Attributes

Body: 3
Agility: 3
Reaction: 4
Strength: 3
Charisma: 4
Intuition: 4
Logic: 3
Willpower: 4
Edge: 4
Essence: 4.13

Skills
Mechanic Group: 3
Pilot Ground Craft (Wheeled): 5(+2)
Pilot Aircraft: 4
Pilot Anthroform: 1
Pistols: 1
Etiquette: 1
Gunnery: 4
Shadowing: 2


Knowledge Skills
Greater Seattle (Roads): 5
Car Repair: 4
Lone Star Procedures (Vehicle Response Unit): 3
Stunt Driving: 3
Technomancers: 4
Fashion: 2
Performance Parts: 2

Qualities
Positive
Lucky
First Impression

Negative
SINer(Criminal)
Mild Addiction (Long Haul)

Contacts
Reggie (Technomancer) Loyalty: 3 Connections: 3

Resources
210,000
Cyber
Control Rig 10,000
Hot Sim Module 5000
Datajack 500
Skillwires Rating 1 2000
Cybereyes Rating 1 w/Low Light Vision, Flare Compensation, Vision Enhancement 1 3750
Adrenal Pump 1 30,000
Reaction Enhancer 1 10,000
GMC Bulldog (For now until Mandy can build or find a better car)

Build Points:
Race [Ork]: 20
Attributes: 200
Magic: 40
Edge: 10
Skills: 108
Resources: 39
Contacts: 8
Qualities: -25

BDY: 4 + 2 = 6
AGL: 1 + 4 = 5
REA: 1 + 2 = 3 (5)
STR: 3 + 3 = 6
CHR: 1 + 1 = 2
INT: 1 + 4 = 5
LOG: 1 + 1 = 2
WIL: 1 + 3 = 4
****
MAG: 1 + 4 = 5 (4)
EDG: 1 + 1 = 2
ESS: = 5
****
Init: = 8 (10)
Passes: = 1 (3)
***************************
Weapon Dealer [R2/L3]
Landlord(Safehouses) [R1/L2]
***************************
Athletic Group R2
Stealth Group R2
Electronics Group R1
Automatics(SMG) R4(+2)
Perception(Visual) R1(+2)
Unarmed(Martial Arts) R1(+2)
Hacking(Spoof) R1(+2)
E-Warfare(Signal) R1(+2)
Pilot-Ground(Bike) R1(+2)
Pilot-Air(Rotor) R1(+2)
Armorer R1
***************************
CAL Military R4
Security Procedures R2
Seattle Street Knowledge: R2
Seattle Gang Knowledge: R1
Data Havens R2
Lone Star Tactics(SWAT) R1(+2)
Dragons (Dunkelzn) R1(+2)
Japanese N
English R4
Spanish R2
***************************
Adept
Ambidextrious
SINner
Sensitive System
Mild Allergy(Sunlight)
Incompetent(Instruction)
***************************
1.0 Improved Ability(Autos) R2
0.5 Enhanced Perception R2
0.5 Multitasking
0.5 Quickdraw
.25 Sustenance
.25 Linguistics
1.0 Traceless Walk
***************************
160000 Synaptic Booster R2 [1.0]
2000 Low-Lifestyle
4000 Fake SINn R4
400 Fake DL
400 Fake CCW R4
6500 Suzuki Mirage

100 Meta-Link Com (Resp: 1; Sig: 2)
2000 Response Upgrade to 4
500 Signal Upgrade to 4
1500 Novatech Navi OS (Sys:4; Fw: 3)
75 Imagelink Contacts
250 AR Gloves
100 Sim Module
100 Nanopaste Trodes
60 Subvocal Mike & Earbuds
400 Encryption R4
150 Comand R3
150 Edit R3
150 Browse R3
150 Analyze R3
150 Scan R3
1500 Spoof R3
1500 Sniffer R3

900 Smart Goggles + Flare Comp + Vision Mag R3
900 Armor Jacket (8/6)
8000 Camouflage Suit (8/6)
650 Igram Smartgun X [GV2, SG, SS, Stock]
400 GV3 Upgrade
650 Igram Smartgun X [GV2, SG, SS, Stock]
10 2x Gun slings
800 160r EX Ammo
480 160r GEL Ammo
50 10 clips
15 3x Stealth Tags
9 9x RFID Tags
1 10x Plastic Restraints

