Operation: DEATHRATTLE
Handler's Brief:
A series of pathogenic memetic hazards comprising elements of the Yellow Sign and the King in Yellow has spread across the world due to social media influencers, the corruption of online targeted advertisement and anti-government protests. E Cell has located the source to the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago. An array of international cults of Hastur have spontaneously converged on the isle working in tandem to subvert the celebration into a grand fete of ritualistic sacrifice as the right stars align.
E Cell believes the situation can be saved with quick thinking and the extreme means necessary. It can not, this is the beginning of the end.
The Beginning:
On Saturday 10th of February 2024 The Agents are torn from their active lives without warning, detained by armed men.
- If Agents resist in any form they are restrained and transported drugged.
- The Hallucinations associated with exposure begin, faint singing, duplicated vision, distant dual stars in the night sky, the snuffling and stamping of an irritated horse.
On sparsely populated flights to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. All Passengers are active Agents or Friendlies, various rumours can be gleaned from them.
- Military Science:
Bases across the country are going into high alert, even reserve units. As many possible without panic. A strike phrase is used by a passing man in a pressed suit. “Arrows in the quiver.”
- Occult:
A darkweb forum of supposed magicians and sorcerers has been linked to a swaft of suicides within males with far right leanings between the ages of 12 - 42.
- Medicine:
FEMA activity has spiked in recent days and specialists are being contacted about advisor roles without explanation.
- Computer Science:
Russia and China have deactivated their internet, America is in the process, having shut it down briefly, before reports of firefights in the necessary facilities preempted it's return.
The Briefing:
MacDill Air Force Base is a storm of activity, escorted to an open hangar bay, a large gathering of agents takes place. Three Cells (E, F, the Agents) are activated in unison. There is no attempt at secrecy, their real names are used when addressed.
Only two agents of E Cell's six remain, Dr. Genevieve Lombardi and Keenan McFadden. Aware of their contamination and the suicidal nature of the mission they will be coming along, the pair handling the briefing are wounded and receiving medical aid as they explain the situation:
- A memetic threat was flagged and identified by their Cell, while the program is stemming its spread, A Cell has given E Cell the green light to strike the source. The islands of Trinidad and Tobago and their annual Carnival. Specifically the return of the musical artist Calypsonian Ma'quis Passionately.
- Due to geographical location it is highly likely the Agents present have already been exposed to the contaminant. (They have.) Thus have been chosen for this operation.
- The circumstances have made it necessary to carry out this joint operation so openly. The Cells have goals that must be completed simultaneously for the highest possibility of success.
- Foreign agencies are already in play.
- An unprecedented turn out is expected; approximately 900,000 people are estimated to attend the event.
- The plan is simple: sabotage the carnival celebration and kill Ma'quis Passionately.
A vast selection of tightly regulated weaponry and equipment is available to the Agents. Before they leave, all internet and communications across America are severed.
The Arrival:
The Cells land early Saturday 11th, finding the sunrise tainted by a strange optical phenomenon: a deep honey circumscribed halo. Other unnatural occurrences suggest the spread of malignant taint across the whole island.
- A vile hue of alien pus stains the local Flora and Fauna.
Piarco International Airport is overwhelmed by foreign tourists as the Agents are ushered through immigration without any security checks.
- The Staff act strangely, talking through questions, singing abruptly and otherwise acting under mental duress. If pressed they'll crumble and flee in a raving panic, ignored by all.
Trinidad is littered with small urban areas, towns and cities spread between stretches of forest, swamps and mountains. The Capital, Port of Spain is the site of the largest carnival celebrations.
- Most Locals seem wary, the boldest following and cryptically taunting the Agents.
- Corrupted locals walk backwards, stare into the sun, dance to silent music as children roam the streets unsupervised.
Travelling by car the Agents find traffic rampant and slow. Drivers sit with closed windows, music blaring, motionless and lost.
- The Calypso Song Yellow in mah Heart by Ma’quis Passionately is being played everywhere. E Cell informs them of its hazardous quality. Connected to a spree of erratic, violent behaviour and death after long term exposure. They expected the country to be in revolt.
- Every agent recognizes the song, memories of their children or partners humming it, background music in a grocery store or favourite bar. They have all heard it to some degree before. Confirming their infection.
- Artistic adaptations of the Yellow Sign are witnessed everywhere blatantly exposed.
Calypso music is a folk genre primarily from Trinidad, commonly witty and satirical songs that cover topics of social or political importance through mockery and double entendre.
The Local Government is a bureaucracy nightmare; the process of moving from colonial law and management to a dual party system has resulted in rampant corruption and systematic apathy and decay.
- When secluded the few sane government workers will insist the Agents leave the country as soon as possible.
- Any requests will be delayed until after carnival.
The local police have long since been tarnished. Following official channels will get the agents nowhere.
- Failed Persuade or Bureaucracy rolls will result in assassination attempts. Critical failures will result in outright combat with the contaminated local defence force and police.
The Mission:
The Agents have hours to Assassinate Ma’quis Passionately before his Monday 3am performance, E Cell believe it symbolises the start of carnival and ritual. (It doesn't) The supporting Cells will simultaneously attack the national power grid and other suspected hazard locations.
