Freud S Cigar

Murder Most Foul

Rhode Island State Police haven’t made the connection, but a friendly medical examiner working in Providence has reported a pattern to his local Delta Green handler. Three murder victims from surrounding towns, killed in different ways and with no relation to each other but all with a missing ring finger. Fearing an individual or group attempting some Changeling type ritual, A-Cell has tasked a team to investigate the murders under the guise of an FBI team declaring them linked and taking the reins from local police. It is up to the agents to identify, contain, and destroy any unnatural forces at work here.

The Privileged Truth

Sometimes a killer is just a killer. In this case, James Barton is a man with urges in his head, belief that he is destined for power, and a desire for a keepsake. He is a drifter, moving from state to state and leaving a trail of bodies behind. If he feels the authorities are close to him, he will move on to a neighbouring state. He has been using the money made from his prior real estate work to fund his murderous road trip, and his smart suits and suave manners have helped him maintain an air of civility in regular society. The purpose of this scenario is to emphasise the human threat in Delta Green. People are capable of depraved acts without unnatural urging and part of Delta Green’s job is to sift through and determine what is and isn’t in their purview. This scenario can also be used to create a moral dilemma in players; if they discover this is purely a human at work then, strictly speaking, they should abandon the case. This scenario can also be used to introduce players to the Program as regular State Police and FBI are mixed up in an unnecessary Delta Green operation and are recruited rather than disposed of. Players not part of the Program can be inducted, as agents shadowing their investigation may catch up to them based on how well players cover their tracks.

Arrival

Agents will arrive per the handler’s discretion, depending on previous operation and location. Agents have been briefed that a trio of killings in Rhode Island have potential occult links. Agents are to determine if they do, they are to identify who, or what is responsible, and if it falls under the Program’s purview they are to neutralise the threat. Agents that are not part of the FBI will have received an FBI ID that is indistinguishable from a genuine ID. A likely first stop will be the morgue in Providence. The Medical Examiner, as a friendly, will be cooperative and may offer a call and return or similar tradecraft identifier. Dr. Keller will allow the agents to view the bodies and provide some information on them.

• Michael Stepinac, 35, Caucasian, Construction Contractor, lives in Harrisville, multiple gunshot wounds and missing his left ring finger
• Hailey Jeffries, 22, Caucasian, Waitress, lives in Chepachet, over a dozen stab and slash wounds and missing her left ring finger
• Derek Smythe, 48, Caucasian, Bank Teller, lives in Pascoag, single gunshot wound to the head, missing his right ring finger

Investigation

Agents will likely visit the homes of the victims. Stepinac’s wife is beside herself with grief but she and her children will happily comply with any federal or local law enforcement. There isn’t anything much of use to glean from her, though she does mention a blue truck that was parked in their neighbourhood that she hasn’t seen since her husband’s death. She doesn’t know the plate. With a search roll (50%) agents can find the neighbour has a security camera, with enough badge waving or persuasion (60%, 30% if a bribe is offered) the neighbour will allow them to review the footage which will reveal the truck as a Blue Silverado with a Connecticut plate. Searching the plate will require either legitimate credentials or Bureaucracy of 40% if the agent has been given an ID. The truck was owned by Burt Williams, who was found dead in Colchester, CT about 8 months ago. He was also missing a ring finger.

Jeffries’ mother is almost catatonic, nothing will be found from her as she shakily offers agents a cup of coffee. Her father is compos mentis but HUMINT of 20% or another relevant skill left to the Handler’s discretion reveals that he is enraged and doing his best to keep his calm. His only daughter has been taken from him and no answers have been provided by the police. Showing genuine interest and sympathy will result in greater cooperation as he perceives agents as taking this more seriously than previous officers. He will reveal that Hailey had met a recent regular customer at work, and mentioned to him that he must be well off as he dresses smartly and drives a large, very clean truck, as well as leaving large tips no matter how small his order. If questioned enough, the father will think of an incident that freaked Hailey out, she was followed home one night several weeks ago and the following morning they found that the garden shed had been broken into. With an evidence kit and forensics of 40%, agents can sweep the shed for clues. They will find a discarded screwdriver and with Bureaucracy 50% they can get a rush job on fingerprints from the handle. These will result in a hit on James Barton, a former real estate agent from Richmond, Virginia. His priors involve drug possession and a DUI.

