IC
Please note, all your characters ARE inside the vehicle, and HAVE heard the speech in the OP. This is the most rail roading I'll do, like ever. Feel free to tell Johnson to Eff off and do your own thing if you like
Yes we are accepting players
This is a Science-Fantasy roleplay set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror and detective fiction.
This world is cross-genre, incorporating elements of both cyberpunk and urban fantasy. Unlike in a purely cyberpunk game, in this world, magic exists and has "worked" since 2011. Among other things, this split humankind into subtypes, also known as metatypes/metahumans. Some of these metatypes take the form of common fantasy races. Likewise, some animals have turned into familiar monsters of past fantasy and lore and both monsters and human magicians have regained magical powers. By the second half of the 21st century, in the time the game is set, these events are accepted as commonplace. Man, machine, and magic exist in a world where the amazing is among the most common and technology has entered into every facet of human (and metahuman) life.
Characters can be humans, orks, trolls, elves, dwarves, as well as certain diverging subspecies (known as metavariants) such as gnomes, giants, minotaurs, etc. In the early days, when magic returned to the world, humans began to either change into, or give birth to elf and dwarf infants, a phenomenon called Unexplained Genetic Expression (UGE). Later, some juvenile and adult humans "goblinized" into other races (mostly orks, but also some trolls). The term "metahuman" is used either to refer to humanity as a whole, including all races, or to refer specifically to non-human races, depending on context. With the return of Halley's Comet new human variants called "changelings" arose. Two of the metahuman races have fictional languages.
The game is set 62 years in the future, following a great change that has returned magic to the world. The emergence of magic, the outbreak of the VITAS plagues, the Computer Crash of 2029, the Euro-Wars, and the fevers for independence of Amerindian tribes, Chinese provinces, and everything else that came with the many struggles that ravaged Europe and Asia left the world's governments tumbling and falling. The United States was broken into substates. Monetary value was lost. The world had to rebuild, and rebuild they did, this time in the image of the Mega-Corporations that seized power. Taking advantage of the laws that had been passed years ago, and using their new found freedom, the Mega-corps began impressing their power on the failing governments. Before long the world was transformed. Boundaries were redrawn, and the political landscape was changed forever.
A basic premise of the setting is that as the world endured the string of state-changing events and conflicts, the political landscape fragmented and reformed. In North America, for example, some nations broke apart and reformed, as was the case with the Confederation of American States and the United Canadian and American States; others became havens for specific racial or ethnic groups, like the councils of the Native American Nations, the Native Americans having used their new found magical abilities to regain massive tracts of land; or the Elvish principality of Tír Tairngire, that encompasess all of the state of Oregon. Some, like the California Free State, simply declared independence, or became de facto corporate subsidiaries like Aztlan (the former Mexico) to Aztechnology Megacorp. Despite the new role of megacorporations, many nations still hold considerable sway through economic, social and military means. For some, getting by means taking advantage of whatever the corps, or the government might bring their way.
The monolithic "enemies" of the Shadowrun world (borrowing heavily from cyberpunk mythos) are the corporations, dubbed "megacorporations", "megacorps", or simply "megas" or "corps" for short. Megacorporations in the 21st-century are global, with all but the smallest corps owning multiple subsidiaries and divisions around the world. They are the superpowers of the Shadowrun universe, with the largest corporations having far more political, economic, and military power than even the most powerful nation-states.
In Shadowrun, corporations are effectively "ranked" by the amount of assets under their control, including material, personnel, and property, as well as profit. These ranks are A, AA, and AAA; AAA corporations are top tier. Most corporations in the AA and AAA level are immune to domestic law, responsible only to themselves, and regulated only by the Corporate Court, an assembly of the ten AAA-rated corporations. All AAA-rated and most AA-rated corporations exhibit a privilege known as "extraterritoriality", meaning that any land owned by the corp is sovereign territory only to the corp and immune to any laws of the country within. Corporate territory is not foreign soil but corporate soil, just like its employees are corporate citizens, though dual citizenship in a corporation and a nation is common. The AAA corps, as well as numerous minor corporations, fight each other not only in the boardroom or during high-level business negotiations but also with physical destruction, clandestine operations, hostile extraction or elimination of vital personnel, and other means of sabotage. Because no corporation wants to be held liable for damages, it has to be done by deniable assets, or shadowrunners, invisible to the system where every citizen is tagged with a System Identification Number (SIN).
