ShadowHaven Reloaded - User contributions [en]

Ensuring Loyellty

2024-10-06T03:17:52Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "{{AARInfobox|   |Date=2085-08-12  |GM=Sarcarian  |Location= Amazonia Rainforest <!-- Optional: Any factions who..."

Zenith

2024-08-11T22:52:23Z

OrionsRequiem:

{{Infobox
|YourWikiUsername = OrionsRequiem
|title = {{PAGENAME}} 
|image= [[File:Zenith_2085.png|200px]] 
|header1= Gun Adept
|header2= A lifelong runner who thought he'd retired
|header3=
|header4=
|label5 = Discord
|data5 = @OrionsRequiem#2524
|label6 = Reddit
|data6 = [https://www.reddit.com/user/OrionsRequiem/ OrionsRequiem]
|label7= Metatype
|data7 = Human
|label8 = Street Cred
|data8= 70
|label9 = Notoriety
|data9 = 1
|label10 = Public Awareness
|data10= 2
|label11 = Titles and Awards
|data11 =
|label12 = CDP
|data12 = {{CDP|
|Expenses=149
|Bonuses= 104
|}} 
|label13 = D.O.B.
|data13 = December 29th, 2046
|label14 = Age
|data14 = {{Age| 
|Month= 12
|Day= 29
|Year= 2046
|}} 
|label15 = Folder
|data15 =[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eM3kV-nq4omediVw8xT-WH-gE7EWlth_?usp=sharing]
|label16 = Priority
|data16 = Metatype - D Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - C Skills - B Resources - E
|label17 = # Initiations
|data17 = {{IGTracker| 
|Month=01
|Day=31
|Year=2081
|AwakenedStatus=2
|}} 
}}

=Character Information=

===Summary===
A Barrens raised kid who grew up in warehouses, learning to pick pockets and shoot straight. His Shadowrunner mother raised him alone until she wasn't around any more, then he lived on his own. He started running on his own at 13, using his mother's contacts. At age 17 he met a woman he left the life for, was married and had a child two years later. His wife disappeared in an assault on his home, and he raised his daughter on his own since then. Her schooling is expensive, so Zenith came out of retirement.
===Goals===

*<s>Replace all his old gear with better stuff</s>
*<s>Buy a proper house</s> Set himself and Harriot up in a safe place
*Find the people that attacked his home and <s>find out what happened to Scarlet</s> <s>find Scarlet</s> Figure out what the frag to do with his life
*Pay for Harriot's schooling and make sure she has a good nest egg of an inheritance.
*Avoid becoming a Saeder-Krupp Prime Agent.
*Kill whoever invented Chal'han
*Work alongside [[Catharsis]] to protect their life together
*<s>Open a restaurant in the Barrens</s> Convince the Corporate Court to designate the Pinnacle House as a safe haven.
*Dunk on the elfnostates at every opportunity.

==Background==
Ethan grew up in the Redmond Barrens alongside his mother, Madeline Quinn and was given pretty free reign. Do whatever you want, just be back by dark. His mother was a Shadowrunner who went by the street name Stiletto, and she taught him the ins and outs of the trade. Most of his friends growing up were her old running crew, but he didn't know anything else, and in the Barrens, if you've got something that keeps you safe, you don't ask too many questions about it. For years, he fell into a pattern. Pick some pockets for a soy burger, get home before nightfall, learn to either not be seen, shoot straight, or pick locks, then watch his mom get into her van with her runner team, and watch garbage trids until they got back. It wasn't a stable life, but it was his. As he got older his mother let him take on jobs, often acting as a distraction or an unseen pickpocket, though as he got more confident in his gunmanship he was allowed to take on wetwork, his mother believing that teaching him to take a life would prepare him for the world better than anything the school system could provide. Then one day, the van never came back. Ethan didn't know if the only family he'd ever known skipped town, got got, or simply needed to disappear, but either way, at 7, Ethan was alone.

Having little more than an abandoned warehouse to squat in and a rapidly dwindling amount of nuyen to bribe anyone who found him, Ethan knew that he needed to make some cash fast or else die in the Barrens like so many others before him. He knew his mother kept a spare gun in her desk, a Ruger Super Warhawk that he'd used to train with sometimes. He took the gun and started using the name Zenith based off a joke his mother used to make about how he'd one day be the top Shadowrunner in the UCAS. At the start, Zenith was bad, the Warhawk was the only tool in his arsenal. He knew how to sneak and pick locks, but he was still a kid, and he drew more attention than he wanted when he was outside the Barrens. His mother's old fixer, Ol'Tusk helped him for awhile, but he eventually made enough nuyen for an apartment and could start building up his materials. However the jobs he took were barely enough to pay rent month-to-month. Eventually, Ol'Tusk found him bigger jobs, and he had to learn that sometimes professionalism was more useful than a gun. Zenith quickly gained a reputation as a wetwork specialist who wasn't decerning about his targets so long as the money was good. This led him to many dangerous jobs, including one such job where he was meant to clean out a building of Halloweeners. During the job Zenith caught away from the rest of the team by a Halloweener with a flamethrower, trapped between a wall and the insane ganger, we was consumed in flame, and would have died were it not for his sudden Awakening, giving him an extra burst of speed that allowed him to get around the 'weener and kill him before the fire burned him away. Though he was left with a burn scar on the side of his neck from the experience.

After ten years of Zenith working in the shadows. He had savings, he was actually comfortable. His reputation wasn't really known outside the Barrens, but he was content. In November of 2064, Zenith and a crew of runners had to grab test answers for a spoiled rich brat from their high school: Overlake Private High School. To this end, Zenith infiltrated the school as a student, despite lacking any education beyond basic reading and writing. The job would have gone smoothly, but Zenith got distracted. One of the "classmates" he was exposed to was an Elf noble woman named Scarlet O'Cathalain who had transferred to the UCAS from Tir Tairngire due to a "cultural exchange program". While she never admitted to it, Zenith felt like Scarlet saw right through him, and could tell that he didn't belong, but she was friendly to him regardless, sharing her thoughts about how metahumanity had the potential for goodness, from the corporate executive to the beetle addict, and that they all deserve kindness and help. Zenith was skeptical of her views, but enamored with her all the same. Even after the job, Zenith kept in contact with Scarlet, and eventually the two started dating.

Things moved pretty fast, getting married in a small ceremony after a year and a half, prompted somewhat by Scarlet's discovery of a pregnancy. The two of them were a bit scared by the prospect of having a child, but they eventually agreed to try it together, and within six months, Harriot Quill was born. Zenith retired, and just became Cedric Quill, the name on his Fake SIN, he missed the thrill of Shadowrunning, but he also knew that Scarlet and Harriot were safer if he just took odd jobs that stayed on the light side of the law. After four years of going straight, and having a family life, Zenith and Harriot had gone out to see a new Trid in the theatre, but when they got back, the door to their apartment building was busted in and when they got back to their door, it had obviously been cracked. Furniture was overturned, blood was spattered on the floor and plates and glasses were shattered. Worst of all, Scarlet was missing. She'd disappeared and Zenith couldn't get any information about the investigation. Zenith was despondent, and while he had to take care of Harriot, he felt his life falling apart. Social Services attempted to take Harriot away if Zenith didn't take therapy and appropriate social care with his daughter. This forced him to give up the search using legal means, Cedric Quill was under too much scrutiny to do what needed to be done.

Assuming that whoever had done this came from his past as a runner, Zenith took what cash he had saved up and started renting a new apartment in Tacoma. He focused on raising Harriot, and when she was asleep, he started diving back into the Shadows, trying to uncover anything about his wife. It's been 11 years since that day, and Zenith has started taking on jobs again. Apparently the old adage is true "Only retired Shadowrunner is a dead Shadowrunner".

==Narrative Significant Qualities==

===Positive===
'''Adept''' - Ethan awakened shortly after his mother disappeared, leveraging his new powers to increase his value on runs.

'''Hawk Eye + Shoot First, Don't Ask + Perceptive''' - His paranoia has made it almost impossible to surprise him.

'''Sharpshooter + Strive for Perfection + Perfect Time''' - He gets bored with regular shots. He wants to challenge himself in a gunfight.

'''Daredevil''' - Zenith does foolish things for kicks. He's spent his life running the shadows and any chance to spice things up fuels his adrenaline addiction.

'''Alibi + Social Chameleon''' - Since first joining the Haven, Zenith has been forced to solve more problems with talking than violence, and has improved his social skills to avoid killing his way through problems.

'''The Invisible Way''' - Zenith is an expert infiltrator and assassin, his magic has taken him in a way where being unseen is the best course of action and his magic has molded around this notion.

'''Lucky''' - A misnomer at best, Zenith's luck tends to get him out of trouble that his stupidity gets him into.

'''School of Hard Knocks''' - Zenith grew up on the streets of the Redmond Barrens and learned all he could from the downtrodden and disenfranchised, which includes knowledge that has come in handy through his Shadowrunning career.

===Negative===
'''Dependant (Demanding)''' - Harriot is a 16 year old Elf, she's smarter than Zenith, and has learned that her father is a shadowrunner, but not the extent to which he markets himself as a wetwork specialist. She has recently Emerged as a technomancer and attends Twin Peaks Private School in Bellevue.

'''Emotional Attachment '''- His mother's Ruger Super Warhawk, it's been modded since Zenith started using it, but it's something he'll never part with willingly.

'''Driven:''' - Looking for his lost wife Scarlet. He is almost compulsively pulled towards any threads that might have something to do with her. Often to his own detriment or near-death.

'''Social Stress (Red-Haired Elves):''' - Between his missing wife and his daughter, Zenith has a hard time dealing socially with red-haired elves. Often avoiding their gaze and trying to avoid engaging with them at all.

'''Uneducated''' - Growing up on the streets is not conducive to a regular learning experience. What Zenith lacks in book smarts, he makes up in street smarts, but the former bites him at times.

==Run History==
'''January 2082:''' Having reentered the shadows a few months earlier and reconnecting with [[Johns]], Zenith entered ShadowHaven with the hope that he could find clues to his missing wife, and make enough cred to keep paying rent and his daughter's tuition. Getting off to a solid start by finding a bioweapon and infiltrating an Ares Blacksite, he began to recall what working in the shadows was all about, just in time to meet [[Amrei Veidt]] and become connected with the S-K Prime operative while breaking into the Aztechnology Pyramid. He also got a taste of travel, going to the PCC and finding a club run by a Chiron using Amrita to create a bunch of Essence batteries. He is saved from his worst impulses by [[Delphi]], who takes the negotiation on herself at risk of infection. Zenith goes by her office once they are back in Seattle and the two become fast friends over shared trauma.

'''February 2082:''' Starting the month off by a confrontation with his past threatening his daughter, Zenith spends this month building up connections. Meeting [[Vip3r]], [[Lil' Boomer]], [[Ca1yps0]] and [[Skimmer]] who he maintains a relationship with, including many other runners. On a particularly personal job, he also met [[Shine]], who learned that he had a daughter while defending said daughter's girlfriend from a group of rival shadowrunners. This was also the month where Amrei Veidt found out that Zenith had a daughter, going so far as to drive her home from school under the guise of being a co-worker of Zenith, forcing him to improve his relationship with Saeder-Krupp past his comfort level, including doing spy work for them. This month also gave Zenith his first interaction with [[Pump King Jack]], and the child in the spirit's "care", Mary Jane. The interaction with the child was also what showed him the other side of [[Babylon]], leading to a professional respect between the two. The final event of the month saw Zenith going into a bug's nest, saving the life of [[Relay]] from a paint grenade, and firing a Blight round into the mouth of an Ant Queen, allowing the rest of the team to finish the monster off. Before the end of the month, Zenith sits down with his daughter and explains the truth about what he does for a living, though omits that he is a wetwork specialist, including the details that he was part of the team that murdered her new girlfriend's father.

'''March 2082:''' A slower month for the gunman, Zenith was forced to go up against other runners and ended up saving them, as well as watching [[Charon]] offer to turn [[Glamor]] into another Infected while working for Amrei. This is also the month where Zenith tracks down Ol'Tusk, begrudgingly helping Charon with her vengeance quest, and getting confirmation that his mother was alive and involved in something targeting his daughter. Leading to him requesting the aid of Vip3r and Shine in protecting the girl, with some plans being put in place. He also discovers that Mary Jane, the girl he had helped remove from the influence of Jack, was dead, killed by an Infected Troll that he became dedicated to tracking down.

'''April 2082:''' Shine moves into Zenith's home, though the older runner is hesitant about such things, Shine has proved herself to be trustworthy and invested in Harriot's protection. This turns out to be fortunate, as Zenith is called to Chicago by Skimmer, as repayment for a favor done in February where Skimmer helped him sell his lie of being a security consultant to his daughter. While in Chicago he helps Skimmer rescue his wife and newborn daughter, but realizes that much like the other adept, if he continues down the blood-soaked path he's been on for most of his life, when he finds his own wife she might see him as a monster. He also takes on a job that dives through the ACHE, seeking the bloodsucker that killed Mary Jane, however the job was a setup to help another associated bloodsucker to wipe out a Tamanous facility.

'''May 2082:''' This month started with Harriot's birthday party, with Shine and Vip3r helping Zenith ensure the party was safe and a happy day for his daughter. However at the end of the night, Zenith receives a clue pointing towards his missing wife and leaves his home in the middle of the night to go to Tir Tairngire. The stress of his disappearance causes Harriot to Emerge as a technomancer. In the Tir, Zenith finds that his in-laws are embroiled in a blood-feud that is the reason for Scarlet's abduction so many years ago, and that they will not involve him to get her back. After getting the information, he saved his mother-in-law's life by taking a bullet intended for her, nearly dying from the shot, and escaping on the back of a unicorn. He returns to Seattle to a furious Shine, Vip3r and Harriot, who help him recover. Burning his Tacoma home, he moves into Shine's apartment and realizes that he has been falling for the other runner, coming to a head after an intense fight that leads to the start of their secretive affair. Fulfilling a request from Vip3r, Zenith helps her figure out what to do about her adoptive parents and after a deep run, rescued her mother but found out that her father was going to be kept in a Zero Zone, as well as telling Harriot about his and Shine's relationship.

'''June 2082:''' Starting the month off strong, Zenith killed a Blood God on the night of the blood moon eclipse by hurling himself into the mouth of the spirit and shooting Blight into the creature. After [[King Beef]] went berserk from K-10. Zenith was part of the team that ultimately took him down and granted him a final farewell to the Shadow Community. This is also the month where Zenith works with [[Charon]] as a lookout and backup for another of her targets.

'''December 2082 - January 2084:''' After Shine received an offer from Cross to stay in Montreal with their new Emergency Medical services, Zenith and the other adept have disagreements and are distant until they end their relationship. Zenith also moves to Essen in the AGS while Harriot makes the transition to college.

{{RunHistory}}


==Affiliations==

===Contacts===


{{ContactTable|


{{HasContact|
|Name=Johns
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Black Cat
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Ghaz
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Amrei Veidt
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Argent
|Loyalty= 3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Sarah Snow
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Kenneth "Flamesaw" Murphy
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Corf
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Bellerophon
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Deulara Leorel
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Saint Nick
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Freya
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Anything Andy
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Mush
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Wusan
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Isabel Wirth
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=LB
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Nyon Salaine
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Krimelin
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Sidewinder
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Phil Haskill
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Hanson
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Adowa "Moria" Webster
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Spinne
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Cascade
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Ryan Mercury
|Loyalty=5
|Chips=Even
|}}

}}


===Organizations===

===Allies===

* [[Shine]]: A fellow runner and the person closest to Zenith since he started running the shadows again. Saved his life in May 2082 and started a long term relationship that ended mid 2084
* [[Delphi]]: After saving Zenith from being Infected in LA, the two began a quick friendship and have aided one another in the mysteries that each seek to solve.
* [[Vip3r]]: After learning that Zenith had a child, Vip3r did everything she could to help him keep her safe from the forces that looked to capture her, and after Harriot Emerged, Vip3r was one of the two technomancers who took her under their wing.
* [[Ca1yps0]]: The second technomancer to take Harriot on as a mentee. After initially figuring out that Zenith had a daughter by snooping around his apartment, she proved to be discrete and helpful in buffing up his lax Matrix security.
* [[Catharsis]] A trusted ally with a similar background, and the therapist to his daughter.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Allied Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Skraacha||+6||Shares valuable information
|-
|Ancients||+4||Occasional Agent
|-
|OtherCon||+3||Saved a Squirrel
|-
|Saeder-Krupp||+20||"Trusted Asset"
|-
|Gianelli Family||+5||Robbed a yacht
|-
|The Burns' Coven||+2||Stole some birds
|-
|The Black Lodge||+10||Unwitting Agent
|-
|Streets of Seattle||+10||Took down a [[King Beef|rampaging bull]]
|-
|The Draco Foundation||+19||Considerable Talent
|-
|Black Star||+3||Distant Relation
|}

===Enemies===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Enemy Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Cutters||-10||Killed a half-dozen
|-
|Tamanous||-70||Destroyed a long-standing facility
|-
|Lone Star||-5||Broke children out of jail
|-
|Mitsuhama Computer Technologies||-40||Extracted a target and murdered 4 people
|}

=In Character Information=

==Symbols and Signatures==

'''Ruger Super Warhawk:''' The classic revolver and his signature weapon. While not ideal for his stealth work, when things go loud it has always been his trusted companion

==Matrix Search Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowResult= Zenith (noun): the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
|MidResult= A well-known hitman operating out of the UCAS.
|HighResult= A long-time thief and assassin operating out of the Seattle Metroplex. Has a 750k Dead or Alive bounty with the Tir States and Telestrian Industries
}}

==Shadow Community Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowThreshold=1
|LowResult= An infiltrator and gunman. Has a reputation as a professional
|MidThreshold=3
|MidResult= A street kid from the Redmond Barrens, grown into one of the most well-known assassins in the UCAS
|HighThreshold=5
|HighResult= Has been hoarding nuyen like a dragon for several years, however stays away from criminal associations.
}}

==SINs==
Cedric Quill (Rank 6) - Adept License, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Bodyguard and Drivers - Tied to UCAS (Seattle)

Clayton Orr (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Security Consultant - Tied to PCC (Los Angeles)

Scott Meza (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Air Marshall - Tied to AGS (Essen)

Ireno Kingston (Rank 6) - Adept, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Private Investigator, Restricted Armor - Tied to Caribbean League (Havanna)

==Appearance==

===Clothing===

===Matrix Persona===
A bright red, t-posing featureless humanoid

===Quotes===

"If you do magic long enough you learn to be pretentious"

==Media Mentions==

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv_JSL5VSrt3BGDQm8no3Llbzb-jJM2hILD4cFrEch0/edit?usp=sharing Dear Scarlet]

==ShadowGrid Profile Comments==

[[Category:Player Characters]]

Zenith

2024-08-11T22:51:32Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Contacts */

{{Infobox
|YourWikiUsername = OrionsRequiem
|title = {{PAGENAME}} 
|image= [[File:Zenith_2085.png|200px]] 
|header1= Gun Adept
|header2= A lifelong runner who thought he'd retired
|header3=
|header4=
|label5 = Discord
|data5 = @OrionsRequiem#2524
|label6 = Reddit
|data6 = [https://www.reddit.com/user/OrionsRequiem/ OrionsRequiem]
|label7= Metatype
|data7 = Human
|label8 = Street Cred
|data8= 79
|label9 = Notoriety
|data9 = 1
|label10 = Public Awareness
|data10= 3
|label11 = Titles and Awards
|data11 =
|label12 = CDP
|data12 = {{CDP|
|Expenses=149
|Bonuses= 104
|}} 
|label13 = D.O.B.
|data13 = December 29th, 2046
|label14 = Age
|data14 = {{Age| 
|Month= 12
|Day= 29
|Year= 2046
|}} 
|label15 = Folder
|data15 =[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eM3kV-nq4omediVw8xT-WH-gE7EWlth_?usp=sharing]
|label16 = Priority
|data16 = Metatype - D Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - C Skills - B Resources - E
|label17 = # Initiations
|data17 = {{IGTracker| 
|Month=01
|Day=31
|Year=2081
|AwakenedStatus=2
|}} 
}}

=Character Information=

===Summary===
A Barrens raised kid who grew up in warehouses, learning to pick pockets and shoot straight. His Shadowrunner mother raised him alone until she wasn't around any more, then he lived on his own. He started running on his own at 13, using his mother's contacts. At age 17 he met a woman he left the life for, was married and had a child two years later. His wife disappeared in an assault on his home, and he raised his daughter on his own since then. Her schooling is expensive, so Zenith came out of retirement.
===Goals===

*<s>Replace all his old gear with better stuff</s>
*<s>Buy a proper house</s> Set himself and Harriot up in a safe place
*Find the people that attacked his home and <s>find out what happened to Scarlet</s> <s>find Scarlet</s> Figure out what the frag to do with his life
*Pay for Harriot's schooling and make sure she has a good nest egg of an inheritance.
*Avoid becoming a Saeder-Krupp Prime Agent.
*Kill whoever invented Chal'han
*Work alongside [[Catharsis]] to protect their life together
*<s>Open a restaurant in the Barrens</s> Convince the Corporate Court to designate the Pinnacle House as a safe haven.
*Dunk on the elfnostates at every opportunity.

==Background==
Ethan grew up in the Redmond Barrens alongside his mother, Madeline Quinn and was given pretty free reign. Do whatever you want, just be back by dark. His mother was a Shadowrunner who went by the street name Stiletto, and she taught him the ins and outs of the trade. Most of his friends growing up were her old running crew, but he didn't know anything else, and in the Barrens, if you've got something that keeps you safe, you don't ask too many questions about it. For years, he fell into a pattern. Pick some pockets for a soy burger, get home before nightfall, learn to either not be seen, shoot straight, or pick locks, then watch his mom get into her van with her runner team, and watch garbage trids until they got back. It wasn't a stable life, but it was his. As he got older his mother let him take on jobs, often acting as a distraction or an unseen pickpocket, though as he got more confident in his gunmanship he was allowed to take on wetwork, his mother believing that teaching him to take a life would prepare him for the world better than anything the school system could provide. Then one day, the van never came back. Ethan didn't know if the only family he'd ever known skipped town, got got, or simply needed to disappear, but either way, at 7, Ethan was alone.

Having little more than an abandoned warehouse to squat in and a rapidly dwindling amount of nuyen to bribe anyone who found him, Ethan knew that he needed to make some cash fast or else die in the Barrens like so many others before him. He knew his mother kept a spare gun in her desk, a Ruger Super Warhawk that he'd used to train with sometimes. He took the gun and started using the name Zenith based off a joke his mother used to make about how he'd one day be the top Shadowrunner in the UCAS. At the start, Zenith was bad, the Warhawk was the only tool in his arsenal. He knew how to sneak and pick locks, but he was still a kid, and he drew more attention than he wanted when he was outside the Barrens. His mother's old fixer, Ol'Tusk helped him for awhile, but he eventually made enough nuyen for an apartment and could start building up his materials. However the jobs he took were barely enough to pay rent month-to-month. Eventually, Ol'Tusk found him bigger jobs, and he had to learn that sometimes professionalism was more useful than a gun. Zenith quickly gained a reputation as a wetwork specialist who wasn't decerning about his targets so long as the money was good. This led him to many dangerous jobs, including one such job where he was meant to clean out a building of Halloweeners. During the job Zenith caught away from the rest of the team by a Halloweener with a flamethrower, trapped between a wall and the insane ganger, we was consumed in flame, and would have died were it not for his sudden Awakening, giving him an extra burst of speed that allowed him to get around the 'weener and kill him before the fire burned him away. Though he was left with a burn scar on the side of his neck from the experience.

After ten years of Zenith working in the shadows. He had savings, he was actually comfortable. His reputation wasn't really known outside the Barrens, but he was content. In November of 2064, Zenith and a crew of runners had to grab test answers for a spoiled rich brat from their high school: Overlake Private High School. To this end, Zenith infiltrated the school as a student, despite lacking any education beyond basic reading and writing. The job would have gone smoothly, but Zenith got distracted. One of the "classmates" he was exposed to was an Elf noble woman named Scarlet O'Cathalain who had transferred to the UCAS from Tir Tairngire due to a "cultural exchange program". While she never admitted to it, Zenith felt like Scarlet saw right through him, and could tell that he didn't belong, but she was friendly to him regardless, sharing her thoughts about how metahumanity had the potential for goodness, from the corporate executive to the beetle addict, and that they all deserve kindness and help. Zenith was skeptical of her views, but enamored with her all the same. Even after the job, Zenith kept in contact with Scarlet, and eventually the two started dating.

Things moved pretty fast, getting married in a small ceremony after a year and a half, prompted somewhat by Scarlet's discovery of a pregnancy. The two of them were a bit scared by the prospect of having a child, but they eventually agreed to try it together, and within six months, Harriot Quill was born. Zenith retired, and just became Cedric Quill, the name on his Fake SIN, he missed the thrill of Shadowrunning, but he also knew that Scarlet and Harriot were safer if he just took odd jobs that stayed on the light side of the law. After four years of going straight, and having a family life, Zenith and Harriot had gone out to see a new Trid in the theatre, but when they got back, the door to their apartment building was busted in and when they got back to their door, it had obviously been cracked. Furniture was overturned, blood was spattered on the floor and plates and glasses were shattered. Worst of all, Scarlet was missing. She'd disappeared and Zenith couldn't get any information about the investigation. Zenith was despondent, and while he had to take care of Harriot, he felt his life falling apart. Social Services attempted to take Harriot away if Zenith didn't take therapy and appropriate social care with his daughter. This forced him to give up the search using legal means, Cedric Quill was under too much scrutiny to do what needed to be done.

Assuming that whoever had done this came from his past as a runner, Zenith took what cash he had saved up and started renting a new apartment in Tacoma. He focused on raising Harriot, and when she was asleep, he started diving back into the Shadows, trying to uncover anything about his wife. It's been 11 years since that day, and Zenith has started taking on jobs again. Apparently the old adage is true "Only retired Shadowrunner is a dead Shadowrunner".

==Narrative Significant Qualities==

===Positive===
'''Adept''' - Ethan awakened shortly after his mother disappeared, leveraging his new powers to increase his value on runs.

'''Hawk Eye + Shoot First, Don't Ask + Perceptive''' - His paranoia has made it almost impossible to surprise him.

'''Sharpshooter + Strive for Perfection + Perfect Time''' - He gets bored with regular shots. He wants to challenge himself in a gunfight.

'''Daredevil''' - Zenith does foolish things for kicks. He's spent his life running the shadows and any chance to spice things up fuels his adrenaline addiction.

'''Alibi + Social Chameleon''' - Since first joining the Haven, Zenith has been forced to solve more problems with talking than violence, and has improved his social skills to avoid killing his way through problems.

'''The Invisible Way''' - Zenith is an expert infiltrator and assassin, his magic has taken him in a way where being unseen is the best course of action and his magic has molded around this notion.

'''Lucky''' - A misnomer at best, Zenith's luck tends to get him out of trouble that his stupidity gets him into.

'''School of Hard Knocks''' - Zenith grew up on the streets of the Redmond Barrens and learned all he could from the downtrodden and disenfranchised, which includes knowledge that has come in handy through his Shadowrunning career.

===Negative===
'''Dependant (Demanding)''' - Harriot is a 16 year old Elf, she's smarter than Zenith, and has learned that her father is a shadowrunner, but not the extent to which he markets himself as a wetwork specialist. She has recently Emerged as a technomancer and attends Twin Peaks Private School in Bellevue.

'''Emotional Attachment '''- His mother's Ruger Super Warhawk, it's been modded since Zenith started using it, but it's something he'll never part with willingly.

'''Driven:''' - Looking for his lost wife Scarlet. He is almost compulsively pulled towards any threads that might have something to do with her. Often to his own detriment or near-death.

'''Social Stress (Red-Haired Elves):''' - Between his missing wife and his daughter, Zenith has a hard time dealing socially with red-haired elves. Often avoiding their gaze and trying to avoid engaging with them at all.

'''Uneducated''' - Growing up on the streets is not conducive to a regular learning experience. What Zenith lacks in book smarts, he makes up in street smarts, but the former bites him at times.

==Run History==
'''January 2082:''' Having reentered the shadows a few months earlier and reconnecting with [[Johns]], Zenith entered ShadowHaven with the hope that he could find clues to his missing wife, and make enough cred to keep paying rent and his daughter's tuition. Getting off to a solid start by finding a bioweapon and infiltrating an Ares Blacksite, he began to recall what working in the shadows was all about, just in time to meet [[Amrei Veidt]] and become connected with the S-K Prime operative while breaking into the Aztechnology Pyramid. He also got a taste of travel, going to the PCC and finding a club run by a Chiron using Amrita to create a bunch of Essence batteries. He is saved from his worst impulses by [[Delphi]], who takes the negotiation on herself at risk of infection. Zenith goes by her office once they are back in Seattle and the two become fast friends over shared trauma.

'''February 2082:''' Starting the month off by a confrontation with his past threatening his daughter, Zenith spends this month building up connections. Meeting [[Vip3r]], [[Lil' Boomer]], [[Ca1yps0]] and [[Skimmer]] who he maintains a relationship with, including many other runners. On a particularly personal job, he also met [[Shine]], who learned that he had a daughter while defending said daughter's girlfriend from a group of rival shadowrunners. This was also the month where Amrei Veidt found out that Zenith had a daughter, going so far as to drive her home from school under the guise of being a co-worker of Zenith, forcing him to improve his relationship with Saeder-Krupp past his comfort level, including doing spy work for them. This month also gave Zenith his first interaction with [[Pump King Jack]], and the child in the spirit's "care", Mary Jane. The interaction with the child was also what showed him the other side of [[Babylon]], leading to a professional respect between the two. The final event of the month saw Zenith going into a bug's nest, saving the life of [[Relay]] from a paint grenade, and firing a Blight round into the mouth of an Ant Queen, allowing the rest of the team to finish the monster off. Before the end of the month, Zenith sits down with his daughter and explains the truth about what he does for a living, though omits that he is a wetwork specialist, including the details that he was part of the team that murdered her new girlfriend's father.

'''March 2082:''' A slower month for the gunman, Zenith was forced to go up against other runners and ended up saving them, as well as watching [[Charon]] offer to turn [[Glamor]] into another Infected while working for Amrei. This is also the month where Zenith tracks down Ol'Tusk, begrudgingly helping Charon with her vengeance quest, and getting confirmation that his mother was alive and involved in something targeting his daughter. Leading to him requesting the aid of Vip3r and Shine in protecting the girl, with some plans being put in place. He also discovers that Mary Jane, the girl he had helped remove from the influence of Jack, was dead, killed by an Infected Troll that he became dedicated to tracking down.

'''April 2082:''' Shine moves into Zenith's home, though the older runner is hesitant about such things, Shine has proved herself to be trustworthy and invested in Harriot's protection. This turns out to be fortunate, as Zenith is called to Chicago by Skimmer, as repayment for a favor done in February where Skimmer helped him sell his lie of being a security consultant to his daughter. While in Chicago he helps Skimmer rescue his wife and newborn daughter, but realizes that much like the other adept, if he continues down the blood-soaked path he's been on for most of his life, when he finds his own wife she might see him as a monster. He also takes on a job that dives through the ACHE, seeking the bloodsucker that killed Mary Jane, however the job was a setup to help another associated bloodsucker to wipe out a Tamanous facility.

'''May 2082:''' This month started with Harriot's birthday party, with Shine and Vip3r helping Zenith ensure the party was safe and a happy day for his daughter. However at the end of the night, Zenith receives a clue pointing towards his missing wife and leaves his home in the middle of the night to go to Tir Tairngire. The stress of his disappearance causes Harriot to Emerge as a technomancer. In the Tir, Zenith finds that his in-laws are embroiled in a blood-feud that is the reason for Scarlet's abduction so many years ago, and that they will not involve him to get her back. After getting the information, he saved his mother-in-law's life by taking a bullet intended for her, nearly dying from the shot, and escaping on the back of a unicorn. He returns to Seattle to a furious Shine, Vip3r and Harriot, who help him recover. Burning his Tacoma home, he moves into Shine's apartment and realizes that he has been falling for the other runner, coming to a head after an intense fight that leads to the start of their secretive affair. Fulfilling a request from Vip3r, Zenith helps her figure out what to do about her adoptive parents and after a deep run, rescued her mother but found out that her father was going to be kept in a Zero Zone, as well as telling Harriot about his and Shine's relationship.

