Sweet as Honey
By Carter Krummel
Handler's Summary
Through a Friendly in the Missoula Police, Delta Green is alerted to an Unnatural death that is making headlines. A singer at a local music festival was consumed on stage by a swarm of bees. They are primordial insects from an ancient grove filled with a massive Elder Hive. Several bystanders, compelled by the scent of the honey, consume it from her corpse and become Infested themselves. Infested individuals are either called back to the Hive to continue its construction or called out to create more Infested by the Queen of the Hive.
The Briefing
13:00
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Iron Horse Bar & Grill, Bonner, Montana
The Group has become aware of an unnatural death through a Friendly in the Missoula Police that occurred yesterday evening at a local music festival held at the KettleHouse Amphitheater. The Handler motions to news footage playing on one of the bar televisions: The lead singer of a local band, Sage Johnson of the Lotus Eaters, halfway through the set was consumed by bees, which appear to have burst from her skin. She was swarmed by these bees until entirely covered, and fell off the stage. As the bees dispersed, her skin was left with thousands of holes leaking honey. The group around her all lunged forward to grab her, with several plunging their hands in, drawing out honey and eating it. They were apprehended by the police. The Agents are tasked with investigating the incident and eliminating any Unnatural vectors.
The Handler supplies a key to a Green Box inside a foreclosed elementary school. Inside are:
- A Vietnam-era flamethrower.
- A well-maintained collection of essential oils.
- An old VHS tape labeled "Memories of Lula" - contains endearing scenes of a family dog from the 90s. It makes the Agents reminisce fondly on their childhood. The first time watching restores 1d4 SAN.
- A manilla folder containing hotel brochures from Honolulu dated to the 80s. Researching them reveals news articles linking them all to the Yakuza. A note scribbled in purple says "Kassie?"
Missoula Police
Sergeant Samantha Spurr, a shift supervisor at the Missoula Police, reported the incident to Delta Green. She can assist the Agents by granting access to the morgue and Autopsy report at the Missoula Police Station. She can also give the Agents information on the Vectors interviewed by the police.
The Vectors interviewed by the police have fragments of memories. The last thing they can fully remember is smelling something sweet.
- A sickeningly sweet taste of berries that can't be washed away.
- Glimpses of a woman in a white dress.
- Glimpses of hives and honey.
- A sweet voice calling them home.
Interviewing the Lotus Eaters will reveal that Sage has spent a lot of time in the woods over the last few days reconnecting with nature.
Autopsy
Sage's body is stored in the morgue of the Missoula Police Station. As it is pulled out from cold storage, the room fills with a sweet scent, reminiscent of berries. It is so strong the Agents can taste it in their mouths. All of the Agents must perform a Power roll to avoid consuming it. If an Agent fails a Power roll, they can be restrained to avoid consuming it and the desire will wear off when they are outside the range of scent. Through forensics or medical reports, the Agents find:
- Sage is 189 pounds and five foot five, with an estimated body surface area (BSA) of 1.98 square meters. Analysis shows that there are nearly 60,000 quarter-inch holes across all surfaces of her body.
- A sample of the liquids within her body is being tested by a police forensic analyst.
- Traces of dead wood and old moss are found underneath the fingernails.
Sage's flesh cleaves cleanly like honeycomb, chipping with anything greater than a gentle touch. Video footage from the morgue reveals Alyssa taking some of the honey with a syringe and squeezing it into her mouth.
Vectors
The Vector of Infestation is the scent of or touching Elder Honey. The following individuals have been exposed to Elder Honey, and will either Return to the Hive, or Spread the Infestation. They have become drones of the Queen, and will fulfill her decree. The Handler is encouraged to decide for each Vector depending on the length or difficulty desired.
- Sarah Greenwood, Suburban Soccer Mom – Consumed honey at the concert, at home sick.
- Skippy Knox, Local Hipster – Consumed honey at the concert, at home smoking weed (cured).
- Thomas Brown, Police Officer – Consumed honey while escorting Sage's body, currently on leave for investigation.
- Alyssa Heart, Forensic Investigator – Consumed honey from the morgue while alone, unknown.
Sarah can be encountered at her suburban home. She will finish Infestation at 18:00.
Skippy can be encountered at his trailer, sick and smoking. He has killed his Infestation unknowingly.
Thomas can be encountered at his apartment, or during his nightly visits to the bar. He will finish Infestation at 15:00.
