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[IC] Shadowrun: Bishop. Chapter 1 - Unnamed, for now.

ValkunValkun Registered User regular
edited March 2009 in Critical Failures
Characters:
Hayasa - SPC. Frankie Fitzgerald - Huge Leprechaun Magi-Sniper
Description:
Frankie Fitzgerald is a a crack marksman, originally from Tir na n'Og, recruited by Ares when he was a teenager - and he's a company man through and through. He's got a limited magical gift, but one that is of some use - Thunderbird is his mentor spirit, and approves of how Frankie conducts himself, for all that he can't cast a spell to save himself. Of course, this magical aspect had its downsides too - he had to learn the sniper's art the hard way; a career in the humdrum world of magical security beckoned for Frankie, but he worked hard and got his lucky break.

Frankie spent several years fighting for Ares-aligned sides in the Desert Wars 2 (racking up a record high 209 cold kills), and made a name for himself at the IDEX (International Defense EXpo) in Dubai, when, as part of an Ares weapons calibration promotion, he literally aimed a shot in a parabolic arc over a building to smash a small pot in the plaza on the other side, successfully. For about 4 years, he spent time doing high-level weapons demonstrations for Ares, mixed with protecting the bigwigs, and the occasional counter-intrusion task, taking down numerious dubious people, such as terrorists and shadowrunners.

It was on one of these counter-intrusion jobs that he was caught off guard by a ripped-up Street Sam, who went straight for the maim, severing Frankie's firing arm and slicing finger razors over his eyes. A colleague took the punk down at that point, but Frankie was wrecked. Ares made a big investment in getting him ship-shape, and he's spent six months recovering with his family, getting used to his new fake arm. Following that Frankie was back in on the demonstration circuit, endorsing Ares products, and doing the occasional talk show - but his self-image had taken a hit. While doing this sort of stuff was OK as a vet of the Desert Wars, he was aware of the rumours that he'd gone soft, and has been position for almost a year to be reassigned to the BISHOP program. Finally his perseverance has paid off!

Country Boy
Frankie grew up in rural Tir na n'Og, a Fitzgerald of Laois. Being a fomori made him a bit of an outcast to locals, but family is family; Frankie knew his place and tried his hardest not to stand out too much.

His uncle Frank took a special interest in the quite young troll, and at the age of 10, even took him out on one of his poaching runs in the shadow of the Wolftrap Mountain. It turned out that young Frankie had the eye for a good shot, and thanks to his natural aptitude, catching a bit of fresh game with his uncle became a regular event - to this day his favourite meal is rabbit pie.

What his uncle didn't realise was that Frankie was in no small way aided by his other talent; the latent magical talent within him that gave him some small influence over the spirits. But of course, who checks a troll for magical talent?

Frankie's time in the Tir peaked when he won the junior division of the Leinster championship rifle trials at age 16. Ares Macrotechnology, attempting yet another push into the Tir at the time, were looking for locals to hire to meet legal restrictions, and the recruiter present for the championship, Doug Weston, saw in this young fomori exactly what they needed to boost their local presence.

Doug had a chat with young Frankie about where he saw his career heading, and Frankie clearly had no grand plan, but loved hunting and displayed the sort of character that you'd want in a company man; hard working, loyal and looking to improve. Doug had a chat with Frankie's parents, and shortly afterward Frankie was off to London for some intensive training.

Welcome to Ares Macrotechnology
Frankie's arrival in London was shortly followed by a series of standardised tests, undertaken by all employees. It was at this point that Frankie's natural aptitude for magic became apparent to his employer, which was both a gift, but also an enormous complication - up until this point, Frankie was on the fast track to a high-tech cyberware upgrade or two. The Ares hermetic induction scheme was a wash, and Frankie struggled with his talents, and would've been forced to choose between them had he not by chance been picked out by one of Ares' less common units - a security shaman.

It was through this shaman (Derek Miller) that Frankie learned to make the most of his restricted magical talent; he learned the way of the spirits and how to read them and respect them. It was during this period that the Thunderbird found him and took him under its wing, taking its own hand in developing him from an uncertain youth into a confident soldier and force in the world.

During his time in London, Frankie worked a mix of magical and physical security - his ability to reconnoitre by himself (primarily by means of Watcher spirits) held him in good stead and he commonly got some time away from the office to keep an eye on a meet; many of these missions had a purpose entirely unknown to him, but Frankie is not the one to question these things.

His shining moment came during an attempted shadowrunner raid on the office block he was helping to protect. While they successfully broke in and retrived the package (injuring or killing a number of his colleagues), Frankie's decision to hit the rooftop paid off - every one of the runners suffered a fatal headshot before they'd even reached their transport. From there it was a simple matter of calling in DocWagon to sort out the bodies and retrieve the stolen tech.

Desert Wars
It was when he was sent off to the Desert Wars that Frankie made his professional name. Talking viewers through a planned ambush, succesfully making outrageously unlikely shots for the trid, and his clear
professionalism when it came to his job got him a lot of plaudits from the hardcore fans; particularly among the orc and troll viewers, a major target market for the Wars. It was on the back of his work in the Desert Wars (and the effort he put into learning Arabic) that he was able to lobby for shift to a better paid, less dangerous position - a responsible move for a young father.

Dubai - International Defense Exhibition (IDEX)

Frankie's profile raised to probably its highest point within the industry when he made a name for himself at the IDEX (International Defense EXpo) in Dubai, when, as part of an Ares weapons calibration promotion, he literally aimed a shot in a parabolic arc over a building to smash a small pot in the plaza on the other side, successfully. For about 4 years, he spent time doing high-level weapons demonstrations for Ares, mixed with assignments between conventions protecting the bigwigs, and engaging in the occasional counter-intrusion task, taking down nefarious terrorists and shadowrunners alike.

It was on one of these counter-intrusion jobs that he was caught off guard by a ripped-up Street Sam, who went straight for the maim, severing Frankie's firing arm and slicing finger razors over his eyes. A colleague took the punk down at that point, but Frankie was wrecked. Ares made a big investment in getting him ship-shape, and he's spent six months recovering with his family, getting used to his new fake arm. During this time he's done a few "He's OK, folks" demonstrations, and certainly the new sensory information provided through his Smartlink helps him in his work...but he's got a hurdle to get over - does he still have it?

BISHOP
Eager to prove himself still to be combat-ready after his cybernetic modifications, he's been quietly hinting that he'd like to return to the field, and through his contacts within Ares (particularly his pushy wife looking for a more permanent home for their family), the right people have been convinced that shifting their high-profile company sniper to BISHOP would be a suitable boost to the profile of the new, successful and growing franchise.

Frankie has only been with BISHOP for a week or so, and hasn't been active on a job.


Contacts
Megan Basantaray - Corporate Mom

Connection: 4 - Knows many people
Loyalty: 6 - Friend for Life


Frankie's loving wife and mother of 12, Megan is an orc from London thats well and truly an Ares corporate citizen today. When she met Frankie she was a data clerk working at a minor Ares subsidiary, but now she's the driving force behind Frankie's career. While she doesn't have much in the way of power in a traditional sense, the breadth of her connections within the corporate world are unpredictable, if not particularly reliable in any specific area - many of her friends are wifes and partners of Ares corporators.


Doug Weston - Corporate Executive

Connection: 6 - Well-connected
Loyalty: 3 - Acquaintance


Doug is the man that discovered Frankie as a young lad some 15 years ago, and both have enjoyed a significant rise in their fortunes since that point, on occasion overlapping. He's not a contact for Frankie to call every day, but he does like to hear about how his guys get on, and when it isn't inconvenient, he'll be happy to put the right word in the right place.

