It doesn't have to be a run, per se. The group could meet in a nightclub, or at the beach. And while they will interact, they won't necessarily be a runner team.
I wouldn't mind someone knowing Nova. Just think up how you could have met her. I finally got her posted to the WIKI. I am adding her 50+ questions text sheet here, too, since it goes into more detail.
Name: Nova
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Rundown of Common Dice Pools:
Influence Group: base 17 (Charisma: 6 + Influence Group: 4 + Kinesics: 4 + Glamour: 3), modifiers +5 (+2 First Impression, +2 cosmetic biomods, +1 vocal range enhancer). Dice Pool 17-22, before negative modifiers for SURGE.
---------------
Dancing: 20
Singing: 15
Pistols: 17
Monofilament Whip: 17
BREAKDOWN [750 Karma]
Core Attributes: 310
Special Attributes: 69
Race: 0 (Human)*
Active Skills: 233
Qualities: 0*
Contacts: 16
Resources: 79
Bond Foci: 10
*SURGE is factored in with Qualities
=Attributes=
Body: 5
Agility: 5 (9)
Reaction: 5 (6)
Strength: 3
Charisma: 6
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5
Magic: 4 (6, reduced by implants)
Edge: 3
Essence: 4.0
=Qualities=
Adept
First Impression
Inspired
Restricted Gear (x 1)
SURGE III
> Balance Receptor
> Double-Jointed
> Glamour
> Low-Light Vision
-------------
> Extravagant Eyes
> Striking Skin Pigmentation
> Unusual Hair
-------------------
Allergy/Silver, Mild
Bio-Luminescense
Low Pain Tolerance
Sensitive System
=Active Skills=
Artisan/Singing: 4/+2
Computer/Edit: 4/+2
First Aid: 3
Gymnastics/Dance: 6/+2
Influence Skill Group: 4
Intimidation: 1
Monofilament Whip: 4
Perception: 3
Pistols/Semi-Automatic: 4/+2
Unarmed Combat/Blocking: 1/+2
=Knowledge Skills=
English: N
Japanese: 4
--------------
Computer Art Design/Tattoos: 3/+2
Corporate Politics: 1
Entertainment Industry/Disreputable: 2/+2
Exotic Dancing: 3
Magical Background: 2
Psychology: 1
=Bioware=
Biosculpting, Minor (2,000 Nuyen)
Clean Metabolism
Sensitive Skin
--------------
Muscle Toner: 4
Synaptic Booster: 1
Vocal Range Enhancer
=Cyberware=
Nano-tattoos, Rating: 3 (full body)
--------------
Commlink [Alpha] - Renraku Sensei with Response: 5, System: 5, and Firewall: 5.
Fingertip Compartment
-with Monofilament Whip (Force: 2 Weapon Focus, bound)
Image Link Retinal Mod [Alpha]
Sim Module [Alpha]
=Adept Abilities=
Enthralling Performance/Dance
Flexibility: 2
Improved Ability/Gymnastics: 3
Kinesics: 4
Sustenance
=Contacts=
Fixer (3 Connection/2 Loyalty)
Hacker (2 Connection/1 Loyalty)
=Lifestyle=
Custom (5,000 Nuyen/Month - 1 Month prepaid). Question #52 breaks down the components of her lifestyle.
Starting Money: 4d6 x 100 Nuyen
=Equipment=
ID/Credsticks:
Fake ID (Rating: 4), Fake Gun Registration (Rating: 4), Fake Concealed Carry Permit (Rating: 4), Fake Bioware License (Rating: 4) x 2; 4 certified credsticks.
DocWagon Contract (Basic): 1 Year.
Weapons:
>Defiance Protector Taser with concealable holster, 30 darts.
>Walther Secura Kompakt heavy pistol (smartlinked version) with skinlink modification, hidden arm slide, 90 rounds of EX explosive ammo, and 5 spare clips.
Armor/Clothing:
Armor Jacket, Urban Explorer Jumpsuit, FFBA half suit with non-conductive: 4, PPP forearm guards and shin guards, 500 Nuyen worth of stage outfits, and 1,000 Nuyen worth of assorted clothing.
