ANSWERS FROM SHADOWRUN QUIZ IN RUNNERS COMPANION

*We are shaped by our heritage. Facial features, skin tone, height,
build, metatype, even aptitudes are influenced by the genes
passed from parent to child. Attitude, too, is taught by parents,
informed by their own lives and their cultural heritage. Where
does your character come from, what is her lineage, who were
her parents, and what did she inherit from them?

Ro inherited everything from her parents. More than she asked for. Her parents, along with a group of a couple dozen other bright stars in Renraku, felt that non-human metatypes were getting an unfair edge on the future of corporate leadership. Finding the best genetic pairings in their human posse, they each had children, and gave unto those children the best in genetic enhancements. Ro was the “runt”, only achieving 86% of her expected potential as a baby. What followed were years of arduous school and training. It was clear that the children were being raised to be the next leaders of Renraku. There was no name for the group, no clear lines of any sort of an organization. Ro had been designated for the Red Samurai, and would ultimately come to lead the elite security. As her acceptance came through, the rest of her life fell apart. Her parents, and the others in the group, were discovered. They completely disappeared, and nobody ever bothered to tell Ro their fate. Murdered? Extracted? Maybe worse.

• Parents can be proud of their children or regret ever bringing
them into the world. Some are loving, and some are indifferent.
All of them are only metahuman and have their own opinions
of their children. Assuming they could speak, what would each
of your character’s parents say about her?

Her mother would say that even with only an 86% success rate, her child was still better than the rest of those unnatural meta-types. Then the mother would go back to her genetic research. Her father was more of a managerial type, and at least knew how to fake being affectionate. Ro often wondered if her father even realized that he was faking it, not remembering him having an earnest emotion with another living being in as far back as she could remember. He showed admiration for her when she would boat with him, at the very least. Ro is resentful that she enjoys boating so much, and that it is likely due to the pseudo-emotional connection with her father.

• Many people remember certain historical events for the rest of
their lives. For those alive in the first decade of the 21st century,
it could be the assassination of John F. Kennedy, or the
Tiananmen Square protests, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, or
the attacks of 11 September 2001. People remember where they
were, and what they were doing when they first heard of these
events. Shadowrun history has significant events as well, such as
the assassination of President Dunkelzahn, the Crash 2.0, and
the emergence of technomancers and artificial intelligences.
Pick a few events from recent Shadowrun history and ask where
the character was at the time, what does he remember about the
event, and what was he doing at the time?

For most of the notable events Ro was in school, and looked at them through distant, clinical eyes. She would wonder how people dealt with these tragedies, and tried to comfort those adults around her who seemed to be more affected. Ro put herself into the positions of the key members of those historic events, and tried to analyze what should have been done to come to the best outcome.

*Very few people choose to become shadowrunners. More
likely, they are thrown into the life by a chaotic and uncaring
world. Even if she made a conscious decision to enter the
shadows, her decision is influenced by the world around her.
How did your character get into shadowrunning, and why did
she take that path?

Her future with Renraku was finished. She was no longer accepted to the Red Samurai, yet was still on the corporate roster. They literally gave her nothing to do but to sit in her new cramped apartment and rot. She was not under guard, however, and could leave and seemingly go…anywhere. She was tested many times for tracking devices but found none. Something about it seemed extremely suspicious, but it made no sense. There was no one to contact besides her mid-level Renraku liason, and he was not about to talk about her personal story (and he likely didn’t know or care anyway). So eventually she started stealing, and waited for retribution. None. She fell in with some unsavory characters and did a little bit of organized crime. Nothing. Not wanting to deal with corporate political BS, Ro decided to go independent and run in the shadows. Beats having to say “yes sir” to some upstart “crime lord”.

• People have control over their own living arrangements. From
the child young enough to use crayons and tape all the way up
to the elderly shut-in who plasters her walls with family photos
and cat pictures, everyone makes their living spaces more personally
pleasing. What is your character’s living space like, and
what has he added or changed to make it his own?

Home should not be work, and it designed to be peaceful and zen. That being said, with a dangerous life of a Shadowrunner, personal affects can be dangerous to have just lying around. Simple, clean, and meditative. Don’t leave anything at home that you would worry about losing forever.

• Everyone has beliefs, and many have beliefs strong enough to
be convictions. Some are religious, some are political, some are
social, and some are just about why people are here. What does
your character believe in, what are her convictions (if any), and
why does she hold them?

Ro believes that her parents were bigots and were so caught up in themselves and their radical idealism that they lost sight of ever even looking for happiness. Being genetically superior, most of the other children also logically deduced that their parents were in the wrong. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, it only matters what you do with the situation that’s in front of you. You can be a troll or an old human woman…as long as you’re the one with the gun, you’re in control. Power isn’t everything though, you still have to live your life. And now Ro has a unique opportunity to be free. Or at least the freedom to leave the compound.

• Everyone has aspects of their personality that grate on someone.
Even the best of friends annoy one another from time to time.
The flaws in a person’s character are as important as the qualities.
What do you dislike most about your character’s personality?

The arrogance and superiority that Ro’s parents instilled still rise to the surface at times. To counter this she has practiced a certain selflessness, risking her life for her crew more than she needs to. It could get her killed.

• The Sixth World is considered by many to be spinning out of
control. If anyone could exert control over it, it would be the
“Big Ten” triple-A megacorps. These transnationals exert a lot of
influence on everyday life in the 2070s. Which of the Big Ten
does your character hold in the highest (or least low) regard,
which does he like the least, and why?

