ShadowrunCorps

SHADOWRUN CORPS Takin' Care of Business | Back to Main Page |

In the world of Shadowrun, there’s no getting away from the corporate presence. From the day he’s born (probably in a corporate-owned hospital) until the day he dies (buried in a corp-made casket), the average 2070s citizen is surrounded by evidence of the megacorporations’ influence on nearly everything in society. They—or their countless shadowy subsidiaries and smaller competitors—provide nearly everything he wants or needs, directly or indirectly: his employment, his home, his entertainment, his food and drink, his clothes, and, if he works for one of them, most likely his ideas and his outlook on life. Their power rivals that of governments, and they’re accountable to no one save their shareholders and the Corporate Court. EXTRATERRITORIALITY Apart from creating or having a hand in just about everything we buy, how did the megacorporations get so powerful? One word: extraterritoriality. What this means is that the megacorps essentially make their own rules within their own territories—governmental authority can’t touch them and can’t enforce laws on them. Similar to the way a country’s embassy is considered a part of that country regardless of where it’s located, extraterritoriality means that megacorps call their own tune on their own turf. Only the Corporate Court can confer extraterritorial status; all the megas have it, naturally, and it’s a coveted prize among the second-tier AA mega-wannabes. GUARDING THE HENHOUSE Consisting of thirteen justices drawn from the ranks of the Big Ten megacorps, the Corporate Court represents the only authority that has any chance of riding herd over the megacorporations. In reality it has no way to enforce its directives, but the megas follow them nonetheless because they all realize that allowing things to devolve into chaos would hurt the bottom line for all of them. Since profits are what it’s all about, this is a powerful motivator. The Corp Court is based at the Zurich Orbital habitat, which happens to be the most secure facility on or off Earth. Most of the justices live there, but some some commute by shuttle or telecommute via the Matrix. IN THE FAMILY For the average citizen with a SIN, a spouse, a mortgage, and 2.4 children, employment with a megacorporation is a good thing to aspire to. When you join a corp, you join an extended family, business nation-state, or driven meritocracy, depending on the corp in question—each has its own culture. It’s not uncommon for people to join up right out of college (agreements even prior to this aren’t unheard of for certain key prospects) and remain employed at the same corp—advancing up the corporate ladder and living in the cozy confines of a corporate arcology—until their retirement. If you’re a loyal employee, the corp takes care of your every need; in the case of some of the largest, there’s no real need to ever leave corp territory if you don’t want to—they provide literally everything you could want. It’s only when employees (especially those highly valued for their uncommon skills) get itchy feet that things can start getting uncomfortable. The corps expect and enforce loyalty in return for their beneficence. THE BIG TEN The big ten megacorps are AAA security level corporate giants. They are the hardest to crack, hack, and attack. They typically are the ones who send a Mr Johnson to you for discreet business transactions. Here’s a quick primer on the ten biggest megacorporations on the corporate scene. ARES MACROTECHNOLOGY World Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan, UCAS Ares is sitting pretty after swallowing up a big chunk of former AAA Cross Applied Technologies following the Crash. Run by wealthy playboy Damien Knight, the corp has a reputation as a very “American” outfit: gung-ho, militaristic, patriotic, and individualistic—Mom and apple pie, in other words. Don’t let that fool you—sure, they’re one of the better megas to work shadow ops for, but keep your eyes open, because they can be as underhanded as the rest. Ares specializes in law enforcement (Knight Errant, one of the two biggest private security corps in the world, is a subsidiary), military hardware and arms, aerospace (they own what used to be NASA and have five orbital habitats), entertainment, automotive (the former General Motors is also part of the Ares family), and smaller divisions in many other areas. AZTECHNOLOGY World Headquarters: Tenochtitlán, Aztlan If you’ve bought any kind of consumer goods recently, chances are you’ve contributed to Aztechnology’s bottom line. This Aztlan-based megacorp produces everything from snack foods (60 percent of the goodies you find at your local