[OOC] Streets of Rage: Devil's Playground

[Serious Paul]

Click for the map of the neighborhood. This thread will contain various posts on the neighborhood, and how it relates to you.

When reading the map, the descriptions, such as "Gas Station" simply signify what you are looking at in current terms. It may actually be a Hydrogen fuel cell station, or a petrochem, but to keep it simple Gas Station gives you scope.

Assume most of this map is either one of the following, or all:

Severely damaged structurally, covered in volcanic ash, in a state of serious disrepair, or all three.

I will note several locations as I have time to upload them, giving technical details, and how they relate to you as a whole.

Questions about the neighborhood can be directed here.

[Serious Paul]

X marks the spot. This is your home. In another life this was a library-The Puyallup Main Branch Public Library-but that was a lifetime ago. There are stilll some books here, but the granite walls are now your home.

This three story structure has two subbasements. Starting from the lowest point and going higher.

Sub Basement 2. This was the utilities controls,and maintainence area. Most of it is taken up by the large steam boiler that still uses coal, wood or whatever you can find to burn in the winter. Tunnels on the North side allow you to travel form your home to the bridge undetected-but its not a journey with out its dangers. Several times a year these tunnels fill with noxious gasses that could kill a rhino, and scalding steam in the hundreds of degrees farneheit.

Subabement 1. This was a large collection of microfiche, and books in storage, and for the most part still is. This is the most intact portion of the Library proper. Their are several make shift rooms, that some of you live in.

Floor 1. Party Central. All remains of the old library are gone from here for the most part. Skateboard ramps, failed projects, grafiitti and bottles are strewn everywhere. Pizza box couches and barricaded windows make this place to hang and do whatever.

Floor 2. This is the kitchen and living room. Furniture is haphazardly arranged, stolen electronics are powered from equally stolen energy.

Floor 3. Your bedrooms. Do what you will with this.

The roof. Offering a decent view of the surronding blocks which are mostly flattened husks, you are the kings and queens of the streets of the Devils Playground. Thereis a swing set, and a trampoline up here too.

[Buzzed]

The roof. Offering a decent view of the surronding blocks which are mostly flattened husks, you are the kings and queens of the streets of the Devils Playground. Thereis a swing set, and a trampoline up here too.

Ok what would the target number be to hit the target if a character was to launch himself out of the swing onto the trampoline to get an extreme height over the roof and fire onto a target about 12 blocks away at the exact moment of peak height?

Ok while you think about that, I call dibs on a room in Subabement 1 for Chooper's bedroom. Chopper usually uses a stairway into the basement as a motorcycle ramp assuming people get out of the way when they hear him coming.

[3278]

Hmm. In Portland, blocks are 200 feet, or 61 meters, but Portland's blocks are made that way so you can cram more corners [which are worth more in taxes] into the city. In Seattle, I assume blocks are the more-or-less standard 330 feet, or 100 meters.* That makes 12 blocks 1200 meters, or 1.2 kilometers. So your target number will be effectively infinite, unless you have a very heavy weapon of one sort or another. The assault cannon could do it with no problem, for instance, although I can't imagine what being in mid-air does to the recoil of such a weapon, and thus to your target number.

Probably not a serious question, though, since you didn't mention which weapon you were using. But I like questions, so there's your answer, anyway.

*That looks <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?co ... y=0">about right</a>.

[3278]

Those of you anal enough to try lining up Paul's map with reality should enjoy the process; most of Paul's street names are either ironic or impossible, which makes it funny. Remember, Puyallup in Shadowrun has a /volcano/ in it; the names and structure of roads have changed significantly.

[Anguirel]

Questions about the neighborhood can be directed here.

'Kay. Why are there two 23's?

Is Pioneer Highway elevated and going over the top of those places, or is it going straight through ruined buildings? If it is elevated, where's the closest on-ramp? Is it protected (in theory) from people climbing up to it?

Can I get a name for (or give one to) the scrap yard (65)? Is it just a dump, with the typical scroungers living in and around, or is it more managed (this will dictate the nature of my associated scrap-yard contact).

Is the local police station there a Lone Star outpost? Maybe just a former Police building which may or may not be in use for police-related activity?

