®
A Bad Omen “Did I say something wrong?” Lyfe asked, lifting
by Alexandra Pitchford
It was supposed to be a milk run.
The job had gone smoothly. The schematics and
security information Lyfe had dug up on the building
proved to be accurate enough to let them cut through
to the secure host on one of the lower levels. Lyfe hun-
kered down to crack the security door, the troll squint-
ing behind his thick goggles as a digital readout scrolled
across the lenses.
“The security matches what was in the files Mr.
Johnson gave us. Door controls are isolated from the
rest of the system. Uses older tech, some serious 2050s
stuff. I think I can crack it, though.” He unspooled a
cable from the back of his neck, blowing on the plug
before nodding and jacking into the panel. A few mo-
ments later, the door opened with a grinding screech of
metal, revealing darkness beyond broken by a handful
of blinking lights. “Ladies?”
Morgana smiled as the hulking troll swept a mock
bow, motioning them ahead with his gesture. Striga
was less amused, the lean woman hefting her gun and
striding through without a word. Rose followed af-
ter her, motioning the odd mechanical spider she kept
close to her to stand guard by the door.
THE THIRD PARALLEL // A BAD OMEN
his goggles.
“Don’t worry about it, big guy,” Morgana said.
“This is our first run as a crew, and Striga … she’s
just Striga. If my stupid jokes can’t get her to smile, I
don’t think much will.” She patted the muscular decker
on the back before following the other two into the
room. Striga had already found the node, resting a
hand of matte carbon fiber against the casing as her
eyes—gleaming an eerie crimson in the dark—flitted
toward them.
“Lyfe. Wipe the data. The sooner we get out of here,
the better.” Striga’s words carried a slight accent, East-
ern European of some sort, though Morgana had never
been able to place it.
The troll nodded, lowering his overloaded duffel
again and fishing out another cobbled-together piece of
tech. He bit his tongue as he worked, clamping a metal-
lic box to the side of the server casing and hooking wires
that ran from it into ports in the node’s exterior.
“You sure about this, Striga?” Rose leaned back
against another bank of servers along one of the walls,
the lights around her blinking lazily. “We’re getting
paid a lot of nuyen and got dragged all the way out to
fragging Denver to wipe whatever’s on this thing. If the
price tag for destroying it is this big, how much do you
think we could get for hocking a copy of it?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Morgana said.
The elf frowned, glancing toward the rigger. “We
gave our word we’d erase the data without looking
at it, right?”
“I don’t care. We’re all in it for the payday, right?”
Rose snorted, looking at Striga and crossing her arms.
“Why’d you bring the spell-jockey, anyway? This is a
tech run. Should have left her at home—bigger payday
for those of us who’re actually useful.”
Morgana caught Striga’s jaw tensing, a slight twitch
of muscle just below her ear.
“And I told you, Morgana and I are a package
deal.” The reply was curt, the mercenary not even look-
ing over at the rigger. “And if you start in with the
suggestion that she doesn’t get an equal share, I’ll make
sure to shove that spider drone down your throat. Are
we clear?”
“Chill, eh?” Lyfe said, breaking the tension as all
eyes turned back toward him. “I’ll just make a copy,
and we can hash this out later. If we decide not to sell
it, we just delete it, yeah? Easy.”
Striga let out a breath, giving him nod.
“Go ahead.”
“Right-o, boss! Just let me connect real quick,
and—”
The moment Lyfe plugged in, the server node lit
up, its lights flickering like mad. For a brief moment,
Morgana thought she caught a pattern in the flickering
lights, but it was gone just as quickly. The troll seized,
his body jerking backward hard enough to rip the ca-
ble from his head, smoke pouring from the jack in the
back of his neck. Lights recessed in the ceiling flared
red, bathing them all in hellish light as alarms blared
around them.
“Lyfe!” Morgana ran to him, falling to her knees
beside the troll, but a strong hand closed on her shoul-
der and dragged her back.
“We don’t have time,” Striga said, hefting her rifle.
“He’s already dead.”
“You don’t know that! He could have just been
knocked out!”
“Striga’s right,” Rose said. “Tachi is reporting that
the facility’s defenses are coming back online. Whatev-
er that drekking trog did tripped the backup systems.
Dead or not, we need to move.”
They didn’t give Morgana time to respond. Striga
pulled her from the room as Rose and Tachi brought
up the rear, the drone scurrying along behind its cre-
ator. As they passed beyond the server room’s heavy
door, a strange chill passed down Morgana’s spine.
Something was there with them. She struggled to keep
up with Striga’s pace as they ran for the lift at the other
end of the hall, the alarms stuttering and glitching and
the lights starting to flicker overhead as they moved.
“Something’s wrong!”
“No drek!” Rose snapped, tapping the illuminated
screen on her wrist. “The entire net in this building
is going haywire. Security drones are incoming, but
… frag it!” She flinched as the screen sputtered and
cracked in a sudden electrostatic burst. Behind her, Ta-
A BAD OMEN // THE THIRD PARALLEL
 chi twitched and stumbled, falling to the ground in a
clatter of lifeless metal. “This doesn’t make sense!” She
turned as Striga punched the lift button, dropping to
8 a knee beside Tachi and popping open a panel in the
drone’s chassis.
“Leave it!” Striga said.
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
“No way. Do you know what it took to build this
thing? I just need to get it moving again.”
“Build a new one, come on!”
Rose shot Striga a glare. The lift chimed, and Mor-
gana stepped inside, drawing her gun as Striga moved
in after her. Behind the rigger, Tachi twitched and shud-
dered, its eye lenses flickering and flashing white and
red. Rose let out a relieved sigh, starting to stand.
“There we go. Come on, we can get out of here, and
I can give Tachi a proper look-over on the road,” she
said. The drone twitched and stumbled as it got up on
its legs again, a pair of metal barrels emerging from its
carapace as its eyes flared red. The hall was filled with
the sharp rattling of machine-gun fire, Morgana throw-
ing herself to one side as Striga hit the lift panel, bullets
streaking past to thud into the elevator’s back wall as
the doors slid closed. The sound grew muffled, but it
was still firing as they began to move, that last image
of Rose’s form jerking under a hail of gunfire burned
into Morgana’s mind as she hunkered against the wall
and gasped for breath.
“It … it killed her. Tachi killed her! Why?”
Striga crouched quietly on the other side of the lift
from her, just beside the door, checking the clip in her
rifle before slotting it back in and chambering a round.
“Whatever’s causing the building’s systems to go
haywire. She was tied in through her deck, and it took
control of the drone through that. Given how much she
crowed about how ‘un-crackable’ her little toy was, I’d
guess it has control of the security drones, too.”
That thought didn’t make the mage feel better in
the slightest, and she took a deep breath to try and
center herself. Tachi didn’t make it onto the lift, but the
facility had a small army of drones that were nearly as
dangerous. Lyfe had hacked into the system and taken
them offline, at least until he’d tripped the alarm.
“So if whatever or whoever hacked Tachi has con-
trol of the drones—”
“It changes nothing,” Striga said, her words flat.
“They’d fire on us either way.”
“That’s comforting.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
The lift jerked, the control panel flashing as the en-
tire thing ground to a sudden halt. Morgana reached
out to brace herself against the wall, but Striga seemed
entirely unbothered, getting to her feet and slinging her
rifle over her shoulder.
“The schematics showed stairs on the above-
ground levels, didn’t they?” Striga asked, wedging her
fingers into the seam of the door. Morgana wasn’t sure
how much of the mercenary’s body had been replaced
with ’ware, but the most obvious pieces were her arms,
cyberware of some military-grade design armored in
plates of carbon fiber. The woman didn’t even strain
as she wrenched the two halves of the door open. The
lift hadn’t quite reached one of the floors when it had
come to a stop, but there was enough of the exterior
door accessible that Striga was able to pull that one
open as well and hoist herself out of the lift and onto
the floor above them. She swung her weapon around
THE THIRD PARALLEL // A BAD OMEN
again, sweeping from one side to the other before lean-
ing down to offer Morgana a hand up behind her.
“I think so. I don’t remember the exact layout. Lyfe
and Rose had the schematics.”
“Then we find out what level we’re on and go from
there. Avoid the drones if we can and hope that any
live security teams that show up are on this thing’s bad
side, too.”
“And what about you? You’ve got a lot of tech, and
whatever this is, it blew out Rose’s deck and took over
her drone.” Morgana was cautious, but she couldn’t
keep a note of worry from her voice. “Are you going
to be okay?”
“I’m not in the habit of hooking myself up to any
wireless systems,” Striga said, the reply curt, though
her demeanor softened after a moment. “I’ll be fine. I
promise.”
The floor they’d emerged onto was office space, a
broad expanse of sleek cubicles that would have been
packed with wageslaves during normal business hours.
Terminals crackled and sparked, some flickering madly,
others completely blown out from the constant power
surges that were wreaking havoc on the building. The
lighting was dim, flickering like old burned-out fluo-
rescents with an irritating buzz to match. The back of
Morgana’s neck prickled, the sense of being observed
making her stomach knot, though there was no sign
of security—drone or otherwise. The charge in the air
felt like the pressure just before a spell went off, the
crescendo of magic that preceded something big, just
hanging there. Potential unfulfilled.
“There’s something else here, too …” She said,
finally. “I can feel it. It doesn’t make any sense, but
it’s here.” Morgana swallowed. Her throat felt dry. “I
think we let it out.”
Striga began to wend her way through the cubicles,
carefully sweeping each one they passed, and Morgana
fell into step behind her.
“Do you think it took control of the security sys-
tems and Rose’s drone?”
“No. I don’t see how. Magic and tech don’t mix.
Not like that. Maybe it’s a decker with facility security.
Someone has to be controlling the drones in the first
place, right?”
“Maybe.” Striga paused, nodding toward a door
set against the wall to their right. “There. This floor
isn’t one we stopped on on the way down, but the lay-
out is similar enough. Stairs should be that way.” She
started to jog toward the door, cursing and dropping
behind a cubicle wall when the door was pulled open
from the other side. Morgana ducked down beside
her, holding her pistol close as the sound of voices
reached her ears.
“I don’t care if the drones are going nuts, fragging
fix it!” a man shouted, followed by a string of curses.
“Team B’s comms just went down. It sounded like they
were under fire.”
“The intruders, or …?” A second man’s voice
trailed off.
“I have no fragging idea. Just … stow it. We’ve got
work to do.”
Striga lifted her head enough to peek over the edge
of the cubicle, hissing a curse that Morgana didn’t
quite catch before dropping back down.
“Centurion,” she said under her breath. “Either
this is an S-K facility or they’ve contracted with them.
We need to stay low, move toward the door they came
through, and we can avoid them entirely.”
A sharp crash snapped their attention toward the
opposite side of the cubicle farm, a hovering shape
breaking through a wall of frosted glass that had sep-
arated the cubicles from the rest of the floor. The secu-
rity drone wheeled around, its photoreceptors flashing
like mad as it sprayed bullets across the length of the
room. The sudden burst of weapons fire sent the two
women and the security officers scrambling. The pair
of women ran for the door, a shout of surprise follow-
ing as one of the guards spotted them. Striga opened
the door, stopping short as a second drone hovered
down from higher up in the stairwell, a high-pitched
whine building as it prepared to open fire.
“Down!”
Striga pulled Morgana with her as she threw her-
self to the side, another barrage of lead raking across
the room from the open door. One of the guards was
caught by surprise, crumpling in a heap as he was per-
forated, but the other managed to duck behind a desk
just barely in time.
“Enough of this.” Morgana pushed herself up, al-
ready drawing on the charged energy that filled the air
around her. Light crackled around her hands, arcane
power building before she thrust her hand outward
toward the drone that flew in from the stairwell. The
moment the bolt left her hand, it felt as if the atten-
tion of whatever was present locked solely on her, but
she pushed it out of her mind. The bolt struck home,
punching through the drone’s chassis and knocking it
out of the air. A single sharp report followed, and the
other drone fell, smoke curling from the barrel of Stri-
ga’s rifle.
“In for a cred,” the mercenary muttered, standing.
“Let’s go.”
“Stop!”
The second guard had pulled himself up as well, his
weapon leveled at them. He started to move closer, but
the moment he took a step, the air congealed behind
him, boiling as an indistinct shape materialized—the
charge in the air swirling toward that single point in
the room. A spectral face twisted into a rictus, letting
out an echoing scream that made lights flare and burst
around them in showers of glass and sparks. The guard
didn’t even have time to turn around. A ghastly tendril
swept across his frame and tore him apart in a spray
of gore before the entity’s gaze turned toward Morgana
and Striga.
The plan didn’t even need to be spoken. As one,
Morgana and Striga ran, bolting through the stairwell
door and heading up. The markings on the wall indi-
cated they were still several floors underground. When
they reached the ground floor, Morgana staggered to a
stop, desperate to catch her breath.
“Dammit, Cass, there’s not time,” Striga snapped,
the use of a name other than her handle startling Mor-
gana. She nodded, following her companion out into
the floor proper, emerging into a long stretch of hallway.
9
Behind, that strange hollow scream followed them, far
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
too close for comfort. There was no choice but to keep
running. This floor, at least, was familiar, and they bolt-
ed past dead guards and broken drones on their way
to the extraction point. Another trio of drones swept
out of a side room ahead of them, and Morgana forced
herself to focus—electricity flung from her fingertips
this time, arcing and snapping between the drones and
allowing Striga to shoot them down while they were
immobilized. The pair racing past them as they clat-
tered to the ground around them.
An unused security room had been their entry point,
through an exterior door. As they stumbled inside, Stri-
ga hit the door’s lock mechanism and snarled a curse
as the panel flickered with static like all the other mon-
itors and panels in the building had been.
“Drek!” She turned, quickly slamming the door
they’d entered through shut, drew her pistol, and fired
into the panel beside it. “What the fragging hell is that
thing, Morgana? Some answers would be real great
right now, because I don’t think I can kill a fragging
ghost with a gun!”
“It’s not a ghost. I don’t know what that was, Stri-
ga. I’ve never—I’ve never seen anything like it.”
In the distance, the howl echoed, and Morga-
na shuddered involuntarily. Each time she heard the
noise, it sliced into her soul. Outside the room, some-
thing slammed against the door, jarring it in its frame.
Striga moved to flip over the desk, laying her rifle over
the top and staring down the door as whatever was on
the other side slammed into it again. Streamers of mist
began to leak around the door’s edges, the lights over-
head buzzing in increasing pitch. What it was didn’t
matter as much as the fact that it was trying to rip
through the door and kill them both. So be it.
Morgana braced herself, focusing what power she
had into orbs of arcane light in her hands, poised to
fling the charged bolts at whatever came through when
the shuddering door finally gave way.
It never came.
The shuddering stopped with a screech of metal.
The mage heard gunfire in the distance, a sharp stac-
cato that increased in tempo as a fading howl cut the
air. Someone else—possibly more security forces—had
drawn the thing’s attention, and it even sounded as if
more drones were firing back at them. In front of her,
Striga exhaled, lowering her gun and getting up to pry
open their exit.
“Frag Denver. Frag S-K. We’re going home.”
A BAD OMEN // THE THIRD PARALLEL
 SHADOWS
OF DENVER
Posted by: Peregrine
March 10, 2079, marks the last time I commu-
nicated with a good friend of mine who lived in
Denver. Her name was Perri, and she was a sys-
op for the Denver Data Haven, also known as the
Nexus. But a couple months ago, I got a message
on an old, encrypted channel that hinted that Perri
might still be alive. I owed it to her to follow up
this lead (and I had nothing else on my plate any-
way) so I made a trip to the Mile High City. What
I learned about the Front Range Free Zone on that
trip seemed like it’d be a good tract for my fellow
JackPointers.
History of the
Front Range
We’ll start with some historical context to get
you situated. The Front Range Free Zone (FRFZ)
has long been populated by a mix of various Amer-
SHADOWS OF DENVER // HISTORY OF THE FRONT RANGE
ind tribes and Anglos. At various points in history,
the region was claimed by Amerind tribes, Spain,
France, and the USA. Currently it is firmly in the
claws of Ghostwalker, a great western dragon who
has changed the landscape (literally and figurative-
ly) in ways we’re still discovering.
Some of the first people to populate the area
were the Ute, who still play a role in its cultural
development to this day. The Ute were joined by
the Cheyenne, Lakota, Kiowa, Pueblo, Coman-
che, Sioux, and Arapahoe. You can see traces of
all these tribes throughout the region, and the Na-
tive American Nations remain some of the most
dominant cultural powers in the whole FRFZ. The
Pueblo Corporate Council represents the largest
land border with the FRFZ, encompassing the
whole of the western and southern borders, and
most of the northern and eastern borders.
The Anglos came along in the early 1800s, led
by a man named Zebulon Pike. You’ll see his in-
fluence over the region as well. He named Pike’s
Peak, and his “discovery” of the region inspired a
wave of independent, free-spirited Anglos to come
to the area and call it home. However, it was the
gold rush of 1859 that really brought significant
and irreversible changes to the region.
> There was a massacre near Sand Creek in 1864, in which over
150 people from the Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes were
slaughtered by American soldiers. This was a turning point in
the relations between Amerinds and Anglos and led to dozens
of reciprocal attacks by both sides. If you want to visit the
battleground, bring some spiritual protection—the spirits of the
land still remember and don’t tolerate Anglos at all.
> Lyran
The three major cities that make up the FRFZ
were all founded around the gold industry, which
means you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that all
three are deeply ingrained with violence, deceit,
and murder.
Denver was founded in 1858 by General Larim-
er, who settled next to an existing gold claim and
forced the people on it to leave so he could claim it
himself. Pretty nasty piece of work. It was there he
built up Larimer Square, which is still in the cen-
ter of Denver. Following the collapse of the gold
mines, the city had to look forward, and it became
a haven for software startups, entrepreneurs, and
an early pioneer of the Matrix. It now serves as the
capital of the FRFZ, and on a clear day you can see
Ghostwalker standing atop his tower in the middle
of the city.
> Lately, you see more and more of Ghostwalker. For a while
after the Eviction, Ghostwalker wasn’t around much at all. It
was basically just Nicholas Whitefeather telling everyone what
Ghostwalker said. But the last six months or so, we’ve seen
Ghostwalker a lot more often.
> Kay St. Irregular
Colorado Springs was founded in 1858 as well,
and while there was some gold present, it wasn’t in
the quantities found in other areas. The city grew
up anyway though, thriving on the area’s prolific
hot springs, which promised health and purifica-
tion of the spirit to weary travelers and workers
in the region. By the twentieth century, Colorado
Springs was known more for its military presence
than its healing properties, as it boasted the Air
Force Academy along with five other military in-
stallations in and around the city. Rumor has it
that the Air Force Academy’s McDermott Library
housed the Denver Data Haven while it still exist-
ed. I’ll get more into detail about that later.
Boulder has a slightly different kind of histo-
ry. Also founded in 1858, it was the territory of
Arapaho Chief Niwot, who attempted to warn off
the Anglo interlopers. Chief Niwot was granted a
vision of a flood that would wipe away his people
but leave the Anglos unharmed. Thus, he decided
to allow them to stay, but he also uttered the Curse
of the Boulder Valley: “People seeing the beauty
of this valley will want to stay, and their staying
will be the undoing of the beauty.” You can still 11
see this curse etched into the arrivals gate of Ni-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
wot airport. While Boulder was founded on a gold
claim, it really began to boom once the University
of Colorado took root. Unlike many of the gold
mining towns of the West at this point, Boulder is
known more for its artistic and intellectual culture.
Indeed, as Chief Niwot stated, the beauty would
convince people to stay. In recent years, there’s
been a major push to try to reclaim the natural
beauty and reverse the curse.
> Under Ghostwalker, funds have been pouring in for
naturalization projects. Of course, this means that we’re also
seeing an uptick in people trying to siphon those funds for
personal gain.
> Bifrost
In 2018, the First Treaty of Denver changed the
political landscape of North America forever. The
United States and Canada returned a lot of their
land to form the Native American Nations, and
the FRFZ was established as a politically neutral
region. This led to the creation of the United Ca-
nadian and American States, the Confederation of
American States, and the balkanization of North
America. Eventually, the Treaty of Denver under-
went some revisions to account for the separation
of Tsimshian, Aztlan, and Tír Tairngire, along with
the development of the CAS.
On Christmas Eve 2061, the city got a new
leader. Ghostwalker emerged from the Watergate
Rift and immediately flew to Denver. He wrecked
things throughout the region, focusing his rampage
in the Aztlan sector. He then kicked Aztlan out of
the FRFZ and established himself as its leader.
This, of course, required a rebuilding of the Trea-
ty of Denver. The Second Treaty of Denver was
written and established Ghostwalker’s rule over
the Hub district. The Pueblo Corporate Council
(PCC) took over the former Ute districts as well,
and things stabilized eventually.
> This was a scary time in the Mile High City. No one knew what
Ghostwalker wanted, only that he was on a tear through the
area, killing hundreds and razing whole neighborhoods to the
ground. It was only later that we learned that the focus of his
attacks was on Aztechnology when he announced that he was
going to recompense all parties except them.
> Kay St. Irregular
Ghostwalker took a small hiatus in 2073 and
returned in 2074 with the free spirit Zebulon. Ze-
bulon was an amazing spirit who showed a great
amount of compassion and consideration. Some
scholars argued that Zebulon convinced Ghost-
HISTORY OF THE FRONT RANGE // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 walker to spare more than a few metahumans.
However, Zebulon is also the reason Ghostwalk-
er would sometimes make some very odd or even
12 downright callous decisions. For instance, he
would grant a building permit to one person and
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
tear down that same building shortly after it was
constructed. Astral scholars have said that he was
doing this to affect the manasphere in Denver, to
make it more amenable to Zebulon. The full truth
is still unknown, and in 2079, Zebulon was report-
ed to be destroyed. Not just dispersed or disrupted,
but obliterated.
Since 2079, things have been crazy. As I said
before, communication with the region was shut
down on March 10. The cities all went into lock-
down, and Ghostwalker’s Zone Defense Force
(ZDF) forcibly ushered out every government enti-
ty from the FRFZ. Ghostwalker’s Voice, Nicholas
Whitebird, declared that the ZDF was maintaining
martial law over the zone per Ghostwalker’s wish-
es. Ghostwalker had given the various member na-
tions a month to evacuate, and anyone left behind
was treated as fair game by the ZDF. The whole
thing was to be known as Ghostwalker’s Recla-
mation, but some folks on the street will refer to it
as the Great Eviction. Things were very tense for
a few months while people acclimated to the new
normal.
Places to Go ...
The FRFZ is a lot more than just Denver, Col-
orado Springs, and Boulder. It’s also more than all
the transportation, politics, and shadow games.
To my knowledge, Denver is the only city in the
world that boasts its own metaplane. Additionally,
it’s got a very outsized Matrix presence. To discuss
these last two areas, about which I am no expert,
I reached out to Bifrost and Voxel, two Denver
residents who know a ton about the astral plane
and the Matrix, respectively. I also collected some
feedback from a couple of local Denverites named
14er and Mile High Mike, who can provide some
street-level input that might be useful. I’ve put
their comments in the relevant sections, since they
don’t have access to JackPoint.
The FRFZ is broken up into several semi-auton-
omous districts, and they cover the territory from
as far north as Boulder, to as far south as Colorado
Springs. The Zone is simply humungous, covering
12,754 square kilometers of what used to be Col-
orado. There is a total of nineteen districts, with a
demilitarized zone (DMZ) around the whole thing.
The DMZ is about a kilometer thick, with autho-
rized checkpoints along major roads connecting
the PCC and Sioux Nation with the FRFZ. Cross-
ing the DMZ requires a scan of your vehicle and
passengers, and then a similar scan on the other
side. Despite all this, there is a lot of illegal traf-
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
fic, because the size of the FRFZ prevents the ZDF
from patrolling every kilometer effectively.
Getting into or out of any of the districts re-
quires passing through a checkpoint. The check-
points are pretty unobtrusive, having just a gate
that covers the road scanning SINs in real time, Pe-
destrian access uses the same system. You can just
drive right through without ever slowing down.
The whole thing is automated, but if they detect
a falsified SIN or contraband in your vehicle, the
ZDF will be deployed to your position, and you’ll
be tracked by drones almost immediately.
All the districts have a representative on the
Zone Council, except for the Gap and Englewood,
which both lack the population to warrant such a
position. Members of the Zone Council are giv-
en free accommodations in Ghostwalker’s private
suites in The Hub. And while they are the legisla-
tors and representatives of the people on paper, the
fact remains that if Ghostwalker chooses to crush
them and eat their families, they’re all now very
close at claw.
You’ll see that theme throughout the FRFZ, to
be honest. Everywhere I looked, it seemed like peo-
ple were happily going about their days as if noth-
ing was wrong. But it just took a knowing glance
around to find all the cameras, drones, and agents
watching everyone’s every move. It was the sort of
thing that was very paranoia-inducing. No wonder
people prefer to pretend it’s not all there.
Arvada
arvada at a glance
Size: 226 square kilometers
Population (2081): 152,000
Human: 65%
Dwarf: 3%
Elf: 13%
Ork: 15%
Troll: 2%
Other: 2%
Population density: 673 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 65,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 8
Education (2081):
Less than 12 years: 25%
High school equivalency: 38%
College equivalency: 23%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 14%
Located just north and west of the city center,
the Arvada district is a large area that covers about
230 square kilometers of mostly urban space. On
the western edges of the district, things get more
rural and spread out. On the eastern edges, things
are very dense. Arvada is still very much a bed-
room community for the larger Denver region.
> All those wageslaves who live in Arvada are pumped to the brim
with chemicals. All those uppers have taken their toll on the soul
of Arvada and its residents.
> Bifrost 13

SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL

> Be aware that there are packs of feral Libertines running around.
For those that don’t know what those are, they’re Emerged
raccoons. Like normal raccoons, they tend to be a nuisance for
anything that isn’t nailed down. The difference is, they like to dig
through your commlinks and mess with your data.
> Voxel

Atlantean Foundation Offices

The Atlantean Foundation runs its affairs out
of this tall building. Visitors are permitted on the
first two floors, which are dedicated to their collec-
tion of relics, promotional materials for their orga-
nization, and public relations. The remaining five
floors are off-limits to the public and presumably
are reserved for the Atlantean Foundation’s meet-
ings, support staff, and perhaps even more secure
storage. The presence of a basement vault has been
hinted at but not confirmed.

KMAG Headquarters
Local media outlet KMAG leases the top two
floors of this building. The topmost floor is re-
served for sets, broadcast equipment, simsense
equipment, and other tools of the trade. The floor
below is reserved for corporate offices, writing
rooms, and other support personnel. The roof is
used for broadcast equipment such as satellites,
antennae, and repeaters.

Lakeside Amusement Park

A former amusement park that fell into dis-
repair and was rebuilt as a casino, the Lakeside
Amusement Park now caters to more adult enter-
tainment. The amusement park still exists, but the
real money and focus is on the casino and brothel
run by the Chavez Family.

> If you have to do business with the Chavez Family, there’s a

very strong chance it’ll happen here. If you are asked to meet
somewhere else, it’s probably a setup. They prefer to do their
business where they can control the action.
> 14er

Mesametric Factory
Mesametric is one of the largest local compa-
nies in the region. They build everything from con-
struction drones to light military craft. Currently,
they have a contract with the Sioux Nation to pro-
vide military vehicles to them.

PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER

 Table Mountain
Prison Complex
14 Located within hollowed-out areas of Table
Mountain, this super-max prison is said to be near-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
ly impossible to escape. A lucky few have managed
to escape through the top, but the cold air, harsh
winds, and steep descent create a small pile of bod-
ies near the streets below that is regularly cleaned
up by the ZDF.
> Ghost, the astral plane here is almost as bad as in Aurora. Hundreds
of people have tried to escape this prison, only to end up falling or
freezing to death. All that death, combined with the complete lack
of empathy on the parts of the guards makes the place pretty hard
to deal with. Despite that, they don’t bring Awakened prisoners
here. They know that spirits and magical abilities would make short
work of most of their security measures.
> Bifrost
Aurora Warrens
The Aurora Warrens is a land of urban blight
and decay. The other Denverites thought that
the residents of Aurora bred like rabbits, which
is where the name “Warrens” originated. Many,
many years later, some residents prefer to live un-
derground, away from Ghostwalker’s prying eyes.
This has only reinvigorated the use of “rabbit” as
a slur against the residents.
Things went downhill for Aurora back when
the area was targeted as a source of wealth that
needed seizing following the First Treaty of Denver.
Wealthy people moved out, often going to nearby
Englewood, and they were replaced by high-densi-
ty, low-income housing. Land values plummeted,
which some hoped would lead to a surge of devel-
opment in the area, but that never transpired.
Public utilities are a joke in the Warrens. Most
residents have to buy their water from the local
aurora at a glance
Size: 102 square kilometers
Population (2081): 503,000
Human: 58%
Dwarf: 5%
Elf: 10%
Ork: 20%
Troll: 4%
Other: 3%
Population density: 4,931 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 6,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 5
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 85%
High school equivalency: 12%
College equivalency: 2%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 1%
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
gangs, who get it from the Quincy Reservoir. For
electricity, most residents have to scrape together
their own generators and power them via refur-
bished solar panels, old-fashioned fuels, or even
hand cranks.
All this is to say essentially: avoid the Aurora
Warrens if possible.
> Astrally speaking, this place is just as bad as it is physically. The
despair of millions of souls weighs heavily on the astral plane
here. But, if you look closely, you might see the occasional spark
of hope or light in the gloom. That’s because even in a place like
this, there is a spirit of freedom and independence.
> Bifrost
> People and sprites in Aurora tend to take a lot of pride in their
cobbled-together decks and hacks. You’ll find AR graffiti all over
the district.
> Voxel
Aurora Village
Medical Center
Take everything I just said about the day-to-
day horror of Aurora and forget about it when it
comes to this one place. It was built in 2072 to
help support the Olympics in the city, and they
chose a place right on the border of Aurora and
Stapleton because it was on the good side of land
prices, but close enough to the arenas that it could
still service them.
> The ZDF has constant patrols to ensure that staff and patients
get in and out safely. Oh, and forget about going here if you’re
not a full-fledged citizen.
> Mile High Mike
Meat Market
If you’re Infected in Denver, you better know
about the Meat Market in Aurora. Built into an
old mall on the north end, it’s an open secret that
the place is run by Tamanous. They cater, literally,
to the special dietary needs of the Infected. It’s a
great place to find buyers for any fresh “product”
you might have available.
Paradise Lane
Honestly, I could have broken this entry up into
six or seven other entries. The story goes that sev-
eral former shadowrunners decided to retire and
open businesses that would provide critical ser-
vices to the shadow community. The street known
as Paradise Lane is one of the only places in the
Warrens where the Fronts and Zombies have no
direct presence. The businesses along this street are
barricaded and protected by this team of runners,
their contacts, and some of the residents who have
taken on the role of local militia. This is about the
safest place in the Warrens.
There’s a weapon store called Dartguns 2
Smartguns, run by a guy named Rattler who has
two crazy cyberarms. Rattler will provide you
with nearly any weapon you could want and can
even customize them for you on the spot. He’s
married to Trinket, who runs a talismonger shop
across the street (it’s creatively named Trinket’s).
Trinket is a raccoon shaman, which you’ll learn
quickly when you get into the store. It looks like
a cluttered mess, but Trinket knows where every-
thing is, always.
> Rattler will also let you use the back room of his shop for private
meets, but only if he knows both parties.
> Mile High Mike
Sam’s Gadgets is a bit of an anomaly in the
Warrens—it caters to users of electronic gadgets
and tools. Run by a technomancer named Sam,
the store is just about the only place on earth I
could find an old RadioShack commlink. Next
door to Sam’s Gadgets is Allie Cats XXX, a strip
club that also doubles as a place where you can
find nearly any drug or pathogen known to man.
Allie, the lady who runs the place, takes great
pride in ensuring her dancers are safe, and also
provides special back rooms for private meetings
with Johnsons.
> Phrasing.
> Bifrost
Grunt’s Orkish Delights is a restaurant that spe-
cializes in making very spicy and hearty meals to
cater to ork tastes. Basically, it’s a Szechuan place,
and they have some of the best noodles I’ve ever
had. It’s run by an old ork named Grunt who sup-
posedly was a cook for the Big Rhino in Seattle.
Hippocrates is a clinic right next door, run by a
street doc named Hippocrates. The way I under-
stand it, he got his name by fixing up the gang
members who attempted to run him out of town—
after he shot them, of course.
Dracula’s Coffins is one of the strangest places
I’ve ever seen. It’s run by a guy who calls himself
Dracula and claims to be a vampire. To be honest,
I can’t independently verify this story, but he cer-
tainly seems to fit the part. He runs a coffin hotel
out of the front of this old garage, where he can
sleep up to twenty in coffin-like pods. However,
his real passion seems to be tuning up cars. The
rest of the garage is set up to work on cars big and
small. He can tune up your Bulldog just as easily as
he can fix your Scoot, and while you wait you can
chill out in one of his coffins. If you trust a vampire
to watch over you, of course.
The last stop on our tour of Paradise Lane is
Hole in the Wall. It’s a bar like most bars, but
with a twist. The place is run by a free spirit of
fire named Frantic. Not only are her pours legend-
ary—as you might expect, there’s a lot of flaming
drinks—but she can even open an astral gateway 15
and hide an object on a metaplane, away from
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
prying eyes. Frantic is the only person who knows
where her gateways go, and there’s no way she will
talk about it. She’s sworn some sort of geas about
it, which prevents her from ever speaking to any-
one about the metaplane.
> Hole in the Wall is also unique for catering to the needs of
spirits. It’s unclear exactly how Frantic does it, but she whips up
“drinks” for her spirit clientele. They seem to love it, and I swear
I’ve seen some of them get what I can only call drunk.
> Bifrost
Quincy Reservoir
Known to locals as “the Rez”, the Quincy
Reservoir is the only place where locals can find
reliably clean water. Compared to the rest of the
FRFZ, the water is toxic beyond compare—but for
the rabbits of the Warrens, this is their best option.
Distribution and collection are controlled exclu-
sively by the Fronts, a gang that I’ll be covering
in more detail later. Needless to say, there are con-
stant fights as residents squabble over their share
of the water.
Smoky Hill Marketplace
The Aurora Warrens’ very own open-air souk!
One can find almost anything here, provided that
you’re okay with things that are previously used.
And by “previously used,” I mean “still covered in
the blood of the previous poor sap who bought the
thing.”
Tír’Rae
A small neighborhood of elves in the east-
ern part of the Aurora Warrens. The residents of
Tír’Rae live primarily underground, taking refuge
in a series of old mining tunnels. They are fiercely
protective of their holdings, and protection is pro-
vided by the Silver Thorns, an all-elf gang.
Boulder
Boulder is the northernmost city in the FRFZ.
It’s a gorgeous place, truly. The residents there
have done a lot to make the city environmentally
friendly, even requiring new buildings to be built
so that they don’t obstruct the landscape. This
means there are fewer corporate buildings in the
city, but the residents think that’s a worthwhile
tradeoff. Home to one of the oldest universities
in the region, Boulder produces some of the best
artists and creative talents in North America.
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER

Boulder at a glance
Size: 1,440 square kilometers (150 urban)
16 Population (2081): 207,500 (200,000 urban)
Human: 50%
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
Dwarf: 6%
Elf: 19%
Ork: 18%
Troll: 4%
Other: 3%
Population density: 144 per square kilometer
(1,333 in urban area)
Per capita income: 90,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 10
Education (2080)
Less than 12 years: 18%
High school equivalency: 45%
College equivalency: 25%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 12%
> The ZDF in Boulder is more aggressive about environmental
crimes (such as littering) than in most other parts of the Zone.
In most parts of the Zone, you’d just get a ticket, but in Boulder,
expect to get arrested and detained for a few hours at least.
> 14er
Fox Theatre
A favorite nightclub for students at the Univer-
sity of Colorado for generations, the Fox Theatre
is a hint of retro cool in the midst of an ever-chang-
ing landscape. It specializes in jazz, indie rock, and
even hosts a few poetry slams. An unspecified alum
purchased the theatre back in 2068 and began ret-
rofitting it to keep the aesthetic while moderniz-
ing the facilities. You’ll find AR-enabled elements
throughout, carefully woven into the art deco styl-
ing of the building.
Halferville
There is a small area on the eastern side of Boul-
der that is affectionately known as “Halferville.”
It supports a large community of dwarves, and
they lean hard into their communal identity. Every
week they host a farmer’s market where you can
buy dwarven-made arts and crafts, among other
things, and generally participate in what they refer
to as “Halfer culture.” By which I mean, everything
is basically normal, but the prices are inflated in
order to bilk the tourists.
Heritage Museum
Back before the Ute Nation was absorbed by
the PCC, Boulder was in the Ute sector. The region
boasts a tremendous amount of historical Ute sites
and artifacts, most of which are housed in the Her-
itage Museum. The Heritage Museum also caters
to other types of exhibits though, but they try to
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
remain mainstream. For instance, you won’t see a
single image of Daniel Howling Coyote here, be-
cause he’s considered too “edgy.”
> Which is total bulldrek. Honestly, someone should break in and
put a bunch of his artwork and the old propaganda posters up.
That would probably slot off some sort of bigwig in the PCC—and
rightly so!
> Lyran
> Hey, if you’re paying, I’ll break into it and set up an impromptu
art exhibit.
> Mika
> Let’s talk offline.
> Lyran
Horizon Office Complex
Depending on how you approach this building,
you might see the plains to the east or the moun-
tains out west. That’s because Horizon built this
facility with unique exterior panels that mimic the
surrounding environment. Designed to curve and
move with the landscape, this office is truly an ar-
chitectural marvel. Rumor has it that this office
houses a branch of Horizon Internal Intelligence,
their own gestapo that monitors internal employ-
ees for the Consensus. If true, this might be a gold
mine for an intrepid interloper who wanted to get
their hands on data about Horizon assets.
SpiriTech Headquarters
SpiriTech is one of the local AA-rated corps,
based here on the north side of Boulder. They em-
ploy a large number of spirits and shamans, and all
of them work out of this office. So naturally, this
building is well-guarded from a magical perspective.
They hired Ming Solutions to provide guidance on
how to make the building accessible yet private.
There is no living material on the exterior of the
building, allowing spirits and astral entities to free-
ly enter and exit. Internally, however, there is living
material inside each wall, which preserves privacy
and ensures that company activities are secure.
> As one might expect, the magical defenses on this place are top-
notch. But unlike most corporate facilities, the magical security
is shamanic in nature. This means that you’re more likely to
encounter spirits working alongside security guards who may be
well-trained in resisting your magical influences.
> Bifrost
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado recently underwent
massive reforms and rebuilding efforts, thanks in
large part to the University of Denver. While some
might view this as aiding a rival, the universities
both saw that there was greater potential in pre-
serving that rivalry than in stifling the competi-
tion. The University of Colorado draws substan-
tial numbers of magically active students and has a
burgeoning technomancy department that studies
the effects of Resonance.
Brighton
brighton at a glance
Size: 1,093 square kilometers
Population (2081): 37,800
Human: 84%
Dwarf: 1%
Elf: 6%
Ork: 5%
Troll: 2%
Other: 2%
Population density: 35 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 35,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 8
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 24%
High school equivalency: 52%
College equivalency: 20%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 4%
Brighton is located on the far northeastern edge
of the Zone, bordering the Sioux Nation. It’s in-
credibly rural, especially when compared to the
rest of the Zone. It is named for the largest town
in the area, but with a population in the low thou-
sands, it’s hard to say there’s a lot of reasons to
visit. That being said, there are some very inter-
esting locations within the Brighton district that
take advantage of the ruralness to provide an extra
layer of privacy and security.
> Brighton is a lovely place to see the sun rise in the astral plane.
You can actually see what the plains might have looked like back
when the world was young, before humans walked its face.
> Bifrost
> Every single farm here makes extensive use of drones to manage
their fields, crops, and do other work. Most modern farms are
highly technologically advanced and are usually owned (or are
at least subsidized) by a corporate sponsor.
> Voxel
Change the Range Solar Farm
One of the advantages to being in a massive,
flat, rural plain is that you can open a solar farm.
The Change the Range solar farm actually provides
almost all the electricity requirements of both the
Brighton and Stapleton districts. If something were
to happen to the Castle Rock Fusion Plant, this
solar farm is slated to provide power to the Hub at
the expense of all other districts.
CodeBlue Biotech Office 17
Most people don’t realize that MCT does some
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
of its sketchiest research under the names of its sub-
sidiaries. CodeBlue is one of them. They operate
a research facility on the farthest outskirts of the
Zone, and they’ve even set it up as a Zero Zone.
It must be some sort of self-contained facility too,
because the only things coming or going are drones
carrying supplies. Though supply drones don’t usu-
ally get an accompanying combat drone escort.
> I knew a chummer named Pike’s Pete who tried to get in here.
We never found his body, so we had a service for him at Five by
Five.
> 14er
Horse Trot Ranch
A very large corporate retreat owned by Jarone
“HammerJack” Falcone. Falcone purposefully
built the whole facility to support secret and clan-
destine meetings. The ranch is used by corporate
types now. No idea how he’s doing under Ghost-
walker’s rule, but back in my day he ran a hell of
an operation. Soundproofing and counter-surveil-
lance were just the beginning. He also put memory
locks on all the guards, so they have no idea who
the guests were once their visit is over. He’s still got
some sympathy for fellow runners, but don’t abuse
his trust.
Pearson Park
Hoo-boy is this a crazy place. Only ever went
there once, and I’m lucky I made it out alive. Sto-
ry goes that the town of Fort Lupton used to be
a suburb of Denver that did pretty well for itself.
Following the Awakening, though, the town start-
ed to experience a bunch of weird phenomena.
There was an unspecified “natural disaster” in the
town that forced everyone to evacuate—this was
around the time of the First Treaty of Denver, so it
was sort of lumped in with the Anglos leaving the
newly created Sioux Nation territory. Fast forward
to today, and the place is overrun with flora of all
kinds. It’s like nature did more than just reclaim
the town, it devoured it whole. No one has been
able to figure out what happened here exactly, but
it’s extremely dangerous.
> The thing about Pearson is that the mojo is just wrong. It’s not
toxic per se, but it’s definitely not clean, either. When you go into
the astral in this area, you’ll feel what I mean. There’s a sense of
dread, and it’s palpable. It gets worse the closer you get to the
actual park, too. Whatever’s in there is not happy to have visitors.
> Bifrost
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 Safiya’s Critter Care
Just your average, run-of-the-mill pet clinic ca-
tering to a rural community. Or it would be, if not
18 for the fact that Safiya’s a gifted geneticist. She can
actually whip up some chimeric animals in this
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
clinic, which makes her a tidy sum on the black
market. If you need some patching up while you’re
in Brighton, Safiya’s a good person to know. In
addition to her pet clinic, she operates as a rural
version of a street doc.
Sitting Bull Shooting Range
Brighton used to be in the militant Sioux Na-
tion, so it’s hardly a surprise to find that there’s
still a strong philosophy of self-defense. The Sitting
Bull Shooting Range allows people to come and
practice their gun skills with almost any weapon
imaginable. They even rent their guns to people for
practice time. They can’t sell anything that’s illegal
to possess, but they can rent it out. If you want to
practice your skill with a Panther Assault Cannon,
go for it. Also, they will sell ammo in huge bulk
quantities in any caliber you could ever want.
VOR Robotics Office
Another MCT subsidiary, hidden away out in
rural Brighton. Unlike CodeBlue Biotech, VOR
Robotics isn’t very secretive. It’s also not a Zero
Zone. VOR Robotics is a drone manufacturer, spe-
cializing in drones that look like animals.
> They use those same animalistic drones to provide Matrix
overwatch and surveillance for the surrounding area. Be
cautious—any animal you see may be a drone providing a live
feedback to the MCT security guards and spiders onsite.
> Voxel
Broomfield
broomfield at a glance
Size: 277 square kilometers
Population (2081): 57,200
Human: 60%
Dwarf: 4%
Elf: 15%
Ork: 16%
Troll: 3%
Other: 2%
Population density: 206 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 85,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 8
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 19%
High school equivalency: 43%
College equivalency: 26%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 12%
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
This cozy district just northwest of Denver’s
city center boasts some of the nicest real estate
in the region. It’s a well-to-do district, with many
corporate enclaves. Per-capita income is on the
high end for the FRFZ, and as a result they tend
to have lower ZDF response times, lower crime
rates, higher education rates, etc. All the things
that privilege and money can buy can be found
in Broomfield.
> Imagine a whole district populated by Karens. That’s what
Broomfield is. If you’re going to encounter a shade or negative
spirit here, it’s almost certainly going to be one for greed
or avarice. Envy is the predominate emotion in the district,
as neighbors are willing to sell each other out for their next
promotion or step up the ladder.
> Bifrost
> I’m not even going to pretend to understand what a “Karen” is.
If you want to find information about which boss is sleeping with
which secretary, just tap into one of the local neighborhood chats.
The gossip mills are constantly running, which provide a frankly
astonishing amount of intel that you can use for your runs.
> Voxel
Cerebrotech Factory
A subsidiary of Ares, Cerebrotech focuses
heavily on cyberware components. This factory
produces most of them for their Ares Consumer
Goods division.
> This facility has more Matrix security than it should. They’re
just a manufacturing plant, but they’re protected like an R&D
facility. I’ve seen technomancers and traditional spiders working
hand-in-hand, which implies they’re protecting something worth
stealing. I would pay good nuyen to know what’s inside.
> Voxel
HyperSense Headquarters
Back in the early 2060s, Renraku bought out
this homegrown simsense tech company and made
it one of their subsidiaries. Since then, Renraku has
regularly pumped out upgrades to their simsense
technology, constantly pushing boundaries and
opening up new avenues of sensation. They owe it
all to the work done in this building.
> A data courier sprite told me that there’s a technomancer who
heads up R&D here. Goes by the name of Neuron. Last I heard
about Neuron, he was one of the folks who was liberated from
that Horizon facility in Las Vegas. It’s good to know that he’s
landed on his feet, but rumor has it he’s using some of the
techniques Horizon used on him.
> Voxel
Newlife Medical
A top-notch medical facility in Denver, New-
life Medical has contracts with the ZDF to pro-
vide them with upgrades, implants, and medical
services at a discounted rate. Thus, the security at
Newlife is always better than one would expect,
since there are so many officers that literally owe
their lives to the doctors there. If you can get in,
expect to be treated well and to have excellent ser-
vice. But know this: they have been known to send
off-duty ZDF officers to collect on those that fall
behind in their payments.
> They also have fantastic facilities for Awakened clientele.
> Marko
Sedalia Airport
Built by the PCC following their absorption
of the Ute Nation, the Sedalia Airport is one of
the newer airports in the FRFZ. The facility is
extremely modern, having been completed just
before the 2072 Olympics. It’s one of the more
popular airports for getting into the FRFZ, as its
location gives tourists and commuters a lot of op-
tions for getting around the Zone or connecting to
other areas.
Unfortunately, it’s relatively small and can’t
handle intercontinental flights. As a result, the air-
port is actively trying to buy up the land around
itself to expand. The Ghostwalker administration
has prevented these purchases, though, which led
to litigation against Ghostwalker by the Sedalia
airport owners. I think they’re just hoping for a
settlement, since there’s no chance Ghostwalker
will ever show up in court for something like this.
It’s a great opportunity for someone to pull a
con here. Just present falsified papers that indicate
that the land is available for sale, take the money,
and run. It’s the old “Brooklyn Bridge” scam.
> Part of why Ghostwalker is so hesitant to allow the airport to
expand is because one of the owners is Martha Kasten. The
name probably doesn’t sound familiar, because she used to go
by Frostbite. That was when she was a runner for Aztechnology.
Just surrendering that old identity hasn’t given Ghostwalker
whatever closure he needs.
> Voxel
Towne Center Mall
Despite the fact that malls lost their mainstream
popularity over a century ago, the Towne Center
Mall remains open and busy at most times of the
day. Perhaps there’s something that rich people like
about being able to touch the goods before they
buy them? Rumor has it that the mall’s owners are
deeply in debt and are on the verge of closing their
doors for good. But for now, busy parents can find
respite by spending their nuyen on vapid shopping
experiences.
> I was once hired to remove a spirit of despair affecting shoppers 19
in the mall. The owners contacted me directly, which was very
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
unusual. I found the shade, who had attached itself to a group
of sullen teenagers who were moping about the mall. In the end,
one of the teenagers was hospitalized by the shade, but I got
rid of it. It’s important to know that Ghostwalker’s decree about
spirit rights ends as soon as one attacks someone.
> Bifrost
> Wait, are you implying that you allowed the spirit to harm that
teenager so you could attack it freely?
> Lyran
Castle Rock
castle rock at a glance
Size: 629 square kilometers
Population (2081): 54,600
Human: 63%
Dwarf: 2%
Elf: 15%
Ork: 16%
Troll: 2%
Other: 2%
Population density: 87 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 56,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 7
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 31%
High school equivalency: 37%
College equivalency: 23%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 9%
Named for the large rock formation to be
found just east of I-25, Castle Rock is sparse-
ly populated but maintains some of the most
critical infrastructure for the entire FRFZ. The
district is focused heavily on the I-25 corridor,
which splits the district in half going north-
south. Most of the important areas are within
a few kilometers of I-25, which means the rural
areas to the extreme east and west are virtually
unused.
> These areas are used, just not by metahumans. The rural areas
are rumored to be home to a group of fairies. The fae that I’ve met
tend to be interested in meeting the rest of us. If there are fae out
in the woods there, they’re some breed of fae I’ve yet to meet.
> Bifrost
> With the exception of Stonegate, there’s not much of interest to
me except what’s immediately along I-25’s borders.
> Voxel
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 Castle Rock Fusion Plant
Built inside the Castle Rock, the fusion plant
is run by Shiawase’s Fuzion subsidiary. It serves
20 as the primary source of electricity to the entire
FRFZ. It provides clean, nuclear power for mil-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
lions of homes and businesses, and the whole oper-
ation is primarily subsidized by Ghostwalker. Shi-
awase maintains a strong military presence here,
given that the whole thing is a giant fusion bomb
just waiting to go off.
> Shiawase spends time every year trying to shed some of the bad
mojo from the fusion plant. If you’re willing to take some of that
bad mojo into yourself, Shiawase will pay you. You simply stand
in the area and let the toxicity enter your aura. It takes about a
year to go away, during which time you’re going to notice a toxic
tint to your magic for at least a few months. They pay extremely
well, but they also tend to keep a close eye on anyone that takes
the job, lest that person become addicted to it.
> Bifrost
Pradera Resort
Craving a western-themed break from the hus-
tle and bustle of the city? Come to Pradera. The
massive 250-acre resort includes three golf cours-
es, two horse tracks, secluded wooded areas, and
rentals for log cabins.
Sorry for the pamphlet spiel, but that’s what
Pradera is in a nutshell. It’s a western-themed
resort for rich slots who have more money than
sense. If you think this would make a mark easy to
take while they’re away from their corporate boss-
es, think again. Pradera boasts some of the best
security and privacy money can buy but integrates
and interfaces with all the Big Ten and local cor-
porations. They’ve got liaisons and “ambassadors”
to ensure the corporate types are protected, albeit
with a lot more discretion.
Stonegate Judicial Complex
The Stonegate Judicial Complex is a large pris-
on that also houses a small judicial wing for trials.
The homeless from Englewood and Castle Rock
sometimes will try to get arrested during the win-
ter for vagrancy. It’s better to be in a ZDF prison
than on the streets during the harsh winters.
> I spent some time in Stonegate during a bad period of my life. I
wouldn’t recommend it, but as Peregrine says, it’s better than
being on the streets in the winter. The guards who work here
are a lot softer than you’d expect in a prison. My arrangement
allowed me to compile some sprites in exchange for wiping out a
gambling debt for a guard for the Chavez Family.
> Voxel
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
Terracotta Arms Factory
Renraku subsidiary Terracotta Arms maintains
a small facility in Castle Rock. In addition to the
factory, Terracotta Armaments maintains a region-
al office here to provide weapons to the zone’s
Sioux and PCC neighbors. Their excess stock tends
to find its way onto the streets, especially in Au-
rora. However, if you want to get your hands on
a weapon before it’s been registered and tagged,
you’ll need to make a contact at the factory.
Centennial
centennial at a glance
Size: 156 square kilometers
Population (2081): 117,600
Human: 60%
Dwarf: 3%
Elf: 17%
Ork: 15%
Troll: 1%
Other: 4%
Population density: 754 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 115,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 11
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 10%
High school equivalency: 33%
College equivalency: 36%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 21%
Centennial is the tech capital of the FRFZ
and recently expanded to take over what was
left standing of Englewood. More on that below.
Here’s where you’ll find companies almost exclu-
sively dedicated to the Matrix, with lots of little
unranked corporations hoping to get gobbled up
by one of the big guys. Centennial manages the
University of Denver as well, which will be pour-
ing out enough tech gurus to keep the area busy
for decades to come.
> If you astrally project and watch this area from above, it’s really
quite remarkable. When someone has a new idea, you can
actually see the flash of inspiration or the spark of hope. It’s
a bit like watching thousands of supernovas all happening in
distant galaxies.
> Bifrost
> As you might expect, Centennial boasts a high number of free
sprites. There are also a few smaller companies that exist entirely
virtually and are run by free sprites. It’s a truly inspiring district.
> Voxel
Aegis Cognito Office
One would expect that in a city like Denver, the
world’s largest private spy organization would have
an influence. Aegis Cognito has an openly observed
office, and you should treat it like an embassy—it’s
full of bureaucrats and spies, but you can’t tell which
is which. While they might have some data on-site,
it’s likely the kind that isn’t useful on its own. There
is one person in the office who I know for a fact is
a spy: Janice Valdes. It’s a complicated story, but ba-
sically, we used to spy on each other for our respec-
tive masters. We caught each other many times, and
it sort of turned into a thing. I’ve got leverage on her,
and I’m sure she’s got leverage on me, too. We respect
each other, and I don’t go after her anymore.
> Sounds like you’re still going after her, posting her info on here
and outing her as a spy.
> Fianchetto
> You know the game. If someone goes after her, they might drop
my name. Then she comes after me. And so, the game continues.
> Peregrine
Centennial Airport
One of the larger airports in the Zone, the Cen-
tennial Airport caters to corporate types. It’s not
used for leisure travel, in part because it’s so far
from touristy attractions. It’s located close to Cas-
tle Rock on the south end of Centennial and can
support all kinds of aircraft. Some of the mainte-
nance staff have a side gig where they’ll do work
on your t-bird or whatever, putting it into an un-
derused hangar. Just make sure that the corporate
owner of that hangar doesn’t come back while the
work is being done on it.
> There’s a free sprite who lives in the Centennial Airport. He likes
to play little pranks on people, sometimes switching their seats
around or making it seem like their flight is five minutes early.
Nothing too painful, and all easily resolved. But if he keeps
going, the airport may hire someone to try to get rid of him. If
you get hired for this job, please be gentle. He’s just learning his
abilities and doesn’t necessarily know better.
> Voxel
Chamberlain Airport
The second airport for the Centennial District,
Chamberlain Airport is substantially smaller than
Centennial Airport. It’s primarily a commuter
hub for sky taxis, helicopters, and similar vehi-
cles. Given its proximity to the university, it also
sees some use from the richest corp kids going to
school there. The airport cannot handle any kind
of non-vertical takeoff or landing craft, but if you
want to get a helicopter and need it quickly, this is
the place to go.
Cherry Creek Country Club
Back in the day, Centennial was run by the CAS,
and their … old-fashioned attitudes are still some-
what prevalent in the area. The Country Club is a 21
bastion of racism and misogyny. For more than a
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
century, it’s only allowed human men to play, and
uses human women as trophies and waitstaff, ex-
clusively. Not surprisingly, the nearby University of
Denver won’t tolerate that kind of thing, and so
protests are an increasingly common sight.
Drones, Drones, Drones!
As the name suggests, this is the place to go if
you need drones, drone parts, or advice on how to
use your drone. They have bins full of parts, all of
which are collected by drones and brought up to
the counter. Their local riggers give great advice to
anyone who has questions about which model can
do what. Those same riggers will often provide af-
ter-hours support to people who are willing to pay
a little extra, if you catch my meaning.
> If you want to find a little shell or body for your sprite friend, this
is a great place to go. Talk to Candice Wise. She’s a deft hand at
outfitting drones with all kinds of parts that you might not expect.
> Voxel
Free Zone Voice Offices
For those of you who might be a century old,
I’ve heard of a thing called “public broadcast ser-
vices” that used to be available to anyone and any-
where. The Free Zone Voice is modeled on that
concept. They’re based out of the University of
Denver, and they get by without a lot of ads or
corporate sponsorships. As a result, they’re about
the closest thing to a free and independent jour-
nalistic source in the Zone. Instead of focusing on
investigative journalism, they prefer to work on
what they call micro-news, deep dives on narrow
topics, and frequently getting the voice of the com-
mon person on the street.
FTL Technologies
Headquarters
FTL is kind of a hot mess. I talk a lot more
about the FTL/Warpdrive fiasco in my section
about Matrix Hotspots. If you want deeper de-
tails, that’s where you should look. For now,
just know that FTL is owned by a guy named
Charles Lightfoot, and he wants to take his com-
pany private. It’s currently owned by Spinrad
Global, so that’s a huge problem for him. His
past is also coming back to haunt him as well—
since the ownership of FTL has changed hands a
few times, things are a little convoluted when it
comes to tracking down who owns what within
FTL.
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 Novatech Matrix
Services Office
22 This is yet another tech company that at one
point found its way into NeoNET’s hands. Now
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
it’s in the hands of Spinrad Global, but the future is
extremely uncertain. Novatech made a bid follow-
ing Ghostwalker’s Reclamation to provide services
for the new public grid. That bid failed and made
their dissolution a near certainty. Even though they
are presenting a brave public face, the staff is jump-
ing ship for other companies, such as Warpdrive.
The Tipsy Chip
One of the coolest bars I’ve ever been to is
the Tipsy Chip. It’s built in a basement and very
reminiscent of a British pub. It also has a strange
collection of Aztlan trophies, supposedly liberated
during the brief Aztlan occupation of the area. The
owner is Papa Tepin, a hacker who is constantly
tweaking the bar’s host. He holds nightly hack-
athons to see which hacker can put their tag on the
host first. First one to hack it gets free drinks and
bragging rights.
> Don’t bring your sprites or complex forms to this party, folks.
Anyone caught using those is automatically expelled. You can
use your technomancy all you want, but you’ve got to play by
the same rules as the other hackers. No agents, no sprites, no
teams, and no complex forms. May be the best hacker win!
> Voxel
University of Denver
The oldest school in the region, the University
of Denver has been in continuous operation since
1864. They grew to take over a whole chunk of
Denver. Following Ghostwalker’s Reclamation and
the preceding destruction of Englewood, the univer-
sity area is now under the control of Centennial.
Nominally, this means that subsidies are now more
likely to come from tech companies than from old
money, but it really hasn’t changed much. Housing
is still an absolute nightmare, which has led to a
bid by MCT to build a mini-arcology nearby. The
university has yet to accept the bid.
Warpdrive Systems
Headquarters
The other side of the FTL coin. The important
thing to know about Warpdrive Systems is that
their CEO, Steven Ridgemont, is a very well-con-
nected dwarf. He’s got money coming in from
somewhere that I can’t account for, as he’s rolling
with deeper pockets than he should have. What’s
he doing with all that money? Hiring shadowrun-
ners to tear down his competition.
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
Wuxing Cherry Park
The Wuxing, Inc. regional headquarters is final-
ly constructed, after several attempts by rivals to
sabotage it. With the support of their subsidiary,
Ming Solutions, they have done a tremendous job
of enhancing the natural landscape while expand-
ing their buildings in a respectful way. The Cherry
Park complex acts as the regional headquarters for
the Malaysian Independent Bank and the Pros-
perity Development Corporation, both of which
finance companies and startups in the region.
> Wuxing managed to build the whole facility on a confluence of
ley lines. The buildings and landscaping actually move the ley
lines to form the confluence, upon which is built a fountain. The
fountain literally springs forth with magical potential.
> Bifrost
> They chose Cherry Park in part because of its connections
with the nearby neighborhood of Chinatown, and their direct
connections with the tech corridor. They have also subtly hidden
antennas throughout their facility, allowing them to monitor and
control the flow of data in the Resonance. I can’t say for sure
that using geomantic principles on data has had an effect, but
it’s calming and re-assuring nonetheless.
> Voxel
Colorado Springs
colorado springs
at a glance
Size: 1,891 square kilometers
Population (2080): 294,000
Human: 71%
Dwarf: 1%
Elf: 11%
Ork: 15%
Troll: 1%
Other: 1%
Population density: 155 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 59,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 6
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 25%
High school equivalency: 48%
College equivalency: 21%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 6%
The third and southernmost city in the
FRFZ, Colorado Springs has undergone a sort
of exodus in recent years. At various points, the
city has been claimed by Aztlan, the CAS, the
PCC, and now Ghostwalker. All these shifting
powers have led to the city being poorly man-
aged and many residents leaving for greener
pastures. Still, there are some diehards who re-
fuse to give in and hope to restore the city to its
former glory.
Cheyenne Mountain
Formerly the home of the US military’s NORAD
division, the Cheyenne Mountain installation is a
massive honeycomb of tunnels and elevator shafts.
No one knows just how deep into the mountain
the complex goes. It has lain abandoned since the
First Treaty of Denver, but recently people in the
nearby areas have been going missing, and con-
spiracy theorists think that something in the Chey-
enne Mountain is kidnapping people.
> The fae I’ve talked with have all suggested that Cheyenne
Mountain could be a hot spot for the Unseelie Court. If that’s the
case, I expect we’ll see some work to go in there and apprehend
or eliminate the threat. But as with all things involving the fae,
be careful who you trust and what you say.
> Bifrost
Church of the Holy Word
Despite Ghostwalker’s Reclamation, the Church
of the Holy Word continues its mission of prosely-
tizing its unique brand of Christianity. The church
represents a well-funded and well-organized front,
with a militant arm called the Followers of the
Holy Sword. Rumor has it that they have connec-
tions to the Human Nation.
> The Followers of the Holy Sword is just an extension of yet
another hate group. It shocks me that Ghostwalker didn’t do
anything about these guys when he was kicking out all the other
folks. Frankly, it pisses me off. The Followers have been ramping
up attacks in the area too. They’re cowards, to a man, but
they’re well-armed and dangerous.
> 14er
Colorado College
A small college that formerly focused on arts
and other soft skills. Since the Awakening, Colora-
do College has added a rigorous magical curricu-
lum. Their magical studies focus on all the major
traditions, but hermetics and shamans are by far
the most popular. The region is heavily patrolled
by Lone Star in an effort to protect the valuable
“resources” (students, faculty, materials, etc.).
> The students are more than happy to help with research
initiatives to earn a little spending money on the side.
> Bifrost
Denver Data Haven Ruins
Housed in the McDermott Library of the for-
mer US Air Force Academy, the Denver Data Ha-
ven had access to the US Air Force’s cyberwar-
fare suite, extremely strong data connections to
the whole world, and lots of redundant systems
to ensure operation even in the event of a cat-
aclysm. Unfortunately, no one could have built 23
a site to withstand the attacks of Ghostwalker.
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
When Ghostwalker razed the Denver Data Ha-
ven, all personnel were considered killed in ac-
tion.
Energia Viva Solar Farm
When the US Air Force Academy was in use,
this solar farm provided power to the entire acad-
emy. Aztechnology subsidiary Energia Viva man-
aged to acquire some of the infrastructure and ar-
ranged to purchase the land from the PCC prior
to the Reclamation. Because of the importance to
the infrastructure, they’ve been allowed to contin-
ue operations, albeit with a lot of oversight from
Ghostwalker’s administration.
Fort Carson
Formerly a US Army base, Fort Carson now
belongs to Ghostwalker and is used primarily to
train his elite mercenary group, the Black Talons.
They have a range for small arms training, a simu-
lated urban environment, and they perform aerial
maneuver training for insertions and extractions.
Fort Carson also boasts a top-notch medical facili-
ty, but it’s only available to the Black Talons.
Garden of the Gods
A massive 1,300-acre park made of natural
sandstone formations, this park was a private park
until the owner’s death. Upon his death, the park
returned to the property of the nearby community.
The park now serves as a communal area for hik-
ing, camping, and ritual magic.
> During the brief period when the Azzies took over this region,
they attempted to use the Garden’s energy to fuel some pretty
heinous rituals. Ghostwalker’s been spending a lot of time and
money since trying to restore the Garden to its original glory.
> Bifrost
Peterson Airport
Built on the former Peterson US Air Force base,
Peterson Airport now caters almost exclusively to
commercial travel. It’s one of the best ways to get
into Colorado Springs, and even though it’s on the
far eastern part of town, it’s well connected to all
the major highways and roads.
Shrine of the Sun
I didn’t get close to this place. As soon as I was
near, it seemed that the wind started gusting and
pushing me off the mountain.
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 The Shrine looks like a stack of stones atop
Cheyenne Mountain, but it’s actually a really tall
tower and a small church. The Shrine of the Sun
24 was built to commemorate the memory of humor-
ist Will Rogers. Briefly taken over by Aztlan during
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
the 2050s, the shrine was rededicated to Huitzilo-
pochtli, the Aztec god of the sun. Since then, the
tower has been inhospitable to anyone not of the
Aztec faith, with spirits actively opposing anyone
who attempts to approach it.
Tesla Experimental Station
Legend has it that this is where Nikola Tesla
performed some of his most famous electricity ex-
periments. The building itself was demolished long
ago, but the residual energies seem to have created
an alchera that manifests there monthly. If one is
particularly lucky, they may find a powerful spirit
of air that manifests as Nikola Tesla and will an-
swer questions about his life. The accuracy of these
answers has not been ascertained.
Zebulon’s Revenge
A local watering hole that has been around for
a few years, Zeb’s Revenge is a favorite for the Col-
orado College students. There are rumors that the
spirit of Zebulon Pike (not to be confused with Zeb-
ulon, the spirit that Ghostwalker fancied) wandered
in one night and bought everyone a round of drinks
before disappearing and leaving the bar tab unpaid.
The stories grow more fantastic the longer one
hangs around and the more drinks one has imbibed.
Commerce City
commerce city at a glance
Size: 57 square kilometers
Population (2081): 50,400
Human: 65%
Dwarf: 2%
Elf: 11%
Ork: 19%
Troll: 2%
Other: 1%
Population density: 884 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 32,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 7
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 30%
High school equivalency: 42%
College equivalency: 26%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 2%
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
Commerce City is a densely populated blue-col-
lar district just north of the Denver city center. The
region has always been sort of second-best behind
other districts, which has left many of the residents
with something of a chip on their collar, especially
toward the well-to-do districts.
Krupp Chemicals Refinery
One of the largest employers in the district,
Krupp Chemicals maintains a large refinery that
straddles both sides of Brighton Road. Here, they
manufacture and refine industrial chemicals. Most
of the Commerce City population is employed by
Krupp Chemicals, so there’s no chance they’re go-
ing anywhere soon, but environmental activists
have long expressed concern about the plant’s
safety and security.
The Solution
A bar that sits near the Krupp Chemicals Re-
finery. The story goes that it was built by a chem-
ist who used to work for Krupp Chemicals who
had the idea that it’d be a fancy bar with lots of
chemistry puns. Unfortunately, no one wanted a
bar like that, and he went deep into debt before
killing himself. The current owners joke that he
found his solution in the end. Now it’s your basic
blue-collar bar where you can find locals drowning
their sorrows. It’s a great place to get info if you
can ingratiate yourself. Don’t go flaunting money
or influence, though—those don’t work on people
like this. Make them think you’re a roughneck,
and you’re in.
Truman Distribution
Networks Office
Truman Distribution Networks (TDN) is the
largest media outlet in the region. They got to be
big enough to attract the attention of Horizon and
Ares. Ares bought them out and traded them to
Horizon in exchange for Horizon’s PR work on
their Excalibur fiasco. There was some debate
about integrating TDN into Horizon’s office in
Boulder, but they decided that this facility still had
enough value to keep it active.
Tsuruga International
Warehouse
You won’t see the name Tsuruga Internation-
al on many of the packages you get delivered, but
most of them pass through this warehouse at some
point or another. It’s a customs warehouse for all
goods entering or leaving the FRFZ, and Tsuruga
International is the company fortunate enough to
hold that contract.
> Evo owns Tsuruga International and has put a lot of nuyen into
the Matrix security for its host. Not really a surprise, given the
importance of this facility to the region’s economy.
> Voxel
Elbert
elbert at a glance
Size: 1,792 square kilometers
Population (2081): 25,700
Human: 81%
Dwarf: 9%
Elf: 2%
Ork: 4%
Troll: 1%
Other: 3%
Population density: 14 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 34,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 5
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 25%
High school equivalency: 52%
College equivalency: 18%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 5%
One of the largest districts, Elbert includes basi-
cally all the rural plains to the east of I-25 between
Denver and Colorado Springs. There are nomadic
“tribes” that wander the area, making camp wher-
ever they want, and otherwise operating much like
go-gangs. There’s not a lot of places that are per-
manently established, but if you can find one of
those tribes, you may be able to get them to help
smuggle you in or out of the Zone.
Grassy Knoll Ranch
Run by a dwarf named Jeb Johnson, the Grassy
Knoll Ranch is one of the only horse ranches left in
the area. It also has a unique side business of raising
hellhounds. In addition to the monetary benefits, hell-
hounds have the benefit of keeping away horse thieves.
Little Wolf Nursery
Being in rural Elbert has some advantages. For in-
stance, you can play around with Awakened plants
without running the risk of creating a Fort Lupton
situation. That’s basically what Luna Cochran decid-
ed to do when she opened up her nursery.
> I’ve heard rumors that Luna may be a shapeshifter. I can’t
independently verify that, but I do know that she’s Awakened
based on her aura. If she’s a mage, I’ve never seen her use a
spell or a spirit, but she definitely has some affinity for her
beautiful little plants.
> Bifrost
Englewood
englewood at a glance 25
Size: 104 square kilometers
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
Population (2081): 378, most in Ketring Park
Human: 65%
Dwarf: 3%
Elf: 7%
Ork: 18%
Troll: 5%
Other: 2%
Population density: 4 per square kilometer (most
residents live within the same kilometer)
Per capita income: 2,305¥
Hospitals and clinics: 0
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 53%
High school equivalency: 46%
College equivalency: 1%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 0%
At one point, Englewood was one of the richest
districts in the Zone. All of that changed over the
course of a couple of days at the end of October
in 2074. Seizing their opportunity, Aztlan moved
troops into Englewood and set up shop. For some
unknown reason, Ghostwalker allowed this for
four whole years. As the catalyst for the Reclama-
tion, Ghostwalker and the ZDF unleashed holy
hell upon the district. Starting from just south of
the University of Denver, Zone forces systemati-
cally bombed and burned every building and res-
idence until they reached the southern border of
Englewood. By then, the Azzies had been annihi-
lated, along with the rest of Englewood. Officially,
Englewood doesn’t have a seat on the council. The
only reason I mention it here at all is because there
are still people and places of interest.
> The place is awash in bad spirits. Anyone who lives here is
desperate enough to not even go to Aurora. And the shades
that take hold in a place like this have lots of misery to feed on
for years and years. It will take an immense effort to clear the
people out, but these are some of the toughest critters in the
city. As if they weren’t enough, there are also shedim that are
starting to run rampant.
> Bifrost
Ketring Park
One of the only places in Englewood to mostly
survive the assault, Ketring Park became a refugee
town almost overnight. The shacks of the shanty
town only barely provide any kind of shelter, and
every winter the people camping here suffer more
and more. For more than three years, the refugees
here have been waiting for relocation. With Ghost-
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 walker opening up citizenship, it’s possible some of
them might get out, but it’s more likely that some-
one will forcibly relocate people to Aurora.
26
> This is the place where the shades of Englewood do most of their
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
feeding. All supplies are scarce, and people are willing to do
some horrible things to ensure their survival for the next day.
Places like this are breeding grounds for spirits of Rage, Envy,
Lust, Greed, and of course Despair.
> Bifrost
> There’s work to be found relocating people out of the Park.
Some of these folks used to be well-connected, and despite the
fact that they’re now no better than any other poor slob, with
perseverance they can pull the right string to get an escort out.
Just be prepared to have to fight off the people who aren’t
getting pulled out.
> Mile High Mike
Knight Errant Training Facility
Ever the opportunists, Knight Errant has set up
a training facility in the ruins of Englewood. They
do live fire training and set up a shoot house to
plan for urban assaults. I’ve heard what I hope are
just urban legends about Knight Errant forces go-
ing to Ketring and getting a bunch of refugees to
serve as “OPFOR,” or “opposing forces.”
Front Range
front range at a glance
Size: 2,445 square kilometers
Population (2081): 42,600
Human: 63%
Dwarf: 5%
Elf: 18%
Ork: 10%
Troll: 2%
Other: 2%
Population density: 17 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 38,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 10
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 22%
High school equivalency: 53%
College equivalency: 21%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 4%
Easily the largest district in the Zone, the Front
Range encompasses a huge 2,500 square kilome-
ters of the most mountainous and rugged terrain in
the area. It’s the district furthest west of the Zone
and stretches all the way from Boulder to Colora-
do Springs. This district has a few areas of dense
population, centered around resorts and casinos in
the mountains.
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
> If you’re of a shamanic bent, you may find some work putting
up wards and dispelling spirits who wander down from the
mountains.
> Bifrost
Blackhawk Resort and Casino
The Blackhawk Resort and Casino siphons
money from tourists with an ease and grace that
one is hard-pressed to find outside of Las Vegas.
But unlike Las Vegas, the Blackhawk can offer
views of the Rocky Mountains from their wrap-
around heated infinity edge pool. The ten-story re-
sort has more than two hundred rooms that vary
in accommodation to suit every budget.
Echo Mountain
A man-made mountain that was built in the
1960s, Echo Mountain has changed hands many
times. It has the distinction of being the only ski
resort in the sprawl that hasn’t been overtaken by
nature. The security here is top-notch, with drones
flying about to ensure that only authorized skiers
are present.
> It’s worth noting that when they talk about a “man-made”
mountain, they’re actually saying that they cleared the forest
that was present and used the trees to make the slopes taller. It
was a travesty to nature, which I believe has directly impacted
its ability to remain under a single owner for more than a
decade. It seems like bad luck plagues this place, but the current
owners seem to think they can change that luck.
> Bifrost
Red Rocks Amphitheater
The Red Rocks Amphitheater is one of the most
amazing structures ever built. What started as a
naturally occurring amphitheater was built up and
perfected by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The
amphitheater has hosted every major musical act
from the Beatles to Maria Mercurial.
> Since the Awakening, the amphitheater gained a new following
among the spirits who come to the area to witness the amazing
astral performances that happen as a result of thousands of
people grooving on a song together.
> Bifrost
ZDF Station Front Range
Normally I wouldn’t cover a ZDF station in this
sort of thing—it’s safe to say that most of them
are pretty similar. However, this one is unique and
therefore deserving of its own entry. The extreme-
ly mountainous terrain of the Front Range district
demands that ZDF officers are trained in surviv-
al techniques their more urban brethren are not.
Additionally, the Front Range district has a larg-
er-than-normal presence of drone patrol forces,
and they are trained in border security and count-
er-smuggling operations.
> They also make extensive use of drones as repeaters to keep
signals strong. If you can find which drone is being used as
a repeater and take it out, you can effectively eliminate the
entire fleet.
> Voxel
Lakewood
lakewood at a glance
Size: 306 square kilometers
Population (2081): 168,000
Human: 65%
Dwarf: 3%
Elf: 14%
Ork: 14%
Troll: 2%
Other: 2%
Population density: 549 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 64,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 9
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 26%
High school equivalency: 39%
College equivalency: 23%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 12%
Lakewood is Arvada’s southern neighbor, put-
ting it on the southeastern corner of the Denver
metropolitan area, and there’s something of a
friendly rivalry between Arvada and Lakewood.
The regions share a lot in common, with both be-
ing sort of bedroom communities for suburban-
ites, and both sharing a reputation for mediocrity.
However, Lakewood is a bit more blue-collar than
Arvada, and they claim to have a greater apprecia-
tion for hard work.
> Lakewood’s proximity to Englewood presents some challenges
for the local magical community. The ZDF regularly hires
freelancers to keep the shades in Englewood and out of
Lakewood. Be careful if you interact with spirits there, especially
near the border. I’ve heard that some of the shades are learning
to disguise their auras.
> Bifrost
All the World’s a Stage
This place is an absolute drekhole of a bar.
The only reason I’m even mentioning it is because
it’s affiliated with the Ghost Riders go-gang, and
they’re kind of odd. I’ll let Bifrost explain.
The Ghost Riders are a go-gang that likes to
roam 470 around town. What makes them unique
is that they use magical effects to make their mo-
torcycles look like flaming horses, or appear to be
chased by thunderclouds that spark lightning, and
things like that. If you see anything like that com- 27
ing your way, get off the road. The Ghost Riders
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
aren’t the most violent go-gang, but they’re defi-
nitely the most stylish. I cover them in a bit more
detail in the … People to Meet section.
Ares Arms Factory
As the largest single manufacturer of guns and
ammunition in the world, Ares Arms has factories
all over the place. This is just another one of those
factories. While you can get the guns easily enough
that you don’t necessarily need to steal them, one
of the things that makes this a juicy target is that
you can get blueprints for weapons that haven’t
yet been released to market.
Casa Bonita
In keeping with the Ute tradition of gratuitous
excess, Casa Bonita has thrived in this same loca-
tion for more than a century. Known for its ridicu-
lously cheap all-you-can eat food, its campy décor,
and its cheesy live shows, Casa Bonita has re-
mained a mainstay for families and gluttons alike.
> Every time I visit Denver, I have to make a pilgrimage to Casa
Bonita at least once. Somehow it still maintains its charm even
after all these decades.
> Red
> Wait, you don’t eat things like enchiladas and sopapillas—so, why
do you go?”
> /dev/grrl
> Because I still have to find Black Bart’s treasure.
> Red
Compri Hotel
The illustrious Compri Hotel has a well-earned
reputation for privacy. This makes it a hotspot
for all kinds of people who might benefit from
that discretion. Government employees, megacor-
porate managers, Mr. Johnsons, fixers, runners,
spies—they all come to the Compri when in town.
However, due to Ghostwalker’s strict rules forbid-
ding espionage, all detected instances of espionage
are reported to the ZDF.
Denim
This is a Hopi-themed nightclub run by the
Koshari crime syndicate. There is usually business
to be done here, assuming it is done with discre-
tion. The ZDF knows that this is a Koshari night-
club—they just can’t prove that anything illegal is
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 going on here. The fact that most of the ZDF in the
area are former PuebSec officers probably helps
ensure that evidence remains unnoticed.
28
> They have a free spirit who acts as a bouncer on the weekends.
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
His name is Tawa, and he often manifests as a large Hopi man
with a long black ponytail and thick arms. You don’t want to get
on his bad side.
> Bifrost
Joe’s Drop Off
A longtime runner hangout, this bar is also very
popular with the local smuggling community. If
you’re looking for a t-bird pilot, you’ll probably
find one (or three) here. If you’re an Anglo, you
might have a hard time, as the place still hasn’t
shaken its Ute roots completely.
Lakewood
Correctional Institute
Part prison, part psych ward, all creepy. Exper-
iments are done on their criminal wards, and they
really push the ethical boundaries of what is con-
sidered “science” and what is considered “torture.”
Their latest round of experiments focuses on BTL
addiction. The lead researcher there, Dr. Richard
Hutton, has a theory that if BTL was addictive
enough, the addict would never need to seek out
more. His theory is that this would cripple crimi-
nal enterprise, as the addicts would never need to
commit crime to fuel the habit.
> Yeah, there’s a book about an entertainment so addictive people
don’t seek out anything else. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work out
well for anyone.
> Sunshine
> My belief is that Horizon owns the Lakewood Correctional Institute
and supplies subjects from their other facilities around the world.
There are a lot of similarities between this facility and the one in
Las Vegas, but this one is proving a challenge to reveal. Hutton is
aware that the technomancer community in the Zone would like
nothing more than to expose his atrocities to the world, and as a
result he’s beefed up his security like you wouldn’t believe.
> Voxel
Lowry
A small, low- to middle-class district on the
eastern edges of the Hub, Lowry has been the
beating heart of industry in Denver for more than
a century. Formerly a US Air Force Base, the dis-
trict has a reputation for hard work and steel grit.
When the base was closed down, the mechanics
and industrialists opened up other shops. As a re-
sult, the district has a reputation for breeding an
affinity with machines.
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
lowry at a glance
Size: 48 square kilometers
Population (2081): 12,600
Human: 63%
Dwarf: 4%
Elf: 12%
Ork: 17%
Troll: 3%
Other: 1%
Population density: 263 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 36,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 5
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 32%
High school equivalency: 44%
College equivalency: 22%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 2%
In addition to all the blue-collar areas of Lowry,
the southern tip of the district is known as China-
town due to the abundance of Asian buildings and
businesses in the area. Not large enough to qualify
as a district on its own, Chinatown was lumped in
with Lowry during the Reclamation. There’s a bit
of racial tension as well, since the district is sup-
posed to represent both groups, but fails to do so
with equity.
> There are a lot of garages in Lowry, which may be part of why
I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of gremlins I’ve seen
around. Formless spirits that need to take a mechanical “body”
to remain will often make deals with racers and tuners to take
over the machine in exchange for “enhancing” it. It rarely ends
well for the person who allows a gremlin to take over their
machine, as the gremlin will eventually ask for payment in
Karma in order to even keep the machine operational.
> Bifrost
> Similarly, I’ve noticed that the reliance upon Matrix devices in the
area tends to attract free sprites who love machinery. They will often
try to take over a machine and improve it, but never at the cost of the
device’s core functionality. Sometimes the owners are unhappy with
the upgrades, but the sprites aren’t malicious. Usually.
> Voxel
Ascending Star
Operated exclusively by the Golden Triangle
Triad, and the pet project of Lodge Master Li
Zicheng, the Ascending Star advertises that it ca-
ters to all the needs of any sarariman or traveling
businessman. While sex is available if one desires,
the primary purpose of the women is providing life
coaching and guidance through one’s challenges.
As you might have surmised, Li is using the facility
to extract secrets and information from the busi-
nessmen and uses that information for blackmail
or extortion.
Happy Canyon Mall
A gigantic shopping complex that offers almost
every Asian good imaginable. The mall is jointly
owned by the White Lotus and Golden Triangle
triads and serves as a neutral ground for the two to
meet up and discuss business. Inside the mall is the
Temple of Inner Light, which can be used by either
of the triads for religious purposes.
Lowry International Airport
Located near the site of the former Lowry Air
Force Base, Lowry International is a small airport
that, due to the small runway, is only rated to handle
semi-ballistic, suborbital, and HSCT flights. There
are also facilities for VTOL aircraft, such as heli-
copters and skycabs. Rumors say that there were
missile silos buried under the facilities, along with
a command-and-control bunker. No one has found
evidence of these things, but the rumors persist.
Klub Karma
Formerly operated by the White Lotus triad,
Klub Karma is currently run by the Casquilho
family. While talking business is allowed there, vi-
olence is not. There are private rooms up on the
second floor for discreet meetings. Getting access
to one of the private rooms requires talking with
the manager and convincing them to let you in.
> The White Lotus want nothing more than to take back Klub
Karma for themselves. They see the Casquilho Family as
interlopers with a temporary lease on things. There will be a
reckoning.
> 14er
Ming Solutions Office
The local office of Ming Solutions, a subsidi-
ary of Wuxing. The researchers and geomancers
in this office were responsible for coordinating the
construction of Wuxing Cherry Park. Now that
Cherry Park has been built, there was a concern
that Ming would be moved to that new facility.
However, it seems that Wuxing likes to keep some
influence over Chinatown and will not be moving
Ming Solutions any time soon.
Nu Shen Massage
A bunraku parlor that caters to the nearby cor-
porate types from Centennial. Nu Shen is run by
an elf (maybe?) named Da-xia “Daisy” Wu who
keeps slotting herself into different bodies. One
day she might be in the body of a human man, or
another day she might be a troll woman.
> I’m of the opinion that Daisy is a very dangerous artificial
intelligence who just hops into the bodies of puppets when
needed. The callous nature of an AI like this is only part of why
it’s dangerous. It clearly revels in the suffering of others and
takes some sort of pleasure in seeing humans damage each
other. I can’t even begin to fathom what would motivate an AI to 29
be so hateful.
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
> Voxel
> No comment.
> Clockwork
Rusty’s Garage
Rusty is an old-timer in the former CAS sector.
He’s got that thick Southern drawl that one might
expect and is missing several teeth that he should
have replaced years ago. He’s also missing one of
his arms, which has been replaced by what can best
be described as a self-built cyberarm. Regardless,
Rusty is still the best mechanic in the sector, and
his drones help him keep up with the workload.
> Rusty is a Machinist technomancer, but he doesn’t seem to know
it, or maybe he doesn’t care. His affinity for machinery has
allowed him to do things that no other mechanic should be able
to do, but he chalks it up to skill from his decades of experience.
> Voxel
Three Delights
Three Delights is a perennial favorite to find au-
thentic cuisine from Taiwan and Hong Kong. The
ex-pats who live in the surrounding Chinatown
neighborhood flood this restaurant nightly. If you
don’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese, you won’t get
service. If you can slot a linguasoft at the least, the
drunken noodles are worth the effort.
Wings Over the Rockies
Air & Space Museum
The Air & Space Museum has a long-standing
history for excellence. They proudly display repli-
ca and original aircraft from almost every era of
flight. Everything from classic propeller planes to
modern t-birds and military aircraft of all kinds
can be found here. None of it is functional any-
more, but if you need a quiet place to have a meet
that doesn’t seem super pretentious, this might be
your ideal location.
Stapleton
The easternmost district of Denver, Staple-
ton takes up a large amount of land but is not
densely populated. Most of that land is used for
large corporate facilities and is mostly off-limits.
There is a small area of Stapleton, close to the
city, where you’ll find a more typically Denver
experience.
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER

stapleton at a glance
Size: 1,241 square kilometers
30 Population (2081): 21,000
Human: 72%
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
Dwarf: 1%
Elf: 14%
Ork: 11%
Troll: 1%
Other: 1%
Population density: 17 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 58,500¥
Hospitals and clinics: 10
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 21%
High school equivalency: 34%
College equivalency: 33%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 12%
> By that he means that the area there is pretty “suburban
boring.” There’re things to do here, of course, but all the good
stuff is out in the rural areas. That’s where the corps keep their
secrets, and therefore, that’s where the action is.
> Voxel
Brainwave, Inc. Office
The local office for Brainwave, Inc., a Mitsuha-
ma Computer Technologies (MCT) subsidiary. This
is a research facility that keeps a low profile out on
the far edges of the Stapleton district. I’ve never met
anyone who has gone in there, but Voxel has.
> Brainwave, Inc. specializes in neural interfaces. MCT likes
to use their tech in cyberdecks, simsense players, etc. The
cost of making those advancements is often metahuman
experimentation. I had a friend who went into Brainwave on a
job—nothing criminal, he was a paid test subject. When he came
out a week later, he barely recognized me. I have no idea what
they did to him, but I’m guessing the tests failed.
> Voxel
Buckley Air Force Base
This was once home to a proud squadron of
UCAS fighter pilots who loved to show off their
aerial prowess, but since Ghostwalker took over
the area, the Buckley Air Force Base has been led
by the ZDF. Now the ZDF uses it for training their
forces in air and ground insertions, as well as for
surveillance operations.
> There’s also a contingent of Ares Global Commsat officers at
Buckley. From what I’ve heard, they’ve helped Ghostwalker
enhance his network of control over the city. Supposedly, he can
directly hijack and control any drone he wants, but that may just
be the jazz talking.
> Mile High Mike
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
Casquilho Imports
The Casquilho Family runs their mafia opera-
tions out of this storefront. Of course, the ZDF
can’t prove it, but it’s an open secret. It has a large
warehouse in the back that stores nick-nacks
from California, and the Casquilho Family runs
their smuggling operations from that warehouse,
disguising the illegal goods among the legitimate
ones.
Children of the
Dragon Headquarters
The Children of the Dragon believe that Dun-
kelzahn was their messiah. Following the appear-
ance of Ghostwalker, a splinter sect broke off and
called itself the Church of the Dragon Reborn. The
two churches have been at odds ever since. Given
their proximity to each other, it’s not uncommon
to see members of each church trying to poach
each other’s members. It’s a very petty fight in the
end, since we all know that Jibbers is our true lord
and savior.
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport (DIA) was once
one of the busiest airports in the world. Leading
up to the 2072 Olympics, it was renovated very
hastily. In the years since, the renovations have di-
minished and now give the place a shabby appear-
ance. Due to some fiscal malfeasance by the former
management, DIA has lost a tremendous amount
of business. Following the Reclamation, Ghost-
walker replaced all the management and started
to pour money into the airport to get it back to
the top.
> Rumors of all kinds of crazy things have followed DIA for
decades. One such rumor is that they have tunnels and bunkers
below the airport that are used by a global cabal of rich people
to escape nuclear apocalypse. Another is that the tunnels are
holding everything from the Ark of the Covenant to the Crown
Jewels of the United Kingdom. All these crazy conspiracy
theories have led some to believe that there may be a free
spirit using Influence and Illusion magic to play a long prank.
Personally, I think that’s yet another crazy theory.
> Mile High Mike
Denver Sports Complex
A multi-tiered sports complex that houses sev-
eral Denver teams and hosts dozens of events
throughout the year, the Denver Sports Complex is
one of the city’s proudest achievements. It houses
Broncomania Stadium on the top tier, open to the
sky above. Below that is Vertex Arena, home to the
local basketball team, the Nuggets. And below that
is Century Centre, named for the one-hundredth

