This adventure takes place during the fall on a college campus, locations in brackets are meant to be filled in with whatever college you are most familiar with.
THE SITUATION[]
The Program has identified a student and small-time youtuber at [university] who’s new merch and channel logo is The Golden Sign, a dangerous memetic virus. They were able to isolate the account before it was spread but the Agents need to ensure the student, Dipankar Chandran, will not be a continuing problem. Most importantly, the Agents need to trace where Dipankar was exposed to The Sign and eliminate it. Legitimate cover is not available on this mission.
THE THREAT AND LEAD UP[]
Beginning of semester: Trevor Earler, an anxious business student, came into possession of the self-help book “The Man in the Golden Suit” and became corrupted by The Golden Sign which has instilled in him unwarranted confidence and a subconscious devotion to the sign.
Two weeks ago: Trevor passed on this virus to two classmates and friends in showing them a unfinished version of a hypergeometric-infused presentation on the book for a class on venture capital. They do not explicitly remember this exposure. He was looking for praise and feedback and did not realize the impact it would have on them.
Outcome: If left unstopped, he will show this presentation to the rest of the class and expose another hundred students to the sign.
HANDLER’S NOTES[]
- This scenario plays on the uncertainties we all feel around our job, our “success”, and our economic prospects. Set the tone for this by reminding the Agents that they are unpaid “heroes” who will never be recognized for what they do. For example: point out the Handler has a better suit than them.
- This scenario can be straightforwardly adapted to fit The Lonely from “Delta Green: The Labyrinth” - in this Dipankar and Trevor would be part of The Lonely and Sophia would be a Grim swiftly becoming a Fury.
THE MAN IN THE GOLDEN SUIT[]
This book is the story of the eponymous author’s journey to founding Carcosa Inc., a company which is touted to sell “management solutions for the world’s toughest problems.” The story harps on personal responsibility and “innovative thinking” as the paths to success in life. The book’s message is not special in the field of self-help however its words and rhythmic patterning has the hypergeometric effect of infecting the reader with The Golden Sign, leaving them a thrall of The Man in the Golden Suit. Instances of the book can be destroyed simply through burning, though another copy will find its way into desperate hands with time.
THE GOLDEN SIGN[]
It exists both as a physical mark in the world, shimmering in golden twisted beauty, as well as within the minds of those who have viewed it. It brings to the fore all the anxieties and uncertainty viewers have about the future. It represents the success only shown on TV and that the Agents will certainly never have. Seeing the sign for the first time triggers a 0/1d6 sanity check. If this causes the agent to hit a breaking point, a potential disorder they could take is “anomic aphasia” where the agent’s ability to connect names is destroyed: whenever they think of a name all that appears in their head is The Golden Sign. Failing the sanity check infects the Agent with The Sign and triggers advertisements to begin to appear for the book “The Man in the Golden Suit”. The only way to make them disappear is to actually order a copy.
THE STUDENTS[]
These students all initially met through the [university’s] group therapy sessions, as they share anxieties about the future.
Dipankar Chandran[]
Striped tracksuit, piercing brown eyes, constant smirk
Junior. Major: Sports Medicine. Dipankar has been running a fitness-based youtube channel for 2 years with 5k subscribers, which he has always struggled to manage alongside his studies. He has announced that he is going to start selling merch which features the Golden Sign as the logo, though the reason he would struggle to pinpoint. The Sign has made him completely obsessed with notoriety and his biweekly posting has ratcheted up to every day in the last two weeks. His once genuine jovial attitude has switched to a forced and slimey congeniality, which has not gone unnoticed by his friends (which mostly consists of basketball players). He still makes time to call his mother (Avani) every night. He can be convinced to leave behind the sign if shown it would be bad for his channel. Classes: Venture Capital, Religions of Asia, First Aid, Intro to Psychology
Residence: [party dorm] Dipankar lives with Thomas Reunal, a quiet fellow junior. There has been recent friction due to Dipankar’s crazy filming schedule and new cleaning and “efficiency” demands. Inside the room are boxes of tee shirts and caps with The Sign on them.
Sophia Miller[]
Gray sweater, ornate plaids, fervent glances, hunched stance
Senior. Major: Mechanical Engineering. Always anxious about the cost of school, Sophia’s mood has cratered since being exposed to The Sign. She has almost completely shut herself off from the world besides quickly going to classes. Bubbling up inside is an intense fear over being unable to find a job and is acting irrationally. She has made an improvised explosive which they plan to use to hold up [bank] in a futile attempt to get her loans forgiven. In her mind, The Man in the Golden Suit is the CEO of [bank] and will demand to see them while holding up the place. They do not want to hurt anyone but feel as if they are in a corner. Her boyfriend, Tommy Jones, is the only person she puts a front up for, though she has not had him over recently. Getting her to drop The Sign could be done by getting her a job and revealing to Tommy what is happening. Classes: Environmental Fluid Dynamic, Venture Capital, Design and Manufacturing, Heat Transfer
Residence: [apartment] Living alone, Sophia’s studio has gone to trash as applying to jobs has consumed her downtime. Payment plans for her loans are stapled to the wall and strewn about are twisted copper Golden Signs. Her workbench is cluttered with bomb making parts.
