[Characters] Get to Know the Runners

[CMRawles]

In this thread you can post information about your character that you're comfortable with all the players knowing, which should probably start with the information in your character application and move from there whenever you come up with something.

 

Hanako

Name	Opinion
Mika	Hanako likes Mika, there's a level of mutual respect between them on a level that unless you were in their position, you'll never really get. It's like there's some kind of instinct that keeps the two on some sort of level playing field.
Doug	Hanako, like Mika, isn't very fond of Doug. Maybe it's the full-canid appearance, maybe he smells too much like a wet dog, or maybe it's all the poorly hidden assensing.
Revenant	There's no reason for Hanako not to like Revenant, she's something of a mystery with all the hush-hush, but she keeps the tech working and knows how to handle all the matrix stuff the youth is into these days, so she can't argue with what she brings to the table.
Pete	He's... Certainly an odd one. In all of Vulpines years running the shadows and being a prestigious part of a crime syndicate, she's never once met an Enchanter who wanted to be on the front lines like this one.
Ovinnik	Someone who means well, clearly, but way in over their head in a bad deal and now he has to run the shadows to make good on payments he should never have even considered taken... Then again, it's not like Hanako can critique him on that, she's convinced plenty of people like him to make the same kind of deal with the Yakuza.
Deuce	There are people who can walk the walk and those who can talk the talk, in Hanako's lifetime the person who can do both are often the most promising. The thing with people like Deuce is they need every edge they can get, especially if they're mundane... Luckily Vulpine knows just the thing to do the job. Assuming she's not a lightweight.

Stray

Stray Stray's first impressions: Revenant - Melancholy Sarcasm. It's something that Stray has seen a lot of in the kids back home. Whether left behind or discarded, those are the ones with the heavy burdens and the wit to know the width and breadth of what they face from here on out. Stray is probably fiercely protective while trying not to undermine how insanely useful Matrix support is on an Op. She's probably closest to what he would have thought an *authentic* Shadowrunner would look like. Duece - A charismatic human that specializes in controlling/inspiring others? Stray's doomed. Ovinnik - Not a human, but he is another physical adept. They might bond over training techniques and different philosophies. Playful bouts of hand-to-hand that Yuri will almost always *win*, but Doug will try to illustrate important techniques on the way down. As long as Ovinnik is down for 'playing', Lt. Barkley effectively never runs out of energy. The fact that the young troll is relatively wholesome (and has strong family values) endears him to Stray but is also a cause for concern. This sort of life has a way of eroding such things... Hanako - Oh, she smells nice. Stray may be frustrating to her, though. There aren't any hidden vices or dark temptations. He likes her, though. He's certainly assensed the crap out of her... to the point of near-rudeness. There's something he can't quite pin down... is she a predator? Is she something he should guard against? She doesn't seem like either, but there's still something there. Maybe this is water under the bridge for them now, or maybe he's still trying to figure out what makes her tick? Leo - Lt. Barkley isn't a huge fan of Aztlan for various reasons. Talking Cash-Drek about them might be a fun way to pass the time. Does Leo frequent a low-key awakened club? Stray might be interested in such a place... a place where he won't stand out *that* much. It's either that or the where he's assumed to be a *really* dedicated furryrave scene. Low key is nice sometimes, especially when nerves are frayed and one just wants a beer. Mika - It could go any sort of way. You first? Barkley is just loaded with Canine pheremones, too.

Mika

Mika's view on her fellow runners:
Revenant	For the most part, Mika does not know what Revenant does in the matrix, all she really knows is that it works! Mika and tech Rank 1 of Gremlinsdo not get along well and she does not have the skill or know-how to do what Revenant does. That aside, Mika does like the woman's style as she likes similar Mika's style is more Punk though she prefers to wear hoodies so no spiky hair or mohawks clothes to what Revenant wears. Though Mika and Revenant do not have similar interests, and after the faux pas I'd say Mika doesn't mind hanging out with the other woman and can even find her enjoyable when Revenant doesn't confuse Mika with her technobabble.
Vulpine	Mika finds Vulpine a kindred spirit and thinks of the Japanese woman as her mentor and friend. When they had first met, Mika had just shot Jak(see personality) for knocking one of the cats off her bar. From overhearing her patrons' comments on the matter Mika knew they thought she had overreacted though Mika thought she was in the right. This confused Mika and she soon spilled her feelings about the incident to Vulpine. Several hours later after a discussion of instincts vs. metahuman perceptions and a couple of rounds of shots had Mika feeling as if she had found a true no peeky friend.
Ovinnik	Mika always finds people that are taller than her to be slightly intimidating due to their size. When it's a troll that is near twice your height and out masses you 5 to 1, that intimidation factor skyrockets. Mika always has to fight her instincts to run away when a troll steps up to the bar but with Ovinnik she has come to get used to his looming presence. It helps that he has some of her qualities as a quiet soft-spoken troll. Mika herself tends to enjoy the quiet as well and has found herself giving the big troll a faint smile after just sitting and enjoying each other's company. However, with his distaste for organized criminal organizations, Mika knows that they will never become close friends considering her own affiliations. When in combat, Mika makes certain she is not in Ovinnik's way for when a troll steps on your tail, just something I thought could have happened you know it!
Pete	Shotgun Pete looks like so many of her regulars that Mika has often had to stop herself from asking if he wanted another beer. One thing she likes about the Mika is 10 years old so everyone who lived more than 30 years is old to her old dwarf is that he is the only one shorter than herself. And as with Revenant's decking, Mika does not understand how Pete's or Vulpine's magic works, only that it does.
Deuce	Mika was willing to dislike Deuce due to her giving Mika the same feeling a con man she met in Denver. in secret text on the questionnaire.Frank had given her when she shacked up with the man. But the way Deuce intervened between Mika's instincts and Stray's until the dogman's scent became familiar enough they could work together without eyeing each other made Mika give Deuce the benefit of the doubt. While not a good friend like Hanako, Mika does consider Deuce a friend. Add in the fact that Mika has been learning how to better pull off a con by watching how Deuce works mean Mika thinks of Deuce as a valuable learning resource as well as a friend.
Stray	If it wasn't for Deuce it is possible something unfortunate would have happened between Stray and Mika. If asked, Mika hates it when her instincts take over and she has tried to keep them in check. With Deuce running interference between her and Stray, and Hanako teaching her how to control her instincts along with a healthy dose of time, Mika has recently been able to stay half relaxed in Stray's presence. Though he still smells like a dog, he is now a I was watching how my cat and my brothers' dog were sitting near one another. They could sit there in peace and even be petted and nothing happens but once one moved the other instantly noticed. Effectively watchful companionship and that's how Mika's going to respond to Stray familiar dog. The turning point was when Mika's feline pheromones set off a watchdog to barking during a run. Stray interposed himself between her and the watchdog calming the beast. Mika has felt grateful to Stray for that and every time he has to interpose himself in front of her and some mutt she wanted to return the favor. Unfortunately, guard dogs are more common than large felines and she has yet to have the opportunity.
Things the group knows or suspects about Mika	Mika has the everyone knows this, not just the groupGremlins[R1] and Insomnia(Basic) negative quality. Mika has She can detect both infrasonic sound and ultrasonic within a band ranging from 5 Hz to 50 kHz. The primary advantage of this is hearing ultrasonic devices, but the user can sometimes be distracted, or even deafened, by sounds undetectable to others. Hence the reason some music is banned in her bar.Hearing Expansion and Large Cats [Panther] Add x2 Rating to Animal Handling to influence Large Cat's or add Rating to influence related species(ie house cats). Note: A user who produces cat pheromones may find themselves angrily approached by dogs.Tailored Critter Pheremones[R2]. Everyone has been around Mika long enough to know that she has some sort of dealings with the Yakuza. She does tend to be able to buy and sell gear through them but Mika continues to dismiss any affiliation with the criminal organization. And though, Mika is willing to use her bar as a meeting spot during if the sun's up, its off-hours off-hours they don't think Mika sleeps in a booth during the day and there are no no peeky obvious rooms other than the tiny storage rooms opposite the entrance.

Yuri

Name	Opinion
Group As A Whole	He doesn't want to run the shadows, but he's here now. He's working with criminals but on the whole they aren't that bad to be around. Plus his team is made of little people and two animal people, so as the biggest one around he needs to protect them like they're Babushka.
Mika	She's a cat person? What? How? Why? Yuri is just utterly perplexed by Mika, but he's too afraid to ask questions. He's seen what Mika can do when she's on the job. But, she's nice to cats and Babushka always said to never harm animals. But Babushka never said what to do if the cat had a gun...
Doug	He's a dog person? This raised even more questions than Mika. Was there a store where people got these modifications? Was someone making animal people? He made a note to ask Babushka about this. Still, he's a good guy to spar with and keeps up with Yuri's strength
Revenant	Yuri likes Revenant. He thinks she's a little weird with the face paint and clothing choices (Babushka would never approve), but she's a solid person and doesn't give him too much crap for being a troll. At least not with malice like must people. But as smart as he is, he'll never understand how she does what she does with the Matrix.
Pete	Pete confuses Yuri. First, that his name isn't Pete but rather Leo. Second, He assumed that Pete knew Babushka. She's a dwarf, he's a dwarf. It made sense to him, he doesn't understand why Pete Leo got mad when he ask.
Vulpine	Yuri's Babushka has always warned him of beautiful old women, and his Babushka hasn't steered him wrong yet. Despite this, Vulpine hasn't given Yuri any real reason to distrust her, he just always feels on edge around her.
Deuce	Yuri is very careful around Deuce. She's small and slim and he's very nervous he'll accidentally sit on her. But he enjoys her company and if he's honest a little intimidated by her confidence and charisma with people

Revenant

Character	Opinion
Vulpine	Pretty much everything Revenant isn't: Classy, worldly, carpe diem older woman with style, flair, and confidence. Probably originally scared the crap out of Revenant when they first met. Now, though, she admires her, though a bit from afar. Still scares her a little, but not as much.
Stray	She had a little trouble with the 'dog' thing at first, and still thinks it's weird. Nice doggie...guy...thing, though. She's still not sure exactly where the runner ends and the pet begins, but so far he's proven capable. So long as he doesn't try to hump her leg, they should be fine.
Mika	So...first a dog, now a cat? What the frag, were they shadowrunners or the SPCA?? Pretty likely that Revenant received one of Mika's trademark glares, and never mentioned the tail again. Luckily, they seem to have moved past it and get along well enough, once the initial faux pas faded. Revenant always was more of a 'cat person', anyway...
Ovinnik	Big fragger, but a nice guy. Pretty interesting, too...not a lot of trolls go to college. Revenant just doesn't really get into the physical fitness thing that much, but thinks the guy's pretty subzero.
Deuce	Another example of a lot of things Revenant is not. Beautiful, sophisticated, impeccable taste, and capable of wrapping people around her finger. She even has a British accent! Ugh...at least she doesn't act too snooty. Between Deuce and Vulpine, Revenant has to work hard to keep her insecurities in check.
Pete	What the frag kind of street name is 'Pete'?! For some reason, maybe because he reminds Revenant of Chip, she kind of likes him. Maybe it's because he's one of the only ones other than her who doesn't look like they drifted in from some Hollywood blockbuster...or is an animal. Kind of weird seeing a dwarf mage, but go figure.

Deuce

Name	Opinion
Mika	Mika’s Den. That was the way in to the cat-lady. The vibe and the vocab there was so different from Vulpines that it bumped Deuce’s Japanese still further. But the place was barking mad (or is that meowing mad) – something that endeared the over-sensitive owner to Deuce. But a cat and a dog in their group? What were they thinking? Deuce sees it as her job to defuse things when they are getting too hot.
Doug	Deuce is bemused by Stray – at first, she was ill at ease. Having grown up in a somewhat refined word, it was a bit of a surprise to find herself working with a dog half-breed. However, colleagues are colleagues and the sheer enthusiasm of delight of Stray when there together have charmed her. She feels protective towards him.
Revenant	Not the kind of person Deuce seeks out – the moody-teen look and the sarcy-goth were a bit worn by the time she left uni. But it kind of goes with the territory with a Decker – and Deuce knows how to work with that. And after a couple of runs? Well, they are all her people.
Pete	Deuce is still working on Pete – trying to get him. At first, she quite literally overlooked him – forgettable dwarf, dressed unassumingly. But you have to bring something to the game and Pete is a dwarf of talent. But then there is his contrasting character – wanting to do right, but looking after number one? A little bit too close to home for comfort that one. Another one to watch.
Ovinnik	Muscle – you need it and Ovinnik brings it. Scary in a good way – ie on her side. She likes the way he is not in your face all the time like others are – you know the ones that are as likely to land you in trouble as get you out of it. She worries that someone seems to have a hold over him. Keep an eye on this one.
Vulipine	Deuce enjoys Vulpine’s company. She’s been spending some time in her bar recently as part of her efforts to translate learned Japanese into an easy social language. She likes the salltiness of the mature bar-keep and in truth sees her as a bit of a role model for an easy going later years.

 

 

1. Flaws

1A. Most people -possibly despite their best efforts- have a group of people that they despise. If your character has Orks/Trolls, Metahumans in general, humans, mages, corps, the bourgeoisie, poor people, gangs, men, etc.a group of people they hate then use this question to explain their reasoning, however flawed it may be. If they don't, explain how they would act around someone who does have that kind of intense hate for groups of people different from them. (Reward: 1 Karma)

She's not a real big fan of the company that 'killed' her, of course, but beyond that she's a very open-minded person. Reading about things like the Night of Rage makes her sad and angry, and she doesn't understand policlubs. She's done enough reading to know that, before the Awakening, people used to hate each other for their skin color, when humans were the only game in town. Now that there's something new to hate each other for, old enemies are chummers, just so they can hate the 'new guys' together. It makes her sick, but it seems like too big a problem for her to do anything about. If she saw a display of racism or hatred, she'd probably just be disgusted and walk away, unless the situation were extreme.

1B. What is your character For example, their voice, their looks, how they act, whether or not people like them, their finances, that kind of thinginsecure about? Why? If they have no insecurities then explain how it is that they would explain away or cope with what flaws they do have. (Reward: 2 free skill points in Etiquette during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

Lilith is aware that she's not in great shape...the cost of spending most of her time at a deck. Though she acts like she shrugs this off, it does make her a bit self-conscious. Even when she's not in the Matrix, she's not exactly the 'work out ' type...she'd rather sit and relax. She also has trouble sticking with a diet, especially with the cost of natural foods.

