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    100 views88 pages

    7327 - Blood in The Boardroom

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    Grumpf

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    i a BLOOD #3 ee } CONTENTS PROLOGUE: PIECES OF A PUZZLE INTRODUCTION Plot Summary How to Use this Book Adventure Frameworks RUNNING BLOOD IN THE BOARDROOM Hooking the Characters Simple Run, Minimal Complications Contacts Security This s Personal Alternate Campalghs Gamemastering the Corporations Divided Loyalties, ‘Working for a Faction Research Terrors ‘The Orphans Story Structures ‘One-Track Mind Jumping the Tracks Freeform Plot Line Novel Pot Line Running Outside Seattle Ending the War Background and Additional Information Timeline of Everts. TRACK 1: CIVIL WAR There Goes the Neighborhood What's Going Down Fucly History Imacix Management Where There's a Will Death of a Megacom The Players Novatech, Ine. Renraku Cornputer Systems Shiawaze Corporation Adventure Frameworks Crash Team Loose Lips Fry Chips Black Operations. Adventure Ideas Hostile Takeover A Gift for the Bride Bustin’ Out TRACK Z: NECK AND NECK On the Brink What's Going Down Recraku History Burning the Candie at Both Ends A Stroke of Genius Miles 10 Go A Very Bac! Year The Players Fuch! Industrial Electronics Remiaku Computer Systems, Transys Neuronet BLOOD In THE BOAROROO Benen Adventure Frameworks This is Your Brain on Oaks Prove. lt to Me ‘What Does 2 Ten-Thousand-Year-Ola, Dragon Ger? This Hurts Me More than Ie Hurts You Adventure Ideas Unwilling Transfer The Squeeze Publle Secreis Transys Neuromess TRACK 3: CROSS PURPOSES ‘Motor City Madness What's Going Down Ares Mactotechnology History Bugs ang Dragons Double Crass Cross Applied Technologies History The Players ‘Ares Mactotechnology Cross Applied Technaogies, Inc Sierra, Ine Adventure Frameworks Double Crossover Not in my Backyard Knight's Gambit Adventure Ideas Look efore You Leap, Return Policy Plague of Angels Green Pece Virtual Funds TRACK 4; OUT OF THE EAST On Location ‘What's Going Down Pacitc Prosperity Group History Yamatetsu History The Players Eastern Tiger Corporation Festerated Boeing, Kwonsham Industries ‘Monobe international Pacific Prosperity Group Pacific Rim Bank andl nancial Services Corp. Tan Ten, Ine waxing, inc Yokashlna Technologies Yamaretsti Conporation Adventure Frameworks The Needle and the Damage Done Mainnramea What's is a Name? Adventure Ideas ‘Ancient Chinese Secret. Huh? Truck Stop Mob Clash Teme Raiders a CREDITS BLOOD In THE BOARDROOM Credits Additional Writing Mike Mulvini, Robert Boyle velopment Developer Mike: Malu Editortal Stat Fe Robert Bovle Production Staff Art Director Jim Nelson ilustations Tom Baxa Joe! Biske Tom Fower Fred! Hooper John Bridegroom ‘Author Dedication Dectcated to my wife, Renata, who anch | while Vm nt | Aditonat Thanks (0: ris Shadowrun novel Techmobabe, Bee Pou SO ee tC Meee toy 6 “Humankind cannot bear very much reality.”—T, S. Eliot ae pear a all i gta OUR SPONSOR: see eee ee ee ee a ees Dc ee rn ee tt eee ho nent Pee eget ten eee een ie nny Se er ane eee ea grees ete ee et ee eee a Ree ey Eee ee een ere eect er ener aie a arena sn 7 £ ph STO store 7 ae meray ca ea core 3 Lonny P eet a at ea E rae T ayer or ae heer i aa Ce incertae ye errr i crowed THE DAILY SPECIAL ee St ee ee ee eet ee ren ang Se ee ee allt. This isthe place to get che skinny on who's lava to wham and whose hoop you need to a kiss or kick. Information and misinformation is pouring in faster than we can process It. Before a Se ee ee a ~ lB x ARIA APO AA SOD) A Pere memes pane a a a aw : < “. COMING SOON ! e Ae te a ea eo) L S [corer tee pec eueetepo erpeniresenrpron) 3 ‘The Corporate Cownload (Everything you need on the corps but were realty afraid to ask) Paait FRIENDS cela Ua ey ee eee eas Pee en eS ‘vaunted Web of Intrigue™ has crashed and Pra eee keaeerst aad eek ke ee Pc eas ee eee ese en ee ees ye ee ee er Saar Ce haan Siiphebin limaed ig Sa een eae reo Co seamless Poe er per eepecnionnn ee ae ee) eer aera ae ¥ Cert cnet ep ener er eeee ys ee eet id Pen anperpere asap goannas pes asta tly mnpate oy ce eee el ‘ald your own say t0 the hunt for the eRe TECHNOSPECTIVE Say goorbye to the