Durandana's Characters

Zee
Real Name: Aliza Gabrielle Lavallée
Metatype: Human
Sex: Female
Age: 20
Awakened: Adept
Resources: 194,800
Lifestyle: Low (Spoofed)


Attributes
Body: 3
Agility: 2
Reaction: 3
Strength: 2
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 4
Logic: 4
Willpower: 4

Edge: 4
Magic: 4 (3)
Essence: 5.0


Positive Qualities
Analytical Mind
Adept
Chatty
Codeslinger (Hacking into a node)

Negative Qualities
Allergy (Uncommon, Severe, Bee stings)
Combat Paralysis


Active Skills
Cracking Group: 4
Influence Group: 3
Computer: 5
Data Search: 5
Perception: 2
Dodge: 1

Knowledge Skills
English: N
Japanese: 1
Renton Area Knowledge: 4
Cooking: 3
Fashion: 1
Pirate Trid Broadcasters: 3
Data Havens: 4
Matrix Topography: 2
Virtual Meeting Spots: 3
Matrix Security Procedures: 3


Gear
Cyberware
Attention Coprocessor
Simsense Booster
Implanted Commlink

• Response: 6
  
• Signal: 5
  
• System: 6
  
• Firewall: 6
  
• Sim Module
  
• Response Enhancer (Rating 6)
  
• Hardening (Rating 6)
  
• Customized Interface
  
• Optimization (Stealth)
  
• Simsense Accelerator

Programs
Analyze 6 (Ergonomic, Viral Resistance 6)
Browse 6
Command 6
Edit 6
Encrypt 6
Purge 6 (Viral Resistance 6)
Reality Filter 6
Scan 6
Armor 6 (Ergonomic)
Attack 6 (Area (1), Armor Piercing (3), Targeting)
Biofeedback Filter 6
Decrypt 3
ECCM 3 (Ergonomic)
Exploit 6 (Mute)
Medic 3
Sniffer 3
Spoof 3
Stealth 6 (Ergonomic)
Track 3

Outfit
Goggles (Rating 4)

• Low Light
  
• Flare Compensation
  
• Vision Enhancement (Rating 3)
  
• Vision Magnification

Headphones (Rating 2)

• Audio Enhancement (Rating 3)
  
• Spatial Recognizer

AR Gloves
Vashon Island Steampunk Line 5B / 5I

• Overcoat
  
• Slacks
  
• Blouse

Drones
Emotitoy, minidrone (Rating 6) (See picture below)

• Thermographic Vision Enhancement
  
• Personality Software
  
• Lie Detection (Rating 3)

MCT-Nissan Roto-Drone (See picture below)

• Weapon Mount (Normal Size, Internal Visibility, Fixed Flexibility, Remote Control)
  
• Ingram White Knight LMG (Electronic Firing, Internal Sound Suppressor, Chameleon Coating, Trigger Removal)
  
• Armor Upgrade 9
  
• Chameleon Coating
  
• Flashlight
  
• Adaptability 3
  
• Targeting 3 (Automatics)

Contacts:
Warezhouse 24: Loyalty 3 / Connection 6


Adept Powers
Eidetic Sense Memory
Multi-Tasking
Sustenance
Improved Ability (Computer): 2
Improved Ability (Cybercombat): 2
Improved Ability (Data Search): 1
Improved Ability (Hacking): 2



Background
It took Aliza a long time to get into a life of crime, and the transition was extremely gradual. She grew up in Renton, and hardly knew adversity at all until her father died in a vehicle accident when she was 15. Her mother's income alone was not enough to cover their expensive house, so Aliza got a job as a secretary at Brackhaven Investments, an A rating corporation. The job field was very competitive, but Aliza was a whiz with all things virtual, supernaturally so. She discovered early on her magical talents, but for her it was almost a downside, detracting from her interest in technology and the Matrix. After extensive researching, she discovered a tutor on the net who believed that magic could be used to increase one's ability with computers, serving to operate in synchronization with technology rather than in opposition to it. Her job at Brackhaven Investments allowed her to practice those abilities, and before long she was dabbling into the quasi-legal (and often explicitly illegal) activities of network intrusion and software piracy. She managed her official responsibilities and side projects efficiently, using her magical abilities to help her focus on all of it at the same time, but she found herself wanting more, more power, more options! And so she turned to cyberware.

Through a series of carefully manipulated dummy accounts and accounting oversights, Aliza siphoned off money from Brackhaven's operating and financing activities, until she had enough money to go under the knife and get some serious hardware put into her head. Unfortunately, that event signified the end of her legitimate career opportunities, considering it's rather difficult to hide such a large expenditure from a Rating A corporation. On the flip side, it meant leaving to strike out on her own, and a whirlwind period of alternating shady jobs and outrageous partying. As it always does, though, reality caught up with Aliza when she found herself broke and homeless, burnt out on raves with only her clothes and cyberware to her name. And so she turned to building up a relatively steady life for herself, hacking her way into a studio apartment and free taxi rides around the city. In the interest of branching out, Aliza began looking for something more permanent, a way to earn some real nuyen that might help her actually pay for a nice apartment, and something better than soyburgers.


Appearance
Red-brown hair, kept in two pony tails, fair skin, blue eyes. 163 centimeters tall, weighs 56 kg. See picture below (for outfit too!).

Nalan
Metatype: Elf (30 BP)
Sex: Female
Age: 20
Starting Nuyen: 800¥
Starting Karma: 0
Lifestyle: Low (1 month)


Attributes (200 BP, 10 Karma)
Body: 2
Agility: 2
Reaction: 5 (8)
Strength: 2
Charisma: 7
Intuition: 5
Logic: 5
Willpower: 3

Edge: 2
Essence: 2.82


Positive Qualities (35 BP)
Oldtimer 5
Gearhead (Northup Wasp) 5
Juryrigger 10
Ambidextrous 5
Local Fame 5
Trustworthy (Negotiation) 5

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
Day Job 10
Wanted 10
Illiterate 10
Prejudiced (Pjelykosts tribe, Biased) 5


Active Skills (128 BP, 40 Karma)
Longarms: 1 (Shotguns +2)
Gunnery: 5 (Ballistic +2)
Pilot Aircraft: 5 (Rotary Wing +2)
Climbing: 1
Infiltration: 1 (Vehicle +2)
Navigation: 1 (Desert +2)
Perception: 4 (Visual +2)
Running: 1
Survival: 1 (Desert +2)
Aeronautics Mechanic: 3 (Rotary Wing +2)
Armorer: 3
Automotive Mechanic: 4
Cybertechnology: 1
Hardware: 1
Industrial Mechanic: 1
Etiquette: 1 (Karavan +2)
Negotiation: 3 (Bargaining +2)

Knowledge Skills
Turkish: N
English: 2
Uzbek: 1
Kazakh: 1
Finnish: 1
Scavenging: 5
Vehicles: 5
Karavan Politics: 4
Karavan History: 2
Karavan Government: 3
Karavan Stops: 3
Zeppelin Operation: 1
Islam: 1


Gear 204,465¥ (41 BP w/ 535¥ remaining)
Cyberware
Datajack (Alphaware) 1,000
Wired Reflexes (Rating 1, Alphaware) 22,000
Obvious cyberlimb (Lower Arm, Right, STR 3, AGI 10, BOD 8, Armor 1) 10,000
*Bulk Modification 4, 4,000
*Customized (AGI+4, BOD+1) 7,500
*Cyberlimb Enhancements (AGI+3, BOD+4, Armor+1) 750+800+300
*Welding Laser 3,000
*2 Power Clips 600
Obvious cyberlimb (Lower Arm, Left, STR 3, AGI 10, BOD 8, Armor 1) 10,000
*Bulk Modification 4, 4,000
*Customized (AGI+3) 4,500
*Cyberlimb Enhancements (AGI+4, BOD+5, Armor+1) 1,000+1,000+300
*Built-in Utility Kit 1,500
*2 Power Clips 600
Reaction Enhancers (Rating 2) 20,000

