Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: RowanTheFox on <09-28-16/0622:06>
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This is part of the dossier on Altarraum that I'm putting together for the mission I'm building.
Leader: Lord Michael Quecksilber
Purpose: To locate, rescue, and protect drakes.
Not really a threat unless the players are specifically working for a GD against the Order, it is still something that should be mentioned, as any drakes within the party will certainly be approached by them. Founded shortly after Lord Michael Quecksilber was appointed the title of Lord Steward by the Queen, the Order of Free Drakes (or OFD for short) has quickly spread around the world. While only perhaps a dozen free drakes are actual “official” members of the OFD, the organization makes heavy use of shadowrunners to find drakes that have been forced into hiding, and bring them to Altarraum unharmed. Make note of that last word. Lord Quecksilber does not want the drakes hurt, and will in fact be quite furious should the runners fail in that respect.
The Lord Steward is himself a western drake of considerable strength and magical power, and applies both liberally when angered. He appears as a tall human male with black hair and deep blue eyes with silver flecks. His skin is a light golden tan, which betrays his half-Persian ethnicity. He is usually dressed in the latest Mortimer of London styles, and walks with a Trafalger gun cane (which he can use quite effectively). He walks with a pronounced limp due to an old injury, hence the cane. He has a stern, but kindly demeanor, and a playful sense of humor. He is well-educated and charismatic, and is for the most part trustworthy.
His position within the Altarraumian government also grants him diplomatic immunity in all but a select few places (the most notable exception being Aztlan, which does not formally recognize Altarraum as an independent nation). This caused quite the stir when the OFD extracted a drake right out from under Ghostwalker’s snout in the UCAS district of Denver. Ghostwalker was furious at what he saw as a theft, and Lord Quecksilber replied with a diplomatic and tactful version of “Go frag yourself. People aren't property.”. Lord Quecksilber and the King Consort are on friendly terms, having bonded over their mutual hatred of the great white wizwyrm, and the Queen trusts the Lord Steward completely. So much so, in fact, that she leaves him in charge of Altarraum’s day-to-day operations during her frequent travels.
He makes good use of his power, wealth, and influence to fund and operate the OFD. While no one is exactly certain what he offers to the drakes that are brought to him, very few have ever told him no. Those that have refused him, have still enjoyed a small measure of protection from the Order’s massive network of spies. Many of Lord Quecksilber’s “Little Birdies” are the former contacts of his late parents. While they all have their own reasons for working for the OFD, they all have the same drive to see drakes freed from the life of servitude foisted upon them by the simple misfortune of being what they are.
Rumors have begun to circulate through the shadow communities that the Lord Steward is actually building an army of free drakes in preparation for a full-scale rebellion against the great dragons. However, when informed of this rumor, Quecksilber laughed the informant out of his office. The informant was found dead in Munich, just outside of Altarraum’s northern border a few days later. The killer was never found, and Lord Quecksilber does not seem terribly motivated to solve the mystery.
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Well, that sounds like my kind of conspiracy. It takes pretty massive balls to tell the Great Dragons to keep out, and the free drakes other options probably aren't all that great anyway.
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Well, that sounds like my kind of conspiracy. It takes pretty massive balls to tell the Great Dragons to keep out, and the free drakes other options probably aren't all that great anyway.
Frag your heliocentric model of the solar system. It in fact revolves around Quecksilber's giant orichalcum balls. ;D
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Something I just realized I left out, and is hugely important for your character specifically, Dwagonzahn.
Quecksilber has a wife, who is not a drake. She is the reason why he is so loyal to the queen. She was being held hostage by none other than...Drumroll please...
Ghostwalker, who captured her during the conflict that also killed Quecksilber's parents.
The queen offered her help in rescuing Quecksilber's wife in exchange for his loyalty and intel. She doesn't have a name yet, beyond simply "Lady Quecksilber", but she's a non-awakened elf who was left deeply traumatized by her time as GW's prisoner. He is ferociously protective of her, and she is a constant reminder of what he's fighting for.
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Something I just realized I left out, and is hugely important for your character specifically, Dwagonzahn.
Quecksilber has a wife, who is not a drake. She is the reason why he is so loyal to the queen. She was being held hostage by none other than...Drumroll please...
Ghostwalker, who captured her during the conflict that also killed Quecksilber's parents.
The queen offered her help in rescuing Quecksilber's wife in exchange for his loyalty and intel. She doesn't have a name yet, beyond simply "Lady Quecksilber", but she's a non-awakened elf who was left deeply traumatized by her time as GW's prisoner. He is ferociously protective of her, and she is a constant reminder of what he's fighting for.
Well that's...horrifying and definitely in line with what I'd expect from a half-in-the-bag great dragon (thanks Zebulon -_-).
But, if I'm reading this right, Lady Quecksilber managed to escape Ghostwalker.
Hmm. I wonder how that heist went down... ::)
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Well that's...horrifying and definitely in line with what I'd expect from a half-in-the-bag great dragon (thanks Zebulon -_-).
But, if I'm reading this right, Lady Quecksilber managed to escape Ghostwalker.
Hmm. I wonder how that heist went down... ::)
Still working on the details of that heist, but I can't imagine it wouldn't involve some amount of wetwork. He had that woman locked up tighter than Crater Lake. Right as poor Michael thought he was getting close, she'd vanish. Drove him absolutely batty.
Right now my brain is so fried from writing Heart of Gold, and the Altarraum Dossier, and the associated mission 'Where Loyalties Lies' that I can't even think of a decent name for the poor girl. Right now she's just the cute blonde naked chick in the background during a telecom call in Heart of Gold. -head desk-
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Still working on the details of that heist, but I can't imagine it wouldn't involve some amount of wetwork. He had that woman locked up tighter than Crater Lake. Right as poor Michael thought he was getting close, she'd vanish. Drove him absolutely batty.
Right now my brain is so fried from writing Heart of Gold, and the Altarraum Dossier, and the associated mission 'Where Loyalties Lies' that I can't even think of a decent name for the poor girl. Right now she's just the cute blonde naked chick in the background during a telecom call in Heart of Gold. -head desk-
I know the feeling. Tonight, I need to write up the rest of the module for my SR5 session tomorrow night.
Afterwards, I'll probably keep rolling around ideas for how one pulls an extraction heist on a Great Dragon's lair and wins (well, without being Harlequin that is, but he can basically do whatever he wants).
It's a good thought exercise if nothing else!
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Still working on the details of that heist, but I can't imagine it wouldn't involve some amount of wetwork. He had that woman locked up tighter than Crater Lake. Right as poor Michael thought he was getting close, she'd vanish. Drove him absolutely batty.
Right now my brain is so fried from writing Heart of Gold, and the Altarraum Dossier, and the associated mission 'Where Loyalties Lies' that I can't even think of a decent name for the poor girl. Right now she's just the cute blonde naked chick in the background during a telecom call in Heart of Gold. -head desk-
I know the feeling. Tonight, I need to write up the rest of the module for my SR5 session tomorrow night.
Afterwards, I'll probably keep rolling around ideas for how one pulls an extraction heist on a Great Dragon's lair and wins (well, without being Harlequin that is, but he can basically do whatever he wants).
It's a good thought exercise if nothing else!
Update: Decided her name is Susanna, and that she originally hails from the CAS.
Harlequin might possibly help with a heist against GW. Even if for no other reason than to go "neener neener neener!" while throwing up twin universal signs of contempt. I can see him being that level of petty against someone he so thoroughly despises.
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Update: Decided her name is Susanna, and that she originally hails from the CAS.
Did she cry for thee, with a banjo on thy knee? ;D
Referential humor aside, it's a fine name. (I absolutely hate naming characters; never satisfied with it)
Harlequin might possibly help with a heist against GW. Even if for no other reason than to go "neener neener neener!" while throwing up twin universal signs of contempt. I can see him being that level of petty against someone he so thoroughly despises.