anniversary of the hockey team, the Colorado Ava-
lanche. While the facility does not host urban brawl
matches, the Thunderheads maintain an office in
the complex that serves as their headquarters.
Front Range Space Port
Ghostwalker poured some money into building
a space port out in the far reaches of Stapleton,
east of Denver International Airport. The idea is
not a new one, but it’s impressive to see a dragon
who cares about space flight. He’s trying to com-
pete with places like the mass driver in Kenya. If
successful, it could mean a new age of tech and
business innovation for the FRFZ.
> The project is riddled with delays. They haven’t even broken
ground yet. I think he’s more likely using this project to move
assets around so that no one else can follow where they’re
going.
> 14er
Marcel’s
While this may appear to be a mainstream Ital-
ian restaurant on the surface, it is owned and heav-
ily visited by the Casquilho Family. Additionally,
the waitstaff is odd, employing changelings and
31
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
people with radical body modifications. There’s a
bunch of one-way mirrors from which the Casqui-
lho family monitors visitors.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Park
Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a chemical weap-
ons facility in the 1940s. It was finally shut down
in the 1990s and rededicated as a national park
just in time for the United States to go belly-up a
couple decades later. Under Ghostwalker’s direc-
tion, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Park flourished.
Wildlife made a comeback in the area—including
some of the rarer animals.
> Rare indeed. One such animal is a white buffalo the local
Amerinds revere. They believe it is a symbol of abundance and
good times to come, and the Sioux are especially protective of
it. Ghostwalker’s PR team made quick work of emphasizing that
the white buffalo is only safe under Ghostwalker’s protection,
of course. This led to an influx of converts to the Church of the
Dragon Reborn.
> Bifrost
Stapleton Airport
This is the oldest civilian airport in the sector.
However, it was decommissioned in the 1990s
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 when Denver International Airport was built. Sta-
pleton was rebuilt when the sectors were divided, the hub at a glance
so the buildings relatively unused and in good Size: 68 square kilometers
32 shape despite being so old. With the increased Population (2081): 42,000
funding going toward the Denver International Human: 45%
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL

Airport again, Stapleton is back on the bubble Dwarf: 7%

for closing. The only traffic they see is municipal Elf: 20%
short-range flights from commuters, skycabs, and Ork: 18%
helicopters. Troll: 4%
Other: 6%
Population density: 618 per square kilometer
The Gap Per capita income: 140,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 8
the gap at glance Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 10%
Size: 585 square kilometers High school equivalency: 38%
Population (2081): 250 College equivalency: 35%
Human: 40% Advanced degrees and certificates: 17%
Dwarf: 5%
Elf: 27%
Ork: 25%
tors. Now, it’s the tower from which Ghostwalker
Troll: 4% exerts his control over the region. The sky of the
Other: 1% Hub is abuzz with sky taxis, drones, and spirits.
Population density: <1 per square kilometer The ground is flush with pedestrians and cars. It’s
Per capita income: 780¥ dense, crowded, and has an electric feel that is
Hospitals and clinics: 0 hard to replicate.
Education (2081) The Hub is home to more corporate facilities
Less than 12 years: 95% than any other district of the Zone. In it, you can
High school equivalency: 4% find offices dedicated to Architectural Dynamics,
College equivalency: 1% Awakened World Research, Spellweaver Consor-
Advanced degrees and certificates: 0% tium, and UnlimiTech. The other corporate fa-
cilities are unique enough to deserve their own
entries.
The Gap is an area between Castle Rock and
Colorado Springs districts and has almost no pop- > My favorite place in the FRFZ is The Hub. The astral space there
ulation at all. It’s even more rural than the neigh- is inhabited by the most cosmopolitan group of spirits and
boring Elbert and Front Range districts. The place entities that I’ve ever seen. Under Ghostwalker’s authority, the
is mostly highway, with I-25 running north and FRFZ is the safest place on earth for spirits, and all of that is
south through the middle of it, and almost no com- centered around the Hub. In fact, just last weekend I met with
mercial or residential value. tourists from Dis, a regal gentleman from Celephaïs, and even
a Tsuchigumo from Metabeles. The metropolitan nature of
> Spirits are wild here. There are free spirits who roam these Denver’s Hub can’t be overstated.
areas, attacking people on sight. It’s a very dangerous place > Bifrost
once you get off of I-25, and it seems like Ghostwalker either
doesn’t care or is actively encouraging it. Anasazi Holding
> Bifrost Company Headquarters
The Anasazi Holding Company deserves its
> There are small go-gangs that roam I-25, making the Gap
own entry because it is the only company (that
dangerous for any kind of travel. Anyone who decides to travel
we know of) to be wholly owned by Ghostwalker.
on the ground is going to fall victim to one of the go-gangs that The company holds his other properties and assets,
claim the Gap as their own. none of which are reportable or public knowledge.
> Voxel There is a vault below ground that supposedly
houses many artifacts that were recovered during
the 2061 deposing of Aztlan.
The Hub
The living, breathing, heart of Denver, the Hub > If the rumor is true, it’s very likely that those artifacts are
serves as Ghostwalker’s personal enclave of per- tremendously powerful and dangerous. There are also
fection. During the First Treaty of Denver, it was supposedly a few artifacts that were recovered from Englewood
neutral ground for all the nations that had sec- there. It’s unclear why Ghostwalker would want to hold onto

SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...

