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Dareon posted:I know a lot of stuff in Dunk's will is chess moves in a bigger game and some is just "Here, a gift." The comics books are probably the latter, Yes, because there's definitely no reason to remind an incredibly powerful Free Spirit board member of a notoriously racist AAA megacorp living in an extremely jingoistic country that other nations do have cultural value. That's not even a hard one.
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May 27, 2021 05:44
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yamatetsu / evo is actually the least racist one they left japan for vladivostok cuz they got sick of japan being racist buttercup has a small storyline somewhere where she was bound to a sinless homeless orks body for a year and a day by the dunk to teach her to be less of a little poo poo. it worked bob dobbs is dead fucked around with this message at 05:49 on May 27, 2021 |
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May 27, 2021 05:46
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Stroth posted:Yes, because there's definitely no reason to remind an incredibly powerful Free Spirit board member of a notoriously racist AAA megacorp living in an extremely jingoistic country that other nations do have cultural value. For all I (we) know he sent her a bunch of WWII-era comics promoting that you, too, can "slap a <rhyming slur>!" I want to say it would be out of character, but tell me honestly, have you ever been surprised when a prominent public figure did a previously-unsuspected racism? ...Nah, you got me there, I'd overlooked the idea of comics as cultural exchange. Honestly, any gift from a dragon should be regarded as suspiciously as a wooden horse showing up at your gates.
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May 27, 2021 06:21
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bob dobbs is dead posted:yamatetsu / evo is actually the least racist one That's a very relative term. Dareon posted:...Nah, you got me there, I'd overlooked the idea of comics as cultural exchange. Honestly, any gift from a dragon should be regarded as suspiciously as a wooden horse showing up at your gates.
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May 27, 2021 09:32
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Except for the ones that are there purely as red herrings in order to distract people.
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May 27, 2021 10:18
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Isn't a major point of Yamatetsu's backstory that they rose to AAA status in part because of their focus on products for metahumans? I know once they became a AAA the Japanese half of the corporate board defenestrated the Filipino half in a self-coup and got rid of the former chairman of the board... and that's when Buttercup showed up as a mystery buyer of 11% of the company. In 2056 they're in the midst of an internecine battle between the conservative Japanese stockholders and Buttercup which comes to a head a few years later and results in the company becoming Evo.
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May 27, 2021 12:39
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iirc Yamatetsu's hat was they were the cyberware guys. The heavy focus on metahumans came with the transition being Evo.
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May 27, 2021 14:18
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Kanfy posted:
...your backup drive. Your backup drive deletes itself if it loses power. Your backup drive.
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May 27, 2021 20:55
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Well, they generally do, yes, except a lot slower, generally. It makes non zero sense for a backup drive against a threat such as your deck eating poo poo when you slip coffee all over it, it makes less sense if the threat is a civil war or a cyberninja or a toxic free spirit.
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May 27, 2021 21:04
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Jothan posted:...your backup drive. One weird trick to make sure people can't find mycrimes.txt !
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May 27, 2021 21:16
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Jothan posted:...your backup drive.
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May 27, 2021 21:39
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Jothan posted:...your backup drive. One that explicitly has a battery backup hooked into it. She wasn't worried about losing power, she was worried about her main drives being fried by attack programs from whoever she hacked. She didn't need long term backups, she just needed mirrored storage for her main disks that would hold together long enough for them to be dumped onto something else in an emergency.
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May 27, 2021 22:59
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Jothan posted:...your backup drive. Stroth posted:One that explicitly has a battery backup hooked into it. She wasn't worried about losing power, she was worried about her main drives being fried by attack programs from whoever she hacked. She didn't need long term backups, she just needed mirrored storage for her main disks that would hold together long enough for them to be dumped onto something else in an emergency. And if she died, there's a good chance the drives would delete themselves and it's one less way for vultures to make off with all her sweet programs. That's an assholish way of viewing things, but also doesn't seem out of character for her.
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May 28, 2021 01:56
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And if she has to skip town it's one less source of information for people trying to track her down.
