Wednesday Oct 16, 2024

Chromed Metal – 5 – Risky business

Scene 11

ContextDan and Irina decided not to get involved in the fight between Maelstrom and the NCPD. Apparently Night City council recovered some rights from Arasaka and their area of influence increased. They seek to “stabilize” the city again. Dan wants to hurry up, if he wants to take the opportunity to secure the Treux District and take it back from Maelstrom. But needs the help of the Voodoo Boys to do so, who are at war with Malestrom. It may be a good time to strike. NCPD involved, looks like Maelstrom have been the bad boys in town.
PromptDan and Irina were at the Bearded Man’s garage, locked inside to wait for the shootout to end. As soon as the situation calms down, they’ll go out.
🎲 Scene Check → Happens as expected
InterpretationEventually the crowds scattered off, Maelstrom flees as their operation fails, and now it’s time to leave. Fast.

Last session, the bearded man revealed he worked for Maelstrom. He might know something the crew could use to gain favor with their enemies, the Voodoo Boys.

Dan → Thanks man, for letting us survive in the garage.
Bearded Man → Business is business, not being friendly here.
Dan → I know. Actually, I was wondering where Maelstrom would fall back to, given the Voodoo keep hold of north and south (kind of bluffing to trigger conversation, DV12)

Bearded Man → And now why in hell would you care?
Dan → Uh… never mind. Sometimes I get curious about gangs. It’s the thrill of post-war NC.
Bearded Man → Better stay out of that business, son. Now get outta here, off you go, you two.

Scene 12

ContextIrina turns on the motorcycle engine, Dan opens the garage. There’s probably a cooldown time in the neighbor, and NCPD is taking over the block to take care of things. The crew will want to sneak out before the entire perimeter is secured.
Prompt🎲 Scene Check → Happens as expected
InterpretationThe crew will think a way out, and finally go to the Voodoo Boy’s meeting location.

🎲 Irina will map a way out, thinking of the known area (DV10 of Local Expert to get out unnoticed)

They successfully evade some NCPD controls, knowing certain typical perimeter spots, and get on their way to the Voodoo Boys military outpost at North Watson.

Let’s learn some more about the Military Outpost location where the Voodoo are holding up.
🎲 Describe (area) → Incredibly Secure
🎲 SUM Adjectives (2) → Shady + Expelled
🎲 SUM GM World Building → How do or did people survive or make money here?
🎲 SUM Inspiration for answer → report + nomads

The Voodoo Boys have a large perimeter of guarded security, across various bridges, they made sure Maelstrom couldn’t frontally attack this location so frontally, which explains why Maelstrom was trying to block supplies in by organizing various blockages downtown.

They are securing an old port, which appears to be more of a military outpost than a port, because of certain towers, old sandbags, some barbed wire, before anyone can see the ships and huge shipyard infrastructure.

Security is tight, there are cameras, turrets and various mounted weaponry, probably original from scavenged pre-bomb times. Various Nomad Clans seem to be gathering together and moving in and out of the place, after observing the area, Irina does not know any of the clans that roam around the Voodoo Boys, but that will certainly help overall throughout the image of the Voodoo Boys toward Nomads in general.

The crew decides to scout the perimeter for a while before approaching any specific gate, despite them having a contact name, they prefer being on the safe side.

What is going on as they observe the activity across the bridges?
🎲 Activity → Hindering Words

Not much can be learned from a distance, other than confirming that the Voodoo Boys are both highly alert, and mostly secretive, as they seem to be careful in the communication protocols they use (based on their interaction with the nomads that come and go).

Dan → Alright, let’s approach them. We need to ask for Kakarolo, secret keyword is Zimbabwe. Should let us in. Do you know about any of those Nomad Familias?
Irina → (🎲 Does she know them? → No, obviously.) No, Dan, there are hundreds of Nomad gangs here.

Scene 13

ContextDan and Irina cross the Bridge, to meet the first guards of the Voodoo. Afro-haitians, and the like.
PromptI really don’t want to have an expectation of this, PUM I give myself to you
🎲 Scene Prompt → Discover enemy actions
Fancy. Someone is going to strike the Voodoo. Let’s figure that out.
🎲 It’s likely Malestrom → Don’t know, unless… (Okay, too soon to ask)
🎲 What do we see (what) → Known Business Sabotaged
🎲 Do the Voodoo know yet? → No, and… (don’t even expect it)
InterpretationAlright, so some Voodoo business was sabotaged, their business was basically waiting for reinforcements, and they are late. This is what the guard is gonna talk about.

Irina → Hey, we are Zimbabwe. Looking for Kakarolo.
Voodoo Guard (🎲 Is Kakarolo reachable? → Yes.) → One moment…
Kakarolo → Who’s that?
Dan → Name is Dan, with me Irina. We want to meet, in private. Got something to offer. Will be worthwhile.
Kakarolo → How are you not already wasting my time?
Dan → It won’t. Too sensitive to speak on a line. We’ve got code Zimbabwe.
Kakarolo → So you are runners. Go fetch my missing Cargo. Then we speak. (🎲 What’s missing? Subject → Object. 🎲 Describe object → Defensively Rare). Transport carrying a stealth radar gone missing somewhere (🎲 Describe area → Defensively Secure. 🎲 SUM Inspiration → Loyal) near the old Watson barracks, along two of my men. Job will be paid.
Dan → Give me some names. And potential enemy.
Kakarolo → My men are Julio and Barkwa, for the radar, it’s NW (NetWatch), my men will know how to decouple from truck. (🎲 Is enemy confirmed to be Maelstrom? → Hard to say, and…). We don’t know who is behind this, we have not seen any traces of Maelstrom up north. Perhaps traitor Nomads, or someone else.
Dan → What if your men are dead? Or truck destroyed?
Kakarolo → Send me proof. But I don’t think anyone will be that stupid.
Dan → Fair enough, we can take care of it, but we are not doing a run for you if we aren’t sure you aren’t buying what we have to sell

Dan attempts to persuade, this is going to be a difficult (DV16 roll)

By any chance, would they ever know already about what the PCs want? (unlikely) → No.

