|
Table of Contents
|
Intro
The Pine Barrens of South Eastern New Jersey is rural, heavily forested, and largely uninhabited. Strange things are often heard in the night in those deep woods. Most are usually attributed to one of the thousands of animals living in the Barrens. Surrounding townsfolk try and call the police. They say it’s not their jurisdiction. They’re not entirely wrong. More than two dozen agencies have law enforcement powers in the Pine Barrens, ranging from federal authorities and state and County police to town code enforcement officers.
Situation
Agents travelling late at night from point A to point B will have to traverse through the Pine Barrens. Gravel and dirt roads and a dizzying array of side roads will leave the Agents lost even with proper skill checks. During their travels they will encounter car trouble that is not able to be fixed with a multi-tool, requiring mechanical expertise. A successful CRAFT: MECHANIC roll may diagnose the issue, but the Agents will not have the necessary tools or parts required for a fix. Cell service is poor at best. LUCK rolls may provide cell service, but any roadside assistance is impossible to find. The successful skill check may provide enough cell service to use a mapping app on their electronic device. The Agents will need to set out on foot to find help.
Leeds Service Station
A series of successive NAVIGATE checks will deposit the Agents at a run-down gas station/ service mart deep in Piney territory. A half-burned out “LEEDS SERVICE STATION” sign flashes intermittently. ALERTNESS checks will show the lights on, barely, and someone indoors. No pay phone is visible outside and two of the three gas pumps have hand-written ‘out-of-service signs’ on them. INT checks will present the name “Leeds” as sounding familiar, especially in the Pine Barrens. OCCULT >30% will give the Agent(s) enough background for the story of the Jersey Devil.
The service station is run-down and looks to have been built in the 1950 or 60’s. A two door garage bay is visible as is a very small convenience store. Three gas pumps and a separate air station can be clearly seen. A sign for “Bathrooms around back” is handwritten as one enters the door.
Upon entering the station an old man, looks up from his paper long enough to grunt. He is suspicious, as he doesn’t get many visitors in this part of the Barrens. If the Agents are dressed in suits or as law enforcement, there is a -5% penalty to any skill checks used on the attendant. He is extremely distrustful of law enforcement. If they are dressed casually, all checks are normal.
The man will question the Agents as to the nature of their visit. If specific services are needed, i.e. repairs, they will have to wait until morning as the mechanic doesn’t come in until then. Successful SEARCH checks may find the items in the garage section of the building but not the tools, or vice versa. Either way, the Agents are stuck for the evening.
A simple look around the store will provide pamphlets to local Atlantic City tourist areas and casinos. Agents caught browsing will get a rise out of the old man. “Damn t’ hell the lot of ‘em.” The old man will go on to rail about the urban sprawl taking away his home and the adventure tourism creeping up the creeks and waterways within the Pine Barrens. “Serves ‘em right to go missin’.” Agents will further question the man conversationally. LAW, CRIMINOLOGY or HUMINT may eventually get the man to give some detail about the people that have been killed or gone missing near the Agent’s current location. No one will recognize the names or details, or that it has even come across DG’s desk. He is perturbed about the questioning and ends the conversation abruptly.
For additional flavor:
https://www.phillyvoice.com/friend-murder-new-jersey-man-found-remains-pine-barrens-burlington/
https://www.phillyvoice.com/stained-clothing-found-near-missing-philly-mans-car-pine-barrens/
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/03/28/Body-found-in-NJ-IDd-as-missing-woman/99251364450400/
He shuffles around the corner gruffly and offers a back room for the Agents to lounge in for the evening. It consists of a small sofa and two stuffed reading chairs with a large box-style television set in the corner. The old man concludes the evening by saying, “Bathroom’s ‘round back. Key’s on the wall behind the counter.” With that, he leaves the room and retires to an upstairs apartment for the night. At this point, the Agents will relax and one will leave the group to use the rest room.
The Bathroom
Filthy and quite smelly, any Agent who uses the rest room will be quite disgusted. This room hasn’t seen the business end of a mop or cleaning supplies in quite some time. With a successful ALERTNESS roll the Agent will notice a strange message. Standing at the toilet or seated, the Agent will notice written in the grime “Follow the Titan.” The more the Agent looks, the more they will see it written. Not noticing it before, the phrase must be written thousands of times. In fact, it begins to cover the walls of the small room the longer the Agent stares. (SAN check 0/1d3).
Titan
Returning to the group, the single Agent will find the others mingling with a large black dog. The dog is friendly enough and noses each of the Agent’s hands. As the final Agent outstretches his hand, the Agent sees a name tag: ‘Titan’. (SAN check 0/1) The dog howls and sprints for the door. Upon hearing the howl, the old man will come from upstairs with a shotgun and appears more disheveled. “Shoot that thing! It’s the Devil ‘imself!” The man tears into the Agents and accuses them of bringing down evil upon his house. He levels the shotgun at the team and tells them that they are going to track it and kill it. The Agents collect whatever weapons or tools may be found in the shop/ garage (up to keeper).
The Hunt
After a short period of time (1d3 hours or a pair successful SURVIVAL, TRACKING, or NAVIGATE checks) the old man and the Agents will have tracked the dog to a dark section of the Barrens. Upon arrival at a slight clearing, the old man stops. The baying of the hound can be heard in the not too far distance. Through the darkness (or with flashlights, etc) the burned-out hulk of a small home’s foundation can be seen. The small field surrounding the foundation is barren of any vegetation. “’S the old Leeds Place. The dog’s your problem now.” With that, the man turns and heads off into the woods. ALERTNESS checks will alert the Agents to a loud ‘swooping’ sound as if something were flying closely overheard and into the field.
The Man in Black
The flying noise stops suddenly as does the howling of the dog. The heavy footsteps of a man approaching can be heard through the silence of the night. The unsettling feeling of being watched takes over the team. A deep voice pierces the silence. “Good evening. I do want to thank you for returning Titan to his home. I was concerned he might not make it back this time.” If anyone shines a light or raises a torch for better visibility in whom they are talking to, they will seen a finely dressed man in a three piece black suit wearing a dark Bowler’s hat perched just above his brow. INT >50% will identify this man as a pop culture representation of the devil. (SAN checks 1d3/1d6). “Make no worry, I intend no harm to you.”
The Deal
Titan arrives at his master’s side silently. “I do appreciate your effort, I know this isn’t the most hospitable of environs. I have been looking for this boy for sometime now.” He leans eloquently and pats a little boy on his head. There is no dog now, only a small boy with jet black hair. (SAN 1/1d3). A successful ALERTNESS check will detect the slightest movement of wings dovetailing behind the man’s back. (If seen, SAN loss of 3 for anyone who saw). “I know it’s cliché but I would like to make you an offer. I will grant you my services, for a single moment. Time, place, does not matter. Or you may better yourself, here, now in this moment. It is your choice.” Agents may take one of the offers:
- Add “Leeds” to their Bonds for 6 points: Once the favor is called upon, the bond is erased
- Increase three of their PC Statistics by 2 points each
End
Upon arrival at a decision, the Agents will wake up back at the Service Station as the sun is coming up. Their vehicle is ready and work completed.
Those Agents that chose the ‘bond’ will find a slight scar in the palm of their hand. It does not give them pain, nor do they remember ever having it. It will disappear upon the completion of the favor. Those Agents whose chose the ‘statistic increase’ will find themselves invigorated and energized.
Credits
This was an entry to the 2019 Delta Green shotgun scenario contest, written by Jason Woodward.