Session 45 - Civil Discussions

Key Points:

• And so, the group began to gather their thoughts regarding the Middleman's Answers...
• Angel asked for Setter's advice and excused herself from the room after receiving it. Having been a little tipsy, she was interested in some of the 'cat-boys' (the male host's at the Lucky Cat Inn), and so, she went to the main floor.
• Angel would later get a private booth (Setter would later join her) and the pair would have some 'naughty' fun with the two cat-boys: Yruf and Eruk.

• Aria emerged from the back room as she broke down in her Kembu's arms and cried. Aria began to weave a story, then, for the group...
• Based on her "memories" that the Watchdog "unlocked" for her, Aria claims to be a memory-wiped assassin utilized by Gwen Morrisson to murder high-ranking Genesis executives and members of Leonhardt Nacht's family.
• Aria confirmed that based on her memories, Leonhardt Nacht is the father of Kembu and Aria. She also confirmed that their mother was the famous singer Hannah.
• Leonhardt Nacht had tried to extract Kembu (Kara), Aria, and Hannah from captivity with the Winged Serpents without blowing his cover identity. With the help of Genesis Strike Teams, he hit their transports in mid-convoy. Nacht was successful at extracting Aria and Hannah, but not Kara.
• Nacht then distanced himself from the Winged Serpents while still running jobs from Genesis. He never gave up looking for Kara, but could never find her. Eventually, his handler died under mysterious circumstances and Gwen Morrisson took over as his handler.
• Gwen made it clear that she needed Nacht to go back under deep cover with the Winged Serpents, but Nacht refused. He attempted to bail out of Babylon with his family and friend, but was attacked along the way by a Genesis Strike Team.
• The Genesis Strike Team captured Nacht and his family for Gwen Morrisson. Using Athena, Gwen wiped the mind of Hannah and replaced her memories to create the identity of the 'famous' singer so that she could put her on display, but keep her from Nacht. She threatened Nacht with Hannah's life should he not listen to her.
• It was also this time that Gwen used Athena to tinker with Aria's mind and begin using her as an assassin.
• Aria was captured after attempting to assassinate the Campbell Family. Nacht was used to retrieve and rescue Aria, but it blew his cover with Genesis, and he then became a 'Wanted Man'.
• Using his new found notoriety as an excuse, he began waging a one man war against Gwen and Genesis which would eventually lead to the incident which got Kimberley Meyer killed.

• Aria apologized to Roan for what Nacht did. Kembu and Aria attempted to convince him to spare Nacht, or at least allow him the chance for redemption. Roan informed them that Gwen's sins did not free Nacht from the responsibility of his actions.
• After a veiled threat and an ambiguous answer, Roan left the group and sought out the expertise of Death Otter. Roan was able to track down a decryption unit for Otter and would ensure that it was delivered to her in exchange for her services in finding the truth.
• Otter managed to track down a remote site containing offline data on the events of Meyer's death. Using that location, Roan and Otter borrowed an armored truck from the Watchdog. There, they posed as a delivery team in order to get into the guarded facility. While Roan distracted the guard, Otter stole the data.
• Roan combed through the data which consisted of radio conversations, interviews, document files, and video review. Through this intel, Roan learned that there was no elaborate set-up. This was just the accumulation of Gwen and Nacht's machinations.
• Nacht had been searching for the WATCHDOG FILES which he believed could help him safe his wife. While searching for the files, he discovered intel he shouldn't have, and fled before the security team arrived.
• Caught by a recon soldier (Kimberly Meyer) he exchanged fire with her until disorienting her with a flashbang and capturing he. Nacht claimed he wouldn't kill Meyer if she cooperated, and tried to make his escape on the roof. It was then, that Roan took the shot that killed Meyer and allowed Nacht to fall off the roof and escape.
• Gwen was sincere in Roan not taking the shot; believing that the security team could take down Nacht on the roof given enough time.
• Roan learned, then, that it was not easy to place blame on one person. Nacht held a fair share of the blame for using Meyer as a shield, certainly. Gwen had her fair share of blame for driving Nacht to this. Meyer messed up, a botched stealth attempt, and so a little fell to her. And lastly, Roan took the shot that ended her. It was up to Roan to decipher this information how he wanted.
• However, it was clear that once Roan was held in isolation by Gwen after the incident, that she encouraged him and placed the blame solely on Nacht in order to get Roan to hunt Nacht down.