Oh he has plenty of motivation, but I wager he'd go the extra mile to make sure he gets something out of it. I've never pictured any immortal being (not even Harlequin) as being truly altruistic with their immense power.
There's bound to be something...I mean, how often does one get a chance to root around a Great Dragon's lair?
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Update: Decided her name is Susanna, and that she originally hails from the CAS.
Did she cry for thee, with a banjo on thy knee? ;D
Referential humor aside, it's a fine name. (I absolutely hate naming characters; never satisfied with it)
Harlequin might possibly help with a heist against GW. Even if for no other reason than to go "neener neener neener!" while throwing up twin universal signs of contempt. I can see him being that level of petty against someone he so thoroughly despises.
Oh he has plenty of motivation, but I wager he'd go the extra mile to make sure he gets something out of it. I've never pictured any immortal being (not even Harlequin) as being truly altruistic with their immense power.
There's bound to be something...I mean, how often does one get a chance to root around a Great Dragon's lair?
I'm so glad someone caught the reference.
Hmm, let's see here. I doubt he's self-destructive enough to go so far as to swipe/destroy an egg, or something major like that. Maybe one of the artifacts from the Dawn of the Artifacts campaign?
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I'm so glad someone caught the reference.
Hmm, let's see here. I doubt he's self-destructive enough to go so far as to swipe/destroy an egg, or something major like that. Maybe one of the artifacts from the Dawn of the Artifacts campaign?
Hmmm...swiping an egg or three now there's an idea. I'm thinking "Hostage exchange".
"Turn over Susanna or I'm putting your progeny on a comically large Roulette wheel, and sending them off to other great dragons by random chance and azimuth."
Harlequin might not do that...but my runner sure as hell would if pushed hard enough.
(he has a fair bit in Gambling skills, as his name might suggest; he had to make use of that temporary insane luck streak somehow)
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I'm so glad someone caught the reference.
Hmm, let's see here. I doubt he's self-destructive enough to go so far as to swipe/destroy an egg, or something major like that. Maybe one of the artifacts from the Dawn of the Artifacts campaign?
Hmmm...swiping an egg or three now there's an idea. I'm thinking "Hostage exchange".
"Turn over Susanna or I'm putting your progeny on a comically large Roulette wheel, and sending them off to other great dragons by random chance and azimuth."
Harlequin might not do that...but my runner sure as hell would if pushed hard enough.
(he has a fair bit in Gambling skills, as his name might suggest; he had to make use of that temporary insane luck streak somehow)
If he can actually move one of those things. If memory serves, dragon eggs are about the size of your average human and weigh upwards of a hundred pounds. Now, attaching small charges of C4 and threatening to blow the eggs apart (or just holding a detonator in his hand and using that insane luck to bluff that he did)?
Heck, the entire mission I'm working on pretty much ends with Maisie and Harlequin taking advantage of GW's desperation to make a point. As Frosty so eloquently put it. "Do not meddle with Immortals, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
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If he can actually move one of those things. If memory serves, dragon eggs are about the size of your average human and weigh upwards of a hundred pounds.
Weeeeelll...he has 10 STR and 7 BODY in Drake form (he had more under SR3 rules, but eeehhhh...), which gives a base of 100 kg (~220 lbs), and an average of 150 kg (330 lbs) on Carrying Tests.
I think he could easily carry one, which is good because he'd need to run his little drake tail off as soon as he gets ahold of one. (three is straight out though)
Now, attaching small charges of C4 and threatening to blow the eggs apart (or just holding a detonator in his hand and using that insane luck to bluff that he did)?
He is VERY good at bluffing, but I'm guessing great dragons are better at calling.
Heck, the entire mission I'm working on pretty much ends with Maisie and Harlequin taking advantage of GW's desperation to make a point. As Frosty so eloquently put it. "Do not meddle with Immortals, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
It's what I'd prey upon to wring anything out the old white wyrm...only none of my characters have any leverage (well, none that isn't self-defeating), even if they have the motivation.
But that's what cheesed off immortal elves are for!
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If he can actually move one of those things. If memory serves, dragon eggs are about the size of your average human and weigh upwards of a hundred pounds.
Weeeeelll...he has 10 STR and 7 BODY in Drake form (he had more under SR3 rules, but eeehhhh...), which gives a base of 100 kg (~220 lbs), and an average of 150 kg (330 lbs) on Carrying Tests.
I think he could easily carry one, which is good because he'd need to run his little drake tail off as soon as he gets ahold of one. (three is straight out though)
Now, attaching small charges of C4 and threatening to blow the eggs apart (or just holding a detonator in his hand and using that insane luck to bluff that he did)?
He is VERY good at bluffing, but I'm guessing great dragons are better at calling.
Heck, the entire mission I'm working on pretty much ends with Maisie and Harlequin taking advantage of GW's desperation to make a point. As Frosty so eloquently put it. "Do not meddle with Immortals, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
It's what I'd prey upon to wring anything out the old white wyrm...only none of my characters have any leverage (well, none that isn't self-defeating), even if they have the motivation.
But that's what cheesed off immortal elves are for!
Don't try to bring that egg into Altarraum though. Altarraum was still a very young nation when Quecksilber's wife was rescued (only a couple of years old, in fact), and still trying to build up it's military might. It would be in no condition to fight off a furious great dragon, and Maisie would be well aware of that fact. Harlequin himself has a strong personal desire to see the kingdom thrive (He has his own plans for it), and if he believes you've become too great a risk to it's survival, he'll kill you himself before you can say "oops".
Now, Altarraum is much older and much, MUCH stronger when "Where Loyalties Lie" starts up, making the egg theft a more viable option. Good luck getting it from Denver to what used to be Bavaria, though. You'll definitely need Quecksilber's help there.
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Don't try to bring that egg into Altarraum though. Altarraum was still a very young nation when Quecksilber's wife was rescued (only a couple of years old, in fact), and still trying to build up it's military might. It would be in no condition to fight off a furious great dragon, and Maisie would be well aware of that fact. Harlequin himself has a strong personal desire to see the kingdom thrive (He has his own plans for it), and if he believes you've become too great a risk to it's survival, he'll kill you himself before you can say "oops".
Crossing the sea with the egg would be suicidal logistics anyway. Too many ways it can be intercepted. Too vulnerable.
The best plan would be to put it into just enough immediate danger that Ghostwalker can't ignore it, but not secure it quite so far away that he'd prefer the long game and a much larger retaliation to get it back.
Hmm...I wonder if the Great Sea Dragon would grace New Orleans with her presence for another egg. He would have to barter very hard with her to get it back. ;p
I don't need to actually call her there, but I could threaten to do so if Ghostwalker decides not to play nice. It's a bluff he can't afford to call wrong, as he'd have to pay through the snout and then some to get the egg back from her.
The biggest hurdle is setting up the meet.
Now, Altarraum is much older and much, MUCH stronger when "Where Loyalties Lie" starts up, making the egg theft a more viable option. Good luck getting it from Denver to what used to be Bavaria, though. You'll definitely need Quecksilber's help there.
I'd need his help with any heist. My drake is a decent plotter, but he is certainly no immortal. They play on an entirely different level.
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Don't try to bring that egg into Altarraum though. Altarraum was still a very young nation when Quecksilber's wife was rescued (only a couple of years old, in fact), and still trying to build up it's military might. It would be in no condition to fight off a furious great dragon, and Maisie would be well aware of that fact. Harlequin himself has a strong personal desire to see the kingdom thrive (He has his own plans for it), and if he believes you've become too great a risk to it's survival, he'll kill you himself before you can say "oops".
Crossing the sea with the egg would be suicidal logistics anyway. Too many ways it can be intercepted. Too vulnerable.
The best plan would be to put it into just enough immediate danger that Ghostwalker can't ignore it, but not secure it quite so far away that he'd prefer the long game and a much larger retaliation to get it back.
