Aftermath Review – Los Angeles Operation and Subsequent Activation - Mon, Oct 21, 2019

• The Handler recaps the previous operation:
  • Working Group MASTICATE confronted Sergeant Anton Gully, who proved “more than expected.”
  • The confrontation turned violent:
    • Frank Booth was dosed with the Pledge Dram and narrowly survived due to Philomena’s quick thinking and Justin’s quick action.
    • Jay and Matthew McCarter tried to take Gully down; Gully transformed into a horrible alien-like creature.
    • Jay was caught; the creature disintegrated flesh from Jay’s arm and midsection and ultimately bisected him, killing him.
  • The team fled; afterward, Justin went on a solo bender and was “predicting the future or something.”
  • The team returned to the scene of the fight and found only a pile of meat with Gully’s clothes—no other sign of him.
  • The team reported to Antonia Pitzarelli that they were “pretty sure” Gully was destroyed and that they were done.
• SAN reward for the operation
  • Each agent gains 1d4 SAN for finding and destroying (as far as they can tell) the “Gully Worm.”
  • Rolls/results called out:
    • McCarter gains +1 SAN (noted as his “classic” low roll).
    • Justin gains +1 SAN.
    • Drummond (referenced in conversation) is noted as often getting big SAN rewards.
    • Others indicate successes/rolls, with the group joking about who usually rolls high.

Unturned-over materials and intra-team argument about control vs. understanding

• The Handler highlights unresolved fallout: the team is still holding onto major recovered documents instead of turning them over.

  • Materials mentioned:

    • A folder of notes from a dead Russian witch (later identified in play as Yelena’s notes).
    • A journal from a serial killer/alchemist (Kalamatiano’s journal/notes are later referenced; the group also repeatedly references the “recipe” behind the Pledge Dram).

  • The Handler frames this as the group again “sitting on documents they should have turned over.”

• Philomena’s position (via player statements)

  • Philomena argues these materials “seem connected” and that understanding them could help stop what’s happening “once and for all.”
  • She attempts to persuade the other players to share the material; the Handler explicitly states persuasion checks aren’t used “against other players.”

• Frank Booth’s position

  • Frank immediately counters that there is “no stopping this,” only slowing it down.

  • Frank emphasizes control of access:

    • He notes Philomena does not speak Russian, then switches to Russian to underscore the point (and to gatekeep access).
    • He states he will personally read through the Russian material and produce a translation as appropriate.
    • He says he will not automatically hand over everything; he will decide what is safe to share.

• McCarter’s surprising stance and “the Program” reveal

  • The conversation pivots when McCarter characterizes the unnatural (and their “powers”) as “an asset.”

  • The group reacts strongly, exchanging glances and challenging what he means.

  • McCarter explicitly references “the Program,” which lands as a meaningful (and alarming) disclosure for the others.

  • Key exchange themes:

    • Philomena states her core motivation is opposing the unnatural, and that she believes understanding may allow countering it.
    • Mark (player) questions what separates them from experimenters like Gully and Dyer, and whether the Program’s mission could be to continue such work.
    • Frank states the mission is to oppose and knock down unnatural threats as they appear, while acknowledging some people think about using the unnatural to fight the unnatural.
    • Philomena clarifies that “fight fire with fire” is not necessarily her perspective, but she still argues for understanding mechanisms and patterns.

  • Practical resolution:

    • Philomena accepts Frank’s plan for a good-faith translation effort.
    • Philomena commits to similar diligence with the other journal materials in her possession.

• Classification and legal pressure

  • The Handler states that Pitzarelli has the civilians sign documents acknowledging:

    • The work is highly classified.
    • They cannot communicate about it.
    • Violations carry threats of legal action, imprisonment, and even implied lethal consequences (players explicitly say “murder” and “extradite you”).

Bond mechanics: new bonds formed among the group

• The Handler runs a bonding procedure:

  • Each participant makes a SAN test; on failure, they gain bonds with those present.

  • Result: McCarter is the only one who fails.

    • McCarter gains new bonds with Philomena and Justin (starting at half his CHA, stated as 7).
    • McCarter already has a bond with Frank; he increases it by 1d4, rolling +1.
    • The Handler states McCarter loses 3 total bond points from other bonds, and notes this likely wipes out remaining non–Delta Green bonds.

