TOPIC: Shadowrun - Its all in your head

We arranged to meet our contact for our reward for completing our mission. The bonus could have come in handy and completing our task without looking like clumsy oafs would have helped our rep no end. Owl says any trial you can walk away from is good...

Natalia arranged to meet us at a desent hour this time. Our meeting went as expected except I wasn't entirely happy with the offer for the next phase of our quest. I had expected Angel would have negotiated a better deal but I think she felt responsible for our less than perfect execution of our task. After a discussion with the team it was decided to accept the offer. As Owl would say, "Sometimes it's best to go with the flow than take the wisest path."

Our quest leads us to leave Seattle and take a trip down south.

We arrived at the town near the mansion and got directions as well as advice to avoid that area as people who go there don't tend to come back.

It was decided that Angel would be the best person to check out the area and locate the mansion. While she was out, the rest of us in the van were attacked by humanoid creatures. We quickly dispatched the creatures but not before they disabled our van.

As they had slashed all our tyres we had no choice but to try and get a rescue truck to tow us...

Stepping into the house, Angel clicked the record button on her head cam…

[image 24473.2005]
[location: \\s:/surpressed/error...]
[time 23.07hrs… recording, low light filter active]

The camera panned around the entrance hall. Jumpin Jack noticed it had been activated but that the signal was weak.

It looked a bit like a house. Stairs going up, large wooden panelled doors and walls. Old style. Very old style. Flash wondered briefly what drek the group were in now.
The camera fixed on the wall, and picked up Anglel’s comment about the walls being astrally shielded.

Jack noted with wry humour the troll bouncing off the door as he attempted to break it down. One for the Christmas show obviously…

He laughed more outrageously when the troll repeated the exercise on another door leaving himself flat on the floor.
The door finally opened through more subtle means, the camera swept the dining room. It could have been a posh state room but for the body on the table. It looked fresh, cause of death stab wounds or claws?

The image was fairly gruesome. Jack stored the facial images in high def.

Another door, and jack waited for the inevitable troll bounce, but this time, the enraged creature was prepared. The door, a mix of titanium metal and hardwood cover seemed to disintegrate. The troll following it into a corridor.

Jack took another high def image of the door, and noted with amusement the following discussion as the troll tried to pick up the door and brace it as a shield.
Fortunately, the other members of the group were more professional.

A secure door with a maglock was located in the corridor. The lock blinked red. The Sam pulled out an electronics kit, Jack admired the handiwork for a few seconds before Angel decided to focus once more on the troll. Unfortunate that, Jack missed the scream of pain as the Sam got tagged by the werewolf. The thing burst out of its locked room and tore into the Sam. Fortunately the heavily cybered shadowrunner was not without defence, and the troll was not about to be left behind. The wolf creature was felled in short order. Jack tapped some commands into his deck, stabilising images and generally cleaning up the picture. He must have words with Angel about camera use and stabilising shots.

Various hallways and corridors later, the gloomy back stairs of the house, and more doors. Jack got a little bored and his attention only returned when the shattering boom startled him from his work. He had missed how the group got into the industrial complex! A quick rewind showed the discovery of a shaft with a fireman's pole, and a security door at the bottom. The Sam was lingering next to another maglock. Jack freeze framed, and noted the second connection, the fine wire at the back of the unit – probably the detonator. The shattering boom of an explosion had obviously arisen at the door, the guys needed to be more careful.

The corridor led to a train! Bizzaro biz! The train moved for some time, obviously well underground as the camera image and signal flickered in and out. It came back as the group disgorged into a large room with blast doors. The troll operated a console, seemingly pressing buttons at random. Fair play the door opened. But so did another. Angel’s image showed a nightmare creature rushing down the rail line towards the group. Sharp cracks from a sniper rifle slowed the creature, but Angel’ss and Owl's magical power seemed to have little effect. The creature expired with a physical adept powered Ax located in its head. Again taking high def images Flash was amazed at the creature. He realised they were truly fragged when the creature got up, its wounds healing.

A swift retreat into through the blast door was followed by closing it and destroying the lock. Huge impacts on the door, showed the metal of the blast door buckling under the pressure. Once again a swift exit through another door into a strange corridor.

Jack was immediately concerned, the corridor appeared to be made of glass, with circuitry and cabling in the walls, floor and roof. His fears were confirmed when a bright red beam appeared at the far side of the corridor. Was that really a laser? The beam started to move. Jack heard Angel chant her spell, an opaque barrier appeared blocking the beam. Some of the group jumped the barrier others had already hit the floor.

The camera perspective changed as Angel ran and jumped over the barrier, barely missing the beam. The laser winked out. Another appeared almost immediately, again Angel threw a barrier in the way, and again it moved down the corridor rapidly.

Undecided members of the group tried to dodge the beam, but the Owl Shaman was too slow. Unable to react fast enough, the beam slice fingers from her hand. The troll tried to help by throwing himself on the barrier and attempting to haul the wounded mage over the beam. Jack was amazed, the crazy troll was sacrificing himself, worthy of as real saga! The wounded shaman tried to climb over, slipped and lost toes, she stared blankly as the troll lifted her and sprinted for the exit.

The camera turned, and the dark room beyond beckoned, and it was then that the camera feed went blank. Jack’s fear for the group increased, this was supposed to be a simple snatch job, not a tehno maze with death traps. How to help? Should he help? Jack pondered, his fingers for once silent on the keyboard as the grey static laughed at him.

