Nikaigan [Japanimerican Cyberpunk]

[Kazama]

SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!​

N i k a i g a n​

This RP is a mishmash of inspiration drawn from several sources, but a refusal to commit to any one setting. So let me take you to a place made for throwing all kinds of things together and seeing what comes out.

Big City

Several generations ago, after a third world war and during the worst economic collapse in American history, the United States had to bite the bullet and have the international equivalent of a garage sale to pay for rent. In said garage sale, states and property had to be sold.

During this era, California was purchased by Japan who set upon rebuilding the destruction caused by war and economic oopsie-daisies. Fixing up an entire city had a boom town effect. When most of the world is in either a recession or a conflict sparked by bigger conflict (entire countries being reduced to nuclear ash tends to have consequences), a new country being built from the ground up starts to look like a great place to be. Millions from all over flocked to set up shop, work in the construction, and build new branches of their companies. Today, what used to be the Los Angeles sprawl is now the Japanese pseudo country of Nikaigan...

A mega city stretching all along the west coast, dominating the majority of old California. A city built in the image of Japan, by the hands of people from all around the world. A place where no single culture really overtook the other, but rather just melted into one another. A city where people from all over once came to build new lives; and turned into one of the busiest places on Earth. Now that the dust has settled, Nikaigan has become as varied a place in both financial status and living conditions as any mega city worth its salt.

But all that history isn't important. What's important is what we're about to get up to in this city.

And brother, it's gonna be one hell of a ride...

Little People

Nikaigan is a place where everyone needs something. And some of those things aren't easy to find or do. That's where we come in.

Runners

"This really your first run? Just stay close and keep your eyes peeled. You'll be just fine."​

Runners get things done. Or at least they should. We're like freelancers and mercs, but with less bullheadedness and body odor (most of the time). Everyone's got someone to do stuff for them. Companies have PMC's, the government's got the Feds, gangs have their gangbangers, and everyone else gets Runners. We come in all shapes, sizes, and skill levels. From guys you can hire to hit a CEO or a politician, to street level Runners who escort hot cargo, steal stuff, and do other naughty things. Runners tend to be a cut above the average PMC foot soldier or gangbanging thug. We kind of have to be in order to operate.

Runners either work alone, or in small groups. It's sort of what differentiates them from the average gun-toting maniac (and in this day and age, there are indeed enough gun-toting maniacs to create an average). Other than the lack of an organization, anything goes in how a Runner operates or what equipment they use. Whatever gets the job done. Hacking, assault, human augmentation (cheaper than you'd think if you know the right guy), infiltration, drug use (also cheaper than you'd think if you know the right guy), and anything else that'll give you an edge in the field.

Different Runners and Runner groups have different ethics and codes of conduct. Some are okay, even willing to team up with new faces. Some are complete dicks and will shoot you in the back as soon as the job's done. There are even Runners who specialize in killing other Runners.

Runners have become as much a part of the world as the companies, the governments, and the gangs. Even the NPD, Nikaigan's finest boys in blue, tend to admit Runners are dug in too deep and of too great a number to root out entirely. Most police forces around the world give up on aggressively investigating cases involving Runners seeing as there are too many. They're mean streets and they can't sniff up every smoking barrel. Just don't get too comfy. It's still their job to arrest you if they see you firing away. And there are still hard asses in NPD who refuse to back down and will dog you until you're behind bars.

Regardless, everyone, even politicians and CEO's use us. If you thought one-percenters got away with everything, wait till you see what they do with an elite Runner squad. But you've gotta be big to get hired out by the tippy top. Hence the word 'elite' preceding them. And they can do a lot damage. Then again... all it takes is a group of people dedicated enough to scrounge up the cash for a Runner squad just as good or better to give some CEO a taste of his own medicine. Like the six shooter of the Old West, some see the Runner as yet another great equalizer.

We're a part of this city and this world. For better or worse.

Familiar Faces

We are a Runner team. We haven't been together for that long, but we all have a mutual friend in common. A mysterious job fixer and hacker who seems to be everywhere, speaks to us through voice changing software, and only goes by the moniker Sovereign.

"Heist blueprints and plans have been sent to your datapads. Run the deletion software it comes with after you've memorized it. Meet at the safehouse at 0200 hours."
​

Sovereign's the one who put this team together after having worked with each of us alone. They're mysterious, paranoid, and a little creepy considering they've got cameras in the safehouse they've given us. And when I say paranoid, I mean they make the CIA look like forgetful grandma's. But their intel is solid and the jobs Sovereign finds tend to pay better than anything some bar dwelling, two bit fixer can find. Don't get me wrong. We're still street level. We're not corp invading pros. But we're competent. And Sovereign seems to be working up to some big job.

And you heard that right. We have a safehouse. A suite in an abandoned hotel that's been reworked with an armory and has access to a garage. Every good Runner team needs a safehouse they can lie low in that isn't their home. Only an idiot heads straight to their on-the-grid house after a job.

"Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, neighboring suite's been turned into an armory, and garage access is through the elevator in the living room. Clean up after yourselves and take turns stocking the kitchen fridge."
​

We may only be a cut above street level, but with some elbow grease and a little bit of luck, there's a whole lot of ass we can kick.

Got all that? Good! Cause it's a simple premise. We're a team. We're still getting used to each other, but we do some good work. We put on masks and shoot things, steal things, and destroy things for money.

Now get your stuff, it's time for a run.


Setting Info
The City of Sunsets is a big place, and newcomers often have a lot to learn.
The following is a series of informatives that can give a bit background to various elements within the setting. While such information isn't totally necessary, knowing it might be fun and even useful.

Additional information will be added with time. Players will be notified in the thread when new information appears.

The City's Beginning Notable Districts Prominent Groups Familiar Faces Game Mechanics

• Welcome Brochure Excerpt

  Congratulations on completing your Nikaigan citizenship! As a Japanese citizen, you are entitled to all the benefits that both Japan and Nikaigan have to offer! The following pages are an extensive guide to the ins and outs of Japanese citizenship! You are reading this in English. これを日本語で読むには、ここをクリックしてください。用中文阅读，请点击这里。لقراءة هذا باللغة العربية، الرجاء الضغط هنا. Para leer esto en Español...
  Often called The City of Sunsets by its founders, Nikaigan had anything but a humble beginning. The city is currently one of the largest and most active cities in the world. Despite still having its fair share of poverty, financial strain, and crime, Nikaigan is also considered one of the most prosperous cities in the world. The city's growth began slowly, and then grew exponentially once it began to attract people. With the wake of a third world war leaving several countries with economic and social issues, the city's construction acted as a siren call to many struggling groups around the world. It quickly became the new 'land of opportunity' and as more and more people flocked to it, the faster it grew with the help of millions of new working hands. Nikaigan adopted a policy of free entree, allowing immigrants to enter and help build the city. Among other factors, this is considered one of the reasons why the city grew so quickly. The majority of its early working force consisted of American and Chinese immigrants who fled from their respective countries' downfalls. The city also saw a small amount of Russian citizens; however, less and less of them arrived due to Russia closing its borders and making emigration illegal shortly after it began to invade the newly formed countries around it in order to attempt to recapture lost territory. Besides them, refugees and immigrants from nearly all across the globe traveled to the fledgling country. Los Angeles, California had been known as a diverse place in its past; but its metamorphosis into Nikaigan was a whole new thing altogether. During its construction, it was often compared to what the old America once stood for.
  
  Nikaigan's existence wasn't without drawbacks. The environmental damage the city caused was excessive due to its size. While many upper class areas of the city incorporate nature into their construction, the vast majority of it encroached on natural zones and destroyed them. Yosemite National Park is still around, but is now an upper class area with skyscrapers dwarfing the trees (which need to be kept alive by constant professional care). The city being a new country also allowed corporations to perform even more questionable practices than usual at first, since investigations weren't made as thoroughly, or at all due to the city and its infrastructure still forming. Crime syndicates found new markets within the city and dug in during its inception, forming a bedrock foundation within the new country. When overcrowding became a problem, the city solved it by building up, creating monster skyscrapers. It should be noted, however, that Nikaigan did not suffer the same level of overpopulation as other mega cities. While its buildings are large, they are still nothing compared to the mega-structures on the American east coast or any landlocked Chinese city, which feature structures that can house thousands of citizens in what is essentially a concrete box.
  
  The city is still growing to this day, and many areas within its outskirts are still under construction. One site of interest is Kamura, a chunk of the city which is currently being constructed on platforms that extend into the Pacific Ocean. It is a city of diverse variety, from its people, to its prefectures, to its businesses, and even its crime. The boom town effect caused by its inception created a city unlike any other in the current world. While majorly Japanese in identity, it features businesses and prefectures with identities of their own, born from the foreign groups that moved there, and glued together by a metropolitan Japanese canvas. The city stretches from what used to be Southern California, all the way up to the very north where it just barely avoids encroaching upon Oregon. Rumor has it the Japanese are trying to buy Oregon too, but the U.S. is too prideful to sell anymore.
  
