Bridge Breakers - Dumpshock Forums

Bridge Breakers, A 6th world oddity in the CAS.

Gerzel View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 04:43 AM Post #1
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 209 Joined: 25-January 07 Member No.: 10,771	I am working on a campaign that I will be running in a couple of months. The setting will be the area in which me and my players live, the Raleigh North Carolina area. Unfortunetly there isn't that much that I've found as far as info for the state of North Carolina in particular for SR. So I'm making my own. Below is the first draft of one article. Comments both in and out of character are welcome. Please! This is a phenomena that takes place in the Carolina and Virginia regions of the CAS as well as up into the UCAS on occasion. Bridges crossing rivers, inlets or other flowing bodies of water have been reportedly demolished by some unknown force. There have been very few witnesses and even fewer who were able to give a clear description of what might be the creature behind the demolitions. Each bridge is demolished when no one is on or near the bridge by from the few reports available are near humanoid giant figures seen through a fog. The figures are reportedly as tall as twenty to twenty five feet and move with a slow slouching gate. However, close investigation of the demolition sites have rendered no foot prints, even in areas with soft marshy ground, and no physical evidence of these beings has ever been captured, except that the bridges themselves seem to have been smashed by a series of large impacts. Most local authorities in areas where these occurrences are more common take the beings as a nuisance pest but not a major worry, as they seem not to be hostile to metahumans directly. There is even one fairly reliable report of a passed out drunk being moved off of a bridge before it was smashed. The phenomena has documented cases going back to about five years after the Awakening, with smaller rural bridges being the first targets. The areas effected seem to be between the barrier islands and the Southern Appalachian mountain range. Most jurisdictions now post warning signs for motorists to be sure to check the bridge ahead including solar powered flashing yellow lights at night. Some areas have taken to constructing the bridges so that the spans will collapse in a controlled manner making them easier to repair; while others have taken to building bridges with mobile spans that can be connected or pulled back, leaving sections open during non-peak travel times. Some large interstate and very active bridges have had 24 hour guards posted so that there will always be an awake metahuman on the span.

bibliophile20 View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 04:54 AM Post #2
Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,180 Joined: 22-January 07 From: Rochester, NY Member No.: 10,737	Hehe, that's an interesting bit; so, are your players going be tracking down these mysterious dentists? (y'know, the guys doing a bit of "bridgework" ba-dum-ching! :D )

Gerzel

Feb 16 2007, 05:34 AM

Post #3

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QUOTE (bibliophile20)

Hehe, that's an interesting bit; so, are your players going be tracking down these mysterious dentists? (y'know, the guys doing a bit of "bridgework" *ba-dum-ching!* :D )

Actually no. I'm not really planning on it but I am keeping them as a plot hook.

Rule of GMing #23 - Always keep plenty of plot hooks around. You never know when you'll need to drag the party elsewhere.

Crakkerjakk View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 09:52 AM Post #4
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 238 Joined: 24-January 07 Member No.: 10,756	Dude, throw in some serious smuggling stuff... maybe the ghost of the Queene Anne's Revenge, but seriously, too much cool smuggling history in the outer banks not to throw some more in in the 2070s. And I assume there's gonna be significant military presence down near Jacksonville(NC, not FL).

Daddy's Litt... Daddy's Little Ninja View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 06:16 PM Post #5
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 976 Joined: 16-September 04 From: Near my daughters, Lansdale PA Member No.: 6,668	It sounds almost like an version of the Mothman. Snow fox can probably give more details or clear it up. But I think that was in the 1950's a bunch of weird sightings that ended with a bridge collapsing somewhere in West Virginia.

Thane36425 View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 08:15 PM Post #6
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 548 Joined: 21-December 06 Member No.: 10,416	Raleigh? I used to visit that area often. Interesting story idea. Is it based on any local legends or anything? It sounds like some kind of spirit, maybe a stream or river spirit that has something against bridges. Probably be a big bounty on it if the team could find a way to actually kill it. That would probably mean being lucky enough to spot it wrecking a bridge, getting its signature and going on an astral quest to destroy it. Sounds like it would have a high force rating though, which might put it beyond most runner team's ability to handle, particularly on a quest.

Sir_Psycho View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 09:32 PM Post #7
Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,629 Joined: 14-December 06 Member No.: 10,361	Maybe it's not such a high force, it's just got the "Destroy Bridge" spell. (the object version of Slay Species) :D

Gerzel

Feb 16 2007, 10:15 PM

Post #8

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QUOTE (Crakkerjakk)

Dude, throw in some serious smuggling stuff... maybe the ghost of the Queene Anne's Revenge, but seriously, too much cool smuggling history in the outer banks not to throw some more in in the 2070s. And I assume there's gonna be significant military presence down near Jacksonville(NC, not FL).

Yeah don't worry. I've got the smuggling and military angle planned (haven't gotten to covering it yet but working on it.). This is but one part of my notes for my campaign. I want to add details like this so that my players can have a sense of continual history.