Home scenes

• McCarter home scene: returning to a life that moved on

  • McCarter takes a cab home (money provided by Pitzarelli) and knocks at his own door.

  • A younger, handsome, fit man in his mid-30s opens; he is not recognized by McCarter.

  • The man calls for Dasha.

  • Dasha comes down, sees McCarter, and blocks the doorway.

    • She confronts him: he disappeared for about two years, calling only occasionally, then stopped calling entirely.
    • She tells him: “This isn’t your home.”

  • McCarter looks around, recognizes things are changed, and concedes:

    • He says (paraphrased from the spoken line), “You’re right. This isn’t my home anymore.”
    • He leaves without forcing the issue.

• Justin home scene: holiday visit and avoidance

  • Justin returns to rural Oregon for a large extended family holiday gathering.

  • Justin did not RSVP or announce he was coming; family reactions are awkward, uncertain.

  • Grandma Smith is happy to see him and engages warmly.

  • Justin focuses on “tech support”:

    • He fixes Netflix on the television but takes an inordinate amount of time, using it to avoid interacting.

  • As the gathering winds down, Justin leaves early:

    • He claims a work emergency: “a server is down,” he’s on call, and there’s an SLA.
    • As he exits, he overhears family members joking and betting on how long he’d stay, and someone remarks that he “always freaks me out.”

• Frank Booth home scene: Baltimore Christmas parade and audio distortion

  • Frank and his daughter Nadia attend a Christmas parade in Baltimore:

    • Dirty, half-melted snow on the ground; cold wind off the water; festive lights and garlands; vendors selling fried food and burnt coffee.

  • A float with elves and snowmen plays “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” then the audio malfunctions:

    • The sound becomes choppy; lyrics warp and repeat.
    • A children’s choir line repeats: “You better watch out… better not cry… cry… cry…”
    • The audio shifts into “he’s coming… he’s coming,” described as squelchy and weird.

  • The float stops in front of them; an elf tries to fix the electronics.

    • Microphone feedback occurs; the mic repeats “speaker, speaker, speaker.”
    • The elf strikes the control box; the music returns and the float continues.

  • Frank reacts protectively by stepping in front of Nadia during the malfunction.

  • Afterward Nadia asks if everything is okay; she suggests Frank consider therapy for PTSD.

    • Frank admits he’s jumpy and says the move back to the U.S. didn’t make things easier.
    • Frank agrees he might talk to someone.
    • Nadia says she’s glad to hear it; they leave the parade early.

• Philomena home scene: Christmas gathering tension with Verity Paxton

  • Philomena’s bond damage is tied to her cousin Verity Paxton.

  • Philomena refuses to host Christmas this year and attends Verity’s gathering instead, adopting a “bah humbug” attitude.

  • Verity takes Philomena aside and confronts her for “pouting in the corner.”

    • Verity notes Philomena is normally several drinks in and singing by this point.
    • Philomena snaps back with sharper, more caustic behavior than usual.
    • The conversation escalates into mutual insults, including Verity accusing Philomena that “America rubbed off on you.”

  • Philomena decides to leave early with her husband Cyril, citing not feeling well.

  • On the way home, Philomena vents about Verity with more vitriol than Cyril is used to hearing.

Recruitment and briefing: Philomena and Justin approached by Antonia Pitzarelli

• After the New Year, both Philomena and Justin are discreetly contacted and brought to Washington, D.C. for a day.

• They meet Antonia Pitzarelli in a secure DOJ office.

• Pitzarelli offers them the chance to continue working cases like Los Angeles:

  • Superiors were impressed.
  • Frank Booth spoke highly of them.
  • She frames it as a point-of-no-return: she cannot brief further until they agree.

• Philomena attempts to negotiate for an academic posting (specifically Miskatonic University).

  • Pitzarelli rejects Miskatonic as “full of crazies,” suggests the Library of Congress as more feasible.
  • Philomena expresses openness to relocating if an appropriate role can be arranged, while not wanting to fully abandon the British Museum.
  • The Program is stated to be able to arrange something like a Library of Congress position to support her plausible U.S. presence.

