Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: ismilealot on <04-10-17/2135:23>

Title: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-10-17/2135:23>
The game had had some of the most interesting puzzles Snap had seen. She was checking it out for Chesh. Chesh's daughter Daisy had heard about the game, and since it was still in Beta, Chesh didn't trust the online reviews. "Games these days aren't like when I was a kid, way to adult. Still, I had so much fun . . . . . I don't want to deny Daisy that. 'Lil, could you check this out and see if you think it's a good game for her?" Of course 'Lil had said yes, a new game and someone else footing the bill, she'd have said yes even if she hadn't owed Chesh for putting a roof over her. And this game was good. 'Lil had been busy with so many traps and puzzles and combats when she hadn't figured them out, and she'd gotten to choose the direction of her play at every step in the game. BLACKOUT.  Uggghhh, not again! Fun and buggy still. More like alpha than beta. Sheesh! This was the third or fourth blackout since she'd started. They hadn't lasted more than a millisecond, but it was annoying. Oh wait! What was that! A white rabbit?!?!? If it was she would have to tell Chesh. It would be just to funny.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-10-17/2229:05>
Penguin had gotten the game by creating a few thousand fake com numbers and submitting a request to the closed beta with each one; she just HAD to get it. As soon as request number three thousand, two hundred, and twenty-three was approved, she rushed to the main chat lobby to look for someone to interview. She posts Anyone have any interest in an interview asking about their experience with the game so far? :D would love to talk. Penguin :D Meanwhile she would dive into the game and try to hunt down the core story of the game, cataloging any lore she saw.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-10-17/2305:29>
Penguin had been mostly ignored. A couple of trolls had poked fun of her for being a fangirl newb, another guy had promised to talk to her tomorrow as he had homework tonight, and then SmackDabGab had come in talking about the alpha and how she'd really hated seeing the dev's throw out some of the games best features for the sake of newbs and in seconds any chance Penguin had had of getting interviews was gone. SmackDabGab was an expert at monopolizing a chat room without ever giving out any actual information and if Penguin was going to get out a great blog before any others she needed facts.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-10-17/2307:28>
'Lil wondered who thought this was what it was like to be a Technomancer.  The code puzzles were extremely amusing, but it was obvious they were meant for those who had no idea how to code, naturally or through a deck.  Probably for the best, it's what makes it a game, rather than just... my reality...  She continued on through the buildings.  The designers had taken great pains to craft the world in the image of modern cities-- or so they said.  She hadn't spent much time out of the Barrens, so for all she knew, this rendering of Seattle was far off the mark.

Probably not.

As she followed the rabbit through one of the side streets, she saw a glitch.  The game was full of them.  They were the oddest things.  Instead of a quick stutter or an odd happenstance that was quickly corrected, these were pools of... darkness.  They felt wrong to her.  She mostly steered clear.  maybe it would be fixed, eventually.  Maybe.

She quickly jotted a point on the forums.

//Main Forum//> Anybody else finding these tarpits?  Anyone know what they are?
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-11-17/1950:42>
Penguin had stopped chasing the puzzles to stop and experience the the high quality reality filter and simsence that the game offered. She turned on hot sim just for a few cycles just to see what it was like but found it kind of disappointing. She was not used to a smelly cold city, she was used to soft breezes that smelled like flowers, and she didn't ever remember the real world being this wet and sticky.

Seeing Lil's post she jumps up and to check the matrix for any word on these glitches.

[spoiler]
computer for a matrix search: dice 12, 6 hits, limit 9
and checking matrix data havens: dice 11, 6 hits, limit 9
[/spoiler]

She sends a PM to Lil' Are you willing to talk about your experience with the game?

She would then start looking around for some of these glitches.

[spoiler]
Matrix Perception test: dice 12, 2 hits, limit 9
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-11-17/2049:47>
<<@'Lil: Are you willing to talk about your experience with the game?>>

The PM comes just moments after her forum post.  'Lil ran a quick scrub of various accounts to see if this was someone she knew.  Her 'friends' lists weren't long on any of her social platforms, so it only took a second.

<<@Penguin: Whodisiz?>>
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-11-17/2054:43>
I am a blogger trying to get a head up on the competition.  :D ;D ;) Where in this game space can we meet?

Penguin will run the Programs on her deck: Sneak, Armor, and Shell
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-11-17/2113:15>
'Lil watches the rabbit bound away down the side street and sighs.  Enh, I can come back to this one.

<<@Penguin: I s'pose I can.  Blogger, eh?  You do anything I might have read?  done stuff for someone?>>

The gnome looks around and notices a street sign.  Well, this netrunner can come to me.

<<@Penguin: Anyhoo, I'm on Lenora, between 2d and 3d .  I'll wait for you.  Don't dawdle.>>

'Lil glanced back down the alley.  It ran the full length through the buildings to the next street over, Blanchard.  Maybe with a friend they could check out the glitch.  weirdest glitch ever.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-11-17/2254:21>
Penguin would move as expediently to the meeting place. She will look up Lil'.