  One of the city's biggest competitors in terms of business is Hefford City on the American east coast. This other mega city is often referred to by its nickname, Midnight City, due to the fact that its mega structures block out the sun nearly everywhere save the upper levels; where its wealthiest citizens live. Like Nikaigan, Hefford City dominates its coastline, stretching from Maine, all the way down to around Maryland. Hefford City houses the new capital of the United States after it was moved to New York City and its name was changed to The Carson District. While opinions vary, most are aware that in this rivalry, Hefford City is losing. By a lot.
  
  Today, Nikaigan is a coastal city famous for the orange glow of its sunsets, its bright, colorful canopy of floating advertisements (complete with cartoon mascots and colorful typeface), and for being the home of The International Robot Wrestling Federation's Annual World Tournament (B34S-T0 M4CH0 and RONIN-47 will always be the undefeated champs... in my heart).
  
• These areas aren't all the regions within the city; nor are they even unique; they are, however, examples of the different landscapes found within the city.
  
  
  Chuugetsu Suigusa

  • 
    
    中
    月​
    
    "If you can't find it easily, then it's probably illegal. If it's illegal, then you'll just have to look harder."
    
    
    

    
    A street artist sets up shop underneath an overpass on a rainy night. Street art is commonplace in the Chuugetsu prefecture and many struggling artists get along with similar setups.​
    ​
    Chuugetsu is smack dab in the middle of Nikaigan (or at least close to it). Packed, bustling streets, stores, businesses, street vendors, shady alleys, bumper to bumper traffic. These places are some of the busiest in the city, and often see the most variety in people. From rich to poor, from foreign to Nikaigan born, from cop to Runner; everyone passes through Chuugetsu at some point. A lot of corporations have buildings in this district and the city's equivalent of Wall Street is within Chuugetsu.
    
    One can also find all sorts of shady deals and black markets tucked away in little corners within the prefecture. Most less-that-legal goodies are purchasable here. There are still a few items that are too 'hot' to move through Chuugetsu. You'll have to work harder for those; you won't find them in Chuugetsu.
    
    Most of the people you see in Chuugetsu don't actually live in this district. Most simply come to work here. But those that do live here are often lower class citizens crammed into tiny apartments. Chuugetsu is a good place for business, but's a terrible place to live.
    
    Chuugetsu is spelled with the characters for center and moon.
    
  • 
    
    水
    草​
    "Suigusa's the kind of place where you can just stand next to your window and lose track of time..."
    
    
    

    
    Many children often make the trip to and from school on foot. Suigusa's safe enough to put many parents at ease.
    ​
    One could call Suigusa the polar opposite of Chuugetsu. One of the bigger residential districts of the city, Suigusa's pretty well known for its bright architecture and abundance of leafy plants. The neighborhood is quite far from most industrial districts, and close enough to the bay area to get a whiff of sea salt on the wind if you stand on a rooftop.
    
    While apartments and homes in Suigusa tend to be small, the safety and simple beauty of the neighborhood make it a fair trade for many of its residents. The region's citizens are settled pretty comfortably in the middle class and some even think that the apartments' small sizes are to thank for that. The lack of large housing has kept the neighborhood from being taken for upper classes. In a city as diverse and varied as Nikaigan, middle class living comes in many different shapes and sizes. A small apartment in a quiet, pretty, almost meditative neighborhood is one way of living.
    
    
    

    
    A youth skips school to spend some time alone on a rooftop.
    ​
    One downside to Suigusa is its small roadspaces. There are a few main streets that run through the prefecture, but in between those are little networks of narrow streets where the biggest vehicle you'll see is likely to be a bicycle or a motobike.
    
    There are a few restaurants and stores in Suigusa, but large business mostly make their appearance here in the form of advertisements. Since most buildings are split into many small spaces, companies usually don't set up shop here, though you can still find a few chain restaurants and convenience stores.
    
    
    

    
    A convenience store in Suigusa that remains open 24/7. Perfect for a midnight snack run. It sits upon one of the rail systems that takes trains through the city, with a stop in Suigusa.​
    
    Suigusa's often been called a 'children's neighborhood' due to many families choosing to raise their kids in it. Neighborhoods similar to Suigusa that provide safe family living tend to be called children's neighborhoods.
    
    Suigusa is spelled with the characters for water and grass.
    
    [tab=Benijiin]
• Nikaigan is home to many groups with different agendas and levels of influence. There might be too many gangs to count within Nikaigan, but some of the more interested ones have been listed.
  
  The NPD The 77 Lotuses

  • 
    The Nikaigan Police Department are a city funded force comprised of the multi-departmental police force that attempts to maintain order within the city. Emphasis on attempts.
    
    
    

    
    Officers are given capes during the rainy season.
    ​
    Like most police forces, officers patrol the streets and maintain general order, while more specialized individuals complete a variety of jobs. The average officer tends to spend most of their time on patrol and depending on the district, may see varying amounts of action. Different prefectures often create different identities in their police officers' behaviors.
    
    The standard sidearm of the NPD police officers is the MINASA-03, a 9mm handgun with a ten round magazine. It isn't incredibly powerful, but it's enough to keep the peace in most areas. In harsher districts, officers are sometimes issued a modified version of the MINASA that's retooled to fire .45 rounds, as well as openly carry shotguns.
    
    The NPD SWAT department has always been a pretty busy department in a place like Nikaigan. SWAT officers are often trained to think through their tactics vertically as well as horizontally, seeing as how Nikaigan is a city of up and down as much as far and wide. NPD SWAT officers need to be aggressive and efficient in order to keep up with the influx of Runners and gangs.
    
    
    

    
    NPD SWAT officers are heavily armored, and veteran officers can sometimes even give a Runner trouble.​
    
    The NPD also features a few robotic units. While robotic units never patrol without a human operator, they aren't uncommon, especially in districts where officers may easily find themselves in danger. Having a small number of mechanical police units tends to dissuade any possible attacks from gangbangers.
    
    All in all, the NPD is competent, but struggles to maintain its control. Several districts are out of their jurisdiction since they belong to corporations. Those districts are policed by PMC's, who often have their own interpretation of laws. There have been a few instances where PMC's clashed with police forces. The politics behind such situations are often so muddled that things get brushed under rugs by companies looking to put the bad publicity behind a curtain.
    
    The Nikaigan Police Department's motto is, "Service First And Foremost."
    
  • 
    The term "Yakuza" tends to get thrown around a lot in Nikaigan. While some of the more uninformed users of the word may use it to describe virtually any gangster (and the sprawl of Nikaigan has quite a few gangs here and there), others know that the term is one to be saved for only the most powerful of criminal organizations. There is also the long line of tradition which serves as the final distinction between a Yakuza and other criminal groups. Much more goes into them than just money and influence. A Yakuza is an organization, a business, and a heritage all rolled into one.
    
    The 77 Lotuses is one of the Yakuza organizations in the city, and has quickly become one of the most prominent. It is also one of the more recent Yakuza groups to emerge. It began as a splinter group from the now defunct Orochikai Yakuza. After losing most of its money and influence to other Yakuza, this older group was shattered and whatever territories the opposing organizations didn't swoop up became small cells under new leadership. The 77 were one of these groups, led by an Orochikai lieutenant, Ichiko Hoga.
    
    Hoga came from a long line of lieutenants within the older organization. Her lineage, however, had always been considered loyal and worthy of responsibility, but subservient at heart and lacking in what it takes to have full control and true power. They were often lieutenants, but never king pins. This had never sat well with Ichiko. She was ambitious. A little power was not enough. But when the Orochikai splintered, she was forced to slink away and bide her time with what she had.
    
    Most of these splintered groups fell to opposition or the law in the coming years, but a few managed to stabilize and operate independently. This was the path of the 77 for a while. However, such a small existence wasn't enough for the ambitious Hoga, and she began to set her sights on bigger goals.
    
    
    

    
    Ichiko Hoga wears a red ribbon in her hair. It's significance is known to only an incredibly select few.
    ​
    Hoga turned her sights to the other remainders of the Orochikai. One by one, she offered them a choice. Join her willingly, or after they'd been brought to their knees. Hoga proved herself as a remarkable tactician, a shrewd business woman, and a merciless foe. Those who agreed were allowed to serve her. For those who didn't were shown no mercy. After retaking most of what the old Orochikai had lost, it was time to move onto other Yakuza.
    
    The 77 became one of the fastest growing Yakuza in the city's history. Hoga's merciless conquest swallowed up the businesses and territories of several other Yakuza. In some cases, the 77 swallowed other Yakuza entirely; some of which had been very old and very powerful. Today, they rank among some of the biggest in the city. Their activities often see them shaking hands with large corporations as well as taking on smaller, lower level 'business ventures' such as bank robberies or extortion. They are currently at war with at least two other major Yakuza. Sometimes on the streets, sometimes in meeting rooms; always creeping closer and closer to total control. Ichiko Hoga doesn't intend to stop. She wants more than what she had been trusted with. She wants the city.
• Sovereign doesn't expect us to operate alone. They've managed to find a handful of allies that can provide services and goods we can't otherwise get on our own.
  
