Dark Midnight, Hear My Cry

***Content Warning: This scenario’s content may touch on homophobia, transphobia, conversion therapy, religious abuse and scenes of blood and gore.***

## The Missing

**Luca** was last seen sneaking out of their room at a  homeless shelter apartment. That was a week ago. No one has seen them since. The shelter finally filed a police report three days ago. Police shrugged it off as just another runaway.

You are the hardworking staff and volunteers of the **Center for the Missing Child**, Minnesota. Your job is to find the Missing, no matter what else you might find along the way…

### The Search

You are all called to a very early morning meeting with a CMC Supervisor: Dr. Brenda Nichols, (call her Dr. Brenda, or else). Dr. Brenda is grim on Luca’s chances. She wants you to investigate. Brenda goes over Luca’s file:

Aged 17, **deadname** *Jonah Moorland*. Luca has a storied history of runaways and elopements. They’ve been in and out of shelters and school. The parents sent them to **Finding Mercy Treatment Center**, to *pray the gay* out of them. Shockingly, it didn’t take. The last time they came to the shelter they were treated by the onsite doctor. They found bruising, signs of abuse, low blood pressure and platelets due to malnutrition. Luca said nothing. Then they snuck out and disappeared days later.

## The Investigation

As members of CMC you have *deep* connections to the government. In the state of Minnesota, CMC works closely with *FBI human trafficking taskforce*. This partnership has given the non-profit a lot of clout needed to navigate the government bureaucracy and law enforcement. Dr. Brenda has worked with **ASAC David Lindquist** before. Investigators should contact him if they need law enforcement resources. The best places to start are asking around at the **shelter**, **family**, and **Finding Mercy**.

### Shelter

Luca was last seen leaving late at night out of a shelter apartment run by CMC partner, **Lost but Found**, a youth shelter. The shelter here is temporary, emergency housing, with a long waiting list for long term housing. They were far down the  list. There was a fight over a stolen **fancy Kilroy lighter**. Luca turned it over, but it disappeared after Luca eloped. The whole encounter spooked Luca. They said someone was “out for their blood!”

Luca left belongings behind, oddly no one swiped. There was Something unnerving about that shopping bag of clothes, a book titled: The **Gates of Apophis**, and **strange pages** torn from a sketchbook. The earlier is a gnostic book of demons and magic. The pages are filled with religious imagery, occult symbols and what look like spiral galaxies, inked in red. *Wait is that blood?* (SAN v. Helplessness 0/1) Those with any sense of *occult* know this is a diagram resembling 1st century Gnostic ritual, but it's incomplete.

Investigators are directed to check with **Grayson**, their only friend from the shelter. Grayson had to leave due to needs and crowding. She left a contact number. Investigator's call rings, and rings and rings…

### Family

Investigators arrive at the lakefront home of a very evangelical family in Greenwood, MN, where sadness and guilt are buried behind a white picket prison only Luca’s father, **Mike**, has the keys to. He obfuscates  while his weepy, defensive wife, **Janet**, deflects blame onto the Shelter, CMC, and “this sick society.” Luca’s tween sister, **Sarah**, eavesdrops while *rapidly texting*. Her parents keep her FAR away from any questions. Investigators will want to talk to her. She has secrets to tell.

Luca’s room looks sanitary. The windows are barred and the door locks from the hallway. Another **strange page** hides, lost under the bed. It is even less decipherable than the last. Combined with the first page, contains a name referenced from the book, **Shezmu, Lord of Blood**.

*Family Secrets*

Sarah is reluctant to share her experience. She does not think anyone will believe her. The night Luca ran away, Sarah’s sleep was disturbed by a waking nightmare, Luca pinned to the ceiling above her. She tried to scream but couldn’t. After ages, Luca woke, and floated down. Luca was terrified. A man at Mercy did something terrible to them. Sarah told them to run away. It was the only way they’d be safe. Luca packed their bags and left that night, but left a contact number.

They’ve been texting, but they haven’t responded for two days. The number is the same one Grayson gave.

### Finding Mercy

Agents are greeted by a sign, *“Jesus Christ is Lord of Annandale,”* as they enter town. This "treatment center,” run by an evangelical free church still operates thanks to the state House killing a ban on conversion therapy. The campus looks a lot like a summer camp with cabins, a chapel, indoor gymnasium and even a tennis court. Staff greet with a smile, but will only speak if they have an appointment, or can talk their way in.

The representatives will be clinical, but friendly. They come armed with arguments, and are never alone. If investigators press, one might draw a camera or a phone. They will outright deny using exorcisms, they call it, “Spiritual Interventions.” If they get access (by whatever means) to their records, they get the names of all attendees of the Exorcism. One of them is the **Accomplice**. They recognize him.

### The Witness

The number can be pinged by tapping their law enforcement contact. It leads to a sketch AirBnB.

