The hunter or the hunted? (IC)

[Frosty]

The smell of gunpowder almost overpowers your nostrils as you duck behind some crates. Splinters fly everywhere as bullets smash into your cover. A few lodge themselves into your face, but that pain is ignored thanks to the adrenaline pumping through you.

What the hell is happened? This was supposed to be an easy job with the Salem Sixers gang, the one that hates witches and magic users. According to intel, this was a relatively lightly-secured large warehouse storing explosives RIPE for the stealing for an important upcoming mission to assassinate some witch-doctor bigwig. But now, everything has gone to hell in an instant. All were quiet, and in seconds multiple automatic weapons are firing upon you and your allies. Two of you were cut down instantly and the rest of you scattered, diving for cover.

WHAT...THE...HELL...

I tend to cinematize combat a lot. There won't be any maps, but I will describe the area so you can declare what you will do. Distance is mostly subjective, mostly separated into immediate, short, medium, and long. I will let you know who you can reach in melee or shoot, and what general cover is available (you'll be using it a lot). Your turn.

[Maquise]

Could be worse... I suppose it could be raining...

Seth keeps his head down. There were two possibilities now; one is that there was a mole in the Sixers, and the other was that the amateur gang hadn't properly accounted for magical surveillance.

Of course, that doesn't matter at the moment. Seth keeps his HK-277 at the ready, and tries to determine how many of his were still alive.

[Frosty]

Seth tries to Observe in Detail the surroundings, specifically looking for allies. There is smoke and chaos and confusion right now.

Tutorial time. You will roll your Perception skill. Your Dice Pool for it by default is 3 (4 Intuition - 1 untrained).
You are actively looking for your allies [+3 Dice Pool]
There is the equivalent of Light Fog but you have low-light vision [-1 DP]

Thus, you will roll 5 dice, succeeding on 5s and up. In this case you need 2 successes to get an accurate count of your allies in the immediate vicinity.

[Maquise]

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4],

[Frosty]

You notice that there are 2 allies left. A dwarf and a human.

Your dwarven ally spits. "BAH! WHO GAVE US THIS BUM INTEL?" He brings out a shotgun of some sort, and tries to peek out to look for a target, but a hail of bullets force him back behind the crate he is hiding.

[Maquise]

Seth considers his options. We need to pull out.

He tries to figure out what the heaviest weapon in his group is.

[Frosty]

The human you know has an assault rifle with some sort of mini-grenade launcher jury-rigged to the underside of the barrel. However, this *is* supposed to be an explosives warehouse...

[Maquise]

"You," Seth says, indicating the human. "Lay down suppressive fire, but hold off on the explosives."

[Frosty]

The human, whom you only know as "La Flaga" starts spraying some bullets in that direction. You think you see the bullets fly into some barrels. You realize that gunfire could *also* conceivably set off any explosives shot into.

[Maquise]

Alright, change of plan...

Seth has to move quickly. Strapping on his SMG, he pulls out his Fichetti Security 600 pistol, preloaded with sedative-filled injection darts. As "La Flaga" kept up the suppressive fire, he ducks into the shadows and tries to get a bead on a target.

[Maquise]

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4],

[Frosty]

A flash of gunshot illuminates one area briefly. You think you see one shadowy figure shooting from around a corner of a wall. You might be able tog et a shot, even if there are penalties in this dim and chaotic situation.

Target has partial cover: -2 DP
Partial light: -0 DP for an elf
Light Smoke: -1 DP

Add dice for any bonuses and equipment of course, like Smarlinked weapon if your weapon is smartlinked.

[Maquise]

Seth decides not to risk it. At least, not here. Never take a poor shot if you can take a good shot...

Spotting a more elevated position that should give him a clear line of fire while keeping him mostly concealed, Seth moves swiftly and quietly.

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6].

[Frosty]

As you begin moving silently over to the elevated position, you didn't notice a peace of machinery sticking out, and you pump your head HARD, as well as get your clothing caught on something.

Take one Stun damage. You are now caught by your clothing. You an try to brute forth past it, but that might make noise and of course leave a small part of your outfit behind.

[Maquise]

His training overrides his emotions as Seth silences a curse. Not wanting to draw attention, he decides to cut away the piece of cloth stuck with his monofilament blade.

[Frosty]

Go ahead and make another infiltration check to try to do this quietly. Threshold (number of hits) required is only 1 this time.

The enemies appear to be shooting where you were, not where you are now.

[Maquise]

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6],

[Frosty]

You manage to cut the cloth quietly.

"Where'd that one go?"

"Just keep shooting them till the shadows stop moving!"

You hear two of the shooters trying to find you.

Btw, when can we Skype today?

[Maquise]

(Probably about 10 pm my time; going to work soon after posting this.)

Seth continues to his advantageous ground. Hopefully now he can get some shots off.

[Frosty]

You move on top of a crate and can see one of the enemies. You are flanking him completely, as he is facing where you were so has no cover from your angle. In fact, he appears completely unaware of you right now.

(I shall try to be back around 11 your time. Even if not 11, I *will* be on tonight.)

[Maquise]

Seth briefly considers his options. He takes a look around, searching for any exit to the area.

Rolling Perception, using same mods as previous: [roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4].

How close is Seth to this gang?

[Frosty]

The closest exit is actually blocked by one of the enemies. the one that you can see. If you kill that one you can probably make a run for it, but that'd mean leaving behind your allies.

Seth is approx. 10 meters from the closest enemy. He's 20 meters from his allies.

You're not coming on Skype?

[Maquise]

It was a difficult, but quick decision. The Sixers had been good employers, but they had gotten stupid, one way or another. Knowing this town, Seth doubts they'll be around much longer.

Time to consider alternative employment opportunities. Seth carefully aims and shoots at the attacker blocking his route.

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5]. (Pistol, sedative rounds)

[Frosty]

Target has no cover against you currently.
There is light smoke (-1 DP)
This is medium distance for a light pistol (-1 DP)
Laser sight is useless in smoke (+0 DP)
Target flat-footed against you (can't roll reaction).