What sorts of facilities exist at Sulfur Springs park, if any? Anything still in one piece or at least usable (like, say, Basketball courts or a even a field that isn't totally overgrown and filled with random garbage)?

Any heavily defended corp shadow labs or factories in the area we should know about (so we can avoid the region like the plague)?

[Serious Paul]

Pioneer Highway is elevated over the buildings for the most part, averaging three stories in height. Sections of it are pretty poorly maintained, but for the most part this is all the City Government cares about in these parts.

I have a name for about 30 or so locations I just need time to post them.

The Scrap Yard is one of them, its called Mac's Salvage. I'll get to it.

As for the double 23 that location serves two purposes-both of them I will post later.

I have all the locations written down in my GM's journal, I just need to transcribe them into a post. Since I have to work this evening, and I hadn't been to bed yet when this was posted, welll I am sure you understand.

Buzzed: Target number is 1369. Unlucky cocksucker.

Ang: The Police Station will get a post, but no it isn't currently in use by LSSS. Nor was it ever.

Sulfur Springs gets a post as well, can we say rumors of a shadow in the east? I knew we could...

Nothing even resembling Corporate presence is on this map. You guys are the truest form of untouchables/unclean to them. They wouldn't even stop in to Frag you over for sport.

[Serious Paul]

Part Stuffer Shack part Pawn Shop all soy sloppy goodness. Run by Jeff Lance, a Troll known as "Papa Bear" on the streets with a weak spot for kids and charity cases. Bear never questions your cred, and is even willing to trade your take for whateve goods he thinks its worth.

Papa Bear is rumored to be some sort a Physical Adept, but you've never seen him do much except scratch various spots with his ball bat sized back scratcher.

[Serious Paul]

This 3 story apartment block hpuses a number of the areas local squatters, mostly humans. They eek out a mostly peaceful living scrounging, and performing various jobs that keep life in the Barrens going.

[Serious Paul]

Formerly known as Sentry Park, this gated park is enclosed by a three meter wrought iron fence, which is a good thing. After the comet passed the park erupted in geisers of bubbling steam, and sulfurous smelling pools of water, earning it's new nickname.

No one goes into Sulfur Springs and comes out. Rumors of a Toxic Shaman and worse cirulate, but no one knows what the truth is.

[Serious Paul]

A seedy bar frequented by evens eedier people. The Glacier serves various evil homebrewed beers and a nastier wine, mostly made from Potatoes and fermented fruits. Run by a human known as Grasshopper, this plcae is not meta friendly.

You've seen Humanis Policlubbers in full ative sheet wear coming and going from this place.

[Serious Paul]

This apartment building and office complex is only five stories high, but its all Yakuza backed. Or at least thats the rumor. They don't mix with the neighborhood at all, and you've seen oriental guys in suits occassionally stop by. What happens here is anyones guess.

[Serious Paul]

What used to be a video store is now a chiphead hang out. Need a brain blaster? Chances are "Combo" will sell it to you.

Combo is a particularly sleazy Elf, who also recruits for a local Pimp. Scum Bag with a Capitol SoB.

[Serious Paul]

Here's irony for you, this former Wal mart is now a thriving black market. Fresh produce grown locally-you can imagine how successful they are-is sold side by side with anything else that isn't nailed down. This place is supposedly run by the Mob, but they rarely seem to show their face around these parts.

[Serious Paul]

Shiela's sells remanufactured goods of all sorts. Second hand toasters and hand me down pieces alike. Shiela is a really pissy male Troll who prefers to be called "Six Shot."

[Serious Paul]

Long abandoned this 5 story structure is largely intact. Its fearsome barred windows and drab exterior make it look a lot liek a Russian Gulag. Street Lore says at night it is haunted by the ghosts of the people who died the night the Volcanoe blew.

[Serious Paul]

This is the former Pierce County Fire Department. Now run, and rebuilt by an all volunteer force they have two rebuilt fire engines from the turn of the century which they use to keep a handle on the arson bugs in the hood.

On Tuesdays they run a soup kitchen. These guys stay away from street politics-not judging, but refusing to participate. They are racially mixed-with a variety of meta types. Rumor has it they have a great big stash of street drugs they use on occassion for burn victims.


