The Great Heracles Hunt
April 11, 1963
Morning Phase
It was a deceptively calm Thursday morning in Sicily, with the usual tensions, grievances and vast capacity for violence within the twisted hearts of human beings stirring, longing for an...explosive outlet. So things had been since the execution of Cesare Manzella and Calcedonio Di Pisa by the La Barberas clan due to the mishandling of an ill-fated heroin shipment, sparking what would later be called the First Mafia War. And so things continued, despite the release of Pope John XIII's final encyclical, Pacem in terris (Peace on Earth), addressed to all men of good will, which stipulated that conflicts "should not be resolved by recourse to arms, but rather by negotiation" and that "every man has the right to life, to bodily integrity, and to the means which are suitable for the proper development of life..."
For magi, of course, what the Church says is of little relevance, given that it is a rival faction in the moonlit world - and that for the last few years, the proliferation of imitation "Holy Grail" rituals means the Church is unable to regulate or intervene in most of them. Sicily will soon bear witness to the machinations of a few such individuals, given that Agrigento, far to the south, is the home of the Valley of Temples, where ancient artifacts - including the world-famous Temple of Heracles - can be found, and in advance of one of these wars, magi seek a good catalyst.
Some will arrive by air, at the Catania-Fontanarossa Airport in Catania, in the East. Some will arrive by ferry in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Both, of course, will need to take a coach or car upon arrival to reach Agrigento in the South...
Morning Phase instructions
PM to me the following
1. Which city you will be arriving in. (Each starting city has different conditions - in Palermo, you begin in town, while at Catania, you are at the airport a distance outside of it)
2. What you will do with your three turns for the morning phase. Note the costs for the following activities - with other actions, you may decide on how many turns to spend:
- Go into town (1 turn) (Only available from Catania)
- Travel to other town (2 turns)
- Travel to Agrigento (2 turns)
- Travel directly to the Valley of Temples (3 turns)
As an example of this:
1. Arrive in Catania
2. Travel to Agrigento by coach (or car) (2 turns)
Find lodging in Agrigento (1 turn)
This will use up the morning phase, and leave you with 3 turns in the afternoon, for most people. Note that when you decide to head to Agrigento is up to you, however, so you can have something that looks like...
1. Arrive in Palermo
2. Explore town and learn about any news or rumors (2 turns)
Travel to Agrigento by coach (or car) (2 turns)
This means you will arrive in mid-afternoon phase, and have fewer actions available than usual.
Orders will be resolved when all are sent in, and I will send you an outcome to post about. If you have questions, post in the Discussion thread