• Justin’s condition for joining:

  • He wants assurance he will remain with the same team.
  • He probes how the Program handles recovered materials, including “particularly useful” items.
  • Pitzarelli states recovered materials must be relinquished and “handled safely and sensibly,” but refuses further detail.

• The briefing content they do receive after agreeing:

  • Pitzarelli represents a secret U.S. government program authorized to deal with otherworldly threats.
  • She explicitly says it does not exclude extraterrestrial threats.
  • She states the mission is to protect the United States and humanity from hostile intelligences “of all manner.”

• Pitzarelli questions Justin specifically about his “unusual abilities” in Los Angeles:

  • She asks about his near-future prescience and whether he can control it.
  • Justin describes it as something that comes naturally, more active under pressure, present since childhood.
  • Pitzarelli references reading his dossier and asks about his difficult childhood.
  • She asks what drew him to Booth and McCarter; Justin describes it as a feeling/instinct, not research.
  • She asks whether he had impulsive violence toward them; he answers no, “probably the opposite.”
  • She ends by clearing him to use the abilities in Program operations, repeating the order that he must not use them for personal benefit.

• Pitzarelli questions Philomena about:

  • Her connection to Graham’s account and what she knows of events since 2001.
  • Whether she has experienced strange animal incidents or unexplained coincidences beyond meeting the agents in Los Angeles.
  • Philomena answers that meeting the agents is the only significant strange coincidence in her life.
  • Pitzarelli instructs her to watch for and report anomalous events.

Research resources: De Vermis Mysteriis

• The Handler confirms the British Museum holds a mostly expurgated German translation of De Vermis Mysteriis and that Philomena can access it for research (in small amounts over time).

Personal pursuits

• McCarter: Back to Nature

  • McCarter decides to pursue time in nature:

    • A cabin and game hunting are discussed as part of his coping and routine.
    • He also discusses continuing research and possibly publishing papers, with long weekends in the woods.

  • A separate in-world event is introduced during this timeframe:

    • In March 2019, an envelope arrives at McCarter’s Georgetown office with a Los Angeles postmark.

    • Inside: a USB drive and a note reading (paraphrased closely): “Wanted to make sure you know I have this. Watch the video and never come near me again.”

    • McCarter watches the video:

      • Night-vision footage from a fixed viewpoint near the valve house parking area.
      • It shows the confrontation and captures Jay’s death and the creature.
      • The camera angle suggests it was placed in or on a tree pointed at the door from some distance.

    • McCarter reports the USB/video through channels to Pitzarelli; he receives no feedback.

    • About a week later, it is stated that Lieutenant John Marlin of the LASD dies in a car accident—his vehicle goes off a cliff and burns beyond recognition.

• McCarter: Back to Nature roll resolution

  • McCarter rolls 95 on his “Back to Nature” test:

    • It is a failure (not a critical failure).
    • He gains +1 SAN.
    • He would lose 1 point from a non–Delta Green bond, but he has none left, so there is no penalty.

• Justin: experimenting with recording his “med” episodes

  • Justin’s personal pursuit is to document what happens when he takes his medication:

    • He plans to buy a GoPro, go somewhere secluded, and potentially set trail cams.
    • His intent is to capture what happens during his altered states, since he doesn’t understand them.

  • SAN check outcome:

    • Justin succeeds his SAN check.

    • He enters a wordless trance; later the video shows:

      • Justin moving through woods without speaking, grunting.
      • He emerges near homes at the forest edge and looks into windows; people inside have their backs to him.
      • He follows a stream; he appears aimless; no one seems to notice him.

    • Justin does not remember these actions; only the recording shows them.

  • Vision Justin does remember:

    • A “biblical” impression of a golden-haired man (face never seen), young and vibrant.
    • The man travels through a rocky, scrub-covered desert (not sandy dunes) and is building a temple that is nearly complete.
    • Justin feels anticipation that “the world will change” when the temple is finished.

  • Justin attempts to identify the desert with a Search test:

    • He fails (roll 65).
    • He cannot narrow it down; possibilities mentioned include Afghanistan/Pakistan, the southwestern U.S., and regions in China.
    • Details begin fading quickly as he tries to recall them.

