#18 Close to Earth

If you're tuning in for the first time... you're here early for module three, I guess.

We're at the end of the second module of Shadowrun Returns: Antumbra. 1nv4d3r is our hero - a fool-punching ork who, in the first module, saved the people and holdings of the Antumbra nightclub in Seattle from magical sabotage by betraying his employer.

This second module began with him being hired by the Antumbra financiers to violently "investigate" the Aztechnology corporation in San Francisco by shooting up their magical pyramid skyscraper in search of useful info. After our data was stolen by a lone troll named Shavarus, we tracked him down to the hideout of a bunch of metahuman freedom fighters named 'Norton's Army'.

"Norton" turned out to be a reincarnation - literal or no, we couldn't tell - of Emperor Joshua Norton from the 1800s. Shavarus had been using Norton to gather followers for a scorched-earth campaign against the xenophobic Keiji Saito and his Japanese Marines, but quickly betrayed the Emperor when exposed as a crook. Upon fleeing, he tried executing a plan - with the elves of northern Tir Tairngire and a bunch of water elementals - to destroy San Francisco's water supply and force Saito out, killing innumerable poor people in the process.

With Saito's help, we stopped that madness and retrieved the data but spared Shavarus to ensure he prevented the elementals from doing their thing. We're finally home.

And the party is pumping.

This is playing in the background. I'd say it's safe to call it the unofficial Kali/Antumbra motif (the actual nightclub, maybe not so much the campaign.)

It does get co-opted by a certain side character much later on, in Calfree. But I'm ahead of myself. Dialogue time.

We stand now before Mr Johnson.

PAY US YOU BASTARD.

...I may have said earlier that this entire series (not just Antumbra but its sequels) is a love letter to California? Expect a lot more of this. If you don't like it, too bad. As someone who hasn't even visited the West Coast US, I like it. It's good worldbuilding, and our allies' love for Calfree or San Francisco or wherever they're from becomes a running motif as we go along, separating them from our more nihilistic or selfish adversaries. Good people love things other than themselves - those 'things' can include their homes.

It's also a far cry from the Johnson we first met upon arriving, who tried very hard to set himself apart from the local colour. I suppose almost losing his city made him... sentimental.

After that, we're dumped back to the dancefloor. Apparently we need to talk to him again to leave the area, so let's make our rounds.

Orkbro, you magnificent bastard.

UNSURPRISINGLY

We'll be reading that when it comes out. And making critical notes.

...this is not the moral we expected you to take from this. Was expecting something about going too far or unacceptable sacrifice.

We bid him farewell, wondering what exactly we've helped create here.

Oh look, Dalmin is by the bar. Of course he is.

Give YOU? A buzz? Ha! Hahaha! Don't know how to take a hint, do you?

...odd phrasing there buddy.

Ouch. That's a reminder, after getting all this heat I don't think our guy will be going back to Seattle for awhile. Though leaving California might theoretically be an option too.

We call him out on his phrasing a little late.

Wha-

...oof.

Next up...

Hail to the Emperor.

Ambassador. Court. Right.

Boons. Riiight. We'll get to that.

Wait, they listened? Huh.

If that's his newest concern, we may have judged this guy too harshly.

Money is tempting, but a little inconsiderate. After Shavarus' little stunt, he'll want to rebuild his operations.

We like this guy's new beat, which is why we aren't going to insult him. He might be crazy, but he's got a good cause and followers who'll help with it.

A title though? Oh yes. He'd approve.

This is gonna be good.

...

BAHAHAHAHA...

..pahahaha...

...ahaha ahem.

So we have a title now.

A title that turns our seemingly random name into not one but TWO cultural references, alternately super-popular and relatively obscure.

Let's leave this guy before things get weirder. Somehow.

PS: if you asked him for money, he arranges to pay you in his imperial currency which is basically worthless.

Waiting impatiently nearby...

There she is. I have you now, my pretty.

Whoa. Thanks!

This is a fun turn-around. The once-green Hailey, who needed our affirmation as a runner, judges our performance in saving her city. I don't remember exactly how she reacts if we killed Shavarus but it's probably better that we didn't.

Character development. Comparable to the more introspective Dalmin, and Orion's changed opinions on struggle, Hailey's finally accomplished what she wanted to in becoming a shadowrunner and now also has a cause to fight for.

Saito needs the support of the people, and some of the people need winning over too.

Ha! The old WikiLeaks treatment! Good old blackmailing Hailey.

Wait, what?

Just a reminder that Tarne's survival was not guaranteed. We're glad he lived, stubborn as he was. But we're out of options now, and this really is goodbye to Hailey. For now.

...you're assuming we're gonna stay around here, kid. Later.

We've made the full loop and we're back to the beginning. The queen herself.

That's a surprisingly chill response from --

...never mind.

Newfound what-now?

If anyone in this series deserves that Emperor gif, it would be Kali. She just keeps rising... and rising. Another benefit to releasing Shavarus alive.

The megacorps are all basically governments, and Shavarus' little scheme made them all look like fools. There's going to be a lot of uncomfortable meetings in the weeks to come.

Also, WHAT ABOUT MY SINGLE? YOU SHOULD HAVE VOLUNTEERED THAT INFO UP FRONT. YOU SUCK AS A MANAGER, I WANT OUT.

...flatterer.

I love how harsh the bottom option is but as with the Emperor, we pick the 'charm' option.

And that's how it ends. If 'performing with Kali' is going to bear any fruit, it'll be in the next module. We make our way back to Johnson.

Benefactors are good. Especially after saving the city. We head off into the sunset - or rather, the epilogue.

...uh..

There's a trope for this.

People in this town can't keep their mouths shut, lemme tell you.

Kind of hard keeping a secret identity while being a local legend. And not wearing a mask.

Oh wait, 1nv4d3r IS wearing one. In his portrait. Explains everything!

I'm surprised none of the 'what ifs' involved being in it for the money, which is kind of how shadowrunning usually starts.

And that's it. The end of module two.

Next post will be a little different - I plan to stop, catch my breath and do some analysis of what we've seen so far, and also talk about my approach to module three. I want to change my format. Module three is big, bigger than one and two combined I suspect (though tbf, module one was finished in only three updates.) But more on that next time.

I'm aware that my post schedule has stretched out since I started - Before the Shadow is my less popular playthrough of the pair, but even when I'm delayed, I want to stick with this thing to the end. Because the end is quite rewarding.