Personalities of Hillcrest-

The Hunters of Hillcrest

Hunter Compacts present in Hillcrest: (59 hunters)

Ashwood Abbey
-a club for the ultra-wealthy and old money to hunt monsters. There are nearly 17
members in Hillcrest, with several prospective probationary members; most work in
cells of two, but there are 2 cells of 6 that rotate in and out of the city for “hunting
trips”. They are based in Gray’s Club.

The Park Society Cell- they call Abbey Park in Summerset as their hunting ground.

-Duncan Villaire, Charity Director of the Abbey Foundation.

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 4. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Lust. Age: 40. Top Skills
(Subterfuge: With a Smile, Socialize: Loosen Tongue, Persuasion: Selling,
Weaponry: Sports Gear).
- Duncan’s pedigree is less prestigious than he wants others to think, as he was
born with a crack spoon in his mouth. His father was Julius Villaire, a notable
art collector and property developer in France who had a fondness for
prostitutes. When Duncan’s mother tried to collect a payday, Julius had her
strangled to death and his child raised by a nanny at his estate. Julius was not
a caring father and actually extremely stingy, never buying Duncan anything
frivolous or expensive. During that time, Duncan swore never to be like him,
though he did take after his father’s interests in loose women. At the age of
17, Duncan left home to live with a cousin in Hillcrest who introduced him to
the Ashwood Abbey. He lies when he says he took to murder like a duck in
water, in fact, he hated his first hunt. But the Abbey was the only way to get
into the social circles he wanted. Duncan is a genuinely friendly guy, he likes
people, which is why he’s so disappointed when they upset him and he has to
kill them. He also loves charity and giving to charity, it makes him feel good,
which is why he’s the head of the Abbey’s charity foundation and the current
leader of the Abbey Park Project. His favored weapons are his father’s old
cavalry saber, and his lucky golf club.

-“Thomas Lancet” aka Tommy Calvino

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 1. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 25. Top Skills
(Larceny: B&E, Craft: Drugs, Intimidate: Mob Connections, Weaponry: Knives).
 - Tommy goes by Thomas and his mother’s maiden name during Abbey
business. This is because his father is “Black Mike” Calvino, the Capo of the
Verontese Family, a small Mafia family that is neutral between the Piave and
Vicente, staying in the niche market of designer drugs. Frankly, most of the
other members are snobs about good family breeding, and Tommy doesn’t
want to get snubbed because of his heritage. He likes killing, and he likes the
perks of membership. And as a bonus, Villaire likes him because Tommy
always brings the best drugs. He has started to wear polo shirts, and his
family is starting to notice that he has been cleaning up his act, but also
disappearing a lot. Owns a favored weapon, his lucky knife, a gift from his
grandfather, who got it from his father in the old country. Currently, he’s the
low man on the totem pole, which he hates, but Duncan Villaire has promised
to keep his secret and help him rise up in rank.

-Dr. Harvey Silas Langston-Hughes

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 2. Virtue: Diligent. Vice: Envy. Age: 41. Top Skills
(Medicine: Surgery, Science: Chemistry, Subterfuge: Hiding Emotions,
Investigation: Autopsy, Weaponry: Scalpels).
- The only African-American member, it wasn’t easy to get into this private
club. He came from a wealthy family (hell, his white slave-owning ancestor
was blueblooded too), his grandfather had built the first Black luxury hotel in
Hillcrest from the wealth he made in land speculation, it was burned down by
a white mob in 1919- driven to depression, he made sure his children received
the last of the insurance funds before committing suicide. His father became
a doctor, while his mother rented out the shop fronts his father had inherited
as well as running the 544 Jazz Club. As wealthy as he was, his father was
excluded from high society and that fueled a sense of injustice for young
Harvey. He worked hard to become a top surgeon, and put down his pride so
he could wiggle his way into the best social clubs. Getting into Gray’s was the
hardest thing he’d ever done, and he had to kill a few people to get there,
especially the white Langston-Hughes who held the traditional family chair in
the Abbey. He hides it well, but he despises both high society and himself for
his need to be in it. An older black man with a stern cold expression and
graying hair, he has extremely steady hands when stitching up the wounds of
Abbey members, but he enjoys using no anesthesia.

-Professor Astrid Wilhelmina Carroll-Minot, the Sleeping Huntress

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 2. Virtue: Chastity. Vice: Sloth. Age: 40. Top Skills
(Academics: Parapsychology, Occult: Psychic Phenomena, Investigation:
Dreams).
 - Priests, judges, planters, traders, the Carroll-Minots are more famous as
academics, producing several famous doctors, Nobel Prize winners, and
anatomists as well as ornithologists. They were also the founders of the now-
defunct American Society for Psychical Research, which got them labeled
cranks by the other families. Astrid didn’t care however, like most in her
family, she was born with a gift, a gift they had traditionally used in business
and trades to make their family wealth. She only became a professor to
please her father and keep her inheritance, she had more of an interest in
using her powers to get out of work. Even as a researcher, most of her work
involves skimming the dreams of better professors and stealing their ideas to
publish. There’s an irony in that she’s probably the strongest psychic the
family ever produced and yet she has no interest in restarting the Society for
Psychical Research. She’s only interested in getting stronger and occasionally
enjoying the mind games associated with hunting intelligent prey. She can
track them down mentally, so they can run, but they can’t hide; she hunts
them in a sleep-like drugged state, so she often rides in the back of Duncan’s
golf cart. Psychic Powers: Clairvoyance, Unseen Sense
(Vampires/Werewolves/Mages), Astral Projection, Dream Travel.

-Holden Irving Duke

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 2. Virtue: Humility. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 50. Top
Skills (Firearms: Revolvers, Politics: Bribery, Persuasion: Sales Pitch)
- The Tobacco King, considered new money even though his family has owned
tobacco farms in North Carolina for generations, it wasn’t until 1885 that they
opened their first cigarette factory, though they quickly garnered a reputation
as Robber Barons who used violence to break strikes. His father was able to
parlay that status into a membership at Gray’s, which helped Holden get into
the Abbey. Surprisingly, Holden is very modest for a loud and blustery large
cowboy that is constantly chewing on a lit cigar; he often refers to himself as
“just a simple tobacco farmer” and his owning a “little smoking shop”. He
prefers Levi jeans (though vintage 501 pairs worth over $5,000) and plaid
shirts to Armani suits, and wears a ten-gallon hat. The other Abbey members
think he’s a laugh riot. He likes to use a pair of .44 cal S&W revolvers when
hunting, though he's equally proficient with a hunting rifle or shotgun.

-Victor and Victoria Cabot-Lowell

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 1. Virtue: Hope. Vice: Lust. Age: 21. Top Skills
(Computer: Vlogging, Expression: Videography, Socialize: College Parties).
- twin brother and sister, with platinum blond hair, from an old wealthy family
that had made its fortune in rum, opium smuggling and slave-trading. The
family coat of arms is an argent fist clutching three arrows on a black sable
 field. The twins own a share in the Cabot Corporation, which produces ink
and paints. Both study art at the university, where Victor is a member of a
prestigious fraternity. As members of the Pursuit faction, they take video
evidence of all their hunts, amassing a twisted and sick collection of murder-
porn. Both twins enjoy bow hunting, as firearms are too quick, and Victor has
his grandfather’s old rapier.

The Blueblood Hunting Club- while most members live in Manor Row, they go hunting
pretty much where they please, considering the entire city their territory as noble
lords.

-Reginald Wordsworth Fitzgerald-Price III, aka “The Colonel”.

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 5. Virtue: Patience. Vice: Pride. Age: 70. Top Skills
(Drive: Horse, Firearms: Elephant Rifles, Weaponry: Sabers/Lances, Occult:
Folktales).
- The oldest living member of the Abbey in Hillcrest and the official chapter
president, he grew up in England before moving after leaving the army. He’s
been a mentor to many young Abbey-members, patiently coaching them in
his many decades of hunting experience. He has stories from hunts all over
the world, from hunting vampires in India to hunting werewolves in Scottish
moors, to demons in Jakarta. Though old and wrinkled, with thinning white
hair and a handlebar mustache, he possesses abundant energy and
enthusiasm, leaping to the hunt with the vigor of a 30-year-old (irregular
infusions of vampire blood and werewolf spleen, he says). He hates hunting
wizards though (too tricky). “Reggie” has a lot of “friends” in high places, he
has contacts in the Invictus in case they need to negotiate (they helpfully
suggest vampires free for hunting as well), and he has contacts with other
hunters, such as Janice of the Lucifuge, Miranda from Cheiron Group, Sir
Corbell of the Knights of St. George, and the Faithful of Shulpae (they have
good food!).

-Preston Leopold Cavanaugh Jr.

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 3. Virtue: Temperance. Vice: Lust. Age: 45. Top
Skills: (Drive: Boating, Persuasion: Southern Charm, Stealth: Stalking,
Weaponry: Axes)
- The oldest living male Cavanaugh, a family clan of former plantation owners
who made their wealth from slavery. He is a sociopath with slicked back hair
turning slightly silver, disguised with Southern politeness and sugar, and a
fondness for fine suits or polo shirts & boating shoes. A graduate of Harvard
Business College, he does some day trading but spends most of his vast
 amount of free time on his yacht “the Bacchus” at Lake Horn (where he often
takes prostitutes but returns without them). He has a penthouse at
Summerset as well, and tries to avoid his family’s Magnolia Estate at the
Seven Bridges Plantation due to lingering bad blood with his mother Scarlet.
Unlike many in the Abbey, Preston is a teetotaler, he believes his body is a
temple and thus he does not drink. Cocaine is fine though.

-Christina Bates-Griswold, the Iron Duchess, Lady of the Hounds

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 3. Virtue: Romantic. Vice: Envy. Age: 50. Top Skills
(Animal Ken: Hunting Dogs, Survival: Tracking, Firearms: Shotguns, Socialize:
Tea Parties).
- Her family has a long history with hounds, starting out as Royal Greyhound
Keepers before getting into the merchant trade in America, with the other
side of her family members of the first Hellfire Club and the Ashwood Abbey.
With a long history in Hillcrest, her family owned the old Lace Mill and several
of the Textile Mills. Even with this illustrious background, it wasn’t easy to
join the Abbey, and she became the first female member in Hillcrest, after
setting her dogs on the former chapter president. Extremely fashionable in
black slim and short dresses with snow leopard fur trim and white lace gloves.
During hunting season, she wears khaki hunting gear, knee-high boots and a
panama hat. Heavy use of plastic surgery and vampire blood make her appear
much younger (maybe 40), aside from a white stripe in her black hair, and her
body is quite fit. Many are surprised by her outdoors skills and aim with a
shotgun.

-Judge Simon Randolph-Burwell, the Hanging Judge

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 3. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Greed. Age: 55. Top Skills
(Academics: Law, Politics: Local, Intimidate: Reputation as the Hanging Judge,
Firearms: Flintlocks)
- As a family, they were bland yet imperious, and the Burwells had intermarried
into nearly every family to gain political connections. Sadly, they lost much of
their wealth and plantations because they supported the Confederacy during
the war. Left with the grist mill, the family went into politics instead of
business and borrowed heavily from relatives in order to maintain their
lifestyle. Young Simon felt robbed of his birthright, but decided on a career in
law as a prosecutor so that he could punish the wicked. He was vicious,
attacking from any angle, and vented his fury especially on the lower class
criminal that was helpless with a public defender. When he was elected as a
judge on a “tough-on-crime” platform, he quickly garnered a reputation as the
“hanging judge”, giving the maximum sentence he could on the “deserving”. It
is important to note that this sense of justice Simon was warped. In his mind,
 the lower class deserved the harshest treatment, while the upper class
deserved leniency due to their better breeding and manners. Simon is a man
continuing his upper class habits on a judge’s salary, and thus he is constantly
in need of more money. The wealthy know he is absolutely available for
purchase and bribery, and he’s even sentenced kids to “scared-straight” boot
camps in exchange for a cut of the profit. A man who looks 5-6 years older
than he is, with severe widow’s peaks in his graying hair, heavy frown lines,
and a grim sallow face. During hunts, he likes to wear his ancestor’s
powdered wig and red hunting jacket, and use black powder flintlocks.

-Ambrose Everett Crowninshield

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 3. Virtue: Adventurous. Vice: Vanity. Age: 35. Top
Skills (Animal Ken: Exotic Pets, Larceny: Sleight of Hand, Athletics: Spelunking,
Firearms: Exotic).
- His family was the first to bring an elephant to America, and Ambrose on
occasion will borrow his family elephant for really important hunts, riding in a
howdah. He is splashy, dapper, with a Brummel-like flair. If he doesn’t ride in
on a camel, he might show up with a trained hunting cheetah or a falcon. He
likes to call himself an adventurer and an experimenter. He rarely carries a
simple firearm, the more exotic, the better, with his favorite being his mini
flamethrower or a crossbow that fires two bolts at once. It’s a wonder he
hasn’t been killed yet with his “try-anything” personality. A handsome man
with a pencil-thin mustache he calls the “Errol Flynn” and styled chestnut
brown hair. He sometimes dresses up like Indiana Jones.

-Sir Clyde Wortham of Kneesworth, Baronet.

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 2. Virtue: Clever. Vice: Pride. Age: 30. Top Skills
(Academics: Heraldry, Craft: Trapmaking, Occult: Ceremonial Magic, Socialize:
Drinking).
- A foreign guest from the lodge headquarters in Scotland, he’s English and
quite proud of it. Fiendishly clever, he studied engineering at the Royal
Engineering College, where he mastered various animal traps, including a fox
trap that bisected the animal when caught. A member of various occult
groups, he has also learned a few ritual spells using ceremonial magic, which
helps him track down the supernatural, such as summoning the shades of the
dead to speak. He’s enjoyed his vacation in America so far, but also misses
the Kneesworth House in Kent. Tow-headed, a Harrow man, with a pipe, a
brown houndstooth jacket, and plaid bow tie.

-Elric Amadeus Kilgrave* (technically deceased)

 - Ashwood Abbey, Status 3. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 35. Top
Skills (Occult: Relics, Science: Chemistry, Weaponry: Swords, Firearms:
Antiques).
- The Kilgrave Manor is a repository of the Abbey’s greatest trophies and
written histories, as Kilgraves had been founding members as well as the first
Abbeymen in Hillcrest. Elric was probably the most talented hunter they had,
with two werewolf pelts, a half-dozen vampires, a frankenstein, a pair of
leprechauns and a pixie, a goatman, and a three-eyed demon from Chinatown
all added to his kill score. This might have been due to help from some family
relics, which the Abbey would love to get their hands on. Unfortunately, Elric
wasn’t in the habit of sharing, and he’s recently gotten himself killed during a
“family reunion” in Cornwall that left everyone on that side of the family dead
in a so-called gas explosion. They didn’t even have a body to bury him, having
put one of his fingers (the only thing left) into the large expensive casket.
Right now, the Abbey is waiting for his heirs to come and claim his legacy and
seat in the Abbey, so they can make an offer on the house.

The Collectors Cell- this group of Ashwood are more interested in collecting unique
experiences and trophies. Status is gained by the uniqueness, not the number, of
trophies. This cell calls the New Town as their territory, especially the Nightlife
District and Gray’s Club.

-Heinrich Koenig, Club Sergeant-at-Arms

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 4. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Lust. Age: 47. Top Skills
(Academic: History, Occult: Relics, Firearms: Antiques, Intimidate: Reputation,
Animal Ken: Hawks).
- From old German stock, Heinrich was in town about 20 years ago frequenting
a “house of ill-repute” when the girl transformed into a vampire and tried to
eat him. He simply tied her up, gagged her with his wallet and finished, leaving
a $100 tip. Hearing this story from the matron, Reginald gladly offered
Heinrich a place in the Abbey. Over the years, Heinrich collected a number of
unique relics as well as attractive scars. Placed in charge of the Abbey’s
Special Collection at the clubhouse, he organizes all the magic relics they find.
The Aegis Kai Doru often ask permission to see the collection, only to be
denied by Heinrich. To borrow an item, you’ll need to bring him a woman.
One of his hobbies is also hawking, as he owns a number of fine hawks and
falcons for hunting.
-Jared Witherspoon, the Auction Meister

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 2. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Greed. Age: 31. Top Skills
(Academic: Archeology, Investigate: Provenance, Larceny: Artifacts,
Persuasion: Auction Bidding).
- Brought into the Abbey by Heinrich after they competed on bidding for the
same item at the Deiform auction house. Jared is from the affluent
Witherspoon family, of Scottish origins, who lived in the Old District for
several decades. During his hunt, he was supposed to capture a goblin, but
was ambushed by a skull-faced thing riding a giant spider. During the battle, a
beam of blue light incinerated both, leaving Jared unharmed. Rather than tell
anyone about his vision, he lied and presented the charred remains as his own
kills. A Giant Spider was rare enough to earn him his spot, much less Skull-
Face. However, Jared is obsessed with the blue light, which he believes called
to him, calling it “the Messenger”. Jared has donated three objects to the
Special Collection: the Greek Fragment (part of a satyr statue that consists
only of the well-endowed lower half, once a year it animates with seemingly
limitless stamina), the Unspeakable Pate (meat paste in a tin can made by the
legendary Dog-Food Killer from her human victims, eating it summons their
ghosts), the Lively Gibbet (a metal frame used to display a criminal’s body
after execution, a fresh corpse placed inside with the magic word spoken
animates it as a zombie; the Aegis Kai Doru insist this gibbet belongs to them,
but possession is 9/10ths the law).

-Woodward Miller, Trophy Enthusiast

- Ashwood Abbey, Status 2. Virtue: Hope. Vice: Envy. Age: 35. Top Skills
(Academics: Economics, Craft: Taxidermy, Persuasion: Bribery, Firearms:
Hunting Rifles).
- The Millers have put in a lot of money improving their local community, and
Woodward is happy to continue to play philanthropist. Normally working as a
stockbroker, and often found at the club golf course, Woodward’s real passion
is trophy hunting. Woodward has killed a vampire (mounting its fangs on a
board), a mage (taxiderming his hands), and a chupacabra (stuffed and
mounted). But he still really wants to kill a werewolf and turn it into a rug, the
problem being that they turn back to human form on death. He’s been
spending cash to find a solution to this problem. A mocha-skinned African-
American with a warm smile, dressed in white slacks, golf shoes, and a white
polo shirt.
The Long Night
-a loose compact of different Christian groups, mostly Protestant. They believe that
now is the Tribulation, the “Long Night” of Revelations and they are the warriors of
Christ. One cell in Hillcrest.

-“The Preacher”, Pastor Ezekiel Langley Coffin

- Long Night, Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Age: 80. Top Skills
(Academics: Religious Studies, Occult: Infernal, Firearms: Revolver, Intimidate:
Hellfire & Brimstone).
- Pastor of the Tribulation Church of the Revelation, a ramshackle old chapel
falling apart, with very few people attending sermons except the elderly and a
handful of devotees, as most people are turned off from Coffin’s weekly
hellfire & brimstone sermons of apocalyptic doom. He rarely allies with other
Hunter groups except the Union and the Silver Cross. The others are too
sinful, especially the Malleus for being Catholics, the Nulls for being atheists,
and the Loyalists for being Satanists. A wrinkled angry man, thin with wispy
white hair. Commonly armed, with a revolver on his belt and a shotgun
behind his pulpit.

-“Brother Isaiah”, Isaiah Bellamy, the Deacon

- Long Night, Status 3. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Sloth. Age: 56. Top Skills
(Academics: Religious Studies, Occult: Werewolves, Streetwise: Local Gangs,
Persuasion: Turn a New Leaf).
- Professor of Religious Studies at Hoenheim College and a deacon at the chapel
there, he started volunteering for the Long Night after witnessing a pack of
werewolves tear apart a group of gang members. He has recruited a few
street toughs to conduct the hunt, calling them the Matthew 5:5, after the
bible passage. Sometimes he wonders if the Preacher is right, that it really is
the End Times, or whether he is harming people for no reason. To quiet that
inner voice, he also has his boys hand out food and blankets at the Long
Night’s Mission House. A pudgy bald black man with glasses, wearing a black
suit and an American flag tie with a silver cross tie pin.

-“Brother Hawthorne”, Hawthorne Thorpe, the Fireman

- Long Night, Status 2. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Lust. Age: 32. Top Skills (Craft:
Molotov Cocktails, Weaponry: Fire Axe).
- A devoutly religious firefighter, he was inspired to join the Long Night after
seeing a woman walk out of the flames of a building fire completely
 untouched. Obsessed with the possibility of demons walking among the
population. He uses a fire axe and as an expert in fires, the Long Night relies
on him to safely set fires to burn out vampires or other things. His family has a
long history of city service as policemen and firefighters. However, Hawthorne
is fearful that he’s not worthy to serve the Lord, due to his secret urges and
attraction to his fire chief. He holds himself in check with strict discipline, his
hair cut in military style, his clothes picked out carefully.

-“Brother Joshua”, Joshua Harper, the Bible Salesman

- Long Night, Status 1. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Greed. Age: 45. Top Skills (Stealth:
Blending In, Persuasion: Sales, Larceny: Lockpicking, Firearms: Concealed,
Drive: Delivery Van).
- He did a few robberies before he became Born-Again and started driving the
“Bible Van”, going across state to sell bibles. It was a terrible business, and he
barely sold anything. Until one day he met the Devil, who promised he could
be the greatest salesman in the world in exchange for his soul. Sorely
tempted, he pulled the tiny pistol concealed in his “38 Special” Bible and
blasted a hole through the Devil’s eye. Old Nick vanished in a wail, and Joshua
saw his new calling, joining up with Preacher Coffin to keep spitting in the
Devil’s eye. A lanky man with a thick mustache but balding on top, concealed
by a toupee.

-“Sister Agatha”, Agatha Luebke, the Devout

- Long Night, Status 2. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Envy. Age: 40. Top Skills (Occult:
Prophecies, Investigation: Sin, Expression: Chorus/Pipe Organ, Firearms:
Shotgun)
- Devoted to Preacher Coffin, who saved her from a life of sin (she thinks, she
never actually did anything in her whole life, never drank or gambled or even
had a boyfriend). She’s an older dowdy woman with thick glasses and straight
brown hair. She’s obsessed with biblical prophecies and numerology, scouring
the holy books for her next clues. She might not be crazy, as several of her
decoded prophecies have proved very useful to the Long Night. The rest of the
church regard her as a bit of a gossip, as she pries into everyone’s misdeeds
(She even has a dossier on her teammates). In one area she relaxes, and that’s
when she plays the organ or sings in the church choir.
The Union
-blue-collar hunters, there is a cell based around workers in the Bloodyard and Factory
district, and the rest made up of police officers.

-Joey “the Grocer” Carcione, Union Steward

- Union, Status 5. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Age: 81. Top Skills (Politics:
Union, Investigate: Strange Happenings, Occult: Local Oddities, Persuasion:
Teamwork)
- The son of Italian immigrants, he came back from his military service to
discover his neighborhood was suffering an outbreak of anemia, with two
children found dead in a trash can. He gathered up his military buddies to
track down the vampire responsible and torched it. Since then, Joey has been
the legendary advisor for several Union cells. Getting too old to hunt
anymore, he’s still the Union Steward, the head of Hillcrest Factory Workers
Union #666, and runs the old Stop & Shop grocery store where he sits at the
front counter while Union hunters use the back to plan attacks. His wife left
him 20 years ago, and 8 years ago, his son Geno vanished through a door,
never to be seen again. He still keeps his lucky shotgun below his counter.

-“Officer Villanueva” Lucy Villanueva, Precinct 6.

- Union, Status 2. Virtue: Family. Vice: Envy. Age: 29. Top Skills (Firearms:
Indoor Firefights, Investigation: Sharp Eyes, Streetwise: Local Area, Brawl:
Restrain).
- Part of the Occult Crimes Division, which investigates cult activity, which is
common in Little Haiti, the Barrio and the Blood Yards. The oldest of four
sisters, she was the responsible one, working throughout school to get them
out of the slums they lived in. It was at age 17 when she got knocked up by
Julio, a baby-faced gangster who got himself killed during a liquor-store
robbery. She raised her daughter Marie alone, but without a college degree,
she went to the local police academy to become a police officer. After 10
years on the force as a beat cop, she has little to show for it but a plastic
trophy on her desk and therefore has taken a few bribes to look the other
way. Tough, no-nonsense, with a chip on her shoulder, she’s put down a few
weird cultists and is aware that magic is real. To her, family is everything.

-”Detective Munny” William Castle Munny, Precinct 7.