4 dice for current conditions. If you move to within 5 meters, that is Close distance.

The dart imbeds itself into the create, close to the man's head. "What the? Where'd that come from?" He starts looking around, searching for his attacker.

[Maquise]

Seth spots an area closer to his target.
[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6],

[Frosty]

Unfortunately, this time, the human gets lucky and spots you! he turns around shoots. "THERE HE IS!"

He fires off a shot with his submachine gun. He gets one hit.

[Maquise]

Reaction: [roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3],

[Frosty]

The bullet whizzes by your head as well. Do you wish to continue to try to advance to the area close to your target, or do you try to find closer cover?

[Maquise]

Seth dives for cover, squeezing off a snapshot.

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2],

[Frosty]

You hit your target, but he is fairly well-armored with an Armor vest. That shot will leave a bruise...if he survives. He now repositions himself and shoots you again!

You deal 1 stun. He shoots back and gets 1 hit.

[Maquise]

Reaction:[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3]

Spotting one of his allies doing something stupid, Seth curses and drops to the ground.

[Frosty]

The bullets hits you, and while your armor is tough enough to turn it into a big bruise instead, that is one HUGE bruise!

You take 4 Stun damage after rolling your armor + body. This may give you wound penalties.

The grenade goes off, and you think you see some body parts fly. It must've chunked one of the enemies. However, you don't hear any subsequent explosions. That's...weird. Isn't this warehouse supposed to be full of explosives?

[Maquise]

Seth grunts as he recoils from the hit. Noticing the lack of secondary explosions, he decides "Screw this," and pulls out his SMG.

[Maquise]

Seth decides to try ducking away, getting a new set of cover.

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6],

[Frosty]

The enemy continues firing at the crate where you were. "DIE, son of a b**ch!" However, you are now safely before another crate. You can draw and fire immediately, or you can try to move stealthily some more to get behind the enemy, so not only do you have surprise, but he also has no cover.

[Maquise]

Seth's skills at moving without being detected are sharp, but fate could change at a moment. Still, better to put this guy down with one shot, and the best way to do that was to flank him.

[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6],

[Frosty]

The enemy continues to fire at where you were. Another grenade launcher explosion is heard from elsewhere in the warehouse. "Holy CRAP those guys are nuts! Aren't they worried?"

[Maquise]

Something else is going on here. There would be time to dwell on that later. But only if he survives. From his new vantage, he fires two bursts at this jackass.

Burst one: [roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3].

Burst two: [roll4], [roll5], [roll6], [roll7].

[Frosty]

Your first burst hits head on, knocking the enemy about. He looks pretty banged up. "ARRRRGH! I need some help here!" He attempts to do his own hiding.

5 stun damage on the enemy.
Roll perception.
Remember -1 for Smoke.
-1 for Wound Penalty.

[Maquise]

Seth hopes to keep track of the enemy as he goes.


[roll0], [roll1]

[Frosty]

You fail to see where the enemy went. What do you do now? The doorway is apparently left unguarded for the time being.

[Maquise]

Seth takes one quick glance around to try to determine the situation.

[Frosty]

You spend a few seconds looking around. You think there might be two other enemies fighting with your two allies farther away.

[Maquise]

Screw it, they're on their own.

Seth makes stealthily for the exit.

Infiltration: [roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5].

[Frosty]

Using cover, you move over to the doorway, bringing you out into the cool night air. There is a full moon tonight, and visibility is quite good. Gunshots continue to be heard inside.

[Maquise]

Seth keeps a lookout; there's still an enemy on the loose and unaccounted for. Before the fight, he hid his bike, a Suzuki Mirage, nearby. Carefully, he goes to retrieve it.

[Frosty]

You manage to get to your bike without incident. IF you start it, it will be loud, but you can probably ride away very quickly.

[Maquise]

Seth takes one last look around, and waits to time starting his bike with a large explosion in the warehouse.

[Frosty]

It does not take long. 15 seconds later another explosion was heard, and you start your Suzuki! Where do you race off to?

[Maquise]

Seth takes a long, circuitous route all over Seattle. He rides on every highway, doubling back several times. All the while, he observes carefully for any pursuers.

Perception: [roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3],

[Maquise]

Shadowing:[roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], [roll6],

[Frosty]

You don't believe you saw anyone tailing you specifically, although a few drivers curse at you for your driving.

[Maquise]

Satisfied for the time being, he finds a relatively cheap motel. Seth never returns home immediately after a mission.

After arranging for a room, at least for one night, he washes the smell of gunpowder off of him, and changes into a pair of street clothes he always keeps on hand. Following that, he double checks the area around his room, and activates his uplink.

[Frosty]

The room appears normal, if dirty. You activate your uplink. The signal strength is middling, and you're sure this cheap motel isn't splurging for any sort of security measures for the data...

[Maquise]

Seth doesn't intend to do anything that would call attention to himself. Not here, anyway. He logs onto the news feeds and looks up anything on the attack that he just escaped.

[Frosty]

There are reports of a mysterious fire that started in that warehouse district. Details are sparse thus far. It appears as if Lonestar isn't very keen on making that area of town a high priority.

[Maquise]

Not much to go on, but that's probably for the best.

With as busy as the day's been, Seth decides to call it a night. But first he needs to patch himself up.

[Maquise]

First Aid: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

[Maquise]

Having attempted to dress his wounds, and decided he wouldn't bleed out, Seth sets his alarm for six hours, and tries to get some sleep.

Hour 1: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6]

Hour 2: [roll7] [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] [roll11] [roll12] [roll13]

Hour 3: [roll14] [roll15] [roll16] [roll17] [roll18] [roll19] [roll20]

Hour 4: [roll21] [roll22] [roll23] [roll24] [roll25] [roll26] [roll27]

Hour 5: [roll28] [roll29] [roll30] [roll31] [roll32] [roll33] [roll34]

Hour 6: [roll35] [roll36] [roll37] [roll38] [roll39] [roll40] [roll41]

[Frosty]

You wake up, sort of refreshed. You've still got a bump in your head, but otherwise your head is clear. It's early in the morning and complementary soykaf can be had from a dispenser in the commons if you wish. Nobody is bothering you...yet.

