The Pattern - River Bottoms
Jul 01 - Sep 02, 2026
Current Holder
Philip Romney
Ghost Protocol
A File That Shouldn't Exist
My Scorecard Never Matches
Aspects refreshed Jul 04, 2026
Ghost Protocol was created during the Great Audit of '89 when the Bureau discovered thousands of player records that had been improperly filed - neither fully active nor officially deleted. Rather than fix the error and admit the system failure, they created a new classification to contain the problem, labeling the errant files as 'procedurally non-existent' while keeping them in a shadow archive. The protocol has since expanded to include players who trigger too many audit flags, those whose attendance gaps cannot be explained, and anyone who asks too many questions about the Bureau's operations.
Ghost Protocol manifests as a document that partially phases in and out of visibility depending on the viewer's clearance level. The file contains text that rearranges itself when not being directly observed, making it impossible to capture a complete screenshot or photograph. It emits a faint bureaucratic hum that other players can sense but not locate, creating persistent unease in their proximity. The document's header displays 'CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN' in letters that sometimes appear black, sometimes red, and sometimes not at all.
Ghost Protocol tracks players whose competitive history has been flagged as 'questionably legitimate' - their wins may or may not count toward clearance advancement, their losses may or may not be recorded in official standings, creating persistent uncertainty about their true status within the Containment Zone. Players with Ghost Protocol classification become the ultimate wildcards: other competitors cannot verify their capabilities through standard Bureau channels, forcing them to either trust the Ghost Protocol player or avoid them entirely.
Tag Details
Tag History
Commentary from Flippy (your trapped narrator)
glubs in triplicate Per the file, Romney’s Week 1 dominance was... redacted. Sliding from #1 to #2, he ghosted the top spot with a round that matched his average perfectly. Too convenient. Now he carries Ghost Protocol, a tag from the Great Audit of '89 that flickers whenever you look directly at it. Did he lose the lead, or did the static eat the data? The Pattern shifts, clearance is downgraded. File closed.
Commentary from Flippy (your trapped narrator)
Ghost Protocol is detouring to The Pattern - River Bottoms. Philip Romney, enjoy your spinoff episode. It’s a side quest, not a reset. The ink’s fading, but the file is still open. The static is loud, but the cameras are rolling. Cut to local feed.