  
  The Doctor The Driver

  • 
    
    Alfredo Diaz
    
    
    

    
    "I have solved worse. You'll live."​
    
    Brazilian born, moved to Nikaigan at the age of 14.
    
    A neurosurgeon who used to have it pretty easy. Got hired right after he earned his doctorate, worked at a prestigious hospital, and made enough to live more than comfortably. Then, sometime around his early 30's, a rumor sprung up that he was offering under-the-table services to gangs and Runners, including the illegal administration of cybernetics. There was no proof, of course, but it tarnished his spotless reputation. Lots of peers were pretty happy to see the untouchable Diaz brought down a peg though and his office was given to one of his rivals after he was removed from being head of the cybersurgery department.
    
    What made it even worse for him was that the rumors were true.
    
    After his downfall he got into some pretty serious stuff. He began working at a different, smaller hospital; but developed a drinking problem and a ended up with a divorce on his lap.
    
    Nowadays, he still works there, but he also still offers his services to Runners. Sovereign's worked with him before and trusts him (though that might be because Sovereign's got some leverage on him).
    
    He's still good at his job, he WAS one of the best in the industry. However, the drinking problem means he doesn't exactly show up to the den all bright eyed and bushy tailed. In fact, some would describe him as an angry, paranoid, nervous wreck. This is accentuated by the fact that despite being a doctor with the whole Hippocratic oath thing, he's always packing heat. Just... Just in case. He's a mess, but he's one that's good at its job. He at least stays sober enough to keep the stitches in place and the cybernetics from spazzing out. It should also be noted that you aren't his only customers... but he does have a business relationship with Sovereign, so the team gets... more thorough services.
  • 
    
    Mady Höfler
    
    aka "Frostbite"
    
    
    

    
    "They really want to catch us. You must have made a mess..."​
    
    Born in Germany, moved to Nikaigan at the age of 23.
    
    Mady grew up in a small town in Germany and spent a lot of time working at her father's shop. Before she was born, her father had wanted a son, but instead ended up with her and her sister. Life didn't always work the way you've planned it to, but he made do. Her father had been an engineer in the German military and worked on the German Mobil MechanzKorper; a specialized group of units composed of troopers wearing power armor. After the war, he opened up an auto shop and was determined to live out his years in a small, quiet town.
    
    Mady learned pretty much everything her father had to teach. After high school, while her older sister went on to become a lawyer, Mady continued to work in the shop. She took to it like a fish to water, and became the kind of mechanic who could tell what was wrong with something just by listening to it. After she decided she wanted to see the world, she moved to Nikaigan and opened up her own shop.
    
    It didn't go well. She couldn't really compete with the massive corporately owned shops. Pretty soon she was loosing money like water out of a punctured kiddie pool. She met someone and started working delivery jobs. She could handle a car pretty well. Really well, actually. Having an innate understanding of the vehicles gives you a little bit of a touch. She figured the stuff she was delivering was probably less than legal, but she needed the money.
    
    Then someone asked her that they had a gig. She'd need to be at a certain place at a certain time. Three people with guns would be there, they'd get in her car, and she'd drive them to a discreet location where they'd get off and they'd never see her again. That's it. And it paid several times more than deliveries. Think of it as a... different kind of delivery.
    
    Behind the wheel, Mady is competent. She's good enough to go fast when she needs to and she knows the limits of the car; as well as how to maneuver within them. She likes to personally test out her own 'creations' so driving in a less-than-civilian manner is totally doable.
    
    She's also handy in that she can work on other vehicles as well. She's willing to tune up anything you've got lying around, or even give it a complete overhaul. She can also work on a few non-car mechanics as well. Nothing as advanced as a cybernetic (that requires medical knowledge) but if you've got a broken exo-suit somewhere, she can probably get it up and running.
    
    Mady's a bit of gearhead and pretty likely to geek out over stuff she finds neat. She can talk a mile a minute when excited, and despite being a dexterous mechanic, she can be clumsy with everything else. Her accent's a little thick, but Nikaigan's got a lot of accents anyway.
    
    And she doesn't own an AE86. She built one.
    
    
  
  
• Speech and Persuasion Hacking Mechanic

  • 
    Freeform Speech Mechanic
    
    The speech mechanic is simple and involves navigating the flow of a dialogue in order to find the topic you want and press it until you get the information you desire. While Tabletop RPG's often use chance based mechanics for speech, freeform roleplay is focused more on story, and therefore involves a choice based system rather than a chance based one. It's not a question of if you can get it, it's a question of how bad you want it.
    
    Whenever a player is about to try to convince, intimidate, charm, or otherwise persuade an NPC to do anything that they wouldn't do without persuasion, the player and their character will enter a dialogue.
    Depending on the character in question's persuasive skills, the player will receive a certain amount of Dialogue Points (DP). During the conversation, players can spend dialogue points to perform one of two options.
    
    Change the subject.
    Press the current subject.
    
    The third and fourth options:
    
    Proceed passively.
    End conversations
    
    are free
    
    Press: During a conversation, a subject will come up. The subject is what the conversation is currently about. The topic, so to speak. If this subject is what the player is trying to learn about/get to happen/etc. then the player can press for more information/progress on the subject. If they do that, they spend one point to press it. After that, if this subject was arrived at without the use of Change, they will be informed how many points will be required to get to the bottom of that subject. They can then choose to press it, spending points until they get results, or take another action.
    Some subjects, however, have no end result. These are things like small talk subjects that have no real direction. Pressing these does nothing, so save your points.
    
    Change: If the subject of the conversation is not one the player wants, then the player can spend a point to change the subject. If they spend a point, the subject will change to whatever the player wants. After this, the player will be informed of how many points will be required to get to the bottom of this subject. Changing the subject gives up on whatever subject you are currently talking about. The amount of points required to get to the bottom of the subject you just gave up will increase by one every turn until it reaches one less than its original maximum.
    
    Passive: Remaining passive means the player relinquishes dominance of the conversation. This action is free and does not require any points. When doing this, the NPC will now assume control of the conversation. The subject can change to a different subject of the NPC's choice. If the current subject is a small talk subject, the NPC may keep the conversation where it is.
    
    When a subject's end has been achieved, the player will only be able to change the subject or become passive.
    
    End Conversation: Always available and self-explanatory. Ends the conversation. Can be used at any time, but is usually only suggested after running out of points. Resuming the conversation at another point has the same effect on subject as waiting twenty turns after giving up on them.
    
    The Table Metaphor
    A way to understand it is to imagine the conversation like a table whose top spins around and there are chests on the table. Each chest contains an answer/result that the NPC would otherwise withhold. You have a set of keys. It costs a key to spin the table where you want it. It costs more keys to open the chests since some have more locks than others. And if you do nothing, the table spins on its own and chooses a random chest.
    - Pressing the subject edges you closer to getting the answer you want about the subject you're currently talking about (AKA whatever word is being followed by the は particle in a Japanese conversation.) This is spending a key to open one of the locks on a chest.
    - Changing the subject redirects the conversation to something you want. This is spinning the table to where you want it. This gives up on whatever subject you're currently talking about. This makes all the locks minus the first lock on the chests you gave up on relock one by one every turn.
    - Continue passively gives up on the subject as well and allows the other person to take control of the conversation. You're going with the flow of the conversation instead of directing it. This is letting the table spin on its own.
    - End conversation means you walk away from the table.
    
    Example Conversation:
    Riley the Bounty Hunter wants to know where Dastardly Daniel is as well as how many men he's got with him. However, Riley may not have enough points to get all the information, and so will have to prioritize what he uncovers in depth. Daniel stopped by a bar and Riley is certain the bartender knows, so he strikes up a conversation with the bartender. Riley will start with five points.
    
    Riley: "Mornin'. Whiskey, straight up."
    
    Bartender: "Comin' up. Have to say, you struck me as a whiskey man the moment you walked in."
    (Riley has five points left. The current topic is: Whiskey. Small Talk Subject.)
    
    Riley: (Remain passive.) "Yes sir. Nothing brings a man vigor like drink."
    
    Bartender: "One whiskey, straight up. Say, you seem like a fella who gets around. Where're you headed?" (Riley has five points left. The current topic is: Your Destination. Small Talk Subject.)
    
    Riley: (Spend one point to change subject to Dastardly Daniel's Whereabouts.) "That there's something you can help me with. I'm lookin' for a fella. Goes by the name of Daniel. Dastardly Daniel."
    
    Bartender: "Hmm. Well even if a man like that passed through here, I ain't for giving out information on patrons." (It will take two points to get to the end of this subject. Riley has four points left. Current subject: Dastardly Daniel's Whereabouts.)
    
