The Returning Lilith's Case

## Background

Around 2500 BC, a particularly powerful sorceress in Akkadia attempted to commune with Shub Niggurath in order to achieve immortality. She succeeded . . . in a manner of speaking. A meteor was called down, and through its influence she was transformed into a microscopic self-replicating material, which would infect humans and then over a week form a copy of her at the moment she completed the ritual. These copies would burst from their host’s in bloody fashion, often incredibly confused and disoriented, all believing they had just accomplished their ritual.

This material spread quickly through water sources and devastated remote villages as people drank the water and created more copies of her, oftentimes turning into ghost towns as the copies killed each other in a panic believing something to have gone terribly wrong.

Those infected by her would begin by seeing visions of a beautiful Akkadian woman performing some sort of dance at the edge of a river at night. They grow obsessed, sometimes even receiving images and knowledge of previous hosts (language, historical info, etc). At the end of a week of this, they are often isolated and alone as her copy finally bursts forth in a swift and violent gestation.

At the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, xenobots (biologically based nanobots) have been developed through funding and supplies lent out by March Technologies Biomedical division, leading to the unleashing of this problem. These xenobots are created from genetic material taken from African clawed frogs from Ethiopia. As a gift, March Technologies also privately gave Dr. Bongard a piece of a meteorite.

## Important Events

**First Birth, 25th of December (Year before):** The week before, a March Technologies team had unearthed a meteorite in Ethiopia (Outside Debra Tabor by Lake Tana). One of the diggers had come into contact with it, and then had fallen into the lake. No one observed him as he went further into the visions, until the birth occurred. The body was found, March Technologies cracks down and stops everything.

**Funding and the Gift, 6th of June:** March Technologies gives a grant to the University of Vermont to develop the xenobots. They send an agent with the initial experimental materials, and the frogs, and gave the meteorite to Dr. Bongard in order to recreate the incident in a more controlled environment.

**First Infection, 17th of December:** Luke accidentally pours a petri dish on himself at the lab. Begins to draw, and dream of, a beautiful woman.

**Second Infection, 20th of December:** Hui collects genetic samples from the frogs in order to create more xenobots, accidentally rips a glove. Begins to dream.

**Breakup, 20th of December:** Luke has a messy breakup with Allison as she found his drawings and believes he’s been seeing another woman. Luke halfheartedly denies, seems inattentive during the discussion. She leaves sobbing.

**Discovery, 22nd of December:** Dr. Levin finds the xenobots reproducing by kinetic replication, previously only believed to occur at the molecular level. Begins to look into further capabilities.

**Second, 24th of December:** Luke gives birth to one of the copies.

**25th of December:** Agents arrive on site.

**26th of December:** People begin to use their teachings from “Mother Lilith”.

**26th of December:** The March Technologies agents will arrive,attempting to interfere with the agents in a non-violent way.

**27th of December:** The third Lilitu will be born from Hui.

**29th of December:** If not stopped or apprehended by this date, Lilitu B will attempt a grand ritual to commune with Shub Niggurath in an attempt to receive answers. This ritual will have disastrous consequences, bringing the gods direct attention to the town, and warping everything. Mass hysteria will take place as the city devolves into wild hedonism and violence.

## Xenobot lab members

Research Assistant Luke Mathis (Deceased): Was responsible for preparing the solutions (sanitized lake water) that the xenobots were placed into, and then putting the xenobots into petri dishes with the solution. Got infected by the xenobots when he accidentally spilled a couple petri dishes on himself.

Research Assistant Hui Wei: Mid-twenties Asian woman, pixie cut hair with bright blue streaks, glasses. Had the same responsibilities as Luke. Seems very happy to be here but a bit dazed. She will give birth to a Lilith within the next day.

Head Researcher Dr. Josh Bongard: Mid-forties white man, gray close-cut hair, five o’clock shadow. incredibly happy with the newly discovered capabilities of the xenobots. Blissfully unaware of anything that is going on, riding the high of the scientific discoveries occurring within his lab. Focused on the computer science end of things, programming the xenobots.

Co Researcher Dr. Michael Levin: Early 50’s, light blue eyes, bowl cut brown hair and brown beard. Curious about the newfound capabilities of the xenobot’s, finds it strange that this just spontaneously happened. If asked many pressing questions may begin to suspect something’s wrong. Focused on the biological end of things, such as producing the xenobots. Hui and Luke worked under him.

## Other NPC’s

Lilitu: Akkadian woman who performed a ritual in order to obtain immortality, suddenly find herself in the present day. Multiple versions

       Lilitu (A): Was created in Ethiopia accidentally when a March Technologies funded archeology group unearthed the meteor. Has been alive for about a year now in modern times. Has adapted, and knows the modern age. Is hunting down the meteor to have a direct power source from Shub-Niggurath, and to set up regular intervals of reincarnation. Frustrated and on edge but knows she’s close. Has access to a large amount of funds, and is currently staying at a Marriot. Talks to people and explains magic as Guru “Mother Lilith'' in order to spread influence.

