Are the consequences of this run too harsh? And can you help fill in some blanks for me., Spoiler alert, my players will have there liver “spoiled” by my knife Options

[thezombiekat]

Are the consequences of this run too harsh? And can you help fill in some blanks for me.
Spoiler alert, my players will have there liver “spoiled” by my knife


Relating to my previous thread on the contents of an azie warehouse. My current thinking is a crate labeled aztech computer systems XVT-O6 W:VM3&5dUPS. With a delivery invoice in fact contains a sedated dragon. The dragon was captured still hibernating and is intended for use summoning a great form blood spirit. The box is lined with biofiber and then with sheet mettle so nothing short of an astral mage poking his head in will hint at unexpected contents

The session will start in media rez, the runners have stolen a truck loaded it with all the computer equipment they decided to steal for the benefit of the school they are trying to start in the barrens, along with several crates of low end cyber-terminals (MPCP1-3) they lucked across a crated orange 6 host, and are feeling rather chuffed with themselves. they drive into the abandoned warehouse where they intended to anonimise there acquisition (so it wont get back to aztechnology that a school in Redmond was the beneficiary of the theft).

They naturally look at the shiny host first. Prying of the cheep wooden create, they find a shiny mettle box with a biometric lock. Inside that a lesser form western dragon asleep hooked up to a biomoniter and IV pump.

Aztechnology has a ritual link to the dragon and will use it for ritual tracking.

The kind of opposition I planed to use I believe the teem can handle, they are all well designed characters with about 100 karma (third edition rules) they are heavy on magic, both offensive and defensive. As well as being smart players with a strong grasp of there abilities.

It is my expectation that once the dragon has been handed off and is safe the azies will cease sending there own assets after the players and instead hire a fiew shadow runners to take them out, when that fails a couple of times they will be moved to the aztechnology passive hate list. Dose this sound like a credible response.

Secondly the dragon has had no time to acclimatize to the new world, (it overslept) I am using the earth dawn continuity so what people and organizations might it list as allies. Which of these might still be around and could the PCs actually find any of them.

The kingdom of thrall may have seemed enduring enuff in the 4th age but there is no trace of it remaining.

He might ask after the crying spire, but there has been no mention of it for a very long time and it wont be mentioned in the public domain again until dunkelzan’s will is read.

As I intend to run harlequin’s back but did not run harlequin at some time he will probably mention Har’lea’quinn and it would be convenient for him to play a part.

I could really use some more connections however. What else survived the 5th world and could be located by an alliance of a denizen of the 4th world and a handful of shadow runners in the 6th.

[Neraph]

I don't think those repercussions are enough for stealing a fraking dragon that would be used to Invoke a blood spirit. Needs moar excessive force - IE: using the ritual link, wake up the dragon and use mind control magic to make it beat the crap out of the team just as the HTR team is showing up to recapture it.

Don't deal with a dragon. Even by proxy.

I know next to nothing about Earthdawn, but you may want to try the Ancient Files. Sorry but I don't have a link for it right now.

[Sephiroth]

I don't think any kingdoms survived in really any form into the 6th world. The only things the dragon would still possibly recognize are the immortal elves, insect spirits, and other dragons. Ehran might work. Insect spirits might only work if the team has heard the term Invae before. As far as other dragons go, since none of the present greats seem to be using their actual Names, the closest you could come there would probably be Lung (Luung in the 4th World), and even that's a bit of a stretch when the Cathays and western dragons didn't talk with each other all that often.

[kzt]

How dumb are your players? No computer crate is going to hold a fricking western dragon. It's 60 feet long!.

Anyone stupid enough to believe that there is a single computer node inside a 20 ton, 20 meter long, 3 meter wide shipping container deserves what they get. You could put an entire data center in a shipping container of that size. Like this.

How are the players supposed to do anything other then close the door and sneak away? Do they have a crane and a semi handy to move it?

[Summerstorm]

And even if it were a small, young dragon or an egg or something:

Nobody guarded the damn thing? At least have one mage and 2-3 people guard this one box.. and one box only.

Nobody just "loses" such a thing in a normal warehouse without any additional people.

[thezombiekat]

I see your point on the size, I had gotten the impression that young adult dragons where smaller, and would easily be curled up in a box the size of a pallet (4’cube), which should easily be moved with a forklift, and transported in a truck.

Yes a pallet is large for a simple computer but where talking a mainframe here, possibly crated up with its 5 day UPS.

