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Message no. 1
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 09:14:54 +0000
SPOILER FOR TAMANOUS(mild)
If your GM is running or may be running you against the Tamanous,
don't peek.
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There.

Okay, As part of my "Doug Danger" campaign I mentioned before, I led
my runners against the Tamanous.....The T had great defenses, so thew
runners decided to try subtlety. They drugged half of their runners
and had the other half sell them to the Tamanous for parts. (One of
the runners was female.)

This is where I became Evil GM.

First I made some rolls...two of the runners started to come out of
it, so the T drugged them good. The other two....well...they rolled
just right, except......

The one was a non-cybered mundane with Exceptional Strength and
Quickness. With such a prime specimen, and no fresh sperm on
hand....

The Tamanous took a testicle. Extracted some sperm, and planned to
generate an infinite amount. (They were going to take the other one,
but he woke up).

And of course, having possession of this prime sperm, they needed a
place to test it. Well, all of their "subjects" were already in
term, or not yet ready to be reimpregnated. But they just had a new
girl come in, and she's quite a looker.....

She woke up pregnant (She didn't know though).

And of course, since pregnancy takes a "subject" out for nine months,
it'd be best to maximize your "output". After all, it's nine-months
no matter how many kids are involved. Now, they'd limit it to three
so the "subject" could be reusable....but fertility drugs tend to
increase that.....

Quintuplets.

As the run progressed and the runners unearthed all this, I had the
pleasure of actually disturbing my players. (These people could look
Cthluth in the face and make some sarcastic comment). That was
gratifying.

Of course, This led to a long night full of one -testicle jokes
(You've got the right one baby, un-huh.; I'll leave and take my ball
with me; Excuse him, he's a little testy; etc)

anyway, my end point is that it was really great to disturb my
players. As it turned out, they have to run against another Tamanous
facility, so I looking for anything anyone has donethat would help me
make this new run equally disturbing.

-=SwiftOne=-
Brett Borger
SwiftOne@***.edu
AAP Techie
Message no. 2
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 07:23:48 -0600
Brett Borger wrote:
|
| SPOILER FOR TAMANOUS(mild)
| If your GM is running or may be running you against the Tamanous,
| don't peek.
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| There.
|
| Okay, As part of my "Doug Danger" campaign I mentioned before, I led
| my runners against the Tamanous.....The T had great defenses, so thew
| runners decided to try subtlety. They drugged half of their runners
| and had the other half sell them to the Tamanous for parts. (One of
| the runners was female.)

Quick question. What's Tamanous?

| This is where I became Evil GM.
|
[snip]
|
| She woke up pregnant (She didn't know though).

<EGMG> I hope you don't mind if I borrow this.

-David
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
--
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing
which ones to keep."
Message no. 3
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 09:33:09 +0000
> | SPOILER FOR TAMANOUS(mild)
> | If your GM is running or may be running you against the Tamanous,
> | don't peek.
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> | There.
>
> Quick question. What's Tamanous?

As introduced in the Underworld sourcebook....(I may be
misspelling)...an organlegging organization of unknown origins or
power (runners love that) that specializes in "disturbing" practices
(such as keeping many women constantly impregnated to "harvest" crops
of fetal an infant organs, and sell off the odd child.

> | She woke up pregnant (She didn't know though).
>
> <EGMG> I hope you don't mind if I borrow this.

Null sheen. Careful though, you might end up with the problem I
did...the PLAYERs of the characters involved had dated at one time,
until he cheated on her, and well......things did get a litte tense.
(But then, she was the one who came up with the "he's a little testy"
line, which had us all ROTFL.).

It was such a laugh, his character running through the building in a
hospital gown, clutching the cold jar that help his....missing part.

:)

-=SwiftOne=-
Brett Borger
SwiftOne@***.edu
AAP Techie
Message no. 4
From: "J. Keith Henry" <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 09:50:45 -0400
In a message dated 97-10-06 09:10:36 EDT, bxb121@***.EDU writes:

S
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?


