Michael Mulvihill
Shadowrun Line Developer
FASA Corporation
1100 W. Cermak - Suite #B305
Chicago, IL 60608

Dear Michael Mulvihill,

We have been following the Shadowrun game line since its beginning in 1989, both as players and readers. We find the concept fascinating, the mix of fantasy and cyberpunk genres is very appealing. Especially, to the Brazilian society, where great social and cultural disparities exist.

As rich and enticing as we find the Shadowrun universe, we cannot fail to notice that you have drawn heavily on European and Native American lore. We understand that your target public is better familiarized with these two cultures, however we feel that you have been passing up a great chance to expand the horizons of your fictional universe and attract a wider public. As we all know, the Amazonian rainforest, and its endangered species, has been popular for quite some time. Aside from small sections of early supplements (namely the story section of the main rulesbook and the adventure Harlequin), you barely explored South America. In order to partially fill this gap, and also serve as a stepping stone for a future Amazonia sourcebook (*hint*), we are submitting this proposal for a Paranormal Animals of South America sourcebook.

Now for the fun part: Why us?

Having played Shadowrun for almost nine years now, we know what the game universe is about, its mood, characters, etc. Being locals, we are immersed in our own culture. This, together with our experience with Shadowrun, should make us able to mingle both worlds without much trouble. Our career as biologists (one is a geneticist; the other, a zoologist) also give us a good background for this project, not only because of the scientific knowledge, but also because of the field’s need of a second language, mainly English.

This sourcebook would follow the basic format of the other two Paranormal sourcebooks.

- This would be a one- or two-page story. An account of a shadowrun in the rainforest, that would give the player a feeling for the strange paranormal animals and the oppressive Amazonian environment.

- The basic presentation of the book as an electronic document hosted by the Shadowland BBS, similar to the opening text of this letter above.

- Description, game information and shadowtalk. Several animals described here will be derived from Tupi (Native Brazilian) mythology and Brazilian folklore. Some of the paranormal animals included are listed below. We are also including two sample animals with full description.

Brazilian werewolf (No accepted taxonomy)
The Brazilian version of the werewolf myth is a very bizarre creature. Basically, it is a giant wolf turned inside out.

Giant Snake (Eunectes jormungandri)
The Awakened anaconda.

Headless mule (Eqqus acephalus)
A mythic creature from Brazilian folklore, the Headless mule is, as the name says, a mule without head that breathes fire through its nostrils (go figure...).

Iara (ee-AH-r’ah) (Iarae dissimulatrix)
The Awakened Brazilian giant otter.

Ipupiara (ee-POO-pee-ah-r’ah) (Fluvihomo nefandus)
The Awakened anthropomorphic piranha.

Greater Maned Wolf (Crysocion igniferum)
The Awakened maned wolf.

Lesser (Caiman draconis)
The Awakened common Brazilian alligator.

Greater (Melanosuchus maximus)
The Awakened Brazilian black alligator.

Tree Lions (Leontopithecus venator)
The Awakened lion tamarin monkeys.

Uirapuru (oo-ee-R’AH-poo-roo) (Leucolepis modulator novae)
An Amazonian bird with magical protection powers. Very valued by talismongers and runners who have to face a lot of magical opposition.

A special feature we are planning is to include entries from shadowrunners, in much the same way as the Places To Go section of the regional sourcebooks. These entries will not follow the basic format of the Patterson’s guide (i.e. Identification; Magic Capability, etc.), they will be more like a supped-up version of a shadowtalk comment inserted by decking in the Patterson’s Guide file. They might include a picture (a blurred photo taken during a run, for example) and would give the feeling of being told by someone who had a brief encounter with the animal.

We intend to send some sketches, in case the project is accepted, so as to give your artists some reference on how we visualize the animals. Bear in mind that we are not trying to sell any art, just the text.

This section would give further information on paranormal animals of the former two sourcebooks that occur in South America. It would also introduce new shapeshifters like the boto (weredolphin) and the jaguaretê (werejaguar).

Here we would describe new totems and other uses for paranormal animals, like special properties of their fur/feathers, etc.

An appendix featuring basic information on South America, tips for gamemastering in Amazonia and even a collection of slang terms that every self-respecting, nuyen-worshipping shadowrunner living on South America or intending to work there should know.

We are looking forward to hearing your opinion about our proposal.

Sincerely yours,

Fred Furtado & Paulino Soares