A shipping container however would hold a dragon, and could easily claim to contain a whole lot of computers, all the computers the runners wanted in fact. With the activity on the docks the runners would not have time to search the container, just put it on a flat bed truck (stolen) using the container fork lift (which would naturally be present). They may open the back and see the stack of computers put there for the benefit of any customs inspector that had the balls to open an Aztec container.

Edward

[thezombiekat]

And even if it were a small, young dragon or an egg or something:

Nobody guarded the damn thing? At least have one mage and 2-3 people guard this one box.. and one box only.

Nobody just "loses" such a thing in a normal warehouse without any additional people.

On that point I know my runners style, security at the warehouse is boosted by 1 mage and 2 elementals specifically tasked with that box, well they are all dead before they can so much as react. They would never know why or even that there was special additional security.

Edward


This post has been edited by thezombiekat: Nov 5 2010, 09:11 AM

[Brainpiercing7.6...]

I don't think those repercussions are enough for stealing a fraking dragon that would be used to Invoke a blood spirit. Needs moar excessive force - IE: using the ritual link, wake up the dragon and use mind control magic to make it beat the crap out of the team just as the HTR team is showing up to recapture it.

Don't deal with a dragon. Even by proxy.

I know next to nothing about Earthdawn, but you may want to try the Ancient Files. Sorry but I don't have a link for it right now.

I seriously hope you don't GM.

He GAVE them the frickin dragon, they didn't want it, and now he's supposed to just kill them off for his own plot hook? How stupid is that?

[UmaroVI]

Is there the possibility that your players will just dump the dragon when they open the crate? Like, close the box, take it off the truck, and haul ass? What happens then?

[thezombiekat]

I seriously hope you don't GM.

He GAVE them the frickin dragon, they didn't want it, and now he's supposed to just kill them off for his own plot hook? How stupid is that?

In all farness part of what I am asking is “is the dreck I am dropping on my PCs so deep there is no credible way out of it” under the assumption that if it is too big I will re design the run.

Once there is no profit in killing the PCs just how far will the azies go? How many hit squads, of what caliber before its not worth it to kill them.

They could send 200 aztech military goons into the Redmond barons and kill the PCs , but they would probably loose 100 to all the gangs that would attack a force that size for being an authority figure. They could send 2000 with heavy air and magical support and scare the gangs into hiding, but the UCAS army might just intervene. It is precisely the fact that the corps can’t just send in an army that many shadow runs are based on.

Edwardd

[thezombiekat]

Is there the possibility that your players will just dump the dragon when they open the crate? Like, close the box, take it off the truck, and haul ass? What happens then?

I did consider this possibility. Its much the same situation as the runners listening to the Johnson’s pitch and refusing the job. With similar quansequenses and given my groups usual attetueds a similar probability.

They don’t like to see evil flourish and they know the shadow rumors about aztechnology

These are the kind of runners that will do a self funded run to steel computers for a school in the barrens, witch they are helping to establish, with the backing of the catholic church and the local mafia family

They also have a tendency to back the little guy, or the under dog. While it may seem odd to call a 20 foot dragon “the little guy” he is being drugged to unconsciousness by probably the most evil of evil organizations, I think he will qualify.

And if they do let him get to aztechnology then they will just have to deal with a force 12 great form blood spirit next time they do a run against aztechnology.

Edward

[Ascalaphus]

It sounds like it could be a fun story, but it does require good thinking ahead. I mean, if the dragon survives, it'll probably take an active interest in the PCs. Has a definite influence on the rest of your campaign (which can be interesting.,.)

Make sure you can really justify them picking up that wrong crate. It sucks if the players go "well, if it was that obvious, we'd have never made that mistake". If, afterwards, they're like "well, with that additional security we should've known something was up, it's our own damn fault", then you've done it right.

Generally, Aztechnology would be most interested in recovering or neutralizing the dragon. If the runners are easy targets, they'll get hit, but if they lay low until the heat dies down they should just end up on the list of People To Kill If The Opportunity Should Happen To Present Itself, rather than the Hunt Down And Terminate With Extreme Prejudice list.

[darthmord]

The list of People To Kill If The Opportunity Should Happen To Present Itself, rather than the Hunt Down And Terminate With Extreme Prejudice list.

It can be quite fun being on that second list...