 Aztec artifacts, but if I had to make a guess, he thinks that he’s
protecting the world from the danger they represent.
> Bifrost
> I can tell you a lot more about the Matrix setup for Anasazi,
which I’ve done in the section below about Matrix hotspots.
> Voxel
Ares-McAuliffe
International School
Once a public school, McAuliffe is now whol-
ly owned by Ares Macrotechnology. Ares brings
in faculty from around the world to teach their
students the latest in self-defense, military theory,
and business strategy. It’s a combination of mili-
tary education and business school, which pretty
much describes Ares to a T. Graduates here are
usually fast-tracked into management positions
within Ares.
Ares Spire
Ares has a lot of manufacturing facilities in the
region. Arthur Vogel wanted a way to make Ares
really stand out in the FRFZ though, so he ordered
construction of this narrow fifty-story skyscraper.
Shortly after, Ares Consumer Products division
moved its headquarters into the Spire.
Because Aztechnology was ousted from the
region, Ares Consumer Products decided to try
to use Denver as a test bed for products from all
the various nations. This strategy was working
well until Ghostwalker’s Reclamation. The offic-
es for Ares Consumer Products and other divi-
sions are all above ground, and occasionally Vo-
gel himself visited. The R&D labs are all below
ground. Ares proudly recruits dwarves to work
in the Spire, and they boast that they have more
dwarfs on their payroll than any other business
in the FRFZ.
Brown Palace Hotel
The original Brown Palace hotel was built in Den-
ver in 1892. It has remained open ever since, but it
has undergone significant renovations over the near-
ly 200 years of its history. The Brown Palace Club, a
triangular-shaped bar in the hotel, was made into a
speakeasy during prohibition and became a popular
watering hole in the decades afterward.
> Both the club and hotel are said to be haunted, with guests
reporting things like feeling the carpet moving or seeing even a
train conductor standing in the doorway. Because of its magical
significance, the hotel is popular with spirits, and guests are
expected to treat every spirit as if they were another guest.
> Bifrost
Church of the Dragon
Reborn Headquarters
Located directly across the street from Ghost- 33
walker’s liaison’s office, the Church of the Drag-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
on Reborn was built from a splinter sect of the
Children of the Dragon. With the resurgence in
membership since Ghostwalker’s Reclamation,
the church began construction on other locations
throughout the FRFZ. Often, one can find Joshua
Morningstar leading prayer services in the shadow
of Ghostwalker’s liaison’s office.
> Joshua Morningstar has more than a few skeletons in his closet.
For one thing, he never existed prior to 2061. Rumors have it
that he’s actually a drake of Ghostwalker’s, but none have ever
seen him shift into draconic form, and his aura has a lot of
powerful masking magic.
> Bifrost
Council Hall
What was once a political arena built for the
executives for each sector, Council Hall has been
converted into a museum. A grotesque display
of Ghostwalker’s power, the museum essentially
taunts each of the former member nations of the
FRFZ. Each of the nations that previously had a
sector has a dedicated exhibit, with statues and art
commemorating their failures as leaders, and ex-
alting Ghostwalker as the savior the Zone needed.
Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower
Built in 1910 as part of the Daniels & Fish-
er department store, the clock tower was, at the
time, the tallest building west of the Mississip-
pi river. Since the department store’s closure, the
tower traded ownership multiple times. The top
five floors of the clock tower (which include the
clock face) are available for rent, even potentially
as a very unique residence. The bottom floors have
been leased out for decades as a cabaret/bar. The
remaining two floors of the building are used as
office space by the 1owners.
Denver Administration Building
Following Ghostwalker’s Reclamation, he took
on all the administrative responsibilities of the FRFZ,
and the Denver Administration started hiring staff
members in droves. It is home to offices for each of
the district representatives, along with the bureaucra-
cy needed to keep Denver operating efficiently.
> If the rumors are true, then Ghostwalker has taken and captured
someone or something critically important to each of the
leaders of the districts. Odds are that those items are stored
here somewhere.
> Voxel
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 Denver Zoo
Under the careful, watchful eye of Ghostwalker,
the Denver Zoo takes great care of its animal resi-
34 dents. The zoo is permitted to contain any non-sa-
pient critter or paracritter, so long as the environ-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
ment is kept as authentic as possible. The zoo has
a display of mated greater phoenixes on loan from
the PCC, which serve as a huge draw for the crowd
when the phoenixes begin their mating dance only
to incinerate each other and then be reborn in
front of everyone’s eyes.
Draco Foundation Office
The Draco Foundation maintains an office in
the Hub. Most standard office functions can be per-
formed here. Recruitment is one of the primary func-
tions. Some of the leadership, including Nadja Davi-
ar, can occasionally be found here, using the facility
as a remote office. There are unsubstantiated rumors
that the Draco Foundation managed to recover pow-
erful artifacts after the fight between Ghostwalker
and Harlequin. The fact that the building has a base-
ment protected with very powerful hints that these
rumors may have basis in truth. The Draco Founda-
tion also runs a homeless outreach program in an an-
nex building. In exchange for a warm meal and bed,
they ask that all residents provide news of the streets.
> The primary reason for maintaining this office is to maintain
their spy network within the FRFZ. The Draco Foundation also
has close ties to the Children of the Dragon through one of their
newest board members, Alexis Glimmerscale.
> Bifrost
Evo Gardens
Easily my favorite area in the Hub, Evo Gardens
earned its name because of the greenery growing
all over the buildings, especially on the roofs and
bridges that connect the structures. Evo moved its
North American headquarters to this campus, and
the head of Evo North America, Mary Luce, often
visits the area to check on local businesses. Evo,
through its MetaErgonomics subsidiary, secured
many of the contracts to provide metahumans
and sapient critters with comfortable residences,
restaurants, and infrastructure. Evo Gardens also
houses the local branch of MetaMatrix, the Evo
subsidiary that provides electronics and equipment
to get sapients of all types onto the Matrix. Oth-
er subsidiaries with offices in the Gardens include
Shibata Construction and Engineering and Tsuru-
ga International, which they hope to use to win
construction contracts in the region.
Feed Trough
Feed Trough was built by Evo with the expec-
tation that centaurs were an underserved market.
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
Turns out, it’s also popular with non-centaurs due
to the work of their excellent chef, Monique La-
bonté. The Feed Trough is one-hundred-percent
vegan and organic, and it gets most of its produce
from local farms in the Elbert and Stapleton dis-
tricts.
Fillmore Auditorium
One of the older nightclubs in Denver, the Fill-
more Auditorium hosted bands for almost a centu-
ry and retains its venerable and illustrious status.
Since the destruction of Weekday Eclipse, the Fill-
more Auditorium has seen a lot more bands per-
form. Acts here run the gamut from modern rock
to classical. The Fillmore hosts weekly shows that
raise money to help artists who were displaced by
the arrest of Perianwyr.
Five by Five
Five by Five is a favorite haunt for smugglers and
coyotes. Located in an unused cistern beneath the
Hub, the bar has a reputation for being discreet and
relaxing despite its dank surroundings. The bar has
a tradition that helps reinforce this reputation: if
you discuss business openly, you must buy everyone
a round. The owner of Five by Five is a hobgoblin
rigger named Squid, who knows just about every
smuggler and coyote in the FRFZ personally.
> Squid set up a series of repeaters to ensure a strong signal, even
underground in a cistern. Sometimes, those repeaters need
work. If you’re willing to go digging around in the sewers of
Denver, Squid pays pretty well considering, and it’s a great way
to ingratiate yourself to the rigger community.
> Voxel
Focused Consulting and
Brokerage Headquarters
The worldwide headquarters for Focused Con-
sulting and Brokerage (FCB), a consulting firm
that manages “problems” for elite clientele, is a
prominent Hub building. The story goes that FCB
is a corporate fixer of sorts, arranging jobs for
high-end runners to be paired up with clients at a
decent rate.
> If you’re approached for a job with FCB, it means you’ve reached
the top of the game. No one knows who owns FCB, but the
rumor mill is churning with suggestions that everyone from
Ghostwalker to Daniel Howling Coyote own the company. Of
course, no one within FCB is going to reveal the truth.
> Voxel
Gadgeteer’s Electronics
If you need some electronics, Gadgeteer’s is a
great place to go. They have a beautiful showroom
floor promoting all the latest in electronic innova-
tion. The stock is constantly replenished by drones,
and interaction with others is rare, but metahu-
mans are available for consultation as well.
Ghostwalker’s Liaison Office
If you must go to this building, you better have
a great reason. Ghostwalker’s liaison, Nicholas
Whitebird, lives and works in this building. As
the living embodiment of the great dragon, all his
edicts are broadcast from these offices. The ZDF
maintains a constant vigil alongside Ghostwalk-
er’s contingent of spirit allies. This building starts
with two stories of regular floors before it forks
out into four narrow, fifty-five-story spires that
appear to be covered in dragon scales, with hab-
itable floors only on the upper and lower floors.
It stands as a testament to Ghostwalker’s domi-
nance.
Goodfriends
Goodfriends has undergone substantial changes
over the years. It started as a family-friendly piz-
za parlor, but its current incarnation is as a club
known for quiet and discreet hooking up. In the
early 2070s, the owners thought they would start
to gather blackmail material on the people using
their many private rooms, but the ZDF cracked
down hard on that activity. Now, the only threat
is from other patrons, and business has thrived as
a result.
> I can tell you that they’re still spying on the customers and using
that information. The owners have just become much better at
hiding it and distributing the information through third parties,
to distance themselves as the source. I may have helped them
out with this on occasion.
> Voxel
Hargreaves Clinic
Not the actual Hargreaves Clinic—that’s locat-
ed in Philadelphia—but rather an extension of the
clinic built to service Awakened patients in the Do-
main. Because it’s built in the Hub, anyone can get
treatment. Awakened and non-human metasapi-
ents are given a free pass on all medical procedures
with a valid (or convincing) SIN. Mundane hu-
mans can get treatment but have generally longer
wait times as they are treated with lower priority.
> It’s easy enough to get a fake SIN that says you’re Awakened.
They don’t check your aura, and they don’t really care much. It’s
just that the subsidies they’re given from Ghostwalker require
de-emphasizing treatment for mundane humans as part of an
“equity” program.
> Mile High Mike
Idyll Recovery Center
The Idyll Recovery Center is one of the region’s
most effective recovery facilities. They treat addic-
tion, mental illnesses, and brain trauma. The pres- 35
ident is a young doctor, Dr. Paul McKnight, who
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
proved himself to be a prodigy when dealing with
mental ailments. His techniques are somewhat
controversial, but extremely effective.
> Okay so this is a bit of a conspiracy theory, but hear me out. I’ve
heard rumors that people who go into Idyll sometimes come
out as technomancers. And that they go on to be employed
by Ghostwalker. I have no idea if this is true, and it sounds
completely insane, but if it is true, then that means someone
may have found a way to force Emergence. And it would explain
where Ghostwalker is getting his little army of technomancers.
> Voxel
Inari Jinja
Established by Shiawase to help spread the in-
fluence of Shinto the region, the priests who work
in this small temple are high-level Shinto priests.
These priests serve as eyes and ears for Shiawase,
in addition to holding the religious services they
are called to perform. The shrine is dedicated to
Inari, the foxlike messenger kami. It boasts a small
walking trail covered with torii in a fashion similar
to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Japan.
> Do not mess with the priests. They are all highly initiated
magicians with a lot more magical mojo than you. Plus, since
the area is deeply aspected toward Shinto, they will have every
advantage in a fight. I’ve been fortunate enough to not fight
them, but I did see them take out a shedim once, and it was a
very enlightening experience.
> Bifrost
Lunar Noctum
It’s a local mage hangout, so I’m not really qual-
ified to talk much about it. I’ll leave the description
of the magical things to Bifrost.
Lunar Noctum is shrouded by an anchored
Darkness spell. Astral perception is required to be
able to navigate the club, which keeps the mun-
danes away. Once a month, generally the day be-
fore the New Moon, the bar shuts down to cover
the surfaces with a thin layer of neutralized FAB, so
mages can navigate properly. On the New Moon,
a huge party draws massive crowds of spirits and
mages alike. The club is owned by a dwarf mage
named Brandi “Bam Bam” Bautista.
Mile High Limo and Taxi Service
Offering service across the Hub and nearby
neighborhoods, the black-and-white Mile High
taxis operating out of this garage are a common
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
36
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
sight. The owner, Viktor Ivanov, is a middle-aged
human Ukrainian ex-pat with suspected connec-
tions to the Vory. When Denver was a divided city,
Viktor had an active smuggling network moving
people and material across sectors, but these days
he runs a mostly legitimate business.
> The second floor of the garage building is leased to Dr.
Rutherford Kaine for his consulting office and the private
residence. He’s a well-known arcanoarcheologist and specialist
in ancient languages.
> Bifrost
Mitsuhama Tower
This thirty-story tower serves as home to three
major MCT subsidiaries: HermeTech, ParaShield,
and Mitsuhama Media. HermeTech specializes in
security solutions for mundanes against magical
threats. ParaShield provides dual-natured paracrit-
ters for security contracts, along with the infamous
ParaShield dart series of weapons. Mitsuhama Me-
dia is the smallest of these subsidiaries, focusing on
simsense and trideo production.
One-up Bar and Arcade
Divided into three sections, the main room of this
entertainment venue is the One-Up Bar and Grill, a
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
typical bar with a contemporary style, serving drinks
and food along with occasional live music. The One-
Up Arcade is a game room featuring reproductions of
video game machines from a century ago as well as
an assortment of modern AR game areas. The One-
Up Back Room is a dark and smoky members-only
private club that is actually a hangout for runners—
the only real membership requirement being good
street rep. The owner of the bar, Carol “Cat” McTa-
vish, is a retired runner and well-known fixer, and
occasional Mr. Johnson, in the Denver shadow scene.
Pam’s Pawn
“Second Hand” Pam is a sweet old ork with a
heart of gold. She will pay you emotional value for
your goods! Well, not really. She’s a tough-as-nails
ork who has seen too much of the bulldrek you’re
peddling. She is a savvy businesswoman who takes
her job seriously. Pam’s Pawn provides a wide ar-
ray of goods and armory services. If you get on her
good side, she might show you the stock she keeps
in the back which includes illegal firearms, explo-
sives, and armor.
Patterson Mansion
Originally built in 1890 and owned by a Thom-
as Croke, the mansion was sold in 1893 to Thom-
as Patterson. During a renovation in the 1970s,
vandals roamed across the grounds and moved
things. The crew decided to get a couple of guard
dogs, but things got decidedly strange the next day,
when the dogs were found to have jumped out of a
third-story window to their deaths.
Since then, the mansion is said to be haunted, and
no one wanted to live there. It was converted into
a bed and breakfast, capitalizing on its status as a
haunted house until the Awakening. That was when
the ghosts of the house managed to chase out every-
one who was there, and since then they have forceful-
ly resisted any attempts to settle on the ground.
> No one has been able to exorcise the ghosts, and now the
property sits empty, staring out at Millionaire’s Row like a skull.
The most powerful spirit of the house lives in the basement
and takes the form of a little girl named Emma. She takes
tremendous offense at the living stepping foot on her property.
Somewhat ironically, free spirits are allowed to gather here
without interference. There are even reports of spirit-only
parties and festivities taking place on the grounds.
> Bifrost
Rocky Mountain Post
Headquarters
The Rocky Mountain Post is a local media out-
let that focuses on news related to Ghostwalker.
Most people assume that it’s owned by Ghost-
walker as his primary PR mechanism, but the staff
and publishers insist they’re independent and any
perceived slant is unintentional.
Sakura Square
Since 1973, Sakura Square has been the heart
of the Japanese experience in Denver. At its heart
is the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple, which
has stood on this site since 1947. Since then, the
Square has expanded slightly to include a small
shopping mall, and it can be rented out for events.
Due to the square having both commercial and re-
ligious aspects, there have been extensive legal bat-
tles over the privacy of the events that take place.
Without a direct order from Ghostwalker, the ZDF
policy is to leave the events alone without an abun-
dance of legal cause. As a result, Sakura Square has
seen extensive use by the Karemasu Clan.
Sal’s Cheap Sleeps
Coffin hotels are all over the city of Denver,
but this one is truly unique. It’s got an absolutely
stellar reputation for discretion, comfort, and val-
ue. It’s run by a free spirit named Sal, who is an
immensely powerful spirit of Man. Anyone who
has caused trouble at Cheap Sleeps has been found
a few days later, face-down in the nearby Cherry
Creek.
The Church
The Church is one of the oldest nightclubs in
Denver. The building is much older than the night-
club—originally a cathedral built in 1865. The 37
Church features nightly live performances rang-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
ing from classic EDM to modern trog rock. When
Weekday Eclipse was torched, the Church held a
massive candlelight vigil for the victims. Rumors
are that the Church is also owned by Perianwyr,
but they were discounted as fiction created to drive
away business.
The Grind
A biker bar popular among the orks and trolls
who were unfortunate enough to live in what was
CAS territory, the Grind makes an ideal meeting
place. There are enough patrons to discourage bad
behavior but few enough to allow for discretion.
Gibson, sometimes called “Sarge,” is the owner
and operator of the Grind.
> Sarge is a really great guy. He was a sergeant for Lone Star and
was forced to grind down his horns to fit in. After a while, he
decided that the racism was too much to tolerate and left.
Anyone affiliated with law enforcement will have a hard time
in this bar, as will anyone with racist tendencies. Sarge still
has friends from his days in Lone Star, which discourages
organizations like Human Nation from trying to get rid of
him. Still, Sarge is getting older and could use some help with
idiots.
> 14er
Tower of Babel
Prior to Ghostwalker’s Reclamation, the Tower
of Babel was a nightclub with a notorious streak.
Turns out that the place was being used by the
CAS to listen in on wireless traffic throughout the
Hub. Well, Ghostwalker shut that nonsense down
quick, and now the club is open again to the pub-
lic. To get in, you have to get into an elevator that
takes you up twenty floors to the club itself. Don’t
get tossed, since the elevator isn’t the fastest way
to get thrown out.
Truman Tech Tower
When Horizon gained control of the Truman
Distribution Networks, they also gained posses-
sion of the Truman Tech Tower. Horizon has given
over some of the building to Pathfinder Multime-
dia, but most of the building is operated by Hori-
zon subsidiary Singularity.
> The merger between TDN and Horizon hasn’t gone as smoothly
as Horizon would like. There are still elements of TDN that think
that they should have gone private instead of being bought
by Ares, and they’re trying to leverage the merger as another
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 opportunity to go private again. Horizon will win in the end, but
the question remains about what the leftovers will be.
> Mile High Mike
38
Union Station
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
The primary station for all maglev and sub-
way traffic throughout the Zone. There’s a maglev
route that connects Boulder, Denver, and Colorado
Springs, and subways that connect all the districts
of the Denver metropolitan area. Just be aware
that if you’re boarding a train bound for the PCC
or Sioux nations, you’ll have to go through cus-
toms just like if you were crossing the DMZ.
Weekday Eclipse Memorial
A memorial stands in the place where the most
famous nightclub in Denver once stood. Weekday
Eclipse, formerly owned by the dragon Perianwyr,
was firebombed in 2076 by unknown assailants.
In the ensuing blaze, seventy-four people lost their
lives. Many assumed it was some draconic retribu-
tion for Perianwyr interfering with Ghostwalker’s
plans several years earlier. The assailants were nev-
er captured, and Perianwyr set up this memorial.
Thornton
Thornton at a glance
Size: 227 square kilometers
Population (2081): 126,000
Human: 60%
Dwarf: 2%
Elf: 16%
Ork: 18%
Troll: 2%
Other: 2%
Population density: 555 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 57,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 9
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 30%
High school equivalency: 37%
College equivalency: 24%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 9%
A suburb of Denver in between Westminster
and Brighton, Thornton was once managed by the
Sioux and still retains some of that attitude. It’s not
uncommon to see people openly carrying weapons
of various styles, sizes, and lethality.
> Many of the ZDF in the area were once Sioux Defense Force
officers. This causes issues for them when their allegiance
to their tribe is put in confrontation with their allegiance to
Ghostwalker. But it also means that if you’re clever, you can
SHADOWS OF DENVER // PLACES TO GO ...
mess with the IFF information in their heads-up display to make
it seem like you’re affiliated with the Sioux Nation. Just be sure
to sell the act with a convincing performance.
> Voxel
Apex Plasmids Complex
Apex Plasmids is the largest food producer in
the FREZ. They produce almost all the soy, myco-
protein, and algae used by the sprawl. As a result,
they own huge swaths of land where they have
hydroponic facilities. However, the side effect of
all this production is the area around the Com-
plex is just disgusting to smell. Thus, there are not
many businesses in the area, other than Hardpan,
the rough-and-tumble bar that serves many of the
employees.
Carnimore
This spot is part of a very popular chain of
restaurants that cater to protein-rich diets and big
appetites. The Carnimore franchise features a huge
buffet specializing in meaty flavors and textures.
They are tremendously successful in areas with
heavy ork and troll populations, and the advertis-
ing reflects that. It’s not as obvious as places like
the Big Rhino in Seattle, but it’s still pretty clear
that this is where you can go if you have nine hun-
gry kids and you’re on a budget.
> Their advertising is straight-up offensive. I was never raised in
a “litter” with a bunch of other orks, and I absolutely knew my
mother and father. That new ad where the single mother with six
ork babies is wondering where father went off to, and decides
to take the kids to Carnimore? Sickening. Though I will say that
their brisket is almost worth it.
> 14er
Hardpan
The only business willing to put itself close to
the Apex Plasmids algae tanks, Hardpan has a long
tradition of catering to the blue-collar workers in
the area. The owner, a Sioux human named Susan
“Banshee” Johnson, keeps a running list of those
who get thrown out with pictures of their beaten
faces hanging from the back of the bar like trophies.
> You’re still welcome in Hardpan if you’re Anglo. Just be
cognizant of Sioux traditions like making challenges and
contests of strength, will, and intelligence. And don’t get baited
into throwing the first punch, because you will get tossed and
banned for life.
> Mile High Mike
Overmon-Aberny
Don’t let the log cabin décor fool you—this cor-
porate-friendly hotel has some of the best physical
security in the sector. Most of the security here are
former Sioux Defense Force, and the management
ensures their skills stay sharp by giving them a
month each year for training. They also make ex-
tensive use of traps and alarms to supplement their
staff, allowing them to respond to threats quickly.
> Their Matrix security is pretty weak, to be honest. These guys
focus so hard on traditional combat that they forget just how
vulnerable they are to a Matrix assault. One good hack, and you
can be in their PAN and messing with their systems before they
know what happened.
> Voxel
> Though they do have some spirits on site, their magical security
could use a boost.
> Bifrost
Shiawase Plaza
Headquarters to Shiawase operations in the
FRFZ, the Plaza is a large campus spread out
across a wide area. The buildings are arranged in
such a way as to emphasize harmony between the
various subsidiaries on the campus. Some of those
subsidiaries include Arboritech, which focuses on
agricultural products, Shiawase Fuzion, which
provides power to Denver and much of the Zone,
and Shiawase City Services, which provides infra-
structure, water, and waste management solutions
to Denver.
Westminster
westminster at a glance
Size: 67 square kilometers
Population (2081): 105,000
Human: 60%
Dwarf: 3%
Elf: 15%
Ork: 17%
Troll: 3%
Other: 2%
Population density: 1,567 per square kilometer
Per capita income: 60,000¥
Hospitals and clinics: 8
Education (2081)
Less than 12 years: 28%
High school equivalency: 40%
College equivalency: 22%
Advanced degrees and certificates: 10%
The final district in our tour of the Zone, West-
minster is a small suburban area just north and
west of the Hub. As busy as the Hub is, it some-
times spills over into Westminster. As a result, the
ZDF here are always vigilant, and you’ll rarely find
more aggressive police.
> The spirits here seem to enjoy peace and quiet. That’s part of
why many of the free spirits are willing to work with the ZDF to
report any interlopers, especially if they’re causing chaos. Keep
your business private and you should be fine. If you make a 39
scene, you’ll get what’s coming to you.
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
> Bifrost
> Drones and devices are expected to be broadcasting their
identifying information at all times here. That can make being a
technomancer a bit tricky in Westminster, but with a commlink
you can get around without any issues.
> Voxel
Iris Firmware Office
The Denver office for this Renraku subsidiary,
Iris Firmware focuses on developing new software
to operate cybernetic components. If you’re us-
ing some sort of optic cyberware, there’s a good
chance the software was developed here. Iris is the
leading supplier of software and firmware for op-
tical devices.
> Which means that if you can get in here, you can get access to
code before it’s released to market, and potentially find some
zero-day exploits. That’s a tricky thing to do, so if you plan to do
that sort of thing, bring a competent crew.
> Voxel
Native American
Broadcast Service (NABS)
One of the oldest media outlets in the area, the
NABS is well-known for its hard-hitting investi-
gative journalism. They’re also considered to be
extremely fair, and they protect their sources well,
which means if someone’s going to get a scoop on a
story that might cause damage to someone’s polit-
ical ambitions, NABS is going to be that someone.
> They make extensive use of spirits as witnesses too, and they
have a couple shamans on staff who analyze the residual effects
of any sort of magical activity to find the cause.
> Bifrost
> They also have a team of dedicated hackers who are more than
happy to go into someone’s personal commlink and dredge it
for data. NABS is unscrupulous, and they pay well, which makes
them an excellent resource for shadow work.
> Voxel
Northern Lights Enchanting
Northern Lights is run by a very large man with
one eye who I swear thinks he’s the embodiment
of Odin. He goes by Northman, and he even has a
raven familiar named Huginn. He claims the other
one, Muninn, is away and up to no good. Despite
the fact that Northman follows the Norse tradition
PLACES TO GO ... // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 a bit too literally, his work is absolutely top-notch.
He can enchant nearly anything, but he excels at
rune work and qi foci.
40
Rattlesnake Grill
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
The Rattlesnake Grill is a family-friendly south-
western food restaurant. The food is quite good,
which keeps it high on the list for locals and tour-
ists. While a family-friendly restaurant may not
seem like a good place for a meet, the number of
eyes around you will ensure that everything stays
friendly.
Denver Metaplane
Posted by: Bifrost
As everyone should know by now, the astral
plane is shaped by the physical world. Emotions
are like echoes, and they ripple across the astral
plane, shaping the world of spirits. Ghostwalker
is deeply interested in the world of spirits, having
even fallen in love with one in particular named
Zebulon. Some sources I have on the metaplane
told me that Ghostwalker spent a lot of time there
with Zebulon until they died. The Denver meta-
plane is made up of several hyper-metaplanes, and
up until Zebulon died, they were all arranged and
connected to each other in a way that allowed for
metaplanar travel throughout the area.
Once Zebulon was gone, these hyper-metaplanes
began to drift apart, and there is a popular theory
among the denizens that if the hyper-metaplanes
drift far enough apart, it might end the metaplane
completely. Ghostwalker has been spotted here
many times since losing Zebulon, leading some to
speculate that he’s either trying to repair the damage
or trying to eradicate the metaplane completely.
Traveling between the hyper-metaplanes used
to be as simple as walking across a border. Now,
you’ll need to find transportation that can connect
you. Each hyper-metaplane has a thematic element
to it, and if you find that thematic element out
of place in your hyper-metaplane, there’s a good
chance it is the transportation you need. For in-
stance, if you’re in the Black Canyon, known for
its primeval forest, and you see a motorcycle belch-
ing black smoke, there’s a great chance that hop-
ping on that motorcycle will take you to the Iron
Horse Nation.
So far, we know of four hyper-metaplanes. It’s
very likely that there are more, but we just don’t
know of them. Travel between the hyper-meta-
planes is exceedingly difficult, which makes veri-
fying the existence of other planes tricky at best.
I’ll discuss the four known hyper-metaplanes, and
I’ll add some information about the rumors I’ve
heard. Feel free to add more detail to the rumors
if you’d like.
SHADOWS OF DENVER // DENVER METAPLANE
Black Canyon
The Black Canyon is one of the oldest of the
hyper-metaplanes. It appears to be a massive pri-
mordial forest, with trees that block out the sky.
The trees hold untold dangers but also unknow-
able possibilities. Looking into the dark, you might
notice a dozen or more eyes staring back at you
from the depths. Those eyes may be a trick of the
light or some of the predators that stalk the Black
Canyon. One does not go into the Black Canyon
lightly, because it represents the isolationist ideol-
ogies of the region’s inhabitants. As a result, the
denizens of the Black Canyon will not come to
your aid. Ever.
Shattered Lands
A desolate, near-empty region of grey rock and
sand, the Shattered Lands are a depressing simula-
crum of reality. The landscape is dotted with com-
munities all inspired by events, people, and places
from Denver’s past. Some of these communities
might represent the gold- and silver-rush mining
towns, others might represent small enclaves of
Amerind tribes, and I’ve seen one that looked like
a small Aztec community, which I’ve noticed has
grown over the years. The Shattered Lands are
both empty and full of promise. While the region
is relatively lawless and chaotic, it’s also full of po-
tential and possibility. One can find opportunity
here, if one knows how to forge it.
Iron Horse Nation
The Iron Horse Nation is a land that looks like
something from an old post-apocalyptic action
trid. Take the wild-west attitude of Denver, with
all the ferocity and intensity that entails, and then
give that attitude guns and vehicles of destruction.
The region is choked with black smoke from chug-
ging engines and the landscape is riddled with the
discharged brass of millions of rounds of ammuni-
tion. Gangs rove the area on motorcycles, cars, and
even in t-birds. They attack each other, fighting
over scant resources such as water, bullets, and fuel.
No one knows where the resources come from, but
they are always replenished in just enough supply
to keep the violence at a consistent level—enough
to keep things going, but not enough to that things
spiral out of control.
City of Steel
One of the more interesting hyper-metaplanes
is called the City of Steel. It’s undergone a lot of
changes since Ghostwalker kicked everyone out
of the FRFZ. It used to be a mirror of Denver it-
self, segregated into different sectors, each similar
to their real-world counterparts. But like the real
world, the sectors are all gone now, run by a single
unified entity called the Authority. In the City of
Steel, the denizens have all their decisions made for
them by the Authority. Free will is an illusion here,
but it’s a well-crafted illusion.
Rumor: Dragon’s Den
The Dragon’s Den may or may not be a real
hyper-metaplane. Rumor has it that this is where
Ghostwalker spends most of his time when he vis-
its. People who claim to have visited and returned
say that it’s a massive mountain inhabited almost
entirely by dwarves. They also talk about fanta-
sy things that we’ve never seen before, like people
made of rock and oddly flamboyant lizard people.
I’ve never met someone who went there, so all the
information I’ve ever learned about this place is
from associates of associates. And naturally, they
went missing some time later. All this lends cre-
dence to the idea that this place may be real.
> Lately, the Denver Metaplane has started to show some very
odd behavior. We know the hyper-metaplanes can be a pain to
traverse due to their fractured nature, but now I’m seeing gates
appearing, with people walking in and out. I have no idea where
the gates are going, and I have no idea who these people are (or
even if they are people) but it’s got me, and my spirits, pretty
freaked out.”
> Lyran
> Those sound a lot like the gateways used by the fae to traverse
their realms. I mean, the magical ability to traverse metaplanes
and hyper-metaplanes via a gateway isn’t unique to the fae. In
fact, I’d posit that the traversal between the hyper-metaplanes
in Denver operate on a similar concept.
> Bifrost
> Some do, but the destination of the portal is as important as the
talent needed to create, operate, or destroy them.
> Marko
Denver Matrix
Hotspots
Posted by: Voxel
During the events of Ghostwalker’s Reclama-
tion, it was revealed that Ghostwalker targeted the
Denver Data Haven, a.k.a. the Nexus, because he
was under the impression they had targeted him
first. See, Ghostwalker doesn’t just keep a physical
hoard, or a magical hoard. He also has a digital
hoard, and apparently it got hacked.
The goods from that hack have never been re-
leased, so far as I can tell. But it must have been
something extremely juicy, because he burned ev-
ery bridge available to him within the tech com-
munity. The last several years have seen him try
to rebuild some of those bridges, while also con-