'''June 2082:''' Starting the month off strong, Zenith killed a Blood God on the night of the blood moon eclipse by hurling himself into the mouth of the spirit and shooting Blight into the creature. After [[King Beef]] went berserk from K-10. Zenith was part of the team that ultimately took him down and granted him a final farewell to the Shadow Community. This is also the month where Zenith works with [[Charon]] as a lookout and backup for another of her targets.

'''December 2082 - January 2084:''' After Shine received an offer from Cross to stay in Montreal with their new Emergency Medical services, Zenith and the other adept have disagreements and are distant until they end their relationship. Zenith also moves to Essen in the AGS while Harriot makes the transition to college.

{{RunHistory}}


==Affiliations==

===Contacts===


{{ContactTable|


{{HasContact|
|Name=Johns
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Black Cat
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Ghaz
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Amrei Veidt
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Argent
|Loyalty= 3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Sarah Snow
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Kenneth "Flamesaw" Murphy
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Corf
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Bellerophon
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Deulara Leorel
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Saint Nick
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Freya
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Anything Andy
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Mush
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Wusan
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Isabel Wirth
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=LB
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Nyon Salaine
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Krimelin
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Sidewinder
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Phil Haskill
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Hanson
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Adowa "Moria" Webster
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Spinne
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Cascade
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Ryan Mercury
|Loyalty=5
|Chips=Even
|}}

}}


===Organizations===

===Allies===

* [[Shine]]: A fellow runner and the person closest to Zenith since he started running the shadows again. Saved his life in May 2082 and started a long term relationship that ended mid 2084
* [[Delphi]]: After saving Zenith from being Infected in LA, the two began a quick friendship and have aided one another in the mysteries that each seek to solve.
* [[Vip3r]]: After learning that Zenith had a child, Vip3r did everything she could to help him keep her safe from the forces that looked to capture her, and after Harriot Emerged, Vip3r was one of the two technomancers who took her under their wing.
* [[Ca1yps0]]: The second technomancer to take Harriot on as a mentee. After initially figuring out that Zenith had a daughter by snooping around his apartment, she proved to be discrete and helpful in buffing up his lax Matrix security.
* [[Catharsis]] A trusted ally with a similar background, and the therapist to his daughter.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Allied Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Skraacha||+6||Shares valuable information
|-
|Ancients||+4||Occasional Agent
|-
|OtherCon||+3||Saved a Squirrel
|-
|Saeder-Krupp||+20||"Trusted Asset"
|-
|Gianelli Family||+5||Robbed a yacht
|-
|The Burns' Coven||+2||Stole some birds
|-
|The Black Lodge||+10||Unwitting Agent
|-
|Streets of Seattle||+10||Took down a [[King Beef|rampaging bull]]
|-
|The Draco Foundation||+19||Considerable Talent
|-
|Black Star||+3||Distant Relation
|}

===Enemies===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Enemy Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Cutters||-10||Killed a half-dozen
|-
|Tamanous||-70||Destroyed a long-standing facility
|-
|Lone Star||-5||Broke children out of jail
|-
|Mitsuhama Computer Technologies||-40||Extracted a target and murdered 4 people
|}

=In Character Information=

==Symbols and Signatures==

'''Ruger Super Warhawk:''' The classic revolver and his signature weapon. While not ideal for his stealth work, when things go loud it has always been his trusted companion

==Matrix Search Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowResult= Zenith (noun): the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
|MidResult= A well-known hitman operating out of the UCAS.
|HighResult= A long-time thief and assassin operating out of the Seattle Metroplex. Has a 750k Dead or Alive bounty with the Tir States and Telestrian Industries
}}

==Shadow Community Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowThreshold=1
|LowResult= An infiltrator and gunman. Has a reputation as a professional
|MidThreshold=3
|MidResult= A street kid from the Redmond Barrens, grown into one of the most well-known assassins in the UCAS
|HighThreshold=5
|HighResult= Has been hoarding nuyen like a dragon for several years, however stays away from criminal associations.
}}

==SINs==
Cedric Quill (Rank 6) - Adept License, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Bodyguard and Drivers - Tied to UCAS (Seattle)

Clayton Orr (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Security Consultant - Tied to PCC (Los Angeles)

Scott Meza (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Air Marshall - Tied to AGS (Essen)

Ireno Kingston (Rank 6) - Adept, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Private Investigator, Restricted Armor - Tied to Caribbean League (Havanna)

==Appearance==

===Clothing===

===Matrix Persona===
A bright red, t-posing featureless humanoid

===Quotes===

"If you do magic long enough you learn to be pretentious"

==Media Mentions==

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv_JSL5VSrt3BGDQm8no3Llbzb-jJM2hILD4cFrEch0/edit?usp=sharing Dear Scarlet]

==ShadowGrid Profile Comments==

[[Category:Player Characters]]

Zenith

2024-08-11T22:45:42Z

OrionsRequiem:

{{Infobox
|YourWikiUsername = OrionsRequiem
|title = {{PAGENAME}} 
|image= [[File:Zenith_2085.png|200px]] 
|header1= Gun Adept
|header2= A lifelong runner who thought he'd retired
|header3=
|header4=
|label5 = Discord
|data5 = @OrionsRequiem#2524
|label6 = Reddit
|data6 = [https://www.reddit.com/user/OrionsRequiem/ OrionsRequiem]
|label7= Metatype
|data7 = Human
|label8 = Street Cred
|data8= 79
|label9 = Notoriety
|data9 = 1
|label10 = Public Awareness
|data10= 3
|label11 = Titles and Awards
|data11 =
|label12 = CDP
|data12 = {{CDP|
|Expenses=149
|Bonuses= 104
|}} 
|label13 = D.O.B.
|data13 = December 29th, 2046
|label14 = Age
|data14 = {{Age| 
|Month= 12
|Day= 29
|Year= 2046
|}} 
|label15 = Folder
|data15 =[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eM3kV-nq4omediVw8xT-WH-gE7EWlth_?usp=sharing]
|label16 = Priority
|data16 = Metatype - D Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - C Skills - B Resources - E
|label17 = # Initiations
|data17 = {{IGTracker| 
|Month=01
|Day=31
|Year=2081
|AwakenedStatus=2
|}} 
}}

=Character Information=

===Summary===
A Barrens raised kid who grew up in warehouses, learning to pick pockets and shoot straight. His Shadowrunner mother raised him alone until she wasn't around any more, then he lived on his own. He started running on his own at 13, using his mother's contacts. At age 17 he met a woman he left the life for, was married and had a child two years later. His wife disappeared in an assault on his home, and he raised his daughter on his own since then. Her schooling is expensive, so Zenith came out of retirement.
===Goals===

*<s>Replace all his old gear with better stuff</s>
*<s>Buy a proper house</s> Set himself and Harriot up in a safe place
*Find the people that attacked his home and <s>find out what happened to Scarlet</s> <s>find Scarlet</s> Figure out what the frag to do with his life
*Pay for Harriot's schooling and make sure she has a good nest egg of an inheritance.
*Avoid becoming a Saeder-Krupp Prime Agent.
*Kill whoever invented Chal'han
*Work alongside [[Catharsis]] to protect their life together
*<s>Open a restaurant in the Barrens</s> Convince the Corporate Court to designate the Pinnacle House as a safe haven.
*Dunk on the elfnostates at every opportunity.

==Background==
Ethan grew up in the Redmond Barrens alongside his mother, Madeline Quinn and was given pretty free reign. Do whatever you want, just be back by dark. His mother was a Shadowrunner who went by the street name Stiletto, and she taught him the ins and outs of the trade. Most of his friends growing up were her old running crew, but he didn't know anything else, and in the Barrens, if you've got something that keeps you safe, you don't ask too many questions about it. For years, he fell into a pattern. Pick some pockets for a soy burger, get home before nightfall, learn to either not be seen, shoot straight, or pick locks, then watch his mom get into her van with her runner team, and watch garbage trids until they got back. It wasn't a stable life, but it was his. As he got older his mother let him take on jobs, often acting as a distraction or an unseen pickpocket, though as he got more confident in his gunmanship he was allowed to take on wetwork, his mother believing that teaching him to take a life would prepare him for the world better than anything the school system could provide. Then one day, the van never came back. Ethan didn't know if the only family he'd ever known skipped town, got got, or simply needed to disappear, but either way, at 7, Ethan was alone.

Having little more than an abandoned warehouse to squat in and a rapidly dwindling amount of nuyen to bribe anyone who found him, Ethan knew that he needed to make some cash fast or else die in the Barrens like so many others before him. He knew his mother kept a spare gun in her desk, a Ruger Super Warhawk that he'd used to train with sometimes. He took the gun and started using the name Zenith based off a joke his mother used to make about how he'd one day be the top Shadowrunner in the UCAS. At the start, Zenith was bad, the Warhawk was the only tool in his arsenal. He knew how to sneak and pick locks, but he was still a kid, and he drew more attention than he wanted when he was outside the Barrens. His mother's old fixer, Ol'Tusk helped him for awhile, but he eventually made enough nuyen for an apartment and could start building up his materials. However the jobs he took were barely enough to pay rent month-to-month. Eventually, Ol'Tusk found him bigger jobs, and he had to learn that sometimes professionalism was more useful than a gun. Zenith quickly gained a reputation as a wetwork specialist who wasn't decerning about his targets so long as the money was good. This led him to many dangerous jobs, including one such job where he was meant to clean out a building of Halloweeners. During the job Zenith caught away from the rest of the team by a Halloweener with a flamethrower, trapped between a wall and the insane ganger, we was consumed in flame, and would have died were it not for his sudden Awakening, giving him an extra burst of speed that allowed him to get around the 'weener and kill him before the fire burned him away. Though he was left with a burn scar on the side of his neck from the experience.

After ten years of Zenith working in the shadows. He had savings, he was actually comfortable. His reputation wasn't really known outside the Barrens, but he was content. In November of 2064, Zenith and a crew of runners had to grab test answers for a spoiled rich brat from their high school: Overlake Private High School. To this end, Zenith infiltrated the school as a student, despite lacking any education beyond basic reading and writing. The job would have gone smoothly, but Zenith got distracted. One of the "classmates" he was exposed to was an Elf noble woman named Scarlet O'Cathalain who had transferred to the UCAS from Tir Tairngire due to a "cultural exchange program". While she never admitted to it, Zenith felt like Scarlet saw right through him, and could tell that he didn't belong, but she was friendly to him regardless, sharing her thoughts about how metahumanity had the potential for goodness, from the corporate executive to the beetle addict, and that they all deserve kindness and help. Zenith was skeptical of her views, but enamored with her all the same. Even after the job, Zenith kept in contact with Scarlet, and eventually the two started dating.

Things moved pretty fast, getting married in a small ceremony after a year and a half, prompted somewhat by Scarlet's discovery of a pregnancy. The two of them were a bit scared by the prospect of having a child, but they eventually agreed to try it together, and within six months, Harriot Quill was born. Zenith retired, and just became Cedric Quill, the name on his Fake SIN, he missed the thrill of Shadowrunning, but he also knew that Scarlet and Harriot were safer if he just took odd jobs that stayed on the light side of the law. After four years of going straight, and having a family life, Zenith and Harriot had gone out to see a new Trid in the theatre, but when they got back, the door to their apartment building was busted in and when they got back to their door, it had obviously been cracked. Furniture was overturned, blood was spattered on the floor and plates and glasses were shattered. Worst of all, Scarlet was missing. She'd disappeared and Zenith couldn't get any information about the investigation. Zenith was despondent, and while he had to take care of Harriot, he felt his life falling apart. Social Services attempted to take Harriot away if Zenith didn't take therapy and appropriate social care with his daughter. This forced him to give up the search using legal means, Cedric Quill was under too much scrutiny to do what needed to be done.

Assuming that whoever had done this came from his past as a runner, Zenith took what cash he had saved up and started renting a new apartment in Tacoma. He focused on raising Harriot, and when she was asleep, he started diving back into the Shadows, trying to uncover anything about his wife. It's been 11 years since that day, and Zenith has started taking on jobs again. Apparently the old adage is true "Only retired Shadowrunner is a dead Shadowrunner".

==Narrative Significant Qualities==

===Positive===
'''Adept''' - Ethan awakened shortly after his mother disappeared, leveraging his new powers to increase his value on runs.

'''Hawk Eye + Shoot First, Don't Ask + Perceptive''' - His paranoia has made it almost impossible to surprise him.

'''Sharpshooter + Strive for Perfection + Perfect Time''' - He gets bored with regular shots. He wants to challenge himself in a gunfight.

'''Daredevil''' - Zenith does foolish things for kicks. He's spent his life running the shadows and any chance to spice things up fuels his adrenaline addiction.

'''Alibi + Social Chameleon''' - Since first joining the Haven, Zenith has been forced to solve more problems with talking than violence, and has improved his social skills to avoid killing his way through problems.

'''The Invisible Way''' - Zenith is an expert infiltrator and assassin, his magic has taken him in a way where being unseen is the best course of action and his magic has molded around this notion.

'''Lucky''' - A misnomer at best, Zenith's luck tends to get him out of trouble that his stupidity gets him into.

'''School of Hard Knocks''' - Zenith grew up on the streets of the Redmond Barrens and learned all he could from the downtrodden and disenfranchised, which includes knowledge that has come in handy through his Shadowrunning career.

===Negative===
'''Dependant (Demanding)''' - Harriot is a 16 year old Elf, she's smarter than Zenith, and has learned that her father is a shadowrunner, but not the extent to which he markets himself as a wetwork specialist. She has recently Emerged as a technomancer and attends Twin Peaks Private School in Bellevue.

'''Emotional Attachment '''- His mother's Ruger Super Warhawk, it's been modded since Zenith started using it, but it's something he'll never part with willingly.

'''Driven:''' - Looking for his lost wife Scarlet. He is almost compulsively pulled towards any threads that might have something to do with her. Often to his own detriment or near-death.

'''Social Stress (Red-Haired Elves):''' - Between his missing wife and his daughter, Zenith has a hard time dealing socially with red-haired elves. Often avoiding their gaze and trying to avoid engaging with them at all.

'''Uneducated''' - Growing up on the streets is not conducive to a regular learning experience. What Zenith lacks in book smarts, he makes up in street smarts, but the former bites him at times.

==Run History==
'''January 2082:''' Having reentered the shadows a few months earlier and reconnecting with [[Johns]], Zenith entered ShadowHaven with the hope that he could find clues to his missing wife, and make enough cred to keep paying rent and his daughter's tuition. Getting off to a solid start by finding a bioweapon and infiltrating an Ares Blacksite, he began to recall what working in the shadows was all about, just in time to meet [[Amrei Veidt]] and become connected with the S-K Prime operative while breaking into the Aztechnology Pyramid. He also got a taste of travel, going to the PCC and finding a club run by a Chiron using Amrita to create a bunch of Essence batteries. He is saved from his worst impulses by [[Delphi]], who takes the negotiation on herself at risk of infection. Zenith goes by her office once they are back in Seattle and the two become fast friends over shared trauma.

'''February 2082:''' Starting the month off by a confrontation with his past threatening his daughter, Zenith spends this month building up connections. Meeting [[Vip3r]], [[Lil' Boomer]], [[Ca1yps0]] and [[Skimmer]] who he maintains a relationship with, including many other runners. On a particularly personal job, he also met [[Shine]], who learned that he had a daughter while defending said daughter's girlfriend from a group of rival shadowrunners. This was also the month where Amrei Veidt found out that Zenith had a daughter, going so far as to drive her home from school under the guise of being a co-worker of Zenith, forcing him to improve his relationship with Saeder-Krupp past his comfort level, including doing spy work for them. This month also gave Zenith his first interaction with [[Pump King Jack]], and the child in the spirit's "care", Mary Jane. The interaction with the child was also what showed him the other side of [[Babylon]], leading to a professional respect between the two. The final event of the month saw Zenith going into a bug's nest, saving the life of [[Relay]] from a paint grenade, and firing a Blight round into the mouth of an Ant Queen, allowing the rest of the team to finish the monster off. Before the end of the month, Zenith sits down with his daughter and explains the truth about what he does for a living, though omits that he is a wetwork specialist, including the details that he was part of the team that murdered her new girlfriend's father.

'''March 2082:''' A slower month for the gunman, Zenith was forced to go up against other runners and ended up saving them, as well as watching [[Charon]] offer to turn [[Glamor]] into another Infected while working for Amrei. This is also the month where Zenith tracks down Ol'Tusk, begrudgingly helping Charon with her vengeance quest, and getting confirmation that his mother was alive and involved in something targeting his daughter. Leading to him requesting the aid of Vip3r and Shine in protecting the girl, with some plans being put in place. He also discovers that Mary Jane, the girl he had helped remove from the influence of Jack, was dead, killed by an Infected Troll that he became dedicated to tracking down.

'''April 2082:''' Shine moves into Zenith's home, though the older runner is hesitant about such things, Shine has proved herself to be trustworthy and invested in Harriot's protection. This turns out to be fortunate, as Zenith is called to Chicago by Skimmer, as repayment for a favor done in February where Skimmer helped him sell his lie of being a security consultant to his daughter. While in Chicago he helps Skimmer rescue his wife and newborn daughter, but realizes that much like the other adept, if he continues down the blood-soaked path he's been on for most of his life, when he finds his own wife she might see him as a monster. He also takes on a job that dives through the ACHE, seeking the bloodsucker that killed Mary Jane, however the job was a setup to help another associated bloodsucker to wipe out a Tamanous facility.

'''May 2082:''' This month started with Harriot's birthday party, with Shine and Vip3r helping Zenith ensure the party was safe and a happy day for his daughter. However at the end of the night, Zenith receives a clue pointing towards his missing wife and leaves his home in the middle of the night to go to Tir Tairngire. The stress of his disappearance causes Harriot to Emerge as a technomancer. In the Tir, Zenith finds that his in-laws are embroiled in a blood-feud that is the reason for Scarlet's abduction so many years ago, and that they will not involve him to get her back. After getting the information, he saved his mother-in-law's life by taking a bullet intended for her, nearly dying from the shot, and escaping on the back of a unicorn. He returns to Seattle to a furious Shine, Vip3r and Harriot, who help him recover. Burning his Tacoma home, he moves into Shine's apartment and realizes that he has been falling for the other runner, coming to a head after an intense fight that leads to the start of their secretive affair. Fulfilling a request from Vip3r, Zenith helps her figure out what to do about her adoptive parents and after a deep run, rescued her mother but found out that her father was going to be kept in a Zero Zone, as well as telling Harriot about his and Shine's relationship.

'''June 2082:''' Starting the month off strong, Zenith killed a Blood God on the night of the blood moon eclipse by hurling himself into the mouth of the spirit and shooting Blight into the creature. After [[King Beef]] went berserk from K-10. Zenith was part of the team that ultimately took him down and granted him a final farewell to the Shadow Community. This is also the month where Zenith works with [[Charon]] as a lookout and backup for another of her targets.

'''December 2082 - January 2084:''' After Shine received an offer from Cross to stay in Montreal with their new Emergency Medical services, Zenith and the other adept have disagreements and are distant until they end their relationship. Zenith also moves to Essen in the AGS while Harriot makes the transition to college.

{{RunHistory}}


==Affiliations==

===Contacts===


{{ContactTable|


{{HasContact|
|Name=Johns
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Black Cat
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Ghaz
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Amrei Veidt
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Argent
|Loyalty= 3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Sarah Snow
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Kenneth "Flamesaw" Murphy
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Corf
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Bellerophon
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Deulara Leorel
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Saint Nick
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Freya
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Anything Andy
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Mush
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Wusan
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Isabel Wirth
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=LB
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Nyon Salaine
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Krimelin
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Sidewinder
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Phil Haskill
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Hanson
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Adowa "Moria" Webster
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Spinne
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Cascade
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Ryan Mercury
|Loyalty=5
|Chips=Even
|}}

}}


===Organizations===

===Allies===

* [[Shine]]: A fellow runner and the person closest to Zenith since he started running the shadows again. Saved his life in May 2082 and started a long term relationship that ended mid 2084
* [[Delphi]]: After saving Zenith from being Infected in LA, the two began a quick friendship and have aided one another in the mysteries that each seek to solve.
* [[Vip3r]]: After learning that Zenith had a child, Vip3r did everything she could to help him keep her safe from the forces that looked to capture her, and after Harriot Emerged, Vip3r was one of the two technomancers who took her under their wing.
* [[Ca1yps0]]: The second technomancer to take Harriot on as a mentee. After initially figuring out that Zenith had a daughter by snooping around his apartment, she proved to be discrete and helpful in buffing up his lax Matrix security.
* [[Catharsis]] A trusted ally with a similar background, and the therapist to his daughter.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Allied Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Skraacha||+6||Shares valuable information
|-
|Ancients||+4||Occasional Agent
|-
|OtherCon||+3||Saved a Squirrel
|-
|Saeder-Krupp||+20||"Trusted Asset"
|-
|Gianelli Family||+5||Robbed a yacht
|-
|The Burns' Coven||+2||Stole some birds
|-
|The Black Lodge||+10||Unwitting Agent
|-
|Streets of Seattle||+10||Took down a [[King Beef|rampaging bull]]
|-
|The Draco Foundation||+19||Considerable Talent
|-
|Black Star||+3||Distant Relation
|}

===Enemies===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Enemy Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Cutters||-10||Killed a half-dozen
|-
|Tamanous||-70||Destroyed a long-standing facility
|-
|Lone Star||-5||Broke children out of jail
|-
|Mitsuhama Computer Technologies||-40||Extracted a target and murdered 4 people
|}

=In Character Information=

==Symbols and Signatures==

'''Ruger Super Warhawk:''' The classic revolver and his signature weapon. While not ideal for his stealth work, when things go loud it has always been his trusted companion

==Matrix Search Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowResult= Zenith (noun): the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
|MidResult= A well-known hitman operating out of the UCAS.
|HighResult= A long-time thief and assassin operating out of the Seattle Metroplex. Has a 750k Dead or Alive bounty with the Tir States and Telestrian Industries
}}

==Shadow Community Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowThreshold=1
|LowResult= An infiltrator and gunman. Has a reputation as a professional
|MidThreshold=3
|MidResult= A street kid from the Redmond Barrens, grown into one of the most well-known assassins in the UCAS
|HighThreshold=5
|HighResult= Has been hoarding nuyen like a dragon for several years, however stays away from criminal associations.
}}

==SINs==
Cedric Quill (Rank 6) - Adept License, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Bodyguard and Drivers - Tied to UCAS (Seattle)

Clayton Orr (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Security Consultant - Tied to PCC (Los Angeles)

Scott Meza (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Air Marshall - Tied to AGS (Essen)

Ireno Kingston (Rank 6) - Adept, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Private Investigator, Restricted Armor - Tied to Caribbean League (Havanna)

==Appearance==

===Clothing===

===Matrix Persona===
A bright red, t-posing featureless humanoid

===Quotes===

"If you do magic long enough you learn to be pretentious"

==Media Mentions==

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv_JSL5VSrt3BGDQm8no3Llbzb-jJM2hILD4cFrEch0/edit?usp=sharing Dear Scarlet]

==ShadowGrid Profile Comments==

[[Category:Player Characters]]

File:Zenith 2085.png

2024-08-11T22:45:31Z

OrionsRequiem:

Investing in Snacks

2024-07-24T06:45:33Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "{{AARInfobox|   |Date=2085-06-27  |GM=OrionsRequiem  |Location=Seattle Metroplex, UCAS <!-- Optional: Any factio..."

Zenith

2024-07-13T02:05:37Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Contacts */

{{Infobox
|YourWikiUsername = OrionsRequiem
|title = {{PAGENAME}} 
|image= [[File:Zenith.jpg|200px]] 
|header1= Gun Adept
|header2= A lifelong runner who thought he'd retired
|header3=
|header4=
|label5 = Discord
|data5 = @OrionsRequiem#2524
|label6 = Reddit
|data6 = [https://www.reddit.com/user/OrionsRequiem/ OrionsRequiem]
|label7= Metatype
|data7 = Human
|label8 = Street Cred
|data8= 79
|label9 = Notoriety
|data9 = 1
|label10 = Public Awareness
|data10= 3
|label11 = Titles and Awards
|data11 =
|label12 = CDP
|data12 = {{CDP|
|Expenses=149
|Bonuses= 104
|}} 
|label13 = D.O.B.
|data13 = December 29th, 2046
|label14 = Age
|data14 = {{Age| 
|Month= 12
|Day= 29
|Year= 2046
|}} 
|label15 = Folder
|data15 =[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eM3kV-nq4omediVw8xT-WH-gE7EWlth_?usp=sharing]
|label16 = Priority
|data16 = Metatype - D Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - C Skills - B Resources - E
|label17 = # Initiations
|data17 = {{IGTracker| 
|Month=01
|Day=31
|Year=2081
|AwakenedStatus=2
|}} 
}}

=Character Information=

===Summary===
A Barrens raised kid who grew up in warehouses, learning to pick pockets and shoot straight. His Shadowrunner mother raised him alone until she wasn't around any more, then he lived on his own. He started running on his own at 13, using his mother's contacts. At age 17 he met a woman he left the life for, was married and had a child two years later. His wife disappeared in an assault on his home, and he raised his daughter on his own since then. Her schooling is expensive, so Zenith came out of retirement.
===Goals===

*<s>Replace all his old gear with better stuff</s>
*<s>Buy a proper house</s> Set himself and Harriot up in a safe place
*Find the people that attacked his home and <s>find out what happened to Scarlet</s> <s>find Scarlet</s> Figure out what the frag to do with his life
*Pay for Harriot's schooling and make sure she has a good nest egg of an inheritance.
*Avoid becoming a Saeder-Krupp Prime Agent.
*Kill whoever invented Chal'han
*Work alongside [[Catharsis]] to protect their life together
*<s>Open a restaurant in the Barrens</s> Convince the Corporate Court to designate the Pinnacle House as a safe haven.
*Dunk on the elfnostates at every opportunity.

==Background==
Ethan grew up in the Redmond Barrens alongside his mother, Madeline Quinn and was given pretty free reign. Do whatever you want, just be back by dark. His mother was a Shadowrunner who went by the street name Stiletto, and she taught him the ins and outs of the trade. Most of his friends growing up were her old running crew, but he didn't know anything else, and in the Barrens, if you've got something that keeps you safe, you don't ask too many questions about it. For years, he fell into a pattern. Pick some pockets for a soy burger, get home before nightfall, learn to either not be seen, shoot straight, or pick locks, then watch his mom get into her van with her runner team, and watch garbage trids until they got back. It wasn't a stable life, but it was his. As he got older his mother let him take on jobs, often acting as a distraction or an unseen pickpocket, though as he got more confident in his gunmanship he was allowed to take on wetwork, his mother believing that teaching him to take a life would prepare him for the world better than anything the school system could provide. Then one day, the van never came back. Ethan didn't know if the only family he'd ever known skipped town, got got, or simply needed to disappear, but either way, at 7, Ethan was alone.

Having little more than an abandoned warehouse to squat in and a rapidly dwindling amount of nuyen to bribe anyone who found him, Ethan knew that he needed to make some cash fast or else die in the Barrens like so many others before him. He knew his mother kept a spare gun in her desk, a Ruger Super Warhawk that he'd used to train with sometimes. He took the gun and started using the name Zenith based off a joke his mother used to make about how he'd one day be the top Shadowrunner in the UCAS. At the start, Zenith was bad, the Warhawk was the only tool in his arsenal. He knew how to sneak and pick locks, but he was still a kid, and he drew more attention than he wanted when he was outside the Barrens. His mother's old fixer, Ol'Tusk helped him for awhile, but he eventually made enough nuyen for an apartment and could start building up his materials. However the jobs he took were barely enough to pay rent month-to-month. Eventually, Ol'Tusk found him bigger jobs, and he had to learn that sometimes professionalism was more useful than a gun. Zenith quickly gained a reputation as a wetwork specialist who wasn't decerning about his targets so long as the money was good. This led him to many dangerous jobs, including one such job where he was meant to clean out a building of Halloweeners. During the job Zenith caught away from the rest of the team by a Halloweener with a flamethrower, trapped between a wall and the insane ganger, we was consumed in flame, and would have died were it not for his sudden Awakening, giving him an extra burst of speed that allowed him to get around the 'weener and kill him before the fire burned him away. Though he was left with a burn scar on the side of his neck from the experience.

After ten years of Zenith working in the shadows. He had savings, he was actually comfortable. His reputation wasn't really known outside the Barrens, but he was content. In November of 2064, Zenith and a crew of runners had to grab test answers for a spoiled rich brat from their high school: Overlake Private High School. To this end, Zenith infiltrated the school as a student, despite lacking any education beyond basic reading and writing. The job would have gone smoothly, but Zenith got distracted. One of the "classmates" he was exposed to was an Elf noble woman named Scarlet O'Cathalain who had transferred to the UCAS from Tir Tairngire due to a "cultural exchange program". While she never admitted to it, Zenith felt like Scarlet saw right through him, and could tell that he didn't belong, but she was friendly to him regardless, sharing her thoughts about how metahumanity had the potential for goodness, from the corporate executive to the beetle addict, and that they all deserve kindness and help. Zenith was skeptical of her views, but enamored with her all the same. Even after the job, Zenith kept in contact with Scarlet, and eventually the two started dating.

Things moved pretty fast, getting married in a small ceremony after a year and a half, prompted somewhat by Scarlet's discovery of a pregnancy. The two of them were a bit scared by the prospect of having a child, but they eventually agreed to try it together, and within six months, Harriot Quill was born. Zenith retired, and just became Cedric Quill, the name on his Fake SIN, he missed the thrill of Shadowrunning, but he also knew that Scarlet and Harriot were safer if he just took odd jobs that stayed on the light side of the law. After four years of going straight, and having a family life, Zenith and Harriot had gone out to see a new Trid in the theatre, but when they got back, the door to their apartment building was busted in and when they got back to their door, it had obviously been cracked. Furniture was overturned, blood was spattered on the floor and plates and glasses were shattered. Worst of all, Scarlet was missing. She'd disappeared and Zenith couldn't get any information about the investigation. Zenith was despondent, and while he had to take care of Harriot, he felt his life falling apart. Social Services attempted to take Harriot away if Zenith didn't take therapy and appropriate social care with his daughter. This forced him to give up the search using legal means, Cedric Quill was under too much scrutiny to do what needed to be done.

Assuming that whoever had done this came from his past as a runner, Zenith took what cash he had saved up and started renting a new apartment in Tacoma. He focused on raising Harriot, and when she was asleep, he started diving back into the Shadows, trying to uncover anything about his wife. It's been 11 years since that day, and Zenith has started taking on jobs again. Apparently the old adage is true "Only retired Shadowrunner is a dead Shadowrunner".

==Narrative Significant Qualities==

===Positive===
'''Adept''' - Ethan awakened shortly after his mother disappeared, leveraging his new powers to increase his value on runs.

'''Hawk Eye + Shoot First, Don't Ask + Perceptive''' - His paranoia has made it almost impossible to surprise him.

'''Sharpshooter + Strive for Perfection + Perfect Time''' - He gets bored with regular shots. He wants to challenge himself in a gunfight.

'''Daredevil''' - Zenith does foolish things for kicks. He's spent his life running the shadows and any chance to spice things up fuels his adrenaline addiction.

'''Alibi + Social Chameleon''' - Since first joining the Haven, Zenith has been forced to solve more problems with talking than violence, and has improved his social skills to avoid killing his way through problems.

