FIVE 5

[18:05:24] <Cheese_Samovar> So, after a commercial break we return to our heroes. Nebokhod is standing outside the club, being resonably sure that strange mermaid didn't see him when he erased his magic' signature. He also remembers that while mermaids are Awakened creatures, descriptions in the net do not describe them as capable of assensing
[18:06:46] <Nebokhod> * can roll some knowledge on that?
[18:08:31] <Cheese_Samovar> * yes, you can
[18:09:14] <Nebokhod> * i have magical traditions, theories and threats - which one?
[18:10:12] <Cheese_Samovar> * I'd say traditions does not seem relevant, theories and threats you have at the same pool
[18:10:24] <Nebokhod> 11#sd
[18:10:25] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 11) 4 hits
[18:17:47] <Cheese_Samovar> Lucas, you remember your magical training, and, while you are not exactly mermaid specialist, you have several theories. First of all, Awakened creatures are not exactly the same - orks and trolls while similar, have varieties across the globe. Second, Awakened creatures change - our world was touched with magic relatively recently - goblinization happened
[18:17:47] <Cheese_Samovar> after elves showed up, after all, so it could be a new wave. It could also be that Johnson's 'research site' or wherever this creature originates from did something to it.
[18:19:43] <Nebokhod> * are there any rooms in the bar that i hadn't seen?
[18:20:44] <Cheese_Samovar> * you only have been in the main room, so you are certain there're more rooms
[18:21:02] <Cheese_Samovar> * Bars need to store booze somewhere, at the very least
[18:21:37] <Nebokhod> * rough layout of the bar would be helpful.
[18:23:16] <Cheese_Samovar> * if you're willing to trust the layout Klutz pulled from the matrix (which he doubts is true) there're two floors, and on the upper one you've been in there're couple of rooms behind the bar. And you did see bathroom signs, so there's that
[18:23:38] <Cheese_Samovar> * on the floor below storage is supposed to be
[18:24:50] * Nebokhod briefly returns to his body and informs fellow runners of what he learned so far.
[18:27:44] <Nebokhod> * i return to the bar and try to scout other rooms while trying to hide from the mermaid
[18:27:56] <Cheese_Samovar> Klutz is sitting there, munching on the pierog and looking at the wall, as is normal for hackers this days. ARO overlay shows you images from club's commlinks and public CCTV cam view of a dim-lit street. Brief white ARO points to you more pierogi Che had got from the shop
[18:28:35] <Cheese_Samovar> You do this in flesh, Nebokhod?
[18:28:51] <Nebokhod> * no, still in astral for now.
[18:34:16] <Cheese_Samovar> Well, roll infiltration then.
[18:34:46] <Nebokhod> * same as the last one?
[18:35:15] <Cheese_Samovar> yep
[18:35:20] <Nebokhod> 8#sd
[18:35:20] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 8) 4 hits
[18:39:19] <Cheese_Samovar> You return to the bar. Vidscreens are lit with the football match, and people are yelling. Good times are had, seemingly. Cybered troll from the corner is cheering the gov-sponsored Zenith team, and cyberlegged girl sits on his neck, waving hands chaotically
[18:41:13] <Cheese_Samovar> You slip unnoticed to the bar - there's a passage to the bathrooms to the right with another door on the far end of the corridor marked with crossed sabres, same symbol is on the door behind cranky-looking barman with pitch-black cyber-eyes
[18:41:23] <Cheese_Samovar> Which door do you go to first?
[18:42:15] <Nebokhod> * bathrooms for start
[18:44:46] <Cheese_Samovar> Bathrooms themselves or the door beyond?
[18:45:43] <Nebokhod> * bathrooms, then door.
[18:46:35] <Cheese_Samovar> * BTW, remind me, how walls work on astral
[18:46:49] <Cheese_Samovar> * and sounds
[18:47:13] <Nebokhod> they don't unless they are dual-natured.
