Chapter 1: And whither then? I cannot say.

whit10 wrote:"Follow the Sun"

Menkaure unrolls the blank scroll and speaks the sacred words, "Follow the Sun".

Moving images appear on the parchment, like an ancient hieroglyphic computer screen.  There are no written words, only pictographs and images.  It shows Menkaure's current position with cat-paw footprints leading off the page towards his destination.  Menkaure makes a pinching motion on the map and the scale reduces so he can see the footprints leading out of Memphis, over the Grand Ave Bridge and into New Tsian or Night City as the humans call it nowadays.  Menkaure swipes the image to the right and the map centers on his destination.  He makes an opening motion with his thumb and forefinger to zoom in on the target location.  Menkaure is familiar with the area known as Chinatown.

Menkaure speaks the word, "Sunset" and the images on the parchment disappear.  It is once again a blank scroll.

Chris wrote:

Robyo wrote:

Dirty yaks. Figures. Ghost makes a hasty retreat (still in Stealth mode) back to the front bar and calls for the waitress. "I need a room. As close to 622 as I can get."

Ghost casually wanders back into the lounge as if just returning from the restrooms.  He flags down the already-paid waitress again.  She scans the room, her eyes moving from geisha to geisha looking for one with a room near 622.  She nods demurely towards a geisha with 1 cyber eye and a pierced forehead who is getting attention from a pair of well dressed men with pointed ears.

Approach the mugly geisha. "Excuse me ma'am. I need some private time. I can make it worth your while." He flashes some coin.

Persuasion: 13 + 3 = 16

Did she give me a person to actually contact here?

whit10 wrote:Did she give me a person to actually contact here?

Chris wrote:  "Please, work with the humans.  My counter-part in the Yellow River (Chinese version of MI6) is gathering other special agents.  Help the humans, but remember that you serve our Pharaoh first and foremost."

Agent Yellow River #1, Kara's equal on the human side plus whoever else is gathered

As Menkaure wonders this, an image appears on the scroll

Robyo wrote:

Approach the mugly geisha. "Excuse me ma'am. I need some private time. I can make it worth your while." He flashes some coin.

Persuasion: 13 + 3 = 16

The two Johns think about saying something and decide their lives aren't worth the bother of 1 geisha.  They move on to another hostess.



She bows and offers her arm to be escorted

Go to find him..

Chris wrote:

Mime is near the location of the meeting when he receives an alert on the TDOT channel

Emergency Road Detour due to changing weather conditions!
Grand Avenue Ramp to Park Ave.
8:00 PM-5:30 AM SU-TU
Full closure of southbound Grand Avenue South ramp to Park Ave. Follow detour signage - for joint
replacement at (Milemarker 213.4-213.4)
Detour for Ramp Closure (Grand Avenue South Ramp to Park Ave.) is South on 38th Ave. Exit to Fox St.,
Fox Street to Park Ave.



see if you can decipher this message from Handler

reference your earlier post for a guide.  if you need help, I can give you the underlined portions, but I bet you can figure it out

I will give it a shot... I have started above underlining. I don't know how much time I can devote to this puzzle.

Chris wrote:The two Johns think about saying something and decide their lives aren't worth the bother of 1 geisha.  They move on to another hostess.

She bows and offers her arm to be escorted

Ghost will take her arm, but she can take the lead. He really has no idea where they are going.

He wants to keep up appearances. Ghost prefers not to alarm the elevator guards. He walks casual and nods in respect as he passes them.

navyik wrote:

I will give it a shot...  I have started above underlining.  I don't know how much time I can devote to this puzzle.

it is just for fun and flavor, if you don't have time, that's ok too

here's a clue

Emergency Road Detour due to changing weather conditions!
Grand Avenue Ramp to Park Ave.
8:00 PM-5:30 AM SU-TU
Full closure of southbound Grand Avenue South ramp to Park Ave. Follow detour signage - for joint
replacement at (Milemarker 213.4-213.4)
Detour for Ramp Closure (Grand Avenue South Ramp to Park Ave.) is South on 38th Ave. Exit to Fox St.,
Fox Street to Park Ave.

Robyo wrote:

Ghost will take her arm, but she can take the lead. He really has no idea where they are going.

He wants to keep up appearances. Ghost prefers not to alarm the elevator guards. He walks casual and nods in respect as he passes them.

Nice job blending in!

stand by, getting everyone to the party

whit10 wrote:Go to find him..

Menkaure heads to the port and bridge district where Memphis connects to Night City.  He stands in the hot, dry sun of Memphis.  Palm trees line the streets and the air smells of salt, fish and spices.