'''The Invisible Way''' - Zenith is an expert infiltrator and assassin, his magic has taken him in a way where being unseen is the best course of action and his magic has molded around this notion.

'''Lucky''' - A misnomer at best, Zenith's luck tends to get him out of trouble that his stupidity gets him into.

'''School of Hard Knocks''' - Zenith grew up on the streets of the Redmond Barrens and learned all he could from the downtrodden and disenfranchised, which includes knowledge that has come in handy through his Shadowrunning career.

===Negative===
'''Dependant (Demanding)''' - Harriot is a 16 year old Elf, she's smarter than Zenith, and has learned that her father is a shadowrunner, but not the extent to which he markets himself as a wetwork specialist. She has recently Emerged as a technomancer and attends Twin Peaks Private School in Bellevue.

'''Emotional Attachment '''- His mother's Ruger Super Warhawk, it's been modded since Zenith started using it, but it's something he'll never part with willingly.

'''Driven:''' - Looking for his lost wife Scarlet. He is almost compulsively pulled towards any threads that might have something to do with her. Often to his own detriment or near-death.

'''Social Stress (Red-Haired Elves):''' - Between his missing wife and his daughter, Zenith has a hard time dealing socially with red-haired elves. Often avoiding their gaze and trying to avoid engaging with them at all.

'''Uneducated''' - Growing up on the streets is not conducive to a regular learning experience. What Zenith lacks in book smarts, he makes up in street smarts, but the former bites him at times.

==Run History==
'''January 2082:''' Having reentered the shadows a few months earlier and reconnecting with [[Johns]], Zenith entered ShadowHaven with the hope that he could find clues to his missing wife, and make enough cred to keep paying rent and his daughter's tuition. Getting off to a solid start by finding a bioweapon and infiltrating an Ares Blacksite, he began to recall what working in the shadows was all about, just in time to meet [[Amrei Veidt]] and become connected with the S-K Prime operative while breaking into the Aztechnology Pyramid. He also got a taste of travel, going to the PCC and finding a club run by a Chiron using Amrita to create a bunch of Essence batteries. He is saved from his worst impulses by [[Delphi]], who takes the negotiation on herself at risk of infection. Zenith goes by her office once they are back in Seattle and the two become fast friends over shared trauma.

'''February 2082:''' Starting the month off by a confrontation with his past threatening his daughter, Zenith spends this month building up connections. Meeting [[Vip3r]], [[Lil' Boomer]], [[Ca1yps0]] and [[Skimmer]] who he maintains a relationship with, including many other runners. On a particularly personal job, he also met [[Shine]], who learned that he had a daughter while defending said daughter's girlfriend from a group of rival shadowrunners. This was also the month where Amrei Veidt found out that Zenith had a daughter, going so far as to drive her home from school under the guise of being a co-worker of Zenith, forcing him to improve his relationship with Saeder-Krupp past his comfort level, including doing spy work for them. This month also gave Zenith his first interaction with [[Pump King Jack]], and the child in the spirit's "care", Mary Jane. The interaction with the child was also what showed him the other side of [[Babylon]], leading to a professional respect between the two. The final event of the month saw Zenith going into a bug's nest, saving the life of [[Relay]] from a paint grenade, and firing a Blight round into the mouth of an Ant Queen, allowing the rest of the team to finish the monster off. Before the end of the month, Zenith sits down with his daughter and explains the truth about what he does for a living, though omits that he is a wetwork specialist, including the details that he was part of the team that murdered her new girlfriend's father.

'''March 2082:''' A slower month for the gunman, Zenith was forced to go up against other runners and ended up saving them, as well as watching [[Charon]] offer to turn [[Glamor]] into another Infected while working for Amrei. This is also the month where Zenith tracks down Ol'Tusk, begrudgingly helping Charon with her vengeance quest, and getting confirmation that his mother was alive and involved in something targeting his daughter. Leading to him requesting the aid of Vip3r and Shine in protecting the girl, with some plans being put in place. He also discovers that Mary Jane, the girl he had helped remove from the influence of Jack, was dead, killed by an Infected Troll that he became dedicated to tracking down.

'''April 2082:''' Shine moves into Zenith's home, though the older runner is hesitant about such things, Shine has proved herself to be trustworthy and invested in Harriot's protection. This turns out to be fortunate, as Zenith is called to Chicago by Skimmer, as repayment for a favor done in February where Skimmer helped him sell his lie of being a security consultant to his daughter. While in Chicago he helps Skimmer rescue his wife and newborn daughter, but realizes that much like the other adept, if he continues down the blood-soaked path he's been on for most of his life, when he finds his own wife she might see him as a monster. He also takes on a job that dives through the ACHE, seeking the bloodsucker that killed Mary Jane, however the job was a setup to help another associated bloodsucker to wipe out a Tamanous facility.

'''May 2082:''' This month started with Harriot's birthday party, with Shine and Vip3r helping Zenith ensure the party was safe and a happy day for his daughter. However at the end of the night, Zenith receives a clue pointing towards his missing wife and leaves his home in the middle of the night to go to Tir Tairngire. The stress of his disappearance causes Harriot to Emerge as a technomancer. In the Tir, Zenith finds that his in-laws are embroiled in a blood-feud that is the reason for Scarlet's abduction so many years ago, and that they will not involve him to get her back. After getting the information, he saved his mother-in-law's life by taking a bullet intended for her, nearly dying from the shot, and escaping on the back of a unicorn. He returns to Seattle to a furious Shine, Vip3r and Harriot, who help him recover. Burning his Tacoma home, he moves into Shine's apartment and realizes that he has been falling for the other runner, coming to a head after an intense fight that leads to the start of their secretive affair. Fulfilling a request from Vip3r, Zenith helps her figure out what to do about her adoptive parents and after a deep run, rescued her mother but found out that her father was going to be kept in a Zero Zone, as well as telling Harriot about his and Shine's relationship.

'''June 2082:''' Starting the month off strong, Zenith killed a Blood God on the night of the blood moon eclipse by hurling himself into the mouth of the spirit and shooting Blight into the creature. After [[King Beef]] went berserk from K-10. Zenith was part of the team that ultimately took him down and granted him a final farewell to the Shadow Community. This is also the month where Zenith works with [[Charon]] as a lookout and backup for another of her targets.

'''December 2082 - January 2084:''' After Shine received an offer from Cross to stay in Montreal with their new Emergency Medical services, Zenith and the other adept have disagreements and are distant until they end their relationship. Zenith also moves to Essen in the AGS while Harriot makes the transition to college.

{{RunHistory}}


==Affiliations==

===Contacts===


{{ContactTable|


{{HasContact|
|Name=Johns
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Black Cat
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Ghaz
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Amrei Veidt
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Argent
|Loyalty= 3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Sarah Snow
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Kenneth "Flamesaw" Murphy
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Corf
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Bellerophon
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Deulara Leorel
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Saint Nick
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Freya
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Anything Andy
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Mush
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Wusan
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Isabel Wirth
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=LB
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Nyon Salaine
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Krimelin
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Sidewinder
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Phil Haskill
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Hanson
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Adowa "Moria" Webster
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Spinne
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Cascade
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Ryan Mercury
|Loyalty=5
|Chips=Even
|}}

}}


===Organizations===

===Allies===

* [[Shine]]: A fellow runner and the person closest to Zenith since he started running the shadows again. Saved his life in May 2082 and started a long term relationship that ended mid 2084
* [[Delphi]]: After saving Zenith from being Infected in LA, the two began a quick friendship and have aided one another in the mysteries that each seek to solve.
* [[Vip3r]]: After learning that Zenith had a child, Vip3r did everything she could to help him keep her safe from the forces that looked to capture her, and after Harriot Emerged, Vip3r was one of the two technomancers who took her under their wing.
* [[Ca1yps0]]: The second technomancer to take Harriot on as a mentee. After initially figuring out that Zenith had a daughter by snooping around his apartment, she proved to be discrete and helpful in buffing up his lax Matrix security.
* [[Catharsis]] A trusted ally with a similar background, and the therapist to his daughter.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Allied Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Skraacha||+6||Shares valuable information
|-
|Ancients||+4||Occasional Agent
|-
|OtherCon||+3||Saved a Squirrel
|-
|Saeder-Krupp||+20||"Trusted Asset"
|-
|Gianelli Family||+5||Robbed a yacht
|-
|The Burns' Coven||+2||Stole some birds
|-
|The Black Lodge||+10||Unwitting Agent
|-
|Streets of Seattle||+10||Took down a [[King Beef|rampaging bull]]
|-
|The Draco Foundation||+19||Considerable Talent
|-
|Black Star||+3||Distant Relation
|}

===Enemies===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Enemy Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Cutters||-10||Killed a half-dozen
|-
|Tamanous||-70||Destroyed a long-standing facility
|-
|Lone Star||-5||Broke children out of jail
|-
|Mitsuhama Computer Technologies||-40||Extracted a target and murdered 4 people
|}

=In Character Information=

==Symbols and Signatures==

'''Ruger Super Warhawk:''' The classic revolver and his signature weapon. While not ideal for his stealth work, when things go loud it has always been his trusted companion

==Matrix Search Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowResult= Zenith (noun): the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
|MidResult= A well-known hitman operating out of the UCAS.
|HighResult= A long-time thief and assassin operating out of the Seattle Metroplex. Has a 750k Dead or Alive bounty with the Tir States and Telestrian Industries
}}

==Shadow Community Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowThreshold=1
|LowResult= An infiltrator and gunman. Has a reputation as a professional
|MidThreshold=3
|MidResult= A street kid from the Redmond Barrens, grown into one of the most well-known assassins in the UCAS
|HighThreshold=5
|HighResult= Has been hoarding nuyen like a dragon for several years, however stays away from criminal associations.
}}

==SINs==
Cedric Quill (Rank 6) - Adept License, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Bodyguard and Drivers - Tied to UCAS (Seattle)

Clayton Orr (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Security Consultant - Tied to PCC (Los Angeles)

Scott Meza (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Air Marshall - Tied to AGS (Essen)

Ireno Kingston (Rank 6) - Adept, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Private Investigator, Restricted Armor - Tied to Caribbean League (Havanna)

==Appearance==

===Clothing===

===Matrix Persona===
A bright red, t-posing featureless humanoid

===Quotes===

"If you do magic long enough you learn to be pretentious"

==Media Mentions==

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv_JSL5VSrt3BGDQm8no3Llbzb-jJM2hILD4cFrEch0/edit?usp=sharing Dear Scarlet]

==ShadowGrid Profile Comments==

[[Category:Player Characters]]

Zenith

2024-07-05T18:04:19Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Matrix Persona */

{{Infobox
|YourWikiUsername = OrionsRequiem
|title = {{PAGENAME}} 
|image= [[File:Zenith.jpg|200px]] 
|header1= Gun Adept
|header2= A lifelong runner who thought he'd retired
|header3=
|header4=
|label5 = Discord
|data5 = @OrionsRequiem#2524
|label6 = Reddit
|data6 = [https://www.reddit.com/user/OrionsRequiem/ OrionsRequiem]
|label7= Metatype
|data7 = Human
|label8 = Street Cred
|data8= 79
|label9 = Notoriety
|data9 = 1
|label10 = Public Awareness
|data10= 3
|label11 = Titles and Awards
|data11 =
|label12 = CDP
|data12 = {{CDP|
|Expenses=149
|Bonuses= 104
|}} 
|label13 = D.O.B.
|data13 = December 29th, 2046
|label14 = Age
|data14 = {{Age| 
|Month= 12
|Day= 29
|Year= 2046
|}} 
|label15 = Folder
|data15 =[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eM3kV-nq4omediVw8xT-WH-gE7EWlth_?usp=sharing]
|label16 = Priority
|data16 = Metatype - D Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - C Skills - B Resources - E
|label17 = # Initiations
|data17 = {{IGTracker| 
|Month=01
|Day=31
|Year=2081
|AwakenedStatus=2
|}} 
}}

=Character Information=

===Summary===
A Barrens raised kid who grew up in warehouses, learning to pick pockets and shoot straight. His Shadowrunner mother raised him alone until she wasn't around any more, then he lived on his own. He started running on his own at 13, using his mother's contacts. At age 17 he met a woman he left the life for, was married and had a child two years later. His wife disappeared in an assault on his home, and he raised his daughter on his own since then. Her schooling is expensive, so Zenith came out of retirement.
===Goals===

*<s>Replace all his old gear with better stuff</s>
*<s>Buy a proper house</s> Set himself and Harriot up in a safe place
*Find the people that attacked his home and <s>find out what happened to Scarlet</s> <s>find Scarlet</s> Figure out what the frag to do with his life
*Pay for Harriot's schooling and make sure she has a good nest egg of an inheritance.
*Avoid becoming a Saeder-Krupp Prime Agent.
*Kill whoever invented Chal'han
*Work alongside [[Catharsis]] to protect their life together
*<s>Open a restaurant in the Barrens</s> Convince the Corporate Court to designate the Pinnacle House as a safe haven.
*Dunk on the elfnostates at every opportunity.

==Background==
Ethan grew up in the Redmond Barrens alongside his mother, Madeline Quinn and was given pretty free reign. Do whatever you want, just be back by dark. His mother was a Shadowrunner who went by the street name Stiletto, and she taught him the ins and outs of the trade. Most of his friends growing up were her old running crew, but he didn't know anything else, and in the Barrens, if you've got something that keeps you safe, you don't ask too many questions about it. For years, he fell into a pattern. Pick some pockets for a soy burger, get home before nightfall, learn to either not be seen, shoot straight, or pick locks, then watch his mom get into her van with her runner team, and watch garbage trids until they got back. It wasn't a stable life, but it was his. As he got older his mother let him take on jobs, often acting as a distraction or an unseen pickpocket, though as he got more confident in his gunmanship he was allowed to take on wetwork, his mother believing that teaching him to take a life would prepare him for the world better than anything the school system could provide. Then one day, the van never came back. Ethan didn't know if the only family he'd ever known skipped town, got got, or simply needed to disappear, but either way, at 7, Ethan was alone.

Having little more than an abandoned warehouse to squat in and a rapidly dwindling amount of nuyen to bribe anyone who found him, Ethan knew that he needed to make some cash fast or else die in the Barrens like so many others before him. He knew his mother kept a spare gun in her desk, a Ruger Super Warhawk that he'd used to train with sometimes. He took the gun and started using the name Zenith based off a joke his mother used to make about how he'd one day be the top Shadowrunner in the UCAS. At the start, Zenith was bad, the Warhawk was the only tool in his arsenal. He knew how to sneak and pick locks, but he was still a kid, and he drew more attention than he wanted when he was outside the Barrens. His mother's old fixer, Ol'Tusk helped him for awhile, but he eventually made enough nuyen for an apartment and could start building up his materials. However the jobs he took were barely enough to pay rent month-to-month. Eventually, Ol'Tusk found him bigger jobs, and he had to learn that sometimes professionalism was more useful than a gun. Zenith quickly gained a reputation as a wetwork specialist who wasn't decerning about his targets so long as the money was good. This led him to many dangerous jobs, including one such job where he was meant to clean out a building of Halloweeners. During the job Zenith caught away from the rest of the team by a Halloweener with a flamethrower, trapped between a wall and the insane ganger, we was consumed in flame, and would have died were it not for his sudden Awakening, giving him an extra burst of speed that allowed him to get around the 'weener and kill him before the fire burned him away. Though he was left with a burn scar on the side of his neck from the experience.

After ten years of Zenith working in the shadows. He had savings, he was actually comfortable. His reputation wasn't really known outside the Barrens, but he was content. In November of 2064, Zenith and a crew of runners had to grab test answers for a spoiled rich brat from their high school: Overlake Private High School. To this end, Zenith infiltrated the school as a student, despite lacking any education beyond basic reading and writing. The job would have gone smoothly, but Zenith got distracted. One of the "classmates" he was exposed to was an Elf noble woman named Scarlet O'Cathalain who had transferred to the UCAS from Tir Tairngire due to a "cultural exchange program". While she never admitted to it, Zenith felt like Scarlet saw right through him, and could tell that he didn't belong, but she was friendly to him regardless, sharing her thoughts about how metahumanity had the potential for goodness, from the corporate executive to the beetle addict, and that they all deserve kindness and help. Zenith was skeptical of her views, but enamored with her all the same. Even after the job, Zenith kept in contact with Scarlet, and eventually the two started dating.

Things moved pretty fast, getting married in a small ceremony after a year and a half, prompted somewhat by Scarlet's discovery of a pregnancy. The two of them were a bit scared by the prospect of having a child, but they eventually agreed to try it together, and within six months, Harriot Quill was born. Zenith retired, and just became Cedric Quill, the name on his Fake SIN, he missed the thrill of Shadowrunning, but he also knew that Scarlet and Harriot were safer if he just took odd jobs that stayed on the light side of the law. After four years of going straight, and having a family life, Zenith and Harriot had gone out to see a new Trid in the theatre, but when they got back, the door to their apartment building was busted in and when they got back to their door, it had obviously been cracked. Furniture was overturned, blood was spattered on the floor and plates and glasses were shattered. Worst of all, Scarlet was missing. She'd disappeared and Zenith couldn't get any information about the investigation. Zenith was despondent, and while he had to take care of Harriot, he felt his life falling apart. Social Services attempted to take Harriot away if Zenith didn't take therapy and appropriate social care with his daughter. This forced him to give up the search using legal means, Cedric Quill was under too much scrutiny to do what needed to be done.

Assuming that whoever had done this came from his past as a runner, Zenith took what cash he had saved up and started renting a new apartment in Tacoma. He focused on raising Harriot, and when she was asleep, he started diving back into the Shadows, trying to uncover anything about his wife. It's been 11 years since that day, and Zenith has started taking on jobs again. Apparently the old adage is true "Only retired Shadowrunner is a dead Shadowrunner".

==Narrative Significant Qualities==

===Positive===
'''Adept''' - Ethan awakened shortly after his mother disappeared, leveraging his new powers to increase his value on runs.

'''Hawk Eye + Shoot First, Don't Ask + Perceptive''' - His paranoia has made it almost impossible to surprise him.

'''Sharpshooter + Strive for Perfection + Perfect Time''' - He gets bored with regular shots. He wants to challenge himself in a gunfight.

'''Daredevil''' - Zenith does foolish things for kicks. He's spent his life running the shadows and any chance to spice things up fuels his adrenaline addiction.

'''Alibi + Social Chameleon''' - Since first joining the Haven, Zenith has been forced to solve more problems with talking than violence, and has improved his social skills to avoid killing his way through problems.

'''The Invisible Way''' - Zenith is an expert infiltrator and assassin, his magic has taken him in a way where being unseen is the best course of action and his magic has molded around this notion.

'''Lucky''' - A misnomer at best, Zenith's luck tends to get him out of trouble that his stupidity gets him into.

'''School of Hard Knocks''' - Zenith grew up on the streets of the Redmond Barrens and learned all he could from the downtrodden and disenfranchised, which includes knowledge that has come in handy through his Shadowrunning career.

===Negative===
'''Dependant (Demanding)''' - Harriot is a 16 year old Elf, she's smarter than Zenith, and has learned that her father is a shadowrunner, but not the extent to which he markets himself as a wetwork specialist. She has recently Emerged as a technomancer and attends Twin Peaks Private School in Bellevue.

'''Emotional Attachment '''- His mother's Ruger Super Warhawk, it's been modded since Zenith started using it, but it's something he'll never part with willingly.

'''Driven:''' - Looking for his lost wife Scarlet. He is almost compulsively pulled towards any threads that might have something to do with her. Often to his own detriment or near-death.

'''Social Stress (Red-Haired Elves):''' - Between his missing wife and his daughter, Zenith has a hard time dealing socially with red-haired elves. Often avoiding their gaze and trying to avoid engaging with them at all.

'''Uneducated''' - Growing up on the streets is not conducive to a regular learning experience. What Zenith lacks in book smarts, he makes up in street smarts, but the former bites him at times.

==Run History==
'''January 2082:''' Having reentered the shadows a few months earlier and reconnecting with [[Johns]], Zenith entered ShadowHaven with the hope that he could find clues to his missing wife, and make enough cred to keep paying rent and his daughter's tuition. Getting off to a solid start by finding a bioweapon and infiltrating an Ares Blacksite, he began to recall what working in the shadows was all about, just in time to meet [[Amrei Veidt]] and become connected with the S-K Prime operative while breaking into the Aztechnology Pyramid. He also got a taste of travel, going to the PCC and finding a club run by a Chiron using Amrita to create a bunch of Essence batteries. He is saved from his worst impulses by [[Delphi]], who takes the negotiation on herself at risk of infection. Zenith goes by her office once they are back in Seattle and the two become fast friends over shared trauma.

'''February 2082:''' Starting the month off by a confrontation with his past threatening his daughter, Zenith spends this month building up connections. Meeting [[Vip3r]], [[Lil' Boomer]], [[Ca1yps0]] and [[Skimmer]] who he maintains a relationship with, including many other runners. On a particularly personal job, he also met [[Shine]], who learned that he had a daughter while defending said daughter's girlfriend from a group of rival shadowrunners. This was also the month where Amrei Veidt found out that Zenith had a daughter, going so far as to drive her home from school under the guise of being a co-worker of Zenith, forcing him to improve his relationship with Saeder-Krupp past his comfort level, including doing spy work for them. This month also gave Zenith his first interaction with [[Pump King Jack]], and the child in the spirit's "care", Mary Jane. The interaction with the child was also what showed him the other side of [[Babylon]], leading to a professional respect between the two. The final event of the month saw Zenith going into a bug's nest, saving the life of [[Relay]] from a paint grenade, and firing a Blight round into the mouth of an Ant Queen, allowing the rest of the team to finish the monster off. Before the end of the month, Zenith sits down with his daughter and explains the truth about what he does for a living, though omits that he is a wetwork specialist, including the details that he was part of the team that murdered her new girlfriend's father.

'''March 2082:''' A slower month for the gunman, Zenith was forced to go up against other runners and ended up saving them, as well as watching [[Charon]] offer to turn [[Glamor]] into another Infected while working for Amrei. This is also the month where Zenith tracks down Ol'Tusk, begrudgingly helping Charon with her vengeance quest, and getting confirmation that his mother was alive and involved in something targeting his daughter. Leading to him requesting the aid of Vip3r and Shine in protecting the girl, with some plans being put in place. He also discovers that Mary Jane, the girl he had helped remove from the influence of Jack, was dead, killed by an Infected Troll that he became dedicated to tracking down.

'''April 2082:''' Shine moves into Zenith's home, though the older runner is hesitant about such things, Shine has proved herself to be trustworthy and invested in Harriot's protection. This turns out to be fortunate, as Zenith is called to Chicago by Skimmer, as repayment for a favor done in February where Skimmer helped him sell his lie of being a security consultant to his daughter. While in Chicago he helps Skimmer rescue his wife and newborn daughter, but realizes that much like the other adept, if he continues down the blood-soaked path he's been on for most of his life, when he finds his own wife she might see him as a monster. He also takes on a job that dives through the ACHE, seeking the bloodsucker that killed Mary Jane, however the job was a setup to help another associated bloodsucker to wipe out a Tamanous facility.

'''May 2082:''' This month started with Harriot's birthday party, with Shine and Vip3r helping Zenith ensure the party was safe and a happy day for his daughter. However at the end of the night, Zenith receives a clue pointing towards his missing wife and leaves his home in the middle of the night to go to Tir Tairngire. The stress of his disappearance causes Harriot to Emerge as a technomancer. In the Tir, Zenith finds that his in-laws are embroiled in a blood-feud that is the reason for Scarlet's abduction so many years ago, and that they will not involve him to get her back. After getting the information, he saved his mother-in-law's life by taking a bullet intended for her, nearly dying from the shot, and escaping on the back of a unicorn. He returns to Seattle to a furious Shine, Vip3r and Harriot, who help him recover. Burning his Tacoma home, he moves into Shine's apartment and realizes that he has been falling for the other runner, coming to a head after an intense fight that leads to the start of their secretive affair. Fulfilling a request from Vip3r, Zenith helps her figure out what to do about her adoptive parents and after a deep run, rescued her mother but found out that her father was going to be kept in a Zero Zone, as well as telling Harriot about his and Shine's relationship.

'''June 2082:''' Starting the month off strong, Zenith killed a Blood God on the night of the blood moon eclipse by hurling himself into the mouth of the spirit and shooting Blight into the creature. After [[King Beef]] went berserk from K-10. Zenith was part of the team that ultimately took him down and granted him a final farewell to the Shadow Community. This is also the month where Zenith works with [[Charon]] as a lookout and backup for another of her targets.

'''December 2082 - January 2084:''' After Shine received an offer from Cross to stay in Montreal with their new Emergency Medical services, Zenith and the other adept have disagreements and are distant until they end their relationship. Zenith also moves to Essen in the AGS while Harriot makes the transition to college.

{{RunHistory}}


==Affiliations==

===Contacts===


{{ContactTable|


{{HasContact|
|Name=Johns
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Black Cat
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Ghaz
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Amrei Veidt
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Argent
|Loyalty= 3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Sarah Snow
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Kenneth "Flamesaw" Murphy
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Corf
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Bellerophon
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Deulara Leorel
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Saint Nick
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Freya
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Anything Andy
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Mush
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Wusan
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Isabel Wirth
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=LB
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Nyon Salaine
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Krimelin
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Sidewinder
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Phil Haskill
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Hanson
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Adowa "Moria" Webster
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Spinne
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Cascade
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Ryan Mercury
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

}}


===Organizations===

===Allies===

* [[Shine]]: A fellow runner and the person closest to Zenith since he started running the shadows again. Saved his life in May 2082 and started a long term relationship that ended mid 2084
* [[Delphi]]: After saving Zenith from being Infected in LA, the two began a quick friendship and have aided one another in the mysteries that each seek to solve.
* [[Vip3r]]: After learning that Zenith had a child, Vip3r did everything she could to help him keep her safe from the forces that looked to capture her, and after Harriot Emerged, Vip3r was one of the two technomancers who took her under their wing.
* [[Ca1yps0]]: The second technomancer to take Harriot on as a mentee. After initially figuring out that Zenith had a daughter by snooping around his apartment, she proved to be discrete and helpful in buffing up his lax Matrix security.
* [[Catharsis]] A trusted ally with a similar background, and the therapist to his daughter.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Allied Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Skraacha||+6||Shares valuable information
|-
|Ancients||+4||Occasional Agent
|-
|OtherCon||+3||Saved a Squirrel
|-
|Saeder-Krupp||+20||"Trusted Asset"
|-
|Gianelli Family||+5||Robbed a yacht
|-
|The Burns' Coven||+2||Stole some birds
|-
|The Black Lodge||+10||Unwitting Agent
|-
|Streets of Seattle||+10||Took down a [[King Beef|rampaging bull]]
|-
|The Draco Foundation||+19||Considerable Talent
|-
|Black Star||+3||Distant Relation
|}

===Enemies===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Enemy Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Cutters||-10||Killed a half-dozen
|-
|Tamanous||-70||Destroyed a long-standing facility
|-
|Lone Star||-5||Broke children out of jail
|-
|Mitsuhama Computer Technologies||-40||Extracted a target and murdered 4 people
|}

=In Character Information=

==Symbols and Signatures==

'''Ruger Super Warhawk:''' The classic revolver and his signature weapon. While not ideal for his stealth work, when things go loud it has always been his trusted companion

==Matrix Search Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowResult= Zenith (noun): the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
|MidResult= A well-known hitman operating out of the UCAS.
|HighResult= A long-time thief and assassin operating out of the Seattle Metroplex. Has a 750k Dead or Alive bounty with the Tir States and Telestrian Industries
}}

==Shadow Community Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowThreshold=1
|LowResult= An infiltrator and gunman. Has a reputation as a professional
|MidThreshold=3
|MidResult= A street kid from the Redmond Barrens, grown into one of the most well-known assassins in the UCAS
|HighThreshold=5
|HighResult= Has been hoarding nuyen like a dragon for several years, however stays away from criminal associations.
}}

==SINs==
Cedric Quill (Rank 6) - Adept License, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Bodyguard and Drivers - Tied to UCAS (Seattle)

Clayton Orr (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Security Consultant - Tied to PCC (Los Angeles)

Scott Meza (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Air Marshall - Tied to AGS (Essen)

Ireno Kingston (Rank 6) - Adept, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Private Investigator, Restricted Armor - Tied to Caribbean League (Havanna)

==Appearance==

===Clothing===

===Matrix Persona===
A bright red, t-posing featureless humanoid

===Quotes===

"If you do magic long enough you learn to be pretentious"

==Media Mentions==

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv_JSL5VSrt3BGDQm8no3Llbzb-jJM2hILD4cFrEch0/edit?usp=sharing Dear Scarlet]

==ShadowGrid Profile Comments==

[[Category:Player Characters]]

Zenith

2024-07-05T18:03:08Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Matrix Search Table */

{{Infobox
|YourWikiUsername = OrionsRequiem
|title = {{PAGENAME}} 
|image= [[File:Zenith.jpg|200px]] 
|header1= Gun Adept
|header2= A lifelong runner who thought he'd retired
|header3=
|header4=
|label5 = Discord
|data5 = @OrionsRequiem#2524
|label6 = Reddit
|data6 = [https://www.reddit.com/user/OrionsRequiem/ OrionsRequiem]
|label7= Metatype
|data7 = Human
|label8 = Street Cred
|data8= 79
|label9 = Notoriety
|data9 = 1
|label10 = Public Awareness
|data10= 3
|label11 = Titles and Awards
|data11 =
|label12 = CDP
|data12 = {{CDP|
|Expenses=149
|Bonuses= 104
|}} 
|label13 = D.O.B.
|data13 = December 29th, 2046
|label14 = Age
|data14 = {{Age| 
|Month= 12
|Day= 29
|Year= 2046
|}} 
|label15 = Folder
|data15 =[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eM3kV-nq4omediVw8xT-WH-gE7EWlth_?usp=sharing]
|label16 = Priority
|data16 = Metatype - D Attributes - A Magic/Resonance - C Skills - B Resources - E
|label17 = # Initiations
|data17 = {{IGTracker| 
|Month=01
|Day=31
|Year=2081
|AwakenedStatus=2
|}} 
}}

=Character Information=

===Summary===
A Barrens raised kid who grew up in warehouses, learning to pick pockets and shoot straight. His Shadowrunner mother raised him alone until she wasn't around any more, then he lived on his own. He started running on his own at 13, using his mother's contacts. At age 17 he met a woman he left the life for, was married and had a child two years later. His wife disappeared in an assault on his home, and he raised his daughter on his own since then. Her schooling is expensive, so Zenith came out of retirement.
===Goals===

*<s>Replace all his old gear with better stuff</s>
*<s>Buy a proper house</s> Set himself and Harriot up in a safe place
*Find the people that attacked his home and <s>find out what happened to Scarlet</s> <s>find Scarlet</s> Figure out what the frag to do with his life
*Pay for Harriot's schooling and make sure she has a good nest egg of an inheritance.
*Avoid becoming a Saeder-Krupp Prime Agent.
*Kill whoever invented Chal'han
*Work alongside [[Catharsis]] to protect their life together
*<s>Open a restaurant in the Barrens</s> Convince the Corporate Court to designate the Pinnacle House as a safe haven.
*Dunk on the elfnostates at every opportunity.

==Background==
Ethan grew up in the Redmond Barrens alongside his mother, Madeline Quinn and was given pretty free reign. Do whatever you want, just be back by dark. His mother was a Shadowrunner who went by the street name Stiletto, and she taught him the ins and outs of the trade. Most of his friends growing up were her old running crew, but he didn't know anything else, and in the Barrens, if you've got something that keeps you safe, you don't ask too many questions about it. For years, he fell into a pattern. Pick some pockets for a soy burger, get home before nightfall, learn to either not be seen, shoot straight, or pick locks, then watch his mom get into her van with her runner team, and watch garbage trids until they got back. It wasn't a stable life, but it was his. As he got older his mother let him take on jobs, often acting as a distraction or an unseen pickpocket, though as he got more confident in his gunmanship he was allowed to take on wetwork, his mother believing that teaching him to take a life would prepare him for the world better than anything the school system could provide. Then one day, the van never came back. Ethan didn't know if the only family he'd ever known skipped town, got got, or simply needed to disappear, but either way, at 7, Ethan was alone.

