From: owner-deltagreen-digest@nocturne.org (deltagreen-digest) To: deltagreen-digest@nocturne.org Subject: deltagreen-digest V1 #39 Reply-To: Delta Green List Sender: owner-deltagreen-digest@nocturne.org Errors-To: owner-deltagreen-digest@nocturne.org Precedence: bulk deltagreen-digest Friday, June 12 1998 Volume 01 : Number 039 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 05:46:06 +0100 From: Ian/Cath Ford Subject: Re: DG: Media Suppression >>Just wondering. Is there a specific mechanism by which the Government can >>censor the news media (print, radio, TV or all three) in the US? >> >>I know that the constitution protects free speech and so on, but I guess >>there would have to be a mechanism to gag the press regarding matters of >>national security. > If the US govt. feels that it's an issue of national security... > then first... > They make sure it never reaches the media... > "Gee, I guess Suzy news person died in a car crash on the way to work this > morning..." > Again, brutal... but I for one would not rule it out if it is THAT important. > and second... The name Karen Silkwood springs to mind. Ian - ------ Ian and Cath Ford, Beccles, Suffolk, UK. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 13:26:05 +0900 From: "David Farnell" Subject: DG: RE: Interesting news story in Albany - -----Original Message----- 差出人 : Alexander Beckers 宛先 : deltagreen@nocturne.org 日時 : 1998年6月11日 11:30 件名 : DG: Interesting news story in Albany Alexander Beckers cried out in dawning horror: > What do YOU think? Yeah, sounds just like the stories my group makes up after getting caught in the spotlight. > > I'll tell you, if DG has had only one impact on my life outside gaming, >it's that I'm even MORE paranoid and skeptical of news reports. You >bastards! YOU did this to me! > > Plot hook: Gaming company releases supplement subtly designed to increase >uneasiness and paranoia in its readers, who are then more likely to react >in... interesting ways... to stress. Breaking down the walls, man. The sooner you go insane, the sooner you'll see the world as it TRULY is. Remember your face before your parents' birth!;] David Farnell "Reality is that which when you stop beliving in it, it doesn't go away." - --Philip K. Dick, VALIS ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 03:27:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Illuminatus Primus Subject: DG: A Note on Club Apocalypse - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Vacation time had accrued, and the synchronistic arrival of a certain lady friend (A DG friendly and possible recruit, but she needs at least one serious dose of the "other side", as it were, for double- checking purposes.) culminated in the taking of a few days leave. Not much time was spent outside of a particular oak-framed futon, and last night, my lady friend expressed an interest to take in the local nightlife. A trip to Roderick's Chamber ensued. I...understand now. Alzis is on to something. The motivations behind Club Apocalypse have always been a bit of a mystery to me, but now they're disturbingly clear. There are points in time when the edges of Reality begin to...fray. Blur a bit. Just for a second or two. There's something about the layered nicotine haze, illuminated within and without by rhythmic flashes of colored brilliance, surrounded by sheer walls of titanic sound, and stirred into convective motion by the gyrating throngs. Occasionally, time will freeze for split-seconds, just long enough to notice that everything around you has stopped in mid-motion. By the time you start to question if you're the only one who has noticed it, things have started up again. And then, very rarely, in the void above the dancers, and below the lights, Things will appear. Briefly. Indistinctly. But there all the same. Initial analysis ran down the line of a variant summoning method, one not involving the usual chants/sacrifices/whatever. As the night went on, though, it became increasingly clear that what I was seeing WAS, IN ACTUALITY, a summoning ritual. However, it was faulty. The measures were imprecise, the steps, slightly off-canter. That explained the transience of the effects: only occasionally, through sheer happenstance, did the ingredients mix together in their correct proportions, and then, only for a moment. It struck me: Alzis knows this. He knows that the right music, the right lights, the right air, and the right dancers, at the right time, can rend the Barrier as surely as a sacrifice and a spell. Effective immediately, all members of Cell P (including myself) are forbidden to set foot into clubs of this sort, unless on an enforcement action. There is much too much at stake, and the seduction is real. It is currently tactically impossible to constantly investigate every single night spot for activity of this sort, so