Nyctophobia

Nyctophobia should effect one Agent at first, but can infect the whole group. It can be spread out through a campaign, or be one session.

## The First Sign

It starts off small. The lights flicker. The shadowy corners seems emptier. Nights are more uncomfortable. It’s almost imperceptible how much it begins to quickly begin to get to the Agent. A hint of a presence. The feeling of eyes briefly watching. Sleep is less appetizing. And in the corners of vision, a figure always just out of sight.

## Step Two

The dark is darker. Colder. Emptier. The dark becomes undesirable. There is something in the darkness. It sees the Agent. It hears the Agent. It’s trying to get the Agent to go in.  Shadows seem to follow, the night seems to beckon. Just out of sight, a figure, lingering just too long.

## Step Three

It’s looking for the Agent. Places that shouldn’t be dark will be. Lights will burn out. Hallways will slowly dim to nothingness. Flames will be blown out. The dark will bleed into the light, sucking away at it. Getting caught in the dark will be cold and quiet. The darkness has a way of absorbing excess sound, heightening noise. The sound of breathing, walking, the heart beating, are all enhanced. And there’s something else breathing too. Something Darker.

## The Darker

The Darker is separate from the figure in the dark. The Darker is a creature that exists in pure darkness and as such cannot be seen. It’s breathing is rough and heavy, with a low, almost gator like hiss. It is large, roughly equal in size to a horse, and sounds like it walks on four, heavy legs. It’s flesh, if touched, is cold and sloughs easily, riddled with human canine-tooth like protrusions. It cannot see, but it can supposedly listen. And as long as the Agent remains in the dark, the more it will hunt.

## Step Four

The figure will whisper into the Agents ear. It will promise to take away the dark. To keep the beast at bay. It will hold back the silence. As long as the Agent listens. It is lying.

## The Figure in the Dark

The figure is always watching, always listening, always waiting. Vaguely human, it’s movements, if any, are always just… off. The Agent cannot fully form the shape of the figure mentally, so staring for too long may cause strange twists of logic in its shape and form. The figure may even be a puppet for something beyond the darkness made manifest. What the figure is is irrelevant. What matters are what it asks for. While the motivations and machinations of the figure are indecipherable, it’s requests become progressively stranger and more twisted. It may range from leaving a light off, to convincing a fellow Agent to follow them into the inky black shadows. Secretly unloading another’s gun, or simply smashing a power box. The figure may even instruct the Agent in certain rituals, requiring certain sacrifices.

The figure rules through fear, the constant threat of facing the Darker and being lost in the dark forever. A popular tactic to reinforce loyalty is to summon the Darker in the Agents sleep, inside wherever they may be resting.

## Banishing the dark

The figure rules though fear and paranoia. The Darker is a legitimate threat, but as long as the Agent reacts to the darkness with either of those emotions, the figure gains power. At any point before step 3, the Agent may have no difficulty curing themselves of the dark taint by simply facing the darkness head on. But once the figure makes contact, it may be too late for the Agent alone to save themselves. Confrontation with the figure may be dangerous, and may draw the attention of the Darker, but it may be the only chance to see the light again.

## Credits

Nyctophobia was written by J.A. Figueroa for the 2017  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 © J.A. Figueroa, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Nyctophobia is not available here under CC-BY-SA.