H
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> anyway, my end point is that it was really great to disturb my
> players. As it turned out, they have to run against another Tamanous
> facility, so I looking for anything anyone has donethat would help me
> make this new run equally disturbing.
>

I've gota great one, and I know it's been said before. There's a movie I
believe called Body Parts with Jeff Fahey. It is AWESOME, and something I've
done with Cybermancied NPC's before. Cool shit...I won't go into details,
but I would suggest the movie for game ideas alone.

-K (as in Keith)
Message no. 5
From: Mike Bobroff <AirWisp@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 12:11:43 -0400
In a message dated 97-10-06 09:10:40 EDT, you write:

> anyway, my end point is that it was really great to disturb my
> players. As it turned out, they have to run against another Tamanous
> facility, so I looking foranything anyone has donethat would help me
> make this new run equally disturbing.

How about a flesh golem ? With their fascination for body parts how about
making some of the defenses for the facility out of those body parts ? For
example, a cyber-hand with a taser grip in the palm and magnetic cyberclimb
in the finger-tips to go crawling along the ceiling and drop down on the pc's
at some point in time (Look, it's Thing !).
Message no. 6
From: Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 15:02:12 -0500
<Snip: Request for ideas for run agains
Tamanous>

Two words:

Meat Drones

Ok, Ok, I'll add the fuller description for those of
you who missed the discussion on these the first
time around.

Take a "volunteer". Scoop out his pre-frontal
cortex. Oops, there goes most of his
personality, but there is still an aweful lot of
mental activity he can do. In place of the
prefrontal cortex you implant special rigger
control gear.

You now have a remote controled human,
capable of using either the physical skills of the
drone or the rigger, able to hang out on autopilot
fairly well, with very little fear of death or injury.
Throw in a bunch of cyberware as well...

There are two ways to use these against players:
one is the "zombie" approach, either with killer
cyber or just a big bomb strapped to his waist.
The other is this: the "autopilot" in the meat
drones enables a rigger to control more than one
of them at a time. In fact, a rigger running
multiple meat drones who has tactics skill might
get some of the benefits of a tactical computer.
Picture a yard full of hard looking men in ski hats
(to cover the scars), with ready weapons,
scanning the horizon in an eirie synchronized
way, no two of them looking in the same
direction at the same time, but at least one
looking in any particular direction. They don't
speak, what one perceives gets relayed almost
instantly to another.... They may only have
Willpower 1, but there are plenty of non-meat
drones to back them up, too.


Double-Domed Mike
Message no. 7
From: Brett Borger <bxb121@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 15:44:31 EST
> <Snip: Request for ideas for run agains
> Tamanous>
>
> Two words:
>
> Meat Drones
>


Okay, Since I missed the earlier posts on this topic, here's my
response (one word):

Why?

That's an awful lot of money to spend for something that is done
better by non-meat drones. Meat drones are a little more horrific,
but what's the justification?

(This is not an attack. I find this to be an interesting suggestion,
indeed, the thought of the characters going up against the drone
version of a former team member/ally is a lot of fun. But why would
the enemy spend the money? What could the Meat Drones do better than
the mechanical ones, better enough to justify the immense amount of
upkeep a body requires?)

-=SwiftOne=-
Message no. 8
From: Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 16:38:17 -0500
Brett Borger wrote:
>I find this to be an interesting suggestion,
>indeed, the thought of the characters going up
>against the drone version of a former team
>member/ally is a lot of fun. But why would the
>enemy spend the money? What could the
>Meat Drones do better than the mechanical
>ones, better enough to justify the immense
>amount of upkeep a body requires?

Making a drone with an autopilot as good as
even a lobotomized human brain would be very
expensive. Maybe not as expensive as adding
Move-By-Wire to a meat drone, but then, don't
do that. Tamanous has the surgical facilities
available to do just the control implantation
relatively cheaply, maybe 6000 nuyen, if you
don't mind doing it a bit quick and dirty and
losing a patient or two. Maybe you add boosted
reflexes, maybe not. Maybe you just "recruit"
from samurai who already have all the cyber you
might want.