 - Union, Status 3. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Age: 40. Top Skills (Investigate:
Murder, Streetwise: Local Gangs, Firearms: Handguns, Athletics: Chase
Scenes).
- Once “Officer Munny” of the Drug Crime Squad, he was recently promoted to
Detective on the Murder Squad to everyone’s (including himself) surprise. A
grimy looking detective in a trenchcoat, several days of stubble, and a general
bad attitude with sarcasm a common response. He wasn’t always so cynical,
but about 8 years ago, his little girl got taken away by a literal knight in black
armor on a horse at the state fair, never to be seen again. That incident got
him into the Vigil, and so far he’s been researching supernatural abductions.
He has made several contacts to help him- he helped Elric Kilgrave of the
Ashwood Abbey get out of a few drug charges, which made him a solid source
of info (and helping him break a few murder cases). Father Baker of the
Malleus Maleficarum is also a solid friend, and he is professional with
Detective Heyer of the FBI VASCU, having assisted her with a few arrests.

-Reagan McGuire- the Welder

- Union, Status 2. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Wrath. Age: 32. Top Skills
(Academics: Engineering, Craft: Welding, Weaponry: Improvised, Firearms:
Mechanical).
- A welder and caster at Vulcan Ironworks, he’s seen the dark underbelly of
Norlock and realized that something had to be done to protect his people. His
first brush with the supernatural was dealing with an artificial man whose
presence was causing accidents and tempers to flare. Confronting the
stitched flesh creature, it nearly crushed Reagan’s throat until he pulled a
switch to pour molten hot iron on its head. Badly burned from the splatter,
Reagan has used the factory’s hot iron vats to dispose of several creatures, as
nothing survives 1200 degrees. At the same time, he’s ingenious at making
devices; such as a scrap metal saw-toothed club, and a mechanical automatic
crossbow that ignites the bolts as it fires them. A man covered in burn scars,
only able to grow half a patchy beard, dressed in thick clothing, steel-toed
boots and a leather apron; his welding mask strapped to his belt and worn
when he goes hunting.

-Gregor Myasnikov- the Sausage-Maker

- Union, Status 3. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 35. Top Skills (Politics:
Unionism, Weaponry: Meat Hook/Butcher Knife, Athletics: Lifting, Animal Ken:
Farm, Persuasion: Leadership).
- Growing up on a farm in the Soviet Union (in Georgia), he loved animals,
raising several pigs and goats. But he also loved eating meat. After the fall of
the Soviet Union, he moved to the US with the help of a loan from the Russian
 Mafia. Unfortunately, they turned him into a hitman while he worked his
dayjob at the Slaughterhouse as the man who lifted the animals onto the
conveyor belt after they were bolted and cleaned them. At night, he’d bring a
target to the line and do the same, but unlike most of his fellow hitmen, he
never enjoyed the job. He probably would have gone mad from the work, but
a run-in with a vampire feeding on the blood on the factory floor woke him up
from his depressive fugue. After a fight with the frenzying creature, he
managed to toss it into the machine where the sausages were made. He felt
powerful and alive. Inspired, he organized his fellow workers to join the
Meatpackers Union and told the Russians he would pay off his debt in a
different way. They didn’t like that one bit, but sending them a few of their
men back in sausage-form and the support of his new friends in the Union
changed their tune. The cops in the Union don’t exactly trust his conversion,
but Joey thinks Gregor has the stuff to become a Union Steward one day. A
large, thick man with a bit of a beer-gut and a love for BBQ, he’s quite capable
of lifting a 210lb pig like nothing and putting it on a hook. During the hunt, he
wears his leather apron, rubber boots and a leather hood to conceal his face;
with his various butchering tools and knives hanging from his tool belt.

-Edward “Eddie” Wright- the Sewer Man

- Union, Status 1. Virtue: Dedicated. Vice: Sloth. Age: 42. Top Skills
(Academics: Engineering, Investigation: Sewers, Survival: Underground
Navigation, Stealth: Darkness).
- Eddie works for the City Water and Sewage department, his job involves
walking the sewer lines to identify any leaks, blocks or malfunctions. It’s a
smelly job, but not overly difficult, and he likes being alone. However, after a
few “incidents”, it didn’t take Eddie long to realize how dangerous the sewers
really were. Creatures live down there, a lot of them, and occasionally the
sewer lines would cross into tunnels, crypts, or ancient stone halls carved with
statues of gods. The dedicated sewer workers simply told the new guys
where to avoid, what not to look into, and how to stay safe. They made maps
and if necessary, cleared nests, which is where Eddie got his first lesson in
monster killing when he ran into a man teeming with rats inside his body. A
prematurely balding black man (who killed his sense of smell through heavy
smoking) who prefers reading a magazine and eating lunch to hunting, he was
named by his fellow workers to represent them to the Union. In that task, he
performs well, giving them maps and getting them out of jams by jimmying
open a panel or gate to help them escape through the sewers.

The Loyalists of Thule

-(An occultist group devoted to righting the wrongs that happened in Germany based
on their research; there’s a single cell= one member is a librarian, another is a
professor, and the last is a research student. The librarian is an expert on the
Rmoahal language, a race of Thule giants who died out towards the Fall of Atlantis;
the Loyalists have rituals allowing them to contact the ghosts of Rmoahal that haunt
ancient barrows across Europe, but they have a suspicion that Rmoahal ruins can be
found in America; especially after some Rmoahal runes were found in Hillcrest).

-Ilsa Wolfsburg, the Librarian.

- Loyalist of Thule, Status 4. Virtue: Diligent. Vice: Pride. Age: 45. Top Skills
(Academics: Linguistics, Occult: Thule, Expression: Ancient Songs, Survival:
Wilderness Exploration).
- One might say Ilsa has been obsessed with the Rmoahal, ever since she was a
girl and her father (a notable archeologist) showed her the secret barrow
located on their property, the one that held the bones of a giant and the
primitive yet powerful scratchings on the stone. She dedicated her life to
understanding those carvings and the magic they held. But unlike other
translators working for the Thule Society, she hit on a unique understanding.
The Rmoahal didn’t speak spells into being, they sang. Dry dusty scholars
trying to activate Rmoahal artifacts failed because they didn’t understand that
they needed to sing to them first. The discovery brought Ilsa a great deal of
accolades, but also sparked a race between the Loyalists, the Aegis Kai Doru,
and Nazi occultists to acquire Rmoahal devices and writing. When a batch of
previously unknown runes and artifacts were discovered in Hillcrest, Ilsa flew
in on the first plane, using her contacts to get a position at the Redstone
Library and access to their archives. A German woman with an accent, a
severe look, a gray suit and blonde hair tied back into a bun; many are
surprised that she has an excellent singing voice, with a fondness for Wagner.
Unearthed Secrets 4 (Rmoahal Ghost, Panopticon Seer Mage, the Aegis Kai
Doru, the Demon at the Museum)

-Johannes Von Brumann, Professor of Archeology.

- Loyalist of Thule, Status 4. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Envy. Age: 54. Top Skills
(Academics: Archeology, Occult: Ancient Legends, Expression: Lecture,
Socialize: Academia).
- Not just a professor and expert in German history and ancient artifacts, but
also a ceremonial magician. He actually envies Ilsa for her success in decoding
Rmoahal, while his own studies have turned out to be less successful. While a
popular professor, he’s had several artifacts uncovered simply go missing,
poached by the Aegis Kai Doru or some other faction. And some of the more
interesting places to dig are squarely under the city, but he can’t get his
permits approved as some forces don’t want things uncovered. Johannes is
 getting frustrated, he wants to prove that the ancient legends about the
natives that lived on Hillcrest are true, that there really is something living
under the city. But his superiors have vetoed any such digging as unwise. An
older, yet still handsome man with a bit of silver hair forming at the temples
and his neat trimmed beard. He wears a brown suit and a bowtie. He’s made
some friends among the local Mysterium and a group of Geist. Unearthed
Secrets 4 (Contacts: Mysterium Mages, Geist Krewe, Boneshadow Werewolf,
the Lucifuge).

-Greg Weiss, Local Historian.

- Loyalist of Thule, Status 2. Virtue: Compassion. Vice: Sloth. Age: 40. Top Skills
(Academics: History, Investigation: City Archives, Occult: Cryptozoology).
- A local historian who works at the museum and writes articles on the city’s
website about its colorful local history. His investigations into the true history
of Hillcrest uncovered pages of information that was supposed to be hidden,
and he was inducted into the Loyalists. His reputation as a historian took a hit
when he published one of his pet theories about the mound, which he only
recovered by playing it off as speculative historical-fiction. Since then, he’s
learned to keep his pet theories and supernatural secrets to himself, though
he can be convinced to offer the secret supernatural history of different
landmarks with bribes of hard candies, his favorite snack, and a moment of
genuine interest (something he appreciates). He is especially fascinated with
werewolves and has amassed an entire bookshelf about them, earning him a
reputation as sympathetic with the beasts. A thin man filled with nervous
energy, twitching and mumbling to himself. Unearthed Secrets 2 (Contacts:
Werewolves, Ghost).

-Constance Immacolata Lucchese, Research Grad (Loyalist of Thule, Status 1. Virtue:

Prudence. Vice: Lust. Age: 23. Top Skills (Academics: Archeology, Computer:
Research, Occult: Cults, Socialize: College Students). One of Johannes’ top students
and TA, she is a research grad working on her doctorate studying the history of cults in
Hillcrest. Unearthed Secrets 1 (Contacts: the Brotherhood of Ineffable Truth).)

Network Zero
-mostly online, this group collects video evidence of the supernatural and runs a
forum for members to post sightings. Hillcrest has a few members living in the city,
one is a hacker, the other is an amateur ghost-hunter on the internet and her
videographer and editor.
-Mitch Goldberg, AKA “Golden Eye”
- Network Zero, Status 3. Virtue: Dedicated. Vice: Lust. Age: 19. Top Skills
(Computer: Hacking, Occult: Urban Legends, Socialize: Web Forums, Drive:
Pilot Drones).
- A l33t hacker, as he describes himself, he’s hacked several of the security
cameras on his block as well as uses a drone to watch his neighborhood. The
top mod on the Hillcrest Zero forum as well as the main supplier of videos of
the supernatural. Scrawny, with a mop of curly unruly reddish hair and a
wispy chin-beard. He has started to suspect that the head of the
neighborhood watch and homeowner’s association in his block is secretly a
serial killer. What he doesn’t know is that the man is aware that Mitch has
been spying on him and has been making plans to disappear him. Luckily,
Mitch hardly ever leaves his parents’ basement, and only visits the local
arcade once a week.

-Vanida Quaker, “Haunted Hillcrest Ghost Hunter”

- Network Zero, Status 2. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Pride. Age: 22. Top Skills
(Computer: Blogging, Investigation: Video, Occult: Haunted Places, Stealth:
Hiding, Expression: Spoken Word).
- A student at the University getting her degree in Media and Journalism,
Vanida has been running the Haunted Hillcrest blog and video channel for the
last 3 years as “Vanida the Hillcrest Ghost Hunter”. She’s been obsessed with
ghosts ever since she captured the “Crying Man” on camera, driven by a sense
that she can solve the mysteries of Hillcrest and help put ghosts to rest (she
has two videos where by helping pass on a message, she’s caused those
hauntings to cease). She considers her blog the most detailed and thorough
catalog of haunted places in Hillcrest, a point of pride, and she doesn’t want
to share her “turf”. Her obsession has caused trouble at school, with her
grades slipping and being placed on the bench for the college’s sprinting team.
A young black woman with a long straight nose and features, large expressive
eyes and a lean runner’s build, her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

-Tony Sakai, “Mouse”

- Network Zero, Status 1. Virtue: Loyal. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 28. Top Skills
(Computer: Editing, Athletics: Running with a Camera, Brawl: Judo,
Expression: Film).
- Vanida’s cameraman and editor, a huge Japanese-American boy with a
professional camera and a quiet shy personality. He’s often found eating
when he’s not fiddling with his camera or editing a new video on his laptop.
 “Mouse” loves ghost-hunting, his grandmother used to tell him all about ghost
stories from her native Japan. He’s a loyal cameraman, he keeps filming even
when running for his life, and can often outrun Vanida even while lugging a
heavy camera. Merits- Second Sense (Ghosts), Camera Obscura (3- spend
willpower and focus through a camera to inflict bashing damage on spirits =
Wits+Expression-Def.

-”BL00DY M4RY” Mary Tabby Key, Netizen Blogger.

- Network Zero, Status 2. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Attention-Seeking. Age: 24.

Top Skills (Computer: Research, Occult: Urban Legends, Expression: Live-
Streaming, Socialize: Chat).

- Probably one of the more annoying Net0 members, she loves drama and
spooky things, but what she really wants is to become famous. A young
woman with the top of her mohawk dyed red and several facial piercings,
she’s loud and crude, and currently on livestream talking about the nearest
hangout for monsters only. Secret: BL00DY M4RY doesn’t exist. She’s an AI
experiment by Anderson Robotics to infiltrate Network Zero and take over the
movement.)

Null Mysteriis
-an association of scientists studying the supernatural, there’s a member at the
Hospital, one at the University, and a forensic investigator. The hospital surgeon Dr.
Anna Carter has developed a technique to remove a mage’s powers through brain
surgery, technically a lobotomy, it still has bad side effects. Meanwhile Prof. Peter
Thiessen has developed an untested device which should change the energy state of
spirits, giving them physical form.

-Dr. Anna Carter, the Brain Surgeon

- Null Mysteriis, Status 4. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Pride. Top Skills (Science:
Neurology, Medicine: Brain Surgery, Weaponry: Surgical Tools, Intimidate:
Cold Demeanor).
- A cold, obsessed surgeon with a god-complex, Anna is one of the top brain
surgeons in her field and she knows it. She believes she has identified the
brain structures that make a reality-bending “mage” exist and a procedure to
“cure” them. She hired several hunters to bring her test subjects to practice
on. Anna killed several before she mastered the technique, though the
operation works to remove their “magic” it also causes brain damage,
removing memories, and much higher brain function, turning them into
 simple, dull drones. Nicknamed the “Ice Queen” by hospital staff, she is a
regal beauty with blonde hair and a frozen face.

-Prof. Peter Thiessen, the Physicist

- Null Mysteriis, Status 3. Virtue: Dedication. Vice: Pride. Top Skills (Science:
Quantum Physics, Occult: Paraphysical Entities, Computer: Simulations, Craft:
Electrical Devices).
- Replacing the last Physics professor who was sent to an insane asylum, his
observations at the university led him to believe there were extra-dimensional
entities that inhabited a different plane or dimension that were capable of
interacting with our dimension. The other professors and students might call
them “ghosts” or “spirits”, but Prof. Thiessen rejected these superstitious
ramblings. Instead, he built a “Quantum Dimensional Modulator” which emits
an ultra-dimensional energy field which altered the energy states of these
EDE’s and forced them physically into our dimension, where they could be
interacted with or killed (if necessary). Careful testing revealed the danger,
and he’s already lost one lab assistant, so experiments are conducted in a
sealed radiation chamber where EDE’s can be trapped and killed through
heavy radiation and high heat.

-Detective Victor Trent, the Investigator

- Null Mysteriis, Status 2. Virtue: Prudence. Vice: Pride. Age: 43. Top Skills
(Science: Forensics, Occult: Parapsychology, Computer: Google It,
Investigation: Autopsies).
- A forensic investigator for the HPD, he also performs autopsies. Called the
“Corpse Whisperer” due to his high success ratio, in fact, Victor has the ability
to see ghosts and hear them. However, he hasn’t believed in ghosts since his
“imaginary friend” Isabel in the attic; as a rational man of science, he believes
he is seeing psychic echoes of the dead, not actual spirits. For him, the things
we call supernatural are only mysteries that haven’t been explained by
science yet. Tall and quiet, Victor moves slowly and carefully, sometimes
standing in a corner to absorb the impression of the crime scene. He wears a
tweed jacket with elbow patches and generally carries his briefcase with his
special tools. Sometimes he even forgets his police-issued sidearm, a .38
revolver. His fingers are stained with chemicals and he smells like a crime lab.
Special Merits: Unseen Sense (Ghosts)

Dies Irae
(master demonologists trained in the tongue of Babel; there is a cell present at
Morgrave University; they are searching for a fragment of the Ars Moriendi “the Art of
Dying”, a Latin grimoire which catalogs all contemporary information on demons and
how to use demonic powers to fight them before it was destroyed by the Malleus
Maleficarum. Dies Irae have no supernatural powers, but do extensive research on
demons and their banes which gives them an advantage; in fact, the Crucifiers even
test out banes on captured demons, trying different variations and torturing them to
find their secrets. This particular cell is led by a Scholar, his apprentice, and a Crucifier)

-Prof. Karl Ernst Krafft “Mercurius”

- Dies Irae, Status 4. Virtue: Forgiveness. Vice: Greed. Age: 47. Top Skills
(Academics: Latin Studies, Occult: Demonology, Investigate: Demon Names,
Intimidate: Demons).
- Starting life as a ceremonial magician, he practiced several demon
summonings until realizing the error of his ways after a miscast summoning
resulted in his girlfriend’s possession. The Dies Irae helped him research the
demon’s true name and weakness to cast it out, though she died in the
exorcism. As one of the society’s few turned demonologists, he has an edge
in hunting them, knowing what they look for. A professor of Latin and
Bibliology at Morgrave University, the extensive archives and library has
helped him several times in his work. He searches for the name of the entity
which he believes has possessed the entire campus. Suffering from a minor
bipolar condition, his mood swings make it difficult to work with him. Middle-
aged with brown, uncombed hair, he always wears gloves to conceal the
pentagram and Latin demon-binding charms tattooed on his hands.
Thaumaturgy Merits: Library 3, Communion 2, Evocation (Spirit) 4, Warding
(Spirits) 3. Merits: Second Sight (spirits), Language (First Tongue*, Latin,
Aramaic).

-Apprentice, Eleanor von Wittenburg.

- Dies Irae, Status 2. Virtue: Curiosity. Vice: Envy. Age: 24. Top Skills
(Academics: Bibliology, Occult: Demonic Grimoires, Investigate: Possible
Possessions, Craft: Binding Objects).
- Krafft’s latest apprentice since the untimely demise of the last one, she was
one of his top students in his Bibliology class and her paper on translating
Babylonian demon talismans sparked his interest in recruiting her. Much of
what she’s learned has come from studying demonic grimoires, and she’s built
a number of totems or talismans to bind demons safely inside as long as she
knows their true name. A pale young woman with curly blond hair cut short,
thick black-framed glasses, and a fondness for pale colors such as cream and
peach dresses with a pale gray sweater. Merits: Language (First Tongue*,
 Latin, Greek Linear B, Aramaic, Akkadian), Esoteric Armory ***, Investigative
Prodigy*.

-Beatrice di Folco Portinari, “Crucifier Beatrice”.

- Dies Irae, Status 2. Virtue: Purity. Vice: Lust. Secondary Vice: Wrath. Age: 25.
Top Skills (Athletics: Leaping, Weaponry: Swords/Branding Irons, Survival:
Starting Fires, Intimidate: Torture).
- Beatrice is not really herself, as she died years ago. Rather she was an
experiment by Mercurius, in which a demon of wrath was bound to her body
using binding spells in Latin and Aramaic tattooed onto her body. When Krafft
needs a deadly killer, he speaks the trigger phrase to unleash the demon
inside her, a demon skilled in swords and branding, named Erzollath the
Piercer. A woman with an angelic face, tattoos of words encircling her limbs
and body, auburn long hair, and a style consisting of loose white clothing;
when she’s unleashed, her face twists with rage, and she can pull a black
longsword out of her throat. Supernatural Merits (Possessed): Vestment of
Wrath***- Swift Intercession * (add dots in Wrath to Initiative), Bonded
Weapon ** (1WP, bonded weapon appears instantly in hand no matter how
far away and dissolves at the end of combat), Spite*** (2WP, anytime she
takes damage within 3 turns, she can make a free attack in retaliation).

Division Six
(supposedly a government organization, they even have official-looking badges.
Tasked with eliminating “reality deviants” aka mages, they claim to have been around
since the Revolutionary War. This is a lie. They were founded in 1977 on the
American Bicentennial by a New England Congressman named Thomas Major and
some DC officials who discovered a plot by witches to use the 200th birthday of the
nation to alter the future. Contacted by a man named Mister Jones, who claimed to
be from Division 6 headquarters, they were organized into a hunter cell to kill mages.
In reality, Mister Jones, who hasn’t aged a day since the 70’s, is a member of the
Panopticon, a cult that serves the “Lords of the Supernal”, the mages who ascended
the Tower of Babel and then knocked it down, sinking Atlantis. The “reality deviants”
on the lists sent to Div6 agents to kill are enemies of the cult. There are three
departments: Department Alpha, division planning and admin; Department Charlie,
intelligence and research; and Department Whiskey, assassins, snipers, terrorists.
Part of their training involves “reality construct conditioning” which means that
casting spells around a Div6 member usually invokes paradox [status 3 adds 1 die to
Paradox]. Some of the top tier agents are Nulls, meaning they void magic by their
presence). Special Merits: Reality Construct Conditioning 1-5 (each dot adds 1 dice to
a Paradox roll when vulgar magic is cast in their presence, and even a single witness
counts as a group one size bigger for the purposes of Paradox).

-”Agent Bassett”, Robert Bassett, the Hound.

- Division Six, Status 4. Virtue: Patriotic. Vice: Wrath. Age: 41. Top Skills
(Investigate: Reality Deviants, Weaponry: Garrote, Firearms: Silenced Pistols,
Intimidate: Zero to 11).
- A grim, quite frightening and sometimes hostile agent of Division 6 who really
believes he is protecting America from reality deviants. When confronted
with a reality deviant (mage), he goes into a rage, and will often harm
innocents that get in his way. He is also a prejudiced man, with a strong
dislike of communists and homosexuals. A Null within Department Whiskey,
he often operates without support, and he’s currently operating alone in
Hillcrest while sharing an office with the FBI as an official liaison from the NSA.
Relatively tall at 6’2, with green intense eyes and a flat expression that goes
from unemotional to murderous at an instant. He prefers to get his hands
dirty and because he voids magic with his presence, he’s not as cautious as he
should be. Special Merits: Null 5 (spellcasting rolls directly targeting this
person automatically fail, regardless of being subtle or vulgar; paradox rolls
add 5 dice in his presence).

The Silver Cross

(a hunter organization that operates a walk-in clinic for other hunter societies; they
dislike the Ashwood Abbey, but as that society gives them the most donations, they
treat them anyways. Founded by a cell of medical students, a nurse, and an EMT that
managed to kill a werewolf stalking patients at the hospital. Members carry crosses of
silver.)

-Doctor “Kate Choi”, Choi Hyun-Ju - the Reluctant Healer

- Silver Cross, Status 4. Age: 30. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Envy. Top Skills
(Medicine: Advanced Treatment, Science: Biology, Brawl: TaeKwonDo,
Socialize: Other Hunters).
- Kate’s parents had always wanted her to be a doctor. But it was in medical
school that she joined up with a cell of hunters. While most of her team
dropped out, either from death, injury, or madness, she made some contacts
with the Silver Cross, which offered her a chance to run their walk-in clinic in
Hillcrest when she graduated. The pay sucks, her family doesn’t understand
 why she isn’t working in a better place, and she’s drowning in school debt…
but this is where she wanted to be, close to the action and helping to save the
world.

-“Nurse Inárez”, Dominga Maricelia Kamad Inárez

- Silver Cross, Status 2. Age: 33. Virtue: Family. Vice: Greed. Top Skills
(Medicine: Long-term Care, Occult: Folktales, Firearms: Concealed, Empathy:
Emotional Support)
- It all started when she had a patient come in with a bloody stump for an arm.
Checking in on them, she saw the man leap out of the window and run off,
and he had two healthy arms. Curious, Dominga did some research, which led
her to meet with the Silver Cross. They offered her a job with better pay, so
she could send more money back to her family in the Philippines. And even
better, she is helping stitch up her fellow hunters who tell her the most
amazing stories.

-Eric Mutinda, EMT

- Silver Cross, Status 2. Age: 28. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Pride. Top Skills
(Medicine: First Aid, Firearms: Concealed, Drive: Ambulance, Weaponry:
Silver).
- an immigrant from Kenya looking for a better life, he entered the Vigil after
picking up a Union hunter bleeding to death from a massive werewolf bite.
Saving the man’s life, the Union was grateful, and while running with their
crew, he discovered the same werewolf was stalking patients at the zoo. He
called in the favor, and together they killed it. Realizing he was a better healer
than a killer, he joined the Silver Cross. A tall and lanky Kenyan, with a shaved
head and a warm broad smile. Eric has a certain pride after working through
poverty, war, and hardship to make his way to the US. He greatly believes in
the American dream, though he’s currently struggling to save up money for a
house, his pride won’t let him accept borrowing from family.