• The group discovered that their armored truck had been repo'd by the Middleman.
• The majority of the group (Setter, Angel, Aria, Kembu, Del, and Managirl) agreed to meet each other at Aria's manor in order to discuss potential moves from here.
• At the secluded manor in the upper city of the nobility district, the group met Jessica: Aria's maid. She was something of a maternal figure for Aria despite her young age. Supposedly, a family friend of Nacht's and Hannah's. Likely one of the girls who used to be owned by the dwarves.
• They also met Roomby, a small cleaning automaton.
• Jessica gave the group refreshments to which only Aria consumed.
• Kembu made a case for trying to use Nacht to help the group defeat the dwarven cartel and rescue the people they had imprisoned then. He also suggested that stopping Gwen from fulfilling her plans would be beneficial. Setter argued against the Gwen point, claiming that her and Watchdog were similar enough that if you had to rule one out, you had to rule both out.
• Del also informed the group of a Secret Cabal that ran Genesis and much of the world from the shadows. Supposedly, they're mythical and magical creatures like Dragons in charge of the group that shape the world to their whims. The Mana Reactors were their ideas, but they weren't aware of its poisonous fallout which has poisoned one of the dragons with cancer and has resulted in the Cabal in dividing.
• Gwen's plans is to take down the Cabal and instill a democracy into the world...
• The group seemed to be in agreement in taking out the dwarves and rescuing the people captured by them, but it seemed that the group was split regarding Nacht and Gwen...
• Moreover, it seems Nacht had missed his follow-up call with Setter; prompting Aria to exit the room and try to get a hold of her father... 

Loot:

• N/A

Current Objectives:

• Pursue Personal Goals.
• Roan: Defeat Nacht.
• Setter: Revenge.
• Kembu: Save the girl.
• Managirl: Find yourself.
• Aria: Reunite your family.
• Del: Save the world.
• Angel: Start a family.
• Death Otter: Defeat Athena. [COMPLETED]

File #R9500: Setter Blackpaw. [Terra Nullius Lore]

... Middleman Database.
...
... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
...
... Password Accepted.
...
... Query: File #R9500.
...
... File #R9500 Loaded.
...

Subject's Name: Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai
Subject's Alias: Setter Blackpaw.
Sex: Male.
Race: Hengeyokai.
Age: Unknown (Looks to be in his mid-twenties, estimating him to be 150-200).
Height: 5'0.
Weight: 111 lbs.
Hair: Honey blonde.
Eyes: Violet.
Special Characteristics: Numerous tattoos in hengeyokai writing ("Fur and Claw / Steel and Flame").
Typical Garb: Setter wears many outfits, but he favors revealing hengeyokai styled garbs.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Setter is a master of disguise; hiding his magic as martial prowess in many instances. His style has foundations in Wu-Jen magic, but he has quickly adapted and made it his own style over the course of his life. He was quick to adapt to Genesis technology as well; he prefers the use of an assault rifle as his default weapon. Setter's magic is meant to confuse, daze, and hinder his opponents. He is also a healer; possessing a majestic arcane spell that can instantly mend wounds. Setter is quite adaptable on and off the field; a jack of all trades and an incredible asset in a team and as a solo operative.

However, his defining characteristic is a unique SEED called Providence. Through diving into his memories as well as tracking down information sources, I was able to ascertain the nature of this SEED. Unlike a typical SEED, it does not grant Setter the ability and skills of a Freediver. Rather, it acts as a general enhancement; inputting and outputting information and streamlining everything the hengeyokai does.

In terms of combat applications, Providence is fully aware of Setter's skills and populates those as a list of applications which it can then run. At the speed of thought, Providence can read Setter's intent in a situation and execute his will at the correct time and in the correct way. Although the end effect of Setter's attacks are always the same, Providence allows him to disguise the nature of his spell as an unarmed attack or a gunshot. The enemy would be able to observe this normally, however, Setter is able to convincingly play the part--using his own theatrics to misdirect and disguise Providence's magic as physical effects.

In terms of body control, Providence can manipulate the state of Setter's brain, the way his body moves, and the way he reacts to stimuli. This is where Setter gets his battle readiness and practiced combat stance from. It also allows Setter to maintain a thoughtful and calm demeanor even in high-stress situations. As far as I can tell, Providence does not have complete regulatory control over Setter's body, so high-level involuntary reactions such as shock can override Providence.

