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Street Monk for the extra flair
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May 2, 2021 15:38
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thekeeshman posted:Street Monk, what's the point of being an adept if we're not going to lean into it? 
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May 2, 2021 16:11
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Street Monk, for that kung-fu goodness, also that logo on the back looks cool
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May 2, 2021 16:28
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Hard to beat the classic cyberpunk trenchcoat aesthetic. SecureTech Armored Clothing.
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May 2, 2021 16:32
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thekeeshman posted:Street Monk, what's the point of being an adept if we're not going to lean into it? I mean, generally, leaning into the magical living aesthetic can get you prioritized for incoming fire. Geek the mage first is a universal rule one, and as far as most people are concerned adepts count.
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May 2, 2021 16:34
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It's against the grain, but I'm going to say we should tux up because we were also a troll working crowd control for the local clubs.
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May 2, 2021 17:14
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resurgam40 posted:...I think I have to throw my hat in for the Ballistic Cloth Suit. Yes, I know the Securetech is more suitable and more cyberpunk, but daaamn.
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May 2, 2021 17:49
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Just chill in that Lined Coat 
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May 2, 2021 18:23
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apostateCourier posted:I mean, generally, leaning into the magical living aesthetic can get you prioritized for incoming fire. Geek the mage first is a universal rule one, and as far as most people are concerned adepts count. Adepts are going to be in people's faces, so I think they're high on the getting shot queue regardless. No excuse to not look fabulous.
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May 2, 2021 18:28
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I’d say Street Monk, but no shoes is an outfit killer for me. SecureTech it is.
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May 2, 2021 18:49
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Anything but SecureTech because it's what I've used the most.
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May 2, 2021 18:57
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resurgam40 posted:So this is the opposite direction entirely, but I think I have to throw my hat in for the Ballistic Cloth Suit. Yes, I know the Securetech is more suitable and more cyberpunk, but daaamn.
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May 2, 2021 19:02
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resurgam40 posted:I was going to go traditional with the Monk outfit, because I think Taz might go for that (stereotypes be damned), but- no shoes. I don't care how traditional it is, you need shoes in the city of the future, especially the places Runners go. This.
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May 2, 2021 19:02
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Noooo, she looks like middle management!
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May 2, 2021 20:26
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None - save money for now, lest it'll be wasted when switching to better armour.
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May 2, 2021 20:45
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Last-Gen Lined Coat, for that nice combo of flash and utility.
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May 2, 2021 20:46
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Kobal2 posted:Fair point, but it would be Anthropoarctos then I believe ? I never actually took Greek, but I do know "homo" means "similar", not "man". That would be because it's latin, not greek. Where it does in fact mean man. Hence: Homo Sapiens. Man that is Wise.
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May 2, 2021 21:02
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GimmickMan posted:Anything but SecureTech because it's what I've used the most. That's not how this poll works, gotta pick one if you want your voice heard.  Gun Jam posted:None - save money for now, lest it'll be wasted when switching to better armour. Also not an option, there's fightin' work between now and the next upgrade chance and we're not gonna do it in rags. Feel free to pick one of the cheaper options if you're concerned about our wallet. Kanfy fucked around with this message at 21:44 on May 2, 2021 |
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May 2, 2021 21:23
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The ballistic cloth suit.
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May 2, 2021 21:27
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Last Gen!
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May 2, 2021 21:30
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My Vote is for SecureTech.
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May 2, 2021 22:04
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SecureTech
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May 2, 2021 22:07
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resurgam40 posted:I was going to go traditional with the Monk outfit, because I think Taz might go for that (stereotypes be damned), but- no shoes. I don't care how traditional it is, you need shoes in the city of the future, especially the places Runners go. Nthing this.
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May 2, 2021 23:12
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I dont know posted:Last Gen Lined Coat Pairs a nice trench coat with blouse for a bit of class. +1 for this
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May 2, 2021 23:49
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resurgam40 posted:I was going to go traditional with the Monk outfit, because I think Taz might go for that (stereotypes be damned), but- no shoes. I don't care how traditional it is, you need shoes in the city of the future, especially the places Runners go. Hell yes I can't wait to waltz in and smash in some mooks face wearing a perfectly tailored suit.
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May 3, 2021 03:08
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Stroth posted:That would be because it's latin, not greek. Where it does in fact mean man. Hence: Homo Sapiens. Man that is Wise. Latin is hardly pedantic enough (plus the "bear" part would then be wrong)
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May 3, 2021 06:19
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bob dobbs is dead posted:both the cyberpunk authors sr cribbed from and the russians cribbed from larry niven, who in turn cribbed from robert heaths unethical experiments with a brain implant a gay dude and a hooker But FCP (link to English translation on authors website) explicitly calls out its inspiration in text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward
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May 3, 2021 09:16
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Alright this seems like a pretty good arbitrary cut-off point for the vote, a lot of different fashion opinions around here but in the end Taz will rock SecureTech Armored Clothing until the next upgrade.