Dependents (details will be added to as events happen)

Mary (14, orc) - talented discus thrower
Connor (14, orc) - learning to play synths
Siobhan (14, orc) - has magical talent, and a grasp for the hermetic
Kenny (12, fomori) - quiet kid, spends a lot of time on the matrix.
Harry (9, orc)
Emily (9, orc)
Cecilia (9, orc)
Larry (7, fomori)
Ophelia (6, fomori) - recently learnt how to use a commlink
Omar (4, orc)
Jack (4, orc)
Xavier (4, orc)

Character Sheet:
Name: Frankie Fitzgerald
Metatype: Fomori: Troll - (45BP)
Gender: Male

Attributes (220bp)
Body: 7
Agilityi: 4
Reaction: 3
Strength: 5
Charisma: 3
Intuition: 3
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5
Essence: 5.06
Magic: 5

Active Skills (126 BP)
Armorer (Rifles): 1 (+2)
Conjuring Skill Group: 4
Etiquette (Corporate): 4 (+2)
Infiltration (Urban): 3 (+2)
Instruction (Combat): 1 (+2)
Intimidation: 1 (+2 from Thunderbird)
Longarms (Sniper Rifles): 7 (+2)
Unarmed Combat: 1

Knowledge Skills - 18 FREE BP
Ares Macrotechnology: 5
Geography: 2
Kids Entertainment: 1
Physics: 3
Spirits: 3
Language Skills:
English: N
Arabic: 4

Qualities (25 BP)
Aptitude: Longarms (-10bp)
Fame: International (-15bp)
Magician (-15bp)
Mentor Spirit: Thunderbird (-5bp)
Aspected Magician: Conjuror (+5bp)
Dependents: Large Family (+15bp)

Contacts - TOTAL 18
Megan Basantaray - Corporate Mom (Connection 3/Loyalty 6)
Doug Weston - Corporate Executive (Connection 6/Loyalty 3)

GEAR - 80000 (600 remaining)
Lifestyle - High Lifestyle (23000 per month)
Wife + 12 kids = x2.3 cost modifier

Cyberware - TOTAL COST - 0.94 Essence, 44000

Cybereyes Rating 2 - 0.24 - 750
- Smartlink [3] - 1000
- Flare Compensation [1] - 750
- Thermographic Vision [2] - 1000
- Vision Magnification [2] - 1000

Cyberlimb (A) - Obvious, Right Arm - 0.7 - 20000
- Cyberarm Gyromount - [4] - 12000
- Shock Hand - [3] - 2000
- Large Smuggling Compartment - [5] - 4000
- Enhanced Strength (to 6) - [3] - 1500

Weapon
Ares Thunderbird (aka Ranger Arms SM-4) - 6200
- Smartlinked (+6200)

JacquesCousteau - 2nd Lt. Giovanni "Gino" ??? - Former Lonestar Gumshoe
Der Waffle Mous (WHY) - Capt. Helena "Raven" Mueller - Combat Hacker
Ninja Snarl P - 2nd Lt. Crow Prashad - Little Explosives Enthusiast
Description:
Crow spent most of his life as a merc for various megacorporations on several continents. At some time or another he's had to gun down most varieties of scum, human or otherwise, and he has a definite affinity for guns and explosions. He's smart but efficient. Why hunt around for keycodes or biometric data when a bit of foamed explosive will open a door with far less effort? He has little time for subtlety when a good light machine gun will remove a crime boss as easily as an extensive and thorough investigation.

That's not to say Crow is amoral. He strictly adheres to his own set of rules, though they may not always be clear to anyone else. One of the more prominent ones is don't push around people who can't push back. This rule came about after spending several years avoiding attempts by megacorps trying to push him into enforcing distasteful policies. Eventually, his explosive responses earned him a bad reputation with megacorps in general, so he simply started his own small business. Whenever a facility needs to be flattened, people who want to send a clear message use Crow. However, those same people must exercise caution. Should Crow determine the action did anything more than harm a rival megacorp, he might choose to do some pro bono demolitions work.

Crow's value to the organization is fairly obvious. He's tough, dedicated, and knows his field. Pretty much anything a soldier can carry, Crow can shoot it, tune it, break it down, build it up, and fix it. He personally owns a wide variety of rather illegal weaponry and his own small machine shop. Crow joined BISHOP because it wanted bad people (or things) taken care of in the worst way and he decided he may as well get paid to do what he loves anyway. So far, Crow has never encountered a problem that couldn't be fixed with a liberal application of explosives or bullets.

Well, except his bad luck in a crunch. Those protective covers for his eyes weren't implanted for show.

Character Sheet
Metatype : Dwarf
Gender: Male

Attributes
Body: 4
Agility: 5
Reaction: 4 (6)
Strength: 4
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 5
Logic: 4
Willpower: 2

Edge: 3
Initiative: 11
Essence: 2.6

Knowledge Skills
English : N
Chemistry : 2
Engineering (Mechanical) : 3
Military : 3
Mercenary Hangouts : 3
Firearms : 5
Parazoology : 2
Smuggling routes : 2
Business : 2
Japanese : 3

Active Skills
Automatics (Assault rifles) : 5
Heavy Weapons : 4
Longarms (Shotguns) : 4
Pistols : 4
Perception (Visual) : 3
Running : 1
Climbing : 1
Armorer (Firearms) : 5
Demolitions (Improvised) : 4
Blades (Knives) : 1
Automotive Mechanic (Wheeled) : 2
First Aid (Combat Wounds) : 2


Positive Qualities
Guts
Toughness

Negative Qualities
Bad Luck

Cyberwares
Wired Reflexes (Rating 2)
Cybereyes Basic System (Rating 3)
Flare Compensation
Low-Light Vision
Protective Covers
Smartlink
Thermographic Vision
Vision Magnification
Vision Enhancement (Rating 2)

Biowares

Weapons
Knife
Raecor Sting
Hammerli 620S
Ruger Super Warhawk
Remington Roomsweeper
AK-97 Carabine
AK-97
Ares Alpha
Walter MA-2100
Bipod
Ceska Black Scorpion
Stoner Ares M202
Tripod
Gas-Vent 3 System
Smartgun System, external
Ares Antioch-2
Airburst Link
30x Spare Clips
4x Speed Loader
4x High Explosive Grenades
20x Detonator Cap
5x Foam Explosives (per kg) Rating 4
5x Plastic Explosives (per kg) Rating 9
5x Smoke
5x High Explosive Grenades
5x Fragmentation
50x APDS (10 shots)
20x Flechette Rounds (10 shots)
100x Regular Ammo (10 shots)
100x Regular Ammo (10 shots)
20x Explosive Rounds (10 shots)

Armors
Armor Jacket
Armor Vest
Full Body Armor
Helmet (for Full Body Armor)
5x Armor Clothing
5x Clothing (Regular)
Leather Jacket

Vehicles
GMC Bulldog (Van)

Commlinks
Printer
Commlink : CMT Clip

Equipments
Shop
Fake Sin (Rating 6)
4x Stimulant Patch (Rating 4)
2x Medkit Supplies
2x Medkit (Rating 4)
Respirator (Rating 4)
Wire clippers
Miniwelder
Maglock (Rating 6)
+ Anti-Tamper Circuits (Rating 3)
Certified Credstick (Silver)
Certified Credstick (Gold)
Certified Credstick (Standard)
DocWagon Contract (Gold - per Year)
Tool Kit
4x Fake License (Rating 6)
Fake Sin (Rating 5)
Fake Sin (Rating 2)

Contacts
Scrap Jones, heavy-metal orc (L:1 C:5)
Merc with his own company; brutal, but cold and business-oriented. Rumors say that Jones earned most of his rather obvious implants from trying to cut his partner out of the profits from a good run. More-informed rumors credit Crow as being that partner. Well-connected, but with obviously dubious intentions regarding information passed along to Crow. Such information is provided purely on a monetary basis.

Officer Smith, human police investigator (L:3 C:3)
Familiar with activities between gangs and corporations. Tends to blackmail those involved into coughing up some extra cash for reduced penalties provided there is no damage to innocent parties. Relationship with Crow is half mutual blackmail, half respect, and half business. Obviously his contact name and real are different, but Smith likes to keep his real name clear and Crow is willing to deal with that.

Lisa, elf mage(L:6 C:3)
Talismonger and general mage. Runs a small business of her own nowadays. Back when Crow was a merc, the two ended up together on a bad run. Crow pulled her ass out of the fire long enough for an AutoDoc housecall, then later tracked down the other runners who bailed on them. The assets he managed to "acquire" from the cowards covered her hospital costs quite nicely. She may not have the best information, but her loyalty is absolute. Her current partner, T'om, doesn't exactly share this dedication.

T'om the Incredible, elf mage(L:2 C:2)
Talismonger learning the business from Lisa and not fond of Crow. Not the most talented mage, but makes a living doing "magic" the old-fashioned way: sleight of hand. Obviously jealous of the relationship between his significant other and Crow despite the fact the two have a purely platonic relationship. Crow puts up with the guy simply because T'om isn't street-scum. Otherwise, Crow would be more than willing to knock T'om down a peg or four.

