Oops, I'll go fix that name.

I'm all ready to head to the meet - Carla has to do a couple of things, but I can easily incorporate those into a post leading up to the meeting.

EDIT: Adamu - Does Carla make it downtown without any difficulties?

Adamu

No Signal Scanner. John had very little gear to start with, besides the implants, I think it was nothing but ID, safehouse, certified credsticksand and software.

PS: those frankenstein-boots are super-ugly

More for fun/flavour again..

Trid Phantasam, Force 5
Magic (5) + Spellcasting (5) + MoonMaiden (2) + Low Pain Tol. (-1) = 11 dice
[5] 1 3 [6] [5] 3 [6] [6] 1 [6] 3 Hits:6

Drain
WP (4) + Charisma (5) = 9 dice
[5] 4 4 2 2 [5] 1 [5] [5] Hits:4

Vegas

Okay, left you two choices of which way to go (and obviously you always have the third choice of "whatever else you can think of").

The drug is an alternate form of Bliss, stronger this time. You need to make a Willpower + Logic test. Threshhold 2 to avoid a mild addiction. The game effects at this time are double the Bliss listing in the book (your addiction roll, though, is unmodified).

Whatever you choose to do at this point, IC as short or as long (up to around 4:00) as you care to, and add any party fluff you like. There's probably nothing too outrageous you can do, so whatever is fine. I will pick up IC where you leave off, or at 4ish.

First Wave

Just letting you all know - I'm waiting for Krait to arrive before posting. I imagine MK wants to get him to the bar somewhat early, and since Carla won't get there until the last minute, I don't want to walk into any time warps.

First Wave
Same reasoning on my part.

Maybe Carla and Conall can run into each other in the parking lot

I thought Conall just entered the bar.

He's about to

Grrrr
Just whiped my own post off the page

2nd try
Sorry, I intended to post last night, but had to spend 2 hours waiting in the car to pick up some guests, who´s bus got stuck in traffic.
I am farely sure I can make it tonight.

If you want, just post ahead and asume John had been there since 2130. He is waring the same outfit he did at Meg´s place.
Or else I´ll make up something, so he dosn´t get there early (just try to keep it before 2200, then, so I don´t have to make him come late).

Alright, thanks for letting us know.

Adamu

Ask and ye shall receive.

Addiction Resist
Willpower (4) + Logic (4) = 8 dice
2 [6] 1 3 3 3 1 3 Hits:1

Woo! Let the fun begin. I was waiting to blow a roll like this sooner or later.

EDIT: wrong thread

Okay, I have Krait and Paddy at the meet. BR - are you (or anyone else) waiting on me for something?

MK mentioned some search stuff IC, and I will get to that ASAP - but no need to hold up the meet for that.

Sorry, I've had a busy couple of days. I'll definitely be able to post tomorrow, though.

No need to say sorry, especially not for a consistent poster such as yourself. RL happens to the best of us. Just wanted to make sure the problem wasn't on my end.

MK Ultra

Okay, I have sifted through your IC post - there was a lot of stuff you said you WOULD do, and other stuff you said you DID do. And looks like it is a reasonable amount of stuff for the time you had available. So...

Chiaki Suzuki's focus in engineering is bio-magnetic assimilation. She also is taking physics and chemistry courses. And a smattering of Ethnic Studies classes. You can access this because she checked the "open disclosure" box on her matriculation forms.
She went to Colombia on a Rotary Club scholarship.

Querying the Agent on why it picked Swanson, you see that her Master's Thesis was on Colombian dialects of Spanish.

There is a picture of Patricia McCormack. (see next post)
She got her PhD from Tufts University.
Your business training allows you to understand that she has little or no actual power at FB - as a highly educated specialist, she is a highly salaried asset outside the management structure - although her ability to write evaluations regarding employee motivation levels gives her a lot of power over individuals' careers.
Her boss is the Head of Auxilliary Human Resource Development, Perry Wong.
Her security is probably the same as any high-lifestyle person.
You find no ties with any academic institutions - not surprising, as her brainpower is a bought-and-paid-for proprietary resource of FB, and they don't like to share.

Traininvain - nothing unusual in posts before or after the assumed time of disappearance.

Most of the Zephyrs have hints of shady connections - the sex industry is, after all, controlled by OC wherever you go. The full-on escorts are almost certainly connected to whateve Family or Gumi or Ring or whatever holds sway in their sphere, and there are hints of that that are easy to find. The exotic dancers maybe not so much so, but none appear to have happy homes with white picket fences, 1.3 kids and a dog, either. Two are porn actresses, one of which is apparently quite well known in the Adult Entertainment world.

