Welcome to the Data Haven

Hello chummers. 

My name is J, but I also answer to Insomniac.  This blog will soon be the home of all my Shadowrun stuff that I have scattered around the Net.  Primarily a place to grab run notes, I plan on reviewing sourcebooks, posting fan fiction and perhaps even commenting on the game itself.

If you’re not familiar with Shadowrun (in the P&P RPG style, rather than the video games), it is a near-future, dystopian, cybernetic future game where fantasy elements have been re-introduced to the world causing an interesting blend of magic and machine.  The storyline is in-depth and there are so many things going on at once that Game Masters should have no shortage of material.  However, if you find yourself short on material, hopefully some of the future posts on this blog will help with that. 

While I will occasionally pipe up like this, the bulk of my posts will likely be “in-character” as my grumpy, sleep-deprived sysop alter-ego, Insomniac.  He runs a board in the Seattle Matrix where shadowrunners can look for work.  He’s a no nonsense kind of guy, but he does welcome some discussion.  So if you’d like to comment on run notes, feel free to do so in character and become part of the dialogue.

Well, I think that’s it for now.  Hopefully, you’ll check back from time to time.

J.

>>Oi!  Who’s grumpy?  Anyways, I figured I’d step up and introduce myself.  The handle’s Insomniac and I run my own little corner of ShadowSea.  If you need work, I’m your guy…assuming legality ain’t a scruple you tend to have.  If you think the shadows might be the place for you, then loiter for a bit and see what’s around.  Who knows…maybe you’ll be the next best thing round here.  Or maybe you’ll end up as the next red stain on the asphalt.  Either way, these should be interestin’ times, omae.  Perhaps I’ll see ya round.
>> Insomniac
“The shadows never sleep, so why should I?”

Abnormal Nature

The runners are hired under sketchy terms by their fixer for a job in Ningxia, one of the Chinese Republics. While he doesn’t have full details, he says that the pay is promising, despite the fact that the run stems from previous work that was done. The work promises to be “dirty” (assassination), while the retrieval of an object is the ultimate goal. The meet itself is being conducted in Ningxia’s capital of Yinchuan. If the runners are interested, they are given plane tickets, a receipt for a rental vehicle and an address for the meet with Mr. Chang.

Assuming the runners take the job and don’t run into problems at the airport, they will arrive in Yinchuan without incident. The vehicle retained for them is a tired-looking truck big enough for the whole team, but looking a little decrepit. Driving the car to the address provided, they find themselves at a five-star hotel modeled after the temples in the Forbidden City. If the inquire at the front gate for Mr. Chang, they are given a cardkey for the penthouse.

The penthouse takes up most of the top floor, with heated marble floors, massive columns and numerous bedrooms. Standing at the northern window is Mr. Chang. He ushers the runners over to window, to gaze out the window toward the horizon. Outside the city, mountains can be seen to the west and to the north is an ocean of sand, the Tengger Desert clearly visible.

“What do you see out there?” Mr. Chang asks. If they mention anything but the desert, he asks, “What else?”. When they mention the desert, Mr. Chang audibly sighs. He is a middle aged Chinese man wearing the traditional garb of the Hui, a Muslim sect of the Chinese people (many runners won’t know the Hui faith at all). “Just a few years ago, all that you see as sand was once grassland. Let me give you a little history…”

The man walks over to a large comfortable looking chair and sits down. “In the early part of this century, the Tengger Desert and larger Gobi Desert were expanding into China. If it had gone unchecked, Beijing would have been a desert by the twenties. Instead, steps were taken to force the desert back, with planned planting of scrub brush and building up barricades to keep the dunes from shifting. It worked marvelously for years. Then the Comet came back. The Tengger and Gobi have minds of their own and they seem to be determined to overrun our cities. Our nation is small and the loss of our capital would be detrimental. My research has shown that there may be a way to stop its advance. Which is where you come in.”

Mr. Chang stands up and walks over to a nearby table, where a briefcase rested. He opened the latches and rummaged through the contents. “There is rumour of a magical artifact that was recovered…older than modern civilization, called only The Scepter of Wuxing. Your fixer seemed to be tied to its recovery, which is why you’re here. I’ve tracked the artifact down to a philanthropist in Shaanxi. I need you to retrieve the Scepter and bring it back to me. I hope the magic within will help us cure the desert of the nomads that control her. For the successful retrieval of the Scepter, I will award you 10,000¥ apiece. I will also let you keep this penthouse for yourselves during your stay. Are the terms satisfactory?”

He is open to a small amount of negotiation. Mr. Chang is a representative for Ningxia, but also has some allegiance to Wuxing, Inc, who is very interested in the artifact.

When the runners take the job, Mr. Chang bows and thanks them. “The Scepter is being studied at a research facility run by one Xingdu Fong in Chang’An, just outside the capital Xi’An City. It is an ancient city, over 2000 years of history can be found in that city. I have compiled some information for you… ah here it is!”

Mr. Chang gives the team a chip that has Fong’s home address, the address of the facility where the Scepter is being studied and Mr. Chang’s number, in case the runners need to contact him for anything.

“Anything else you require, before I take my leave?”

Chang will answer truthfully to any questions he knows something about. If the team inquires about his reference to the nomads he mentioned, he tells them about the twisted nomads that roam the desert. They perform bizarre magic to control the sands and seem to be bent on the destruction of anything that impedes the desert’s growth. When the team is done questioning him, he leaves them to enjoy the penthouse and plan.

The team will not likely want to waste any time going to get the Scepter. The border crossing into Shaanxi won’t be as difficult as one might expect, since Shaanxi is ruled by a British-inspired monarchy. It doesn’t change the fact that the border guards are well armed and naturally suspicious of outsiders.

Xi’an City is a bustling metropolis where the Queen sits on her throne. Traffic in and around the city is heavy and there is a heavy corporate presence there as well. Chang’An, a few kilometers south of the outer fringes of the capital, is a lot quieter as a city, though it is still a very busy place. Tourism is a big trade here, as people come out to see tombs and historic buildings, some dating as far back as the Han Dynasty. Due to the high level of tourism, there is a high police presence, to keep the riff-raff subdued during daylight hours.

As the runners begin their work, they will notice that things are not well in Shaanxi. Fong’s home is burning when the team arrives and the facility is under a police lockdown. If the team is brazen enough to get inside the facility while the police are there, they will find a background count, numerous dead employees and the Scepter has been stolen. Throughout the building was desert sand.

The runners will likely surmise that the nomads swept in and stole it (they’d be right), but aren’t likely going to want to wade through the desert aimlessly to try and find them. A call to the Johnson will have them returning to Ningxia for further information.

Once back across the border into Ningxia, the runners will find themselves with a tail. The resulting car chase should be challenging, but the runners should ultimately be victorious, as the nomads aren’t exactly vehicle adept…

Mr. Chang tells them that the Scepter in the hands of the nomads is a scary prospect for the city. He tells the runners of a tracker that is familiar with the Tengger. He will help them track down the nomad camp. He gives them a contact number for the tracker.

The tracker is a Chinese man who sees himself as a descendant of the Mongols more than a Chinaman. He wears Mongolian nomad style clothing and carries a massive sword on his back when in the wild. While slightly eccentric, he does know the desert very well. He will tell the runners to prepare for travel in the desert and they will leave the next day.

The trip into the desert takes 3 hours heading NNW into the wilds of Inner Mongolia. The runners will have had to be extremely careful to not have given away their position to the nomads. They have spirits across the deserts playing watchdog, plus their travel time increases to keep themselves in the shallows of the desert, rather than cresting dunes.

The nomad encampment is a ring of huts surrounding an oasis. Magic is potent here and the nomads use it to defend their encampment. While population of the camp is fairly low, many of the residents are magically active. The moment the alarm is raised a sandstorm erupts all around the encampment. It will wreak havoc with visibility and anything with moving parts.

The main hut houses the main member of the band and when his men start failing, he steps outside and summons up an army of toxic Wuxing spirits to attack the team. When one is banished another takes its place. It should be a hard fight, but once the ringleader falls the sandstorm ends, any surviving nomads flee and the Scepter shatters into the original five parts and pops back into the astral plane, where it can’t be retrieved.

Hopefully, the tracker wasn’t killed in the fighting, or the team may find themselves aimlessly wandering the Tengger (which could be fatal). Mr. Chang will be upset that they didn’t get the staff back and want to take it out of their pay (unless they can provide proof that the Scepter really did return to the astral plane). It will take careful negotiation to receive their full pay and not get a black mark on their reputations.

>> A run into the desert?  Jesus, Insomniac, you really know how to pick em.
>> Revenge

>> Piss off, pointy-ears.  I don’t pick the jobs.  I post high profile jobs for people who are supposed to be high profile runners.  You don’t like it, don’t take it.  Simple as that.
>> Insomniac
“The shadows never sleep, so why should I?”

>> Dude, who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?  Revenge does have a point though…it’s not every day you go into China to find work.  I’m waiting for the penny to drop.
>> Blender

>> Some of my folks might remember a creepy old guy they did work for.  You might consider signing on if you do.
>> Zeyda

>> You mean, we may have caused this job?  Shit… I hate fallout.
>> Wraith

Questionable Faith

The runners are contacted through their usual channels and are offered a job. The pay is good, but the team is looking at an extraction and perhaps a little legwork. If interested, they are to meet at the Mercer Island Country Club at 9PM.

Mercer Island is an ambassador island for the NAN and as such, security is heightened against non-Natives. Magical security is slightly higher than in other parts of the plex, so mages on the team may be scrutinized harder than normal (especially hermetics). The Country Club sits over looking Pioneer Park in the island’s interior. The tennis courts are dormant and the grounds strangely quiet as the team arrives. Almost unseen are the Native guards and concealed security measures in place all around the grounds. Despite these precautions, the team is allowed inside and escorted to the lounge.

Inside are several games tables, trideo units and a darkened bar. Dark wood covers the floor and a slightly lighter wood covers the wall, along with several taxidermy tokens and animal skins, carefully prepared by Native Sioux that run the establishment. Sitting at the center table is Mr. Johnson, a balding, overweight Caucasian man in a navy blue suit. He looks slightly disheveled and tightly grasps a beer in his hand. By the look of the table top, it isn’t his first one.

Despite the amount of alcohol he might have consumed, the Johnson seems fairly levelheaded and mutes the football game he was watching as the team arrives.

