Page 4 of 7
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2024 7:49 pm
by Namelessjake
Towards the back of the dancefloor where it begins to rise up, some of the old theatre seats remain in place, dotted with a handful of weary revellers coming down from whatever high they had been riding. It looks like from the elevated position up there, the bar's register should remain in sight.
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2024 8:22 pm
by ratwizard
"I'll need an access port," Li Fei says, scanning her surroundings.
"Quiet corner, where I can tap in."
Others, feel free to help search!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2024 3:47 pm
by Scratcherclaw
Reiji gives the girl a nod, looking around to see if he can help her spot one.
Couldn't be that hard to find in a place like this, right?
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2024 3:57 pm
by Namelessjake
Looking around, you spot two cameras in the room. One on the wall opposite the bar, next to the door you entered through, and the other in the back corner of the room, near the remaining seating.
Looking around, you spot two cameras in the room. One on the wall opposite the bar, next to the door you entered through, and the other in the back corner of the room, near the remaining seating. Watching the DJ on stage for a moment, you notice that the lights, hung from a catwalk gantry up above, move and change in sync with the music. It seems that the DJ decks on stage and the lights are both connected to the venue's network. Cables coming from the decks appear to run across the stage before disappearing backstage.
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2024 4:10 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"Nowhere quieter than backstage, I'd think," Reiji says, pointing out the cables disappearing behind the DJ booth.
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2024 7:55 pm
by Namelessjake
Looking towards the cables Reiji points out, you can see they run across the stage from the DJ's decks, before they disappear into the wings. Other than following the cables, you are able to spot two doors on either side of the stage that presumably lead into the backstage area.
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:11 am
by Fialova
Ryoko is still meant to be looking for a spot nearish to the door to the basement where she could stand watch as discreetly as possible. She see anything over there? Need a roll at all?
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 1:39 am
by Namelessjake
Finding a spot along the bar close to the door, you watch it carefully while the others discuss the possibility of hacking into the bar's network. While you watch, you notice a couple of thin looking men approach the guard at the door. Their expressions are vacant and they seem jittery, as if suffering some sort of withdrawal.
They speak very briefly with the guard, only one or two words, before he opens the door and lets them past.
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 10:32 am
by ratwizard
"Oh, shit," Li Fei murmurs, following Reiji's gesture. "Nice find, racer. Get me in there." She looks toward the others, nodding toward the door to the backstage area.
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 3:25 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"I've found that if you walk with confidence and act like you belong, no one'll question it," Reiji says, beginning to lead Li Fei toward the backstage doors. "We get called out? Then we make up some quick story and talk our way out of it."
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:26 pm
by ratwizard
"Helps when you're you-shaped. I catch a lot of eyes and not in the helpful way," Li Fei says, rolling her eyes as she follows the streamer. She runs a hand through her hair, brushing it out of her eyes. "Hope you brought a clipboard."
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2024 1:37 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"All else fails, I'm sure there's a backdoor," Reiji says, flashing a reassuring smile. "But have some confidence. After all, the Empress hired you as tech support for some faulty lights, yeah?"
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2024 5:32 pm
by Namelessjake
You make your way across the dancefloor, pushing your way through the mass of bodies as they sway and jump in time with the loud thumping music, before reaching the door to the backstage. A small sign indicates it is for staff only, however the door appears to be simple, lacking any advanced locks or other security measures.
Left door or right? (right is closest to the bar/door to downstairs)
Li Fei and Reiji disappear into the crowd, headed towards the doors to the backstage, leaving you in your places along the bar.
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2024 12:43 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei follows along, her left hand fiddling with the cyberdeck lodged into her deep pocket.
Left door!
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2024 9:01 pm
by Namelessjake
Walking with confidence you open the door, which you find unlocked, and step through into the backstage area, letting the door close behind you. The room you find yourself in is long, running the width of the stage and dancefloor, but not too deep. The lights are dim, the prevent any light spilling out onto the stage through the wings or the backdrop, but in the glow of the exit lights above a large roller door, you can make out a number of stagehands working on unpacking several large road cases, presumably for the next act after the DJ's set is finished.
