Drive time of about 45 minutes (Tacoma to north of downtown, Seattle, in late traffic).

Are the semi-regular updates that result from Blue's imprecise instructions now interfering with Blue's rest to clear his head?

Not really. Blue can mostly grunt and nod at them.

Is there a "Hey Google" "Siri" or "Alexa" in this verse?

Something like that, but not in such a unified form. Most people interact relatively silently with their 'links and other matrix-aware devices, but almost everything can in principle take voice commands - but then again it's a lot more personalised to the 'link. So it might as easily be: "Hoopkicker Deluxe, what are the latest combat biking league standings?"

Happy New Year! When the Eve comes in game time, maybe Blue can shoot off some 'fireworks'.

Happy new year!

I'm going to try and post tomorrow from work. Sorry fir the delays.

I understand. Have to clear out that hangover. Have to dump the passed-out elves into the snow to wake them up. Have to make coffee. Have to unwedge the remains of that trespassing ork from the cleanerbot and toss it into the pigsty for disposal.

New years are always rough.

My new years was quiet. Wife was asleep early, me and the kid played Minecraft & Roblox.

Moving Monday! Yay!

Hopefully I can get my interment set up right away. They were supposed to deliver the equipment to the new house last week, but my wife went by Friday and it wasn't there.

I'll let each of you make an underworld knowledge type of roll to suss out more about the building contracts thing, if you're so minded.

Well, Blue has no underworld knowledge skill (unless you want to consider corporate culture as 'underworld' ), so I'll use the default rule:

INT 4 = 4 dice: 9, 5, 2, 1

Blue doesn't have answers, or not directly anyway. He does however have questions.

The regions in which urban renewal, or whatever the hell they call it in a given week, is concerned, are what one might call marginal with respect to an existence by, near or even in the barrens. This raises the first question: Why? What is the purpose? Are they trying to - put unused land to use in the space-constrained Seattle enclave? Create buffer zones around the barrens? Spend money on public works as a sort of economic stimulus plan? Curry favour with majors by dishing out contracts? What's the game here?

The next obvious question, which is linked to the first is: who cares? If areas such as Redmond and Puyallup are wrecked remnants of an ugly past, why does it matter to someone, and who is this person?

A related, but not identical question is: who benefits? Corporations? The government, such as it is? Some kind of other group, like a policlub?

So many questions.

I am back! I don't have my computer set up yet, but I have a laptop.



2 (4) Criminal Organizations / Seattle = [4d6=5, 5, 2, 2]

Karmakaze's police training leads her along a different train of thought: cui bono? This whole thing smells of gentrification on an organised basis. It will go along with increased surveillance, improved security, and generally be hostile to criminal gangs. Strictly white collar, top-tier criminals may find more room to hide but anybody with an interest at the streetmeat level is going to be pushed aside. Megacorps would probably benefit, but mostly by an improved environment and an increasingly stable society, if it all works out. There are other players - the government itself (with its various tentacles including politicians, civil servants and so on) and also policlubs and various outsider groups.

Perhaps it's a sort of omnibus vote-winning exercise, lavishing money and a vision of security? Of course, given corruption who knows where it will all end. In tears, like as not.

Alright!

I went back to the last time Karma Pool refreshed, May 3rd our time, and searched forward from there. I think Blue still has his 1 Karma Pool point available.

The power!

All Right! Some action!

Would it be reasonable for players to assume that the kind of info that Karmakaze just got would automatically be shared with Blue, and vice versa? Such automatic sharing might speed up play a little.

Thoughts?

Actually I'll leave that to her. It depends on how close to her chest the character plays her cards.

Yeah, I figured, but wanted to toss this out for consideration.

EDIT: And Blue will wait for Karmakaze's OK to the plan.

I am for this. My character is open. An informed teammate is a prepared teammate, and a prepared teammate is a good teammate.

Feel free to move/quote Karma in your ICs as needed.

Okily-Dokiley-Doo! Works for me, neighbor.

