Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke

When thinking of this character I picture an image of a dwarf, a weapon focused hammer slung over his shoulder, a shotgun in the other, flanked by 2 combat drones, with a large fire elemental standing behind him.

"Some people think they're clever. They like to say things like "Say Hello to my little friend." I don't think they're so clever, my friends are bigger, and they'll say hello all by themselves."

James Lassiter, alias "Merlin," Former Company Man

James Lassiter was woken up from a six year long slumber by an alarm clock, of all things. It wasn't his - it belonged to his roommate at the Bellevue Hospital Center, a grizzled old chunk of ork named Andy, who was having his arthritic hand replaced with a cybernetic one. James has had many roommates over the years; after all, patients were many and funding was short at Bellevue, just like at most New York City hospitals, and coma patients who've been in slumber for six years were expected to share their room with others. Andy was a war veteran, a former Special Operations Weapons Sergeant with 28 confirmed kills (he kept count), and he always woke up at 0600 hours sharp. As he grew older and his internal time clock slowed down, he took to carrying a small pocket alarm with him wherever he went, including to the hospital room. On January 2nd, 2070, at precisely 6 o'clock AM, the alarm clock went off and James Lassiter opened his eyes for the first time in a long time.

It didn't feel like six years. It felt more like a long, restful nap, and the only sign that so much time has passed was a haze that seemed to have settled into his memories. The first thing he did upon waking up was to lay in bed and go through those memories with a mental checklist to see if anything had fallen out of his head. He grew up in Brooklyn, enlisted in the UCAS army after high school. Served four years, found military life too rigid and stifling, so decided to drop out once his contract was up and pitch his fortune in the private sector. Signed up with...Mitsuhama. Everything came back to Mitsuhama. The skills he developed in the army were worth a premium there, and it was at the Japanacorp that he became a company man, an all-purpose troubleshooter with broad duties, a fat paycheck, and a nondisclosure contract enforced with a bullet. When did things start to go sideways? Oh yes, the business with Takashi. A high level exec in the company, whose nose James broke with one punch. James had always had a temper that ran red hot, and Takashi-sama had made a stupid, selfish call that got three of his teammates killed on a mission. The Japanese never forget a slight, and Mitsuhama especially likes to take care of problems in house, so Takashi pulled a few guys from another division and sent them to James' apartment; after all, all it takes is some editing of the records, and a mission with three casualties can become a mission with four. James dropped two of them before the third put a bullet in his head. That must've been what put him in the coma.

Luckily, he'd set up a prepaid medical plan beforehand, and when his biomonitor went red, they sent a team to pick him up and bring him to Bellevue. He'd purchased a platinum contract, which was good for exactly seven years in the event of such an emergency. A few more months and they would've pulled the plug and sent his body down to the morgue to be incinerated. But then Andy the ork showed up for his hand operation with his little alarm clock, which rung on January 2nd, 2070 at precisely 6 o'clock AM and woke James up.

They released him from the hospital after checking his vitals to make sure he was physically sound, as well as to make sure he hadn't died and been possessed by a shedim. Staying in New York was out of the question, and so much has changed in the last six years that James barely recognized the world anymore. Most of his old contacts were either retired or dead, and his expense account at Mitsuhama had long since been terminated. All he had was a duffel bag stuffed into a Manhattan storage locker with a forged credstick containing a fake SIN and associated e-documents, about a thousand nuyen in certified cred, and a pistol with a spare clip, but that was all he needed. The time to start a new life was now, and James has always been a restless spirit - new adventures await on the horizon.

DOB: 2021



Dexter is old. Or at least, he is getting old. Had his life being that of your average corporate Joe, he would either currently be at the very prime of his time, or contemplating early retirement with a fat pension.



But it isn't the case.



Dexter might not exactly be old, but he is surely feeling so. By the time they reach his age, those that thrive in his line of work are usually one of two things: retired on some tropical island with more money then they'd ever need, or dead. Either by some incredible turn of luck, or because he literally has been cursed, Dexter is neither of those. He hasn't gloriously died for his country. He hasn't made the very last stand for freedom, holding back the odds until his last clip was dry. He hasn't caught some random stray bullet. He hasn't given his life for a noble cause or any of the ideals he believes in. No. Dexter has survived. His friends. His comrades. His brothers in arms. His squad mates. Every single one of them is dead now.



The screaming Drill Sergeant at Paris Island.

His bunk mate during basic.

All the Commanding Officers.

All the NCOs.

Every single last on of them.

Everyone is dead.



Dexter might be old, and he also might be tired. But not matter how tired and old he'll ever be, the man will always be a soldier. Even when most of what make him a human being will be gone, he will remain a soldier.



It would be a rather obvious cliché to state that Dexter started his life when he joined the CAS Marine Corps at 18. Like every single human being, he started his life by being born. Contrary to a lot of people you'll find out there, creeping around in the shadows, Dexter wasn't born in the UCAS, or CAS, or in any of those “new” country. Dexter Pope was born in a place that doesn't exist anymore, beside inside his head. He was born in 2021, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. Actually, he was born a little outside of New Orleans, in a small farming community. By the time he was old enough to get beatings from his drunken old man, the USA was in shambles, the family business wasn't fairing quite well, and redskins were causing all sorts of havoc. As much as the First Crash barely hit them, in 2029, the formation of the CAS was a whole other story.



One thing Dexter had a lot of, beside beatings from his dad, were brothers; all older. And all of them had escaped the family life, as soon as they had been able to, by joining the armed forces. When what was left of the different branches had to pick which side they would stay on, most of Dexter's brothers left for the UCAS. The others ended up fighting in Texas, and all laid their life down to defend their newly formed country. For a whole summer, working with his dad and having dropped out of school, young Dexter contemplated what he would do with his life. He sure as hell couldn't stay on the farm much longer, or he'd end up killing his father in a fit of rage. As soon as he was old enough, Dexter enlisted in the Marine Corp. That was in 2038; over 30 years ago.



Fresh out of boot camp, the young Dexter was placed, like about 90% of the country's military assets, near the Aztlan/CAS border. For the first two years, Dexter saw very little action, until things started to flare up along the border. Nothing was ever publicly disclosed, but by 2040, skirmishes with the Azzies became almost daily occurrences. They would test them, and in return, they'd try to sneak in as far into Texas as they could. But it still wasn't much. At least, it wasn't what Dexter had envisioned when he had enlisted. He wanted action. He wanted adventure. He wanted to make a difference and to take the fight to the enemy’s door.



His time to shine finally came through when he was hand picked to be part of a multi-branch unit. Along with Special Forces soldiers, Dexter was sent deep inside Azzie occupied Texas to train militias and provide a little more firepower than they had. And he did exactly that; he covertly tagged and bagged a lot of Azzie troopers, up until his unit was called back to CAS soil.



Back in New Orleans, in early 2046, Dexter met a then student and waitress at a local bar; Sue Morgan. Cute, smart and most of all single. When Dexter's extended leave was over, and his unit redeployed, Sergeant Pope was not only married, but also had a baby girl; Catherine. From the swaps of Louisiana, Dexter found himself waist deep in jungle mud, as he became quite personally acquainted with Colombia... and how he could help their guerrilla fighters push back both Aztlan and Amazonian's forces. Dexter's unit, now “officially” disbanded, stayed in South America for three years, hopping from one covert assignment to the next, taking part in missions that still wake Dexter at night; doings things to people that still plague his nightmares. Dexter's last mission, as part of that covert unit, took place in 52, when a shard from a mortar shell ripped about three quarter of his right arm off, knocking him unconscious and, apparently to his squad mates, dead and gone. What did bring Dexter back to his senses, a few days later, were the rats gnawing at him. They had eaten through most of what was left of his arm, and taken a good bits of his right eye. Miraculously, Dexter survived and when the fighting died off a bit, was rescued and extracted back to mainland CAS. It took Dexter a long time to heal, and not just physically. Most of the scars from his trip down in South America are still quite there. Most of the ghosts still haunt him to this day.



In 2053, the Pope family grew faster than expected: Sue gave birth to twins: Emma and Arthur. Sue had now been out of college for quite some time, and taken up a job with mid size law firm in New Orleans. She was making more than enough money to support the now growing Pope family. For the next two years, Dexter did very little but heal; taking extended leaves, going fishing, training new Marine Recruits. He also spent his time at home, taking care of his son and two daughters, getting acquainted with the new chromed part of his body.



By 2058 all was well with the Pope family. Catherine was on her way to high school, and the twins were just starting 1^st grade. Dexter had just come back from a 8 months stints doing black ops in the Caribbean League, mostly Haiti, when he decided to take the twins to the local mall. A good friend he had met in Port Au Prince, Maurice Raine, was due in town the next day and the twins had nothing fancy to wear. Sue had been working late every single day of the week. Giving his wife some well deserved rest, Dexter took Emma and Arthur with him. Until today, Dexter doesn’t know what happened, or how.



To this day, Sue hasn’t forgiven him. To this day, neither has he.



As Emma, energetic and giddy as usual, pulled him toward a store, Arthur’s hand slipped from his father’s. It lasted barely a few seconds, but it was all it took. His back turned to his son for the briefest of moment, and he was gone. Footage from security cameras revealed nothing. One second, Arthur Pope was standing right there, and then he wasn’t.



