QUOTE (Pepsi Jedi @ Mar 12 2013, 02:21 AM)
Hey Ixal, could you please copy the sections that you referenced
"+ A huge blood magic ritual (1000 sacrifices) to take down Sirrug which apparently failed (The Ritual).
+ A new Story about Bogota. It is confirmed that Sirrug was defeated. But why don't they say killed?
Aztech is as I predicted on a roll. Defeating Sirrug and taking Bogota and Cali + 60 kilometers of land gain into Amazonia
Black Star destroyed, Aufheben likely dead"
They don't seem to have been added to the running log on page 2 of this thread yet.
I already have send Sengir a PM with the parts.
But for the impatient:
Princes 6
[ Spoiler ]
status quo, young as it may be, from the years since the Coup. The tendency toward less overt racism will hopefully continue, as will the comparative openness of their borders and the nominal transparency of their government. The High Prince has made it clear that tourist money will continue to be welcomed but foreign businesses and extraterritoriality will not. This position is, of course, in her own best interest—or, rather, in the interest of the entire Telestrian clan. Their family-owned business continues to economically dominate the Tír as a whole, leaving their nearest competitors, Prince Demarco’s Andalusian Light Industries, in distant second place.
The prominence of the Telestrian name, in fact, brings us to the remainder of the election’s meaningful results. The High Prince’s replacement on the Council of Princes—another Telestrian—will rubber-stamp any changes wrought by the new High Prince, no matter what the fiscal effects of these changes might be. Lynne, the High Prince’s cousin, will be taking Mary-Louise’s vacant Council seat.
> Meet the new Prince, just like the old Prince.
> Frosty
> People, that song is more than one hundred years old! Start quoting some new music!
> Slamm-0!
The Telestrians are not simply the dominant force in Tír politics but are working hard at forming a dynasty. The entire Council knows that Lynne will now speak with the High Prince’s voice, and in the case of a tie, High Prince Telestrian will decide the matter, regardless. The balance of power has shifted dramatically in the Telestrian family’s favor. Though Mary-Louise’s son Sebastian seemed to be groomed for a political position, Lynne is also a more-than-capable heir. Sebastian remains a prominent executive in Telestrian Industries proper, and just a few months ago the family bent its fortune and clout to campaigning on Lynne’s behalf instead of Sebastian’s. The women of the Telestrian clan are the most powerful figures in the Tír landscape now, and it is only a matter of time before they truly wield that might.
> So what do we know about Lynne?
> Pistons
> There’s precious little to know. Top of her class, double major in biotechnology and business culminating in an MBA from Williamette University, top scores in her Rite of Progression. Back when James III was the Telestrian pater familias, Lynne was given a chance to shine, and she did so. She’s been groomed for this position for a long time. The Telestrians have done their best to ensure every family member is ready for this sort of power. Losing James to the Coup threw a wrench into their plans, sure, but they’ve had ten
election results upthread? How many friggin’ Telestrians are there?
> Hard Exit
Princes 8
[ Spoiler ]
> Lots. This one is Rory. Records on him are … scarce and often redacted. He’s something of a prodigal son, with rumors flying about who he really is and what exactly he’s been up to. The current theory in some circles is that he’s a Ghost or White Banner/Black Dagger-type guy who just got back home in time for the election and ran to piss off the rest of his family. His last name’s the only reason he made it onto the ballot.
> Frosty
For now, High Prince Zincan still holds office. Only a few weeks remain before he will hand over his position to Mary-Louise, and Lynne will move onto the Council to fill her cousin’s seat. Having ascended from being a token ork yes-man under Surehand to ruling the country, Zincan was more popular during his reign than anyone could have foreseen, and he will be missed. He inherited a nation drowning in crises, and while he has his critics, the truth is he stabilized the economy, slowed the drain of refugees, brought in valuable tourism, and even saw many expatriates return. The Zincan Act has been partially sullied by the draconian security measures it introduced, but the continuing sectarian violence shows that such measures may have been necessary despite their drawbacks.
The new High Prince seems poised to continue many of Zincan’s plans. The borders will remain (comparatively) open, the atmosphere will stay (relatively) friendly to outsiders, and the economy will continue to grow. Some worry about old traditions being ignored, but many of them write those complaints in the blood of innocents. These old traditions concern xenophobia and oppression, so I feel the Land of Promise is better walking down this new path.
