New Angeles

Just as the city council was finished collecting all of the various city proposals and platforms from each respective committee member...there was a disturbance in the Network. All of the efforts of rebuilding the Dockland grid, publicly touted as the best and most sophisticated security measure in all of the solar system, had inadvertently awkward a monster of the depth. Deep in the Shadow Network, there are things that are beyond explanation and are the incarnation of monster myth. Some say that there are living AI that only exist in the Network exist, some prey on unsuspecting runners and some just seek to end all creation...


0blivion

In almost the ethereal realm of the digital Network, some sysops who have been keeping passive tabs over their newly created ICE may sense a foreign invasion of sorts. No, perhaps an infection from a sort of living virus that sought to undo everything that was created.



[OOC: Roll Vigilance for Initiative!]

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths: Initiative with Vigilance: 2eP 2 successes, 1 advantage, 1 Triumph

Receiving the warning, Nadia was near to her rig wherever she properly was. Given that her PAD had been rather unceremoniously destroyed it was all that she had at the current moment. Luckily, it was oft all that she felt she would need as she began to load up in response to the trouble.

Day 9, LA | MotD: Vigilance Initiative: 2eA 1 success, 1 advantage

Ven's rig was never far away from him, but the alert had come through in the awkward time between Diesel cans and he'd been napping.

"Nyaaaaah, Wha . . . . ?"

--

D9 MotD Vigilance Initiative: 1eA 0 successes

Docklands ICE

The Kshatriya (Barrier ICE at Strength 5)
Base Effect: On failure, the hacker cannot proceed past the ICE.
Additional Rules: The sysop can spend a maneuver to reinforce IC with +5 Strength.

The Code Gate Cat (Code Gate ICE at Strength 3)
Base Effect: If a runner attempts to break this ICE and fails, they lose access to the entire system and must perform the access system action again.
Additional Rules: Difficult increased by one Setback die

The Bouncer (Barrier ICE at Strength 6)
Base Effect: On failure, the hacker cannot proceed past the ICE.
Base Effect: If a runner attempts to break this ICE and fails, they lose access to the entire system and must perform the access system action again.

The Armadillo (Code Gate ICE at Strength 4)
Effects: If a runner attempts to break this ICE and fails, they lose access to the entire system and must perform the access system action again.
Additional Rules: Difficult increased by two Setback die

The Arctic Wall (Barrier ICE at Strength 9)
Base Effect: On failure, the hacker cannot proceed past the ICE.
Additional Rules: The sysop can spend a maneuver to reinforce IC with +5 Strength.

Docklands Grid


0blivion

0blivion weaved into the mainframe of the system, moving about through its internal workings with ease that would confound more runners trying to find an access point. However, there was a difference between trying to gain access from afar and actually being there inside the system. It ignored the maze and found itself right inside the first encountered ICE, which was the legion of warriors constructed by Priya Khatri. However, it blundered through their phalanx and moved on forward to the next ICE...

D̶̝̦̯̻̽̓ę̵̥̪̜̬̑̋s̵̨̺͔̟̔̂t̶̹̼̀̒̏̈́̇r̷̥̯̪͚̭͂͆o̴̰̟̗̬͙̔ÿ̵̲̲̙̬́͑̑͝

There was something frightening about this virus, considering that it not only broke through the ICE but also began to assimilate the Network structure and making its own. In a way, it was holding it hostage and using that data to replicate some likeness.

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths, Round 1: Encountering The Kshatriya and breaking at Strength 6: 4eP+2eD 1 success, 1 threat


Ignores Initial Access System
Action: Break Ice at Strength 6
The Kshatriya is assimilated!

Initiative
NPC
PC <- [Here]
PC

[OOC: 0blivion can still be traced and locked out of the system.]

"I shall delay it," came the communication as Nadia began to weave her defense. Focusing herself into creating a snare for the creature whatever it truly was, hoping that perhaps it might be snared alike any other user in this space.

[OOC:]

Maneuver: Go Deep
Maneuver: Reinforce Artic Wall
Action: Snare the Beast!

3/11 WT
0/13 ST

Day 9, LA | MotD: Snare= Sysops vs Hard: 4eP+3eD 2 successes, 1 Triumph


[Triumph = ?? Maybe just go with Backup ICE, Ice Wall, in front of the Code Gate Cat?]

