A Night on Owlshead Mountain

Spoiler Warning: The adventure was published in the Delta Green: Eyes Only book. If you are a Delta Green player you may wish to ask your Keeper if they intend to run any scenarios in that book before reading this write-up, as pertinent scenario information will be revealed.

Notes About the BRP to ORE Conversion: The adventure was published in the Delta Green: Eyes Only book for the Call of Cthulhu game system (also known as the Basic Roleplay system, or "BRP). The adventure was converted for use with the NEMESIS version of the One Roll Engine game system.

Saturday, July 10, 1999, 23:22 EDT

Clastenbury Mountain, VT

REECE and RAYA stood in the standing stone circle on Clastenbury Mountain, with Old Thomas guarding them from just outside the circle. They walked up during the daylight and waited until the sun set. There was an axe murderer somewhere on the adjoining mountain, but based on IRENE's story about I Cell, it was whatever might be still on this mountain that terrified them. As they climbed the mountain, they had the feeling that something was following them. They didn't see anything during their frequent stops, but they couldn't shake the feeling. Was it their imagination? Now that it was dark and they were standing near the top of the mountain, REECE started to worry that this might actually be a trap.

REECE heard the tearing sound again, and suddenly the winged one was with them in the stone circle. At its feet were two strange items. One was a seamless cylinder made from greenish metal, with strange indicators and electronic ports mounted on one side. The cylinder was about two feet in diameter and about three feet high. Attached to the cylinder was a weird array of tubes (or were they wires?) and a bronze-metallic grill. The other item was a foot-and-a-half wide, five-pointed star made of a smooth, greenish-gray, soapy material. In the centre of the star is an eye with a flame.

REECE asked the creature, "What is the cylinder?"

"A mind in a four-fold loop model, projecting consciousness into six planes past the terminus. The mind is a link and can focus abstract energies into a point. It is a box for a focus."

REECE blinked. "And the star?"

"A point in a seventeen-dimensional focus which distributes energy equally at five points in four dimensions. It is a device to move power from a focus towards elsewhere. It is not a star."

"What do we do with it?"

"Bring the seventeen-dimensional focus into an interface with the McGee designate entity. Tasked sub-routines will terminate at this juncture."

That was, surprisingly, useful information. REECE thanked the creature. It disappeared. After it was gone, he thought to ask how to use the cylinder. He didn't want to call the creature again, even if it would reappear. Maybe they would figure out how to use it themselves.

REECE picked up the cylinder, RAYA the star. It was a substantial weight, a little under 10 pounds. The cylinder was about twice as heavy. They hiked down the mountain, with Old Thomas leading the way. Again, there was no escaping the feeling that they were being followed.

They arrived back at Old Thomas' cabin and bid him good night. They would hunt Cooter McGee in the morning. The agents drove back to their hotel with the objects.

RAYA joined REECE in his room. They placed the objects on the table. "What does it do?" asked RAYA, pointing to the cylinder.

"I'm not sure." REECE touched the controls.

A voice spoke from the grill on the front. "I am ready to begin."

RAYA jumped back. REECE and RAYA exchanged nervous glances.

"Shall I begin the summoning?" The voice seemed vacant, almost dreamy. "I will begin the summoning." The voice began to chant.

"No!" shouted RAYA and REECE in unison.

"You do not want me to continue? Alright, I will not summon..."

"Who are you?" asked RAYA.

"I..." answered the cylinder. "...I... can't remember."

"Are you... human?"

"I... was, once. I can't remember who I am. I have been in here so long..."

The hairs on the backs of their necks stood up. There was someone in the cylinder. RAYA started to shake.

"What is your purpose?" asked REECE.

"I summon... and bind. Shall I begin to summon? I will summon..."

"No!" cried REECE and RAYA, again. REECE touched the knob, and the cylinder fell silent.

RAYA went back to her room, but neither agent was able to sleep well that evening.

Sunday, July 11, 1999, 9:30 EDT

Waterbury, VT

The agents asked Agent IRENE to meet them in their room. They showed her the cylinder. IRENE did not take it well when they spoke to the cylinder. Visibly shaking, she said she had to go back to her room to lie down.

REECE and RAYA drove to Old Thomas' cabin. Old Thomas was ready for them.

"How are you going to find this madman?" he asked?

REECE shrugged. "We were hoping he would find us."

"Where did you first see him?"

"Near the standing stones." The standing stones. The winged ones were contacted at the standing stones. They gave the agents a device to deal with the "defective unit". It made sense that McGee was somehow connected to the standing stones. REECE turned to RAYA. "We need to go to the standing stones."

They hiked up the mountain. The day was overcast, but it wasn't raining. The ground was still wet from the morning dew. They reached the standing stones. The air was still, the woods were quiet.

REECE set down the cylinder. RAYA held onto the star. Old Thomas adjusted the shoulder strap on his rifle. Old Thomas whispered to the Delta Green agents, "What if he doesn't come?"

RAYA thought for a moment. She looked at the standing stones. She looked at the object in her hands. She went over to the nearest standing stone and started digging near its base, using the star as a shovel. REECE went over to another stone and tried wiggling it. Old Thomas backed up and watched for McGee.

They worked away at the stones for a few minutes. RAYA continued to dig, but carefully, so as not to damage the star. REECE managed to loosen the stone. He was close to toppling it.

Cooter McGee was in the clearing before they saw him. He slashed at REECE, but REECE dodged the blow at the last second.

Old Thomas fired. The bullet slammed into McGee's chest, but it had no effect. McGee swung his hatchet at REECE.

REECE jumped as he pulled out his pistol. The hatchet slashed across his chest painfully, but the wound wasn't deep. REECE fired a quick shot into McGee's torso. McGee hardly seemed to notice.

Old Thomas fired another shot at McGee, but missed. REECE shot McGee again. McGee raised the hatchet above his head, aimed squarely at REECE's jugular.

RAYA brought the star down flat on McGee's back. McGee didn't seem to notice.

But something in his body did. Pinkish flesh rippled under the star and flowed away from it.

McGee gasped. He dropped the hatchet, then fell to his knees. He grasped his throat. His chest hitched, like he was trying to breathe heavily, but there was no sound escaping his lips.

The agents backed away. A puddle of liquified flesh slid from Cooter's body. The puddle hissed and evaporated. Wounds opened on McGee's body. Blood oozed out in several places, but flowed freely from several bullet wounds. McGee turned blue. He mouthed something, but there were no words to hear. His eyes stared wide. In a moment, he was still. All that remained was the faint hissing of the last of the fleshy substance.

RAYA and REECE sat down on the standing stones, while Old Thomas leaned against a tree. REECE checked out his wound; it stung, but had already stopped bleeding. He would need a tetanus shot, and a round of antibiotics, but he would be fine.

REECE stood and poked at McGee's body. It seemed sunken, somehow, and badly scarred. This was the man who had terrorized them? Amazing.

As they stood, REECE noticed the metal cylinder. "What about this?"

A short discussion ensued. They were inside the standing stones. Would that protect them? Was it worth the risk? In the end, they realized it was worth the risk to rid Clastenbury Mountain of the threat that destroyed I Cell.

REECE adjusted the knobs on the cylinder. The distant voice spoke. "Would you like me to do the summoning?"

"And the binding," replied RAYA.

The mind in the cylinder began chanting repititously. Old Thomas grew nervous. "We should stay together, in the middle of the circle." As the agents moved, they heard something in the trees. Something moving toward them. Something big.

Something crashed through the woods, very close now. The chanting stopped. Whatever was in the woods stopped, just out of sight. The voice in the cylinder said, "Your job is done! Return to your home!"

It was such an innocuous command, like something you'd give an obedient dog.

A sharp, cold wind blew through the trees. Then, all was quiet again.

Sunday, July 11, 1999, 22:10 EDT

Clastenbury Mountain, VT

REECE stood in the stone circle with the star and the cylinder. RAYA and Old Thomas stood outside. With a tearing sound, the "winged one" appeared. REECE thanked the creature for the use of their artifacts. The creature said nothing. It did not thank REECE for the return of the objects. It did not issue any warnings. It did not offer any further assistance. It did not ask whether or not the humans were successful. It simply picked up the objects and disappeared.

They walked back to Old Thomas' cabin. Agent IRENE was waiting, having been informed by REECE that they were successful in ridding the mountains of two threats. The agents shared coffee with Old Thomas and exchanged small talk. Shortly after midnight, RAYA and REECE shook Old Thomas' hand and IRENE kissed him on the cheek. They wished him well.

"Things will be quieter here, I think."

"I hope so," said IRENE, smiling. REECE and RAYA echoed the sentiment.