Crossreferencing the Browse vs. the Edit, you see that the encrypted sites were generally accessed at the same time Edit work was done on the terminals screen-saver collages (the ones with lots of pictures of super-thin and scantily-clad elite models and athletes).

Looking into node accesses gets you zero - as I explained to BR - it appears that Esmeralda did all of her telecommunications on her commlink, and when home she would route it through her home terminal for the better audio-visual features, but the home terminal was not set to log or record those uses.

The bus route heads straight downtown, to the huge underground bus terminal (exists in real life if you want to try to dig up info that way) that is a public transportation hub for the Metroplex. In other words, this bus line could lead literally anywhere.

Belinda texts you back, "Name a time, gringo!" Virtual clubs are a VERY safe way to meet new friends.

Patricia McCormack

Vegas

Well, in response to your Bliss-weakened/enhanced sampling of a generous and (you were warned) ultra-pure line of this "highly addictive social drug," you will need

Willpower + Logic (2) to avoid a mild psychological addiction

AND

Willpower + Body (2) to avoid a mild physical addiction.

Psychological Resist
Willpower (4) + Logic (4) = 8 dice
[5] 4 4 2 2 [5] 1 [5] Hits:3

Physical Resist
Willpower (4) + Body (3) = 7 dice
[5] [5] 1 3 [6] [5] 3 Hits:4

Safe...for now.

So ominous sounding.... "For Now." it really needs the maniacal laugh track at the end there

Okay, you can cue the maniacal laughter now.

No idea in the world what you'll want to do here. If it involves escape, violence or spellcasting, I'll need an initiative, etc. If it does not involve those things, IC what you like for two or three seconds or so. OOC stuff naturally welcome as well.

You are now under the combined effects of Bliss and Novacoke. So the Reaction mods cancel out, you are at +1 to ALL threshholds, you have pain resistance 3, the novacoke's high pain tolerance cancels your low pain tolerance, you've got +1 Charisma - but this situation will more than cancel all that "social drug bonus" right out the window. You do have +1 die for Perception.

Help the GM with a rules question!

In both threads people have been talking about using a photograph to aid Astral Tracking. I dimly recall reading such a rule, but have had no luck finding the reference. Little help?

OM fucking G!!!!!!

I should know better than to check the forums on my breaks via cell!

so NOT expecting THAT.. poor Harold. this is gonna get icky, isn't it?

I'm @ work till 3 and have a class till 8 tonight, if I can squeeze in a post between I will.

just for clarification, people have breached the party from above AND below, correct?

EDIT:

Also, is the voice familiar to one of the house security team? I.E. Costello or Costigan specifically? I'm assuming whomever it is, is realizing it's her via the astral/her aura more than her appearance?

Oh, and while I'm at it... trying to look for any other way out of the VIP area besides the hatch/ladder that turned Harold into a fine red mist.

Intuition (4) + Perception (1) + Perception Bonus (1) = 6 dice
[6] [5] 3 [6] [6] 1 Hits:4

Holy shit...

Adamu, Mister Juan & BlueRondo

I´ll post the suggestions here - I´ll try to get them done today, but I can´t promis,I´m horribly tired.
If you want me to, I can also re-post the information collected so far in one fat spoile.

I whish I had a sleep-regulator

Thanks MJ - don't see anything about photos there, but I can see how one would be helpful, to allow you to give the a spirit a mental image.
As someone mentioned on the other thread - having a Photographic Memory would be helpful to the summoner in this case - too bad everyone in your team but you has that.
Anyway, appreciate the rules tip.

Wow, while adding to my posts before it ate part of my question about the recognizing her... point being I knew her spells didn't alter her face like facial sculpt does for adepts or anything... but yeah, your explaining goes above and beyond, a "yes" or "no" would have satisfied me

I need to think about what to do... post will be forthcoming with OOC where necessary.

Ok..

Intuition (4) + Reaction (3) = 7 dice
[5] [5] [5] 1 3 [6] [5] Hits:5
Initiative = 7 + 5 = 12

First Wave

I'm just waiting for MK to post the suggestions written in the credstick.

Vegas

Well, your basic game terms problem is the Interception rule (not to mention their higher initiative).

In any case, your RP moves were good and well-justified, capitalizing nicely on various environmental factors, so for the first pass and your break for the hatch, I will say that you have moved from the apex of the triangle - with the two both hovering directly above you - to the end of a line of the three of you - you've moved "out from under them" so that only one is still close to you. In other words, you only have to "get past" one of them instead of two to reach the hatch.

