Bozos

2017 – Early 2020s: Origins and Transformation The Bozos first appeared around 2017 in the West Hill district of Night City. Initially perceived as a prankster gang, they modeled themselves after circus clowns, going so far as to undergo biosculpting to fully embody clown-like features. This included:   Permanently white skin   Red bulbous noses   Colorful hair   Permanent facial frowns   Long, flat, clown-like feet   Their graffiti tag—a frowning clown face with the slogan "Let's have some fun!"—became a symbol of chaotic mischief in West Hill, a neighborhood already known for its artsy and theatrical nature.   Early Bozo antics were relatively harmless, involving:   Splashing paint on street artists   Dropping water balloons on parked cars   Velcro-slapping corporate women’s stockings   These were annoying but non-lethal, earning the Bozos a reputation as bizarre local entertainers.   In 2019, a drastic shift occurred with the arrival of a new leader known only as The Great Bozo. Under his guidance, the gang descended into madness:   He created dangerous devices and implemented sadistic surgical and cyberware experiments on members.   These enhancements pushed most Bozos close to or into cyberpsychosis.   Victims were subjected to horrific pranks: rats in confined spaces, flooded elevators, and electrocution via SecSystems Detention Collars.   From then on, the Bozos were no longer harmless. They engaged in:   Psychological warfare on selected individuals, driving them to breakdowns   Sadistic recruitment, pushing victims to the brink of insanity before forcing them to join   Net-based pranks for hard-to-reach targets   Booby-trapped heart monitors, turning deaths into deadly explosions   They lived primarily in West Hill but operated citywide. Their activity remained random and unpredictable, and attempts to catch them were usually fruitless, as they disappeared when police pressure increased.   By 2020, rumors circulated that the Bozos were preparing to expand into University District, which would likely bring them into conflict with the Voodoo Boys. They also expressed interest in targeting the Brainiacs, who were widely disliked.   This period also marked the beginning of their most infamous tradition: Hilaria – a yearly event where they unleashed chaos through vehicular assaults, random killings, and building crashes.   2030s – 2040s: Infamy and Fracture By the 2040s, the Bozos were widely feared, seen as a nightmarish legend of Night City. Despite their notoriety, the Great Bozo’s existence was still unconfirmed. However, the gang’s activity continued to escalate in scope and horror.   In 2045, internal tensions reached a boiling point. A powerful Bozo figure named Big Top initiated a violent attack on the Forlorn Hope, a bar known for hosting elite solos:   Big Top had brainwashed and bodysculpted victims, turning them into clowns   During Hilaria 2045, clown-filled school buses arrived at the bar   The Bozos opened fire, killing eleven people, but were eventually repelled   They retrieved their own dead, leaving no trace behind   Soon after, a strange mechanical-sounding Bozo faction emerged from manholes and attacked both the Forlorn Hope and the original Bozos. These became known as the "Dirty Bozos":   They laughed endlessly, even after being mortally wounded   Only complete destruction of their heads stopped them   The Dirty Bozos caused Big Top to formally split from the main gang, denouncing the Great Bozo as outdated and unoriginal. This sparked a Bozo civil war, fracturing the gang into at least thirteen separate "circuses", each trying to outdo the others in cruelty and spectacle.   As a result:   The Bozos abandoned old hideouts, often leaving only bloodied clown noses behind   New bases were rumored to be connected via the city’s sewer systems   Alleged hideouts included a joke shop in Little Europe and a compound in South Night City, but nothing was confirmed   A string of new and horrific pranks emerged, including:   Gift-wrapped severed noses sent to Network 54 with notes like "The Nose is split"   Parcel bombs releasing airborne SynthCoke, causing mass addiction events (MAEs)   The NCPD and Danger Gal began tracking these incidents, realizing the clown factions were escalating their chaos competitively   At the same time, Lord Ruthven began recruiting Bozos to work for him, exploiting the gang's splintering.   Mid–Late 2040s: Escalation and Annihilation of a Circus During the height of the Bozo civil war, a splinter group called Cirqu3 d3 B0Z0 emerged, led by netrunner Sp00ph. After becoming fixated on a real estate mogul named Jack Skorkowsky, they began pranking him across the city.   Sp00ph stole a Zhirafa GRAF3 drone during a property showcase   He used the drone to launch a deadly chase, broadcasting mocking messages   A crew of mercs hired by Jack eventually hunted down and killed Sp00ph and his gang, destroying Cirqu3 d3 B0Z0   This showed that while Bozos were terrifying, they were not invincible.   2070s: Disappearance and Legacy By 2077, the Bozos had vanished from Night City. Whether due to infighting, targeted assassinations, or self-destruction remains unknown. However, they lived on in urban legend and fear.   Maximum Mike, a popular radio host, mentioned them on-air while discussing Ozob Bozo, a clown-like mercenary   Although Ozob had a similar aesthetic, he had no known ties to the gang   Unknown Circuses "Great Bozo" Blammo Jester Dead Ringer (blue hair) Dead Ringer (pink hair) Big Top's Circus Big Top Burt the Squirt Centwit Dunce Finale The Fool Organ Grinder Tomfool Cirqu3 d3 B0Z0 Sp00ph