Toothache
Background
The Voyeur is long past human. Picture a skeletal, leathery child whose shrunken head is frozen in a lipless, gap-toothed rictus grin. It’s just awoken, and seeks to return to sleep permanently.
The Voyeur sniffs out a lonely victim and follows them home, where it squeezes and contorts into the last place anyone would look. That night, it coats its long nails in a substance that festers from an open wound in its stomach, and gently inserts them deep under the victim’s nailbeds and between their gums. A worm-like larva then grows under each nail and tooth, coupling with the victim’s flesh and dreams.
Nightly thereafter, the Voyeur returns to feed the larva more substance and feel the victim’s warm breath against its face. The victim lives blissfully unaware until days later, when they get a toothache. The Voyeur can smell this, too. This means they’re ready.
That night, it smothers the victim to death by full-body hugging a pillow against their face. Then it eats their teeth and nails, the only sustenance the ritual’s diet allows. The larvae have grown into fly-sized first-degree Spawns of Mordiggian. 49 first-degree Spawn are allowed to consume each other until a single rat-sized third-degree Spawn emerges victorious. It and any remaining Spawn are individually saran-wrapped and stored in the stomach wound. The Voyeur then leaves the front door ajar and hides, waiting to identify its next victim from the strangers that come to investigate.
It has already killed four this way, although city police are unaware of the first. After seven ritual killings, it’ll bury itself in St. Peter’s Cemetery, create and consume a fourth-degree Spawn, and return its consciousness to the dreamlands for aeons.
Targeted
The loneliest Agent is the Voyeur’s next target. If no Agents sleep alone, it will target two who share a room. If that proves impossible, it’ll target Skye Harris.
The Voyeur hides in the victim’s box spring. Night one, the target is infected. Night two, with POW 15+, they remember strange dreams like Charlotte Jones. [9 minus the number of Agents] days later, they get a toothache. That night, they’re killed.
Anyone who learns they’re infected lose 1/1D8 SAN to helplessness.
The Voyeur is intelligent and sneaky, but has no concept of modern technology, including guns or cameras. Its first strategy is always to hide with its inhuman stealth. It’ll use Fascination to subdue one opponent, or Obscure Memory to buy time. In lethal danger, it’ll release three third-degree Spawn of Mordiggian and flee, saving the fourth to consume.
Briefing
The Agents are an FBI task force helping the small-town cops of Woodbury NJ catch a serial killer. They must also secretly search for and cover up the unnatural, if present. Delta Green suspects a ghost of some kind is responsible.
The operation begins the morning of Oct 27 at Chief Mitch Harton’s home and freshly-discovered crime scene.
Police
The city police’s mere 25 officers were already overwhelmed before the chief died. Now, they’re desperate, vengeful, and reckless.
- DETECTIVE SCOTT AUSTIN: A 47-year-old overconfident loudmouth who loathes feds, and is temporarily in charge.
- DETECTIVE RILEY SNOW: An eager new 29-year-old who’s open to the supernatural.
- SKYE HARRIS: A young, anxious 23-year-old laboratory co-op student.
Evidence
What city police already know. Agents can investigate each bullet point below.
Evidence
The following is consistent between all victims.
- AUTOPSY: Victims were smothered to death in their sleep before their teeth and nails were removed. Their blood contained loads of melatonin and traces of hallucinogens.
- PROFILING: The killer left no forensic evidence. Each victim was found because the killer left the front door open. He’s likely meticulous, attention-seeking, and keeps the teeth and nails as trophies.
- SUSPECT: Dr. Marco Hyde was the last person to see Charlotte Jones alive, served every victim, and is Woodbury’s only dentist. He’s been in custody since Chief Mitch Harton’s death.
Victims
Agents can search each victim’s home and canvass their social circle.
- LYDIA HAYES, DOD Oct 17: A 76-year-old retired catholic cat lady. Found by Jones, her neighbour.
- CHARLOTTE JONES, Oct 21: A 31-year-old barista, hoarder, and spiritualist. Found by police investigating Hayes’ murder.
- CHIEF MITCH HARTON, DOD Oct 26: A 53-year-old lonely police chief who sought federal assistance. Found after not reporting in.
Investigation
Each task takes one day to complete.
On a failed roll, Agents: lose 1D6 WP; anger someone important, or; get caught with their hands dirty by cops or reporters researching the “Tooth Fairy.”
Helpers add +20% to the roll. Cops can help, but that exposes them to the unnatural.
Procedure
- AUTOPSY (Forensics/Medicine): The victims’ gums and nailbeds have overlapping bruises and bug bites that were inflicted hours or days before death (0/1 SAN).
- PROFILING (Criminology/Psychotherapy): Each victim was near the last victim’s corpse, and lived alone. This identifies ~20 possible victims, likely including the Agents. Also, it’s unclear why Hayes was targeted first.