1C. What's one thing that your character does that Examples include being generally untidy, chewing with your mouth open, saying 'uh' and 'um' too much in conversation, sniffling constantly instead of blowing your nose when it's runny, piling up dirty dishes in the sink but never doing them, picking your nose in public, etc.might annoy others? (Reward: 1 Karma)

She's a bit of a slob around the house. Cleaning, doing dishes, vacuuming...not really her scene. Of course, this doesn't apply to program application...her programming and deck organization is immaculate! Even the spare parts and electronics qualify as an 'organized mess'. But the other stuff...garden-variety mess, unfortunately. On the plus side, she really doesn't own that many plates to dirty, since most of her food comes in EZ-2-Make cartons...just open, heat, and eat, so convenient! Plasticware and a few one-nuyen-store plates and glasses complete the collection, which she can rinse off as she needs. Yes, she rinses off plastic forks, shut up!

1D. What's one thing about your character that they would be Weird habit, lame music taste, unflattering yearbook pictures, strange fetish, widely derided hobby, a deep dark secret, etc.embarrassed or ashamed if others knew it? Why? (Reward: 1 Karma)

If she actually went out to clubs, she would be vulnerable to a class-action lawsuit for causing mental trauma with her dancing. She'll dance in her flat, of course, when there's no company, but her dancing is probably the reason the roach problem isn't worse. Even roaches have their standards. Pile some squeaky singing, when there are actually words to the music, and you can pretty much tell all the dragons in the world to retire...the Horrors won't set foot in this world if they see that.

2. Free Time

2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? (Reward: 5000 Nuyen toward your housing upkeep[So 2 and 1/2 months of low, 1 month of medium, 1/2 a month for high, etc.])

She knows it's a sty and a pain to find, but she's okay with that. Okay enough not to fix the situation, that is. As far as 'hard to find', that's kind of the point. She doesn't really like people knowing where she sleeps, so she keeps it pretty close to the chest. Eventually, she'd like to find a cheap place where she could meet folks if needed, then maybe get a nicer place. Nice things tend to get taken away, though...

2B. When your character Examples include going to the bar, bowling, going to a park, playing sports, doing wicked crazy drugs, hanging out on the matrix doing any of the preceding things, etc.goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? (Reward: 1 Karma)

What is this 'go out' of which you speak, earth creature?? Nonono...we do not 'go out', we 'go in'...to the Matrix! Why venture out into the dirty, meaty, sweaty, stinky world when you can just jack in and go anywhere you want, be anyone you choose? Online decker clubs, gaming nodes, and other hangouts are where she socializes. You can keep your 'going out'...she usually doesn't go out unless she's paid to.

2C. What does your character do to personalize their home? Even if they're homeless they must have something that makes it feel less depressing and dehumanizing. (Reward: 1 Karma)

Mostly, not a whole lot. She does collect stuffed animals, though. Not obsessively or anything...just enough to completely cover the bed. What?! It hides the fact that it's not made!

2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. (Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free)

It's hard to call him a 'friend', exactly, but sometimes Lilith will venture out from her cave and brave the real world...usually to hit the Stuffer ShackTM for supplies. One of the clerks there, Brandt (though she usually calls him 'Brad', 'Bran', 'Brandon', or 'Bart', despite the prominently-displayed name tag) usually makes awkward attempts to chat her up. He seems like he's close to actually asking her out, which kind of terrifies her. It's not that he's bad-looking or anything...he's cute in a lanky kind of way...it's just that she's not sure about the whole 'going out in public' thing, much less the 'relationship' thing.

2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met Your tattoo artist, an employee, an employer, the receptionist at your favorite cyberware clinic, your drug dealer, people you deal drugs to, etc.outside of shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. (Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact)

One of the few people she's met in person in Indianapolis is the local electronics dealer, He *swears* it's a nickname, not a 'street name'.Chip. He's a tech-minded recluse who doesn't like people very much...they get along well. He does carry it a bit further than Lilith, despite owning a shop in what is technically the service industry. He's fairly sour, especially with those he doesn't know, whereas Lilith is just introverted. He actually dislikes people in general, where Lilith is awkward and someone socially unskilled. But he knows more about hardware and electronics than she ever will, and he's one of the few games in town, so they've grown on each other (not that Chip would admit it).

2F. Your character surely has something they use to pass the time when they're alone in their home, a hobby or other activity that entertains them. Describe this activity or hobby in however much detail you feel. (Reward: 2 Free skill points in a single knowledge skill related to your hobby during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

When she's not actively hacking or programming, she'll unwind with some Matrix games. She doesn't generally do the combat-style games that most do...she's gotten enough of that drek in real life. Instead, she goes more for the life simulation games, especially superhero simulations. Her current superhero identity is Killagirl, the Electron Mistress of Light! Technically, she can shoot focused energy beams, but she mainly just flies around town and hangs out with other superheroes.

3. History

3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the shadowrunning business? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Her life is alright...her death kind of bums her out. She has some real issues over her previous failure and how it turned out. She's not really close with her parents; she was always disconnected to them and they never really made an effort to reach her, that she knows of. The love had gone out of her parents' marriage years ago, and it bled over into the parent-child relationship. If her father hadn't been trying to reach a management position (divorces look bad on a company record) and her mother hadn't been so financially dependent on her father (it's where Lilith gets her laziness from), they would've split long ago. Instead, they kept up the façade of a unified marriage, and Lilith had no regrets about leaving an empty house. She's not big on long-term goals, but it would be pretty wiz to make a full-time living off the Matrix, without having to risk getting shot up on the street. Getting a legit job is pretty out of the question, since she's legally dead. And if she weren't, she'd be wanted for the criminal action that got her officially killed. Her only real retirement option is the Big Score, so that's the goal.

3B. Whether local or world history, every character remembers the impact of 9/11, The fall of the Soviet Union, the Crash, the Crash 2.0, the first VITAS outbreak, etc.some event or another on their lives. Where was your character when a particular historical event went down, and how did it make them feel? (Reward: 1 Free Knowledge skill rank during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

Technically, Dunkelzahn's assassination was within her lifetime, but she was just a baby and has no memory of it. She vaguely remembers Halley's Comet and all the related SURGE, Dunkelzahn's Rift, the Ring of Fire, etc.events and panic, but she was still too young to fully comprehend the events and their portent and impact. The first big event she has clear memory of that helped shape her was the Matrix Crash 2.0. Learning about what it was and what caused it, as well as seeing the direct impact the Matrix had on everyone's life (which she had previously taken for granted), had a profound impact on the seven-year-old, sparking her interest in computers and the Matrix. She remembers the revelation of technomancers. To her profound disappointment, she never developed the ability to be a 'Matrix mage'. She kept up with the SEARCH virus and CFD, but neither was necessarily a defining event. Her dad used to talk about the bug infestation...Lilith suspects that the insect spirit problem might've been a major contributor to her parents' marriage taking a big hit, but neither parent would talk much about the personal effect it had on them, just how horrible it was.

3C. How did your character end up in Indianapolis? How do they feel about the city? Do they want to leave at any point or are they content to stay here? What ties your character to the city? (Reward: 1 Karma)

When Lilith's previous street name.Eden's run went south hard, she knew there was nothing left for her there. If she raises her head as still being alive, even under a new name, the heat would be on her. Besides, she couldn't imagine that her rep had survived, either...nobody wanted to give jobs to that kind of albatross. Indianapolis was just supposed to be a stopover, the nearest city available where she could recoup and reorganize. Seattle? Meh...played out, and way too saturated for a newcomer to break in. CAS? No love for a Yankee like her, and she hated spicy food. London? That took nuyen, and she didn't know drek about the people, culture, or anything. So while she mulled, she caught wind of a decent 'runner community with jobs to match, and she still had a few contacts in the Windy City who knew she was alive and capable to act as liaison for her. The group she hooked up with was...unusual, to be sure...but capable, so for now she's content to make some money and recover from the past.

3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much Like being caught and tortured by your least favorite corporation, for examplegrounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? (Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27)

Above all, she fears failure. She's always struggled with insecurity, but it was something she could push aside and deal with. Especially in the Matrix, where she felt a lot more in control. Maybe that's what contributed to her slipping up and botching the run...she felt comfortable. She almost gave up decking completely, but managed to hang on and continue...mostly due to the influence of the few good friends she had left. She now has a group to run with that seems to trust her ability and encourages her, directly or indirectly. But she still has that lingering doubt...what if she screws up with this group like she did before? What if she gets everyone killed, including herself...for real, this time? So far, that fear has kept her sharp, prevented her from getting complacent. Hopefully, it won't overtake her and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

4. Shadowrunning

4A. Every character has a certain set of skills, skills that make them a nightmare for a certain set of people; How did your character come to learn those skills? Who taught them? Whom have they used those skills against who might come back to haunt them? (Reward: 2 free ranks in any single active skill of your choosing during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

Revenant has always had a 'feel' for coding, for manipulating characters and symbols to twist virtual reality to her will. Like mages in meatspace who can bend the laws of physics and make them sit up and beg, she's a true console cowgirl, far more at home in the virtual world of the Matrix than she ever will be in real life. She learned them mostly through instinct, research, info swapping with other wannabe deckers, and a drekton of trial and error. She never had a formal teacher, though she has taken computer programming classes in school. Her real education came when she managed to hack her way into Jackpoint and had the opportunity to learn from the real pros. One thing about being insecure...ego doesn't get in the way of learning things. Her major problem is that there could be some busybody in a corp datahaven right now, noting that they never recovered the body of the decker who infiltrated their system and gave their spider a whooping. Officially, the corp isn't likely to care whether she lived or died, or where she is. Threat neutralized, onto the next problem. But deckers can be a petty, vicious lot, and there might be a corp sarariman decker out there licking their wounds, hoping to catch some trace of the one who embarrassed them...

4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a Maybe they won't kill children, maybe they won't kill at all, maybe they refuse to steal from the poor, that kind of thingmoral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? (Reward: 1 Edge)

Kill children?? What the frag? Who's killing kids?? Better not be any of her teammates! As far as she's aware, Revenant has never directly killed anyone, and she has no desire to. Even the jerk who tailed her in that failed mission...she'd dance a happy jig for the chance to trash his deck, but...killing him? That's not really her style. She knows that people died during the runs where she provided overwatch...guards and stuff. Collateral damage, and she feels bad for their families, but for her to actually snuff someone? Ehh...she's no sociopath. To her, a perfect run means nobody even knew you were there. She knows she's a criminal, and she knows that when she steals data, it has real-world consequences for others, but...it seems so distant. Way different than pointing a gun at someone and rubbing them out. She doesn't really see how street sams can do it...look someone in the eye and watch the light die out...brr. No thanks.

4C. The opposite of the previous question, where that one asked what sorts of jobs your character would never perform, this one asks what sorts of jobs your character would do free of charge! Something that your character would be so enthused about that they wouldn't ask for any payment to do it. Why would they do this? (Reward 1 Karma)

She'll always help a friend free of charge, null persp, omae! And she'd probably take the opportunity to stick it to that lousy corp that killed her for free if she had the chance. Beyond that? Dunno...maybe hack the traffic lights so a busload of nuns can make it to the burning orphanage in time to save all the little kids and their kittens? Beyond the friendship thing, in her experience it seems that any 'good cause' is code for 'sucker play'. It would have to be something beyond your typical sob story: like distributing free concert tickets to every kid in the city, or spreading some code that prevented lies and mudslinging during political campaigns...something like that.

 

1C. What's one thing that your character does that might annoy others? Reward: 1 Karma

Vulpine is always wearing some kind of perfume or smoking, there's never a moment she isn't coated in something that smells... And this can get on certain people's nerves, as her perfume isn't anything light - it's always Black Panther.

2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? Reward: 1/2 a month for high

Hanako likes her current living conditions and they certainly meet her requirements but deep down she longs to be somewhere isolated and quiet for her approaching older years; There's no embarrassment about her home or living conditions if anything there's a level of pride to it.

2B. When your character goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? +1 Karma
Despite being in her early 50s, Vulpine is regularly stopping by Yakuza-owned bars, enjoying the atmosphere and relishing in the general no-tomorrow attitude of the younger partiers and bar-crawlers.

2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met outside of Shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact

Ariadna Barrera is an adult simsense star who started her career thanks to a little push from Hanako, though she isn't in the big leagues, she's quite appreciated in the circles that 'appreciate' Ork women.

3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the Shadowrunning business? Reward: 1 Karma

Hanako is getting on in her years, her main plan is to put together enough Nuyen to finally retire and live somewhere nice, quiet, and isolated. A place she can be alone and enjoy her golden years in the peaceful world of isolation save for the odd inner-sanctum visitor.


2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free

Oak is a quiet woman, she's also quite a broad woman to boot. Oak is the Talismonger who hooked Vulpine up with her current Foci and lives out in a well-hidden little patch of private land in Brown County. The few who have been there might even describe it as spooky, given the highly unusual lack of non-avian critters around. There's a real sense of camaraderie between Oak and Vulpine given their invested interests in the arcane.

3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much grounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27



4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a moral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? Reward: 1 Edge

 

1. Flaws

1A. Most people -possibly despite their best efforts- have a group of people that they despise. If your character has a group of people they hate then use this question to explain their reasoning, however flawed it may be. If they don't, explain how they would act around someone who does have that kind of intense hate for groups of people different from them. (Reward: 1 Karma)

• Pete is outspoken in his dislike of gangers. It isn’t members of one particular gang, it is all gangers everywhere. His parents were killed by gangers and he’s had a grudge against them ever since.

1B. What is your character insecure about? Why? If they have no insecurities then explain how it is that they would explain away or cope with what flaws they do have. (Reward: 2 free skill points in Etiquette during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

• Pete (and Michele for that matter) has always been SINless and lived on the fringes of civilization. While he’s never been homeless, he has had to struggle just to have the basic amenities of life. Because of that, he is perpetually insecure about run-ins with the police, getting access to medical care, and where his next paycheck is coming from.

1C. What's one thing that your character does that might annoy others? (Reward: 1 Karma)

• Pete is constantly going on about how unfair the world is and how everyone has to look out for themselves because nobody else is going to. This is contrasted by his almost-inexplicable acts of generosity and kindness that bubble to the surface occasionally. If questioned about those, he either shrugs it off without comment or tries to give a feeble reason for why the act might be considered self-serving.