Fifties, Take a look hack at the last eta emer a fashioned Shadowiand style, Check out the movers, the shakers. the freaks and the frauds, plus we got al Cee eet ae Neen ee ent et Pe Rien te area ee eee esa d Serer eee, .. cc ee pier oh Se BN pal pega parent a de liseataagre syleinyigemes peda ee tiertstaee prea seeediserdeliiaparto lop oa eal pare fle pet in earl Fea ipabteal ¥e a PIGCES OF A PUZZLE 15 AUGUST 2059 Jear-Clauce Priault could survey the entie world fro his office, His olfice was not large; compared to the sanctums of the powertul men he Gea with every day, it seemed! riciculously small and cramped. There wee enough oom for a plain desk, « telecom, a comfortable chalt and a few carefully chosen paintings fon the wall, but the realities of life on Zurieh-Crbital dl ne allow for unnecessary ornamentation, The view. however, more than compensated for the office's crab clécor. Through the single huge viewport that formed his office's exterior wal, Prault watched the Earth turn below him. He was inwardly pleased at the fact that he could stil! lose Dimself in the majesty of Earth, even aher all his years in space The view could never be matched by aay skyscraper Ie woe the view. pethaps. that drew Prault to spand more and mete time on Zuurich-Orbical ane less In his terrestrial offices. His duties, with rare exceptions, could be performed just as easily on Earth as in Space; his employer cated little where Trlaule chose to reside, as long as his goals were accomplished. Without a doubi, ie In orbit was censiderably less comfortable than the alternative. For the Cost Of spending a month In his cramped quarters on Zuri Orbital, Priaull coukt have spent a year In Kuxury 07 Eatth, though money wae:not an fssue for his employer. Life aboard the space station was a series of compromices, traceafs necessary to sts tain life in a place where it was never meant (0 go. Survival required ar endless succession of precautions against the unfer _giving vacuum of space, against a universe that was unimpressed by the power wielcec by men like Prault. Perhaps that was why he stayed in orbit, Mriault thought Perhaps tie needed! the sense of perspective that came wit the realizaton thet there were forces in the univeise more powerful than men, or corporations. of dragons. Perhaps he had simply grown tired of seeing what life on Earth wat like, sesing the effects that the decisions macle here in orbit had! on the average man, From up here, he could stil belleve that Earth was beautiful Perhaps he was just getting old ‘Aga was spread out below him now, the vastness of China and the Siberian tundra filing his window. japan was barely vis ble now, turning slowly over the hortzon ape! out Of sight, 1! was fn appropriate backdrop for the call he had to meke, and he regretfully adinitted to himself that he had delayed long enous He took a deep breath as he always did before these calls. partic ularly when he had to break bed news 10 his emoloyer, ancl Dressed a series of keys on the telecom, There was a delay as the: call was put through, routed through a tangle of electronics designed to keep the connection as secure as mankind—and some things beyond mankine—could make It. Then the screen flickered, and Lofwy! answered the call hirsel The grea dhagon had already assumed his hurnan for because telepathy does not work well over telecom lines, but he ‘as an intimidating gute nonetheless. Lofwyr’s eyes made itclear that he was a being of power, ancl that his conttol of the world’s most powerful corporation was only a small part of that power ‘Hello, Jean-Ciaude,” he said, his voKe lke qd amber even over the telecom. "How dll things ge? ‘Not well, maser.” Most men couldn't mange the woe Ie came out souncing elther sarcastic or servile, For Priault, addressing Lofwyr as master was like sergeant calling a general “sin” It was the only wore that fir his relationship with Lofwyt, and Priault used it without shame, He would never call another human master, but the dragon was in another class of beings, and Piault knew that acknowledging Lofyr's superiority id nothing € diminish his own dignity as-¢ humae master Not well? How 56?” Lofiwyt aaked, The dragon showed io concern, only auld Interest, Lofwyr's