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Samurai / Bodyguards / Physical Adepts
by Robert A. Hayden
Abaducci, Romano
J.D. Falk
Archetype: Mafia Hitman
A Mafia stooge born and bred, Romano (roam-AHN-oh) Abaducci (AB-ad-oochie) is outfitted with the most advanced cybernetics the mob could get.
Rumors of his abilities, many clearly untrue, abound. They say he stands six – no, seven feet tall, with rippling muscles that make his arms as thick as bowling balls. They say he can see in total darkness, can never be surprised, is invisible to all but his chosen victims, and has never missed a shot – when he has to shoot. Its said in hushed whispers, after the children have gone to bed, that The Great Abaducci can knock out the strongest samurai with the force of his glare, and has killed more men with his spittle than the entire U.C.A.S. armed forces combined!
Nobody has ever known him by his real name and lived except the Don and his current favorite teenaged whore. So far as U.C.A.S. intelligence organizations have been able to discover, he’s never kept the same prostitute for more than a few months (after which he usually kills her.) But that doesn’t stop them from trying to use that against him. It also doesn’t stop many girls from hoping he’s their next trick – his sexual prowess is also lauded by many rumors.
If the press ever got wind that government intelligence organizations were behind many of the “classier” teen prostitution rings in otherwise Mafia-controlled areas, heads would roll. This is, of course, why the leaders of the Mafia have decided to tolerate such rings in their territory.
Romano Abaducci will never be anybody’s contact, and has no buddies. The only reason a P.C. would meet him would be if they’re trying to hit the same person, or if the P.C. is being hit (which would amount to the same thing, really. The Great Abaducci likes to leave no traces.)
The Bamboo Kid
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Human Assassin
Description:
The Bamboo Kid is extremely young and is new to the streets after escaping from Hong Kong. He is a short Vietnamese boy-man (he is 17, you decide if he is a boy or a man). Like many of his age, he is over-confident and mixes a childish demeanor with his lethal profession. When not killing corporate agents, he plays video games and hits on street “babes.” He has dark hair and eyes and a definite Caucasian somewhere in his bloodline.
The Bamboo Kid is a new assassin. Given his recent acquisition of bioware, he has adopted this profession to pay off the surgery costs that were fronted by a family friend. Among this ware is the extended volume bioware. He is extremely stealthy and his weapon of choice is the blow gun using various types of poison and dikote needles for wetwork jobs.
Babs (AKA Babette)
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Female, Elven Street Samurai
Description:
For an elf, Babs is butt ugly. But the humans around her don’t seem to mind her looks and she comes off less pompous than the rest of her race. Her long brown hair is tied back in a braid when “Babs” is in charge. When “Babette” takes over, it is flowing long and free. “Babs” is the street samurai- cold, lethal and often decked out to show it. “Babette” is a night club flirt and dresses in revealing clothes and often goes topless- just because she thinks she can. (FYI: this is not some male stereotype here folks- a girl played this character from start to finish).
Biography:
Babs suffers from a very bizarre form of Multiple Personality Disorder. She has two distinct faces- Babs the cold predator and Babette the club groupie and general airhead. Her closest friends, namely Angel, Centinel, and Gremlin, are aware of this and keep her out of harm’s way; though they have been known to let her go home with folks from the bar and just make sure she gets out in one piece.
Babs is a crackshot with a Ingram SMG and has been known to shoot 2 fisted on several occasions. She was the group leader until an unfortunate “illness” forced her to resign. (FYI: The person playing Babs, who was new to gaming, bent over and threw a Loup Garou over her shoulder. We did not want to slag the character so rather than have the disease run its full course, we gave her a mutated form- it only affects her for 1 wk/month and is only contagious to other elves. Since her infection the team has a standing rule prohibiting elves from joining the Legacy.) Babs has been on the streets for several years and has primarily run with her partner, Guardian Angel, a female ork bodyguard.