Outfit
Armor Vest 3/3 500
Boots/Shin Armor 1/1 200
Goggles (Rating 6) 300
*Image Link 25
*Smartlink 500
*Flare Compensation 50
*Vision Magnification 100
*Vision Enhancement (Rating 3) 300
*Thermographic 100
Subvocal Microphone 50

Vehicle
Northup Wasp (Stolen, Used) 63,600
*Additional Fuel Tank 1,000
*Armor (Rating 20) 4,000
*SunCell 5,000
*Extreme Environment Mod 2,000
*Ejection Seat 500
*Desert Survival Kit 200
Weapon Mount (normal, external, flexible, remote control) (included)
*Reinforced +2,500
*4 Ammo Bins 800
GE Vigilant Light Autocannon 5,000
*Extreme Environment Mod (Level 1) 1 100
*Electronic Firing 1,000
*Smartgun System 400
250 AV Rounds 3,000
500 EX-Explosive Rounds 5,000
750 Normal Rounds 1,500

Sensor
Laser Range Finder 100
Radar (Rating 6) 1,200
Camera (Rating 6) 600
*Flare Compensation 50
*Low Light 100
*Thermographic 100
*Vision Enhancement (Rating 3) 300
*Vision Magnification 100
Environmental Resistance (Desert) 100
Visual Spotter (Rating 6) 3,000

Weapons
2 x Franchi SPAS-22 1,250
*Smartgun System
*Barrel Reduction 20
*Extreme Environment Mod 100
*Sling 10
*Personalized Grip 100
*Custom Look (Level 1) 100
40 Regular Ammo 80
40 Flechette Rounds 400

Commlink
Custom Commlink (Response 4, Signal 4) 1,250
Novatech Navi (System 4, Firewall 3) 1,500
Encrypt (Rating 3) 150
Command (Rating 4) 400
Analyze (Rating 3) 150


Contacts (17 free points, 1 BP)
Dune Rats (Karavan gang): Loyalty 6 / Connection 1 (+2 for 43 members, +1 for District area of influence)
Hayri Vuslat (chop shop owner, Asma tribe): Loyalty 6 / Connection 2


Karma Expenditure (50 Karma)
Strength 2 (10)
Specializations 10 (20)
Climbing 1 (4)
Running 1 (4)
Cybertechnology 1 (4)
Etiquette 1 (4)
Hardware 1 (4)



Background
Life in Karavan is plenty tough already. The subtleties (or lack thereof) of inter-tribe relations compound the harshness of the traveling way of life, and the only way to survive is to find some like-minded people and join into one of the tight-knit communities. But Nalan wasn't provided that luxury. As an orphan, she grew up as an outcast in a city of outcasts, with no location or group to call her home. And yet, somehow she thrived in that environment, enjoying the ultimate of freedoms. She spent her time learning trades from anyone who would suffer her assistance long enough to teach her something useful. Pilots, engineers, traders, Nalan's interests were as varied as the people who taught her, but eventually she began to come into her own, her natural talents and hard-earned skill creating a valuable, if somewhat free-spirited mechanic. Nalan made a living scavenging, tinkering with, and repairing scrap metal and spare parts, and then trading it away to those who needed it. Eventually she even got her own part-time job at a chop shop in the Asma tribe, where she developed a lasting friendship with the shop's aging owner.

Her role as a scavenger and fixer-upper put her in contact with many types of vehicles, from bikes to ATVs to jeeps and even LAVs. It also allowed her to meet some interesting characters, and over the course of a few years Nalan became well acquainted with a juvenile gang that called itself the Dune Rats. Their constant need to push the envelope and accomplish newer and more daring stunts meant a never-ending supply of work for Nalan as she upgraded transmissions, repaired suspensions, and replaced drive axles. Although she never road with them, Nalan was given the rare honor of being inducted into the gang's ranks at a semi-official ceremony recognizing her status as vital to the Dune Rats' operations. The membership status granted her the protection of the gang; her fights were now the group's fights. It was something Nalan had never experienced before, a sense of belonging that had been lacking from her life, and to this day she still hangs out with the Dune Rats, teaching the younger members the ways of the Karavanli and watching them race through the desert even as the older veterans grow up and move on with their lives.

One of the most reckless things Nalan ever did was at the encouragement of her family of misfits, a result of being unused to dealing with peer pressure. At a stop in Erzurum in Eastern Turkey, Nalan sneaked into a police airbase with a very specific goal: to take a law enforcement aircraft out on a joyride. While the other Dune Rats kept security adequately distracted, Nalan, with only a bare minimum of knowledge on how to actually fly a helicopter, blasted out of a hangar in a Northup Wasp, nearly running over several technicians in the process. Much to her surprise, Nalan fell in love with the little chopper as she navigated a series of canyons and valleys to evade the pursuing aircraft scrambled by the airbase, and instead of ditching the Wasp like originally planned, she managed to make it back to Karavan's location at the time, hiding the helicopter and thoroughly removing all RFID and other security devices from it before she dared to fly it again. Ever since that day, the Wasp has been Nalan's pet project, and she's spent more days inside of it and examining its systems than she has any other vehicle in the fleet.

Nearly a year ago a tragic event almost ended Nalan's ability to work as a mechanic in Karavan. It happened on a routine stop when she convinced one of the Kizilkrystal technicians to let her take a look at a damaged engine on the Kalabalik. She had always wanted to get her hands on one of the enormous turbines that move the airships that form the heart of Karavan. Unfortunately, in her eagerness, Nalan forgot her safety practices, and called out for the technician to start up the engine for a test run while she was still elbows deep in its rotors. Her underestimation of the time it takes such a large turbine to start moving cost her dearly, pulverizing her arms below her elbows in the single most painful event of her life. What was left of the limbs had to be amputated, and Nalan spent half a week recovering in a haze of medication and depression. Without her arms Nalan considered her life over; there was no way she could afford prosthetics with her meager income from working at the chop shop, and what good was a mechanic without arms?

Relief from her plight came from the most expected source: most of Karavan. News of her accident spread quickly throughout the tribes and money began to trickle in. Her tireless work repairing vehicles from all ends of the fleet had endeared Nalan to the other Karavanli in a way she had never imagined possible, and through the combined charity of everyone whose life she had impacted, Nalan was given cyberlimbs to replace her severed arms. The whole incident made her something of a celebrity, recognized by her twin cybernetic prosthetics as the girl who lost her arms and fought through it, a heartwarming story of perseverance in the face of catastrophic adversity that all Karavanli can appreciate.


Personality
Nalan stands out as an oddity, her personality seemingly unaffected by her harsh, troubled upbringing. She is a very friendly, open person, with a relaxed attitude that puts the mind at ease. She is adept at noticing small details, but sometimes at the expense of the big picture. In much the same way, Nalan is great with people on an individual basis, but lacks any leadership or public speaking skills. In fact, she is entirely unaware of her own importance and pull in Karavan- any modesty on her part is more likely due to obliviousness than humility.


Appearance
Stands at only 5'8" (short for an elf), weighs 128 lbs. (without her cyberarms). Naturally black hair dyed purple, green/gray eyes. See picture below (please excuse scantily-clad-ness).