[Faelan]

If I were to introduce a young dragon/future contact for a party of players, I might very much consider skipping out on the blood sacrifice angle and approach a little tidbit of Earthdawn Lore regarding Astral Cocoons with Dragons being corrupted by a secret cult inside Aztechnology. Sure they want the horrors here, now, but to use not to be subjected to them. Unfortunately some of them want the Great Hunter to arrive and usher in the apocalypse. Enter a young dragon recently captured (somewhere near your city of choice), being prepped for the initial corrupting ritual. Entering the Aztechnology compound they find the roll on roll off container they are looking for (the code conveniently dropped to them by one of their contacts), only to discover it is actually the entrance to a minor subterranean complex consisting of a hangar sized storage room in the center of which is a chained dragon in the middle of a thaumaturgical circle. Add at least one Full Magician Cultist, with attendant spirits and chaos ensues.

Regardless as to Aztechnology putting a hit out on them, well it depends on their discretion. If they blab to everyone about how they punked Aztechnology I really don't see a survivable option for them, death is assured. Keep their mouths shut and they remain simple targets of opportunity, kill on sight, do not interrogate.

[sabs]

Sadly no kingdoms survived at all from Earthdawn. The implication is that the Pyramids and early Pharoahs were in fact a 4th World Kingdom. But clearly those have changed drastically. A Dragon that young might well have hatched late in the 4th world. I imagine that Dragons have ways of communicating that us mere mortals don't know or understand.

It will of course remember the Queen of the Elves, and BloodWood. (Spike Babies) but it's unclear how it will feel about them. Blood Wood Elves and dragons did not necessarily get along so well.

What would be amusing is if it tries to talk to them in Throalic. And they just look at it confused. Remember, the dragon would have no way of knowing English. It knows Throalic, Theran, Sperethiel, Draconic, probably that Ork Language. Actually if one of your players is an Ork with any ties to the Ork Underground the dragon might be able to talk to him (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Doc Chase]

I seriously hope you don't GM.

He GAVE them the frickin dragon, they didn't want it, and now he's supposed to just kill them off for his own plot hook? How stupid is that?

I find myself continually hoping you don't, if dragons in shipping crates don't break your suspension of disbelief.

One other thing that could easily happen is that AZT simply pays the runners to get their dragon back. No fuss, no muss, no collateral damage. If this beastie kept hitting the snooze alarm, it may very well be that the Beasties that Be have forgotten about it or assumed that it's the Big Sleep. Alternatively, maybe they do know, and there will be repercussions down the line when it's time for the ritual.

[Warlordtheft]

I see your point on the size, I had gotten the impression that young adult dragons where smaller, and would easily be curled up in a box the size of a pallet (4’cube), which should easily be moved with a forklift, and transported in a truck.

Yes a pallet is large for a simple computer but where talking a mainframe here, possibly crated up with its 5 day UPS.

Well, the dragon could be in human form---and that could involve more evilness....

[Doc Chase]

Well, the dragon could be in human form---and that could involve more evilness....

What if it had amnesia, too?

[Michel]

Well, we might not play at the same level... to find a dragon... asleep... that's cool. I'd love to be in such a big shit with my group!

In my opinion and in my imagination, a dragon is something you usually don't loose... So, the security must be set according to the fact they defend a dragon. That would mean enough to keep the dragon in the box if it tries to go away. That is already a lot. (just my opinion...)

In this case, set the opposition in relation to the good they transport, not in relation with the level of your group. They should know if something is too big for them. Or if they consider they could make it, they could find a brilliant plan to steal the box... Anyway, if you prepare the security with planning that the group will manage, it would be unrealistic (in my opinion).

If they manage, I think Aztech would do a lot to get the dragon back. Depending on where they loose it they will use diferent means. I didn't really understand if it was in Seattle or somewhere in the middle of nothing. In this second case, Aztech will unleash all they have I think. If it is in Seattle, they'll let their best units find the dragon back. I think they'll do anything to find it back. The characters should find a really good way to disappear or get protection from someone really powerfull...

All this to have it credible in my opinion. If in your game there are sleeping dragons everywhere, well, might be not such a big deal then...

The main idea: for it to be credible, set up the security regarding what they protect, not regarding your players.

[sabs]

You could have a bigger Shadowrun team hitting the warehouse at the same time. Taking the bulk of the protection.

You set it like this:

Shadowrun team Apha hits the warehouse to try and rescue the dragon. They're hired by Dunkie. (or someone else) and they engage the /ridiculous/ Aztechnology defense of this warehouse. Which is completely out of norm for a warehouse full of cyberdecks. Then your players show up away from the current firefight. They don't notice the fire fight until they're inside the warehouse. They have to deal with some of the security. But not all of it.