Here are some major points for the NC area.

1. The NC region and much of the SE experienced a regrowth of forests with the Awakening similar to the regrowth of the Black Forest in and the forests in Northern Spain.

2. The spirits and paracritters in the NC country side are fairly powerful with a tendency to band together against common threats. However they are also somewhat more amenable to metahuman cohabitation. Small farms and even small industry and quarrying are tolerated as long as the land is not abused.

3. Once you get out of the developed areas the land and Nature take over quickly. There is still quite a bit of farmland around but most of the land has reverted to a more natural setting.

Gerzel

Feb 16 2007, 10:25 PM

Post #9

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QUOTE (Thane36425)

Raleigh? I used to visit that area often.

Interesting story idea. Is it based on any local legends or anything?

It sounds like some kind of spirit, maybe a stream or river spirit that has something against bridges. Probably be a big bounty on it if the team could find a way to actually kill it. That would probably mean being lucky enough to spot it wrecking a bridge, getting its signature and going on an astral quest to destroy it. Sounds like it would have a high force rating though, which might put it beyond most runner team's ability to handle, particularly on a quest.

The idea isn't really based on local legends; I just made it up, but it is something that fits into the feel I want for the NC area, at least as far as the spirit and paracritter population goes.

In my mind there are many critters actually doing the demolition, not just a single one, and in the report I gave I think I mentioned that witnesses have reported "figures" rather than a single giant figure. Also I wanted to get across that the bridges were being demolished rather than simply being destroyed. The creatures doing it purposefully break the spans and at times move the rubble so that the river below isn't damaged too much. Their gripe seeming to be with the river being spanned, something crossing the river blocking water from sky.

Thane36425

Feb 16 2007, 10:42 PM

Post #10

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QUOTE (Gerzel)

The idea isn't really based on local legends; I just made it up, but it is something that fits into the feel I want for the NC area, at least as far as the spirit and paracritter population goes.

In my mind there are many critters actually doing the demolition, not just a single one, and in the report I gave I think I mentioned that witnesses have reported "figures" rather than a single giant figure. Also I wanted to get across that the bridges were being demolished rather than simply being destroyed. The creatures doing it purposefully break the spans and at times move the rubble so that the river below isn't damaged too much. Their gripe seeming to be with the river being spanned, something crossing the river blocking water from sky.

Looking back you did mention giant figures seen in the fog. If they are dismantling the bridges and clearing the debris away, that sounds like they have some idea about engineering. Somewhere in the canon is a mention of vorporal beavers. Could be a pack of them with an image projection ability like the Talis Cat used to scare off whatever sees them. They could be considering the bridges rival structures that threaten their habitat so they are taking them out. That lends itself to a scene right out of Monty Python's Holy Grail: the team is backing up a Knight Errant Paracritter Control team when the beaver start biting off heads, with the Knights Errant retreating yelling, "run away!"

It is an interesting concept you came up with.

mfb View Member Profile	Feb 16 2007, 11:32 PM Post #11
Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670	in the Charlotte game i ran, i had kudzu overunning the poorer parts of the city. rural areas had to fight the constant, fast growth of the vine, which had increased after the Awakening.

Thane36425

Feb 16 2007, 11:43 PM

Post #12

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QUOTE (mfb)

in the Charlotte game i ran, i had kudzu overunning the poorer parts of the city. rural areas had to fight the constant, fast growth of the vine, which had increased after the Awakening.

Now that's mean. Kudzu's bad enough as it is, an Awakened version would be a monster.

Herald of Verjig... Herald of Verjigorm View Member Profile	Feb 17 2007, 01:03 AM Post #13
Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017	Try genetically modified awakened kudzu. It was designed to be a cheap way to grow large amounts of high grade lumber-like plant produce, no one knew that the tree samples they had taken were from a Sangre del Diablos ...

Thane36425

Feb 17 2007, 01:16 AM

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QUOTE (Herald of Verjigorm @ Feb 16 2007, 08:03 PM)

Try genetically modified awakened kudzu.

It was designed to be a cheap way to grow large amounts of high grade lumber-like plant produce, no one knew that the tree samples they had taken were from a Sangre del Diablos ...

Interesting. What might be more likely is to genemod a pine tree. They are very common and grow well and fast in the south as it is and are a major cash crop. Crossing a pine with the Sangre del Diablos, accidently or course, could be very interesting. Pines reproduce by releasing pollen into the air, as anyone who lives in the south can attest to when they find their car turned yellow in the morning. That means there is the possibility that the genes could spread to otherwise normal pines, creating new hybrid species.

Gerzel

Feb 17 2007, 01:32 AM

Post #15

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The kudzu and genetically modified pine are not exactly the slant I was going for but defiantly something to write up and keep under my hat. Thanks :D

The group at least initially will be focused in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/RTP area. Their first run will be because they are forced to. What they know now is that their characters wake up in a semi-abandoned building well...lemme just post what I sent them.