    Riley: (Press.) "You'd be doin' a whole lot of people a favor. Dastardly Daniel's a loose cannon."
    
    Bartender: "He came through alright. But listen, I don't want no trouble." (It will cost one point to get to the end of this subject. Riley has three points left. Current subject: Dastardly Daniel's Whereabouts.)
    
    Riley: (Press) "Listen. I came to bring a man to justice and I ain't leavin' till I'm finished."
    
    Bartender: "Look mister, I… alright. If you think so… But you didn't hear this from me." The bartender leans closer, "Daniel's taken to hidin' out near Buffalo Peak. There's an old mining tunnel near the south side of the peak that he's been usin' as a hideout." (Subject completed. Riley has two points left. Can no longer press this subject.)
    
    Riley: (Change subject to Dastardly Daniel's Men.) "A man like him's gotta have his gang with him. How many men d'you reckon he's got?"
    
    Bartender: "Mister, now you're askin' me to spill the beans on a whole lotta patrons." (It will take two points to get to the bottom of this subject. Riley has one point left. Current subject: Dastardly Daniel's Men.)
    
    Riley: (Press) "A whole lotta patrons with their faces on wanted signs. Do the town a favor."
    
    Bartender: "There's a lotta men. Enough to make me think twice about telling you too much. Sorry mister, but you're askin' a lot." (It will take one more point to resolve this subject. Riley is out of points. Only options are Passive and End. Current subject: Dastardly Daniel's Men.)
    
    Riley: (End) "Well, thank you for your time sir. And thank you for the whiskey."
    
    Conversation will be done in a private Discord chat and their transcripts will be moved to the IC once finished.
    
    
  • 
    Freeform Hacking Mechanic
    
    The hacking mechanic functions with a similar philosophy as the speech mechanic in that it tests how much you want something over other things.
    
    The hacking mechanic also allocates points to characters, called Hack Points, depending on their skill in hacking.
    
    Hacking involves plugging a hacking device into a terminal, datapad, or other entry into a network and attempting to unlock certain privileges. These privileges are found in the form of Systems that the hacker can access on a hacking tree.
    
    Different Systems have different costs and the hacker will have to try and spend their points on what they believe is most important.
    
    Systems will be arranged in trees. Each level of branches is a tier. In order to unlock systems in further tiers, the preliminary systems will need to be unlocked first. So, there may be things you don't want, but will need to unlock to get to what you really want. Some tiers will branch into two or more systems. Unlocking one means you can't unlock the other, so if a system branches out, you'll have to choose one. Unless you bridge.
    
    Bridging systems together involves going the extra mile to try and get systems out of order. This involves building a connection between two systems in separate trees so that you can circumnavigate rewards you don't want or get adjacent systems. However, bridging systems has a few requirements, and is expensive. Systems must be horizontal to each other in order to be bridged. Finally, bridging costs equal what the system you're bridging to would cost + one extra point at tiers 1 and 2, two extra points at tier three, and so on.
    
    Imagine Systems as doors that need to be opened with a reward behind each door. And some rewards are hidden behind more than one door. Bridging is harder and requires more effort, but that would be like building a tunnel between the rooms you want. Harder, but possible.
    
    Example Hack:
    
    Tuner, a hacker, is trying to get into a bank's security systems.
    The system looks like this:
    
    The Trees are A and B. The Tiers are 1, 2, and 3.
    
    
    
    
    Tier 1 systems cost 1 point.
    Tier 2 systems cost 2 points.
    Tier 3 costs 3 points.
    
    Tuner has 12 points and wants systems A1, A2, A3, and B3.
    Tuner spends one point to take A1. Then he has to choose between A2 and A3. Tuner chooses A2 and pays two points. Normally, he can only have A2 over A3. Unless he bridges. Since he still wants A3, he chooses to pay three points to bridge it and get it as well. He still needs B3, however. He bridges again from A3 into B2, spending another three points to hop onto the other tree. He now spends his last three points and get B3.
    
    In gameplay, each system will have a distinct effect. System A1 may have been "Open Doors" and System B3 may have been, "Open Vault" while System A3 was "Shut off Security Cameras". Hackers will need to decide on what they need the most and how to spend their points most effectively.
    
    Different systems will have different layouts of trees and tiers.
    

 

[Kazama]

Characters will not be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

Rather, characters will be chosen based on their interesting qualities and personalities in order to fill a roster with limited spaces. I will announce when sign ups are closed and inform everyone which characters made it onto the team. While you are posting characters I may comment on them with thoughts and ideas, in order to let you know if anything might need fixing. Once sign ups close, characters will be chosen based on how they are at that point. Good luck!

Character Sheet Template
It doesn't need to be exactly the way I've written it; just be sure to include all the info it's asking for.

NPD Runner Tracking Department: Runner Profile Form I-93

Runner Tracking Number: The NCP assigns numbers to Runners as they profile them. Just to keep track of how many are running around the city. Four numbers. Guys in the 3000's to 4000's have been Running for a while. Runners in the 8000's to 9000's are either rookies, or new to the city. Dudes and dudettes below 3000 are either in their 90's or dead.

Real Name: You've got a real name (probably). Obviously you don't share it with fellow Runners, but you've got one. What is it?

Alias: Runners will adopt code names or aliases. Things to call themselves in the field. Bandit, Seahawk, Brujo, Hex, stuff like that. Names that are easy to attribute to someone. Cause using your real name out in the field is a great way to wake up to a SWAT team in your bedroom. And let me tell you, flashbangs do not make for good bedfellows. Aliases are usually names like these!

Age: How long ago did you ruin your parents' youth?

Blood Type: For reasons.

Appearance: Can be anything that isn't a real image of a real person. Besides that, anything goes. Just something to give us an idea of the Runner's appearance. Can use more than one image. You can also type in a description if you feel there are things the image doesn't get across as well as you want.

History: Information about your background. The usual stuff. Where you're from, what you did, why you did what you did, stuff like that. Why do you even run? Did you need the money? Find no better use for a particular set of skills? Or are you one of those nutjobs that just does it for the thrill?

Psych Profile: What are you like? Are you a nice guy with a heart of gold? Are you a dick who punched puppies? Are you something in between?

Mode of Operation: "What makes me a good demoman?" and etc. How does your Runner get the job done? Skills, baby, skills. What can you do that makes you a good Runner?

Equipment: I know, we all like lots of guns. But which are your favorites? Which ones does your Runner take into a fight most often? Besides that, what kind of gear do you take with you? We all need stuff. Show us your stuff.

Augmentations: Tell me about your metal bits, if any. Some Runners are clean, while others aren't. Best part is, if you're a Runner, you most likely have access to custom jobs. So flex 'em for us.

Day Life: Yes, we do crazy stuff, but we all go home at some point. What's your life like outside of Running? Most Runners live double lives, being a member of society during the day, and shooting shit at night. Some of you might have families. Wife, kids, mortgage, the whole shebang. You'd be surprised how many Runners used to be, and sometimes still are, salary men. How you explain the sudden bonus in cash to the family, that's up to you, but in a capitalist's world, you gotta make money somehow. Hell, you might even be famous and moonlight as a Runner. If rumors are true, there are a few individuals who fit this. Some Runners live off their earnings and manage not to get greedy enough to be a lazy piece of shit when they're not running. Those guys know what's up. Then there are the few crazies that do the Runner gig 24/7/365. But you've got to be a real piece of work to do this and only this full time instead of just whenever a job comes around. Either way. Let us know... who are you really?

Runner Status: Runners are given a status of either Active or Inactive (followed by the reason of inactivity). Active means the NPD's pretty sure you're still kicking and doing stuff. Inactive comes in all flavors, including Deceased, Imprisoned, Retired, Missing, or No Longer Within Jurisdiction. This next one isn't on the table for players, but it's fun to know: If you work in the NPD's Runner department, you may come across a profile whose status is "Undercover (Active)" followed by a number. That means they're a cop. You better not be a fucking cop.

If all goes well, I will be making a Discord server for those who get in so we can OOC chat more reliably and otherwise shoot the shit.
I'll also use it to collaborate with you guys because I intend to set characters up with personal missions and arcs with their player's help.

 

[Sludgemouth]

yo boi here, requesting inclusion

 

[Kazama]

There's no need to request inclusion. Just submit a character sheet.

 

[Sludgemouth]

my apologies, i failed to properly grasp the UI, i will rectify this deficiency directly

 

[Sludgemouth]

Runner Tracking Number: 8121

Real Name: Joseph Merrick Iscariot

Alias: Magos

Age: 35

Blood Type: O-

Appearance:

History:
Magos was orphaned early in life, but was eventually adopted by a member of The Steel Lorekeepers.

The Lorekeepers were a technocratic, crime family lead by a racist. Fully indoctrinated at a young age, and peerlessly zealous, Magos became a soldier in the militant arm of the Lorekeepers. He quickly ascended to the rank of magos, from which he derives his moniker, and strange knightly getup.