Abysmal Lynx - 2nd Lt. Michael Strickland - Mechanical Puppet Master
Description:
Height: 5' 11”
Weight: 120 Pounds
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Grey
Skin: White

Michael Strickland grew up in a poor family. He was drawn into a life of crime by his cousin, Johny Strickland, the leader of a local go-gang known as The Styx. Little Mikey (as he was known then) became disenfranchised with the life after an unlucky run in with another gang killed off a large portion of Johny's group. The final nail in the coffin as far as his life of crime went was when his cousin was arrested.
After that incident, Michael sold his motorcycle and got a job. After a few years living honestly, Michael realized he missed the life or death thrill of a life of crime. Michael had not forgotten the lesson he had learned all those years ago, so instead of becoming a criminal, he decided to become a cop. Michael became a rigger because he liked working with machines and he really didn't like getting hit.

Personality: Michael is of average height and quite skinny, which makes his bravado somewhat amusing. He always makes sure that everyone knows how skilled he is, regardless of his actual ability. This is not to say that he is arrogant; in fact, he is quite insecure and hides behind a mask of amused confidence. Michael hates to take a leadership role. He instead does what he is told to, which is usually, and preferably, to drive fast and shoot things (safely within his truck, of course). Michael is planning to save up his wages to buy a new motorcycle, because although he likes to drive trucks and pilot drones, he has never lost his love of motorcycling.

Character Sheet:
Name: Michael Strickland
Metatype: Human
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Lifestyle: Middle
Street Cred:
Notoriety:
Public Awareness:


Body: 2
Agility: 5 (7)
Reaction: 6 (8)
Strength: 2

Charisma: 2
Intuition: 2
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4

(195BP)

Edge: 2
Essence: 4.4
Initiative: 11
Magic/Resonance: 0

Current Edge Points:
Astral Initiative:
Matrix Initiative:
Initiative Passes:

Active Skills:
Gunnery 5 (Remote Operations +2) 22BP
Pilot Ground Craft 5 (Wheeled +2) 22BP
Pilot Aircraft 4 (Remote Operations +2) 18BP
Pilot Anthroform 4 (Remote Operations +2) 18BP
Pistols 4 (Semi-Automatics +2) 18BP
Clubs 4 (Stun Baton +2) 18BP
Electronics Group 3 30BP
Athletics Group 1 10BP

156BP

Knowledge Skills:

Automobiles 2
Knight Errant Procedures 2
Local Go-Gangs 4
Sci-Fi Trids 2
Combat Biking 3
20th Century Music 2

Qualities/Drawbacks:

Exceptional Attribute [Reaction] (-20 BP)
Addiction [Hot-Sim] (+5 BP)
Low Pain Tolerance (+10 BP)
SINner (+5 BP)

Contacts:
Go-ganger (Cousin Johny) (Connections 3, Loyalty 2)
400BP

Vehicles: (147,500)

Shiawase Kanmushi (1,000)

MCT Fly-Spy (2,000)
-Improved Takeoff and Landing (Std.)
-Maneuverability Autosoft 2 (Std.)

Modified GMC Chariot (4,800)
-Weapon Mount [concealed, fixed, remote control] (Std.)
-AK-97 Carbine (500)
-Concealed Armor 6 (6,000) 2 slots
-Firewall Upgrade 6 (3,000)
-Signal Upgrade 5 (1,000)
-Targeting 3 Autosoft (600)
=15,900

MCT-Nissan Roto-drone (2,000)
-Weapon Mount [external, fixed, remote control] (2,500)
-ArmTech MGL-12 (2,000)
- Airburst Link (500)
-Ammo Bin x2 (400) 2 slots
-Armor 9 (1,800) 1 slot
-Improved Takeoff and Landing 2 (Std.)
-Targeting 3 Autosoft (600)
-Firewall Upgrade 6 (3,000)
-Signal Upgrade 5 (1,000)
=13,800

Steel Lynx (5,000) 4 slots
-Weapon Mount [external, fixed, remote control] (Std.)
-Ingram White Knight LMG (2,000)
-Armor 12 (2,400) 1 slot
-Ammo Bin (200) 1 slot
-Firewall Upgrade 6 (3,000)
-Signal Upgrade 5 (1,000)
-Targeting 3 Autosoft (Std.)
-Defense 3 Autosoft (Std.)
=19,600

Tata Hotspur (60,000) Body 16
-Firewall Upgrade 6 (3,000)
-Chameleon Coating (16,000) 2 slots
-Manual Override (500) 1 slot
-Rigger Adaption (2,500) 1 slot
-Small Drone Rack x2 (2,000) 4 slots
-Large Drone Rack (4,000) 4 slots
-Personal Armor 10 (5,000) 2 slots
-Smoke Projector (700) 1 slot
-Road Strip Ejector (800) 1 slot
-Off Road Suspension (Std.)
-Smart Tires (Std.)
=95,500


Cyberware: (46,500)

Datajack (500)
Control Rig (10,000)
Reaction Enhancers Level 2 (20,000)
Muscle Toner Level 2 (16,000)


Gear: (6,960)

Goggles (50)
-Image Link (25)
-Flare Compensation (50)
=125

Sony Emperor (700)
-Redcap Nix OS (400)
-All But Reality Filter Common Use Programs Level 3 (600)
-Command Program Level 6 (600)
-Signal Upgrade Level 5 (1,000)
-Firewall Upgrade Level 6 (3,000)
-Sim Module w/ Hot Sim (250)
-Mapsoft Level 6 (35)
-Satellite Link (500)
=6,685

Subvocal Microphone (50)

Gas Mask (100)

Weapons: (1,700)

Fichetti Security 600 (450)
-Hidden Arm Slide (350)

AZ-150 Stun Baton (800)
Reach: 1 Damage: 7S(e) AP: -half Availability: 4R

Telescopic Staff (100): When collapsed, this weapon is quite
easy to conceal (Concealability modifier +0).
Reach: 2 Damage: (Strength/2+2)P


Armor: (500)

Armored Clothing (500)


Lifestyle: Middle 2 month (10,000)


Ammo: (10,910)

50 Assault Stick-n-Shock Rounds (400)
30 Pistol Rounds (60)
200 LMG Gel Rounds (600)
50 LMG Explosive Rounds (250)
18 Tear Gas Micro-Grenades (720)
18 Pepper Punch Micro-Grenades (450)

3 Spike Strips (600)
3 Zapper Strips (7,500)



224,360 44BP

Steel Lynx (5,000) 4 slots
-Weapon Mount [external, fixed, remote control] (Std.)
-Ares Alpha Assault Rifle (1,700)
-Grenade Launcher (Std.)
-Armor 12 (2,400) 1 slot
-Ammo Bin (200) 1 slot
-Firewall Upgrade 6 (3,000)
-Signal Upgrade 5 (1,000)
-Targeting 3 Autosoft (Std.)
-Defense 3 Autosoft (Std.)
=13,300

Ammo: (10,840)

2 AK-97 Clips (Total: 570)
-1st: 38 Assault Stick-n-Shock Rounds
-2nd: 32 Assault Stick-n-Shock Rounds
30 Pistol Rounds (60)
5 Ares Alpha Clips w/42 Gel Rounds Each (Total: 655)
-6 High-Explosive Microgrenades (270)
3 ArmTech MGL-12 Clips (Total: 1,185)
-1st: 12 Tear-Gas Microgrenades
-2nd: 6 Tear-Gas Microgrenades/ 6 Pepper Punch Microgrenades
-3rd: 12 Pepper Punch Microgrenades

3 Spike Strips (600)
3 Zapper Strips (7,500)

Rainfall - 2nd Lt. ??? "Key" ???. Speedy Mutant Biker Keeb.
Description:
Appearances
Key is a relatively attractive young Elf, her hair long and constantly changing color to match her mood. She always seems tightly wound, like a spring on the verge of exploding, and she has a manic glint in her brown eyes. She tends to dress in coveralls when she's not racing, and is usually up to her elbows in engine grease of whatever project she's working on(usually her own bike)
When she IS racing, she dresses up in her custom-tailored jumpsuit, which offers her protection while looking sleek and stylish on her body.

Personality
Key loves to race. She loves to drive. She loves speed, action, doing things. She doesn't sleep too much, she's too excited about new ideas that pop into her head. Her Jazz habit has gotten a bit worse lately, now that she's found a regular supplier, and it makes her seem manic at times, an image which her biotech implants support. She's a bit of a Japanophile as well, embracing anything that comes from overseas even in favor of cheaper, more effective technology.

