"Those Little Green Dudes" backwards) who constantly plot to take over the universe. The C.O.W. also uses HoL as a dumping ground for trash, so the entire landscape is covered with mountains of rotting debris, from candy bar wrappers and starship hulls to toxic nuclear waste and used medical syringes. HoL is a breeding ground for cute little bulbous creatures called "Wastems", which characters can capture as pets, eat as tasty pudding snacks, or use for target practice. Beware of the ones with an evil gleam in their eye, however; it could be a Wastit, the carnivorous man-eating version of the timid creatures. Not every critter on HoL is cute and furry, especially the subterranean horrors called Fleshtenders. Victims of Fleshtenders (if they happen to survive) only remember seeing two evil eyes and very big teeth. HoL is also a cesspool of gangs and criminal psychopaths. Given this world of "kill or be killed", the main goals of characters in HoL are survival and escape. They can be attacked at any time by just about anything from ax-wielding maniacs to mutant creatures. It is a place of all kinds of unimaginable horror – and entertainment, for the citizens of C.O.W. who like to spend their free time watching holographic channels dedicated to the viewing of the non-stop slaughter via explosive robotic cameras called Crickets. Although it is never verified in any of the HoL game books, some fans of the game have speculated that Hol was once Earth. Conception The concept of HoL derived from a conversation Thron had with Cape Cod Community College classmate Duane Waters while driving to school in the winter of 1990-1991. Both were longtime RPGers. Thron, a self-taught graphic artist, was reading a copy of DC Comics' Lobo and Waters remarked that it would be cool if there were a role playing game similar to the comic. It could be called, Waters said, Human Occupied Landfill. Thron took the idea and played around with the concept for months. Todd Shaughnessy was brought in as a third major writer, with Chris Elliott contributing artwork and writing. Shaughnessy and Elliot refined the gaming system. The game was play tested in the spring of 1992 at Cape Cod Community college with the Dragons Club members and a gaming conventions (Cape Con) on Cape Cod, the University of Rochester, and the U.S Military Academy at West Point, NY. Overview