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[5e OOC] Sunt Venatores Venationem

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rednblack

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« Reply #1140 on: <05-12-16/1212:07> »
@Tec, good questions.  Let's look at our options and best modes for moving forward.

@Zwei, how do you feel about the smuggling connection?  Does that fit with your idea for Spitfire?  Also, let's up your Attack and Stealth Dongle ratings to 4.  Yes, I know that's crazy expensive, but far from game-breaking, and considering that you can only use one at a time, something I think will work just fine.  Bonus points if you can come up with an IC reason for Spitfire having such wiz tech.  (Payment for a smuggling run?  prototypes from something that went sideways?)  Otherwise, I think we're ready for your 20Q's as well.  Broad strokes look good on the char sheet.

@Zwei and @bangbang, do you want your chars to have previously known one another?  If Tec reaches out ICly, and relates through conversation that his team is down on magical support, it's a very easy in. Otherwise, there's Grotto1 to consider, as well as Mercer's globe-trotting past.  If neither of those appeal, don't feel bound by any of them.

ICly Sister Rebecca will be reaching out by the end of the day to relate that she will not be returning.  Let's wait on any further IC posts until Zwei has weighed in on how he feels about the smuggler angle, so that we know how best to reach out ICly. 

@Tec and @Mal, karma rewards should go out today.

ETA: ninja'd by Zwei.  But what do you think about the smuggler angle?  If it doesn't fit with your core concept, we can certainly come up with other story reasons.  If it seems plausible to you, e.g. Spitfire reconned border crossings, or maybe even learned his elementary skills with the same group that Achak ran with (which would explain why he might not have a lot of those skills currenltly) then we can make adjustments without necessarily having you make choices other than what you prefer. 
« Last Edit: <05-12-16/1216:54> by rednblack »
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bangbangtequila

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« Reply #1141 on: <05-12-16/1241:12> »
So I did a simple tie in to the hunting, but I haven't really built any character into his story yet. It ties together, but I can't help but feel it is a bit bland, but that's just me being picky with myself. At this point I'd like a little feedback on the best way to write up the tie in. I can try to put something together involving teaming up with Zwei, and rednblack can determine whether or not I've taken down Kreutz yet.

Background is edited into my sheet, and here it is again for easy finding.

[spoiler]Jackson O'Connell was born to one of the younger branches of the O'Connor family tree of Connaught, as the second son. It may have been out-dated and therefore optional, he was still granted an education and training focusing on the specialized military tactics of the day. When he was still quite young, he was discovered to be Awakekened, and his training changed abruptly. Suddenly his already impressive skill set came on a one-in-a-million platform, and his future the family business was guaranteed.

He had all the qualities they wanted. He was loyal to a fault, his family gave him everything and so earned everything back with interest, in Jackson's mind. He knew that much of his family's wealth and influence came from the fact they helped to rule half of the Elven world, and the rich lifestyle afforded to his family (in particular his beloved sister) shaped his devotedness to the nation, and made the decision to join whichever branch of service he was best suited to an easy one. With that willingness to serve so transparent, he was recruited into a shadow group funded privately by the O'Connell's off the books completely. The Taibhseach (gaelic for Spectre - pronounced "thyev-shukh") were an old tradition of the O'Connells, founded a century and more ago, after the first world war ravaged Europe, with the sole purpose of protecting the interests of their bloodline. The job may have changed since those distant days, the techniques have evolved, but the tradition remained.

He was trained by the masters, taught the ways of their order, a unique mental discipline that hones the instinct to such a fine edge that they no longer think about what they are doing, but rather let their body guide itself. There are very few who can master it and become their field operatives, and even fewer Magicians, and this made Jackson all the more valuable to them. They provided very little magical instruction, but rather taught him the focus and clarity he needed to simply let his natural connection to the mana guide him. He became known a Flickr, the darting light of a burning flame that the eye can only barel register before it either burns them or disappears. It took six years, and really, they were too tedious to bother getting into. The point being, Jackson was honed into a weapon, and then unsheathed.

He served for 5 years as the magical dagger thrust into the heart of those who threatened the values of the clan O'Connor. He destroyed corporate teams trying to influence the nation. He took down a Toxic Shaman building up across the border and threatening the few forested areas in their beautiful country. He crossed borders and murdered diplomats. He defended the honour of the country and the integrity of nature. Politics didn't matter, becaue he was no mere military agent, at risk of discrediting his own government, and his team lived and breathed in the darkness outside the law. It was when Aztechnology developed an aggressive plan to muscle into one of the clans and finally open the doors to Tir Na Nog that they finally met a match.