From that day forward, something died inside Dexter. Something died inside Sue. After months spent in anxiety, fear and anger, the police finally gave up. Told the Pope they should grieve and put it behind them. From that day forward, there was nowhere to go for Dexter but down. He began to drink. He began to take unwarranted risks on the job. He became an unreliable loose canon of a soldier; the sort of operator no one wanted on their op.



When the summer of 2060 swung around, Sue had filed assault charges on Dexter, and the divorced procedures had started. Taking the girls with her, Sue moved to Seattle and remarried within the year. Dexter disappeared in Yucatan, doing his best to die as a mercenary on some forgotten battlefield. By 2062, Dexter Pope was already making himself a name as a reliable gun for hire… who wasn’t afraid of death. It was during those years that Dexter met what he could have only called a “peculiar” man. A suave, good looking and charming fellow from Boston, with a Spanish as good as his, who had no business what so ever down in that part of the world. A corporate looking fella’ who didn’t seem phased one bit by the going-ons around him. A few weeks later, when contracted by a local kingpin to provide security, Dexter discovered who the man was. Forester. Terrence Forester. An ex Lonestar Homicide Detective turned Ghost Cartel professional hit man. Although it would take a few more years for both men to start trusting each other, at least partially, Dexter and Terrence quickly entered into a “professional partnership”. Each man had a very precise skill set, with clear shortcoming. And so, it was during a local carnival day, in some backwater town in what used to be Mexico, that Dexter and Terrence did their first wet run. Even thought they have now been working with one another for about 6 years, neither man completely trusts the other. Yes, professional and mutual respect is given. But Terrence knows very well Dexter is, at his core, too good of a man. To vulnerable and usable. And Dexter knows very well that Terrence, at his core, is a grade A sociopath who gets a trill from garroting people.



Today, Dexter’s self destructive streak is almost gone. Although he hasn’t truly been able to put any of his past behind him, be it his actions or the disappearance of Arthur, he has decided to keep on living. If not for him, for his daughters at least. For the past 5 years, Dexter has been living in Seattle, with court permission to see his daughters 1 week per month. Emma adores he father beyond reason, Catherine, on the other hand, resents him. Old enough to remember the start of his downward spiral, she barely speaks to him, and since she started attending UDub, he hasn’t seen her.




For about 4 years, Dexter has been more or less at the helm of a small team of runners, composed of three other runners.



Terrence Forester, the ex cop turned hitman, acting as the team’s face and covert ops specialist.

Eugénie “Queen” Raine, a seductive combat mage from Port-Au-Prince, Maurice’s daughter.

Malcom “Glitch” Prior, a brilliant and upbeat hacker, the newest addition to the team and the only Seattle local.




Catherine Pope (DOB 2047): 23

Emma Pope (DOB 2053): 17

Artie is an old-school criminal - pick-pocketing, con schemes, and B&E. He's dabbled in hacking, though he's best at the "social engineering" part of it. He's decent with a gun and a blade, though he'd rather stun than kill (uses stick & shock most of the time). He's middle-aged and definitively average in looks (Blandness quality), but attractive enough to employ seduction tactics when necessary.

He's older than most runners: late 30's/early 40's (haven't decided yet). He was heavily affected by the crash, being actually online at the time, though luckily unaffected. All his financial and identity data was gone, but he took the opportunity in stride, using his few certified credsticks to leave L.A. and move to Seattle. He figured he could start with a completely new and legitimate identity (SINner), as well as a few fake ones.

He has a few contacts that made the move from L.A. to Seattle before he did, as well as a couple that followed him, and some in other parts of the world, as well as the matrix. He doesn't associate with everybody, but when he meets somebody who impresses him, the makes sure to stay in contact.

Skills:

• Influence Group (high)
• Stealth Group (high)
• Electronics Group (low)
• Pistols (mid)
• Blades (mid)
• Perception (high)
• Dodge (mid)
• Pilot Groundcraft (low)
• Hacking (low)
• Software (low)

Qualities:

• Blandness
• Latent TM
• SINner
• (something else interestingly negative)

Ex LoneStar Homicide Detective
Hitman

Bio
Terrence Forester was born in 2028 (which makes him 42 now a days), in the small working class town of Gary, Indiana. During his entire childhood, Terrence couldn't quite understand why all the other kids had moms, and he didn't. All he had was his old man, a steel mill worker, who did very little to raise his child. For starters, he didn't find Terrence as useful as a scotch bottle... altought he did make for a good punching bag. It wasn't until his teens that Terrence finally understood why his mother wasn't around. What smarts he had, he had no doubt gotten from her. Only a bright woman could have anticipated the situation, packed her bags and left. All Terrence knows of her is what he has been told by his father. No pictures. No memories. Just stories. Taking it from him, she left when he was still a toddler because she was a junkie and a hooker. Nowadays, he doesn't even think of her anymore. He doesn't curse her anymore. All the self pity he had is dead and gone.

Because, probably like her, Terrence is a survivor. First and foremost, what is important to him is his survival. During his entire childhood, Terrence suffered beatings from his father, who's behavior sometimes got so out of controls that, thanks to neighbors, got his kid sent to foster homes. Back and forth it went. When Terrence was 11 years old, he discovered what he still believes is the true nature of people. Brought along for a wild ride by his bigot father, on the Night of the Rage, Terrence witnessed the lynching of several metahuman families. The day after his 15th birthday, now a teenager, Terrence ran away from home, hitching a rides and train hopping around the country until he made it to Boston. There, as a street urchin, he lived for about 8 months, all on his own, before being picked up by the local cops... and sent back home, to be taught a lesson. When Terrence finally hit 18, he moved back to Boston and started work as a security guard, holding night shifts in various corporate housings facilities around town. Maybe it was because of the lawlessness of Gary's street, maybe it was because he wanted to make the work a better place for others, of maybe it was just so he could finally feel powerful and in control... Terrence wouldn't say... he never said why he started attending Lonestar Training Courses. In 2048, now 20 years old, Terrence Forest became a patrolman for Lonestar. Odds are, he could've had a brilliant career. Maybe he would have made it big. Who knows?

But things have a way of not always going the way they should. Still a very bitter young man, and in dire need of more money than regular patrol pay would bring in, Terrence began to turn a blind eye to many crimes: that is, when he was paid the right amount. Introduced to the world of the corrupt cop by his senior partner, Terrence began a bright career a crooked cop. In 2053, he did his very first contract hit. Some local mafia outfit had decided a local gang leader was getting a little too big. That day, said ganger was busted by a boy in blue. Two days later, his body turned up on the river bank: plastic zip tie around his wrists and a single .22 at the back of the head. Terrence got paid, and well. For him, it was the beginning of a new lifestyle. He was living twenty times the life a regular cop could enjoy. And he liked it. He liked it a great deal. At 29 years old, Terrence passed the Detective Exam with flying colors, and began working for Homicide. Great contacts acquired through his work in the underworld made him rise fast. After all, what syndicate wouldn't want a great detective on their payroll. His fast rising earned him the ire of another detective, Brad Sullivan. Sullivan quickly became jealous of Terrence's success, and the rivalry that blossomed between the two man was everything but friendly. Throughout his entire career as a cop, Terrence was kept on the payroll of almost every major criminal outfit on the UCAS sea coast. He wasn't just good at bending the rules, feeding information and planting evidence. Where he truly shined was in the hits he could perform. His charming attitude, his good looks and the way he had with people (that and a badge) meant he could go almost everywhere. He always had the perfect cover, and sometimes even ended up investigating the very murders he had himself committed.

Everything went smooth until 2061, when somewhere along the foodchain, a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy who was an undercover cop heard about this hitman detective. Tipped off by one of his fellow bent cop, Terrence wasn't at his place when Sullivan and his partner, now working for Internal Affairs showed up with a warrant. He fled south of the border, making his way down to South Aztlan. There, Terrence took up work as a hitman for the local kingpin, rising quickly in reputation until he came under the regular employ of the Ghost Cartel. It was while working in Aztlan that Terrence met Dexter Pope, a man who would become the only person to ever be something of almost a friend to Terrence. About a two years later, while on "personal business" in Austin, Terrence was tracked down and cornered by Sullivan and his partner. When they finally caught Terrence, it was supposed to be the high point of his career. Brad Sullivan had caught THE dirty cop; the detective who thought he was so smart he could get away with everything.

Arrogance and pride would prove to be Sullivan's undoing. Wanting all the glory for himself and his partner, they decided to bring Terrence in themselves. Caught flatfooted, with Dexter out visiting some old Marine Corps friends in Baton Rouge, Terrence surrendered without a fight, letting Sullivan cuff him. Not an hour later, Sullivan's partner had gotten his jugular sliced, and the ceramic knife Terrence had been hiding was now in Sullivan's eye... all the way to the handle.

Since then, Terrence has been living the life of a hitman to the very best of his abilities. He's taken contracts all over North America, and with his partnership with Dexter Pope, has gotten to people who thought they were untouchable.