“(Ladies and) Gentlemen, I’m glad you were able to make it. What I need from you is straightforward…my son has gone missing and I need you to bring him back here. I’m worried about his state of mind. After an accident a few years ago, my son, who was a decent mage, lost his gift almost entirely and he slipped into a bad depression. The pain killers he became dependant on reduced his power even further. Being an executive, I was able to get him into the company in security up until the accident, but there were still opportunities in the company. Instead, he said he want to “find his own way” and left. He’s been away for months now and I haven’t heard any correspondence from him. I want to know what he’s been up to and be able to have a talk with the boy.
“I am willing to pay you 50,000¥ to find him and bring him back to me. Is that acceptable?”

The man is genuinely concerned about his son and can be negotiated up a little bit. This isn’t a corporate sponsored run, but a personal crusade.

The man hands over a dossier on his son. He has his son’s SIN, address and a holopic. The picture shows the exec and his son on a fishing trip, each holding up impressive looking fish. The son’s entire left arm is cybernetic and the side of his face marred. Judging by his right side, the man was likely attractive and muscular before the accident. The SIN shows the man’s name as Peter Walsh.

The exec will answer as many questions about his son as possible, but will avoid anything about himself. He is aware that the runners will already be able to learn about him through his son, but is going to try and minimize information provided.

Mr. Johnson is Andrew Walsh, a mid-level executive for Ares in Seattle. He is not overly noteworthy in any way, in terms of his involvement within the corp.

The address Mr. Johnson provided did belong to Peter three months ago, but it has since been sold to a dwarven family. The house is a small semi-detached house in Renton. The family that resides there will react according to the runner’s appearance and demeanor. If an ork, troll or heavily cybered person comes to the door, they may end up reaching for a PanicButton if the runners don’t move quickly to disarm the situation. If the runners convince/coerce the family into allowing them to search the home, a Perception test will be required to find a dusty box in the attic belonging to Peter. Most of it are personal affects, which mage-heavy groups may choose to use for a ritual link. Any attempts at ritual sorcery will find the link weak and actively blocked, but localized to Seattle.

Amongst the personal affects, is the same photo as the holopic they received from the Johnson. On the back is a date from a nearly a year ago and the caption reads “Moses Lake”. Moses Lake is a small town in Eastern Salish, nestled on the bank of a small lake, known for its prime hunting and fishing grounds.

Using information on Peter’s SIN, they are able to track recent financial activity to Moses Lake. The team will need to cross the border into Salish to find their way to the town. The city looks bigger than it really is, after the mass exodus of non-Natives after the Ghost Dance, though some of the white man have been allowed back to keep tourism afloat in the town.

Following the paper trail, the runners can find a small “resort” that last rented out a small lakeside cabin out to Peter Walsh. No one currently occupied the lodge, so the runners are able to acquire the key with a small bribe.

Inside, the runners find that Peter seemed to have left many of his belongings behind when he left the lodge, perhaps with the intent to return. A search of the lodge reveals various magical supplies (astral background shows no recent activity), a diary and a pamphlet. The diary documents Peter’s attempts to regain his lost magical potency through vigorous training and possible attempts at initiation. The last entry was made about a month before the sale of his house. The pamphlet belongs to an organization called “The Sons of the Awakening”, a small charity organization in Seattle that promises to aid those who have “burned out” to regain their lost power. The pamphlet gives contact numbers and the address for the organization.

The Sons of the Awakening have a small little building to greet potential new members. A pleasant young woman greets them and tells the runners all the great charity work the SOA do around the city and the membership restrictions (no mages or adepts, only mundanes and burnouts). If asked why no magicians are allowed, she politely tells them, “It reminds our members of what they’ve lost, or never had and it slows the process”. She explains (vaguely) about the Book of Gaf, teaching us that in a bygone era, everyone had some form of magical potential. It is up to us to find our own Throne of the Soul and tap into our unrealized potentials. All the while that she is babbling out propaganda, make a secret Willpower test to see if the runners are buying into her magically enhanced spiel. If the runners would like to join, they are given an address in order to participate in the first step… swearing an oath of brotherhood and secrecy to the SOA.

At this point, the runners (especially mages) should be feeling a little wary about this society (unless they failed to resist the Influence). Interrogation of the woman can yield a few answers, though they will have to prevent her from reaching for the PanicButton. She is a low level mage (a student of Gaf) and will make some attempt to defend herself, if she is attacked.

The Sons of the Awakening are actually the Seattle front for the Aleph Society (see Threats 2), a dangerous magical cult, using blood magic and spirit pacts to grant magical power to those that have lost it.

If the runners go to the first initiatory meeting, they will be in a room with a small number of others, either desperate mundanes or burnt out mages, seeking an easy fix to all their problems. Any magician’s on the team can oversee as one of these betrayed people swears their oath. It is the first of initiatory rite and as they swear loyalty, the Aleph mages present cast high powered Influence spells on those speaking the oath. Any runner that swears this oath may become a puppet of the SOA (likely become a NPC, or a mentally scarred PC). Capturing one of these mages can get answers with sufficient interrogation (freeing those about to enslave themselves should earn the players some extra karma, even though the NPCs involved may resent the PCs for ruining their chances for entry.

Through interrogation or some heavy Matrix legwork, the runners may learn of the final rite’s location. This is the building where SOA initiates go to discover the “Throne of the Soul” and regain their power. The single story office building looks fairly generic, but what is under it is where the seat of power lies. Exploring the offices won’t likely reveal much. There are posters on the wall and pamphlets all around the front desk. The offices look generic and static, as if they are only for show (they are). The one thing the runners may find (if they aren’t taking the guided tour) is the back of the office has been converted into a form of medical bay. In the break room is a sliding panel concealed behind the refrigerator. It is a staircase down, below the building.

Beneath is a large amphitheatre style room, with heavy stone walls, decorative tapestries of the SOA logo and seating for up to 60 people. At the rooms center is a large pedestal with circular indentations around its perimeter, with small channels to a central pool. All of the indentations, the pool and the channels are stained with blood and any magically Awakened character can feel an aural taint to the room.

Eight mundane members of the SOA cut themselves and pour blood into the indentations to fuel the Spirit Pact between a burnout and Gaf. Once tapped into Gaf’s Potency, the burnouts have an enormous well of power to tap into and often appear more powerful than they really are. The illusion of power…

The room beyond the amphitheatre is a bunk chamber, where several of the more dangerous burnouts live. Since no one was scheduled to be in the sacrifice room, they quickly emerge (including Peter) and attack the runners in an attempt to force them out. Some use their cybernetic gifts, while others use their “restored” power. Many have been so indoctrinated that they will fight to the death. The runners will have to be careful not to kill Peter in the engagement.

The team will have to drag Peter (unconscious or otherwise incapacitated) back to Mercer Island and get him through the Magical security (his aura has been badly tainted by blood sacrifices and the Natives will not take kindly to his presence) and deliver him to the country club.

Mr. Johnson will be surprised at his son’s state (if the runners warn him of Peter’s “state of mind”, he will be upset, but will speed along the proceedings so he can make some phone calls to undo what Peter has done to himself) but pay the team, so long as Peter is alive and relatively unharmed.

Maps:

Gaf Summoning Chamber

Gaf Summoning Circle

Pamphlet Front

Pamphlet Back

1 – Summoning Circle. See following map for detail. The surrounding circle is for the summoners to make the ritual summoning for Gaf, while eight others pour blood into the pedestal.
2 – Seating. 30 per side (though they have never needed that many yet)
3 – Stairs to Seating area
4 – Bunk Area. Filled with angry burnouts…

As a game aid, I have included a copy of the “Sons of the Awakening” advertisement pamphlet. It is a tri-fold pamphlet. Simply print, fold (in the Z shape) in the gaps between columns, trim excess margins and hand out to your players when they find the pamphlet.

>> Aw, a father-son reunion… doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy… *barfing noise*
>> Sinic

>> I dread these jobs.  Likely the reason they haven’t spoke in a while is because one got sick of the other and one party will be none too happy with being reunited.  Makes for a difficult paycheck.
>> Slasher

>> The lost sheep has come home.
>> Aleph

>> Okay there, Plato.  Please do the world a favor and slide back under your rock, thank you.
>> Reaper

A Legacy of Death

The team is recruited by a Mrs. Johnson to track down and return a coworker that has gone missing. The man is one Dr. Edward Manchester. Any runners that ran the “In the Wake of the Wicked” adventure will remember him as the Mr. Johnson for that particular run. She provides the runners with Dr. Manchester’s address, although if any runners have participated in the previous installment, they will remember the place. She offers them 50,000¥ for Edward’s safe return.

The basement, where they embarked on an astral quest before, is now bare. All the trappings of the ancestor shaman’s tools for summoning are missing. A journal can be found where Edward’s quests to study his family tree are chronicled. It is the last entries that are of the most interest (see below).

Dr. Manchester flew over to England a few days before to “attend a seminar” at the Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and has yet to return. His computer shows the flight booking. A check of the Queen Mary’s School Matrix node shows no seminars being held.

The runners will need to fly to England to find the errant doctor. The big news in the UK is a couple of gruesome murders in London’s east end, bearing a striking resemblance to an ancient series of cases (the Ripper Murders). All leads have come up empty.

When the runners arrive at Queen Mary’s, they find the building surrounded in police cars. There is no trace of any of the officers however, save for one sitting on the pavement, rocking and mumbling incoherently, seemingly unaware of anyone else.

The inside of the Institute is very cold and seemingly devoid of human presence. An eviscerated female police officer is slumped against the wall, butchered in the Ripper method. Be descriptive in describing the scene. (Jack slit their neck down to the spine and then tore a large gash in their abdomen. He removed their organs and positioned them around the corpse. He often mutilated the face and breasts, and occasionally removed the vaginal area with surgical precision). Above her body, smeared in blood is the phrase, “A gift from hell”

The building is in a full state of panic. The building is cold and dark inexplicably, as there seems to be nothing wrong with the power or the heating. George Chapman aka Jack “the Ripper” is inside his preferred host, his ancestor Edward Manchester in the upper floors of the hospital, conducting his twisted experiments on patients throughout the hospital. Using his hosts abilities, he managed to summon the ghosts of his previous victims and these five women haunt the building, trying to frighten those who enter away from the building, to protect them from Jack. He takes great pleasure in their continued torment and seems to feed from their fear.

Jack is now a free spirit, having broken the hold by his summoner and has the ability to possess others. He will not hesitate to leave Edward and possess others, but his life force is bound to his knife. If the knife is destroyed, if Jack is dispelled, he is dead forever.

His spirit is a Force 6 Free Spirit with 3 points of Spirit Energy.