The assassin meat-drone has the ability to fit in
normally to human society, (except for the
forhead scars), and could be ANYBODY
(including that little girl scout selling cookies). Of
course, assensing one wouldn't be as dead a
giveaway as looking at a cyberzombie, but would
tell the magician that there is SOMETHING odd
going on here.

The cheap guard meat-drone can easily include
a dead-man switch that notifies the rigger if he
goes unconscious or dies, so that even sleep
spells trigger the alarm.

Also, if the rigger is willing to override the
"autopilot" and use his own skills (at a TN
modifier), he could ignore wound modifiers...
Only for 1 meat drone at a time, of course.

As for the upkeep, it's not that much. They still
have enough mental powers to follow their own
old habits, including eating and drinking, talking,
sleeping, bathing, etc. Whats gone is long-term
planning, the ability to comprehend complex
social situations, and an aweful lot of what we
call "common sence". The rigger can
compensate by feeding them decisions and
drives, but when they are off duty, they seem
like normal people till you've talked to them for a
few minutes.

Double-Domed Mike
Message no. 9
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 14:49:22 -0600
Mike Elkins wrote:
|
| The assassin meat-drone has the ability to fit in
| normally to human society, (except for the
| forhead scars), and could be ANYBODY
| (including that little girl scout selling cookies). Of
| course, assensing one wouldn't be as dead a
| giveaway as looking at a cyberzombie, but would
| tell the magician that there is SOMETHING odd
| going on here.

Who says you have to use it as an assassin. How about if you charge
people to "drive" a body around town for the night (and charge a
lot).

Men who want to be a woman for a night. People who want to live out
some fantasy but don't want to endanger their own body. People for
whom BTL is to tame. People who want to spy on someone else. The
list goes on.

-David
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
--
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing
which ones to keep."
Message no. 10
From: Carl J Latoski <garrinthesilent@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 20:16:29 MST
On Mon, 6 Oct 1997 15:02:12 -0500 Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
writes:
><Snip: Request for ideas for run againsTamanous>
>
>Two words:
>
>Meat Drones
>
[big snip]
>
>Double-Domed Mike
>

That's EVIL.... That's Devious... That's Vicious....

I LIKE IT!!!!!!

Thank you.... The group is in trouble now......
Message no. 11
From: Mike Bobroff <AirWisp@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 07:46:45 -0400
In a message dated 97-10-06 15:06:04 EDT, you write:

<<<[Take a "volunteer". Scoop out his pre-frontal cortex. Oops, there
goes
most of his personality, but there is still an aweful lot of mental activity
he can do. In place of the prefrontal cortex you implant special rigger
control gear.]>>>

Would these meat drones then have the flaw of borrowed time, as they would
contract the cancer that most of the time accompanies cybermancy ?
Message no. 12
From: "J. Keith Henry" <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 21:41:28 -0400
In a message dated 97-10-07 00:51:26 EDT, dbuehrer@****.ORG (David Buehrer)
writes:

>
> Who says you have to use it as an assassin. How about if you charge
> people to "drive" a body around town for the night (and charge a
> lot).
>
> Men who want to be a woman for a night. People who want to live out
> some fantasy but don't want to endanger their own body. People for
> whom BTL is to tame. People who want to spy on someone else. The
> list goes on.
>
And David, the list goes on MUCH Farther that that. A single guy can become
a unitary insertion team, especially if a "Street Samurai" is the body, but
he's the "download point" for the Decker AND the Rigger. Believe me, we've
done it here a LONG time ago.

(sound of an envelope being sealed)

-K
Message no. 13
From: "J. Keith Henry" <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 22:15:44 -0400
In a message dated 97-10-06 23:41:47 EDT, garrinthesilent@****.COM writes:

Snipped comments on "Fleshy Robots"

>
> That's EVIL.... That's Devious... That's Vicious....
>
> I LIKE IT!!!!!!
>
> Thank you.... The group is in trouble now......
>


I believe in one of the archives, you will find some materail on
"Sleepwalkers" that was once posted to the "NAGEE". I am uncertain
where
you'll find it, but I'm sure you'll be suitably impressed.

