The Excruciating Ecstasy of Jacking - Shadowrun Returns

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Andyzero: May 22, 2009; I used to spoil, I'm sorry.

So the irony here is those D&D/Shadowrun hybrid ghouls would have eaten Mom's corpse anyways.

# ? Aug 13, 2017 21:54

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# ? May 18, 2024 01:24

wiegieman: Apr 22, 2010; Royalty is a continuous cutting motion

Andyzero posted:

So the irony here is those D&D/Shadowrun hybrid ghouls would have eaten Mom's corpse anyways.

Nah, it has to be fresh - Ghouls are technically blind, and see though the Astral Plane instead. That's how they can see their prey, by the essence in their flesh.

Although, they might be feral enough not to care.

# ? Aug 13, 2017 22:11

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

I like to think that the group just stumbled upon some ghoul LARPers.

# ? Aug 13, 2017 22:45

Siegkrow: Oct 11, 2013; Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting

idonotlikepeas posted:

Well, I mean, the loading screen is 100% explicit.

The game has made a statement that Sam sold her organs postmortem for money. It doesn't state this in Melinda's voice, so our default assumption probably ought to be that this interpretation is canonical.

That loading screen is made from the PoV of Amazon, not an all-knowing narrator, and she was just told by someone else that THAT was what Sam did, despite there being no other evidence for that.

# ? Aug 13, 2017 23:03

RedMagus: Nov 16, 2005; Male....Female...what does it matter? Power is beautiful, and I've got the power!; Grimey Drawer

Siegkrow posted:

That loading screen is made from the PoV of Amazon, not an all-knowing narrator, and she was just told by someone else that THAT was what Sam did, despite there being no other evidence for that.

Yea, told by someone who also is unhinged enough that they'd hire Dr. Creepy Mimic to reclaim organs. so I'd probably take that claim with quite a bit of salt, which is why I was curious if there was other evidence backing that up.

# ? Aug 14, 2017 20:58

Psion: Dec 13, 2002; eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS

The way I always interpreted it, before all this loading screen stuff, was that Sam's mother died - he didn't do anything to cause that (directly, at least) and she was an organ donor for him, and he sold the other organs for money. This seems in character. But it was more of "taking advantage of a sudden change," not "deliberately manipulating the situation to happen."

but Jessica, who already blamed him for, well, a lot - saw those events and decided his actions throughout his entire life made him guilty regardless - that's the interpretation I take here. And then she kinda went and hired a serial killer. Remember she's been mad about him for years, decades even. That's a lot of resentment and she's not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, as her dialogue here and back at the Union showed.

Psion fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Aug 14, 2017

# ? Aug 14, 2017 21:46

Sylphosaurus: Sep 6, 2007

Psion posted:

The way I always interpreted it, before all this loading screen stuff, was that Sam's mother died - he didn't do anything to cause that (directly, at least) and she was an organ donor for him, and he sold the other organs for money. This seems in character. But it was more of "taking advantage of a sudden change," not "deliberately manipulating the situation to happen."

Yeah, I think some people are reading way too much into it. Sam was a sleazeball but he didn't off his old mum.

# ? Aug 14, 2017 21:48

Siegkrow: Oct 11, 2013; Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting

RedMagus posted:

Yea, told by someone who also is unhinged enough that they'd hire Dr. Creepy Mimic to reclaim organs. so I'd probably take that claim with quite a bit of salt, which is why I was curious if there was other evidence backing that up.

Yeah that's what I was trying to say.

# ? Aug 15, 2017 01:22

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

On a small behind-the-scenes note, you may or may not have noticed something in the previous update that didn't really exist in any of the prior ones because it's not actually possible to capture in normal screenshots:

Muzzle flashes! And whatever the spell equivalents are called. Casting animations I guess.

If you've played these games, you probably know that bullets and other such things have travel time. It's purely a matter of animation with no gameplay implications and you don't normally think twice about it, but it turned out to be an unexpected annoyance in screenshots. Specifically it means that it's virtually impossible to capture someone shooting and someone getting shot in the same screenshot because the projectile travel time causes the two to always happen in separate frames (with the exception of someone firing a burst weapon next to their target).

That means the majority of combat screenshots in this LP have featured people damaging their targets by pointing their guns at them menacingly like so:

It's always kind of bugged me but in this update it started feeling like a legitimate problem because of how many characters were on screen at the same time. Take for instance this one:

You can see that Jake's getting damaged, but by this point the attacker has long since ended their shooting animation so it's impossible to tell at a glance which enemy did the attacking. I can describe it, but especially when you have a bunch of nearly indistinguishable mooks clumped up together that's often pretty clunky for everyone involved as well.

Anyway long story short pretty much every image in the previous update that involves someone getting blasted by someone else is manually edited (in some cases the flash was obstructed anyway so I didn't bother). I searched for the 2-5 frames of someone firing a gun or casting a spell, grabbed one and inserted it into the "main" screenshot of the target getting hit to create the illusion of the two taking place simultaneously, as in the final version of the above example.

Personally I think it turned out pretty well, it's much easier to tell what's going on at a glance. Plus it makes firefights look much cooler. The downside is a little extra :effort:

from my part so it's entirely possible I'll give up on it immediately out of pure laziness but hey, enjoy the added competence while it lasts. :v:

# ? Aug 15, 2017 18:44

Space Kablooey: May 6, 2009

Kanfy posted:

Personally I think it turned out pretty well, it's much easier to tell what's going on at a glance. Plus it makes firefights look much cooler. The downside is a little extra from my part so it's entirely possible I'll give up on it immediately out of pure laziness but hey, enjoy the added competence while it lasts.

This is actually pretty cool that you did this. I didn't notice, but I'm sure my brain did. :v:

# ? Aug 15, 2017 18:49

Groetgaffel: Oct 30, 2011; Groetgaffel smacked the living shit out of himself doing 297 points of damage.

Cool thing. I didn't at all notice before though, as I'm reading the lp on my phone.
So for me personally the screenshots mostly serves as a general overview of the situation. So no need to put in the extra effort for my sake anyway. :v:

# ? Aug 15, 2017 19:13

GhostStalker: Mar 26, 2010; Guys, find a woman who looks at you the way GhostStalker looks at every bald, obese, single 58 year old accountant from Tulsa who managed to win $4,000 by not wagering on a Final Jeopardy triple stumper.

I didn't notice the lack of muzzle flash on previous images either, but good on you for making the effort to splice the images together to make it more clear who is shooting.

# ? Aug 15, 2017 21:52

Livewire42: Oct 2, 2013

HardDiskD posted:

This is actually pretty cool that you did this. I didn't notice, but I'm sure my brain did.

You might not have even noticed. But your brain did

# ? Aug 15, 2017 22:41

Glazius: Jul 22, 2007; Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.; Clapping Larry

Kanfy posted:

Personally I think it turned out pretty well, it's much easier to tell what's going on at a glance. Plus it makes firefights look much cooler. The downside is a little extra from my part so it's entirely possible I'll give up on it immediately out of pure laziness but hey, enjoy the added competence while it lasts.

It does make things look much cooler, and I am told by many reliable sources that the purpose of Let's Plays is to look cool for the Internet, so keep it up!

# ? Aug 17, 2017 02:16

Yeowch!!! My Balls!!!: May 31, 2006

You may wonder why it is that a couple of rich well-to-do types are big into the Brotherhood. Please continue to wonder this, because it's genuinely a very nice touch.

# ? Aug 21, 2017 16:59

AceOfFlames: Oct 9, 2012

...you mean BESIDES the fact that a ton of real life rich well-to-do types are into a certain sci-fi inspired "we're totally not a cult you guys" religion?

# ? Aug 21, 2017 20:25

Yeowch!!! My Balls!!!: May 31, 2006

Yup. Beside that.

# ? Aug 21, 2017 20:29

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

Speaking of the Brotherhood, I've been steadily hammering away at the next update but there's kind of a lot going on in it so it's taking a while. Most of it's done by now though.

In the meantime, I figured I'd throw another bright and cheerful story at you, this one called Never Alone by Robyn L. King. I'm only picking ones that involve characters in the game (unless people request otherwise) and this is probably the only spot where this particular one fits in anyway.

Shadowrun Anthology posted:

Never Alone, Part 1

The screams tell her she isn�t alone.

Crouching behind a big machine that smells of oil and ozone and scorched metal, she draws in and tries to make herself as small as possible. To quiet her frantic heart and stifle her racing breath. It�s cold, but she doesn�t shiver. Despite her thin, ragged clothes, she�s too focused to waste energy on shivering.