Timeline
2028 : Terrence is born in Gary, Indiana
2029 : The 1^st Crash
2030 : Creation of the UCAS
2036 : After being beaten severely by his father, he is placed in a foster home
2038 : Goes back to live with his father
2039 : Night of the Rage, Terrence is dragged by his father into the riots, he watches him beat an ork family to death with others
2040 : Placed in a foster home
2042 : Goes back to live with his father
2043 : Runs away from home, is picked up 8 months later in Boston
2046 : Moves out to Boston, starts work as a Security Guard while attending a Lonestar Training Course
2048 : Joins Lonestar as a patrolman
2050 : Starts taking payoffs from different syndicates
2053: Starts doing hits for different syndicates
2055: Establishment of the Chicago Containment Zone
2057: Dunkelzahn's Assassination
2059: Passes Detective Exam, Assigned to Homicide
2061: After having found himself under investigation by Internal Affairs, an arrest warrant is finally issued. Getting an early warning, Terrence bails out and goes on the run.
2063: Arrested in Austin, Terrence is brought back to Boston to face charges. While in transit, escorted two IA detectives, he kills one, maims the other and escapes.

Physical Description
Contrary to what a lot of people might think, and to what rumors have stated, Terrence is rather physically unimpressive. Not particularly tall, or physically imposing, Terrence would easily be described as "average" in many respects. His hair is always kept short, usually following the corporate executive trend of the month, and was probably black or dark brown until is started to get peppered with bits of gray. Terrence's age is also somewhat difficult to peg down. Although the bits of gray hair tend to betray him, as well as the look in his eyes, he could be anywhere from early 30s to mid 40s. With a square jaw, no signs of wrinkles and piercing natural looking blue eyes, Terrence is a rather good looking man. That, coupled with his natural charisma and confidence tend to make him attractive.
Unless he needs to pass for someone else, Terrence will usually opt to wear suits, varying mostly on the main theme of "gray".

Personality Traits
Before everything else, Terrence is a survivalist. He will always do what he needs to survive. This, in a way, makes him a very dangerous person. Greedy and egocentric, Terrence will usually tend to put himself before others, a thing he does without even thinking about. What Terrence does have going for him is that he is an excellent liar, and understands people very well to a certain extent... even though he probably cannot genuinely "feel" for others. He also fancies himself something of a "philosopher", freely expressing his disgust for the situation of the current world.

Orange.
Red.
Yellow.

All flashing in a stroboscopic waltz, setting the whole scene a blaze. All over the floor, numerous bodies danced amongst flames of light. Some were gracefully gliding; seemingly hovering about like they were stepping on clouds. Other were twitching painfully, their body apparently convulsing in painful manners, tingling with impulses no one was clearly meant to experience. Some were screaming, others chanting. A great many had fallen completely mute, a glaze over their eyes as they saw things only they could. The night club was packed to it’s fullest.

Glitch loved the place. Although always packed to the breaking point, it was one of the lesser known establishments of the city. With no advertisement, a barely glimpse of it’s existence here and there on the net, the place lived only by non regularized viral advertisement. In other word; you only heard about it from someone else, who heard about it from someone else who’d stumbled upon it. But now and then, you’d get a few patrons stumbling in, having chanced on the entrance, late at night, through a haze of whatever they had consumed earlier. The music was great, sure. But the fact the place was pretty much as underground as it got meant just getting “in” made it an experience in itself. Glitch could feel the heavy thump of the bass, the electronic music coursing its way through his entire body, almost punching clean out the air out of him. With each beat, he felt a wave of pressure hit him full front, minutely shifting his internal organs.

His neck was almost sore from the head bobbing he was barely aware of doing. The stims he was riding on made everything brighter, slowing the action down to an almost crawl. Glitch relished the moment, lived in it. It was a beautiful place. Sights. Sounds. People. Feelings. With each passing moment, the beat would get heavier and heavier, crushing the crowd as everyone bumped against one another. People drifted in and out of each other, briefly becoming something else entirely. They would then break off on their own, regain their individuality and drift off. It was like watching someone shake a bottle of water and oil.

Glitch stood, his back against the bar, resting on his elbow. Every now and then, he’d stop for a beat and realize that his eyes were closed. Stims and music did that sometime. He’d find his mind drifting miles and miles away from his body. Ridding himself of his restrictive meat gave him a rush he only found deep in the forgotten reaches for the Net. Out there, in the dark corners of cyberspace, between bytes, in grids no one went to anymore. Sometimes, he’d stay there, for hours on end, just drifting in zeros; going to the places were null was the norm and no data existed. He would float there and listen to white noise. Just like he was floating right now, his body pummeled by the beat and his mind far away.

His eye balls felt sticky as he remembered to unglue his eyelids from them. His mouth felt dry and his palms sweaty. Glitch did his best to swallow, but didn’t find anything. He looked down as his hands to find them shaking, twitching. He didn’t realize he was laughing until he was out of breath. And then the throbbing came, in the back of his head, just at the bottom of his skull. It wasn’t quite there yet, but it was well on its way.

In a few hours, he’d have to call it quits and crawl out of the club. Crawl on the sidewalks. Crawl on the alleys. Crawl into the dingy little place he had rented. Crawl into his stiff bed, under the scratchy synthwool covers. And he’d dream of white noise and whiteouts.

Ever since he’d managed to crash himself on a run, getting within an inch of burning his entire brain in the process, Glitch hadn’t been quite the same. He’d earn his handle even more. Glitch. At first it was because he was good at finding them. Afterwards, it was because his presence in the net always went perfectly untraceable; leaving only faint glitches in the systems behind him. Now, it was a way to describe his body. Glitched. He’s pushed himself a microsecond too far, and had paid by frying quite a handful of neurons. Luckily enough and some said miraculously, he’d been left mostly intact… at the exception of some rather severe chronic migraines. A black clinic doctor had given him a full brain scan. The little black blotches of dead brain tissue looked almost aesthetic on the print out Glitch had taken with him. Battle scars no one would ever get to see.

Even though he didn’t really want to think about it, Glitch knew all to well he’d have to get at least a small fraction of his act tomorrow. Work had been a bit scarce these days, and at the speed he was popping stims, he’d soon be completely dry. That meant no more stims. That meant loosing his edge. And then the pain would come in.

And it was here, knocking at the back of his brain.

Hello? Can I come in? Well, nevermind me, I’ll just make myself at home.

It felt like someone was trying to squeeze his eyes out of his head.


Glitch pushed himself off the bar, an invisible hand guiding him through the crowd and towards the exit. Some water and some sleep would do the trick.

This club is high class. The kind of high class you can only get in L.A. That trendy, out-to-be-seen kind of high class. Women in skimpy dresses on the arms of the only men who can afford them, and the younger men only there to entertain the older ones' wives.

Not the kind of high class Artie likes, but he can fit in when he needs to. And he needed to up until about 30 seconds ago.

That's when he stood up and downed his glass of vodka. He stumbled over to the bar, and asked for another one. Well, not really asked. Demanded. Slurred may be a better word. And shouted is what he did when the leggy blonde behind the counter refused to serve him. Cursed. Threatened.

Got himself kicked out.

Security came over and asked him to leave. He refused. It's not often these high-class bouncers gets to throw someone out - literally - so they take the chance whenever they can. Artie tried to put up a fight, but he's not as spry as he used to be, and he ended up in the alley without his jacket.

- - - -

Artie stands up and brushes himself off, assessing the situation. No jacket, but that's okay. There's nothing important in the jacket, and he'd have had to ditch it anyway. He'd fit in better like this.

No broken bones, and they didn't touch his face either. Lucky, that. He kneels to buff his shoes and check his ankle holster. The shoes are quickly cleaned, and the Special is still there. Not bad at all. Time to get back to work.

Artie rushes around to the back of the building, nearly at a sprint, and catches the attention of some waiters having a smoke break. He rushes to the door, and takes out the maglock key he lifted off the bouncer.

"Shit shit shit"

One of the smokers speaks up: "Hey omae, calm down. Bossman left."

"Yeah, yeah." He'd seen that a minute or so beforehand, just before he'd made his own spectacular exit.

He can hear them laughing at him as the door closes, and he shifts demeanor from panicked and worried to calm and collected. He walks into the kitchen, and grabs a random tray from a serving station, carrying it out toward the dining room. He promptly hands it off to another waiter and makes a sharp left down the hallway toward the offices.

From his left ankle, he takes out a set of lockpicks, and kneels in front of the door. Mere seconds later, it's open, and Artie's rifling silently through filing cabinets. He finds the one he's looking for, and slips out the window.

Time to get paid.