Okay more later. I have 30 or so more locations to update.

[Serious Paul]

Run by Father Luke O'Rourke, a chrasimatic obese elf, St Momma's runs Mass and services daily. Father O' Rourke runs a soup kitchen on thursdays. St Mom's is a granite and brick structure thats as solid as it gets. Clean and pristine, its like an oasis in the urban sprawl you call home-but one that requires a lot of pennance.

[Serious Paul]

A four story apartment building, it mostlyhouses Father O'Rourkes flock, and those families he tries to help.

[Serious Paul]

Intact but dangerously decrepit at points the base of this tower is covered in shanties used by a "Street gang" known as the River Rats, who mainly scrounge from the river or in buildings on the river.

The Rats have clashed with you at points, but you've always gotten the upper hand, even thought hey out number you at least two to one. their leader is a lanky human female known as "Spike", who claims to be a Rat Shaman.

[Serious Paul]

One landing pad remains intact, although it rarely sees any use.

[Serious Paul]

This hospital is three stories high, and largely intact. Run by a consortium of street doc's its rumored to a lot of illegal body work for various Syndicates and Shadowrunners. They also do a lot of vetrinary work on local animals for the Petrowski Farms. You're as likely to see a cow in the waiting room as a person.

Street Lore says the docs get funding from some corp, but no one knows which one for sure.

[Serious Paul]

This highly experimental nearly totally automated plant was a small scale experiment in harnessing geothermal energy that was abandoned, and wrote off. A dwarf by the name of "Hoppy" has nearly single handedly rebuilt most of it, producing a regular supply of both fresh water and energy, used by the locals.

Hoppy is a cantankerous ugly mother. Rarely clean, with a mouth like a sailor most people keep away from the "8th Dwarf..."

[Serious Paul]

Gordo is a local legend, and the nearest thing to a real shadowrunner there is around here. While his single story office building looks run down you know its really Gordo's shop-where he makes Cred Spoofers and decks for big time runners. Gordo is rarely here, but when he is he likes to share his stories (And best of all cold beer and hot pizza) about his big shadowruns.

[Serious Paul]

An arcade and simsense Parlor run by "Gruff Bill", an ork and his wife "Wilma", a human. Rumors say Bill is a decker for the Rings, but you know he just occasionally holds stuff for the Lee Brigade, a Puyallup Ring.

[Serious Paul]

Run by Big Mac and his nine brothers, who are honest to god Giants (Big Mac stands 16 feet easy.), Mac's melts down scrap steel, and makes steel paltes for resale around Seattle at low end factories.

Big Mac is a mountain of Muscle, and is always caled Big Mac. His heaby hammer, which is nine feet long, is used to pound steel straight alll day and all night. Mac and his brothers care little about the world around them, and enjoy their work. Big Mac is by far smarter than his brothers, who are on the average just a little slower than your average house plant.

Generally five of his brothers are on the road delivering product, while Mac and the others work. Big Mac never leaves the Scrap Yard ever.

62 is their actual furnace and shop. It also doubles as their living quarters

63 is used to store finished "product": 8'x4'x1/2" thick steel plates stacked 40' high.

64 is their garage which stores their specially modified trucks (Even though his brothers are shorter, they still average 12 to 13 feet high) and Mac's bike- a specially built Harley Davidson he's never rode.

65 is the yard-junked metal galore.

[Serious Paul]

Corwin is a ghoul. He salvages the thinsgt he mac's can't use-mostly plastics and what not, and sells them.Corwin eats people. Thats gawd damned scary.

[Serious Paul]

Largely intact, and marks the start of the Maniacs territory, a rival gang who hates the Bejesus out of you. They rarely venture South these days, rumor has it their leader "Animal" got some sort of, uhm, "Social Disease..." Yeah thats it....

[Serious Paul]

Heavily damaged, but reconstructed by the Mac' sunder Hoppy's guidance. It has been reduced to a single lane, and is made entirely of wood. (The lane.)

[Ares]

Assuming one is on the roof and has binoculars or some such thing, which surrounding buildings obscure line of sight? That is to say, what is the farthest in all directions that can be surveyed and watched?