1D. What's one thing about your character that they would be embarrassed or ashamed if others knew it? Why? (Reward: 1 Karma)

• Deep down, Pete wants to be the hero like you see on the trid. Occasionally he imagines himself saving the day and fortune raining down on him afterwards. You’d probably have to torture him to get him to admit it though.

2. Free Time

2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? (Reward: 5000 Nuyen toward your housing upkeep[So 2 and 1/2 months of low, 1 month of medium, 1/2 a month for high, etc.])

• Pete has always had a “low lifestyle” in questionable neighborhoods. It is what he’s most comfortable with and moving up to a higher standard of living would probably be very uncomfortable to him.

2B. When your character goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? (Reward: 1 Karma)

• Pete’s favorite activity is hanging out at The Mana Storm. It’s the one place where he can let down his guard and just be himself.

2C. What does your character do to personalize their home? Even if they're homeless they must have something that makes it feel less depressing and dehumanizing. (Reward: 1 Karma)

• Michele has taken charge of decorating their home. Her contention is that if it was up to Pete, he’d turn the whole apartment into one, big hermetic lodge. She isn’t wrong. Thanks to her, their apartment is clean, modestly decorated, and has comfortable furniture (even if it is secondhand).

2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely, you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. (Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free)

• Michele is Pete’s girlfriend. She is an ork with the annoying habit of always being in great shape, despite the fact that she doesn’t work out or eat well. She is tough and street savvy. She has always been from the street, whether it was living as a squatter or having an actual home like she does now. When she and Pete met, she pushed him for his full name. He responded by telling her that his name was “just Pete.” Now, she calls him JustPete whenever she wants to prod him.

2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met outside of shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. (Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact)

• Bob is a bartender at The Mana Storm. He almost certainly has a last name, but Pete doesn’t know what it is. This is probably because he’s such a friendly guy and good listener that it never comes up. He has some talent, but he hasn’t pursued it much. Bob and his brother Harvey work the evening shift and Pete likes to get there before it gets too busy so they can talk for a bit. Being such a talker, Bob is a good source of information, particularly when it comes to the magic community.

2F. Your character surely has something they use to pass the time when they're alone in their home, a hobby or other activity that entertains them. Describe this activity or hobby in however much detail you feel. (Reward: 2 Free skill points in a single knowledge skill related to your hobby during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

• Pete has been into wood carving for many years. Not only does he use it as part of his enchanting, it also takes him away from the cares of the world while he’s doing it.

3. History

3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the shadowrunning business? (Reward: 1 Karma)

• The cornerstone of Pete's personality is his 'woe-is-me' outlook on life. He's convinced that the game is rigged, everyone (except his fellow runners) is out to get him, and the only way to get ahead is to look out for number one. While that is mostly just his way of coping, he is definitely bitter about his parents dying so young.

3B. Whether local or world history, every character remembers the impact of some event or another on their lives. Where was your character when a particular historical event went down, and how did it make them feel? (Reward: 1 Free Knowledge skill rank during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

• The Great Crash of '29 is indelibly etched in Pete's memory. He was in Houston, Texas and his parents were killed by gangers during the chaos.

3C. How did your character end up in Indianapolis? How do they feel about the city? Do they want to leave at any point or are they content to stay here? What ties your character to the city? (Reward: 1 Karma)

• After leaving Houston, Pete slowly drifted north. He had good times and bad. Some places he stayed for a long time while other places he left fairly quickly. When he got to Indianapolis, it was much like any other place. He didn't think much about it one way or the other until he met Michele. They've never talked about living anyplace else so he figures he's here for the duration.

3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much grounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? (Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27)

• Pete has an irrational fear of being tracked or attacked through his technological devices. Since he has spent much more time dealing with the magical rather than the technological, his fear stems from his ignorance. This despite the fact that he is surrounded by technology all the time. To counteract his fear, he goes out of his way to limit the amount of technology he carries on him. His acquaintances, who invariably know more about this topic than he does, assure him that he is overreacting.

4. Shadowrunning

4A. Every character has a certain set of skills, skills that make them a nightmare for a certain set of people; How did your character come to learn those skills? Who taught them? Whom have they used those skills against who might come back to haunt them? (Reward: 2 free ranks in any single active skill of your choosing during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

• Pete awakened as a mage shortly after going through UGE. Back then, magic wasn’t well received so he mostly hid in his home and practiced on his own. Years later, when magic became more accepted, Pete was able to learn from others and grow his skills much faster. As a shadowrunner, he’s used his skills against corps, private parties, and gangs.

4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a moral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? (Reward: 1 Edge)

• As sour as Pete can be about the metahuman condition or the general unfairness of the universe, he really isn’t out to hurt anyone. Most of his spells are meant to confuse and confound the enemy, and the ones that actually are damaging are mostly used in self-defense. Pete won’t needlessly kill anyone and he will go out of his way to make sure that he doesn’t harm any innocent bystanders.

4C. The opposite of the previous question, where that one asked what sorts of jobs your character would never perform, this one asks what sorts of jobs your character would do free of charge! Something that your character would be so enthused about that they wouldn't ask for any payment to do it. Why would they do this? (Reward 1 Karma)

• Pete badly wants his neighborhood to remain free from the influence of gangs and organized crime. He would definitely work towards that end free of charge.

 

1. Flaws

1A. Most people -possibly despite their best efforts- have a group of people that they despise. If your character has Orks/Trolls, Metahumans in general, humans, mages, corps, the bourgeoisie, poor people, gangs, men, etc.a group of people they hate then use this question to explain their reasoning, however flawed it may be. If they don't, explain how they would act around someone who does have that kind of intense hate for groups of people different from them. (Reward: 1 Karma)

Yuri doesn't hate people or things. He was raised to be kind and caring, faced with unbridled hatred though he'd be confused mostly and try and help them past the hatred (presumably to poor results but he'd still try)

1B. What is your character For example, their voice, their looks, how they act, whether or not people like them, their finances, that kind of thinginsecure about? Why? If they have no insecurities then explain how it is that they would explain away or cope with what flaws they do have. (Reward: 2 free skill points in Etiquette during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

He's insecure about his strength. While its undoubtedly his greatest assets, he worries about the damage he can cause and the people he can and has hurt with it. He is in a constant state thinking that everything is made of cardboard to him, whether or not that is actually true

1C. What's one thing that your character does that Examples include being generally untidy, chewing with your mouth open, saying 'uh' and 'um' too much in conversation, sniffling constantly instead of blowing your nose when it's runny, piling up dirty dishes in the sink but never doing them, picking your nose in public, etc.might annoy others? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Yuri talks about his Babushka. Yuri talks about his Babushka alot. Babushka has a saying for nearly everything and Yuri will let you know about it

1D. What's one thing about your character that they would be Weird habit, lame music taste, unflattering yearbook pictures, strange fetish, widely derided hobby, a deep dark secret, etc.embarrassed or ashamed if others knew it? Why? (Reward: 1 Karma)

That when he's in the throws of the Shark taking control and the berserker rage takes hold, just how much he enjoys cutting loose and not having to worry about holding back. The shame he feels about this is only matched by the relief that he can blame these feelings on the mentor spirit and not have to fess up himself

2. Free Time

2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? (Reward: 5000 Nuyen toward your housing upkeep[So 2 and 1/2 months of low, 1 month of medium, 1/2 a month for high, etc.])

Yuri is fine living in his GMC Universe, but he'd rather be at home with his Babushka. The car is cramped and at times a little uncomfortable to sleep in. Plus people keep trying to break in but for some reason leave once they realise he's inside

2B. When your character Examples include going to the bar, bowling, going to a park, playing sports, doing wicked crazy drugs, hanging out on the matrix doing any of the preceding things, etc.goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Yuri prefers to go to museums and see classic architecture. Its reminds him of better times before running the shadows, when he was just a student and where all he had to worry about was classes

2C. What does your character do to personalize their home? Even if they're homeless they must have something that makes it feel less depressing and dehumanizing. (Reward: 1 Karma)

He has a set of Russian Nesting dolls to help remind him of home and his Babushka

2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. (Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free)

Carter Lawrence, The university librarian. An ancient looking elf who is surprised yet no less supportive of Yuri's passion for learning. Carter and Yuri have spent many hours in the library debating and discussion philosophy and various academical pursuits

2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met Your tattoo artist, an employee, an employer, the receptionist at your favorite cyberware clinic, your drug dealer, people you deal drugs to, etc.outside of shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. (Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact)

Jackdaw Jones - second hand car salesmen. Jackdaw is an human that is everything you think of when you hear the words "secondhand car salesmen". Pinstripe suit, slicked back hair and the thin veneer of humanity covering up shady deals and a dishonest soul. But Jackdaw has alot of broken cars and machines and Yuri likes to work and figure out how a machine runs, so Jackdaw being the kind soul he is lets Yuri work on his cars as a means of practicing his mechanical skills.

2F. Your character surely has something they use to pass the time when they're alone in their home, a hobby or other activity that entertains them. Describe this activity or hobby in however much detail you feel. (Reward: 2 Free skill points in a single knowledge skill related to your hobby during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

Yuri reads philosophy in his spare time. He likes to read about old scholars and their thoughts on the nature of the world and in particular their thoughts on morality and what it is to be a good person. It helps Yuri come to grips with his current situation

3. History

3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the shadowrunning business? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Yuri hates that he's a shadowrunner. Babushka always disdained organised crime and here he was, the chore boy for them. He still keeps in touch with his Babushka, at her request as he would rather keep his distance while he works with criminals. But his plan right now is to pay the debt of and then walk away.

3B. Whether local or world history, every character remembers the impact of 9/11, The fall of the Soviet Union, the Crash, the Crash 2.0, the first VITAS outbreak, etc.some event or another on their lives. Where was your character when a particular historical event went down, and how did it make them feel? (Reward: 1 Free Knowledge skill rank during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

The "death" of the Dragon Sirrurg at the hands of Aztlan forces. Yuri heard the news when he was helping Babushka with her errands and he was awestruck by the news. A great dragon was brought down and killed by a mortal army? Something that large and monstrous, that had rampaged for over forty years was brought to an end. It made him proud in a way and relieved. He was relieved because it meant that no matter how big and powerful he became, if he needed to be stopped there was going to be someone to stop him.

3C. How did your character end up in Indianapolis? How do they feel about the city? Do they want to leave at any point or are they content to stay here? What ties your character to the city? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Yuri was born in Indianapolis, he was raised in Indianapolis and he'll probably die in Indianapolis. He has no wish to leave the city and has never considered leaving it. Babushka is here after all and he wouldn't want to leave her at all, and besides what would he do out of Indianapolis?

3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much Like being caught and tortured by your least favorite corporation, for examplegrounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? (Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27)

Technomancers and Blood Mages. Yuri's Babushka has filled his head with so many stories of how terrible these things are, about how they are going to break poor Yuri's mind and how they all work for the Babai that he fears them more than anything else in this world


4. Shadowrunning

4A. Every character has a certain set of skills, skills that make them a nightmare for a certain set of people; How did your character come to learn those skills? Who taught them? Whom have they used those skills against who might come back to haunt them? (Reward: 2 free ranks in any single active skill of your choosing during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

Mikhail, a dwarf from the old country and the person who got Yuri under the thumb of the Vory. While Yuri was proficient with Jujitsu before, Mikhail honed Yuri's skills and was the one who discovered his latent adept abilities. After Yuri was under the Vory, Mikhail started to use him as an enforcer. Between the martial arts and his own chemical and engineering skills, Yuri made a good threat. It why Mikhail gave Yuri the name "Ovinnik". The monster that must be appeased least he burn your barn down. Through Mikhail, Yuri has made himself an enemy of anyone who opposes the Vory.

4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a Maybe they won't kill children, maybe they won't kill at all, maybe they refuse to steal from the poor, that kind of thingmoral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? (Reward: 1 Edge)

Yuri sticks by a Up to an including taking the negative quality for itcode of honor. He won't kill an unarmed person or take lethal action against an opponent who is unaware or unprepared for him. He also won't harm a child, he may be a criminal and the Vory might make him to despicable things but he needs to have a code or else he'll never be able to look Babushka in the eye again.

4C. The opposite of the previous question, where that one asked what sorts of jobs your character would never perform, this one asks what sorts of jobs your character would do free of charge! Something that your character would be so enthused about that they wouldn't ask for any payment to do it. Why would they do this? (Reward 1 Karma)

Anything that'll hurt the Vory or anything that'll take a major criminal off the streets. Yuri considers it a civil service at this point for the pain they've made him cause people

 