Ares 1
[ Spoiler ]
HE NEXT BIG THING
When wading through all the crap about fake products spewing from Ares’s hyperactive rumor mill, one has to keep in mind that a megacorp—especially one that just suffered a major hit to its reputation—still needs to make new products. Real products, not chimeras from the addled dreams of corporate R&D hyped by PR to distract the public. From what I’ve found, Ares is doing just that, with a new project that will supposedly make the Excalibur seem like little more than a bad dream after a bender at McHugh’s.
The corp’s goals with promoting this new project are threefold. Ares wants to keep people talking about its products, for good or for ill; to distract consumers away from the Excalibur failure and the dismal results of related cover-up operations; and to put the focus on an excellent product or service that will help repair some of the damage the Excalibur cost them. Keep in mind that the actual money Ares lost in developing Avalon and Excalibur is negligible in the eyes of a corporate-level accountant. Fiscal loss is important, sure, but those who recall the finer points from the Corporate Guide upload may remember that losing money or taking out a line of credit isn’t going to wreck the long-term financial solvency of a megacorporation. It might slow them down, but a diversified AAA like Ares isn’t going to vanish into obscurity anytime soon over just one bad product. What’s far more important to the boardroom in Detroit is the Excalibur’s true cost, something shadowfolk readily spend like coin: reputation.
I’ve mentioned a few times that once-loyal Ares folks are second-guessing their purchases. I’ve even caught wind of several Ares citizens selling off their corporate scrip for nuyen in order to buy non-Ares products. Both of these scenarios have Knight & Co. running scared. Business savvy aside, how does one successfully compete when even longstanding bestsellers can’t keep you from hemorrhaging more customers on a daily basis?
If you ask me, Ares is a bandersnatch’s whisper away from hiring Horizon to work their PR magic to help the Excalibur meltdown go away. That’s how desperate they are. Most megacorps are as self-sufficient as they can make themselves, which means they only make deals with rivals when they have no other recourse for getting what they need. For Ares to even consider such an action shows their current condition.
> Why would Ares bother with wasting good nuyen on Horizon PR? I thought Ares Global Entertainment would be more than enough to tackle this mess.
> /dev/grrl
> Considering the current state of AGE’s leadership, does this really surprise you?
> Dr. Spin
> That which is not good for the beehive cannot be good for the bees.
> Axis Mundi
> Not sure how long ago Sticks first wrote this article, but if you haven’t already seen any Ares
Ares 2
[ Spoiler ]
“brand awareness” ads recently, they’re radically different than any ads I’ve ever seen them air.
> DangerSensei
> You mean like the ones with the guy sitting on a bearskin rug made from a piasma that he killed with an Ares Canadian Sportster? Yeah, I get what you mean. First time I saw one of those, I was surprised to learn it was an Ares spot. The tone, the execution, and everything else smacks of Horizon to me. If Ares wants to hop in bed with them, I say let ’em, but what kind of game are they playing?
> Riser
> Inter-corporate cooperation can be the first step to a hostile takeover or a mutual merging of assets into a single entity.
> Mr. Bonds
> If Ares is as beaten down as some people think, could Ares actually be ripe for a takeover for by one of the other AAAs?
> /dev/grrl
> With current market projections, it’s far too early to tell.
> Mr. Bonds
> A wounded beast fights with enough desperation that they’d be more likely to try going out with a bang than end up as someone else’s prize. Knight will implode Ares with his own two hands before letting anyone else snatch up what he’s built.
> Kay St. Irregular
Word around Ares is they’re working on a new, top-secret project that they’re nebulously referring to in advertising as the “Ares NBT.” Ask a salesperson at any Ares branded store just what the hell NBT is, and they’ll repeat the corporate line: NBT will “revolutionize the marketplace” and “connect the consumer to Ares in ways previously undreamed of.”
If you believe corporate drones like these, Ares is reinventing the damn wheel. Or they managed to patent breathing or trademark the concept of money. As best I can tell, reality is far more mundane. NBT is still under wraps, but some old-fashioned legwork and ingenuity have crossed off a few of the nonthreatening
Ares 4
[ Spoiler ]
match reality.
