Shadowrun
This page is for our California Free State Shadowrun game. A work in progress.
F.A.T.E.
The characters work for the Federal Agency for Thaumaturgic Exploration, F.A.T.E., a division of the California Department of Homeland Security (CDHS) responsible for the investigation of unexplained phenomena usually related to Awakened activity, advanced technology, or both. The administrator of this organization reports not only to the CDHS but also directly to the President of the California Free State, Charles Ellison. The division is largely autonomous from the CDHS itself, though from time to time it enlists the help of the CDHS for additional manpower or investigative assistance.
Due to the highly important (and highly classified) nature of their work, their budget is largely a blank check -- however their source of funding is unknown to all but the highest ranked members of FATE.
Characters
- Kumiko Nakamura (Player: Tony)
- Kefeng Yau (NPC)
- Anastasia Ellison (NPC)
- Dmitri (NPC)
Minor NPCs
Charles Ellison (Human Male, 49)
- Charles Ellison is a wealthy businessman and politician and currently President of California Free State. In his career he has served on the board of directors of Apple Computer and Novatech until both companies were absorbed by Ares and NeoNET respectively. After the matrix crash of 2064 he went into politics and became a leading figure in California's Technocratic Party. He narrowly lost the 2066 Presidential election to the Green Party's Arthur Newman. In a bitter rematch, he was elected President in the 2070 election.
Evander (Van) Radcliffe (Dwarven Male, 31)
- Van Radcliffe is FATE's resident grease monkey. He got his start at his dad's mechanic shop in San Jose. He could bring broken engines, transmissions, and other car components to life even if they were in the terrible condition. His family made a tidy profit utilizing his skills. Van still enjoys the mechanic's life in FATE, fixing up vehicles (among other things) for the agency. Dr. Yau even has some special projects for Van to work on.
Hector Radcliffe (Dwarven Male, 31)
- Hector is Van's identical twin brother. He is also very technically adept, and is FATE's go-to rigger. Between Van's mechanical expertise and Hector's rigging expertise, the two make quite a team. While Van is soft-spoken and easy going, Hector's personality is more troublesome. He struggles with a BTL addiction and is known to have a short temper.
Sebastian Abrams (Human Male, 34)
- Sebastian Abrams works for a division of the California Free State government that is responsible for assigning and tracking criminal SINers within their boundaries. He was assigned to Kumiko's case when he was arrested in San Fransisco for his involvement with the Yakuza, unlike most members he was already a criminal SINer in the JIS and as a result was difficult to make disappear. Some amount of contact was required to contact the JIS and furthermore, after his release Sebastian works as Kumiko's parole officer. FATE did not have the backing to get this requirement removed without blowing Doc's cover, so Doc is left to fulfill this parole requirement without exposing the nature of his employment. Sebastian is an aspiring lawyer who has started to gather that Doc isn't exactly what he seems, and Doc has gathered some respect for his parole officer.
Setting
Current Year: 2072
Economy
- Agribusiness is largest industry
- Silicon Valley - no longer the tech capital of the world, but still prominent
- Ares Macrotechnology has lots of popular support and government influence
- Aztechnology is banned from CFS, though they are suspected of operating under a shell corporation called Pyramid Operations.
- Knight Errant security (a subsidiary of Ares) is used in most of California, with the exception of San Francisco. Lone Star is primarily used there (the Japanacorps aren't big fans of Ares running security in SF).
- 5 CFS dollars ($) = 1 nuyen (¥)
Prominent Corporations
- Ares Macrotechnology (CFS Divisional HQ: Cupertino)
- Ares Arms California
- Knight Errant of California (HQ: Sacramento)
- Leviathan Technical (HQ: Scotts Valley)
- Osprey Technical Publications (HQ: Los Gatos)
- Silicon Valley/Apple Computer Products (HQ: Silicon Valley)
- Owns Edwards AresSpace Base, north of Los Angeles
- Largest spaceport in the world
- Owns China Lake/Inyokern Test Range, north of Los Angeles
- Novatech (CFS Divisional HQ: San Francisco)
- Renraku Computer Systems (CFS Divisional HQ: San Francisco)
- Pyramid Operations (shell of Aztechnology) (CFS Divisional HQ: San Francisco)
The North
- Disputed territory with Tir Tairngire.
- Hestaby resides on Mount Shasta
- Redding is a Free City - that is, it does not pay taxes, is not represented in CFS government, and is left largely to its own devices by both CFS and Tir Tairngire.
Central Valley
- Relatively tranquil (the word relatively is key here)
- Sacramento is the capital
- Maglev service between Reno, Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco
San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco city proper is heavily restricted, much like Manhattan in the UCAS. Special clearance is required to entire the restricted area. South San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland are the major population centers surrounding San Francisco. Though less segregated than in the past, there is still a lot of class warfare and racial tension in the region.
- The Yakuza and the Triads have a significant presence
- San Jose is now the largest city in CFS in terms of population, as many Californians from moved north when the PCC invaded southern California.
The South
- Los Angeles was annexed by the Pueblo Corporate Council in 2061.
Government
- Compared to the rest of the world, CFS has a fairly stable democratic system. Though under the guise of free elections is a world of backroom deals and corporate influence. Let's call it a pseudo-democratic corporatocracy.
Foreign Relations
- UCAS - very good relations, largest trading partner, strong ally. Many citizens would entertain the idea of rejoining the UCAS.
- Aztlan - hostile relations
- Pueblo Corporate Council - hostile relations
- Tir Tairngire - uneasy mutual distrust
Largest Cities
- San Jose
- Oakland
- Sacramento
- San Francisco
- Fresno
