[Game Thread] Under the spreading chestnut tree...

[Ajivani]

The information you have been given before your departure is as follows:

There is a tenuous alliance of magi consisting primarily of Sons of Ether, Order of Hermes, and Celestial Chorus in Denver. Their primary focus has been to place themselves between local reality and the encroachment of the Technocracy, and they've had notable successes. Denver has become the front line of the Ascension War. The Technocratic Union is stepping up its activity to "write out" the locals, principally by relocating major businesses and manufacturing hubs to the area and increasing the police presence in the city, citing prevalence of drug-related problems and the glut of illegal immigrants in town as public reasons for the increases.

Things were going tolerably well until the death of Franklin Jim of the Order of Hermes. This was a quiet Navajo boy who failed out of the Colorado Mining Institute's demolitions engineering program and straight into the hands of a House Flambeau recruiter after having his ancestors visit him repeatedly (*cough* avatar, so sorry) during his stressful college finals. It was a bad fit in multiple ways. First, the visions called him back towards a more primeval way of approaching the universe, a way that would likely have drawn him down the path of the Dreamspeakers. Second, even though House Flambeau appealed to Franklin Jim for its predilection for making things go boom, his master, Gerard Depardeaux, is generally seen as a haughty, arrogant, and unforgiving man. This impacted Franklin Jim badly, and it was noted that he was heading into depression.

At this time, a Celestial Chorister named Morgan Heller befriended the poor guy after meeting while doing a little security for a Sons of Ether public event. Morgan was well known for adopting strays, and the Order of Hermes permitted this relationship when his depression appeared to lessen. Unfortunately, Jim was helping Morgan with a clothing drive for disadvantaged kids when he supposedly had a nasty Paradox-fueled accident that resulted in a truckload of used jackets, shirts, and housewares igniting in a Safeway parking lot. Six people were admitted to the burns unit at the trauma center, and just afterward Jim and Morgan had a very public fight at the Hermetic Chantry. She accused him of lacking self control and stormed off. Depardeaux tried talking to the young man but the apprentice would have none of it. Just after midnight Franklin Jim plunged to his death from the rooftop of a highrise luxury condo complex being built downtown.

Obviously, the Order blames Heller, but Miss Heller is unavailable for comment. She left her apartment the following morning to go to work and never arrived at her office. The Celestial Chorus blames the Order of Hermes. Ordinarily this would be investigated by the town's Euthanatos, hired by the chantry coalition as a sort of local sheriff, but the Order of Hermes is denying her access to their Chantry and Franklin Jim's personal diary. The Sons of Ether have requested intercession. You guys are it.

Your mission objectives, should you choose to accept them:

1. Find out why exactly Franklin Jim died.
2. Find out why Morgan Heller is missing, and possibly rescue her or retrieve her body.
3. Find out why the Order of Hermes is acting strangely.
4. Attempt to repair the local alliance.

You are being sent to stay with the local Euthanatos, a woman who runs some kind of horse ranch just outside of Denver. Her name is December, and you have both the address of the Silver Springs Ranch and her cell phone number for when you arrive.

[LostViking]

The first thing Jonathan Mikanos notices upon stepping out of the terminal at Denver International Airport was the thinness of the air. Having spent so much of his life so close to sea level, being this high up was going to take some getting used to.

For a number of years he had managed to avoid, for the most part, the political machinations of the Order of Hermes thanks to his mentor, Dr. Hatzis. This time, though, it was his mentor who had landed him in the middle of this mess. After the (relatively) quiet existance teaching the children of various Hermetics, this was going to be a major change.

"You need some real world experience! You've been hiding in that school too long. Besides which, I have a feeling about this job. House Quaesitor wanted this one badly but the old doctor knows the right buttons to push. Stop your moaning! I have felt the strength of your avatar before, it must be screaming at you for something new by now. Just take the job and thank me later."

I have a feeling about this job. That had done it. Whatever else Jonathan knew or believed, his mentor's feelings were to be trusted. So here he was, a mile high, sent to represent the Order of Hermes in a job he felt was far above his skill level.

Digging his cell phone out of one of his bags he turns it on and dials the number he had been given.

[Ajivani]

It rings for a long moment, then is answered by woman growling along in lyric contralto. "This is December."

[LostViking]

So good to hear an awakened voice again after drowning in that mass of sleepers.

"Excellent. This is Jonathan Mikanos. I already have the address for the Silver Springs Ranch but I was told to call when I landed. Is there anything I need to know before I catch a taxi?"

