[Shadowrun] Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Request

[Oath]

This game is for Mystic, GM'd by Oath. If other people want to join, you can talk to us about it.

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[close]

An average Seattle night, the rain had come rolling in and you had elected to stay in. The pattering of the rain hitting your windows as you spent a quiet evening sipping on some spirits, checking out some trids. The occasional flash of lightning and clap of thunder keeps you on your toes. You live in a fairly nice neighborhood, a well to do apartment in the heart of downtown. But anything's possible in the city. You've run the Shadows before and know that anything can happen, so it's better to be a bit paranoid than completely care free. The rain picked up, wind howled outside your window, blasting through the alleyway between your apartment complex and the next building over.

Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound of knocking echoes through your apartment, it doesn't sound out of place in this storm. But it continues. Bang. Bangbang. Bang. Bangbangbang. You get up and open the door. It's someone you know. Keira Rocheford. A well to do woman. Married. No children. She stood there in a well-made blue dress, that was so wet it was sticking to her skin. Tears rolled down her cheeks, mixed with the rain from the storm. Something was wrong. She was shaken, and still shaking. Either from the cold, or from whatever had happened to her. "Please, Richard, you're the only one I can turn to." Keira stumbled into your apartment, uninvited, collapsing on the floor, sobbing. "Bennett's dead, Richard." She was still sniffling, but had regained a small amount of composure. "Magic had to of been involved. You were his friend, he trusted you. Lonestar isn't going to do anything, they just section off the crime scene to stop people from seeing the body and then twiddle their god damn thumbs while the family waits for answers that will never come." She coughed for a few moments, clearing her throat afterwards and rubbing away some of her tears with her hand. "I trust you too, Richard. I think that you could find the truth of the matter." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small credstick. "I'll pay you. I'll help you hire some help too. But please, Richard, you're the only one who can do this." She handed you the credstick and tried to stand, falling back down to her knees.

[Mysticsage]

Rich was shocked to see Keira so shaken and did not have the time to take in the full extent of the things she was saying, as he helped her sobbing form off of the floor and into the chair he had been sitting in. He quickly mumbled something about things going to be okay and then more forcibly said, "Drink this,"He handed her his own drink from the table and quickly moved to the bathroom to grab a towel so that she wouldn't end up freezing from the rain.  He took a moment to look at himself in the mirror, for a respectable guy in his early to mid twenties he looked like a well built punk rocker with his somewhat long mane of lime green hair. He currently had it pulled up in a small ponytail looking to keep it out of his face. Few people took him as the dependable type at first glance but he took his responsibilities seriously and when people called he answered. He looked at the credstick in his hand and set his jaw

He wrapped around her back and shoulders and moved a chair over from the small table in the corner to sit in front of her. If what she was saying was in fact true and Bennett had somehow gotten himself killed then he had to make sure of the details of what was going on.  "Can you tell What you know about what Bennett was involved with and I promise I'll figure out what happened magic or not." He let her gather her thaughts glad that any windows he had did not have any direct lines of sight where she sat in case she was followed.

[Oath]

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Keira took the drink that was offered to her, and slammed it down while Richard retrieved a towel. He returned after what felt like an eternity, though it was really rather short."I don't know too much to be honest. You know Bennett was a grunt with Aztechnology, he didn't have any love for his job. Always looking for a way out. He told me that he had something in the works that would let him retire, let us live a happy life. He was afraid to share the details, said that he was being watched. That was just a few days ago." She started to sob again, regaining some composure after a minute. "I saw the body Richard. It didn't look like anything a man or a machine could do. It was unnatural. Lonestar isn't letting anyone in. If you saw the body you would know. I wish I knew more Richard, I really do but this is what I've got. You have connections that I don't, maybe you can find out something more." Keira still looked quite shaken, but she had calmed down a bit, it seemed that the drink had helped. A moment later your comm made a sound, and an address floated in front of your eyes. "This is the place that Bennett died. Probably where you want to start your search. That's all I've got for you though." She smiled weakly and raised the glass. "Mind if I have another?"

[Mysticsage]

"I don't have much but what I have is open for you." He said pointing to the small number of bottles on a far shelf. He drank rarely unless with others so he only had a few things on hand. "I I think you should stay here for a bit till we can get this all sorted out." He continued, "If we're really dealing with Aztech and magic that could  mean bl-, bad things." He didn't want to scare her and was unfamiliar with how much she knew about Atechnology so it was better to keep her slightly in the dark. "I'm gonna go now before the corp forces clean up all the evidence if we can move fast enough hopefully we can cut the snake at its head." He wanted to say something to put her mind at ease seeing her so afraid like this made him furious. But the usual soothing platitudes that came to mind just didn't seem sufficient, so he skipped it and hoped that actions would be enough.

"Feel free to take anything you need from my closet and sleep on the bed if you need it." He got his jacket and was about to leave before he stopped. Looking back at her he moved to his bedroom and pulled an old worn ares predator out of somewhere in his room. He replaced it some time ago but kept hold of the thing in case of emergency. "Here, In case something happens while I'm gone it might be enough to scare someone off don't try to fight just try to make an opening to run." Pressing the gun into her hands he took a moment to look at her steeling himself and heading out into the night.