Cackrin, Coach
Dwayne Baker
Archetype: Human Physical Adept
Background:
Coach Cackrin is the director of the athletics department at SSECCa Technical Academy (see Sprawl of same for more info). Coach Cackrin spends most of his time teaching classes. Within this time he is really searching for the gifted warriors. Coach Cakrin teaches advanced courses in: Archery, Firearms, Self defense through Martial arts (armed and unarmed versions), and is personally in charge of javelin and diskus. He receives regular progress reports from the other coaches and recommends the best for contract to Mr. Finaish. Coach Cackrin is a 3rd level initiate Phys Ad.
Centinel
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Human female samurai
Description:
Centinel is a moderately attractive woman with a somewhat masculine build. Her hair is black and kept short in the tradition of women in the military. Her cold black eyes seem almost lifeless. Her skin is somewhat pale from all the running she does at night.
Biography:
Centinel is the leader of the Dark Legacy after the previous leader, Babs, bowed out for “health reasons.” Centinel is also the only member of the legacy to take first place during their time in the “Blood Sport” in Hong Kong. Since that time she has taken to more social based skills and has become the team negotiator. He chrome is strictly combat, with heavy dermal and wired reflexes. Since her start in the shadows, she has upgraded a bit allowing her to get her eyes and ears modified for night fighting. Centinel, along with her “buddy” Gremlin, are founding members of the Dark Legacy.
Da Minotaur
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Troll Street Samurai
Description:
“Da Minotaur” is a troll samurai who, unlike his species, is particularly intelligent. He started out rather stupid, and was quickly addicted to several Street Samurai speed/anti-fatigue drugs. He was arrested in Hong Kong where he was sold into a “Blood Sport” that entertained the filthy rich. He eventually was freed by some friends who came to the island where he was held and bargained with his captor. Now back in Seattle, he has set up shop as a fixer in the Payullup dealing primarily as a middle man for Trolls and the outside shadowrunner community. He has raised his intelligence to racial maximum and has also purchased bioware enhancements as well. Most of his cyber is alpha grade thanks to the Blood Sport. In addition, his previous captor had him altered via cosmetic surgery to look like a minotaur- bull head and all. His favored weapon is a breech-load double barrel panther cannon that he brandishes like a shotgun. His closest friend in the world is Quicksilver, a Beast Master.
Deathjester
Brad Caldwell
Archetype: Assassin
Background:
Deathjester is an older breed. He’s been around fighting for causes longer than most of the young drek-hot runner’s parents have been alive. Now he has decided to live for himself doing what he does best– Eliminating people that those with enough money want removed.
It all started about 40 year when his father, an up-and-coming corp. man, had an affair with his Choctaw secretary. Afraid of the consequences that an illegitimate child would bring, he fired her, but to keep her quiet promised to support her as long as she kept the child secret.
Stephen Caldwell, as the boy was named, grew up in a home without any real parental discipline. At the age of 15 he ran away from his home in Louisiana and headed west. This was during the upheaval of the NAN rebellion in 2015. He joined a group of merc’s working out of Oklahouma as a sniper and got additional training as a rigger operating surveillance drones. After the Treaty of Denver, he stayed in the NAN armed forces until he was forcefully retired in 2050.
It was during his time in the armed forces that he got the nickname Deathjester. The younger guys found it quite unnerving that the old fart could find a firefight so funny. He would laugh as the bullets came in around the squad. He would find a nice nook to hunker down in a would giggle to himself as he adjusted the thermographic sight on his sniper rifle. The muffled “Thwump” of a silenced-shot from his rifle and a loud guffaw would signal yet another kill.
After retirement, he lounged around on his pension for about a year until an old friend called about a “problem” his daughter was having with a certain abusive boyfriend. He convinced the young man to permanently stay away from her. Somehow, someone recognized the crazed laugh of the sniper and he found himself needing a favor. A certain corp. also needed a job done and promised to erase him from the public record in exchange for services rendered. Deathjester accepted and became SINless. He is now for hire as a sniper for anyone with enough nY.
