Those of you captured by the elves wake up after some unspecified amount of time in a clean, bare, jail cell. There are six cots set up, one of you on each (Asher, Thurgun, Tony, Emvee, Sunny, and Slippery Fish). Your weapons and other offensive armaments are gone (except for the ones in your bodies), but most of your other gear is still on you. Everyone is fully healed.
After you sit there for a while, Ehran shows up on the other side of the barred door, with a flunky of some sort standing behind him.
"Ah, good morning, I'm glad you all recovered. You may or may not be pleased to know that the item which was in your possession is safely where it belongs, and under heavy security."
"Now, I am not one to let grudges to linger, so if you are willing to answer a few questions, I have a proposition which I hope will be mutually beneficial. I do hope you cooperate."
"Based on the security camera footage, none of you were actually involved with taking the item. I presume it was passed to you by a second or even third party. So if you can tell me where you obtained the item, and what you were instructed to do with it, we can get on with business."
Istereth: You're hiding out in Tir Tairngire. A few days after you split up, the borders opened again, but now no-one is answering when you call their cell phones.
Thurgun looks around the room and everyone seems to be looking at him. He sighs.
"We met some guy who called himself 'Benny' at some diner downtown. It was supposed to be a simple courier run--claimed he was too busy to take it to Seattle himself. And since we were going there anyway... Well. Someone at, hmm, Young Elven Technologies? was supposed to pick it up. Dunno who." Thurgun shrugs. "That's pretty much it."
Rolling Charisma, hoping that he doesn't ask us about Ist:
Thurgun looks around the room and everyone seems to be looking at him. He sighs.
"We met some guy who called himself 'Benny' at some diner downtown. It was supposed to be a simple courier run--claimed he was too busy to take it to Seattle himself. And since we were going there anyway... Well. Someone at, hmm, Young Elven Technologies? was supposed to pick it up. Dunno who." Thurgun shrugs. "That's pretty much it."
Rolling Charisma, hoping that he doesn't ask us about Ist:
[shadowrun] Thurgun rolls 4t4: 3 6+2 2 5 | 2
"So, what's this proposal, then?"
"Hmm, the Young Elven Technologists? I suspect you have some more information about that than you're letting on."
"As to my proposal, it's very simple. I have a task that needs people of your...skills. In return, I will pay a reasonable amount of money, and I will agree to teach some useful techniques to those of you with magical talent."
Force 4. Actual number of successes on the spell test depends on Ehran's Will, which I suspect is much higher than the 4 I used as a placeholder TN. Drain staged away.
Force 4. Actual number of successes on the spell test depends on Ehran's Will, which I suspect is much higher than the 4 I used as a placeholder TN. Drain staged away.
What kinda... "techniques"?
"Have you ever wanted access to deeper levels of knowledge?"
Erhan points to Thurgun. "Have you ever wanted to cast stronger spells without the physical penalties?"
Erhan turns to Asher. "And have you found that you've hit a wall in your training, and can go no further, become no more powerful?"
"I can teach you to pass these limits, and show you were much other knowledge lies. I will teach you how to become true initiates of magic."
"Hmm, the Young Elven Technologists? I suspect you have some more information about that than you're letting on."
"Uh, do I?" Thurgun thinks.
Rolling Int:
[shadowrun] Thurgun rolls 2t4: 5 1 | 1
Man, of all the times to succeed on a low-percentage roll...
"Oh!" Thurgun looks sheepish. He notices that Ehran has some sort of spell going, so decides to come clean (still). "Dan Fieldov, that's the guy."
"katre" wrote:
"As to my proposal, it's very simple. I have a task that needs people of your...skills. In return, I will pay a reasonable amount of money, and I will agree to teach some useful techniques to those of you with magical talent."
"Wait a minute--Slippery Fish here is totally uninvolved. When the border closed, I asked him to pick us up rather than hang out and wait for the border to open again. Can you return him safely?" Thurgun turns to Fish. "That is, unless you *want* to stick around."
"Wait a minute--Slippery Fish here is totally uninvolved. When the border closed, I asked him to pick us up rather than hang out and wait for the border to open again. Can you return him safely?" Thurgun turns to Fish. "That is, unless you *want* to stick around."
