[Ace of Wands] Gameplay

Glenda resives a text from Wiki
Ester and I are going to the lake, pick you up soon

Wiki drives by Esther and picks her up. Wiki looks a bit roughed, but the fresh air is helping.
As they drive she hands Ester a tablet with a short "satellite" image video from the lake. There is movement from a few people are trapped on a ledge.
Is this your Taurus? What was he doing there?
They take a short detour and picks Glenada, before they are heading to the lakeside coordinates.

"Taurus is my big hunky man, you saw him yesterday -" Esther began chattily as she slid in Wiki's car, but stopped short as she took the tablet and stared at the picture. "- how in the world - ?"

She accounted for what she did as they drove. "Last night I sent Taurus to go sideways, you know, to look for Mordy and his golem. Taurus is pretty good at these things. He didn't come back. And I could sense that he was stuck and lost. He's a minotaur. He never gets lost. We better bring our A game on this one. Trouble's afoot."

The picture shows some humans shape silhouettes trapped on a cliff, on a 10 sec loop.
Oh?! Did not know that Taurus could "go sideways"
I did a deep hack. Learned some things. Got a f*cking prophecy! I'll tell you all about it on the road. Let us pick Glenda up first.

Glenda received the message and is waiting for her fellows. "So what's the story?" she asks after she gets in. "What does Lake Mead possibly have to do with this?"

"And I have a new name for you to search up Wiki. It's a mystery, I can't find anything. Janos Jupiter."

Hey Glenda.
Wiki drives off towards the lake

I did a deep hack and got into a technocracy server
The contest was rigged. Big supprise! The winner list was composed by one Winston Stephens. He eather had an adress or an area. I think it was a scam to pinpoint some indivituals, perhaps will-workers* like us.Publicly, Mr. Stephens is an Associate of Lionheart Developments, which seems to be a term that refers to a somewhat independent area chieftain. He has a staff, but like in many entrepreneurial firms, he had no set duties, products, or areas of influence. They invest funds, manage projects, and make obscene stacks of money.

I found a hidden server in the Lionheart infrastructure, with Stephens name all over it.

I stumbled on this prophecy. I hate those things, it kind of makes a fix-point in time * that one has to relate to or risk paradoxIt goes like this:
In a world where reality itself is the play thing of demons, a lone girl stumbles upon a secret, a secret so deadly as to shake the foundations of The Tower in which she lives. Alone she is doomed to fail, but with the assistance off a guardian angel, and a troupe of wandering heroes, she had a chance of saving her world.

But only if she has the strength to give in to get greatest fear.

After I snapped out of it, I got a police webpage, and a 911 call is being transcribed into a report, the salient details being, "Three men trapped on a cliff in Lake Mead. Require boat rescue. 36.123,-114.712"
I grabbed some satellite images, Esther got them now

Those of You Headed to Lake Mead

Wiki, Esther, Glenda (and Conner?) arrive by car at the shores of Lake Mead. The large artificial lake was built decades ago to provide water storage for California, Nevada, and Arizona. Now a recreation lake, countless children pee in the water source that keeps Las Vegas alive.

You can easily rent a boat, indeed you would have competing rental vendors should you shout your need. You do need a boat big enough for 6 or 7 people, but again, not an issue. A driver is also possible, but boats are easy, aren't they?

What do you do? And feel free to continue the conversations.

"A prophecy? Why I haven't heard one of those in years! And you're the lone girl hero ay? That's just fabulous. Wonder who the guardian angel is. Hey love, run that name I gave you through your search as well could you? That's another real suspicious name.

In the meantime, I'll go see to a boat." Esther headed to the lines of boats docked by the shore, eyeing the various vendors to see who wasn't going to swindle them, and more importantly, who might seem a little more suspicious than the others.

"You good to go out, pick up a couple of people, and come back honey? A little extra for you if you take care of us safe and sound." She selected one of them.

Esther finds a handsome thirty something man reading a Fan Brown novel. He jumps up when you approach and gives you a polite but appreciative smile. "Hi gorgeous! Do you and your friends need a guided tour today? I've got this beauty here all gassed up and ready to go. I promise the smoothest ride in Lake Mead." The boat behind him is a newer looking pontoon boat with space for as many as 10 or 12 people.

"Ooh it's beautiful. Is the ride going to be as smooth as you are? If so then we're all yours!" She looked at others for agreement as she linked her arm around the boat operator for him to show her up the boat.

He helps Esther onto the boat and says he'll give a brief safety lesson before you depart. He lifts a seat cushion from the front benches, revealing life jackets. "Pick for size, they go by weight listed at the back of the collar. I'll go grab some additional water, in case days like this make you an thirsty as they do me." He blushes unexpectedly, and bundles off to a small marina kiosk nearly.

Esther I have no idear if am "the lone girl" or "the guardian angel" or even if we are "the troupe of wandering heroes". But now we know, and if we don't play into the program with the knowledge, and we are a part of set program, it could be a huge paradox hit.
That is why I hate prophecy

Wiki finds her self a lifejacket, and a good seat. Here she pops up her laptop and programs a webcrawler to searfh for "Janos Jupiter", spelling variations, person-name, company-name, ship-name, ect. She starts the program and lets it does its job.

Looking at the weather, Wiki takes off her jacket, loosens her hair and makes her self comfortable.

Texting to Connor: We are heading out on a boat soon, should we wait, or will you meet us at the coordinates?

Glenda thanks the boat pilot and finds herself a life vest. She can feel the pulses of life coming from all around: the plants, the flying insects, the fish making circles under the dock.

She notices Wiki setting up her computer. "What are you looking for?" she asks.

"I was trying to sniff out who organised the Wheel of Fortune, and the name Janos Jupiter turned up, but with no other information. Wiki here is about to do her search magic." Esther smiled.

Ding! Search compleat
Wiki ties her hair into a ponytail and look at her webcrawlers result on Janos Jupiter

Janos and Jupiter are not used in any meaningful way on the internet.

With very little else to go by, Esther mulled their options in silence on the boat ride, quieter than her customary social self. She focussed on what looked like it'll turn out to be a rescue mission.

Wiki directs the pilot? Driver? Boatsman? to the coordinates

After 25 minutes of hard boating, you arrive at coordinates and see three figures upon the cliff face. The pilot brings the boat to a halt fifty feet from the edge, clearly worried about rocks. However, as it is fairly deep, he inches it closer until you're only twenty feet away. You see the three missing people, although the giant Schlomo is holding Modecai upright, who appears to be senseless. Taurus stands watching Esther in his manner.

They are trapped partway up the cliff on a ledge about thirty feet above the water, with no obvious way down, beyond jumping.

Wiki looks at the others
Any ideas?