Shadowrun
Setting: Seattle, 2072
After a lot of reading, the best I can tell, for my own understanding of the Shadowrun stuff, is that things happened that resulted in megacorporations who have their own sovereign power. There were pandemics, epidemics, magic coming back, supernatural creatures coming back and an explosion of technology. But the average person still has to work to pay the bills and for the fun things of life. And the megacorps provide a lot of distractions for people! They want people happy, as happy as they can make them, because happy people don't question things or want changes. To keep that status quo, the megacorps will use their power to do whatever it takes to stay ahead, including hiring people to steal from the other megacorps! And that's where the player characters enter the scene.
Things have changed. I was going to let the PCs lead the main overarching story but I didn't understand they didn't want that. So I have a story in mind and they have their stories and we will see how much we do. I also wanted to keep things on one page, instead of having many, but that might get to be too much. I think I will start with one page and if it needs to go to its own page to make it more clear, I can do that later.
Inspirations: Demolition Man, Matrix (before Mr. Anderson was pulled out), Blade Runner, Sleeper, Running Man, Fight Club, Burn Notice, Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse, Gattaca, Escape From New York, Escape From LA, Minority Report, Children of Men, 12 Monkeys, The Island, Book of Eli, Death Race, Fortress, The Handmaid's Tale, Robocop, Strange Days, V for Vendetta, Manchurian Candidate, Johnny Mnemonic, Fringe,
The Players:
| Player |
Character |
Archetype |
Notes |
| Brook |
Glyph Droust |
Former R&D expert for Universal Omnitech |
|
| Drew |
Max Magnum |
Former Black Market Corporate Go Between and Face. |
|
| John |
Jax |
Former Company Ork
|
|
Group Pursuits
Groups of Seattle
Right now, I want this to serve as a big picture look at the groups in Seattle. As needed, I will flesh them out as details are learned and break them out into their own page. In the meantime, I want this to serve as "local knowledge" for Seattle.
Politics - The Brackhaven Administration, District Mayors, Military, Federal Agencies, Native American Nations (NAN), Tir Tairngire, California Free State (CFS)
Societt - Policlubs, Social and Religious Groups, Magical Groups
Economy - Megacorporations, Seattle Corporations
Underworld - Yakuza, Mafia, Triads, Russian Mob, Seoulpa Rings, Laesa, Gangs
The NPCs
Colonel Burke - Ft Lewis - Destination drop off for "A Little Trek to the Woods"
Veronica King - Tri-Vid Reporter - Elf
The Chills, the Thrills, the Joy, the Sorrow. Nah. Bring on the fighting!
Missions
The End of Mana Boy
The group is hired for wetwork and to be in with a Mr. Johnson. They are offered a lot of money and find out its because the target is a mage. After some scouting, they manage to take the target off guard and finish the job as the Mr. Johnson wanted. (3 Karma)
News:
- Tragedy struck the barrens again as an elf mage was the subject of revenge. The mage was a local hero, working to protect several in the area. Many are now worried about their commute home as the elf kept the local go-gangers at bay.
- Talks have again started up between CFS and Tir Taingire. Several meetings are scheduled in the coming months.
- The Ork Underground is stirring up trouble again. Knight Errant has been called into the area to quell several near riots.
- Shiawase has announced its plans to expand into several other neighborhoods in the Seattle area. On the tails of that, NeoNet, Renraku, and Mitsuhama also said they will be be expanding into "new territories" in the coming months.
- Humanis is on another recruitment drive. Metahumans should be careful as some areas of Auburn, Renton and Tacoma are reporting more activity on Humanis' part. At the moment, it's limited to passing out flyers to "regular people" as one member put it but another member said they have "big plans for the summer or fall."
- Auburn's newspaper is reporting that violence against metahumans is up but had to retract that statement when no sources would confirm.
Rumors:
- In an opinion response to the death of the elf mage, a blogger said that the elf mage WAS the gangs and the neighborhood lived in fear of him and what he might do. The vigil is in celebration, not mourning.
- Many Ork blogs in response to Knight Errant have claimed that they are trying to survive and KE won't let them. They say there are rumors of groups being hired to scare them out. Many of the bloggers are saying that the mafia, triads or both are working for KE and have been promised the land if they can empty it out.
- The Hermetic Order is looking for more recruits. Some blogs claim that they are being very aggressive. Others are claiming that it's not the Hermetic Order but the Mystic Crusaders that are behind any disappearances and aggressive testings at local elementary schools, especially Redmond, Snohomosh and Everett.
- There are no dragon sightings.