I'm really sorry guys, but my completely inconsiderate friend is getting married. On a Thursday. I know right? He insists it's saved him 4k, but he new Thursdays was my RPG night!
Still, I'd like to thank Andy for running the game and the other guys for being very patient with my uselessness at following rules of the game and my exceedingly long turn taking!
As I said, I won't be there for next rotation. Moving house and a wife-encouraged break needs to be applied.
Thanks all and good luck!

*feeling the call of the wild, surrounded by raw nature in the wake of a metal bird crash, bu'oosheel the russian/polish/eastern European fox disappeared into the green, leaving behind all his weapons, armor, fur and new yen.

As nothing was exploding in the room, Angel healed The Owl Shaman’s wounds, the missing fingers were obvious and as fresh pink skin replaced the charred black stumps on her hand and foot, she shuddered… That would need some biosculpting and would be expensive to avoid interference with the delicate mana flow within the Shaman’s body..

The Sam had entered the room and was poking around. Angel got her first look. The room was the size of a basketball court… the immediate issue was the pedestal in the centre. The statue was standing there. No apparent traps or protection measures… Astrally the room was awash with magical power, this was undoubtedly the artefact.

Curious she might be but given the mundane and technological traps in this place, (and thinking about the missing fingers (one of which she had in her pocket), a gruesome shudder quickly quelled any interest in interfering with the statue before the Sam swept the room.

Time ticked by… shots rang out as the Troll, (engaged in rear guard surveillance fired twice. Angel has time to see a strangely handsome corp type sprawled on the floor. The troll jumped down from his hiding place, satisfied that his plan has proved successful.

The Sam moved to take scoop the statue into a box…

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

The Corp type stood by the door, in an immaculate suit. He waved his hand and the Sam shot across the room, pushed by an invisible force away from the Statue.

“My name is Mr Zhan. I would recommend that you don’t touch the statue it would destroy you. It is an incredibly powerful artefact.”

The aura of power and confidence around Mr Zhan allowed him to move past Angel and the rest of the team. Without knowing how, Zhan stood next to the statue.

Moving to intercept, Zhan spoke again.

“I am associated with your employer. I am here to help. I am the only one capable of securing the statue. It is very old and very powerful. When I touch it I will be unable to act. I will need you to defend me until I have finished, the statue will summon creatures of legend to attack me. You must stop them.” Without waiting for approval, the man transformed. In his place, a huge dragon sat with a raised claw.

Angel froze… Zahn …. Dunkelzhan, a greater dragon…

The dragon reached for the statue, the air went cold, and immediately the room started to fill with demonic creatures from myth.

Gunfire erupted from her team. And demons were destroyed in sprays of green icor, but more still came. Angel hurled Cat’s most powerful magic, a spell of confusion set demon against demon. Owl cast her powerful sleep spell and demons dropped to the floor, more gunfire and a glowing ax felling more but still they came.

Angel, sustaining her first spell, cast another, the power draw was immense, her control started to slip. But more demons fought among themselves.

“This isn’t working…” someone shouted, and, as if in response, the fox transformed and ran rapidly through the melee. Leaping carefully over the dragons extended claw, now seen to be glowing with a vile red energy, the agile fox leapt at the statue, snatching it away from the dragon. He landed, then turned rigid as a bright red colour erupted all over him.

The dragon blinked. Paused and then Angel felt a mighty blast of magic erupt as the Greater dragon breathed a magical blast over the stricken fox. The red colour disappeared.

“YOU ARE EITHER INCREDIBLY BRAVE, OR TERMINALLY STUPID LITTLE FOX.” The powerful voice commented. “EITHER WAY, YOU HAVE SAVED ME TIME WITH YOUR HEROICS. THE STATUE IS NOW SAFE FOR YOU TO TRANSPORT FOR A TIME.”

The dragon shimmered and resumed the form of Mr Zahn. Not wishing to miss an opportunity, Angel negotiated a bonus from the Dragon… The Owl shaman interrupted, and bargained for the dragon to heal her missing fingers and toes. Another blast of dragaon magic left the Owl naked, but in one piece. A chorus of approval rang out from the rest of the team as Angel placed her long coat around the shoulders of bewildered owl.

“I suggest you leave at once, I will attract attention whilst you make your escape…” with that Mr Zahn moved swiftly to the exit.

The Group quickly followed, moving through the complex, (doors now open), and exited the main house. Angel noted the dragon flying in the distance, but the task ahead of them was to escape and return the statue to Seattle.

Planes… Angel had always liked planes. So comfortable, so waiter service, so dependable. The trip to the airport was quick and painless. The box containing the statue was inert. All seemed well. Angel started to relax. Transport from the Seattle airport was arranged and all that remained was the meet to handover the statue. The sweet smell of success!

The alarms, when they started, broke her reverie. The plane was under attack!

Violently jerking from side to side, the plane performed evasive manoeuvres. Angel attempted to throw spells at any pursuing craft but was unsure of her effectiveness.

The plane jumped as a missile struck, and it pitched downward. The pilot cried “Brace, Brace, Brace! Angel tried to summon a spirit to assist but the violent movements of the plane made it impossible to concentrate.

The crash when it happened caused Angel to black out…. She was very surprised to awaken.

The team had all survived, the crew of the plane had not. Grabbing what equipment was available from the still burning plane, Angel made a quick call to Jack. The decker, identified her location and, for a price, arranged transport. It was only then, that the sound of helicopters was noted. Angel didn’t need to be told to move… her angry thoughts on the damage being done to her Choo shoes, and Sam Peabody designer suit. The wilderness was going to destroy both, or that she was sure!