Here's the big ten
Despite the Crash which caused much data corruption, technology in the game is advanced. Cyberware (technical implants) and Bioware (genetically engineered implants which enhance a person's abilities) emerged. Characters can also augment their bodies with nanotechnology implants.
In earlier editions, direct neural interface technology enabled humans and metahumans to directly access computers and the Matrix, the ingame global computer network restructured after the 2029 Crash. Access to the Matrix was accomplished by "deckers": individuals that have "cyberdecks". These interface machines are connected to the brain through a Datajack generally located at the temple or behind the ear.
After the second Matrix crash in 2064, Matrix technology was moved away from the wired network and led into a wireless technology. The most noticeable difference between the Matrix in the 2070s and the earlier editions is that wireless technology has become completely ubiquitous. Communications and Matrix access is provided through wi-fi nodes placed throughout the infrastructure of just about every city on Earth, fulfilling a service similar to contemporary cell towers - but as these nodes are as numerous as telephone poles, only a tiny percentage of their range is necessary. The nodes of all electronic devices a person carries are connected in a similar manner, creating a Personal Area Network (PAN). People access their PAN with their Commlink, a combination personal computer/cell phone/PDA/wireless device available either as an implant or a head-mounted display. This access can be the total sensory immersion common to cyberpunk fiction, or a sensory enhancement by which the virtual features of one's physical surroundings can be perceived and manipulated. The Matrix of the 2070s is thus not only a virtual reality, but an augmented or mixed reality. Cyberdecks are obsolete, so "deckers" have once again become "hackers". In turn, the otaku of previous versions (deckers who did not need decks to access the Matrix) have been reworked into technomancers, who possess an innate connection to the Matrix that permits them to access the wireless network without hardware.
Those able to actively interact with the magical energies of the Sixth World are known as "awakened". An awakened character's power in magic is linked to their Magic attribute. A magic user's approach to working with mystic energy is called their Path. The Awakened fall into three general Paths: magicians, adepts and mystic adepts. Broadly speaking, magicians focus their magic outward, actively affecting the world around them, while adepts focus their magic inward, passively enhancing their bodies and minds.
Magicians are able to cast spells, summon spirits, and create magical artifacts called "foci". All magicians follow traditions that determine their understanding of magic, including hermetic mages (whose control of magic comes through study and manipulation of magical energy or mana, and who summon and bind elementals in lengthy and expensive rituals to be called on later) and shamans (whose magic derives from a connection to nature via a totem spirit, and who can summon the nature spirits associated with a particular place). Adepts use magic internally in order to accentuate their natural physical abilities. Adepts can run on walls, use mundane objects as deadly thrown projectiles, shatter hard objects with a single unarmed blow, and perform similar feats of incredible ability. All adepts follow a very personal path (Path of the Warrior, Path of the Artist, etc.) that normally determines their abilities which might be very different for any two adepts (while one might demonstrate increased reflexes and facility with firearms, a second might possess unparalleled mastery of the katana, and a third might be able to pull off incredible vehicular stunts). Mystic adepts, also known as physical mages, are part magician and part adept who distribute their magic power between the abilities of both aspects.
You're a group of free-lance Shadow-runner's, you all have been running together for a long time. Crack a terminal here, waste some poor ass hole there, doing the dirty work that only the low men on the totem pole get. A mysterious job offer came to you in a weird way, in the package were siz individual twenty nuyen credsticks. Under the cred-sticks was a holocorder, when you turned it on it said come to the Red barrens in Seattle if you'd like to start making more creds. The flight was planned for you and (when we start) you're in a large van being driven over there. You're headed there to take your swing at the big time.