Patients and police officers are throughout the building and many are scared or insane by the activities in the hospital. Victims of the Ripper are scattered throughout the building. To make things more interesting, the girl from the premiere Halloween run can make cameos while the team is inside the building. She is constantly looking for the runner that picked her up and carried her to her “father”, to see if he/she wants to play. She has Deathly Aura of a massive radius, but doesn’t seem to influence the runners. The walls are coated in a sheet of ice and the whole wing where she is found is vacant of life, although traces of it exist. She has not aged in the years since she was last seen.

Things that can be seen in the building:

• blood running down the elevator doors. Top floor sees a nurse mutilated against the door.
• Writing being scratched into the walls (one of the specters) by fingernails
• Whispers in the hallway
• Writing in blood smeared on the walls, usually single words, like “madness”, “death”, “hell”, “insanity”, etc
• Corpse killed by the Ripper opens its eyes wide and whispers “Get Out!” (Ripper victim)
• Insane policeman, who has already killed everyone else in his room for suspecting possession starts shooting the runners
• Ghost attacks the runners. If astrally perceived, the ghost shrieks “Go back! He’ll kill you all. KillYou KillYou KillYou KillYou KillYou KillYou…”

Any number of creepy events can occur, according to GM choice. When the team finally finds Edward/Jack, he turns toward them and smiles pleasantly. His clothes are soaked in blood and he holds Jack’s knife in his hand. “Good day, gentlemen,” is what he says at first. “Is there something I can help you with?”
If the runners choose to chat with Jack, he seems very calm about his actions. If asked if he is Jack the Ripper, he shrugs. “I’ve gone by many names over the years…my name is Severin Antoniovich Klosowski. I am also known as George Chapman. I never was very fond of the name the press gave me… Jack the Ripper is such a crude name.”
Jack speaks eloquently in regards to any questions he asks. He admits that death was a very unique experience, but coming back to the world after so much had changed was such an invigorating experience. He learned that his murders were still remembered almost 200 years after they were done, he found it flattering and it inspired him to resume. He managed to break free of Edward’s spiritual hold and seize his former master. He then returned to his old stomping grounds in Whitechapel and resumed his experiments.

If asked why he does what he does, his simple answer is “Because I can. The human body is a fascinating thing and watching it die under my skilled hands is equally as fascinating.”

Whether the runners kill Edward, or try and drive Jack from his body, is greatly up to them. Jack will fight hard to not be driven out, but if driven out, his spirit quickly zips out in search of another host. If one of the runners has projected, he will take their body.

Jack “The Ripper” (Shadow Free Ancestor Spirit)
B: 11, Q: 9, S: 10, C: 6, I: 6, W: 6, Ess: 9, Reaction: 7
Initiative: 19 + 1D6, Astral Initiative: 29 + 1D6
Attack: 10M
Powers: Accident, Confusion, Divination, Guard, Materialization, Search Free Spirit Powers: Possession, Personal Domain (Whitechapel, England), Hidden Life (Knife)

Jack will make it very difficult for him to be destroyed, but should he be banished and his knife not destroyed, he will return and may even go out of his way to draw the runners back to England, so he can finish them off.

>> I knew that job was going to be bad karma…
>> Wraith

>> Care to fill us in?  What did this guy summon up?
>> Trench

>> A very bad person, who should have been left where he was.
>> Wraith

>> What, it’s not like he summoned up Adolf Hitler or Jack the Ripper, right?
>> Skeptik

>> No comment.
>> Wraith

Aztec Aggression

The runners are hired out of Seattle but immediately flown down to Houston, Texas for the mission briefing. The team’s fixer can arrange smuggling for their gear, but each runner is limited to 10kg worth of kit.

Once in Houston, they meet a through-and-through Texan, large hat and accent included. He explains the gist of the mission: cross the Aztlan border and destroy a convoy bound for Austin. Once the convoy is destroyed, they are to head to Austin and assassinate key people in the Aztlan army to create confusion and make way for the Confederate army.

The pay for the run is 20,000¥ each, plus the Confederate army will supply them with any additional weapons or gear they require to complete the mission (within reason). Max Avail is 14, but the higher the availability of items they want, the fewer items they will receive.

The runners will have to cross the border somehow with all their equipment and stop the convoy. As the runners set out, it is just crossing the Aztlan-Texas border at Laredo on the I-35. Other settlements along their route are: Encinal, Cotulla, Dilley, Pearsall, Devine, San Antonio Metroplex, New Braunfels, and San Marcos. The runners can decide to ambush the convoy in either urban or rural terrain (the convoy uses the San Antonio bypass and won’t pass through the city itself to avoid traffic).

The convoy consists of several large trucks full of assorted items, from food and clothes to weapons. There are also two trucks of troops and an APC with the command staff inside, including an Aztec Leopard shaman.

Aztec Soldiers (roughly a dozen in the convoy)
B: 6, Q: 7, S: 5, C: 4, I: 4, W: 4, R: 5(7), Init: 5(7) + 1D6(3D6)
Skills: Car 4, Computer 4, Etiquette 4, Assault Rifle 5, Pistol 4, SMG 4, Stealth 4, Athletics 4, Small Unit Tactics 4, Aztec Policy 4, Texan Geography 4, Firearm Maintenance 4, Smuggling Routes 4, Guerilla Warfare 4
Cyberware: Cybereyes with Optical Mag 3, Flare Comp and Thermographic Sight, Smartlink-II, Wired Reflexes II, Muscle Toner II
Rated Professional, 3 Karma Pool

Aztec Leopard Shaman
B: 4, Q: 4, S: 4, C: 5, I: 5, W: 5, R: 4, Init: 4 + 1D6
Skills: Car 4, Computer 4, Sorcery 5, Conjuring 5, Pistol 4, Stealth 4, Athletics 4, Biotech 4, Aztec Policy 5, Texan Geography 5, Magic 5, Smuggling Routes 5, Guerilla Warfare 5
Domain: Forest and Savannah +2 dice for combat and health magic, +2 dice for summoning at night, -1 for resisting illusions
Spells: Manabolt 5, Detect Enemies 5, Heal 5, Powerbolt 5, Bullet Barrier 5, Control Actions 5 Metamagic = Masking
Rated Professional, 3 Karma Pool

Ruhrmetal Wolf II AFV Armoured Personnel Carrier
Hand: 3/5, Speed: 105, Accel: 8, Body: 6, Armour: 12, Sig: 2, Auto: 2, Pilot: – Sensor: -, Cargo: 9, Load: 900, Seating: 6, Entry: 1d + 1h + 1x, Fuel: D(800 L) Econ: 3 Km/l, S/B: -, L/T: -, Chass: APC (Wheeled)

Ares Citymaster
Hand: 5/11, Speed: 120, Accel: 3, Body: 5, Armour: 10, Sig: 1, Auto: 3, Pilot: – Sensor: 0, Cargo: 41, Load: 530, Seating: 2 + 5b, Entry: 2d + 1x, Fuel: D(250 L) Econ: 5.2 Km/l, S/B: -, L/T: -, Chass: Transport (Wheeled)

While the convoy is supposed to be totally destroyed, the Confederates will be happy if it is badly damaged and delayed. Of course, if the runners are unable to destroy the convoy, they may have trouble escaping the Aztec soldiers.

In Austin, the Aztecs have seized the main campus of St. Edward’s University, a Catholic university and converted it into their base of operations. Most anyone in Austin can tell the runners that particular piece of information, but if they’re able to find a native Texan, they are less likely to notify the authorities.

St. Edwards Campus

Note that, the coloured sections are parking lots… I grabbed the first map I found and for that I apologize. – JThere are many Aztec soldiers on the grounds (as many as the GM feel are required) and at least 20 senior officers. The GM can just decide whether an officer is in any given building. The runners can pick off any number of these and the Confederates will be happy. What the Confederates don’t know is that the highest ranking official is a blood mage, who won’t hesitate to use his twisted brand of magic to destroy the runners.

Aztec Blood Mage
B: 4, Q: 4, S: 4, C: 6, I: 5, W: 6, R: 5, Init: 5 + 1D6
Skills: Sorcery 6, Conjuring 6, Pistol 5, Stealth 5, Athletics 5, Biotech 5, Edged Weapons 5, Aztec Policy 5, Anatomy 5, Magic 5, Blood Rites 5, Radicals 5
Spells: Manabolt 6, Wreck (Gun) 5, Heal 5, Acid Stream 5, Spell Shield 5, Foreboding 5, Improved Reflexes (Lvl 3) 1
Metamagic = Masking, Sacrificing, Reflecting
Rated Professional, 3 Karma Pool

Blood Spirits
B: F+1, Q: F+2 (x3), S: F-2, C: F, I: F, W: F, R: F+1, Init: F+11+ 1D6, Astral Init: F+21+1D6
Damage = Str M
Powers: Engulf, Essence Drain, Fear, Guard, Materialization, Noxious Breath

The blood mage won’t be subdued easily and likely won’t give the runners the option to take him alive. If runners have had an easy time, he may commit suicide and summon a powerful blood spirit from his own death. At that point the blood spirit becomes uncontrolled and will aim to destroy the team or anyone nearby.

>> Why would I volunteer to go to a war front?
>> Red Man

>> Maybe to kick the ass of a few Azzies?  I know it is a huge incentive for me.
>> Revenge

>> Not all of us have a death wish, omae.
>> Tanner

Seine Situation

Preparing to Play

The team is gathered at the site of a businessman’s conference. Some of the wealthiest and most powerful corporations in the world are present, wheeling and dealing. The team is ushered off to an empty conference room to await their Mr. Johnson. Their Johnson is a European man with a heavy French accent. Though he never tells the team his affiliations, he works for Esprit Industries in Paris, a AA corp that makes military equipment. They had the plans for a new targeting processor for missile system stolen and they want it back. The Johnson gives the runners a name: Hans Gröener. He is the suspected thief.

Hans Gröener is a lieutenant in the local Vory and is extremely paranoid, given the current open war between the Mafia and the Vory in France. He will not take kindly to people snooping around, but will agree to a meet with the team to discuss business. He conducts all his meetings “virtually”, using a trid unit, a satellite uplink and a video camera. When he learns that the corps have learned of him, he thanks the runners for informing him of an internal leak. He tells them that he did not steal the data, but he purchased it from an “independent businessman”. In exchange for the revealing of a hole in the Vory safety net, he tells the team he sold the data to Mitsuhama.

Investigating Mitsuhama will reveal that the info was shipped to an R&D facility in Bordeaux. The team has to infiltrate the Bordeaux enclave and find the file to retrieve it.

To aid GMs on this run, it is recommended that the GM has access to “Corporate Download” and “Shadows of Europe” for full info on Mitsuhama and Paris respectably.

Scenarios

Meeting the Employer

What’s Up, Chummer?