The screams don�t repeat, but then she hears voices. Low, soft. At least two, both male. She doesn�t recognize them. Risking a tentative peep through an opening in her hiding place, she spots the shadowy figures: one hulking and misshapen and impossibly huge�a troll, or maybe a really big ork. The other whip-slender: an elf, like her. Both of them are bent over something on the floor, but she can�t see what it is. A wet ripping sound rises briefly over their mutterings.

Stupid, Ellie! Her disgust with herself is nearly a physical sensation. Coming in here had been a mistake, and she should have been smart enough to know it. She�s only been squatting around here for a month, but she knows the score: keep your eyes open, don�t make waves, don�t get noticed, do what everybody else does. Never be alone. That�s how you stay safe. That�s how you stay alive.

Those boys, though: they were new, and they were trouble. She�d heard some of the other girls talking about them, over at the motley collection of old airplane fuselages, cast-off detritus, and rotted-out buildings where they all slept during the few uneasy hours when they weren�t out scrounging for whatever they could find, beg, or steal. One girl told of being cornered in an abandoned stairwell; another had been pulled into an old metal packing crate. You didn�t tell. You couldn�t. As bad as the boys were, being singled out was worse. Everybody knew when it came right down to it, nobody around here cared about anybody but themselves. Even if you were a little girl. Innocence was one of the first casualties of living rough in the sprawl. You got smart fast or you got dead. Or worse.

It didn�t take long for the boys to notice her. They were like a pack of feral dogs, careful to stay under the radar of anybody stronger than themselves, but all too ready to assert their particular form of dominance over the weak. Especially when the weak was young and small and pretty. When they saw her, they made gestures at her that she�d understood, even at nine years old.

She tried her best to never be alone, but that wasn�t always possible. People moved in and out of the squat, came and went, doped up and chipped up and fumbling awkwardly at each other in dark corners as they tried to eke some small bit of pleasure from their otherwise miserable lives; technically she wasn�t alone, but she might as well have been. And that was when they jumped her.

Or almost jumped her. Would have, except for Oscar.

She�d first seen Oscar�well, this version of him, anyway�three weeks ago. A couple of days after he died. He�d waved at her from the shadow of a cluster of old engine parts and razor-sharp metal�waved with his left arm, since his right had been nearly severed in the accident that killed him. Poor Oscar. Sweet, shy, clumsy Oscar. He wasn�t the first, of course. Injuries happened a lot around here�sometimes people even died. This particular squat wasn�t that different from all the others in the sprawl: old buildings that nobody cared about anymore, rotting and stinking and unsafe, but still providing shelter against Seattle�s toxic rain. Its only claim to any sort of uniqueness�the fact that it served as a graveyard for the castoffs from the locked and guarded facility across the street�only made it more dangerous.

Ellie had heard the other squatters talk about the �NTSB,� but she had no idea what that meant except that it was something to do with figuring out why planes crashed. That explained why all the old airplane parts�including sections of fuselage big enough for whole families to live in�were piled up in front of the old buildings, but Ellie didn�t think the mysterious NTSB people cared much about the effects of the stuff they threw away. The whole place was bristling with jagged metal and exposed bolts and odd acrid chemical smells. One of these jagged bits of metal had killed poor Oscar when he�d lost his balance and fallen on it during an impromptu game of street tag. The other kids had fled in terror and Oscar had bled out before anyone had found him.

And then, a day or two later, there he�d been in the shadows of an alleyway, smiling awkwardly and looking a bit bewildered.

Of course, she�d never mentioned seeing him to any of the others�him, or the other children she�d spotted in hidden corners. They were all around when you looked for them: sad-eyed, ragged, a visual reminder of the real costs paid so the beautiful people could maintain the delusion that all was right with their privileged little worlds. Their shabby clothes ranged from recent to very old, and they watched with their crushed and sliced limbs and chemical-burned skin and dead eyes. They stayed because they had nowhere else to go. Ellie knew this, though she wasn�t sure how. She only knew she felt sorry for them, and that they represented no danger to her.

She�d awakened that night with an overwhelming need to pee. Cursing herself for drinking water too close to bedtime, she struggled free of her thin blankets and stood. She�d have to go outside, but nobody would notice if she did her business nearby. The rain would wash the evidence away by morning anyway.

She hadn�t gotten far when she saw Oscar.

He�d looked troubled. He didn�t speak; none of them ever spoke to her. But he was there, outside, with his dark eyes and his stump of an arm endlessly oozing red droplets that never reached the garbage-strewn ground. He held up his hand as if to say �stop.�

That�s when she�d spotted them, lurking in the shadows beyond him, their eyes glittering in the dimness.

The boys. Maybe they were waiting for her, showing patience completely at odds with their normal wild ways. Or maybe they�d just been lucky enough to encounter her by chance on their way to commit some other mayhem under cover of darkness. But either way, there they were. Waiting for her to draw closer before they sprang.

She didn�t think. She ran. Her feet splashing in the fetid chemical puddles, she took off in the first open direction she saw. Cursing at being cheated of their prize, they�d pursued her�but they were human and Ellie had the advantage of her elven low-light vision. She tried to lose them in the maze of fuselages and engine bits and piled trash, but they kept chasing her, flanking her on both sides, laughing at their sport. Instead, she darted across the street, toward the gated facility.

By the time she realized she was running into a dead end, she was through the open gates and past the prone forms of the two guards. By the time she realized she could no longer hear the curses and panting breath of the boys, she�d ducked inside one of the buildings. And by the time she realized that something very strange and potentially very dangerous was up if the doors to this place were open and the guards lay still and scattered, her adrenaline-stoked strength had failed her. Unable to keep going, she�d slumped down with her back against what looked like an enormous scorched jet engine, and did her best not to make any noise.

She knew she had to sneak back out soon, back to the others and the relative safety of the squat. It wouldn�t be safe, not this time of night. Not with the boys still lurking somewhere out there. But even the boys were a gamble compared to what would happen if anyone found her in here.

Far on the other side of the immense, open space, a door creaked. Someone was coming...

***

She peers out through the machines again now, trying to pierce the dimness. The two forms are still bent over something on the floor, and there are more wet ripping sounds. More muttering, then a soft plop. Whatever that is, it�s alive�or it used to be. She bites her lip to keep from screaming. Just be quiet and stay here. They�ll be gone soon, and then you can go back to the others.

More hushed conversation, then the two figures rise from their crouches, still talking quietly to each other. The troll rumbles a question, and the elf replies. The troll bends to pick up a boxy object from the floor, then both turn to leave. She listens, trembling, as their footsteps recede into silence.

She waits until she hears nothing for several minutes, though it feels like hours and she�s sure the intruders will hear her thundering heartbeat and come back to investigate. Creeping out from behind the machinery, she risks a furtive glance around. No one is here. The air is still, waiting. The dark, prone form on the floor is between her and the door. The coppery tang of blood rakes her nostrils, mingling with the ever-present stink of the oil and chemicals.

She tries not to look as she sneaks past, but she can�t help it. And when she looks, she stares. Her eyes widen, her breath quickens. Even in the security lights� dim glow she can tell: it�s one of the guards. He looks dead. Not just dead�there�s something even more horribly wrong. His shirt is open. His chest is open. The gaping cavity yawns wide, glittering with pale jutting ribs and half-congealed blood that looks black in the reddish light. And�things are missing.

Oh God...they took his lungs!

She drops to her knees, shock rendering her body immobile. Her hands fly to her mouth to stifle the scream as her heart races even faster. Can�t let them find me here. They�ll think I did it. They�ll think I know�

A change in the air behind her alerts her, but too late. She tries to scramble up, but a hand clamps over her face and a sharp pinprick lights up her shoulder. As she slips into unconsciousness, her last thought is that the hand smells like medicine. The last thing she hears is, �A pretty little thing, isn�t she, Pitezel? A nice bonus. I have the perfect client in mind for this one!�

Kanfy fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Aug 21, 2017

# ? Aug 21, 2017 21:09

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

Shadowrun Anthology posted:

Never Alone, Part 2

She awakens to a cacophony of distant screams. She�s lying on the floor of a cage on the far side of a cavernous room. She seems to be alone for the moment, so she struggles to a sitting position and examines her surroundings. She feels sick and woozy; the shot, she realizes. They knocked her out. But to take her�where?

Whoever it was, they killed that guy back at the airplane place. Why hadn�t they killed her, too? Why had they brought her here?

Where was here?

Clutching the cage bars, she strives to take everything in. The room�s center is well lit by an antique, multi-bulbed fixture hanging above what looks like an operating table. Trays on either side of the table contain wicked-looking instruments, and some kind of beeping, humming machine crouches balefully near its head. Screens and monitors sprout from articulated arms; all of them are currently black. The table is empty. The smell of antiseptic overlays a faint aroma of decay.