Come to Sector 3, will wait for you. My men will let you pass.

The barriers open up for Dan and Irina, who enter the military sector the Voodoo Boys gang have temporarily taken. NCPD authorization, and general Night City approval of this, beats the question out. No idea how such things work. Probably deals. Maelstrom seem to be the less favorite gang right now. The outpost seems to be full of armed Voodoo Boys, logistic coordinators, some traders, and even some Nomads here and there doing business. Doesn’t seem to have any non-functional civilian right now, though there are some operation buildings with antennas and a few netrunners doing who knows what. Eventually, Sector 3 (🎲 SUM Inspiration → exaggerate + a deal), three Voodoo Boys, one taking position on a 360 degree rotating machine gun on the roof, are making signals to Irina’s motorcycle and Dan, pointing to park in a specific place. Following very specific instruction, the PCs follow the gang members into a (🎲 SUM Adjective → cold) stone building which the inside seems to be a freezing cold laboratory. The guards offer Irina and Dan specialized Suits and point inside.

Eventually, they find Kakarolo, separating and classifying chemical elements and other pharma stuff. Seems like Irina’s fixers lead to the right guy.

Dan → Are you Kakarolo?
Kakarolo → I am.
Dan → We don’t want to waste your time either. We’ve got Vitrix. Archemica’s latest acquired prototype.
Kakarolo → (🎲 I want to know NPC’s opinion → What a coincidence, because…) Where did you learn this name? (He stops doing what was he at)
Dan → Harley intercepted it. I am the responsible now.
Kakarolo → Can’t be. Harley is dead.
Dan → I know. But I am to follow what he started. Gave it to me.
Kakarolo → Hm… this is good timing.
Dan → I was hoping for me too. We want the Treux Island before Night City reclaims it as part of it. I want to keep hold of it as Gang land for The Family. Harley’s people. My People. You want this, you fight for this, keep it as Voodoo Land. You take care of the rest. We give you the liquid. And you protect my people.

I kind of need to know where is this going, some meta to figure that out.
🎲 Will the Vitrix be needed for anything by the mission? → No.
🎲 Then, will we know what is it for? (unlikely) → Don’t know, possibly.
🎲 Will we see the Vitrix in action during the mission? → No, unless…
🎲 Will we have to transport it elsewhere? → Yes, possibly.
🎲 Is the Vitrix under time pressure? → Yes.
🎲 Are the Radar and the Vitrix related? → Hard to say.

Kakarolo → Where is it now?
Dan → Can’t say until you agree. It’s locked under my biostatus.

Let’s figure out some NPC Contribution about this now
🎲 SUM NPC Contribution → Offers resources or materials that support PCs cause

Kakarolo → We can fake that, you know.
Dan → I know, but you need me too. I know how to move this thing safely, if you don’t want to screw it up. And we can find your missing cargo on top of that. Got Maelstrom’s intel too. I know names and addresses (we have learned of the Bearded Man’s garage). And Aldecaldo’s support.
Kakarolo → I can secure the Treux for your people, but for that I need the Revolucionarios, and the cargo, and the Vitrix. It all makes up for a formula. But Vitrix cannot wait.
Dan → Then we need the Aldecaldos. They know the desert out there, and we need trustworthy ones.
Irina → I’ll need $15000 eurobucks to gather a squad for taking the barracks, plus $2000 to replace current expenses.

Kakarola → We pay you $12000, you figure it out. Give you $2000 upfront “for your kindness”. Take the Vitrix to this location (projects out AR coordinates), you will meet one of my Girls. When have you taken the Vitrix?
Dan → Yesterday, 5PM
Kakarola → (🎲 is that bad? → Don’t know.) Then you got 2 hours to deliver it. 2 Hours to find the cargo. Now go. My men will let you pass.

Irina and Dan close the deal and get out of the premise.

Dan → That wasn’t that hard…
Irina → You’re kidding me, right? I’ve got to find some Hermanos in, like… right now.
Dan → We’ve got to split up. You take care of the Cargo, I’ll go deliver the Vitrix.
Irina → With that budget, I’ll barely gather one brother.
Dan → Don’t go upfront then, scout the area. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done. Don’t do anything stupid.
Irina → The whole thing is stupid already. I can’t mix in the Aldecaldos so easily… Crap.
Dan → You take the money. I don’t care now. Just leave me something for the cab.
Irina → See you on the field.
Dan → See you.

Irina and Dan part ways, Dan will go for the Vitrix and deliver it to the coordinates (I guess it will be somewhere core Voodoo Boys region, down in Pacifica), while Irina will gather reinforcements to locate Voodoo’s missing cargo… Not much is known of the Vitrix, but it seems it doesn’t matter much. For now.

To be continued…

JeansenVaars

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