Flash
David J. Altman
Archetype: Elven Bodyguard
Description:
Elven male, Caucasian, 6’5”, black hair, blue eyes, 84 kgs., exceptional charisma, usually well dressed.
Background:
Flash (AKA Atalin Talarien) was an orphan ganger street kid born and raised in New York. Through an unlikely coincidence he saved simstar Darlene Celeste from an extraction crew. She hired him on as a bodyguard, and eventually they grew very close. While in his bodyguard capacity, Flash acquired a taste for the luxurious and expensive. Celebre-Armani suits, crocodile shoes, and Solingen combat knives were the order of the day. Under contract with Darlene’s studio, Flash received training and money. He specialized in armed combat, but was only slightly less skilled barehanded or with firearm.
Darlene died suddenly of Vitas II related syndrome. She left her estate to Flash.
Flash got into the shadowbiz after hooking up with his current partner, an ork named Grimm, who shares Flashes tastes. They currently do high end runs for major outfits.
Gai
Dylan Northrup
Archetype: Human Street Samurai
Background:
He stands about 1.8 meters tall with a heavy build. Black hair falls onto his shoulders. His piercing blue eyes are noticeable on someone of obviously Asian background. If asked he acknowledges his mixed parentage but gives no details. He is an incredibly adept fighter with an interest in gadgetry. Often his money is spent financing the purchase of some new ultra-tech toy that was just heisted from an R & D lab.
Gremlin
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Dwarven Mercenary
Description:
Gremlin is a average height dwarf with an exceptionally muscular build. Both agile and strong, he is a terror in any bar-room brawl. His stout body is cleanly shaven from head to two. Cosmetic surgery has assured him of minimal body hair, with the exception being his face and head. Even though they have little to no effect, his fingernails are manicured to look like polished razors. He has a crazed look in his bright green eyes and a devilish smile almost always appears on his face. When on a run, he often where a cosmetic mask that resembles the Green Goblin from famed Spiderman comics (or I would refer you to Maximum Over-drive- the truck with the green face.)
Biography:
Gremlin started his life as an average mercenary who was content collecting the pointy ears off his taller victims. Like most mercs, he wanted more. Enter Centinel, bodyguard extrordinaire and shadowrunner. The two formed an alliance and he has often run backup for her, saving her life on many occasions. It was only after being introduced to a profitable career as a shadowrunner that Gremlin developed his talents for Demolitions. As a founding member of the Dark Legacy, and a “buddy” to Centinel, he is often present at D.L. business, whether anyone but Centinel knows it. On one run with the Legacy, he was badly wounded, suffering major damage to most of his cyber systems. The team pooled their resources and “upgraded” their loyal friend. These upgrades included the latest in Bone-Lacing and the installation of an Orientation Computer. In addition to being the team’s demolition expert, he is the 2nd gunner for the team’s MP Laser.
Guardian Angel
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Female Ork Street Samurai
Description:
Guardian Angel, or just Angel to her friends, is often mistaken for a man. Her strong stone chiseled features are only augmented by her short military cut hair style. She never tries to look feminine and prefers loose fitting men’s clothing, with the exception being a snug tres chic black leather tuxedo she has for special occasions. Her favorite weapons are her modified Browning Ultra-power (rebored) and her sniper rifle.
Biography:
Angel started her career as a bodyguard who quickly became disillusioned with the life. After one too many bullets, she turned sides and honed her skills toward killing people for money rather than protecting them. She then met up with Babs, who she quickly took a liking to (rumors of a former affair between the two are still unsubstantiated). After a short time, she once again switched professions to shadowrunning. After several years of a profitable partnership with Babs, the two became founding members to the Dark Legacy. In addition to being the team Sniper, she is the 1st Gunner for the team’s MP Laser. In addition, she has developed several contacts within the Ork underground that she uses for team purposes. While she often roleplays the part of the “stupid ork” she has one of the sharpest minds in the group.
