The Hidden Valley
Frank Green, fixer : first case
Having already decided that my first character would be a fixer (because what feels more cybeprunk that a Night City fixer ?), I fleshed out Frank Green's background with the "lifepath" process from the Cyberpunk 2020 rulebook.
Ethnicity: European (UK expat)
I cheated a little to decide that Frank would be of European ethnicity and that he comes from the UK, inspired by the comic books character John Constantine. Think old stained trench coat, silk cut cigarettes, a British accent and a smirk that says, "Yeah, I’ve seen things. And they’ve seen me."
Lifepath (Cyberpunk 2020 Rules, slightly rigged for flavor)
Rolling randomly for lifepath, it turned out that Frank's family were Corpo manager, and that he spend his childhood in corporate suburbia, somewhere near London. He is quite intellectual and detached, felling that people are often untrustworthy (absolutely unrelated to his corpo middle management upbringing).
Life Events
Well, seems like fate had some special ways to prove Frank Green right (or a sick sense of humor)
Age 21: Fell hard for someone. Too hard. Her name was Elena. A kind of love that makes you stupid.
Age 24: She got dead. Not in a "wrong place, wrong time" way, more like "someone set her up, and now they’re coming for you too." Frank’s mission? "Clear his name."
Age 25: Another relationship. Another knife in the back...
Arrival in Night City
Two years ago. Half a ghost in a rumpled trench coat, carrying a pack of Silk Cuts, a data chip full of blackmail and a burning need to find out who really killed Elena. He sets himself up as a fixer, because in this city, information is the hardest currency, and Frank ? He’s got quite some debts to collect.
Style
Think "corpo gone rogue" meets "post-punk with a death wish." Wears suits that have seen better days, sports AR glasses that flicker with static (old school but reliable), and has a scar across his left cheek—"Souvenir from a job that went sideways. Or a friend. Hard to tell these days."
Motto
"Everybody’s got a price in Night City. Mine’s paid in answers. And I'll find them, one way or an other".
Scene 1 (Chaos factor 5)
Random event new NPC : pleaser / conflict / likeable
Augmented Reality table : artist needs to save drug dealer
Japantown, 2020.
Static. A voice, rough as gravel. "Frank… need you...
And fast, I guess..."
A flashback in a blink of a neon light : that tone. Trinh, Chaos Theory’s lead singer, Night City latest post chrome rock collective and Frank's occasional and complicated lover.
"Tomo’ha. He's missing. Has been for nearly a week."
Random event NPC action : destroy / nature
"Hooked up on 'Dorph. And on the verge of full cyberpsycho mode..." A pause. A drag on something.
"Helps wit the pain I guess."
"You find him, I owe you. Big."
The line died.
Frank exhaled. Of course. Tomo’ha : ex-dealer, ex-friend, current walking chemical and cyber-disaster. Last he’d heard, the kid was mainlining his own supply. Again.
Frank lighted up his last Silk Cut and fired up his commlink.. A fixer worth his salt always keeps a few useful contacts in every corner of Night City’s underbelly, and right now, a medtech might just keep a man from becoming a cyberpsycho.
Success roll for the contact
<Miguel. Status on 'Dorph OD?>
The medtech’s reply came fast, his voice a distorted growl through the net.
<Your friend might as well be toast. Neural lace fried, pain receptors offline. Cyberpsyche’s hanging by a thread.>
<Can you save him?>
<If I get him in the next few hours? Maybe. But his augments are jacked. Six, seven pieces of cyberware? He’s one bad hit away from a full meltdown.>
Frank’s jaw tightened.
Scene 2 (Chaos factor 5)
Bank Block.
No leads. No name worth chasing. No miracle waiting around the corner.
Frank knew where to start.
Tomo’ha had been dealing around the Bank Block for months. It wasn't exactly a secret that the kid had a few regular spots there. And Frank knew the neighborhood reasonably well himself. Some of his more discreet—and considerably better-paying—clients lived around the area.
It also had the advantage of being close to Japantown.
Frank pulled his coat tighter and headed for the Bank Block.
The neighborhood was doing what it always did: pretending everything was normal.
People came and went under the neon glow. Street vendors shouted over the traffic. Somewhere above, a giant advertising holo promised a better life in exchange for a monthly subscription.
Night City. Always selling something.
Frank kept his eyes open.
It didn't take long.
Success roll for Streetwise
Kade Navarro.
A low-level dealer Frank had crossed paths with before. Not exactly a major player, but he knew the streets, knew the product and, more importantly, knew Tomo’ha.
Frank didn't approach him.
Not yet.
Instead, he followed.
Success roll for Stealth & Shadow / track
Kade took the metro heading toward Old Downtown. Frank stayed a few meters behind, letting the crowd do most of the work for him. No need to attract attention. Not when patience was cheaper than a firefight.
The trail eventually led to Meadowcreed Pines.
Cheap housing. Concrete buildings. Flickering lights. The kind of place where nobody asked too many questions as long as the rent was paid.
Frank waited outside.
Kade finally appeared, heading toward his apartment.
"Hey, Kade."
The dealer stopped.
Slowly.
