In the Shadow of His Eye

## Overview

A friendly operating out of the FBI headquarters at Langley receives a manila envelope containing evidence of foul play at a youth camp in Palmer, Alaska. Amongst unremarkable photographs of Alaskan wilderness are medical documents, including an MRI scan showing a precise cube of gray matter missing from the patient's brain.

## The Truth

The Guiding Light Youth Retreat located in Palmer, Alaska is aimed at troubled youth and advertises itself as a means to help teens cope with the "anxieties of modern living".

The sender of the packet, a woman in her 60s named Catherine Coleson, received a letter nearly a decade ago from someone claiming to be her son. Catherine, who cannot remember having a son, began an obsessive journey into investigating where the letter came from.

In the years since, Catherine amassed evidence against the youth camp and what she believes is ongoing abuse against children. Photographs of the surrounding wilderness included in the packet all appear normal, but handwritten notes describe the local wildlife being "terribly off".

Her fears aren't unfounded, but her ability to perceive the changes to the local landscape is caused by her time investigating within the camp grounds. High above the camp sits an imperceptible orb belonging to Yog-Sothoth, casting a strange shadow over the camp that has permanently altered her perception. Catherine is dangerously close to uncovering a decades-long ritual to create a physical vessel for Yog-Sothoth.

## Briefing

Agents receive a text message to a burner phone; that their DoorDash order has been delivered. On their doorstep sits a white plastic bag of Chinese food, along with a Chinese takeout menu. The address and store hours have been replaced with "Terminal Maintenance Office, Juneau International Airport" and a date and time roughly 24 hours from now.

## Briefing

* Three days ago a friendly at FBI headquarters received a manila envelope from a woman in Palmer, Alaska.
* Contained photographs of the area surrounding the ‘Guiding Light Youth Camp’ located in Palmers outskirts.
* All photographs appear unremarkable, but have writing on the back describing peculiar features not visible.
* Also contained an MRI scan for J. Littler. Brain scan shows a perfect cube of gray matter missing from the patients temporal and occipital nodes.
* Last name matches with that of the current owner of the camp.
* Anomalous nature of the brain scan is what alerted the program.

## Objectives

* Establish contact with packet sender.
* Explore what she knows.
* Investigate the camp.
* Assess any threat.

## Catherine Coleson

Catherine Coleson, the sender, is a disheveled woman living in a caravan on the edges of Palmer.

When Agents approach her caravan, she shouts at them to keep their distance and identify themselves. Mentioning the evidence packet makes her much more enthusiastic to talk, though questioning her gets the Agents little that they haven’t already seen in the briefing.

Catherines behavior is erratic, she will ramble about gnarled and twisted plants on the campgrounds that grasped at her. She also mentions strange noises, headaches, and feeling like she kept seeing copies of herself in the distance.

If Agents mention the unremarkable photos, she dejectedly replies with “They just can’t see it yet” and heads into her caravan, returning a few minutes later with more ratty photographs.

The photographs showcase a section of sky above the youth camp that shows a perfect circle of empty air punched into the clouds, remarking that “no clouds ever touch that spot, and it seems to cast a shadow.”

If Agents press her on why she’s doing this, she emotionally describes a letter she received a decade ago from someone claiming to be her son, and pleading with her to save them from the camp. It was after this that she began her investigation, but ends with a teary-eyed admission that she doesn’t remember having a son, but gets a feeling that something was taken from her every time she looks at the letter.

## Guiding Light Youth Retreat

Persuasive Agents, or those who can prove legitimacy are welcomed to investigate the camp by its owner, Derrick. He tells agents that he’s accustomed to changing people's minds.

The camp consists of two barracks, a small cafeteria, and a fire pit. There’s also a small cottage a short distance away where Derrick lives.

The perfect circle in the clouds is visible during the Agents visit, but Derrick dismisses any comments.

## Speaking to Derrick

Derrick, the cheerful but “dim” camp owner, took over the camp after his fathers passing. He handles administration, activities, and cooking for the children. He speaks very little about his family, only stating that his fathers passing was difficult on everyone.

If pressed on his past, he explains that he was troubled as a child, but his fathers psychiatric work helped him overcome it. He reveres his father and the work he did while alive.

In Derrick’s cottage, he keeps his office door locked. There are many photographs lining the walls that showcase his father, mother, and sister. He will not speak about his mother or sister.

## Speaking to the Children

Agents won’t be allowed to speak to the children unless they have an official reason or are especially convincing. Even if they are allowed to speak to them, they find that they are mostly ignored by the children.

The children are divided into two buildings, Group A and B. Derrick makes no comment on it, but observant Agents notice that Group A children are noticeably stressed and appear to flinch and recoil at nothing. Group B children however, are calm and quiet. They engage in activities with meticulous care, but pay no attention to the Agents at all.

Derrick will mention that Group A children can sometimes be disruptive, so he keeps them separate, but become much calmer after their first groups session.

## His Shadow

As the Agents spend more time in the camp, they begin to notice that the open circle in the clouds is also casting a darkening shadow over the grounds. The plant life in the area becomes noticeably more twisted and shows signs of independent movement.
Loud unnatural noises in the distance can be heard and will cause children in Group A to flinch. Observant Agents may also notice that those in Group A keep their eyes down and refuse to look up in any way that would make the sky visible.

