Sonata for Snow

## The Hook

A series of disappearances of skiers and hikers in an isolated village in the Rockies needs investigating. Strange otherworldly sounds have been heard echoing through the mountains, spiking the interest of Delta Green.

## The Violoncello

Dieter Roth is a former SS guard, who stole a Violoncello from an unoccupied house in the Warsaw Ghetto. After the war he fled to the USA, taking a new name- Dennis Greenfield. He settled into the quiet town of Honey-vale and ran a small bookstore with his wife Fran. They both passed away in 1993. The Violoncello was hidden, forgotten, at the back of the attic until his only son John came across it a few months ago. John took the instrument up to their summer cabin three weeks ago when he picked it up and tried playing it. Unfortunately for him, this is the violoncello which belonged to the fabled Erich Zann. It breaks down the barriers between realities and has destroyed John's mind. He never left the cabin. He plays and plays, and the sound is slowly warping the world around the cabin.

## The Investigation

Players get briefed by an agent Biederman in Denver, then directed to a local Green Box which is mainly stocked with weapons and ammunition. They have a 3 ½ hour drive into the mountains to Honey-vale where the local Sheriff is waiting- due to local elections and taking care of the massive influx of winter-sport tourists he has had little time to investigate. So far 3 heliskiers have disappeared, as well as four hunters. The only person who has vanished in the village itself is John Greenfield, who was reported missing when the bookstore failed to open last Monday. There are three possible avenues of iinvestigation- John's house, and the other disappeared, and a group of skiers who reported the otherworldly sounds.

## The House at the edge of town

A cold run-down old townhouse on the edge of the village. A thorough search will lead to some old family photos, including several of a cabin in the mountains, as well as some old novels in German and at the back of a cupboard a small chest containing a swastika pin and dagger, and some letters in German (love letters from Roth to old flames). Neighbors may mention the cabin but will be unaware of the exact location.

## The Disappeared

If investigators plot routes/last known locations, they find that all of the disappearances occurred in the vicinity of Martin's peak, about a day's hike north of the village. They will have to interview the helicopter pilot and/or the disappeared's friends/partners to gain this information.

## The Sound in the snow

Two separate groups of skiers describe eerie echoes which made their heads hurt and have left them with nightmares when they were in the mountains about a day north of town.

## The Hike

Investigators can rely on a map or try to hire a guide and should equip themselves for a long hike. The weather is taking a turn for the worse so air transport is not an option. Snowmobiles are easily available though, and hiring these will make the journey to the foot of the mountain swifter. As soon as the journey begins, snow starts to fall and the clouds darken, visibility decreases to a scant hundred yards making progress slow-going. They will have to set up camp and mount tents in the dark and swirling snow. During the night they will hear faint echoes of outlandish music from the mountains ahead. Sleep will be fitful and a sense of impending doom will fall over the entire party.

## Martin's Peak

In the morning the weather is clear, and the cabin will be visible with binoculars at the top edge of the tree-line on the edge of a cliff-face. As they climb the base, they see swirling violet/purple orbs at the edge of their vision. They will smell lilies and roses, with an undercurrent of rotting flesh. If the investigators took a guide, they will refuse to go any further. The glare of the sun on the snow will become increasingly blinding, then at the top of one incline the investigators suddenly find themselves in midsummer, basking in the sun looking out over a green valley. Their vision will fade and they will find themselves in the snow again. The mountains in the distance will seem to curve up around them, or fade into the distance as they find themselves on an endless flat plain. Colors will drain, then return twice as strong. Plan for multiple sanity checks throughout the hallucinatory climb. As they approach the top of the treeline where the cabin lies, as with the eye of a storm, things calm down and all they hear is the soft sound of the snow falling, then the music begins. Scrambling through the pine trees, they will come across an enormous bear swaying to the music, which will attack them as soon as it sees them. Any gunfire runs a 20% chance of triggering an avalanche per volley. Should an avalanche be triggered, adventurers have a 60% chance of being buried (and will have to be found and dug out) and will suffer 2D6 of damage. This also applies to the bear. Once the bear has been vanquished, they stumble across the bodies of the missing, torn to shreds, with looks of horror on what is left of their faces. They continue to ascend, and progress is rough-going as the snow gets deeper and the climb steeper.

## The Cabin

The rough path through the trees they are following leads to a clearing on the edge of a cliff. The cabin is fairly small, a single room with a furnace blazing. Looking through the windows the investigators will only be able to see faint outlines due to grime and ice. On opening the door the shadows draw back to reveal a paunchy middle aged man, John, sitting on a bench, his eyes rolled into the back of his head playing an otherworldly tune which is slowly increasing in volume and tempo. Yellowing sheets of music twirl in the air around him. The violoncello is the color of bone, with blood red strings, and seems to tear the investigator's hearts out. As they stand of the threshold of the cabin, they will hear a low growling, and will turn to find a pack of (investigators + 2) wolves behind them, staring at them with glowing white iris-less eyes. The wolves will attack, and their numbers will be gradually replenished until the investigators stop the music. They can kill John, but he will keep playing. The only way to stop the music is to knock the indestructible instrument out of his hands- but anyone who touches the violoncello will have to pass a sanity test to avoid picking it up and continuing to play.

## The Window on the other-world

At the back of the cabin is a bay window, which, as long as the violoncello plays, looks out onto darkness. Any investigator who glances through it will witness a horrifying swirling abyss of horrors above an endless plain of crawling nightmares, necessitating more sanity checks.

## The sound of silence

When the music ends, the wolves eyes will return to normal and they will flee. The window will lighten and the view through the window will return to normal. The violoncello will seem taught and stretched, like living thing ready to pounce. There is a case in the corner which will safely contain it, and if any investigators remain sane enough to return to civilization the climb down the mountain will be peaceful. Agent Biederman will await them in Honey-vale and will take the Violoncello away, but not before telling them the story of Dieter Roth.

## STATS

### Rabid Bear

**STR** 25 **CON** 18 **DEX** 10 **POW** 8 **HP** 22 **WP** 10

**Attacks**: Claws 45% damage 2D6 and hold (odd number for damage also pins), Bite 30% damage 2D8

### Wolves

**STR** 12 **CON** 13 **DEX** 12 **POW** 9 **HP** 12 **WP** 10

**Attacks**: Bite 30% Damage 1D6, knock down (if Wolf hits, roll opposed STR\*5 test)

### John Greenfield

**STR** 14 **CON** 17 **DEX** 13 **INT** 16 **POW** 10 **CHA** 10 **HP** 14 **WP** 8 **SAN** 15

John is a tall well-built but paunchy man in his 50s. He has inherited his father's germanic build and features, but his mother's shy and thoughtful character. He is well-liked in the village, running the bookstore after his parent's passing. He never married, and is more interested in books than people.

## Credits

Sonata for Snow was written by Karl Lloyd for the 2018  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 © Karl Lloyd, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Sonata for Snow is not available here under CC-BY-SA.