[Tsuzua]

I was seeing an awful lot of metahumans in the applications (maybe even SURGEd too) .  I'm going to suggest going with the Glory theme/concept where CAS rounds up these Metas into a "Separate but Equal" unit and puts some human in charge of them.

Oddly enough, the CAS has never been particularly anti-metahuman compared to say Japan.  It's at least not any better or worse than UCAS.  Part of that is the fact that's it's been ignored for the most part in the SR universe.  Heck, it seems like a nice place to live considering the lack of disasters that hit it.   

[crisses]

...the lack of disasters that hit it.   

Until we got there, of course.... lol

[SeriousOne338]

If we do london I have two characters that will work. Clockwork a drone rigger with the flare for steam punk. And the suit an infiltrator.

[CitizenJoe]

2039: CAS senate report confirms that Metahumans are treated almost as slaves in most areas.  NAN imposes trade sanctions.
2040: Several token metahumans are appointed to president Alexander's cabinet to lift some of the NAN sanctions.
2048-49: Sec. State Bennet is discovered dead with elven mistress.  A Racial Revenge trial follows.
2050: Bennet murder trial drags on causing policlub beating and the Metahuman Organized Rebellion (MOR) has thousands of metahumans march on Atlanta.

CAS is nothing if not conservative.  They bang that drum repeatedly.  Despite 20 years passing since the MOR march, the conservative nature of CAS is unlikely to have made any substantive changes in race relations since then.

[Tsuzua]

2039: CAS senate report confirms that Metahumans are treated almost as slaves in most areas.  NAN imposes trade sanctions.
2040: Several token metahumans are appointed to president Alexander's cabinet to lift some of the NAN sanctions.
2048-49: Sec. State Bennet is discovered dead with elven mistress.  A Racial Revenge trial follows.
2050: Bennet murder trial drags on causing policlub beating and the Metahuman Organized Rebellion (MOR) has thousands of metahumans march on Atlanta.

CAS is nothing if not conservative.  They bang that drum repeatedly.  Despite 20 years passing since the MOR march, the conservative nature of CAS is unlikely to have made any substantive changes in race relations since then.

What book is that from?  I must admit I haven't run across much about anything about the CAS even when discussing stuff like metahuman relations but I only really paid attention to the metaplot in the second edition to third edition eras.  Considering the years listened, I'll guess the Neo-Anarchist's Guide to North America.

I would also point out in 2039 was the year of the Night of Rage and in the Humanis Policlub was huge in 2050 even in places like Seattle.  Thus the CAS really wasn't that much more different than UCAS in those regards.  Metahuman tensions was a big thing back in the early days.

Also, "they're conservative therefore nothing has changed in 24 years?"  Now maybe the CAS is more or less racist than the UCAS, but either where there really hasn't been any Glory style situations in SR.  Typically the OMG Racist go-to country has been Japan with Yomi and the events of Year of the Comet.

[Sichr]

Hm...IDN, Surge, Crash 2.0, Emergence...this all happened since then...also with moderate lifespan, racial Majority X minority proportions would change radicaly...

[Tsuzua]

I've been working on my character for the GB game.  Right now I'm working on a scottish martial artist face.  But then I remembered I liked guns.      So I might come up with something else depending on what the rest of the group looks like.

[Sichr]

I`ve just experienced Deja Vu of this conversation

[CitizenJoe]

First of all, sorry for hijacking the thread.  This was really just meant to get the flavor of the local setting. 

Yes, that information was from NAGNA.  It is perfectly reasonable to assume that something happened that magically changed the racial bias that has existed in the South since the 1800's, but there's nothing specifically stating that it actually happened.

More comments in Shadows of North America. "Conservatives really don't care about getting rid of the metas, they just want to make sure metas are put in their place as second class citizens." -T-Bone

So that gets us to the 2060's without substantive change in Metahuman discrimination.  So I think that a Glory scenario would be appropriate.  Of course, it is far more likely that the players will nix the idea because they don't want someone else telling them what to do.

[vinnmun]

That is good to know, I didn't see that much about it when I read up on Austin....that mainly focused on the aztlan/cas issue.