History
Key grew up on the streets, idolizing both Japanese culture and the street racers who tore past her small spot every late night. As she aged, she managed to find her own bike and started racing. She took a few crashes, sometimes her vehicle fell to pieces under her, but she had talent. Slowly, she saved enough money to buy a real bike and started working on it herself, and she fell in love with the mechanics of it all.
Her education was rough, and she fell a lot before she improved, but step by step, she learned the ins and outs of everything mechanical. It was what she did when she wasn't racing. Sometimes she slept, but not too often. One of her racer friends introduced her to Jazz, a drug that amped up her senses just enough to give her, her talent, and her bike an edge on the competition. She started winning more than she lost, and her name got around. A few people asked her to drive on jobs for them. She didn't ask what happened, she just took her payment and got out after each one.
Eventually, she had enough money for the real stuff. Cybertech. The surgery would permanently inhance her reflexes. But something wasn't quite right, and her system rejected the stuff. It burned. It hurt. And so she turned to an illegal bioware clinic for her 'mods,' always seeking another edge as she moved up in the racing world.
Finally, she was the best on the street. Sure, sometimes she had to shoot one of the fuckers who wanted to lean on her, who thought she was weak, but she never stopped. The stakes got higher. Gunfights on motorcycles, chases down dark alleyways, all that jazz.
As it turned out, she had gotten in a bit too deep. As she struggled to extricate herself from the scene, she saw an advertisment. 'Bishop – Knight Errrant Security Services, Hiring.'
And so she went in. Security firms do high-speed chases too, right? And there'd be guys with guns to help her not get shot.

Character Sheet:
Name: Key
Metatype: Elf (30 BP)
Gender: Female

Attributes ( 240 BP)
Body: 3 (5)
Agility: 6 (10)
Reaction: 5 (9)
Strength: 3 (4)
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 5
Logic: 4
Willpower: 2
Edge: 3
Essence: 2.2
Initiative: ?

Active Skills (136 BP)
Pilot Groundcraft 7 (Motorcycles +2)
Pilot Aircraft 3
Pilot Aerospace 3
Mechanics Skill Group 4
Navigation 3
Perception 2
Gymnastics 2 (Involving Moving Vehicles +2)
Pistols 3
Con 2
Negotiation 1
Etiquette 1
Computer 1

Knowledge (24 free BP)
Auto Mechanics 5
Engineering 4
Aircraft Mechanics 3
Aerospace Mechanics 2
Street Racer Gangs 3
Black-Market Dealers 2
Languages
English N
Serethiel 2
Japanese 3

Qualities (+10 BP)
Aptitude (Pilot Groundcraft) (-10)
Ambidextrous (-5)
Double Jointed (-5)
Sensitive System (+15)
Incompetent (Swimming) (+5)
Addiction – Moderate (Jazz) (+10)

Gear - 2135/235,000 Nuyen (42 BP)
Bio/Cyberware – 176,200
Suprathyroid Gland
Synaptic Booster 1
Muscle Toner 3
Muscle Augmentation 1
Reaction Enhancers 2
Cosmetic Upgrade (Fiberoptic/Color Changing Hair)
Equipment - 10655
Glasses – 1100
Flare Compensation, Image Link, Smartlink, Vision Enhancement 3 , Vision Magnification
Earbuds – 1010
Audio Enhancement 3, Select Sound Filter 3, Spatial Recognizer
Commlink – 1600
Renraku Sensei with Renraku Ichi OS
Urban Explorer Jumpsuit w/Helmet – 1550
Fire Resistance 5, Chemical Protection 2(How much would you charge me to be able to change the color on this? Not chameleon skin or anything, just color change from like yellow-orange-red-pink etc)
Yamaha Sakura Fubuki – 4650
Internal Smartgun System, Sound Supressor, Hidden Arm Slide (Left)
Ares Predator IV - 900
Silencer, Hidden Arm Slide (Right)
Jazz – 500
Ten doses
Ammo - 905
80 (ml) APDS bullets, 80(ml) regular bullets for Sakura Fubuki, 75 (c) w/5 clips for Predator
Vehicles -36,000
Suzuki Mirage – 31000
Chameleon Coating, Nitrous Injection, Engine Mod (Speed)
Tools - Shop – 500
Automotive Mechanics
Tools – Kit
Automotive Mechanics, Industrial Mechanics, Aeronautics Mechanics, Nautical Mechanics
Lifestyle – 10,000
Two pre-paid months of Middle

Contacts (8 BP)
Chopshop Owner
Loyalty 3 Connection 4
This guy keeps his ear to the street and knows Key fairly well, as she's a regular visitor and is always looking for a way to tune up her bike, even with black-market stuff. He's her source for Jazz, as well as the guy who points her to a lot of jobs that she's helped pull for a bit of extra cash.

Table of Content:
Chapter 1

This post reserved for linking.

Valkun on
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Posts

  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Chapter 1.

    25 October 2079 18:47. Seattle, UCAS. Knight Errant EDGE Initiative Bishop Headquarters.

    The last few weeks have been quiet for the team. With the cold weather moving in, the street gangs are spending more time huddling by litter bins, cars, abandoned buildings, whatever is flammable and sheltering. The constant surge of particulates sent up by the countless factories in the greater metroplex brings showers nearly every night. The overcast clouds in the afternoon promising to assault with stinging droplets when the sun falls beyond the distant horizon.

    With little field work to do, the men and women of Bishop spend their time honing their skills here, in the Ares Arms Seattle Weapons Research and Development Skunkworks. For the past several years, Ares technicians have been working tirelessly to build, maintain, and upgrade the offices and facilities where you work. Although only the top few floors are actually assigned to your department, there's more than enough room to store your desks, firing ranges, labs, conference rooms, and storage for vehicles. Unfortunately, due to a certain 'incident', Ares recalled their experimental rotorcraft leaving you with rather mundane methods of getting to hotspots.

    "Captain Mueller, gather your men and report to my office ASAP." The gravelly voice of Colonel Zakharov is transmitted directly into Raven's consciousness through an audio channel. Despite the hectic and sometimes dangerous nature of the Matrix these days, the office runs a number of wireless systems protected from the outside world through heavy insulation and a team of security experts manning the firewalls. With Corvance gone, Mueller is the senior most agent and often leads the team personally on assignments.

    [Feel free to mention where and what your characters are doing before reporting in. I'll also use this as an opportunity to get a head count on who's still interested.]

    Valkun on
  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Running late again (third time in the week he's been assigned to BISHOP), Frankie Fitzgerald barges through the doors into the department, trying hastily to finish the call he'd been taking on his commlink.

    In low rumbling tones, attempting to be discreet and not ruin his `chill' cred, Frankie finishes, "Okay Ophie, Daddy needs to go to work now, ok? Ok honey, bye bye. Bye bye.". He tries to hold back an embarrased smile and get on with looking like a productive member of the team.

    Frankie is a man at odds with his image; a true family man hiding behind the facade of a professional gunman.

    Once off the commlink, he straightens up and goes about the department saying hello to those he knows, and introducing himself to those he doesn't. For a killer (and a troll), he sure is an affable guy; that said, its hard not to take him seriously with that big, blatant chunk of a cyberarm and the steady eye contact that follows the conversation searchingly.

    He gradually makes his way around to the armory to pick up his prototype, the Ares Thunderbird mk II - a minor variant on the current mainstram product, built bigger, with a longer barrel to meet Frankie's requirements, and is about to get into a bit of tech-talk with the designers.

    Hayasa on
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  • JacquesCousteauJacquesCousteau Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    "So - I swear - the ork jumps to his feet and says 'But then how does he play the fiddle so well?' and that's when the sniper team took him down," Gino says, bathing in the laughter of a few potential recruits.

    He sips at a coffee mug containing less than 100% coffee and leads the group on, strutting up to the transparent armory door. Spotting Frankie he says with a wink, "And this is Knight Errant's zoo where you can see we keep only the finest specimens from around the world. What you see now is a rare experiment in fertility drugs gone awry - although he usually goes by Frankie."

    More laughter follows him as he thumbs in to the armory and says to Frankie, "How's your first week going? Taken to the drink yet?" he says with a smile, taking a sip of his "coffee". Then, the message comes through on his comm.

    "Get that? Looks like we got some work to do. Frag it though, I think I was making some headway with that blond," Gino says, waving coyly to one of the young recruits. With that he heads toward the meeting point, saying to the recruits as he passes them, "My portion of the tour's over for today I'm afraid but someone should be by to escort you out."

    JacquesCousteau on
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  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    She'd been spending more and more time like this. With little to do in an official capacity, Helena had been spending her time floating in the labyrinthine construct that was Bishop's main data repository. She had been going over past mission reports. Full visual records, diagrams, personal notes of what went wrong, what could have gone better, and written reports from each team member from the past two and a half years of Bishop's existence. Most of the people involved were no longer with the Bishop.

