Shadowrock, Book 2 Prologue (Patreon)

Prologue: Trade Chat

(Shadowmen In-Game OOC Forum, Atlanta Section)

Reminder: This forum is for Out of Character (OOC) discussion only. Please direct in-character discussions (including business dealings and the like) to the appropriate in-world forums.

FivePointsHo, TrickyVicki, SorryDaddyIveBeenBad, BigD, Horseman, SnekGurl, Reporter, Zappy, BravesFan, Gameplan, KittyKittyKitty, Ghoulish, Tiny, Anonymous3, Anonymous9, 6969, DoomScroller, Kinky, SororityGirl, RamblinWreck, TechGal, MadeForThis, and RapGoddess are in the chat.

Reporter: So, I confirmed it through my contacts. There was a run trying to infiltrate the Brotherhood of Unity that failed, spectacularly.

TechGal: How spectacularly is spectacularly?

Reporter: Six shadowmen went in, none came out, and there were several explosions along the way from grenades and the like.

Zappy: So, a charity had enough muscle on site to take down a full team?

RapGoddess: Perhaps the charity is not really a charity.

TechGal: Wonder what the team was looking for.

KittyKittyKitty: If you’re talking about the job that went down last week? I can tell you that the Yakuza who have been trying to establish themselves in East Point were looking into them. The charity didn’t want to pay for protection, so the guys in charge wanted to find out whether there was anyone behind them before they started making enemies.

SorryDaddyIveBeenBad: How do you know that? Were you on the team?

KittyKittyKitty: Yes. Full wipe. All six of us.

SororityGirl: Fuck, you were all Beta players, too, right?

DoomScroller: So, they had some serious muscle on hand, then?

KittyKittyKitty: They had something. Not sure what. Looked like someone was playing mad scientist, mixing people and roaches. Tough like spirits, but didn’t disappear when you managed to drop them. Magical weirdness isn’t my department, but maybe they were possessed by spirits, and got weird transgenic augmentations?

KittyKittyKitty: Either way, this is something that wasn’t in the Beta, which means it is the devs surprising us with new plotlines.

Zappy: Well, that sucks that you were sent for a reroll. I’m guessing you’re back in the game, then?

KittyKittyKitty: Yeah, and the devs gave us another surprise. Since we were on each other’s friends lists, and were rerolling at the same time, the game offered a group start package. Basically, allowed us to create a common backstory and write a bit of our street cred reputation, to go with the karma and nucred we got to carry over.

FivePointsHo: Damn, that’s nice.

KittyKittyKitty: Yeah, and they spawned us in a virtual club, just before a meet, so we could basically hit the ground running. Finished up our first job as the new team, and I gotta say this is going to be fun.

SnekGurl: Glad you landed on your feet. Any hints about who you are now?

KittyKittyKitty: Well, I can tell you that we decided that, if we’re doing a group start, we might as well try something that no one else has done, even in the Beta.

BigD: Oh? From what I’ve heard, you Beta players tried a LOT of things. Did you manage to find something new?

Kinky: Yeah, I heard about the group that ran as the Hammergals during the Beta for a bit. Full team of trolls who took mods to get both sets of equipment downstairs, and weren’t ashamed about using it.

BravesFan: Wait, they were real? I thought that was just some Beta players pulling my leg.

KittyKittyKitty: They were real, all right. Including the porn trid they filmed in game to get some extra nucred between runs.

Kinky: Damn. Too bad that got wiped with the different resets before the game went live.

KittyKittyKitty: Anyways, we decided that we were going to be a band. Pop-Rock group, called the Kittenz. Maybe you’ve heard of us?

Horseman: Wait, you’re the Kittenz? Fuck, I’ve been listening to your music all week!

Reporter: Huh, that explains something I had been wondering about.

BigD: What?

Reporter: I have in-game memories of Kittenz being around for some time, with their songs being hits, and there are in-game articles and interviews with them, but they don’t match up with my out-of-game memories.

KittyKittyKitty: That happens sometimes when new characters are created on rerolls, or when they are created with certain qualities. For instance, if you had Atlanta Gangs as a knowledge skill, and a player spawned in as a ‘graduate’ of a big gang, you might suddenly remember them. It happens because the karma you carry over gives you street cred and a bit of public awareness. Qualities like Fame or Distinctive Style, or having high ranks in certain skills can also cause it.

KittyKittyKitty: In this case, we all took Fame (National) and rank 6 in Artisan (which covers performances like singing). So, it isn’t surprising that you got some new memories, especially if you’re tapped into celebrity or entertainment news.

SororityGirl: Woah. That’s so cool! Every time I look, it is like the devs have added more and more layers to this game!

Gameplan: Hey, if you’re part of Kittenz, does that mean the pictures of your lead singer hanging out at that gala with a Congressman are real?

KittyKittyKitty: Oh, yes. Turns out his daughter is a big fan, so I had fun chatting with her.

Reporter: So, your stage name is Casey Rhodes, lead singer of Kittenz?

KittyKittyKitty: Yes, it is. Though I don’t run under that name on the streets, obviously.

Reporter: There were pictures of you getting into the Congressman’s car when you left the gala that night. And then a tabloid picked up a few pictures of you coming out of the Congressman’s house the next morning, and getting into a cab.

KittyKittyKitty: I’m sure there were. I had fun chatting with a fan. Made his daughter’s night, and kept me from getting swarmed with people looking to see how they could use me. Had a bit too much to drink, so the Congressman let me sleep on the couch. He didn’t want me going off and taking a cab drunk off my ass, after all. That would put me in a vulnerable position.

Horseman: You really went to a Congressman’s house, and just slept on the couch?

KittyKittyKitty: What, you thought I’d go to bed with him and his wife? No, I slept on the couch, and took a cab home after breakfast the next morning. Gave the daughter some backstage passes to our next show, and we traded contact info.

MadeForThis: Damn, lucky girl. Gets backstage passes and the comm info of her new favorite band? I would have killed for something like that, when I was a teenager.

RamblinWreck: Maybe I should look into starting a band for my next character.

KittyKittyKitty: Just remember that being visible is a double-edged sword when it comes to being a Shadowman. You have to work twice as hard to keep your shadow dealings from becoming front page news if you’re a celebrity. And the more distinctive your looks, the harder that is.