SDMB Shadowrun Campaign chapter 2: Golden Rule - players only!

The Game Room
301

To the Shaman:

“I made peace with my demons many moons ago. And I’ve been a dead man walking since I first agreed to work for this corp–I just didn’t realize it until after I saved Chaggo’s life on that train. I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be, and at least if I die here, I die on my terms doing what I do best–not on someone else’s terms as I forget to check under my bed, under my bike, or over my shoulder. I won’t spend my life living in fear; I did that once and it just wasn’t becoming. Johnson crossed the wrong guy, and now he’s going to pay for it. I’ll do my best to spare his life for your people’s sake, but if he survives all this I’m still going to hit the fucker in the jaw so hard he’ll be spending the rest of his life eating through a goddamned straw.”

302

What the hell was that? Nail thinks to himself after being embraced by Seneth’s strange, magical ally. He glances over at Seneth, whose expression is its usual state of serene awkwardness. Man, half the time I feel sorry for the guy and half the time he gives me the utter creeps.

After thinking that, Nail’s mind cant help but go over the feeling of immense power he felt from Seneth and his ‘wise master.’ Still, I’m glad he’s on our side, he mentally remarks.

A few agonizingly slow and silent seconds pass by at the East doorway. Putting his game face on in advance, Nail turns to the ragtag band of soldiers at his door and says merely, “Let’s do this.”

303

The shaman smiles. “You are well-prepared, then.”

A full-sized lion strides up to the shaman, coming from behind Goethe. There’s a moment of confusion, until it suddenly dawns on Goethe that the beast is a spirit bound to the shaman. “I have done some preparation, myself,” the shaman says.

Donovan begins a countdown over the comlink.

“Doors open in 3…2…1…GO!” Each of the doors opens simultaneously, as 4509 and the UO crew immediately throw their grenades.

The Synthcorp crew has made similar preparations. A stream of gunfire erupts from behind each of the doors. In front of Seneth, the UO agent hesitates a split second too long before throwing his flashbang. As he hurls the grenade, a bullet pierces the man’s left bicep. He grunts in pain as he retreats back into the service hallway.

The other UO agents and 4509 are not struck by the gunfire from inside. A moment later, and a terrific BANG follows an impossibly bright series of flashes.

Somehow, Donovan’s voice manages to come over the comlink even through the roar of the grenade explosions.

“Make it quick, kids! We’re picking up signs of Synthcorp squads heading your way. We’ll block them off as long as we can, but you don’t have all day.”

“You heard the man,” the Chinook shaman says. “Let’s finish this!” Both the man and the spirit of beasts simultaneously charge through the north door to their fate. The rest of the Chinook follow suit at the respective entrances, shouting battle cries.

Each of the rooms has three of Johnson’s bodyguards inside. The suites each have a door that connects to the central private elevator, and are therefore accessible to each other. Johnson himself is hidden, but will likely be close to Jackal in the west suite.

When Jackal sees Seneth, he remarks, “Oh, good! I get the weak, crazy one!”

304

4509 lobs a high-explosive grenade at the bodyguards in his room, keeping cover around the doorway as much as he can.

305

Goethe will use the wall next to the door as cover, and will cover the shaman. Taking care not to hit the shaman or his spirit–though less worried about the spirit since he has a feeling that any stray bullets are going to to bugger-all to the thing, but at the same time realizing that it’s a waste of a round better suited to a Synthcorp zombie–he will fire a wide long burst followed by a wide short burst for this combat round. If the long burst manages to take out the target, he’ll retarget for the short burst.

306

“Damn, looks like my princess is in another castle,” Nail cracks cooly. Turning to the UO agent he says, “Cover me. I’m going after our main objective.” While Nail would prefer to go around, assuming the Chinook in his squad were not cut down instantly, he will risk going in through the central area in search of Johnson. Besides, he wants to find out the fun way just how exactly Seneth’s spirit ally is protecting him.

307

“Make wise choices, Nail. That power can protect and kill…anyone.”

Seneth casts Fireball at whatever enemies are nearest.

308

Nail follows the Chinook agent through the east doorway. The Universal Omnitech commando is right behind him.

A mystic force protects the Chinook warrior as he charges through gunfire from two of the three Synthcorp agents inside. Nail sees shots that should have killed the warrior cause only grazing damage as the Chinook artfully twists and turns through the gunfire to his first target. As the Chinook warrior raises his tomahawk to strike the agent, Nail sees a spray of blood erupt from a lucky shot which has pierced the warrior’s torso and exited his back.

