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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 5212473" data-attributes="member: 3285">Chapter 54: In Media Res - IntroductionThis story hour is from "In Media Res" by John Tynes in The Resurrected 3: Out of the Vault. You can read more about Delta Green at <a href="http://www.delta-green.com" target="_blank">Delta Green</a>. Please note: This story hour contains spoilers!Our cast of characters includes:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Game Master: <a href="http://michael.tresca.net" target="_blank">Michael Tresca</a> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">George "Incinerator" Jones (Pyromaniac) played by Joe Lalumia</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"Crazy Freddy" Morgan (Cult Leader) played by Jeremy Ortiz (<a href="http://jeremyrobertortiz.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeremy Robert Ortiz</a>)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Johnny "The Smasher" Morowitz (Brutal Thug) played by George Webster</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Billy “Taste-Test” Bean (Cannibal) played by Michael Tresca </li> </ul>John Tynes is very proud of this scenario.  He referenced it in the book Second Person and he went into even more detail in his column at Escapist Magazine, The Contrarian.  In both cases Tynes makes this scenario out to be the holy grail of Cthulhu gaming – or at least, a cinematic thriller as a role-playing game.  He uses it to contrast the lack of the visceral in online role-playing games (a notion I agree with).  It seemed that by just dropping players into a nihilistic game, with unpleasant characters with an equally unpleasant past, it brought out the worst of the characters and the best of the players.  I just had to test it on my own group to see if it was everything Tynes made it out to be – or at least, if our experience would be as electrifying.We were between sessions.  I had originally planned a much more advanced story arc that would put the campaign on hiatus before the birth of my daughter, but when Jim-Bean sacrificed himself to blow up Cthulhu I knew I couldn't top that.  So In Media Res was a chance to show how the world had gone down the tubes after the explosion, how a wave of malevolence had seeped into everything.  And the best way to demonstrate that to the players was to let them experience it firsthand. I tweaked the characters slightly.  All four of these characters appeared previously in the campaign, all convicts, the worst of the worst.  I only had three players, so that made the sickest of the bunch (Billy) my problem to deal with – and I played him like Steve Buscemi as Garland "The Marietta Mangler" Greene in Con-Air. He also wasn't mute. Other than those changes – and make no mistake, they're big changes – I ran the scenario as closely as possible to Tynes' vision.  Joe Lalumia wore a mask I printed on parchment-colored paper to represent the skinned face.  He was eating fries at the time, so I had him use a French fry as the tongue (I bought licorice for this purpose, but nobody wants to eat licorice after eating fries).  With a print out of the inkblot on the table, I let them go at it.It didn't go as well as I'd planned.  For one thing, dropping this scenario on players expecting to find out what happened to their characters made for a tough transition.  Jeremy in particular wanted to know what was going on and at one point thought he was playing his old character in some other form.  Joe didn't have much speaking parts.  It was George that shined here, immediately thrusting himself into the role and ultimately successfully navigating the scenario.A key element of this scenario is mindset.  Tynes sets out to jolt players out of their role-playing malaise, but what he neglects to mention is that players know that the gaming experience will be different.  At conventions, they expect the unexpected, they expect to play with people they don't know, they are mentally ready for something and they're playing with John Effing Tynes, so that's got to influence how they approach the game.  I sprung this scenario on players who had a steady monthly rhythm with the same characters for years.  More explanation might have helped, but this scenario is called In Media Res for a reason…Defining Moment: When one of the characters dies in a car accident…it's chow time!Relevant Media<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="http://www.hauntedhotsauce.com/media/HauntedHotSauce_FleshFace_Free_mask.pdf" target="_blank">"Leatherface"</a>: Paper Mask.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_30/183-The-Contrarian-Masks-in-the-Woods" target="_blank">Escapist Magazine Article</a>: about In Media Res by John Tynes.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262083566?ie=UTF8&tag=michaeltresca&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0262083566]Second Person[/ame]: edited by Wardrip & Fruin.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013AVSR0?ie=UTF8&tag=michaeltresca&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0013AVSR0]Train to Miami[/ame]: by Steel Pole Bath Tub.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/188779722X?ie=UTF8&tag=michaeltresca&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=188779722X]The Resurrected III: Out of the Vault[/ame]</li> </ul>[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwOITaTwNmk]In Media Res[/ame]</blockquote>

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