The Twilight Brigade Initiatory Group

The initiatory group is a rather unusual one in that it not only allows shamans, mages, and physical adepts to work together, but it also permits those who are not magically active to join the group. Mundanes can join the group for a cost of 1 karma instead of 3; it takes 6 mundanes committing to the group to get one additional die toward getting an Astral Contact during the search. Since they are not magically active in the first place, the mundanes cannot actually initiate; however, they can join the group on Astral Quests (as long as they are physically present with a magically active member of the group), and any oaths they make in committing to the group bind them as surely as if they were magical. A broken oath will be evident in the aura of the oathbreaker.

This costs an extra +2 target number on your astral contact— above that for having mages and shamans in the same group— and has almost no effect on game play other than for roleplaying purposes. It permits characters in a very paranoid line of work to trust each other, and it offers the opportunity for everyone to take part in Astral Quests when the current GM feels like running something in a different genre.

Group Strictures

1. Belief:
   The harmony of the living world is of great importance. True innocents should be protected. Ending a life should never be taken lightly. Sentient life is of great importance, and all are deserving of equal consideration.
2. Material Link:
   Anyone in the group must freely give ritual samples upon joining; any time they create a thesis, the group must be given a copy.
3. Fraternity:
   A member may call upon any other member(s) to place themselves in no more than equal jeapordy to the caller in coming to the caller’s aid.
4. Oath:
   I affirm that my beliefs agree with the stated beliefs of this group.
   I will not draw frivolously upon the bonds of fraternity.
   I will be a good steward of the group’s resources.
   I will abide by the group’s administrative rules.

Administrativia

A majority of the group must agree on accepting penance for deviations from the strictures, and to authorize expenditures from the group’s funds.

A minimum of two-thirds of the group is requires for censure or impeachment of a member, or for amending the rules.

New members may only join with unanimous consent of the group.

Resources

The group has Hermetic libraries in Magical Theory, Sorcery, Conjuring, and Enchanting at rating 8, thanks to Talks-With-Cats. They maintain a High lifestyle for the group, which allows a number of them to live in Middle lifestyle housing. The High lifestyle is prepaid through 10/54.

Treasury: 923,462¥.

Expenditures:

• Dan: 478k¥ (’ware) + 60k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 588k¥.
• Theora: 365k¥ (’ware) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 415k¥.
• Rikki: 45k¥ (spell lock) + 52.8k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 147.8k¥.
• Johnny: 15k¥ (ID) + 64.3k¥ (drones) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 129.3k¥.
• Violet: 60k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) + 400k¥ (katana) = 510k¥.
• Patricia: 60k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 110k¥.
• Barry: 60k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) + 400k¥ (katana) = 510k¥.
• Lightfoot: 52.8k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 102.8k¥.
• Cats: 52.8k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 102.8k¥.
• Fieran: 60k¥ (ID) + 50k¥ (DocWagon) = 110k¥

Fake Companies

Pharos Safety Consulting, Inc.

• Logo: a lighthouse.
• Illegal purposes: employ shadowrunner fake ID’s. Launder money.
• Ostensible operations: security consulting of all sorts.
• Incorporated in: Seattle, UCAS.
• General methods: money comes in from Eclipse Holdings, AG in Switzerland to operate Pharos; anything accruing to runner SIN’s gets taxes paid on it. Pharos does not perform direct security work, but consults on security operations. Their “team of experts” is available to perform “simulated penetrations” to test existing security, and can provide a summary afterward of what the company can do in order to make themselves more secure. (#&147;Simulated penetrations” are not required in order to provide such summaries; the team can do quite well simply touring a facility.) Thaumaturgical specialists are available for setting and maintaining wards when other companies need to subcontract, but Pharos does not offer continued warding services.
  • CEO, President, Chairbeing of the Board: Patricia.
  • Director of Computer Operations: Theora.
  • Training Manager: Violet.
  • Public Relations Managers: Barry, Violet.
  • Director of Security: Dan.
  • Director of Technology: Johnny Doppler.
  • Director of Thaumaturgical Operations: Lightfoot. (He can plan, and IIRC has the aptitude with magic theory.)
  • Thaumaturgical Specialists: Rikki, Cats.
  We may want to see about acquiring a secretary and some other personnel, though that will require paying for them.

  One possible activity is keeping a dojo open on the ground floor as a related business, with people there regularly to actually teach (while the owners are often off on runs).

Eclipse Holdings, AG

• Logo: A black disc with solar rays shining from it.
• Illegal purposes: Money laundering.
• Ostensible operations: Holding company, controlling corporations and intellectual property.
• Incorporated in: Switzerland.
• General methods: Most of the group’s holdings will stay here; this will be the primary repository of purchased lifestyles.

  Any spells the group invents should be copyrighted by Eclipse Holdings.

Gnomon Import Export Company

• Logo: A sundial.
• Illegal purposes: Money laundering.
• Ostensible operations: Trading Company.
• Incorporated in: Bahamas, Carib League. (Is Bermuda in the Carib League? They’re a good ways from the Caribbean...)
• General methods: Money being laundered from shadowrunning ops goes in here and over to Eclipse Holdings; only token amounts will be in Gnomon’s account (enough to cover small purchases). If we can locate sources of profit, it should be possible to transport items and collect tax-free profit; Johnny may end up doing some work with this, if he wants to arrange some low-volume transport or gets a bigger LTA. This should also be useful for fencing stolen goods that can be thoroughly divorced from their origins.

Maine Coon Investments, Inc.

• Logo: a Maine Coon cat carrying a dead bull in its mouth (dead bull sized down to a small rabbit). Motto: “Good kitty.”
• Illegal purpose: insider trading.
• Ostensible operations: International investment.
• Incorporated in: Isle of Man.
• General methods: keep a large and diverse portfolio of small holdings of stocks, thus securing annual reports of possibly interesting companies and giving ostensible access to shareholder meetings. Attempt to perform sensible amounts of investment to turn a profit. (We may want to see if we can track down someone with an MBA who’s down on their luck to operate this; if so, it will be necessary to be able to do so at enough of a profit to make employing them worthwhile.)

Things to do

• Work out a reasonable tax structure.

Team Karma Pool: 19 dice

Contributors: Violet (twice), Dan (thrice), Lightfoot (twice), Rikki (twice), Barry (twice), Cats (twice), Theora (twice), Johnny (twice).

Toys

3 AK-98’s; 1 Panther Assault Cannon; 1 Ares MP LMG; 1 multi-launcher with 2 anti-personnel missiles, 2 AVM’s, and 2 HE missiles; 1 mortar with 6 AP shells, 6 HE shells, 12 smoke, 12 insecticide, 24 tear gas, and 24 neuro-stun VIII; BMW Blitzen; Honda Viking.