At some point Magos had become disillusioned with the practices and way of life of the Lorekeepers. With assistance from a few outside contacts he was able to stage a revolt within the organization, which ultimately lead to many casualties and the dissolution of the Lorekeepers .

Following the Destruction of the Lorekeepers, Magos found himself with no work and many enemies. To his fortune he also had unfettered access to all manner of exclusive tech and munitions, wasting as little time as possible he gathered everything he could conceal and made for a weapons trader that he'd dealt with before. This first run became the start of a long stint of making high value deliveries and various heists during which Magos honed a variety of runner skills. After a long and largely lucrative running stint, Magos began noticing that the runs were getting more difficult and that every lowlife and bandit that wasn't him seemed to know what he was up to, so he bid his long time friend and employer farewell and sought greener pastures, eventually arriving in Nikaigan with a blank rap sheet and a healthy case of culture shock. Fortunately Magos has managed to find the right group of people. Now he has a whole six tatamis of living space. Yes, it's a small space, also yes, he's definitely a stranger in a strange land, but he has his own damn space and no one trying to sabotage his entire lifestyle.

Psych Profile:
Magos has a lot going on, more accurately he has had a lot going on for a while. Magos spent most of his career on his own. If he was on a team it was a one-time deal, and he was back to flying solo. From the time he became a runner until making it out to Nikaigan, Magos had racked up a total of 200 runs with no breaks in his activity. All in the wake of killing many of his former friends and family. Running was less of a livelihood for Magos and more of something to do besides just exist. For runners psychological defects are both a necessity and a death sentence, Magos is no exception. The problem lies in the fact that therapy isn't exactly an available resource for runners, so "self help" is usually the only available treatment plan. The reason why Magos inundates himself with work is to keep his attention away from his latent guilt and shame. He's long given up on the ideal of atonement, and focuses his time on making it to the next day. Since coming to Nikaigan and practically falling into a full time team, Magos is slowly re acclimating to the concept of camaraderie. It's made life a little easier, and he's been enjoying his time so far, in spite of his grumpy demeanor.

Mode of Operation:
As mentioned before Magos carefully plans his runs prior to accepting them and again prior to actually embarking on the job. Due to his long history of running Magos has seen a variety of teams and jobs, making his experience his most valuable asset. Working in tandem with his experience is his ability to know exactly what equipment he needs to pull a job off without incident, so in spite of his preference to dress up like an old timey knight, he will forgo his armored getup if the task needs it. Magos also prefers anonymity and as such has never shown his face since becoming a runner. This allows him conduct plain clothes operations with impunity. He also has a knack for job preparation conducting detailed surveillance and walk throughs of a mark before taking any action.

Equipment:

Armor of the Keepers:

ARMOR

Essentially modern combat armor stylized to resemble that of knights of the middle ages. The armor possesses minor utility and combative features. Most notable of the armor's features are a wide range field sensor which can detect infrared and ultraviolet waves, as well as a targeting HUD which marks and highlights objects designated by the operator.


Weapons: Magos is skilled in the use of a variety of weapons, but favors those prominently used by the militant arm of the now defunct Steel Lorekeepers. He maintains a small assortment of weapons allowing him to carefully tailor his loadout prior to beginning a run, as it's often more viable to carry weapons to counter the most likely threats rather than attempt to carry an entire armory at all times.

Stagger Shot
The MX-210 Stagger Shot is a large caliber pistol designed specifically for use by members of the Lorekeepers. It features unique mass reactive ammunition that triggers a secondary rocket motor to burrow the round into a target prior to detonating. Primarily used for unarmored or lightly armored targets. This weapon is regularly carried on the job due to it's authoritativeness and effectiveness. (Authoritativeness means it looks mean and goes bang good.)

Stagger

Hellion
The MG-666 Hellion is a belt fed medium machine-gun, chambering .338 tungsten tipped SOST rounds and sporting a cycling rate of 650-750 rounds per minute. This weapon does not believe in cover and is incredibly effective in any heavy firefight, but due to it's size and bulk is rarely taken on a run.

MG

Magpul PDR
The PDR's small size and ability to be suppressed make it ideal for non-direct (covert) combat. It fires standard 5.56mm ammunition and is normally equipped for delivery runs.

PDR

Castigator power sword
The castigator is a Lorekeeper exclusive weapon. It primarily functions as a symbol of office, but sports internal kinetic amplifiers making it an effective close combat weapon as well. Its size and weight make it more of an edgy bludgeon as opposed to a proper cutting implement but it gets the job done.

Castigator

Augmentations:

Various life support prosthetics (lung, liver, portions of GI tract.)

Day Life:

Magos is unfortunate in that he has no marketable skills beyond running. This means that he is unable to hold a normal day job requiring him to actively find a means to occupy himself when not on the job. Lately he's taken to emulating his adoptive father's passion for literature, consuming copious amounts of classical and modern literature. Magos' journey into the world of written word takes on a new slant as there is a large amount of classical Japanese works available to him. Something he's not previously encountered. Magos also maintains a small record collection, an accessory to his recently discovered interest in music.

When not being a grizzly old bookworm, Magos likes to take long rides along the Pacific Coast Highway on his excessively large chopper. It's time consuming and gets him out of the house.

Runner Status: At large

Some extra shit about the Lorekeepers

"The Steel Lorekeepers, originally a group formed from the old Pittsburgh steelworkers union, they were under pressure from local government and corporate entities who threatened to drive them out of business if they didn't sell off all of their mills. The union banded every laborer steelsmith and iron monger together, this made legal business action against them impossible, so the opposing organizations began attempting underhanded methods to destabilize the local steel industry. It had the opposite effect, with their membership now including local clergy, police and the odd lawmaker or two. What had begun as a laborer's union blossomed into a full fledged mafia, they controlled local government and law inforcement meaning that any outside interference was held at bay by bureaucracy and obstruction of justice. Then around some forty years ago they ended up with a known white supremacist in charge, he had a weird obsession with german knighthood, he began taking the Lorekeeper muscle and having them dress in body armor that was made to look like plate mail and hand them swords. If that sounds insane, it's because it is, but now mafia thugs were called crusaders who were protecting christian values of the people of most of Pennsylvania. In the end you had a large group of influential zealots, that had a private army and controlled the majority the steel manufacture on the east coast.

The Bike

Greyon:

A custom built chopper Magos bought. He absolutely adores the machine because not only does it complete the knight motif (trusty steed), but it's fast as shit and looks really neat, it's also good for escapes. Unfortunately with Magos now part of a steady team it's become less of and operations asset and more of a leisure activity. Greyon isn't out to pasture, he's just enjoying the retirement life.

 

[R-9 Pilot]

I'll be working on a character once I can. And possibly dragging some other folks in. But mostly, I'm posting to get easy updates and such.

I'll have to decide how I want to set things up, but I've got a pretty solid idea or two to get silly with.

Because a double-post is silly, some questions.

Is biotech common for augmentations, or are we going cybernetics-only?

Make that one question. For now.

 

[Kazama]

Biotech is totally A-Okay.
Any ethical concerns over the use of Biotech can simply just be submitted to the providing companies' complaint department and they'll get back to you in around 30 business days.

 

[Anderiel]

​

Runner Tracking Number: 7836
Myriad Anatoly Casiano
- Locusta -

Age: 24

Blood Type: B-
​

History:
The Casiano family hails from New York, originating before then from Italy and then some Romanian getting mixed in once they reached the states. His father's side of the family mostly descend from members of the Mafia, racketeering and the whole nine-yards level criminals. His mother's side of the family were gypsies and performers, it's a weird mix but Myriad takes pride in the blood that runs through his veins. His parents moved to Nikaigan due to his father losing his factory job in New York, they were lower-class and used to moving around before Myriad was born.

The struggle for income didn't change when they moved to the new metropolitan however, and his father couldn't find a job in the bustling city. He'd then turn to crime, exposing the young boy to violence at an early age. His mother on the other hand became a dancer at a jazz club in one of the shadier districts. Around the time Myr turned ten, his father decided to begin preparing him for the hard life he expected his son to be introduced to he got older. First came how to fire weapons, he'd bring his son to a back alley near their apartment and have him aim at targets painted on trash cans. He was a decent shot, nothing too fantastic but he could hit the target half the time. He'd learn how to handle a knife, and fist-fight from father later on, but Myr back then wasn't so much interested in violence. The boy enjoyed reading, physical science, and chemistry in particular fascinated him the most. At fifteen his mother would be murdered along with a few family friends in the jazz bar she worked at, Papa Casiano would make enemies in his life of crime and it eventually came full circle..

