[Lorebane24]

AM

The Bike:  Unfortunately, you cant turn up anything useful.  There are plenty of reports of stolen bikes, found bikes, but Seattle is a big city, and there are a surprising number of blue and gold racing bikes around, and while people are  happy to report when yhe go missing, not many people are boasting about stealing or chopping them.

Nova Rich  This "gang" is made uo exclusively of rich kids rebelling or playing at gangster.  Their colors are denim and gold and they sport a look yhat's kind of a throwback to late 20th century hair metal.  They hace a reputation for having expensive toys but no skills, so when they leave Bellevue other gangs tend yo look at them as vending machines, taking their shit or capturing them in brawls to ransom them back to their wealthy parents.  They are very bad ay covering their tracks.  Many of them openly yse their real names and brag about their exploits and where they are going to be on social media.  You can pretty much take your pick if you want to talk to one.  The guy chewing put Yin is talking up a street race he'll be taking part in tonight in Bellevue.

The Halloweeners  These guys are a lot more professional.  You find very few with anything resembling a p2.0 page, and those that do are quickly admonished by anonymous posters if they mention anything hinting at their actually activities.  Those that have continued to do so havemt posted in a while.

What you find is rumors and discussions from victims of their joy rides, other gangs, and others cl9se to the streets.  They have historically been a downtown gang, but they also have had a bar in Redmond called The Jackals's Lantern that generally serves as their face.  They keep one foot off the grid, and people say if you want to tall to the gang or hire them for something, the Lantern is the place to start.  The place's matrix security got an upgrade recently, and some tske this as a sign that the 'Weeners have either gotten cozy with a corporate ally or added a competwnt decker to their roster.

About three years ago, as TJ said, they got a new leader calling himself Nightmare.  He works from the shadows, and descriptions of him are mixed, but he's always described as "big" and there are more and more rumors that he's a mage of some kind who definitely knows his shit.  Under his direction, the gang has become meaner, more disciplined, and making bigger moves than they used to.  Last year they were stomping around the Barrens, pushing the Crimson Crush out of a lot of their territory, but they stopped short of wiping them out and have instead been sitting on their hands and shoring up their presence in the newly acquired territory, making sure sure the locals are getting their drugs from Halloweener dealers and protection rackets are filling Halloweener coffers.  Their are a few rumors that that Nightmare has been decoting gang resources to finding cards from the Sixth Eorld Tarot, or even that he may habe a card himself.

[Tecumseh]

Mato shares the results of his search with the rest of the team.

He pulls open images from the classic Rider Waite tarot to see if there is a classic equivalent to the modern card, and thus any hints about what the new one might signify. A time of tribulation? A period of self-reflection or self-sacrifice? A crying angel seemed ominous, as did a dog symbolizing death, but death for whom?

"We starting with this Nova Rich street race?" Mato asks when he finishes. "Maybe we can double-dip if we get their boy back for them."

[Jack_Spade]

Mato clicks his tongue at the description of the card that Jawsey brings back. He doesn't know much about magic, but he can usually sniff out when things don't smell right.

"That doesn't sound like something an accounting director for Fidelity Mutual Insurance would have.

"He said the ransom was to be paid in certified credsticks, but one wonders if the real demand is for the card, or if the value of the card is high enough to pay what the Halloweeners actually asked for."

He glances to Bobby. "I'm not opposed to a two-pronged approach, if we want to go converse with some Halloweeners in person. We can put that sharp tongue of yours to use, maybe get the spirit a head start on where to look."

Bobby grinned - a bit wolvish: "Great. While our two astral and matrix specialists do their things, I thought I'd go out on a little real world info gathering. Amy just gave me an idea where we might find such a talking punching bag. Bring the car and park somewhere close to the bar. Put a beer can in the middle of the roof so I can see it from above. And now,open the door if you would be so kind?"
He said that while getting rid of the hastily donned shirt and the crumpled jeans.
For a moment a gaudy piece of ornamentation became visible on his bellybutton: A piercing made from bone with tiny inscriptions.
But before Mato can look closer, Bobby squatted naked and his human form began to flow and melt, leaving a large osprey in his place.
Once the door opened, he took flight, heading directly for the Halloweener bar, taking care to fly high enough not to be immediately visible to anyone out there hunting for a bit of street meat. Flying a few lazy circles over the bar, he tried to get a sense on who was coming and going from there, trying to intuit who would be a good target for a quick smash and grab.


OOC:

Shapechange F6: 15d6t5 9
Resist Drain: 11d6t5 2
No drain
Using Heigtened Concern to ignore the sustaining penalty.

Eagle Stats

B3 A8 R6(9) S2, natural magnification

Perception: Perception: 13d6t5 4

[Lorebane24]

Mato:  Finding a set of old Rider Waite images is fairly easy.  In fact, you find a Matrix forum called Dealer Net that seeks to compare found (and speculated) card images to classic tarot cards (sometimes from those outside the Rider Waite deck, but those matches usually seem a little iffier to you), and even includes a map of claimed sightings.  The map itself is relatively simple, with nothing more than little markers to note where a card has been reported, and very occasionally which card is it believed to be, but it looks to be being frequently updated by multiple users using different sources of varying credibility, and the whole thing is a mess.