Commlink/Software/Simsense:
Analyze, Browse, Command, Edit,Encrypt, and Scan programs (All Rating: 5); 2 Rating: 6 datasofts (one is a guide to Jamaica, the other has lots of tattoo designs and graphics files for her nanotatts), 1 Rating: 6 mapsoft (interactive map of Jamaica), Virtual Surround Music.
She has a Meta Link commlink with Vector XIM OS to run openly while her "real" commlink is in hidden mode.
Other:
Medkit (Rating: 6) with 1 refill.
1. What is your character's Sex?
Female.
2. What is your character's physical size?
Petite and curvy, but toned.
3. What is the color of the character's hair, eyes, and skin?
She has straight, medium-length hair in a page boy cut with tousled bangs, which is mostly white, although stray strands of gold and pale blue give it a shimmering look. Her eyes are double-irised - an outer iris of pale, slightly luminescent blue, and an inner iris of a bright orange-red. Her skin is white, but a more opaque white than an albino, with slight blue highlights. Her ears are catlike, covered with a soft downy white hair, and are more animated than normal human ears - they can twitch, droop, etc.
4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does she dress, etc.)?
Shannon dresses to suit the occasion while still standing out. She knows that she will draw people's eyes to her, so she might as well stand out in a good way. She has an oval face with delicate features, a bright smile, and a voice that is soft but composed. She retains a sweet and innocent quality about her, even when she is doing things that are far from sweet or innocent. She mostly uses her nanotattoos for dancing, but will display tattoos if they would go with a certain outfit, or if she is in a playful mood.
5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Shannon was born in the upcale Oakes Clinic, in Ballard, in the Seattle metroplex.
6. What is the character's date of birth?
October 17th, 2049.
7. What was the character's family life like?
Shannon's father, Harry Tendo, was a programmer for Renraku, relatively affluent, but not quite important enough to worry about being an extraction target. He was a widower whose second marriage was to a woman some 20 years younger than him. His second wife, Shannon's mom, was a waitress who dreamed of becoming a star but never quite made it, who became a full time homemaker after she married. Shannon was a bit of a spoiled brat growing up, almost an only child (Harry's son from his previous marriage was nearly an adult when Shannon was born). Growing up in a corporate subdivision (not the Arcology, fortunately), she was sheltered from much of the turmoil roiling the Sixth World.
8. Has the character begun her own family?
No. Shannon is not ready to settle down yet, much less start a family.
9. Where or how was the charcter educated?
Shannon's education was in semi-exclusive private schools, where she showed an early aptitude for singing and dance (encouraged by her mother) - and she was also a charming little minx. She dreamed of being a star, but she nearly simultaneously awakened, and SURGED. Although the worst of the SURGE hysteria had died down by then, SURGElings were still considered freaks, and marginalized by society. And anti-awakened prejudice was especially strong at the time, in the wake of a few entertainers who actually DID practice things like mind control, or using a crowd to power a ritual.
Her mom, who had been vicariously living her own shattered dreams through her daughter, handled it very badly. Shannon, already traumatized by SURGEing, was crushed, since she had been closest to her mom. Her father tried to mediate between them, but his own health was deteriorating from a degenerative neurological condition by then. Shannon, also handling things very badly, ran away from home.
On the streets, she learned a very different set of lessons. Fortunately, her glamour helped her, making some of the more hardened street denizens take her under their wing. She learned how to use her natural charm to con people, how to take care of herself in a fight, and wound up using her dancing abilities in a much different way than she had envisioned.
10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
She has been a dancer and sometime sex worker, as well as assorted cons. Most recently she was a bodyguard, although in truth it was more "rich man's pet". Now she is ready to make a fresh start, far away from Seattle.
11. What are the character's political and religious beliefs?
Shannon is pretty cynical politically, believing that the system is rigged and the only way to change things is to work for it behind the scenes. Or even beter, work outside of the system. She likes Neo-Anarchism, although she is undecided on whether it is just an attractive but unrealistic theory, or could actually work. She is strongly supportive of metahuman rights, though, including sapient creatures, free spirits, and AIs. Even ghouls, although she would rather tolerate them at a distance, or at least upwind from them.