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May 3, 2021 16:05
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Xander77 posted:I suppose Niven (whose first published work was in 1964) might have conceivably shared some early drafts with (at the time) only moderately well known Russian sci-fi authors. scroll down search for robert heath subject b19 was the gay dude
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May 3, 2021 16:15
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Part 14 - Talk of the Town  We've met what remains of the living Elders running the show here in Whampoa, and we've investigated the crime scene where someone recently thinned that number in a very messy fashion. Now it's time to lend our ear to the voice of the common man, see if any of the locals know something about this incident.  You there sir, you seem like someone who knows a thing or two about murder. Let us converse and/or do battle in case your evident murder knowledge stems from recent first-hand experience. Sure would save us some time and effort at least.   I'm Taz. Nice to meet you, Zippy. Nice to meet you too. Listen, I know it's a little forward of me to just say hello and whatnot, but I'm interested in giving you a hand if I can. [Zippy gestures expansively at the squalid, neon-lit streets of Whampoa Garden.] This is my home - at least for the time being - and I'd like to stop these killings. We've never met before this, but I know exactly who you are. You're my replacement. The Elders had me autopsy what was left of Elder Gan and Elder Nakamura after they got ripped apart, but I didn't want to dig any deeper. So since I don't know you, and I can smell a shadowrunner a mile away, you've got to be the outsider they asked to stop the killings, right? [Zippy tilts his head back, obviously pleased at his amateur deduction.] Nothing gets by you, does it? See? I have good eyes. A lot of good eyes, actually - if you're in the market for replacements. Only slightly used, and they only come from certified donors, I swear![A hearty belly laugh erupts from the ork, and he slaps one of his thighs in elation.] Man, I kill myself!Haha, good one, we too like to get a bit clever with words from time to time. How about this one? Make a joke like that again, maybe I'll kill you first.[Zippy holds up his hands, still chuckling.] Okay, okay, I get the message! No more bad jokes. I know I'm no comedian, I'm one of the only trained surgeons around here. I keep the other Whampoans healthy - got a practice down the road. Blind Chen's a pretty good cyberdoc, but he's basically an implant specialist and that's it. How'd you end up here? I did my residency back in the UCAS. Coulda become a real M.D., too, if things hadn't gone south for unrelated reasons. [Zippy opens his coat, revealing a cyberdeck. He pats it proudly.] I also deck a little, but I'm better at slicing skin than IC. Whampoa Garden seemed a good fit for me. You must have a lot of customers. I've lived a lot of places, done my fair share of shadowrunning. But this place is special. It's been a long time since I really felt like anywhere was a real home.[Zippy looks off past you, toward the Whampoa Garden streets. His expression grows wistful, like he's remembering something from a long time ago.] I'm sure I'll move again, but not for a while. I'm not done with this city or these people. That sound an awful lot like a threat. So is it fairly peaceful around here? For the most part. Other than these killings, we don't have much by way of problems. We do information security for the triads, and that makes us fairly impervious to anyone who wants to start trouble. Anyone starts something, we hit 'em in the Matrix while our triad friends hit them in meatspace. Some small time gangs have tried pushing in here before, but they backed off when they figured out they weren't just picking a fight with Tang and his guys, but with both the Red Dragon and Yellow Lotus. They got the message real quick - what was left of them, anyway.If it's an outsider who has been mincing the Elders, then that particular message has clearly failed to reach them. Or maybe they've decided to send a response of their own? Let me ask you about Whampoa Garden. Sure thing. What do you want to know? What are your thoughts on the murders? [There is a sharp intake of breath as Zippy shakes his head.] Pretty gruesome business. Gan died from a broken neck. Looked like someone had wrenched it around, and his arms and legs were cut off. Some skin flayed away, too. Hmm, so not completely identical to what happened to the human paintbrush back in that shop. As for Tong, from what Porter told me it was Gan and Nakamura all over again. You take a look at him yet? Yeah. It's the same as you described for the others.[Zippy shakes his head sadly.] drat. I liked Tong. The BTL business is unsavory, but the man had to eat. And his regular sims were great. Generally all-around nice guy. Friendly with everyone, never had anyone mad at him. There ain't no justice, let me tell ya. It looks like Tong was killed by a blade though, not a broken neck or a bite.[Zippy recoils, shuddering against the rain.] What kind of blade? Was it a knife? A sword? Maybe an axe? I don't know. But he was attacked at the back of the neck. I don't like that at all. [Zippy shivers, looking warily around.] This whole affair's got me on edge. People dying is nothing new, but the flayed skin... Ugh.