The team meets with a French businessman at a conference center in Seattle. He tells them that vital data for the company he works for has been stolen and they need it back. Now.

The team will need to get on a plane, bound for Paris to track down the only lead the man has: The name of the suspected thief. Hans Gröener.

Tell it to them Straight

The team can be contacted by any of their usual channels, likely a fixer. The only information the fixer has on the run is that it is going to be abroad, but the pay is respectable. The meet is at 8:30PM at the George Michelson Conference Center in Tacoma, conference room number 7.

The Conference Center is crawling with businessmen. Chatter creates a background din throughout the whole building. Not all conversations are in English, since companies from around the world are in attendance. Conference room 7 is tucked away in a darkened hallway, away from the main body of the conference. The room has a large faux wood table and several comfortable chairs that are designed to seat even the largest metahuman comfortably. The room is empty when the runners arrive, but once everyone is in attendance, the Johnson enters shortly thereafter.

He is a man of Saxon descent with black hair. His grey suit is expensive, but his ID badge that he would be wearing at the convention has been hidden away. He speaks with a heavy French accent.

“Good evening, gentlemen. I have a matter of great importance I need you to resolve for me. I have been at this convention for a few days now and data vital to my company was stolen yesterday from one of our shell companies in Paris. If the information stolen is not retrieved in short order and the news of the theft makes it into the media, our shareholders will be very upset.

I need you to get our data back. Due to the nature of the information, I cannot reveal any information about the file to you. What I can tell you, is who has the file. A notorious felon of Paris is rumoured to have the file now. His name is Hans Gröener. Find Mr. Gröener and get our data back, no matter what it takes.”

Being an especially secretive run, Mr. Johnson can’t provide the runners with anything that could be traced back to his company. So, he offers the runners 200,000¥ for the job, with a quarter up front to cover startup expenses.

Behind the Scenes

Mr. Johnson’s real name is Francois Demaine, a senior executive with Esprit Industries. The data that was stolen was blueprints for a new missile guidance system, that was to employed by the French army and possibly contracted to nations in the NEEC. The project was Francois’s baby and he’s more concerned with his image within the company than the shareholders. The money he is shelling out isn’t from Esprit, but his own personal wealth.

Mr. Johnson \ Francois Demaine

B: 3 Q: 2 S: 2 C: 5 I: 6 W: 5 E: 5.3 R: 4

Init: 4 + 1D6

Karma Pool/Professional Rating: 2/3

Active Skills: Computer 5, Etiquette(Corporate) 4(8), Negotiations 6, Pistols 3, Karate 3

Knowledge Skills: Corporate Policy 6, Underworld Politics 4, History 4, Psychology 8

Cyberware: Datajack, 150 Mp Headware Memory

Francois is a Caucasian man with brown eyes and black hair. He is always seen in the nicest suits and tows the company line pretty hard. He is nervous about the theft of his project and what may happen to his future within the company should news of the leak escape. He’s willing to sacrifice a chunk of his retirement to prevent the project from getting out.

The runners may decide to do some homework on the Johnson after the meet. Being from France there isn’t much to be found locally, although if they can sneak in, they might be able to glean some info from people at the convention

Francois Demaine

Appropriate Contacts: Matrix Search (TN 5), Corporate (TN 5), Convention (Etiquette) (TN 4)

Success Results

1. Who?

2. He’s a big time corper in Europe somewhere…

3. Works for Esprit Industries. An executive of some clout, I think.

4. His name is Francois Demaine. He’s a big project manager in the Paris HQ.

5. He’s in Seattle on business, selling his latest product to anyone interested in co-venture.

6. His newest product is supposed to be this new wizzer mil-tech gadget.

Pushing the Envelope

The meet should be straight forward. Francois has little room for negotiation, so attempts to weasel extra nuyen from him will be extremely difficult. The runners would be foolish to try and smuggle guns into a convention center filled with bigwigs, since Lone Star has a very visible presence at the building.

Debugging

The team’s worst mistake would be to try and injure the Johnson. The police are very present, as well as reps from various corporate security companies. Obviously, the run comes to a grinding halt if the runners refuse to take the job. You can make a better offer if it will keep the runners playing, but if they are asking for a ridiculous amount of money, let the session end.

If the team prepares for France, go to “Ah, Paris…”

If the team investigates Hans Gröener via the Matrix, go to “Digital Hornet’s Nest”

Ah, Paris…

What’s Up, Chummer?

If the runners have done their homework, they will have tourist Visas for entering France, otherwise their entry into the country will be quite difficult. If the team has acquired a contact in France, they can get in touch with them to secure the gear they’ll need while in the country.

When they start asking questions about Hans Gröener it’s apparent that they are drawing a little too much attention.

Tell it to them Straight

The customs officials in Paris are very diligent and without the proper paper work, the runners will be, if nothing else, detained. More serious offenses, like unregistered magic, cybernetics or weapons will lead to interrogation.

The runners will likely need to acquire weapons when they arrive on the streets of Paris and hopefully, one of the team’s contacts will be able to call in a favour.

Depending on how the runners conduct their investigation on Gröener, they will start gaining some unwanted attention. After a short while of investigating the streets of Paris, both Mafia and Vory will want to have a word with the runners. The Mafia may try to contract the runners to provide the Martinez family with any info they gather, while the Vory will seek to stop the runners from acquiring information.

Behind the Scenes

The mob war has reached a boiling point in Paris. The Vory have been established in the city for some time, but Martinez is making inroads into the historic center of Paris. When Gröener’s name is thrown out onto the street, the rumour mill begins to churn. The Mafia will make contact first, “asking” the runners to turn over any valid information. The Vory will attempt to stop the runners, by sending an assassin through the sewers. He’ll use the manhole covers for a shield, firing through a gun cam and mining the manhole cover with a grenade when he flees.

If the team deals with the Mafia, the Vory will not easily deal with the runners.

Vory

B: 5 Q: 4 S: 4 C: 3 I: 4 W: 3 E: 6 R: 3[5]

Init: 4 + 1D6

Karma Pool/Professional Rating: 3/3

Active Skills: Car 4, Etiquette(Vory)(Street) 3(4)(5), Edged Weapons 4, Intimidation 4, Pistols 5, Brawling 3, Submachineguns 5, Negotiations 3, Clubs 3, Throwing Weapons 3

Knowledge Skills: Police Procedures 4, Smuggling Routes 4, Underworld Politics 4, Traps 3, Paris Sewers 2

The Vory are everywhere in Paris, so they don’t have a fixed appearance. Being mostly white collar crime, most wear suits, but the thugs attacking the runners will be wearing black armored suits (FFBA) and carrying night-vision goggles. The submachine guns are equipped with barrel cameras and Smartlink, to allow the shooters to fire blindly from around corners.

Despite opposition, the runners might obtain some info from the streets of Paris.

Hans Gröener

Appropriate Contacts: Matrix Search (special), Underworld (TN 5), Etiquette (Street) (TN 5)

Success Results

1. No idea who you’re talking about…

2. Big time criminal. Cops would love a chat with him…

3. He’s the local Lideri for the Vory.

4. He specializes in extortion and fraud. He has implanted spies everywhere.

5. Rumour has it he has a depot he maintains and siphons money through to send any money back to the Vor. It is on Rue Bonaparte.

Pushing the Envelope

Asking too many questions will definitely garner some attention from unwanted circles. If the team refuses to deal with the Mafia, the Mafia may try and kill the runners, or possibly tail them, in hopes that they will lead them to Hans. The Vory won’t take kindly to having Hans’ name thrown around on the streets. They will arrange an assassination, but if the runners pursue the assassin through the sewers, the runners will be led into an ambush. If the runners survive the ambush, they can question any survivors for info on Hans.

Debugging

If the team never learns any piece of information on Hans’ whereabouts from the street, hint to the team decker to check the local Shadowland node. If there is no decker in the team, have an anonymous courier deliver a note to the runner, giving them a meet location.

There is a massive social stigma in Paris, being the seat of nobility. Excessive cybernetics or flashy magic will bring the police down hard. The runners would do best to keep a low profile, but police intervention can either help or hinder, since the runners might be able to get needed info from the police (if they ask the right cops).

If the team searches the Matrix for Gröener, go to “Digital Hornet’s Nest”

If the team goes to the Vory depot, go to “Taking out the Launderers”

If the team arranges a meet with Gröener, go to “Mr. Gröener, I presume…”

Digital Hornet’s Nest

What’s Up, Chummer?

The Paris grid is as unique as the city itself, but Shadowland is just as recognizable as it is in Seattle. However, asking questions about the Vory draws a lot of attention and several watchdog frames will lock onto the decker and follow him around. After a short while of asking questions, the decker receives a ghost drop, with the address for a chatroom and a warning to show up alone. The Vory decker in the chatroom, makes sure that the tracker frames are gone before revealing himself and questioning the runner. If the runner can plead his case well enough the decker will arrange a meet with Hans.

Tell it to them Straight

Jacking into the Ile de France LTG renders the Champs Elysees, with each building representing another district of the city. The Shadowland for France can be accessed by going to the sanitation department (manhole cover) and a back door disguised within the cesspool icon of the sewer tunnels.

The Shadowland node is a hive of activity, with job postings, back room deals and file transfers happening in a controlled digital carnage. The rumour mill is extensive. When the decker inquires about Hans Gröener, or checks the rumour board for information, they are flagged by both Mafia and Vory watchdogs. After several inquiries or conversations, one of the watchdogs approach and delivers a message before shutting down.

It gives the decker the address for a private chat room. “Show up alone, or I won’t be there.”

The decker had best make a Perception test to find his fan club and either shake them or dispose of them before going to the chat room.

The chat room appears as a digital board room. It appears empty, but a quick Browse check will show that he is not alone, but the other person in the room is running a high level Chameleon and Mirrors utility in tandem and is almost impossible to track down. If the runner still has bots attached to him, the Vory decker says, “I told you to come alone,” before jacking out.

Otherwise, once the Vory discovers he is alone, he disengages the defensive utilities, appearing as a businessman, with a large snake logo emblazoned on his jacket.

“You must be dense to be throwing around a Lideri name like that…”

The Vory questions the decker as to his purpose for looking for Hans. If the decker is diplomatic enough, he can arrange a meeting with Hans. The Vory tells him that if the Mafia are found anywhere nearby, the deal is off.

He gives the runner an address and tells him to park in the open. Hans will come to him.

Behind the Scenes

The criminal underworld has their feelers dug into the Matrix pretty deep and have rigged up keywords with warning flags. The Mafia may offer the decker money for any relevant information, while the Vory will watch the decker and try to determine if he needs reprimanding.