Having little more than an abandoned warehouse to squat in and a rapidly dwindling amount of nuyen to bribe anyone who found him, Ethan knew that he needed to make some cash fast or else die in the Barrens like so many others before him. He knew his mother kept a spare gun in her desk, a Ruger Super Warhawk that he'd used to train with sometimes. He took the gun and started using the name Zenith based off a joke his mother used to make about how he'd one day be the top Shadowrunner in the UCAS. At the start, Zenith was bad, the Warhawk was the only tool in his arsenal. He knew how to sneak and pick locks, but he was still a kid, and he drew more attention than he wanted when he was outside the Barrens. His mother's old fixer, Ol'Tusk helped him for awhile, but he eventually made enough nuyen for an apartment and could start building up his materials. However the jobs he took were barely enough to pay rent month-to-month. Eventually, Ol'Tusk found him bigger jobs, and he had to learn that sometimes professionalism was more useful than a gun. Zenith quickly gained a reputation as a wetwork specialist who wasn't decerning about his targets so long as the money was good. This led him to many dangerous jobs, including one such job where he was meant to clean out a building of Halloweeners. During the job Zenith caught away from the rest of the team by a Halloweener with a flamethrower, trapped between a wall and the insane ganger, we was consumed in flame, and would have died were it not for his sudden Awakening, giving him an extra burst of speed that allowed him to get around the 'weener and kill him before the fire burned him away. Though he was left with a burn scar on the side of his neck from the experience.

After ten years of Zenith working in the shadows. He had savings, he was actually comfortable. His reputation wasn't really known outside the Barrens, but he was content. In November of 2064, Zenith and a crew of runners had to grab test answers for a spoiled rich brat from their high school: Overlake Private High School. To this end, Zenith infiltrated the school as a student, despite lacking any education beyond basic reading and writing. The job would have gone smoothly, but Zenith got distracted. One of the "classmates" he was exposed to was an Elf noble woman named Scarlet O'Cathalain who had transferred to the UCAS from Tir Tairngire due to a "cultural exchange program". While she never admitted to it, Zenith felt like Scarlet saw right through him, and could tell that he didn't belong, but she was friendly to him regardless, sharing her thoughts about how metahumanity had the potential for goodness, from the corporate executive to the beetle addict, and that they all deserve kindness and help. Zenith was skeptical of her views, but enamored with her all the same. Even after the job, Zenith kept in contact with Scarlet, and eventually the two started dating.

Things moved pretty fast, getting married in a small ceremony after a year and a half, prompted somewhat by Scarlet's discovery of a pregnancy. The two of them were a bit scared by the prospect of having a child, but they eventually agreed to try it together, and within six months, Harriot Quill was born. Zenith retired, and just became Cedric Quill, the name on his Fake SIN, he missed the thrill of Shadowrunning, but he also knew that Scarlet and Harriot were safer if he just took odd jobs that stayed on the light side of the law. After four years of going straight, and having a family life, Zenith and Harriot had gone out to see a new Trid in the theatre, but when they got back, the door to their apartment building was busted in and when they got back to their door, it had obviously been cracked. Furniture was overturned, blood was spattered on the floor and plates and glasses were shattered. Worst of all, Scarlet was missing. She'd disappeared and Zenith couldn't get any information about the investigation. Zenith was despondent, and while he had to take care of Harriot, he felt his life falling apart. Social Services attempted to take Harriot away if Zenith didn't take therapy and appropriate social care with his daughter. This forced him to give up the search using legal means, Cedric Quill was under too much scrutiny to do what needed to be done.

Assuming that whoever had done this came from his past as a runner, Zenith took what cash he had saved up and started renting a new apartment in Tacoma. He focused on raising Harriot, and when she was asleep, he started diving back into the Shadows, trying to uncover anything about his wife. It's been 11 years since that day, and Zenith has started taking on jobs again. Apparently the old adage is true "Only retired Shadowrunner is a dead Shadowrunner".

==Narrative Significant Qualities==

===Positive===
'''Adept''' - Ethan awakened shortly after his mother disappeared, leveraging his new powers to increase his value on runs.

'''Hawk Eye + Shoot First, Don't Ask + Perceptive''' - His paranoia has made it almost impossible to surprise him.

'''Sharpshooter + Strive for Perfection + Perfect Time''' - He gets bored with regular shots. He wants to challenge himself in a gunfight.

'''Daredevil''' - Zenith does foolish things for kicks. He's spent his life running the shadows and any chance to spice things up fuels his adrenaline addiction.

'''Alibi + Social Chameleon''' - Since first joining the Haven, Zenith has been forced to solve more problems with talking than violence, and has improved his social skills to avoid killing his way through problems.

'''The Invisible Way''' - Zenith is an expert infiltrator and assassin, his magic has taken him in a way where being unseen is the best course of action and his magic has molded around this notion.

'''Lucky''' - A misnomer at best, Zenith's luck tends to get him out of trouble that his stupidity gets him into.

'''School of Hard Knocks''' - Zenith grew up on the streets of the Redmond Barrens and learned all he could from the downtrodden and disenfranchised, which includes knowledge that has come in handy through his Shadowrunning career.

===Negative===
'''Dependant (Demanding)''' - Harriot is a 16 year old Elf, she's smarter than Zenith, and has learned that her father is a shadowrunner, but not the extent to which he markets himself as a wetwork specialist. She has recently Emerged as a technomancer and attends Twin Peaks Private School in Bellevue.

'''Emotional Attachment '''- His mother's Ruger Super Warhawk, it's been modded since Zenith started using it, but it's something he'll never part with willingly.

'''Driven:''' - Looking for his lost wife Scarlet. He is almost compulsively pulled towards any threads that might have something to do with her. Often to his own detriment or near-death.

'''Social Stress (Red-Haired Elves):''' - Between his missing wife and his daughter, Zenith has a hard time dealing socially with red-haired elves. Often avoiding their gaze and trying to avoid engaging with them at all.

'''Uneducated''' - Growing up on the streets is not conducive to a regular learning experience. What Zenith lacks in book smarts, he makes up in street smarts, but the former bites him at times.

==Run History==
'''January 2082:''' Having reentered the shadows a few months earlier and reconnecting with [[Johns]], Zenith entered ShadowHaven with the hope that he could find clues to his missing wife, and make enough cred to keep paying rent and his daughter's tuition. Getting off to a solid start by finding a bioweapon and infiltrating an Ares Blacksite, he began to recall what working in the shadows was all about, just in time to meet [[Amrei Veidt]] and become connected with the S-K Prime operative while breaking into the Aztechnology Pyramid. He also got a taste of travel, going to the PCC and finding a club run by a Chiron using Amrita to create a bunch of Essence batteries. He is saved from his worst impulses by [[Delphi]], who takes the negotiation on herself at risk of infection. Zenith goes by her office once they are back in Seattle and the two become fast friends over shared trauma.

'''February 2082:''' Starting the month off by a confrontation with his past threatening his daughter, Zenith spends this month building up connections. Meeting [[Vip3r]], [[Lil' Boomer]], [[Ca1yps0]] and [[Skimmer]] who he maintains a relationship with, including many other runners. On a particularly personal job, he also met [[Shine]], who learned that he had a daughter while defending said daughter's girlfriend from a group of rival shadowrunners. This was also the month where Amrei Veidt found out that Zenith had a daughter, going so far as to drive her home from school under the guise of being a co-worker of Zenith, forcing him to improve his relationship with Saeder-Krupp past his comfort level, including doing spy work for them. This month also gave Zenith his first interaction with [[Pump King Jack]], and the child in the spirit's "care", Mary Jane. The interaction with the child was also what showed him the other side of [[Babylon]], leading to a professional respect between the two. The final event of the month saw Zenith going into a bug's nest, saving the life of [[Relay]] from a paint grenade, and firing a Blight round into the mouth of an Ant Queen, allowing the rest of the team to finish the monster off. Before the end of the month, Zenith sits down with his daughter and explains the truth about what he does for a living, though omits that he is a wetwork specialist, including the details that he was part of the team that murdered her new girlfriend's father.

'''March 2082:''' A slower month for the gunman, Zenith was forced to go up against other runners and ended up saving them, as well as watching [[Charon]] offer to turn [[Glamor]] into another Infected while working for Amrei. This is also the month where Zenith tracks down Ol'Tusk, begrudgingly helping Charon with her vengeance quest, and getting confirmation that his mother was alive and involved in something targeting his daughter. Leading to him requesting the aid of Vip3r and Shine in protecting the girl, with some plans being put in place. He also discovers that Mary Jane, the girl he had helped remove from the influence of Jack, was dead, killed by an Infected Troll that he became dedicated to tracking down.

'''April 2082:''' Shine moves into Zenith's home, though the older runner is hesitant about such things, Shine has proved herself to be trustworthy and invested in Harriot's protection. This turns out to be fortunate, as Zenith is called to Chicago by Skimmer, as repayment for a favor done in February where Skimmer helped him sell his lie of being a security consultant to his daughter. While in Chicago he helps Skimmer rescue his wife and newborn daughter, but realizes that much like the other adept, if he continues down the blood-soaked path he's been on for most of his life, when he finds his own wife she might see him as a monster. He also takes on a job that dives through the ACHE, seeking the bloodsucker that killed Mary Jane, however the job was a setup to help another associated bloodsucker to wipe out a Tamanous facility.

'''May 2082:''' This month started with Harriot's birthday party, with Shine and Vip3r helping Zenith ensure the party was safe and a happy day for his daughter. However at the end of the night, Zenith receives a clue pointing towards his missing wife and leaves his home in the middle of the night to go to Tir Tairngire. The stress of his disappearance causes Harriot to Emerge as a technomancer. In the Tir, Zenith finds that his in-laws are embroiled in a blood-feud that is the reason for Scarlet's abduction so many years ago, and that they will not involve him to get her back. After getting the information, he saved his mother-in-law's life by taking a bullet intended for her, nearly dying from the shot, and escaping on the back of a unicorn. He returns to Seattle to a furious Shine, Vip3r and Harriot, who help him recover. Burning his Tacoma home, he moves into Shine's apartment and realizes that he has been falling for the other runner, coming to a head after an intense fight that leads to the start of their secretive affair. Fulfilling a request from Vip3r, Zenith helps her figure out what to do about her adoptive parents and after a deep run, rescued her mother but found out that her father was going to be kept in a Zero Zone, as well as telling Harriot about his and Shine's relationship.

'''June 2082:''' Starting the month off strong, Zenith killed a Blood God on the night of the blood moon eclipse by hurling himself into the mouth of the spirit and shooting Blight into the creature. After [[King Beef]] went berserk from K-10. Zenith was part of the team that ultimately took him down and granted him a final farewell to the Shadow Community. This is also the month where Zenith works with [[Charon]] as a lookout and backup for another of her targets.

'''December 2082 - January 2084:''' After Shine received an offer from Cross to stay in Montreal with their new Emergency Medical services, Zenith and the other adept have disagreements and are distant until they end their relationship. Zenith also moves to Essen in the AGS while Harriot makes the transition to college.

{{RunHistory}}


==Affiliations==

===Contacts===


{{ContactTable|


{{HasContact|
|Name=Johns
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Black Cat
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Ghaz
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Amrei Veidt
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Argent
|Loyalty= 3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Sarah Snow
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Kenneth "Flamesaw" Murphy
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Corf
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Bellerophon
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Deulara Leorel
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Saint Nick
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Freya
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Anything Andy
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name= Mush
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Wusan
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=+2
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Isabel Wirth
|Loyalty=4
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=LB
|Loyalty=6
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Nyon Salaine
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Krimelin
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Sidewinder
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Phil Haskill
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Dr. Hanson
|Loyalty=1
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Adowa "Moria" Webster
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Spinne
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Cascade
|Loyalty=2
|Chips=Even
|}}

{{HasContact|
|Name=Ryan Mercury
|Loyalty=3
|Chips=Even
|}}

}}


===Organizations===

===Allies===

* [[Shine]]: A fellow runner and the person closest to Zenith since he started running the shadows again. Saved his life in May 2082 and started a long term relationship that ended mid 2084
* [[Delphi]]: After saving Zenith from being Infected in LA, the two began a quick friendship and have aided one another in the mysteries that each seek to solve.
* [[Vip3r]]: After learning that Zenith had a child, Vip3r did everything she could to help him keep her safe from the forces that looked to capture her, and after Harriot Emerged, Vip3r was one of the two technomancers who took her under their wing.
* [[Ca1yps0]]: The second technomancer to take Harriot on as a mentee. After initially figuring out that Zenith had a daughter by snooping around his apartment, she proved to be discrete and helpful in buffing up his lax Matrix security.
* [[Catharsis]] A trusted ally with a similar background, and the therapist to his daughter.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Allied Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Skraacha||+6||Shares valuable information
|-
|Ancients||+4||Occasional Agent
|-
|OtherCon||+3||Saved a Squirrel
|-
|Saeder-Krupp||+20||"Trusted Asset"
|-
|Gianelli Family||+5||Robbed a yacht
|-
|The Burns' Coven||+2||Stole some birds
|-
|The Black Lodge||+10||Unwitting Agent
|-
|Streets of Seattle||+10||Took down a [[King Beef|rampaging bull]]
|-
|The Draco Foundation||+19||Considerable Talent
|-
|Black Star||+3||Distant Relation
|}

===Enemies===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Enemy Factions
|-
!Organization!!Reputation!!Reason
|-
|Cutters||-10||Killed a half-dozen
|-
|Tamanous||-70||Destroyed a long-standing facility
|-
|Lone Star||-5||Broke children out of jail
|-
|Mitsuhama Computer Technologies||-40||Extracted a target and murdered 4 people
|}

=In Character Information=

==Symbols and Signatures==

'''Ruger Super Warhawk:''' The classic revolver and his signature weapon. While not ideal for his stealth work, when things go loud it has always been his trusted companion

==Matrix Search Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowResult= Zenith (noun): the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body
|MidResult= A well-known hitman operating out of the UCAS.
|HighResult= A long-time thief and assassin operating out of the Seattle Metroplex. Has a 750k Dead or Alive bounty with the Tir States and Telestrian Industries
}}

==Shadow Community Table==
{{SearchTable|
|LowThreshold=1
|LowResult= An infiltrator and gunman. Has a reputation as a professional
|MidThreshold=3
|MidResult= A street kid from the Redmond Barrens, grown into one of the most well-known assassins in the UCAS
|HighThreshold=5
|HighResult= Has been hoarding nuyen like a dragon for several years, however stays away from criminal associations.
}}

==SINs==
Cedric Quill (Rank 6) - Adept License, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Bodyguard and Drivers - Tied to UCAS (Seattle)

Clayton Orr (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Security Consultant - Tied to PCC (Los Angeles)

Scott Meza (Rank 6) - Adept, Driver's, Firearms, Concealed Carry, Air Marshall - Tied to AGS (Essen)

Ireno Kingston (Rank 6) - Adept, Concealed Carry, Firearms, Private Investigator, Restricted Armor - Tied to Caribbean League (Havanna)

==Appearance==

===Clothing===

===Matrix Persona===
The default persona that comes with whatever commlink he has.

===Quotes===

"If you do magic long enough you learn to be pretentious"

==Media Mentions==

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv_JSL5VSrt3BGDQm8no3Llbzb-jJM2hILD4cFrEch0/edit?usp=sharing Dear Scarlet]

==ShadowGrid Profile Comments==

[[Category:Player Characters]]

Heartache

2024-07-03T09:08:08Z

OrionsRequiem:

Heartache

2024-07-03T06:48:49Z

OrionsRequiem:

Heartache

2024-07-03T06:47:26Z

OrionsRequiem:

Introducing the ShadowHaven Trideo Network

2024-06-26T05:56:25Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "{{NewsHeader| |Image=File:Horizon.png |ImageSizeOverride=660px |Date=2082-08-30 |NewsSource=Horizon News Network |Reporter=Charli Relford |Metaplot: The Last Horizon of Ace Powers |Intro= A brand new moment in Trideo Entertainment! }} {| class="wikitable" style="width: 80%; margin: auto;max-width: 800px;" |- !200px ! rowspan="2" |The Horizon logo spins around the screen before a set of two windows appear. The first, an attractive female human wea..."

{{NewsHeader|
|Image=File:Horizon.png
|ImageSizeOverride=660px
|Date=2082-08-30
|NewsSource=Horizon News Network
|Reporter=Charli Relford
|Metaplot: The Last Horizon of Ace Powers
|Intro= A brand new moment in Trideo Entertainment!
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 80%; margin: auto;max-width: 800px;"
|-
![[File:CharliHalf.png|200px]]
! rowspan="2" |The Horizon logo spins around the screen before a set of two windows appear. The first, an attractive female human wearing a Horizon pin and dressed in her standard news anchor wear, the second, a well dressed older human man, also wearing a Horizon pin and flashing a picture-perfect smile at the camera, behind him several figures move in a hurried fashion in some sort of studio environment, but the gentleman looks completely composed.
![[File:Act Powers.jpg|200px]]
|-
![[Charli Relford]]
![[Ace Powers]]
|}

'''[[Charli Relford|Charli]]:''' Thank you for continuing your subscription to Horizon NewsNet™ where "We Know What You're Thinking!" I'm Charli Relford, voted "Most Trusted Anchor in Seattle" by Horizon Internal Analytics five years running!

Our Top Story tonight: Horizon Group Seattle has begun the process of launching a brand-new revolution in Trideo entertainment. We've known for a long time that Seattle is considered the "Shadowrunner capital of the world" for good or ill, but now we have the chance to take advantage of this fact thanks to the idea of a true visionary in the entertainment space. A man to whom I owe my illustrious career. Ace Powers! Thank you for joining us tonight Mr. Powers, and good to see you again.

'''[[Ace Powers|Ace]]:''' Thanks for having me Charli. Boy, I sure remember when you were just a gritty street reporter with a popular blog. Look at you now! I'm so proud.

'''Charli:''' Thanks Mr. Powers, but we're here to talk about your new project. I'm seeing here it's called the STN?

'''Ace:''' That's right Charli. STN, or the ShadowHaven Trideo Network. It's a new channel that is going to capture the gritty realness of the Seattle Streets, and show it to every single one of our Horizon Subscribers! Shadowrunners are a part of our civilization, they have been for almost a century now, some see them as heroes, some see them as terrorists, but they fascinate and entice everyone from the young to the elderly. I mean even Horizon itself has had programming where we've embraced the phenomenon. From our hit series, ''My Parents are Shadowrunners?!'' to the explosive finale of ''Alligator Allison'' Shadowrunners are as much a part of the Horizon family as they are a part of the streets themselves. One place stands above the rest though. The runners of the ShadowHaven aren't afraid to show themselves how they are, committing whatever jobs they are hired for in plain sight and giving us all the footage we could ever want. They know that when you're proud of what you do, you don't have to hide it, Horizon will show it to the world!

'''Charli:''' Oh wow, to think that there would be runners out there who wanted the publicity that badly, surely they must be an impressive sight. Horizon has always brought up-to-the-moment reporting of situations as they unfold but you're saying the STN will show these shadowruns as they happen?

'''Ace:''' Right again Charli. It's entertainment, it's drama, and it's security! It gives people a heads-up about what's going on in their neighborhood, and can even be helpful to other shadowrunners to study some of the legends, in the same way they could watch the late great [[King Beef]] before his unfortunate mental break and rampage. But for those new runners out there, you can learn what not to do as well! Really we're hitting every angle with this idea. Here, take a look at this:

''A video appears over the news feed and shows what look to be several runners dressed in casual armor moving between storage crates in the Tacoma docks. The shot is from a floating drone that appears to be able to get a clear picture even from a distance. Images are shown of the runner's faces, and those that aren't disguised have profiles displayed in a sidebar overlay. The runners sneak around the shipyard to a boat bearing a Wuxing logo and get onto the boat before an alarm is tripped and after a few moments security guards swarm out of the ship and spirits appear around the runners. A gruesome fight follows, the runners take down several members of the security team before being overwhelmed and rounded up. Two members of the team surrender and are arrested, however two others are killed while attempting to run, the drone pulling back slowly from their bodies before the camera shuts off and the two figures return to the screen.''

'''Ace:''' More exciting than ''Karl Kombatmage''! While there are some disturbing images, STN promises to be the ultimate in reality trideo and give the people what they really crave. I know that the geniuses over in Horizon R&D are even looking into some way of eventually recording Astral Space so that we don't miss a second of the action!

'''Charli:''' Wow, that sounds incredible Mr. Powers, and I'm sure that STN will be a hit for all the wonderful Horizon subscribers lucky enough to see it.

Next up: With shadowrunners on your streets, are you safe? You can be with the new Horizon SecureSuiteTM, just 249.99 Nuyen a month with an existing Horizon subscription!

The Last Horizon of Ace Powers

2024-06-26T04:36:09Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "The Last Horizon of Ace Powers Ace Powers is a trusted member of The Horizon Group's Seattle Division. He's been bringing in talent for the media giant for nigh on 25 years, and he's a go-to guy when it comes to Seattle's shadow community, both as a fixer and as a troubleshooter. He's responsible for the "end" of Bayou Bill's crime spree (or at least takes credit for it.) He's brought in runners to retire into fame, and thrown those who started to tank the..."

The Last Horizon of Ace Powers

[[Ace Powers]] is a trusted member of The [[Horizon]] Group's Seattle Division. He's been bringing in talent for the media giant for nigh on 25 years, and he's a go-to guy when it comes to Seattle's shadow community, both as a fixer and as a troubleshooter. He's responsible for the "end" of [[Bayou Bill]]'s crime spree (or at least takes credit for it.) He's brought in runners to retire into fame, and thrown those who started to tank the ratings or couldn't get greenlit to the curb, burning SINs and lives in his wake.

He also has several clones in a protected facility somewhere in the world that replace him whenever he's assassinated, assaulted with a deadly weapon, blown up, poisoned or otherwise incapacitated. It is unclear if even he knows about this fact. This man has been a stain on the Shadow Community for years, he has created runners, destroyed them, betrayed them and bought them. Now he's starting a new enterprise: The Shadowhaven Trideo Network. The STN is meant to be real and raw, the kind of thing that draws in views and generates fear for public safety that can be funneled to sell new Horizon Security products. The NERPs never stop.

When it comes to Ace Powers only one thing is for certain:

Ace Powers must die.

==Factions==

===The Horizon Group===
A triple-A megacorp currently sitting at the 10th spot in the Corporate Court's hierarchy. Despite being last of the big 10 they've held their position since 2071 and are a household name not just due to this position, but because they ''are'' media.

The corporate motto of "We Know What You Think!" isn't just a slightly troubling look into corporate mind control, its accurate. If you consume media and have a SIN, even a fake one, chances are good Horizon knows what demographics you fit in, your favorite brands, your browsing habits on the matrix, and any number of other data that they can farm from your everyday life.

====Important Members====

=====[[Ace Powers]]=====
The titular villain and a powerful man besides. Ace Powers knows everyone, he's got dirt on anyone that might come after him, and he's spent two and a half decades perfecting his smile, media presence, and corporate ass-kissing. There have been several attempts on his life and every one has ended with him on the top of the heap. Anywhere that he needs to be, he is, and there is nothing that can bring him down.

=====The Powers Pack=====
A series of clones of Ace Powers who were released for various duties that the regular Ace couldn't bother to do himself. It's unclear if they know about each other, or if the original is even aware of them, but all of them believe themselves to be the original Ace Powers. They are colloquially known as things such as Pace Owers, Jace Towers, Lace Flowers, or some other variation on the theme

====Goals====
* Bring Horizon into a new Golden Age and ascend the ranks of the Corporate Court
* Make Ace Powers a full member of the Horizon Group's board of directors
* Put down the shadowrunners who might come at the corporation
* Make the ShadowHaven Trideo Network a smashing success
* Keep Ace Powers Alive

===Everyone Who Has Ever Been Screwed Over by Ace Powers===

====Important Members====

=====[[Gator]]=====
While there are too many people within this category to count, including many of the Haven's own runners, Gator is the avatar of pure hatred against Ace Powers. The best friend and trusted companion of [[Bayou Bill]] who's final sacrifice was meant to kill this man did nothing more but boost Ace's internal Horizon metrics, and Gator has been biding his time ever since, gathering resources and preparing to lead the charge against Horizon's top talent agent.

====Goals====
* Murder
* Ace
* Powers

==Runs==
{{#ask: [[Category:Runs]][[hasMetaplot::{{FULLPAGENAME}}]]
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|?hasRunner=Runners
|limit=300
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==News==

{{#ask: [[Category:News]][[hasMetaplot::{{FULLPAGENAME}}]]
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[[Category:Metaplots]]

The Pen is Mightier than the Dragon

2024-06-24T07:34:38Z

OrionsRequiem:

{{AARInfobox|



|Date=2085-02-13


|GM=OrionsRequiem


|Location= London, UK


|Ally= Loyell
|Ally2= Avalon Council
|Ally3= The Great Dragon Arleesh
|Ally4= The Blackmore Family
|Ally5= Pendragon


|RunnerList={{AARCharacterList|Artemisia|Catharsis|Delphi|Katherine Tyler}}
|RunnerCasualties=


|Threat=Extreme


|Metaplot= Call of the Shadows
|Metaplot2=
|Metaplot3=
|Metaplot4=
|Metaplot5=


|OppositionFaction=Dr. Jykell
|OppositionUnits={{AARCharacterList|Hyde #9|Mister FourEyes|Randoran Blackmourn}}
|OppositionCasualties=


|OppositionFaction2=Cult of the Horned God
|OppositionUnits2={{AARCharacterList|Josephine|}}
|OppositionCasualties2=


|OppositionFaction3=The Mórrigan
|OppositionUnits3={{AARCharacterList|Mordred(NPC)|Mórrigan Le Fey}}
|OppositionCasualties3=


|OppositionFaction4=
|OppositionUnits4=
|OppositionCasualties4=


|OppositionFaction5=
|OppositionUnits5=
|OppositionCasualties5=


|Image=
|ImageSize=
|ImageCaption=


|Notes=
|}}

[[Category:Runs]] 

==Summary==
In which [[Artemisia]] and [[Catharsis]] are called upon for the greater good

==Dinner Date==
Artemisia is continuing to study the diaries that she had recently found when she receives a message from an unknown commcode. The message is a simple location data that can be followed. Fearing a trap in her normally paranoid manner, Artemisia contacts Catharsis who provides Matrix overwatch on the vampire and insists on coming to the underpass of the Council Island bridge where they are drawn to. Beneath the bridge stands a long, ornate dinner table, dressed with fine silverware and ceramic, while also having a large duffel bag resting on the table that Artemisia pulls open, revealing three figures.

Doing some searching, Catharsis is able to determine that these people have been reported as missing on the news. One is a Yakuza member, under investigation for the ownership and operation of several bunraku parlors across Seattle. Another is a suspected murderer who has three open homicide investigations about them, and the third is a hedge fund executive who was suspected of embezzling for certain individuals and defrauding others. Also of note upon assensing them, one was mundane, one was an adept, and the final one was a technomancer.

Artemisia wakes up the yak and begins to threaten him, asking what he knew about Josephine and why she was there. However as it becomes clear that he is actually working for Josephine and was a member of her latest club she blows the head off the yakuza member. Waking up the suspected murderer, she finds out that many of the murders were of Josephine's "enemies" and uses her ability to paralyze people with fear to keep the murderer still but ends up also paralyzing Catharsis and forcing her friend to watch as the vampire drains the essence from the man before cutting his throat and then breaks down crying.

Cathy tells a story about her mom to calm Arti, comforting her friend and allowing the vampire to take some solace in the fact that she has friends who will not betray her.

Cathy talks to Technomancer hedgefund exec and learns that Josephine was upset about investments into something owned by the "Avalon group". The group is some form of philanthropic group based out of London, and is run by the familiar name of Ulric ban Avalon. Josephine asked the hedge fund manager to look into the Avalon group and discover everything he could and try and disrupt their own investments. Deciding to let the technomancer go, Artimesia and Catharsis consider their next moves, but through some clever hacking of traffic cams, discover that the vehicle used to transport Josephine headed to the Space Needle before she escaped.

Arti and Cathy go to the Space needle, and look around the stores in the area, eventually finding Four-Eyes and Josephine's signatures. Though as Artimesia goes through the stores it's clear that she is being messed with as the vampire is taunted by Josephine apparently looking for gifts for Artimesia before taking off from Seattle. Eventually deciding that the two of them wouldn't be able to find any additional leads while in this venue, they leave each other's company for the night and agree to meet up for their trip to London in the next week.

Four-Eyes appears in Arti's safehouse and offers to give her information in return for body parts, trades two of Artimesia's fingers for the information that Josephine will be in London for a week.

==Catharsis in Cara'sir==

Attempting to repair the damaged relationship with the elven side of her family after the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], Catharsis takes a trip to the Tir nation of Cara'sir in order to work with her grandfather and the Blackmore foundation with some of their charitable activities. Upon her arrival at the airport she is picked up by [[Etain Darejan]], a paladin and former Ghost from the military branch of the special forces that now works for Jeremiah Blackmore in his political ambitions for Princedom.

Arriving at Blackmore Manor the decker is informed that she has cousins that arrived in response to learning that she was meant to come to spend time with her grandfather, Brigit and Olwen Blackmore, two full mages that have long roots in noble elven society. Moving to the gardens for a peaceful walk Catharsis is eventually joined by her grandfather, but not before realizing that Etain is watching her carefully and protectively, as well that there are feelings of attraction from the former Ghost. Catharsis and her grandfather discuss the garden, and Jeremiah explains that it was never his intention that a mage use mind magic on his granddaughter, he simply wanted her to be safe, despite the shadowrunner activities.

Catharsis explains that regardless of intentions, sometimes the job is going to be dangerous but that she shadowruns to help people and that is more important. Jeremiah seems to agree that it's important, and that he's proud of her, even if he is always going to worry about her.

After a lovely afternoon with grandpa, Catharsis retires to her room, though is interrupted by the astral forms of Brigit and Olwen who are questioning what it was the decker wants from the family, why she just appeared and started to hang around her grandfather. However they are suspicious of the answer that she simply wants to get to know her family and grow closer to them. Brigit in particular seems to take offense at the idea that it's completely without ulterior motive, and has to be dissuaded from further action by her brother, eventually leaving the decker alone.

The next day Catharsis is wandering through the garden when she is stuck to a statue of her grandmother by Brigit's glue spell, trying once again to interrogate the shadowrunner about what she wants there and what she's trying to get from the Blackmore family. While eventually Catharsis is able to get free of the spell and deliver a scathing psychological evaluation of the suspicious cousin, it is stopped from escalating to violence by the quick appearance of Olwen who seems to be able to calm his sister. Upon returning to her rooms for the night, Catharsis is greeted by a spirit. A small chimera-like beast spirit combining traits of a rabbit, a serval and a stoat. The creature doesn't appear aggressive, and instead is quite friendly and spirited around Catharsis. While there is some initial concern due to the Astral nature of the creature and her previous experience with spirits Catharsis lets Etain know about the spirit, and an astral bodyguard is summoned who lets Catharsis know that the spirit is a Force 1 beast spirit, and speculates that it is free since there doesn't appear to be a summoner link and it's close enough past dusk that a reguarly summoned spirit would disappear. Accepting the new magical friend, Catharsis settles into bed and prepares for the next day.