Hmm...I wonder if the Great Sea Dragon would grace New Orleans with her presence for another egg. He would have to barter very hard with her to get it back. ;p
I don't need to actually call her there, but I could threaten to do so if Ghostwalker decides not to play nice. It's a bluff he can't afford to call wrong, as he'd have to pay through the snout and then some to get the egg back from her.
The biggest hurdle is setting up the meet.
Now, Altarraum is much older and much, MUCH stronger when "Where Loyalties Lie" starts up, making the egg theft a more viable option. Good luck getting it from Denver to what used to be Bavaria, though. You'll definitely need Quecksilber's help there.
I'd need his help with any heist. My drake is a decent plotter, but he is certainly no immortal. They play on an entirely different level.
Maisie owns property in New Orleans via the proxy of a proxy's proxy, so her name isn't actually on anything that would tie her to the property, and if it goes well she could have a strong ally with the Sea Dragon. It's a risk she might be willing to take, as she's still trying to forge as many alliances with powerful individuals as she can. If it goes bad, however, you're on your own. Nothing personal, she just can't afford the risk of having her name attached to something like that if it goes awry. If Ghostwalker got fragged off enough to burn Altarraun to cinders, he absolutely could, and Ol' Goldy might withdraw his protection of Altarraum if he found out Maisie was complicit in the theft of an egg, regardless of how much he personally dislikes GW.
Ah, politics. Read it and weep Machiavelli. :P
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Maisie owns property in New Orleans via the proxy of a proxy's proxy, so her name isn't actually on anything that would tie her to the property, and if it goes well she could have a strong ally with the Sea Dragon. It's a risk she might be willing to take, as she's still trying to forge as many alliances with powerful individuals as she can. If it goes bad, however, you're on your own. Nothing personal, she just can't afford the risk of having her name attached to something like that if it goes awry. If Ghostwalker got fragged off enough to burn Altarraun to cinders, he absolutely could, and Ol' Goldy might withdraw his protection of Altarraum if he found out Maisie was complicit in the theft of an egg, regardless of how much he personally dislikes GW.
Ah, politics. Read it and weep Machiavelli. :P
If avoiding overt conflict is an issue, the most sensible option is to petition the Sea Dragon as a mediator rather than a lynchpin.
Once arrangements have been made, and Susanna is confirmed as being on her way give the Sea Dragon the egg to discourage a switch-and-snatch op. Also, as Ghostwalker may attempt to use power illusion and a homonculus or an Ally Spirit trumped up as Susanna as his trade instead of the real thing, having another Great to sniff out his magical bullshit keeps him honest.
The Sea Dragon scores a major artifact or two (she has plenty of dragon eggs already, this is just a unique opportunity for her to score loot she'd otherwise have no chance of getting); Ghostwalker gets to save face (er, "save snout"?), I get a new job to smuggle Mrs. Quecksilber back home...actually no. I'm calling her husband for a pickup; not because I'm lazy, but because I'd wager that's something he'd want to handle himself.
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Maisie owns property in New Orleans via the proxy of a proxy's proxy, so her name isn't actually on anything that would tie her to the property, and if it goes well she could have a strong ally with the Sea Dragon. It's a risk she might be willing to take, as she's still trying to forge as many alliances with powerful individuals as she can. If it goes bad, however, you're on your own. Nothing personal, she just can't afford the risk of having her name attached to something like that if it goes awry. If Ghostwalker got fragged off enough to burn Altarraun to cinders, he absolutely could, and Ol' Goldy might withdraw his protection of Altarraum if he found out Maisie was complicit in the theft of an egg, regardless of how much he personally dislikes GW.
Ah, politics. Read it and weep Machiavelli. :P
If avoiding overt conflict is an issue, the most sensible option is to petition the Sea Dragon as a mediator rather than a lynchpin.
Once arrangements have been made, and Susanna is confirmed as being on her way give the Sea Dragon the egg to discourage a switch-and-snatch op. Also, as Ghostwalker may attempt to use power illusion and a homonculus or an Ally Spirit trumped up as Susanna as his trade instead of the real thing, having another Great to sniff out his magical bullshit keeps him honest.
The Sea Dragon scores a major artifact or two (she has plenty of dragon eggs already, this is just a unique opportunity for her to score loot she'd otherwise have no chance of getting); Ghostwalker gets to save face (er, "save snout"?), I get a new job to smuggle Mrs. Quecksilber back home...actually no. I'm calling her husband for a pickup; not because I'm lazy, but because I'd wager that's something he'd want to handle himself.
You'd likely walk away reasonably wealthy as well, and have no shortage of work from him from then on out.
That does complicate your role in "Where Loyalties Lie", however. Even 40 some odd years later, GW would absolutely recognize you and certainly not have you hired for the heist job to swipe Maisie's artifact. You'd probably have to meet the runners in Altarraum and pose as some sort of double-crosser who works for the queen and can lead them to the artifact in question.
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You'd likely walk away reasonably wealthy as well, and have no shortage of work from him from then on out.
If the heist is the rave, the heat is the after-party.
I'd have to smuggle myself into another country entirely and live off the earnings from the job (for a few years at least) to avoid the nuclear heat from pulling a heist like that.
(shame I'm not an Immortal Elf; then I could just smuggle my entire being into another metaplane)
That does complicate your role in "Where Loyalties Lie", however. Even 40 some odd years later, GW would absolutely recognize you and certainly not have you hired for the heist job to swipe Maisie's artifact. You'd probably have to meet the runners in Altarraum and pose as some sort of double-crosser who works for the queen and can lead them to the artifact in question.
I'll warn you in advance, it would take a lot of convincing in terms of street rep. Not saying my runner is a super-nice dude, but he leaned heavily on his reputation since very early in his career.
(this is what happens when the group's Face dies unexpectedly, and the Combat Adept has to fill in as "face" by virtue of having the highest CHA -_-)
His reputation in the shadows with clients was impeccable. He'd use duplicitous means to trick people into giving him the info and leads he needed, but he never screwed Mr. Johnson or any of his other private contractors.
(Though he's been screwed a few times in turn...fragging Denver Johnsons)
It's not that opportunity didn't call so much, but that the leader of his first runner group had a code of honor that called for absolute loyalty and professionalism to the contractor...and the penalty for violating it was severe.
If Ghostwalker really wants to frag with my character and his rep years after the hypothetical egg heist, have him dangle my runner's sister in front of him.
Remember: she is completely devoted to the white wyrm of her own choice (which my runner doesn't know; he thinks she's just being held hostage to get at him). So there's lots of potential for nasty drama and complicated loyalties there.
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You'd likely walk away reasonably wealthy as well, and have no shortage of work from him from then on out.
If the heist is the rave, the heat is the after-party.
I'd have to smuggle myself into another country entirely and live off the earnings from the job (for a few years at least) to avoid the nuclear heat from pulling a heist like that.
(shame I'm not an Immortal Elf; then I could just smuggle my entire being into another metaplane)
That does complicate your role in "Where Loyalties Lie", however. Even 40 some odd years later, GW would absolutely recognize you and certainly not have you hired for the heist job to swipe Maisie's artifact. You'd probably have to meet the runners in Altarraum and pose as some sort of double-crosser who works for the queen and can lead them to the artifact in question.
I'll warn you in advance, it would take a lot of convincing in terms of street rep. Not saying my runner is a super-nice dude, but he leaned heavily on his reputation since very early in his career.
(this is what happens when the group's Face dies unexpectedly, and the Combat Adept has to fill in as "face" by virtue of having the highest CHA -_-)
His reputation in the shadows with clients was impeccable. He'd use duplicitous means to trick people into giving him the info and leads he needed, but he never screwed Mr. Johnson or any of his other private contractors.
