Delta Green: Whispers in the Darkness, Occult Action and Intrigue
Choose federal law enforcement. Choose the military. Choose NASA or the CDC. Choose lying to your superiors. Choose to ruin your career. Choose no friends. Choose divorce. Choose life through the bottom of a bottle. Choose destroying evidence and executing innocent people because they know too fucking much. Choose black fatigues and matching gas masks. Choose an MP5 stolen from the CIA loaded with glasers, with a wide range of fucking attachments. Choose blazing away at mind numbing, sanity crushing things from beyond the stars, wondering whether you'd be better off stuffing the barrel in your own mouth. Choose The King In Yellow and waking up wondering who you are. Choose a 9mm retirement plan. Choose going out with a bang at the end of it all, PGP encrypting your last message down a securely laid cable as an NRO Delta wetworks squad busts through your door. Choose one last Night at the Opera. Choose Delta Green.
— An Agent Long Gone
— An Agent Long Gone
You are sat in a room filled with peculiar characters you've met only an hour ago, or maybe you remember some faces, or know some names by reputation in the circles you're commonly found in. Scientists, scholars, as well as types you'd find in warzones or unmarked police cars, driving or riding in the back. Either way, it isn't every day you get a flight paid for by... well, you're not really sure. All is quiet in the small house here in Blackriver, West Virginia, that will be your home for the foreseeable future- even though the future could hold anything at this point. Finally, a familiar man emerges from the door to the garage and smiles in a way that is too genuine to be trustworthy. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen, let's begin shall we?"
==Days Earlier==
You sit on the edge of your bed, the news playing in the background with a litany of what's wrong in the world- murders, kidnappings, pesticides, the war on terror, etc. You clutch a phone in your hand- not yours, a pre-paid thing of the past- waiting. Thinking and waiting.
The meeting with the higher-ups was odd. Told you to be at the meeting place- it could've been a coffee shop, a dive bar, a museum, a library, anywhere- but only if you got the go-ahead from the only number programmed on the phone. There was a man you'd never met before there, just sitting at the table, but eating and lounging as if no one else could see him. He wasn't even dressed like the others. The higher-ups asked you the routine questions- things about drug use in the past, past employment, what you were responsible for now in your current career. It was almost like a damned review, but nothing of that type was scheduled this month. After you give your answers, the man perks up and asks, "How do you feel about flying?"
What kind of question is that? You give your answer and he smiles and nods, then starts the conversation.
Have you ever been outside the US? Ever been in trouble with the law? Do you travel often? Do you have any friends or family overseas? You answer his questions, albeit a little stilted and awkwardly. You're not sure what the hell is with this guy.
"There's an opportunity for you. This is probably something you'd do well to take up. A door has opened for you, but only if you want it." The man says, suddenly the air in the room is even more serious than it was before the man first spoke.
"We do urge you to choose wisely."
A phone is slid across the table to you. A pre-paid thing of the past. "Wait for the text tonight."
The very same phone in your hands now buzzes. Flipping it open reveals the automated message '1 new txt msg.' Opening up the text reveals a peculiar message, You are cordially invited to a night at the opera. Meet me at, and you do. The meeting goes well, discussing you, your past, your home life, your social media presence. Then it delves into your knowledge of the recent news of the Blackriver Killer. Never heard of him. The man nods, "I wouldn’t think so. Let me tell you what this is about..."
==Present==
The day's briefing is held in the living room by the same lax-dressed man that you talked to those few days back, as well as an unnamed stranger. The familiar man hands out a sheet of paper to be passed around the room. A list of names, before he expands upon them. These people are all victims of the Blackriver Killer. A description of the wounds found on the victims, pictures of the victims from social media, etc..
"At 2200 hours, Officer Morales was kidnapped when he responded to the scene of the Blackriver Killer’s murder that night, which took the lives of Daniel and Vicki Mulligan. Officially, you are all advisers and consultants for the Department of Justice. The FBI has no presence here and the CDC hasn’t heard a word back from their team since they touched down and made their way to White Tree. It is of utmost importance that we find Morales, the Mulligans' killer, and these other missing individuals. The first lead I want you to visit is Maryanne Roy, a state police detective. Other than that, get a feel for this place, have a look around some places. Welcome to the team. My name is Steve Foster."
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All Forum-wide Rules Apply
The GM's word is law
This RP was inspired by the Delta Green tabletop game, The Cthulu Wars by Kenneth Hite and Kennon Bauman, True Detective S1 and Denis Villeneuve's Sicario
What is Delta Green?
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Hello!
As the title says, this RP is one about action and intrigue with an occult bent. Heavily influenced by media such as the Delta Green tabletop game and the Cthulu Wars book, from which came the premise of this RP, and mainly season one of True Detective and Denis Villeneuve's Sicario film, the atmosphere of which I hope to weave into this game. Your characters can come from any number of organizations and institutions both government and civilian. Although this is an action game, I don't want players to think they have to necessarily be Hank Stonebulge, war veteran and supercop with ten machineguns, a wardrobe of tanktops, blue jeans and several shades, and gets his calories from red meat and cigarettes.
That is to say, you can be a scientist, a scholar, a private eye, a federal agent, or a career criminal with a history of working for the law to cut a deal. Steve Foster is not beholden to tradition for recruiting teams and neither am I. This is mainly to not alienate people who are interested but don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of federal agencies or the like. I do encourage players to get creative with their characters, as long as they make sense, of course. An analyst probably won't be the greatest at making 400 meter shots with a rifle but might have rudimentary training in fieldwork.
Like said above, I do hope to capture the atmosphere of Sicario and True Detective. The RP will mainly be about the investigation of the case the team has been brought on for, as well as how they bond with their teammates, cope with the events of the RP that might challenge their ideals, and grow along the time spent working this case and just what it uncovers about the true workings of the world around them. As such, don't expect shooting first and asking questions later to get you far. You may be working for a shadowy 'Man in Black' but that doesn't give you legal immunity. Player characters will have to navigate this new world of intrigue and horror smartly, and may be called upon to do morally repugnant things in the name of not only national security, but the preservation of humanity as they know it. Join me on this romp from the heartbroken hills of West Virginia to the rain-slick, somber city of Seattle, and all the way down to Juarez, Mexico, and beyond.
Over the course of the RP, questions may arise. Who is Steve Foster? Why are the Mulligans so important? What connections do the Argentinian Ratlines of WWII have with Sergeant Gregory Morales? Why is such a small case being treated with such secrecy and ambiguity? How far does this whole thing go? Who can I really trust?
And remember...
“Deception is a right. Truth is a privilege. Innocence is a luxury. The war is never over.”