Episode Summary[]
The runners were hired by an enigmatic Mr. Tanaka to steal some sort of device from Evo. It was a time travel device, supposedly, and it was imperative that the time stream would not be altered in any way. The runners laugh at the Johnson, but they take the job. The professor researching the machine, Dr. Chairo Imitsu, must not be injured, but his research must be destroyed.
The facility was so old that it still said "Yamatetsu Particle Research" on the front sign. It also resided in a Mana Ebb (Rating 6) at the delta of two Ley lines (where they flow and combine to become one). They find the front door open, and take out the guards, only to be overcome by a bright light.
When they wake up, they appear to be in medieval Japan. The time machine seemed to work, but is nowhere to be found. The professor is there with them. The Miko heads to the village (as herself) and "procures" some period clothing and money. They are waylaid by local samurai, and taken to the Shogun (who looks remarkably like Shinji).
The Shogun described a "ring of fire" surrounding the local area after a great tsunami struck the palace and surrounding village. They had been within this ring of fire for about a month, with no sign of rescue. They suspect that the nearby "Oni", great demons who breathe fire and have scales and fangs, were involved. The runners agree to investigate, after they discover that the time travel device is in that direction.
However, the "Oni" turn out not to be demons at all, but a bunch of T'skrang. After some halting speech in Or'zet, they take the runners to the "Old One", a nethermancer obsidiman who explained that the cave is Kaer Barlainth, and it was protected from the downturn in mana by a powerful City In a Bottle spell. Recently, the walls of the City In a Bottle spell have weakened, which caused the bubble to absorb a chunk of medieval Japan. They explain that they are awaiting the mana level to return to the correct level before returning back to Earth. This also means that the time machine wasn't a time machine at all, but a device that activated an alchera-like portal into the City In a Bottle.
Soon, the cave comes under attack by the local Shogun, and the runners help the Kaer defend itself. For repayment, the team receives a magic Thread Ring (+1 to Social Limit and +1 for all Social Interactions), Blood Pebble armor (+2 armor, stackable, and +2 Spell Defense dice), a Throalic dictionary, the secret of T'skrang spiced fish in Throalic, and all of the runners receive a Blood Karma Charm (1 point of expendable Edge, consumable item). Yuna opts not to receive an item, but instead makes a Blood Pact with the T'skrang village (thus receiving a +1 bonus to a skill of her choice).
On the return trip from the mana bubble, they find out that a month has passed, and the Johnson has given up on them, but paid them through escrow after surveying the damage done to the lab.
Reward[]
- 3 Karma for the pre-run
- 7 Karma for the actual run
- 10,000 nuyen each
- Dr. Chairo Imitsu as an Evo scientist contact (C3/L2)
People Met[]
- Dr. Chairo Imitsu - A crazy ork theoretical thaumaturgist and particle physicist, with no magical skill. Crazy brilliant, with 3 PhDs, and a polyglot.
Places Visited[]
- "Medieval Japan"
- Kaer Barlainth - Not to be confused with "Parlainth"