..Why does Mercy run? ..Ha. See my signature..

Because it's the only profession where you can reliably sleep in a new place every night? Because only amongst the SINless is there any people at all who understood why I never had a commlink for longer than 2 weeks (less, if I was 'running at the time)? Because the Yakuza won't pay cash?
[The character was before we got RC, so sleeping in cheap hotels was ruled to be equivalent of a Low Lifestyle in cost, but equivalent of squatter in price.]

For the Runt, it's basically this.
She originally started running to pay off a rather large loan she took out for her cerebral boosters, but she kept on going long after she was out of debt. She's one of those slightly crazy people who actually enjoy the runner's life, and are really probably better off there anyway.
Besides, this way, brother troll doesn't have to go back to doing special effects in bad porn sims. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

This little gem popped up as a comment for a dA piece of artwork: "We're all whores, selling our bodies on the street for cash. But if you're going to be one, be a high-priced one that does it on your own damn terms. And to hell with the rest of the world!" - Nas the Elven Wheelman

Only slightly? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Point. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

My mental image of her keeps wanting to say "No diagnoses. Suck it."

Slick : Because the universe showed him too many times that he wouldn't be able to live a happy normal life so he quit trying and the offers he got for dangerous jobs suddenly seemed a lot more interesting. Surprisingly, three years later he still hasn't been able to die but nowadays he's not so suicidal (even if he wouldn't really mind dying) but he keeps on shadowrunning to keep his mind busy on cases and forget about the rest.

Nija : "Why not? I mean, some people are businessmen, some people are policemen and I'm a shadowrunner. It makes sense: I'm good at killing people and talking to people and stuff. After all, that's what I've done for 16 years or so. I'm 21, yeah I know I look younger."

Suzy : "It's not like I had a choice. Oh well, I guess I could have stayed in some gang or another, maybe even lead one. Or I could be doing a fucking underpaid 12h shift for some corp. Born SINless in the Chicago Containment Zone, some people said I've eaten my parents to survive. That doesn't look good on a resume."

Shred : "I got a bullet in the head during a show. Probably a corp that was thinking I was going too far. The guy at the local shadow clinic was expecting some mafia thug to equip him with the whole cyber-killer package. He thought I was the guy so I am now. Anyway, it's a job filled with good opportunities to hit corps or learn their dirty secrets."

Raptor : "You know why I wear this raptor mask? Because it fits my head and I'm scarier without it. For me it was either this or working for the bastards who did it to me."

Horst Tappert (more of a joke character) : He thinks he was sent in the Shadows as an undercover Interpol agent, but he was actually sent by his former assistant (Harry Small) who hoped he'd die. He didn't so Harry keeps sending him on runs, taking the fixer share every time.

Beni is a latino ork ganger who up until very recently ran with the Chulos. He'd grown up with them and it was all he's ever known. When his girl recently fell pregnant he had to think about trying to get out of the Barrens and into a proper life to help support his family. Going heavily into debt, he had fake SINs set up for all of them, and got them a cheap, rundown house Downtown. He convinced her that he's got a job with 'unusual shift patterns', and all of his spoils go towards trying to repay his debt and providing for a family he's found himself the sole provider for. He Runs purely for the money, and still tries his best to come home every night without holes in him.

Julian King is a troll who led a relatively good life. He was born into a hard-working family with a SIN, he went through school and did well, and joined the UCAS military right out of high school. King became an Army Ranger, 101st Airborne Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team, and was dropped into Renraku Arcology during that fiasco as part of a rescue team for a visiting UCAS Senator. Inside the pyramid, King (whom got stuck with the unfortunately unoriginal nickname "Tank" by his squadmates) acquired an early template for the Auto-Assault 18 shotgun, and spent considerable time in the next few years fine-tuning and customizing the gun.

In 2063, King was discharged from the Army after a barfight broke out while he was on leave. Several Humanis Policlub goons had attempted to jump King while he was in Detroit. After thoroughly humiliating his attackers, King was brought up on charges of assault and discharged (it didn't help that one of the goons fathers was a UCAS Senator). He smuggled his prized shotgun home to Seattle.

King settled down in Auburn, employed as a bouncer at a local club that is owned in part by the Mafia. Everynow and then, he earns some extra money on the side through the illicit "shadowruns" that he is involved on as favors to friends or to his employers.

Sebastian Kane AKA "Preacher"
Sebastian Kane was once a fiery baptist preacher who lashed out against those who were different (elves, mutants, ghouls, politicians, dragons etc). After a two week business trip he went home to discover that his wife and three children had had a visitor.

His wife had been nailed to the kitchen table and flayed alive. His children had become feral ghouls and had feasted on their mother, and then they turned on him.

He had to slay his own three children and became infected. For ten years he has hunted the one responsible and in turn has become one despised and fearsome bounty hunter who exclusively hunts down any kind of paranormal threat.

The transformation into a ghoul was anything but easy as he became a changeling at the same time. The experience gave him some rather unusual abilities that he simply call a gift from god in his battle against evil.