    And, while she probably wouldn't admit as much, she missed most of them. Particularly Edwards, Corvance and Silver, the original team. Slowly, over the years, they left the organization in one way or another, and it was lonely at the top without Corvance. In any case, the new guys had a helluva pair of shoes to fill.

    "Alright people, listen up, the Colonel wants us in his office five minutes ago. Lets get to it, this doesn't sound like a social call."

    Helena switched off her internal simrig, the computer generated imagery of the bishop mainframe melting away to reveal the dimmed lights of her office ceiling. She stood up from her desk, dressed in her Knight Errant uniform instead of her usual civvies and made her way out the door. 'The last few weeks have been too quiet, this sounds important.'

    Der Waffle Mous on
    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Crow was in the back of his shop van putting the finishing touches on a newly-built AK-97 carbine when his commlink started buzzing. He had assembled the weapon from surplus components from his own stockpile and had decided the compact rifle needed a little something extra. With a bit of tinkering and some custom parts, he had managed to create a little integrated gas-vent system along with some unobtrusive clips to allow him to conceal the weapon in a number of ways. The carbine would never be as accurate as some of its high-class cousins, but neither would it need extensive maintenance because it fell off a table the wrong way. He gave the bolt a tug and nodded with satisfaction when it slid back even more smoothly than if it had been manufactured in a fully-equipped weapons complex.

    The buzzing from the comm intensified, so he quickly stowed the weapon in one of the van's many hidden compartments. The van was kept tightly secured, but that didn't mean he was going to leave a minor personal achievement sitting around in the open. Crow quickly verified the presence of the knife in his boot and his concealed holdout pistol, then grabbed his deceptively weathered leather jacket off its peg. A light pistol went into one of the pockets.

    Personal armament and armored clothing weren't particularly fashionable items or, in the case of being inside a secure building, polite, but Crow considered "trust" and "safety" to be completely separate issues. He was, after all, a new hire; once he saw how these folks handled themselves, then he'd trust their competence and intentions.

    Hopping out of the confines of the van and into the cold garage, Crow was momentarily glad he hadn't taken that job offer in South America. The pay might have been potentially better, but decent protection of any kind in that humidity was just a nightmare. Secretly, Crow suspected that the reason everybody down there was so pissed off was the heat making everyone constantly pissed off. Regardless, he had a job to do right now and hurried towards the stairs. An elevator might've been faster, but stairs didn't strand you between floors when they went out of order.

    So far, the job at BISHOP had let him do some new work with his personal armory, but he hoped something was about to happen. I mean, this was Seattle after all; there had to be something going on and right now anything would do.

    What good is a better rifle if it just ends up sitting on a shelf?
    AK-97 carbine = AK-97s carbine (-1 recoil from modification)

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Frankie takes Gino's comment in his stride and barks a laugh, adding "No chance I'll be drinkin' away my sorrows, I got no money to do it!"

    Tapping his cyberarm lightly, "I got this storage here, you know whats in it? Lunch from home. I tell ya, when ya get stuck in one spot for twelve hours, you're happy when you remembered to pack a lunch."

    When the call comes out to head to the lieutenant's office, Frankie looks lost for a moment, and decides to go with following Gino, flipping a casual salute to the tech boys as he heads along.

    Hayasa on
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  • Abysmal LynxAbysmal Lynx Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Leaning back in his cushy office chair, Michael watched as the Timberwolf linebiker flew towards the goal and weaved past the goalie.

    Come on, score!

    The goalie swung his tetsubo at the linebiker when the Combat Biking game Michael was watching on his goggles was interrupted by an order to report.

    “Come on, it was almost over!” Michael groans as he pulls himself out of his seat.

    Hope I get to use the Steel Lynx this time. Be even better if I had a bike. 'Course, then I'd probably get shot.

    The rigger let out a sigh as he trudged towards the colonel's office, simultaneously glancing around to make sure he wasn't heading there alone.

    “Better be a mission... I had 500 nuyen riding on that game.”

    Abysmal Lynx on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Loud music crashed through the garage as Key flipped the wrench around, tightening the gasket just right. She sighed, wiping some of the grease off of her forehead as she slid underneath the Suzuki Mirage, checking out the gas tank with a look that was much more passionate than any sane mechanic.
    "Love you, bike!"

    When the call came, the elf sat straight up, her inhuman reflexes the only thing that stopped her from smashing her forehead on the bike. "Aww. I'll play more later!" Getting up, she made a run for the lieutenants office, not bothering to clean the smudges of grease off of her face and ears.

    Rainfall on
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Crow pushed the heavy, reinforced door open and stepped into the dimly lit stairwell. Should he venture downward, his presence would almost certainly trigger the rather unobtrusive sensors ringing every other level of stairs. Recessed reinforced panels would then close above and below him, effectively sealing him in place until security chose to respond. He didn't know for certain how much Ares trusted him at this point, but he no desire to find out the hard way. Crow began slowly plodding up the stairs.

    Though eager for a change of pace, the seasoned merc wasn't anxious to arrive at the meeting early. A few days earlier, he'd encountered the "famous" Mr. Fitzgerald and forced to endure several minutes of small talk. Crow respected the troll's skill with a rifle, but that hardly translated to respect for the troll himself. Hitting a mark from a mile off wasn't exactly a walk in the park, but it took real grit to hold a position when enemy troops came in so close the muzzle flashes singed your clothes.

    Plus, Crow had a reputation of his own in certain circles but he'd been a mercenary because, dammit, he was good at it. He'd burned down plenty of other thinking beings, but they'd always both had it coming and seen it coming. Yeah, it meant digging out a couple of slugs or worse on occasion, but at least he didn't have his face plastered on billboards for gunning down unsuspecting people. And having a whole gang of kids to boot? Someday that Frankie was going to pick the wrong target and no amount of fame would protect that family.

    Crow grunted to himself, displeased. Well, he mused to himself, at least I don't have to worry about us being paired up. Unless they want me to show the guy how you fight when you can't hide, anyway. Probably the most I'll have to do with him will be maintaining his precious rifle. If he keeps his mouth shut, I might even show him a thing or two.

    As Crow's train of thought ended, so did the stairs. The door in front of him was very similar to the one in the garage downstairs except for being plastered with warnings about official access and repercussions and other such nonsense. The pointless warnings earned nothing more than a short chuckle; if Crow wanted to get in a room, he got in. End of story. Opening the door and walking on through, the hefty dwarf was pleasantly surprised by a room full of busy cubicles. Up until now, this whole floor had never had more than a few people on it at the same time. Now, everyone seemed to be here at once and they all had something to do. Crow smiled, now quite certain that life was about to get more interesting.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Frankie's brow furrowed as he followed Gino around the base - this didn't look like the way to that lieutenant's office. Drek, where are we headed? Get back in the game, Frank.

    He pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to massage some energy into his sluggish brain. A late night trip to the hospital with little Larry, for what was essentially a stomach upset, was not the best preparation for a work day in a demanding field, particularly when you have something to prove.

    Hayasa on
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  • Abysmal LynxAbysmal Lynx Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Spotting Gino and Frankie, Michael starts to hurry over to them before catching himself and changing his pace to a nonchalant walk.

    “Hey guys. So, uh, any idea what's up with the call?”

    Abysmal Lynx on
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  • JacquesCousteauJacquesCousteau Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Gino, seeing that he's gathered another crowd smiles cheekily and finishes off his coffee, leaving the cup on the nearest flat surface. "Who knows, Mikey? Maybe the Colonel needs his shoes polished or something.

    "Maybe he's gonna point out a spy and put 'em down right in his office. Never know what to expect around here, myself."

    JacquesCousteau on
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  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Frankie laughs, and adds "If we was takin' down a spy, I wouldn't be comin' along, I'd be over on the corp services building over the way lining up a shot." He chuckles, but while his tone is jovial, what he says also scans as a likely scenario.

    "Now me, I'm goin' to guess Ares is disbanding the division due to shite weather. Right, Mikey me boy?" The latter comment is accompanied with a friendly, shoulder-jarring slap on the back.

    Hayasa on
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  • Abysmal LynxAbysmal Lynx Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Huh. Besides from Johnny, no one has called me Mikey in years. At least people don't call me “little” anymore.

    Looking around at the facility, Michael rubs his now aching back and says, “Well, as long as it's anything outside this office I'll be happy. Things have been so boring lately!”