Snare: On a Success may spend a Story Point once before the end of the encounter to force a character to perform a Daunting Vigilance check as an Incidental. If they fail, they are staggered until the end of their next turn with an additional turn per (2 threat.)

Might as well do it now, so Story Point spent!

"I'll find it and cut it off at the pass!! Nya!"

Ven shook off his drowsiness as he logged in and sent his virtual self dashing off on a virtual skateboard to find where this attack was coming from. Skating down the data highways at breakneck speed following the trail of corruption Oblivion left in it's wake.

"Woah, this is some serious hacking! Mrao!"

--

Maneuver: Go Deep!
Action: Trace

D9 MotD Trace Oblivion: 4eP+4eC 1 success, 2 threat, 1 Triumph


Successful Trace! Using Triumph to make that 2 Traces.

2 Threat to be assigned.

Ven has Defensive Sysops. 2 Setback to Oblivion's rolls while he is active in the system.

0blivion

There was a loud howl that echoed through the Network as the monster found itself walking into a trap that was waiting for him, as well as another ICE that formed right in front of it! However, 0blivion grew in size as it ate up more parts of the system infrastructure and the snare was unable to keep the beast in check as it blundered forward with the force of a stamping rhino, intend of crashing into the objective and getting infecting everything! The ice wall shattered easily without much of a defence, only serving to irk it as it moved at an incredible speed forward and shook off any tags on it previously before finding itself at The Code Gate Cat.

Unfortunately, it wasn't amused by either the inherent adorable appearance of a cat or its indecisive nature. The Ice wall fell prey to the assimilation of the creature as it made quick work of the coding and added to its growing mass, corrupting it and turning it into something else.

H̸̲̼̝̒a̴̜̤̪̖̗̒̀͝t̴̞͕͉͙͗͛ë̶͉̜́.̵̢̓ ̵̧̱͕̀̄̅͘H̸͇͔̓a̶̪̗̭͂t̶͉̼̬͎͔̏́e̷̺̜͗̑̄̓ͅ.̵̹̣͍̗͊̀ ̸̟̽͠H̸̢̖͇͎̱̓͛͊͝a̵͔̩̙͙̩̽̈́t̶̬̳͇̮̑͆̿̐͝e̷̪̝̋̓̊̅͝

! - Using Threat to reduce Strength of next ICE by 1!
Incidental: Break Snare!
Incidental: Burn through at 3 Strain! Break Ice Wall at Strength 6
! - Cancel 1 Trace with Triumph!
Action: Break The Code Gate Cat at Strength 6
The Code Gate Cat is assimilated!
! - Using Advantage to add one Setback to next trace

Also, flipping a two story points to upgrade next check!

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths, Round 2: Snare escape!: 2eP+4eD 1 success, 1 advantage


Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths, Round 2: Burn Through ICE wall -1 Strength: 4eP+2eD 4 successes, 1 Triumph


Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths, Round 2: Break Ice on The Code Gate Cat at Strength 6: 4eP+2eD 2 successes, 2 advantage

"It is difficult to pin down.." Nadia's voice comes over the line between the two, it seems calm from the intense focus she's giving into tracking down the access point of this entity. Enough so that a skilled Sysops could certainly recognize the worry inherent in that degree of focus. Try as she might like there was the sudden realization of coming up against herself in a very real way. Against simple runners, humans or those of a more mortal nature, they came into her space and in her space she was queen. However, in this instance it was she who was the one out of her depth as this entity lived and breathed the Net.

[OOC:]

Maneuver: Reinforce Artic Wall [Strength is considered 14]
Action: Trace the Big Baddie.

Day 9, LA | MotD: Trace vs Big Baddie, GMStoryPoint: 4eP+4eC+1eD 1 failure, 2 advantage, 1 Despair


2 Advantage to apply Dynamic Code to The Bouncer, adding an additional Setback onto attempts to break it.

[GM Ghost]

"Mreow!" Ven was on faster than a cat charging for the last can of Watermelon-flavoured Diesel. Wait, that could be him! With a flurry of mental keys, he managed to pin down the prey faster than it could go 'squeak!'. In his haste, he might have been rather disorganized and left a large mess of coding around in the form of multiple boxes for later stalking.