Religiously, Shannon is a Neo-Valencian, one of the new post-awakening Christian sects, which split from the now-ironically-named Reunified Gnostics in 2054. Although her parents (her mom was Unitarian, while Harry, while a professed Budhist, was really more of an agnostic) had bitter arguments with her maternal grandfather (who was Catholic), Shannon has a more live-and-let-live attitude, herself.
12. Describe the character's moral code. Include how mercenary she is, whether or not she'll kill innocents, etc.
Shannon used to follow the rules like anyone else. But after the eye-opening experience of being on the outside of society looking in, she finds most laws to be biased, unfair, and stupid. Now, she only pays enough attention to them to evade them. The more subtle rules of social networks remain meaningful to her - although she will flout societal norms that she finds to be racist or prudish. She is a soft touch for someone in trouble, having been there herself.
She has little problem with criminal activities, but considers herself a high-stakes negotiator, or sometimes a lure or a distraction. She isn't there to shoot it out with security guards. In fact, violence is an absolute last resort. She still has to resort to it sometimes, though, whether it be random crime, anti-SURGE racism, or the dark side of being mesmerizingly attractive. In such situations, she acts with utter ruthlessness - she can fall apart later, after she has survived.
She is promiscuous, but is leery of any potential long-term relationships. In relationships, and everyday dealings with people in general, she is still genuinely nice and caring. She has a submissive/exhibitionist kink that she often indulges, perhaps as a relief from mentally manipulating and dominating people as a runner. Or perhaps there is a bit of pathology there, too. At least she is in a better place than when she first SURGED, and engaged in far more self-destructive behaviors.
She fears drugs and BTLs from seeing their very worst effects on squatters and terminal adicts, and disdains simsense as living someone else's life by proxy - she has no problem with other people's vices, though. She certainly doesn't have the sanctimonious attitude of some "straight edge" people (she isn't really straight edge, though - she drinks socially and loves coffee - the real stuff, not soykaf - and chocolate).
13. What are the character's goals?
Shannon wants to make a fresh start, away from Seattle. She doesn't have any really solid plans, though.
14. Why does the character run the shadows? (Why does she run the shadows still, rather than getting a "real" job?)
Shannon didn't have too many non-illegal options for making a living at first. Now she is equally likely to make it as an entertainer or as a shadowrunner.
15. What kind of personality does your character have? This should not necessarily be obviously stated in the background, as it is more important for actually playing the character, but it may colour or add mood to the history.
Shannon is tougher, and less innocent, than she looks, but she is still a genuinely nice, cheerful person. Her first instinct is to befriend people, but she can also cut people down with a few deftly chosen words if she needs to.
16. What special qualities does the character possess? This does not refer to skills, but rather to other things, such as how she gets along with people, whether she plans ahead, etc.
Shannon is a real social animal, who thrives on social networking and making people happy.
17. Are there certain things that the character can't or won't do? Why?
Shannon has not had much luck with long-term relationships. Part of this is that she still seeks out monogamous relationships, even though she is not wired that way. If she winds up in a poly or open relationship, she will probably find that it suits her a lot better.
18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
Shannon hates bigots of all stripes, and loathes human traffickers, as well as customers who enjoy hurting or humiliating sex workers.
19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?
Shannon likes hitting the hot night spots, especially the adrenaline rush that she gets from dancing. She likes parties, hooking up with people, rallies to support meta-rights, and going out on the town with friends.
20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.
Her "real" name is Shannon Tendo - her fake ID lists her as Shannon Evers, and her stage name is Nova.
21. Determine what your character used to do, before becoming a shadowrunner (very important).
Shannon worked at some of the seedier night clubs, the ones that didn't check for SINs and paid certified cred, as well as occasional sex work and whatever odd jobs and hustles she could pull off. She was often used as a lure or a distraction, roles that she still plays as a runner. Her last gig was as a bodyguard, although it would be more accurate to categorize the job as "rich man's pet". She sent most of the money home, to pay for her dad's treatments, although at that point it only made his last days a bit more bearable. Eventually, her benefactor fell from grace when his division was plundered by another division of the company, and she was curtly dismissed. She wasn't too broken up by the loss of her sugar daddy - she got a lot of expensive 'ware, and had some cred in her pocket. After her dad's funeral, she hopped on a plane to Jamaica.