The other Cells fail, contacting the Agents for support as otherworldly shrieks and gunfire can be heard in the background.
Assassinate Ma’quis Passionately
- Ma'quis Passionately born Ameer Peela is known to be residing within a rooftop Villa in Port of Spain.
- History reveals a connection to the 1990 Coup attempt.
- Occult reveals an otherwise forgotten religious paper: Allah and Hastur written by Ameer Peela.
The Rooftop Villa is poorly guarded by inebriated revellers in flamboyant and scandalous carnival costumes. Inside is a maddening mosaic of warped locations. A freshly bloodstained Chapel, Swaying middledeck of a British Man'o'war, the defiled bedrooms of their loved ones. Out of windows the Agents glimpse a world of madness, snippets of the vast future.
Himalayan peaks tower over tides of man and scaled monsters clashing on an apocalyptic scale. The Villa trembles as a titanic combination of dragon and octopus lands facing off against a bubbling abomination of equal size amongst the humans.
A six man SAS Team undergoing agonal breathing, suffering fatal gunshots from suspected friendly-fire. Their weapons yet to be fired. Insectoid wings and limbs sit dissolving into the scattered brainmatter, panicked chatter still audible through their radios.
The guardians of Ma'quis Passionately are four Japanese cultists adorned in saffron stained samurai armour.
Ma'quis Passionately will only fight once cornered, smugly commend their bravery or serenade them with a song in death. Unravelling from existence into little kite-string and paper crown.
J'ouvert in Carcosa:
Monday 12th, 3AM
Despite success or failure J'ouvert begins on time and the Ritual is completed. The Entire country goes insane as Twin Suns rise over Trinidad and Tobago, black stars line the sky and the shores of Lake Hati come into view.
The tight streets of Port of Spain are a writhing mass of thrusting and gyrating bodies. Music blares throughout the dawn, trembling the air and every breath as chaos takes hold. As Agents try to act, the situation rapidly deteriorates.
- Gunfire can be heard as squads of Dog Headed figures in Spetsnaz uniforms fight through the streets of the crazed. Once overwhelmed a large explosion engulfs them.
- In the distance a building collapses into a thick plume of dust, something large moves in the haze.
- A pair of Russian gunships strafe Port of Spain.
- Flocks of Byakhee fill the sky.
- A party ferry trying to escape fails, crashing on the shore.
- Liquid bolts of silk flow down the streets, rending rivers of blood from the dancers flooding the city.
From the charnel river a large shape rises, the decimated and dismembered corpses dance in ecstasy. Now adorned in cardinal finery reaching up in reverence.
A White Horse impatiently stamps on the rippling liquid surface before trotting further. The Rider clutches a bow of stained yew, a gnarled crown of amber gold resting on his head. The Urobilin Oligarch has brought his conquest to Earth. (SAN 10/D100)
Any surviving Agent witnesses the world turn white as rapid deployment of nuclear weapons detonate across Carcosa.
Stat Blocks:
Ma'quis Passionately
Herald of Hastur.
STR 9 CON 11 DEX 12 INT 17 POW 19 CHA 18 HP 13 WP 25 SAN 0
SKILLS: Melee Weapons 60%, Unarmed 40%, Firearms 50%, Dodge 60%, Athletics 30%, Alertness 50%.
RITUALS: Withering: 12 WP, 3 HP, 1D8 SAN.
This chanted ritual withers flesh and blasts bones,
inflicting 3 HP damage to the operator and 1D20 HP
damage to a living target. The target must be nearby
and in sight.
ATTACKS: Unarmed (1D4), Machete (1D8), Glock 17 (1D10)
The Saffron Samurai
Japanese Cultists.
STR 15 CON 15 DEX 16 INT 10 POW 10 CHA 10 HP 20 WP 10 SAN 0
ARMOR: Saffron Samurai lacquer armor. Firearms and projectiles inflict only half rolled damage. (round up).
SKILLS: Melee Weapons 80%, Unarmed 60% Dodge 80%, Alertness 60%, Athletics 50%,
PERSISTENT: An entity of this type is imbued with unnatural vitality. A successful Lethality roll destroys it, but it takes only half HP damage from attacks (including failed Lethality rolls). Some entities are persistent only against certain kinds of harm. Unless the entity’s description says otherwise, hypergeometry inflicts full damage upon it.
ATTACKS: Unarmed (1D4), Saffron Katana (1D10)
Corrupted Police Officer
Deliriously Dangerous.
STR 11 CON 13 DEX 10 INT 10 POW 12 CHA 10 HP 12 WP 12 SAN 0
ARMOR: Light Kevlar vest (Armor 3)
SKILLS: Unarmed Combat 50%, Dodge 50%, Alertness 60%, Athletics 40%, Firearms 50%, Search 40%.
ATTACKS: Unarmed (1D4), Glock 17 (1D10), AR-15 (1D12)
Credits
DEATHRATTLE was written by Lovecraft's Cat Herder for the 2024 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d6IWRmQ4bzRoR5KZwk5-Y8FFMyNL1qVnH-2iKw4yae8/edit