[Smiley]

>>>>>[Hehe. Denver is a fun playground.

And yes, hit where they're weak is the general rule. But, if you're clever enough (like me), sometimes, hitting them where they are strong is perfect. They don't expect others to hit them there so they tend to see it coming a lot less. And to be honest, it's humiliating for the target and rather satisfying for a clever hitman (like me). But, that's for the advanced class folks, stick with the general rule.]<<<<<
       -- Smiley (17:11:51/03-26-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Just make sure you are absolutely certain you can take the guy you're trying to humiliate. Unlike these guys I have bleeding out on my yard right now. A runner team, from the looks of it. From what I can get from the one who still had a bit of life in him before the shock set in, some old Rinnele types learned I was back in the Tir, and decided to try and get me to answer for causing some friends and family to disappear. Since those friends and family were the ones that killed my sister, I wasn't losing sleep over it. Anyways, they got some local talent together, and believed the file that said I was a low skilled support mage who got my military rank because of my social status. They also read the part where I liked using a blade, and decided to challenge me.

Long story short, I'm alive, they're dead, my guests got a show, and the starlet understands better why I'm training her. Now before any of you start calling bulldrek, it was just five street samurai, razored up, and they weren't expecting me to summon a spirit during the fight, and have it possess me. Some would call it cheating. I call it not doing your legwork.

Anyways, one of my friends from the Peace Force is here, so we can straighten this out. She also wants a copy of my simrig recording of the fight, for her collection.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (09:14:19/03-27-74)

[wylie]

>>>>>[Finished talking to a mage friend. He told me that the acid marks on my ARES alpha was from a toxic spirit..]<<<<<
--Ferret (17:33:34/03-27-74)

[Kylen]

>>>>>[Yeah, so, interesting thing happened last night as I was walking home from the bar. Random ass spirit spots me, roars, and charges me. Missed it's first strike on me, and I LITERALLY punched it in the face. Seems to have scared the thing off, cause I haven't seen it since, and I woke up from sleeping. My only guess was that I harnessed my inner (insert your preference of Ki, Magic, or whathave you for your explanation for most Adepts doing what they do), and channeled it into the strike to hit it. Surprised the hell out of me too, watching a spirit go flying through a wall (both literally and figuratively. I don't think the thing possessed anything because it wasn't expecting that, so no walls damaged.)

Personal thought: Likely not a yak hit, because yak hits are reserved for people who matter, not random ass couriers. Possible random attempt at eating me? Maybe. Not like I could interrogate him.]<<<<<

     -- Card (19:39:01/3-27-74)

[wylie]

>>>>>[Guess I should mention I shove the weapon down the throat of the spirit and pulled both triggers. Seems their immunty to modern weapons can go both ways, protecting me from the grenade's blast. Or it wasn't as tough as it looked..]<<<<<
--Ferret (20:33:12/ 03-27-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[It could have been a simple coincidence, Card. Though there's another possibility. Can you see the astral? Have any of your recent packages had an aura about them? From the sound of it, the spirit was probably free, since a spirit that had been summoned or bound would have kept attacking you until it was disrupted or you were dead. Physical blows, if there is enough strength of will or personality behind them, can harm a spirit. And many adepts have the power to make their blows into magical attacks, which would affect a spirit as surely as a magician's spell.

Whether you actually damaged it or not, when a spirit materializes, it has a solid form, which can be acted upon. So you did hit it in the face, and even if it didn't actually hurt it, you likely surprised it enough that it decided not to press the issue.

And Ferret, it sounds to me like you got lucky, pure and simple. Even a weak toxic spirit can be a deadly challenge to the mundane. No offense meant, but there is a reason why Firewatch teams are comprised mostly of Awakened types and people with heavy weapons.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (20:50:32/03-27-74)

[Smiley]

>>>>>[Ice, I think you've been tutoring for too long, you're trying to give me tips on how to do wetwork. Hahaha.

On a side note, I have seized a considerable asset for myself and I have been able to track the spirit to a possible target. I arrived there too late, of course, but the spirit was still there. I told it "You and your handler are playing in my backyard, interfering in my plans... And I don't like it! You better back the frag off because I'm going to get you both!". It looked at me and, to my surprise, it recognized me and instantly fled. It could have tried to take one at me but instead decided to take off. Well, it is true that my name was not on the list the last time I checked.]<<<<<
       -- Smiley (22:00:513/03-27-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Not trying to teach you your game, Smiley. Just giving the up and comers an example in why that is Advanced Theory, and shouldn't be done before you're ready. Just because you're one of the only wetwork specialists on this VPN doesn't mean that these younglings won't get called up for a hit some day. When it happens, unless they're coming after me, I stand to gain more if they are better prepared than the goons who just tried to geek me.