emotions always appeared mild except for rage. His rage could shake down Everest The electors have selected Li Feng, of Wuxing to replace Hague.” For the first time in seventeen years, a new corporation ‘would be represented on the Corporate Court. Waxing, based i Hong Kong, was the head of a consortium of Pacific Rim companies bent on challenging Japan's dominance of the region's economy. Now that one of their nurnber hac! reacted the Goxporate Court, i began to look as though their efforts woul! be successful, “Ares, Aztechrology and Yamatetsii were In Favor of the move, 36. we su pected: Fuchi’s electors also voted ‘for Wuxing, suggesting that they have decided to support the Villers kxétion,” That decision was probably Influenced by the fact thar David Hague, the late Fuch) justice whose successor was being elected, hacl met an untimely death after opposing Richard Villers in one of Fucly's Internal squabbles, but Priault saw no need to belabor the obvious ‘Migsuhame, Renraku and Shiawase opposed! Wuxlng. a5 expected With our assistance, that shoulel have been enough to keep Wuxing ff the Court, bur process, ‘Such as .. 7” Lofwyr prompied. Priault took another deep breath. “I suspect thal one of our electors voted for Wuxing despite your orders. The vore was close ‘enough that one electors vote cou have made the difference, | puke (0 che Cour aid the electors at length about Wuxing; our representatives knew very well what you wanted, but one of them still betrayed you. And, as I am responsible for all Saeder Keupy> personnel aboard Zutich-Onbita, that means that | have failed you “On the contrary, you have done admirably well.” Lohwyr's human face creased in a slight smile. “I cold you that I wanted you to oppose Feng’s appointment to the court; | didn't say that I clit: it want him elected, ‘OF course, si.” Priault hac workeet for te dragon too long to be surprised by Lofiwyr’s machinations, anc khiew fis master t00 well fo ask questions. Lofwyr woud explain himself, oF Hot, I his something happened during the voting NMTRODUCTION The Shadowrun adventure Blood In the Boardroom is cia matically diferent from most previously published adventures for the Shadowrun universe, Like Its predecessor. Mob Warl, rater ‘han providing a single, linear adventure for the player chavacters te Follow, this book desenes the results of a series of events—in this ease, corporate from late 2057 to early 2060. The outcome of these conflicts rac laally resiaws the corporate map in the world of Shadowrun. From the destruction of one megacorp (0 the rise of three new corporate players, Blood in the Boardroom shakes up the status {quo enjoyed by the comps for so many years and provides multi pple opportunities snd new chaltenges for player characters laneuvers ower a roughly two year periacl Ganiemasters can use the material in this book 40 run aclven tures and campaigns in any locale, from Seatile to Vladivostok in the Far East. The rrateril is organized into tracks. one for each of the major plots in which the megecorporate giants, become enmeshed, Each track provicles a backdrop for the events. describes the major players and their reactions to the events anc Includes suggestions for gamemasters who wish to slowly intro: luce the events into their campaigns. Blood in the Boardroom abo outlines the overall goals and plans of the majer players arc suggests likely adventures based on the pursuit of these objec The gamemaster can choose ta have the player characters fol low a single track to its conelision oF allow them 0 “Jump the tracks” ftom one plot line to another for a tailor-made campaign BLoonInT BOARDROOM ‘see Jumping the Tracks, p. 16 in Running Blood in the Boardroom). Fach wack inclutles at least one fieshed-out aden: ite framework and sevetal adcitional adventure. ideas that che gamemaster easly can turn into fall-Redged adventures us, memacters ill alsa fine use many of material om this and other Shadows UCAS or Cyberplrates. C the optional rules in. he Shadowrun Companion: Beyond the Shadows (SR Companion), especially the Contacts and Enemies rules on pages 62-75, for adding, texture and complexity to the adventures presented in Blood In the Boardroom. PLOT SUMMARY srl wi 335 vs hase