[18:47:37] <Cheese_Samovar> so you can see and hear through walls
[18:48:35] <Nebokhod> *well, not sure about hear, but of you peek your head through the wall then sure.
[18:49:43] <Cheese_Samovar> * so basically like ghost. ok. just making sure.
[18:54:53] <Cheese_Samovar> You check the bathroom - couple of norms puking in M, couple of male orks peeing in Ж. They seem to be scared shitless, though. 'F*ck, did it break? Do u see blud?' - 'I don't know! It's f*n dark! Did you had ta open yar stinky mouth?! Be glad he didn' fry us on the spot'
[18:56:15] <Nebokhod> 7#sd assensing
[18:56:16] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 7) 1 hit
[18:59:42] <Cheese_Samovar> Both orks are scared, and have extremely full bladders. Shorter one's is indeed 'broken', as in ruptured, and he will need medical attention soon enough.
[19:01:02] <Nebokhod> * i peek my head though the door on the end of corridor then.
[19:02:25] <Cheese_Samovar> Roll perception, Nebokhod
[19:02:29] <Cheese_Samovar> visual
[19:02:48] <Nebokhod> 10#sd
[19:02:50] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 10) 2 hits
[19:10:14] <Cheese_Samovar> You poke your head out and see a small room. On your right there's a staircase going down - seems that at least this part of the schematics did not lie, - on your left is a door to the outside, reinforced and guarded by a single human. He's right now looking at the door. He has an smg on a sling. He's wearing deep blue, almost dark garments, and a golden
[19:10:14] <Cheese_Samovar> earring is in his ear. His clothes seem out of place here.
[19:10:34] <Cheese_Samovar> A single light is in here, making it easier to see
[19:11:08] <Cheese_Samovar> * meanwhile, is there Che? or are we playing solo?
[19:11:59] <Nebokhod> *waits for his turn, probably.
[19:12:45] <Nebokhod> * i move past the guard and descend to the bottom floor
[19:14:30] <Cheese_Samovar> * OK
[19:16:00] <Cheese_Samovar> * But if Stozu is indeed here, I'd like to switch to Che for a while
[19:20:52] * Nebokhod slaps Stozu_ElGoblo around a bit with a large trout
[19:24:53] <Cheese_Samovar> well, duh
[19:28:44] <Cheese_Samovar> So our astral operative bravely descends into the den of villainy. Down there it is dark as fuck. You do not see life signatures at the moment. Can you see in darkness?
[19:31:05] <Nebokhod> * well, in physical yes
[19:31:43] <Nebokhod> * but is there a darkness in astral?
[19:34:33] <Cheese_Samovar> * Since you cannot see through walls, I assume you use your sorts of sight. I mean I get you can see auras even in complete darkness, but otherwise I am not sure. Like can you see letters on the wall in darkness, and if so, what allows you to see them (as they're absolutely mundane letters)
[19:36:11] <Nebokhod> * Fats, are you there?
[19:36:14] <Cheese_Samovar> * I get that I am not that well-versed in Shadowrun mechanics and lore, so if you have data in the book, please point it to me
[19:37:03] <Nebokhod> * well, it starts at sr4a 191.
[19:37:45] <@Fats> * Huh?
[19:38:01] <@Fats> * As I said, I'm not really here, just on and off, what did you want?
[19:38:50] <Cheese_Samovar> * Astrally projecting mage in the complete darkness. can he see stuff? (not living beings, just stuff)
[19:39:03] <Nebokhod> * also street magic 112
[19:39:17] <@Fats> * he can't even really see stuff even when it's brightly lit
[19:40:04] <@Fats> * basically, he sees ideas of items, not items themselves, regardless of physical darkness but dependent on astral glow (background count)
[19:40:31] <@Fats> * so he's be able to see a book or a sign, but not read them without manifesting
[19:40:47] <Cheese_Samovar> * ok. assuming normal background count
[19:40:55] <Cheese_Samovar> * also can he hear stuff clearly?