Scattered around the room�s perimeter, pushed back into the shadows, are a few more cages. As far as she can tell they�re all currently unoccupied. The screams are muted: they must be coming from someplace outside this room. She takes a deep breath and forces herself not to join them.

The cage�s lock, she finds out quickly, is solid and immovable, as are the sturdy bars. She rattles them anyway. �Hey!� she yells. �Is anybody in here?� Her voice comes out cracked and squeaky. �Somebody get me out of here!� she calls again, stronger this time.

Double doors open then with a harsh pneumatic creak, admitting two figures. She gasps and drops back to the floor of the cage, recognizing the familiar forms of the misshapen troll and the slim elf. The troll pushes something in front of him: a gurney. It�s occupied. A slender feminine arm dangles over the edge; the elf replaces it with grotesque delicacy. Did they hear me? Please don�t let them hear me...

�Get her ready, Pitezel,� the elf says. His voice is oddly pleasant, but holds an overtone of something less so. �I�m going to check on our little princess.� To her horror, he heads directly for her cage and squats down to peer in at her. �Wake up, my dear. I heard you yelling, so I know you�re back with us.�

She swallows and takes a deep breath, her body shaking as she studies him. For an elf, she decides, he�s very ugly. Bald, with a lined face, goldrimmed half-moon glasses that clip to his nose, and soft, livery lips. Over top of the glasses his brown eyes are cold, lit with malevolent intellect and more than a touch of madness. He wears a crisp white lab coat over an equally meticulous brown suit; a fussy little bow tie pulls the ensemble together. Instinctively she shrinks back, sensing the danger.

The elf smiles at her, making her think of a cat toying with a plump mouse. �Welcome,� he says. �I am Dr. Holmes. I must say, I was surprised to find you back there at the facility. Such a stroke of luck! I just had an order come in that you�ll fill nicely.�

�O-order?� Her voice cracks as her gaze cuts past him to the troll, who�s busily installing the sheet-draped form from the gurney onto the operating table. �You�killed that guy back there. You took out his lungs! Is that what�s gonna happen to me?�

�Oh, no!� The elf laughed. �No, no, no! I�m not going to kill you, my dear. Nothing of the sort!�

This doesn�t make her feel any better. �Well�what then? Are you gonna�cut me open and take things out, too?� That seems somehow scarier than just being killed.

His tan, livery lips split in an unwholesome grin, revealing small even teeth. �Not at all. In fact, with you I won�t be subtracting�I�ll be adding.� Before she can respond, he rises to stand over her. �We�ll chat more later. Must get on with my work. You just be a good little girl and stay quiet, and I�ll get to you soon.�

She watches, trembling, as his form recedes back toward the table. She swallows hard. Adding? What did he mean by that? What�s going on here? This looks like some kind of hospital, but not one of the shining, spotless ones she�s seen before, back before Mom�s chip habit and her revolving-door series of boyfriends made things go all wrong at home. This place is�old. Very old. She can feel the wrongness permeating the very air.

The troll walks over to lock the double doors, then returns to the table. He and the elf both pull on gloves and masks and bend to their task. She can�t see what they�re doing as they hover over the form on the table. Now and then she gets fleeting glimpses at the monitors, which are alive with scrolling data and flickering images. The two of them move smoothly, with little conversation. It�s clear they�ve worked together many times before.

She doesn�t want to watch, but she can�t help it: something deep within her insists on knowing what they have planned for her. As the surgery progresses, her breathing quickens along with her heart rate; despite the chill of the room, sweat trickles down her back. The instruments clink on the trays as the elf goes about his business with gleeful efficiency, assisted by the troll. She hears a whining whirr and her eyes get wide.

No, no! He can�t be�

But he is. He�s sawing a chunk out of the woman�s skull! And ohgodshe�smoving! The elf shifts to the side a bit to pick up another instrument, giving her a glimpse of a pink pulsing brain overlaid with jellied blood. The woman�s eyes are open. For a second Ellie is sure the woman is looking at her.

She can no longer stay quiet. She tries�oh, how she tries. She clamps her jaw together so tightly against it that she fears her teeth will break, but the scream won�t be quelled. It erupts out of her, a vast shriek that seems too big to come from her small thin body. The steady beeping from the machine quickens as if in solidarity, and the body on the table twitches.

�Pitezel!� the elf snaps without turning. �drat it, take care of her! Put her in the storeroom or something before that racket makes me botch this job!�

The troll trundles toward her. The sheer enormity of his repulsiveness stuns her to silence. She�s seen plenty of trolls before: sure, they�re big, and they have horns on their heads and hard bumps on their skin. But if you take that into account, they look mostly like regular people.

Pitezel the troll does not look like regular people. He�s enormously fat, with great bulbous growths of skin hanging down from his chin. Small, bony spikes jut out between sparse locks of his greasy hair, and one of his arms is a mismatched dog�s breakfast of machinery and gears and ropy cables. Pulling down his mask, he regards Ellie through tiny eyes barely visible between folds of skin. �Come on,� he rumbles, opening the cage door and grabbing her around the arm with his meat hand. �Can�t have you disturbin� the boss.� His huge mouth is full of small, pointed teeth. Just looking at his quivering wattles makes her want to throw up.

She doesn�t try to run: there�s no point. His hand is damp and clammy and grips like steel. He half-pulls, half-drags her along, out into a dimly lit hallway lined with closed doors. She can hear people screaming from behind some of them. As she glances wildly around, she is surprised to see two huddled figures near one of the walls: a teenage girl and a young boy. They watch Ellie and the troll as they pass, their eyes haunted. The troll shows no sign of noticing them. She almost calls out to them, but then she realizes that she can see the faded pattern of the wall through them.

They�re like Oscar...

The troll flings open a door and shoves her in. �Be good,� he says, chuckling. �Dr. Holmes�ll be back for you soon, and then you�ll have some fun.� The door slams with a depressing finality.

She scrambles immediately up and dives for the door, trying to wrench it open. It doesn�t budge, of course. Defeated, she sinks to the floor, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them, and finally lets herself cry.

***

She�s not sure how much time passes before she pulls herself together and takes any interest in her surroundings. Her rumbling stomach helps: it�s been many hours since she�d eaten the last meager meal she�d been able to scrounge. She looks around.

The door has a small window in it so she has some light, and her own natural low-light vision helps. She�s in a large room that looks like it might have been a hospital room at one point, but has since been repurposed for storage. It had a window, but that�s now covered over with sturdy metal shutters that she can�t open.

The walls at her eye level and above are lined with shelves, and there are bins and spare gurneys on the floor. Hoping to find a weapon of some sort, she examines the shelves.

She doesn�t find a weapon. What she does find instead makes her reel back, gasping with terror, until she crashes rear-end first into the closed door.

What kind of place is this?

The shelves are lined with tanks and jars, each one full of some sort of foul liquid, each one containing�Ellie isn�t even sure. She doesn�t want to get close enough to verify what she thinks she�s seen. One of them contains what has to be a brain, while a perfect dark-skinned human arm floats languidly in another. A third�oh, no, it can�t be�holds a collection of eyeballs of assorted sizes, the optic nerves still attached and dangling. All the jars are like this. Every one of them houses something disgusting. And the bins�the top of each is emblazoned with the universal symbol for �biohazard,� and stenciled with SURGICAL WASTE. She isn�t about to open them. She glances back toward the operating room. What do they do in there?

Are they gonna do it to me?

She remembers, shaking, what the elf�Dr. Holmes, he called himself�had said to her: �I�m not subtracting, I�m adding.� Are they going to attach something to her? Will they cut her open and graft a third arm to her chest, or install another eye in the middle of her forehead? Are this ugly, insane doctor and his horrific troll henchman going to turn her into some kind of freak?

She has to get out of here! No way to know when they�d be back for her. She runs to the door and peeks out through the little window. Someone is moving out there. �Help me!� she screams, pounding on the door. �Please, help me!�

The moving figures resolve themselves into a young male ork in an orderly�s uniform and a human woman in a hospital gown. The ork appears to be guiding the woman; she shuffles down the hallway on bare feet, her eyes vacant, her red lips slightly parted. There�s a white bandage on her forehead. The woman is beautiful: her features are perfect, her hair long and lustrous. She could be on the cover of one of those fashion magazines, except for one thing: there�s no intellect behind her gaze. The lights are on, but nobody�s home. She looks like some kind of lovely, life-sized doll. As Ellie continues to watch, horrified, the ork gets a sly look on his face. He stops; so does the woman. He moves in front of her, stroking her arm and moving his tusky face in close to hers. The woman responds, her slack lips sliding into a blank smile, her arms going around the ork. Their mouths meet in a kiss as his hand slides up under her gown.