"Now that you've told me what I need to know, there is no reason to keep you here. I will return your posessions, and you are all free to go, or to stay as my guests and discuss the proposal I mentioned earlier. Why don't you all meet me for lunch in a few hours?"
With this, he pushes an intercom on the wall, and some guards come in, open the cells, and offer to show you to more comfortable guest quarters.
Thurgun apologizes more to Fish, who packs up his stuff and leaves. Thurgun decides to take the job, and to ask if he can learn how to make an Anchoring Focus for summoning spirits (this isn't in the rules; feel free to have them say, "We don't know anything about that.") He wants to learn how to do this so he can give one to Fish to help him in the fields (a Force-1 field spirit once a day, say).
Mrf. Out ten grand f'r that case. Although... I guess maybe th' deal that Elf's off'rin' might kinda make up f'r 't... maybe. Wonder 'f we sh'ld see what it is 'e wants.
Emvee searches his stuff for tampering and to make sure nothing's missing. He also looks over his companions and himself astrally, to try to tell if anything was done to them while they were unconscious.
Hey, Thurgun. Can't see m' skull from here. C'n y' take a look at it, astral-like? See 'f 't looks like it sh'ld?
Mrf. Out ten grand f'r that case. Although... I guess maybe th' deal that Elf's off'rin' might kinda make up f'r 't... maybe. Wonder 'f we sh'ld see what it is 'e wants.
Emvee searches his stuff for tampering and to make sure nothing's missing. He also looks over his companions and himself astrally, to try to tell if anything was done to them while they were unconscious.
Hey, Thurgun. Can't see m' skull from here. C'n y' take a look at it, astral-like? See 'f 't looks like it sh'ld?
Nothing is tampered with, and everyone looks like usual astrally, including you.
After a short while (you are encouraged by the servants to "freshen up"), you are escorted to a sumptuous dining room where Ehran is seated at a large table. Over a long lunch (real food, never seen a vat!) he explains his job.
"We've recently discovered a large nest of Invae in Portland. They seem to have started in the basement of an abandoned building but have spread and are now mainly in the sewers. They've been running around, abducting people off the street, stealing building supplies, that sort of thing. We need a team to penetrate their nest with a specially-constructed bomb, set the timer, and then escape. The bomb should be deadly to the Invae but not to you."
"We'll be happy to equip you with anything you need, you may discuss your requirements for gear with the army liason here. I'm sure you have questions, but please, try the pear gelato first."
Meanwhile, out in the Tir forests, the big ol' truck emerges from another hiding spot, where Istereth has been waiting about a day after losing contact before trying to quietly get the hell out of the country.
"Greetings, Sophell. I hope you have not been worrying about me too much.... Yes, the border closing did cause us some problems.... No, you couldn't have helped even if no one did find out. I'm heading out for Seattle again now. I'll tell you more when I get there. You too; until then."
Just a few seconds after hanging up, another ring. From-- it can't be--
"Istereth! Man! You okay? Listen, this last operation went totally bust, but I think it's going to turn out ok for us -- guy wants to offer us a good gig with some serious rewards if we can make it happen. Probably dangerous, natch, but I bet we can make it happen. You in? Awesome. Lemme find out where we are -- it's a long story, tell you when you get here -- and you head over."
Istereth remains skeptical and paranoid for quite a while, but after all is explained it seems the story is more likely than Ehran drugging and/or intimidating a group of runners just to lure a nobody in for justice when he could more easily track the poor elf down by other means. So he agrees to meet up and check out the new run.
"Huh. What kind of information do you have about the nest, in terms of its location, the surrounding infrastructure, and likely defenses?"
"We've pinpointed its location. Unfortunately, any lone scouts we send in don't come back, and we don't want to escalate yet. There are people living over this."
"I believe these days the Invae are referred to as 'bug spirits'."
So... what can you tell us about bug spirits, then? They the Chicago things?
"Yes, a much larger nest than we believe we have was the immediate cause of the containment of Chicago. We wish to take care of this one before things become that badly off. We believe this nest is relatively recent, and that hopefully therefore it will be easier to penetrate and dispose of."