Grady ox Raetc ich as Target cate balance of power that the megacomps i trust that their mutual interests outweighed each corp's desire to get ahead of the others, and the knowledge chat no one outside their ranks was powertul enough to challenge them. The precari ‘ousness of that trust and the megacorps’ own blindness proved! their undoing. Each handshs ‘was routinely met with a dagger in the otner hand, and outside events came to affect them in ways The death of President Dunkelzahi in August of 2057, andl the subsequent distibution af the dragon's hoard accorcing ta his last will and testament. at frst seemed to have no effect on the corpo: rate world except to let the lucky beneficasies within It si back anc mMTrTRODUC TION ‘ollect the moriey that the slain presiclent had willed to various parties. Buried in the will, however, were a handful of bequests that would forever change the make-up of the megacorps. The Inst and most damaging was the gift of enough Rentaku stock to Miles Lanier, head of securlty a Fucht Incustilal Electronics, 10 learn him a see on Renvaku's board of directors, Tis bequest had Immediate an! devostating results, Lanier wae 3 close personal Mend of Richard Villiers, one of the three CEOs of the Fuehi ti- umvirate, All three—Villers of Fuchl Americas, Shikel Nakatori of fuchi Asia and Korin Yamana of Fuchi Pan-Europa—had subtly schemed against each other throughout thelr careers, Each one's desire to gain ascendancy aver the others hael been held in check ‘only by thelr commen wish to keep Tuchi aive arid thriving, act the fact that no one fection had! the power co ous! aboth fut doing major damage to the entite corp. The lors of Lani land with him, possibly as many comporate secrets a6 he oti cary—to a rival Corporation weakened Villers ane gave Nakator and Yamana the opesing they needed to rerhove Richard Villers from the top spot in Fuchs cofporate stwucture But Villiers was reaely for them. Having seen the pioverblal writhg on the wall, he quietly ane slowiy vepurchasec Fuchl Americas companies under a new corporation's narne, with him selFat is Head. As Villess and his onetime colleagues squared off In the boardrooms, thelr business marieuers le! to etreat violence and oper! war in the Fuchi camp—a war in which, as in all civil wars, no one could ever truly claim victry, Lanier ascension to the Renvaku board had unsettling reper ‘usslons for that corporation as well. Though distrustful of Lanier's Intentions at first, most Rentaku board! members soon began to {gloat over the damage done ta Fuchi and forgot hat Lanier posed! 4 teat to thet own interests 6s well, As Renraku rejoiced over its fival's troubles, Lanier and Villicrs pullee off a surprise two: prong, attack that left Renraku reetng: and wiped out any advantage that Fuchi's clemise might have brought the cctporation, The arlded blows of a computer Vitus and an Inexplicable lockdown of the Renraku arcology in Seattle forced this once-proud megacorpora- tlon to 100% for outside help. Itcame from an unexpected and not entirely welcome source—Shikel Nakatomi of Tuchi. Renvaku Sur- vived with his heap, but the clamage was done, ancl the scars ill hot heal for a long tine: Just one line in Dunkelzahn's will caused the collapse of one BigEight megacorp and the near-decimation of another: but the ‘eyim’s machinations from beyond the grave didn’t end there. Arthur Vogel, eco-hwyer and onetime presklential candidate, received! Dunkelzahn's stack in Ares and a seat on that corp's board of directors. To counter this new addition (and potential (heat to his power). Ares CEO Damien knight rempowly gained votng rights to the Gavilan Ventures stock that Dunkelzahn hcl leftto his former translaror andl vice-president of the UCAS, Nadja Daviar. Control over the Gavilan Ventures. swing, votes gave Knight a lock on the bosrel forthe first time: and with it the power to finally deal with long-time: rival and! board member Leonard Aurelius. No fool, Aurelius recognized that his days as 4 partner In the company Ns father had founcied were numbered. in a move Unprecedented in (pegscorporate history, Aurelius (cok his tong: standing battle with Knight to a new level—he sold his stake in Ares to Vogel and then