TOGA Party

## **Introduction**

This scenario was written to take place in New York City during the COVID pandemic with characters working from home, but could be set wherever you’ll find financiers and programmers e.g. Boston or Silicon Valley.

## **Briefing**

The creators of a new cryptocurrency called TOGA are promoting an initial offering, with public access to their blockchain due to happen soon. Analysis of images and phrases posted on social media, as well as the claimed properties of the system, have led our people to believe that TOGA has unnatural properties. Investigate the developers and shut the thing down before we end up with another decentralized vector spreading through the internet.

## **The threat**

Edith Jeong, a successful Wall Street investor and worshipper of the Dark Mother, has recruited quantitative analyst Marcin Lewycki into her coven. Marcin realised that by weaving certain invocations into code, he could create a blockchain system that harvests life force from humans as part of its mining process. He worked on this with app developer Shaun Kearney, who has been responsible for creating smooth and professional software to try lure people into using their coin as well as being its main promoter on social media.

They hope that their offer of an easy-to-use yet anonymous platform, energy-efficient mining and strong demand for the coin (from Edith) will get people mining TOGA, which the cultists can purchase as a ready source of sacrificial energy.

Since TOGA is not yet on public release, only the cultists and a few “early access” testers (victims) have been using it but having this in the public domain could be a real headache.

## **TOGA Properties**

TOGA is a decentralized sacrificial system. Although it largely operates like a regular proof-of-work blockchain, it requires life energy drained from its surroundings in order to validate transactions. If an individual spends any time around a device mining TOGA, they lose up to **1d6 WP** for that day and experience visions and strange dreams, losing **0/d4 SAN** to unnatural. The toll can be paid in other ways. Individuals that do things pleasing to Shub-Niggurath may find they don’t have to pay the WP cost.

Visions experienced by those mining TOGA may include knowledge of a specific wallet public key. Sending tokens here results in blessings from the Dark Mother and can be used to pay the cost for certain hypergeometric rituals.

It is possible to transmit the TOGA software via human consciousness. If someone has seen TOGA running on a device, the Handler should make a secret POW roll for them. If they fail, they find that their devices start mining it too. After that, they can transmit it accidentally on secret POW success at times that seem appropriate to the Handler- potentially to bonds or other Delta Green agents.

TOGA cannot be uninstalled through regular means and requires some kind of sacrifice to remove, such as a one-time cost of 2POW or 20WP worth of TOGA. Agents with **Comp Sci** inspecting the source code find it should not work at all and that they are unable to follow its operations. Successfully building or running it will result in **0/2 SAN** loss. Agents with **mathematics** reviewing TOGA’s calculations or Marc’s notes will have a similar experience.

TOGA also changes the environment where it’s mined, as is most obvious in Salman’s apartment. Agents should see strange plants and animals, a humid atmosphere with odd smells and people acting strangely.

## **Characters**

**Shaun Kearney**- Unemployed app developer and the only public-facing developer of TOGA. Shaun feeds the TOGA blockchain through frequent and increasingly bizarre sexual activities. Shaun is becoming disturbed by his impulses and the strange visions that he’s been having. Shaun spends the TOGA that he mines on boosting his strength, appearance and energy.

**Dr Marcin “Marc” Lewycki**- A talented mathematician working as a quantitative analyst at Capricorn Asset Management. He keeps his involvement in TOGA secret from the public but can be found via his connections with Shaun or Salman e.g. tailing Shaun, seeing Marc’s contribution to the TOGA source code or e-mail correspondence with Salman. He is tall, obese and constantly eating.

**Edith Jeong** – One of the most successful fund managers working at Capricorn Asset Management. She’s versed in the worship of the Dark Mother and has been using this to her advantage in finding avenues for growing her wealth. She worked with Marc on the hypergeometric functions worked into TOGA. However, she doesn’t have the technical knowledge to follow through with the release by herself. Shaun isn’t aware of her identity but she can be found via Marc, through investigating Capricorn or by tracing the source of Shaun’s rent.