> Pistons
BORN TO SHOP
Have you ever found yourself doing something and then realized you don’t remember why you started doing it in the first place, as though the person you were when you began and the person you are now are two different people? That’s part of a rumor that I’m hoping is pure fiction. I don’t know the official moniker for this one, but I’m calling SocialScape, because it’s apropos.
Corporations exist for one reason and one reason only: to turn a profit. For a corp to turn a profit, it needs to make products, and consumers need to buy those products (yes, I know, this is basic stuff, but stay with me here). For all but the most basic physiological items on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, corps have to convince consumers to spend their hard-earned nuyen. The corps are essentially waging a war with potential customers, and things like marketing and advertising are the opening salvos that will hopefully knock down defenses and convince these poor fools to part with their money. Now, imagine for a moment if corps didn’t need to rain artillery shells filled with explosive marketing upon their potential client base. What if a corp could use small-caliber sidearms to win its battles in the marketplace? Or what if a corp could close a deal with a smile and a handshake instead of a weapon of any kind?
Here’s the most disturbing thought: What if there was no war over consumers at all? What if people woke up and immediately thought, “Man, I need to go get more Ares-branded products today”? What if people bought from a specific corp because they felt it was their civic and patriotic duty to buy Product X, as if they were born for that very purpose? If you eliminate the need for marketing altogether, that means lower overhead and higher profit.
Corps trying to brainwash the masses is nothing new. Subliminal advertising has been around since long before the Awakening and isn’t going anyway anytime soon. SocialScape, however, is something different. Where subliminal advertising tricks your subconscious into a certain behavior, SocialScape involves no trickery, per se. Instead, it would actually rewrite minuscule parts of your brain using tailored nanites.
> What?
> Clockwork
Let’s say you’re walking past an Ares-owned storefront. They’re not bothering people with AROs. They’re going old-school and handing out hardcopy pamphlets to passersby. Or maybe they’re offering a free sample of some new miracle-food product. You’re not really that interested, but the lady’s pushy, and you find a brochure stuffed in your hand or some mouthful of genegineered food byproduct floating around in your stomach. Then about half an hour later, you find yourself wondering why you walked past without actually buying anything. That was real stupid of you, right? How could you have forgotten? So you go back and buy whatever the store was
Trigger 10
[ Spoiler ]
after the initial Aztlan attack, observation satellites spotted Sirrurg making his way along Aztlan’s west coast at high speed before veering out to sea, presumably to gather strength for his magic. As part of Marauder, Aztlan had three separate task forces ready to deal with Sirrurg once he appeared. Air Task Force Two, secretly based out of Guadalajara, was the first to intercept the great dragon roughly forty kilometers west of Acapulco. Air Task Forces One and Three were also scrambled with Three ordered to move in immediately to support Task Force Two. Task Force One held station. The Aztlan carrier Huey Tlatooni and her battle group, having set sail days earlier, also made their way towards the engagement zone.
> In orbit, a handful of Aztechnology hackers co-opted several observation satellites in an effort to keep the rest of the world, especially Horizon and Amazonia, in the dark. Earlier in the year, Aztechnology lost several of their own sats to sabotage, so this time they decided to call in a little favor from Evo and used their satellites to conduct operations. One of the Aztlan’s main targets was Horizon’s Eagle-Eye II space observation platform. When it wasn’t taking nice pictures of faraway galaxies, it had its optics turned Earth-side and did a lot of spying for Horizon and Amazonia. Using “borrowed” codes from the Space Rescue Service (you know, the ones that in times of emergency can be used to take control of any satellite in orbit), Aztechnology used Eagle-Eye II to help coordinate the attack against Sirrurg. And to add insult to injury, they also made it look like “terrorists” had taken control of the platform and were going to dump the sat into the atmosphere. An SRS cutter eventually responded and secured the platform, pending a full investigation. Seems the SRS and GOD don’t like it when someone uses their own codes against them. They went batshit crazy and blacked out the rest of the sat-network, then slammed several other “suspected” terrorist networks as a precaution, which also benefitted Aztlan. I’m still pissed that the Asgard Data Haven got smacked in the crossfire, and I’m still pissed that someone smacked me out of Eagle-Eye II like a red-headed stepchild. Whoever did it better hope I never find them.