Hammer and Anvil
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Male Troll Street Samurai
Description:
Hammer and Anvil are a pair of identical (as identical as troll get) twin brothers. They notoriously dress the same, basically because each lacks any fashion sense and each relies on the other. Both possess an incredible stupid look as if the lights are on but no one is home. Hammer is often s seen carrying a heavy pistol, and prefers Assault rifles w/ grenade launcher on runs. Anvil is an armed specialist who carries twin Wallacher Combat Axes, using only one at a time.
Biography:
The twin are incredible stupid and have only survived for as long as they have thanks to the legacy. Chromed to the teeth, the twins are a dangerous weapon without purpose. They now have purpose in the form of Dark Legacy business.
Muerte, Enrico Palaldas
David Sherohman
Archetype: Dwarven Psysical Adept
Background:
Enrico is a middle-aged dwarven squatter with a vigilante streak. He has also received extensive training in martial arts - even if he could afford a gun, he doesn’t like them. Though he’s highly skilled in most melee and thrown weapons, his preference is for paired tonfas (if you don’t know what a tonfa is, just treat it as a club). Should someone attempt to cause trouble in his neighborhood, Enrico will first attempt to convince them to leave. Should this fail (or if they appear too hostile to safely approach), he’ll lay an ambush and take them out in melee - his skill is sufficient to defeat almost any corporate security team, provided they don’t shoot him while he approaches.
(Yes, he’s a physad, though he doesn’t know it. He’s also been nicknamed the Middle-Aged Squatter Ninja Dwarf… :)
NightShade
David J. Altman
Archetype: Elf Street Samurai
Description:
NightShade is a male, Caucasian, elf. Ice blue eyes, jet black hair. 2 meters high, 75 kg. Usually wearing form fitting black body suit and black gloves.
Background:
NightShade (real name Terrence Tellarien) was a senior Paladin in the service of a Prince. His mistake was that he fell in love with a daughter of a Prince who was an enemy of the Prince he served. An enemy of NightShade’s, a minor noble revealed the relationship, and convinced NightShade’s Prince that he was betraying him. With that Terrence became a branded traitor and outcast of the Tir, barely escaping with his life. His skills dictated his profession - he became a shadowrunner and assassin. In the years since his escape NightShade has grown in both skills and wisdom. Although many years have passed NightShade is still a slightly bitter person. He is always secretive, and enjoys a reputation as a brooding loner. This is not true - he has a small group of select friends (mostly influential).
NightShade’s trademark are his use of Walther MPK-50z’s SMGs in each hand in a firefight. But he is also known for his stealth and his use of a monogarrote to decapitate targets of his assassinations.
One Eyed Jack
Steve Mancini
Archetype: Elven Physical Adept Assassin
Description:
One-eyed Jack (hereafter just Jack) is a devilishly handsome (Cha 8) of strong muscular stature (think Asmodeus handsome). His dark features and hair only augment this demonic look. When in control of a situation (in his turf, with superior numbers at home, etc.) he will often be wearing a blood red silk shirt and black leather pants. His long black duster is polished until it gleams. Over his right eye he wears a black eye patch that is inscribed with various mystic runes (nothing magical, just pretty pictures). Jack has his eyes burned out when he was once caught, since then he has replaced them with cyber- one real looking and one that is a chrome plate (typical samurai eye) which he keeps covered with a fine cloth mesh through which he can see fine.
Jack is an assassin born and bred. His past is unknown since a former master had him trained and his mind wiped. He has most of the standard physical adept power, a little stealth, a little athletics, a decent degree of speed, and incredible senses. He has been taught one unique power that he calls “Steel.” When he induces this state, all his emotions are put on a back burner. (Treat this like the drug Deadhead in the FASA novels). While under this power he has added resistance to emotion based attacks (fear, compulsion, etc.) as well as a scary disposition. Since his former master’s death, Jack has hooked up with a Chicago based group of assassin’s, known quaintly as the Guild. Within this group he initiated into their group. Now on his own, he has become a hired assassin who leaves a monofilament edged playing card as his calling card. Regardless of how he kills them, he typically leaves one of these cards behind with a slit throat.