Chet Dreggo, Electronic Paper Pusher for Ares, Regular Pedestrian
Jiro Osamu you say? Well, unless I'm mistaken, isn't he that old jap who works at Kenji Katsuro's store in the International District. I've seen him a couple of times in there... usually out back in the big garden. Quite a good green thumb I've heard. Apparently he's an ex con, which I wouldn't find to surprising. I've seen his bare arms a few times; he's got more tattoos than skin. Real elaborate and intricate stuff also. Probably ex yak or something. I've seen him carrying bags of earth around also... and more than a guy who looks like he's pushing fifty should be a ble to. Probably in better shape than my own brats. Thinking of it, I'm pretty sure Kenji's is one of the only places the Yak don't have their dirty fingers in. But with them you never really know. Could be respect thing. Could be they're afraid of something. Anywyas, the guy doesn't talk much. When he does, it makes me cringes... the guy sounds like he smoked too many cigarette or something. Maybe it's got something to do with that big scar he's got across his neck. Looks like someone might have tried to offed him. But as I said; with those japs type, you never know. Maybe he did it himself. If you ever need something for mother's day, or valentine's, go see him. He does really beautiful work. Not that I know a lot about flowers and stuff, but my girl always gets all over me when I bring her some of his organic and real stuff. Costs an arm, but it shuts her up for the month.

Dwight, Bartender, International District
Don't know him much. He doesn't talk a lot, beside ordering. Tried to do some small talk a bunch of time, and seems like he's only good at looking down at his glass and nodding a lot. Something on this guy's mind, and it ain't making him happy. Well, I don't mind, as long as it keeps him drinking like that. Good tipper to. Very respectful old geezer.

Goro Itsuki, Yakuza, Shotozumi-gumi
Osamu Jiro-san has served the Watada-rengo, loyally and faithfully, for close to twenty years. He has always acted in the truest of Yakuza traditions, and has never failed his assignments. He might still be within our ranks if the survivors of the Schism hadn't taken actions. The then very young Seoulpa Rings struck at Watada-rengo all over Seattle, claiming the lives of many Yakuza. Amongst those were both of Jiro's oyabun and his charge, the oyabun's daughter. Through some miracle, the man survived the attack, but was incarcerated for quite some time. We all believed him to be dead, at least, until he showed back up this year. He has been approached by every clan, but has always politely declined all our offers. Some of our more zealous members still question why he hasn't taken his own life, but most of us understand why. Osamu Jiro is a true Yakuza who will not rest until the death of his master has been avenged. This makes him both a very dangerous enemy, and powerful ally.

Spaz, Runner
That guy is fraggin insane!. He either has some major mojo working for him, or he's got cyber that ain't out there on the market. Christ, he must be pushing 50, if not more, with that gray hair n shit... but still moves faster than most jacked up sammies I've seen in the street. He's a killer. You can see it in his eyes. They're dead just like everyone he leaves in his path. And he doesn't do it all pretty. No chummer! He'll pump you and all of your buddies full of holes before you can even draw. Thats if he decides he's feeling nice. I've never seen that myself, but some guy said he heard from another guy that he uses a mono whip. Now, if that doesn't prove the old guy is fragging crazy, I dunno what! Sure, he looks like a nice jap granddaddy in his little suite, but he packs more firepower than a Lonestar HR team.

The 50'
What is your characters Sex?
Male

What is your characters physical size?
He stands about 5’9� and seems to have a stronger build than most Japanese his size.

What is the colour of the characters Hair, eyes, and skin?
His short black hair is streaked with dark grey, a sign of his age that he isn’t even trying to hide. He has dark brown eyes and a lightly tanned skin. He also wears a mustache, which is now turning a dark gray, like his hair. Jiro also has a long and thin scar, running the front length of his throat, from left to right.

What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?
Clothing wise, Jiro is usually an unimpressive person; favouring very simple attires like jeans and t-shirts when working at the shop. When “on the job�, he’ll usually dress in classic suits: slacks, shoes and jacket in either black or dark grey, with a crisp white shirt and suit matching tie. Jiro’s entire back and chest are covered in irezumi (family markings), or Yakuza tattoos.

Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Chiba, Japanese Imperial State

What is the characters date of birth?
January 17th, 2026

What was the character's family life like?
Jiro is the first and only son of the family… which consists of himself and a younger sister. Jiro’s father was a very strict and traditionalist man, and his mother far from a loving person. He grew up having a very formal relation with both his parents; always called them father and mother, never spoke to them unless spoken to, and was always very respectful of both of them… until he joined the Yakuza at age 18. Just as the Yakuza tradition required it, the young Jiro transferred his loyalty from his family to the clan’s oyabun, severing all ties with his former life in the process. Since he has left Chiba for Seattle, Jiro has never seen, or heard any news from his family.

Has the character begun his own family?
Having devoted his life to the service of the Yakuza, Jiro has never started a family of his own.

Where or how was the character educated?
Until he was of age, Jiro did all his education in Chiba’s public schooling system.

Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
When he was a teenager, Jiro worked as a gardener in one of Chiba’s few parks.

What are the characters political and religious beliefs?
Religiously wise, like most Japanese, Jiro is Buddhist. Politically wise, he has a tendency to be rather conservative and traditionalist.

Describe the characters Moral code.
Although he is not part of the Yakuza anymore, Jiro has a hard time letting go of the old code he was brought up in. He still follows, to the best of his abilities, the syndicate’s codes of honour: jingi (respect and deference to those above you), giri (duty and obligation) and ninjo (sympathy to the plight of the common man). In following this code, Jiro acts very much in the same manner as the samurai of old times, putting his duty and honour before everything else, and never acting out of fear or anger. He is always bound by his word, and repays every debt he owes. Unless ordered so, Jiro will only use deadly force if he has no other choice. It isn’t that he resents killing. What he resents are “gratuitous acts�. Because of his traditional Japanese upbringing, coupled with his Yakuza teachings, Jiro is a bit wary of metahumans, and women. The fact he has spent quite a long time in Seattle, and in prison, has made him a bit more open than most of his compatriots, but not as much as one might expect in this day and age.

What are the character have any goals?
In his own mind, Jiro lives to serves a higher purpose; to serve an honourable master. Unfortunately for him, Jiro has now turned into a Ronin, a “masterless� warrior. He has no more cause to defend, and no more master to serve. As expect of any Yakuza, one of his main and current goal is to avenge the death of his previous oyabun… something that he knows he cannot accomplish on his own… and probably not at the moment. Once this task is accomplished, he will be faced with only two choices: find a new worthy master to serve, or kill himself to keep what honour he has left.

Why does the character run the shadows?
People like Jiro don’t have many choices in life. Because of his natural skills and talents, and because no one wishes to hire an ex-convict, Jiro runs the shadows. He does so mainly for three reasons: as a way to amass the resources necessary for him to carry out his mission of revenge, to have some purpose of being… and strangely enough, to help out the common man and his community.

What kind of personality does your character have?
Jiro is a very honourable man, who’s manners would be expected from a
15th century samurai. In fact, Jiro simply behaves like a traditional member of the Yakuza, even though he is now an outcast. Behind his courteous and serious mask, Jiro is a rather depressed and beaten down individual who has lost all sense of being. He also feels as though he has dishonoured his previous master and himself, and carries a very heavy baggage of guilt with him. Because of his previous failures and shame, Jiro has started to drink rather heavily since his release from prison.

What special qualities does the character possess?
Jiro is an expert in close combat, either with his bare hands, monofilament whips or pistols.

Are their certain things the character can't or won't do?
Disobey his master. Act in fear or anger. Kill “innocents�. Break his word. All in all; he simply won’t act in what he considers a dishonourable manner.

What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
Jiro definitely hates the Seoulpa rings, for he believes they are the ones responsible for the death of his oyabun and the rest of his clan. He also has a rather hard time with those he considers “petty criminals�: the people who prey on those weaker (which has a tendency to encompass lots of gangers, and the other organized crime syndicates)

What things, people, or ideas does the character love?
He feels very strong about the old traditions of both the Japanese society and the Yakuza, which we built on principles like respect of the elders, obedience, servitude, duty and honour.