Name:
Race:
Age:
Appearance:
Job Title: (Deckers hack your stuff, Street Samurai's are muscle, Riggers work with machines, Faces are your talky types, Shamans and Mages use magic.)
Cyberware: (Any Cyberware you have.)
Bio:
Accepted Players:
http://roleplayerguild.com/member.ph...0-Vena-Sera-IV
http://roleplayerguild.com/member.php?16736-Foster
http://roleplayerguild.com/member.php?28011-Solemn
http://roleplayerguild.com/member.php?40754-Cleverbird
http://roleplayerguild.com/member.php?26240-Asuras
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your Runners
Name: Anders Morrison
Race: Human
Age: 28
Appearance: At first glance Anders is relatively unassuming, having for the most part average looks and no distinct visible features. He is almost wearing a black long coat over a white sleeveless shirt, a set of track pants and simple albeit worn sneakers on his feet. It's beneath his clothing that one begins to see anything that stands out. His right arm has been, for the most part, replaced with a Bioware prosthetic, covered in a false skin to keep it concealed. Beneath the mock skin one would see a slender, black framed mechanic arm, being mostly unassuming aside from the rotating cogs in his elbow and wrist that act as joints. Though originally intended for a simple replacement he has tinkered with the arm itself, giving the prosthetic improved strength. His upper right chest as a result has a concealed set of diodes implanted to his chest, allowing him control of the limb. Running along both sides of his legs, stemming from a band around his waist, are braces, not much less than a quarter inch in width, barely noticeable. With the addition of reinforced bones in his legs he is able to run at inhuman speeds for a short burst, though it is winding and takes a long while to recuperate afterwards. His oddly snow white hair is medium in length and hangs freely on most sides, a red headband across his forehead keeping his bangs from his eyes. His eyes are a deep brown color, seeming to have a mischievous and playful twinkle to them.
Job Title: Street Samurai
Cyberware:
-Basic communications: Having a small comm-link imbedded in his ear, Anders is able to hear and speak to his friends without the use of any handheld devices.
(Working on one more at the moment, trying to think of a way to word it though.)
Bio: Anders isn't what you'd call... Well behaved. From an early age he got into all sorts of trouble, not so much for breaking the law but for running his mouth. He's always been nefarious for being sarcastic and a smartass, landing him in several sticky situations growing up. Relatively though, despite his confrontational attitude he went through much of his early life without any significant problems. He finished basic education at the request of his parents, having one hell of a time with the teachers all the while. Being born in the United Canadian and American States he was raised in perhaps one of the few remnants of the old world. He'd plenty of opportunity to himself but never much cared to pursue it, finding little interest in education. He wasn't unintelligent as a result, rather a good deal above average, but had no interest in a formal education. As soon as he was a legal age of eighteen he began working, spending most of his time goofing off with others of his age.
His parents, not overly fond with his work ethic, kicked him out at age twenty. As a result he moved into the only place he could afford, a less than favorable neighborhood. No surprise that his smartass behavior got him into some trouble then, eventually getting himself near beaten to death and shot by some less than friendly individuals. He'd barely saved up the money for the resulting medical treatment as a result, the prosthetic arm being necessary as his actual one had been amputated due to the extensive damage. Being in debt now he found himself hard pressed to make money, looking for alternatives other than his less than stellar job. He was eventually brought onboard by a small A rank corporation, ironically caught trying to steal money from them. Rather than arrest him however they offered to hire him, he had fought with and beaten a good few guards in the aftermath of his failed robbery.
Anders soon found himself making money to spare, once his debt for the prosthetic had been paid off. He was initially brought on as a sort of logistics expert, his intelligence making him near a Hacker. He hated the concept of that though, the idea of brawling sounded more enjoyable. He lacked what many of the 'Street Samurai' had though, strength and weapons. It was through this he began to tinker with his own prosthetic and, after buying enhancements for his legs he was nearly ready for his new position. One thing was still missing though, a weapon. With his increased arm strength it made little sense to buy a gun, his modifications would go to waste. Instead he managed to get a hold of a cybernetic sword, using that along with his prosthetic to show off his ability. Swordsmanship didn't come easily, but it had been enough for a change of position.