jumped ship to Cross Applied Technologies of Quebec. Fouheled! andl run by Dt, Luce Cross, a colleague-turnectenemy of Damien Knight's, Cross. Applied Technologies vaulted almost overnight to megacorporate status. Now Aureus has a plattorm ftom whieh te strike mutt harder at Knight than he ever could within Ares, 28 well as sh enthusiastic ally in Lueloit Crags: Though Ares remains Iaggely Intact on the surface, the threats to Knights control of the corp have wever been greater Nox even a dragon cari control everything, however. Wuxing, Incdeporated, a small corporation that became’ a big winner In Dunkelzahin’s lottery, intially could not marge to rake the fea fom ite corp to megacorp. Wuxing's president, Wu Lung. Wa\ nec every stategy fram legal :rianeuvers to caling in favors om the Hong, Keng Tiadle, but nothing seemed to work. until Yamatetsu, newest of the Big Fight. decicled to curt ies back on Japan and relocate (© Vladivostok. Russia At the same time: Yamatetsu gave Its backing to the Pacific Prosperity Group, Wuxing inspired project that inclucted several mid-tier and smal €¢ corporations in the Far East, Yamaetsu's clout and wealth, 16 longer ted to Japan, madie the Paci Prosperity Group a uly Viable altematve (0 Japanese megavorporare power in Aske ancl ssneorporate ranks. This newfound organization, representing many other corporations, has become enough of a player in the East to threaten the foundations of the Japanese corporations, For its part, Yamatetsw has a new home, a fnew leader anda chance to create a new image. With a metahu man president ancl a free spilt on its board of directors, ‘Yarnttetsu can position itself cutside the atner Pacific Rin compo: rations and take advantage of their etscuray, During, the wo years in whieh these events unfold and cor porate bosrde change drastically, and as the eonlice amang the corps grows larger, shaclaweunners become the focus of the action, Whether looking to hit a'corp when it’s down or hired co make sure a comp stays down, shaclownunners ate the fist attack crs and the fist line of defense. From extactions to alhout destruction of corp faciities and everything In between, runners can work for one sicle oF cherrypick the jobs they want, Whatever thet role, however, they must navigate the confusing currents of alliances. plots anel schemes. Their actions may swell determine how the big bays act and react in the fuute, HOW TO USE THIS BOOK Because the information presented in Blood inthe Boardroom is story-based rather than part of a standard single, linear plot. hard-and-fast statistics andl numbers ate lft up to the gamemaster (0 desiga based 0 he type of campaign be or she wants 10 nin, Also. Blood tn the Boardroom taki place over 9 tong span of the gamemaster keep those events straight, this book Includes a limeline for the entire corporate war, The timeline appears on page 19. Before beginning this adventure, the gamemester should read Running Blood In the Boardroom (beginning on p. 11) for 4 complete overview of she vatlous corporate entanglements Next. the gamemaster should read through each of the tracks t© bumped Wuxi pit 1 In which certain evens occur, ly order toherp BLOOD IN THE BOARORoOM become familar with the situations, Important non-player charac fers and their iidivididl plans and goals. The tracks are divided into five sections, each of which previeles the gamemaster with nfortation at trae’s conkict, major characters, the activ fiom the persiective of those denizens who post ights. observations ancl experiences (0 the Shadowlarel 885, Whitten as black Information, this opening piece offers et things st. ind tutor. The slong with the usual doses of nisin r jamemaster can Use these sei tions to indicate what players might hear on the stieet, or to “test the waters” and determine the players” interest in the events of hat track, The gamenmsier can also introduce elerments of the into the OF her current campaign. Consider these Rctional pléces seeds of infarmation to. plant 1 will let your players know something is happening Following jhe fletional opening. What's Going Down plots, background and history leading ‘sof the comp war as they involve each corporation. T describes the o he schemes of the