Questionaire: 1. Flaws 1A. Most people -possibly despite their best efforts- have a group of people that they despise. If your character has Orks/Trolls, Metahumans in general, humans, mages, corps, the bourgeoisie, poor people, gangs, men, etc.a group of people they hate then use this question to explain their reasoning, however flawed it may be. If they don't, explain how they would act around someone who does have that kind of intense hate for groups of people different from them. (Reward: 1 Karma) > Thanks to the Jak incident, Mika dislikes borged out people and tends to not turn her back on them. Those with mostly cyberware(Bioware is hard to spot) with 1 or less Essence left, tend to get Mika's hackles up. Because of this, dislike, Mika will not get any more augmentations herself(at 3.01 Essence) unless she has to(i.e., getting an arm chopped off). 1B. What is your character For example, their voice, their looks, how they act, whether or not people like them, their finances, that kind of thinginsecure about? Why? If they have no insecurities then explain how it is that they would explain away or cope with what flaws they do have. (Reward: 2 free skill points in Etiquette during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) > Mika is embarrassed by her Gremlin negative quality as getting trapped in her place of business/home by somehow frying the computer system that she had set up to remotely open the garage door is not something you want to be known for (Notoriety 1). Mika has since added a manual release on the inside of the entrance to Mika's Den and she has also started buying two commlinks when she had to replace the last one after an...incident. 1C. What's one thing that your character does that Examples include being generally untidy, chewing with your mouth open, saying 'uh' and 'um' too much in conversation, sniffling constantly instead of blowing your nose when it's runny, piling up dirty dishes in the sink but never doing them, picking your nose in public, etc.might annoy others? (Reward: 1 Karma) > Mika has this bad habit of starring directly at people when she has nothing better to do. It started as a form of people watching but she has yet to learn tact. Luckily, the people who garner her attention the most are new people, people that have annoyed her in the past, borged up metahumans, and canine metahumans. Not necessarily in that order. 1D. What's one thing about your character that they would be Weird habit, lame music taste, unflattering yearbook pictures, strange fetish, widely derided hobby, a deep dark secret, etc.embarrassed or ashamed if others knew it? Why? (Reward: 1 Karma) 2. Free Time 2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? (Reward: 5000 Nuyen toward your housing upkeep[So 2 and 1/2 months of low, 1 month of medium, 1/2 a month for high, etc.]) > Mika is proud of her bar and loves the fact that her home is hidden behind the back wall of her storage room. 2B. When your character Examples include going to the bar, bowling, going to a park, playing sports, doing wicked crazy drugs, hanging out on the matrix doing any of the preceding things, etc.goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? (Reward: 1 Karma) > Mika does not LIKE to go out but ever since Hanako entered her life, the woman has managed to drag Mika out to a few bars and clubs from time to time. She usually sticks to beer but after one or two Mika lets her tail out and hits the dance floor. Not surprisingly, this is the time Mika gets to use her claws the most. A shredded suit or dress worth hundreds if not thousands of nuyen gets the point across that Mika just wants to dance. 2C. What does your character do to personalize their home? Even if they're homeless they must have something that makes it feel less depressing and dehumanizing. (Reward: 1 Karma) > Mika has her rooms painted light green with frameless paintings of nature cluttering the walls. While most are of grasslands or prairies, there are a few forests, oceans, and mountainous paintings included in the mix. The exception to this is the guest bedroom which is painted blue with no paintings and Mika's bedroom is painted a teal color. 2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. (Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free) > When Mika first decided to settle in Indianapolis she found herself in the White River state park and decided to sit down on a secluded bench and closed her eyes to listen to the sounds of nature, water, and traffic. The flutter of wings had Mika opening up her eyes to see a richly and fashionably dressed pixie sitting on the bench looking at her expectantly. Not knowing what she wanted, Mika hesitantly started a conversation and soon they were chatting about this and that. Mika revealed that she was new in town and the pixie, who called herself Lilly of the Dawn asked if that was why she was here? Shaking her head negatively, Lilly giggled and explained that she was a fixer and the park bench was her office. Mika visited Lilly during 'off' hours now and then and recently sought out her services after having decided to run the shadows as a shadowrunner. 2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met Your tattoo artist, an employee, an employer, the receptionist at your favorite cyberware clinic, your drug dealer, people you deal drugs to, etc.outside of shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. (Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact) > Brenden Bright is a middle-aged orc that Mika met when she first opened up Mika's Den. In fact, he was one of her first and only customers during those early days. Not knowing anyone in town Mika was having trouble spreading the word that she was open for business by word of mouth. And if it wasn't for Brenden, it was highly likely that Mika wouldn't become the struggling bar owner that she is today. Being located in a dangerous and obscure location was actually working against Mika. But for a handful of hard currency nuyen, Brenden helped her spread the word of Mika's Den. And Brenden knew a lot of people and that is why his first three drinks are always on the house. Later on, when Mika needed to run the shadows to keep the bar afloat, she gave Brenden semiregular work by bartending at Mika's while she was away. 2F. Your character surely has something they use to pass the time when they're alone in their home, a hobby or other activity that entertains them. Describe this activity or hobby in however much detail you feel. (Reward: 2 Free skill points in a single knowledge skill related to your hobby during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) > During her downtime, Mika likes to exploring around her neighborhood even though it's a dangerous area. She is also trying to learn how to paint but it's slow going and every now and again you might catch her reading, though that is a rare activity for Mika. Equally rare is her watching TV, though when she does it's usually showing the weather or news channels. The less contact she has with technology the less she has to replace the blasted things. 3. History 3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the shadowrunning business? (Reward: 1 Karma) > Mika has come to terms with her giong to die sooner rather than later fate and is content with her life though she wishes her business would start paying for itself sooner rather than later so she could stop shadowrunning. If she ever found out which company made her Mika might feel inclined to inflict some damage to them in some manner if she could. 3B. Whether local or world history, every character remembers the impact of 9/11, The fall of the Soviet Union, the Crash, the Crash 2.0, the first VITAS outbreak, etc.some event or another on their lives. Where was your character when a particular historical event went down, and how did it make them feel? (Reward: 1 Free Knowledge skill rank during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) > In 2066, a year after having been woken and 7 months after leaving her rescuers in the middle of the night, Mika heard bought one of the new cheap first generation commlinks that had come out during the beginning of the year. Mika thought she could use the device to better navigate this confusing and seemingly crazy world and promptly broke it when the interface froze up. Banging the device on a table to fix it is never a good idea when it comes to tech. In 2071 Mika was caught up in the tempo drug war that sprang up in Denver while she was passing through the city. Taking a single dose out of curiosity, Mika had a I think mixing empathy, euphoria, and hallucinations with the ability to cause a mundane like Mika to perceiveing astrally as a bad trip bad trip, and to this day she does not know what happened only that she woke up in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Denver with the same FN P93 Praetor that she carries to this day. It is a rp choicemiracle that Mika did not get addicted to the tempo and she swore off all drugs after that. To this day, Miko does not like drugs and doesn't even like using stim patches. 3C. How did your character end up in Indianapolis? How do they feel about the city? Do they want to leave at any point or are they content to stay here? What ties your character to the city? (Reward: 1 Karma) > Mika wandered into Indianapolis nearly two years ago and stumbled upon an abandoned smuggler's cash during her first month in the city. After trying to sell a few custom items Mika fell in with a criminal organization and even found a friend in Hanako who to a shine to Mika. Hanako is currently teaching Mika how to better control her feline instincts and she considers the gangster woman a friend. Mika also has feelings of friendship for her bartender Brenden and her fixer Lilly of the Dawn whom Mika had already befriended before Lilly ever became her fixer. Mika likes it here would not enjoy leaving the city, her friends, or her home if she could help it. 3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much Like being caught and tortured by your least favorite corporation, for examplegrounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? (Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27) 4. Shadowrunning 4A. Every character has a certain set of skills, skills that make them a nightmare for a certain set of people; How did your character come to learn those skills? Who taught them? Whom have they used those skills against who might come back to haunt them? (Reward: 2 free ranks in any single active skill of your choosing during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) > Her knowledge of the underworld, bars, and sprawl areas comes from her time living in such places. Perception and athletics came naturally to Mika though she had help training how to be so stealthy. 4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a Maybe they won't kill children, maybe they won't kill at all, maybe they refuse to steal from the poor, that kind of thingmoral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? (Reward: 1 Edge) > Mika will not kill innocents just because they are in the way. She thinks of herself as a huntress when running the shadows, not an indiscriminate murderer. That being said, Mika prefers the sneaky runs over hit jobs. 4C. The opposite of the previous question, where that one asked what sorts of jobs your character would never perform, this one asks what sorts of jobs your character would do free of charge! Something that your character would be so enthused about that they wouldn't ask for any payment to do it. Why would they do this? (Reward 1 Karma) > Mika gives her loyalty only to those she deems worthy and would gladly do anything for those she calls friends. So far this only includes Yamada Hanako and Lilly of the Dawn, though Lilly also being Mika's fixer is causing her to wonder if one's fixer can also be one's friend.

 

1. Flaws

1A. Most people -possibly despite their best efforts- have a group of people that they despise. If your character has a group of people they hate then use this question to explain their reasoning, however flawed it may be. If they don't, explain how they would act around someone who does have that kind of intense hate for groups of people different from them. (Reward: 1 Karma)

Overprivileged wealthy who have not earned their wealth. As Juliet she worked hard night and day and lived in their world. The attitude towards wealth, obscene consumption and sense of entitlement got under her skin. Its why she decided to fleece them. The individual does not matter – it does not matter if they dress it all up with charitable activities – if you inherited a fortune you deserve to lose it. As Deuce she delights in stealing their wealth, embarrassing them and taking them down a notch or two. She will not lose control, in fact she delights in making them feel like she is their friend and confidant.
+1 Karma

1B. What is your character insecure about? Why? If they have no insecurities then explain how it is that they would explain away or cope with what flaws they do have. (Reward: 2 free skill points in Etiquette during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

With good reason, Deuce is insecure about people finding out about her past. There are powerful people connected to the Beaumonts who want her dead (or failing that brought to justice) – a power struggle in the Carnettis can leave her high and dry. She is always worried she is giving away too much about her past, leaving breadcrumbs that can lead to a garrotting.
+2 Etiquette

1C. What's one thing that your character does that might annoy others? (Reward: 1 Karma)

She has her own sense of superiority. While in London she mixed with an educated and cultural set. Her appreciation of the arts and dismissal of more everyday entertainments can make her seem stuck up.
+1 Karma

1D. What's one thing about your character that they would be embarrassed or ashamed if others knew it? Why? (Reward: 1 Karma)

She’s poor! In her mind she is a successful high-flying corporate lawyer – invited to c-suite dinners and events – sampling the best that life has to offer. In fact she is a desperate runner, struggling to to make ends meet in the dead-end Naptown!
+1 Karma

2. Free Time

2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? (Reward: 5000 Nuyen toward your housing upkeep[So 2 and 1/2 months of low, 1 month of medium, 1/2 a month for high, etc.])

See above. She really is embarrassed by where she lives. She does not readily let anyone know. While others would regard her apartment as luxurious (its medium) she regards it as slumming it. She is the best presented of her neighbours and uses her bike to travel so she has to go to/from alone.
5000 nuyen -> 1 month rent

2B. When your character goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Really? Movers and shakers cocktails and an art gallery with he curators giving private tours of the latest exhibitions. However the opportunity for that was left behind in London. For now, a good restaurant – the find up-and-coming place before everyone knows about it.
+1 Karma

2C. What does your character do to personalize their home? Even if they're homeless they must have something that makes it feel less depressing and dehumanizing. (Reward: 1 Karma)

Its pretty plain. She does not regard it as home – its just a place she’s staying for a while. That’s the thing anyone would think if they went to her home – not that she has visitors. When she wants company, it’s a hotel – the best she can afford. Her personalisation is a locked box beneath her bed. Just a few things – photographs of family, programmes for particularly significant theatre and opera performances and a personally written letter of thanks from Lord Beaumont, torn up, yet carefully kept in a envelope sealed with string.
+1 Karma

2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. (Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free)

There’s a wine bar round the corner from her apartment. It’s run by an old hippyish vintner, Andy Vine (nominative determinism?) who moved over from California. The man has no pretentions and does not pry – but he has a nose for a superior glass of an under-recognised wine. The pair of them bonded over a rare taste for fine wine – but the relationship developed into gossip about the political and corporate doings in Naptown.
+1 loyalty for one contact

2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met outside of shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. (Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact)

Emma Lefevre is an intern in the Beaumont’s office. As Juliet, Deuce was instrumental in getting her the job, and Juliet has kept careful contact with her. She uses her sparely for information about what her nemesis might be doing.
Free 2-1 Contact

2F. Your character surely has something they use to pass the time when they're alone in their home, a hobby or other activity that entertains them. Describe this activity or hobby in however much detail you feel. (Reward: 2 Free skill points in a single knowledge skill related to your hobby during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

She’s always collected languages and is learning one at any time. She uses teaching software to master the basics, then seeks out local communities wherever she lives to build her conversational skills. Having established herself in Naptown, she is picking up TBC
+ 2 skill point – language TBC

3. History

3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the shadowrunning business? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Background gives you a sense of this. For Juliet, it was all going so right until it went so wrong. As Deuce she is half-struggling to survive and half determined to become wealthy and successful in the running trade. Because of her fear of leaving breadcrumbs she is very cautious about contacting her parents and old friends.
+ 1 Karma

3B. Whether local or world history, every character remembers the impact of some event or another on their lives. Where was your character when a particular historical event went down, and how did it make them feel? (Reward: 1 Free Knowledge skill rank during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

Juliet was in the office when Pendragon marched on the Lord Protector’s administration. With the rest of the staff she gathered at the 43rd floor windows and watched the sea of humanity wash through the streets with their non-violent power. It was a moment for her. Standing up here with the instruments of power and wealth and seeing how the populous felt about her. She carries that feeling. Is she as bad as them? Is she a fraud?
+ 1 knowledge skill

3C. How did your character end up in Indianapolis? How do they feel about the city? Do they want to leave at any point or are they content to stay here? What ties your character to the city? (Reward: 1 Karma)

Story in background. Getting out of New York, because the Beaumonts had realised she was there. It’s the least worse place she could get to try to restart her life (again). She does not see herself staying there forever, but she wants to establish herself professionally in the runner community and start to make some money.
+1 Karma

3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much grounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? (Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27)

Being trapped. She needs to know where the exits are and needs to know she can flee at the drop of a hat. She has had to twice – once in London, when the Beaumont’s first discovered her activities and again in New York when she saw their General Counsel in the elevator. The elevator terrified her … she was stuck in there for twenty three floors praying he did not recognise her.

Fear – add 2 negative quality.

4. Shadowrunning

4A. Every character has a certain set of skills, skills that make them a nightmare for a certain set of people; How did your character come to learn those skills? Who taught them? Whom have they used those skills against who might come back to haunt them? (Reward: 2 free ranks in any single active skill of your choosing during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit])

She’s a Face. She has a silver tongue and is persuasive. She learned them at school (debating societies), during her education (rhetoric and practice of law) and in practice where her threat of litigation was usually enough to force her opponents to settle. TO ADD: SPECIFIC RUNNING EXPERIENCE BASED ON OUR DISCUSSIONS OVER THIS WEEK.
+2 on active skill

4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a moral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? (Reward: 1 Edge)

She’s not a killer. While she’ll defend herself in a firefight – and has certainly done so in the past, she will not kill in cold-blood or deliver a coup-de-grace to an injured opponent.

+1 Edge

4C. The opposite of the previous question, where that one asked what sorts of jobs your character would never perform, this one asks what sorts of jobs your character would do free of charge! Something that your character would be so enthused about that they wouldn't ask for any payment to do it. Why would they do this? (Reward 1 Karma)

Robin hood work. If she can damage the undeserving rich and put the money in the hands of the people they had exploited she’d be up for that. It would help her sense of guilt for all the work she does for the rich and her desire to be wealthy herself.