[Ajivani]

"No." Her voice is dry. "I can have my man come fetch you if you'd like to save the money."

[LostViking]

Jonathan tries his best to keep the relief out of his voice at the offer.

"Thank you December, I would appreciate that. I'm not exactly hurting for money but I wasn't looking forward to paying for a cab to take me as far as I imagine this will be. I'll wait here at the airport for him if that's convenient."

[Ajivani]

"Naturally this is not a problem," she says. "You are waiting for an elderly man named Cody."

Assuming you do nothing else except grab your things off the baggage claim and wait, you do a little people watching. Denver International looks very odd. It looks something like a circus tent stretched over too many poles, with a far too high ceiling studded with cameras, temperature controls, and cabling.

(http://www.exploringmonkey.com/wp-co...nal_ariel4.jpg

Rushed people swarm by you, heading for rental car terminals and bus connections to the light rail system. After a few minutes of watching, you realize something odd. While obviously you will see people wearing similar outfits -- fashion trends being what they are -- there is a great proliferation of people in outfits so similar they border on a uniform. The men are wearing close fitting collarless jackets in dark lambskin or navy blue heavy nylon, with pressed pants and close haircuts. The women are wearing short coats over empire waisted shirts that cling close to their breasts in various pastel shades or flower prints. Their jeans are tight, their hair is frosted, and they're wearing these God-awful sheepskin boots . Again, fashion trends being what they are, but nowhere have you seen so many people look so eerily similar.

After about forty minutes, you see a welcome sight. This man has to be seventy at least, in faded blue jeans and a pair of run down cowboy boots. He's wearing a heavy jean jacket and a cowboy hat, and he very well might have a cheek full of chaw. He eyes you warily as he stumps up to you. "Think you might be the man I want," he says. "Name's Cody."

[LostViking]

Yes, December said you would be coming. Good to meet you Cody, I'm Jonathan. It's good to see a friendly face. I'm completely out of my element here."

Jonathan smiles warmly and offers the man his hand to shake.

[Ajivani]

"Name's Cody Ellis," the old man says. His hand is as hard as horn and his grip quite strong. He hauls your things out to his truck, a venerable old 1974 Ford F 350 painted an unassuming yellow and brown. The cab of the truck is meticulously clean, and he puts your things behind the broad bench seat alongside a pair of gumrubber boots and some tire chains.

It has started to snow outside, but this does not stop the old man as he dodges sliding semis on the interstate. It's about thirty minutes to Silver Springs Ranch.

[LostViking]

Jonathan revels in the relaxing sound of the engine and drinks in the scenery. After about ten minutes of this he realizes he is being rude to his travel companion and attempts to strike up a conversation after a particularly close shave with a semi (pointedly avoiding any mention of anything out of the ordinary in case the man is a sleeper).

"Damn you're a good driver! You must have been doing this for a while. How long have you been working at the Silver Springs if you don't mind my asking?"

[Ajivani]

Cody darts around a struggling California tourist, the tires of the truck somehow still in contact with I-10. His eyes never leave the road.

"Oh, Deedee done got the ranch in 1976 or so, and kept all the land, too, despite the BLM's best effort. Been driving in snow since I was a boy, though it was a tractor first, I will admit. How come? You don't strike me as a horseman."

On his left you can barely make out the downtown skyline. One feature you can make clearly is the Qwest telco regional headquarters, its massive blue and white sign glowing brightly even through the snow flurries.

[LostViking]

"I'm not, sadly. I was raised in the city but I've been lucky enough in the past few years to take a job away from the insanity of downtown anywhere. To be honest, the airport was a shock for me when normally all I hear when I step outside is the wind in the trees and students getting into trouble. I wouldn't mind learning something about horses if there's time and you feel inclined to teach me."

[Ajivani]

"If there's time," Cody agrees. "Deedee runs a rescue, you see, all horses and dogs. Sometimes people, though that's not all that often. She was telling me you all is coming here due to that bad business over at the archdiocese and the Collegium, right? Bad business, that."

[LostViking]

Jonathan sighs and shakes his head. "It's terrible. I don't know how much you've heard but some of my colleagues were involved and are not being very cooperative. I don't want to think that they may have had anything to do with the whole mess but they way they're behaving..."

He lapses into silence again at the thought of the Order of Hermes being so involved in such a crime.

[Ajivani]

"Well, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for it all," Cody says. "Cain't say much about it as I don't want to influence your reckoning, but I sure do think you're generous for taking it on. Not many that would." The old man lapses into silence.