Undeterred, the warrior shouts his challenge and smashes his hatchet down, nearly severing the Synthcorp agent’s head with a single strike. Even as the man falls, the wounded warrior yanks his weapon free and moves toward the next target, hunger in his eyes.

The third Synthcorp agent sees Nail sprint past the Chinook warrior, toward the central elevator. He has deduced that Nail is attempting to reach the east room through the door.

“Not this time, chum!” the Synthcorp agent shouts at Nail as he catches the adept in his sights and opens fire.

Nail has seen this man’s type before. Musclebound alpha-males who live on adrenaline and think with their fists. So predictable! Nail prepares a witty pun to throw back at the man, seeing his aim is off by a mile. He thinks better of it as the man adjusts his aim at the crucial moment. Nail immediately adjusts his trajectory slightly in an attempt to throw him off, but his previous wounds still haven’t completely healed, and he’s slowed down just enough to doubt himself.

Nail feels the impact of a bullet to his shoulder. He prepares for the familiar rush of pain and vertigo that always follows a gunshot wound, but it never comes. Somehow the bullet didn’t penetrate! Seneth’s spell is surely responsible.

Nail continues through the room, and reaches the central area connecting the four suites. He may enter any of the other suites next initiative pass.

After Nail enters, the Universal Omnitech commando opens fire with two quick shots on the man who fired at Nail. The shots strike the agent’s armor, driving him back to behind cover.

In the North suite, the Chinook shaman and his spirit companion wreak havok on the Synthcorp agents inside. The lion spirit tackles an agent, knocking him to the ground. Immediately the shaman is upon him. He places his hand upon the agent’s face, and snarls, “Die!”

The agent’s eyes widen in horror, and then he goes limp. The shaman looks up triumphantly from his prey, just in time to be showered with gunfire from two remaining agents. He attempts to leap toward another victim, but is knocked to the ground by the force of the bullets hitting him. Mystical protection similar to what the Chinook warriors displayed has hardened his skin, deflecting many of the shots. The protection is not perfect though, and enough damage is done to the shaman that his momentum is completely stolen, and he lies on the ground in agony. The shaman likely won’t be able to participate further.

Goethe and the UO agent enter behind the shaman and his spirit, each placing perfectly-aimed bursts of fire in each of the two remaining Synthcorp bodyguards. Both agents collapse, dropping their weapons.

Goethe and the UO agent have cleared the North room, and may move into the central area connecting the four suites next initiative pass. After that, they may enter any suite they like.

As the others are fighting, a mighty roar comes from the south suite. The entire floor is shaken by concussion from a high explosive grenade. Doubt anyone survived that, Goethe thinks solemnly.

4509 has cleared the south suite, and may enter the transition area connecting the rooms next combat round.

In the west suite, Seneth sees the Chinook warrior pounce upon the cyborg Jackal. The mighty warrior brings his blessed tomahawk down into the cyborg’s chest. The impact is powerful, staggering Jackal. It’s not enough to break through the cyborg’s reinforced bio-armor though. Jackal pulls the Chinook forward by a shirt collar with one hand, and with the other drives a retractable arm-spike through the warrior’s stomach, casually tossing the body aside. He turns toward Seneth, and manages to take only a single step forward before a magnificent blaze of magic engulfs him. The UO agent with Seneth simultaneously opens fire on Jackal, but his bullets simply bounce harmlessly off the ork.

In response to the fire, Jackal raises his arm, guarding his eyes. The synthetic material of his torso is burned away, leaving only melted patches of tissue that no longer resembles flesh. His face is remarkably unscathed, though. The ork cyborg laughs maniacally as he walks through the flame toward Seneth…

309

Goethe makes his way into the center room while saying to the UO guy:

“Follow me, let’s see how the rest of the team is faring. The shaman should be all right for now, but he’s going to need medical attention soon.”

310

I am biting my Nails, pun slightly intended. I don’t want to take my next turn until Mahaloth has a chance to decide what he’s doing in response to his situation.

311

Seneth and 4509 will not act in the next initiative pass, unless they spend a point of edge. Not everyone is quick as Nail and Goethe!

312

Yeah, well, if I was him, I’d be spending a point of edge, and how!

To be honest, Nail isn’t sure what to do next. After entering the central room and seeing presumably nothing, he mentally goes over the plan in his head. I had the east room, Goethe had the north room, Seneth had west, and Mr. Terminator had the south. He gets on his commlink, “Hey, where’s the guest of honor of this party?” He re-iterates himself in case nobody understood his metaphor. “Where the hell is Johnson?”

313

Just so everyone is aware, Seneth and 4509 each have an unused “free” action this round they can use to communicate with Nail if they desire, for example by shouting for help or sending a comlink transmission.

Goethe used his free action to speak to the UO commando with him.

314

Seneth cries out to anyone, using comlinks and screaming:

“Motherfucker! I command you all to immediately come here and help me.”

:there is a brief pause:

More calmly now:

“Anyone, come and help me. I am overwhelmed here by this…thing. I need help. Now!”

315

4509 has nothing to say. He still has his ultrasound emitter and cybernetics scanner online, though.

316

“Damnit,” mutters Nail under his breath, as he without hesitation starts running to help Seneth. On his way, he feels a slight feeling of dread as his stomach pits slightly. If Seneth is having trouble, it must be bad… he thinks, and draws his gun.

317

Rather than leisurely moving to the center room as was the original plan, Goethe starts running to the chamber Seneth is in.

318

As Nail rushes past the Synthcorp agents through the east room, the UO commando behind him shouts, “Go! We’ll hold them here!” Nail darts through the door into the transition area, and hears the sound of intense gunfire behind him, combined with a war cry from the Chinook warrior, and screams of agony.

Then, the sound of Seneth’s barely-contained panic comes from the west suite. It’s cut short by an agonizing squeal. Nail brandishes his pistol and bursts into the room, where he sees Jackal holding Seneth by the throat. At the sound of the door crashing open behind him, Jackal seizes around Seneth’s chest with his other hand, and whirls around to place Seneth between him and Nail.

“You even point that pop-gun at me, I’ll rip his damned head off!” Nail can’t help but hesitate at the threat. He’s quite sure Jackal will do exactly what he threatened. “And you, dress-wearing freak! I even hear you breathe, and you’ll wake up in the Astral in two pieces! Got it?!” There is an edge of desperation in Jackal’s voice. Nail gets the sudden impression of a dangerous, wounded predator, completely unused to defeat, but not willing to admit that he has lost. “Boss! Come on. We’re leaving.”

Johnson timidly opens a closet door he was hiding behind, and slowly walks toward Jackal. He keeps his eyes focused on Nail as he does, and doesn’t dare make a sudden move.

Nail has one initiative pass to act while Goethe makes his way to the room. After that, Goethe will arrive with a surviving UO agent, followed shortly by 4509. Depending on how the combat goes in the room Nail just abandoned, he may also be joined by another UO agent, and a Chinook warrior.

319

Nail keeps his gun just where it is, but he will heed Jackal’s desperate threat and not point it at him or Johnson. Looking at the hulking, cybernetic orc, Nail thinks to himself, Man, once this is all over, I don’t wanna see a vat-job for a looong time.

He then addresses Jackal calmly: “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kill my friend.”

Waiting a few seconds in the tense silence, he continues speaking: “You know, you can’t win. My crew has taken out your guards and should be here any second now. Give up now and I’ll try to persuade them not to dismantle you and sell you for scrap.”

If during this stand-off, Jackal makes any sort of attempt to attack Nail, Goethe, or any of the human members of his crew, Nail will make a called shot to Jackal’s head, using a point of edge to make sure he hits. (And possibly another point of edge, if to take the shot fast enough to prevent a crew member from being hit requires it.)

320

Goethe arrives at the situation and quickly takes stock:

Jackal’s got himself a hostage, eh? A desperate ploy by someone who knows he’s beaten. Of course, his whole gambit plays on the fact that we want Seneth kept alive. After all, if Seneth dies, Jackal’s as good as dead. Which means, Jackal isn’t going to want to kill Seneth, because he loses if he does. Of course, like any cornered animal, he’s not necessarily going to act rationally, but at the same time, you don’t get to where he is without being smart. Ass-kissing only gets one so far. But Johson is his boss, and he’ll know doubt listen to Johnson telling him what to do. But Johnson is not leaving this room. I will not have that prick running free. And besides, Seneth knew the risks going into this.

His mind made up, Goethe acts.

He begins to walk toward Johnson, dropping his rifle and putting his hands up as he does so and saying to Jackal “You know that if Seneth dies, it’s all over for you, right?”

(This should be a simple and free action timewise, since dropping his rifle and moving hands can be done at the same time he walks.

For his last simple action, he slams his fist into Johnson’s face, spending a point of edge with the intent of breaking Johnson’s jaw, thereby fulfilling his self-pledge from earlier, and hopefully rendering Johnson unwilling or unable to protest to Jackal.

As his fist lands, he says to Jackal: “Walk away.”