I am now categorizing clubs in the same light as other suspected regions of activity, with regards to response measures. In other words, a night club is to be treated in the same way as any other possible cultist's den. I advise other regional Cells to take an inventory of the night life in your area for suspicious activity, and to take measures as necessary. I also *strongly* advise that Club Apocalypse be put under as close a watch as possible, and shut down the instant something out-of-the-ordinary appears. It is also my guess that MJ-12 has come to the same conclusion. A campaign of club shutdowns, supposedly organized by "grass-roots community groups" who are concerned about the noise levels these clubs generate, is currently taking place in the SOMA (South of Market Area) of San Francisco. This started about six months ago, quite out of nowhere, and the oft-cited "trigger incident" was a shooting outside of one of the clubs. The opposition is vocal, but small, only moderately organized, and consisting mainly of club owners. The tactics used to close down are suspect. Targeted clubs are first subjected to denial of necessary permits (liquor, dancing, music, et al) by the City, which normally starves them to death over a protracted period of time. By the time the club finally dies, people don't care anymore. For those more troublesome venues, which are able to continue operating even after those measures, stronger methods are often used. Clubs will be forcibly closed down after drug raids, or outbreaks of "riots" and the like. It would seem that MJ-12 is using the SOMA as a test bed for possible major nationwide crackdowns on nightclubs. Once all necessary data (currently positive for the method) is gathered, the plan can be opened up to include all of the 50 states. Any action involving a nightclub in the SOMA of San Francisco should be undertaken with *extreme* caution, as there is a distinct possibility that MJ-12 operatives will be on-scene. Agent Primus...out. - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBNX+wzcVnIkW8IEjpAQHwEQQAuknB/krZKPuMnfJPed8WubMlERg1WE9n p4Oq8FRnTddy9AOruvSKb1VMNcDGJZhSoelFvFUC4nf9xBal2S6EKhWEIAU6JbAq 5j8Fu5kTT05gFhJdc/l0vAmKBu6I30VnpfRU+jRHB+z8kcfV/tVYQwhie2MlAhy4 WaOyBJhks5o= =pP6U - -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 21:14:13 -0400 From: Steven Kaye Subject: Re: DG: Media Suppression In a message dated 98-06-09 21:17:31 EDT, John wrote: >And what was that book some ex-CIA >guy wrote, and the CIA got wind of it, and excides a bunch of paragraphs. But >the poublisher printed the book just that way, with numerous blank spots where >the excised paragraphs should have been? You're referring to THE CIA AND THE CULT OF INTELLIGENCE, by John D. Marks and Victor Marchetti. 168 deletions, if memory serves. Steven - -------------------- Steven Kaye box_nine@ix.NOSPAM.netcom.com "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." -- Satchell Paige ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 09:39:30 -0400 From: "Elliot A. Rushing" Subject: DG: Cell Assignments Howdy, all. I've noted on the DG website and also on this list that there are a number of NPC and player "Cells" in action/play, corresponding with the various letters of the alphabet (duh!). I'm also hungrily reading DG right now (during the evenings at home during my meager free time), and am mightily impressed at the high overall level of verisimilitude in this work -- particularly since I'm a law enforcement officer, and honestly jaded about the general treatment of the profession in gaming works (although there are some good ones out there -- DG will be added to this list). Thus, my simple question -- Which Cells are currently "active," meaning which letters have been assigned to various groups of NPCs and/or actual roleplayers? So far, by lurking this list and the website I've got "A,""L," and "P," but I'm sure there are more. I'm planning on playing DG and participating with the web site, and would like to take (obviously) an unused letter for my cell -- so I can add to the setting rather than conflict with someone else. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, Elliot - ---- Elliot A. Rushing Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff's Counsel, and DG Neophyte. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 00:31:22 +0900 From: ft203004@fsinet.or.jp (Jay and Mikiko Noyes) Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments >So far, by lurking this list and the website I've got "A,""L," and "P," but >I'm sure there are more. > >I'm planning on playing DG and participating with the web site, and would >like to take (obviously) an unused letter for my cell -- so I can add to the >setting rather than conflict with someone else. You might as well give up now. There are almost certainly more groups out there than there are letters of the alphabet. We use "V" cell, and I'm sure I've seen a couple of people using that before. Consider them to be in parallel universes or something. Jay Gibber gibber, squeak squeak ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 12:20:22 EDT From: Olaughing@aol.com Subject: DG: Trepanation... Well, we get the Washington Post a little late here on teh West Coast, but May 31, 1998 Style section (inexplicably) has a lovely article on trepanation, the act of knocking a hole in your skull for the purpose of enlightenment. It has their website (www.trepan.com) and a lot of information about teh Trepan society. Alphonse, do you want a copy? John ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 13:09:54 EDT From: Olaughing@aol.com Subject: Re: DG: Interesting news story in Albany In a message dated 98-06-10 22:15:21 EDT, you write: > What do YOU think? > > I'll tell you, if DG has had only one impact on my life outside gaming, > it's that I'm even MORE paranoid and skeptical of news reports. You > bastards! YOU did this to me! > Occam's Razor of political paranoia: Never attribute to malice whan can be adequately explained by stupidity. This sounds an awful lot like stupidity. The Laughing Priest DG Friendly. Really! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 13:09:56 EDT From: Olaughing@aol.com Subject: Re: DG: Media Suppression In a message dated 98-06-10 22:25:13 EDT, you write: > > The assumption of the Pentagon was that uncensored footage of dead and > dying Iraqi and American soldiers would quickly kill Americans' support > for the war, damaging the coalition that the Bush administration had > assembled. And he was absolutely correct. Americans no longer have the stomach for a questionable war. Norman Swartzkopf was the toast of the country when the War was over, but later became a real persona non grata because his command allowed 56 American casualties, some of them from friendly fire. The Gulf War was one of the most incrediblly one-sided massacres in history--30,000 Iraqui soldiers were killed, and America lost less than 100, and STILL Swartzkopf got nailed for allowing those deaths. Either the world is going nuts, or I am. The Laughing Priest DG Friendly. Really! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 98 10:29:20 -0700 From: Joseph Camp Subject: Re: DG: A Note on Club Apocalypse >As the >night went on, though, it became increasingly clear that what I >was seeing WAS, IN ACTUALITY, a summoning ritual. However, it was >faulty. The measures were imprecise, the steps, slightly off-canter. At long last, an explanation for the Macarena. be seeing you, Alphonse ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 98 10:29:22 -0700 From: Joseph Camp Subject: Re: DG: Trepanation... > Well, we get the Washington Post a little late here on teh West Coast, >but May 31, 1998 Style section (inexplicably) has a lovely article on >trepanation, the act of knocking a hole in your skull for the purpose of >enlightenment. It has their website (www.trepan.com) and a lot of >information >about teh Trepan society. > Alphonse, do you want a copy? No, that's all right. I read a lengthy article about these folks some ten years ago (must have it in my files here someplace) though they weren't calling themselves ITAN at that point. Their connections to the Army of the Third Eye should be investigated at some point. be seeing you, Alphonse ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 13:57:42 -0400 From: "Elliot A. Rushing" Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments Howdy, Jay! >>So far, by lurking this list and the website I've got "A,""L," and "P," but >>I'm sure there are more. >> >>I'm planning on playing DG and participating with the web site, and would >>like to take (obviously) an unused letter for my cell -- so I can add to the >>setting rather than conflict with someone else. > >You might as well give up now. There are almost certainly more groups out >there than there are letters of the alphabet. We use "V" cell, and I'm sure >I've seen a couple of people using that before. Consider them to be in >parallel universes or something. Thanks for your comments -- I've had several responses saying essentially the same thing, so the question is well-answered for me. ;) One idea would be to have numeral designations after an alpha prefix (ergo, N-27 or R-14), but that may make DG too big for folks' comfort (although it could theoretically allow multiple same-name cells in the same reality). :) Thanks again to everyone. ;) Elliot. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 12:02:16 EDT From: theherald@juno.com (Michael Layne) Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments On Thu, 11 Jun 1998 09:39:30 -0400 "Elliot A. Rushing" writes: > >Thus, my simple question -- Which Cells are currently "active," >meaning >which letters have been assigned to various groups of NPCs and/or >actual >roleplayers? > >So far, by lurking this list and the website I've got "A,""L," and >"P," but >I'm sure there are more. > >I'm planning on playing DG and participating with the web site, and >would >like to take (obviously) an unused letter for my cell -- so I can add >to the >setting rather than conflict with someone else. > >Any suggestions? I was about to ask about this one, myself... Maybe someone should note which letters are "taken", and which are "available"? Michael theherald@juno.com _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 14:34:08 -0500 (CDT) From: Don Juneau Subject: Re: DG: Media Suppression On Wed, 10 Jun 1998 CroakerJr@aol.com wrote: > << I believe (can someone check me > on this?) that is was at one time illegal to publish anything on the > CIA, but that seems to have softened considerably. And what was that > book some ex-CIA guy wrote, and the CIA got wind of it, and excides a > bunch of paragraphs. But the poublisher printed the book just that way, > with numerous blank spots where the excised paragraphs should have > been? >> > > I've never heard of a time when it was illegal for a journalist to > write about the CIA, or about any other government agency, unless it was > during a war. IIRC, it wasn't per se "illegal", but they wanted control over aspects of what was revealed; a few months ago, I read a book detailing the CIA's illegal domestic operations against the underground (and mainstream as well) press - if I could remember the title, I'd type it here - and it dug *deep*. The book you're speaking of was (I think) either Marchetti (THE CULT OF INTELLIGENCE?) or Philip Agee (???), and the Agency was running scared, as the writer had been in the fringes of that domestic op. (Usual grey/black stuff - forgery, surveillance, moles, intimidation and the like.) The next big one was Frank Snepp, I think (???), and that ended up reinforcing the publication agreements; those were *almost* removed fairly recently, when Jean Kirkpatrick was told to sign or lose her job (UN ambassador) - she was quitting anyway. ANother chunk that came out was a civilian inspector/auditor, who gave his reports to Congress as ordered, was bollocked by the Pentagon (Navy?) for doing so - seems he was finding all sorts of nasty overruns and discrepencies. His was "sign or lose your clearances", thus no way to function - and they expected that Congressional subpoenas (or whatever it was - I'll find the title for y'all to look for ) and reports counted as "publication" - ie, ignore the Congresscritters. (Who have the general sense of humour [among other senses] of a rabid wolverine) All in all, it was pretty ugly. Don ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 12:27:22 -0700 From: paposehn@juno.com (Phil A Posehn) Subject: Re: DG: Interesting news story in Albany On Wed, 10 Jun 1998 22:13:14 -0400 "Alexander Beckers" writes: > > > I'll tell you, if DG has had only one impact on my life >outside gaming, >it's that I'm even MORE paranoid and skeptical of news reports. You >bastards! YOU did this to me! > > Plot hook: Gaming company releases supplement subtly designed >to increase >uneasiness and paranoia in its readers, who are then more likely to >react >in... interesting ways... to stress. > fnord. P.A.Posehn _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 12:33:38 -0700 From: paposehn@juno.com (Phil A Posehn) Subject: Re: DG: Media Suppression On Wed, 10 Jun 1998 05:46:06 +0100 Ian/Cath Ford writes: > >> If the US govt. feels that it's an issue of national >security... >> then first... >> They make sure it never reaches the media... >> "Gee, I guess Suzy news person died in a car crash on the way >to work this >> morning..." >> Again, brutal... but I for one would not rule it out if it is >THAT >important. >> and second... > >The name Karen Silkwood springs to mind. > >Ian >------ >Ian and Cath Ford, >Beccles, Suffolk, UK. I was wondering if anybody would remember poor Karen Silkwood in this discussion. The name Judy Barry REALLY springs to mind though...or did that story only reach the press in California??? P.A.Posehn _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 19:07:28 -0400 From: "John P. Yuda" Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments Well, a while back the discussion about this was basically that it doesn't matter what letter you choose, but if you want to pull anybody's cells for NPCs you can. I'm running a game in cell K (that's right, I'm doing the Special K campaign-I'll get details of what's going on on the web soon) with one agent from J kind of babysitting them. If you want to use them for NPCs or avoid that letter, or use it for that matter, fell free. At 09:39 AM 6/11/98 -0400, you wrote: > >Howdy, all. > >I've