Hilarity ensues?

[Shinobi Killfist]

By the way, I do not know your teams style and all. But you said the only way people would know what was in the crate is if the mage astrally stuck his head into it. I can safely say that would be the first thing I'd do as a mage if I found a crate astrally blocked with biofiber but labeled computer parts. I'd assume it was something magically delicious because computer parts and other tech would just be bland shadows on the astral without any need for the biofiber. And most mages I play would want the cool magic thing in the big ass pallet.

Other than that I kind of like the premise. Cool thing with somewhat increased security but mainly guarded by anonymity. Players steal it by accident and plot point ensues. Personally I'd probably make the attacks fairly damn heavy, as heavy as Aztech feels they can get away with in public. Have the main survival option of the PCs be waking up and successfully negotiating with the dragon. Even a young one might be more than Aztech wants to handle, especially if he has contacts with a more powerful and awake dragon. Which could also be an out for to high level of overt revenge from the Azzies, if a Great dragon tells the Azzies you might want to let this one slide because I am happy these humans woke my child up they might drop it.

A bit implausible yes, but the vast majority of SR is a bit implausible.

[Wounded Ronin]

It sounds like it could be a fun story, but it does require good thinking ahead. I mean, if the dragon survives, it'll probably take an active interest in the PCs. Has a definite influence on the rest of your campaign (which can be interesting.,.)

Make sure you can really justify them picking up that wrong crate. It sucks if the players go "well, if it was that obvious, we'd have never made that mistake". If, afterwards, they're like "well, with that additional security we should've known something was up, it's our own damn fault", then you've done it right.

Generally, Aztechnology would be most interested in recovering or neutralizing the dragon. If the runners are easy targets, they'll get hit, but if they lay low until the heat dies down they should just end up on the list of People To Kill If The Opportunity Should Happen To Present Itself, rather than the Hunt Down And Terminate With Extreme Prejudice list.

Oh, I've been meaning to ask for a while...what does "with extreme prejudice" mean?

[Summerstorm]

Shoot first, ask questions never. Then shoot again, to make sure. (And use your biggest gun) *g*

[sabs]

Or maybe more.

Yes.. spotting these people does allow you to activate HRT "CyberZombie", no no questions will be asked.

It's when they throw the book at you.

[tagz]

Yeah, the light security doesn't quite feel right on this one. It's a dragon, you don't forget about that.

I like Sabs idea about the other team drawing most of the security.


The other possibility is a form of secret security. Extremely low profile, so low as to make anyone who looks that way think there isn't anything worth the effort there. Location should be somewhat low property value, like crappy docks, etc. It should not have the Aztecnology symbol anywhere near it, it's a lesser known or secret subsidiary (they could have the intel that it's really AZT though). Obvious security is just a chain link fence around the building and CCTV cameras only at obvious entrances, and a few flood lights in a couple of the darker areas. No patrolling security, no wards, no drones.

But things are more then meets the eye. Talking to the locals and they might tell you that they almost never see any deliveries or anything, they assume it's long term storage. But the bum outside, the drug dealer in the ally across the way, and another well hidden with a good vantage point, are in fact Ocelomeh (Jaguars, AZT elites trained to protect the most valuable location and assets of AZT). There are also a few more located in a nearby safehouse, complete with a mage who can be called in Astrally when called. Their orders aren't to stop people from going in. Or even coming out. Their orders are to protect the container, so they watch people who go in on well placed stealth cameras to see if they take interest in the container. If someone does, they move in to erase them. I suggest something fun, one shows up obviously as a distraction while the other two jump out of the shadows, but only once they've found out or is otherwise theatrically fitting. These are men without fear. The rest of the forces would show up soon so the clock starts running.

The container should not be alone, there should be several lined up, collecting dust as they are not moved, many with graffiti AR tags. They should have to match up the container by number or something. THAT ONE definitely doesn't have graffiti. I suggest most containers have actual things in them, but low value objects in bulk. But the one they are sent to get... some sort of red herring.

In fact, the container they check out could even be legit. Perhaps under it is signs of ANOTHER container, set into the concrete, or a secret entrance that becomes visible once the container is moved. Or perhaps the container has that secret entrance INSIDE the container, all attempts to move it fail as it seems anchored to the floor.


Hope I gave you some good ideas.