould be seen without multiple battle marks all over the body. Open slashes won in honorable combat are rubbed with "ceremonial" substances to cause scarring. The gang is all male, but tolerates female followers to do domestic chores.

Though organized on a stereotype of Amerind culture, the gang is extremely multi-ethnic in nature. The use of mind-altering drugs for rituals to purify the heart and mind, accompanied by mild self-inflicted torture (to inure the body to pain), are not uncommon. Peyote is preferred but very hard to get and is often replaced by any obtainable hallucinogen.

In order to prove bravery, strength, quickness and personal will, a novice who wishes to join the gang must publicly defeat a member of a rival gang with only his hands and blades, held or thrown. The Blades' most common combatform, however, is "counting coup". A member paints his hand red, and then attempts to leave a red print on a rival gang member or NCPD officerwithout being stopped or caught. They must be wearing traditional face paint (which is different for each member) while doing this.

Some of the Blades carry cyberweapons and guns, but it is deemed dishonorable to use these unless it's an absolute emergency. The gang exists purely for individuals to show-off physical prowess and has no socially redeeming features. On the other hand, a gang organized to show off while fighting other gangs is less of a problem than a gang organized to do incredible cybered-up violence for no reason at all.

The Sacred Blades' headquarters is in an old general store east of Burleson Tower. Their turf overlaps with that of the Black Queen (whom they don't consider fit competition), but who have access to good drug connections. The Steel Slaughter Slammers and the Slaughterhouse (both of whom are good manhood challenges) are just blocks away. Members of the Blades frequently journey off their turf to the Slammer for contests, but they prefer picking a fight at Totentanz where there are no restrictions.