Milo Sinclair, Paranormal Investigator

It surprised absolutely no one in his family when Milo decided to drop out of college ten years ago to open up his own paranormal investigation agency. If anything, they were surprised he lasted so long before he, as Aunt Wilhemina had so delicately put it, "fell off his fuckin' seahorse." Even as a kid, Milo has always been fascinated by the zany and the weird, the mysterious and unexplained. He would tell his mom he's doing homework, then lock himself in his room and read books about blackberry cats and wendigos. His mom would get all sorts of pissed off when she found out, and beat him with a plastic clothes hanger until it broke, but that didn't faze Milo one bit. Eventually she gave up and accepted the fact that her son was forever doomed to be an oddball. School had never been the boy's strong suit (unless they were learning about dragons), but he managed to get himself accepted into the local community college with a major in Magic Theory. Life was a peach, and he was heading towards a career in magical research until one fateful night his junior year, when a barghest broke into their residence hall and decided to have itself a midnight snack. Students and staff were running about in terror, and the beastie was about to take a chomp out of Milo's roommate when our hero sprung into action, drawing his roommate's competition pistol and shooting the barghest through the eye, dropping it in one shot. There was a lot of hoo-hah for a few days, he got his face in the local screamsheets, congratulations were abound, then life returned to normal for awhile. Milo's roommate managed to convince him to join the school's target shooting team, where he discovered a remarkable talent for handling a pistol. He took the team to nationals, then suddenly had the inspired thought to drop out of school to start up his own business in investigating all things supernatural.

Unfortunately, Milo had about as much business sense as a door nail, and his venture quickly got sunk by overhead costs and increasing debt. However, his escapades caught the attention of a corporate recruiter for the Draco Foundation, who offered him the opportunity to work as one of the Foundation's many instruments in executing the late dragon Dunkelzahn's will. It needs not be said that, to Milo, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and he said yes before the recruiter even finished giving his pitch. After being churned through their rigorous, year long training program, where he perfected his talent for target shooting and picked up a few new tricks along the way, Milo officially became a consultant for the Foundation, complete with a new car and apartment, all on the company's dime. Unofficially, he did whatever the Foundation needed him to, from tracking down wayward beneficiaries to hunting blood mages in Aztlan. For the next few years, life was dangerous, but never dull, which was just the way Milo liked it. Unfortunately, when the second Matrix crash took the world by storm and Foundation chairperson Nadja Daviar became one of the disappeared, the company was thrown into chaos, and in the ensuing corporate shuffle, many assets were downsized. When the smoke cleared, Milo found himself with a generous severance package, but no job. Ever the optimist, and never one to stay in one place for too long, Milo packed his bags and headed out on a new journey towards the great unknown, ready and willing to tackle whatever life was going to throw at him next.

The large mug of beer slammed down noisily onto the workbenches surface, scattering tools across the area. The multicolored light from multiple AR displays glistening off the few drops that escaped the dwarfs thirst and dribbled down his fire tinged beard. His face, covered in dust and oil from his work on the shotgun that he'd just finished working on turned to look at his newest acquisition. His contact at Ares said it was something R&D was working on, but he didn't know what it was. The dwarf got up to fill his stein again, he'd need the beer help with the headache this piece of tech was going to cause him. He hated not knowing what it did. Perhaps a little bit of magic would tell him what it did!

As he filled his mug from the keg he kept in his workshop for just this purpose he sensed a presence behind him. Turning he saw saw the large fire elemental who guarded his place materialize in front of him.

"What is it! You know I don't like to be disturbed while I'm working on a project" he exclaimed, taking a swig from his mug.

"The perimeter patrol drones have reported an incursion, I figured you'd want to know." The spirits face showed know emotion, but his voice was obviously amused by the dwarfs outburst.

"Are you sure they're not malfunctioning again! I swear they're cursed, I keep fixing them, and their sensors keep getting fouled up." The dwarf sighed and scowled at the amusement the spirit was obviously getting from their exchange.

"I checked it myself. Maybe the reason they malfunction so much is because you keep fixing them?" The spirit chuckled.

"Are they any threat?"

"No, it just looks like a few street kids."

"I'll deal with it then, now buzz off, your warming up my beer!" The dwarf sighed and sat down, mentally issuing a few commands to his households drones.

The houses outside floodlights come on, illuminating the interlopers, causing them to stop suddenly in their tracks. As the speakers started to hum to life, the dwarf grinned to himself, the next part was the best. As the Ride of the Valkyries starts playing roto drones take off from the roof and start to slowly fly down towards the kids. The dwarf takes another drink of beer as he grins and activates the guns on 2 of the drones, slowly moving them to point at the group of kids. the kids take off running and he let's loose with all barrels. The blanks make a hell of a racket, but leave the kids untouched. As they make their way down the street he turns off the music and sends the drones back to their landing pads.

Now that the entertainments over, the real fun begins. His hand reaches out, sparkling with arcane energies as he touches the new tech, a glow surrounds it as his eyes roll back in his head. Who knows what secrets will be revealed.

Malcom “Glitch” Prior

Hacker / Street Face

Malcom should have turned out "better" than what he is today. Born to a father working as an executive manager for Gaetronics, in Vancouver, and a grade school teacher mother, Malcom should have had it easy. But it wasn't the case. Very mature, and a bit too clever for his own age, it wasn't long before young Malcom was hanging with the rough crowds. Being a generally likable person it wasn't hard at all for him to fit in. Even if he was, technically, one of the rich kids, that didn't stop him from doing his share of petty crimes. Already part of a street gang at the age of 15, Malcom was running different scams with his friends, putting his abilities in computer work, as well as people skills, to good use. Acting so was for him a way to rebel against not only is parents, but the whole world. He hated the big corporations; the inhuman machines who were sucking the life force out of every single individuals. Society was polluted, disgusting. Everything to him seemed gray and dead. He had the usual outlook on life that your average teenager has. Running the streets with his friends, making fast money at such a young age gave him a purpose in life.

But that didn't last forever.



One of their little cons turned bad when the marked turned out to be the son of one of Vancouver’s leading triad head. Although they got their pockets filled with more cred that they had ever counted in their whole life, they basically got the biggest crime syndicate in Vancouver after them. When Malcom's friends started turning up in dumpsters all over town, he knew things finally had gotten very serious. He had, all his life, coned people out of their nuyens... which seemed to him like a harmless crime. He had also seen his share of brawls... but now, people weren't just getting hurt, they were getting murdered. Malcom packed his bags, said goodbye to the city he loved so much and left without looking back. Matter of fact is, he ran away.



Not knowing where to go, the now 16 year old teenager (traveling under a false 19 year old ID) decided he wanted to try to make it big in California. And so, Malcom began the journey South. Young Malcom arrived in Seattle only with what he could carry in his backpack. His plan might have worked if he hadn't blown most of his nuyens on partying. Stuck in Seattle with no money, addictions to way too many drugs, and debts already pilling up, Malcom turned, once again, to crime. Physically weak and burnt out, mostly because of heavy drug usage, Malcom started running the net circles. Money never stays in his hands… there’s always something new to buy. A new program to get, a new gadget to bargain for, a new piece of ware.



Word of the Street

The first and foremost striking thing about Malcom is the fact that he looks very young. The reality is that he doesn’t hold his youthful appearance from some genetic manipulation, or elaborate surgery. Malcom is indeed young. Early twenties, truth be told. His general appearance also cuts rather harshly with the usual “professional” look of others in his line of work. Bright electric blue hair, very fair skin, and clothes up to speed with the current teenage crowd. Generally sporting a friendly demeanor and mighty gregarious outlook on things, his joking attitude can easily get on the nerves of what he might call “stuck ups”. Nevertheless, when on the job, Malcom is spot on and good at what he does. What he might lack in experience, the young hacker makes up for in pure raw talent. A very young runner, many hold great hopes for him… that is, if he can survive long enough in the shadows.



How exactly Malcom got to Seattle, it’s hard to say. His English sound more than good enough and locals know him... which suggest he’s been in town for some time. When asked about his presence in the megaplexe, all Malcom usually answers is: “it’s cheaper than backpacking through Europe.”





1. What is your characters sex?
Male



2. What is your characters physical size?

Malcom is of smaller stature than most North American. His build would actually suggest he’s more of European stock. Standing at about 5’7”, the young hacker can’t weight more than 120/125lbs. He’s definitely of the skinny kind, something he usually hides under slightly baggy clothes.


3. What is the color of the characters hair, eyes, and skin?

Being 22, he still looks very young, which plays in his favor most of the time. People underestimate young people, which always gives him an edge when playing a mark. He keeps his hair short, and dyes depending on his mood, and the job. His eyes are of a deep green, and he has a very fair complexion... hinting to some irish blood somewhere along his family's line.


4. What is the character's general appearance (i.e., How does he dress, etc.)?

Usually, he dresses in a slightly flashy way: with fluo or bright colors. But knows when to dress properly, or how to. He seems to have a particular affection for hoodies, and he almost always has a pair of light yellow tinted glasses resting on his nose.


5. Where was the character born (City, State, Hospital Name)?
Vancouver, SSC


6. What is the characters date of birth?
January 12th, 2048

7. What was the character's family life like?
The best way to describe it would be “quiet”. With both parents working full-time, his dad being a tried and true workaholic, Malcom had a very casual relationship with his family. Even his relationship with his older sister wasn’t all that warm. Left to himself, Malcom was educated by himself, the trid and the Matrix. Both his parents are still alive and well... and probably wondering where there son has been for the past 7 years. Malcom also has an older sister (4 years older) to whom he hasn't spoken since he left Vancouver.