He looked at Frank, then at the entrance to his building.
"Do I know you?"
"Enough."
Kade's expression didn't change.
Frank smiled.
Failed roll for Persuasion / Fast talk
"I’m looking for Tomo’ha."
Nothing.
"I know you used to work together."
Still nothing.
Frank took a drag from his Silk Cut.
"I could ask the Tech College security people what they think about students dealing on their doorstep."
That got him a reaction.
Barely.
Kade remained perfectly still.
"Don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure."
Frank took another drag.
Success roll for Intimidate
"Funny thing is, I know where you live now."
He glanced at the building.
"That tends to make conversations a little easier."
For the first time, Kade looked uncomfortable.
Not scared.
Just... reconsidering his options.
Good enough.
"I haven't seen Tomo’ha in a while," he finally said.
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"How long?"
"Couple of weeks. Maybe more."
"And where was he dealing?"
Kade hesitated.
"Plaza Medical Service."
Frank waited.
"That's it?"
"That's all I know."
Frank studied him for a moment.
The dealer looked like he was telling the truth.
Or at least the part of the truth that wouldn't get him killed.
"Fine."
Frank turned away.
Then stopped.
"Oh, Kade?"
The dealer looked back.
"Keep your door locked tonight."
Kade frowned.
Frank smiled.
"Just a friendly advice."
He walked away before Kade could answer.
Plaza Medical Service.
Finally, something.
Not much.
But in Night City, a thin lead was still better than no lead at all
Scene 3 (Chaos Factor 5)
Modify Scene : Alter Scene
-NPC Action : Kade Navarro
Meaning Table : Repulse / Conflict
The next day.
Frank's commlink buzzed.
Kade Navarro.
Frank hesitated before answering.
"Hello, Kade."
"Listen. I don't want any trouble."
Frank smiled.
"That's usually a good way to start a conversation."
"I heard you're looking for Tomo’ha."
"Still looking."
There was a short silence.
"I might know someone."
Frank waited.
"Tina Allen. Works at the Ashcroft Hotel."
"And?"
"She knew Tomo’ha. They... had a thing. A while ago."
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"How much of a thing?"
"Don't know. Don't care."
Kade's voice suddenly became tense.
"I gave you a name. That's all."
The line went dead.
Frank looked at his commlink.
Kade Navarro.
Not exactly a people person.
But apparently useful when properly motivated.
Ashcroft Hotel
The Ashcroft was the kind of place where people smiled because someone was paying them to.
Security was everywhere.
Frank spotted Tina Allen near the hotel lobby and approached her when she was alone.
"Tina?"
She turned.
"Yes?"
"Frank Green."
"I'm looking for someone you know. Tomo’ha."
Her expression changed almost imperceptibly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Success roll for Persuasion / Fast talk
Frank glanced around the lobby.
"Maybe we could have this conversation somewhere quieter."
Tina looked toward the security desk.
The answer came quickly.
"Not here."
Frank lowered his voice.
"I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to know if he's okay."
Tina hesitated.
Then shook her head.
"I can't talk about this here."
Frank could see it in her eyes.
Fear.
Not of him.
Of the hotel.
She leaned slightly closer.
"Meet me after my shift."
"Where?"
"New Harbor Mallplex."
She gave him a time.
"And come alone."
Then she walked away.
Frank watched her disappear behind a service door.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
New Harbor Mallplex
Tina arrived late.
She looked nervous.
"You really shouldn't have come looking for me at the hotel."
"I needed answers."
"I know."
She looked around before continuing.
"Tomo’ha and I... we were together for a little while."
"How long?"
"Not long."
She sighed.
"He was already getting bad."
"Bad how?"
"Cyberware."
Frank said nothing.
"Too much of it. Too fast. He was taking 'Dorph, pushing his body way past what it could handle."
She looked down.
"I was worried about him."
"And you tried to help?"
"I knew a charcudoc."
Frank's attention sharpened.
"I recommended him."
Tina swallowed.
"Tomo’ha went to see him several times."
"Name?"
She hesitated for a moment.
"Doc Barstow."
Frank nodded slowly.
"Where can I find him?"
"Upper East Side. He has a clinic there."
Tina looked down.
"After that, I stopped hearing from Tomo’ha."
"How long?"
"Several days."
She looked genuinely worried now.
"I keep thinking about it."
"Thinking about what?"
She took a breath.
"Maybe I sent him straight into a trap."
Random Meaning Table : Hope / Trap
Frank's eyes narrowed.
Random Event — Meaning: Hope / Trap
"Do you know anything else about Barstow?"
"Not much. Just that Tomo’ha seemed to trust him."
Frank lit another Silk Cut.
Doc Barstow.
Upper East Side.
At least he finally had a name.
Whether it was the way out of this mess or the entrance to a much bigger one...
Well, that was Night City.
Frank took a drag and looked at Tina.
"Thanks."
She nodded.
"Just... find him, Frank."
Then she walked away.
Frank watched her disappear into the crowd.
A charcudoc.
A missing dealer.
And a woman who was starting to think she'd sent someone she cared about straight into a trap.
The trail was getting warmer.
So was the trouble.