[19:41:26] <@Fats> * i do not think he can hear from astral at all, but let heckfy correct me on that one
[19:41:57] <Nebokhod> Within the Gaiasphere—the astral space surrounding the Earth—the astral plane glows in a perpetual dawn cast upwards from the livingEarth. This glow constitutes standard astral visibility, but alone it can offer advantages to those who can perceive the astral plane. While an urban alleyway may be pitch dark in the physical world, when one switches over to astral perception, the same alleyway glows dimly and allows for astral sight.
[19:42:48] <Nebokhod> * page 114
[19:43:56] <Nebokhod> * basically you can eavesdrop, but you will not hear the word themselves, but the meaning behind them, emotions and such.
[19:44:47] <Cheese_Samovar> * ok . then we had some issues, but let's continue as such
[19:45:17] <@Fats> * Likewise,
[19:45:18] <@Fats> deaf magicians can “hear” in astral space. SR4AE 191. i take that to mean that a projecting magician hears other astral entities, not the physical?
[19:45:25] <Cheese_Samovar> So you descend down the stairs, where you see a heavy door.
[19:46:39] <Nebokhod> * there's indepth description at SM114, other senses than sight, kinda overlap on astral
[19:47:14] <Nebokhod> * i poke my head through the door.
[19:48:53] <@Fats> * It is also possible to eavesdrop on the noises, communications, and even smells of the physical world from the astral plane, but just like reading a physical book, the assensing character will perceive the emotional tone and impressions rather than the physical sensation.
[19:49:07] <@Fats> * see, I told you heckfy knows better
[19:49:28] <Nebokhod> * more like reads faster
[19:52:56] <Cheese_Samovar> Behind the door there're no metahuman signatures, there's central corridor with rooms left and right. As you check inside you see various boxes in one room, two living rooms, which are empty now, and one door which you strangely cannot enter
[19:53:55] <Cheese_Samovar> There seems to a barrier
[19:54:59] <Nebokhod> * i cast magic missile at darkness^W^W^W^W^W try to assense the barrier.
[19:55:02] <Nebokhod> 7#sd
[19:55:03] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 7) 2 hits
[19:55:12] <Nebokhod> *edge reroll
[19:55:16] <Nebokhod> 5#sd
[19:55:16] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 5) 1 hit
[19:58:02] <Cheese_Samovar> * I assume your goal is to get how strong it is, right?
[19:59:02] <Nebokhod> * yeah, also to remember signature of the creator
[19:59:38] <Nebokhod> * hm, maybe "learn" is better word
[20:00:24] * Stozu_ElGoblo is now known as Che
[20:01:13] <Cheese_Samovar> Lucas, under closer inspection it seems like a ward about Force5 strong. You've never encountered the author
[20:01:34] <Nebokhod> * i know his signature now, right?
[20:01:51] <Cheese_Samovar> * Yes, if you meet him you'll know
[20:02:40] <Nebokhod> * then i back track and check the rooms, erasing my traces as i go
[20:02:49] <Nebokhod> * behind the bar
[20:04:22] * Che tries to blend in with people in his bar, and being somewhat drunk after "Drink is OK" offers all a free round.
[20:06:34] <Cheese_Samovar> While Nebokhod backtracks to the upper floor, we interrupt to the adverts of new Evo Underwater Gardens expo, showing the impressively tended coral reefs between pristine-white housing units for the new underwater housing project scheduled to be opened in 2075
[20:09:10] <Cheese_Samovar> Harmony under the waves and serenity in the eye of strongest hurricanes! Sign up the contract right now, and receive a ticket for a special VIP event showing off latest all-environment vehicle technology science of Evo can offer!
[20:13:26] <Cheese_Samovar> As the smiles fade from your screen, we see Major Che, who've just bought a round of syntheportwine for the quiet audience of the small bar 'Dremel'. Guys - mostly of indiscriminately old age liven up a bit, and talks get moderately louder (which is roughly as quiet as a school classroom when the strict teacher is in). What's the Big Event? - winks to you
[20:13:26] <Cheese_Samovar> curly-platinum-haired women in her early sixties, smoke of her cigarette curling under the ceiling
[20:14:38] <Che> - I'm pretty sure that's my birthday today, and all I got is this night shift.