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May 28, 2021 02:09
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Part 16 - The Monster of Whampoa Garden Previously in our investigation into the Whampoa Serial Killer Case, we searched the disappeared Elder Magpie's store where we found her equipment and stockroom key missing in addition to spotting signs of violence in her bathroom. We also clashed with the Red Spears gang in the garage where the killer wearing some high-tech armor had bladed through a police squad shortly before the Elders decided to let the aforementioned gang move in and shut everyone else out.  Next we're taking this investigation underground into the storm drains. One of the gangers claimed to have seen a man-sized "monster" covered in gore down there, plus all kinds of things related to illegal activities tend to find their way to places like that. Porter Lam is the closest guy who's supposed to have the key (Rainbow the monster hunter being the other) so we'll ask him.  Hey there. Need something else? Do you have a key to the storm drainage system? Sure. Why do you ask? Drop a gun down a grate or something? Following up a lead on the killer.  Sweet. This guy being just openly helpful is real welcome considering what a struggle it's been trying to wring anything useful out of the Elders themselves.  Let's see... "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain"? Sounds like the place, time to take a dive and see what's gotten caught in the undercurrents of this particular neon sea.   Nothing much at first glance. Which can be considered a positive thing, most unexpected encounters in tunnels like this tend to be of the unpleasant kind.  You know, things like a huge pile of gore which is what we stumble upon in a chamber to the west.   This is a whole world of messed up, Taz.[Is0bel takes a moment to suppress a retch.] You think the killer stashed these here? They're stacked. They've been organized! This is our killer, all right. Okay, this job has now crossed firmly into "screw this" territory. We're dealing with someone that's really messed up in the head. I say we find this guy, and put two in his drat head. Hmm. Curious. The arrangement of parts suggests an organized intelligence, but there's no sense of ritual or regular practice in the way they're organized. They're merely placed in such a way as to be conveniently arranged. This arm belonged to a Vor. These are criminal tattoos. The lighthouse shows he tried to escape from prison, or planned to. The words say "All police are dogs." That skull inside a square means he served a prison term for robbery once. What's a Vor? A Vor is a thief. The Vory v Zakone is the name of the organization - "thieves in law". They have strict codes, and police their own. But they don't sever arms and leave them in a pile of gore.Huh, learn something new every day. Piling up limbs in the sewers might fall outside of their portfolio, but grabbing goods from an abandoned tech store could be a different story.  Something else catches our eye in a nearby room housing one of the storm drains.     Well, well, hardly seem like the natural habitat for this particular avian species. Seems we didn't come down here for nothing after all.  After following the tunnels eastward for a bit, we eventually come upon some kind of sewer hideout. A bunch of clearly shady-looking people in here too, though none of them seem particularly monstrous.     I know, Galina. Until Andrey says we're in the clear from the triads, we can't be seen with the goods on the street. They find us, we go back to Vladivostok in sausage casings. Those Red Dragon mudaki don't screw around when it comes to protecting their turf. Who knows... Maybe Aleksandr was stupid and they caught him. Either way, we'll have to lug this crap through the drains for a few klicks. [The ork lifts her chin as she regards you, cracking her knuckles.] What have we here? A curious little pest, come looking for things that don't concern her. What do we do with pests, Galina?[Galina puts a hand on her shotgun's barrel.]  We break them, Vasilisa. And then we hammer a spike through each of their throats, so anyone who sees their bodies knows not to meddle in our affairs. I suggest you stay where you are, pest.Big words, but from where we're looking, neither their guns nor muscle quite manage to match them in size. Doubt we'd have too much trouble handling them in a fight, but it'd be another time-consuming mess, so let's first try to convince them not to do anything they'll inevitably regret. The Whampoan Elders know I'm down here. You start a fight, you're going to have every drone and cyber-junkie on those streets crawling up your rear end. You think those crazy chipheads will give a poo poo about what happens down here? I don't think so.[Racter chuckles lightly.] You're vory v zakone. Thieves. You steal and rob for your living. We're shadowrunners. We KILL people for our living. Which of us do you think will come out on top in this fight?[Duncan sneers at them, spitting on the ground.] Make a move, shithead. Give me a reason to put you down. You thugs think you're so hard... I kill trash like you every drat day. I don't care what you're doing down here, or what you've stolen. We just want to find the person murdering the Whampoan Elders. You think I give a poo poo about what you're doing down here? None of that concerns me. So why the hell should we let you live?Seems there's still some confusion regarding the actual power dynamics of this situation. Maybe turning up our famous personal charm will help clarify things some. (Strength: 5) Try it. I'll feed your face to your friend over there.