®

CONTENTS
Introduction....................... 5 Big Apple Corporations............ 25 That Never Sleep...........................41
Manhattan Development Settling In.....................................42
On Track..................................6 Consortium...................................25 Gearing Up....................................42
new york AAA-Rated Corporations...............26 Getting the Lay of the Land..........42
uncovered...........................10 AA-Rated Corporations................ 30 The Spy Job...................................42
A New York State of Mind......... 10 A-Rated Corporations ..................32 Delivering the Data.......................43
Vital Statistics...............................10 The Hands That Feed.................33 Getting Paid..................................43
Escaping to New York................ 11 NYC Cops................................. 34 Hotspots................................. 43
Passport to the Big Apple..............11 Jurisdiction.................................. 34 Hudson Pawn................................43
Points of Entry...............................11 Police Procedure.......................... 34 Railspur Apartments....................43
Public Transportation................... 13 Jails and Prisons...........................35 The Goldwater Club..................... 44
Private Transportation................. 13 The Criminal Network...............35 Who’s Who...............................44
Owning Your Own Vehicle............. 13 Mafia.............................................35 Malcolm Jamal Sutton................. 44
The Information Network.............14 Yakuza...........................................35 Eager............................................ 44
The Manhattan Matrix............. 14 Triads............................................36 Special Notes...........................44
Manhattan Districts................. 14 Seoulpa Rings...............................36 2. CLEAN HOUSE.......................... 45
Washington Heights ..................... 15 Other Outfits.................................36 Hook....................................... 45
New Harlem.................................. 15 Awakened New York................. 36 The Job................................... 45
Parkside........................................16 Landmarks and Locations........ 37 Hotspots................................. 45
Central Park.................................. 17 Lincoln Center...............................37 Who’s Who............................... 46
Times Square................................ 17 Grand Central Arcology................37 Special Notes........................... 46
Midtown........................................ 18 Sony Plaza.....................................37 3. SWAP & DROP.......................... 47
West End ...................................... 18 Tough Tony’s.................................37 Hook....................................... 47
Stuyvesant.................................... 19 Al-Hazad’s House of Wonders.......38 The Job................................... 47
City Center.................................... 19 The Shogunate Club......................38 Who’s Who............................... 48
Heritage....................................... 20 Vibe ..............................................38 4. DROPPING DARK..................... 49
Downtown ................................... 20 The Night Market..........................38 The Hook................................. 49
Terminal........................................ 21 Heritage House.............................38 The Job................................... 49
Financial District........................... 21 adventures.......................39 Meet the Johnson......................... 50
The Villages of Lower Manhattan .22 1. WELCOME TO MANHATTAN........ 41 Make New Friends........................ 50
International District....................22 Hook....................................... 41 Binge Watching ........................... 50
Battery City ..................................23 The Job................................... 41 Not What it Seems........................ 51
Incorporated Islands.....................23 Meeting Mr. Johnson.....................41 Hotspot....................................51
The NY Underground....................24 To The Shadows Dump Sh0ck.................................. 51

CONTENTS & CREDITS // 

 Who’s Who................................51 The Job................................... 74 The Octagon................................. 90
5. ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS......... 52 Digging Deeper into DJ.................74 Who’s Who...............................90
Hook....................................... 52 Ill Tidings......................................74 Special Notes...........................90
The Job....................................55 Avoiding Confrontation.................74 21. THE SEAT OF POWER............... 91
6. CUTTING EDGES....................... 56 Countering Extraction...................75 The Job................................... 91
The Job................................... 56 Hotspots................................. 76 The Hunt Is On..............................91 3
Meeting Ms. Johnson....................56 Who’s Who............................... 76 Altered States...............................91

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Take A Peek 14. NO COMMENT......................... 76 Research Forever..........................92
Behind The Curtain.......................56 Hook....................................... 76 Tracking the Code.........................93
Johnson In Absentia......................56 The Job................................... 76 Hotspots................................. 93
Hotspots................................. 57 Investigation Time........................77 The Blind Pig.................................93
Nowhere, Terminal.......................57 15. ELIMINATION TRAIL................ 78 NYU Medical School Virtual
Kente Royal Gallery, Hook....................................... 78 Faculty Lounge..............................93
New Harlem..................................57 Who’s Who............................... 94
The Job................................... 78
Who’s Who............................... 57 Dr. Sonya Peters.......................... 94
Hotspots................................. 78
Becky Wu Ping..............................57 22. ENEMY’S ENEMY.................... 95
Mitsuhama Arcology,
Hadrian Williams-Lee....................58 New Harlem..................................78 Hook....................................... 95
Alayna Gale...................................58 Shibata Consulting........................79 The Job................................... 95
7. FORGOT TO REMEMBER............ 58 The Foundation Archive................79 Hotspots................................. 95
Hook....................................... 58 The Null Node...............................79 Ilhuicaatl Holdings Warehouse.....95
Just Staying in My Pay Grade........58 Who’s Who............................... 79 The Lower Level........................... 96
The Job................................... 59 Special Notes........................... 79 Who’s Who............................... 96
Hotspots................................. 59 16. HIGHER STAKES......................80 Special Notes........................... 96
Who’s Who............................... 59 Hook.......................................80 23. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS........ 97
8. GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD.....60 The Job...................................80 Hook....................................... 97
Hook.......................................60 Going To College.......................... 80 The Job................................... 97
The Job...................................60 17. ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS...........81 Jinxy Data.....................................97
Hotspots................................. 61 Hotspot....................................81 Jon Nox Data................................ 98
NYPD, Inc., Precinct 10 Columbia University
(Lower West Side) ........................61 Terminal Safehouse..................... 98
(Morningside)............................... 81
9. STEALING WHAT’S STOLEN....... 62 24. HIT ‘EM WHERE THEY LIVE..... 99
Who’s Who................................81
Special Notes........................... 62 Cheli.............................................. 81
Hook....................................... 99
Hook....................................... 62 Hook........................................81 The Job................................... 99
The Job................................... 62 The Job....................................81 Get It to Go................................... 99
Meet El Guapo...............................63 Johnson in Need Indeed................ 81 Black Tie Only.............................100
What To Eat...................................63 An Offer You Can’t Refuse.............82 Another Job................................100
It’s Just Business ..........................63 Just Be Social................................82 Now What....................................100
The Garage....................................63 Hotspots................................. 83 25. THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE...... 101
Hotspots................................. 63 Knickerbocker Who’s Who.............................. 101
Fluffy Duck’s Gourmet Chicken Social Club....................................83 Behind the Scenes...................... 101
Biscuit Truck.................................63 Who’s Who............................... 83 Hook...................................... 101
Arcanna’s Cabana ........................63 Jonathan Blake.............................83 The Job.................................. 101
Who’s Who............................... 63 Buttercup..................................... 84 The Meeting................................102
10. PULLING MEMORIES...............64 Ahma Yoshida.............................. 84 The Trail......................................102
Hook.......................................64 Ms. Helena Chomsky.................... 84 26. OFF THE GRID.......................103
What Makes Her So Special?........ 64 Special Notes...........................84 Hotspot..................................103
A Face I’ve Seen Before............... 64 18. THE UNDERNEATH.................. 85 Commerzbank Café.....................103
Wrapping it Up in a Bow...............65 Hook....................................... 85 Hook......................................103
Who’s Who............................... 65 The Job................................... 85 The Job..................................103
11. WHO’S TO BLAME.................... 66 Hotspot................................... 86 Special Delivery..........................104
Hook....................................... 66 19. DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH........ 87 Hotspot................................. 104
The Job................................... 66 Hook....................................... 87 Animus Construction:
12. DEEP FAKE............................. 69 Hotspots................................. 87 Clinical Operations......................104
Hook....................................... 69 Quik-E-Nap....................................87 27. BELOW THE BARRACKS..........105
Part One....................................... 69 18th Street Subway Station..........87 Hook......................................105
Part Two....................................... 69 The Job................................... 87 The Job................................. 106
The Jobs.................................. 69 Who’s Who............................... 88 Hotspots............................... 106
Part One....................................... 69 Special Notes........................... 88 Governors Island.........................106
DJ’s Off Day...................................70 20. GREY MATTERS...................... 89 The Caves.................................... 107
Part Two................................. 72 Hook....................................... 89 The Airlock Facility..................... 107
13. I DID WHAT?........................... 74 The Job................................... 89 28. THE COST OF THE PRESS....... 108
Hook....................................... 74 Hotspot...................................90 Hook..................................... 108

 // CONTENTS & CREDITS

 The Job................................. 108 The Job..................................124 Fluffy Duck.................................. 141
Encounter 1: Bad Day Who’s Who.............................. 125 Gerald Ramius (“Gramius”)........ 142
to be Infamous ...........................108 Ares Macrotechnology................ 125 Hadrian Williams-Lee.................. 143
Encounter 2: It’s a Trap!..............108 Arleesh/Grey Cells/Yakut/ Indica Meiers.............................. 143
Encounter 3: Best Frenemies......109 Awakened Allies.......................... 125 Jonathan Blake........................... 143
4 Encounter 4: Truce or Dare?.......109 Aztechnology: J.J. Harvin............ 126 Malcolm Jamal Sutton................144
Special Notes......................... 109 Aztechnology: MCT Monad Hunters...................144
Domingo “Ding” Ramos ............. 126
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

29. THE GALA............................. 110 The Null Sect...............................144

Hook...................................... 110 Dis............................................... 127
Ghostwalker................................ 127 Acolyte 3-7-2...............................144
Making Contact........................... 110 Prelate 3-7...................................144
Pre-Party Activities..................... 110 Jonathan Blake........................... 128
Mitsuhama Computer Explorer Primary 7
The Party Itself............................112 (Mister Seven)............................. 145
Technologies............................... 128
Welcome to the After Parties......113 SpinGlobal SOTA
Monads/Vida Nova/EVO............. 129
30. ESSENCE OF THOUGHT.......... 114 Prototype Anthrodrone.............. 145
Piper Jane and the
Hook...................................... 114 Independent Press...................... 129 Piper Jane................................... 145
The Job.................................. 114 Prometheus Engineering............130 Jinxy............................................146
Listening In..................................115 OmniStar ....................................130 Rikki Nguyen...............................146
Running Interference.................. 116 The Sea Dragon ...........................131 Silver Nail.................................... 147
Aftermath................................... 116 UCAS CIA .....................................131 Spyder......................................... 147
31. THE SEAT OF SECRETS............ 117 Aftermath................................... 132 Sully............................................148
Hotspot.................................. 117 Plot summary...............133 Vida Nova....................................148
44 Union Square..........................117 appendix: pc
Preamble: Background .............. 133
Who’s Who.............................. 117
The Central Plot Arc ...................134
monad rules.................. 149
Hook...................................... 117 Build Costs..................................149
Background (MCT)...................... 135
The Job, part one.................... 118 Nanite Volume Basics.................149
Background (SpinGlobal)............ 136
Hotspots................................ 118 Monad Toughness ......................150
Background (Evo)........................ 136
The Topside Facility.................... 118 Physical Attribute Boost.............150
Background (Aztechnology) ...... 136
The Metaplane Of Dis..................120 Mental Attribute Boost...............150
Background (Ares)...................... 136
The Factory..................................121 Action Use...................................150
Background (Ghostwalker)......... 137
The Job: Part Two................... 121 Modify Senses.............................150
Background (Null Sect)............... 137
32. BEHIND THE CURTAIN............ 122 Toxin Resistance.........................150
Background (Dis)........................ 137
Hook...................................... 122 Adrenal Control...........................150
Background (Arleesh/Grey Cell).... 138
The Job.................................. 122 Rapid Healing..............................150
Piper Jane Calls........................... 122 character trove........139
Resculpt .....................................150
Dis-sent....................................... 123 Abyssa......................................... 139
Becky Wu Ping............................ 139 Monad Matrix Attributes.............151
Intimidation................................ 123
Carol “Cat” Mctavish ..................140 Obsidian Cloud.............................151
A Message from the Widow........ 123
Donovan James Eastling (DJ)......140 Tech Blast.....................................151
33. THE MINEFIELD
OF FORTUNE...............................124 Eager........................................... 141 Tech Infestation...........................151
Hook......................................124 El Guapo (Jay Houston)............... 141 manhattan map............152

CREDITS
Project Development: Jason M. Hardy Design & Production: Matt “Floored” Heerdt

Writing: Jim Greene, Jason M. Hardy, J. Keith Henry, James Meiers, Senior Art Director: Brent Evans
Louis Ray, Scott Schletz, Malik Toms
Shadowrun Art Director: Ian King
Editing: Jason M. Hardy, Donald Rawlings
Shadowrun Line Developer: Jason M. Hardy
Cover Art: Jack Hoyle
Proofing & Playtesting: Alex Abernathy, Chris Edwards, Robert Gurley, Jim
Illustrations: Paola Andreatta, Jori Bolton, Wagner Chrissante, Tyler Clark, Greene, Lex Greene, Mason Hart, J. Keith Henry, Bill Murphy, Louis Ray, William
Jack Hoyle, Lukasz Matuszek, Victor Manuel Leza Moreno, Marco Pennacchietti, Schottler, Robert Volbrecht, Jeremy Weyand
Andreas “AAS” Schroth, Jose-Luis Segura, Marc Sintes, Anselm Zielonka

© 2022-23 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shadowrun and FIND US ONLINE:
Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Shadowrun questions: info@shadowruntabletop.com
Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. No part of this work may be Catalyst Shadowrun website: shadowruntabletop.com
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any Catalyst Game Labs: catalystgamelabs.com
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Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of
InMediaRes Productions, LLC.

First Printing by Catalyst Game Labs,

an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC
5003 Main St. #110,
Tacoma, WA 98407
CONTENTS & CREDITS // 
 5

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Introduction
In 1887, Nellie Bly published Ten Days in a Mad-House in the New York World, resulting in
reformations of the treatment of the mentally ill.
In 1893, S.S. McClure founded McClure’s magazine in New York City, and it became a leader in
the muckraker movement, publishing exposés on coal mining, political corruption, trust manipula-
tion, and more.
In 1971, the New York Times published the Pentagon papers, revealing how the public had been
lied to about the Vietnam War. Anti-war sentiment accelerated.
New York has often been the center of the storm when it comes to explosive secrets being re-
vealed. That time has come again in the Sixth World, as several secrets have made their way to
Manhattan, waiting for the right team to uncover them—and figure out to do with them. Threads of
stories involving the assassination of Johnny Spinrad, the recent crisis in Denver, and the mysterious
metaplane known as Dis are all converging, and some people with cash are willing to pay to uncover
them. It’s definitely time for a trip to New York to do some muckraking.
Whisper Nets begins with New York Uncovered, an update on the state of New York City in the
2080s. With info on ways in and out, the districts of the city, organized crime, notable locations, and
more, this provides the briefing characters need if they want to operate in this corporate enclave.
Next come the missions themselves. There are thirty-three of them in his book, covering a range
of plotlines that will lead skilled shadowrunners to uncover a wealth of information. They can then
decide the best ways to put it to use—and hope to avoid any blowback for their actions.
These missions carry a lot of plot and a ton of hidden motivations, so the next chapter is a Plot
Summary to help you understand all the ins and outs of the storyline.
Finally, the Character Trove provides game statistics for many of the notable NPCs the players
might encounter in this campaign.
This information is all you need to bring player characters to Manhattan, turn them loose, and
see how they can survive among all the machinations of the city’s power players. If they’re good
enough and smart enough, they might be able to make things a little bit better for some of the people
of the Sixth World—and a lot better for their bank accounts.

 // CONTENTS & CREDITS

 On Track thing, and the guys chasing Jugaad were not the most
agile creatures on the planet, so some shoulder-bump-
ing and other contact was inevitable. That slowed them
by Jason M. Hardy down a touch, which let her increase the gap between
them and her.
It wouldn’t be enough, though. Reinforcements
Jugaad was absolutely going to read the file on the would show up—maybe other guards, maybe NYPD.
datachip in her pocket the second she wasn’t being They might well show up in front of her, cutting her off
chased. She wasn’t optimistic that would be anytime immediately.
soon. So she had to do more than increase the gap between
She really wished she hadn’t worn bright red today. her and her pursuers. She had to disappear somehow.
But this was supposed to be a corporate job—meet If only there was a crowd of hanumen wearing red
some people, shake some hands, set the stage for things for her to blend into.
to come. Calm, sedate. Not this. She was in the lower fifties now. Getting closer
She ran down Park Avenue. She passed a dozen to Grand Central. Which might be a bad idea. Lots
scooters, knowing the minute she hopped onto one, her of crowds to get lost in, but lots of cops. Probably
pursuers would either have it shut down or tracked. But lots of places where they could head her off at the
it still might have been worth it to give her a break from pass. Seemed like a good idea to go someplace else.
running. She had been running for half an hour. Or an Go west, things get really touristy. Go east, things get
hour. Or forever. Something like that. ritzy.
Her height was an advantage and disadvantage. She She chose west for the reasons New Yorkers hate
couldn’t get the overhead view of the crowd, couldn’t tourists—they’re unpredictable and mess up the city’s
plan by looking ahead. She was in a forest of waists and flow. She hoped they’d mess up everyone but her.
legs. But she could move and slide through that forest Down 52nd she went, past Madison, to Fifth. Just
better than her pursuers, slipping around and between, north of St. Patrick’s, not far away from the Empire
and sometimes even through the legs of passers by. The State Building. And restaurants and stores with ridicu-
pursuers were orks in black suits. They looked intimi- lous prices everywhere.
dating and had pistols drawn, so a lot of people moved She got some stares when she whipped around the
out of their way. But this was Manhattan. Some people corner, but that was nothing compared to what hap-
refused to back down or change their course from any- pened when the orks came after her. Screams erupted,

WHISPER NETS // ON TRACK

people ducked for cover and otherwise tried to run for “Ms. Desai, this is Mr. Coburn from HR, Ms.
shelter without really knowing where shelter would be. Ducey from engineering, Ms. Furniz from general
It was beautiful chaos. Good thing they weren’t in the services, Mr. Cho, also from general. Everyone, this
Bronx, where two orks running with guns wouldn’t is Ms. Desai. She likely will be doing some contract
have made anyone blink. work for us in the near future.” There were hand-
A few people ran into the street, so autonav systems shakes, quick greetings, and all the basics of an ini-
of nearby vehicles dutifully stopped traffic. Even xGuide tial business contact. The large conference room they
can’t do much more than keep Manhattan traffic from were in was on the south end of Central Park, and
being one step away from a major snarl, and that step sunshine and light, fluffy clouds made the windows
had been taken. Horns honked, voices yelled, and peo- look like blown-up postcards someone had decided to
ple loudly wondered just what in the hell was going on hang on the wall. Jugaad would have been happy to
here. ignore the talk and stare out the windows, but that’s
Jugaad took the opportunity to go into the street. not what she was there for. She had to be friendly and
She slid under a couple of cars, then went on top of one sociable, make an impression, so that the assembled
to get a look around, then went back down again. The people could believe she could perform work that
orks hadn’t lost sight of her. She’d opened up the gap was nothing like what she was doing here (not that
even more, but they still knew where she was trying to these people all knew what she would be doing—this
go. Their anticipation was superb, like they could see was legwork to get to know the waters in which she
her when she was out of sight. would be swimming, as it were). She smiled, she nod-
Like they were watching on all the cameras planted ded, she answered questions clearly and directly, and
all over town. she projected confidence.
Well, shit. After more conversation, her guide, Ms. Branch, led
She really needed to get out of sight. She had no idea her out of the conference room into the hallway. They
what was on the datachip, but it had better turn out to were ostensibly going to meet a junior vice president of
be worth this hassle. She was of half a mind to stand in something or other, but a door about eight meters away
front of a camera and very obviously throw it away so opened, and things got weird.
that people would leave her alone. The first thing to come out of the door was a voice,
But there had to be something juicy on it. The way female and clearly working hard to stay calm.
she had received it … “Get out of my office, Borden,” she said. “You’re
O clearly very drunk.”

ON TRACK // WHISPER NETS

 Then a person staggered out of the office. He was ing. Italian restaurant. Office building. Parking garage.
middle aged and wore a grey suit that looked slept in. Automat.
There was what looked like a wet spot on his upper Ah, automat. That might do.
8 thigh that Jugaad did not want to think about.
“Drunk?” the man said, in a full-on drunk yell. “I
She ran toward the building with its purple neon
and retro aesthetic. The word “Automat” flashed out-
haven’t drank enough yet! Not nearly enough!” side, along with the outline of a small quad-rotor drone.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

The woman who had spoken emerged from the of- Unlike its twentieth-century counterpart, the automat
fice. The wide shoulders of her jacket and severe lines was now fully automatic. Drones prepared the food and
of her skirt made her look like two elegant, vertically placed it in the compartment where it sat on display,
stacked triangles. “I’m sure security will be happy to lis- mouth-watering in ways soy packets could never be.
ten to the details of what you have consumed. Or you For a small extra fee, you could also have a drone bring
can just talk to yourself on your way out of the build- it to you, instead of having to walk over to the door
ing.” and open it yourself. Either way, the scanners across the
The disheveled man flapped one hand like a wound- place made sure you were charged the moment your
ed bird. “That, there. You hear that? That’s the con … plate hit the table.
condensation I’m talking about. Always looking down The real trick for Jugaad was getting in with enough
on people like me. Always so … smug.” time.
“Yes,” the woman said. “I can’t imagine why anyone She had been in this automat before. She’d have to
would ever act superior to you.” get all the way across the place before the orks got in for
The disheveled man pulled himself up, sudden- this to work. Right now, they were too close.
ly gathering two-tenths of a meter in height. “You … Luckily, there was a scooter. In half a dozen strides,
dare!” He took two steps toward the woman. Jugaad had rented and unlocked a scooter. She pulled
Workers emerged, seemingly from nowhere, and the throttle and pushed the scooter ahead. It didn’t con-
grabbed the man’s arms. He immediately stepped back tinue long once she let it go, but it did what it was sup-
and raised his arms. The woman made a dismissive posed to. Two pedestrians dodged out of the way, right
wave. into the orks. The orks managed to not crash into them
“Let him go,” she said. “He’s harmless.” and down to the ground, but they were tangled for a
The disheveled man glared through angry but un- moment. Which was all she needed.
steady eyes, then took another step forward. Jugaad dashed into the automat and straight for
Workers moved to grab him again. a customer who was removing food from one of the
“This is the way out, dammit!” he said. “I’m going compartments. She jumped through the door before it
out. Get your hands off of me.” closed.
The workers looked at the woman, she nodded, and In the automat’s rear area, drones moved around,
the man was left to totter forward. He took five steps, putting more food in place, carrying empty trays.
then tripped and stumbled forward—right toward Ju- None of them cared that Jugaad was back there. They
gaad. Threatening to crush her. She jumped back two wouldn’t, as long as she didn’t interfere with business.
steps so that he fell at her feet, on all fours. She could look for a back door out from here, but if
The elegant woman smirked. Several others laughed she were a betting woman, she’d put money on the fact
aloud. The man kept his head down, looking for a mo- that cops were walking up to that door right now. In
ment like he might vomit. Then he shook his head and fact, her plan largely depended on it.
started to stand. He tried to lunge to his feet, and his She turned and looked through the automat doors.
hand landed on Jugaad’s shoulder. The motion of his The orks had entered the automat. It was time to move.
feet pushed her backward, but he was moving faster, so She drew her gun, then gave herself a running start, then
he collided into her. His face briefly rested against her leaped up to the third level of compartments. Her gun-
face. less hand and two legs hit the bottom of the compart-
She did not smell a trace of alcohol on his breath. ment, and she pushed off, hard and forward. She fired a
“Starting now,” he whispered. His hand briefly few rounds to weaken the door as she did so, then burst
touched her hip. Then he staggered to his feet and tot- through it.
tered away. That was enough to startle the orks, but starling
She felt the datachip in her pocket, but she didn’t them would not be enough. She was at the level of their
reach for it while all these office people were around. heads, so that’s where she aimed.
She finished her meet and greet, got outside, pulled it It took more than one gel round to the forehead to
out, connected it to her commlink, and saw there was a bring down most orks, so she gave them three apiece. It
single document on the chip. was rapid firing, faster than they could bring their weap-
Before she got a chance to look at it, though, two ons around. They staggered back, hit a table, and started
orks stormed outside and came after her. falling.
Jugaad didn’t need to stay around long enough to
O watch them go down. She dashed out the door and
There were others on her trail now. Police were head- headed south.
ing up Fifth Avenue. Her position was increasingly pre- While she ran, she switched SINs on her commlink,
carious. She really needed to get proactive on this bitch. moving to one that was worse quality but hadn’t been
The police were south of her, and south was where recently used to get into a prominent corporate building.
she needed to go. So creativity was needed. She didn’t like to use it much, but it should be good
She went west. The orks, of course, followed. Ideally, enough to get her on the subway.
so would the police. She looked back. Pursuit had re-assembled, but at
She scanned the street in front of her. Office build- least it was all behind her.

WHISPER NETS // ON TRACK

 After a few blocks, she descended into the subway. through it. They wouldn’t have eyes on her. Or cameras.
What had once been the 7 train had finally been dug out She didn’t let herself believe it for a few minutes, but
and rebranded as the Midtown Shuttle, moving tourists it seemed she had finally lost them.
back and forth under 42nd Street. It gave them a little
more dirt and grime than the El did, and they loved it
O 9
for that. There is always a way out of a tunnel. As heartless

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

There was no train at the station at the moment, and as they can be, neither governments nor corporations
are anxious to have people burn up or suffocate in case
she wasn’t about to stand around waiting for one. So she
of a train fire. After all, some of their people take the
ran to then end of the platform, jumped down onto the
subway, too. So there are tunnels out that also serve as
tracks, and headed east. She would have worried about
ventilation shafts. When it’s an isolated subway lines,
an MTA worker hassling her, but that would have re-
the tunnels are simple affairs. When line after line after
quired them to care, so she was pretty sure she was fine.
line intersects or comes close to each other, so do the
Except for the fact that two orks in black suits had
tunnels. Which makes something like the ground under
just emerged onto the subway platform. They looked a
Grand Central a complex warren
little dazed, but they were still moving. The point is, Jugaad could make it from the 7 sub-
Drek. The constitution of orks was a wonder—an way tunnel to the tangle of semi-blockaded tracks with-
annoying, boneheaded wonder. The good news was that out entering any public place or being caught on any
she had just left the range of the cameras that had been camera, which was good both because she didn’t want
bedeviling her entire journey. The bad news was that if to be seen and because she wasn’t wearing any pants.
the orks followed her much farther, she’d be revealing She wound her way through the used tracks and then
a secret that some people close to her very much didn’t crossed to the unused ones. Stories say that track 61
want revealed. connected to the Waldorf-Astoria. Wealthy guests at the
It was dark in the tunnels, of course, but she once hotel (and did that place have any other kind of guests?)
again cursed the fact that she was wearing bright red. could go from the hotel directly to their own train line,
If she had a black outfit, this would be a piece of cake. thereby avoiding contact with the unwashed masses.
Now, even in the dim light, she would be at least a little With transit becoming more mass, though, that sort of
visible. specialized service was discontinued. Track 61 has not
She listened for the rumble of a train. She wasn’t sure been used since the twentieth century, but as luck would
what she would do if one were coming, but it would at have it, it hadn’t collapsed in the Quake, and it held a
least add some unpredictability to the situation. But luck subway car as obsolete as the track itself, which just sat
wasn’t willing to grant her that. there, collecting dust.
Lacking any other idea, she ran forward. A look over The car was an old R15, a simple affair with bars to
her shoulder told her the orks were following. grab near the ceiling and long benches running paral-
She looked back ahead. Her advantages here were lel to the train walls. The benches had been given extra
speed and size. She just needed the right spot. padding but no extra width, so they served as a set of
She was quick, but the orks were clearly well con- isolated beds for the weary who needed rest. A Faraday
ditioned. She was gasping for air, and they seemed like cage had been built into the walls of the car. It was an
they never slowed down. Even though they must have isolated safehouse under the heart of the busiest city on
nice new bruises rising on their heads. She really couldn’t the continent. Though Jugaad found that she didn’t get
let them catch up to her—how embarrassing would it be much sleep when others were there—everyone always
to be outrun by an ork? thought they could go ahead and pet the monkey just
There. Right side. Opportunity. Not as small as she because she was lying there. If she rested on the train, it
would like, but workable. would be with one eye open.
Bright red cloth flashed into the gap. After a few But she didn’t come here to rest. She had only two
seconds, the orks approached the opening in the tunnel important tasks to handle: open the file and figure out
wall and slowed. They moved carefully, like they didn’t how to get pants. And the first task was far more im-
want to be ambushed. They poked their heads into the portant in her eyes.
gap, guns ready. Then they went through the gap. She was lucky enough to be alone in the train car, so
In the tunnel they had moved out of, dozens of she plopped on a bench and got to work. The file had no
meters away, Jugaad moved from a walk to a jog to a encryption. The disheveled man who had given it to her
sprint. She knew she didn’t have long before they found must have seen to that. It opened right up, and her eyes
the pants she had thrown into the gap. She had to make focused on the title:
use of the time she had. ANIMUS CONSTRUCTION
Then there was another gap to her left. She went Her eyes only grew wider as she read on.

ON TRACK // WHISPER NETS

 NEW YORK
UNCOVERED
Posted by: Yankee Even squatter doesn’t mean the same here as it
does anywhere else. Sweeps by the NYPD at twelve
A New York and four a.m. send the homeless scurrying into col-
lapsed train tunnels and newly rediscovered natu-
State of Mind ral caves like the cockroaches and rats they share
a sleeping mat with—yet they re-emerge with the
Four hundred fifty years ago, African slaves of dawn and try to make it through another day. Why
the Dutch West India Company erected a wall that not leave altogether? That’s the rub. New Yorkers
crossed Manhattan Island from east to west and believe NYC is the best city the Sixth World has to
laid the groundwork for what would evolve into offer, so even if they live on the streets, at least they
a centuries-long trend of corporate investment in live on these streets.
New York City. The physical wall became obsolete New York is the center of the universe. This is
before it was ever finished, but the spirit of the struc- the city that coined the term c-suites to indicate the
ture remained. In fact, it expanded over the years to chief-level executives who permeate its high-rises. It
include all of Manhattan as a bulwark against the is a city in constant flux, a microcosm of the troubles
undesirable, and keep all that is desired inside. that shape the Sixth World. It is also the beachhead
Walk from one end of the island to the oth- for the troubles that could bring this world to an end.
er and you can expect to encounter every social
class—the difference is, the BTL pusher working
the street corner is still pocketing enough nuyen to Vital Statistics
buy soybeer and chips at New York prices, even if For all intents and purposes, Manhattan Is-
she goes home to a fifth-story walkup she shares land is New York City. A landmark ruling by the
with nine of her closest friends. UCAS affirmed that the island had the legal right

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

to the city name, forcing the other four boroughs Tourist passes are the most common and the
to re-incorporate themselves as independent juris- easiest to counterfeit, and they remain valid for a
dictions. The results of that case, put forward by pre-specified length of time. Commuter and Stu-
the Manhattan Development Consortium (MDC), dent passes are based on employment and enroll- 11
were far-reaching as it also created precedent for ment, respectively. Resident passes are linked to

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

dual reporting—localized corporate citizens could your local address. So long as MTA’s records indi-
also be reported as New York residents, stabilizing cate you work, go to school, or maintain a home in
the 33,000 per square kilometer population densi- the city, you are entitled to keep your pass.
ty New York has come to be known for. Before the MTA issues a pass, they perform a
criminal background check on your SIN. Officially,
no one with a criminal record is allowed in the city.
Escaping to Unofficially, any of the MDC member corporations
have the right to override that rule and force the
New York MTA to issue a pass to whomever they want.
Non-corporate citizens looking to apply for a
Passport to the Big Apple pass must appear at one of the MTA points of entry
or make an appointment with the UCAS customs
New York wants visitors, but she wants the
bureau. Alternatively, any MDC corporation has
right visitors. The city relies on a pass-based sys-
virtual offices that can process your MTA request
tem that is tied directly to NYCNet, the city’s iso-
and have a card ready for you when you arrive.
lated Matrix grid. In 2075, the MDC, backed by
the mayor and the city council, voted to update
the longstanding—and long-corrupted—entry citypass
card system. The new system, dubbed CityPass,
TYPE IDENTIFIER
was designed as a joint venture between Horizon Tourist Red strip
and Renraku. Your free CityPass comes as a styl- Commuter Yellow strip
ish, wallet-sized metallic card with bank-linking Student (K-12) Green strip
features and security systems similar to a cred- Wide Green band
Student (College/University)
stick. Unlike a credstick, however, the identifying with Black strip
color strip cannot be scraped off. Here, your pass Resident
Copper strip
is your status. It is a reflection of your income level (Below 100,000¥ earnings range)

and the number and types of privileges afforded Resident

Silver strip
(100,000¥ earnings range)
to you within the city. The more you make, the Resident
more access, credit, and prestige your pass offers. (1,000,000¥ earnings range)
Gold strip
If you don’t have the right pass, some places just Resident
Platinum strip
won’t let you in. Your average New Yorker walks (10,000,000¥ earnings range)
around with a Copper-level CityPass. Want a high- Resident
Ebony strip
(100,000,000¥ earnings range)
er rating? Add a zero to your income level. At the
Resident Rhodium band
top end is Rhodium, reserved for the billionaires (1,000,000,000¥ earnings range) with Black strip
looking down their noses from the c-suites.
Beyond its “show me” value, your CityPass
is hardwired to your biometric identity and has
Matrix and AR credentials tied to your digital Points of Entry
profile, broadcasting your information to all re- The Metropolitan Transport Authority was
ceiving scanners. A good hacker can shut these formed in 1965 as a public benefit corporation,
features off, but the byproduct of those actions though it languished for years until the MDC
means you will be treated as though you don’t redefined the power structure in the city. After-
have a pass at all. ward, the MTA became the controlling entity of
You can’t get into the city without a CityPass. all points of entry to the city. Officially, the MTA
These virtual ID codes are built off the same prin- is now owned and operated by NYPD, Inc., but
ciples as a SIN and effectively represent who you the management ranks are loaded with repre-
are within the boundaries of the island. The con- sentatives from all major corporations that call
cept is promoted heavily by the Manhattan Transit NYC home.
Authority (MTA) tourism bureau’s motto, “Who The cozy relationship between the MTA and
you are here is who you are.” the corps is writ large, as MDC corporations have
CityPass is issued free of charge by the MTA, renamed nearly every single port of entry in a re-
the group officially responsible for monitoring flection of self-interest. That said, the MTA data
who moves in and out of the city. The MTA is sep- pushers do an excellent job monitoring who and
arated into four main divisions: Tourist, Commut- what moves through their city. Be it by air, land, or
er, Student, and Resident. sea, nothing gets in without being noticed. If it isn’t

ESCAPING TO NEW YORK // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 supposed to be here, then the right palms need to Land
be greased to let it in.
Once upon a time, there were more than forty
Officially, the ports and public transit are se-
different ways into the city—today’s bridge-and-
12 cured by an NYPD subdivision known collectively
tunnel crowd are limited to using eighteen. Mass
as the Transit Police. In reality, that branch of the
transit provides some, vehicle tunnels provide a
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

NYPD is staffed by bureaucrats and officers near

few more, and the rest are highly monitored bridge
retirement age and supplemented by sub-contracted
crossings, some of which can be traversed on foot.
Ares Hard Corps, Winter Systems, and Minuteman
Officially, there are four vehicle tunnels running
Security personnel dressed down in MTA uniforms.
under the waters and into New York City. The
newest is the Ludmilla Reanka Memorial Tunnel,
Air which only reopened in 2077 after a lengthy re-
The easiest way to reach New York undetected build process plagued with setbacks that bordered
is to fly there. The four closest public internation- on sabotage. The tunnel runs south from Battery
al airports are Soze-MacArthur on Long Island, City and into the fashionable Red Hook neighbor-
Newark in New Jersey, and Hitomi and La Guar- hood of Brooklyn. On the West Side, the Lincoln
dia, both located in Queens. and Holland tunnels both pass beneath the Hud-
Each of these airports provides air taxi service son River into New Jersey. The Queens Midtown
that can deliver you directly to one of hundreds of Tunnel is the only vehicle tunnel on the east side
helipads throughout the city capable of handling of the island.
most rotorcraft and small VTOL. Air taxi may
also be the best way to move throughout the city > Queens Midtown runs parallel to the Steinway train tunnel, which
undetected. Vehicles are logged while entering and used to service the old F, N, and R lines. The tunnel supposedly
leaving NYC airspace, but most airborne vehicles collapsed after the quake, but over the past few years there’s
land at private corporate sites, keeping them off been talk that the tunnel is still intact. If you can find a way in and
MTA’s radar. out on the other side, it could be a smugglers’ dream.
> 2XL
Sea
While New York is listed as a major UCAS port Rail entry points are limited. Towers Station,
of call, most New York shipping ports are actually Penn Station and Terminal Station service train-
located in the outer boroughs. The Port Authority lines from the New Jersey side of the Hudson,
Complex is in Lower Manhattan, and thus part of the while Grand Central Station and the Delancey
city proper. Manhattan’s largest piers, located along Hub filter traffic from Brooklyn and Queens. Har-
the West Side and southern tip of the island, are used lem Station in the Mitsuhama Arcology is the only
primarily as ports of call for ferries and cruise ships. rail access point from the Bronx.
The East River flows around Roosevelt Island and After the quake of 2005, the MDC tore down
Randalls Island, separating lower Manhattan from most of the surviving bridges, creating an addition-
Queens and Brooklyn. The Harlem River divides al natural barrier to individuals trying to enter (or
upper Manhattan from the Bronx. And Spuyten leave) the city. There are eight remaining bridges
Duyvil Creek wraps around the northernmost that connect Manhattan to the rest of the world.
end, between the Hudson and Harlem rivers. One Anyone still alive from before the quake wouldn’t
hundred twenty meters wide on average, the creek recognize most of them by name, because the corps
is the narrowest crossing into Manhattan, but it’s changed every name they could.
heavily patrolled by water and air. Sony Bridge is the only bridge to access Ran-
dalls and Wards Islands. It connects the incorpo-
> Manhattan’s shoreline is loaded with docks. Most are restricted rated islands, with Manhattan on one side and
to ferries, cargo ships, NYPD, and military vessels, but the rest
Queens on the other.
The only bridge that crosses the Hudson into
are private-use docks owned by the megacorporations. It’s
New Jersey is named in honor of Ares autocrat
practically impossible to get an unlicensed ship on to one of
Damien Knight. Aztechnology tried that tactic
these docks, but sneaking onto a ship that’s hitting port is a when they rebuilt the Brooklyn Bridge, but New
legitimate option. York revolted. A short walk from the Brooklyn
> Kane Bridge is the Aneki Bridge, which also connects di-
rectly to downtown Brooklyn. Travel a mile to the
> There is also the skimmer approach. Most smuggling in New northeast and you’ll find the Trans-Orbital Bridge
York happens via high-speed skimmers sliding across the water bringing trains, cars, and foot traffic into the city
at night. Be careful, though, because there aren’t many places from nearby Williamsburg.
that a skimmer can touch down, and the places they can are all Spinrad Bridge is directly next to the Roosevelt
controlled by one criminal organization or another. Island Tramway on the Upper East Side of Man-
> Icarus hattan, linking New York to Long Island City.

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // ESCAPING TO NEW YORK

CitiGroup Bridge at Third Avenue and 135th Street and incorporated islands. Manhattan’s lone tram
spans the Harlem River between the Bronx and the sits on the East Side at 59th Street. A four-minute
Mitsuhama Arcology. Only a kilometer away, the ride to Roosevelt Island, the tram is the only direct
Prometheus Bridge provides the same service with- point of access to that island from the city. 13
out having to cross through MCT space.

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

transit
Public Transportation
TYPE COST
Few places in the world top Manhattan for Air Taxi 25¥/km
public transit access. In addition to thousands of Bus 5¥/ride
ground cabs (and Jitnee service) and air taxis criss- CitiBike 2¥/hour
crossing the city, it provides train and bus service to Ferry 10¥
most points on the island. Danchekker’s Guide to Taxi/Jitnee 3¥/Km
the Sixth World gives New York a Transit Friendly Train 5¥
score of 96—highest in the UCAS, along with a Tram 5¥
walk score of 90 and a bike score of 79. Limousine 200¥/Hour
Private Car 75¥/Hour

Bus
There are forty-five distinct bus routes covering
the nearly 60 square kilometers of city. As a hold- Private Transportation
over from when NYC was more than just Man- Yellow cabs are so synonymous with NYC,
hattan, each bus route is labeled with an M fol- you’d think they started there. They’re also easy to
lowed by a corresponding number. Over the years,
find—just raise your hand. Indy cabs hardly exist
the routes have been renumbered to reflect agree-
as most medallions belong to one corp or another
ment with and movement through various corpo-
and they log their fares with a corporate database
rate territories. As a rule, there are both express
and local bus lines for every north–south avenue. detailing who went where, and when. Jitnee, the
Lines run east–west along major streets such as major ride-sharing service, is not as common here
14th, 34th, 42nd, and so on. Additionally, each cor- as in other sprawls, mainly because of the city’s
porate-run neighborhood has its own bus line cir- various restrictions, but you can still find a ride if
cling or bisecting that neighborhood. Bus travel is you prefer that to taxis. One step up from a taxi
the cheapest per-ticket way to move across the city, is a private car service. Dozens of these services
and buses are usually crammed to capacity during exist in the city, and not all are linked to major
working hours. corporations or security services. They provide a
more discreet transport option, often with upgrad-
ed security—as long as you’re willing to pay the
Train upgraded price.
The 2005 quake transformed New York tran- If price is not a factor, the fastest way around
sit forever, and the majority of underground lines the city is by air taxi. Roughly 10,000 of the city’s
were damaged to the point of abandonment. In- buildings—around a fifth, all told—are zoned for
stead of digging out the tunnels, the MDC invested rooftop landing pads. Multiple corporate air ser-
heavily in an SK-designed monorail system that vices offer roofpad-to-roofpad transit, and like
moves along the outer rim of the city and criss- ground cabs, fares are logged with the company
crosses through several major streets. Transfers be- database.
tween El trains are usually free, as the only check-
points are when you enter the elevated terminals. > If a sedan or VTOL doesn’t fit your needs, service vehicles such
The Seventh Avenue “Freedom Tunnel” Line as vans, trucks, garbage trucks, and even automated street
is the primary surviving underground rail line, sweepers are available if you have the right contacts. Local
though a few others have since been dug out.
syndicates are embedded in the service industry and always
Parts of the Freedom Tunnel were damaged in the
quake, but enough of the main tunnel remained looking for a way to make more nuyen.
intact to rebuild as a shortened maglev route that > 2XL
begins at West 59th Street’s Lenape Circle and
ends at Columbia University on the edge of New Owning Your Own Vehicle
Harlem.
New York maintains a vehicle cap, though you
wouldn’t know it given the obscene number of cars
Trams and Ferries jamming up the streets. The MTA offers two types
Eleven ferries service Manhattan Island, provid- of vehicle passes: Commercial and Personal. The
ing transportation to and from the outer boroughs bulk of both types of passes are issued to corpo-

ESCAPING TO NEW YORK // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 rations, who then reissue them to employees. The ten wageslaves working their menial jobs, indepen-
result is a resale market of vehicle passes that often dent-network data miners assembling every bit of
cost more than the city suggests you should pay information they scrape into a cohesive story, and
14 for one. the handful of exclusive social clubs that serve as
a means for backchannel deals between corpora-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

The Information Network tions and other superpowers.

Read through the fine print in your CityPass,
and you’ll stumble across a section of text giving
designated city entities the right to tag your profile NYC Seasonal Social Event
for a variety of reasons. In short, having a CityPass
means the corporations reserve the right to keep
Calendar
tabs on your activities and whereabouts within the EVENT SEASON SPONSOR
borders of the city. This tracking doesn’t use global St Patrick’s Day Parade Spring NYPD

positioning tech, but it lets corporations tag you International Auto Show Spring Ares
Sakura Matsuri Spring Evo
when you move in and out of any extraterritori-
Union Day Festival of Lights Summer Ares
al space. While that location data isn’t extremely
Broadway at Bryant Park Summer DIMR
valuable on its own, it is another data point within Harlem Week Summer Mitsuhama
the sea of information the data miners are collect- Met Gala Autumn Horizon
ing on everyone moving throughout the city. NYC Marathon Autumn Nagato Corp
What people don’t understand about Manhat- Thanksgiving Day Parade Autumn Trans-Orbital
tan is that its primary resource is information. The Lincoln Center Film Festival Winter Saeder-Krupp
city doesn’t have any meaningful industry, it isn’t Mystical Antiques Show Winter Shiawase
isolated or secure enough for corporations to host Broadway Review Winter Horizon
their most secretive lab facilities, and there are no Times Square Ball Drop Winter Horizon
worthwhile veins of rare earth materials to dig up Lunar New Year Celebration and
Winter Wuxing
from beneath the surface. New York has Michelin Parade
Star restaurants, five-star hotels, world-class arts Restaurant Week Winter Aztechnology

and entertainment, and elite clothing designers—

New York has name recognition. However, unlike
LA, Dubai, and Paris, where anyone who matters
wants to be seen, New York’s upper echelon pre-
fers to move silently through the city, enjoying The Manhattan
everything our golden apple has to offer without
being criticized for their appetites. If they are to Matrix
be seen and known, it’s on their terms. In this way, A chummer of mine once described New York’s
they are defined by where they allow themselves to Matrix host as “Hacking Hell.” She might not
be seen, and like the corporations they work for, have been far off. NYCNet is built to be a point-to-
what they allow themselves to be seen sponsoring. point representation of the city itself. This means
And all this information ends up as more fodder that wherever you are physically in the city, there
for the data brokers. is a Matrix representation of that point in cyber-
Outside the public spotlight of media and of- space. This strategy is standardized throughout the
ficial corporate communication, that data moves exterior spaces of the city. So, if you want to visit
through three unconventional streams: the forgot- the Aztechnology pyramid, the point in cyberspace
you’ll see when you arrive will look exactly like
Midtown where the Pyramid physically exists. If
New York’s Top you don’t pay attention, you can forget whether
Members-Only Social Clubs you’re in the real world, experiencing augmented
The same way we use JackPoint to get our truth out reality, or in the Matrix itself.
and make connections, corporate types use social clubs to

Manhattan
subvert the established rules of who you can and cannot
do business with. Here are the ones making all the buzz.

CLUB
Douglass Society
DISTRICT
New Harlen
Districts
Shogunate Club Parkside East Despite its small size, New York is a layered
Union Club Parkside West city. Her denizens move along specific pathways
Knickerbocker Club Midtown through their own sections of the city, often linked
The Goldwater Club Greenwich Village only by stops on the elevated rail surrounding
Manhattan. While people can easily travel from

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // THE MANHATTAN MATRIX

one part of the city to the other, they’re often so ly metahuman, though that percentage sinks the
culturally different that it feels like stepping into further north you travel. Evo fire and medical
another country. workers from CrashCart represent the bulk of
There are fifty-seven distinct neighborhoods corporate citizenship in the area, with Aztechnol- 15
in Manhattan. To complicate matters further, the ogy, Renraku, and Wuxing also funding corporate

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

neighborhoods themselves continue to change housing communities there. Smaller corporations
over time as ownership of the lands, homes, and have been making inroads in the area by funding
businesses within them changes hands. schools, churches, and other civil initiatives.
According to the mayor’s office, Manhattan is
divided into thirteen districts. Each of those dis-
tricts has one or more police precincts and an New Harlem
elected councilperson who serves on the city coun- • Council Member: Edward S. Hale
cil. These districts largely exist in name only, or as • Security Rating: B
small parcels of land—such as in Greenwich Village
where the publicly run Washington Square Park is • Typical Host Rating: 3
located, but the surrounding real estate is owned, • Primary Corporate Funding: Mitsuhama,
operated, and leased by CitiGroup. City Council Saeder-Krupp, Ares
representation in these defined areas serves primar-
ily as a liaison to the people who actually make the
decisions. Corporate ownership lines are messy, The neighborhoods of Harlem and Spanish
crossing district boundaries and snaking around Harlem were pummeled by the 2005 quake, and
each other like pieces on a Go board. For the sake again by corporate greed when Mitsuhama took
of consistency, I will break things down the way over and tried to whitewash the history of the land
the UCAS government prefers we see things, but by renaming it Newtown. That effort lasted sev-
with a little extra info to clue you in on how things eral decades until Mitsuhama was kicked off the
truly work. MDC. The recent campaign to restore Harlem’s
history is little more than a PR stunt to get back in
the MDC, but it took hold with the right people,
Washington Heights and Harlem is Harlem once again.
• Council Member: Linda Brewer New Harlem starts at 155th Street in the Sugar
Hill neighborhood and spans the width of the island
• Security Rating: B all the way to where Central Park starts at 110th.
• Typical Host Rating: 2 Like Washington Heights, it’s an extremely large
• Primary Corporate Funding: Evo, district in which a lack of council votes is indicative
Centurion, Marsh and Hound Ltd. of the city’s historical biases; however, Harlem is
strong in other ways. MCT makes its home in Har-
lem, and both S-K and Ares have put down roots in
Before the quake, people hardly realized Man- the district, paving the way for other companies to
hattan existed past Harlem. The Heights, and invest. Currently Maersk, KondOrchid, and Kwon-
neighboring Inwood, were forgotten bedroom sham Industries are in a bidding war to obtain a
communities inhabited by overlooked social and stretch of Hudson shoreline between 151st and 155th
racial groups—not much has changed since then. with plans to construct an arcology.
These days there are a mix of corporate enclaves New York’s elite don’t often travel here, but
nestled among the clusters of brownstone apart- when they do, it’s in armored vehicles—usually to
ments and homes, almost giving the area a sub- visit one of a handful of cultural locations, includ-
urban feel. You can spot the wealth in the district ing the Apollo Theater, Sylvia’s Soul Food, and the
based on how tightly the houses are packed to- Douglass Society.
gether and how high they rise toward the skyline.
Near the border with New Harlem, the area is > Every time a wanted bulletin for a neo-anarchist goes up, NYPD
dense with apartment buildings rising as high as comes sniffing around Harlem. People here are very anti-
twenty stories. Moving toward the northern tip of corp, and they see MCT’s attempt to erase history for what it
NYC, the space between houses grows, and the se-
is. They also see Ares and S-K opening housing complexes for
curity gets tighter. The zoning for anything north
their citizens as another attempt at not only gentrification, but
of 180th Street is eight stories or lower, and by the
190s, the apartment buildings give way to actual in some cases eradication of pre-existing culture. Longtime
houses. At the very tip, the 196-acre Inwood Hill residents tend to agree and give shelter to neo-anarchists
Park serves as a monument to the ancestral home either in their homes or by providing access to the handful of
of the Lenape tribe. Descendants of the tribe can remaining sections of abandoned subway lines running east–
still be found performing rituals on a weekly basis. west beneath Harlem.
Residents of the Heights are predominant- > Ecotope

MANHATTAN DISTRICTS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 Parkside
• Council Member: Linnea Butterfield
16 • Security Rating: A to AA
• Typical Host Rating: 4
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

• Primary Corporate Funding: SpinGlobal,

Ares, Horizon, Prometheus Engineering

You can’t mention New York without picturing

Central Park. The sections of city to the immediate
east and west of the park—the skyline we all re-
member from the tridflicks—is known as Parkside,
and both sides attempt to mirror each other. Shop-
ping is an artform in this district, and you can
find boutiques that offer anything you need, if
you’re willing to pay the price. Notably, Vashon
Island has their UCAS flagship store on the West
Side, while Trés Chic Designs and Horizon’s Com-
mon Denominator host huge centers on the East
Side. Both east and west Parkside have well-de-
fined museum districts. On the East Side, Muse-
um Mile borders the park from 82nd all the way
down to 110th. The Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt,
and, of course, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
are among the better known of the ten museums
along the stretch. The West Side has the Museum
of Natural History buttressing the park at its 72nd
Street entrance. A half-dozen other museums dot
the West Side, including the Children’s Museum of
New York, where you can find the offspring of the
world’s top corporate executives taking in curated
youth exhibits with their nannies.
Those buildings that buttress the park on
Madison and Central Park West are reserved for
the richest of the rich. Security on these avenues
rivals that of Zurich Town, and rightfully so,
since living here probably means you’re running
a c-suite—or at least on your way to doing so.
Beyond the borderlands, the West Side is a bed-
room district for the Gold-strip socialites with a
healthy dose of nightlife thrown in. The East Side
is a mixed community ranging from Silver-strip
card holders to the Platinum-and-above elite liv-
ing on Park Avenue.
By the time you hit the shoreline, Parkside shifts
back from residential to heavily corporate. River-
side Drive is dominated by skyrakers, the largest
of those being the one-hundred-ninety-story cy-
lindrical monstrosity that is the Shiawase Man-
hattan Arcology. It’s worth mentioning that floors
sixty through eighty serve as The Parkside West,
Shiawase’s ultra-exclusive luxury hotel. A private
airstrip on the roof of the building shuttles guests
in and out of the city. In addition, the skyraker
houses five thousand of its wealthiest corporate
citizens and several subsidiaries, including Abori-
tech, Shiawase Atomics, Shiawase Advanced Ro-
botics, and their PR arm, Shiawase and Rubicon
Advertisement.

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // MANHATTAN DISTRICTS

 Not to be overlooked, Ares built the one-hun- Loch and around the twenty-four-meter-tall obe-
dred-sixty-story silver-and-black Condatis Tower lisk known as Cleopatra’s Needle.
less than two kilometers away. This is the nerve The park is maintained by the Central Park
center for the city’s public transportation infra- Conservatory, which is a wholly owned subsidiary 17
structure. Everything from the MTA buses and of Shiawase. They run the zoo and its collection of

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

trains to air-taxi-traffic control runs out of this paranormal critters, as well as the skating rink and
building. The only other skyraker of note in the the Michelin Star-rated Tavern on the Green. Oth-
district is the Prometheus Spire, a twisting glass- er properties, like Belvedere Castle, are privately
and-steel structure shaped like a double helix ris- owned and operated, though it is unclear how any-
ing one hundred stories above the city. The Spire is one can purchase real estate in Central Park.
the world headquarters for Prometheus Engineer-
ing, and floors forty through seventy serve as the > Belvedere Castle is run by the Society of Hawks, who, if anyone
primary research facility for the corporation. has been paying attention, are a localized order of the Black
On East End Avenue between 90th and 84th is Lodge. After what went on in Toronto, we all should be wary of
the arc-shaped MDC Headquarters, where the this group. They leave part of the castle open to the public to
thirteen parties that make up New York’s real gov- put a pretty face on what they do, but the closed-off areas are
ernment meet on a monthly basis to decide how heavily warded.
the city works. Not too far from that location is
> Snopes
the highly secretive Shogunate Club, home to an
elite social society of Japanese executives.
> Up near Harlem, the North Woods house the strangest
wildlife NYC has to offer. Officially, everything in the park is
> The MDC building is a monument to corporate ego. There are
thirteen separate towers of varying height jutting up from the metahuman-friendly, but I wouldn’t advise testing a hungry pack
main ten-story arc, making it look like an uneven crown. The of barghests after dark.
only section without a tower is the shared meeting area and > Ecotope
lobby. Most MDC commissioners and their staff enter from the
The park isn’t considered a district because no-
underground basement, save for a handful of commissioners
body represents it on the city council, though that
who follow the ancient mayoral tradition of taking the train to
doesn’t change how important it is to the city—or
work. its impact on how you move through the city. Cars
> Kay St. Irregular aren’t allowed to go into the park proper, but there
are transverses at 66th, 79th, 86th, and 97th that let
> There are holes in MDC building security if you know where you drive directly through to the other side. The
to look. The bike-only FDR Drive that runs underground from Central Park precinct borders the Emori Shiawase
79th to 90th passes under Schurz Park and the MDC building. Memorial Reservoir, which was recommissioned
While the tunnel is heavily sensored, it is riddled with service in 2035 to service the Parkside district. The loca-
hatchways that lead up into the park, MDC garage, and even into tion was chosen for more than its aesthetic val-
the building itself. ue as the cops have had to defend the reservoir
> Hard Exit from eco-terrorist attacks a dozen times over the
past fifty years. Beyond the mounted police, the
precinct relies on a network of armed drones as a
Central Park first-response tactic until officers arrive.
• Security Rating: AAA
• Typical Host Rating: 2/1/1 Times Square
• Primary Corporate Funding: Shiawase • Security Rating: AAA
• Typical Host Rating: 9/4/6
There aren’t many places in the world where
you’ll find eight hundred forty-three acres of curat- • Primary Corporate Funding: Horizon
ed woodlands and grass fields plopped down right
in the middle of a densely packed urban center. It’s Times Square also is not a district, but it is the
a lot like stepping out of a futuristic doss and di- Shibuya Crossing of the West. Half a million peo-
rectly into the Middle Ages. The MDC works hard ple pass through Times Square every day, and they
to preserve that contrast to the point that AR ad- do so under the watchful eyes of a thousand social
vertising is restricted to specified sites within the media drones filming every interaction and broad-
park. The cops here ride horses, and there is an casting it live to the world. People come to Times
honest-to-goodness castle on a pond. Even mag- Square to be seen and to be wrapped in luxury.
ic is different here. From what my magic-using There is no shortage of that here. The Warwick ho-
friends tell me, there are more mana disruptions in tel, once home to Johnny Spinrad’s legendary New
the park than most of the city—particularly in the Year’s Eve parties, is located here, as well as the

MANHATTAN DISTRICTS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 Horizon Hyatt and the Carlton. Despite the high- Bryant Park near Times Square. The jewel of the
end nature of the area, it’s also home to 10,000 Midtown skyline is the one-hundred-sixty-story
salarymen living mostly high above the lights in Horizon building, whose four exterior sides also
18 a handful of overlooked apartments at either end. double as laser-lit billboards that simulcast adver-
Times Square runs north–south between 42nd tisements in AR.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Street and 47th Street, and east–west between Sev- Virtually everything at ground level is commer-
enth Avenue and Broadway. It isn’t a square so cial space offering anything your credstick can af-
much as a bowtie-shaped collection of pedestri- ford. Zoé’s flagship store on the corner of 5th and
an-only streets bathed in digital billboards. A doz- 57th kicks off a stretch of high-fashion stores that
en blimps constantly circle above the bowtie, pro- continues to the beginning of the Grand Central
viding even more advertising space for corporate Terminal Arcology at 47th.
goods. People come to Times Square to be seen and
to experience the full force of New York’s commer- > Be wary of the Going Out of Business signs. It’s an old ploy the
cial appeal. The augmented reality in Times Square shops use to convince you their prices are slashed to near-grey-
is absolutely maddening—the moment you step market levels—they aren’t. In truth, they’ve marked their prices
into the area, your PAN is assaulted by a complex
up 500 percent, and then knocked around 75 percent off that
algorithm designed to analyze your CityPass and
new figure. You’re better off shopping at the superstores at
decide which products to pitch to you. To make
matters worse, the system actively searches for either end of the island than anywhere in Midtown.
those trying to hide from detection by the sales al- > Mr. Bonds
gorithm and outlines them in red for all to see.
Due to media visibility, Times Square is one of > A strip of brightly lit buildings north of Times Square known
the safest places in the city. The area is a rare no- as Neon City is the best place to get your hands on BTLs and
fly zone for air taxis since the airspace is so heavily other controlled substances and activities. The stores there
commercialized. Private landings on rooftops still operate legally, checking CityPass licensing and whatnot. In
happen, but it takes a lot of juice to get clearance. my experience, they aren’t looking too closely. Ask the right
Police presence is visible on every street corner, questions and they can even show you stuff the MDC won’t
though the officers selected to work the area are legalize.
chosen more for their camera-ready appearance > Kat o’ Nine Tales
than their ability to handle serious tactical re-
sponse. That said, this area is a tremendous wealth Midtown is among the safest places for aver-
generator for Horizon, and they are quick to re- age citizens to go and a must-see for tourists. That
spond in force if anyone threatens it. safety comes at a cost to privacy. While in Mid-
town, your CityPass profile is constantly scanned,
Midtown and personalized AR advertisements are thrown
• Council Member: Abe Giordano back at you. The NYPD patrols these streets in
two-officer cars, but the fixed cameras and drone
• Security Rating: AAA patrols are the real threat. In the evenings when the
• Typical Host Rating: 6/3/6 offices empty out and the population recedes like
• Primary Corporate Funding: Horizon, the tide, the NYPD patrols are reduced, creating a
Aztechnology small window of opportunity for the Night Mar-
ket street vendors to make their way to the surface.
Midtown is what the average person thinks of A fraction of the million-plus corporate suits
when they hear New York. The district officially who work in the district also live here, packed into
covers all real estate from the west shoreline to mixed-retail residential buildings where the apart-
Third Avenue, and between 34th Street up to the tip ments’ housing starts thirty stories off the ground.
of Central Park at 59th Street. However, a previous- Below them, Midtown evenings thrum with the
ly walled-off section of that footprint, known as nightlife of a hundred clubs catering to any per-
Terminal, has been sheared off to become its own sonality or fetish you can imagine.
district. The fact that this area, like New Harlem
and Washington Heights, gets only one vote is a West End
testament to how much of a rubber stamp the city
council and the mayor actually are. • Council Member: Ayla Hamilton
Midtown is known for streets teeming with • Security Rating: B
corp suits moving in the shadow of a thousand
massive skyrakers. The Aztechnology Pyramid, • Typical Host Rating: 4/2/2
Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Build- • Primary Corporate Funding: Evo, Nagato
ing are part of the history of this district, as is the Corporation, Marsh and Hound Limited,
flagship New York Public Library and adjoining DocWagon, NewsNet Inc.