Past the stage hands, in the darkness, an array of lights blinks on and off in a seemingly random pattern, unmistakable as belonging to a server bank of some kind, meanwhile in your corner of the room, the cables from the stage snake across the floor feeding into a large device, covered in an assortment of knobs, switches, and readouts of various volume, tempo, pitch and lighting data.
Make Dex/Sneak checks if you wish to try and remain concealed.
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2024 12:13 pm
by ratwizard
"Alright, Mister Confidence," Li Fei whispers, reaching up to tap Reiji on the shoulder.
"Tech support. Tall and proud." Stepping alongside, she straightens her posture, maintains a face of neutral-to-slight-irritation, and approaches the server rack.
Not sneaking. Going to be fake it till we make it.
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2024 4:31 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"Yep, no way they get paid enough to care," Reiji whispers back, striding beside the girl toward the servers. "Just keep it cool and I'll do the talking if anyone says anything."
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2024 6:08 pm
by Namelessjake
You make your way through the backstage area, catching a few glances from the stagehands and roadies, however your aura of purpose and their task at hand means no one says anything as you stride past. Reaching the server bank, which hums softly emitting the occasional whir or beep, it is clear, to Li Fei at least, that this is the primary server for the Empress' network and is a Beta class server.
Attaching her cyberdeck’s field manipulation cable directly to the server, Li Fei jacks into the server.
Your avatar materialises in the middle of a large hall reminiscent of a royal court. Ornate marble pillars reach up to a high vaulted ceiling painted with scenes of line infantry and cavalry in battle. A throne sits atop a series of marble steps at the far end of the hall, where a woman sits dressed in finery with a ostentatious jeweled crown sat on her head. She is surrounded by men wearing hose and powdered wigs who appear to be deep in discussion. Your deck identifies this as the server's main processor functions.
To one side of the throne stands a carved ebony bookcase, its shelves filled with books your deck identifies as datafiles of some kind.
Courtiers, dressed in the same fashions as the advisors by the throne, hurry through the hall coming and going through several hallways that attach to the hall, active data exchange between nodes. The hallways, of which there are five, two to either side of the throne and one opposite it, appear to be the connections between the network's nodes.
You can see that a short way down both the hallways to the right of the throne, the way is blocked by pairs of pikemen, their weapons crossed barring the path - barriers your deck tells you.
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2024 7:26 pm
by ratwizard
"If I go slack, cut the cable," Li Fei says to Reiji as she jacks in.
Inside the server node, Li Fei familiarizes herself with the cyberspace.
Cute. Looks like some parliament wonk's playground.
She takes note of the two barred passages on the right of the throne, instead heading toward the first on her left.
Move Action: Move Nodes
I'm looking for either: the fire-alarms, or any cameras that may be in the private area we're trying to access. I lack the Camera noun but I could check footage with Datafile noun.
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2024 7:42 pm
by Namelessjake
Moving down the corridor, you find yourself in another node of the network. This node appears as the centre of a marketplace outside the palace, which is visible in the distance back up a street which appears to be the way you came and the only connection to this node. Vendors call out prices from their stalls, hoping to entice the townsfolk that browse the various goods on offer.
Your cyberdeck tells you the marketplace and the ongoing transactions represent those occurring in the bar's register.
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2024 7:48 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei peers about the marketplace, hearing the calls of the merchants. Could tear up their ledger sheets, Li Fei considers, her avatar placing a finger to her chin in thought. Might cause a long line of pissed off patrons who just want to close out their tabs. Good to know.
Heading back into the throne room, she takes the next unguarded hallway on the left.
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2024 7:55 pm
by Namelessjake
Heading back into the throne room, you take the 2nd hallway on the left, finding yourself in another grand hall. This one is filled with an orchestra and a conductor, mid symphony. The strings rise and fall will the beating of the DJ's music in the real world, your deck telling you this is the node for the sound equipment you saw backstage.
Another two passages, in addition to the one you entered via, lead to your left and to your right.
Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 7:01 pm
by ratwizard
Sabotaging the DJ's set could make things get tense around here. I should hold off on that, Li Fei considers, making for the node on her left.
In meatspace, she nods towards Reiji. "No trouble yet. Just looking for anything useful. At this point, it might be easier to just tug the fire alarm ourselves. Didn't bring the right program to trip the alarms."
Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2024 5:15 pm
by Scratcherclaw
Reiji frowns at Li Fei's findings, a bit disappointed that they've gone backstage for seemingly nothing. "Maybe something else to force people out? Just keep me posted though, yeah?"
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2024 12:30 pm
by Fialova
Any sort of roll I can make to see if those symptoms seem recognizable to Ryoko?
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 3:39 am
by Namelessjake
Make an Int/Heal check if you'd like to know more.
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 10:56 pm
by Namelessjake
Moving into the next node, you find yourself in what your cyberdeck tells you is the DJ's equipment on the stage, depicted here as a bell tower filled with monks pulling on their ropes as the DJ works on stage. Your cyberdeck picks up something else in this node though, a rapier armed musketeer makes his way towards you from behind the monks, his sword raised. You deck alerts you that this is in fact a demon.
Roll Initiative!
Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2024 8:55 am
by ratwizard
Li Fei tenses up as she catches sight of the musketeer.
Fuck, one node too far. Let's get out of there.
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2024 12:51 am
by Namelessjake
You win initiative, your turn!
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2024 1:26 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei takes hold of her avatar, quickly retreating from the bell tower, her eyes on the musketeer.
Move Action: Move nodes back
Program/Int: [2d6+4]=6+4=10
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2024 8:56 pm
by Namelessjake
You retreat back into the sound equipment node, where the orchestra continue to play, however the demon follows after you, the musketeer shouting the word Intruder as it attempts to alert the wider network of your presence.
Demon: Doesn't take free attack, alerts the Network, moves node.
Your turn!
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2024 10:26 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei continues at a sprint from the musketeer, finding her way back to the throne room. Gripping tightly her mage's staff, she swats aside the crossed pikes and continues beyond.
Just get one last peek, then I will jack out...R
emainder of Round 1 actions:
Move: Return to Throne Room
Bonus Main: Unlock Barrier on the 1st of 2.
[2d6+4]=7+4=11
Success!
Round 2 Actions
Move: Enter 1st unlocked node
More TBD
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2024 10:33 pm
by Namelessjake
As you run your program, the pikemen ahead of you uncross their weapons as the barrier is unlocked. Moving nodes, you find yourself in an armoury, the walls lined with a plethora of swords, muskets, spears, and painted shields. Your cyberdeck tells you this is the interface for the venue's security systems. Four more corridors lead out of the room, presumably to the various cameras and security doors the system controls.
However you are also not alone here. Another musketeer, or rather another demon, stands on guard.
Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2024 10:44 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei jacks out, pulling the cord from her temple and letting it roll back into her cyberdeck. "They've got this place locked down more than your typical shithole. If only I had brought the right programs, I could have fried a hole through their prissy little network," she says, her tone bitter with disappointment. I'll need to write something with teeth.
"Come on," she says, tapping Helmet Guy with her elbow. "Let's see if the others saw our mark."
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2024 12:43 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"Damn," Reiji replies, casting a glance toward the backstage workers still paying them no mind. "Wouldn't have thought a dump like this would have more than the bare minimum." He shrugs and shakes his head. "Yeah, let's go. Might be talking our way through that door at this rate."
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 4:15 am
by Namelessjake
You make for the exit back out onto the dancefloor, as you do you notice one of the stagehands moves to say something to you, however before she has a chance you slip back outside and disappear into the mass of bodies and the pulsing lights.
Navigating through the crowd, you soon arrive back at the bar where you find the others waiting, with Ryoko positioned further up the bar than the other two - closer to the door that leads down into the ambrosia den beneath the club.
A number of minutes pass, however the club's fire alarms and sprinklers remain inactive. Eventually you spot Li Fei and Reiji emerging from the crowded dancefloor as they make their way back to regroup with you at the bar.
Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2024 9:59 am
by ratwizard
Li Fei waves Ryoko over as she approaches the others. "They got this place on a pretty secure network," she admits. "Played it careful so they didn't go on lockdown. We'll have more luck trying something else."
She pauses. "All we got's a name and not a face right now. I can try and get us through that door if I say I'm responding to an overdose call for this Eduardo Wenters," she explains, lifting her blue paramedic-like coat and tapping the cyberdoc pack at her waist. "You guys see anything else up here?"