> Orbital DK
> Damn! I knew it would be nice to get a hold of one of those codes! I bet they’ll change all the security protocols now. Some days I just can’t get a break.
> Pistons
The first wave of fighters and attack craft from Task Force Two barely slowed Sirrurg. The attack started off as planned but quickly devolved into clusterfuck of a dogfight. Only one pilot managed to get a shot off before Sirrurg’s fangs and claws destroyed him. The second wave of craft from Task Force
Trigger 12
[ Spoiler ]
fine documentation of the event, but there are a few pertinent missing details. I have orbital footage of the attack. In the footage I noticed several dark swept-wing shapes that were part of the attack. Several of them went toe-to-toe with Sirrurg and almost outmaneuvered them. Are these those Bloodwing fighters Rigger X mentioned awhile back? Anyone else who wants to see the footage here’s the .
> Orbital DK
> Visually, they match the craft specs I have, but if this is them, then I’ve seriously underestimated their performance capabilities. In that footage, several of these craft dodged melee attacks from Sirrurg and were taken out at distance. This could be a game-changer in the weapons business.
> Rigger-X
> Is it because the pilots are that good, or could this Blue-227 have something to do with it?
> Turbo Bunny
> Hard to say. We don’t have enough data on Blue-227 to know how long it would need to take effect. But I doubt that lucky shot helped Sirrurg’s cause.
> Butch
> Has anyone else noticed that throughout the battle, some of the drones were even older than Bull and FastJack. It’s like Aztlan emptied their warehouses to throw everything they had at the big wyrm. I’ve seen the specs on the Falconer TAC-C system (cred’s already in the account, X), and badass as it is (I’m so getting one), there is no way they could have successfully coordinated as many drones as they fielded. It’s like they were ordered to fly right into Sirrurg’s face.
> Clockwork
Now on the ground, Sirrurg was squarely on the defensive. As the battle resumed, Sirrurg let loose and attacked with his magic. Several more spirits, specifically air, attempted to create storms in the area to thwart the air attacks. Heavy-lift aircraft created instant firebases and several mobile artillery pieces came to the fight. Naval assets also
Trigger 16 (Blood Magic here)
[ Spoiler ]
on dragons, so what you need is a concentrated and overwhelming force. Trick is, you still have to overwhelm a dragon. I can understand why Aztlan did everything to put Sirrurg in the position they did, but what about his magic? I would have guessed that would have been the greatest concern: how do you shut down a dragon’s magic?
> Am-mut
> I … I honestly don’t know. The amount of power necessary would be astronomical, not to mention it requires extreme precision. Is Aztlan even capable of such a thing?
> Frosty
> It is if they combine the power of the Sextant of Worlds, a locus, and then power the whole damn thing with the sacrifice of about a thousand. Yes, it was possible.
> Rifleman
> What?! When did the Sextant come into play? I knew every asshole and his uncle were looking for it and it was rumored to be in Aztlan hands, but now you’re telling me that they had it all the time? How the hell do they hide something like that? And no offense, but how much do you actually know about it?
> Snopes
> I don’t know, yes, I don’t know, and quite a lot actually.
> Rifleman
>Oh no, you’re not getting off the hook that easy, mister. You can’t just come in here and drop a bombshell like that and then get all mysterious on us. You better spill what you know or by gods I’ll <1.9 MP deleted by SYSOP>
> Frosty
> Down, girl. Take the threats elsewhere.
> Bull
> Frosty, I’m sorry but I’ve already said too much. I’m only saying anything now because I know people will follow up and find the truth for themselves.
> Rifleman
> You’re not related to Man-Of-Many-Names are you?
> Slamm-0!
> What we really need to worry about isn’t how this ritual was conducted, but just what the full effects of the attempted rite are going to be. In the short run, I think it’s safe to say that it was designed to stop Sirrurg from using his entropy power by reflecting it back at him. I wonder what would’ve happened if the rite went off as planned.