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // MANHATTAN DISTRICTS

 The biggest problem NYC has is its urban tice that the police presence disappears. That isn’t
growth boundary. Without adding land mass to to say they aren’t there—this is Gold- and Plati-
the city, the only solution to a growing population num-strip territory, after all. People this wealthy
is to tear down what exists and build it higher. The just don’t want to see the security apparatus all 19
West End is the result of the collision of this phi- around them, so the NYPD patrols in undercover

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

losophy with the reality of what it actually takes to units. They rely on pop-up security sentries, lifelike
make that happen. The West End begins at 9th be- drones embedded with the wildlife, and overlap-
low the 29th Street walls of Terminal and continues ping camera feeds that provide an angle on every
to the Hudson River, taking in all the real estate centimeter of public space along that thirty-five-
southward until the 14th Street divide. This encom- block stretch.
passes an area once known as Chelsea, and then The people living in Stuyvesant rarely trav-
Southside. The land here has changed corporate el outside the district unless it’s to visit a cultur-
hands a dozen times, each time being treated as al touchstone like Lincoln Center, attend a party
an opportunity to move on from its life as a hous- elsewhere, or be driven to work high atop one of
ing enclave for mid-tier workers and managers, the arcologies. The homes in this area trend to
to more lucrative opportunities such as research single-family brownstones mixed in with top-end
space, dockland storage, or even once as the pro- commercial boutiques. Every major New York
posed site for a mega-sized arena that would host fashion house has a location here. This is also the
multiple NY sports teams. None of these plans place to find the best cyberclinics in town. Evo
stuck—the West End wouldn’t let them. houses a half-dozen clinics here, with Renraku and
The area remains a largely residential neighbor- Ares not far behind. The most well-known of the
hood with a mix of stores and twenty-plus-story clinics is Nightengale’s East, located on 28th and
tenements. What makes it uniquely New York is Second.
the influence its residents—and more specifical-
ly, the gangs or organized crime outfits they rep- City Center
resent—manage to wield over how the district is
run. Several dozen A-level or lesser corporations • Security Rating: AA
and subsidiaries are crammed into the district, in- • Typical Host Rating: 6/3/6
cluding Marsh and Hound Limited, DocWagon,
NewsNet Inc., and the city’s primary sanitation • Primary Corporate Funding:
supplier, Green-Collar Technologies. All of them UCAS, NYPD, Inc.
are tied in to the local criminal element in one way
or another. Those relationships keep these corps The UCAS federal and New York City govern-
running here—and keep other corps from coming ments operate out of an eight-by-eight-square-
in and taking over. block patch of land in the shadow of Zurich Town.
The area is mostly known for housing the East
> Yankee’s not going to tell you this, because of his own past, but Coast Stock Exchange. That building, draped in
the Cutters run West End. They’ve been embedded in the area its shiny Neo-Deco Revival architecture, contrasts
for the past fifty years. In that time, they’ve dealt with a number sharply with the rundown Romanesque architec-
of rival gangs—especially deeper into the district, where they’re ture of the civic buildings around it, giving the
presently feuding with the Blood Monkeys. Closer to the shore, impression that the ECSE is the only institution
they’ve settled into an uneasy peace with the Ancients to control that matters—the truth isn’t much different. De-
the skimmer trade, bringing illegal goods onto the Island.
spite the efforts of the UCAS, City Hall is all but
a puppet show here. What are real though, are the
> Raven-who-walks
courthouses and One Police Plaza, the functional
headquarters of NYPD, Inc.
Stuyvesant Security in the area is a tense balance between
• Council Member: Matthew Casillas three forces that don’t like one another very much.
The NYPD holds the official police contract and,
• Security Rating: AAA given that their arcology is in the square, are in-
• Typical Host Rating: 8/4/4 vested in maintaining a visual presence. However,
their biggest rival, Knight Errant, is still very much
• Primary Corporate Funding: Shiawase, in control of their UCAS contracts and have set up
Renraku, Winter Systems, NYPD, Inc. a localized HQ in the fifty-eight-story Woolworth
Building with orders to defend the nearby Feder-
While there are no walls delineating Stuyvesant al Courthouse, IRS Building, and adjacent UCAS
from the rest of the city, you can feel the difference property. The third force in place is one that has
once you cross Third Avenue. Looking around at nowhere else to go. In the mid-’70s, the UCAS
the high-end residential area east of Times Square moved a full battalion into City Center, despite
running from 58th Street down to 23rd, you no- protests from the Corporate Court. UCAS military

MANHATTAN DISTRICTS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 presence here is a taunt—a holdover from when their own arcology. That was just the beginning.
the military could still afford to surround the city One major Horizon-led PR campaign and several
with soldiers as a reminder that this island might hundred SWAT raids later, the Pit is suddenly an
20 belong to the corps but is still a critical part of the up-and-coming place in the city for the Silver-strip
UCAS. When the funds for a larger force ran dry, twenty-something hipsters who’ve fallen in love
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the UCAS rolled in Colonel Leroy Mattison and with the lore of old New York.
his Black Arrow Brigade during the dead of night Heritage didn’t solve all its problems. After
under the guise of protecting national interests. NYPD won the general policing contract for the
city, they found themselves with more areas to pa-
> I was there the night they rolled in, doing a protection detail. trol than they had officers for. They subcontracted
Word in the shadows was the military hired at least a dozen work in this district to the Winter Systems heavies
smuggler and runner teams to clear the way with distraction who conducted all the raids—the only difference
runs, while they rode right over the Brooklyn Bridge and into the now is those thugs wear NYPD uniforms. The two
city. Neither the NYPD nor any other corporate forces engaged independent citizen groups holding Heritage to-
the Black Arrows directly. The battalion set up in what had
gether are now at odds. Urban Heritage believes
that corporate involvement is going to tear down
been the NY Health Department Building, locked it down, and
the history of their district. Lower East Heritage fell
proceeded to act like absolutely nothing happened.
in line with Nagato and now supports that corpora-
> Mihoshi Oni tion’s construction projects throughout the district,
even if it means kicking families out of their homes.
> The African Burial Ground Memorial just north of the New York
Department of City Planning building is the subject of cultural
bickering between the UCAS and the government of Azania, Downtown
which has been bartering with the Corporate Court to take • Council Member: Viviana Hall
ownership of the land. They feel the UCAS has neglected to • Security Rating: AAA
properly maintain the monument to the 15,000 Africans whose
grave was unearthed on that site in 1795. Of course, this has • Typical Host Rating: 6/4/6
nothing to do with the unusually powerful mana ebb at the • Primary Corporate Funding: Evo
location.
> Am-Mut Every AA-rated and higher corporation can
claim to own a piece of downtown. It encompasses
Heritage the block of land from 34th Street up to the 14th
Street divide, and from Ninth Avenue across to
• Council Member: Lucia Osgood Third Avenue. Downtown isn’t the prime real es-
• Security Rating: B tate Midtown can claim to be, though all the sights
of Midtown are within walking distance. Instead,
• Typical Host Rating: 3/2/2
the real estate here is a complicated mess of AA
• Primary Corporate Funding: Nagato ownership anchored by the presence of the nonde-
Corporation, Brackhaven Investments, script Evo Tower on 18th and Broadway overlook-
Frankfurt Banking Association ing Union Square.
Like Midtown, the area is primarily offices and
New York has a difficult history of slapping a commercial space, which goes dark after working
fresh coat of paint over a thing and calling it good. hours. Unlike Midtown, there are close to sixty
This stretch of the Lower East Side was called the corporations ranging from A to AA calling this
Pit not so long ago. The problems with gangs and patch of land headquarters, with little room for
paranormal critters such as devil rats were so bad the vibrant nightlife you find elsewhere in the city.
the NYPD pulled out and let Winter Systems do the NYPD touts Downtown as its greatest success sto-
policing. The government cared even less. They left ry, and over the last twenty years the crime rate
the management of the zone to a pair of citizen-led has fallen to near zero. How much of that is actual
groups known as Urban Heritage and Lower East policing vs. crimes not being reported remains to
Heritage. However, real estate being what it is in be seen.
the city, someone was eventually going to put up
the cash for revitalization. That someone mani- > By “crimes not being reported,” he means “crimes being
fested in the form of three AA-rated corporations committed on extraterritorial soil and thus not needing to
who, coincidentally, were all bidding for seats on be filed as an official crime, regardless of whether the NYPD
the MDC. Brackhaven Investments, the Frankfurt responds and investigates.” That’s a trick they use to keep their
Banking Association, and the Nagato Corporation numbers where they want them. If a crime happens on corp land
poured nuyen into local organizations, with Naga- and it isn’t solved, it never happened.
to buying up enough land to start construction on > /dev/grrl

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // MANHATTAN DISTRICTS

> Most of those crimes are of the corporate-espionage variety. > Winter Systems is literally getting away with murder here by
Local runners make big bucks smuggling secrets (and people) claiming they are working to remove insurgents from sovereign
from one Downtown corp to another—usually after hours when territory. The fact is that only part of the work they’re doing is
the population is at its lowest. However, don’t think that means taking place on land covered by the Shiawase Decision. Most 21
nobody is around. Any AA worth its rating keeps their security of the gangs being slaughtered are on UCAS soil, and local

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

forces hungry and armed to the teeth out here. Meanwhile, newshounds are sniffing all over this looking for any evidence of
Winter Systems, KE, and Centurion hold dozens of contracts to corporate wrongdoing or malfeasance.
police these smaller corps at night. All these security forces > Sunshine
have an established relationship with the NYPD where they don’t
call until the shooting is done. In the cases of the AA corps, they You can practically see the progress being made
might not call at all. in Terminal from space. Look for the dark spot
> Kia on the West Side of Manhattan locked in place
by walls that extend to the water at 29th and 42nd,
and the main wall running down Seventh Avenue
Terminal from 42nd to 29th. Inside the zone, Zeta-Imperial
• Council Member: Sebastian Krebs Chemicals’ influence can clearly be seen by the
• Security Rating: B to Z lights of the shiny new complex near the center
of the district. A mix of new and old buildings ra-
• Typical Host Rating: 2/2/1 diating outward from the new arcology has basic
• Primary Corporate Funding: Zeta-Imperial services, but everything near the walls and outside
Chemicals, Lucent Bioware, Matrix Assets the so-called safe zone has been entirely cut off.
Inc. The checkpoints are still up along Seventh Avenue
at 34th and 42nd, though most of the time the cops
barely look in your direction to see if you are the
Zeta-Imperial Chemicals bought their way
onto the MDC with a simple promise to clean kind of person who ought to be leaving Terminal
up Terminal. For years this section of the city or the type who they need to pat down. It will stay
floundered as a walled-off DMZ that doubled as that way until Zeta-Imperial Chemicals proves it
one of the handful of ways to get into the city. can get security under control.
Terminal houses Penn Station, which serves as a
bus terminal and rail hub for maglev train lines > Terminal was—is—how the poor people get into the city. Police
moving up and down the coast from Boston to as response here is draconian. They know the citizens using
far as DeeCee. It also has Terminal Station, which Terminal aren’t wealthy enough to fight for their rights, nor do
brings in traffic from New Jersey, and serves as a they matter enough to the corps they work for to be protected.
local stop for the city’s elevated rail line. Zeta-ImpChem’s operation here is essentially a money grab.
The long-awaited rebuild is in progress, and If they can move the security dial just a little more it will be
the area immediately surrounding the station is enough to attract lower-class workers fleeing Battery City, which
already gentrified to the point where it is on par means Zeta-ImpChem should eventually turn a profit.
with New Harlem or any of the Villages of Lower > 0rkCE0
Manhattan in terms of police presence. Walk a
few blocks farther down and you’ll start seeing
graffiti on the walls in real life and in AR. Walk Financial District
any farther and you’ll find yourself in the middle • Council Member: Davian Quercos
of an open war between the local gangs, along
with a mix of NYPD and Winter Systems securi- • Security Rating: AAA
ty forces contracted by Zeta-Imperial Chemicals • Typical Host Rating: 9/4/6
to reclaim the now-extraterritorial property the • Primary Corporate Funding: Zurich-
corporation purchased as part of their move to Gemeinschaft Bank, Corporate Court
the district.
Members
The NYPD won this policing contract back
from Winter Systems when they took over the
citywide contract; however, per arrangement Nowhere in NYC is as secure as Zurich Town.
with Zeta-Imperial Chemicals, the local precinct On the other hand, no runs are nearly as profit-
is only responsible for conducting patrols and able as those hitting the major corporations that
dealing with standard crimes. The language of the call this place home. The nickname comes from
agreement is important, because it holds Zeta-Im- the trio of two-hundred-fifty-story iridescent black
perial Chemicals responsible for “specified urban towers serving as the Earth-based headquarters of
renewal projects,” which translates into Winter the Corporate Court. The surrounding skyrakers
Systems being paid to take the zone back block are loaded with attorney and lobbyist firms, all
by block. working to improve one corporation or anoth-

MANHATTAN DISTRICTS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 er’s position with the court. The smaller of Saed- that violence to the parts of the village that are
er-Krupp’s two (you read that right) New York off the tourist path. The big draws here are the art
headquarters is located directly across the street community and the NYCU campus. Thanks to the
22 from the towers. university, Greenwich trends younger than other
areas of the city. You’re more likely to see teenag-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

> The location of the S-K Prime building is intentional. When ers than anyone over the age of forty. The locals
Fuchi built those towers decades ago, they were connected to tend to be academics and independents, and the
the surrounding buildings via pre-existing underground tunnels stores cater to those same mindsets. It’s hard to
that were supposed to have collapsed during the 2005 quake or find a chain location anywhere in the village.
been purposely blocked off. S-K Prime sits on the footprint of
the ventilation building for those tunnels. Not to be a conspiracy > The stores pretend to be mom-and-pop, but follow the money
theorist, but that means that S-K has complete access to and you’ll find that “mom” and “pop” are megacorporate
whatever is left of those tunnels, giving them a way to secretly citizens placed there by their corp to help influence the locals
move whatever they want into the Corporate Court buildings. toward buying into the corporate message. Horizon perfected
> Plan 9 this process years ago, and others have since copied the
blueprint to the point where you can’t trust anything you see in
As is common with most NY business districts, the village as genuine.
there is low residency here. The people who do > Dr. Spin
live here are high-value corporate residents, along
with the security apparatus needed to keep them > That right there is why the village is constantly under attack
safe. Zurich Town is entirely extraterritorial, and from eco-terrorists. The NYPD labels the attacks as gang
as such, there are so many corps here that who- violence because they don’t want the stigma of terrorism to
owns-what changes based on which block you’re haunt their city, but everyone knows what is happening and why.
on. NYPD treads carefully to the point that their It’s become enough of a problem that they’ve begun recruiting
presence is mostly for show. The corporate securi- shadowrunners to find out where these attacks are coming from
ty forces protecting their charges remain the real and put a stop to them.
threat here.
> Sticks

The Villages of SoHo (A)

Lower Manhattan South of Houston Street is how NYC does
• Council Member: Nicolas Stanford quaint. The area bills itself as extremely fami-
ly-business-friendly, with no major chain stores in
• Security Rating: A to C the village and no corporations larger than A-rated
• Typical Host Rating: 3/2/2 Drift Technologies calling SoHo home. The area
• Primary Corporate Funding: Various is racially diverse, touting the highest percent-
age of orks and dwarfs outside of Washington
Heights. The local elven community is extremely
Contrary to what Horizon’s PR machine wants insular, with most of the elven residents living in
you to believe, the village isn’t one place; rather, it’s a six-building Telestrian-owned complex at the
three separate areas stretched across lower Man- southern end of the neighborhood.
hattan below 14th Street. The villages are where the
city starts to break away from its predictable grid-
block structure. Compared to the rest of the city, East Village (B to C)
below 14th is a maze of angled streets and bisecting As the name suggests, this covers the territo-
avenues that don’t often extend the length of the ry east of SoHo both above and below Houston
island. Houston represents a dividing line for sev- Street. The East Village butts up against Heritage,
eral of these neighborhoods, and those who live which is why the security rating here fluctuates. It
below the line view the world very differently than is largely a bedroom community built around the
those who live above it. middle-class corporate employees of a dozen AA
corps that are vying for the attention of the Cor-
Greenwich (B) porate Court.
When you hear about “The Village,” this is the
place you’re probably hearing about. Greenwich International District
sits above the Houston Street line on the West Side • Council Member: Kit Chang
of the island, and it’s close enough to West End
to be impacted by gangs looking to expand their • Security Rating: C
territory—though the NYPD is invested in limiting • Typical Host Rating: 3/2/2

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // MANHATTAN DISTRICTS

 • Primary Corporate Funding: Wuxing, where else to go” syndrome. As other Lower
SpinGlobal, Monobe International, Manhattan neighborhoods push for revitalization,
Yakashima Technologies Battery keeps getting the overflow of citizens who
can no longer afford to stay where they were. Un- 23
The battle for naming rights to this two-hun- fortunately, not all these new arrivals are the ones

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

dred-year-old district was lost long before Wuxing you want living right next to you.
decided to step in and make it a fair fight. The trou- Battery is crawling with gangs pushed out of
ble started when several Japanacorps decided to their territories. The longstanding Battery Boys go
lay down roots in the area. Things took a turn for to war nightly with interlopers like Slaughterhouse
the worse when the district elders got in bed with and the Wraithchildes, who were pushed out of the
SpinGlobal and their efforts to control the sudden West End. Since the violence is usually limited to the
revitalization of the district. The result is a district gangers themselves, nobody does anything about it.
The MDC’s official stance is, “We are aware of the
whose core is an insular group of residents highly
situation.” That’s corpspeak for, “We don’t care.”
resistant to change, surrounded by forces who are
Lucky for Battery, someone else does. A group of
trying to both integrate and update the district into
A- and AA-level corporations have recently banded
something resembling modernity.
together to extend a lifeline to the community. The
Battery City Collective is composed of four entities:
> The irony is that the people who founded Chinatown were
Gaeatronics, Centurion Services International, the
running from the governmental forces that eventually Genesis Consortium, and an unnamed partner with
metastasized into Wuxing. The locals have more in common with deep pockets. The group appears intent on address-
the diaspora of immigrants that widened the district into what it ing the climate-related flooding problems first. Giv-
is today than they do with the corp trying to save it. Funny thing en the recent trend of “get it fixed and maybe the
is, the locals know it, too, and they’ve been fighting hard against MDC gives you a seat on the board,” this could be a
Wuxing sinking its talons into the district. ploy by any one of the corporations in the collective
> Ma-Fan to appear worthy of a seat.

Chinatown is old-school. The MDC’s construc-

tion-happy ways haven’t penetrated very far into
Incorporated Islands
the district. Over a third of the buildings were When Manhattan sued to formally declare it-
built before the quake, with the newest construc- self a city, the MDC members also moved to buy
tion happening along Bowery, sparing the maze of up the islands surrounding their new city. Six lo-
alleys and side streets that compose the veins of the calized islands are officially part of NYC or the
district. Here, you’ll find the best street food NYC wholly extraterritorial property of major corpora-
has to offer. You’ll also find a booming black-mar- tions. The other nearby islands belong to the cities
ket economy built on forged goods. The Japanese surrounding New York.
influence is heavy in the sector, which has led to
increased clashes between the Large Circle Triad Roosevelt Island
and the Yakuza.
Roosevelt had a good run as a residential center
prior to Manhattan’s incorporation. That act forced
> Chinatown is the place to go for weapons and other goodies
the island to resume its original purpose—Roos-
we shadowrunners need to operate. Most of the vendors are
evelt now houses five prisons ranging from Maxi-
suppliers of one illegal item or another. The key is getting past mum Security to Ultra-Maximum, the designation
the tourist crap they shovel your way when you first enter. The given to prisons designed to house Awakened indi-
good stuff is always locked behind a hidden door—usually one viduals and technomancers. The island is connected
that leads to a basement. to the city by a ferry at 59th street and a tram above
> 2XL that, which tends to be used by high-ranking prison
administrators and important visitors. Boh the ferry
Battery City and the tram are staffed by MTA security.
• Council Member: Eric Padovano > There’s one another connection. The old F train line that shut
• Security Rating: C to D down following the quake runs directly below the island. NYPD
insists the tunnels are collapsed, but they aren’t. That said,
• Typical Host Rating: 2/1/1
getting to and through those tunnels to the other side is risky
• Primary Corporate Funding: Battery City business—not to mention the fact that the station exits on the
Collective, Saeder-Krupp island are boarded up and monitored. That hasn’t stopped
runners from using it to get on and off the island undetected.
Originally designated as a middle-to-low-in- Getting into one of those prisons is another matter entirely.
come neighborhood, Battery suffers from “no- > Peregrine

MANHATTAN DISTRICTS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 > New Riker’s Penitentiary, Gatestrom Penitentiary, and the employ of Ares, question whether the histo-
Stonewater Correctional Facility hold the Maximum-Security ry being depicted is accurate to what happened
designation. New Blackwell Penitentiary and Stormbreak during that time or a curated experience designed
24 Penitentiary are much worse. The horrors endured between to highlight what the corporation would like to
these five institutions have left an indelible mark on the land, push as “American History.”
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

resulting in a medium mana ebb.

> Elijah Governors Island
Speaking of Ares, they have complete owner-
Randalls Island ship of Governors Island. The corporation contin-
and Wards Island ues to use the island as a military training facility
and testing ground. After losing their Manhattan
These two islands are often thought of as a contracts, Knight Errant redeployed a large por-
single landmass due to the shared purpose of the tion of their force here to undergo training for fu-
space. The islands are designed to isolate danger- ture missions. From what observers can tell, that
ous individuals. Randalls is a prison, plain and training includes simulated street-to-street battles
simple, and Wards is branded as a rehabilitation with mercenary groups that are brought in and
zone, though the truth of what goes on there is paid to serve as the opposition.
far worse. Randalls and Wards share a dark his-
tory. They housed everything from prisons to or-
phanages, and even held insane asylums used for The NY Underground
psychological experimentation. With the shift of • Security Rating: Z
high-risk prisoners to Roosevelt, the five prisons
on Randalls range from minimum to moderate se- • Typical Host Rating: No Matrix service
curity. The prisons here are primarily used to hold possible
low-escape-risk prisoners, prisoners awaiting trial,
or prisoners who will be transported to long-term Seattle’s Underground is the only point of ref-
corporate facilities outside the city. erence people seem to have when referring to an
The people on Wards Island are called patients, active underground. Manhattan is nothing like
but they are no more free to leave than their coun- that. It is dirty, dangerous, and roaches and devil
terparts in the prisons next door. The main facil- rats are the least-scary things you’ll find beneath
ity on the island is Horizon’s Rehabilitation and the streets. A lot of that Batman trideo shit comes
Psychiatric Center, which happens to be a global out of real stories about what hides below our city.
leader in the research of CFD. What we call the underground is actually a col-
lection of collapsed subway tunnels that criminal
> Like with Roosevelt, the mana ebbs on these islands can be figures use to move undetected throughout the city.
pretty severe. The DIMR maintains a research facility here Map access to the old tunnel system is limited since
dedicated to studying the long-term impact of that mana ebb on Ares purged that data immediately after gaining
the prisoners who reside here. management of the subway network. All that’s left
> Elijah to guide you are paper copies of tunnel maps you
can purchase at the Night Market—they’re hand-
The only entry/exit point by land is the Sony marked to show which spaces are collapsed and
Bridge, which passes into neighboring Queens which still function.
City. Travel across the bridge is slow due to NYPD
checkpoints at either end. > Tunnel collapses are ongoing. More often than not, it’s due to
people of the Night Market and other groups using earth spirits
Liberty and Ellis Island to temporarily shut down one passage and later open another.
The constant changes prevent NYPD from ever being able to
The Statue of Liberty, symbol of the UCAS, successfully raid the tunnels. It also has the bonus effect of
is brought to you by Horizon. They own Liber-
creating a market for maps.
ty Island and neighboring Ellis Island as well. In
> Elijah
2072, Horizon completed construction of a high-
speed maglev that runs between the two islands.
> The 2005 quake revealed that there was an underground here
The following year, Horizon re-opened the two
islands under the name of Virtual World Liberty dating back to the first people. That collection of caverns follows
Park, a theme park featuring AR reenactments of the map of what ancient Manhattan was before colonization. No
key moments from the American Revolutionary one who tries to live down there lasts very long, mostly because
War. The islands have quickly become a prime whatever natural terror calls those depths home isn’t too keen
NYC destination, drawing tourists from around on having roommates. Rumors persist of a village accessible
the world. Local historians, notably those in through the decommissioned Second Avenue train line with a

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // MANHATTAN DISTRICTS

 25

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

population of close to a hundred people, few of whom ever find velopment Consortium. Given the way that coun-
their way back to the surface. cil is presently shaped, there are AA-rated corps
> Ecotope who have more influence on city affairs than some
of the megas.

Big Apple Manhattan Development

Corporations Consortium
The list of corporations that call NY home can Shortly after the 2005 earthquake, it became
fill a datastore. Most are passthroughs used to hide clear that New York could not afford to rebuild
the assets of individual corporate citizens. Some are itself. The government turned to the corporations
joint ventures between otherwise unaligned corpo- for help, and those corporations turned Manhat-
tan into their extraterritorial playground. While
rations, generally in service of a shared objective.
NYC still has a token government, the real pow-
With so many players, the NY corporate scene
er lies with the Manhattan Development Con-
wound up bisected by a line of A-tier status. If you sortium. Over the years, MDC membership has
don’t have at least one “A” next to your name, then shifted away from the original corporations that
you’re hardly worth noticing. When the Corporate funded the rebuild. Decennial elections provide the
Court took up residence in the towers, in effect it backdrop to reshape the consortium to the will of
defined that line. Unrated corps have no voice in whomever can gain the most votes. This has led
the court, no interest stake in Z-O Bank, and thus to unexpected partnerships and snubs that would
no value to the corporations positioning for lever- seem impossible elsewhere.
age within the city. In 2075, America’s corp, Ares, was voted off the
There is a hierarchy here, but it isn’t directly council over concerns that their focus was shifting
related to the number of As before your corporate away from the established goals of the MDC. Co-
name. A request from, say, Nagato, may get a more incidentally, the action paved the way for NYPD,
immediate response than a request from Ares. It is Inc., to centralize security services for the city.
a question of leverage within the Manhattan De- The surprise dissolution of NeoNET in 2079 led

BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 to a vote to add a new thirteenth member—and not be reached for a specific corporation to be the
after Ares’ replacement by Zeta-Imperial Chemi- provider, the city continues to be the provider with
cals, it was assumed a Big Ten corporation would funding support from the MDC.
26 fill the newly opened chair. In the hopes of being With the megas having their finger on the but-
reintegrated into the MDC after being forced out ton of basic services, a natural truce has emerged.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

years ago, MCT staged a massive PR campaign You won’t see megas going after each other direct-
designed to engender support amongst the coun- ly in the streets of New York. Those battles will
cil; however, the vote took a hard turn in another happen in the boardrooms or through corporate
direction, resulting in the surprise addition of the proxies.
Nagato Corporation, which edged out Wuxing in
the vote. MCT was completely shut out and left to Ares
plot their revenge. As a result, Big Ten corps now
hold less than half of the seats on the MDC. The Local Subsidiaries: Ares Global Entertainment,
impact of the change is significant, since the megas Ares Space, Info-Santé Administrative Services,
no longer have enough votes to control what hap- North American Broadcasting System, Victory
pens in the city without the support of lower-tier Sportswear
corporations. The megas now spend a great deal Getting booted off the MDC is rarely a good
of time rallying AA and A corporations to their thing, but it may be working in Ares’ favor. With
cause, often using those corporations as proxies to all the attention on the membership shift to AA
fight their battles—both in the boardroom and on majority and MCT openly plotting revenge against
the streets. the six megas still remaining on the board, Ares is
largely being left alone to write their own come-
back story. The corporation is at least partially re-
sponsible for the Nagato membership and contin-
The Manhattan ues to leverage the AAs against the megas. Hours
Development Consortium after the MDC passed the decision to eliminate
(and Their Representatives) the Board of Education, Public Education Systems
swooped in and bought up as many public schools
(There will be a new vote on MDC as they could. Presently, Ares controls seventy per-
membership on July 1, 2085)
cent of the public schools in Manhattan. You can
1. Aztechnology (Benjamin Lopez-Garcia)
bet their curriculum rewrites events from the past
2. CitiGroup (Madison Dover)
decade to cast the megacorp in a friendlier light.
3. Horizon Corporation (Michael Andrews)
Ares is still responsible for maintaining New
4. NYPD, Incorporated (Mason Andersen)
5. Prometheus Engineering (Ethan Miles)
York’s transportation infrastructure. They man-
6. Renraku Computer Systems (Yutaka Taiga)
age everything from subways to busses, taxis, and
7. Saeder-Krupp (Brent Lucas) even the harbor. With so many city services fun-
8. Shiawase (Mineyo Kotari) neled through the corporation, it’s hard to see their
9. Sony Corporation (Junpei Sakura) removal from the MDC as anything more than a
10. SpinGlobal Industries (Katie Brookes) political stunt.
11. Trans-Orbital (Thomas Warren)
12. Nagato Corporation (Ahma Yoshida) > The Battle of Detroit made a lot of people rethink the concept
13. Zeta-Imperial Chemicals (Emma Nilsson) of Ares as America’s Corp. Add to that the NYPD and many
other local corps losing faith in Ares’ military hardware
Press Secretary: Christopher Arkins following that nasty Excalibur incident, and Ares is right where
MDC Safety Director: Denise Fairborn they want to be—not out in front of the crowd where people
ECSE Commissioner: Emma Porter can boo and point fingers, but embedded in the fabric of the
city where it is impossible to separate the corporation from
what the city is becoming.
AAA-Rated Corporations > Sunshine

None of the Big Ten corporations are head-

quartered in Manhattan. However, the Corporate Aztechnology
Court maintains their dirtside headquarters in the Local Subsidiaries: MediCarro, Microtóni-
heart of Manhattan’s financial district, so every ca Azteca, Mystics and Magicks, Nature-Taste,
AAA follows suit with their own local complex— Stuffer Shack, Trés Chic Cosmetics
even if the presence is just for show. AAAs own the AZT’s New York history is filled with missteps.
majority of the land in the city and are responsible They bought the naming rights to the Brooklyn
for providing key municipal services in their dis- Bridge and tried to name it after their CEO. They
tricts, either directly or through their local subsid- quickly discovered that while that shit may fly
iaries. In the few cases where an agreement could for Ares, New Yorkers don’t feel the same about

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS

Aztechnology co-opting bits of their history. That al and division. Nobody knows what Evo wants
said, the city owes a tremendous debt to AZT— or plans to do next, and that is dangerous. Evo’s
no other corporation put more nuyen behind the thinking is alien and dangerous to the court—they
rebuilding of Manhattan. This might be why NY are headed by a naga who has a free spirit whisper- 27
largely turns a blind eye to AZT’s internal strife, ing in her ear. Although Evo is not actively trying

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

even when those battles play themselves out on the to make a play for a board seat, they are cornering
city streets. the local market in non-police emergency services
Over the past few years, there have been six ex- and elective medicine. CrashCart holds the fire and
plosions at Aztechnology research facilities within medical rescue contracts for New York, as well as
the city, resulting in numerous deaths of Aztech a number of local hospitals—including Mount Si-
employees and local citizens who happened to be nai, which doubles as an Evolution Medical clinic.
in the area. At least two of those attacks have been Their Red Star and Pensodyne Genetics clinics can
credited to eco-terrorist groups trying to bring at- be found throughout the city, offering discreet ge-
tention to the atrocities committed during the Am- netic and cybernetic modifications to wealthy New
azonian war. Yorkers.

> Two more of those incidents were failed assassination attempts Horizon
on Domingo Chavez. He’s been spending time at his properties
Local Subsidiaries: Charisma Associates, Com-
locally, so all signs point to the hits being internally sanctioned.
mon Denominator, Pathfinder Multimedia
Someone in the corporation doesn’t like how Chavez operates
New York is built on the manipulation of in-
and is determined to put a stop to it. formation, wealth, and image. I challenge you to
> Marcos name another corporation that manipulates these
things better than Horizon. The company sunk
They say food is the way to a person’s heart. their PR claws so deep into the city it’s impossible
AZT is the number one food supplier to NYC, to talk about a signature NYC event without men-
which goes a long way toward helping locals for- tioning Horizon. PR is their main business in the
get about the bad things Aztechnology is all too of- city, and business is very good.
ten responsible for. Stuffer Shack is practically an
institution in the poorer sections of the city, while > Often overlooked is their work on behavioral therapy, which
many of the higher-end restaurants throughout takes place in their research labs at the Rehabilitation and
Manhattan rely on goods brought into port by Az- Psychiatric Center on Wards Island. The work there was
technology to get those five-star meals to the table.
instrumental in understanding CFD.
> Glitch
Evo
Local Subsidiaries: CrashCart, Evolution Medi- > Wow, that’s a really nice way of saying they tortured and
cal, Pensodyne Genetics, Red Star Clinics dissected patients in order to find out how their brains were
Evo is the only megacorp that is not actively modified by the virus.
trying to join the MDC. While there are many ru- > Plan 9
mors about why this is the case, I believe it be-
gins and ends with Buttercup. Three years ago, Horizon’s strong suit is convincing you to be-
NBCNN revealed that Buttercup owned the top lieve what they are telling you. Right now, their
fifty floors of the Empire State Building, ending message to New Yorkers is, “Ares is not your
decades of rumors about the high-security eleva- friend.” Horizon cast the first vote to dump Ares
tors and mysterious wards blocking access to that from the MDC, and the push against America’s
zone. Their report went on to suggest her owner- Corp hasn’t stopped there. Over the past year,
ship of the space was entirely separate from their Horizon has put forward motions to have Ares
HQ a half-mile away. Buttercup’s presence remains replaced as transit services manager and put
a curiosity, but what is clear is her interest in New in multiple safety complaints to the Corporate
York is separate from that of the corporation. Court in regard to the operations on Governors
Island—specifically citing dangers to customers
> Buttercup also recently purchased the Flatiron building after of Virtual World Liberty Park, which operates
years of trying to wrestle it away from CitiGroup. She owns a nearby.
nearly identical structure in Seattle’s downtown area. Both are
warded in the same fashion as the Empire State Building. > Corporate wars may start in the boardroom, but they always end
> Ethernaut in the shadows. This thing between Horizon and Ares is going
to get ugly fast. I’ve already fielded a dozen calls about runs
The beauty of Japanacorps is how far ahead against one corp or the other.
they plan, but Evo’s plan is obscured by upheav- > Kia

BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 Mitsuhama Renraku’s New York operations represent an
opportunity to step out of the shadow of Mit-
Local Subsidiaries: American Art and Culture,
suhama by branding themselves as the lead Jap-
Amtrak Incorporated, MediaSim, Pentagram Pub-
28 lishing, Takai Development Corporation
anacorp of North America. This has put them in
When the Corporate Court released the new direct conflict with Shiawase and Mitsuhama, but
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

corporate rankings placing MCT as the top corpo- more curiously, Horizon. That last rivalry has a
ration in the world, it had a withering effect on the lot to do with how the corporation chooses to
company’s NYC market. It should come as no sur- make its mark. Renraku’s corporate identity is
prise that the company’s focus has been on trying based around the idea of need fulfillment. They
to force the Corporate Court to merge their func- want the consumer to think of Renraku anytime
tions with the MDC. In other words, the Corpo- they feel a need for anything—be it information
rate Court would control Manhattan and MCT’s or a product. The corporation features New York
seat at the table would be all but certain. That plan as the core of that messaging through Lycan, a
of action isn’t polling well with anyone—especial- localized search provider with data links to Grid-
ly not the AA corps who would lose their limited Guide and other Renraku services. Lycan can
powers as a result. provide New Yorkers with up-to-the-second in-
MCT is trying to gain footing by any means formation about any news, product, event, traf-
necessary. They opened with a hearts-and-minds- fic situation, etc. within the borders of the city.
style PR campaign and publicly rechristened New- That information is relayed to the end user with
town as New Harlem in honor of the history of Renraku’s brand all over it. Thanks to their con-
that section of the city. All the while, their Takai trol of xGuide and the local Matrix, Renraku’s
Development Corporation worked to purchase Lycan customers have faster access to data than
land through shell corporations and make MCT any other provider can offer, and that is what has
the largest landowner in Manhattan. This strate- Horizon piping mad.
gy hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the influence of the
world’s top mega continues to shrink. It’s obvious > Renraku’s battle with the Yakuza is well illustrated. Curiously,
to anyone watching that MCT is just looking for this does not appear to be the case with recent MDC addition,
an excuse to resort to more drastic measures to Nagato. The corporation is Yakuza-run, but this particular flavor
regain power in the region. of Yakuza doesn’t seem to be following the rules (or marching
orders) of the Japanese home office.
Renraku > Mihoshi Oni

Local Subsidiaries: Adams-Westlake Media- > You didn’t think we’d get through a conversation about Renraku
works, Architectural Dynamics, Champion Finan-
without mentioning the Red Samurai, did you? Renraku
cial, FactFiles, GridGuide
habitually deploys units of the samurai in NYC, putting them
No company benefited from the fall of NeoN-
ET more than Renraku. For years, the company on full display in front of buildings, moving executives through
chased the Matrix infrastructure contract for the the city, even marching in many of the city parades. The goal
towers and surrounding Corporate Court proper- here is simple: marketing. Renraku wants the world to associate
ties. With NeoNET out of the way, Renraku’s lob- them with top-flight security. They want people to know that the
byists went to work quickly to secure that contract samurai mean safety, and by extension, Renraku is a corporation
and many more held by the fallen megacorp. you can feel safe with.
> Hard Exit
> Let’s not forget that NeoNET didn’t just disappear. Novatech,
Erika, and Transys all remain as top AA corporations. They know Saeder-Krupp
what Renraku did, and it doesn’t sit well with any of them. While
they don’t have the power to challenge the corp directly, it’s an
Local Subsidiaries: American Broadcasting Sys-
tem, Commerzbank, Awakened World Research,
open secret that each is taking shots at Renraku in their own
Dresdner Bank, Krupp Manufacturing, Krupp Ro-
way.
botics, Krupp Specialist Engineering, Lothian-Vaea
> /dev/grrl PLC
With the evisceration of Cord Mutual Insurance
> The move to pick up those contracts didn’t come cheap. The fresh in every stockbroker’s mind, the question is:
company brokered deals with several entities to stave off a hard What is Lofwyr going to do next? The answers
run at the contract by MCT. One of those deals was an agreement might be found in S-K’s recent New York moves.
with unknown parties to relinquish Manhattan’s sanitation S-K bought out the Malmstein Building, NeoN-
contract. When the contract went up again, Green Collar stepped ET’s former headquarters, and seized control of
in with the best bid. everything that hadn’t already been optioned to
> Mr. Bonds Renraku. They also evicted both Erika and KorSys
from the premises and moved the North American

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS

Headquarters for Awakened World Research into MySoy fast food fixes hunger for the poor and
the building. needy. Jean Paul and LolliPOP! make affordable
The machinations don’t end there. S-K has been clothing so people can dress for their interviews
extremely active in the real-estate sector, targeting and get jobs. The list goes on. 29
locations throughout New Harlem and the Villag- Of course, the list is a lie. The number one thing

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

es of Lower Manhattan. Based on these moves, it Shiawase does well is shape the narrative around
seems the corporation is poised to expand its New what they have to offer. That ability is thanks to
York operations. The only question is: at whose the Shiawase Market Forecasting and Information
expense? Department. The MFID runs a large operation in
New York, incorporating several runners and fix-
> There’s been talk that Jonathan Blake is trying to purchase ers into the fold so they stay ahead of the other
Centurion from Lofwyr. It wouldn’t do much to bolster his corporations. It’s because of this operation that
company’s rating, but it would help with that pesky name Shiawase remains a top player on the MDC.
recognition problem his corporation is dealing with. Blake used
to work for the dragon, so he knows the dangers involved in SpinGlobal
making any deal. Given how the dragon operates, it’s going to
Local Subsidiaries: Montclair Industries, Phoe-
take a lot more than nuyen to close the deal. nix Biotechnologies, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company,
> 0rkCE0 UCAS Online (Matrix), UCAS Steel, Warwick In-
ternational Hotels
> Dr. Makram Zharan, chief research officer for the Spellweaver It isn’t a stretch to say there’s a divide in Spin-
Consortium, spent several weeks in the city with his hand-picked Global, and it’s most obvious between the New
research team setting up lab facilities at the Awakened World York operations and the rest of the corporation’s
Research facility in the Malmstein building. Curiously, all the major divisions. Johnny Spinrad spent his en-
researchers on his team are known to have intimate knowledge tire life building Spinrad into an AAA corpora-
of Dis and have an Agema team watching their backs. Whatever tion, though he treated New York’s division as
they are into in New York is serious. his personal playground. Eventually, he turned
> Thorn North America’s day-to-day operations over to
Miranda King. She quit shortly before his death,
Shiawase and since that time the New York division has
been a rotating door of c-suite executives. The
Local Subsidiaries: Aboritech, Jean-Paul Fash- latest to lead the division is an elven man named
ion, Shiawase & Rubicon Advertisement, Shiawase Anderson Reed.
Advanced Robotics, Shiawase Atomics, Vector
Matrix Services > Aegis Cognito agents have been sniffing around the city
New York is where it all began for Shiawase. ever since Spinrad’s death. What’s more is they’ve been
The Seretech truck full of nuclear waste that was looking inward at the corporation itself, to the point of hiring
ripped open by a starving mob paved the way for
shadowrunners to investigate SpinGlobal assets. People I know
the rules of extraterritoriality. The site of that in-
have been contacted to look in on Phoenix Biotechnologies,
cident, east of the International District, is marked
by a black obelisk inscribed with the names of the Montclair Industries, and even to dig up dirt on Reed himself.
people who lost their lives from radiation poison- > Kia
ing. Shiawase subsidiary, Aboritech, is the city’s en-
ergy provider, and they’re known as the company Reed’s hold on the division is tenuous at best.
that cleaned it up. That’s exactly how the company Gabrielle Al Thani Spinrad is under pressure to
works. They put a pleasant face on disasters they name Mohammad Sudayrin as head of North
cause and tell you it’s okay to cry because they’re American Operations. She’s been resistant to do
going to fix it. They fixed JFK Airport. that thus far, as Reed continues to draw record
profits from the division.
> Changing the name didn’t change the crap service. Hitomi
International is among the worst airports in the world for on- Wuxing
time arrivals. Check-in procedures take far longer than normal, Local Subsidiaries: Albion Mutual Funds, Fi-
and luggage is lost so frequently you’d think they were shipping delity Mutual Insurance, Ming Solutions, Wuxing
it elsewhere on purpose. Of course, all these problems are Financial Services
limited to the handful of airlines operating out the airport that Wuxing is one of two megas to never serve on
aren’t owned by Shiawase. the MDC. Unlike Evo, they very obviously want to
> Traveler Jones be part of the team. The corporation’s top execu-
tives were surprised they lost the vote to Nagato.
They fixed New York’s struggling power grid. So much so that they immediately targeted Nagato
They fixed the outages caused by the blackout. for market research and manipulation.

BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 > Nagato is not the reason Wuxing lost on the vote. The entire force attacks. The host system is layered and air-gapped in a
block of Japanacorps voted to keep Wuxing out. They were way that prevents hacking intrusion. Whatever they’re hiding
joined by Horizon and every single AA on the board. With costs a lot of nuyen to keep secure.
30 Aztechnology abstaining, S-K served as their lone ally. Since > Snopes
that time, S-K and Wuxing have been engaging in back-channel
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

meetings—mostly held at the Knickerbocker Club—between high- > You definitely do not want to know what they are keeping there.
level executives. It isn’t clear if they’re planning an alliance, Hint: It ain’t from here.
but Wuxing has been snubbed several times now and they don’t > Plan 10
appear willing to let it happen again.
> Jimmy No CitiGroup
CitiGroup doesn’t make anything. What it
> Wuxing understands that MDC membership is about leverage. All
does is handle the money of other corporations,
the local corporations serving on the council have at least some and specifically individuals in those corpora-
bit of leverage on one another. The last few votes show that tions, so they aren’t entirely beholden to the will
Wuxing doesn’t have that. They need to find it if they expect to of their employer’s bank. CitiGroup finds itself
be invited to the table. in the precarious position of being the golden
> Kay St. Irregular parachute of a large number of corporate exec-
utives across the spectrum. Thanks to the finan-
Wuxing’s primary contributions to the city are cial rules established by the Corporate Court,
in delivery services and finance. Wuxing controls megacorporations have no clear right to exam-
nearly half the shipping market in Manhattan, ine customer records without a warrant from the
having absorbed NeoNET’s shipping contracts Corporate Court.
into its own operation and gobbled up several
A-level competitors along the way. > That’s led to an endless string of runs on CitiGroup to pry out
the sensitive ownership data on personal accounts. Corporations
AA-Rated Corporations want to know where their employees are spending their money,
especially if that spending might indicate an employee is about
AAs want that third A more than anything in
to be extracted.
the universe. The Megacorporate Audit proved
it’s possible to earn an invite to the most exclu- > Icarus
sive club on, or off, the planet. The Corporate
Court decides who’s in or out, and since their Nagato Corporation
dirtside home is here in New York City, you bet- The average shadowrunner knows two things
ter believe that any corp with two As next to about Nagato: They’re affiliated with a me-
their name maintains offices in Manhattan with ta-friendly branch of the Yakuza, and their elite
the specific goal of lobbying their interests to the security force, the Green Serpent Guard, rival the
Corporate Court. Of the complete list of AAs to Red Samurai in skill, if not numbers. Nagato is a
survive the Megacorporate Revision, only six are corporate conglomerate comprising seventeen sep-
officially headquartered in NY. They deserve a arate corporations in industries ranging from con-
mention here. sumer electronics to military weapons.
The corporation is currently headed by Akasu-
Trans-Orbital ki Sato, who is also the driving force behind the
Want to be invaluable? Make the rockets that relocation to NYC. The move comes as part of de-
get the materials and technicians to space so the veloping alliances with a number of corporations,
corps can keep their tech running. Trans-Orbital including Saeder-Krupp and Shiawase.
specializes in satellite uplink connectivity. They are
a largely corporate-facing organization, and most > There are questions surrounding the inclusion of the Nagato
of their earnings come from repairing or upgrad- Corporation in the MDC. The choice to vote for them over MCT
ing satellites for other corporations. T-O services put Renraku and Shiawase in a position to have to justify that
everyone from the Public Broadcasting Service to vote to the larger MCT. Fortunately for those corporations, MCT
the Corporate Court. The corporation is embed- has focused its attention on Nagato instead of them.
ded in NYC, where they maintain a launch facility > Mr. Bonds
upstate of the city.
> Nagato’s meta-friendly stance makes them more like Evo than
> Trans-Orbital maintains a research facility in Washington any of the other Japanacorps. At the same time, that stance puts
Heights that is often the target of run attempts; however, I’ve them at odds with the larger Yakuza organization they remain a
never met a runner who successfully broke in. The facility is part of.
guarded against all forms of intrusion, such as astral or brute > Mihoshi Oni

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS

NYPD, Inc.
AA-Rated Corporations
The NYPD is indistinguishable from New York
City, and they’d love to keep it that way. Unfortu- • Aerospatiale SA • Monobe International
nately, NYPD lacks the manpower to keep up with • AG Chemie Europa • Novatech 31
its exponential growth. The New York City con- • Brackhaven • OmniStar

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

tract forced them to relinquish several contracts Investments • Proteus AG
in surrounding cities. Now, as they try to safely • CitiGroup • Providence
re-expand, the NYPD is searching for allies on and • Colt Manufacturing Corporation
off the council to help stave off competition from • Eastern Tiger • Reality Inc.
Knight Errant and Winter Systems. To make mat- Corporation
ters worse, the introduction of a new player, Om- • Regulus Joint
• Erika Industries
niStar, is drumming up even more competition as • ESUS
they’re looking to get contracts in the surrounding • Renault-Fiat-
• Federated-Boeing Meridional
cities and eventually in NY itself.
• Ford Motors • Samyung Corporation
• Frankfurt Banking
Prometheus Engineering Association
• ShinSiam
• Sony Corporation
The way construction works is, you hire a big- • Gaeatronics
name corporation to build your arcology, and then • Tanamyre Resources
• Hildebrandt-Kleinfort
that company subcontracts the work to someone • Trans-Orbital
Bernal
else for pennies on the dollar. Prometheus Engineer- • Index-AXA • Transys Neuronet
ing is that someone else. Prometheus is responsible • Kolkota Integrated • Truman Technologies
for constructing nearly every post-quake building in Talent & Technologies • Universal Omnitech
the city. The corporation isn’t merely cheap labor, • Vedacorp
• Komatsu Ltd.
though, as they’ve won seven International Design
• KondOrchid • Yakashima
Awards—including one for their arcology at Grand
Central developed right along the fault line, as well • Kwonsham • Yokogawa
as the double-helix spire on the westside. • Maersk Incorporated • Zeta-Imperial
Assets Chemicals
> Construction means blueprints. That means that Prometheus
has the floor plans to every building in the city—up until the
point where post-construction changes were made, that is. Winter Systems
> Mika This security and defense corporation took
a huge PR hit when they lost their NY security
Sony Corporation contracts, but that bad press was chased by good
From its humble beginnings as a post-war ra- money. NYPD subcontracts pay better than the
dio repair shop to console video game champion city contracts they originally held, and the finan-
to multinational keiretsu, Sony has always done cial boon didn’t end there. NYPD relinquished its
business in Manhattan. Sony Plaza is approaching contracts in Newark, Brooklyn, and Queens. Win-
its one-hundred-year anniversary, and the compa- ter System’s typically low bid earned them two of
ny hopes to celebrate the occasion with a record those contracts, with the third being won by Om-
year of growth. niStar.
The corporation’s closest AAA-level ally is Presently, Winter Systems is looking at Omni-
Horizon, who keeps the Sony name out there by Star and Centurion Security as primary compet-
using a lot of Sony technology in their operations. itors. While Ares has long been a corporate rival
Recent conflicts with MCT, who seems particular- thanks to their Knight Errant division, the two
ly riled about the role the corporation played in corporations have participated in joint-opera-
keeping them off the MDC for a second time, have tions training on Governors Island, the purpose of
hurt the company’s market share in other parts of which remains to be seen.
the world. For this reason, Sony is pressing their
role in NYC’s government and considering moving Zeta-Imperial Chemicals
their world headquarters to the Big Apple.
Sony Personal Butler drones are the top-selling CEO Katrina Thyssen served on the NEEC for
automated assistants in the city. This, alongside years before cashing in for corporate wealth. Her
end-user electronics, keeps Sony’s name on the lips time in the highest levels of government took her
of its consumers. That isn’t enough for Sony, who around the world, and often to NYC, where she
continues to put their brand out there using adver- met and dined with representatives of the Corpo-
tising drones and zeppelins that circulate through- rate Court and all its megas. Those relationships
out the city. helped Z-IC win a majority vote to replace Ares

BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 on the MDC. The corporation joined the MDC in > Blake wasn’t just a nobody working at S-K. He was one of the
order to cement their footing with the Corporate top—if not the top—Brackhauses on the roster. He controlled a
Court. Z-IC looks to be winding up for a run at network of corporate spies and shadowrunners that did all
32 taking over a handful of A and AA corps in order kinds of dirty work against the Big Ten. His specialization
to further diversify their offerings in a bid to be- was finding the structural weak spots in a corporation’s
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

come an AAA corporation. Of course, that means personnel. I’m not talking about geeking a c-suite exec,
having control of a voting share that belonged to Blake targeted administrative assistants, lab techs, spouses—
JRJ, presently on loan to Spinrad Global. There basically anyone on the staff doing the work that made the
were a few no votes cast their way—Saeder-Krupp
people in power look good. He’d find the rank-and-file people
in particular objected to the addition of a compa-
who were most important to daily operations and take them
ny whose oldest, and perhaps most substantial al-
liance, is with SpinGlobal. off the board, so to speak.
> Kia

A-Rated Corporations What makes name recognition so difficult for

Remember Art Dankwalther? He was just a guy CSI is that their subsidiaries, such as Artemis In-
until a dragon died and left him a metric ton of dustries, are known in their own right, but not
nuyen. He thought that meant he had power. He as being part of CSI. Presently, Blake is splitting
spent a serious chunk of that wealth on shadow- time between New York and his mayoral duties in
runs meant to give him even more power, and we Bellevue, Seattle, trying to put a recognizable face
all know how that ended—with a Thor shot from to his corporation. Unfortunately, given its histo-
the sky. A-rated corps are run by powerful people ry with CatCo, and now NeoNET, CSI is seen as
who cannot understand why they don’t have that a bad omen—a vulture corp circling AAA corps
second A and the extraterritoriality attached to it. about to die. It’s going to take more than building
An AA Zürich-Orbital Gemeinschaftsbank rating a North American corporate headquarters in the
is the minimum requirement to reach extraterri- city if he is going to change that image and win his
torial status, and achieving that is as much about way into the AA.
socio-political positioning as it is about a diverse
multinational portfolio. In fact, there are dozens of Drift Technologies
A-rated corporations that are larger—either in vol-
ume of NYC business or sheer market presence— It isn’t often you hear about a video game com-
than AA corps. Nevertheless, they cannot leverage pany on our boards. Drift Technologies produces
that into a second A. So they come to the city or some of the best MMORPGs in the world. They
put down stakes in the surrounding boroughs in work out of a tiny, ultra-secure research facility in
order to be close enough to the Corporate Court to the middle of SoHo—they also do it without the
get noticed. Here are a few of those corps working help of, or funding from, any megacorporation.
to get noticed. The homegrown atmosphere surrounding Drift
has made the corporation a fan favorite. It’s also
the prime reason why so many young designers
Centurion Services flock to Drift straight out of college.
International
Jonathan Blake has quite a bit in common with > Drift is a hotbed of talent. The group is a mix of researchers,
Dankwalther. He was gifted a treasure trove of developers, and technomancers who are all dedicated to
cash following the death of Dunkelzahn, and he creating the best immersive gaming experiences possible. What
insists on using that money to take down his per- they’re creating borders on a BTL-level experience. It might not
ceived enemies. Blake worked as a corporate spy be literally addictive, but try to quit after one game.
for, and apparently against, Lofwyr. He used his > Netcat
knowledge and newfound wealth to construct CSI
largely out of subsidiaries of Cross Applied Tech-
nologies he acquired when they lost their AAA sta-
Genesis Consortium
tus. Since that time, CSI has been open about its The biotech producer, and once-challenger to
intent to acquire CatCo’s remaining assets—and Aztechnology, was revised downward to a sin-
Blake is getting closer to having the power to do gle A by the Corporate Court. The revision cited
just that. He quietly doubled the size of his cor- the corporation’s lack of diversification as a key
poration when NeoNET shattered, gobbling up reason they did not deserve the second A. Since
assets and making CSI nearly as large a market then, the Consortium has focused on expanding
presence as CatCo. their operations worldwide, dipping into interests
ranging from eco-friendly food production to re-
cycled cybernetics. Their presence in New York is
another way the Consortium is trying to remind

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // BIG APPLE CORPORATIONS

 33

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the Corporate Court they exist. The corporation
is spending money in the lower-income sections of
The Hands
the city, investing alongside a number of A-rated
corps looking to make the jump. That Feed
Bottom-feeders like us runners can’t be too se-
Matrix Assets Inc. lective about who we work for. Odds are you’ve
done most of your shadow work for the A-level
Much of the ownership of this organization corps scrambling to get to the grown-ups’ table.
is shrouded in cutouts. What’s clear is they are Don’t overlook smaller companies looking to
putting up a significant challenge to Vector Ma- make the leap. They lack the resources of the me-
trix Services, the localized Shiawase subsidiary gas, but that also means that we are less likely to
responsible for handling the day-to-day security be as expendable to them, and as a result get more
operations of many of NYCs small businesses. The repeat work. You’ll find more than enough work
corporation converts all its profits into real estate
in NY from corps that aren’t A-list—be it newer
investment capital, which it then funnels through
start-ups, collaborative efforts, or what-have-you.
CitiGroup. There isn’t a real end goal for the or-
ganization other than to gain market share and a
> Green-Collar Technologies is worth mentioning here. The
larger physical footprint within the city.
corporation operates with a barebones staff, but has an HR
> From what scraps of information I’ve found hiding in dark roster that lists five times as many employees. They are
corners, Null Sect owns this organization. Steer clear of runs becoming known for bait-and-switch sanitation contracts that
coming from them. There is no telling what kind of mess they’ll promise the consumer a low rate, which then jumps suddenly a
pull you into. few months into the deal. When customers don’t pay, they lean
> Perri on shadowrunners as heavies to make it look less like the mob
front they most assuredly are.
> Sunshine

THE HANDS THAT FEED // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 NYC Cops district, the better the officers. However, the situ-
ation works better than anything has in the past,
In 2078, the city of New York, directed by the because NYPD finally has full jurisdiction over the
34 MDC, voted to ratify the Municipal Services order. city—at least the parts they’re allowed to patrol.
This codified what a municipal service was and
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

was not within the borders of NYC. Notably, the

order designated only one provider for each ser- Municipal Services
vice. With Ares removed from the council, it came
as no surprise that NYPD, Inc., won that con- MUNICIPAL SERVICE PROVIDER
Electric Aboritech (Mitsuhama)
tract. That effectively expelled Winter Systems and
Fire and Ambulance CrashCart
Knight Errant from policing in the city.
Gas Gaeatronics
Policing and Prisons NYPD, Inc.
> Not coincidentally, this initial service contract is up for renewal Matrix Renraku
in 2086—right after the MDC votes on membership. Parks and Recreation Shiawase
> Mr. Bonds Public Transportation Saeder-Krupp
Waste Management Green-Collar Technologies
> Interesting side note regarding the Municipal Services order
is that it eliminated the Department of Public Education. That
ended decades of corporations putting their kids through the
NY public school systems. It also means that schooling is no Jurisdiction
longer considered a basic service that non-corporate residents Following the Municipal Services order, the
can expect. It didn’t take long for several “philanthropic” NYPD performs all policing functions that don’t
corporations to take over funding and, of course, curriculum for fall into the jurisdiction of corp-specific security.
select schools. This include capital crimes such as murder, inter-
> Kay St. Irregular jurisdictional spaces (sidewalks and anything out-
side of a building), and being responsible for city
Suddenly the NYPD was responsible for all of access through a subdivision of the organization
New York but didn’t have the officers to effectively known as MTA.
police all of it. In the short term, NYPD has been Other security forces exist—especially within
subcontracting work to Winter Systems—allow- buildings. If you commit a crime inside a building
ing those officers to patrol the areas they former- owned by Evo, their security can come for you.
ly patrolled but doing so in the uniforms of the Now if you leave that building, the NYPD will get
NYPD. A second, and far less supported, strategy you; however, they need to cooperate with the in-
has been the hiring from the scores of unemployed ternal security provider to get inside. That happens
former UCAS soldiers living and squatting in the less and less these days. The charter of the NYPD
surrounding boroughs. holds them responsible for external threats, essen-
tially meaning that a crime committed inside of an
> Don’t forget about the disgruntled KE employees who jumped extraterritorial corp-owned building doesn’t go on
ship following the Detroit incident. Overall, NYPD is bolstering their books, so they have less motivation to get in-
its ranks with some serious thugs. The ex-UCAS soldiers they’ve volved.
been pulling in are the same ones who were stationed around
the island over the past decade—they’ve had their finger on the Police Procedure
trigger in case New York decided to officially secede the way How cops operate depends on where the crime
Seattle did. When the UCAS ran out of money to pay them, those was committed. NYPD prefers not to engage crim-
soldiers were just cut loose with no warning. Not so much as a inals in the middle of a crowded street. In places
“thank you for your service.” like Midtown, Downtown, and Times Square, they
> DangerSensei follow a policy of locate, track, terminate—this
means they’ll tag you after you commit a crime
What this means for the average citizen (and instead of confronting you directly in the middle
us shadowrunners) is that policing is all one thing. of a busy street. Instead, they’ll use drones or AR
Gone are the days of hiding out in SoHo because tracking software to follow you, and then kick the
you know the cops on that street aren’t sharing case to that precinct. Depending on the severity of
information with the cops on the West Side. Theo- the crime, the response can range from a couple of
retically, the NYPD is a unified organization now, officers knocking on your door to a fully kitted-up
with each precinct able to pull from each other and SWAT unit blasting through your walls.
rely on each-other’s experience. In reality, this led
to quite a bit of bad blood and a discrepancy in > This is another example of how they deal with jurisdictional
protection standards across the city. The richer the issues. If a wanted criminal decides to hide out in, let’s say,

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // NYC COPS

 Renraku’s Arcology, NYPD will use the pressure of public opinion Mafia
to grease the wheels of justice. They’ll turn to the MDC and cry
about Renraku harboring dangerous felons. Renraku will save
The five families are alive and well in NYC.
While each has a significant presence in the city 35
face by unleashing the Red Samurai on said felon, and then
itself, the bulk of their individual operations are
touting their response as an example of just how little shit they
outside of Manhattan. Within the city, they op-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

are willing to take. erate in different districts or different markets.
> DangerSensei The Carnetti family controls Battery City, and by
extension the illegal trade coming in through the
Jails and Prisons Ludmilla Reanka Memorial Tunnel. The Lucchese
family controls the Washington Heights area. The
Following an arrest, criminals are booked and
Colombo, Genovese, and Bonnano families op-
held at the local NYPD precinct. Generally, these
erate a string of businesses throughout the city.
are small facilities only able to accommodate a few
Each is careful not to step on the others’ toes,
dozen inmates. After they appear before a judge,
which is why the peace between them has lasted
they are transferred to Randalls Island where they
as long as it has.
are held in one of the three minimum, or two mod-
erate, security prisons that make up Randalls Is-
> The NY Mob has a longstanding business relationship with
land Correctional Center while they await trial.
Convicted felons and other high-risk inmates are CitiGroup. The bank serves as a laundry for the mob’s less-legal
sent to Roosevelt Island and one of the five prisons enterprises, and in exchange CitiGroup executives get access to
located there, ranging from maximum security to all the black-market goods and services they desire. They even
ultra-max. have access to muscle when needed.
> Lei Kung

You have the right to...

The NYPD License division is responsible for all legal
Yakuza
permitting in the city. In order to receive a permit, CityPass The past decade has seen a slow merger between
holders must have written sponsorship from an AA or great- the Toki-Gumi and the Hojuowara-Gumi. Like an
er corporation, or the MDC. old medieval tale, the merger came about partly
through arranged marriages, and partly through
YEARLY LEGAL COST/ ILLEGAL COST/ assassinations. By the end, New York fell under
PERMIT AVAILABILITY AVAILABILITY
the control of a new generation of Toki-Gumi who
Vehicle 1,000¥/4L 3,000¥/3(I)
Bladed weapons 100¥/3(L) 300¥/2(I)
follow the old traditions yet practice the New Way.
Firearms 750¥/7L 1,500¥/6(I)
The inclusion of the Nagato Corporation in the
Vice possession 500¥/3(L) 1.000¥/1(I)
MDC serves to acknowledge that merger, as well as
Prostitution 1,000¥/4(L) 500¥/3(I) the changing face of the Yakuza in New York City.
It is increasingly common to see the Green Serpent
Guard rolling through Yakuza territory keeping the
peace. At the same time, rumors of the Oni Do Kai
The Criminal working in the city have increased tenfold.

Network > That isn’t entirely Yakuza driven. Buttercup frequently uses the
assassins for her more discreet negotiations. The more time the
Up until the ’20s, New York belonged to the
free spirit spends in the city, the more likely we are to see the
five families of La Cosa Nostra. That was when
Oni Do Kai.
Akira Watada, with the support of Ryumyo, be-
gan to push his Yakuza out into the wider world, > Mihoshi Oni
targeting the world’s most recognizable cities.
New York became a battleground between the > Yes, but you are neglecting to consider that Buttercup may not
Mob and the Yakuza. The hold the Mob had on be working with the Yakuza. The spirit has long supported the
New York cracked, and all sorts of underground New Way and is ever in search of allies.
figures started to trickle in. Fast forward to the > Frosty
’80s, and the city is divided between four syn-
dicates that maintain an uneasy peace. Between Yakuza grow their ranks through gangs mas-
the handful of other syndicates trying to get a querading as youth organizations. The names they
foothold in the city and the ever-present NYPD, attach to these groups are telltale markers: Young
there’s a delicate balance in place, and any Dragons, Honor Society, etc. These organizations
change is bound to have dramatic consequences become formalized in the communities from which
on everyone. the Yakuza recruit, and over time become valued
resources to those communities.

THE CRIMINAL NETWORK // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 Triads > Once again, Yankee avoids mentioning the Cutters. That bit is
older than you are, omae. The Cutters gang-turned-syndicate is
A few years back, the Large Circle Triad found possibly five-hundred strong in New York City—twice the size of
36 themselves tied up in a nasty fight between Wux-
the local Ancients chapter. This isn’t as large as any of the major
ing and Prometheus Engineering. That corporate
outfits, but they are embedded throughout the city, using a
war didn’t go Wuxing’s way. Prometheus, being on
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the MDC and friendly with NYPD, Inc., was able number of legal fronts like the Urban Assistance Group order to
to bring pressure down on the Triad. Senior mem- push their goods.
bers of the Large Circle who survived the encoun- > Lei Kung
ter found they were short on allies—until the Red
Dragon Society swooped in to help. The other major syndicates like the Vory, the
First Nations, and the Ghost Cartels are in a worse
> There are conflicting stories on what actually went down here. position than this. It’s like if you see a roach in
Some people say the Red Dragon Society helped break up the your doss. You know that means there are more
Large Circle Triad in order to expand their power. Others believe
hiding somewhere, and you gotta hunt each one
down before they start to breed. The brutal reality
the Large Circle reached out first, offering fealty to Lung in
these smaller syndicates face is that the major syn-
exchange for protection from the NYPD, Yakuza, and Mafia who
dicates are actively looking to keep them out.
had all declared open season on them.
> Jimmy No

The New York Triad is now a mix of Large Circle

Awakened
members supported by the weight of the Red Dragon
Society. They continue to be information brokers and
New York
supply BTLs exclusively from Hong Kong. I’m no magic-user. Truth be told, those types
give me a strange feeling inside. If anyone like me
is walking around the streets of New York, they’re
Seoulpa Rings bound to be feeling particularly strange right now.
New York’s three major Seoulpa Rings manage New York is becoming a flashpoint for all types of
to stay in power the way any good business does— weird. If what I hear is true, that weird might be
they provide a service that nobody can or is will- pouring in from another dimension.
ing to provide. The Rings deal exclusively in sex New York is home to several magical societies.
trafficking, bodyware smuggling, and exotic drugs. Some, like the Union Club, masquerade as social
From time to time, they’ll drift into the more tradi- clubs. Others are more upfront about their nature.
tional syndicate activities like racketeering, but the Just because a society exists in the city or holds real
Yakuza, or more often the Mafia, are quick to put estate doesn’t mean the group is openly accepted.
a stop to it. The New York Rings are small opera- Thunderbird Vanguard, an offshoot of the New
tions. The largest of the three is the Min-Park Ring, Revolution, are considered a criminal organization
which clocks in at around three hundred members and are being sought by NYPD for questioning.
spread across the city. The Gangjun Ring is slightly The Magical Investors Group has avoided NYPD’s
smaller but also more concentrated in Battery City notice, but association with the group is seen as a
while occasionally drifting uptown as far as the In- quick way to lose your job in the corporate world.
ternational District. The Yeong Ring is fewer than Meanwhile, other groups like the Dunkelzahn In-
one hundred members and stays contained on the stitute of Magical Research are widely accepted
West End. and integrated into the social structure of the city.
I’m attaching a list of influential groups that are
known to be operating in the city with the caveat
Other Outfits that magical societies stay secret for a reason. You
Every other syndicate in the world wants a can assume there are more out there trying to stay
slice of the Big Apple. So far it has been impossi- out of the spotlight.
ble for any of them to become any larger than the
corner turf gangs you find in every neighborhood
in the city. Local gangs attract street kids by the Manhattan’s
hundreds, but none of them, save for the Ancients, Magical Societies
have a local organizational structure that keeps • Illuminates of the New Dawn
them from self-destructing when they get too big. • Magical Investors Group
Be it Slaughterhouse, Battery Boys, Axemen, etc., • Ordo Maximus
you’ll see a rotating list of names of local gangs on • Dunkelzahn Institute of Magical Research
the feeds. As soon as one gets big enough or pop- • Society of Hawks
ular enough, a larger organization comes along to • The Holy Order of St. Francis
knock them down.

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // AWAKENED NEW YORK

 Groups are only one-half of the strangeness it is built directly on top of the shearing zone
that is the New York magical landscape. The city is running through NYC. Grand Central is the
crawling with magical hotspots, none more magic main hub for all trains running in and out of
than Central Park itself. Following the Awakening, the city. Power for the entire NY rail system 37
the park experienced a surge of ecological growth. originates from the M-42 plant contained in

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Fauna and flora that hadn’t been seen for years the arcology.
were suddenly commonplace throughout the park.
Shiawase established a team to research these > Genesis Consortium worked on this project with them. I came
changes, and a hundred academic teams, including across it on a run to hit a Genesis cargo ship on the way to the
MIT&T, have followed. What remains clear is that city. I pulled a sample of this moss they were transporting.
the Awakening shifted the manascape for the city, I should’ve taken a sample for myself, but the way my
and that shift has attracted things that were not employer eyeballed me when he hired me told me this wasn’t
here before. the type of gig to freelance on. Genesis was moving vats of
that bioengineered moss into the arcology construction site.

Landmarks Whatever it was, it’s a lot more organic than construction

materials usually are.

and Locations > Sounder

If you’re here to sightsee, there are a few places > There are massive warehouses of goods located within the
you gotta check out—there’s a couple more you complex. Most are not heavily protected. Goods still largely
can stand to avoid. Here’s a rundown of what you travel by rail in and out of the city, and those goods are stored in
need to know: the GCA until local trucks haul them away.
> Turbo Bunny

Best Eats in the City Four hotels exist in the underground corridors
NAME SIZE DISTRICT NOTES
of the arcology, with additional housing for arcol-
Greasy street ogy employees spread throughout the structure.
Ray’s Pizza* Small Greenwich
food
Sylvia’s Medium New Harlem Classic soul food
Chef’s choice
Sony Plaza
Ono Small Stuyvesant
sushi Home to the Sony Corporation, the Sony
The Red Room Large Midtown High-end Russian Plaza is a collection of three buildings—two
eighty-story towers flanking a historical, thir-
*Not to be confused with Famous Ray’s, Original Ray’s,
ty-seven-story tower in a formation that puts
or Famous Original Ray’s.
the historical building at the apex. The shorter
building is the original New York offices of the
Sony Corporation. Over the years, the compa-
Lincoln Center ny continued to remodel the location, adding
buildings to support the company’s expansion,
New York’s flagship performing arts center is as well as a centerpiece Japanese garden that is
located on the West Side between 62nd and 65th home to the city’s yearly Matsuri festival.
Street. The center comprises thirteen separate halls
and stages surrounding a central plaza. The center
was rebuilt following the quake, with the original Tough Tony’s
MDC working to make it a “conceptually artistic Tough Tony’s is a true speakeasy, named in
reflection” of the council’s office space on the other honor of Manhattan’s most notorious mobster,
side of the island. Lincoln Center hosts a number Anthony “Tough Tony” Anastasio. Most people
of local and national award shows, including the in Manhattan have never heard of it, and even if
Draco Foundation annual competitions for Magi- they know the location (a repurposed Washington
cal and Technical Advancement, which are held in Heights meat-packing plant), they couldn’t get in.
February each year. You have to have connections with the New York
Mafia to be given the passwords for that. Accord-
ing to rumor, Tough Tony’s is run by the Lucchese
Grand Central Arcology family, and the basement of the club has access to
Prometheus’ Grand Central Arcology stands the Underground. The location is also a good spot
as one of the corporation’s greatest achieve- to make connections with the smugglers and skim-
ments. The GCA won every major engineering mers moving people and contraband around the
award it could, and screamsheets wrote it up island for the Mafia.
as a marvel of our age. It better be, because

LANDMARKS AND LOCATIONS // NEW YORK UNCOVERED

 Al-Hazad’s House The Night Market
of Wonders The underground street market does not have a
fixed location. Vendors arrive in Midtown, Down-
38 A brightly colored store at the start of Neon
town, and the Villages after businesses shut down.
City, this location is stocked with faux telesma and
The vendors crawl up out of the semi-abandoned
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

enough trinkets to appease any tourist. Despite

subway tunnels and quickly set up stands offering
the fluff, the current owner, Ephraim, operates as
a rather random and idiosyncratic assortment of
a Talismonger for the Red Dragon Triad. He has
goods.
access to rare telesma and everything else a mag-
The Night Markets are a fine place to locate
ic-user needs to function in the city.
fences who operate outside of standard organized
crime channels. They can also be a place to find
> Ephraim is discreet as possible about his operation, but if you
rare, and often outdated, goods.
ask for an item he doesn’t have on hand, that means he needs to
get it from the Triad or have it smuggled in. The rarer the item > Yankee is right on both counts. I found a 2039 model Ruger
is, the higher the risk of the Triad asking about your business. Super Warhawk at a market that popped up close to Chinatown.
> Jimmy No The gun worked just fine. The guy said he found it down in
the tunnels in the wreckage of an old train. We struck up a
The Shogunate Club conversation, and before long, I’d found myself a new fence. He
The name of this club marks it as the dwell- runs a small private operation moving goods out to Brooklyn.
ing of a Shogun, an ancient military leader of Ja- His name is Jasper—hope he’s still alive.
pan. The Shogunate Club uses the title somewhat > Snopes
euphemistically to refer to those who have great
wealth and lead many. The Shogunate Club was > Many of the larger syndicates won’t touch the markets because
originally founded by the Four Oyabun as a place of how much exposure there is operating on the streets and
for komon to mingle with and learn from leaders sidewalks; however, the Seoulpa Rings are deep in the industry—
of business. Over time, the club grew to include probably because they have nowhere else to sell.
anyone with considerable wealth and influence. > Jimmy No
Still, it remains a place frequented by members of
the Yakuza. The Night Market community is tight and insu-
The club is located at the site of the old YMCA lar. Screw over a vendor, and you’ll catch hell from
facility at the corner of East 92nd and Lexington. anyone in their circle. The whole thing works like
The interior is modeled to resemble the classic old-school street racing. The vendors have look-
home of a sixteenth-century shogun. outs stationed atop buildings near the market so
they can sniff out cops. At the first whiff of trouble,
Vibe they’re gone—like they were never there in the first
place.
New York clubs tend to be notable either for
where they are or for who shows up. Vibe has the
luxury of both. The club is located in an old bank Heritage House
on 30th and Park Avenue, where it occupies the This theater-turned-storefront is located in the
ground floor and sub-basements. The three-level newly re-christened Heritage District and func-
club includes two separate vaults, which are used tions as a community exchange within Heritage.
as VIP lounges. The NYPD monitors the area, as they believe the
space is being used by a number of radical collec-
tives masquerading as eco groups.

