SURVIVE THE SECRET TEMPTATION OF MAZE ISLAND
By Richard C Hanton-Rutherford
- My Iron Rev entry was originally going to be some underground Cthulhu temple (using the Old Ones as ethereal gods), but I decided that you had to look at the modern world for true horror (and if anyone on the list has already done something like this, I apologise, but I didn't pinch your idea).
Also, I realise that the Vaputech mentioned later isn't actually canon, but its powers are.
In recent years, "reality T.V." has grown to unexpected heights of popularity. The format is easy; select a bunch of simpering nobodys, lock them in an enclosed space full of T.V. cameras, and film the carnage. These shows are undoubtedly evil, but what will come as a great surprise to a lot of celestials is that Nybbas had nothing to do with their creation.
The Prince of the Media, though delighted with the success of reality T.V., is nevertheless slightly upset that humans thought of it without his help. He won't be left out, though; together with Andrealphus and Vapula (and it's a fair bet that Kobal was involved, even if only in a small role), Nybbas has designed the ultimate reality T.V. show.
The concept is (initially, at least) a familiar one. After a week of rigorous and televised "selection" (by Impudite talent scouts who happily drain the hopeful's essence) a pack of pretty but talentless retards are sent to a remote tropical island, Valeria, to win the "prize of a lifetime".
The island, the contestants are told, is a beautiful island paradise, teaming with rare plants and animals. Beneath the island, accessible by cunningly (but not too cunningly) concealed doors, is a specially constructed maze, filled with taxing (but, again, not that taxing) puzzles. By working together to solve the puzzles, the contestants should be able to open the central chamber. The first contestant to enter the chamber will win five million dollars, and be guaranteed media attention for at least the next month.
What they are not told, however, is that Valeria is an ancient tether to Lust, consecrated by the indigenous tribesmen who used to perform their tribal orgies there. Far from being custom built for the show, the "maze" is in fact the remains of the catacombs used for the human sacrifices to the tribe's fertility goddess (Andre in a fat female vessel). The power of the Tether is on the wane these days, but (with assistance from Technology) will still be strong enough to get the contestants "in the mood". If any of them could translate the ancient script on the maze walls, they would have some clue as to the islands true nature. But they won't.
As the weeks progress, and every detail of island life is reported by television, newspaper and regular live webcasts, the contestants become dimly aware of a strange, dull noise in the background. It will be almost undetectable at first, but will slowly grow in volume and potency, eventually resonating through the contestants bones.
This is Vapula's contribution to the show, a rather nasty device called the Mustiron 3000, designed to continually play Songs, at a slowly increasing level, over a long period of time. This particular model plays Ethereal Attraction, Ethereal Repulsion and Hysteria (donated by a Habbalite of Technology who "volunteered" to help with the experiment). The eventual result of these songs will, of course, be sexy, shocking and eminently watchable carnage.
The intended outcome of the show is that the contestants arrive on Valeria, and slowly begin to form relationships. As the Songs' volume increases, they become more hostile to their enemies, more suggestively sexual to their beloved (often the same person), and more generally hysterical. The more Perceptive may sense something strange about the noise in the background, but their warnings will be ignored by everyone else. As the show reaches its conclusion all inhibitions will fall away, the island's surface wil become overrun by sex (with the catacombs regaining its role as orgy central) and murder, all live on T.V. and the net, and one contestant will finally open the central chamber, triggering a small but well placed explosive charge and burying the island in rubble.
The production company will go bankrupt, the head of the network will make a statement about what a tragedy it was, and over three quarters of the world will have been deeply and incurably affected by what they've seen.
THE GAME
There are several ways PC's could be brought into this little scheme. My own favourite is to have the host find out about the plan, and send the PC's undercover as contestants. The tether's Seneschal, a Shedite of Lust, will move between the contestants, making sure things go (un)smoothly, which should make for some interesting encounters with the angels.