[Galina's eyes go wide as you speak.] You think... You think I'm scared of you?! If you aren't, you're an even bigger idiot than you seem. Stand down, or face the consequences. poo poo.[Galina lowers the shotgun, though her posture remains wary.] You don't care about what we're doing? We have a job to do. This is incidental. So what do you want from us, then?So glad we could all see reason in the end. Let's chat. Is there anything you can tell me about the murders that I might not know? You think we get out a lot? I wouldn't have even known there were murders if I hadn't bothered to come out to get some soykaf last week. It's none of our business, and isn't our problem, and I like it that way.Figured as much, but the murders and this crew clearly do share at least one connection. You stole Magpie's equipment from her shop. Did you kill her, too? Are you kidding me? And risk the Whampoans coming after us? No. We heard she'd left but her gear was still in the shop, so we liberated it. What's it to you? It doesn't matter to me. Do you know what happened to her? Like she said - we heard an empty shop was full of things we could fence easy enough, so we broke in and liberated anything we could sell. I have no idea what happened to her. I don't live in Whampoa Garden, and I don't want to. You took her keycards as well, didn't you?  Very kind of you. Probably shouldn't waste time looking for your buddy though, pretty sure we encountered a slice of him back there. We found Aleksandr, actually. He's dead. What? How did he die? He stumbled on someone he shouldn't have. Suka! [She sighs heavily.] I don't have time to deal with this right now. But... thank you for telling me anyway. No problem. See you. And that's it for the storm drains. Almost surprised we didn't end up encountering any kind of sewer creature lurking down here in the end, but we sure aren't going to go look for one either. Instead we'll use the convenient ladder here to make our way back up to the surface.   We emerge in the northeast section of the neighborhood, close to Zippy with whom we decide to confirm one of our recent discoveries.  Hey again. How can I help you? We found this necklace. Was this Magpie's?[Zippy turns the necklace over in his fingertips.] Yeah, that's hers all right. Where did you find it? In the storm drains. It was covered in blood.[Zippy takes a long, slow breath and exhales it loudly.] Well, poo poo.[Shaking his head, he crosses his arms.] I guess she didn't disappear after all - at least not in the way I thought. If that's where you found it, she's got to be dead. So why would the killer not make a mess, like he did with the others? That's what I aim to find out. Good. This business keeps getting weirder and weirder. Someone killed my friend. You find 'em, you make 'em hurt for me. Our long sequence of key hunts has finally culminated in access to Magpie's secret stockroom, apparently located within the premises of that restaurant from earlier. There better be some big breakthrough waiting for us here because we're officially running out of leads. And keys.  Definitely no serial killers here unless they've packed themselves in one of those crates.  Interesting place to eat dinner in, though. And not long ago either.  Hm. Wonder what kinda meat this is.   Hey, not bad.  How what's going to be? We go on shadowruns, find strange hideouts... and you eat their food? You've gotten really weird since you left, you know that?It's called conducting a thorough investigation, Duncan. See, this is why we're the leader and you're just the muscle.  But free food isn't what we're here for. The cardboard box in the corner doesn't look to be one of Magpie's, and doubt she slept in here either.    Kinda creepy. We've definitely seen something like this in some book or another, probably a Japanese theatrical mask of some kind?   Starting to sense a pattern here...  Bet there's a real interesting history to all this stuff, but looking at cool trinkets isn't doing much towards finding our...   ...culprit?  You guys uh, might want to turn around.   Huh. Now this is an unexpected development in more ways than one. You're a ghoul. And... You're talking? Yes. I am not only talking, I am reasoning as well. And, since you have not attempted to kill me, your own higher faculties are engaged. I am a curiosity to you. [The ghoul bares his teeth, breath rasping over them as he inhales.] You wish to to know not only what I am, but what I have done. As for who... You may call me Gaichu. I know who you are. You're the one killing the Whampoan elders. You are correct. I have killed all of the Whampoan Elders to date, though only Elder Magpie was according to my initial plan. I regret the deaths of the other Elders, but it was necessary. What does "Gaichu" mean? "Harmful insect." It's the name I have taken for myself, since the word is usually applied to pests - especially ones who drink blood, such as leeches and mosquitos. The first character means "injury" or "evil influence," and the second means insect or worm.(This is true, the Japanese word in question being 害虫. The last "u" is actually elongated so intentional or not, his name is literally pronounced "guy chew".) This affair began simply enough. As you may surmise, I am not someone who can be seen in public without great risk. Whampoa Garden is an excellent place to hide: no police or triad presence, and minimal interest in things that lurk in the shadows. Unfortunately for me, Elder Ng discovered me through communion with her spirits. Rather than kill or chase me away, she came to me with a proposition. That could obviously be a lie, but an alarming amount of things would suddenly make a lot of sense if it were not. [Wu shoots you a sidelong glance, tusks bared as he grits his jaw.] Why the hell are we talking to this thing, Taz? It's a goddamned ghoul, and you *know* what they're like. Really? What, pray tell, am I like? All teeth and claws and bad manners, I expect.