Rudolph "RJ" Kaatz
Smith International Whistleblower (NPC)
"Rudolph Kaatz, Junior. He works for Emergency Industrial Services, and THEY do work for whatever. Two kids, two DUIs, can't say that marriage is happy if word's right he's behind on child support. I'd tell you where he was stayin', but I think me not being able to find him is the point. Anyway - his wife's filed a missing persons report on him that got withdrawn. Someone told the feds he matters, that much I can tell you for free. I can get you the federal case file, but it'll cost you because it'll cost ME with my contacts at the ATF..."
RJ is a fired cleanup supervisor who knows too much about Smith International's illegal chemical dumping operations. Once responsible for "emergency remediation" work along the Ship Channel, he witnessed the cover-up following the Building 7 explosion firsthand, burying barrels of XK-47 in Sam Houston National Forest, the Baytown canal, and multiple other sites.
His conscience won't let him stay quiet, but speaking out cost him everything: his job, his reputation, and nearly his marriage. He had turned to drowning his guilt and anger at The Rusty Mule honky tonk, ready to spill secrets to anyone who'll listen once he's enough beers deep. He's a bitter, broken alcoholic, and morally compromised, but he's also one of the few people who can help you map out where all the bodies (and barrels) are buried.
Mentions/Logs
- The Rusty Mule The Solidarity pack intercept RJ and ply him for intel, only to realize they probably should protect him and his running mouth...
General RP Hooks
Buy Him Another Round
RJ was a regular at The Rusty Mule, usually there on weeknights when his wife thinks he's job hunting. And while he's been relegated to a sort of improvised witness protection under the table by being passed off to Li Wei, A few beers and a sympathetic ear notoriously get him talking about "what really happened" at Smith International. He knows dump site locations, personnel names, and operational details. Separating useful intelligence from drunken rambling takes patience and social skills, but he is a goldmine.
The Man Who Knows Where the Bodies Are Buried
Literally. Getting him to cooperate means dealing with his guilt, fear, and maybe his self-destructive drinkig, but RJ was complicit and even a participant in burying some of the XK-47 chemical barrels. He talks about a Sheldon Road facility, Baytown canal overflow, and Pasadena processing samples. He can provide exact locations, describe security measures, and identify which sites were still active as of his firing.
Protect the Whistleblower
RJ's been fired and blacklisted, but Smith International hasn't silenced him permanently. Not yet. He's a loose end with detailed knowledge of their operations. So far, he's being passed around: Chuck footed the bill for him to lay low at a motel, and then the man was passed to Li, who is not going to be willing to sponsor him indefinitely. Does he need protection? Should someone encourage him to go public, or would that paint an even bigger target on his back?
Uncle RJ
RJ mentions his nephew still works at the Sheldon Road facility and has intel about XK-52, the "safer formula" Smith International is preparing to test. Approaching the nephew could yield valuable information, or endanger an innocent worker. Risk not, reward not.
Forgive Or Condemn The Accomplice
RJ isn't innocent. He participated in illegal dumping that poisoned Gaia's body. He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway for the paycheck. Now he's trying to make amends by talking, but does that absolve him? How should Garou treat someone who was complicit but is now trying to help? Is redemption possible, or is he just another Wyrm-tainted human?
Key Relationships
Player Characters
- **Solidarity:** RJ opened up to Samson, Ryen, Chuck, and Etienne after they bought him drinks and had the spirits help them ply him. He trusts them enough to have given them concrete info, even if he's still paranoid about retaliation.
NPCs
- **Aaron Bennett:** RJ's former supervisor who oversaw the illegal dumping operations. RJ both fears and resents him.
- **RJ's Wife:** Threatening to leave him because he "won't shut up" about Smith International. She thinks he's obsessed and self-destructive.
- **RJ's Nephew:** Works at Sheldon Road facility, has intel about XK-52. RJ got him the job originally and now worries he's put his nephew in danger.
- **Dembinski:** A co-worker who was there burying barrels right with him.
RPing Notes
Storytellers and PRP runners should feel free to pick up RJ and use him as an NPC. If you do play him...
RJ has high willpower despite being described as a 'broken man' because he wasn't easy to break, and it still manifests as stubbornness, not strength. He participated in burying chemical weapons knowing it was wrong. He got fired and blacklisted. His wife is leaving him. He's unemployed and every cleanup company in Houston has his name on a "do not hire" list. If he had less willpower, then he wouldn't be talking. But his conscience won't let him quit even when quitting would save his marriage and maybe his life, and his composure around all the Shifters despite his human nature suggests that if he gets punched hard enough in the principles he might just be a ride-or-die.
RJ is a functional alcoholic. While RPing him drunk is not an obligation the toll on his mind, spirit and body is obvious. Alcohol makes him confessional before it makes him incoherent, dulls the guilt, doesn't erase it.
He oscillates between bitter anger and crushing guilt. One moment he's ranting about how Smith International destroyed his life, the next he's quietly acknowledging "those boys deserve better." He participated in something terrible and knows it.
He bonds quickly with working-class people who understand being screwed by corporations. If characters present as blue-collar, industrial workers, or have authentic working-class backgrounds, he opens up faster. If they come across as corporate, wealthy, or official, he's immediately suspicious and clams up.
He's paranoid but not stupid. Three beers in, RJ can still tell when he's being played. He'll size up characters and directly challenge them. He's not highly educated, but he's street-smart and experienced. When drunk, he rambles more, circles back to earlier points, and his filter disappears entirely.
RJ has a breaking point. Push him too hard about his complicity or threaten his nephew, and he'll shut down or get defensive/aggressive. He knows he did wrong, but he's not ready to be judged by strangers. The nephew is his weak spot. Any mention of endangering the nephew will make RJ backtrack, lie, or refuse to cooperate further. He's trying to protect what family he has left.
- Age: 47, looks older.
- Height:5'9"
- Occupation:Unemployed (fired cleanup supervisor)
- Status:Blacklisted, living under the radar in motels, occasionally returning home.
- Intelligence & Wits: 3
- Streetwise: 4
- Subterfuge: 1 - terrible liar
- Willpower: 5
Mixtape
- Bruce Springsteen - The River
- Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
- John Mellencamp' - Rain on The Scarecrow