"The Invae are ancient, and evil. No-one who is not part of their cult can visit the metaplane they come from, but reports are that it is 'crowded'. Once a living person becomes an acolyte of the Invae, he will begin summoning the spirits into living human hosts. Some times the host gives in completely, leaving a true spirit behind. Some times the host fights, leaving a warped and twisted body with the Invae as the soul. And some times the host fights so successfully that the outward form is entirely unchanged, but in every case the host's soul is gone, and the Invae control."
Can they be killed normally? Dispelled? Are there different sorts? Do they have particular powers we should watch out for?
"Those with physical bodies can be killed physically. Those without must be fought on the astral plane. Once they have possessed a host they are native and cannot be banished."
"They are spirits, and can do the things other spirits can do."
"They are spirits, and can do the things other spirits can do."
Well, O'i know that different spirits have different abilities. Some can materialize, and some can't, some can conceal things and some can't--do you know what special abilities the ones in your infestation have?
"Also, we may need some additional magic support. I mean, I'm okay at handling physical manifestations and all of that, but spirits are going to be beyond many of us."
"Also, we may need some additional magic support. I mean, I'm okay at handling physical manifestations and all of that, but spirits are going to be beyond many of us."
"If we can get in far enough to plant the bomb, then I'm assuming that'll take out the spirits too -- if they're not manifested, can the spirits stop us from getting in? Can they try and possess us and turn us into bug-things? Or does that take a longer ritual?"
Yeah, how's this bomb thing s'posed t' work? Is it full o' bug spray, or some kinda Invae-seeking manatron particles?
An' 'f we're gonna be goin' after spirits, 't'd be nice 'f we had some kinda astral-type armor we c'ld use. You got an'thin' like that?
I'm interested to find out to what sort of place I get invited or whatever, but since I'm sure I get the chance to ask questions now or later and in the interest of moving things along:
"I'd be much more useful in combat sending in one of my drones than in person, but I don't think I have anything suited to terrain in underground tunnels. Could I arrange to borrow or even purchase something more appropriate?"
I'm assuming that's true, but even if one of mine could get by down in the nest, angling for new toys is fun.
"They are spirits, and can do the things other spirits can do."
Well, O'i know that different spirits have different abilities. Some can materialize, and some can't, some can conceal things and some can't--do you know what special abilities the ones in your infestation have?
"We haven't had a chance to observe them closely. Please tell us what you find out."
"Also, we may need some additional magic support. I mean, I'm okay at handling physical manifestations and all of that, but spirits are going to be beyond many of us."
"Those that have real bodies may be hurt normally. Those that are pure spirit cannot harm you unless they manifest physically. If they do that, your best bet it to hit them with a hand weapon, and focus your concentration as much as possible."
In game rules, hitting a materialized spirit requires a Willpower check.
"Also, we may need some additional magic support. I mean, I'm okay at handling physical manifestations and all of that, but spirits are going to be beyond many of us."
"If we can get in far enough to plant the bomb, then I'm assuming that'll take out the spirits too -- if they're not manifested, can the spirits stop us from getting in? Can they try and possess us and turn us into bug-things? Or does that take a longer ritual?"
"Only the shaman or a Queen can possess you, and it is not instantaneous. If you are careful you will be safe."
I'm interested to find out to what sort of place I get invited or whatever, but since I'm sure I get the chance to ask questions now or later and in the interest of moving things along:
"I'd be much more useful in combat sending in one of my drones than in person, but I don't think I have anything suited to terrain in underground tunnels. Could I arrange to borrow or even purchase something more appropriate?"
I'm assuming that's true, but even if one of mine could get by down in the nest, angling for new toys is fun.
You follow directions and drive up to a very nice house in the forest outside Portland. A uniformed valet takes your truck, and you meet everyone inside for the rest of lunch.
"We might have something you could interface with."
Make up a list of all the equipment everyone will ask for, so I can handle approving or not approving anything at once.
So what kinda intel y'got on this nest, g'ography-wise? Where 'n town's it at, what kinda entrances d'y'know 'bout, got any radar 'r sonar 'r any kinda pict'res of th'layout down there? How big across 's th'thing? How deep's it go? Any'thin' else like that we oughtta know?
