Written by Peter Weilnböck
Published on: 2025-12-11
Session 6: Discords old friend calls for help. And the team gets pulled into gang business
Discord had gotten a call from his old ganger chum Cheeks. So, as usual I pick them up and we went into the barrens. Drek, I hate Redmond. No place that you can leave your van even for a second. Not that Kaori could not take care of herself for a while, but still. I simply would not want to risk finding her completely gutted when I return. And, since this are the Redmond barrens we are talking about, I also don’t want to get completely gutted by some scum when I step out. So, cozy van life for me.
Still, since they don’t mind the FlySpy following them around, and since Romeo never revoked my access to it, I now know that the gang is missing 5 members by now. Snag, Gorel, Nit Pick, Kyle and Dig. Although apparently nobody is actually missing Kyle, they seem almost glad that he is gone. Still disappeared though.
Discords chummer Cheeks seems to be running that gang and suspecting poaching by the Crimson Crush or by the Skraacha.
Do I need to mention how much I adore getting involved in gang business? Why you ask? You know what gangs are known for? Drive by shootings, and shooting up cars. You see what I mean? I mean, Kaori is a tough gal, but still. Can’t be healthy to be dragged into gang violence. Much prefer to be the getaway driver who is never really involved. Just sharing the payday and cleaning blood of the seats from the Sams who don’t mind getting shot up a bit. Or getting their insides torn apart by fragging blood spirits. Drek, no need to return to that again. Focus on the job at hand and to get out of the barrens without even the need for a paint job
Drek, this place really is shit. We have now visited the old places of Snag and Gorel. I can’t believe that they actually lived here. Or rather, I am surprised that they managed to survive here for some time. At least I am not surprised that they vanished. Keeping my trap shut though, seems like Discord liked at least those two. And according to him they knew how to take care of themself.
I mean, the place of Gorel at least had a door.
Back to the topic: No trace of those chummers. Seems like Discord is running out of ideas. Next he wants to visit “the black site” for clues. I think thats the place that I already picked him and Jace up once. Something to do with rats? In any case, the name is wiz, so I am stoked to check it it out.
Oh, and we should keep our eyes open for Petey, another chummer of Discords. Apparently some confused grey wandering around the barrens seeing things. But since he keeps wandering, he is not so easy to find.
What the Drek?
Those fragging rats were fragging terrifing!
So, we go to the “black site”, and it turns out, they call it that, since it is an abandoned, well, black site! How wiz is that? Used to be a hidden sound lab or something.
The entrance is completely hidden. I mean, not hidden hidden. But unassuming. Just like an abandoned residential. Then they walk in, down into the cellar, and here is were is already is starting to get a bit strange, if you pay attention. The staircase into the cellar is wider than usual. Alomst double the width. But, you would miss that, if did not know what to look for. Then below grounds, there is the black site proper. I mean I an almost see Rami from “Ressurection Breach” sneaking in there to extract some scientist. But, when they get down there, the rats are starting.
More and more of those furry critters keep showing up and monitoring them. Yes, monitoring. They kept there distance, and they kept reporting by a communication line of squeeks running into the dark. Creepy as fuck.
But when they reached some dome (for sonic research, according to Discord), is when drek started to get real.
This creepy furry critters set up in a kind of half circle, or maybe rather a half moon shape, watching us (Well, I was the Steel Lynx, while my meat sack was safe and sound in Kaori), with their beady little eyes. And then big hairless rats showed up as well. They squeeked and watched. 5 of the the big ones (Jace called them devil rats, and he and Discord said that in the past there was only one) had now taken position as well. And still all the rats kept squeaking, watching and waiting. Creepy.
And finally the big boss showed up. Escorted by more of the devil rats an even bigger rat, completely clad in black fur and horns on its head marched in. Fragging horns! Since none of us are Crimson from Battle Mage Alpha, we decided to scram. And as we started to make our way out the big black rat vanished. Not ran away, not ducked out of sight. Simply vanished. Seemed to blur in the air for a moment, and gone. I hope it can be clearly seen in the recording.
