Shadowfall: Those Who Fight the Darkness

[TheBlakkat]

Shadowfall: Those Who Fight the Darkness

Before I start, I'd like to say that i've noticed a very similar story hour already in existence with a similar premise to this one (Talien's Delta Green Camapign Log). I'm still going to write this up and I'll try to make this as exciting and interesting as his, without overlapping too much. I don't think this'll be much of a problem because I've started writing my own adventures, but sometimes the content may overlap (I use some CoC adventures). With that said, onto the Story Hour!

This Story Hour is an account of my ongoing Shadowfall campaign. Shadowfall is a homebrew RPG (designed by yours truly) in which members of the Shadowfall organization put an end to supernatural threats against humanity. It borrows from The Call of Cthulhu Role-Playing Game and it’s Delta Green Campaign Setting but uses more traditional horrors as well as the abominations of the Cthulhu Mythos. The story hour will be written up in third person with an introductory post giving my opinion as a GM on how things went.

A Bit on the Campaign

Our Shadowfall campaign is a mixture of action and horror and is at times a bit of both. Some scenarios are converted Call of Cthulhu Scenarios, others are of my own creation. The first few scenarios are action-oriented and lighthearted (or at least lighthearted for a horror game) the scenarios following the Russia story arc will be more gritty and dark. If you guys have even a tenth of the fun reading this as I did running it, I will consider this Story Hour to be a success. Feel free to post comments, questions or ideas for the campaign, I’d love to hear what you have to say.

The Characters

Agent Clockwork (Samuel Fontaine, Deceased)

Samuel was a budding archeologist with a passion for Egyptian artifacts. Whilst on a research trip, exploring a mysterious tomb, he discovered a black sun-dial, the prison of an ancient and horrible evil. The Hound of Tindalos lying within murdered his coworkers but let him live. He lay wounded within the tomb for weeks, when a Shadowfall team found him. He begged to be allowed into the organization and is - was - the team’s research expert and talking man.

Agent Ghost (Cory Mel)

Agent Ghost is an ex-military with a bloody history. After witnessing his father murder his mother, he avenged his parent’s death and has been on the run ever since. He fled from law enforcement and personal enemies for a few years until he was abducted by aliens. He forgot most of the experience, but his attempts to uncover the truth led to recruitment by the Shadowfall Agency. He is the team’s infiltration specialist and is proficient with sniper rifles. He is also an excellent Pilot with unmatched skill in the cockpit of a plane. He is quiet and pensive but unafraid to take action when need be.

Agent Brick (Jack )

Little is known about Agent Brick before he joined the military as a young man. He quickly ascended the ranks and earned a multitude of medals when his platoon was eradicated by a Chthonian. He was recruited by Shadowfall shortly afterwards and his death was staged. He fights with a Desert Eagle and a Uzi and is an excellent gunman and driver, but has a predilection for making rash decisions and easily resorting to violence.

Agent Specter (Name Unknown)
Agent Specter arrived at the Shadowfall facility carrying the corpse of a horrible monster. After proving his talent, he was quickly allowed into Shadowfall no-questions-asked. He expertly wields all types of blades and has skill at infiltration that match Agent Ghost’s. Little else is known of agent Specter, but his skill is undeniable.

Agent Requiem: *Coming Soon*

Coming Up Next: Operation 1: Fair Game
Operation 1: Fair Game
Status: Complete
Location: Moosehead Hunting Range, Louisiana
Operatives Dispatched: Cory Mel (Agent Ghost), Jack (Agent Brick), Samuel Fontaine (Agent Clockwork)

I try to update once or twice a week (and sometimes more often) I'll try and get an update up every Sunday and, if i can, every Wednesday. I'll sometimes post a random update on other days, but don't expect more than one or two a week.