Alyssa can be encountered at her Airbnb, where she is temporarily staying. She will finish Infestation at 23:00.
If the vector is instructed to Return to the Hive, they will make their way to the Ancient Grove at any cost by the time they finish Infestation.
If the vector is instructed to Spread the Infestation, they will research busy locations and pick one to be at by the time they finish Infestation.
Infestation
When someone is exposed to Elder Honey through touch or scent, they feel compelled to consume it. On a failed Power roll, the subject consumes honey, which begins Infestation. The process of Infestation can be completely avoided if the Agents are unable to smell.
Over the course of 3d12 hours, the subject grows uneasy. At first the victims feel vibrations coming from their core in rhythmic buzzing, as well as pain and nausea grows as the Infestation consumes them from the inside out. Subjects begin to cough up blood mixed with honey, and find their internal balance thrown off from the constant vibration.
After the Infestation consumes enough to spawn the Elder Bees, they eat their way out of the subject and begin consuming them as a whole. This process leaves the subject covered in thousands of hexagonal holes that leak the Elder Honey inside. After the process is over, the Elder Bees disappear and return to their hive.
The Infestation can be stopped in any way that would kill a normal beehive, including pesticides. They also are killed by prolonged exposure to smoke, which causes them to fall asleep - the body will reject the Elder Bees and take 1d6 damage as they vomit blood and honey.
Local Legends
Investigating the areas or talking to locals reveals missing persons cases going back as far as people settled in the area. Investigation has declared them lost to the elements, but locals have legends of the Fey kidnapping lost hikers and bringing them back to their ancient world. One of the missing people is Sasha Markoff (See Ancient Grove).
The Ancient Grove
The Ancient Grove can be found by following a hiking trail in the Black Mountain region. The Agents will find a perfect circle of clearing tree and brush forming an ominous portal among the pines. Stepping through places you in the Grove, a place far older than the trees.
The Ancient Grove is the home of the Elder Hive. This grove exists far in the past when Earth was primordial and dominated by the Unnatural. It is always twilight in the Ancient Grove, no matter when the Agents enter. Any Agents with a Science skill or experience with Astronomy immediately recognize that the stars are in the position they would be thousands of years ago.
In the center of the ring of pine trees is a massive ancient sequoia tree, the center of which has been completely hollowed out. The Elder Hive lines the walls of the sequoia, evidently the bodies of previously victims. The walls are covered in the bodies of assimilated victims, with arms and other limbs reaching towards the Agents. In the center of the Hive is a throne of assimilated victims, on which is sitting the Queen of the Hive. The Queen of the Hive is the queen of the Elder Bees, who has permanently inhabited an infested woman as a vessel. An enlarged honeybee sits in the stomach cavity of Sasha Markoff, a missing person from five years ago. Sasha is long dead but still wears a white dress, which has been preserved by the conditions of the Ancient Grove.
The Queen will attempt to expose the Agents to Elder Honey, and if that is not possible, send the Elder Bees after them directly. The Queen will be hostile to any intruders in the Ancient Grove, attempting to assimilate them. After the Queen is killed, the vectors remain dangerous. They no longer have the directions of the Queen but still remain capable of passing on the Infestation.
Stats & NPCs
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Queen of the Hive
STR 15 CON 15 DEX 14 INT 13 POW 20
HP 15 WP 20
Attacks:
Summon Swarm of Elder Bees – 80%
Pestilence – The agent is wracked with fear and fever as they begin to grow sick and weary 70% 1d6
COMMANDING AUTHORITY: The Queen of the Hive can summon a Swarm of Elder Bees each turn without taking an action.
SHAMBLING HIVE: The Queen of the Hive can only be injured by damaging the Queen's stomach. Any non-called shots have a 50% chance of hitting.
SAN LOSS: 1/1d6
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Swarm of Elder Bees
STR 2 CON 2 DEX 12 INT 1 POW 2
HP 2 WP 2
Attacks:
Burrow – Elder Bees burrow into the Agent 60% 1d4
Leech – User Must be Borrowed 75% 1d4
SWARM: The Swarm can avoid any attacks reasonable for a swarm of insects. However, they are killed by heat or pesticides.
SAN LOSS: 0/1
Credits
Sweet as Honey was written by Carter Krummel for the 2024 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j_SmO4CjhgQYGkZeUCLhN4IOq-qhqTO8HmADzdH-SGo/edit