Part 30: Final Preparations

Part 30 - Final Preparations







This is going to be a pretty brief and straightforward update, mostly consisting of us asking everyone present a whole bunch of questions. We'll start our grand tour of inquiry from the mysterious magic vendor nearby.



This is the last opportunity to shop in the game, so there's no sense in saving up if you're still in need of something.

I have some questions first.

Speak them.

Were you spying on me at the Seamstresses Union?

[His eyes widen at the question.] You mistake your importance, Amazon. No, I was not spying on you. Until Mr. Telestrian's summons, you were beneath my notice. I saw only a customer.

What happened to "I've been impressed with you for some time"? Why do you have to be such a jerk, Aljernon?

Are you really here?

[Aljernon's face takes on a dreamy expression.]

Are any of us? Yes, Amazon, I am here. And at the Seamstresses Union. And a myriad of other places.

Who exactly are you?

I am a peddler of magical spells, spirits, and foci. Nothing more.

Truly?



Aw to hell with you. We need to find someone more reasonable and less arrogant to talk with.



Like Lofwyr here.



How did the insect spirits get here?



Unpleasant. Guess Jessica isn't just your run-of-the-mill crazy, the bugs have been literally taking over her mind.

Eventually, the shaman completely succumbs, choosing the contentment and sense of clear purpose that being part of a hive provides. Perform your role. Serve your queen. That is all.

And where do they come from?

As the level of magic in the Sixth World grows the - for the lack of a better word - the *distance* between the various planes of reality decreases. When the membrane between the planes is thin enough, ritual magic may be used to draw beings from one to another.

If Lofwyr had seen this before and knew another was coming, why didn't he move faster?

Based upon previous cycles of magic, the first insects are not due to appear for another 700 years. My lord Lofwyr believed he was well ahead of schedule. But something is different this time. It iss... concerning.

Why do you think it's different this time?

Perhaps it is due to the population of humans and meta-humans on Earth being so much higher than in previous ages. As a result, the volume of magic created by sentient beings is correspondingly higher. Or perhaps it is the density of the population coupled with the advances of society and technology that has altered things.



I kind of love this hilariously dreary idea that people have become so aware of the misery and meaninglessness of their garbage lives that it actually manifests as a supernatural force affecting the world.

So what's it like to serve a Great Dragon?

[The German man's eyes narrow.] Do not misconstrue my relationship with Lord Lofwyr. I do not serve.

They drop a few hints about Brackhaus' true identity here and there, if you know to keep an eye out for them.

Alright, I should go.

Yes. Good luck.



Telestrian has returned to his office and can be found at his desk.



Tell me more about Project Aegis.

Telestrian Industries Corporation has been working on Project Aegis for two years without fully understanding its use. Lofwyr did not trust me with the information. My engineers finally met the Dragon's specifications 3 months ago and had just begun the production process when my cousin Lynne hired shadowrunners to destroy the lab and the factory - leaving us only the sample you stole.

Pretty impressive that Lynne knew to blow the place up when even the people making the stuff apparently didn't know what it was for.

Why was Marie-Louise taken by the Universal Brotherhood?



How exactly do I use Aegis?

My people have weaponized the Project Aegis formula by creating shells which, when fired, propel a high-velocity cloud of the material which should be effective at killing exposed insect spirits. There are more effective ways to deliver Aegis - obviously - but time was of the essence and I needed to improvise.

Right. I should go.

Indeed.



The good detective is still around too.



We're all gonna die, McKlusky.

Yeah, but you're gonna die screaming.

I think he secretly likes us.



Marie-Louise is hanging out in the main hall.



Yep.

Thank you. For everything.

Could be worse. Could be raining.

[She smiles.] It's Seattle. But you look like you have questions.

Why were you locked up at the Universal Brotherhood?



This particular incident is covered in a short story from the Shadowrun Returns Anthology which I posted in the thread but which probably won't be included in the archived version.

My aunt Lynne told me the truth about Harkeem and how my father lied. She preyed upon my anger. I was so disgusted with him, it was easy for her to get me to leave and join her new family at the Universal Brotherhood.

And what did she and the UB want with you?