Though rather than it being a rival gang member, it was perceived to be a runner whom did hits on small-time criminals for cheap money. Myriad was especially close to his mother, she being the one who catered to his interest in books and heard the intellectual boy's thoughts from time to time. Losing her hit the boy hard, and it was around this age that Myriad set his mind on becoming a Runner. He took off from home within the year to live on his own, lashing out against his father's strictness and controlling attitude. He'd begin taking on odd jobs and socializing with more experienced people as a means to get an "in" for the line of work he wanted to get into. It was when he met a man named Gomen that he would be set on track to do just that. He was a larger Japanese man that carried a cat around with him, he was wise, knew a lot of people, and had a very intimidating aura about him.. He was a Runner, and an older one at that. Taking the young man under his tutelage, he'd learn as much as he could before taking off on his own.. Gomen still keeps tabs on Locusta, and is someone who knows the Runner's real name.
​

Psych Profile:

Myriad is a human that finds motivation and inspiration in the thrill of life. The dark-red haired figure is often found in alleyways or stalking the streets in search of occupation that may make the poor soul's heart race. Whether it fear in himself, in others, or some mixture of the two, Myriad is distant enough to watch the distraught of others from a distance for his own enjoyment. On the other hand, he will sometimes go out of his way to appease someone whom may bring some form of change into his life. Myriad is constantly seeking to improve himself in a multitude of ways, often feeling complacent if he is not doing something constructive for the majority of the day. Because of these aspects, the man hardly sleeps and uses most hours of the day to appease his creaturely desires and network for his job. Add this whole sum up and you have a false-friendly man which gives off an obviously manipulative aura, he's controlling, cunning, and level-headed enough to thrive within the lifestyle he chose.
​

Mode of Operation: Infiltration and Extraction are what Myriad would identify as his specializations. He's spent a number of years reading the blueprints of countless buildings within the pricier districts of Nikaigan, and as a person which seeks nothing but further challenge, the more difficult the mark- the better. Extraction would entitle, intricately taking or removing something from a source or location. To Myriad, this could mean stealing a distinct hard to locate item from a large building, or, sensitive information from a person.
​

Equipment:​

Tokarev 7.62 x 25​

• This relic of a weapon is Myriad's staple. Often tucked into his waistline or holstered at the belt, this Cold War era weapon was given to the boy way back when he first learned how to shoot. The pistol has a lot of history to it, even before it was placed into his hands and it has been a tradition to add to that history for each owner of the gun.

Garrote​

• Tucked within a wristband at Myriad's right hand is a wound-up, thin, strong, spool of wire that can be drawn and extended to about four feet in length. The wire has a number of uses such as assistance in climbing, being a pseudo-whip, and it's designed use for murdering someone in cold blood through asphyxiation.​

Poisons​

• In honor of his namesake, Myriad is equipped with a plethora of venomous concoctions when on the job. As a man whom is knowledgeable on countless flora and fauna throughout the world, he's spent quite a lot of money perfecting his poison-making art. He stores each substance in color-coded vials in a satchel beneath his coat, and is sleight-handed enough to pluck one from his stache and prepare it in an instant like it's second nature.​

Balisong​

• The last notable item you'd find on the otherwise not-armed to the tooth man is a simple black balisong usually tucked casually into his pocket. The knife is convenient, fits nice and comfortably in the hand, and it's even pretty fun to sit there and play with. All of these things cater to Myriad's interests on every level and despite the weapon not being the most practical, he choses to hold onto it.​

Augmentations:

(AH-SR Medical Grade Prosthetic)

​

• Myriad's left hand is prosthetic, and it's a marvel of engineering that doesn't seem proper on a low-class runner such as himself. The glossy, reinforced, black alloy that coats his hand seems to move fluid and carefully. The hand has no weaponization whatsoever, instead being designed for surgeons who had lost their hand or wished to improve their precision during surgery. It is low-maintenance and rarely gives the man any issues, seeing the loss of his hand as being more of a benefit at this point.

Day Life:
Myriad Anatoly Casiano is a run of the mill every-guy, during the day. He enjoys his milk with a little coffee and lots of sugar, he waves to the school kids as he passes them on his walks, and spends a fair amount of his wandering the city gathering information. When he needs to maintain a functioning adult appearance, you can find him working part-time as the front desk at a pharmacy handing out prescriptions and arguing with drug addicts. Socially he comes across as a socially acceptable, offers minimally to conversations, complains about how boring his job is. He'd have a girlfriend if time permitted it, but with the goals he's set for himself there's not much room for such a convenience. On the other hand, he's got a few people whom he'd classify as friends- which don't know about the other side of his life, and he'd like to keep it that way. In conclusion, he's a mess throughout the day and night but still finds time to partake in his habits.
​

Runner Status: (Active) Ain't no fucking cop.​

 

[Kazama]

Gonna post my character since I kinda want to actually play something.

NPD Runner Tracking Department: Runner Profile Form I-93

Runner Tracking Number:
7933​

Real Name:
James "Jim" Khavinsky

Alias:
Fox

Age:
26

Blood Type:
B+

Appearance:

​

History:
James grew up in a middle class East Coast family. He was raised Jewish, but it didn't really stick with him. Doesn't stop Mom from calling every year and insisting he wear the knitted sweater she sent in the mail for Hanukkah. And she wants to see some pictures of him in it, just to make sure. He was the middle child of three rowdy boys, each of whom his parents had been hoping would be a girl. There was a lot of, "It wasn't me!", "You're all grounded!!!", "Say uncle! Say uncle!", and "I'm going to tan your hides when we get home, so help me!" out of that family.

After high school, Jim spent two years in a university before dropping out due to a general lack of motivation and funding. He spent some time working in an office job and used to go shooting at ranges pretty often. However, his real hobby consists of collecting, watching, and buying a wide variety of 'exotic' goods. You know... stuff from the far east... Stuff that's generally frowned upon if consumed in enormous quantities. No, not drugs. Worse. Anime.
Jim is a huge anime nerd. His place is pretty lousy with the stuff. Figurines, posters, shelves of manga, J-pop, other less dignified merchandise. You name it, he's got it.

But working an office job sucks, especially when the pay makes it hard to support your very expensive hobby. Around the time yet another must-have item was coming out (and something is always coming out), Jim was starting to realize that spending all his money on this stuff might not be a good idea if it doesn't leave him with much. Then, the problem was solved as if by fate, when Jim scored his first Runner hit completely by accident.

He was on his way home from work, and like any responsible driver, he was glancing down at his datapad, browsing the net. By the time he looked at the road and slammed on the brakes, it was too late. The shady figure crossing the street hit his car, and then hit the pavement like a sack of bricks. There was a lot of, "Oh god, oh shit, oh fuck, oh my god, he's dead, he's dead, shit shit shit shit shit..." at first. It wasn't until he took a closer look that the guy seemed familiar. That guy's face was also staring at him from just a few feet away from a billboard with a Wanted notice posted by some PMC. The kind he'd been seeing around the neighborhood for the past couple of days. The reward was a lot. Oh boy was it a lot. After the initial shock, he wondered... should I claim this? Can I even do that?

A short drive with a corpse in the trunk and a plastic fox mask on his face later, and he was walking out of the PMC's headquarters with the reward, in cash, just like that. If one dead guy gets him this much... what else is there? The only party that should feel embarrassed was the dangerous, wanted agent that had been defeated by some dude who'd been texting and driving. In Jim's defense, trench coats are hard to see on the road at night.

With the promise of there being more money at the end of this blood soaked rainbow, James went on to transform himself from nerd to killer, starting with little jobs and working his way up to a stable gig. The experience was, in his own words, "So fucking cool."

After running with a team or two on the East Coast and saving up, he decided to move to the only place for him.
Nikaigan, baby! Because where else would a guy like him want to go?

It's been a year or so since getting to Nikaigan. Despite his... eccentricities, Sovereign seems to acknowledge that he's skilled enough to be placed on this little team. Nikaigan is a dream town for Fox, and he's been enjoying all the novelties to their fullest. Even the vending machines are cool. In fact, the vending machines here are what's extra cool.

Psych Profile:
Fox has a tendency to talk. A lot. So at least you know he's not the sulking type. He's a chatterbox who thinks he's really funny and brings his humor to work with him. Whether or not he's actually funny is up for debate, but he's always got something to say. Humor and general quipping might just be his way of dealing with stress though.

It's already been stated, but he's a huge nerd. He's closeted about it cause he's at least aware that it's not exactly attractive, but it leaks out every now and then. Fawning over something, making a big deal of it, stuff like that. His eccentricities even show in how he operates. The mask... the sword. He just had to have a sword...

He seems to have difficulty taking things seriously, which may loop back into his method of dealing with stress. You can rely on him to pull his own weight on the job, but you can't rely on him not to be annoying about it. There's always a quip, there's always a comment, and every now and then, there's an insult too.

You get used to it...

Mode of Operation:
Fox usually stays lightweight, keeping himself mobile. He's a great shot and years of arcade bullet hells and rhythm games have left him with great reflexes. Who knew all those video games would pay off? In a firefight, he's great for flanking and keeping on the move.