              Lilitu (B): Birthed just the day before. Incredibly confused and wounded, dressed only in a torn     window drape. At the time the players arrive, she is in the county jail, assumed to be a drunken vagrant. She is constantly trying to communicate with people but is growing frustrated. If left for two days she will escape violently.

              Lilitu (C): Upon being birthed she will wander into the streets, incredibly confused by her environment and directionless. If she runs into Lilitu B at this point, a terrified fight will ensue as they both believe the other to be false.

Allison Heeder: Mid-twenties, short bob cut with heavy bangs and a lot of mascara. If approached and told that Luke is dead, will have a breakdown over how she just broke up with him and that it's all her fault. Her natural assumption unless told otherwise is that he committed suicide due to his strange mental state. If not told, she will go on about how much of an asshole he is, and her suspicion that he was seeing another woman, as she found repeated drawings of her.

“Chandrika” Summer Levons: Stereotypical yoga mom, shoulder length bleached hair, dreamcatcher earrings. Has been receiving lessons from “Mother Lilith '' in order to receive true connection with the universe. Has been given a “mantra” that should summon a representative of the universe to help her on her way. (Lure the Hungerer)

Carson Phillips: Street performer who never had much talent. Spoke to “Mother Lilith” and was given words to help boost his confidence. Every time he does so, his audience grows larger. Is truly very thankful, and believes he is ready to take this from hobby to actual profession. (Infallible suggestion)

Gary and Veronica Hunter: Married couple that had been on the rocks for some time. Veronica talked to her new guru “Mother Lilith '' about it and was given a mantra that was promised to resolve it. Upon actually using it Gary and Veronica will have a breakdown, with Gary (in Veronica) screaming at Veronica (in Gary) about what a dumb bitch she is, how she could do this, etc. If left unresolved Gary will murder his own body before realizing what he’s done and turn himself in and beg for help. (Exchange Personalities).

Security Agent Trent Nolens: Mid-thirties, classically handsome white man with a sharp jawline and crew cut blonde hair. Appears to be amiable but is able to drop all pretenses at the drop of a dime. Is here to purely assess the security breach, know’s few details about the xenobot project, but reports directly to March Technologies. Is here to clean up anything “exotic”. Trent has cleaned up multiple “exotic” incidents.

Security Agent Jasmine Hurder: Early forties, plump and motherly looking African American woman, eager to lend a listening ear. Is apologetic if she is unable to disclose info but tries to be helpful. She is the more scientific of the agents, here to report on the actual details of what the meteor has done. Knows about the incident in Ethiopia, and that the specimen escaped. Is eager to find a living specimen and capture it. Does not know that the specimen is a woman of “exotic” capabilities, thinks it’s some sort of creature ala “Alien”.

## Lilitu Stats

**STR** 10 **CON** 14 **DEX** 13 **INT** 14 **POW** 17 **CHA** 16

**HP** 12 **WP** 17 **Sanity** 0

Adapted to helplessness and violence

**ARMOR:** Exaltation of the Flesh, 4 (lowers by 1 every time they are hit)

**SKILLS:** Unnatural 50%, Persuade 60%, Melee weapons 60%, Unarmed 50%

**ATTACKS:** Punch 50%, 1d4

**SPELLS:** Exaltation of the Flesh, Healing Balm, Pentagram of Power, Song of Power, Whispers of the Dead, Withering

## Security Agent Trent Nolens

**STR** 15 **CON** 14 **DEX** 13 **INT** 11 **POW** 10 **CHA** 9

**HP** 15 **WP** 10 **Sanity** 30

Adapted to violence

**ARMOR:** Kevlar Vest (3)

**SKILLS:** Athletics 55%, Criminology 40%, Demolitions 20%, Firearms 60%, Melee weapons 40%, Stealth 30%, Unarmed Combat 60%

**ATTACKS:** Punch 60%, 1d4+1

         Silenced Pistol 60%, 1d10

         Heavy Rifle 60%, 1d12+2, Armor Piercing 5

## Security Agent Jasmine Hurder

**STR** 10 **CON** 12 **DEX** 9 **INT** 16 **POW** 12 **CHA** 11

**HP** 11 **WP** 11 **Sanity** 60

**ARMOR:** Kevlar vest (3)

**SKILLS:** Computer Science 45%, Firearms 30%, Forensics 55%, Science (Biology) 65%, Search 50%, Unarmed Combat 40%

**ATTACKS:** Punch 40%, 1d4

                 Silenced Pistol 30%, 1d10

## Credits

The Returning Lilith’s Case was written by Adrian Ridley for the 2022  Shotgun Scenario contest. Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p3EP33WwDAC2-XRLEi1mkA87mJu0qVSfAmNTvzzm7xg/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 © Adrian Ridley, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

The Returning Lilith’s Case is not available here under CC-BY-SA.

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