The image that Jawsey described doesn't appear on any of those of cards reported as found, and it doesn't look insantly similar to any of the classic cards that you spot, but after some looking them over for a while and browsing the forum you notice a few consistencies.  The new cards are divided into the same suits as the old ones, along with a number of unsuited "major arcana" cards, and for a card of any suit (which are each represented by an object - blades, coins, batons, and cups), the image on the card always features a literal or symbolic representation of the suited object matching the card's number in the suit.  Sometimes a dog appears on a classic card but not on its modern equivilant, or vice versa, but if the two of coins will always have two coins in the picture, the four of blades will always have four blade-like object, ect...  Considering this, you think that the King of Swords might be the closest match, both images depicting a single, older male holding a single sword (though it is a classic broadsword in the classic picture) and seated stoically (on a throne or on some stairs).

[gilga]

AM notifies the team of her finding and says: "I'd guess that that Nightmare dude wants the card. It seems a strange coincidence that our Jhonson owns such card and that the leader of the Haloweeners is rumored to be interested in them." She sighed and said "There is this street race which we intercept Yin in. Perhaps we go there..."

[Tecumseh]

Mato watches somewhat incredulously as Bobby strips naked then turns into a goddamn bird in the middle of the room. He's seem some weird drek but this takes the cake. He stands there with a befuddled look until Bobby squawks and reminds him to open the door. Mato does so, then puts his hands on his hips while he watches Bobby fly south.

"Well I'll be a peace-loving pinkskin..." Mato mutters to himself as some sort of curse.

He shakes his head and then starts to gather his things for the drive to The Jackal's Latern. He pulls on his armor jacket, which is both prudent for both the chilly, almost-autumn weather and the chilly, almost-feral locals.

He has the presence of mind to scoop up Bobby's clothes too, just in case the madman doesn't want to be a fragging bird all night. He also fetches a beer can out of the fridge to mark the car; he finds a can of Orkstaff’s XXX and wonders who would have bought it. Someone who wanted to get totally drekfaced, most likely.

Mato checks with AM and Jawsey to see who wants to join the party, then heads down to the Americar for a short drive south.

[Lorebane24]

Bobby: A nearby kid gives a surprised yelp as your wings lift you into the air.  Catching a warm current, you rise above the rooftops of the Barrens and the streets shrink before you.  The bar is only about six kilometers from Touristville, but as you make your way there, you find yourself very glad you get to do it by air.  Touristville is wild, but what you're seeing now is a true slum.  Gun barrels peek out from board up windows.  Packs of wild dogs roam the streets and nests of devil rats seem to lurk in every alleyway.  The people below you walk briskly and never alone, constantly looking over their shoulders and ducking behind debris for cover any time a car backfire or a motorcycle rockets by.

The Jackal's Lantern sits near the edge of the slum - further south is nothing but a feral urban jungle, and in the distance the eerie light of Glow City.  The bar is a squat, dated, two story building nestled between a Stuffer Shack and an abandoned tenement building that shows signs of use by squatters.  The exterior is covered in graffiti drawn over graffiti, but left untouched is an actual painted doorsign depicting a jackal howling at jack-o-lantern.  Strings of old Christmas lights are strung up along the edge of the roof and blink on and off in a schizophrenic strobe, and a fires burn from two metal drums on either side of the entrance, where crowds of leather-clad men with painted faces stand smoking e-cigs and betameth.  They glower at anyone walking by, and on one occassion a ganger casually pulls out a gun and shoots out the headlight of a passing compact, eliciting raucous laughter from his comrades when the car speeds off in a panic.

Out back, there's a fenced in lot where there are around a dozen bikes parked, with half as many gangers milling about.  In the corner of the lot, you spot a blue and gold Suzuki Mirage mirage tipped onto its side, with two Halloweeners disassembling it and tossing the parts into boxes.

[Lorebane24]

Mato and anyone tagging along:  You coast out of Touristville and beyond the supported range of Grid Guide, switching the Americar to manual controls.  Almost immediately it feels like the numbers of AROs demanding your attention is cut in half, and many of those flicker in and out a you drive by the shattered and shoddily repaired building they decorate.  You find yourself running most of the stoplights that are still working - a still car out here is always a potential mark for someone, and it's not like Knight Errant is watching anyways.  No one obeys the laws of the roads here, and you routinely see people get into a car only to witness them disembark a block away in the rearview mirror.  Cars are mobile armor here, not just transportation.

You park the car about a block away from the Jackal's Lantern, and on the opposite side of the street.  The bar is easy to spot - a van-sized ARO of a laughing lack-o-lantern spins in place over the door.  You see a trio of Halloweeners outside smoking, and through the Stuffer Shack's windows, you see a few more milling about inside.  The bar's windows are heavily shaded and have a bars over them, making seeing through them problematic, and a single camera swivels about right over the door.