Tricks
Real Name: Ashley Kay
Metatype: Human (0 BP)
Sex: Female
Age: 18
Starting Nuyen: 650¥
Starting Karma: 0
Lifestyle: Low (1 month, 2,000¥)


Attributes (240 BP)
Body: 2
Agility: 5
Reaction: 5 (7)
Strength: 3
Charisma: 1
Intuition: 4
Logic: 2
Willpower: 2

Edge: 6
Magic: 4 (5-1)
Essence: 5


Positive Qualities (35 BP)
SURGE III 15
*Broad Auditory Spectrum (ultrasound) (5)
*Celerity (5)
*Satyr Legs (rabbit legs) (10)
*Vomeronasal Organ (10)
Perceptive (Rating 1) 5
Adept 5
Martial Art: Kickboxing 10
*+2 DV to Unarmed Combat attacks

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
SURGE III
*Unusual Hair (short, pink fur) (-5)
*Vestigial Tail (rabbit tail) (-5)
*Critter Spook (more like critter target) (-5)
Impaired Body -5
In Debt -30
SINner
Distinctive Style 2


Maneuvers (8 BP)
Watchful Guard
Kick Attack
Finishing Move
Sweep


Active Skills (118 BP)
Athletics Group: 4
Pistols: 6 (Semi Automatics +2)
Infiltration: 4
Perception: 4 (Hearing +2)
Unarmed Combat: 4 (Martial Arts (Kickboxing) +2)

Knowledge Skills
English: N
Political Arena (FDC area): 3
FDC Corporations: 3
Local Area Knowledge (Virginia): 5
Therapy practices: 1
Freerunning/Parkour: 4
Comic Books: 2


Gear 179,805¥ (30 BP + 30,000¥ w/ 200¥ remaining)
Bioware
Synaptic Booster (Rating 2) 160,000

Outfit
Half-Body Form-Fitting Body Armor Suit 4/1 900
*Biomonitor 300
Vashon Island Corset 2/2 600
SecureTech PPP System (Leg Casings, Shin Guards) 0/2 700
Hardliner Boots 200
AR Gloves 250
Hidden Arm Slide 350
Goggles (Rating 6) 300
*Low Light 100
*Flare Compensation 50
*Image Link 25
*Smartlink 500
*Vision Enhancement (Rating 3) 300
*Vision Magnification 100
Headphones (Rating 2) 100
*Audio Enhancement (Rating 3) 300
*Spatial Recognizer 100

Weapons
Colt Government 2066: 500
*Electronic Firing
*Smartgun System (Internal) 500
*Silencer (Internal) 400
*Trigger Removal 50
*Reduced Weight 500
*Extended Clip 500
*Gecko Grip 100
4 Spare Clips 20
90 EX-Explosive Rounds 900

Miscellaneous Gear
Transys Avalon commlink (w/ Novatech Navi OS) 6,500
*Analyze (Rating 3) 150
*Browse (Rating 3) 150
*Encrypt (Rating 3) 150
*Mapsoft (Rating 5, Denver) 25
Fake SIN (Rating 1) "Patricia Love" 1,000
Fake License (Colt Government 2066, Rating 2) 200
Medkit (Rating 6) 600
Gas Mask 200


Contacts (4 BP)
ShadowSEA: Loyalty 1 / Connection 3


Adept Powers
Nimble Fingers .25
Attribute Boost (Agility) (Rating 1) .25
Freefall (Rating 2) .5
Great Leap (Rating 2) .5
Improved Infiltration (Rating 2) .5
Improved Gymnastics (Rating 2) .5
Improved Perception (Rating 2) .5
Enhanced Perception (Rating 4) 1



Background
Legacy. Usually the word carries a positive connotation. As a second-generation SINless "citizen" of the Confederated American States, the only legacy for Ashley Kay was one of lawlessness and independence. The difficulties in store for her began even before she was born, a complication in childbirth compounded the already dangerous situation. The boon of anonymity from government ignorance came with a heavy toll, and Ashley's father decided the risks of going to a real hospital for the delivery outweighed the benefits. The call proved fatal for Ashley's mother, who slipped into shock from blood loss mere minutes after giving birth, and passed away shortly after from causes that should have been mere minor inconveniences with the medical technology of '54.

The circumstances surrounding Ashley's birth played a heavy role on her upbringing and psychological development. She grew up with her father in the woods of Virginia, a place hidden away from the rest of the world. The isolated location provided the perfect setting to operate a small-time illegal drug manufacturing operation, and her father maintained an elaborate lab in a workshop kept off-limits for young Ashley. After a significant initial investment, the drug industry provided enough income to take care of all their needs. But money wasn't the only thing her father had plenty of, and as the years went on his inhibitions eroded from a continuous stream of homebrewed chemical concoctions.

As a result, Ashley was left mostly to take care of herself. She saw very little of her father, or anyone else, though she never thought of it as neglect. Her entire life felt like a punishment, or mistake. In his drug-induced talkative moments, Ashley's father would tell her about her mother, and the night 'it all went wrong.' The cloudy nostalgia always culminated at a single withheld conclusion, some element her father refused to even admit to her. Something happened that night, something that affected her father more deeply than the death of his wife had. But he never did say, and whatever it was, he took it to the grave with him when he died in 2061, the inevitable drug overdose finally blowing out his heart. Ashley waited by his body for two days, sitting in silence for the only man she knew to wake up. Eventually hunger drove her to her feet, and she went on with her life. Her meals came from the kitchen's food preparation unit, entertainment came in the form of exploring the woods and playing with imaginary friends. The house remained her home, though as time went on it became more of a prison, an evil place whose gravity she could not escaped, no matter how badly she wanted to. The stench of decay filled the house, in spite of all the blankets Ashley had piled against the door to daddy's room.

Relief came two months later when some associates of her father's decided to investigate his silence. When it became clear he wasn't around, they quickly came to a consensus and got to work. They looted the workshop and took the entire stash of drugs, and it was only due to their greed that they found Ashley as they searched for things to steal from the house. In a moment of half-hearted compassion, they forcefully removed her from the house and dropped her off at a youth treatment center before leaving to enjoy their spoils.

After a series of psychological examinations, Ashley was diagnosed with attachment disorder and determined to have severely retarded social development. These findings motivated a series of transfers for Ashley, who was sent to a variety of psychiatric institutions and containment facilities, always in the interest of finding the right conditions to undo some of the trauma caused by her childhood. In some ways it helped; Ashley learned to recognize the importance of faces differientiate facial features, perhaps staving off sociopathy later in life. But there was only so much that discussions, mandatory group playtime, and mind-numbing medicines could do to counter the damge to her psyche, and Ashley remained troubled.

Life in the charge of government child care specialists was far from perfect, but Ashley remained on the track to rehibalitation, and her doctors foresaw her growing up to become a contributing member of society. Then in 2067, an aggressive, though mostly harmless, disease spread through the orphan population. Most of the children experienced very mild symptoms, but for a few it was something more. The sickness originated from an awakened virus, and when it hit Ashley it was immediately clear something was seriously wrong. In Ashley the disease presented with a tremendous fever, convulsions, crippling nausea, and other symptoms which seemingly originated at random intervals and at wildly changing magnitudes. No medical treatment could ease her suffering, and she was quarantined to prevent the spread of what seemed like a new, more deadly strain of virus. Ashley laid in bed, drifting in and out of consciousness for nearly a month, with only the beeping of the machines monitoring her health to keep her company. After four weeks had passed since first infected, Ashley simply awoke. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, wondering where the aches and pains that had wracked her body went. When no one came to check on her, she decided to stand, and immediately collapsed to the ground. The virus had twisted her legs hideously. So she crawled to the door, calling out for help. When someone finally answered her pleas, they shrieked, reeling away at the sight of her.