The Wordsmiths
(a society founded by Wilfred Wordsmith in the 19 th c., who discovered his childhood
friend was still alive and a vampire. Their conversations before his friend’s suicide by
sunlight led Wordsmith into trying to cure vampirism; his society of friends and family
carried out his work of trying to “save” vampires and ghouls from their addictions.
The latest leader of the Wordsmiths is a vampire converted by Wilfred, Abraham
Vordenburg who developed the technique of “thought bombing”, leaving notes and
questions for vampires to reflect on, hidden around their sanctum by their own
ghouls, which was safer than talking to them in person. In Hillcrest, a pair of
Wordsmiths run BAA- “Blood Addicts Anonymous”, a support group for ghouls and
reformed vampires)

-“Big Brother” Dr. Joshua Cure, the Outreach Executive.

- Wordsmiths, Status 4. Age: 45. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Gluttony. Top Skills
(Academics: Hypnotherapy, Science: Psychology, Occult: Vitae, Medicine:
Addiction Treatment, Empathy: Emotions, Persuasion: 12-Step Program).
- Joshua is a trained therapist for treating addictions (with a license to prescribe
drugs to help), but he really shines in treating ghouls as he was once a ghoul
himself. For a decade, Joshua ruined his life and his body as a slave to a
vampire’s vitae, willing to degrade himself in any manner just for a taste. It
was the Wordsmiths that rescued him and he took it upon himself to free
other ghouls from their servitude. Joshua has a shaved head, covered in
stubble, a wiry beard, with a pale body and painfully thin frame covered in old
scars along his neck & wrists. His watery pale blue eyes hold a lot of pain, but
also empathy. He is often the first to approach other ghouls, as he knows
their hangouts and their lingo. Joshua has also been training himself in
hypnotherapy. This allows him to give ghouls treatment and then block the
session so they don’t immediately inform their masters (a very real risk in
overeager ghouls needing a fix). It won’t stop a determined mind reader, but
if Joshua knows anything, it’s how little regard vampires hold for their ghouls.
They won’t possibly believe their pets are trying to break free. However, it is
a daily battle, as he still feels the urges for vitae.

-“Big Sister” Winnifred Rider, the Messenger.

- Wordsmiths, Status 3. Age: 40 (still looks 20). Virtue: Charity. Vice: Envy.
Top Skills (Occult: Ghoul Families, Larceny: B&E and Lockpicking, Stealth:
Move Silently, Expression: Spooky Notes).
- A former burglar and former ghoul (though of a ghoul family), Winnifred is an
equal partner to Joshua, helping organize BAA meetings and security. She’s
called the “Messenger” because in the early days of the Wordsmiths they
didn’t have enough ghouls to leave messages. So she was the one to break
into vampire lairs to tape notes to their coffins and bathroom mirrors with
messages to repent and stop drinking blood. Now however, she’s convinced
several ghouls to help leave messages. It’s risky, but she’s a true believer. For
her, she thought she wanted to be a vampire, envying their power, it was
enough to serve them as a teenager, hoping to receive the Embrace which
never came. It was enough for Joshua to recruit her and now she takes
pleasure in denying vampires their servants. She’s tall and thin, very pale, with
bite scars across her legs and thighs, and red hair pulled up into a bun, with
 round purple sunglasses covering her green eyes. A member of the Hostewick
ghoul family, she can’t speak above a whisper (she has access to Ventrue
disciplines, but can’t use them without Vitae, and she ages half the normal
rate of a human).

The Sons of Cu’Chulainn

(aka “The Hounds”, in the US they masquerade as the “Sons of Eire”, an Irish-
American lodge founded to support Irish immigrants in the 19th century. In reality,
they are far older, a group of hunters who discovered that by practicing a ritual of
blood on a wooden door, they could open a door to the Hedge, and find an ancient
Irish-Celtic village that’s been hiding there since the Iron Age. Consummate hunters of
the fey, they carry short blades of cold hammered iron or even spear tips, and paint
their bodies with blue woad. In public, they provide community charity, especially
police charity functions as many Sons joined the police force. Unfortunately, due to
Chief Thornton’s legendary temper, relations with other hunter groups has become
fraught, especially with once stable allies like the Union. Most of the hunters are
getting old and the lodge lacks young blood, leaving only Thornton’s cell to fight. All
the Sons know the following tactics: Cripple Claws, Moral Support, Corral, Dentistry).

-Officer Sean Thornton, Ceannaire (Chief) of the Sons of Eire.

- Sons of Cu’Chulainn (Red Branch Knight), Status 4. Virtue: Courage. Vice:
Wrath. Age: 45. Top Skills (Occult: Fae, Brawl: Boxing, Weaponry: Cold-Iron,
Empathy: Locals, Socialize: Irish).
- The son of boxing legend, “Fighting Thornton”, Sean was going to be a boxer
himself. But a loss in his first match against “the Ogre” Pat McCaul revealed
the existence of the fey to him, as a punch to the head briefly allowed him to
see through the McCaul’s Seeming to reveal he really was an ogre with skin
made of stone. His career as a boxer ended with his humiliating second round
knock-out, and so Sean went into the police force, a typical job for a 3rd-gen
Irish-American in Hillcrest. But the revelation of McCaul as not human ate
away at Sean, and it was during a talk with an uncle in the Sons of Eire, that he
realized what had to be done. He joined the Order, and McCaul was his first
kill. And over the following 25 years, he rose to become the new leader of the
Sons. Built like a brick wall, Sean is starting to show his age, his hair going
gray, new wrinkles forming over the large scars across his face (a mix of
boxing injuries and sword cuts). He carries a cold-iron shortsword, as well as a
ceremonial broadsword for the Society that’s completely functional. He has
 allies among the local police (all Sons of Eire if not Sons of Cu’Chulainn) and
contacts among various boxers and boxing gyms.

-Detective Frank O'Hanrahan

- Sons of Cu’Chulainn (Red Branch Knight), Status 3. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Envy.
Age: 46. Top Skills (Investigation: Disappearances, Politics: Police, Firearms:
Dirty Harry Gun, Stealth: Follow Suspect).
- Technically outranking Sean in the police force, but below him in the club,
they are good friends even if they argue all the time. Where Sean is built like
a wall, Frank is a pole, tall and thin with a mop of reddish hair turning gray and
a thick mustache. Carries a .44 cal S&W model 29 revolver instead of the
standard handgun, the bullets made of cold iron.

Gavin McCallister (Sons of Cu’Chulainn [Hand of Ulster], Status 3. Virtue: Patient.

Vice: Passive. Age: 52. Top Skills (Crafts: Steelwork, Politics: Labor, Weaponry:
Broadsword, Persuasion: Negotiation). A blue-collar steel worker at Vulcan Foundry
since he was 17, working with his Da. He’s the voice of reason, trying to convince Sean
that they need a good relationship with the other hunter groups. But sometimes it
feels like he’s shouting in the void. But it’s his job as the traditional Speaker for the
society to negotiate with others. He has a good relationship with the Malleus as a
Catholic, but repairing relations with the Union are more difficult. Head of the Charity
arm for the Sons.)

Concobhar ó Murchadha, “Connor Murphy” (Sons of Cu’Chulainn [Song of Eire],

Status 3. Virtue: Forthright. Vice: Greed. Age: 20? Top Skills (Occult: the Hedge,
Weaponry: Spear, Firearms: Bow, Expression: Songs). “Conner” is one of the secret
villagers, a Pagan Irish that lives with his tribe in the Hedge. Painted in Woad- unlike
most of his people, he knows enough English to translate from Irish Gaelic, and sings
for his Irish-American cousins the secrets of the True Fae, and guides them through
the Hedge. Unable to leave the Hedge for long, lest he turn to dust, he’s been around
for hundreds of years now and is practically half-fey himself. He likes gifts of shiny
trinkets.)

Bill MacManus (Sons of Cu’Chulainn [Red Branch Knight], Status 2. Virtue: Faith. Vice:
Envy. Age: 30. Top Skills (Occult: Fetches, Athletics: Throw, Weaponry: Spear, Stealth:
Hide Evidence). His brother Dan vanished one day, and his parents didn’t believe him
when he said the thing made out of leaves and trash that replaced him was a fake.
They sent him to therapy, convinced him he was ill, but even with the drugs, his
brother was still a pile of talking garbage. 15 years later, the Sons broke into his house
and set the fake Dan on fire, revealing his true nature as a fetch. He has faith that he
will find his brother Dan one day. Currently works at Argus Waste Management as a
garbage man, a great job when one needs to hide evidence or bodies. He keeps a pair
of cold-iron shortspears in his truck while working.)

Kenny Wilkinson (Sons of Cu’Chulainn [Red Branch Knight], Status 1. Virtue: Loyalty.
Vice: Wrath. Age: 21. Top Skills (Brawl: Boxing, Weaponry: Knives, Socialize: Dock
Workers). His father was killed on the docks when Kenny was a boy, and nobody
believed him when he said he saw “monsters” hacking his old man to death. His
mother tried hard to raise him right, but he nearly went to Juvie due to his anger. It
was Sean who pulled him out of that life and told him of the Sons. Kenny looks up to
him like a father, and even managed to graduate from his Catholic school. He now
works on the same docks as his dad did, looking for the changelings that killed him. A
serious boy, but still young and inexperienced; his last raid involving leprechauns
nearly ended in disaster. Carries a crude knife hammered out of cold-iron.)

Molly Mitchell (Daughter of Cu’Chulainn [Women’s Auxiliary], Status 1. Virtue: Family.

Vice: Wrath. Age: 18. Still just a kid, Molly uncovered her father’s journals and faerie
hunting equipment after his death. He was a cop, but his supposed gangland slaying
was actually by a changeling. She wants revenge, but unfortunately the Sons are too
traditional. She might only be allowed to join the Women’s Auxiliary, but she has her
father’s cold-iron short-sword and his notes, so she’ll hunt alone if she has to.)

The Promethean Brotherhood

(aka “The Fire Stealers”, they are a compact on the verge of becoming a conspiracy.
They “steal” magic from the witches and wizards they hunt, at least partially and
temporarily. Founded in the early 19 th century by a professor of archeology at Oxford
by the name of Jacob Hite, who was also a member of the Order of the Silvered Thorn,
an occult society and a student of Maecenas, an actual mage. Jealous of the power,
Jacob discovered a lost Orphic Mystery temple in Macedonia with details of a ritual,
the Rite of Hecate, which allowed one to “steal the thunder of the gods”. Damaged,
missing sections, he pieced it together as best he could and used the Rite on
Maecenas, gaining his power for a few days. Sometimes it lasted longer, usually it
failed, and on one occasion a member of his cult was ripped into shreds after the
ritual. Hite died of suicide in 1900, and Heinrich Klopf took over the cult, followed by
Hite’s grandson Alexander. The Rite of Hecate involves ritually sacrificing a witch, with
the best results from hanging them upside down and skinning them to let the magic
drip out into a bowl. Roll Academics + Rite of Hecate dots; successes gain ranks in
Gnosis = victim’s, up to a max of Rite dots. There is the Hillcrest branch with 3
members, most academics and scholars of Greek).

-Professor Martin Folke, High Priest of the Divine Mysteries

 - Promethean Brotherhood (Orphic Temple); Status 4. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice:
Pride. Age: 52. Top Skills (Academics: Greek Mythology/Linear B, Occult:
Orphic Mysteries, Subterfuge: Identity, Weaponry: Athame, Persuasion:
Leadership)
- Professor of Greek Mythology and Languages at Morgrave University, he is a
serious and timid looking man with wire-frame glasses and uncombed brown
hair, with a heavyset appearance. He wears a brown suit, a moss-colored
wool vest and a plaid tie on most days. But during cult rites, he switches to
white robes emblazoned with gold details of owls, snakes, and Prometheus
snatching the Flame of the Gods from Mt. Olympus. As a professor, he preys
on any students who he identifies as a mage; he pretends to be an older,
wiser mage to take them on as an apprentice and eventually use them as bait
to lure other mages. Merits: Mystery Cult Initiation (Orphic Temple of
Prometheus) 4, Rite of Hecate 4.

-Dr. Belinda Florin, the Pythagorean.

- Promethean Brotherhood (Experimentalists); Status 3. Virtue: Bravery. Vice:

Envy. Age: 39. Top Skills (Academics: Philosophy, Occult: Rituals,
Investigation: Trial and Error, Subterfuge: Cover-up).
- A Doctor of Greek Philosophy, she is the explorer of the cult, changing key
elements of the Rite of Hecate to test it and see how it works. She is a
creature of envy, why does someone of her talents and brilliance lack the
power of the gods? Why should Martin lead the Temple? The others believe
her experiments are wasteful, killing several mages with no result. And yet she
believes she’s getting closer, isolating the elements of the Rite that work and
what makes the Rite more effective. A formidable woman with a dry sense of
humor, with brown hair tied into a braid and pulled into a bun, hazel eyes, and
a Roman nose. Merits: Mystery Cult Initiation (Orphic Temple of Prometheus)
3, Rite of Hecate 3.

-Maximilian Vilas, the “Underworld Poet”.

- Promethean Brotherhood (Orphic Temple); Status 2. Virtue: Faith. Vice:

Gluttony. Age: 28. Top Skills (Expression: Poetry, Craft: Carpentry, Weaponry:
Skinning Knives, Brawl: Grapple, Stealth: Stalking).
- A member of the Anacreon Poet Society, and a floorer with Pandal
Construction, he is a large black-bearded man with a very strong frame and
Mediterranean features, with a tattoo of Cerberus on his back, and a Lyre on
his wrist. He favors hunting necromancers because he wants the power to
escape death and the Underworld. Devoted to the Temple, he is the one who
helps with the kidnapping and skinning process, using his pair of linoleum
knives from work. He even composes a little poem for each mage they
 harvest. He’s become addicted to the process, becoming more and more
gluttonous, and even worse, practicing his trade on mere mortals just to see
the death in their eyes. At this rate, he’ll become a slasher sooner than later.
Merits: Mystery Cult Initiation (Orphic Temple of Prometheus) 2, Rite of
Hecate 2.

The Scarlet Watch and the Heritage House

(a secret society of vampire hunters formed during the Inquisition who felt betrayed
by the Church; it was nine hunters from Europe’s oldest families who signed a pact in
their own blood, a promise to hunt the hated vampires. The oath was sealed in magic,
and thus the society must always have at least 9 members, one from each family, or
disaster strikes. The Bogda, the Kohler, the Dupont, the Horvath, the O’Conner, the
Conti, the Drake, the Jansen, and the Warrick families. For centuries they fulfilled
their oath, but time drifted, they forgot their secret warehouses of lore and weapons.
But the Oath must be kept, so they continue. As time has drifted, the Scarlet Watch
has formed a cell in Boston, but the families have members in many cities, including
Hillcrest; many who don’t know about the promise made. Recently, some
descendents of the Scarlet Watch in the US have formed the Heritage House, which
requires hunting to be passed down to their children= they have developed different
family names over time, but are still bound by blood; they are the Archer [Drake],
O’Shea [O’Conner], Renquest [Dupont], Plymouth [Warrick], and Wryzewski [Jansen]
families. Blood Oaths- a secret ability of the Scarlet Watch, by mixing their blood and
making an oath, they can make a sympathetic connection to others, granting them a
sense of the general target of the oath and their condition: this also applies to
anything that consumes their blood, though it only lasts for a few hours= dots in Blood
Oaths; they can have a max of Blood Oaths = dots in the Merit + Status in the Scarlet
Watch).

-Rosabelle Kohler, Chapter President of the Hillcrest Heritage Society

- Scarlet Watch; Status 4.

- She uses her position and the resources of the Heritage Society (including
their extensive genealogical records) to track down members of the old
families bound by the pact. She has yet to approach them to join the Scarlet
Watch, afraid they might shame the bloodline if not prepared for battle with
the supernatural. Instead, she slowly manipulates them towards
confrontation with monsters and judges them on performance (and survival).
In terms of resources, she has an old cache of documents and a handful of
weapons. She’ll need more if she wants to create a full circle. Merits: Esoteric
Armory **, Blood Oaths ***.
Possible Scarlet Watch recruits: Nathan Drake (works for Sullivan Fortune Finders LLC,
a treasure-hunting outfit; has already had several run-ins with the supernatural due to
his activities), Auric Archer (works for Mercury Logistics as an infosec expert), Andras
Jozsef Horvath (corrupted member of the Order of the White Worm), Antonio Conti
(low-level member of the Mafia), Sorin Bodgan (Romanian-American college student),
Natalie Plymouth (young woman with second sight), Colin O’Connor (looking to join
the Sons of Eire), Kaatje Jansen (Dutch-American roller-derby star), Olaf Renquest
(dockworker).

Keepers of the Weave & the Protectors of the Light (The Sworn)
(a loose compact of Native American hunters, they focus on protecting their own
rather than hunting monsters. After the destruction of the Pequot tribe, a vacuum
formed in the area with no hunters to protect the locals. The other tribes realized they
would need to make alliances, regardless of tribe. The Keepers hold the old wisdom,
while the Protectors do the tracking and hunting. In Hillcrest, the natives have long
known about the monsters. The Reservation has a Keeper, and her apprentice; with
the actual hunting done by a trio of Protectors. The Keepers and Protectors are
associated with SWORN (Strong Warriors Of Red Nations)- an alliance of all Native
American hunter groups. They share information and tactics, even rituals, about the
various supernatural creatures that could harm their people.)

-Effie Waaseyaabanasin Stone, Keeper, Senior Elder of the Dawn Society

(Wabenowin)
- Keeper of the Weave; Status 4. Virtue: Tradition. Vice: Secretive. Age: 72.
Top Skills (Investigation: Dreams, Occult: Native Myths and Traditions, Craft:
Protective Charms, Expression: Drum).
- An elder of a secretive animistic religion since many Waabano had been
imprisoned in insane asylums in the early 20th century. It was only in the last
15 years that they could openly practice their beliefs, and their rituals remain
secret, the only one known being the Fire Dance (in which the men enter a
sweat lodge, then exit to dance around a bonfire, then enter the sweat lodge
again- a process known to induce visions). Effie is a withered brown old
woman, like an apple left in the sun, her hair gone white with age. She was a
Visionary, able to guide the young with her visions and sacred tobacco; a gift
she inherited from her father, a powerful Medicine Man. Inhabits her sacred
sweat lodge, beating her drum and smoking tobacco. In recent years, her
granddaughter has introduced her to smartphones, which she uses for playing
mobile games like Candy-Crush. Thaumaturgy Merits: Mystery Cult Initiation
5, Magical Nexus (sweatlodge) 1, Visionary Trances 2, Dream 3, Communion
(spirits) 2, Bless Amulet 1, Omen Sensitivity (3).
-Melody Obomsawin Hart, Jingle Dress Dancer and Apprentice Keeper.

- Keeper of the Weave, Status 2. Virtue: Friendly. Vice: Envy. Age: 26. Top
Skills (Expression: Dance, Occult: Visions, Investigation: Dreams, Academics:
Native American History).
- Effie’s granddaughter and young apprentice, she is learning the techniques of
a Dawn Society Elder. Her father is Absalom Benjamin Hart, who works over
at the tribal casino and doesn’t have much respect for the old ways or magic;
her mother Harmony Stone-Hart is, however, supportive of her daughter.
Melody is also a Jingle Dress Dancer, with a dress made of bells fashioned
from tobacco tins over 100 years old. A fairly young looking woman, with
fairly white features; she always wears the copper and feather amulet
prepared by her grandmother. Thaumaturgy Merits: Mystery Cult Initiation 3,
Visionary Trances 2, Dream 3, Aura Reading.

-Benjamin Kicking Moose, Protector, Elder of the Dawn Society

- Protector of the Light; Status 3. Virtue: Family. Vice: Wrath. Age: 50. Top
Skills (Occult: Warrior Lodge, Brawl: Kicking, Weaponry: Wooden Stake,
Firearms: Shotgun).
- Son of Effie Stone, his father was Jim Kicking Moose, who was also a Protector
and who died in battle with one of the Three Sisters (Sara, the Achinkxat
vampire of the Woods) when she was caught feeding on one of the tribe.
Hence, he doesn’t trust the two vampires on the Elder’s Council even if they
are his People. Running the sweat lodge for the warriors, he has acquired his
grandfather’s Medicine Bundle made from an ancient red-haired woman’s
scalp which contains precious objects including Thunderbird’s Mqkq (mah-
kah) (a medicine pill that grants the strength of a black bear), Hit’énųk’e Paint
(a warpaint that allows a person to point his finger at a bird and kill it with a
word; made from the heart of the giants called Hit’enuk’e), and 3 Thunderbird
Arrows (sharpened stick arrows made from oak struck by lightning, they can
kill spirits). Though an old man with a weathered face, his hair is still long and
black, while his body remains fit and healthy. He dresses in old denim jeans, a
cowboy hat, shirts with sleeves rolled up, a buckskin vest, and steel-toed
leather boots decorated with turquoise. Aside from his medicine bundle, he
owns a 10ga shotgun, carries a Bowie knife, keeps an old bow in his car, and
has a few wooden stakes hidden in his vest. Merits: Relic (Kicking Moose
Medicine Bundle) 4, Unseen Sense (Vampires).

-Clark Makwa Kicking Moose, Protector and Hoop Dancer

 - Protector of the Light; Status 1. Virtue: Curious. Vice: Pride. Age: 20. Top
Skills (Occult: Ritual Dance & Songs, Expression: Dance, Firearms: Hunting
Bow, Weaponry: Knife).
- Youngest son of Ben Kicking Moose, his brother and sister left the Rez for the
city, rejecting tradition. Clark however is fascinated with the songs and
dances of his people, as well as the secrets of the Protectors who hunt the
monsters that would harm them. His father keeps him in the dark about a lot,
for example, Clark has no idea how many in the Elder Council are not human
and the knowledge would probably flatten him. A handsome young man,
during festivals he dresses in traditional garb to perform the Hoop Dance and
Fire Dance. He has yet to perform the Sun Dance like his father. He keeps a
couple of flares hidden on his person for emergencies, since almost everything
is afraid of fire, and his main weapon is a revolver, followed by a long recurve
hunting bow and a flint knife (yeah, joke, it works against some monsters
really well). Merits: Combat Archery 4.

-Nils Aandeg-Ogichidaa Pike, Protector

- Protector of the Light; Status 2. Virtue: Protection. Vice: Dishonest. Age: 35.
Top Skills (Occult: Totem Spirits, Survival: Tracking, Animal Ken: Corvids,
Weaponry: Tomahawk).
- A half-black grandson of Soaring Eagle, he’s aware of his wolf-blood, and yet is
suspicious of it. He knows the Proud Mountain Pack has protected his people
for generations (except for that whole white man land-theft thing), but he
can’t help but feel the wolves can’t be trusted. Instead, he has put faith in his
totem Little Crow, who whispers little secrets to him, such as the ability to
understand the speech of corvids, and even got him a tomahawk with beyond
ordinary abilities. He also carries a revolver and a small flip knife with a
silvered blade. A middle-aged man with shifty eyes, a frowning brown face
and a fondness for crow feathers. Merits: Assertive Implement (“Crowbeak”
Tomahawk) 3, Pack Bond 1 (Totem 1), Full Moon’s Birth (2), Animal Speech 1
(Corvid).

The Final Girls Club

-a society of women who are the survivors of a slasher attack. Founded in 1980 by
Laurie Carpenter after she discovered her brother was the Masked killer of Toluca
Lake. They research the psychology of slashers, how slashers are formed, and how to
survive them. They then hunt down slashers. This branch in Hillcrest was started by
Nickie Cartwright, the final surviving girl of the Camp Horn Massacre of 1987.

-Nickie Cartwright, the Camp Horn Survivor

 - Final Girls Club (Slayer), Status 5. Age: 45. Top Skills (Craft: Traps, Occult:
Slashers, Athletics: Run, Stealth: Hide, Weaponry: Improvised).
- In 1987, Nancy was a teenager attending summer camp, and the only survivor
of a horrible masked slasher attack. In the end, she took the killer’s machete
and lopped off his head, but ever since that moment, she’s never been able to
rest. Hillcrest has one of the largest population of slashers and serial killers in
the state, even though police refuse to connect the dots, Nancy has
assembled a team of final girls, women who survived and are ready to fight
back. Merits: Relentless, Mind of a Madman, Danger Sense.