Ellie pulls away in disgust. She waits until she hears what sounds like a barked order outside, then runs back to the window. The ork and the human woman are gone. The hallway is once again deserted.

Wait�no, it�s not. The ghostly figures are still there, and they�ve been joined by another: an elderly dwarf woman, hunched and shaking.

They�re all looking at Ellie�s door.

She stares, open-mouthed. �Help me,� she begs. �Please. Help me.�

They don�t respond. They don�t even acknowledge that she�s there, beyond continuing to focus their eerie gazes on her.

Tears streak her cheeks again. She wonders fleetingly if she should break one of the jars and use the glass to slice her wrists�the thought terrifies her, but less so than what she fears will happen if Holmes and Pitezel get their hands on her again. He said he had a client waiting for me...will I end up like that woman? Is that what he does to people? Turns them into some kind of zombie?

As one, the three figures shift their eyes down the hall. Her breath catches in her throat: she can�t see what they�re looking at from this angle, but she can hear it well enough: the pneumatic creak of the double doors leading to the operating room.

The troll is coming back.

Frantic, she glances around for a place to hide. Behind one of the bins? He�d spot her in an instant. Under a gurney? Same problem. In a bin? Even desperate as she is, that�s not an option. Sweat springs up on her brow; she forces herself not to hyperventilate in panic.

The knob rattles and then light fills the room, framing the huge, bulbous figure. �Hi, honey. I�m home!�

She almost screams, but manages to keep control. Any second now she knows she�s going to feel his clammy hands on her, and then the elf with the saw will�

But wait. What�s going on? The troll is moving into the room, his gaze sweeping around. His piggy eyes look confused. He swings back to look at the door, his posture suggesting that something is very wrong. �Where�d you go?� he demands.

Then, past him, Ellie sees her. The spectral teenage girl. She�s standing behind the troll, outside the room. Her eyes are urgent. In an odd slow-motion gesture that belies that urgency, she waves both arms toward Ellie in a �come here� gesture. After a moment the dwarf woman joins her, making the same motion.

Ellie stares, but only for a second. Then she runs. She has no idea why it seems like the troll can�t see her, but she doesn�t ask questions. Ducking under Pitezel�s mechanical arm, she scoots out through the opening and hurries around the corner. The girl and the woman don�t move, but they nod in satisfaction. Ellie looks right and left and sees the young boy, this time accompanied by an older boy, at the far end of the hall away from the double doors. Now they�re making the beckoning gestures.

Again she doesn�t pause to question. She runs, pelting down the stained linoleum of the hallway. She worries that the slapping sounds her flimsy shoes are making, coupled with the freight-train huff of her breathing, will alert the troll, but she reaches the end safely. The young boy points and she rounds a corner just as the troll�s voice echoes behind her: �Boss! We got a problem!�

Ellie runs. She doesn�t see much as she flings her small body headlong down corridor after corridor, all of them dim, lined with doors, and smelling of antiseptic and decay and stale urine, all of them echoing with screams and yells and occasional bursts of profanity. Sometimes there are people in one of the hallways�orderlies, or shuffling patients with shifting eyes and slack faces�but none of them seem to see her. She catches a glimpse of something on the back of one of the orderlies� white jackets: MERCY MENTAL HOSPITAL. She runs faster.

Then bedlam breaks loose. Almost literally, though she doesn�t have the etymological experience to appreciate the irony. She�s rounding another corner when shrill alarms suddenly knife through the screams and yells and footsteps. For an instant she thinks they�re for her, but then she hears more sounds: far-off gunfire and different sorts of yells. Yells that don�t sound incoherent, though she can�t make out what they�re saying from this far away.

But far, far worse: along the hallway she�s running down, all of the doors suddenly fling open with loud clangs. She can hear similar clangs behind her, and more still ahead. For a moment nothing happens, as if the whole place is holding its breath waiting to see if somebody made a mistake, and then from all sides patients erupt from their rooms and run every which way, still screaming, yelling, and cursing at anything and nothing.

Terrified, Ellie flattens herself against the nearest wall. She�s long since left the spectral boy and his companions behind, but as she glances around she sees another pair: this one an ork girl and a large, young troll. They stand tranquilly in the middle of the hall as the freed patients scuttle through them, but they are looking at Ellie. A raddled hag with straw-crazy hair and wild eyes caroms into her as she huddles against the wall, but once again doesn�t seem to notice her. Before Ellie can react she�s gone, scampering off down the hall and swearing in what sounds like Russian.

She looks at the ork and the troll. Their faces appear fearful and resigned, but they manage quick, reassuring smiles. They point down the hallway where she was heading. She follows. In the distance she can still hear the gunfire. It�s getting closer. She wonders briefly if whoever they are, they�ll kill the sadistic Dr. Holmes and save all those poor women from zombification. That hopeful thought fuels her as she follows the silent figures.

She is handed off twice more before finally reaching a remote fire door marked NOT AN EXIT - ALARM WILL SOUND, first to a willowy human woman who looks Amerind and very sad, and once to a manic pair of elf boys who play tag with each other down the hallway. They stop when they reach the doors, and smile at her.

Her eyes dart between the doors and the boys. �Thank you,� she whispers. �I don�t know who you are, but�thank you.� The boys grin and fade to nothingness. The gunfire and the screams and the alarm klaxons are still going, but she doesn�t think they�ll notice one more note in the symphony of chaos she�s leaving behind.

# ? Aug 21, 2017 21:30

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

Shadowrun Anthology posted:

Never Alone, Part 3

She runs until she can�t run anymore, putting as much distance between her and Mercy Mental as she can before she has to slow down in exhaustion. She has no idea where she is. She doesn�t have any money, but even if she did she�d be afraid to take a bus, so she walks. Her feet burn in their thin shoes, and she shivers as a light rain falls. She slips into a state that�s almost like meditation as she goes, trudging along, one sodden, muddy foot in front of the other.

She doesn�t even have the energy to run when bright lights pierce the darkness and a small car pulls up next to her. �Honey?� a female voice full of concern asks. �You okay? Do you need help?�

Next thing she knows, she�s sitting folded into a booth in an all-night diner. She has a plate of eggs and soycakes in front of her; her small trembling hands are locked around a steaming mug of hot chocolate that tastes like pure ambrosia.

Across from her is a blonde woman in a stylish red dress and jacket with an understanding face and gentle eyes. She introduces herself as Jessica. Ellie thinks she looks like she�s just come from one of the kind of parties you have to know the right people to get into, but right now all she seems worried about is the little girl sitting across from her.

It�s not long before Ellie spills her story, her shoulders shaking, her eyes finally overflowing with the tears that she couldn�t allow herself to shed before. She knows it might be a mistake to trust this woman�to trust anybody�but her reserves have finally reached their limit. She even tells her about her ghostly protectors.

Jessica�s been listening in shock and sympathy so far, but at that part her eyes widen. �That�s amazing. Just�incredible. I�ve heard stories like that before. About ghosts or spirits or animals protecting people when they�re in trouble.� She leans forward. �You know what this might mean, right?�

Ellie shakes her head.

�It might mean you�ve got magical talent.�

Now it�s Ellie�s turn to look incredulous. �M-magic?� What is she talking about? Magic is something people do on the trid. Something for grownups and special people. Not for skinny little street kids like her. She manages a glare. �Don�t make fun of me.�

Jessica smiles. �No, no, honey! I�m not making fun of you. I�m serious.� She sips her soykaf and leans forward. �Ellie�if you do have magic, that�s wonderful. That means you can get trained, and learn how to talk to the spirits. It seems like they already want to help you�you can learn to do so much more! I�m almost jealous of you!�

Ellie stares. Jealous�of her? That doesn�t compute. She shakes her head. �No. It can�t be. I�m just a kid. I don�t have any magic.�

�Maybe,� Jessica allows. She leans forward further. �Listen, though. You might be right, but you want to know for sure, don�t you? I know a place you can go. I�ll take you there, if you want. You can get checked out, and they�ll help you with other things too. Food, and clothes�and they�ll help you find a place to live where you don�t have to beg for scraps on the streets.�

She smiles�it�s the same kind of smile Ellie remembers from when she was little, before her mom was lost to the chip habit. �You can belong there, Ellie. You can have a family again. People who�ll love you and take care of you.�

�Where?� She�s still suspicious. She thinks she has a right to be, after what she�s been through tonight. But she�s a little girl, and little girls are still allowed to hope. It�s part of the job description.