Pushing the Envelope

If the decker really churns things up in Shadowland a brief battle may begin between himself and the Vory, before the sysop bans the fighters from the node. If the runner gets banned, he will need to find other ways to obtain his information.

Debugging

This should be purely investigative, but if for some reason the decker picks a fight with the Vory decker, cybercombat should last one round before the Vory jacks out. At that point, legwork will be the only way to obtain the needed data.

If the team doesn’t get the meet, but learns of the laundering depot, go to “Taking out the Launderers”

If the team has a meeting with Hans, go to “Mr. Gröener, I presume…”

Taking out the Launderers

What’s Up, Chummer?

On Rue Bonaparte is an industrial park that seems to be in disuse. However, the Vory have seized a large warehouse and are using it to launder money and track how their other white collar crimes are faring. While a good many of the people here are little more than accountants, there are some Vory shestiorka (soldiers) here as well.

Tell it to them Straight

The industrial parks on Rue Bonaparte look pretty derelict, housing small manufacturing businesses for the most part. A lot of them seem vacant. The area is large and may take some time to sift through.

The runners could go from building to building, searching for the operation, but perceptive runners may notice a wealth of expensive cars parked outside one particular warehouse.

The lock on the door is new and high tech, but once the runners are beyond it, they see counterfeiting equipment and rows of computers, where people are diligently typing away. Upon seeing the runners, the alarm is raised and the shestiorka are sent forward, while the accountants seek shelter.

The Vory will use heavy equipment as cover while dealing with the runners. If subdued the runners can either extract information from one of the employees, or plunder it from one of the workstations. The runners can contact Hans and demand a meet. If they are diplomatic enough, he may even agree.

Behind the Scenes

This warehouse tracks a large portion of the Vory wealth in Paris and has enough incriminating evidence to bring down several key figures in Paris: nobles, police and executives alike. Hans will be more likely to deal with the runners, knowing that his infrastructure is in danger.

Vory

B: 5 Q: 4 S: 4 C: 3 I: 4 W: 3 E: 6 R: 3[5]

Init: 4 + 1D6

Karma Pool/Professional Rating: 3/3

Active Skills: Car 4, Etiquette(Vory)(Street) 3(4)(5), Edged Weapons 4, Intimidation 4, Pistols 5, Brawling 3, Submachineguns 5, Negotiations 3, Clubs 3, Throwing Weapons 3

Knowledge Skills: Police Procedures 4, Smuggling Routes 4, Underworld Politics 4, Traps 3, Paris Sewers 2

The Vory are everywhere in Paris, so they don’t have a fixed appearance. Being mostly white collar crime, most wear suits, but the thugs attacking the runners will be wearing black armored suits (FFBA) and carrying night-vision goggles. The submachine guns are equipped with barrel cameras and Smartlink, to allow the shooters to fire blindly from around corners.

Pushing the Envelope

Hans knows his network is compromised. If he thinks for a moment that the runners are going to double cross him, he will activate a radio transmitter that will detonate several explosive charges in the warehouse. The runners will need to flee the building before the entire thing comes crashing down on top of them.

Debugging

If the runners double cross Hans and the building is incinerated, remind the runners that they have Hans’ contact address. He will be rather upset wit the loss of the warehouse and the runners may be required to offer up compensation before he is willing to meet them.

If the team checks the Matrix, go to “Digital Hornet’s Nest”

If the team arranges a meet with Hans, go to “Mr. Gröener, I presume…”

If the team cannot procure a meet, the run will probably end here, having exhausted all leads.

Mr. Gröener, I Presume…

What’s Up, Chummer?

The runners are given an address for the meet and told to park in the open. The address given is a vacant lot. Shortly after they park, a convoy of cars pulls into the lot and form a circle around the team. Several shestiorka pile out of the cars and make sure the runners are very aware of the weapons present. A sniper sits atop a nearby factory and watches to ensure the runners make no sudden movements.

The car directly in front of them empties and the Vory scramble to setup an elaborate electrical configuration. When they are done, a holographic image of Hans Gröener appears and interacts with the team via camera. He will negotiate with them in order to learn that he already sold the data to Mitsuhama.

Tell it to them Straight

When the runners arrive at the meet location, they find that it is a vacant lot in an industrial sector on the outskirts of Paris. If they do as they are instructed and park out in the open, the Vory entourage arrives in the form of nine black sedans. They form a circle around the runner’s car and eight of the cars empty out, revealing armed Vory, who stand ready to strike if provoked.

The ninth car empties out and begin operating like a race pit crew. They retrieve a folded trideo panel from the trunk and set it on the pavement. A cable is run to the back seat where a decker has set up shop. A satellite dish is planted on the roof of the car and calibrated, while a camera is setup and pointed at the runners.

With everything in place, the decker types in a few keywords and the trid unit springs to life, revealing the holographic form of Hans Gröener.

“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble and drawn a lot of attention to get the chance to talk to me. So…what do you want?”

If the runners tell him that they know he had some vital data and they want it back, he tells them they need to be more specific, since he is in the information brokerage business. If the team knows the Johnson was from Esprit, Hans will know exactly what info they are after. However, Hans is into information trading…

He thanks the runners for indirectly telling him that he has a spy or a leak in his network, if Esprit learned that he had the file. He tells the runners that he didn’t steal the data, but purchased it. And he recently sold it to a client for a healthy profit.

If they want to know who he sold it to, they’ll need to deliver him another shred of information. Data for Data. If the runners have a tidbit of info that Hans finds useful, he will tell them that Mitsuhama was the buyer.

What Hans can’t tell them is where the data is now. Once the money is in his hands and the merchandise delivered, he no longer cares about the old. It’s bad for business.

Behind the Scenes

For a criminal, Hans is honest. If the runners play by his rules, he is forth coming and he’s always interested in gathering more information. He truly doesn’t know where Mitsuhama has taken the file and he doesn’t care to piss off the AAA corp. He has enough enemies.

Vory

B: 5 Q: 4 S: 4 C: 3 I: 4 W: 3 E: 6 R: 3[5]

Init: 4 + 1D6

Karma Pool/Professional Rating: 3/3

Active Skills: Car 4, Etiquette(Vory)(Street) 3(4)(5), Edged Weapons 4, Intimidation 4, Pistols 5, Brawling 3, Submachineguns 5, Negotiations 3, Clubs 3, Throwing Weapons 3

Knowledge Skills: Police Procedures 4, Smuggling Routes 4, Underworld Politics 4, Traps 3, Paris Sewers 2

The Vory are everywhere in Paris, so they don’t have a fixed appearance. Being mostly white collar crime, most wear suits, but the thugs attacking the runners will be wearing black armored suits (FFBA) and carrying night-vision goggles. The submachine guns are equipped with barrel cameras and Smartlink, to allow the shooters to fire blindly from around corners.

Pushing the Envelope

If you need to mix things up, have the Mafia come across the meeting area and start firing into the Vory. A firefight is likely to ensue and the runners may have to prove to the Vory that they didn’t tip off the Mafia to the meeting (if the runners shoot and kill the Mafia goons, that’s a fairly decent sign of faith).

Debugging

Trigger happy runners may not be happy with being surrounded by gun toting thugs and assume they’ve been ambushed. If the runners open fire on the Vory, the meet is over and any hopes of talking to Hans are gone.

If the team learns of the Mitsuhama purchase, go to “Trail of Crumbs”

If the team botches the meet, the run ends, due to leads drying up

Trail of Crumbs

What’s Up, Chummer?

With some investigation, the team will realize that Mitsuhama doesn’t really have a presence in Paris. Mitsuhama has offices in Lyon and Bordeaux, but the Lyon branch is a distribution center. They will also learn that a Mitsuhama rep was in Paris for business with an undisclosed party, but with GridGuide’s aid, they’ll learn he returned to the Bordeaux enclave.

Tell it to them Straight

Now the team knows that Mitsuhama has acquired the files from Esprit. But where have they gone?

Exploring leads can reveal that Mitsuhama has no real presence in Paris, but they have a large distribution center in Lyon and a corporate enclave in Bordeaux.

A sales rep was in Paris the day the chip was purchased and GridGuide will reveal that the Mitsuhama corper took ER2 to Bordeaux’s enclave.

Behind the Scenes

This should be a simple investigation to track the chip’s progress. The team will need to gear up in preparation for a corporate infiltration.

Pushing the Envelope

Mitsuhama could be watching the grid for inquiries around the purchased data, or depending on the conversation had with the Lideri, Gröener, the Vory may aim to secretly undermine the runners’ efforts in order to preserve their business connections.

Debugging

If the team seems to be having no luck, suggest they hire a snoop or get in contact with a local fixer to search the area to usher them along.

Go to the next chapter, “Into the Enclave”

Into the Enclave

What’s Up, Chummer?

The Mitsuhama enclave is on the outskirts of Bordeaux, in a picturesque landscape. The walled community contains several residential buildings, all surrounding the R&D building. The data was been moved to a data locker on the eighth floor, where the deckers will cut through the chips security so they can get to the data underneath. The team needs to infiltrate the building to reach the chip and then escape with it.

Tell it to them Straight

On the outskirts of Bordeaux stands the Mitsuhama enclave. Rolling green hills and a vineyard (owned by a Mitsuhama subsidiary) surround the complex. The entire enclave is a gated community of private homes and condominium buildings with the corporate tower at the center. The research building is a ten story tinted glass pillar rising over any other building in the area. There are guards protecting the entrance to the enclave and a zero zone that separates the housing from the complex.

The grounds are protected by drones, sensor nets, autoguns and cyber-Barghests. Inside are patrolled by guards and the clinical appearance of the inside hides several rigger-controlled security measures. The chip is stored on the seventh floor, in a data locker.

Behind the Scenes

Mitsuhama learned from Hans what the data was and snatched it up for use in their own drones. The problem was the thick layer of security protecting the data, so they’ve stored the chip until the heat cools off and then they will attempt to break in and unlock the potential within. Security is heightened, due to Esprit hunting down the errant data.

Each floor of the corporate tower is laid out identically:

Mitsuhama Building

Room Details:

No map Legend was ever recorded.  Map provided by Blackjack’s website and was borrowed without permission (but seeing as his site was a resource page like mine, I hope he’ll allow it – J.)

Mitsuhama Soldiers

Stats pending

Pushing the Envelope

This mission can be as hard as the GM wants. MCT has some of the best security out there and obtaining the chip should not be a cakewalk.

Debugging

Anything that can go wrong here will likely end the mission, whether it be the death of runners or failing to retrieve the chip. If the runners destroy the chip as a last ditch effort, Mr. Johnson will not be happy that his project was destroyed, but thankful Mitsuhama didn’t keep it. He will pay the runners a considerably smaller amount in that eventuality.