Off to a place called “Whiskey at the Crossroads”, and old haunt of Jace. After that I can use a drink as well, but he seems to be more keen on information gathering and sharing. The Whiskey at the Crossroads is a bit of a distance from here, but close enough for Jace to think that they should know about the rat infestation close to their turf. Fair enough.
For the drink I had to jack out again. Being tethered back to the sack of meat, stumbling around half blind on wobbly feet, really not my favourite. The crisp sensors and solid body and wheels of Kaori and the Steel Lynx are much preferable. But I guess it can not be helped.
In any case, the drink turned out to be, surprise, surprise, a whiskey, and the place an Irish bar. And we found another of Jace’s chummers in there - this “hot mafia chick” of his. And with her the name really fits. Seemed like even though she really is smoking hot with her fiery mane, her temper runs even hotter. Jace knows how to pick his chummers.
We showed Miri - the hot mafia chick - the video, and they also asked her a bit about the missing gangers.
The Mafia will now also keep a look out for the rats, just in case, but did not know nothin about the missing tusks. Or at least that is what Miri claimed.
Since we are already in the outskirts of the Barrens, and it’s getting late, we decided to call it quits for today. But tomorrow we really have to hit up the gangs suspected by Cheeks. Hope this does not go sideways.
Bright and early, off into Redmond. Oh what fun.
Met the first Crimson Crush gangers. 2 tusks and one trog. They first had the nerve to make fun of Jace and Romeo, just because they are elves, but Romeo started chatting away, and then they quickly agreed to escort us to their boss. That Omae really has a silver tongue.
Did I already mention that he brought the damn weasel? Peaking out from under his coat and everything.
Marten.
The “HQ” of the Crimson Crush is connected to an underground club, also named “Crimson Crush”. Deep thinkers those tusks. But, the club deserves the name. Was not sure if leaving my meat sack in the car or with them would be safer, but in the end I decided to join as the fly spy again. Kaori is tough, and I can also jump back in on any notification from her sensors.
Inside of the club was a whole lotta red. and rusty grating and stuff like that. Although I can imagine that at night this place really lights up. Will not try it out though, seeing how those perimeter guards reacted to elves. Don’t want to see what they will do when drunk and among their friends.
You would not believe it. Romeo, once again wagging the silver tongue of his, gets the leader to spill the beans. If I ever have a favour open with a mage, I might want to ask him if Romeo uses some kind of mind altering voodoo.
In any case, apparently Crimson Crush has lost some members in the recent past all well. More than normal that is. And our Omae manages to not only get him to spill about gang affairs, no he also talks him into giving us two, hm, lets call them envoys to accompany us to the Skraacha. That we truely come in peace, etc.
Also, cause no one of us knows any entrances to the Ork underground…
We were just cruising along, when Romeo suddenly remembered about Petey. Told me to make a left turn here, and two blocks later we found that grey. Since Petey is Discords chummer, I was confused, but it seemed to me, that Discord was even more confused.
In any case Discord talks to him for a while, and this Omae really has no longer all his diods slotted. Seemed like a chiphead to me. Or some other junky. Although he seemed to know stuff when you asked the right way.
After a while Discord gave up and we made our way to the Ork underground.
Romeo is telling me again where to go. The frag?
Under the serene guidance of our clairvoint (or whatever), we reached an entrance of the Ork underground. His excellency’s silver tongue opened doors and we were once again escorted to the gang leader. All upon the path groveling in his shiny presence.
I mean, maybe I exagerate slightly.
But we got to talk to the Skraacha head as well. They also lost a few. Discord an Jace are starting to suspect involvment of Humanis. Just what we need.
Oh, and we brokered a meeting of the Orkgang leaders the day after tomorrow. Easy. Cause thats how we roll. Apparently.
Since I forgot the time before, they got Karma for both sessions: 7. I also got reminded about Street Cred and Public Awareness, and it seemed time that they got some Street Cred as well. No notoriety though. That brings the totals to: