Blood of the Coven, Water of the Womb

A 2024 Delta Green Shotgun Scenario Contest Entry

Introduction

A pair of hikers found human remains early one morning on the dried Summersville Lakebed. The body was identified as a 6-month old male fetus, covered in random cuts. Deputy Buddy Hawthorn followed a hunch and checked in on a known teenage expectant mother and frequent run-away Ruby Davenport. By all means, she should be the most likely suspect. Only one problem; she’s still pregnant.

The Truth

Ruby’s mother Willow was a witch, serving under Granny Sayre the Crone. Willow’s death was unexpected and unfortunate, and has weakened Granny to the point of desperation. She had her cats bring Ruby her mother’s ring, which has been absorbing the DNA of those around to impregnate her.

The human remains found were Ruby’s fourth time giving birth. She was mesmerized from her home at 3am to the Ruins of Gad. Granny lured her there and acted as midwife for Ruby to birth an abomination of tentacles wrapped around a human form. She remembers these instances vaguely as a dream, disappointed upon waking up to the horror of her pregnancy.

The abomination was presented to the consciousness beneath the water, but it was rejected like the others before it. The consciousness desires bodies compatible with its multitude of minds; but it's too broken, too esoteric to find what it needs amongst human stock.

Granny was too weak with the coven lacking a Mother, and her age having caught up with her. She was unable to dispose of the body before dawn broke, instead cutting off the UNNATURAL growths before abandoning the baby’s remains at the water’s edge. She needs Ruby to birth a new Maiden and become Mother; then the coven can be whole again.

Briefing

A FRIENDLY medical examiner covered up the autopsy of the abandoned fetus. The DNA test showed a 50% match with Ruby Davenport, which given her current pregnancy was odd enough to prompt further investigation. Last week, Ruby’s boyfriend Travis Proctor had driven her to an abortion clinic in Roanoke, VA to terminate her pregnancy. The two were involved in a severe car accident on the state border; Travis suffered a concussion and broken arm while Ruby was completely unharmed.

The Agents are being sent under the guise of FBI agents investigating a potential kidnapping of a minor across state lines; “clearly” federal overreach in retaliation to WV’s abortion ban.

Davenport Household

A small single-story home with a well-maintained yard, but otherwise showing signs of neglect.

Prayer Vigil

A collection of flowers has been arranged against the Davenport mailbox. There are prayer cards saying “Choose Life” and other benedictions alongside candles and icons of baby Jesus all from parishioners of the New Birth Church. They see Ruby’s “failed” attempt to get an abortion and unharmed state as a miracle.

Occult40%: Buried in the clutter is a protective Appalachian Witch’s Talisman

Mark Davenport

Middle-aged widower and step-father to Ruby for the past 8 years. His wife’s death shook him, and Ruby’s recent pregnancy has destroyed any illusion that he was keeping things together. His relationship with his step-daughter has strained and he is more likely to drink beer in his recliner than engage her in conversation.

Medicine50%: Mark appears sedated by more than just alcohol.
He’s being hypnotized by Granny to isolate Ruby.

Ruby Davenport

16-year old pregnant sophomore who has been sulking in her room since the accident. She’s sleep-deprived and scared, and portrays a stand-offish demeanor. Initially hesitant to talk, she will open up to a sympathetic ear.

Laptop: Her laptop contains conversations that contain the below information if Ruby doesn’t share it, as well as a copy of the video.
Video: A home movie of 5-year-old Ruby and her mother Willow. Investigation shows Granny standing far in the background, watching intently. SAN 0/1
She has nightmares about becoming a mother, giving up her current identity.
She’s never had sex, and doesn’t think Travis believes her.
She fiddles with Willow’s ring when nervous.

Willow’s Ring

Ruby wears her mother’s wedding band, or so she thinks. The ring is actually made from the meteorite in the Ruins of Gad and ties her to the consciousness. It absorbs nearby DNA to combine in her womb to build a body suitable for its needs. If it is taken from Ruby, whoever is holding it will subconsciously fiddle with it and inevitably put it on, where it will continue to serve its previous purpose with its new host.

Proctor Household

A small family home adjacent to the New Birth Church, a pentecostal congregation run by Pastor John Proctor and Mrs.Anne Proctor.

Travis Proctor

18-year old senior and halfback for the Nicholas County Grizzlies. He’s been bed-ridden with a broken arm and pain meds since the accident. While he loves Ruby, the accident and pregnancy have caused him to distance himself from her.

He believes Ruby’s a virgin, and that the baby is a miracle from God. After the accident, he believes it more, and is disturbed by the reality of it.
He remembers making it to Roanoke and Ruby having the abortion. They crashed on the way back when a cat ran across the road.

The Witch is Watching

As the agents investigate Summersville, Granny is watching closely. She doesn’t have the power to wait much longer, and is growing desperate.

Gertrude “Granny” Sayre

An elderly woman who lives on the outskirts of Summersville, noticed passively by the residents but never the subject of deep thought. She has lived beyond a normal lifetime through eldritch means and desires her coven to be made whole again. Ruby’s transformation to Mother will regain her power, and she can fade back into obscurity, slowly regaining power in service of the consciousness.