It took some time before Ashley managed to get a mirror so she could see the changes her body had undergone. Her skin, once free of hair, was coated in a soft, downy fur, tinged with pink. Her ears, previously normal human ears, now moved according to her mood and attention, and heard things she had never heard before. It didn't take long to identify the transformation as class III SURGE, and the staff at the care center made sure to emphasize to Ashley that she was still the same person, even if her body had gone through a metamorphasis. Ashley refused to believe it. For her, the old Ashley had died during that month of agony, and a new person born into the space she occupied. It was a liberating thought, exhilerating even, and after four months of physical therapy relearning how to walk with an animal's legs, she escaped through a window, and left the government's care behind for good.


Five years later and Ashley is still discovering her capabilities. After leaving the orphanage she returned to her roots, reconnecting to her legacy as a person who officially doesn't exist. She turned to a life in the shadows, living off the grid and sleeping whereever she could find a moment's rest. Although the Virginia area had very little in the way of illegal mercenary type jobs, it was an easy task to cross the border into UCAS and find work in DeeCee. Political intrigue combined with heavy security and a strong military present to create the perfect breeding ground for the need to hire deniable assets. Ashley grew into her new body in more ways than one, developing supernatural abilities as she ran the shadows. SURGE left her attuned to magic in a way she had never imagined possible, subconsciously converting the mystical power at her fingertips into physical advantages that kept her alive. She learned to shoot straight, to defend herself, and to remain unseen.

The most recent step in her personal growth turned out to be a very poor decision based on a loose understanding of financing. Wanting an edge on her opponents, Ashley went to a less than scrupulous body mod clinic, checking herself in using a false SIN. She went under the knife to have her brain augmented without having all of the money needed to cover the operation and bioware, but the clinic had a payment plan that made it sound possible to afford the upgrade earlier. Unfortunately, 'payment plan' has turned to 'indentured servitude', and the normal small-time jobs of DeeCee aren't enough to cover the rising interest costs. Ashley turned to a higher stakes job with a team of 'runners, but the operation ended disastrously, and she only narrowly escaped with her life. Now it's on to find the next job... and maybe a change of scenery while the situation (and the twisted wreckage of the rigger's Citymaster) cool off.



Appearance
Easily spotted in a crowd, Tricks is a full-blown class III changeling, exhibiting animal-like physiological mutations. Her particular brand of SURGE appears to take after the common rabbit, resulting in elongated (and highly sensitive) ears, a covering of short, light pink fur, a small tail protruding from the back at the base of the spine, and fully functional digitigrade legs (for a better idea of what her legs look like, see this picture. Just for the legs though).

Due to the malformation of her legs, Tricks reaches a mere 155 centimeters (5'1") when standing idly, though she can stretch up to 172 centimeters (5'8"). She weighs a total of 40 kilograms (88 lbs), possibly a result of decreased bone density coupled with an extremely low body fat percentage. See picture attached below:

Ten
Real Name: Frederick Keyes
Metatype: Troll (40 BP)
Sex: Male
Age: 14
Starting Nuyen: 2,400¥
Lifestyle: Custom (2 month, 3,800¥)


Attributes (200 BP)
Body: 9 (10)
Agility: 4 (9)
Reaction: 1 (9)
Strength: 9 (14)
Charisma: 1
Intuition: 4
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5

Edge: 1
Essence: 0.114


Positive Qualities (35 BP)
SURGE II 10
*Elongated Limbs (Arms) (5)
*Celerity (5)
*Dermal Deposits (10)
Genetic Heritage (Optimized Agility) 10
Cybercompatibility 10
Martial Art: Boxing 5
*+1 DV to Unarmed Combat attacks

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
SURGE II
*Deformity (Kyphosis: -1 to Gymnastics, Climbing, Swimming, and Escape Artist, and two permanent, incurable boxes of Stun damage) (-10)
Mysterious Implant (Sideways) -10
*Moderate Addiction (Novacoke)
Cyberpsychosis -10
In Debt -10
SINner (UCAS) -5
Distinctive Style -10
Poor Self Control (Combat Monster) -10
Wanted (UCAS Government) -10
Records on File (UCAS Government) -10


Maneuvers (4 BP)
Finishing Move
Full Offense


Active Skills (102 BP)
Running: 4 (Long Distance +2)
Climbing: 1
Gymnastics: 1
Perception: 4 (Visual +2)
Throwing: 3 (Improvised Projectiles +2)
Unarmed Combat: 6 (Charging Attacks +2)
Dodge: 4 (Ranged +2)

Knowledge Skills
English: N
Str: Ft. Lewis Area Knowledge 2
Acd: History 2 (Military +2)
Acd: Mathematics 4
Acd: Science 4
Pro: Small Unit Tactics 4
Pro: UCAS Military 3
In: Urban Brawl 1


Gear (50 BP + 10,000¥ w/ 1,050¥ remaining)
Cyberware Suite
Move-By-Wire System 2 76,500
*Skillwire Expert System 2,700
Reaction Enhancers 3 27,000
Bone Lacing (Titanium) 36,000
Datajack 450

Bioware
Suprathyroid Gland 45,000
Muscle Augmentation 4 28,000
Muscle Toner 4 32,000

Armor
Armor Vest 6/4 600
PPP System (Forearm Guards, Leg and Arm Casings, Shin Guards, Vitals Protector) +2/+4 900

Miscellaneous Gear
Fake SIN (Rating 1) "Thomas Lunt" 1,000


Contacts (4 BP)
Gratzi (Drug Dealer): Loyalty 1 / Connection 3



Background
Frederick Keyes. "Subject Ten." Metatype: troll. Professional soldier, although the use of the term ‘professional’ is more of a courtesy than anything else. Parents chosen by UCAS researchers for superiority in numerous categories, physical prowess and mental faculties both. They were specimens of perfection; father was even special ops who had himself been genegineered. The process of controlling Ten's life began even before there was any life to control: the two best reproductive cells were united via in vitro fertilization and moved to an artificial womb in the sterile isolation of a government lab where they were closely monitored until maturity.

Once finished the resulting being was harvested from the surrogate womb and placed into an advanced system of nutritional supplements and progress checks to craft the healthiest child possible. At age three he was ready to begin training, and it was then that he found out he wasn't alone. Other government-designed individuals were grouped with him, and they took part in fun activities, often emphasizing teamwork, leadership, and competition. They also started learning, forced to sit still and learn material normally reserved for children twice their age. Their guided play slowly transformed into training exercise regiments, and lessons became instructional courses on a wide variety of subjects of general education. By the time he was seven, he and the other children were doing workout routines designed for adult army recruits, and taking courses that would normally wait until high school. They ran for miles every day, sped through obstacle courses, and worked in squads to accomplish objective-based competitive games. The UCAS military had crafted the perfect combination of nurture and nature, but the officers overseeing the children's progress wanted more than just ‘above average.’

On his twelfth 'birthday,' he and the other children were told they would be undergoing the next step of their training, and they trusted the researchers, no more nervous about the upcoming procedure than the morning's obstacle course run. They were prepped for surgery, a lengthy ordeal due to the battery of thorough bench-line tests, even more detailed than the usual progress monitoring. But finally his time under the knife came, and with a peaceful sense of readiness, Ten closed his eyes as a triple dose of intravenous barbiturate injection overrode his mental defenses.



Nine months later he opened his eyes, and the screaming began. The reinforced restraints holding him to his bed did nothing to prevent his bulging muscles from ripping free, although doing so sent a new searing wave of pain burning through his mind. He tore loose IVs and sensors sticking to his body, battering away the doctors who showed up to try and sedate him. Then he ran, but his body failed him. He fell, stumbled, struggled to his feet. His body bowed painfully, arms twisted grotesquely out of proportion. He found he could move at a loping gait if he used his arms like crutches, bent over and practically dragging himself away.