[spoiler]
Matrix search 12 dice, 2 hits, limit 9
[/spoiler]

She would every once and a while switch to hot sim again to see if things would get more pleasant.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-11-17/2325:22>
@ 'Lil  The designers had really put a lot of effort into the hot sim aspects of the game. She was even 'feeling' the heat off the concrete in places where the 'sun' was shining on it, and it was even noticeably hotter than the sunlight on her skin. Hmmm, wait, the concrete is giving off very different levels of heat here in this area. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, hot, hot, cold, hot, cold, cold. Code! Not enough of it to decipher what it was to, unless . . . Hmmm, meant to be played in hot sim, at least some of it. But, she'd said that she would meet Penguin, and maybe she'd seen some more of the game.

@ Penguin  Her searches had found multiple hits on the game and it's glitches. Most of the comments had been from professional alpha testers. The usual negative and positive spins depending on who was footing their bill. A few had been warning on the dangers of the game, The most virulent comments had come from religious groups, all of them quoting third party sources. A few had comments about the game being under investigation for it's content. Hmmm, did I miss a turn? Pulling up the map she found that she had, but, she could make up the time by going through an alley a few feet away.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-11-17/2342:34>
Penguin would head through the alley, while taking a look at the PvP policy. She reaches out and traces her persona's flipper across the brick walls. I wonder if this is what living is Seattle is really like. A single tear leaves her giant anime eye.

As soon as she sees Lil' she quickly wipes the tear away and rushes toward her. Hayiiii, my name is Penguin, how are you!!! Her eye changing temporarily into stars.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-12-17/0011:03>
'Lil steps over the various heat points.  These would totally be missed by someone in cold-sim.  Hell, even in hot-sim you could miss it.  Of course, as a Technomancer she was always in hot-sim if she was in VR.  A blessing and a curse.  She stood over one of the hot points and attempted to analyze it. (http://orokos.com/roll/505422)

<<Hayiiii, my name is Penguin, how are you!!!>>

'Lil looked up and saw the cute penguin avatar rushing down the alley with the tarpit glitches.

<<@Penguin: Whoa, careful!  Watch your step!  The tarpits are all through that alley!>>

Penguin slowed at that.  She looked around and didn't see any tarpits.  Sure there were some environmental glitches, but it was coding that had simply gone wrong.  Some of it collapsed, leaving gaps in the environment.  In other places it created oddities of sight, like stretched renderings.  Standard buggy code, really.  She looked back at 'Lil curiously, examining her.

Lil's avatar was a young woman, dressed in black leather armor.  She wore a hood over her hair and a mask covering half her face.  One eye was silver, while the other was a soft brown.  She had a quiver slung over her shoulder and a bow in her hand.  None of that meant anything, of course, except that 'Lil was good at sculpting her avatar.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-12-17/1805:59>
A message appeared in the public chat. >>Accept the quest for dragon egg race, the person or team who collects the most dragon eggs within the next ten minutes will win a unique mount that will remain with them when the game comes out of beta.<< A QuickMap popup shows that they are near the area where the quest is being played.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-12-17/2040:03>
Avoiding the weird glitch in front of her, Penguin heads over to Lil' and says Are those common in this game? This is uncommon for AAA games to have bugs like this, glitches should be just physics failures or something, unless their simrig team is total crap.  Looking around herself and all this look fairly well done, what gives. Annnnnyyyyyho how about that interview? Wana walk with me? I was hoping to check out this dragon egg thing, I need to see all the features.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-12-17/2150:26>
@ 'Lil  As 'Lil studies the pattern of hot and cold she realizes that they are in discreet, uniform rectangles. It is definitely deliberate as the pattern of hot and cold are not the result of sunshine on different surfaces. These were uniform and measurable rectangles that did not match the pattern of the surface they were inlaid into. Definitely a simple binary code, but was it a simple matching game? A word? A math problem? She'd need to see more. Ahhhh, over there on the glass of that window, another pattern, this one in lights and shadows.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-13-17/0005:08>
So much going on, it's hard to focus on anything, really...

'Lil turns to Penguin.  <<@Penguin: Right, I'm 'Lil.  I s'pose we can head that way.  Did you notice these spots here and there?  Like warm and cold spots, but when you look close, it's a simple binary code.  Another puzzle you think?  Or just more weird stuff?>>

She began walking down the street, away from the alley and the odd tarpits.  They gave her the creeps, really.  Now that she was moving away from them, she actually felt more at ease.

<<@Penguin: Those tarpit glitches are really weird.  You're right, there shouldn't be that many glitches in a high end game like this.  I wonder what gives.>>

As they continued, she noticed a few additional players headed in their same direction.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-13-17/1539:39>
Once they got to the area that the dragon egg race was being held at they found that they had about two dozen other people in the same area listed on the map. Once they got into the designated area the games few instructions flashed in their HUD's and boiled down to the eggs being hidden by a cult looking to raise the dragonets to start an army, yadda, yadda. They had hidden them and placed each egg within traps to prevent anyone from taking them. If you were killed trying to steal the egg you would respawn at the Church of the Dragon's Eye. It was far enough away to effectively slow down anyone trying to win. But, not to far that you'd give up completely. The race would start in 3 minutes.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-13-17/1741:43>
'Lil looks over the others and then back to Penguin.