noted on the DG website and also on this list that there are a number >of NPC and player "Cells" in action/play, corresponding with the various >letters of the alphabet (duh!). > >I'm also hungrily reading DG right now (during the evenings at home during >my meager free time), and am mightily impressed at the high overall level of >verisimilitude in this work -- particularly since I'm a law enforcement >officer, and honestly jaded about the general treatment of the profession in >gaming works (although there are some good ones out there -- DG will be >added to this list). > >Thus, my simple question -- Which Cells are currently "active," meaning >which letters have been assigned to various groups of NPCs and/or actual >roleplayers? > >So far, by lurking this list and the website I've got "A,""L," and "P," but >I'm sure there are more. > >I'm planning on playing DG and participating with the web site, and would >like to take (obviously) an unused letter for my cell -- so I can add to the >setting rather than conflict with someone else. > >Any suggestions? > > >Thanks in advance, > > >Elliot > >---- >Elliot A. Rushing >Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff's Counsel, and DG Neophyte. > > > - ------------------------------------------------------- John P. Yuda 138 S. Atherton St. apt. 720 State College PA 16801 (814)865-5078 yuda@psu.edu jyuda@omegafinancial.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 15:35:26 -0700 From: paposehn@juno.com (Phil A Posehn) Subject: Re: DG: Trepanation... On Thu, 11 Jun 1998 12:20:22 EDT Olaughing@aol.com writes: > Well, we get the Washington Post a little late here on teh West >Coast, >but May 31, 1998 Style section (inexplicably) has a lovely article on >trepanation, the act of knocking a hole in your skull for the purpose >of >enlightenment. It has their website (www.trepan.com) and a lot of >information >about teh Trepan society. "I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in To stop my mind from wandering..." Phil > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 00:13:55 EDT From: CroakerJr@aol.com Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments << Thus, my simple question -- Which Cells are currently "active," meaning which letters have been assigned to various groups of NPCs and/or actual roleplayers? So far, by lurking this list and the website I've got "A,""L," and "P," but I'm sure there are more. >> A few weeks ago this was discussed and the consensus was that Keepers and Agents who wanted to share information are free to do so, but it's not expected of list members or anything. Personally I like the idea and would like to see more in-character cell updates from the Keepers who are now running campaigns. They can serve as occasional hints and clues for the players (esp. if the players aren't all on the list too!); if something comes up that does not fit the campaign you are running, ignore it. Around the time it was first discussed somebody put together a chart of list members and the cells they were running in case people wanted to use the information and communicate, but I don't know what became of the chart (or the member who compiled it, for that matter). Shane Ivey just getting "M" Cell rolling http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/6580/dg.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 14:31:39 +0900 From: "David Farnell" Subject: RE: DG: Cell Assignments - -----Original Message----- 差出人 : CroakerJr@aol.com 宛先 : deltagreen@nocturne.org 日時 : 1998年6月12日 13:42 件名 : Re: DG: Cell Assignments On 12 June 1998 (Japan local time), Son of Croaker wrote >Personally I like the idea and would >like to see more in-character cell updates from the Keepers who are now >running campaigns. They can serve as occasional hints and clues for the >players (esp. if the players aren't all on the list too!); if something comes >up that does not fit the campaign you are running, ignore it. ^^^ALERT^^^ LAURA reports penetration of L cell by unknown organization. All agents should be alert to John Conroy (formerly LIONEL), CIA. Conroy has been revealed to be non-human or modified human, and has fled attempts to detain for study. Conroy may also be involved in the HDI (hyper-dimensional incident) which destroyed Tziklatatzlan, Mexico. During a firefight with drug dealers in Matamoros, Mexico, in course of the BLACK DREAMS investigation, Agent Conroy displayed inhuman speed and got up after being shot in the head with a .44 magnum (the bullet did not penetrate, and seemed to render Conroy temporarily unconscious). Later, as 2 Friendlies were attempting to take a look at the head wound and voicing suspicions, Conroy drew his sidearm and shot at them, wounding one. LAURA and the other Friendly returned fire, both hitting Conroy in the torso. He was staggered, but successfully