He had a few favors that he could call in, he only hoped that he could find enough people to make a team. He might be upset but he was not stupid enough to go up against a possible corps black bag unit alone. With that he began making the call.   Once he was out in the rain he began walking down the street trying to not draw attention glad for there to be a nice rain. It meant people were all to happy to stay in their own world.

[Oath]

Click for Music

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[close]

Keira offered her thanks and grabbed another drink as you stepped out into the night. She seemed at least somewhat at ease, despite all that had happened. The site wasn't too far from your apartment, perhaps a 20 minute walk. You could have hailed a cab, but that would take away from the time that you could begin planning. Already making calls, none of them picked up. Everything went through to voice mail, or didn't stop ringing to begin with. You were getting close to the area, Lonestar presence was increasing drastically. Then a message flashed in front of your eyes. "Zephyr, man you alright? Saw your buddy Bennett died, its all over the news. If I can help out in some way let me know A message from Machiavelli. He considered himself a prince among Deckers, better than most, or so he claimed, self proclaimed "Most cunning" how true that was, nobody could say. But it was undeniable that he was a nice guy to have around, especially in a pinch. You'd never met him in the meat world, but he had done quite a lot for you over the years in the matrix. He didn't know much about magic, so you returned the favor in you own way.

Before you could do much in the way of responding, a burly Ork in Lonestar gear shoved you. Oy, chummer, you blind or something? Area's closed. We're investigating a murder here.

It was a commercial district, a place that would generally be lively with people going about their business. Now you just had the red-blue glare of sirens piercing the darkness and the chatter of officers. In the middle of the area, a body bag was surrounded by several officers. The buildings didn't rise very high, a couple stories at most. Simple shops run by simple folk trying to carve out a living in the Seattle Metroplex. It was unfortunate for them, but you had a more pressing matter. The imposing Ork standing in front of you staring you down.

Roll any skills you'd like to use, and I'll go from there.

[Mysticsage]

Zephyr but on his best disgruntled cop look. "Look I'm a detective that Central sent in to take over this case until they could get a handle on this thing. Who ever lit a fire under the asses wanted to make sure that this all went well you know how this crap goes. Someone up top got yelled at so they rain hell down on everyone they can get their hands on. I doubt they even sent you my damn name can you just let me through and I'll make sure to write up all the paper work you need so that I don't get another phone call from those fraging bastards. A couple hundred Nuyen would even be worth it to shut those guys up and keep them from biting my head off." Zephyr made sure to pull up the neck of his jacket. Hopefully this cop was as overworked and underpaid as everyone in this neighborhood. Sure it wasn't the barrens so there had to be at least some show of force but that didn't mean that the Lonestar had to make a real effort unless forced.

Offering to do the paper work for him on his end would hopefully be enough along side the offer of a little palm grease. As long as he let him inside and alone for a short while he could find some clue to start with.

Con Check

Rolled 6d6 : 4, 2, 5, 5, 1, 6, total 23

Plus whatever 200 Nuyen gets me in a bonus

[Oath]

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[close]

The Beat Cop seems to believe you!

You couldn't really tell what the facial expression of the Ork was supposed to be, as he took your credstick and sort of snarled at you. "Alright Mr. Bigshot, the scene is all yours." He spit and walked over to who appeared to have been in charge there, pointed to you, laughed and the Lonestar crew packed up to leave. They saluted you as they left, glad to be out of this storm. The cars drove off one by one, the red-blue light of the sirens fading as they sped down the streets.

Alone, you approached the body bag and unfastened a portion. Without a doubt it was Bennett, his face contorted in a look of fear and agony. With the short time you spent looking over the body, you couldn't really tell what was the cause of death. Just that it looked extraordinarily painful. As you examined the body a bit closer, you were interrupted. You heard chimes behind you. As you turned, you saw a man in what looked like rags, carrying a staff with a few chimes on it. His hair was dark and in dreads, his eyes were clouded. You couldn't tell if he was on something or if he had eye problems. He spoke slowly, with a raspy voice. "Thank you, friend. Lonestar has no place in a case like this. Dark forces were at work here. Exactly what, I do not know. But... For those that don't have a connection with the Astral.. they'll never find out. But you. You might be different." He hobbled over towards you and felt your face with his hands. Yes... You are not like the others. You may be able to stop this."

Suddenly he let out a ghastly cry, and dropped to the ground. No pulse. Nothing. All he had done was raise even more questions, without providing a single answer you sought. The rain continued to splash down around you. All you were left with were two bodies and an even larger pile of questions.

[Mysticsage]

He now had two bodies on his hands to deal with. The second had appeared so suddenly that he was suspicious of the voice he heard actually being dead or just leaving that old body, not to mention how he must have avoided the cops. For now he could do nothing but search both bodies for anything he could use. Looking over his friends face in such pain was hard thing to do, but he had a responsibility to him to solve this so he would have to work fast before the cops came off break.