[After a moment, Zippy composes himself and looks back to you.] It sounds possible that whoever's been killing the elders is trying to muddy the waters with all of the blood and gore business. This is the crime of an intelligent, careful killer. Be careful. This investigation might take you somewhere very unpleasant.We're chasing a serial murderer in behalf of a notorious crime syndicate, it's not like we picked up tickets to a full-service luxury cruise here. The one boat they have here doesn't even float. What can you tell me about the Elders? [Zippy laughs, shrugging.] Well, they're an eclectic bunch, that's for sure. Where to start... Ng's the spiritual leader here. She's the voice of the Whampoans, I guess. A lot of her close friends are really more of 'followers', since she's something of a priest for the machine spirits. Maybe it's a cultural thing for people who grew up here, but it's never called to me. Still, she makes a drat fine pot of tea. Blood Carnival makes for a pretty accurate new name for Tong's shop too, at least until they get the place cleaned up. What about Tang, that guy with the tattoos? I don't know much about him, but I think he's got some kind of fetish for automation. Found him cooing over some trids of automated delivery drones in a warehouse, once. He works with drones - has a shop called The Blessed Autofab. He was raving about the efficiency of the movement patterns or something. Then there was Magpie. She was the chief decker. Hot as hell against IC, and built her own hardware. Salty old woman, though. Never met anyone who was quite as shrill or nasty when she was mad. She was mad most of the time. Quite the lineup. We've heard these others mentioned, but that last name doesn't ring a bell. Wait, nobody mentioned Magpie to me. When did she die? She didn't. Maybe a month ago, she just up and disappeared. I went to her shop one day, and she just wasn't open. Nobody's seen her since. Kind of a pain the rear end, too - she owed me some new analyze software she'd picked up.  How can you be new and an Elder?[Is0bel rolls her eyes.]  It's a stupid name. It doesn't actually have much to do with time spent in the community. That has something to do with it, sure, but it's mostly about how skilled you are, how good your connectons are, and how much you can help everybody else. Shoulda called 'em 'experts' or something. Bingo. That's exactly it. She was only here for about three years, but she knew a lot of people all over the Matrix, in Shanghai, in Beijing... All kinds of places. That plus her skill meant she was a shoe-in when Gao died.A relative newcomer who recently just up and vanished one day, huh. A bit strange that we're only hearing about this now, let's prod at the subject a little bit. Where do you think she went? No idea. One day she was here, the next, poof. At first I thought she was just on vacation, since she had mentioned wanting to see the Kingdom of Hawaii some day, but it didn't feel right. She would have at least told me she was leaving. It seems mighty suspicious to me, but nobody else seems to care what happened to her, probably because she pissed them all off so bad. A little odd for her to just disappear, don't you think? Of course it's odd! She owed me lunch, too, and she was the sort who paid her debts promptly. You might wanna check out her shop. It's all locked up, but the other Elders have a spare key. Couldn't hurt to look around, and even though Magpie was always butting heads with the other Elders, they wouldn't have any reason not to let you in.Guess we might as well check it out, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine disagreements amongst the ruling body and the emergence of actual bodies being connected in some way. What did they argue about? Magpie and the others never saw eye to eye. She was contrary for the sake of it. Most of the rest had a grand vision for what they wanted this neighborhood to become, Magpie just wanted to deck. She was only an Elder because they needed someone with her Matrix chops. The last big argument was between her, Ng, Ip, and Nakamura. It was over something relatively trivial - I think Nakamura wanted to expand the pirate trid business into the Matrix, and she just absolutely refused. She sounds like she didn't care for entertainment taking precedence over business. That's exactly it. She gave Nakamura an earful, let me tell you.  What do you mean, 'blocking them'? Everybody needs her Matrix skills for their businesses to run properly. There are other deckers - me, say, or Moe Jnebi - but she had the infrastructure. If their project didn't interest her, she wouldn't even give them the time of day. She's a real hard-head about having her time wasted, but she figures if she's not interested in something, it has no value objectively. Kind of a major blind spot, if you ask me. Sounds like she was critical. Yes and no. She was, but since she disappeared, Elder Ip's taken over running the Matrix infrastructure. He's not as good at it as she was, but his experience with drones makes him the best candidate. They wouldn't entrust something like that to anyone who wasn't an elder, so there you go.Wonder if he actually means Elder Tang since he's supposed to be dedicated drone guy. Thanks for the info. See you later, Zippy. Questionable sense of humor aside, that guy turned out to be a pretty useful source of information. We'll have to go ask for that key to Magpie's place later, for now let's continue our tour around the neon-bathed neighborhood which next takes us to the couple of guys loitering around the merchant stalls in the northwest corner of the area.  Show me what you have.Breaker Hui mostly sells some unremarkable basic weapons of no interest to us, but there is also one piece of gear in his selection we are interested in:  Namely, the Shock Glove. This is an unarmed weapon that cannot be acquired anywhere else so if we don't buy it here, it's gone forever. As a weapon it's just a punch +2, the more interesting part is the skill that comes attached to it:  Stun: Deals 0 HP damage but +2 AP damage and an additional 1 AP damage on the next round. AP Cost: 1. Cooldown: 2 RNDs.Stun might have the least creative name imaginable, but it does do what it says on the tin very reliably. Remember that only Strength and Close Combat govern melee hit chance, so Taz for example can swing a sword and electro-prank someone with equally high accuracy with no Unarmed skill required. With her high Strength it even deals 3 AP damage (4 on a crit) which can turn off the attic lights of even the most stubborn opponents. For just ¥350, even an adeptless team should strongly consider picking it up and giving it to someone like Duncan as a nice extra option.  