Trevor Earler[]
Blazer and tie, loud shoes, bright green eyes
Sophmore. Major: Business. Raised by a father who never let Trevor forget his place in the house, Trevor is desperately hoping that school will be his escape. This desperation attracted The Man in the Golden Suit’s attention. The book has turned the once reserved and quiet Trevor into a bullshit machine, able to speak confidently on anything. His newfound confidence will peel away and become a desperate need to escape if threatened. Classes: Venture Capital, Intro Financial Acocunting, Business Analytics, Sociology, History of Ancient Philosophy
Residence: [cheap dorm] Trevor lives with Kent Williams, a fellow business student here on a debate scholarship. They have not been getting along well as Trevor has started standing up for himself. Kent has yet to see The Sign. In his things, Trevor has a journal outlining his plan to start a hedge fund after college as well as drawings of The Sign. His computer is kept here which contains the .ppt file of the Presentation of Gold.
His closet door now leads to a fragment of Carcosa Inc (Kent has his own closet). Only the mezzanine level is present which contains a coffee shop, some couch-laden open work space, and a vacant massage area. The large bay windows seem to depict a forested area outside but they are nothing but decorative stickers. Notable in the room are 5 strewn about mannequins which all seem to be wearing polos bearing The Sign and name tags. There is additionally a CRT monitor “apply here” station which displays the text “pending evaluation.” If attacked, Trevor will attempt to retreat here as the mannequins will spring to his defense.
TIMELINE[]
Day 1: Agents arrive.
Day 2: 10am: Dipankar makes a new youtube channel and posts a long rant about Youtube unfairly punishing small channels. This will gain a lot of traction on Youtube. 1pm: Sophia will attempt to hold up [bank]. Agents can hear about this via police scanner, social media, or even driving by it.
Day 3: 10am: Dipankar’s mother will show up on campus looking for her son if he has not called her, the Agents may run into her. 3pm: Trevor will make his presentation to the class and return to the mezzanine to find his job application accepted.
RESOLUTION[]
If the Agents do not stop Trevor in time, the situation will not be obviously disastrous. Many of the students will go on to pursue careers in advertising, which will become a future problem for other Agents. The Program will demand the students dealt with in some way if made aware. Dipankar’s mother could be a thorn in the Agent’s side as she won’t accept a disappearance easily.
STATS[]
TREVOR EARLER[]
STR 10, CON 10, DEX 10, INT 9, POW 13, CHA 13
HP 10, WP 13, SAN 40, Adapted to Helplessness
SKILLS: Alertness 40%, HUMINT 60%, Persuade 60%
ATTACKS: None
THE BACKROOMS: If Trevor is by a door, he can enter a segment of Carcosa Inc filled with endless off-white rooms which disorient those unfamiliar with its random walls and halls. Following behind Trevor triggers a 0/1d4 unnatural SAN check and a Navigate check by the Agent with the highest skill. Failing this results in the team being lost for 4 hours before being deposited in a random building in town. Success means exiting out of The Backrooms right behind Trevor (likely in his dorm room).
SYCOPHANTS: While in public, Trevor is followed by 1d3 fellow students which believe his every word. They will not fight if Trevor is attacked but will call police, write down license plates, and call out for help to bystanders.
WORKER MANNEQUIN[]
Polo-wearing fiberglass mannequins of Carcosa Inc
STR 15, CON 15, DEX 10, INT 10, POW 10, CHA 10
HP 15, WP 10
SKILLS: Unarmed Combat 60%
ARMOR: 2 point of fiberglass armor
ATTACKS: Claws 60% 1d10 (see HANDS THAT GRIP)
SAN LOSS: 0/1d4
INANIMATE: Unless acting, the mannequins are not able to be detected as alive.
HANDS THAT GRIP: Claws that attack rip off the mannequin and hold fast to the victim. Each round the claws that are attached deal 1d4 damage as fiberglass spreads across the body. Knocking off the clinging claws imposes a -20% penalty to whatever action is taken that turn. Claws regrow on the mannequin every round
RESILIENT: A successful Lethality roll does not destroy the mannequin, but inflicts HP damage equal to the Lethality rating.
UNNATURAL BIOLOGY: Making a called shot for “vitals” or another apparently vulnerable area inflicts normal damage, with no special game effect.
JOIN THE RANKS: If an Agent is killed by a mannequin, their body is forfeit to Carcosa Inc and become a new worker mannequin.
PRESENTATION OF GOLD: This is a hypergeometric ritual with two components, the .ppt file and the words as known only to Trevor. Viewing the entirety of the 10 minute presentation will trigger a POW check which, if lost, will break the mind of the viewer and cause them to become a thrall of The Man in the Golden Suit. Viewing even just a fragment of the .ppt will trigger a 0/1d4 SAN check, and success or failure will trigger advertisements for the book The Man in the Golden Suit to begin appearing for the viewer.
Credits[]
Tarnished Gold was written by Franky Stein for the 2020 shotgun scenario contest.
Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Franky Stein, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.
Tarnished Gold is not available here under CC-BY-SA.