Once Dead King's Country

Once Dead King's Country
Part of Hail to the Pumpking
Date 2083-07-05 GM Asmodeus Location Sophocles, Redmond Status Threat Level: Deadly
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Three Gangs
Canter Katherine Tyler Boombox 8133D3R	Spikes Ancients Emerald Dogs
Casualties and losses
	Ancients' pride.

Summary

Sophocles is looking like juicy territory to claim for gangs. The residents do not like this.

The Meet

The meet happened with a greyware FBR living in Sophocles, a mundane man with a pink mohawk and killer shades called "Bone Daddy" by the locals due to his skeletal-looking augmentations. He explains that gangs are eyeing out Sophocles for new turf. As he directs the team to another Redmond gang that's been reconnoitering the various factions, the West Coast Monolith, their leader explains that the three players are Ancients, Spikes and Emerald Dogs.

The Plan

The plan is to get information about all three factions and try to push them out without creating a full blown conflict since that'd lead to civilian casualties.

The Run

First target is the Ancients. Squatting in a marketplace and having appropriated surrounding apartment blocks, heavily armed elves are cooking up drug coffee and cleaning rifles when Boombox approaches with Katherine Tyler running overwatch discreetly on a rooftop. Their leader, Black Lucifer, advises they piss off before starting anything since Boombox is quickly covered in laser sight dots. Their attempts to negotiate fall flat due to Black Lucifer's confidence in his ability to do pretty much whatever he wants.

Second target is the Spikes. They meet Krauter who leads the contingent of Spikes staying in Sophocles. She challenges a worthless, decrepit and feeble human to a race after Canter challenges Krauter by leaning on the troll's pride as a top rate driver. They crash through an office building and get into a violent race involving bullets and brutal and reckless ramming into one another at breakneck speeds. Canter wins only due to knocking Krauter unconscious while her own car is on its last legs. Krauter is escorted back to their scrapyard and treated, which allows her to wake up and commend Canter on her ability. They have a repair drone in the scrapyard which helps in repairing both vehicles and Krauter elaborates on their plans. Truthfully, they're just there to piss off the Ancients. The team can understand the sentiment and asks if the Spikes would leave if the Ancients leave. Krauter agrees with that assumption, since there'd be no real point to rule over Sophocles otherwise.

The third target is the Emerald Dogs. The team does some preliminary recon but the ED's spider is hyper-offensive and after a dangerous exchange of Spikes knocks 8133D3R unconscious. Kate and Canter stop by to eat some udon and yakisoba in a nearby noodle restaurant maintained by the Emerald Dogs and a drone. Kate spots some thugs enter, talk via DNI and then leave. Kate exits soon after to tail them, but gets led into a trap where she's taken captive and shoved into a storage locker for interrogation. The team loses contact with her DNI link and Boombox sneaks in to provide backup if necessary. Kate manages to utilize the threat of her virally contaminated blood to discourage the EDs from shooting her then and there; the Emerald Dog grunts ask her to bring the parties involved to a meeting the following day.

The man in question that they end up meeting is on a trid projector and asks what the team's goals are. When they answer truthfully that they really just want Sophocles to remain independent and that the Ancients and Spikes won't leave them alone if they keep their stake on the area, the Watada-rengo contact of the Emerald Dogs agrees to let go of the area for better profits. They'll remain around, but won't establish a chokehold.

Finally, Canter returns to the Ancients to challenge Black Lucifer to a race. BL's pride is too massive to let such a challenge to unanswered, and while his dual minigun-equipped bike is empowered by a rigger and a dogbrain, Krauter shows up to support Canter - anything to screw over elves, after all, that's how Spikes are. The race is harsh, but with Kate, 8133D3R and Canter's powers combined (and Boombox's insights on potential backup plans) Black Lucifer's utterly wrecked on the last third of the race, infuriating the elven lieutenant. He considers backstabbing the team anyway, but Krauter's there to discourage him from the idea.

Aftermath

BD is happy that the gangs piss off and leave Sophocles alone. Krauter agrees to get in touch, since any runners that embarrass Ancients are okay in her book.

Rewards

(Deadly, 20 RVP x 1.5 Run Multiplier = 25 RVP)

• 1 Street Cred (1 RVP)
• 10,000 Nuyen (5 RVP)
• 15 Karma (15 RVP)
• 10 CDP (4 RVP)
• Ascension Run for Kate

1. Optional Contact: Krauter, 4/1 Spikes Lieutenant (8 CDP or 4 Karma)
2. Optional Gear: Hecate's Blessing @ Gear Rates (500 Nuyen per 2 doses)
3. Optional Gear: +DV Silver Bullets @ Gear Rates (275 Nuyen per 20 rounds)
4. Optional Gear: Dodge Rhino (Up to 88,000 Nuyen Discount, rest must be paid out of pocket or GMP, replaces Nuyen, Karma and 4 CDP)
5. Optional Quality: Resonant Discordance for 8133D3R (-13 Karma)

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Katherine Tyler

Anything for Jack. I didn't know him before, when he ran the Halloweeners, but since I have only seen him do good. Babylon did assure me he was quite a different being as a Shadow Spirit. It felt nice to help out good people, piss off the Ancients, and make new friends. Did get a little worried with the Yaks, but it all worked out.