Electronic countermeasures have been installed into Providence as a passive application. It is meant to combat Freedivers. Providence will actively attempt to stop Freedivers, but when it fails, it will record the event using Setter's memory and sensory information in order to give Setter a reliable memory of the event. This allows Setter to understand what transpired while he was under the control of the Freediver as well as relevant information that might have been unintentionally forgotten. In rare circumstances, I have seen Setter act normally while being controlled externally as long as he acted within the parameters of the command thanks to Providence.

Lastly, Providence provides limited synchronization as it has been designed to be a closed system. For instance, Providence cannot access the internet, cell phone networks, radio signals, or other kinds of wireless actions. This limits the access external sources can have on Providence. Setter's brain is still capable of being hacked, but Providence is generally protected from such actions. The synchronization aspect of Providence comes into play by access technology, magical items, and other equipment used by Setter. This is primarily for information purposes as it allows Providence to have a 'user guide' for operating Setter and the equipment he has access to. This synchronization allows for the most efficient method possible to be used in Setter's action. This allows Setter, who is a hengeyokai raised in a limited technological environment, to quickly pick up and use new technology.

Skill Assessment:
Setter's main attributes are his charisma and dexterity. Through his upbringing and training, is an expert diplomat and liar. He is quite perceptive of his environment and has keen insight into the behavior of others. Over the course of his life, he has become educated in the arcane arts (Wu Jen magic specifically) and possesses above average endurance. He is a jack of all trades; having picked up little proficiencies here and there in many other skills as well as a library of knowledge. Setter makes for an excellent leader and party face due to his charisma and polite behavior.

Setter's weaknesses include an addiction to pain killers (a side effect of long lasting wounds from the dwarven cartel hit, more on that later) as well as his dependence upon Providence. As seen when an EMP was used against Athena, Setter had a hard time recovering from the incident until Providence rebooted itself. Setter used to be capable without Providence, but he became much more efficient with its use. It is ultimately a calculated risk for Setter.

Lastly, from time to time, Setter is bombarded by visions of spirits; whether these are true spirits harassing him or figments of his imagination is unknown to me. I plan on using the information I've collected on the matter and consulting with someone more knowledgeable in primal magic.

Background:
Through my interactions with him, through my information gathering, and from diving into his memories upon his agreement to work with the Middleman, I have learned the following about Setter Blackpaw...

Setter Blackpaw is the assumed identity of the dog hengeyokai known as Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai. He was born to Fujiwara Mukuro (mother) and Sato Hajime (father). Mukuro took the Sato surname upon marriage. Setter's memories suggest that his parents lived in Musashi when they were children, but the hengeyokai's turtle island is a can of worms I don't want to touch.

His mother's clan (Fujiwara) were well-respected practitioners of Wu-Jen magic. The eldest female of the family would be the head of the house as well as a head priestess dedicated to their deity: the Dragon. Males in the Fujiwara clan were reported to be caretakers while younger females were priestesses with lesser responsibilities.

His father's clan (Sato) is actually a splinter of the Fujiwara clan. The Sato clan is a subservient house to the Fujiwara. The Sato clan dedicated themselves to archiving history and protecting their parent clan at all costs. Setter's parents took up the roles expected of their houses with his mother becoming a wu-jen while his father was a historian.

Setter's parents were traditionalists within their culture and as such, insisted that Setter spend the first 100 years of life in his animal form. This cultural practice is meant to give the hengeyokai a robust set of experience to build upon after coming of age. I find that many of the city-henge have outgrown this tradition, but it is still largely practiced in caravans.

Setter grew up with his parents in the Kasai Caravan, a well known caravan that toured around Ezra. For the first hundred years of his life, Setter spent the majority of his time in animal form (roughly 2/3rds). However, the other third of the time, Setter spent in his hybrid form as he worked for the Kasai Yakuza. The Kasai Yakuza is run by Daichi, a hengeyokai crane that is well respected and feared. Setter declined promotions within the Yakuza in order to prevent his parents from learning of his activities.