structing some new ones. He’s hired an army of
technomancers, presumably because he feels more 41
comfortable understanding the Matrix when it’s
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
presented to him with a degree of mysticism.
However, the question should be asked: Where
did he get all his technomancers on such short no-
tice? It’s not like he just put out a want ad and
hundreds of unemployed hackers answered the
call. Or maybe he did exactly that but hid it be-
hind lots of layers of secrecy so no one knew it
was Ghostwalker until it was too late. Either way,
he’s got serious Matrix firepower at his fingertips,
and you can expect that nearly every public grid
or host in the area is patrolled by technomancer
demiGODs.
The Holy Grail of the Matrix in the Zone is the
location of the Denver Data Haven. That’s why Per-
egrine reached out to me in the first place. I won’t
go into details about our transaction, but I knew
he was looking for it and he managed to pique my
curiosity enough to make me want to explore.
I don’t want to spoil what the results of our
investigation were, but we found some survivors
from the Denver Data Haven. They are currently
in the deepest holes they could find, but they do
exist. And no, I don’t know where they are any-
more. After we met with them, they disappeared
once again.
A big source of work for techy types is the on-
going shadow war between Warpdrive Systems
and FTL Technologies. The CEO of Warpdrive
Systems, Steven Ridgemont, founded FTL back
in 2038. FTL was extremely successful, to the
point where it became the victim of a hostile take-
over by Fuchi and Ridgemont’s former partner,
Charles Lightfoot. Lightfoot betrayed Ridgemont
and took over FTL after the takeover was com-
plete. Now, FTL was purchased by Spinrad Glob-
al during the whole affair involving the crash of
NeoNET, but Lightfoot remains in charge of the
subsidiary. Lightfoot wants to go private again,
but there’s no way in hell that Ridgemont will let
him do that. Lots of great shadow work to be had
in this feud.
And finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that
Ghostwalker’s digital hoard is likely to have been
rebuilt. It’s probably located on a host somewhere,
but no one’s ever found it. If I had to hazard a
guess, there’s some sort of information about it
behind the firewalls of Anasazi Holdings. Ghost-
walker set up this company to manage all his pur-
chased properties, and they have the most sophis-
ticated security in the entire Zone, hands down.
Sculpted to look like an old Anasazi cliff dwelling,
each of the houses, doors, and windows are actual-
ly tunnels that lead deep into the mountainside. All
of these tunnels overlap, connect, and intertwine,
making it almost impossible to navigate.
DENVER MATRIX HOTSPOTS // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 The place is constantly crawling with agents,
who take the form of local tribespeople. They run
files back and forth in the form of various trinkets
42 and goods, or in the form of things like basins of
water. They won’t interact with you at all, which
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
just emphasizes the overall feeling that you’re an
outsider and wrong. The worst part, though? Any
one of them, or any one of the sculpted elements,
can easily be IC or a spider, and you’d never know
it. Whatever technique or technology they’re using
to hide their icons, it’s the best I’ve ever seen.
... People to Meet
Now that we’ve covered the major places to vis-
it on your trip to Denver, let’s spend a bit of time
talking about the players, both big and small. Each
of the people and organizations I’m going to talk
about here are important to the overall scene of
Denver or played a role in my personal story of
finding Perri, and therefore earned a spot on my
list.
First off, we have to talk about the criminal syn-
dicates that run the city. Most megasprawls are lit-
tered with gangs, but that’s not the case in Denver.
For the most part, the criminal elements are orga-
nized, and that can be chalked up to the fact that
Ghostwalker doesn’t like criminal activities to be
obvious. He’s mostly claw-off, provided that you
can keep your business private.
Koshari
The Koshari are an Amerind crime syndicate
from the PCC. They’re organized loosely into cir-
cles, with each circle specializing in a type of crim-
inal activity. There are two smaller circles and two
larger circles in Denver. The Koshari are open and
accepting in their lower levels, taking in anyone re-
gardless of their gender, ethnicity, or talents. How-
ever, the uppermost echelons are entirely Hopi
and Zuni, and that’s unlikely to ever change. The
Koshari leadership operates primarily out of Den-
im, the Hopi-themed nightclub in Lakewood.
Language of the Koshari
Kachina: Origin: Hopi, Zuni; Noun referring to specific
spirits, often summoned or courted with dancing
ceremonies.
Nahmana: Origin: Dakota; Adjective meaning “Secret”
or “Arcane.”
Ohanzee: Origin: Lakota; Noun meaning “shadow.”
Wahchinksapa: Origin: Hopi, Zuni; Adjective meaning
“wise.”
SHADOWS OF DENVER // ... PEOPLE TO MEET
Nahmana Circle
The Nahmana Circle is responsible for manag-
ing the Koshari’s magical assets, as well as their
magical criminal enterprises. They deal in bioen-
gineered Awakened drugs (BADs), talislegging,
and crafting illegal telesma. The Nahmana Circle
is managed by an Amerind woman named Ma-
jenda. She started her business in the tempo trade,
survived two assassination attempts, as well as an
attack that leveled the apartment complex where
she was living at the time. She’s believed to have
single-handedly brought in revenue in excess of
600,000,000 nuyen. Most believe that she’s next
in line to join the Wahchinksapa Circle.
Ohanzee Circle
The Ohanzee Circle is responsible for bringing
ruthless and effective violence to bear. They could
be seen as soldiers, but it might be more accurate
to refer to them as “force multipliers.” Each of the
Ohanzee Circle is extremely well-versed in how to
not only devastate an enemy, but how to destroy
the morale of their compatriots. A single Ohanzee
soldier can be as effective as five Triad soldiers.
The leader of the Ohanzee Circle is an ork named
Tahahum Soyoko. He learned a lot from Makawi
Jameson back before she joined the Wahchinksapa
Circle. He learned how to manipulate events with-
out using a heavy hand by identifying patterns and
recognizing opportunities. He brought his nephew,
Nata-aska, to serve as his lieutenant. Nata-aska
may be an unusual choice for lieutenant, given
his indiscretions and propensity for violence, but
Tahahum uses him more for his raw intimidation.
With a healthy dose of intimidation and coercion,
Tahahum has managed to accomplish a great deal
with very little overt violence.
Wahchinksapa Circle
Managing the other two circles in Denver, the
Wahchinksapa Circle is a group of five chiefs. These
are the leaders who call the shots for the rest of the
Koshari in Denver. When there is a dispute or dis-
agreement, the Wahchinksapa are brought in to me-
diate and keep the peace. In keeping with Kachina
tradition, each of the chiefs in the Circle takes on
an aspect or totem, even if they are not magically
active. These totems provide them with clear roles
in debates, discussions, and negotiations.
The lead chief is Mark Longfeather, who takes
his totem as the Raven trickster a bit too seriously.
The Bear chief is Doba Standing Kodiak, who
represents a voice of calm and resilience to chal-
lenges. The single most respected chief is James
Greytail, who adopted Coyote as his totem. Like
Coyote, James is a great storyteller who knows the
wisdom of the past can be applied to the future.
 The youngest and newest member of the Elder
Circle, Makawi Jameson, often finds herself as the
deciding factor when the rest of the chiefs can’t agree
on something. She may be a gnome, but she was for-
merly in PuebSec, and she led the Ohanzee Circle for
many years. She is crafty and dangerous, even though
she represents the often-overlooked Rabbit totem.
The last chief in the Elder Circle is Kimo Taaho,
who represents the Snake totem. He’s a crotchety
old bastard, stuck in the past and proudly conser-
vative in his values and advice. Be aware if you
have to meet Kimo—he will most likely refuse to
speak to any “colonist.”
> Rumor has it that Kimo Taaho actually wasn’t always like
that. He was supposedly the lead singer and guitarist for a
band called Wild Cards, when he went by the stage name of
Richard Diamond. Do not mention this to him—he will never
acknowledge the rumor, and he hates that it even started.”
> Voxel
Outer Circle
The Outer Circle is the leadership of the
Koshari across North America. Each of the major
Koshari markets has a single voice in the Outer
Circle. Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix,
and Santa Fe each have a representative, and the
Denver representative is Joshua Kawaibatunya.
Joshua is a fifty-something Amerind male who
prefers to avoid interacting directly with the other
circles when possible.
Komun’go
A small syndicate with origins that can be traced
to the Korean peninsula, the Komun’go are only
just getting their footing in Denver. They mostly
operate on the fringes, sticking to the northern bor-
ders. They manage smuggling operations through
the Salish-Shidhe Council and Pueblo Corporate
Council, working closely with the Dogmen and
First Nation to bolster their numbers. They’re led
by a troll named Jesse Feldspar, who would rath-
er rule through fear than inspiration. He tends to
be an obstacle to the Komun’go’s growth, which
means at some point he might find his position in
danger.
Mafia Families
As a general rule, Mafia families are defined in
large part by their secrecy. They’ll never admit that
there’s even such a thing as a Mafia, and they’ll
constantly walk that line between legitimate and
illegitimate business. The two Mafia families that
run Denver are structured similarly, with a don
sitting at the top and a consigliere who serves as
an outside voice to advise the don. There are also
many sotto capi and capi, who are captains in
charge of specific types of criminal activities. The
main force of the families is the soldati, who serve
as muscle and bagmen, and picciotti, who serve as
non-combat specialists. 43
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
Chavez Family
The Chavez family deals primarily in classic
Mafia pursuits: drugs, prostitution, and gambling.
They primarily operate out of the Lakeside Amuse-
ment Park and Casino, and led by Miguel “Caesar”
Chavez who keeps his distance in Dallas. Local
operations are managed by Carlos Chavez. When
Carlos’ father, Omar, was killed, the position should
have gone to his brother Emilio, but Carlos man-
aged to get Emilio exiled, which led to some indirect
actions by Emilio to get back at his brother.
Casquilho Family
Hailing originally from the California Free
State, the Casquilho family represents the new
guard of the mafia. Their primary product is in-
formation. Their hackers buy, sell, and trade in
paydata. The family also deals in BTLs, primarily
CalHots that they smuggle in through their false
businesses. They’ve also added some limited pros-
titution to their portfolio, but so far, they’ve man-
aged to avoid stepping on the toes of the Chavez
family or other syndicates. The whole operation is
managed by Vasco Casquilho, who was groomed
for the role since he was a kid. Relatively young to
be a sotto capo, Vasco has proven himself over and
over again. If he has one weakness, it’s that he likes
things that are shiny and new.
Tamanous
There is extremely little information about Tama-
nous in Denver. Like most organized operations in
the Zone, things are kept in the shadows to avoid
attracting Ghostwalker’s attention. But Tamanous
have the added pressure of being one of the more
reviled organizations in the world. They definitely
have some sort of affiliation with the Nocturna street
gang, but beyond that, the Infected in Denver are un-
willing to talk about Tamanous—probably because
the organization keeps them well supplied through
the Meat Market. The only thing close to a contact
I have found for Tamanous is a ghoul named Loco.
Story goes that Loco was an Aztlaner follower of the
Path of the Sun and was prepared to be sacrificed
when Ghostwalker interrupted the ceremony. Sup-
posedly he was given to Tamanous as punishment
for the failed ritual, and they turned him into a ghoul.
Triads
Triads are some of the oldest organized crime
syndicates in history. They are commonly found
... PEOPLE TO MEET // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 in Chinese communities, and their name actually
comes from a British interpretation of the symbols
of their original organization, the Hung Sun. Ap-
44 parently, the triangles represent the relationship
between Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Triads are
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
very religious and rely heavily on rituals, even for
their mundane members. Triads tend to vary in
their organization, though some basic roles can be
found across the board. Lodge masters give guid-
ance and advice, providing an indirect source of
leadership. Incense masters are initiated magicians
who ensure the rituals and traditions of the Tri-
ad are preserved. Red Poles are the military com-
manders of the Triad, frequently augmented or
adepts with years of demonstrated loyalty under
their belts.
One other note about the Triads: it’s true that
part of the reason police cannot infiltrate a Triad
is the initiation ritual that kills anyone who lies or
talks about the Triad.
Golden Triangle Triad
A very conservative Triad based in the China-
town neighborhood of Lowry. They will go to sur-
prising lengths to avoid confrontation and prefer
to grow slowly and legitimately when possible.
They have a larger-than-normal number of techno-
mancers and metahumans in their ranks, and they
tend to be willing to try out new business ideas.
Their lodge master is Li Zicheng, who managed to
build a network of hackers and information bro-
kers, giving him an edge in a city where subtlety
and discretion are key. An Peng is the Golden Tri-
angle incense master—he used to be found in Klub
Karma, but once the Mafia took that place over,
he became scarce there. He rarely makes the same
mistake twice. The red pole for the Golden Trian-
gle triad is Chen Seng-Ho. Chen Seng-Ho actually
has two master’s degrees: one in computer science
and another in network security. He graduated
from CalTech, where he was friends with Vasco
Casquilho, the head of the Casquilho family’s op-
erations in Denver.
White Lotus Triad
Compared to the relatively sedate Golden Tri-
angle Triad, the White Lotus are rabid hellhounds.
They lost Klub Karma and failed to take over the
Lakeside Amusement Park and Casino. Not con-
tent with that, they went on the offensive against
the Kirillov Vory, and lost some of their brothels in
the process. Of the two Triads, the White Lotus is
the most likely to operate outside the Chinatown
neighborhood, and they are more than willing to
step on toes to advance themselves. Their current
lodge master is “Auntie” Zhi Feng, who took the
reins after her father was assassinated by the Vory.
She led an assault and managed to kill one of the
SHADOWS OF DENVER // ... PEOPLE TO MEET
Vory tsars, Nikolai Kirillov. The two organizations
have been in open war ever since. The incense mas-
ter for the White Lotus is a dwarf named Yue Fe.
He’s a very powerful wuxing magician, who can
call upon ancestors from the Black, Red, White,
Yellow, and Green lodges for guidance. I’m not
exactly sure what all that means, but it sounds
impressive as hell. The White Lotus red pole is an
elf named Hu Yan Zhuo. He likes to wear a fear-
some beard to help offset the fact that he’s an elf.
In combat, he wields two iron whips that tend to
crush skulls instead of cut flesh.
Vory v Zakone
The Vory is sometimes referred to as the “Rus-
sian Mafia,” but that term is not entirely apt. The
name actually means “thieves inside of law” as an
allusion to the fact that they are organized, and they
are willing to commit any crime, no matter how
small. Formed in Russia, the Vory now has fami-
lies all over Europe and parts of North America.
They’re organized similarly to a Mafia, with a Tsar
at the top who runs operations in an area. They’re
supported by the Lideri, who are like project man-
agers for a specific criminal enterprise. Uniquely, the
Vory maintain a communal fund called an obschak.
If you make money, you pay into the obschak, and
when you get jailed or killed, your family gets taken
care of from the obschak.
Kirillov Vory
When the Vory initially moved in on Denver’s
underworld, each of the leaders took a section of
the city. In the years since, the various tsars have
all been killed or gave up their ownership in order
to make Vladimir Kirillov the only tsar standing
at the end. Some folks from outside the Vory insist
that the removal of the other tsars was orchestrat-
ed by Vladimir, but no one would dare say that
openly. Without a large European immigrant pop-
ulation, the Vory here are unable to rely on pro-
tection rackets and such. However, the Vory are
excellent smugglers, bringing in weapons and sex
slaves from Europe and Asia, forcing the latter to
work off their debts in disgusting brothels scat-
tered throughout the city. They also bring in most
of the opiates on Denver’s streets, with supply con-
nections throughout Asia. The Vory frequently co-
operate with various street gangs, most notably the
Fronts in the Aurora Warrens, who the Vory outfit
with weapons and drugs for resale.
Yakuza
The Yakuza has been around in Japan for about
five hundred years. The Yakuza are currently the
richest and most powerful of all the international
crime syndicates, so naturally they have a presence in
Denver, though it’s small. They are shaped by strong
adherence to tradition, duty, and honor, which tend
to give people a romantic view of their activities, un-
til they see behind the mask. The Yakuza will engage
in nearly any business, legitimate or otherwise, pro-
vided it makes money for the organization. In charge
of a clan is an oyabun, who demands complete loy-
alty at all times. The oyabun is often treated like the
CEO of a corporation, and their wakagashira serves
as first lieutenant. The wakagashira is something like
a company’s president.
Karemasu Clan
This is extremely hard to explain, but I’ll do
my best. The Denver Yakuza is run by a white guy
named Seth Kramer, but he goes by Setto Karema-
su, and if you call him anything close to his former
name you can expect to be found dead. Setto was
actually the wakagashira for the Yamato Clan when
they were in charge of Denver. However, he was
mysteriously absent during an attack that wiped
out every other leader of the Yamato Clan. Setto
gathered up whatever members he could find and
reached out to the Shotozumi-rengo in Seattle for
support. The Shotozumi-rengo isn’t fond of having
a gaijin in charge of the Denver operations, but they
figured they could spare some of their more reckless
and headstrong members to help. So if Setto proves
to be a valuable asset, then the Shotozumi-rengo
has a strong ally in Denver once again. If Setto fails,
then the Shotozumi-rengo has simply proven why
gaijin cannot be trusted with positions of authority.
Setto’s wakagashira is Izuru Konishi, who was
appointed by the Shotozumi-rengo. He moved
from Seattle, and honestly has never been happier.
He’s an avid outdoorsman and uses his trips to the
various resorts in the Front Range district to iden-
tify businesses the clan can overtake.
Local Gangs
The gangs in Denver underwent a serious
shakeup shortly before Ghostwalker’s Reclama-
tion. Most of the gangs have become unified under
the leadership of the Fronts. It’s hardly a proper
organized criminal syndicate; it’s more like a feu-
dal system of vassalage. Even though we know the
Fronts are affiliated with the Vory, it seems like the
Vory had nothing to do with the recent blitzkrieg
that the Fronts put on.
Still, the region is gigantic and there is room for
lots of gangs in the region. Here is a partial list of
the gangs you might run into during a visit to the
Zone.
14ers
The 14ers, named for the mountains just west
of Denver, are a gang of eco-activists. They are
sometimes accused of being a terror cell for Terra-
First!, the worldwide eco-terrorist network. They
see any corporate interests in the mountain regions
of the Front Range as a direct threat to the earth. 45
Despite the eco-friendly nature of Ghostwalker
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
and his administration, the 14ers often run afoul
of the ZDF. The gang is small, but every member is
initiated and skilled in ritual magic.
> Our leader is Whisper, and she speaks to the trees and wind.
Anyone who thinks that they can come onto our turf and screw
things up is going to run afoul of us.
> 14er
Ancients
The Ancients is one of the largest gangs in the
world, which means I may not be able to correct-
ly elaborate on the entire organization. They’re
primarily elven, with a rigid militaristic structure
and access to military-grade equipment. In places
where elves are disenfranchised, the Ancients can
be seen working to reclaim their individuality and
authority. They use this image to help recruitment
efforts; and because of their primarily elven mem-
bership they frequently clash with organizations
like the Humanis Policlub. They also have an on-
going feud with the Cutters, who I’ll talk about
soon.
The Ancients are managed by an elf named
Firethorn. Each of his colonels run a region of the
world. The FRFZ belongs to the Southwestern
region, and the colonel here is named Ironwing.
He operates primarily out of Las Vegas and leaves
day-to-day operations to his captain, Buckshot.
Each of Buckshot’s five lieutenants manage a crew
of fifty, and each group is then further divided into
five ten-man squads.
Chrome Domes
The Chrome Domes are a really small but ul-
tra-violent gang of cybernetic enthusiasts. They
are all about augmenting their bodies in any way
possible, and they’re led by an ork named Atlas
who looks bigger than many trolls. It seems like
the Chrome Domes are going to flame out before
they can become a larger threat, but so far Atlas
has managed to keep a steady supply of stims and
chrome for his members.
Cutters
The Cutters may be the largest go-gang in
North America. Locally, though, they have only
about 120 members, making them smaller than the
Ancients. Unlike most gangs, the Cutters are orga-
nized a lot like a corporation, with a board of di-
rectors of various chief executives. Each “market”
is controlled by a director who directs operations
... PEOPLE TO MEET // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 through managers. In a lot of ways, the Cutters
resemble the Yakuza, but they lack polish and still
hold onto their street tough imagery. Also, they
46 have historically been reluctant to be involved in
legitimate business, which until recently was an-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
other major distinguishing factor.
The FRFZ market is managed by a director
named Janie “Baroness” Robinson. She has three
lieutenants who each manage a crew of about for-
ty people and handle operations in Boulder, Den-
ver, and Colorado Springs. Because of the history
of Denver’s espionage business, the Cutters here
are more talented than most in spy craft, surveil-
lance, and counter surveillance. In a change from
their previous operations, it’s also possible that
you may find the Cutters taking some more le-
gitimate contracts for things like private security
and distribution, without specifying what is being
distributed.
Dogmen
Technically the Dogmen are an international
gang, but they’re way smaller than either the An-
cients or the Cutters. They often run as couriers
for the First Nation, and also work with the Ko-
mun’go. They have a couple of t-birds and are led
by a woman named Yaahl. Yaahl has a taste for
the finer things in life and pimped out her t-bird to
an extreme degree. The Dogmen claim no specific
territory and frequently work in the Gap and El-
bert districts.
Durin’s Sons
If you see a bunch of dwarves wearing chain-
mail and sporting axes in Boulder, there’s about a
fifty/fifty chance that they’re members of Durin’s
Sons, or LARPers. They’re a psycho thrill gang
that started up about twenty years ago and act like
they live in a fantasy trid. They refuse to work with
elves or humans and will go straight for the throat
when dealing with orks or trolls. You can see them
riding around Halferville with their motorcycles
and augmentations decorated to match their cos-
tumes.
First Nation
Technically, the First Nation is a criminal syn-
dicate of organized criminal elements in the Sioux
Nation. However, they have no leadership struc-
ture in the Zone, so they are classified as a gang.
They work alongside the Dogmen and Komun’go,
focusing their smuggling efforts along the Brighton
and Stapleton districts. For the most part, the First
Nation steers clear of other, larger gangs. They pre-
fer to work rather than fight and will usually nego-
tiate some sort of deal instead of fighting.
SHADOWS OF DENVER // ... PEOPLE TO MEET
Fronts
Okay, so the Fronts are an interesting gang. They
have hundreds of members scattered primarily in
the Aurora Warrens, where they’ve consolidated al-
most every other gang under their banner. They’re
led by an elf named Amy Steur, who is never without
her bodyguard, an absolutely massive ork named
Gob. The Fronts have a bunch of lieutenants, each
of which manages a cell of about twenty to thirty
members. These lieutenants roam the streets of Au-
rora like a plague of locusts, collecting protection
money and distributing drugs. They’ve managed to
work out deals with both the Casquilho family and
the Kirillov Vory. The Casquilho family provides the
Fronts with BTLs, and the Vory provide them with
weapons.
Aurora Angels
A vassal gang of the Fronts, the Aurora Angels
are excellent at hacking and blackmail. Their small
size left them vulnerable to the Fronts when they
went on the offensive in 2078. Since then, the lead-
ers, Base 13 and Tenebrous, have worked for the
Fronts providing technical expertise.
Dambusters
A thrill-gang that used to run the area around
the Quincy Reservoir. They wear bomber jackets
and sport the “greaser” look from the 1940s. But
don’t let the ridiculous outfit fool you—they’re
experts with explosives and have a unique knack
for throwing grenades right where they need to be.
They were absorbed by the Fronts and now serve
as protection and a threat against anyone who
might challenge the Fronts’ authority.
Three Kings
The Three Kings used to run independently in
the Aurora Warrens, but that all changed when the
Kirillov Vory attempted to wipe them out. Their
dwarf leader Rembrandt reached out to the Fronts
for support. The Fronts provided heavy weapons,
which turned the tide. The Vory retreated and the
Three Kings were forever sworn to the Fronts. They
are heavy weapons specialists, given that most of
their members are former soldiers in the UCAS Army.
> There’s a connection between the Fronts getting weapons from
the Vory, and then providing said weapons to the Three Kings
to fight the Vory, who had no good reason to attack the Kings in
the first place. Seems to me that this was all orchestrated by the
Vory and Fronts to get the Kings rolled up.
> 14er
Ghost Riders
The Ghost Riders are a medium-sized go-gang
that controls the 470 between Route 121 and
Highway 285. They are led by Wanda Pascoli and
Felicity Warren; the former is a magician with a
lot of skill in illusion magic. Every time the Ghost
Riders are on the move, there’s some sort of mag-
ical effect that travels with them. They might have
a thunderstorm riding behind them, their motor-
cycles might instead look like ghostly horses, or
they may even leave trails of flames on the road
behind them. They hang out at All the World’s a
Stage in Lakewood, and they’re known to have
worked with the Koshari doing delivery jobs and
talislegging.
Ironsiders MC
The Ironsiders used to be a legitimate motor-
cycle club made up of Sioux. Following Ghost-
walker’s Reclamation, the Ironsiders turned into
a so-called “one percenter” club, which means
they went outlaw. They still have a lot of control
over smuggling routes that travel through Brigh-
ton and Thornton, and they often require crimi-
nals to “hire” the Ironsiders for protection. Like
a traditional MC, they have strict rules against
members “poisoning” their bodies with injected
drugs. However, they’re more than happy to bring
in intravenous drugs to the Zone, provided their
members abstain from using them.
Nocturna
A very small and niche gang in the Aurora War-
rens—no one in the Fronts even tried to overtake
Nocturna. There’s less than a dozen members, but
they all share one thing in common: They’re all
vampires. Despite their small numbers, they can
put up a hell of a fight when they need to. Howev-
er, they try to avoid conflict unless it’s on someone
else’s turf. One of the founding principles of the
gang is to keep their neighborhood safe from any
external threats. All they ask for in exchange is a
donation of blood from their neighbors. Anyone
passing through their territory must provide a pint
of fresh blood in exchange for safe passage.
Silver Thorns
Operating in the primarily elven neighborhood
of Tír’Rae, this all-elven gang has ties to the An-
cients but refuse to join up with them. They are
led by a free spirit of Man who calls himself Pal-
adin Dufort. Paladin Dufort takes the form of a
medieval knight, and according to Bifrost, he
definitely has connections to the Korrigan spir-
it faction in charge of the Brocéliande Forest in
France. He’s also got connections with local faer-
ies. The gang doesn’t really act like most criminal
gangs though—they’re focused more on protecting
Tír’Rae and making sure their fellow elves are safe
in the dangerous Aurora Warrens.
Smooth Criminals
This is a small gang in the northern part of Col-
orado Springs with ties to some really nasty peo-
ple. The leader, Curtis Rivers, used to be a member 47
of the Humanis Policlub and found Humanis’ ac-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
tivities to be too tame for his liking. He formed the
Smooth Criminals and allied with Human Nation.
Several of their members are known to attend the
Church of the Holy Word and are likely connected
with the Followers of the Holy Sword.
West Side Bloods
Running out of the western side of Colorado
Springs, the West Side Bloods are your typical
gang. They sell drugs, they rob people, and they
try to push everyone else out of their territory.
The only thing that makes them unique is the fact
that they’re an all-Hispanic gang and their leader,
Sleepy, is rumored to be connected to Aztlan.
Zombies
Based out of Aurora, the Zombies are the one
of the few gangs in the district that wasn’t ab-
sorbed or destroyed by the Fronts. They’re a thrill
gang with nearly no leadership. Their only direc-
tive seems to be to have fun and terrorize every-
one. Despite their “we’re all independent and cha-
otic” attitude, the Zombies are surprisingly similar
to each other. They tend to rock that heroin-chic
look, and they dress in grey and black. They sell
chips, drugs, and extort people in Aurora, squeez-
ing blood from the stone somehow. Their leader,
Romero, leads the gang around in a repurposed
school bus, which they use as a troop transport
and party bus.
Individuals
And finally, a list of individuals you may not
have heard of before. I’d like to give a little love to
these folks, whether they want it or not.
Alexis Glimmerscale
A Denver native who used to be a member of
the Children of the Dragon, Alexis Glimmerscale is
now a member of the board of the Draco Founda-
tion. She has pale skin that seems almost shimmery,
but this is an effect achieved with excellent use of
makeup rather than anything mystical. She could
have been a model in another life but felt called
to further metahuman/dragon relations. The story
goes that during one of Nadja Daviar’s visits to the
Children of the Dragon in Denver, the two struck up
an unlikely and close relationship. Following one of
Daviar’s extended hiatuses, she nominated Alexis to
the board, and the motion passed unanimously.
... PEOPLE TO MEET // SHADOWS OF DENVER
 Charles Lightfoot
One of the founding partners of FTL Technolo-
gies, Charles is an unscrupulous slitch. He stabbed
48 his partner in the back in order to take control of
FTL. Now that he’s nearing his sixties, he’s start-
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
ing to act like he wants to repair that bridge, but
no one is taking him seriously. It’s more likely that
he’s chafing under the recent change of leadership
involving Spinrad Global.
Dean Costello
A very talented hacker and infiltrator known
to work for the Casquilho family, Dean Costel-
lo helped to provide JackPoint with crucial in-
formation during the fighting that took place in
2078. Dean is known as a bit of a heartbreaker,
having had romantic relations with at least one
person from the Denver Data Haven, and also
with Tenebrous from the Aurora Angels. How-
ever, he’s also extremely cold-hearted, having
turned Tenebrous into the Yamato Clan in order
to force the Aurora Angels to turn to the Fronts
for support. This further ingratiated the Fronts
with the Casquilho family, giving them anoth-
er avenue for acquiring hackers and technology
specialists.
Lester Truman
The heir and president of Truman Distribu-
tion Networks. Lester Truman is an extremely
unassuming individual, with a round face and re-
ceding hairline that makes people underestimate
him. He seems extremely friendly at first and has
a talent for remembering people’s names. All of
this puts people off-guard for when he strikes.
He’s a ruthless businessman who learned every-
thing about business from his father—a famous
corporate raider.
Nicholas Whitebird
The orkish Voice for Ghostwalker, Nicholas
Whitebird can be seen on trideo almost every night.
He’s an Amerind ork shaman of some sort. Ru-
mors say that it’s either Wyrm, Dragon, or Eagle,
but no one knows for sure. He speaks intelligently,
with a soft voice in welcome contrast from his pa-
tron and master. He was presented to Ghostwalker
by an enigmatic figure known only as Guide and
remained at the dragon’s side ever since. Allegedly,
he was born in 2030 and raised in Boulder. They
say that Guide found him at nine years old and
began training him for his future duties.
> That timeline means this “Guide” knew about Ghostwalker’s
impending arrival some twenty-one years in advance.
> Marko
SHADOWS OF DENVER // ... PEOPLE TO MEET
Rhinegold
Sometimes a guy sees a trideo and decides to
adopt the lifestyle they saw. I have no idea what
Rhinegold’s real name is, but after he saw Die
Nagelring, he didn’t look back. He’s got chainmail
and a zweihander sword. He looks like a Teutonic
knight, but once you get up close, you’ll see his
cyberhand and datajack.
Rhinegold is an excellent rigger who works as a
smuggler and data courier. He drives a large station
wagon, which seems very out of place, but it holds
some secrets under the hood that only Rhinegold
knows about. He will bargain down his prices if
you buy into the “Beer and Glory” imagery that
he favors.
Silver Streak
Another freelance smuggler in the region, Silver
Streak is a cyclops with a reputation for secrecy
and hooding. She wears a large red menpo mask,
which obscures the bottom part of her face. Some-
times people will refer to her as the Crimson Cru-
sader, or the Phantom. She prefers to run with her
BMW motorcycle and a swarm of flying drones,
but for big or discreet jobs she has an unmarked
white panel van. If she believes your cause is just,
she will help you out.
Steven Ridgemont
Anyone who ever used the Matrix since 2064
owes some of their success to Steven Ridgemont.
He’s a brilliant programmer and a bit of a Matrix
socialite. There was even a period of time when
Ridgemont wanted to be a freelance hacker, but
following his first ‘run, he changed his tune and
went corporate. He founded FTL Technologies be-
fore his friend and partner betrayed him. Now he’s
focused on his new company, Warpdrive Systems,
and wants to crush FTL under his heel.
Business is Good
We all love to hate ’em, but we wouldn’t be able
to get anything done without corporations. There is
a veritable laundry list of companies with a presence
in Denver. Naturally, the Big Ten all have a presence
in the city, even Aztechnology through their subsid-
iaries. But there are a few homegrown corps with an
outsized presence in the city. I’d like to spend a bit
of time talking about those companies.
Anasazi Holding Company
A shell company that helps to manage Ghost-
walker’s money. Basically, they buy up properties
and then handle mergers and such, all of which
is presumably funded by Ghostwalker. It took a
lot of work to figure it out, but we found that the
 Corporations and Brands in Denver
Aegis Cognito HermeTech Associates Prosperity Development Corporation
AN Meridian HyperSense Pueblo Security Services
Anasazi Holding Company Iris Firmware Shiawase City Services
Apex Plasmids KMAG Shiawase Fuzion 49
Arboritech Knight Errant Shibata Construction and Engineering

SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL

Architectural Dynamics Lone Star Singularity
Ares Global Commsat Malaysian Independent Bank Spellweaver Consortium
Awakened World Research McHugh’s Stuffer Shack
Brainwave, Inc. Mitsuhama Magical Services Taco Temple
Cerebrotech Mitsuhama Media Terracotta Armaments
CodeBlue Biotech MediCarro Truman Distribution Networks
CrashCart Medical Services MetaErgonomics Tsuruga International
DocWagon MetaMatrix UnlimiTech
Eagle Security Services, Inc. Ming Solutions VOR Robotics
Energia Viva Monobe International Warpdrive Systems
Focused Consulting and Brokerage Novatech Matrix Services Weapons World
Free Zone Voice ParaShield Wolverine Security
FTL Technologies Pathfinder Multimedia
Hard Corps Prism Aerospace

president of the company is none other than Steve
Ridgemont, the CEO of Warpdrive Systems. This
implies a potential connection between Anasazi
and Warpdrive. At least, it shows that Ghostwalk-
er has a vested interest in Steven Ridgemont.
Apex Plasmids, Inc.
Apex Plasmids is the largest provider of my-
coprotein, algae, and hydrocarbons in the Zone.
However, their history is rather embarrassing and
spotted with issues. In 2045, they were known as
Denver Foodstuffs, Inc. They had a terrible repu-
tation for food quality and safety, but didn’t really
have much competition to challenge them. How-
ever, in 2061, when PCC expanded to Los Angeles,
the cost of importing goods to Denver plummeted
and Denver Foodstuffs was suddenly competing
with the big boys. Shortly afterward, Ghostwalker
arrived in Denver and attacked a bunch of Aztech-
nology and Saeder-Krupp facilities, which caused
collateral damage to Denver Foodstuffs, Inc.
They took out massive loans in order to repair
and stay afloat. The future looked bleak, but then
they won a settlement with Ghostwalker for dam-
ages and were granted plasmid technology stolen
from Aztechnology. Almost immediately, Denver
Foodstuffs had the ability to craft nearly any hy-
drocarbon from algae, which they had in abun-
dance. Unfortunately, no matter what they did,
their reputation preceded them.
So, they did the most logical thing possible: they
rebranded. They changed their name to Apex Plas-
mids and tried to move on from their embarrassing
past. Their corporate culture is almost as stagnant
as their algae tanks, though. Low-level corruption
is rampant, and their safety standards remain sub-
par.
Focused Consulting
and Brokerage (FCB)
There’s very little to learn about FCB. What is
known is that they were formed in Denver about
30 years ago. They provide consulting services to
the Zone’s elite and managed to remain one step
ahead of all the political shenanigans. Their rise
to prominence and their ability to remain a step
ahead of the ZDF led to rumors that they are
Ghostwalker’s personal company to hire runners.
No one can say for sure, though.
FTL Technologies
FTL is a subsidiary of Spinrad Global based out
of Denver. The story goes that in 2038, the com-
pany was founded by Steven Ridgemont and his
partner Charles Lightfoot. They worked together
and built a proprietary programming language
and filed about a dozen patents for early cyber-
deck designs. All of this put target on their backs,
and they were bought out in a hostile takeover
by Fuchi in 2055. As part of the buyout, Fuchi
made Charles Lightfoot CEO and ousted Steven
Ridgemont. Ridgemont later learned that Light-
foot had worked with Fuchi to facilitate the hostile
takeover. When Fuchi collapsed in 2060, FTL was
put under the ownership of NeoNET. Their work
helped build the Matrix backup following the
Crash 2.0 in 2064. Following NeoNET’s collapse,
the firm transferred to Global Spinrad. There are
rumors that Lightfoot wants to take the company

... PEOPLE TO MEET // SHADOWS OF DENVER

 private again. If so, expect Spinrad to put up
a hell of a fight.

50 Warpdrive Systems
Formed in 2055, Warpdrive Systems is a
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL

company literally built on revenge. Found-

er Steven Ridgemont built the company
specifically to spite his partner-turned-nem-
esis, Charles Lightfoot of FTL Technolo-
gies. Warpdrive has grown rapidly in the
last twenty years, and following the Emer-
gence they started hiring a bunch of techno-
mancers. Ridgemont claims he’s doing this
because he can help provide them with a
standard of living better than the rest of the
Zone. But if there is a connection between
him and Anasazi Holding Company, it may
be that this is a pipeline that helps to provide
Ghostwalker with his technomancer spiders.

Loose Ends
I told you at the beginning that I was try-
ing to find my friend Perri. Well, it took some
doing but we managed to find her. She’s alive
and well, and she’s deep in hiding. We also
found another sysop for the Nexus, Kludge.
Perri and Kludge have formed something of
a resistance movement in response to Ghost-
walker’s increasingly aggressive control over
the Zone. I can’t say if their movement will
ever be successful without outside help,
though. I reached out to some contacts of
mine and got them what they need. We’ll see
if it’s going to be enough.

> One of my local spies in Boulder just found a group of

oddly dressed people going into the National Center for
Atmospheric Research. Anyone know these guys? Video
feed incoming, I apologize for the quality.
> Marko

> I think I recognize one of those guys. If he’s who I think

he is, he’s a member of the Order of Eagles. And I’m
pretty sure the other guy’s a member of the Shorn Ones.
> Bifrost

> Who or what are the Order of Eagles or Shorn Ones? And
why do I think I’m not going to like the answer?
> Ecotope

> They’re Aztechnology special forces. The Order of Eagles

are mostly social adepts. The Shorn Ones are straight-up
terrorists. Not nice people, but they can get a job done. I
hope this isn’t what Peregrine meant by “outside help.”
> Bifrost

SHADOWS OF DENVER // LOOSE ENDS

 51

SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL

LOOSE ENDS // SHADOWS OF DENVER

 rules
reference
Below are some rules presented in the text,
compiled here for reference.
Dissonance
Pools
Dissonance is a—force? substance? material?
thing? that disrupts Resonance, making it more
difficult for technomancers to access the Matrix.
In game terms, this works similarly to mana ebbs,
as follows:
Small Dissonance Pool
Any technomancer touching a small Disso-
nance pool receives a –1 dice pool penalty on any
test where the Resonance attribute is part of the
dice pool.
Medium Dissonance Pool
Any technomancer touching a medium Disso-
nance pool spends 1 Edge more on Edge actions
and Edge boosts than normal on tests using the
Resonance attribute.
Large Dissonance Pool
Characters cannot gain or spend Edge on tests
using the Resonance attribute.
Metaplanar
Translation
Physically traveling to a different metaplane
by metaplanar gateway is entirely different than
projecting or using an astral gate. Physical travel
creates a phenomenon where the local reality en-
DISSONANCE POOLS // RULES REFERENCE
 forces physical changes on travelers to make them
conform to its rules. Some are basic, like speak-
ing the local language or knowing that comput-
166 ers can access the local networks. Other changes
could be outfits altering to match local fashions,
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
pistols changing to hand crossbows, and drones
becoming birds or other animals. The best-docu-
mented examples of metaplanar translation come
from visitors attending the Seelie Court in the
metaplane of fae.
Game effects of this are actually minimal—
whatever form the equipment takes, its function
and profile remain exactly the same (see Court of
Shadows for a more in-depth example).
Using Foundations
The Foundation of a host can only be entered
from the host’s portal. Finding the portal requires
an Electronics [Computer] + Logic (12, 1 minute)
Extended test. There will almost always be IC
guarding the portal of a host. Opening the portal
requires a Control Device action with Admin ac-
cess as if the portal were a separate device from the
host; entering is a separate Enter/Exit Host action.
Deckers operating inside the Foundation must use
hotsim with a physically modified sim interface
so that the equipment has the bandwidth need-
ed for the higher sensory input. The modification
is an Electronics [Hardware] + Logic (6, 1 hour)
Extended test. Technomancers do not require any-
thing past their natural abilities to operate inside
the Foundation; in fact, most say that it feels more
natural that operating in the regular Matrix.
Host Foundations are hyper-realistic, even
more than a UV host, and the version of reality
within them can be addictive. This reality, known
as the Paradigm, is drawn from the subconscious
of the user at the time of entry and can be literally
anything imaginable. It will also be different each
time a Foundation is entered. The exception is that
this Paradigm is set by the first mind that enters
the Foundation—anyone following will share the
same Paradigm until everyone inside has left.
All host Foundations always have seven sec-
tions or areas, each with its own function:
• The portal: Your Foundation / host entry
and exit point.
• The archive: Where all the normally
inaccessible files are stored.
• Master control: Control over the host
Foundation.
• Scaffolding control: Control of the host
outside of the Foundation.
• Security control: Control of the IC within
the host.
RULES REFERENCE // USING FOUNDATIONS
• Slave control: Control of devices attached to
the host
• The Null site: This site has an unknown
purpose.
Only an icon with all four Matrix attributes
(Attack, Data Processing, Firewall, and Sleaze) can
enter a Foundation. Entering a Foundation chang-
es the normal Matrix icon to a Foundation avatar
that matches the paradigm of the Foundation and
is created from the memory and self-image of the
hacker. Generally, this is a copy of the hacker’s re-
al-world body and equipment. Foundation avatars
have physical attributes equal to the unmodified
Matrix attributes of the cyberdeck/cyberjack com-
bo or the living persona used to enter the Foun-
dation. Programs that increase Matrix attributes
don’t count for this purpose, and the attributes
can’t be switched once you enter.
Firewall = Body
Sleaze = Reaction
Data Processing = Agility
Attack = Strength
Actions taken within the Foundation are simi-
lar to those taken in the real world, but they only
mimic real-world skills. In reality, they are a sub-
conscious application of a Matrix action and use
either Electronics or Cracking.
Social Tests = Cracking [Hacking]
Perception / Physical / Piloting =
Electronics [Computer]
Combat = Cracking [Cybercombat]
Technical Tests = Electronics [Software]
or Cracking [Electronic Warfare]
The exceptions are knowledge skills relevant to
the current paradigm, which act as a bridge to us-
ing skills besides Electronics or Cracking. For ex-
ample, a paradigm that mimics feudal Japan may
allow a runner with Bushido Philosophy to use
their Influence skill for interactions inside the par-
adigm instead of Cracking [Hacking]. This is espe-
cially useful for non-hackers riding along through
a Hitchhiker program.
All Resonance actions work exactly as they do
outside of the Foundation.
If combat occurs while in the Foundation,
the damage code from attacks is either 3P or 3S
(attacker’s choice), regardless of the form that a
weapon takes. Items such as a grenade (or spell)
that normally have an area effect will only affect a
single target. The Attack Rating is always Strength
+ Agility, regardless of the weapon, and the De-
fense Rating of a Foundation avatar is always Re-
action + Body. Initiative inside the Foundation is
Reaction + Intuition, with 1 Initiative Die. Wired
reflexes, synaptic boosters, and Increase Reflex-
es spells and powers add their bonus dice but do
not increase Initiative. Control rigs also add their
rating to the Initiative dice pool while inside the
Foundation.
Entering the
Resonance Realms
The Resonance realms are a sort of Matrix
metaplane of pure information. Many techno-
mancers believe that any information that ever
existed electronically is stored somewhere in the
realms, which means they are vast and full of trea-
sures buried beneath oceans of nonsense and use-
less data.
As with most of the Matrix, interaction with
the realms comes in the form of visual metaphors,
but unlike the rest of the Matrix, these metaphors
are not consciously programmed. That means
they are varied and sometimes shifting—in game
terms, the gamemaster can determine what the
metaphor is and how players interact with the
realms.
Technically speaking, the realms can be entered
from any part of the Matrix, but it’s easier from
Foundations. When in a Foundation, you can find
a way to the realms using the same Electronics
[Computer] + Logic (12, 1 minute) Extended test
it takes to find a Foundation. In any other spot, it’s
much harder, requiring an Electronics [Computer]
+ Logic (30, 1 minute) Extended test. If a PC runs
out of dice before they find a way to the realms
(using the rules on p. 36, SR6), they cannot search
for an entrance again for twenty-four hours.
There are no precise tests for finding informa-
tion in the realms, but it should not be easy. Players
should have to navigate a range of hostile sprites
and sometimes make bargains with them. Do not
just hand them information when they visit the
realms—make them work for it.
Any metahuman carried into the Foundation
with a Hitchhiker program generates their own
Foundation avatar. Hitchhikers cannot act quite
as effectively as the cyberdeck’s primary user, since
this increased dataflow taxes even the best decks.
A number of hitchers up to the device rating of the
deck suffer a –1 dice pool penalty to each physical
attribute. This becomes –2 for all hitchhikers after
the count exceeds the device rating. For example, if
a rating 3 cyberdeck is carrying one to three hitch-
hikers, all hitchhikers take a –1 penalty to all phys-
ical stats. Increasing this to four to six hitchhikers
will make each hitchhiker take a –2 penalty to tests
using their physical attributes.
Actions taken by avatars are based on Matrix
skills, not the actual skills of the runner (with the
exception of relevant knowledge skills, as noted
above), which means most characters will be far 167
less effective than they are outside of the Matrix.
SHADOWRUN: THE THIRD PARALLEL
While normally not available to the untrained,
Cracking skills are usable by everyone (with a
dice pool of linked attribute – 1). Magic does not
actually work in the Foundation, but the spell-
caster’s memory and intent creates an effect that
operates off of the tradition attribute in the same
way that other hitchers’ skills and equipment
emulate a Matrix skill. Drones may be created
from memory and spirits may be “summoned,”
but these constructs are simply extensions of the
Foundation avatar and are not separate entities in
any way. The actions of a drone or a spirit follow-
ing an order take the place of the normal action
of the avatar. This rule does not apply to sprites,
which can be compiled and used as normal.
New Hacking
Program: Hitchhiker
This program allows a number of passengers
equal to 2 x the cyberdeck’s device rating to trav-
el along on a Matrix run. These passengers share
the sim output of the deck and are vulnerable to
dumpshock and attacks, but they do not have any
control over the deck or any effect on actions that
the decker takes.
Mana Ebbs
Mana ebbs and flows are described in detail in
Street Wyrd on p. 168. If you don’t own that book,
for the purposes of this mission, you can use these
simplified rules:
Low mana ebb
–1 dice on any magical actions in the area.
Medium mana ebb
Edge actions and boosts for actions that use the
Magic attribute cost 1 Edge more.
High mana ebb
Awakened individuals cannot gain or spend
Edge on tests that use the Magic attribute.
Mana void
No magic can be performed in the area. This
includes alchemy.
ENTERING THE RESONANCE REALMS // RULES REFERENCE
Your eyes have to be everywhere. In front. In back.
On the Matrix. On the astral. Threats come from
every possible direction and dimension, and runners
who don’t keep an eye on every possible danger end
up falling to the one they neglected.
The threats are lined up in Denver, a city ruled by a
dragon and home to one of the greatest outlaw tech
archives in the world. Shadows are aligning and plots
are fomenting, and shadowrunners have the chance
to learn what’s happening in enough time to make
some nuyen and save a few lives—including their own.
The Third Parallel is a campaign book for use with
Shadowrun, Sixth World.

CAT28403 Under License From

catalystgamelabs.com I shadowruntabletop.com
© 2021-22 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun, Sixth World, and Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc.,
in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in China.
 denver Map key
1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anasazi Holding
Company Office
2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Apex Plasmids
Complex
3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atlantean
Foundation Offices
4. . . . . . . . . . Casquilho Imports
5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Children of
the Dragon
6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Church of
the Dragon Reborn
7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Council Hall
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denim
9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver
Administration Building
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver Sports
Complex
11. . . . . . . . . . . . Draco Foundation
Office
12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fox Theatre
13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ghostwalker’s
Liaison Office
14 . . . . . . . . Happy Canyon Mall
15. . . . Horizon Office Complex
16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inari Jinka
17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe’s Drop Off
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ketring Park
19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lunar Noctum
20. . . . . . . . . . . . Northern Lights
Enchanting
21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam’s Pawn
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paradise Lane
23. . . . . . . . . Patterson Mansion
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . Rocky Mountain
Arsenal National
Wildlife Refuge
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sakura Square
26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Smoky Hill
Marketplace
27. . . . . . . . . . . . . Tower of Babel