Nice work on tracking the spirit down, though. The fact that it fled means it may have had orders only to engage the targets, or it simply didn't feel like attacking you. Spirits can be tricky to fathom, since their world view is so different from ours. Free spirits are even more so.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (23:00:00/03-27-74)

[Morg]

>>>>>[The newest update to my comlink won't let me play my pirated Music Sims. I even lost the oldies, anyone got a crack for The Shadows  and JB's albums?]<<<<<
     --Morg (06:59:04/03-27-74)

[shrike]

>>>>>[I have just heard a most interesting rumor from one of my associates. They claim the reason behind the technical delays for the Ares Excalibur is thus: My source says their problems stem from the fact that they are preparing the Excalibur as a vessel for a bound spirit to combine a weapon personality with the spirit's personality. If true, the weapon would be incredibly sturdy, as it would be immune to non-magical damage and have some magical abilities as well which would be controllable by the user's PAN. It is a ridiculously ludicrous rumor and I laughed until my chest ached so I thought I would pass it along. While I do not consider myself an expert in the matters arcane, some things are simply incompatible. Like water and oil for instance.

By the way Ice, are you certain the reason the runner team was sent after you was not politically motivated? I ask because the last time I crossed the Tir border, a team of two foolish young men were sent to "give me a message' from one of my family's many political rivals. I can only assume their message was a demonstration of how much blood the human body can contain when it's head is severed. I know I do not have to warn you about the Byzantine political maneuvering that is involved in dealing with our homeland. Consider this some friendly advice: Remember that sometimes nothing is more elusive than an obvious fact when when it hides behind a lie that we wish to believe. However, if they were the makkanagee morkhan that were responsible for the death of your sister, they received a just reward for their foolishness.]<<<<<
     --Shrike (10:52:03/03-28-74)

[Mirikon]

>>>>>[Oh, the ones who killed my sister didn't live out the first month after the Princes left. I made a special trip back to the Tir just for them. But I didn't eliminate their entire families. For one thing, I couldn't get to them all at the time, without leaving my 'guests' alone for longer than I cared to. Couldn't have one of them finding a way to escape before I finished with them. But yes, the bastards who killed Ariana are dead. The ones who tried to come after me claimed to be paid by the relatives and associates of those people. A friend in the Peace Forces confirmed that the wannabes were local runners, so there isn't much point trying to track them through their Johnson at this point.

Could have been a political rival of my parents' trying to settle a score, but if so, it was sloppily done, not like the level of intrigue you typically see. No, I'm leaning towards it being someone either looking to settle a score with me personally, or looking to move up by endearing themselves to someone further up the ladder. The lack of finesse, and using rookie runners, makes it clear that whoever it was isn't experienced in the Great Game. A corp reprisal team, or someone sent by anyone of real importance, would have been far heavier opposition, and would have at least had magical assets to counter magic.

The starlet has gotten over her shock from last night. Now she's asking the usual questions when a civilian sees you cutting down people like that. "What is it like to be possessed? What is it like to kill someone? How many people have you killed? Who was your first? Why didn't you try to take them alive?" She's asked Xerena and Wolf the same questions, though she had the decency to ask them in private.]<<<<<

--Iceblade (12:16:20/03-28-74)

[shrike]

>>>>>[Vengeance visited upon those who have wronged us is seldom granted for us to meet out. I find myself cheered that you were able to sip the nectar from that sweet cup, though it is small satisfaction when compared to the death of a loved one. As one who has experienced similar loss, you have my sympathy, unnecessary though it may be.

I have been reviewing the conversations on this node for some time now and your dealings with this starlet are similar to an experience of mine. My team and I have recently began training an up-and-comer and it has been quite an interesting journey thus far. Explaining to her things such as"No, Mr. Johnson is not their real name, neither are they all related" and "Shadowruns do not always occur at night of within a literal shadow," had some of my team howling with laughter. She has also asked the very same queries your protege has put forward to you and your compatriots. After I had recovered from my initial mirth, I began to ponder these questions she asked, for they were innocent enough (now there is a word pregnant with meaning: innocent. How long has it been since that word could describe those such as us?).

Much of the romance associated with the term shadowrun comes from a misunderstanding of all the actual work that is involved in this vocation. I wonder how many such starlets (or would-be shadowrunners) would find waiting for hours (or days) in a vermin infested room for a single perfect shot at a target, or trudging through miles or sewage to enter an unguarded (or unknown) passage to acquire a payday exciting? After the initial rush has faded, few I am sure.}<<<<<
     -- Shrike (11:42:35/03-28-74)

[Morg]

>>>>>[I have always hated waiting the quiet gives you time to worry,,,did I get sold out?..do they know.?...um i have a weird question this time; Is there such a thing as true evil and can you be it and not know....have any of you ever done something to make you wonder "Am I Evil" and if you never have does it mean something worse?]<<<<<
     --Morg (13:53:34/03-28-74

[shrike]

>>>>>[I agree that the quiet time before direct action can be quite unnerving Morg. I can also speak with some honesty that I have never felt the need to ask myself that particular question, "Am I evil". I have done some things that I hated myself after, but that is a separate issue.

As far as "true evil" goes... If you have ever stared into the eyes of a shedim, you already know the answer to that question. If you have never had that unfortunate experience, the answer is yes in my opinion. Unequivocally. Evil exists.]<<<<<
     -- Shrike (13:12:43/03-28-74)

[Morg]

>>>>>[Sorry for the odd questions, I am just in a mood...I can't get much help from the free spirits in Denver...I think they were afraid of me...when I caught one it said somethings that didn't make sense...it was the most cryptic thing I have ever herd....I need to find out who this Ogoun guy is and make him talk, I got cred if someone has info...Um on a side note whats a Loa?]<<<<<
     --Morg  (15:17:04/03-28-74)