Operation Rider-Waite
They say the cards will tell your future, but some cards will make a new one for us all.
Overview
The city of Austin, TX, is known for being kept weird, and enjoys a thriving esoteric community. When a series of ritualistic murders linked to tarot cards begins, an FBI task force is called in to help the police find the serial killer.
The Truth
The tarot card staging found at the elaborately staged crime scenes are not a serial killer’s calling card, but part of a ritual conducted by the Augur. A moderately talented psychic, the Augur was contacted by a voice from beyond the stars that took root within. He is now a husk of a man, his life draining away as That Which Speaks feeds on him and guides him through a ritual that will give It enough energy to fully overtake his body, translated into a language the Augur is familiar with: tarot.
There are 22 Major Arcana cards in a tarot deck. It is clear that the Augur intends to use all of them in the ritual culminating on the winter solstice (December 21st), though not one at a time. Each victim is staged and posed to look like a tarot card. Tran is the Fool, Reynaud is the Magician, and Gomez is the Hermit. The ritual of these murders is generating special cards to be used in the final manifestation of That Which Speaks. All cards in reference to the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck. See the below timeline for more information.
If the Agents do not find and stop the Augur, That Which Speaks will be made flesh, a thoroughly unnatural creature. Killing him should be a difficult choice, but effective choice, though it is possible to keep him captive as a tool for either the Program or an Agent.
Timeline
This can be set in any year post-1990.
Aug 3 - Corey Young finds Attraversare le Stelle.
Oct 7 - Young observes the Beehive Cluster and makes initial contact with That Which Speaks.
Nov 1 - Sophia Tran (24, female), is found in her apartment.
Nov 11 - Annie Reynaud (31, female), is found in her art studio.
Nov 20 - The Delta Green agents under the guise of a FBI task force joins the Austin PD investigation.
Nov 21 - Victor Gomez (27, male), is found in his neighbor’s home.
Briefing
A friendly in the Texas Rangers crime scene program tips off Delta Green to the murders after the discovery of the second victim. “Coincidentally,” an FBI task force made up entirely of the Agents joins the APD investigation shortly afterwards. In addition to stopping the murders, the Agents must discover and cover up the purpose of the ritual. At least one Agent trained in Occult is recommended.
Their investigation will begin in the APD HQ on Nov 20.
Police
The staged and ritualistic nature of the first murder left the police exasperated with the drama and the press. After the second, they are overwhelmed and thoroughly out of their depth. There is one detective available to work with the FBI team. She can provide any reasonable assistance and equipment to the Agents.
Detective Lucy Wolfe, 31: Newly made detective, Wolfe believes in astrology (she’s an Aquarius sun, Pisces rising) and sometimes even attends the local witch markets. She is open to the supernatural, perhaps to a fault.
Bodies
The body of Tran has been examined and returned to her family. APD findings:
- Died by strangulation. Signs of struggle.
- She was posed with an outstretched leg and a white rose in her hand, a bindle on her shoulder, and the corpse of her dog at her feet.
APD is still in possession of the body of Reynaud. An Agent with training in Medicine may examine it. Otherwise, an APD examiner tells them the following:
- Died by strangulation. Signs of struggle and broken bones.
- Her right arm was raised above her head. She was wrapped in a red robe with a wooden wand, a large gold coin, a dagger, and a goblet arranged around her. There was an infinity symbol drawn over her head in an unknown substance.
- If examined by an Agent: Reynaud was clearly handled roughly by someone with great strength judging by the battered condition of her body. Additionally, her blood appears to have a slight iridescence when closely examined. Viewed under a microscope, it is clear the chemical composition is changing. Unnatural SAN check 0/1.
Evidence
All aforementioned props have been retained as evidence. All items except the white rose and the gold coin seem to be handmade, though clearly by different people. An Agent trained in an appropriate Science skill or Survival finds that the white rose is an unknown poisonous varietal, while an Agent trained in Archeology identifies the coin as Persian make c. 350 BCE. There is also a vial of the unknown fluid from the Reynaud murder. Testing reveals it to be extremely magnetic, reflective, iridescent, and absolutely Unnatural. This prompts a SAN check, 1/1d6.
Crime Scenes
Two days following the Agents’ arrival in Austin, a third victim is murdered, Victor Gomez (see timeline). He is found in his neighbor’s house while housesitting. This time, they are able to investigate the entire scene. Seeing it prompts a helplessness SAN check 0/1. Findings:
- Gomez’s neck is horrifyingly broken with a protruding bone.
- He is wrapped in a gray robe and staged with a lantern and staff. The candle in the lantern is still burning when the Agents arrive.
- They find more of the iridescent substance splattered on Gomez under the robe, and with a Search roll, on a Bowie knife flung under the couch. Finding it costs 0/1 SAN.
Victims
Upon searching the victims’ homes, here are the commonalities found by the Agents:
- All are interested in varying levels of esoterica.