[Marshmallow]

Yamada, Hanako Real Name: Yamada, Hanako Code Name: Vulpine Metatype: Human Archetype: Magician Physical Description: Yamada Hanako is a woman of Japanese origin getting on in her years, her hair has started to show some traces of grey and her brown eyes are far from hiding the quinquagenarian's age... Yet despite this, she still has a rather youthful appearance. Yamada's not quite as quick or strong as she once was, but there's still plenty of life left in her which is shown by her lifestyle. Yamada is never seen without her greatcoat which has an embroidered pattern of four foxes forming a circle on the back and she's rarely seen wearing anything other than a The top two buttons of which are always left undone. She knows what draws people in.two-piece suit. Personality: Yamada is an unapologetic hedonist, her life is meant to be enjoyed and pleasure is to be not only indulged in but shared with others. Yamada has been described by some as a temptress, she knows the exact kind of things whisper in order to tempt a married man to hit on the cute brunette at the end of the bar, always seems to have just the right kind of liqueur to tempt a recovered alcoholic into just one last drink. There's an underlying sense of malice in the tricks she plays. In some bout of contrarianism, Yamada has a maternal instinct for younger women she considers friends; they always drink for free at the bar she manages or straight from her personal liqueur cabinet and her door is almost constantly open to them - so long as they call beforehand. Background: Yamada Hanako previously worked as a bodyguard for the chairman of the Yakai Clan. Details on how the Who at the time was Yakai KonyaYakai chairman met Yamada vary from person to person, but the one thing each has in common is that the chairman saw the immense potential within the woman, who he took from the Kirifuri Highland and raised to be a bodyguard for his heir: Yakai Maeda. Yamada and Maeda were notably close friends, there was rarely an event where the Kitsune of Yakai was not present with her respective chairman. Hanako served as Maeda's bodyguard for his entire reign as chairman, retiring a year after the cause of Yakai Maeda's death was undiagnosed cancerhis death to help manage a Yakuza front operation in the United States: A nightclub... An environment filled with impressionable, hedonistic youth who more often than not had no aversion to the drugs peddled through the Yakuza dealers present in the club. The ideal place for a hedonist temptress like Vulpine. Vulpine keeps her house well stocked with booze, food, and other... Delights for metahumans and she quite often finds herself bringing home someone to push down the rabbit hole.

[JustSomeGuy]

Application Demons Run and Angels Weep... ...When a Good Dog goes to War. Name: Lt. Doug Barkley Code Name: Stray Metatype: Transhuman Dogboy Archetype: Ranged Adept, Spotter/Tracker Physical Description: German Shepherd. That's the breed that most of the genetic material was pulled from. Barkley's six feet tall and lanky, with a short layer of brown fur and a thick neck. The coloration darkens to black on his legs, forearms, ear tips, and muzzle. He walks on the pads of his long feet and often finds it difficult to find anything resembling normal shoes. Normally, he's barefoot and wearing mended fatigues with a reinforced paramilitary jacket and pack. Often his clothes have been decorated with objects found by the kids at the halfway house. Usually, his lips are curled into an infectious grin that reaches soulful honey-toned eyes. His bushy tail responds to his emotions, arcing upright when he's alert and wagging when he's in a good mood. When it is time to go loud, Barkley wears a full suit of form-fitting body armor and carries a customized rifle. The armored bodysuit is matte black. Old rank markers have long since been removed. A visor glowing a dull red is set into the black helmet that was customized to fit his unique head shape. Straps and harnesses are connected in ways that show a lifetime of practice, and there is at least one holdout pistol in there somewhere. Worn over all of this is a hooded long coat with an image of three wolves howling at a forest moon embroidered on the back. Personality: Barkley loves humans. Dwarves and trolls are also nice, but nothing compares to a human. They're just great. You know that feeling that people get when they see a baby animal stretch or stumble around? That's how he feels every time he sees a human. Barkley just can't help it. No, really. He can't help it. That part came with all the other traits they spliced into him while Gene-Techs attempted to vat-grow the perfect soldier. Barkley's also alert, determined, and obedient. Nothing feels better than the satisfaction of a job well done. There may be some issues with territoriality... but he wouldn't say that he was aggressive so much as protective. There has been some biting. In his defense, there were provocations. He tends to do well with other runners. Barkley's instincts have him deferring to strong leadership figures and watching over any fragile teammates. He doesn't believe in cutting losses and leaving other runners behind if a job goes south, so his sense of self-preservation could probably use some work. Once he's locked onto a target, he is rarely shaken or evaded for long. The boy is downright tenacious. Have I ever told you about the time he bit a ghost? Background The premise was simple. Soldiers needed to follow orders unquestioningly. They needed to be hyper-aware of their surroundings, and capable of reacting at a moment's notice. They needed to instinctively work as a unit. Never one to leave well enough alone, a team of ...that may have also been responsible for making cat-girl assassins...biotech researchers developed Barkley. Well, they developed the product line that Barkley was a part of. Barkley was what you would call a Lost Asset. Technically he's still an Ares citizen, but his name was taken off of payroll lists and corporate housing programs. Certain members of his former corporation knew that he was still alive, but Barkley's current position made him more useful in the shadows. Besides, the process of getting back on the official payrolls would be a nightmare. The lieutenant was on his own. Before long, he landed a spot doing odd jobs at a foster home. He would spend some time fixing broken hinges, patching holes kicked in walls, and picking up groceries. In exchange, he had all the ...which he enjoys...kibble that he could eat, a spare room, and he got to play with the children. He tried not to show his favoritism for the human pups. The children were quick to play games of hide-and-seek, with gifts reserved for the last one found. Those troubled pups prone to violent outbursts were rewarded for time spent in guided meditation, stillness, and internal reflection. It really was an idyllic life, but these kinds of things always came with a cost. The home had a not-so-loose connection with the local crime syndicates. The vice trade had a way of producing accidental children, gang violence had a way of taking away their parents, and the next generation of enforcers had to come from somewhere. The area was a known neutral ground, but that came with certain strings attached. Expensive strings. Lt. Barkley was quick to volunteer to shoulder a part of his pack's burden and was put in touch with a few relevant fixers. These shadows wouldn't run themselves, after all.

[Silk]

I'll go through and edit out what people shouldn't know about Mika when I get the time. I decided, screw it

Character Application Real Name: Going to use the Prototype Transhuman quality from Chrome Flesh and Made (Wo)Man from Run Faster to explain how she managed to finance the bar.M59I-K732-A6 Code Name: MIKA Metatype: Human (Female) Age: 10 (looks between 21-24) Archetype: Face/Street Samurai Physical Description: Looking at her from behind, the first thing you would notice about Mika is her black cattail swaying back and forth. If you were to mention the tail to her, the next aspect you would see is Mika's cat eyes as the woman gave you a glare. The rest of her looks like the classical Chinese phenotype with the added exception that she moved with a grace only a cat or enhancement people can manage. Now people might wonder why someone would go through all the trouble to have a cat tail implanted only to snipe at the first person who mentions it, and there is a reason. Unlike most people, Mika was born with most of her Bioware. From the eyes, tail, and claws to the enhanced hearing, agility, and cat pheromones, they have all been a part of Mika since she first stepped out of the vat. Personality: When you've been grown in a lab and only conscious of your existence for the past ten years, that tends to screw with one's perceptions. The melding of Panther DNA with human DNA has left Mika with instincts not wholly human, which sometimes comes out in her actions. To curb these instincts, Mika has spent quite a lot of time studying the proper behaviors of metahumans and how best to interact and even manipulate them. Though if she is honest, Mika is still learning that last one. When someone feels in their bones that they are something other, something different, it's hard to empathize with the rest of metahumanity. Fortunately, her DNA test confirmed that she was 60% human, so Mika makes an effort not to alienate herself from the rest of metahumanity. Mika rarely smiles as baring her teeth has her instinctively wanting to hiss or growl in warning. Sometimes, it's easier not to smile than fight instinct. Another quirk of Mika's is that she considers all felines as people and treats them accordingly. When a cat walked in and hopped onto the bar, she gave it a bowl of milk and talked to him as if the cat was a person. When a cybered-up freak named Jak batted that cat off the bar for kicks, Mika immediately emptied an entire clip from her submachine gun into the prick. The fact that Jak was more stunned by her actions than injured by the bullets had them staining at each other, and the bar went dead quiet. For some reason, violence did not follow that silence, and instead, Jak left to come back another day. Mika was relieved that her bar was not about to get trashed before she went to tend to the injured cat. On the flip side, Mika and dogs do not get along! In fact, any mutts in her territory tend to end up on the menu. Metahumans that look like canines get her undivided attention while they are in her presence. Due to her living on the street and her feline instincts, and being a made person, Mika has few morals when it comes to protecting what's hers. She will not hesitate to kill someone that threatens her property or friends. Background Summary: Due to an errent keystroke made by the decker of a group of Shadowruners, specimen M59I-K732-A6 was released into their midst. Luckily specimen M59I-K732-A6 was a catgirl and not some monster that wanted to eat them. Taking the cute girl that looked kind of Chinese with them they had to lay low after blowing up the Biotechnica lab that she was found in. After some time specimen M59I-K732-A6 overheard that her saviors were about to sell her and so she left. A few years wandering had M59I-K732-A6 who now went by the name of MIKA finding a stash of smuggled Yakuza equipment in a secret flooded basement during a heavy rainstorm, Mika tried selling them, unfortunately, to a Yakuza backed pawnshop. Luckily, Mika kept her head, both literally and figuratively, as she offered the Oyabun a deal. He accepted and she soon had her own tiny bar with a Yakuza safe house in the back. Something NOT in the background is that between working for the Yakuza and managing a business without the knowledge to do so, Mika's Den has been struggling to make a profit. So Mika has hired a new bartender to be on call so she can make some nuyen running the shadows.   Background: During a demolitions run on a small-time bioengineering company named Yes, I stole this name from Cyberpunk, but I like it so, miya!Biotechnica, a group of shadowrunners ran into a snag when the automated security procedures locked down the place. They found themselves in a cold storage lab of some sort. When the decker of the group opened up the door to a vat, and a naked catgirl fell out, he was hit in the back of the head by the leader of the group who said, "Wrong door, idiot!" Seeing the room for the first time, the catgirl eyed the shadowrunners and tilted her head in curiosity, but with no fear, as they pointed their she did not know they were weapons at the timeweapons at her movement. The catgirl didn't understand that the building was about to explode, and they had exactly 5 minutes to get to a minimum safe distance. To this day, Mika does not know the runners chose to take her with them or grab a picture of her designation on the vat before leaving the place when the decker finally managed to get the door open. Mika only stayed with the group for about a month while they laid low after the job. Something about a surprising amount of heat, which confused the catgirl because she was pretty cold. During that time, she absorbed what they taught her like a sponge absorbing water but at the same time wondered why only one of the runners would tell her his name. Through instinct more than deception, Mika kept her enhanced hearing a secret and used it to spy on her rescuers. The third week with the shadowrunners, Mika overheard an argument about herself. Apparently, the group leader had found a buyer for M59I-K732-A6, and the woman was very interested in procuring Mika. While Mac and another of the runners were against it, Mika understood how this group did business. Majority rule. So with it being two against three, Mika made her way quietly down the fire escape and left only with the clothes on her back, without a thought to the future. Taking the letters in her alphanumerical designation, Mika disappeared into the underbelly of Seattle. Mika moved from Seattle, and for a couple of years, she made her way from town to town working primarily at bars and grunt work that took SINless, until finally ending up in Indianapolis. With a massive thunderstorm harrowing her tail, Mika looked for shelter. Unfortunately, the area she was in was a dilapidated section of Indianapolis. Few of the rundown buildings were dry, and those that were had people in them who turned her away or whom Mika herself turned away from. She found several dilapidated rows of storage units in a walled-off section of the property. The only place that wasn't caved in, locked tight, or in use was an office set in the middle of a row of storage units and smelled as if someone had died there. It was the rain falling through a crack that cued Mika into the fact that there was a secret door in the office. Locating the leaky door from the sound of dripping water and the rusty lever that unlocked the door with her feline eyesight, Mika found a basement under the storage units. The previous owner must have been into smuggling and died without telling anyone about this place. The basement was filled with illegal or rare gear damaged by previous rainfalls but was mostly intact. Unfortunately, the first room where the most expensive stuff was located had been damaged by years of rainwater flooding the place. Opening the door to the next room, Mika let a surge of water through the larger room with more crates but was less damaged by the water. Luckily the place had a sound drainage system, and after making sure the entrance was secure, Mika made herself at home by crawling up onto a dry but dusty crate and went to sleep despite her insomnia. Mika's animal instinct sent one thought to her tired brain before she dowsed off, "Mine." And so, before the place was officially named Mika's Den, she had already thought of it as such. Now, this is where you would think Mika sold off all that gear for a pretty nuyen and lived the rest of her life safe and secure...wrong. It turned out that grabbing the best pieces of equipment that looked custom made and going to a pawn shop to sell them was not the brightest idea. Some of that custom gear was something the Yakuza had paid the dead smuggler to obtain six months ago. And Mika had the bad luck to try and sell them to a Yakuza backed pawnshop, earning herself an immediate audience with the local Yakuza crime bossOyabun. Mika was scared when she was threatened with being whored out and dismembered if she didn't give them the location of the smugglers' stash but managed to passed her Composure testkept calm through it all. Finally having enough but deciding to give them the stash to ensure her life, Mika said in a calm voice as if her life wasn't on the line that the building was hers, and had to wait calmly until all the laughing and threats with a blade to her throat ended to continue her statement, "No, the buildings is mine. The stash can have if you help me fix the place up." It was a ballsy move, but the Oyabun had watched Mika stand there with little fear showing. He decided it wasn't that she had no fear but that Mika looked past the fear and death with a calm expression. He realized that she had accepted it. This fact and an offhand remark from one of his lieutenants that a hard-to-find place like this would make a perfect safehouse confirmed his decision. Through a third-party company with no known Yakuza affiliations, the Oyabun purchased several lots of land west of Juan Solomon Park at rock bottom prices, including the storage unit lot where the smugglers' stash was located. The company played it off as some re-urbanization effort and half-heartedly tried to entice people to buy. After only one Mika. All others were turned away.client bought a tiny parcel of land, the company washed its hands of the endeavor, said it was reshuffling its sales department, and disappeared from public view. After digging down into the larger room from one of the storage units that was now hers, Mika resealed the secret entrance and made that room her living quarters with a Yakuza safe room disguised as a guest room. When Mika told the Oyabun that she was making the larger room into a bar because that was the only thing she knew how to do. He was pleased with his new foster childkobun as cars moving through the area would not gain as much attention with the traffic from the bar. Once Mika's Den was officially opened, it became a place that anyone could show up at if they only knew how to get there. Slowly over time, Mika's Den also became a place where fixers could meet with shadowrunners, and secret business deals could be had over a cold drink. Being hard to find, with the small floor space, the dangerous neighborhood, and open only after dusk and closing before a new day's false dawn keeps the area from becoming a happening place. Which is just fine as far as Mika is concerned. Mika's Den Mika's Den During the day, the entrance into Mika's Den is behind a storage unit garage door that looks like every other secured storage unit on the lot. The garage door opens up during the night, showing a dimly lit stairway leading down into the dark bar. Dim AROs advertise Mika's Den above the door, and to each side are translations in eight languages of her den's name. When she first searched the matrix, Mika found out that the name Mika had the blame google if this is wrong. I was actually surprised by a random grouping of letters that I had chosen for my character came up with this result same meanings of 'beautiful fragrance' in Hungarian, Japanese, and Russian. Finding that the exact spelling also meant 'rabbit' in the Sioux language had Mika frowning and finding other variations of her assumed name in Finnish, Hebrew, and Polish had Mika decide to add them to her ARO sign as well. Not wanting to offend any other gangs by leaving out their language on her bar Mika adding Chinese and Sperethiel to the list. Aching to the left of Mika's Den was HungarianMika Barlangja, Japaneseミカの巣窟, RussianЛогово Микаэля, and FinnishDen Miikki. Arching to the right was, Hebrewהמאורה של מיקאל, Chinese猫窝, PolishDen Mikaela, and Sperethiel. I used French for the language <shrug>La tanière de Mika. And under these arching translations and on either side of the door are AROs of two naked dancing with fur and big anime-style eyescatgirls. Yes, even a vat-grown catgirl like Mika knows that sex sells. However, once you get inside Mika's Den, there is a distinct lack of naked dancing girls and the only cat tropes in the place are Mika and two adult cats. There is a large black cat, and her name is Bast. And a medium-sized white cat and his name is Kali. They both fight all the time, but anyone who hurts either of them deals with an angry Mika. While the place still has a faint moldy smell about it, the smell of alcohol and unwashed bodies tend to cover that up. The Matrix reception out here is crap, and the space is tight, but the acoustics are excellent. Any music playing over that of a conversationsixty decibels makes it hard to hear, and Mika keeps the music loud. Due to Mika's sensitivity to specific frequencies, some music is banned in her bar. The place is about as clean as the bartenders and Mika, with her busy life as a shadowrunner and being a secret Yakuza gang member can make it. Experience: 5th & 6th edition only. I've played four characters in Shadowrun, a Her name was Rain, an elf, and the game didn't last long after I joined.Street Sam sniper, a An Orc with a shotgun. For some reason, I can't remember his name. The game also puttered out and died.Street Shaman, another FUBAR was this Dwarf's name. I still feel bad about leaving Arialles' Stormy Waters game, but I had RL issues I had to deal with at the time.Street Sam(guess I just like that type of character), and a a Chinese slum rat from Hong Kong named Dünn. DM had to end the game for personal reasons.Technomancer. I also DMed a game called An Untimely Encounter for two years before having to end it at the beginning of this year. Given all that experience, I still have to dive into the books and get a headache from reading up on game mechanics. Other: I suppose, I should have kept the Yakuza safehouse a secret but it's been sitting there for a day or two for everyone to see so too late to make it one now