major players Involved in track, along, wit 1 effect: The text section, The Players, ce jents of each track and thelr backgrounds, moti These profiles, more in-depth than standare haracter descriptions, are designed to give the complete vie acter $0 tial haracters effectively in the overall story line. a's role In the cospora me OF he pe lof each ch The Players sl inv each (ack, Adventure Frameworks, provides the gamemaster with complete outlines for adventures Involsng the events and plans descsibed in What's Going Down and in the tineline (see Running Blood in the Boardroom, p. |) With irtle additional preparation, th nplete adventures centering on the events The final section, Adventure Ideas, gamemaster can use these lesenbes Ideas for further ativeniures valving each wack’s aster can use the matedat in this bool to build ADVENTURE FRAMEWORKS The aeiventure: framework farnat Is an outline that gamemas eis can use (© play out the events of an adventure while mein: faring as much flexibility as they need. Each adventure frame: “work has five parts Premise, Setup, Events, Climax ari Sequels. The Premise Uielly surtmaiizes the adventure aiid descr F conflict drama The Setup. deseiibes how aiacters become involved in nts that have led to the aclven concepts mentioned in. the Events in each Ramework describe encounters ancl I Ths section may also Include ture and background on other Premise. T events that oceur during the course of the adventure, These may de situations that pose problems for the characters, actions, THC 6 BLooDE vO IntRopuction by the adventure’s antagonists or simply unexpected occ rences, Events are the obstacles or problems the player characters mist overcome to complete the adventure successfully. The Climax describes the likely conelusion of the adventure, Ut player cheracters take unexpected! sctlons, the ending of the aclventure may dliffer considerably from the ending described in the Climax, ancl sc gamemasters may want te plan for more than ‘one possible conclusion.) Sequels describes stories that might happen after the adventure 0 asa result of the adventure. By run hing, sequel adventures, gamemasters can create a sense of con tinulty in their campaigns. NNING BLOOD I THE BOARDROO Because Bload In the Boardroom js more complex than pre vious Shadowrun adventures, running it requlres acidiional prepa tation on the part of the gamemaster. This section provides guide: lines for cunaing the multiple plot lines in this book and suggests ways to lntegrate them info an existing Shadowrun campaign HOOKING THE CHARACTERS ‘Most adventures assume that the player charactors are siting around waiting for a shadoweun to drop isto their lps. Blood In the Boardroom is different, This adventure’s corporate-war plot line takes place over @ two-year period ancl Involves many difer: cent corporations and players, each with their own agendas. and so the gamemaster must devise a variety of ways to get the player characters involved in the story line. Lach of the following sections describes various means, metives anc pleys the gamemaster can Use to Involve the player characters In the maelstrom of te cor porate war SIMPLE RUN, MINIMAL COMPLICATIONS The easiest way 16 get the player characters Involved in the events of Blood In the Boardroom Is 10 have a corporate Mr Johnson hte the team for a run. The events of the corp war are forcing, employees to take skies lke chiteren In a messy siverce Interval securtty arct corporate watchdogs can nb loriger Le trust Sensitive information will go astray of fall to the lap of sameone who isn't supposed to-see i? The only way a corp exec can be sure of doing what needs to be done is to buy loyalty from the outsicle—from the shadows. whose denizens ‘wil do the job they're paid to do ane then vanish. No messy inter nal problems with divided loyalties, the results are the same, and the corp doesn't have to pay disabliey insurance. his option allows the gamemaster to insert a corp wer-relat fed adventure of two among imore ordinary shadowruns oF inte existing campaigns. The munnere might start our doing, sirhple shaclownuns for one Johnson and gradually discover that they are keee-

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