Upon waking, Catharsis dons her best clothing as well as a new scarf in the form of the beast spirit and heads with her grandfather to the Blackmore foundation. The board is meeting as Jeremiah is looking to expand outside the Tir states and to aid all of metahumanity more than just elves. This is met with some resistance from the mainly elf nobility of the board. However Catharsis speaks to her experience from within the UCAS, and how Tir Tairngire is viewed by the non-elves that live in Seattle and elsewhere. She also explains that she has connections within Seattle, specifically the elven community of Tarislar where the foundation could do some real good and open itself up to more than just elves slowly.

Catharsis makes some headway, though the meeting is interrupted and sent to a recess while Jeremiah heads down to the lobby on some sort of interruption. It's at this time that Catharsis realizes that there are others that she recognizes here, specifically [[Hyden Jones]] who is representing the Avalon Foundation, and an Amazonian woman who introduces herself as Mercedes Salazar who is observing as a guest. Mercedes spends a moment to talk with the beast spirit that Catharsis has, and explains that she is a Beast Way Adept who can communicate with animals. She tells Catharsis that the spirit's name is Loyell, and he was apparently sent to Catharsis by someone that he trusted. She also explains that Loyell is not actually a Force 1, but a Force 9 free spirit that seems familiar to the Amazonian. While this confuses Catharsis about the identity of who it might be that sent the spirit, she is interrupted from the thought by the sudden appearance of Olwen being deposited against one of the board room doors, smearing a bloody Elder God symbol as he himself has been exsanguinated.

Rushing to aid him Catharsis started trying to patch up the injured elf while others rushed around, however Hyden moved away to get aid using his ability to move preternaturally quickly. Coming back only a few minutes later with a medkit that Catharsis set up to help Olwen while the rest of the room panicked. Jeremiah eventually returns in a panic and comes with paramedics, bringing Olwen to the hospital, surviving thanks to the quick actions of Catharsis and her allies.

Arriving at the hospital, Catharsis is decompressing when she is once again assailed by Brigit, who is very upset that her brother is injured and lashing out at Catharsis. Though thanks to mediation techniques and confronting the issue being that her brother was hurt and not that Catharsis did something wrong allows the two elves to talk things out to a peaceful conclusion, with Brigit even admitting that she was just scared and lashing out. She also informs Catharsis that Olwen had gone to hang out with some "low-class" friends of his, a wizgang in the rougher parts of Cara'sir. Getting the address of the clubhouse from Brigit Catharsis makes her way to find Etain so that the two of them can go and interrogate the wizgang about what happened to Olwen.

This is interrupted by Mr. Four-Eyes appearing in the hospital and beginning to taunt Catharsis about her cousin's near-death experience. Loyell begins to hiss and growl at the tormenting spirit, though Catharsis holds him back from engaging in a fight, especially after an explorer is sent to defend her and gets slapped away aggressively. Mr. Four-Eyes also continues to offer information about the whereabouts of Hydes and even of Dr. Jykell himself in return for one of Catharsis' ears. The spirit eventually decides that there has been enough torment and disappears before the cavalry can arrive.

After checking that Catharsis is unharmed Etain brings the woman to the rougher downtown area of Cara'Sir where they find the gang clubhouse where Brigit had indicated that Olwen had gone. The paladin and shadowrunner find that the building has been damaged outside, and several of the elven gangers are injured in some way or another. Cartharsis is able to talk her way through the gangers, though leaves Etain by the car because the Paladin is eager for a fight and gangers and law enforcement do not historically get along.

While speaking with the gang's leader, the elf mentions that he recognized the person who came by to kidnap Olwen, it was a nobleman named Ravenor Osheen, the same man who had shown up after being removed from the Blackmore Foundation's board by Jeremiah. The ganger explains that Osheen showed up alongside Mr. Four-Eyes and beat Olwen to an inch of his life, and the gangers who tried to help were similarly injured. It was clear that Osheen had become a vampire and was using the infected advantage to one-up the wizgangers.

Upset about the situation, but with a new lead, Catharsis returned to the car and Etain, and goes back to the Blackmore manor where she takes a walk through the garden and finds her grandfather next to the statue of his first wife, Catharsis' grandmother. Jeremiah expresses concern over Olwen's condition, blaming himself for not paying attention to his grandchild and not realizing how vengeful Osheen would become simply for being removed from the board of the charity. Cathy does her best to reassure her grandfather, and explains that while she can locate the rogue noble but will probably be unable to fight him, her grandfather says that if she finds him then he will send his security forces to deal with Osheen and she won't have to worry about it. The shadowrunner went about her specialty and managed to find Osheen, now confirmed to be another of Dr. Jykell's Hydes, and send the location to her grandfather and security forces were sent after him.

While the operation was being supervised by Jeremiah, and with Brigit and Olwen out of the house and at the hospital Catharsis was finally able to begin to snoop around the manor for something that she had been curious about. After her last encounters with the Hydes it became clear that her family had some relation to the Fourth World and knowledge that Artemisia wished to keep from her, and after discussion with her vampiric friend, it was suspected that it might be an Immortal Elf, or a blood mage. Either way, it was dangerous and Catharsis wanted to see what she could find.

Finding a secret hallway behind a wall that she hacked open the decker made her way through the secret staircase to one of the bartizans on the estate. She made her way up the stairs and was alerted to something wrong when Loyell began to growl and two guardian spirits appeared before Catharsis, however a voice from beyond a door told them to stand down. The door is opened and Catharsis is greeted by a pale, elder elf that looks like she could be from the era of spike babies. The woman introduced herself as Mariel Blackmane, one of the last survivors of Thera, the land that was once known as Atlantis.

Catharsis began to talk to her grandmother, asking about Thera and the Fourth World, as well as the skin-bound book that she and Artimesia had found that bore the immortal's name. Mariel explained that it was a journal passed from hand to hand to get a series of records of the events after the Scourge, and that Mariel had been an "adept" during that time, apparently something not unlike a shadowrunner. She explained that she had gone to ground when magic disappeared after discovering that she was ageless, but during that time she also discovered that she had autoimmune hemolytic anemia close to the start of the Sixth World. It was only through a connection with a few other Immortal Elves that she was able to keep her condition under control and joined with the elves that took over Oregon and created Tir Tairngire. She also explained that whatever had drawn Jykell's attention to Catharsis was not a ritual of challenge against her or the Blackmore family as none had been inflicted upon them, and there had been generations without attacks upon their family.

Satisfied with many of the answers to her questions, Catharsis spent more time with Mariel, crocheting, and answering the questions that Mariel had about Catharsis' own adventures in the shadows. Though after time had passed Mariel made it clear that there was something that Catharsis was uncomfortable with, and the decker asked if Mariel was a blood mage. Mariel admitted to it, both in terms of the old Theran magic that involved blood, but also in the sense that the Sixth World understands, however she told Catharsis that she had never sacrificed anyone or summoned a blood spirit, simply used her blood with her magic in an attempt to keep her disease at bay and hopefully find a cure that meant she could regain her original strength and once again join her family.

A few hours after sundown, Jeremiah approached the secret room and he invited Catharsis back down, greeting his mother as well and grateful that the two of them seemed to be getting along. Jeremiah explained that he had been hesitant for Catharsis to meet her because he knew how blood magic and the immortal elves were perceived in the shadows, and as a mundane himself he didn't feel qualified to make any moves in regards to either magical phenomenon. He explained that his goal was simply to make the life as his family, every member of his family, as easy and nice as possible. Catharsis seemed understanding of this motive, and decided that after the week they all had it would be better to take it easy for that night, so instead of having the manor staff make dinner or going out, Catharsis ordered pizza from a Tir-based New York style pizza joint in downtown Carasir.

While the noble members of her family (outside the recovered and discharged Olwen) struggled with the casual food and the idea of a family movie night, Catharsis managed to explain the process, and give the Blackmore family a peaceful and enjoyable night, even spending some time bonding with Brigit before heading back to Seattle and getting ready for her trip to London and the visit to Ulric ban Avalon.

==Good ol' Londontown==

On the day of their trip to London, Artemisia and Catharsis are able to get to the airport where they find that they have been precleared for customs and are able to get on without any issue, and this time do not have to worry about a vampire with a pen slicing Arti up. On the trip Catharsis begins to look up information about Stonehenge, and learns about the druidic history of the site and how protective they are over the monuments. Cartharsis also learns about the tunnels beneath Stonehenge that seems to be where Dr. Jykell and Josephine are going to be meeting at some point during the week.

Arriving at London the two runners disembark from the plane and decide to set up in the hotel, mainly to avoid the heavy pollution that gives London the nickname "The Smoke." Once settled in, Cartharsis and Loyell spend some time ensuring the room is safe and that the hotel isn't a trap while Artemisia goes out to wander the street, finding a ghoul that seems to be running away from a woman in red and white armor and wielding a sword. Due to a complete inability to mind her own business, the gothic vampire interferes and allows the ghoul to escape, and when questioned by the pursuing templar, Artemesia lies and says that she is a vampire hunter herself. and is brought by the Templar named Mariam to the nearby Catholic Church where a Chaplain puts her through a significant interrogation. A bit nervous that they might discover her undead nature she messages Catharsis over the direct neural interface about her situation. Catharsis, concerned about her friend, rushes out of the hotel and down to the Catholic church, where the two of them *mostly* lie and say that they have a distaste for vampires and might be interested in being hunters themselves. While within the church however, Catharsis also digs into their host and pulls out some files that catch her interest for perusal later.

Returning to the hotel and engaging in a peaceful sleep, the two wake up and are able to discuss the situation, curious as to what Ulric ban Avalon would wish to speak with them about, and if they would be able to trust their strange and mysterious benefactor, or if the Avalon Foundation would be similar to a corporation and should be dealt with as cautiously as any other Johnson. Deciding to head down to the meeting that they had previously been invited to by Hyden to meet other members of the Avalon Foundation and allow them to get to know the two runners.

Entering the room, it is clear the assembled group is not what one would expect of a non-profit philanthropic organization. While it didn't appear that anyone within the room was a ruling-type figure, it was evident that several of the members are shadowrunners. A group of three that look like they are newer to the shadows than Catharsis and Artimesia, but mingling with metahumans in expensive suits and with an aura of the corporate world about them. Catharsis and Artemisia go to speak with Hyden and Catharsis introduced her vampiric companion to Mercedes Salazar. Almost immediately Arti's inability to talk to tall women hits her, while Mercedes seems affable and friendly to the vampire, Artemesia continues to panic and defaults to talkinga about poetry and ancient literature before shifting to gothic naturalism.

Meanwhile Catharsis goes to talk to the group of three, and discovers that they are runners who were recently hired by Ulric ban Avalon to do some recon on the tower of London for some reason. The leader of the runners is a decker named Diego Lope, who, once Catharsis compares some of her work with some of the work that they've done, acknowledges her as a decker of significant skill, and invites her to the Helix if she can pass whatever test the datahaven puts in front of her. Mercedes and Arti continue their conversation, but Artemisia is quickly overwhelmed by emotions and runs from the room.

Catharsis follows the vampire outside and the two begin to talk about Arti's emotional closure, how the vampire is allowed to be happy and that she can't be a prisoner of Josephine's abusive behavior, and that she is also allowed to love again. However the discussion is cut short by the sudden appearance of a Beast spirit that is detected by Loyell. The Spirit manivests, showing itself as a black lion spirit and leaping to attack Catharsis and Artemesia, who promptly run back toward the hotel. Loyell wants to fight the spirit, but Catharsis is scared that something might happen to the spirit friend and convinces them to stay and run with them. The lion bares down on them and tears through Arti's barriers, ready to pounce on them when a flash of steel comes down and splits the spirit in twain. Standing before Arti and Catharsis is a large, broad-shouldered man in a business suit who introduces himself as Ulric ban Avalon, also known as Pendragon.

Pendragon thanks Arti and Cathy for their help during the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], and tells them that he was actually pointed to the two runners by his trusted associate Merlin, also that they are required for another job. Combined with the information that Pendragon got from Arti and Cathy as well as from Hyden during the last few months, they discovered that Josephine and her associates were looking towards the Tower of London to attempt to steal the Cullinan Diamond, one of the crown jewels, and the main one set in the royal sceptre. The decker and vampire accept the job, but realize that they may be a bit out of their depths in attempting to rob the Tower of London with just the two of them, and so they call in two other experts: [[Delphi]] for astral combat and astral security surveillance and [[Katherine Tyler]] for physical security and infiltration. Artemisia and Kate also suspected that there was more than a small chance that knowledge of the 4th world might be involved here, slaking their thirst for this forbidden and dangerous knowledge.

With Kate arriving via plane and Delphi arriving via astral projection the full group joined Pendragon, Hyden and Mercedes in the penthouse of the hospital. Artemisia notices that among Pendragon's many possessions in the penthouse there was a pot of wildflowers that looked very similar to the ones that she found in the Mojave during her trip to Vegas. When asking about these flowers Pendragon mentioned that an infected woman by the name of Alice Brownsworth had been cultivating these flowers. She had been newly infected and therefore newly awakened, but she had disappeared a few days prior to the runner's arrival. Artemisia filed that away, using the information that Catharsis gathered from the Catholic Church earlier to identify that Alice had been a person of interest, and was in Rome awaiting some form of trial. However the team had to focus on the job at hand.

During the briefing about the diamond and the Tower of London heist, Delphi noticed that Mercedes was dual-natured, and it didn't seem as though there was any reason for her to be as the penthouse was well-warded and there was no shortage of skilled combatants. When trying to look deeper into the Amazonian woman, Delphi felt a strange sensation and almost a blockage to her ability that put her on edge, but she can't tell anything strange from Mercedes' aura

The group return to Arti and Cathy's room to discuss plans to infiltrate the tower of London, Cathy looks up the history and floorplans of the Tower of London as well as the building they have to get into, finding out that it's the far tower from the entrance, and that there is a moat that separates the outer walls and anything trying to get in, the group decide to do as much reconnissance as they can before attempting to infiltrate this national treasure in order to steal a national treasure.

Arti turns herself and Kate into birds and examine the astral and physical defences of this location while Delphi does a second pass via projection and gets the route of the watcher and guardian spirits that are patrolling around the tower. Catharsis and Kate also take a guided tour of the Tower, trying to get a view of the physical defences inside the walls. The team order some gear and agree to take a few days to revitalize themselves before taking on the heist. Catharsis also finds a legend of Thomas Blood, an Irish officer who had semi-successfully robbed the crown jewels several centuries before, and the team begins to gather components that would be required to attempt to Wild Summon his spirit as a distraction.

During a meeting with Mercedes about the assistance that she might bring to the heist, which was mainly just being able to provide some animals as a smokescreen if needed, Artemisia assences Mercedes and catches the woman off guard, discovering that she isn't simply a beast's way adept, but instead is the Great Dragon Arleesh, a feathered Great Dragon who holds dominion over parts of Amazonia. Startled by this development Arti and Mercedes leave to discuss in private while taking on the mission to examine Alice's safehouse, finding it to be a plant-filled storage unit in London's Westway district, the two of them find a small plant spirit that is hiding amongst the foliage of the various well-cared-for plants.

The spirit introduces themselves as Branch, a free spirit who was finding a refuge from the Smoke's pollution within this storage unit and had befriended the young vampire before she had disappeared. Branch explained that the last time they had seen Alice she had been with a man and had taken a few of her things, and that the same man had come back to get a few of the other plants for some reason. More recently however Branch had seen a vampire that broke into the storage unit looking for something, but she had been "scary" and Branch hadn't done much other than watch her. According to the spirit the vampire left quickly without finding what they were there for and then fed on a nearby street tough before leaving. Before leaving the storage unit, Arti asks Branch if they can locate Alice for the team, offering them several reagents for the service.

Tracking down the same street tough who had been fed on by Josephine Artimesia and Mercedes find out that she had been communicating with Mr. Four-Eyes, and that she mentioned about the next Hyde being in place. Arti once again becomes overwhelmed by the feelings that Josephine being around brings up in her, and has a conversation with Mercedes about the pains of the past, and the emotional struggles that Arti has, and how the anger is justified, but can't be an all-consuming force in the vampire's life if she wishes to survive long enough to enjoy life.

Returning to the hotel, Arti rejoins the other three runners who have assembled the required components for Blood's summoning, and brings the spirit that believed itself to be the true Thomas Blood into the room. Offering him a chance to complete the unfinished business of properly stealing the crown jewels, and paying him handsomely in karma and reagents, Blood agrees to create a distraction alongside a gang of disenfranchised youth within the Smoke who call themselves "Blood's Brigands".

Deciding that they wouldn't get any more ready, the group set about heading for the Tower of London to perform the heist

==The Run (The Crown Jewel Heist)==

Arti flies into a corner tower as a bird while Kate swims through the moat and notices the moat water is salt water, and the moat is filled with Abrams lobsters, narrowly avoiding the lobsters' notice the street sam manages to gekko-grip up the walls and joins Arti in the interior of one of the towers, sneaking through the upper levels through judicial use of Arti's ability to turn off her astrally active nature and Kate's skilled stealth abilities to navigate through.

As they are almost to the interior courtyard, Artemisia notices that two of the guardian spirits are somewhat distracted from their patrols by Branch appearing in the astral looking for Arti. The spirits seem confused as to why the low-Force free spirit is there, but are treating it somewhat suspiciously until Catharsis sends Loyell out to catch Branch, treating it as though it was a game that the two spirits were playing. The guardian spirits luckily do not see through Loyell's Masking, and go about their patrol without concern for the two spirits.

Getting to the interior courtyard, Arti and Kate make it to the central watchtower where the Tower's wired Matrix defence is stationed. Climbing to one of the open windows Arti slides through and settles into the antechamber before the data center after tricking the vibration sensors. Kate then descends the tower and moves to the barracks where the jewels are kept, waiting for the signal from the rest of the team before breaking in.

Artemisia cracks open the door to the data center and uses her speed in order to apply a data tap to the system, allowing Catharsis to load in and shut down many of the cameras, however one of the guards notices Arti, and the vampire is forced to use mind magic in order to confuse him, sending him off the trail and making him believe it was simply a mistake rather than risk the job. This sends Arti into a spiral of existential dread over the use of such morally compromising magic. Only being broken out of it by Catharsis warning Arti that upon trying to break into the barracks, Kate's lockpicking attempt was detected by the anti-tamper systems and every alarm in the tower began to go off.

Kate and Arti join up and begin to fight their way through the barracks, with Delphi providing support on the astral and Catharsis skillfully fighting off the spiders as well as disarming several key pieces of cyberware. The team made it to the top floor where the jewels were kept and cut through the glass that protected the Cullinan diamond and grabbed it. Deciding it was better to split up and avoid the police that arrived and the security on-site, Arti turns into a bird, and while noticed by the awares on the ground, manages to escape from the site, while Kate dives back into the moat and swims away from the lobsters before they are able to reach her, spending the night sneaking away and avoiding police patrols until the team is able to return to the hotel and relish in a job well done.

==The Calm After One Storm but Before the Second, Arguably Worse, Storm==

Arti and Delphi psychometrize the Cullinan diamond after the diamond seems to have some sort of suspicious aura to it. The team send Catharsis and Loyell out of the room in order to avoid the decker getting any more of a cognito-hazard than she is already privy to. Kate stands by to be on guard in case anything goes wrong.

The diamond reveals a deep and consuming darkness, older than the stars themselves, crashing to the ground and spreading corruption across the lands before being defeated and sealed away within the gem and then lost to time until it was uncovered in 1905 in South Africa. The gem seems to have a malevolent will that is attempting to influence those who hold it, and it also shows visions of Stonehenge, with the idea that it may be some kind of key for something that is locked within the druidic holy site. Both Arti and Delphi emerge from their vision with a painful headache and the understanding that this is a dangerous item, and one that should be kept far away from Stonehenge, deciding to hand it over to Pendragon for safekeeping, the group prepare for their own journey to the site.

Cathy goes for a walk outside the hotel, finding a park where a few new trees have recently been planted and the walking trails are relatively unpolluted. The decker enjoys the ambiance with her spiritual friend until she finds an elderly elf who seems to be having trouble with the pollution and takes a fall. Cathy helps the elf up and the two of them talk. Introducing himself as Randoran Macknobler, he talks to Cathy about the park that he and his family used to walk through, and about how Catharsis reminds him of a granddaughter who was no longer around. Bidding each other to fare well, Randoran leaves Catharsis back at the hotel and makes his way into the Smoke.

Branch is finally able to tell Artemisia about having found Alice, apparently the young vampire was captured by a Templar and has been brought to Rome to undergo some kind of trial by the Order of the Templar. Fearing the worst, Delphi follows Branch to where the spirit had found Alice and discovers that Alice has actually been absolved, and the Templar that she was "captured" by, a young human man by the name of Samiel, seemed to be acting more as a protector and lover than of a jailer. While the finer details of the matter escaped the drake detective, Alice explained that the wildflowers she cultivated didn't seem overly special, but she had only recently come into her own as a green mage, and there were some unconscious uses of magic that were being discovered. Thanking Alice for the information, Delphi returned to London and joined the group as they finished preparations and met with Pendragon again.

The team handed the diamond off to Pendragon, who says that it will be studied and protected. He also explains that the intel that he has is that Josephine and Mordred are headed to Stonehenge to meet up with Morrigan Le Fey, Mr. FourEyes and Dr. Jykell for some sort of ritual in the tunnels beneath the site. He also takes the opportunity to introduce Merlin.

As it turns out, Merlin is a free spirit, and one that is familiar to Artemisia and Catharsis. The spirit that had been known as [["Philip"]] and had taken an academic interest in the Hellraisers during their residence in the Iceberg Hotel was in fact the ancient Free Spirit that had acted as advisor and friend to Pendragon for years calling himself Merlin. He also admitted that he was the one who had first found Loyell and had directed the young spirit to Catharsis for companionship and guardianship. Merlin explained that there was some strange energy around Stonehenge, and that Jykell had been attempting to both bind or disrupt him for a few decades. Whatever was going to happen with the ritual was going to be quick and the team needed to move quickly.

Delphi returned to Seattle, having stretched the amount of time that she was able to project, and the remaining members of the team took off to Stonehenge. On the way Catharsis looked up Randoran's granddaughter, Malwyn Macknobler, and found out that she had been struck by a bus in a relatively mundane accident. While tragic, the only major patterns that could be examined from this, was that members that were directly or distantly related to the Macknobler line tended to have many accidents like this, going back to the start of the Awakening, and even before the dawn of the Sixth World. Including some 18th century lore claiming that the Macknobler line was cursed, not with any dark magic or devilry, but the much more lamentable fate of ill forturne.

==The Run (Stonehenge)==

The group have an unremarkable drive to Stonehenge, only to be alerted suddenly to threat a few miles from Stonehenge as Mordred appears suddenly and slices their van in half. Saved due to the quick reaction time of Kate and Arti, and the guard power from Loyell. Catharsis keeps herself hidden and under Loyell's protection while the spirit, Kate, and Arti engage in combat with the Wendigo. While skilled combatants all, Mordred is able to keep them on an even footing. Though Catharsis quickly realizes that this is a distraction ploy due to a message on their foe's commlink, and the group manage to overwhelm Mordred with numbers before he is able to escape.

The group make their way quickly to Stonehenge and try to ascertain the exact nature of the ritual, however it's unclear between the sizable background and the variety of magic that could be harnessed here. Deciding instead to rush in given their time constraints, the last thing done is the three runners call to the winds and summon the spirit of Boudica, the warrior queen of Britain of old, and a spirit associated with Arti's mentor.

Believing it best if the decker is left up top, Kate and Arti speed into the tunnels, barely managing to find the space beneath where the ritual is taking place, with Josephine to the east, a female figure in a long black dress to the west, FourEyes to the south, and a black-cloaked figure to the North. The ritual appears to be glowing and nearing completion, though is seemingly interrupted when Kate and Arti open fire on Josephine. Though the shots do minimal damage to the vampire, it's enough to draw her ire and she pulls away from the ritual to trap Artemisia in a reflected mana barrier while Kate is beset by spirits.

Meanwhile up top, Catharsis and Boudica talk about how Catharsis feels useless in this situation, and how the spirit admires the strength of character that the elf has presented. Offering to possess the decker temporarily in order to aid her friends, Boudica and Catharsis become one and rush into the caves after the other team members. Arriving just as Arti discharges a Ruger Super Warhawk close to Josephine to make the vampire flinch away, she is also treated to a spectral axe in the back by the spiritually empowered decker. Kate manages to get free and attempts to deliver a blow on FourEyes, but the ally spirit is nimble and dodges away.

The groups face off, however as they prepare for a deeper battle, Jykell steps forward and reveals that it is Randoran, the elderly elf that Catharsis met before they left, and admits that his name is Randoran Blackmore, Catharsis' ancient ancestor from the Fourth World. Though before there is more chance to explain or fight, the four villains disappear from beneath the site and the ritual disappears.

Feeling the ground begin to shake and quake, the runners make a desperate sprint out of the tunnels and arrive topside. However the earthquake seems to threaten to break the ground around them, even shaking a few of the stones of Stonehenge free and nearly crushing the runners before Mercedes arrives and reveals her true form, offering the runners the chance to ride her to safety. Arleesh ferries the runners to an abandoned piece of land so that she could transform back and explain that they needed to leave before the authorities arrive.

==Aftermath==
Being picked up by Pendragon's people and returning to London proper. Arti, Kate and Cathy are paid, and Delphi's payment is sent electronically. The group is given their tickets to return to Seattle and told that Pendragon looks forward to working with them again.

Arriving back at Seattle, the group goes their separate ways, with Artemisia curious as to what she is going to do with all the nuyen that she has recently acquired, while Catharsis returns to her home with the new spirit friend, having to adjust the living space while also contacting her family in Cara'sir and telling those in the know about Randoran.

Elsewhere, dark forces gather, and many plans working in tandem put Artemisia and Catharsis in their immediate view, ready for action.

==Rewards==

General Rewards:
* 50k Nuyen
* 20 Karma
* 102 CDP
* Up to 120k Nuyen in Electronics, Weapons & Weapon accessories, and London souviners up to Avail 20
* May purchase [["Philip"]] [C2/L2 Researcher] as an optional contact
* [[Styyles Flamingo]] [C3/L1 Style Artiste]

Catharsis:
* 100k Nuyen
* Additional 20 Karma
* May buy Prime Datahaven Membership (Helix) at Chargen Costs
* May buy Trust Data, Not Lore at Chargen Costs
* Trust Fund III
* [[Loyell]] [C1/L4]
* May buy Loyell up to Loyalty 6
* Optional Contact: [[Etain Darejan]] [C4/L3 Bodyguard]
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards

Artemisia:
* 100k Nuyen
* May buy Linguist at chargen costs
* Additional 25 Karma
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* IG Discount
* Photographic Memory
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"

Kate:
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards
* 1 Arleesh Feather

Delphi:
* IG Discount
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"
* 1 Arleesh Feather

==Game Quotes==

{{Gamequote|"So this probably shouldn't go to Stonehenge right? Like it seems like the key shouldn't go to the gate?"

"Yes, I agree, but yet..."

"No! Not but yet!"

-Delphi & Artemisia after psychometrizing a big diamond}}

==Player After Action Reports (AARs)==

'''[[Catharsis]]:''' So much has happened. So much of my life changed and altered in a fraction of a second and... All I know is I need to hold on to the idea of my family. Of that moment of joy when we all finally got to unwind and they learned the joy of a family movie night. When things felt normal for a fraction of a second. I... I wish mom was here, I wish grandmother was here. I wish... I wish I didn't feel so outside of all of this. I don't know what to do, I'm trying to learn it all but it just... There's a part of me that's screaming that this is wrong, that this is the place and behaviors of colonizer. I wish I could ground myself. I need to be strong and focus on the future but... Will it be enough? Will I be able to save him? And then on the flip sides there's moment's like the power of Boudicca and riding on Arleesh's back... I need to balance this in some fashion.

The Pen is Mightier than the Dragon

2024-06-24T07:33:50Z

OrionsRequiem:

{{AARInfobox|



|Date=2085-02-13


|GM=OrionsRequiem


|Location= London, UK


|Ally= Pendragon
|Ally2= Avalon Council
|Ally3= The Great Dragon Arleesh
|Ally4= The Blackmore Family
|Ally5= Loyell


|RunnerList={{AARCharacterList|Artemisia|Catharsis|Delphi|Katherine Tyler}}
|RunnerCasualties=


|Threat=Extreme


|Metaplot= Call of the Shadows
|Metaplot2=
|Metaplot3=
|Metaplot4=
|Metaplot5=


|OppositionFaction=Dr. Jykell
|OppositionUnits={{AARCharacterList|Hyde #9|Mister FourEyes|Randoran Blackmourn}}
|OppositionCasualties=


|OppositionFaction2=Cult of the Horned God
|OppositionUnits2={{AARCharacterList|Josephine|}}
|OppositionCasualties2=


|OppositionFaction3=The Mórrigan
|OppositionUnits3={{AARCharacterList|Mordred(NPC)|Mórrigan Le Fey}}
|OppositionCasualties3=


|OppositionFaction4=
|OppositionUnits4=
|OppositionCasualties4=


|OppositionFaction5=
|OppositionUnits5=
|OppositionCasualties5=


|Image=
|ImageSize=
|ImageCaption=


|Notes=
|}}

[[Category:Runs]] 

==Summary==
In which [[Artemisia]] and [[Catharsis]] are called upon for the greater good

==Dinner Date==
Artemisia is continuing to study the diaries that she had recently found when she receives a message from an unknown commcode. The message is a simple location data that can be followed. Fearing a trap in her normally paranoid manner, Artemisia contacts Catharsis who provides Matrix overwatch on the vampire and insists on coming to the underpass of the Council Island bridge where they are drawn to. Beneath the bridge stands a long, ornate dinner table, dressed with fine silverware and ceramic, while also having a large duffel bag resting on the table that Artemisia pulls open, revealing three figures.

Doing some searching, Catharsis is able to determine that these people have been reported as missing on the news. One is a Yakuza member, under investigation for the ownership and operation of several bunraku parlors across Seattle. Another is a suspected murderer who has three open homicide investigations about them, and the third is a hedge fund executive who was suspected of embezzling for certain individuals and defrauding others. Also of note upon assensing them, one was mundane, one was an adept, and the final one was a technomancer.

Artemisia wakes up the yak and begins to threaten him, asking what he knew about Josephine and why she was there. However as it becomes clear that he is actually working for Josephine and was a member of her latest club she blows the head off the yakuza member. Waking up the suspected murderer, she finds out that many of the murders were of Josephine's "enemies" and uses her ability to paralyze people with fear to keep the murderer still but ends up also paralyzing Catharsis and forcing her friend to watch as the vampire drains the essence from the man before cutting his throat and then breaks down crying.

Cathy tells a story about her mom to calm Arti, comforting her friend and allowing the vampire to take some solace in the fact that she has friends who will not betray her.

Cathy talks to Technomancer hedgefund exec and learns that Josephine was upset about investments into something owned by the "Avalon group". The group is some form of philanthropic group based out of London, and is run by the familiar name of Ulric ban Avalon. Josephine asked the hedge fund manager to look into the Avalon group and discover everything he could and try and disrupt their own investments. Deciding to let the technomancer go, Artimesia and Catharsis consider their next moves, but through some clever hacking of traffic cams, discover that the vehicle used to transport Josephine headed to the Space Needle before she escaped.

Arti and Cathy go to the Space needle, and look around the stores in the area, eventually finding Four-Eyes and Josephine's signatures. Though as Artimesia goes through the stores it's clear that she is being messed with as the vampire is taunted by Josephine apparently looking for gifts for Artimesia before taking off from Seattle. Eventually deciding that the two of them wouldn't be able to find any additional leads while in this venue, they leave each other's company for the night and agree to meet up for their trip to London in the next week.

Four-Eyes appears in Arti's safehouse and offers to give her information in return for body parts, trades two of Artimesia's fingers for the information that Josephine will be in London for a week.