fled. Three days later, Tziklatatzlan disappeared in a NAUDABAUM-type HDI. Tziklatatzlan was the source of the BLACK DREAMS drug, and the only known habitat for the BLACK DREAMS centipede, which may now be extinct. It is completely unknown what group Conroy may be working for. LAURA recommends shoot-on-sight and later dissection. AP rounds are recommended. Conroy should be considered lethal even if unarmed. LUKE ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 98 00:44:23 -0700 From: Joseph Camp Subject: RE: DG: Cell Assignments >During a firefight with drug dealers in Matamoros, Mexico, in course of the >BLACK DREAMS investigation, Agent Conroy displayed inhuman speed and got up >after being shot in the head with a .44 magnum (the bullet did not >penetrate, and seemed to render Conroy temporarily unconscious). In light of Cell L's encounter, I'd like to direct everyone's attention to the Delta Green web site. A recent set of reports recounts a similar incident in 1996, and includes some unusual biological evidence left by a similar metahuman: http://www.delta-green.com/rf_2600.html Luke, if you have the time to compile a slightly more detailed report on the Mexico incident, it would be a welcome addition to the web site. be seeing you, Alphonse ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 09:18:13 -0400 From: "Elliot A. Rushing" Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments Howdy, Shane! ;) >A few weeks ago this was discussed and the consensus was that Keepers and >Agents who wanted to share information are free to do so, but it's not >expected of list members or anything. Personally I like the idea and would >like to see more in-character cell updates from the Keepers who are now >running campaigns. They can serve as occasional hints and clues for the >players (esp. if the players aren't all on the list too!); if something comes >up that does not fit the campaign you are running, ignore it. I agree. I'm very impressed with the Web site, and see it as a nifty way to capitalize on economies of scale when planning a personal campaign. The fact that you could actually email an "EDWARD" or "FRANK" *in-character* for comments is a bonus, and could be used to tie campaigns together (or shoot them off in new directions, anyway). In short, it just sounds like fun. ;) >Around the time it was first discussed somebody put together a chart of list >members and the cells they were running in case people wanted to use the >information and communicate, but I don't know what became of the chart (or the >member who compiled it, for that matter). A number of folks emailed me privately after my first note, and several pointed out that there are far more folks simply on the list than there are available cells. This is an extremely good point. One or two writers mentioned that a consensus was reached earlier on the list (before my time) that the 26 cell structure was either (a) disinformation or (b) all of us are in different parallel universes. Both of these work, but I've suggested a third option incorporating the first. What if the 26 cell structure was valid, but instead of indicating numbers of cells, it simply indicated hierarchy levels? Even if you only increased the number of cells by one as you went down the alphabet (giving each letter a number of cells corresponding to its order number, e.g., A-1 cell, B-2 cells, C-3 cells, et al.), you increase your cell number from 26 to 351(!). That would preserve your heirarchy (and the one A cell) and would increase the number of agents from 78 to 1,053 - which isn't such an increase when you consider the population of the US. Still, it's a lot of folks, and may not fit the original creators' intent, or that of most Keepers. *Still*, an alphanumeric cell structure (which could be broadened, even, to 10 cells per "level* past A, for *2501* cells and 7,503 agents! -- Ok, that's a bit much) could be a usable idea for those who wish to post their cells and info to the website -- those who merely mine the site for campaign ideas and random NPCs could ignore it. Does anybody else think the alphanumeric cell hierarchy idea would be a useful setting fudge to allow multiple cells to post to the website while preserving continuity (e.g, there could be 26 different Z cells), or should I just drop the thread? Is the idea consistent with the tone of the game? This is really just a thought experiment -- I don't want to waste listspace with stuff folks would rather not see. ;) Take care, Elliot. (Who's thinking of starting a cell "O" -- perhaps one of 15 -- or more?) ;) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 00:01:49 +0900 From: ft203004@fsinet.or.jp (Jay and Mikiko Noyes) Subject: Re: DG: Media Suppression >The name Judy Barry REALLY springs to mind though...or did that story >only reach the press in