Queen
Neal Porter
Archetype: Elf Bodyguard
Description:
Queen is a middle level exec escort/bodyguard. A tall very good looking female black elf. Very good at unarmed combat, and fast as well. Accompanies her employers to various meets under the guise of an escort, woe be it upon any who think that she’s an easy mark.
Encounter technique:
“You see a limo pull up out the front of the club. The passenger door next to the curb opens, and out moves a shapely dark female leg. Followed, a few minutes later, by the rest of her body.” Pause for male characters to pick up their tongues from the pavement.
Rhed Hehryng
Chad Hessoun
Archetype: Street Samurai
Background:
You’ve seen it everyday: a punk with tattoos, cyber, attitude, guns. The difference: most punks aren’t in their mid-forties and going gray Rhed Hehryng is. Rhed has all the trappings of a basic street samurai, which he bought with his life savings from working for the corp as a desk jockey. One day, the mindless drudgery of his job finally got to him, and he took the mid-twentieth century band Jefferson Airplane’s words to heart[literally, he had them tattooed in big letters across his chest]: “One generation got old/another generation got soul/volunteers of America/start a revolution.” He’s been out on the streets doing his little bit for anarchy since.
The White Knight
Robert Winterhalter
Archetype: Elven Physical Adept (maybe)
Background:
The White Knight is a medium build elf with pale white skin and jet black hair. He is a strange person to meet in the shadows as he claims to be one of the Paladin’s of the Elven Court in Tir Tairngire. He says that he is on a quest, and that he cannot return home until he completes it for the greater glory of Tir Tairngire and Lugh Surehand. He is very secretive about what exactly this quest is however, and has told no one.
The White Knight has, on occasion, helped other shadowrunners on runs that he deems worthy and he has never accepted payment for his help. Most of the people in the shadows believe him to be insane but mostly harmless. He has always come back from a run alive though, no matter how bad it’s turned, so he either has some actual skill or he is incredibly lucky. Some people believe him to be a physical adept but no mage has ever confirmed this fact.
The White Knight wears a distinctive suit of polished white partial-heavy armor. His favored weapon is what is believed to be a monosword that has some type of strange runic carvings on the blade. He is not above using firearms though.
YoYo
Marcel Emami
Archetype: Human Street Samurai
Background:
YoYo, whose real name is unknown, is the leader of a small but deadly squad of runners that operate out of somewhere deep in the Caribbean League. The group is composed of elite street sams, mages, and netrunners with a focus on “operation cleanliness,” or carrying out a mission quickly w/o fucking up. They’re quite good; the “Squad”’s never once failed to earn their money. Most of their missions carry a price tag in excess of one million nuyen. Needless to say, only hire YoYo’s men if it’s important. He never operates w/o them.
YoYo himself is believed to have been born and raised in the Caribbean, but rumors have placed his childhood in southern Africa.
Description:
He’s a black male, 6’3” tall, with a light-to-medium build. Usually garbed in a white suit over a black silk shirt w/ a white “Panama Jack” style hat, he wields an intense stare and low, monotone voice w/o any appreciable accent that would send many razor guys cowering.
His cyber augmentation is believed to be extensive; much of it Beta-customized. A tactical computer is listed in reports of what he has implanted. Bioware likely includes enhanced articulation and damage-reducing implants. All installations are as cosmetic as possible.
His “name,” however, derives from his weapons of choice: two monofilament whips disguised as jet black, polished “Duncan” yo-yos. He is not only perhaps the world’s most skilled artist w/ a whip, but can use two simultaneously in a display of talent that would knock you over…and likely dice you before you hit the carpet.
He is also heard to carry a stainless steel Ruger Super Warhawk and own a Ranger Arms SM-3, but stories claim he has never used either firearm…