You notice a tired - looking Halloweener coming out from the tenement building next to the bar, wiping blood off of his hands.  You know what to look for, and as you crack the window, your heightened olfactory system picks up on the vaguely iron tang.  It's not human blood, though.  In fact, wrinkling your nose, you realize it doesn't smell quite like any other blood you've ever encountered.  Not a dog, not a cat, not a rat.  For some reason, it reminds you of horse, but that's not quite what it is.


OOC: Without any kind of audio enhancement ware/powers, the noise of the Barrens is too omnipresent to make use of audio perception to get anything relevant unless you want to get closer, which needs a driving+intuition check to avoid alerting someone to your snooping.

[gilga]

AM's reply to Bobbies asking if she and Jawsey would join is "I want to drive!" She is very passionate about driving. She'll return for a short moment 'change into something more armored' and returns when sporting her gun, as well as the urban tomahawk, and two throwing knives.

[Jack_Spade]

Taking close note of the two gangers working on the Mirage, Bobby decides to head back to his colleagues. Spotting the car is easy when you know where the best observing spots are.

Landing behind the car, Bobby drops the spell and knocks on the side window:
"If you've got some pants for me I've got some info: Two gangers are in the process of disassembling a Mirage. I'd say those are prime suspects for being involved in the abduction. Now, I can sneak up on them and grab one, but I'd need a good distraction and maybe a bit of backup as well. What do you say."

[Tecumseh]

MMao smiles. "I say, 'Why not both?'" He gets out of the car and asks Bobby for the lay of the land.

[Beta]

Jawsey sighed.  The back seat of their car was surprisingly comfortable, and he'd almost hoped that this evening wouldn't require getting out of the car.  Then he realized that maybe it didn't have to.  After all, why count on an armored vest, his limited skills with Glock and sword, and his somewhat greater skill at talking to keep him safe around a vicious gang, when he could stay physically invulnerable, and able to flee at nearly the speed of thought?

"I could check things out astrally.  Perhaps avoiding the inside of the bar for now to reduce the probability of alerting anyone.  Then I could manifest to create a distraction when you need it."

[gilga]

AM said, "If you do not wish to run them over with the car... a transparent man cursing them is distraction enough."

[Jack_Spade]

"That sounds about right." Bobby explained the situation in detail, before continuing:

"Maybe shoot some shit in front of the bar too. Payback is a bitch and all that.
Now, for this to work, I'll take on the form of a big cat - and I need someone to help me into my armor. I've got trodes fitted to my goggles, so I can stay in contact. I'll subdue one of them and drag him over the fence. That might take a moment or so. If someone could gel shot him before that, this would make my job a lot easier and quicker. Not to mention - the guy has a much better chance to still be alive if I can drag him out without a fight."

While the discussion went on, Bobby took a few pinches of a powder from the pocket of his armor and once again began to change his shape.


OOC:

BC 1
Using 2 Reagents to add to the limit
Shapechange F6 (Limit : 14d6t5 4
Resist Drain: 11d6t5 6

B6 A6 R6(9) S6
-1 AGI currently from armor encumberance, -1 from BC

As soon as I'm in position:
BOD Boost: 8d6t5 5
AGI Boost: 8d6t5 5
+4 to Body, + 4 to AGI

Sneaking:
Sneaking: 15d6t5 5

[Tecumseh]

Mato just got here and barely has a grasp of the situation before Bobby is naked (again) and hatching some plan about dragging off a Halloweener like a lion bagging a gazelle. Then Bobby goes and transforms into a lion or a mountain lion or Wakan-Tanka-knows-what because Mato isn't a zoologist and didn't do that well in school. Mato rubs his temples at the improbability of it all while Bobby sits there and waits for someone to dress him.

"There are lots of ways to cause a distraction," Mato says, massaging the bridge of his nose. "I have a flash-bang, and a gas grenade full of pepper punch. If I get up on one of these roofs, I can plink the 'weenies with gel or stick-n-shock. I got an Ingram in the smuggling compartment in the trunk which has a suppressor on it.

"Or we can take another approach. Maybe AM can hack a bike and drive it off. While they're chasing after it, we tag a couple of the stragglers. I can drop a target T-and-F'ing with the best of them." Maybe not everyone understands the expression. "Twitching and foaming. Tweaking and freaking. Stick-n-shock, chummers."

He looks to AM and Jawsey. "Or maybe one of the finger-wigglers has a trick up their sleeve. Maybe have a 'weenie break off of the pack. He walks away, thinking that it's his own idea, and comes right to us. AM's a credible honeypot."

Mato has no idea if this is a compliment or an insult or both. He shrugs; biz is biz. "Loud is fun, but loud kicks the hornet's nest. And all the hornets are angry, drug-addled pyromaniacs."