Anything else? I'm looking for information. Yeah? Tell me what you want, maybe I can help you out. Know anything about the murders? Just that Elders have been getting hacked apart. I've tried to stay away from it all. No sense painting the crosshairs on my own forehead, right?[The troll shrugs indifferently.] I'm nobody important, and I aim to keep it that way. What are your impressions of the Whampoan Elders? There's probably a line where over-emphasizing your lack of importance starts making you seem more involved than you actually might be. You know anything about Elder Magpie? Never met her, thank god. She ran with the deckers, mostly, since she dealt in chips and software. I heard she was hard to work with. I think the phrase I overheard was that she "shrieked like a harpy with a fresh corpse." I dunno. You should ask Zippy, though. He's a sharp one with a deck, so he'd know her better than most. One last thing. Aside from Tong, who slings the BTLs around here? Funny thing: I heard there was a shootout with some Hong Kong police in the garage a month ago. I was away in Beijing at the time, so I didn't see it directly... But everybody was talking about it when I got back. Why's that funny? Because we don't let the HKPF in here, most times. We shoot at 'em if they try. Every time they come in here, it's bad for us, because they're always looking for a scapegoat. Why would the elders let them in? Nobody knows.That *is* kind of funny actually, Elder Ng did specifically say the cops aren't welcome here. The Red Spear gang in a garage to the south, let's add that one to the list. Could be that Tong's missing BTLs have found their way there. Thanks for the info. See you later. The other guy here doesn't look like a merchant, but we're mainly shopping for information anyway.   Can you believe this? They've got four bootlegs of Echelon Sixty, the unreleased Enoch Ian Keys double chip show from Brazzaville, but absolutely zero chips from Shotgun Bloom. This stall's stuff is purely second-rate. You're right, that does suck. Shotgun Bloom's one of the best bands I've heard in years, easy.[The music aficionado nods enthusiastically.] See, your friend gets it! Real talent, that crew. Like nothing I've ever heard before![The decker inclines his head politely toward you.] Moe Jnebi, at your service. Decker, technologist, music fan. You're not from around here, are you? You don't hold yourself like a native. I'm from the UCAS.[Moe runs a hand through his hair, shaking the collected rain off of it.] I thought so. What brings you out here? I'm trying to find out who's been killing the Elders.[The decker pauses a moment, face falling.] Oh, that's a nasty business. I heard Tong died tonight. I don't know who or what they pissed off, but it seems like a really bad scene. I'm trying to keep my nose out of it. Still... I like this place. Is there anything I can do to help? What's your area of expertise? I'm a decker. I used to be a company man for years... Pushing code on their servers, smearing the little cyberpukes that would try to get into our secure systems. I made a pretty good living. Had my own place on the 48th floor in a corporate skyscraper. It was the kind of thing the sims teach you everybody reaches for. The dream life.Well, to each their own. We'll take the money, otherwise being confined to a cushier version of yet another corporate prison isn't really our kind of dream. Except maybe the kind the Walled City would try to project in our brain in an effort to do... whatever presumably bad things it's trying to do. That sounds like hell on earth to me.[Moe chuckles, running a hand through his hair.] Well, it wasn't so bad at the time. But in the long run, I think you're right. I'm not as comfortable out here on the edge, but I'm a lot happier. So what went wrong? I found out the company wasn't what I thought it was. Sure, they paid me well and kept me in creature comforts. But I accidentally looked over some mis-filed reports while cleaning out a company datastore. Turns out one of the company security riggers had gotten drunk and blabbed about some project or other being over-budget and behind schedule. That's not good - it'd be a fireable offense, right? That seems drastic. It may only have been fractions of a point, but that was still tens of millions of nuyen. I guess that went beyond a firing offense, directly into murder territory. What's worse, since I now knew about both the project and the murder, I could be next in the firing line. I knew I wasn't worth the expense to hunt down as long as I kept my head down, so I came out here, looking for like-minded deckers. I guess I ended up staying because I could get a semblance of community out here, and I couldn't get that many other places. What can you tell me about the Whampoans? People come from all over the world to buy and sell here, and work out deals for big shipments. We've got contacts with every pirate and smuggling group in the South China Sea, and every major syndicate and gang in the Free Enterprise Zone knows not to mess with us. Not only are there a lot of us, nobody wants to lose what we're selling. The Red Dragon made a play four years ago, but we chased 'em out. [Moe gestures with both hands as if shooing away a bothersome insect.] Scooted off back to Ho Man Tin, and they've never been back. That sounds dangerous. You must have pissed them off. It's all about playing the angles. Yeah, it pissed 'em off, but then we sold goods to the Yellow Lotus at a discount. In exchange, the Yellow Lotus kept them off our back. You don't