Since that point he had moved into the corporation he has now found himself in for a while, being a fairly good Street Samurai as a result.
Name: Adam Vansen
Race: Human
Age: 26
Appearance: http://www.seamus-harper.de/images/galerie/harper9.jpg
Job Title: Rigger
Cyberware: Neural interface jack, ocular advances in left eye, and a pair of ESD-approved robotic fingers for fine rewiring of Integrated-Circuits.
Lugs an SVU-K rifle (7.62x54R, assuming it stays in-production for another 150 years), and a Mosin-Obrez re-bored to handle .445 Super Magnums made from cutting the tips off the spent cases and lodging a custom-payload into them.
Bio: Will hopefully be updated eventually
Name: "L.C." Zaynar
Race: Elf
Age: 30
Job Title: Mage (Adept: Path of the Warrior)
Cyberware: Commlink implanted in her ear and nothing else because nothing else is needed.
She is proficient with most simple firearms as well as melee weapons and her own hands. She's also a carromeleg practitioner.
Bio: LC has been on her own since she was 14, her parents both having been arrested for violent crimes should have told the foster system something about her ferocious temper. Before she had a real focus in life, she was essentially a quintessential street thug. Did whatever she could to make ends meet, but never at the price of her own honor. Early on this attribute got her into some trouble that her untrained adept prowess would messily help her out of. She broke a prominent gang member's sternum and was arrested...almost begrudgingly.
This lead to her life of, almost, apprenticeship by the local law enforcement. Though, it was never official, she finally had a place to hang out. Nowhere and everywhere was her home, but the station felt right somehow. It finally translated the sense of honor, in most cases. She picked up a lot of things and fell into an odd sort of training regimen. Of course, she didn't stay there long. After awhile she was old enough to get a shitty entry-level job at a tech store and support herself.
She fell into a life of running after stopping a mark for a runner with a well placed kick to the jaw, which nearly decapitated him at the speed he was running. LC started training with the runners and eventually become an asset to her current team before being the sole-survivor of an op gone awfully wrong. Afterwards, she developed something of a berserker reputation amongst runners and she was never hard up for a job. Of course, she fell in with her new team and couldn't ask for a better spot.
Name:[/B] Karja "Ladybug" Korfield
Race: Human
Age: 24
Appearance:
Job Title: Decker
Cyberware:
- Cyber Commlink - The cybercomm link consists of a transducer and a radio transmitter. The transducer translates thoughts into words, so that the user need not speak aloud; the transmitter sends and receives these unspoken impulses. No external evidence of this system's use is visible or audible.
- Datajack - Allows the Decker to directly connect to the Matrix.
- Retinal Clock - Displays a time/date stamp in the lower right corner of the wearer's field of vision or wherever the user wants. Can be modified for region and season and includes a stopwatch style timer and a countdown timer. Accurate to +/- .0001 seconds per year.
- Cyberarm (right) - Prosthetic arm. Can be upgraded with various Cyberware.
- Semi-Natural Covering - This semi-synthetic, natural-looking skin covers the cyberlimb.
- Direct Neural Interface - Allows cybernetic control of any device not originally designed to be cybernetically controlled that is placed in a cyberlimb.
- Cyberarm Cyberdeck - Installs the Decker's Cyberdeck into their arm.
- Shock Hand - A build in taser, holds 10 chargers. Recharges 1 charge every 5 minutes.
Equipment:
H&K G38 Automatic Sniper Rifle
Cartridge: 7.62×51mm NATO
Maketa M-5 (custom)
Cartridge: 5.45x45mm
Jinroh Katana & Combat Knife
Bio:
It was pretty obvious from a young age that Karja had a thing with anything cybernetic. And since her parents were deadbeats who couldn't raise a child even if their life depended on it, Karja was mostly left to her own devices. She could spend hours upon hours diving into the Matrix, interacting with anything and everything that she could get her eager, digital hands on. During her teen years she started to delve into the darker side of Cybernetics, mainly hacking. At the age of 18 she was already considered a class A hacker, which of course put her on the radar of the corporations. After a rather unfortunate hacking attempt, she was tracked down by a group of Shadowrunners, the resulting clash leaving her without her right arm.