IF you reach the hatch, it will be a simple action to open, and then you can continue movement down it if you so choose at that time - all in one action. Since it is five meters to the hatch, if you WALK you could reach it and have 5 x 0.25 (climbing multiplier) to move down the ladder - so you'd be 1.25 m down the ladder - (it's 5 meters down to main floor). With running, you be able to get the whole way down to the floor, but it costs a free action.

That's IF you get past them.
First, the guy nearest you will try to grab you. If he fails, he still gets his free Intercept grab. If he fails that, you are free.
Keep in mind that if you use full-defense, you will have no simple action with which to open the hatch.

So I need you to roll Reaction + Unarmed Combat or Dodge TWICE - once for each attack. (add uac or dodge AGAIN if you use full D).

Adamu

Thanks for the info. I will mention IC when I´m doingthe searches I posted I WOULD do (checking the boy, the 8 esmeraldas & patricia´s kids).
I guess I also found nothing in Traininvain´s posts on the dark sites, by searching for off-topic comments (in relation to the thread posted in).

I chose the virtual club, both, because of John´s paranoia and because I asumed most people (especialy females) would be reluctant to meet someone in the flesh after knowing them online for only a day. Dos that 'VERY safe' mean it would seem strange or overly cautious to normal people? I thought it would be appropriate - but then again, I´m afrait I´m abit paranoid myself.

With looking into node Esmeralda´s accesses, I meant I´d compare the sites she visited (from her brows log) with the sites I found, that sport any posts from or information about the people I´ve been looking for. I.e. did any of the Chiakis ever post (with a nick I know of) on any site that apears in Esmeraldas browse-log - if not, dos anyapear on sites with similar topics to those fromthe log or with some ther conection (i.e. the site in question have a link or refference to some site Esmeralda visited or vice versa)? With some statistics this should support some candidates over others (similar interests, etc.) - of corse this could produce false leads, i.e. Takakuwa will have a more hits (religious sites), due to her being a nun and a nurse, but the agent should counter this, by taking it into account (looking for more specific similarities instead, i.e. sites about St. Catherine). I´m aware that this alone won´t flag any person as the right one, but it might give another hint, which are more or less likely tobe the onesI´m looking for.

About the bus-rout. Even though the hub potentially leads to everywhere, my question was if some target-areas (homes, jobs, anything from the people in the address-book or places from the brows-log) would not usually be aproache using this rout. If this bus-rout is literally the only one leading away from the barrio, this won´t turn up anything of course. Otherwise there might be places (anything to the south and southeast) that Esmeralda was probably not heading to.

If you want to let some time pass, I´d have something to do (getting a good decrypt - see below).

BlueRondo (& Mister Juan if Paddy eventually reads the stuff)

following are the paraphrased suggestions & requests on the credstick.

So far, we have no hot trail, but several leads to follow.

Maybe Sister Ophelia has a picture or recorded fone-call of Esmeralda. There is also a boy in the neighborhood, who quiet likely has been in posession of a picture but I have to check him out further, first. Please also check the archive of pictures from the com-unit for any pictures of the nun - though it is unlikely there is one. We can use a good Edit-Program to produce a picture with your help of all else fails.

Approaching any of the contacts from the address-book is an option, but risks our secrecy. I´d like to do further research on them first, but we could start observing them. In any case you need to specify your request for secrecy more clearly. We need to know what we are approved to do without checking back with you every night! This is also regarding the means of extracting information from potential sorces, which are supposed to be the targets friends and associates after all.

There is a good chance to find something in your encrypted files, but to decrypt them we will need special software, which is not easy to come by and quiet expansive. I can aquire the program in 4 days, maybe 3, but I might need 2 days more to gather the necessary funds, if you can´t provide me with another 500 up front. I could also get a less powerfull version in 1 day, but I´m not sure it will do the job.

Adamu

Totally understand, just wanted to put the "plan" into play for my own reminder as much as a heads up for you. I have so much in my head I'm forgetting things left and right

Anyway, spending a point of edge to re-roll all dice that don't hit on the first test.

Reaction (3) + Dodge (2) = 5 dice
1 [5] [5] [5] 1 Hits:3

Edge Reroll (2) = 2 dice
3 [6] Hits:1
Total Hits: 4

Reaction (3) + Dodge (2) = 5 dice
[5] 3 [6] [6] 1 Hits:3

If that's enough, she'll run not walk to the hatch. If it's not and one of the Coz's do grab her she's going to go ballistic and try to fight free, scream, whatever to stop them from spiriting her away. (just in case you want to write that into any post you make)

Vegas

No need for either of us to IC anything until we resolve a bit further...