have to beat up the big guy to win. You just have to make him step back so the other big guys see he's off-balance. Stand up fights are for the megas. We're about survival, just like everybody else in the shadows.Speaking of survival, let's get back to the topic of those who haven't had as much success with it recently. Know anything about the murders? I'm trying to stay as far away from it as possible. I'm not connected enough to hear anything important, and all the talk about monsters is just plain dark. I'm not afraid of monsters, but I don't want to get their attention. All I know is that a couple of months ago, we had Elders Nakamura, Yetunde, Gan, and Magpie. And now we don't. I've heard about Magpie. Sounds like she was kind of vicious. To be blunt? She's a hateful, shrewish old badger of a person. It was always her way or the highway, she'd butt heads with the other elders over drat near anything. The last fight she had was with Tang over something or other - I guess she ended up throwing some of his micro-drones into a deep-fryer and threatening to "kick his rear end around the block." What was her line of business? Matrix gear. Her shop's called The Jackpoint. Not very imaginative, I know. She always had the hottest programs, best chips, and made some killer decks for anybody willing to pay her rates. It cost plenty of nuyen, but she was one of the best in the business - at least in Hong Kong.No matter the time or place, tech nerds and poor communication skills remain an iconic duo. Thanks. See you later, Moe. Heading down the street, to the southwest we see the parking garage doubling as a gang hideout we'll have to pay a visit later.  There's also a food cart down here. Bet a street vendor can see all kinds of things going down, plus we could use a snack.   (¥1) Let me have some dango. [Keita leans back, studying you intently. The trid projections from his cart cause his face to be lit in a constantly shifting array of rainbow hues.]  So, what brings you to Whampoa Garden, my friend? Somehow I doubt it's just the street food. Just here on a job. [He nods, just once.] I can respect that. Sometimes the tides of life take you to strange places - and few places are stranger than this one! Hah! What can you tell me about the people here? We're tech-heads, deckers, riggers, trid pirates, and everything in between. If I had to define this place, I'd say it's Asia's mecca for people like us. As for the Elders, I can give you the basics - I'm a small fry, so we're not exactly on social terms. Ng's some kind of crazy tech-witch. She summons up spirits and casts spells, and works as the spiritual center of the tribe. She's a lot craftier than she seems, too. She has this 'mother to everyone' act going on, but I've watched her manipulate people into doing all kinds of stuff they wouldn't normally do, and they thought it was their idea the whole time. Magically, you mean? No, I don't think so. She's just really good with people. Ip's a killer. Addicted to cybernetic implants. He always has to have the newest and freshest gear. The funny thing is, I've never seen him fight. I kinda get the impression he's a coward - he'd rather let one of his buddies handle a problem than do it himself. All I know about Tang is that he loves drones and does a little decking. Frankly, I find him kind of boring. All he talks about is neural networks, 'dark knowledge', and evolution of machine learning. Like I said: boring.Not exactly doling out high praise, but nothing that sounds obviously murder-worthy either. So what's with all the trid screens?[Keita beams, and gestures excitedly at them.] You like them?! I love trid operas - Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, it doesn't matter. This way I can watch all of my favorite shows without missing a beat, and I can work at the same time! They don't know what they're missing, though! One episode of "Thousand Cranes of Autumn" and they'd be hooked for life. I'm just at the part where O-Rin has confessed her love to Takayama, but he's got to get his mech suit out to the front lines on Mars, so he can't be with her. Downright heartbreaking, I tell you.Uh-huh. That sounds like an interesting show, all right.[Eyes twinkling, Keita leans forward in breathless excitement.] Oh, you have no idea! Three hundred and twelve episodes, chronicling a noble mech pilot and the tumultuous love affair he has with a space station governor's daughter! The pathos! The majesty! The Battle of Lagrange One spans five episodes, just by itself. For some reason, I guess it just didn't resonate with the wider public. I don't know why... Who doesn't want to see a trid show about giant flying robots, love, betrayal, and spies? I've got to stop myself before I get carried away... Was there something else you needed? Got any thoughts on the murders? Yeah. "Ignore them."[Keita shrugs indifferently.] I saw the crowd down at Tong's Sensory Carnival earlier tonight, but I didn't know the guy very well. I'm a trid fan, he liked the sims. Not a lot of cross-over between us.Guess the age-old "trids vs. sims" argument lives forever on as well. See you later, Keita. An alleyway between the Whampoa and nearby buildings takes us back towards the ship's entrance, and in there we also find the last townsperson we have left to interrogate out here.   How'd you know? You've got the right kind of eyes. Like you're looking for something, and don't seem to trust anyone. Outsiders don't generally wander around Whampoa Garden without an escort. Locals don't make them feel too welcome unless they've been invited. And there's only one reason to be inviting shadowrunners out here.Good thing this isn't supposed to be an undercover mission, seems we might as well wear an official shadowrunner badge on our lapel. Call me Demergo. I'm not one of the Whampoans, but I've been here long enough that they don't think twice about me being here. [Demergo drains the last of his soykaf in a large gulp.] So what've you found so far? You're awfully curious for a random guy. Professional curiosity. I used to be with the New York Police Department as part of their thaumaturgical research division. Part of the C.S.I. branch, except I did the magical investigation while the other guys pulled prints and checked blood samples.