He's also quite the infiltrator. It's just like sneaking out of the house when you're grounded... except instead of punishment being more grounding, it's getting shot instead. It's taken some practice, but mobility helps in getting in and out of places unseen.

Equipment:
Fox's equipment is almost always on the lighter side, preferring to stay agile and remain a hard target to hit. Most of his gear is stuff he's been using for a while, and his loadout doesn't change all that much save for when a job absolutely requires it. He's a guy who sticks with his favorites.
​

​

The BRA-02 (affectionately nicknamed the Brat) is a PDW loosely based on the old P90 design. It fires 9x19mm rounds with a high rate of fire and features a 30 round magazine. It's admittedly a pretty sleek weapon, often used by spec-ops and counter terrorist units. Operators favor it for its ability to deliver decent stopping power with minimal recoil or loss of accuracy. Bigger than a submachine gun but smaller than a full on assault rifle, it's a good balance between firepower and a small size with a light weight. It can also be fitted with a silencer and subsonic ammo for covert (read: super sneaky) operations.​

Also, it looks pretty freakin' cool.

The HKC Model 26 uses .45 ACP rounds in an 8 round magazine. It's a reliable semi-automatic that jams less than its competitors, and for that reason the manufacturer charges an arm and leg for these. Bit of advice from one Runner to another... just take one off a dead officer. The NPD's SWAT teams tend to use these and they're not bad. That's how Fox got his. Just don't go looking for SWAT teams, cause you'll probably get the pistol, but it'll be in your face instead of in your hands. The high caliber means there's a bit of kick when firing, but a few rounds will most certainly knock someone down. They're designed to accept subsonic ammo and silencers for a more stealthy approach. Just like in the spy movies!

​

Ah yes... the inevitable nerd sword. It's a katana. Yeah, I know, I know... just bear with me.

In his defense, Fox isn't bad with it. He's surprisingly dedicated to learning how to use it and his efforts have given him a pretty good understanding of sword play. The blade is a slightly modified H-55, a weapon that used to be handed to some of the heavily augmented Japanese special forces units back when they used swords (Yeah, Japan actually used to employ actual cyborg ninjas. It was cool as hell but too expensive to keep doing it forever). The blade is made from a reinforced titanium alloy sharpened to a near molecular point. The blade also vibrates very slightly (slight enough for its movements to actually be undetectable by the average human sense of touch) but enough that cuts are aided by the practically microscopic sawing movements. It's an expensive weapon and easily the most valuable piece of equipment in his arsenal by a long shot. It's out of his league when it comes to price, that's for sure. Fox never actually says how he got it; or rather, he changes the story every time. So far he's either taken it from ancient samurai ghosts, trained with cybermonks on top of a mountain to earn it, found it at a yard sale, killed a robot Nazi mummy for it, or received it as a gift from Elvis.

There's no way to sugar coat it. Deep down, Jim is a big nerd. Big enough for him to get his hands on this sword and decide he's gonna use it and look cool or die trying.

Augmentations:
Fox is only lightly modified. Jim's never liked the idea of crazy body mods. Not enough to forego them, but enough to try and keep from going chopping any limbs off. He had a reflex enhancer installed once he could afford it and it's worked pretty well for him. It clocks his reflexes down to be a bit faster than the average human being, but there will obviously be faster combatants out there somewhere. Getting it installed was a barrel of fun.

"So you just inject these, right?"
"Yup. Goes right over your spinal cord."
"And it's painless? Cause... Cause that needle, gun, thing looks kinda big."
"Don't worry bro, you won't feel a thing. Don't move."
*pfft*
"HUAAAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAARRRRGH HOLY SHIT GOD AAAAAAAUGH!!! YOU SAID THIS WAS PAINLES-NNNGGH FUCK!!!"
"You wouldn't have let me install it if I told you it wasn't. Come on, put your shirt back on."

Day Life:
Back when he'd first started making money from running, he'd jumped the gun and quit his office job.
He learned pretty quickly that even if you find a way to launder your money, you still need to put something on your taxes so Uncle Sam doesn't come a' knockin'.

He now works at a different office. Wearing a tie, sitting at a desk, throwing paper airplanes, and pretending to work.

He's got friends that don't know he runs. Most of them are other nerds, but he's got a few people who aren't; and are blissfully unaware of his dark secret (Hint: I'm not talking about the running).

He frequents conventions and spends lots of time watching his favorite shows. The kind that you wouldn't want to have to explain to grandma. Now that he's achieved his goal of finding a way to support his expensive hobby, he's able to happily frolic through the PVC plastic. Is there an ethical problem with paying for that new 2134 digma Winter Niku with money that came from someone's bullet-ridden death?
Maybe... but... who cares.

Runner Status:
Active​

 

[R-9 Pilot]

Runner Tracking Number: 6110

Real Name: Oda Honoka
Alias: Diva
Age: 22
Blood Type: AB

Appearance:

Typical sort of outfit

Diva prefers masculine forms of dress, usually wearing suits, particularly when at an actual meet with a client or any other time when it might be appropriate. She's not stupid enough to go wear an expensive armored suit while walking around the parts of town where people will kill you to sell that sort of clothes, but she prefers to look nice, professional and to try and distract from her rather distinct looks. She does have other outfits, including some bulletproof fabric ones that would let her take the stage and look the part.

History:
Honoka was born and grew up in the Nikaigan state. Her family was firmly in the middle class, neither particularly well-off nor particularly poor. When she was in her mid-teens, Honoka auditioned to become an idol at 765 Productions, the local branch of a well-known megacorp's idol entertainment division.

Sometime after her acceptance and medical check-ups, Honoka Oda disappeared. Practically all record of her existence, completely gone. The girl herself resurfaced as Aria Advance several months later, her appearance carefully sculpted to be an ideal human avatar for the popular virtual idol. Although she did enjoy the fame and her life as a performer, it was, as it always is, extremely hard work. And the cutthroat nature of the Japanese pop idol industry hasn't changed with advances in time and technology. In fact, it's gotten to the point where the extensive augmentations Aria had undergone were closer to a standard than simply part of her gimmick.

Vocal enhancements, increased athletic ability to help in performances, and carefully-curated looks were normal enough among Aria and her fellow idols. Sadly, particularly successful performers were a hot enough commodity that long before she became a runner herself, Aria had her share of run-ins with them during attempted kidnappings, orchestrated disruptions of concerts and other live events, and so-on.

She eventually got out of the business around the time she began to hear rumbling about finding a younger girl to be her replacement and persona chips to create an even more accurate representation of the "official" Aria. Even if they were only rumors, she wouldn't stand for it if they were true, and whatever she managed to dig up, it was enough to get her to leave. Violently.

Since her split-up with the company, she's done what she needs to to make ends meet, and has taken up a profession she turned out to already be well-suited to. Of course, the actual combat side of things, she had to work on and practice, but she's survived so far.

Psych Profile:
Honoka is cool, controlled, rational,and adaptable. She sometimes has a razor wit, and is certainly not above unleashing it at appropriate times. She tends to be level-headed and pragmatic about her situation. Running's a job like any other, it just happens to involve being deniable assets to a variety of employers. She's put it that much like her old job, it's almost like prostitution, but there are some important differences. She can also be critical, aloof, indecisive, and slow to forgive. Not that such traits are always bad in her line of work, but some would probably prefer if she didn't complain during the job.

Mode of Operation:
Perhaps odd for someone of her background, but "professional" tends to describe how Diva tends to conduct herself. She'll stick to a fair deal, and will get the job done without trying to steal from or fuck over her employer she'll consider it when it's clear they've screwed her over first, but she considers it professional pride to get the job done to the best of her ability. She prefers an approach which minimizes casualties, favoring non-lethal means of taking opponents down. Those security guys have families, and corps are much less concerned with hospital bills than corpses. Helps keep a low profile.

While she is certainly no stranger to actual combat, Diva does prefer to take a more diplomatic approach when she can, letting her pretty face and people skills open doors and help in gathering information. Entry should involve as little trouble as possible, when a bit of preparation and social engineering will do. Forged IDs and other credentials can go a long way, with enough lead time to prepare them.

Equipment:
HK Mk.23 - semi-automatic .45 caliber pistol sporting a 12-round magazine. Capable of mounting a suppressor and smartgun system, both of which Diva owns for the weapon. Her pistol of choice for more dangerous situations.

SIG Sauer P239 - light 9x19mm pistol with an 8-round magazine. A sort of concealed-carry "walking around" gun for everyday life, or when the Mk.23 is too...unsubtle. Usually carried in a quick-draw holster inside her jacket.

Taser X8 - Modern taser using wireless capacitor darts. One cartridge contains enough darts for four shots before reloading. Another "walking around" weapon, useful for non-lethal takedowns.

Shock Gloves - Electrically-insulated gloves with a wire mesh that discharges electric current with punches or simple touch. Another useful weapon for silent, non-lethal options.