NEW YORK UNCOVERED // LANDMARKS AND LOCATIONS

ADVENTURES
 SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

40

ADVENTURES // 
 1. welcome to 41

manhattan

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook splice it into the Times Square Billboard feed, and
play that footage across all the billboards at once.
A powerful Mr. Johnson reaches out to the run- Once it looks like the runners are finished ask-
ners to get them into the city in order to clean up ing questions, he tells them he will arrange for
the mess he’s made for himself. He wants them to tickets to be waiting for them at their local airport
perform a splashy job in the middle of the city. If in whatever names they want to use for the flight.
they can pull it off, they’ll instantly be established Those will also be the names on the CityPass IDs
as NYC runners worth knowing. waiting for them when then land at Newark Air-
port. He explains that this will be the only time
they see him and that his compatriot, Eager, will
The Job meet them at the airport and handle business the
rest of the way.
Meeting Mr. Johnson
Mr. Johnson, Malcolm Sutton, flies out to wher- To The Shadows
ever the runners reside to meet them. He rents out
an abandoned storefront for the day in order to That Never Sleep
provide a secure place to meet. He explains that If the runners are already local, you can skip
he needs outside talent to complete a potentially ahead to Settling In (p. 148). Otherwise, read the
difficult but highly profitable job. He is willing to following passage when they land:
provide the runners with the proper clearances to Your flight is only forty-five minutes behind
get them in the city and set them up with a fixer schedule when it pulls up to the gate in Newark.
who can get them a place to stay and access to the That would’ve been fine if not for the crying ba-
supplies needed to pull off the job. bies, angry sararimen, and that family of trolls who
Sutton is a salesman. He stresses that this could absolutely did not think they needed to purchase
be an opportunity for the runners to establish another seat to accommodate their size. It’s anoth-
themselves in a new market and that his ability to er twenty-five minutes before you’re off the plane,
provide them with clean IDs makes the work im- luggage in hand, and heading for the exit. Waiting
possible to pass up. He is evasive about specifics in the crowd is a tall elf with a rainbow-colored
of the work other than to explain that it involved afro. He slouches against the wall, seemingly obliv-
breaking into a secured facility, performing surveil- ious to the stream of humanity pulsing by him. A
lance, and planting data. If pressed for specifics, he quick peek into AR, and you notice your name
will only add that the work will take place in NYC flashing in a neon graffiti script over his head. All
during normal business hours. of your names. He notices you noticing, smiles,
He understands that the runners likely will not and pushes himself up off the wall. He says, “I’m
be able to bring any of their standard gear into Eager. I’m the guy with the keys to your future.”
the city. Therefore, the pay for the job is 1,500 Eager hands each of the runners a copper-stripped
nuyen per runner plus 8,000 nuyen total for team CityPass ID. Entering New York via Newark means
expenses, over and above the CityPass IDs. Each passing through the Newark Border Station. He
net hit on an Influence + Charisma Opposed test takes them from the airport to the PATH train sta-
increases the individual figure by 100 nuyen and tion, where they will board the train to Terminal
the expense fund by 250 nuyen. station in NY. The station is a fortress manned by
Once the runners agree to the job, Sutton gives two dozen Transit Cops armed with big guns and
them the details. He needs the runners to surveil and bad attitudes (use Lone Star Swat Officer, p. 207,
record a meeting inside the ultra-secure Goldwater SR6). They treat entry into the station like a border
Social Club in Manhattan. Once the runners have crossing, because for all intents and purposes, it is.
the footage, he needs them to get that footage to When the runners arrive, they see a train pull up
a specific spot below Times Square where they can and stop outside the security checkpoint. It is emp-

1. WELCOME TO MANHATTAN // ADVENTURES

 tied and then boarded and searched before being gear and show them where they’ll need to do sur-
allowed to pass through the security checkpoint veillance as well as the general area of where they
into the station proper. Passengers must exit the need to upload the footage.
42 train with all of their belongings and pass through
the security station before reboarding on the other
Gearing Up
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

side. Presently there are two lines with the queue

backing up out of the transit building. Eager’s limited set of contacts includes a Yaku-
The runners must pass through the security za-run pawn shop called Hudson Pawn, which can
gate, which functions as a MAD scanner 6, ol- handle the runners’ basic needs. If magical char-
factory sensor 6, and motion sensor 6. A combat acters need gear, he directs them to Al-Hazad’s
mage stands just beyond the gate, scanning each House of Wonders near Times Square (see Land-
person for magical devices and asking for paper- marks and Locations, p. 17). Eager will introduce
work when she detects something (use Lone Star the PCs to Sully (Character Trove, p. 148) if they
Combat Mage, p. 207, SR6). The process is quick need someone to drive them around the city.
and brutal. At one point, the scanners blare, and
the person who was trying to go through turns
back and runs for the exit. Two officers jump on
Getting the Lay
him and proceed to beat him with batons. People Of The Land
sigh and roll their eyes but are otherwise undis- Eager doesn’t own a vehicle. He gives the run-
turbed by the event. If any runners start to inter- ners a crash course on local transit options includ-
vene, Eager lays a hand on the runner’s shoulder ing the specific bus and train routes that go to the
and shakes his head. places they need to get to for the job. Eager tells
Once through security, the runners are allowed them they need to get at least ten minutes of foot-
to board the train with the horde of other blue-col- age, because Mr. Johnson thinks that’s how long it
lar workers trying to reach the city. Play up the will take for Horizon to shut down their feed. He
idea of normality here. The transfer into the city suggests that the Goldwater Club is close enough
is what commuters do every day. As strange and to Central Park for that area to be an ideal escape
difficult as it may seem, it’s just another Tuesday to route if needed. He doesn’t have any suggestions if
the people around them. they get caught in Times Square.

Settling In The Spy Job

Terminal looks like what you might imagine if The meeting takes place in a sixth-floor confer-
a rich person decided to dump money into a der- ence room at the Goldwater Club. That space was
elict section of town. Where the train and bus sta- chosen because of its discreet location. Other than
tions let out on 34th, the streets are relatively clean catering services or security, no one has a need to
and free of AR graffiti. The buildings are in the wander up there. The meeting is meant to be top
process of being refaced, and people are happily secret, so building security will sweep the room for
shopping and taking pictures. NYPD officers drive bugs both before and after it takes place. There are
past, eyeballing anyone who looks suspicious. The unused offices on the wall adjacent to the confer-
refacing of Terminal hasn’t progressed very far. A ence room, a small library across the hall, and bath-
few blocks in any direction, and the district starts rooms at the end of the hall. Two security officers
to fall apart. are stationed in the hall, directing traffic away from
The runners are given an apartment to use in the the room (use Lone Star Patrolman, p. 206, SR6).
Terminal district. By the time they make the short The conference room itself has a large window
walk to their apartment, it looks like they’ve wan- overlooking the rear courtyard. The room contains
dered into a warzone. Gang tags on the buildings a table to accommodate eight people on each side,
and in AR announce they are in Slaughterhouse ter- though presently there are only three on each side.
ritory. Eager’s present relationship with Slaughter- Only two people are talking. These key represen-
house is not good. He tries to hustle the runners into tatives—one male, one female—are negotiating a
the building quickly in order to avoid an incident. joint venture targeting Takai Development Corpo-
This is an opportunity for an optional encounter. ration. A quick Matrix search will reveal that cor-
A group of Slaughterhouse gangers, one for each poration to be a Mitsuhama subsidiary. A Mem-
runner, emerges from an alley and demands they ory (3) test done by someone with the Corporate
surrender Eager (use Eye-Fiver Go-Ganger, p. 204, Personalities Knowledge skill or something similar
SR6). or a Matrix image search informs the runners that
Eager escorts the runners to their space and lets the man talking is Devassy Singh, a representative
them know they have just over two days to gear up of OmniStar. The woman is Monica Ramos, a top
and plan out the job before the meeting is sched- consultant for Charisma Associates, a Horizon
uled to take place. He’s happy to help them obtain subsidiary.

ADVENTURES // 1. WELCOME TO MANHATTAN

 In exchange for OmniStar agreeing to the joint the surveillance playback and head to the surface
venture, Horizon will formally advocate for Lone to see the fireworks. Once the runners activate the
Star to receive the Transit Police Services contract, switch, silent alarm panels begin to flash. They
which is scheduled to be renegotiated following only have minutes to get back to the surface before 43
the next council election cycle. This is bombshell Horizon security locates the source of the splice

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

information that could potentially create prob- and comes to shut it down.
lems for Horizon on the Manhattan Development
Council.
The meeting lasts for one hour. At the end, the
Getting Paid
parties depart one after the other. After the broadcast airs, Eager heads to the run-
ners’ apartment to celebrate. He brings a case of
soybeer and cracks one open before handing each
Delivering the Data runner a certified credstick. He is clearly geeked
Times Square is a bow-tie-shaped pedestrian and tells them to stay tuned because it won’t be
plaza that runs through midtown where Seventh long before he or someone he knows has more
Avenue and Broadway intersect, running from work for them.
41st through 47th streets. The area is owned and
operated by Horizon, though the company leases
space to several other smaller corporations. It is lit Hotspots
up with so many ads and signs at night that it is This opening adventure invites the runners to
almost bright as day. check out the city on their own for a day or two
The Times Square billboard network consists of as they prepare for the mission. Scan through the
47 super-sized billboards and a fully immersive AR Landmarks and Locations (p. 37) section as well
component. The system architecture is managed as the other adventures to become acquainted with
by a complex algorithm, but it is built on the orig- the locations used throughout the book. Feel free
inal network of cables running beneath the square. to incorporate any of them into this adventure if
Unbeknownst to most, the billboard network con- the runners are looking for a place to hang out or
tains a sync switch in a nearby sub-basement. The sights to see while they are in town. The following
switch was incorporated into the system decades locations are intended to get the runners started
ago by the city government as a part of the Emer- in NY.
gency Broadcast System and subsequently forgot-
ten once the local EBS network was disbanded and
corporatized. Hudson Pawn
Select corporate locals knew about the switch By all appearances, Hudson is your average
and passed that information down through the pawn shop hawking outdated secondhand goods
years, the way most corporate secrets are passed at ten percent below listed value. The store doubles
along—with an eye toward waiting for the right as a fence location for the Toki-gumi Yakuza. A
time to use it. Sutton believes the time is now, and hidden door in the back room leads to a basement
he tells the runners where the sync switch is lo- space where they offer runner-centric goods to se-
cated. He directs them to the famed TKTS booth/ lect customers. Hudson Pawn has access to most
bleachers at the base of the largest billboard. The weapons and gear up to Availability (3), which
runners are being asked to perform this task during they offer at a ten-percent markup. Availability
peak hours, so the booth will be staffed by two (4) items can be procured within forty-eight hours
ticketing agents and a manager. Two long lines of upon request.
customers wait for the ticketing agents to call them
forward. There is no security on-site, but a pair of
NYPD officers regularly patrol the square. There is Railspur Apartments
a locked door inside the ticketing office that leads The Terminal district is in the midst of gentri-
to a stairwell that goes into the catacomb of cables fication. Several blocks away from construction of
running beneath the city. the Zeta-Imperial Chemicals Arcology, Railspur
It takes two minutes to get from the surface to is one of a few dozen buildings the gentrification
the switch room. Players will need to bring their hasn’t reached yet. Squatters still linger on the
own light source and navigate this level until they doorstep, AR graffiti fills the streets, and police
reach the switch room, which looks like a small response time is comically slower than it is a few
recording studio filled with outdated boards and blocks away.
computers all covered in dust. Railspur is seventeen stories high. It has four-
It is a relatively simple splice for such a compli- teen apartments per floor with sizes ranging from
cated technical system. The players need to make studio to two-bedroom. The runners are given a
an Electronics + Logic (9, 1 min) Extended test to two-bedroom apartment at the cost of 5,000¥ a
operate this equipment. All they need to do is start month. The first month is paid, but anything be-

1. WELCOME TO MANHATTAN // ADVENTURES

 yond that is up to the runners to come up with. point, he has experienced a number of failures and
The building’s tenants are largely blue-collar has been shut out of the shadows—people simply
wageslave families working for A-tier and lower won’t take jobs from the guy, because every fixer
44 corporations, with a few shadowrunners and orga- in the city knows not to touch him. He’s protected
nized crime types also calling Railspur home. The in the sense that he’s part of one of NY’s wealthi-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

local gang, Slaughterhouse, believes Railspur to be est families, but he’s broken a trust bond within a
their turf and will make a point to let new tenants club, and people are shutting him out.
know whose block this is. As he watches his HIP (Horizon Internal Perso-
na) score take hits, he knows he needs to change
The Goldwater Club the conversation with a win. The way he intends
The Goldwater Club shares their mixed-use to do that is twofold: He intends to use the run-
block with several residential buildings between ners to set up a problem that benefits the people
fifteen and fifty stories in height. The eight-sto- he screwed outside the corporation that will likely
ry building the club calls home is located in East make his boss lose face in the corporation. Every-
Parkside on 79th between Madison and Park. It body wins.
used to serve as the Consulate of Greece and main- Sutton is broad-shouldered and handsome. His
tains the same dedication to security as its former look is manicured right down to the shoelaces. He
inhabitants. Two security officers dressed in black greets everyone with a smile and a handshake, as
suits stand outside the front entrance, while a third though he’s known them for years.
seated inside doubles as the concierge (use Minute-
man Security Rigger, p. 206, SR6).
The building is used primarily for meetings and Eager
as an event space. There is a rooftop garden as An former drug dealer and shadowrunner, Ea-
well as a courtyard in the rear of the building sur- ger is new to the fixer side of things. As such, he
rounded by the other buildings on the block. The does the jobs nobody else will do. He is the only
building does not have a garage. Cars are parked
fixer willing to touch Sutton. Even so, he desper-
in a facility a block away from the building. It has
multiple basement levels that are used for storage ately hides his connection to Sutton, because he
and emergency shelter. knows it would kill his chances of growing as a
fixer. Eager’s connections are presently limited to
the Terminal district, where he grew up and did his
Who’s Who dealing in the early years. While those connections
run deep, he isn’t on good terms with everyone.
Malcolm Jamal Sutton His disconnect with Terminal’s Slaughterhouse
Malcolm Jamal Sutton is Synergestic’s chief in- gang has led to several scuffles in the street. The
teractive engagement engineer. He is a longstand- gang feels he abandoned them by becoming a run-
ing Goldwater Club member and descendent of ner and now fixer. Eager, on the other hand, calls
the family that originally owned Harlem’s Apol- the move his evolution. He remains a valuable con-
lo Theater. Sutton wanted to bring Harlem back. tact throughout the campaign. His stats are on p.
He took Mitsuhama’s whitewashing of Harlem 141.
by turning it into Newtown as a personal affront
to his family’s history. He leveraged his position
in the Goldwater Club to work out a back-chan-
nel deal with associates in Mitsuhama whereby
Special Notes
MCT would change the name of the Newtown The goal of this initial adventure is to get the
to New Harlem, earning them social goodwill runners into the city and become seen as valuable
in the city. In exchange, he promised Horizon new players in the shadows. Eager, being who he
would vote to add MCT back to the Manhattan is, will spread the word of the runners’ exploits
Development Council. and emphasize the fact that he brought them to
That did not happen. Since the arrangement town. This will generate more work for the run-
was informal, Sutton’s contacts at MCT could not ners, who will soon be contacted by other fixers
directly act against Sutton. However, since that looking for fresh talent.

ADVENTURES // 1. WELCOME TO MANHATTAN

 2. clean house 45

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

A Denver fixer contacts the team to run down pleasantries and a few more drinks, she gets to the
some intel on a few targets. job. Cat explains that she is looking for intel on
three targets. The offer is 4,000 nuyen per runner,
and any paydata liberated will earn a premium bo-
Hook nus. After an agreement, she sends a dossier with
There was a lot of trouble in Denver a few pictures, names, and the employer—Shibata Con-
months back, enough that Ghostwalker is looking sulting. It’s also assumed they live in the arcolo-
for someone to punish. He sent out his people to gy, but no home addresses are listed. Cat wants to
run down information—and proof, if possible— know every detail about what these three, and by
about what actually happened and who’s respon- extension MCT, were doing in Denver. This can be
sible. One of his operatives, a fixer known as Cat, from company files or direct interrogation, prefer-
has been pulling a thread that’s led her to Man- ably both.
hattan. The Denver office of Shibata Consulting, Spyder tells the team a Matrix search shows
an MCT subsidiary, closed right after the Aurora Shibata is an AA-rated subsidiary of MCT. Infor-
Event, and three top managers were transferred to mation past that is scarce. The host address is on
the AA-corp’s home office inside the Mitsuhama the twenty-ninth floor of the Mitsuhama Arcology
Arcology in New Harlem. She wants to find out and has a directory of office numbers without any
what they know. names. There doesn’t seem to be any other shell
Cat brought along one of her regular associates, hosts attached, so Spyder is convinced that they are
a decker called Spyder, but she is looking for local using an off-Matrix framework host located inside
talent to do the heavy lifting. If any of the runners the offices. Cat finishes up by explaining a plan for
participated in The Third Parallel and have Cat as getting the team into the arcology—she has made
a contact, she reaches out to offer them the job; if arrangements with a local smuggler named Rat-
not, she selects a runner team based on a friend-of- man to take the team through underground tun-
a-friend recommendation. nels into the arcology. The team can call Ratman
and leave anytime they want. The smuggler leads
the team from Tough Tony’s, through the tunnels,
The Job to a utility hatch in a sub-basement mechanical
room. He will wait there for the team to return.
Cat contacts the runners about doing some
work for her and sends along a Washington
Heights address, a time (11:00 p.m.), and a pass-
word: “Rosebud.” The location is a mob-owned
Hotspots
club called Tough Tony’s, located in a repurposed The Mitsuhama Arcology is a 120-story ar-
meat-packing plant. After being asked for the pass- cology located in New Harlem. The first floor is
word through a slot in the door, the team is escort- a public mall, and the top thirty floors contain
ed to a large circular booth at the back of the club. a Tenrai luxury hotel. In between are offices for
Cat, a well-dressed and attractive female ork who MCT subsidiaries and in-arcology housing for em-
looks to be in her thirties, is in the booth with an ployees of those subsidiaries. The basement levels
older, obviously cybered-up human male. She mo- are split between parking and mechanical systems.
tions for the team to sit down and introduces her The sub-basement levels seem oddly unused; it ap-
associate as Spyder, who nods and crushes out a pears that whatever was here has been removed,
cigarette butt, adding it to the overflowing ashtray and the space has not been repurposed yet. There
in front him. is a cargo elevator that runs the entire height of
Cat orders a round of drinks for everyone. If the building along with two sets of stairs that
she doesn’t already know the runners, she spends do the same. Security seems to be focused on the
some time getting to know who she’s hiring. After street-level entrances and access between the pub-

2. CLEAN HOUSE // ADVENTURES

 lic areas and the private floors; there is no security
at the sub-basement level. Assuming the team goes Shibata Consulting
in the middle of the night, they will not encounter Public Host
46 any security moving from the sub-basements to the
(Foundation Host)
twenty-ninth floor. If the run goes in a different
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

direction, more information on the arcology can A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE

be found in mission 15. 3 4 6 5 3 4 2
Once there, the team finds a standard office lay- IC: Patrol, Acid, Scramble
out featuring perimeter offices, common support
areas in the center, and cubicle farms between.
Each desk has two dataterms. One is a rating 3 Shibata Private Host
device tied into the public-facing rating 3 founda- (Framework Host)
tion host, and that has already been investigated
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
by Spyder. The other is a rating 6 dataterm linked 7 6 6 5 6 3 2
to a rating 6 framework host physically located
in a data center on this floor. The framework host IC: Patrol, Track, Acid, Blaster
Notes: Wireless is not enabled, all connections are hardwired.
has directories and employee files listing the offices
and the thirtieth-floor residences of the three tar-
gets. Oddly, the file lists them as being at this lo- Shibata Hidden Host
cation for more than twenty years. There is also a (Foundation Host)
shell connection to a hidden rating 8 foundation
host that, when entered, seems as if it’s never been A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
9 8 10 11 8 5 3
used. While sculpted as a parkland of koi ponds
and pagoda-style Shinto shrines, there is no indi- IC: Patrol, Tar Baby, Acid, Infection, Psychotropic, Track, Scramble
cation that there was ever any data stored here. Notes: This is a nested host hidden inside the wireless Shibata private host; it
There is no paydata in either host. does not have a direct connection to the Matrix.

The offices of the three targets are also strangely

absent of data; no information about any projects, to act, they will hit a panic button as soon as they
past or present, is there. A single secretarial desk are out of sight of the runners, provoking a rapid
serves all three offices, and if the players search it, response from building security (see mission 15 if
they will discover a handwritten journal, the kind necessary).
teenagers use to keep things private from parents When the team is finished in the building, Rat-
with commlink codes. A search of it reveals notes man will escort them back through underground
about the owner’s strange new bosses that trans- tunnels to Tough Tony’s, where Cat is waiting to
ferred in a few months ago but act as if they have debrief them.
known her for years, who spend their days playing
AR games in their offices. There are also comments
about files disappearing from the host all the time
and an entry that the entire management staff went
Who’s Who
Cat and Spyder are both covered in the Charac-
on a training retreat a few months ago, but no one
ter Trove (p. 140 and p. 147, respectively).
seems to have any details on where they went or
what it covered.
If the runners break into the apartments of the
targets, they will discover that all three insist they Special Notes
have never been to Denver and have worked in this If the team lacks any type of hacking capabil-
building their entire careers, but they can’t actual- ity, change the job to escorting Spyder into the
ly list any project they have worked on. They will building and handling the physical side of the
stick to this story regardless of contrary proof pre- run. Spyder will not weigh in on any team deci-
sented or interrogation techniques used, including sions or help with any aspects of the run beyond
torture or magic. They have no memory of ever accessing the framework host—except for his
being anywhere but here. If the targets become free own self-preservation.

ADVENTURES // 2. CLEAN HOUSE

 3: Swap & Drop 47

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook Planned Encounter 1
The team is contacted by a fixer, Swen Rellik, The Central Parkers, a well-known local gang (use
who has gotten wind of some new talent in town. Eye-Fiver Go-Ganger, p. 204, SR6), show up claiming Swen
He and his associates, including a reporter named owes them. Swen refuses to handle that business now.
Piper Jane, may want to use them for more work, The twelve gangers go in for a fist fight, all doing Stun
but they need to get them on a test run first. Fortu- damage. This is a test to see if these runners escalate vi-
nately, a sweet gig has fallen into Swen’s lap. olence or match it. Swen stays in motion to keep runners
Swen sets the meet for 18:00 at the Central Park between him and the fray, while his security has a fake
North and Adam Clayton Powell entrance to Cen- fight with one ganger.
tral Park. He brings one “assistant” (use Street Sa-
murai, p. 87, SR6). They’ll run a white noise gener- Planned Encounter 2
ator and have a leisurely stroll through the North
Woods area of the park, giving them a chance to The team’s face gets a call from another fixer in New
take in this historic site in New York. York (either totally new or an existing contact Loyalty no
Part of the meet is to see how the runners han- higher than 2). He says he’s got a hot job. Meet is at 19:00
dle certain situations, so Swen has arranged two hours. 2,000 nuyen each just for showing up. Quick deci-
encounters. There are two other unplanned en- sion needed.
counters as well, since this is Central Park in the If the runners take the gig, Swen will get a call right
Rotten Apple (see sidebar for details). away. Then the runners will get a call that some other fix-
The job offer is long-winded but incredibly er snagged the job out from under him. He’ll keep them in
simple. Swen likes to chit-chat, ask interview-like his digidex for next time for sure. This test is to determine
questions, and generally learn all he can as he’s the team’s loyalty to doing one job at a time.
working on the details of the job.
Unplanned Encounter 1
Pickpocket (use Covert-Ops Specialist, p. 83, SR6) hits
swen’s questions Swen, but he notices quickly after a spirit (use Force 6
• What’s your specialty? spirit of air, p. 147, SR6; add Fear, Psychokinesis) in the
• Any corps you won’t work against? area trips up the pickpocket with the Accident power. The
pickpocket is a serious opponent, but he will try to run,
• How long have you been in the shadows?
negotiate, or fight (in that order).
• Where’d you grow up?
• You ever mess up a job so bad you had to leave the
country on the bounce? Unplanned Encounter 2
• What keeps you here? Hooding? Cash? Vengeance? Devil rats attack! Swen needs to make a quick pit stop
at the public restroom, but as he’s on the drekker, a posse
of ten devil rats (p. 217, SR6), one demon rat (p. 217, SR6),
He wants the runners to plant some data on a and one glitch rat (p. 217, SR6) comes out of a floor drain
well-protected system. It’s easiest to access the sys- and attacks him.
tem directly, but if their hacker is good enough,
they’re welcome to handle it themselves. But Swen
is hiring the team because he’s sure a little B&E
will make the swap easier.
The pay is 15,000 nuyen total. Swen has an In- The Job
fluence dice pool of 13 dice. Each net hit increases Now for the reality. Swen is contracting for
pay by 1,000 nuyen up to a maximum of 5,000 Aztechnology to make some particularly damning
nuyen. data on something called Project Renewal look not

3: SWAP & DROP // ADVENTURES

 so damning. Unbeknownst to Swen or the runners, he spots the hacker, he will just record and monitor
the plan is to replace the data with an exact copy their activities.
but have the runners caught doing it so it looks The real Patrol IC will be the clue, as the hack-
48 like planted data. er will notice the two overlapping their efforts at
Project Renewal is a variation on monad and some point, but that activity will not happen until
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

cloning tech working to create newer, younger bod- after the data swap has been recorded.
ies, and then move a mature mind into the form. All
sorts of moral issues are twisted in this project, and The group watching for the runners consists of
tons of the data has been stolen and refined from eight squatter spies (use Lone Star Patrolman, p.
several corporations and government projects over 206, SR6; add single cybereye with camera, head-
the years, including the UCAS CIA, Evo, Project ware commlink [rating 4], headware memory,
Imago, NeoNET, monads, and many more. datajack; Con 5 skill). The spies blend into the lo-
On site, Aztechnology already alerted their cal alleys and streets, looking like failed corporate
subsidiary, Valentine BioSolutions, about the run wageslaves with some headware.
going down. The runners are under scrutiny and The security response consists of three GM-Nis-
surveillance the entire time, and when a very san Doberman drones that are released from their
staged security response occurs or the runners no- pre-programmed route once sent a signal by any
tice the data is the same, they may realize they’ve
of the squatter spies or decker. The drones are all
been duped.
equipped with non-lethal ammunition and miss
In order to not get burned and black-listed so
every shot. Roll a regular attack test, but there is
early in their Rotten Apple career, the runners will
then need to lower their profile. To do so, they no chance of the attack hitting. Instead, the net hits
need to do some counter-hacking and convince se- (in either direction) show how close the miss is.
curity guards to get forgetful as the games of data Use the net hits as a threshold for a Perception test
manipulation are on. to notice something is strange.
No matter what the runners do, the scream- Once the runners are onto the ruse, they can re-
sheets will start running stories about a shadow- spond accordingly. The squatter spies will threaten
runner break-in at Valentine BioSolutions. The sto- to upload what they have immediately, but they
ries will claim the company is working on a cloning can be bought off or intimidated with an offer of
or body-swapping program, but corporate PR at 500 nuyen.
Valentine BioSolutions will claim that is false data The hidden hacker will certainly require a bribe
being planted by runners. The runners will not be as he threatens the data is already backed up and
identified if they manage to cover their tracks. ready to hit the screamsheets.
Valentine BioSolutions has a relatively small of- When it comes to payment time, Swen asks
fice in a rare short office building located at the for another meeting in Central Park, but no wan-
southwest corner of 102nd and Central Park West, dering. Instead, he wants to meet at the center of
called 102CPW by locals. It has kept a low profile Sheep Meadow. It should feel uncomfortable to be
in order to preserve the views of Central Park from in the middle of a large, open field, but nothing
a beautiful pre-quake condominium tower beyond happens except the runners getting paid. And may-
it. The office is the entire third floor. be threatening Swen and accusing him of knowing
During work hours (06:00-18:00), the build- what was happening, which he didn’t.
ing and office host are well-protected, but in the
evening most of the offices have chosen the offline
route for protection, so machines are turned off
rather than watched carefully.
Who’s Who
After hours (post 18:00), the building only has Swen Rellik is a low-level fixer in Manhattan
a trio of security drones (use GM-Nissan Dober- who focuses mostly on screamsheet-related gigs.
man, p. 300, SR6; add Smartgun X, loaded with He hires runners for data snooping, data thefts,
100 gel rounds) that patrol the halls on pre-pro- and compromising vids and photos mostly. He got
grammed routes. Unauthorized after-hours pres- tapped for this gig because it’s a data theft/swap,
ences are fired upon without warning. If any of the but he doesn’t know it’s a setup.
squatter spies or the security spider signal them, He’s human, average height, a little overweight,
they will divert from their pre-programmed course and hides a balding head of brown hair with a
and head toward the runners. snappy flat cap. He has a nose that’s been broken
The Matrix system for the 102CPW building is a few times, wears a long tan trenchcoat that’s a
offline after hours, so the Valentine BioSolutions little on the dirty side over a Vashon Island suit
host must be accessed internally. There is currently about ten seasons old, and talks with a touch of
a security spider (use Decker, p. 84, SR6) logged New York accent. He smells of stale cigar smoke.
in and disguising himself as Patrol IC in order to
monitor the team’s hacker when they get in. Once

ADVENTURES // 3: SWAP & DROP

 matrix layout
Daytime: suppression, etc. Notes: This is the host for the meeting and
RATING A S D F greeting and general work that goes on. Ideas are
102CPW Host 4 6 4 5 7 shared, meetings are had, dreams are fueled or
>> 102CPW Operations and crushed.
Maintenance Host IC: Patrol, Binder, Blaster, Track 49
>> Office Foyer >> Valentine Notes: This host is monitored by the janitorial Security Host

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

staff in AR, as they check up on cleaning drones Theme: A simple room of half-circle stations
BioSolutions Office with monitors and controls on large panels.
and perform repairs and work on the building.
>> Security >> Data Storage The number of stations depends on the number
of security specialists on duty. During the day
Office Foyer Host (06:00-18:00), there are two. Overnight (18:00-
Nighttime: Theme: These are small waiting rooms for each
06:00), there is only one.
office in case access quantities are limited. They
>> Valentine BioSolutions Office
are relatively simple in design with a pair of doors,
>> Security >> Data Storage a collection of chairs, and a low table on which
RATING A S D F
lie a collection of e-zines, screamsheets, and 6 9 6 7 8
102CPW Host company pamphlets.
IC: Patrol, Blaster, Acid, Binder, Tar Baby, Sparky
Theme: A high-res representation of the building
Notes: This is a hub host. Data may be collected
lobby complete with Patrol IC concierge. Small RATING A S D F
and worked on in the office host, but it still passes
variations include a small bank of twentieth- 2 3 2 5 4 through the security host before getting to the
century payphones, complete with privacy booths,
data storage host. The security host monitors
and only a single elevator that acts as the access IC: Patrol, Acid
access to the Valentine offices and access to all
port to all the office hosts in the building. Notes: There is nothing exciting to do here except
data on the data storage host.
thumb through the latest gossip rags.
RATING A S D F
Data Storage Host
5 6 5 7 8 Valentine BioSolutions Office Host Theme: A circular chamber with a massive glass
Theme: A massive biological heart sits at the brain at the center. Data packets are accessed via
IC: Patrol, Blaster, Acid, Binder, Track center of this office host, surrounded by other one of six stations around the brain. No more than
Notes: 102CPW immediately notifies NYPD, Inc., smaller icons and personas in the same genre. six employees are allowed access at any given
whenever a Matrix breach occurs. NYPD, Inc., sends Cherubs, cartoon hearts, playing card hearts, time, and all removed files are instantly backed
two Electronic Security Specialists (use Cutters Data etc. dominate the theme. Working cubicles are up. All file editing is done back in the main office
Harvester, p. 205, SR6). scattered about the space in a haphazard fashion. host.

102CPW Operations and RATING A S D F RATING A S D F

Maintenance Host 4 5 4 7 6 6 7 6 8 9
Theme: A utilitarian control room with well-
marked panels for elevators, HVAC, electrical, fire IC: Patrol, Blaster, Acid, Binder IC: Patrol, Binder, Scramble, Blaster, Acid, Crash

4: dropping dark
About a year ago, the James family was living
the corporate dream. Mr. and Mrs. James had key
The Hook
roles at Microdeck Industries, and their careers In this mission, the players will be introduced to
were advancing. That all changed when their old- some of the participants for one of the subplots of
est child was diagnosed with a rare disease. Nei- this campaign. During this mission, a new Mr. John-
ther magical nor modern medicine were able to son going by the name El Guapo reaches out to the
offer a cure, only a treatment. The disease is not runners. He needs help investigating a missing child.
life-threatening, only life-changing, but it provid- Due to the high-profile nature of the family, whatev-
ed an opening for Spinrad Global to come in and er they discover will only be reported back to him.
leverage their love for their child. On a promise
that Spinrad Global could help their son if they
helped reverse-engineer a piece of technology, they The Job
moved to Manhattan. The player’s fixer tells them that their reputation
has impressed a new possible client. The client has

4: DROPPING DARK // ADVENTURES

 already paid the fixer fees and is going to contact Harvesters (p. 205, SR6) for the friends. Dump
the team directly. A few minutes later, the team gets Sh0ck has impressive magical security, and it’s best
a message from an unknown commlink. “Your fixer if the players use more traditional measures. The
50 has already contacted you. I need some new talent information the PCs uncover may change based on
for a simple investigation job, and it needs to be whether they used Con or Influence. Refer to the
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

someone not tied to me or the parties that I repre- tables below

sent. If you’re interested, meet at Dump Sh0ck at
midnight. I’ll be in the Mitsubishi Nightsky parked Morgan Schnepple
in the northwest corner of the parking lot.”
Con Influence Information

Meet the Johnson 0 0 Yeah, I know Lex; he

moved here a little while
The parking spot is far enough from the build- ago.
ing that no customers or employees would willing- 1 1 He has been acting a little
ly park there. It also allows for a quick getaway weird lately, but I’m sure
if needed. When the players approach, the driver it’s from him getting used
gets out and opens a rear door. The car has enough to Manhattan.
Metahuman Adjustment modifications in the back
to accommodate the players. 2 3 In the last few months, he
Once everyone is inside, the new employer has been talking to some
starts to talk. “You can call me El Guapo. What delinquents. Nothing seri-
I’m about to tell you is not public knowledge. My ous, just people who know
employer’s son, Lex James, disappeared yesterday, where to get stuff your
and we’re trying to find out why. Lex is Awakened, parents may not want you
a hermetic mage who has been educated by some having.
of the best tutors. He’s considered a prodigy in 4 5 He was talking to a wom-
some circles, with skills across a range of spells. an who comes in here ever
We’ve been looking for him, but all our efforts so often—rumor has it
have come up empty so far.” that she can get you a fake
“As far as we know, nothing was taken from the SIN.
house. Even his commlink was still there. I’ll pro-
vide you with security video for the house. Addi- Madison Greene
tionally, you should talk to his two closest friends.
They’re inside—that’s why we’re meeting here. I Con Influence Information
think they may have an idea of what’s going on.” 0 0 For some reason, he
“Time is of the essence—I need you to conclude doesn’t like going to
your investigation within the next thirty-six hours. Stuffer Shack.
I’ll pay each of you 2,500 nuyen.” Each net hit on 1 2 He was asking me what tal-
an Influence + Charisma Opposed test increas- ismonger and magic shops
es that figure by 250 nuyen. Once an agreement I like to go to. I thought
is made, El Guapo will send the team the securi- I might see him at one of
ty footage, names and pictures of the two friends them, but I never have.
Morgan Schnepple and Madison Greene, and a
3 4 He likes to drive all over
picture of Lex James.
the city. Even to the places
After everyone is out, El Guapo says one last
that my parents tell me I
thing, “If you find Lex and get him to me unin-
shouldn’t go to.
jured, I’ll have a nice bonus for you.” The driver
shuts the door, walks around the car, gets in, and 5 5 I’ve hung out at his place a
drives off. few times. He is fascinated
by cars and would rath-
er drive somewhere than
Make New Friends take the subway.
The best way to enter Dump Sh0ck is to walk in
with the masses. The PCs will need to pass through
MAD scanners (rating 2), olfactory scanners (rat- Binge Watching
ing 2), and millimeter-wave scanners (rating 2). El Guapo gives the team eight days of video
However, the guards will readily take bribes of 100 footage for twenty cameras. That is the week prior
nuyen to let non-lethal items pass. to the day after the disappearance. To review the
Once inside, it will take a Perception + Intuition footage, the team will need to perform a Percep-
(3) test to spot one of the friends. Use Cutters Data tion + Intuition (15, 1 hour) Extended test. After

ADVENTURES // 4: DROPPING DARK

completion, give the players the following timeline. stands for the bonus. So long as you remember not to
• 3:30 p.m.: Lex returns home and goes to his talk about this, I expect I’ll need your services again.”
room.
51
• 3:45: He leaves his room, goes to the kitch-
en, and eats half a large pizza. Hotspot

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

• 4:00: He returns to his room. Dump Sh0ck
• 4:15: A bedroom door on the other side of The club has many locations across North
the house opens. It shuts again and reopens America—this one is located at 50 Meadowlands
about fifteen minutes later. No one can be Parkway. After the blackouts, this site was trans-
seen opening or closing the door. formed and has grown both figuratively and lit-
• 4:55: The front door to the house can be erally into what it is today—a Mecca for any up-
seen opening and quickly closing. Again, no and-coming sports streamer or hacker. In AR, VR,
one can be seen. or the boring real world, this place flashes, music
• 4:56: The family dog can be seen running to bumps, and the sounds of games being played can
the front of the house. It then casually walks be heard all the time, day and night. It has a repu-
to the end of the front yard and turns around tation as a no hack zone. The Dump Sh0ck collec-
and comes back to the house. tive (owners and fellow customers) will take action
against anyone breaking the rules. The crowd has
a long memory—if you break the rules, don’t ex-
Not What it Seems pect to be able to walk around for at least a month
or so without your commlinks getting randomly
The players will need to call El Guapo and give
bricked—or worse.
him their findings that Lex wasn’t taken—he left on
his own accord. After the players tell him, El Gua-
po will say “I came to the same conclusion, but I
couldn’t approach his friends without creating an is- Who’s Who
sue. Your funds will be sent shortly, and the offer still See El Guapo, in Character Trove, p. 141.

4: DROPPING DARK // ADVENTURES

52 5. all the news
that fits
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook address, they discover it is the offices of Piper Pub-

lishing and only a spitting distance from Terminal.
The runners have made a name for themselves, Piper Jane, the sole proprietor of Piper Publish-
good and bad, and a reporter named Piper Jane ing, is meeting the team after hours, which means
reaches out to help them—and have them help her. the other businesses in the office building are
The runners are contacted by Swen Rellik again, closed. The doors of the office building are locked
but this time he’s directing them to a meet with (maglock rating 2), but an ARO buzzer system is
Piper for the hiring. available. The runners can choose to break in or
The meet is set for Wednesday at 21:00 at 398 just hit the buzzer and get let in.
West 43rd Street, Suite 4C. If the team looks up the The fourth floor has split walls of faux-wood
paneling below and plasterboard above. Wood and
glass doors break up the monotony of the walls,
host plan each labeled in a different script for the number
Building >> Offices >> Private and letter.
398 West 43rd Street Host
Theme: It’s a lower-resolution version of the office complex itself. Rather Fourth Floor Occupants
than elevators or stairwells, personas float in the empty shafts between
floors and office hosts. 4A: Dr. Applegrin, DDS
A small one-dentist operation focusing on pediatric den-
RATING A S D F tistry. His office is filled with vintage video games to play
3 4 3 5 6
while you wait.
IC: Patrol, Blaster, Binder 4B: Jon Nox, esq—Attorney at Law
Notes: This is not a high-security office building and is a frequent target
for young Terminal hackers practicing their skills. A low-end defense attorney who recently started winning
more and more cases. Jon’s success is owed to the inves-
Piper Publishing Office Host tigative skills of Piper—and the fact that she made him a
monad.
Theme: A single office with basic iconography. Piper can’t afford much
more, but at least she has a layer of protection from the building host. 4C: Piper Publishing
4D: Nightengale’s Medical
RATING A S D F
2 2 3 4 5 This location is a storage facility split between spare equip-
ment at the front, a blood bank in the back, and a small
IC: Patrol, Scramble
hidden storeroom that holds biodata samples. For an office
Notes: As a monad, Piper can log into her office host and make it far less
pleasant for the runners, but she usually does not, preferring to keep her in a rundown older building, the security is top notch.
nature under wraps as best as possible.
Nightengale’s Medical Host
Theme: A single desk terminal and file cabinet to access item location. A hid-
Piper’s Private Data Host
den panel behind a picture of potted flowers offers access to hack into the
Theme: A shadowy file room located behind a locked glass-paned door. data-sample room.

RATING A S D F RATING A S D F
3 5 4 3 6 5 8 6 5 7

IC: Patrol, Blaster, Scramble IC: Patrol, Blaster, Scramble, Acid, Binder
Notes: This is where Piper stores all her best data. It’s not the hardest spot Notes: This is a major source of paydata but not part of the initial job. It’s
to hack, but it is three layers deep in hosts, and she isn’t pulling punches intended as more of a lucky find for a nosey hacker than a pivotal clue in the
with intruders here. campaign.

ADVENTURES // 5. ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS

 There is a small black monad cat (Jinxy) stalking The event is Friday evening at 19:00 at Villiers
along the walls and pawing at the occasional hole Tower, located on York between 90th and 89th
in the baseboard. She gives the runners very lit- streets. The tower is sixty stories tall, built post
tle attention, but if she sees them, she immediately quake, named for Richard Villiers (and currently 53
alerts Piper. owned by Novatech), and houses offices for a va-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Piper Jane’s office door announces her com-
riety of companies as well as a collection of ex-
pany’s name and job in gold lettering on frosted
glass. The space is small and very well organized, pensive condominium properties on floors twen-
though it lacks character. There is a single desk lo- ty through thirty and fifty through fifty-five. The
cated directly across from the door. Two wooden corporate suite for the gathering is located on the
chairs with red velvet cushions face the desk, while fifty-eighth floor and belongs to Sol Seeker Enter-
the walls are lined with an array of other chairs prises (a subsidiary of Evo). Piper doesn’t know
and couches with no single sense of style connect- what the exact purpose is, but she knows invita-
ing them all. tions were extremely limited and very hush-hush.
Piper is seated behind her desk and immediate- She won’t speculate on the purpose because she
ly rises to greet the runners if they buzzed in or if has no idea—that’s why she’s hiring runners.
she is aware of them from her surveillance system,
a.k.a. Jinxy.
Piper’s straight red hair is pulled back in a tight guest list
ponytail. Her face carries touches of mixed Euro- Jackson Ito, Renraku North America:
pean and North-African decent, with blue eyes, a R&D Director, Project Bunraku
sharp but small nose, and a caramel complexion
punctuated by a mix of freckles and a beauty mark Description: Male human, mixed Japanese and Afri-
above the left edge of her lip. She’s currently wear- can descent, spiky black hair, custom-tailored jet-black
ing a button-up blouse done up just shy of the col- Armanté suit with white collars and wrist cuffs.
lar, blue jeans that have seen better days, a bulky Possible Party Missteps: He likes to dabble in flirtation
commlink (which you suspect is a cyberdeck) on her with female guests and partake in physical encounters with
arm, glasses with the distinctive glow of AR feeds them and the joygirls as “research” for potential bunraku
at the corners, and a thin, black-laced collar with fantasy programs. Both Faith and Ashlee will join him at dif-
what looks like a subvocal mic attached to it next ferent times in a private space, and he will also have three of
to a central black gemstone. Piper’s office is filled the joygirls join him at once. All of these are inappropriate,
with AROs only she can see through her glasses and as he is married and expected to be monogamous.
that’s where the chaos lies, with dozens of case files
open and data pinned in the virtual air everywhere. Faith Davis, SpinGlobal: Executive
She greets the team professionally and then of- Director of Asset Management
fers seats anywhere in the office. She goes for a Description: Female elf, long blonde hair, blue eyes,
quick round of introductions, saying that Swen wearing a black Armanté mini skirt suit with SpinGlobal
speaks highly of them (whether he does or not). logos embroidered in the seams. She has a cold, profes-
She then gets down to the nitty-gritty. sional poise but speaks in a voice that could lull a rabid
She opens a desk drawer and pulls out a hard raccoon to sleep.
case credstick holder and opens the top to reveal Possible Party Missteps: Joins Jackson Ito for a pri-
twenty-five credsticks. She says there is 1,000 nuy- vate encounter where she dominates Ito as she teases
en on each stick, and the money is theirs for a job him about being turned into a puppet himself.
well done. After Jackson, she uses a joyboy for her own pleasures
Negotiations can be handled as usual with a while enjoying a bump or two of novacoke. She’s not mar-
500 nuyen bump with each net hit, but she lets ried, but she is currently in a long-term relationship with
them know the extra might need to come in after a woman named Sara Coughlin.
she gets the data out to the right people. If they
balk, she reminds them they’re not working for a Cullen Schwarz, Saeder-Krupp:
mega—they’re working for the everyday citizen VP of New York Media Integration
who just deserves to know the truth. Description: Male human, black hair with sharp gold
After payment details are settled, she goes into highlights. Vibrant green eyes and Basque features. His
laying out the job. Seems an elite meeting of corp deep silver suit hints at scales in the tailoring. Tall, but not
types are gathering for a sales pitch that involves exceptionally so for a human.
some serious c-suite hanky-panky. She doesn’t Possible Party Missteps: Cullen is all business. Too
have an in for what the new tech is, but she has much so at times, as he discusses work with others of sim-
a list of the invitees. She wants the runners to get ilar station. His conversations contain content the team
access to the event and get footage of several va- can surreptitiously record and later sell for 15,000 nuyen
rieties on the attendees and whatever it is they are in paydata to street news agencies.
trying out or buying.

5. ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS // ADVENTURES

 Ashlee Corsair, Horizon: Talent Manage- the other guests, doesn’t partake in any of the fun, and has an
ment, North America, Eastern Seaboard Awakened aura, which the real Vera Spokane does not.
Description: Female human, with blonde hair cut in a
54 sharp down-angle bob, dressed scantily in high-priced fashions Caitlyn Dawson, Trans-Orbital: Head of
from Zoé’s not-yet-released line. the Department of Administrative Aides
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Possible Party Missteps: Joins Jackson Ito for a private Description: Female human, fire-red hair flowing down
encounter where she enjoys with wild abandon. One of the her back, wearing a deep-cut purple dress that dips to her na-
joygirls approaches her quietly at first, asking about possible vel in front and even lower in the back, with silver stud and
jobs and talking about her “special” interview. Ashlee denies spike accessories and tall stiletto and platform heels. She is
this while others are around but quietly gives her “personal” impossible to miss and draws the attention of everyone in the
commcode for a conversation at a later time. The commcode room.
is real, but it’s her assistant, who also participated in the “in- Possible Party Missteps: This is not the kind of thing she
terview,” and the runners could talk to the joygirl for a cool is usually invited to, and she is looking to make an impression
10,000 nuyen blackmail bit if they’ll play the muscle. on everyone. Her outfit has very little in common with her nor-
mal professional office attire. She gets a bit deep into charac-
Dutch Adams, NYPD, Incorporated: ter starting with excessive drinking and flirting, leading to a
Director of Contractor Affairs quick but exhilarating bathroom fling with Cade Scanlon, and
Description: Male human, brown hair, AR glasses, ex- ends with leaving with the joygirls to keep the party going at
pensive-looking but out-of-date suit, stocky but a little thick another Manhattan club.
around the middle due to too many late nights at work and
bad eating. Kim Dolsoon, Nagato: Peripheral
Possible Party Missteps: Once a cop, always a cop. Dutch and Lateral Asset Management Director,
is recording this whole thing to some headware memory. Hack- North American Eastern Seaboard
ing his link (DR 5) will get diagnostic data for the headware and Description: Female Japanese human; long, black, silky
a way to download the data. This is blackmail-worthy (5,000
straight hair tied back in a ponytail; wearing a bland but obvi-
nuyen) or good for the street news (5,000 nuyen).
ously expensive pantsuit.
Possible Party Missteps: None. She leaves the party
Michael Simmons, Citigroup: President of shortly after the “presentation” by the twins, as she has a nose
Currency Validation and Valuation for trouble. If she encounters any runner with a Reputation or
Description: Male human, black hair styled in a modern Heat higher than 5, she will recognize them and may stop for
classic chic wearing a stylish Vashon Island suit. He’s not the a brief introduction and hand off a business card. It’s not a
most social of the guests and barely interacts with anyone. positive job offer, more of a “gotcha, you need better cover”
Possible Party Missteps: Simmons walks in on fellow moment.
guests Jackson and Ashlee while looking for the washroom. He
embarrassingly excuses himself before finding the other en- Cade Scanlon, Shiawase: Property
trance to the washroom where he hides and watches the pair and Project Acquisitions Director
while pleasuring himself. It’s nothing career-ending but could
Description: Male human, neatly coiffed white hair, wear-
get the runners 3,000 nuyen to delete any footage.
ing a white suit with subtle silver accents. The white hair is a
dye job, not due to age.
Flynn Ames, Maersk: Possible Party Missteps: He nearly gets into a fight with
Senior VP of Logistics, North America Flynn Ames after Flynn mocks Cade’s looks, but is really just
Description: Male human, long dark hair, wearing a clas- posturing to impress Caitlyn. He has a quick bathroom fling
sic suit accented by a collection of fancy rings and necklaces with Caitlyn, but he’s single and that doesn’t really matter oth-
rather than a tie. He expresses himself loudly and has a large er than her being so much lower than him on the social ladder
personality. and her working for another mega.
Possible Party Missteps: Flynn is single and rich. He bare-
ly paid attention to the invitation to this event but gladly par- Kensai Okama, Sony: Director of
takes in the drugs, BTLs, and joygirls. The closest to a misstep Game Innovation, Simsense Division
he manages is almost getting into a fight with Cade Scanlon
Description: Male Japanese human, slicked-back grey
when he repeatedly mocks his appearance.
hair, perfectly tailored Berwick suit that highlights his angular
frame. He speaks quietly but has a powerful presence.
Vera Spokane, Prometheus Engineering:
Possible Party Missteps: He is very professional, but he
Manhattan-based Project Supervisor is recording everything via his internal simrig. The footage is
Description: Female human, auburn hair with striking going to his internal commlink (rating 6). He is exceptionally
professional highlights, rich caramel skin, wearing a glamor- observant and manages to move around the room and be in
ous deep red Zoé dress. the right place at the right time a lot. He plans to use the foot-
Possible Party Missteps: This isn’t the real Vera Spokane, age to accurately portray executives in upcoming productions,
but rather a social adept working for MCT trying to figure out but he also keeps the “special” data on other powerful figures,
what this little soirée is all about. She asks a lot of questions of just in case.

ADVENTURES // 5. ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS

 The hosts of the party are Celina and Illyan
office building matrix Ardrin, twin brother and sister, well known in
Tower >> Security << Offices << Maintenance shadow circles to act as high-end fixers and Mr.
Main Villiers Tower Host
Johnsons for any and all of the globe’s power 55
players looking to work in Manhattan.

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Theme: A classic office tower main floor but done in shades of deep red and This particular event involves several mid-lev-
orange. IC looks like office staff and building employees suited to the type
of IC.
el corporate executives from among the members
of the MDC invited to a party/auction. These
RATING A S D F young and eager executives are just the type to
5 6 5 7 8 be willing to take the big risks, but not the type
to have easy authorization for the big cash Celi-
IC: Patrol, Binder, Acid, Blaster, Track
Notes: Hundreds of building staff and residents pass through the host hourly. na and Illyan are asking. The Ardrins know this,
and they’re under orders to throw this party for
Villiers Tower Security Host a collection of reasons. They want to present a
Theme: The gateway host to the office and maintenance systems, this is a pitch for some cutting-edge tech. They want the
security station beyond an elevator door in the Main Villiers Tower Host. execs to party and possibly enter into unprofes-
sional behavior. They want footage of the guests
RATING A S D F for the real demonstration of the tech. And most
6 8 6 7 9 of all, they want them all to know someone else
IC: Patrol, Acid, Binder, Blaster, Track, Scramble might beat them to this prize once the bidding
Notes: 4 Electronic Security Specialists (use Cutters Data Harvester, SR6, starts for real.
p.205) monitor this and the other hosts The Ardrins provide an upbeat mingling envi-
ronment in the c-suite as guests arrive. After about
C-Suite Office Host an hour, the twins take center stage and pitch their
Theme: Currently set up as a large party sphere with several “rooms” and new tech: a BTL-like program that not only can
gathering spaces all along the interior of the large sphere. The rooms have no
ceilings so they can be seen from the opposite side.
implant a persona in an individual but comes with
the added benefit of that person never remember-
RATING A S D F ing any actions they performed while “skipping,”
4 6 4 5 7 as they call it.
The bidding starts at one billion nuyen—a sum
IC: Patrol, Acid, Binder, Scramble
Notes: No one is logged into the host during the party.
at which everyone scoffs because none of them
control that type of instant funding. Two make
Building Maintenance Host down payment offers with the addendum that they
Theme: A single room with walls full of switches, dials, and monitors that
will need to talk to their R&D divisions (or other
control all the maintenance systems in the entire building. shadow assets) to see if funding can be made avail-
able. Most of the rest laugh it off as fairytale tech.
RATING A S D F When the twins refuse a demonstration tonight,
5 6 5 7 8 the gentle jeers and drunken teasing commence,
IC: Patrol, Binder, Blaster, Scramble, Acid
and Celina and Illyan politely retire from the party
Notes: Four engineers are located in the host taking care of building systems. and thank the guests for their time. They then offer
They have no combat skills and react by warning security rather than inter- the entertainment present for all the guests to en-
fering with the intruders.
joy for the rest of the evening, announcing the suite
is rented until 08:00 tomorrow morning.
Besides the guests, there are two dozen joygirls
The Job and joyboys, a plethora of drugs from the standard
Villiers Tower is no easy nut to crack, but Piper type all the way to BTLs and BADs, as well as sim
is giving the team a couple days of lead time to module setups for full-body feel.
look for or build a weak spot to exploit. They also This allows the runners to gather some com-
have the guest list and can try to intercept a guest promising footage as long as they can attend the
and take their spot. gathering discreetly. Possibilities include acting as
Every floor is protected by wifi-inhibiting paint a joyboy (twelve of them are in attendance), joy-
(rating 6) that helps limit access to office hosts from girl (twelve of them are in attendance), drug con-
either the offices themselves or through the securi- noisseur (there are six present), security (use Mafia
ty host. Astral security consists of eight patrolling Soldato, p. 207, SR6; only eight are present), or
spirits of air (Force 4; add Guard) and two onsite drink server (ten total present, all nearly identical
security mages (use Lone Star Combat Mage, p. Japanese women).
207, SR6). Physical security consists of twelve se- Check out the descriptions for each guest to see
curity personnel (use Lone Star Patrolman, p. 206, what they are into and what might tickle their fan-
SR6) spread all over the building. cy at the party.

5. ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS // ADVENTURES

 Other Interested/Interesting Parties/Events
The following encounters are suggested for gamemasters who want to spice up the party with some third-party action.
A mage (use Street Shaman, p. 88, SR6) with a Force 8 spirit of air (p. 147, SR6; add Fear, Guard) using its Concealment
power rushes through the party recording footage. Security for the party is slow to respond, as they have no magical assets
56 on site. The Tower’s magical security (eight air spirits and two security mages; see above) have been avoided so far, and the
mage is quick to depart via a Levitate spell and an open window.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

A hacker (use Technomancer, p. 89, SR6) hides a floor below with a hole drilled through the floor and wifi-inhibiting paint
all around them. They randomly hack commlinks looking for paydata.
Security discovers Vera is an imposter. They quietly engage and remove her, but she appeals to the runners for rescue
and sympathy, figuring the guards are possibly going to just kill her when they get her from the room.

6: cutting edges
The Job Take A Peek
Press is not good for SpinGlobal. Following the Behind The Curtain
death of its eponymous CEO, the corporation con- The first job is a simple smash-and-grab. The
tinues to receive negative attention about its future Kente Royal Gallery is hosting an augmented reali-
and its leadership. Gabrielle Al Thani Spinrad has ty event showcasing AR skins, which are common-
a chance to turn that around with her upcoming ly used to display a virtual set of clothing the user
appearance at the Met Gala. If anything is true of is wearing. During that event, the Gallery will be
fashion, it is that clothes make the (wo)man. To premiering an interactive piece of artwork called
that end, she’s deployed a trusted asset to gath- the “shifter” device that has the ability to redraw
er intelligence on what the biggest names will be an individual’s AR skin using an algorithm based
wearing so that she can do them one better. on their semiotics and available data profile. Just
point and shoot in the real world and the AR skin
Meeting Ms. Johnson changes to a version of that individual that most
The Ms. Johnson selected for this job explains resembles what they present themselves as based
that the all-important Met Gala is only a few weeks on available data. The assignment is: Steal this de-
away. The theme for the Gala is Convergence: vice and return it to her.
Where Magic and Technology Meet in Fashion.
Designers are tight-lipped about what they have Johnson In Absentia
planned, and Ms. Johnson needs to know what
other designers are doing. When the runners return for the next task, they
In this mission, the runners’ fixer arranges a find a different Mr. Johnson waiting for them. Mr.
meeting with Ms. Johnson at Nowhere, a club in Johnson explains that he will be dealing with the
Terminal. Ms. Johnson is Becky Wu Ping, a prom- runners from here on out. The terms of their ar-
inent fashion designer. She asks for the runners ‘ rangement are otherwise the same. He explains
help with a pair of smash-and-grab-style tasks. She that this last objective is the toughest. They need
opens negotiations at 2,000 nuyen per runner and to figure out what Alayna Gale is up to.
more work if they can complete the job. She is will- Alayna Gale is famous for their Met Gala red
ing to go as high as 2,500 nuyen per runner. Once carpet reveal. They float through the city in a cloud
the fee is set, she explains that there are two tasks of high-priced Evo security and keep the secret of
she needs the runners to accomplish. For safety the design near to or on their person at all times.
reasons, she will only give them one task at a time. Mr. Johnson knows that Gale will be appear-
When they finish a task, they need to return to her ing on the runway at an event at Lincoln Center.
for the next job. During that time, their design will be secured in

ADVENTURES // 6: CUTTING EDGES

their dressing-room safe. Stealth is key here. The
runners need to get a look at that design without
Gale knowing their work has been compromised.
If they complete the task successfully, Mr. Johnson 57
will double the fee they agreed to.

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hotspots
Nowhere, Terminal
This rooftop club in the newly rebuilt Termi-
nal district is on the edge of becoming a local
hotspot. Terminal still has its rough edges, and the
club serves as a DMZ for the Westside Kings and
Slaughterhouse. Located fourteen stories up on a
midblock building, the venue offers clear sightlines
to Ninth Avenue below. You can often find student
and undiscovered fashion designers here mixing
in with locals, drawing inspiration and testing out
new looks.

Kente Royal Gallery,

New Harlem
This gallery stands as one of the oldest surviv-
ing galleries in New Harlem. Originally created as
a touchstone to African American artists, the lo-
cation fell into disrepair during the Newtown era.
The gallery was resurrected by Horizon during the
New Harlem revival and formally reintroduced to
the NYC fashion circuit in 2079.
The building itself is over one hundred years
old. The insides have been gutted and replaced to
include a full suite of SOTA security technology,
giving the building itself an AA security rating de-
spite it being in a lower-rated zone. Rumors persist
of basement connections to deeper underground
tunnels that run as far uptown as 90th Street.

Who’s Who
Becky Wu Ping
This is the first time Gabrielle Al Thani Spinrad
will be in attendance at a major social event since
the death of her husband, so her look needs to steal
the show and the hearts of everyone watching.
As fashion lead of SpinGlobal subsidiary White
Clouds, Becky Wu Ping was tapped to design her
look. This is a tremendous career opportunity for
Wu Ping. She isn’t going to chance getting it wrong.
That means having advanced intel on what all the
other major designers are doing.
Wu Ping is a fashionista who always pairs a
piece from White Clouds with accents from other
major houses, pushing the argument that her fash-
ion house belongs in the upper echelon of mod-
ern design establishments. Though her work as a
Johnson is limited to a dozen experiences, she is

6: CUTTING EDGES // ADVENTURES

 hard-edged. She knows how to negotiate with run- Alayna Gale
ners and finds them far easier to work with than
eccentric creatives. Her stats are on p. 139. Perhaps the most famous trans troll designer of
58 the era, Gale burst on to the fashion scene eleven
years ago by arriving in nothing but black stockings,
Hadrian Williams-Lee red heels, a sheer top and a long red nano-fiber scarf
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Williams-Lee can date his family’s New York that morphed into a form-fitting dress as they posed
Heritage to the 1800s, and he does so regularly. on the Met Gala red carpet. Since that debut, Gayle
He believes his destiny is to inhabit a c-suite for has been a staple of the Gala, breaking boundaries
SpinGlobal NY. Unfortunately, all of his efforts and providing jaw-dropping looks each year.
have done little more than turn him into SpinGlob- Lithe with short spiraling horns and a mane of
al’s local go-to for all things shady. He joins the shock blue hair, Gale resembles a fomorian. They
mission because Becky Wu Ping disappears shortly always wear black with one additional color add-
after the runners have their first contact with her. ed to the palette. Gayle is easygoing but extremely
When pressed on the issue, he tells the runners it talkative and easily distracted. Their favorite top-
is above their pay grade, and they will be dealing ic of discussion is the recent partnership with Evo
with him moving forward. creating the new fashion line Blü.
Williams-Lee is a white elf with black hair and Gale’s Met Gala design is an homage to the Lenape
an ever-present emerald earring in his left ear and people who founded Manhattan. They’ve designed a
a diamond earring in his right. He sees taking over column dress with a etched with circuitry that mimics
this job as an opportunity to prove his value to mutable tribal lettering, writing the story of the Lenape
the corporation. He appears to take an immediate people across their body. The magical element includes
liking to the runners, even suggesting that he may golden bracers tastefully highlighted with raw chunks
contact them again for future work. His stats are of orichalcum. A set of drawings at the back of the safe
on p. 143. suggest some sort of watcher spirit will be perched on
their shoulder during the Gala.

7: forgot to
remember
Hook half-dozen or so confused persons wearing noth-
ing but medical gowns have been reported wan-
Everyone walks through a doorway to the dering aimlessly in the vicinty of the Alice in Won-
kitchen and forgets what they were coming in for, derland statue. None of them seem to know who
right? Imagine what would happen if several peo- they are, or how they got here.
ple all went through a doorway at the same time Nothing this crazy happens in Manhattan
and that happened to all of them at once? without a reason, and the runners’ employer
wants to be among the first to figure out what’s
going on here. Mr. Johnson offers 1,000 nuyen to
Just Staying in My Pay Grade
each runner if they drop whatever they’re doing
The runners should be doing what they are now and head immediately to the park to investi-
supposed to be doing all the time, either working gate (discreetly, of course), and a 1,000 nuyen bo-
a job or looking for a job. If they just finished nus if they dig up any juicy paydata. Runners can
mission 6, Cutting Edges, the same Mr. Johnson negotiate an extra 100 nuyen per het hit on an
will reach out to them. Otherwise, this job can be Influence + Charisma Opposed test. Mr. Johnson
introduced by El Guapo (p. 141). is paying a premium for prompty action, but the
The runners are hired to investigate a distur- matter is time-sensitive, which gives the runners a
bance occurring right now in Central Park. A bargaining advantage.

ADVENTURES // 7: FORGOT TO REMEMBER

The Job in the park. If the PCs succeed on an Influence
(Etiquette, Intimidation, Leadership, or Nego-
As the PCs start the job, their work will be tiation) + Charisma vs. Willpower + Intuition
made more difficult by a few concerned citizens test against two individuals, they will hear them 59
who were monitoring police activity and have de- share similar stories about feeling dazed in the

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

cided to check out what’s going on. The runners back of a cargo van, then being pushed out into
will have to navigate through these gathered cit- some bushes. They don’t know where the van
izens as well as police, and they won’t be able to originated.
drive into the park. Skates, scooters, bikes, and If the PCs have run through mission 6, Cut-
other such options are allowed. ting Edges (p. 56), they will recognize the wom-
In the area of the still-played-upon statue of an by the Alice statue as Becky Wu Ping with a
Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the Rabbit can also Memory (1) test. She is dirty, and her hair is now
be found a trio of individuals in medical pajamas cut in a short, uneven style, but it is recognizably
seemingly engaged in the tea service somehow, her. She will not remember the runners or any-
with a quartet of NYPD’s finest working to keep thing about who she is. The PCs may attempt an
them in some semblance of order. These are not Influence (Etiquette) + Charisma vs. Willpower +
the only people around, however, and locating ev- Intuition test against her, and if they are success-
eryone who is part of this odd arrival from Nev- ful, she will suddenly notice the clothing they are
erland is part of the fun. There are no fewer than wearing and start talking about it. The way she
six individuals around in similar state, though the talks about lines and seams shows she knows
gamemaster is free to add a few if they choose. fashion details and should make it clear that she
None of them seem to have their full awareness is in fashion design. This can give teams that did
about them, wandering as if recovering from not meet her previously a way to discover her
mind-altering drugs or magical aftershocks, per- identity and pave the way for mission 10, Pulling
haps both. Memories (p. 64).
The initial three individuals found at the stat- Assensing them: An Astral + Intuition (4) test
ue’s famous play area are all human, two women on any of these individuals will show a very un-
and a middle-aged man. The other three individ- settled aura around their mental energies, some-
uals found in the vicinity are a male ork who be- thing that is at odds with the rest of their aura, as
lieves he is currently a puppy sniffing around a if it were imposed, not a part of them.
hundred meters or so away at a fountain. He will Medical testing: A Biotech + Logic (3) test
talk, but in a manner that is very cartoon-like, done with a medkit shows traces of sedatives in
over-exaggerated and puppy-like. He may even be the individuals’ systems. Five hits also identify a
proudly lifting a leg to mark a spot of his terri- psychoactive drug used to augment simsense ex-
tory. The fifth individual is a male elf of indeter- periences. Six hits (or a Perception + Intuition [4]
minate age (probably in his forties) with crewcut test when looking at them) reveal that the indi-
hair and an air of inferiority. He acts as if he is ev- viduals have odd markings on their skin—a circle
eryone’s lapdog and will respond to questioning inside a square inside a triangle inside a circle.
in a way that he feels will make them happiest. The men have it near the base of their underarm
The sixth and final individual is a female valkyrie cavity, while the women have it at the bottom of
(p. 81, Sixth World Companion) who at first may their hairline on their neck.
be hard to spot as she has taken up a position
surrounded by cherubs at a fountain, placing her-
self in the middle of their many water streams.
She currently is unable to take flight because she
Hotspots
believes as long as she is wet, she is safe from the The entirety of this adventure takes place with-
damning flames all around her (note that those in the confines of Central Park in Manhattan, pri-
flames are not real). marily around the park’s east side near Conserva-
The individuals can be as unruly and chaotic tory Water, the Alice-in-Wonderland play area, and
as the gamemaster desires. They can be difficult to the Loeb Boathouse. Matrix specialists should be
pin down, running away from the PCs or helping able to get eyes on scene and assist the other team
each other escape if one of them is pinned down. members to remain unseen or unnoticed by NYPD
The questions the PCs need to answer are: and any other authorities who will be poking their
Who are these people, how did they get to the noses into this.
park, and what is going on with their heads?
Here are some paths to getting information Who’s Who
about the people: All of the subjects speak English. Here is their
Talking to them: These individuals do not re- basic information, along with their real names
member their own names or addresses, but they (which they don’t know, so the PCs will not learn
have some vague memories of how they arrived this mission).

7: FORGOT TO REMEMBER // ADVENTURES

 • Human woman 1, “Alice.” Chinese, in her • Elven man, “Inferiority.” Black, late forties
forties. Her hair is cut short, unevenly rather to early fifties. Bald, medical scars show ev-
than stylishly. Real identity: Becky Wu Ping, idence of extensive augmentation removal.
60 fashion director with White Clouds. Real identity: Vernon Gold, former decker.
• Human woman 2, “Hatter.” Latino, in his • Female valkyrie, “Damnation.” White,
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

early thirties. Fair hair that’s shaved short. mid-twenties. Medical scarring shows ev-
No scars. Real identity: Fernandina Lopez, idence of invasive implant removal. Au-
nonprofit director.
burn-red hair, cut short. Real identity: Alona
• Human man, “Rabbit.” White, in his Baldwin, currently unemployed.
mid-forties. Thinning red hair, cut short. No
scars. Possesses significant augmentation Cat calls the runners—she needs a team to
(use Street Samurai, p. 87, SR6). All augmen- break into the NYPD, Inc., Precinct 10 Lower West
tations are scrubbed of manufacturer’s in- Side impound lot.
formation. Real identity: Brody Biggs, street
name “Hipscotch,” shadowrunner.
• Male ork, “Puppy.” Black, mid-thirties with
a deep south CASian accent. Thick dark hair,
dark brown eyes. Real identity: Darryl Bev-
erly, Saeder-Krupp manager.