On the other hand, I don't want to go much further until I hear what Karmakaze does in response to the report.

Yeah, she has to actually put up with being called 'girl', for one thing.

Karmakaze? You there?

I am here.

Feel free to move me as needed. Been busy with the new house, extended work hours and a getting over covid omegatron plus.

Wow. You hit the trifecta, Bastard. Carry on.

Koekepan, are we in any kind of 'roll Initiative' situation? And aside from the Confusion, is there any other sign of the spirit?

You aren't (yet) in an initiative-rolling situation - but you could be, if you wanted to.

And no, the spirit is apparently reducing their propensity for escape, but not bringing the thunder so far.

Reading the Spell Defense rules I discovered I had been doing it a bit incorrectly before. No more spell pool dice than Sorcery dice can be allocated. I know that now.

Good to refresh on occasion, I guess.

My initiative when needed.

3d6 + 9 = 24

Alright! Karmakaze shows Blue who's really 'got this'.

Things are really coming to a head!

Initiative if needed: 4+ {1D6: 4} = 8

Yeah, this is something Blue is gonna have to fix, sooner rather than later.

Karma is going to try and coop with the LS... 2 successes


Wait! Are they Lone Star? ... 2 successes


Well, hopefully I am convincing using Etiquette / Performance. Hopefully...
Etiquette ... YIKES, hopefully 3 successes and not a fumble!
Performance ... 4 successes!


And one more thing: Lets prepare and action to shoot Mr. Fireball Pants if makes an aggressive or "spell-ish" move.

Blue will be ready to do what is necessary, but I think the fight is out of them now. I hope we can snag that snake, or get the company staff to do it.

Of course, it might not even be one of those snakes. Just a ruse to cast shade on Petsonal.

Hey! How did the spirit do that flashing light thing? Is it a manifestation of the Fear power? I wanna know for later!

Oh, yeah. There is also the thing where the GM can have spirits do stuff PCs don't know about yet. (And players can't find in the manuals.) In which case ... hmmmm ... there could be some leverage in knowing something new about spirits.

The flashing light ... well, it surely was fear-inducing?

Maybe that was something that this spirit has up its sleeve?

In case Karmakaze goes for it, here is a roll for the Mindlink spell:

Sorcery 6 + spell pool 2 + Owl 2 = 10 dice, target 4: 6 successes ... 5 more than needed, but hey.

Resist Drain WIL 12 + Owl 2 + spell pool 4 = 18 dice, target 2(S): 16 successes No Drain.

OK. Now we get to see how persuasive Karmakaze can be.

Heh heh.

Interrogation: 3 successes!?

OK, now might be a good time to roll initiative. Pbangarth, I'll take your earlier roll. Bastard, give me a fresh one.

Let's not forget the spirit!

Initiative: F4 +11 + 1d6 = 15 + 6 = 21

Initiative 3d6+9 = 18

OK, Initiative order is:

Spirit, Karmakaze, Vandal, Blue. I'll write for the spirit.

quote]
He either needs a strong mentor to put him on the straight and narrow, or he needs a set of magecuffs. Which, is anybody's guess.
[/quote]

So, this bring up a question. Can a Shaman 'mentor', help train up Magic Attribute, etc., for an Adept.

In principle, yes, but it depends on the worldview of mentor and student. A nietzschean owl shaman is not likely to be a great match for a street adept.

Oh, yeah, I know. But Jimmy won't be the last Awakened Blue runs across. Deals can be made.

Perception Check for frisking Chiphead (Perceptive Edge, -1 target): 2 Successes? or Fumble?

1 success, so not a fumble, but not a work of classic art.

Blue tries to figure out what these creatures in the box are.

No skill in Paranormal Animals (yet another thing to bone up on), so Default to INT 4, target X + 3 (College Education): 5, 7, 16, 1

All right! He might have an inkling!

Here's my guess (Not Blue's): Nimue's Salamander. If I'm right, Blue might have been lucky in that last spell casting.