The Aztech delegation was meeting with the McCarthy Denaan'mor at their estate, finalizing a contract that would give the corporation, represented by one Tir citizen, legal ownership of a swathe of coastline with virtually unregulated control of some fifty square kilometers. This could not be allowed to happen, even though they endeavoured not to harm the major clans and thus avoid destabilizing the government. The team was small, only three men - all awakened. The two adepts had easily penetrated the security and taken out two elite security agents. Jackson had gotten into position, and began focusing his mana to cast mob mind, and force the Tir's to slaughter the delegation, and torpedo any negotiations now and stop them from ever rising again. As he cast, he realized what he missed. One of the delegates was infected, and shattered through the spell like wet paper. The vampire turned on the team, and Flickr had no choice but to bring destruction down on the room. He threw his lightning with all his might, and even took out one of the walls with the ferocity of his attack. The delegation was slaughtered, his two adepts putting a bullet in each of their heads to be sure, but one of the McCarthy's was killed, and the vampire escaped. That could not be sanctioned, could not be allowed. His fate was sealed.

His family met him under the utmost secrecy, and judged him in council. They found that he acted in the best interest of their family, and the nation as a whole. But he had murdered a member of a Denaan'mor. If he were caught, if he were linked to them in any way, the nation could descend into civil war. Before they passed their judgement, Jackson knelt before them and offered his blade, surrendering to die in the name of peace and family. They declined. He had served with absolute dedication, and done well when faced with an impossible choice, and so he was simply disowned. He was sent into exile, and provided with a new identity from a member of the family who had died in an accident only two months before, and shipped out to the UCAS aboard a freighter, in a shipping container with one light, some military rations, a small cot, and his few personal belongings. It was a long trip.

He arrived and met with Seamus, his handler, and got set up with an apartment. It wasn't much -  the budget was there to defend the nation, not put a burned asset up in the Ritz - but he had his skill and he had his freedom. It was enough. The most valuable thing that Seamus provided was a dossier left on the desk. It was the full file his group had put together on the incident which burned Jackson, and the last page was the picture of the vampire with a name: Jacob Kreutz. It was only one page, marking out his private holdings in Aztechnologies, his property in Tir Na Nog, and a last known location, which was on a plane bound for Bellevue.[/spoiler]

bangbangtequila

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« Reply #1142 on: <05-12-16/1253:39> »
I got ninja'd as well haha, well done boys (/girls? I generalize you as men in my head...)

The smuggling connection would make a lot of sense, and you can easily build a connection between the two newcomers through that. After all I have a forbidden assault rifle and heavy duty full body armour that came from somewhere.. My talismonger is not so much a smuggler as a private contact who can bring in magical goods. Perhaps I should retitle him as a special forces contact or something. He is there to help Jackson because of his service to their country, not to help him make some money overseas.

Zweiblumen

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« Reply #1143 on: <05-12-16/1300:05> »
Yeah, my really poorly (ninja'd) post didn't answer that very well.

Just switching out a few of the knowledge skills to having some more smuggler type knowledge is pretty simple.  Nice thing about mnemonic enhancers is it really boosts knowledge skills.  So, can tone down on the drone stuff and beef up the routes and legal knowledge.

I like the idea of having ran with the same group Achak did as a nice tie-in and doing some more recent runs with Jackson as a magic/tech 1-2 combo if bangbang is down with that.


ETA:
Hah!  My turn to get ninja'd :P
Most of SF's drones/vehicles are in some way shape or form Forbidden, but all of those parts are hidden and or the hiding is what makes them forbidden, but what he carries on his person is *not* (okay, his bullets are, but those are easily ditched).

I'll make another post with proposed changes.  About to run into a meeting so will post after that.
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rednblack

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« Reply #1144 on: <05-12-16/1335:01> »
@bangbang, I'm currently reading and digesting the background.  Thank you.

@Zwei, sounds good. 

@Tec, looks like you've got the green light to reach out to Spitfire ICly.
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #1145 on: <05-12-16/1647:06> »
I don't want to shoehorn Spitfire into an offhand suggestion. If Zweiblumen sees Spitfire more as an assault-type, then maybe Mercer knows him by reputation via Grotto1. I can imagine Mercer being intrigued by fighting zekes with drones, thus keeping the operators at a safe distance. Seems pertinent here, given Stake's fate.

Flickr's talismonger seems like someone that Achak's contact Megedagik would know. Megedagik is a Cascade Ork smuggler/fence. Talismongers are often dependent on talisleggers, who are basically smugglers. I think Achak could daisy-chain his way over to Flickr that way.

Malevolence

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« Reply #1146 on: <05-12-16/1830:23> »
Mercer's updated sheet is up. I made some more extensive changes to him than I originally anticipated, but he's a much better Street Sam while still keeping all his Infected knowledge and Face skillz. It only cost him .65 Essence and 15k more nuyen. Oh, and he lost 4 physical condition boxes and Bilingual (so his Spanish took a hit, but he still speaks it).