- All Fire signs (noticed by Det. Wolfe or an Agent trained in Occult).
- All frequent psychics and tarot readers. They’ve all been to different ones save once. Found via a successful Search, a journal, email, calendar, or business card reveals that all three victims are clients of a medium called the Augur and received their last reading in early October.
The Augur
Further research reveals the Augur to be one Corey Young (36, male). Young is a long-time medium in Austin who regularly attends monthly witch and mystic markets. Despite having a healthy client base, Young hasn’t been booking appointments since the first week of October. It is not difficult to procure the address of his business, which is locked and abandoned.
After Agents find their way inside, his shop in a North Austin strip mall is dark and dusty. Underneath the crystals, tapestries, candles, and other arcane baubles, the Agents find the following: a collection of tarot decks with one empty slot, seemingly ancient books about astronomy, and a late 19th century book written in Italian full of star charts (see Tomes). They also find roof access, where an expensive telescope is mounted under a tarp. If examined at night by an Agent with an appropriate Science skill, it is pointed at the Beehive star cluster, though light pollution mostly obscures it.
Eventually in a hidden filing cabinet, the Agents are able to locate a laptop. The password is on a sticky note inside (Arcana22). Accessing his email reveals the address of an AirBnB rented in October. They also find his client list, which reveals Det. Lucy Wolfe to be among them. Her name is circled in red, along with Tran, Reynaud, and Gomez.
Conclusion
The Agents will be able to locate Young in the AirBnB cabin outside the city. Upon entering it is clear it hasn’t been cleaned in some time. All the windows have been covered except for one. The glass has been broken with a telescope pointed through it toward the Beehive Cluster. Light switches, door handles, and other frequent points of contact are broken and dented.
Unless they are particularly noisy, the Agents will find Young in the bedroom. He is in the midst of building a clay structure that resembles the Tower tarot card. The first 11 cards of the Major Arcana (Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Strength, Wheel of Fortune, Justice) are spread out on his bed reverently. Upon close examination, the Fool, Magician, and Hermit have taken on the physical characteristics of their respective victims. He gazes at them with blackened eyes and attempts to bargain with a voice that sounds like two people speaking at once. Speaking to him prompts a SAN check 1/1d6.
An Agent with HUMINT can see a clear internal struggle, and with the appropriate coaxing, Young will speak with only his voice for a moment. He begs for his life, and offers his knowledge to the Agents, telling them he can reach into the mind of That Which Speaks.
Whether the Agents choose to kill him or contain him, That Which Speaks will put up a fight.
Tomes
Attraversare le Stelle, 1894
Language: Italian. Study time: 2 months. Science (Mathematics) +3%, Science (Astronomy) +5%, Occult +5%, Unnatural +3%. SAN loss: D4.
Written by an Italian mystic occasionally mentioned in obscure esoteric writings of the 20th century named Serafina Piazza. Each page is a hand-drawn star map written in black ink with an oil-spill sheen. The Italian commentary sprinkled throughout discusses known star clusters and unknown ones depicted in this book. Once deciphered, her charts do in fact reveal the locations of currently undiscovered star clusters, as well as speculation as to what may lurk beyond them.
Stat Blocks
Det. Lucy Wolfe
Curious and open-minded detective
STR 11 CON 10 DEX 10 INT 11 POW 12 CHA 12
HP 10 WP 12 SAN 70 BREAKING POINT 58
SKILLS: Drive 40%, Firearms 30%, Forensics 50%, HUMINT 60%, Law 20%, Occult 50%, Search 60%, Unarmed Combat 30%
The Augur
The man who is no longer Corey Young empowered by That Which Speaks
STR 18 CON 16 DEX 14 INT 14 POW 12 CHA 9
HP WP 12 SAN 23
Armor 1 point of thick skin and muscle
Skills Alertness 30%, Athletics 50%, Dodge 30%, Foreign Language (Italian) 50%, Persuade 20%, Occult 80%, Science (Astronomy) 70%, Stealth 40%, Unnatural 10%
Attacks Nails (55%, 1d6), Grapple 55%
Something Missing Young’s contact with That Which Speaks has visibly corrupted him. His eyes are fully black with a touch of iridescence, his hands have warped into elongated claws, and his skin is distorted with muscle that is unnatural on his thin frame. Anyone who looks at him instantly can tell that while he is seemingly mostly human, his humanity is gone, especially if seeing him triggers SAN loss (GM discretion).
Unnatural Empowerment Young can move up to 20kph on land and climb over obstacles that would stop a normal human. He is significantly stronger than any human should be.
Mutated Blood Young’s blood has fully mutated. It is now iridescent black, highly magnetic, and extremely hot. If Agents come into contact with it, they will sustain severe burns for 1d4 damage.
Rituals None
SAN Loss 0/1d6
Credits
Operation Rider-Waite was written by Ione Skelton for the 2025 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jDSe0ksmlsX1qGXYMGXaWWEYbCDiEEw5aelWLgPms9Y/edit