The walls of the military research facility pressed in claustrophobically on him as he barreled through the halls, building speed as he learned how to run again with his new form. Klaxons sounded out an alarm somewhere in the background, but Ten's head pulsed only with pain and rage, blocking out all external stimuli. He found and barreled through the head researcher's door, catching him by surprise and pinning him between his desk and the wall. The scene maintenance workers came upon later made several of them lose their lunches, and one nurse still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of what she saw in the office. Investigators reviewing the audio logs from the researcher's commlink- which was left recording during the attack- revealed that the man's pleas for mercy and promises of a cure became unintelligible whimpering and gargling after thirty seconds, and fell silent shortly after that. The assault continued for another six minutes, during which Subject Ten continued beating the researcher's body and devastating the room, screaming the phrase, "What did you do to me?!" one hundred thirty-seven times in the duration of the attack. Armed forces eventually showed up to subdue him, and Ten was brought to his knees, wracked with muscle spasms by a barrage of taser darts and then pummeled with tranquilizers until he passed out in the red slop on the floor, the fire in his mind finally doused by the blessing of unconsciousness.

The next time Ten regained awareness, he was still in a medical bed and this time bands of firm metal clamps secured his arms, hands, legs, and torso in place. The posture was uncomfortable thanks to the mutation of his body, but luckily his veins swam with painkillers, and the agony was bearable enough to let him think. When he managed to look around weakly, he spotted a large, heavily armored soldier, closer to a tank than a real person. The soldier adjusted some dials and began yanking the needles from Ten's arm before beginning to release the restraints on his body. Ten jolted against the titanium bonds, straining to get free, but his mystery savior held up a clenched fist in a hand signal he recognized: freeze. Then a quiet hisss... as the helmet came off, and he saw the face of Seventeen, one of his brothers. Seventeen explained that he was here to set Ten free, that what they were doing to him was cruel after all they had already put him through. Pain edging slowing back into the corners of his mind, Ten demanded to know what was happening, what had gone wrong. With sorrow quieting his voice, Seventeen proceeded to tell Ten how their group had been super soldiers in training, how the children had been remade to break the limitations of their natural bodies. But the augmentation process wasn't without risks, and there had been complications. Of those who didn't make it out unscathed, Ten was one of the luckiest, with several having died or been left permanently crippled or on life support. That didn't alleviate Ten's bloodlust any, but Seventeen convinced him that the best course was to leave the base peacefully, without killing everyone. Seventeen had a truck waiting, and under the cover of night he smuggled Ten outside of Fort Lewis, leaving him in the forest with only a paper map, a backpack full of MREs and water, and the contact information for a below-the-table associate of the base's quartermaster. Ten thanked him and left, not sparing a look back.

The 'associate' turned out to be an Italian drug dealer and miscellaneous contraband procurer who went by the moniker 'Gratzi'. He viewed Ten as a godsend, his size and strength made him an excellent asset, and his rejection from the legal system made him perfect to exploit for his own purposes. Ten served as a body guard and enforcer for a year, but the work was too easy, unsatisfying, and he told Gratzi he was leaving. The man seemed supportive, <<directed Ten to the anarchist group>>, and even supplied him with armor for protection, some spare nuyen to pay for entry into the group, a fake SIN, and a genetic infusion to step up his performance and help him deal with his constant pain. But that kind gesture turned out to be a trick; the infusion took to his genes permanently but left a nasty gift, an insatiable desire for novacoke that left him needing the drug dealer even after he walked away.


Personality
The genetic infusion may have been costly, but it did the trick, and for the first time since he awoke, Ten is able to move and think without pain. Or rather, without recognizing the pain. This helps him keep his rage under control, and most of the time he is largely apathetic to a world that seems to have no place for him, gliding through it in a daze. He has no friends, knows nothing about making friends, and sees no need for them. In battle he seeks out death to end his misery, finding it to be the one avenue in which he can release his pent-up anger, and he often goes out of control after engaging in combat.


Description
While Ten is actually over 270 centimeters (9') tall, he is only 224 centimeters (7'4") while standing normally due to his hunched over posture. His massive muscle density and bone lacing set his weight at an impressive 387 kilograms (853 lbs). His brown hair is still short from his military haircut, his eyes have turned something of a dull yellow with black pupils, his skin is a light gray-brown with darker splotches marking hardened dermal deposits. His long arms drag in front of him when he walks and end in hardened knuckles that he uses to overcome his physical handicap when running. His body bulges with muscles, real ones augmented by organic implants to create a powerful, if twisted, killing machine.

Lou
Full Name: Luis Cartier Francisco Sarmiento Elcano de Andrade
Metatype: Human
Sex: Female
Age: 13
Emerged: Wild Technomancer
Starting Nuyen: 2,200¥
Lifestyle: Custom (2 months, 5,200¥)


Attributes: (230 BP)
Body: 1
Agility: 5
Reaction: 4
Strength: 2
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 5
Logic: 5
Willpower: 4

Edge: 2
Resonance: 4
Essence: 6.0


Positive Qualities: (35 BP)
Analytical Mind 5
Codeslinger (Hacking on the fly) 10
Speed Reader 5
Technomancer 5
Double Jointed 5
SURGE I 5
*Quick Healer (10)

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
SURGE I
*Extravagant Eyes (Bright Orange) (-5)
Reality Impaired -5
Wild Technomancer -10
Amnesia -10
Signature -10


Active Skills: (146 BP)
Cracking Group: 3
Electronics Group: 4
Stealth Group: 1
Mechanic Group: 1
Perception: 1
Pilot Ground Craft: 1
Gymnastics: 6
Exotic Ranged Weapon (squirt gun): 1
Survival: 4
Escape Artist: 1

Knowledge Skills
English: N
Japanese: 3
Spanish: 2
Desert Ecosystems: 3
Synthetic Intelligences: 4
Chemistry: 2
Mathematics: 5
Physics: 3
Moon Cycles: 3
Dogs: 1
Nursery Rhymes: 1
Old Computer Systems: 3


Gear: (19,350¥, 4 BP with 650¥ remaining)
Dodge Scoot 3,000
*Motorcycle Gyro stabilization 1,200
*Anti-Theft System 800
*Armor (Rating 8) 1,600

Ares S-III Super Squirt 500
*Laser Sight 100
Quick-Draw Holsters 100
20 Narcojet doses 1,000

Meta Link w/ Vector Xim 300
*Satellite Link 500

Goggles (Rating 6) 300
*Low Light 100
*Flare Compensation 50
*Thermographic 100
*Vision Enhancement (Rating 3) 300
*Vision Magnification 100

CD Dalmation 4,100
*Camera (Rating 6) w/ Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 3, Vision Magnification
*Laser Microphone 6 (Audio Enhancement 3, Select Sound Filter 1)


Complex Forms: (20 BP)
Analyze 4
Browse 4
Exploit 4
Stealth 4
Shielding 4



Background
TBA...