<<@Penguin: So you got questions specifically, or what?>>

As she waits for the cute avatar to respond she considers what might be the best way to get an edge on the other players.  I should take a look at the game host, might be hackable.  Could also give us an idea of the glitches I saw earlier.

She takes a moment and draws strings of resonance up, shaping them (http://orokos.com/roll/506017), just out of sight.  The resonance pulled back (http://orokos.com/roll/506024), but her attunement with it was solid.  The effort wasn't even taxing. (http://orokos.com/roll/506025)  'Lil gave a portion of her attention over to Penguin while she sent a quick mental command to the Sprite.

Help me scan the host, let's try to figure out what we're dealing with here.

The Sprite zipped off even as 'Lil looked around herself.  This is a gaming host, so it shouldn't be excessively robust.  The firewall will be good, but I should be able to crack it...  Between the Sprite (http://orokos.com/roll/506026) and her own coding, (http://orokos.com/roll/506027) she wasn't able to immediately figure anything out.

Interesting...
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-13-17/1803:33>
Now in a hurry Penguin rapidly spurts out her questionsWell, what is you opinion of this simrig work, if it real enough for you? Do you have previous experience with the subject mater? If so, how does it compare to the real thing? Is your persona the same gender as you? Are the puzzles challenging enough? Have you watched Broken Blade the anime? How have you enjoyed the interaction with the other players? What is your favorite color?

Penguin would the grab Lil's hand and try to pull her along to the game area.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-13-17/2015:32>
Penguin looks at Lil' quizzically Um do you need help with something? You look a little distracted.

Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-13-17/2101:48>
Trying to decipher the very fabric of the server was difficult.  Contagion games had put a lot of work into keeping everything under wraps, it seemed.

The flurry of questions flew by almost unnoticed.

<@'Lil: Um do you need help with something? You look a little distracted.

'Lil divided her attention to Penguin.

<<@Penguin: Does any of this seem odd to you?  I don't mean the game itself, but the coding... and the level of it?  I mean, it's a game server, not the toughest nut to crack, hrm?  But this one seems better protected, even scanning its peripherals is hard.>>

As she spoke, she finally pierced through the veil, barely enough to see the base processor, but what she saw...

<<@Penguin:  Oh, wow... I mean, this is running on a rig on par with Seattle's admin host.  Drek, better, even.  If they put that much work into that, why the sloppy glitchwork?  I can't even peep the firewall, actually...>>

[spoiler=Contagion Games Host]After roughly 30 seconds and 25 attempts at Matrix Perception (assisted by the Data Sprite), finally got 1 Net Hit, allowing me to gain one piece of information about the server.  That would be the Host Rating, which is 8.  By comparison, the Seattle Metroplex Admin Host is 7, Knight Errant Station Host is 6, Louis Vuitton Store in Manhattan is 6.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-14-17/1758:16>
With a grin Penguin says That means it is on purpose, Do you think it is part of a puzzle?
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-14-17/1827:39>
<<@Penguin: I don't think so.  I guess it's possible.  I'll look into it later, the egg hunt is about to start.>>

'Lil moved up to ensure she caught any instructions that were given out.  She didn't expect necessarily to win, but she at least wanted to well.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-14-17/2057:10>
Penguin would run off to the game through the main streets avoiding alleys and glitches; singing a J-pop song that Lil' has never heard before.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-15-17/0119:31>
The dragon egg race was initiated by a well staged fight between priests of the Church of the Dragon's Eye and an assassins guild whose symbol had been used in a few of the more lethal puzzles earlier in the game. As such it was familiar to the players even from the distance that they were viewing the battle. 'Lil and Penguin saw different groups of the assassins guild take off in a dozen different directions before each entered magical portals that whisked them away. From the menu's HUD 'Lil and Penguin saw different teams head towards the group that had been nearest them in order maximize their time in finding the eggs.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-15-17/0534:18>
@Game System: What team am I on? Penguin would quickly start watching lets plays of the mini game to get an idea where the eggs would be.
data search:
[spoiler] 12 dice, 5 hits, limit data processing 5 [/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-15-17/1257:15>
As she watched several streamers play the Dragon Egg race, the first one to reach one of the sites the assassins guild members had disappeared from was SmackDabGab. Penguin watched her place several pieces of seeming trash together to make a portal gun and activate it with a power gem. When she went through, the room she entered was dark, but, as the portal's light flickered off behind her it revealed a runic tracing. Penguin saw SmackDabGab light a glow stick and start studying the runes. But, then GoToGuy was at his portal site and began tapping on a windchime. After several different tunes he got the portal to open. Penguin recognized the music from the game trailers. Then she and Lil reached the site they had headed for.