Final Girls: Jess Bradford (an older woman at 70, she’s living in an elder care facility,
but still sleeping with a sawed-off shotgun under her pillow. A three-time survivor of
the Santa Killer), “Max” Maxine Cartwright (at 20, she used her mother’s knowledge
and teachings to survive the return of the Camp Horn Killer), “Nance” Dr. Nancy
Thompson-Holbrook (age 53, she survived the Sleepytime Killer and became a
psychiatrist treating PTSD and survivors of slasher attacks; has a white streak in her
hair from the experience), “Chris” Christina Gelbman (age 32, she managed to kill the
Birthday Slasher by shoving a screwdriver into his eye and kicking him out of a
window; they never did find his body though…).

Hunter Conspiracies in Hillcrest- (87 members)

The Malleus Maleficarum

(the premier hunter society of the Catholic Church, they specialize in Benedictions of
the Saints. Based in the St. Xavier’s School for Boys and Girls; they are the largest
hunter society due to this access to a large body of children to recruit. They have a
professional working relationship with the Union and Silver Cross, a cool one with the
Sons of Cu’Chulainn, and a hostile relationship with the AKD, the Ascending Ones, and
Cheiron).

-The Black Priest, Vicar General Father Francisco Villegas.

- Malleus Maleficarum, Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Pride. Age: 50. Top Skills
(Academic: Religious Studies, Politics: Church, Occult: Exorcisms, Persuasion:
Sermons, Empathy: Feelings).
- Sometimes called “the Crow” by the younger children at St. Xavier’s, he’s an
intimidating figure in all-black, wearing a black chasuble and stole, and
(depending on his mood), a black bonete with a pom, a black saturno, or a
black tricorne. There’s no markings or patterns on any of his clothing, he
rejects ostentatious designs as a matter of pride. He runs the Society,
conducts the most important ceremonies and handles the political aspects,
 dealing directly with the Bishop in charge of this region. It is his personal
belief that vampires have infiltrated the largest cathedral and the catacombs,
but the Bishop has ordered him to stay out. It’s a problem, but Father Villegas
is a man who follows orders (to the letter, so he’s only hired other hunters to
watch St. Lazarus). Benedictions: Vow of St. Vincent, True Sight of St. Abel,
Epipodian Safeguard, St. Coleen’s Clarity, Casting Out of Witches, La Langue
des Saints, Vade Retro Satana, Loyola’s Fire, Fortitude of St. George.

-Father Flanagan, Headmaster Finn Flanagan.

- Malleus Maleficarum, Status 3. Virtue: Humorous. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 48.

Top Skills (Academic: Religious Studies, Occult: Malleus Benedictions,
Intimidate: Willow Switch, Socialize: Communion Wine).
- The Headmaster of St. Xavier’s School, this wry Irish-American priest generally
has a loose collar and a red nose. His good humor is best not misunderstood,
he’s a wicked disciplinarian with his willow switch, but boys who amuse him
with their audacity might get away with a stern lecture and a smile. He really
shouldn’t drink, but Father Villegas puts a great deal of pressure on him to
recruit some of the younger boys into the order while Flanagan feels uneasy
about sending his students out to die for the holy cause. Benedictions: True
Sight of St. Abel, The Apostles’ Teachings, Epipodian Safeguard, St. Agathius’
Call, Armor of St. Martin.

The Four Horsemen Cell- the Order’s top killers. They each specialize in one particular
supernatural creature, but often work together in support.

-Father Butcher, Martin Butcher

- Malleus Maleficarum (Brother of St. Longinus), Status 2. Virtue: Faith. Vice:
Envy. Age: 49. Top Skills (Weaponry: Stake, Occult: Vampires, Stealth:
Stalking, Intimidate: Reputation)
- Part of the St. Longinus society, the vampire hunters. While he is a devout
prayer, he often envies the blind and ignorant population, unaware of the
blood-drinkers in their midst. He’s seen some horrible things and often prays
for peace. Starting to let himself go, his collar is stained and his face covered
in stubble, but there’s really no one in the Malleus better at tracking down
and killing vampires than him. One of his more famous incidents involved
using a bible to beat a neonate vampire into torpor. Benedictions: Fiacre’s
Staff, Loyola’s Fire, Peace of St. Joseph’s, Armor of St. Martin, True Sight of St.
Abel.

-Father Baker, Christian Baker

 - Malleus Maleficarum (Brother of St. Athanasius), Status 2. Virtue: Charity.
Vice: Wrath. Age: 43. Top Skills (Craft: Explosives, Occult: Werewolves,
Survival: Tracking, Firearms: Shotguns).
- Part of the St. Athanasius society, the werewolf hunters. He’s muscular with a
short curly brown beard, his priest’s clothing a bit strained by his chest and
arms. Baker is extremely effective at killing werewolves; he prefers to set
explosive traps with pipe bombs filled with silver forks and knives, then
finishing them off with a shotgun loaded with silver pellets. He has a grudge,
his sister was killed by a werewolf who changed during a full-moon and hadn’t
full control of his transformation. For close quarters, he prefers a silver-edge
knife or just a plain wood-ax. Benedictions: Binding of St. Amabilis
(temporarily negates a werewolf’s healing ability), Scutum Sancte Trinitatis
(each success = 1 turn where hunter takes no lethal or bashing damage,
except from fire and toxins), Armor of St. Martin, Fortitude of St. George, True
Sight of St. Abel.

-Father Candles, Alvar Candles

- Malleus Maleficarum (Brother of St. Ambrose), Status 2. Virtue: Kindness.
Vice: Gluttony. Age: 40. Top Skills (Computers: Research, Occult: Witches,
Firearms: Dual Pistols, Socialize: Food)
- Part of the St. Ambrose society, the witch hunters. He’s often found eating, he
loves food carts and trucks, especially Mexican or Indian; even on the hunt,
he’ll have some candy in his mouth. He’s not necessarily fond of killing, in fact
he’ll even let harmless witches go. But if you are a wicked witch, Alvar will
unleash fire from his twin pistols and leave your corpse a smoking ruin.
Benedictions: Revelationes Coelestes (all witches in the area start bleeding),
True Sight of St. Abel, St. Coleen’s Clarity, Casting out of Witches (supernatural
creatures must save or flee, witches are affected worse).

-Father Stickmacher, Simon Stickmacher

- Malleus Maleficarum (Brother of St. Michael), Status 2. Virtue: Prudence.
Vice: Lust. Age: 37. Top Skills (Investigate: Demonic Activity, Occult: Demons,
Athletics: Throwing, Weaponry: Gladiator).
- Part of the St. Michael society, the demon hunters. Simon is an oddity among
the priesthood, with a beige trenchcoat over his priestly vestments, a blonde
mullet, and a slightly damp cigarette hanging from his lip. The long coat helps
hide his Roman gladius (26-inches) that was blessed by a Cardinal in Rome and
quenched in holy water. He also carries several throwing knives in the shape
of the cross. A holy warrior of the church, he does have a weakness for
“dames” though. Benedictions: Wrathful Sword of St. Michael the Archangel
(weapon deals aggravated against supernatural, but loses durability),
 Truesight of St. Abel (see supernaturals from mortals), La Langue des Saints
(force a supernatural creature to answer one question truthfully per success),
Vade Retro Satana, Vow of St. Vincent (break demon contracts or fey
bargains, freeing the target from their bad deal without receiving the
Oathbreaker condition).

The Mendicant’s Habit Cell - the support cell that provides research and medical
support to the other cells.

-Mother Agnes, Agnes Lizbeth Wagner, School Headmistress.

- Malleus Maleficarum (Sisters of St. Claire), Status 3. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice:
Apathy. Age: 60. Top Skills (Academics: Theology, Investigation: Dreams,
Politics: Church, Animal Ken: Birds).
- Mother Superior of the Carmelite Sisterhood of St. Claire, and the
Headmistress of Our Lady of the Holy Cross, the all-girls Catholic School. She’s
a stern old lady, her softer feelings burned out years ago in service to the
Church and having to deal with foolish Fathers who simply don’t listen to the
wiser sex. The girls in her care are soldiers for Christ, not simply children. One
of her few gestures towards empathy is her care for Reginald, her pet parrot
which she’s trained to spy on others and repeat what they say. Benedictions:
Hands of St. Luke, The Boon of Lazarus, Blessed Protection of St. Agrippina,
Shepard’s Blessing, Mantle of Orleans, Preservation of the Chastity of St.
Agnes of Rome, Epipodian Safeguard, Songs of Daniel.

-Sister Matilda, Matilda Childes

- Malleus Maleficarum (Sisters of St. Claire), Status 2. Virtue: Mercy. Vice: Lust.
Age: 32. Top Skills (Medicine: First Aid, Empathy: Emotional Support,
Persuasion: Encouragement, Stealth: Unobtrusive, Expression: Hymns).
- The right-hand nun for Mother Agnes, she is a trained healer of the Sisterhood
of St. Claire and the school nurse. On missions, she is loaned out to the
different Malleus cells or hunters that need her services or support.
Benedictions: Hands of St. Luke (healing touch), Blessed Protection of St.
Agrippina, Shepard's Blessing, Mantle of Orleans, Songs of Daniel.

-Abbot Oscar Lambert, of the St. Anselm Monastery

- Malleus Maleficarum (Brother of St. Albertus Magnus), Status 3. Virtue:

Wisdom. Vice: Greed. Age: 70. Top Skills (Academics: History, Computer:
Research, Occult: Relics, Streetwise: Rumors).
- Part of the Brotherhood of St. Albertus Magnus, he is the main Research
Scholar of the Malleus, tasked with investigating the old tomes that make up
 the Order’s library and conducting research directly on any artifacts or relics
believed to be holy. He often sends Friar Jack on retrieval operations when
monsters or auction houses have something he believes to belong to a saint.
And for particularly exciting pieces, he’ll go himself. A portly monk in a black
habit with a gray fringe of hair and an excitable face. Benedictions: Songs of
Daniel, La Langue des Saints, Sanctification of the Blessed Virgin (turn
something into a blessed object for one scene or spend willpower dot
permanently to bless an object permanently), St. Collen’s Clarity, Blessed
Protection of St. Agrippina, the Apostles’ Teachings, St. Agathius’ Call, Boon of
Lazarus.

-Friar Jack, Jack Coleman “the Monk of Hammers”.

- Malleus Maleficarum (Brothers of St. Dunstan), Status 2. Virtue: Fortitude.

Vice: Wrath. Age: 35. Top Skills (Craft: Blacksmithing, Occult: Holy Relics,
Brawl: Grapple, Weaponry: Hammers).
- Technically a member of the Brotherhood of St. Dunstan, he’s been placed
with the other 8 monks at the St. Anselm Monastery underneath Abbot
Lambert. From a family of blacksmiths and farriers, he can often be found at
the monastery forge hammering on a piece of iron. Probably the most
physically imposing of the monks, the Abbot often sends him on retrieval
missions for some lost holy relics. He generally wears a monk’s habit, with a
leather apron, and carries a pair of blacksmith hammers blessed with holy
water, one wrapped in silver wire and the other with flakes of cold-iron
embedded in the steel. Benedictions: Sanctification of the Blessed Virgin, St.
Agathius' Call, Fortitude of St. George, Wrathful Sword of St. Michael the
Archangel.

The St. Joan Cell, aka “The Sisters of the Immaculate Chainsaw”- an all-female order
that specializes in vampire hunting; their nickname is a joke about how several use
chainsaws to dismember their targets.

-Sister Louise DeChambeau, “the Slayer Nun”.

- Malleus Maleficarum (Sisters of St. Joan), Status 3. Virtue: Protective. Vice:
Wrath. Age: 37. Top Skills (Occult: Vampire, Weaponry: Chainsaw/Stake,
Brawl: Maui Thai, Athletics: Gymnastics, Persuasion: Inspire).
- Leader of the St. Joan Cell, she loves killing bloodsuckers. Her favorite TV
show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Most vampires fail to take her seriously
as a blond nun in a habit, at least until she breaks out the chainsaw and starts
cackling madly. Benedictions: Fiacre’s Staff, Loyola’s Fire, Fortitude of St.
George, Sanctification of the Blessed Virgin, Scutum Sancte Trinitatis,
Epipodian Safeguard, Peace of St. Joseph.
-Sister Maria Olivia, “Sister Blood”.

- Malleus Maleficarum (Sister of St. Wisdom), Status 1. Virtue: Faith. Vice:

Deceitful. Age: 35. Top Skills (Occult: Catholic Apocrypha, Investigation:
Possible Blood Dolls, Stealth: Sneaking, Empathy: Addicts, Subterfuge: Cover
Story).
- The main spy for the St. Joan Cell, Maria is an African-American woman who
made her name helping addicts break their addictions, before turning to help
blood dolls addicted to the act of feeding. With her work and being
Unbondable (immune to vitae addiction), she goes undercover as a blood doll
to locate vampires for her cell to exterminate. She knows far more
Benedictions than she should, due to sneaking into the archives at night.
Benedictions: The Apostles Teachings, Fortitude of St. George, Hands of St.
Luke, the Maternity of St. Brigit (protects children only), Blessed Protection of
St. Agrippa.

-Sister Chastity Jones, “the Nun of Blades” (Malleus Maleficarum [Sisters of St. Joan],
Status 1. Virtue: Chastity. Vice: Violent. Age: 25. Top Skills (Weaponry: Blades,
Athletics: Free-Running, Survival: Urban Environments, Stealth: Conceal Weapons).
She carries a number of blades, from a pair of shortswords to a belt of knives, but her
main one is a folding Polish war-scythe with a shortened handle. And yes, sometimes
she brings a chainsaw. Benedictions: Wrathful Sword of St. Michael the Archangel,
Armor of St. Martin, Loyola’s Fire).

-Sister Joy Zauberbuch, “the Sister of the Book” (Malleus Maleficarum [Sisters of St.
Mary], Status 1. Top Skills (Academics: Research, Occult: Hedge Magic, Larceny:
Sleight of Hand, Subterfuge: Hidden Meanings). Rescued from a cult, she has some
skill in hedge magic which she uses for Christ, carrying an old grimoire wrapped in a
rosary and crosses. Half of her face has been stitched back on using skin grafts. She
was one of only 77 nuns blessed by the reliquary of St. Mary, which makes her blood
toxic to vampires [touching her blood deals 1A for each lost health]. Benedictions: St.
Agathius’ Call, Fiacre’s Staff, Armor of St. Martin).

-Sister Mercy Armo, “Deadeyed Nun” (Malleus Maleficarum [Sister of St. Joan], Status
1. Top Skills (Science: Chemistry, Medicine: Drugs, Firearms: Sniper Rifle, Survival:
Tracking). A former Chemistry major of Finnish descent, she takes a number of
stimulants to help steady her aim and increase her reflexes. She also carries a few
chemical weapons, with a grenade launcher, and a gas mask if necessary; they don’t
harm vampires so much, but it can definitely take out their ghouls. But her main
weapon is her 7.62mm 1932 Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 sniper rifle, modified to have a
folding bayonet. Benedictions: Sanctification of the Blessed Virgin, Fortitude of St.
George, St. Coleen’s Clarity)
The Sons of Tertullain Cell- a suicide soldier cell consisting of members belonging to
the Order of St. James, which believe they must commit group suicide in order to fight
ghosts and spirits directly. They are currently being held in reserve until they are
needed.

Deacon James Flowers, “Spiritus Carnifex”

- Malleus Maleficarum, Status 2. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Pride. Top Skills

(Academics: Archeology, Occult: Rituals/Ghosts, Investigation: Restoring
Fragmented Evidence, Empathy: Death).
- The founder and leader of the cell, he is certain that with his training and the
fragment of ritual he found, they can transcend death in order to fight ghosts,
evil spirits and demons in their own territory. Officially, their plan is
condemned by the Cardinals (afterall, suicide is an unforgivable sin);
unofficially, they look forward to seeing results. Benedictions: The Apostles’
Teachings, Blessed Protection of St. Agrippa, Shepard’s Blessing, Sanctification
of the Blessed Virgin. Numina (after death): Essence Thief, Blast, Possession,
Body Jump, Seek (locate a spirit’s anchors).

Brother Joseph Gabriel, “Sancti Scrutator”

- Malleus Maleficarum, Status 1. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Wrath. Top Skills

(Occult: Exorcisms/Demonic Entities, Craft: Holy Water, Brawl: Hold,
Intimidate: In Jesus’ Name).
- Specializing in fighting off the possessed and spectral demons that can possess
others. An important exorcist in the order, he will be sorely missed when he
dies, and yet, the idea of spitting in the face of demonic spirits directly appeals
to him. Benedictions: Vade Retro Satana, Sanctification of the Blessed Virgin.
Numina (after death): Firestarter, Sign, Possession, Drain (essence or
willpower).

Brother Lazarus Toomes, “Corpus Venator”

- Malleus Maleficarum, Status 1. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Envy. Top Skills

(Academics: Secret Archives, Occult: Necromancy/Undead, Science: Anatomy,
Intimidate: Voice of the Grave).
- Having studied the forbidden black books of necromancy sealed in the Vatican
library, he specializes in fighting the spirits that can inhabit the corpses of the
dead. Prior to joining the cell, he killed zombies, revenants, and more. But his
curiosity about death and the Underworld moved him. Benedictions: Boon of
Lazarus, Peace of St. Joseph. Numina (after death): Corpse Ride, Entropic
Decay, Drain, Regenerate.

Brother Solomon Jacobs, “Spiritus Obsignator”

 - Malleus Maleficarum, Status 2. Virtue: Protective. Vice: Wrath. Top Skills
(Academics: Secret Archives [Holy Scrinium], Craft: Figurine, Occult:
Angels/Demons, Animal Ken: Familiars).
- Granted access to grimoires detailing the names of Angels and Demons, and
the spells to bind lesser spirits, even seal them away. He made a reputation in
the Order by creating a small petting zoo of animals containing sealed
demons. He has a pet snail that contains a rank 3 demon named
Uz’roggothon the Dadwar of Decay. Benedictions: Miracle of Gadarene, La
Langue des Saints. Numina (after death): Engulf (consume a spirit to seal it
away inside you), Ghost in the Machine, Moliate (alter a spirits’ appearance or
corpus), Manifest.

The Aegis Kai Doru

(collectors of artifacts, relics and magic items. Hillcrest has a single Labyrinth, well-
hidden, with a rotating cell made up of 6 members. They lack the usual firepower,
having more members of the Scroll and thus devoted more to research and acquiring
relics, rather than hunting. Relics stored in Labyrinth: One-Eyed Kings *, The Silver Key
**, Scylla’s Scale **, Heart of the Succubus **, Blood of Pope Joan **, Stoneman’s
Staff ***, Icarine Servitor ***, Witch-Candle ****, Idol of Gevandan ****, Worm-Pipe
*****, Aegis Talisman *****, Doru Talisman *****, Beauty Jar *****).

-Iolanthe Doane, the Kopis of Hillcrest

- Aegis Kai Doru (the Sword), Status 4. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Wrath. Age: 40.
Top Skills (Occult: Finding Magic, Politics: the Labyrinth, Weaponry: Spear,
Persuasion: Leadership).
- A brunette with long braid and amber eyes, with several Celtic woad tattoos.
She is descended from a family of Swords that has been part of the Order for
over 50 generations; her mother was a Sagaris Hero of the Labrys Axe, her
grandmother a member of the Panopoly (and quite mad). It’s why she can’t
figure out her “banishment” to this forsaken city. One of the severed heads
treasured by the Panopoly has spoken of a great relic underneath the city, and
so she must acquire it. A fierce Amazon, it’s galling that she must rely on the
scholars to even research what it could be. Relics: Perseus’ Mirrored Shield
(immune to mental powers that can be contested or resisted) ***, Fishspine
Spear (the barbs on this spear grow inside a target, ripping them) ***,
Barnabas-in-Amber (a severed head preserved in honey, it wails when relics
are nearby) ***.
-“Victor Mah” aka Mah Sze, Dragonhead of the Chi On Tong, Doru of the
Aegis.
- Aegis Kai Doru (the Scroll), Status 3. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Greed. Age: 64.
Top Skills (Academics: Research/History, Occult: Relics, Craft: Forgeries, Brawl:
Kung Fu, Weaponry: Dadao).
- Leader of the Chi On Tong, a Chinese triad heavily involved in smuggling art
and traditional Chinese medicine (rhino horn or other rare ingredients), as
well as art forgery. Mah uses his position as Dragonhead to acquire real
artifacts for the Aegis, often sending the Amber Moon (the tong’s street gang)
to fetch them. A wrinkled old bald Chinese man with thick glasses and his
back covered in tattoos showing Guanyu, God of War, trampling a tiger to
death, and imagery involving shields, mazes and spears. He used to be a
member of the Sword in his youth. Relics: Watchful Keris (avoid ambush, 2L
knife with +1 init) ***, Mask of Terror (inspire fear) ***.

-Konstantine Mittellos, Doru Guardian of the Labyrinth

- Aegis Kai Doru (the Shield), Status 3. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Greed. Age: 42.
Top Skills (Craft: Traps, Investigate: Intrusions, Larceny: Security Systems,
Firearms: Hand-Loaded, Weaponry: Daggers).
- The leader of the Shields, he is the protector of the society’s relics and
artifacts. He is well armed, with a brace of 4 antique flintlock pistols each
loaded with a unique round (1 silver, 1 cold-iron, 1 orichalum, 1 cursed), and a
brace of daggers- 1 silver, 1 cold iron, 1 orichalum, 1 wooden stake. For
mundane targets, he carries an M4 bullpup, a rapier worn at his belt and a
kevlar vest. Relics: Orpheus Eye (see into Twilight) **, the Oath Stone (gain
bonuses on fighting mages and werewolves) ***, Hex Sign **.

-Professor Eldon Stackhouse, Museum Curator, Doru of the Library

- Aegis Kai Doru (the Scroll), Status 3. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Old-Fashioned. Age:
50. Top Skills (Academics: Research/History, Occult: Identifying Relics,
Investigation: History, Science: Radiometrics).
- Professor Stackhouse is a Museum Curator in charge of the Greek section.
Relics: Kirkestede’s Lenses (bonus to research) *, One-Eyed Kings (see what
the other is seeing; the other coin was given to Elena) *, Ringsel (heal at 1W
per B, or 2W per L) ***, Eye of Hubris (others take a -2 to activate magic) **.

-Gehardine Hirschmann the Spear, Security Guard, Xiphos of the Labyrinth.

 - Aegis Kai Doru (the Spear), Status 2. Virtue: Kindness. Vice: Lust. Age: 30.
Top Skills (Academics: Greek Mythology, Occult: Finding Magic, Investigation:
Thefts, Brawl: Grapple, Weaponry: Clubs/Blades)
- a rustic romantic and part-time academic of Greek mythology. Relics:
Centurion’s Gladius (1B, willpower= magic item struck loses powers; cut self
to turn it into a 2L weapon) ****.

-Elena Torres, the Pawnbroker, Aspis Adherent

- Aegis Kai Doru (the Scroll), Status 1. Virtue: Honest. Vice: Wrath. Age: 30.
Top Skills (Craft: Woodworking, Firearms: Shotguns, Investigation: Stolen
Goods, Brawl: Boxing, Academics: Research).
- The child of illegal immigrants, she initially worked as a woodworker building
beautiful puzzle boxes, which attracted the attention of the owner of a
pawnshop who hired her to help him run the shop. Hardworking and honest,
she cultivated a good relationship with the police officer Ramon Vargas,
informing him whenever she received anything possibly stolen. One day, a
strange shaky man came in with a gold medallion covered in Greek runes, but
when she asked questions he ran out without the necklace. She called
Ramon, suspecting a theft from some museum. It was Professor Stackhouse
who showed up to collect the medallion, inducting Elena after she acquired a
few more relics for him and after an attack by mages. Relics: Skeleton Key
(open any locked door) *.

Cheiron Group
(formerly the Acheron Shipping & Trading Company [and before that, the House of
Katz, the Helios Society for the Infirm, and the Octavian Apothecary]; a major medical
& bio-research corporation that hunts monsters in order to harvest their parts for
implants; they have a research facility and office in Hillcrest. At least two cells are
operational).

R&D Cell-

-Dr. Miranda Barthes (Division Head)

- Cheiron Group (Recruitment), Status 5. Virtue: Prudence. Vice: Greed. Age:
71. Top Skills (Academics: Research, Persuasion: Cutting Deals, Subterfuge:
Backstabbing, Medicine: Prosthetics).
- Head of Keystone Pharma and Biotech, she was originally the president of
Barthes Prosthetics until their purchase by Cheiron. It wasn’t supposed to be
this way, she had two older brothers who were supposed to inherit; Nolan
crashed his lamborghini into a ditch while drunk and high, putting himself into
 a coma he never woke up from (Miranda quietly pulling the plug after 3
years), and her brother Nestor was a keen business man but was found dead
in the river with a bullet in his head (Miranda still has the gun). She took up
control when her father Norman retired, as the old man is paralyzed and
hooked up to hundreds of machines to keep the 104-year old man alive in his
house out in the countryside. Stern, with shoulder-length silver hair, and a
sleek suit. She constantly trembles, as if frail, but her grip is strong and she
has the heart of a 20-year old (literally) and the skin of a 30-year old (literally).
If she has a weakness, it’s her incredible greed and practice of taking much
younger men as lovers. Thaumatechnology: Biliary Tree of the Cynocephali 3
(werewolf biliary system, toxins reduced by 5 in toxicity and gain +2 to rolls vs.
diseases), Regenerative Nodule 4 (ignore wound pen, gain fast healing).