Picking Up The Pieces

It’s a Wrap

The team meets the Johnson at Esprit in Paris to deliver the goods. The Johnson will be extremely thankful and be sure to remember them, should he need work done in the UCAS. Depending on how the runners conducted themselves, they may have made enemies in the Mafia, Vory or Mitsuhama. While they are in Europe, they have connections in Seattle and could make their lives difficult.

Awarding Karma

Award Karma according to merit of the character’s actions. There are some bonuses the players can receive:

+1 for arranging the meet with Hans

+1 for crippling the laundering operation

+2 for successfully getting the chip from Mitsuhama

Legwork

Here is a compilation of the legwork that may be applicable to the runner’s search.

People:

Mr. Johnson \ Francois Demaine

B: 3 Q: 2 S: 2 C: 5 I: 6 W: 5 E: 5.3 R: 4

Init: 4 + 1D6

Karma Pool/Professional Rating: 2/3

Active Skills: Computer 5, Etiquette(Corporate) 4(8), Negotiations 6, Pistols 3, Karate 3

Knowledge Skills: Corporate Policy 6, Underworld Politics 4, History 4, Psychology 8

Cyberware: Datajack, 150 Mp Headware Memory

Francois is a Caucasian man with brown eyes and black hair. He is always seen in the nicest suits and tows the company line pretty hard. He is nervous about the theft of his project and what may happen to his future within the company should news of the leak escape. He’s willing to sacrifice a chunk of his retirement to prevent the project from getting out.

Vory

B: 5 Q: 4 S: 4 C: 3 I: 4 W: 3 E: 6 R: 3[5]

Init: 4 + 1D6

Karma Pool/Professional Rating: 3/3

Active Skills: Car 4, Etiquette(Vory)(Street) 3(4)(5), Edged Weapons 4, Intimidation 4, Pistols 5, Brawling 3, Submachineguns 5, Negotiations 3, Clubs 3, Throwing Weapons 3

Knowledge Skills: Police Procedures 4, Smuggling Routes 4, Underworld Politics 4, Traps 3, Paris Sewers 2

The Vory are everywhere in Paris, so they don’t have a fixed appearance. Being mostly white collar crime, most wear suits, but the thugs attacking the runners will be wearing black armored suits (FFBA) and carrying night-vision goggles. The submachine guns are equipped with barrel cameras and Smartlink, to allow the shooters to fire blindly from around corners.

Legwork Results:

Francois Demaine

Appropriate Contacts: Matrix Search (TN 5), Corporate (TN 5), Convention (Etiquette) (TN 4)

Success Results

1. Who?

2. He’s a big time corper in Europe somewhere…

3. Works for Esprit Industries. An executive of some clout, I think.

4. His name is Francois Demaine. He’s a big project manager in the Paris HQ.

5. He’s in Seattle on business, selling his latest product to anyone interested in co-venture.

6. His newest product is supposed to be this new wizzer mil-tech gadget.

Hans Gröener

Appropriate Contacts: Matrix Search (special), Underworld (TN 5), Etiquette (Street) (TN 5)

Success Results

1. No idea who you’re talking about…

1 Big time criminal. Cops would love a chat with him…

2 He’s the local Lideri for the Vory.

3 He specializes in extortion and fraud. He has implanted spies everywhere.

4 Rumour has it he has a depot he maintains and siphons money through to send any money back to the Vor. It is on Rue Bonaparte.

>> Being a Seattle guy, why do I care what’s going down in France?
>> Havik

>> The world doesn’t revolve around your city, mon ami.  There is quite a bit of work to be had here and it’s a different environment from Seattle, trust me.  But, if you can acclimate, there’s good money here.
>> Petite Pierre

>> With all the crazy tech that’s being developed here by Erika and Transys, there’s quite a bit of corporate espionage here.  Never mind the underworld war that’s spilling into the streets…
>> Smoke

>> Got enough problems already.  Don’t think I want some Euro-corps gunning for me too.
>> Reaper

Iberian Impasse

The runners are contacted through their usual channels for an impromptu meet at an abandoned warehouse in Renton. The Johnson is a fidgety Hispanic man with graying hair, who sits uncomfortably in a wooden chair at the head of an elliptical table. A single overhead lamp lights the table and the face of Mr. Johnson, as well as anyone who sits at the bargaining table. A runner with low-light vision and flare compensation can make out to shadowy forms lurking in the background of the warehouse.

He offers the team 100,000 Euros for the job and explains that the figure is non-negotiable.

He tells them that he owes some very powerful men either a large sum of money, or a series of important items. He’s hoping the team can retrieve the items, so he can avoid an expensive payout. However, the items are in Spain and he is unable to return to his home country. If the runners agree to do the job, he hands them four addresses: three addresses with the locations of the items and a fourth delivery address.

Mr. Johnson does not want the runners to actually find the goods, but his hands are tied. The powerful men he owes is the Alta Commissione, namely, Don Vasquez. Mr. Johnson is actually Enrique Caligari, one of the Don’s former Lieutenants. He learned that the Don had acquired some particularly nasty items and was seriously considering their use against upstart competitors in order to “send a statement”. With the new division as to who should take the crown of Spain, he now fears the Don will employ their use on Prince Alfonso.

The three items are:
A black, lead-lined box. They are strictly ordered not to open the box. The runners won’t know that the box is lined with lead (unless they disobey the instructions). The outside of the box is plain and black steel. It has a radioactive isotope inside, enough to make a low yield nuclear weapon. The box has an attached Geiger counter. Should the box get pierced or damaged, the counter should start reading higher levels of radiation (the rad count is low enough to not be overly hazardous to the runners). The box is stored at the Gijon safehouse.

A refrigerated crate. The temperature has caused the outer metal of the metal to frost over. Exposed skin that contacts the frozen metal may stick to the metal and cause the skin to rip off. The silver crate is marked in Arabic (it reads “Warning: Viral agents within”) and is stamped with a large biohazard symbol. If the crate should be shot, the runners should worry about whatever is inside leaking out and infecting them… the refrigerated crate is kept in Madrid.

An olive drab latched crate. The crate is faded, but upon study of the markings, the box is labeled in Cyrillic (Ukranian, to be specific and it reads “Property of the Russian Army” with a long serial number). If the runners open the crate (which they are not supposed to) by cutting the heavy locks off, they find a small warhead and associated detonation system. This was buried outside Palma de Mallorca on the Balearic Islands.

Each location has its obstacles…

Gijon

The only way to reach Gijon is by boat. The safest way into Gijon is either through the province of Galicia or the new nation of Euskal Herria. Once they find a ship captain willing to take them into the struggling city, they will find the locals looking haggard and unfriendly. If they manage to trade goods for info, they will learn that there is another mercenary team in town, looking for something as well. The mercs are Muslims and the townsfolk are not happy to have them present, but they don’t dare anger troops as well armed as the mercs. The Asturias Forest is easily visible, looming over the cities outer limits. Smoke rises up from the city’s borders, as the gangs desperately try to keep their turf from being assimilated by the Awakened wood. The address provided by Mr. Johnson/Caligari is a short apartment building that, at one time had been a very nice place. Now it appears run down and derelict. The forest looms just outside the building, making its slow creep into Gijon. As the runners enter the building and make their way up to the third floor, the Arabic mercs storm the building and pursue the runners. At the same time, the forest makes a lunge for the apartment complex. The team will have to fend off well armed mercenaries, as well as hostile plant life that will break through walls and windows to try and envelop both teams. The runners will find the radioactive box in a ventilation duct. The building starts to come down around the team, eventually being pulled into the rapidly advancing treeline.

Madrid

The capital of Spain is a polluted and crowded mess. The city was built to house three million people, but it houses eight million. The address given to the runners by Mr. Johnson turns out to be a small butcher shop in one of the suburbios in the third ring of the city. Hidden under a hidden tile crawl space in the large freezer is the refrigerated crate. As they plunder the butcher shop, Muslim mercenaries pull up and riddle the small shop with bullets before charging in and claiming the crate for themselves. The police are notified of the gunfire and the runners will have to try and escape not only the mercenaries, but local law enforcement without damaging the crate.

Palma da Mallorca

There is no major airport on the Balearic Islands, so the runners will need to find a ship to take them there. There are a few small commercial ships, pirate vessels or even fishing ships they can charter for the right amount of money. The islands are rural, used for small fishing villages, farm lands and the occasional corporate retreat. The address provided to the runners, once they arrive at the islands leads them to a small executive cottage. The property is under the control of an exec when they arrive, so they will need to find a way onto the property in order to dig up the package. Once they have the package, the ship they sail back to the mainland on will be attacked by pirates, who are after what they possess. While the pirates trade fire with the runners, the ships will be attacked by a small pod of Kraken (a mother and two offspring). Once the aquatic creatures are subdued and the pirates bested, they can be dropped off anywhere on the Mediterranean coast.

Barcelona

The delivery address is in central Barcelona, a very ritzy place, heavily policed. They are delivering to one of Don Vasquez’s best men at a street side café. The crates will all be loaded into a delivery truck that will pull up shortly after the team’s arrival, while they dine with the Spanish underworld’s finest. Metahumans in the group will be treated like subhuman dogs by the Spanish and if the runners antagonize the locals too much, the police will be called in to make them disappear.

Upon their return to Seattle, the team will return to the meet location in Renton, to find the warehouse dark. The table is still set up, but finding a light switch and turning it on reveals a briefcase sitting on the table’s top, amongst a large pool of blood and spent shell casings. Inside the briefcase is the offered payment for the job. If the runners so desired, the blood could be used as a ritual link for the runners to find the body of Mr. Johnson (chopped up and separated in a slaughterhouse in Redmond).

>> The pay is an awfully large sum… but I ain’t from Spain.  Anyone fill me in on the risks here?
>> Blender

>> Well, the major centers are no better or worse than other major sprawls.  Follow your standard M.O. for not getting caught and you’ll be fine.
>> Hombre

>> Everything except Gijon.  That city is under siege by Mother Nature… read any of the local Spanish news rags and you’ll see what I mean.
>> Spinner

>> You can be rest assured that for that sum, there will be… outside factors involved.  It’ll be a matter of which ones you’re up against.
>> Dirty Sanchez

In the House of the Serpent

The team is contacted through their usual channels, but their fixer warns them going in that this Johnson is a bit of an enigma. Nobody knows who he is. The pay is good, however…if the team is still interested, the meet is at 8PM in a private room at Penumbra.