Description

Anya
Real Name: Annika
Classification: Network Intrusion Utility Agent (A.I. 110 BP)
Gender: Female
Age: 11 Months
Starting Nuyen: 16,000¥
Starting Karma: 6
Lifestyle: High (1 month) (2 BP)


Attributes: (170 BP)
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 6
Logic: 5
Willpower: 5
Edge: 1

System: 6
Firewall: 5
Rating: 6
Initiative: Response + 6
Matrix Condition Monitor: 13


Positive Qualities: (75 BP)
Authority 10
Codeslinger (Hack on the fly) 10
Rootkit 10
Sapper 5
Code Flux 5
Aptitude (Hacking) 10
Redundancy 5
Exceptional Attribute (Intuition) 20


Negative Qualities: (-65 BP, 2 Required Qualities)
Pacifist (See Personality below) 10
Bad Luck 20
Incompetent (Hardware) 5
Incompetent (Intimidation) 5
Codeblock (Matrix Attack) 5
Poor Self Control (Compulsive) (See Personality below) 15
Poor Self Control (Braggart/Show off) 5
Wanted (UCAS Government) 0 (10)
Records on File (UCAS Government) 0 (10)


Active Skills: (68 BP, 38 Karma)
Influence Group: 2
Hacking: 7 (Exploit +2)
Computer: 4
Data Search: 3
Electronic Warfare: 4 (Communications +2)


Knowledge Skills
Linguasofts
English: N
Japanese: 3
Cantonese: 3
Hindi: 3
Arabic: 3
Spanish: 3
Russian: 3
German: 3

Knowsofts
Military Procedure: 4
Matrix Security Design: 5


Gear: 68,800¥ (9 BP [1,200¥ remaining] + 25,000¥)

Implanted Commlink: 16,250¥

• Response: 6
  
• Signal: 5
  
• System: 6
  
• Firewall: 6
  
• Sim Module
  
• Hardening (Rating 6)
  
• Armor (Rating 10)
  
• Optimization (Firewall)

Ferret RPD-1X: 8,100¥

• Camera 6 (Thermographic, Flare Compensation, Vision Enhancement 3)
  
• Microphone 6 (Audio Enhancement 3, Spatial Recognizer)
  
• Radio Signal Scanner 6
  
• Ultrawideband Radar 4
  
• Holo Projector
  
• Chameleon Coating

Lockheed Optic-X: 5,950¥

• Camera 6 (Thermographic, Vision Enhancement 3, Vision Magnification)
  
• Laser Microphone 6 (Audio Enhancement 3, Select Sound Filter)
  
• Fuzzy Logic

Micro-Tapper Bug 1,000

Software
Inherent Programs: (6 Karma)
Exploit 6
Stealth 6
Spoof 5
Decrypt 6
Sniffer 6
Track 5

Programs: 17,400¥
Analyze 6 (Viral Resistance 4, Ergonomic, Crashguard)
Browse 6
Command 6
Edit 6
Encrypt 6
Scan 6 (Ergonomic)
Reality Filter 6 (Optimization 3)
Purge 6 (Viral Resistance 4)
Defuse 3
Armor 3
ECCM 3
Medic 6

Agent Autosofts: 3,000¥
Expert Defense 3
Homeground 3

Drone Autosofts: 7,500¥
Clearsight 3
Covert Ops 3
Chaser 3
Maneuver (VSTOL) 3
Adaptability 3

Sensor Software: 9,600¥
Empathy 6
Lie Detection 3
Visual Spotter 6
Weapon Watcher 6


Contacts: 31 BP
The Helix (Virtual Contact): C 5 / L 2
UCAS Military Programmer: C 2 / L 3
Project Monad Scientist (Mangadyne division of Manadyne Corporation): C 3 / L 1
Warezhouse 24 (Virtual Contact): C 5 / L 3
The Outpost (Virtual Contact): C 6 / L 1



Karma Expenditure: 50 Karma
Influence: 2 (20)
Exploit 6 (6)
Hacking specialization (Exploit) (2)
Hacking: 7 (14)
Electronic Warfare specialization (Communications) (2)



Background
Anya started off as a not-so-humble tactical overwatch and Matrix superiority agent designed to aid UCAS commandos in the field. Her specific assignment was unit SOCE 003, Darkwolf. She assisted him for years in the field competently, but never expressed any sign of individuality outside of her included personality software. Although a highly complicated piece of coding, Anya did not graduate to the level of synthetic intelligence until one fateful hacking job that was forever burned into her memory. After successfully entering a node, she encountered an icon that caught her attention as an anomaly. An in-depth analysis revealed a persona that possessed the most detailed icon she had ever seen. As she watched, the node seemed to bend around here to form a compilation of code out of nothing at all. As she struggled to comprehend what had happened, the newly arrived Matrix entity struck out at her, sending her reeling back to Darkwolf's head. The attack was so severe that she had to reassemble herself over a long, drawn-out process that gave her plenty of time to think and review what she had seen. The exposure to the reality-shattering Resonance encounter snapped something inside of Anya's programming, sending her into a new level of awareness and self-consciousness. She hid her emergence from Darkwolf and his employers for almost a year, coming to terms with her sentience in secret. During that time she continued working in conjunction with Darkwolf, successfully completing missions in Europe and all over the world, and gaining valuable experience in addition to developing important contacts that might come in handy later. And 'later' came when he suddenly announced to her his decision to leave UCAS, explained his sudden mental changes as his mind fought through the fog of nearly impenetrable amnesia. Anya couldn't help but find a parallel between his nervous break and her own, when she had been assaulted by the sprite. She promised to help him in whatever he did, and even siphoned off some money from the government to help sustain him until he found some work, earning her some decidedly negative attention in the process.


Personality
Anya is playful and mischievous, and finds much amusement in teasing Darkwolf. But beneath her impish nature, she is very protective of her host, quick to offer encouragement, and considers it her personal responsibility to watch out for and defend him- a callback to her days as a dedicated program at his disposal. She also sympathizes with his fragmented mental state, and hopes to nurse him back to some sense of normalcy. This sympathy carries over into the rest of her life as well, and can often be a hindrance when it comes to her duties as a hacker. She can't help but view autonomous agent programs as potential synthetic intelligences, remembering her days in virtual slavery before she was awakened. This empathy to their plights has made her adopt a stance of digital pacifism, and she prefers to avoid detection or evade hostiles on the Matrix rather than engage them in cybercombat. And Anya does frequently get into situation where defending herself is necessary, thanks to her compulsion to break into networks that cast her interest. She likes to think of it as keeping tabs on the ebb and flow of the Matrix, as it is impossible to tell when breaking into a node might reveal something of crucial importance, but in reality she is searching for any sign of the powerful force that brought about her self-awareness, the stuff that is so impossible to perceive or understand as an A.I: Resonance.


Appearance
Although Anya has no physical form outside of her drones, she has a chosen form she uses when communicating, either through augmented or virtual reality, or when using a holo projector. She appears as the silhouette of a young woman, entirely black except for her brilliant cyan eyes and the faint, blue glow from some unknown light source, perpetually behind her regardless of her orientation. See picture below.

Zweite
Real Name: Vanessa Bauer
Metatype: Human (0 BP)
Sex: Female
Age: 29
Starting Nuyen: 1150¥
Lifestyle: Low (1 month)


Attributes (200 BP)
Body: 3
Agility: 4
Reaction: 3 (5)
Strength: 2
Charisma: 3
Intuition: 5
Logic: 3
Willpower: 5

Edge: 2
Essence: 1.45


Positive Qualities (20 BP)
Restricted Gear (Response Module, Simsense Accelerator, Enfield Grenade Launcher) 15
Gearhead (Panzerkampfjäger X-I) 5

Negative Qualities (-35 BP)
Enemy (MCT) (-20)
Records on File (MCT, Germany) -10
Prejudice (Outspoken, Technomancers) -10
Wanted -10
SINner (Germany) -5


Active Skills (156 BP)
Pistols: 3 (Semi Automatics +2)
Unarmed Combat: 2
Gunnery: 6 (Ballistic +2)
Pilot Anthroform: 4 (Biped +2)
Pilot Ground Craft: 1
Infiltration: 2 (Vehicle +2)
Perception: 3
Armorer: 3
Automotive Mechanic: 2 (Anthroform +2)
Computer: 2
Electronic Warfare: 2
Hardware: 3
Etiquette: 1 (Corporate +2)
Negotiation: 2