The port is an odd mixture of Egyptian Triremes and ultra-modern yachts.  Memphis is a popular destination for the wealthy of Night City.  It's dry, sunny climate is a stark contrast to the damp, dark of the city.





There are literal fortresses at the legal ports of entry into Memphis.  Weigh stations, armed guards and magical detectors greet visitors at each port.  There are several bridges connecting Memphis and Night City as well.  Massive guard houses and gates bookend each side of the bridge.

The bridges are retractable from each end, an ingenious and impractical design of the Asurans.  


Some of the bridges curl up like a snake coiling in the air.



Others pivot to allow boats to pass or swing onto land



And others still extend and retract magically





The bridges are powered by a series of Ra-stones.




Menkaure's status with the Medjai allows him quick movement through the long lines of trade wagons - hawkmen, crocs, minotaurs, lizardfolk, snakemen all queued up with their camels to trade in the market districts on the near side of Night City.



Trucks full of high tech gadgets line the other side of the bridge heading into Memphis.  Tony makes a good living moving items both legal and otherwise across the borders.  Many humans wearing brightly flowered shirts, wide brimmed hats and carrying cameras wait in the tourist lanes for a glimpse at the "ancient wonders of Memphis".

Once he's in the city proper, he'll put on a cloak to be less conspicuous

whit10 wrote:Once he's in the city proper, he'll put on a cloak to be less conspicuous

Menkaure passes over the commerce bridge into New Tsian.  Night City is a cold, dark, damp place.  The cloak cuts down the chill in the air.  Gone are the aroma of fish, salt and spices.  It is replaced by the pungent odor of garbage and pollution.  Gone is the warm, bright sun.  It is replaced by the glow of neon signs and the bluelight of tele monitors. Menkaure feels the absence of the Sun God.





Most of Night City's inhabitants are humans, but at least in the commercial district near the bridges, there are plenty of Memphians, Asurans, Chromites, Cephalopods in tank-suits and other half-races from distant planes that have traveled to Meta City on the Road.  Menkaure is just another strange face in a strange crowd.

"What a god-less place" Keep going to meet this guy, noticing if there is anything unusual going on.

Perception:

Roll(1d20)+4:
10,+4
Total:14

pfft.. or not. lol

Chris wrote:

navyik wrote:

I will give it a shot...  I have started above underlining.  I don't know how much time I can devote to this puzzle.

it is just for fun and flavor, if you don't have time, that's ok too

here's a clue

Emergency Road Detour due to changing weather conditions!
Grand Avenue Ramp to Park Ave.
8:00 PM-5:30 AM SU-TU
Full closure of southbound Grand Avenue South ramp to Park Ave. Follow detour signage - for joint
replacement at (Milemarker 213.4-213.4)
Detour for Ramp Closure (Grand Avenue South Ramp to Park Ave.) is South on 38th Ave. Exit to Fox St.,
Fox Street to Park Ave.

Handler is redirecting Mime to another location due to changing operational conditions. The new address is known to Mime as a Yakuza hangout and Doll House for their associates. The front operation is called Panda Karaoke, but Mime knows the real business is behind closed doors.

whit10 wrote:"What a god-less place"  Keep going to meet this guy, noticing if there is anything unusual going on.

Menkaure makes his way through the dark, scum-filled streets of Night City.  He periodically checks the scroll map for directions.  He stops across the street from a building with many glowing signs and teles: Panda Karaoke



It seems an odd place for a meeting with a human agent, but then again, humans are strange creatures.

Well, when in Rome...

go in to meet him

Mime watches for awhile to see whether operations appear normal in both capacities.

Investigation:
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +7" :

13 +4(+7 if the city bonus applies) = 17(20)

navyik wrote:Mime watches for awhile to see whether operations appear normal in both capacities.

Investigation:
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +7" :

13 +4(+7 if the city bonus applies) = 17(20)

Mime scopes out Panda Karoake from a location outside.  (it's probably just perception at this point, but it's fine either way)

Mime notices a large black panther humanoid, probably from the Egyptian Memphis ward, wearing a cloak march into the Panda with a purpose.  Otherwise it seems like average Joe humans in a slow trickle in\out.