After becoming 100, Setter was raised directly by his parents for a few years. He became capable of shapeshifting and educated in basic skills, hengeyokai culture, and wu-jen magic. A few years later, it seems that Setter left his home life and began working for the Kasai Yakuza on a permanent basis. At that point in his life, Setter largely works for the Yakuza during the day while moonlighting in the caravan brothel.

Within the next decade of Setter's life, he has obtained enough recognition within the Yakuza to be given authority over a small group of initiates. Setter's name starts to gain some notice at this time among mercenaries group--I have mentions of his reputation dating around this time. Things continue to proceed this way for several decades for Setter. He leads successful missions, he trains recruits, and ultimately garners the full attention of Daichi.

At that point, Daichi decided to form a runner team with Setter as the leader. This team operates for roughly thirty years with some of the members switching out on occasion, but largely, they're identified as the same core team from their beginning all the way to their end. Setter develops very close bonds with his team. The team operates efficiently and ends up leading the Kasai Caravan into a prosperous time. Setter uses his wealth and resources during this time to commission his unique SEED: Providence.

The last mission that his team went on would ultimately be the reason Setter sought out the Middleman, and me by association. Unknown to Setter, Daichi had made a deal to capture acquire a dragonborn by the name of Servius Axius. This dragonborn was a rare specimen, but he was also a high profile serial killer. Formerly, Servius had been a psychologist under the employment of Genesis.

Setter's job was to transport his cargo (Servius) to a secretive client of Daichi's. However, due to turf wars between the Kasai Yakuza and the Winged Serpents (a dwarven cartel), Setter never managed to finish the job. A dwarven cartel hit team (the Bronzeknuckle brothers) used intel given to them by Genesis to hit Setter's team in mid-transport.

Genesis had given the Winged Serpents the intel through their little spiderweb. You see, Lukas Baer (first class ROGUE agent) had put out a call for all unique specimens (like dragonborn) for Project Rebirth (an attempt to clone and create old creatures and monsters). His ally, Gwen Morrisson, helped Baer out by informing her agent, Leonhardt Nacht, what specimens were required. Nacht somehow discovered Daichi's intel on the route his team would take to transport their cargo. Upon learning that, Nacht fed the intel to the Winged Serpents.

Servius was captured and taken back to the Serpent's base in Babylon. The majority of Setter's team was killed in the hit; only Setter and one other member of his team survived. Both of them were gravely wounded. The Kasai Caravan took a hit to their reputation, lost their most valuable team, and lost business in one fell swoop.

Setter's teammate ultimately retired--too beaten physically and mentally to continue on. Setter on the other hand decided to pursue revenge. Setter used the incident to disappear off the map, so to say. After recuperating, he declared his surviving teammate his final client. He spent the next year developing a new life and tracking down information on the Bronzeknuckle Brothers. By using the Man With No Name (a popular resource for people looking to start new lives), Setter Blackpaw was officially born, and he sought out the Middleman for information...

Runner History:
After learning the truth of who Setter Blackpaw was, I knew that he would be a valuable asset. Setter had the leadership and social skills to assist several established Runner teams. He bounced from team to team. Through unfortunate circumstances, his second team was killed in action. Despite this, Setter was able to complete the mission by delivering the cargo to the client.

Having recently come into a Runner team that had similar interests as Blackpaw, I assigned him to work with the team of Roan, Kembu, Del, and Managirl. In the last mission for that team, Setter was capable of keeping the finicky client (Rickenato) happy and was able to make some tactful moves behind the scenes to keep all parties happy regarding Pandora's Box; a delicate situation that I knew Setter was right for.

Setter has developed positive connections within his latest group. He is particularly close to Roan, though he attempts to drive the best results and encourages all of his teammates. Kembu's inflexible morality sometimes puts the swordsman at odds with Setter. Angel Mauer's recent addition to the group as given Setter someone he can count on.

Motivations:
At this point in his life, Setter is primarily motivated by revenge. He plans to use the knowledge that the Middleman has equipped him to hunt down the targets responsible for destroying his old life. Past motivations are a bit murky. Setter clearly desired recognition and respect, though he seemed to enjoy his lifestyle. Setter has motivation beyond revenge as it is likely that he has a fallout plan to start a new identity after he gets his revenge against the Winged Serpents. I imagine he longs for the life he was forced to leave behind. Luckily for hengeyokai, they are long lived, and he has plenty of time to start his life over again.

My ultimate analysis is this: Setter is not a king, but a kingmaker.