[20:15:46] <Cheese_Samovar> - So you escape the jaws of the corp machine for a night of fun and adventures? - her smile indicates she's obviously citing something
[20:16:42] <Che> - If only that was that easy...
[20:17:51] <Cheese_Samovar> She sips a bit from her glass, gleam in her eyes indicating the restless interest.
[20:18:21] <Cheese_Samovar> - Do tell, dear newlyborn, I'm a sucker for drama
[20:21:14] <Che> - Do tell what? My work is pretty boring, my life is mostly work. It's not that I work with something interesting like that EVO underwater city - mostly old ships and port equipment.
[20:24:32] <Che> - Eh, lets forget about my work, I want to remember something nice for this night, not another routine checks and calibrations.
[20:25:53] <Cheese_Samovar> - Something nice, huh? Well, since it's your birthday, let me show you something special.
[20:27:14] <Cheese_Samovar> She looks through her purse, and produces a simsense chip
[20:27:56] <Cheese_Samovar> - This, darling, is not something professional brainfarts will cook up for you to consume, this is personal. It's not long, try it
[20:29:09] <Che> - Huh...
[20:29:24] * Che check chip.
[20:30:16] <Cheese_Samovar> * looks like record-yourself simsense chip
[20:30:42] <Cheese_Samovar> * do you slot it, Che?
[20:31:10] * Che sends notice to Klutz and slots chip.
[20:32:31] <Cheese_Samovar> * Klutz would protest loudly almost immediately, as soon as he gets his jaw back from the floow, - but then you slot the chip.
[20:33:08] <Che> * can I use disposable commlink for slotting?)
[20:33:11] <Che> *-)
[20:33:40] <Cheese_Samovar> * you didn't get sim module on those.
[20:33:49] <Cheese_Samovar> * anyway, we're go.)
[20:33:54] <Che> * ah, yes.
[20:34:15] <Che> * can I disable "hot" mode?
[20:34:25] <Cheese_Samovar> * sure thing.
[20:35:04] <Che> * ok, then onward!
[20:41:59] <Cheese_Samovar> It is sunny day, and you are in the air. You feel the heavy wind flowing into your face, fabric of your flywings flapping. You blast through the sky, then down to the gleaming water, small yacht growing big almost in an instant - but you're faster, and you swing by almost touching it. You raise back into the air, find a new air current and do a barrel, sun,
[20:41:59] <Cheese_Samovar> sky and the sea twirling around you. Another shape using wing costume catches up to you, black boy, barely sixteen. You do a sharp turn, going inland, to the green grass on one of the hills, small houses with red roofs around. A woman stands waiting for you near one of the houses, who, if you think a bit, looks like the lady you're talking with, only
[20:42:00] <Cheese_Samovar> younger.
[20:42:35] <Cheese_Samovar> Whole experience lasts maybe couple of minutes inside the sim.
[20:47:47] <Che> - Oh, that was refreshing, thanks. Reminds me of my younger years...
[20:50:56] <Cheese_Samovar> - This was the best day me and my girl got to spend in the Cal Free state. The best memory I've got of her. She should've stayed there, you know, my Terry. She had so much fun there, but we had to leave. And now... - she shivers, and lights another cig, - now I can only daydream of her with this.
[20:51:54] * Che sends another note to Klutz.
[20:52:27] <Che> - What happened?
[20:52:51] <Che> -Sorry, that was pretty blunt. If you don't want to talk about this - that's ok.
[20:56:16] <Cheese_Samovar> - I.. I don't know. You are happy, that's your birthday and all, maybe that's me, old hag, encroaching on your best day. Her breathing's rasp and she stiffens, flattening the cigarette, the ashes dropping on her dress. You recognize now that it's actually black, not just dark
[20:59:34] <Che> - Well, in any case, speaking with you is way better, then drinking my soycaf on a work, like my last b-day. And b-day before that. And before...