Renraku isn’t evil, and it’s the only home she ever knew. I mean, certain people and aspects of Renraku are most definitely evil, but there are parts of everyone which can be terrible and corrupt. Ultimately the corps are just large gangs, led by smart people who only want to be more powerful and smarter. If you’re looking for a friend in a power-hungry entity, then you really have to take a deeper look at your own life.

• People make acquaintances and friends; we’re hardwired for it.
Humans are social animals. This is especially true in the shadows,
where often it is not the power you have, but the power you
can borrow, and not who you, are but who you know. There’s a
story behind each and every one of these relationships. What is
the story with your character and her contacts?

Unfortunately, Ro lost connection with all of her old friends and contacts when her parents were discovered. She still has a Renraku liason who she can contact about information, services, and potential side-work. But otherwise it’s people she’s met professionally, and good people to know if you want to stay alive.

• It’s Sunday morning, and your character has no commitments
until tomorrow afternoon. What does she do for the day?
Exercise. Read two books. Clean the equipment. Meditate. Go to a club and have fun.

• Your character has a specific skill set, a list of Active and
Knowledge skills that define what she knows and her areas of
expertise. How did she come to learn those skills, and how did
she develop them to those levels?

Ro picks things up extremely quickly. Most of the skills she learned now were taught in an extremely fast-paced school, and break-neck training regimens. She was being sculpted from an early age to be a perfect soldier and leader. And well, they got it mostly right.

• Everyone has their limits. People can be dark, but most people’s
instinct is to draw the line at certain actions and thoughts, and
they keep to their own moral convictions. Is there a moral limit
that your character enforces on the jobs she takes, and in what
shadow work would she refuse to engage?

Work is work. Ideally nobody will die. Most of the players you see on the field have made a choice to be there, and they know the stakes of the game. It’s really survival of the fittest, so you better play the game really damn well.

• While acceptance and bias vary from place to place, augmentations—
be they bio-, cyber-, gene-, or nanoware—are increasingly
common and available in the Sixth World. However, personal
technological enhancement is rarely cheap, and many implants
that runners possess are restricted. How did your character
come to have the enhancements she has, how were they paid for, and what motivated the choices she made (if she did make
the choices)?

Ro received extensive alpha grade bioware when she was young, and has had it continually expanded upon as she grew. Her parents, like mentioned before, wanted to make her and her “friends” as close to the perfect, clean, person as possible.

• Life as a shadowrunner is by definition outside the bounds of
“normal” life. Shadowrunners do not truly fit into the lives of
ordinary people, whether they live in slums or mansions. What
does your character think of ordinary life, mainstream culture,
and those who abide by it?

It’s totally great to live a normal life. If it wasn’t mostly boring, Ro would be on board. But she’s in this game, and is ready to win it. But that doesn’t mean she can’t go out for a night on the town and not enjoy herself.

• Everyone has nightmares. Sometimes, we forget the dream
completely on waking. Sometimes, the nightmare haunts us or
even recurs. If your character had a lingering nightmare or a
deep-rooted fear, what would it be, and why does he find it so
terrifying?

That she was a failed experiment, and because of that 86% her parents didn’t allow themselves to love her. That they are possibly being tortured right now, because they dedicated their entire lives to an ideal, to making Ro, and that Ro is not in any way living up to those expectations. That because of the many things that have been done to her body, Ro can never live a normal life. Nothing will ever be as satisfying as doing a run, and pushing yourself to the limit against odds that are stacked against you.

• People tend to attach sentimental value to items in their possession
or people they are close to. They make an effort to
keep these close by and safe. What is your character’s “sacred
object” or “close one,” and how did they come to be so important
to him?

The only item that she can rely on is herself, and she finds it odd that people get attached to things.

• One of metahumanity’s greatest assets is its ability to look toward
the future and imagine a better life. Even small children
have dreams about what they want to be when they grow up.
What did your character want to become when he was a child,
and what are his goals now?

There really wasn’t another choice other than the leader of the Red Samurai. While she doesn’t have the proper training or the contacts anymore, ideally someday there would be a chance to fill those shoes. But otherwise, the game is enough.

• A person’s appearance can say volumes about him. From fashion
sense, to the colors he prefers, to the way he walks and speaks.
Sometimes, his personality determines his appearance, and,
sometimes, the appearance he chooses to present the world effects
his personality. What does your character look like, and
what inspired his choices?

Ro has no flaws, but isn’t very distinct, either. Her style is usually a very simplified version of whatever is stylish for the times. But she will look like whatever if it gives her an advantage in battle. Armor. Wedding Dress. Ganger clothes. Not really relevant.

• Everyone has a name, but a runner’s street name is a representation
of his connection to the shadows. Sometimes runners
choose their own moniker, but more often it is given to them as
a nickname or earned through some (mis)adventure. How did
your character come to be known by his street name?

Ro hasn’t had the chance to earn a nickname yet, but is looking forward to the opportunity.

Ro nicknamed herself “Winter Elk” after being overcome by fear while fighting the paracritter. Paracritter’s seem to be her one weakness, despite all she knows of their ways.

She recently found out what happened to her parents: they were liquidated, due to their unauthorized experiment, as were most of the other test subjects (Ro’s creche growing up). Ro’s father was captured while on a pleasure boating trip with Ro, explaining some of her strange emotional response to watercraft.