Night Snakes

Night Snakes is a faction in the novel; Cataclysm: Definitive Edition (and the original), the Night Snakes are the second antagonistic faction encountered in the novel.

Background:
The Night Snakes were originally a roaming unnamed gang of Road Trappers until they found a stockpile of weapons in an old army base. There they formed the Night Snakes, adopting the snake they had found from an old thrash metal album. The Night Snakes bought motorcycles and began to kit them up and become nomadic raiders, eventually being a large threat by 2160, having over 11,000 members.

However over time the gang had been reduced to a much smaller force after wars with Byron Sparrow, Thomas The Tall, the Skin-Crawlers and the Democratic Trade Union. Eventually the Night Snakes lost their stronghold located south of Lempton and were pushed out of the D.T.U. Territories and the Skin-Crawler Territory down south into the independent areas, never being able to fully re-claim their former glory.

During 2160 onward however the gang has enjoyed a lucrative trade agreement with the Red Valley Tribes and sold them many slaves, especially sex slaves in the form of girls under sixteen-years-old.

Society:
The Night Snakes live a rough vagrant life and live in secret shanty areas they had constructed themselves. They keep their small villages secret in order to remain safe from Skin-Crawler raids or D.T.U. patrols.

Structure:
The Night Snakes live by the Principles of Purgatory and the notion that only the strong survive. They remain totally loyal to the Viper and do not hesitate to complete any task he commands, understanding there is a clear pecking order within their society.

Named Regions, Cities & Towns:
Below are the regions, cities and towns under the control of the Night Snakes throughout the novel; Cataclysm: Definitive Edition.
 * Tattered Woods (Partially - Taken by the Horde)
 * Byron's Mouth (Partially - Taken by the Horde)

Named Members:

 * Viper (Leader - Deceased)
 * Keith Hogan (Deceased)
 * Marty MacGuinness (Deceased)

Establishment & Description:
The Night Snakes do not have an official army, instead they are just a very large gang of around 200+ members. At their peak in the 2160s to 2190s the Night Snakes had around 11,000 members, the closest they would become to a standing army.

Organisation:
All candidates for the Night Snakes are first hang-alongs for the first year and if they are successful in the recruiting process they become fully fledged members by being branded with a tattoo of the Night Snakes logo.

The official rankings of the Night Snakes are as follows below:
 * The Viper (Snake Boots)
 * Python
 * Cobra
 * Bush Snake

Equipment:
The Night Snakes have a limited supply of weapons and so mostly use melee weapons. Weapons the Night Snakes can be seen using include;
 * 22. Air Rifle
 * 22. Air Pistol
 * Glock-17 Handgun
 * Double-Barrel Shotgun
 * Hand Axe
 * Combat Knife
 * Bowie Knife
 * MAC-10 Sub-Machine Gun
 * Uzi 9mm Sub-Machine Gun
 * Machete

Relationships:

 * Democratic Trade Union = Enemies.
 * Old London = Enemies.
 * Arch-Tiberius's Horde = Enemies, later vassals.
 * Roadside Trappers = Neutral.
 * Clan Claw = No contract, mutual.
 * Skin-Crawlers = Enemies.
 * Independent Towns & Territories = Enemies.
 * McLevar Caravan Guard = Enemies.
 * Red Valley Tribes = Allies.
 * North Welsh Tribes = No contact, mutual.
 * Utopia = No contact, mutual.
 * Clan Scouser = No contact, mutual.
 * The Pool Crew = No contact, mutual.

Technology:
The Night Snakes have access to next-to-no decent technology and rely on stealing technology from other factions depending on their situation.

Currency:
The Night Snakes have no form of currency and so barter and trade amongst themselves and others.

Appearances:
The Night Snakes appear in the novel; Cataclysm: Definitive Edition (and the original) as the second antagonistic faction that the main characters come across once they leave the safety of Ipton.

Trivia:

 * The Night Snakes are partially based on the Toecutter's Gang from the movie Mad Max, Shin's Army in Fist Of The North Star anime and manga series, and the raider faction; Vipers in the video game Fallout: New Vegas.
 * The Night Snakes were originally going to be the rulers of the Tattered Woods and the Roadside Trappers were originally going to be members of the Night Snakes.
 * The roaming gang, mentioned by Lee Burton, that entered Ipton while Robert was on his hunting trip at the beginning of the novel could have been the Night Snakes scouting out the small town to raid.
 * The logo of the Night Snakes is the same snake used in Metallica's Black Album.