You've mentioned the surrounding buildings are flattened husks. Where does that end?

Good to know for if one is going to be up watching the surrounding area at night (or during the day).

[Serious Paul]

From the roof little blocks your view for several blocks.

Pioneer Highway is two stories to three stories high, so it generally blocks your view. Building 60 is built into the supports of the Highway so it blocks your view.

56 is only one story in height, so no blockage of a real sort there, but it does mean the South East is a blind spot/ avenue of approach.

49 is several stories high, and blocks most of Northern view. But nothing in bewteen it and you is really left standing.

43 is the Puyallup Medical Center, and thats 3 stories. You can see straight to it basically.

So basically one square block in any direction is leveled.

[Ares]

Excellent.

And a flawless view down Riverside Drive all the way to #35? Will have to take advantage of that somehow.

What is 34/35, anyhow? Anything of note, or just another office building?

[Serious Paul]

Just another abandoned office structure. At one point it used to be some sort of shop-a large glass store front thats shattereds and scattered, paper and ash strewn everywhere.

[JetPlane]

Nash would also like a room in subbasement 1, simply for its nearness to the collection of books and microfiches, which might be useful to look into sooner or later.

[JetPlane]

Another quick question: How's the weather? Really. Being that there was a huge volcanic eruption, this would usually lead to a shift in the climate, ala super cold.

Also, "One other possible side effect of large volcanic explosions into the high atmosphere is the destruction of some of the stratospheric ozone, the gas that shields us from the harmful ultraviolet radiation.

The argument goes that ice particles impregnated with sulphuric acid may enable the CFCs in the atmosphere to become more active, leading to greater amounts of UV-B radiation reaching the Earth" (Found <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/a ... l">here</a>.).

This would be important to know also in figuring out how we sleep(cold, lots of insulation, so we might tear up the books in order to achieve this), what we wear(lots of sun protective gear, etc.) and how much we venture outside (if UV-B radiation is entirely too high, it can cause cause terrible sunburns in the short term and skin cancers and premature ageing of the skin in the long term. Too much UVB radiation can also lead to degenerative blindness and/or cataracts. All of these effects could be worsened, and/or happen much more quickly, if this volcanic eruption somehow screwed things up.).

[Chopper]

It is my interpritation that the explosion has cooled off decades ago. The area was abandoned, resulting in the ghetto-like feel. Many areas still have volcanic ash, So the weather I would think would be back to normal. The heat wave of this magnatude probobly is a gulf stream effect, so almost all of North America should be experiencing this heat wave.

[Ancient History]

Right, as gang-leader, I claim the biggest bedroom. It will contain a pool table, undearneath which is a thin fold-up mattress and blanket. When I sleep, I put the matress on the table and voila, a bed! The only other furniture is a plastic carton containing my clothes and medkit. A hook on the wall holds my other cue case.

Billy has a tent in Sub-basement 1, filled with pillows and blankets, where he sleeps. Each night, a gang member (usually, but not always Sticks) comes down and reads him a good-night story or watches some old trideo with him.

[Anguirel]

Right, as gang-leader, I claim the biggest bedroom.

Right, as the agoraphobe, I claim the smallest.

Actually, I was thinking of using a lofted bed with a drape around it. Under the bed is Toyman's collection of games. Just as Sticks has his pool table, Toyman has his prized item: a very nice SimDeck Gaming System, coupled with a sizeable collection of chips and games. This also means one of the better power connections in the place, and likely Matrix connections as well. He does have a small capacity PC which he'll probably have set up to download as much as can be handled whenever a connection to the Matrix is up (seeing as connections are spotty). He'll also have a toy chest or two.

Wherever Chopper keeps his bike in the sub-basement will likely become the garage/workshop for anything that fits down the stairs. I'll suggest this in the main thread as well, but if we all get bikes (or other vehicles), I'd appreciate it if everyone would chip in for a vehicle workshop. Seeing as there are 10 of us, it's only 1k nuyen each. Also, if anyone else has powered gear around that they'd like to have running as often as can be managed, we might consider jointly buying a UPS system with a backup generator, though I'm not sure I've ever seen costs for such. Considering the intended effect and the cost of fuel and such, I'd usually place it as a lifestyle level increase, such as might be covered in the Sprawl Survival Guide's Lifestyle Design section... Which reminds me, are we paying lifestyle costs for the Library?