Action: Trace!
! - Using Triumph for an additional Trace (3 Trace total now)!
! - GM uses 3 threat to make a Setback dice for next personal roll!

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths, Round 2: Trace!: 4eP+4eC+1eD 1 success, 3 threat, 1 Triumph

0blivion

While several tags found their way to pinpoint the virus in the Network, 0blivion did not care that it was traced and continued on. Everything would reach its eventual end in the universe and it was the harbinger of the inevitable. Sure as death itself, the end was here. It could not be stopped...

This time it took a menacing approach, perhaps very confident that it could not be stopped. Unfortunately, this proved true for the next piece of ICE. It gave a bit of resistance before the bits of data were surrendered to the virus.


Ę̸̛̳̭͛͗̍͂v̶͈͗͂é̵̛̠̇̿͜r̸̦̯͉̝̃͠͠ͅÿ̶̮̲́̏̒t̵̹̼̘͈͑̏̏̄̇h̵͍̟̣̗̱̀̿̓͑͆i̸̠̹̘̠̾̉̍̄̕͜ǹ̴̢͈̻̝̆͝͝ͅg̶̢̨͉̞͚̔̀̈́ ̷̨̻̭̱͚͐͐̓̍́d̶͉̜̠̳̎͌̈́i̴̧̲̮̓̓̃̃͝ę̸̏̋̆s̴̢̫̞͚̾̓.̸̜͓̪̫̰̄̓


! - Using Nadia's despair to make a back door!
Action: Break Ice at Strength 6
The Bouncer is assimilated!

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths, Round 3: Break ICE on The Bouncer with 3 Setback (2 eliminated): 4eP+2eD+1eS 1 success

"Malignant program access revoked," Nadia rattles off emotionlessly. With all the progress Ven had made in tracking down the access point of the entity Nadia found it lacking sense not to dispel it from their system. Certain as she was that at least this would give them some time. Focus yet keen in the net-space.

[OOC:]

Maneuver: Reinforce Artic Wall, Program Strength currently 14.
Action: Lockout.
Maneuver: Reactivate the Bouncer [If Possible.]

Day 9, LA | MotD: Lockout vs Average (3 Traces): 4eP+2eD 6 successes, 2 advantage


2 Advantage to apply Dynamic Code to The Armadillo, adding 1 Setback to any attempts to break this Ice.

0blivion

Ṇ̷͚͎̻̈́ỏ̸͎̰̺͊̊͠o̵̡̠̺͛ǒ̷͚̲͙͋̽͑͠ȏ̷͔̀ọ̸̤̀̕ơ̸̢̪̝̹̲͐o̶̗̐̍̈́̓o̸̝͕̾̒ò̴̪̍̍o̵̪͆̏͌̇̕͜

Nadia hear a screeching howl that sounded like an amalgamation of several voices put together, seemingly sample from different media all over the Network or spliced from several sources. It sounded rather primordial but this thing couldn't possibly be alive or organic, right?

As the remnants of the virus slinked away from the Network with its tendrils fading away in fragments of senseless coding, it would leave a structure in its wake. All of the code and network structure that it accumulated was used to build a lasting presence in the system, like a hive of insects that managed to build itself inside the crevices of a home. Left on its own, it could possibly become a fixture in this grid and forever plague it in the future. The sysops could feel when the virus dissipated, it wasn't entirely gone but rather had retreated in its own self-made fortress. If there was a way to rid it fully, it would be to strike it directly at the source.

Do you wish to continue? [Y/N]

Stepping forward toward the strange apparition left in the wake of the entity. A strange almost whip like portion of code waving and trailing out of the system and into the wider net. Nadia didn't quite communicate her intention so much as grab hold of it and pull along like one might a guiding rope in a dark tunnel.

[Y]

0blivion

The Docklands Network as they knew it would fade from their surroundings as they neared the created fortress. It seemed to have learned much in its short time in trying to destroy the Network and thanks to the code that it has assimilated, it had tried its hand in creation instead. Its walls were merely just featureless slabs of ice or stone, perhaps a simple attempt to replicate a simulacrum of ICE without a full understanding of nuances or even having much creativity. However, it ultimately would prove just as effective.

They could hear a pulse or some sort of emulated breathing from within this fortress at its centre. That sense that it was something primordial could be felt again. There was a nucleus where the virus had retreated to, regaining its strength and growing strong with its experiences so strike again in the future. If left unattended, it may prove too much of a threat for any ICE to stop...


T̷͍̈́͘h̵̟͚̞͚͛͋͌͋r̴̟͕̊ȩ̸̛̬͙̂͌̈́͐ä̷̺̪̖̯́͑̃t̴͚̗͐͛ ̶͙̪͊́̆͊̿ḑ̴̛̛̬͓̖̱̉e̶͉͝ṭ̶̟͝e̵̡̛̙̤̻̰͑̕͝c̴̩̆̈t̵̨̳̻͂͝ȩ̷͕̦̺̈́ͅď̴̘̻͕͕.̴̢̼̗͒̎͋̃


[OOC: Roll Initiative with Cool (Presence). Requires a System Access at Average difficulty with Computer (Hacking) (Intelligence!)]

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths (Part 2): Initiative with Cool: 1eP+2eA 1 success, 3 advantage

[GM-Ghost]

Ven was ready!

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths (Part 2): Initiative with Cool: 1eP+2eA 2 successes, 4 advantage

Having pulled her way through Nadia wasn't simply ready bfor what was in front of her, but she was undeniably eager. Luckily, there wasn't anyone to witness the expression she might have held.

Day 9, LA | MotD: Cool for Init: 1eP+1eA 2 successes, 1 advantage

Waving her hand through the space in front of herself. In that instant she builds a bridge across from her portion toward the front of this built fortress. Observing this unique sight before her with wide eyes filled with wonder.

"This is strange, isn't it?" she would transmit across that shared connection once more.


[OOC:]

Day 9, LA | MotD: System Access- Hacking vs Average: 2eP+2eA 3 successes, 4 advantage


Day 9, LA | MotD: System Access- Difficulty Forgotten: 2eD 0 successes, 4 threat


Total: 3 Success'.

[GM-Ghost]

Initiative
PC
PC <- [Here]
NPC

Ven was a very curious cat and didn't respond just yet but instead ventured into the fortress with Nadia! It looked like they were both in!

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths (Part 2), Round 1: Hacking!: 3eP+1eA+2eD 2 successes

0blivion

It seemed the virus had made itself a system of its own with equal amounts of ICE guarding its interior. However, the rules were a bit different here and as the sysops (hackers?) entered, they would find the way out had been barred with its walls closing in on them. It wasn't going to kick them out but rather keep them in. This intent becomes even more apparent as its eye glow hot red and a laser is projected at her (or her avatar rather), striking her with searing hot pain that almost seemed real.

It wasn't supposed to be real, right?


P̴̹̦̹͖̼̅̒͆̐u̸̹̦͘r̵̬̾͗̆́̕ģ̷͇̒͜e̸̜̟͋.̶̨̩̙̱̇͆̂̀̑

Action: Net Warrior on Nadia!

Day 9, Early Afternoon, Monster of the Depths (Part 2), Round 1: Net Warrior Contested on Nadia!: 4eP+4eC 3 successes, 5 threat


Deals 3 Strain and 3 Wounds on Nadia!
! - 5 Threat to Use (Consider 0blivion as Sysop)

Strange echoing of distorted human voice as Nadia's avatar bends over gripping her head under the assault, the building pain in her head. Blinking to her senses she refocuses herself angry as she pushes herself up and stands her full 'height' once more. Raising her arm at her right side from waist height above her head. As she does the medieval looking battering ram made of not wood but digital construct raises from a place impossibly below where Nadia's presence 'stood.' Directing it forward the impossibly strong assault against the first barrier shatters it utterly creating a neat hole punch through it.

[OOC:]

Maneuver: Activate Battering Ram
Action: Break Ice, Barrier 6 vs Battering Ram 11
Maneuver: Activate Crypsis

6/11 WT
3/13 ST

Day 9, LA | MotD: Break Ice, Knack for It, Hacking: Battering Ram vs Average: 2eP+2eA+2eD 5 successes, 1 threat


1 Threat for Boogie's Use.

Previous Threat Allocated:
2 Threat to Reduce next Code Gate from 4 to 3.
2 Threat to Reduce ICE after the Code Gate from ??? to ???.
1 Threat to give 1 Setback to the Entities next Computer check.