(Though he's been screwed a few times in turn...fragging Denver Johnsons)
It's not that opportunity didn't call so much, but that the leader of his first runner group had a code of honor that called for absolute loyalty and professionalism to the contractor...and the penalty for violating it was severe.
If Ghostwalker really wants to frag with my character and his rep years after the hypothetical egg heist, have him dangle my runner's sister in front of him.
Remember: she is completely devoted to the white wyrm of her own choice (which my runner doesn't know; he thinks she's just being held hostage to get at him). So there's lots of potential for nasty drama and complicated loyalties there.
Quecksilber takes care of his own, and he's good at keeping people hidden/protected (he has to be!). He wouldn't just leave you hanging on your own after that. The issue with your character's sister would probably be resolved during that same heist, for better or worse.
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Quecksilber takes care of his own, and he's good at keeping people hidden/protected (he has to be!). He wouldn't just leave you hanging on your own after that. The issue with your character's sister would probably be resolved during that same heist, for better or worse.
Well, as long as Quecksilber sets my runner up with a place he can teach archery, he'd be happy. (his original post-runner retirement plan, which worked out for about a year before Denver 2064)
He's relied on it for stress relief and meditation for so many years now, he's an incredible shot.
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Quecksilber takes care of his own, and he's good at keeping people hidden/protected (he has to be!). He wouldn't just leave you hanging on your own after that. The issue with your character's sister would probably be resolved during that same heist, for better or worse.
Well, as long as Quecksilber sets my runner up with a place he can teach archery, he'd be happy. (his original post-runner retirement plan, which worked out for about a year before Denver 2064)
He's relied on it for stress relief and meditation for so many years now, he's an incredible shot.
Pfft, that's easy. Most of Altarraum's population lives in Schwangau (which grew to incorporate Fussen), so that leaves quite a bit of pristine countryside for him to choose from. Just try not to wander too far east, since Nebelherr is still has his lair at Herrenchiemsee which lies on the far eastern side of Altarraum. He's either reached great dragon status by this point, or is possibly very close to that mark.
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You could also just get yourself some steady income by training Altarraum's military recruits in archery, since compulsory military service is a thing there.
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Pfft, that's easy. Most of Altarraum's population lives in Schwangau (which grew to incorporate Fussen), so that leaves quite a bit of pristine countryside for him to choose from. Just try not to wander too far east, since Nebelherr is still has his lair at Herrenchiemsee which lies on the far eastern side of Altarraum. He's either reached great dragon status by this point, or is possibly very close to that mark.
I'll be sure to send Nebelherr an annual Christmas card or something to stay on his good side. ;D
(no Fruit Cake though; I have it on good authority that tradition is seen as an open challenge among Greats)
You could also just get yourself some steady income by training Altarraum's military recruits in archery, since compulsory military service is a thing there.
It'd be a very niche regimen, given how impractical bows are in comparison to firearms (especially from SR3 to SR5; it's incredibly cost and performance prohibitive even with heavy specialization in SR5).
Still, there are uses in special operations environments and for physical-mental discipline. Plus, grapple-line shots from (cross)bows can be hooked to a winch or other full grapple-gun system; so that's always handy.
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Pfft, that's easy. Most of Altarraum's population lives in Schwangau (which grew to incorporate Fussen), so that leaves quite a bit of pristine countryside for him to choose from. Just try not to wander too far east, since Nebelherr is still has his lair at Herrenchiemsee which lies on the far eastern side of Altarraum. He's either reached great dragon status by this point, or is possibly very close to that mark.
I'll be sure to send Nebelherr an annual Christmas card or something to stay on his good side. ;D
(no Fruit Cake though; I have it on good authority that tradition is seen as an open challenge among Greats)
You could also just get yourself some steady income by training Altarraum's military recruits in archery, since compulsory military service is a thing there.
It'd be a very niche regimen, given how impractical bows are in comparison to firearms (especially from SR3 to SR5; it's incredibly cost and performance prohibitive even with heavy specialization in SR5).
Still, there are uses in special operations environments and for physical-mental discipline. Plus, grapple-line shots from (cross)bows can be hooked to a winch or other full grapple-gun system; so that's always handy.
Bows are also quiet. One of Altarraum's many nicknames is the "Land of Many Armies". There's the actual Army, and then there's the Thronwache (who guard the royal family), the Zentralewache (who are Altarraum's primary police force), and the Grenzwache (who guard Altarraum's border). Then there's Quecksilber's Order of Free Drakes and the associated Little Birdies.
Then there's the Mistish Farad, who are also known as the "Queen's Hunters". Guess what they hunt. I'll even give you a clue - It ain't critters.
Point is, you'll have plenty of work.
-
Oh, and then there's the Watchers of the Veil, who possess a fanatical hatred of blood mages, toxic mages, and "evil" spirits (Shedim, insect spirits, shadow spirits, etc.). They're basically a cult, and they are creepy.
-
Bows are also quiet. One of Altarraum's many nicknames is the "Land of Many Armies". There's the actual Army, and then there's the Thronwache (who guard the royal family), the Zentralewache (who are Altarraum's primary police force), and the Grenzwache (who guard Altarraum's border). Then there's Quecksilber's Order of Free Drakes and the associated Little Birdies.
Then there's the Mistish Farad, who are also known as the "Queen's Hunters". Guess what they hunt. I'll even give you a clue - It ain't critters.
Point is, you'll have plenty of work.
Point taken. That's a lot of military and paramilitary organizations. 0_o
At least I'll have a place to practice in and out of dracoform in peace for once. (variable STR ratings...bane of archers)
-
Bows are also quiet. One of Altarraum's many nicknames is the "Land of Many Armies". There's the actual Army, and then there's the Thronwache (who guard the royal family), the Zentralewache (who are Altarraum's primary police force), and the Grenzwache (who guard Altarraum's border). Then there's Quecksilber's Order of Free Drakes and the associated Little Birdies.
Then there's the Mistish Farad, who are also known as the "Queen's Hunters". Guess what they hunt. I'll even give you a clue - It ain't critters.
Point is, you'll have plenty of work.
Point taken. That's a lot of military and paramilitary organizations. 0_o
At least I'll have a place to practice in and out of dracoform in peace for once. (variable STR ratings...bane of archers)
Maisie was already, as you put it "half-cocked paranoid" before the events in Heart of Gold. After being kidnapped and force fed BTLs to keep her nice and pliable while she was experimented on for weeks, she dove head first into that rabbit hole. Oh, did I mention there's a bunch of faux-immortals running around because of those experiments (and exactly all of the real immortals are pissed about it, Maisie especially)? That's the main purpose of the Mistish Farad, among other things. To hunt down and destroy the faux-immortals with extreme prejudice. It's also the reason why Maisie travels so often under any one of a dozen possible aliases, and never releases less than six fake itineraries. She travels to New Orleans every year for Mardi Gras, and returns some for the annual Beltane, Samhain, and Yule festivals. Good luck finding her any other time though, even Loffy has a small bit of trouble keeping track of her whereabouts.
The Thronewache, Zentralewache, and Grenzwache are all just different branches of the same security force. Consider them like Lone Star or Knight Errant, except they aren't contracted. They're the Throne Guard, Central Guard (police), and Border Guard, respectively.
The Watchers of the Veil popped up after an event called the Samhain Massacre. The massacre was caused by a master shedim infiltrating Alamos 20,000 and manipulating them into pulling off a terrorist attack during the Samhain Festival. The bombing killed a lot of people, and gave the shedim plenty of bodies to inhabit when the master opened an astral gateway. It took three days, aid from the Troll Kingdom and the Corporate Court, and the intervention of Nebelherr to end the massacre. 30,000 people died, including half of the High Council. Only three of the six members survived. Lady Runa lost an eye, Quecksilber damn near lost his leg (which is why he limps and uses a cane), and Lord Geoff survived by the pure dumb luck of simply not being in Altarraum at the time. Took the kingdom's geomancers weeks to lower the background count to a safe level. Unless you use blood magic, toxic magic, or twisted magic, you don't really have to worry about the Watchers of the Veil. If you do, however...you're gonna have a bad time, and not just from the order's Disciples. There is a standing bounty in Altarraum for toxic, blood, and twisted mages, and unlike the DIMR, the Maisie wants them dragged in dead as a doornail.