[Gaichu's tone is amused, despite the harshness of his rasping voice.] Really? You wanna crack jokes, you cannibal?[Wu takes an involuntary step forward, raising his rifle.] You're the kind of monster that'd devour a family, just because it's convenient. Remember the 162s, Taz? He's just like them. Why should I kill and eat a family? Have they threatened me? Tried to kill me?[The ghoul cocks his head, lips curling back in a scornful smile.] No, I have plenty of food. And I prefer to only devour those who have tried to do me harm. The 162s were a gang, Wu. In the Barrens. Like that makes a bit of difference. Go on, then. Talk to the monster... But I'm keeping my finger on the goddamn trigger.That's fine, best we all stick to what we're good at, which for you emphatically does not include level-headed negotiating in tense situations. I believe that we were speaking of the Elders plans to have me kill Magpie? Surely, you must be a little curious about that. You didn't clean up all of her blood. We found some in her drain. Ahh. Unfortunate. I had thought I was careful enough... Having it on my hands must have obscured my sense of smell enough that I missed the last remnants in the drain. That doesn't explain everything. Afford me a moment, and I will explain the rest to you. I contacted the Elders - not in person, of course - and they arranged to exchange payment. I assumed that since the job was done, Ng would be a woman of her word. [Baring his teeth, Gaichu hisses his next words across clenched teeth.] I was mistaken. That sounds correct, we investigated the scene ourselves after all. And it would answer why that squad was in that garage as well. We saw scarring on the concrete from bullets and a blade. You killed them with a sword? And my hands, yes. My blindness precludes the use of ranged weapons - unfortunate, since I was an excellent shot before I became infected. But my skills in grappling and kenjutsu have only increased. A battle of swords is a clash of souls: mine was stronger than theirs, and they perished.We specialize more in the "crash of bodies" -school of swording people, but the outcome is decided pretty much the same way. A betrayal of that sort cannot stand. Not only was I not paid for my time and effort, the Whampoan Elders treated me like a common animal. And I am so much more than that. Reputation is everything, and I had none. I had hoped to build a network of contacts so that I would be able to continue finding work, but with that treachery, my hopes were dashed. I decided to become the monster that they feared.  So I ask you: what now? What will you do? Will you attempt to finish what the Whampoans started? Or will you treat me with the same humanity I have shown you?Things sure got interesting. Let's confirm a few more things before making any decisions. Let me ask you some questions first. Very well. What would you like know? Did you eat the Elders? Some of them. Not all. My condition requires that I consume raw metahuman flesh. I do not require a great deal to survive - perhaps three to four pounds per week. Consequently, there is vastly more... supply... than demand.Oh yeah, now that he mentions it, this all does explain that food over there that we... hm. ...Well, guess we can cross that one off the old bucket list. Is this part we found from your armor? Ahh. Yes. I felt a ragged edge on one shoulderplate. I assume it was removed when one of the police officers shot me with his rifle. The hazards of war include unkempt attire, unfortunately. Why would the Elders have you killed instead of paying you? The net result is the same, however: they reneged on a deal we brokered, and attempted to have me killed. A message must be sent. Blood must be paid. As they have hired you to kill me, they have obviously not learned their lesson. If we let you live, what will you do? Kill the rest of the Elders, and anyone else they send to exterminate me. It is a matter of survival. Should I ever have the opportunity to work freelance again, potential employers need to understand the price of betrayal. These murders are my curriculum vitae in revenge.Hmm. Finishing the Elders' dirty work for them doesn't really feel right now that we know what sounds like the full story, but Kindly doesn't want to see them dead either, so if we don't take him down here then we'll have to find him something else to focus on. Something suitable for a skilled fighter in need of work, who isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty, has no problem killing cops, and needs to find a place outside of the public eye, plus has a commendable taste in weapons... ...Actually, there just might be something. I've made my decision. Oh? What, then, will you do? How will this story end?Why make it an end when we can make it a new beginning? Come and work with me. I can be your face. A curious offer. And what of the Elders? Will you allow me the satisfaction of killing them? I want to see what they have to say first. Hmm. I would council you not believe their words, but you have the sound of one who is wary as a matter of course. Very well. Let us wait until a bit later in the night. Most pedestrians will be off the street, and it will be easier for us to approach The Whampoa without being noticed. Sounds like a good plan. Once the streets have grown quiet, we head for the Elders' ship mall with our new companion in tow and +2 Karma richer. Oh man, this is gonna be worth it just to see the expressions on their faces.  