[Maquise]

This place didn't have the class to let him enjoy a cup o' joe (Or whatever its called nowadays) in private. Seth would skip out; he doesn't feel like bumping into anyone yet. Checking out the window to make sure there was nothing alarming occuring, he flips on his commlink and tries to listen in on the Sixers.

[Maquise]

Hacking: [roll0][roll1][roll2]

[Frosty]

You deftly manage to hack into the communications channel between the leader of the Sixers, a massive troll named Shiv, and his second in command named Grunk, an ork.

"I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED, AND I WANT TO KNOW NOW!"

'We didn't see no body identified as Seth's at the burnt warehouse, and a little birdie told me someone matching his description iz hidin' over in a little motel across the railroad tracks..."

[Maquise]

No use making more enemies than necessary. Seth realizes the need to keep the Sixers as allies, at least for now, outweighs the advantage of the hack has.

"If I may, Shiv," Seth says. "I can verify that I was not killed in the attack. As for what happened, I can only arrive at one of two conclusions; either one of your group was a traitor, or your organization has been compromised by arcane means."

[Frosty]

"SETH! WHY YOU IN OUR CONVERSATION? I TOLE YOU TO STOP DOING THAT!" Shiv seems to only have one volume mode: Loud. "NOW GET YER BUTT OVER TO THE USUAL HANGOUT SO YOUS CAN TELL ME WUT HAPPENED AND WE CAN PLAN OUR REVENGE!"

The usual hangout is a chop-shop that also does a decent repair job on any common ground vehicle. The Sixers use it as one of their base of operations.

[Maquise]

"I will be there presently." No death threats. This went better than expected.

Seth grabs a donut on his way to check out, and makes the rendezvous as soon as possible. He makes sure to go in prepared; he tries to get the feel of the gang's current disposition as he enters.

[Maquise]

Intuition: [roll0]

[Frosty]

You arrive, and can clearly see Shiv stomping around, fuming. Grunk is sitting calmly on the hood of a car. The others, a mix of every common metarace, don't look happy. Shiv looks like he wants to blame someone, and to take his anger out on someone, but hasn't found a target yet...

[Maquise]

First rule of dealing with trolls is to make sure they don't get mad at you. Since they're always mad, that means making sure their mad at something else.

"It was a setup," Seth says as everyone focuses their attention on him. "Somehow, they knew we were coming. I can only think of two reasons for that. The first is that someone got sloppy, letting themselves get scried on, so our targets were able to divine our approach. Otherwise, someone sold us out.'

[Frosty]

Shiv the troll looks at you and says, "WELL, WE NEVER HAD PROBLEM LIKE THIS BEFORE. NEVER LOSE THIS BADLY! DO YOU THINK MORE LIKELY BETRAYAL OR SCRYING?"

[Maquise]

"That depends. Who's in charge of organizing your anti-scrying methods?"

[Frosty]

"DAT WAS FRANKIE. WE FOUND 'IS BODY." Frankie was the dwarf with the grenade launcher in the warehouse with you.

[Maquise]

"Ah. Well, that is most unhelpful," Seth mutters. More loudly he says, "You'll need someone else to take over that job. Preferably someone who knows what they're doing. However, in the event that there is a mole..."

Seth thinks a while. "Who is the newest member of your gang?"

[Frosty]

"well, Dere Was Lutz, But You're The Newest One Stll *alive* Omae..."

[Maquise]

"Right... Chances are they wouldn't kill their mole, so whoever it is is probably still alive. My... gifts rule me out, as I don't work too well with mages of any kind. Was everyone not on the mission accounted for, and were all the bodies found?"

[Frosty]

Grunk, who is lazily cleaning his nails, says, All the people on that mission except you are dead, omae. say, you don't look too banged up...are you *sure* you and mages can't be friends if enough creds are involves?"

[Maquise]

Seth's made sure to play up his inborn magical resistance to the gang, even going so far as to exaggerate it.

"My mere presence causes agitation and rebellion in the spirits the mages deal with, and disrupts their arcane abilities. They would much prefer me dead, I can assure you of that."

[Frosty]

Grunk snorts and says, "Well, anycase, we wantz YOU ta find out. You hang out wit us less, so mebbe people will talk to you more than us. I look into betrayal. You find out if anyone 'as been helping dem treehugger magicians scry on us."

[Maquise]

"Rest assured, I will learn how we were compromised. That leaves one other thing..."

"Due to the unforeseen circumstances of the last assignment, I will require an advance of my fees on this job."

[Frosty]

The word "advance" always seems to trigger something unpleasant in the other side.

Shiv asks, "OH REAAAAALLLY? HOW MUCH YOU THINK YOU NEED? HMM? WHY YOU NEED ADVANCE SO BADLY?"

Roll Negotiation to see how well you can negotiate an advance.

[Maquise]

"I need weapons, munition, and special equipment with which to perform my task. Not to mention I will likely need to grease a few palms in the course of my work."

Also, food would be nice

[roll0]

[Frosty]

"WELLZ, IT'S ALL FOR DA CAUSE, SO I GUESS I CAN SPARE SOME CREDS FOR AN ADVANCE. HOW MUCH YOU NEED FOR YER FANCY EQUIPMENT?"

[Maquise]

(What would be a good amount?)

[Frosty]

(For a surveillance/detective job, 2000 is a good advance amount for half up front)

[Maquise]

"2000 creds. And that's a small amount, considering our last job fell through."

[Frosty]

"PAH. FINE. CATCH." The troll tosses you a cred-stick. "GO FIND OUT IF DERE'S ANYONE ELSE GUNNIN' FOR US LATELY."

[Maquise]

"I will do." Who ever they are, their days are numbered.

Seth takes an inventory of the gang's assets, trying to figure out if there's anything useful.

[Frosty]

The gang has a good amount of weaponry, and some of the more common armor options. There's also the drugs that this gang sometimes deals in.

[Maquise]

First Seth will restock his ammunition, then he's interested in getting a sound suppressor for his pistol.

[Frosty]

You don't even need to contact your arms dealer for that. The gang has a spare and is willing to lend it to you for the mission.

[Maquise]

(I'm having difficulty trying to figure out what sort of gear I'll need.)

[Frosty]

(Well, a Silencer, while nice, is not necessarily a core part of investigative provesses.

So, the basic structure of a Run goes like this:

Catalyst for the adventure (sh*t happens) -> Legwork (information gathering and investigation) -> Preparation for assault -> Actual mission

Right now, any equipment that helps you gather information would help. Having good contacts is vital here, and they can do a lot of legwork for you, like keeping an eye on certain Matrix sites, or hacking into company computers. You should also go and talk to people.)

[Maquise]

(Is there any gear I can get to improve my hacking abilities?)

[Frosty]

(I think you need to write better Programs for those, but I'm not very familiar witht he hacking rules yet)

[Maquise]

(I think I'll save my money for now, and hopefully think of a use for it later.)

Seth takes off. He'll start by heading back to his place, where there is a decent amount of privacy, and he can get ahold of his contacts without an undue amount of worry.

[Frosty]

You get back to your digs without much hassle. A few beggars try to get some creds offa you on the way. The homeless rates seem worse and worse every day.

[Maquise]

Some things never change.

Seth had grown up like that, trying to get by on whatever he could scavenge. He had fought his way out of it, earning his current standard of living.

The first thing he does upon getting home is to make sure everything is safe and secure. Then, he checks his commlink to see if he has any messages.

[Frosty]

You have about 20 spam AR (augmented reality) advertisements. There's also a message from your arms dealer contact, asking you if you're free to act as muscle protection for a deal that's gonna happen in a few days.

[Maquise]

Seth decides to respond to the message from the arms dealer, trashing everything else.

Got something major going on right now. If you want me, the pay had better be something special.

[Frosty]

You do not receive a message back immediately. What do you do first for your information gathering?

[Maquise]

Seth attempts to identify the company that owns the warehouse that the ambush happened.

[Frosty]

As the records are available publically, it does not take long for you to find the (nominal) owners of the warehouse. It is called Cray Holdings, Inc. Upon more digging it appears to be a shell corporation for a bigger corp...

[Maquise]

Seth will have to find more information about this megacorp.

Several years ago, Seth saved the life of a young woman working at one of the major communication corporations, the ones that handled massive quantities of data. Since then, Seth has turned to her whenever he needed to find out something that wasn't common knowledge; this girl has a good head at putting the puzzle pieces together.

He gives her a call.

[Frosty]

While she does work at Horizon, the AAA megacorp that is involved the most in social media and advertising and anything to do with branding and disseminating information, Amber is not a high manager. Still, being a secretary does mean she hears things in the corporate world.

"Horizon Incorporated, you've reached Mr. Hazama's office, how can we make you feel more at home today?"

[Maquise]

"Amber, this is Seth. I need to ask you a few questions, when you have a moment."

[Frosty]

"Of course. We'll be happy to meet your needs, sir."

A few minutes later, you receive m-mail (matrix-mail) from Amber. [What's up?]

[Maquise]

[I need to know about Cray Holdings, Inc. I already know the company is a shell for someone bigger. Anything could be useful at this point.]

[Frosty]

[Sure thing. I'll get back to you soon.]

About an hour later, you get another message from Amber.

[Cray Holdings is owned by high-level manager who works for Ixian Technologies. I don't know the manager's name however.]

[Maquise]

{What do you know about Ixian Technologies? Specifically, do they have any ties to magic-users?}

[Frosty]

[All but the smallest corps usually have some magicians on staff for various needs. I do not know of any special connection between that firm and mages. You might want to ask the workers themselves. I hear they favor this cheap watering hole in the Barrens called the Wet Clam. Since the factory burned down, they're probably there a lot while waiting for new assignments.]

[Maquise]

[Thanks Amb. Let me know if you ever need anything.]

Seth sends the message, and decides to do one other thing before heading down to the Wet Clam (horrible name for a bar). He does a quick matrix search for any articles on both Cray Holdings or Ixian Technologies.

[Frosty]

Cray Holdings supposedly just holds stuff for other companies. Ixian Technologies deals a lot in...sensitive materials. Materials that might be hazardous if improperly handled. Or just hazardous to the environment. Explosives is in the former category.

[Maquise]

Learning all he can, Seth waits for the evening, resting to keep up his strength. Then he heads for the Wet Clam.

[Frosty]

The Barrens is the *really* poor part of Seattle (poor also means bad part of town. Lots of desperate people). You don't exactly live in the nice part of town but this is noticeably worse than where you live. We're talking about average income per year of "How much can I steal", and average life expectancy of "Oh god the census people can't go in there because they fear for their lives!"

What do you wear and bring with you to the Wet Clam? Expensive things attract attention, but expensive gear *can* save your life.

[Maquise]

Seth decides to stick with what can be easily concealed. He packs his handgun, and wears his armor vest underneath his trench coat.

[Frosty]

You walk through the streets, and as you enter the Barrens you can see just how desolate it is. Streets in need of paving. Abandoned buildings all over populated by squatters. Gangs roam openly. Cray Holdings must hire either some pretty tough people or pretty desperate people willing to work near hazardous materials without much complaint.

You see a few gangers eyeing you.

[Maquise]

Seth adopts a walking stance that should let everyone aware of the fact that he is not someone to be trifled with.

Intimidation: [roll0]

[Frosty]

The gangers keep their distance...for now, although you think a few of them want your coat.

Fear and suffering permeate this landscape. You see the Wet Clam ahead. The building is better off than most of the buildings in the area. There's an actual Matrix signal here, and most of the lights are on. Across the street from the clam you see a man presumably a pump beat a girl who is probably a prostitute.