Upon arriving at the Penumbra, if they mention that they are there for the Johnson party, they can be whisked ahead of everyone in line and ushered into a back room by a man in a very expensive suit, named Salvadore.

Inside they will see a man in an equally expensive suit, standing at the head of the table. A specially prepared meal is arranged on the table. All the meat and vegetables are organically grown and are of supreme quality. The Johnson is a snake shapeshifter (which the team will likely never have seen before). His human form has leathery skin, serpentine eyes and a slightly forked tongue. Any magician who assenses the Johnson, will see the form of a boa constrictor, that is otherwise mundane. When the Johnson speaks, his voice is a muddled accent, either Spanish or Portuguese, but not distinguishable in either way. “I’m glad you could come. Before you lift the lids on your dinners, there is something I must disclose.”

Lifting the lids on their dinners is a key memory for one of the terms.

“Before I disclose anything about the job, I have two terms which must be agreed to or you are not the team for me. Neither term is negotiable. The first is your payment. 250,000¥ to be divided amongst you, plus we will cover your travel expenses and any emergency medical procedures you require after the job is complete. The second is that you must submit yourself for memory erasure after completion, for reasons I can only explain once you agree to my terms. Are you in or out?”

The Johnson makes no effort to appease them if they refuse the memory wipe. He will let them leave without judgment. If they agree, he continues.

“Your job is to go to the old Mayan city of Chichen Itza, in Aztlan. My employer has some personal belongings in the city that you must retrieve since he cannot be seen within Aztlan’s borders. We will fly you down to Cancun, which is only 200 kilometers from Chichen Itza. Using equipment I will provide you with, you must locate my employer’s belongings and bring them to Rio-Sao Paulo airport in Amazonia. Our driver will meet you at the airport and drive you to the delivery location, where you will be paid and your memories erased. Any further questions?”

The Johnson will put the team in a Cancun resort, as their local base of operations. He is also willing to advance them 50,000¥ of their payment. Johnson will also handle transporting any weapons and gear they want to send down to Aztlan. Before they leave, he hands them a waterproof sack with the following within: five highly polished silver dome mirrors with different shaped backs with each back holding a thin rod for standing the mirror, an optical chip and a brightly colored feather with a dark green quill. The chip contains a list of items they are to bring back from Chichen Itza. They are: an optical chip, a small golden serpent statuette, and a large star shaped garnet.

Photographic Map – Chichen Itza

Map of Ruined City – Chichen Itza

The team must get out of Cancun and get to Chichen Itza in an area gripped by guerilla warfare. Everywhere has stationed Aztech soldiers, including the ruins at Chichen Itza. The ruins are vast (see attached map) and are crawling with awe-struck tourists and soldiers stationed around the outskirts. If the runners go to the ruins during tourist hours, a guerrilla attack will occur, killing an Azzie soldier and send others charging into the surrounding jungle in search of the shooter. After hours, soldiers still roam the ancient city and the temples in the open are all lit with spotlights for theatrical effect. Provided the team can sneak around all the guards (or incapacitate them), the mirrors each have a home.

Star backed mirror – Observatory (high up on a wall on the west side of the inner dome) Notched circle – Temple of the Bearded Man (on the roof)
Skull mirror – Tzompantli/Platform of Skulls (centre of platform)
Sunburst mirror – Venus Platform (centre of platform)
Dragonstooth Sunburst – Temple of Kukulkan/”The Castle” (atop the eastern stairs)

These mirrors are in order. At dawn, sunlight pours into the roof of the observatory, striking the first mirror, passing through the trees and striking the Bearded Man. It reflects to the Skull, then to Venus, and then the Feathered Serpent Temple. The last beam reflects toward the Sacred Well. The cliffs that surround the green-watered pool rebound the beam down into the water. The team has dive under water and find a hewn tunnel that runs under the cliff and into a cave.

The cave is a huge cavern, subdivided into sections. If the runners try to enter the main part of the cave, they are confronted by nine powerful spirits, appearing as strong Mayan/Toltec soldiers. They accost the team in the ancient tongue, but they will not attack the team if they see the feather they carry. Instead they kneel, as if before a king or God.

Beyond the spirits is a dragon’s hoard (GM: Hualpa’s). Guarding the hoard are a massive ork and a team of soldiers. The ork is a crocodile shapeshifter, but the others are Amazonian elite troopers. They keep a close eye on the runners. They know they are supposed to be here, otherwise the spirits would have stopped them. Almost every soldier is magically active and an initiate. If the runners ask about specific items, the soldiers will direct them into the right area. The optical chip Hualpa wants will be given to the team by one of the soldiers. If the team looks at the chip (why not, they’re being mind-wiped anyways), they’ll find it to be a list of troops deployments for the Aztec armies and key supply areas.

The team will have to take back all the mirrors and get back to Cancun with their swag to catch a flight to Rio-Sao Paulo. The flight is simple enough, but the team will quickly learn that they have a tail upon landing in Rio. Aztech spies knew the wyrm was up to something and watched the driver until he left. The runners will have to rid themselves of the tail without offending the locals of Amazonia.

Once their tail has been shaken, they will meet their Johnson and he will have them all stare at a silver sphere as the end index for the mind wipe. He then leads them to an underground lab, where their memories are erased. When they come to, they are in Cancun, enjoying the resort, with their payment. A note from the Johnson tells them to enjoy their vacation for a job done especially well.

>> While I welcome the opportunity to go somewhere warmer, I don’t know that Aztlan would be my first choice, given the political climate down there.
>> Reaper

>> The pay scale looks great and the Mayan ruins have always held a certain fascination for me.  Sounds like a good job for me.
>> Rusty

>> By the sound of what I’ve heard, you still won’t get to enjoy the ruins… or at least remember them at any rate…
>> Revenge

Two For One

The team is contracted through their normal channels for a meet at The Gravity Bar for 4 PM. The bar and restaurant is fairly quiet, being in the middle of the afternoon. At a large table in the back corner of the bar is an ork with a finely tailored suit, patent leather shoes and several rings. He sits reclining in his chair, enjoying the music from the in house band, waiting for his “employees” to arrive.

Once everyone has arrived, he asks if anyone requires anything from the menu before they begin. The table is in a priority queue, so any orders that are made are delivered fairly promptly.

Leaning on the table the ork Johnson starts eating a large serving of steak and potatoes as he discusses the run.

“Alright… my employer is looking to exploit a great opportunity for our company at the expense of Renraku. We need you to steal two key items from two Renraku compounds. Luckily for you, those compounds are in close proximity to one another. Back in the days of Fuchi, there were two companies called Caplan Chemicals and Automated Robotic Services. They are separated by an alleyway that runs through the entire block. Both were bought by Fuchi and brought into their big, happy corporate family. When Fuchi collapsed, Renraku bought up Caplan and ARS, sweeping them into Najima Securities and Iris Firmware. So, know you have this massive compound that’s split in two by an alleyway that belongs to the UCAS, rather than Renraku. Chalk it up to a zoning snafu…”

The Johnson pauses for a drink before continuing.

“Regardless of history, both Najima and Iris have something we want. Being only a few meters apart, you could hit both compounds and grab everything in one shot. I’m willing to offer you (20,000 per runner)¥ for this, half in hard cred. Shall I continue?”

If the team professes their continued interest, he continues.

“Alright, from Najima… They have developed a new form of incapacitating pharmaceutical. Sort of a super Narcoject, that’s inhaled rather than injected. They store the stuff in large cylinders and is heavily compressed… one of these things can knock out an entire floor of a skyscraper. They have already made several of these canisters. We need one, possibly two of these. You’re welcome to the rest. As for Iris, they have a software package we want for ourselves. The package is called EmergencyResponse and is quite large… at least 1000Mp in size. We don’t know exactly what the software does, but the theories sound intriguing and we want to see what Renraku’s up to. In both cases, minimize body count and collateral damage, but we want both facilities to be unable to continue their research after you’ve liberated the goods. Overt sabotage is less preferred over subtle tampering. Any further questions?”

The Johnson will be up front about most details for any questions the team may have.

The Johnson works for the PPG, Yamatetsu in particular. The other half of the payment comes in the form of anything the PPG produces, which really leaves it open for the runners to acquire a difficult-to-obtain piece of gear through the web of the PPG. The drug Hikkakeru has the following stats:

Vector = Inhalation, Effect = Immediate,
Damage = 10D StunEmergencyResponse is a Semi-Autonomous Knowbot (SK) that is used for trapping invading systems and dealing damage to systems at the far end. It traps the system open like Black-IC and then activates a construct loaded with Grey-IC to deal out damage to both hacker and computer alike. The file is 1782Mp in size.

Compound Configuration

Compound Layout

Najima Floorplan

Iris Firmware Floorplan

The joint compounds are split down the middle by an alleyway outside of Renraku jurisdiction. The alleyway is flanked with four meter brick walls on either side that are pasted with Renraku advertisements. Beneath the surface, a long forgotten maintenance tunnel runs under the alleyway. It connects both buildings by a series of maintenance shafts that have been locked since before Fuchi’s collapse. While the shafts are clear, save for a layer of filth, the main tunnel under the alleyway has become a haven for feral ghouls. Evidence of their presence is visible, but the runners will likely have to carry some heavy firepower to fend off a hungry mob, should they linger in the tunnel.

The Najima compound is a two building compound. The smaller building is the security office, with Renraku soldiers and a large armory. The larger building is a four story office/research building. The first two floors are the labs and conference rooms, while the upper floors are the executive suites and teleconferencing centers.

The Iris Building is a squat, one-story building crammed with computer equipment and mainframes. Much of the building’s security is automated, but a small division of Renraku soldiers are present here in case of mechanical failure.

Map Legends

Najima Securities

1 – Elevators
2 – Stairs
3 – Security Checkpoints
4 – Washrooms
5 – Information Kiosks
6 – Conference Centers / Teleconferencing
7 – Maintenance Rooms (service tunnel enters into this room on first floor)
8 – Chemistry Labs
9 – Biohazardous Material Lab
10 – Relaxation Garden
11 – Cafeteria
12 – Offices

Second Floor is almost identical to first, with the area over the relaxation garden and atriums open to the floor below. The Hikkakeru canisters are in the northern chem. Lab on the second floor. The third and fourth floors are executive offices.