What is the character's name?
Having totally shed his real name, and now goes by Jiro Osamu. Having immigrated to Seattle with forged papers, Jiro was SINless until he was arrested in 2050

Come up with a reason for why the character became a Yakuza member.
In Japan, Yakuza are seen as a very honourable and respected organization: a group that acts in the best interest of the common man, and which will always protect the community. It is under these reasons, and out of admiration, that Jiro joined the Yakuza.

How did your character come to know his or her contacts? Contacts are an important part of Shadowrun, decide how and why you know them.

Does the character have a SIN? Does the character actually use it? Or is the character one of the SINless masses? This may be affected by the characters previous employment.
Jiro has a SIN, which is flagged as criminal. Having no proof of identity when he was arrested, Jiro “assigned himself� his current name.

Is the character a full-time runner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Jiro, on his release from prison, took up a job as a florist in a flower and plant shop. He has become very good friends with Kenji Katsuro, the owner and operator of the store.

Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?
The Yakuza.

Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
The Seoulpa Rings

Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
The Yakuza

Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
The Yakuza

What is your favourite colour?
Red

What is your favourite food and/or drink?
Miso Soup

What place would you most like to visit?
Jiro would like to go back to Japan one day… but he simply cannot set a foot back onto the isle with the dishonour he now carries.

Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
His team. His master.

What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment?
Jiro is a rather avid fan of Shogi, or Japanese Chess. Jiro also likes to tend to the plants around the shop, and in the small garden out back. He will also go, every morning, to a local park to practice his Thai-Chi routines.

What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Drinking.

What annoys you the most?
Those who prey upon the weak.

What do you think is your characters best quality?
His righteousness, and also “chivalric� attitude.

What do you think is your characters worst quality?
His heavy guilt complex.

What are your four most common dreams?


What is the Characters current relationship with his family?
As mentioned before, Jiro has cut all ties with his family upon entering the Yakuza.

If the characters family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
He has simply no idea. Odds are, they probably are all still alive and well.

Where did the character learn his Skills?
All his combat skills, Jiro learned while part of the Yakuza. He has actually picked up most of his love for plants and flowers while working in the prison’s garden.

Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
He doesn’t.

What type of music does the character like?
Traditional Japanese music.

List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.


Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
Jiro lives out of a local coffin motel. He actually rents one of the “troll sized� coffin to allow himself a bit more space.

Brief Timeline
2025: Jiro is born
2029: The 1st Crash
2036: The JIS takes control of San Francisco.
2042: Akira Watada, oyabun of the Watada-rengo, issues an ultimatum to the Korean oyabuns of Seattle. They must pledge their loyalty to the Watada rengo, or suffer the consequences.
2043: Watada-rengo assassins invade Seattle and kill the vast majority of the Seattle Yakuza’s Korean leadership. The survivors are forced to pledge loyalty to the Japanese rengo or be executed. New Japanese managers are put in place, and within a few weeks, the Japanese Yakuza once again controls the Seattle Yakuza.
2043: The Seoulpa Rings are created.
2044: Jiro joins the Yakuza
2044: Jiro goes to Seattle with a large part of his current clan and his oyabun, following the leadership purge that took place.
2050: Jiro’s oyabun assigns him as the personal bodyguard to his own daughter.
2055: Jiro’s clan comes under attack the attack of the Seoulpa rings. All across the city, members of the clan fall victim to the Koreans ambushes. The oyabun is killed, and so is his daughter, who was under the protection of Jiro. When Lonestar finally shows up, Jiro has been left for dead, his throat slit. Miraculously, Doc Wagon doctors are able to save him.
2055: Jiro is charged with multiple counts of murder, and sentenced to life in prison.
2058: The Year of the Mob War
2060: After five full years of complete silence, Jiro finally agrees to cut a deal with the UCAS FBI. He tells them everything he knows about Yakuza operations in Seattle, in exchange for a reduced sentence… which he is given in the form of a reduced charge: manslaughter. Betraying the Yakuza in such a manner is, for Jiro, one of the highest dishonour… because the organization is something he holds very close to his hearth… but doing so was the only way he could ever get out of jail to perform his last duty.
2064: 2nd Crash
2070: Jiro is released from prison.
2070: Jiro hooks up with his current team.

