-20 Years
May 15 - Hiro Stice is born to two average, middle-class parents in a suburb of Portland, Oregon. Neither are mystically inclined; his father Jason Stice is an electrical engineer working for Pacific Bell, his mother, Saori,  is a valium-popping den mother.

-4 Years
September 6 - Hiro begins his senior year in highschool.
November 27 - Xi Xiung, a Thigite infomancer, recognizes Hiro's potential and takes him under his wing; preparing him for eventual Awakening. Xi studies information networks -- such as the internet -- and seeks to learn the names of the aggregate systems: believing them to be conscious beings in their own right.

-3 Years
January 16 - 'Jake', an ex-ecstatic turned entheogenic alchemist, takes note of Hiro. He intervenes, becoming Hiro's confidant, supplier, and trip-guide. Xi remains unaware of the intervention.

July 6 - Hiro is pushed by Xi into an awakening. He is unaware of the fact that Jake -- knowing what Hiro's mentor planned -- has loaded him up in advance with smart drugs and mescaline. Xi congratulates Hiro on his performance -- having passed his initiation test in record time. 

July 7 - Jake puts Hiro  through a second rite of passage: forcing his avatar to permanently manifest. He names it 'Linus', after the creator of the linux operating system.

September 12 - Hiro enrolls in Portland community college, major undeclared.

December 9 - Jake dissapears. Shortly thereafter, Hiro drops out of school.

-2 Years
Febuary 2 - Hiro moves to San Francisco with Xiu in order to continue his training at the Thig chantry there. Under more strenuous observation, the unusual nuances of his magical beliefs become obvious to the other students, and eventually Xi. Tensions develop.

March 15 - Hiro meets 'Kid Sinister' -- aka Jesse Truant -- during a gig running light and sound at a renegade rave in an Oakland industrial district. Hiro is initiated into the Invisible College.

December 5 - Hiro severs his connection with Xiu Xiung, and the Thigites. He goes MIA, dropping off the house's radar. At Xiu's urging, he is not formally excised from the Tradition.