Evening folks, we and this murderer samurai ghoul over here thought we'd pop in real quick to have a little chat. It seems Porter Lam is here with you as well, he'll probably want to hear this too.  [Porter hefts his pistol warily, but does not aim it at anyone.] Yeah, I have to say... This isn't a good idea. Why the hell is a ghoul in here, and why is it wearing armor? Calm yourselves. I am not an 'it' - and your Elders know this, intimately.[Gaichu bares his teeth in a rictus grin as he turns to face Ng.] Good evening, Elder Ng. I can smell your fear... And I'm glad of this. It means you are learning the price of betrayal. Whoa, whoa... What the hell is going on here?! Can someone explain to me why the ghoul is talking?That's not really the important thing here right now. Gaichu had a contract with the Elders, and they betrayed him. You dare to accuse us of conspiring with a monster and covering it up? You're insane! The very idea is preposterous.[Porter nods at the Elders, looking back to you with a wary expression.] I'm interested to hear what kind of evidence you have to support this theory, Taz. As far as I can tell, this monster killed Tong and the others, and that makes him a threat that should be eliminated. The Elders hired Gaichu to kill Elder Magpie and make it look like she disappeared. You believe this vermin? This creature that feasts on metahuman flesh, that kills and dismembers our tribesmen? You are a naive and foolish woman, if that's the case.[Ng spits on the ground in front of Gaichu.] What proof do you have that Magpie is dead? It's almost astonishing how level-headed this guy is, but we're certainly more than happy to have him as a judge. Good thing we've been nothing but thorough in our investigation. We found Magpie's necklace in the storm drains.[Porter takes a moment to examine the necklace. He nods at you.] This is definitely Elder Magpie's. If you found it in the storm drain, that's suspicious... But hardly proof on its own. Of course it's not proof. The number of things lost down storm drains in Hong Kong must number in the tens of thousands per year. While unusual, it's hardly evidence of foul play. There was a large amount of blood in her shower drain too. So what? Perhaps she cut herself, and washed the cut off. Or perhaps you are mistaken about it being blood. You're simply guessing as to what happened! That's true. It's a guess. And even if it is her blood, that doesn't prove that the Elders hired this ghoul to kill her.[Porter gives Elder Ip a sidelong glance.] The Elders have always protected Whampoa Garden to the best of their ability. She also hasn't been seen in a month, not by anyone. She wouldn't just disappear like that. That may be unlikely, but it's hardly impossible. You haven't established that the Elders were involved - all you've done is make suppositions about it. What proof do you have that we hired and betrayed this creature? I won't sit by and listen to idle accusations without any kind of concrete evidence to back it up.Hey, glad you asked, we're only just getting started here anyway. There's some very literal concrete evidence etched in the walls of that garage, for example. What about the fight with the Hong Kong Police Force? How do you mean? What does that have to do with the Elders and the ghoul? The evidence in the garage points to a fight with someone using a sword. We allowed the police into Whampoa Garden because they were hunting someone. They never told us who or why they were looking for their quarry. It didn't have anything to do with us.[Gaichu hisses through clenched teeth, addressing Porter Lam.] I was only in the garage to collect payment from them. The ordinary residents were warned of the HKPF's arrival and were gone by the time I arrived. That's... suspicious, I admit.[Porter regards the Elders for a long moment.] It still doesn't prove the Elders knew it was the ghoul. This is a piece of Gaichu's armor I found in the garage. The markings on it prove it.[You point out the armor's markings to Porter, and he nods with some satisfaction.] This is from his armor, definitely. But how does it prove that the Elders knew of the ghoul's existence? Obviously, THEY knew what they were searching for. That doesn't mean we did. But you Whampoans don't allow police inside the area. Why make an exception this time? The police were polite, and asked our permission to enter. They were hunting a non-Whampoan. That was reason enough for us to allow them in. See, you're starting to catch on now. Preposterous! Porter, you know what our community is like. We wouldn't lie over something like this. This ghoul has been lying the entire time, trying to cover his tracks. He's still brutally murdered several Elders! That's true. Those murders were vicious and cruel.[Porter fixes you with a hard stare.] I don't see any way to explain that away. This ghoul is a monster for how he killed Tong and the others.This really feels like something even a half-decent investigation of those bodies could've told you, but... Tong's body was a mess, true. But he died quickly, from a sword blow to the neck. That's... not what I would have expected, looking at the body. You killed him before you dismembered him? That's right. And I killed the other Elders in a similar fashion. There was no cause to prolong their suffering. The message was for the living Elders, not the dead. If the Elders wished to treat me like a monster, I would terrorize them like one until they paid reparations for their mistake. Come on, you can't possibly believe this crazy story! It's absolutely insane. We also know Tong wasn't tortured. There was no astral residue of pain or fear. He didn't even feel the blow. That's correct. I struck a single blow while his back was to me. His death was instant. Regrettable that he had to die for your folly, Ng, but necessary to protect my reputation.