Alone in a Crowded Room

## Summary

The agents are called to investigate one of the Lonely and wind up running into agents from Project COPPER, conducting their own investigation.

## Briefing

The agents are summoned by their case officer in a city of the Handler’s choosing.

Their case officer details to them several reports by tenants in an apartment complex in the inner city called the **Lennox Building** about strange and usual happenings. Ghost sounds and strange doors appearing and disappearing - leading nowhere. One of them even details a bizarre encounter with what they believed to be a ghostly child.

Agents are being assigned to investigate these happenings, determine the cause, and deal with any unnatural incursion they encounter.

## Truth

**Maurice Tourangeau**, is an elderly French Vietnam War veteran and a very lonely man. As a matter of fact, he is one of the **Lonely**.

Four months ago, Tourangeau received a book, *The Masque of the Master*, a gothic horror in the style of Poe. It tells the story of Monsieur Tourangeau, a French noble whose pursuit of the lore of magic causes him to lose his family and sanity before he ultimately dies and is guided to hell by a masked figure.
He has started manifesting phenomena. This has not only Delta Green’s attention, but also **Project COPPER**’s who have dispatched a team to investigate.

They have dispatched a small team of their agents to investigate the phenomenon, determine its cause and value to the Project, and proceed from there.

## Dream Warriors

Project COPPER, outlined in issue 2.2 of Whispers of the Dead, has also taken an interest in Maurice Tourangeau, and has dispatched a team to investigate Tourangeau and determine if he warrants further investigation.

The team consists of two KI-45RT operators: Ruben Tyler, a former member of the NSA’s Remote Device Activities Unit, and Angela Hurst, former US Army corporal. Tyler broke into his apartment and planted **surveillance devices** which they’ve been watching him through. They have also been monitoring his dreams through the Dreamwalk ritual. The devices can be spotted with a search or alertness roll, at -20% unless the agents specifically state they’re searching for them.

Their plan was to entice Tourangeau into coming with them to engage in a “psychological study” that would help treat his depression. Hurst approached Tourangeau at his apartment and gave him a phony pitch for the study, and left **a card** with contact information on it that leads to a burner phone in Hurst’s possession. Their plan has now changed with the introduction of the agents.

They will aim to neutralize the agents through non-lethal means such as sabotage and intimidation, or, if necessary, lethal means including attacking them in their dreams or in the real world. Depending on the Agent’s behavior, they may mistakenly identify them as agents of **Tadjbeskye Bratva.**

## Maurice Tourangeau

Tourangeau’s future is bound to be fatal unless the agents can help him.

His apartment was broken into three days ago, he reported it to the local police and nothing was done. He complained about it on the internet. He’s worried he’s being spied on. CptnSnshn responded to one of these posts “Why would they waste their time on you.” He’s also been complaining of dreams of armed men following him. He also makes vague references to “the hole in the bathroom that’s there sometimes”.

Ever since being drawn to the dreamlands in a more overt fashion by Hurst and Tyler’s hypergeometric meddling, Tourangeau developed a unique Lonely phenomenon: **The Hole**. Every night, or while he sleeps, a lightless hole, as if the wall has collapsed in on itself, forms in his apartment. Climbing through it leads to the Dreamlands.

Investigating Tourangeau reveals nothing that clearly indicates a history with the unnatural. He was born in colonial Vietnam and served in the French military as a communications officer and moved to the United States in the mid-70s.

## Dreams of a Lonely Man

Maurice Tourangeau’s presence in the Dreamlands, as one of the Lonely, is unique. The area around him manifests as a dim and hollow imitation of pre-revolution France. Navigating it requires the agent that is “leading” (or, if none volunteers, the one with lowest SAN) to fail a San roll in order to go where they’re aiming (I want to find X, I want to go to Y, etc.). A failure means they stumble into an encounter, a success means they travel to wherever they are aiming to without incident. Additionally, agents that enter the lonely dreamscape must make a san check after they leave, failing costs no SAN, but they must reduce on bond by 1.

The streets are cluttered with rubbish, and there’s hardly anyone around. Here is a short list of encounters they might find, handlers are free to create their own, or supplement some from Impossible Landscapes.