[Tsuzua]

BigPeat, any word on which setting you've decided?

[The Big Peat]

Uhh yeah. Eventually. I'm not quite sure where that week went...

I am going with Dallas. The idea's a little more developed in my mind and most of the characters presented seemed to slot in there better than elsewhere.

We're going with 400bp, as per rulebook, because so far that's submissions have been in. House rules are not up, largely because I'm making this post when I should be sleeping.

The following people are in

Rusalka, with the Chaos Mage.
Tsuzua, with the Hacker/Mechanic adept... assuming Tsuzua hasn't got really into the Martial Artist-Face thing :p Get back onto me that one please
Sichr, with the Private Investigator/Bounty Hunter
SeriousOne with the Gunslinger

aaaand...

That's it for now. One space left - so far, most of the suggestions thrown in cover what the party's got going for it already, and I'm looking for someone to offer something different . The big glaringly obvious thing is a  Face.

To everyone, thankyou very much for your interest. I'm stoked about this, and to those of you whose submissions I have not taken/don't have interest in going for a Face type role, hopefully I'll get the opportunity to play with you in some form at some point.

p.s. Re CitizenJoe's comments on CAS and prejudice...

Based on what I could find on the place, and what made sense to me, there is a fair bit of prejudice in CAS. And it is directed every-which direction. But, for the most part, they'd like to think they're not. Their government would like to think they're not. Or maybe substitute like with pretend. And yes, it's fairly easy to walk into the wrong neighbourhood/club and end up donating your teeth if you're not paying attention, but that is true of a lot of places. Ultimately, being different in Dallas is not a real issue if you're sensible.

Note however, that's Dallas, and noticeably more liberal than a lot of the surrounding environs based on my reading (and therefore it's true in my game). There could be problems in the sticks.

So that's my take on it. Even in a harsher environment though, I'd stick with the classic SR model of freelances rather than taking military orders, because I like it.

In my Dallas, which is based mainly on the books but maybe a little out of date as the solid info was 20 years out of date or so in game, the big issues stem from the Atzlan occupation of South Texas - being the seat of government, arguments over whether to resort to military force, the tide of refugees and gang-related violence that followed. How much these effect you remains to be seen. It also sits on a fairly major smuggling route down to the Atzlan border. So there we go.

edit: And again, thankyou all for your patience.

editedit: Totally didn't just have to edit it because I confused posters' handles... nope nope... SeriousOne, not All4BigGuns. Damnit!

[CitizenJoe]

Dallas, or Texas in general, is going to be a lot more tolerant of metas because they've got the big bad Aztlan right there, so they already have a target demographic to hate. "Meh!  At least he ain't an AssHandler (Aztlaner)"

[UmaroVI]

Alright, let me throw out a Face concept and backstory.

James "Preacher" Armstrong

Background
The Armstrongs were the preachers of Brimstone, Texas for as long back as anyone could remember. Brimstone's a little place on the Texas-Louisiana border with a strange history - James's grandpa, Jack Armstrong, founded the place right around the Awakening, believing that the signs heralded the end of the world. Of course, the world didn't actually end, and so most of his flock moved on, but more than a few stuck around. Since then, Brimstone's been going along, mostly only being noticed when the Armstrong church got itself in the headlines for things like denouncing Dunkelzahn as the anti-Christ, claiming that Technomancy was the mark of the Beast, and such-like. Most particularly, they're known for believing that, without exception, the Awakened are possessed by demons.

James's father Davis made the news back in '68 when he took the fall for the murder of a Christian Theurge who came to try to talk the Brimstoners out of their irrational anti-Awakened prejudice. He became something of a news item for a few weeks, as trid shows competed to get the most venomously hate-filled interview in order to stir up controversy and draw in offended viewers.

Now, this left James holding the torch of the Armstrong family, even though he was only nineteen when his father went to death row. But it turned out James had quite a gift for preaching - he was better than his father or grandfather had ever been. In fact, he was so good he started pulling in quite a contingent of the bitter and crazy from all over - enough that Brimstone started to become a concern for the government as quite a number of people on their watchlists started picking up and heading to Brimstone.

