Ancient Idioms
| Ancient Idioms | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Temple in the Shadows Part of Light the Shadows | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Factions Involved | ||||||||||
| ShadowHaven | Seattle District Attorney's Office | The Order of the Temple, The Black Lodge | ||||||||
|
Swerve Fed Up Artemisia Bland Delphi | District Attorney Mark Donaghy |
Clergy Representative SK subsidiary Security Guard Blood Mage | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||||
| None | None | Clergy Representative | ||||||||
Summary
Runners are hired to deal with the uncomfortable issue of legal and religious pressures being brought down on the shadow runner and infected communities of Seattle.
Background
The Seattle shadows are in turmoil. With the recent push by District Attorney Mark Donaghy to "light the shadows", being a shadow runner has become tougher than ever. That and the recent influx of the Order of the Temple, who seek to purge Seattle of it's rampant infected "problem", makes the city a rather unwelcome place for many individuals. A trio of these individuals have come together to address this situation, by forcing the two factions to tear at each other's throats.
The Meet
The runners are invited to a meet at the "Bawdy Lass", a low key biker bar located in Sonohomish. Upon arrival, the team is met by a trio of scary individuals, namely DeFrost, the drake Lamashtu, and the former Demon Caller Krimelin. Defrost does the talking, explaining that the recent pressure from the DA and the Order of the Temple has placed his many safehouses in jeopardy, and rather than lose access to them, they would see the two factions biting at each other, rather than him and his associates. His target: a Knight Errant Officer by the name of Lombardi "Paladin" Walkstrong, who has been working to make life extremely uncomfortable for those in the shadows.
Paladin has been the focus of efforts to locate and purge the safehouses belonging to Defrost, and needs to be severely curtailed. If the Knight Errant efforts could be redirected towards the activities of the Order of the Temple, then things might lighten up across the community for those who would prefer to walk in the shadows. Deforest explains that this could be done by planting a provide commlink upon an unsuspecting member of the Order's clergy, then alerting Paladin to the Order's new culpability. The clergy member is currently staying at a Saeder-Krupp subsidiary hotel; all they need do is formulate a plan to get in, plant the evidence, and get out. He offers that if the team needs a distraction, he has a lead on a new group of cybered up loup-garou just outside of town, who might be willing to aid the team, if appropriate arrangements are made.
Defrost is quite helpful, offering schematics to the hotel, burner SIN's, and Pass keys to the S-K VIP grounds. He offers the team 30,000 Nuyen or access to specialized Drones of the highest functionality. It's almost to good to be true...
The Plan
The team head's to Bland's apartment at his invitation, to plan the job. While there, the lights and electronics suddenly go dark, and a shadowy mist begins to pour into the room, coalescing into the Black Lodge member and magic slinging vampire, Harenight. He explains, mostly aimed at Delphi, that he is just there to help, and offer a potential solution to their problems with the job. He provides information to a dinner with Paladin, where all the team has to do in place an alchemical preparation on the Officer's back, and it will "brand" him with the mark of the Black Lodge. Then all they have to do is score a picture of said brand and provide it to the clergy representative. The team agrees to the additional terms, not exactly sure as to the why, but realizing that the chances of setting the Seattle forces against each other would greatly increase.
Delphi not willing to trust Harenight or Defrost at their word, arranges to inspect the commlink for it's proposed "dirt" against Paladin. Discovering that it instead carries various death threats against the DA and his closest family and working relationships, she decides to instead approach the DA, and after an exhaustive process of attempting to lose her constant watchers, appeals to his better nature to ease up on the safehouse crackdowns, for the greater good of him and those associated with him. The DA reluctantly agrees, incensed at the threat, but willing to see past it for a potential gain further down the road. Having secured the Knight Errant participation, Delphi lets out a sigh of relief, despite the fact that she has turned informer.
Meanwhile, the vampiric team of Swerve and Artemisia decide to visit the werewolves and ascertain their potential usefulness in this or possibly future endeavors. Fed Up offers to come along, bearing a trunkful of meaty femurs and blood packs as offerings, but Swerve quickly shuts down his participation, suggesting that all he will do is get himself eaten.
Entering the territory of the cyber-werewolves, they are soon met by a hulking white werewolf named Sanguine Lupe and his pack, all shaking in earnest, rage, or move-by-wire systems. Swerve vets the leader, only to discover that involving him and his pack would probably be quite devastating for anyone they encounter, and the price is steep; 15 doses of Zombie Dust for their services. Saying that they will keep them in mind, the vampires quickly make their exit, wondering at the sheer savagery displayed by the wolves and their leader, glad to escape unscathed.