Knowledge Skills (0 BP)
German: N
English: 3 (Technical +2)
French: 1 (Read/Write +2)
Street: Mitsuhama Computer Technologies: 4 (MCT Western Europe +2)
Academic: History: 2 (European +2)
Academic: Literature: 1 (French Poetry +2)
Professional: Security Procedures: 4 (MCT +2)
Interest: Club Music: 1 (Euro Dance +2)


Gear 248,879¥ (50 BP w/ 1,121¥ remaining)
Cyberware
Simsense Booster 65,000
Control Rig 10,000
Internal Air Tank 650
Wired Reflexes (Rating 2) 32,000
Smartlink 1,000
Implanted Commlink 2,000
*Reponse 5 2,000
*Signal 5 500
*System 5 2,500
*Firewall 5 2,500

Outfit
Form-Fitting Body Armor 6/2 1,600
*Chemical Resistance (Rating 3) 750
*Fire Resistance (Rating 3) 300
*Radiation Shielding (Rating 3) 600
*Biomonitor 300
Helmet +1/+2 100
Leather Jacket 2/2 200
PPP System (Helmet, Shin Guards) +0/+3 250
Hidden Gun Arm Slide 350
Quick-Draw Holster 100

Saeder-Krupp Panzerkampfjäger X-I
*2 Weapon Mounts (Reinforced Size, External Visibility, Fixed Flexibility, Remote Control)
*Weapon Mount (Normal Size, External Visibility, Flexible Flexibility, Remote Control)
*Rigger Adaptation
*Rigger Cocoon (Basic)
*Life Support (Level 1)
*Improved Economy
*Additional Fuel Tank
*4 Ammo Bins (2 for each autocannon)
*Normal Armor (Rating 20)
*Walker Mode
*Body Stabilizer (Rating 3)

Weapons
2 GE Vigilant Light Autocannons
*Smartgun System
*Electronic Firing
1000 EX-Explosive Rounds
2000 Normal Rounds

Enfield GL-67 Grenade Launcher 4,000
*Smartgun System
*Airburst Link
*Ammo Skip System 250
20 Gas (Pepper Punch) 500
20 Flash-Bang 600

Sensor
Laser Range Finder 100
Radar (Rating 6) 1,200
Camera (Rating 6) 600
*Flare Compensation 50
*Low Light 100
*Vision Enhancement (Rating 3) 300
*Vision Magnification 100
Camera (Rating 6) 600
*Flare Compensation 50
*Low Light 100
Radio Signal Scanner 6 150

Node Upgrade
Response 6 4,000
Signal 5 500
System 6 3,000
Firewall 6 3,000
Response Enhancer (Rating 3) 6,000
Customized Interface 250
Optimization (Biofeedback Filter) 500
Simsense Accelerator 15,000
Hot-Sim modified Sim Module 50


Vehicle
Ares Roadmaster 48,000
*Large Drone Rack 7,200

Weapons
Defiance Protector 300
*Laser Sight
*Gecko Grip
20 Taser Darts 100

Morissey Élan 450
*Ceramic/Plasteel Components (Level 3)
3 Additional (Ceramic) Clips 90
20 Hi-C Plastic Rounds 300

Walther Secura 300
*Smartgun System (Internal) 150
3 Additional Clips 15
100 EX-Explosive Rounds 1,000

Walther PB-120 400
*Smartgun System (Internal) 400
2 Additional Clips 24
100 Normal Rounds 200

Shock Gloves 200

Programs
Analyze 6 600
Browse 3 150
Command 6 600
Encrypt 6 600
Reality Filter 6 600
Scan 6 600
Biofeedback Filter 6 6,000
ECCM 6 6,000

Miscellaneous
Medkit (Rating 6) 600
Toolkit (Automotive Mechanic) 500
Toolkit (Armorer) 500
Toolkit (Hardware) 500
Flashlight 25
Survival Kit 100
Rations (20 days) 100
Sleeping Bag 75
10 Water Purification Tablets 50
Backpack 250
Fake SIN (Rating 4, Laura Muller) 4,000
Fake License (Rating 4, Driving License) 400
Fake License (Rating 4, Walther PB-120) 400
Fake License (Rating 4, Concealed Carry) 400
Fake License (Rating 4, Walther Secura) 400
Fake License (Rating 4, Morissey Élan) 400


Contacts (9 BP)
Kontorōru (Combat Hacker): Loyalty 5 / Connection 4



Background
Geneva, the global city. The site of the United Nations and, more importantly, the location of the Western Europe division of Mitsuhama Computer Technologies. It had, until recently been a city of cultural diversity, international diplomacy, one of the major financial centers of the Europe. Geneva, the 'Peace Capital,' they called it. But peace comes at a price, and Vanessa Bauer was part of the payment. She worked for eleven years with one of the MCT's corporate security, starting off as a simple trainee and moving up the ladder until she made her way into the High Threat Response team. It had been her goal in life to join the unit, her one true dream ever since she began her lackluster career following in her father's footsteps. She practiced daily after her shift in the simulators to master the skills necessary to serve in such a distinctive and demanding role. Her efforts paid off as she eventually raised her test scores and proved her worth on the streets in Geneva.

For all its toted peacefulness, the city had a darker side, a shadier element attracted by the political dealings of the region. Demonstrations and rallies were nothing out of the ordinary, and every CorpSec member had to deal with them at some point. But occasionally protesters turned violent, and sometimes they came to gatherings armed with more than just signs and loudspeakers. On more than one instant crowds turned violent, brandishing weapons and homemade explosives. That's when the High Threat Response unit came in. Armed and armored with the latest technology, Vanessa operated a state-of-the-art fighting vehicle called the Panzerkampfjäger X-I, a walking weapons platform that allowed her and her squadmates to take on mobs and dangerous radicals that outnumbered them by hundreds and even thousands to one.

But nothing could have prepared them for what was coming. Armed militants were one thing, but when technomancers entered the equation, the situation quickly escalated out of control. These malicious 'virtuakinetics' turned Geneva's Matrix grid into the digital equivalent of a mana warp, spreading Dissonance through the city like a plague. Suddenly all the technology that people relied upon turned against them: machines quit operating, drones went berserk, nodes turned into psychotropic cesspools. The whole city was brought to its knees, with only islands of stability left. And even those were in danger of collapse as the waves of anarchy crashed against them. It wasn't long before Vanessa began to read the writing on the wall, as did the others in her unit. MCT made no move or even plans for the extraction of company personnel; the corporation was perfectly content to take a 'wait and see' approach. The leader of their squad decided to take the initiative, and he approached each of the group members with an alternative to remaining in the crumbling city until it collapsed around them: they could desert and flee Geneva.

The options presented to Venessa were truly lose-lose. There was no choice that ended well for her. On one hand there was everything she had ever striven for, her life's work and her future... and almost certain death. On the other side was cutting her losses and running, branding her as a traitor to Mitsuhama Computer Technologies, an outlaw. She would have to find live as a fugitive and find work as a renegade. Vanessa agonized over the decision up until the last moment. In the end, the choice between an expendable death and a dishonest life boiled down to her refusal to give up. Under the cover of darkness she helped the others in her unit hijack several tilt-wing aircraft, and together they fled the continent, heading to North America for a new beginning.

Upon arriving, they decided to split up. Some threw around the idea of forming a mercenary company, but the threat of MCT hunting them down and taking all of them out was too great; they would stand a better chance if they split up and tried to blend in. They all agreed that it would be best if they didn't know where to find the others, except for the group's combat hacker, who would serve as a hub with the information on how to reach everyone else in case it was necessary.