22. Decide why your character left her old job, if she had one (also important).
Her "old" jobs were merely the lower-rung versions of what she does now.
23. Come up with a reason for why the character became a shadowrunner. (This very often will tie in with #22. This is not the same as #14, but rather why she started running the shadows originally. What led her to it?)
Shadowrunning was simply the natural evolution of her career of shady and/or criminal activities, although she is still a mix of face and entertainer.
24. How did your character come to know her contacts? Contacts are an important part of Shadowrun, decide how and why you know them.
Jumbo, Fixer (5 Connection/3 Loyalty) is a cadaverously thin Jamaican in the latest fashions (the latest tacky ones, that is), usually accompanied by a huge, silent troll named Mum. He has a friendly demeanor, but he is still a hard-nosed bargainer. He is trustworthy, but won't hesitate to drop a runner who becomes a liability to him. Jumbo has ties to many of the local smugglers and pirates. He is good at getting people in and out of places, getting them fake ID and documentation, and acting as an in-between for buying and selling contraband. He doesn't have too many corporate connections, though, and most of his network is on the island. Nova met him at a meet between a buyer and a seller in Seattle, and contacted him again to arrange for the logistics of her move to Jamaica. Hopefully he will have work for her, but even if jobs are not forthcoming right away, he is still a very useful man to know.
25. 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 character's previous employment.
Shannon lost her original SIN in the Crash (by then, it was no big loss), but she does have fake ID and other paperwork now.
26. Is the character a full-time shadowrunner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?
Shannon is not quite a shadowrunner, although she exists in the same unofficial capacity, off the grid, as they do.
27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?
She likes making friends wherever she is.
28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
She hates organleggers, human traffickers, and others who treat human beings like THINGS. She also despises bigotry in all forms.
29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
She respects groups like MOM that succeed by nonviolent, grass-roots activism. She supports more radical meta-rights groups, but doesn't always approve of their tactics.
30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
She fears all of the mindless bigots out there, only slightly more than she fears the ones who like her TOO much - the obsessive ones.
31. What is your favourite colour?
White, especially lace.
32. What is your favourite food and/or drink?
Shannon likes real meat (or at least vat-grown, as opposed to soy), hydroponic produce and elven wine, although she is also enthusiastic about trying ethnic cuisines.
33. What place would you most like to visit?
She wants to see some of the sights in Jamaica, like the Rockfort Mineral Bath or Lime Cay beach. And she is looking forward to hitting all of the nightclubs.
34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
Shannon is fiercely loyal to friends. She also will help people down on their luck or in trouble. She feels more solidarity with regular people (shopowners, etc.) than with those who prey on them, something that will likely keep her from ever becoming a major player in the underworld.
35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment? (Warning: Answering Sex for this question can and will result in penalties to your character!)
Shannon loves to dance, and loves spending time with friends.
36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
She hates violence, especially when it is up close and personal. She also doesn't like it when she needs to use her sexuality to manipulate someone as part of a job.
37. What annoys you the most?
Bigots, and judgemental pricks (especially the hypocritical ones - which is most of them).
38. What (if any) is your favourite form of art?
Dancing is her main joy in life, and she also enjoys computer artistic design, as well as singing.
39. What is your greatest goal?
To leave the world a slightly better place for her having been in it - probably at a personal level, for some people, since she doubts she will ever be part of a major social upheaval.
40. What do you think is your characters best quality?
Her genuinely nice and caring nature.
41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?
Although she seems open, cheerful, and confident, she still has some lingering self-esteem issues.
42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
She kept several underworld meets from escalating to violence.
43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
Neo-valencianism. Unitarian Universalism was too mushy for her (might as well just be agnostic).