**Salman Azad**- Crypto enthusiast and tester. Salman was pushing TOGA enthusiastically on social media with the phrase “TOGA is life”. He’s still posting but his messages have turned into nonsensical ramblings and his family and friends are concerned about him.

**Martine Perry**- Shaun’s neighbour. She never thought much of Shaun previously but now attends his flat regularly and reports feeling increasingly exhausted. She mentions that A LOT of people are visiting him and seems jealous about this.

## **Locations**

**Shaun’s apartment**- Shaun lives in an apartment that’s better than what he should be able to afford given he’s unemployed and spends all his time posting online, researching the occult, and attempting to get laid. Investigation finds that he only moved in fairly recently and that a mysterious benefactor (Edith) is paying his rent. A steady stream of people enter and leave the apartment for liaisons with Shaun. Agents should be able to find a laptop containing clues such as the TOGA source code or communications with Marc.

**Marc’s apartment**- Marc could have a nicer apartment than Shaun without it being suspicious, but he doesn’t. It’s pretty nasty, with rotting food packages and strange plants growing everywhere. Anyone with **biology or botany** knowledge will notice rare species from various biomes that shouldn’t be growing together naturally in a New York apartment. When the agents turn up, so do four large pizzas. Older pictures of Marc show that he has gained a lot of weight recently.

**Edith’s home**- Large, well-furnished dwelling in a nice area. It contains fish tanks, beautifully maintained exotic plants and art on the walls showing gruesome scenes or impossible creatures. Certain rooms lead to a house in an unknown rural location with no cell phone signal (**0/1d4 SAN**). Outside in this location there is a “ritual area” containing a large, low table with etchings in it, places for candles and a locked box containing bloody implements. Edith feeds TOGA through sacrificial rituals, inflicting misery, spreading life (including disease) and investing in businesses that please the Dark Mother. Edith’s house should be guarded by a concierge or security guard.

**Salman’s apartment**- This is a small apartment with a bedroom door that opens up into a snowy forest (**0/1d4 SAN**) and a long cable leading from a wall socket into the trees.  Agents need a successful POW check to find an insane Salman Azad has partially transformed into a tree which is merged into his mining computer (**0/1d6 SAN**). The agents may also encounter a bear.

**Capricorn Asset Management offices**- Expensive offices in a financial district tower block with a number of armed security guards. Most employees aren’t aware of any unnatural connections. They won’t want to cooperate formally without legal counsel present.

## **Potential set pieces**

* Capricorn Asset Management reopens after lockdown, giving Edith and Marc a chance to install their software on the office computers.
* TOGA releases early, either onto the general internet or via consciousness transmission, and the agents need to work out how to minimise the damage.
* If given enough warning and if under pressure, Edith or Marc may decide to summon a Decentralized Horror (stats below).  This slimy, formless monstrosity is capable of travelling through the internet, appearing through electronic devices and being in multiple places at once. If it successfully consumes a victim, they may become phantoms in the network and continue to haunt the agents when they use websites or apps.

## **Resolution**

Edith and Marc in particular are likely to try and discreetly escape abroad if they think the agents are onto them but will cause havoc if they’re threatened and need a distraction. A regretful Shaun is more likely to cease his activities or even help the agents. A likely climax will involve a confrontation at the Capricorn offices or at an apartment. This will probably get the attention of security, other residents and the police.

If TOGA is released, the agents will still need to take down the initial cult and describe how they minimise the damage. If Edith is either disposed of or persuaded not to pump the value of TOGA then it may fizzle out on a luck roll, joining all the other blockchain projects that never took off. Removing TOGA from a number of devices is likely to need some kind of significant sacrifice that the Handler deems appropriate.