    Abysmal Lynx on
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  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    As the band of mostly new faces walked into his office one by one, Colonel Zakharov eyed each sternly in turn. The room was spacious, befitting an executive, but the middle aged man was nowhere near a typical corporate taskmaster. His heavily built frame rested in a dark leather chair with a massive stained desk before him, the two probably cost more than your annual salary from the looks of them. Every square inch of the room is taken up by borderless monitors, together displaying a single 3d image of a foggy forest. Their images reflect off the marbled floor and ceiling, providing little more than mood light to see by. A tangle of datalines stream from the backside of the Colonel's head, disappearing underneath the desk. No doubt a hold over from his military days, you've never seen Zakharov not adorned in a Knight Errant uniform, not even here sitting at his desk.

    Through some silent command, the cables release themselves from their master through a series of clicks, each seeming to take a life of its own like the many arms of a cephalopod. One by one, they slither away out of sight as your boss stands up to address you.

    "There's a crisis brewing out there but I wanted to get a few things straight before I send you on your way." Step by crisp step, he walks in front of you, inspecting you as he passes. "Many of you have just been transferred here, some of you just came off the street. We don't care what you've done or who you are. This is your chance to wash all that away and start fresh, on the right side of the law. Do your job, and Ares will take care of you." The well polished leather of his boots makes a stretching noise with every step he takes.

    "You should know the difference between right and wrong. Despite our sometimes unorthodox method of doing things, we are ultimately responsible for those actions. What you do is representative of us. Use force only if absolutely necessary, respect the constitution and the law, and watch your head out there."

    With a cough, he cracks open a slight smile that looks out of place on his serious and wind marked face. "After tonight, you'll no longer be rookies." The animated trees and rocks that had adorned the walls are replaced by block after block of video, streaming text, and maps. "We've been getting some strange reports coming out of the border area of the Barrens." Several screen switch to an enlarged street map with glowing red circles grouped into a single cluster.

    As every light must have its shadow, the towering sky scrapers and sprawling industrial complexes of the city are balanced by the lawless, abandoned, run down sections where the destitute, the SINless, and the unwanted make their home. Ruled by territorial street gangs, these walled off sections are usually free of Lonestar interference as long as nothing major happens to catch their attention. After all, there's no profit in it. Even those that merely wish to live out their existance peacefully aren't likely to assist outsiders, especially cops.

    Red lines draw themselves out from the dots to show various still images and recorded videos. They show masses of people climbing up over the walls like an angered ant's nest and the likely the cause of the sudden exodus, strange, phantasmal beasts. One that looks like an oily quill covered jaguar stomps onto a parked car setting off its alarm with a terrible unearthly growl. Moments later, it disappears from sight. "Needless to say, something strange is going on out there. Lonestar has its hand full trying to keep the peace and prevent a full blown riot. The city has asked that we go in there, figure out what the hell is going on, and put a stop to it. Most of our senior agents have been pulled for other duties so I'm putting you in charge, Captain. Take these rooks and make sure they come back in one piece." The screens blink out one by one as he returns to his desk. "I'm sorry we don't have more info, but the storm is blocking our satellites, you're going to have to go into this one blind."

    Valkun on
  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    As he enters the room, Frankie snaps off a textbook salute and stands to attention like someone stuck a pole up his ass, looking every part the Ares showpony.

    The cogs in his mind work overtime as the Colonel gives his briefing, and as it continues, it seems more and more likely to Frankie that he will need to rely on his non-primary abilities - not really ideal, but such are the risks of a reactionary role.

    "Sir, have we received any magical intelligence regarding the hostiles?"

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  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    "Unfortunately, I don't know any more than you do, at the moment. Mr. Fitzgerald should be able to fill you in when you arrive." He nods towards the troll standing to your side. "Keep your eyes open. You can predict what a stimmed up ork with more metal than brains is going to do. This stuff." He trails off while shaking his head. "And give those Lonestar patrolman a wide berth and pay whatever lip respect you need to. We're rivals and they've never been happy about working with us. They'll use any excuse to take us down a peg."

    Valkun on
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    3 concealable holsters = 225
    Sat link = 500
    Subvocal microphone = 50
    Vector Xim = 200
    Mapsoft 6, Seattle region = 30
    Biomonitor = 300

    Cash spent = 1305
    Cash remaining = 3695

    Crow waited for the rest of the team to pass by before heading for the Colonel's office, occupying himself by verifying the download of a new OS and a Seattle mapsoft to his commlink. The device beeped reassuringly as he entered the office and stood by the door, snapping off a quick salute. Respect aside, the chain of command was always important to a well-run team.

    Being referred to as a "rookie" made Crow twitch a little, but he understood these guys had no more reason to trust him than he did them. If he decided to hang around, trust would develop in the due course of time provided his teammates proved themselves worthy.

    The briefing let them know that the Colonel had finally decided to let the team loose on what looked like some rampaging paracritters. On the upside, operating in the Barrens meant finding infrastructure worth damaging would be hard and dealing with people who had the common sense to duck when things went bad. On the downside, that particular critter didn't look especially familiar. I hope it's a critter, anyway, Crow mused, I hate dealing with rogue spirits; they don't know when to just die and usually have some eco-bozo backing them up. And that had better be some plain old-fashioned invisibility, too; the only thing I hate worse than bad spirits are bad spirits that like to go somewhere I can't see.

    "What kind of gear are we cleared for on this mission, sir?" Crow asked. "This doesn't look like standard-issue Barrens vermin. If this is something nasty like a crazy eco-spirit or a combat critter gone rogue, I'd like to have something with more punch than a lightweight sidearm." As he asked, Crow rubbed at the memory of an old wound on his arm. Years ago, a run-in with a weird custom-built lion variant had nearly cost him part of his right arm due to a lack of intelligence. The teeth had merely punctured his armor, but the necrotic poison they injected would've cost anyone but a dwarf the entire limb. Even with some good corporate insurance, a full recovery had taken months.

    Getting sent after a big, mysterious, pointy cat with the wrong weapon was not a mistake Crow wished to repeat.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    "I'm leaving such matters up to the discretion of Captain Mueller. Now if you'll excuse me." The lines snap back up out of the desk as the Colonel takes a seat. Each bites into a datajack and from the glassy eyed expression on his haggered face, he's not here at the moment.

    Valkun on
  • Abysmal LynxAbysmal Lynx Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    After listening to the details of the mission, Michael simply nods and says, "Hmmm, I've never had to deal with anything like that before. This should be interesting."

    Oh God I'm so fucked. That thing is going to eat me alive.

    Abysmal Lynx on
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  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Frankie turns to the Captain and snaps off another salute, awaiting further instructions while he racks his brain to figure out what those quillcat things might be - parazoology is not his strong point. He decides its best in this case to pass the buck for now, and does so.

    "Awaitin' your instructions, ma'am."

    Hayasa on
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  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    While Fitzgerald addressed the Captain, Crow hoped Mueller's experience meant she'd have the sense not to send them in under-equipped. By his estimation, asking to take the Stoner MMG along would be a bit much. It probably wouldn't be a great idea anyway since he didn't want it slowing him down and he didn't trust anyone else to not point it in the wrong direction.

    Getting the go-ahead for the Alpha shouldn't be a problem. Folks seeing Area personnel clearing up a mess using Ares gear is just good PR. Regardless, with or without authorization I'm bringing along at least a couple HE grenades. I don't care which plane of reality you file your taxes on, nobody likes a facefull of high-explosives. The Roomsweeper might not be a bad idea, either. Nothing says "Get the hell out of my face!" like a shotgun dressed up like a pistol.

    Assault rifles would have to be the bare minimum. Tackling an unknown creature with anything less would just be crazy. Successfully raising his own spirits, Crow dutifully and quietly awaited the Captain's orders.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • JacquesCousteauJacquesCousteau Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Gino says quickly as he heads for the garage, "Can't really make a plan until we get some info from the Lonestar boys down in the Barrens. My old partner still works the beat so he might be able to give us some info without us resorting to too much groveling."

    "Although he's not corrupt enough to be more than a workhorse - so I'm not sure how much he can give me. If you guys have any information avenues in the Barrens that don't involve those Lonestar jacks then I'm sure the Captain would agree to busting them out."

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  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Mueller saluted the Colonel and regarded her team-members. "You heard the Colonel, suit up. I want everyone with a full field load, take along whatever you think you'll need. Expect trouble, but remember that you're representing Bishop today."