In her weakened state, Granny will avoid direct confrontation with the Agents, but she wants them scared away. She is always watching and will try to pick the Agents off one by one from the shadows.

Feline Familiars

Even now, Granny has a number of servants in the stray cat population of Summersville. Every scene should have a cat of some variety in the background watching the Agents, sometimes one of Granny’s spies and other times just a stray.

A cat steals something personal and runs off towards the nearest road. If someone gives chase, they cross the road just as a car speeds by. DODGE: 0/Lethality10%

Granny’s Shack

A run-down house on the outskirts of town, seemingly of a hoarder. Granny keeps many occult things, but these are all secondary to the power she gets from the consciousness. There are photos of Ruby and Willow on the walls, taken from afar. As well as a photo from 1920 of her in Gad, identical to today.

Amongst the clutter, a series of poppets have been constructed in the image of the Agents, to horrifying accurate detail. SAN: Helplessness 0/1d4

Summersville Lakebed

A man-made lake that has been drained to a 10-year low for maintenance after the tourist season. The only remaining water is a small pond that barely covers the Ruins of Gad.

Ruins of Gad

In the early 1900s, a meteorite shattered across the West Virginian sky. A large chunk fell into the small farming community of Gad, who soon discovered its UNNATURAL properties. A coven of witches formed to serve the consciousness in the crater. With their power the town flourished, until September 1956 when Delta Green botched a mission to extinguish the cult, and flooded the area as a cover-story. The remains of an old stone well only slightly reach above the water’s historically low surface, and within it lies the consciousness.

Consciousness Beneath the Water

The water goes on endlessly down the well, with the uneasy feeling that something predatory lies down at the bottom. The consciousness that resides beneath the water was broken beyond repair on its landing on Earth, but that does not stem its desire for bodies it can inhabit. The many voices it holds yearn for freedom, even if they long ago forgot what individuality even is.

Resolution

At 3am tonight, Ruby enters a hypnotic trance, walks to the Ruins of Gad, and gives birth before the consciousness. If she is interrupted, she will respond calmly that she has somewhere to be as she is already connected to the consciousness. Once she gives birth, she will become a Mother and Ruby’s personality will fade; her baby is all that matters now.

Granny tries to stop the Agents if they interfere, but her power is keeping Ruby healthy. If Granny dies before Ruby gives birth, Ruby will need Medical attention to survive, but will retain her identity.

The baby girl is healthy and perfect, with no trace of Travis’s paternity. She is eerily calm and observant. There is nothing wrong with her, making her a perfect host for the consciousness. [For added horror, describe the baby with features that are similar to one or more of the Agents.]

Kill Granny: 1d4 SAN
Save Ruby: 1d4 SAN
‘Deal’ w/ baby: 1d4 SAN

Final Word Count: 1500 words

Statblocks

Deputy Buddy Hawthorne - Summersville Police Officer / Backup Character

STR: 12 CON: 11 DEX: 10 INT: 10 POW: 12 CHA: 10

HP: 12 WP: 12 SAN: 70 BREAKING POINT: 60

SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Driving 60%, Firearms 50%, Law 35%, Stealth 54%, Unarmed Combat 55%

ATTACKS: Unarmed 55%, damage 1D4-1.

Glock 19 pistol 50%, damage 1D10.

Ruby Davenport - The Maiden The Mother to Be

STR: 10 CON: 12 DEX: 10 INT: 10 POW: 9 CHA: 12

HP: 11 WP: 7 SAN: 33 BREAKING POINT: 25

MENTAL DISORDERS: Anxiety

SKILLS: Alertness 40%, Athletics 45%, Computer Science 20%, Dodge 40%, Science(Mathematics) 60%, Unarmed Combat 40%

ATTACKS: Unarmed 40%, damage 1D4.

Gertrude “Granny” Sayre - Desperately Clinging to Power

STR: 12 CON: 8 DEX: 11 INT: 13 POW: 18 CHA: 10 | Wise Old Crone

HP: 10 WP: 18 SAN: 0

ARMOR: +3(Magical Protections)

SKILLS: Alertness 70%, Athletics 30%, Dodge 40%, Melee Weapons 60%, Occult 70%, Persuade 70%, Stealth 60%, Swim 30%, Unarmed Combat 30%, Unnatural 60%

ATTACKS: Walking Staff 60%, damage 1D8.

RITUALS: Healing Balm, Infallible Suggestion, Withering

Feline Familiars - Granny’s Little Helpers

STR: 5 CON: 9 DEX: 20 INT: 10 POW: 8 | Cat-like Reflexes

HP: 7 WP: 8

SKILLS: Alertness 80%, Athletics 80%, Dodge 65%, Stealth 80%, Unnatural 50%

ATTACKS: Scratch or Bite 50%, damage 1d4-1.

FAMILIAR: A Feline Familiar can spend its WP to empower its master’s ritual.

NINE LIVES: The first time a Feline Familiar would be brought to 0 HP, they are instead brought to 1.

SAN LOSS: 0/1d4

Rituals

Healing Balm

Handler’s Guide (p.180)

Infallible Suggestion