-
Unless you use blood magic, toxic magic, or twisted magic, you don't really have to worry about the Watchers of the Veil. If you do, however...you're gonna have a bad time, and not just from the order's Disciples. There is a standing bounty in Altarraum for toxic, blood, and twisted mages, and unlike the DIMR, the Maisie wants them dragged in dead as a doornail.
Not an issue for me. I have something of a history of beating toxic mages and their ilk.
-Nebraska (UCAS) 2059
My first deployment out in the UCAS Army as a "training exercise", turned into a full-blown investigation, resulting in shutting down a toxic shaman cult operating on the Nebraska-NAN border and the Denver Free Range Zone. (before Ghostwalker came back). My role was astral tracking and fire support as I was the only weirdo using a bow and grapple-tackle. (Only man on the job with a full magazine in his side arm from start to finish)
We put 4 toxics in the ground and took 2 more into custody (UCAS Army Command never mentioned what they did with them).
-Seattle, late 2061:
A Toxic Hermetic Mage got royally pissed at a rival Alligator Shaman over, of all things, a BBQ contest. The Mage stole a powerful guardian spirit from the Gator Shaman's lodge and twisted it into going on a rampage. Unfortunately, the Mage wasn't so fortunate in banishing the creature after it plowed through the vendors, and I had to go put it down as I was the only person in the neighborhood at the time that could hurt the damage thing directly. With liberal usage of distractions, fire-support from a grenade toting runner on my team, and fancy maneuvering (and the cost of my favorite bike...I still miss that thing :() I was able to get close enough to land enough hits with my Killing Hands to put it down for good.
Of course, one of my runner "friends" decided to be a royal jackass and record the whole fight on a drone-cam, posting it to the Matrix Shadowboards and pirate Trid sites before I could pummel some sense into him.
Dunno how much he made on my fistfight with a rampaging crocodile-man-spirit thing, but it's a moot point now: It's one thing I can thank Crash 2.0 for. ;)
-Seattle, 2063
Two Yakuza toxic Awakened twins (a brother adept and sister sorcerer) spearheaded an invasion of several SINless neighborhoods, including that where my Shadowrunner team lived, hoping to break up the Ork Brotherhood protection rings and drive the locals out in preparation for a major expansion of Yakuza operations. Fought them in the shadows for 7 months to a standstill before a tip and subsequent offer for a joint operation against the Yaks came from the Finnigan Seattle Mafia.
Somehow (I suspect a mole in the Finnigan family) Knight-Errant got word of the venture, and muscled their way into the op, threatening to expose my team's dealings with numerous legitimate clients (including our arrangement with Lone Star), if we didn't cut them in on it. As that impacted our own operation, we agreed. I coordinated and lead a three-pronged assault on a large Yakuza smuggling "cleaning station" for stripping serials and removing tracking tags from all manner of shadow market goods.
The Mafia ran mass external interference, hitting several Yakuza sites in surprise attacks. They got first crack at the more available loot, while my team and the Ork Brotherhood lead an assault on the personnel, culminating in a rooftop duel between me, my best friend and fellow runner Chrome, and the wonder twin siblings. We put them in the ground, but I needed a medievac by K-E afterwards. (still unhappy about that; I'm pretty sure some corp suit has a file and vial of me somewhere)
Knight-Errant took all the public credit for the op; one of the largest organized crime busts in history. Lone Star protested under right of jurisdiction, but it turned out K-E had quietly negotiated with the Seattle government for jurisdiction rights for that case specifically. That was the beginning of a long series of public embarrassments for Lone Star in Seattle, and I think we all know what became of that...
-2064: Denver
Yup, this fateful case once again. Got a contract directly from the commander-general of the Zone Defense Force (who only answered to Nicolas Whitebird and Ghostwalker himself), asking specifically for me and my team. It was a long and dangerous mission.
Our opposition, two groups of powerful and experienced blood mages:
1) La Vengeanza, the remains of a Jaguar Warrior company previously stationed in Denver and VERY eager to stir shit up in the wizwyrm's domain.
2) "Seidr", a Norse Asatru Cult lead by a powerful "Valkyrie" mystic adept (turns out, she was my sister, but that's another tale for another time...)
Little is known about them even after the op, but they were easily the more dangerous of the two.
Me and my runner team were contracted to investigate who was instigating civil strife between the Ute, Sioux and Pueblo districts in Denver. (this all started when a mysterious assassin group mass murdered Maria Dancing-Cat's lodgemates, with astral evidence directly implicating then-Pueblo leader Huehueseca). We learned through capture and interrogation of one of La Vengeanza's agents, they were stirring up trouble to cover for their much greater objective: Killing Ghostwalker with a powerful blood magic ritual. Naturally, the wizwyrms aren't defenseless, and Dollmaker has that name for a reason. But the blood mages discovered a possible major vulnerability in the great dragon's defenses: The Great Spirit of Denver, who was fragmented and whoever put it (her) back together could command her for a time.
They planned to use her spiritual authority over Denver to order all of Ghostwalker's spiritual defenses down; which would make killing him far easier.
Their plan nearly worked, but thankfully, my team found their ritual site and stormed the place with the full fury of the ZDF behind us, killing DOZENS of Blood Mages in the process. If only that contract ended just like that I would have been set for life...Of course, that didn't happen because fate has a sick sense of humor. I turned Drake due to exposure to the massive gathering of mana for the ritual, and I had no intention of becoming Ghostwalker's slave just to collect.
-
Ok, so my friend made this for me and I am dying. I don't know where she pulled the original picture from.
(https://scontent.fphx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/14518823_10210867377947114_996753233_n.jpg?oh=b8badbc886feb997007de5bbf9b62710&oe=57F62F49)
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Well if he weren't already married, I'd say Lord Quecksilber would be giving Damien Knight some competition for "Most eligible bachelor".
-
Well if he weren't already married, I'd say Lord Quecksilber would be giving Damien Knight some competition for "Most eligible bachelor".
I wonder how often Susanna gets asked if he has a brother who is single? ;D
-
Maisie was already, as you put it "half-cocked paranoid" before the events in Heart of Gold. After being kidnapped and force fed BTLs to keep her nice and pliable while she was experimented on for weeks, she dove head first into that rabbit hole.
Just to be clear, who is Maisie exactly?
-
Maisie was already, as you put it "half-cocked paranoid" before the events in Heart of Gold. After being kidnapped and force fed BTLs to keep her nice and pliable while she was experimented on for weeks, she dove head first into that rabbit hole.
Just to be clear, who is Maisie exactly?
The main character of the series of stories I'm working on. She's a first generation dragonkin immortal, wolf shaman, and Altarraum's queen since it's founding in late 2090. I'm actually writing her dossier entry right now. To avoid clogging up the GM forum, I might just post it in here when I'm done.
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The main character of the series of stories I'm working on. She's a first generation dragonkin immortal, wolf shaman, and Altarraum's queen since it's founding in late 2090. I'm actually writing her dossier entry right now. To avoid clogging up the GM forum, I might just post it in here when I'm done.
So...she's the direct descendant of a dragon, and you mentioned "Loffy"....am I reading the implications correctly?
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The main character of the series of stories I'm working on. She's a first generation dragonkin immortal, wolf shaman, and Altarraum's queen since it's founding in late 2090. I'm actually writing her dossier entry right now. To avoid clogging up the GM forum, I might just post it in here when I'm done.
So...she's the direct descendant of a dragon, and you mentioned "Loffy"....am I reading the implications correctly?
Yes.
-
Yes.
Oh....OH.