> Arête
> Hey guys, am I the only one who remembered that magical component of
Bogota 1
[ Spoiler ]
THE BATTLE OF BOGOTÁ
Posted by: Sunshine, et a
> OK, before I get going, we’re going to break from our traditional format for this section just a bit. Normally whoever’s posting will just collect the data from our sources and then feed it back to everyone here. This time, I think it would be better to let the sources speak for themselves. We know the broad strokes of what Aztlan did in Bogotá after Sirrurg was defeated. But we don’t know much beyond that because Aztlan was controlling the information flow. I think in this case, the best way to learn what really happened is to read the words of those who were actually there. I’ll help cover the high points, but most of the nitty-gritty stuff will be coming from a variety of sources.
> Sunshine.
October 3, 2074.
Less than two hours after Aztlan defeated Sirrurg outside of Acapulco, Aztlan launched Operation: Huntress, their plan to secure the city of Bogotá. The first phase of Huntress was twofold: to eliminate all known Amazonian, Horizon, and anti-Aztlan agents still within the city, and to feed Amazonia false intelligence. Once the operation began, agents of Aztlan and Aztechnology began their assignments. Less than twenty-four hours later, eighty percent of the assignments were completed. Some of these assignments implied that Amazonian agents attacked Aztechnology holdings, thereby allowing the Aztechnology forces to legally engage in the fight. Based on planted intelligence, Amazonian commanders thought the bulk of Aztlan forces were engaged against Sirrurg in the north. Amazonia launched an offensive against the city to completely cut it off from Aztlan. Aztlan responded, deploying several previously unknown airborne and air cavalry units that dropped in behind advancing Amazonian forces. Meanwhile, Aztechnology forces attacked from within the city, effectively surrounding the Amazonians. The Battle of Bogotá had officially begun.
> Guess Rifleman was right; all those shuffled units didn’t just go into the Sirrurg Task Forces. Damn, they pulled off one hell of a logistical sleight of hand.
> Stone
Bogota 3
[ Spoiler ]
<From the personal journal of Sergeant-Major H. Martinez, 77th Independent Ranger Company “El Cuadrilla”>
October 8, 2074
Location: 45 kilometers northeast of Bogotá
I hoped to get my first full night’s sleep in months, but the Major called an emergency meeting to inform us the orders were in. We were to make way towards Bogotá to reinforce and cover the northern flank of an Amazonian push into the city. My guts told me that this whole thing was a giant mistake, and from the look on the Major’s face, she thought it too. But, like good soldiers we had our orders and made ready to move out. Just before we departed, we the first wave of Aztlan’s “counter assault” hit. A flight of Halcon fighter-bombers hit our position first, taking out most of our large transports and forcing us to scatter. I saw at least six T-birds of various types fly overhead past our position. Judging by their configuration, they were troop carriers. The Major then yelled orders to take up defensive positions and for the rocket crews to get ready, but two Paynal gunships broke off from the T-Bird group to begin attacking our positions with heavy machine gun and rocket fire. A few of our squads opened up with small-arms fire, but those gunships had heavier armor than usual. Still, it got their attention and gave Corporal Jones and his crew a chance to deploy their Ballistas. The gunship’s countermeasures defeated two rockets, but one connected squarely with one of the Paynal’s right engines. With one now crippled, the two gunships retreated while letting loose with their remaining rockets to cover their egress. We were battered, bloody, and no longer combat-effective. We lost most of our transports in the attack and our TacNet crew signaled multiple contacts coming in on our position, ETA ten minutes. It was time to move. The Major ordered all available equipment and the wounded gathered up. Anything left behind should be destroyed or booby-trapped. Taking only what we could to survive, we began the long trek through the jungle to the last known friendly position in Amazonia. I just hope it will still be there if we arrive.
Bogota 4
[ Spoiler ]
October 12, 2074
Aztlan and Amazonian forces clashed in open warfare both in and outside of Bogotá. Amazonian forces were divided; some penetrated the city to attack from within while others fought in the surrounding wilderness. Aztlan airborne troops continued to attack Amazonian forces from the rear while Aztlan and Aztechnology troops inside the city continued with brutal street fighting. In the Gulf of Aztlan and the Pacific Ocean, Aztlan naval forces stationed themselves just off the Aztlan coast and provided artillery support in the form of cruise missiles. Several units from the north, including remnants of the Sirrurg Task Force’s ground units, also arrived in Bogotá and deployed around the city’s perimeter. Just north of the city along the disputed border, famed mercenary units MET2000 and Tsunami clashed as the Amazonian-contracted MET2000 attempted to engage Aztlan armor forces on the way to the city.