==Catharsis in Cara'sir==

Attempting to repair the damaged relationship with the elven side of her family after the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], Catharsis takes a trip to the Tir nation of Cara'sir in order to work with her grandfather and the Blackmore foundation with some of their charitable activities. Upon her arrival at the airport she is picked up by [[Etain Darejan]], a paladin and former Ghost from the military branch of the special forces that now works for Jeremiah Blackmore in his political ambitions for Princedom.

Arriving at Blackmore Manor the decker is informed that she has cousins that arrived in response to learning that she was meant to come to spend time with her grandfather, Brigit and Olwen Blackmore, two full mages that have long roots in noble elven society. Moving to the gardens for a peaceful walk Catharsis is eventually joined by her grandfather, but not before realizing that Etain is watching her carefully and protectively, as well that there are feelings of attraction from the former Ghost. Catharsis and her grandfather discuss the garden, and Jeremiah explains that it was never his intention that a mage use mind magic on his granddaughter, he simply wanted her to be safe, despite the shadowrunner activities.

Catharsis explains that regardless of intentions, sometimes the job is going to be dangerous but that she shadowruns to help people and that is more important. Jeremiah seems to agree that it's important, and that he's proud of her, even if he is always going to worry about her.

After a lovely afternoon with grandpa, Catharsis retires to her room, though is interrupted by the astral forms of Brigit and Olwen who are questioning what it was the decker wants from the family, why she just appeared and started to hang around her grandfather. However they are suspicious of the answer that she simply wants to get to know her family and grow closer to them. Brigit in particular seems to take offense at the idea that it's completely without ulterior motive, and has to be dissuaded from further action by her brother, eventually leaving the decker alone.

The next day Catharsis is wandering through the garden when she is stuck to a statue of her grandmother by Brigit's glue spell, trying once again to interrogate the shadowrunner about what she wants there and what she's trying to get from the Blackmore family. While eventually Catharsis is able to get free of the spell and deliver a scathing psychological evaluation of the suspicious cousin, it is stopped from escalating to violence by the quick appearance of Olwen who seems to be able to calm his sister. Upon returning to her rooms for the night, Catharsis is greeted by a spirit. A small chimera-like beast spirit combining traits of a rabbit, a serval and a stoat. The creature doesn't appear aggressive, and instead is quite friendly and spirited around Catharsis. While there is some initial concern due to the Astral nature of the creature and her previous experience with spirits Catharsis lets Etain know about the spirit, and an astral bodyguard is summoned who lets Catharsis know that the spirit is a Force 1 beast spirit, and speculates that it is free since there doesn't appear to be a summoner link and it's close enough past dusk that a reguarly summoned spirit would disappear. Accepting the new magical friend, Catharsis settles into bed and prepares for the next day.

Upon waking, Catharsis dons her best clothing as well as a new scarf in the form of the beast spirit and heads with her grandfather to the Blackmore foundation. The board is meeting as Jeremiah is looking to expand outside the Tir states and to aid all of metahumanity more than just elves. This is met with some resistance from the mainly elf nobility of the board. However Catharsis speaks to her experience from within the UCAS, and how Tir Tairngire is viewed by the non-elves that live in Seattle and elsewhere. She also explains that she has connections within Seattle, specifically the elven community of Tarislar where the foundation could do some real good and open itself up to more than just elves slowly.

Catharsis makes some headway, though the meeting is interrupted and sent to a recess while Jeremiah heads down to the lobby on some sort of interruption. It's at this time that Catharsis realizes that there are others that she recognizes here, specifically [[Hyden Jones]] who is representing the Avalon Foundation, and an Amazonian woman who introduces herself as Mercedes Salazar who is observing as a guest. Mercedes spends a moment to talk with the beast spirit that Catharsis has, and explains that she is a Beast Way Adept who can communicate with animals. She tells Catharsis that the spirit's name is Loyell, and he was apparently sent to Catharsis by someone that he trusted. She also explains that Loyell is not actually a Force 1, but a Force 9 free spirit that seems familiar to the Amazonian. While this confuses Catharsis about the identity of who it might be that sent the spirit, she is interrupted from the thought by the sudden appearance of Olwen being deposited against one of the board room doors, smearing a bloody Elder God symbol as he himself has been exsanguinated.

Rushing to aid him Catharsis started trying to patch up the injured elf while others rushed around, however Hyden moved away to get aid using his ability to move preternaturally quickly. Coming back only a few minutes later with a medkit that Catharsis set up to help Olwen while the rest of the room panicked. Jeremiah eventually returns in a panic and comes with paramedics, bringing Olwen to the hospital, surviving thanks to the quick actions of Catharsis and her allies.

Arriving at the hospital, Catharsis is decompressing when she is once again assailed by Brigit, who is very upset that her brother is injured and lashing out at Catharsis. Though thanks to mediation techniques and confronting the issue being that her brother was hurt and not that Catharsis did something wrong allows the two elves to talk things out to a peaceful conclusion, with Brigit even admitting that she was just scared and lashing out. She also informs Catharsis that Olwen had gone to hang out with some "low-class" friends of his, a wizgang in the rougher parts of Cara'sir. Getting the address of the clubhouse from Brigit Catharsis makes her way to find Etain so that the two of them can go and interrogate the wizgang about what happened to Olwen.

This is interrupted by Mr. Four-Eyes appearing in the hospital and beginning to taunt Catharsis about her cousin's near-death experience. Loyell begins to hiss and growl at the tormenting spirit, though Catharsis holds him back from engaging in a fight, especially after an explorer is sent to defend her and gets slapped away aggressively. Mr. Four-Eyes also continues to offer information about the whereabouts of Hydes and even of Dr. Jykell himself in return for one of Catharsis' ears. The spirit eventually decides that there has been enough torment and disappears before the cavalry can arrive.

After checking that Catharsis is unharmed Etain brings the woman to the rougher downtown area of Cara'Sir where they find the gang clubhouse where Brigit had indicated that Olwen had gone. The paladin and shadowrunner find that the building has been damaged outside, and several of the elven gangers are injured in some way or another. Cartharsis is able to talk her way through the gangers, though leaves Etain by the car because the Paladin is eager for a fight and gangers and law enforcement do not historically get along.

While speaking with the gang's leader, the elf mentions that he recognized the person who came by to kidnap Olwen, it was a nobleman named Ravenor Osheen, the same man who had shown up after being removed from the Blackmore Foundation's board by Jeremiah. The ganger explains that Osheen showed up alongside Mr. Four-Eyes and beat Olwen to an inch of his life, and the gangers who tried to help were similarly injured. It was clear that Osheen had become a vampire and was using the infected advantage to one-up the wizgangers.

Upset about the situation, but with a new lead, Catharsis returned to the car and Etain, and goes back to the Blackmore manor where she takes a walk through the garden and finds her grandfather next to the statue of his first wife, Catharsis' grandmother. Jeremiah expresses concern over Olwen's condition, blaming himself for not paying attention to his grandchild and not realizing how vengeful Osheen would become simply for being removed from the board of the charity. Cathy does her best to reassure her grandfather, and explains that while she can locate the rogue noble but will probably be unable to fight him, her grandfather says that if she finds him then he will send his security forces to deal with Osheen and she won't have to worry about it. The shadowrunner went about her specialty and managed to find Osheen, now confirmed to be another of Dr. Jykell's Hydes, and send the location to her grandfather and security forces were sent after him.

While the operation was being supervised by Jeremiah, and with Brigit and Olwen out of the house and at the hospital Catharsis was finally able to begin to snoop around the manor for something that she had been curious about. After her last encounters with the Hydes it became clear that her family had some relation to the Fourth World and knowledge that Artemisia wished to keep from her, and after discussion with her vampiric friend, it was suspected that it might be an Immortal Elf, or a blood mage. Either way, it was dangerous and Catharsis wanted to see what she could find.

Finding a secret hallway behind a wall that she hacked open the decker made her way through the secret staircase to one of the bartizans on the estate. She made her way up the stairs and was alerted to something wrong when Loyell began to growl and two guardian spirits appeared before Catharsis, however a voice from beyond a door told them to stand down. The door is opened and Catharsis is greeted by a pale, elder elf that looks like she could be from the era of spike babies. The woman introduced herself as Mariel Blackmane, one of the last survivors of Thera, the land that was once known as Atlantis.

Catharsis began to talk to her grandmother, asking about Thera and the Fourth World, as well as the skin-bound book that she and Artimesia had found that bore the immortal's name. Mariel explained that it was a journal passed from hand to hand to get a series of records of the events after the Scourge, and that Mariel had been an "adept" during that time, apparently something not unlike a shadowrunner. She explained that she had gone to ground when magic disappeared after discovering that she was ageless, but during that time she also discovered that she had autoimmune hemolytic anemia close to the start of the Sixth World. It was only through a connection with a few other Immortal Elves that she was able to keep her condition under control and joined with the elves that took over Oregon and created Tir Tairngire. She also explained that whatever had drawn Jykell's attention to Catharsis was not a ritual of challenge against her or the Blackmore family as none had been inflicted upon them, and there had been generations without attacks upon their family.

Satisfied with many of the answers to her questions, Catharsis spent more time with Mariel, crocheting, and answering the questions that Mariel had about Catharsis' own adventures in the shadows. Though after time had passed Mariel made it clear that there was something that Catharsis was uncomfortable with, and the decker asked if Mariel was a blood mage. Mariel admitted to it, both in terms of the old Theran magic that involved blood, but also in the sense that the Sixth World understands, however she told Catharsis that she had never sacrificed anyone or summoned a blood spirit, simply used her blood with her magic in an attempt to keep her disease at bay and hopefully find a cure that meant she could regain her original strength and once again join her family.

A few hours after sundown, Jeremiah approached the secret room and he invited Catharsis back down, greeting his mother as well and grateful that the two of them seemed to be getting along. Jeremiah explained that he had been hesitant for Catharsis to meet her because he knew how blood magic and the immortal elves were perceived in the shadows, and as a mundane himself he didn't feel qualified to make any moves in regards to either magical phenomenon. He explained that his goal was simply to make the life as his family, every member of his family, as easy and nice as possible. Catharsis seemed understanding of this motive, and decided that after the week they all had it would be better to take it easy for that night, so instead of having the manor staff make dinner or going out, Catharsis ordered pizza from a Tir-based New York style pizza joint in downtown Carasir.

While the noble members of her family (outside the recovered and discharged Olwen) struggled with the casual food and the idea of a family movie night, Catharsis managed to explain the process, and give the Blackmore family a peaceful and enjoyable night, even spending some time bonding with Brigit before heading back to Seattle and getting ready for her trip to London and the visit to Ulric ban Avalon.

==Good ol' Londontown==

On the day of their trip to London, Artemisia and Catharsis are able to get to the airport where they find that they have been precleared for customs and are able to get on without any issue, and this time do not have to worry about a vampire with a pen slicing Arti up. On the trip Catharsis begins to look up information about Stonehenge, and learns about the druidic history of the site and how protective they are over the monuments. Cartharsis also learns about the tunnels beneath Stonehenge that seems to be where Dr. Jykell and Josephine are going to be meeting at some point during the week.

Arriving at London the two runners disembark from the plane and decide to set up in the hotel, mainly to avoid the heavy pollution that gives London the nickname "The Smoke." Once settled in, Cartharsis and Loyell spend some time ensuring the room is safe and that the hotel isn't a trap while Artemisia goes out to wander the street, finding a ghoul that seems to be running away from a woman in red and white armor and wielding a sword. Due to a complete inability to mind her own business, the gothic vampire interferes and allows the ghoul to escape, and when questioned by the pursuing templar, Artemesia lies and says that she is a vampire hunter herself. and is brought by the Templar named Mariam to the nearby Catholic Church where a Chaplain puts her through a significant interrogation. A bit nervous that they might discover her undead nature she messages Catharsis over the direct neural interface about her situation. Catharsis, concerned about her friend, rushes out of the hotel and down to the Catholic church, where the two of them *mostly* lie and say that they have a distaste for vampires and might be interested in being hunters themselves. While within the church however, Catharsis also digs into their host and pulls out some files that catch her interest for perusal later.

Returning to the hotel and engaging in a peaceful sleep, the two wake up and are able to discuss the situation, curious as to what Ulric ban Avalon would wish to speak with them about, and if they would be able to trust their strange and mysterious benefactor, or if the Avalon Foundation would be similar to a corporation and should be dealt with as cautiously as any other Johnson. Deciding to head down to the meeting that they had previously been invited to by Hyden to meet other members of the Avalon Foundation and allow them to get to know the two runners.

Entering the room, it is clear the assembled group is not what one would expect of a non-profit philanthropic organization. While it didn't appear that anyone within the room was a ruling-type figure, it was evident that several of the members are shadowrunners. A group of three that look like they are newer to the shadows than Catharsis and Artimesia, but mingling with metahumans in expensive suits and with an aura of the corporate world about them. Catharsis and Artemisia go to speak with Hyden and Catharsis introduced her vampiric companion to Mercedes Salazar. Almost immediately Arti's inability to talk to tall women hits her, while Mercedes seems affable and friendly to the vampire, Artemesia continues to panic and defaults to talkinga about poetry and ancient literature before shifting to gothic naturalism.

Meanwhile Catharsis goes to talk to the group of three, and discovers that they are runners who were recently hired by Ulric ban Avalon to do some recon on the tower of London for some reason. The leader of the runners is a decker named Diego Lope, who, once Catharsis compares some of her work with some of the work that they've done, acknowledges her as a decker of significant skill, and invites her to the Helix if she can pass whatever test the datahaven puts in front of her. Mercedes and Arti continue their conversation, but Artemisia is quickly overwhelmed by emotions and runs from the room.

Catharsis follows the vampire outside and the two begin to talk about Arti's emotional closure, how the vampire is allowed to be happy and that she can't be a prisoner of Josephine's abusive behavior, and that she is also allowed to love again. However the discussion is cut short by the sudden appearance of a Beast spirit that is detected by Loyell. The Spirit manivests, showing itself as a black lion spirit and leaping to attack Catharsis and Artemesia, who promptly run back toward the hotel. Loyell wants to fight the spirit, but Catharsis is scared that something might happen to the spirit friend and convinces them to stay and run with them. The lion bares down on them and tears through Arti's barriers, ready to pounce on them when a flash of steel comes down and splits the spirit in twain. Standing before Arti and Catharsis is a large, broad-shouldered man in a business suit who introduces himself as Ulric ban Avalon, also known as Pendragon.

Pendragon thanks Arti and Cathy for their help during the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], and tells them that he was actually pointed to the two runners by his trusted associate Merlin, also that they are required for another job. Combined with the information that Pendragon got from Arti and Cathy as well as from Hyden during the last few months, they discovered that Josephine and her associates were looking towards the Tower of London to attempt to steal the Cullinan Diamond, one of the crown jewels, and the main one set in the royal sceptre. The decker and vampire accept the job, but realize that they may be a bit out of their depths in attempting to rob the Tower of London with just the two of them, and so they call in two other experts: [[Delphi]] for astral combat and astral security surveillance and [[Katherine Tyler]] for physical security and infiltration. Artemisia and Kate also suspected that there was more than a small chance that knowledge of the 4th world might be involved here, slaking their thirst for this forbidden and dangerous knowledge.

With Kate arriving via plane and Delphi arriving via astral projection the full group joined Pendragon, Hyden and Mercedes in the penthouse of the hospital. Artemisia notices that among Pendragon's many possessions in the penthouse there was a pot of wildflowers that looked very similar to the ones that she found in the Mojave during her trip to Vegas. When asking about these flowers Pendragon mentioned that an infected woman by the name of Alice Brownsworth had been cultivating these flowers. She had been newly infected and therefore newly awakened, but she had disappeared a few days prior to the runner's arrival. Artemisia filed that away, using the information that Catharsis gathered from the Catholic Church earlier to identify that Alice had been a person of interest, and was in Rome awaiting some form of trial. However the team had to focus on the job at hand.

During the briefing about the diamond and the Tower of London heist, Delphi noticed that Mercedes was dual-natured, and it didn't seem as though there was any reason for her to be as the penthouse was well-warded and there was no shortage of skilled combatants. When trying to look deeper into the Amazonian woman, Delphi felt a strange sensation and almost a blockage to her ability that put her on edge, but she can't tell anything strange from Mercedes' aura

The group return to Arti and Cathy's room to discuss plans to infiltrate the tower of London, Cathy looks up the history and floorplans of the Tower of London as well as the building they have to get into, finding out that it's the far tower from the entrance, and that there is a moat that separates the outer walls and anything trying to get in, the group decide to do as much reconnissance as they can before attempting to infiltrate this national treasure in order to steal a national treasure.

Arti turns herself and Kate into birds and examine the astral and physical defences of this location while Delphi does a second pass via projection and gets the route of the watcher and guardian spirits that are patrolling around the tower. Catharsis and Kate also take a guided tour of the Tower, trying to get a view of the physical defences inside the walls. The team order some gear and agree to take a few days to revitalize themselves before taking on the heist. Catharsis also finds a legend of Thomas Blood, an Irish officer who had semi-successfully robbed the crown jewels several centuries before, and the team begins to gather components that would be required to attempt to Wild Summon his spirit as a distraction.

During a meeting with Mercedes about the assistance that she might bring to the heist, which was mainly just being able to provide some animals as a smokescreen if needed, Artemisia assences Mercedes and catches the woman off guard, discovering that she isn't simply a beast's way adept, but instead is the Great Dragon Arleesh, a feathered Great Dragon who holds dominion over parts of Amazonia. Startled by this development Arti and Mercedes leave to discuss in private while taking on the mission to examine Alice's safehouse, finding it to be a plant-filled storage unit in London's Westway district, the two of them find a small plant spirit that is hiding amongst the foliage of the various well-cared-for plants.

The spirit introduces themselves as Branch, a free spirit who was finding a refuge from the Smoke's pollution within this storage unit and had befriended the young vampire before she had disappeared. Branch explained that the last time they had seen Alice she had been with a man and had taken a few of her things, and that the same man had come back to get a few of the other plants for some reason. More recently however Branch had seen a vampire that broke into the storage unit looking for something, but she had been "scary" and Branch hadn't done much other than watch her. According to the spirit the vampire left quickly without finding what they were there for and then fed on a nearby street tough before leaving. Before leaving the storage unit, Arti asks Branch if they can locate Alice for the team, offering them several reagents for the service.

Tracking down the same street tough who had been fed on by Josephine Artimesia and Mercedes find out that she had been communicating with Mr. Four-Eyes, and that she mentioned about the next Hyde being in place. Arti once again becomes overwhelmed by the feelings that Josephine being around brings up in her, and has a conversation with Mercedes about the pains of the past, and the emotional struggles that Arti has, and how the anger is justified, but can't be an all-consuming force in the vampire's life if she wishes to survive long enough to enjoy life.

Returning to the hotel, Arti rejoins the other three runners who have assembled the required components for Blood's summoning, and brings the spirit that believed itself to be the true Thomas Blood into the room. Offering him a chance to complete the unfinished business of properly stealing the crown jewels, and paying him handsomely in karma and reagents, Blood agrees to create a distraction alongside a gang of disenfranchised youth within the Smoke who call themselves "Blood's Brigands".

Deciding that they wouldn't get any more ready, the group set about heading for the Tower of London to perform the heist

==The Run (The Crown Jewel Heist)==

Arti flies into a corner tower as a bird while Kate swims through the moat and notices the moat water is salt water, and the moat is filled with Abrams lobsters, narrowly avoiding the lobsters' notice the street sam manages to gekko-grip up the walls and joins Arti in the interior of one of the towers, sneaking through the upper levels through judicial use of Arti's ability to turn off her astrally active nature and Kate's skilled stealth abilities to navigate through.

As they are almost to the interior courtyard, Artemisia notices that two of the guardian spirits are somewhat distracted from their patrols by Branch appearing in the astral looking for Arti. The spirits seem confused as to why the low-Force free spirit is there, but are treating it somewhat suspiciously until Catharsis sends Loyell out to catch Branch, treating it as though it was a game that the two spirits were playing. The guardian spirits luckily do not see through Loyell's Masking, and go about their patrol without concern for the two spirits.

Getting to the interior courtyard, Arti and Kate make it to the central watchtower where the Tower's wired Matrix defence is stationed. Climbing to one of the open windows Arti slides through and settles into the antechamber before the data center after tricking the vibration sensors. Kate then descends the tower and moves to the barracks where the jewels are kept, waiting for the signal from the rest of the team before breaking in.

Artemisia cracks open the door to the data center and uses her speed in order to apply a data tap to the system, allowing Catharsis to load in and shut down many of the cameras, however one of the guards notices Arti, and the vampire is forced to use mind magic in order to confuse him, sending him off the trail and making him believe it was simply a mistake rather than risk the job. This sends Arti into a spiral of existential dread over the use of such morally compromising magic. Only being broken out of it by Catharsis warning Arti that upon trying to break into the barracks, Kate's lockpicking attempt was detected by the anti-tamper systems and every alarm in the tower began to go off.

Kate and Arti join up and begin to fight their way through the barracks, with Delphi providing support on the astral and Catharsis skillfully fighting off the spiders as well as disarming several key pieces of cyberware. The team made it to the top floor where the jewels were kept and cut through the glass that protected the Cullinan diamond and grabbed it. Deciding it was better to split up and avoid the police that arrived and the security on-site, Arti turns into a bird, and while noticed by the awares on the ground, manages to escape from the site, while Kate dives back into the moat and swims away from the lobsters before they are able to reach her, spending the night sneaking away and avoiding police patrols until the team is able to return to the hotel and relish in a job well done.

==The Calm After One Storm but Before the Second, Arguably Worse, Storm==

Arti and Delphi psychometrize the Cullinan diamond after the diamond seems to have some sort of suspicious aura to it. The team send Catharsis and Loyell out of the room in order to avoid the decker getting any more of a cognito-hazard than she is already privy to. Kate stands by to be on guard in case anything goes wrong.

The diamond reveals a deep and consuming darkness, older than the stars themselves, crashing to the ground and spreading corruption across the lands before being defeated and sealed away within the gem and then lost to time until it was uncovered in 1905 in South Africa. The gem seems to have a malevolent will that is attempting to influence those who hold it, and it also shows visions of Stonehenge, with the idea that it may be some kind of key for something that is locked within the druidic holy site. Both Arti and Delphi emerge from their vision with a painful headache and the understanding that this is a dangerous item, and one that should be kept far away from Stonehenge, deciding to hand it over to Pendragon for safekeeping, the group prepare for their own journey to the site.

Cathy goes for a walk outside the hotel, finding a park where a few new trees have recently been planted and the walking trails are relatively unpolluted. The decker enjoys the ambiance with her spiritual friend until she finds an elderly elf who seems to be having trouble with the pollution and takes a fall. Cathy helps the elf up and the two of them talk. Introducing himself as Randoran Macknobler, he talks to Cathy about the park that he and his family used to walk through, and about how Catharsis reminds him of a granddaughter who was no longer around. Bidding each other to fare well, Randoran leaves Catharsis back at the hotel and makes his way into the Smoke.

Branch is finally able to tell Artemisia about having found Alice, apparently the young vampire was captured by a Templar and has been brought to Rome to undergo some kind of trial by the Order of the Templar. Fearing the worst, Delphi follows Branch to where the spirit had found Alice and discovers that Alice has actually been absolved, and the Templar that she was "captured" by, a young human man by the name of Samiel, seemed to be acting more as a protector and lover than of a jailer. While the finer details of the matter escaped the drake detective, Alice explained that the wildflowers she cultivated didn't seem overly special, but she had only recently come into her own as a green mage, and there were some unconscious uses of magic that were being discovered. Thanking Alice for the information, Delphi returned to London and joined the group as they finished preparations and met with Pendragon again.

The team handed the diamond off to Pendragon, who says that it will be studied and protected. He also explains that the intel that he has is that Josephine and Mordred are headed to Stonehenge to meet up with Morrigan Le Fey, Mr. FourEyes and Dr. Jykell for some sort of ritual in the tunnels beneath the site. He also takes the opportunity to introduce Merlin.

As it turns out, Merlin is a free spirit, and one that is familiar to Artemisia and Catharsis. The spirit that had been known as [["Philip"]] and had taken an academic interest in the Hellraisers during their residence in the Iceberg Hotel was in fact the ancient Free Spirit that had acted as advisor and friend to Pendragon for years calling himself Merlin. He also admitted that he was the one who had first found Loyell and had directed the young spirit to Catharsis for companionship and guardianship. Merlin explained that there was some strange energy around Stonehenge, and that Jykell had been attempting to both bind or disrupt him for a few decades. Whatever was going to happen with the ritual was going to be quick and the team needed to move quickly.

Delphi returned to Seattle, having stretched the amount of time that she was able to project, and the remaining members of the team took off to Stonehenge. On the way Catharsis looked up Randoran's granddaughter, Malwyn Macknobler, and found out that she had been struck by a bus in a relatively mundane accident. While tragic, the only major patterns that could be examined from this, was that members that were directly or distantly related to the Macknobler line tended to have many accidents like this, going back to the start of the Awakening, and even before the dawn of the Sixth World. Including some 18th century lore claiming that the Macknobler line was cursed, not with any dark magic or devilry, but the much more lamentable fate of ill forturne.

==The Run (Stonehenge)==

The group have an unremarkable drive to Stonehenge, only to be alerted suddenly to threat a few miles from Stonehenge as Mordred appears suddenly and slices their van in half. Saved due to the quick reaction time of Kate and Arti, and the guard power from Loyell. Catharsis keeps herself hidden and under Loyell's protection while the spirit, Kate, and Arti engage in combat with the Wendigo. While skilled combatants all, Mordred is able to keep them on an even footing. Though Catharsis quickly realizes that this is a distraction ploy due to a message on their foe's commlink, and the group manage to overwhelm Mordred with numbers before he is able to escape.

The group make their way quickly to Stonehenge and try to ascertain the exact nature of the ritual, however it's unclear between the sizable background and the variety of magic that could be harnessed here. Deciding instead to rush in given their time constraints, the last thing done is the three runners call to the winds and summon the spirit of Boudica, the warrior queen of Britain of old, and a spirit associated with Arti's mentor.

Believing it best if the decker is left up top, Kate and Arti speed into the tunnels, barely managing to find the space beneath where the ritual is taking place, with Josephine to the east, a female figure in a long black dress to the west, FourEyes to the south, and a black-cloaked figure to the North. The ritual appears to be glowing and nearing completion, though is seemingly interrupted when Kate and Arti open fire on Josephine. Though the shots do minimal damage to the vampire, it's enough to draw her ire and she pulls away from the ritual to trap Artemisia in a reflected mana barrier while Kate is beset by spirits.

Meanwhile up top, Catharsis and Boudica talk about how Catharsis feels useless in this situation, and how the spirit admires the strength of character that the elf has presented. Offering to possess the decker temporarily in order to aid her friends, Boudica and Catharsis become one and rush into the caves after the other team members. Arriving just as Arti discharges a Ruger Super Warhawk close to Josephine to make the vampire flinch away, she is also treated to a spectral axe in the back by the spiritually empowered decker. Kate manages to get free and attempts to deliver a blow on FourEyes, but the ally spirit is nimble and dodges away.

The groups face off, however as they prepare for a deeper battle, Jykell steps forward and reveals that it is Randoran, the elderly elf that Catharsis met before they left, and admits that his name is Randoran Blackmore, Catharsis' ancient ancestor from the Fourth World. Though before there is more chance to explain or fight, the four villains disappear from beneath the site and the ritual disappears.

Feeling the ground begin to shake and quake, the runners make a desperate sprint out of the tunnels and arrive topside. However the earthquake seems to threaten to break the ground around them, even shaking a few of the stones of Stonehenge free and nearly crushing the runners before Mercedes arrives and reveals her true form, offering the runners the chance to ride her to safety. Arleesh ferries the runners to an abandoned piece of land so that she could transform back and explain that they needed to leave before the authorities arrive.

==Aftermath==
Being picked up by Pendragon's people and returning to London proper. Arti, Kate and Cathy are paid, and Delphi's payment is sent electronically. The group is given their tickets to return to Seattle and told that Pendragon looks forward to working with them again.

Arriving back at Seattle, the group goes their separate ways, with Artemisia curious as to what she is going to do with all the nuyen that she has recently acquired, while Catharsis returns to her home with the new spirit friend, having to adjust the living space while also contacting her family in Cara'sir and telling those in the know about Randoran.

Elsewhere, dark forces gather, and many plans working in tandem put Artemisia and Catharsis in their immediate view, ready for action.

==Rewards==

General Rewards:
* 50k Nuyen
* 20 Karma
* 102 CDP
* Up to 120k Nuyen in Electronics, Weapons & Weapon accessories, and London souviners up to Avail 20
* May purchase [["Philip"]] [C2/L2 Researcher] as an optional contact
* [[Styyles Flamingo]] [C3/L1 Style Artiste]

Catharsis:
* 100k Nuyen
* Additional 20 Karma
* May buy Prime Datahaven Membership (Helix) at Chargen Costs
* May buy Trust Data, Not Lore at Chargen Costs
* Trust Fund III
* [[Loyell]] [C1/L4]
* May buy Loyell up to Loyalty 6
* Optional Contact: [[Etain Darejan]] [C4/L3 Bodyguard]
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards

Artemisia:
* 100k Nuyen
* May buy Linguist at chargen costs
* Additional 25 Karma
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* IG Discount
* Photographic Memory
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"

Kate:
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards
* 1 Arleesh Feather

Delphi:
* IG Discount
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"
* 1 Arleesh Feather

==Game Quotes==

{{Gamequote|"So this probably shouldn't go to Stonehenge right? Like it seems like the key shouldn't go to the gate?"

"Yes, I agree, but yet..."

"No! Not but yet!"

-Delphi & Artemisia after psychometrizing a big diamond}}

==Player After Action Reports (AARs)==

'''[[Catharsis]]:''' So much has happened. So much of my life changed and altered in a fraction of a second and... All I know is I need to hold on to the idea of my family. Of that moment of joy when we all finally got to unwind and they learned the joy of a family movie night. When things felt normal for a fraction of a second. I... I wish mom was here, I wish grandmother was here. I wish... I wish I didn't feel so outside of all of this. I don't know what to do, I'm trying to learn it all but it just... There's a part of me that's screaming that this is wrong, that this is the place and behaviors of colonizer. I wish I could ground myself. I need to be strong and focus on the future but... Will it be enough? Will I be able to save him? And then on the flip sides there's moment's like the power of Boudicca and riding on Arleesh's back... I need to balance this in some fashion.

Heartache

2024-06-24T07:29:36Z

OrionsRequiem:

Heartache

2024-06-23T22:36:00Z

OrionsRequiem:

Heartache

2024-06-23T08:38:45Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "{{AARInfobox|   |Date=2085-06-22  |GM=OrionRequiem  |Location=Seattle Metroplex <!-- Optional: Any factions who..."

Alexander-James Brodrick Johnson II

2024-06-22T07:29:12Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Aspects Description */

{{ContactInfobox|

|Image=[[File:AlexJohnson.jpg|200px]]


|Profession= Federated-Boeing Organizational Management


|Shortblurb1= His friends call him Alex
|Shortblurb2= You can call him Mr. Johnson
|Shortblurb3= You will never be friends


|OwnersRedditName= OrionsRequiem


|OwnersDiscordName= OrionsRequiem


|Connection= 7


|Archetype= Fixer


|Location= Seattle Metroplex, UCAS
|Metatype= Human
|AwakenedEmergedOrMundane= Mundane
|Gender= Male
|PreferredPayment= Nuyen
|HobbiesOrVice= Efficiency
|PersonalLife= Divorced
|Faction= Federated Boeing

|Faction2=


|Age={{Age|
|Month= 02
|Day= 22
|Year= 2032
|}}

}}

==Overview==
A managing director of Federated Boeing with jurisdiction over the entire western hemisphere, the father of [[Alexander-James Brodrick Johnson III]] and Rachel Legala Johnson. Divorced salary man who has been married to his job since long before his marriage began and then ended. A bloodthirsty negotiator with relentless business acumen and a complete disregard for those beneath him if it helps him achieve his goal.