[Ng glares at Gaichu in stony silence before addressing Porter.] You cannot believe what these people say. They are not to be trusted. And even if this is true, he still killed Tong.[Porter looks back at Ng, his expression flat and without emotion.] Maybe so, Ng. But a monster would not take Tong's suffering into account. He may be a killer, but he's not heartless. All in all the scene of Tong's murder, like the others, was a deliberate sham. It was made to look more horrific than it was. I believe you. The blood smeared on the walls... The removal of his skin... That's a scene designed to evoke horror, not the scene of an actual fight. Elders, what do you have to say in response? I concur. Porter, you know me! You know the kind of person I am! I wouldn't be party to the killing of another Elder! I can't believe we're even entertaining the notion that we have to defend ourselves. We should be disposing of this ghoul instead![Tang narrows his eyes at you, hissing.] If you think I'll forget this, you're sorely mistaken. I will not tolerate this kind of insult.What's that? You want to hear more of our incriminating findings? Why, certainly. The Elders were all too happy to have the Red Spears move into the garage. Almost like they wanted to keep anyone curious about the fight away. That's right... Ip, you even told me not to go find out what happened with the fight. You said the Red Spear gangers were moving in, and to leave them alone. Why would you tell me not to look into it? I was only trying to protect you from the Red Spears! They're dangerous, which is why I wanted to deal with them directly.Yeah, it sure sounded like you had all kinds of dealings with those guys. Also, Magpie's gear was missing - obviously missing. Why didn't Tang tell us that? He would have had to have noticed, and Magpie's shop is locked up. Why didn't he want us investigating? Pure supposition! You think it proves something that I didn't notice equipment was missing? Magpie's shop is always a horrible mess! ...Tang, you did a full inventory of Magpie's Matrix servers. You assured us everything was running fine and you would be able to continue her work. I find it hard to believe you missed something as obvious as missing equipment, especially while searching her stock. That's all we've got.And that was all from just a single night of surface-level investigating mind, who knows what else is out there. It seems pretty obvious whose story here is the one that's riddled with holes. All right. I think I have some idea of what's going on here. And? What do you believe the real story is? Hell yeah, someone bust out the confetti! Death would seem appropriate to me. Especially given that they kept up this charade even to you, one of their most trusted citizens. Don't you dare talk to me like that, you disgusting beast![Ip begins to raise his weapon. Porter reaches out to stop him. Ip reluctantly stops.] Ip, no. Don't make this any worse than it is.[Porter turns to face you.] Thank you, Taz. I'll make certain that justice is meted out. You are free to go, and I will ensure payment is delivered to you - so long as you take Gaichu with you. I can't have him staying here. Wait a second. The Elders need to pay for what they've done. And they will. We'll have a trial and judge them accordingly. I promise you, we'll make certain that appropriate punishment is handed out. You have my word on that. Okay. I'm satisfied by that.Alternatively: quote:
  Your reputation maybe, but our own boss sent us here to put a stop to the murdering of the Elders, not to finish the job. Besides you did openly confess to killing a whole bunch of people in front of the judge and he still let you walk away, at some point you gotta quit while you're ahead. If you're going to run on this team, you'll have to learn to accept my decisions.[Gaichu bows to you, head held very low.] I spoke impertinently, and it will not happen again. You have my apologies. From this point forward, my sword is yours, no matter what decisions you make. On that we are in agreement. But uh, there's no need for the bowing and everything, it's cool. Welcome aboard.   Not everything went as expected but in the end we successfully accomplished the job we were tasked to do, exposed the rot in Whampoan leadership without antagonizing the whole tribe, and gained a badass ghoul samurai as an ally on top of it all. If that's not a job well done then nothing is. Maybe we really are cut out for this shadowrunning gig after all.  - The full name of the music that plays in this mission is "Ghoul Noir". - There wasn't quite enough space for the other mission outcomes of killing (or subduing) Gaichu or killing the Elders, so anything related to that will be shown off later. - Gaichu originally had a different portrait during the kickstarter campaign:  --- Is0bel's response to Galina and Vasilisa's threats erroneously refers to her pre-release weapon type: That's a shotgun. This...[Is0bel gestures at her rifle.] ...is a sniper rifle. And woman, there is a lot of open ground between the two of us. Try your luck. See what it gets you.--- Other ways to peacefully resolve the storm drain conflict is either by the Academic etiquette, the Gang etiquette, or simply by having examined the pile of body parts earlier: (Academic) Look around you. These storm drains act like resonance chambers. The exits on the streets will be like the mouth of a trumpet. The Elders will care if they hear gunfire on their turf.