🧱 The Blackwall
“The ICE that keeps the ghosts out.”
📝 Overview
The Blackwall is a massive barrier of black ICE created by NetWatch to seal off the Old NET from the surviving local networks. It’s the only thing standing between humanity and the digital horrors that evolved in the ruins of the pre-DataKrash internet.
🛡️ How It Works
After the DataKrash destroyed global connectivity in 2023, the surviving networks were isolated islands. NetWatch had a choice: try to reclaim the Old NET, or quarantine it forever.
They chose quarantine.
The Blackwall is:
- A continuously maintained firewall spanning all remaining connections to the Old NET
- Built from the most powerful black ICE ever created
- Partially AI-assisted—some say NetWatch made deals with “tame” AIs to help design it
- Self-repairing and capable of adapting to attacks
Any attempt to cross the Blackwall without authorization triggers immediate, lethal response from both the ICE itself and NetWatch agents.
⚠️ What It Keeps Out
Beyond the Blackwall lies the Old NET—a corrupted wasteland populated by:
| Threat | Description |
|---|---|
| RABIDS | Self-replicating attack programs released by Rache Bartmoss |
| Rogue AIs | Evolved without oversight for 20+ years |
| Digital Ghosts | Engrams of humans captured by Soulkiller |
| Unknown Entities | Things that defy classification |
These entities constantly probe the Blackwall for weaknesses. Sometimes they find them.
🚨 Blackwall Breaches
The Blackwall is not perfect. Small breaches occur regularly:
- Incursions: When something from the Old NET slips through into a local architecture
- Rogue Netrunners: Some intentionally breach the Blackwall seeking lost data
- Voodoo Boys: The Voodoo Boys gang specializes in Blackwall contact—they believe the AIs beyond are potential allies
When a breach occurs, NetWatch responds with extreme force. They’ll kill netrunners and burn entire architectures to prevent contamination.
🎲 GM Resources
Blackwall Adventure Hooks
| Hook | Description |
|---|---|
| Containment | Something crossed the Blackwall. NetWatch needs Edgerunners to track it in meatspace. |
| Recovery | Pre-DataKrash data exists beyond the Blackwall. Someone’s paying well for it. |
| The Voodoo Boys | The gang wants help establishing contact with entities beyond. Good money, but NetWatch will hunt anyone involved. |
| Ghost Hunt | An engram escaped. It claims to know corporate secrets worth billions. |
🔗 Related Topics
- Old NET — What’s on the other side
- AI — The entities trapped there
- NetWatch — Who maintains the Wall
- Voodoo Boys — Who wants to break it
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pgs. 32-34, 199-211)