Delphi DNI's the group, explaining her "plan" to handle the meet with Paladin alone, and suggests the others deal with the hotel situation simultaneously, with Bland in the lead. They reluctantly agree, worrying that Delphi is taking to much responsibility on herself and placing herself into a severely dangerous situation alone, but she quickly explains that she is confident in her ability to control the situation. Bland offers his complete faith in her capabilities, and the others agree to the plan. Bland with the aid of Swerve will infiltrate the hotel, plant the evidence and get out, with Fed Up and Artemisia posted up outside if things should go badly. A plan made, the team moves to make it happen.
The Run
Appropriately disguised and dressed, Bland and Swerve enter the S-K subsidiary hotel from the lower, underground entrance, assuming it to be the staff entrance. They are correct, quickly finding the janitor's office and collecting a cart. Bland head's out to the front desk presumably to gain clearance from security to operate freely in the hotel. Being entirely charming and convincing, he also explains that he has an intern who will be accompanying him; the security guard is a bit exasperated by all the situations coming up on his quiet night, but Bland easily reassures him smoothing over their presence.
With security handled, the duo make their way to the third level, heading directly to the room needed to plant the evidence. Discovering the room is locked by an hand-print scanner the team attempts to knock on the door, hoping someone is inside to open up. A terrifying presence suddenly seems to loom from within, shaking Bland and scaring Swerve to her core, forcing her to run away in fear. Bland DNI's Artemisia, asking her if there is any activity that can be seen from outside. Arti notices that the window the room is wide open, curtains wafting in the wind. The team decides that if she can get in through the window, perhaps she can open the door, to which she readily agrees and casts a spell to shapechange into the form of a fly, heading for the window.
Sleazing through the ward, Artemisia and the Astral form of Swerve are met with an awful sight. their is a severely mangled body, and lots of blood all over the room. Standing in the center is a looming figure, a troll sized individual who radiates evil, blood, and magic. Realizing that things are way out of their league, the team flees to a nearby location. Fortunately Bland realizes that the open window could potentially still lead to successful completion of their task, and has Fed Up deliver the commlink and place it under the bed courtesy of a drone provided by their benefactors. Mission accomplished, the team reunites with Delphi and proposes to meet the Johnson and his team the following day.
Aftermath
Meeting again at the Bawdy Lass, the team explains how things went and what took place. Delphi concocts a story as to how she acquired blackmail material on Paladin, and how through her services the Knight Errant forces will ease tension. Defrost is confused, incensed, and bemused by the presence of the unknown blood mage and the death of the clergy member, but reluctantly decides that the team has met the letter of the contract in not fully the intent. Providing them each with their well deserved rewards, Defrost promises to have potential work for the crew in the future. Taking their leave, the shadow runners head out to their well deserved rest.
Rewards
Overtime RVP multiplier: 18 RVP
3 Karma
60,000 Nuyen worth of Large and Anthro drones and drone accessories up to 18 Availability
-or-
30,000 Nuyen if you're boring nerds.
2 CDP
Optional Contact: Sanguine Lupe, 2/1 Direnetics Ganger (2 RVP)
Game Quotes
Player After Action Reports (AARs)
Bland
"A true facing challenge, with no direct violence! Well, at least not on our part. I felt a little bad about setting the Knight Errant and the Order of the Temple against each other, but I guess this is the life of a criminal. It's to bad about the clergy fella; I'm sure he didn't deserve to die so violently. Delphi was an absolute champion, handling the Officer Paladin all alone; she is clearly someone you can trust to support the team. Swerve, Artemisia and Fed Up were also true professionals, there various capabilities proving to be essential to the job. I really enjoy working with these exemplars of the shadow community, I hope I get the opportunity to run with them again."
Artemisia
"I have seen a great many things over the years but few have made me feel as close to death as entering that room. The aura, being without my weapons ... it is not something I would like to ever feel again. If I encounter this Blood Magician again, it will be on more even footing. As for the Knight Errant and the Vatican, let them burn each other to death in the fires of each other's hatred. A beautiful thing.
Delphi
Fuck. FUCK! Ghostdamnit! Months of radio silence and that yellow-eyed fragger shows up to give me work, and it's targeting the ghostdamn DA! Why, why is it always me being put in the middle of this drek! Targeting KE too... it was all I could do to keep the others away from that mess. This could have gone so much worse, I'm at least glad they didn't bring those cyber-werewolves into town. That mess the rest of the team ran into sounded disturbingly familiar too. Frag I need a drink after this one.