you goes here

Tournament modules are like short stories. They have to be short, sharp, and to the point, usually with reasonably defined characters, as there is not a lot of opportunity to indulge in subtlety. In many ways they are my favourite form of role-playing. Anyway, I had this idea which I'm never going to be able to use, so anyone interest, feel free to swipe it. The players are a xenoanthropology team from a Star Trek style advanced civilization. You know, one of those cultures that is morally upright and opposed to interfering with the development of primitive societies (especially since historically this hasn't gone so well). They will have very advanced technology. You know, polymorphous skin suits they can wear to do a reasonably good job of blending in with primitive cultures, stun projectors (to harmlessly capture specimens of animal life), universal translators, anti-grav harnesses, cloaking devices, powerful hand-held artificial intelligences, sub-aetheric communicators, and the like. Now this team is sent to investigate this new primitive species that has just been discovered. Now these aborigines are intensely tribal and very warlike. Observably so to an insane degree. They even seem to have a dedicated warrior caste. Whilst technically rather unsophisticated they have developed some rather complicated mechanisms to make the best use of natural forces, such as wind, water, fire, and animal power. Are they advanced enough to be contacted without repercussions? Well, that's the players job to find out. Even if they aren't, then at least there should be a decent amount of academic kudos involved in this mission. Besides the fact that these opportunities to closely observe primitive sophonts doesn't arrive all that often. Careers could be made here. Now go and get your favourite Call of Cthulhu scenario that deals with the Mi-Go (Fungi from Yuggoth). Possibly one that the players might have actually played in the year before, if you want to be really cute. Guess who are the Mi-Go? [Hint: Don't describe the aborigines as human, after all, aliens have different perceptions and blue is only blue because we all agree that it is, so describing them as blue-skinned penta-limbed beings (the primary sensory cluster being located on one limb), is perfectly fine. Also tools are objects that enhance physical or mental activities, so a machine that does a task is simply enhancing the task, rather than an actor in and of itself.] "Hmmmm. Given their reaction, maybe the translation of 'computer' as 'brain in a box' may have given the wrong impression." "You think Linguist? You think?" "Be careful Senior Researcher, they are throwing those little copper-plated steel pellets at us again!"