Stuffer Shack come out of their factories) to chemicals to trideo-game software to military goods and magical supplies. They’ve got their fingers in more pies than just about any other mega around (including the strategically important Nicaragua Canal, which took up the slack when Winternight trashed the Panama Canal), and their public relations campaigns are second to none. They’ve got a great rep—everywhere except in the shadows, that is. Too many years of association with nasty things like blood magic and evil conspiracies have seen to that. EVO CORPORATION World Headquarters: Vladivostok, Russia As suggested by its name, Evo is a corporation that looks to the future. Formerly called Yamatetsu, the erstwhile Japanese megacorp with its headquarters in Russia and a free spirit as its largest stockholder has reinvented itself, focusing its considerable resources on transhumanist projects ranging from bioware and genetics to cutting-edge nanotech, anti-aging experiments, and other even more out there projects designed to take metahumanity to the next stage of evolution. Aside from being transhumanist, Evo is also transplanetary, as the first megacorp to successfully set up a base on Mars. Along with all this, Evo hasn’t forgotten its other pet cause: “metahuman factors engineering” (designing and producing metahuman-friendly products), and it still leads the megas in goods and services designed with orks, trolls, elves, dwarfs, changelings, and other non-human people in mind. HORIZON GROUP World Headquarters: Los Angeles, Pueblo Corporate Council The newest face on the AAA scene, Horizon used the years following the Crash to take advantage of its close relationships with both Tir Tairngire and the Pueblo Corporate Council to secure itself a position on the Corporate Court. Based in the midst of media wonderland Los Angeles, the corp has managed to score many exclusive contracts for dealing with the development of California, and its star is currently on the rise. With a charismatic ex-sim star at the helm, Horizon is poised for great things at the dawn of the 2070s. Horizon specializes in anything that can be used to manipulate opinion (personal or public), including public relations, advertising, mimetics, viral marketing, trendsetting, and social networking. Its corporate culture is much less hierarchical than those of most other megas, emphasizing consensus, workgroups, trends, and “people-centered” management models. Employees are well taken care of and encouraged to develop their talents and pursue their interests on company time—though, of course, Horizon expects to share in the fruits of their innovation. In addition to its primary focus on entertainment and media pursuits, Horizon is also strong in consumer goods and services, real estate and development, and pharmaceuticals. MITSUHAMA COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES World Headquarters: Kyoto, Japan As its name suggests, Japanacorp Mitsuhama Computer Technologies(MCT) is primarily known as a computer company that’s also involved in robotics and heavy industry—but it’s less well known that they’re one of the biggest manufacturers of magical goods around (after Aztechnology). They’re also rumored to be in bed with the Yakuza, though the jury’s still out on who’s pulling the strings in that relationship. In any case, they’ve established quite a presence in CalFree over the last few years, taking a lead role in the control of San Francisco following the fall of rogue General Saito. Shadowrunners have a love-hate view of working with MCT—the corp pays very well for success, but their tolerance for failure is only slightly less draconian than Saeder-Krupp’s (and S-K at least has the excuse of an actual dragon running the show). When running against them, success becomes even more important, because their “zero-zone” policy usually means unsuccessful runners don’t get out alive. NEONET 'World Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, UCAS This corp’s primary mover and shaker, Novatech, might just as well be called “Phoenix” for its skill in rising from the ashes of potential disasters. Born first of the leavings when former megacorp Fuchi Electronics fell apart, Novatech has caused quite its share of stirs over the past few years—the most recent being that its spectacular IPO back in 2064 was one of a series of catalysts that led to the second Matrix Crash and the world’s subsequent descent into chaos. Another was the fact that they came out of the Crash and the IPO smelling like roses, joining up with communications giant Erika and cybertech powerhouse Transys Neuronet to establish the backbone for the new wireless Matrix and catch most of their competitors