END REPORT
WD

Picture is credited to the artist Rukis.

File #R9527: Roan Mitchell. [Terra Nullius Lore]

... Middleman Database.
...
... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
...
... Password Accepted.
...
... Query: File #R9527.
...
... File #R9527 Loaded.
...

Subject's Name: Yoshirou Naomichi.
Subject's Alias: Roan Mitchell.
Sex: Male.
Race: Hengeyokai.
Age: Unknown (looks to be in his early twenties, estimating 100-125).
Height: 5'6.
Weight: 143 lbs.
Hair: Black, short.
Eyes: Green.
Special Characteristics: Achieved the Genesis Rank: First Specialist, CID 633774.
Typical Garb: Black clothing, black shades, tactical gear, and trench coat.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Extremely dangerous. Roan's skills started at an early age through marksmanship training with his father and grew steadily as he involved himself with the gangs of Babylon. His combat training was rapidly developed under the tutelage of Genesis. I find that hengeyokai's natural alacrity translates well to firearm usage; they're quick to pick up on it and Roan is certainly proof of that.

Roan is first and foremost a sniper. While he will use other types of firearms, he mostly relies on his sniper rifle. His accuracy is on a level that most people can't match; especially if he has time to line up his shot. I've taken a look at his old marks from Genesis Training and they were some of the highest ever recorded. It seems Roan has gotten his hands on an illegal rail gun; much more potent than a standard sniper rifle. Roan also possess a wide armory; carrying grenades of several types (incendiary, sleep, etc).

His shots are powerful; capable of killing VIPs from a distant. Those who manage to survive his shots find his attacks to be debilitating; I have observed enemies feeling weakened, dazed, stunned, or slowed after being shot. Roan has no qualms about killing, but goes out of his way to not kill innocents.

His one weakness tends to be his distaste for melee combat. He's more interested in fleeing than standing and fighting if he is attacked up close. Though, this is more of a 'tactical retreat', as Roan resumes firing upon his target once he's clear of danger. Recommend dealing with him in close quarters while ensuring methods of retreat are cut off.

Skill Assessment:
Roan's primary attributes are his wisdom and his dexterity. He is highly perceptive, athletic, and acrobatic. He has developed intimidation and bluffing skills from working closely with ROGUE despite not being particularly charismatic. His natural inclination to bluffing a target stems from his desire to hide his true identity while the intimidation techniques started when he ran with gangs.

He has an adept knowledge of urban warfare and the city itself. He is able to identify the best route and vantage points for various scenarios. Roan's stealth skills are unparalleled which plays into his combat role (finding a roost and sniping from it). His natural talents combined with rigorous training from Genesis has made Roan an excellent field agent. It is likely that he would have been promoted from his security position to ROGUE had he stayed within Genesis.

Background:
Roan's pre-genesis history is difficult to determine on paper, but I was thankfully able to skip through all the hoops when I dove into his mind for the first time. Roan Mitchell is the cover identity of a cat hengeyokai named Yoshirou Naomichi. Roan's parents came over to Ezra with the Oni Caravan. Roan himself never really lived in the caravan. It seems his father was a weapon's merchant and quickly found the potential in firearms offered by Genesis. Yoshirou's father and mother moved to Babylon to become representatives of the Oni Caravan. In Babylon, Roan's father began striking up deals in order to provide the Oni Caravan with the best weaponry available. It seems the Oni Caravan had plenty to offer Genesis.

I imagine Roan's parents hoped that Babylon would provide Roan with greater opportunities than the caravan's nomadic lifestyle would. The dream of many hengeyokai who would later be dubbed 'city henge'. I find parents are often misguided, but with good intentions. As Roan became of age, he quickly fell into the 'city henge' archetype. It seems Roan largely ignored his own cultural background despite his parent's attempts to integrate hengeyokai culture into the boy's life, from what I have observed of his parents and after speaking to family friends.

Roan and his parents were subjected to a great deal of racism from both humans and hengeyokai. Humans felt that the hengeyokai were dangerous foreigners and should be avoided while the hengeyokai viewed his parents as race traitors, despite having the blessing of the Oni Caravan to conduct business with Genesis. Like many young 'city henge', I imagine Roan wondered why his family didn't just pretend to be humans.