So what kinda intel y'got on this nest, g'ography-wise? Where 'n town's it at, what kinda entrances d'y'know 'bout, got any radar 'r sonar 'r any kinda pict'res of th'layout down there? How big across 's th'thing? How deep's it go? Any'thin' else like that we oughtta know?
"The nest itself is in a less-well-maintained part of downtown. From what we can tell, the core nest is about a city block, and there's another area extending several blocks out from that that seems to be less actively infested."
"I can provide you with maps of the sewer from before, but we believe that there has been heavy reconstruction in there."
I'd like to download a decent reference book on bugs to my secretary. Likewise the maps and such.
An' chance any y'r mages c'ld drop s'me d'fensive spells on us, b'fore we go? Stuff t' keep us alive 'til we get t' set th'bomb, sorta thing. Invisibility, reflexes, armor -- astral 'r otherwise... 'though I guess that'd be kinda tough t' sustain when y're here an' we're out there.
Oh, an' 'bout that bomb, d'y'know where 'xactly y'want it t' go off, or 's that up t' us?
I'd like to download a decent reference book on bugs to my secretary. Likewise the maps and such.
An' chance any y'r mages c'ld drop s'me d'fensive spells on us, b'fore we go? Stuff t' keep us alive 'til we get t' set th'bomb, sorta thing. Invisibility, reflexes, armor -- astral 'r otherwise... 'though I guess that'd be kinda tough t' sustain when y're here an' we're out there.
Oh, an' 'bout that bomb, d'y'know where 'xactly y'want it t' go off, or 's that up t' us?
"It would be impossible for us to sustain the spells once you are out of sight, unfortunately."
"The bomb should be placed as close to the center of the nest as possible for best effect."
Sounds like we're prob'ly gonna do this. B'fore we do, I wanna do a little prep work, an' I wonder 'f y'might be able t' put me in touch wi' s'me people who c'n help. 'm lookin' f'r a teacher who knows about speed magic -- nothin' too fancy, jus' low level stuff -- an' maybe a way t' pick up a focus quick-like, wi'out havin' t' put in an order ahead o' time.
I'm interested in a teacher who can teach Increase Reflexes 3 at Force 1. According to the book, a teacher costs 1000nY x the Force, plus living expenses (although if Ehran's letting us stay here for a couple days while we work stuff out, he might let the teacher stay too). Learning the spell involves a Sorcery test against TN2 (2xForce), and can be complemented by a Magic Background test and aided by the teachers Instruction test (TN4, +1 die for each two successes). Given any successes at all, the time to learn a Force 1 spell is 1 day. I'm also looking for a Force 1 sustaining focus, which is listed at 15000nY.
A servant comes in and hands Ehran a chip, which he places in a big projector.
"Here are the sewer plans I mentioned. The center of the nest seems to be underneath the bock between 13th and 14th, and between Elm and Birch. We've evacuated all the families in the area, of course, but they would appreciate it if their homes were left standing."
http://www.henchmonkey.org/shadowrun/sewer/sewer.png
Sounds like we're prob'ly gonna do this. B'fore we do, I wanna do a little prep work, an' I wonder 'f y'might be able t' put me in touch wi' s'me people who c'n help. 'm lookin' f'r a teacher who knows about speed magic -- nothin' too fancy, jus' low level stuff -- an' maybe a way t' pick up a focus quick-like, wi'out havin' t' put in an order ahead o' time.
"I will check and see if we can locate a suitable teacher. Hopefully we can find someone to start with you tomorrow. Unfortunately, we do not have any spare foci at the moment."
"Do they make much use of technology? The one guy we met didn't seem to, but any idea if we should be expecting guns or just punching and biting? If they don't use it much, we might be better off trying some technological surveillance, too."
"Do they make much use of technology? The one guy we met didn't seem to, but any idea if we should be expecting guns or just punching and biting? If they don't use it much, we might be better off trying some technological surveillance, too."
"We haven't seen much evidence of higher technology here, but different hives act differently. Mostly it seems to be due to the influence of the shaman what direction they take."