8: Get Out Of
Jail Free Card
Hook ed at the scene. The vehicle didn’t have the proper
paperwork, so the driver was also arrested, and the
Cat calls the team early in the evening, and she’s vehicle was towed to the impound lot.
excited enough that her Scottish accent is on full
display. She needs the team in the Lower West Side
to secure a Roadmaster full of contraband before The Job
anyone else can get to it. The catch is that it’s in When the team arrives at the precinct, they
the impound lot of NYPD, Inc., Precinct 10. Cat find the entire block is in a state of chaos. Both
offers 5,000 nuyen per runner to retrieve the van physical and AR alarms are activated, and a
and a 3,000-nuyen bonus if the team can extract steady stream of people are running out of the
and bring her the driver, who is in a holding cell at building, some still in NYPD-issued orange jump-
the same location. suits. None of the exterior doors seem to be se-
If the team asks for more information, Cat will cured, and there aren’t any officers in sight. If the
tell them what she knows. She has a network of con- team decides to stroll into the impound lot or the
tacts on the lookout for unusual tech being smug- precinct building, no one shows any interest in
gled onto the island in the hopes of finding some stopping them. As they approach the building, all
of the devices used in the recent incident in Denver. wireless access is cut off, and any devices that de-
She just got word that an up-armored Roadmas- pend on a wireless connection stop working (the
ter full of unidentified tech was impounded by the entire area has 18 noise).
NYPD. The van was attacked by the Ancients in Ten minutes after the team arrives, a patrol car
Lower West Side, and the driver was knocked out. comes back in for a shift change. The officers see
NYPD arrived just as the gang was cracking open the situation and drive out of the noise zone to call
the cargo hold. Several gang members were arrest- for backup. Within another ten minutes, the place

ADVENTURES // 8: GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD

 61

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

is crawling with NYPD, Inc., officers who attempt members have any commlinks or ID.
to get the situation under control. Main floor: None of the maglocks in the build-
ing seem to be working, and all of the communica-
tions equipment is jammed. The few officers who
Hotspots were onsite are blockading the second-floor stair-
cases, stopping anyone from reaching the armory.
NYPD, Inc., Precinct 10 (Lower West Side) Basement: With all of the maglocks off, the pris-
This compound takes up about half of a city oners have left their cells. The doors to the impound
block and acts as the primary checkpoint in and locker are also open, and it looks like the escap-
out of the Terminal district. The precinct building ees have already rummaged through looking for
has three floors above ground, with processing and weapons, drugs, and anything else of obvious value.
dispatch on the first floor. Training rooms, locker There is a dataterm in the desk with the last user
rooms, and the equipment armory take up the sec- still logged in; this can be used to provide access
ond floor, while administrative and executive offic- to the precinct’s host. A Hash Check Matrix action
es are on the third. The basement level contains the will give the location of the last few items checked
prisoner holding cells and the impound lockers, in: two commlinks from “highjackers,” one com-
while the sub-basement is building mechanical sys- mlink from “smuggler,” and a crate containing an
tems. At the rear of the building there is a garage “unidentified device.” The commlinks are still here,
for NYPD vehicles and a walled lot of impounded as well as a sixty-cubic-centimeter crate. The crate
vehicles. The lot only has a single gated entrance. has already been unsealed, and the contents are a 45
Currently the few officers in the building are se- kilogram, fifty-centimeter black metallic cube. It has
curing the upper two floors and the vehicle garage. no astral signature or Matrix icon.
There are no officers on the ground floor or the NYPD Host: The two deckers who would
basement. normally be defending the host have been dump-
Impound lot: There is no Roadmaster in the lot, shocked into unconsciousness, leaving the rating 9
just an assortment of local criminals attempting to host unprotected. There are also several dataterms
break into the vehicles here. With a quick search of around the building that are still logged in with
the lot, the team will discover three fresh corpses access to the system available without hacking it.
in Ancients gang leathers at the back wall. Looks In addition to the building maglocks being turned
like there was a shootout here. None of the gang off, it looks as if the records of everyone held in the

8: GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD // ADVENTURES

 lockups have been erased. Other information still
exists on the host—of particular interest are entry Special Notes
logs in the impound locker and the camera footage The runners can take the items from the impound
62 from the lot. If the video footage is checked, the locker back to Cat with the video footage, and she
PCs can see three Ancients heading for a Road- will pay out 2,000 for the contents of the crate and
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

master van shot down by a second group of six another 1,000 nuyen for the three commlinks. If
metahumans wearing matte-black body armor and the team gets back to her in a few hours, she will
helmets, Two are dragging a large ork along, and tell them the crate contains a medical nano-forge,
the entire group gets in the Roadmaster and drives used for making high-grade nanoware, not one of
off. Shortly after being viewed, the video file disap- the Denver devices. The driver is a small-time in-
pears—it seems that all of the video files from the dependent smuggler and the commlink has orders
precinct are rapidly disappearing from the host. to pick up fourteen crates at a Lower West Side
If the runners start looking into the data era- dock—owned by an MCT subsidiary—and deliv-
sure, they will see that even the entry logs are gone, er them to an automated storage facility in New
and it looks as if none of these criminal records Harlem. One of the commlinks from the Ancients
have ever existed. They may also catch a glimpse has orders from Eager to intercept the truck and
of ghostly translucent figures inside the host, but deliver the cargo to a Terminal warehouse instead.
that’s the only thing out of the ordinary (beside the A record search will discover that neither of the
data disappearing without a trace). two possible destinations have an owner listed. If
asked about the job, Eager will claim the arrange-
ments were made at a Matrix club, and he has no
NYPD inc Precinct 10 idea who Mr. Johnson really was, but the nuyen
(Foundation Host) was paid out of an old digital account rumored to
have funded NeoNET’s shadow ops for decades.
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
10 9 11 12 9 3 2

IC: Patrol, Binder, Track, Acid, Blaster

Notes: This host currently has no one defending it. Several dataterms
have absent users still logged in, giving the runners legal user access if
they access the host through one of these dataterms.

9: steal what’s
stolen
Hook cle, which sounds like a job Lex might have pulled
off. He doesn’t expect the runners to be able to
An antique vehicle has been stolen from a very catch Lex, but the least he could do is return the car,
powerful and connected executive of another com- which could gain El Guapo favor with a rival while
pany. If the players haven’t told anyone about their also reducing the chance of possible legal issues for
other job for El Guapo, he will contact them again. Lex and the rest of the James family.
He wants the antique vehicle located and brought to
him. He tells the players he plans on returning it to
its owner in an attempt to build a positive rapport. The Job
The truth is more complicated. El Guapo thinks A player’s commlink chirps that they have a
Lex James is working in the shadows and still hopes new message from their fixer. He has a job for you,
to get him back alive and in one piece. He has nar- or that is what you assume from the message head-
rowed his activities down to a few possible new fac- er, which says “Carson Place Hotel.”
es in town, but he can’t pinpoint which one might The rest of the message states, “Meet El Gua-
be Lex. That was, until the recent theft of the vehi- po at 12:15 p.m. in conference room 6 on the

ADVENTURES // 9: STEAL WHAT’S STOLEN

second floor. He has another business proposal other customers. After a little persuasion (meaning a
for you.” payment of at least 50 nuyen) she will remember the
car and the driver. She remembers him because he
Meet El Guapo has been one of her best customers lately. She has no 63
issues telling the players what he purchased but will

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Carson Place is a middle- to upper-grade hotel. not give away all his secrets. Depending on what the
It has a business-friendly area on the second floor players offer her, she is willing to tell the players that
where executives can rent a conference room. When the driver’s name is Silver Nail, and that he bought
you get to the room, you find the place is immaculate magic reagents, magical lodge material, and two spell
but hasn’t seen a facelift in several decades. Beside the formulas (Flamestrike and Fireball).
door to the meeting room is a plaque that reads “This
room is dedicated to Klubbs, businessman and caring
father. Taken before his time. Love, Cheli. Paid for by The Garage
Klubbs and Cheli Brokerage.” Silver Nail will punch in a code to open the
Sitting in the center of the room is a large, oval- chain-link gate. He backs the car into one of the
shaped table with a holoprojector and white-noise rental units and rides out and down the street on a
generator (rating 6). El Guapo sits with a serious Yamaha Nodachi (p. 24, Double Clutch).
pose and says, “My employer is attempting to gain The runners must get into the chain-linked area
favor with a rival. A key person there is a collec- and bypass the mechanical key lock (rating 4)
tor of antique vehicles who has recently had one without being seen by the security cameras or the
stolen. There were other items of value that could guard (see the key locks section, p. 241, SR6, for
have been taken, but they took a 1967 Chevrolet info on how to pick locks). Silver Nail has hidden
Impala—an antique in perfect condition, I want three MCT Gnat micro drones and a disposable
the car found and returned to me. I don’t want it commlink in the car for tracking. Additionally, a
damaged in any way. If things turn violent, only Force 4 spirit of fire is watching and will follow
use non-lethal force while on this job. the car. As soon as the car moves, Silver Nail will
“The car in question has been seen at two plac- follow in the astral to see what he can find out.
es. If you accept the job, I will send you info on Once the players have the car, all they have to
those spots. The job pays 5,000 nuyen apiece.” do is call El Guapo to arrange a meeting time and
Each net hit on a Charisma + Influence Opposed place.
test increases the payment figure by 250 nuyen, to a
maximum of 7,500 nuyen per runner. Once an agree-
ment is made, El Guapo will send the team info on
the two locations where the car was seen: a magic
Hotspots
shop called “Arcanna’s Cabana” and a food truck Fluffy Duck’s Gourmet
called “Fluffy Duck’s Gourmet Chicken Biscuits.”
Chicken Biscuit Truck
What To Eat Anyone who has a commlink can find informa-
tion about this food truck, as it is one of the most
After waiting in line for about sixty minutes, the trendy and sought-after food trucks in the area. It’s
players will meet Fluffy Duck (see Character Trove, not especially healthy, innovative, or exotic, but it’s
p. 141). The ork is the size of a small troll but has really good. There are soy- and gluten-free options
a very cheery attitude and refreshing optimism that on the menu, but the truck is best known for its fried
are rare in the Sixth World. It seems to infect the chicken biscuit. There is even a sign that says Fluffy
crowd, and you can see why people like his place so Duck makes the biscuits from scratch each day.
much. He takes your order, and so long as the tips
keep rolling and the players aren’t holding up the
line, he will keep talking. He knows the car and the Arcanna’s Cabana
person who drives it. He will tell the players the guy Tucked away on a side street is this talismonger
is called Silver Nail, is a good tipper, and shows up shop. During daylight hours, you’ll always see a few
every few days and places a large order. paying customers inside. At night, it is just as busy
If the players stake out the food truck, Silver Nail but with a different type of clientele. It ‘s run by An-
will show up in two days. He will pull up next to the nika “Anna” Gustafsson. Anna is of Swedish descent,
truck and yell something at Fluffy Duck, who comes and the shop is decorated in a manner that proudly
out and hands him a large bag. Silver Nail will drive displays that culture and history.
off—he is easy to follow to the storage unit.

It’s Just Business Who’s Who

Given enough time, the players will get to speak to • See Silver Nail in Character Trove p. 147
Anna. She is friendly but always keeps an eye on any • See Fluffy Duck in Character Trove p. 141

9: STEAL WHAT’S STOLEN // ADVENTURES

64 10. pulling
memories
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook ble, and Hadrian justifies this by pointing out his

favor might end up being quite valuable.
One of the unfortunate individuals who was After speaking with Wu Ping’s doctors, Hadri-
wandering by the Alice in Wonderland statue in an is convinced that reconstructing her last proj-
Central Park is, in fact, a leading superstar fashion ect—a lifelong ambition to design a sensational
designer who works for a subsidiary of SpIn out of gown for the Met Gala—is the key to restoring
Macao, and she was working on something incred- her memory. He directs the runners to learn ev-
ibly important: an evening gown for the upcoming erything they can about the project and bring all
Met Gala for the head of Spinrad Global. of the designs, measurements, and experimental
Her work stopped when she disappeared. materials to him.

What Makes The Dress and the Beau

Her So Special? “Okay, it’s actually a gown. Chic and slim,
smart and eye-catching, meant to capture the atten-
The star of any ball is the person who stands out
tion of those around the wearer, but also standing
the best and can work it to their advantage. This is
up to the challenge of defending the same should
what Gabrielle Al Thani Spinrad is still hoping to
do. The gown had not been crafted yet, and time is an unforeseen crisis arise,” says one of Wu Ping’s
getting incredibly short. The lead designer not only assistants. She recalls that Becky stated the mate-
has forgotten the design, but she’s forgotten who rials were breakthrough, using clean nanoweave
she is. If the design is to be recovered, so is Becky and animate materials. “The entire thing could
Wu Ping’s mind. The runners have their work cut light up, adapt shape, change color … everything.”
out for them. Problem is no one has the material on hand, the
original fabric is gone, and it is not a SpIn product.
Questions about special friends or partners will
A Face I’ve Seen Before elicit “She was seeing Gu.” Physically searching
Becky Wu Ping of White Clouds played the role for images of Gu is a Perception + Intuition (10,
of Alice in mission 7, Forgot to Remember (p. 58). 1 hour) roll in Becky’s apartment; anyone with
White Clouds is a fashion subsidiary owned by Forensics or Scrounge knowledge skills gain a bo-
SpIn, but even their records of her are now ques- nus point of Edge on this test to use once. Me-
tionable at best. Spinrad and White Cloud exec- Feed (Asia) searches (Electronics + Intuition [10,
utives can confirm who she is, her roles and past 1 hour] or Influence (Etiquette) + Charisma [6,
projects, but they cannot bring her memory back, 1 hour]) will discover likenesses of Ms. Wu Ping
and the time of the Gala is fast approaching. spending time with a potential fiancé, Gu Guanyu,
The runners are being called in by Hadrian Wil- working for a research think tank agency located
liams-Lee (p. 143) again and asked to find a way to in Hong Kong. The pair made small ripples in the
help Becky snap back to herself. This is a legwork social nets of Southeast Asia for a few months, but
mission and a challenge of social psychology. The all references to Gu and her together have been
challenge is to discover key information that might erased. Knowledge skills in MeFeeds or Eastern
help Becky come back to her senses and present Fashions gain a bonus point of Edge for those tests
that information in the best way possible. Hadrian to use once.
assures the runners that SpinGlobal has top doc- Getting in touch with Gu is easy enough—he’s
tors on the case, but he’s gambling that an uncon- been concerned about Becky now since she went
ventional approach may yield unexpected results. missing earlier and will take the first trans-orbital
Hadrian offers the PCs 5,000 nuyen apiece and flight to Manhattan. He will need to be picked up
a personal Favor (see p. 172, Sixth World Com- at the airport and would prefer at least one non-
panion) from him as payment. Pay is non-negotia- SpIn escort. On the commute in, Gu will remark

ADVENTURES // 10. PULLING MEMORIES

that all of his contact information for Becky had Look and Feel
vanished a few days prior, which is what bothered
Lastly, the runners will need to discover the
him, and caused him to enlist a friend’s help at se-
look that Becky was going for and the final feel
curing production files that Becky was using be-
as well. This is all about the fabric sensations of 65
fore.
the dress. Gu can reproduce the material with the

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

help of a nanoprinter and his software, along with
The Model and Becky’s production notes, all of which he brought
the Beauty Mark with him.
“The fabric is art itself, we called it Memory-
Were the circumstances any different, it would weave. It has all the properties of electrochroma-
never be possible. There are however several deals at tion, photoluminescence, and memorythreads.”
stake to be hammered out at the Met Gala, so every- <noticing people being confused> “It can change
thing must go perfectly. colors, shapes, and generate its own light. It reacts
As such, the measurements Becky took of Ga- to the wearer entirely, using embedded simsense
brielle are part and parcel for the package. Some trodes, to obtain information as well as always
of the measurements were not the norm, including scanning the wearer to better respond to biological
some unusual ones of her fingers, toes, even the needs such as warming and cooling. It remembers
angle of her jawline. What is important here is not the skin and neural pathways of the wearer’s epi-
only to figure out what was unusual, but to obtain dermis and encodes to them.”
those measurements again, while in the presence of
her personal bodyguard, Nazih Sultan (use Renra-
ku Red Samurai, p. 208, SR6, raise Edge to 6, add
Kukri, p. 12, Firing Squad) at the insistence of the gm’s secret
Board. These actions require an Influence (Inter- The original fabric was found by others in SpIn but its
rogation) + Intuition (10, 1 hour) test to be able discovery has been withheld. The original material has a
to figure out the odd locations of measurements, pattern already obtained from Gabrielle, which includes
and then obtain them. Collecting these can be per- the beauty-mark the player characters should have dis-
formed with a medkit or commlink and appro- covered. It was the discovery of the mark by the material
priate software (cost of 50¥), using a Perception and its cataloguing of such that has set into motion several
(Visual) + Intuition (16, 10 minutes) test. Those in- events, including Becky’s abduction and her own memory
dividuals with knowledge skills in Anatomy, Fash- alterations.
ion Design, or Armorer gain a point of Edge to be
used once each.
The importance of these measurements leads to
a minor mystery, one that Gabrielle herself is not Wrapping it Up in a Bow
aware of, a kind of cellular beauty mark, a pattern When presented with all the details, and an-
of skill cells in her skin’s epidermis located in the other sample of the same type of fabric that Gu
Guanyu can provide to them, Becky Wu Ping will
have what is known by some as Mnemonic In-
gm’s secret roll tegration, basically new memories build and call
1D6 rounds after discovery of the cellular markers occurs, back old ones. The fabric is the final piece of the
something that can only be described as Gremlins will happen puzzle, which upon Becky’s own recovery will be-
to the devices, but only if the devices are wireless enabled. A gin to shape and change directly into the dress for
successful Reaction (3) test can prevent the data from being Gabrielle Spindrad. Watching it is a thing of near
lost, otherwise it means starting all over. Sprites with Stability magic.
can prevent this from happening if at least Level 3.

Who’s Who
middle of her upper neck just above the high collar • Becky Wu Ping p. 139 of the Character Trove
mark standards in fashion. It is nearly lost in her
thick hair. • Gu Guanyu appears on p. 88 of The Kechibi
Code.

10. PULLING MEMORIES // ADVENTURES

66 11: Who’s to
Blame
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook hosts
Piper Jane reaches out to the runners to do some Credstick Machine
digging that might require a little more finesse and
Theme: Plain box with CitiBank logo on each wall.
muscle than she can manage alone.
Precinct 10 on the Lower West Side had some RATING A S D F
recent troubles (see mission 8, Get Out of Jail Free 5 7 5 6 8
Card, p. 60), and rivals from Lone Star want some
IC: Patrol, Scramble, Acid, Track, Blaster
info on the folks who skated past justice. Some of Notes: This host, like other machines of its ilk, is simple and utilitarian. Hack-
those folks could be runners, and asking runners ing the machine provides access to the camera and (empty) credstick dis-
questions is a delicate task. But it’s better if ques- penser; obtaining actual nuyen and account information would require going
tions come from another shadow denizen than after the rating 9 CitiBank host.
from some blue suit or corp cop.
Piper offers the runners 10,000 nuyen to hit the Ammo Emporium:
streets and get all the footage they can on Precinct A Weapons World Subsidiary
10 and those who walked. She wants the runners Theme: A virtual store where goods can be perused in 3D and even a virtual
to take that footage and track down some of those test range can be accessed. The store employee personas are all taken from
folks and see what they did to get snagged in the their company link and limited to metahuman standards, while all the IC is
based on animals.
first place. She’s also interested in anything they
may have been up to since they got away. RATING A S D F
Someone is looking for a connections between 5 7 5 6 8
those who benefitted, but discovering that connec-
IC: Patrol, Track, Scramble, Blaster, Acid
tion is not going to be easy. Notes: From inside the system, the camera footage can be accessed and or-
Time to reach out to some contacts. ders can be placed for delivery.

The Job Back Alley Bar: The Iron Horse

Theme: The virtual theme of the bar is all metallic seating and motorcycles.
The first step is hacking nearby hosts with cam-
eras that show the precinct. While the precinct RATING A S D F
2 3 2 5 4
cameras are useless, as they were deleted in the
data hit, there are six nearby cameras that face the IC: Patrol, Scramble
right direction that can provide footage on those Notes: This is where the local motorcycle cops hang out and rub elbows with
who left. Thankfully, they haven’t been wrecked by local go-gangers. The virtual realm is hot with info trades and talk about
mods for bikes that aren’t exactly company standard.
the hooligans running out of nearby Terminal.
Once they have the footage, the runners need to
Bar 1: Malloy’s Pub
hit up the Matrix and some contacts to get some
IDs. Then they can look for a good way to have a Theme: A cozy recreation of an English pub, a place for ordering drinks (real
or virtual), or having lively conversations. The woodworking in the pub is ex-
little face-to-face to chat with some of the more ceptional, and the coding for the wood in the host matches or even exceeds
interesting characters who slipped out scot-free. it in most areas.
Hosts with cameras aimed at the precinct in-
clude a credstick machine across the street, the de- RATING A S D F
partment store on the corner, the bar that shares 2 3 2 4 5

the back alley, and the three bars across the street. IC: Patrol, Scramble
Notes: This place has a quiet cop-bar atmosphere with a lot of shop talk going
on virtually in order to keep it from prying ears and eyes. Many of the tables
have jacklinks, for all guests to jack in for a “private” conversation that only
they and anyone listening from the bar staff can hear.

ADVENTURES // 11: WHO’S TO BLAME

Bar 2: Hits & Heartbreaks him up. He’s easy to find, as he lives just a few blocks from
Theme: Sports pub that also runs a lot of gambling through the host, hence the station.
the slight upgrade over other local spots.
Amber Smith (6) [3]
67
RATING A S D F Everyone knows her as Tickets. She’s a well-known

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

3 4 3 5 6
car thief in Manhattan who always leaves a pair of tickets
IC: Patrol, Scramble, Blaster to a local sporting event at the site of every theft. Street
Notes: The standard bar systems are run from here, and so is the gambling. types know her because she can get into just about any
Admins can change the odds, though too much movement will be noticed. car on the continent and has no problem driving them like
she stole them if need be. She was picked up tonight for
Bar 3: Claddagh getting into a bar brawl at Claddagh, where she knocked
Theme: The host is a massive Claddagh ring, matching the bar’s name, with out an officer’s cybereye with a tire iron in the parking
seating along the interior edge. The staff and IC are all covered in AR layovers lot when she found out he was two-timing her. The street
to make them as “authentically” Irish as possible. connections know she runs a body shop called Whiz
Wheels just outside the east edge of The Pit.
RATING A S D F
2 3 2 5 4
Melody Sing (4) [1]
IC: Patrol, Scramble A well-known joygirl in the area. She had been arrest-
Notes: This is mostly just a gossip and dating spot for the local cops and ed for getting into a scuffle with Jillian Jewels for working
badge bunnies. The real bar hosts the dates, and the virtual bar is usually set
up as a pre-date chat or maybe a spot to hang out when off shift (or on) and
too close to her turf. She can be found back in Terminal
just looking to catch up. working her usual stretch. She has a rather nasty secret—
she’s a Force 8 Mantis Spirit, down here preying on other
unwary bugs.
Once the PCs have the footage, the runners can
start pulling identities and looking for interesting Jillian Jewels (3) [2]
parties via some legwork. Matrix searches using the Not quite as well-known as Melody, Jillian has been
images will result in some info, and so will asking trying to work in the same area in order to get some work-
the right contacts, given the right amount of time. ing girl tips on the sly. She watches Melody often to see
Contacts with government, corporate, or secu- what it is that earns her the big bucks. She has seen some
rity corp connections can take an image and do a strange things but still doesn’t know her nature. She’s
search for it, though it may take a little more time back in Terminal working if the runners want to talk to
and a decent bribe to coax the results out of them. her.

Bella Sundman (1) [1]

matrix search Everyone in Terminal knows Bella, and Bella knows
everyone who does business in Terminal. She works as
Name (Matrix Image Search Threshold)
a joygirl to pay the rent, keep her ear to the street, and
(Contact Image Search Threshold)
because she genuinely enjoys it. She wasn’t under arrest
Donald “Donnie” Boyd (6) [4] at the time of the Precinct 10 chaos—she was inside hav-
He’s a runner who goes by Taps. He usually hangs out at ing a meeting with a few detectives she knows discussing
Hits and Heartbreaks losing money betting on whatever is some of her stable who had recently gone missing. After
currently hot. He was being held on a drunk and disorderly she left, she hung out at Claddagh and had a few drinks
after he got into a scuffle with a bouncer while a local NYPD, looking for her next client.
Inc., officer was too close.
Harold Balls (7) [2]
Fulton Creek (3) [5] His street name is Cal, and he pissed off his fake ID
He’s got a healthy social media presence as Full Clip, a guy a few too many times. He was pulled in for weapons
member of the local Terminal gang, Dogs of War. They ar- possession after the local cops decided to run his ident
en’t big time, but they’re respected for some of the hooding and have a little fun with him. He’s got a solid rep as a
they’ve been doing to try to make Terminal a little safer for runner, and he even had his lawyer on site when the hack
the everyday citizen. He was being held on a weapons pos- went down. He can be found by asking around a little.
session charge.
Charles Del Camino (1) [2]
Jayson LaCroix (3) [2] Charles is Cal’s lawyer, and he is well-known among
He was pulled in for a car accident. Nothing serious, but street types. His name is plastered on AROs all over Ter-
the car was not drivable, and he had to come to the station minal and the rest of Manhattan (though usually quickly
to await transportation back home. When he walks out, he taken down). He was inside trying to get Cal clear and
is confused and a bit skittish. He just wants to leave, but he took every bit of credit he could when the system went
still didn’t have a ride. He looks more nervous than anyone down. He handed out his cards to the entire place—most
else as he exits. He calls someone on his commlink to pick people left them lying around on the ground outside.

11: WHO’S TO BLAME // ADVENTURES

 Rachael Zeiher (7) [4]
The best way to be a good pickpocket is to be hard
to ID and harder to find. This one could baffle the run-
ners enough on trying to find her that the trick might go
68 the other way. If the runners can’t pull her ID, they can
spot her when she lifts a commlink off someone near
Terminal while they’re working in the area. She was orig-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

inally picked up on a loitering charge after she tried to

pickpocket some high-end suit and got a needle dose of
neurostun instead. Corp scum left her for the rats but the
cops picked her up.

Brandan Kean (4) [2]

Brandan is well known on the BTL dealing circuit. De-
spite his exceptionally white ancestry, his people call him
“the Egyptian.” He got picked up on a random sting of a
BTL den and played it cool and quiet but was extremely
happy when the hack happened. He’s currently down in
Terminal taking the night off from illegal activity.
This last video file would be especially interesting
if the team had run through mission 8, Get Out Of Jail
Free (p. 60) and went back for Cat’s legwork information.
Just as everyone else is running from the Precinct, the
file shows a black Ares Roadmaster driving toward it at
speed. It drives past the bar a minute later with a second
Roadmaster right behind it. Both stop in front of the Iron
Horse, and a large black-armored ork steps out of the sec-
ond van. From the build and armor, he appears to match
one of the runners seen in the vehicle compound video
file. He removes his helmet and throws it in the van be-
fore it drives off. He walks into the XXXotica club directly
across the street from the Iron Horse. The pics recovered
are clear enough to get a good match.

Zach Torstrick (4) [2]

“Cuddles,” as he’s known on the street, has a reputa-
tion for hugging some folks a lot tighter than they’d like.
He is also inexplicably attractive to professional dancers,
likely from his years working as a bouncer at the clubs. He
now works mostly as a runner, mainly as heavy muscle. The
team he is currently running with does a lot of corporate
work, usually for MCT. If the PCs can locate him in one of
the numerous Terminal strip clubs he’s known to frequent,
he could be convinced to talk, if handled correctly. He will
admit to being hired for the run by one their usual MCT
Tanaka-sans and will say it was a last-minute rush job
and he already had plans, so he had the team drop him
off at the XXXotica to talk to some old friends and catch
a show. Cuddles will not be willing to talk about his oth-
er team members, give any other information about this
Tanaka-san, or tell the team where the Roadmaster ended
up—you know, professional standards and all. If the run-
ners employ Mind Probe, Commanding Voice, enhanced
interrogation, or absurd quantities of nuyen, see p. 134.

With the possible exception of Cuddles’ infor-

mation, the fleeing criminals aren’t great leads, but
they are a nice smattering of contacts who can
start putting their ears to the ground, especially if
the runners play it like the hack was their doing.

ADVENTURES // 11: WHO’S TO BLAME

 12: deep fake 69

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook Part Two
This one is a two-parter! First, the runners are Any runner who keeps track of the news after
hired to do surveillance. The person they’re watch- the heinous acts of their target are shocked to see
ing does some bad drek while also making fre- the events reported on, but several different faces
quent clothing changes. Second, the runners learn have been edited over their target. The clothes are
that their footage is leaking out to the public, only the same, the footage is all the same angles, but
with different faces put on the person they were several different other people are taking the blame
watching. Piper Jane wants to know who did this, for the target’s actions. The faces are people the
and why? runners recognize from the job at the c-suite (All
the News that Fits, p. 52).
This part can start with the runners reaching
Part One out to Piper to see if she knows anything or Piper
The first job is contracted via a virtual meet- reaching out to the team, asking them to dig into
ing at Sunken City. This virtual hacker hangout is some strange contradictions with the news and
well-known as neutral ground, good for meeting info from her own contacts.
virtual Mr. Johnsons or hanging out anonymously There is nothing Piper hates more than fake
with your hacker pals. A specialized program over- news or loves more than uncovering fake news.
writes every persona that enters the club, changing No matter which way the contact is initiated,
their appearance to some character from the clas- Piper offers the runners a job: Find out who was
sic Dawn of Atlantis game series. As the gameplay behind this and why. The pay for the gig has one
swaps between adventures in ancient Atlantis and big variable. Piper’s basic offer to the team is a
a modern hunt for the sunken city, the overwrites 10,000 nuyen lump sum. If the runners reveal the
can be wide-ranging. part they played in the fake news, this job might
The meeting is set for 22:00, and Mr. Johnson tells require the runners break a little shadow etiquette.
the runners they will send the team a message so they To compensate, Piper ups the offer to 15,000 nuy-
know which persona to look for. Mr. Johnson’s over- en. Negotiations run as per standard, with a boost
written persona looks like a red-robed cultist wear- of 1,000¥ per net hit.
ing a plain silver mask with a cherubic face.
The job offer is 10,000 nuyen for the team for a
single day, twenty-four hours of visual surveillance The Jobs
on a single target. Negotiations run as normal,
with Mr. Johnson having an Influence dice pool of Part One
12; net hits increase the payment by 1,000 nuy- The runners have all the basics for their surveil-
en each, to a max of 15,000 nuyen. Mr. Johnson lance target and a little under two hours to get to
offers no other specific info but will tell them the work. For details and Legwork info on the target see
target is no one famous, the runners must not get the Target sidebar. As for what he does during that
detected, and they must not interfere or interact next day, see the DJ’s Off Day section for details.
with the target.
Once a price is settled on, Mr. Johnson sends
over a datafile with a name, home address, com- Target
mlink number, and picture of the target. Surveil- Name: Donovan James Eastling (DJ)
lance is to begin at midnight and run for twen- Address: 21st and 6th, Apt 12D
ty-four hours. The runners are told they need to Commlink: Rating 3
meet back at Sunken City before 01:00 after the
surveillance to hand off the footage for the pay. Human, 1.82m, 72kg, sandy brown hair, blue
eyes, UCAS citizenship

12: DEEP FAKE // ADVENTURES

 DJ is a regular guy with dreams of being a star. black wig styled in a modern corporate chic.
His regular day consists of work and hustling for Through the rear door, the team can see the
auditions. back of the Range Rover has several trunks and a
70 bar of clothes hanging across the rear bed.
Legwork Search After exiting the van, DJ walks two blocks to a
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

ground-floor jewelry store named Starlight Jewel-

Search Results ers, enters the store, saunters to the counter, speaks
0 hits Could be DJ EZ who plays over at with the salespeople for a few minutes, then pulls
Monty’s. a silenced Ares Predator VI from his jacket and
1 hit Sounds like an average joe or maybe kills everyone in the shop in a calm, methodical
some runner’s fake SIN. fashion. After they are dead, he reloads and puts
2 hits Nothing spectacular on that name. several rounds into their host terminal, killing the
Manhattan is a big place, though. local host. He fires a few more shots into various
3 hits I know that face! I’ve seen him play a cases and shoves a smattering of rings, bracelets,
few small club gigs. Not a bad voice, and necklaces into his jacket pocket. As he exits
but his stage presence could use some the store, he puts one last round into the keypad
work. next to the door and proceeds to walk back to the
4 hits I remember he hit a rough patch after van via a different route than he walked to it.
some ganger’s girlfriend took a shine There are a handful of people on the street by
to him. Ganger beat him down pretty the jewelry store as everything occurs, but none
bad. Guy can’t fight worth a lick. notice the activity within—except one who is
5 hits After the beatdown, he got some wires standing nearby when DJ shoots the keypad. DJ
installed. Nothing illegal, but he got a gives that individual a little imaginary tip of his hat
skillwire system and a simrig. All for before he walks off.
his planned acting career. I’m sure it DJ arrives back at the van at 01:45, climbs in
didn’t take long to find a few combat- the side door, and reappears up in the driver’s seat,
soft chips and get a little payback on black wig gone and a chauffeur’s cap in place as
that ganger. he drives off.
6 hits He’s a Manhattan table server who
has been trying to get in with Horizon 01:45–04:50: (Dutch Adams, NYPD, Inc.):
for a while as a singer/actor/simstar. DJ drives what seems like an aimless route all
over Manhattan for about two hours. At 03:50,
he parks the van and climbs into the back again.
DJ’s Off Day When he emerges from the side door, he is wearing
The runners’ surveillance of DJ should start at an NYPD, Inc., uniform. He now has AR glasses
midnight, but if they get distracted or delayed, just and a brown wig.
start the Stealth tests when they get on the job. Be- In uniform, he approaches one of the check-
low, you will find blocks of time, activity, outfits, points for Terminal and starts chatting with the
and scene notes, along with a note in parentheses security staff in place. If the runners can hear the
on who DJ is impersonating, though this is not ob- conversation, they hear that he is talking about a
vious until after the footage is edited and released. tip he got from his sister “who’s really into trogs,”
Small clues, like a distinctive style of hair or dress, that the Terminal Velocity gang is going to make a
may be offered. push on this checkpoint to jump in some new mem-
It’s possible, even likely, that the players will bers. He gets the five guards present all focused
intervene after one or more of DJ’s activities. If on the flow of people from inside before slipping
they do, Mr. Johnson will not reappear. A backup a long thin blade from his belt. He then proceeds
sleepwalker will be activated to pick up where DJ methodically murdering the guards by sliding the
left off, and the remainder of these events will take blade up into the back of their skulls leaning their
place without the runners’ direct observation. bodies in such a way that when the others look
back, all looks well. He manages to kill three of
00:00–01:45: (Michael Simmons, Citigroup): them easily before the fourth notices something is
DJ leaves his building at exactly 00:00 dressed in off. At that point, DJ draws his Colt America L36
a pair of sweatpants and a grey t-shirt and climbs and shoots the guard square in the forehead and
into the driver’s seat of a waiting Range Rover then unloads the remaining rounds into the last
Model 2080 (p.297, SR6) and heads toward West guard as he spins to see what’s happening.
Side. On 87th, between Amsterdam and Broadway, The crowd at this hour moving in and out are
he parks the Range Rover on the street, remote mostly mind-your-own-business types—runners,
pays the parking from his commlink, and climbs squatters, gangers, and third-shifters—but they all
into the rear of the van. He emerges from the rear scatter or take cover when the shooting starts. DJ
door in a Vashon Island suit but now wearing a then walks away like nothing is going on, takes a

ADVENTURES // 12: DEEP FAKE

different route back to his van, climbs in the back group of children in the foyer, just leaving their
at 04:45, and appears in the front seat back in his learning circle. Moments later, the entire front of
Vashon Island and chauffeur’s cap. the building goes up in flames.
DJ then moves hastily back to the Range Rover, 71
04:50–09:30: (Caitlyn Dawson, Trans-Orbital): climbs in the back, and drives off.

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

DJ moves across the island and sits along the shore Runners know DJ is not Awakened, and they
to watch the sunrise. He’s changed into an over- can enhance the footage to see the cuffs of his jack-
sized red velvet pantsuit, large sunglasses, and a et are slightly melted and scorched, one revealing
wide-brimmed red velvet hat. The cut of the pant- the tip of a high pressure hose nozzle.
suit is definitely feminine and DJ’s movements and
mannerisms match it well. After sunrise DJ does 14:20–16:45: (Faith Davis, SpinGlobal): DJ
not get in the van, instead he takes a little white drives the Range Rover to Downtown. He emerg-
convertible sports-car, a Eurocar Westwind X80 es in a stunning high-collared red evening gown,
parked near the van. complete with proper padding, dark sunglasses,
He drives the car into the heart of Times Square and a long blonde wig. He strolls through Down-
and then proceeds to floor it through an intersection town, catching eyes all over. At one point he stops
of pedestrians crossing from all directions, before to have a long conversation with a good-looking,
gunning it past the incident and into a parking ga- tall, dark-haired man. He obviously offers flirta-
rage where he parks the bloodied sports car, steps tious touches and gets a few in return. At the end
out, calmly walks to the elevator bank, goes up one of the encounter, DJ kisses the man deeply and
floor, walks over to another elevator bank, and takes passionately. The man looks a little surprised but
it up a few more floors. On that floor he climbs smiles as he watches DJ walk away.
into the back of the van (which used Autopilot and DJ then heads back to the Range Rover and
GridGuide to get here) and emerges in the front seat drives off.
wearing a long black wig, jeans, and a t-shirt. He
then blacks out all the windows on the Range Rover 16:45–18:00: (Vera Spokane, Prometheus En-
before driving out of the parking garage. gineering): DJ drives to the East Side, parks, and
steps out in a white dress, styled after a Grecian
09:30–11:35: (Flynn Ames, Maersk): From toga, but wearing a head-to-toe green bodysuit,
the garage, DJ crosses town yet again, swinging with an auburn, professionally highlighted wig
through a McHugh’s drive-thru for some break- and black heels. He walks into the front door of an
fast. After parking near the docks in Southside, he Evo office, stays inside for twenty-five minutes sit-
heads closer to the water to sit on a bench and eat ting in the lobby bathroom, and then comes back
his breakfast. After he’s done eating, he tosses the out and walks back to the Range Rover.
garbage in a trash bin and keeps walking another
100 meters. He leans against a wall, watching the 18:00–18:45: (Jackson Ito, Renraku Computer
trash can for a bit. At 11:30, he pulls a small device Systems): DJ makes a quick drive over near Ter-
(a detonator identifiable by anyone with Engineer- minal and parks the van a few blocks away. When
ing or Firearms skill) from his pocket, extends an he steps out of the back, he is wearing a spiky
antenna, flips open a safety cover, and presses the black wig and a leather jacket with a collection of
button beneath causing the trash can to explode in patches but an obvious large blank section where
a massive ball of white fire that envelops six people a gang emblem would be. He enters an alley and
nearby and sends white-hot shrapnel tearing into goes down a basement staircase. Beyond the door
another dozen people nearby. to the basement is an abandoned storage room
DJ then drops the detonator in another trash with a hole in the back wall that leads to a service
can and calmly walks back to the Range Rover. tunnel into Terminal. While down there, he hands
over several credsticks and datachips to a variety
11:35–14:20: (Cullen Schwarz, Saeder-Krupp): of different gang and criminal syndicate mem-
With the van windows still blacked out, DJ drives bers. He leaves the same way he came in and finds
away from Southside, heading north. He drives to two NYPD, Inc., officers in the alley chatting and
a residential block near Terminal, emerges from the smoking. The pair start to question him. It does
back in a very unique suit, designed to look like liz- not go well, as DJ keeps answering with nonsense.
ard scales. He’s also wearing a black wig with gold As they prepare to bring him in for a psychiatric
highlights. DJ walks a block and stops in front of evaluation, the Range Rover arrives at the end of
a large building that was once a Catholic church the alley and activates all of its lights in a random
but has since been sold to the Church of the Drag- flashing pattern. The officers are blinded, and DJ
on Reborn. He stands in front of the doors until pulls out an SCK Model 100 from his jacket and
they open at 14:05 at which point he raises both drops both officers while they are blinded.
hands and appears to cast a flamethrower spell. He then hurries into the van and drives away.
Fire streams through the open doors, engulfing a

12: DEEP FAKE // ADVENTURES

 18:45–20:35: (Kensai Okama, Sony Corpora- into Brilliantz!!!, a jewelry store that is a cover for
tion): DJ drives around seemingly aimlessly again a high-end sex club upstairs. He heads up to the
for an hour before stopping in the parking lot of club and engages in a wide variety of acts with a
72 an AR arcade, cleverly named ARcade, at the cor- number of different women for just under an hour.
ner of 36th and Third Avenue. He exits the van in a He walks back out to the Range Rover, climbs in
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

finely tailored dark blue suit and grey wig carrying the back, and the van drives back to his address,
an AK-97 over his back. He enters ARcade and as- where DJ steps out the side door at 23:59 wearing
cends to the second floor. From there, he opens fire, the same sweatpants and t-shirt he left in, then en-
shooting across the way and hitting only an emp- ters his building at exactly midnight.
ty building. It’s more than enough to cause panic
on the street below. Then he walks into the Range
Rover and drives off. Part Two
20:35–21:50: (Ashlee Corsair, Horizon Cor- Hired by Piper, the runners need to look into
poration): DJ takes the van toward Central Park who was behind this and why they arranged to
and parks close by the entrance on 90th Street. make all this happen. The biggest clues they have
He exits the van wearing a mini-skirt, loose-fitting are the discrepencies between their own surveil-
blouse, short heels, and a blonde wig styled in a lance footage and the new, doctored footage, com-
sharp down-angled bob. He leisurely strolls into bined with what they saw during the c-suite gath-
Central Park and proceeds to kick several random ering in mission 5 (p. 52).
small dogs much to the terror of their owners. One All of the individuals who were impersonated
owner does pull out a small handgun but doesn’t attended the gathering, with the exception of the
shoot at DJ since he walks off immediately after hosts. The twins, Celina and Illyan Ardrin, are the
the puppy punt. key to learning what this was all about.
He leaves Central Park after kicking seven dogs. The problem is the twins are reclusive and
On the way out of the park, he stops at a street well-protected almost all the time. As they work
vendor, gets a couple hot dogs, and sits down to primarily in Manhattan, they have comfortable
eat them on a bench on Central Park East. After housing in the city. The pair have a matching set
he’s done eating, he heads over to the van and of penthouses atop Parkview Tower, near Park Av-
drives around the island randomly again. enue and 57th Street. They share a private central
elevator from the main floor lobby and a private be-
21:50–22:45: (Kim Dolsoon, Nagato Corpo- low-ground parking garage. They split the top floor
ration): DJ’s next stop is the New Whitby Hotel in mirrored penthouse suites. The suites each have a
on 56th Street. It’s nice, but it’s also very exclusive master bedroom, three smaller (but still huge) bed-
and private. DJ parks down the street and steps rooms, a study, a living room, large kitchen, and ac-
out of the van in tall stiletto heels, fishnet stock- cess to a wraparound balcony and outdoor infinity
ings, a black three-quarters-length jacket, a nar- pool from all the bedrooms and the living room.
row-brimmed trilby style cap, with a black wig of The lobby area is large, simple, and classy.
long, silky-straight hair. Marble and gold accents give it a luxurious feel,
DJ walks to a rear entrance of the hotel, ac- but its simplistic style keeps it from looking os-
cesses an AR keypad for entry, goes straight to the tentatious. There is a main floor security station
elevator, and proceeds to the fourteenth floor. He at the front door manned by two guards and a
goes straight to room 1408, where an attractive sales office open from 09:00 to 17:00 with four
early-twenties male human opens the door wear- sales staff around most of the time. The elevator
ing nothing but boxer briefs and lets him in. The bank is in the center of the building, with a single
pair begin to make out, but DJ suddenly stops and elevator servicing the penthouse and six elevators
breaks it up. He says he can’t do this anymore. The leading to the other floors.
lover pleads, then gets angry and says if he can’t Each twin has a live-in security team surgical-
have her, no one can. He takes a knife from the ly modified to seem like identical triplets—three
kitchen, but DJ pulls a Tiffani Needler from his coat women in with Celina and three men in with Illyan.
pocket and shoots the young man several times. Each group consists of a mage (use Combat Mage,
DJ then leaves the same way he came and climbs p. 82, SR6), a technomancer (use Technomancer,
back into the van. p. 89, SR6), and a physical adept (use Adept, p.
81, SR6). The twins also have a security strike/ex-
22:45–00:00: (Cade Scanlon, Shiawase): The traction team (use three Lone Star SWAT Officer,
van again heads toward Terminal, this time park- p. 207, SR6; Lone Star Combat Mage, p. 207, SR6;
ing near Jane and 4th Street. DJ exits the back of DocWagon HTR Support Engineer, p. 208, SR6;
the van wearing a white suit, white dress shoes, Minuteman Security Rigger, p. 206, SR6) sitting at
and a white fedora over white hair. He walks a the ready on a nearby rooftop helipad in an MCT-
block, and rather than entering Terminal, he walks Sikorsky-Bell Wolfhound (p. 298, SR6).

ADVENTURES // 12: DEEP FAKE

 parkview tower matrix
Tower Host>> Security << Apartments, Penthouse, Maintenance Condominium Hosts
Parkview Tower Main Host Theme: Each apartment has its own host based on the owner’s preferences, but
73
they are all obligated to be linked to the Parkview Tower security host.

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Theme: This host looks like an exact replica of the Tower’s lobby and sales
office with a replica of the security desk to access the security host.
RATING A S D F
3 4 3 5 6
RATING A S D F
3 4 3 5 6 IC: Patrol, Scramble, Acid
Notes: There isn’t much reason to enter these unless the hacker is trying to
IC: Patrol, Binder, Scramble access a condo on a floor under the penthouse.
Notes: This offers general information on the basic condominiums available
in the tower as well as access to the sales staff.
Maintenance Host
Security Host Theme: Utilitarian control room with controls for building HVAC, fire suppres-
sion, lights, etc.
Theme: This is a small room with a quartet of virtual seats in front of a wall of
monitors for all the security cameras that cover the entire building, inside and out.
RATING A S D F
3 4 3 5 6
RATING A S D F
5 8 5 6 7 IC: Patrol, Acid, Scramble
Notes: This only controls the lobby and halls of the tower. The condo hosts
IC: Patrol, Acid, Binder, Blaster, Scramble control their own systems independently.
Notes: This gateway to the rest of the tower matrix is accessed from the main
host at the security station. All the doors and cameras of the building are
controlled from here, except those in the penthouse. Penthouse Host
Theme: The twins have chosen a Roman mythology theme for their pent-
houses. Each space of the penthouse is represented by its Roman architecture
counterpart.

RATING A S D F
6 8 6 7 9

IC: Patrol, Acid, Blaster, Binder, Tar Baby, Sparky

Notes: Both penthouses share the same host and it controls all of the pent-
house systems, from security to maintenance.

Building security is operated by Lone Star. Each has had lately, they don’t really think they could
shift has ten security guards (use Lone Star Patrol- handle setting up any kind of huge secret project
man, p. 206, SR6) on duty, two security deckers like this.
(use Cutters Data Harvester, p. 205, SR6), and one They can tell the runners the guest list was sent
security mage (use Lone Star Combat Mage, p. to them in the contract and they were told to use
207, SR6), with three bound spirits of kin (Force the peripheral attendees as spies by offering them
4, p. 148, SR6, add Movement). stealthy simrigs to wear to record everything that
If the runners manage to grab either or both went on and then turn that data over to the con-
twins, neither of them knows anything about DJ or tractor. They know no one on the guest list could
his activities. They were only hired to organize the pay the opening bid and thus were only given the
party. Their contract and payment were arranged basics of this new technology, which is supposed to
through a secure UCAS government host. They allow a bunraku/personafix type program that can
don’t know which department, and they aren’t copy a person perfectly.
even sure if the move was just a cover by some oth- Their own digging came up with something
er power player. With all the problems the UCAS possibly called Project Lazarus.

12: DEEP FAKE // ADVENTURES

74
13: i did what?
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

We’ve all done it. Walked from one room to an- Digging Deeper into DJ
other, crossed the threshold, and completely forgot
what it was were going to do, get, make, etc. Now One starting point is a complete bioscan or
imagine talking with someone who did some very Assensing of DJ and his augmentations. The in-
bad things and has no recollection of doing them formation found in such a scan is in his profile in
at all. Luckily, the player characters now get to live the Character Trove (p. 140). DJ also has a cellu-
lar mark like those found on Becky Wu Ping and
that scenario.
others who were found confused in Central Park
(missions 7 and 10, pp. 58 and 64).
Hook Questioning DJ will get little information, as his
memories of the day are fragmented and confused.
Rikki Nguyen is aware of the success the group However, an Influence + Charisma (3) test will
has recently had with restoring Becky Wu Ping’s help him remember some incidents before, namely
memory, and he thinks they seem the natural choice some vague memories of riding in an ambulance
for his next job. Like a fashion trend shaping up, across a bridge and being rushed into some fa-
he wants the runners to help figure out what is go- cility. He doesn’t know why he would be rushed
ing on with someone who has lost at least part of into a facility like that, as he had no procedures
their mind. scheduled and no memories of any sort of medical
Rikki offers the team 2,000 nuyen each for emergency. He has no conscious memories of the
helping this poor sot out, with negotiations in- day where he was tailed by shadowrunners, and
creasing this by 200 nuyen per hit, to a maximum showing him video footage of the day will confuse
of 3,000 nuyen. and frighten him.
Let the efforts of the PCs go on for long enough
that they are rewarded with some hard-earned
The Job information but not long enough for them to be
frustrated. If they don’t succeed on the Influence +
Rikki has Donovan James “DJ” Eastling (from Charisma test, feel free to move to the next scene
mission 12, p. 69) stashed at a secure apartment, with reasonable speed.
but he wants some additional measures. He has
two Evo Proletarian IIIs (p. 94, Double Clutch),
both having two integrated cyberlimbs instead of Ill Tidings
one, and he is willing to share operation with the The PCs are not the only people interested in
team’s rigger. He keeps a Whispering Death (p. DJ’s actions and what made him act the way he
107, Double Clutch) on call in a hidden ceiling did. A group known as the Tiding (see The Tiding
panel in the front room. Several Cyberspace Drag- sidebar) has heard about DJ’s day, and it fits with
onfly Alphas and Halos (six each, p. 105, Double some other information they are gathering, so they
Clutch) stand ready outside and inside the build- would very much like to have a word in private
ing for surveillance. He’s had a friend provide him with him. Tiding magpies are aware of Rikki’s rep-
with a warded space to help with magical defenses utation as a voracious data tracker, so they have
(rating 6 with flexible signature properties, caus- been watching him to see what he knows, which
ing it to appear as rating 2, p. 145 and 167 respec- led them to his safehouse. Tiding magpies are pre-
tively, SR6). paring to quickly and silently extract DJ.
The job is simple: assist Rikki in finding out
why and how DJ performed the actions he did. (If
the runners killed DJ, then Rikki has the backup Avoiding Confrontation
sleepwalker instead.) Unfortunately, an interrup- Should the PCs detect a member of the Tiding
tion will make the job trickier. and decide to approach them, the magpies will be
willing to talk. They will say nothing about who

ADVENTURES // 13: I DID WHAT?

 Whatever deal the PCs come to, the Tiding will
detecting the magpies learn little they do not know from questioning DJ,
PCs on overwatch have several ways to potentially see other than his mind has been altered by Animus
some of the Tiding’s magpies in action. Individuals who are Construction, which they already suspected. The 75
casing the central entryway to the building can spot the techniques will leave DJ unconscious, and they’re

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

physical agents with success on both a Perception + Intu- not clear when he’ll wake up.
ition (2) and Judge Intentions (3) test. Matrix overwatch will
have to search for icons running silently per normal rules
(p. 182, SR6).
Countering Extraction
If the PCs do not talk to a Tiding magpie before
they are and will be circumspect about who they 11:11 p.m. on the second night they are assigned
work for, but otherwise they will be amiable, look- to watch DJ, the Tiding will attempt to extract DJ
ing for common ground. A single Matrix Asset will from the apartment. They arrive by way of a main-
approach the team with no Attack utility loaded, tenance elevator while their Matrix assets provide
wanting to talk. They want to talk to DJ, prefera- digital cover. They will breach the apartment door,
bly in a location of their choice, and they will ex- utilizing a combination Ram (Door) and Silence
change information they think the PCs and Rikki to keep a lower area profile. During the extraction
would be very interested in. attempt, the Matrix assets will attack any and all
The Tiding knows who transported the con- wireless devices the PCs have to assist the physical
fused individuals, including Becky Wu Ping, to assets.
Central Park. The individual uses the name Gram- Should the extraction attempt fail, including be-
ius, and he’s a technomancer who works occasion- ing halted outright by the PCs, the Matrix assets
ally with a company known as Animus Construc- will attempt to parley, but they obviously will be
tion. He is still in Manhattan but is lying low. The operating from a weaker negotiating point. If par-
magpies say Animus operates worldwide, and they ley is not agreed to, Matrix assets will withdraw
say it’s secretive and seems to have a considerable as if possessing the quality Fade to Black (p. 81,
bankroll. They also confirm that DJ has no com- Hack & Slash), and they will notify NYPD, Inc., of
prehension of what he has done. a hostage situation (arrival in seven minutes).
The PCs might have reservations about leaving
DJ alone with the Tiding magpies. The magpies will
assert that they have no intention of hurting him, the tiding
which is true, but they also intend to dig around in The Tiding is a quasi-independent operation normally
his brain for a while, and the effects of that are un- performing missions that are effective but remain out of
certain at best. They would prefer to have no eyes sight, normally not sharing their information with anyone
at all on them, but they are also reasonable people outside of one of their trusted circles. Members of the Tid-
ing are selected based on being able to think outside the
who know a person might not be turned over to box and make connections that others might miss. This
them, a group of strangers, without question. So means they are not cookie-cutter suits and rarely con-
they are willing to try to make the PCs comfort- form fully to corporate norms.
able with the arrangement while getting away with
as much as they can. Here is what they are willing Tiding Agents
do, in order of preference:
Matrix Assets: Use Seal Team 6 Counter Electronics
• Interrogate DJ with no one else around. Commando (4), p. 209, SR6.
• Interrogate DJ while being monitored over a Physical Assets: Use the following NPCs found on pp.
video connection. 207–208, SR6.
• Interrogate DJ with one of the PCs present • Lone Star Combat Mage (2), raise Astral and Sor-
in the room. cery to 6, add Physical Mask, Ram (Door), and
Silence (Area) to spells.
• Interrogate DJ with one of the PCs present
in the room and the others in the next room. • Marine Corps Special Operations Forces (4)
• Add Datataps, Matrix Relays (rating 3, p. 41, Hack
The last option is clearly one they don’t want, & Slash), and Tiding Commlinks to gear.
and they will bargain hard for concessions from the • Add silencers or sound suppressors to all ranged
PCs before they allow it. The concession they want weapons. All ammunition is gel rounds.
the most is to be able to watch the PCs when they
act on the information the Tiding is about to give Tiding Commlinks
them. Any other valuable information could help DEVICE DATA PROGRAM
FIREWALL SLEAZE
persuade them, but the gamemaster should remem- RATING PROCESSING SLOTS
ber what the PCs tell them and be ready to have the 7 3 4 3 4
Tiding pop up and interfere in future missions.

13: I DID WHAT? // ADVENTURES

 Mods: Stealthlink Upgrade 3 Hotspots
Programs: File Vault, Mannequin, Personal Assistant, The Corner Swing Highrise: This is a newer,
76 P-ICE (NOPE!) high-rise, multifunction building situated at the
east corner of West 150th and Broadway. It holds
Should one of these commlinks be kept by a PC, it will
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

several clubs, bars, and cafés at the street level,

need its ownership changed and the Stealthlink Upgrade with more than thirty stories of apartments and
reprogrammed. This is an Electronics (Hardware) + Logic
condominiums above them. Rikki’s safehouse is
(24, 1 hour) test. This also requires an Electronics tool-
located on the seventeenth floor, apartment 1718,
kit and a coding kit (p. 56, Hack & Slash). If the number
facing 150th Street (southwest). The building is
h

of hours in reprogramming exceeds 5, the commlink will

owned by an Aztechnology-controlled Manhattan
self-destruct.
Tiding agents at this point are not out to kill.
real estate firm.
Cartella Chocolates and Cigars: One of the pubs
at the ground level of the Corner Swing, Cartella is
Ill-Gotten Gains
a place where the PCs could observe traffic going
If any of the commlinks from the physical agents are into and out of the elevators of the building. It is
recovered by the PCs or hacked and their files decrypted, normally patronized by thirty-something profes-
information will show that the agents have recently been sionals who appreciate the atmosphere offered by
someplace called the “Octagon.” The PCs can also track expensive South American chocolates and cigars.
where the commlinks have been recently, and informa-
tion shows they were at the north end of Roosevelt Island
(see p. 23). All the commlinks are specialized devices (de-
vice rating 7).
Who’s Who
• Rikki Nguyen can be found in the Character
Trove, p. 146.
• Donovan James Eastling (DJ) can be found
in the Character Trove, p. 140.

14: no comment
Hook the interview payment and her contractor inves-
tigation can be done separately. For the interview,
The runners get a call from Piper Jane for a net hits increase the pay by 250 nuyen per hit. For
meeting at her office at 13:00. It’s strange to have the investigation, net hits increase the payment by
an afternoon meeting, but the meeting isn’t the 1,000 nuyen per hit.
strangest part. When they arrive, she tells them the
job is actually an interview. She offers each mem- Interview Questions
ber of the team 2,500 nuyen for a short interview.
After the interviews, Piper makes a second job • What’s your street name, and how did you earn it?
offer. This one is a bit of data digging on her con- • What’s your role with the team?
tractor for the interviews. She doesn’t know who • How long have you been in the shadows?
is behind the money and she wants to know who’s • What pushed you to this rough life?
checking out her favorite team of runners. She offers
• Who is your idol or role model in the shad-
a 10,000 nuyen lump sum for the investigation. She
ows or in the regular world?
just wants intel. She’s not looking for the runners to
rough anyone up or stir the pot, she just wants the • Where would you like to retire to once you
scoop on who’s looking for a scoop on the team. get that big score?
• Why do you still run the shadows?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
The Job
•
• Do you have a favorite moment in the shadows?
Piper Jane’s interview questions can be found in • How does Manhattan compare to other
the Interview Questions sidebar. Negotiations for ’plexes you’ve run in?
ADVENTURES // 14: NO COMMENT
Off the record: a Perception + Intuition (16, 1 minute) Extended
• Any current events you’re playing a role in? test.
Inside the saferoom is a small armory (six Colt
• Any corps or organizations currently mak-
ing big moves that you know of?
Government 2076, six HK-227; four spare clips for 77
each full of regular ammo). There is also a comm

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

terminal that connects to a satellite link hidden on
Investigation Time the roof inside a decorative chimney. The saferoom
is the only place with real evidence of who operates
By this point, the runners have probably gotten from here, but accessing the terminal is dangerous.
the attention of several groups playing a part in As soon as the terminal is activated, it signals the
this Manhattan mayhem. This leads the runners security forces on call for the safehouse and alerts
to do what every good runner should have been the two electronic security specialists (use SEAL
doing from the start; checking out who they’re
Team 6 Counter-Electronics Commando, p. 209,
working for. Though this time, they are technically
SR6) who monitor the satellite link.
checking out who Piper is working for.
The physical security forces (use one Marine
Piper offers that her payment came via Iron
Corps Special Operations Forces, p. 208, SR6; four
Couriers, a secure courier service that delivers cer-
tified credsticks. She has an image, a name, and Lone Star SWAT Officer, p. 207, SR6; one Lone
some basics on the person who did the delivery Star Combat Mage, p. 207, SR6; Delta Force Lo-
and suggests the runners start there, or with the gistics and Support Rigger, p. 209, SR6) were not
Iron Couriers Matrix host. prepared for a call from this site. They will not ar-
The courier is named Jake Adams (use Tir rive for twenty minutes, but the clock is ticking as
Ghost, p. 209, SR6, with all proper licenses to car- soon as the saferoom is accessed. They arrive via
ry his weapons in Manhattan; add Ares Roadmas- Ares Dragon and don’t hold back.
ter and gel ammo for all weapons). His doss is on More ties to the US/UCAS CIA are popping up
the edge of Southside, near Terminal. When con- all over the place. While the UCAS may have taken
fronted, Jake will claim his profession demands he some hits of late, this new tech seems to be point-
maintain client confidentiality, but he can be con- ing directly back at them. If they are in control of
vinced to give up the info through social, mental, it, that could mean a major shift in world politics if
or physical coercion or bribery (2,500 nuyen). He all those corporations that keep stomping on them
knows he did the pickup at a duplex at the corner are suddenly full of executives and board members
of 3rd and 122nd. The person who gave him the voting favorably for UCAS policies.
package was a male, human, brown hair, mid-for-
ties, wearing exercise clothes that revealed scarring
from implant surgeries, and a right cyberarm.
The duplex at the corner of 3rd and 122nd is duplex security host
currently empty on both sides. The host for the Theme: A virtual representation of the house with virtual controls in the
same places as their real-world counterparts.
homes are tougher than their neighbors, and all
entries use maglocks (rating 6). The windows are RATING A S D F
all reinforced glass. Inside both is a large, open- 6 8 6 7 9
plan main floor with living room, kitchen, bath-
room, and dining room. There is a small balcony IC: Patrol, Blaster, Acid, Track, Tar Baby, Sparky
Notes: This is a house host. It does not have any data on who owns the
off the kitchen area at the rear. The second floor of house or operates out of it. All the video surveillance footage is wiped
both units has a master bedroom with a balcony every hour when no one is held here.
at the rear, two smaller bedrooms at the front (one
of which is being used as a workout room), and a Satellite Link Host
bathroom and laundry at the center. The basement/
Theme: A simple white room with a collection of doors spinning at the
lower floor has another maglock (rating 6) on the center. All the IC appears as slight variations on the men-in-dark-sunglass-
door from the main floor. It has a bathroom, sin- es motif.
gle bedroom, and a sitting room at the rear with
another maglocked door to an exit stairwell. The RATING A S D F
sitting room has a slate tile floor with a drain in the 8 11 8 9 10

middle. The secret of this place is door hidden in IC: Patrol, Acid, Blaster, Track, Binder, Black IC, Tar Baby, Sparky, Killer
the shower of the lower floor bathroom that con- Notes: This host is the security hub to access this and other CIA safe-
nect both basements via a small secure saferoom/ houses. It also holds a data collection with backups of all the footage ever
recorded in the safehouse and contains several references to someone
armory. The houses are actually used as a UCAS named Meiers who seems to be in charge. This is dangerous data in the
CIA safehouse. This is something the runners can wrong hands, as it can be used to identify agents and those who have been
only discover if they find the hidden room via an taken into the safehouse, whether for protection or interrogation. This can
astral scan or Perception (6) test made in the bath- also help identify the spot as a UCAS CIA safehouse.

room. Discovering how to open the door requires

14: NO COMMENT // ADVENTURES

 15: elimination
trail
78
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Cat sends runners on a Foundation run into the the arcology, and between the public and private
Shibata Consulting host. areas, has a security team of four guards (use
Lone Star Patrolman, p. 206, SR6) checking IDs
with a rating 3 SIN scanner. Security guards also
Hook patrol the building in two-person teams, and a
After the last job she hired the PCs for turned rapid-response HTR team is stationed on the
into a dead end, Cat decides to try a different ap- twenty-fifth-floor security office. All exterior
proach. She wants to meet the team at Tough To- door frames contain a rating 5 MAD scanner
ny’s at 1:00 a.m. to talk about some more work. and a rating 5 olfactory scanner, and there are
Tonight’s password is Swordfish. Cat is all busi- also cameras covering all the entrances and all
ness tonight, after the team arrives she gets right to public areas. There is a rating 5 public host serv-
what she needs while Spyder sits quietly smoking. ing the arcology, with several connected shell
The apparently unused state of the Shibata Con- hosts that include a rating 8 security host (for
sulting host has her suspicious, and she wants the cameras, scanners, maglocks, elevators) and a
runners to get back into the Mitsuhama Arcology, rating 5 host serving the hotel. The service eleva-
access the framework shell host, and then go all tor and stairs traverse the entire building, private
the way into the hidden host’s Foundation. She be- elevators access the parking through 90th floors,
lieves that there may be files still in the Foundation and public elevators serve the basement parking,
archive. She is offering 4,000 nuyen per runner first-floor mall, and the 91st to 120th floor hotel.
to get into the archive and retrieve whatever files Anyone flagged by the door scanners or sim-
may exist that relate to MCT’s activities in Denver.
Cat also mentions that the hatch from the Under-
ground was sealed off after the last visit, so they mitsuhama arcology public
will need to find another way into the building. host (foundation host)
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE

The Job 6 5

IC: Patrol, Scramble

8 7 5 5 3

Once the team gets past the arcology’s security Notes: This public host grants a user access code to anyone that registers a
and onto the twenty-ninth floor, they can access valid SIN.
the rating 6 framework host from any of the desk-
top dataterms, and search the rating 8 foundation Mitsuhama Arcology Security
host for its portal. See p. 140-146, Hack & Slash,
for the rules on accessing a host foundation and
Host (Foundation Host)
operating in the foundation. A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
9 8 10 11 8 3 3

Hotspots IC: Patrol, Tar Baby, Acid, Track, Sparky

Notes: This is a nested host inside the Mitsuhama Arcology Public Host and
does not have a direct connection to the Matrix.
Mitsuhama Arcology,
New Harlem Mitsuhama Arcology Tenrai
The first floor of the 120-story Mitsuhama Ar- Hotel Host (Foundation Host)
cology is a public mall, and the top thirty floors A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
contain a luxury hotel, the Tenrai, which means 6 5 7 8 5 4 3
that the building is open at all hours. There are IC: Patrol, Scramble
also three basement floors for parking and three Notes: This is a nested host inside the Mitsuhama Arcology Public Host and
unused sub-basement floors. Every entrance into does not have a direct connection to the Matrix.

ADVENTURES // 15: ELIMINATION TRAIL

ply stopped for looking suspicious will be asked The Null Node
to leave the arcology and a report will be sent
to NYPD, Inc. The archology security forces will The null node of the host foundation is por-
trayed as an enormous open room, 100 meters
make an initial attempt to be polite and avoid a
across, with a large, circular, low-burning fire pit
79
direct confrontation, but will not shy away from
in the center. The vine-covered walls are made

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

violence if it’s warranted, and will call in the on-
site HTR team if necessary. of Roadmaster-sized stone blocks and the ceiling
is lost in the darkness overhead. The only occu-
pant of the room is an older, grey-haired Japanese
Shibata Consulting man wearing flowing white robes. As the team
The 29th floor is still the same as in mission approaches, it will introduce itself as Prelate 3-7,
2 (p. 45), but if the run is attempted during the a member of the Null Sect and a servant of Hi-
workday it will be full of employees. The rating 6 erophant 3. It will already know what was dis-
framework host is still accessible from any desk- cussed with Acolyte 3-7-2 and is willing to make
top dataterm, and it still hides a rating 8 founda- the team an offer: a copy of all the data relating to
tion host sculpted as a parkland of koi ponds and MCT’s activities in Denver leading up to the Auro-
pagoda-style Shinto shrines—see mission 2 for the ra incident in exchange for a way to the metaplane
host profiles. The Foundation portal is a decora- of Dis.
tive stone arch at the center of an elaborate rose Prelate 3-7 will answer a few questions, but it
garden. will deflect questions on the nature of the Null Sect
and the answers will be very propaganda-like in
tone. It will admit that the Nulls have erased all
The Foundation Archive data related to the project at the request of MCT,
The runners move directly from the portal to but that data can always be retrieved. It claims the
the Foundation archive node and discover the par- Null Sect are simple explorers, only seeking to ex-
adigm is already set. The archive is represented pand their understanding of the universe, and that
by a woodland glade surrounded by vine-covered MCT has denied them access to the metaplanes
trees. There are dozens of wageslaves busily work- for reasons unknown to the Null Sect. They view
ing at desks organized in rows on the grassy field. MCT as a poor ally and will release the megacor-
As the runners enter the node, a young sarariman poration’s secrets if it advances their own goals. As
stands and bows slightly, then asks the team what far as how to find a passageway into Dis, Prelate
business they have in this Foundation node. This is 3-7 claims there is a hidden metaplanar portal in
actually a member of the Null Sect named Acolyte Manhattan and the runners need to locate it, un-
3-7-2, and it has little patience with unauthorized derstand how it’s operated, and give the Null Sect
visitors. The xenosapient’s attitude will be conde- access to it.
scending and arrogant, but it will listen to the run- As a show of good faith, Prelate 3-7 will give the
ners and can be convinced to help if handled cor- team a copy of some internal MCT memos about
rectly. Unless attacked, Acolyte 3-7-2 will decide why Denver would be the perfect location for “the
the runners may be useful to the Null Sect. It will project,” specifically mentioning Ghostwalker’s
reach out as if pushing a button in mid-air, making distraction. It also gives the team a commcode to
a set of elevator doors appear. This is a temporary pass along to their employer so that the matter can
data trail to the host’s null node and to Prelate 3-7. be discussed further and then summons an eleva-
If the runners check the archive at some point, it is tor door to take the runners out of the Foundation.
just as empty of data as the host above. If attacked,
Acolyte 3-7-2 will use Fnord to disappear. As the
Null Sect is thoroughly in control of the Founda- Who’s Who
tion, it will set the variance score of all the runners Acolyte 3-7-2 and Prelate 3-7 are both covered
to 80 and send the Foundation into alert, probably in the Character Trove (p. 144).
sending a few Nights and Greys in to attack for
good measure.
Special Notes
Once again, if the team is lacking any type of
hacking capability, change the job to escorting
Spyder (p. 147) into the building and handling the
physical side of the run. The team should go on the
deep run as support and direct Spyder’s actions.