[Galina laughs.] You think I'm stupid? You think you can fast-talk me with some stupid... She's right, Galina. You know how sounds can echo through these tunnels.- (Gang) Andrey is obviously the vor here. You're just enforcers. And he doesn't want a scene while you're in Whampoa Garden.[Vasilisa shoots Galina a sidelong glance.] She's right, Galina. Andrey would have our heads if we had to break cover before the shipment was ready.- Because I know what happened to Aleksandr.[Vasilisa's eyes narrow. She hisses her words through her teeth.] If you've so much as touched him, your suffering will become the stuff of legend, I promise. Where is he? Chopped up in a pile of body parts. The serial killer I'm looking for killed him. Why should we believe you? I think you're just trying to save your own skin. Right forearm. Lighthouse tattoo. Russian words underneath that. On the back of the hand, a skull inside a square. Sound familiar?[Vasilisa and Galina exchange a significant glance.] Okay, so you've seen his arm. That doesn't prove anything. You could have seen it on him! I'm getting pretty tired of this. Down the way in the drains, there's a pile of body parts. His arm is in it. You can go see for yourself. You're right. That is the act of someone very sick. We can talk peacefully. But keep your hands where I can see them.
Kanfy fucked around with this message at 21:40 on May 31, 2021 |
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May 31, 2021 18:22
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NO quote:
Goddammit Taz. 
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May 31, 2021 18:50
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halfway to the cheevo!
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May 31, 2021 19:01
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After someone's 'Grendel' comment I was halfway expecting the soundtrack to be named 'Grendel Neo' or something.
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May 31, 2021 19:12
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Best party member GET!
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May 31, 2021 19:19
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GhostStalker posted:Best party member GET! dont forget to bring him to every social situation possible
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May 31, 2021 19:24
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Gaichu is, indeed, the best.Alacron posted:NO
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May 31, 2021 19:27
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That tasty long porkKanfy posted:Part 16 - The Monster of Whampoa Garden hell yeah
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May 31, 2021 19:28
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Btw, what Racter said about the Vory is true, though I can’t seem to find any sources concerning the lighthouse tattoo. The skull in the square is a thing though.
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May 31, 2021 19:43
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Hahaha yes. Gaichu must be in the party for all public missions, solely for the increasingly ridiculous excuses your party comes up with to get him into places.
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May 31, 2021 20:01
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Ninja Ghoul! Called it! Also AWESOME! Did not expect the elders being bitches to each other to be the reason for the murder. Guess it's not always the corpos after everything.It's almost always corpos AceOfFlames posted:Btw, what Racter said about the Vory is true, though I can’t seem to find any sources concerning the lighthouse tattoo. The skull in the square is a thing though. I thought the Vory dealt in more than theft, and that murder would not be beyond them. Learn something new every day I guess quote:All police are dogs 
argosaxelcaos fucked around with this message at 20:05 on May 31, 2021 |
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May 31, 2021 20:03
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Tasty tasty long pork
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May 31, 2021 20:29
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AceOfFlames posted:Btw, what Racter said about the Vory is true, though I can’t seem to find any sources concerning the lighthouse tattoo. The skull in the square is a thing though. Lighthouse criminal tattoos generally mean 'desire for freedom', but that desire can be expressed in a number of ways, from successful escapes to contrition and willingness to serve one's time. You'd have to look at other tattoos (or know the person's history) to determine the context. As for the skull in the square, it can have additional connotations depending on the placing. For example, if it was on a finger instead of the back of the hand, that would mean that the late Aleksandr did time for armed robbery. argosaxelcaos posted:I thought the Vory dealt in more than theft, and that murder would not be beyond them. Learn something new every day I guess * The main exception is punishment of those who broke the thieves' code. That gruesome duty fell to Vory more often than not. In any case, as Gang!Taz points out, only Aleksandr was bound by the above considerations, not his enforcers. Unless Shadowrun does things differently, "vory v zakone" is the name for the high-ranking criminal authorities, not the organization as a whole.