Additional Questions

[The Rat Queen]

Dossier Name: Lilith Auemheimer Alias: Revenant Occupation: Decker Metatype: Human Sex: Female Height: 1.6 m / 5'3" Weight: 60 kg / 132 lbs Age: 18 Hair: Black (dyed red) Eyes: Brown Skin: Fair Primary Arm: Right Description: Revenant is an aficionado of the old styles, a mixture of punk and goth, but without the bright colors that others tend to mix with their punk look. Her normally-dark hair is dyed a dark crimson, and on missions she affects a "warpaint mask" of matching color. Black leathers complete the look, with particular pride in the jacket. She found it in an old store...the owner probably forgot he had it, or didn't realize what real leather was going for these days, and she snatched it up. She's a little out of shape; the price of spending hours at a time perched in front of a deck, but she's got a gym membership...somewhere. Normally enjoys a dry wit sprinkled with sarcasm, when she bothers talking to people at all. Considering the quality of "people" these days, she doesn't see it as an issue. She doesn't have much of a filter for what she says or how she says it, but she's not particularly mean-spirited. There's an aura about her...sadness? Angst? Is it part of the goth thing? It's hard to say, it just kind of hangs like a dark cloud. Background: Well, for starters...she's dead. No really, look it up. Lilith Auemheimer, a.k.a. "Eden" died earlier this year in what is believed to be a criminal activity. She was traced through the Matrix to her physical location, which was unfortunately destroyed by an explosion when corporate security attempted to arrest the alleged perpetrator. No body was found, but considering the amount of damage done to the structure, she was pronounced dead. Obviously, it wasn't supposed to go that way. Eden, her handle back then...get it? Lilith? Eden? Hyuk, hyuk...was running overwatch for her group of shadowrunners, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. She shut down cameras, rerouted security, closed of lift access...the team was sliding through the complex like a dragon through an airbus. That's when she got that feeling...y'know, when you realize you're not alone? Well...the fragger had been running silent, and she'd missed it! The spider was tailing her the whole time, letting her do her thing until the team was good and deep into enemy territory. She managed to detect one of the markers, and tried to sleaze, but couldn't shake the spider. Security miraculously got their act together and the team was in trouble, so Eden went after the other decker. Started slotting his stick real good, too...until security moved in on her. Apparently, the spider squealed and the corpos outside her location decided to act immediately. There was a BOOM and a lot of smoke, fire, and...something that knocked her sideways. She must've blacked out at some point... When she woke up, she had a pile of debris to dig herself out of. Her team was dead, and so was she...officially. All because she didn't look over her shoulder. After spending some time healing and feeling sorry for herself, she managed to get a new deck (old one was part of the debris) and a new identity, and she started rebuilding a new life for herself. Let Eden be dead...Revenant wasn't gone yet, omae.

Character Sheet Lilith Auemheimer as "Revenant" (Human) Movement: 6/12 (2m/hit) Swim: 2.5 (1m/hit) Current Form: BOD AGI REA STR CHA INT LOG WIL EDG ESS 4 3 4 2 3 5 6 5 6 5.85(1) Init Rigger Astral Matrix AR Matrix Cold Matrix Hot CM Physical Limit Mental Limit Social Limit 9 +1d6 9 +1d6   9 +1d6 9 +3d6 9 +4d6 10/11 4 8 6 Qualities: Big Regret (Getting previous group killed.), Codeslinger (Hacking on the Fly), Dead SIN, Fear of Failure, instinctive Hack, Ninja Vanish, Overclocker, Quick Config Active Skills: Animal Handling 2, Archery 2, Armorer 5, Automatics (Submachine Guns) 8 (10), Blades 2, Clubs 2, Computer (Matrix Perception) 11 (13), Con 2, Cybercombat (IC) 12 (14), Demolitions 5, Disguise 4, Diving 3, Electronic Warfare (Hide) 12 (14), Escape Artist 2, Etiquette (Matrix) 8 (10), First Aid 5, Forgery 5, Free-Fall 3, Gunnery 2, Gymnastics 2, Hacking (Files) 12 (14), Hardware (Cyberdecks) 11 (13), Heavy Weapons 2, Impersonation 2, Instruction 2, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Longarms 2, Navigation 4, Negotiation 2, Perception 8, Performance 2, Pilot Ground Craft (Bike) 5 (7), Pilot Watercraft 3, Pistols 2, Running 1, Sneaking (Urban) 4 (6), Software 11, Survival 4, Swimming 1, Throwing Weapons 2, Tracking 4, Unarmed Combat 2 Knowledge Skills: Area Knowledge: Chicago 8, City Speak 8, Data Havens 9, English N, Hebrew 6, Matrix 12, Matrix Games 8, Matrix Threats 10, Religion (Judaism) 7 (9) Karma: 2 Weapon Pool Accuracy Damage AP Mode RC Colt Cobra TZ-120 8 (10) 4 (5) 7P - SA/BF/FA 4 (5) Folding Stock, Gas-Vent 2 System, Laser Sight, Sling             Unarmed Attack 2 4 2S -   2   Combat Skill Rtg Archery 2 Automatics (Submachine Guns) 8 Blades 2 Clubs 2 Heavy Weapons 2 Longarms 2 Pistols 2 Throwing Weapons 2 Unarmed Combat 2 Armor (7) Padded Leather 7 (Custom Fit, Padded) Cyberware/Bioware: Datajack Plus Rating 3 Gear: Ammo: Regular Ammo (Submachine Guns) ×160, Data Tap, Datachip ×10, Electronic Parts, Five-Pack ×5, Fake SIN 4 (Lilith Auemheimer)[Fake License 3 (Automatic Weapons License); Fake License 3 (Cyberdeck License); Fake License 3 (Driver's License)], Hermes Chariot[Armor; Baby Monitor; Biofeedback; Blackout; Bootstrap; Browse; Commlink Functionality[Camera, Micro; Chip Player; Credstick Reader; Earbuds 1; GPS Guidance System; Micro Trid-Projector; Music Player; RFID Tag Scanner; Shock- and Water-Resistant Case; Touchscreen Display]; Configurator; Decryption; Defuse; Edit; Encryption; Exploit; Fly on a Wall; Fork; Hammer; Hardening; Hitchhiker; Lockdown; Mugger; Nuke-from-Orbit; Signal Scrub; Sim Module, Hot; Smoke and Mirrors; Sneak; Toolbox; Universal Connector Cord (Meter); Virtual Machine; Wrapper], Subvocal Mic, Tool Kit (Hardware), Tool Shop (Hardware) Lifestyle: Low (Low-rent apartment), Security Rating: C Months paid: 3, Cramped, Extra Secure, Obscure/Difficult to Find, Grid Subscription (Public Grid) Nuyen: 6,260¥

Character	Opinion
Vulpine	Pretty much everything Revenant isn't: Classy, worldly, carpe diem older woman with style, flair, and confidence. Probably originally scared the crap out of Revenant when they first met. Now, though, she admires her, though a bit from afar. Still scares her a little, but not as much.
Stray	She had a little trouble with the 'dog' thing at first, and still thinks it's weird. Nice doggie...guy...thing, though. She's still not sure exactly where the runner ends and the pet begins, but so far he's proven capable. So long as he doesn't try to hump her leg, they should be fine.
Mika	So...first a dog, now a cat? What the frag, were they shadowrunners or the SPCA?? Pretty likely that Revenant received one of Mika's trademark glares, and never mentioned the tail again. Luckily, they seem to have moved past it and get along well enough, once the initial faux pas faded. Revenant always was more of a 'cat person', anyway...
Ovinnik	Big fragger, but a nice guy. Pretty interesting, too...not a lot of trolls go to college. Revenant just doesn't really get into the physical fitness thing that much, but thinks the guy's pretty subzero.
Deuce	Another example of a lot of things Revenant is not. Beautiful, sophisticated, impeccable taste, and capable of wrapping people around her finger. She even has a British accent! Ugh...at least she doesn't act too snooty. Between Deuce and Vulpine, Revenant has to work hard to keep her insecurities in check.
Pete	What the frag kind of street name is 'Pete'?! For some reason, maybe because he reminds Revenant of Chip, she kind of likes him. Maybe it's because he's one of the only ones other than her who doesn't look like they drifted in from some Hollywood blockbuster...or is an animal. Kind of weird seeing a dwarf mage, but go figure.