It seems Roan's parents were too proud to pretend to be human; even if many other caravans did have their liaisons pretend to be humans and then smuggle the weapons back to the caravan without Genesis knowing that the weapons would be used by hengeyokai. I imagine Roan's family was meant to be the 'official' face for the Oni Caravan, even while these secret deals went on with others.

From what I could tell, despite the rampant racism, Roan seemed enamored with the bright lights and the technology Babylon had. I reviewed some surveillance video on several deals and determined that Roan and his father went to the shooting ranges together often to 'test' the product before agreeing to buy it for the Oni Caravan. It looks like Roan and his father followed proper firearm safety, but I imagine Roan's father wanted to have his boy familiar with a firearm just in case...

Around this point in the timeline, Roan went into his rebellious 'teen' phase. A part of me thinks he never outgrew that by the trench coat he still wears, but who am I to criticize fashion? In this 'phase', Roan developed a human identity (Roan Mitchell). He began running with small time gangs and doing small jobs for the human populace to build up 'street cred'. Roan managed to keep his human persona separate from his hengeyokai persona such that no one could figure out that Roan and Yoshirou were the same person.

Overtime, Roan figured out that the gangs he was running with were small-time, and that Genesis was the real power in the city. Roan seemed to be driven by a need for respect, but I also sensed in him a latent desire to make a difference in the city. At this time, Roan made the decision to join the armed forces division of Genesis. I've heard of other hengeyokai doing this, though Genesis finds it difficult to root out a person's true identity since Genesis protocol prevents them from diving into the memories of their employees. A privacy issue, if I recall.

To join Genesis, though, Roan would have to give up his hengeyokai life. Genesis doesn't hire hengeyokais out of 'national security'. A nice label for the company's prejudice. Roan approached his parents with the age old hengeyokai excuse of 'wanderlust'. His father saw through Roan's ruse and interrogated his son until Roan finally admitted that what he really wanted to do was join Genesis, and that meant leaving Sector 8 for good and taking on a human life.

His father was furious, and his mother was not exactly supportive either. Roan and his father had a huge argument, one where neither side would back down. Roan's father forbade him from joining Genesis, and said if Roan disobeyed him, then he would be disowned by his family and the clan. Roan didn't care for that ultimatum. He ran away from home, shed his hengeyokai skin, and became Roan Mitchell full-time without any regrets.

Roan was able to use the Man With No Name (a common underground contact for hengeyokai) to draft a birth certificate and other documents to support the history of Roan Mitchell. From there, he applied to the Genesis Military and began boot camp. Roan quickly set himself apart from his peers; enough to attract the attention of a young and budding Gwen Morrisson. In Gwen's formative years as a ROGUE agent, she was scouting the talent for her future machinations. She had hand picked Roan, even if he didn't know it at the time.

Roan was accepted into a security role and was given the luxuries all soldiers receive: company housing and salary. Roan bounced from team to team for awhile; acting as a recon, scout, and sniper. He eventually rose to the rank of First Specialist. Despite his persona of a lone wolf, Roan actually had several close friends and relationships within Genesis Security. It may have just been comradeship, but these are social connections that Roan still maintains even outside of Genesis.

The deepest connection he made was with a woman known as Kimberley Meyer. She was a recon specialist that he often worked with. Meyer was an orphan; no family and no friends. She lived for her job, though that changed as her bond with Roan grew. The two were physical with one another, but I sense that Roan had real love for her. For his sake, I won't detail their relationship further, but it is clear that Roan would do anything for Meyer. She quickly became his world.

Gwen Morrisson became the main handler for Roan's security team. While many of their missions were sanctioned and handed down from the Genesis Corporate ladder, Gwen actually used Roan and many of his teammates in several black ops missions underneath the nose of Genesis executives. These missions were always presented as official missions, but the outcomes of the missions generally benefited Gwen and not the entire company.

The final mission Roan participated in with his security team was the attempted apprehension of Leonhardt Nacht. Nacht had broken into a testing facility and was acquiring sensitive information to use against Gwen Morrisson and Genesis. During this mission, Meyer, who had been performing recon, had been captured by Nacht. As the security team closed in on him, Nacht took Meyer to the roof and held her hostage.

Gwen told Roan not to take the shot. Frustrated, and believing himself capable of saving his lover, Roan took the shot on Nacht. His sniper round killed Meyer instantly and missed Nacht. The impact of the shot sent Nacht and Meyer tumbling off the side of the building they were on. Nacht wasn't found. Meyer's corpse was splattered across the pavement.