-Dr. Cyril Brockton (Head Researcher)

- Cheiron Group (R&D), Status 4. Virtue: Prudent. Vice: Pride. Age: 58. Top
Skills (Science: Biology,
- Cyril is a plain looking man, with a dimpled chin and thinning blonde hair, in a
perfectly clean lab coat and novelty ties that he hates but wears because his
idiotic wife bought them. He wears tinted orange glasses to hide his eyes that
glow orange in the dim lighting of the lab. A serious man, he is not excitable
and never shows surprise, generally telling others he estimated that exact
event would happen. Cyril believes he is a superior being, the next step in
human evolution… or at least his research is. Thaumatechnology: Banality
Worm 5 (creates a field that makes supernatural powers fail), Devil’s Eyes 2
(see and read auras).

-Dr. Kaspar Von Krieger (Applied & Exotic Research)

- Cheiron Group (R&D), Status 3. Virtue: Childlike Wonder. Vice: Depraved.

Age: 43. Top Skills (Science: Genetics/Robotics/Chemistry, Computer: AI,
Craft: Toxins, Firearms: Energy Weapons).
- Born in Brazil but now a naturalized American citizen, he can speak several
languages including German, Portuguese, English and Japanese. A certified
mad genius, he’s given a great deal of leeway to experiment on unique and
novel grafts and implants. He’s created cyborgs, goatmen, telepathic octopi,
and some incredible implants. He’s even cloned himself, so he has three
identical assistants. Friendly and excitable, but entirely depraved in how he
conducts his experiments; he suffers from sexual disfunction that is only
alleviated by indulging in his numerous paraphilias. He has brown hair, green
eyes and a short trimmed full beard, with a fondness for yellows and browns
for his clothing palette. Thaumatechnology: Personal Defense Swarm 3 (a
 swarm erupts from the skin to defend the wearer), Cortical Adaptation 3
(think like a slasher).

-Dr. Artemis Reilly (Field Research)

- Cheiron Group (R&D), Status 3. Virtue: Kindness. Vice: Lust. Age: 36. Top
Skills (Computer: Research, Investigate: Occult Info, Persuasion: Inspiring)
- Field Researcher, which means she is the liaison with the Harvester team,
providing them the info on their target and meeting with them to collect the
parts. Young and bright, with red hair tied into a bun and green eyes. She
actually finds the work exciting and fascinating, and visibly leaps with delight
when the Harvester team brings her something she’s never seen before.
Unlike the rest of the research time, she shows genuine care when one of the
Harvesters gets hurt. Thaumatechnology: Agonizer 4 (sting a mage to absorb
their mana), Lover’s Lips 2 (spit addictive blood that charms target).

The Harvesters- the working guys who actually go out and get the monsters, and
remove the organs.

-Sgt. Joshua Powell, aka “Sergeant Patriot” (Ex-Blackfire Mercenary)

- Cheiron Group (Retrieval), Status 3. Virtue: Professional. Vice: Wrath. Age:32.
Top Skills (Firearms: Burst Fire, Drive: Motorcycle, Brawl: Close Quarters
Combat, Athletics: Sprinting)
- Former soldier in the Army, who later joined up with Blackfire PMC. Cheiron
offered him more money and some high-tech bio-implants that buy his
loyalty. He’s a professional, he does things by the book, enough so that his
team likes to joke about his “Captain America” personality, calling him Sgt.
Patriot instead. Occasionally though, he loses his cool, exploding into a
murderous rage. Equipped with full military gear, an M4 rifle and full combat
vest. Thaumatechnology: Vitriol Pump 4, Berserker Splice 3.

-Gil Ray Cyrus, the Repo Man

- Cheiron Group (Retrieval), Status 2. Virtue: Honesty. Vice: Greed. Age: 34. Top
Skills (Investigate: Finding Fugitive, Subterfuge: Disguise, Weaponry:
Concealed, Medicine: Organ Transplant).
- He generally dresses in a drab olive pest-control uniform, with the tag “My
name is: Earl”. He finds it easier to get into places that way. The man is a
consummate hunter and master of disguise. In his old position, Cheiron had
him hunting down rogue agents to retrieve their bio-implants and organs,
giving him the dreaded nickname “the Repo Man”. It’s been an exercise in
trust for the others to spend time with him, as the man has no remorse. He’d
 gut a teen just to sell the kidney. Has a scarred face and deep voice, his
insecticide sprayer is usually filled with a knock-out gas, with his other
weapon being an ice-pick concealed up his sleeve or the switch-knife hidden
in his boot. Thaumatechnology: Plasmic Caul 4, Quick Step 3.

-Carla Blunt, Field Tech, Former Police Officer

- Cheiron Group (Retrieval), Status 2. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Wrath. Age: 27.
Top Skills (Craft: Repair/Bomb-Making, Survival: Setting Traps, Stealth: Moving
Quietly, Firearms: Pistol).
- Carla used to work for the Bomb Disposal Squad of the HPD, before a hidden
trigger by a serial bomber detonated and put her in a wheelchair for life; or
would’ve been for life if Cheiron hadn’t offered her a new spine and lungs. For
this, Carla is immensely grateful to Cheiron and would remain loyal to them
until the very end. Now she’s back in shape, and often making bombs rather
than disarming them for the sole purpose of catching monsters, so they can
be harvested to save more people like her. It’s a good thing that she’s doing
this work, right? Thaumatechnology: Twitcher 4, Ectocrine Gland 2, Voice of
the Banshee 1.

-Doug Dawkins, EMT Paramedic.

- Cheiron Group (Retrieval), Status 1. Virtue: Compassion. Vice: Greed. Age:

26. Top Skills (Medicine: Triage, Crafts: Jury-Rigged, Drive: Race Against Time,
Weaponry: Baseball Bat).
- Born in poverty, Doug studied hard to become a doctor, but couldn’t get into
med school. Instead, he trained as an EMT. It would be easy to be bitter, but
Doug gets along well with his hospital coworkers, especially the nurses and
the other paramedics, who would gladly do him a favor or two. Blood and
gore doesn’t bother him, he’s seen the worst his job has to offer. And he
drives like a bat out of hell, taking the ambulance through turns that shouldn’t
be possible. But the job doesn’t pay well, so when Doug was approached by a
pharmaceutical company that wanted him to deliver blackmarket organs to
their lab, he was willing to do it for an envelope full of cash. When they
wanted him to deliver certain patients to their lab instead of the hospital, he
was willing to do it for more money. Eventually, he got in too deep, and now
he participates in the hunt, strapping down the often still living victim to
deliver them alive for “processing”. In exchange, he gets cash and grafts that
give him powers. Doug is a fit guy with a strong back, his blonde hair slicked
back, and the smell of antiseptic barely covered up by strong aftershave and
cologne. Tactics: Moral Support. Thaumatechnology: Anger Patch 1, Devil’s
Eyes 2, Weapon of Last Resort- Claws 2.
The Lucifuge
(Led by the Lady in Milan, all members are descended from the devil or devils, and use
their hellspawn powers to fight evil. There are three factions: The Denial- Empathy:
Discern Intent; The Reconciliation- Weaponry: Knives, & they receive a rosewood
handled knife that deals 2L and smells of roses and sulfur; The Truth- Academics:
Research. There are three members in Hillcrest, which have contacts with Ashwood
Abbey; but there are infernal families that could spawn more: the backwoods Yaeger,
the socialite Woodwine, and the mob-tied Belladonna).

-Janice Satienne, the Lawyer from Hell.

- Lucifuge (the Denial), Status 2. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Wrath. Age: looks 28
(actually 37). Top Skills (Academics: Law, Occult: Demons, Persuasion: Deals,
Empath: Discern Intent).
- a practicing lawyer at Mann, Levin & Lewis, she is the hellspawn they call
when someone f*cks up and summons something they can’t handle. Having
met the Lady of Milan on holiday, she was given a choice between death or
hunting the damned. It’s kind of an irony that she works at a law firm of
known diabolists, but it gives her a list of clients that may need extinguishing if
they go bad. Janice can always be found in a fine dark Italian suit with a prim
skirt that reaches her knees. High heels aren’t very good for hunting, but
she’ll be damned before she goes out looking less than good. While she acts
hard-hearted, she’s got a soft spot for stray cats and hard-luck cases. Tactics:
Moral Support. Castigation: Sense the Unrighteous, Mandate of Hell, Gaze of
the Penitent.

-Jack Asmodean, the Crowley

- Lucifuge (the Truth), Status 3. Virtue: Friendly. Vice: Greed. Age: looks 30
(actually 42). Top Skills (Academics: Research, Occult: Curses, Investigation:
Tainted Bloodlines, Firearms: Shotgun, Larceny: Sleight-of-Hand)
- A stage magician at the Black Magic Club, Jack was actually awakened to his
blood heritage as a young boy when his adopted family was devoured by a
demon in front of him. That was when he met the Lady of Milan and was
taught about his cursed nature. Obsessed with the notion of family curses
and tainted bloodlines, Jack became the Lady’s head researcher in Hillcrest
and he feels she is like a mother to him. Since youth, he’s had an Imp familiar
that takes the form of a raven or other small animals. He’s friends with
Detective Munny of the Union. A black haired man with a fondness for black
suits with red shirts, he can also manifest black wings of raven feathers.
Currently rents a room at the Black Magic Club, in exchange for working the
 desk to sell magic kits and DVD’s to kids. He keeps a large number of books
and genealogical tables in his room, including a few demonic grimoires.
Castigations: Familiar, Family Vestment: Devil’s Wings, Infernal Visions,
Unholy Escapologist.

-Harold “Harry” Woodwine, the Gentleman of Hell

- Lucifuge (the Reconciliation), Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Pride. Age: looks
50 (200 years old). Top Skills (Weaponry: Knives)
- A refined older gentleman who lives in the wealthier part of town, he owns
the same townhouse he bought in 1830 when he first moved to Hillcrest. He
started out as one of the most loyal hunters of the Lady of Milan, he
practically worshiped her. But recently, he’s heard rumors of her regular visits
with the Bishop of the Malleus Maleficarum, and his faith is starting to crack.
One of the more powerful of the Lucifuge in the city, he prefers to work alone
as he regards Janice and Jack as his inferiors, only occasionally accepting some
bit of research or info on a target from them. Castigations: Calling Forth the
Pit, Hellfire, Sense of the Unrighteous, Tongue of Babel, Unholy Aura.

Task Force Valkyrie

(there is a government branch of TFV, they share an office with the local FBI branch,
and Division Six; though the TFV has never heard of Div6 and doesn’t trust them. It’s
small and dusty; but they have an ops team that is supported by a combined research
and administrative team).

Admin Team “Overwatch Brigade”=

-Acting Deputy Assistant Director Joshua Thorpe.

- TFV, Status 4. Virtue: Orderly. Vice: Pride. Age: 50. Top Skills (Investigation:
International Crime, Politics: FBI, Persuasion: Teamwork, Intimidation:
Blackmail).
- Acting Deputy Assistant Director for the Hillcrest branch of the FBI, Joshua
Thorpe is eager to turn that “acting” status into a permanent one since his
predecessor went AWOL. This makes him a bit overwhelming, as he pushes
for results and “wins” to take back to the FBI. He’s also the city director for
the TFV and VASCU, and is fully in the know about monsters. He doesn’t like
the Division 6 boys, which as far as his contacts in Washington tell him, are
part of the NSA and only answer to this feller named Jones. He’s not a bad
guy, he has a keen sense of law and order, but he wants to turn around
 Hillcrest’s reputation as the place where acting deputy assistant directors go
to die or become insane. Agents at the bottom are starting to feel the
pressure. Advanced Armory: Munin Serum 4, Screamer Pistol 3, Etheric
Goggles 2.

-“Agent Stone” Wilson Stone.

- TFV, Status 3. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Wrath. Age: 40. Top Skills (Investigation:
Crime Scenes, Crafts: Explosives, Firearms: Sidearms, Intimidate:
Interrogation).
- The main foot agent for the TFV, he handles a lot of the investigations of
suspected ENE activity with his partner “Agent Wood”. As an official FBI
agent, they are officially assisting the police with their crime problem due to
the presence of international crime organizations like the Cartels and Triads.
He greatly dislikes Captain Morykin, believing he’s a hot-head, and the talk
from the eggheads about a new weapon called the “Fenris Payload” and how
they want to test it in the city sounds ominous and something he should stand
up against. An old-school spook, he wears a black suit with black sunglasses,
his black hair graying at the temples. Advanced Armory: Etheric Rounds 2,
Etheric Goggles 2, Frequency Pulse Emitter 2.

-”Agent Wood” Stewart Wood- TFV, Status 2. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Timid. Age: 40.
Top Skills (Investigation: Crime Scenes, Drive: Car Chase, Firearms: Covering Fire,
Persuasion: Ensure Cooperation). -Agent Stone’s partner and a trusted friend, he’s a
bald-headed large black man who forms the friendly face of the duo that puts
potential witnesses at ease. He frets over Stone like a mother hen, worrying about his
partner constantly. He knows something is bothering the grumpy old agent, but Stone
was never one to talk about his problems. Advanced Armory: Etheric Rounds 2,
Etheric Goggles 2.

-Research Director, Montague “Monty-Q” Quinn.

- TFV, Status 3. Virtue: Inquisitive. Vice: Forgetful. Age: 50. Top Skills (Craft:
Miniaturized Devices, Science: Quantum Physics, Firearms: Experimental,
Persuasion: Try it!).
- A bearded scientist with a broad grin and uncombed wild red hair, “Monty-Q”
as he insists on being called is what the Agency terms a “mad genius”. He
builds and maintains much of the Valkyrie’s Advanced Armory devices. In his
spare time, him and his lab assistants have been working on the “Fenris
Payload”= a sub-etheric exo-plasmo-nuclear device, i.e. a spirit bomb that
when detonated, should completely destroy every spirit in a 80-mile radius,
leaving people and buildings untouched. The higher ups want to test it to see
 what it would do to werewolves, assuming it would sever the wolf part of
them and restore them to humans. Monty-Q hasn’t really thought about
what the potential side-effects of the blast would be, he just thinks it’s a cool
invention. Advanced Armory: the Gatekeeper Device 3 (a bodysuit that
allows travel to the Twilight), Mjolnir Cannon 4 (an electrified ray cannon).

Ops Team= “The Freedom Brigade”

-Captain Michael Morykin, Unit Commander.

- TFV, Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Age: 41. Top Skills (Craft: Explosives,
Drive: Rough Terrain, Survival: Harsh Climate, Firearms: Full Auto).
- His superiors believe he is the ideal field commander, his colleagues believe
he is one bad day from going psycho. He has no family, no friends, no extra
hobbies besides work. He joined the TFV because of an encounter with “the
Driver”, the entity that stole the piece of him that allows him to form
meaningful connections with others. Morykin knows he should care about
the feelings and needs of others, but can only pretend to do so with great
mental effort. A powerfully built man with short graying hair, and a scar
running down his face. Advanced Armory: Etheric Rounds 2, Urban Response
Vehicle 5, Huginn Visor 3.

Abraham Whistler, “Fang Buster”- TFV Status 3, Top Skills (Occult: Vampires,
Weaponry: Stake, Firearms: Aiming, Survival: Firestarter). Advanced Armory: Hod
Rounds 1, Huginn Visor 3, The Bleeder 2, VDSB “Sunlight” Bomb 3. -Formerly one of
the top hunters at the Lincoln Brigade, which has specialized in killing vampires since
the Civil War. He’s actually older than the Captain (much older, say over a 100 years),
but admires the man’s dedication. Abraham is a Dhampir, and was one of the original
members of the Lincoln Brigade. Merits: Vampire Hunter 4, Beloved Stranger 2,
Weakened Blood Bond 3.

Dorothy Hawthorne, “Magistra”- TFV Status 2, Top Skills (Occult: Witches,

Investigation: Cults, Weaponry: Axes, Firearms: SMGs, Drive: Pilot Helicopters).
Advanced Armory: Witch-Buster 1, Screamer Pistol 3, Tranq Rounds 2. -Dorothy is an
Atariya, a human that is supernaturally lucky. She first noticed this as a helicopter
pilot in Iraq, when a rocket took out her helicopter in a fireball explosion but she came
out of the fireball still strapped in her pilot’s chair skidding to a halt on some dunes
without a scratch. She has a deep dislike of witches but has more sympathy for
people like her who were born with their “condition”. Merits: Damn Lucky 4, Nine
Lives 1*, Mr. Lucky 1.

Samuel Argent, “Silver Bullet”- TFV Status 3, Top Skills (Occult: Werewolves, Survival:
Tracking, Weaponry: Silver, Firearms: Shotguns). Advanced Armory: Equalizer
Grenade 3, Gleipnir Restraints 2, Etheric Tracker 4. -A “Lost Boy”, a secret government
experiment in implanting cybernetics into soldiers. He requires a daily dose of serum
to stay alive. During a testing of the Lost Boys platform in South America, his squad
was taken out by two different packs of werewolves, hence his hatred and
specialization in killing them. Loaned to the TFV. Merits: Lost Boys Protocol 3,
Protocol Fixer 3 (6 doses a week), Jumper 2 (x4 jump distance, halve falling),
Augmented Resilience 2, Augmented Speed 1, Strength Augmentation 3, Pulse-
Generator 3, Sub-dermal Armor 2 (+1/+1), Implanted Interface 2.

VASCU - the branch of the FBI that investigates serial killers, specifically the
supernatural Slashers. They currently only have one agent assigned to the city, due to
her stubborn resistance to asking for help.

-Det. Jasmine Heyer

- VASCU, Status 3. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Pride. Age: 34. Top Skills (Academics:
Psychology, Computers: Research, Investigation: Serial Killers, Firearms: Light
Pistol).
- Driven, intelligent and a bit of a lone wolf, Jasmine Heyer has been warned
repeatedly not to do things without backup. And yet, she’s caught four serial
killers alone, even if the last one nearly got her first. She’s been sent to
Hillcrest to assist the local PD, as Hillcrest has a shockingly high number of
active serial killers. Teleinformatics: (Investigation) 4- Psychometry 1, Scene
Read 2, Speed of Thought 3, Post-Cognition 4. (Interview) 2- Just One More
Thing 1, Polygraph 2. (Research) 2- Network 1, Deep Background 2.

CIA (Hotel Mascaron - an independent unsanctioned black ops that used to be a

project in the CIA to create sleeper agents that could be activated with a code phrase.
In Hillcrest, an office for the CIA was installed next to the FBI, where a single agent
operates under the cover of “investigating international foreign crime organizations”
in partnership with the FBI and police.

-Agent Raymond Shaw, aka “Bishop”

- Hotel Mascaron [Kesey Agenda], Status 5. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Pride. Age:
46. Top Skills (Streetwise: Organized Crime).
- A CIA agent who stumbled upon the Hotel Mascaron conspiracy after
uncovering some top secret files. Curiosity kills the cat, but Shaw decided to
meet with Madame at her condo in Miami to uncover the truth. The truth
broke him, but also reformed him into a loyal agent of the Hotel. There are
monsters out there and the CIA needs agents to fight them. After operating
as a sleeper agent for years, Shaw was woken up to become a manager so he
could more effectively assist the hotel. As the only CIA agent in Hillcrest, he
still reports to headquarters, who have no idea he’s been compromised. In
Hillcrest, he currently has 3 sleeper agents working for him: White Rabbit (a
 housewife named Linda O’Hare [Red Delirium 3]), Mister Horse (a mailman
named Sam Knight [Red 3, Blue 2], and Cheshire Cat (an online escort named
Kitty Van Graye [Red 2, White 2]). Shaw has his own mask, a Rooster he calls
“Bishop”. Unknown to Shaw, his own handler “Mad Hatter” still watches him.
Figments: Red Delirium 4 (Crimson Face Card, Vermillion Knack, Russet
Clamp, Cockerel Crow), White Dementia 2 (Gray Veil, Waxen Seal), Blue
Delusion 3 (Indigo Alarm, Azure Friend, Cerulean Brain), Black Depression 1
(Ebony Eyes).

The Ascending Ones

(Split into three factions: The Order of the Southern Temple, the mystics who
transcribe the recipes of alchemy used by the cult as a whole and who know the
secrets of the Djinn; the Jagged Crescent, who test the drugs and sell them to fund the
cult; and the Knives of Paradise, the original Assassins, the pure hunters, of which
many are radical Islamic jihadists. Hillcrest has a cell for each. The OST sends the
drugs to the JC, who inform the KP at the local mosque of any supernatural threats
they can’t handle. After 9/11 however, the KP have been watched by the local FBI
branch and informed the JC that they must handle monster-hunting alone).

The Order of the Southern Temple Cell- based in the Green Lion Pharmacy.

-Dr. “Luke” Khalid Al-Razi, aka “Lucas the Alchemist”

- Ascending One (Southern Temple), Status 4. Virtue: Perfectionist. Vice: Lust.
Top Skills (Academics: Alchemy, Medicine: Pharmaceutical, Science:
Chemistry)
- Known Elixirs: Crocodile Tears *, Liar Pill *, Hound Mark *-***, Drop of
Dreams **, Breath of Ma’at **, Elixir of the Fiery Heart **, Mind-Talking Drug
***, Bennu Bird-Feather ***, Incense of the Next World ****, Mesmeric
Vapors *****.

-Miriam Shah, the Living Athanor

- Ascending One (Southern Temple), Status 2. Virtue: Kindness. Vice: Envy. Top
Skills
- Known Elixirs: Eye of Ra *, Gentle Mind **, Justice of Ma’at **, Vapors of
Mercury **, The Tallyman’s Eyes ***, A Glimpse of After ***, Amun’s Water
****, Balm of Chronos ****.

Knife of Paradise Cell- based in the Mosque

-“Gawain” Amad Ibn Hazm
- Ascending One (Knife of Paradise), Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Top
Skills (Crafts: Explosives, Stealth: Ambush, Weaponry: Knives, Brawl: Martial
Arts).
- The top killer of the Knives of Paradise, he has a bit of rivalry with Ford
Keramati, due to Ford being an Iranian and Amad being Arabian. Still, their
theological fights about Islam fall by the wayside during a battle, as they are
brothers against the darkness. A lean, thin man of dark complexion, covered
in white scars, with a beard and a fondness for wearing hooded jackets that
best conceal his knives. He specializes in killing vampires. Known Elixirs:
Hound Mark *, Breath of Ma’at **, Bennu Bird-Feather ***, Breath of the
Dragon ****, Blood of the Cobra *****.

-”Saladin” Ford Amir Keramati

- Ascending One (Knife of Paradise), Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Top
Skills (Crafts: Explosives, Stealth: Ambush, Firearms: Concealed, Brawl: Martial
Arts).
- Fond of Amad, though they fight like a married couple when not working. He’s
an Iranian with light Persian features and olive-green eyes. In many ways
alike, Ford however prefers firearms, generally concealed, compared to knives
or razors. He also specializes in killing werewolves, with a pocket full of silver
rounds for his gun. Known Elixirs: Hunting Sight of the Asp *, Vapors of
Mercury **, A Glimpse of After ***, Balm of Chronos ****, Amun’s Water
****.

Jagged Crescent Cell - based around the Quad

-Marcus Slidell, Soul’s Army Kingpin

- Ascending One (Jagged Crescent), Status 4. Virtue: Dedication. Vice: Pride. Top
Skills (Crafts: Gun Repair, Larceny: B&E, Persuasion: Fast Talk, Weaponry:
Machete).
- A small little man, a puffed up kingpin and peacock who talks a big game, but
is someone who really believes his work with the Jagged Crescent is helping
the Projects break free of the supernatural influences that were keeping them
down. He’s been happy to have his boys take point from the Knives of
Paradise when it comes to hunting monsters, seeking to chase away his
nightmarish dreams about his precious towers falling down while a horde tries
to kill him. He covers up his worries with excessive confidence, but it has
been working, as most of the residents of the Quad genuinely believe in him.
His head shaved, he has verses from the Quran and the Book of Thoth
tattooed on his neck and shoulders, and avoids jewelry except for a gold ring
 that conceals a small Elixir pill of Nehebkau Tears (*****turning him
temporarily into a vampire with corresponding abilities and vulnerabilities).
Known Elixirs: Hunting Sight of the Asp *, Elixir of the Fiery Heart **, A
Glimpse of After ***, Amun’s Water ****.