[Demergo tosses the soykaf cup toward the nearby garbage can. It bounces around the rim and and rolls inside.] When I hear about poo poo like this happening? I keep my ear to the ground. Old habits, you know. You're a long way from home, Demergo. Sure am. And I like it that way. I got burned out on all the blood, murder, and death. Been here since '54, working freelance. It's hard when you don't know anybody, but magical detectives are pretty thin on the ground even in Hong Kong, so... I do okay.  You know what it's like to feel all that sickness and anger, every day? To be asked to pick up a murder weapon and re-live somebody's death? Feel it going into your neck? Pleading in the voice of a dead woman for her killer to spare you? These days, I'd rather interrogate the living, thanks. What are you talking about? I can read objects. It's called psychometry. A little trick I managed to pick up - don't really know how. I hold something, I can tell you what happened to it. Who owned it. How it killed someone. If someone loved it, or was afraid of it. Useful, but it'll tax your heart. And before you ask, no. I'm not going to read anything you find. I already told Ng I didn't want any part of this. You want advice, I'll give you that. But I'm not getting drawn in further than that. So aside from that... Is there anything I can help you with?Figures, the one guy with some potentially useful skills is the one acting uncooperative. Alright, let's go with the usual then. What can you tell me about the Whampoans? I don't know much. Even though I've been here almost two years, I'm an outsider - they don't really accept anyone who's not as much of a tech-nut as they are. I'm just the crazy mage that lives down the road.[Demergo pauses and looks off into the distance as he collects his thoughts.] Ip's got some heavy duty cyberwear. Basically an enforcer for the rest of the council - he doesn't seem to set much policy. Ng is a shaman that worships machine spirits. It's all a bunch of hokum, if you ask me. Magic is magic. Whatever you wanna call the source is fine by me, but don't ask me to believe in the great spirit of electronics. As for everybody else, they tend to be an okay bunch. A bit strange, but that's fringe culture for you. They scrounge tech, rebuild it, sell it off. Some of them even have their own autofab shops. Their stuff's pretty high quality, too. People from all over Asia come to shop here, if they need something rare or unusual. Tight-knit little community, all things considered.Clearly not quite tight-knit enough to keep someone from doing a bit of unraveling here and there. Speaking of... What do you know about the murders? They started a couple of weeks ago. Elder Gan was the first to go - that's when Ng asked if I could look into them. He was ripped apart. Arms wrenched out of their sockets, skin flayed away with a razor-sharp knife. The rest have been the same. Whatever did it sure didn't care about it being a clean death. [Demergo lowers his voice, leaning in toward you so that only you can hear.] The funny thing is, the Hong Kong Police Force was out here a few weeks before that - maybe a month ago, tops. I know that doesn't seem like much, but the Whampoans don't usually let the police in here. That by itself is odd enough, but it gets even stranger. Why would they let cops in and chase them away? That's exactly the kind of question you should be asking - and that the Elders refused to answer when I asked.[Demergo shrugs.] Go take a look for yourself, if you want. Watch out, though. A gang's taken up residence in there, dealing drugs and BTLs. They call themselves the Red Spear. Not too violent, if you don't push them, but be careful what you say.Yeah, yeah. Maybe go tell that to them instead, because we also happen to strike a very delicate balance between not being too big on being pushed around and being too big for most people to succeed if they try. About the murder... Tong was killed by a bladed weapon. A single strike to the base of his neck. That's a precision attack. Most knife fights end up with a lot of shallow cuts and blood over the victim and attacker alike. If Tong was killed by a single strike, he definitely wouldn't have seen it coming. And you can bet your last nuyen that whoever killed him is highly skilled with a blade. That says to me that the attack is either a professional hitman or a practiced serial killer. It could be both, too. Assassins don't tend to be the most empathetic people. [Demergo considers this information for a moment before speaking again.] Was the attack a thrust or a cut? It was a slash. Why? Tong also wasn't afraid when he died. He was caught by surprise. [He arches an eyebrow.] That's not what I would have expected. With the amount of mess at each scene, the victims should have left behind a hell of a lot of fear and pain. Are you sure? Very sure. Tong died tonight, so the astral signature hasn't had time to fade. There was only a sense of perfunctory accomplishment. [Demergo opens his eyes and smiles a thin, humorless grin.] Basic investigation 101: it's usually the simplest explanation, but don't discount other possibilities. So you think the mess wasn't incidental? It's a possibility. Ask yourself this: if the mutilation happened after Tong's death, why would a killer perform that kind of ritual? Serial killers who engage in that kind of ritual don't feel perfunctory about it, in my experience. It tends to feel more like they're taking communion - it's a religious or sexual feeling, most of the time. If this didn't feel that way, I don't think the killer is actually pathological. That's all we've got for now. See you later. That's quite a bit to think about. Before we head back to the mallboat, let's quickly ask Porter Lam about this new mystery Elder we heard about earlier.  