-K
Message no. 14
From: Steve Kenson <TalonMail@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 15:08:55 -0400
In addition to the cyber-zombie/meat drone idea I've seen posted here, check
out Target: Smuggler's Havens when it comes out in Feb. for some material on
organleggers in New Orleans and how some of the bodies they collect are
feeding a growing zombie-making industry down in the Crescent City. After
all, organleggers like the Tamanous are mostly interested in tissue like the
internal organs and eyes, leaving the skeletal/muscular structure of cadavers
intact so their Red Sect voodoo allies can animate a few zombies for them to
use or sell...

Steve K.
Message no. 15
From: Tobias Berghoff <Zixx@*****.TEUTO.DE>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 12:59:00 GMT
on 09.10.97 TalonMail@***.COM wrote:

T> After all, organleggers like the Tamanous are mostly interested in
T> tissue like the internal organs and eyes, leaving the skeletal/muscular
T> structure of cadavers intact so their Red Sect voodoo allies can animate a
T> few zombies for them to use or sell...

*SELL*!?!?
Steve, are you trying to tell us there's a whole well-going market for
*ZOMBIES*?!
Well, that would make a nice run...<egmg>



Tobias Berghoff a.k.a Zixx a.k.a. Charon, your friendly werepanther physad.

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UL++(++++) P+ L++ E W+ N+(+++) o? K?(-)
w---() O- M-- V- PS+ PE- Y+>++ PGP-
t+(++) 5+ X++ R* tv b++ DI(+) D++ G>++
e>+++++(*) h! r-- z?
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Message no. 16
From: Tim Cooper <z-i-m@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 18:30:21 EDT
On Sat, 11 Oct 1997 12:59:00 GMT Tobias Berghoff <Zixx@*****.TEUTO.DE>
writes:
>on 09.10.97 TalonMail@***.COM wrote:
>
>T> After all, organleggers like the Tamanous are mostly interested in
>T> tissue like the internal organs and eyes, leaving the
skeletal/muscular
>T> structure of cadavers intact so their Red Sect voodoo allies can
animate a
>T> few zombies for them to use or sell...
>
>*SELL*!?!?
>Steve, are you trying to tell us there's a whole well-going market for
>*ZOMBIES*?!

Well, Duh :) .... two words: cheap labor. I think in one of the initial
WhiteWolf issues that first proposed (at least that I'd seen) SR voudoun
rules, a comment was made about places where whole plantations were
worked by zombies. They don't eat, sleep, complain or demand better
conditions or wages... what more could you ask?

>Well, that would make a nice run...<egmg>

Get's the ol' hamster-wheel spinning doesn't it?

~Tim
Message no. 17
From: Tobias Berghoff <Zixx@*****.TEUTO.DE>
Subject: Re: Tamanous
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 19:37:00 GMT
on 13.10.97 z-i-m@****.COM wrote:

zim> >*SELL*!?!?
zim> >Steve, are you trying to tell us there's a whole well-going market for
zim> >*ZOMBIES*?!
zim>
zim> Well, Duh :) .... two words: cheap labor.

I'd prefere robots....;)

zim> I think in one of the initial
zim> WhiteWolf issues that first proposed (at least that I'd seen) SR voudoun
zim> rules, a comment was made about places where whole plantations were
zim> worked by zombies. They don't eat, sleep, complain or demand better
zim> conditions or wages... what more could you ask?

How about "Don't lose skin in products. Don't attract so many flies..."

zim> >Well, that would make a nice run...<egmg>
zim>
zim> Get's the ol' hamster-wheel spinning doesn't it?

Yup!



Tobias Berghoff a.k.a Zixx a.k.a. Charon, your friendly werepanther physad.

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK------------
GAT/CS/S/IT d--- s+:- !a>? C++(++++)
UL++(++++) P+ L++ E W+ N+(+++) o? K?(-)
w---() O- M-- V- PS+ PE- Y+>++ PGP-
t+(++) 5+ X++ R* tv b++ DI(+) D++ G>++
e>+++++(*) h! r-- z?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK-------------

Further Reading

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