[Maquise]

Let them try to take my coat. That would be fun. That's just bravado speaking; the more logical part of his brain decides it's better to avoid a fight.

Seth takes a look at the Clam. He's been in better joints, and worse ones. He doesn't pay attention to the events across the street; no point in involving in something that would only bring more trouble to himself.

He makes one final check for potential threats, and heads inside.

Perception: [roll0]

[Maquise]

Perception: [roll0]

[Frosty]

You see a lot of the expected, usual dangers, like gangers and thieves and murderers and desperate people. You don't see anything you didn't expect however. Inside, it is dimly lit. There is a ginormous fake clam that spouts water, creating a waterfall as the water cascades down the edges, draining into the bowl down below. You see many people in here tonight.

[Maquise]

Tacky. Horrifically tacky. Seth has to suppress the urge to shoot the bar owner.

He walks up to the bar, ordering something mild. It would look suspicious not to drink in a bar, after all, but he needed his wits about him. He has very little to go on; all of his information is vague at best. He looks around to try to find the heaviest drinkers, who would likely be trying to forget a recent personal loss, such as a lost job.

[Frosty]

The bartender gives you something mild, and it tastes...well...as atrocious as the bar is tacky. Like the rest of the Barrens...quality just isn't something the people here can afford, and if you pay premium for the good alcohol, you wouldn't fit in too well. You see a group of people (mostly men), who are sitting around looking grumpy and complaining about how they can't afford the drinks for much longer. Surprising, since the drinks here aren't expensive.

[Maquise]

Seth wanders over to the group.

"Pardon me, but I couldn't help but hear that you decent, hard-working folks have come down on your luck. Mind if I buy you a round?"

The price of the booze is worth the gain; not only is it a way to make friends, but it also loosens tongues.

Etiquette: [roll0]

[Frosty]

The group turns to look at you. They seem to default to being untrusting of you. It's not surprising since trust is in short supply in the Barrens. One of them, a male dwarf, speaks up. "Why that's a mighty kind offer, stranger. We won't say no to drinks, of course, but what's your angle? Folks 'round here don't help others out just for being decent, hard-working folks."

[Maquise]

Time to be transparent. "I've heard that a warehouse in this area has recently exploded, and this... interests me."

[Frosty]

The dwarf immediately looks angry. "Yah some IDJIT was firing off grenades inside the warehouse from what I heard. And now we got NO work for who knows how long!"

[Maquise]

"What sort of work did you do? I would guess, if say you were trusted with special materials, it could make for a good point on your resume."

[Frosty]

"Why do yer wanna know? Do you have a job offer for us? We're always willing to listen to those!"

[Maquise]

"Not precisely, however I am willing to pay to have a few questions answered."

[Frosty]

All of them give you a once-over. "Yer not a Lonestar or Knight Errant cop are ya?" You get the feeling cops are not very well liked around here.

[Maquise]

"No, but then the type of things I want to know aren't the type of things a cop would ask you about. For instance, I was wondering if you happened to know what was stored in that warehouse. Now a cop would already know that, wouldn't they?"

[Frosty]

"Well, we might be able to answer questions like that. How much payment we talking about?"

[Maquise]

Seth gives a reasonable amount that wouldn't take a noticeable dent out of his pockets. "That should be reasonable, just for a few answered questions? After all, it doesn't cost you anything, and you need all the creds you can get."

Negotiation: [roll0]

[Frosty]

"Alright, but don't expect any company secrets or anything for this piddly sum. Ask away, and keep the drinks coming!"

[Maquise]

"Fair enough." Seth orders another round.

"Now, how about what was in those crates?"

[Frosty]

The dwarf takes a large gulp, and smacks his lips. "Ahh...best beer in the world." If the best beer he has had is in the Wet Clam, then he is really deprived. "Well, last night, the creates were mostly carrying things like bricks, sand, and other construction material."

[Maquise]

The entire thing was a setup. Right from the start.

"Did you happen to see anyone... unusual hanging around the area? Anyone that felt out of place?"

[Frosty]

"Not really, but our work orders were fairly out of the ordinary. We don't usually carry things like bricks and sand. We're rated to store hazardous stuff. Just two days ago, we were ordered by the warehouse manager to move all the explosives we had elsewhere, and to fill these crates with the bricks and sand."

[Maquise]

"And how much exactly do you want for this location?"

[Frosty]

"Now *that* I can't give ya. You might go and try to steal it or something. I may be poor, but I gots my honor. Besides, we don't know. Our manager just made us work double-shift to get all the explosives onto trucks as quickly as possible. I've never seem him so frantic to get everything shipped out. The work pattern just doesn't fit what we usually do."

[Maquise]

"Fair enough." Seth takes a look at them. How liquored up are they?

[Frosty]

Being tough men and women, and many of them dwarves, they can take their liquor. It'll require more drinks for them to be drunk. They have a pleasant buzz at the moment. They might not know much, but their manager might know something...

[Maquise]

Seth orders another round. He waits to see what their new state is before asking, "Who was the manager in charge of this?"

[Frosty]

"Before I answer...why're you so interested in this anyways? You say yer not a cop, and you don't work for Cray holdings...so why you so interested in learning what happened?"

They're getting a bit more drunk. You can try to just lie and use Con on them if you feel confident.

[Maquise]

(I don't have con as a skill; what would my dice be?)

[Frosty]

(Charisma - 1)

[Maquise]

(That's a 2)

"I work for a company that specializes in handling of hazardous materials. We are interested in the exact details, so we might prevent accidents like this in the future."

(I have an idea; I'm going to roll an Knowledge: Seattle Area check to describe this company I work for in better detail, using an actual company that exists. Hopefully that will improve my Con check)

Area: Seattle: [roll0]

[Frosty]

You manage to describe quite well another company that handles hazardous materials. "Accidents? GRENADE LAUNCHERS are not accidents! Someone broke in! You want to prevent this, then you order more security! That's the other weird thing. The normal security guards were all ordered away for the day, and we were all given an early day off while being paid a full day."