[Serious Paul]

For this game no. Lifestyle is sort of tertiary importance to me-plus as I have said this is going to take place literally over a three day or so snippet of their lives.

Weather. Good question. (Really it is.)

The Volcanic Explosion was in the 2030's, if I am not mistaken, which means weather patterns have had a chance to mild up a little from what they would have been initially. The Winters in Puyallup are however a bit colder on average than the rest of the Sprawl, and its summers seem hotter.However the Pacific plays a pretty big role in moderating temperatures.

Its likely you guys have scavenged up some insulation of some sort to keep warm in the winters, and rely on the library's natural cavernous cooling effect for summers.

Puyallup has an ass load of Smog days each year-so best wear your filters!

Chopper guessed it in one about Gulf Stream weather influencing the current heat wave.

[Buzzed]

I'm all for pitching in 1k for a shop.

Paul, can we have some sort of loading ramp connected to sub-basement 1 from the outside street level? Perhaps the ramp was used to take in shipments of books before the books are sorted and assigned to the shelves above.

[Serious Paul]

I had pictured more a narrow set of stairs with a cart ramp next to it. Big enough for a bike or a hand truck or two....

[Buzzed]

Perfect.

[Buzzed]

Let's make that a general shop and take appropiate penalties. I dont think i can spare 1000, but I can spare 500Y We are a low-level gang, so our tool collection should be somewhat limited.

[edit] forgot about the 1100Y that was awarded after character creation finished, that can be used toward a vehicle shop, so im still in for contributing 1000Y[/edit]

[Ares]

You've got 1000 from Ares' character creation funds.

[Ancient History]

Sticks sank 3K into lifestyle(low) which y'all can have.

[Bishop]

Jimmy also is the proud owner (renter) of a low lifestyle, a shitty little apartment, but hey, it's crash space sometimes. And He'll put in 1000Y for the shop, too.

[crone]

Yeah, Amber can give 1,000 for a shop, too.

[Speed]

Speed can spare the change, too.

Speed's bedroom is on the third floor. You go up the final flight of stairs and it's the door at the end of the hall. The room forms a T with the hallway. Approximately 30' x 5', it's dark brown with red lights. It was definately some awkward type of attic/storage room prior to her claiming it as her own. Toyman took most of the stuff stored in there as scraps. Chopper and Tiger knocked down the shelves, and she decorated it to her liking, though rather modestly.

One end is set up with a table, where she can practice her game on her own (there's another card table on the Party Floor where she plays the other kids). Her bed is made up of 26 pillows tossed into one massive pile draped with a red sheet. A small dresser holds her small wardrobe. The two large windows at either end of the room shed a little light in, but more spectacularly, offer a great view at night. If she's very careful, Speed can get onto the roof via her east window. as there is a ledge outside.

[Ares]

Ares sleeps in random locations and positions in the library. It honestly is wherever he gets tired, he finds a fairly flat area, lays down or curls up, and sleeps.

His 'gear', as it were, is all in the basement or on the first floor, and is available for anyone to use. His guns he keeps on him at all times. No one touches the guns.

He has little need for a dresser, since he really wears clothes until he steals some from someone else. By then, his current attire is too worn out (in his opinion) to bother with keeping, so he just changes and abandons the old clothing.

Yes, he smells. But then, that could just be the putrid air of this entire neighborhood. Ares has grown quite accustomed to it, even fond of it.

[Nash]

Nash lives in subbasement 1. She's used to sleeping in uncomfortable places and even as a child, sometimes she'd just curl on the floor and go to sleep.

She keeps stacks and stacks of books around her meager floor drapings. Not only does it enclose, but it keeps others from easily coming in. The few times Billy has come to her when he had a bad dream, she knocked down all the stacks so he wouldn't be so frightened.

She sleeps in her clothes and she usually braids her hair before going to bed, a habit adopted from when her mother used to do it to her. She keeps her knifes in a sack that she clutches to her while she sleeps. A couple of others she has scattered inside some books and in a crack she cut out underneath her bed.