I know that feeling, I've played through multiple Bethesda games.

Was it Harkeem who helped you in the Matrix?



I wonder if the sample we stole was already in launcher form or if Samedi was planning on having us gently spray it on the spirits' faces or something. Though let's be honest, he probably never planned that far.

So, what did Harkeem tell you about us breaking into your father's office?

Nothing. I haven't spoken to him since last night. Why? What happened?

It went as planned until your father's people found me and brought me in.

Not exactly true, but she doesn't need to know the grisly details.



We could've also told her the truth for a very different reaction:


But a more interesting option is being an asshole and lying to her:


Of course we never heard such a thing. I find this interesting because it's just about the only time in the game you can be a cruel jerkass for no good reason to someone who doesn't deserve it. It's not uncommon in many other RPGs but here it kinda stands out.



Quoth the butler can be found near the fireplace in the same hall.



Unfortunately we don't get to know the red-eyed elf better as he only serves as a vendor. His selection covers pretty much everything but magical stuff which is available from Aljernon instead. He even does cyberware installations which is quite impressive.



One thing of note is that Quoth is the only vendor in the game to sell Smartlink weapons, otherwise only available to hireable runners. We obviously don't need one, but we do resupply and upgrade our healing items while we're here.



Having come full circle, we finish our tour with Harley here.



I have a few questions first.

Of course you do.

So, who are you?

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.

With an intelligence check of 5 we'd be able to catch these hot Beatles references ("You're the walrus?"), but we don't need to play the clown's games.

Sounds like a load of drek.



This way I can point out the nice little touch that Harlequin actually swears like normal - after all, why would he use the local slang?

Also I believe the "fights duels with assholes" part is referring to this guy:



Ehran the Scribe, another immortal elf against whom Harlequin lost both a duel and his left ear back in Renaissance-era France (the ear visible on Harlequin's portrait is actually a prosthetic). He got back at Ehran a few centuries later in 2050 and they started getting along a bit better after that, but even so the term "long-time rivalry" is definitely taken to a whole different level with these two.

How do we kill an insect spirit again?



Rinse, repeat.

And what's the connection between the bugs and the Universal Brotherhood?



They're thinking big! They set up shop in every major city, created a major marketing campaign, and then began aggressively recruiting the drop-outs, the disaffected, and the deranged - just like any good cult! If Aegis fails... if we fail, the world will be absolutely overrun by bugs. It's brilliant!

One of these major cities is Chicago which later down the line ends up with a serious bug problem. Because of that particular incident, many people with prior familiarity with Shadowrun knew what was coming the moment Shane namedropped the Universal Brotherhood for the first time way back when.

Does Brackhaus really work for a Great Dragon?



This is the biggest hint given in the game about the man's true nature, though many probably dismiss it as Harlequin's usual nonsense.

Alright, I'm ready. Let's go stomp some bugs.

[His eyes light up.] I thought you'd never ask!





So here's the bad news: the Aegis launcher is indeed a shotgun which we're bad at using. But wait - here's the good news: it doesn't actually count as a shotgun in the game despite being classified as one, meaning the Shotgun skill doesn't affect it. In fact, I don't believe the Aegis launcher takes any of your skills or stats into account in any way. In other words, whether you're the greatest shotgun-wielder the world has ever seen (not us) or someone who'd have better luck using one as a bludgeon (totally us^*), your effectiveness at swatting spirit bugs with this thing is on the exact same level. It doesn't really make any sense, but from a gameplay perspective it's a very good thing as it avoids screwing over non-gunners like pure mages.

As there won't be any Matrix runs in the game from this point on, we can safely swap out our cyberdeck here.

_{(^*Not actually true as our Melee Weapons skill is even lower than our Ranged Weapons skill)}



This isn't exactly the most well-rounded lineup but we're stuck with Harlequin, the Ghost of Tir Tairngire provided by Telestrian is unique and provides us with an extra Aegis launcher and not bringing Coyote after everything we've been through with her would just feel wrong.



This is it, the final job. It's been a, well, not that long a journey to be honest, but this is where it ends one way or another.

Let's get it done and hopefully finally get our big payday.