[Maquise]

"And for this information, you have my gratitude. Now, I would very much like to get in touch with your manager, if only so I can learn which security company did such a horribly inept job so as to know who not to hire."

[Frosty]

"Bah. Better you go pester his stupid ass than mine. The name's Peljish Ruum. Think he has some Indian ancestry."

[Maquise]

Deciding he won't learn more from this lot, and realizing his welcome was starting to wear off, Seth exits the bar. He checks for any signs of trouble; better to be a touch over paranoid than a touch under.

Perception:[roll0]

[Frosty]

You are perceptive enough to see that a few people might be following you out of the Wet Clam. Who knows what they want? There are of course still unsavory people outside.

You used 300 credits to buy lotsa drinks for a bunch of warehouse workers, as well as to pay them for their information.

[Maquise]

Seth surreptitiously draws his handgun, while ducking into the shadows, hoping to lose the group while keeping them in his sights.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Frosty]

Group of 3, so that's a +2 dice bonus on top of the 5 dice pool of the most perceptive person there...

[roll0]
You believe you've successfully lost the people following you...for the time being. Where do you go now?

[Maquise]

Seth continues to observe this group. Who's looking for me?

Perception:[roll0]

[Frosty]

They look like some local low-lifes. They might be part of a gang, but if they are, they're pretty low-ranking members. Maybe just looking for someone to mug for credits.

[Maquise]

Sighing, Seth decided to leave them be and head back home. Once he's rested, he'll begin looking up Peljish Ruum on the matrix.

[Frosty]

Initial research shows that Peljish Ruum is a tall, lanky human man in his early 40s, recently divorced from his wife of 20 years. He hasn't advanced beyond his current position of warehouse manager for the past 5 years, and has worked for Cray Holdings for about the last 8 years.

[Maquise]

Is Seth able to find any contact information about him? An address would be ideal, but even a matrix number might work at this point.

[Frosty]

Seth does indeed find a number he can call.

[Maquise]

Seth decides to give that number a ring.

Assuming it picks up, "Good morning. Is this Mr. Ruum?"

[Frosty]

There is some sort of answering service. It basically states that Peljish Ruum will be on vacation for the next week or next at <some exotic location probably a bit above his pay grade>.

[Maquise]

I can come back to this later.

Seth hangs up, and considers his options. His gut is telling him that this Ruum is complicit in whatever's going on. He needs to find some dirt on this guy. But then, if one wants dirt on a man, there are few better options than the ex-wife. Seth looks her up.

[Frosty]

You find information on the ex-wife, named Yameen, including her matrix number. She is in her late 30s, has not remarried since the divorce one year ago, and is a rapidly rising salesperson in another firm.

[Maquise]

Seth decides to give her a call. He decides to be as cordial as possible.

"Good morning, Ms. <whatever name she goes by now>. My name is..." He gives the same speech about his company that he gave to the workers at the bar, but with more flair.

Etiquette: [roll0]

[Frosty]

The woman on the line, presumably Yameen, responds, "I'm sorry, but I haven't been in contact with that <she says something in a foreign language that you assume is a mild expletive> in almost a year. I don't know much about his operation and who he hired and all that. Shouldn't you be asking that <expletive>?"

Seems like she still really dislikes him.

[Maquise]

"I would very much like to, unfortunately I haven't been able to get hold of him. It seems he is currently in (vacation spot) on a leave of absence. Considering his choice of destination, he seems to be doing quite well." Let's see how she responds to this.

[Frosty]

"What? Peljish could never *afford* vacations like that! That's what he told me when I pestered him for one back when we were married. He said we can't afford niceties and luxuries because we barely had enough for the rent and utilities! Either he's been holing out on me, or he's gotten a big windfall. That <expletive> was stuck in middle management and didn't have what it takes to advance!"

[Maquise]

"Is it at all possible he has gained a secondary source of income? Or perhaps he has entered into another relationship, possibly one with a bit of wealth..." You want someone to pick an option, give them an alternative they can't stomach.

[Frosty]

You can almost hear Yameen grinding her teeth. "IMPOSSIBLE! That wretch cannot possibly attract another woman. I personally don't know how I stomached him for so long. If he's going on fancy vacations, then he must have more income than normal, and I *know* he's not talented enough to advance normally. I saw him stuck in a rut for 5 years!"

[Maquise]

"Do you know who he might be in contact with? Someone who he might be doing business on the side with?"

[Frosty]

"I don't. To be honest, he's not very much of a people person. Doesn't network all that much. I'd talk to the manager above him, although I don't know who that is."

[Maquise]

"Thank you, then, for your time. Oh, just one last thing. I've heard that the night of the break-in there was a change in the security protocol at the warehouse. I meant to ask Mr. Ruum if he could direct me to the agency in charge of the security, but since he is unavailable I was wondering if you would by any chance remember?"

(Heading to work in a few minutes, but should be home earlier tonight.)

[Frosty]

"Oh...I dunno...last I remember they hired a firm called SupraPresence.

[Maquise]

"Thank you again for your time." With that, Seth disconnects and immediately begins researching SupraPresence.

[Frosty]

SupraPresence appears to be just like any other security firm in Seattle: Offering trained muscle to protect assets. There doesn't seem to be any particular bad reputation around the firm.

[Maquise]

Seth digs deeper. Is there any record of who was in charge the night of the shootout?

Hacking (if needed): [roll0]

[Frosty]

You do not successfully find out who was in charge. You feel that it's probably more profitable to try to find out more about the people of Cray Holdings. There is an office for Cray Holdings in Seattle. You might be able to find out who that manager above Mr. Ruum is.

[Maquise]

Seth decides to pay the office a visit. First he drives by, casing the place. How big is it? How many people work there? Where are the exits? What's security like?

Perception (active): [rollv]5d6[roll]

[Maquise]

Try again: [roll0]

[Maquise]

Try again: [roll0]

[Frosty]

(Why re-roll twice?)

[Maquise]

(Got a 500 error, ended up submitting same post twice.)