Last known location was in Reno where he was forced to kill a twelve year old nosferatu – who’s father falsified reports and threatened witnesses to convince the police to retract his bounty hunter license. Not that he cared – he saved the poor childs soul after it had killed it’s own mother…

Now he is forced to work alongside the malcontents he has resented for most of his life and realized that monsters come in many guises – and that he is one of them.

He supplements his dietary requirements by hunting feral ghouls.

Hummingbird
Hummingbird was a happy pixie living in south america until a research team captured her entire tribe. After three years of hunting she has finally located them - Seattle.

Having assimilated herself into the shadowrunning society as a good magician (albeit only two feet tall...) she's become a very efficient sniper with a miniature crossbow and an assortment of drugs, explosvies and incendiary arrows.

Unknown to her the research team are performing live dissection on her tribe to learn about what makes pixies tick - not all of the subjects have survived...and those who have....

Some Hummingbirds come with stingers... And really bad attitudes!

My main character was a happy mamber of a normal corp family until a run by another corp's fireteam burned down the building where her prom was being held. They were blowing up a lab in the same facility to hide evidence of the theft and things got out of control. Seeing all her friends and dreams andi llusions of the corporate world shredded in momments left her more than a little unstable. After getting out of the hospital with corp paid for rebuilt sections she proceeded to drop out of the corp college and hit the streets. She became a reliable razor girl but she tends to go a little nuts facing corp sec people or worse corp black ops people. She tends to not leave these people to be questioned but refrains from hurting normal corp employees.

I had a troll mage, grounded in reality (not much in the astral skill sets) and a specialized aspecting, that the GM allowed. The idea was, he was raised in China as a soldier, and had a natural proclivity to influencing metal objects. His reason for running, other then being AWOL from a chinese military, is to raise money so he can get re-acquainted with his estranged family (just siblings, screw the parents who sold him to the military). Kind of wish I could have continued with the character. Had some fun times with him.

My favorite character Kitten (SR 3, based in 2050ies), elven Catshaman from the Green Isle, ran the shadows because her family estranged her. Her family being one of the Eight ruling families and her being chosen by Cat... Real sobstory (what can I say, I was young and had a lot of weltschmertz in me). In the end her family came to her because they needed the contacts she had amassed in Seattle and the Tir Tairngire. She is teaching sperethiel at MIT&T. From time to time fixing things for her family (always at a high cost, preferably magical so she can feed her Ally) and friends.

Then there is Morrigan Morgause Stewart (SR 3 based in 2050ies), known as Morgue.. Fomorian troll with roots in the Highlands. She was in the SAS, Air Troops, making it as far as Captain. She was dishonorably discharged because she gave a snotnosed, pissyfaced, dandylion eating, fishfaced son of a stuck up strumpet and mongrelfaced curr british lordling an earful (and a fistfull) about his tactical abilities when it came to combat. Something to do with a bucket, loads of lard and wrench... He didn't take it well. Neither did his father. Nowadays she is running the shadows of Seattle, needing the high of adrenaline and the money. Though more the adrenaline, not the money. She is a friend of Kitten's. Her brother is mumbling about her getting settled with some Highland lord (colonel in the SBS and fomorian to boot). She is thinking about it. So far the colonel won the right to woo her...

Those are my favorites.. Nowadays they are NPC's, of course...

Now then there is my Fenrir shaman, Miadré Wolfdottír.. From Iceland, running in Denmark and fights the Mærsk corp when ever she can get her chance, because they more or less buttfucked Iceland and took over when the UGE came crashing over the island. She is chosen by Fenrir because she is ferocious, battlecrazed and never ever yield. She got one huuuuge fenrir wolf as a pet and familiar. The members of the pack (the team) thinks she is cazy, but a nice back up. In short: She kicks ass and take names.

My character is slow but steadily getting old. Being a freelance PI there's no real pension program and his payroll isn't that great. So he does the occasional run to better his finances and maybe save up enough for a leonization.