He patted down both bodies setting the old man's staff to the side as the only thing off note as of yet. Assessing a corpse does little to no good the soul leaves the body often to quickly to make it worth while and summoning the spirits of the dead so close after death was a painful process for all involved emotions are to strong like a raw nerve. In the astral plane that kind of thing was not only bad form but dangerous the mind tended to have a more direct influence. So for now it was best to start with what he could find physically.

First Check the Pockets then the body themselves

Perception to find anything on Bennett

Rolled 6d6 : 2, 5, 1, 4, 1, 5, total 18

Perception to find anything on the old man

Rolled 6d6 : 4, 1, 5, 5, 1, 4, total 20

First Aid Check on Bennett

Rolled 6d6 : 2, 5, 5, 3, 2, 1, total 18

First Aid Check on the old man

Rolled 6d6 : 1, 2, 6, 6, 6, 5, total 26

[Oath]

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[close]

The old man had nothing of note on his person, the staff and the trinkets held naught but sentimental value. His cause of death was even more unclear than Bennett's, and that was saying something. Bennett's body didn't seem to hold any visual clues for what had happened to him, but in searching his pockets, you found two things: A credstick, and a datachip. The contents of the datachip remained a mystery, and this was not the place to check it out.

After a few moments, a message pops up. "Zephyr, you there?" The same person from before. Machiavelli.

Choose what you'd like to do from here

[Mysticsage]

Thank God Mac was still online. "Hey Mac you happen to be in the UCAS area? I've gotten myself in a pickle do to my friends death. I'd owe you one if you gave me a hand. I found something that I think is right up your alley." He paused before sending the message biting his lip before he continued, "I think it would be best to figure out the details in person if possible I know we haven't ever met face to face but send me an address and a time and I'll be there so you know its safe." They had known each other for a while now but they had yet to meet in 'Meat Space' as Mac called it as a point of form for the decker. As such he hoped that he wasn't asking to much to meet in person but if a mega corp involved leaving any kind of trail might be a problem

Zephyr takes
Datachip
Credstick
Old Staff

Rolling Negotiation to convince Maccy boy

Rolled 6d6 : 1, 5, 1, 3, 4, 6, total 20

[Oath]

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Machiavelli winced at being called Mac but he had long since given up on trying to convince Zephyr to change his ways. A small price to pay for a mutually beneficial relationship. He had tech. Zephyr had magic. They both had skills the other needed. The idea of meeting in Meat Space was not one that that Machiavelli was fond of. "If you're desperate enough to seek a meeting in person, I'm going to guess that things are not fine." A simple message. One that rang true.

A couple of minutes passed before another message popped up. "I don't really like this idea but meet me here in an hour. It's a noodle bar, run by the Triads. They're not the ones you're afraid of, I hope." a moment later, the cords of the noodle place came through your comm. It looked like it would take about a half hour to get there.

[Mysticsage]

Zephyr bit his lip wondering if it would be worth it to call home to check in, but he quickly thought against it. She would be safest there for now and calling might leave a data trail. Besides Keira could use some sleep with owl watching over her or so he hoped binding a spirit to the task was a fair idea. Maybe even Bennett might give some help. Stealing one of his friends earrings he quickly left the scene and found a dark alley some ways off.

Edit
Taking Bennett Keepsake

Summoning force 4 owl spirit to go watch Keira

Rolled 6d6 : 4, 4, 2, 2, 3, 6, total 21

So how this works I roll my summoning and you roll it's force if I get more then you I can command it to do that number of tasks until sunrise

He opened his mind to the Astral space allowing the rainbow of colors momentarily overwhelm him before it cleared revealing the astral plain. It was like a crazy Trid filter that showed emotions or the spirits that also called the world home. Before his eyes was a ball of that energy shifting in shape and color as it attempted to bring into being that of a rather large horned owl.

He didn't have time to talk and if the spirit was willing he would simply give it its order show it where to go and who to watch from his memory then move on to the cafe. As long as the owl did not manifest into physical space no one would be any the wiser so long as they could not see astrally.

[Mysticsage]

1 edge to reroll failures

Rolled 5d6 : 6, 2, 1, 2, 6, total 17

[Oath]

Force roll.

Rolled 4d6 : 2, 2, 2, 1, total 7

[Oath]

You have 3 net hits, choose 3 things you want spirit to do, and roll drain.[/roll]

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[close]

The Owl spirit appears out of nowhere, looking at you quizzically. After giving your commands, it coos, nods, and flies off into the stormy Seattle night. If Keira was in danger, you would know. You moved on, heading towards your destination and first meeting with Machiavelli. The noodle shop wasn't anything outstanding to look at. The sign above the door looked as if it was on its last legs and read: Ling's Noodles. You were about twenty minutes early. The interior was nothing fancy either. If you had to think of a word to describe it, basic would suit it best. No frills, all business. It looked like it had capacity for thirty or so patrons, and was a little busy with a crowd gathered around a table where two individuals seemed to be playing Mahjong. A ton of them were smoking, so the smoke filled the diner.  You help yourself to a small booth in the corner, to avoid any unwanted attention, and before long a waiter comes by and drops off a menu. Machiavelli would be there soon, and you only could hope that he knew what you looked like.