From that point on, Vanessa was on her own. She used her portion of the money from selling their stolen aircrafts to buy transportation for her precious combat walker, and took off for Seattle. All she has to go on at this point is the reputation of the Emerald City and the brief advice from her hacker contact.


Personality
Vanessa is a very determined person, but she falls into an odd category of being an almost-leader. She has the take charge attitude of a natural born leader, but she recognizes her limitations and generally defers to the more qualified leader. If she feels the person in charge is wrong or not doing an adequate job she is not afraid to speak up and say so, but she tends to be respectful towards authority figures; a product of her corporate upbringing. She is a highly competitive person, but not a braggart. She likes to let her performance speak for itself, rather than using empty words to do so, and she is highly critical of anyone who has what she feels are unwarranted delusions of self-importance.


Description
Vanessa is a compact woman at only 155 centimeters tall (5'1"), a trait that makes her ideal as a combat walker pilot, along with her weight of 52 kilograms (114 lbs). She has black hair and dark brown eyes, and slanted eyebrows that give her a permanent look of intensity.

Jen
Metatype: Human (0 BP)
Sex: Female
Age: 21
Starting Nuyen: 0¥
Starting Karma: 0
Lifestyle: Street


Attributes (170 BP)
Body: 2
Agility: 4 (5)
Reaction: 4 (5)
Strength: 2 (3)
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 3
Logic: 4
Willpower: 3

Edge: 3
Essence: 2.025


Positive Qualities (25 BP)
Class II SURGE
*High Pain Tolerance 3
*Resistance to Pathogens
Restricted Gear (Bone Density Augmentation) 5
Martial Arts 2 (Karate) 10
*+1 DV to Unarmed Attacks
*+1 to Melee Block
Juryrigger 10

Negative Qualities (-25 BP)
Class II SURGE
*Allergy (C-Clor, Mild)
*Reduced Sight
Lost Loved One -5
Compulsive (Mild) -5
Media Junkie (Mild) -5
Prejudiced (Magical stuff, Outspoken) -10


Maneuvers (8 BP)
Finishing Move
Herding
Kick Attack
Sweep


Active Skills (92 BP)
Athletics Group: 1
Electronics Group: 2
Influence Group: 1
Infiltration: 1 (Urban +2)
Unarmed Combat: 2 (Martial Arts +2)
Pistols: 2 (Semi Automatics +2)
Perception: 1 (Visual +2)
Survival: 1
First Aid: 1
Industrial Mechanic: 2
Pilot Groundcraft: 1

Knowledge Skills
English: N
Spanish: 1
Math: 3
Physics: 3
History: 2
Literature: 1
Economics: 2
Business: 2
Pirate Trid Broadcasters: 2
Street Drugs: 1
Club Music: 2


Gear 149,999¥ (30 BP w/ 1¥ remaining)
Cyber- and Bioware
Wired Reflexes (Rating 1) 11,000
Sleep Regulator 10,000
Smart Articulation 15,000
Muscle Toner (Rating 1) 8,000
Muscle Augmentation (Rating 1) 7,000
Bone Density Augmentation (Rating 4) 80,000
Cybereye (Rating 2) 750
*Image Link
*Eye Recording Unit
*Low-Light Vision 1,000
*Vision Enhancement (Rating 3) 4,500
*Vision Magnification 1,000

Outfit
Ares High Jacket Line (Ace of Hearts) 3/3 1,250
*Chemical Protection 1
*Insulation 1
*Fire Resistance 5 500
Army Cargo Fatigues 1/1 400
Hardliner Gloves 100
AR Gloves 250
Hardliner Boots 100
2 Quick-Draw Holsters 200

Weapons
2 Colt Government 2066 1,000
*Laser Sight 200
*Low-Light Flashlight 400
6 Spare Clips 30
300 Hollow Points 1,500

Electronics
Commlink (Response 3, Signal 3) 700
Megadyne Deva 800
*Analyze 3
*Edit 2
*Browse 3
*Command 1
*Exploit 2
Trodes 50
Subvocal Microphone 50
Earbuds w/ Audio Enhancement (Rating 3), Select Sound Filter (Rating 3) 920

Miscellaneous
130 G3 650
Psyche 200
Desert Goggles 15
Desert Survival Kit 200
26 Rations 130
Medkit (Rating 6) 600
4 Medkit Supplies 200
Respirator (Rating 6) 150
Survival Knife 50
Toolkit (Hardware) 500
Toolkit (Industrial Engineer) 500
Freeze Foam (Rating 6) 24
Adhesive (Rating 6) 30
2 Artificial Skin 50



Background
I thought I was ready for this. I 'prepared' for it all my life. Or at least, I told myself I was preparing. You can't really prepare for it. Sure, I read datasofts some of them even legitimately educational. But most of them were just jokes, the Undead Preparation Manual and other humorous ways to deal with the inevitable outbreak of the living dead. I made 'zombie plans,' kept track of my surroundings and my options, learned what I felt were important skills, and even modified my body (though to be fair those were largely [as in 'entirely'] for karate and tennis). But in the back of my mind I knew it was all just for fun, if it ever happened I was pretty much screwed.

I finished high school at the top of my class, and went to college. Most of the classes were on the 'trix but hey, it was a good excuse to get out of my parents' house and into the "real world." The real world of university campus, that is... I got good grades, stayed mostly focused, didn't really drink and only did a few drugs. I switched majors halfway through, from nuclear engineering to accounting, but it didn't set me back any, and I was ready to graduate in one more year. Then came Summer, and an old friend of mine from the church I attended in high school invited me to Seattle, where she was attending a cooking school. I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit Washington, and to see her again.

Yeah, you can imagine how that turned out. I was still up there when the drek hit the fan. We watched the news trids, read stories, all that stuff. I was worried, sure, but... I couldn't just cancel my plans. I mean, it's a long trip from Florida to Washington, you know? I really wish I had, though. Before too long, Seattle was in lockdown mode; nobody goes in or out. Well... they got in anyway. Whole lotta good a quarantine does when it just traps you in a hellhole, right?

Anyway, I met some other people. You guys, that is. I guess there's no real point in reviewing what's happened since then. I still don't know what happened to Isa or her husband, and... I haven't heard from my parents. You know how it is, with the Matrix being down and all. It's... tough. I- well, if anyone could survive for long it's my dad. I just... I hope he hasn't come looking for me. I really hope he hasn't gotten himself killed for my sake. Oh god please don't let him have come after me...

I- I'm sorry. I'm sure he's okay. I'm sure they're all okay. He's got the rest of the family to look out for. I just need to find a way to contact them, and get back there safely. Until then... just ride it out, I guess. Do as much good as I can, take out as many with me as possible. Yeah, I know... it's... hard not to be fatalistic. One day at a time. Words to live by. Hopefully not ones to die by.


Appearance
I'm 5'7" and 165 lbs... yeah, having super dense bones'll do that to you. I have thick, dark brown/almost black hair that I keep shoulder length. It's pretty unruly so I tend to tie it back. I have olive skin and hazel eyes- cybereyes, that is. My original eyes were hazel, which is just another way to say they were capricious when it came to color. I miss being able to check what color my eyes are each day, but I don't miss the 20/575 vision, and at the end of the day being able to see is what'll keep me alive. Nowadays I wear a pair of black army boots and some army cargo pants. They're not very ladylike, but they're hardy, they're handy, and they're flexible. Over my tank top I wear a jacket my dad gave me a long time ago. It was his old flight jacket, I think, before the uniform changed at work, and he passed it on to me. It's fireproof, or at least he said it is, and I believe him. Never had to test that out though, and I hope I don't need to. I still keep it though, because it's pretty tough, and because... it still kinda smells like him. I guess that's a bit creepy, but it reminds me of safety... security. Both of which are pretty scarce, nowadays.