Eye of the Firestorm

Eye of the Firestorm
Date 2084-09-16 GM LHOG Location SSC Forests Status Threat Level: Deadly
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven
Marrisa Insight Blue Jay Cleaner Cleaner	Marv Tomplin Character2

Summary

A rogue mage has lost his mind, and seeks to cleanse the world in nuclear fire as he tumbles into toxic magic head over heels.

Background

Not long after a public service announcement that a forest fire is burning, a few runners get calls from worried fixers, all with the same news: They have a job, it's related to the fires, and their Johnson is an Ancient. Not an auspicious start, and what background information they have indicates pretty clearly that they're going to be going into it.

What's worse? Well, it's a manastorm.

The Meet

At a prearranged spot in Northern Seattle, the rumble of one motorcycle turns into the roar of forty bikes circling the block and escorting in someone who must be at least a bit important in the organization - not that she talks like it. In her informal vernacular, Johnson runs through the details: after feuding with a newbie ork gang called Ork Explosive Ordinance, a mage that killed several of the go-gang's members in one fireball has disappeared into the woods. Job's simple in concept and complex in practice - figure out where in the woods the guy went, then kill him and whatever loser cronies he took with him. Easier said than done.

The Plan

When the team gathered, they decided that their plan was straightforward: gather help, gather information on where to find Marv, then go get him. Insight began poring over matrix records, eventually passing over information on the mage's former organization: a gang called Ork Explosive Ordinance. The team went to meet with the Ork EO's, and quickly they identified a small problem: their only sociable folks were elves, and neither Marrisa nor Blue Jay seemed an excellent choice. Walking into a compound full of gangers famed for use of explosives alone seemed a recipe for disaster.

"They're just a gang," decided Marrisa, before walking in alone. Blue Jay snuck a fly spy onto her shoulder to at least get the rest of the team a view - but it wasn't needed. By sheer dint of her gutsiness, Marrisa charmed the gang not only into giving up the information that their mage, Marv Tomplin, was going off to a bunker in the woods - they even gave over something to help find him with. His writings, and a talisman with his astral signature. They were also kind enough to warn the team that Marv was going Toxic.

The plan was now simple: get to the bunker, and kill Marv.

The Run

Any other team would have burned up on the ride to the bunker. But having gotten thorough advice from a retired firefighter beforehand, Blue Jay's personal (not-quite)-tank was up to the task. Waves of flame roared over its walls, fireballs impacting the outside - all to no avail. The rage of the storm could not overcome the armor (though it probably ruined the paint). Without even pausing, the team pushed through to a clearing in the fire, right at Marv's location.

They successfully got the jump on a host of devoted cultees - militant orks, swayed by either the mage's charisma or other influences. They didn't last long, and the firefight moved into the bunker as the firestorm raged outside.

Within, things heated up further. Crossfire from three remaining orks was quickly cut off, but a pair of fire spirits continued to delay the team - and pulses of energy from whatever Marv was up to washed through the firefight. Pushing through, CC elected to fire through a set of doors - blindly setting off a trap on the other side, the fireball clearing the way for the team in an extremely lucky break. Both in that they could stop the ritual, and in that the trap was disarmed without the team getting torched.

In the end, they broke through - getting line of sight on Marv, on the reactor he was using as a ritual focus, and on the last spirit standing in the way.

The sniper maid lined up the shot - and with a crack of a rifle, the mage's ritual was interrupted, flowing out into the storm above - and rebounding back, a wave of impotent, raw mana that served to do only one thing: strike Blue Jay down, and warp her form forever.

Aftermath

In the aftermath, the team waited out the flames inside the bunker before making their way home.

Rewards

Run Rewards for "Eye of the Firestorm" (Deadly - 20 RVP * 1.5 multiplier for 9 hour run = 30 RVP): Base 2 CDP 6 CDP (3 RVP) 16,000 Nuyen (8 RVP) 4,000 Nuyen Negotiation Bonus. Weapon/Ammunition/Explosive gear rewards up to 12,000 Nuyen (3 RVP) - transfers to 6k nuyen if not taking any gear rewards 16 Karma (16 RVP) Qualities: SURGE III for Blue Jay (Approved by Thematics per approved run plan. Justification: Traveling through high force mana storm, interrupting toxic mage ritual)

Game Quotes

"She does in fact give him a health bar extrapolated from his biomonitor, and a subtitle of 'Ork EO CEO'."

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Marrisa Ah, that was fun. Not a big one, as far as toxics go, but every bit is important. They always think they are safe with their powers, until someone other than some civilian comes along. It was a pleasure to work with Blue Jay again, and Cleaner Cleaner was quite lovely. I didn't get to see the decker, and the spirits they summoned were... unsettling. Almost like drones instead of actual spirits. They were alright still, I suppose. I wonder if the orc EOs would like a picture of Marv? They could say one of their men did it, and use it as an example of what happens for traitors. Maybe I'll ask them later. But for now its off to the laundromat. More paint stains to clean.

Cleaner Cleaner Ahh, so hot... that was miserable. How did that tainted one and all his little gun people get in there? I don't like fire, and that storm had some kind of toxic influence in it... But I got to kill him! Emberrage is going to be so happy when I bring him the corruptor's head! Hee hee hee...