Character Questions Character Questions   1. Flaws 1A. Most people -possibly despite their best efforts- have a group of people that they despise. If your character has Orks/Trolls, Metahumans in general, humans, mages, corps, the bourgeoisie, poor people, gangs, men, etc.a group of people they hate then use this question to explain their reasoning, however flawed it may be. If they don't, explain how they would act around someone who does have that kind of intense hate for groups of people different from them. (Reward: 1 Karma) She's not a real big fan of the company that 'killed' her, of course, but beyond that she's a very open-minded person. Reading about things like the Night of Rage makes her sad and angry, and she doesn't understand policlubs. She's done enough reading to know that, before the Awakening, people used to hate each other for their skin color, when humans were the only game in town. Now that there's something new to hate each other for, old enemies are chummers, just so they can hate the 'new guys' together. It makes her sick, but it seems like too big a problem for her to do anything about. If she saw a display of racism or hatred, she'd probably just be disgusted and walk away, unless the situation were extreme. 1B. What is your character For example, their voice, their looks, how they act, whether or not people like them, their finances, that kind of thinginsecure about? Why? If they have no insecurities then explain how it is that they would explain away or cope with what flaws they do have. (Reward: 2 free skill points in Etiquette during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) Lilith is aware that she's not in great shape...the cost of spending most of her time at a deck. Though she acts like she shrugs this off, it does make her a bit self-conscious. Even when she's not in the Matrix, she's not exactly the 'work out ' type...she'd rather sit and relax. She also has trouble sticking with a diet, especially with the cost of natural foods. 1C. What's one thing that your character does that Examples include being generally untidy, chewing with your mouth open, saying 'uh' and 'um' too much in conversation, sniffling constantly instead of blowing your nose when it's runny, piling up dirty dishes in the sink but never doing them, picking your nose in public, etc.might annoy others? (Reward: 1 Karma) She's a bit of a slob around the house. Cleaning, doing dishes, vacuuming...not really her scene. Of course, this doesn't apply to program application...her programming and deck organization is immaculate! Even the spare parts and electronics qualify as an 'organized mess'. But the other stuff...garden-variety mess, unfortunately. On the plus side, she really doesn't own that many plates to dirty, since most of her food comes in EZ-2-Make cartons...just open, heat, and eat, so convenient! Plasticware and a few one-nuyen-store plates and glasses complete the collection, which she can rinse off as she needs. Yes, she rinses off plastic forks, shut up! 1D. What's one thing about your character that they would be Weird habit, lame music taste, unflattering yearbook pictures, strange fetish, widely derided hobby, a deep dark secret, etc.embarrassed or ashamed if others knew it? Why? (Reward: 1 Karma) If she actually went out to clubs, she would be vulnerable to a class-action lawsuit for causing mental trauma with her dancing. She'll dance in her flat, of course, when there's no company, but her dancing is probably the reason the roach problem isn't worse. Even roaches have their standards. Pile some squeaky singing, when there are actually words to the music, and you can pretty much tell all the dragons in the world to retire...the Horrors won't set foot in this world if they see that. 2. Free Time 2A. How does your character feel about their living conditions? Are they embarrassed by having such high/low standards? (Reward: 5000 Nuyen toward your housing upkeep[So 2 and 1/2 months of low, 1 month of medium, 1/2 a month for high, etc.]) She knows it's a sty and a pain to find, but she's okay with that. Okay enough not to fix the situation, that is. As far as 'hard to find', that's kind of the point. She doesn't really like people knowing where she sleeps, so she keeps it pretty close to the chest. Eventually, she'd like to find a cheap place where she could meet folks if needed, then maybe get a nicer place. Nice things tend to get taken away, though... 2B. When your character Examples include going to the bar, bowling, going to a park, playing sports, doing wicked crazy drugs, hanging out on the matrix doing any of the preceding things, etc.goes out, what do they prefer to do? Why's that? (Reward: 1 Karma) What is this 'go out' of which you speak, earth creature?? Nonono...we do not 'go out', we 'go in'...to the Matrix! Why venture out into the dirty, meaty, sweaty, stinky world when you can just jack in and go anywhere you want, be anyone you choose? Online decker clubs, gaming nodes, and other hangouts are where she socializes. You can keep your 'going out'...she usually doesn't go out unless she's paid to. 2C. What does your character do to personalize their home? Even if they're homeless they must have something that makes it feel less depressing and dehumanizing. (Reward: 1 Karma) Mostly, not a whole lot. She does collect stuffed animals, though. Not obsessively or anything...just enough to completely cover the bed. What?! It hides the fact that it's not made! 2D. Most people have at least one friend. An acquaintance at least. Even if your character is new to Indianapolis surely you've met someone outside of the party who you feel relatively comfortable being around casually. Describe this person and your relationship with them. (Reward: Upgrade one of your contacts by 1 loyalty for free) It's hard to call him a 'friend', exactly, but sometimes Lilith will venture out from her cave and brave the real world...usually to hit the Stuffer ShackTM for supplies. One of the clerks there, Brandt (though she usually calls him 'Brad', 'Bran', 'Brandon', or 'Bart', despite the prominently-displayed name tag) usually makes awkward attempts to chat her up. He seems like he's close to actually asking her out, which kind of terrifies her. It's not that he's bad-looking or anything...he's cute in a lanky kind of way...it's just that she's not sure about the whole 'going out in public' thing, much less the 'relationship' thing. 2E. You almost certainly didn't meet all of your contacts while you were on the job. One or more of them is surely going to end up being someone you met Your tattoo artist, an employee, an employer, the receptionist at your favorite cyberware clinic, your drug dealer, people you deal drugs to, etc.outside of shadowrunning; Describe your relationship with this person. (Reward: 1 Free 2-1 Contact) One of the few people she's met in person in Indianapolis is the local electronics dealer, He *swears* it's a nickname, not a 'street name'.Chip. He's a tech-minded recluse who doesn't like people very much...they get along well. He does carry it a bit further than Lilith, despite owning a shop in what is technically the service industry. He's fairly sour, especially with those he doesn't know, whereas Lilith is just introverted. He actually dislikes people in general, where Lilith is awkward and someone socially unskilled. But he knows more about hardware and electronics than she ever will, and he's one of the few games in town, so they've grown on each other (not that Chip would admit it). 2F. Your character surely has something they use to pass the time when they're alone in their home, a hobby or other activity that entertains them. Describe this activity or hobby in however much detail you feel. (Reward: 2 Free skill points in a single knowledge skill related to your hobby during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) When she's not actively hacking or programming, she'll unwind with some Matrix games. She doesn't generally do the combat-style games that most do...she's gotten enough of that drek in real life. Instead, she goes more for the life simulation games, especially superhero simulations. Her current superhero identity is Killagirl, the Electron Mistress of Light! Technically, she can shoot focused energy beams, but she mainly just flies around town and hangs out with other superheroes. 3. History 3A. How does your character feel about how their life has gone to this point? Do they resent their past? Do they keep in touch with their parents (if they're even still alive)? Do they have plans to get out of the shadowrunning business? (Reward: 1 Karma) Her life is alright...her death kind of bums her out. She has some real issues over her previous failure and how it turned out. She's not really close with her parents; she was always disconnected to them and they never really made an effort to reach her, that she knows of. The love had gone out of her parents' marriage years ago, and it bled over into the parent-child relationship. If her father hadn't been trying to reach a management position (divorces look bad on a company record) and her mother hadn't been so financially dependent on her father (it's where Lilith gets her laziness from), they would've split long ago. Instead, they kept up the façade of a unified marriage, and Lilith had no regrets about leaving an empty house. She's not big on long-term goals, but it would be pretty wiz to make a full-time living off the Matrix, without having to risk getting shot up on the street. Getting a legit job is pretty out of the question, since she's legally dead. And if she weren't, she'd be wanted for the criminal action that got her officially killed. Her only real retirement option is the Big Score, so that's the goal. 3B. Whether local or world history, every character remembers the impact of 9/11, The fall of the Soviet Union, the Crash, the Crash 2.0, the first VITAS outbreak, etc.some event or another on their lives. Where was your character when a particular historical event went down, and how did it make them feel? (Reward: 1 Free Knowledge skill rank during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) Technically, Dunkelzahn's assassination was within her lifetime, but she was just a baby and has no memory of it. She vaguely remembers Halley's Comet and all the related SURGE, Dunkelzahn's Rift, the Ring of Fire, etc.events and panic, but she was still too young to fully comprehend the events and their portent and impact. The first big event she has clear memory of that helped shape her was the Matrix Crash 2.0. Learning about what it was and what caused it, as well as seeing the direct impact the Matrix had on everyone's life (which she had previously taken for granted), had a profound impact on the seven-year-old, sparking her interest in computers and the Matrix. She remembers the revelation of technomancers. To her profound disappointment, she never developed the ability to be a 'Matrix mage'. She kept up with the SEARCH virus and CFD, but neither was necessarily a defining event. Her dad used to talk about the bug infestation...Lilith suspects that the insect spirit problem might've been a major contributor to her parents' marriage taking a big hit, but neither parent would talk much about the personal effect it had on them, just how horrible it was. 3C. How did your character end up in Indianapolis? How do they feel about the city? Do they want to leave at any point or are they content to stay here? What ties your character to the city? (Reward: 1 Karma) When Lilith's previous street name.Eden's run went south hard, she knew there was nothing left for her there. If she raises her head as still being alive, even under a new name, the heat would be on her. Besides, she couldn't imagine that her rep had survived, either...nobody wanted to give jobs to that kind of albatross. Indianapolis was just supposed to be a stopover, the nearest city available where she could recoup and reorganize. Seattle? Meh...played out, and way too saturated for a newcomer to break in. CAS? No love for a Yankee like her, and she hated spicy food. London? That took nuyen, and she didn't know drek about the people, culture, or anything. So while she mulled, she caught wind of a decent 'runner community with jobs to match, and she still had a few contacts in the Windy City who knew she was alive and capable to act as liaison for her. The group she hooked up with was...unusual, to be sure...but capable, so for now she's content to make some money and recover from the past. 3D. What is something that your character fears more than anything else? This could be a phobia, or a fear which is very much Like being caught and tortured by your least favorite corporation, for examplegrounded in reality. Why do they fear it so much? (Reward: This fear counts as a free 2 point Negative Quality, increasing your total maximum Positive Quality cap to 27) Above all, she fears failure. She's always struggled with insecurity, but it was something she could push aside and deal with. Especially in the Matrix, where she felt a lot more in control. Maybe that's what contributed to her slipping up and botching the run...she felt comfortable. She almost gave up decking completely, but managed to hang on and continue...mostly due to the influence of the few good friends she had left. She now has a group to run with that seems to trust her ability and encourages her, directly or indirectly. But she still has that lingering doubt...what if she screws up with this group like she did before? What if she gets everyone killed, including herself...for real, this time? So far, that fear has kept her sharp, prevented her from getting complacent. Hopefully, it won't overtake her and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 4. Shadowrunning 4A. Every character has a certain set of skills, skills that make them a nightmare for a certain set of people; How did your character come to learn those skills? Who taught them? Whom have they used those skills against who might come back to haunt them? (Reward: 2 free ranks in any single active skill of your choosing during character creation [And therefore still subject to the 6 skill limit]) Revenant has always had a 'feel' for coding, for manipulating characters and symbols to twist virtual reality to her will. Like mages in meatspace who can bend the laws of physics and make them sit up and beg, she's a true console cowgirl, far more at home in the virtual world of the Matrix than she ever will be in real life. She learned them mostly through instinct, research, info swapping with other wannabe deckers, and a drekton of trial and error. She never had a formal teacher, though she has taken computer programming classes in school. Her real education came when she managed to hack her way into Jackpoint and had the opportunity to learn from the real pros. One thing about being insecure...ego doesn't get in the way of learning things. Her major problem is that there could be some busybody in a corp datahaven right now, noting that they never recovered the body of the decker who infiltrated their system and gave their spider a whooping. Officially, the corp isn't likely to care whether she lived or died, or where she is. Threat neutralized, onto the next problem. But deckers can be a petty, vicious lot, and there might be a corp sarariman decker out there licking their wounds, hoping to catch some trace of the one who embarrassed them... 4B. No matter how callous and uncaring you might want your character to be, there's likely still a Maybe they won't kill children, maybe they won't kill at all, maybe they refuse to steal from the poor, that kind of thingmoral line that they won't cross. Where is that line for your character, and why won't they cross it? (Reward: 1 Edge) Kill children?? What the frag? Who's killing kids?? Better not be any of her teammates! As far as she's aware, Revenant has never directly killed anyone, and she has no desire to. Even the jerk who tailed her in that failed mission...she'd dance a happy jig for the chance to trash his deck, but...killing him? That's not really her style. She knows that people died during the runs where she provided overwatch...guards and stuff. Collateral damage, and she feels bad for their families, but for her to actually snuff someone? Ehh...she's no sociopath. To her, a perfect run means nobody even knew you were there. She knows she's a criminal, and she knows that when she steals data, it has real-world consequences for others, but...it seems so distant. Way different than pointing a gun at someone and rubbing them out. She doesn't really see how street sams can do it...look someone in the eye and watch the light die out...brr. No thanks. 4C. The opposite of the previous question, where that one asked what sorts of jobs your character would never perform, this one asks what sorts of jobs your character would do free of charge! Something that your character would be so enthused about that they wouldn't ask for any payment to do it. Why would they do this? (Reward 1 Karma) She'll always help a friend free of charge, null persp, omae! And she'd probably take the opportunity to stick it to that lousy corp that killed her for free if she had the chance. Beyond that? Dunno...maybe hack the traffic lights so a busload of nuns can make it to the burning orphanage in time to save all the little kids and their kittens? Beyond the friendship thing, in her experience it seems that any 'good cause' is code for 'sucker play'. It would have to be something beyond your typical sob story: like distributing free concert tickets to every kid in the city, or spreading some code that prevented lies and mudslinging during political campaigns...something like that.

 

• March 2, 2056: Lilith Auemheimer born in Chicago, IL, UCAS.
• 2064: Lilith begins studying the Matrix and computer programming.
• 2072: Lilith moves out of her parents' house to run the shadows full time.
• 2074: Lilith's run goes bad; the decker known as 'Eden' is reported killed by corp response unit.
• 2075: Lilith recovers from her injuries and moves to Indianapolis, begins 'Revenant' as professional persona.

[Preacherwolf]