15: ELIMINATION TRAIL // ADVENTURES

80 16: higher stakes
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Corp kid Lex James had taken the street name

of Silver Nail and had his first successful run The Job
when he liberated an antique muscle car (see p. The runners are startled by a loud banging on
62). It was a car he had seen in one of his fa- the door. When they look at the monitoring cam-
vorite trid shows, but he was careless. Some real era, the runners see none other than Fluffy Duck
shadowrunners had been hired to take it back. banging on their door. He is carrying two large
He was able to track some of the runners down, bags of freshly cooked food.
but he wasn’t upset—the car wasn’t technically Once the runners open to door, Fluffy Duck
his anyway. Plus, it gave him something much pushes his way in and launches in on the story of
more exciting: the possibility of buried treasure. the job. “Silver Nail was doing some investigating
One night, while cleaning the car, Silver Nail hap- at the Columbia University Morningside Heights
pened upon a smuggling compartment contain- campus. and he needed to talk to some professors.
ing some old printed material and a data-storage As he was walking between buildings, he spotted
device that could not access the Matrix but was some people following him. He can’t shake them,
and he needs some help. He gave me this address—
full of heavily encrypted files. The data storage
he got it by following you after you dropped off
device—a rating 9 micro-brick (one-eighth the
the car. He wants you to know there are no hard
size of a standard optical brick; see p. 53, Hack &
feelings. I need help—he’s my friend, and if you
Slash) with the Matrix access removed—proved won’t come with me, I’m going to have to do this
to be beyond his decryption skills, but the mate- alone. I can pay you 2,000 nuyen apiece.”
rial on the papers sounded vaguely familiar, so he Fluffy Duck is emptying out his savings here—the
started there. Silver Nail started with some ba- only concession the PCs can get through an Influ-
sic searches that first night but didn’t accomplish ence test is some free food. He also promises to keep
anything. Now that the car is gone, he is going to his ears open in case he hears something the players
look into the mystery of what or who are “Dou- might want to know. The PCs gain Fluffy Duck as a
ble A” and “JackPoint,” and why the material he contact with a Connection 2 and Loyalty 2.
found is focused on Mitsuhama. He has attended Once the players agree to take the job. Fluffy
Spinrad Global’s Teen-Out program at Columbia Duck will say, “Great! Let me get some things out
University and knows some people who could of the van and I’ll be ready to go.” He will follow
help, and he decides he is going to keep digging them in his van if necessary.
until he finds that treasure.
Going To College
Hook The players arrive on campus at about 3:00
p.m. on a weekday.
Curiosity got to Silver Nail, and one night he Silver Nail told Fluffy he would be at the Low
absent-mindedly poked around on the Matrix us- Memorial Library, and Fluffy suggests the team
ing information from the device. He is a compe- look there first. While searching the building,
tent Matrix user, but competent can get you killed have the players make a Perception + Intuition (6)
when people with real power want something. Af- Teamwork test. They will notice that several of the
ter a few repeated searches with some uncommon- people are moving around with pretty high ener-
ly used strings of keywords, automated programs gy for library patrons. The players can ask around
were activated, an alert went out announcing to learn that (number of players + 3) metahumans
someone had more information than they should came though as if they were looking for someone.
have. Decisions were made, and contacts were giv- They all went into the basement and tunnel sys-
en orders to eliminate the problem and destroy all tem. For Cheli’s team, use Beat Cop, p. 212, i.
evidence. They contracted a local fixer at Klubbs In the northernmost part of the basement, the
and Cheli Brokerage to hire a team to track a com- runners will find a 1.5-meter-diameter hole in the
mlink and capture whoever has it. wall. It exposes another tunnel that goes due north.

ADVENTURES // 16: HIGHER STAKES

The players will have to navigate the tunnels to find cameras, and many buildings have wards to stop cheat-
Silver Nail and the people hunting him—when they ing and other things college students may be tempted
enter the tunnels, he is about 200 meters into the to do. All building’s main entrances have MAD scan-
maze of campus utility tunnels, with his pursuers ners (rating 4), but they are easy to get around. 81
150 meters behind him. Once the opponents are run A basic Matrix search will show there is an ex-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

off or removed. Silver Nail will realize they were tensive system of tunnels that connects many of
tracking him by his commlink and will destroy it. the buildings—students have explored and enter-
tained themselves in them for generations. They
mainly house infrastructure needs such as water,
Hotspot steam, electrical, and Matrix conduits. Addition-
ally, many have been cordoned off due to safety
Columbia University and other concerns, though many students still use
(Morningside) them for a variety of activities.
Located in the New Harlem area. When the
MDC re-built Manhattan, Harlem was leveled
and completely rebuilt. Everything reflected the
Who’s Who
corporate-friendly community of the future. Some Cheli
of the old sites remained, like Columbia Universi-
ty. However, while appearances were kept up, the Cheli is a Hispanic dwarf in her mid-thirties. She
façade started to crack. The university’s enrollment was left on her own at the age of thirteen when her
went down, and crime increased. father Klubbs was killed. It took her several years
The government and schools wanted enroll- to gather all the details, but she came to grips with
ment up, while the corporations wanted their what happened. Having no other choice, she took
“Teen Out” program to be successful. The pro- over the family business and has grown it from a
gram was designed to allow older teen corp kids lackluster operation into an organization respected
some time alone. It was designed to give the illu- within the city. Her father’s death has taught her
sion of responsibility while university personnel not to be weak, and she has spent a considerable
kept an eye on teenage kids. It’s a rare instance amount of nuyen on enhancements and training.
when everyone worked together and an area was Use Store Owner, p. 172, Sixth World Companion.
cleaned up. Since then, the college has regained its
top-rank status. • See Silver Nail in Character Trove p. 147
Security on campus is good. There are numerous • See Fluffy Duck in Character Trove p. 141

17: all the right

friends
Hook The Job
The runners are hired to attend a function at
an exclusive social club with the task of stealing
Johnson in Need Indeed
hidden files. It turns out they aren’t guests—they Eager reaches out to the runners. He tells them
are the main attraction. he has a client who needs them to retrieve an item
from a safe and data from an isolated computer
at a local social club. There is a party being held
at the club that evening. Ms. Johnson arranged
clearances for the runners to get in. All they need
to do is get the goods and get out undetected. The

17: ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS // ADVENTURES

 problem is, this is a secure club. That means sen- that simply could not happen. The main reason he
sors at the door and no weapons allowed. Subter- needs to speak to the runners is because a highly
fuge is key. Eager says that Ms. Johnson stressed placed individual—higher even than Blake—also
82 that they cannot go in loud or else it would trig- wants to speak to them. This individual has ques-
ger a security cascade that could cause problems tions. He needs them to give specific answers to
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

throughout the city. those questions, and he will tell them what to say.
Ms. Johnson offers a lot of money for the job— He asks the runners a handful of questions. Once
6,000 nuyen per person. he’s satisfied with their answers, he informs them that
he has sold them. Leased them, actually. Per arrange-
ments with business associates of his, he has arranged
An Offer You Can’t Refuse for the runners to be delivered to the Empire State
The runners are provided with a limited map Building to answer questions from Evo board mem-
of the Knickerbocker club layout. Their map tells ber and free spirit Buttercup and her associates. They
them what floor the safe and isolated computer will be asked about work they did and work they did
are located on in the club and provides directions not do that was attributed to them. He wants them
from the main area of the party to where they need to lie and take credit for a particular job, and he tells
to go. The runners will be directed to the third- them specifically what to say.
floor hall, where a small party of about fifty well- Blake tells the runners to tell Buttercup that they
dressed people is dancing to the music of a string were hired by a Mr. Johnson to take out a hack-
quartet. Following their map, the team will need er going by the name “Double A.” If asked if they
to discreetly slip through the east doors and head know who the Mr. Johnson worked for, they are
down the corridor to a room at the far end. to say, “Matrix Assets Inc.” Blake explains that he
When the runners walk into the room, a large, will have ears in the space and will know whether
white-haired man is standing at the bar. Runners or not they comply with his request. Their pay is
with Politics, Seattle People, Business Leaders, or contingent on their completing the task.
similar Knowledge skill can make a Perception +
Intuition (2) test to recognize him as Bellevue may-
or and Centurion CEO Jonathan Blake, He wel- Just Be Social
comes them and calmly encourages them to have The PCs are escorted to a waiting limousine
a drink. He says, “I arranged for you to meet me flanked by a pair of 2080 Range Rovers and what
here this evening. I thought it was important to do appears to be a twelve-person contingent of high-
it this way, so that you would appreciate the level ly trained security officers. These are Green Ser-
of information I have about you and how easy it pent Guards, the elite security force of the Nagato
was to lure you into this situation. Knowledge is Combine (use Tir Ghosts, p. 208, SR6). The GSG
leverage in this town. You know something I don’t, doesn’t speak to the runners. They drive them di-
and I’m interested in balancing the scales.” rectly to the Empire State Building, where they are
Blake is bold, but he is not reckless. He has a escorted to a private elevator that takes them to
six-man Seraphim security detail waiting steps the 71st floor.
away (use Seraphim Avenging Angel, p. 208, SR6). Buttercup’s suite is a testament to wealth and
He doesn’t, however, reveal the existence of that eccentricity. The flooring is done in pink ivory pan-
team. He allows the runners to set the tone of the els polished to the point they shine like glass. The
interaction up front. He iterates that they will be walls and ceiling appear to be a seamless cut of
paid in full for the conversation and that it will marble. Throughout the space are rare sculptures
be brief, because there are other matters that need and stands containing priceless comic books and
to be addressed. He wants to know who the Mr. other collectables. The runners are led to the cen-
Johnson was who brought them to NY. He is ter of the room and invited to sit on one of sever-
merely looking to confirm this information, so if al couches. Three women are seated across from
they lie, he will know. He uses their lie as an exam- those couches in large chairs. They do not stand
ple to show them that he knows quite a bit about to greet the runners. At the center of the group is
how and when they came to be running in NY, ex- Buttercup. To her right is Ahma Yoshida. To the
actly what they were doing before they got there, left is Ms. Helena Chomsky.
as well as what they’ve been doing since they ar- Helena Chomsky is the first to speak to the
rived. He appears confident and sympathetic to the runners. She introduces herself, though declines to
situation they are presently in. He explains exactly explain whom she works for. Then she introduces
how much danger they are in if they decide not to Ahma Yoshida as a representative of the Nagato
cooperate. Corporation and Buttercup as simply Buttercup.
He explains that he manipulated Eager into She tells them they’ve been invited here to answer
believing the shadowrun was legitimate as a way several questions from the other two women.
to discreetly connect with the runners. After all, Ahma Yoshida will begin the questioning, with
he suspected they might refuse his advances, and Buttercup thoughtfully listening throughout. If the

ADVENTURES // 17: ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS

conversation branches into some of the areas But-
tercup wanted to ask about, they will step forward Hotspots
and ask the question. It should be clear that Butter- Knickerbocker
cup is in control of this operation. Ms. Chomsky 83
will be the last to ask a question, and she will only Social Club

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

ask one, which will be phrased as a gentle follow This meeting place of New York’s movers and
up: Would you care to share with us your under- shakers is a peaceful respite in the heart of Times
standing of the term “Monad,” and whom if any Square. The 1906 building used to be known as
of these individuals you have interacted with since the Knickerbocker Hotel before the elite social
entering the city? After asking the question, she club purchased the location and forever closed its
will meet eyes with both of the executives present doors to the public. The fourteen-story building
and nod. retains much of its high-end charm and splendor,
Each interrogator’s questions should should be- with multiple meeting hall and bar levels, includ-
come increasingly difficult to answer, as the run- ing a rooftop bar overlooking Times Square. The
ners only have small pieces of information about sub-basement of the hotel still has tunnels leading
events unfolding in the city. They haven’t seen directly into the old Times Square train station,
enough yet to give thorough responses. Ultimate- which partially collapsed during the ’05 quake and
ly, the three executives present are trying to find was never reopened.
out information that the runners do not know they A full staff is always present at the hotel along-
have or might not have pieced together thus far. side an army of discreetly dressed security person-
They are aligned in their interest to know more nel. Rumors persist of at least half a dozen ghosts
about MCT’s motives, but beyond that they all roaming the halls of the facility, though none have
have separate reasons for needing answers. shown any aggression toward the guests.
Ms. Chomsky is Blake’s eyes and ears in the
room. If the runners reveal her role, Buttercup
will become enraged. After a few moments of vis- Who’s Who
ible anger, she will calm down. Ms. Chomsky will The runners will encounter several influential
clear her throat and suggest that they deal with Sixth World power brokers in this mission. Each
the Blake issue separately. Buttercup will agree and is a major player in the corporate world and dan-
resume questioning. gerous in their own right. Each of these operators
If Blake’s involvement is exposed, he will act has their own agenda, which does not necessari-
vengefully. After the runners are released, he will ly align with that of anyone else in the adventure.
send the Seraphim team after the PCs with orders This conflict of interests may provide space for the
to kill them all. runners to get out of this alive, and perhaps even
gain allies along the way.
ahma yoshida’s questions
• Who brought you to New York?
Jonathan Blake
• Has anyone contracted you to work directly against Blake has the classic stony look of an S-K Brack-
Nagato? haus, because he was one for several decades. After
• Have you been contracted to work for or against the leaving Lofwyr’s employ, he went on to launch his
Tomi-gumi? own corporation, Centurion Services International.
• Why were you seen following Kim Dolsoon? Blake’s corporation is stuck in neutral. He lacks both
• Were you responsible for her unusual actions? the physical assets and political leverage to be named
• What is Project Lazarus? an AA, and without that distinction, the growth of
• How is MCT in Project Lazarus? his corporation will always remain limited.
Blake is a social adept. His ability to manipu-
buttercup’s questions late people makes him a valuable asset in the cor-
porate world. He is in New York at the behest of
• How long have you been operatives for MCT?
• Explain your relationship with Shibata Consulting.
a new ally, Miles Lanier, who is concerned about
• Tell me everything you know about the Octagon.
the emergence of a new threat to this world. After
• What are your intentions against Evo? being briefed on the threat, Blake agreed to assist
• Did you kill the hacker Double A? Lanier. The price of that assistance is help from La-
• Who ordered you to do so? nier in getting CSI an AA corporate rating.
• Tell me why you were at my suite at Villiers Tower. Statistics and additional information about Jon-
• What do you know of the Tiding’s actions here in the city? athan Blake can be found in the Character Trove,
• What is your familiarity with an entity named p 143.
Provaca?

17: ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS // ADVENTURES

 Buttercup Ms. Helena Chomsky
The free spirit Buttercup has lived through Mrs. Chomsky spent two decades as the per-
84 many versions of Evo. While she supports the di- sonal assistant of Johnny Spinrad. Wherever he
rection of the corporation, she has her own agen- went, she was a few steps away, holding his com-
da—one that is much older than Evo itself. But- mlink. Chomsky disappeared for a time before
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

tercup is interested in uncovering the role MCT is Spinrad’s assassination. She reappeared equally
playing in opening pathways to threats from other suddenly with a new employer as the director of
metaplanes. personnel operations for Marsh and Hound Ltd.
She appears as a pale-faced Japanese girl in her She is in charge of executive security services for a
late teens with long black hair, wearing a kimono. list of c-suite clients that currently includes Butter-
cup. Behind the scenes, she is actually serving as a
proxy for Miles Lanier, working through a number
Ahma Yoshida of cut-out corporations to hide this connection.
Ahma Yoshida is here to serve two purposes: Officially, her role in this group is to assess any
First, to protect the interests of the Nagato Corpo- threat the runners may pose to Buttercup. In truth,
ration in their dealings with Evo. Second, to rep- she has actually arranged to be there so that she
resent the Yakuza in pursuit of an alliance against can manage Mr. Lanier’s interests. Specifically, she
MCT following their ouster of the Four Oyabun. is present to gather information and make sure Mr.
Yoshida formally trained with the Green Ser- Lanier’s involvement, and that of his associate Jon-
pent Guard in her youth before it was discovered athan Blake, remain off the books.
her talents were wasted on security work. For a Chomsky is neatly dressed with large blue-eyes,
time, she ran the shadows as a Yakuza assassin by and she has a British accent. She does not carry a
the name of Rain until she was sent to Japan to weapon, nor is she magically active. Use stats for
study to be komon for the Nagato Combine. As Mr. Johnson (p. 214, SR6).
her talents matured, she became invaluable to the
corporation as a bridge between their formal busi-
ness interests and the interests of the Yakuza. Now Special Notes
she serves as Nagato’s representative on the Cor- The scene should be intimidating. The runners
porate Council. She’s a talented fixer and mage, a should feel like their lives are on the line here. The
pale Japanese elf with long black hair. She dresses way they handle this will impact whether these in-
primarily in black business attire. Use Tir Ghost (p. dividuals see them as assets or potential enemies.
209, SR6) for her statistics. Should the runners handle themselves with grace
and confidence, they may receive future work from
any of the executives present in the room.

ADVENTURES // 17: ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS

 18: the 85

underneath

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook The Job
Sometimes a payday is just a way to lead to Neo-anarchists of the Storm Raven sect have
more paydays or better relationships. The runners gotten wind of what’s happening and want the
are gaining a rep for being the in-the-know team, runners to feed info to them. To win them over,
and the neo-anarchist Storm Ravens have gotten they have a tip—an earth spirit is digging up some
hints of what is going on and want to get on the long-covered spots that have been rich with old
runner’s good side in hopes of being able to get corporate data from before the quakes. The tech
some key info slipped their way down the road. may be a little behind and the mud a little crusty
The team is contacted by Piper Jane for a meet for slinging, but it all still sticks the same.
at Bailey’s Pub near Central Park at 21:00 with Mr. The target is the basements of the Arsenal near
Jones. There’s a job offer on the line that may lead Fifth Avenue and 64th Street. The quake damaged
to more jobs and also some sweet paydata the run- access to the basement, but a free spirit of earth
ners can sell for themselves. They’re told to ask for named Alfred has been going around and open-
Jones at the bar. Piper answers any questions about ing up access to buried locations all over the city.
Mr. Jones rather than Johnson with a flippant, “I What data was held in the Arsenal has been lost
don’t always deal with the normal crowd.” to time, but the runners’ employer is interested in
At Bailey’s Pub, the bar is mostly empty; only a everything that is getting uncovered. This one just
dozen of the abundant seating spaces are taken, as happens to be in a rather high-traffic, high-profile
most of the patrons are bellied up to the bar. The area, so they need a team of skilled shadowrunners
bartender—a female human with blue hair, several to get in quietly and retrieve whatever data was
being worked on.
tattoos, and a rather direct demeanor—calls over
This particular access point has already been
one of the two servers and tells them to “take the
claimed, or at least secured, by NYPD, Inc., in or-
team back to Jones.”
der to protect it from random looky-loos. There
Jones is in the hidden back room full of clocks
are only two NYPD, Inc., officers (use Lone Star
with two guards (use Sons of Sauron Brute, p. Patrolman, p. 206, SR6) at the entrance. They can
205, SR6), both of whom sport a ganger-like style be bypassed via a quick knockout or some slick
but no particular tags. Jones is a male ork with a talking. They aren’t the brightest cops, and they’ve
thick pink mohawk wearing a punk mockery of a been feeling nervous ever since they started this as-
Vashon Island suit with metal studs and patches signment.
for various bands and gangs. He talks with a heavy The access tunnel is a two-meter-by-three-meter
New York accent and speaks to the team more like hole about twenty-five meters from the north wall
peers than minions. of the building, near the Delacorte Clock, with a
He prefaces his offer of 10,000 nuyen with a steep angle of dirt that walks down to the foun-
story about a free spirit of earth digging up old dation level of the Arsenal. At the foundation, an-
secrets from pre-quake sites. Lots of good payda- other hole has been made, this one also two meters
ta has come out of it that’s hit the corps where it wide and three meters tall. It has been reinforced
hurts. He has a lead on a site in Central Park that by an arch put in place by the spirit of earth who
he wants the runners to check out. If the runners dug the hole.
agree, he directs them to the basement of the Ar- The basement is large, just shy of the sixty-me-
senal, which has been blocked for years. Rumors ter-by-fifteen-meter floor plan of the Arsenal itself.
abound about a Corporate Court datastore black The walls and columns of the basement are thick,
site that could hold dirt on some of the biggest cor- and the area itself has been out of use for decades.
porate names. (The truth of what’s there is in The The basement access opens to a large but crum-
Job section.) bling taxidermy shop with a single exit door and
two large storage closets. Out the door is a hall that

18: THE UNDERNEATH // ADVENTURES

86
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

leads to the inner hallway ring of the basement, door is open, they know someone will eventually
with various doors to storage areas, study areas, come hunting for them.
and on the far end, research and testing rooms. They can be negotiated with, rather than
The systems are a little out of date, requiring fought, if the runners are willing to help them find
an Engineering + Logic (10, 1 minute) Extended another place to stay or to seal up the entrance
test to get them back up and running. Inside, the Alfred made.
systems in the regular rooms are just catalogues
of the species present, items on loan, and items in
progress, all dated years ago. The research station
info is more interesting as it points in a specific di-
Hotspot
rection of research. The zoo brought in early para- Bailey’s Pub is a quiet little sub-basement dive
normal animals that displayed abilities specific to bar just a few blocks off Central Park at Lexing-
mental manipulation. Studies were performed by ton. The entrance is located via a downward-an-
federal scientists, and clues in the files make refer- gled neon arrow with a matching glittering ARO.
ences back to potential mind-altering drugs being A two-story flight of stairs leads down to a steel
delivered to or used by the CIA. door that used to be the rear entrance of the bar
Formulas and data are all a little old but could net before the quake. It’s now the front (and only reg-
the team a solid 10,000 nuyen payout from the right ularly known) entrance. The bar has a thin layer of
corporate source. Then again, if the runners have stage smoke present during operating hours (19:00
a contact in the UCAS government that they trust to 05:00). It’s centered around a three-sided wrap-
enough, they could increase that payoff to 25,000 around bar surrounded by a series of high-top ta-
nuyen if they hand over all copies of the data. bles, with the walls lined in booths. The former
These areas of the lab are not uninhabited and windows (seven windows in total) have been neat-
have long been used by a small pack of four vam- ly bricked up but both of the windows on the front
pires (p. 218, SR6) all led by a rather twisted free wall hold hidden doors to a pair of private meeting
kindred spirit (Force 8, p. 148, SR6; add Fear and rooms. One of those rooms, decorated entirely in
Movement). They’ve been able to come and go via clocks, has a hidden door built into an oversized
the vents or astral travel, but now that a regular grandfather clock in the bar.

ADVENTURES // 18: THE UNDERNEATH

 19: digging for 87

the truth

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook rocked by the earthquake and heavily damaged
by the shifting earth and collapsing towers above
It’s “down the road” time, and the neo-anar- it. Access was blocked off as the city was rebuilt
chist Storm Raven Sect is ready to slip the team an- anew above, but the station itself has survived as a
other tip on newly accessible locations. They claim relic of the past, rotting away for decades.
it’s a reward for the runners’ good work. The truth Bodies of those who were trapped in the quake
is, this one is rumored to hold a pre-quake secret have been reduced to tattered clothes and gnawed-
research lab related to some of the hot jobs that on bones. Though the number visible seems a lit-
have been flying around town. This job comes on tle low for how many would have been trapped.
the heels of the exploration of the Arsenal base- Rats, and their Awakened cousins (use devil rat/
ment in the previous mission (p. 85). There’s no demon rat/glitch rat, p. 217, SR6), are abundant
upfront pay offer, just a free tip for a job well done and the subway tracks are now part of a small un-
and maybe a chance to make the first offer on the derground river, mostly stagnant here as the paths
paydata if they find any. in and out are small. The stagnant river holds a
The location is the 18th Street subway station, grisly discovery, as the bottom is littered with the
or more accurately, the access tunnel that extends missing bones and bodies, pulled in by a now bas-
below the former Yves Condominium Complex, ilisk (p. 216, SR6). The basilisk was nearly starved
now the home of a 500 room Quik-E-Nap coffin to death until a few squatters took a wrong turn.
hotel. Until recently, there was no access, but a short
Access to the station was lost in the earthquake, time ago a free spirit of earth called Alfred cleared
along with a large portion of the Yves complex. a small tunnel into the station from a section of the
Yves was later fully demolished and the Quik-E- nearby Underground.
Nap built, but the damaged sections of the station The station itself is well-preserved, as are short
below were simply closed off. sections of the rail tunnel to and from the station,
one of which has an access door that leads to the labs
beneath the former Yves Condominium building.
Hotspots
Quik-E-Nap The Job
This string of coffin hotels is famous for its no- Beneath the Quik-E-Nap facility is the aban-
name-asked, certified-credsticks-only policy. They doned 18th Street subway station. Rumors said a
are, of course, quite popular with criminals or corp used it for some secret research that was lost
those hiding something from the world. Slot a cer- in the earthquake. The station is accessible now,
tified credstick, pay upfront, and a keycard slides though, and its secrets are ready for plunder.
out with a tower and pod number. Walk over to One of those secrets is that the research facility
the tower (there are five) and slot your card. A few below Yves was government, not corporate. The
moments later, a fresh clean pod arrives. Climb in, condominium complex held a rather large number
and it takes you up to your slot for the duration. of CIA safehouses, often used to hold test subjects
All your basic needs are handled by the pod. Rates before they were transported to the lab via a hid-
are very reasonable. It’s only 10 nuyen per hour for den elevator shaft. The other access to the lab was
a basic pod or 15 nuyen per hour for a troll-size in the rail tunnel off the 18th Street subway sta-
unit (which is still a bit cramped). tion, another victim of the quake, lost for years.
Now, the lab is accessible from a newly re-
opened access tunnel off the 18th Street subway
18th Street Subway Station station from the Underground, but few have dared
Resting beneath the street at 18th Street and explore it due to its high rat and devil rat (all vari-
Seventh Avenue, this station’s access points were ants) population, as well as the basilisk that was

19: DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH // ADVENTURES

 trapped and near starving but is now on the prowl have another door opposite the elevator that is
after a few good meals. just slightly offline with the observation room
The runners’ tip directs them to the area be- door so subjects can’t see that door.
88 neath the Quik-E-Nap (formerly the Yves Condo- The labs were used for brainwashing and
minium building) and an access door off the sub- mind-control experiments of various sorts. Some
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

way tunnel. involved drugs, others natural hormonal dosages,

The door clearly reads “DANGER: High Volt- some torture, others long-term, repetitive audio
age—Authorized Personnel Only.” Its lock has and visual input, and many other techniques.
long since rusted shut, and only brute force will Information on the experiments is located on
open it—use a Body + Strength (16, 1 Combat old comm terminals and pocket secretaries from
Round) Extended test. the lab workers. The comm terminals are in three
Beyond the door is a twenty-meter corridor of the four outer living areas (the fourth was for
with short side tunnels staggered every five meters the security detail on site). The pocket secretar-
containing dilapidated infrastructure elements ies (predecessors to the commlink similar to how
such as gas, water, and electrical conduit pipes. camera-equipped flip phones were predecessors
At the end is another door, this one locked and to smart phones) rest in one of the footlockers in
sealed as well. The lock is controlled by a rusted the security quarters, as they were gathered by the
wheel and an old numeric keypad. Bypassing the survivors after the quake.
door takes powering up the keypad (Engineering What survivors, you ask? The vampires, of
+ Logic (3) test), bypassing the code (Engineering course!
or Hacking (4) test), and then forcing open the Who also just woke back up and are hungry
rusty mechanism (Body + Strength [24, 1 Combat and anxious to escape.
Round] Extended test). One of the experiments performed here was
As the door opens, a hiss of air rushes in, and on mind-control abilities of vampires as a means
the runners hear a distant mechanical rumbling as to understand brainwashing.
a generator comes to life and powers up the long- After the quake revealed they were trapped,
closed facility. Several emergency lights slowly a doctor and two security personnel plotted for
glow into life but most stay dark, giving the place their survival. They had captured a rare pre-Awak-
an eerie feel. After they break the seal, the runners ening vampire to use in their experiments. Using
can smell stale, sterile air with a hint of a metallic the vampire’s blood, the trio became Infected, but
tang that scrapes at the back of the nostrils. as it was pre-Awakening, they did not gain all of
The lab is only a single floor but still sizable. It her abilities. They then killed the vampire, as they
is built around the central elevator that opened in feared they would be controlled by her.
four different directions to four separate sections They used their new abilities to take charge
of the lab. of the survivors, rationing food and water well
The door the runners enter through is the only enough to keep their food source alive. This last-
one in the outer perimeter of the facility. It leads to a ed a few years, but eventually they had to force
three-meter-wide outer ring hallway that surrounds the other survivors to eat one another. Long story
and connects the four labs. At every quarter of the short, they ran out of food near the time of the
circle, a hatchway door on the inner wall leads into Awakening. They sealed themselves in, entered a
one of the labs. Between lab doors, pairs of double coma-like state, and waited for the doors to open.
doors in the outer wall lead to four suites of rooms: Decades later, the doors open, they’re hungry,
(A) a small living area set up for four people; (B) and the runners are their first meal option.
food storage and a mechanical room (generator,
air filtration, water purification, etc.); (C) a medi-
cal suite with first aid, surgical, and full-spectrum
scan capabilities based on then-current technology;
Who’s Who
and (D) a living area and armory for three security • Dr. Adelaide White (use Vampire, p. 218,
personnel. SR6)
Each lab section is identically laid out. A eight • Officer Edward Grimes (use Vampire, p.
meter by two meter hallway leads from the ele- 218, SR6)
vator to a trio of doors—forward, right, and left. • Sergeant Wendell Marks (use Vampire, p.
Forward leads to a hexagonal room with four 218, SR6; add Adept—Increased Reflexes 3)
plain bunks at the center, four seats with straps to
tie down subjects facing the mirrored side walls,
and another door on the far wall. That door leads
to the same place as the left and right doors from Special Notes
the first hallway. Once the runners can jury-rig power systems
Left and right lead to a ring for observation, as and connectivity systems properly, they find a
the side walls of the room are transparent. They wealth of data on U.S. CIA activities in the facil-

ADVENTURES // 19: DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH

ity, including something called project “Project out to appropriate contacts, they can get an offer
Mindflayer,” along with references about parallel of Connection x 10,000 nuyen for it. The lower
experiments run at another facility called the Oc- the loyalty of this contact, the more likely they are
tagon. Deckers will need to make an Engineering + to set up a double-cross and not pay the runners. 89
Logic (24, 1 minute) Extended test to get the sys- If two contacts run double-crosses, the existence of

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

tems running and readable. Technomancers with the data will get out more publicly and the runners
skinlink can access any device to which power has will be approached by Johnsons from MCT, Dis,
been restored, but restoring power requires an En- Aztechnology, the UCAS government, Novatech,
gineering + Logic (10, 1 minute) Extended test to and Renraku, looking to make a deal.
find the right cords or splice the right wires.
Once they are done searching, they will find they
have older but still useful data. If the runners reach

20: grey
matters
The PCs have found information about research A simple Matrix Search (1) test shows that
originating from a place called the Octagon. A lit- New York’s most famous Octagon is a five-story
tle Matrix research finds that a structure called the building on Roosevelt Island (the PCs might have
Octagon was part of the Metropolitan Hospital found information pointing them to this location).
on Roosevelt Island until 1955, when it was aban- Roosevelt Island sits in the East River across from
doned. It later fell into corporate hands, and in- Midtown and the Upper East Side and is accessi-
formation about the research that went on there is ble by train, tram, or boat. The Octagon is on the
worth looking into. A trip to the island is in order! northern end of the island, and the current use of
the building is unclear. Which is why the PCs need
to explore!
Hook Arriving on the island should not be a problem,
By this point, the PCs should be deep into fol- though note that the only road connecting the is-
lowing the plot threads thrown their way, and they land to any other location is a bridge to Queens—
should understand the importance of following these there is no road to Manhattan. Conversely, the
threads. Plus, they get to look into secret corporate tram runs from Manhattan to the island, with no
research in an interesting building. What’s not to like? other connections. The subway connects to both
Manhattan and Queens.
One primary street, the appropriately named
The Job Main Street, travels most of the length of the is-
land. The Octagon is on Main Street, on the north
In mission 13, I Did What? (p. 74), the PCs end of the island.
should have learned about some frightening re- Getting to the Octagon should pose no problem
search to mess with metahuman minds. The previ- unless the PCs are already wanted by the police,
ous mission, Digging for the Truth (p. 87), pointed in which case having only Main Street to traverse
the PCs toward the Octagon. Now they need to could add some challenge, as they’ll have fewer
find out what that means. Any of the Mr. Johnsons ways to avoid them. Given that the island is filled
from past missions can ask them to look into this, with prisons, it’s also filled with police.
but the PCs might be inspired to look on their own, Getting inside the Octagon is a different mat-
knowing whatever they find will be valuable to the ter. As described in the Hotspots section, security
city’s power brokers. is high at the Octagon, and the information the

20: GREY MATTERS // ADVENTURES

 PCs need is not exactly waiting at the front door. only that it was “privately owned,” and there have
Stealth or a good con are called for—unless the never been any identifying signs on it.
PCs feel they can force their way in fast enough At present, the Octagon and attached buildings
90 and grab what they want. That would require, of form a medical clinic engaged in secret research,
course, knowing what they want. much of it not approved or even known of by most
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

The PCs are looking for confidential patient medical organizations. Experimentation on the
files. These files are not stored in the Octagon it- brain is their specialty.
self. A broad, three-story extension attaches to the The Octagon building is five stories tall. The
west end of the Octagon and connects to a larger bottom three stories are wider, then the structure
annex to the west. On top of that is a narrower narrows to a two-story cupola about four meters
passageway that attaches to the fourth, consider- wide. Newer wings were attached to the south and
ably narrower floor of the Octagon. That window- west sides of the Octagon, and those in turn lead to
less passage leads across the extension and into larger buildings, each seven stories high. The south
the fourth floor of the large building to the west. annex is used for patient care, while the west is pri-
There is a file room there that is only accessible marily for administration, though the lower two
through that hallway—it is closed off from the rest floors hold some outpatient offices.
of the building’s fourth floor. This room holds pa- All physical security guards in this complex are
tient files that are not allowed on any sort of wire- Elite Corporate Security (p. 208, SR6). Two are in
less-enabled device. the lobby in the Octagon itself, and twenty others are
To get the files, the PCs will have to connect to spread throughout the complex. All can respond to
a wired rating 11 host. The file room has no one an emergency call within minutes, but typically no
in it from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.; at other times, two ad- more than half are called to any scene, just so that
min staffers (use Corporate Wageslave, p. 166, Sixth other parts of the building are not left unwatched.
World Companion) are in the room. Four guards For Matrix security, the building relies on two
(use Elite Corporate Security, p. 208, SR6) are in Professional Rating 8 deckers (p. 209, SR6). Each
the hallway outside the room at all times. A Force 6 watches one of the wings, and they both check in
spirit of air also constantly circles the room. While on the central Octagon regularly. Since the most
there is not remote Matrix security for the host secure files in the building are not wireless, they
the PCs need to break into, a Professional Rating are primarily looking for unusual Matrix activity
8 decker (p. 209, SR6) monitors the building and in the building. If they see anything that arouses
looks for Matrix activity they don’t recognize. their suspicion, they’ll send physical security over
Once they are in the host, the PCs can get any for some quick questions.
patient’s file. When they get a chance to look it A Professional Rating 10 shaman (p. 210, SR6)
over, they’ll see some technical language and de- sits in the sixth floor of the west annex. They have
tails about brain sections that they may not under- summoned a Force 6 spirit of air to watch the secure
stand, but they’ll see that the thrust of the project room on the fourth floor and two Force 5 kindred
is to erase real memories and put false ones in their spirits to roam the floors and watch for anything
place. They’ll also see a familiar name on the files: out of line. The spirits have free rein to materialize
Animus Construction. and question anyone they feel needs scrutiny.
They should realize that the implications of
such a power being in the hands of anyone in the
Sixth World are quite frightening. The question is, Who’s Who
who is behind Animus Construction? The next job No new individuals are introduced here.
will be to examine the data for hints on who owns
the Octagon and who is performing this work.
Special Notes
Hotspot The PCs may have enough knowledge to get
extra information from the file they lift from the
building. A successful Biotech (Medicine) + Logic
The Octagon (5) test made when reviewing the material shows
The Octagon was once the main entrance of that there are strong underlying concerns about
the Metropolitan Hospital, but it was abandoned the effectiveness of the procedures done in the Oc-
when the hospital closed in 1955. Some efforts at tagon. They have had some successes that motivate
renovation started in the early twenty-first century, them to continue, but repeatability from one indi-
but the disruptions that accompanied the Awaken- vidual to another has been a challenge. Materials
ing slowed them down. The renovations picked up also mention the “creative restructuring of brain
again in the 2040s, and the building seemed to be pathways” as a problem, as sometimes the things
in regular use in the 2050s, but the trick was, no they are trying to hide have a disconcerting way of
one knew who was using it. City government said not staying hidden.

ADVENTURES // 20: GREY MATTERS

 21: the seat 91

of power

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

The characters have glimpsed some of the capa- BTL revenue is good. When shown the informa-
bilities of whoever is behind the lab, but they hav- tion from the Octagon, he immediately appears
en’t uncovered anything concrete about its owners interested, but he does not give away information.
or sponsors. As can be expected, any group that He claims he needs some time to analyze, and his
capable has equally capable protections. The PCs work will be helped if the PCs do him a quick fa-
need to dig deep to find information that some vor. He insists (and he’s telling the truth) that the
powerful people want to stay hidden. favor will help with the PCs’ ultimate goal.
He needs them to bring in a patient who missed
an appointment. Her name is Sigrid, and she usu-
The Job ally can be found behind a restaurant called the
Blind Pig.
The Hunt Is On
After mission 20, Grey Matters (p. 89), the PCs Altered States
should have reached out to contacts about the data
they found to figure out what it means and what The challenge is that Sigrid (use stats for Squat-
they can do with it (if they didn’t, now would be a ter, p. 172, Sixth World Companion) wants noth-
good time to do so). Any of the people who have ing to do with Brinkvale. She is living on the street
been hiring them—Cat, Rikki Nguyen, Piper Jane, and has done so for a long time. She has moments
etc.—will pay them to keep following this thread, of lucidity, but also moments where she yells gib-
because they know how much this could be worth. berish and nonsense.
The base rate will be 2,000 nuyen per runner, with She is easy to find because chefs at the Blind Pig
a bonus based on the quality of the information regularly slide her food. She has her favorite crate
learned. Whoever is serving as Mr. Johnson will by their dumpster, and she sits there and eats well.
tell the PCs to save their bargaining for that bonus Between meals, she has nowhere else to go, so she
payment. sits on her crate and sometimes naps.
The first step will be to analyze the data. That Since she likes her spot, she is not anxious to
means putting the PCs in touch with someone with leave, so she’ll question the PCs’ intent in asking her
medical expertise. So Mr. Johnson has them go vis- to go anywhere. If they mention Brinkvale, she’ll
it a BTL producer named Brinkvale (use stats for absolutely refuse to go with them, as she wants
College Professor, p. 166, Sixth World Companion). nothing to do with him. She says he kept trying to
Brinkvale was a researcher in NYU’s Institute push BTLs on her, and when she finally used one, it
of Biomedical Sciences, but he became frustrated messed up her head for a week. Then he wanted to
when lines of study he wanted to pursue kept be- scan her brain. She is not interested in that.
ing denied by the higher-ups. He now produces Promises of a nice place to sleep will not im-
experimental BTLs—some he calls “therapeutic,” press her, as she doesn’t trust strangers who offer
others he refers to as “sensory focus tools,” and he things like that out of the blue. She also doesn’t
has plenty of other jargon to discuss the ways he care about food, as she is fed well. If the PCs talk
tries to manipulate the mind. to her a little, though, they’ll find she has a signifi-
His BTLs are science-based, constructed with cant interest in music. The chance to hear live mu-
full knowledge of up-to-date research on brain sic—or better yet, participate in it (she likes to sing
functioning. He knows what areas he’s trying to and has a decent voice, all things considered)—will
trigger and what effect he wants to have. That persuade her to follow the PCs anywhere.
makes him a good candidate to review the files the The PCs always have the option of transporting
PCs found at the Octagon. her sedated or unconscious, but she needs to be
They can find Brinkvale in his apartment on the alive for Brinkvale’s purposes.
East Side. Since the PCs are referred by Mr. John- Once the PCs get Sigrid to Brinkvale, she won’t
son, he is happy to let them in. It’s a nice place— be happy, but she won’t flee, mainly because she

21: THE SEAT OF POWER // ADVENTURES

 knows she cannot outrun or outfight the PCs. She The first trick is noticing the hidden host, which
begrudgingly asks what he wants, and he says all requires an Electronics + Intuition vs. Firewall +
he wants is a brain scan. He promises not to give Sleaze test (the entrance to the host is disguised as
92 her BTLs or harm her in any way. a filing cabinet against one wall). Then the PCs will
He is good to his word. After he scans her brain, need to hack it to gain User access to enter the lab.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

he lets her return, unharmed, back to the Blind Pig. The virtual lab is not your classic sterile beaker-
Then he tells the PCs what he found. and-Bunsen-burner-filled room. Instead, it’s quite
Animus Construction is working on memo- like the faculty lounge, but with more desks and
ries—specifically, erasing them, maybe even al- AR displays. It also has a different vibe, as people
tering them. He warns them, though, that it’s an walk back and forth, looking at results and talking
extremely tricky thing to attempt. To explain why to one another, rather than just relaxing. They ini-
he says so, he shows a series of scans he made of tially won’t pay much attention to the PCs, as they
Sigrid’s brain, including when she used the BTL he figure anyone who enters is supposed to be there.
gave her. The BTL was designed to implant a mem- The PCs should quickly notice someone who
ory of relaxing on a sandy beach in the mind of the matches the description Brinkvale gave them of Dr.
user—not just make them feel like they were doing Sonya Peters (straight black hair cut short, 1.2 me-
it, but make a memory that they really had done ters tall, narrow brown eyes). The job after recog-
it. For a time, it worked on Sigrid, but her mind nizing her is convincing her to talk to them, as she
rebelled. It recognized the falsity of the effort and is far more interested in her work than in talking
rejected it. Sigrid briefly accepted it as a memory, to strangers. Here are some approaches the PCs
but then realized it wasn’t, and she became angry might try:
at the effort to trick her. That’s the primary reason • Discuss neuroscience with her. Dr. Peters is
she wants nothing to do with Brinkvale. He says a top-flight mind, so PCs will not just bluff
that what’s happening in Sigrid is what he has seen their way through the conversation, but PCs
happening in some Animus patients (he got a look with any sort of neurology-related Knowl-
at scans from some of the people who turned up in edge skill can make an Influence (Etiquette)
Central Park). Their work, as revolutionary as it is, + Charisma (4) test to start a conversation
seems to lose effectiveness over time. that interests Dr. Peters. Once they start
Brinkvale says this is extremely high-level—and talking to her, they should be able to steer
expensive—stuff. If they want to learn more about the conversation to their topic of interest.
who might be doing it, they need to talk to Brink-
• Threaten her. Threatening an e-ghost with
vale’ old boss: Dr. Sonya Peters at NYU. The bad
harm is difficult, as they no longer have
news is, she’s dead. The good news is, they might physical bodies that can receive pain. They
be able to find an e-ghost of her. can threaten de-rezzing, but any such threat
will lead Dr. Peters to immediately call secu-
Research Forever rity. Which is to say, threats are a bad idea.
The NYU Medical School host is sleek and • Con her into giving information. Whether
modern, with lots of polished metal and inlaid they present themselves as someone in au-
lighting. It prioritizes making people and places, thority or as an old friend, the PCs could try
especially classrooms, labs, and professors, easy to to persuade Dr. Peters they’re someone she
find. It presents the illusion that everything is on should talk to. This requires a Con + Cha-
the surface and plain to see. risma vs. Intuition + Willpower test, and the
Brinkvale clues the PCs to a secret. Word is PCs need two net hits to fully persuade Dr.
there is a way to access a secret lab from the fac- Peters to talk.
ulty lounge in the host. Further rumors say the • Hack her files for information. This is a chal-
e-ghosts of some professors inhabit that lab. That lenge, as Dr. Peters doesn’t have the informa-
is the place to look. tion the PCs want just sitting out in a file.
The faculty Matrix lounge is an attractive, Still, if they can gain Admin access in the lab
modernist space with large windows that regular- host, they can attempt a Hash Check action
ly shift their views—one hour it’s the Manhattan (Electronics + Logic [4]) to find thirty-two
skyline, then a mountain stream, then a white-sand documents that might have useful informa-
beach, and so on. At any time of day, about half tion. Decrypting them later will provide the
the seats in the lounge are occupied, and about a information described below.
quarter of those occupants are actually defender
sprites. Which means the PCs will have to tread The PCs can come up with other ways to con-
carefully. vince Dr. Peters as long as the gamemaster deter-
The faculty lounge is actually a separate host mines it’s reasonable. In all of this, remember to
from the rest of the Medical School. The secret lab keep track of the PCs’ Overwatch Score. The PCs
is a third host, connected only to the lounge host. can’t just sit in the hidden lab all day. The main

ADVENTURES // 21: THE SEAT OF POWER

goal is to show Dr. Peters the files from the Octa- contact could help them run it through some
gon and see if she recognizes anything about them. corporate databases, though for a fee (100
The PCs are in luck—Dr. Peters recognizes the nuyen per megacorp database searched).
work being done. She was approached by some Running the fingerprint through a Mitsuha- 93
people who wanted to do similar work a year ago ma database reveals the fingerprint belongs

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

(just before her death, as it turns out). They referred to Oscar Aparicio, General Services, Cor-
to their operation as Project Anima, a name the porate Level (that, of course, is corp-speak
PCs might recognize. She says they were from the for “person likely involved in some shadow
UCAS government—if she didn’t miss her guess, work”). If the runners call Mitsuhama and
they were CIA. After reviewing some of their pro- ask around, they’ll eventually be told that
posals, she turned them down, believing the speed Aparicio is out of the office. If they mention
of their research did not leave sufficient room for Anima or Animus, they’ll be given an ad-
ethics. She remembers, though, that they described dress where they might be able to find him:
the effort as a “public-private partnership.” They 400 West 181st Street.
did not want to disclose anything about their pri- • Hacking into the commlink can uncover its
vate investors, but she had a commcode she was recent movements. It was at Coney Island
supposed to call if it turned out she was interested. for a few hours before the PCs traced it, but
She gives it to the runners. before that it was on the north end of Man-
hattan, near the former site of the Washing-
Tracking the Code ton Bridge (also where 400 West 181st Street
would be).
The commcode Dr. Peters provides is not the
kind that’s just listed in an online directory. Calling Returning that information to the Mr. Johnson
it leads to a few clicks and beeps, with no voice who hired them will complete the mission and
message. No one will call back unless the message keep Mr. Johnson busy while they figure out what
left after the beep has the exact phrase, “memories it means. The information they retrieved is worth
are fleeting, even more so in these high-tech times.” a 5,000 nuyen bonus (increase the bonus by 500
Leaving that phrase (which would have to happen nuyen per net hit on an Influence test), If all they
with dumb luck, as there is no way the PCs would got was the commlink, Mr. Johnson can figure out
know it) will result in someone calling back and the information they missed, but they do not get
being willing to set up a meeting, which would the bonus.
make the PCs’ lives easier. Since that is extremely
unlikely, though, they’ll probably have to do things
the hard way.
The best option for the PCs is to hack the device
Hotspots
that answers the commcode, using either Brute The Blind Pig
Force or Probe and Backdoor Entry, then locate
it using Trace Icon (p. 180–184, SR6). The oppos- Restaurants in Manhattan come and go, but this
ing Willpower is 5. The PCs will need to succeed one has managed to last at least a few years. It fea-
on this test at least twice. The first time, they will tures contemporary French cuisine and is neither
see that the device they are tracing currently sits overly snobby nor high-priced, so it’s a good place to
in Brooklyn, way down near Coney Island. After enjoy a white tablecloth, dim lighting, and fine food.
about five minutes, they’ll lose the signal and will The staff is kind and down-to-earth, which is why
have to Trace Icon again. The device will have they are willing to serve up food to Sigrid.
moved, heading toward Manhattan on Ocean
Parkway. From this point on, the PCs will lose the NYU Medical School
trace every twenty minutes and will need to take
another Trace Icon action. The device will gener- Virtual Faculty Lounge
ally continue along Ocean Parkway but may veer Even adjunct faculty can feel like they belong
north and east as the PCs get closer. when they visit the Medical School Virtual Faculty
When the PCs find the device, they’ll see it’s a Lounge. The simsense coffee is not very stimulat-
commlink (Transys Avalon, device rating 6; for an ing, the refreshments are not at all filling, but the
extra obstacle, have some local hangers notice that atmosphere is classy and academic, and the views
an expensive commlink was dumped in the trash, are the finest digital vistas a university can sculpt
and they went to claim it for themselves). There is (generating and maintaining the graphics are as-
no data on the phone—no personal information, signments given to undergrads). The atmosphere
no messages, no call log, nothing. Careful PCs will is on the sleepy side, as it’s a place people go to
be able to pick up some clues from the link: unwind and be away from students.
• The individual who dumped the commlink The lounge features orange-and-white furniture
carelessly left a fingerprint on it. A corporate and light blue carpeting. One wall has a bookshelf

21: THE SEAT OF POWER // ADVENTURES

 that has digital access to NYU’s entire collection.
Next to another wall is a table with a coffee urn Who’s Who
and pastries that are entirely insubstantial but can Details about characters such as Sigrid and
94 fool you into thinking they taste good. Brinkvale are provided in the text where they are
The lounge is a separate host from the rest of introduced.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the NYU host, and it’s the only way to connect

to the secret lab host. The entrance to that host
is hidden behind a file cabinet next to the refresh-
Dr. Sonya Peters
ments table. Finding the hidden host requires an Dr. Peters was a respected expert on neurol-
Electronics + Intuition vs. Firewall + Sleaze test, ogy and brain functions, often sought after by
and then the host needs to be hacked to gain en- other experts. She was known for her ethics al-
trance (though one time-honored way of hacking most as much as her brilliance—she was very
is to con someone with access to give it to you). aware of the potential misuses of the knowledge
The furnishings in the virtual lab are similar she was acquiring, and she was reluctant to take
to the décor in the faculty lounge, but with more any move that would put control over the meta-
desks and AR displays and a more intense vibe. human mind into the wrong hands. She received
People move around a lot and talk to one another. many offers for partnerships that she turned
down because of her ethics.
She was approached by the CIA (though they
did not identify themselves as such) about working
on something called Project Anima about a year
NYU Medical School Host ago, and she turned them down. Not long after, she
Theme: Contemporary office structure, sleek and glassy.
was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive cancer
and passed within months of her diagnosis. By the
RATING A S D F time she passed, though, she was ready. She had
7 7 8 10 9 mapped her brain into the Matrix and uploaded it
as an e-ghost. Because she used university property
IC: Patrol, Binder, Track, Scramble
Notes: While the faculty lounge is technically a separate host, the two
to do the mapping, NYU gained control over the
hosts flow seamlessly together, and access to the medical school host al- e-ghost, which means she spends almost her entire
lows access to the faculty lounge. existence in the secret lab—which, truth be told,
is probably what she would have wanted anyway.
NYU Medical School
Faculty Lounge Host Dr. sonya peters
Theme: Modern furniture in a room with a great view. A S D F W L I C EDG
8 9 8 9 5 8 7 4 4
RATING A S D F
7 7 8 10 9 M-DR M-I/ID M-AC M-CM
17 15 +2D6 A1, I3 13
IC: Patrol, Binder, Track, Scramble, Jammer
Notes: The only way to access the secret lab host is through this host. Skills: Biotech 9 (Neurology +3, Medicine +2), Cracking 5, Electronics 7,
Engineering 6, Influence 4, Perception 4, Piloting 2
Qualities: Analytical Mind
NYU Medical School Gear: Virtual commlink (device rating 6), virtual cyberdeck (device rating
Secret Lab Host 6), virtual cyberjack (device rating 6)
Attacks:
Theme: An open office area where work and study results can be shared Data Spike [Cybercombat, DV 4, AR 17]
easily among those who are present.

RATING A S D F
9 10 9 12 11

IC: Patrol, Binder, Acid, Blaster, Sparky, Killer

ADVENTURES // 21: THE SEAT OF POWER

 22: enemy’s 95

enemy

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Cat’s new Mr. Johnson wants the team to look into whatever lower levels exist, map those areas
into an Aztechnology facility. with the MapMaster drones, hide the six transmis-
sion taps around the facility, and then get out with-
out being caught. Null sheen, right?
Hook
Cat sends out a short message to the team:
“Meet me in one hour, Clinton Castle, Battery Hotspots
City.” She doesn’t provide any more details over
the commlink and will not answer any direct calls.
Ilhuicaatl Holdings
After arriving at Battery Park, Cat can be seen Warehouse
just outside the walls of the old fort with an av- Ilhuicaatl Holdings is an Aztechnology-owned
erage-looking human male in a cheap business shipping company. The low, fortress-like warehouse
suit. Everything about this person shouts corpo- sits on the waterfront just north of the Clinton Cas-
rate wageslave, but Cat’s body language makes tle and includes a pier jutting out into the Hudson. A
you think she’s uncomfortable being near him. A number of bay doors allow cargo to move between
quick astral look will reveal the truth—this is an the building and ships at the pier. Large, remotely
anthrodrone with high-grade realistic features that operated cranes and cargo haulers line the pier to
are actually vat-grown human tissue. The question load and unload ships. There is a large, paved area
then becomes, who (or what) is rigging it? to stage trucks; on the street side of the warehouse,
The team gets a message in all of their com- bay doors allow trucks to move cargo in and out
mlinks as they approach. “Greetings, our designa- from the Manhattan streets. The warehouse only
tion is Explorer Primary 7, but you should refer to operates from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with numer-
us as Mr. Seven. Your associate Cat has accepted ous employees there during those hours.
our offer of information exchange, and in that spirit The outer perimeter is ten meters out from the
we have shared intelligence pointing to the location building, and the paved area consists of a pair of
of a portal to the metaplane Dis. In order to further three-meter wire fences topped with razor wire.
narrow the search area, we require a thorough in- There is a gap of three meters between the fenc-
vestigation of the Aztechnology facility located just es, and the inner fence has high-voltage warning
north of this green space. Specifically, we require signs on it. A blockhouse sits next to a large, au-
detailed maps of the lower levels and transmission tomated gate for vehicle traffic, and a smaller gate
taps placed in the facility’s off-Matrix host. We on the opposite side of the blockhouse allows
leave the customary negotiations to Cat.” foot traffic. The exterior of the building is well-lit
Once the team reaches the place where Cat and at night, and cameras cover the entire grounds.
Mr. Seven are standing, she gives her companion There are six guards (use Lone Star Patrolman,
a sideways look and makes the team an offer of p. 206, SR6) stationed in the blockhouse at all
5,000 nuyen each (negotiation raises the amount times, and three two-person teams constantly pa-
by 100 per net hit, maximum 6,000 apiece). Once trol the grounds. A separate guard station staffed
a final number is agreed to, Mr. Seven hands over by four guards sits on the pier, and two teams
a small backpack containing four Horizon Map- of two people patrol the pier. During off-hours,
Master drones and six devices that appear to be two additional two-person teams patrol the inte-
combination commlinks and data taps. rior of the warehouse. When not in use, the bay
doors are secured with rating 4 maglocks. Eight
The Job automated turrets can be seen on the warehouse
walls, one at each corner of the building and one
The job seems pretty straightforward: break centered on each wall. Each turret contains an
into the Ilhuicaatl Holdings warehouse, find a way Aztechnology-produced Ares Alpha clone loaded

22: ENEMY’S ENEMY // ADVENTURES

 with gel rounds and stun grenades. A security rig- The Lower Level
ger (use Minuteman Security Rigger, p. 206, SR6)
monitors the camera feeds and operates the tur- Twenty meters below the warehouse is a large
underground complex. It consists of a maze of
96 rets if necessary. There is a rating 5 Foundation
hallways connecting meeting rooms, storerooms,
host serving the building; it is used for logistics,
laboratories, hermetic lodges, libraries on esoter-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

inventory, and payroll. It also handles the build-

ing’s maglocks and cameras. It is monitored by ic magical topics, and the full-time residences of
a security decker (use Cutters Data Harvester, p. about eighty scientists and support staff, with an-
205, SR6) using a Renraku Shugosha cybertermi- other twenty dedicated security officers (use a mix
nal (DR 4, 7/6/5/4 with 7 program slots). of Lone Star SWAT Officer and Lone Star Combat
Mage, p. 207, SR6) and Matrix support for the
framework host. The complex buzzes with activity
twenty-four hours a day, so the team had better
Ilhuicaatl Holdings Host have a good story ready for why they are in the
(Foundation Host) facility. The most notable feature is a submarine
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
bay open to the Hudson that contains three small
6 5 7 8 5 2 2 dry submersibles similar to the Proteus Marianas
but lacking the deep-sea capacity (rated for 200
IC: Patrol, Acid, Blaster
meters depth).
Noise to the surface is 6, but it doesn’t seem to
be a problem for Mr. Seven, who will occasion-
The inside of the building contains rows of ally send a text suggesting a good location for a
shelving up to the roof fifteen meters overhead. transmission tap or park a MapMaster drone in a
Automated cranes and cargo haulers move around hidden location and then jump into another one.
the floor during the day but are idle after hours. The team will soon discover the facility is called
The exterior camera network continues inside the “Launchpad” and it exists to serve another nearby
building, arranged to provide line-of-sight every- facility referred to as “Airlock.” This other facili-
where inside the warehouse. Four rail-mounted ty is under Governors Island and it is the location
drones, matching the exterior turrets, provide in- of the portal. This fact can be discovered in sev-
terior firepower (treat these as turrets that can be eral ways. It can be deduced from the geomancy
moved to cover any interior location). The cen- charts in the hermetic lodge or gained from social
ter of the warehouse has a three-story building interactions with the facility’s employees. Jumping
containing offices, restrooms, maintenance, and into one of the submarines will reveal where the
other support services. There is a large freight el- ships have been traveling to, and the information
evator on the side of this building that seems out can also be gained directly from files in the offline
of place; it also looks like the only possible way framework host. If the runners do not gain the in-
into a lower level. formation on their own, Mr. Seven will eventually
The elevator door has a rating 6 maglock op- dig it out of the host through the transmission taps
erated by both a keycard and keypad; neither are and pass it along.
connected to the rating 5 building host. The el-
evator is operated by the wired rating 8 frame-
work host serving the lower level, and the host Who’s Who
is protected by a security technomancer (use Mr. Seven is covered in the Character Trove (p.
DocWagon HTR Support Engineer, p. 208, SR6). 145).
Once past the door, the team discovers the eleva-
tor control only has a single button paired to a
retinal scanner. A camera tied to the framework
host covers the elevator’s interior. One of the
Special Notes
Spyder will not be available for Matrix support
MapMaster drones activates on the way down;
on the mission, which means the runners are on
apparently, Mr. Seven is rigging it.
their own.

Aztechnology “Launchpad”
Host (Framework Host)
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
10 8 9 11 8 3 2

IC: Patrol, Tar Baby, Acid, Black IC

Notes: Wireless is not enabled, and all connections are hardwired.

ADVENTURES // 22: ENEMY’S ENEMY

 23: freedom 97

of the press

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook clues in the office
Another offer of a possible job comes in from Basic clues are in the list to start. Once Jinxy is freed,
Piper Jane. She wants to meet at her office at she’s too worried about Piper to keep her monad status a
17:00. She apologizes for the early meet, but the secret and reaches out to the runners on the Matrix.
job needs to get done tonight, and she wants the
team to have as much time as possible. Perception Test
When the runners show up, the first things they Threshold Info
notice are a lack of Jinxy in the hall, the office door 4 The bag holding Jinxy is a Far-
for Jon Nox is kicked open, and Piper’s door is aday bag, composed of metal
slightly ajar. Inside Piper’s office there appears to mesh that completely inhibits
have been a struggle, and Piper is not there. Inside all wireless signals. If the run-
Jon Nox’s office there is no sign of Nox—just a ners don’t know Piper’s secret
spray of bullets into the space and signs of clear- yet, it’s about to become ap-
ing the room. It doesn’t look like Nox was present parent as Jinxy will reveal her-
when the bullets were fired. Piper’s commlink is on self to help the runners.
the floor, and Jinxy is found in a bag under the desk. 4 The runners find a note scrib-
bled on the desk: “12:00;
50k¥; hurts MCT.”
The Job 3 A recording on Piper’s link
shows the assault team. They
There could be a job here, or the runners could all speak Japanese with a dis-
walk away from a solid contact. Piper set up a tinct accent (Memory 4 test
meeting but isn’t present when the runners arrive. if the observer speaks Japa-
The PCs need to track down where she is and why nese). They are all MCT per-
she didn’t show up. If the runners don’t go looking sonnel, using specific slang
and locate her, all future Piper jobs are off the ta- and keywords from the corp.
ble. Without the runner’s help, she will disappear 3 After Jinxy gets them access,
forever. See the Clues in the Office sidebar for hints they find communications be-
on where to start looking. tween Piper and a Mr. Johnson
she notes as having MCT ties,
Jinxy Data 5
setting up their next steps.
The runners locate a file con-
Jinxy, like both Piper Jane and Jon Nox, is a nected to this MCT Mr. John-
monad, with the special Matrix abilities monads son that includes the address
receive (see p. 76, Collapsing Now). She generally for a safehouse they have
communicates with Piper Jane only, but this is an used in the past, expressed as
emergency, so she reveals her true nature to the GPS coordinates and a build-
PCs. She does not talk but easily communicates ing level within Terminal.
with text messages.
Jinxy saw five men in nondescript body armor
come into the hallway via the stairs. Someone was
jamming the Matrix in the area. Jinxy ran for the jamming, but she wasn’t able to hold them off.
Piper’s door but was hit by a taser or something They hit her with Stick-n-Shock and tasers as well.
(runners find a Stick-n-Shock round in her fur if Jinxy lost connection with everything when they
they look close). She still managed to get a warning stuffed her in the bag.
to Piper, who started shredding anything with an She could hear muffled gunshots in the hallway
accessible wireless signal she could detect through after a door got kicked open. She also heard the

23: FREEDOM OF THE PRESS // ADVENTURES

98
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

men speaking Japanese. They talked about snag- city. Nox is better at tracking and detecting oth-
ging another monad, as if they do it regularly, er monads but needs a direction to start looking.
while discussing bringing in Jinxy as well. but the They also know Piper will have been Faradayed
company didn’t order them to get the cat, just the as well, making it tough to find her. The runners
monad Piper Jane. need some clues to get them going in the right
If the runners don’t know, Jinxy will tell them direction.
Jon Nox is also a monad and might be able to
help, too.
A free Jinxy can access the data Piper was keep-
Terminal Safehouse
ing in her own mental storage as they shared files The MCT team is there, but they have set up se-
on a regular basis. rious MCT-style defenses. Getting in is going to be
Jinxy and Nox can help track down Piper by a slugfest, but at least the location is buried deep
providing the file described in the Clues in the Of- in Terminal. As long as no explosive grenades get
fice sidebar with the safehouse address. The attack tossed, no one in the area is really going to care.
occurred around 15:00 (or whenever is conve- The site has Zero-Zone-style security but can-
nient if the runners were really early). If only one not extend that security out far, as they’re in tight
runner was present and socializing when the at- quarters in Terminal.
tack arrives, they’re welcome to join the fight, get Access to the site is a single alley entrance. At
knocked out, and then help out in the investigation the foot of the alley are two beaten up dump-
(but they need to go down). sters, both of which have seen better days, but
both contain a surprise. Inside each is a remote
turret loaded with a pair of SCK 100s and 100
Jon Nox Data rounds of standard ammo each. They have Pi-
They did not download details as often, but lot 4, Targeting 4, Body 3, and Armor 3, but the
Nox will share that they are a monad—a copy of dumpster bumps their total Defense Rating to
Piper, actually, but they diverged shortly after the 10. If you don’t have the proper RFID FoF indi-
fall of Boston as Piper went in to get news and cator, they open fire. As they open fire, garbage
instead got CFD from another muckraker in the and trash fly into the air, and some of it is on

ADVENTURES // 23: FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

fire. Mostly for cinematic effect, but the runners two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. There are no
could be distracted or use the fire to summon obvious exits, but beneath and behind one of the
something. toilets in the bathroom is a secret exit that leads
The alley is twenty meters long with two out to an Ares Roadmaster set up for a quick run 99
chained (Structure 6) doors on the right wall and up to the street.

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

one on the left. The two right doors lead to stair- Inside the facility are seven members of the
wells down to storage. The one on the left opens MCT Monad Hunters (all monads themselves,
to a missing stairwell, so instead of steps, there’s see p. 144). One is always in the Roadmaster,
a three-meter drop into a soggy basement. This is two are stationed near the front windows (which
important, as this is the only cover to take, since are accessed via a gangplank), two are stationed
as the two dumpsters at the far end of the alley, at the side windows (also on gangplanks), while
flanking the doorway to the safehouse, also con- the last two monitor the target (in this case Piper
tain turrets (two Yamaha Raidens, APDS ammo Jane). Piper Jane is in one of the bedrooms next to
[100 rounds], stun grenades [four each], Autopilot the guards, which has been made into a Faraday
5, Targeting 6, Body 4, Armor 4, dumpster bumps cage. It is the middle bedroom and has no exteri-
Defense Rating to 14). or window. Piper’s wrists and ankles are held by
Once the turrets engage, the team will join in plasteel restraints.
from two upper-floor windows. They will not open Piper will be very grateful to be rescued, but she
the door for anything, knowing that the access for still has work for the PCs. She will allow herself
the door is a killbox from the side windows. a little recovery time, then get back to work. She
Inside, the runners will find a small safehouse pays the PCs a lump sum of 10,000 nuyen to ex-
with seven rooms, including a kitchen, sitting area, press her thanks.