On the official books and in the news, Gwen changed the story to claim that Nacht kidnapped Meyer (and still has her kidnapped to this day). Roan was awarded several medals of honor and valor for his service, then honorably discharged from Genesis service. In reality, Gwen had been keeping Roan imprisoned for weeks; interrogating him and psychologically challenging him. Gwen would eventually release Roan to turn him into a weapon against Nacht. Ultimately, Roan's background is a tragic one. A family that disowned him, and then accidentally killing the person he cared for most. No wonder he is so somber and serious.

After being released, through his leads and contacts, Roan began a one-man hunt for Leonhardt Nacht. He found it difficult to get any information on the man as it seemed like Genesis was protecting him. However, Roan's desire for revenge against the man brought him to my doorstep...

Runner History:
After defeating several of Nacht's contacts and preventing an EMP from falling into his hands, Roan learned of the Middleman and sought employment with him. The Middleman could provide Roan with the answers and questions regarding why Nacht was protected by Genesis and how to kill Nacht. I thought this to be some trick or trap by Gwen Morrisson or Genesis, but after sifting through Roan's minds, I felt it safe enough to take a risk on him. After all, Roan has a good history of service and excellent skills that lend himself to be an incredible asset in the Runner lifestyle.

I assigned Roan to a team of rookies. I believed that Roan's professionalism would temper the group and keep them on track for their missions. He would never forget what the task at hand was because his desire for revenge depended on it. Roan excelled as a 'controller', eliminating enemy effectiveness while maintaining a calm and cool professionalism.

The first mission at the testing facility assured me that Roan was capable of handling combat situations in both urban and rural environments. This was important as his second mission would take him to the rural area of Quiet Mountain. He developed a professional relationship with the client, Dr. Vesper Klein. Klein and Roan might have potential business dealings in the future.

His third mission would be his hardest as the Olympians used the identity of Roan to kill the First Lady of Genesis. It forced him briefly into his hengeyokai identity (exposing his cover to the group and to many others out there). While Roan's human identity will always be stained because of the Olympians' use of it, Gwen Morrisson managed to legally absolve Roan of all crimes thanks to his cooperating in the capture of the Olympians.

Roan's relationships with the other runners on his team straddles the line between friendship and professionalism. I believe he might care for many of them, though doesn't allow himself to get too close in order to protect himself. Then again, Roan is capable of up keeping an excellent mask, so that assessment might be off base.

Roan's questioned involved how he could kill Nacht, why Genesis was protecting Nacht, and then finally... the truth of the Middleman's identity. I can lure out Nacht by taking away Gwen's leverage against him and offering it in a place where Roan could set-up an ambush. Genesis protected Nacht since he had black mail against them. And I'm always amused when people ask that last question...

Motivations:
Roan lives by a creed. "Nothing worthwhile is given; it must be earned. Not everything earned is desired, or can be cast aside. Everything that is earned, can always be taken away."

In his early days, Roan was motivated by his desire for respect. Later on, he may have been influenced by his lover, Kimberley Meyer. However, at this juncture in his life, Roan is primarily motivated by revenge to the point where he has little to no concern for his own welfare. Roan has no end game plan beyond killing Leonhardt Nacht. He has been approached by several people attempting to assure him that there are options for him after killing Nacht, but Roan doesn't think he'll live that long. Given that he is going up against one of the most dangerous men alive, Roan might be right.

END REPORT
WD

Pathfinder World's Largest Dungeon Playtest Summary

• Millennia ago, the celestials built a great dungeon. That dungeon was used as a prison by the celestials. In recent years, a Mad King and his family have used the dungeon as their own prison; throwing people in there. A small community of misfits (prisoners and their descendents) now live in the dungeon, trying to survive. The group consisted of the following:
• Ms. Faera, Magus Schoolteacher. (Female)
• Small Wolf Ranger and Large Wolf Animal Companion. (Males)
• Varian, a Criminal Swashbuckler. (Male)
• Gil, a Watchman Inquisitor. (Male)
• Andersil, a Reserved Summoner. (Male)
• Arcata, a Rebel Arcanist. (Female)
• Kinatt, a Fortune Telling Witch. (Female)

• The group was brought together by their elders to rescue Carl. The son of two of the elders, the young paladin turned up missing recently in the community. It is believed he is kidnapped, but even if he left willingly, he is an important member of the town and needs to be brought back as the dungeon is a dangerous and deadly place.
• The elder provided Carl's hat to the group. The Small Wolf used the scent to track Carl...