 

[TheBlakkat]

Shadowfall: Fair Game, Part 1

Operation 1: Fair Game

Part 1

‘’ Good-morning ladies!’’ droned Shark over the intercom in a smartass tone. Agent Brick’s eyes snapped open. The Shadowfall Agent was lying on the bottom half of his bunk-bed. The top half was occupied by his fellow agent and teammate, Agent Ghost. Lazily, he lifted himself out of the bed, whilst his coordinator - Shark, that is - continued his speech.

‘’ Today’s the big day! It’s your first mission! Now get yourselves down to the armory ASAP.’’

The agents hit the floor at the same time. Agent Ghost struck the ground silently, had Brick not seen it with his own eyes, he would have been unaware of the agent’s landing. Brick caused a loud ‘’THUD’’ as his feet made contact with the floor, despite his fall lasting a mere instant and his feet having traversed just a few inches, a sheer testament to his weight. The Agents threw on their clothes, bulletproof vests concealed beneath trench coats and tuxedoes, before exiting the tiny room and making their way through the base’s deserted white halls. Brick’s steps thudded against the concrete floors whilst Ghost’s made not a sound.
Arriving at the armory, the duo was greeted by their coordinator, who was dressed in a tuxedo and fedora as well as a pair of shades.
‘’ Okay guys. Choose your toys wisely because you’ve got a wealth cap. You’re not getting much from us till you’ve proved your worth the cash we put into your training. Waste of money, if you ask me.’’

Agent Ghost walked through the weapon-filled room and pulled the first scoped rifle he could find off of it’s shelf. Throwing it in the air and catching it with the other hand, he nodded to himself and threw it into a backpack that was leaning on a nearby wall. The rifle was quickly followed by a pistol and a trio of grenades. He passed the backpack to Shark, who approved his choice. Agent Brick spent far longer looking through the vast array of weaponry before greedily removing a duo of Uzis, a Desert Eagle as well as a Scar-H and a bagful of C-4. As he began to put the weaponry in his backpack, he caught a look from Shark and put back one of the Uzis, the Scar-H and most of the C-4. Swearing under his breath he threw the backpack on.
‘’ Well then. Get into the Falcon. We’re heading to Louisiana. You’ll get briefed once we get there’’

‘’What’s the Falcon?’’ asked Brick, bewildered.

‘’Oh’’ chuckled Shark ‘’ that’s your private jet’’.

Brick and arrived at the Louisianan Shadowfall branch an hour or so later. It was a small and dingy building far smaller and less majestic than the NY branch. As they entered the isolated building, which lay in the midst of an empty plain, they were greeted by a blond woman with blue eyes and blond hair. She had a serious expression on her face and her hair was tied into a bun.

‘’Follow me please’’ said the woman in a monotone voice. After a short walk at a brisk pace, they reached a door with the words Director’s Office written in gold letters. The woman left them there and, moments later, the door swung open. Inside, a chubby man with black hair and a short beard sat at an aged wooden desk. He wore a single gold ring on each of his fingers and his face was adorned by a pair of reading glasses. A potted plant sat on the edge of the desk and a multitude of cubist paintings were hung on the walls, which were covered in burgundy paint. On the other side of the desk sat a thin, short man taking slow, short sips from a glass of brandy. He wore a checkered shirt and a pair of ragged jeans and looked to be somewhere in his mid-twenties.

‘’ Please, have a seat’’ said the director, in a deep, thundering voice. Once all were seated and the door shut, he spoke once more. ‘’ This is Agent Clockwork. He will be the third member of your team.’’ The director motioned at Agent Clockwork, who didn’t react at all. The director continued talking. ’’ As for your mission. You’re heading to the Moosehead Hunting Grounds. Hunters have been disappearing daily and the few remaining guests are too terrified to leave. You need to go there, find who or what is picking them off and destroy it before it takes more lives. Any questions?’’
The man paused, waiting for someone to speak. When no one did, he continued speaking.

‘’No? In that case, you may proceed to garage to select a vehicle.’’

