Stargate SGC: Delta Syndrome

MACE 2006, LARP

LARP Conventions

The LARP location is going to represent the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.  Obviously we can not have a character for every staff member of the SGC.  The Cheyenne Mountain complex contains over 1000 staff, mist of which are assigned to the SGC.  There is a small number of staff assigned to the upper levels containing NORAD.

To reduce the number of staff the GMs have to deal with (thus the number of NPCs to be concerned about), the game will be set on a weekend with minimal staff, a low point in the SGC’s operations.  Most SG teams are out on long term missions or on leave.  The SGC is at skeleton crew because it is a low point in the SGC’s operation.  (This is why the surprise visit by the Senator is so frustrating)

Secondly, we have 28 levels to represent in a two level con space.  Here is the basic layout of the SGC at the con:

The primary action will take place on the Lab floors of the SGC.

• SGC Command Center and Conference Room
• Lab 46 (Heritage) on Level 19
• Level 19 will be represented by the areas around the Heritage room including the lobby, and the main con space hallway
• Lab/Storage Room 101 for Puddle Jumper (Victoria Room) on Level 20
• Level 20 will be represented by the areas around the Victorian Room, the prefunctionary hallway and any room they can find that will not disturb other events,

Much of the rest of the SGC will be sealed off when the action starts, either by order of the General due to perceived threat or by malfunction of the system (depending on how the plot line goes).  This limits the need for too many places to go.

Background

The Earth DW Amplifier – The Earth DW Amplifier Device acts as a reflector/capacitor for the Plyomus n device’s energies, modulating it with the ley-energies of the planet it is on. It draws it energy from the planet’s ley lines, and interacts with time and space. The Main DW device on Plyomus is the strongest of the three, but the two amplifiers are simply smaller versions of the DW with amplification technology in them.

Ley Lines- Ley lines refer to hypothetical alignments of a number of places of geographical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths. Their existence was suggested in 1921 by the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, whose book The Old Straight Track brought the alignments to the attention of the wider public. The existence of alignments between sites is easily demonstrated. However, the causes of these alignments are disputed.

Some writers widely regarded as pseudoscientific have claimed that the ley lines and their intersection points resonate a special psychic or magical energy. These theories often include elements such as geomancy, dowsing or UFOs. Some similarly believe these points on lines have electrical or magnetic forces associated with them.

Earth Delta Base – This is a base established in the Saragossa Sea on an abandoned Oilrig.  It was built to study the anomalies detected in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle.  There are several scientist staffers and SGC personnel on this base.

Events Prior to the LARP

Underwater Earthquake – An under water Earthquake occurred not as a result of the Plyomus incident.  This dislodged the jumper containing the DW amplifier.  This caused the amplifier to activate and start creating distortions and odd occurrences through out the planet.

Artifact Discovery – SGC satellites picked up the energy source near the Saragossa Sea.  The confiscated an old oilrig and established a research station there.

Hurricanes start – The DW Amplifier device, with much of the energy from the Plyomus device stored up, is releasing it uncontrollably.  There is en end to the energy, because the Plyomus device was shut down, but it may destroy the planet before it ends.  One of the major signs of this energy release is the recent hurricanes world wide.  People are reporting strange occurrences within those hurricanes – strange energy releases, strange sightings, etc.

LARP Background

Following the incident on Plyomus, several missing Stargate team members have been returned, as well as several Bermuda Triangle missing.  They talk of a world with strange temporal and special rifts that pull in random people from random worlds. (This is a sequel to the Stargate LARP “The Mount” at ConCarolinas.)

A few weeks after the dusts settles about Plyomus, an energy signature is detected near the Bermuda Triangle.  Due to intelligence obtained from Plyomus, the SGC had requested regular satellite scans of the region as well as Navy patrols in hopes of finding something.  Satellites were fitted with special Asgard sensors to scan the deep oceans.

The day something is detected, several SG teams including SG-1 are out on long term mission.  An underwater quake apparently caused something to surface under the Saragossa Sea.  The Navy fished it out and immediately ships to the oilrig research station, Earth Delta Base (EDB).  At the same time, the hurricanes began form, threatening many coasts.  One particularly large one threatens the EDB so it is ordered temporarily abandoned and the small staff are sent along with the artifacts it to SGC via the transporter network.  The primary item within the artifacts is a large coral covered object – a heavily damaged puddle jumper that contains the rest of the artifacts including the DW.

This set of items arrives at the same day as many of the SG teams are out on mission and a senator for the Senate Intelligence Committee is visiting the SGC.  This item is not expected to be dangerous, so security is diverted from the item to cover the senator’s arrival.

General (Hammond/O’Neil/Landry) will be tied up with the senator or not onsite

Groups Present at the start:

• One SG team
• One SG team and a few SGC staffers from a parallel universe (in their parallel universe)
• NID agents (with possible Rogue NID/Trust agents secretly)
• Senator entourage

Parallel Universe

The parallel world the other SG team is significantly different from ours.  In that universe, John Hinckley, Jr. was successful in killing Ronald Reagan.  As a result, the Soviet Union never collapsed and has actually grown in strength.  Distrust of anyone Russian is very strong from American in this world

The Stargate program got started in a similar way as it did in our universe.  The Soviets do have a dialing device but never had obtained a gate.  The US still has possession of both gates.  There was no rogue NID.  The NID is openly searching for technology to fight the Soviets.  The Go’auld hinder their efforts.  SG teams act as support to NID agents.

The Soviets only recently learned of existence of the Stargate. Meanwhile, the US did reveal its existence to NATO (not the UN).  Now NATO forces have access to it.  The Soviets have been trying to insert spies into Cheyenne Mountain but have been only marginally successful.

One SG team from this universe plus a few staffers will be transported to our universe.  One will be a Russian staffer/spy.  In our universe, this person is openly a Russian staffer.  In the parallel universe, she has an American accent and a spy.

Other Differences:  Because the men are busy in the field fighting the Cold War that occasionally gets Hot, woman remain behind in leadership positions in areas like Cheyenne Mountain.  General Carter is in charge of the Stargate Program instead of General Landry.

Artifacts

Along with the Jumper, several artifacts were found.

• The device (that can not be seen when it reaches the SGC)
• An altar with glyphs
• Two masks with jeweled eyes
• Scrolls in sealed containers (clues to the third mask)

The Jumper contains the DW, but it cannot be seen when it gets to the SGC.  A security procedure has been triggered and has taken the DW device out of phase with the rest of reality.  But the system is damaged in the transport from the oilrig to SGC and occasionally drops into to reality briefly.  The research team coming back from the oilrig does not know what happened but they did see the device and have pictures (they will spend a little time doing diagnostics on the transporter)

When it arrives (teleported from the oilrig), the puddle jumper will be stored in one of SGC’s large research labs/shops (Level ##, Room ###).  The artifacts are also stored there.  Scientists are studying the puddle jumper because it is giving off strange energies readings.

The Crafts

For this LARP, I made the altar as well as the puzzle behind it, as well as the artifact box.   Inside the artifact box were the three masks, the scrolls and the idols (which were just window-dressing).  I got the idols on my trip to Mexico that year, so they were a nice touch.

The Game