Ironically, it was the attention of the government that changed things. Turns out, James was Awakened the whole time, but never knew - and of course, none of his followers could tell either. A bit of nascent magical power was why he was so good at stirring up anti-Awakened sentiment. Rather than get its hands dirty, the government - who were, of course, smart enough to have someone capable of Assensing check out Brimstone - just had to spark the rumors, point out how easy it would be to find out for sure, and watch the lynch mob form. James has been on the run ever since, staying in the shadows of Texas while he tries to sort himself out.

Personality
James is more than a bit adrift right now - he'd built his entire personality and life around his identity as an outspoken anti-Awakened preacher, and he doesn't really know what he stands for anymore. He has no interest in dying or getting arrested until he figures it out, though, and runs the shadows in order to get the money he needs for that.

It should be noted that while James still has a knee-jerk distrust of other Awakened, he isn't nearly enough of a hypocrite to consciously act on it.

James still has a strong belief in some kind of Christian faith, but he's completely unsure of the details. Is his Awakening the manifestation of damnation for some sin? Was this supposed to be his road to Damascus?

[Rusalka]

Better put mine in again, then, just to make things look proper...

Alias: Incipit
Name: Naharika Pathak
Race: Elf

Build Point totals:  400 = Metatype (30) + Attributes (175) + Qualities (+35/-35) + Skills (108) + Nuyen (37) + Foci (2) + Contacts (18)

Background:
If one was to create a file on the life of Naharika Pathak, one would not be mistaken in judiciously applying an [EVO] stamp on the product. That, in fact, is what has been done, and if one was to pay the right people, access to such might even be found.

Growing up in India, even when born to human parents of some standing, is not the dream of many metahumans. Such, however, was the case for Naharika. Her father was a moderately successful stock trader, with her mother working as newscaster for a popular regional channel. Perhaps she might have followed in their footsteps, were it not for an event that came to pass shortly before her eleventh birthday: She Awakened.

Born in Surat, it might have seemed obvious upon her Awakening to be enrolled in one of the many programs sponsored by the Gujarat Ayurved University, one of the foremost Indian magical educational institutions, were it not for the fact that said institution was extremely biased towards Hindu traditions. Her parents were somewhat religious Jaina, in spite of their professions, and thus not particularly interested in this. As such, the choice was between enrolling in a program teaching incompatible dogma, finding one espousing one's own dogma, but providing sub-par education – Or perhaps finding something completely third.

It was a narrow thing, but in the end, the third option was the one taken. After all, a mage in the family was a status symbol, and who would willingly waste one such by neglecting its development? The country was searched far and wide, until an unlikely candidate was found. The Japanese Corporation, Yamatetsu, it seemed, was branching into the thaumaturgical market, and was providing likely candidates with a solid magical education, for an unlikely small fee. Certain restrictions were involved, of course, but beggars, as the saying goes, can't be choosers, and so the offer was accepted. With Yamatetsu being an AAA corporation, at least the quality would be assured, and with the eclectic nature of the program, their magical progeny would not swayed too much in the wrong direction. Naharika, of course, has no say in the matter, but she was not too dissatisfied. The new world into which she was drawn was a fascinating one, and though her new teachers still demanded a measure of respect, it was now a mutual respect – She was special; she couldn't be replaced by any runt from the streets, and they knew that.

After two years, disaster struck. Yamatetsu was send into turmoil due to internal events, and shortly thereafter, the Matrix came crashing down. When things began to stabilize once more, her family was ruined, and even the small fee involved in her education was too much to bear – They would have to have her withdraw from the program. Unwilling to lose a prospective resource, however, Yamatetsu made a counterproposal: They would fit the bill, if only Naharika would partake in a new study. Yamatetsu, after all, was especially involved in the manufacture of cyber- and bioware, and even in a thaumaturgical program, drawing upon such resources was tempting. Finding mages, especially strong ones, willing to undergo augmentation, on the other hand, was quite difficult. Who better than the desperate of the desperate?

Undergo surgery she did, and though her powers were weakened for it, she did not regret it. What mattered was that she was allowed to continue her studies – So she was, and so she did.