44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
She has an old class ring on a charm bracelet - it reminds her of a more innocent time, before the changes that turned her life upside-down. She doesn't even wear that bracelet any more, but keeps it in a jewelry box.
45. What are your three most common dreams?
> Dancing on a beach of pastel-hued sand, by a pink ocean, feeling the warm sun on her bare skin.
> In a nightclub or at a party, where everyone is talking is a language that she can't understand, and she has the feeling that they are saying things that are very important. She wakes up feeling frustrated.
> A nightmare of being pursued, sometimes by ravenous ghouls, and sometimes by devil rats. She wakes up, heart pounding, right as they are about to catch her. She had this dream fairly often when she was living on the streets, but has it only very rarely now.
46. What is the Character's current relationship with her family?
Her father passed away. She has lost touch with her older brother, whom she was never really close with. She has repaired her relationship with her mom somewhat, but it is still awkward. Feelings of abandonment and betrayal linger, and they both avoid certain topics by unspoken agreement. Perhaps it's best that they are only exchanging the occasional tridmail right now.
47. If the character's family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?
Her older brother, last she heard, was headed to the Sioux Nation to work on some kind of computer project. Her mom is settling down to a low-key retired life, although she is involved in some local activism and the community theatre.
48. Where did the character learn her Skills?
Private school and tutors, then the streets and the school of hard knocks. She got actual (if informal) instruction for some of her skills, such as learning how to shoot, and the dangerous art of using a monofilament whip.
49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
No. She believes people make their own luck.
50. What type of music does the character like?
Trance music is her favorite, although she doesn't mind any other kind of dance club music. She is trying to get into ska punk and skacore, but it is a bit discordant to her. At least it has a good beat.
51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
None, really. She has had a few people get creepy and obsessive about her, which has only made her more leery of getting seriously involved with anyone. She has had plenty of short-term relationships, and on-again, off-again lovers, though.
52. Where does your character live? Why does she live there?
Shannon's current place is on the outskirts of Sandy Gully, hugging more prosperous Liguanea. Older concrete buildings mix with more recent two-story tenements. Further in, it becomes a mix of the older concrete buildings and squatter shacks, but here, near Liguanea, it's better. It's still a run-down area with some criminal elements, but the people are friendly, mostly working-class, and have some sense of community.
Her own apartment is a small three-room unit on the ground floor. The entry is a living room with a kitchenette tucked to one side, with a long counter and comfortable stools for sitting and eating or talking. A wall trid unit and set of speakers are on the opposite wall, with numerous beanbag chairs scattered around. The bedroom is dominated by the huge bed that takes up most of the room. Doors lead to a decent-sized closet and a cramped bathroom cubicle. The building and individual apartments both have strong locks, and despite her landlord being a very nice guy, no one seems to want to mess with him. The utilities are boosted, but surprisingly reliable. She has a very good cleaning drone, and her mini-fridge always has something good in it - when you only need to eat once a day, you can eat better quality.
BREAKDOWN:
3 Comforts: Huge bed, minimal other furniture, good cleaning drone.
3 Entertainment: Wall trid, speakers. Mainly represents that she is able to go out fairly often.
3 Necessities: A bit small, but nice place. Boosted but reliable utilities. She can keep up a decent wardrobe. Since she eats less often, she eats fairly well.
2 Neighborhood: Run-down, some elements of crime, but friendly people and a sense of community (see positive qualities).
3 Security: Strong locks and good physical security. The landlord is nice, but nobody seems to mess with him.
+2 Positive Qualities: Friendly Neighbors, Easy-Going Landlord.
-1 Negative Qualities: Crash Pad.
53. Remember, your Gamemaster like detail, so if you can think of any other little details, quirks, or whatever that you think might please the almight GM, then add them in as well. Oh, and your GM won't use any of these details against you at a later date. trust me...
Two notes:
On her lifestyle qualities, they stem in large part from her personality. She will seek out a place with a nice landlord/neighbors, and her place tends to have people crashing there because she is a social and friendly type.
I gave her low pain tolerance to represent her sensitive skin bioware being tuned up a bit too high.