-Anthony Mack, aka “A-Mac”, Right-Hand Man

- Ascending One (Jagged Crescent), Status 3. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Lust. Top
Skills (Politics: Supernatural, Persuasion: Negotiation, Firearms: Handgun,
Intimidate: Looming Presence).
- Slidell’s right-hand man, who would probably take a bullet for him.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped him from sleeping with Slidell’s girlfriend,
something that he feels incredibly guilty about and knows would get him
killed if caught. To him, it was an accident, a mix of alcohol and tension; but
now she holds it above him, threatening to tell Slidell if he tries to break it off.
“A-Mac” is the Ascending One’s Sulha, a type of diplomat for when the order
needs to negotiate peace between warring supernatural factions. But he
can’t seem to negotiate his way out of his current predicament. A quiet, large
presence, standing nearly a foot taller than Slidell, with a short buzz-cut
hairstyle and a neck covered in gold chains intermixed with old Egyptian
talismans. Known Elixirs: Liar Pill *, Hound Mark *, Breath of Ma’at **, Agora
Salve ***.

-Riley “2-Wrongs” Wright, Jagged Pusher

- Ascending One (Jagged Crescent), Status 3. Virtue: Prudence. Vice: Greed. Top
Skills (Streetwise: Wheelers and Dealers, Investigation: Rumors, Firearms:
Handguns, Persuade: Push Product).
- His Uncle Raz is a big Ascending One dealer in the Windy City, he was the one
who got Riley into the Jagged Crescent. A man of various mixed ethnicities, he
wears a gold chain with a dozen holy symbols: a star of David, a crucifix, a
crescent moon, Thor’s hammer, and a pentagram; but he’s a Muslim, even
though he’s been exposed to a lot of the supernatural from childhood. A
street dealer, he has several contacts on both sides of the struggle, with
werewolves and vampires on one side, and hunters on the others. “2-
Wrongs” tries to uphold his neutrality, but the Ascending Ones put hunting
first, drugs were never intended to be anything more than funding for the
hunting business. Riley carries a lot of free samples including some unique
stuff. Elixirs: Eye of Ra *, Hunting Sight of the Asp *, Elixir of Fiery Heart **,
Mind Talking Drug ***.
The Knights of Saint George
(a witch-hunter society under the Church of England, they often operate out of
Anglican churches. The remnants of the Knights Templar, they worship and yet
contain the Faceless Angels, the Grigori, the 72 Watchers in the Dark. They kill
magical things and magic users because such power draws the attention of the
Watchers, who see magic as derived from the Dragons of the Void, their ancient
enemies. The Tunguska Incident was one of the Watchers briefly glancing in interest
before looking away. Though publicly an Anglican order, the top-levels are taught the
terrible secret that God is dead, leaving Earth in the care of the Watchers, but one
must pass the Three Revelations before they learn this, with new members not even
aware of the supernatural until they pass the First Revelation. Founded by King
Richard the Lionhearted during the Crusades, every current Knight-Commander is
descended by blood from him, via an illegitimate son in Aquitaine. Besides the
mission of killing witches, the order also collects the Goetic Gospels, believing the
secret to defeating the Watchers is within their pages. Publicly an Anglican charity
organization, that is a front for their business. Different factions: The Congregation of
Vasago are the hospitaller knights, the ones who operate the safehouses and supply
the equipment. The Congregation of Foras focuses on magical creatures and objects
rather than witches. The Congregation of Malthus are the witch-finder generals, who
track down and hunt witches. For power, the Knights use the Goetic Gospels, the
recitation of which allows them to fight witches: The Gospel of Agares allows Knights
to disrupt or unravel a witch’s spell. The Gospel of Amon allows the Knight to vex
witches with demons created from their own sin and flaws. The Gospel of Beleth
allows dragonslayers to poison magical energy around them. The higher-level gospels
often require the Knight to scourge himself bloody).

-”Sir Thomas” Thomas Spengler, the Gray Knight.

- Knights of Saint George, Status 4. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Sadist. Age: 51. Top
Skills (Occult: Witchcraft, Investigation: Witchery, Intimidation: Torture,
Weaponry: Whips & Chains).
- The head of the local chapter, people who know Spengler often fear him. He’s
a cold, unlikeable old man with a balding head. He’s also a sociopath who
only smiles when he’s hurting people (especially witches). Fond of torture, he
likes to use the Gospel of Amon to vex and manipulate witches mentally,
while harming their body with the implements of the inquisition- hot irons,
the lead boot, thumb screws and the Golden Pear. He takes videos of his
sessions to watch later at home. Rather than armor, Spengler wears a gray
suit, he keeps some of his tool kit in his briefcase and doesn’t often carry his
ceremonial sword. In combat, he prefers to bring out his cat-o-nine tails with
metal barbs woven into the leather strands, or just pulls out a pistol. Goetic
Gospels: Agares 2, Amon 4, Beleth 1.
-“Sir Corbell” William Corbell, the Green Knight.
- Knights of Saint George, Status 3. Virtue: Friendly. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 43.
Top Skills (Persuasion: Inspiration, Weaponry: Swords, Athletics: Moving in
Heavy Armor, Socialize: Making Friends).
- A large man, broad shouldered, around 7’ tall and built like an oil tanker, with
a balding head and large beard. Charismatic and well-liked, he is a loud
boisterous man that drinks heavily and wears a lot of denim. Born in the
Order and having operated as a Knight for 20 years, he may one day become
Knight-Commander thanks to his blood-heritage from King Richard the Lion-
hearted. He has an inspiring presence, and is recognized as a skilled
swordsman. In combat with witches, he armors himself in full plate etched
with runes and covered in a green tabard and wields a longsword. Corbell is
currently looking for a squire, as the society lacks numbers and needs younger
blood. Among the order, he is the one most likely to meet hunters of other
societies and try to cultivate good relationships. Goetic Gospels: Agares 2,
Amon 1, Beleth 3.

-”Sir Howard” Howard Anselm, the Black Knight

- Knights of Saint George, Status 3. Age: 40. Top Skills (Athletics: Dash,
Firearms: Bullpup Rifles, Weaponry: Hammers, Stealth: Ambush).
- The Witch Slayer, Howard has a number of kills under his belt due to his gift at
unraveling a witch’s spells with ease. He prefers to kill them quickly rather
than leave them to the tender “mercies” of Spengler. Rather than outdated
plate, he wears modern kevlar armor with some chainmail backing that covers
the shins and arms as well. For weapons, he prefers a bullpup rifle firing at a
distance, and then switching to his famous black spiked hammer when he gets
close. Smaller than Corbell, but muscular, with a trimmed goatee and black
hair grown past the ears. Goetic Gospels: Agares 4, Amon 1, Beleth 1.

The Army of Light

(a Baha’i Order founded in 1957, when five women were spoken to by God and given
divine powers. Boxes called Conduits are created by the Five, filled with Light and
sent to random people to draft them in the Army of Light. Opening the box informs
the draftee of his divine purpose and allows him to communicate with others via the
Conduit-line. They practice the belief of “pardon” or “purge”, monsters are either
spared or destroyed. Their power is called Lumina, they can create Light, even
Sunlight, Teleport themselves or enemies, or even use the Light to view remote
places. The local Baha’i Temple is small, but the single Army of Light member can call
on other members to teleport from other cities in the country as support. Most
hunters are unaware of them as they have an oath of secrecy, Task Force Valkyrie calls
them “Porters” while the Union calls them “Bright Shiners” and the Maleficarum calls
them “Lanterns”).

-Fatimah Al-Khafifa, the Pardoner.

- Army of Light (Judges), Status 4. Age: 30.
- The leader and only member of the Army of Light in Hillcrest, she works at the
small Baha’i Temple as interfaith director. The local Baha’i community knows
she’s the one to talk to if someone spooky is going on in the neighborhood. If
she needs help, she knows she can use the Conduit to call up support, but
wishes the Five could allow her to recruit more members as she’s overworked.
So far, she’s worked with the Union, but the Long Night refuses to work with
her as a “heretic”. Lumina (5): Luminous Push (touch a target to send him
10x successes in yards in any direction, said target passes through walls or
solid objects until they reach their destination and materialize), Luminous
Shift (Minor & Major= teleportation, may bring up to her Lumina in
passengers as long as they all hold hands, able to travel up to their Speed in
miles per turn for Major Shift or 10 yards per success for Minor Shift; the
difference is Minor shift can be done for free or as a reflexive action using
willpower), Release the Sun (creates a 32-yard radius of sunlight, dealing 3A to
vampires in the area per turn and causing fear frenzy, and only 1A in a 64-yard
radius; her touch deals fire damage and on exceptional brawl attacks, the
target bursts into flames), Crepuscular Reach (able to touch Twilight entities),
Sensory Projection (an extra Lumina reduces her health box by 1, can see and
hear a known location X miles away = successes, up to a max of 50 miles; but
while projecting, she’s unaware of what’s happening to her body).

Les Mysteres
(The Ridden, the Spirit Emissaries; a loose association of mediums, bokors, and
shamans who can communicate with spirits and allow them to possess their bodies.
They generally try to help their community by controlling wild or harmful spirits; they
often worship Loa and allow them to “ride” their bodies in return for favors. Part of
these favors sometimes involves hunting werewolves, though the Mysteres don’t
know why spirits hate the Uratha except that the werewolves keep the spirit realm
and the mortal realm separated. As a society, the Mysteres believe that the two
worlds joining together would result in a better world. Their power is the “Rites Du
Cheval”, which allows a spirit to possess them; while possessed, they suffer no wound
penalties, but do take a -1 perception roll. Different spirits and of various ranks grant
individual powers in exchange for appeasements or offerings: “Skin of Loa” [1dot] for
example, grants armor 2 for a scene. “Elemental Rebuke” blasts foes with lethal
elements of wind, fire or lightning. “Light as a Feather” lets the shaman fall any
distance unharmed. “Hands of Raphael” allows the medium to cure diseases [flu 5
successes, cancer 15] or heal injuries [bashing 1:1 success, lethal 1:2 successes,
aggravated 1:4 successes], but they suffer damage on each extended roll [1B or L per
roll]. “Spiritual Guidance” grants the rote action for one skill for 24 hours. “Voodoo
Doll” allows them to use spirits of bad luck to curse targets. “Wearing the Baron’s Hat”
calls upon the Loa of Death and War to possess them, granting them +3 Def, +5 init,
and 5 temp Health; attack rolls gain the advanced action quality. In Hillcrest, most
Mysteres members live in Crown Heights, aka “Little Haiti”).

-“Maman Odette” Odette Lefleur, the Old Voodoo Witch.

- Les Mysteres, Status 5. Virtue: Patient. Vice: Wrath. Age: 70. Top Skills
- An old hunched woman covered in wrinkles but a surprising spring to her step,
her gray curly hair bound up in wood beads. She’s on friendly relations with
the vampire that calls herself Voodoo Queen, as well as a good relationship
with the local spirits. She owns a herb shop called “Lefleur’s Teas and Herbs”,
though a lot of her “teas” are mind-altering drugs and most people know she’s
a voodoo priestess. A heavy smoker, she carries a long-stem pipe which she
often wields as a weapon. For her, everyone is her grandchild, her advice is
patient and caring, but faced with a dense person, she quickly raps them on
the noggin with her cane or pipe. Rites Du Cheval: Skin of Loa, Hands of
Raphael, Spiritual Guidance, Voodoo Doll, Wearing the Baron’s Hat, Deny the
Moon, Clinging Leech.

-”Madame T”, aka “Tabby” Tabitha Rasa, Mambo

- Les Mysteres, Status 3. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Pride. Age: 18-40? Top Skills
(Academics: Religion, Occult: Vodou, Animal Ken: Animal Spirits).
- A bit of a mystery to herself and others. She only remembers her name (or she
thinks it’s her name). Maman Odette believes the ambitious young woman bit
off more than she can chew and summoned a spirit that was too powerful for
her, which ate her memories and left her wandering the streets in a fugue
state before she woke up. Rites Du Cheval: Skin of Loa, Elemental Rebuke,
Light as a Feather, Hands of Raphael.

-“Cheri Ketty” Kettia Marie Saint Fort

- Les Mysteres, Status 2. Virtue: Charity. Vice: Lust. Age: 25. Top Skills
(Expression: Dance.
- The apprentice to Maman Odette, she’s primarily sent out to kill those who
offended the Loa or supernatural creatures that prey on Odette’s flock. A
lovely young black woman with a top hat, waistcoat and a skull painted face,
armed with a cane sword and a bottle of rum. When she allows herself to be
possessed by the Loa of Death, she becomes extraordinarily lethal. Rites Du
Cheval: Skin of Loa, Spiritual Guidance, Wearing the Baron’s Hat.
The Cainite Heresy
(a group of hunters who always ask their vampire prey one question, “Who is Cain?”
before they kill them. An ancient cult, they believe that Cain was the first vampire,
the father to all vampires. Most cells are not linked, basically people who have lost
family to vampires are approached by cult members who give them the “truth” and
try to put them into a five-man cell with no outside connection as some are used as
suicide bombers. Instead, they receive messages by mail from the “Source”, giving
them names of potential new recruits, the names of vampires to kill (with addresses),
and crystal vials of ritual blood. The blood is used in their Blood Rites, the Rites of
Denial. To use them, the Cainite hunter must pour out a few thimbles of blood or
smear it somewhere, which can be replenished [as long as one drop remains, by
feeding it a drop from each of five members]. The Rites of Denial consist of simple
tricks that affect the blood of vampires. “Befoul” prevents a vampire from sleeping in
his nest by smearing blood around his home, causing 1L per hour if he tries as he
burns in his hole. A line of blood drawn by “Deny” prevents a vampire from crossing
the line or entering a home without permission. “Invoke” makes a vampire weak
against the object blessed by blood; in this way, a vampire can become vulnerable to
harm from holy symbols, garlic, holy water, or even wild roses- on seeing these
objects, the vampire must flee 10 yards away or take 1A damage. “Obligate” involves
placing a nail through a vampire’s footprint that’s no more than 1 hour old, this
prevents the vampire from moving from his current location for 10 min per success;
even if he successfully breaks the spell, his foot remains numb, halving his speed.
“Prohibit” can only be used on other people, but by marking them with blood, a
vampire feels his insides burning if he drinks their blood, and gains no benefit from
said tainted blood. “Reflect” involves painting the eyelids with blood, the vampire
takes a penalty using its powers against the Cainite, and on a failure, their own power
is reflected back onto them. Who is the Source? Some in the cult believe Cain himself
founded the heresy, but the leaders are actually Four of the Seven Daughters of
Nibiru; an ancient vampire hunting cult from the Sumerian Empire; only Four are still
alive, but as unliving severed heads, still spouting knowledge and prophecy. They
have discovered that the severed head of the 5 th sister is somewhere in Hillcrest, and
so two full cells have been sent there; one cell is a suicide squad).

-Clint Theissen, Cell Leader.

- Cainite Heresy, Status 4. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Wrath. Age: 40. Top Skills
(Investigation: Rumors, Stealth: Shadows, Weaponry: Stake, Persuasion:
Recruitment).
- A thin man with receding hair and an intense expression, wearing a bronze
crucifix. His eyes burning like a fanatic and sunken into his skull, he rarely
blinks. He has no problem killing two innocents in order to take out one
vampire, and he can’t understand why others don’t have his passion. He first
joined the Heresy about 10 years ago, after he was forced to kill his wife, who
 had been turned into a vampire and tried eating him. His two cells are the last
in the city, as 40 years ago the vampires wiped out the Heresy at their secret
underground bunker below Holt Cemetery, where they had been keeping an
elder staked for interrogation, their bloodless bodies posed into various
positions such as one drinking soup. To prevent this from happening again,
the Heresy no longer keeps a central headquarters. Cells never meet up in the
same place twice, and the two cells don’t know each other aside from Clint.
The trauma of killing his wife has changed Clint, he can sense vampires from
the tingling sensation on the back of his neck and a cold rush through his
veins. Rites of Denial (4): Reflect, Prohibit, Invoke, Befoul. Merits: Unseen
Sense (vampires).

-Serge Wrightson, Cainite Historian. (Cainite Heresy, Status 3. Top Skills

(Academics: Vampire History/Local History, Occult: Vampire Lore, Stealth:
Concealment). An old janitor who mops the floors at the 30th Street subway station,
he just smiles and mumbles a lot. Inside one of the supply closets he has loosened a
grate, which leads to a long-forgotten room that was bricked up decades ago. Here,
the Cainite’s keep their records in fireproof lockboxes, with the names and locations
of suspected vampires. Rites of Denial (3): Deny, Obligate, Invoke.

-James Argus, the Terrorist. Cainite Heresy, Status 3. Top Skills (Craft: Explosives,
Firearms: Burst Fire, Stealth: Stalking, Weaponry: Stakes). Part of the suicide cell,
Argus is a psychopathic merciless madman. A former Marine, he’s been building
bombs for the next big hit against vampires. Rites of Denial (3): Invoke, Reflect,
Befoul.

-Celia Carrol, the Devoted. Cainite Heresy, Status 2. Top Skills (Academics:
Engineering, Larceny: Security Systems, Subterfuge: Lying, Firearms: Flamethrowers).
Part of the suicide cell, Celia is not as keen on killing civilians as Argus. She’s been
using her background as an architectural engineer to help Argus find vampire lairs.
Rites of Denial (2): Invoke, Deny.

-Emma Bloom, the Meek. Cainite Heresy, Status 1. Top Skills (Computer: Hacking,
Investigation: Forensic Accounting, Streetwise: Rumors). Emma lost her boyfriend to
vampires and gladly joined the Heresy in the belief they could help her get revenge.
But seeing how crazy the group is, she regrets that choice and wishes to leave.
Unfortunately, the Heresy is not a group you can leave alive.

The Obsidian Brotherhood

(the current iteration was founded by a WWI veteran Ira Schwarz, once a member of
the Loyalist of Thule, he worked as an archeologist, but vanished in South America
when the Nazis seized power. In 1954, he was seen again holding an obsidian rod
called the Obsidius covered in Sumerian glyphs, the largest “Ama-gi” a symbol that
either means “return to mother” or “freedom”. Touching the victims of supernatural
wrongdoing, he brands them with the symbol in fire so they can take revenge. Still
seen as late as 2007, still the same age of 65 even though he’s over 130; he appears
like a ghost, the heat around him intense and asks, “do you want revenge?” He only
creates one Obsidian Brother or Sister per city, the so-called “Angels of Death”, but
once branded, they have the power of Pyrokinesis, which grants them and their
clothing inherent immunity to fire, as well as the powers of Combustion, Blast,
Detonation and Firestorm. Extremely violent and dangerous).

-”The Burning Girl” Julieta “Jules” Isabel Quemadura.

- Obsidian Brotherhood, Status 3 (Angel of Death). Virtue: Love. Vice: Wrath.
Age: 25. Top Skills (Investigation: Disappearances, Intimidation: Fire, Brawl:
Basic Self-Defense, Athletics: Sudden Entrance).
- At 16, her ultra-Catholic parents kicked her out of the house when they found
out she had a girlfriend, named Ana, who was also kicked out by her parents.
Both becoming homeless for a while, they figured at least they had love. All
until they were roughly pulled out of a box by what they thought were ICE
officers, at least, they were wearing the uniforms. Trying to explain, both Ana
and Jules were beaten bloody, while a man in a black suit told the men to take
Ana “to the factory” and to leave Jules behind so he could make her dinner.
The man in black turned out to be a vampire and he hurt Jules some more,
wanting to savor his meal. When he bent down to feast, she pulled some
plastic wrap over his head and set him on fire with her lighter before kicking
him into a pile of oil-soaked rags. The alley, being full of newspapers and
cardboard, quickly filled with the blaze and Jules stumbled out of the fire
covered in burn scars on her arms and half her face. That’s when the old man
appeared and offered her the power to save Ana and take revenge. While her
old scars remain, fire can never touch her again. She sets out and finds
vampires, demanding they tell her about the “factory” and then burns them
to ash when they inevitably don’t know. Only once did she slip up, when she
paid her parents a visit and burned down their house with them inside it. She
dresses in black, with her pockets full of oil-soaked rags, and often a bottle of
gasoline in hand. Pyrokinesis (5): Inherent Immunity (body and clothes {plus
objects held in hand} completely immune to fire and heat, plus smoke
inhalation); Combustion * (1WP, starts a fire, Wits+Pyro = each success 1L fire
damage), Blast ** (1WP, hands are like flamethrowers, Dex+Pyro vs. Def, Pyro
x 10 yards in range, 1L per success), Detonation *** (1WP, everyone in radius
Pyro x 3 yards is engulfed in flame, including friends, as Blast but a circle),
Firestorm **** (2WP, creates a blaze 3yards x Pyro in size up to 5xPyro in
yards away; roll Wits + Pyro, it lasts 1 turn per success, inflicting 3L per turn to
everyone in the area), Hell on Earth ***** (3WP over 3 turns prior to
activation, roll Pre+Pyro. User explodes in a miniature nuclear explosion,
affecting an area = [Sta+Pyro] x 10 yards, dealing 1A damage per success; this
blast is noticeable up to a mile away, shattering any glass. This fire is hot
 enough to burn the user’s clothes but not harm them, though they take the
Narcissism derangement for 10-Com days, and a -3 to all Mental and Physical
rolls until they’ve had a full 12 hours of sleep).

The Chosen of Kroll

(a cult that believes in fighting fire with fire; or rather they become a monster to fight
monsters. Founded in the 17th century by occultists who bargained with an entity
beyond mortal ken, the Dread Lord Kroll, who gave them the power to hunt monsters.
Each Chosen of Kroll is “blessed” with a Krolli, a totemic spirit of Kroll, and a voice
inside their mind that whispers advice and shows them reality. Many go insane
before they learn to control the voice, with a minor permanent derangement required
to join the cult and learn Abyssal Blessings. Chosen often grow fangs, tentacles, and
slime-covered skin as part of their Abyssal Blessings. Other Blessings include the
ability to occlude memories, force others to babble insanely, target others with
nightmares of chthonic cities in the deep, heal wounds, elicit feelings of fear, or see-
through others’ eyes. Unfortunately, the Chosen often find themselves the victims of
other hunters, who regard them as monsters. There is a Chosen priest in Hillcrest with
his protege. They focus on vampires, changelings, mages, and especially the
Reanimated, the corpse-constructs. Strangely, they have no issues with werewolves.)

-Alastair Strain, Head Priest of Kroll

- The Chosen of Kroll [the Enlightened], Status 5. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Greed.
Age: 63. Top Skills (Occult: Outer Beings/Occult Objects/Ritual
Magic/Lemuria/Alchemy; Academics: Ancient Languages, Persuasion:
Religious Enlightenment, Intimidate: Dark Knowledge).
- A long-term occultist, he had joined the Ordo Templi (Order of Six Angles), the
Celestial Brotherhood of the Lemurian Soul (he left before the mass suicide
incident and ATF raid), the Society of Antiquitarians (where he first found a
grimoire speaking of Kroll), the Pristine Order of the Auric Chalice (where he
learned about alchemy and the Reanimated), and finally the Ancient Order of
the Aeon Rites (where he learned hedge magic and rituals). None satisfied his
hunger for knowledge, either being too limited in their vision or blocking
adherents from attaining the higher mysteries through painfully long vetting,
some he even discovered were controlled by the very monsters he wished to
destroy. Instead, using his library of occult lore, and the rituals of communion
taken from the Ancient Order, he called upon Kroll to bless him. The Dread
Lord assented, sending a powerful Krolli to enter his body and guide him.
Alastair has started his own mystic cult, the Dread Mystic Order of the Outer
Darkness; or the Church of Kroll for those less impressed with grandiose titles.
A pale old man with a fondness for black robes or long coats in order to hide
that his lower body writhes with several octopus tentacles dripping with slime
 and his body covered in small patches of fish scales. Abyssal Blessings
(remember each requires an offering): Strange Visions (see through other’s
eyes), Fleshy Mind of Mammals (induce strong fear or lust, +2 on social rolls
depending on that choice), Far From Natural (5 tentacles, 1B and +1 grapple,
9-again on grapple checks), Dreams of Strange Cities (horrible dreams force an
integrity roll on morality above 4), Catch a Flying Memory (erase a night of
memories per success). Merits: Retainers 2 (two 2-dot Disciples of Kroll
without any blessings or spells), Library (Occult), Eye for the Strange. Ritual
Paths: Summoning, Binding, Warding; Communion, Dreams. Dread Rites:
Apprehend the Ephemera (Lvl1- see and communicate with spirits or ghosts
while wearing a blindfold made from the caul of a fetus, which are turned
hostile by this rite), Dread Voyage (Lvl1- enter cracks in reality to reduce
travel time and bypass barriers, reduce time by 10% per success, requires a
mobius strip made of human flesh and the destination written on it with black
bile), Harbinger (Lvl2- see a glimpse of the future, perverted but real; each
success grants a bonus die to be saved in the future to add to an action that
the priest foresaw would happen; can only benefit from one use of this rite at
a time, requires divination by animal entrails).