flatfooted. With the influx of money brought on by the IPO and the merger, the new megacorp has diversified its interests into just about every industry, including Matrix infrastructure, cyberware, electronics, software, biotech, aerospace, small arms, and many others. They’re definitely one to watch. RENRAKU COMPUTER SYSTEMS World Headquarters: Chiba, Japan Renraku, already reeling from the Seattle Arcology debacle, didn’t fare too well following the Crash—due to the machinations of former Renraku America division manager Sherman Huang (now rotting in some Renraku jail cell, assuming he’s still alive at all), the corp lost a big chunk of money and, much more importantly, the opportunity to get the jump on the emerging augmented-reality market. In the world of megacorps, second best is the first loser, and Renraku didn’t even make second best. That’s not to say that the Big R is hurting that bad, though—as their name implies (it means “communication” in Japanese), they’re still the world’s largest data repository and they own a substantial piece of Asia’s telecom grids, so they’re not without their bargaining chips. After all, when nobody knows what kind of useful or potentially incriminating information you’ve got squirreled away in your databanks, it’s going to take some strong motivation to risk messing with you. That’s what Renraku is counting on as it rebuilds and reinvents itself. SAEDER-KRUPP HEAVY INDUSTRIES World Headquarters: Essen, Germany Saeder-Krupp Heavy Industries can be summed up in one word: Lofwyr. The great dragon owns nearly 100 percent of this German-based megacorp, and he rules it with the kind of attention to detail that only one of his kind can maintain. It’s not impossible to put one over on Lofwyr, but it’s very difficult—and usually fatal. The wyrm doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and shadowrunners who go against him (or fail in one of his jobs) might just find themselves on his list—which also happens to be his lunch menu. Primarily involved in heavy industry, S-K is also strong in chemicals, finance, and aerospace with a presence in many other areas. secure in its position as the largest corporation in the world, it wields extensive power and influence. SHIAWASE CORPORATION World Headquarters: Osaka, Japan The oldest of the megas, Shiawase holds the claim to fame of being behind the court case that ultimately led to the extraterritoriality that all megacorps know and love today. A classic Japanese zaibatsu, Shiawase is run in a traditional “family” style, with most employees signing lifetime contracts and even marrying within the corp. Families, however, tend to squabble—and a big squabble between the corp’s various (and interrelated) warring factions back during the Crash resulted in a huge shakeup, redistributing vast swaths of stock and rewriting the top levels of Shiawase’s org chart in one fell swoop. As for what they do, a better question would be, “What don’t they do?” Either directly or through subsidiaries, Shiawase has its hands in nuclear power, environmental engineering, biotech, heavy industry, technical service, minerals, military goods, and a whole lot more. WUXING INCORPORATED World Headquarters: Hong Kong Free Enterprise Enclave The only Chinese player on the megacorp scene, Wuxing owes its ascension to the rarefied ranks of the Big Ten to the late great (dragon, that is) Dunkelzahn, who bequeathed a big pile of nuyen to the company—along with a couple of wiz magical goodies for Wuxing’s CEO Wu Lung-Wei and his wife Sharon. Wu parlayed this windfall into a position of new power for his corp, allowing Wuxing to muscle its way onto the Corporate Court and into AAA status. Following the Crash, Wuxing swallowed up sizable pieces of the Pacific Prosperity Group (including the plum-prize Malaysian Independent Bank) which increased its clout significantly. Traditionally focused on finance and shipping concerns, Wuxing has drastically expanded its magical services and magical goods projects, making a name for itself as the new “mystic” megacorp. Thanks to its post-Crash buyouts—fueled by profits from the Orichalcum Rush during the Year of the Comet—Wuxing has also expanded heavily into other markets, including agriculture, engineering, consumer goods, and chemicals. LOOKING TO GET AHEAD Double A Corps are a lesser security threat than those in the big ten. This doesn't necessarily mean you can underestimate their power or their threat levels. They too are typically behind the scenes employers who recruit Runners to do their dirty work. They just don't have the political clout that the big ten have. This places them a rung lower on the corporate ladder. Below is a taste of just what companies