The Unit

[Great_Cthulhu]

Somewhere outside of San Francisco

It is way too early in the morning when the alarm clock awakens you, not only interrupting your sleep but also summoning you to an emergency briefing. As usual, the underground complex that houses the multinational group simply known as 'The Unit' is brimming with activity, even at 0400 am.

For a group that exists to combat supernatural threats, threats the normal populace does not even believe in, the whole group is surprisingly high-tech. There are entire rooms stuffed with data analysts staring at their computer screens, trying to filter relevant data out of seemingly irrelevant news.
That they have by their side books that deal with demonology and other, even more outlandish themes, is a contrast you have all gotten used to.

Still, an emergency alert is always serious business...and you all hope that it is not a drill. Currently, you are the only team on site, with three of the others busy in Asia and the fourth lost in some alternate hell-dimension.

The fact that it is no one else but Lovecraft himself awaiting you in the briefing room, quickly proves that this is real. The head of the Eldritch Division intensely dislikes having to deal with the common 'grunts' face to face.

Nonetheless, he gives you all a polite nod as you enter, clearing his throat before he speaks.
" A good morning to you all. Before we begin, a question. How familiar are you with Egyptian history? Particularly the heresy of pharao Echnaton?"

[Doomboy911]

Tapping his ankh against his head.
"Egyptians I don't know much. Nor do I know much of the eldritch what now. Though I read somewhere that Houdini dealt with some of that mess under the pyramids."

Dmitri's Russian accent is thickly covered with a San Francisco dialect.

[Razorstorm]

Gaius, at attention, lit cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth, speaks up with his familiar Brooklyn drawl, "I've done a mission or two previously in Egypt, sir, but of the more mundane type. I do know a thing or two about mummies and Egyptian mythology, but only enough to appreciate that, if you'll excuse my French sir, I don't know sh!t."

[Doomboy911]

"Eh bien pardonner mon français, mais par rapport à moi que vous êtes surqualifié."

[Razorstorm]

"Je parle un peu français. Je ne suis pas un idiot. Mais tu es drôle." He grins at Dmitri, then looks at Lovecraft, and snaps back to attention. "My apologies, sir."

[Great_Cthulhu]

The immortal author's eyes bore into you with a sharp glare for a moment, but he decides not to comment. Instead, he activates a screen behind him, which shows an ancient Egyptian mural depicting two regal beings with strangely elongated heads.
" Pharao Echnaton and his wife Nofretete, or Nefertiti, tried to abolish the traditional worship of Ra and the other gods in favour of a single god called Aten. They built a magnificent temple to their new sun deity and enforced their new faith rigorously. It did not take. After Echnaton's death, the priests of the old faith quickly regained their position and Echnaton himself was posthumously disgraced. Which was probably for the best, because Aten was not a deity, but something far worse. He is one of the qlippoth, the Abandoned Ones. A cosmic mistake left over from the creation of the cosmos."

[Doomboy911]

(Wait Dmitri may know nothing about Egyptian history but I do. Do you mean Akhenaten of the Amanara period? Because I have the eyes of his wife from a statue on my person. How about them odds)

[Philemonite]

Alendor didn't really feel the need to join in the conversation, he just watched the others, observing their behavior. He was a new addition to the Unit, and he was still finding his place. He carefully listened to Lovecraft's words, trying to remember all he could about Egyptian history, but that was not his area of expertise. If he asked about a Strigoi, Bauk or Drekavac he would have quite a few things to say, but Africa was simply not his region. Still, he tried to be as useful as he could. He listen to the author's words and when he was finished Alendor decided to join the conversation.

"So, this Pharao Echnaton is active again?"

[Great_Cthulhu]

" Not exactly. Echnaton was...taken care of quite a while ago." The screen changes and shows a picture taken at night. There is a massive riot going on - as you are all aware, Egypt is not a good place to be right now - and something has just exploded in the background. The image centers on the explosion and slowly, by the magic of digital photography, the brightness levels around the explosion dim until a figure can be seen within the fireball. It is vaguely humanoid, though it has no gender to speak of. Its skin is bright white and where a human face would be simply sit three gaping orifices literally leaking light.
" This is a Sunchild. One of Aten's servitor creatures. Which means that someone must have stumbled upon some very unsavory rites."

[Doomboy911]

"So do we capture or kill?" Dmitri asks dropping his fake accent.

[Great_Cthulhu]

" Kill", Lovecraft replies coolly. " Kill any and all qlippothic creatures you can find. Find the ones summoning them and arrest them. Gather all their occult paraphernalia and bring it back here. A transport has already been arranged. Flight Deck 5."

[Doomboy911]

"Alright anything you can tell us about the creature? Is it immune to bullets or explosive rounds? Also can I get some explosive rounds.Maybe some holy water and chocolate. Nothing can resist chocolate."