[spoiler]Penguin finds that she is listed as an individual for the race. She and Lil will have to friend each other and list themselves as a team.
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-15-17/1519:27>
Penguin turns to Lil' her fins held together behind her back, with a meek look on her face. Looks like I am alone in this...  Penguin speaks nervously do you maybe want to join my team?
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-15-17/1616:28>
{{{{{@Penguin: You have a friend request!  *'Lil ACCEPT Y/N?}}}}}

'Lil moves forward a few steps and then looks back at Penguin.

<<@Penguin: Well?>>
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-15-17/2041:45>
Penguin begins to bounce around exited. Yay I have a new friend, let go get 'um!
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-17-17/1556:16>
'Lil shrugs.  I feel like I'm hanging out with a little kid.  Of course, 'Lil was young herself.  And it was possible that the it was an act.  Infantilism wasn't uncommon amongst gamers.

<<@Penguin: I'll let you take lead on this.>>

This would allow 'Lil time to focus more on the surroundings than just the task.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-17-17/2137:55>
Penguin would look around to see if there are more than just two portal sites. She would also switch her programs to be: Baby Monitor, Sneak, and Exploit.

(Matrix Perception)
[spoiler]11 dice, 5 hits, limit data processing 5[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-17-17/2140:11>
When 'Lil and Penguin arrive at the area the assassins had disappeared from, they found a small pond with a broken, dilapidated fountain in the center of it. When they studied the fountain, it became apparent that once it had been a statue of a child playing fetch with a dog. Although now the hand holding the ball was broken off and at the statues feet and the dog was broken off from it's hind legs up. An old carriage wheel and a water pump were the only other elements immediately visible in the scene, but, the underbrush and trees were fairly thick and would have hidden anything else.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-18-17/1627:33>
<<@Penguin: Well, Penguin... we have options.  We can unravel our own thread or take off after one of these other groups and cheese the egg away from them.  That would definitely put us ahead, but comes with risk.  If we frag it up, we'll be way behind.>>

'Lil checked the area, hoping to find further clues.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-18-17/1700:51>
Switching into hot sim, Penguin would Search though the bushes hoping to find the other parts of the fountain.

Matrix Search
[spoiler]Int 5 + computer 6 + hot sim + 2 = 13, 4 hits, limit 5[/spoiler]

@Lil': can you have one of your cute little agents give me a hand?
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-19-17/0221:08>
The only things they found in the brush were the other half of the dog and a cobalt blue whip.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-20-17/1101:28>
<<@Penguin: Times' a-tickin, Chilly Willy.  Which way?  Follow a new thread or steal someone else's?>>

In the meantime, 'Lil took a few moments to see if she could even find another trail to follow.  she scanned the area, looking for any code to indicate a direction beyond the ones that the two previous groups had taken.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-20-17/1143:58>
The HUD Map shows the various teams and individuals each heading to spots the assassins disappeared from. And by the appearance of the map, two more have reached portal points, their teams are milling around at their sites just like Pengiun and 'Lil are. It looks like SmackDabGab and GoToGuy are the only live streamers playing in the race, as no other trids are even close to matching Penguins search criteria.. As Penguin does a quick check on the progress of the two live streamers, she sees SmackDabGab take a few broken cartouches off the floor and put them together like puzzle pieces, referring back to the runes on the wall a few times. Once she has them placed together correctly she begins looking around the room for the spot each one goes in. Once she places the last cartouche, a wall opens up before her.  GoToGuy in the meantime found himself in a grotto with a small, pretty waterfall in it. The only other thing in the grotto were some broken, hollow pipes and a long, flat piece of metal. GoToGuy placed the metal plate across some rocks a few feet apart in the water near the fall. Then he pulled up his inventory and called up some rope. Acting quickly he lashed the pipes together on a makeshift fulcrum and then placed the device where water could splash into the tubes. In moments the tubes filled with water and tipped, banging onto the metal plate to create a tune. The air above the device began to swirl and coalesce until it formed a manta ray like creature. GoToGuy mounted it and it immediately began soaring away to the next objective.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-20-17/1315:47>
“I’m in.  Thanks, John,” she said as she materialised in an alley.  She sniffed the air and looked around.  With her Black Panther avatar, sniffing was also part of her search, as was hearing and vision of course.  She was wandering around a bit, noting the various defects in the programming.  She thought there was still quite a lot of work and she doubted she would have let this out in beta in this stage, but that was deadlines for you.

When she heard about the special mounts, she decided to have a look at it anyway.  She moved to the square where they would start but she was a bit late, so she saw the first groups move away.  There were two still looking around when she entered the square.  One had a penguin avatar and the other some sort of ninja type.  She had a metahuman avatar as well, a fantasy dark elf, but she preferred to use the one that gave her nickname.

“Mmm, penguin,” she said to both as she came closer, her ears forward, tail slowly moving from side to side, sniffing the air, “I wonder how that tastes.”
“Just kidding,” she added with a grin showing a mouth full of big teeth, “this is where the special search starts?  You need another team member?”
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-20-17/1700:40>
'Lil glanced over at the newcomer.  She certainly didn't have any issue with it, hopefully this one would be helpful.