8. Has the character begun his own family?
He hasn’t. At least, not in his own opinion. He has started to see, on a semi regular basis a Chinese girl, who goes by the handle “Pixie”. A big computer aficionado like himself, she tends to hang out with the local go ganger crowd. Malcom wouldn't admit it outright, but he has grown attached to the girl.

9. Where or how was the character educated?
Having literally ran away from home at the age of 16, Malcom formal schooling stopped at that level… even though he was light years ahead of his classmates. Rather hungry about information in general, Malcom has “kept up to date” with the miracles of the net.


10. Has the character ever done anything else for a living?
Beside con people out of their cash? No. Malcom has never made a single nuyen the honest way. Where would the fun be in that! On the other hand, the fact he makes friends easily, and spends a lot of time in clubs and at underground parties, means he has started to get involved a bit in the scene itself. Recently, he’s taken up a few live solo gigs, DJing in clubs.


11. What are the characters beliefs on church and state?

Being from a catholic family, Malcom does hold some belief in religion... although he probably wouldn't admit it openly. Having already lived more than most people, he has a very different outlook on things, and is trying to make his mind up

12. Describe the characters Moral code. Include how mercenary he is, whether or not he'll kill innocents, etc.
No matter how much you might like someone, never forget that he can be a mark.

Never forget that you can also be a mark.

Killing and physically hurting people is never necessary: you can always talk or con your way in and out.

Until now, Malcom has never actually killed anyone, preferring none lethal way of disposing of people… when he needs to. The fact the team he operates with tends on heavy side of things, he learned to turn a blind eye to the amount of violence they sometimes have to dish out. He’s learned to swallow his “good guy” moral, for his own survival.


13. What are the character have any goals?
Yes: to find one. Kiddings aside, Malcom is a greedy little bastard all in all, and so, he’s looking at making the max nuyens as fast as possible. Still being young, he also has a pretty hedonistic outlooks on things; he wants to party, see thing and meet people… and rip them off.



14. Why does the character run the shadows (rather than getting a "real" life?)

For the thrill; for the giggles; to meet people; because he is, after all, lost.



15. What kind of personality does your character have?
Malcom is usual a happy and optimistic person, yet he wouldn’t be considered a bubbly person. He’s a jokester and trickster before anything else.


16. What special qualities does the character possess?


17. Are their certain things the character can't or won't do? Why?
Malcom is very reluctant about killing people.


18. What things, people, or ideas does the character hate?
For a reason known only to him, Malcom has something against corporations in general... and authority.



19. What things people, or ideas does the character love?
In general, he likes people: their stories, their opinions, likes, etc... He's still a very curious kid.


20. What is the character's name? Give both full birth name, as well as nicknames, street names, etc.

Malcom Prior. On the ‘Trix, Malcom goes by the name of Glitch


21. Determine what your character used to do?

Well… he was and still sort of is a kid.

22. Decide why your character left his or her old life.
He left Vancouver to avoid getting his ass capped… and ran away as far as possible.

23. Come up with a reason for why the character became a runner. (This very often will tie in with #22. This is not the same as #14, but rather why he started running the shadows originally. What led him to it?)

Truth be told, Malcom is somewhat of a coward. Things got too dangerous back home, and the young hacker opted to abandon his friends and go on the run rather than face the consequences of his actions. It is one thing is does not like to think about, even less talk about. Malcom became a shadowrunner out of necessity. There isn’t much else he can do. That and he is used to fast money.

24. 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.
Not surprisingly enough, Malcom two closests friends in Hong-Kong are both rather close to his age, and have a slightly similar outlook on life.



Pixie, which is her matrix handle, is a fellow hacker Malcom met in the Seattle club scene. Slightly older than him, it hasn’t stopped him from initiating something of an on/off relationship with the cute Chinese girl. Something of a college dropout, Pixie could be considered an activist. She spends most of her time working for an unofficial overwatch group that keeps tabs on all the big corporations in Seattle and the surrounding area.




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 characters previous employment.

Malcom still has a valid SIN in SSC… but he’s probably listed in the Missing Persons files.

26. Is the character a full-time runner? Or does the character lead a Batman-like double existence?

Malcom doesn’t really consider himself a runner par se. But indeed, that is pretty much what he does beside burn all his nuyens in nightclubs.

27. Which person(s) or group(s) do you love the most?.
At the moment… Malcom doesn’t hold any group in particular in very high account.


28. Which person(s) or group(s) do you hate the most?
Malcom has a rather important dislike of corporations in general. The bigger they are, the more he hates them. He might explain it in a very Robin Hood manner… that they are using the poor common man to do their evil deeds. But fact is, he’s bitter because of the way it ruined his family… how he never saw his parents because “the corp” came first. Still pretty much a teenager, Malcom also has a hard time with authority in general. He doesn’t like being told what to do.

29. Which person(s) or group(s) do you respect the most?
Any big wig hackers. They’re the real deal!


30. Which person(s) or group(s) do you fear the most?
Beside the biker gang he seriously pissed off back home… no one. Not yet.


31. What is your favorite color?

Blue. Just like his hair for the moment.

32. What is your favorite food and/or drink?
Malcom is a serious beer amateur. Brunettes being his favorites. Beer that is.


33. What place would you most like to visit?

There isn’t really a place Malcom would like to visit. He would much rather just go home.

34. Which person(s) or group(s) are you most loyal to?
For the time being; only to himself.

35. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the most enjoyment?
Malcom is very big on partying. He knows life can be short… so he tries to have as much fun as possible. He’s big on simply socializing and chatting up with people.


36. What pastime (that you participate in regularly) gives you the least enjoyment?
Keeping up with the SOTA. Like they say; SOTA’s a bitch.


37. What annoys you the most?
People who take themselves too seriously. People who can’t let loose.


38. What (if any) is your favorite form of art?
Music


39. What is your greatest goal?
To be able to go back home.

40. What do you think is your characters best quality?.
His optimism.


41. What do you think is your characters worst quality?.
Might not know when to shut the hell up.


42. What is the most important thing you have ever done?
Get out of Dodge.

43. Which religion (if any) do you follow?
Malcom is a very “loose” catholic. Not someone you might call a practitioner.

44. What is your most treasured possession (and why)?
His head (not only all the ware inside… but because he needs it for pretty much everything!)

45. What are your three most common dreams?


46. What is the character's current relationship with his family?
He hasn’t had a single contact with them since he ran away. He prays every day that they are still well.


47. If the character's family is still alive, what do they do, and where do they live?

They are probably all still in Vancouver.

48. Where did the character learn his Skills?
Malcom is mostly auto didactic. He learns best by himself… and that is how he has learned most of his technical skills.


49. Does the character have a good luck charm? What is it, and why?
Nope.


50. What type of music does the character like?
Everything that is currently trendy.


51. List any past serious relationships that your character has had, and give a brief overview of the relationship.
Malcom hasn’t had any “real” relationship yet. A few flings here and there with some local girls but nothing serious… and nothing that has lasted more than a single night.


52. Where does your character live? Why does he live there?
Malcom is renting a terribly small apartment in a rather run down part of Renton.

Character: Ludmila Søren



Twenty Questions



Background



1.Where and in what kind of environment did your character grow up?

Ludmila Søren, Ludi for the more intimate or those just in a hurry, is originally from Volgograd, Russia. Middle child of a family of 5 (2 boys and 2 girls), Ludi grew up in a blue-collar working class family. Her family was far from being fortunate, and bad luck seemed to lurk behind every corner. Early in her childhood, her father, the only source of income for the family, suffered a work related accident, which took his left leg, and a part of his right arm. Lacking the funds for cybernetic replacement, the Søren family quickly saw its list of options narrow down. The two eldest sons gradually went from petty crimes to full fledge felonies.



To support her family, Ludmila enrolled as a reservist in the Russian Armed Forces. When Ludi was finally 18, she was able to get into a small technical school just outside of Moscow, through an army-sponsored project. She studied electronics and mathematics for one year. The young woman also took keen interests in combat sports, especially boxing.



One year after she started school, one of her young sister, working as a streetwalker, simply vanished in the fog of Volgograd. Her oldest brother also fell victim to a Mafia related shooting. With two sources of income gone, Ludmila had no choice but to abandon her studies and move to full active duty in the army.



After washing out of Officer Candidate School, she went the enlisted men's route, and was assigned to an infantry platoon as a communication and electronic specialist. The hours and work were hell... but the paychecks helped her now deteriorating family get by. After a few combat assignments, she was brought back to Moscow as an Unarmed Combat instructor.



At 23, Ludi's father died of liver related problems... probably from his heavy drinking. The same year, her remaining brother was arrested and slapped with a life sentence for murder. Ludmila could see her family simple break apart, and she felt powerless. The only family she had was spiraling down to hell. There was simply nothing left to salvage. And so, Ludmila did what she thought was best: she buried herself in her work to avoid confronting reality. Cutting almost all ties with her family, she has only seen them sporadically since then. After a year spent "collecting dust" in a Moscow military academy, Ludmila was scouted and recruited by the FSB, where she worked for the Science and Technology Services at the National Cryptology Academy. But, true to herself, even though she was talented in code breaking and intelligence analysis, Ludmila was bored to death by it. She wanted to be back in the field. She wanted her boots to hit the pavement. She wanted to feel the rush of the fight. After spending some time at a desk job, she was transferred into a special task force that had been put on by the FSB Counterintelligence Services, who were trying to break the back of the Vory V Zakone. Spending some time in the field with the team, gathering intel, Ludmila proved to be quite a reliable operative. Not only was she smart, she also had a lot more combat experience than most FSB agents. It didn't take long before she was moved full time to the Counterintelligence Services of the FSB, where she literally became what the Service calls a "proactive counterintelligence agent". Truth be told; she is now one of those people the FSB sends in to "take out the trash".