[21:04:08] * Che sips his drink.
[21:07:03] <Cheese_Samovar> - That's what she said. That she doesn't want to work in the office, that she wants danger and fun, and adventures in her life. I couldn't say no to that, you know, I knew her, her body, spring and fast, what she was capable of, what she dreamt of. I envied her for having the same dreams as me, and also having body to try them.
[21:08:09] <Cheese_Samovar> I was always a big girl, you know, a bit too heavy for the sky harness. But I tried to help her. Then she joined this... group. Gang, really, teens never get honest with themselves. I tried to search for her, pulled some old friends. They were idiots, mostly, you know, her new friends. The biggest of them this green-skinned boy, so hard to fight against the
[21:08:09] <Cheese_Samovar> prejudice and all. Sweet in a way, always so surprised I didn't flinch at his hobgob looks. But I felt they were harmless, and when young girl set her mind to something, you won't ever be able to get her off this thing. We.. we argued. I had to keep this all secret, knowing what she does and all.
[21:09:49] <Che> - Rebellious spirit of youth.
[21:12:05] <Cheese_Samovar> - Yes. It sometimes makes you think 'never again, Ann, never again'. And only later you understand that those were the best part of parenthood. To see someone born of your blood becoming not-you, different, better.
[21:12:53] <Cheese_Samovar> She finishes her drink, and orders another
[21:14:10] <Che> - On my tab!
[21:18:41] <Cheese_Samovar> Your words, loud as they are, startle her a bit. Silence creeps around you, as the city prepares to sleep, and rain starts knocking at the window above you. More 'Okay drink' arrives, and as you're alone again, she downs almost half immediately, and straightens herself.
[21:20:17] <Che> - Sorry, I'm a little drunk already.
[21:21:43] <Cheese_Samovar> - So.. I've met him.. at the funeral. Her boyfriend. Stupid. Stupid bastard, his visions of being fair and proper - a ganger of all people. His ignorance. This is harsh world, and neither he neither her were willing to accept that. Well, I guess he doesn't have much choice this days. Life hit him hard in the balls, two people pulling at strings and all.
[21:31:34] <Che> - Strings?
[21:37:35] <Che> - And you have my condolences, it's a sad world when people outlive their childs...
[21:38:15] <Cheese_Samovar> - Yeah. I'm a bit fizzly myself by now, but.. you see, I meet him there, at the funeral, and I know my girl was not just dead by a bus, this was their gang business. And I'm angry, oh, sweetheart, I can be angry. I dragged him off, and yelled at him, and finally he spills his guts. He was broken too, half metal now, and this bigger gang that hit him wanted
[21:38:15] <Cheese_Samovar> to not just, how it.. put him down, but own him. So he's stuck doing their business. To spy on those other people from China, with whom he did also do business. But those guys from china want him to do other shit as well, now that he has a little choice of whom to work for. So he's stuck with those two peoples trying to do both favors. And even plans to
[21:38:16] <Cheese_Samovar> screw both of them, though I don't believe that wasn't jazz speaking
[21:39:16] <Cheese_Samovar> She flinches and looks around.
[21:40:24] <Cheese_Samovar> - God. And I just told you all this bloody business. I guess besides asking you not to tell anyone, I should at least add some moral lesson to this mess, being old wise lady and all. Let me think... I guess the lesson is 'don't be a preacher for morals in this world, and if you do - for god's sake don't drag your girlfriend into this'
[21:42:38] <Che> - I'm sorry, that I reminded you about your loss. I'll try to stay away from that shady world to which we lose our best.
[21:44:01] * Che rises his drink "In memory of your girl! Let's hope she'll be avenged!"
[21:45:26] <Cheese_Samovar> She raises her glass and smiles: - Such a sweet boy you are. I hope you find your happiness.
