nocturnum.cthulhu.us   Stories by Stuart
David Bartleby signing off for Phenomen-X“Sasquatch, werewolves, or Indian demons? The explanations may vary, but the facts are the same: Throats ripped out; bodies eviscerated. Something is killing people in Colorado, and we intend to find out who. Tune in next week to watch as our special investigator Kat Shires gets the goods on the ghouls in the ghost town.

“Until then, this is David Bartleby signing off for Phenomen-X. May the Force be with you!”

The announcer looked down and arranged papers on his desk as the credits rolled. After thirty seconds the floor manager gave the all clear sign and the red “On Air” lights around the studio winked out one by one.

“David! What the hell was that crack about the Force?” Bill Matthews stamped out into the studio floor and stood in front of the news desk with his hands on his hips. Bartleby was pulling his collar open and trying to light a cigarette at the same time. He managed to smear his pancake makeup in the attempt, looking pathetic and old in the green cast of the fluorescents that came on as the crew turned of the filming lights. “Don’t forget who our demographic is, man. If they think we’re making fun of them, we’ll all be out of business.”

The newsroom at Phenomen-X“Screw the stupid jerks!” rasped Bartleby, blowing a plume of gray smoke into the air. “And why the hell wasn’t I given that assignment in Colorado? Shires is a cheap little whore, not a reporter. I should have got that assignment.”

“You’re a washed up drunk, Bartleby. You’re lucky your voice has held out this long. Keep on smoking those damned things and she’ll have your job in here too. She’s just what those twenty something wankers want: A hot babe with nice tits and a good delivery.

“I’m sending her out with Fletcher and Hubbard. They’ll look after the technical side, and she’ll get the story. There’s something really nasty going on out there and I think we can get some good ratings with it. They’re leaving first thing in the morning.”

Join the crew from Phenomen-X Productions, a late night TV show exploring the existence and provenance of paranormal events within North America. (Think National Enquirer meets Jerry Springer)

As the story opens, a field crew is being assembled by the show’s producer to investigate reports of bestial attacks in an old mining town in Colorado. The crew is under the leadership of Jack Fletcher, an experienced field producer. His team includes Kat Shires, an on-screen talent to conduct interviews and appeal to the male, twenty-something audience demographic of the show, Peter Hubbard, an audio engineer and tape operator who has seen better days, Bobbie Telford, a young research assistant and writer, and Ralph Meekes, an ex-Army roustabout to manage the heavy work. These are assigned roles. You may wish to create your own character from scratch to fit one of these roles, or you may wish to redesign the specifics of one of the existing characters. Select a character or role, and make an application in writing to me, giving a page or two of background: Who the character is beyond the name, and how they came to be at Phenomen-X.

The game will be starting soon. It will be hosted at rpol.net.

Introduction Characters Plot Line Evidence Related