Ludmila worked for the FSB for about 6 years, growing slowly but surely desensitized about life. The FSB being a domestic security service, she saw, every single day, the worst not only of Russia, but of human nature. Infiltrating organized crime, investigating corruption in the intelligence community, tracking down foreign spies, cracking down terrorists cells. And all that for a still meager pay. Every day, she saw how people really were: greedy and backstabbing. Even though they still did "honest work", Ludmila realized that many operations the FSB had running were heavily tied in with the current political party, running his own agenda, or simply working at the heels of whomever they could pay. Slowly, Ludmila was sucked into the world of corruption, pay offs and double deals: getting paid protection money from foreign services and groups operating in Russia. She simply couldn't help herself… she had lost all hopes in humanity. She simply did not care anymore. But everything changed when, after a night of heavy boozing in a Moscow bar, Ludmila became pregnant. Her work wouldn't allow her to keep the child, and she couldn't bare bringing one into such a world… but she never made the final step. She couldn't bring herself to take the life in herself. Maybe the child could succeed where Ludmila had failed. Maybe she could make a difference.



And so, Ludmila resigned from the FSB, well, it was more like she simply went rogue and never came back… simply working for whomever could afford her services. She is now staying with her aunt (from her mother's side).



2. What are your character's relations with their family? (Does your character keep in touch? Where are they now?)

Her mother should still be alive, but Ludmila has completely lost touch with her. For all she knows, she might be dead from the BTL she was hooked on. It isn't that she does not care or love her mother… it is that seeing her and thinking of her simply reminds her of the strong woman she was once before. Now, she is but a broken and shattered shadow of who she was.



Her brother is still alive and doing his time behind bars. Even now, Ludmila tries to go and see him now and then, or at least contact him when she not in the country.



Her little sister followed Ludmila's example and left the family home to move to the Russian capital, to pursue her studies. Whenever she can, Ludi sends whatever extra nuyen she has. She does all she can to support her, so she'll be able to stay in school… instead of following her example further and falling in the shadows.



Ludmila also has a daughter, Lana. Ludi has done her best, with the help of her aunt Zina, to bring the girl up. She keeps the nature of her work as blurry as possible from the young girl. Lana's father isn't even known to Ludmila… when she fell pregnant, she was seeing two different men. Although it would take a simply and fast test to determined who's the father, Ludmila simply never had the guts to go thru with it. Lana is the only thing that matters in her mother's eyes.



Zina, Ludmila's aunt, is a grumpy woman with a hearth of gold. Never having children of her own, she considers Ludmila like her own daughter. Even though she doesn't support Ludmila's shadowrunning activities, she understands how strong a mother's love can be, and that the woman is simply doing the best she can to provide for them.



3. Does your character have an ethnic background? (Is it relevant to them?)

Full blooded Russian. The fact is that Ludmila did more or less runaway from the motherland. The emotional baggage that she associates with her origins are mixed. Because of her thick Russian accent, and the fact that her knowledge of English is sometimes lacking, it is rather difficult for her to hide her origins. She is indeed proud of who she is, and where she is from, and is deeply trying to convey that pride to her daughter (for example; she insists on her speaking Russian at home… something the girl doesn't enjoy much). But, "being Russian" also makes her remember everything she left behind.




Appearance
4. What does your character look like?

Ludmila is about 5'9", 130/140lbs and keeps herself well in shape. Her body is well defined and toned; a habit she took from the army and something that hasn't left her. A bit obsessed about being in shape, Ludmila keeps her whole body toned and well defined with a daily routine of physical exercise and running. When she has the time, she adds swimming and gymnastic to the whole thing. Because of that, and all the added cybernetic limbs, her whole silouhaite is rather well toned out. Out of habit and practicality, she keeps her black hair short trimmed. Her upper left arm is entirely covered with a black inked tribal designed tattoo. Although probably not considered a "classical" beauty, Ludmila isn't all that displeasing to look at. She would probably be an attractive woman if she took care of her look and was less tough and ballsy. She has the typical Russian features. She has a very tomboyish look and never wears any makeup. Ludmila also has numerous scars on her body… all reminders of the lifestyle she has chosen.



5. What does your character dress like?

Ludmila dresses like she looks: in a practical matter. She usually opts for slightly baggy pants, with as many pockets as possible. Long sleeves or t-shirts, thrown under a heavy jacket usually finishes everything. She, from times to times, will wear an old and battered urban camo jacket... the only trinket she keeps from her brief army days. Her tomboyish look is only accentuated by how she dresses.



6. What are your character's physical quirks?

None



Skills, attributes, resources

7. What did your character always want to be? (How did they go about getting this job/position/ability/image? Did they succeed?)

At a very young age, Ludmila loved to taking things apart to see what make them ticked. At school, she excelled mostly in sciences, math and physics being her favorite classes. Because she lacked the money to go to college on her own, when she was 18, she enlisted as a reservist in the army. Thru a scholarship, she started a bachelor in Physics and Electronic Engineering. Her plan, at that time, was to work toward a Doctorate in Microelectronic Engineering. Since she was also very good at fighting, she joined the school boxing team, and sometimes dreamt of a career in the sport.



But soon, her life changed pace and she was trusted back in the army. Not being very keen on being bossed around by her superiors, Ludi decided that being at the top in the chain of command would be the best way to avoid that… but it is for that precise reason she washed out and was busted back down to Private. Although her rash temper made her a difficult soldier to order around, he determination and tough attitude also made her a very efficient member of the armed forces.



Lana birth changed all that. From a disgruntled young woman, Ludmila changed into a mother with hundreds of responsibilities. Now, she has to do whatever she needs to provide for her daughter.



8. Where and how did your character learn their Active and Knowledge Skills?

Beside her years spent in the Russian armed forces and at the service of the FSB, she has picked up bits and pieces of skills here and there. Once again, her knowledge skills come from her brief years of technical school, army training, and years spent working for FSB.



9. Where and how did your character get their major equipment and 'ware?



10. Where and in what kind of place does your character currently live?

She shares a crummy apartment with her aunt and daughter, It is located right across the street from her aunt's small beauty parlor.

11. Who are your character's contacts? (How did they become contacts? Why do they still talk to your character?)










Lana Søren
Born in 2067, Lana doesn't know her father. Fortunately for Ludmila, up to now, she never had explain her child why she didn't have any father… but Lana has started school now, and will probably come up with the question one day. The truth is that Ludmila isn't even sure who is the father. Testing for paternity would be simple, fast and easy… but Ludmila has (and still is) always been afraid of what the answer might be. Lana is five years old, and looks just like her mom: black hair, which are kept long and deep green eyes.



Up to now, Ludmila has also been able to keep her shadowy life a secret from the child… but knows deep down that she won't be able to lie to her kid for her whole life. Lana is, quite honestly, Ludmila's entire life. Everything she does, she ultimately does it for her. She is her drive; her will to live and survive.





Zina Søren

Zina Søren arrived in Seattle when she was in her early twenties. She had met a young and charming classical musician in Moscow, and had followed him back to his hometown of Seattle. They were shortly after married, and lived quite happy. But Zina's husband died, about 15 years ago, of health problems. They had lived quite comfortably for their whole life, which was why Zina was so surprised when she ended up neck deep in debts.



It seems that they had, for many years, lived quite above what they could actually afford. The woman, now in her fifties, had to start working… for the first time in her life. With what money she had left, she opened a small beauty shop / salon.



Zina, now in her late 60ies/early 70ies, is Ludmila's aunt, on her paternal side. An old grumpy woman with a hearth of gold, she has been like a mother to Ludi, since she first arrived in Seattle. She greeted her niece, who she had never met before, with arms wide open, and gave her her first job: cutting hair in her salon. Surprisingly, Ludmila enjoyed it. She still helps her around the shop whenever she can, using her hairstylist job as a cover. When not on a job, Ludmila can always be found cutting hair at her salon during the day. She is eternally grateful to Zina for everything she has done, and does, and does everything in her power to repay her. Zina is also like Lana's grandmother.



She is a very conservative woman, who wouldn't miss church on a Sunday morning for anything in the world. Holding all the traditional beliefs very close to her hearth, she has a very hard time accepting countless facets of Ludmila's lifestyle. At first, her "teenage" attitude; the nights she spent out on the town; the men she took back home. After, it was her "masculine" behavior; the boxing, running the shadows. Now; the fact that Ludmila has a child and isn't married… and that she is seeing a married man on the side. Even if she doesn't accept all those things, she lives with it, and loves Ludmila like her own daughter. She would never admit it, but the main reason why Zina is so overprotective of Ludi… is because she remind her so much of herself at that age.






