So I considered a run idea and I was looking to get some feedback, opinions, and ideas.

Basically it involves the Tartarus Ring and the Ultra Club and it breaks down like this: The Ultra Club is the Tartarus Ring, a secret society. The Ultra Club leads while the Ring itself is out doing all the legwork.

"The Lord of the Inner Darkness" is the leader, but also has more scratch in his bank account than god. I was perhaps thinking making him some CEO or equally powerful corporate BoD type that, if his secret got out, would obviously wreck him.

The society believes that there is some great magical moment on the rise (grand conjunction, complete planetary alignment, rare solar eclipse, sale at Macy's, you name it) and TLotID has got his hands on some magical artifact that, if used with the right preparation, will certainly cause some damage (turn everyone in Seattle into Ghouls, summon the mother of all meanie spirits, force elves to get personalities, change all the worlds Coke into Pepsi, you name it).

This is where the runners come in! They get to stop it.

This is where I'm blocking; I really have no idea how to get the players into this run. Seriously if the threat level is as high as it seems then most corps wouldn't hire runners when they found out what was planned they'd flat out wage war on the guys to stop it from coming to pass.

One of the players is an exotic dancer and I was thinking that a few of the girls at her club start going missing (collected for ritual blood magic to strengthen said artifact) and that gets her sniffing around... maybe finds a clue or something.

As for the artifact, I was thinking an ancient Indian scepter, rattle or similar item of spiritual relevance.

Floor's open, any ideas about any of this is welcome, I think it has potential to be a good Lovecraftian Mystery plot for the players.

The trick to getting players involved in world altering affairs is usually, like you say above, to start small. Assume that there's someone out there who wants to stop TLotID and knows enough about the "great magical moment" to understand what TLotID is going to try and do. But, this person has neither the resources nor the personnel to try and deal with these events face-to-face and, therefore tries to find the small cracks win the TLotID's foundation.

I like your idea above with respect to the exotic dancer who notices friends missing. That's a good way to start out. By investigating this, perhaps the anti-TLotID person notices the players and realizes that he/she may have a kindred spirit (or spirits) in anti-TLotID-ness. Maybe that person is trying to enchant an object that when use would counter the artifact that TLotID needs, and for it he needs the players to acquire an exotic component.

Course, in acquiring said component, the TLotID could become aware of the players. He could try to stop them, watch them to see if they're independents or have a solid plan against him, etc. Maybe he finds their Johnson or maybe he offers them a better price. Whatever the case may be, now there's a group of runners who are known to both the TLotID and the anit-TLotID.

For added fun: the anti-TLotID is the TLotID's second in command

Thanks Dashifen. The second in command seems like a great angle, and he can hire the runners to take care of his agenda as well, so they can at least make a few ¥ while saving the world from the Forces of Darkness ™, and then having to prolly geek #2 at a later date for trying the same ritual... heh, I love this game.

I'm looking through Street Magic and thinking that making the cult very much like a Black Magic Faustian Mage sect that's into the path of blood might be the way to go.

Although I'm missing something, when a spirit is summoned via blood rituals they're called "Blood Spirits" but it doesn't give any clue as to what those spirits are or look like when manifested. Considering they are summoned through the pain and misery of sacrifices (unwilling ones in this case who died scared outta their gourd) I was considering:

Earth = Grave (rich soil with meshed bones and grave markers)
Wind = Eerie Mist (the chilly, creepy mist that seems to ride on death's heels. Thicker than fog and blankets everything obscuring sight.)
Fire = Pyre (a skeleton encased in flames. Burned in a fire for imagined crimes, it seeks to wreak its torment upon others)
Water = Blood (the true blood spirit, it looks like a water elemental just made from blood)
Man = Kaleyi (a man or woman whose skin is completely removed exposing muscle and tendon, very messy)
Beasts = Charnel Hound (a huge mastiff comprised of shadow and bone)

It should be enough to keep them thoroughly spooked, mind you I'm going for the "Dear God, I think I just wet myself." twist for this run chocked full of creepiness and tons of composure rolls.

Focusing on the artifact, you could have the runners hired by some art collector to snatch it. Obvioulsy it would be highly guarded and all that, but the twist comes in that the art collector, nor the runners, have no idea about the relevance of the artifact.

I mean, you don't even have to let the runners get to it. But maybe they are captured and questioned, forced to give up their Mr. Johnson, who then gets captured and killed...put a little be of heat on the runners and maybe they might look into it a little more. Thinking if someone is going to this much trouble to keep us away from the artifact, then it must be worth something big?

Obviously, this would all just be the first run of a huge chain, but they at least get the initial contact...

I'd call the Blood blood spirit Vitae or something instead to avoid confusion - tribute to a game centered on it

The first part of this run is starting to come together nicely (in Word anyway, heh) and a few seeds for it were planted in last night’s game. Mad props for the ideas guys I really appreciate it, seriously everyone was a great help. My players would like to say thanks too, I informed them that I got a few great ideas from Dumpshock and since it's their game too they were grateful for the GM assist.