- SUSPECT (HUMINT/Persuade): Detective Scott Austin obsessively interrogates Dr. Marco Hyde. This is a bad lead, but it’s all they’ve got.
Search
Each Hiding Place has a Charnel Sigil scratched into wood and stained with the killer’s blood, and saran wrap scraps.
- LYDIA HAYES (Forensics/Search): Buried in her car is a catholic self-help book with her bloody handprint (Adam Mills’ blood). “Property of St. Peter’s” is written inside.
- Hiding Place: In the walls, through a rotted ceiling.
- CHARLOTTE JONES (Occult/Search): In her dream journal, a slug flees from cats into the gutter, then she eats it and flies through phantasmagoric vistas.
- Hiding Place: Behind the prom dress in the packed walk-in closet.
- CHIEF MITCH HARTON (Bureaucracy/Search): Notes in his work laptop question why Hayes was the first victim, and bemoan the PPD’s lackluster support.
- Hiding Place: In a high-up kitchen cupboard.
Canvass
Each victim mentioned having toothaches the day they died.
- LYDIA HAYES (HUMINT/Persuade): A neighbour rescued one of Hayes’ cats, which was comatose after eating a “slug.” It awoke 24 hours later, and has acted normal since.
- CHARLOTTE JONES (Medicine/Search): Left work early with a toothache. Dentist Dr. Marco Hyde found nothing. Hidden in x-rays are tiny worms below each tooth (0/1 SAN).
- CHIEF MITCH HARTON (Law/Psychotherapy): With his therapist, Harton sketched his new sleep paralysis demon, which slides its fingernails under his nails and teeth (0/1 SAN).
Philadelphia
- RESEARCH PRIOR VICTIMS (Bureaucracy/Law): ADAM MILLS, DOD Oct 12. A 71-year-old widowed catholic chiropractor. Found by Lydia Hyde while returning a book. PPD investigated poorly. Buried at St. Peter’s.
- SEARCH ADAM MILLS (Computer Science/Search): A Nest Cam saved 24/7 video. Oct 7: The Voyeur crept towards the house so slowly it didn’t trigger the motion sensor. Oct 13: Lydia Hayes found the body. The Voyeur crawled under her vehicle (0/1D4 SAN).
- Hiding Place: In the bottom drawer of an old dresser.
- CANVASS ADAM MILLS (HUMINT/Persuade): Since being widowed last year, Mills visited St. Peter’s daily, to attend mass and grieve.
- FEDERAL TAKEOVER (Law/Persuade): Since Adam Mills died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the FBI can take over this case as a multi-state investigation. City police vehemently resist.
- SEARCH MICROFILM (Bureaucracy/Search): Every ~27 years, someone’s found dead without teeth or nails, then buried at St. Peter’s.
- ST. PETER’S (Alertness/Survival): A church and connected cemetery. A slightly-unearthed grave, if excavated, holds a Hiding Place in the coffin (0/1 SAN).
Lab Work
- STUDY BLOOD/WORM (Science (Genetics)/Medicine): Oddly-shaped genetic tissue (Charnel Sigil, 0/1 SAN) glows when exposed to calcium.
- The killer’s DNA isn’t registered.
- The worm’s DNA is the killer’s combined with Lydia Hayes’ (0/1 SAN), and its body is chock-full of hallucinogens.
- CALCIUM SPRAY (Science (Chemistry)/Pharmacy): Creates an aerosol which makes the Voyeur’s forensics briefly glow. Child-sized footprints loop from the bed to the Hiding Place (0/1 SAN).
Worm Dreams
- FOLLOW MISSING CATS (Search/Survival): A saran-wrapped first-degree Spawn of Mordiggian is discarded in a gutter. It’s somehow still alive, sucking the plastic with rings of concentric teeth (0/1 SAN).
- EAT THE WORM (1/1D6 SAN, 1D6 WP): An Agent enters the dreamlands for 24 hours, falling comatose, twitching, and barely breathing. They claw out of a grave, taste a zebra’s hot blood, and ask its corpse one question, which it answers with oblique hunting metaphors.
Arcane Research
- THE CHARNEL SIGIL (History/Occult): Originates from Rêves des Cadavres, an obscure 1700s French text, which is loaned from the Harvard Library and shipped overnight.
- TRANSLATE (Language (French)/Occult): The reader roughly understands Charnel Dreams, and may learn Charnel Meditation to consult curious ghouls at St. Peter’s, Dismiss the Lesser Spawn of the Worm to destroy larvae, or The Voorish Sign to find the Voyeur.
Developments
- DETECTIVE SCOTT AUSTIN: Concussed Dr. Marco Hyde during an interrogation.
- DETECTIVE RILEY SNOW: Stumbled upon a Hiding Place.
Conclusion
- SEARCH FOR VOYEUR (Alertness/Search): See Targeted.