Mime receives another traffic update from Handler

Emergency Road Detour due to changing weather conditions!
Grand Avenue Ramp to Park Ave.
8:00 PM-5:30 AM SU-TU
Full closure of southbound Grand Avenue South ramp to Park Ave. Follow detour signage - for joint
replacement at (Milemarker 266)

Go immediately to #266 at this location

whit10 wrote:Well, when in Rome...

go in to meet him

Menkaure enters the Panda.  A beautiful Geisha girl approaches, "Irasshaimase! (welcome to the store)" she bows and gestures to the comfortable lounge.  Many men of different races are enjoying drinks and singing Karaoke with Geisha hostesses.



Menkaure notices a humanoid in combat armor being escorted towards the back by an unusual looking geisha with a large safety pin in her forehead and a cyber eye

Chris wrote:

Robyo wrote:

Ghost will take her arm, but she can take the lead. He really has no idea where they are going.

He wants to keep up appearances. Ghost prefers not to alarm the elevator guards. He walks casual and nods in respect as he passes them.

Nice job blending in!

stand by, getting everyone to the party

The Yakuza goons take 1 look at Ghost's armor and weapons and point to a set a bit-lockers in a "coat room" near the elevators.

Ghost's escort leads him towards the coat room. The bit-lockers have a key that he can take after storing his weapons.

Mime pauses discreetly before following the cat into the Panda. He will loosely tail the cat while scoping the place. He has probably been here before...

Menkaure will play it casual for now...

whit10 wrote:Menkaure will play it casual for now...

Menkaure finds a table in the lounge.  A drunk Asuran is singing "All by myself" on the stage, but nobody is paying attention to him.







A waitress bows, "Watashi wa anata no nomimono o toru kamo"  




Menkaure doesn't understand her, but he is pretty sure she is asking if he wants a drink.

Menkaure will do his best to order a whiskey

navyik wrote:Mime pauses discreetly before following the cat into the Panda.  He will loosely tail the cat while scoping the place.  He has probably been here before...

Mime enters the Panda.  A beautiful Geisha girl approaches, "Irasshaimase! (welcome to the store)" she bows and gestures to the comfortable lounge.  Many men of different races are enjoying drinks and singing Karaoke with Geisha hostesses.



Mime notices a humanoid in combat armor being escorted towards the back by an unusual looking geisha with a large safety pin in her forehead and a cyber eye





Mime notices the cat he was tailing talking to a waitress and the above mentioned lonely-heart Asuran on stage

whit10 wrote:Menkaure will do his best to order a whiskey

"U~isukī? Hai"   She nods and heads towards the bar.

Menkaure notices a nondescript man in all black with feathered hair enter the Panda lounge.  He scans the room casually.  He looks like many of the other human men in dark suits here.  Nothing unusual stands out about him.  He would be one of a thousand faces on the street.

Chris wrote:


The Yakuza goons take 1 look at Ghost's armor and weapons and point to a set a bit-lockers in a "coat room" near the elevators.  

Ghost's escort leads him towards the coat room.  The bit-lockers have a key that he can take after storing his weapons.  

Inside the locker, Ghost will stow his armor and weapons, except for his sword. He wants to cover up so he grabs one of the kimonos hanging on pegs next to the lockers.

With his geisha in tow, Ghost returns to the guards.



"Excuse me, but I did not expect Haitōrei in an establishment such as this. It does make a certain amount of sense. You would of course, not permit a noble samurai to be parted from his katana."

Persuasion: 9 + 3 = 12

Menkaure and Mime noticed the armored man duck into a side room and emerge wearing only a kimono and his sword.  He and the geisha escort with the cyber eye and pin in her forehead approach 2 men and a madame by a bank of elevators at the far end of the room.  



They appear to be talking.  The man in the suit is hesitant to let the sword past, but the tattooed man on the left who is carrying his own sword allows him to pass.  Menkaure finally gets a good look at his face.





just as a reminder for Mime

Chris wrote:

Mime receives another traffic update from Handler

Emergency Road Detour due to changing weather conditions!
Grand Avenue Ramp to Park Ave.
8:00 PM-5:30 AM SU-TU
Full closure of southbound Grand Avenue South ramp to Park Ave. Follow detour signage - for joint
replacement at (Milemarker 266)

Go immediately to #266 at this location

Ghost and his geisha are allowed to pass.  They enter an elevator and head up to the 2nd floor....

See if the scroll has anything to say about this.

whit10 wrote:See if the scroll has anything to say about this.

Menkaure discreetly unravels the scroll under the table. He whispers, "Follow the Sun" and many hieroglyphs magically appear across the parchment.

