\documentclass[char]{conditionechoblueshift}
\begin{document}
\name{\cAlphaRep{}}

\bigquote{``A mere few feet beneath the waves their reign ceases,
  their evil drowns. Here on the ocean floor is the only
  independence. Here I am free!''}{-- 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea}

\cenquote{``...and yet there somehow lingered an impression that I had
been all the while accompanied by the spirit of the lonely
sea.''}{--H.P. Lovecraft, ``The Night Ocean''}

You are \me{}, a proud scion of the race of \bAlpha{\MYrealname}.  All
your life, you have served Father Dagon and Mother Hydra, the Eternal
Masters of the Undersea Realm, with your mind, body, and soul.  Their
spirits have been with you, have guided your every action.

At an early age, you began training to be a warrior-priest.  Your
dearest ambition, all you ever wanted, was to spread the glory of
Father and Mother through all the oceans of this world.  For the first
forty years of your existence in the watery realm, prayer and physical
training were all you knew.

Then, out of \emph{nowhere}, the \bBeta{\MYrealname}, the Darker Ones,
reappeared.  You had been taught that their race had been thoroughly
suppressed long ago - but evidently their evil has lingered on in some
hidden corner of the sea.  Now, under your very noses, they have
gained enough territory and strength to be more than a nuisance --
they are now a threat to the continued survival of
\bAlpha{\MYrealname}.  Though open war has not yet broken out, the
tensions between your two races are growing stronger by the year.
Recently, your government peacefully annexed a region known as
\mLandMass{} - a move that came perilously close to precipitating open
conflict.

You were taken aside and told that your career would be changed.  You
began new training, learning the language and ways of the
air-dwellers.  The treaty between you and the people who dwell above
the sea would soon expire, you were told, and you were to be the one
to walk among them for the glory of Father and Mother.  The humans,
unable to pronounce the true speech of the Deep, call you \bAlpha{}.
You learned more of the science of your age - of the great undersea
power plants that ran on tiny amounts of the rarest of all resources,
\iDiridium{}.  Slow plans began to move to negotiate with the humans
for an exclusive supply of the resource.  You were told that all would
be well, that \bAlpha{\MYrealname} would gain supremacy, like they
always have.

Then \bBeta{\MYrealname} drastically stepped up the schedule by
revealing themselves to the airbreathers, demanding a share of the
precious \iDiridium{}.  Things began to spin out of control, like a
whirlpool forming.  In the legends of your people, a whirlpool is a
strong symbol of disaster.  You must prevent such a disaster at all
costs.

With your unique qualifications, combining the energy of youth (at
seventy years, you are considered barely post-adolescent) with your
advanced training, you were appointed the head of the delegation,
leading an older but less experienced \bAlpha{\MYrealname}.

You were given specific instructions as to what to ask for, and what
might come up in the negotiations.  For some reason,
\bBeta{\MYrealname} have taken an interest in an area of the seafloor
owned by your people, what the humans call the \mLandMass{}.
Additionally, the humans have found some sort of artifact that your
priests say is called the \iReligiousArtifact{}.  It sounds
interesting though hardly vital, but your assistant, \cAlphaAsst{},
has been badgering you about it, imploring you to obtain it for your
people.  It seems like a worthwile endeavour, both because the priests
want it and because it would shut \cAlphaAsst{} up.

Before you left, you were given a scroll by the priests who once you
studied with, detailing the proper Worship Cycle to sanctify the
treaty you are to sign.  Depending on how the proceedings go, though,
you may be wise to tell your assistant to perform the ritual, as it
appears to be long and involved.  No matter what, make sure it gets
done, as there is a high probability your people will reject a treaty
that comes of an unsanctified journey.

You've also been given some secret instructions.  Apparently, there
exists the possibility of a device called the \iBomb{}, a terrible
underwater weapon capable of mass destruction.  If you were to acquire
it for your race, you would gain them a significant advantage over
\bBeta{\MYrealname} - perhaps enough to win a war against them!

Good luck!

\begin{itemz}[Goals]
  \item Negotiate with the air-dwellers and the \bBeta{\MYrealname} to
    work out a treaty.
  \item Complete the Worship Cycle, or have your assistant do it.  If
    you can manage it, both of you doing it could give a significant
    boost to your cause, both here and back home.
  \item Acquire the \iBomb{} for your race if you can.
  \item Be extremely wary of \bBeta{\MYrealname} - don't trust them unless
    absolutely necessary.
  \item Make as many friends among the air-dwellers as possible, and
    gather aid for the cause of \bAlpha{\MYrealname}.
\end{itemz}

\begin{contacts}
  \contact{\cAlphaAsst{}} Your assistant.  Rather fervently religious,
  but does a good job.
  \contact{\cNegotiator{}}  The official of the \bLaundry{} who you'll
  be negotiating with.
  \contact{\cBetaRep{}}  The representative of \bBeta{\MYrealname}.
  \contact{\cBetaAsst{}}  Their assistant.
  \contact{\cMP{}}  A member of the air-breathers' government who'll
  be sitting in on negotiations.
\end{contacts}

\end{document}