  • Justin deletes the GoPro files afterward.

  • Justin makes the roll tied to pursuing his personal motivation:

    • He rolls 97, which is a failure but not a fumble.
    • He loses 1 bond point.
    • The Handler summarizes that Justin hoped for clarity but is left confused.

• Philomena: Study the Unnatural (major multi-text research project)

  • Before committing, Philomena wants Frank’s translation support:

    • Frank spot-checks McCarter’s translation against the Russian manuscript.
    • Frank confirms the translation is suitable based on his Russian knowledge.
    • Frank arranges an in-person meeting; he does not hand over the original but provides Philomena a translated copy.

  • Philomena’s stated objective:

    • Combine Dyer’s journal, Kalamatiano’s notes/journal, and whatever is usable from De Vermis Mysteriis to build a coherent larger-picture understanding.

  • Bond cost:

    • Philomena chooses Verity Paxton as the bond to degrade during this pursuit.

  • Tome study mechanics and results called out:

    • Studying Yelena’s notes:

      • Philomena rolls SAN loss and takes 7 SAN.
      • She reduces her bond by 2 via projection (applied to Verity).
      • She increases Occult +5 and Unnatural +5.

    • Studying another tome (part of the same year-long undertaking, discussed as the other primary text alongside Yelena’s notes):

      • She rolls 1d4 SAN loss and loses 3 SAN.
      • She reduces the chosen bond again (Verity is repeatedly targeted as “dead to me” in the spoken narration).
      • She increases Unnatural +3 and Occult +1.

    • End-state values explicitly stated:

      • Philomena’s Unnatural reaches 18.
      • Philomena’s Occult reaches 76.

  • Research findings as stated by the Handler:

    • Philomena spends months reading, taking notes, and correlating research; she learns extensively about the Skoptsi and their disturbing history.

    • Despite her expectation that the materials should connect, she cannot find a clear linkage between:

      • The alchemical process that produces the Pledge Dram, and
      • The Skoptsi’s practices.

    • The Handler distinguishes:

      • Kalamatiano’s “potion” is tied to faith/ritual and bodily transformation (her body producing black substance after blasphemous rites), not laboratory chemistry.
      • The alchemist’s work is framed as its own strange branch of science.

    • The Handler states Philomena is “pretty sure” she could create the Pledge Dram now if she wanted.

• Frank: therapy as a personal pursuit

  • Frank chooses to go to therapy, prompted by Nadia’s earlier suggestion.

  • Frank’s approach:

    • He is truthful and describes the worm exposure, the injection/chemical event, the visions, and the self-inflicted physical damage.
    • He wants the therapist to understand it was not a hallucination.

  • Therapist quality:

    • Frank makes a Luck check: 74.
    • Outcome: a “pretty good therapist” with Psychotherapy 60.
    • The therapist rolls 65 and fails the Psychotherapy test.

  • Result:

    • Frank gains +1 SAN.
    • The therapist frames the experience as hallucination/drug overdose and focuses on coping techniques, repeatedly treating it as “not real.”
    • Frank finds it somewhat helpful to talk, but does not get the validating connection he hoped for.

  • Bond cost exception:

    • Frank notes he is “supposed to lose a bond,” but his only remaining bond is Nadia (who encouraged therapy).
    • The Handler waives the bond cost “for the sake of the narrative.”

Activation for a new operation (October 2019): Ithaca / Cornell shooting linked to Cornucopia House

• The Handler establishes timing:

  • Later in 2019 (explicitly stated as October 2019), the team receives an activation message.
  • They are instructed to report to a DOJ office in D.C. for an 8:00 a.m. meeting on Monday, October 21.
  • The civilians are told to make excuses to miss work for two weeks.
  • Frank receives an email from his CIA superior assigning him to another “joint task force,” with irritation about Frank’s unexplained disappearances.

• Briefing room:

  • The group signs in and enters a secure meeting room with Antonia Pitzarelli.
  • Pitzarelli states the Program has decided to bring Philomena and Justin into Working Group MASTICATE; the team will be working together again.