==History==
Alexander was raised by a Federated Boeing engineer who was never going to amount to any more than his position. He was taught by his father that it was the team on a project that made it worth doing, that money was best spread to those who needed it the most and that loyalty to the corporation wasn't worth one's soul. These are all lessons that Alexander had full-heartily discarded by the time he was fifteen. He turned his entire attention to the study of business and corporate structuring, joining Federated Boeing's structure as a member of the marketing department and quickly rising to prominence by his ability to sell water to a fish. While powerfully charismatic Alexander quickly revealed himself as uncaring about any relationship that wasn't inked in triplicate on a Federated Boeing contract, pushing those beneath him to the breaking point.

His family was mainly used as a tool to make himself look more approachable when he attempted to climb even higher within the corporate ranks, and when his wife decided that she would rather be "free" and "lost control", she was quickly let off the leash that Alexander had kept her on and forgotten about. Leaving his children to be raised by whatever staff could avoid his ire over time.

Having successfully climbed his way to the apex of Federated Boeing management, Alexander had started taking on more duties, including picking up select shadow assets both to further his corporation and himself.

==Personality==
Cold and calculating, Alexander doesn't let emotions get in the way of his dealings. The runners that he employs are not special to him, they are not even people. They are deniable assets to be used and thrown away. Though he doesn't simply kill them at the end of runs, he is not opposed to getting rid of those who cannot perform the jobs they've been employed for and he is not fond of side jobs or personal projects as excuses for less than efficient work.

==Aspects Description==

{{AspectTable|



{{NegativeAspect|
|Aspect=Demanding Loyalty
|Description= Alexander doesn't tolerate people who can't do the jobs that they have been hired for and he does not give second chances easily. If a runner is found to have betrayed Alexander, or a job is subverted or failed while under his employment, that runner immediately takes a chip debt to Alexander or loses one loyalty. If this loyalty loss reduces Alexander's loyalty to 0, he burns the runner as a contact and immediately puts out a bounty of 50,000 nuyen on that runner's head (This is similar in function to the Wanted Quality)
|HasThematicsApproval=Yes
|}}



{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=FedBo Executive
|Description= Alexander can get a hold of any product that Federated Boeing produces without question. Aircraft, watercraft, aerospace materials and drones are all within his purview
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Corporate Expert
|Description=Educated and studied in all manner of corporate cultures, practices and policies, if you need information on something that has to do with a corporation, be it a small pop-up or a AAA, Alexander can provide that information
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Fixer, in more ways than one
|Description=There have been several times when Alexander has needed problems to disappear, even before he worked in the shadows, if you need to find someone that cleans up messes, one way or another, he has an extensive black book
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=My Children Are Honor Students
|Description=While it may take some additional time, Alexander has experts in organization, engineering, management techniques, and global bars and clubs who cannot turn down his requests.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Travel Plans
|Description=Alexander decides what planes fly from their private airfields and why. With proper incentive (payment or chips or whatever else the GM decides), Alexander can provide travel to anywhere in the world from Seattle's Federated Boeing HQ.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Looking the Part
|Description=Alexander knows where to shop and what trends persist within the business world. For any sort of designer clothing, Alexander can hook one up.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=SINs of the Father
|Description=Alexander can provide Fake SINs, though only registered to Federated Boeing. Both burners and long-term, though for high-rated SINs (R5 and R6) he will keep a copy of the runner's genetic material.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=I memorized the manifest
|Description=If something is imported or exported in Seattle by sea or air, Alexander has a record of it, where it's going and where it's from. These records can be falsified before reaching him, but he will have some sort of paper trail and will give it to a runner for appropriate compensation
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Nothing in life is free
|Description=Alexander is an expert in economics, both in making money and the various uses beyond simple trade for goods and services. Any economic questions or extrapolations of economics can be figured out with enough time and inventive.
|}}



}}


==Dicepools==
{{ContactDicepools}}


==Network==
===Player Characters with this Contact===
{{ContactPlayerConnections}}


===NPC who know this contact===

==Narrative Significant Runs==
{{ContactRuns}}

[[Category:Contacts]]
[[Category:Public Contacts]]

Alexander-James Brodrick Johnson II

2024-06-22T07:27:22Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "{{ContactInfobox|  |Image=200px  |Profession= Federated-Boeing Organiza..."

{{ContactInfobox|

|Image=[[File:AlexJohnson.jpg|200px]]


|Profession= Federated-Boeing Organizational Management


|Shortblurb1= His friends call him Alex
|Shortblurb2= You can call him Mr. Johnson
|Shortblurb3= You will never be friends


|OwnersRedditName= OrionsRequiem


|OwnersDiscordName= OrionsRequiem


|Connection= 7


|Archetype= Fixer


|Location= Seattle Metroplex, UCAS
|Metatype= Human
|AwakenedEmergedOrMundane= Mundane
|Gender= Male
|PreferredPayment= Nuyen
|HobbiesOrVice= Efficiency
|PersonalLife= Divorced
|Faction= Federated Boeing

|Faction2=


|Age={{Age|
|Month= 02
|Day= 22
|Year= 2032
|}}

}}

==Overview==
A managing director of Federated Boeing with jurisdiction over the entire western hemisphere, the father of [[Alexander-James Brodrick Johnson III]] and Rachel Legala Johnson. Divorced salary man who has been married to his job since long before his marriage began and then ended. A bloodthirsty negotiator with relentless business acumen and a complete disregard for those beneath him if it helps him achieve his goal.

==History==
Alexander was raised by a Federated Boeing engineer who was never going to amount to any more than his position. He was taught by his father that it was the team on a project that made it worth doing, that money was best spread to those who needed it the most and that loyalty to the corporation wasn't worth one's soul. These are all lessons that Alexander had full-heartily discarded by the time he was fifteen. He turned his entire attention to the study of business and corporate structuring, joining Federated Boeing's structure as a member of the marketing department and quickly rising to prominence by his ability to sell water to a fish. While powerfully charismatic Alexander quickly revealed himself as uncaring about any relationship that wasn't inked in triplicate on a Federated Boeing contract, pushing those beneath him to the breaking point.

His family was mainly used as a tool to make himself look more approachable when he attempted to climb even higher within the corporate ranks, and when his wife decided that she would rather be "free" and "lost control", she was quickly let off the leash that Alexander had kept her on and forgotten about. Leaving his children to be raised by whatever staff could avoid his ire over time.

Having successfully climbed his way to the apex of Federated Boeing management, Alexander had started taking on more duties, including picking up select shadow assets both to further his corporation and himself.

==Personality==
Cold and calculating, Alexander doesn't let emotions get in the way of his dealings. The runners that he employs are not special to him, they are not even people. They are deniable assets to be used and thrown away. Though he doesn't simply kill them at the end of runs, he is not opposed to getting rid of those who cannot perform the jobs they've been employed for and he is not fond of side jobs or personal projects as excuses for less than efficient work.

==Aspects Description==

{{AspectTable|



{{NegativeAspect|
|Aspect=Demanding Loyalty
|Description= Alexander doesn't tolerate people who can't do the jobs that they have been hired for and he does not give second chances easily. If a runner is found to have betrayed Alexander, or a job is subverted or failed while under his employment, that runner immediately takes a chip debt to Alexander or loses one loyalty. If this loyalty loss reduces Alexander's loyalty to 0, he burns the runner as a contact and immediately puts out a bounty of 50,000 nuyen on that runner's head (This is similar in function to the Wanted Quality)
|HasThematicsApproval=No
|}}



{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=FedBo Executive
|Description= Alexander can get a hold of any product that Federated Boeing produces without question. Aircraft, watercraft, aerospace materials and drones are all within his purview
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Corporate Expert
|Description=Educated and studied in all manner of corporate cultures, practices and policies, if you need information on something that has to do with a corporation, be it a small pop-up or a AAA, Alexander can provide that information
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Fixer, in more ways than one
|Description=There have been several times when Alexander has needed problems to disappear, even before he worked in the shadows, if you need to find someone that cleans up messes, one way or another, he has an extensive black book
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=My Children Are Honor Students
|Description=While it may take some additional time, Alexander has experts in organization, engineering, management techniques, and global bars and clubs who cannot turn down his requests.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Travel Plans
|Description=Alexander decides what planes fly from their private airfields and why. With proper incentive (payment or chips or whatever else the GM decides), Alexander can provide travel to anywhere in the world from Seattle's Federated Boeing HQ.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Looking the Part
|Description=Alexander knows where to shop and what trends persist within the business world. For any sort of designer clothing, Alexander can hook one up.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=SINs of the Father
|Description=Alexander can provide Fake SINs, though only registered to Federated Boeing. Both burners and long-term, though for high-rated SINs (R5 and R6) he will keep a copy of the runner's genetic material.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=I memorized the manifest
|Description=If something is imported or exported in Seattle by sea or air, Alexander has a record of it, where it's going and where it's from. These records can be falsified before reaching him, but he will have some sort of paper trail and will give it to a runner for appropriate compensation
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Nothing in life is free
|Description=Alexander is an expert in economics, both in making money and the various uses beyond simple trade for goods and services. Any economic questions or extrapolations of economics can be figured out with enough time and inventive.
|}}



}}


==Dicepools==
{{ContactDicepools}}


==Network==
===Player Characters with this Contact===
{{ContactPlayerConnections}}


===NPC who know this contact===

==Narrative Significant Runs==
{{ContactRuns}}

[[Category:Contacts]]
[[Category:Public Contacts]]

File:AlexJohnson.jpg

2024-06-22T06:26:17Z

OrionsRequiem:

The Pen is Mightier than the Dragon

2024-06-19T05:16:43Z

OrionsRequiem:

{{AARInfobox|



|Date=2085-02-13


|GM=OrionsRequiem


|Location= London, UK


|Ally= Pendragon
|Ally2= Avalon Council
|Ally3= The Great Dragon Arleesh
|Ally4= The Blackmore Family


|RunnerList={{AARCharacterList|Artemisia|Catharsis|Delphi|Katherine Tyler}}
|RunnerCasualties=


|Threat=Extreme


|Metaplot= Call of the Shadows
|Metaplot2=
|Metaplot3=
|Metaplot4=
|Metaplot5=


|OppositionFaction=Dr. Jykell
|OppositionUnits={{AARCharacterList|Hyde #9|Mister FourEyes|Randoran Blackmourn}}
|OppositionCasualties=


|OppositionFaction2=Cult of the Horned God
|OppositionUnits2={{AARCharacterList|Josephine|}}
|OppositionCasualties2=


|OppositionFaction3=The Mórrigan
|OppositionUnits3={{AARCharacterList|Mordred(NPC)|Mórrigan Le Fey}}
|OppositionCasualties3=


|OppositionFaction4=
|OppositionUnits4=
|OppositionCasualties4=


|OppositionFaction5=
|OppositionUnits5=
|OppositionCasualties5=


|Image=
|ImageSize=
|ImageCaption=


|Notes=
|}}

[[Category:Runs]] 

==Summary==
In which [[Artemisia]] and [[Catharsis]] are called upon for the greater good

==Dinner Date==
Artemisia is continuing to study the diaries that she had recently found when she receives a message from an unknown commcode. The message is a simple location data that can be followed. Fearing a trap in her normally paranoid manner, Artemisia contacts Catharsis who provides Matrix overwatch on the vampire and insists on coming to the underpass of the Council Island bridge where they are drawn to. Beneath the bridge stands a long, ornate dinner table, dressed with fine silverware and ceramic, while also having a large duffel bag resting on the table that Artemisia pulls open, revealing three figures.

Doing some searching, Catharsis is able to determine that these people have been reported as missing on the news. One is a Yakuza member, under investigation for the ownership and operation of several bunraku parlors across Seattle. Another is a suspected murderer who has three open homicide investigations about them, and the third is a hedge fund executive who was suspected of embezzling for certain individuals and defrauding others. Also of note upon assensing them, one was mundane, one was an adept, and the final one was a technomancer.

Artemisia wakes up the yak and begins to threaten him, asking what he knew about Josephine and why she was there. However as it becomes clear that he is actually working for Josephine and was a member of her latest club she blows the head off the yakuza member. Waking up the suspected murderer, she finds out that many of the murders were of Josephine's "enemies" and uses her ability to paralyze people with fear to keep the murderer still but ends up also paralyzing Catharsis and forcing her friend to watch as the vampire drains the essence from the man before cutting his throat and then breaks down crying.

Cathy tells a story about her mom to calm Arti, comforting her friend and allowing the vampire to take some solace in the fact that she has friends who will not betray her.

Cathy talks to Technomancer hedgefund exec and learns that Josephine was upset about investments into something owned by the "Avalon group". The group is some form of philanthropic group based out of London, and is run by the familiar name of Ulric ban Avalon. Josephine asked the hedge fund manager to look into the Avalon group and discover everything he could and try and disrupt their own investments. Deciding to let the technomancer go, Artimesia and Catharsis consider their next moves, but through some clever hacking of traffic cams, discover that the vehicle used to transport Josephine headed to the Space Needle before she escaped.

Arti and Cathy go to the Space needle, and look around the stores in the area, eventually finding Four-Eyes and Josephine's signatures. Though as Artimesia goes through the stores it's clear that she is being messed with as the vampire is taunted by Josephine apparently looking for gifts for Artimesia before taking off from Seattle. Eventually deciding that the two of them wouldn't be able to find any additional leads while in this venue, they leave each other's company for the night and agree to meet up for their trip to London in the next week.

Four-Eyes appears in Arti's safehouse and offers to give her information in return for body parts, trades two of Artimesia's fingers for the information that Josephine will be in London for a week.

==Catharsis in Cara'sir==

Attempting to repair the damaged relationship with the elven side of her family after the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], Catharsis takes a trip to the Tir nation of Cara'sir in order to work with her grandfather and the Blackmore foundation with some of their charitable activities. Upon her arrival at the airport she is picked up by [[Etain Darejan]], a paladin and former Ghost from the military branch of the special forces that now works for Jeremiah Blackmore in his political ambitions for Princedom.

Arriving at Blackmore Manor the decker is informed that she has cousins that arrived in response to learning that she was meant to come to spend time with her grandfather, Brigit and Olwen Blackmore, two full mages that have long roots in noble elven society. Moving to the gardens for a peaceful walk Catharsis is eventually joined by her grandfather, but not before realizing that Etain is watching her carefully and protectively, as well that there are feelings of attraction from the former Ghost. Catharsis and her grandfather discuss the garden, and Jeremiah explains that it was never his intention that a mage use mind magic on his granddaughter, he simply wanted her to be safe, despite the shadowrunner activities.

Catharsis explains that regardless of intentions, sometimes the job is going to be dangerous but that she shadowruns to help people and that is more important. Jeremiah seems to agree that it's important, and that he's proud of her, even if he is always going to worry about her.

After a lovely afternoon with grandpa, Catharsis retires to her room, though is interrupted by the astral forms of Brigit and Olwen who are questioning what it was the decker wants from the family, why she just appeared and started to hang around her grandfather. However they are suspicious of the answer that she simply wants to get to know her family and grow closer to them. Brigit in particular seems to take offense at the idea that it's completely without ulterior motive, and has to be dissuaded from further action by her brother, eventually leaving the decker alone.

The next day Catharsis is wandering through the garden when she is stuck to a statue of her grandmother by Brigit's glue spell, trying once again to interrogate the shadowrunner about what she wants there and what she's trying to get from the Blackmore family. While eventually Catharsis is able to get free of the spell and deliver a scathing psychological evaluation of the suspicious cousin, it is stopped from escalating to violence by the quick appearance of Olwen who seems to be able to calm his sister. Upon returning to her rooms for the night, Catharsis is greeted by a spirit. A small chimera-like beast spirit combining traits of a rabbit, a serval and a stoat. The creature doesn't appear aggressive, and instead is quite friendly and spirited around Catharsis. While there is some initial concern due to the Astral nature of the creature and her previous experience with spirits Catharsis lets Etain know about the spirit, and an astral bodyguard is summoned who lets Catharsis know that the spirit is a Force 1 beast spirit, and speculates that it is free since there doesn't appear to be a summoner link and it's close enough past dusk that a reguarly summoned spirit would disappear. Accepting the new magical friend, Catharsis settles into bed and prepares for the next day.

Upon waking, Catharsis dons her best clothing as well as a new scarf in the form of the beast spirit and heads with her grandfather to the Blackmore foundation. The board is meeting as Jeremiah is looking to expand outside the Tir states and to aid all of metahumanity more than just elves. This is met with some resistance from the mainly elf nobility of the board. However Catharsis speaks to her experience from within the UCAS, and how Tir Tairngire is viewed by the non-elves that live in Seattle and elsewhere. She also explains that she has connections within Seattle, specifically the elven community of Tarislar where the foundation could do some real good and open itself up to more than just elves slowly.

Catharsis makes some headway, though the meeting is interrupted and sent to a recess while Jeremiah heads down to the lobby on some sort of interruption. It's at this time that Catharsis realizes that there are others that she recognizes here, specifically [[Hyden Jones]] who is representing the Avalon Foundation, and an Amazonian woman who introduces herself as Mercedes Salazar who is observing as a guest. Mercedes spends a moment to talk with the beast spirit that Catharsis has, and explains that she is a Beast Way Adept who can communicate with animals. She tells Catharsis that the spirit's name is Loyell, and he was apparently sent to Catharsis by someone that he trusted. She also explains that Loyell is not actually a Force 1, but a Force 9 free spirit that seems familiar to the Amazonian. While this confuses Catharsis about the identity of who it might be that sent the spirit, she is interrupted from the thought by the sudden appearance of Olwen being deposited against one of the board room doors, smearing a bloody Elder God symbol as he himself has been exsanguinated.

Rushing to aid him Catharsis started trying to patch up the injured elf while others rushed around, however Hyden moved away to get aid using his ability to move preternaturally quickly. Coming back only a few minutes later with a medkit that Catharsis set up to help Olwen while the rest of the room panicked. Jeremiah eventually returns in a panic and comes with paramedics, bringing Olwen to the hospital, surviving thanks to the quick actions of Catharsis and her allies.

Arriving at the hospital, Catharsis is decompressing when she is once again assailed by Brigit, who is very upset that her brother is injured and lashing out at Catharsis. Though thanks to mediation techniques and confronting the issue being that her brother was hurt and not that Catharsis did something wrong allows the two elves to talk things out to a peaceful conclusion, with Brigit even admitting that she was just scared and lashing out. She also informs Catharsis that Olwen had gone to hang out with some "low-class" friends of his, a wizgang in the rougher parts of Cara'sir. Getting the address of the clubhouse from Brigit Catharsis makes her way to find Etain so that the two of them can go and interrogate the wizgang about what happened to Olwen.

This is interrupted by Mr. Four-Eyes appearing in the hospital and beginning to taunt Catharsis about her cousin's near-death experience. Loyell begins to hiss and growl at the tormenting spirit, though Catharsis holds him back from engaging in a fight, especially after an explorer is sent to defend her and gets slapped away aggressively. Mr. Four-Eyes also continues to offer information about the whereabouts of Hydes and even of Dr. Jykell himself in return for one of Catharsis' ears. The spirit eventually decides that there has been enough torment and disappears before the cavalry can arrive.

After checking that Catharsis is unharmed Etain brings the woman to the rougher downtown area of Cara'Sir where they find the gang clubhouse where Brigit had indicated that Olwen had gone. The paladin and shadowrunner find that the building has been damaged outside, and several of the elven gangers are injured in some way or another. Cartharsis is able to talk her way through the gangers, though leaves Etain by the car because the Paladin is eager for a fight and gangers and law enforcement do not historically get along.

While speaking with the gang's leader, the elf mentions that he recognized the person who came by to kidnap Olwen, it was a nobleman named Ravenor Osheen, the same man who had shown up after being removed from the Blackmore Foundation's board by Jeremiah. The ganger explains that Osheen showed up alongside Mr. Four-Eyes and beat Olwen to an inch of his life, and the gangers who tried to help were similarly injured. It was clear that Osheen had become a vampire and was using the infected advantage to one-up the wizgangers.

Upset about the situation, but with a new lead, Catharsis returned to the car and Etain, and goes back to the Blackmore manor where she takes a walk through the garden and finds her grandfather next to the statue of his first wife, Catharsis' grandmother. Jeremiah expresses concern over Olwen's condition, blaming himself for not paying attention to his grandchild and not realizing how vengeful Osheen would become simply for being removed from the board of the charity. Cathy does her best to reassure her grandfather, and explains that while she can locate the rogue noble but will probably be unable to fight him, her grandfather says that if she finds him then he will send his security forces to deal with Osheen and she won't have to worry about it. The shadowrunner went about her specialty and managed to find Osheen, now confirmed to be another of Dr. Jykell's Hydes, and send the location to her grandfather and security forces were sent after him.

While the operation was being supervised by Jeremiah, and with Brigit and Olwen out of the house and at the hospital Catharsis was finally able to begin to snoop around the manor for something that she had been curious about. After her last encounters with the Hydes it became clear that her family had some relation to the Fourth World and knowledge that Artemisia wished to keep from her, and after discussion with her vampiric friend, it was suspected that it might be an Immortal Elf, or a blood mage. Either way, it was dangerous and Catharsis wanted to see what she could find.

Finding a secret hallway behind a wall that she hacked open the decker made her way through the secret staircase to one of the bartizans on the estate. She made her way up the stairs and was alerted to something wrong when Loyell began to growl and two guardian spirits appeared before Catharsis, however a voice from beyond a door told them to stand down. The door is opened and Catharsis is greeted by a pale, elder elf that looks like she could be from the era of spike babies. The woman introduced herself as Mariel Blackmane, one of the last survivors of Thera, the land that was once known as Atlantis.

Catharsis began to talk to her grandmother, asking about Thera and the Fourth World, as well as the skin-bound book that she and Artimesia had found that bore the immortal's name. Mariel explained that it was a journal passed from hand to hand to get a series of records of the events after the Scourge, and that Mariel had been an "adept" during that time, apparently something not unlike a shadowrunner. She explained that she had gone to ground when magic disappeared after discovering that she was ageless, but during that time she also discovered that she had autoimmune hemolytic anemia close to the start of the Sixth World. It was only through a connection with a few other Immortal Elves that she was able to keep her condition under control and joined with the elves that took over Oregon and created Tir Tairngire. She also explained that whatever had drawn Jykell's attention to Catharsis was not a ritual of challenge against her or the Blackmore family as none had been inflicted upon them, and there had been generations without attacks upon their family.

Satisfied with many of the answers to her questions, Catharsis spent more time with Mariel, crocheting, and answering the questions that Mariel had about Catharsis' own adventures in the shadows. Though after time had passed Mariel made it clear that there was something that Catharsis was uncomfortable with, and the decker asked if Mariel was a blood mage. Mariel admitted to it, both in terms of the old Theran magic that involved blood, but also in the sense that the Sixth World understands, however she told Catharsis that she had never sacrificed anyone or summoned a blood spirit, simply used her blood with her magic in an attempt to keep her disease at bay and hopefully find a cure that meant she could regain her original strength and once again join her family.

A few hours after sundown, Jeremiah approached the secret room and he invited Catharsis back down, greeting his mother as well and grateful that the two of them seemed to be getting along. Jeremiah explained that he had been hesitant for Catharsis to meet her because he knew how blood magic and the immortal elves were perceived in the shadows, and as a mundane himself he didn't feel qualified to make any moves in regards to either magical phenomenon. He explained that his goal was simply to make the life as his family, every member of his family, as easy and nice as possible. Catharsis seemed understanding of this motive, and decided that after the week they all had it would be better to take it easy for that night, so instead of having the manor staff make dinner or going out, Catharsis ordered pizza from a Tir-based New York style pizza joint in downtown Carasir.

While the noble members of her family (outside the recovered and discharged Olwen) struggled with the casual food and the idea of a family movie night, Catharsis managed to explain the process, and give the Blackmore family a peaceful and enjoyable night, even spending some time bonding with Brigit before heading back to Seattle and getting ready for her trip to London and the visit to Ulric ban Avalon.

==Good ol' Londontown==

On the day of their trip to London, Artemisia and Catharsis are able to get to the airport where they find that they have been precleared for customs and are able to get on without any issue, and this time do not have to worry about a vampire with a pen slicing Arti up. On the trip Catharsis begins to look up information about Stonehenge, and learns about the druidic history of the site and how protective they are over the monuments. Cartharsis also learns about the tunnels beneath Stonehenge that seems to be where Dr. Jykell and Josephine are going to be meeting at some point during the week.

Arriving at London the two runners disembark from the plane and decide to set up in the hotel, mainly to avoid the heavy pollution that gives London the nickname "The Smoke." Once settled in, Cartharsis and Loyell spend some time ensuring the room is safe and that the hotel isn't a trap while Artemisia goes out to wander the street, finding a ghoul that seems to be running away from a woman in red and white armor and wielding a sword. Due to a complete inability to mind her own business, the gothic vampire interferes and allows the ghoul to escape, and when questioned by the pursuing templar, Artemesia lies and says that she is a vampire hunter herself. and is brought by the Templar named Mariam to the nearby Catholic Church where a Chaplain puts her through a significant interrogation. A bit nervous that they might discover her undead nature she messages Catharsis over the direct neural interface about her situation. Catharsis, concerned about her friend, rushes out of the hotel and down to the Catholic church, where the two of them *mostly* lie and say that they have a distaste for vampires and might be interested in being hunters themselves. While within the church however, Catharsis also digs into their host and pulls out some files that catch her interest for perusal later.

Returning to the hotel and engaging in a peaceful sleep, the two wake up and are able to discuss the situation, curious as to what Ulric ban Avalon would wish to speak with them about, and if they would be able to trust their strange and mysterious benefactor, or if the Avalon Foundation would be similar to a corporation and should be dealt with as cautiously as any other Johnson. Deciding to head down to the meeting that they had previously been invited to by Hyden to meet other members of the Avalon Foundation and allow them to get to know the two runners.

Entering the room, it is clear the assembled group is not what one would expect of a non-profit philanthropic organization. While it didn't appear that anyone within the room was a ruling-type figure, it was evident that several of the members are shadowrunners. A group of three that look like they are newer to the shadows than Catharsis and Artimesia, but mingling with metahumans in expensive suits and with an aura of the corporate world about them. Catharsis and Artemisia go to speak with Hyden and Catharsis introduced her vampiric companion to Mercedes Salazar. Almost immediately Arti's inability to talk to tall women hits her, while Mercedes seems affable and friendly to the vampire, Artemesia continues to panic and defaults to talkinga about poetry and ancient literature before shifting to gothic naturalism.

Meanwhile Catharsis goes to talk to the group of three, and discovers that they are runners who were recently hired by Ulric ban Avalon to do some recon on the tower of London for some reason. The leader of the runners is a decker named Diego Lope, who, once Catharsis compares some of her work with some of the work that they've done, acknowledges her as a decker of significant skill, and invites her to the Helix if she can pass whatever test the datahaven puts in front of her. Mercedes and Arti continue their conversation, but Artemisia is quickly overwhelmed by emotions and runs from the room.

Catharsis follows the vampire outside and the two begin to talk about Arti's emotional closure, how the vampire is allowed to be happy and that she can't be a prisoner of Josephine's abusive behavior, and that she is also allowed to love again. However the discussion is cut short by the sudden appearance of a Beast spirit that is detected by Loyell. The Spirit manivests, showing itself as a black lion spirit and leaping to attack Catharsis and Artemesia, who promptly run back toward the hotel. Loyell wants to fight the spirit, but Catharsis is scared that something might happen to the spirit friend and convinces them to stay and run with them. The lion bares down on them and tears through Arti's barriers, ready to pounce on them when a flash of steel comes down and splits the spirit in twain. Standing before Arti and Catharsis is a large, broad-shouldered man in a business suit who introduces himself as Ulric ban Avalon, also known as Pendragon.

Pendragon thanks Arti and Cathy for their help during the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], and tells them that he was actually pointed to the two runners by his trusted associate Merlin, also that they are required for another job. Combined with the information that Pendragon got from Arti and Cathy as well as from Hyden during the last few months, they discovered that Josephine and her associates were looking towards the Tower of London to attempt to steal the Cullinan Diamond, one of the crown jewels, and the main one set in the royal sceptre. The decker and vampire accept the job, but realize that they may be a bit out of their depths in attempting to rob the Tower of London with just the two of them, and so they call in two other experts: [[Delphi]] for astral combat and astral security surveillance and [[Kathrine Tyler]] for physical security and infiltration. Artemisia and Kate also suspected that there was more than a small chance that knowledge of the 4th world might be involved here, slaking their thirst for this forbidden and dangerous knowledge.

With Kate arriving via plane and Delphi arriving via astral projection the full group joined Pendragon, Hyden and Mercedes in the penthouse of the hospital. Artemisia notices that among Pendragon's many possessions in the penthouse there was a pot of wildflowers that looked very similar to the ones that she found in the Mojave during her trip to Vegas. When asking about these flowers Pendragon mentioned that an infected woman by the name of Alice Brownsworth had been cultivating these flowers. She had been newly infected and therefore newly awakened, but she had disappeared a few days prior to the runner's arrival. Artemisia filed that away, using the information that Catharsis gathered from the Catholic Church earlier to identify that Alice had been a person of interest, and was in Rome awaiting some form of trial. However the team had to focus on the job at hand.

During the briefing about the diamond and the Tower of London heist, Delphi noticed that Mercedes was dual-natured, and it didn't seem as though there was any reason for her to be as the penthouse was well-warded and there was no shortage of skilled combatants. When trying to look deeper into the Amazonian woman, Delphi felt a strange sensation and almost a blockage to her ability that put her on edge, but she can't tell anything strange from Mercedes' aura

The group return to Arti and Cathy's room to discuss plans to infiltrate the tower of London, Cathy looks up the history and floorplans of the Tower of London as well as the building they have to get into, finding out that it's the far tower from the entrance, and that there is a moat that separates the outer walls and anything trying to get in, the group decide to do as much reconnissance as they can before attempting to infiltrate this national treasure in order to steal a national treasure.

Arti turns herself and Kate into birds and examine the astral and physical defences of this location while Delphi does a second pass via projection and gets the route of the watcher and guardian spirits that are patrolling around the tower. Catharsis and Kate also take a guided tour of the Tower, trying to get a view of the physical defences inside the walls. The team order some gear and agree to take a few days to revitalize themselves before taking on the heist. Catharsis also finds a legend of Thomas Blood, an Irish officer who had semi-successfully robbed the crown jewels several centuries before, and the team begins to gather components that would be required to attempt to Wild Summon his spirit as a distraction.

During a meeting with Mercedes about the assistance that she might bring to the heist, which was mainly just being able to provide some animals as a smokescreen if needed, Artemisia assences Mercedes and catches the woman off guard, discovering that she isn't simply a beast's way adept, but instead is the Great Dragon Arleesh, a feathered Great Dragon who holds dominion over parts of Amazonia. Startled by this development Arti and Mercedes leave to discuss in private while taking on the mission to examine Alice's safehouse, finding it to be a plant-filled storage unit in London's Westway district, the two of them find a small plant spirit that is hiding amongst the foliage of the various well-cared-for plants.

The spirit introduces themselves as Branch, a free spirit who was finding a refuge from the Smoke's pollution within this storage unit and had befriended the young vampire before she had disappeared. Branch explained that the last time they had seen Alice she had been with a man and had taken a few of her things, and that the same man had come back to get a few of the other plants for some reason. More recently however Branch had seen a vampire that broke into the storage unit looking for something, but she had been "scary" and Branch hadn't done much other than watch her. According to the spirit the vampire left quickly without finding what they were there for and then fed on a nearby street tough before leaving. Before leaving the storage unit, Arti asks Branch if they can locate Alice for the team, offering them several reagents for the service.