QUOTE

How it all Begins
Your character wakes up, still feeling the effects of some kind of knock out drug, in a dingy room with several other people sprawled out, dumped almost haphazardly amongst old broken furniture. A cold draft comes in through a broken window with morning sunlight filtering in through some dispersing vapors. There is a chemical smell in the air that seems to shock you awake as you inhale it. The only thing in the room that isn't dilapidated is a single small pocket computer with its display already rolled out and set up. In a moment a far too dapper voice comes from the computer.

Good Morning. First of all I would like to thank you for making this field test possible. You each have been injected with a new series of cutter nanoware, with extended activation protocols and degradation defense features. In more common terms they are smart juicers that linger in your bloodstream for a long time before activating and indiscriminately cutting their way through surrounding biological tissues. Needless to say the result on the average metahuman body is something best left unmentioned.

Until that point in time due to this nanoware will not interfere at all with your activities. Now before that time you have the option of deactivating the nanobots, at which point they will go into a dormant state. They will remain potentially lethal for a long period after they are deactivated, if a reactivation trigger is given. This computer contains information as to how you would go about deactivation and where you can find the right data and equipment to do so.

And now to prove that I am not bluffing about the effectiveness of your new nanoware one of you has been given a set programed to go off at this time.

Near the window an orc sporting a chromed cyberarm convulses and lets out a wet scream that dissolves into a sickening gurgle. He starts to stand but falls and his body collapses in on itself, blood and liquefied tissue leaking out from his body. After a terrible thirty seconds there is little left, but a puddle dripping through the old floor boards.

Good Luck!

bibliophile20

Feb 17 2007, 03:08 AM

Post #16

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QUOTE (Gerzel)

The kudzu and genetically modified pine are not exactly the slant I was going for but defiantly something to write up and keep under my hat. Thanks :D

The group at least initially will be focused in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/RTP area. Their first run will be because they are forced to. What they know now is that their characters wake up in a semi-abandoned building well...lemme just post what I sent them.

QUOTE

How it all Begins
Your character wakes up, still feeling the effects of some kind of knock out drug, in a dingy room with several other people sprawled out, dumped almost haphazardly amongst old broken furniture. A cold draft comes in through a broken window with morning sunlight filtering in through some dispersing vapors. There is a chemical smell in the air that seems to shock you awake as you inhale it. The only thing in the room that isn't dilapidated is a single small pocket computer with its display already rolled out and set up. In a moment a far too dapper voice comes from the computer.

Good Morning. First of all I would like to thank you for making this field test possible. You each have been injected with a new series of cutter nanoware, with extended activation protocols and degradation defense features. In more common terms they are smart juicers that linger in your bloodstream for a long time before activating and indiscriminately cutting their way through surrounding biological tissues. Needless to say the result on the average metahuman body is something best left unmentioned.

Until that point in time due to this nanoware will not interfere at all with your activities. Now before that time you have the option of deactivating the nanobots, at which point they will go into a dormant state. They will remain potentially lethal for a long period after they are deactivated, if a reactivation trigger is given. This computer contains information as to how you would go about deactivation and where you can find the right data and equipment to do so.

And now to prove that I am not bluffing about the effectiveness of your new nanoware one of you has been given a set programed to go off at this time.

Near the window an orc sporting a chromed cyberarm convulses and lets out a wet scream that dissolves into a sickening gurgle. He starts to stand but falls and his body collapses in on itself, blood and liquefied tissue leaking out from his body. After a terrible thirty seconds there is little left, but a puddle dripping through the old floor boards.

Good Luck!

*shudder* that's pretty nasty, more for the "OMG, OMG, it's inside me, geddit out!" factor than anything else, and worse than cortex bombs IMO--a cortex bomb will kill you before you realize it; one of these things will kill you painfully. Add to that that they sound alot more difficult to remove than a cortex bomb... ouch.

So I'm assuming that they're being used as "incentive" for the runners to cooperate--or are they just walking experiments for their controller to test these new cutters out on?

Gerzel

Feb 17 2007, 05:04 AM

Post #17

Moving Target

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QUOTE (bibliophile20)

*shudder* that's pretty nasty, more for the "OMG, OMG, it's inside me, geddit out!" factor than anything else, and worse than cortex bombs IMO--a cortex bomb will kill you before you realize it; one of these things will kill you painfully. Add to that that they sound alot more difficult to remove than a cortex bomb... ouch.

So I'm assuming that they're being used as "incentive" for the runners to cooperate--or are they just walking experiments for their controller to test these new cutters out on?

They are much more difficult, b/c cortex bombs don't hide from the surgeons and if you don't get all of em...well just imagine a torture session where you inject a few of those buggers at a time and let them circulate a few minutes before activating. "Oh looks like that one went off in your liver!"

Yes they are an incentive to get the run done. The comp on the floor will have all the data they need for the mission.

Further than that I can't say b/c a player or two might be on this board.

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