Leather jerks

Leather jerks are an Arizona gang that rose to prominence after they exited Needles and moved westwards, to Los Angeles, taking over Rodia.

Background
A loose conglomeration of gangers and neer-do-wells from Needles, the leather jerks were a perpetual blight on the landscape of the city until the Rangers came along. After they were done with the city, killing several jerks in the process, the Jerks saw the writing on the wall and moved out, away from the city. They journeyed westwards, through the radiation clouds, reaching Los Angeles. Over the years, the boy they picked up along the way rose in the ranks and assumed leadership of the group. Steven Dengler was his name and together with his buddy, O'Biggun, he would ensure that the Jerks become powerful.

The opportunity came around 2102, when the mayor of Rodia started looking for mercenaries to help defend the city against raids by Matthias' synths. The leather jerks quickly settled in and started "persuading" farmers to start farming agave cacti, so that the output of tequila could increase. Ignoring the fact that they were denying food to the farmers and other inhabitants, they effectively turned Rodia into a massive still. When the mayor wised up to their plans and protested, they placed him in a gibbet to deter protesters.

Interactions

 * Centered in Rodia, the jerks are the primary antagonists if Rangers decide to remove Dengler and restore the rightful leader of Rodia to his post. They fall apart once Dengler is dead, meaning it's important to sweep Rodia for enemies before confronting him.