Many Angles

## INITIAL HOOK

This scenario can take place anywhere an art gallery would be located. A Cell contacts the agents because they are nearby. Multiple 911 calls of a riot are troubling. First responders with proper hazmat gear report suffering from hallucinations. The PC agents have a plausible reason to volunteer as first responders.

## WHAT HAPPENED

Artist Aleksander Carmen explored fringe belief systems in his work. His latest installation, a series of abstract sculptures, accompanied by audio/visual elements, used The Case for UFOs and several misclassified MJ-12 documents, including part of the mathematical formulas used for the Consciousness Expansion and Create Gravitic Warp rituals. He gained access to this information through his patron, Harri Rane, who was not at the reception. Carmen became obsessed and created a basilisk hazard. Multiple guests at the reception became Gravitic Vectors. They have since converted more victims and killed others.

Anyone who remains within line of sight of the work for more than 30 minutes must roll SAN for 1/1d100. This time is shortened to 10 minutes if the audiovisual elements remain on. Turning the power off to the block will turn the A/V off. Anyone who loses all of their SAN becomes a Gravitic Vector.

## GRAVITIC VECTOR

An entity, no longer human, but remains trapped in a human body. It is incomplete and wishes to finish its ascension. It believes observing humans transforming into Gravitic Vectors will provide the insight it needs to ascend. Every Vector wishes to force all humans in its vicinity to perceive Carmen’s sculpture until they become Vectors as well. It will not hunt for humans outside of its local area.

Each Vector retains human weaknesses but can rewrite the laws of physics. They can redirect gravity to walk on any surface at any angle. They cannot fly. They can also alter gravity to redirect threats. Bullets become harmless as gravity pulls them away. A firearm pressed directly against the flesh of a Vector would still work. A Vector’s ability to manipulate gravity is limited. Treat its ability as an 80% chance to negate applicable attacks against it. They cannot manipulate gravity enough to affect electricity although objects channeling electricity can be manipulated.

They can affect local curvature of spacetime. Time can be sped up or slowed down. Lengths, distances, and angles can also be changed. This affects all characters in the vicinity, costing 1/1d10 unnatural SAN loss. All perception-based skills are halved when affected by this ability. This ability does not permanently affect reality and things revert to normal when the Vector ends the ability or dies.

Vectors use gravity to enhance their close combat ability –giving them a STR of 24 and an unarmed skill of 80%. Vectors will seek to grapple and drag their opponents to Rane Fine Art. If a grappled character harms the Vector but does not kill it, the Vector responds by crushing them with gravity, lethality 30% and then drops them, whether they are alive or dead. 1/1d6 SAN to view a Vector and 1/1d10 SAN to survive a gravity attack.

## COMMUNICATION WITH VECTORS

They want information so characters who offer new intel will be spared. Agents who explain that Carmen created the sculpture so he may know more can persuade Vectors to help them find the artist. Vectors have the knowledge of their human host but are alien beings. Role play accordingly.

## EN ROUTE BRIEFING

The first 911 calls all originated within a block of the Rane Fine Art, a prestigious gallery, currently hosting a reception for its new exhibit. Several guests began to attack each other. The first police on the scene described the gallery as a riot in progress. The chaos spread throughout the block. It is hard to know much more about the situation because everyone who has gone in has either gone silent or has suffered from hallucinations. Descriptions of the nature of the hallucinations are not available.

A Cell tells the agents that Harri Rane is suspected of stealing classified documents from the military. The documents contain technical data that can be weaponized. Mr. Rane’s location is unknown.

A cordon has been established around the island. So far no known chemical or biological agent has been detected. Victims of the attack are being quarantined but one first responder is available for interview, Karen Nielsen, a paramedic who has remained responsive. She claims she is not hallucinating but her testimony is consistent with the more hysterical victims of the attack.

## WITNESS TESTIMONY

Karen is the calmest available witness, but any agent who interviews witnesses will get similar information. Key facts include:

* Many people are violent and unstable, attacking anyone they see. They try to drag people towards the gallery or kill them with their bare hands.
* Violent people climb up walls, faster and more easily than should be possible. Witnesses can’t explain it more than that.
* Guns don’t seem to work. They fire but they have no effect on people.
* Intense feels of vertigo, dizziness, and nausea. The feeling is stronger near Rane Fine Art.

None of the witnesses got closer than a block away from the gallery before fleeing.

## SOCIAL MEDIA

Searches on social media can reveal disturbing photos and video. Photos show bodies in the street, broken windows, and wrecked cars. A single video clip is available and shows…something, possibly a human, dragging a woman up the side of the building. The video is blurry but the thing appears to be contorted human and easily holding onto the building without solid support, only using the bottom of its feet (wearing shoes) actually touching the building. The woman is screaming and begging for help. 0/1 Unnatural SAN loss for viewing social media of the attack.

## ENTERING THE CORDON

Local and Federal agencies are struggling to come up with a response to the crisis. No one wants to order more people in. Drones have been used but consistently break down when they get too close to the gallery. Agents can persuade leadership into letting them in, if they volunteer and have a new plan.

## THE CORDON

Silent, except for intermittent screams of pain or fear. Characters notice anomalies in the area – small floating objects clinging to lampposts and walls, waves of vertigo and nausea, and large objects like cars assembled in impossible assemblages. 1/1d6 unnatural SAN loss. The Handler may add other anomalies as they see fit.

At some point the agents encounter three Vectors. They have circled a cop who has put a gun to his own head. The Vectors are trying to persuade the cop to view the sculpture because it will solve all their problems. Unless the agents intervene, the cop will eventually lower his weapon and agree to go with them. The Vectors grab and carry him to the gallery as soon as his gun is no longer pointed at his temple. 0/1 helpless SAN for not intervening.

Stealthy agents will have little problems getting to the gallery. Several more Vectors linger in the area and one Vector carries another victim to the sculpture.

## RANE FINE ART

Over a dozen corpses lie on the floor. The sculpture is large, abstract, and multi-colored. Trying to describe it beyond that is impossible unless an agent tries to study it. Odd music is piped in and weird abstract animations play on the far walls. If agents describe methods to avoid looking at the art, they can avoid the basilisk effect. It requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted observation.

Two Vectors hold living victims to the sculpture, but the victims made their SAN checks and cannot be converted into Vectors. The Vectors do not understand this and will hold them there until one of them dies. Agents using stealth or distractions can investigate the gallery.

## THE ARTIST

Carmen’s picture is available online so agents can find out he is not a vector or victim. If they search the gallery, they can find him in a back office, terrified. If confronted he remembers The Case for UFOs has instructions on how to contact ‘The Greys’. He begs the agents to help him summon them. The requirements for the ritual are left to the handler but should be achievable.

## SUMMONING THE GREYS

If the ritual is performed, bright lights appear over the area. Everyone in view passes out. When they awaken, the Vectors, Carmen, and the sculpture is gone. Everyone loses 1/1d6 SAN. Some agents may remember more, at the Handler’s discretion.

## DESTROYING THE SCULPTURE

The sculpture is made of conventional materials so fire and explosives can destroy it. Vectors will defend it, but they cannot stop a gas line igniting or similar attacks.

Destroying the sculpture causes every surviving Vector to flee in a random direction ignoring all attacks unless they are physically prevented from fleeing. They continue to move until the human body dies of thirst or exhaustion. Their corpses reveal no obvious anomalies. In that time, some of the Vectors will been seen by witnesses, unless extreme measures are taken to isolate them on the island.

## Credits

Many Angles was written by Ross Payton for the 2019  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 © Ross Payton, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Many Angles is not available here under CC-BY-SA.