August 1995. Bill Clinton is President. The X-Files is on TV. Computers are beige. Internet spam has just been invented.

Last month, people began disappearing near the southern edge of the San Carlos Indian Reservation, west of Phoenix, Arizona. An elderly couple. A gas station attendant. A pair of campers. Two European couples. An elderly sheep rancher. All disappeared from on or within a few miles of State Road 70. The press are already calling it "The Devil’s Highway", and talking of a serial killer. The Federal Bureau of Investigation have assembled a special task force to assist state and tribal police to investigate the disappearances. Your mission: find out what is going on, and bring the perpetrators to justice...

This is a classic DELTA GREEN adventure, from the original 1997 edition of the game, rewritten for the modern ruleset.

This is a strategy roleplaying Megagame, incorporating themes from the Bronze Age of Classical Greek history, Plato's writings, giant steampunk robots, the Cthulhu mythos and the gonzo pseudo-history of Atlantis.

At the start of the game most players are members of an Atlantean noble House, as it starts to use its superior technology to conquer the world. Key player activities include exploration, governing colonies, trade negotiations and warfare. Teams compete in technological research to build the best bronze colossus to smash their way across the landscape, and in occult research to summon eldritch horrors to devour their enemies. The temptations of power being what they are, corruption can set in and doom may fall on Atlantis.

A megagame is a combination of strategy boardgame and live action roleplaying, where the players compete in teams against other groups of players. Success in the game requires imagination, dedication, and the ability to make decisions while under pressure. Megagames have attracted a bit of media attention over the last year, with the success of the "Watch the Skies" megagame, and the Facebook group Megagame Makers now has over 1,200 members worldwide.

Unlike some LARPS, there are no hidden secrets or bait and switch plots, instead the player facing rules of the game facilitate emergent gameplay. In the Colossus of Atlantis, players can swear mighty oaths in the Temple of Poseidon, with dreadful consequences if they break their vows, or they can present legal cases in front of the sacred Kings when other players engage in dishonourable behaviour.

Anyone wanting to assist with game control or playtesting should contact the designer, Dillon Burke, at grand.vizier@gmail.com. Further information can be found here: http://housewar.org/Megagames.php

The concrete jungle is cracked high-rises, powerlines, graffiti on flickering street lamps, chewing gum on the pavement.

Sometimes it's acrid yellow smoke and chalk circles, and you gots to stay away from those. Once you saw a thing with, uh.. with.. at least… three-plus-more-plus-many weird bendy legs come out.

Pigeons are SCRAPPY and BOLD and your spinning little beady eyes DON’T MISS NUFFIN. Not like those RUBBISH STARLINGS in the Beakers gang. ha.

No. You are the CLAWS. You are cunning and tough! Which is why you can deal with ANYTHING. Even mystery appearing ground-holes that try to kidnap you at night.

Your interest in esoterica and the occult has been noted, and slowly led to this moment. You and your companions have heard some disturbing rumours and are about to enter the town of Ebon Eaves..


From: Monitoring (monitoring@laundry.gov.uk)
To: Investigations Duty Officer (investigations@laundry.gov.uk)
Date: Thursday, 5 June 2014 at 3:34pm
Subject: [PRIORITY: LOW] Public disturbance at US Embassy
Mailed-by: mailer-real-daemon.laundry.gov.uk
Signed-by: security-real-daemon.laundry.gov.uk

Probably a waste of time, but regs say you should send someone to check this out...

--
Monitoring report
Keywords: LOVECRAFT

Time: Thursday, 5 June 2014 at 11:28am
Location: 24 Grosvenor Square, London W1A 2LQ Map
Source: Metropolitan Police Service

Incident description: Police called to US Embassy to deal with reported public disturbance (trespass, threatening behaviour, racial harassment). Responding officer (WPC Nadia Laytham 265CD) reported suspect had left scene. According to embassy staff suspect gave name as Howard Phillips LOVECRAFT and claimed to be US citizen in need of consular assistance but had no supporting documentation. Suspect appeared confused, became abusive when questioned, and engaged in racially harassing and threatening behaviour before departing. Suspect described as tall, gaunt, thin-faced with dark hair and wearing sweatshirt and trackpants; may be mentally disturbed or UI. Refer social services if sighted.