24: hit ‘em where

they live
Hook VIP Meeting” ARO floating above it. He waves
you over and motions for you to sit down. After
Silver Nail has gotten himself in some serious you sit, Fluffy takes everyone’s orders. As you are
trouble, and the worst part of it is, he’s not the one waiting, Silver Nail says, “I just received word of
who’s going to pay for his decisions. There’s a hit an assassination contract that’s going to be carried
out on some people who are important to him, and out tonight. It’s going down at a Spinrad Global
he needs to PCs to help him stop it. corporate dinner, and the targets are Mr. and Mrs.
James, who work for SG. I want you to help me

The Job stop it. I can pay each of you 12,000 nuyen for
this job.” Each net hit on an Influence + Charisma
The players receive a commlink message that Opposed test increases that figure by 500 nuyen
says, “It’s Silver Nail. I have a job for you all. The (maximum bonus of 2,000 additional nuyen).
pay is good, and you’ll be able to do something If anyone questions Silver Nail about his true
that makes a difference. I will be at Fluffy Duck’s identity, he says he has another job imminently af-
truck this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Whatever your ter this one and they can discuss everything at that
decision, the food is on me.” time. If the party continues to question him, he will
ask if they are interested in the job he has; if not,
he will leave.
Get It to Go If the team contacts El Guapo about the assas-
Today, Fluffy is at 112 West 50th Street near sination attempt mentioned by Silver Nail, he will
Radio City Music Hall. As you walk up, you see calmly ask them which one, then thank them for
Silver Nail seated at a table that has a “Reserved the information and tell them he has it covered. If

24: HIT ‘EM WHERE THEY LIVE // ADVENTURES

 they tell him about Silver Nail’s identity, El Guapo doubt El Guapo has offered you money to bring me
will tell them to keep him safe because there are back. I have a counteroffer for you, though. I have
a lot of security risks with the event and to bring to go back, I know that. But I don’t want to go back
100 him to the Spinrad Global office in the morning. If like that. Can you all help me create a good cover
the runners try to forcibly take Silver Nail, he will story? So I don’t get in as much trouble or create
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

try to evade with an Improved Invisibility spell or any other issues for my parents? I’ll give you the
use a Force 4 air spirit. Fluffy Duck will also join micro-brick with Double A’s MCT data on it, 6,500
the fight. nuyen, and the stuff I‘ve been using since I started
this charade. That includes my Yamaha Nodachi (p.
Black Tie Only 24, Double Clutch), Hermes Ikon, and a Defiance
Super Shock Taser.”
As the players dig for information about this
alleged assassination attempt, they will hear two
rumors. The first is that there will be a bomb lo- Now What
cated under the Jameses’ table in the ballroom of It should be clear to the players that this is all
the hotel hosting the event, and the second is that he can offer. Therefore, there is no negotiation un-
a sniper team is going to wait for them to leave. less it’s for future favors. The players only have to
Any threats or other calls sent in will be checked decide if they’re going to help Silver Nail or hand
out and quickly written off. Because of increased him over to El Guapo. El Guapo will pay a lump
security, the areas near the building that will be sum of 50,000 nuyen if they turn him over. If they
blocked off require anyone without an invitation decide to help Silver Nail, the players have the free-
to walk several blocks to get to the building. dom to create any cover story they want as long as
There is neither a bomb nor a sniper team. The it will not give Lex James or Spinrad Global bad
real attack comes from a team hired by the fix- press. He could have been kidnapped by a rival
er Cheli (see information about her on p. 81, and corporation, someone attempted to murder him to
see the Behind the Scenes section in this mission get back at the family, he was minding his own
for more on her role in this job), consisting of a business at the park and got mugged, was in a bad
combat mage (use Lone Star Combat Mage p. 207, car wreck, was in a coma—something along those
SR6), a rigger (use Minuteman Security Rigger p.
lines. If the gamemaster thinks the cover story is
206, SR6), and two bodyguards (use Marine Corps
really good, Silver Nail will appreciate their effort
Special Operations Forces p. 208, SR6). They are
and will become a contact with Connection 3 and
on the lookout for Silver Nail and are going to
Loyalty 4.
ambush and capture him. They plan to take him
quietly but will engage anyone in their path and The next day, there will be a big news blitz
escalate accordingly. about how a Spinrad Global executive’s child
Though Silver Nail will want to push forward
to make sure the Jameses are okay and help them what did he find?
away from the building, he can be persuaded to
retreat if things start to go wrong or too much at- Silver Nail found a data cache that was sent out by a
tention is drawn to him. If the players defeat Che- now-dead JackPoint poster going by the street name of Dou-
li’s team, the attention it creates will force them to ble A. The original purpose of the information was to warn
leave, assuming they want to avoid attention from JackPointers that MCT was working with the Null Sect.
building security and NYPD, Inc. Within the tens of thousands of pages of documents,
text, and messages in the cache, there is something even
more damaging. A group within MCT knew the Four Oyabun
Another Job Rengo would not approve of the plans to work with the Null
Sect. A large group of shareholders discussed in detail how
After Mr. and Mrs. James have been saved, Sil-
they could trigger a buy-sell clause in the original contract
ver Nail will ask that the team stay at his place.
to force the four Yakuza groups out of MCT.
It’s a middle-class apartment in a nice area of the
The cash necessary for the buyout will use a large
city. He says he’ll tell the players about the other
amount of liquid funds, making MCT’s cash flow challenging.
job after the Spinrad Global event is over. The rest After the Four Oyabun Rengo are removed, the group plans
of the evening, he is glued to Matrix feeds until to overinflate inventory values to hide the cashflow issue
Ervine and Gail James are seen getting into their from rivals and other competition.
limo and driving off. At that moment, it looks like The documents are dated and by themselves wouldn’t
the weight of the world has been lifted. be considered relevant. Recently, though, MCT surprised ev-
He sadly looks up at the players and says, “I only eryone by removing the Four Oyabun Rengo from the orga-
intended to get away for a little while, but I created nization. The information Silver Nail found, combined with
even bigger troubles. I believe you all know who I a thorough review of MCT bookkeeping, could give a small
am.” At that point, the image of Silver Nail chang- group of rivals the ability to damage the mighty MCT.
es to that of Lex James. He continues, “I have no

ADVENTURES // 24: HIT ‘EM WHERE THEY LIVE

was happily reunited with his family. The story Double A’s data cache. He took it to a troll hack-
will either be what the players created or what El er named Lucky Wizard, who was able to dig up
Guapo created, which is that a local go-gang that some hidden details. Silver Nail understood some
kidnapped him and attempted to ransom him off. of what he was looking at, but not all. He knew, 101
Fortunately, an SG strike team rescued him, and though, who might be able to help—one of his

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

he is home recovering. El Guapo will officially professors back at Columbia. Dropping his runner
take responsibility for the lack of security, and he disguise, he went back to Columbia looking like
informs everyone that new measures are now in himself, Lex James, corp kid and college student.
place to protect Spinrad Global personnel. He limited what he showed his professor to pro-
tect both himself and the information. Thanks to
his corporate education and upbringing and some
Who’s Who clarifications from the professor, he started to get
a better understanding of what he had stumbled
• See El Guapo in Character Trove, p 141. upon and why someone had tried to kill him. He
• See Silver Nail in Character Trove, p. 147. knew things are getting serious.
Unfortunately for Silver Nail, the professor was
Behind the Scenes not as trustworthy as he thought. Recognizing the
value of the information Lex showed him, the pro-
Silver Nail has caused a stir during his short fessor brought it to MCT for a cash reward. MCT
time in the shadows, and he set a few things in cheerfully agreed to pay him and asked where he
motion that led to the events of this mission. Here got the data; the professor shared that information
are some of the things going on that may prove to without a thought.
be relevant to the PCs eventually. Sadly, the next day, the professor was killed in
First, rumors have been trickling through the an apartment break-in gone wrong (after he died,
shadows about a runner who is actually the miss- there was of course no trace of a payment to him
ing child of some Spinrad Global executives. There from MCT). MCT is beginning to clean house.
are also stories about a substantial reward tied to Their next move is to draw Lex out, and they’ve
sharing the location of this kid with people at Spin- already made the Lex James/Silver Nail connec-
rad, a situation that promises to make Silver Nail’s tion. MCT has Cheli arrange for the hit on Mr.
positions in the shadows a little more challenging. and Mrs. James, hoping it will bring Silver Nail to
This has him thinking more seriously about the the spot of the planned assassination, where they
risks of his new career. can capture him and then perhaps talk about what
He ran into even more trouble when he received he knows.

25: the gift of

knowledge
Silver Nail has had quite a run, going from corp ing when he calls is natural. He invites them for a
kid to the streets and getting out of a few scrapes, chat at Fluffy Duck’s (of course) and tells them he
and now he has had enough. He decides to leave will make it worth their while.
the shadows, but before he does, he has one final
gift for the runners—a piece of information he
picked up in his adventures. The Job
The first part of the job is easy—Silver Nail
Hook buys the PCs a meal to thank them for their efforts
on his behalf. He tells them that he’s learned that
The runners should have built up a relationship maybe he’s not cut out for the shadows, so he’s
with Silver Nail (p. 147) by this point, so respond- getting out. If he gets any calls for new work, he

25: THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE // ADVENTURES

 promises to forward them to other runners—like The critical part comes at the end of the conversa-
the PCs, perhaps. tion. Mrs. and Mr. James stand up to leave and say,
Then he gets to the special bonus part of the “So we’ll hear from you on the depreciation matter?”
102 meal. He says that he started his path into the Stuart says, “Absolutely. In fact, I need to visit the
shadows because while his parents were ostensibly office now, so I can update you later tonight.” The
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Spinrad employees, he noticed them acting with Jameses agree this would be nice, and they depart.
increased secrecy, and he heard murmurs of some The PCs should understand that Stuart will lead
decidedly non-Spinrad work they were involved in. them to an Animus office, which would be a valuable
He decided to learn more about what they were up piece of information. So they should follow him.
to, and he spent a fair amount of his shadow career
looking into it. He is now going to turn over what
he learned to the PCs.
The Trail
He tells them that his parents were working for Following Stuart will be considerably more dif-
an organization named “Animus Construction.” ficult than eavesdropping on him. Though he looks
That should, of course, immediately grab the PCs’ mild-mannered, he is a trained covert operative
attention. Unfortunately, most of what he knows (use Covert-Ops Specialist, p. 83, SR6), and he will
will not be new to the PCs—he knows the own- not make it easy to follow him. The starting point
ership is shadowy, that there is a lot of medical of his journey is 48th Street and Park Avenue; his
expertise involved, and they seem to meddle with ultimate destination is 181st Street and the Harlem
people’s brains. He does, though, have two pieces River. A taxi would be the quickest way to trav-
of information of particular interest: el; he could also walk south, hit the 7 train, then
1) He overheard conversations between his par- transfer to the 1 heading north.
ents about some of the procedures not working as He does none of those things. His route is about
well as they thought. He says they compared it to trying to discourage any followers. Here’s what he
how the brain sometimes develops new pathways does.
after someone has a stroke—some things Animus • First, he rides the 4 train north to 86th Street,
thinks they are closing off are finding ways to re- though he gets off at 68th and runs two cars
surface. back, then jumps back on the train.
2) His parents are meeting someone tonight, • Next, he walks west, cutting through Cen-
and he thinks it’s related to Animus, so if the PCs tral Park. He walks along a footpath near
surveil the meeting, they might pick up some useful the reservoir, takings extra twists and turns
information. to see if anyone is following him. He then
continues to the west end of the park, where
he catches a cab.
The Meeting
• The cab goes west to Broadway, then heads
The meeting between Silver Nail’s parents and north. At 122nd, the cab goes west and drops
the possible Animus operative is supposed to take Stuart off at Grant’s tomb.
place at a Commerzbank Café, where you can
• Stuart acquired a soykaf somewhere, and he
drink soykaf and talk to a virtual financial adviser
sits near the tomb for a time and drinks it,
twenty-four hours a day. It’s a good spot because
watching his surroundings. After fifteen min-
it’s in the business district, so it’s safe, and no one
utes, he heads north to the West Harlem Piers.
ever actually hangs out at places like this, so it’s
fairly private. • He walks to the end of a pier and jumps into
The Jameses have a small table with a short, a waiting Samuvani Criscraft Otter (p. 297,
balding man in a navy-blue business suit who they SR6). He pilots the boat around the north
call “Stuart.” end of Manhattan and ties it up under the
Eavesdropping on the Jameses and Stuart will Alexander Hamilton Bridge. No other boats
not be difficult as long as the PCs are not glaringly are there, so pursuers would be obvious—
obvious about it (being rowdy shadowrunners or unless they’re really good.
clearly pointing a directional mic at them would • Once the boat is docked, Stuart walks to
count as “glaringly obvious”; situations like those the rebuilt escarpments of the Washington
will cause the Jameses to end the meeting early and Bridge. He walks behind a bench, then dis-
go home). They depend on the fact that they know appears (note that this is the same location
how to keep their conversations sounding entirely the PCs might have received the address to in
innocuous so that no one will pick up any crucial mission 21, p. 91).
information. They talk about their families and so- Stuart will be watching carefully for pursuit, so
cial outings in unremarkable ways, and when they he should get a point of Edge on any Perception
talk about work, it’s about making sure a contract test to notice it. If he sees any, he’ll approach them
is signed and a report is filed, without any details and ask if he can help them with anything. Then
on what might be in the contract or report. he says that if he sees them again, he will call the

ADVENTURES // 25: THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE

police—which he absolutely will do. He believes
his businessman cover is solid enough to withstand Hotspot
any police scrutiny.
Should the PCs attempt to follow Stuart, they’ll
Commerzbank Café 103
meet a couple of guards who are very interested This setting looks slick and modern, with con-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

in dissuading them from poking around any more toured plastic seating and designer lighting. It’s
(use DocWagon HTR Officer, p. 207, SR6). Any bright, friendly, and vacant, because no one likes
difficulty from the PCs will lead to the guards call- to have soykaf while an AR program gently asks if
ing the police, who will arrive within ninety sec- they’ve heard about the latest interest rates. There
onds. Should the PCs not be deterred, simply move are two hosts here, a rating 6 host to run the ads
to the part of mission 26 where they encounter the and a rating 9 host for financial data. A remote
Animus Construction site (p. 104). spider (use Seal Team 6 Counter-Electronics Com-
mando, p. 209, SR6) watches over six different
Commerzbank Cafés in the area.

26: off the grid

Information related to a second location owned to look out for other deliveries that might contain
by the Animus Corporation has surfaced, and useful info. The PCs will have seventy-two hours
someone is making a move not only to find that to deliver the packet once it’s in their hands. After
lab, but to have something specific delivered to it. that, the chip will erase itself and be no good to
anyone, so they’ll get no more payment.
El Guapo can answer some basic questions. No,
Hook the job doesn’t have anything to do with Silver
The characters are in possession of hot infor- Nail. The client does not want the PCs to harm
mation. El Guapo has been offered a new con- anyone in the course of this work. Should players
tract due to the recent bump in his reputation in want to haggle, make an Influence (Negotiations)
the Manhattan shadows. This time he’ll invite the + Charisma vs. Willpower + Intuition Opposed
PCs to meet him at the sushi bar Mamasushi be- test, with each hit netting a bonus 2,000 nuyen to
tween New Harlem and Washington Heights. He’s a maximum bonus of 10,000 nuyen, but the run-
got a booth with privacy dividers (built-in white ners owe El Guapo two favors. If they don’t agree
noise generator rating 3) and will greet the PCs as to the favors owed, he can’t offer them the bonus
friends offering dinner on him. Once people get regardless of the negotiation outcome.
started eating, he’ll start his approach like this:
“I’ll just get down to it, if you don’t mind. It
seems our past efforts have led to some successes The Job
for us, and a new client is asking for your services. The goal is simple: Deliver the data packet,
They want you to deliver a data packet to a place untampered with, to the Animus Construction lab
I believe you already have some knowledge of. The the players learned about in mission 21, The Seat
data is on a secure RFID chip, thoroughly encrypt- of Power (p. 91). As El Guapo explained, this is
ed.” The offer is a 10,000 nuyen lump sum upfront, a clinic and lab, but it gets a fair amount of data
then another 30,000 nuyen once the job is done, going in and out via delivery. Dropping the data
though the exact total depends on what the PCs off is simple—they can tell the receptionist they
manage to learn while in the lab. They’re advised have a message, and they will be told to wait. Af-

26: OFF THE GRID // ADVENTURES

 ter about ten minutes, someone will come get the tected by a Data Bomb (rating 6). The message on
data packet from them. The real job is to use the the data chip can be played and replayed without
time to get more paydata while they’re in the lab. harming it or triggering the Data Bomb. The data
104 Use the details in the Hotspots section to shape on it is heavily encrypted (rating 10, with Data
how the PCs function in this facility. Bomb). The file is a recording of a synthesized voice
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

The first job of the PCs will be getting past secu- expressing the desire for a meeting with some di-
rity. The PCs can try stealth, fast talking, force, or rectors of Animus Construction in just a few days
whatever else they come up with, though anything (see p. 114 for more details on the message). They
too obvious (such as force) has significant draw- give a secure drop address for the response.
backs thanks to the rapid police response time. If the PCs leave the lab with the chip, they will
Poking around the labs, clinic rooms, and offices receive their full promised payment. Any other re-
of the small facility will draw attention, so the PCs sult leads to reduced payment. The meeting will
will have to be careful. The most relevant infor- still happen (see mission 30, p. 114), as Dr. Salinger
mation they will find—new info that differs from will be informed of it through other means.
what they found in the Octagon—will come in the
Special Delivery section below.
If the PCs are detected and captured, they are in Hotspot
trouble, because they are in a bad place to not be in
control of their own bodies. They will quickly be Animus Construction:
sedated and “adjusted,” meaning their memories Clinical Operations
of the past few hours will be erased, and they will
be dumped in Central Park. This facility is located beneath the rebuilt es-
carpments on the west side of the former Wash-
ington Street Bridge site. The information the PCs
Special Delivery obtained gave the location and even an address
At some point while the PCs are in the lab, a (400 West 181st Street), but there is no building
messenger arrives. They are carrying a black metal with that actual street address. They also have no
box, five centimeters by three centimeters by two pictures of the facility.
centimeters. It has a biometric lock (rating 4) set to After the earthquake and subsequent recon-
unlock via thumbprint. The metal is decently strong struction and reinforcement of the escarpments,
for a small box (Structure rating 10). The messenger many construction records were lost. A series of
has instructions to deliver it directly to Dr. Rose Sa- maintenance accessways built into the new escarp-
linger. The path of the box goes like this: ments have been since converted into what is now
an Animus Construction location. These have been
• The messenger (use stats for Pickpocket, p. hidden by a complex array of measures, magical
170, Sixth World Companion) talks to securi- and otherwise.
ty, telling them they have a message to be de- There are two ways to enter the facility. A pe-
livered personally to Dr. Salinger. Security says destrian access is disguised behind a bench along-
they will give it to her, but the courier says they side a public access path and bike route. There is
have to put it right in the doctor’s hands. This a vehicle access by way of a parking garage two
wrangling proceeds for two minutes. full blocks onto the island beneath what was once
• The messenger is sent to patient room 5, the a U.S. postal facility, a spot now owned by Citi-
second door on the right past the security Group. Both are camouflaged by combinations of
room. They wait there for ten minutes. high-end holography and advanced smart-materi-
• After ten minutes, Dr. Salinger’s assistant al-infused ferrocrete combined with rotating ser-
comes to pick up the box. The courier once vice vehicles in the garage and the occasional meta-
again explains that they cannot give it to human-disguised anthroform traversing along the
anyone besides Dr. Salinger. This conversa- path and bike route. Triggers for gaining access to
tion lasts two minutes. either location are by way of authorized, passive
• Finally, the assistant escorts the courier down RFID technology for staff or vehicles.
the hall to the last door on the right. This is Visually penetrating the camouflage requires
Dr. Salinger’s office. When the assistant and
courier arrive at the door, it opens, and a
woman in a medical coat holds out her hand. drone watching
The courier gives her a once over and then Some of the joggers in the area are actually anthroform
places the box in her hand. The doctor goes drones. Spotting this requires an Electronics (Hardware)
back into her office, and the courier leaves. + Intuition (4) test using sensors or Perception (Visual) +
Intuition (5) using sight. Use the stats for the Shiawase Bi-
If the PCs intercept and open the box, they’ll drone Man-at-Arms (p. 117, Double Clutch). If Animus notic-
find a data chip with a message on it. It is pro- es any attempts to hack the drones, they will immediately
call NYPD, Inc.

ADVENTURES // 26: OFF THE GRID

a Perception (16, 1 hour) test at either location, security measures present within the tunnels include
made more complicated by actual traffic or the two metahuman personnel (use DocWagon HTR
wandering drones. Attempting to penetrate by Officer, p. 207, SR6), and two security overwatch
way of an Astral (Aura) (3) test will only reveal personnel (use Delta Force Logistics and Support 105
that the area is consistently in use. MAD scanners Rigger, p. 209, SR6) in the host always. Two magi-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

and related surveillance technologies must defeat cians are on duty at any time (use Lone Star Combat
an Electronics + Logic v. twice rating (10) test to Mage, p. 207, SR6, raise Astral and Sorcery both
detect the presence of the RFID scanners. Police re- by +2, and add Trid Phantasm and Sensor Sneak
sponse time is rapid, and they can be on site within spells). The security host is a rating 8 hardwired
a minute of being summoned. host, with wireless service to it only provided once
inside the facility, as the facility is considered to be
inside a Faraday cage (p. 177, SR6).
The facility has a security area that serves as a
Garage Functionality final checkpoint once people clear the wards and
How do cars get in and out of the relatively tight garage? doors. Behind that is a fifty-meter-long hallway.
During their observation, a van is driven into the servicing On the left side are doors leading to a series of labs
garage for CitiBank. Should the runners follow it and wish to and patient rooms, six altogether (three of each
remain unnoticed (Stealth [4]), they will witness other vehi- type of room). The right side has two more patient
cles rotate as if on turntables to make room for the van to rooms, an employee break room, and four offices
drive right between them straight through the wall. (in that order proceeding from the security room).
All doors are protected by rating 6 maglocks set to
unlock with authorized users’ thumbprints.
Both entries are shielded by wards (rating 9) Anyone who brings a commlink into the facility
that are concealed and masked to prevent detection is asked to put it in a wireless-inhibiting bag. Staff
placed within the physical walls (thus not visible typically leave personal commlinks at home. Data
from outside, even if someone is assensing). Force from the facility is stored on a wired host (rating
6 spirits of air and beasts patrol behind the wards 10); available data is similar to that found at the
and alert staff if the wards are breached. Physical Octagon (see p. 90).

27: below the

barracks
After analyzing the Aztechnology data, Mr. Sev- pared antelope, traditionally spiced vegetables, and
en believes the location of “Airlock,” the Dis gate- a few drinks, Cat is willing to talk about the job.
way mentioned in mission 22, Enemy’s Enemy (p. She relates that Mr. Seven has sorted through all
95) is under Governors Island. The team is hired to the data from the Aztechnology run and it believes
confirm that theory. the “Airlock” facility is indeed the portal to Dis.
It was also able to pin down a location, a cave lo-

Hook cated under the Ares-controlled Governors Island.

Aztechnology is using the submarines to access an
Cat messages the team and invites them to underwater entrance to the cave system, but Mr.
have lunch with her at the Waldorf-Astoria’s Bear Seven wants the team to scout the island and see if
Lodge. The reservation has “private lunch, party of there is another way into the cavern that bypasses
seven,” and the end of the message says “dress ap- Aztechnology security at the submarine dock. Spy-
propriately.” Upon arriving at the art deco luxury der has been busy running stealth drones with LI-
hotel, the team is escorted to a private dining room DAR scanners over the island, looking for any nat-
in its Amerindian-themed restaurant. Cat and Spy- ural cave entrances. He pulls up an AR map with
der are already there. After a plate of superbly pre- four locations marked out as worth investigating.

27: BELOW THE BARRACKS // ADVENTURES

 Cat’s initial offer is 6,000 nuyen per team member
to scout the island and find a way into the portal
cavern. If the team fails to find a way in from the
106 surface, they will need to scout the Aztechnology
submarine dock to see how strong security is at
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

that entrance.

The Job
First task is to get onto the island. After that,
the cave leading to the portal needs to be found.
The location is unspecified, so searching the caves
can take as much or as little time as the gamemas-
ter wants it to. The cave to the portal can be the
first one found or any of the later ones inspected.

Hotspots
Governors Island
The island is an extraterritorial property owned
and operated by Ares. It’s used as a training acad-
emy for both Knight Errant officers and Ares spe-
cial operations teams. There are no roads to the is-
land—all transportation to and from uses a fleet of
Ares-owned rotorcraft and watercraft operated on
a regular schedule. At any one time, there will be
between fifty and sixty instructors (all Professional
Rating 7 to 10 NPCs, p. 208–210, SR6) and an-
other 300 to 400 trainees (all Professional Rating
3 to 8 grunts, p. 206-208, SR6) representing a mix
of combat, magic, hacking, and rigging specialists.
This means that if the run goes sideways, Ares can
muster essentially unlimited opposition.
Security around the perimeter of the island is
heavy, but it tapers off quickly after moving on-
shore. Pairs of rotodrones armed with Ares Al-
phas (gel ammo and stun grenades) circle the is-
land at fifty meters above sea level on a regular
patrol schedule, timed roughly two minutes apart.
Various types of summoned and bound spirits are
also stationed along the perimeter of the island
with orders to engage anyone coming ashore at a
non-authorized location. These spirits are spaced
50 to 100 meters apart and are typically Force 4
to Force 6. There are ten anti-vehicle missile bat-
teries placed around the perimeter of the island at
300-meter intervals, all tied into the island’s rat-
ing 6 sensor network designed to detect unautho-
rized sea or air traffic. The sensors are mounted on
towers located at 100-meter intervals around the
island’s perimeter and include cameras with ther-
mographic capability that monitor the area. The
sensors, cameras, missile systems, and patrolling
rotodrones are all wirelessly connected to a rat-
ing 9 Foundation-style security host, protected by
an expert security decker (use Seal Team 6 Count-
er-Electronics Commando, p. 209, SR6).
The areas used by personnel are all surrounded

ADVENTURES // 27: BELOW THE BARRACKS

by three-meter-high stone walls topped with razor The Airlock Facility
wire. The reason for this is apparent once the run-
ners are on the island for a while—all areas not Past the door is a large (fifty by ninety meters)
low ceilinged (two to four meters) cavern filled
actively in use are overrun with feral basilisks (p.
with stalagmites and stalactites. The entire area
107
126, SR6). Roll 1D6 every 15 minutes spent out in
is dimly lit by electric lights and a flickering pur-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the unoccupied areas of the island; on a roll of 1,
the PCs encounter a hungry basilisk. ple light source near the center. The cavern slopes
away at an angle, and the far side dips into a pool
The Caves of water with the ceiling eventually disappearing
All four of the possible locations marked by into the water as well. Near the shore is a small
Spyder are in the unoccupied areas of the island. metal dock and a number of prefab buildings
Unless the runners made a lot of noise getting there, with electric lighting; several metahumans, some
they will not have to deal with any Knight Errant in Leopard Guard–styled body armor and carry-
ing weapons, can be seen around the building. The
light at the center of the cavern is twenty meters
away from the metal door, and the rock forma-
Ares Governors Island tions provide plenty of cover for anyone sneaking
Facility Security Host closer. The light is being generated by a shimmer-
ing energy field contained in the oval opening in
(Foundation Host) the center of an elaborate carved stone arch. The
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE arch looks like a natural formation, and the carv-
11 9 10 12 9 3 4 ings are time-worn. Banks of electronics and sen-
IC: Patrol, Track, Tar Baby, Acid, Blaster
sors surround the arch, with cables snaking across
the floor leading back to the waterside buildings.
While the team is watching, the light from the arch
employees. If KE comes out looking for who is on flares brightly, and a group of six metahumans
the island, it will take twenty minutes to get things steps out of the shimmering energy field and moves
organized, and the response will consist of several to the buildings. There are no wireless signals from
ten-person fire teams. Two of the locations marked any of the equipment in the cavern, but the arch
by Spyder turn out to be just shallow rock shelters, is generating electromagnetic interference equal to
and the third is a small cave currently being used 16 noise.
as a basilisk nest, with two adults and six hatch- If the runners decide to investigate the under-
lings (divide the stats of adult basilisks in half). water entrance from the bay, they will discover the
The fourth possible location is also a small cavern, cavern is blocked with a heavy security grate (bar-
but the back wall consists of loosely piled broken rier rating 18) operated by a keycard-like device
rocks that looks like they were deliberately placed built into the manipulator arm of the Launchpad
to block an opening. As the team enters the cavern, submarines. A wire fence reaching the ceiling sepa-
two Force 6 spirits of fire (placed here by Aztech- rates the water from the buildings; it can be electri-
nology) manifest and attack the runners. fied (DV 10S) at the flip of a switch. Tripod-mount-
Once the spirits are dealt with, the rock debris ed Aztechnology Strikers and Stoner-Ares M202s
can be moved out of the way with an extended behind blast shields can be seen just past the fence.
Body + Strength (40, 10 minute) test; multiple If necessary, use Renraku Red Samurai, p. 208,
workers can contribute to the total hits needed. A SR6, for the Leopard Guard. There is a wired rat-
spirit of earth working to clear the rock doubles ing 8 host serving the Airlock research facility, and
its number of hits on the test. The cavern system the host is protected by a security technomancer
winds down under the island and eventually a (use DocWagon HTR Support Engineer, p. 208,
large metal door with a high-quality mechanical SR6).
lock (rating 6) will be encountered.

Aztechnology “Airlock”
Host (Framework Host)
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE
10 8 9 11 8 3 2

IC: Patrol, Tar Baby, Acid, Black IC

Notes: Wireless is not enabled, and all connections are hardwired.

27: BELOW THE BARRACKS // ADVENTURES

108 28: the cost
of the press
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook Animus Construction, saying only that she’s reach-

ing out to all her street contacts and how happy
Piper, recovering from her recent abduction, she is she met them. She heard about the runners
contacts the runners with a warning. It seems the from a Cheli, the fixer who tried to take them out
interview contractor has fed tidbits to the press- previously (p. 81).
sharks, and they’re ready to come after the runners
to get the scoop. Encounter 2:
Problem is, they’ll also be nipping at each oth-
er, and as much as Piper wouldn’t mind seeing her It’s a Trap!
muckraking competition dwindle a bit, she’s nev- The runners are contacted by May O’Shay (use
er in favor of losing good data diggers over some News Reporter, p. 169, Sixth World Companion)
black-book scheme. for a job meet. If pressed, she claims to have gotten
Her warning comes just in the nick of time, as their number from Swen Rellik. The truth is, she
the first of a series of problematic encounters tar- hacked Swen’s commlink and stole their contact
get the team member with the highest Reputation info, but Swen isn’t aware of that. If the runners
or Heat. After that, the encounters occur sporadi- check with him, he’ll tell them he knows her, she’s
cally over a few days until the runners get a chance a solid reporter, and he may have mentioned them
in Encounter 4 to come together with the snoops over drinks with her at some point.
and look at what’s really going on. May wants to meet the runners around 23:00 at
Club Neo in The Pit. She mentions that it’s current-

The Job ly closed for renovations, but the owner still lets
her use the back room for meetings. She says she’ll
Sometimes just managing to get through each leave the rear entrance in the alley open and meet
day is a job! That’s the runners’ struggle through them inside at 23:00.
these four encounters, as the newshounds start Club Neo is closed for renovations thanks to
barking (and biting) up their trees. some recent gang violence. May is waiting inside
to meet the runners, but she has hired another run-
ner team to take them down so that she can ques-
Encounter 1: Bad Day tion them about what they know.
to be Infamous The other team has a similar make-up to the
PCs’ team (generally, their skills are 2 ranks low-
The runner with the highest Reputation or Heat er than those of the PCs, and their attributes 1
score is targeted by a trio of gangers (use Sons of Sau- rank lower). They have two extra members, both
ron Brute, p. 205, SR6) in the employ and compa- of them muscle (use Mafia Debt Collector, p. 205,
ny of Bailey West (use News Reporter, p. 169, Sixth SR6). After the runners have come in to meet
World Companion). Bailey is a simsense reporter with May, the other team emerges from a build-
who records her own live feed to sell to screamsheets ing across the alley and comes through the rear
and data havens. She hangs back from the gangers as door, non-lethal attacks blazing. They use guns
they try to knock out the runner and is hoping she and spells, avoiding anything with an area effect
can swoop in for the save, gaining the runner’s confi- so as not to harm May.
dence and an inside track for her story. She’s charis- May seems suspicious because she takes cover
matic, smart, and willing to play the long game. After a little too quickly when the attack occurs (Percep-
the gangers attack, she offers to be a new contact for tion [3] test to notice). If the attack is successful,
the runner, whether she saved them or just came to the team wakes up in restraints with May asking
check on them after the “senseless violence.” questions about their work in Manhattan. If the
If the connection is made, she’ll call the runner attack fails, May claims the attack is the runners’
in the next few days looking for information on fault and they’re too hot to hire right now. She

ADVENTURES // 28: THE COST OF THE PRESS

says, though, that she’d love to buy some data on If the runners remember Piper’s warning call,
any big work they’ve been doing lately. She’ll try they can gain a lot of favor with her if they keep
to keep their attention on making money from her. the reporters safe from each other.
If she notices they are searching commlinks, May Dutch’s job offer is real but gets disrupted by 109
will try to get away as quickly as possible before the trouble, after which he suggests the runners

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the runners can find her contact info on their at- stay in town and sort out their issues.
tacker’s commlinks.
Encounter 4:
Encounter 3: Truce or Dare?
Best Frenemies The reporters who have survived their encoun-
The runners get a call from a Manhattan fixer ters, along with Piper, want to meet the runners
named Dutch (use Fixer, p. 212, SR6). He says the and talk about what’s been happening. They let the
runners are hot, but he has a few job offers out of runners set the time and place in order to feel safer
town that should take long enough to get the heat after all the ambushes.
off but keep their credsticks stuffed. He wants to All of these reporters have been under surveil-
meet at 45th and 11th, a few blocks from the Lin- lance by the UCAS CIA, and the meeting plan is
coln Tunnel, and tells the runners to be ready to compromised. The CIA aren’t keen on all of these
roll through the tunnel after the meet. snoops getting together and realizing they’ve been
Dutch is being watched by two different new- used. They send a hit squad (use two DocWag-
shounds, both of whom catch wind of his plan to on HTR Officers, p. 207, SR6; Lone Star Com-
meet the runners and set in motion their own plan bat Mage, p. 207, SR6; DocWagon HTR Support
to capture a member of the team to get informa- Engineer, p. 208, SR6; six Mafia Soldatos, p. 207,
tion from. SR6) to the meet site to target the reporters, in-
Kelly Roberts hires a bounty hunter duo named cluding Piper.
Payday (use Street Samurai, p. 87, SR6; add gas The runners need to protect everyone so they
grenades and gel rounds in a silenced Ares Al- can sit down and all have a nice chat about who
pha) and Badger (use Street Shaman, p. 88, SR6; they got these tips from and start solving the mys-
add gas grenades and Stick-n-Shock rounds in a tery of who is playing them.
silenced AK-98; Wolf mentor; Stunball spell) to
capture any member of the team. They’re good at
their job and will go after the most isolated runner,
if there is one.
Special Notes
Brik Butler calls in a favor with a local sum- Once the runners have dealt with the assault
moner (use Combat Mage, p. 82, SR6) to do much team, they are definitely the focus of all the
the same as Roberts but looks to bring down a muckrakers, and they start offering pay for pay-
few or the whole team using a cadre of summoned data—they pool together 30,000 nuyen and pay
spirits: Force 4 Spirit of Air (p.147; add Fear), Spir- it out based on how much quality information
it of Earth (p.148; add Concealment), Spirit of Kin the PCs decide to share (GM discretion). Con-
(p.148; add Movement), Spirit of Water (p.148; versations here can also start to go both ways
add Confusion). and fill in more details for the runners to get
When both show up at the meet with their re- them ready for the final aspects of this campaign
spective hires, they split their attention between where they need to decide what to do with the
the runners and their fellow newshound. data they have.

28: THE COST OF THE PRESS // ADVENTURES

110
29: the gala
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Hook connect with allies and enemies they’ve developed

up to this point. Any of the runners’ fixers or John-
The Met Gala is the social event of the season. sons may contact them to get them involved in this
Therefore, this isn’t so much a single adventure but day’s events. The first contact will come directly
a series of opportunities for the runners to get in- from Bailey West.
volved in various ways. The runners will be asked Keep the action flowing. At the conclusion of
to take on multiple jobs with little time to prepare a mission—or even during one—have their com-
and practically no time in between. The rewards mlink buzz, offering them the next job. This puts
presented by the highest echelon of New York’s so- them in control of their interests. They get to de-
cial society, though, should be worth the risk. They cide what jobs they want or are able to take. The
won’t be able to do everything, but there are plenty runs are organized into three time slots. They ei-
of chances to load up their credsticks. ther take place before, during, or after the gala.
The Gala is a who’s who event. Everyone wants
an invite, but not everyone gets one. Multiple corp
executives are also at the gala, but not listed as Pre-Party Activities
celebrity guests. The list below is a sample of the Each of the missions in this section takes up to
notable faces present. two hours to complete, including travel time. This
means the runners should be able to take on three
Making Contact of the five missions in this section, including the
initial contact. Once they are underway with the
The missions move the runners across the city, first job, have contacts call with the other missions.
creating opportunities to revisit locations and re-
Anything for a Story
a sampling of met gala Bailey West contacts the runners just after 11
celebrity guests a.m. with an urgent request. She learned that Ga-
brielle Al Thani Spinrad manipulated events to
• Keiiha of the Lake Louise centaurs
• Nadja Daviar and Ryan Mercury
force an “accidental” meeting between herself and
• Katrina Thyssen
Miles Lanier at an exclusive pre-party at an event
• Mary-Beth Tyre space tucked away in the east village. When she
• Buttercup reached out to one of her muckraker contacts to
• Leslie Lockhart confirm, he decided to take the story himself and
• Jonathan Blake and Miranda King take her out. She’s now pinned down in New
• Karen King Harlem with a shadow team stalking her, and she
• Miles Lanier needs to get into that party!
• All members of the MDC She asks the runners to extract her from her lo-
• Gabrielle Al Thani cation, and since she already missed her way in,
• Claudia Romanov sneak her inside so she can do her job. The party
• Becky Wu Ping starts at 1:00 p.m., and the clock is ticking. West
• Kimama Edmo of Complectogram doesn’t have any money to offer, instead she of-
• Erebus & Cerberus (the performer, not the AI) fers paydata on Carol McTavish and her shell cor-
• Reese Frenzy poration Lighthouse Industries that could expose
• Daelan Green, Mitsuhama Ronin McTavish’s employer. She believes it is data the
• Katarina Chu, Social Influencer runners could use either to extort McTavish or sell
• Kiana Mahi’ai, Draco Foundation Magical Inno- on the open market.
vation Winner, 2082 Bailey is holed up in an Ares-run elementary
• Asa Holmgren, Draco Foundation Technological school near 150th and Broadway. The pursuing
Innovation Winner, 2082

ADVENTURES // 29: THE GALA

team of runners is composed of four street samurai Ahma’s Ambush
(use Renraku Red Samurai, p. 208, SR6) led by a
Ahma Yoshida discovered that someone hired
combat mage (use Combat Mage, p. 82, SR6). The
the Battery Boys to ambush her GSG caravan on
school is closed, and the runner team is moving the way to the Met Gala. Gangers pose no real 111
room to room trying to find her. threat to her or her security, but a running street

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

The event space is a converted synagogue battle would heap negative press on the Nagato
in the middle of a block of low-slung residenc- Corporation. She sends an officer of the GSG to
es. In addition to the main entrance, there is a offer the runners 1,000 nuyen each to stop the
rear doorway that opens to a narrow alley that gangers before they attack. There is an additional
the building shares with other buildings on the 1,000 nuyen for each of them if they can find out
block, and a side entrance that leads to a small who hired the Battery Boys and why.
outdoor space surrounded by the other build- Finding the Battery Boys is simple enough, as
ings on the block. All three exits are guarded by the group is already bragging about what they are
plainclothes security from Centurion Services about to do. Runners will need to succeed on a
International (use Centurion Security, p. 140, Connection + Connection (2) test to figure out the
Firing Squad). The rooftop is sloped and has a group is gathering at a closed-down Stuffer Shack
hatchway entry point, which is locked. It may be in Battery City. There are fifteen gangers prepar-
picked with an Engineering + Agility (6, 1 com- ing to attack the caravan. By the time the runners
bat round) Extended test. While no security is arrive, they will have loaded up the first six in one
guarding the roof entry, there is an officer pa- of three late-model Toyota Gophers (use Eye Five
trolling the top level of the facility. Go-Ganger for the Battery Boys, p. 204, SR6).
The gang was hired by a fixer named Miles
Little Dog Lost Tran (use Face archetype, p. 85, SR6) who works
Heiress and social influencer Katarina Chu the area between Battery City and the Internation-
is known for two things: her ever-changing hair al District. Runners who use their local contacts
color and her genetically modified corgi named to learn about the fixer will need to succeed on
Chow. Katarina was on her MeFeed broadcast- a Connection + Connection (5) test in order to
ing her preparation for tonight’s gala while her determine that Tran is camped out at Bar 24, a
noted Triad location whose name is pronounced
assistant walked Chow on the west side of Cen-
in Mandarin as “easy to die.” Tran is protected by
tral Park. He was attacked and beaten by a group
six Triad soldiers scattered throughout the crowd-
of thugs who stole Chow and raced off into the
ed bar (use Mafia Soldato, p. 207, SR6) as well as
woods. They contacted her soon after, asking for
his personal protector, a Wolf shaman named Zee
a 500,000 nuyen ransom. She considered calling
(use Street Shaman archetype, p. 88, SR6). He is
the cops, but she couldn’t afford the press. So in-
relaxing in a booth with Zee and will have the run-
stead, she called Eager, and he called the runners.
ners removed if they approach him. Tran works
Chow is tagged, and the locater suggests the dog
for the Red Dragon Society. He will not answer to
is alive and in the North Woods of Central Park. the runners unless forced. If the runners manage
Find Katarina’s lost dog before something awful to make him talk, he confesses that the attack on
happens—something like her being late to the Met GSG was intended to force the security force into
Gala, or worse, having to show up without her a street battle, during which innocents would be
prized companion. Chu is open to paying 4,000 killed, causing the elite guard and the Yakuza they
nuyen for the safe return of her companion. She are affiliated with to lose face. That, however, is
is at a disadvantage, given how upset she is over not the entire story. If pressed further, he will admit
the loss. The runners gain a point of Edge during that Wuxing funded the operation, as their inter-
negotiations due to this. ests aligned in this particular matter.
It turns out the people who dognapped Chow
were a trio of street kids who took her to the
North Woods to hide out and ask for ransom. Un- Arriving by Train
fortunately, Chow is in heat, and that drew a pack The runners are contacted by a muckraker con-
of nine Hellhounds that live in the park’s North tact (Piper or any of the others they’ve connected
Woods (use Hellhound, p. 218, SR6). The animals with save for Bailey West). They have a scoop on
killed the trio of dognappers and decided to make the Gala and need the runners to help them get
Chow part of their pack. The runners will need to eyes on it. The Met Gala is infamous for its secre-
subdue the Hellhounds as well as Chow, who has cy. No press is allowed inside the event, so no one
no intention of leaving her new companions. beyond the exclusive guest list ever knows what
Successfully completing this mission will net the goes on inside. They got a tip from a contact that a
runners an important contact in the social scene— special train will be arriving at Grand Central con-
Chu is Connection 4, Loyalty 2. taining a shipment to be delivered to the Met for
the Gala. They want to know what is in that ship-

29: THE GALA // ADVENTURES

 ment. Unfortunately, they suspect they aren’t the sional and accredited journalists. Being on the list
only one with the scoop, so time is of the essence. is the only way to find out what the elite do when
The muckraker is willing to offer the runners a nobody is watching.
112 trove of paydata on the NYPD. It is essentially a get Though arrivals start at 5:20, the Met Gala
out of jail free card for any crime short of outright goes from 6 to 9 p.m. Several of the most famous
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

murder. In fact, the data is footage of an NYPD, people in the world are in attendance, so securi-
Inc., executive murdering the son of an Ares exec—a ty at the event is airtight. Anyone getting through
crime that a squatter was arrested and convicted needs to have the proper clearances tied to their
for committing. There are links in the datastore to CityPass. Fortunately for the runners, the first call
where the murder weapon can be located, and said of this stage comes from a Mr. Johnson who can
weapon contains DNA evidence of the exec’s guilt. provide those clearances. Begin with A Rather
The reason the muckraker is willing to part Ghoulish Event. Once that run is underway, have
with the information is they believe this story is the fixers reach out simultaneously with requests
bigger. It is. A company of ghoul dancers are ar- for Save the Last Dance and Leaving So Soon. Giv-
riving as entertainment for the Gala. Along with en the timeframe, the players will need to choose
this is a shipment of rare magical artifacts to be between those two options. They will be unable to
displayed at the Gala, all provided by Evo. accomplish both without splitting up (a famously
All the muckraker knows is the time the train is bad idea).
arriving and the company of origin: Evo. With that
information, the runners will need to hack into the
Grand Central host in order to find the exact lo- A Rather Ghoulish Event
cation bay of the train’s arrival. The private train Evo’s gift to the Gala, a company of Ghoul
bay is a long tunnel with exits in the front, middle, Dancers from Asamando, is to be given everything
and end on each side of the tracks. The location they need in order to put on a show for the celeb-
will be heavily guarded by Winter Systems Security rities. What these ghouls need right now is flesh. A
(use Beat Cop, p. 212, SR6) with a dozen officers secret arrangement between Evo and the Yakuza
patrolling each side of the tracks. The officers are led to the acquisition of seven trafficked individu-
aware of the secrecy here and on high alert. The als. Unfortunately, the Yakuza are on high alert in
fifteen-member company of ghouls will be wear- the city, due to rumors that a third party is look-
ing jumpsuits with hoods to cover their heads. The ing to stir up trouble between the syndicates. So,
cargo and passengers will be moved to a cargo el- instead of using their own couriers to deliver the
evator from the middle exit on the east side of the goods, the Yakuza turn to the runners through one
platform, which will ascend to an access platform of their fixers.
where a row of Bulldog Step-Vans is waiting to The Yakuza are offering 10,000 nuyen. The job
deliver them to the Gala. is simple: Pick up a truck at the docks in Battery
City. It’s been coded to your CityPasses. Don’t
look in the cargo area. Your code won’t grant
grand central terminal you access, because it isn’t your business. You’ve
transit host (rating 7) been granted clearance to enter the Met during the
Gala. Deliver the truck to a loading dock at the
A S D F Met. Enter through the basement garage. Leave
9 7 8 10
the truck. Walk back out of the garage where you
IC: Patrol, Binder, Track, Acid, Blaster will be met by a man with your payment.
Notes: 8 Electronic Security Specialists (use Cutters Data Harvester, p. This is a straightforward job. The key here is
205, SR6) monitor this and the other hosts
suspense. The ride to the Met is broken into a
minimum of six segments, each defined by a roll.
Each of the segments is represented on the Drive
The Party Itself
The theme of this year’s Gala is Convergence: drive encounters table
Where Magic and Technology Meet in Fashion. All
1D6 ROLL RESULT
of the guests will be draped in couture that has
Pulled Over! If a 2 has previously been rolled, the cops
both a magical and a high-tech element in play. 1
pull the runners over to search the vehicle.
These priceless bits of fashion will likely contain Police Encounter: An NYPD cruiser pulls up behind the
2
never-before-seen technologies that every compa- runners and tails them for a short time.
ny worth its rating would love a closer look at. 3
Gang Encounter: A truck filled with five gangers attempts
However, the Gala is a closed event. No one not to jack the runners, unless a 2 was last rolled.
on the guest list is allowed inside. No video or pho- 4
It’s a Hit!: The Mob found the truck! Defend against eight
Mafia Soldatos (p. 207, SR6)
tography of what happens inside the Gala is made Traffic Jam: Runners are slowed to a crawl. Roll an
available to the public, except footage from profes- 5
additional encounter.
6 No encounter.

ADVENTURES // 29: THE GALA

Encounters chart. Roll the dice once for each seg- terested in using them for this work. His proxy,
ment. Any segment may be repeated. Miranda King, will even raise the pay by 5,000
The truck the runners are transporting is a nuyen. After all, good help is hard to find—espe-
GMC Lifeline Van. The front of the vehicle can cially on short notice. 113
hold two shadowrunners. The rear compartment

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

is maglocked (rating 7), soundproofed, and ward- Leaving So Soon?
ed with a circle of protection (rating 12). Runners
who are able to breach the rear compartment will Shortly after the event begins, the runners are con-
discover seven squatters crammed into the com- tacted by a Mr. Johnson they’ve never met before. He
partment and all hooked up to IV lines. They are claims to be the head of a private security detail. He
all asleep. explains that he has a high-profile client who needs
to leave the event immediately. There are concerns,
however, that this client is presently under threat of
Save the Last Dance assassination. He requests that the runners meet him
Aztechnology’s Domingo Ramos understands at the Gala and play decoy to his client, providing
how to make a scene. He’s orchestrated an intimate enough subterfuge to get his client away safely. Given
and very public moment with Gabrielle Al Thani the rushed and dangerous nature of the assignment,
Spinrad as a way to show the world that he is pow- he is willing to offer 15,000 nuyen as well as provid-
erful, charismatic, and the true face and leadership ing an elite four-man security detail (use DocWagon
of Aztechnology. It is a simple moment that he’s set HTR officer, p. 207, SR6), and three Range Rover
in motion. At the appropriate time during the Met Model 2080s to help sell the ruse.
Gala, he will ask her to share the dance floor with When the runners arrive at the Met, they are led
him, and then he and the widow will have a very to a basement parking garage where the vehicles
public kiss. Of course, there is no way she’d do this and security are waiting. The runners are told to
by her own free will, so Ramos arranged for an elite make their way toward La Guardia Airport. Once
cadre of eight Leopard Guards (use Renraku Red there, they will be met by a security agent who will
Samurai, p. 208, SR6) to get into position to assas- pay them. This is no easy task. Once the runners
sinate her daughter, Anya Spinrad. They presently are a mile removed from the Met, they will come
have eyes on Spinrad and Ramos plans to show Ga- under attack from team of shadowrunners that in-
brielle a live feed before he makes his request. clude a combat mage and a technomancer looking
Jonathan Blake caught wind of the plan, and to extract the client. There will be a number of at-
sensing an opportunity to make a new ally, he tackers equal to the runners plus two (use Marine
has Miranda King approach the runners and of- Corps Special Operations Forces, p. 208, SR6, to
fer them 15,000 nuyen to track down the team represent additional runners). NYPD will not re-
watching Anya Spinrad and provide evidence that spond—they’ve been compensated to stay out of it.
they’ve been taken out and that Anya is safe. The client in question is Karen King of Ares.
Anya is spending her day in New York sight- The board of directors has called an emergency
seeing. Fortunately for the runners, Anya is her fa- meeting, and someone wants to be sure she doesn’t
ther’s daughter, and her MeFeed shows her at the get there.
Central Park Zoo. She’s flanked by a security detail
consisting of four plainclothes security men in close Welcome to
support (use Renraku Red Samurai, p. 208, SR6),
along with a combat mage (use Combat Mage, p. the After parties
82, SR6) and hacker (use Decker, p. 84, SR6) per- By this point in the evening, the runners have
forming surveillance. manipulated a number of events surrounding the
The Leopard Guard have two agents close to city’s biggest social affair. The after-party section re-
the target. The others are also in pairs, flanking solves the actions started throughout the day. The
nearby entrances. The live feed comes from one of ending is based on what the runners accomplished
these teams. If the kill order is given, the plan is for leading up to the moment. They may only complete
the team closest to the target to cause a distraction adventures they were initially involved in.
to drive the target toward one of the other pairs,
who can then make the kill amidst the confusion.
Because of the extremely sensitive nature of the Honor and Vengeance
operation, the team is marked with stealth tags, Following the attempt to publicly humiliate them,
which tie them to their handler, who is directing GSG need to strike back hard. If the runners were
the team via the Matrix. King knows this and of- only able to discover that the Red Dragon Society was
fers the information to the runners as a way to lo- behind the attack, then GSG will coordinate multiple
cate the Leopard Guard. attacks against the Battery Boys and the Triad. No
Note: If Blake tried to kill the runners earlier further help from the runners is required. However,
and they survived, this only makes Blake more in- if they discovered that Wuxing is at the root of the

29: THE GALA // ADVENTURES

 attacks, an officer of GSG will contact the runners ogy’s HQ in order to discover that he has a brown-
and request they deliver a briefcase to a Wuxing lab stone in Stuyvesant town with a secured host. She
in Washington Heights. The package is a small pro- then offers an additional 10,000 nuyen if the run-
114 totype drone developed by a joint operation between ners will break into the house and host and grab
Evo and Nagato. Once the prototype is delivered, the whatever paydata they can find.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

runners need to clear out of the lab quickly, because

GSG will be assaulting the lab under the pretext of Ares After Story
recovering stolen corporate goods.
King’s abrupt departure from the city and up-
coming Ares leadership vote means that she needs
A Polite Dust Up to gather her assets and get them to a safe location.
After a sit-down conversation with Jonathan One such asset is a Dis entity named Arthur Hem-
Blake and Miranda King, Gabrielle Spinrad under- ming who is performing some research while in the
stands what almost happened. She wants payback material plane. He is presently en route to Condatis
against Ramos for what he set in motion. While Tower (Ares’ Midtown Manhattan base) under the
she is unwilling to act against Aztechnology direct- protection of a four-person team of Knight Errant
ly, she believes Ramos has to be vulnerable in other special operators (use DocWagon HTR officer, p.
ways. Al Thani tasks the runners with finding out 207, SR6) in an Armored Range Rover 2080 (p.
all they can about Ramos’ operations in the city. 66, Sixth World Companion). Runners need to in-
She offers 10,000 nuyen for the research. Doing tercept him and get him to the docks on the south
this research means reaching out to contacts and end of Terminal, where a boat will be waiting for a
perhaps even hacking personnel files at Aztechnol- short time in order to get him out of the city.

30: essence of
thought
The runners have set foot inside one of lump sum, but they promise more based on the
Animus Construction’s secret facilities (mission quality of the information uncovered.
26, p. 103) and gathered significant information
about who is behind this operation. It’s now
time to go beyond theories and learn more The Job
about the people who run Animus and their The information retrieved in mission 26 men-
current concerns. tions a meeting, but it does not give an address
or even coordinates where the meeting will take
Hook place. The first job is to find out where the meeting
will take place.
At the end of mission 26, the PCs learned that The contents of the message are as follows:
some Animus managers would be gathering for a “Mercury will move forward, and so should we.
meeting. The names of the managers were not, of We begin where Tammany ended, 7 p.m. Dinner
course, included in the data. If the PCs want to find will be served.”
out who these higher-ups are and what they are The first part of the message indicates the time.
talking about, they’re going to have to find a way Any PC with an Astrology- or Astronomy-related
to get eyes inside a meeting that is not meant to be skill can make a Logic + Intuition (2) test, or PCs
seen by any outsiders. can make an Electronics + Intuition (4) test to get
Any Mr. Johnson the PCs have used on an Ani- the Matrix to spill the information. The reference
mus-related mission could hire them here, as they is to the planet Mercury coming out of retrograde,
are sure to get valuable information from this which will happen the very next day.
meeting. They offer base pay of a 10,000-nuyen The second part of the message is a historical

ADVENTURES // 30: ESSENCE OF THOUGHT

reference to the Tammany Hall political machine. iation already; Driess and Morel’s affiliation can
This requires a History or New York knowledge be found with a simple Matrix search (though
skill and a Logic + Intuition (3) test, or a Matrix the parent company of Trojan Capital is not im-
Search (Electronics + Intuition [4]). The reference mediately apparent). Salinger and Thakkar’s role 115
is to the last building that housed Tammany Hall, with Animus will be clear as they talk. Bellflower

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

which sits at 44 Union Square. remains a mystery, and no mention of his associ-
The PCs now know the time and place of the ates, co-workers, or anything else comes up in the
meeting. meeting.
Morel is in the building well before the meeting
begins. The others arrive minutes before 7 p.m.,
Listening In dropped off at the door by their drivers. They all
The next step is finding out what happens at immediately head to the fourth floor via elevator.
the meeting. The meeting will take place in a con- Dinner for the five has been loaded into two
ference room in the middle of the fourth floor of customized Vend-X drones (see p. 98, Double
44 Union Square. This room, naturally, has no Clutch). The drones are operating according to
windows (for more details on this building, see their programming with no one controlling them.
Hotspot). The door is on the west side of the room Given that they have nothing more complicated to
and is watched by four guards. The east wall has do than serve food, this should be sufficient for the
no door, but two guards still watch it (use Elite evening.
Corporate Security for all guards, p. 208, SR6). The meeting lasts one hour, with little small talk.
Two Force 6 spirits of air circle around the room, The subject is the growing evidence that Animus’
one passing every fifteen seconds (optional powers: treatments are not as permanent as hoped. Drs. Sa-
Elemental Attack (Cold) and Psychokinesis). Ma- linger and Thakkar lead the conversation, trying
trix security is provided by a decker in the meeting to strike a balance between a realistic assessment
(use Seal Team 6 Counter-Electronics Commando, of the problem and optimism that it is solvable.
p. 209, SR6) who is continually scanning traffic Naturally, attention turns to Animus’ highest-pro-
in the area. No one in the meeting is supposed to file client, who no one refers to by name. She is
have a wireless device active, making it easier to instead just called “the widow.” Driess and Blake
look for wireless devices being carried by intrud- are particularly concerned about whether the wid-
ers, though the guards have the wireless functions ow will regain any of her memories, because they
of their cyberware active. Additionally, one partici- insist that will be as bad for her as it will be for
pant in the meeting, Maria Morel, is a shaman (use Animus. They discuss a wide range of options, in-
Sioux Wildcat Shamanic Support, p. 210, SR6). cluding kidnapping and isolating the widow until
She will assense the room every ten minutes. a new procedure can be developed and even killing
Next to the door on the west side is a floor- her to “save her from her own memories.”
to-ceiling glass plate, half an inch thick (Structure Morel is mostly silent in this discussion. When
rating 9). The walls are two inches thick and stur- she talks, it’s to ask questions, generally aimed at
dy (Structure rating 12), the floor and ceiling are understanding the theories Animus is using on
concrete (Structure rating 15). The fifth floor hosts how the brain works, how it can be altered, and
a lounge and café; at this time of day, it’s sparsely how these unexpected recoveries are happening.
populated, but some people pulling long hours oc- The business practice is a lesser concern for her.
casionally come up here for a soykaf (though not The true enigma of the meeting is Justin Bell-
from the café, as that closes at 6 p.m.; there is a flower. Matrix searching will show he is a con-
coffee station for common use against one wall). sultant, but he doesn’t list any clients. He doesn’t
The third floor holds the offices of a lobbying firm speak frequently in the meeting, but when he does,
(see Hotspots). he commands the attention of the others, and his
The participants in the meeting are: conclusions are rarely questioned. Bellflower be-
• Justin Bellflower, consultant lieves the work of Animus needs to continue, and
• Jonathan Blake, Centurion Services this issue need only be a speed bump, not a ma-
International jor delay. He discusses the possibility of “surrep-
• Coleman Driess, Trojan Capital titiously delivered boosters”—that is, procedures
• Maria Morel, Atlantean Foundation that could be administered outside the clinic at
times when the subject does not expect it. Others
• Dr. Rose Salinger, Animus Construction in the meeting express concerns about the logis-
• Dr. Sharmin Thakkar, Animus Construction tical challenges this presents, though they do not
bring up any moral objections.
The participants will be addressed by their If the PCs manage to listen to the end of the
names at different times in the meeting, so the PCs meeting, they’ll get some clues about the affilia-
will know who they are if they listen in for more tions of Bellflower and Driess. As the six individ-
than ten minutes. They should know Blake’s affil- uals prepare to leave, Driess walks over, pats Bell-

30: ESSENCE OF THOUGHT // ADVENTURES

 flower on the back, and mumbles a few words at would like the story to proceed. Naturally, any
him. If the PCs have some way of picking up this interactions between either group and the PCs
exchange, they’ll hear him say, “Those spooks at should be handled through dice rolls.
116 Langley must be riding you hard.” Bellflower will If the runners from OmniStar are detected, the
look up sharply, as he does not appreciate any ref- microphone will be removed, and the spirits and
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

erence to the people with whom he consults. Then four of the security guards will be dispatched to
he mutters, “Tell your people it’s okay—I don’t in- chase the OmniStar runners down. Two guards
tend for them to lose their top spot.” will remain at the door to the conference room.
The Langley spooks line is a clear reference to They won’t try to eliminate them, though; once the
Bellflower’s clients at the UCAS CIA—he is at the guards are convinced the runners have fled, they
meeting to represent the agency’s interests. His will return to the fourth floor. The participants
remark back to Driess is a reference to the ulti- want to finish their meeting, and the OmniStar
mate owners of Trojan Capital—Mitsuhama, the runners don’t want to interrupt the meeting, so it
world’s top-ranked megacorp. With this exchange, will continue.
the PCs have information about the interests in- If the runners are on the fifth floor after 7:20 or
volved in Animus Construction. the roof after 6:50, they should make Perception +
Intuition vs. Stealth + Agility Opposed tests to see if
they notice anything unusual. If they notice the Om-
Running Interference niStar runners, they can always opt to interfere with
Animus is gaining a lot of attention, and the them, but since they are all interested in the same
PCs are not the only team interested in what’s go- thing, an alliance might work out best. The Om-
ing on in this meeting. A second team is trying to niStar team will share what they learn for 15,000
execute a plan to eavesdrop on the meeting. nuyen, but they will decrease this to 10,000 nuyen
The team consists of a covert ops specialist (p. if the PCs offer substantial help (like making sure
83, SR6), street shaman (p. 88, SR6; add Shape their microphone insertion is not detected). This can
Stone spell), technomancer (p. 89, SR6), and weap- work the other way—if the PCs can quickly con-
ons specialist (p. 90, SR6). The technomancer and vince the OmniStar runners that they have a solid
weapons specialist are staying out of the building, plan and might have a longer recording of the meet-
wedged between the front of the dome and the ing, they can extract 10,000 to 15,000 nuyen from
pediment on top of the building’s façade. The sha- them for sharing what they know.
man and covert ops specialist are dressed in busi- Alternately, the PCs might decide the OmniStar
nesswear, complete with fake IDs to get them into runners are rivals who need to be dealt with, which
the building. They arrive on the fifth floor at 7:20 could lead to an extra complication. If open fight-
and relax and drink soykaf for ten minutes. Then ing breaks out between the two teams, the meeting
they stand up and slowly amble across the area. on the fourth floor will hastily adjourn, and the
When they cross the middle of the floor, the sha- participants will quickly leave the building.
man drops her soykaf, and she immediately falls
to her knees to clean up the spill. The covert ops
specialist moves to the floor to help. Aftermath
At that moment, the shaman casts Shape Stone The key pieces of information from the meeting
on the floor to make a narrow hole, less than a are the names of the participants and the affiliations
half-centimeter wide. The covert ops specialist of Bellflower and Driess (note that Blake is there to
then slips a small microphone into the hole. They represent both his own interests and those of his
proceed to finish cleaning up the spilled soykaf, partner, Miles Lanier, but he will say nothing to
then move on. They quickly leave the building and reveal the identity of his partner, or even that he has
go to a nearby van; once they’re out, the techno- one). If the runners did not figure out the clues from
mancer and weapons specialist descend from the the end of the meeting, a contact with Government
roof and join them. and Corporate knowledge can clue them in. If they
These runners have been hired by OmniStar, did not catch the exchange between the two, they
who is trying to dig up dirt on the other corps in have a harder road ahead of them, as they will have
order to try to force their way to AAA status. Once to dig around to find out their affiliations. This
the meeting is over, they will deliver any informa- should require significant asking around and the
tion they have to their contact, meeting them in a outlay of a large sum of money, as those are not
warehouse on the Hudson around 18th Street. secrets that come cheaply.
The gamemaster can decide how interactions If the PCs hear the final exchange between
between the runner team and the meeting securi- Bellflower and Driess, they receive a 15,000 nuyen
ty works out (including Morel’s astral perception). bonus from the Mr. Johnson who hired them.
They can make tests for each group as the runners Once the PCs know that the CIA and Mitsuhama
attempt to insert their camera, or they can make play a substantial role in overseeing Animus, the
a decision for what happens based on how they stage is set for this campaign’s endgame.

ADVENTURES // 30: ESSENCE OF THOUGHT

Hotspot guards (use Lone Star SWAT Officer, p. 207, SR6)
walking the hallways here.
44 Union Square Fourth floor: There is no permanent occupant
of this floor. By the People sometimes uses the of- 117
This former home of one of Manhattan’s most fices here for overflow, and the building rents out

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

notorious political machines was rehabilitated space here on an hourly, daily, weekly, and month-
just past the turn of the century and equipped ly basis. The Animus meeting and associated se-
with a glass dome that runs its entire length. It’s curity is the only activity happening on this floor
a six-story building, and the dome has views of during this mission.
the fifth and sixth floors. The uses of each floor Fifth and Sixth Floors: Café and lounge. These ar-
are as follows: eas have nice views and lighting thanks to the glass
Basement: Recently leased to a nonprofit or- dome, so they’re a popular place for the people who
ganization that closed its doors, the basement is work here to lounge. It’s often used for meetings with
currently vacant. people from outside the building, and there is at least
First floor: Occupied by the Ledger, an organi- one of these happening the whole time the PCs are at
zation that provides accounting and financial ser- the building. The café closes at 6 p.m.
vices to smaller organizations. It has about thirty
staff members during normal business hours, but
only about ten are there at 7 p.m.
Second and third floors: Offices of a lobbying
Who’s Who
firm called By the People. Total staff of sixty, most The stats for Jonathan Blake are on p. 143. For
of them occupying cubicles and smaller offices on the other participants in the meeting besides Maria
the second floor. The third floor has conference Morel, use Lawyer, p. 169, Sixth World Compan-
rooms and executive offices for the firm. It’s mostly ion. Stats to use for all other characters are listed
empty at 7 p.m., but there are always two security with their names when they appear.