Word on the Street:
1. Hiroki Watanabe? He's that ork that lives over in the Frontgate Apartments.
2. Quiet sort of fellow. Former military type by the look and walk of him.
3. He must have some sort of trust or something. Too young to have retired but I don't think he has a job..
4. Heard he runs with a hard crew. He disappears for days at a time sometimes.

What the team knows
Hiroki rarely misses details and he's damn hard to sneak up on. Better yet, you've seen him walk through a room and not set the motion detectors off. He's fast with his SMGs and can draw them from under his coat as fast as most street sams can draw a pistol. He also is really sharp with wireless signals as well. Detecting them, spoofing them. He is well rounded and very practiced in his infiltration skills.
Outside the job he is quiet as well. Doesn't like to make waves or stand out. He does have one thing that kinda strike one as odd. He is a fanatic about Dunkelzn. He has posters and such in his apartment and watches reruns of Wyrm Talk all the time.

CONTACTS
Joseph "Grease" Page [R2/L3] Weapon Dealer
Grease is a small time arms dealer in Seattle. Grease was in the CAL Military and worked supply the same time Hiroki was in. He knows Hiroki's real last name is Sato, just as Hiroki knows Grease's real name is Michael Richards. Grease primarily gets imports from his connections in CAL and resells them through local channels.

Matt Reynolds [R1/L2] Landlord(Safehouses)
Matt manages a rental agency in Seattle. He owns a number of the buildings and has access to a number of others. Matt has no real connections to organized crime or the shadows beyond the fact that he occasionally rents some of his rentals on the sly. Hiroki recently ran an "eviction" for Matt and has used some of Matt's properties for the team in the past.

What is the character’s name?
Amanda Pinkerton numerous akas, she uses Polly Perkins as her current Fake ID

What is the characters race, nationality, age, sex, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and skin color/tone, and build?
Mandy is a human, UCAS citizen with a criminal record. She is nineteen, five feet tall around one hundred and fifteen pounds. She is cornsilk blonde, with clear blue eyes. She has a medium tan although she tends to burn. Pixie or elfin are most often the words used to describe her.

Where did your character learn his/her skills
Mandy grew up in a household of six men and learned her driving and and mechanic skills from them.
What did your character do before becoming a runner?
Mandy worked for a mid level high speed courier service before they discovered her past SIN was a fake. And the fact that she had more traffic tickets than th company was willing to pay.

Where was your character born? Feel free to include any other places he/she may have lived.
Mandy was born in the Snomish County Hospital. She grew up in the Snomish burbs
Mandy's family often viited her grandfather in his Mount Rainer cabin

Does your character have any family? If not, why. (Do they know where you are? Do they care? Etc)
Mandy's father Bob and five brothers (Jimmy, John, Joe, Kenny, Steve) are all still living and scattered around the Greater Seattle Area. They know Mandy works the shadows and wholeheartedly approve. (The Pinkertons are a somewhat redneck family)

What are your characters dreams/goals/aspirations?
Mandy dreams of becoming a race car driver or building the ultimate car.

What is the characters general appearance? (How do they stand? How do they dress? Are they attractive? Do they try to look intimidating or casual?)
Mandy is best discribed as "cute". She stands easily but is almost always in motion. She almost always has a wad of bubble gum in her mouth.

Why did they choose to be a shadowrunner?
Mandy found the challenge and adreneline high of run too much to resist.

What is the characters personality? (This is apart from just basic psyche. Are you an idealist, radical, pessimist, militant, aloof etc?)
Mandy is the eternal optimist, she is always cheerful (except for her period) She tends to be slightly fanatically opposed when the subject of Lone Star comes up.

What skills does your character bring to this group? What makes them special?
Driving, wheelman, drone handling.

What are some things your character cannot do?
Mandy has very little combat skill and relys on skill wires and drones to fight for her.

What does your character hate and why? (Corps?Elves?Crime?Celery?)
Lone Star and the rules of the road.

What does your character love?
Driving, Reggie, having fun

What does your character respect?
Polite people (like her team mate Jiro)

How was your character educated?
Mandy was educated at PS 125 Snomish County School

What is your characters moral code?
Drive fast, break every regulation in the book, don't hurt the team.