He can see the general outline of the Panda Karaoke with icons for the geisha girls, the customers, the asura on stage looks like a chihuahua (the scroll must not recognize the race), he sees a tiger icon for himself, the formerly-armored man in the kimono shows up as a sword, the geisha escorting him as a black spider, the guard Menkaure recognized has the same icon that matches his face, the guard in the suit appears as a gun and the madame looks like some kind of creature with chains and the most recent man that entered the Panda appears as a bird-head.

The cat-tracks lead upstairs to room 266

Chris wrote:Menkaure and Mime noticed the armored man duck into a side room and emerge wearing only a kimono and his sword.  He and the geisha escort with the cyber eye and pin in her forehead approach 2 men and a madame by a bank of elevators at the far end of the room...  

Ghost and his geisha are allowed to pass.  They enter an elevator and head up to the 2nd floor....

Sounds good. I take it Ghost also saw Menkaure and Mime? Or do I need to roll?

Robyo wrote:

Sounds good. I take it Ghost also saw Menkaure and Mime? Or do I need to roll?

it's not so much a roll as whether or not Ghost looked back into the lounge after he walked off with the one-eyed, pierced-head geisha girl

sure, if Ghost checked out the lounge on his way back out of the locker room, he would have noticed a large black tiger guy that wasn't there a few minutes ago.  Mime is so generic, that he looks like just another John in the crowd.


***EDIT*** Ghost sees the Tiger approaching as he boards the elevator with his geisha

Menkaure will approach the group so that he can gain entry.

(note, he's also looking for a place up on the stairs or wherever that Misty Step could be used if necessary).


"My good man," he bows "my presence has been requested"

whit10 wrote:Menkaure will approach the group so that he can gain entry.

(note, he's also looking for a place up on the stairs or wherever that Misty Step could be used if necessary).


"My good man," he bows "my presence has been requested"

  What did Menkaure do with his magical map after checking it out?  



The man in the suit (gun) and the madame (chains) looked shocked at Menkaure's statement.  They look at each other and tense up.  Luckily, Menkaure's contact, Agent Yellow River #1 (same guy that let Ghost pass with his sword) speaks up



"Konichiwa Burakkutaigā"  (greetings black tiger)  he speaks Cityspeaks slowly, "Ah, perhaps.... no entiendes.... humingi ng escort?.... geisha soprovozhdenii vverkh po lestnitse"  (Ah, perhaps, you don't understand... you seek an escort?  a geisha must accompany you upstairs)


Mime notices the black tiger approach the guards and begin talking to them

Chris wrote:sure, if Ghost checked out the lounge on his way back out of the locker room, he would have noticed a large black tiger guy that wasn't there a few minutes ago.  Mime is so generic, that he looks like just another John in the crowd.


***EDIT***  Ghost sees the Tiger approaching as he boards the elevator with his geisha

Ghost is constantly checking the vicinity, he tries to be always alert.

He considers holding the elevator door for the "tiger-man." Tigers are considered good luck in some Asian cultures. But Ghost has business to take care of. Take some incriminating pictures and maybe grab some data. But first he's got to ditch the girl.

folded it up and put it away for now.

"Arigato" He bows again.

Go with the geisha

whit10 wrote:folded it up and put it away for now.

"Arigato" He bows again.

Go with the geisha

sorry if that wasn't clear. there aren't any geisha girls standing around here, just the guards, the "coat room" and the elevators.

all the geisha are back in the lounge looking for Johns and entertaining.

"I was sent here by Sekhmet-Kara"

whit10 wrote:"I was sent here by Sekhmet-Kara"

Agent YR#1"s eyes flash wide for an instant.  He shakes his head ever so subtlety.

The man in the suit reveals a pair of guns under his jacket as he puts his hands on hips defiantly, "I don't give a fuck if you were sent here by Brick Rockman himself.  Nobody goes upstairs without an escort.  Got it, fur-ball?"

"fur-ball? Ha ha, I always forget how over confident humans are... (growls slightly), as you wish..."

Goes and sits down with his drink again

Mime is enjoying the music. "Do you have any pizanto aquiaviere?". It is an unusual drink sometimes ordered by members of his agency to identify contacts. The answer is usually 'no.'. "Well, in that case I will just have a beer.". Mine smiles at the Geishas invitingly, but doesn't pursue. He is a customer, not a shark.

navyik wrote:Mime is enjoying the music.  "Do you have any pizanto aquiaviere?". It is an unusual drink sometimes ordered by members of his agency to identify contacts.  The answer is usually 'no.'. "Well, in that case I will just have a beer.". Mine smiles at the Geishas invitingly, but doesn't pursue.  He is a customer, not a shark.