    "Giovanni, try and get any information you can from your friends. Fitzgerald, I want you checking astral as much as possible, especially once we get on site, I don't like the feel of this."

    She glances to two of the officers. "Strickland, Key, since you can get there faster, I want you two to head in right now to scope it out before us, report anything we need to know, but try to avoid any trouble. Everyone else, we'll meet at this location in an hour."

    She mentally transmits a convenient intersection close to the entrance to the barrens. "Dismissed."

    Der Waffle Mous on
    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    "But I was just working on my..." Key paused, and looked at the no-nonsense look on the captain's face, her bright pink hair quickly changing to black. "Aye, captain! Right away!" She spun on her heel and headed out the door, fingers drumming a silent tune on thin air.
    Those things look nasty. They'd better not touch my bike.
    A few minutes later, the diminutive elf revved the engine of her Mirage, tapping a symbol in the corner of her vision to change it into company colors, the paint shifting for a moment before displaying the Ares logo.
    "Time to roll. Let's rock!" The garage doors slid open, and the motorcycle roared out, joining with the traffic of Seattle as she raced towards the Barrens.

    Rainfall on
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Crow silently cheered for the Captain's choice. As a private citizen, that Alpha rifle was potentially a serious offense depending on who saw you with it. Working for Ares, it was just standard company gear even if he did technically acquire it through unsavory means. He considered his choices for a moment, then made his decision. The Alpha as a workhorse weapon, some HE grenades for backup, and the Hammerli with armor-piercing rounds, just in case. He dismissed his dedicated grenade launcher for consideration since he didn't have much in the way of reloads for it. Plus, no point in taking along two grenade launchers.

    He'd use full armor, but skip the helmet. Crow expected visibility would be more important than protection for this little excursion. On the way to the van for a change of gear, Crow also tried to reach Lisa. If this was some sort of killer spirit, she might know something. Even if she could only confirm that the creature wasn't astral, that would be more information than he had right now.

    He stabbed at the elevator controls. Personal quirks are fine, but I've got a job to do. No telling if time is factor, so I'd better assume it is.

    Loadout:
    Personal Loadout (besides standard stuff like a fake SIN, commlink, etc.):
    Full body armor
    Knife

    2 kg Foam 4 explosives
    +2 detcaps

    First Aid Kit
    +2 stim patches

    Sting (flechette)
    +one extra flechette clip

    Hammerli (APDS)
    +2 extra APDS clips

    Ares Alpha (standard)
    +4 extra standard clips
    +1 HE grenade clip

    In van:
    Extra standard ammo
    AK-97 Carbine
    Stoner

    Contact attempt:
    Attempt to contact Lisa and ask her if she knows anything about any crazy jaguar-porcupine spirits.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • Abysmal LynxAbysmal Lynx Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Score! Mission with the cute biker chick!

    “Yessir, Ma'am!” Michael grins as he practically runs toward the the garage. Making sure his drones' weapons aren't loaded with non-lethal ammo (better safe then sorry), Michael attaches his larger drones into the drone racks of his Hotspur and puts his microdrones in his coat pocket. Climbing into the truck, Michael follows Key out of the garage and onto the streets. Opening an audio channel with the elf Michael says,

    “Don't worry about a thing Key. If anything happens I'll take care of it in a nanosecond.”

    Well, my drones will. There's no way in hell I'm going near any of those things.

    Abysmal Lynx on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Frankie falters a moment, not entirely comfortable to ask any questions after being officially dismissed, almost says something, but instead salutes again and heads out to the locker room to kit up appropriately.

    Well, I got permission to take what I need, and a couple of spirits are kind of gear, so I guess thats gotta be OK.

    Suiting up in his brand new suit of Ares DefWear Ultra (tm) full body armor, he tries not to get caught dwelling on why he's had to get a new suit, and also checks and readies his Ares Thunderbird. Considering the situation, he also grabs his shotgun as backup in case Lone Star put the clamps on his R&D sniper rifle - technically they shouldn't be used in civilian situations, and with intercorporate relations being what they are, that being a sticking point would be a very effective way for Frankie to be shown up on his first `real' gig with BISHOP.

    Given the two riggers are getting a head start, Frankie also decides to get a bit of astral reconnaissance set up at the same time. Making sure the locker room is quiet (some people get freaked out by magic, after all), he sits down, tenses up and concentrates on a space about five feet in front of him, tapping into the astral energies and feeling them run through his veins like ice.

    With what feels like a sharp snap, Frankie's regular Watcher spirit, Elai, manifests before him. As usual, Elai's form is that of a particularly short humanoid with bright red hair, brown tweed pants with bracers, and a bright green shirt. In a chirp Irish lilt, he calls out (quite loudly) "Marhaba Frankie, what can I do ya for?"

    Frankie flexes his neck, loosening up again after the exertion of summoning, and responds. "Hey Elai, I want you to go this intersection", he says, mentally communicating its approximate location, "When you get tere I want you to go count moving cat things with quills within 4 blocks of that intersection, then let me know how many there are. OK?"

    Elai chirps "OK!" and pops back into the astral plane to complete his tasks, leaving Frankie to do a final check on his equipment before jogging down to the motorpool to hitch a ride to the scene.

    I guess we use standard dice rolls for this sort of thing? I'm setting a precedent, damn it.

    Magic + Summoning hits = 4 hits. He'll be around for four hours

    Drain resistance check = Will+Cha (TN: Duration) = 8 dice vs (4) = 5 hits, no drain

    So, Elai is around for four hours doing stuff, unless something bad happens.

    Hayasa on
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  • JacquesCousteauJacquesCousteau Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Gino checks the scope on his Colt America as he sits behind the wheel of the Comet waiting for his connection to pick up his Comm. "Come on, Denny," he says impatiently as he holsters the gun up a sleeve and starts to strap into his armor jacket.

    Finally, a voice comes over the link, "Denny Winslow."

    Gino says smilingly, "Guess who, cowboy? I hear some stuff's going a bit haywire in the Barrens. Got anything you can tell me about what's going on aside from the 'official' crap?"

    JacquesCousteau on
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  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    The sleek, seductive voice of a mysterious woman slips through Crow's commlink. "Hey babe, it's been a while since you called. You still owe me dinner, you know." After dealing with pleasantries, she responds to your request with a bit of a bored tone. "Doesn't sound like your typical city spirit to me. Way too flashy and disruptive. Even if they were pissed off, spirits wouldn't go on that kind of a rampage."

    ...

    A low whisper penetrates Frankie's ear as he sits silently on the way to the scene. "There's a couple lad, but they tain't no spirits I've ever seen. Never been to any of the reunion parties anyhow. They's definately got the taint of magic on them though." The spirit seems almost disgusted by their very existance. "Since I like ya, I'll give ya a freebie. They're probably connected to all the other going ons over there. Somebody or something's letting loose, uncontrolled and wild. Strong too, best watch yourself."

    ...

    You know what they say about the weather in Seattle, a thick layer of water covers every surface turning the streets into little more than shallow streams. The going is treacherous at the speeds the vanguards not only obtain but live for. Through sheer force of will, they manage to keep out of any major accidents, despite a few close calls, as they drive haphazardly along the surface routes. The clammor of an angry mob can easily be heard several blocks away despite the pounding rain.

    Thick tendrils of smoke can be seen wafting out beyond the walls as still more people clambor out of the area. A full line of Lonestar SWAT members hold back the tide of humans with riot shields, water cannons, tear gas, and sheer grit. The cats don't seem to be anywhere in sight though a massive flash of green lightning a few blocks in catches your attention. Patrol cars and vans are dotted all along the street, their owners occupied elsewhere. A command vehicle of sorts is off to one side, a gruff looking Captain calling out orders to his staff.

    "What is it Gino, I'm kind of-" The sound is temporarily cut off by grunting and loud clashes. "Stay back! Stay back! You're not getting through here, stay back damn it." There's a burst of static then the line is cut off. Looks like Winslow is indisposed at the moment.

    Valkun on
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    By the time Lisa responded, Crow was already well on his way to the rendezvous point. He confirmed the info with a nod and replied, "Yeah, yeah, so ka. Knowing this is no spirit makes me happy enough to bump that offer up to a nice dinner, too. Maybe you don't mind them too much, but I can't stand those things. Manage to slot one of 'em and a mage can just whips up another one. Thanks for the intel, though."