[Great_Cthulhu]

" These beings are capable of releasing great bursts of blinding, burning light, making them effectively walking tanks. Fortunately, they can be hurt by conventional weaponry, unlike many other qlippothic entities. But you would need lots of it. Holy water and religious icons are useless against qlippothic beings. They are older than any gods."

[Doomboy911]

"Right I shall need a anti-tank rifle. Perhaps some grenades. Sun block and an umbrella. Russian skin and Egyptian sun don't play well together."


(So do I hit the weapons locker or start filling out some forms for weaponry?)

[Great_Cthulhu]

//since The Unit is a privately funded operation, getting gear is much easier. No need for forms.

[Doomboy911]

Right than picking all that up than.

"So who wants to go put a couple rounds in a sun child's head. Wait are we killing a kid by doing this? Powerful or not kids deserve better than us. "

[Great_Cthulhu]

Lovecraft gives him another glare - really, he should patent those - and calmly states, " These things are not children. Their name is a direct translation from an Egyptian text calling them 'Descendants of the Sun'."

[Philemonite]

"A dispatch mission? I have no problem with that, I've done a few already." He did more than few, but he didn't want to brag, he would rather show his talents in the field.
"All I need is a good shotgun, and maybe a silver blade. And some silver bullets wouldn't hurt. I have everything else I might need in my backpack and I'm ready to go."
Alendor was always ready, he didn't stay in one place long enough to unpack. His backpack had all he needed, some bandages, few magical trinkets and tools, dried rations, fresh water... His mother made sure to teach him to always be ready for anything, and she was a great agent. He never understood why people need time to pack.

[Great_Cthulhu]

" This is not a pure dispatch mission. We need, allow me to stress this, need the summoning rites. If anything, this has an even higher priority than taking out the Sunchildren", Lovecraft says, " any further questions?"

[Razorstorm]

Gaius looks at the photo thoughtfully, his cigarette wiggling in his mouth. "The Sunchild is not the big problem here. It's a killable thing. The big problem is whatever or rather whoever summoned or released it. Do we know anything about who or what might be behind it? Do we suspect a cult, a powerful individual, a hostile government?"

[Great_Cthulhu]

" We suspect either the supporters of the now-toppled government or the enemies of the same. Now, while there have been instances in which Muslim sorcerers have summoned aid, that usually took the form of angelic beings or djinn. This is not typical. Someone must have supplied them with the knowledge of how to summon a qlippothic creature. Alas, there are a number of insane people who would be more than happy to do such a thing."

[Razorstorm]

"Understood, sir. So to clarify their questions, this thing is destructive and dangerous, but has no special weaknesses or resistances? Just hit it hard before it can fry you? One more question - Is it always like a walking nova, or is that something it... activates?"

[Doomboy911]

"Understood, sir. So to clarify their questions, this thing is destructive and dangerous, but has no special weaknesses or resistances? Just hit it hard before it can fry you? One more question - Is it always like a walking nova, or is that something it... activates?"

"Any special immunities we should know about?"

[Great_Cthulhu]

" These creatures surround themselves with an aura of light, which they can intensify at will to a temperature of about 300 F. They are also capable of releasing directed bursts of searing light at a distance, these can achieve temperatures of up to 500-600 but the Sunchildren do not sustain these for long. They are, as all of this would suggest, immune to heat and fire. Water has no adverse effect upon them."

[Doomboy911]

Right as hideous as it would do we have any of those suits they use to go to volcanos with? Those little outfits can handle a couple thousand degrees."

[Razorstorm]

"Is it even possible for them to turn their light off? If so, then it's not possible for them to masquerade out in public. If they can, then what do they look like when they do?"

[Great_Cthulhu]

" They cannot turn their light off, which is a good thing since their natural form induces nausea and hallucinations in a normal human - a trait common to all qlippothic beings. However, from what we have gathered, whoever summons these beings can cloak them in human guise for a short period of time, enough for them to get into position for an attack. As for the suits, I am afraid that is not an option since the whole operation is classified Level 5."

Level 5, as you know, means that your involvement must be kept a secret and you are not supposed to draw attention to yourselves.

[Doomboy911]

"Oh good I feared it would be easy. Welp last one to the ship has to clean residue when it explodes on us."

Dmitri gives a mock salute and rushes to the ship.

(1d8)[8]
(1d6)[5]

How do we handle dice explosions?

[Razorstorm]

As his team mate scrambles out of the room, Gaius snaps to attention respectfully. "Anything else we should know, sir? If not, permission to deploy, sir?"

[Great_Cthulhu]

" Permission to deploy is granted. Good luck", Lovecraft says, nodding.

As he has previously stated, the copter, a black, sleek monstrosity, is already waiting with the pilot - a young woman of 24 years - practically jumping into the cockpit the moment you arrive. " Take a seat and strap yourself in", she cheerfully suggests, " next stop: land of the pyramids, pharaohs and things best left forgotten forever...."