Varya Sevastyan
Varya Sevastyan is a Lithuanian immigrant. Ludmila first met her at Zina's salon. It was her who taught Ludmila how to cut hair, and all the tricks of the job. A very outgoing person, she is Ludmila opposite in many ways. Very in touch with her feminine side, socialite, a real party girl… who's a bit childish and shallow at times. But Ludi loves her like a sister.



Varya has also been taking care of Lana, from time to time, and is probably Ludmila's only real friend. Up to recently, Ludmila was Varya's faithful clubbing and concert partner. But since Lana's birth, Ludmila has settled down a bit, taking things less carelessly than her friend. Varya is simply a carefree beautiful woman, with the mindset of an 18-year-old young woman.





12. Who are your character's enemies? (How did they become your character's enemies?)

Well, Ludmila wouldn't go as far as saying she has enemies… at least, none she really knows of. But having killed many agents for the FSB, it is quite possible some people might not like her.



13. For Awakened characters, how did your character learn their magic? For non-Awakened characters, how does your character feel about magic?

Although she accepts it as part of her life and the world she lives in, Ludmila isn't all that thrilled about magic. During most of her life, everything concerning the Awakened was what the trideo was feeding her in the living room of her parent's. While on duty in the Russian land forces, her unit saw brief combat close to the Chinese border. The mage in her unit summoned a spirit… who turned loose. In the midst of the firefight, it turned against the Russian troops, killing almost half of them before they could put it out of action. Since then, Ludmila has been feeling very uncomfortable around any astral entities. Mages and spells she can deal with… spirits and elemental, she can't.




Personality
14. What are your character's personality quirks?

Ludi is very single minded, and sometimes a bit overly aggressive about getting things done. Her straightforward attitude sometime makes her come through as a bit of a bully. She has some problem keeping her temper in check, and can be quite impulsive and explosive at times. She's also has a lot of pride, which is one of her main flaws: she takes failure quite harshly, and hates being vulnerable. It is because of this sort of temper and attitude she washed out as an officer in the army. Her military training is still engraved in her mind, and she tends to still behave, a lot of the time, like a soldier. She actually still considers herself a soldier... the battlefields; enemies, allies and missions have simply changed.



15. What are your character's likes and dislikes?

She is a total sucker for rock music... any kind. Her favorite pass time is going to rock concerts, and seeing the recent groups play in packed clubs. Ludmila is also an avid amateur of hand-to-hand combat, mostly boxing.



16. What is your character's moral code?

Now that Lana is born, Ludi tries to live her life as honestly as she can.... a very strange thing for her. She tries to be as true to her words as possible, and as straightforward as she can in the current situation. Having been in her share of fights, Ludi obviously had to take lives.... something she has grown dangerously unmindful of. She knows it is something that is part of her job. It is a mean to an end. Her military training is still engraved in her mind, and she tends to still behave, a lot of the time, like a soldier. Because of that, she still feels a strong sense of duty toward those who work with her.



17. Does your character have personal beliefs?

Devout catholic. She is convinced that she is going to hell... which is why she is doing her best for her daughter. She wants to shelter her as much as possible. Every Sunday morning, Zina, Lana and herself always go to the local church. Ludmila carries with her a small silver chain with a crucifix. Not one night goes by without her praying for her loved ones. Even though she tries to be as much as a good person as she can't, her way of life and line of work get in the way of it quite often. Yet, she tries to find "loop holes" in her faith, and will always goes to confession whenever she can. No matter how much penitence she commits herself too, she has somehow accepted the fact that her soul cannot be saved. She is damned for her actions, and can simply try to be as good as she can so that God will at least accept her daughter. Whenever she can, she tries to lend a helping hand to the church she goes to; fixing the electric wiring, repairing broken windows, etc…



18. What are your character's personal motivations?

Her main goal, for now, is to provide the best living conditions as she can for her daughter.




Running the shadows
19. Why does your character run the shadows?

Out of necessity… she must provide for her young daughter. She usually sees herself as a gun for hire, with wetwork being one of her best field. She probably wouldn't admit it, but she misses her army days; the camaraderie, the feeling of being part of something larger and accomplishing something. The rush of simply running the shadows is also something big for her.



20. What would make your character ever leave the shadows?

Because she runs the shadows out of necessity, the main thing that would make her turn around would be if that necessity was gone: if she could get a "normal" well paying job. She'd also leave if her work ever got her daughter in real danger.


2039 - Ludmila Søren is born in Volgograd, Russia

2040 - Ana Søren is born

2043 - Laelia Søren is born

2057 - Joins the Russian Armed Forces, starts a bachelor in applied physics and electronics

2058 - Laelia, her youngest sister, disappears; she was only 15.

2058 - Dmitrii Søren, her eldest brother, dies in a mafia related shooting.

2058- Ludmila abandons her studies to enlist full time in the army. Because her vision and earing aren't up to standards, she replaces her eyes and ears with cybered version. She washes out of Officer Candidate School. The cited reason is "lack of discipline". The woman is simply to brash, bold and balsy to be an officer.

2058 - Unit assignment: Norwegian Border

2059 - Unit assignment: Siberia. Promoted to Junior Sergeant.

2060- Unit assignment: Chinese Border.

2061 - Ludmila is brought back to Moscow, and assigned to an instructor position. She teaches Basic Hand-to-Hand combat, as well as Basic Electronic Warfare. She reaches the highest rank she will ever hold in the Russian Army; that of Sergeant.

January 2061 - Sergej Søren, Ludi's father, dies of a liver disease.

January 2061 - Miroslav Søren, her remaining brother, is arrested for murder and sentenced to life.

2062 –Ludmila goes to work at the FSB's National Cryptology Academy

2062 – Ludmila is assigned to Task Force Pandora

2062 – Ludmila goes to work for the FSB's Counterintelligence Services

2067- Lana is born

2067 – Ludmila goes rogue and leaves the FSB without consent from her superior

Short and Long Term Goals List


Short Term Goals

Buy a house, in a nice neighborhood.




Long Term Goals
Make sure her daughter gets everything she ever needs to succeed; to give her all the opportunities she never had.

Get enough cred to leave the shadows, so she can take care of her daughter.





Background

Family Ties and Relations

Since Miroslav's arrest, it has been very hard for Ludmila see or speak to him. She couldn't bear going to court during his brief open and close trial. Since her father wasn't much of a role model, Ludmila's two brothers had been very important in her life. Miroslav had been the one to push her into going to college. She had known all along of his illicit business practices, but had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to it. His arrest, even if not all that surprising came as quite a blow. He is currently serving his sentence in a prison situated far into the cold and lifeless steps of Russia, close to the Awakened Siberian Territory. Up until recently, simply thinking about him was something painful for Ludmila. But now… she can't condemn him for his behaviour anymore. Ludmila, who had always considered herself a good person, had now jumped the fence herself. Just like her brothers had before her: she became a criminal out of necessity… to assure the survival of those she loved. They still write to each other.



She hasn't received words from him in almost a full year now. Ana goes to visit him about once every month, but she and Ludi never talk about it. Ludmila still feeling terrible guilt for "abandoning" her family in such a manner, simply cannot talk about it.



Her relationship with her little sister, Ana, is less tense… but tense never the less. When she left Russia, she had decided to cut all ties with her family; to let them vanish just like she had. But her sense of duty had the best of her, and after only a year, she got back in touch with her sister… something that wasn't an easy task. Ana had already moved out of the family dacha and was staying on campus, studying Literature. It took quite many letters and phone calls for the two sisters to reconciliate their differences. Ana was just like Ludmila; bold and very straightforward… and her sister's disappearance had deeply troubled her. But she somehow understood Ludmila's action. It was her running away from the family that pushed Ana to also leave the family home and try to make it in the world. In a way, Ludmila's "cowardice" pushed her to grow. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she is very thankful to Ludmila for that. About once a month, Ana writes to Ludmila. They talk about everything and nothing… but never about Miroslav. Even thought she is far from being rich, Ludmila tries to send whatever extra nuyens are left at the end of each month, so she can help her little sister pay for tuition. It is never much, but it helps Ana (who's working part time as a waitress) pay the bills.



The year Ana left the family house; their mother was kicked out of the dacha by state tax collector. Since BTL habits had taken quite a toll on the family savings, there was simply nothing left to live of. Having been literally abandoned by her two remaining daughters, the woman simply sank deeper and deeper. She might, or might not, still be alive somewhere in Volgograd. Even when they were still at home, the woman had a very destructive temperament, and had a tendency to beat up the girls quite often when the brothers weren't around. For Ludmila, her mother died many years ago, and whoever is left alive in that shell of a body is a total stranger.




The Army
Beside her family's tribulations, another thing that really shaped Ludmila into what she is now can be found in her army days. Although she spent only four years in the rank of the Russian infantry, she learned a lot.