<<Public: Hi, you got a handle?  We don't mind having a third, I don't think, if you can help us figure out what our next move is.>>

'Lil picks up the whip, examining it carefully.

[spoiler]Matrix Perception: 5 hits (http://orokos.com/roll/508404)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Showgun117 on <04-20-17/2315:03>
Penguin would cower and from the newcomer and try to reattach the part of the dog. She would also eye the scary beast.

Matrix Perception

[spoiler]5 hits[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-21-17/0700:08>
"Sorry, the name is Black Panther," she replied as she had a closer look at the other two as well.
"I can surely have a look around to see how we can proceed further."

She had a look around for elements which were more than just background filling.  Things she could really manipulate.

[spoiler]
matrix perception on both
'Lil: computer 5 + intuition 4 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/508563): 9d6t5 2
penguin: computer 5 + intuition 4 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/508564): 9d6t5 2

matrix search to look for clues
computer 5 + intuition 4 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/508565): 9d6t5 7
limit is 5, so only 5 hits count.
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-21-17/1204:51>
As each person gathered data on the others they learned their game stats, character bio's, forum names, guild affiliations and in Penguins case, that she was a professional blogger with a little over a thousand followers. And Black Panthers search also showed the upper half of a dog, an old carriage wheel, a water pump and as she expanded her search further out, a power gem.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-21-17/1219:58>
While she was a big panther, she had programmed in allowances for her to manipulate items and she picked up the gem which seemed to glow with power.
"This might help," she said as she took it to the others.  She looked at the pond and spotting the other parts of the statue.
"Maybe if we put the statue back together and then use the gem's power to animate them, they might be able to help us, or at least give us a clue on how to proceed next.  I'm not sure if these developers thought about it, but that would be a trick I would program into a game like this."
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-27-17/1400:37>
<<@All: well, let's try that then!>

The three of them took a few moments to place the pieces together as best they could.  With the aid of the data sprite, 'Lil was able to glue the bits together, until they ended up with as much  of the statue together as they could.

She then took the power gem and held it near the statue.

<<@All: Let's see if this works...>
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-27-17/1406:45>
"Good idea," Panther said.  She had been looking at the ninja avatar and was starting to get some suspicions about the person behind it, which she hadn't voices so far.  But a few times she had felt that there were things going on that she couldn't see.
"Be prepared for weirdness," she warned them both.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-27-17/1731:27>
Holding the gem near the statue did nothing. But, there was a small depression in the dogs mouth, and when 'Lil placed the power gem in it, the ball began to glow, and grow into a spinning vortex the size of a hula hoop.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-28-17/0255:32>
"That did seem to work," Panther said as she looked at the vortex, "Let's see what's on the other side."
She clicked out her claws, ready for everything (including slippery floors) and jumped through the vortex to the other side.  As soon as you got past the glitches, the game seemed okay, she thought, looking at it with the eyes of a professional who had done this before.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-28-17/1511:15>
'Lil followed the Panther avatar through the portal, the small Penguin waddling close behind.  She took a moment to look around in the dark interior they had manifested into.

<<@All: Looks like a warehouse.  And set up like a maze.  We'll have to search through the place.>>

She moved down one passage.  Scan area, she instructed the data sprite as a final function before it derezzed.  combined with her own abilities she was able to see that they were not alone in the maze.  Whether it was the group with the egg, or they had left behind some manner of rear guard, she didn't know.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-28-17/1550:49>
"Let's stay together," Panther said, while sniffing the air as she followed 'Lil.  Some advanced software she had installed allowed her to see in the dim light as a panther should.
"We're not alone here," she wispered, "I don't recognise any of the scents.  So it probably isn't anybody we met before.  You don't happen to have a standard issue ten foot pole in your equipment?"
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-28-17/1754:47>
Penguin jumped through with the others, happy that she was going to be able to blog about her different experiences within the game. Three completely different puzzles within as many minutes! She'd be able to compete with SmackDabGab and GoToGuy for reader interest. But, when she went through she suddenly experienced a lag. Damn! "Lil and Panther saw Penguin frozen and continued to check out the area. Lag happened, no sense waiting.
The warehouse had stacks of boxes and they seemed to be color coded. But, that was all they had time to notice as then the security droids found them. Access to this area is forbidden.   They heard.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <04-29-17/1131:59>
<<@All: Well that's no good.  Drek, this something you can help handle or what?  I've got a pet already, I'll summon it.>>

She spins once, throwing her arms into the air and ending in a crouch and a puff of smoke.  As the smoke dissipates, a small dragon with insectoid wings materializes.  'Lil points at the security drones.  There were three of them, one for each of the players, 'Lil surmised.  the little dragon darted forward, spewing forth a belch of flames at the trio.  They caught fire, but if that fazed them, they didn't outright show it.

In the meantime, 'Lil launched herself at the wall and ran alongside it, three shuriken appearing in her hands.