Agents gain 1D6 SAN for killing the Voyeur. If left to overripe, larvae left inside a victim deal 1 damage daily until removed.
Stat Blocks
The Voyeur, AKA the Tooth Fairy, AKA the Dreamer
French ghoul turned immortal dream wizard
| STR 18 | CON 18 | DEX 15 | INT 15 | POW 25 |
| HP 15 (max 18) | WP 13 (max 25) |
SKILLS: Alertness 80%, Athletics 80%, Foreign Language (English) 10%, Occult 80%, Stealth 130%, Track (by scent) 80%, Unnatural 60%
ATTACKS: Long pointed nails 60%, damage 1D6+2, Armor Piercing 3.
Bite 40%, damage 1D10+2.
IMMORTALITY: A ghoul never grows old, starves to death, or perishes through natural causes.
INHUMAN STATS: A test of a stat with a score of 20 or higher is a critical success on any roll up to the stat’s score, and on any roll of matching digits except 100, which fumbles.
INHUMAN STEALTH: Through natural ability and supernatural charms, the Voyeur has a Stealth skill of 120%. Unless it has a penalty to the roll, a Stealth test is a critical success on any roll up to 20, and on any roll of matching digits except 100, which fumbles. It can attempt to hide in plain sight, move without triggering motion sensors, or hide its heat signature by taking a -40% penalty to its Stealth roll.
INHUMAN CONTORTION: With its rubbery bones and tiny head, the Voyeur can squeeze through any entrance that’s larger than 6 inches in any direction, and contort into any space that’s at least 2 square feet.
RELEVANT RITUALS: Charnel Dreams, Fascination, Obscure Memory.
FASCINATION: This powerful ritual requires only that the operator speaks calmly to the subject (that is, not in the middle of a fight and not beyond ordinary speaking distance) and takes only a single turn and costs 3 WP to attempt. The operator attempts to entrance the subject with an opposed POW test. Success renders the subject motionless and insensate, with only autonomic processes functioning, for up to an hour. Only physical assault or some other overwhelming event shocks the subject out of it in the meantime (conducting the Charnel Dreams ritual on the subject does not shock them awake). If the POW roll fails, the subject can attempt an Unnatural test to realize exactly what’s happening.
OBSCURE MEMORY: With weird passes of the hand and a brief chanted phrase, the ritual can block the target’s memory. It takes only one turn to activate, and costs 3 WP. The operator must overcome the target in an opposed POW test; if the effort fails, the operator can try again at a further cost of 3 WP. The operator may instruct the target to forget one specific, brief event. This does not change the target’s skills or known rituals, and it cannot undo SAN loss. A particularly frightening event may linger in the target’s subconscious and nightmares even after the memory has been obscured. A single use of the ritual can affect multiple targets, costing 3 WP each and allowing each to oppose the POW test.
SAN LOSS: 0/1D6.
Spawn of Mordiggian, Third Degree
Rat-sized spiky slug with freakishly fast wings
| STR 3 | CON 5 | DEX 18 | INT 5 | POW 12 |
| HP 3 | WP 12 |
ARMOR: 2 from enamel armor
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Dodge 50%, Flight 50%
ATTACKS: Bite 60%, damage 1D4 (see Latch On).
LATCH ON: After succeeding on a bite attack, a Spawn sinks its teeth into the target and applies suction to latch on. It may then inflict 1D4 damage to the same target each turn, without requiring an attack roll. If the bite attack pierced the victim’s armor, this damage ignores armor, and the victim also loses 1D4 SAN from nightmare visions as the Spawn also consumes their dream-self. Anyone can break this hold with a successful STR test (see Spiky).
SPIKY: Each attempt to grab a Spawn with bare hands costs 1 HP.
NON-TERRENE: Spawn are at home in nearly any environment. Radiation, pressure, cold, vacuum and other inimical environments have no negative effects on them.
SAN LOSS: 0/1D6.
City Police
Small town detective or beat cop in over their head
| STR 12 | CON 12 | DEX 12 | INT 10 | POW 10 | CHA 10 |
| HP 12 | WP 10 | SAN 50 | BREAKING POINT 40 |
ARMOR: 3 from a kevlar vest for beat cops on patrol, 0 otherwise.
SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Athletics 50%, Dodge 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 50%, HUMINT 40%, Law 30%, Melee Weapons 50%, Persuade 40%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%.
ATTACKS: 9mm pistol 50%, damage 1D10.
AR-15 carbine 50%, damage 1D12, Armor Piercing 3. In the trunk of a patrol vehicle.
Baton 50%, damage 1D6.
Taser 50%, Stun.
Unarmed 50%, damage 1D4-1.
Tomes
Rêves des Cadavres
In French. Study time: days; Occult +5%, Unnatural +5%, SAN loss 1D6.