• Case introduction:

  • Pitzarelli presents an incident in Ithaca that appears to fit MASTICATE’s scope:

    • A Cornell student broke into the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority house and shot three women living there.
    • When confronted by a police officer, the shooter fired; the officer returned fire and killed him.
    • The shooter is identified as Bradley McKay (described as heavyset, around 20, unkempt hair, poorly kept beard, pale complexion; described as a “neckbeard” by a player).

  • Crucial identity link:

    • Pitzarelli states Bradley McKay’s childhood name was Finn Smith.
    • Finn Smith was a child resident at Cornucopia House.
    • Pitzarelli says, as far as they can tell, he was the youngest child there.

  • Additional flag:

    • Pitzarelli says the New York Attorney General’s office has a source who reports the evidence in the case is “unusual” and doesn’t make sense.
    • The source cannot share the evidence but signals that something is amiss.

• Jurisdiction and cover:

  • MASTICATE will take over the case from Ithaca PD under the umbrella of an FBI counterterrorism joint task force.

  • Pitzarelli instructs them that they don’t need to justify terrorism beyond loudly asserting it is classified and connected to their prior case.

  • Cover identities and law enforcement powers:

    • Pitzarelli avoids using Frank’s real identity again and has a cover prepared for Frank as a DOJ investigator; the chosen cover name is finalized as Perry Hubbard.
    • Pitzarelli says the investigation requires someone with law enforcement authority; she deputizes Matthew McCarter with FBI-granted law enforcement powers for this task force.
    • The badge is explicitly said to be under FBI authority; McCarter is not an FBI Special Agent but has arrest/detention powers for limited circumstances.
    • Pitzarelli notes they do not want their credentials tested before a “cranky” judge.
    • The civilians (Justin, Philomena, and McCarter) are described as hired into the DOJ with backstopped records and gaps filled to support their cover history in counterterrorism work.

  • Access to resources:

    • The team can request assistance (records, labs, etc.) through channels and via McCarter’s credentials, but they do not have direct terminal access like before; they have phone contacts to request information.

• Local contacts in Ithaca:

  • Pitzarelli identifies the local investigators they’ll be meeting:

    • Detective Jim Hertz (lead detective on the case).
    • CSU investigator Ann McKenna (collected and reported the “strange evidence”).

• Logistics:

  • Pitzarelli provides plane tickets for a short flight north; a vehicle will be waiting to take them to the police station so they can take over ASAP.

• Adoption detail (clarification provided before ending):

  • Pitzarelli’s background note: police learned McKay was Finn Smith through interviews with his adoptive parents.

    • Finn was adopted by the McKay couple.
    • His name was changed when adopted; he was very young, didn’t know his own name, and “didn’t speak.”
    • The adoptive parents are described as upper-middle class and able to provide education and enough therapy that he eventually got into Cornell.

Post-briefing Q&A: John Marlin’s intent and how the Gully operation was engineered

• Chris asks whether John Marlin tried to hang the agents out to dry and whether he knew Gully was dangerous.

• The Handler’s explanation:

  • Marlin knew Gully was a psycho and recruited him for that reason.

  • Marlin set up a situation where:

    • He would “give” the agents Gully, and if agents got hurt, Marlin would accept that outcome.
    • He sent the agents to scrub a location for evidence (the valve house area).
    • He deliberately ping-ponged the team around earlier in the night to ensure they arrived after dark and with less time to plan or bring heavier support.

  • Marlin’s blackmail plan:

    • After leaving the diner, Marlin decided to set up a hunting camera at the valve house area.
    • His intent was to capture video in case the agents shot Gully in a way that wasn’t “clean,” so he could blackmail them.
    • The Handler notes blackmail only works if targets know you have it; Marlin ensured at least one agent became aware.

  • Marlin did not know Gully had become a literal monster; he expected Gully to be a human threat on alert while cleaning a crime scene.

  • The Handler also states that after the raid, Gully had seizures, went to the ER, recovered, and was “no longer Gully” afterward (implying the change happened around then).

End point

• The session closes with the team poised to begin the Ithaca/Cornell investigation as Working Group MASTICATE, now including Philomena and Justin as ongoing members, and with McCarter deputized for law enforcement authority under the task force cover.