***

Years later, as she left her old apartment for the last time, locking the doors and flashing through the documents on her new residency and her job contract, she looked back at her past and though about how she'd gotten there. The years seemed to have passed so quickly, and for so little. Her education and training had been a breeze, what with the neural enhancers they'd pumped her full of, and she'd been thrust into a world of politics so sure of herself. She'd known things, she'd been so sure of it, and others had just seemed so slow.

The breaking point had been when they had employed that pair of flea-ridden wolf-fawners as “spiritual guidance.” Oh, the complaints she'd had...

Their starting wages were higher than what she'd fought tooth and nail for! They didn't have any qualifications! Oh, yes, they were Awakened, alright, but so was everyone in the department! And who in their right minds would claim that she had been given her powers by some benevolent entity, and would have them taken away, lest she obey its wishes? They were incompetent nutters, and everyone else respected them because they sounded wise! She knew spirits, could summon them up and talk to them, she even had one assisting her for whatever inscrutable reason it might have. That didn't mean she bowed down and worshipped them; it just meant she treated them like she would any other intelligent entity! How could people be so stupid!?

She hadn't been heeded, of course. Rather the opposite. Oh, how she'd used to love the EvoPeople, and their way of judging everyone based on their merits. Or so she thought, at the time. It turned out that they just accepted everyone, regardless of merit. In spite of lack of merit, as it was.

She'd been infuriated, but not so much as when she realized what they would do to her: Her refusal to work with the shamans had caused a tempest of immense proportions; it was unheard of for EvoPeople to do that. They tried to negotiate with her, gave her corrective courses, did everything they could to try to convince her to accept those people, regardless of their inane claims and their mindless acceptance of baseless theories. She hadn't caved. And so they punished her.

Now, she was on her way from the place she'd grown used to, away from the people she half-hated, half-loved. She'd still work for them, of course, or a subsidiary project of theirs. It wouldn't do to throw away such a valuable resource. And yet, even the work would be negligible. She'd be teleworking, doing a few hours a week of commcalls with various researchers working on nexialist projects – Or so the spiel ran. A promotion, they called it, to “an important research program more suited for her unique capabilities.” An important project indeed. So important as to be unable to pay  more than a quarter of her cost of living.

She sighed, and stepped into the unremarkable car with the tinted windows that had just parked next  to her. Such was the nature of corporate politics. She still had her skills, and she still had her will.

Too bad for the suits.[/spoiler]

Appearance:

A rather short woman, especially for an elf, Incipit might easily be mistaken for everything but what she is - As a miniscule augmented Indian elf, she is far from the usual appearance of a Chaos Mage. She walks with a firm stride, sure of her own merits, always dressed to face the world - If, perhaps, just to be able to tell in which direction to run.

Sheet:
Name: Naharika Pathak
Alias: Incipit
Race: Elf
Sex: Female
Nationality: CAS Permanent Resident
Karma Spent: 0

Attributes

Body	Agility	Reaction	Strength
3	2	1	1
Charisma	Intuition	Logic	Willpower
3	3	5 [8]	4
Edge	Magic/Resonance	Essence	Initiative
1	5	5.00	4

Positive Qualities
Low-Light Vision (Metatype)
College Education
Magician
Mentor Spirit (Spider)
Restricted Gear 1
Spirit Pact (Edge 1, Formula Pact)

Negative Qualities
Day Job (10 hours/week)
Media Junkie (Mild)
Prejudiced (Specific, Outspoken) (Shamans and other Faith-based Magicians)
Records on File (Evo)
SINner (Standard)

Active Skills

Biotech Skill Group	1
Influence Skill Group	1
Arcana	1
Banishing	2
Binding (Spirit of Man)	3
Computer	1
Counterspelling	2
Data Search	1
Ritual Spellcasting	3
Spellcasting (Illusion)	5
Summoning	3

Knowledge Skills (24 free points)

Cyberneurology	2
History	2
Magic Traditions (Mages)	1
Magical Theory	4
Matrix Gaming	1
Modern Literature	1
Mysticism	2
News	3