Jessica folds her own warm hand around Ellie�s. �It�s a wonderful place, Ellie. You�ll love it, just wait and see. It�s called the Universal Brotherhood.�

# ? Aug 21, 2017 21:34

RudeCat: Aug 7, 2012; The rudest cat for the rudest jobs

This Universal Brotherhood sounds alright!

# ? Aug 22, 2017 01:32

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

UnwiseTrout posted:

This Universal Brotherhood sounds alright!

Yeah, it's nice when stories have happy endings.

Also Pitezel actually has two portraits in the game files though I don't think either is ever seen in-game. You can see a silhouetted portrait of him in a flashback given by the ghost kid in the NTSB warehouse (which we skipped) and it matches the one I used, though the other one probably resembles his in-game model more.

I have a harder time picturing this guy strolling on the streets buying donuts though.

# ? Aug 22, 2017 06:22

Poil: Mar 17, 2007

Never ever join or trust a group calling themselves something with the word brotherhood in the name. It won't end well.

# ? Aug 22, 2017 16:01

AriadneThread: Feb 17, 2011; The Devil sounds like smoke and honey. We cannot move. It is too beautiful.

i'm more a fan of the universal sisterhood

# ? Aug 22, 2017 16:03

radintorov: Feb 18, 2011

Poil posted:

Never ever join or trust a group calling themselves something with the word brotherhood in the name. It won't end well.

: "Indeed! Now, groups with Fellowship in the name you can trust completely."

radintorov fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Aug 22, 2017

# ? Aug 22, 2017 16:16

Poil: Mar 17, 2007

radintorov posted:

: "Indeed! Now, groups with Fellowship in the name you can trust completely."

Hey, the one involving a certain ring had eight out of nine members survive with only minimal betrayal. :v:

# ? Aug 22, 2017 17:14

Siegkrow: Oct 11, 2013; Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting

Poil posted:

Never ever join or trust a group calling themselves something with the word brotherhood in the name. It won't end well.

What about the Bortherhood of Steel?

Wait, they became Fascists. poo poo.

# ? Aug 23, 2017 17:59

Yeowch!!! My Balls!!!: May 31, 2006

Siegkrow posted:

What about the Bortherhood of Steel?

Wait, they became Fascists. poo poo.

"Became."

everyone always ignores that your introduction to the Brotherhood was a door guard tricking you into dying of radiation poisoning for a laugh

# ? Aug 23, 2017 18:28

Groetgaffel: Oct 30, 2011; Groetgaffel smacked the living shit out of himself doing 297 points of damage.

Yeah, BoS have always been huge assholes. It's just in in Fallout 3 is the only real exception, because :bethesda:

# ? Aug 23, 2017 19:14

OAquinas: Jan 27, 2008; Biden has sat immobile on the Iron Throne of America. He is the Master of Malarkey by the will of the gods, and master of a million votes by the might of his inexhaustible calamari.

Groetgaffel posted:

Yeah, BoS have always been huge assholes. It's just in in Fallout 3 is the only real exception, because :bethesda:

Nah, there were still BoS assholes in that game. "Outcasts"

# ? Aug 23, 2017 19:21

Groetgaffel: Oct 30, 2011; Groetgaffel smacked the living shit out of himself doing 297 points of damage.

Well yeah. And they themselves point out that they are the ones adhering to to the Brotherhood's ideal, but they're also barely in the game at all.

Which is why so many was so amusingly confused as to why the BoS was such huge assholes in New Vegas, FO3 cemented BoS=good guys in a lot of players that entered the franchise in 3.

# ? Aug 23, 2017 20:09

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

New Vegas is no more (less) a logical development from the Brotherhood we saw in 1, 2 and tactics than the Brotherhood of 3.

# ? Aug 23, 2017 20:44

Siegkrow: Oct 11, 2013; Arguing about Lore for 5 years and counting

Oh I played 1 and 2 before 3 (Had to, my computer was too poo poo to actually run 3), but I still remember John Maxson as the Cool Old Guy.

My problem is that, yeah, In 1 and 2 they were selfish assholes. But in Fallout 4 they went into Overdrive. (And I actually really liked Lyon's Brotherhood)

You know, I've been thinking of this for some time and, taking in account their behaviour in newer games, the war against the NCR, their attempted takeover of the Commonwealth...
Could it be that the original Vault Dweller killed Paladin Rhombus? I mean, neither of the endings really fit, as the good Bortherhood ending says they "Would stay out of the power structure, becoming a major research and development house", while the bad ending says they "Became a Steel Plague, devastating the New California Republic and creating a thousand years of darkness".

# ? Aug 23, 2017 22:23

chiasaur11: Oct 22, 2012

Ze Pollack posted:

"Became."

everyone always ignores that your introduction to the Brotherhood was a door guard tricking you into dying of radiation poisoning for a laugh

He was telling you to gently caress off, and if you were stupid enough to actually get killed in the OBVIOUSLY RADIOACTIVE CRATER which EVERYONE KNEW WOULD KILL YOU, well...

1) It would be your own dumb fault.

2) It would be hilarious.

The default assumption was just you talking with someone about it, realizing how horrible an idea it was, and leaving the brotherhood the gently caress alone. You dying wouldn't cost anyone any sleep, but it wasn't the default assumption.

# ? Aug 23, 2017 22:28

DeathChicken: Jul 9, 2012; Nonsense. I have not yet begun to defile myself.

The guard literally next to rear end in a top hat Guard tells you "Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure this quest was invented to kill people the elders don't like."

# ? Aug 24, 2017 05:22

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

In case someone was wondering why it's taken this long to get an update out again, I just tried to post it but turns out it's over the 50,000 character limit so I have to trim it down first. :v:

Think the longest one thus far was about 31k, so this particular issue didn't even occur to me.

# ? Aug 24, 2017 18:02

Alacron: Feb 15, 2007; -->Have tearful reunion with your son
-->Eh; Fun Shoe

You could always just split it into two posts. I know a few LPers who do that.

# ? Aug 24, 2017 18:13

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

Alacron posted:

You could always just split it into two posts. I know a few LPers who do that.

It should be fine, it's not that far past the limit.

Also I think Lpix just went down so without any of the images, it'd be a pretty hard one to follow anyway. E: Seems to be back now.

Kanfy fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Aug 24, 2017

# ? Aug 24, 2017 18:28

Kanfy: Jan 9, 2012; Just gotta keep walking down that road.

Part 22 - Welcome to the Hood

There seems to be some kind of a hubbub over at the market. Before investigating further, let's look over who we're bringing with us this time around.

Coyote has come a long way since we busted her out of Stevie's. With 66 HP, 5 armor and very respectable skills, I'd probably bring her even if she wasn't tagging along for free.

The 990 and Super Warhawk are the third-best shotgun and pistol in the game respectively, making her very effective at any range barring the longest of distances. On top of that she's carrying a pair of 16 damage grenades and two Advanced Medkits.

Cadence is the newcomer Street Samurai with a very focused skillset. She can do exactly two things: fire a rifle and throw grenades. She's here to fill our gap in long-range firepower.

She's only carrying a single weapon, but that weapon's the second-best rifle in the game (and only 1 damage below the top-tier one). She also carries an Advanced Medkit and a pair of Ares High Explosive Grenades which are the strongest in the game at very respectable 20 damage a pop.

She's also got some metal parts which provide her with decent stat boosts.

Falk is a popular Network runner because he covers Mage and Shaman spells while being strong at both, making him a very flexible support character. How can he have 5 Conjuring with only 1 Charisma you ask? Well you see

Oh look shiny spells! Armor 3 is about where the Armor spells actually become useful and the lack of a cooldown means you can cast it on multiple people on the same turn. Haste 3 is a Haste spell and thus useful by default, but the increased cooldown from Haste 2 is prohibitive as 4 turns is an eternity in this game. Barrier spells such as Lightning Barrier 3 here are interesting, allowing one to either create cover for the team or to limit the enemy's movements. Overall barrier spells are more useful in the later games due to cover itself being more important there.

Equipment-wise he's carrying a mage Powerbolt and an Ares Predator together with a concussion grenade and a smoke grenade. A support character through and through.

But enough about our gang, we have a lot to cover and we're gonna be here all day if we don't get to it soon.

They've set up a stage here in the market, for a concert of some sort by the looks of it. Lots of security, including armed drones.

Maybe this guy in the crowd can tell us more.

Ah, seems like we have a big celebrity in town.

I'm going to the Universal Brotherhood.