## **Character stats**

### **Shaun Kearney**- Beautiful face of TOGA

STR 16 CON 12 DEX 12 INT 10 POW 12 CHA 17

HP 14 WP 12 SAN 40 Disorders: Sleep disorder, Depersonalization disorder

Unarmed 50%, Melee 30%, firearms 20%, Occult 20%, Unnatural 10%, comp sci 60%, SIGINT 40%, Mathematics 40%, crafts (electrician, mechanic, microelectronics) 30%, Dodge 50%, Disguise 20%, HUMINT 40%, Persuade 40%

Suggested rituals : Exaltation of the flesh, healing balm

### **Dr Marcin “Marc” Lewycki-** Hungry mathematician

STR 14 CON 11 DEX 8 INT 17 POW 14 CHA 8

HP 13 WP 14 SAN 40 Disorders: Paranoia, Addiction (Food)

Unarmed 40%, Melee 30%, firearms 20%, comp sci 50%, SIGINT 50%, Mathematics 70%, Occult 30%, Unnatural 15%, crafts (electrician, mechanic, microelectronics) 30%, 30% accounting

Suggested rituals: Withering, fascination, changeling feast

### **Edith Jeong**- Investing more than money

STR 10 CON 11 DEX 11 INT 16 POW 17 CHA 14

HP 11 WP 17 SAN 20 Disorders: Megalomania, fugues, obsession (wealth), paranoia

Unarmed 40%, Melee 30%, firearms 30%, Unnatural 30%, Occult 50%, Science (Biology) 20%, Accounting 50%, Bureaucracy 50%, HUMINT 40%, Persuade 60%, Law 20%, pharmacy 10%,

Suggested rituals: Exchange personalities, healing balm, petrification, fascination, infallible suggestion, obscure memory.

### **Security staff at Capricorn and Edith’s apartment building**

STR 13 CON 13 DEX 11 INT 11 POW 11 CHA 10

HP 13 WP 11 SAN 55 BREAKING POINT 44

SKILLS: Alertness 50%, Dodge 40%, Drive Auto 50%, Firearms 50%, HUMINT 40%, Law 30%, Melee Weapon, 50%, Persuade 40%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 50%.

ATTACKS: H&K USP 9mm pistol 50% (Damage 1D10, 15 shots, Base Range 15 m.)

Night stick 50% (Damage 1D6+1)

Unarmed 50% (Damage 1D4)

ARMOR AND EQUIPMENT: Kevlar vest (Armor 3), two extra pistol magazines, flashlight, a dozen cable ties (for use as plastic handcuffs).

### **Black Bear**

STR 23 CON 16 DEX 10 POW 10

HP 20 WP 10

ARMOR: 4 points of fur and thick hide.

SKILLS: Alertness 70%.

ATTACKS: Bite 30%, damage 2D8.

Claws 50%, damage 2D6 and hold (see HOLD).

HOLD: A claw attack that rolls an odd number for damage also pins the target

### **Decentralized Horror**

*Manifestation of unsustainable electronic growth. This slimy, constantly shifting shape travels through the internet once summoned and tries to drag victims into the network.*

STR 22 CON 30 DEX 16 INT 11 POW 14

HP 26 WP 14

SAN Loss: 1/1d6

Armor : 4 points of slime

Skills : Alertness 50%, Move through network 60%, Athletics 85%

Attacks: Smash 55% damage 2d6, Grasp 55%

Move through network: On a successful roll, the Horror will disappear into any internet-connected device and can reappear at one (or more) others.

Smash attack: Human-sized target must make a STR test or be knocked prone.

Drag into network: If a human target goes prone nearby, the Horror will attempt to grapple them with one or more of its limbs. If successful, it will take them into the device where it came from never to escape. The remnants of the person’s consciousness may still appear to others or communicate with them via the internet but they will no longer have a physical form.

Unnatural biology: Making a called shot for “vitals” only inflicts normal damage.

Focused transcendence: When focused on a single target, the Horror becomes immune to all physical attacks from that target. It is still vulnerable to all other attacks.

## Credits

TOGA Party was written by herebetigers for the 2021  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 © herebetigers, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

TOGA Party is not available here under CC-BY-SA.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GCzBnVwxqAH9Pet\_jYy6fkV5BO6AMEGLD803iuE3ioE/edit