The year is 50 BC. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely... One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. To that village, news arrives, informing Asterix that a long lost Uncle has died in suspicious circumstances, leaving him a villa in the coastal village of Piscus Mortus. It is probably a roman plot, but you had better go investigate.

Year 5 of the First Arcanotech War. The Nazzadi, a proud and ruthless alien race, has moved through the solar system setting ablaze Earth’s colonies. On arriving in Earth’s orbit, the conflict soon escalates into a full-scale war. At the forefront of this armada, a cell of Nazzadi soldiers achieve the honour of piloting Weaponized Relics. On the New Earth Government’s Ptolemy station, a class of Human cadets hope to earn their wings and join the fight. But soon all of their lives will change forever. Left with no choice, they are thrown into battle and must defend themselves, their family and their friends.

This game is run jointly with ‘WR Arnimor DUAL Unity’ and involves both cross over and combined play experiences between them. Echo focusses on the cell of Nazzadi soldiers and Unity focusses on the class of Human cadets. Each scenario is able to be played separately, though doing so will produce spoilers as there is about a 25% overlap in content.

Year 5 of the First Arcanotech War. The Nazzadi, a proud and ruthless alien race, has moved through the solar system setting ablaze Earth’s colonies. On arriving in Earth’s orbit, the conflict soon escalates into a full-scale war. At the forefront of this armada, a cell of Nazzadi soldiers achieve the honour of piloting Weaponized Relics. On the New Earth Government’s Ptolemy station, a class of Human cadets hope to earn their wings and join the fight. But soon all of their lives will change forever. Left with no choice, they are thrown into battle and must defend themselves, their family and their friends.

This game is run jointly with ‘WR Arnimor DUAL: Echo’ and involves both cross over and combined play experiences between them. Echo focusses on the cell of Nazzadi soldiers and Unity focusses on the class of Human cadets. Each scenario is able to be played separately, though doing so will produce spoilers as there is about a 25% overlap in content.

Sometimes, you can see the bad shit coming in advance. Take this email that just arrived, for example. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with it — just a form email from Human Resources, politely checking to make sure certain documents are in order. Do you have a valid passport? Are you inoculated against various tropical diseases? Did you pass your last medical check? All innocent on the surface, but something's up. The Laundry doesn't send people at your pay grade abroad except to mind-numbingly dull conference meetings and suicide missions; you are not sure which is worse.

Now you have another one - this time HR wants to know if your next of kin registration is still valid. Uh-oh...

The third email of the morning might as well be titled ‘RE: Bad Shit’. It is actually entitled ‘Meeting 10:30 room C4’ but the cc list includes someone called ventry@sis.gov.uk...

Welcome to sunny Nuristan—possibly the most isolated and inaccessible bit of Afghanistan, high in the Hindu Kush. It is home to lots of people who want to kill us all. It is also home to Alga Akhan, an Afghan warlord who might be a vital ally... or a worshipper of an alien god. Or both. It is up to the characters to make that call.

A Laundry Files adventure from Black Bag Jobs.

This briefing is classified BLUE HADES. If you do not have BLUE HADES clearance, please leave the room now.

"At 0944 this morning, communication with the Witch Bravo oil platform was lost. It was initially believed to be a combination of heavy weather and technical difficulties but when they continued to remain out of touch, Witch Charlie sent a chopper out. It couldn’t land because of high winds but the pilot noted two things.

"Firstly, there were crew moving about on deck. Actually, he said ‘stumbling’. Secondly, the gas flare from the rig was green.

"At 1602, a rescue boat from the coast guard made contact with the platform. The last transmission we got from them was, ‘Oh fuck, they’ve got glowing eyes’.

"Witch Bravo is right on the edge of an area designated in the Benthic Treaty as forbidden to humanity. Without wishing to prejudice your findings, it is entirely possible that some moron has drilled into Cthulhu’s arse-crack. If that's the case, then your job is to plug it.

"But first, a word from Health & Safety..."

A Laundry Files adventure from Black Bag Jobs. A full briefing is available here.