California??? Actually, I've never heard of her. Pray, enlighten me (Hmm, "prey, enlighten me?"). Jay Gibber gibber, squeak squeak ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 12:06:45 -0400 From: graemep@immagene.mcg.edu (Graeme Price) Subject: Re: DG: Trepanation... Just for fun! > Yesterday, John wrote: > Well, we get the Washington Post a little late here on teh West Coast, >but May 31, 1998 Style section (inexplicably) has a lovely article on >trepanation, the act of knocking a hole in your skull for the purpose of >enlightenment. It has their website (www.trepan.com) and a lot of information >about teh Trepan society. This actually reminded me to look in the lab surgical apparatus catalogue (don't ask: certain instruments resemble medieval [medievil?] torture devices... especially in the gynaecology section - I just thank my lucky stars I'm male!) and uncovered the folowing delightful tool: The trephine (the device used to admister trepanation - also called trephination; according to my medical dictionary, trepanation [derived from the French "trepan"] is archaic). There are two models listed. Both resemble a large, stainless steel "T" with the long arm being the business end, and the cross-piece being the handle which you turn to rotate the cutting head. The more expensive one has a centrepunch type guide to hold the instrument steady and a series of interchangeable heads (think of a hacksaw blade bent into a circle) which fit over this centrepunch to do the actual cutting. The heads are available in sizes of 8, 13, 16 and 20 mm diameter. There is also a depth gauge to prevent you from going too deep (i.e. to stop the following: twist, twist, squelch): perfect for self-admistration. The cost is about 325 dollars for the expensive version (you probably don't want to mess with the 80 dollar version without the safety features) - prefect for investigator field first aid kits. The actual surgical procedure probably runs something like this [IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE REAL WORLD: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS!!!!!!]. Swab the site down with disinfectant (post operative infection will be the big killer!) and cut a flap of skin (using a scalpel: I like No. 24 blades, personally). This flap can be cut on 3 sides of a square with one side left attached as a hinge. The flap is peeled back to expose the bone and the trephine is positioned using the centrepunch. Then it's twist, twist, twist and the bone plug (still attached to the centrepunch) comes out in the middle of the cutting head. The vict... et, patient now has a hole in his head for the surgeon to utilise (pass the bent coathanger, nurse). After the procedure, the bone plug can be put back in the hole and the centrepunch withdrawn to leave it in place. The skin flap can be put back to cover the site and sutured in position, and viola (sorry, that's a musical instrument - voila!) all that remains is a funny little "U" shaped scar (much nicer than those old 1920's lobotomy scars that were at least 3" long!). This can be hidden even further if the hole is covered by hair. It occurs, to me that I should have mentioned anaesthesia at some point... but I'm sure that all of you guys read the instructions completely before starting a job?! Anyway, next week I will be describing emergency surgery to remove alien implants (silicone indeed: we all know that Baywatch depends on protomatter for it's sucess!) Laters Graeme graemep@immag.mcg.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 09:54:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Chris Womack Subject: Re: DG: Cell Assignments Having done some thinking on this subject (both when it was first broached and in the intervening time until Deputy Rushing recently reintroduced it), I've come to the conclusion that the safest blanket statement that can be made regarding cell assignments on this list is as follows: with the exception of posts from Alphonse, any post to this list purporting to originate from, describe, or otherwise concern a DG cell should be treated as non-canonical--Keepers have the option, to be freely exercised (or not) on a case-by-case basis, to incorporate such information into their campaigns however they see fit. In short, to borrow Robbie's mantra from the Ars Magica discussion list, "whatever works for your campaign is right." Now then, here are some possible variations. Keepers who become aware of one another's campaigns via this list are welcome, and I daresay even encouraged, to actively coordinate their campaigns. Engage in a little "cross-pollination." This might be especially useful for Keepers whose agents' cells are adjacent, as the sourcebook indicates that the cell leaders in question would have knowledge of one another's identities. (For example, in my campaign (currently on