Does your character have any political beliefs? Religious?
Mandy echo's years of backcountry anti-government sentiment.

What item(s) does your character treasure?
Her tools, her Bulldog, her I Love Dunkie tee shirt

Jiro Osamu
Ex-Yakuza Enforcer

Metatype: Human
Age: 45

Attributes
Body: 4
Agility: 4 (6)
Reaction: 4 (6)
Strenght: 3 (5)
Charisma: 3
Intution: 4
Logic: 3
Willpower: 3
Edge: 5

Initiative: 10
Stun: 0/10
Physical: 0/10

Active Skills
Pistols (Semi Automatics): 6 (
Exotic Melee Weapons (Monofilamental Whip): 4
Unarmed Combat: 3
Etiquette (Yakuza): 2 (4)
Intimidation: 3
Pilot Ground Craft: 1
Espace Artist: 1
Infiltration: 3
Perception: 3
Shadowing: 2
Athletics Skill Group: 2

Knowledge Skils
Yakuza Politics: 3
Yakuza Society: 3
Yakuza Safehouses: 1
Prison Culture: 2
Botany: 3
Accounting: 2
Flower Arranging: 4
Japanese: N
English: 3

Qualities
Magic Resistance II
Ambidextrous
Sensitive System
SINer, Criminal
Addition, Moderate (Alcohol)

Contact
Kenji Katsuro (Flower Shop Owner) 1/3

Bioware
Synaptic Booster II
Reflex Recorder (Pistols)
Reflex Recorder (Monofilamental Whip)
Platelet Factories
Muscle Augmentaion II
Muscle Toner II

Weapons
Monofilament Whip
Shock Gloves
4x Colt Manhunter (2 hidden gun arm slide, 2 quick-draw holsters, 2 silencers)
Streetline Special (concealable holster, silencer, laser sight)
Hammerli 620S (imaging scope, silencer, laser sight, concealable holster)

Commlink
Sony Emperor, Redcap Nix

Gear
Armor Jacket
Business Outfit
Street Clothes
Actioneer Business Clothes
AR Gloves
Subvocal microphone
Earbuds
Micro-Transceiver Rating 3
Fake SIN, Rating 2
Glasses (Flare Compensation, Low Light, Image Link)
Respirator Rating 4

Ammo
190x Regular Rounds
200x Explosive Rounds
50x Gel Rounds

Nightshade tends to be a bit more out going during down time. He prefers clubs with a trendier feel, where he generally keeps things a bit more low key. The 'cool cat' type. Frankly he enjoys the elven 'superiority complex', and plays it most of the time. He's not a back to nature type however. He's also quite a clothes horse, always being up on the latest fashions. A large part of this is due to his need to keep up on the latest fashins to be more familiar with how to make a disguise work.

When he's not on that sort of down time, he tends to be more serious. He was raised in Tir society, so clubbing is a bit of rebellion for him. The rest of the time he's much more pulled together. When on the job, he's generally very concentrated on what's going on, putting business before everything else. It's his way to prove himself, both to others, and him self.

He was in the Tir military, so he prefers to have things well organized. Working the shadows for him is a blessing and a curse. It's a chance to distinguish him self, but it's also like ruling in Hell, when he'd rather be serving in Heaven. It's very unlikely that the rest of the team would know his back ground, as he never speaks of it. He often goes out as a normal elf, but uses the form of a night one as his 'base form.' In other wirds, he changes appearance regularly, but makes it seem as thouhg a Night Elf is his true form.

Assuming he stays as an adept:
In combat, he prefers to delay his action and take shots and the more dangerous oppponents, prefering one well aimed shot or burst to laying donw heavy fire. Given the oppurtunity, he'll close in to close combat, where is adept abilities will come in to play. In his experience, most people in the 6th world are more experienced with firearms than hand to hand. if he does find someone who may be his eaual in martial arts, he'd prefer to gun them down. He isn't the type to play fair, and certainly doesn't let such nonsense as 'honor' get in the way of staying alive. He uses poisons and chemicals as often as possible, as most people aren't properly prepared to counter them.