I am suddenly very apprehensive about becoming too close to the Queen and hers.
Not because I have anything specifically against ol Golden Snout (never ran against S-K; Renraku occupied my team's time far too often), but because I know what happens to those who become too closely involved in his business.
"Valued associate?" Sure, I can manage that. Any more than that and I risk garnering undue attention from another wizwyrm.
-
Yes.
Oh....OH.
I am suddenly very apprehensive about becoming too close to the Queen and hers.
Not because I have anything specifically against ol Golden Snout (never ran against S-K; Renraku occupied my team's time far too often), but because I know what happens to those who become too closely involved in his business.
"Valued associate?" Sure, I can manage that. Any more than that and I risk garnering undue attention from another wizwyrm.
Lofwyr has as much power in Altarraum as any other dragon, and he gets little to no special treatment for his relation to Maisie. Maisie is not his puppet, and refuses to be. Does she care about him? Absolutely, and she wishes with all her hear that she could have a proper familial relationship with him. However, she understands that wish is simply not realistic. She also still holds him responsible for her adoptive dad's death and for what became of her adoptive brother, Mod. Paints a pretty complicated picture, eh?
Maisie is actually more closely aligned with the other immortal elves, with the notable exception of Alachia and Jenna Ni'Farra (An immortal elf raised by a trog? Le GASP!). She does, however, have alliances with Arleesh, Hestaby, Nebelherr, and a cordial relationship with Schwarzkopf (as her adoptive uncle retired from shadowrunning to teach at the same university as him), and Celedyr.
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Lofwyr has as much power in Altarraum as any other dragon, and he gets little to no special treatment for his relation to Maisie. Maisie is not his puppet, and refuses to be. Does she care about him? Absolutely, and she wishes with all her hear that she could have a proper familial relationship with him. However, she understands that wish is simply not realistic. She also still holds him responsible for her adoptive dad's death and for what became of her adoptive brother, Mod. Paints a pretty complicated picture, eh?
Maisie is actually more closely aligned with the other immortal elves, with the notable exception of Alachia and Jenna Ni'Farra (An immortal elf raised by a trog? Le GASP!). She does, however, have alliances with Arleesh, Hestaby, Nebelherr, and a cordial relationship with Schwarzkopf (as her adoptive uncle retired from shadowrunning to teach at the same university as him), and Celedyr.
Alright. Just so long as papa Loffy doesn't come scouting for easy drake slaves.
Hmm. I wonder, what has the Orange Queen been up to lately?
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Alright. Just so long as papa Loffy doesn't come scouting for easy drake slaves.
Hmm. I wonder, what has the Orange Queen been up to lately?
Nah, the spectacular fallout that would cause isn't worth the reward.
Still trying to claw her way back up the social ladder while planning her revenge, I'd reckon.
-
Here's Maisie's dossier entry. With shadowtalk included!
Name: Margaret “Maisie” MacLellan
Metatype: Elf
Birth Date: March 23rd, 2072
Birth Place: Berlin, Germany
Age: Early 60’s, but appears to be in her late 20’s/early 30’s
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 130lbs
Eyes: Gold
Hair: Blood red
Skin: Pale
Awakened: Yes (Wolf Shaman)
Ok Wolf Queen, you promised. We want to know everything!
• Slamm-O!
That I did, and I intend to keep that promise.
• Wolf Queen
Ok, I’ll start from the beginning. My dad, Gregor MacLellan, found me abandoned in a back alley in Berlin way back in 2072. He took me in and raised me as his own. He kept me safe and hidden, trusting only his fellow teammates around me. I was tutored in math, reading, sciences, and other subjects by Mod.
Wait, the e-ghost?
• Glitch
He wasn’t always an e-ghost, but yes.
• Wolf Queen
Anyway, I awakened unusually early when I was only four years old. Yes, you read that right. My dad brought in his old friend and shaman, Nip, who immediately crafted a masking focus for me and trained me in accordance with the shamanic tradition. Wolf first came to me during my first initiation, and I have followed Wolf’s teachings ever since.
A week before my 18th birthday, my dad was killed in a mock job meant to take out the entire team. Thankfully, the bomb went off before the rest of the team had a chance to enter the building, so the rest of us were spared. During the getaway, I was shot six times and captured by S-K security forces, who brought me before the great golden overlord himself. I still carry two of those bullets with me everywhere I go, since they were too firmly wedged into my skeletal system to be removed without causing further damage. I still have the scars too. I’m sure most of you know what happened next, since I’ve never actually made a big secret out of it. I found out that I’m Lofwyr’s bastard kid, and a bunch of bulldrek that I still don’t fully comprehend culminated into the absolute shit-show you all know as the Battle of Essen. I don’t really feel like hashing out the details all over again. Want to know more? Watch the trids. Everyone and their grandma had drones up during that.
Shortly after, I was given the three castles I still own, and enough wealth to retire for multiple lifetimes. I focused on repairing and remodeling my properties, and moved into Neuschwanstein Castle. Unfortunately, the fallout from the Battle of Essen left a lot of people down and out. A lot of those people, along with a great number of awakened individuals descended on Schwangau looking for protection, guidance, or whatnot. The Children of the Dragon arrived shortly afterwards and started preaching about how I was some kind of messiah. A “child of the light born of sin and greed, within whom the spirit of the dragon resides, and from whom the Great Dragon shall be reborn”. Creepy, right? Yea, well the people lapped it up like kittens with milk, no matter how loudly I denounced it. The worst part is the Bavarian government didn’t like it either.
Bavarian officials started to believe that I was planning something unsavory. Like a coup, or something (Note: I wasn’t). They came down on us like the fist of an angry god, and killed over a hundred people before Lofwyr finally decided to intervene and put an end to the violence. As a show of “frag you”, I had any weapons that were too badly damaged to be repaired collected and melted down. The molten metal was then cast into the throne I still sit on to this day, Altarraum was declared an independent nation, and the Dragonkin Expansion began. My family, realizing the danger I was in, came out of retirement and orchestrated several runs to cause havoc for the AGS (sabotage, blackmail, tactical application of high explosives, the usual).
Wait, what was that last one?
• Slamm-O!
The usual? <grin>
• Wolf Queen
During the battle for Penzberg, we were able to drive the Bavarian army back to Munich. Faced with losing the city, the Bavarians surrendered on August 30th, 2090. The Dragonkin Treaty, which recognized Altarraum as an independent nation, was signed on September 1st, 2090. I have acted as Altarraum’s queen ever since. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not actually a mastermind micromanager like my vater. The High Council sees to most of Altarraum’s day to day operations.
So what exactly to you do?
• Glitch
Keep reading.
• Wolf Queen
Even though the High Council has the power to create and pass legislation, I still retain the power to decide what becomes law, and what doesn’t. I also act as a focus for national unity, pride and identity; giving a sense of stability and continuity, especially during times of strife. I receive foreign ambassadors, corporate executives, and high commissioners, entertain visiting Heads of State, and make visits overseas to other countries, in support of diplomatic and economic relations. By means of regular visits through all parts of Altarraum, I meet people from all walks of life. This way, I gain a better understanding of the needs of my people, and give them a way to have their concerns voiced before the High Council when they may be unable to be heard otherwise.
Sounds exhausting.
• Netcat
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, but it can also be quite rewarding. It can occasionally be entertaining as well.
• Wolf Queen
I’ve heard a lot of rumors that due to my relation to him, I am in Lofwyr’s pocket. Allow me to make something very clear: I am in nobody’s pocket, and I refuse to be. I have little patience for such things. The last people who tried to force me into bowing to their will found that out the hard way.
Talk about an understatement. Took a week to scrub those poor fraggers off the floor…and the walls…and the ceiling. Pretty sure the ravens are still fighting over the bits left in the trees.
• Laughing Man
Step One: Apply drake to source of irritation. Step Two: Repeat until irritation ceases to be.
