Male, 49 years old, burned in New Jackson City;
Dark red hair, brown eyes, with the street accent
Rod was the former leader of the Deadeye, and a close friend of Lai. He sacrificed himself during the freighter ambush to ensure Lai's escape.
Rod was born in the slums of New Jackson City. Both of his parents died in separate industrial accidents when he was just 15. Although he received a considerable government compensation package and a full academic scholarship, Rod grew to despise the money and everything it represented. He gave the scholarship to a neighbor’s child, and used the money—through his late parents' former coworkers—to obtain a cache of smuggled weapons. Selling them earned him his first profits on the street.
Rod was a natural. His street smarts and cunning helped him rise quickly, earning a reputation as a black market expert. But everything changed at age 40, when he learned that the boy who received his scholarship had died in suspicious circumstances while working for Ingelius. Rumors spoke of workplace abuse and systemic discrimination.
Rod's hatred reignited. Using his wealth and connections, he formed the Deadeye, aiming to take back power for the people of the lower classes—and to destroy the elites he called the "butchers above."
Rod’s speaking style is very streetwise, likely because he grew up in the slums and began dealing with gangs in his youth. When Rod talks, he is very calm and carefully analyzes every possibility.
(Since founding the Deadeye, Rod and his followers never held back when it came to replacing flesh with steel.)