you may see in the AA Corp world. NORSETECH World Headquarters: Independent City-State of Seattle (Formerly based in Oslo, Norway) New to Seattle, Norsetech is a AA corporation on the verge of becoming AAA, though many of the other corps resent this 'upstart'. In an unusual show of support, Lofwyr the dragon, owner of Saeder-Krupp stepped up and threatened corporate retaliation on any corp who was found to publicly attack Norsetech, though the two corporations have no apparent relation to one another. Based in Norway and owned by a man named Tor'nsvjord, Norsetech focuses on military vehicles and cutting edge vehicular tech. PROMETHEUS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES World Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee, CAS Founded by wealthy entrepreneur Michael Creighton, this AA corporation began life as The Prometheus Group, a small family based company specializing in manufacturing top of the line, made-to-order firearms. Hard pressed to offer any sort of competition for the hard-hitting mega-corporations, the small company struggled to keep their bottom line out of the red for their first several years of existence. Luckily, their commitment to quality and dedication to customer satisfaction eventually earned them a small, but loyal customer base. From there, their reputation slowly grew as one of the premiere small arms companies among collectors and the hardcore gun enthusiasts throughout the traditionally gun loving CAS. Following the matrix crash of 2064, CEO Michael Creighton brought a young and savvy corporate shark into the fold by the name of Evelyn Zurich to manage the maneuvering that would be necessary to survive the crash. Miss Zurich succeeded above and beyond Mr. Creighton’s expectations. Changing their name to Prometheus Advanced Technologies, Miss Zurich successfully closed a huge merger with Barrett Firearms, helping to solidify their presence in the corporate playing field, averting a corporate meltdown and bringing the rapidly growing company from relative obscurity to explode into the ranks of AA corporations. Prometheus Advanced Technologies primarily specializes in cutting edge cybernetics and firearms, however they also having a growing presence in rigger drones, computer systems, and security & surveillance systems. In recent years, they have finally begun expanding from the CAS, setting up shops in UCAS, Pueblo Corporate Council, Sioux Nation, The Caribbean League, Aztlan, Cal-Free, and Salish-Shidhe Council, as well as the independent city states of Seattle and Denver. STRANGE BEDFELLOWS Keeping track of the megacorps and their shifting relationships with each other usually requires a scorecard—especially since they can and do change with the winds. Economic conditions, market movements, rises and falls of key players’ fortunes, even the whims of a particular executive or board member—these are the things that lead to collusion and betrayal. Because the corps usually don’t overtly admit to these mercurial alliances and spats, this is one of the largest areas where shadowrunners can provide the grease that keeps the big machines running smoothly. Most shadowrunners interact with the megacorporations with a sort of uneasy symbiosis—they hate the monolithic entities and everything they stand for, but on the other hand, they know they’d be out of a job if the corps didn’t exist. In order to reconcile these two views, most runners are masters of compartmentalization, justifying the dirty work they do at the corps’ behest by rationalizing that the cred’s good and there aren’t that many legal ways to pay the rent and keep the cat fed when you’re SINless. On the other side of this symbiotic relationship from hell are the megacorps themselves—huge, faceless, accountable to no one but themselves (and the Corporate Court)—but still constrained against running roughshod over the competition overtly by agreements with other corps and by fear of retribution. After all, if Aztechnology can just waltz in and blow up Mitsuhama’s research lab, what’s to stop MCT from turning around and torching the Azzies’ secret testing facility? That’s where shadowrunners come in: deniable assets that the megas push around like chess pieces in a deadly game. A team gets caught with their hands on a rival’s hot new prototype? Hey, we don’t know about any runners! Sure, go ahead and cack them—why should we care? All the corps do it, all the corps know about it, and nobody will ever mention a word about it in the light. There’s a reason they call it shadowrunning, after all. While both sides are loath to admit it, the fact is that shadowrunners and megacorporations are inextricably bound to each other. | Back to Main Page |