[spoiler=Compile a Fault Sprite]Compiling a Fault Sprite (http://orokos.com/roll/512055) 3 hits

Resitance Roll (http://orokos.com/roll/512056) 0 hits

Resisting 2 Fading (http://orokos.com/roll/512057) 4 hits

3 Services, No Fading Damage

The burning is a manifestation of 'electron storm' which will last as long as the Fault Sprite isn't damaged, cause 5 points of resistible matrix damage on the sprite's action, and causes 2 levels of noise, so lowering dice pool by 2, possibly mitigated by noise reduction.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <04-29-17/1223:10>
"I can try," Panther said.  She already had her claws out.  In the back of her head she noted that with this summon thing, 'Lil had confirmed her suspicions.  He or she was a technomancer.  Now she only hoped that the droids were just something from the game and not some IC or something similar.

Jumping onto it she toppled one of the droids and then she tried to bite into it's exposed circuitry.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <04-29-17/2242:57>
Access to this area is forbidden. The security drones intoned in unison. The lead drones extended it's arm and a nozzle snaked out and sprayed the dragon with water. The second drones arm transformed into a semi-automatic weapon and fired at Panther. The third turned to Penguin, but, evidently it's program registered her avatar as non-threat as it turned to target 'Lil instead. It took a moment to assess her motions and then from it's chest cavity it fired a net. The game glitched when the net was fired as it appeared to phase in and out for a moment.

[spoiler](https://rolz.org/embed?X22914280) (https://rolz.org/info?X22914280)
(https://rolz.org/embed?X22914318) (https://rolz.org/info?X22914318)
(https://rolz.org/embed?X22914346) (https://rolz.org/info?X22914346)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-01-17/1219:40>
The small dragon banks left and completes a barrel roll, easily avoiding the water jets.  It's jaws unhinge and it spews forth a blast of green blue fire, the heat radiating throughout the passage.

Meanwhile, 'Lil jumps back to avoid the net then springs forward and right.  She jumps onto the wall, her feet barely touching the surface before pushing off and launching herself high into the air and hurling the shuriken towards the net throwing drone.

[spoiler]Sprite Dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/512805) 8 Hits.

'Lil dodge (http://orokos.com/roll/512808) 5 Hits

Sprite Attacks! (http://orokos.com/roll/512810) 7 hits (damn, this little guy is good!)  Matrix Damage 8 + Net hits

'Lil attack (http://orokos.com/roll/512811) 2 hits.  womp womp.

[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-01-17/1229:49>
The fire ignited one of the droids and it went up in a small explosion of blue green fire dropping a gem and a small pile of energy chips when it credits. The second one's health bar went down almost a third and 'Lil saw that she'd done almost max damage with one of her shirukin. 
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-01-17/1321:14>
She had jumped on one of the droids, but it managed to hit her with its submachine gun.  She felt the hits, but luckily they didn't penetrate much through her armour.  She roared in pain though, but shunted it aside while still hoping that one of the others had a medpack with them.  Then she hit the droid and ripped out some of it's circuitry with her fangs, while with her claws she kept it pinned down.

[spoiler]
defense:
Willpower 4 + Firewall 5 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/512824): 9d6t5 1
soak:
Willpower 4 + Firewall 5 =9 (http://orokos.com/roll/512826): 9d6t5 4
attack:
Logic 5 + artisan (matrix games) 3 =8 (http://orokos.com/roll/512827): 8d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-01-17/1335:06>
Panthers claws skidded across the armor of the droid before finding purchase in the chest piece and ripping it aside. She saw the sparkle and pop of circuitry and the droids health bar went down a quarter. The droids arm moved and it fired it's weapon point blank at Panter. Close by 'Lil had her own problems as another net fired from the chest piece of the droid and flew through the air at her.

[spoiler](https://rolz.org/embed?X22967546) (https://rolz.org/info?X22967546)
(https://rolz.org/embed?X22967557) (https://rolz.org/info?X22967557)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-01-17/1347:37>
Panther felt more than saw the submachine gun point towards her and dropped down, having the shots go just above her.  She tried to put her claw in the opening she had made before to rip out more circuitry.  Unfortunately the manouver also threw off her own attack and she missed, raking her claw over the armour plates but doing nothing more than some cosmetic damage.  She swore as she gathered her wits for another attack.  This was clearly going to take longer than expected.

[spoiler]
dodge:
Matrix defense (http://orokos.com/roll/512834): 9d6t5 4

attack:
Matrix attack (http://orokos.com/roll/512836): 8d6t5 0
luckily no glitch (or critical glitch)
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-01-17/1426:14>
At the apex of her jump, 'Lil twisted in a somersault before descending in an arc towards the left wall.  Her feet pushed off against it, halfway to the floor, and she was up in the air again.  The droid was unable to track the quick changes in movement and the second net went wide.

Another flip of the wrists and another trio of shuriken lanced out towards the droid.

<<@All: We probably want to work a little faster!>> she sent to the group as another droid rounded the corner.