31: The Seat Of

Secrets
Mr. Seven is finished with the legwork necessary Another pair has cleared out the kitchen, and they
for his trip, and Cat is anxious to seal the deal with give Cat an “all-clear” as they shut the back door.
the Null Sect. Cat, Spyder, and Mr. Seven are seated around
one of the plastic tables bolted to the dining room
floor, and she motions for the team to pull up a few
Hook more of the restaurant’s cheap plastic chairs. Sev-
The runners all get an early-morning chime on eral trays of greasy Hugh soyburgers, HughFries,
their commlinks. It’s a message from Cat asking and soyshakes sit untouched in the center of the
the team to grab lunch with her at the McHughs table. After everyone is settled in, she starts by say-
next to Penn Station in Terminal. That seems like ing, “You’ve done great work so far, and events are
a real downgrade from the Waldorf-Astoria, so rapidly moving toward a conclusion. Mr. Seven is
it must be about a job. Why else would anyone planning to use the portal you located and needs a
deliberately go into a McHughs? When the team team to go along. I won’t kid anyone—from what
arrives, two extremely large orks in cheap suits I’ve learned, this metaplane is dangerous, so if it’s a
with the bulges of barely concealed shoulder hol- ‘no,’ I’ll understand. If it’s a ‘yes,’ the pay is 10,000
sters are pushing the restaurant’s sole patron out nuyen per person. It also needs to happen soon, as
the door as he tries to finish off a soyburger. After my new contact at the warehouse says something
turning the door sign to “Closed” and giving Cat is happening, lots of people and equipment coming
a thumbs up, they take up a position just outside. up without anything going back down.” Mr. Seven

31: THE SEAT OF SECRETS // ADVENTURES

118
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

chimes in with, “We would like to travel there to- level of alertness; it is exactly as it was when the
night, if that is at all possible.” After negotiations runners last passed through it. Aztechnology has
are finished, Cat, Spyder, and Mr. Seven are willing not replaced the spirits guarding the cavern or
to answer questions and help the team plan a way moved any of the stones that were blocking the
to get Mr. Seven into the Airlock facility, through passageway. If the team was undetected during
the portal to Dis, and back out with whatever in- their scouting visit, the steel door to the portal is
formation they’re looking for. Once everything in the condition the runners left it in. If they were
is settled, Cat gives the word to her hired muscle spotted by security on their last visit, the lock has
to let the employees—with fat new credsticks in been replaced with a rating 6 maglock tied into the
hand—back inside. Airlock host. In addition, a wired camera is now
mounted above the door.
Past the door, the cavern buzzes with activi-
The Job, part one ty. The portal is flaring frequently as teams pass
The level of opposition encountered when re- through in both directions, moving crates out and
turning to Governors Island will depend a lot on carrying them down to the dock. Other crews can
how much noise the team made on their last trip be seen loading the staged crates into the small
(mission 27, p. 105). If the team slipped in unde- submarines. With the Aztechnology workers fo-
tected, there will not be any change in security (see cused on their tasks, it won’t be difficult to slip
mission 27 for details on the island’s defenses). If through the active gate.
they got caught and stirred up the Ares hornets’
nest, perimeter security will now include an in-
creased rotodrone presence, with patrols one min- Hotspots
ute apart, backed up by ground patrols of rigged
Steel Lynxes armed with Stoner-Ares M202s and The Topside Facility
Roadmasters carrying ten-person squads criss- After stepping through the wall of energy
crossing the island in an alternating pattern. contained by the arch, there is a moment of dis-
The cave leading to the Airlock facility is un- orientation. Anyone Awakened instantly realizes
changed regardless of Ares’ or Aztechnology’s that something feels “wrong.” The manasphere of

ADVENTURES // 31: THE SEAT OF SECRETS

Dis is radically different from the mana found on
most other metaplanes. The team is standing on dis manasphere
a stone floor in a white-paneled room with the The manasphere of Dis is on a frequency or “har-
portal’s sheet of energy hanging in the air behind monic” that is out-of-phase from the mana of most other 119
them. Working at a nearby dataterm is a slightly metaplanes. In addition to causing difficulty using magic,

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

built male human with greying hair, a white lab it generates a general feeling of malaise and depression
coat, and a name tag that reads Dr. Hernandez. that slowly increases over time. This affects Awakened
He looks up from his work and glances at the and non-Awakened individuals alike, but it is most pro-
team saying, “Ah good, you’re here already.” With nounced in those with high Essence; those having very
a chuckle, he continues, “I don’t think I would low Essence are affected the least.
have taken your job for any amount of scrip. But In game terms, this harmonic imbalance means that
since you’re here and I still have a little time, what any time a non-native or non-chimera attempts a test
questions do you have?” that includes the Magic attribute, they must replace one
To fill in some background, Aztechnology has die of the dice pool with a wild die. Additionally, both 1s
built a small facility around the location where and 2s count toward glitches. To make matters worse, the
the portal connects to Dis. When the portal first Disians have been pooling their remaining mana in the
opened, it was inside the main floor of a four-story center of the city, leaving the rest of the metaplane as a
stone building used as a shop and residence. After high mana ebb, with drifting patches of mana voids. Near
acquiring the building, Aztechnology has steadily the city center, this changes to a medium mana ebb and
expanded and fortified the structure, digging down finally a low mana ebb for non-natives of Dis (see p. 167,
and building out, making it a well-defended for- Street Wyrd). The native Disians and their chimeric cre-
ward-operating base for Aztechnology operations ations may use the mana of the metaplane normally.   
on the metaplane. The facility, codenamed Topside, In addition to the harmonic imbalance problems for
has space to house thirty residents. Right up until the Awakened, the enchantments used by the Disians in-
the last few days, that included a mix of research- hibit translation to the reality paradigm of the metaplane,
ers, diplomats, and security teams. The megacorp and this prevents outsiders from accessing most Disian
technology. The technology brought into the metaplane
has also installed a small framework host with
by others may or may not be accessible by deckers. Tech-
wireless functionality, but it doesn’t reach past the
nomancers, however, may be able to access a wider range
facility’s walls. Topside is located some distance
of devices. See p. 174, Astral Ways, for the specific rules
away from the center of the metaplane, but the
for operating on the metaplane of Dis.  
looping-back displacement effect (p. 69, Astral
Ways) makes it difficult to measure the distance
exactly. Sometimes it’s an hour’s walk; other times,
it may take several days of travel to get to the cen- facility during the evacuation, and he assumes the
tral areas of the metaplane. runners are this team. He will not be surprised at
Recently, something has been happening to Dis. any question the team has, on the assumption they
The ambient mana level of the metaplane began have not been told the truth about what they were
dropping and then was redistributed somehow. The hired for, and will answer any questions to the best
mana levels are now stable near the city center, but of his ability—as long as they don’t delay him too
they drop off rapidly as you move out. The struc- long.
ture of the metaplane is also starting to collapse. Dr. Hernandez has the following information:
Sections of the outer city have begun to crumble, • As an aetherologist studying Dis, he has ac-
leaving holes in the reality of the metaplane. As the cess to the information in the Astral Ways
edges of these voids expand, the frayed structure chapters on Dis (p. 60) and Techniques of
of the city can be seen slowly disintegrating, small Travel (p. 160). He can answer any general
fragments breaking away and drifting off to dis- questions pertaining to that material.
appear into the void. The exact number of these • Sometime in September 2080, as measured
voids scattered around the metaplane would be in the material plane, the ambient mana
impossible to calculate due to the nature of reality of the metaplane was disrupted, dropped
in the city. But several can be seen from Topside
sharply, and then continued dropping slowly
including one that is very close, slowly expanding
from that point.
toward the facility.
The Topside facility is in the process of being • Recently the levels of mana dropped sharp-
evacuated. The decay of the metaplanar structure ly again across most of the metaplane, but
is leaving the future of the facility in doubt, and the inner-city areas increased to the previous
all personnel and most of the equipment is being levels and seem to have stabilized. The first
moved out. As the runners step through the portal, voids opened around this time.
they encounter Dr. Hernandez. He was told that a • The structure of the metaplane seems to be
team of outside contractors—”expendable assets” decaying at an accelerating rate. The edge of
was the precise term—would be hired to guard the the nearest void was 200 meters from the

31: THE SEAT OF SECRETS // ADVENTURES

 facility when first noticed, and currently it’s carved mountain or a giant stone arcology. Flash-
half that, prompting the evacuation. es of light flare around this structure and arcs of
• The native Disians seem to have all left the energy jump between it and the tallest towers sur-
120 outer areas and moved to the city center. rounding it. Viewed in the astral, the effect is even
They have also moved all non-natives out of more pronounced, almost blindingly bright. The
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

the center of the metaplane and blocked off architecture of the city varies widely from building
all access. to building; the different styles seem to be drawn
• The current residents of the outer areas are from a vast number of different metaplanes. The
all the non-native entities who call the meta- layout of the streets is equally chaotic and pattern-
plane home. less, rarely traveling straight for very long. Wide
boulevards suddenly transition to narrow, twisting
• Aztechnology is attempting to relocate the alleys that open onto large courtyards. Near the
Dis side of the portal to a more favorable facility, a 250-meter-wide void in the fabric of the
location but has been unsuccessful in that metaplane can be seen, darkness obscuring its cen-
endeavor—so far. ter. A few structures along its edge are collapsing in
slow-motion, sections of masonry, wooden beams,
About thirty minutes after runners arrive, the and large chunks of bedrock are breaking off and
last of the Aztechnology employees, including Dr. drifting away into the void, winking out of exis-
Hernandez, leave through the portal. Another tence before they travel very far into the darkness.
team of runners will show up shortly afterward Initially there will be no encounters with the
(use a random selection of archetypes from p. 81– residents of the metaplane, as they have all moved
90, SR6, if needed). As long as no one appears to away, fleeing the decaying edges around the void.
be looting the facility, they will also assume the As the runners move toward other areas, especial-
players are working for Aztechnology. ly heading toward the center of the metaplane,
Mr. Seven was quiet during the initial exchange; encounters will occur—infrequently at first, but
they had left the anthrodrone’s pilot in charge to they will become unavoidable. These encounters
explore the facility’s host. Shortly after Dr. Her- may be with any type of spirit or entity from any
nandez enters the portal, they claim that the Az- metaplane (see Astral Ways for the range of what’s
technology host is “too new to connect to any available) and can vary from overtly hostile—a
deeper structures” and that the team must locate mugging or run-in with a “street gang”—to being
an older, more established data system. This will approached with unsolicited offers for goods and
of course require leaving the facility and explor- services. Dis is a crossroads for metaplanar trade,
ing the metaplane. If the team asks what they’re and the majority of residents are not actually from
actually looking for, they will refuse to elaborate, Dis. That can be hard for newcomers to realize, as
deflecting the question. many entities have been here so long they consid-
er themselves Disian and have adopted the local
culture and customs. The Denizens of Dis detailed
Aztechnology “Topside” in Slip Streams and the Disians presented in The
Third Parallel (Fidian Serverson and the Refugee)
Host (Framework Host) are prime examples of this. They are not native
A S D F RATING GRADE SCALE Disians, just long-term residents of the metaplane
8 7 9 10 7 3 1 who consider it their home.
IC: Patrol, Tar Baby, Acid, Black IC If the team decides to scout out astral space, they
Notes: The host has files and logs containing the same information avail- will discover that access to the center of the meta-
able from Dr. Hernandez. It is currently undefended. plane is blocked by insanely powerful spirits—at
least twice as powerful as anything previously
thought possible—who have been summoned by
Dis and are preventing any non-Disian from ap-
The Metaplane Of Dis proaching in the astral. Physical travel to the cen-
Once outside the facility, a dark red sky with ter of the city is similarly blocked with ranks of
a massive black moon hanging overhead can be chimera (p. 73, Astral Ways) and bound spirits
seen. The directionless light washes out colors, from numerous other metaplanes who are turning
leaving everything shades of greyish purple. The away any non-Disians who attempt to enter.
Topside facility is located on the crest of a large hill There is no organized Matrix on the metaplane,
and currently provides a clear view to the center but millennia of metaplanar immigrants have
of the metaplane. The intervening terrain consists brought their own technologies with them. Occa-
of gently rolling hills covered in structures, but sional Matrix access will pop up, but most often
numerous areas are shrouded in fog or low-hang- the signal will not connect to the team’s equip-
ing smoke. The center of the city is built around ment, as the interface is incompatible, or the data
something that could be either an elaborately is in an alien language unknown to the runners.

ADVENTURES // 31: THE SEAT OF SECRETS

Regardless of the usability of the connection, Mr. reveal that they once held powerful enchantments,
Seven will insist on stopping so that it can examine and a technomancer examining them will discover
the data structure. The Null will leave the drone these are the source of the empty data structure. If
for anywhere between a few minutes to a few the team spends some time examining the room, 121
hours and then state a desire to search other areas. they may eventually discover that this was the Di-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

If any of the runners offer to assist in whatever it’s sian equivalent of a data center. The gemstones are
looking for, Mr. Seven will refuse to provide any Disian memory crystals, but the dropping mana
information to the team. level has left them fractured and useless. Whatever
data they once contained is now gone, leaving an
The Factory empty shell of a data structure in the local noo-
sphere. The lethal biofeedback from the fracturing
After as many or as few encounters with the crystals must have killed the operator where they
locals as needed to feel immersed in the metaplane, sat.
the team should wander into “the Factory.” This When Mr. Seven finally returns to the drone,
structure is next to a large void—in fact, the corner they will state that they’ve found what they were
of the building is already crumbling into non-ex- looking for and are ready to leave the metaplane.
istence. As the team approaches, Mr. Seven states If questioned, the Null will still refuse to enlighten
that there is a large data structure here and they the team on exactly what they were looking for or
want to investigate. Deckers on the team will not what they found.
be able to detect anything, but a technomancer will
be able to enter VR in this area. But whatever type
of Matrix structure this is seems to be empty, lack-
ing any defined iconography or even data.
The Job: Part Two
When the team enters, they discover the build- The next part of the run can be as hard as the
ing was abandoned by its owner and operators but gamemaster wants to make it. If Dr. Hernandez
several of the “workers” have been left behind, realized there was only one team of expendable
chained to their workstations, surrounded by rot- assets hired, word may have been sent to the oth-
ting food mixed with their own waste. This is a er team of shadowrunners to prevent the players
food factory, where magically enslaved mages con- from returning to the base. Alternatively, addition-
jure a steady stream of exotic foods and drinks to al security may have been sent to Topside, or the
be packaged and sold to the other residents of the Leopard Guard may have set up a defensive pe-
city. Some of those residents are trying to extract rimeter around the portal at Airlock to stop them
and relocate the mages for their own use. The loot- from re-entering the facility. Perhaps this becomes
ers will attack the runners on sight, assuming the a running fight through the caverns as the team
team is there for the same reason. Use a number tries to escape to the surface. Once out of Aztech-
of Traders and Apocalyptics (p. 129, Slip Streams) nology’s clutches, the team still needs to evade the
equal to the number of runners. After the looters Ares patrols on the island, make their way across
are driven off, the team has the run of the facility. the bay, and finally disappear into Battery City.
Once inside the building, Mr. Seven will leave Once free and clear of Governors Island, the
the drone and enter the Matrix structure. After an team realizes that Mr. Seven has already left the
hour or so the xenosapient moves to “somewhere drone, probably as soon as they had access to the
else.” Mr. Seven will be gone from the drone for Matrix, and the pilot had been operating it during
over two days—requiring at least one relocation the extraction. It will follow the team around or sit
due to the expanding void—leaving plenty of time wherever the team leaves it, waiting for the Null to
to explore the building. If the captive mages are ex- return and re-animate it. Mr. Seven has been busy
amined, they are found to be under the same type after they left and has already contacted Cat to
of enchantment used to create a Living Mana Well make the final arrangements for the data transfer.
(p. 141, Slip Streams), and they can be brought out A half-hour after returning, the team gets the Ma-
of this trance in the same way. If the enchantment is trix address and access codes for a secure host. The
removed and any of the severely traumatized mag- location is in the middle of the Mojave Desert and
es are freed, they will flee the area as fast as they’re doesn’t seem to be tied to any physical structure.
able. At the opposite end of the factory from the In fact, it’s way out in the wild Matrix. If they go
void is a series of smaller rooms, offices of some check it out, it’s full of the erased files on MCT’s
sort, and stairs to a second floor containing a room activities in Denver—enough data to fill a rating 6
with another different type of workstation. This optical brick (p. 53, Hack & Slash). Shibata Con-
semicircular desk contains a series of large, rough- sulting was indeed the cover for the black ops proj-
cut gemstones mounted in it. In the center of the ects run in Denver. When it all went south, MCT
desk is the slumped corpse of a tripedal being with leadership contracted with Animus Construction
six arms ending in four-fingered hands. The frac- to erase the memories of everyone connected to
tured gemstones have a faint glow; assensing will the project—at least everyone too valuable to just

31: THE SEAT OF SECRETS // ADVENTURES

 eliminate—while the Null Sect scrubbed all data them at Clinton Castle to settle up. Cat shows up
connected to it off the Matrix. The files in the host, with Spyder in tow and pays the team for the run,
combined with Double A’s micro-brick drive found with a 5,000 nuyen bonus for each team mem-
122 by Silver Nail, would be worth millions of nuy- ber. She tells them that she and Spyder are leav-
en to the right buyer, maybe enough to severely ing Manhattan immediately, and notes that she’ll
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

damage MCT, and certainly worth enough to get be keeping their contact information—you never
the team killed if the wrong people learn they have know when you may need a good team. As they
it. Apparently, Mr. Seven believed the agreement are leaving, Spyder sends a private message: “If
included the runners being given a copy of the pay- you want anything out of that host, you better get
data, though Ghostwalker may have a different it soon, the Boss will have me clear it out as soon
opinion on that topic. as he hears about it.” Followed by a “Good luck,
Shortly after getting access to the host, Cat calls omae” as he flicks a cigarette butt across the lawn
to congratulate the team and says she will meet of the park.

32: behind the

curtain
The runners are in possession of some powerful • Aztechnology has a portal to Dis under Gov-
secrets. Lots of people would love to get hold of what ernors Island,
they have—some through theft, some through force, • The mana levels on Dis are off balance and
and some through charm. It’s time for the runners to wildly fluctuating.
figure out how they’re going to keep themselves safe
and make the most of the data they have. All of this information has value, and there are
several parties interested in it. In this mission, the
Hook PCs encounter some of those parties and the things
they’ll do for the info.
In case the runners haven’t figured out how These encounters do not have to happen in any
much danger and opportunity they have with the particular order—gamemasters can make them
information they have gained, this mission will pop up when and where they will.
bring it to their faces—and encourage them to do
something about it, setting the stage for the end of
the campaign.
Piper Jane Calls
This should be one of the first incidents of this
mission.
The Job Soon after the conclusion of mission 31, Piper
Jane starts regularly pinging the PCs’ commlinks
There is no Mr. Johnson for this job. Any mon-
until they pick up, because her journalistic instincts
ey the PCs pick up will be incidental sums earned
tell her they have some good stuff. The role she
along the way, but this mission sets them up for
wants to have is to act as broker, figuring out who
potential large paydays to follow.
Here are some of the key facts the PCs should wants what info and how she might be able to play
have learned: interested parties off each other. She asks the PCs
to keep her informed as parties interested in the
• Jonathan Blake, the UCAS CIA, and Mit- information they have make themselves known.
suhama all play leading roles in the memo- She doesn’t have cash to offer right now, but she
ry-altering business of Animus Construction. assures the PCs that she can use her contacts and
• MCT used Animus techniques to erase the skills to either make a lot of money for them or
memories of people working on their secret help them use whatever they know to hurt groups
metaplanar technology in Denver. they would like to target.

ADVENTURES // 32: BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Dis-sent A Message
The metaplane of Dis feels it has a good thing from the Widow
going with the bargains they’ve made, and they 123
In mission 30 (p. 114), the PCs might have
also have large plans ahead, and they don’t want
heard directors of Animus Construction talking
any of them disrupted. Disians always prefer

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

about a patient they referred to as “the widow,”
co-opting opponents to conquering them, though, hoping she would not recover some memories they
so a representative is sent to talk to the PCs. had buried. The widow is, of course, Gabrielle Al
The representative is a Force 5 free kindred Thani Spinrad, who took a week to plan the assas-
spirit known as Coppernickel. Coppernickel ma- sination of her husband, then erased the memory
terializes in front of the PCs in a private spot, and of doing so in order to bypass any Mind Probes
he is quite willing to surprise them with a sudden used by her late husband’s security. Like Blake, Al
appearance. Coppernickel presents as a man in a Thani has the PCs on her radar, but she doesn’t
pinstriped vest and pants, wavy copper hair, and know how much they know. She also doesn’t
a thick copper mustache. He talks like he’s about know everything she used to know, but in line with
to give a motivational speech. He beats around the worries of the directors, her real memories are
the bush a little with some small talk, but his starting to bleed through. Animus had designed
ultimate goal is to talk about Dis’ manasphere. fake memories of a Moroccan vacation for her,
He knows it’s off balance, and he says he’d love but her memories of that vacation have become
the PCs’ support in making it better. He has two interspersed with memories of looking at trid stills
asks of the PCs: First, he says they can tell others of assassination victims and conducting high-pres-
about what they noticed about Dis’ manasphere, sure negotiations with unsavory individuals. She
but he’d ask them to portray it as an ongoing believes someone is messing with her mind, but
disaster that needs assistance, like a hurricane. currently she thinks the real memories of her assas-
Second, he asks them not to spread word of the sination planning are the fake ones that someone is
Governors Island portal, as they don’t need in- trying to insert into her head. Her networks have
terlopers and they certainly don’t need the portal heard that the PCs are looking into mental manip-
to be shut down. In exchange, he offers the PCs ulation, and since they offered her some help with
a lump sum of 3,000 nuyen and something per- the Gala, she would love to know what they know.
haps much more valuable: some time with a Dis But she also does not want to let anyone know
operative going by the name of Shirley Pettis who what she is going through, so she’s not going to di-
is highly placed in Ares. Coppernickel insinuates rectly deal with the PCs or let them know anyone
that knowing someone in a high place in Ares is acting on her behalf. What she does instead is
would be quite valuable with the leadership vote send an operative who finds the PCs at a restau-
coming up. rant or bar they are frequenting and joins them,
buying a round of drinks for all of them. The oper-
Intimidation ative is named Joy Tsung (use stats for Face, p. 85,
SR6), and she is a cheerful, talkative woman. She
Unlike the Disians, Jonathan Blake (p. 143) is makes sure she gets the PCs’ drink preferences cor-
not interested in co-opting the PCs at this point. rect, and she also makes it clear (without saying it
While he likely does not know the full extent of directly) that she knows the PCs’ line of work and
what the PCs know (unless the PCs have been is not there to cause them trouble.
quite reckless), he knows they have their fingers in When the drinks are delivered, she demonstrates
many pies, and he’s likely run into them enough to that she memorized exactly who got what drink.
know they’ve had chances to gather some signifi- She says that’s not hard with a relatively small
cant secrets. He doesn’t want them dead, as they group, but she’s worked on various techniques to
may still be useful to him, but he wants them to hone her memory over the years.
know to keep their mouths shut. This launches her into a whole conversation
At some public place, four Professional Rat- on memory, its reliability, and how it shapes us as
ing 7 Elite Corporate Security personnel (p. 208, people. She posits that someone who could manip-
SR6; mix the two types at will) try to ambush the ulate memory could reshape entire personalities,
PCs with gel rounds and punches. At some point, which is a scary kind of power. But also a useful
they deliver their message, which is “Don’t do jobs one. If the PCs know of any work going on in that
you’re not paid to do.” NYPD, Inc., response time area, she’d be super-interested to know.
is quick in public places in Manhattan, so they’ll If they want to give her information right now,
take off after attempting a few blows, because they she gratefully accepts it and pays a lump sum of
don’t want to be around when the cops show up. 10,000 nuyen. If they want to reach out to her lat-
er, she will leave contact information with them.
She is staying at the Ritz-Carlton—she is there
because her ultimate employer, Spinrad Global,

32: BEHIND THE CURTAIN // ADVENTURES

 owns the chain and puts her up in their rooms as stories of runners working with a fixer named Joy
Joy moves around the world troubleshooting var- Tsung who matches this woman’s description. No
ious issues. Finding an employment history won’t one knows for sure who she works for, but a lot of
124 be easy, but a Matrix Search (4) test will uncover people guess Spinrad.
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

33: the minefield

of fortune
Hook streets point right back to them and the target they
have on their back for having such juice.
After all this, the runners have one of the hottest The basics of the job are simple—find a way to
paydata portfolios in Manhattan. And what better use the data you have. The devil is in the details,
to do with paydata, than offer it up to the highest though. First, the PCs remember it’s not enough
bidder! This kind of payoff could set them up for to get paid—they need to survive long enough to
life, but as we all know, reward and risk are often spend the money. They should be careful to extract
cozy bedfellows. The forces that are about to get some concessions that will provide protection, or
sold out are not going to go down without a fight, at least promises that certain parties will not try to
and they know that dead runners tell no tales. And kill them.
the forces who want to buy the info worship at They also might be asked to keep some data
the unholy altar of megaprofit, so they will want from ever being reachable by destroying it. For the
to preserve their bottom line as much as possible. Dis portal, this means destroying the chamber un-
It also wouldn’t be Shadowrun without a little der Governors Island. For Animus’ memory-eras-
double-crossing. The decision various parties will ing technology, this means destroying the Octagon
make to kill the runners or pay them needs to be and the secret facility near the base of the Wash-
weighed on the scales of profitability and deniability. ington Bridge.
Word of what the runners had learned started to The PCs also might want to do more than just
spread beyond their circles in mission 32, and it’s look after themselves. There are some important
only circulating more at this point. Lots of people questions at stake, such as:
are looking to exploit some secret information and
get themselves an easy bump on whatever bottom • Do they leave Animus Construction and the
line they focus on. Interested parties will make a va- powers behind them free to continue manip-
riety of offers throughout this mission. If the PCs do ulating people’s minds?
not immediately play these parties off one another, • Do they spread awareness of the Dis portal
provide an NPC (one of the fixers and Johnsons the under Governors Island?
PCs have worked with will do) who will help them • Do they expose various corporate wrongdo-
understand what their information is worth—and ing to hurt the corps? Do they try to damage
how they can make it more valuable. one more than another?
Each group has information on bids, tactics, and • What do they do with information about
ways they might be played against other groups so risky investments made by Mitsuhama?
their bids may be increased, as well as when they
might fight and how much of a grudge they might It’s a complicated web, and the gamemaster
hold once things are done. should have fun making the PCs navigate the fac-
tions. The gamemaster should be aware of how
The Job discreet the PCs are in their negotiations—the less
word of their activities spreads, the fewer other
Being at the heart of this battle for information parties might become aggrieved at their decisions.
is going to have its fair share of troubles. Even if If the PCs do a good job of making sure word of
the runners use a contact to play middleman, the what they are doing does not leak out, reward

ADVENTURES // 33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE

them by having some people who might be op- Offer: Not going to jail, for starters. But they
posed to their actions leave them alone since they know how this game is played, so they’ll eventu-
don’t know what happened. ally sweeten the pot with 25,000 nuyen for each
The end of the mission comes when the PCs AAA they get good dirt about. 125
have made all their agreements and move on— Conditions for Attack: The team arresting the

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

possibly out of Manhattan, because it’s often a PCs will be as forceful as necessary to get them to
good idea to not linger long at the scene of a crime. comply. They really dislike people who resist ar-
rest, and they show that displeasure forcefully.
Way to Play Off Other Factions: In this whole
Who’s Who bargaining process, the PCs might come across
new information that could make a corp look
Here we’ll cover the forces arrayed against the bad. Ares is always there waiting to hear it, with
runners, the negotiator they send, the conditions another 25,000 nuyen payout—but only if it’s a
where they might be moved to attack the PCs, and corp they don’t already have dirt on from the PCs.
the resources they send after them with some sug- Could the PCs attempt to fake some information
gested tactics on the attack. There is also a line on and sell it to Ares? They can always give it a shot!
how their bid might be increased and how they Aftermath Attack Risk: None
might interact with other interested parties. As the
gamemaster cannot guarantee where events will
take place, they might want to get familiar with the Arleesh/Grey Cells/
runners’ regular hangouts, dosses, or safehouses.
The parties will intercept the PCs in public, invite
Yakut/Awakened Allies
them to meetings at their bases, or otherwise look This mixed bag team-up is more of a coalition of
to have conversations that might turn to violence. colliding causes than anything else. They are work-
Good luck out there! ing directly against the elements of Dis, especially
after the discoveries of the devices in Denver (see
The Third Parallel). They are interested in learning
Ares Macrotechnology the location of the Dis portal, who has been hid-
Ares wants dirt on their rivals. Their move to ing it, and any other intelligence they can pick up.
the CAS has them feeling bold, and getting some They’d certainly be interested in knowing observa-
leverage to use on their rivals would be a lot of fun. tions on the condition of the manasphere in Dis.
So information on who is supporting Animus, who Sends: Silk, a face to work a deal, with a mag-
is connected to Dis, and who did what in Denver ic-heavy team as backup.
is all interesting to them, and they’ll pay for each Resources:
piece they get. They aren’t exactly in a position to • Silk (use Face, p. 85, SR6; increase all skills
outbid everyone and they know it, but they also by 2)
know they don’t need exclusive ownership of this • Bashaera (use Street Shaman, p. 88, SR6; in-
info—they just need a piece of the action. crease all skills by 2, increase Magic by 1,
Sends: Donovan Peters, a mid-level exec with add Initiate Grade 1, masking)
big aspirations. Two full Knight Errant High • Pulse (use Combat Mage, p. 82, SR6; in-
Threat Response Teams. Detective: Simon Carey. crease all skills by 1, add four more spells of
Resources: Two KE HTR teams (use nine Fire- gamemaster’s choice, add four Force 2 spirits
watch, p. 137, Firing Squad; one Detective Mage, of air)
p. 138, Firing Squad; one Minuteman Rigger, p.
206, SR6; increase skills by 2); total of 22 officers • Candy (use Adept, p. 81, SR6; increase all
in two Ares Dragons (p. 298, SR6) with Ingram skills by 2)
Valiants (gel ammo) and two MGL-6 (stun gre- • Daisy (use Lone Star Combat Mage, p. 207,
nades). SR6; increase all skills by 1, add two Force 4
Tactics: Donovan sets up a meeting offering to spirits of earth)
come alone, but he arrives with the full support of • Kenji (use Seraphim Avenging Angel, p. 208,
his corporation. The meeting is in Central Park in SR6; increase all skills by 1)
a very public spot.
Shortly after the meeting begins, Donavan takes Tactics: Silk will contact the runners with a gen-
a round to the forehead. Somehow, two Ares Drag- uine offer and will want to meet face to face at a lo-
ons full of KE HTR teams are on the scene in mo- cation of the runners’ choosing. He’ll have his team
ments. They are there to arrest the team (using all of runners nearby but will truly try to make the deal
non-lethal munitions) and deliver them to Detec- happen before calling on them to do some advanced
tive Carey, who will then threaten life in prison if tactical negotiations.
they don’t spill useful information when they are Offer: 100,000 nuyen and global access to magi-
interrogated. cal reagents at 20 percent below market value.

33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE // ADVENTURES

 Conditions for Attack: The PCs move to keep the Harvin wants to keep the Dis portal’s location
location of the portal hidden or otherwise help Dis. secret; assistance in doing that earns 25,000 nuyen
Ways to Increase Their Offer: Aztechnology will from him if the PCs bring it up with him.
126 pay to protect the portal, so the obvious move is to Aftermath Attack Risk: None. Harvin’s got too
try to get Aztechnology to offer more, then play to much else to worry about. Serving on a megacor-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

two off each other. The Arleesh faction will increase porate board is a big responsibility that takes a lot
their offer to as high as 150,000 nuyen, after which of mental focus, which doesn’t mean every little
they will cut negotiations off and opt to attack. grudge can be pursued.
Ways to Play Off Other Factions: This faction
has some interest in Animus’ memory altering tech-
nology. If they are offered access to it, their price Aztechnology:
jumps to 200,000 nuyen. Additionally, their team Domingo “Ding” Ramos
can support the PCs traveling around the city.
To Ding, the Animus memory-altering technol-
Aftermath Attack Risk: None unless the PCs ful-
ogy represents a huge opportunity for the David
ly side with Dis; in that case, High.
Cartel and Aztechnology. With access to it, the
cartel can commit assassinations, plant spies, men-
Aztechnology: J.J. Harvin tally manipulate couriers, and perform a range of
J.J. Harvin Jr. is one of two Aztechnology ele- other maniacal machinations in order to protect
ments at work here, and the two of them are not their plans and processes. They want to own it and
aligned in their philosophy. The sect led by Har- don’t mind spending a little cash or spilling a little
vin is concerned with the Animus memory-altering blood to get it. For them, this is a game-changer
procedure, and they want to destroy knowledge of to help get the corporation out of bed with certain
it and have Animus shut down. They view Disians, foreign interests and bring the power back home.
who can bring strange magic into the field, as a Sends: A commcall from Ding making the of-
strong ally, and they’d be happy to point them at fer, mentioning how good and honest of a deal it
an assault on Animus-owned property. is, with “no overblown numbers that you know
Sends: J.J. Harvin, board member, through a are leading to a double-cross.” Ding then reminds
commcall. them there are always other ways he can try to get
Resources: Harvin has a lot of money, and his what he wants, so the PCs should probably try to
main focus is throwing it around to get what he work with him while he’s in a good mood.
wants. But he also has four Force 6 blood spirits Resources: If Ding feels he needs to enforce his
(p. 159, Street Wyrd) that he can use to enforce his will, he sends two six-person teams (use five SWAT
will where he needs it. Doorkickers, p. 136, Firing Squad, and one Mage
Tactics: Harvin slow-walks his offer. He doesn’t Corps, p. 136 Firing Squad).
want to be the first out of the gate, and he’d like Tactics: Ding’s people use non-lethal attacks.
to act when the PCs feel some degree of despera- They want to capture the runners and get the
tion. His first offer will be to send assistance, either data from them. The mage provides spell de-
Disians or his blood spirits. Once he’s built some fense for the toughs who make coordinated at-
trust with the PCs, he’ll see if he can get them to tacks against the opposition, targeting archetypes
level some Animus facilities for him. in the following order: mage, rigger, decker, and
Offer: 100,000 nuyen and spirit assistance. then muscle (unless someone poses a significant
Conditions for Attack: Only if Harvin is direct- threat—they’ll upset that order to focus on any
ly threatened. Otherwise, he doesn’t think going overwhelming danger).
after the PCs is worth the effort. Offer: Ding’s first offer is, “Tell me what I want
Ways to Play off Other Factions: As noted to know and I won’t unleash all the powers of Az-
above, Harvin wants to deal with desperate run- technology to make your life miserable.” He holds
ners, and he’s not above making some deals to in- to that and sends his forces after the PCs before
crease that desperation. If he can persuade other he offers any money. If the PCs survive his first
groups to increase their aggressiveness, he will. assault, he offers 100,000 nuyen.
He also absolutely does not want any other cor- Conditions for Attack: Ramos sends his forces
poration to have access to Animus’ technology, to attack the PCs if they do not quickly agree to
and he will raise his offer to 125,000 nuyen if share information about Animus with him.
he thinks that will keep the tech out of others’ Ways to Play off Other Factions: Ding would
hands. hate to see Animus technology lost or destroyed,
He also doesn’t want Ding Ramos to get the and he’d really hate to see it in a rival’s hands. If
tech, as he feels that will unleash harm on the he gets word that the PCs are selling out to anyone
world and also help Ding increase his standing else, he increases his offer to 150,000 nuyen. If he
within Aztechnology. He’ll pay 150,000 nuyen to gets word that the PCs are selling to Harvin, he
keep Animus tech from getting into Ding’s hands. sends another team to attack them.

ADVENTURES // 33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE

 Ramos doesn’t care much about Dis one way or they need is time and to be left alone. She tells the
another, but if he learns Harvin wants to keep the PCs that they can just walk away, don’t tell anyone
portal hidden, he might threaten to expose it just anything, and they will have helped Dis.
to irritate his fellow board member. If Cordarelle fails, then it’s time for an attack, 127
Aftermath Attack Risk: Low. As with Harvin, and the spirits of beasts described above ambush

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Ramos has too much going on in his life to let a the PCs.
vendetta against shadowrunners occupy much of The final effort from Dis is a return visit from
his time. Cordarelle, who makes the offer described below.
Offer: Esme Cordarelle offers the PCs 120,000
to destroy any evidence they have gathered about
Dis Dis.
Residents of Dis are, of course, very interest- Conditions for Attack: As described above, and
ed in the portal staying open and news of their also the spirits of beasts will attack sometime after
manasphere’s condition staying secret. True to the PCs sell any information about Dis unless they
their nature, they’re not going to set about this task cover their tracks very carefully. They will also
directly. The outcomes they seek, in order of pref- respond to a good threat—if the PCs threaten to
erence, are: 1) the runners are fooled by their ruse; share all the data they have with MCT (as long
2) the runners are convinced to be sympathetic to as they have a solid contact whose name they are
their cause; 3) the runners are intimidated; 4) the willing to share), then Dis will back down, know-
runners are bought off. The nuances of these ap- ing that MCT could cause them significant prob-
proaches are discussed in the Tactics section. lems.
Sends: Faces, then spirits Ways to Play off Other Factions: Disians in
Resources: The first two steps require some of Manhattan very much do not want Arleesh and
Dis’ earthly allies, so they send two different faces company alerted to their activities, and they have
(use Entertainer, p. 167, Sixth World Companion extra incentive to shut them down. If the PCs are
for the first one, Policlub Member, p. 170. Sixth making a deal with Arleesh, the Disians will get
World Companion for the second). When and if it more aggressive and unleash the beast spirits. The
comes time for an attack, Dis sends a pack of ten PCs can also use the threat of going to Arleesh as
Force 4 spirits of beasts (p. 148, SR6) with instruc- a bargaining chip, getting Cordarelle to raise her
tions to kill the runners and destroy their physical offer to 135,000 nuyen.
forms and possessions. Additional Powers for each Additionally, as long as the PCs are on good
spirit can be chosen by the gamemaster to make terms with Aztechnology representatives, the Dis
the encounter interesting and challenging. beast spirits will not attack, as they hope Aztech-
Tactics: The first operative, a man named Fin- nology will be able to smooth things over before
ley Crane, poses as a Draco Foundation operative violence becomes necessary.
eager to hear what the PCs have learned about Aftermath Attack Risk: Moderate. Dis is mov-
Dis. He is active and engaged through the whole ing on big plans and don’t want them stalled, but
conversation, and he’ll reference Coppernick- they also can’t necessarily take time to deal with
el and the PCs’ interactions with him from the every potential speed bump—some of them, they’ll
previous mission (p. 123). They quality of their just run over.
interaction with Coppernickel should affect Fin-
ley’s attitude toward them, but even if things with
Coppernickel ended badly, Finley will be deter- Ghostwalker
mined to talk things out. When the discussion is Sick of all the astral meddling and the possi-
over, Finley tells the PCs that he and his colleagues bility of events that, if left unchecked, he knows
can take it from there. He assures them that with will eventually lead to a rather unpleasant place,
the help of the Astral Space Preservation Society, Ghostwalker is willing to simply pay to gain ac-
they’ll be well equipped to look into the issue. He cess to the info and bury it in the deepest hole he
thinks the conflict might start to get hot, though, can find. He makes two different offers (see be-
so he advises the PCs to keep their distance from low), and if neither is taken, he resorts to the same
this point on. thing that all be believes dragons should when they
If this doesn’t work and the PCs are still poking don’t get their way with the little races: destroy
around after Dis, they send in their second face, a them and eat them as snacks.
woman named Esme Cordarelle. She openly pres- Sends: John Denver, a corporate Mr. Johnson
ents herself as an agent of Dis, and she tries to ex- with a distinctive name so you remember who
plain the position of her metaplane. She admits Dis you’re working with.
is in a difficult spot, but she says that is caused by Resources: Ghostwalker hires a local crew to
being caught between powers. She says the runners take out the runners if they refuse to sell access to
must understand what that’s like. She says they him. The crew will be partially acting as guards for
have found a path to fixing things, though—all Denver or blending in with the crowd at whatever

33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE // ADVENTURES

 meeting place they declare. Denver (use Mr. John- Tactics: Honesty and a little cash. Blake will
son, p. 214, SR6), Aries (use Street Samurai, p. 87, genuinely pay the runners and will tell them
SR6), Gemini (use Street Shaman, p. 88, SR6), Libra straight out that any corp that offers them a big
128 (use Rigger, p. 86, SR6), Leo (use Technomancer, p. score is going to kill them.
89, SR6), Sagittarius (use Covert Ops Specialist, p. Offer: 75,000 nuyen
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

83, SR6), Scorpio (use Combat Mage, p. 82, SR6), Conditions for Attack: None
and Taurus (use Weapon Specialist, p. 90, SR6). Ways to Play off Other Factions: Obviously,
Tactics: If neither of the offers below is tak- Blake’s interest overlaps with the CIA and Mitsu-
en, Denver leaves, and his team attacks. They’re hama, and if he feels like he’s struggling with the
skilled and relatively coordinated. PCs, he’ll turn to them to help do some persuad-
Offer: First offer is 200 acres of private land in ing. He will not increase his offer; instead, he’ll
the Front Range Free Zone, along with all struc- push his allies to the fore and hope they’ll increase
tures and property therein. The land currently pro- their offer.
duces annual net income of 20,000 nuyen, and this Aftermath Attack Risk: None
could be increased with more development. The
second offer is the land along with a Z-O bank
account with 150,000 nuyen. Mitsuhama Computer
Conditions for Attack: As described above, Technologies
Ghostwalker’s team attacks if his offers are rejected.
Ways to Play Off Other Factions: If the PCs Mitsuhama has a few things at risk here—their
connect Denver to the directors at Animus, they investment in Animus Construction and informa-
can deal together and support each other, making tion about some large commitments of cash that
them formidable against any other force. Ghost- they have made. They want to keep both of these
walker will reward them with his second offer, and things under wraps—though if OmniStar or Pro-
he will promise development subsidies on the land metheus comes asking after Animus tech with a
to make it more valuable. cash offer, they’ll listen. As far as the runners are
Aftermath Attack Risk: Low. The shadowrun- concerned, though, Mitsuhama mainly wants to
ners can be useful to Ghostwalker, but if they fail pay them to shut up.
to be, then he will look to get what he wants from Sends: David Yoshiro, local face (use stats for Gov-
another source and will forget the PCs entirely. ernment Official, p. 168, Sixth World Companion).
Resources: Mitsuhama is the top-ranked
megacorporation in the world, so Yoshiro has cash
Jonathan Blake at his disposal. You don’t, however, get to be the
Blake and his behind-the-scenes partner, Miles world’s number-one corp by wasting money, so
Lanier, have invested a lot in developing Ani- he’ll deploy it judiciously. He also has a team of
mus technology for their own use, and they’ll be top-flight corporate security (use Professional Rat-
damned if they’ll let it just get away. They also ing 7 Elite Corporate Security, p. 208, SR6) to keep
know that the technology they have worked so him safe and enforce his will.
hard for is very powerful and should not be spread Tactics: Yoshiro wants the status quo that was
too widely. This means Blake is willing to spend to present before the runners got into town to contin-
keep the status quo. ue—it’s as simple as that. He doesn’t want anyone
Lanier, who suffers from cognitive fragmentation talking about Animus or Mitsuhama’s cash situa-
disorder, is not all that interested in the Evo plan to tion. He offers money to pay for the PCs’ silence
use Animus technology to cure monads. In his view, but says that if he can’t pay them to be silent, he’ll
there are other viable cures out there, so one this make them quiet through other means.
invasive is not needed. He’s more worried that some Offer: 175,000 nuyen. Just to be quiet.
other negative mental plague might develop if An- Conditions for Attack: Obviously, security will
imus’ technology falls into the wrong hands (how attack if Yoshiro is threatened. If the PCs expose
he defines his hands as being right and others being some of Mitsuhama’s financial mishaps, Yoshiro
wrong in this matter is another subject entirely). will be mad, but that’s it. But if they somehow shut
Blake and Lanier are certainly not poor by down Animus, either by exposing it or destroying
shadowrunner standards, but they also don’t have its facilities, he will he incensed. He will send his
the resources to compete with the Big Ten. Any security team after the runners to punish them for
plea Blake makes will hinge on the dangers of this taking away a valuable asset.
technology being shared too broadly—while also Ways to Play Off Other Factions: Yoshiro
looking at the negative effects of losing it entirely. knows other corps are gunning for the number-one
Sends: Blake slot, which means he knows he might need to pay
Resources: Some personal cash, but Blake and out extra money to keep them at bay. If he gets
Lanier do not have a shadowrunner team on call wind of the work of OmniStar, Prometheus, Piper
to run interference for them in this matter. Jane, or any other group looking to make trouble

ADVENTURES // 33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE

for his corp, he increases his offer to 210,000 nuy- They could make a lot of money here, but Piper
en. He’ll make the same increase if Jonathan Blake Jane wants to persuade them that they have an-
asks for help in persuading the PCs to their cause. other choice. With her help, they can expose the
Aftermath Attack Risk: Low unless the PCs did shenanigans that have been going on and do some 129
something to significantly harm Animus—in that damage to the powers that be. The PCs will have

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

case, it’s high. to forego some money, but they could improve the
world a little. What’s a runner to do?
Sends: Piper Jane herself.
Monads/Vida Nova/EVO Resources: The only resources Piper Jane brings
Evo is writing the check and the monads and to the table are communication skills and a media
Vida Nova don’t really want the bad press of a megaphone that will help her share the informa-
street massacre on their hands (they get enough tion the PCs have with the world.
bad PR as it is). While Piper Jane is an indepen- Tactics: Piper Jane has given the PCs a fair
dent, she will help broker this deal if the runners amount of money during their time in Manhat-
are willing to listen to the bid. tan, but she can’t compete with the six-figure of-
Evo has a long-standing interest in the workings fers coming their way. Instead, she says that if the
of the metahuman mind, so they’d love to have a information is presented correctly, the landscape
controlling interest in Animus’ technology. They of Manhattan could be reshaped. If information
believe it has the potential for monad corrective comes out that Aztechnology had a portal to Dis
procedures while also potentially placing displaced right next to Manhattan, the anger of the citizenry
monad AI personalities into a clone blank. and even other members of the MDC might be se-
Not to mention the spying and derivative tech vere. She would then paint a lot of the Animus af-
that Evo could pull out of it. fair as a failure of NYPD, Inc., allowing inhumane,
Sends: Vice (a runner turned corporate face for CIA-backed experimentation unchecked within
Evo) with a team of runners. city boundaries—experimentation that sometimes
Resources: A team of four individuals (use Face, affected New Yorkers, as the incident in Central
p. 85, SR6; Covert Ops Specialist, p. 83, SR6; Park showed. If the PCs figure out the identity of
Street Samurai, p. 87, SR6; Street Shaman, p. 88, “the widow” as discussed by Animus directors (see
SR6) with a Nightsky (p. 296, SR6, w/ Body 20, p. 115), Piper Jane will be thrilled to use that as
Armor 12, Pilot 4, and 2 Ingram Valiants (p. 258, evidence of misbehavior in the top ranks of Spin-
SR6) in a pop-up turret. rad Global, another MDC member. This series of
Tactics: They’re playing this one pretty much blows should call into question the composition of
on the up and up. They want to pay for the tech, the MDC, if not its entire reason for being. That
not just take it, and Evo is offering one of the big- could lead to change at the top, and Piper Jane is
gest payouts. They use every means at their dispos- optimistic enough to believe that any change pres-
al to reach out to the runners for a meeting and ents a chance for improvement.
show the utmost professionalism. (This meeting Most concretely, exposing the activities of An-
would be a fine time for someone less professional imus Construction will cause their work to stop.
to crash in with a counteroffer). Every corp will learn that it’s potentially powerful,
Offer: 200,000 nuyen but they also know they never want it used against
Conditions for Attack: Defense only. Evo is them, so it becomes like a nuclear weapon—you
treating this as regular business, not shadow work. hold it with the hopes of never having to use it.
They’re hoping to succeed through something as The firm shuts down, and memory alteration
classic as waving around money. (along with the flaws in Animus’ techniques) falls
Ways to Play off Other Factions: While Evo off as an area of pressing research. This avoids a
would prefer exclusive access to the tech, they lot of negative consequences for the people of the
wouldn’t be too upset for others to have access, Sixth World.
too, so it’s not a deal-breaker for them. If they hear Offer: 40,000 nuyen. But Piper Jane says the
runners can be involved in the work of crafting
the PCs are thinking of destroying the technolo-
and spreading her stories and seeing what kind of
gy, though, they’ll increase their offer to 250,000
change they can make in the city.
nuyen.
Conditions for Attack: None. That’s not Piper’s
Aftermath Attack Risk: None
way or skillset.
Ways to Play Off Other Factions: None, real-
Piper Jane and the ly. Going this route means going alone, with the
PCs turning their backs on money and opting for
Independent Press shining daylight on some dark places. The PCs
Piper Jane has been along for a lot of the ride, may, however, spend some time fielding offers to
having the PCs dig up useful facts, and now they’ve see what secrets they might uncover. For example,
really found some explosive, valuable information. if they bargain with Prometheus and OmniStar,

33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE // ADVENTURES

 they may find out that those two companies want aren’t too worried about others having the technol-
to work together to use memory erasure in police ogy, as they think they’d build a better version of
work, which is an incredibly dangerous proposi- it. If the PCs mention OmniStar’s interest, though,
130 tion. Since Prometheus is another member of the they’ll be intrigued—they think they can really give
MDC, this is more info that could put that group OmniStar what they want. They’ll make a few calls,
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

in a very bad light. and then the PCs will hear from OmniStar, who
Aftermath Attack Risk: None has increased their offer for the Animus Construc-
tion technology to 200,000 nuyen. The PCs need
to think about this offer really carefully—the con-
Prometheus Engineering sequences described in the Aftermath section of
Prometheus has hovered at the periphery of the OmniStar write up would become even more
greatness around the world while enjoying the severe. The PCs may get some money, but if they
spotlight of their place on the MDC. They know do any runs in the near future, they will experience
the potential of Animus’ technology, but they also a law enforcement environment like they’ve never
know they could not only use it, but they could seen, where Lone Star can essentially reshape reali-
make it better. In classic New York fashion, they ty. That should present a lot of challenges to the PCs
put money on top of the table but have a shotgun in future missions if this scenario comes to pass.
underneath just in case. Aftermath Attack Risk: None
Sends: Edmond Farrington and a corporate
runner team known as the Firebearers.
Resources: Edmond is the money on the table, OmniStar
and the Firebearers are the shotgun under the ta- With both DocWagon and Lone Star in their
ble. The Firebearers are a corporate runner team portfolio, OmniStar is certainly plugged into chaos
working primarily for Prometheus. The team con- in the Rotten Apple (even if Lone Star only has a
sists of: smattering of private contracts across town rath-
• Torch (use Covert Ops Specialist, p. 82, SR6; er than responsibility for municipal policing ac-
add Exotic Weapon 3 (Flamethrowers +2), tivities). They also have ambitions to become an
Shiawase Blazer) AAA company. While they’ve only heard rumors
of what the Animus technology can do, they’re in-
• Matches (use Decker, p. 84, SR6; add Exot- terested in it—and like Ares, they’re interested in
ic Weapon 2 (Flamethrowers +2), Shiawase anything they can use as leverage against any of
Blazer) the Big Ten. While Ares wants to deliver pain, Om-
• Bic (use Weapon Specialist, p. 90, SR6; in- niStar prefers blackmail, wringing favors in return
crease Exotic Weapon 6 (Flamethrowers +3), for covering up certain pieces of information.
Shiawase Blazer) Sends: A team of in-house shadowrunners.
• Flint (use Street Samurai, p. 87, SR6; add Their face will make initial contact and put in an
Exotic Weapon 4 (Flamethrowers +2), Shi- offer for their employer.
awase Blazer) Resources: A six-member team of corporate
• Sparks (use Rigger, p. 87, SR6; add Exotic shadowrunners with decent support resources.
Weapon 3 (Flamethrowers +2), Shiawase • Two Shadowriders, p. 137, Firing Squad
Blazer) • Minuteman Security Rigger, p. 206, SR6
• Zippo (use Adept, p. 81, SR6; add Exotic • Lone Star Combat Mage, p. 207, SR6
Weapon 3 (Flamethrowers +2), Shiawase
Blazer) • DocWagon HTR Officer, p. 207, SR6
• Hacker, p. 84, SR6
Tactics: Edmond accepts a meeting at a location • The team has two Force 4 kindred spirits,
of the PCs’ choice to place his bid, or he tracks a Force 4 spirit of earth, an Ares Roadmas-
them down to politely make an offer. He has the ter, two MCT-Nissan Rotodrones with two
Firebearers with him, waiting in the wings, but he HK227s, two GM-Nissan Dobermans with
doesn’t verbally threaten the team; he just pulls the Ares Alphas loaded with smoke and stun
trigger on the proverbial shotgun if the runners re- grenades, and an Aerodesign Systems LDSD-
fuse to sell. 64 Condor (p. 108, Double Clutch).
Offer: 130,000 nuyen
Conditions for Attack: Only if threatened. And Offer: Free month of Gold DocWagon mem-
that means threatened by actions, not just angry bership for each team member just for taking the
words. meeting. Three months of Platinum membership
Ways to Play Off Other Factions: Prometheus and 20,000 nuyen for each piece of corporate data
certainly doesn’t want the Animus technology de- they bring in. They pay 150,000 nuyen for access
stroyed, so that would be their main concern. They to Animus Construction technology.

ADVENTURES // 33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE

 Conditions for Attack: None, unless they are at- the Pit if not. She has the hubris of her mother but
tacked. The OmniStar runners are looking for an nowhere near the clout.
opportunity, not a fight. Offer: 150,000 nuyen
Ways to Play Off Other Factions: The OmniS- Conditions for Attack: While Abyssa wants to 131
tar team represents opportunity for the PCs. Not lure the PCs to a favorable battleground, she’ll

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

only could they get some cash and health care, but start by talking to them to see if they’ll just sell
they should recognize kindred spirits in the team her what she wants. But if they don’t at least
from OmniStar. If they do anything that might re- make progress toward agreement, she attacks
sult in some interesting megacorporate gossip, the with the intent of finishing the PCs off for their
OmniStar team could be willing and able accom- stubbornness.
plices. This might mean repaying them some of the Ways to Play Off Other Factions: Abyssa
money OmniStar has laid out, but it might be well knows Arleesh has an interest in all this, but she’s
worth it. not sure what. Whatever it is, though, she’d like to
Aftermath Attack Risk: None, but the PCs stop it. Her desire is simple—she wants the PCs to
should be aware of what happens if OmniStar gets bring Silk to her, and she’ll eat him. She’ll throw in
hold of Animus’ technology. For a time afterward, 15,000 nuyen for this service.
the PCs will be living in a world where Lone Star Aftermath Attack Risk: None. If she can’t get
has some of the powers they have long coveted. things done in the timeframe she intends, Abyssa
They could beat a confession out of someone and will slink away from the area, ashamed.
make them forget the beating. They could alter
what witnesses remember to build a case to suit
what they want at the time. Some innocent sus- UCAS CIA
pects will be railroaded, while some guilty but As they are behind some of the main research of
connected suspects will be cleared. It’ll come to an Animus Construction, they are far more interest-
end before too long, as the weaknesses and fail- ed in silencing the runners than bidding for some-
ures of Animus’ technology become clear, but for thing they already know. Things got too loud for
a few months, the PCs will have unleashed one of them; they want to quiet things down.
the most frighteningly unethical authoritarian law Note that the CIA has a surprising amount of
forces the world has ever seen. assets for an agency of a struggling nation; the PCs
might speculate that someone is giving them extra
The Sea Dragon support in this matter.
Sends: A motley crew of expendable but skilled
While not featured as a player in the game of assets, most of whom are slightly unhinged.
Manhattan chess, the Sea Dragon always keeps Resources: A team of seven government-trained
an eye on anything going on anywhere near the professionals, as follows:
water. Her ears around the city have heard of An-
imus’ new tech. She is not terribly interested in it • BB: use Minuteman Security Rigger, p. 206,
for herself, but she would prefer it not end up in SR6, add 2 Nissan Samurai drone with Colt
the hands of any of her rivals. Infiltrating her ranks Cobra SMG and katana, 2 GM-Nissan Do-
has proven very difficult, but something like this berman drones with Mossberg CMDT w/
could change that. explosive ammo, 2 Honda Spirits w/ rigger
This is not the highest item on her priority list, interface, 1 GMC Bulldog w/ rigger inter-
but she has the right person for the job. One of face, and one Goodyear Commuter-47 (p.
her children, Abyssa, has become a bit big for her 75, Double Clutch).
rather small britches, and the Sea Dragon thinks • Bronx: use Lone Star Combat Mage, p. 207,
an encounter with some runners might teach her SR6 (adjust for troll)
some humility—or prove that her swagger is justi- • Apex: use Yakuza Blademaster, p. 207, SR6
fied. Abyssa is not the most physically or magically • Queens: use Mafia Soldato, p. 207, SR6 (ad-
powerful of the new ranks of leviathans, but she just for troll)
thinks if she can work with the metahumans, she • Parallax: use Seraphim Avenging Angel, p.
can gain power that way. 208, SR6
Sends: Abyssa to ask the runners to connect her
to Animus technology • Trigger: use DocWagon HTR Officer, p. 207,
Resources: A dragon, Abyssa (Character Trove, SR6
p. 139) and her spirit assistants (one Force 6 of • Silver: use Lone Star Combat Mage, p. 207,
each spirit type in the core rulebook with addition- SR6, with three Force 4 kindred spirits (Fear;
al powers selected by the gamemaster to best fit Innate Spell: Lightning Bolt; Movement as
their campaign and challenge their players). additional powers, one per spirit)
Tactics: She’ll set a trap near the docks if she Tactics: BB, short for Big Brother, hangs out in
can lure them in socially, an attack in Terminal at the Commuter-47, blending in with Manhattan

33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE // ADVENTURES

 advertising and transport craft while he controls Aftermath
the Bulldog and drones, and also taking over the
Spirits, when not occupied. Bronx and Queens de- Be aware of any ramifications of what the PCs
decide. This can be as simple as who they have
132 ploy from the Bulldog to attack the runners. Trig-
built trust with and who is angry with them, but
ger and Silver ride in one of the Spirits, while Apex
it’s also about who has what tech, whose standing
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

and Parallax deploy from the other. They are a di-

rect assault force but have terrible teamwork skills has improved, and who is feeling more desperate.
and no real leader. If Dis, for example, loses their portal under Gover-
Offer: 50,000 nuyen for the PCs to leave town nors Island, they will feel more desperate and thus
and never talk about what they learned. This is not will ramp up their activities. Any encounters the
a serious offer, but they’ll be delighted if the PCs PCs have with Disians in the future should reflect
actually take it. this increased urgency. Similarly, if the PCs act to
Conditions for Attack: If the PCs reject their of- increase Mitsuhama’s cash crunch in any way, Mit-
fer. They also can be inserted into any scene where suhama will start acting more aggressively to close
PCs are trying to sell Animus data, trying to stage deals and find some short-term financial gains,
a desperate attack to keep the data from spreading. with little regard to who they hurt while doing so.
Ways to Play Off Other Factions: None. They Additionally, the gamemaster should be aware
want the PCs eliminated, not more deals made or of who (if anyone) has access to Animus technol-
money spent. ogy at the end of this campaign. Anyone who has
Aftermath Attack Risk: Low. They want to seal it will use it to alter memories to their advantage,
the deal before things go down; once it’s done, and even if the memories eventually revert back to
they’ll start looking toward the next battle rather reality, this has the potential to cause a variety of
than fighting the past one. chaos that could make life quite interesting for the
PCs for a while.

ADVENTURES // 33: THE MINEFIELD OF FORTUNE

 PLOT
SUMMARY
This section provides background on the major the UCAS government, changing the name to An-
players in the plot of this book as well as a sum- imus Construction and making it an independent
mary of the events. Don’t read on unless you want operation under the direct control of now-direc-
the plot developments spoiled for you! tor Kent Burroughs. As the organization grew and
branched out, Burroughs had to recruit a number
of executives to run the day-to-day operations.
Preamble: Background Eventually, these included Jonathan Blake. Using
(Animus / CIA) his position on the Animus Construction board of
directors, Blake has set his own plans in motion,
During the mid-twentieth century, the CIA be- secretly working with Miles Lanier to figure out
gan a series of black-book projects—starting with their own ways to take advantage of Animus tech.
MK-Ultra—with the goal of developing brain- The CFD crisis of 2076 altered the trajectory
washing and mental manipulation techniques. of Animus Construction’s research and introduced
This was soon followed by Project Stargate, de- the idea of using nanotech for neurological alter-
signed to study paranormal mental abilities. Over ation. Agents were placed in several labs research-
the decades, other projects developed along the ing CFD, including the NeoNET facilities in Bos-
same lines, including Project Mindflayer around ton, where Dr. Kinsey Trujillo and the AI known as
the turn of the century. The latest project in this Vida Nova were recruited. With Trujillo and Vida
series, Operation Anima, was formed in 2049 to Nova added to the research staff, new advances
adapt ASIST technology to mental manipulation came rapidly. The Monad-derived memory-altering
techniques. The records lost in Crash 2.0 allowed technology advanced with each new breakthrough
the CIA to sever the project’s official connection to in CFD treatments, and with nanotechnology in

 // PLOT SUMMARY
 general. As field experiments of the technology Project Lazarus, destroying Animus Construction
proved successful, rumors spread through a very and leaving Blake in control of the remaining as-
select circle of powerful and ultra-wealthy indi- sets. Using a shadow operative, they gather several
134 viduals about Animus Construction. This included patients undergoing therapy at Animus Construc-
Gabrielle Al Thani—who learned of the operation tion: Clinical Operations and release them in Cen-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

from her Null Sect allies—and used the technolo- tral Park. This was the first step in the exposure
gy to erase her own memory of planning Johnny plan, followed by tipping off Piper Jane about the
Spinrad’s death. Evan Teeg of MCT: North Amer- initial Project Lazarus event sponsored by Celine
ica is also using Animus technology to erase evi- and Illyran Ardrin, and then leaking information
dence of the megas’ involvement in Denver, trading about a “Project Lazarus” laboratory.
the specialized equipment Animus needs to expand Before the lab information could be leaked, a
their operation. Of course, the primary customer small laboratory using Animus technology had to
remained the CIA and the UCAS, and they had be set up, ready to be found—one that exposed the
plans for the technology. basics of the technology and led directly to MCT
and the CIA. Through a local fixer, Blake hired the
Ancients to intercept a shipment of medical na-
The Central Plot Arc no-forges coming from MCT as they were on the
(Animus / CIA / Project Lazarus) way to the main Animus Construction facility. The
hijacking only partially succeeded, and the tech
After the events of the 2080 blackouts, the
ended up in the hands of the NYPD. Fearing the
UCAS government began looking for a weapon exposure of MCT’s involvement, Teeg initiated a
that could strike back against the megacorpora- cleanup operation using the Null Sect to cover up
tions. Kent Burroughs, now the director of the the evidence. He also sent in a team of shadowrun-
CIA—also secretly the penultimate master of the ners to retrieve the equipment—and they mostly
Black Lodge—proposed Project Lazarus as a way to succeeded—leaving Blake and Lanier scrambling
strike back against the Corporate Court and create to alter their plans. The Null Sect did a good job
a resurrection of UCAS prominence. The upcoming of erasing all evidence at the precinct, but Piper
initial demonstration is being managed by Indica suspects there may be more to find and sends the
Meiers in Manhattan, overseen by Justin Bellflow- runners searching for other video footage. This un-
er, with the event organized by Celine and Illyran covers the involvement of some known MCT op-
Ardrin. It includes a release of incriminating video eratives entering—and then leaving—the precinct
footage. Simultaneous to the release of manipulat- in the hijacked Roadmaster.
ed video footage of DJ’s criminal actions, sleeper With Blake’s efforts to expose it having no real
agents, conditioned with Animus tech over the last impact yet, Project Lazarus continues to follow the
year, will be activated inside the homes of people initial plan. The “demonstration” with DJ is set
close to the Corporate Court. A small number of up, with the runners happening to be one of sev-
incidents were planned to appear random at first eral teams secretly recording the events. The raw
glance; trusted bodyguards turning on their charges, footage is reworked by the CIA labs and released.
spouses attacking their families in the middle of the The immediate fallout of Project Lazarus draws in
night, and senior managers wiping out billions of a number of power players including Buttercup,
nuyen. These were primarily tests of the technology. who tasks Taylor Dacopral and indirectly Rikki
Once it was shown to be successful, the CIA would Nguyen to look into events. In short order, Rik-
then attempt social engineering through memory ki tracks down DJ and attempts to discover what
manipulation on a significant scale. People intend- happened. The Tiding (an independent covert in-
ing to make deals with the UCAS would suddenly formation-gathering organization) is also interest-
find themselves amenable to more favorable terms ed in uncovering the events and will either attempt
than they previously considered. People intending to extract DJ for their own investigation or may
reprisals or punishments against the UCAS would be willing to pool resources with the runners to
suddenly forget what they were planning to do. Ne- uncover what’s going on. If the runners handle the
gotiation by negotiation, interaction by interaction, Tiding correctly, they may even hear about Ani-
the UCAS would give themselves the upper hand, mus Construction for the first time (if they didn’t
building long-term power as they did so. hear about it while engaged in the Assassin’s Night
Not everyone within Animus Construction is on campaign).
board with the implementation of Project Lazarus. The efforts of the runners to uncover events
Jonathan Blake believes that overuse of the tech by have not gone unnoticed. Indica Meiers, running
the UCAS government would eventually lead back interference related to Project Lazarus for the CIA,
to Animus, disrupting his plans. As a response, hires an intermediary to pay Piper to “interview”
Blake and his secret partner, Miles Lanier, devise the runners in an effort to discover what they
a plan to separate portions of the operation from know. She also unintentionally leaves a trail of evi-
what’s controlled directly by the CIA, then expose dence leading back to the CIA’s involvement.

PLOT SUMMARY // 
 The CIA is not the only Animus faction that has has intercepted a delivery heading to a secret fa-
noticed the runners—they have also shown up on cility. He hires the runners to make the delivery
Jonathan Blake’s radar. After gathering every detail and get him information on what that facility is.
he can about the team, he arranges for informa- The location in question turns out to be another 135
tion about them to be leaked to Buttercup. He then secret facility of Animus Construction. Regardless

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

hires a local fixer to lure them into a meeting— of how the runners locate the facility, exploring it
first with him, then with Buttercup. Blake is trying will confirm what the runners already suspect, but
to use the runners to steer Buttercup into helping the prime clue about who may be behind events is
expose MCT’s—and the Null Sect’s—involvement an encrypted message requesting a meeting with a
with Project Lazarus and eventually expose the cryptic time and location. Unraveling the note and
CIA while diverting attention away from his and spying on the meeting will uncover who the actual
Lanier’s interests. Ms. Helena Chomsky, who is in players behind Animus Construction are, handing
charge of Buttercup’s security operations through the runners the last pieces of the puzzle needed to
Marsh and Hound Ltd., is actually working for expose the organization.
Miles Lanier and will be in the meeting, secretly What they choose to do with the information
reporting back to Blake. gathered has the potential to create a storm that
Coincidence always plays a role in events, and will shake the pillars of the corporate world, tear-
the runners pick up a few key pieces of informa- ing down some while elevating others. The chal-
tion after gaining access to two secret labs. The lenge will become surviving the storm long enough
data gained from the decades-old labs gives the to collect a payday and then blend back into the
runners some new insight into the CIAs early ex- shadows.
periments on mind control. The data also helps
point the way to the location of another possible
lab—the Octagon. After tracking down this new Background (MCT)
lead, the runners learn that work with mental MCT began working with the Null Sect be-
manipulation is ongoing and it’s tied to a name fore anyone else, except maybe Global Sandstorm,
they may have heard from the Tiding—Animus helping them learn about the “outer world” and
Construction. using them to accomplish their own goals. The
Having the data on these various programs is a Null Sect are information hunters second to none,
long way from understanding the science behind and information about Animus Construction was
it—or what people may be doing with it. The run- discovered early on. The data about what it was
ners need an expert opinion, and their contacts and what it could do was passed along to a number
point them to a BTL producer named Brinkvale. of MCT executives, including Even Teeg. After the
After helping him locate a previous patient, Brink- Aurora Event, the Null Sect was assigned by Teeg
vale will explain to the team what the Animus to erase all data on the Matrix related to it. He
memory-altering technology described in the data also reached out to Animus Construction to start
can do, and also what its limitations are. He then erasing the memories of any personnel who were
points them to another expert who may know too valuable to just eliminate. Everyone scheduled
more—his old boss, Dr. Sonya Peters, who is now for alterations was transferred to the Shibata Con-
an e-ghost inside the NYU Medical School host. sulting home office to be near the main Animus
While not providing a lot of additional technical Construction facility and basically held there un-
information, she will mention that some people til Teeg decided where to reassign them to. With
claiming to be from the UCAS government had the new access to MCT’s resources and industrial
tried to recruit her to work on something called capacity, Animus Construction began upgrading
Project Anima a few years back using the exact the clinical operations facility in New Harlem to
same technology—and she is able to provide some handle the influx of MCT employees and carry out
data on those people. Project Lazarus operations.
While searching for more information on An- After the hijacking of a shipment of the special-
imus Construction and the CIA operatives run- ized nano-forges being sent to Animus, Teeg over-
ning it, a recently retired colleague of the runners acted, sending the Null Sect to erase all the data
brings them a crucial clue. He reveals that his par- about the hijacking and then sending in a shadow-
ents are secretly employed by Animus Construc- runner team he occasionally uses for the physical
tion. He overheard a conversation about a work retrieval. Unfortunately for Teeg, his rush to man-
meeting happening soon. Eavesdropping on the age things left a trail leading back to MCT.
meeting produces no new clues, but if the work MCT’s connection to Dis is another secret they
associate can be successfully followed, the other are going to great lengths to keep. The devices used
attendee will lead the team to the main facility in Denver were equal parts stolen Aztechnology
of Animus Construction. If the team fails in their research and magical knowledge gained from Dis.
tailing attempt, Lady Luck will give them anoth- What Dis gained in return for this knowledge is
er chance. One of their Mr. Johnsons, El Guapo, another secret that Mitsuhama plans to keep.