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May 31, 2021 20:36
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Gaichu is my favorite party member and it kills me he's optional. Imagine not going through as much of the game possible with your new ghoul buddy.
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May 31, 2021 21:06
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Aww yeah, get that human sashimi. Gaichu is an excellent character. And his stance on "kill people so that your reputation is unbesmirched" is 0% him being a ghoul and 100% him being ex-Renraku.
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May 31, 2021 21:25
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Back when we started I suggested bringing Duncan because this was in his wheelhouse but I really just wanted everyone to see him call Taz weird for eating food left lying around.
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May 31, 2021 21:31
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I did not expect an interesting new party member to be a possible outcome of this quest. I wonder what the boss fight with him is like. And the Elders boss fight also. I also have the novel of this game in my kindle but am waiting to read it till after the LP is done. If this mission is in the novel I wonder what outcome Mel Odom picked- hopefully the same one our LP author did. I agree it’s the most interesting.
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May 31, 2021 22:16
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What are Ghouls supposed to be in-universe and why is a talking one a big deal
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May 31, 2021 23:15
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raverrn posted:Hahaha yes. Gaichu must be in the party for all public missions, solely for the increasingly ridiculous excuses your party comes up with to get him into places. Nissin Cup Nudist posted:What are Ghouls supposed to be in-universe and why is a talking one a big deal The vast majority of ghouls are feral because they don't get access to any fresh Essence (or aren't willing to consume it) before their mind snaps and they go feral from hunger. In a way, Gaichu is lucky. As someone who already killed for a living and had a very loose moral code, it was more of a horizontal career move. girl dick energy fucked around with this message at 23:39 on May 31, 2021 |
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May 31, 2021 23:31
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The fact that you didn't name the main character in this LP 'Phooey' is a bloody shame. 
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Jun 1, 2021 00:13
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Alacron posted:NO Cannibalism is eating your own species. That was human flesh, and Taz is a troll. Ghouls are generally kill-on-sight everywhere, because they're usually near-mindless predators and also carriers of a highly infectious and highly dangerous disease. The Lone Badger fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jun 1, 2021 |
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Jun 1, 2021 02:21
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bright line for most ecologists is if you can gently caress and make kids that can in turn gently caress and make kids (as opposed to sterile mules) you are not different species makes determining speciation for nonsexual species a gently caress but otherwise works well. prolly kept it into the sixth world why not
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Jun 1, 2021 02:33
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bob dobbs is dead posted:makes determining speciation for nonsexual species a gently caress but otherwise works well. prolly kept it into the sixth world why not Goblinization fucks it up a bit. Two humans can have a kid that can't have kids with humans.
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Jun 1, 2021 02:40
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The Lone Badger posted:Goblinization fucks it up a bit. Two humans can have a kid that can't have kids with humans. Not sure what you mean here. From what I remember, any metahuman type can reproduce with any other metatype. The offspring will (probably) share a metatype with one of the parents.
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Jun 1, 2021 03:07
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How is the disease that makes people ghouls transmitted? Is it airborne so Taz and the crew are at risk from our new ghoul bro? Or is it something like you get it from being bitten by a ghoul which hopefully Gaichu is going to stay well fed enough to avoid?
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Jun 1, 2021 03:16
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MagusofStars posted:How is the disease that makes people ghouls transmitted? Is it airborne so Taz and the crew are at risk from our new ghoul bro? Or is it something like you get it from being bitten by a ghoul which hopefully Gaichu is going to stay well fed enough to avoid? Bodily fluid contact. A ghoul needs to bite or scratch you in order to transmit HMHVV. Mentioned this before, but there’s a Ghoul nation in the middle of Deepest, Darkest Africa. Run by a Queen because why the gently caress not. Also, the Organlegging syndicate Tanamous exists to supply ghouls with fresh metahuman flesh to quench their hunger and make sure they don’t turn feral. Dunkelzahn’s Will includes a huge nuyen reward if anyone is able to come up with a viable vat grown solution to the ghoul feeding problem. No one has as of yet been able to collect.
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Jun 1, 2021 03:47
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