## Groups Preparation

After some time the Agents are asked to leave, Derrick will explain that there is much to prepare for. Any comments about the shadow are laughed off, and Derrick will respond that maybe they need to seek psychiatric help as well.

Agents won’t be allowed to attend or watch the session, Derrick emphasizes the importance of the children not being distracted from their mental healing.

## Group Therapy

The group session is hosted around a bonfire at the center of the camp. Children are divided into their groups while Derrick distributes dinner, giving a different meal to group A then B.

Derrick then begins the session by talking about stresses of modern living and how society encourages dysfunction and anxiety. Much of it can be boiled down to shallow messages about traditional living and mindfulness. During his speech, Group A becomes calmer and appears to drift into sleep.

After a short while a disheveled man in his underwear can be seen approaching the campfire from behind Group A. He is recognizable as Richard Littler if Agents spent time in Derrick’s home. Nobody in the group notices his presence and Derrick continues preaching.

Richard places one hand on a child’s head and thrusts the other upwards, towards the open circle in the clouds. He yells "EH-NA-SO-SHA-YOG-SO-TO-TA".

The head of the child peels open like a pomegranate, Richard plucks a perfect cube of gray matter and directs it upwards into a now visible massive black eye in the clouds. Their head then seals and the child calmly moves to sit with Group B, all unaware and listening intently.

As the piece of gray matter floats skyward, the eye begins a slow shift downwards to meet it. Richard, unless stopped, will continue on to the next in the group.

If interrupted by the Agents, Richard turns his focus to them. He will attempt to grab hold of them and peel their head open with hypergeometric sorceries to spill the contents of their skull skyward.

## Resolution

Stopping Richard ceases the ritual and the eyes descent. Derrick was never able to see Richard, being a victim of it as well. He thought the laced food would make them more willing to open their mind.

Group A children are forever traumatized by the experience, many of them will resort to harmful coping mechanisms or suicide.

Derrick and Group B are permanently changed. If examined or autopsied, they are all missing the same cube portion of their brain.

In the end, the hole in the cloud remains, but Agents no longer have their perception altered to see it. It remains in our lower troposphere and Agents will have to live with that knowledge.

## Stat Blocks

### Derrick Littler

**STR** 13 **CON** 14 **DEX** 12 **INT** 8 **POW** 8 **CHA** 10

**HP** 14 **WP** 8 **SAN** 40

**SKILLS**

Accounting 10%, Alertness 30%, Athletics 50%, Animal Training 30%, Bureaucracy 10%, Computer Science 20%, Dodge 30%, Drive 20%, First Aid 35%, Medicine 20%, Navigate 20%, Persuade 30%, Pharmacy 15%, Survival 40%, Unarmed Combat 20%,

### Group A Children

**STR** 8 **CON** 7 **DEX** 11 **INT** 9 **POW** 5 **CHA** 7

**HP** 8 **WP** 5 **SAN** 25

**SKILLS**

Alertness 20%, Art 15%, Athletics 30%, Dodge 30%

### Group B Children

**STR** 8 **CON** 7 **DEX** 11 **INT** 6 **POW** 8 **CHA** 7

**HP** 8 **WP** 8 **SAN** 40

**SKILLS**

Alertness 20%, Art 15%, Athletics 30%, Dodge 30%

### Richard Littler

**STR** 11 **CON** 9 **DEX** 12 **INT** 15 **POW** 15 **CHA** 10

**HP** 10 **WP** 15

**ARMOR**: See **Under His Shadow**

**SKILLS**

Alertness 40%, Athletics 30%, Dodge 40%, Melee Weapons 35%, Search 30%, Stealth 30%, Unarmed Combat 50%

**ATTACKS**

**Bone Shiv** 35%, Damage 1d6

**Expropriation Rite** 45%, Damage 1d12

**UNDER HIS SHADOW**: Richard is out of phase with reality, he has spent long enough under the shadow of Gomory that he exists almost entirely in Yog-Sothoths realm. Any attack that rolls an odd amount of damage or an odd number on a Lethality roll fails to connect.

**EXPROPRIATION RITUAL**: Richard attempts to grab on to the head of his target and shouts the ritual words outlined in the Group Therapy to hypergeometrically peel the victim's head open and spill its contents to the sky.

### Gomory, Eye of Yog-Sothoth

**HP** ∞ **WP** ∞

**DISCORPORATION**: A successful attack with a Lethality rating of 70% or higher may cause Gomory’s form to dissolve into the aether.

**SAN LOSS**: 1D10 Every round until the rite is stopped.

## Credits

In the Shadow of His Eye was written by Chris Wix (@pumped4nasheeds on Twitter) for the 2022  Shotgun Scenario contest. Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TpH7ROrTTjXVVxHSMC1pzlHkTK55w0FRFrDmRMWLV5s/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 © Chris Wix (@pumped4nasheeds on Twitter), excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

In the Shadow of His Eye is not available here under CC-BY-SA.

For preservation purposes, a PDF export of the original submission can be found here.