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 11:46 am
by Eintei
For a place like this to have actual proper security... that suggests there's something in there that's worth protecting, Elodie muses internally. She suppresses the tendency to grab her notepad and note that down - too conspicuous. It's too dark here anyway.
"I suppose we will have to try and get in some other way, then. May as well do that with a small lie. Though I suggest we initially go over with maybe two or three people. If he ends up not believing us, perhaps that can still be enough of a distraction for the rest to sneak in."
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 12:07 pm
by ratwizard
"Alright, you're my driver," Li Fei says, patting Reiji on his arm brusquely. "Let's make a move before we draw any more attention to us. No offense, but the pair of you don't look much like you belong in a sludge-club like this." She gives an appraising look over Elodie and Kindred as she turns to head for the guarded door downstairs.
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 2:47 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"Got it," Reiji says with a smirk, trailing behind and sizing up the bouncer ahead of time. Alright, Reiji, turn on the charm. Well, not too much. Don't need the bouncer's phone number. Unless he's hot...
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 5:38 pm
by Namelessjake
Li Fei and Reiji approach the man guarding the door, while the other three of you hang back ready to sneak past should the opportunity present itself. The man, while smaller in stature, still appears to be cut from the same cloth as the bouncer at the entrance to the club, exuding a tough and stern presence.
"Yeah?" He asks, crossing his inked muscular arms as Li Fei and Reiji step up towards him.
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 7:59 pm
by ratwizard
"Quik-Fix Paramedic Services, responding to an OD call," Li Fei says, her tone flat and practiced like a script. "Said they were in the basement. That through here? Could you badge us in?" She clutches her cyberdoc bag closer, scowling at any patrons ambling past.
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 8:09 pm
by Namelessjake
A puzzled expression forms on the man's face. "First I've heard of it, who called it in?" He asks.
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 8:13 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei looks down at her phone, matching his puzzled look for a moment.
"Let's see... right, the name they gave was Eduardo Wenters." She shifts her weight and crosses her arms, now looking at the man expectantly.
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 8:36 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"Got here as quick as we could and you're wasting a lot of time," Reiji says sternly, tapping his wrist as if there were a watch there.
"There's a life on the line, man. Let the good doc through already."
Aid Another Talk/Cha:
[2d6+3]=6+3=9
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2024 8:39 pm
by Namelessjake
"Well that was only a matter of time," the bouncer replies. "He's normally in the back right corner," he adds, stepping aside and opening the door for you, revealing a set of dimly lit stairs leading down deeper into the building. Notably, you spot that there is no locking mechanism on the door. The bouncer's presence seems to be the only barrier to anyone from the dancefloor making their way downstairs.
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2024 6:27 pm
by ratwizard
"Back right corner," Li Fei repeats with a curt nod, heading down the stairs. Once they are clear of the bouncer, she glances over her shoulder at Reiji. "How's that for keep calm and carry a clipboard?" The cyberdoc flashes him a smug grin as she continues her descent.
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2024 10:20 pm
by Scratcherclaw
"Not bad, Red. You learn quick," Reiji mutters back, mirroring her smirk.
"Let's find our guy then." As Li Fei leads, the driver pulls out his phone, texting a quick message to the others.
No lock on the door if you can slip past the bouncer
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2024 12:24 am
by Namelessjake
Heading downstairs you emerge in a red brick basement lined with arched alcoves. Another bar sits in the centre of the room, staffed by a duo of bartenders, however only a couple of customers are sat at the bar drinking. Most of the patrons appear to be inside the alcoves, obscured by a variety of curtains and veils but sat on couches seemingly passed out or jacked into VR crowns.
The music in here is less intense that upstairs and the lights are kept low, creating a more relaxed environment.
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2024 12:12 pm
by ratwizard
Li Fei rolls her eyes. "Yeah, don't get a big head, maestro."
This place looks like a fucking crypt. I can't imagine just laying around half-dead while the city moves around me. What a sad, shitty existence.
She calmly steps her way around the nearly catatonic patrons towards the back right as suggested by the bouncer.