The attack didn't exactly have the result one would've think it had. Instead of fearing the Shadowrunners, or even the megacorporations, she watched them in awe. Such power, such wealth. Undeterred, the young Karja set forth to further improve her skills. A cybernetic crime spree, always signed under the moniker of "Ladybug", followed by a crude picture of a pink ladybug, soon swept across the globe. Small amounts of cash were funneled away to various private bank accounts, only to completely disappear once authorities arrived. As of today, the identity of the culprit is still unknown.
Karja has used this small fortune to forge her into a weapon, learning how to handle weapons and even master martial arts. She's still no frontline soldier, but can handle herself in a pinch if need be.]
Name:"Mimi"
Race:Human
Age:21
Appearance:http://i.imgur.com/pzBRs3L.png
Job Title:Rigger
Cyberware:
Mimi possesses a large room full of small to medium-sized droids with limited capability, but has one large droid in particular which serves as her outside eyes and ears during missions.
MTN Lion Droid - "Murderizer"
Four feet tall at shoulder height, the MTN Lion droid is Mimi's primary weapon, sometimes accompanied with smaller droids to aid it and her mission partners. The MTN Lion is equipped with a optics system capable of seeing across any spectrum, as well as partially through walls using powerful radio wave emissions. Echolocation allows the droid to see a few feet around corners and chemicals sensors can detect specific chemicals in the air. The droid itself is fairly athletic, able to jump over twenty feet with a running start, or up to three times its shoulder height. The droid suffers poor climbing, swimming, and lifting ability, and is not properly suited for high-temperature environments, already having a very "hot" internal temperature.
Blades on its claws create effective anti-personnel weapons, along with its rather formidable chainsaw which can be held in its prehensile "tail". Packs on its hips can carry super-heated throwing knives, or a set of smoke-launchers. The droid has a fuel limit, being powered by hydrogen batteries, and can continue with very high-energy activities for up to five hours before requiring refueling. If nearby Mimi herself, she can switch out the batteries for another set to instantly recharge, but only has two sets, each of which requiring over ten hours to recharge. Thus, the MTN Lion can only function for up to ten hours before needing to wait five hours for another recharge.
Bio:
A remnant of the "War that Never Was" fought in Libya five years ago, Mimi was originally a member of a lesser-known but still capable anti-corporate terrorist cell, "NORA" working out of Northern Africa and the Middle East. Though only 16 at the time, Mimi was quite the capable Rigger, constructing and programming autonomous machines to work alongside field combat personnel. The terrorist cell had already stationed themselves in Libya a year prior, and were anticipating a weapons convention in the region targeted towards the many warlords, dictators, and similarly despotic governments. Both Saeder-Krupp and Wuxing Inc. were present during the convention, and in the middle of the deals, sales, and talks, NORA attacked. Several high-importance personnel were kidnapped, others were killed, and certain pieces of technology were stolen.
Though initially successful, NORA suffered heavy losses within the following days as private military organizations hired by several megacorporations retaliated. News of the mishap was kept confidential and news agencies were silenced to prevent knowledge being released that either company was so easily breached. Nevertheless, the private military and NORA underwent intense fighting for over a week before NORA was fully dissolved. Being a sort of 'eye in the sky', Mimi was never captured and managed to escape into Spain before heading to America. While she thought she was safe and in the clear, she was captured in the states by the police. But rather than going to jail, Mimi was offered a few Running jobs, and though she was starkly anti-corporation at the time, she wasn't about to get thrown in the slammer with an offer for virtual freedom laid out before her.
Mimi began her career as a Runner, continuing to use autonomous or semi-autonomous droids as her means of completing tasks.
