THE 8 TEAMS

A former superstar collegiate athlete with the world as his oyster, Clint’s combination of athletic ability, competitiveness, and drive, made him the most sought after collegiate athlete in recent memory. But Clint got in with some bad people and made some questionable decisions that got him banned from the NFL. He’s since managed to clean up his life, but gave up his stardom in the process. He currently works as a Beat Cop for the NCPD.

Clint’s 15 year old son. Malcolm De la Cruz lives with his mother and wealthy stepdad 95% of the time. He’s smart, and has an affinity for robotics and engineering. In fact, he’s a bit of a prodigy in that arena. Malcolm’s biggest passion though, is RAMGOD. His favorite team is the Barracudas, with whom he has developed a bit of an obsession. This also tells us that he is not impressed with wealth, as his favorite team is not corpo-funded like the others. Malcolm is actually one of the people who helps to support them through crowdfunding. When we first meet Malcolm, he doesn’t seem too excited to go visit his dad, as it appears more like something he is simply “required” to do. But that all begins to change when his dad is invited to try out for the Barracudas.

The (Ring)leader of the Barracudas. He’s got the bravado and eccentric cultish leadership prowess of a Tyler Durden (Fight Club). He’s a man of the people and has become a bit of a preacher. He thoroughly understands the importance of utilizing his platform, and has used it to cultivate a devout following of fans known as “Guppies”. Kirin fully buys into his own “bullshit” and thinks of himself as some sort of savior. He’s a phenomenal athlete who claims to act on instinct, but actually always has a well thought out plan.

Kirin’s right hand and former love interest. She’s tough as nails and sharp as a razor. You would think after meeting her, that she came from a rough upbringing, but what we will discover is that she is actually the only child of the founder and CEO of Orbi (who also owns one of the other teams in RAMGOD). She had everything handed to her on a silver platter, but instead chose to reject it all, instead carving her own path without the help of her family or their money. Being self made is everything to her.

Elsa is the backbone of the team, and someone who all the members seem to really trust and admire. She loves RAMGOD for how it makes her feel alive in the face of death - the excitement and peril feed her adrenaline and give her purpose. She values the lives of others more than her own, which makes her a fierce competitor because she’s courageous and continually proves she’s willing to make sacrifices. While Elsa has no moral dilemma with stealing or violence, she draws a hard line in the sand when it comes to murder.

He is not a player on the team, but is equally as valuable. He is the lead engineer of the group. While many of the teams in RAMGØD rely on their corporate sponsorships to provide the engineers and tech for the Games, The Barracuda's rely primarily on Trux for this. He can build and code pretty much anything. But because he is just one man, he can’t do everything by himself. He has a snidely playful personality, and is agonizingly sarcastic - his insults are almost too intelligent for the average person to process quick enough for a retort. He’s queer, and open about it, something that Malcolm will ultimately draw confidence from.

When RAMGOD first started, it’s mortality rate was simply too high to attract legitimate athletes, even with the enormous payouts. As a way to resolve this issue, the league implemented a rule that required every team to have ONE Bot on the active roster. This allowed teams and human players to offset some of the risks, by utilizing their Bot teammates for the most dangerous competitions. Another factor toward implementing bots was the insane insurance costs for the athletes. The insurance companies were losing heaps of dough hand over fist, and may have used their lobbyists to grease the wheels with senators in order to get legislation passed.

Meet the Barracudas’ Bot teammate: Vex. A flamboyant crossdressing AI, with a penchant for violence and overall badassery. Vex is a repurposed Utility Bot Base Model that Trux has completely rebuilt and customized. Trux has programmed such a unique persona into Vex, that she appears to be sentient even though she is not. The two of them (Vex and Trux) have a special bond.

The biggest wildcard of the group. Morally… he has no morals. Extremely self-serving, but a valuable asset to the team, since he is a true competitor who wants to win at any cost. He doesn’t mind being the bad guy - “Someone needs to be, right?” -- He’ll do whatever he can to gain an advantage, evident by the numerous blackmarket Mods he sports. Remmer is feared by other teams, and even his own team, but make no mistake, they appreciate having him on their side. He’s extremely protective of his crew, and does not take well to newcomers like Clint. But as Clint’s inner demons begin to resurface, Remmer finds himself starting to appreciate his new teammate.

Current President and CEO of Syphon. Declan’s father, Reed Holloway, was the original founder and former President of the company. After 70 years at the helm of the largest health tech conglomerate in the world, Reed finally succumbed to old age and passed away, leaving his empire (and giant shoes) to his only son. In Reed’s Will, he made sure to prevent his son from having unilateral control of the company, splitting up his voting shares amongst the Board, so that they would provide the necessary checks and balances.

In order for Declan to take control of the company and himself, and activate the changes that he believes will help the world, he will have to get his hands a little dirty.

The ever eccentric Commissioner of the Games, Markos Madsen is as much a showman as he is a businessman. As one of the key pioneers who brought the sport to life, Markos is the main spokesperson for RAMGØD. He has become obsessed with the ratings, and is constantly looking for ways to grow the sport and its influence on the world, forever prioritizing the ends above the means.

Clint’s godfather, and a high ranking member of the Chinese mob. Mr Xiāo’s son, Kevin was a childhood friend and former teammate of Clint’s. As Clint’s star power grew, so did Mr Xiāo’s interest (and involvement) in Clint’s affairs. He slowly manipulated Clint into getting involved with his “people” promising that “no one has your best interests at heart as much as I do.” While Clint may have ultimately managed to distance himself from Xiāo and the Chinese mob in our present day storyline, Xiāo’s role as a sort of devil on the shoulder is still alive and well - as we learn that he is a member of the Board of Directors at Syphon, and looks to take recently appointed CEO, Declan Halloway under his wing.