hiatus), I use cell "P"; I'd be more than happy to share info with Keepers running cells "O" or "Q".) The key here is mutual consent--a Keeper is certainly welcome to treat anything coming off this list as official, if it suits her campaign, but she shouldn't *expect* other Keepers to treat *her* material as official, unless she explicitly works out such an arrangement. Another possibility (or at least something to take into consideration): DG does not rely solely on its agents to Get Things Done; 78 people (some of whom are not even field operatives) would quickly be overwhelmed by the task. It would be entirely feasible to run a campaign in which the players' Investigators are *not* DG agents, but operate instead as DG "friendlies," of whom there are numbers (literally) untold. The Keeper could use a DG cell (or even a lone agent) as NPCs who basically operate behind the scenes, helping to coordinate, direct, and advise, but who do not take an active role in things. (Agent "Charlie"'s 'Angels', anyone?) Friendlies can range in their knowledge of opera from total neophytes deliberately kept in the dark, to de-facto DG agents who have all the perqs and responsibilities of membership in the conspiracy, with the sole exception of code names labelling them as members of a cell. (When starting campaigns with a mixed group of players, some of whom are already familiar with DG while others are not, Keepers might consider having the more knowledgeable players run agent chars, and the less knowledgeable ones run friendlies. But I digress.) Yet another way to get around the "many cells, same letter" problem is to assign them not to separate parallel dimensions, but simply to different time frames. To this end, folks posting their cell's exploits to this list could omit (or else readers could ignore) any specific references to times and dates. Again using my cell P as an example, there's absolutely no reason that another Keeper, desiring to assign his players' chars to cell P, could not simply determine that my agents are in fact his agents' predecessors in that cell. In other words, such a Keeper could simply say "Oh, *that* cell P. Yeah, they were active in the early/mid-90's, but they've all died/retired/moved up to different cells. That report of their activities that just surfaced? A real blast from the past, but nothing for you to worry about." One final observation ("Yay," you say. "He's gonna shut up soon."). I would hesitate to adopt Deputy Rushing's suggestion that a numbering scheme be introduced to explicitly account for multiple cells with the same letter. Keepers are, of course, free to adopt such a scheme as a "house rule," but (and this is all IMHO, needless to say) this idea seems to drag the conspiracy just that much closer to the light. DG as it is now is nice and shadowy. Are there 26 cells? Are there more? (In some campaigns, "are there less?" could also be a valid question. Or what if certain agents have multiple designations? Extreme example: what if Alphonse is also George, Mark, *and* Samuel? Conspiracy within the conspiracy, anyone?) Pinning things down with a specific cell numbering scheme (whether pyramidal or whatever) just takes away that much more of the mystery, eliminates a few more possibilities. A literal reading of the sourcebook would indicate that there are 26 cells, 3 agents each, for a total of 78 "made" members in the Delta Green conspiracy. Yet the rules imply that the conspiracy may be much bigger than that. It's up to you to choose whether you want to build on those implications by introducing hordes of friendlies into your campaign, or by multiplying the number of cells that share the same designation, or through some other method--or to ignore it completely. The rules are vague on this point, but it's *good* vagueness, and we shouldn't be too hasty to clarify it, lest we paint ourselves into a corner and render the game less enjoyable. Exempla gratis: I referred earlier to Ars Magica, the roleplaying game of wizards in Mythic Europe. In various places in that game's rules, you can find indications, even explicit statements, about the size of the Order of Hermes (that is, the number of wizards extant in the game--the number of wizards available for use as PC's and NPC's alike). If members of the Ars Magica discussion list attempted to "lay claim" to membership in the Order for their characters, those numbers would quickly get used up too, just as with DG cell allocation here. They don't. In fact, I don't think I've ever even seen the issue come up. Perhaps we could take a tip from them, and just let sleeping dogs lie on this list as well. All right, I think I've rambled on quite enough for now. Chris Womack Keeper of the List oaktree@nocturne.org ------------------------------ End of deltagreen-digest V1 #39 *******************************