[21:46:26] <Che> - Thank you.
[21:46:58] * Che sends a note to Klutz to check new info.
[21:47:31] <Cheese_Samovar> * so - I can switch to Nebokhod or we can call it a day
[21:47:51] <Cheese_Samovar> * a bit tired, to be honest.
[21:47:59] <Che> * your call
[21:48:14] <Nebokhod> * well, let's see the rooms beind the bar and then save.
[21:48:32] <Nebokhod> * so we won't waste time on this next time.
[21:48:45] <Cheese_Samovar> * Well, let's go to you, but situation is a bit different.
[21:49:14] <Nebokhod> *mmm?
[21:54:13] <Cheese_Samovar> The scene in the bar fades to the dark, with side-bar still showing message log between MajorChe and Klutz. Then we cut to the Nebokhod raising up the stairs. The small room above is much more crowded now, with one of the orks and one of the humans he saw in the bathroom attentive and ready for anything, too. While human's attention is focused on the
[21:54:13] <Cheese_Samovar> backdoor they're mainly guarding, ork is more concerned with the other door, which you saw, but did not check yet. You guess it's leading to the back room.
[21:55:17] <Cheese_Samovar> While you are looking at them, the one guard who you saw earlier suddenly looks directly at you, and shouts a warning of some kind
[21:55:19] <Cheese_Samovar> What do you do?
[21:57:24] <Nebokhod> *I escape through the ceiling, quickly poke my head through the ceiling above the backrooms and then return to the body
[22:00:07] <Nebokhod> * also order the spirit to clean up after me,
[22:05:12] <Cheese_Samovar> As you poke your head down, you see a room with heavily cybered hobgoblin looking at the door, where an astral entity looking like an old man in a blue coat with a golden ornament moves quickly towards where have you been just a moment ago, and where your spirit still is, cleaning up your trace. You do have time for one assense check, after which this dude
[22:05:12] <Cheese_Samovar> finds your bear. and possibly your trace.
[22:05:44] <Nebokhod> 7#sd
[22:05:46] <ur_dnd_bot> Nebokhod: (pool 7) 4 hits
[22:07:07] <Cheese_Samovar> This is the same mage who did the ward below
[22:08:02] <Cheese_Samovar> Also you can correlate cyberware in the hobgoblin to the description Michalych gave you of Serega/Silver
[22:08:25] <Nebokhod> * ok, let me check some rules
[22:09:08] <Cheese_Samovar> * sure thing.
[22:09:42] <Cheese_Samovar> * I suggest we ensure this is legal from mechanics perspective, then do a cliffhanger for the next week
[22:10:12] <Nebokhod> * ok.
[22:12:40] <Nebokhod> * was the guard that saw me dual-natured?
[22:13:42] <Cheese_Samovar> * he was an adept with astral perception
[22:14:00] <Cheese_Samovar> * as far as I get it allows him to see you
[22:15:27] <Nebokhod> * aha, and to get fucked over from astral.
[22:16:21] <Cheese_Samovar> * yep.
[22:17:36] <Nebokhod> * it's a save then, because that way i'm seeing it i'll have no choice but go nuclear.
[22:19:23] <Cheese_Samovar> * You can flee right now, as far as I see it, dude didn't expect this and bear may slow him down a little, I guess
[22:21:16] <Nebokhod> * and let him shore up the defences and risk him tracking me?
[22:22:04] <Cheese_Samovar> * well, you rather face unknown mage without preparations? Your choice, though
[22:22:59] <Nebokhod> * i'll decide next week, i need to consult the books extensively about my options.
[22:24:06] <Cheese_Samovar> * OK. In any case, I do think Klutz and Jelena can provide some options in terms of reinforcements.
[22:25:04] <Cheese_Samovar> * Not sure about Che given his intoxication level and farness from the action
[22:26:01] <Che> * Heh. yes.
[22:27:04] <Che> * I'll probably be battling headache and trying to procure transport for mermaid.