Chaining the Broken Mind

Chaining the Broken Mind
Part of The Burning Star of Redmond
Date 2083-02-26 GM Archtmag Location Glow City Status Threat Level: Extreme
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Saeder-Krupp Amrei Veidt	Rusted Stilettos	Followers of the Light
Dr. Lollipop La Rapide C-Unit_537_-_Hunter The Incredible Behemoth	Trucks with Big Guns and Bigger People RPGs	Toxic Awakened Radioactive Harvester Biodrones Nuclear Spirit
Casualties and losses
Lollipop's car :(	Gang members	Cult combat team

Summary

The runners are tasked with implanting a cortical bomb inside of a rogue mage. Things are a bit toxic.

Background

Randall Westbrook was an SK mage tasked with investigating toxic magic and the effect it has on environments. When he let himself get a little too close to the source, he started to feel himself slipping, and he panicked. Running away from his post, he dived into the depths of Glow City to avoid a reprisal from his superiors. Meanwhile, reports of strange happenings in Glow City, of higher radiation levels and increased combat, began to trickle beyond. Amrei wanting eyes on the situation, and to bring a rogue asset back into the fold, decided to hire a runner team to forcibly ensure Westbrook's compliance.

The Meet

Dr. Lollipop has been increasing called by into service by her parent corporation, and Amrei decided to test her worth as a lieutenant. Calling the gnome to a private meeting, she gave a briefing on the mission, outlined her expectations, and directed her to pick her teammates for the mission. She explained that while Lollipop's relationship to SK would be kept private from her teammates, she would ensure the mission succeeded, and that her capabilities and judgement would be examined. Amrei doesn't keep useless subordinates. Dr. Lollipop met all this with her usual cheer.

During this, Amrei hacked Dr. Lollipop's commlink, finding a very interesting file that she had made, a collection of video clips spliced together for potential blackmail against La Rapide, which clearly showed she was a banshee.

The meeting with the rest of the team was terse and to the point. Amrei provided a custom made cortical bomb, designed to interface with Westbrook's biology. The team was to enter Glow City, investigate any strange happenings, and implant the bomb in the mage's head, passing along Amrei's order.

The First Attempt

The team started by doing the normal process of doing matrix searches and asking around. They didn't find much, though they did confirm the reports of increased violence coming out of the region, with surrounding medical staff seeing more patients from gunshot wounds and other, similar injuries.

Deciding to drive in and see what's happening, the team boarded into two vehicles and started driving into Glow City. Unfortunately, Glow City found them. Running into a caravan of Rusted Stilettos, they were soon surrounded by three very armed trucks, filled to the brim with angry, mutated, orks and trolls.

A troll walked up to Dr. Lollipop's car, demanding for them to open up and explain who they were. Behemoth opened the door and exited the car. Then, sensing threat, decided to punch. The other troll promptly stopped existing.

This ended peaceful negotiations.

A rather brutal firefight ensued, and the several rpgs among the Stilettos rather quickly destroyed Lollipop's van, and nearly did the same to La Rapide's. Damaged, without transportation, but definitely alive, the team decided to retreat, heal some, and try a different tactic.

The Second Attempt

After a bit more preparation, the team decided to send a flyspy into Glow City, to scout things out. Flying it into the noise ridden area was challenging, but doable, and the team soon found one of the combat zones described. The Stilletos were in pitched combat with an unknown group, but curiously, the other faction came from the interior of the district. The drone flew further into the district, and saw that the Stilletos seemed to be absent there. That other group was in control. Before the team could find out details though, the drone was shot down.

Deciding to head towards the fallen drone, the team started to sneak into the city, hoping to bypass the conflicts between the two factions. Thankfully, they succeeded, though it was close, and they made their way into the radioactive heart.

The people inside were suspicious of the armored outsiders, rebuffing their questions and circling against the perceived threat. Still, they asked around, looking for signs of the target. As this happened, two members of the team, La Rapide and Behemoth, might have felt a few minor influences from the local mana. Any incidental feelings or ideas are probably just a coincidence.

La Rapide saw infected living in the open in this area, seemingly free of hatred from their peers, and certainly not hiding from any hunters in the city. It was a bit odd. Striking up a conversation one, they happily told her about the safe haven here, describing a group that accepted and supported infected. As she was offered a place to stay, Raps declined, but the thought certainly lingered.

Eventually, the team managed to get directions to the target, finding the room that he had hold up in. Entering the building in question, rising to his apartment on a higher floor, they gave the target a rude surprise. In a quick move, they subdued the maybe toxic mage, and started a very sanitary installation of the cortical bomb.

As time passed, some of the local authorities seemed to approach the building. The team apparently wasn't subtle enough to avoid notice. They were offered to surrender themselves, but, deciding to not throw themselves as the toxic cult's mercy, the team decided to take a violent exit. With the operation seemingly complete, they fought there way past nuclear spirit, harvester biodrones, and assorted other enemies. It was rather painful, but they did make it out in the end.

Aftermath

With the mission accomplished, Amrei found herself satisfied with Dr. Lollipops performance. Giving her no option, Amrei delivered Dr. Lollipop orders to interface with other SK operatives in the region and to prepare for future operations.

Rewards

26 RVP

For Dr. Lollipop:

Ascension Run, can convert RVP to ascension rewards

Amrei Veidt as a 6/3 (8 RVP)

26000 Nuyen (13 RVP), (can be used at gear reward rates for repairing broken equipment)

5 Karma (5 RVP)

Optional Quality: Quick Healer (3 RVP, taken from other rewards)

Optional Quality: Jury Rigger (10 RVP, taken from other rewards)

Amrei must be taken.

For Everyone Else:

26000 Nuyen (13 RVP)

5 Karma (5 RVP)

18 CDP (8 RVP)

Optional Quality for Behemoth: Rad Tolerant (3 RVP)

Optional Quality for Raps: Radiation Sponge (5 RVP)

Optional Quality for Hunter: Shoot First, Don't Ask Questions (2 RVP)

Optional Contact: [[Amrei Veidt] as a 6/2 (7 RVP)

A dose of totally normal not-toxic feelings

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Dr. Lollipop

I don't know what to make of Amrei. Somehow she is mean. I don't like mean people. On the other hand, I am an active field agent now, which is great. It was interesting to work in my old profession again, performing complicated operations under difficult conditions. I didn't realize we had such a radioactive zone here in Seattle. I really have to go back there. However, the residents take some getting used to. Most of them seemed to be ok, but the deeper we got in there, the more unpleasant it became.

la Rapide

Gone be honest, I don't know how to feel about this. I think I liked it there. Well, it was still miserable, but it also felt like a place I could belong, which leaves me incredibly worried. And I think I gained some sort of soft spot for the ones that are living there. It felt wrong to attack them, which is odd. I should take a vacation and see how I feel after that.