[Frosty]

Based on your observations from the outside, the office can probably have a good 30, 40 people working there. It looks like a standard office, with a front entrance and a back entrance. You could try to get the information you need by going in and talking to the people inside, or you could try breaking in at night.

[Maquise]

Seth decides the social approach will be a good opener. If he has to, he can break in later. This way, he can get an idea of the inner layout.

He enters, carrying no weapons or armor, and dressing in a business suit. He pours on the charm to the secretary at the front desk. "Good day, is Mr. Ruum in?" He shouldn't be, but Seth needs to get his foot in the door somehow. Besides, it's a chance to see if the story's consistent.

Etiquette. [rov]5d6[/roll]

[Frosty]

(reroll etiquette)

[Maquise]

Stupid ipod keyboard's fault:[roll0]

[Frosty]

(I'm out for the night)

The secretary smiles at you. "Mr. Ruum is gone for about a week. Are you here to arrange for some storage arrangement, sir?"

[Maquise]

"Actually, I'm here with a few questions. I was considering your firm, but recently I've heard that there's been an incident with gang activity at one of your facilities. Is there someone I can discuss this with?"

[Frosty]

"Well, you'll want our public relations officer. If you just want a short summary of recent events at our storage facilities, I can provide you with the official company updates. If you want a more in depth discussion, we can certainly schedule a time for you to meet with our P.R.O. What firm do you represent, sir?"

[Maquise]

Seth continues with his usual story. If someone catches his trail, it's better to be consistent. "I wish to learn if your firm is satisfied with its current security arrangements. If not, we will know to look elsewhere."

[Frosty]

"I can only tell you which security firm we have contracted with. I cannot speak as to any performance evaluations. If you are not here to do business with us, I am afraid we cannot provide any more information. Our P.R.O. should have the information, but he only meets with prospective clients." She gives you a smile that you can tell has been drilled into her by corporate.

[Maquise]

"Thank you for your time, regardless." Seth tries to find an inconspicuous place where he can watch the office, and see who goes in and out.

[Frosty]

There's not a lot of traffic in and out of the office. A few people here and there, presumably to ask about storage, Is there a specific type of character Seth is looking for? Also, how long does Seth stay? Until nightfall?

[Maquise]

Seth stays until closing time, and tries to identify the highest-ranking manager at this particular office.

[Frosty]

When it is dark, you do see an elven woman wearing a *very* expensive-looking business dress. More expensive clothes usually means higher-up. She appears to be locking up the building.

[Maquise]

Time to do things the fun way.

Seth drives back to his place and suits up for a full-on infiltration, though he leaves the SMG and high explosives. Then he drives back to the office; by now enough time should have passed for everyone to have gotten a fair distance away.

(Would lockpicking fall under Infitration?)

[Frosty]

(You should read over the material starting on page 262 of the 20th anniversary base book. It explains the skills used for the various lock systems. This office is protected by a Maglock that uses a cardreader, so...

Option 1) you'd need to open the case first with a Hardware + Logic extended test (be careful of anti-tamper systems). Then re-wire the circuits using another Hardware + Logic extended test. Then make a third test to put the case back together.

Option 2) Purchase a Keycard copier (it's illegal, so you gotta find a fixer or someone in the shadows to get you one), then get ahold of the higher-up's keycard to copy it (preferably without her knowing), put the card back, and use the card to gain entrance. With such a keycard you may even have an easier time gaining access to computer systems once inside. )

[Maquise]

(Can I backstep and say I followed the elf?)

[Frosty]

(Sure thing. Do you follow inconspicuously? If so, roll Shadowing)

[Maquise]

Seth decides to follow this manager. She is his most likely source of further information.

Shadowing: [roll0]

[Frosty]

The elf (natural blonde color. Perfectly straight. Must have an expensive hair stylist) eventually reaches a parking lot and begins getting out the keycard for her car.

[Maquise]

Seth carefully notes where the keycard is kept, and then waits for her to get into her car. After which, he carefully follows her on his bike.

(Do I need another shadow roll?)

[Frosty]

(The keycard for her car is likely different than the keycard for the company)

(yeah, roll another Shadow roll)

[Maquise]

Shadow: [roll0]

[Frosty]

The drive takes you to a nice neighborhood in Seattle. The elf woman enters a restaurant known for serving great vegetarian dishes. It's rather upscale. She apparently had a reservation.

[Maquise]

Seth tries to gain access to her vehicle. Without anyone noticing, of course.

Infiltration: [roll0]
Logic: [roll1]

[Frosty]

(err what? If you want break into the car, which also has a maglock system [this chick is well off], you'd still need the Hardware + Logic roll so you can take the case off and then try to hotwire the system. Or you could break the windows, which would set off the alarms. Infiltration + Logic does nothing here. Old-style mechanical locks can be bypassed with a Locksmith + Agility test, but this is not one of them.

Besides, the woman took her purse with her, which is probably where she keeps her keycards.)

[Maquise]

Seth tries to get into the vehicle. Perhaps she left something of value in it.

Hardware + Logic: [rollv]5d6[/rolll]

(Do you think I could shift some of my skills around? I didn't really know what I would need when I went into this; I don't really think I'll be using nautical engineering that much, for example.)

[Maquise]

Hardware + Logic: [roll0]

[Frosty]

(if Seth's character is supposed to do breaking, then sure he can shift some of his skills around. So here's how this would work. This is an Extended test. As this is a busy parking lot, every 5 time periods you do this, you have a chance to be discovered, so you must roll a Infiltration + Agility roll to remain hidden.

The test for this is Hardware + Logic, and you need cumulative successes equal to the Maglock's rating x2. Each time period takes 1 Combat Round for this particular test.

After you take the casing off, you can then perform an identical Hardware + Logic test to re-wire the maglock.

If you care about it, you then perform the test a third time to put the case back.

So, go ahead and roll a stealth check in addition to your Hardware check.)

[Maquise]

Infiltration: [roll0]

[Frosty]

You believe you're still unseen, and are making good progress on the maglock. You've gotten it about a third of the way open.