A Little Trek to the Woods
The group by a native american to travel to Salish-Shidhe lands, infiltrate an abandoned military base, retrieve items belonging to the UCAS military and return it to Colonel Burke at Ft. Lewis. Everything seemed simple enough. The only real problem seemed to be dealing with the gangs charging tolls on the roads between Seattle and the military base, south of Lewiston. The group finds out there is a setup and taking the item, which is a suitcase nuke, will set the other three to detonate. They end up disarming them and taking them all. They do have to fight another large mercenary company but successfully return. (3 Karma)
The group decided to invest in a weapon mount for the van and a Stoner-Ares M202 gun. This took several days to acquire and for Glyph to build the mount and get the weapon mounted up and ready to go. The package was due to be delivered on 4/30/72 and the group wasn't even ready to leave until 4/22, so the timeline was getting tight. It was a 2 day trip one-way and they didn't know how long it would take them once they were there.
News:
- Governor Brackhaven called for a meeting of the Mayors at his mansion. While all who attended said the meeting went well, there have been no announcements related to it. The Governor said he will be calling for another meeting with the mayors as soon as early June. Governor Brackhaven also met with top officials from Ft Lewis, the Metroplex Guard, the Joint Task Force of Seattle. Again, no statements were issued.
- Governor Brackhaven has also called for several meetings with the California Free State, Tir Tairngire, Native American Nations and several of the Megacorps, including Area, Shiawase and NeoNet.
- Knight Errant is calling for Lone Star security to be disbanded after evidence was brought to court showing that Lone Star has worked against KE since KE got the city contracts. Lone Star denied any involvement in illegal activities and says that Knight Errant is trying to cover up their own incompetence. Warrants have been served to many current and former Lone Star executives. The DA is hoping for a fast trial, not wanting to put the public through a "long, drawn out spectacle."
- Federated Boeing announced an expansion with construction to start as early as October. The move should bring in over a thousand jobs.
- Three people have been killed in what appears to be a "ritualistic" matter but no one from the Order or any shaman has noticed any magical or astral activity.
Rumors:
- The so-called "meeting of the mayors" was a way for the governor to push his agenda on the independent cities. The governor is looking to be the President of Free Seattle, or bring Seattle into the NANs. The first step is to make sure the elected officials are behind it and then the mayor will talk to the Megacorps.
- Mayor Sonya Scholl has dropped hints that the new Federated Boeing Factory could be located in Redmond, bringing many of the jobs into her area. Regardless of that, Mayor Scholl is asking for assistance to clean up the area and bring more business into her town.
- The sightings of paranormal critters is on the rise. More Hell Hounds have been spotted in Downtown after hours. Toxic critters have been seen as far north as Renton. And the Ghoul population is also rising according to some people on the Gestalt.
- The reason no one found any magical activity after the ritualistic deaths is because they were technomancers. Their deaths were used to fuel a large virus, either for an AI or a megacorp, that is now hiding and biding its time.
Aftermath
The group talks to Jax's fixer for weapons, Baldur Grim, after coming back with a large shipment of weapons from the base. After showing them to Baldur, he says he can line something up. That night, the group, including Baldur, sells the group to the Mafia. However, it turns out that the Mafia wants their money back and the weapons! The group disables or kills most of their attackers and gets help for one of them. Max talks to that one at length. (2 Karma)
News
- More trouble at the Ork Underground as brawls broke out at several places. Several local businesses were damaged and twenty people were taking to local hospitals to be treated for lacerations. Former Lone Star street patrols were there and helped where they could. These former patrols are calling out Knight Errant for not having a presence there nor to responding to several calls for help from locals. KE has not released a statement at this time.
- Seismologists at Seattle University report that all of the nearby volcanoes are finally dropping to pre-Awakened levels of activity. While it will still take decades to clean up all of the problems caused, they are confident that the volcanoes will not be erupting or having any activity in the near future.
- A Hacker known as DeckHead uploaded a video that went viral. It was showing that all is not well among the Native American Nations (NAN) around Seattle. The footage shows that at several closed door meetings, the various representatives nearly came to blows over various disputes. The various NAN groups involved have all refuted these arguments took place.
- There have been sightings of a ghost elf in the Redmond area. So far, no reports of injury have happened in connection.
- There were minor outbreaks of several viruses but they have been contained.
Rumors
- After the fighting, many residents of the Ork Underground called for better protection. Residents say that if KE won't help them, they will see if the Go-Gangers would be willing to to do.
- A new wave of computer viruses is hitting so many are warned to keep their protections up to date.
- The Mafia is looking to expand. Several of the families are offering official recognition for any group that can show they can control an area for a period of three months.
- The ghost elf apparently is trying to get people down an alley. Avoid him at all costs!
- Soy is not as good as we thought! It's too easy to contaminate and not be found. Use high output UV light on any soy products for two minutes before eating.
I Got A Rock
The group gets a callback from Mr. Johnson. He wants them to liberate a large stone that is going to be arriving at a Museum that evening. The pay is based on how soon they are able to get it and substitute a fake in its place. The group agrees and after some scouting decides to attack the problem on the shipping side. After some hacking reveals the shipping company, they track the rock to the docks where it will arrive. The group is ready and with some help of a mage contact, they attack the convey and retrieve the rock. They forget to put the fake in its place but Mr. Johnson doesn't seem to mind too much when they make delivery.