> By this time, no one seemed to care about collateral damage, just killing the enemy. I haven’t seen such blatant disregard for civilians in my life. At least the Russians bothered to attack military targets, this … it just makes me sick
> Fianchetto
> I’ve done a lot of research into some of the magical aspects of this battle and frankly, it scares the hell out of me. It’s one thing to let loose with conventional weapons like this, but to do so with magic is almost suicide. I’d advise everyone to keep an eye on this place for even more magical problems in the future.
> Winterhawk
> Judging by the soldier’s reactions, I wonder if one of those rogue spirits, Maelstrom or Oblivion, were involved?
> Glasswalker
> You a betting man?
> Kane
> Actually, my information placed them in Denver at the time.
> Elijah
Bogota 6
[ Spoiler ]
October 15, 2074
The Aztlan military established a no-fly zone extending in a fifty-kilometer radius around of Bogotá. This comes two days after Aztlan/Aztechnology forces cordoned off the city, cutting off all access to the outside world. This didn’t stop Amazonian forces and civilians from attempting to leave or enter the city. Current Aztlan rules of engagement gave their forces standing orders to shoot on sight any craft or vehicle attempting to enter or leave the city. Strict curfews were enacted as Aztechnology security forces cracked down on anyone suspected of working for or affiliation with Amazonia.
Amazonia and several other countries protested this in a current UN meeting, citing the inability to get humanitarian relief into the city for trapped civilians. The Aztlan ambassador to the UN replied: “If you’re so concerned with civilians, then why did you enact sanctions in the first place! We are fighting for our very survival, and yet you all have turned it into a game of politics and punished us because of lies. No, we have defeated our greatest enemy and now we shall end the war our way!”
Inside the city, conditions were barbaric. Leaked reports indicate widespread conflict over basic supplies and rampant disease. Orbital satellites showed that thirty percent of buildings in Bogotá are now destroyed or uninhabitable. Even the Aztechnology Business complex took significant damage. Fighting inside the city began to slow as Amazonian forces surrendered, but several groups continued to fight and the entire city remained under lockdown. Fighting outside of the city showed no sign of slowing as Amazonian forces continued to frustrate Aztlan soldiers in the rainforest. As a result, Aztlan began carpet-bombing several stretches of the rainforest to flush out Amazonian forces. Discipline problems were also on the rise among Aztlan troops; their commanders attributed it to stress and fatigue.
> This definitely gets some attention in Amazonia, specifically that of Hualpa. Up until now, he was content to let his underlings handle things, but when this happened, he started to take a more personal interest in the war and didn’t like what he saw.
> Frosty
Aztlan began a PR campaign to showcase their new “relief centers” that offered aid to Bogotá’s beleaguered citizens, but these centers became the target of theft and attacks. The ad campaigns play this up, citing that “Aztlan is giving what little it has to the needy in Bogotá. Where is the UN?” This campaign had a positive effect for Aztlan as petitions came in, urging the UN to lift sanctions. The UN stubbornly refused, citing that Aztlan was still guilty of metahuman rights violations and possible war crimes. Horizon tried to counter with its own PR campaign, but several files leaked that indicate Horizon may have altered some of the footage to implicate and ultimately enact sanctions against Aztlan. The PR campaign backfired, and global support for Aztlan grew.
> Dawkins Group Operatives: not just for military secrets anymore!
> Slamm-0!
Bogota 8
[ Spoiler ]
October 18-28, 2074
Amazonian forces, now desperate to end the war because of the carpet-bombing campaign, began planning a new offensive. From a staging base at Cali, members of MET2000 and Combat, Inc. planned to spearhead the attack against Aztlan forces outside of Bogotá. Members of Black Star, desperate and trapped inside of Bogotá, were ready to lead an attack against Aztlan and Aztechnology forces inside the city if they could get resupplied. Several shadowrunner teams were hired to complete the operation. Using the offensive as a diversion, some of these teams were successful, but most were killed or captured by Aztlan and Aztechnology forces. It is still enough to adequately re-supply Black Star and their allies, who launched their part of the offensive.