Going in as an officer was her first choice. She did very well on the shooting range, and he level of fitness was usually well above the average recruit. But a large part of being an officer rests not only in being able to make decisions on the fly… but also to apply the orders of those above. That was the main issue with Ludmila. If she thought as situation could be best handled with a full front approach, she'd go for it. Never mind what the chief cadet said. She was very good a butting head with fellow officers, and especially the higher-ranking commissioned officers. For that, Ludmila was shown the way out of Officer Candidate School. Being kicked out in such a manner simply gave her more reason to prove herself.



Taking the enlisted men route, Ludmila fared very well. She had a tendency to question the decisions of the officers, just like when she was one, which gained her the respect of her fellow soldiers. If the grunts wanted something done, they went to her… and she'd take it straight to the CO without any fear of being reprimanded. Because of that, she developed quite a bond with the rest of her unit: the officers disliked her, the enlisted men loved her. In a strange way, even if she wasn't the highest-ranking one around, most of the unit's member looked to her for leadership. In the thick of the fight and tensed situation, she never lost her composure. The main reason for that calm was Ludmila's youth: she thought herself invincible. She thought, and still thinks, that there isn't one obstacle she can't overcome.



Her very first assignment was along the Norwegian border, where her job consisted mostly in interception and decrypting radio communication in the zone. She tried as much as she could to get field assignment, with the rest of the troops… but was usually busted back to base where she wouldn't be in anyone's way.



After taking her "complaints" to numerous officers, they finally decided to give her a field assignment: she was send with a combat detachment to the Siberian region… cold, far, and full of skirmishes with the Awakened Forces. There, she spent a full year living in crummy field camps, doing patrols knee high in the snow.



The first few months, nothing happened, and Ludmila spent most of her days yawning and looking at the horizon, her AK resting on a nearby tree. It was during a regular patrol that Ludmila got her first taste of real combat. The 8 men strong group was jumped by few guerrilla fighters, while crossing a river. Three of them died in the first few seconds. The patrol's CO, a young Lieutenant, was on his first assignment and simply froze. Surprising even herself, Ludmila grabbed the man and pushed him behind some cover. She stayed there, pined down with the young officer. All she could do was return fire and cover her fellow soldiers retreat. It took 3 days for her and the Lieutenant to make it back to the encampement. Three long days of running in the snow covered mountains; three long days of freezing outside; three long days of being hunted like animals by Siberian forces. When they finally made it back to base, Ludmila kept the whole story to herself. She knew that the man's cowardice had put the whole unit in danger… but the ambush had sparked a series of skirmishes, and it wasn't the time to make the men loose trust in their officers. The young Lieutenant was promoted to Captain, and shipped back to Moscow HQ. Ludmila was promoted to Junior Sergeant for her efforts.



Being one of the few troops to have actually engaged in combat with the enemy, the "brash and insubordinate" Junior Sergeant Søren then found herself on almost every strike in Siberian territory.



After spending another year in Siberia, Ludmila's unit was finally rotated to another assignment. She found herself back behind a communication's console, deep in the mountains near China. It took only one month before she managed to get herself transferred out of the communication detachment of her unit and back into infantry.s Beside a few hit and run made by the Chinese forces to test the Russian defences, nothing exciting happened… until her unit was called upon to stop a major smuggling operation.



Making their move to cut a large smuggling route between both countries, her unit engaged a 4-truck convoy in the mountains. Unfortunately, during the firefight, some of the Russian troops crossed the border to pursue the fleeing smugglers… and it only took so much for the Chinese to strike back with everything they had. The battle lasted almost 48 hours, non-stop. While retreating toward the Russian lines, the sole mage in the unit summoned a greater earth element. The idea was for it to rapidly dig trenches so the Russians could take cover… but the plan was never put to use. The elemental went loose, killed the mage and turned against the troop. No one was prepared, and the majority of the retreating soldiers were crushed by the elemental.



When the Russian soldiers finally made it back over the border, they had lost over 75% of their numbers. The unit was disbanded shortly after, and the remaining members were reassigned.



Even after showing great potential and courage during her combat assignment in both Siberia and China, Ludmila was still seen a troublesome element by most officers. For that, she was sent back to Moscow HQ, and given an instructor position at the academy. Even if they didn't like her attitude, she sure was loved by any enlisted personnel.





"Who? Ludmila? Believe me chummer, you don't want to have anything to do with that girl. She is one thick skinned chain smoking mean russian girl. She's brash, impulsive and has the worst temper you'll ever see in your life. A very overt person… the kind that, if she likes you, you'll know it right away. If she doesn't; it'll be crystal clear. She's not a bad person… she just has some issues with controlling her temper and aggression. A very proud girl; she'll take on about anyone… and will come out on top most of the time. Which isn't good for her ego; makes her a bit overconfident in confrontation. What does she look like? She's gotta be almost 6 tall, short cropped black hair, deep green eyes. She's usually wears rather loose clothing, but don't let it fool you. Under those baggy pants and sweater, is one toned and nicely shaped body. Heard most of it is actually cyberlimbs. Seen her in the ring one: she's got arms that will punch your head clean off and the kinds of legs you'd expect of a swimmer. She's not unpleasant to look at, but she's got that tomboyish look, know what I mean? She could probably be cute if she took care of her appearance. There's also something sorta strange about the way she carries herself: she walks "tall", never bullshits around, and sometimes uses strange words… things you'd hear mercs say. Definitely something military behind that whole deal. Believe me. Most people think she's just your classic bully, but the girl actually has quite a brain: math, physics and electronics don't seem to hold any secrets from her. If you can encrypt something, she can probably crack it in a matter of minutes; hours if you did a good job. Not too sure where she learned all that stuff, but she's not local; that's a sure bet. She got one of the thickest russian accents I've heard in years… I mean, her english is fine, better than some. But no matter how much she speaks it, there's no getting rid of that accent. A very good operative to have around, but don't expect to boss her around. She's got one heck of a short fuse, and a very very large powder keg at the end of it."



Post 1
It's late. Rather, it's early. Really early. Ludmila feels a soft vibration from her wrist, followed by a quiet beeping. Flipping up the small digital screen, she is greeted by Varya's youthful face.

"Hey Ludi, i hope you weren't sleeping."

She punctuates her sentence with a alcohol-aided giggle.

"You won't believe who I met at Matchsticks. His name's Rick, and he manages models. He said he might have me come by to put together a portfolio, isn't that great?"

Varya tries to stop for a reaction but instead launches into her next staement.

"He also told me he was looking for some local talent for a job, so I naturally thought of you. If you're interested, he said to be there at 8 tomorrow night."

Varya raises an eyebrow and looks sideways at Ludmila. "You weren't sleeping at this hour were you?"

For a few seconds, Ludmila simply stared blankly at Varya's face, unsure where to start. Even through the small screen, she could smell the alcohol. Another quick glance toward the clock. Da... she was probably already smashed beyond salvage. Ludi's eyes felt like they were burning, and she knew it wasn't from being groggy.

"Dobri dien Varya... Have no worries, I was not asleep. Thank you for you concern."

Ludmila hated the way her voice sounded in english. She always seemed to accentuate her O's, and overly "roll" her R's. No matter how much she spoke english, her thick slavic accent would not get out of the way. Varya had been born in America, and probably had never been taught russian at all.

"I would not want to break your dreams, but you should be careful about this "Rick"... You do remember what happened last time someone tried that pick up attempt on you... or me for that matter, da?"

Ludmila permitted herself a sigh. She wasn't particularly sleepy, or even annoyed that her friend called her. It was mainly that Varya always reminded her of her earlier days: when she had no worries in the world, and spent her time club hopping around Seattle. But fate, it seemed, had the habit of bitting you in the ass at the prime of you time. She wanted nothing more than to dress up a bit, and go join her friend... but the lines would be endless... and it was raining outside... and she deeply needed to rest... and it probably wouldn't be that fun... Ludi was trying to convince herself not go. She ran a quick hand through her hair before continuing.

"Well, I am glad you are having fun Varya... Maybe I will join you this weekend. I believe Zina is closing shop for that time, which should give you some free time. Would you happen to catch Rick's last name? Thank you for the information concerning the job. I will be there."

When the conversation was over, she wished her friend a good and safe night, and flip the screen down, closing the phone unit. Ludmila looked at the clock, again. Barely a few minutes had passed. She had been sitting, for almost 2 hours, on her beaten up brown couch, the one that was sitting on the far wall of the small living room, agaisn't the window. She had brought her knees up to her chin, resting her head on them. The window was slightly ajar, letting a soothing cold wind inside. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, hearing nothing but the rain hitting the roof, the window, the pavement. She missed the snow in Volgograd. It always snowed. Here.... it always rained. She finally decided to get a move on and got up in the dark apartment. The cheap carpeted floor felt like sand paper under her barefoot, and she had to make a few steps before remembering the close the window.

"Last thing Lana needs is a cold..."

She quickly found the big woolen cover she was looking for. Slowly, she crept in Lana's room, covering her with an extra blanket. Kissing her softly on her forehead, she watched her sleep. She was so beautiful, so calm... Grabbing both her guns, she made sure each had a full clip in, and took one extra for each. She then threw a dark green hoody on, and her used Russian army jacket. Stuffer shack was always open: she could definitely find enough things to make pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast. She'd also take the opportunity to grab a pack of flavored cigarettes, and make a few telecom calls from a public booth.