• Wolf Queen
Now, there is another rumor about me that, sadly, has some truth to it. Hi, my name is Wolf Queen, and I am a dry BTL addict. There, I said it. Now, from the rumors I’ve head, the details vary a bit. So, here’s the gospel truth. Early in my pregnancy with my son, I was kidnapped by an extraction team hired by Aztechnology. Due to my heritage, I cannot be sedated by normal means, and they didn’t want to contaminate my blood with pharmaceuticals anyway. So, while I was still knocked unconscious, they implanted a datajack and fed me a steady stream of Dreamchips to keep me nice and cooperative while they experimented. They did this for weeks until I was finally rescued. By then, unfortunately, my addiction had become severe and it took months for me to dry out. The datajack was removed pretty much immediately, and I haven’t touched BTLs since. I won’t give Aztechnology the satisfaction of seeing me fall off the wagon.
Wait a minute. If you can’t be sedated, how did they get the datajack out?
• Pistons
I don’t really remember, to be honest. Based on what I’ve been told, that’s probably for the best.
• Wolf Queen
The implications of that are horrifying. What was the Big A doing anyway?
• Pistons
Things that would cause a worldwide panic if it became public knowledge. The primary purpose of my Mistish Farad is to hunt down and destroy the products of those experiments. They may look no different than you or I, but make no mistake. Any humanity in them was programmed out of them long ago. They are nothing more than weapons now.
• Wolf Queen
Oh, lovely.
• Netcat
Since then, I’ve kept my focus on raising my son and keeping him safe. I appointed my trusted friend Lord Quecksilber as Lord Steward to act on my behalf while I am away. One blessing of modern technology is that I don’t actually have to be in Altarraum to run it. That said, I have been spending more time in Altarraum as my son has gotten older. He’s your typical angsty teenager, and I am just so annoying now.
Does he dye his hair black and wear arm warmers, even in the summer?
• FastJack
No, but he keeps his hair spiked. He has the black eyeliner down pat too. Doesn’t look half bad, actually. Except for the fingerless fishnet gloves. Oh, how I loathe those things. Did I mention he’s going by the nickname Taliesin now? Yea, he saw it in a book and decided it was just so wiz.
• Wolf Queen
Chip off the old block, isn’t he?
• Bull
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Description: Margaret "Maisie" MacLellan is a complex individual. She is the youngest of the immortal elves by several decades, but through great effort and sheer tenacity, she has become powerful enough to gain a modicum of respect from her fellow immortals. Her magical practice still resembles the shamanic tradition, but the immense trauma she has suffered changed her beliefs and world view on a deeply fundamental level. That in turn caused her tradition to become gradually more esoteric and personal. Her trauma has also made her far more paranoid, to the point that she will often meet with runners personally, rather than trust proxies, so she can get a feel for their merits and level of professionalism. Maisie herself grew up in the shadows of Berlin, and she has not forgotten this. She has never been known to double-cross a runner, and has on occasion given helpful hints and tips when she senses a runner is relatively new. Never trust an elf is one of the main rules of the shadows, but for every rule there is an exception. She has a gift for diplomacy, and an almost preternatural ability to calm those around her.
That said, Maisie possesses a wrath of biblical proportions. She is capable of going berserk when wounded or when a member of her "pack" is in grave danger (her pack consisting of her family, close friends, and most trusted allies), and frequently leaves a wide swath of mana fueled destruction in her wake when pushed to that point. She does not take kindly to betrayal, and has made brutal examples of traitors in the past. Maisie has her father's vindictive streak, and is very creative with how she gets her revenge.
Maisie has naturally blood red hair, which she usually keeps tied back in a simple french braid. She has six gunshot wound scars across her torso and upper legs, and a barely perceptible scar above her right temple which is usually hidden by her hair. Her skin is otherwise smooth and milky white, and her face is heart shaped with sharp features. Her most noticeable feature, however, is her bright gold almond shaped eyes. Her pupils are normally round, but will change to slits when she goes berserk.
She is a skilled swordswoman, wolf shaman, and grade 25 initiate. She has a natural immunity to age, toxins, disease, and pathogens. She is also immune to sedatives, though the jury is still out on whether that is due to her heritage or just pure willpower.
Relationships:
Maisie has worked tirelessly to earn many powerful allies. Among them are Lofwyr, Nebelherr, Schwarzkopf, Arleesh, Sean Laverty, Ehran the Scribe, Harlequin, Jane Foster, and Hestaby. Maisie and Aden seems to have some manner of gentleman's (gentlewoman's?) agreement, though no one knows what that agreement entailed. They are certainly not allies, but they aren't outright enemies either.
Maisie has also managed to earn herself some powerful enemies. Her most vicious rivalry is with Alachia, and Jenna Ni'Farra isn't far behind. Ehran himself voiced concerns that it's only a matter of time before her rivalry with Alachia boils over into a chal'han, or worse. She also has rivalries with Sirrurg and holds a particular hatred for Ghostwalker.
-
Lady Quecksilber
No Time For Tea -
“Seize them!” She heard the wizwyrm’s voice bellowing through the empty streets. The air was thick and muggy, and made it difficult to catch her breath. She stopped and clapped her hands over her ears as his voice echoed in her head. “Susanna, come back.”
“No!” She screamed. Blood dripped down her arms from the raw wounds on her wrists, left by her struggles against the harsh metal cuffs that had imprisoned her for so long. “Get out of my head! Get out!”
“Dove?” She felt warm hands over her own and looked up. The runner’s face morphed into a more comforting one. “Wake up, it’s just a dream.”
She abruptly found herself in bed. Her husband was looking down at her with kind blue eyes, his expression was a blend of concern and reassurance. Her face crumpled, a soft sob shuddered in her throat. “Michael…”
“Shh, it’s alright. I’m right here.” His voice was smooth, soft, and calming. He tenderly combed his fingers through her fair hair, and kissed her forehead. “Come on, I’ll brew some tea.” He threw the covers off and sat on the side of the bed. “Lights on, low.”
As the room gradually brightened, he rolled his head around on his neck to work out the kinks. He rubbed his eyes, and tried in vain to smooth out his messy black hair, which reached slightly past the nape of his neck, and had the slightest hint of grey. Dark, ugly scars crisscrossed his back, punctuated by one large round one. The exit wound from a bullet fired by one of Ghostwalker’s “deniable assets” decades ago. Its mate, the entry wound, marred his chest. Susanna flinched at the memory of being dragged away from him as he laid bleeding on the ground, and rubbed her wrists. She got up, threw on a black satin robe, and traipsed into the living room. Michael wasn’t far behind, she could hear the soft, rhythmic thud of his cane on the carpeted floor. The clock on the wall told her that sunrise wouldn’t be for another hour. She smirked, plenty of time.
Michael limped into the room to find his beloved wife relaxing buck nude on the couch, and grinned broadly. The tea would have to wait.