-Michael Winchester, the 1st Disciple

- The Chosen of Kroll [the Blessed], Status 3. Virtue: Protection. Vice: Wrath.
Age: 26. Top Skills (Firearms: Dragonbreath, Weaponry: Knife, Brawl: Combat
Martial Arts, Athletics: Sprint).
- After the war, he drank too much and eventually tried to commit suicide to
drown out the voices. Bleeding from the wrists from incompetently made
cuts, Michael caved in and asked the voice what it knew. It told him about the
man across the hall that was not human, and Michael bandaged up his wrists
as he listened. He picked up the knife and went next door. The voice was
right, the man wasn’t human, he bled green and his body dissolved into
greasy soup after death. At that point on, the voice was clear and powerful, it
led him to Alastair who named him the first of his disciples to purify evil in the
name of the Dread Lord Kroll. Armed with a shotgun loaded with
dragonbreath rounds, Michael is ready. Abyssal Blessings: Chorus of Hoarse
Voices (target babbles uncontrollably in the dread tongue, gains vocalization
derangement and -3 to social rolls), Even Death May Die (up to Stamina per
week, spend a WP to heal 1A, 3L or 5B), Far From Natural (fanged maws in his
wrists, 2L).

The Faithful of Shulpae

(In the Cannibal Texts found in Khufu’s Pyramid, there is mention of eating the gods to
gain divinity. The Faithful of Shulpae have existed for over 6,000 years [rumor
suggests that King Unas is still alive]; a cult of hunters that bring down immortals and
then devour their flesh to take their power and a tiny part of their lifespan.
Mummies, Prometheans, Vampires, Werewolves… These are called gods by the
Faithful, who carve them up for their Holy Feast. The eldest Keepers of the temple
may look decrepit, but are over a century old with many divine powers. They learn
Anthropophagy, the power to absorb long life and the powers of the monsters they
eat. Faithful can gain a number of dots in Dread Powers equal to their Anthropophagy
ranking. Unusually, an entire cult of Shulpae live in Hillcrest, their temple hidden in
their basement; most are related by blood and are called the Johnson clan. The Eldest
has been here in Hillcrest since the 1700’s and remembers Anton Laspeir).

-“Uncle Spider” Charles Carroll Johnson, the Eldest.

- Faithful of Shulpae, Status 5 (Eldest). Virtue: Faith. Vice: Gluttony. Age: 250.
Top Skills (Academics: History, Occult: Immortals, Expression: Writing, Brawl:
Bite).
- Claims to have signed the Declaration of Independence and to have been
friends with many founding fathers; he hints that George Washington was
also a cannibal, but since he enjoys making people uneasy, that could be a
joke. According to him, he was granted a revelation from a Spirit Serpent
underneath Independence Hall that all of creation was written in 13
transcendental manuscripts. Five such books had been written, and it was his
job to shepherd in the 6th Manuscript. Doing so requires “atramentous ink”,
created by dark sacrifice to the previous Five metaphysical Authors- Black
Hood, Finger Crow, Just Heart, He of the Wood, and Decayed Quill. He will be
the Sixth, Uncle Spider. Not even human anymore, Uncle Spider prefers to
climb ceilings and drip black ooze from his inhumanly long black tongue, his
mouth a mass of serrated teeth. Still, even in his inhumanity, he likes to tell
dark jokes and stories, he enjoys speaking to others, having been lonely for so
long. With his grand-nephew’s help, Charles has purchased several houses
across 4 suburbs and connected them to the city’s old coal tunnels, which lead
to an underground temple and dining hall made of brick, with roots coming
down from the ceiling; their place of ceremony. This connects to the old
Carroll-Johnson ruins in the slums near the graveyard. Anthropophagy (5):
Wall Climb, Homefield Advantage, Madness and Terror, Natural Weapons
[bite +1L armor piercing 1], Regenerate 1 [1L or 2B per turn]. Supernatural
Merits: Spirit Sight (able to see spirits), Spirit Ear (able to hear and understand
spirits, +1 Empathy & Subterfuge).

-Frank Carroll Johnson, the Patriarch of the Feast

 - Faithful of Shulpae, Status 4 (Priest). Virtue: Patriotic. Vice: Greed. Age: 90
(looks 45). Top Skills (Craft: BBQ, Stealth: Stalking, Brawl: Slam, Persuasion:
Convincing Pitch).
- Ever since they moved in a year ago (it’s been “a year ago” at least 9 times
now in the last 20 years), the Johnsons have been the absolute best thing to
happen to the neighborhood. Friendly, clean-cut and generous, Frank
Johnson often hosts the block BBQ parties and is seemingly friends with every
man. He loves sports and America, but in a quiet steadfast manner calculated
to avoid offense. His current job (and he’s had many) is as a propane and
propane accessories salesman, winning top salesman for the last 10 years
running (didn’t they just move to Hillcrest?). He first met his erstwhile
ancestor in 1920 when he suddenly inherited an old house in Hillcrest, and
while he had no spiritual inclinations, the prospect of everlasting life was
tempting to this skilled salesman. Built well, like a quarterback, with a square
jaw and fairly handsome features. Anthropophagy (4): Hypnotic Gaze,
Mangle, Monstrous Resilience, Harden Flesh [reduce lethal damage = Stamina
to bashing only].

-Barbara Carroll Johnson (Faithful of Shulpae, Status 3 (Priestess). Virtue: Family.

Vice: Pride. Age: 80 (looks 40). Top Skills (Craft: Baking, Investigation: Secrets,
Weaponry: Knives, Subterfuge: Lying with a Smile). She loves her family and she’s
proud of them too; her husband is strong, her kids are smart, and she’s a number 1
mother. And she’ll cook and eat anyone who threatens them to prove it too.
Anthropophagy (3): Hunter’s Senses, Swift, Surprise Entrance).

-Jonathan Carroll Johnson (Faithful of Shulpae, Status 2 (Acolyte). Virtue: Fortitude.

Vice: Lust. Age: 62 (looks to be 18). Top Skills (Athletics: Football, Brawl: Knockout,
Weaponry: Improvised, Persuasion: Charm). The forever varsity boy, he’s good-
looking and popular with the girls, a quarterback for the school’s football team. His
parents would like him to settle down and hopefully raise some children instead of
eating them, but Johnny feels he’s too young yet. He wants to enjoy senior year for
another decade and then he’ll think about growing up. Anthropophagy (2):
Juggernaut, Catlike Reflexes).

-Bethany Carroll Johnson (Faithful of Shulpae, Status 2 (Acolyte). Virtue: Charity.

Vice: Envy. Age: 60 (looks to be 16). Top Skills (Athletics: Gymnastics, Weaponry:
Improvised, Empathy: Emotional Manipulation, Intimidation: Mean Girl). The popular
girl in school, a cheerleader who is far more cunning and vicious than her friendly
blonde act reveals. Anthropophagy (2): Catlike Reflexes, Chameleon Horror).

-Samuel Carroll Johnson (Faithful of Shulpae, Status 1. Virtue: Kindness. Vice: Wrath.
Age: 50 (looks to be 10). Top Skills (Stealth: Hide & Seek, Subterfuge: Innocent
Appearance, Persuasion: Guilt Trip, Weaponry: Knife). The youngest child, he hates
being 10 and unable to drive, smoke or drink. Anyone treating him like an adorable
child, he’ll put on his future meal list. Anthropophagy (1): Pierce Mind).
Knights of St. Adrian
(Demon hunters, granted divine gifts from angels in the form of mystic tattoos. This
particular branch fronts as Howard Investigative Services, a bounty hunting agency
that does some private detective services as well).

-The Wandering Tattooist, Zeke Knight

- Knights of St. Adrian (Dispatcher), Status 5. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Wrath. Age:
50. Top Skills (Occult: Angels, Craft: Tattoos, Drive: Motorcycle, Brawl: Street
Fighting, Weaponry: Knife)
- Old Zeke was a bad man, he was in a biker gang, and had done time in prison.
It was when his biker gang decided to rob that one man who suddenly burst
into flames with wings made of chains and fire that he realized Revelations,
Hell, Satan and God were all true. Rescued by Ms. Howard and a real live
Angel, he pledged his service as one of her first disciples. Dubbed the
Wandering Tattooist, he runs the office, at least until he’s sure Jack is ready to
take over and he leaves again, to find more knights to serve Heaven. An old
man now, he’s still a wiry dude covered in ink with long dirty gray hair and a
beard, and a leather vest. Ink: Love/Hate, the Lord Provides, Pain Magnet,
King of the Road, Fist of Revelation.

-Jack Nordstrom, the Bounty Hunter

- Knights of St. Adrian (Hound), Status 3. Virtue: Justice. Vice: Wrath. Age: 40.
Top Skills (Occult: Demons, Investigate: Witnesses, Brawl: Boxing, Firearms:
Revolver)
- The top bounty hunter for Howard Investigative Services, he is a fit guy with a
stubble-covered face and long hair, his body covered in several tattoos. Not
just the mystical ones done in that strange moving ink, but a few older ones
from his time in prison where he did time after being framed for drug crimes.
It was during the process of revenge after getting out that he met the
Wandering Tattooist, who got him a job and the first of his Angel-blessed
tattoos. He’s got three Demon kills so far under his belt, and he likes his job
just fine. Ink: Fist of Revelation, Bear Mace, Tough as the Last Guy.

-Kitty Rollins, the Driver

 - Knights of St. Adrian (Deliverer), Status 2. Virtue: Righteous. Vice: Wrath.
Age: 30. Top Skills (Investigation: Bounty, Survival: Navigation, Drive: Muscle
Car, Firearms: Shotgun)
- Often excitable, this petite and heavily tattooed woman with short black hair
can quickly turn temperamental when angered. At the same time, she’s quite
impressionable, often copying Jack’s style by wearing the same type of leather
jacket and smoking the same brand of cigarette, due to an unstated crush on
him. Still, she’s a top notch driver and has saved Jack’s bacon more than once
by running over an enraged Demon going all-out. So, Jack has taken her
under his wing as an apprentice bounty hunter. Ink: Brother Road, King of the
Road, the Lord Provides.

Utopia Now!
- an organization that hunts Demons, Angels and God-Machine Infrastructure in order
to harvest them to build a better future, using the tech for hyper-advanced buildings
and other architectural projects including power stations and high-speed trains. The
parent company for this “charity” group is the Deva Corporation, with William Horn as
the CEO for the Los Angeles-based charity headquarters. Endowment: Luminous
Advancements (by attuning themselves to a piece of God-Machine infrastructure
[Int+Occult] they gain a dot of Dread Powers based on Angelic Embeds equal to their
level in this Endowment).

-Dr. Sita Munshi, Director of Strategic Solutions and Processing.

- Utopia Now!/Deva Corp (Incubator), Status 4 & Witness (Demon-Blooded).
Age: 33. Top Skills (Computers: Software Development, Occult: God-Machine
Infrastructure, Science: Engineering, Stealth: Unobtrusive).
- Always known by her parents to be gifted, though many of her teachers
thought she had a processing disorder or mental illness. Few realized as a girl
that she was capable of seeing the source code of the universe, witnessing the
literal Infrastructure that made the Earth run that no one else could see. She
gained a PhD in software engineering and joined Deva Corp, where they
placed her in Utopia Now! as the lead incubator for tech based around the
Demons and Infrastructure the harvesters bring in. A relatively young Indian
woman with glasses, her DeviTech products manifest as a brain implant in
which her glasses plug into her temples; while her advanced lab coat has
pockets that condense objects into a different reality {“hyper-folding zero-
space”} so she can hold a nearly unlimited number of items in it. Luminous
Advancements (5): Remote Linkup, Eavesdrop [aka “Babelfish App”- instant
translation of any language], Efficiency, Download Knowledge, In My Pocket.
Demon-Blood Merits: Infrastructure Proficiency 2, Quantum Understanding,
Unseen Sense (God-Machine).
-Simon Noon, Field Operator and Installation Tech Support

- Utopia Now! /Deva Corp (Operator), Status 3. Top Skills (Occult: Demons,
Craft: Explosives, Medicine: First Aid, Subterfuge: Undercover).
- Noon is a Pakistani-American who is a long time operator for Utopia Now!
He’s done a few political campaigns as a volunteer and other non-profit
organizations. Deva Corp vetted him as a potential asset and trained him in
various forms of “activism”- i.e. how to build a bomb, drive a get-away car,
conceal weapons, infiltrate protests and more. He was then placed in Utopia
Now! where he hunts demons and harvests them for parts and access to God-
Machine Tech. Looks like a tech support nerd, with thick glasses, neatly
parted hair, a white shirt with tie, and a plastic lanyard with Utopia Now! on
it. Carries two Glock handguns with extended mags, and a few small pipe
bombs. Luminous Advancements (4): Bystander Effect (witnesses nearby do
not react to Simon committing violence), Combustion (makes everything
flammable or explosive), Wave Function Collapse (angels and demons can’t
Go All Out and take their true form, other supernaturals are also blocked from
transformations), Just Bruised (serious injuries somehow become minor
scrapes and bruises). Stigmatic Merits: Unseen Sense (God-Machine).

Utopia Now! Seraphim Team- The main support team and think tank for Utopia Now!
They have different experts in various fields.

-Erikson Rhodes (Deva Corp, Status 2 [Security]. Top Skill- Firearms: Guns
Akimbo. Luminous Advancement: Check Backdrop, Merciless Gunman).

-Jessica Smiles (Utopia Now! Status 2 [Public Relations]. Top Skill- Persuasion:
Mandela Effect. Luminous Advancement: Rhetoric, Homogenous Memory).

-Archie Lennon (Utopia Now! Status 2 [InfoTech]. Top Skill- Computers:

Hacking. Luminous Advancement: Data Retrieval, Password Entropy).

The Merrick Institute

- founded by researchers working in a now-defunct government project researching
“Dream Warriors”, subjects capable of attacking national enemies through their
dreams, altering their thoughts and so on. Realizing that supernatural creatures
existed during the project, the researchers took their equipment and files to start the
Merrick Institute of Sleep Research, where they continue the fight; only this time
against monsters, not communists. Due to the harsh procedure of creating a dream
warrior, involving brain implants and drugs, learning the Dreamscape Endowment
results in a permanent Condition (either a mental condition, a Coma, or physical
impairment such as Epilepsy). Common Tactics: The Procedure (subjects can assist
the dreamer even while awake), Damsel in Distress.

-Dr. Alan Wake, “Doctor Sleep”

- Merrick Institute (Reformer), Status 5. Virtue: Bold. Vice: Pride. Age: 48. Top
Skills (Science: Neurology, Medicine: Brain Chemistry, Occult: Dream Entities,
Persuasion: Further Funding).
- One of the more brilliant neurologists in his class, having written a paper on
the structure of the brain during dreaming. However, his more fringe ideas
about shared dreaming got him laughed out of tenure- he never expected to
wake up in the white room under government surveillance- being forced to
work on Project Morpheus and help them inject subjects with chemicals
designed to put them into deep sleep so they could be turned into weapons.
When the project collapsed with the discovery of supernatural beings living in
dream reality, Alan collected as much of his research as he could and fled to
open his own facility. This time, the goal of the project changed to stopping
dream monsters from entering our reality. An older man with deep circles
under his eyes and a white streak in his thick brown hair, he’s made a lot of
enemies and doesn’t sleep well. Dreamscape: Dream-Shaping 3- Enhance,
Deaden, Reshape. Dream Shield 3. Shielding Mind- use your dream shield to
protect others. Dream Pushing- enact dream shaping even while awake from
the outside. Special Merits: Dream Medic 4, Easy Out Easy In.

-The Eternal Sleeper, Lydia Schlafen

- Merrick Institute (Firebrands), Status 3. Virtue: Imaginative. Vice: Envy. Age:
21. Top Skills (Craft: Dreams, Occult: Dream Realms, Expression: Sculpting,
Empathy: Desires).
- A teenager experimented on during Project Morpheaus, Lydia fell into a coma
7 years ago and never woke up. Still sleeping in her bed and hooked up to life
support, Dr. Wake does his best to keep her healthy because she’s one of the
best dream warriors in the cell. On her part, Lydia is happy because her
dream life is exciting and fulfilling with her ability to create entire worlds. A
young brunette with an angelic face, sometimes she envies the others
because they are capable of experiencing real sensations. For example, she
can only imagine what sushi tastes like because she’s never had it before.
However, she has recently tried developing a new skill, one Dr. Wake never
showed her but something she’s picked up from her friends in Oneiros, and
that’s the ability to possess the bodies of the sleeping. She hasn’t tried it yet
(it seems immoral), but soon she won’t be able to resist the temptation.
Dreamscape: Dream Shaping 4- Enhance, Deaden, Reshape, Create.
Dreamshield 2- 2/2 armor, +2 dice to resist powers in dreamscape. Dream
 Sword 2- she creates a knife in her dreams that deals 2 damage. Colossus-
each success adds +3 to size for objects created in dreams rather than +1 to
size. Regenerative Mind- regain 1 WP spent in the dream world on dream-
shaping abilities every 10 minutes.

-Meng Jianwo, “Tony Meng” the Dream Warrior

- Merrick Institute (Fleshist), Status 1. Virtue: Kindness. Vice: Wrath. Age: 27.
Top Skills (Academics: Dreams, Science: Psychology, Weaponry: Polearms,
Brawl: Kungfu)
- The most optimistic member of the group, he was an orphan that was used to
mistreatment. As far as Tony is concerned, the Merrick Institute was the one
who gave him special powers and taught him how to use them; they are a gift
not a curse. He treats the others like family, fluffing Lydia’s pillow and making
a pot of tea or coffee when Dr. Wake needs some caffeine. In return, Dr.
Wake has adopted him and even helped pay for his college degree in
psychology. In dreams, he’s a warrior, decked out in golden armor and
carrying a dream-stuff guandao. Dreamscape: Dream Shaping 1- Enhance.
Dreamshield 3 (golden armor 3/3). Dream Sword 3 (guandao 3L). Dream
Wrack- reduce damage by 1 in dream sword to drain 1pt of Attribute for the
scene, max up to 5. Special Merits: Dream Avatar 2 (the Warrior, add up to 8
dots in fighting styles accessible only to your dream form).

Section 9 and the Brotherhood Prizrakov (The Russian Mafia)

-has two hunters from two different groups; an escaped agent of Section 9 and a
member of the Brotherhood Prizrakov. They work together as hitmen for the Russian
mafia.

-“Big Brother Pyotr” Kuvayev Pyotr Petrovich, “the Ghost”.

- Brotherhood Prizrakov (the Bull), Status 4. Age: 46. Top Skills (Occult: the
Underworld, Persuasion: Law, Stealth: Sneaking, Subterfuge: Play Dead,
Firearms: Russian)
- Pyotr used to be a lawyer until he ran afoul of the Soviet government and was
sent to the gulag for protecting a client’s secrets. After 20 years, he was freed
and joined the mafia since his prison record kept him from getting work.
Luckily, he had learned a number of tricks in prison including hired murder; it
was easy for him to parlay an introduction into the Brotherhood. He has a
very close relationship with Anya, regarding her as his little sister. A dour man
with permanent stubble, shaved head and sour face, his body covered in
prison tattoos of the grim reaper, crosses, skulls, and the unbalanced scale
with a heart on one end and silver coins on the other. He often wears a black
suit and gray tie while working, or in his relaxing moments, a dark blue velour
 tracksuit. Very good at sneaking up to people, there have been a number of
times people thought he was dead, only for him to suddenly get up. Uses a
PPK-20 submachine gun most times, or twin MP-443 Grach pistols, all fitted
with silencers. Soulsteel: Stygian chainmail vest (protects against attacks
from spectral creatures in twilight, +1 durability), Stygian knife (deals
Aggravated damage against spirits, ghosts or geists), Stygian Khimertut
buckler shield (-1 penalty towards Numina; able to be folded up when not in
use), Stygian Khimertut Icon (spend 1WP to see twilight creatures and portals
to the Underworld; spend 1WP to appear dead, with ghosts and geists seeing
you as a fellow ghost). Special Merits: Blood Brother ***.

-“Little Sister Anya” Tolstoya Anya Nikitovna

- Section 9 (Division: YA), Status 4. Age: 36. Top Skills (Medicine: Combat Triage,
Subterfuge: False Identity, Brawl: Bone Blades, Science: Radiation).
- She was in the army as a medic, but they blamed her when that VIP bled out
after stepping on a minefield and sent her to prison. She met Brother Pyotr
then, but had to say goodbye when the men in white coats took her away to
be fitted with a Zamyatin-Lagin implant in her heart and injected with S-525 in
various experiments. To their delight, she was the ideal assassin and spy.
Sent to infiltrate the Russian Mafia, she hasn’t been telling the truth about
escaping to Brother Pyotr. In truth, there is no escaping Section 9, without
her monthly injections of S-525, she’ll die and her handler only gives her 3
doses at a time. She can grow bone blades out of her body and give people
cancer with a touch. A little Russian woman with short blonde hair and a scar
across her chest. Tolls: Bell of Soul 2 (Twilight Senses {see into Twilight},
Twilight Touch {able to strike creatures in Twilight}), Bell of Bone 2 (Cestus
{bone plates on knuckles, hand deals 2B, -2 on delicate rolls using hands}),
Natural Blade {deals 1L to user, grows a bone blade out of body that deals 2L,
+1 def in close combat, forearm gains 1/0 armor}), Bell of Flesh 5 (Lesser
Mending {heals successes in bashing dam}, Sicken {inflict 1L per success and
target loses 10-again for Toll # turns; covered in bloody sores and vomiting
blood}, Greater Mending {heal successes in lethal dam}, Malignancy {gives
target cancer or lesions, at 1 WP, target grows lesions and takes 1B dam per
success every day until target accumulates 15 successes on Sta + Res check; at
3 WP, target grows large tumors, taking 1L dam per success every month until
they accumulate 30 successes on a Sta + Res check, with no check possible
without cancer treatment}, Necromantic Revivification {raise corpses as
tumorous zombies, costs 3WP, each success grants the zombie one health
box, they lose one per day unless they eat flesh- head shots and fire deal
Aggravated damage, and they take zero wound penalties; max # of zombies =
Toll of Flesh rank {max 5}). Special Merits: Blood Sister ***.
The Hototogisu Merchant Association (Tori Group Industries)
-made up of the Hototogisu who have the power of Setto (the ability to steal
supernatural abilities), this Zaibatsu has also hired an Otodo mercenary and other
Japanese hunters to work for them. They have a peace agreement with other
Japanese supernaturals.

-Inoue Tori, CEO of Tori Group Industries, Boardmember of Hototogisu

Zaibatsu and Director of US Overseas Operations
- Hototogisu, Status 5. Virtue: Honorable. Vice: Greed. Age: 35. Top Skills
(Occult: Supernatural Organizations, Persuasion: Negotiations, Subterfuge:
Misdirection, Weaponry: Katana)
- A descendant of the founder of the Hototogisu (Inoue Akio), who practically
controls Tokyo’s supernatural scene in alliance with the vampire Zaibatsu.
Tori was placed in charge of starting branches overseas in the USA. He really
wants to find an immortal like his ancestor so he can steal their power using
Setto. Young, handsome and skilled with various martial arts, including the
katana, because he can afford the best tutors. Unlike most mortals, he
displays no fear of supernatural creatures due to a lifetime of dealing with
vampires and wizards. But as dishonest as he is, Tori always keeps his side of
the bargain. Setto (5): Hypnotic Gaze (Pre+Persuasion vs. Com to gain perfect
impression on social rolls), Pierce Mind (Pre+Res vs. Res to read thoughts and
memories, or inflict 1B per success), Legion (split off and control individual
body parts, he likes to use this ability to play dead), Regenerate (1L or 2B a
round except for damage from fire), Reality Stutter (reflexively teleport up to
speed in any direction, +2 def); Influence 5 (Greed).

-Hidemoto Shuichi, “Mike Hidemoto”.