    Severing the link, Crow focused on navigating in the Seattle rainstorm. Rain hammered against the Bulldog, competing with the rhythmic clatter of stowed gear. Whatever else happens today, he thought, at least I picked the right outfit. Cleaning out weird critters is bad enough without being soaked to the bone. Suit seals won't keep out much, but as long as I don't go scuba diving I won't have to worry about getting soggy. He briefly considered using the helmet as well, but decided visibility would already be bad enough without restricting his peripheral vision.

    Checking the time, he gave the van a little more speed. Even if he did give something a little nudge, the Bulldog could handle it. The rain had cleared the roads of pedestrians and even the vehicle traffic was pretty light. Hopefully somebody would have more info by the time they all reached the rally point.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • HayasaHayasa Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Frankie nods to himself in the back of the patrol car as Elai spills his guts, and considers that this has all gone to drek. Fortunately, there are people designated to decide how to deal with this sort of thing, and they're called `superior officers' - something Frankie has always been happy to avoid being. He opens comms with the BISHOP crew and shares the load.

    "Captain Mueller, Specialist Fitzgerald speakin'. My source says the quillcats are just part of the problem, we got somethin' else cuttin' loose down there, I got no idea what yet, probably need to see it in person - en route thanks to the boys in motorpool."

    "Oh yeah, and there's only two quillcats within four blocks of the meet point."

    He clears his throat, and pauses a moment to let the info sink in. "Captain, we got civilian panic, two parazoological threats, and something other kinda magic threat. What is our primary objective, ma'am?"

    Hayasa on
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  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    "Awfully kind of you, Michael!" Key laughed into her commlink, weaving between traffic and sending up a spray behind her bike, whooping excitedly. Damn, this handles nice in the rain. I need to get in a few races sometime.

    Approaching the line of Lone Star security, the young Elf skids to a halt, sliding off her bike and removing her helmet in one smooth motion, hair flickering between a few colours before settling on a bright red.
    "Hey, Captain! Bishop Security, under Knight-Errant? We've got wind of a big noise back here. You know anything, or will I have to scout it out myself?"
    She looked up at the man, tapping one finger against her chin and one foot against the stream of water beneath her, looking terribly bored, impatient, and eager to get back on her bike to do some real surveillance work.

    Rainfall on
  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    The Lone Star officer finishes spouting off a hurried order to one of his subordinates before turning towards the elf. The fact that he has no pupils would have been disturbing a hundred years ago, but cyber eyes are common enough nowadays. After a second of staring directly at your rain streaked face, he points towards the line where angry mob meets the iron fist of justice. His bald head fits nicely with the black full body armor that looks like it could take a direct shot from an angry troll.

    "We got our hands full here. Glad you guys are here to assist. I'll have my men carve a path through the crowd, but it's not going to last long." Despite being calm and collected, he has to yell full force to be heard over the clamor and rain.

    Valkun on
  • Abysmal LynxAbysmal Lynx Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Watching the now red-headed Key talk to the Lone Star officer, Michael is surprised by how smooth it goes.

    That pig sure gave in easy. Wait, I'm a pig now. Oh well, at least I'm not Lone Star.

    Driving up behind Key, Michael calls out, “I'll launch my roto-drone and try to get some aerial recon done while we search.”

    True to his word, Michael sends a command through his commlink to the MCT-Nissan Roto-drone in the rack on the back of the Hotspur. The drone is released and begins to lift off into the rain, heading towards the Barrens.
    Launching my roto-drone, just like I said. I assume I don't have to make a roll yet, since it hasn't actually done anything besides fly up and forward.

    Abysmal Lynx on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • ValkunValkun Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    With all the rain, the feed from the drone isn't all that great. But it's pretty clear that the streets beyond the wall are mostly deserted. Burning trash cans and cars show no signs of their owners nearby. As you watch, a dilapidated apartment building that looks like it's at least a hundred years old comes crashing apart as what appears to be a tree grows up through its roof. Debris and dust rise up in every direction.

    Valkun on
  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    She looked out of place in the red sedan, she was dressed in her urban camo BDU. Not her usual outfit, but since infiltration was not an issue and the extra protection was needed, her chameleon suit stayed behind. At this moment, she was somewhat regretting that the delivery of the Bishop Citymaster was delayed from today. Ever since the organization lost access to the rotorcraft, getting the team to a scene in a proper fashion was a bit difficult. Not that it was particularly needed until tonight.

    "Roger that, Fitzgerald, thanks for the update." Helena was already en-route in her own vehicle, the siren blaring as she weaves through the rain-slicked streets. "This is Raven" she said after mentally switching her internal commlink to broadcast to the team. "Currently, Lonestar has the panic in-hand. As well, our astral reconnaissance has reported that there are at least two para-critters in the vicinity of the rendezvous point, as well as implications of some other magical threat."

    "We need to neutralize those threats." She continued. "Key, keep trying to see what you can get out of Lonestar and any civilians you can find. Strickland, send out drones to take a look-see. And Fitzgerald, once you get on-station find yourself a good blind. None of you are weapons-free, do not fire unless the target is presenting a direct lethal threat to someone. Everyone else report in."

    "Once we all arrive, we'll regroup and perform some recon-in-force. We need to find out what's behind this, and we need to do it before more people get hurt."
    Current loadout:
    Camo Armor
    Ares Predator w/ 2 clips (30) Ex-Ex
    HK-227x /w 3 clips Regular (84) and 1 clip stick-n-shock (28)
    1 frag, 1 CS gas, 1 flashbang, 2 thermal smoke grenades.
    All of her B&E gear.

    Der Waffle Mous on
    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Key nodded to the captain, turning around and heading back for her bike, a bounce in her step. "Thanks for the help! Much appreciated!"
    Only waiting a moment for Lone Star to start pushing the crowd back, she revved her engine, heading through the press of people for the clear streets beyond them.
    Keying her commlink, she called up the Captain.
    "Captain, I made it in. Lone Star is holding the crowd back, streets are pretty damn empty past them. Haven't seen anything big yet, but something weird is going on."
    Loadout:
    Urban Explorer Jumpsuit, Glasses, Earbuds
    Ares Predator in right-arm slide
    Yamaha Sakura Fubuki in left-arm slide.
    The Suzuki Mirage, obv.

    Rainfall on
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    The big Bulldog van slowed to a stop just outside the cordon. A few Lone Stars eyed the vehicle suspiciously, one coming alongside the driver's side. He tapped on the opaque window and very nearly chuckled when he saw the driver. The sound died in his throat once he got a good look at the heavy-set,heavily-armed, and very serious dwarf. Fumbling with the proffered ID, the officer checked the clearance and hastily waved the van through the blockade. Whatever these guys are here to deal with, thought the flustered cop, I hope it decides to stay firmly on the other side of the cordon.

    As the vehicle slid through the crowd, Crow noticed a slow-moving red pinpoint on the infrared wavelength and correctly assumed the rigger had already sent up a scout drone. Key was already heading down the empty street, presumably about to head deeper into the Barrens for more recon.

    Having monitored the team's comm channel, the dwarf was reassured by the fact that, though the creatures were still unknown, only two were in this area. Unless they were truly spectacular, he had far more ordinance than necessary to deal with both creatures on his own, let alone as part of a team. Less reassuring was the giant tree sprouting out of what was now an ex-building.

    Friggin' hate magic, he thought. Two to one says we're dealing with eco-crazies and their pets. Who else would stick a giant tree in the middle of this concrete jungle? And through an entire apartment building, no less. I suppose it would be nice to come up against eco-nuts out here, though; can't say I have a lot of sympathy for whackjobs who think trashing crappy homes will help the planet.

    Crow stopped the van around a hundred meters from the crowd and contacted the Mueller. "Captain, I'm inside the perimeter and the recon units are already underway. I'm currently holding my position and checking if I can see anything new from here. Also, any particular reason the Lone Stars are keeping these folks here instead of just letting them get clear the area? Seems a little odd to me."
    Aside from the perception test already asked for, I'm conducting a perception test for anything hostile in the person/critter-sized range. The check will be in the thermographic range and I will have a dice pool of (Perception 3 + 2 extra dice for visual specialization + vision enhancement 2 + 3 for military knowledge (looking for direct threats here) - 2 for thermal vision in heavy rain) 8.

    Result: 4 hits. With three 1's, so no glitch, but pretty dang close to it. :P

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Helena pulled up to the shoulder approaching the meeting point. She tugged her HK227x from its secure carrying container and secured it to her shoulder, quickly flicking the smartgun system on. She fished her Knight Errant badge out of her BDU as she stepped out of the vehicle and approached the bustling lonestar blockade. "Team, report in."

    Der Waffle Mous on
    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
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