The changes also give me the opportunity to explore his little cache of disturbing images he keeps. Originally, I strongly based him off Longmire (from the TV series/books) where he is calm and matter of fact, always trying to do the right thing. But he's emotionally disconnected since the loss of his wife. Mercer lost his whole family, and suffered much the same emotional deadening, but years of exposure to the most horrific things the 6th world could conjure have desensitized him further, then pile on the Essence loss from augmentation and he has come to a point that it is often difficult to even feel an emotion. So he keeps these things as a means to maintain some tenuous hold on his humanity, to rekindle the anger, or even revulsion, that drove him down this path all those years ago. He is a mercenary, sure, but he started off trying to protect people, and over the years he's had to give up much of the very humanity he's trying to save in the pursuit of every possible edge against creatures that are superhuman.


I don't want to weigh down the narrative with introspection like I did with Ohanzee, but it does provide some threads to pull when it's convenient.


Also, he's like a mini-Ace, so there's that.
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bangbangtequila

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« Reply #1147 on: <05-12-16/1847:43> »
I played a very short d20 modern game with you! I recognized Ohanzee, and then the name! It was years ago on dndonlinegames! Awesome!

Zweiblumen

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« Reply #1148 on: <05-12-16/1913:26> »
No shoehorning going on here!  :)

The only thing I've really got sorted on Spitfire's background is his living situation.  His van is his HOME.  There's an abandoned garage that he uses as "home base" but he's got the upgraded amenities in the van and that's where he lays his head.  The drones live in there with him, when he's in the garage the smarter ones can buzz about and "live" their lives, but it's really all about the van.  Rolling with smuggler vs. hunter is an either/or thing for me.  The more I think about it, the more I like the smuggler (that can take care of his own) who gets pulled in to help on a job and ends up becoming a hunter with the group works well for me.  Gives a lot of room for development in story.
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Malevolence

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« Reply #1149 on: <05-12-16/2038:53> »
Afraid that wasn't me.


Ohanzee was a character from another Shadowrun game here that I'd played with, well, with the rest of the folks in this group. The character name (and character) was actually already in play when I joined, as all of the characters were designed by the GM (Ryo) as part of a group Amnesia theme. While the players had the opportunity to choose a new alias (since they didn't know what their pre-amnesia one was), I actually came in after the game was underway because the previous player left the game, and so the nick was already chosen - I had nothing to do with it.
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #1150 on: <05-13-16/2345:37> »
Ball is in Spitfire's court. I tried to represent a bit of IC knowledge about his OOC sheet while making allowances for the fact that Spitfire has grown and matured as much as Achak has since they last worked together.

Once they meet and talk, I might tie in some more background knowledge of Spitfire once his 20 Questions are up OOCly.

Zweiblumen

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« Reply #1151 on: <05-14-16/0022:55> »
I'll get the IC and background up this weekend.
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Zweiblumen

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« Reply #1152 on: <05-17-16/1207:01> »
Update on Zwei:  I've had a lot of work dumped on me this week due to a change of plans about my future employment (they were going to be keeping me on as a consultant, now that is questionable).  I don't want to commit to getting things done in a timely manner on the boards this week between the extra work and the crunch coming down on our move.

Sorry folks :(
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #1153 on: <05-17-16/1331:02> »
We can say that Achak left a voice mail for Spitfire, which Spitfire will return at his earliest convenience.

In the meantime, should we begin the integration of Flickr? I don't know if rednblack has signed off on the sheet and background yet but we can start discussions of what the best point of contact is.

Avenues of entry:
1) Achak's contact Megedagik know's Flickr's talismonger contact. Achak can daisy-chain his way over to Flickr via contacts.
2) Mercer's contact Raven/Nevermore on Grotto1 knows Flickr's background story and is willing to make the connection.

bangbangtequila

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« Reply #1154 on: <05-17-16/1709:15> »
I'm really easy. I made a few minor changes, namely switching out Mob Mind for Control Thoughts, ball lightning for Blast and taking lightning bolt instead of stunbolt, which frees me to ditch WMH and take Mentor Spirit instead, giving me 2 bonus Karma and a bonus 2 dice for combat spells - which of course is way better and super awesome. I'm thinking dragon slayer or wolf, but Bear would also work really well for the damage resistance dice and I use a tonne of health spells. I know you suggested it earlier, but in my mind I wasn't drawing the connection between WMH and indirect spells, which are just so vastly superior in all ways. A F12 Lightning Bolt at drain 9 will deal, on average, 18 DV at -12 AP minus opposing hits, which is better than 2+net hits. I'll probably learn fireball with a fetish, or some such.
*Long Post Consideration: The more I think about it, dragonslayer would be metagaming for the less restrictive drawback and the social boost, but it doesn't fit the character as well. Wolf fits like a glove.

In terms of tying in, I could take wolf as my spirit guide, and then we can either run into each other via contacts, or hear about each other shaking down infected in the area. The general contacts afforded us could easily provide a link, with Grotto 1 being the best option I would think. Having been given the dossier, he would immediately begin trying to hunt down the infected that cost the lives of Denaan'mor, killed his two closest friends, and cost him life as he knew it. Any local sources would pick up the new guy in town suddenly crashing into the infected scene.