Tracking down the same street tough who had been fed on by Josephine Artimesia and Mercedes find out that she had been communicating with Mr. Four-Eyes, and that she mentioned about the next Hyde being in place. Arti once again becomes overwhelmed by the feelings that Josephine being around brings up in her, and has a conversation with Mercedes about the pains of the past, and the emotional struggles that Arti has, and how the anger is justified, but can't be an all-consuming force in the vampire's life if she wishes to survive long enough to enjoy life.

Returning to the hotel, Arti rejoins the other three runners who have assembled the required components for Blood's summoning, and brings the spirit that believed itself to be the true Thomas Blood into the room. Offering him a chance to complete the unfinished business of properly stealing the crown jewels, and paying him handsomely in karma and reagents, Blood agrees to create a distraction alongside a gang of disenfranchised youth within the Smoke who call themselves "Blood's Brigands".

Deciding that they wouldn't get any more ready, the group set about heading for the Tower of London to perform the heist

==The Run (The Crown Jewel Heist)==

Arti flies into a corner tower as a bird while Kate swims through the moat and notices the moat water is salt water, and the moat is filled with Abrams lobsters, narrowly avoiding the lobsters' notice the street sam manages to gekko-grip up the walls and joins Arti in the interior of one of the towers, sneaking through the upper levels through judicial use of Arti's ability to turn off her astrally active nature and Kate's skilled stealth abilities to navigate through.

As they are almost to the interior courtyard, Artemisia notices that two of the guardian spirits are somewhat distracted from their patrols by Branch appearing in the astral looking for Arti. The spirits seem confused as to why the low-Force free spirit is there, but are treating it somewhat suspiciously until Catharsis sends Loyell out to catch Branch, treating it as though it was a game that the two spirits were playing. The guardian spirits luckily do not see through Loyell's Masking, and go about their patrol without concern for the two spirits.

Getting to the interior courtyard, Arti and Kate make it to the central watchtower where the Tower's wired Matrix defence is stationed. Climbing to one of the open windows Arti slides through and settles into the antechamber before the data center after tricking the vibration sensors. Kate then descends the tower and moves to the barracks where the jewels are kept, waiting for the signal from the rest of the team before breaking in.

Artemisia cracks open the door to the data center and uses her speed in order to apply a data tap to the system, allowing Catharsis to load in and shut down many of the cameras, however one of the guards notices Arti, and the vampire is forced to use mind magic in order to confuse him, sending him off the trail and making him believe it was simply a mistake rather than risk the job. This sends Arti into a spiral of existential dread over the use of such morally compromising magic. Only being broken out of it by Catharsis warning Arti that upon trying to break into the barracks, Kate's lockpicking attempt was detected by the anti-tamper systems and every alarm in the tower began to go off.

Kate and Arti join up and begin to fight their way through the barracks, with Delphi providing support on the astral and Catharsis skillfully fighting off the spiders as well as disarming several key pieces of cyberware. The team made it to the top floor where the jewels were kept and cut through the glass that protected the Cullinan diamond and grabbed it. Deciding it was better to split up and avoid the police that arrived and the security on-site, Arti turns into a bird, and while noticed by the awares on the ground, manages to escape from the site, while Kate dives back into the moat and swims away from the lobsters before they are able to reach her, spending the night sneaking away and avoiding police patrols until the team is able to return to the hotel and relish in a job well done.

==The Calm After One Storm but Before the Second, Arguably Worse, Storm==

Arti and Delphi psychometrize the Cullinan diamond after the diamond seems to have some sort of suspicious aura to it. The team send Catharsis and Loyell out of the room in order to avoid the decker getting any more of a cognito-hazard than she is already privy to. Kate stands by to be on guard in case anything goes wrong.

The diamond reveals a deep and consuming darkness, older than the stars themselves, crashing to the ground and spreading corruption across the lands before being defeated and sealed away within the gem and then lost to time until it was uncovered in 1905 in South Africa. The gem seems to have a malevolent will that is attempting to influence those who hold it, and it also shows visions of Stonehenge, with the idea that it may be some kind of key for something that is locked within the druidic holy site. Both Arti and Delphi emerge from their vision with a painful headache and the understanding that this is a dangerous item, and one that should be kept far away from Stonehenge, deciding to hand it over to Pendragon for safekeeping, the group prepare for their own journey to the site.

Cathy goes for a walk outside the hotel, finding a park where a few new trees have recently been planted and the walking trails are relatively unpolluted. The decker enjoys the ambiance with her spiritual friend until she finds an elderly elf who seems to be having trouble with the pollution and takes a fall. Cathy helps the elf up and the two of them talk. Introducing himself as Randoran Macknobler, he talks to Cathy about the park that he and his family used to walk through, and about how Catharsis reminds him of a granddaughter who was no longer around. Bidding each other to fare well, Randoran leaves Catharsis back at the hotel and makes his way into the Smoke.

Branch is finally able to tell Artemisia about having found Alice, apparently the young vampire was captured by a Templar and has been brought to Rome to undergo some kind of trial by the Order of the Templar. Fearing the worst, Delphi follows Branch to where the spirit had found Alice and discovers that Alice has actually been absolved, and the Templar that she was "captured" by, a young human man by the name of Samiel, seemed to be acting more as a protector and lover than of a jailer. While the finer details of the matter escaped the drake detective, Alice explained that the wildflowers she cultivated didn't seem overly special, but she had only recently come into her own as a green mage, and there were some unconscious uses of magic that were being discovered. Thanking Alice for the information, Delphi returned to London and joined the group as they finished preparations and met with Pendragon again.

The team handed the diamond off to Pendragon, who says that it will be studied and protected. He also explains that the intel that he has is that Josephine and Mordred are headed to Stonehenge to meet up with Morrigan Le Fey, Mr. FourEyes and Dr. Jykell for some sort of ritual in the tunnels beneath the site. He also takes the opportunity to introduce Merlin.

As it turns out, Merlin is a free spirit, and one that is familiar to Artemisia and Catharsis. The spirit that had been known as [["Philip"]] and had taken an academic interest in the Hellraisers during their residence in the Iceberg Hotel was in fact the ancient Free Spirit that had acted as advisor and friend to Pendragon for years calling himself Merlin. He also admitted that he was the one who had first found Loyell and had directed the young spirit to Catharsis for companionship and guardianship. Merlin explained that there was some strange energy around Stonehenge, and that Jykell had been attempting to both bind or disrupt him for a few decades. Whatever was going to happen with the ritual was going to be quick and the team needed to move quickly.

Delphi returned to Seattle, having stretched the amount of time that she was able to project, and the remaining members of the team took off to Stonehenge. On the way Catharsis looked up Randoran's granddaughter, Malwyn Macknobler, and found out that she had been struck by a bus in a relatively mundane accident. While tragic, the only major patterns that could be examined from this, was that members that were directly or distantly related to the Macknobler line tended to have many accidents like this, going back to the start of the Awakening, and even before the dawn of the Sixth World. Including some 18th century lore claiming that the Macknobler line was cursed, not with any dark magic or devilry, but the much more lamentable fate of ill forturne.

==The Run (Stonehenge)==

The group have an unremarkable drive to Stonehenge, only to be alerted suddenly to threat a few miles from Stonehenge as Mordred appears suddenly and slices their van in half. Saved due to the quick reaction time of Kate and Arti, and the guard power from Loyell. Catharsis keeps herself hidden and under Loyell's protection while the spirit, Kate, and Arti engage in combat with the Wendigo. While skilled combatants all, Mordred is able to keep them on an even footing. Though Catharsis quickly realizes that this is a distraction ploy due to a message on their foe's commlink, and the group manage to overwhelm Mordred with numbers before he is able to escape.

The group make their way quickly to Stonehenge and try to ascertain the exact nature of the ritual, however it's unclear between the sizable background and the variety of magic that could be harnessed here. Deciding instead to rush in given their time constraints, the last thing done is the three runners call to the winds and summon the spirit of Boudica, the warrior queen of Britain of old, and a spirit associated with Arti's mentor.

Believing it best if the decker is left up top, Kate and Arti speed into the tunnels, barely managing to find the space beneath where the ritual is taking place, with Josephine to the east, a female figure in a long black dress to the west, FourEyes to the south, and a black-cloaked figure to the North. The ritual appears to be glowing and nearing completion, though is seemingly interrupted when Kate and Arti open fire on Josephine. Though the shots do minimal damage to the vampire, it's enough to draw her ire and she pulls away from the ritual to trap Artemisia in a reflected mana barrier while Kate is beset by spirits.

Meanwhile up top, Catharsis and Boudica talk about how Catharsis feels useless in this situation, and how the spirit admires the strength of character that the elf has presented. Offering to possess the decker temporarily in order to aid her friends, Boudica and Catharsis become one and rush into the caves after the other team members. Arriving just as Arti discharges a Ruger Super Warhawk close to Josephine to make the vampire flinch away, she is also treated to a spectral axe in the back by the spiritually empowered decker. Kate manages to get free and attempts to deliver a blow on FourEyes, but the ally spirit is nimble and dodges away.

The groups face off, however as they prepare for a deeper battle, Jykell steps forward and reveals that it is Randoran, the elderly elf that Catharsis met before they left, and admits that his name is Randoran Blackmore, Catharsis' ancient ancestor from the Fourth World. Though before there is more chance to explain or fight, the four villains disappear from beneath the site and the ritual disappears.

Feeling the ground begin to shake and quake, the runners make a desperate sprint out of the tunnels and arrive topside. However the earthquake seems to threaten to break the ground around them, even shaking a few of the stones of Stonehenge free and nearly crushing the runners before Mercedes arrives and reveals her true form, offering the runners the chance to ride her to safety. Arleesh ferries the runners to an abandoned piece of land so that she could transform back and explain that they needed to leave before the authorities arrive.

==Aftermath==
Being picked up by Pendragon's people and returning to London proper. Arti, Kate and Cathy are paid, and Delphi's payment is sent electronically. The group is given their tickets to return to Seattle and told that Pendragon looks forward to working with them again.

Arriving back at Seattle, the group goes their separate ways, with Artemisia curious as to what she is going to do with all the nuyen that she has recently acquired, while Catharsis returns to her home with the new spirit friend, having to adjust the living space while also contacting her family in Cara'sir and telling those in the know about Randoran.

Elsewhere, dark forces gather, and many plans working in tandem put Artemisia and Catharsis in their immediate view, ready for action.

==Rewards==

General Rewards:
* 50k Nuyen
* 20 Karma
* 102 CDP
* Up to 120k Nuyen in Electronics, Weapons & Weapon accessories, and London souviners up to Avail 20
* May purchase [["Philip"]] [C2/L2 Researcher] as an optional contact
* [[Styyles Flamingo]] [C3/L1 Style Artiste]

Catharsis:
* 100k Nuyen
* Additional 20 Karma
* May buy Prime Datahaven Membership (Helix) at Chargen Costs
* May buy Trust Data, Not Lore at Chargen Costs
* Trust Fund III
* [[Loyell]] [C1/L4]
* May buy Loyell up to Loyalty 6
* Optional Contact: [[Etain Darejan]] [C4/L3 Bodyguard]
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards

Artemisia:
* 100k Nuyen
* May buy Linguist at chargen costs
* Additional 25 Karma
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* IG Discount
* Photographic Memory
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"

Kate:
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards
* 1 Arleesh Feather

Delphi:
* IG Discount
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"
* 1 Arleesh Feather

==Game Quotes==

{{Gamequote|"So this probably shouldn't go to Stonehenge right? Like it seems like the key shouldn't go to the gate?"

"Yes, I agree, but yet..."

"No! Not but yet!"

-Delphi & Artemisia after psychometrizing a big diamond}}

==Player After Action Reports (AARs)==

Julie d'Aubigny

2024-06-17T04:47:13Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Aspects Description */

{{CategoryTemplate}} 
{{ContactInfobox|

|Image=[[File:Julie_d'Aubigny.png|200px]]


|Profession= Noble Woman & Duelist


|Shortblurb1= French Nobility, seeking her mentor's blade
|Shortblurb2= The pride of French Duelists
|Shortblurb3=


|OwnersRedditName= OrionsRequiem


|OwnersDiscordName= OrionsRequiem


|Connection= 3


|Archetype= Generalist


|Location= Lyons, France or Seattle Metroplex, UCAS
|Metatype= Human
|AwakenedEmergedOrMundane= Awakened (Adept)
|Gender= Female
|PreferredPayment= Nuyen or Blades
|HobbiesOrVice= Romance Novels
|PersonalLife= Single
|Faction=

|Faction2=


|Age={{Age|
|Month= 07
|Day= 09
|Year= 2054
|}}

}}

==Overview==
A French Noblewoman who had learned that the blade of a French hero and the one that her mentor wielded was given over to a vampire by the French Resistance and swore a patriotic oath to retrieve it and demand satisfaction from the honourless cur who has tainted the blade with dishonour.

==Aspects Description==

{{AspectTable|



{{NegativeAspect|
|Aspect=French Patriot
|Description= Julie is a true patriot of her home country. She loves France and all of its culture, and will not tolerate any form of dismissal or disparagement of France or its people. Any act that goes against France or its people will result in her immediately burning a runner.
|HasThematicsApproval=Yes
|}}



{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect= Blade Adept
|Description= Julie is a capable Adept of the Warrior's Way, and a master duelist besides
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Vive La France
|Description= Julie is an expert in all things French. History, art, food and more have been painstakingly studied and mastered
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect= Book Smart
|Description= Due to where she is staying in Seattle, Julie has access to several books and many pieces of historical fiction and non-fiction. That combined with her already strong book knowledge from her studies gives her an expertise in books of all kinds.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Uncompromising
|Description= Julie will do whatever is required of her and will do it to the end. She is stubborn to a fault and any job that she has accepted will be done until it is either finished or she is incapable of completing it.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Swordmaster
|Description= Julie is as skilled a duelist as the ancestor with whom she shares a name, and has the skills to both instruct and critique sword forms of all kinds.
|}}



}}


==Dicepools==
{{ContactDicepools}}


==Network==
===Player Characters with this Contact===
{{ContactPlayerConnections}}


===NPC who know this contact===

==Narrative Significant Runs==
{{ContactRuns}}

[[Category:Contacts]]
[[Category:Public Contacts]]

Etain Darejan

2024-06-17T04:45:13Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Aspects Description */

{{ContactInfobox|

|Image=[[File:Etain_Darejan.png|200px]]


|Profession= Paladin and Bodyguard of Blackmore family


|Shortblurb1= Former Ghost
|Shortblurb2= Current Security Head
|Shortblurb3= ''Will'' Frag you up for looking at her funny


|OwnersRedditName=OrionsRequiem


|OwnersDiscordName=OrionsRequiem


|Connection=4


|Archetype=Custom(A,K,N,G)


|Location=Cara'sir, Tir Tairngire
|Metatype=Elf
|AwakenedEmergedOrMundane=Mundane
|Gender=Female
|PreferredPayment=Nuyen
|HobbiesOrVice= Romance novels
|PersonalLife= Single & Work focused
|Faction= Blackmore Family


|Age={{Age|
|Month= 03
|Day= 17
|Year=2055
|}}

}}

==Overview==
A lifelong patriot to Tir Tairngire, Etain joined the police force as soon as she came of age before joining the military and passing the aptitude tests for the Ghosts, after several confidential and off-the-book missions she was specially requested to head up the security forces of Jeremiah Blackmore and joined his staff after an honorable discharge from the military.

==Aspects Description==

{{AspectTable|



{{NegativeAspect|
|Aspect=Ghost of a chance
|Description=Etain was once a Tir Ghost and still has the reputation, she is known to communities both legitimate and criminal, and she scares them all. When having Etain show up or take an active role in dealing with a target or group, roll 1d6. On a result of 1 or 2 the person or group would rather flee than deal with one of the most feared security services on the planet, believing their lives are at risk
|HasThematicsApproval=Yes
|}}
{{NegativeAspect|
|Aspect=Blackmore Family Loyalty
|Description=For whatever reason Etain is completely loyal to Jeremiah and the Blackmore family as a whole. Trying to act against them or their allies will immediately draw her ire and cause her to treat you as any other hostile force, including informing the family and possibly other forces about your dealings.
|HasThematicsApproval=Yes
|}}



{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Security Expert
|Description=Having set up so much security in her life, Etain is used to getting in and keeping people out, she also keeps up on techniques and methods employed by the most cutting-edge firms
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=The Pain of Nobility
|Description=Etain knows the family, heritage, grudges and rumors about every noble family in Cara'sir, as much as she finds their culture distasteful, knows how to walk amongst them.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Martial Artist
|Description=Etain is skilled in Carromeleg, Aikido, Capoeira, Krav Maga, Lone Star and Knight Errant Tactical and is implementing techniques of Firefight into her repertoire. She keeps up on the various styles and new improvements to forms. As well as participating in some martial arts tournaments when she finds the time.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect= I am the Law
|Description=Throughout her career as an officer and a Ghost Etain has made several friends, and a few rivals, amongst law enforcement personnel in and out of Tir Tairngire. Familiar with laws both domestic and international and where to slip between.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Pointy-eared Romantic
|Description=While she keeps her personal interests to herself, Etain does have quite the collection of romantic trids and novels that she spends free time engaging with. Knowing about authors, plots, and even publishers.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Athletic Exemplar
|Description=Etain is in better shape than most professional athletes and knows the most efficient way of getting there, and is happy to share information about how best to maximize fitness for oneself as well as what equipment, routines, and training could be useful and where to find it.
|}}
{{PositiveAspect|
|Aspect=Information Aquirer
|Description=Sometimes you have to make people who don't want to talk to you talk a lot. Etain knows several enhanced interrogation techniques and how to pull lies from truth even under the effects of torture.
|}}



}}


==Dicepools==
{{ContactDicepools}}


==Network==
===Player Characters with this Contact===
{{ContactPlayerConnections}}


===NPC who know this contact===

==Narrative Significant Runs==
{{ContactRuns}}

[[Category:Contacts]]
[[Category:Public Contacts]]

The Pen is Mightier than the Dragon

2024-05-22T04:14:04Z

OrionsRequiem: Created page with "The Pen is Mightier than the Dragon {{AARInfobox|   |Date=2085-02-13  |GM=OrionsRequiem  |Location= London, UK..."

The Pen is Mightier than the Dragon

{{AARInfobox|



|Date=2085-02-13


|GM=OrionsRequiem


|Location= London, UK


|Ally= Pendragon
|Ally2= Avalon Council
|Ally3= The Great Dragon Arleesh
|Ally4= The Blackmore Family


|RunnerList={{AARCharacterList|Artemisisa|Catharsis|Delphi|Kate}}
|RunnerCasualties=


|Threat=Extreme


|Metaplot= Call of the Shadows
|Metaplot2=
|Metaplot3=
|Metaplot4=
|Metaplot5=


|OppositionFaction=Dr. Jykell
|OppositionUnits={{AARCharacterList|Hyde #9|Mister FourEyes|Randoran Blackmourn}}
|OppositionCasualties=


|OppositionFaction2=Cult of the Horned God
|OppositionUnits2={{AARCharacterList|Josephine|}}
|OppositionCasualties2=


|OppositionFaction3=The Mórrigan
|OppositionUnits3={{AARCharacterList|Mordred|Mórrigan Le Fey}}
|OppositionCasualties3=


|OppositionFaction4=
|OppositionUnits4=
|OppositionCasualties4=


|OppositionFaction5=
|OppositionUnits5=
|OppositionCasualties5=


|Image=
|ImageSize=
|ImageCaption=


|Notes=
|}}

[[Category:Runs]] 

==Summary==
In which [[Artemisia]] and [[Catharsis]] are called upon for the greater good

==Dinner Date==
Artemisia is continuing to study the diaries that she had recently found when she receives a message from an unknown commcode. The message is a simple location data that can be followed. Fearing a trap in her normally paranoid manner, Artemisia contacts Catharsis who provides Matrix overwatch on the vampire and insists on coming to the underpass of the Council Island bridge where they are drawn to. Beneath the bridge stands a long, ornate dinner table, dressed with fine silverware and ceramic, while also having a large duffel bag resting on the table that Artemisia pulls open, revealing three figures.

Doing some searching, Catharsis is able to determine that these people have been reported as missing on the news. One is a Yakuza member, under investigation for the ownership and operation of several bunraku parlors across Seattle. Another is a suspected murderer who has three open homicide investigations about them, and the third is a hedge fund executive who was suspected of embezzling for certain individuals and defrauding others. Also of note upon assensing them, one was mundane, one was an adept, and the final one was a technomancer.

Artemisia wakes up the yak and begins to threaten him, asking what he knew about Josephine and why she was there. However as it becomes clear that he is actually working for Josephine and was a member of her latest club she blows the head off the yakuza member. Waking up the suspected murderer, she finds out that many of the murders were of Josephine's "enemies" and uses her ability to paralyze people with fear to keep the murderer still but ends up also paralyzing Catharsis and forcing her friend to watch as the vampire drains the essence from the man before cutting his throat and then breaks down crying.

Cathy tells a story about her mom to calm Arti, comforting her friend and allowing the vampire to take some solace in the fact that she has friends who will not betray her.

Cathy talks to Technomancer hedgefund exec and learns that Josephine was upset about investments into something owned by the "Avalon group". The group is some form of philanthropic group based out of London, and is run by the familiar name of Ulric ban Avalon. Josephine asked the hedge fund manager to look into the Avalon group and discover everything he could and try and disrupt their own investments. Deciding to let the technomancer go, Artimesia and Catharsis consider their next moves, but through some clever hacking of traffic cams, discover that the vehicle used to transport Josephine headed to the Space Needle before she escaped.

Arti and Cathy go to the Space needle, and look around the stores in the area, eventually finding Four-Eyes and Josephine's signatures. Though as Artimesia goes through the stores it's clear that she is being messed with as the vampire is taunted by Josephine apparently looking for gifts for Artimesia before taking off from Seattle. Eventually deciding that the two of them wouldn't be able to find any additional leads while in this venue, they leave each other's company for the night and agree to meet up for their trip to London in the next week.

Four-Eyes appears in Arti's safehouse and offers to give her information in return for body parts, trades two of Artimesia's fingers for the information that Josephine will be in London for a week.

==Catharsis in Cara'sir==

Attempting to repair the damaged relationship with the elven side of her family after the events of [[In Shadows We Hyde]], Catharsis takes a trip to the Tir nation of Cara'sir in order to work with her grandfather and the Blackmore foundation with some of their charitable activities. Upon her arrival at the airport she is picked up by [[Etain Darejan]], a paladin and former Ghost from the military branch of the special forces that now works for Jeremiah Blackmore in his political ambitions for Princedom.

Arriving at Blackmore Manor the decker is informed that she has cousins that arrived in response to learning that she was meant to come to spend time with her grandfather, Brigit and Olwen Blackmore, two full mages that have long roots in noble elven society. Moving to the gardens for a peaceful walk Catharsis is eventually joined by her grandfather, but not before realizing that Etain is watching her carefully and protectively, as well that there are feelings of attraction from the former Ghost. Catharsis and her grandfather discuss the garden, and Jeremiah explains that it was never his intention that a mage use mind magic on his granddaughter, he simply wanted her to be safe, despite the shadowrunner activities.

Catharsis explains that regardless of intentions, sometimes the job is going to be dangerous but that she shadowruns to help people and that is more important. Jeremiah seems to agree that it's important, and that he's proud of her, even if he is always going to worry about her.

After a lovely afternoon with grandpa, Catharsis retires to her room, though is interrupted by the astral forms of Brigit and Olwen who are questioning what it was the decker wants from the family, why she just appeared and started to hang around her grandfather. However they are suspicious of the answer that she simply wants to get to know her family and grow closer to them. Brigit in particular seems to take offense at the idea that it's completely without ulterior motive, and has to be dissuaded from further action by her brother, eventually leaving the decker alone.

The next day Catharsis is wandering through the garden when she is stuck to a statue of her grandmother by Brigit's glue spell, trying once again to interrogate the shadowrunner about what she wants there and what she's trying to get from the Blackmore family. While eventually Catharsis is able to get free of the spell and deliver a scathing psychological evaluation of the suspicious cousin, it is stopped from escalating to violence by the quick appearance of Olwen who seems to be able to calm his sister. Upon returning to her rooms for the night, Catharsis is greeted by a spirit. A small chimera-like beast spirit combining traits of a rabbit, a serval and a stoat. The creature doesn't appear aggressive, and instead is quite friendly and spirited around Catharsis. While there is some initial concern due to the Astral nature of the creature and her previous experience with spirits Catharsis lets Etain know about the spirit, and an astral bodyguard is summoned who lets Catharsis know that the spirit is a Force 1 beast spirit, and speculates that it is free since there doesn't appear to be a summoner link and it's close enough past dusk that a reguarly summoned spirit would disappear. Accepting the new magical friend, Catharsis settles into bed and prepares for the next day.

Upon waking, Catharsis dons her best clothing as well as a new scarf in the form of the beast spirit and heads with her grandfather to the Blackmore foundation. The board is meeting as Jeremiah is looking to expand outside the Tir states and to aid all of metahumanity more than just elves. This is met with some resistance from the mainly elf nobility of the board. However Catharsis speaks to her experience from within the UCAS, and how Tir Tairngire is viewed by the non-elves that live in Seattle and elsewhere.

Catharsis makes some headway, though the meeting is interrupted and sent to a recess while Jeremiah heads down to the lobby on some sort of interruption. It's at this time that Catharsis realizes that there are others that she recognizes here, specifically [[Hyden Jones]] who is representing the Avalon Foundation, and an Amazonian woman who introduces herself as Mercedes Salazar who is observing as a guest. Mercedes spends a moment to talk with the beast spirit that Catharsis has, and explains that she is a Beast Way Adept who can communicate with animals. She tells Catharsis that the spirit's name is Loyell, and he was apparently sent to Catharsis by someone that he trusted. She also explains that Loyell is not actually a Force 1, but a Force 9 free spirit that seems familiar to the Amazonian. While this confuses Catharsis about the identity of who it might be that sent the spirit, she is interrupted from the thought by the sudden appearance of Olwen being deposited against one of the board room doors, smearing a bloody Elder God symbol as he himself has been exsanguinated.

Rushing to aid him Catharsis started trying to patch up the injured elf while others rushed around, however Hyden moved away to get aid using his ability to move preternaturally quickly. Coming back only a few minutes later with a medkit that Catharsis set up to help Olwen while the rest of the room panicked. Jeremiah eventually returns in a panic and comes with paramedics, bringing Olwen to the hospital, surviving thanks to the quick actions of Catharsis and her allies.

Arriving at the hospital, Catharsis is decompressing when she is once again assailed by Brigit, who is very upset that her brother is injured and lashing out at Catharsis. Though thanks to mediation techniques and confronting the issue being that her brother was hurt and not that Catharsis did something wrong allows the two elves to talk things out to a peaceful conclusion, with Brigit even admitting that she was just scared and lashing out. She also informs Catharsis that Olwen had gone to hang out with some "low-class" friends of his, a wizgang in the rougher parts of Cara'sir. Getting the address of the clubhouse from Brigit Catharsis makes her way to find Etain so that the two of them can go and interrogate the wizgang about what happened to Olwen.

This is interrupted by Mr. Four-Eyes appearing in the hospital and beginning to taunt Catharsis about her cousin's near-death experience. Loyell begins to hiss and growl at the tormenting spirit, though Catharsis holds him back from engaging in a fight, especially after an explorer is sent to defend her and gets slapped away aggressively. Mr. Four-Eyes also continues to offer information about the whereabouts of Hydes and even of Dr. Jeykll himself in return for one of Catharsis' ears. The spirit eventually decides that there has been enough torment and disappears before the cavalry can arrive.

After checking that Catharsis is unharmed Etain brings the woman to the rougher downtown area of Cara'Sir where they find the gang clubhouse where Brigit had indicated that Olwen had gone. The paladin and shadowrunner find that the building has been damaged outside, and several of the elven gangers are

Goes to Blackmore Foundation, impresses at meeting
Olwen exsanguinated and left for dead, Hyden and Mercedes aid
Mr. Four-Eyes shows up to antagonize Cathy
Cathy goes to confront wizgang & learns about Osheen
Cathy meets gram-gram
Cathy breaks into Osheen's commlink
Cathy has fun family time

==Good ol' Londontown==

Catharsis & Arti look up things about stonehenge

Arti meets a Templar (Mariam)

Catharsis walks into the catholic church

Arti meets Mercedes Salazar

Cathy makes friends with Diego Lope

Cathy gets invited to the Helix

Cathy and Arti have emotional conversation about being allowed to love

Cathy and Arti meet Pendragon

Cathy and Arti are tasked to steal the The Cullinan Diamond

Cathy and Arti recruit Delphi and Kate for the heist along with three runners and Mercedes

Delphi notices something weird about Mercedes

The group return to Arti and Cathy's room to discuss plans.

Cathy looks up the history and floorplans of the Tower of London as well as the building they have to get into

Arti turns herself and Kate into birds and examine the astral and physical defences of this location

Delphi does a second pass and gets route of the watcher and guardian spirits

Arti sees through Mercedes disguise to see a great dragon beneath.

Arti and Mercedes go to the Westway and find Alice's safehouse. Arti discusses recent events with Branch, a plant spirit

Branch tells Arti that Josephine had been there looking for something but hadn't found it.

Arti confronts someone who was fed on by Josephine and learns that she was communicating with Mr. Four-Eyes and mentioned the next Hyde being in place.

Arti and Mercedes talk about Arti's anger towards Josephine

The group summons the spirit of Thomas Blood who agrees to run distraction.

==The Run==

Arti flies into a corner tower as a bird while Kate swims through the moat and notices the moat water is salt water, and the moat is filled with Abrams lobsters

The two make their way into the interior and begin sneaking through, avoiding the patrols.

Arti notices Branch is nearby trying to find her, and has been spotted by the guardian spirits

Catharsis sends Loyell to grab branch and distract guardians

Arti and Kate ascend the central tower, opening a window while tricking the vibration sensors. Arti slides into the tower while Kate drops down to try and get into the barracks where the jewels are kept

Arti managed

Arti and Delphi psychometrize the Cullian diamond to some bad results

Cathy goes for a

==Aftermath==

==Rewards==

General Rewards:
* 50k Nuyen
* 20 Karma
* 102 CDP
* Up to 120k Nuyen in Electronics, Weapons & Weapon accessories, and London souviners up to Avail 20
* May purchase [["Philip"]] [C2/L2 Researcher] as an optional contact
* [[Styyles Flamingo]] [C3/L1 Style Artiste]

Catharsis:
* 100k Nuyen
* Additional 20 Karma
* May buy Prime Datahaven Membership (Helix) at Chargen Costs
* May buy Trust Data, Not Lore at Chargen Costs
* Trust Fund III
* [[Loyell]] [C1/L4]
* May buy Loyell up to Loyalty 6
* Optional Contact: [[Etain Darejan]] [C4/L3 Bodyguard]
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards

Artemisia:
* 100k Nuyen
* May buy Linguist at chargen costs
* Additional 25 Karma
* 1 Arleesh Feather
* IG Discount
* Photographic Memory
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"

Kate:
* May Convert 5 RVP into Ascension Rewards
* 1 Arleesh Feather

Delphi:
* IG Discount
* May purchase a rank in "The Scourge"
* 1 Arleesh Feather

==Game Quotes==

{{Gamequote|"So this probably shouldn't go to Stonehenge right? Like it seems like the key shouldn't go to the gate?"

"Yes, I agree, but yet..."

"No! Not but yet!"

-Delphi & Artemisia after psychometrizing a big diamond}}

==Player After Action Reports (AARs)==

Quantum of Solace

2024-05-08T02:21:09Z

OrionsRequiem: /* Player After Action Reports (AARs) */

Quinntessence

2024-04-28T20:54:19Z

OrionsRequiem:

Quinntessence

2024-03-21T19:41:18Z

OrionsRequiem:

Ailbe O'Maly

2024-03-21T05:13:07Z

OrionsRequiem:

2024-02-03T01:32:25Z

File:Willis.png

2024-02-03T00:51:20Z

OrionsRequiem: