Operation Winter Strain: Chapter Eleven

Hitting them where it hurts in the Delta Green RPG, using Mythic 2e

May 30, 2025

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 ©SolumProtocol, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Thumbnail Photo by Ron Hewson on Unsplash, with edits

Winter Strain Chapter One

The Church of the Five Days Dead, December 3, 2005 - 9AM

Nate and Landry had prepared two cases of Molotov cocktails for the raid by the next morning, and I loaded them into the back of the truck alongside the knock-off AK, the two shotguns and my MP5.

“Should we pick up a jerry can of gas on the way?” I asked Jasper.

“You don’t think 12 Molotov cocktails are enough to burn down a decrepit old church filled with highly flammable mushrooms?” He asked with a wry smile.

“It doesn’t hurt to err on the side of caution.” I muttered darkly.1 Joe would be staying behind with the equipment and CDC agents, his presence likely much more comforting to them than the unfriendly member of the Russian Mob that was their current caretaker, and it would be useful to have someone with internet access if shit really went off the rails. Nolan and Nate had given the reporter kid Vince the “Talk” and dropped him off unceremoniously at his apartment, and we were waiting for the text that confirmed our evil town councilor was where he should be.

“We’re lucky Nate and Nolan are so involved in this op.” Jasper said as he passed me the case of modified scotch. “The last thing we need is any surprises while we’re getting the job done.”

With the Removal van loaded up and Jasper and I kitted out in the mildew-y riot gear, I drove us out of the driveway and out towards the church. It was a tense drive, and we sat in silence most of the way. We went over the plan a final time as we approached the turn off, and I picked up speed slowly, an easier task in the light of day and with less pressure than it had been the night before. When the church came into sight, I nodded at Jasper and picked up speed.2 The angle was going to be tight, and I wasn’t going to be able to get the best speed, but the window that stood floor to roof on the right hand wall was stained glass and likely to break, even at a slow impact. I turned it sharply, losing some speed as the bumper of the van smashed into the window.3 The glass shattered, breaking easily and I slammed my foot on the break to come to a complete stop. There was a dull thud as the car hit the slowly rising body of one of the mushroom horrors, and its body was hurled backwards.4 It let out a moan, but dragged to self to its feet with a slow, almost placid solidity. Jasper and I slid from the seat and I braced the assault rifle on my shoulder while Jasper went around the back to secure the Molotov cases. I hadn’t gotten a good look inside the church yesterday, it was dark and the only light was the soft glow of the mushrooms, but it was somehow much worse than I expected.5 Mushrooms covered the far wall, pulsing a rapid, almost panicked beat.6 There were 3 mushroom horrors, slowly shambling to their feet. The car had knocked on of them close to the other two, and the big guy, the former cultist turned floating monstrosity was hovering just off the ground near the back with it’s large, reptilian eye closed.7 In the light, I got a good look at his face, a serene, human face that looked almost like he was asleep, completely devoid of expression as the body floated there bonelessly . In the split second before I started shooting, I could see a doorway beneath him, one that led to the rear of the church. I would prioritize burning this place to the ground, but if that led to the tunnels that Nancy had spoken of, I would need to check it out. Assuming, of course, that everything went to plan.8 I sighted down the barrel of my assault rifle and let out a 3 shot burst.9 The bullets thudded into the mushroom mass of the creatures, which were barely recognizable as human anymore, but they didn’t even stumble, they just lurched inexorably to their feet.10 Jasper yelled at me to get moving as he sprinted out of the church,11 and I heard him swearing a moment later as one of the cases of booze thudded to the floor.12 I turned on my heel and ran to join him.13 I realized that the glass had broken perfectly around the car, leaving me a tiny gap I would need to squeeze through, which I did not have time for. I smashed into it running full tilt to break through the other side and gain some distance, earning a few cuts along my face and hands. I felt more than saw the creature in the rafters awaken, as I rushed to the back of the van. Jasper let fly the first Molotov, arcing it over the car towards the mushroom shambelers14 The bottle smashed into the bulk of the first monster, and it went up in flames, the fire spreading to quickly to a second creature as they both moaned and wailed in pain. I blinked in surprise at the sheer size of the resulting flame. When Joe and Nancy had said fire would be effective, they weren’t kidding.15

“Fuck me.” Jasper whispered, grabbing another Molotov from the case at his feet. The third horror, the one not on fire, was climbing over the car, unperturbed by the already smoking remnants of its allies and it let out a baleful, unnatural scream that set my teeth on edge. A breeze rolled the scent over to us, and we both gagged. We had prepared ourselves for the musty fungal stench of these things, but the stink of them burning smelt at once significantly worse and vaguely satisfying.16 The flying creature tumbled from the church, landing on the car with a crunch as its weight buckled the top of the van. It’s vibrant, evil eye was upon us, although its human face and limbs were still placid and limp, as though the main body was asleep.17 It’s large, bulbous eye narrowed, and I heard, almost at the edge of my hearing, a voice. It pulled and tore at my mind, a sibilant, menacing whisper that made me freeze in place as the eye regarded me.

Last night’s intruders? Back for more, I see. I can taste your fear. Two little hunters without their pack. How does it feel to meet a god?18

Nope. No, No, absolutely fucking not. I snatched up a bottle from the case at our feet and lit the rag, hurling it overhand at the top of the van before the creature finished whispering in my mind.19 I had given the throw way too much juice, and it flew past the creature and smashed through the window and burst on the floor behind him, adding to the flames devouring the corpses of the mushroom monsters. Jasper swore again and threw another one.20 It smashed against the creature's body, and it blinked once, almost surprised as a gout of flame consumed it, the fire roaring to life with a burning ferocity. A scream of pain emerged from the human mouth as the flames engulfed it.21 The mushroom monster screamed as well tumbling from the car and writhing on the ground, although apart from being knocked down earlier, it was still mostly unharmed. It flailed around, lurching to its feet slowly while the cult leader threw itself down on the frozen ground, the thin sheen of ice melting from the flames that licked at its body. It surged into the air towards us once it had put the flames out, it’s skin charged and it’s eyes darting between the two of us manically.

Wither and die, you filthy children! The voice screamed out as I threw another Molotov at it point blank range.22 Fire engulfed it again, and it collapsed boneless to the floor with a screech. A moment later it surged along the ground, leaving a deep furrow that lead away from us and the church as the fire winked out. We had nearly run through the first case, and we still had to burn the rest of the church down, but Jasper hurled another one at the fleeing form of the cult leader. It missed, the creature having already taken to the air as a small part of the surrounding brush lit up in flames. While we had tried to burn the lead bastard, we had forgotten about the last of the Mushroom creatures, which chose that moment to lumber between us, its arms swinging wildly.23 I ducked forward a few steps to avoid the worst of it, but I could see the leader tumbling through the air out of the corner of my eye, and I knew it was going to get away if we didn’t act. I dropped to a knee, avoiding the horror in front of us and unslung my rifle, quickly aiming and firing a short, 3 shot burst at the back of the creature.24 The creature had been screaming in rage continuously since it took to the air, but the bullets caught it in the lower back, and its vocalized scream cut off simultaneously with its psychic assault as it dropped from the air like a lead balloon. I felt a primal scream escape me, my throat feeling raw as I screamed wordlessly in a release of pent up energy. My blood was pumping in my ears again, a rapid beat that almost blocked out Jasper’s next words.

“Kat, look out!” He yelled.25 A meaty, mushroom laden fist smashed into my stomach and I let out a gasp of pain as I doubled over. It screamed again, almost human this time as it raised it’s other fist to strike again. I stumbled backwards, and then catching Jasper’s eye, I turned on my heel and sprinted towards the church. The creature turned to follow me, but Jasper had a Molotov primed and ready, the last one in the first case, and he hurled it at the creatures back.26 It went up in flames with a screech and it slumped forward as flamed roared around it, the mushrooms that coated its skin turning to ash before it hit the ground. I slumped to the ground, against the wall and took a deep breath. Jasper jogged up to stand over me and offered me a hand, which I took with gratitude. His eyes flashed as he shot me a grin, and for a moment, I could almost swear that the dark hazel had turned a predatory, burnished gold. When he winked at me a moment later, his eyes were back to normal. It must have been a trick of the light.27

The Church of the Five Days Dead - 1PM

The fires had all gutted out by the time we retrieved the shockingly heavy corpse of the cult leader. We made sure to use gloves, but the slime that coated his skin seemed to have all burnt up, and his skin was charred and burnt much more severely than would be expected, given the limited amount of time he was actually on fire. All three shots had found his center mass and penetrated the large, protuberant eye in his midsection, but we decided against doing a further inspection of the body. Instead we dragged it and the already smoking bodies of the three mushroom horrors towards the far wall, the one coated in mushrooms, and prepared for our disposal.

“I don’t suppose you know how to rig that car up to explode?” I asked as we threw the last corpse against the wall.

“That would save us some time.” Jasper said thoughtfully. “In the movies, they just shoot it a lot. We could try that?” He pointed finger guns at me and made a pew-pew motion and I gave him a withering look, causing him to grin again. Adrenaline affected us all differently, and apparently it gave Jasper an unwelcome sense of humor. “I’ll call Joe. He knows these things, usually.” He stepped away, his phone to his ear, and I glanced around the church. It really was disgusting in here, and it smelt fucking awful. A thin layer of flash burned grime coated the floor, more mushrooms or spores if I had to guess. That door was still standing though, and I gave it a soft push.28 It was locked. I glanced at the corpses, which didn’t have enough clothes on them to have pockets to hide a key in there and I tested the strength of the door. It was too sturdy to kick down, and I didn’t have any breaching gear. One of the cultists likely had a key but they were suspiciously absent, the three cars from the previous night were gone, another loose end we would have to chase up. Hopefully they were more vagrants so we could ‘disappear’ them without raising too much concern. Jasper came back while I was still staring at the door.

“He threw some sarcasm at me, but it sounds easily enough. Put a rag in the gas cap, light it and run. Once the fire from the rest of the place catches, it should destroy whatever’s left in here.”

“That’s good.” I said absently. “Any word from Landry or Nate?”29

“Nothing interesting. Surveillance is still ongoing. We might have to play that one a bit more carefully. He doesn’t seem popular, but he’s still an elected official. Things could go poorly if we grab him from the street and stick him in an incinerator.” He peered at the door. “What are you looking at?” He asked.

“It’s locked.” I said. “We should check it out, but if we burn the whole place down, it isn’t important.” Jasper shrugged and took a knee next to the door.30 He hummed and made a few noises I wasn’t sure he was conscious he was making and then there was a click, and the door swung open. He gestured for me to go ahead.

“After you.”31

I had in my mind that I would build the enemy as we went, so on his turn, I would ask Mythic what he would do. would he cast a spell? Attack us mentally? hit us physically? I didn’t get a chance to do that, because he spent all of his turns on fire. I don’t know how I feel about that to be honest haha. I’m glad Kat and Jasper came out intact, I’ve grown quite attached to both of them but still….it feels like I went to easy on myself. What do you think? Let me know. The next chapter will wrap up Operation Winter Strain!

SolumProtocol

Operation Winter Strain: Chapter Eleven

Hitting them where it hurts in the Delta Green RPG, using Mythic 2e

The Church of the Five Days Dead, December 3, 2005 - 9AM

The Church of the Five Days Dead - 1PM

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