* **THE GUILLOTINE** Standing alone in a plaza is a large, wooden guillotine reminiscent of the French Revolution. The hole for the victim’s head is still slick with blood. A basket for catching severed heads sits at its base, inside it is what appears to be a still-moving, bloodied severed head in a burlap sack, opening the sack reveals it to be full of oily, discarded machine parts. This costs 0/1 from unnatural.
* **THE RADIO ROOM** The agents encounter a door that looks strikingly modern and out-of-place. A plaque on it reads “Corps de Transmissions”.. Within are tables with Vietnam-era radio equipment. Agents that use the headphones on the tables will hear the sound of frantic screaming in French and the rattle of gunfire, as well as laughing and the sound of a gong before the transmission is overtaken with static. This costs 0/1 from Unnatural.
* **BLEEDING MAN** Agents come across a man clutching a sucking chest wound wearing a french Vietnam war-era uniform. He screams for his mother in French. Agents that attempt medicine or first aid cannot save him, no matter what. Witnessing him die costs 0/1d4 from violence.
* **REVOLUTIONARIES** The agents hear the crack of musket fire and hollering in the distance. A group of revolution-era Frenchmen are seen running down the street firing smoothbore muskets into the distance. One of them calls out for the agents before they are blown in half by cannon fire. Shortly thereafter, French loyalists arrive and, **if they see the agents**, will fire at them, but will disappear after one volley. (1 firearm roll for each agent, 40%, 1d8, armor ratings are considered double).
* **MAURICE AND THE MASTER**Maurice Tourangeau, clad in his french military uniform, is seen timidly walking the streets next to a man in a porcelain mask wearing tattered, golden robes vaguely reminiscent of a Pope’s - The Master. Maurice will regard the agents with fear and will refuse to leave with them or follow. If they draw weapons or attempt to kidnap him, the master will snap his fingers and children will burst from nearby doors and windows, physically restraining the agents while the Master throws his cloak over Maurice and the two vanish. The children will fight to restrain the agents for one turn, afterwards they promptly return to their homes.
* **THE YAWN PATROL** Tyler and Hurst may be encountered, kitted out in full KI-45RT equipment. They are searching for Maurice. Two alternate versions of this scenario are possible.
	+ **INTERCEPTION** It is possible for the agents to encounter both The Yawn Patrol and Maurice and the Master at once; this should be played as a three-way standoff. They will attempt to kidnap Maurice, though this isn’t likely to end up in their favor.
	+ **RETREAT** It is possible that the agents might encounter the Yawn Patrol in the aftermath of the above situation, with Tyler limping away, caked in blood. He will threaten but avoid the agents.
* **CAPTAIN SUNSHINE** Agents turn a corner and see the Master, as described above. He will face the agent with the lowest CHA (in a tie, the one with the fewest bonds), a child’s voice from under his mask will then say “The scolloped tatters of the King in Yellow must hide Yhtill forever”. A small child, with skin that appears to be made from light, will then emerge from under the Master’s robes and, lilting and dancing towards them, will attempt to touch them (Unarmed 50%), the child will pursue the agent for three turns before disappearing. The agent that is touched must make a SAN check. On a success, they lose 1 SAN and learn the next day that one of their bonds was harassed by one the Grim. On a failure, they lose 1 SAN and awaken in their lodgings, all the other agents asleep, and see Maurice Tourangeau sitting in a chair opposite them, having slit his wrists. Dead.

## Resolution

This scenario can allow agents to springboard into two different investigations - into Project COPPER and the Lonely, it is up to them and the handler to decide which they want to pursue. It can be accomplished in too many ways to be listed here.

## Entities and Artifacts

### Characters

#### Maurice Tourangeau

Maurice Tourangeau is the epicenter of the investigation - an elderly French vietnam veteran, spending his twilight years in miserable loneliness.
**Maurice Tourangeau**
*Wandering the Ruins, age 72*

**STR** 9 **CON** 9 **DEX** 9 **INT** 13 **POW** 10 **CHA** 9

**HP** 9 **WP** 10 **SAN** 48 **BREAKING POINT** 50

**SKILLS** Alertness 50%, Bureaucracy 35%, Craft (electronics) 45%, History 30%, Military Science (land) 45%, SIGINT 20%

**ATTACKS** none

#### Ruben Tyler

Ruben Tyler was formerly an operator in the NSA’s Remote Device Activities Unit. His responsibilities were mostly setting up surveillance equipment for the NSA to spy on American citizens. He eventually left the NSA to pursue a career with the Breckenridge Corporation, which eventually wound up with him working as an operator in Project COPPER. He isn’t a full-time member of the Yawn Patrol, but he has been drilled on the rituals they use for his operations.
**Ruben Tyler**
*Watching. Waiting.*