> From what I’ve learned, Aufheben was the one who planned Black Star’s part in the offensive and personally led it. I don’t suppose we found anything new on him or Marcos, have we?
> Traveler Jones
> Absolutely zip at this point.
> Glitch
The offensive over the next week was exceptionally brutal, even by current war standards. In the city, Black Star led forces attacking Aztlan patrols, hoping to draw out a significant number into the mazes of rubble throughout the city. Black Star kept the patrols occupied while the MET and Combat, Inc. led forces engage the Aztlans outside of the city. Both sides went at each other in a rage. Black Star and their forces successfully drew Aztlan and Aztechnology troops into a series of running gun battles throughout the city. Civilians also joined the fighting, but elected to attack both sides equally. What began as isolated pockets of conflict degraded into a citywide melee. Heavy artillery and armor were deployed and aircraft of all kinds strafed all positions, sometimes their own. Spirits of all kinds, both free and bound, were turned loose and entered the fray. Magicians used spells until they collapsed from drain. Those not actively in the fight tried to flee, but were forced to defend themselves and join in on the carnage. Fires and explosions rocked the city as the fighting continues. Military commanders on both sides lost control, and secured themselves and whomever they could in bunkers to let the battle play out.
> Wow, Sunshine, way to gloss things over. What happened to that “epic” piece you were going to write about the battle?
> Slamm-0!
> When you only have so much time, bandwidth, and information to work with, see how “epic” you can make it.
> Sunshine
> I watched from up here after securing my own little feed, and I can tell you it’s not for the faint of heart. One group would move, another would counter, only to get blown apart by some artillery shell or air strike that came from off-screen. And then there were the spirits. Oh ghost, I’ve never been so glad I’m up here in all my life. Of all the things I have to worry about, at least spirits aren’t one of them. I never realized how destructive they can be. I watched people literally tear each other apart when a mage mixed several fire spirits and air spirits and … well, I have the footage. Anyone want it? I’m not sure I want to keep it.
> Orbital DK
> I ran into a survivor last week; used to be a cabdriver in Bogotá. Now he’s trying to commit suicide by whiskey. He summed it up in one word: hell.
> Traveler Jones
Bogota 11
[ Spoiler ]
<Posted at the Outpost, Current Events: Aztlan/Bogotá, October 30, 2074. Poster: Liberator >
> I give a toast to all my fallen brothers, the ones who tried to bring freedom and honor to South American soil. The one who tried to help a people retain their freedom and independence despite the two demons at their doors. This is also for those who did made it back, who fought the good fight and slipped through the demon’s fingers. Oh, wait. I’m the only one. That’s right. Black Star is no more. The one shining fucking light in the whole putrid mercenary trade is gone.
And if anyone wants to come and collect the bounty on my sorry ass, feel free. I still got plenty of ammo and grenades left. But right now, I’m going to have another tall, cold one.
> Liberator
THE SMOKE CLEARS
Posted by: Sunshine
TO THE VICTOR GO THE SPOILS
After almost four years of fighting, the two sides declared a cease-fire on October 28, 2074. Through the UN, the Amazonian great dragon and leader Hualpa announced that he was willing to end all hostilities to prevent any more destruction to the rainforest. Aztlan President Silva accepted the cease-fire and ordered all Aztlan forces to stand down. The official signing in Geneva on October 29 made the cease-fire official. Hualpa made a rare public appearance to sign the agreement personally as a show of good faith, although he refused to say anything.
As per terms of the new agreement, Aztlan claimed the city of Bogotá and re-claimed the city of Cali. Aztlan, Amazonia, and the UN acknowledged a new border between the two nations, which extended a full sixty kilometers past the 2071 border and allowed for a three kilometer “buffer zone” between the two nations. Amazonia and Aztlan also agreed to allow UN peacekeepers to remain to help facilitate the transfer of power in local villages and to ensure that humanitarian aid was properly distributed. The Aztlan no-fly zone over Bogotá was lifted and the city’s borders were opened up as all sanctions against Aztlan were lifted.
(crap… they’re closing in… I have to go underground for a while)
When the next password comes, the stories continue here
http://www.shadowruntabletop.com/coming-soon/bogota-11/No idea what the password is when you come in from the outside though.