When they arrive the run down residence is silent. The door is ajar. Inside, they see the same markings from the Strange Pages lining the floor and walls. Furniture hangs as if glued to the ceiling. **Grayson** lies pinned to the ceiling like a moth specimen in a glass case. If any investigator has cuts, they bleed, dripping upward to the ceiling onto Grayson. Grayson speaks in a strange language, mad with fear. The ritual did not work. They are still marked. Just like Luca. But where is Luca? They must be at the church… but where is it. She can not remember. **Shezmu** still Consumes, now from within. They Hunger!

## The Acolyte

The acolyte has been following them for sometime. He too was looking for Luca, that they may be “purified of the sinful blood.”

He is employed by **Finding Mercy**, and finds it fruitful hunting ground, taking them to the **Condemned Church** and performing his dark rituals. When they eventually leave, he hunts them on the streets.

The investigators first encounter him or his **Accomplice** at the Shelter. If investigators speak to the Accomplice on his smoke break, he draws the **fancy lighter**. How they get anything else out of him, is up to them.

The accomplice can lead investigators to the church, either by force or tailing him. He and the Acolyte may even show up at the hospital to take Grayson. The acolyte is not as easy. He has the power of “The Angel.”

## The Condemned Church

The church is way off the map. Beyond a gravel terminus in an unkempt Wisconsin state park. It’s steeple, still barely standing, rises above the thicket like a gravestone, paint peeling and overgrown with ivy.

A strong metallic smell and a dusty damp haze greets them after forcing open the boarded up door. Walls and floors are covered in occult markings, a mockery of christian symbolism. The pews hang from the ceiling. A single **metal bowl** sets at the center of the narthex. Wet drops of blood hit their hands. Nothing drips down from the rafters, but drips up from a rotted floor. (SAN v. Unnatural) This will soon be followed by a realization that Luca and many other victims lie trapped under the floorboards.

The **Acolyte** grovels, muttering biblical verse, speaking in tongues (**Aklo**). The **accomplice** gibbers in awesome terror.  Investigators who read the **strange pages** see the slowly spinning arms of **The Hunger Cosmic**. (SAN v. Unnatural) A starry tendril descends towards any NPC and draws their blood out of thin air. The victim goes weightless unspooled from the physical law, and float towards its blood spackled galactic cluster. (SAN v. Unnatural)

The metal bowl is a Tibetan singing bowl. Scraping the mallet inside, playing a melodious hum, paralyzes the entity. The Hunger has other means of attack, this won’t hold it off for too long.

## Conclusions

The investigators can flee. Eventually Delta Green Agent Swanson hears of this. The church burns down with all inside. They become Friendlies. (Lose 1d4 SAN)

They can banish the entity by completing the ritual from the Red Book sitting on a pew, on the ceiling or the **Strange Pages**. The ritual is dangerous and takes several rounds. If successful, The Hunger is banished back to the **Dark Between the Stars**. (Gain 1d6 SAN) Pews fall, the church soon follows.

Investigators pry up the floorboards, dragging Luca, perhaps others, from the church. (Gain 1d4 SAN for rescuing Luca, +1 for every other victim) Next time investigators gaze up at a dark midnight, they wonder is cosmos only this dark, because it is not lit up red with blood?

References

https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2015/08/minnesota-exorcism-church.html?m=1

https://lesley.edu/article/the-cost-of-coming-out-lgbt-youth-homelessness

## Stats

### The Hunger Cosmic

Use the stats for the Feaster from the Stars (HG pages 197-198) with the following changes:

**EXSANGUINATION**: As written except victim must make a CONx5 roll to resist blood loss each round.

**FEAST UPON MEMORIES**: If unable to feed, the Hunger attacks any sentient minds present, drawing on their pain. It begins to drain from them their feelings their emotions towards their loved ones, their passions, their **Bonds** and **Motivations**. Targets must roll vs. POW to resist its Hunger, otherwise it steals from them 1d4 points from their Bonds. If it attacks a motivation it does 1d6 SAN damage as it undermines who you are. They can prevent this unnatural attack by spending 1d4 WP. However, the Hunger’s attack becomes stronger each time it gains WP, requiring a harder POW roll.

**THE REACH COSMIC**: the laws of physics break around this creature and its victims. It uses this to latch onto victims and draw them (or their blood see **Exsanguination** HG page 198) towards it, **grappling** them and unspooling them in time. It could take a thousand years to devour one victim, or mere seconds. Victims may act: fighting, talking, grabbing any nearby object, but only a CON roll against the Hunger can free them. 60% Stun first round, thereafter, grappled. (replaces **Limb Flail**)

**STATIONARY**: The Hunger was summoned here long ago by a long forgotten cult, and trapped. It floats in waiting to feed any passerby or tribute. (Replaces **Tumbling Flight**)

**TRANSCENDENT**: The Hunger Cosmic are intangible, and cannot be harmed by any material weapon or substance. Whether any given hypergeometric attack affects the Hunger is up to the Handler. (replaces Unnatural Biology)

## Credits

Dark Midnight, Hear My Cry was written by Will Schar 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 © Will Schar, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Dark Midnight, Hear My Cry is not available here under CC-BY-SA.