The dragon latched on to the fourth droid, jaws gripping it's arm.  It shook vigorously, pulling the arm off.  The droid whirred in confusion.

<<@All: Like that!>>

Each of the team except Penguin, still having errors, was locked in combat with their own enemy.

[spoiler]'Lil dodges (http://orokos.com/roll/512865) 5 hits!

'Lil attacks (http://orokos.com/roll/512868) 2 hits.

Fault Sprite attack![/url 3 hits.[/spoiler] (http://orokos.com/roll/512870)
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-02-17/2203:12>
The battle joined, the droid firing at the sprite utterly missed his target instead spraying fire at his companion. " 'Lil and Panther saw the healthbar of the new droid drop by a quarter. The first droid firing at 'Lil suffered a malfunction, freezing, and then firing at the spot 'Lil had previously been in. The second droid got off a clean shot and 'Lil had a barrage of fire headed in her direction. Panthers droid tried activating it's servos to stand and fire but it accomplished neither with her atop it.

[spoiler](https://rolz.org/embed?X23009842) (https://rolz.org/info?X23009842)
(https://rolz.org/embed?X23009844) (https://rolz.org/info?X23009844)
(https://rolz.org/embed?X23009848) (https://rolz.org/info?X23009848)
(https://rolz.org/embed?X23009856) (https://rolz.org/info?X23009856)
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-03-17/0820:21>
With the droid pinned under her, it was easier to dodge its fire and she managed without much difficulty, but just as she wanted to slice it completely open, it moved in an attempt to get out.  She managed to hold on, but the attack lost most of it's impetus.  She did manage to get some more circuitry out.

@'Lil: I'm trying to go faster, but this thing isn't really cooperative.

[spoiler]
matrix defense
matrix defense (http://orokos.com/roll/513519): 9d6t5 3

matrix attack:
matrix attack (http://orokos.com/roll/513520): 8d6t5 1

[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-03-17/1442:37>
'Lil easily side stepped.  In the matrix, even in gamespace, she was exceedingly quick and could avoid most dangers.  She followed up with another volley of shuriken.

The small dragon continued ripping into the droid it had tackled.  All of the droids continued to burn slightly, the fire interfering with their actions.

[spoiler]Dodge! (http://orokos.com/roll/513624) 6 hits.

]Attack! (http://orokos.com/roll/513625) 3 Hits

Dragon attacks! (http://orokos.com/roll/513626) 5 htis![/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-03-17/2344:26>
The healthbar of the droid that the tiny sprite had attacked went down precipitously and the games graphics added the snap and pop of electrical circuits shorting out as the droid disappeared. 'Lil and Panther saw, Rare Item:Multitool flash across their HUD displays when it 'died'.

The droid 'Lil had been attacking had only a slight bit of red in it's healthbar and 'Lil judged that one more hit would finish it.

Both remaining droids intoned, Access to this area is forbidden.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-04-17/1128:37>
"Yeah, we know," Panther said, "Shut up already."
She found it took her way too long to take down the thing, but she kept at it, digging deeper with her claws and ripping out more stuff.

[spoiler]
new attack.
matrix attack (http://orokos.com/roll/513964): 8d6t5 3
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-04-17/1143:29>
<<@All: Here's my access pass!>> 'Lil called out, tossing another set of her throwing stars.  Of course, Murphy's Law takes an extra heavy hand when you try something witty and 'Lil tripped over one of the fallen droids as she threw.  The metal slivers arched high into the air, passing over the droid and she fell on her face.

The droid loomed over her, ready to take advantage of her predicament when the small dragon rammed into it's back, slamming it into a wall.

Good boy, 'Lil sent.

[spoiler]Lil's Attack (http://orokos.com/roll/513966) 1 Hit + Glitch!

Sprite's attack (http://orokos.com/roll/513967) 2 Hits.  Got 'eem![/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-04-17/1526:43>
The little sprite gutted the droid and with a flash and a sparkle it died dropping energy credits as it disappeared. Panther's claws ripped into the chest piece of her droid and the thing died in a flash and sparkle of energy credits. The droids gone 'Lil and Panther heard an alarm begin to sound, Security breach. All security droids instructed to go to Area 57 and destroy non-authorized personnel.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-05-17/1037:18>
'Lil pulled herself from the floor.  <<@All: Well, that wasn't just a little embarassing.  Anyway, I'm guessing this is Area 57.  We should probably get to Area 56 or 58.  Which way?  You got a tracking program with that skin?>>

'Lil looks about for clues as to which way they should actually go while moving to Penguin.

<<@Penguin: You still with us, omae?>>
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-05-17/1133:06>
There is no reply from Penguin and it's obvious she's completely frozen.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-05-17/1151:31>
"It probably is," Panther said, while sniffing out the vicinity, her ears also turning around to hear for other droids to show up.
"That way, I guess," she said after a short while, pointing to one of the corridors.  She looked at Penguin.
"Can we take him with us," she asked, "the droids ignored him as he didn't do anything, but if he's still here when those reinforcements are arriving, they might take him.  But we can't stay here any longer."
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-07-17/2152:08>
When they'd tried to carry Penguin they'd found that their hands had passed right through her, and the sounds of a door opening and the stamp of metal feet had told them that Area 57 was soon to be hotbed of activity. As they'd sprinted they'd found a door that had said, Maintenance. It's door had an electronic lock.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-08-17/1608:38>
'Lil looked over at Penguin.