• Once exploring the dungeon, the group was ambushed by a group of darkmantles when they stopped and examined a kobold corpse.
• The group ultimately killed the darkmantles despite their annoying constricting and darkness spells.

• Further in the dungeon, the group found a small group of goblins arguing...
• Andersil used his eidolon to scare the goblins further into the dungeon and avoided the threat that way.

• The group came across a prison area ran by orcs and their tiefling boss.
• The prisoners consisted of two men, a woman, a kobold, a bear, and a kangaroo.
• The orcs were quick to attack the party for intruding on their prison. The orcs were ultimately defeated, and their tiefling boss killed when it tried to ambush Varian in the darkness.
• The group freed the prisoners and promised to show them their community. In exchange, many of them (particularly the kobold and the kangaroo) knew which direction Carl went in.

• The group destroyed a barricade blocking their path and only afterwards found the secret door that would've circumvented that.
• The next area seemed to be living quarters for a the orcs. The group stumbled across an ogre, a wererat, and several orcs. All of them seemed to serve something called Longtail.
• A nearby ratling had left several corpses from his adolescents and aided his allies against the adventurers, but ultimately retreated before he could be killed.
• The group found a strange diagram and model for the Heavens; left here by the celestials.

• In the next room, the group found Carl along with a few woman that were being sacrificed by the False Priestess.
• Each member of the group ran into someone from their past; enemies that they had once clashed with. And although it almost cost many of them their lives, the group was ultimately able to defeat their enemies, and save Carl before he was killed.

5th Edition Zeitgeist Playtest Summary

• The group were members of the Royal Homeland Constabulary and were based in the City of Industry: Flint. The group consisted of...
• Aaron Harlond, a Gentleman Wizard. (Male)
• Tamiyah, a Sheltered Monk. (Female)
• Chrysocyon, a Gunslinging Fighter. (Male)
• Retela, a Rogue of Many Faces. (Female)
• Nadia, a World Displaced "Wizard". (Female)
• Kash, an Eccentric Druid. (Female)
• Kalani, an Islander Barbarian. (Female)

• Assistant Chief Inspector Stover Delft, the group's handler, gave them their case to track down the killer known as the Flayer. The Flayer had killed many victims and recently, one of them was the servant of a foreign diplomat. The diplomat threatens to spark an international incident if the killer isn't caught.
• The Flayer is known for claiming a patch of skin from his victims, but his victims generally have nothing in common with each other.
• The only lead on the Flayer was a docker by the name of Guy who put on a street show about the Flayer. His street show contained details about the killings that only the police know about.

• The group found their lead, Guy, at the docks at his day job. He seemed to have some additional protection that an average docker wouldn't have... local thugs hired for protection duty by someone who was in connection with the Flayer.
• Guy seemed to be focused on his Art, though reluctant to discuss much with the RHC. The group found a clue; an old journal with an address written on it. The journal detailed an ancient fey creature known as the Skin Taker.
• The Thugs were quick to provoke into a fight and were ultimately defeated by the group. Guy was taken into RHC custody for protection.

• The group followed their next clue; heading to the address on the journal. The address led them to the outskirts of the city in the mountains to a seemingly abandoned slum building.
• The party convinced a local skunk to scout for them, though it soon was attacked by an animated rug. The group stormed the cellar and saved the scout from the animated rug and killed several animated armors and swords in the process.
• The group advanced in the makeshift home and cavern; coming across terrible ghouls that tried to eat the group and seemed to be used by the denizens to dispose of evidence (like bodies).
• From there, the group came upon a group of cultists and acolytes who were studying and praying in the name of the Skin Taker. The group was able to dispatch them and arrest them.
• Finally, the group came to the heart of this place; encountering the Skin Eater and his Skin Mummy (along with swarms of insects). The group would defeat the undead creatures and find some clues that would lead them further in their investigation...

• By the end of the adventure, the diplomat was satisfied with the progress on the case, and the group avoided the international incident. However, the Flayer is still out there along with the Skin Taker...