Wavy. One of my roommates is a Sister. She seems happy. She's hoping to get into the "inner circle" soon.

That sounds... great.

Yeah! I don't know what it is but she's excited about it. I think there's a graduation ceremony. Anyway, I'm gonna try and find a better spot to hear.

Nothing says "we're totally not a creepy cult" like having an "inner circle".

Ms. Mercurial seems to have a lot of fans around here.

And judging by his outfit, this guy's probably one of her guards.

You know one thing I love about Shadowrun? Elves with beards.

Do you work for the rock star?

Yes, ma'am. I work for Maria Mercurial. Something I can do for you?

I'd like to meet her.

Lots of people want to meet Maria Mercurial.

I'm an old friend of hers.

I'm sure you are. Ms. Mercurial has lots of friends in Seattle. She lives here.

This guy's pretty good.

Wait, why are we trying to lie our way into meeting her anyway? Maybe Amazon's a fan?

Can I get into the concert?

That's not up to me. The concert was only announced an hour ago but the tickets are already sold out. Sorry. Nothing I can do.

That seems abnormal, but I guess they know what they're doing if it's already sold out.

I see. Know anything about the Universal Brotherhood by any chance?

Just what I see on the tri-d.

Well, I'm going to look around.

Suit yourself, chummer.

Whoever this guy is, he can't be very smart considering he's standing in the rain literally a step away from cover.

Nerps?

You been living under a rock, omae? Nerps is the wonder drug. It'll cure whatever ails you.

Hells yeah we're all about them nerps

You've got Nerps?

No, I'm out of Nerps. But I got something else you might like.

Oh come on, what

Actually, this guy is the first "merchant" with the AP-increasing Jazz in his selection which anyone interested in breaking the game would do well to stock up on. It's practically worthless for Amazon as extra AP is of very limited use to her, though.

I didn't know there was a concert today. Who's playing?

Maria Mercurial - the Silver Lady. She is the waviest. So smooth. I love her chromed cyberlimbs. She's kinda fallen off the radar lately, though. Looks like she's making a comeback!

When does the show start?

It's gonna be hours. They just started setting up and a crowd is already forming. This is her town, so it's no surprise.

I see. Take care, I'm gonna go.

Whatever this sudden concert is all about, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with us or our goal which lies just around the corner.

Was kinda hoping this place had blown up in some freak accident, but unfortunately here it stands, just like before.

Oh and look Patrick's here again. Remember Patrick?

Have you looked at the world lately? I don't see a better tomorrow coming.

I used to feel the same way! Then I heard Lynne Telestrian speak at my first Discovery Meeting and I realized what I'd been missing! Come in and find the power of Belonging.

Belonging? Seriously?

The only place this guy belongs in is the garbage can.

Absolutely, sister! In a world as cold as this one, what's more important than Belonging? I can see you have some questions. Why don't you ask them?

What exactly is the Universal Brotherhood?

It sounds like a religion.

That's because it is, sister! After all, what is religion but an organized collection of beliefs that relate meta-humanity to our spirituality? We believe that the Brotherhood is the highest form of religion because it brings us closer to the Truth.

Any resemblance to real life persons and organizations is purely coincidental.

And what is the Truth?

That's what you'll find out inside! Come in and find the power of Belonging.

At least tell me a bit of the Truth!

And that is?

Is it Cthulhu Patrick

Patrick be honest with us

You're going to have to go inside if you want to learn more!

For some reason the image of a giant flytrap keeps appearing in my head. Weird.

So who can join?

Why anyone, of course! It wouldn't be very universal if we left anyone out, would it? Elves are especially welcome, sister!

I'm guessing whichever race you happen to be is always the one that's "especially welcome".

Tell me about Lynne Telestrian.

Happily! Mother Lynne is our chapter's most dynamic spokesperson. She is truly an inspiration to us all.

Do you know Jessica Watts?

Of course! Grandmother Jessica is the leader of this chapter of the Universal Brotherhood.

Grandma Watts, is it?

That's all for now.

Great! Come in and find the power of Belonging.

Well, we've come this far. No turning back now. Let's open this door and

Oh, sister - I forgot to mention that everyone must enter the Universal Brotherhood alone.

I don't want to be alone.

:smith:

In order to become part of a larger family, we must first know ourselves. You need to hear our message in solitude so that your mind can be clear from distraction and the shackles of this heartbreakingly oppressive world.

I understand.

Fortunately nobody ever acknowledges our trusty "therapy" drones, so as long as things don't get too heated up we can probably hold our own until we find a way to regroup.

Deep breaths.

(Just like the safe house music, the Universal Brotherhood theme doesn't appear on the official soundtrack.)

Hoo boy, here we go. Actually, despite all my badmouthing about the Brotherhood itself, this part is pretty cool. Much like back in the Royale Apartments we're presented with a variety of different ways to proceed, and I personally think that's where these games are at their best. That said this also feels like one of the more unpolished parts of the game due to a variety of minor issues in the mechanics and dialogue.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We should probably start by checking in with the receptionist who seems to be having a chat with someone.

Sounds like the place is using a keycard system. And members can program their own keycards if their old one is ruined? Maybe we can get in on that somehow.

[Sister Sally smiles.] Of course. Truth makes us one.

They have a lame catchphrase and everything. The Monica woman walks off to the northeast.

[The young lady turns back to you and smiles.]

I'm sorry about that. How can I help you today?

I'm new here. What is the Universal Brotherhood?

The Universal Brotherhood is a community that welcomes all forms of meta-humanity with the mission of making the world a better place by helping individuals to become so much more than they currently are. This is our Seattle Chapter. There are more popping up every day!

Lots of fancy-sounding claims but we still don't know what any of it actually means in practice. But then it's not like we're here to discover spiritual enlightenment or whatever anyway.

Is Jessica Watts here?

I'm sorry, I don't know. I only see Grandmother Jessica at special ceremonies and even then, only at a distance. You might ask Mother Lynne - Lynne Telestrian - if you can catch her in the Auditorium.

Lynne Telestrian's here?

I believe so! I think she arrived at the end of Father Willy's talk, so you might still find her in the auditorium.

Father Willy, huh. Somebody's parents were jerks.

Why is Jessica Watts called Grandmother Jessica, anyway?

Sounds... incestuous.

Can I have a blank keycard?

If we can get our hands on one and damage it, maybe...

[She looks at you, perplexed.] I don't know why you would need one. They are only used to replace the cards of Brothers and Sisters who have damaged theirs.

Drat. She has a pile of blank keycards on a box next to the desk, but she stops us if we try to grab one. We need to get her someplace else for a moment.

Did you know that there is a Maria Mercurial concert going on outside?

[Her eyes light up.] I know - isn't it exciting! I am such a big fan of hers. The first time I heard "Who Weeps for the Children?" I melted inside.

I heard that she's a Universal Brotherhood member.

[She swoons.] I didn't know that! Oh my! But it doesn't surprise me at all! She's so deep and soulful. And there are lots of media stars who are joining the Brotherhood these days. We're everywhere!

Don't tell anyone, but she's signing autographs outside right now.

Who knew, celebrities do have their uses sometimes.

Nobody'll miss one blank card I'm sure.

Great, now we just need to find a terminal. Sister Monica walked off to the northeast with her card, so might as well try that way first.

One can safely assume that's the office door there. Let's see if we can get any useful info out of this woman first.

I'm a lost sheep who's looking for my flock.

You've come to the right place. Tell me something about yourself so that I can pair you with the right counselor.

I've lived in the shadows - so give me someone who understands the life of a runner.

Alright. In the meantime I would really like to talk to Jessica Watts. Can you direct me to her?

I'm sorry but Grandmother Jessica is in the Inner Sanctum and cannot be disturbed.

So not only do they have an "inner circle" but an "Inner Sanctum" as well? All we're missing now is creepy hoods and a sacrificial chamber.

Inner Sanctum? Can you give me a better sense of the different areas of the Brotherhood?

Sure. You are currently in the public area, behind it is what we call The Home which is where new Brothers and Sisters live. Beyond that is Inner Sanctum which only Mothers and Fathers and of course Grandmother Jessica can go.

Seems like we're gonna have to find a way into this Inner Sanctum. Of course at the moment we don't even seem to have access into The Home, but one step at a time.

Is Lynne Telestrian available?

Mother Lynne left the building about 15 minutes ago.

drat. Of course Jessica's our primary target so we'll take what we can get I guess.

Thanks, that's all the questions I had.

I am so glad I could help! By just walking through these doors you have taken the first steps along a path that will change you forever.