***​

The Agents selected a black SUV and, after stashing all but a single pistol in the trunk, were zooming down the highway on their way to the Moosehead Hunting Grounds. Brick had one hand on the wheel, easily maneuvering the car and listening to a blaze of AC/DC music which was emerging from the vehicle‘s speakers; Ghost was gazing out the window on the passenger seat, examining the surrounding marshes. The last of their team, Agent Clockwork, sat alone in the back, quietly reading a book. A half hour later, the agent driving the car exited the highway and examined the map, easily making his way to a narrow, dirt road leading to the chalet. The SUV careened down the road, which was surrounded by a bog-like marsh, the darkened trees casting shadows on the road, filling the area with an aura of menace despite it being midday. The agent’s gaze surveyed the swamplands, looking for any form of threat. As they drove down the road, uneasily, Brick’s eyes picked up on a grenade flying out of the marshes, on the left of the vehicle.
Acting quickly, the Agent swerved the car and managed to protect it from the majority of the impact. Three men, two armed with daggers, the third unarmed, charged out of the woods, dressed in ragged, dirty clothes. They had unclean, matted hair and yellowed teeth, some of which were missing. One came from the right whilst the other two were on the vehicle’s left. The first of them reached the car and ripped the van’s door off its hinges! Ghost, seeing the man’s intention, pulled Brick’s desert eagle from it’s holster and fired off two shots. The first flew over the man’s head whilst the last struck him in the shoulder, making him drop his weapon. Undeterred, the man leapt onto Brick and bit a chunk of flesh out of his neck, which began to bleed profusely. The man eagerly lapped up the blood, unaware of Brick’s fist flying towards his jaw. The assailant flew through the air and landed a few feet from the car, where he lay, dead.

‘’ That’ll teach him’’ mumbled Brick as he wrenched his weapon from his fellow operative’s hands and aimed a shot at a nearby attacker, the unarmed one, who leapt through the air to avoid the bullet, narrowly avoiding the bullet. As he charged towards Brick, he didn’t notice the car door that swung open and struck him in the face, stunning him. Samuel Fontaine - Agent Clockwork, that is - grinned. His blow had been quite effective.

‘’I’m not as useless as you’d think.’’

‘’Damn right’’ replied Brick as he administered a killing strike in the form of a chunk of steel fired from a gun on the man’s temple.

The last of the attackers went unseen by the agents. Punching through the glass, he swung his knife at Agent Ghost, who screamed out in pain. He attempted to wrench the blade away from the man, after a short while, he felt his opponent’s grip loosen. He lifted the blade up in triumph, but his victory was short-lived. The man unlocked the door from the inside and pulled it open. Easily avoiding Ghost’s blade, he sunk his teeth into his target’s chest, but was unable to harm the man before the knife found it’s mark, severing his jugular.

‘’Whew’’ sighed Ghost ’’That was a close call’’

‘’No kidding’’ grinned Brick, secretly happy to get some blood on his hands ‘’I freaking hate flesh-eaters’’

‘’ I suppose we should retrieve our weapons. In case we run into more cannibals’’ muttered Clockwork.

‘’Good call. Let’s go’’

Retrieving their gear, the group failed to notice yet another cannibal behind them. Approaching stealthily, he managed to position himself behind Agent Clockwork and sink his teeth into his victim’s neck. Screaming, he attracted Cory’s attention, who lifted his rifle from the trunk and, leaping to the side, managed to get a clear shot on the cannibal, too busy feasting to retaliate. The bullet passed through his head, killing him instantly.

Worried laughter erupted between the group as they returned to the car. As they did, they noticed the condition of the back wheels: both were destroyed.

‘’Damn!’’ shouted Brick, kicking the useless SUV. ’’ I guess we’ll be walking’’.

‘’ At least we're getting some exercise’’ replied Clockwork. His smile faded when he caught Brick’s look. ‘’ Let's get moving’’ he grumbled mirthlessly.

Examining their surroundings and surveying the woods as they marched, the eager recruits were oblivious that a danger far greater than any mere man lay hidden in this swamp of death.