Iris Firmware

1 – Security Checkpoint
2 – Security Office
3 – Cube Farm (Cubicles)
4 – Washrooms
5 – Meeting/Conference Chambers
6 – Simulation and Data Processing
7 – Matrix Data Reception
8 – Executive Offices
9 – Executive Washrooms
10 – Maintenance Room (tunnel enters into building here)
11 – Cafeteria
12 – Games Room
13 – Teleconferencing Center
14 – Quality Assurance
15 – Customer Call Center
16 – Data Warehouse
17 – Automated Security HQ
18 – The Mainframe Vault

>> Two compounds in one night?  For that kind of money?  This is a joke, right?
>> Spike

>> Given how close they are, it’s doable, though I admit it isn’t without risk.
>> Wildfire

>> You’d better bring your A-game.  If you hit one building and alert security, you can be rest assured that the second building will know you’re coming.
>> Wraith

In the Wake of the Wicked

The runners are contracted through their fixer or other appropriate channels for a job that promises decent pay for maximum 48 hours work.

Upon accepting the job, the runners are asked to meet the Johnson at a residence in the neighbourhood of Ballard in the Downtown core. It is a clean AA community, patrolled often by local security and Lone Star. The runners might be harassed if they try to enter the area armed or looking suspicious.

The residence is a large house with a well manicured lawn, a Lexus in the driveway and a well groomed ork tending to the grounds. When the ork notices the runners he whisks them around to the back of the property and asks them to please wait for the employer to meet them there. When the whole team arrives, the ork asks if they require any refreshments while they wait.

After being served drinks and having ample time to chat the back door of the house opens to reveal a dapper man in a suit. He invites them into the house, revealing a well stocked kitchen, before leading them down to the basement.

The basement is cool and dark and any mage astrally perceiving can see it is also heavily warded. A large leather armchair sits in a circle etched into the floor. In front of the chair are three objects arrayed around the rim of the circle, a bowl of tobacco leaves, salted beef and a war medal. Standing inside the triangle formed by these objects was an ethereal image of a British soldier from World War I. His uniform was muddy and his helmet is cocked on his head at an angle. The room has the smell of smoking tobacco to match the cigarette plugged into the G.I.’s lips.
“I thank you all for coming. My name is Dr. Edward Manchester. I have been striving to piece together my family tree as far back as I can, in order to study whether there is definitive proof that there is genetic information passed from one generation to the next in regards to certain personality dispositions. As you can see by my friend here, I’ve traced my history back to the first of the 20th century. As I go further back, it is getting more difficult to find material links to those passed. There is at least one relative of the late 19th century I would like to talk to, but I have been unable to acquire a link to his life. This is where you come in. My spiritual ancestor here has agreed to open a window into the plane of the dead so that you might obtain an item of my long dead relative’s. Then I could summon him and talk with him. Will you aid me on my quest of knowledge?”

The psychiatrist offers the team 10,000 each (out of his research grant) for the quest. He tells the team that the man they are seeking a link to is a man named Severin Antoniovich Klosowski, also known as George Chapman later in life, after living in London for a while. The item they seek will be some form of blade. George was a surgeon and a barber back then, so it’s likely that they’ll be obtaining a scalpel, or razor blade of some kind.

If the team agrees, the WWI soldier opens a portal for the group to step through and the quest begins.

Astral Quest Rating 6

The group emerges on parched land, littered with crosses. A cold wind whips through the field carrying the whispers of the dead on the air. The field is endless in all directions, showing grave after grave. The team can wander all they want, the headstones mark the death of every person who has died… ever. If they touch a cross they get a brief flash of that person’s death. After the team wanders aimlessly for a while a figure suddenly appears in front of them. The Dweller on the Threshold appears before them as the Grim Reaper.

“Go home. The living have no place here.”

The Dweller will pester the team with dirty laundry and attempt to dissuade them from going further, but will eventually allow them to proceed.

Place of Battle
The runners find themselves in the trenches of France during WWI. Cybernetics have been removed, as has magic. The team are members of the British army with a weakened platoon. Their orders are to take the German trench across the kill zone. Any characters with magic are now grenadiers. Substitute their Sorcery for Throwing Weapons at an equal level. If they had Throwing Weapons already, they may use what ever skill is higher. Deckers are communications officers. They carry the heavy radio backpacks as well as pistols. The decker can call in reinforcements or airstrikes upon GM discretion.

If the players call in an airstrike, any rigger in the team is removed from the trenches and placed in the seat of a biplane armed with a bomb and a machine gun. The rigger can control both simultaneously.

Once the British have ousted the Germans from their trench, they can proceed.

Place of Charisma
(Borrowed from the fiction of ZoneDancer on the Shadowrun Writer’s Forum)

The team enters a room lined with metal panels. Strange machines hum and churn with no apparent purpose. Only one machine is not moving. In the center of the room is poker table with a humanoid cockroach in a bad plaid jacket and green visor standing in the dealer position.

“Ah, you’re right on time,” he chitters, “I only have room for four of you… who’s in?”

Any players that sit down are given ten chips. These chips represent a box of stun damage.

“If any of you run out of chips, feel free to ask me for ten more. They’re on the house.”

The second set of chips represents physical damage. Play any form of poker you like (I use Texas Hold `Em). When the team beats the dealer, the machines all stop save for the one that hadn’t been running, which then starts up to reveal a door way behind a panel. The chips are tallied and any chips lost in the game are removed from their status.

Place of Destiny
The team finds themselves in a dark London street. The roads are cobblestone and the buildings are rather shoddy. The architecture looks 19th century, but it is a bizarre blend of 19th century technology with modern day abilities. Cybertechnology seems crude, with heavy metal plating replacing simplistic body plating, electric wiring replacing wired reflexes and cyberware with moving parts are either steam or gunpowder powered. Cyberdecks are replaced with typewriters with phone cables instead of power cords. Riggers seem to be adept at horseback riding and directing carts. The team are decked out like London’s finest (Bobbie’s don’t carry guns). They find the bodies of the Ripper’s victims one by one as they tail the Ripper through 19th century London until the final battle in the sewers beneath Whitechapel. When the team has defeated the Ripper they progress.

Place of Fear
The team is divided in two groups. Neither can see nor hear the other half of the team. They emerge in the dimly lit sewers below Whitechapel. As they move through the tunnels, every attempt to leave the sewers results in being blocked. An unseen figure seems to stalk the runners around every turn, but whenever the team turns there’s nothing there. If the runners start shooting into the darkness, the other half gets attacked by the shadowy figure. If the runners try to ignore the figure, it will throw knives at their backs.

Once the runners have been in the sewers for a long while and they are good and paranoid, they come to a downward tunnel that the sewer is pouring into. If they opt to descend they soon find themselves being pulled down the tunnel. The force continues to get stronger and the grade sharper. Soon the tunnel ends in a straight drop off, leading into a black void. Garbage from the sewer is seen falling into this black hole and being crushed. Once all the runners fall into the void, they slam into each other from different angles before moving on.

Place of Spirits
The team emerges in some form of arena. Out of each of the runners a stream of light pulls out from them and stops twenty meters in front of them (the arena is 50 meters across with the runners in regular intervals around the outside). The light coalesces into one of their ancestors, depending on their ancestry. The ancestor has all the abilities of an Ancestor Spirit Force 6, but behaves as their ancestors might have.

The Citadel
The runners find themselves in a darkened alleyway in Whitechapel. As they make their way down the alley five ghostly women block their way. They are dressed as 19th century prostitutes and look rather homely. They plead with the runners to turn around and not proceed. If they proceed to pass the women by, the images of the women rapidly vanish and as they do, the injuries inflicted upon them become apparent. At the end of the alley way is a sewer grate. Water pours over the knife the came for. As the water passes over the knife, it comes away red with blood before disappearing into the sewers. The knife is a dagger with a simple metal and wood handle while the blade is well maintained and 8” long. Upon touching the knife, the team is returned to the Johnson’s residence with the knife.

>> Astral Quests give me the willies…
>> Blender

>> That’s because you’re mundane.  The metaplanes are filled with power and knowledge for those who know how to tap into it.
>> Revenge

>> Well, you go ahead and tap into it then.  Knowing my luck, I’d step into this dude’s ancestry and learn that he’s related to a mass murderer or something.
>> Blender

Dangerous Retrieval

The team is contracted by a Mafia Johnson, working directly for Maurice Bigio. He asks to meet the team (or a representative for the team) at THE Sports Bar at 7 PM to discuss business.

At the meet, the Johnson tells them that a package from Boston had been en route to Mr. Bigio when the delivering team went off radar somewhere in the Sioux Nation. The team is being hired to find where the other team disappeared to, find the shipment and if there are any intact parts of it, bring them back to Seattle. And if any of the other team members are alive, eliminate them for double-crossing the Bigio family. Mr. Johnson provides them with a folio of information on each team member and their transport, as well as a range of GPS coordinates where they were last contacted from. The run pays 30,000¥ (negotiable, of course).

The team can either drive through the Salish Nation and deal with border crossings, gangs, etc, or try and get a flight into Cheyenne and drive to the area the team last contacted their Mr. Johnson. The area radiates out from a restaurant payphone in Sheridan, toward the Salish border. The team had aimed to cross at Idaho Falls, but was going to get gas before the hit-and-miss service stations of the Salish Nation.

They made it as far as Kirwin, a small ghost town where they hoped to liberate some gas from the old tanks. The mines at the edge of town are infested with an ant hive.

When the team finds the town, they find an old home, not far from the gas station, where the team’s rigger sits reading a book. When they approach him, he raises a shotgun warily at the team, while inquiring what they want. If the team tells him, he kind of sneers and waves them off, telling them that they sold some of it and ditched the rest. If they ask him where he ditched it, he tells them that they stashed the stuff and his truck in the local mine, where it couldn’t be detected. He’ll even provide them with the keys to the truck and the lock on the mineshaft gate. He’s actually a flesh-form ant soldier serving as a sentry. It possesses Masking, so only an Initiate can detect that something is amiss.

Despite what the rigger told them, they sold none of the cargo. Anything biologic in nature has been consumed by the Hive, although some weapons are still present (and functional) and a folder full of optical chips as well. The rest, while valuable, is too heavy to haul out (crates of cybernetic implants, BTL’s, street drugs, etc).

As they discover the truck and the goods, they will quickly discover that the truck is sabotaged and the rigger’s true nature. A few worker true forms will cause a cave in, blocking the most direct way out. The place is infested with a Force 5 Ant Hive that will attempt to stop their escape and convert them if possible, kill them if necessary. The wave should be continual, forcing the runners into a fighting retreat.

If the runners survive, they should get extra compensation for what they experienced and whatever they were able to return.

>> Retrieving a package from the empty Sioux countryside?  That doesn’t sound too bad for the pay.
>> Slasher

>> Just be careful in those back woods.  With the absence of humans, other things tend to move in.  Not all of them natural either.
>> Tracker

>> I don’t go anywhere without ol’ Betsy.  We’ll be fine.
>> Trump