Author's Note

Prologue Written prior to the first Game Session.

Shadowrun conversions:
Ork > Griffon
Aztechnology > Apple-Zap Technology (Apple Bloom, CEO)
Draco Foundation > Solari Foundation (ex-Princess Twilight Sparkle, Director)

Great Planar War and the Age of Heroes refers to the prior D&D 5e crossover game where
the player characters fought off an extra-planar invasion set during the rise of Celestia/Luna and a rogue changeling queen allied with the players to eliminate all other changelings.

Prologue (Just Prior to September 2072 Week 1)

Dante Haze dropped the bag of groceries with annoyed distaste on the chipped faux-wood table and immediately regretted the racket. He stopped momentarily while the sound faded after bouncing off the dingy walls of the Canterlot Gardens Value Franchise Apartment. He was pretty sure that the architect had probably never been to Canterlot or even seen the Gardens there, such as they were. The little bit of floral wallpaper trim, peeling in several places, did little to liven the mood.

Outside, another racket started up. Dante had no trouble recognizing the bird-like voices of the local Griffon gang or the deep yet twitchy responses of the Earther ponies, likely hopped up on Cram again and spoiling for a fight. It all aggravated his hangover...atleast he hoped it was his hangover. His rumbling stomach demanded attention. With a sigh he pulled one of the 'Sweet Apple Acres' brand Soy-Apple Delights from the bag and worked to open it. He briefly considered opening another, but despondently put it back after checking his comm-link and his current nu-bit balance. Not if he wanted to make it through the end of the week. The nu-bits from his last bit of odd job work were going fast. He needed something which paid better. He again considered it....offering himself as a Shadowtrotter.

"Half of them die before making any real money, most of the rest wind up in Tartarus Prison," he repeated the Public Service Announcement by rote.

But....

A growing discomfort in his stomach would not let him debate in peace. The Soy Apple Delight had done nothing to ease what felt like a hunger pang. He again considered eating more...but he knew, knew that it wouldn't satisfy this...

"No....not again, not again," he whispered to himself. He knew how he could satisfy it. The first incident was several months past. The second, third, and fourth had followed first by accident and then by design. The seductive voice which whispered in the back of his mind when it was still and quiet. The toll it had taken on his state of mind had cost him his rather modest job last month. Once an aspiring special effects illusionist, the unglamorous lifestyle of meeting the whims of whatever C list celebrity that Horizon thought might pan out had come crashing down after one afternoon when the hunger had grown so bad that it had happened again. That *something* which made him feel so good but which had left his charge a nervous wreck. A nervous wreck which blamed him.

He had considered going to a doctor, maybe an exorcist but the rumors were always there of what happened to 'interesting specimens' that got handed over to the Solari Foundation. If not in the clutches of the ex-Princess Twilight Sparkle and her pet Dragon the other options were not much better. Ponies disappeared into places like Apple-Zap Technologies just as easily as they did into the hands of the ex-Princesses. There was also a possibility... NO! He wouldn't consider it as his golden eyes glanced at his Mage Pocket Library.

It was true that his family line got increasingly difficult to trace as one got closer to the Great Planar War and the time of Heroes, but that was true of practically every pony. He mustn't jump to conclusions... The AR display of the pocket mage library just blinked in its own indifferent way, left on the last read entry. Some Professor out of the Canterlot Mage's Guild dissertation about the Great Changeling Purge led by Emerald Sky in the Age of Heroes.

No...It was too outlandish to consider, he would make enough money to get this affliction treated with enough left over to ensure that whatever doctor or such would be paid handsomely to keep his mouth shut. He would have to Shadowtrot, but that would be a small price to pay to be rid of the hunger.

The pang came again...and this time a small but throbbing ache at the front of his head answered as it occasionally did. He galloped to the dirty sink and turned on the tap, splashing his face with water. It soothed the ache...and he stood there breathing as the water in the sink slowly pooled. A final throbbing ache forced down his head...as he stared at his hazy reflection in the water it seemed...it was impossible but for a moment he thought that the border of the irises of his eyes had turned an amethyst color. When he looked again, it was gone...

"Just a trick of the light," he laughed without feeling any mirth, and let the water drain. As the aching feeling finally passed he steeled himself and returned to his comm-link to send out a response to an invitation that not every pony returned from. He didn't have the time to waste, Glass Darkly was going Shadowtrotting.