 // PLOT SUMMARY
 Background (SpinGlobal) mental illnesses in metahumans, it can be used to
stabilize and repair the minds of Monads that have
Prior to the merger of SpIn and Global Sand- never successfully integrated their personalities. Of
136 storm, Gabrielle Al Thani had big plans—plans course it could also be a dangerous weapon, mak-
that included having teams explore the newly dis- ing it even more important to Buttercup that Evo
covered Deep Foundation hunting for information
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

gets involved.
she could use to her advantage. What they found
was the Null Sect, and under her guidance the Null
Sect assisted in the rise of SpIn and the mergers Background
that led to Spin Global. Those same allies also gave (Aztechnology)
her information about an organization able to help
her with the next part of her plan, getting rid of Like Evo, Aztechnology has not been directly
Johnny Spinrad. The Null Sect had passed along involved with Animus Construction. However,
information about Animus Construction and what once information about the technology breaks,
it could do. After the implementation of Gabrielle’s two different factions inside the corporation will
plan, the Null Sect continued to monitor data flow start trying to discover what’s actually happen-
around her to make sure the facts surrounding ing—one to acquire the tech for their own use and
Johnny’s assassination remain undiscovered. the other to stop anyone from using it.
During the fitting for the gown Al Thani com- As Domingo “Ding” Ramos starts to get infor-
misioned for the Met Gala, designer Becky Wu mation about Animus Construction, he decides to
Ping discovered cellular traces of Al Thani’s Ani- acquire the technology and put it to use, adding
mus treatment. The watching Null Sect noted the it to the considerable resources of the David Car-
entry in her commlink and on Gabrielle’s standing tel. As a side note, Domingo also wants the large
order (made before her memory alterations) or- sums of money Johnny Spinrad borrowed from the
dered Animus Construction Clinical Operations to David Cartel back. He’s suspicious of the death—
pick Becky up and have the memory of finding the thinking maybe it’s all faked—and believes Gabri-
mark removed. elle is part of whatever happened, so finding out
her secrets is a high priority.
J.J. Harvin Jr. is one of the least influential of
Background (Evo) Aztechnology’s board members, and he has tied
While not directly involved with Animus Con- his fortunes to the alliance with Dis as a way to
struction, Evo has welcomed more Monads into its increase his standing. He is in Manhattan directly
corporate family than any other AAA—and bene- overseeing the operation of the Launchpad facility
fited greatly from the nanotech advances derived and the Airlock portal. When news about mem-
from Monad-inspired research. When Buttercup ory-alteration technology starts to filter in—and
starts hearing rumors of a nanotech-based mem- after learning that Ramos is pursuing it—Harvin
ory erasing/altering technology—derived from old sees it as a threat to his plans. If Ramos manag-
CFD research—she immediately understands this es to acquire the technology, it would elevate his
news could be another public relations nightmare position on the board. And as Ramos was never
for Monads and indirectly for Evo. She assigns happy about the alliance with Dis, an increase in
Evo’s AI executive Taylor Dacopral to start collect- status could interfere with that alliance, diverting
ing information on the situation. Dacopral hires resources away from the portal and other Dis proj-
a Monad data tracker named Rikki Nguyen who ects. J.J. Harvin also understands what a powerful
quickly locates some of the key players involved weapon it could be if it’s used against Aztechnolo-
and sends the information back up the chain. gy, so he starts pursuing Animus to stop Ramos—
Unknown to Buttercup, the head of her securi- or anyone else—from using it.
ty detail, Ms. Helena Chomsky—the late Johnny
Spinrad’s chief of security—is actually working for
Miles Lanier, and indirectly for Jonathan Blake. Background (Ares)
Helena is attempting to steer Buttercup into expos- Ares is coming in late to the party. After the
ing Project Lazarus and the CIA while moving her events connected to the start of Project Lazarus
away from anything connected to the involvement hit the news, several top Ares executives quickly
of Lanier and Blake. realized something big is happening. With the up-
Shortly after the meeting with the PCs, Taylor coming vote on who will replace the late Damian
Dacopral is able to locate one of the primary re- Knight as CEO, acquiring an asset like memory-al-
searchers for Animus Construction, an AI using tering tech would give someone a big advantage.
the name Vida Nova, and convinces them to join The various factions vying for control throw all
Evo. This gives Buttercup a great deal of insight their available resources into Manhattan to discov-
into the possible beneficial uses for the technolo- er what’s actually happening and who is involved.
gy. Vida Nova claims that in addition to treating While the Animus technology would be a valuable

PLOT SUMMARY // 
weapon in the Ares arsenal, and different factions idea to them—after all, why would you keep data
on the board will pursue it seriously, the paydata on old assignments after you were reassigned to a
they end up being most interested in are the details new position. They quickly realized that the hid-
about a metaplanar portal literally under their feet. den information was valuable to the biologicals 137
If Ares gets the information on the portal location such as the ones connected to Global Sandstorm,

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

under their own extraterritorial property, they will MCT, and the Moller Institute. They used their
immediately divert their military assets into the knowledge of Animus Construction, along with
portal cave and force Aztechnology out, claiming other secrets and other services, to acquire power,
it for themselves—perhaps eventually allowing knowledge, and the equipment needed to explore
other megas access and charging some insanely the outer world.
high fees. Today, the Null Sect’s horizon has expanded
As far as Ares’ own secrets, they will go to once again, and their highest priority is gaining ac-
great lengths to conceal their past activities with cess to the new worlds of the metaplanes. Sacrific-
the Disians. The fact that Damian Knight acquired ing an ally is an acceptable price to pay to do that.
the technology used in the metaplanar disruption Specifically, the Null Sect wants to know if the
devices for Operation Bottleneck and Operation ideas outlined in the Universal Information The-
Latvian Gambit from the Disians—and originally ory from the Nexus are correct. Is the noosphere,
powered the devices with living, magically active which extends into the Resonance Realms, actual-
metahumans—is a secret that no one in the corpo- ly a universal force? Does it somehow connect to
ration who knows it wants leaked. the metaplanes that have a Matrix equivalent and
a noosphere of their own? If they can gain access
to the metaplane of Dis, can they find a pathway
Background connecting the scattered patches of the Matrix ru-
(Ghostwalker) mored to exist there through the shadowlands of
the Resonance Realms and back into the Null Sect
After the destruction caused to Denver by the homeland? If the information in UnITy is correct,
metaplanar energy transfer experiments described they should be able to enter the metaplanes with-
in The Third Parallel, Ghostwalker sends out his out resorting to “magic,” whatever that actually
agents to find hard information about who is re- was, and have a truly endless number of worlds
sponsible. One trail leads to Mitsuhama’s Man- open to them.
hattan arcology and eventually to MCT’s use of
Animus technology to cover up the events. Ghost-
walker has no interest in the Animus technology— Background (Dis)
from his point of view, any effect it could generate The motivation and goals of the Disians have
can be easily duplicated with magic—but he under- always been inscrutable—even what form they ac-
stands that it could cause a great deal of mischief tually have is a mystery. What is known is that they
in the hands of the lesser races. Ghostwalker is fo- have been visiting—and taking people—from the
cused on the information about Mitsuhama’s ac- physical plane for centuries. That’s right, centuries,
tivities that Cat eventually acquires from the Null as in hundreds of years before the return of magic.
Sect, but he will also show an interest in acquiring They have also been quietly building relationships
news of what is happening on Dis. While not as with the various megacorporations for decades,
concerned as Arleesh is about Dis, he believes they slowly passing along their advanced knowledge of
could eventually be a threat if left unchecked. As magic and the metaplanes in exchange for power
far as the Animus technology is concerned, Ghost- and influence on the physical plane. The Disians
walker would like to see it destroyed and put be- have an aversion to digital and mechanical tech-
yond the reach of anyone. nology in all of its various forms, especially cyber-
ware that causes Essence loss. If they know that
Animus Construction exists, they have shown no
Background (Null Sect) interest in the technology. If anything, they view
The Null Sect have been presented with new the chaos created by the events surrounding its use,
horizon after new horizon and nearly endless op- such as Project Lazarus, a useful distraction that
portunities for exploration since the new Matrix takes attention off of their own activities.
protocols released them. The Matrix we use every What Dis has a great deal of interest in is con-
day was completely new to them just a few years cealing the truth about what’s happening on their
ago. The secrecy and heavy encryption surround- home metaplane. Once the agents of Dis learn that
ing Animus Construction drew them in like a moth someone outside of their closely controlled corpo-
to a flame. Once they acquired the organization’s rate allies has visited their home metaplane, they
closely guarded secrets, the Nulls were puzzled by will start tracking down the interlopers and at-
all the effort that went into concealing it. Alter- tempt to turn events to their advantage. To a lesser
ing memories seemed like a perfectly reasonable extent, the Disians will also be interested in pro-

 // PLOT SUMMARY
 tecting the portal under Governors Island, but in ried out parallel to the runner’s efforts. As events
truth it’s far more important to Aztechnology than progress, however, acquiring the Animus tech be-
it is to them. comes a secondary goal.
138 Under the guidance of Arleesh, Grey Cell is
Background aware of the threat posed by Dis and are actively
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

working to oppose it. Rumors of an active portal

(Arleesh/Grey Cell) to Dis hidden somewhere in Manhattan gains the
Grey Cell’s watchers become involved in events attention of Arleesh herself, and she directs Grey
by investigating the fallout of Project Lazarus’ visi- Cell resources in Manhattan to work on uncov-
ble activities, as they suspect magical mind control. ering the location of the portal—and then shut
As they begin to learn the truth behind the events, it down. Arleesh is also interested in news of the
they understand the potential power of the Ani- metaplane’s current condition, not because it’s
mus technology. As a group, Grey Cell very much news to her but to confirm what she already be-
believes that the end justifies the means, and every lieves is happening. In fact, Arleesh is partially re-
tool available should be put to use for the great- sponsible for the current disintegrating condition
er good. More assets are moved into place, and a of the manascape of Dis—but that’s a secret to be
search for the Animus headquarters is being car- revealed in the upcoming plot book, Scotophobia.

PLOT SUMMARY // 
 CHARACTER
TROVE
Abyssa Spells: Any deemed appropriate by the gamemaster
Qualities/Powers: Animal Control, Built Tough 8, Compulsion, Dragonspeech,
(Young sea dragon, Connection Rating 4) Dual Natured, Elemental Attack (Fire), Enhanced Senses (smell, low-light vision,
thermographic vision, wide-band hearing), Hardened Armor (MAG), Hardened
One of the “eldest” of the brood of eggs the Sea Mystic Armor (MAG), Natural Weapon, Sapience
Dragon gathered, hatched, and slipped off to a meta-
plane with a different progression of time, Abyssa
clawed her way to the top of the pool of her siblings. Becky Wu Ping
When she returned, she expected a seat at the right (Fashion designer, Connection Rating 4)
hand of her mother. Problem is, the Sea Dragon was
Fashion line developer and VP of Light Clouds,
offering no seats beside her, only places to work un-
Becky has been at the height of her game for over
der her, and that rubbed Abyssa the wrong way. A
few too many power moves has her on her mother’s a year now. Her working on Gabrielle Al Thani
bad side, and this little disaster is her mother’s way of Spinrad’s evening gown for the Met Gala a thing
attempting to put her back in her place. she has dreamed of for years. After her memory
shake-up in missions 7 and 10, she’s redoubling her
B A R S W L I C E ESS M
efforts but has come away hungrier than before for
14 7 10 30 8 8 9 10 6 6 10 career success. Her relationship to Gu Guanyu has
helped her maintain her focus and given her ad-
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE FLY vantages in custom defense fashions very few be-
24 19/1 A1,I2 23/12 10/15/+1 15/35/+3
fore her have had. They have filled their MeFeeds
Skills: Astral 9, Athletics 7 (Flying +2), Close Combat 7, Con 5, Conjuring 7, Influ- with possible engagement considerations.
ence 6, Perception 8, Sorcery 9

 // CHARACTER TROVE
 B A R S W L I C EDG ESS Knowledge Skills: Antique Video Games, Draconic Lore, Denver Government,
2 4 4 2 4 5 5 6 4 5.37 Denver Local Knowledge, Denver Runners, Denver Shadows, Espionage Tech-
niques, Magical Societies, Magical Theory, Metaplanes, Ork Cuisine
Languages: English (N), Japanese (S)
140 DR
7
I/ID
9/1
AC
A1,I2
CM
9/10
MOVE
10/15/+1 Qualities: Addiction (alcohol), Aptitude (Firearms), Built Tough (1), Catlike, De-
pendents 2 (kids), Low Light Vision
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Skills: Athletics 2, Close Combat 1 (Blades +2), Con 3, Engineering 1 (Armorer +2), Initiation and Metamagics: Grade 8, Adept centering, centering, extended
Electronics 2, Firearms 1 (Light Pistols +2), Influence 6 (Etiquette +3, Negotiation masking, flexible signature, masking, power point (2), shielding
+2), Perception 3, Stealth 3 Adept Powers: Enhanced Accuracy, Enhanced Perception, Improved Ability !
Knowledge Skills: Clubbing, Corporate Politics (Spinrad Global), Chinese (Man- (Close Combat), Improved Ability 1 (Firearms), Mystic Armor 4
darin) (N), English (S), Fabric Technologies, Farsi (B), Fashion Design, French (X), Augmentations (deltaware): Cerebral booster 3, datajack, muscle toner 4,
Modern Marketing smartlink, synaptic booster 3
Qualities: First Impression, Photographic Memory Gear: Vashon Island—Ace of Cups (DR +4, Social +3), Transys Spinrad Falcon cy-
Augmentations (betaware): Commlink (Transys Avalon), cybereyes (rating 3, berdeck, Transys Avalon commlink
w/ camera, flare compensation, image link, low-light vision, vision enhancement, Spells/Rituals: Analyze Truth, Armor, Blast, Catfall, Detect Enemies, Fash-
vision magnification), datajack, enhanced articulation, sleep regulator ion, Improved Invisibility, Heal, Levitate, Magic Fingers, Makeover, Manabolt,
Gear: Fashionable clothing, custom armored dress clothing (DR +5, Social +6, w/ Mindlink, Silence / Ward
Electroluminescent Smartweave*, Mystic Weave 1, Tough Weave 1) Weapons:
Weapons: Cavalier Arms Crockett EBR [Rifle, DV 5P, SA, 7/12/15/12/12, w/ scope,
Katana (Smart Materials/Collapsible, 4P, 10/–/–/–/–, w/ biometric grip) silencer, smartgun, 20 rounds regular ammo]
Katana—Force 8 weapon focus [Blade, DV 4P, 17/—/—/—/—]
* Electroluminescent Smartweave enables material to change to a number
of clothing items of similar size with a Minor Action with wireless turned
on. Becky’s outfit is suitable for a business dress suit with a light hood in
the blouse. The material can assume any number of colors and lighting
Donovan James
effects, including that of an omnidirectional flash-pak (p. 263, SR6). An Eastling (DJ)
even more advanced version of the material is the basis for the evening
gown for Gabrielle Al Thani. (Musician, Connection Rating 1)
DJ is someone who aspires to be a lot more.
Carol “Cat” Mctavish Like many would-be performers his age, he has
done a great deal just to make his way in the
(Fixer/Ms. Johnson, Connection Rating 6)
world. He does have some augmentations, in-
Carol McTavish, also known as Cat, is a cluding some he isn’t aware of himself. DJ’s aug-
semi-retired shadowrunner who operates as a mentations are very special. He is not aware of
fixer and sometimes Ms. Johnson in the Denver the datalock or commlink, which connect to his
shadows. The jobs Cat handles as a Ms. Johnson simrig, skilljack, and skillwires from outside his
often lead back to the FRFZ government or even awareness. He is a Sleepwalker, and when the in-
Ghostwalker, fueling speculation about her exact ternal commlink receives an appropriately keyed
relationship with big, pale, and scaly. As a runner, upload, he becomes nearly anyone else imagin-
she worked with the Denver shadowrunning team able. He will have no memory of what he’s doing
Front Range Consulting and had a reputation while it’s active.
as a powerful mystic adept who excelled at both Detecting the hidden augmentations requires a
long- and short-range combat. Cat is a green-eyed, Biotech + Logic (10, 1 hour) Extended test while
brown-haired, female ork with a slim but athletic using a medkit with a cyberscanner. Penetrating
build who looks to be in her early thirties. Born
the system requires hacking the datalock itself.
and raised in Scotland, Cat still has a pronounced
Failure to hack the datalock will trigger the cor-
Scottish accent despite living in Denver for most of
tex (kink) bomb, destroying the commlink and the
her adult life.
Cat is currently in Manhattan staying at the datalock, but causing no other harm to DJ or his
Waldorf-Astoria on a corporate account that augmentations. The commlink will only go active
traces back to an AA corp named Lighthouse In- for fifteen seconds at 11:11 p.m. every day on its
dustries. She won’t say exactly who she is work- own and is otherwise powered off.
ing for, but it doesn’t take a lot of connecting the
dots to realize that Ghostwalker would be the one B A R S W L I C EDG ESS
2 4 2 2 3 3 2 4 3 4.3
most interested in the information generated by
her runs. DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
2 4/1 A1, I2 9/10 10/15/+1
B A R S W L I C E ESS M
7 6 (10) 6 (9) 5 4 6 (9) 6 4 2 4.4 8 Skills: Athletics 2, Close Combat 1, Con 5 (Performance +2/Impersonations +3),
Electronics 1, Influence 3, Perception 5, Stealth 2
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE Qualities: First Impression, Low-Light Vision
11 15/4 A1,I5 12/10 10/15/+1 Augmentations: Commlink (5, Mannequin, Personal Assistant, SimShare,
P-ICE:Spines), datalock (subdermal) 10, skilljack 6, simrig, skillwires 6
Skills: Astral 5, Athletics 3, Biotech 3, Con 3, Cracking 3, Close Combat 5 (6), Elec- Gear: Commlink (DR3, File Vault, MeFeed, Personal Assistant, SimShare), con-
tronics 3, Engineering 3, Firearms 9 (10), Influence 6 (Negotiation +2), Perception tacts (capacity 2, w/ electrochromic, image link), personal clothing, Medium Life-
5, Sorcery 4, Stealth 7 style (current month only)

CHARACTER TROVE // 
Eager go “Ding” Ramos. Ms. Tano relocated to UCAS
before giving birth, where she meet Mr. Houston.
(Fixer, Connection rating 2) Ms. Tano changed her name, and her husband
A former drug dealer and shadowrunner, Ea- raised Jay as if he were his own. Ding, surprisingly, 141
ger is new to the fixer side of things. As such, he keeps tabs on his kids quietly through his cartel

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

does the jobs nobody else will do. Eager’s connec- operations and has taken an interest in Jay’s new
tions are presently limited to the Terminal district, choice of work, having become aware of his son’s
where he grew up and did his dealing in the early involvement during his UCAS Special Forces days.
years. While those connections run deep, he isn’t This is what has made El Guapo a perfect, uncon-
on good terms with everyone. His disconnect with nected choice that Ding has chosen to use in the
Terminal’s Slaughterhouse gang has led to several events in New York City.
scuffles in the street. The gang feels he abandoned
them by becoming a runner and now fixer. Eager, B A R S W L I C EDG ESS
on the other hand, calls the move his evolution. 3(4) 3(4) 3(4) 2(3) 5 5 6 5(+4) 5 4.72

Eager is a male elf with a rainbow-colored afro DR I/ID AC CM MOVE

and a cheerful, laid-back demeanor. 7 10/1 A1,I2 10/11 10/15/+1

B A R S W L I C EDG ESS Skills: Close Combat 4 (Blades +2), Con 5, Electronics 4, Firearms 5, Influence
3 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 5.8 5 (Intimidation +2), Outdoors 2, Piloting 2, Perception 4 (Vision +2), Stealth 2
Qualities: Astral Chameleon, Low-light Vision
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE Augmentations (alphaware): Sleep regulator, suprathyroid gland, tailored
6 8/1 A1. I2 10/10 10/15/+1 pheromones 4
Gear: Contacts (capacity 3, w/ image link, flare compression, thermographic vi-
sion), Mortimer of London Berwick suit (DR +3, Social +4), Transys Avalon com-
Skills: Athletics 4, Close Combat 4, Con 3 (Fast Talk +2), Electronics 2, Firearms
mlink (rating 6)
4, Influence 4 (Leadership +2), Outdoors 1 (Urban +2), Perception 5, Stealth 5
Weapons:
Augmentations: Synthacardium 2
Ares Predator VI [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P, SA/BF, 10/10/8/—/—w/ concealable
Gear: Area jammer (rating 4), contacts (capacity 3, w/ image link, smartlink),
quick draw holster]
Erika Elite commlink (DR4), lined coat (DR+3, Social –2)
Knife [Blade, DV 2P, 8/1/—/—/—, w/ concealable sheath]
Weapons:
Area Crusader II [Machine Pistol, DV 2P, SA/BF, 9/9/7/—/—, 40(c), w/
smartgun]
Combat knife [Blade, DV 3P, 8/2*/—/—/—, * max range 20 meters]
Fluffy Duck
(Chef/restaurateur, Connection Rating 3)
El Guapo (Jay Houston) Ed Christopherson didn’t get the name Fluffy
(Fixer, Connection Rating 4)
Duck until he started working the shadows. At
2.1 meters tall and weighing 172 kilograms, he is
El Guapo is a middle-aged white human who big for an ork, and his size is only matched by his
stands about 1.8 meters tall with a solid build, personality. He grew up in the CAS and moved to
shaved head, and a neatly trimmed goatee. Manhattan to see the city. He wasn’t planning on
During his time in the UCAS Special Forces, he shadowrunning, but someone of his size tends to
specialized in interrogation and South American get pigeon-holed into certain roles. He was lucky
activities, earning the nickname “El Guapo” from and fell in with a good team who, over a few years,
his unit. While operating in surveillance with Am- had more than their fair share of well-paying jobs.
azonian forces during the Az-Am war, he became With money in his pocket, Fluffy Duck bought his
disillusioned with the military. After he left, he food truck and started doing what he enjoys. When
got his bachelor’s degree in data intelligence from Silver Nail started showing up, he was glad to take
the University of Michigan before pursuing his his money, but when Silver Nail said he used to
master’s in Matrix protocols at the University of have a friend who went by “Fluffy Duck,” they
Seattle. While in Seattle, he interned with Micro- started to really talk. Their connection reminded
deck, where he met Mr. James. They became good Fluffy Duck of his old team, and they quickly be-
acquaintances and built a trusting relationship, came friends.
and they stayed in touch after they departed the
company. When Ervine James moved to Manhat- B A R S W L I C EDG ESS
tan, he knew he could benefit from Jay’s talents, 8(+1) 5 5(6) 7(10) 5 2 5 3 3 3
so he offered him a position as head of his secu-
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
rity team. His friendship with Mr. James is the 13 11/2 A1,I3 13/11 10/15/+1
reason Jay is handling the disappearance of Silver
Nail personally. Skills: Athletics 4, Biotech 1, Close Combat 4 (Blades +2), Electronics 3, Firearms
In the cruel world of corporate politics, howev- 3, Influence 4 (Intimidation +2), Outdoors 2, Piloting 2, Perception 4, Stealth 3
Qualities: Built tough (1), Low-Light Vision
er, nothing is perfect, and Jay has a family secret, Augmentations: Bone lacing, plastic (alphaware), damage compensator 9 (alpha-
one he doesn’t know. His mother, Sancia Tano, ware), muscle augmentation 3 (used), platelet factories (used), wired reflexes 1
was one of my many flings associated to Domin- Gear: Armor jacket (Dr +4, Social –3), contacts (capacity 2, w/ image link, flare

 // CHARACTER TROVE
 compensation), medkit rating 6, Sony Emperor (rating 2)
Weapons:
Combat Axe [Blade, DV 5P, 21/—/—/—/— w/ easy breakdown, personalized
grip]
142 Ruger Redhawk [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P, 7/10/7/—/— w/ concealable quick draw
holster]
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Unarmed [Close Combat, DV 3P, 17/—/—/—/—]

Gerald Ramius (“Gramius”)

(Diplomat, Connection Rating 4)
Survivor of the Boston Lockdown, Mr. Ramius
now works as a liaison between Evo and the Ya-
kutian Ambassador-at-Large (Gregori Markovan-
ich). In addition to a special quickened spell placed
upon him by the ambassador, he wears a belt that
holds a series of advanced preparations (ten Physi-
cal Mask spells in three distinct appearances).
Gramius is a human male in his mid-twenties.
He has brown hair with a hint of auburn high-
lights, brown eyes, natural good looks, and aver-
age height, and he is in fair physical health. He
seems younger than he acts and is guarded when
it comes to discussions about his personal sponsor.
He has two Force 6 elementals with him (any type)
when doing direct business for the ambassador.

B A R S W L I C EDG ESS RES

3 5 4(7) 2 5 7 5 4 5 5.65 9

DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
7 9(12)/1(4) A1,I2(5) 10/11 10/15/+1

Skills: Athletics 2, Biotech 2, Cracking 6 (Hacking +3), Con 4, Electronics 6

(Computers +2), Engineering 4, Firearms 2, Influence 4 (Etiquette +2), Outdoors
1 (Urban +2), Perception 6, Stealth 3 (Sneaking +2) Threading 6 (Fault Sprites
+2), Knowledge Skills: Awakened Nations, Corporate Politics (Evo, Novatech,
Wuxing), English (N), Japanese (S), Matrix Conspiracies, Russian (S), Small Unit
Tactics, Street Knowledge (Boston, Manhattan, Seattle, Vladivostok)
Qualities: Analytical Mind, Exceptional Attribute (Logic), Focused Concentration
2, Hold the Door, Impenetrable Defense, Photographic Memory
Augmentations (betaware): Cybereyes 5 (w/ camera, cyberware scanner, flare
compensation, Geiger counter, image link, low-light vision, smartlink, thermo-
graphic vision, vision enhancement, vision magnification)
Complex Forms: Arc Feedback, Bubble Shield, Cleaner, Cyberware Stamina,
Data Bomb Eater, Data Disguise, Editor, Infusion (Firewall), Puppeteer, Reso-
nance Channel, Resonance Spike, Smartgun Amplifier, Stitches, Technoregener-
ation, Unravel Encryption
Submersion and Echoes: Grade 4, Aura Link, Living Network, Skinlink, Tran-
scendent Network
Gear: Actioneer business clothes (DR +2, Social +2, Electrochromic, Tough-
weave 1), Increase Reflexes spell (quickened with 3 hits, 3 Karma, by a spellca-
seter with the Astral Chameleon quality), Registered Sprites (Courier L5, Data
L5, Fault L6), SecureTech Invisi-Shield armor (DR +2, gear access)
Weapons:
Revolution Arms Iron Eagle [Heavy Pistol, DV 4P, SA, 9/9/7/–/–, w/ melee
hardening, smartgun, ultrasound sight]
Revolution Arms Pulse [Machine Pistol, DV 1-10S, SS, 8/10/–/–/–, w/ melee
hardening, smartgun, 4 battery clips]

CHARACTER TROVE // 
Hadrian Williams-Lee Phenomena, Spanish (S), Security Procedures (Corporate, Military-UCAS), Small
Unit Tactics, Travel Methodologies
(Fixer, Connection rating 2) Qualities: Analytical Mind, Astral Chameleon, Blandness, Built Tough 1, Human
Looking (Ork), Indomitable, Low-Light Vision, Photographic Memory
Williams-Lee can date his family’s New York Augmentations (betaware): Bone density 4, cyberears 5 (w/ audio enhancement, 143
Heritage to the 1800s, and he does so regularly. He balance augmenter, damper, omnidirectional microphone, soundlink, spatial rec-

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

ognizer), smartlink, sleep regulator, synaptic booster 3
believes his destiny is to inhabit a c-suite for Spin- Gear: Bug/tag scanner R5, commlink (R6/M-TOC 1), Mortimer of London (Sum-
Global NY. Unfortunately, all of his efforts have mit, DR+3, Social+5, Gear Access, Toughweave 2), White Noise Generator R6
done little more than turn him into SpinGlobal’s Weapons:
local go-to for all things shady. Ares Alpha [Rifle, DV 4P, SA/BF/FA, 4/10/9/7/2, w/ silencer, melee
hardening, smartgun]
Williams-Lee is a white elf with black hair and Ares Predator VI [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P, SA/BF, 10/10/8/–/–, w/ smartgun,
an ever-present emerald earring in his left ear and silencer]
a diamond earring in his right. He is ever-alert for
any opportunity for advancement, and he leans
heavily on what he believes is his charm to take Jonathan Blake
him where he wants to go. (CEO/mayor/fixer, Connection Rating 6)
The story of Jonathan Blake began when he
B A R S W L I C EDG ESS
2 3 3 2 5 4 3 5 3 5.6
rose the Saeder-Krupp ranks to become one of the
many Brackhauses they have arranging runs for
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE them. Or maybe it began with the Wuxing stock
5 6/1 A1, I2 9/10 10/15/+1 he inherited from Dunkelzahn. Perhaps the proper
starting point was his purchase of Centurion Se-
Skills: Athletics 2, Con 3, Electronics 4, Firearms 2 (Tasers +2), Influence 6 (Eti-
quette +2), Perception 4, Stealth 2 curity. Or maybe when he was elected mayor of
Qualities: Analytical Mind, First Impression, Glass Jaw 1 Bellevue.
Augmentations: Symbiotes 2 The point is, Jonathan Blake has packed a lot
Gear: Area jammer (rating 5), Mortimer of London Crimson Sky suit (DR +3, S +5),
into one lifetime, and since he never settles on any
Transys Avalon commlink (rating 6)
Weapons: one thing, he’s going to pack even more. He’s a
Yamaha Pulsar II [Taser, DV 4S(e), SS, 9/9*/—/—/—, 4(m), w/ melee contacts, man of many ambitions, but what’s not clear is
*max range 50 meters] where his ambition is pointed. Some of it’s per-
sonal, sure, when it comes to amassing power and
Indica Meiers wealth, but his efforts in Bellevue point to a desire
to build something beyond himself. He might not
(Operative, Connection Rating 4) know for sure what he’s going to build, but his
A long-time agent with the CIA, Indica is a se- ambition tells him it will be bigger than anything
rious operator with a serious tableside manner to he has ever seen.
match. She’s been assigned to Project Anima in its
transitional years to become Animus Construction B A R S W L I C EDG ESS M
5 5 5(7) 4 5 5 6 6 6 6.0 6
now and oversees security operations for the Man-
hattan locations as well as those elsewhere on the DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
East Coast of the UCAS and CAS. 8 11(13)/3 A1,I4 11/11 10/15/+1
Indica has spiritual escorts to help ensure her
security—two Force 5 spirits, one fire, one kindred. Skills: Athletics 5, Close Combat 5 (Unarmed +2), Con 5, Electronics 4, Firearms 6
(Automatics +2), Influence 7 (Leadership +2), Outdoors 4, Perception 6, Piloting
She looks human and does little to make people 3 (Ground Craft +2), Stealth 6
study her that hard to learn otherwise, but she is Knowledge Skills: Bully Tactics, Corporate History, Covert Surveillance Tech-
in fact an ork from the Manhattan Underground. niques, Data Havens, Fixers, Matrix Seucirty Procedures, Media, Public Rela-
When working with others, they quickly learn she’s tions, Public Speaking, English (N), French (S), German (X), Italian (S), Japanese
(S), Mandarin (S), Spanish
just a bit too durable to be “soft and fleshy,” as she Qualities: Focused Ambition, Guts
refers to it. She is just under a full two meters tall, Adept Powers: Attribute Boost (Charisma) 3, Combat Sense 1, Danger Sense,
with a solid build and obvious musculature, in her Enhanced Perception, Improved Reflexes 2, Improved Sense (Vision), Kinesics,
mid-forties with brown hair and blue eyes. Mystic Armor 2, Pain Resistance 1, Vocal Control
Gear: Armanté suit (DR +3, Social +10), commlink (rating 6), glasses (capacity 4,
w/ image link, smartlink, thermographic vision), jammer (area, rating 6), respi-
B A R S W L I C EDG ESS rator (rating 3)
6 (+4) 4 4(7) 5 5 5 4 5 5 3.55 Weapons:
Ares Predator VI [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P, SA/BF, 10/10/8/—/—, 15(c), w/
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE smartgun system]
9 11/4 A1,I5 12/11 10/15/+1 HK-227 [Submachine Gun, DV 3P, SA/BF, 10/11/8/—/—, 28(c), w/ integral-
mounted silencer, retractable stock, smartgun system]
Skills: Athletics 3 (Running +2), Biotech 2, Cracking 4 (Electronic Warfare +2),
Con 5, Electronics 3 (Computers +2), Engineering 3, Firearms 4 (Heavy Pistols
+2), Influence 6 (Etiquette +3, Negotiation +2), Perception 6, Stealth 3 (Sneak-
ing +2) Knowledge Skills: Data Harvesting, English (N), Espionage Techniques
(Corporate, National), Financial Markets, Japanese (S), Or’zet (X), Paranormal

 // CHARACTER TROVE
 Malcolm Jamal Sutton The Null Sect
(Fixer, Connection rating 3) The Null Sect is active in the Matrix of Man-
144 hattan at an assortment of locations. In addition
Malcolm Jamal Sutton is Synergestic’s chief in-
to the normal haunts of Spin Global foundations,
teractive engagement engineer. He is a longstand-
old NeoNET splinter hosts, and the Deep Foun-
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

ing Goldwater Club member and descendent of

dation under MDC’s local grid, there is a lot of
the family that originally owned Harlem’s Apollo
activity reported in several MCT hosts, including
Theater. Sutton played a large role in bringing Har-
the ones attached to the Mitsuhama Arcology in
lem back, both in name and in spirit. His wheeling
New Harlem.
and dealing came at a price, as his reputation in the Dealing with the Null Sect should feel like deal-
shadows has taken a serious hit, and few people are ing with a dragon. They don’t believe that non-
still willing to work with him. He knows he needs Nulls are their equals, so there is no guarantee that
to change the conversation with a win. The way they will act in good faith. They don’t think like a
he intends to do that is twofold: He intends to use metahuman, or have the same social clues, or even
shadowrunners to set up a problem that benefits the the same perception of reality, so it’s impossible to
people he screwed outside the corporation that will decipher what they may actually want. It’s also safe
likely make his boss lose face in the corporation. to assume that whoever they’re making a deal with
Everybody wins. does not have access to all the information they
Sutton is broad-shouldered and handsome. His do, making it hard to be one hundred percent sure
look is manicured right down to the shoelaces. He about the ramifications of what’s being agreed to.
greets everyone with a smile and a handshake, as
though he’s known them for years.
Acolyte 3-7-2
B A R S W L I C EDG ESS
(Null Sect Xenosapient EI)
3 3 4 4 5 4 5 4(+2) 4 5.0
Acolyte 3-7-2 is among the lowest-ranking
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE members of the Hierophant caste and is assigned
6 9/1 A1, I2 10/11 10/15/+1
to assist Prelate 3-7. The Null is very young and
Skills: Athletics 1, Con 4 (Fast Talk +2), Close Combat 2, Electronics 4, Firearms 4,
inexperienced, and it has almost no knowledge of
Influence 5 (Leadership +2), Perception 5, Piloting 2 (Ground Craft +2), Stealth 2 anything outside of the Null Sect homeland. It is fa-
Qualities: Bad Rep, First Impression, Indomitable natical in its belief of the Hierophants’ dogma and
Augmentations: Tailored pheromones 2, toxin extractor 3 the propaganda of the Disseminators. This will be
Gear: Ace of Coins coat (DR +3, S +6), contacts (capacity 3, w/ image link, smar-
tlink), Hermes Ikon commlink (rating 5)
evident in all its interactions with the players. Its
Weapons: attitude will be very arrogant and dismissive, mak-
Colt Manhunter [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P, SA, 10/8/6/—/—, 14(c), w/ smartgun] ing clear that it considers the runners to be inferior
to the Nulls in every way. A technomancer, AI—or
worse, another EI—in the group will be subject to
MCT Monad Hunters outright hostility from it.
These grey-clad Monads are highly skilled at
tracking and capturing others of their own kind, A S D F W L I C EDG RES SPK
using their formidable abilities to counter those 4 5 4 5 4 5 5 3 3 2 5.6
of their prey. They use non-lethal means whenever
DR I/ID AC CM
possible. MCT employs them to extract promising 9 9/4 A1,I5 11
employees, not just Monads.
Skills: Cracking 4, Con 2, Electronics 4, Influence 3
B A R S W L I C EDG ESS NV Qualities: Fnord, Noiseless, Prejudiced (all non-Null Sect), Real-World Naiveté,
6 5 5(7) 6(8) 3 2 5 3 2 2.1 8 Uncouth
Forms: Infusion (Firewall), Editor, Resonance Veil, Static Bomb
Codemods: Disguise 3, Sideload Processor 1
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
Programs: Armor, Biofeedback, Browse, Decryption, Fork
13 10(12)/3 A1,I4 19/18 10/15/+1
Attacks:
Data Spike [Cybercombat, DV 2, AR 9]
Skills: Athletics 5, Close Combat 6, Con 3, Engineering 3, Firearms 7, Influence
3, Perception 6
Augmentations: Cyberears 3 (w/ damper, select sound filter 6), cybereyes 3 (w/
low-light, thermographic, flare compensation), dermal plating 3, muscle aug-
Prelate 3-7
mentation 2, wired reflexes 2 (Null Sect Xenosapient EI)
Monad Abilities (p. 149): Physical Attribute Boost, Monad Toughness, Monad
Matrix Attributes, Obsidian Cloud, Modify Senses, Rapid Healing The Prelates are the mid-tier of the Hierophant
Gear: Area jammer (rating 6), armor jacket (DR +3, Social –3), plasteel restraints caste, and Prelate 3-7 reports directly to Hi-
Weapons:
AK-97 [Rifle, DV 5P, SA/BF/FA, 4/11/9/7/1, 38(c)]
erophant 3, carrying out its master’s orders to the
Browning Ultra Power [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P, SA, 10/9/6/—/—, 10(c), w/ laser sight] letter. Currently, it’s assigned as a liaison to MCT
and is overseeing the work of erasing data about

CHARACTER TROVE // 
the failed Denver experiments. What MCT does what the Null Sect’s interest in the metaplanes tru-
not realize is just how unhappy the Nulls are with ly is. If pressed on the topic, it will claim the Nulls
the current arrangement. The Null Sect leadership are natural explorers, and the metaplanes are sim-
has wanted to explore the metaplanes since learn- ply a new facet of reality to learn about. 145
ing of their existence, but MCT has been blocking

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

that request for reasons they are not sharing with A S D F W L I C EDG RES SPK
the Nulls. Prelate 3-7 sees the runners’ arrival as an 5 8 6 8 6 7 6 5 5 5 4
opportunity to advance the ambitions of its master
DR I/ID AC CM
and will quickly forward the news of its encounter 14 12/5 A1,I6 14
to Hierophant 3. Prelate 3-7 considers the “outer
world biologicals” to be inferior constructs to the Skills: Athletics 2, Biotech 2, Close Combat 2, Con 3, Cracking 6, Electronics 6,
Nulls, not truly alive the way the “True People” Engineering 3 (Gunnery +2), Firearms 5, Influence 4, Outdoors 1, Perception 4,
Piloting 4, Stealth 3
are. It has been around long enough, though, that Qualities: Analytical Mind, Blandness, Fnord, Low Profile, Noiseless, Redundancy
it will make some effort to conceal its true feelings, Forms: Diffusion (Firewall), Infusion (Sleaze), Resonance Veil, Static Bomb
knowing a display of manners will make dealing Submersion and Echoes: Grade 2, Overclocking, Resonance Link
with the creatures easier. Codemods: Active Signal Filter 4 [beta], Control Rig Integration 2 [beta], Data
Archive Upgrade [beta], Disguise 4 [beta], Optimized Restoration [beta], Smar-
tlink Adapter [beta]
A S D F W L I C EDG RES SPK Programs: Armor, Blaster-Charger, Fork, Signal Scrubber, Trace
8 6 6 7 8 7(9) 7 6 4 5 4.1 Attacks:
Data Spike [Cybercombat, DV 3, AR 13]
DR I/ID AC CM
13 13/5 A1,I6 12
SpinGlobal SOTA
Skills: Cracking 6, Con 4, Electronics 6, Influence 5
Qualities: Focused Concentration 1, Fnord, Noiseless, Prejudiced (all non-Null Prototype Anthrodrone
Sect), Real-World Naiveté
Forms: Arc Feedback, Data Disguise, Diffusion (Firewall), Infusion (Firewall), In- (Male Version, Human Metatype)
fusion (Sleaze), Resonance Veil (Medium Anthro Drone)
Submersion and Echoes: Grade 2, Overclocking, Syntax Error
Codemods: Attribute Augmentation 2 (Logic) [alpha], Data Archive Upgrade [al-
pha], Disguise 4 [alpha], Optimized Restoration [alpha], Quantum Processor 1 SPD TOP
HAND ACCEL BOD ARM PILOT SENS
[alpha], Sideload Processor 2 [alpha] INT SPD
Programs: Armor, Blaster-Charger, Decryption, Directional Shield, Exploit, Fork, 5/5 10 15 30 8 (12) 12 5 5
Rocket Launcher, Trace
Attacks: DR I/ID AC CM
Data Spike [Cybercombat, DV 4, AR 14] 16 12/4 A1,I5 14
Tarpit [Cybercombat, DV 1, AR 14, reduces attribute]
Standard Equipment: 2x Anthroform cyberarms (Agility 5, Strength 3, Heavy
Pistol), 2x Anthroform cyberlegs (Agility 5, Strength 3, Hydraulic Jacks 4)
Explorer Primary 7 Modifications: Hydrocarbon Fuel Converter, Improved Economy 3, Improved
Stability 1, Increased Structural Integrity 4, Nanomaintenance Repair System 4,
(Mister Seven) Passive Stealth Features, Realistic Features 4
Gear: Auctioneer Business Clothes, Erika Elite Commlink, 2 x flasks of 195-proof
(Null Sect Xenosapient EI) pure grain alcohol
Weapons:
As a high-ranking member of its cast, Explorer Cybergun (Ares Predator VI) [Heavy Pistol, DV 3P/3S, SA/BF, 14/14/10/—/—,
Primary 7 has had extensive contact with the crea- 15(c), w/ internal smartgun system, silencer, 8 rounds gel ammo, 7
tures of the outer world and the reality they live in. rounds APDS ammo]
Using the pseudonym Mr. Seven, it spends its time Cybergun (Ares Viper Slivergun) [Heavy Pistol, DV 4P(fl), SA/BF, 14/10/8/—
/—, 30(c), w/ internal smartgun system, silencer, 30 rounds slivergun
residing in a customized anthrodrone, jumped-in flechette ammo
to allow it to fully experience the world around Defiance Super Shock [Taser, 6S(e), SS, 12/8/—/—/—, 4(m), w/ concealed
it. While still slightly arrogant and condescending holster, internal smartgun system, spare magazine, 8 rounds taser
toward biologicals, it has enough experience in ammo]
Unarmed [Unarmed, DV 3P, 18/—/—/—/—]
the outer world that the hardest edges of its preju-
dice have been worn away. This makes it easier to
work with than most of its species. Unlike a typical Piper Jane
member of the Null Sect, Mr. Seven travels alone,
unaccompanied by other members of its caste or (Journalist, Connection Rating 4)
any golem constructs. Piper Jane is slim (because she often forgets to
The entity was already working in Manhattan eat) with red hair, green eyes, and hint of Boston
on other business, so it became the natural choice accent in her fast-paced newsie talk. She’s a new-
for the mission into the metaplanes when the op- shound to the core and loves a good juicy story,
portunity presented itself. Exactly what that mis- especially one that tosses mud at the corps or any
sion is will remain a mystery for now. Mr. Seven figure with too much money and not enough com-
will not explain what it’s looking for on Dis or passion. She’s been on the job since she graduat-

 // CHARACTER TROVE
 ed journalism school in Boston back in the ’70s bi Code while following up on another project in
and even took a trip back behind the wall to get Hong Kong. Taylor has been grooming Rikki ever
the real scoop. She got more than she bargained since the Evo AI became aware of Animus Con-
146 for, but her accompanying Monad personality fits struction, hoping Rikki would serve as one of his
right along with her own, even if they keep talking primary proxy agents when doing operations with
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

about bringing down all the culprits behind CFD that agency. As a DI in a biological form, Rikki
and finding AJ. uses his Spark attribute as if it were Essence, but he
For NPC Monad rules for Piper Jane and Jinxy, himself is immune to Essence Drain, and he cannot
see p. 149. personally gift Karma to a spirit.
Rikki considers himself on good terms with
B A R S W L I C E ESS NV Gerald Ramius and is aware of Mr. Ramius’ re-
3 4 5 2 6 5 6 6 4 5.3 6 lations with the Yakutian Ambassador, who also
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
possesses a sizable portfolio of shares of Evo and
5 11/1 A1,I2 16/17 10/15/+1 several of their subsidiaries.
Skills: Athletics 3, Close Combat 3, Con 7, Engineering 5, Firearms 4, Influence B A R S W(F) L(D) I(S) C(A) EDG SPK RES
8, Perception 9 5 5 4(8) 4 5 5 6 4 5 4.2 9
Augmentations: Cyberears 2 (w/ damper, select sound filter), cybereyes 2 (w/
low-light, thermographic), headware commlink, datajack DR I/ID AC CM MOVE NV
Monad Abilities: Mental Attribute Boost, Modify Senses, Resculpt, Monad Ma-
8 18/3 A1,I3 20/20 10/15/+1 9
trix Attributes, Obsidian Cloud, Tech Infestation
Matrix: 10 11/4 A1,I4 20
Gear: RT Platinum (DR +2, Social +1)
Weapons:
Ares Light Fire 70 [Light Pistol, DV 2P, SA, 10/7/6/—/—, 16(c), w/ silencer] Skills: Athletics 3, Biotech 2, Close Combat 2 (Clubs +2), Cracking 6 (Hacking
+2), Con 3, Electronics 6 (Software +2), Engineering 5, Firearms 3, Influence 3
(Etiquette +2), Perception 4, Pilot 3, Stealth 3 (Sneaking +2)
Jinxy Knowledge Skills: Cantonese (S), Catalan (S), Cityspeak (Seoul S), English (S),
Evo Corporation, Korean (X), Monads, Politics (Asian, European), Russian (N),
A Monad cat rescued from inside the NE- Safehouses (Korea, Eastern Russia, Spain, Yakut), UN Membership
MAQZ, Jinxy was brought home by Piper, who Qualities: Brilliant Heuristics, Focused Concentration 2, Low Profile, Multipro-
cessing, Photographic Memory
knew full well what they both were. Her little Augmentations (Deltaware): Cyberears 4 (w/ audio enhancement, balance
companion has been a great assistant and securi- augmenter, damper, select sound filter 4, sound link, spatial recognizer), cybe-
ty provider while also happily hunting down the reyes 4 (w/ flare compensation, image link, low-light vision, smartlink, thermo-
annoying mice and occasional Fly-Spy drone that graphic vision, vision enhancement, vision magnification), reaction enhancers 2,
voice modulator 3, wired reflexes 2
buzzes in too close. Forms: Baby Monitor, Cleaner, Cyberware Stamina, Editor, Emulate (Blackout,
Defuse, Directional Shield, Quartermaster, Stealth, Tapeworm, Trace), Emulator
B A R S W L I C E ESS NV (eParkour, File Vault, Mannequin, MeFeed, Nope!, Personal Assistant, SimShare,
1 6 5 1 4 4 6 4 - 5.5 4 Watchdog), Hitchhiker, Resonance Spike, Restore Continuity, Search History,
Smartgun Amplifier, Static Bomb, Tattletale, Unravel Encryption
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE Monad Abilities: Attribute Boost, Action Use, Adrenal Control, Rapid Healing,
1 11/1 A1,I2 13/14 10/20/+2 Resculpt, Toxin Resistance
Advanced Monad: Obsidian Cloud, Overclock, PAN Participation (Living Net-
Skills: Athletics 7, Close Combat 3, Con 2, Influence 1, Perception 7 work), Sparked Volume, Tech Infestation
Augmentations: Cybereyes 2 (w/ low-light, thermographic), datajack, headware Gear: Agent Boxes:2x (Browser 4, Fight 4), BMW-Krupp Demon (with cano-
commlink (rating 1) py, +2 Armor), helmet (+1 DR), linguasoft subscription (rating 4), rigger com-
Monad Abilities: Physical Attribute Boost, Obsidian Cloud mand console (Vulcan Liegelord), armored lined coat (with gear access, MEMS
pouch—large, toughweave rating 3), Proletarian III (with gecko tips), Whispering
Death
Rikki Nguyen Weapons:
RA Raven [Light Pistol, DV 2P, SA, 10/8/5/—/—, 16(c), w/ smartgun]
(Fixer, Connection Rating 4) Shock gloves [Unarmed, DV 4S(e), 5/—/—/—/—]
Telescoping staff (doubles as Stun Baton) [Club, DV 4S (5S[e]), 8(6)/—/—/—/—
Rikki is uncommon—he is a Monad given a , w/ smart materials]
personalized body, a clonal blank, to reside with- Yamaha Raiden [Rifle, DV 4P, SA/BF/FA, 5/9/10/9/1, w/ melee hardening,
in. His original hosting body is uncertain, but he smartgun, undermount shotgun (DV 4P, SS/SA, 7/9/8/—/—)]
believes it was Gerald Ramius (a detail Ramius
does not confirm or deny). His own recollections Advancement: Grade 5: Rikki advances with
are that Korea is the “birthplace” of his body, and the same costs as a technomancer and is consid-
he came to re-awareness within a MetaErgonom- ered an EI. He focuses on his abilities as a Monad.
ics research facility after being extracted from a His Sparked Volume advanced ability means he
host he had taken in Boston during the Lockdown substitutes his Resonance for his Body attribute to
crisis. He works primarily for Taylor Dacopral of determine his Nanite Volume potential. He adjusts
Evo Corporation, helping in field research as well his Persona like a technomancer and can learn
as tracking down more difficult and dangerous complex forms. He has not at this time developed
Monads and digital intelligences. A year prior, he any other Resonant abilities involving sprites. He
was overwhelmed by an encounter with the Kechi- will use agents (p.59, Hack & Slash).

CHARACTER TROVE // 
 spondent covering hot spots around the globe for
Horizon, Spyder found himself in the employ of
Silver Nail Ghostwalker as a shadow operative. That means
(New runner, Connection Level 2) he often ends up working with Cat, providing Ma- 147
Lex James enjoyed his life when his parents trix support on whatever missions she’s running

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

worked at Microdeck Industries. That all changed for “the boss.” Spyder is a regular on the Denver
during his last year of school—he was diagnosed Matrix and is a contributing member of the Nex-
with a disease, then his family moved to Manhat- us, commenting on a wide range of topics. He has
tan to start working on some project for Spinrad a working relationship with both Perri and Cap’n
Global. His parents had said it was a great oppor- Kludge, but since his connection to Ghostwalker
tunity for the family, but Lex didn’t see how. is an open secret, Perri keeps him at arm’s length.
One benefit of having a patron with unlimited
Using all the skills, talent, and contacts he
resources is access to all the cutting-edge ’ware you
could acquire, Lex decided he would get away for
want. Spyder has taken full advantage of this, and
a while. He would take a walkabout and see what
his augmentations are all delta-grade. Additionally,
else there was to life. If he did it and didn’t enjoy it,
as one of the early practitioners of transhuman-
he could always go back and continue the course
ism, he has more augmentation than a metahuman
his family had mapped out for him.
could normally survive. His dedication to transhu-
Silver Nail is the alias Lex James is using while
manism has also let him retain his humanity and
he takes his journey. He has overheard his parents
avoid most of the effects of cyber-psychosis.
and his father’s friend talk about shadowrunners. Spyder will go along and hack the offline host
It sounds exciting, so that’s the road he elects to in missions 2 and 15, if the team does not have
travel. any Matrix capabilities, but he will not be willing
Lex is 1.9 meters tall and weighs 90 kilos. He to take on any other missions beyond those two,
has a pale complexion, blue eyes, and red hair. He claiming the team couldn’t afford his fee.
is using a sustained Physical Mask spell (5 hits)
to appear as a dark-eyed white person with dark B A R S W L I C EDGE ESS
blond hair that looks silver on the end. The hair 4(5) 5(7) 5(8) 3(4) 5 6(9) 6(9) 4 5 1.85
appears spiked (which is where his street name
came from), and he looks similar to a popular trid DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
character. 16 17/4 A1, I5 12 10/15/+1

B A R S W L I C EDG ESS M
matrix
3 4 4 2 5 6 5 5 5 6 6 A S D F
8 9 9 9
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
5 9/1 A1,I2 10/11 10/15/+1 M-DR M-I/ID M-AC M-CM
17 18/5 A1, I6 11
Skills: Astral 4, Athletics 1, Close Combat 1, Con 5, Conjuring 5, Electronics 3,
Engineering 3, Firearms 1, Influence 4, Outdoors 2, Piloting 3, Perception 4, Sor- Skills: Athletics 3, Biotech 2 (first aid), Close Combat 4, Con 3, Cracking 7, Elec-
cery 5, Stealth 3 tronics 7, Engineering 4, Exotic Weapons 6 (monofilament whip), Firearms 7, In-
Qualities: Astral Chameleon, Focused Concentration 2, Impaired Strength, Weak fluence 5, Outdoors 4, Perception 5, Piloting 3, Stealth 4
Immune System Knowledge Skills: Accounting (Money Laundering), Criminal Syndicates,
Spells: Fashion, Fireball, Flamestrike, Heal, Improved Attribute, Improved Invis- Geo-Politics, Denver Shadows, Matrix Hangouts, Matrix Rumor Mill, Matrix Who’s
ibility, Physical Mask (sustained, 5 hits) Who, Mercenary Outfits, Small Unit Tactics, (+ anything loaded as a knowsoft)
Gear: Auctioneer business clothes (DR +2, Social +2), contacts (capacity 3, w/ Languages: English (Native), Arabic (X), Aztlander Spanish, French, German (S),
image link, low light, thermographic), Hermes Ikon w/subvocal microphone & Hopi (X), Japanese (X), Korean, Lakota (S), Mandarin, Russian, Sperethiel, (+ any-
trodes, Meta Link, fake SIN (rating 5), fake SIN (rating 3), Power focus (rating 1) thing loaded as a linguasoft)
Weapons: Qualities: Addiction to Cigarettes (3), Addiction to Psyche (2), Analytical Mind,
Defiance Super Shock [Taser, DV 5S, SA/BF, 10/6/—/—/— ] Guts, Photographic Memory, Polyglot
Transhumanism: Grade 3
Augmentations: Spyder has a mix of cyberware, bioware, geneware, and na-
Spyder no-tech that increases his stat profile to the numbers noted. He also gains a +2
dice pool bonus on any Agility, Logic, or Intuition-based skill tests. In addition,
(Decker, Connection Rating 3) he has the following deltaware items: bone density augmentation 4, cyberarm
[right, obvious, w/ Agility 9, Strength 4, Armor 3, fingertip compartment (mono-
Spyder is a bald, chain-smoking, heavily cy- filament whip), fingertip lighter, heavy pistol, silencer], cyberdeck: Fairlight Ex-
bered human male who looks to be in his mid-for- calibur (DR 6, A 9, S 8, program slots 12), cyberears 2 [w/ audio enhancement,
damper, sound link, special recognizer], cybereyes 4 [w/ flare compensation,
ties. If you can get him talking, he will admit to be- image link, low-light, smartlink, thermographic vision, vision enhancement, vi-
ing from Atlanta. With a large amount of alcohol, sion magnification], cyberjack 6 (D 9, F 8, +3 IS, ID, I), damage compensator 6,
he may also hint at once being a combat decker in olfactory booster 3, orthoskin 4, platelet factories, skilljack 6, sleep regulator,
the CAS special forces—and he can back up that synaptic booster 3, tailored pheromones 4
Gear: Mortimer of London Greatcoat [mystic weave (3)], autopicker, 2 x packs
claim by being as effective in a firefight as he is of cigarettes, 2 x data tap, lowlight flashlight, Hermes Ikon commlink [personal
in the Matrix. After several years spent as a shad- assistant, MeFeed, watchdog], medkit (3), 20 x psyche, respirator (6)
owrunner, mercenary, and frontline war corre- Programs: Agent (6), browse, configurator, signal scrubber, toolbox, + any of the

 // CHARACTER TROVE
 following hacking programs as needed [armor, biofeedback, exploit, fork, hitch-
hiker, lockdown, overclock, quartermaster, rocket launcher, tapeworm, trace]
Vida Nova
Weapons: (Emerged xenosapient, Connection Rating 2)
Ares Predator VI [Heavy, DV 3P/3S, SA/BF, AR 13/13/8/—/—, w/ quick draw
148 holster, internal smartgun system, silencer, personalized grip, spare This is an update to that profile from Assas-
magazine, 16 rounds gel ammo (8 in each mag), 14 rounds normal ammo sin’s Night, with Vida’s true make-up and capacity
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

(7 in each mag)
Cybergun (Ares Predator VI) [Heavy, DV 3P/3S, SA/BF, 12/12/8/—/—, w/ now closer to understanding. Their interest in the
internal smartgun system, silencer, 8 rounds gel ammo, 7 rounds normal technologies involved with Animus Construction
ammo] appear to be their foremost agenda, to advance
Monofilament Whip [Exotic, DV 6P, 22/—/—/—/—] those to heights above and beyond what is cur-
Unarmed [unarmed, DV 4P, AR 15/—/—/—/—]
rently possible. Their drive for comprehending not
only the spark of virtual life forms but the essence
Sully of metasapience, however, can quickly escalate to
something entirely discomforting. Vida seems pre-
(Rigger, Connection rating 3)
pared to pursue all forms of individual transfer-
Sully is a specialized rigger. He doesn’t do ence and expansion, with prolonged conversations
drones, and he doesn’t do combat. He just gets indicating they believe events like reincarnation
you from place to place quickly and efficiently. and resurrection are fully within the grasp of the
He usually relies on ground transportation, but science.
he can do watercraft as well, and he can pilot a They are not a member of Garmonbozia, Ex
helicopter in a pinch. Machina, or the Null Sect, but their capabilities put
As a professional New York City driver, Sully them on par with individuals from those groups at
is also a chatterbox. He won’t get into anything any time. They are friendly to the cause of Garm-
he’s not supposed to know about, such as what his onbozia, and allies to them who prove true gain a
passengers are up to, but conversation about the bonus Edge in social tests with Vida.
weather, sports, and current events starts to flow
out of his mouth as soon as he starts his engine. He F S D A W L I C EDG SPK RES
can be a bit of the boor, but don’t let that distract 8 7 9 6 6 9 8 4 6 6 12
you from the fact that he’s good at what he does.
M-DR M-I/ID M-AC M-CM
Sully is a human male, about 1.2 meters tall, 17 17/4D A1,I4 14
unshaven, and of course he always wears a her-
ringbone flat cap. Skills: Biotech 6 (Cybertechnology +2), Cracking 7 (Hacking +2), Con 5, Electron-
ics 9 (Computers +2), Engineering 5, Influence 6 (Instruction +3/Etiquette +2),
B A R S W L I C EDG ESS Perception 5, Piloting 5 (Ground +2/Anthroform +3), Stealth 2 (Urban +2), Tasknig
6
2 4 6(8) 2 4 3 5 2 5 1.7
Knowledge Skills: AIs, Biochemistry, Cybertech Interfaces, Data Havens, Digital
Sapience, Corporate Law, Nanotechnology, Psychology, Psychotropic Therapies,
DR I/ID AC CM MOVE
Resonance Realms, Simsense Technologies
5 13/3 1A,14 9/10 10/15/+1
Qualities: Analytical Mind, Exceptional Attribute (Logic), Focus Concentration
3, Impenetrable Logic, Low Profile, Multiprocessing, Photographic Memory, Re-
Skills: Athletics 2, Con 2, Electronics 6, Engineering 4, Firearms 2, Outdoors 4
dundancy
(Urban +2), Perception 7, Piloting 5 (Ground Craft +3, Watercraft +2), Stealth 5
Forms: Bubble Shield, Cleaner, Data Bomb Eater, Data Disguise, Editor, Reso-
Qualities: Combat Paralysis, Gearhead, Juryrigger
nance Channel, Resonance Spike, Resonance Veil, Restore Continuity, Stitches,
Augmentations: Control rig 3, cybereyes 3 (w/ flare compensation, low-light vi-
Unravel Encryption
sion, vision enhancement, vision magnification), synaptic booster 2
Submersion and Echoes: Grade 8, Fractal Dream, Living Network, New Sprite
Gear: Ares Red Dog RCC (DR 6), armor vest (DR +3, Social –1), Hermes Ikon com-
(Defender, Music), Overclocking, Resonance Power (Phantom, Shield, Suppres-
mlink (rating 5)
sion)
Weapons:
Gear: Adjudant Humà (Nissan Samurai) (designated “NV” when Vida is using it),
Fichetti Security 600 [Light Pistol, DV 2P, SA, 10/9/6/—/—, 30(c), w/
6 Copies
detachable folding stock, laser sight]

H A SPI TS B A P S
2/3 15 15 45 6 8 6* 5

Features: Biosynthetic Skin (Human Looking), Improved Handling (O/O Road 1),
Integrated Smartlink, Improved Armor (2), Mysticweave (2), Improved Audio and
Visual Capacity (as Cybereyes and Cyberears, R5)
*Pilot rating when Vida is not controlling it.
Note: Additional gear, including garments for the drones, are available, as Vida
has a Luxury Lifestyle allowance.

CHARACTER TROVE // 
 appendix: PC
monad rules
Some of the characters encountered in Whisper Build Costs
Nets are Monads, people who experience cogni-
tive fragmentation disorder (CFD) and are sharing Priority Build: Monad joins the column for
their mind with another personality with AI ori- Magic, Resonance, and Mundane. Starting NV At-
gins. tribute is based on the same as the other special
The worst of CFD is over, cures are available, attributes and increased the same way. Monad PCs
and the worst of the headcases have either been start with 1 Monad Ability per NV. Future Monad
captured, capped, or took a ride on the DSECI ex- Abilities are bought with 10 Karma for each level.
press. Those who are left behind to be portrayed by Point Build: Monad is 10 CP, just like Awak-
players are the ones who still seek a balance with ened or Emerged.
humanity. They have come to accords with their Life Path: Each place there is an Awakened or
multiple minds, or one mind has simply wiped the Emerged option, a similar option can be gained for
other from existence, leaving only jealous memo- a Monad.
ries and confused loved ones.
Being a Monad is not a turmoil-filled punish- Nanite Volume Basics
ment, but a gift that comes with its own set of
troubles, no different than being Awakened or Every Monad has a Special Attribute called
Emerged. Some will idolize you, some will fear Nanite Volume (NV). This represents the quantity
you, some will hunt you, and some may not even of nanites available in their system to perform var-
believe you exist. But you know you exist. You ious exceptional feats. NV is limited to double the
know why you exist, and in the shadows is where natural Body attribute of the Monad.
you feel it is best to exist. Any attack that causes the Zapped status has
a chance of frying out some nanites. Each time a

 // APPENDIX: PC MONAD RULES

 Monad is Zapped, roll Body. A glitch on the Body After this time, the Monad temporarily decreas-
test means they lose 2 NV. A critical glitch means es their NV by the total of the boosts, potentially
they lose half of their NV. This loss can never knocking all the nanites offline, for one minute.
150 bring them to 0 NV.
Action Use
SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

Monad Toughness Monads can trade available NV for additional

Monad PCs add one-half their Nanite Volume Minor Actions. At most two Minor Actions can be
to their Condition Monitors, split how they choose, gained in a single combat round. Each Minor Ac-
and shift all Wound Modifiers down by one. tion gained in this way reduces the individual’s NV
by the amount traded for five minutes.
Physical Attribute Boost
Monads can boost their physical capabilities, Modify Senses
including attributes and initiative, through the Monads can use their nanites to imitate various
manipulation of their biochemistry using their sense-enhancing systems. As a Minor Action, the
nanites. These efforts are taxing on the nanites. Monad can add low-light vision, thermographic
Glitches on any roll should result in a decrease vision, enhanced vision, audio dampening, or au-
in NV. dio enhancement.
Monads can trade available NV for additional
Minor Actions. The NV used in this way tempo-
rarily decreases the NV attribute of the Monad. Toxin Resistance
Using Attribute Boost requires a Minor Ac- Monads can add their Nanite Volume to any
tion. The monad makes a Nanite Volume test. For Toxin Resistance Test or Damage Resistance ver-
each hit, the Monad can increase any Physical At- sus a sickness, toxin, or drug.
tribute by 1 or add a Minor Action. Multiple hits
can be used on the same attribute, and the hits
can be distributed over separate attributes as the
Adrenal Control
player desires, even on the same test. The maxi- Once per combat round, Monads can use a Mi-
mum total boost is equal to the Monad’s NV, or nor Action to make a Willpower + Nanite Volume
the standard +4 maximum attribute boost limit, (2) test to stay conscious even when their Condi-
whichever is lower. tion Monitor is full. They can still take additional
Any increase beyond the racially modified max- damage, and they follow standard rules for dam-
imum results in a box of physical damage after the age overflow (meaning that if they suffer enough
boost wears off. These boosts last for a number damage, they could make an abrupt transition
of rounds equal to the number of hits on the roll. from conscious to dead).
After this time, the Monad temporarily decreas-
es their NV by the total of the boosts, potentially
knocking all the nanites offline, for one minute.
Rapid Healing
Monads can use a Minor or Major Action to
heal. For the Minor Action, make a Nanite Volume
Mental Attribute Boost test and reduce the damage on their Condition
Monads can boost their mental attributes Monitor by the number of hits on the roll. Using a
through the manipulation of their biochemistry Major Action provides a situational Edge point for
using their nanites. These efforts are taxing on the the test and heals double the number of hits.
nanites. Glitches on any roll should result in a de-
crease in NV.
Using Mental Attribute Boost requires a Minor
Resculpt
Action. The monad makes a Nanite Volume test. This ability allows the Monad to change their
For each hit, the Monad can increase any Mental skin color, voice, and facial characteristics. Usual-
Attribute by 1. Multiple hits can be used on the ly used to make a permanent change, the ability
same attribute, or the hits can be distributed over can be used on the fly as a disguise, but it doesn’t
separate attributes as the player desires, even on change hair color, though the cut can be modified
the same test. The maximum total boost is equal shorter (but not longer). The ability can’t modify
to the monad’s NV, or the standard +4 maximum body size.
attribute boost limit, whichever is lower. Monads can use a series of Minor Actions to
Any increase beyond the racial modified max- make an Intelligence + Con (16, 1 Combat Round)
imum results in a box of Stun damage after the Extended test to change their facial appearance
boost wears off. These boosts last for a number and skin tone. The character then gets +2 dice on
of rounds equal to the number of hits on the roll. any Disguise (Con + Charisma) tests.

APPENDIX: PC MONAD RULES // 

Monad Matrix Attributes If this Condition Monitor gets filled, the Obsidian
Cloud is derezzed, and the nanites running it are
Monads can create something similar to the liv- temporarily shut down and unavailable. Nanites
ing Persona of a technomancer, and they use the reboot as a rate of 1 point per combat round, be- 151
same mental attributes (Attack = Charisma, Sleaze coming available to the Monad immediately at the
= Intuition, Data Processing = Logic, Firewall =

SHADOWRUN: WHISPER NETS

start of the combat round.
Willpower). They can boost these attributes by a
Individual Obsidian Clouds, even those from
number of points equal to their NV. Points may be
different Monads, can merge together, each in-
added to a single attribute or distributed among
creasing the processing power of the whole. The
several, and they can be reassigned with a Minor
Action. The adjustments cannot exceed an increase effective Nanite Volume of the Obsidian Cloud
of 1.5 times the initial rating. Monads do not have is equal to the sum of the ratings of all merged
anything like Echoes or Submersion. clouds. Monads with merged Obsidian Clouds can
With these attributes, the Monad can perform communicate through these clouds.
Matrix actions as if they had a commlink or deck
active. Tech Blast
Monads can use Tech Blast, which is similar to
Obsidian Cloud the Data Spike Matrix Action. They use a Major
A Monad can use a Minor Action and assign a Action to attack devices within 10 meters by roll-
portion of its Nanite Volume to create a Matrix en- ing NV + Logic vs. Data Processing + Firewall. The
tity known as an Obsidian Cloud. This entity resem- Damage Value is equal to their Attack Rating/2,
bles its name and operates as a mental extension of rounded up, plus 1 additional box per net hit.
the Monad. Obsidian Clouds have a rating equal to
the Nanite Volume assigned to them and skills equal Tech Infestation
its rating. Their Matrix Attributes are the same as
a cyberdeck of similar device rating. They get their Monads are able to use their nanites to take
own Matrix Initiative and can take Matrix Actions over and use simple tech like toasters, cameras, or
separate from the actions of the Monad, though the other devices that have a single, relatively simple
Cloud and the Monad share thoughts. The cloud function. The Monad touches the device and de-
has a Matrix Initiative of (rating x 2) + 2D6 and 1 cides what quantity of nanites they want to use
Major Action and 2 Minor Actions. by assigning a Nanite Volume to the device. This
The effective Nanite Volume of the Monad reduction lasts until the Monad calls the nanites
(meaning the number used for all NV tests) is back from the device. A Minor Action is required
decreased by the value assigned to the Obsidian both to load and unload nanites from a device.
Cloud. The NV is used make an NV x 2 vs. Firewall x
Multiple Obsidian Clouds can be active at once, 2 (Extended, 1 Combat Round) test to gain User
but each one decreases the effective Nanite Volume access, and another such roll is used to gain Admin
of the Monad by its rating. access. This series of rolls is similar to a Probe hack
An Obsidian Cloud can be shut down with a against the device. Once the nanites have Admin
Minor Action, providing access to those nanites access, the device can be controlled by the Monad.
for other abilities.
An Obsidian Cloud has its own Matrix Condi- ITEM AVAIL COST
tion Monitor equal to assigned Nanite Volume x 2. Nanites 5I 1,500¥/NV

 // APPENDIX: PC MONAD RULES

 manhattan Map key
1..............................................La Guardia Airport
2...............................................Governors Island
3....................................................Randalls Island
4......................Grand Central Station and
Arcology
5................................................................Penn Station
6....................................................... Lincoln Center
7...........................................................................Sylvia’s
8................................................................. Sony Plaza
9.............................................................Tough Tony’s
10...........Al-Hazad’s House of Wonders
11...........................................The Shogunate Club
12.....................................................................................Vibe
13....................................................... Heritage House
14........................................ The Goldwater Club
15.................................... Railspur Apartments
16............................................................ Hudson Pawn
17................................... Mitsuhama Arcology
18................................................................Dump Sh0ck
19....................................................................... Nowhere
20.................................... Kente Royal Gallery
21.......Alice-in-Wonderland Play Area
22.................................................NYPD Precinct 10
23............................................. The Corner Swing
24......................................Columbia Unversity
25...................Knickerbocker Social Club
26.............................................................Bailey’s Pub
27............................................................The Octagon
28...... Ilhuicaatl Holdings Warehouse
29..........................................................Union Square
Powerful financiers have been sent to prison for sending
inside information to investment bankers so they could
trade based on things they weren’t supposed to know.
Government officials have resigned because the answer to
the question “What did they know and when did they know
it” turned out to be bad for them.
Information is power, and lately the Sixth World has been
full of juicy secrets. In this campaign, runners will be called
to the corporate capital of Manhattan to uncover some
hidden information and then see how to they can extract
the most value out of them—without drawing too large of a
target on their backs.
Whisper Nets is a campaign book for use with
Shadowrun, Sixth World.

CAT28404 Under License From

catalystgamelabs.com I shadowruntabletop.com
© 2022-23 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun, Sixth World, and Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc.,
in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in China.