Over the Edge: Cloak of Al Amarja (F/Any. Seeking GM. Twin Peaks/CONTROL esque.)

[Lustful Bride]

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small,
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all.~ Jefferson Airplane

IT BECAME NECESSARY TO DESTROY THE TOWN TO SAVE IT.
~UNNAMED U.S. MAJOR, 1968

Obey, Serve, Comply. Trust in us, for we know what is best for you.~Majestic 12

“Imagination is the only weapon in the war with reality.”~Cheshire Cat.

Over the Edge.

Over Again.

Cloak and Dagger.

Hangman's Noose and Agent's Tie.

Be careful, little spy.

Worshipper of shades and suits.

Be careful, for the devil is not he only one who can wear a suit and tie.

The greatest tyrants may not sit in bunkers or dungeons. But in palaces of gold.

You can't have a nightmare if you never dream.

You can't rebel, if you think you are free.

Over the Edge.

Over Again.

For many years now, Majestic-12 has tried to infiltrate and understand the island nation of Al Amarja (or as it calls itself "The Ultimate Democratic Republic of Al Amarja"), with little success. The mysterious dictatorship in the Mediterranean...or...was it in the Pacific? The Atlantic?...No no.. Its in the Pacific...maybe...It is so hard to remember sometimes. The island is only easily found by those who already know where it is. Even in the modern age of GPS and spy satellites.

Few agents of foreign powers have ever been able to successfully infiltrate the nation, despite its surprisingly open borders, trade, and heavily international population. It should be easy to get people in and learn their secrets to feed the wider conspiracy. But this is not so. They tend to die, go insane, disappear, commit suicide, or come right back having forgotten everything they went through. But Majestic (and other groups) keep trying.

The island of Al Amarja offers opportunities found nowhere else, and many of its dangers are also found only here. The people are cut off from their cultural roots, while their media glorifies violence and shopping. The State makes a show of beneficence but abuses its power. The wealthy are sinfully rich while most people live in fear and worry. Shadowy organizations secretly pull the strings. Truth is outlawed. Everyone can see what’s happening all around them, and no one’s doing anything about it. To breathe is to collaborate. Altogether, Al Amarja represents a nightmare version of the real world’s nightmare side. A real world most abandon the moment they arrive to the island by boat, by plane, or by dreamscape.

People coming to Al Amarja don’t talk about it much. Most people haven’t heard about the Island, and many who have visited the place wish that they’d never heard of it. The globe is divided into roughly two zones: Al Amarja and everything else. When your time has come to transcend everything else, whether you know it or not, you book your flight.

But those who come from the wider world, and step into Al Amarja, they might quickly pick up on the more advanced technology, the bits of arcane lore, or ignore all of it and pretend that everything is normal. Those in the know want these secrets, and they are willing to do everything to get it.

A war brews in the dark corners of the island, fought in secret by both civilian, soldier, spy, and janitor. Against one another, and forces beyond our comprehension, sanity, or even our sense of humor!

We stand to win nothing. But lose everything. Or is it the other way around?

Majestic-12 is just the player we will be following for this story. An organization with many operations and theories and origins (because if you're a mythic group and you're going to have a past, you may as well have it be multiple choice!) They have had their hands busy lately (have you seen how many UFOs there are recently!?), but they still have a keen interesting in this peculiar little island. They have lost too many of their 'best' agents, that they have decided it might be more cost effective to send in expendable assets that might succeed, and if they die then they will not suffer too much of a loss.

Many agents and members of Majestic were considered, until one was deemed suitably powerful enough to send in, without being too critical of a loss if/when she should meet an untimely end upon that accursed island.

She is known as Sleeper-505, but her birth/cover name is Helena Kane Magnus. She is born and bred Majestic-12. Literally. She was born from a tank within a gestation facility down in the Antarctic. Helena tested positive for Psionic potential, by nearly blowing up the machine during her test, but has never been able to handle the fine manipulations and subtle mind reading tricks of other Psions. Nor could she pull off a good spy act like others of her kind, so she was mostly stuck helping teach other Psions how to use force with their abilities, or performing other duties around the Antarctic facility, till her number came up, and she was given a special assignment.

She was given a briefcase of special equipment, money, a cover identity, and even some things recommended to her by the contact she has to meet on the island.

All seemed to be going well for her, until their planed crossed into the airspace of Al Amarja. After that her implant stopped working and she lost all ability to communicate with MJ-12 Command. To make matters worse, Helena has been stuck in the airport for three days!

Who the fuck designed this place!?

She is tired, hungry, thirsty, sore, and in desperate need for a shower! It isn't helped by the Customs and Immigration agents and Peacekeepers repeatedly pulling her in for a random search or interrogation, while also avoiding all of her questions on just how to get out of the airport. To her credit, she has not cracked under interrogation. She is fully committed to finding a way out of the airport, and not doing so by going on a killing spree, or blowing a hole in a wall....at lest not yet.

Helena might not be the best Agent out there, but she is Majestic-12 and she is going to get out of this fucking place come Hell or highwater!

If she does manage to break out then she is to meet up with Agent Ahmad Holman. One of only a handful of MJ-12 Agents who have managed to successfully infiltrate Al Amarja. Unable to complete his original mission of infiltrating the Peacekeepers of Al Amarja, he instead managed to set up a Private Investigation and security firm that would allow him to study the island, its people, and unlock its secrets as a police consultant, or blackmail to use against those in power. He has managed to keep the business running all these years, as well as fostering alliances with similar groups like the Darkwing Detectives. The Immaculate Masquerade Professionals, and more.

Ahmad has maintained his cover and remained undiscovered while operating in country for several years now, checking in on and off for all that time, and his reports range from realistic, to the downright insane. But some are all too familiar for MJ-12. His first night in the city, he'd checked into a large hotel called the Lost World of Mu, a theosophy-themed restaurant where, in the middle of dinner, the sides of what looked like a supporting column fell down to reveal a woman in a tank rapidly filling with water. The restaurant New Age muzak cut, and a voice proclaimed her a seditious member of the underground.

The crowd at Lost World of Mu watched her drown. They didn’t bat an eye and just kept on eating. Ahmad did the same, and played it safe ever since. But his reports sounded almost deranged by the time MJ-12 worked up the courage to send another agent in. His reports spoke of...things that were heavily redacted and not been told to his new partner, out of fear that they may be coded, or false reports as part of a counterintelligence operation.

Little does anyone outside of the island know, insanity or infiltration is the least of their worries.



So I had never heard of Over The Edge, until two days ago. I cant believe I never found this RPG before. It is amazing and cosmic and utterly gonzo in all of the best ways! I have PDFs of the 2nd and 3rd Edition books, and have avoided spoiling myself too much

If you know of the setting and want to play in it with me/help guide me through it on an adventure worthy of Agent Dale Cooper himself, just let me know and be sure to bring a damn fine cup of coffee.