[Maquise]

Hardware+Logic: [roll0]

[Frosty]

(oh oh, that's a CRITICAL GLITCH.)

You accidentally bumped some electronics inside and anti-tampering countermeasures have been deployed! there's a small explosion that hurts you and leaves you covered in black soot, AND a loud alarm goes off!

(Take one physical. Man you're not having good luck)

[Maquise]

Time to abandon ship. Metaphorically.

Infiltration: [roll0]
Running: [roll1]

[Frosty]

With black soot all oer you, you think some people saw you. Also, you're leaving a *trail* behind. Where do you go?

[Maquise]

Seth makes for the closest alley, or some other place it would be easy to hide nearby.

[Frosty]

There is a small alley nearby. You head in, but you won't stay hidden forever thanks to the soot.

[Maquise]

Seth begins trying to remove the soot.

[Frosty]

What you need is a bath. You're *really* covered in it. You start getting some of it off, and you think you hear footsteps coming towards the alley. It is a dead end, but you might be able to climb over the wall.

(You can make a Climb + Str check to climb this wall. There are some loose rocks, so no penalty to your dice pool. This is an extended test and you need a total of 5 successes)

[Maquise]

Climbing checks:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Frosty]

(I thought your DP is 7? 3 Str + 4 Climbing? Also, the dice are d6s, not d5s :smallwink:)

[Maquise]

Redo:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Frosty]

You manage to climb over after about 12 seconds, but that was long enough for someone to see you. Looks like you're not out of the woods yet! you land in another alley. this looks like it is behind the restaurant the elf went into. Lots garbage gets dumped back here.

[Maquise]

Seth shakes his head, resigned. He then dives into the garbage pile, intending to stay hidden. In case it doesn't work, he draws his suppressed handgun.

Infiltration: [roll0]

[Frosty]

A security guard climbs over the wall and looks around. He seems to be lingering for now, but is not looking at you.

(I will be gone for a bit)

[Frosty]

The guard walks close to the garbage dump, his flashlight examining it.

(Make a Composure test. Roll Willpower + Charisma)

[Maquise]

Composure: [roll0]

[Frosty]

The guard stays for a minute, and then walks off, muttering into his comm, "I think I lost him..."

[Maquise]

Seth waits a moment, then heads back for his bike. High-tailing it out, he runs a circuitous route before going home and washing up.

Tommorow, he'll try to get ahold of some tech, and bust into the office building.

[Frosty]

You successfully make it back home, and proceed to wash off the soot. With a goo night's rest, you can heal off that bit of burn.

[Maquise]

Seth decides he's gonna need better hardware to enact this plan. He calls up his supplier.

"Steady? This is Witch Hunter," He says, using the link channel that was given to him. "What do you got for a break-in?"

(Using my contact)

[Frosty]

(is that the arms dealer?)

[Frosty]

"Well that depends. Are you wanting to break into the local Stuffer Shack or the corporate headquarter of Ares Macrotechnology? For the former I'd sell you some old-fashioned lockpicks. For the latter I'd sell you a coffin, if there's enough of you left."

[Maquise]

"Eh, somewhere in between." Seth describes the security systems he observed while visiting the place, trying not to give away too many details that would let Steady figure out exactly where.

[Frosty]

"Well, if you don't wanna steal a keycard to make a copy, you could try a Maglock Passkey. It's kind of like a skeleton key. The higher the quality, the higher chance it'll work unless the maglock is specially-made to only accept certain keycards with special characteristics that only the company knows."

[Maquise]

"Good, good. You wouldn't happen to have one of those, would you?"

[Frosty]

"Well, I do actually. They're not cheap, however. The cheapest grade passkey is 2 thousand nuyen, and each grade higher is another 2000."

Depending on your contact's loyalty to you, you might be able to ask for a Favor, such as letting you buy something on credit. However, they'll want something in return in the future...

[Maquise]

You have about 20 spam AR (augmented reality) advertisements. There's also a message from your arms dealer contact, asking you if you're free to act as muscle protection for a deal that's gonna happen in a few days.


Seth decides to respond to the message from the arms dealer, trashing everything else.

Got something major going on right now. If you want me, the pay had better be something special.

"There was a job you needed me for, wasn't there?"

[Frosty]

"You want in on that? That thing is happening tomorrow night. Got something that's highly illegal being transferred to another client's possession. Think there might be someone who'll try to snipe the goods at the transaction. Could use more help protecting the goods and the client."

[Maquise]

"Alright, you get me a 4000 cred passkey, I will make sure your goods get there safely."

[roll0]

[Frosty]

(you are rolling negotiations?)

"I think I can think that, omae. Now, I don't know exactly what to expect in terms of opposition. It could be nothing, or it could be trained corp operatives. I'll forward you the time and location shortly."

[Maquise]

(yes)

"Thank you. I will be waiting for your update," Seth says, while pondering his next move. He doesn't want to risk tailing the elf, at least not yet, but he doesn't want to waste time and risk losing the trail...

Tomorrow he'll run by the sight of the battle, see if he can find anything there.

[Frosty]

The address and time comes. The exchange will happen late at night. You don't know if the parking lot will be well-lit or not. It depends on how many of the lights are working. There are a moderate number of cars parked here.

[Maquise]

Seth shows up at the exchange in full kit. He'll look at how many other guards will be there to help.

If it appears there's a lot of muscle already, then Seth will shadow the group, ready to get the drop on anyone who tries to get the drop on them. If not, he'll stick with the main group, and try to look intimidating.

[Frosty]

(umm how early are you getting there? I was under the impression you are going many hours ahead of time to scope the exchange location out first and then come back later? Or was I wrong?)

[Frosty]

(well? Also, there will be sizable amounts of muscle there, but they won't start arriving until about 15 to 30 minutes before the swap.)

[Maquise]

(Sorry about that. I'll scope the place the afternoon before, assuming it's at night. Then, considering all things, I will stay in hiding for the duration of the meeting. I'll let the guy in charge know my plan, first, and see what he says.)