Language Skills

Gujarati	N
English	5
Cantonese	2

Cyber/Bioware

Cyberware	Essence	Cost	Notes
Datajack	0.08	1,000¥	Alphaware
Single Cybereye	0.08	2,600¥	Rating 1, Alphaware, /w Vision Magnification
Nanohive	0.60	20,000¥	Rating 1, Alphaware
Neocortical Neural Amplifiers	0.00	15,000¥	Rating 3
Bioware	Essence	Cost	Notes
Cerebral Boosters	0.48	60,000¥	Rating 3, Alphaware

Spells/Complex Forms/Programs

Spell	Cost	Notes
Analyse Magic	0¥	Detection
Mind Probe	0¥	Detection
Mindnet, Extended	0¥	Detection
Increase Reflexes	0¥	Health
Agony	0¥	Illusion
Dream	0¥	Illusion
Physical Mask	0¥	Illusion
Sight Removal	0¥	Illusion
Trid Phantasm	0¥	Illusion
Physical Barrier	0¥	Manipulation

Gear (185,000¥)

Item	Location	Cost	Notes
Power Focus	Worn	50,000¥	Rating 2, Restricted
Lucifer Lamp	Belt	XXXXX¥	Flashlight-shaped
Lucifer Lampbulb (2)	Carried	200¥	1-hour
Manacase	Carried	200¥	Restricted
Manasheath	Stashed	300¥	Restricted
Magical Lodge	In house #2	2,500¥	Rating 5
Spirit-Binding Materials (2)	Stashed	3,000¥	Rating 3
Sony Emperor x2	1 in house #1, 1 carried	3,200¥	/w Renraku Ichi & Basic User
Renraku Sensei	Worn	6,305¥	/w Iris Orb, Customized Interface, Biometric Reader & Lock, Fiberoptic Cable, Hardening, Basic+, Firewall 6, Subvocal Microphone & Sim Module (Cold)
Fake SIN	Carried	4,000¥	Rating 4, Teesta Bhadani
Fake License (Mage)	Carried	400¥	Rating 4
Certified Credstick	Carried	25¥	Silver
Medkit	Carried	400¥	Rating 4
Tag Eraser	Carried	150¥	Forbidden
Handheld Sensor	Carried	145¥	/w Thermometric, Geiger Counter & Atmosphere Sensor 3
Defiance Protector	Carried	350¥	/w 10 rounds
Morrissey Élan	Worn	1,650¥	/w 10 rounds of Hi-C Plastic, Hidden Gun Arm Slide, Internal Smartgun System & Internal Silencer
Zoé Businesswear	Stashed	500¥
Zoé Executive Suite Long Jacket Ensemble	Worn	1,950¥
Lined Coat	Stashed	2,350¥	/w Fire Resistance, Non-Conductivity & Chemical Protection 3

Lifestyles

Comforts	Entertainment	Necessities	Neighbourhood	Security	Cost/month	Duration	Qualities
Middle	Low	High	Middle	Middle	3,800¥	1 month	Quiet Neighbourhood, Green Plan, Lax Security
Low	Squatter	Middle	Low	High	4,400¥	1 month	Hasty Exit

#1 located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with Legal SIN.
#2 located in Dallas, Texas, with Fake SIN (Teesta Bhadani)

Contacts

Contact	Job	C/L
"Cendrillon"	Smuggler	3/2
Kenny Oakes	Street Doctor	2/4
"Henri-QUE"	Information Broker / Fixer	5/2

Build Point totals:  400 = Metatype (30) + Attributes (175) + Qualities (+35/-35) + Skills (108) + Nuyen (37) + Foci (2) + Contacts (18)[/spoiler]

Contacts:


Cendrillon: A human smuggler operating out of the Port of New Orleans. Chose her name due to her tendency to scamper around in the ashes left by those with too many bullets and too little sense, gathering whatever treasures she might.

Kenny Oakes: A young orc street doctor living in Fort Worth - Reasonably good at his trade, and a close friend of Incipit since she helped save his business from extralegal troubles.

Henri-QUE: Information broker and fixer extraordinaire, this secretive man prefers to keep his relations solely professional, but has a tendency to quickly pick out those of his clients who make good on their deals.