Hey there. Need something else? What can you tell me about Elder Magpie?[The Whampoan snorts, shrugging his shoulders.] That she was a bitch? That I've never met anyone as deliberately contrary as her? There's not much to say. Nobody wanted to hang out with Magpie. Even though she was the newest Elder, she acted high and mighty around everyone. She'd block deals and argue against Nakamura and Ng just because she could. Why was she so contrary? It was just her nature. She loved fights and gossip. Any chance to cut somebody else down, she'd take it. I guess I always figured she had some deep-seated insecurities, and covered it up by attacking other people. Thanks. See you later. Inside the Whampoa itself are a couple of rooms we haven't gone through yet. There's a generic merchant in the northeast corner with nothing of interest to us, but we do find someone killing time in the arcade.   Somethin' I can help you with there, friend? Yer throwin' off me game, and I'm tryin' to beat my best score! Tank War Europa? I haven't seen one of those cabinets in years.[The woman's mouth twists up into a wry grin.] Aye, me neither. Managed to find this one near by accident. But I heard the music and thought 'Hold on there, Rainbow... You know that tune.'[After a few moments, Rainbow's game is suddenly over - her tank obliterated by a barrage of air-to-ground missiles. She hisses her breath in through clenched teeth.] Piss on your ma! A right robbery, that was. Right, then.[Rainbow shakes her head again, and turns to face you fully.] You don't seem like them Whampoans. They're all a might touched, yeah? Maybe you are too, but you don't advertise it like they do. What's your story? Just here on a job, that's all. Ahh, right... The murders and whatnot, I expect. Best of luck with that. Seems like a nasty business - and one that I didn't care to get involved with. Where are you from? I can't place the accent. Spent a lot of time around County Dublin and Wicklow. I always loved animals, and I found out bein' a ranger put me in close with 'em. It was a good time, yeah? Making sure the budding new species like the bogies and centaurs didn't upset the ecology of Wicklow National Park much. Also kept the nastier bits like the each-uisge from runnin' amok across populated areas. An each-uisge? Isn't that a demon horse? Aye. That's right - they're cannibal horses, basically. Nasty buggers that drag people into bogs and drown you. Sometimes people call 'em kelpies, on account of the water plants they pop out of. Anyway, as I was sayin'... Problem was, I started to develop this wee knack... Just a small thing. I keep magic from workin' when I'm around. Spells don't go, spirits fall apart, and the paracritters get real feisty, yeah? Ta make things worse, this was around the time Liam O'Connor threw his coup, and formed Tir Na Nog. With all his fancy talk about Elves and ancient magic, 'twas a bit scandalous to have a woman guarding 'ancient sites' that wasn't just mundane, but also killed magic around her. So I got fired. You're older than Tir Na Nog? I saw them kick dozens of old Irish families off their land just because their ears weren't pointy enough, or they didn't meet some stupid arbitrary criteria of old nobility. It was that kind of thing that brought back the IRA, just like in the bad old days of the Troubles. The skivers in the new Tir didn't pay for the land they took - they just had a pack of bullies with guns. [Rainbow scrunches her face up into a disgusted sneer, and mock spits at the ground.] I've always been sympathetic to the little guy in a fight. They offered to pay for my help, so I said yes, simple as that. So you became a terrorist? Feh, don't be so dramatic! They fixed me up with a cyber-stitcher and gave me a lot of the kit I've got in me now, in exchange for going overseas to work for them. Smuggling, runnin' guns, makin' contacts in Europe. Same kinda shite all revolutionary groups do. Seein' as how me own fam got kicked outta their house, I was glad to do it. I still do work for 'em these days, but there's a lot less of it. Lady Deigh cracked down on dissidents but good. What're you doing in Whampoa Garden? Me? I'm a bit of a big game hunter these days. I get into strange places, look for some kind of paracritter I've not seen before... And then I put a bullet in it. Only the nasty ones, though - no point in huntin' a Talis Cat or such. It's only things like Gargoyles, Barghests, and whatnot. All the work I did with 'em in my youth does a good job of keepin' me alive. Once the job was done, I asked myself: "Ok, Rainbow... where's the best place in East Asia to find some action?" So Hong Kong it was. All the qi-whatsits here mean a bigger concentration of odd critters than you'd usually find in a city.[She pats the barrel of her shotgun affectionately.] Been spending a lot of time down in the storm drains these days. I heard rumors of a 'rat king' down there - where a mess of devil rats get all tied together into some kind of big, awful, rat-beast. Haven't tracked it down yet... But I figure it's only a matter of time, yeah?Let's hope we won't have to deal with anything like that if we need to go down there, one lethal threat at a time please. Plus our rodent diplomat isn't around for this one. See you later, Rainbow. As our final stop of the day, there's a store we haven't visited yet a little past the Elders.  