Maybe, whether or not it's a change for the better is a different matter.

As we look around the room we don't spot anything useful, only overhearing some chatter. It's not hard to guess where these peoples' "meaningless" possessions likely end up.

As for the office, it doesn't look like we'll be able to just waltz in there. Hopefully our famous powers of persuasion will work on the guy watching the door.

I rejoice to be with you. I am Brother Christopher, how may I help you?

Is this the office door?

Yes, but it is off limits to the public.

Luckily, we've come prepared!

I have a blank keycard.

no wait hold on I think we missed a step somewhere

Luckily the receptionist has seemingly gotten herself detained by the concert security and hasn't returned, so we grab a new blank card from the front desk.

The northeast room seems to be a dead end for us at the moment, so we look around the main hall some more. Towards the back we find another Sister and another door barring our way further.

Hello. I'm Sister Wilma, what can I help you with?

I have some questions.

That's why we're here! What are your questions?

Do you like it here?

I love it being part of the Universal Brotherhood. Belonging helps everyone. We have a free soup kitchen that feeds hundreds of people every day, educational talks in our auditorium, and a counseling center to help prospective members with deep one-on-one therapy.

Is there a computer terminal here I could use?

No, we believe it is important to remove mundane distractions from our daily life so we can focus on the Truth. Our only computers are in the office, and that's off-limits to the prospective members.

Bah, there goes the option of hacking the doors open. We also casually ask her about the counseling center and the Inner Sanctum but learn nothing new, so we thank her for her time and try the southwest doorway next.

This seems to be the auditorium. Sure enough Lynne isn't anywhere in sight, but a Brother greets us at the entrance.

I'm sorry but today's seminar is over. Father Willy is just answering a few questions before he leaves.

Who is Father Willy?

He is truly an inspiration. After years of living in the shadows he found the light about three years ago and now is a beacon for us to follow here at the Universal Brotherhood.

Yeah, an inspiration to us all. Does he pull some weight around here?

All the Brothers and Sisters report to him, if that's what you mean.

What did he talk about?

An outwardly altruistic but clearly shady religious cult preaching about unity? Great, and we left our pulse grenades in our other pants.

Father Willy is standing prominently in front of the stage.

For the longest time I thought this guy had a lazy eye, but now I realize it's a yellow iris.

The shadows? I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about.

Please. I lived in the shadows for many years until I came into the light and fellowship of the Universal Brotherhood. I see on you the chains of guilt and sorrow, built link upon link by the crimes you commit in the name of nuyen.

Some say the local electrician is still haunted by the day Willy came into the light.

Nuyen might wound my soul but it fills my stomach.

Yes, that is what I told myself for years, until the weight of my chains brought me to the pit of despair. But the Universal Brotherhood saved me! It can save you too, my friend.

We're not friends.

We are more than friends here at the Universal Brotherhood. We are family. That is an unbreakable bond. Join us and find the power of Belonging.

I don't really do the whole belonging thing either.

There is, actually. I'm looking for Jessica Watts.

May I ask what business you have with Grandmother Jessica? She is very busy.

I'm looking to solve her brother's murder.

The best kind of deceptions are the ones where you can just say the honest truth.

I'd like to speak with Lynne Telestrian.

Many are attracted to the bright light that is Lynne Telestrian, but she cannot see everyone. What business do you have with her?

She's going to help me come out of the shadows and into the light.

Mother Lynne is a beacon that helps many come into the light of the Universal Brotherhood. Unfortunately, she left the building about fifteen minutes ago. One of our counselors could help you to join our family, so you should seek their council instead. Will that be all, my child?

Yeah. Thank you for your time, Father.

None of that helps us much, we've been here a while already but made very little practical progress so far.

The doorway in the northwest corner of the auditorium leads to the cafeteria. We had best find something of use here because this is the last room we have access to.

It looks like the maintenance staff has left their equipment out. There are some miscellaneous tools we have no use for, but there's also a couple of cans which are a touch more interesting.

It's like they say, you can never have too much kerosene unless you're burning to death.

We probably won't need to bring paint solvent with us, but it might be strong enough to damage thin plastic. Such as an ID card or something. Worth a shot at least.

Now we might be getting somewhere.

Looking around the cafeteria are a bit more, we spot a stove.

As the description hints at, it's possible to melt the blank card here as well. Alternatively we could start a fire, which in fact is the first method we could use to get deeper into the building.

We're not actually going to do it for a couple of reasons, but for the sake of showing it off:

I think kerosene fires tend to be bigger than that, but maybe it was a real small can.

An angry woman rushes out from the kitchen to put it out, conveniently leaving the door open. While this is the simplest and fastest method to gain access to the restricted area, it'd also leave us the least prepared (we have no keycards or anything after all) and we'd miss out on some minor dialogue later on.

Another method is to return to Christopher in order to make use of our melted keycard scam.

Sister Sally at the front desk sent me to you.

And why did she send you to me?

She said to talk to you about getting access to the office.

Who are you, and why do you need to get into the office?

I'm Amazon and my keycard is ruined. Look.

Wow, what happened to this?

It melted in the clothes dryer.

You'd be surprised how many times I've heard that one. Why are you out of uniform, though?

I was mugged while recruiting in the Barrens.

Christopher will fit right in with Lone Star if we end up having to tear this place to the ground.

Computer terminals, what a comforting sight. The office is empty, so Sister Monica must've finisher her business here already.

Regardless of how, when and where we enter, Coyote will contact us as soon as we set foot in any of the restricted areas.

Good. I found a way into the off-limits area of the Brotherhood. Jessica's somewhere in here. You find another way into this place?

Yep. We went down an alley and found a side door near the back. I'll send the coordinates so you can find it.

Can't you open it yourself?

Negative. It only opens from the inside.

Okay. Stay there, I want to have a look around. When I'm ready, I'll come open the door and let you in.

Null sweat. Just open the door when you're ready.

This door is actually in the kitchen, but we'll get to that later. Let's look around the office a bit first.

First letter posted:

Dear Charles

We have been trying to reach you for months. We have come to the Universal Brotherhood several times and every time have been told we could not see you. Since you are not allowed to go online in any way the only way we can try to contact you is by letters, which we have done time and again with no response.

How can you forget the people that raised you, and loved you?

Mom and Dad

Second letter posted:

From the desk of Monica Sachnoff

Dear Brian,

I want you to know how happy the Universal Brotherhood has made me, but I am sad that I never get any responses from my letters to you. I would email or message you, but as you know from my letters we are not allowed to go online.

You know that I have loved you since the day you were born. Mom and Dad always gave me crap for never being able to pronounce your name when you were a baby, but it's been an endearing name for me to call you ever since.

Please reply to this letter!

Love, Sister Monica

So the people here are allowed to send and be sent letters but they never reach their destinations, giving both the members and their loved ones the image that they've been abandoned by the other?

Wow, that's messed up. The Brotherhood has always seemed off, but we're starting to see some actual evidence that things really aren't quite right here.

We grab a new blank card from a box on the floor to replace our melted one and take a look at the computer terminal in the corner.

So, there's a whole thing here where you have to put together the info required to print a proper card from various terminals and such here in the office. You can bypass the process using Decking, with 4 you can print a Home Access Keycard and with 6 an Inner Sanctum Access Keycard.

The thing is, it's kind of a pain in the neck to do the normal way and we don't actually have Decking 6 because we've been focusing on our drones. So we're not actually going to bother with any of this, we just came here to show off the office itself.

Instead we're gonna hoof it back to the cafeteria and strike up a conversation with the janitor hanging around. He probably isn't a Brotherhood member, so dealing with him should be easier than the rest of these weirdos.

What do you want?

I need a little information. I'm willing to pay for it.

Ok, as long as I don't lose my job or anything. How much you talking about?

Don't know yet, let's talk and then I'll pay you what it's worth.

Oh yeah, like my grandpa used to say, "the check is in the mail". Don't think so.

Your grandpa is dead, and so is the mail.

Don't talk smack about my Gramps. Put some money upfront or no deal.

How about 100 nuyen now and another 100 if I like what you say?

This is a Charisma check of 4, without it we'd have to pay 100 now and 200 after. Weirdly enough both dialogue options are completely identical except for the amount, must be a tone of voice thing or something.

I'm not entirely sure if we ever even end up paying the second sum, so the choice might be literally irrelevant anyway.

Ok, what do you want to know?

What areas do you have access to?

I only have access to the public space which we are in now; the storage room, locker room, and the office.

We've been to the office already, but both storage and locker rooms have a tendency of having juicy stuff in 'em. And we're not just talking sweaty socks here.

And what do you know about the areas you don't have access to?