**STR** 15 **CON** 16 **DEX** 15 **INT** 10 **POW** 15 **CHA** 9

**HP** 15 **WP** 15 **SAN** 58 **BREAKING POINT** 45

**BONDS None.**

**MOTIVATIONS AND DISORDERS**

PTSD

Megalomania

Conquering the Dreamlands

Being an example to follow

Making money

Adapted to Violence

**SKILLS** Alertness 50%, Craft (Electronics) 40%, Craft (Locksmithing) 60%, Craft (Mechanic) 40%, Criminology 55%, Disguise 50%, Dodge 40%, Drive 50%, Firearms 47%, Law 40%, Melee Weapons 41%, Persuade 50%, Search 60%, Stealth 60%, Unarmed Combat 50%

**ATTACKS** Unarmed 60%, 1D4 damage.

Large knife 50%, 1D6+1 damage, AP 3.

Beretta Mod 92FS 60%, 1D10 damage.

H&K MP7 60%, 1D10 damage or 10% Lethality burst

**ARMOR** 5 (tactical body armor). (Only in the Dreamlands)

**RITUALS**: Dreamwalk (detailed in Whispers of the Dead Issue 2.2)

#### Angela Hurst

Angela Hurst was a corporal in the US Army before leaving and joining the Breckenridge Corporation. She has worked with the corporation for years, eventually being assigned to March Technologies’ Project COPPER, where she eventually became an operator with the Yawn Patrol.
**Angela Hurst**
*Dream Warrior*

**STR** 14 **CON** 14 **DEX** 14 **INT** 10 **POW** 12 **CHA** 8

**HP** 14 **WP** 12 **SAN** 48 **BREAKING POINT** 36

**BONDS**: Scott Hurst (Husband) 6, The Yawn Patrol 8,

**MOTIVATIONS AND DISORDERS:**

Getting paid.

Becoming a Yawn Patrol Captain.

Exploring the Dreamlands.

Being a badass.

Ligyrophobia.

Adapted to violence.

**Skills**: Alertness 60%, Athletics 60%, Firearms

60%, Dodge 50%, Heavy Weapons 50%, Melee

Weapons 50%, Survival 60%, Swim 60%, Unarmed

Combat 60%.

**Special Training**: Hand grenades (Athletics).

**Attacks**: Unarmed 60%, 1D4 damage.

Large knife 50%, 1D6+1 damage, AP 3.

Beretta Mod 92FS 60%, 1D10 damage.

H&K MP7 60%, 1D10 damage or 10% Lethality

Burst.

**Armor**: 5+1 (kevlar helmet and tactical body

armor). (Only in the Dreamlands)

**Rituals**: Dreamwalk, Speaking Dream

#### The Master

The Master is, in part, a manifestation of CptSnshn / the King in Yellow. It cannot be hurt by the players. This particular manifestation of it is based upon the antagonist from Tourangeau’s book.

### Lonely Phenomena

An excerpt from the Labyrinth’s section on The Lonely for those of you who are not in possession of it. These are phenomena that periodically manifest in and around the Lonely’s living quarters.

**DIMNESS**: A hallway, alley or other contained area is inexplicably dimmer than it should be. This includes both light and sound—noises in the area are muffled, almost distant, and hard to pinpoint. An observant Agent may realize there are shadows being cast amidst the gloom that have no plausible source. It is as if some invisible city is squatting on this patch of land and casting its own shadows into our world.

**CRIES AND WHISPERS**: Mysterious sounds of living people, unseen, momentarily manifest. These people seem unhappy, even miserable, or at times may whisper sensually and secretly but not loud enough to discern any words.

**FALSE DOORS**: A door may temporarily be present that is not normally there. It is smaller than a normal door, small enough that an average height person might duck their head slightly as they pass through. The door in no respect resembles the other doors in the area: different materials, colors, textures, and design. It is locked and if forced, there is nothing but a blank wall behind it.

**THE SMALL HAND**: An unseen, small hand takes hold of an Agent’s hand. It feels exactly like that of a young child. There is no one there, but the feeling persists until the Agent shakes it off or pulls their hand away. When they do, the feeling is gone. Have a private consultation with the player in which you tell them their Agent somehow knows that somewhere a child has just died, whom they could have saved if they had allowed themselves to feel rather than act. Look disappointed, even a touch disgusted, and end the conversation abruptly

## Credits

Alone in a Crowded Room was written by Fin Deeley for the 2022  Shotgun Scenario contest. Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hJJZwnXe349n81gBrKZaF73caFBe\_k0AAO2OE4knGLk/edit#.

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 © Fin Deeley, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Alone in a Crowded Room is not available here under CC-BY-SA.

For preservation purposes, an exported PDF of the original submission can be found here.