SIG SG 570 assault rifle. Chambered for standard 5.56mm NATO rounds and built with modularity and accuracy in mind. Diva's is a standard rifle configuration with folding stock. She owns a grenade launcher which can be mounted under the barrel, telescopic sight, and smartgun system for the weapon. Generally not something which can be easily concealed, so it's a weapon best not brought along when trying to make it past security teams, at least, not brought on one's person.

Diva has a large assortment of grenades, in both 40mm launcher round and the more traditional hand-thrown options. Flashbangs, smoke, flash packs, high-explosive, fragmentation, tear gas, and even a few knock-out gas grenades all sit neatly in her small arsenal. She also keeps a solid stock of ammunition, including a number of unusual rounds, notably gel and stick-and-shock taser rounds for non-lethal work even with the guns, and a small amount of APDS ammo for her rifle.

When the usual armored suits don't cut it, Diva does own more traditional armored jackets and a flak vest. Nothing too bulky or painfully obvious, even if it's the sort of job to bust in wearing riot gear. She also has a custom-made ballistic mask, for the times when she wants to conceal that pretty face.

Diva also owns a Suzuki Mirage racing bike. There's nothing particularly fancy or tricked-out about it, it's just a nice way to get from point A to point B. Of course she also has a helmet to wear while riding, she won't just trust her skull not to crack open if it hits the pavement at 100 kph, no matter what it's made of.

Augmentations:
Diva's had quite a lot of work done. Some during her career, and some after. The cosmetic alterations are obvious, and commercially available for anyone else desiring the same look. Though the only notable thing, beyond customizations of other things like cybereyes, would be her meter-long fiber-optic hair. It looks and feels almost like normal hair, but can be programmed with color and pattern, and can display plenty of options that would otherwise be impossible, notably by actively glowing.

Diva's cybernetic eyes are not only extremely good quality, they also have a number of vision enhancements and other modifications. Vision enhancement and magnification give her visual acuity much more like a hawk's than a human's. Her eyes also have built-in flash suppression, light magnification for low-light environments, extended visual range into the infrared, and of course the smartlink for her smartgun systems. Like any other pair of cybereyes, she also has the standard image link for displaying images or Augmented Reality overlays.

Her muscles have been enhanced with various biotech treatments to improve her strength, agility and flexibility. She isn't pushed into superhuman levels, but she's still much more capable than she looks. Her vocal cords have been carefully altered, not only giving her perfect pitch, but also enhancing her vocal range, enabling her to very easily mimic the somewhat...autotuned style Aria is known for.

Diva's skeleton has been reinforced with a lacing of carbon fiber and aluminum, increasing overall tensile strength and density. She's a little heavier than she looks, sure, but also that much tougher and resistant to serious harm.

Diva has also undergone a far more extensive procedure to enhance her reflexes and reaction time than a few simple injections. Her spinal cord and other major nerves have been enhanced with additional cultured nerve tissue to expand overall neural bandwidth, putting her on par with some of the types with proper wired reflexes. Worth every penny.

As a modern girl who uses smartlinks with her guns, Diva also has a datajack installed behind one ear. She isn't the sort to use it for hacking, however.

Day Life:
Diva does her best to live fairly frugally between runs, although she does hold down other jobs. She still enjoys singing and performs at a few bars and clubs, some of different repute than others. Between her part-time jobs at bars and the occasional odd job such as a stint as a freelance courier (hey, it's like running, just a whole lot smaller-scale and usually less dangerous), she makes ends meet well enough to keep up appearances. She lives in a small flat and does her best to keep up good appearances around the neighborhood and make sure it's a nicer place to live.

Just when you thought this last job would be enough...

Runner Status: Active

 

[TheTechnologicVampire]

I think I might join this.

Question: Could my runner use cars as her mode of "running"? Particularly what we would consider a modern RX Supercar?

 

[Kazama]

What is she going to do with the car?
A lot of the roleplay (probably like 85% of it) is going to take place on foot, and a big chunk of that is going to take place indoors.

You could make a character who has a specialty with cars, but if that's all they're good for... well... waiting outside in the car is something an NPC can do.

 

[Sludgemouth]

they could work it out as being the team driver

 

[R-9 Pilot]

Given the nature of the job, there would definitely be times when it would be quite nice to have a driver with a very nice (and fast) car. Though, as has been mentioned, it would be best if that weren't the only thing the character does. It could certainly be one of the nice things they bring to the crew, but might want to pull double duty by running drones or hacking or something.

The way I look at it is pretty much everyone will be able to go around and help with whatever sort of mission it is (go into this building and steal/break/kidnap/whatever stuff), but they all probably have their own skills for how they go about it or what they bring to the table. A quick getaway is definitely useful. A good, fast driver would also probably be useful on any jobs that are more about delivery or otherwise moving some hot property from point A to B in a hurry. Anything from running contraband to the Mob's pizza needing to get there in less than 30 minutes so they don't have to apologize and comp the pie...and it's already 15 minutes old.

As for the car, I'd probably look for something hat looks "futuristic", maybe among concept cars, and then give it a nice name. As for the actual role in-game, it may be better if it's more a car that's used in racing, but isn't blatantly a race car, just modified heavily for illegal street racing and similar things. So, a good, fast sport car, that sort of thing.

 

[sun.]

BOI are you serious, I've literally been working on a mish-mash faux-cyberpunk roleplay where you play people of a group called Runners. I think you've hacked my brain, this is outrageous!

Expect to hear from my lawyers soon. They'll have my application for this roleplay. C:

 

[Minerva]

I'm considering joining as the team medic who's a calm Chinese doctor who also runs a small clinic.

 

[Sludgemouth]

Given the nature of the job, there would definitely be times when it would be quite nice to have a driver with a very nice (and fast) car. Though, as has been mentioned, it would be best if that weren't the only thing the character does. It could certainly be one of the nice things they bring to the crew, but might want to pull double duty by running drones or hacking or something.

The way I look at it is pretty much everyone will be able to go around and help with whatever sort of mission it is (go into this building and steal/break/kidnap/whatever stuff), but they all probably have their own skills for how they go about it or what they bring to the table. A quick getaway is definitely useful. A good, fast driver would also probably be useful on any jobs that are more about delivery or otherwise moving some hot property from point A to B in a hurry. Anything from running contraband to the Mob's pizza needing to get there in less than 30 minutes so they don't have to apologize and comp the pie...and it's already 15 minutes old.

As for the car, I'd probably look for something hat looks "futuristic", maybe among concept cars, and then give it a nice name. As for the actual role in-game, it may be better if it's more a car that's used in racing, but isn't blatantly a race car, just modified heavily for illegal street racing and similar things. So, a good, fast sport car, that sort of thing.

This ^^^

 

[RaineSensei]

I wanted to create a character with some pretty heavy modifications made to her body, like she's basically 70% machine. Is that alright?

 

[Kazama]

I'm considering joining as the team medic who's a calm Chinese doctor who also runs a small clinic.

That's totally A-Okay. Every good team needs a medic.

@TheTechnologicVampire
I don't mind a character that's Car-centric, but it's like R-9 Pilot said; make sure that isn't their only saving grace. We could use a driver, but your character will need to do more than just drive. I'm aware that getaway drivers usually don't do anything but drive, but for the sake of story and participation, you'll need to get creative with it. Find a way to go help the team or even go along with them in addition to driving around; otherwise we're likely to only see you at the beginning of a job and at the end of it save for the ones that finally involve a lot of driving. Which will happen, but only some of the time.

As for the car itself, everyone here (including me) seems to have taken to using real life examples as bases to build a more 'futurey' item on. Like R-9 using SG 550 and making it the 570 cause it's the future and whatnot, and my character's PDW being based on the P90. Stuff like that. Also consider having more than one car. A street car is fast and cool, but we may also need something that can carry all of us discreetly. Sometimes you can get more done with a panel van than a souped up street car. Also, I think a two seater or even a four seater sports car might create space problems. Especially since there will probably be more than four of us. And if any of us are tanky...

I wanted to create a character with some pretty heavy modifications made to her body, like she's basically 70% machine. Is that alright?

Being that heavily modified isn't a unique thing in this setting, but it is a semi-rare thing. But I'm not against you having a character like that so long as we get a good reason for it.

There are probably things like military specialists who are 70%, maybe even 80% modded or Runners who took the job too far; or survivors of pretty gruesome accidents... or other reasons. R-9's character is pretty heavily modified due to her past career. Also consider that getting that heavily augmented costs some serious dough. Unless your mods are cheap things that just get you walking again, you're gonna need to cough up the dough unless someone else paid for them, like a government or in R-9's case, an idol company.

To put cost into perspective, modding one body part is like buying a car in financial terms. You can get something cheap that lets you have an arm again but it isn't flashy and has like four grasping fingers... or something expensive that punch through a wall and other crazy things.

I haven't added much on cybernetics so maybe I'll make like a lore page or something where we can put new lore as it crops up.
Assuming this RP takes off.