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Message: <blockquote data-quote="takyris" data-source="post: 1115371" data-attributes="member: 5171">So, here's the situation:d20 Modern campaign just starting.  The backstory:An earthquake has caused a volcanic eruption off the coast of Washington state, and an island has been created.  In defiance of all normal science, the island is NOT just volcanic material, but contains what looks like a large part of the sea-floor on a plateau at the top.  And the plateau shows signs of human civilization.The PCs are just getting started.  They don't know if we're doing science fiction or fantasy.  They don't know if the stuff on the plateau is a sunken ship or some ancient civilization that sank into the sea ages ago.Here's where it gets hairy: One important plot point is the fact that the PCs work for a corporation that has secured the rights to explore the island exclusively.  The U.S. government steps in, despite this securing, when the island begins emitting strange energy waves, and what follows is the campaign itself -- a PC team of corporate and military folks working together uneasily to ensure the safety of the United States (and the world) and uncover the lost secrets of this new island.I wanted the island to sort of be "up for grabs" on the surface -- so I put it 350 miles off the coast of the United States, which is definitely in international waters.  The U.S. is still the closest country, though.What I WANT is for rival corporations and governments to try and get the rights to the island for themselves.  I don't want it to just be a war, though.  There has to be some international council of science or business or something that most corporations would respect.  Trouble is, I don't have the first dang idea what that corporation IS.So, who did my PCs' corporation get the rights from?  Does such an organization exist?  How are new islands usually handled these days?  I'm fine with improbable "special case" stuff, but I'd like there to be some veneer of realism to work with.I'm fine with the corporation claiming right-to-explore on the island from some international scientific or economic community.  I'm fine with the U.S. claiming the island as close to the U.S. and potentially important, and then giving those rights to the corporation.Basically, I want some organization that most people would feel compelled to respect, at least on the surface, while some dangerous evil folks would work secretly to get around (or through) the laws.Help!</blockquote>

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