Runners
Introducing Serge “Castiron” Merkel

Castiron, having abandoned Berlin, the sight of his youthful utopia and subsequent disillusionment, has been running with some Antifa cells in Hamburg for the last few years. Hunting Human Supremacists has been good for him: a chance to hone his skills and channel his anger. His unique abilities bring him to the attention of a Black Star recruiter in Hamburg, who is working on assembling 2 new cells: one to travel to Amazonia and join the struggle against Aztlan, and one to travel to GeMiTo and help the denizens of that feral sprawl survive Alamais’ dragon supremacists’ assault. CI agrees that his skills in urban survival and improvised weaponry will fit better in GeMiTo than in the jungle, so he joins that cell, and heads south.

After 6 months surviving in GeMiTo, and witnessing the death or flight of all the other members of his cell, CI is struggling to keep the mission afloat. He is doing what he can to help the locals, but he has limited resources, and his childlike appearance make many reluctant to take his advice seriously. A few days ago, a large explosion echoed from Alamais’ compound, and shortly after, the dragons emerged in force, destroying large portions of the city in a few hour-long rampage that reeked of revenge. They killed wantonly, instead of hunting for prey, and left thousands of dead crushed, burning, and eviscerated in the streets. CI’s last remaining comrade was killed while trying to protect civilians holed up in a school. CI only survived due to his natural pragmatism- he recognized that his day was a battle he could not win, so he hid, and lived.

Shortly after this, he was contacted by a man calling himself Scale, who made CI a proposition: if CI helped the people that Scale represents to scout out and stage a military assault on Alamais’ compound, he could not only help free GeMiTo from the dragon supremacists’ terror, but would also make a sizable amount of money. CI agrees, and begins guiding in spec ops types, who start clearing routes through the city, and scouting out ambush sites and the like. He also guides in a number of supply airdrops, including some weapons he is told to distribute to able GMT denizens. CI notices that these weapons all have their recording functions disabled and have a safe-target system installed, but he distributes them, feeling that anything helps.

After about a month of laying the groundwork, CI is called by Scale out to a staging area, 60K south of the sprawl center. When he arrives, he is stunned to find close to 1000 mercs and runners assembled there, many with tanks, choppers, T-birds, and a large collection of heavy weaponry. There are also a number of spellslinger crews and spirit (and anti-spirit) focussed teams. Scale, a drake, directs them into platoons, and tells them to await further commands. They wait a few hours, and then the dragons begin to arrive. After some initial panic, the mercs realize these are ally dragons, and about 20 arrive in total, including 2 greats: Lung and Arleesh. CI is a bit intimidated, and tensions in the camp run high. Much speculation abounds as to who they are ultimately working for. After one of the lesser dragons kills some mercs who are “crowding” him, he is summarily executed by the other dragons, torn apart in seconds, on the orders of Scale, who says that Lofwyr has ordered peace be upheld in the camp. Scale also warns that everyone must use their safe-target systems, and that anyone who accidentally (or otherwise) hits a dragon will be dealt with similarly. They are also warned to under no circumstances take any souvenirs, or record any dragon deaths. A chill runs through the camp at the extreme violence, and more so at the arrival of their employer: Lofwyr.

The huge golden dragon descends on the camp, dwarfing the others. The dragons all split off and hold a private conference, before announcing that the assault force will begin moving. CI is instructed to ride in one of the tanks, guiding one of 3 columns along a route he helped scout out. They encounter a deadly ambush, but clear it and advance. Clouds magically roll in as they approach the compound, likely to block satellite observation. A daylong battle ensues, with both side’s lesser dragons tearing into each other (and the ground forces), with spells, spirits, traps, and weaponry of all sorts coming into play. Alamais’ dragons seem more powerful, and larger, perhaps providing some proof to his theory that they are “meant” to hunt metahumans. The greats all hang back, and Alamais is nowhere in sight. Mercs storm out of the compound, seemingly having been hired by Alamias, but the smaller force is quickly routed by Lofwyr’s dragons, with some switching sides when they realize that Alamais’ dragons and spirits are targeting all metahumans indiscriminately. They finally advance on the compound, only to find themselves in the midst of a minefield as a new wave of dragon supremacists arrive and attack. The greats finally get involved, killing many of the new arrivals, and Arleesh and the remaining lesser dragons chase the few survivors as they attempt to flee. Alamais finally takes to the sky, and Lung makes a move to intercept him, but Lofwyr signals that he will take this one, and flies up to meet his brother in draco-a-draco combat. They slice, bite, and sling spells at each other while tearing through the skies.

The mercs finally reach the walls, and begin rigging breaching charges- they report this will take about an hour. Between the dead and the wounded, and even including the reinforcements from Alamais’ mercs, they number less than 300 effective now. CI is called back from the front by Scale, operating from some sort of mobile command vehicle, and told that he will be escorting in 1 of 3 fresh runner teams assigned with completing mission inside the compound itself, while the remaining merc forces hold the perimeter against remaining spirits and any more “surprises”. CI makes his way via groundcraft and on foot back to a forward operating base established out of sight of the compound, in some ruined buildings, and meets the team he is to escort in.