The DAMNED, Too cheesy? Options

[Sendaz]

Working up some groups/societies for background in the campaign.

First up is the DAMNED, players down the road might get an old fashioned kelp paper leaflet slipped under their door or a message mysteriously popping up on a commlink with no back trail with the following:

We live in a world where the many are being dominated by the few.

Where the masses are being molded by virtual spam and 'borderline' psychotropic influences, despite mounting evidence of it's dangers.

Where children learn more about icons than actual words.

Where our own evolutionary offspring the Technomancers are hunted and caged like animals or worse.

Where even the simplest devices must be connected to the Matrix to achieve their higher functions, functions that should have been standard in and of themselves to start with.

Where those in power even go so far as to call themselves ‘GOD’ to justify their position and keep the masses in line, pretending to protect us when they are part of the problem to begin with.

WELL. SCREW. THEM.

THEY call us FIENDS. And THEY are right.

We take their slurs and embrace them, making it our own for we are their personal demons and will not go quietly into that long night.

THEY say we try to bring everything THEY have built crashing down. Again THEY are right.

Once upon a time the idea of the Matrix was to bring freedom and information to the masses, but now it has been twisted into a parody of itself where information is restricted and freedom has been exchanged for electronic shackles.

When the foundation of what we stand upon is rotted to the core, the only way to move forward is to clean out the poison before we can look to begin the process of healing.

We are the DAMNED (Dissidents Against Mind Numbing Electronic Domination)

Still working on ins and outs of the group, along with criteria as to when players might draw their attention and attempts at recruitment.

Mostly just trying to decide if the Manifesto is just a touch over the top or sufficient. Opinions?

[Slide]

They remind me some what of Anonymous. Actually lots of hacker groups are anti-establishment quasi anarchist. or just down right Anarchist. Not sure what exactly their goal is but like many hacker groups it is either non-existent or muddled and confused or just plain vague.

[Wired_SR_AEGIS]

I'm having flashbacks of early cryptoanarchist manifestos.

I think there's room here to make a believable group, and the above serves as a good rough draft. It could probably use a little editing. For instance, "Where our own evolutionary offspring the Technomancers are hunted and caged like animals or worse" could probably use some wordcraft to communicate that thought more succinctly.

Contrast that with "Where children learn more about icons than actual words."

Much shorter sentence, but clearly and effectively communicates with an evocative image (Right? It's always for the children? Don't you have a heart? What, you hate children or something?)

-Wired_SR_AEGIS

[Remnar]

SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!!!

[GiraffeShaman]

Think of all those corporate children murdered by home invading shadowrunners. Fortunately we're protected by those nice Knight Errant men in their spiffy uniforms.

Yeah, I'm definitely going to bring back the pirate Neo-Anarchist news guys racing around Seattle in their vans this edition. It's the perfect time for them with the new Matrix and everything online.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Hard-bitten (or is that Hard-boiled?) Media Hound's are my favorite. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Remnar]

Yeah, I'm definitely going to bring back the pirate Neo-Anarchist news guys racing around Seattle in their vans this edition. It's the perfect time for them with the new Matrix and everything online.

And of course the associated shadowruns where you help (or blow up) the pirate brodcaster. Maybe some bodyguard duties for especially jucy broadcasts for when GOD ultimtely sends their bullyboys to shut down that unauthorized matrix use.

[Sendaz]

I'm having flashbacks of early cryptoanarchist manifestos.

I think there's room here to make a believable group, and the above serves as a good rough draft. It could probably use a little editing. For instance, "Where our own evolutionary offspring the Technomancers are hunted and caged like animals or worse" could probably use some wordcraft to communicate that thought more succinctly.

Contrast that with "Where children learn more about icons than actual words."

Much shorter sentence, but clearly and effectively communicates with an evocative image (Right? It's always for the children? Don't you have a heart? What, you hate children or something?)

-Wired_SR_AEGIS

Okay how about this: (aiming for more informal tone)

Where kids learn more about icons than actual words.

Where families are torn apart by simsense addiction.

Where the Children of the Matrix are butchered like animals.

Where Suits call themselves GOD and sacrifice us all on the altars of their greed.

Where F****** BATONS need a wireless hookup. Seriously?!?

[Sendaz]

Hard-bitten (or is that Hard-boiled?) Media Hound's are my favorite. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Or Hard Biting,

Audrey W from the old Shadowbeat could interview me anytime. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Slide]

I liked the mix in of formality. It added gravity to what they tried to say.

[Neurosis]

I like it, reminds me a bit of my Puck stuff in Storm Front.

[Sendaz]

It will be a bit of a mixed bag bunch, in drawing people from different avenues.

Deckers/TM will be close to the core, but not limited to this. Mages might find access to electric element spells here (to help knock off drones, fry hardware and such)

Obviously they can not go toe to toe with GOD, but can harass and attack both online and offline.

I like the idea of pirate news, this would fit with the concept of trying to alert people to the problems and outrages going on. A good Face /investigator could be handy helping find facts/news plus Muscle by way of the Sammie/Adepts to provide protection for the reporter is always a necessity.

Again this will be for flavour in the background to start and can see where it goes from there, even if just for some contacts who specialize in counter-electronics measures or news hound digging into places the powers that be don't want us to go.

[Wired_SR_AEGIS]

Where kids learn more about icons than actual words.

Where families are torn apart by simsense addiction.

Good.

Where the Children of the Matrix are butchered like animals.

Better.

Short. To the point. Illustrative, and with just enough cliche to make it accessible. (Turns out cliche is not all bad.)

Where Suits call themselves GOD and sacrifice us all on the altars of their greed.

Over the top. I'd suggest dialing it back a few notches, however, it's a good bridge into...

Where F****** BATONS need a wireless hookup. Seriously?!?

Yep. That's gold.

-Wired_SR_AEGIS

[Sendaz]

Over the top. I'd suggest dialing it back a few notches, however, it's a good bridge into...


-Wired_SR_AEGIS

Yeah I knew it was a bit much, but trying to work in the whole GOD thing since it's sort of a major point of contention plus the group's name is a counterpoint to the GOD acronym.

Maybe just drop the direct reference. Have to ponder this.

Surprised you passed the Baton one, no pun intended, but thought that it might have been too much tongue in cheek, however it did show the frustration at the whole system at a human level too.

[Wired_SR_AEGIS]

Surprised you passed the Baton one, no pun intended, but thought that it might have been too much tongue in cheek, however it did show the frustration at the whole system at a human level too.

It's like a clam. First you tickle open its shell.

Then you stab your fork in.

-Wired_SR_AEGIS

[Slide]

And to those that have the arogence to call themselves Dieties of the Matrix.... so on and so forth?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Or Hard Biting,

Audrey W from the old Shadowbeat could interview me anytime. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Indeed... Gotta love Audrey W. *Kapow, Kapow*

[IridiosDZ]

Where Suits call themselves GOD and sacrifice us all on the altars of their greed.

Make this two lines:

They call themselves GOD
and We are(were?) the Sacrifice