HAWK & MOOR - The Steam Tunnel Incident (d20)
 |
THE MORE SINISTER urban legends concerning the Steam Tunnel Incident run as follows:
A young genius¸ seduced and deluded by a mind-controlling fantasy game¸ abandoned his Satanic gaming cult because he feared for his life. He then delved into the netherworld¸ a labyrinthine "dungeon" of steam tunnels running for miles beneath a sprawling university. There¸ under the influence of drugs¸ occult talismans¸ evil magic or mere insanity¸ he mistook fantasy for reality and tried to slay his invoked dragons¸ demons and devils in real life. Finally¸ he became hopelessly lost in the tunnels.
Facing a slow and horrible demise in the endless dark¸ he committed suicide. Or¸ he was murdered by a conspiracy of Lucifer-worshipping gamer-cultists who silenced him to keep their secret safe. The most disturbing rumors of all insisted rather that he survived¸ but he lost his mind and could never sleep again¸ until he committed suicide a year and a day later.
Intriguing and lurid stories¸ with all of the trappings of classic urban legendry. But what really happened? Who was the victim? Was it a living nightmare or a hoax? What caused the national sensation and media hysteria in 1979? Why were fantasy-role playing games (FRPGs) the subject of a religious witch hunt¸ demonized well into the 1980s¸ and derided by some as a dangerous cultic indulgence even today?
The truth is even more fascinating than the legends themselves. James Dallas Egbert III did exist¸ and he did play FRPGs. Police and private investigators did explore the steam tunnels for many miles and hours¸ finding the clues he left behind. And he did tragically end his own life in 1980. But the real secrets involving his torment¸ disappearance¸ rescue and demise are far more remarkable than the legends surrounding the Steam Tunnel Incident to this day.
HAWK & MOOR: The Steam Tunnel Incident is an exploration of this persistent mystery which is still poorly understood; a journey into fantasy¸ intrigue¸ secrecy¸ urban exploration and the dark reality of the steam tunnels themselves. Author and researcher Kent David Kelly is also the author of Necronomicon: The Cthulhu Revelations¸ From the Fire¸ Arachne¸ and the Castle Oldskull series of gaming supplements. This is a special edition in the larger series of HAWK & MOOR¸ exploring the early history of role-playing games.
A unique offering¸ THE STEAM TUNNEL INCIDENT comprises 50¸100 words¸ 12 chapters and over 150 pages. An unforgettable updated and revised release from Wonderland Imprints.