Smythe lives alone in his two story wood clad home in Pascoag. Entering will require forcing the door or a luck roll to find a spare key under the welcome mat at the front door. No roll is required to search the house, agents can work together to spend three hours searching the building, two hours if there are more than four agents. The house shows signs of previous police searches, drawers left open and doors ajar. His out of state family haven’t arrived to sort his belongings yet, Handlers may wish to impress this upon agents to create a sense of time based urgency. Searching will ultimately reveal a keyring with a padlock key and regular key on it. The padlock key is for the shed in the back garden, nothing of consequence is in here. The other key is for an externally accessed basement. Entering the basement will reveal that Barton has been using this as a hideout, any agent will realise he must have returned after State Police investigated. Searching the basement will reveal a knife, bent and rusted with age. Forensics 40% or Surgery at 50% will reveal that this is likely the one used on Hailey as it is the right size and shape to be consistent with the wounds she sustained. Agents will locate his journal, detailing a successful real estate agent's descent into a murderous fever as the voices in his head, named Azgharr, guide him forwards. According to his diary he believes that this is a demon guiding him to greater power and he must bring it nine keys. Psychotherapy of 40% will result in an agent recognising these as the possible signs of a form of Schizophrenia though equally the agent can’t be sure that some other cause, such as a head injury or drug abuse, has caused this. They will also find a set of overalls for J. Batt’s Lumber, with a phone number and address on the back for Foster, in east Rhode Island.

The Hunt

Agents that decide to pursue him, despite not being an agent of the mythos, can confront him at work which results in a gunfight. Barton will do his best to not be taken alive. If agents decide to stake the basement out, they will find Barton arriving at 17:30, or thereabouts, in a blue Silverado. After a short wait if he discovers his hideout has been rummaged through, or 6 hours if agents hide their investigation well, he will run back to the truck and head out towards Foster, through Chepachet and along the 102. Driving of 60% is required to keep pace, or rolls will have to be made. Successfully tailing him leads agents to J. Batt’s Lumber on the north side of Foster. Barton will then dismount and head towards Jerimoth Hill on the southwest side of Foster. Agents can either apprehend or kill him, but listening with him will result in hearing him talk to the “demon” in his head and offering nine fingerbones as keys of ascension. Killing or apprehending him results in grateful authorities and families. Delta Green is happy enough with finding out if this is mythos related or not and won’t chastise agents for abandoning the case after finding out it is a case of a delusional serial killer.

Character Stats

State Police Officer

A benefit or a hazard

STR 13 CON 13 DEX 11 INT 10 POW 11 CHA 11
HP 13 WP 10 SAN 55 BP 44
Armor: 3 points Body Armor
Criminology (40%) Search (40%) Alertness (50%) Athletics (40%) Drive (30%) HUMINT (40%) Law (20%) Firearms (60%) Unarmed Combat (40%) Melee Weapons (40%)

Attacks: Sig Sauer P229 1d10 DMG, Pepper Spray (See Pepper Spray) Telescopic Baton, 1d4 DMG.

James Barton

A Killer ready to ascend

STR 14 CON 12 DEX 11 INT 10 POW 10 CHA 15
HP 13 WP 11 SAN 50 BP 40
Unarmed Combat (60%) Firearms (50%) Athletics (40%) Melee Weapons (40%)
Alertness (50%) Persuasion (40%)

Attacks: CZ-95 pistol 1d10 DMG, Hand Axe 1d8 DMG

Jill Stepinac

Grieving widow

STR 11 CON 11 DEX 12 INT 13 POW 12 CHA 13
HP 11 WP 12 SAN 60 BP 48
Alertness (30%)

Hank Jeffries

Enraged father

STR 15 CON 14 DEX 12 INT 10 POW 11 CHA 10
HP 15 WP 10 SAN 55 BP 44
Alertness (50%)

Francine Jeffries

Distraught mother

STR 10 CON 10 DEX 14 INT 17 POW 10 CHA 13
HP 9 WP 10 SAN 50 BP 40

Alertness (40% normally, 20% in her distraught state of mind)

The victim’s families’ stats are barebones to allow Handlers some creative freedom with these characters, seeing as skills other than alertness (should agents sneak around their homes) shouldn’t come into play in this scenario.

Credits

This was an entry to the 2021 shotgun scenario contest. Written by Phillip Stokinger

The scenario can be seen in its original google docs form here