Mr. Tso was an amateur simsense porn star, in charge of his own video production and distribution but with aspirations of James Bond-esque intrigue. A decent shot with a rifle and charismatic, a master of both pain and pleasure. He was retired to NPC status after asking too many questions and then proving himself infinitely useful to the ones who had the answers. Worked as a trusted personal assistant, fixer, and torturer until his boss's retirement, and is currently an independently functioning NPC around LA/Fun City.
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A college-going hacker by the matrix-moniker Caesar Giovanni spent most of his days developing programs to do his programming coursework for him, perceiving it as more of a challenge. In his free time, he dumpster-dove and took odd jobs cracking copyrights and security features for anonymous clients, utilizing disconnected commlinks to preserve his own systems. As he was lacking resources and time available to most pros, he enjoyed developing low-tech solutions to high-tech problems, implementing them for his own amusement. His talent was spotted by a local fixer, who thrust this awkward young man towards supporting a runner team, putting his cunning, and cred, to the test. Retired after helping to found a club and the particular game died down. Club was called "Hallowed Ground," and quickly developed a rep for being neutral, as Lone Star and several street gangs had a regular presence, and a few movers and shakes had interest in keeping it peaceful.
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A nameless cromed-out vagrant with unreadable dog tags was picked up by a LS patrol and brought to holding for Vagrancy. Therein, this metal man becamed unintentionally embroiled in the affairs of a couple other prisoners (the rest of the group). A veritable dichotomy of competence and ignorance, humility and capability, violence and art, this soldier, going now by the name of Blue Sky, served as honorably as during his unremembered life before. Retired by way of 'Body or it Didn't Happen.' If you're familiar with Pink Floyd, you'll see the dramatic and possibly cosmic irony in that, though somewhat agreed upon a priori by myself and the GM ...
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Yukiko was the vat-born elven daughter of a MCT subsidiary that literally intended to create the next, greatest entertainers for Japan. Stuck with an abusive handler, Yukiko was sidelined when her arm was shattered and her handler fired. The subsidiary tried to sell her off to a local gang to recoup some of their losses. The pick up went bad when a belligerent street sam dropped the recipients and turned a blind eye to the little girl following him afterwards. The presence of this new 'servant' lent an increase in prestige for the street sam, and his protege's social specialty increased his cash-flow and contacts. Years later, now, 'Father' has earned a comfortably established position as a bodyguard, and his 'daughter' heads out to find her own place in the shadows. Her arm begins to ache once more, as it always does when life is about to get 'interesting.'
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Hooli was a Triad-princess with family issues and a personality as subtly toxic as the poison flowing in her veins. Considered 'chosen' to be her family's newest protector, she was born an elf and later SuRGED into a fox-girl sans tail (much to her utter annoyance, and earning her that loathsome nickname). Highly talented in hermetic magic, she dabbled expertly in poisons, explosives, and alchemy. After being recommended to a runner team by her 'Uncle Alexander' (a high-grade Seattle fixer), she became a capable magical asset and social chameleon for her team, later leaving to usurp her father, install a treacherous sister as a puppet, and then eventually vanishing for no particular reason. Using Fashion and Make-Over, she can alter her appearance enough to throw off all but close friends, of which there are exceedingly few, and one of the several poisons she immunized herself against leaves her with a mild apple scent. Her prized possession is a fox-shifter that bears a striking resemblance to her, and that she purchased during one of her runs outside of the UCAS. Among her accomplishments is the decimation of an entire, moderately-sized village that was supporting the target of one of her runs (the spirits were not pleased). The name 'Hu Li Jing' is a Chinese slang sometimes translated as 'gold-digger.'
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My GM and I wound up discussing the meanings of different colors of silk one day, just as an off-topic sort of thing. Red silk meaning a warrior woman, White being a virgin, etc. Then I asked him what 'blue silk' meant, and he said that, off the top of his head, it didn't have one. Thus, Blue Silk was created, an elf Face working at as a professional Female Impersonator at a club in Seattle.

She deosn't play well with others and so her mouth sort of kept her out of the corporate environment.

Does not play well with others? Her mouth gets her in trouble. Where oh where could SF have gotten that idea? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

Pretty much every person on this forum? Yes, including myself.

That might be a "little" unreasonable. I'm sure of these "fine" people are very good at keeping their mouths shut when they need to.

Edit: Not me. I get myself into a lot of trouble that way. Mostly with ex-girlfriends...

One: Haven't been on here long, have you HH? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Two: You didn't get the joke.

I take exception to this! I pride myself in being incredibly precise about the things I say in character and/or pertaining to my character's actions! Granted, I also pride myself on a policy of being sure that I've earned any bad things that inevitably or are likely to happen to me. It cuts down on my own sense of resentment.

1. Long enough

2. I got the joke. Just threw my two nuyen in (though it's really only worth 1/2 a nuyen. 1 if I'm really lucky)

Current character is a domestic dog shapeshifter (wolf stats), a border collie, and she has both pecuniary and nonpecuniary reasons for shadowrunning. The former is mostly that her human "sister" (that's what she considers the human girl she grew up alongside) needs money to go to a fancy private high school. But also, the character, who goes by Skunk due to the border collie hair coloration she still has in human form, kind of wanted to strike out on her own; it's tough being a full adult at 8 years old when her human siblings don't age that fast, and she wants to start giving something back, supporting herself. She can't do it legally except by signing on with a corp like Evo and she doesn't like that idea because she doesn't want to split her loyalties between her corp and her human family, so she's gone into the shadows as a mystic investigator. She's also grappling with being sort of in between the human world and the shapeshifter world; she's far too civilized to get along with most other shifters, and she's quite capable of passing for regular human socially, but at the same time she's a bit offbeat in the human world too. Finally, she'd grown up in small-town Manitoba (Steinbach) and was kind of desperate to get the hell out because it was boring and redneck.

There is something true bloody smelling on that story. I like your story (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)