News
- Shamans are one board with the seismologists in declaring that the volcano spirits of the Seattle and NW region have finally been calmed after fifty years of activity. They warn all groups not to get complacent, though, as the spirits could get angry again.
- Shiawase suffered a setback when their new formed security company lost a shipment they were guarding for a museum. However, the security company's CEO, Karl Ragnussen has already issued statements that the item in question has been recovered and returned with only a slight delay.
- Ares is ready to show their new lineup of guns in the hopes that the fighting in Central America as well as SE Asia can finally be contained.
- DeckHead has uploaded more videos but the NAN were quicker to respond that his allegations were ridiculous and the videos were removed within hours.
- Metahumans groups are speaking out against Humanis in the arcology. Humanis responded that they have the right to be safe in their own homes as well as at work and school.
Rumors
- Supposed Humanis diplomats went missing but it's unsure if it was before or after they went into the arcology.
- Non NAN shamans are saying the reason the volcanoes and spirits are quiet is because the spirits have been contained but don't know why or by who.
- There is also talk among shamans that other spirits are restless and have been spotted in Renton and Bellevue.
- Hermetic Orders are warning that there is activity on the Astral plane and that any amateurs should stay out. But the orders won't be more specific about where or what and so far there have been no reported missing mages.
- There are no dragon sightings.
Arcology Down
The group is hired to do a run to flood a rival corps lab. However, something about it doesn't seem right. They track the Mr. Johnson and find that he is in league with Humanis. They decide not to take the job. They try and warn the Ork Underground about the threat but the Ork they talk to doesn't seem to think it's a threat. After warning some others, they back off. A day later, there is a reported terrorist attack that not only collapsed the Arcology, but also destroyed a major portion of the Ork Underground. Jax isn't sure if he would have survived had he been there instead of at the junkyard. They talk about going after the Humanis guy but realized he was used by someone else, probably the military and maybe their contact Colonel Burke. They drop it.
News
- Governor Brackhaven along with the Mayor of Downtown is pushing hard for cooperation among all parties to find out what happened at the Arcology. So far, the case has hit more read tape than leads, though, with many groups saying that they won't share their data. What is known is that a magical atomic bomb was detonated that caused the damage. Four groups have claimed responsibility but no arrests have been made at this time.
- The explosion also left several businesses without power or water services for several days. Those should be restored within seventy hours.
- At least five pockets of survivors have been found across the Arcology and Ork Underground. Many are calling it a miracle that any survived. Most have been taken to hospitals for burns and lacerations. Several of the groups claimed to be hearing or communicating with other buried groups, so rescue efforts will continue.
Rumors
- Several groups have claimed responsibility but no one can prove it was them. Several are saying more is going to happen and that this is just the beginning.
- There has been no confirmed dragon sightings.
- Some doctors are warning about bioware having compatibility issues and causing psychotic breaks in the patients. They all recommend going to a hospital for all body alternations and not to trust "local doctors."
- Several new street drugs have hit the Barrens. Three gangs have been seen dealing in them.
- Ares and Shiawase are both saying that several weapon shipments have been lost. Lone Star is saying that the weapons are now on the streets in the hands of the gangs and will soon be used against the average citizen of the Seattle metroplex.
Interlude
After the Arcology incident, the group takes a month off to work on other things. Most of them train skills or get new gear with the money they have earned. At the end of the time, they start asking their contacts about jobs but it takes several days for a response. When they finally get one, it's seems simple.
Delivery Whoas
The Corrections Officer finally comes through with a run. It's for a quick B&E to get something at the Federated Boeing field. Glyph hacks the system and finds out where and when. He even manages to change the schedule so that no guards will be in the warehouse. Max and Jax get into the airport by sneaking in. They are close to the warehouse when a guard stumbles over them. Max forgets his own strength and kills the guard with a powerful blow. They shrug at each other and Max takes the guards clothes and items. Jax hides the body and they proceed to the warehouse. The find the item and head out, meeting up with Glyph. As Max drives out, the guard doesn't seem to buy his story but let's them go. Max reminds himself to make sure it's deleted and they go drop off the package and get the rest of their payment.
News
Rumors
Games Notes #1
- I had thought that the version of SR we were using had streamlined hacking, and Astral travel as well, but apparently not. In the Delivery Whoas mission, it took us two hours to run the hack part of it, leaving two guys with little to do. We are going to look into that. In the meantime, we are also looking into possible character changes so this is minimized or removed.
- Three players seems to be a tough number. It's tough to overlap and we have ignored at least one aspect of the game, maybe two depending on how you classify magic. That's not bad but I am bummed we can't see that side of it.
- I will say that this edition is streamlined and simple compared to old editions! Old editions would have entire sessions devoted to the Matrix run, whereas this "only" took two hours. Further, the die pools and what can be done with them has also changed a lot. I think older versions of the game had a much mroe strategic aspect with the choices made with the die pools but the price for that was a much more complex system. This system did streamline that a lot but again that streamlining cost the game a bit of the strategic part. Most of the time, I'm fine with the streamlined version.