The Brothers and Sisters live in what's called "The Home" which I've heard has the kitchen and dorm rooms. From there I've been told there is a ton of security protecting what the freaks call the Inner Sanctum, but I've never seen any of that stuff.

What will your keycard cost me?

There is no way I'm giving you my card for you to cause trouble with. That sort of thing would come back to haunt me.

Unsurprisingly the janitor seems like the smartest man in this place.

Where can I get a different keycard?

Sometimes staff leave keycards and uniforms in the locker room. Tell you what, for 300 nuyen I could let you into the store room which connects to the locker room, and you could look around.

Too rich for a fishing expedition. How about 150?

Instead of asking about a different keycard we could've directly offered him 500 for his own, which leads to him making this same deal except for 500 nuyen instead of 300 and which we could've then bargained down to 250 instead of 150.

Thanks, that's all I needed.

Storerooms are the best rooms, you never leave them empty-handed.

These two might be related to each other, but we don't have much use for either. You know something one could always use more of though?

You guessed it, lard.

This definitely goes into the "pick it up just because you can" -category best known from adventure games.

There's something with a more obvious use here as well though.

Hollywood chloroform, the favorite of fictional assassins and secret agents worldwide.

Moving on to the locker room, most of the lockers are locked but in one of them we find an ID card belonging to a dwarven janitor named Edward Sharpel.

Even the item descriptions here have more typos than usual. Of course we've already established that the office holds nothing of value for us, so we don't actually need this for anything. Still, it provides another method to get past Brother Christopher without having to fake a damaged keycard if one does want to take that route.

Each of the three open lockers hold janitor uniforms fitting different races. One of them also contains a stack of neatly clipped newspaper articles.

Wonder who collected these. We already know those ties were indeed cut, but it sure wasn't by their own hand. In the same locker we find janitor coveralls which fit an elf or a human.

Hey, if it works for Johnny Clean it'll work for us.

They're a little tight, but the price was right!

As I mentioned, with this and the keycard we could just walk past Brother Christopher and into the office if we wanted to. We don't, but we do have another reason to play dress-up.

The locker room connects to the auditorium where Willy's still hanging out.

Hello again, my friend. How may I help you along the path to Truth?

Father, I just discovered a pressing maintenance issue.

Sorry did we forget to mention that we're doing janitor work on the side last time? Shadowrunning doesn't always pay the bills, you know how it goes.

Yes? What is it?

It's something that needs the attention of a senior leader. I would rather not discuss it here.

Ah, very well. I am one of the Elders here. I can help with that. Where is the problem?

It's in the storage room. I'll meet you there.

You'd think an ex-runner would've immediately seen through this hilariously obvious scheme, but spending three years in this place would probably rot anyone's brain.

What's the issue? I don't see anything.

Hmmm. It was here a moment ago.

What was here a moment ago?

Some chloroform seems to have vanished and

Oh, nope, there it is, right in front of your face. False alarm.

As Willy falls limp, we promptly relieve him of his possessions which include his clothes and a pair of keycards.

They're a bit too large, but he didn't charge!

With this, we not only have the best disguise and access to everywhere on this floor, but we even got hold of a mysterious private keycard not available by any other means.

Now we finally pay a visit to the kitchen, and since we didn't end up burning the kerosene, the cook is still here. Otherwise she'd be gone by now.

If you talk to her as a janitor (possible if you print a card in the office while disguised as one and come here from the dormitory side) she complains about dirty ovens instead. Otherwise the dialogue is the same, but it's a nice detail.

I'm new here, so tell me about your kitchen.

The most important thing is DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! Especially the drat alley door or the whole facility goes into lockdown mode.

She's not kidding, the moment we let our team in every door slams shut no matter what keycards we hold. Except for the door leading to the Inner Sanctum which instead opens up even if it was previously closed.

Convenient, that.

Where do the arched doors go to?

One goes to the cafeteria and other to the Home area and the heavily guarded door to the Inner Sanctum.

Thanks, that's all the questions I had.

I've got a break until dinner so I'm going out for a beer. See ya around.

You can actually use the chloroform on the cook if you didn't use it on Willy. Doing so serves no practical purpose though, as she automatically leaves after talking to her and even if you let your team in first, she just freaks out and pleads you to leave her out of whatever it is you're doing.

Anyway, let's look around a bit.

Looking around was a terrible plan :gonk:

Hope this isn't related to that last thing.

That's just a standard student fridge though.

This vending machine seems to be hiding something behind it.

We try to push it but lack the strength (5) to move it. Luckily we just happened to pick a tub of lard for no particular reason, and a little bit of greasing the ground later...

Now why would someone put a door behind a vending machine? We're not going to find out yet, because the game straight-up prevents us from interacting with it until we pick up our team which we won't do yet because it locks the doors. Instead we leave the kitchen for now and head through the northeast doorway.

The dorms area of The Home is the last one we haven't been to on this floor. There are four rooms in total, two at each end. Let's start from the room north from us.

Some boxes here... there's a routing slip which reads "Transfer for sale in thrift shops".

Shane? Wasn't that the name of Cherry Bomb's ex who was pestering her about the Brotherhood way back when? Come to think of it, that's when we first heard about this organization, though it seemed unrelated to our investigation at the time.

Let's see what's inside this box.

Seems like the same guy alright. So he couldn't "accept the Truth" and now they're selling off his belongings? Just what the heck is going on in this place?

Shane seemed like kind of a creep, but if he stopped buying what these guys were selling and they locked him up somewhere, he might have some insider info he's willing to part with in exchange for being freed. Of course that's assuming they didn't just off him.

There's also a Brother's uniform in the locker. These rooms are an another source for a Brotherhood uniform if you didn't jack Willy's. The opposite room has a Sister's uniform which would fit us but holds nothing else of interest.

Between the rooms is the Inner Sanctum entrance, watched by a pair of scary-looking turrets. If you get close to them without carrying both an Inner Sanctum keycard a uniform, you end up in a fight against them and two security guards. For us it'd be an extremely brief fight as they can deal enough damage to kill Amazon in a single turn.

Luckily we have both, so we can approach safely. The "access granted" message is a garbled mess though, presumably since we're flagged as both a Sister and a Mother.

Unlike with the secret door, nothing's stopping us from dumping our party in the alleyway and heading on alone here. Also while both the main and secret entrances lead to the next area, our starting point there changes depending on which one we use.

We'll obviously be taking the other one. It must be secret for a reason, right?

Besides we still have two more rooms to look through. The northeast door connects to the office, so we can ignore that one.

Aside from another uniform, the only thing of interest in the northern room is in this bunk.

One of the letters we saw in the office wastebasket was from Charles' parents, wasn't it? And they've been telling him...

Man, we've seen a lot of lovely things and people so far, but this somehow manages to feel especially reprehensible.

One last room to go. The southern ones seem to be for Sisters and the northern ones for Brothers. For some reason this particular bunk is all taped up.

Another weird bug, investigating this bunk shows Amazon's portrait and name as if we were talking to her.

Let's take a look at these cards.

First the home-made one, which reads "Missing you already!":

I get the sense that many who "advance" to the Inner Sanctum never come back again. We saw Monica earlier, so she's still alright at least.

The professionally-printed card reads "Congratulations!":

As the second card hints at, the locker here contains an Inner Sanctum keycard if you don't have one yet. It's locked, but can be picked with 5 Intelligence or simply forced open without consequence.

It's been a long update, but now we've finally done and seen just about everything. It's time to let our team in and get to the bottom of this business, figuratively and literally.

Boy is it good to see you guys, this place makes you feel like you're stranded on a different planet after a while.

With everyone here, we can now properly interact with the secret door. On top of being hidden it's also locked, and the only keycard that opens it is Father Willy's. The other alternative is to hack it open with Decking 5 which we could've also done.

And for some reason we get another warning about letting our party in first even though you can't even see this message if you haven't done so already. Silly game.

Our last basement trip somehow managed to end up even worse than expected, and the odds of history not repeating itself on that front are looking pretty slim.

Kanfy fucked around with this message at 12:08 on Dec 6, 2017

# ? Aug 24, 2017 18:55

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# ? May 18, 2024 01:24

Yeowch!!! My Balls!!!: May 31, 2006

I did appreciate the ex-shadowrunner character- it's a flicker of the characterization they do much better in the following games.

You're not the only one doing this. And some people get out. As you've ~maaaaaybe~ grasped at this point Father Willy's choice of places to bail to was maybe not the greatest.

# ? Aug 24, 2017 19:03

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > The Excruciating Ecstasy of Jacking - Shadowrun Returns

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