You weaseled past his first try, but he got you on the second. And he's strong and you're little (S vs. B). In game terms, you are now immobilized - you can speak or use magic, but the only action you have available to you that involves moving your body is to try to break out of the hold - that's a Complex Action - Strength + Unarmed Combat.

It is your action now, although it is obvious that once you do whatever you want to do, the second Coz is coming in for the assist.

IF - and I'm not suggesting or unsuggesting either way, but IF at some point you wish to quit resisting in game terms (just go along with them in terms of EFFECT, not necessarily in terms of RP), we can just go back to IC. Either way, it's your action right now.

First Wave

Carla's not fully honest about why they need to be secretive, so here's a Con roll:

2 Con + 3 Charisma = 5 dice: 3 1 2 5 4 = 1 hit.

Adamu,

She'll attempt to struggle against Coz #1's grasp at first when he gets a grip on her.

She'll overcast Influence on Coz #1 with the suggestion of "Let go"

Influence Force 7 (Overcasted)
Magic (5) + Spellcasting (5) = 10 dice
[5] 4 4 2 2 [5] 1 [5] [5] [5] Hits:5

Drain Resist Drain = (7/2) +1 = 4
Charisma (5) + Willpower (4) + Charisma Bonus (1) = 10 dice
1 3 [6] [5] 3 [6] [6] 1 [6] 3 Hits:5
No drain.

Didn’t know if the +1 charisma bonus from Nova would apply based on your previous comment in thread, so if it doesn’t just drop off the last die, but the result should be unchanged.

If it’s not enough to get him to let go, OR Coz #2 grabs her and she quickly realizes she can't get away from them she'll go completely slack against whoever has the grip on her, becoming as much "dead weight" as possible for her (not that it’s much I know). She’s basically trying to stall for time before they extract her, possibly to give the cops time to get to the VIP area. She’ll also drop the bomb to whoever is holding her for their ears only that her entire identity, commlink, money etc. is downstairs somewhere in a bag with the rest of her things. Assuming they’d like to keep her off the Yank cop’s radars might make things interesting.

Attempting to set up to play one side against the other really. Dangerous game sure, but I’m out of creative ideas otherwise.

Adamu

Cool (spending most of my time and ressources post-crash on getting that NERPS-tastic program and the SOTA gear it is running on wasapearently worth it )!

The Zaphyre result matches my own former suspicion ('Yay' ) - who else among them would have the cash AND the need for a randomized prefix

Vegas

Okay, spell works and he let's go with a "Sorry Mistress," shocked at his own impertinence.

As I said, the other Coz is coming in fast. Having done your complex, you are now entitled to 10 meters plus a free or 25 meters (but no remaining simples for opening doors).

Why don't you IC this far (if you run, Coz 2 is chasing), and I will IC after that.

Adamu

Going the 10 meters + a free action route. Or trying to at least

MK
If Krait takes it... and since Conall is throwing it to him, he better catch it, he can have his 1000:nuyen: advance from earlier.

Vegas

Not to worry - having you stop to watch for a tick did not affect you at all in game terms. In fact, it helped, since I had them use their second and third passes dealing with Tuesday and then chatting you up.

If you are still escaping, it is time for initiative. Whatever you choose to do with your pass, you can pretty much count on needing to dodge up to six melee attacks, and if they get initiative, you might also consider one of those "break out of the hold" rolls from earlier.

Note also that for the next combat turn, there is light smoke throughout the room (and getting heavier). Also, they are going to give up dice to call shots in their subduing attacks - the idea being to get you in a lock that keeps your head facing away from them - so if you do get stuck in a hold, spellcasting directly on them won't be an option without first breaking out of the hold.

So, initiative, resists, and whatever you choose to do.

Adamu

In case it's not completely obvious here, she's "giving in" and not trying to run at this point as seeing what Coz did to Tuesday in an instant kinda freaked her out.

Kinda took from what you were saying about their subduction plans, and went with it willingly

Vegas

After I ICed you to the roof, I could have gone on - since you are not resisting - but it occurred to me that you may have something you wanted to RP, or that you might want to "try" something, so I didn't take ahead too far.

IC or just let me know you if you don't have anything.

Adamu

Have some possible ideas for later.. MUCH later assuming she can not end up on a sub orbital flight back to the Tir in the next 2 hours or so

Other than that... I'm shit out of ideas at the moment.

Vegas

Okay, here's another chance to do any RP or anything else you like.

Please note that it's totally okay if you just chill. I am not trying to pressure you into DOING anything. Just making sure I don't "orchestrate" too much without you getting you chance to do anything you want to do.

Mostly just stopped here because it's about time for me to pack it in for the evening. I do plan, however, to be back online in about eight or nine hours.