"Do you have any pizanto aquiaviere?"

"Īe"  (no)

"Well in that case, I will just have a beer."

"Sugoku ī, arigatō"  (very good, thank you)

Mime notices that the waitress heads over to talk to one of the guards by the elevators on her way to the bar



she whispers in the ear of the guy on the left with the sword




he must be very cool; he wears his sunglasses at night

whit10 wrote:"fur-ball? Ha ha, I always forget how over confident humans are... (growls slightly), as you wish..."

Goes and sits down with his drink again

Men don't sit alone for very long in the Panda lounge.  Menkaure is approached by a geisha with very long claws for a human.  She runs her claws through his fur seductively as she makes her introduction



"Utsukushī tora.... Sono yōna yawarakai kegawa..... Watashi wa neko o kirei ni suru no ga daisuki?"

Mankaure doesn't speak this human tongue, but he knows that "tora" is tiger.  She speaks soothingly, yet playfully.  He gets the idea that she wants to groom him, but something may be getting lost in translation.  She keeps tilting her head towards the elevators.

Robyo wrote:

Ghost is constantly checking the vicinity, he tries to be always alert.

He considers holding the elevator door for the "tiger-man." Tigers are considered good luck in some Asian cultures. But Ghost has business to take care of. Take some incriminating pictures and maybe grab some data. But first he's got to ditch the girl.

Then Ghost definitely notices the tiger and the common man.

The elevator doors open to a scene very different from the karoake lounge.  Gone is any pretense of normalcy.  



Ghost finds himself in a dimly lit room with red velvet walls.  It is both a sex parlor and opium den at the same time.  There are many side rooms with curtains off the main parlor.  Ghost catches glimpses of bondage set ups, hot tubs, massage tables, and other pleasure devices he doesn't recognize.  

 The air is thick with smoke: Ghost needs to make a CON save.




Ghost's geisha will walk him slowly through the parlor as if seeing what catches his interest.  Ghost spots the private room #266 (his clue from the tipped waitress) The tour ends at her private parlor room which has a number of long needles.  Ghost isn't sure who gets pierced....

As a reminder, Mime cannot be surprised.

Mime notices that the waitress heads over to talk to one of the guards by the elevators on her way to the bar


Mime continues to flirt nonchalantly, but scans for potential threats by looking through the ladies.

navyik wrote:As a reminder, Mime cannot be surprised.

Mime notices that the waitress heads over to talk to one of the guards by the elevators on her way to the bar


Mime continues to flirt nonchalantly, but scans for potential threats by looking through the ladies.

Mime doesn't see any obvious weapons on the ladies.  They all carry some sort of prop, however:  fans, parasols, wooden clogs, long painted nails, hair pins that could be used as a weapon.









After a few minutes, a geisha with a golden fan approaches Mime.  Men don't sit alone for long in the Panda lounge.  She hides part of her face demurely,

"Aisatsu.  Anata wa nomimono o ki ni pizanto aquiaviere ka?"

Mime recognizes the first part as a greeting used in Cityspeak.  He hears a familiar name, then her eyes dart towards the elevators

Mime saunters casually towards the elevators with the Geisha.

Assuming he is challenged by bouncers, Mime thinks nothing of leaving his belongings in a locker. He will not need his weapons.  He knows the drill.  He is ordinary.  He has been in this trustworthy establishment before.  He smiles with gratitude for those who provide a haven from the unpredictable world outside.


Once inside, Mime will excuse himself to the bathroom, privately summon his pistol of warning, and conceal it in the armpit holster under his motorcycle jacket.  This will keep him properly alert.

go to the elevators with out saying a word for now

whit10 wrote:go to the elevators with out saying a word for now

Menkaure's geisha escorts him to the "coat room" where she shows him a locker with an encryption key for his weapons.

Since Alan posted first, he gets sequencing

Menkaure passes the average Joe as he is leaving the coat room disarmed.  Average Joe is accompanied by a geisha with a golden fan.  The bouncers allow him to pass.  He boards an elevator and disappears.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mime and his geisha pass the bouncers without issue.  She takes her queue from Mime and is silent during the slow ride up.



Mime finds the same scene as Ghost - red velvet walls, opium clouds and public fornication.

There are no private bathrooms and the geisha is glued to his side.  Mime could try a Deception check to summon it without his geisha noticing.

There are many private side rooms, for all manner of perversions.  Mime notes numbers on the rooms and visually identifies #266 (his target from Handler)

the air is thick with smoke: Mime needs to make a CON save