Down to Clown With Number 6
| Down to Clown With Number 6 | |||||||
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| Factions Involved | |||||||
| ShadowHaven | Major Corp | ||||||
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Solitaire Alkali Runner3 Runner4 |
Character1 Character2 | ||||||
Summary
Shadowhaven Sysops and Foundational Free Sprites are concerned that the "legendary" Number Six has slipped his cover too far and gone off the deep end, fronting as an Ancient affiliate on the docks of Cara'Sir. Alkali and Solitaire take the call to bring him home in one piece, dodging Gangers, Tir Feds, and a Prince to bring Number Six home and stage an intervention.
Background
Number Six has been in the 'Haven a long time, and knows far more secrets than you might think for a mid range human infiltrator. He has always been reliable and good at the job, despite his many foibles. He has picked up a lot of secrets along the way. He has also gotten strung out and come back from a half dozen addictions in the last few years, and it has taken a toll on his already nebulous personality.
After getting addicted to Betameth a few months back, Six stayed in character and fell in with the Ancients. Using force of personality and good costuming alone to continue appearing as an elf, eventually catching a ride to Cara'sir and becoming a low ranking full member of the gang. Getting an Elf Bruiser Personafix along the way. When the Haven Sysop got word of Six's location, he put out a call to Under the Knife and a few select runners to head across the border and bring Six home.
The Meet
The meet is relatively straightforward. Tanj and Hipster Machine are waiting at Number Six's entry in the host archive of runners. Far From Home arrives in generic Fairlight commlink and Alkali starts as a large feather duster fluffy with no handle and google eyes, and rapidly changed into an angel with duster wings and eyes in them as he watches Hipster Machine's icon pulse.
Tanj explains the situation and that he is a friend of Six's and has concerns both personally and on security, and offers a premium to head across the border. The team negotiates for a small bonus and some expenses money, copies Six's file, both slightly alarmed at how well haven records and the Q system on the host tracks members and head out to meet up in person. [than Life] picking up Alkali in a rental taken out in his own name.
The Plan
Dead Man's Hand called Fairchild and got a number of some relatively friendly cascade orks who would smuggle the team over the SSC and Tir borders and into Cara'sir. Past that it was largely legwork it and handle it on the fly. Remember the Future using some divinations to find the biggest potential threats, and path of least resistance for travel.
The Run
The duo met up with "Grover" a blue haired cascade ork at a sleazy bar by the Verge in Touristville, and negotiate passage for $2000 per person with their car and gear included. (Loyalty 1 Networked Contact with connection 3 favor prices.) costing them most of their upfront travel bonus, but providing a safer option than the Laesa Syndicate or their associates in the Ancients, who the team may need to run afoul of down the line.
They follow an old smuggler route to a cascade ork encampment where they camp for the night, alkali trying to nap on the way and banging his head as the car's autopilot nearly crashed the car on the old mountain roads. Then nearly freezing to death in the tent and simple thermal blanket setup they shared on the way to the Tir. Solitaire taking the time to explain who he was and how they would be traveling Cara'sir and working out the plan for Alkali to accompany as a manservant and them to simply tread on family name to investigate. The next morning the Orks take them in Convoy on the way, after Solitaire does a reading regarding Alkali and making an easy day. They take the advice in kind but they get waylaid by two savage pixies who have slipped out of the Tir Pixie enclave 20 or so Kilometers down the way and come out looking for trouble with illusions. The team quickly see what is happening, solitaire launching into action and achieving his adept ordeal jumping several meters up and surviving the fall back down to stab a pixie, nearly killing it in one shot. The other catches it on the way down, panicking a composure roll thanks to Alkali's spirit, and flees the scene clutching its dying partner in crime.
They went down to the old neighborhood and started carousing, finding out quickly that the whole of the south Docks was under strict good behavior surrounding rumors that Prince Rex, the Sasquatch, had been spotted in the area and there were rumors that he would be turning up for an official tour and visit in the next few days. Even the rougher, typically gang controlled areas were seeming to be relatively locked down by the notion of a handful of Paladins kicking in the door should they overstep.
Once arriving in the neighborhood Sight beyond Sight divines again and gets a shocking level of success, seeing a flash of the rear profile of Six in the current costume, as well as the impression of a larger set of eyes watching them (in the form of Rex and his paladins.) He informs Alkali and describes Six well enough for Alkali to sneak off and summon a spirit, sending it off to use the search power. When it tested the ward of a near-ish Ancients chapter house, it drew the attention of the chapter's mage, who tried to banish it and promptly ate 12 stun in drain, knocking him out for the rest of the run. Alkali does not think to tell this to Solitaire which will actually be helpful in time.
Continuing to walk, and cleanse the relatively gross industrial and crime background count of 2, the team to spot a Paladin who they cannot quite identify and that drops to try and remain their own opsec, getting the attention of Rex himself who takes an interest from a nearby rooftop and astrally stalks the duo and Alkali's spirit from a hidden vantage point. Upon arriving at the Chapter, the team is mortified to figure out in a respectful conversation with Charlemagne, the security lead for the chapter, that Six is almost certainly the boss of this outfit, and things just got even weirder.
The team gets an audience with "Big Six-Sperethiel Translation" and introduces themselves. Solitaire offering to completely disarm and offer him some important news on a private matter. Giving them 5 minutes, they do offer some private or semi private insights and then show him his own file. Nearly shattering the man in the process but moving slowly and calmly, they work him through multiple small breakdowns getting his memories and personas straights. With a lot of delicate cajoling and leveraging a little influence, Six deslots his bruiser persona and comes to his senses long enough to activate his secondary chip, bringing Salty Tom to the surface.
A discombobulated Tom and the gang make their way out of the chapter house, Tom getting it together enough to use his own infiltration skills to get them passage out. When leaving the team does notice a Tir Paladin parked a bit down the way on observation detail and chooses not to engage with him, or the prince the were unaware was sitting in the back seat of his typical-spook car, further impressing a benevolent and often discreet soul with their soft touch and tendency to stick to the task at hand and mind their p's, q's, and own business.
Aftermath
Six is taken back and handed off for a debrief and detox, Rex is impressed with what he saw Alkali doing on the streets and appreciates what he saw going on on his way to scout an oceanic oddity, a chapter of Ancients muscle is bewildered that it's leadership is missing seemingly as fast as he appeared 7 months ago, and the gang is a little more recognizable on the streets and in the shadows even as Solitaire increases in the adept arts.
Rewards
High Difficulty: 14 RVP 14K Nuyen or 24K Gear Rewards in Rare Vehicles up to Avail 19(7 GMP) 6 Karma(6 GMP) +1 Street Cred (1 GMP) +1 Public Recognition 2 CDP (Standard) Whatever is left of the 2K each expenses bonus 2K Bonus for Extra Mission Objectives +1 Reputation, Tir Council of Princes +1 Reputation, Shadowhaven Solitaire Qualifies for IG 2 Ordeal having jumped high enough to take damage from the fall on the way down from stabbing a pixie in the face
Game Quotes
Player After Action Reports (AARs)
Solitaire - Ah the old homestead. Thanks, I hate it. I worry, about that little maid mage. Such heart, such spirit, such a desire to live despite the fraily of his form and the finality of his life. It would be funny, really, if it was not the microcosm of the minutiae, the concave of the cosmos. In him the mirror darkly. In him the darker road. How... funny.
Oh, and we brought home an infiltrator who had lost his mind. Such a strange thing to lose... heh...heh.... hahahahahaha.