<<@Panther: Leave em.  I'm sure they'll time out eventually, shouldn't be any harm.  Worst that'll happen is a respawn back at their last save point, no?>>

With that, 'Lil moved on, the panther avatar padding slightly behind.

When they arrived at the Maintenance door, 'Lil glanced about.

<<@Panther: Can you tell if they went through there?>>

Meanwhile, she looked for clues herself.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-09-17/0928:35>
Panther had picked up the credits and the multitool before they left, as those could be useful.  When they arrived at the door, she sniffed around it.
"I smell traces of the same liquid that came out of the droids servos," she said, "So at least some of those droids have come through here.  Let's see if we can open this door."

She took out the multitool and tried to configure it so it would work as an unscrambler for the door lock code.

Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-09-17/1150:46>
As 'Lil worked she and Panther heard the soft chink, chink, chink of droid feet as the game dropped more units into the area. 'Lil and Panther smelled the ozone build up of an energy weapon powering up. And then they heard the perfect unison of a droid chorus. Access to this area is forbidden.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-09-17/1215:16>
"Let's try something else," Panther said to 'Lil.  Then she turned to the droids.
"We're lost.  Can you bring us back to a location that isn't forbidden?"

She did stand ready to duck in case they would fire, but maybe this would work where attacking was quite tricky, especially with only the two of them.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-09-17/1725:04>
'Lil was about to speak up, but then stopped, allowing Panther a moment with her ploy.  They certainly had nothing to lose.

While she waited for the droids to respond, she prepared an Area of Effect attack she had gained... Shadow Star Storm... she was eager to try it out and almost hoped that the droids would just attack.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-09-17/1753:57>
The droids paused as they processed the request and then they said in chorus, Our processing matrix computes that this is a ploy. Access to this area is forbidden. And then a barrage of fire ensues.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-10-17/1247:21>
As the Droids open up, 'Lil jumps backwards, twisting midair.  At the apex of her jump, she is perpendicular to the ground, toes pointed down, arms across her chest.  She activates the maneuver.

The Avatar freezes in place and shadows swirl around her.  Then, she splits into three, two shadow forms pulling away from her at 45 degrees to her right and left, closer to the ground.  The trio then bring up their right arms in unison across their chests, shuriken materializing.  They hurl the shuriken and in the same movement bring their left arms over, revealing more shuriken.

The trio alternate between arms, throwing a hail of metal slivers.  The attack last for three full seconds, shredding into the Droids

At the conclusion of the maneuver, the shadow forms lose their cohesion and become smoke, drifting away and 'Lil drops to the ground into a crouch.

[spoiler]Dodge Barrage! (http://orokos.com/roll/515562) 4 hits.

Shadow Star Storm (Edged) (http://orokos.com/roll/515563) 11 hits![/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-16-17/1724:48>
The shuriken shred into the droids and the air is filled with the sounds and smells of electrical sparking and the smell of ozone. The device the droids had been aiming disappears as the droid that had been holding it 'dies'. A small pile of energy credits and a power gem drop as the droids disappear and only one is left standing, but it is unscathed. Access to this area is forbidden. You are to be sanctioned. it intones, oblivious to the fate of it's mates.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: Jayde Moon on <05-17-17/1248:53>
'Lil gathers the drops with a chuckle.

<<@Panther: Panther, you better do something about that.  I don't think being sanctioned would be pleasant.>>

She moves away and back to the door, looking it over and seeing how best to open it.  She is absolutely certain Panther can handle the remaining Droid.
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: farothel on <05-17-17/1316:20>
Panther had dodged the attack, but not fully.  She really hoped that they would stop sending more of those droids, or at least drop a medpack somewhere.  While 'Lil was attacking and drawing their attention, she tried to sneak around and when there was only one drone left, she jumped onto it, starting to dig with her claws in the hope to get it down as quickly as possible.

[spoiler]
matrix defense (http://orokos.com/roll/517299): 9d6t5 2

matrix attack (http://orokos.com/roll/517301): 8d6t5 2
[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Paper Blossoms
Post by: ismilealot on <05-18-17/1059:47>
Once again 'Lil pulled out the multi-tool and studied the lock. In a flash she'd reconfigured the tool to resonate for the old style harmonic lock. She'd almost started to begin running through combo's when she had a flash of inspiration and played the opening music from the game's trailer. Viola! The door popped open.

The droid was facedown as Panther attacked it and it's voice was muffled by the floor as it continued it's familiar litany. Access to this area is forbidden

[spoiler](https://rolz.org/embed?X23510707) (https://rolz.org/info?X23510707)[/spoiler]