The Russian Troll Real Name: Yuri Petrov Code Name: Ovinnik Metatype: Troll Archetype: Physical Adept Physical Description: Standing at just under 10ft tall (9 feet eight inches) and weighing in at five hundred pounds with horns, tasks striking out of his mouth and dermal plating sprouting out at various places, Yuri looks like a monster. While he looks imposing, his general physically demeanour is laid back and casual. He slouches when he talks with people, he keeps his hands in his pockets and tries to keep his tusks within his mouth. He generally has his brown hair trimmed into a crew cut to avoid loose hair while fighting and to try and maintain a professional and friendly look about him. It doesn’t really help. Personality: Yuri is for the most part quiet. He's not one to blather on incessantly or needlessly, he'll speak politely when spoken to and short and to the point. He was raised to be a polite boy by his Babushka, and the most he'll swear is the occasional soft "frag" when the drek has really hits the fan. His Babushka taught him to be weary of his strength and just how strong he is and he takes that to heart, being very careful and deliberate while he moves. This kind of mindset is why he started taking up Jujitsu to control his strength and why he began learning about engineering and chemistry. All the better to put things back together again if you know how they work. He personally hates gangs and organised crime and vehemently hates where he's gotten to in life, a pawn of the Vory and treated as dumb muscle because he lost control once. Background: Summary - College kid tries to pay for tuition through underground fight clubs. Kid becomes in debt to the Russian mob and is now completely under their thumb.   Yuri Petrov was born to unknown parents. At least unknown to him, they died in gang attacks on the Northwest side when he was barely a year old. They were a pair of Go-Gangers and, according to his Babushka, "love blinded trolls with dreams of being the next Bonnie and Clyde. But in reality were Romeo and Juliet, a pair of idiots doomed to die." Yuri's Babushka took him after they went out to hit the score of a life time and simply never came back. The two trolls had taken it into their heads that they could take a crack at Emerson Incorporated and were promptly killed before they had even managed to get through the first line of security. After that Babushka raised Yuri and taught him patience, kindness and empathy. All the things his parents lacked, in the hopes that Yuri would never become the kind of people that his parents were. Growing up as a troll is tough at the best of times and being an orphan of gangers to boot doesn’t help. Still Babushka provided as well as she could for young Yuri, ensuring he had access to the basic necessities a growing boy needs. The trouble came when Yuri’s curiosity out stripped her knowledge, she was an old women in the twilight of her life. She never need to know anything about chemical reactions and whatever an “alkali metal” was. She just knew you were an idiot with you put Potassium in water. So after a while, and many questions, she got Yuri enrolled in some matrix classes. Yuri took to learning like a fish to water, he wanted to know how everything worked and how it all came together. He studied hard as he grew into a young man, devouring the science class his Babushka got him. But alongside his mind, he started to train his body. His Babushka drilled into him just how strong he was and that he needed to be careful with that strength. Babushka suggest that he learn a martial arts and supplied him with a swath of pamphlets and information about things like Systema and Sambo. Yuri saw something else, Jiu Jitsu. The martial arts revolving around uses something else’s force and momentum to twist and throw them sparked something within Yuri’s scientific mind. He like the idea of using physics to defend himself. He began training the next day. Yuri joined a Russian gym on the Northwest side. It was run by some a pair of dwarves from “the old country”, Dimitri and Mikhail, who wanted a place for people to train that shared the same background, a family kind of gym. Yuri was more than happy to be a part of that. His troll physique gave him an edge in training but when it came to martial arts he was clearly holding back, the many years under Babushka’s eye didn’t give him that killer edge or fighting spirit. Babushka tried her hardest to support Yuri during this endeavour as well, cooking him hearty breakfasts of chicken and pancakes, ensuring his sparring clothes will well fitted to him and his growing body, ambushing him in the middle of the night to train his reflexes and having Yuri carry her from one side of town to the other with her on his back, Just all the things a good Babushka does for her vnuk. None of it helped Yuri develop that fighting spirit. Mikhail came up with the solution, magic. He took Yuri under his wing as his student and quickly discovered that Yuri was in fact awakened. Mikhail had figured out how to motivate Yuri, he needed to be mentored by a spirit. Not just any Spirit, he needed to be taught and infused by a cold blooded hunter and fighter who would help Yuri surpass his meekness and conquer all who would dare fight him. Mikhail bound Yuri to the Shark. Yuri continued to train and develop at the gym while at the same time expanding his mind. He’d reached the end of the high school equivalent curriculum, while his Babushka was searching for college materials Yuri shocked her by saying that he wanted to go to a real college. A proper university. She apologised say that while she was capable of many things, she couldn’t afford to send him anywhere. With a big, goofy grin Yuri responded that she didn’t have to and showed her an advertisement he’d picked up from the gym. It was for a fighting tournament at the gym where the winner would get twenty five thousand nuyen. Yuri’s Babushka was surprised that he wanted to fight, but didn’t question her boy’s resolve and they redoubled his training. Extra helpings of chicken and pancakes, heavier clothes to help train, double the runs, ambushes at night and while he was in the bathroom. But eventually Yuri entered into the tournament. The years of persistence and training paid off. It would be hard to beat Yuri were he a normal human, but he was a magically enhanced troll and there were few in the early rounds that were on his level. Yuri beat all comers and managed to get into the final bracket where things went disastrous. A side effect of being bound to the Shark that Mikhail never mentioned to Yuri was the berserker rage, the feeling of pure euphoria that came before an overwhelming blood lust. In the final fight, Yuri was struck square on the jaw by another fighter and the Shark took control. Yuri blackout but onlookers bore witness to an enraged troll turning his opponent into a rag doll and eventually killing him. It was only after the death blow that Yuri came to his sense. Things were looking bleak but it was about to get worst. Mikhail came to him in the change rooms afterwards and laid out just how much in the drek Yuri was. The fighter he had killed was one of his best fighters, Yuri would need to replace him. Yuri would also need to make up the amounts of bets that were lost by him killing the fighter. With interest. All up, Yuri was on the hook for seventy five thousand nuyen. Yuri was aghast, he didn’t have that money and Mikhail knew that. Mikhail explained simply that as of this moment, the Vory owned Yuri until the debt was paid. They would have good use for a fighting troll who both had knowledge of chemistry and engineering. Yuri ran home to his Babushka and broke down as he told her everything, how he had killed a boy, how he was working with and now was a criminal, and how he had failed her in every way. She was very understanding and consoled the troll. Yuri said that he’d stay away from her and cut ties to make sure that the Vory wouldn’t use her as leverage. For the first time in his life, Babushka slapped him. “No, you keep in contact with Babushka. It lets Babushka know you are safe and well. You work for these cretins, you learn all you can about their business and their people. You have not failed Babushka, you have simply made an error and that is not to be punished. You pay your debt and do what you must to protect yourself. Then, my little Vnuk, then we take what you learn and burn the Vory to the thrice-forsaken Earth” Experience: I have never been a player, but over the last six months I’ve been running my own 5E game IRL. Before that, nothing. Other: - Ovinnik is a real world myth from Slavic folklore. It’s a creature that burns down barns unless tribute was paid. These tributes were usually in the form of chickens and pancakes. - Yuri lives out of his GMC Universe. - Yuri's Babushka is not his blood relative or even a troll. She’s a dwarf. Yuri has never once in his life questioned this or even thought about how odd this was

[Jon]

Deuce Real Name: Juliet Hardwick Code Name: Deuce Archetype (if applicable): Face Physical Description: Like she just walked out of the c-suite. Nothing so predictable as a ‘chief of’, more like the ludicrously paid lawyer that was going to dig their sweet behind out of whatever trouble they’d landed themselves in. Her stature and slimness talk of a near-pathological self-control and her self-confidence makes her noticed in any room. She has an imposing presence, standing as tall as the six footers found at the top of the corporate ladder and she doesn’t shy from anyone’s eyes. Personality: You want her on your side. As friend or valued employer, she’s wit and charm, she’ll make you feel loved and respected – its nearly genuine. But Juliet’s true client is always Juliet. While charm is her first point of call, there is plenty more in her armoury – notice the iron? that’s what’s going to get you. Ultimately she’ll not leave any trick in the bag to win her way. As I said, you want her on your side. Background: Promising London Lawyer Juliet was born in London to an ambitious middling family. Expensive schooling gave her the right training and helpful contacts - contacts that led to employment in the family office of Beaumont family. The Beaumonts could trace their wealth back to land granted by William the Conqueror; it was wealth that had been husbanded and invested over centuries. So, when the Corporations took the role of nations, the Beaumonts slipped happily into the shadows, holding stakes buried behind corporate vehicles, tax havens and downright lies. Their deals were big – and having a hand in them made you wealthy. Never Enough The problem is, there is always more wealthy. Juliet had a taste and she wanted more. She became a weak link – the kind that the Carnetti Family were adept at finding and turning. Starting small – some information here, taking a position there, the Carnettis profited from the insider Juliet. But again, the problem is there is always more wealthy – the Carnettis were happy to up the ante and milk their asset - first a quick hack, then leaving the doors wider open - of course she’d be caught in the end … they always were. New York! Juliet was no fool. She’d taken a lover in the Carnettis – high up. His loyalty to her was such that when the moment came, she was gone. Beaumont's security just found an empty apartment, noodles boiling dry on the hob. Juliet was whisked across the world. Another City, another community of finance types. She had to lay-low. Disappear. But all that beautiful stuff … the life … she could not leave it behind. She’d take the risk. She’d freelance. Cutting her hair, dying it black, shedding her trademarked dresses, Juliet became Deuce – a woman of two faces. The back-end of nowhere But the heat followed. Deuce had built a nice business – a reputation with runners for opening the metaphorical doors, for cracking the job before the tyres hit the road. But it’s a small world. A home in London meant home in New York and so finding herself standing in the elevator avoiding the eyes of the Beaumont General Counsel was the end of that life too. She barely made it out of the building and had to burn her local contacts just to get out of the city. Where to? Nowhere, that’s where. The kind of nowhere the Beaumonts would not be seen dead. But for god’s sake make it a nowhere where there is some business to be had. Indianapolis? Why not … it’d be a start. Experience: Pretty much complete novice! Learning the rules and the setting as I go, but loving every minute of it. (I am two posts in to a 6e game with Arialles – so that’s helping me find the Shadowrun rhythm too.) Other: I kind of know Juliet. She’s a character in a novel I’m working on (yes, yes, me too!) Its not in a Shadowrun setting, but the minute I researched this place, I knew that Juliet would fit right in. So I thought it would be fun to have a go.

[Attitude]

Application Real Name: Leo Huerta Code Name: Pete Metatype: dwarf Archetype: Street Mage (specializing in Enchanting) Physical Description: There’s no mistaking Pete for anything other than a dwarf. He stands just a bit under four feet tall and weighs about 135 pounds. He has the ubiquitous beard and broad shoulders of his race and sports a noticeable beer gut. The concept of fashion appears to be completely unknown to Pete. He wears dull looking clothes that seem to have had several other owners in their lifetimes. His jacket is made of reinforced synthleather and, even though it’s seen better days, it still has plenty of life left in it. When he’s on a run or just collecting reagents, he carries a voluminous satchel over his shoulder. Pete carries himself as though he’s shouldering the weight of the world. Most of the time he walks with a plodding gait, shoulders hunched and back bowed. Personality: Pete is a study in contrasts when it comes to his personality. As a youth, he believed all the things his parents told him about doing the right thing, telling the truth, and helping others. However, when they were brutally scrubbed from this world, those lessons went with them. Now Pete realizes that the only way to get by is to look out for number one. To his dismay though, he is plagued by the spirit of Generosity. Seemingly at the worst times, he is overcome with irresistible urges to help others and “do the right thing.” If he can, he fights off these urges with a little help from some deepweed. When he’s on it, he’s mellow and detached, but also more resistant to the urgings of his mentor spirit. Background: Before the Awakening, Pete’s mother and father lived a simple life on the outskirts of San Jose in Costa Rica. After the Awakening, things were chaotic for everyone, but the Huertas managed to get by without much difficulty. When Aztechnology started to become a dominant force in the area, the Huertas moved north, not stopping until they reached Texas. It was in Houston that Pete went through UGE. He was lucky that his transformation was more benign than what orks and trolls go through, but he still faced some discrimination growing up. He also awakened magically shortly thereafter. Back then, magic was less socially acceptable than it is now, and Pete spent most of his time cloistered in his room teaching himself how to channel his magic into physical items. During the Great Crash, Pete’s parents were killed by gangers who were looting during the confusion. With nothing left for him in Houston, Pete decided to continue migrating north. He didn’t stop until he reached Indianapolis, where he settled into a poor neighborhood on the south side of town. There, he used the name Pete to conceal his identity, giving himself a fresh start. Over the years, Pete has scraped by as a reagent scavenger. SINless, the corporate life was out of reach to him, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Despite living in a poor neighborhood, he has diligently avoided joining a gang. In large part, this is because of what happened to his parents but he is naturally disinclined to be a part of large groups. A few years ago, he started running the shadows off and on. His talents were in demand and it beat the pants off of gathering reagents for the local talismongers. The first time he came face-to-face with the wrong end of ‘geek the mage,’ he almost got back out of it. The easy money pulled him back in, but he adopted the moniker Shotgun Pete to conceal his actual skillset. His last run was a complete shambles and, once again, has him wondering if this is right for him. Part of him knows he won’t quit the life but, frag it, he’d told his team it wouldn’t be a milk run! Experience: A mediocre amount, probably more lore than game knowledge. Other: Since you said the game is going to be character driven, I’ll use this space to lay out some of the nuts and bolts of Pete’s life. I took some liberties with your world. I hope you don’t mind. Pete in repose: Pete and his girlfriend, Michele, live in a lower-class neighborhood on the south side of Indianapolis, between Smith Valley and Fairview just east of the 37. The apartment complex they live in lacks many of the creature comforts that most citizens of the Sixth World have access to, but it is largely free of corporate and criminal influence. Utilities and Matrix-access are provided by the city and the average income is low enough to make it uninteresting to organized crime and the larger gangs. Pete makes a living by scavenging reagents and, when that isn’t enough, running the shadows. When he has a little extra nuyen, he hangs out at an Awakened bar that’s just a few As near as I can tell, Indy doesn't have any kind of light rail IRL. I made this up.metro stops from home. Michele is a receptionist for a local street doc who works out of an abandoned strip mall. While Pete makes more money, Michele’s income is more consistent. Between the two of them, they get by. Notable people, places, and groups: Michele – is an ork with the annoying habit of always being in great shape, despite the fact that she doesn’t work out or eat well. She is tough and street savvy. She has always been from the street, whether it was living as a squatter or having an actual home like she does now. When she and Pete met, she pushed him for his full name. He responded by telling her that his name was “just Pete.” Now, she calls him JustPete whenever she wants to prod him. The Buzz Killers – are a medium-sized gang that claims most of South 65 City, although certain parts are still disputed by rival gangs. They started out as a go-gang, but have quickly grown beyond that in recent years. They have their hands in a variety of things, but they’ve set their sights on the bigger fish in their fiefdom and, for now, don’t have much to do with the poorer residents. The Mana Storm – an Awakened bar in south Indianapolis. Despite its name, it is very low-key compared to most Awakened clubs. The inside is broken up into different areas dedicated to entertainment, casual conversation, and quiet studying. The basement has been turned into a hermetic lodge and can be rented for a variety of uses, particularly ritual magic. Harvey and Bob – brothers who work at The Mana Storm. Harvey is a “mundane” with his fair share of chrome. Bob tends bar, knows everyone, and specializes in summoning air elementals. The Black Library – a loose group of mages who frequent The Mana Storm. They are all ritual spellcasters who help each other with their rituals. Detective Contreras – a Lone Star detective that uses Pete as an informant. Contreras knows that Pete is a shadowrunner but doesn’t know that he is a mage. The detective knows him as Shotgun Pete and thinks he’s just a hired gun. Because there isn’t much of a criminal element in Pete’s neighborhood (at least not in his apartment complex), their relationship has been fairly aloof. Pete wants to keep it that way since he hasn’t told Michele about it yet. Plot Hooks: Crime – there is always the looming threat of increased crime. A great variety of things could happen behind the scenes to make gangs or organized crime elements take an interest in Pete’s neighborhood. City or state governments might invest in urban renewal, a corp might move into the neighborhood, or drug dealers could set up shop nearby. Cops – Pete’s relationship with Lone Star could rear its ugly head. A surge in crime or just an isolated case might have Detective Contreras knocking on Pete’s door. Pete, of course, wants to keep that away from Michele and also wants to hide his magical ability from Lone Star. Work – both Pete and Michele are SINless. Therefore, their ability to earn nuyen is inconsistent to say the least. If both suffer a downfall in work for an extended period of time, there would be trouble. Magic – from paracritters to wizgangs to Pete trying to become a better mage, there is a ton to explore in this direction. He goes out of his way to downplay his abilities so that he stays off the radar of the corps and gangs. Specializing in enchanting helps, but there are plenty of ways that particular cat could get out of the bag. Rough Timeline: 1990: parents born 2011: Pete born 2022: The ORO Corporation renames itself Aztechnology and proceeds to insinuate itself into every aspect of Aztlan's government 2023: The Huertas move north into Texas 2029: parents killed during the Crash, later that year Pete leaves Texas and slowly wanders north 2060: Pete settles into the south side of Indianapolis 2075: present day