An obscure occult text from 1700s France, where the author – self-titled ‘the dreamer’, but suspected to be the author of the infamous Cultes des Goules Francois-Honore Balfour, Comte d’Erlette – was involved in the Cult of Mordiggian, a ghoul cult that operated throughout Europe. In it, the dreamer identifies the teeth and nails of corpses as a new element connected directly to the dreamlands, and precisely details gut-churning rituals to exploit them.
RECOMMENDED RITUALS: Charnel Dreams, Charnel Meditation, Dismiss the Lesser Spawn of the Worm, The Voorish Sign.
Rituals
Charnel Dreams
Complex ritual. Study time: weeks; 1D20 SAN; +1 Unnatural. Activation: days; 12 WP, 1D10 SAN, 1D6 HP.
This ritual allows the operator’s consciousness to enter the dreamlands, leaving their body behind in a comatose, ageless state. This costs the operator 12 WP and 1D6 HP which cannot be regained for the duration of the ritual, and 1D10 SAN in addition to the SAN lost from the violence of the sacrifice(s).
It begins with carving the Charnel Sigil into the operator’s flesh and not allowing the wound to heal. Throughout the ritual, the operator must eat exclusively teeth and nails. This allows worm-like larvae to fester in the open wound, inside a mucus-like substance of melatonin, hallucinogens, and fatty proteins. When placed in the nailbeds and under the teeth of a human victim, the larvae copulate with the host’s body and dreams to transform into a first-degree Spawn of Mordiggian several days later.
If seven Spawn of the same degree are trapped together, they will consume each other, and the champion will transform into a Spawn one degree higher. Thus, 49 first-degree Spawn become one third-degree Spawn - the seventh son of the seventh son. Each time a Spawn increases in rank, it grows larger and sprouts more tentacles, teeth, and spiny ridges. A third-degree Spawn can fly. A fourth-degree spawn can speak and knows several rituals. Abilities for higher-level spawn are unknown, but increase in power exponentially.
Since most humans have ~50 nails and teeth, one victim can thus create ~50 Spawn of the first degree, or seven Spawn of the second degree, or one Spawn of the third degree.
A person who eats a first-degree Spawn enters the dreamlands for 1 day – 24 hours. A second-degree Spawn sends the consumer to the dreamlands for 100 days. A third-degree Spawn opens the dreamlands for “100 100 days” – 10,000 days, or ~27 years. This process repeats in multiples of 100 from there. Thus, a fourth-degree Spawn opens the dreamlands for 1,000,000 days, or ~2,738 years. The dreamer postulates that, by repeating this process to the seventh degree (requiring 2,401 human victims), the Spawn would become Mordiggian, the Charnel God himself, or could be consumed to become Mordiggian in the dreamlands for ~3 billion years.
Charnel Meditation
Simple ritual. Study time: hours; 1D4 SAN. Activation: minutes; 12 WP, 1D6 SAN.
At a graveyard frequented by ghouls (such as St. Peter’s in Philadelphia), the operator enters a reverie and utters a litany of strange meepings. Enacting the ritual on a moonlit night grants the operator a +20% bonus to the activation roll. If the activation roll succeeds, a few ghouls arrive within the hour. This ritual exerts no control over them whatsoever.
Dismiss the Lesser Spawn of the Worm
Complex ritual. Study time: days; 1D8 SAN. Activation: an hour; 9 WP, 1D4 SAN.
A ritual to dismiss an aspect of the Charnel God Mordiggian from this world. Activating the ritual takes an hour, and must be conducted near the Spawn of Mordiggian to be dismissed. It requires odd gesticulations and chanting invocations in languages far stranger than old French. It is unclear to the human mind what the ritual is doing, but some unseen presence is channelled which destroys any larvae or Spawn present. If they are still buried within a victim, the victim loses an additional 1 SAN to the unnatural as they feel the worms burst within them.
This ritual is based on the generic ritual The Closing of the Breach on page 176 in the Hander’s Guide. It is specifically intended to dismiss the first-degree Spawn of Mordiggian featured in this scenario. To increase the cost to dismiss a greater target, see page 168 in the Handler’s guide.
The Voorish Sign
Simple ritual. Study time: hours; 1D4 SAN. Activation: one turn; 3 WP, 1 SAN.
An operator who makes this strange series of hand gestures can briefly see things that are invisible due to their extradimensional or otherworldly nature: unseen entities, unnatural gates, indications of ongoing hypergeometric effects, and so on.
This grants the Voyeur a -40% penalty to Stealth tests against the operator’s Alertness.
Handouts
Page 2 functions as a player-facing handout.
Charnel Sigil (bloody version)
Clue Map
Flowchart
Credits
Toothache was written by NathanKlas for the 2024 Shotgun Scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ONwtzmlV72XJe8lJ8C4h9p6mxcU99yNw/edit