I didn't expect Whampoa Garden to have a tailor's in it. Many people don't. There's a mistaken impression that we Whampoans are only interested in technology and the Matrix. But even technologists need clothing, don't they? And many of us gravitate toward lines of work where added protection is required. I myself am a materials scientist, as well as a keen follower of fashion trends. What kind of materials science? Fiber-related, of course. Primarily aramid fibers, graphene composites, and dilatants. It affords me a certain unique perspective when designing clothing that is not only beautiful, but defensive as well. I specialize in high fashion body armor. Similar to the kind crafted by SecureTech or Vashon Island, but with a much more personal touch. Show me what you have. Wing-Kei sells a couple of new outfits and most of the old ones, so the thread was asked which threads we'd pick up for Taz until our next upgrade with the winner being the classic trenchcoat look, the SecureTech Armored Clothing.  Here we go, wouldn't want to go to war in this but it'll stop bullets from burying quite as deep as before and that'll do for now.  And that's it for today. We did a whole lot of chatting and picked up a bunch of leads, and so next time we'll follow up on them and see where they, well, lead.  Gobbet on Moe Jnebi's music taste: Can you believe this? They've got four bootlegs of Echelon Sixty, the unreleased Enoch Ian Keys double chip show from Brazzaville, but absolutely zero chips from Shotgun Bloom. This stall's stuff is purely second-rate. Hey, man! Don't get down on Echelon Sixty. I saw them when they played that unlicensed show at the old Choco-Tart factory out in Tsuen Wan. The show was amazing, even if the police had to break it up midway through the second set.[The music aficionado waves his hand dismissively.] The show might have been great, but come on. Echelon Sixty's old news. They're already being mainstreamed - I saw a trid ad for the new Mitsubishi Ostro scooter, and they were using 'Main Volt Under-Bus' as the backing music. Made me sad, I tell you.--- The two new outfits sold by the tailor that we didn't pick up:    
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May 13, 2021 14:19
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Kanfy posted:
Kanfy posted:
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May 13, 2021 22:15
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I forget the specific dialogue tree but I distinctly remember Moe Jnebi bringing up our good ol' dragonslayer-punk friends MESSERKAMPF casually. One of those little touches that makes me smile about these games.
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May 14, 2021 00:39
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KataraniSword posted:I forget the specific dialogue tree but I distinctly remember Moe Jnebi bringing up our good ol' dragonslayer-punk friends MESSERKAMPF casually. One of those little touches that makes me smile about these games. not jnebi, but dietrich's band does get a mention in a different place
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May 14, 2021 00:45
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My 'Kickstarter Backer' senses are tingling about Rainbow and Demergo, but my Google fu is coming up short.
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May 14, 2021 10:23
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Everybody on the Whampoa streets screams KS backer to me, except maybe the troll vender guy.
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May 14, 2021 14:33
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I'm starting to wonder if an AI or severely borged-up individual is responsible for these killings. Would fit with the very clinical feel of the hits and the methodical mutilation.
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May 14, 2021 14:37
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Rockstar Massacre posted:Everybody on the Whampoa streets screams KS backer to me, except maybe the troll vender guy. Almost correct, all portraits in this update are backer portraits except the tailor. I don't think the goals involved anything else about the characters though, so they're not backer-written or anything, as per the dev commentary they felt like Whampoa was a natural fit to include a bunch of 'em. Kanfy fucked around with this message at 14:49 on May 14, 2021 |
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May 14, 2021 14:45
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Kanfy posted:...as per the dev commentary they felt like Whampoa was a natural fit to include a bunch of 'em. I was going to make a joke about this, but I think you and the devs have already said everything that needs to be said.
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May 14, 2021 16:41
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Kanfy posted:Almost correct, all portraits in this update are backer portraits except the tailor. I don't think the goals involved anything else about the characters though, so they're not backer-written or anything, as per the dev commentary they felt like Whampoa was a natural fit to include a bunch of 'em. That ex-NYPD guy screams "someone's PC post-game".
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May 14, 2021 17:01
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| # ? May 28, 2024 07:35 |
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Kanfy posted:Almost correct, all portraits in this update are backer portraits except the tailor. I don't think the goals involved anything else about the characters though, so they're not backer-written or anything, as per the dev commentary they felt like Whampoa was a natural fit to include a bunch of 'em. quote:Pledge US$ 1,000 or more 53 people pledged at this level or above. Loxbourne posted:That ex-NYPD guy screams "someone's PC post-game". I could almost HEAR the pseudo noir voiceover while reading his dialogue. AceOfFlames fucked around with this message at 20:37 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 14, 2021 17:18
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