== Info ==
Street Name: Dove
Name: Susanna Quecksilber
Movement: 10/20, 2m/ hit, Swim: 6, 1m/ hit
Karma: 0
Street Cred: 0
Notoriety: 1
Public Awareness: 0
Elf Female Age 60's
Height 5' 7" Weight 125lbs
Composure: 10
Judge Intentions: 10
Lift/Carry: 6 (45 kg/30 kg)
Memory: 9
Nuyen: 220670
== Attributes ==
BOD: 3
AGI: 5
REA: 4
STR: 3
CHA: 6
INT: 4
LOG: 5
WIL: 4
EDG: 3
== Derived Attributes ==
Essence: 6
Initiative: 8 + 1d6
Rigger Initiative: 8 + 1d6
Astral Initiative:
Matrix AR Initiative: 8 + 1d6
Matrix Cold Initiative: 4 + DP + 3d6
Matrix Hot Initiative: 4 + DP + 4d6
Physical Damage Track: 10
Stun Damage Track: 10
== Limits ==
Physical: 5
Mental: 6
Social: 8
Mortimer of London: Summit Dress [+1] (Must be visible)
Astral: 8
== Active Skills ==
Animal Handling : 0 Pool: 5
Archery : 0 Pool: 4
Armorer : 0 Pool: 4
Artisan : 2 [Cooking] Pool: 6 (8)
Automatics : 0 Pool: 4
Blades : 1 [Knives] Pool: 6 (8)
Clubs : 1 Pool: 6
Computer : 0 Pool: 4
Con : 1 Pool: 7
Cybercombat : 0 Pool: 4
Demolitions : 0 Pool: 4
Disguise : 0 Pool: 3
Diving : 0 Pool: 2
Escape Artist : 0 Pool: 4
Etiquette : 1 Pool: 7
First Aid : 3 Pool: 8
Forgery : 0 Pool: 4
Free-Fall : 0 Pool: 2
Gunnery : 0 Pool: 4
Gymnastics : 1 [Dance] Pool: 6 (8)
Hacking : 0 Pool: 4
Heavy Weapons : 0 Pool: 4
Impersonation : 1 Pool: 7
Instruction : 0 Pool: 5
Intimidation : 0 Pool: 5
Leadership : 1 [Inspire] Pool: 7 (9)
Longarms : 0 Pool: 4
Medicine : 3 Pool: 8
Navigation : 0 Pool: 3
Negotiation : 1 Pool: 7
Perception : 1 Pool: 5
Performance : 1 [Singing] Pool: 7 (9)
Pilot Ground Craft : 0 Pool: 3
Pilot Watercraft : 0 Pool: 3
Pistols : 0 Pool: 4
Running : 2 Pool: 5
Sneaking : 0 Pool: 4
Survival : 0 Pool: 3
Swimming : 2 Pool: 5
Throwing Weapons : 0 Pool: 4
Tracking : 0 Pool: 3
Unarmed Combat : 1 Pool: 6
== Knowledge Skills ==
Area Knowledge: Altarraum : 1 Pool: 5
Area Knowledge: DeeCee : 2 Pool: 6
Area Knowledge: Denver : 1 Pool: 5
Biology : 2 [Anatomy] Pool: 7 (9)
Chemistry : 2 [Pharmaceuticals] Pool: 7 (9)
English : N Pool: 0
Gardening : 2 Pool: 6
Herbalism : 2 Pool: 6
Literature : 1 [Poetry] Pool: 6 (8)
Music : 2 Pool: 6
Persian : 1 [Speak] Pool: 6 (8)
Politics : 1 Pool: 6
Religion : 2 [Zoroastrianism] Pool: 7 (9)
Shadow Community : 1 Pool: 5
Street Drugs : 1 [Bliss] Pool: 5 (7)
== Contacts ==
Ghostwalker; Denver; Great Dragon (12, 1) (Enemy)
Michael Quecksilber; Altarraum; Husband (4, 6)
Queen Margaret; Throw a dart at a map; Monarch (6, 5)
== Qualities ==
Dry Addict (Moderate) (Bliss)
Emotional Attachment (Wedding Ring)
Flashbacks II
Friends in High Places
Gifted Healer (Treatment)
Linguist
Low-Light Vision
Lucky
SINner (National) (Altarraum)
Social Stress
Trust Fund IV
== Lifestyles ==
Drake Sanctuary 12 months
== Armor ==
Mortimer of London: Summit Dress 7
+Concealability
+Custom Fit
== Weapons ==
Combat Knife
Pool: 6 (8) Accuracy: 6 DV: 5P AP: -3 RC: 2
Unarmed Attack
Pool: 6 Accuracy: 5 DV: 3S AP: - RC: 2
== Commlink ==
Fairlight Caliban (ATT: 0, SLZ: 0, DP: 7, FWL: 7)
== Gear ==
Advanced Medkit Rating 6
Certified Credstick, Ebony
HemostatiX Dressing x6
Holster
Slap Patch, Antidote Patch Rating 6 x4
Slap Patch, Chem Patch x4
Slap Patch, Stim Patch Rating 6 x4
Slap Patch, Tranq Patch Rating 6 x4
Slap Patch, Trauma Patch x4
Vasotech MD-3X Autoinjection Gun
Wedding Ring
== Description ==
Susanna is a small, waifish elf with green eyes and light blonde hair. Her face is kind and fine-featured, but her eyes always appear bright and glazed over, as if she is suffering some manner of fever. She is deeply traumatized, and has suffered immensely at the hands of Ghostwalker. She is a dry Bliss addict, and usually wears long sleeves to hide the scarring on her wrists, only some of which were caused by the cuffs used during her imprisonment.
She is a wonderful singer, hence her nickname. She is not a fighter by any stretch of the imagination, but is capable of defending herself if push comes to shove. She prefers peace, which is another reason for her nickname. Susanna is a skilled gardener, and a gifted healer. It is rumored that her father was a doctor and that is how she learned her medical skills, but it is impossible to know anymore. Nearly all records before her arrival in Altarraum were erased.
She currently lives with her husband in a private residence within the hidden drake sanctuary in Altarraum. She serves as a bit of a martyr. A constant reminder of what the free drakes are fighting for, and against. She is the reason for Lord Quecksilber's seething hatred of Ghostwalker.
== Background ==
Not much is known about Susanna's past before she arrived in Altarraum other than the fact she originally hails from the CAS (her accent kind of gives it away). She met Michael when they were both in their teens, and the two were married at the young age of 18. They are the very definition of "soulmates" and utterly devoted to each other. Despite only being married a few months before her capture, Michael still risked everything to get her back. Burning every contact and spending every last nuyen he had to get to Altarraum and find the one person powerful enough to challenge the great white wizwyrm who also had the desire to do so, Harlequin. The details of the rescue mission are unclear, but it involved brokering some kind of deal with the Sea Dragon to make sure Ghostwalker played fair. It is rumored that the team managed to steal one of his eggs, and threatened to hand it over to the Sea Dragon if he didn't free Susanna. Whatever they did, it worked.
After her rescue, she started using Bliss behind her husband's back to escape the pain. He eventually found out when he discovered her on the bathroom floor suffering from an accidental overdose. He helped her get clean, and began studying psychology to better understand how to help her recover and heal from her trauma.
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Seems like Ghostwalker is still trying to get into her head. 0_o
And here I thought he held Susanna prisoner specifically to get at Ser Quecksilver.
...Or was there something more to it?
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Seems like Ghostwalker is still trying to get into her head. 0_o
And here I thought he held Susanna prisoner specifically to get at Ser Quecksilver.
...Or was there something more to it?
Sort of. She honest-to-God did not know where Michael was, and GW figured that out pretty much immediately. So he picked through her mind and browsed through all of her memories of Quecksilber to learn all she knew about him, which shattered her mind in the process. He didn't give a single frag about her health, and did just enough to keep her alive so he could dangle her in front of Michael and try to provoke him into making a mistake that would get him captured.
Whether or not he can still get into her head is up for debate, which is why she stays at the drake sanctuary. She seems to believe that he could swoop down from the skies at any moment, despite Harlequin's reassurances that the sanctuary is well hidden and well protected.
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The trick Michael used to get into her dream is his dragonspeech. Maisie figured out the trick first as part of an initiation ordeal, and she in turn taught Michael. It allows them to hop into a target's dream and ease them out of it. It's meant to be used for nightmares (not the shadow spirit), to help the subject realize they're dreaming and regain control of what is happening, or simply wake up.
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I'm familiar with Dragonspeech. IIRC, dragonkind and their "derivatives" (immortal elves, drakes) pick it up instinctively at some point in their life.
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I'm familiar with Dragonspeech. IIRC, dragonkind and their "derivatives" (immortal elves, drakes) pick it up instinctively at some point in their life.
Yep, but the dream trick is new AFAIK.