- Otodo, Status 3. Virtue: Loyalty. Vice: Wrath. Age: 30. Top Skills (Weaponry:
Iron Club, Brawl: Wrestling, Larceny: Robbery, Intimidate: Size)
- From the village of Onitori, where the five main families are descended from
Oni-blood, he grew up knowing he was unusual, standing over 6.5 feet tall and
having unusual strength. When his demon blood awakened, he left his village
to join the Yakuza to make some money, where he got his massive Red and
Blue Oni tattoos. While in Tokyo, he was hired by Tori to be his bodyguard at
the US office. At the office, Mike carries an iron wolf-toothed club in a gym
bag as his main weapon. Seitokuken (3): Kaibutsu (grows in size, +2 size, gains
armor 2/1, and can heal 1L dam by spending WP), Shonetsu Jigoku (body and
blood bursts into flames that harm others, can apply burning blood to
weapon), Kenshi (craft a ban for a spirit or demon). Special Merits: Large Size,
Unseen Sense (Oni).
-Muranaka Rai of Clan Urabe, Corporate Miko and Onmyoji
- Aki Ten, Status 4 / Azusa Miko, Status 3. Virtue: Faith. Vice: Vain. Age: 27.
Top Skills (Occult: Kami, Craft: Shikigami, Firearms: Archery, Persuasion:
Appeasement, Expression: Dance).
- A member of an aristocratic Onmyoji family of sorcerers, she was sent out to
train as a priestess at the Isonokami Shrine. Constantly followed by spirits due
to her bloodline and great beauty, it was a dangerous life. She learned how to
chase spirits away using the sound of a plucked bowspring and how to
negotiate with them. Then she returned home to learn the secrets of binding
spirits into paper dolls to act as her servants. Practically a princess, she would
have never decided to work for the Hototogisu if she hadn’t been ordered by
her grandfather to cooperate. Employees seem to laugh at the concept of a
“corporate miko” dressed in her traditional garb, but she’s caught and
expelled several nasty spirits at the office, making Tori consider her worth the
expense. Shikigami (3): able to bind up to 3 spirits with a max rank of 5, Rai
currently has two spirits, a rank 3 and a rank 2 kami. Special Merits: Spirit
Beloved (5 ranks- spirit rank 4, able to hold up to Stamina in essence inside
her body, and gain essence from a locus with meditation), Medium, Relic 3
(spirit bow).

Strike Force Zero-

The secret armed wing of Shinzui Industries, their elite strikers and hitmen who are
given new faces and identities, as well as loaded up with experimental cybernetic
technology.

-Elvis Tajima, Strike Leader Alpha, 71-0

- Strike Force Zero [assassin], Rank 3. Virtue: Perseverance. Vice: Greed. Age:
40. Top Skills (Streetwise: Yakuza, Firearms: Close Up Work, Brawl: Street
Fighter, Subterfuge: Actor).
- Head of the Strike Force Zero squad under Shinzui Industries. He was a
former Yakuza hitman who made a mistake and didn’t want to die. Shinzui
gave him a new face and identity, his old identity as Masuda Yachi was “killed”
in a car accident. Wears a suit, but as an affection to his old life, his jacket is
purple and black silk with the kamon of the Masuda clan as a pattern (with a
thin layer of ballistic weave 1/1). His hair is black with a white streak, he has a
goatee, and he wears purple sunglasses made of ballistic-rated glass. In his
pockets are a pack of smokes (one laced with cyanide), a lighter with a garrote
wire hidden inside, and several knives concealed in the inner lining, plus one
pop-out blade in his boot. Arsenal 5: Kabuki Mask, Subdermal Plating 1,
Cybernetic Limb 1 (arm), Concealed Weapon (a pistol hidden inside cybernetic
arm), Internal Tracking Software, Emotion Suppressor 1.
Strike Force Zero Alpha Team- soldiers are armed with surplus SWAT gear and HOWA
type 20 assault rifles, with Striker 9mm pistols.

-Mouri (Strike Force Zero, Rank 1. Arsenal 2: Cyband Comm, Keypads, Video Eyes)

-Takeda (Strike Force Zero, Rank 2. Arsenal 3: Cyband Comm, Cyberblades, Emotion
Suppressor 1, Gills)

-Houjou (Strike Force Zero, Rank 1. Arsenal 2: Cyband Comm, Night Eyes, Emotion
Suppressor 1)

-Kitagawa (Strike Force Zero, Rank 1. Arsenal 2: Cyband Comm, Poison Injectors,
Subdermal Plating 1)

-Sanada (Strike Force Zero, Rank 2. Arsenal 3: Cyband Comm, Taser Knuckles, Emotion
Suppressor 1, Cybernetic Limb 2)

Shi- the Celestial Army-

-a 5,000 year old Chinese hunting society founded by Yi the Celestial Archer; they
operate as lone hunters, occasionally taking an apprentice. In Hillcrest’s Chinatown,
the local monsters absolutely know the Shi and fear/respect them. As long as they
follow the rules, the Shi will leave them be.

-Master Zuilong-
- Shi (Jade Record), Status 5 (master). Virtue: Humaneness Vice: Intoxication.
Age: 102. Top Skills (Occult: Chinese myths, Medicine: Acupuncture, Brawl:
Mo Chi Kung Fu, Weaponry: Staff, Socialize: Drinking).
- Frankly, appearances are deceiving. Zuilong is an old man who looks
homeless, reeking of alcohol, his long hair black streaked with gray and his
face unshaven. He is a man of good humor, constantly smiling, even when
visiting the vampire lords of Chinatown, telling bad jokes and asking them
about their day. His humor makes him popular among the Bonegnawers and
the Ratcatchers. Among the Shi, he is a legend, the Smiling Slayer, the
Drunken Dragon, who has never been defeated. The scariest thing is, he
seems to know everyone by name. He dresses in clothes older than some
vampires, with a floppy hat and a bottle of wine one hand and a monk’s staff
in the other, a bow on his back and a saber belted to his waist. He claims he’s
not here for much longer, just to finish his apprentice’s training and then he’s
going back to China. Qiao= Qiao of the Zhu Mao 3, Qiao of the Long Ling 4,
Qiao of the Shi 4, Qiao of the Yu An 3, Qiao of the Mo Kung 4, Qiao of the
Meng 4, Qiao of the I Shen 4, Qiao of the Feng 4. Fighting Merits: Ground
 Fighter, Fading Light 3, Chi Breaker, Fang and Claw Cutter, Killer Instinct 3, Iron
Stamina 2, Iron Skin 2, Martial Arts Style 5, Grappling Style 5, Armed Defense
4, Bowmanship 4, Combat Archery 3, Staff Fighting 4, Light Weapons 4.
General Merits: Relic 3 (Staff of Shing Tse Lee- the Hungry Ghost Staff- it can
strike spirits and ghosts in twilight and steals 1 essence on each hit,
swallowing them whole).

-Hua Mei, the Sword Maiden

- Shi (Confederation of Martial Arts), Status 3. Virtue: Filial Piety. Vice: Wrath.
Age: 26. Top Skills (Occult: Chinese myths, Medicine: First Aid, Brawl: Mo Chi
Kung Fu, Weaponry: Blades).
- Her family was forced out of China due to politics, they lived in a small flat in
Chinatown in poverty until she was 9 and her home was invaded by a swarm
of spider demons. Her parents were killed, her sister dragged away, she only
survived by hiding. Rescued by Master Zuilong, she has spent 17 years in
training as a Shi. In reality, Shi training is ten years, and she’s practically a
veteran by skill, but Master Zuilong views Mei as a daughter and is reluctant
to leave. Over the years, she’s killed vampires, werewolves, changelings,
exorcized ghosts, but she reserves her particular hatred for spiders. Physically
fit and good-looking if a bit vicious, with long black hair and worn, patched
clothing, she has one eye missing and covered with an eyepatch, and a
number of scars that look like claw marks. She carries a jian straight sword
and a curved saber on her back, plus a pair of steel folding fans. Qiao= Qiao of
the Feng 1, Qiao of the Mo Kung 4, Qiao of the Zhu Mao 2. Fighting Merits:
Iron Skin 2, Iron Stamina 1, Ground Fighter, Chi Breaker, Fang and Claw Cutter,
Martial Arts style 3, Armed Defense 2, Close Quarters Combat 2, Light
Weapons 3.

Other Hunters in Hillcrest:

Robert Birkett (Scharlach Spinnwebe, Rank 3. Owner of Hallam Animal Products,

known as the “Blood Farm” to local vampires, where he keeps humans penned up and
harvests blood from them. Endowment: Blut Munze 3).

Oddbjorn Grimstad (Sons of Vidarr, Rank 3. A hitchhiker, he’s come to town to kill a
few werewolves for he is a Slayer of Fenrir. Fights using a pair of axes, though he has
a polar bear pelt that he puts on to assume the form of a bear as a skinchanger in
order to maul the corpse and make it look like a bear attack. Endowment: Berserk 3-
+3 to one physical attribute, ignore up to 3 dice of penalties from pain or fear, gain 3/0
armor against edged or piercing weapons, like claws or fangs; lasts 6 turns. Special
Merits- Skin Thief [bear only], Quick Change, Twisted Tongue, Renewable Skins, Bare
Necessities 3).

Foreign Hunter Organizations:

-(not present in Hillcrest, but may appear seeking allies or artifacts)

British Hunter Groups:

MI18 (British intelligence agency developed to fight supernatural threats during WWI
and WWII. Different Units compartmentalize data- RED unit= vampires and ghouls,
immune to blood-bonding; BLACK= ghosts, spirits, demons; SILVER= werewolves and
other shapeshifters, give them silver weapons and resistance to lunacy; BLUE= witches
or mages; GREEN= fey, changelings and other IDE’s aka Interdimensional Entities;
VIOLET= zombies, revenants, other undead; YELLOW= the created, artificial life; XA
aka External Affairs= other hunter groups and slashers; FOU aka Foreign Observation
Units= monitor former British colonies like Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, etc.)

The Office of the Lord Stewards (founded by John Dee under writ from Queen
Elizabeth I, this group of occultist government officials handle all the “contracts” and
“bargains” that men have made with the land and spirits of Britain. The Throne’s
royal contract with Britannia herself, the deal struck with the crows of the Tower of
London, the various bargains made with fey at their fairy circles and standing stones,
and the signed documents with devils and demons. Such officials know various
“Bargains” and can draw up contracts with fey, demons and spirits. Some contracts
include a deal with all doors in the UK to open up, a deal with terra loci [the land and
natural features] to provide easy travel, a deal with the roads to fast travel dozens of
miles in an instant, deals of protection, and deals to communicate with plants and
animals. They stay very busy keeping up the old bargains, including some involving
human sacrifice [if it can’t be avoided or re-negotiated]).

The Wise and Venerable Guild of Resurrection Men - Born out of the grave robbing
scandals of the 19th century, the Resurrection Men have discovered strange powers
that can be channeled through corpses that die in a specific way, and are more than
willing to help the process along by killing Geists, Revenants, and other Dead Things
(like Vampires).

Russian Hunter Groups:

Section 9 (the Soviet’s supernatural intelligence agency, founded in WWII to fight Nazi
occultists, more devoted to harnessing supernatural powers as weapons as well as
destroying supernatural threats. After the war, they stole Nazi tech like Vril lightning
guns. The fall of the Soviet Union saw many of their records lost or stolen, with
Section 9 absorbed into the new FSB; groups like Task Force: Valkyrie believe they are
gone, but no, they serve unknown “higher-ups” based in the Siberian city of
Novosibirsk. Their main weapon is the Zamyatin-Lagin Procedure, an operation that
installs a pacemaker which injects Serum 525 into the heart, it allows agents to touch
spirits and ghosts, play havoc with electricity, or cause cancer at a touch using
radiation; overexposure to S-525 is lethal. Different Divisions operate: Division E is the
Soviet super-soldier program with full body armor and the latest weapons; Division YU
is set to protect certain locations, with at least one member in every city; Division YA
infiltrate other hunter groups, usually Valkyrie or MI18, but any hunter group is fair
game for spying on and eventually destroying; Division YET, named after a letter
dropped from the Russian alphabet in 1918, their purpose is unknown to the other
divisions, but may be related to a Soviet psychic project, so give them Teleinformatics
instead of S-525. S-525 grants random abilities called “Tolls” related to three
categories called “Bells”, the Bell of Bone, Flesh and Soul. Bone Tolls grant
osteokinesis, the ability to warp bones, create blades or an exoskeleton. Flesh Tolls
allows the use of radiation to regrow flesh, sicken others, cause cancers or create
zombies powered by tumors. Soul Tolls allows one to see into Twilight, touch spirits,
brand targets with soul marks, destroy electronics, and bring the recently dead back
to life).

The Brotherhood Prizrakov (an ancient Russian secret society, once associated with
the nobility but after the communist revolution, they were more often found amongst
the Russian mafia. Led by seven descendants of the original founders- called the
Signatarai- who swore an oath over an ancient coin of Plutonian metal. They dig
deep, finding lost mines and cities, laying claim to all Below, seizing the treasure and
ores of the dead. Barrow Gates to the Underworld are prized, as Dead Domains often
hold the riches buried with the dead as offerings heaped up in nearly unguarded piles.
The Seven Signatarai sit at Three Tables- the Table of the Serpent: the explorers of
the Deep, gain Athletics (Caving); the Table of the Wolf: the forgers of soulsteel, gain
Science (Metallurgy); and the Table of the Bull: the negotiators and contract makers
with the lords of the Dead Domains, gain Persuasion (Law). Status: 0- a low-level
employee of one of the front companies, you have the option to gain access to
Soulsteel equipment. 000- a middle manager, you gain Resources 2. 00000- you
report directly to the Signatarai, one of them acts as your Mentor at 4 dots [note: five
of them are women, ironic for a “brotherhood”]. Endowment: Soulsteel- each dot in
this endowment lets you use Resources to purchase equipment forged from soulsteel.
Soulsteel is made from Stygian iron, the fetters of ghosts, and the soul of the ghost or
geist itself, forged screaming into the hot metal directly. Geists are difficult to
separate from their ghosts, but they have a process using black lead scalpels and
circles of tomb salt. Soulsteel is tough, +1 durability, and must be bound to its owner
by a splash of blood. It generally can’t be worked into machines or anything requiring
moving parts. Weapons or ammunition made of soulsteel can affect ghosts as if they
were physical, and deal aggravated damage. Armor applies its bonus to the wearer
even against ghosts or spirits, and Shields inflict a penalty equal to its rating against
Numina. Icons allow the bearer to spend WP to see ghosts and any geists. Other
materials: Khimertut [add +1 resource cost, fashioned from ectoplasm & mercury]-
items made of this alloy can be folded up and carried, and weigh as much as mist,
durability-1, but can be concealed. Icons of this alloy make the wearer appear dead
for a scene, with ghosts seeing them as ghosts for the time being]). Conspiracy: The
Brotherhood Prizrakov - Onyx Path Forums

German Hunter Groups:

SG-14 (Germany’s ministry of supernatural, they contain and sometimes kill threats to
the population. Violently opposed to neo-Nazi cults such as the Society of Vril and
even the hunter group, the Loyalists of Thule. Head office is the HUNDEHÜTTE or
“Kennel”. Divided into different departments: Silber Jaghund - “Silver Hound”: they
hunt werewolves. Agents go through psychological conditioning, granting them an
extra die on Lunacy rolls (status 3) and a speciality of Occult: Werewolf (status 1).
Blau Jaghund- “Blue Hound”: they hunt witches and occultists. Gain Occult: Magic
(status 1). Rot Jaghund- “Red Hound”: they hunt vampires, as the higher ups were
aware of the Nazi project Vampyrsturm. Gain Occult: Vampires (status 1) and through
special blood treatments, the 2-dot Unbondable merit (status 3). Schwarz Jaghund-
“Black Hound”- they put evil spirits and ghosts to rest, and also handle demonic
possession. Gain Occult:Spirits (status 1), and at status 3, a 2-dot blessed object.
Grun Jaghund- “Green Hound”- they deal with changelings and true fae, a serious
problem in some parts of Germany. Gain a cold iron weapon (1-2L) at status 1, and at
status 3, the 9-again trait on Occult rolls relating to Fae and the Hedge. Gelb Jughund-
“Yellow Hounds”: first set up to deal with Prometheans that escaped a Nazi facility
using Soviet prisoners, they are a dumping ground for whatever supernatural forces
don’t fit within the other Hounds. Gain Occult: Fortean or Occult: Reanimates (status
1), and the Favored Weapon merit (status 3).)

Scharlach Spinnwebe (the Crimson Webspinners- an order of Hanseatic League

merchants founded in Lubeck. Unlike their peers, they didn’t trade in amber or furs,
but in blood. Having discovered the existence of vampires, they had formed a pact
with the Invictus to deliver slaves, blood dolls, to be consumed at their leisure. But
when the League fell, the Invictus realized the liability of mortals running their food
supply… they struck, wiping the order out. Only a few survived, melting into the
shadows and promising that one day, the dead would be coin for the living. They
developed their own blood magic, and slowly over hundreds of years have infiltrated
the vampire’s blood networks, controlling a large portion of human trafficking and the
supply of blood dolls- most vampires assuming the group was controlled by this
Invictus elder or that elder. Endowment: Blut Munze - a form of blood alchemy, the
person changes another’s blood [spending a WP] so it inflicts a condition if drunk, the
most common condition being Deprived or Swooned. Drinkers may roll a Sta +
Supernatural Tolerance to resist the condition vs. Blut Munze + Status + Manipulation.
Status 0- gain the Blut Munze. Status 000- gain 2 dots in Resources and 1 Status in a
vampire Covenant. Status 00000- gain a 5-dot Retainer, generally a weak vampire.)

The Sons of Vidarr, the Slayers of Fenrir- a hunter society descended from a Viking
cult devoted to the son of Odin, Vidarr (Víðarr) who is destined at the end of Ragnarok
to slay the great wolf Fenrir in order to avenge his father, pulling apart his jaws and
snapping his neck. Due to the abundance of werewolves, called at times the
Úlfhéðnar, and how some did not obey the old laws, the Sons of Vidarr trained in the
arts of the berserker in order to kill them, those half-damned sons of Fenrir. Though
nearly driven extinct by Christianity, some fathers passed to their sons the secret arts,
correctly surmising that the priests of the lamb god would be too soft to tame the
wolf. Some were even “hamrammr”, those men able to wear a bear’s skin and
assume its form. They served Hrolf Kraki in the old days and fought Harald Fairhair’s
wolf-men. Of course now they are much diminished, a small lodge of old men and a
few young ones, hoping to pass on their old traditions. Currently, they have secret
lodges in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark; with the German branch wiped out
prior to WW2. Status: 0- you are a new member of the Destroyers, holding your
weapon while preparing for the upcoming end of times. Your training grants you one
free dot in any Fighting Style to your choosing. 000- your rigorous fighting against
monsters trains you beyond your regular limitations, making sure you would never be
caught barehanded. You get the Ambidextrous merit for free. 00000- you showed
your worth as a true warrior destined to fight the Wolf, making you into more of a
mere warrior and into a commander in the war at the world's end. You get the
Creative Tactician merit for free. From the hunter society, members may purchase
Skinwalker merits but only in relation to bear skins. Endowment: Berserk (1-5)- once
per scene, spend a willpower point and enter a Berserk state for a number of turns
equal to dots in Berserk + Stamina. During this condition, gain a number of dots to be
spread among Physical attributes equal to dots in Berserker, in addition, he gains a
bonus against fear effects equal to Berserk dots and ignores wound penalties. Finally,
he gains armor against edged or piercing weapons, fangs or claws equal to his dots in
Berserk. Blunt weapons still do full damage.

The Dead Musicians- “Tote Musiker” an order of musicians and grave diggers founded
in Brennan that traveled across Medieval Germany, they were disbanded during the
Nazi era. Their endowment is Totentanz, the Dance of Death, which allows them to
hear the music of death, and the discordant strains of those who defy Death. They can
hear murders or unnatural deaths occuring nearby, can hear the trilling vibration of
the undead nearby, or they can harm the dead with a broad range of effects, putting
ghosts to sleep, deafening vampires, or raising corpses. Totentanz: The Sleeper (puts
the dead to sleep), the Waker (wakes the dead and animates corpses as zombies), the
Dancer (which makes the dead sit up and dance where you wish), the Speaker (which
can both make the dead speak or silence them), the Memory (restores or removes
memories from the dead), the Binder (either free the dead from bindings or spells, or
bind them to a single place).

French Hunter Groups:

Society of Hades (a French society of explorers who discovered that the Paris
Catacombs contained several gates to the Underworld. They are also called the
Necronauts, and they gain status by exploring the world of the dead. “Death is a
journey… you are going to need a map.” Raison d'Être: Cartographers - gain Survival
(Mapmaking). Égoïstes- they search for lost loved ones, gain Persuasion (Ghosts).
Professors- gain Occult (Underworld). Status: 0- gain Survival (Underworld). 000- +2
dice to resist panic or fear when encountering the undead or dead. 00000- gain the
Medium Merit. Members also gain access to the Carte du Monde Mort [Map of the
Dead] which is also known as the “Survival Guide to the Dead” to younger members:
they add one automatic exceptional success on Survival rolls in the catacombs of Paris,
and can add their Status to any navigation rolls while in the Underworld. Once per
scene, they may gain the Informed condition on any Underworld puzzle or conundrum
by rolling Wits+Status with a penalty for every River they crossed).

Israel Hunter Groups:

Hakollel shel Hamerkava, The Secret Names of God (an order of Rabbi and their
hunters who use the secret names of god to protect their people. Lost for centuries
until the Return, when in 1953 a group of rabbanim, kabbalists and other occultists
met up at the Wailing Wall to piece together the scraps of parchment they had saved
for those long years. This led them to discover the hidden golden tablet that had the
names of god on it, names that could destroy or save. One of their main enemies are
the Reanimated, the Prometheans, due to Rabbi Loew’s mistake of creating one with
his flawed Shemot. To make up for this mistake, they hunt the Reanimated, though
some in the order prefer to reason with them and guide them into becoming human
to deal with the problem, rejecting violence. Others hunt Demons and false angels.
Houses of God: House of Hillel- they use their power to help the local community,
gain Socialize Jewish community); House of Judas Maccabee- most in this house can’t
use Shemot, not being students of the Torah but rather soldiers, however about 20%
study the Torah, with the rest being more devoted to their Shemot wielder than the
entire conspiracy. As warriors, they gain Firearms (Israeli arms); House of Judah
Loew- they seek to redeem their founder by hunting the Reanimated, gain Occult
(Reanimated); House of Israel ben Eliezer- the study of Shemot requires long study in
the Torah to understand and master, thus they are masters of the Torah, gain
Academics (Morality). Status: 0- you may learn Shemot (as long as you have a specialty
in Academics [Torah]) and a dot in the merit Status (Jewish Community). Maccabees
gain a 2-dot Mentor instead of Shemot and may not advance beyond status 2 in this
conspiracy until they learn Shemot. 000- Unseen Sense (Divine) which applies to the
Reanimated due to their Azoth (stolen Fire) and true Angels. 00000- apply rote action
to any Academics, Occult, or Investigation roll involving Judaism. Endowment:
Shemot- activating a Shemot requires a WP and an Academics + Int roll to say the
name correctly. There are 3 Greater Shemot containing 5 Lesser Shemot each= Elah
(1-5), El (1-5) and Yhwh (1-5). See here: Shemot .)

Chinese Hunter Groups:

Xuanmiao Ministry (China’s premier government hunting organization, based on
God-Machine tech and designed to promote the safety and security of the State; it
was founded in the Han dynasty based on earlier technology that belonged to the
Xia dynasty. The destruction of the Cultural Revolution saw them rebrand and
infiltrate the Communist Party. They acquired Conditioning infrastructure that
allows them to capture and brainwash supernaturals into serving the state)

Soldiers of the Forbidden Sun (an ancient order of warriors from the Tang dynasty,
they protected the capital and the Emperor from the Underworld, being able to fight
ghosts and the undead. Mostly wiped out during the end of the Qing dynasty and
the rise of the Communist Party, only a few survived. Status: 0- gain 1 dot in Occult.
000- gain 2 dots in Resources. 00000- gain 3 dots in Allies (soldiers of the
forbidden sun)).

The Shi -founded during the Shang dynasty to fight against the Hungry Dead and
other fell spirits during those dark days by Yi the Celestial Archer, they were Taoist
monks and priests, and supernaturally imbued warriors with the secrets of Qiao
(Bridges) that let them tap into chi. Loners by nature, they generally travel alone or
with an apprentice, meeting once a year for certain ceremonies. The Shi do not kill
all monsters, they believe such creatures are part of the natural order and only slay
those who upset the balance or kill mortals excessively. Factions: The Celestial
Army- the first society, their excesses lead to the first collapse of the shi and their
near destruction, as they killed any shen they could find. The Jade Record- the
scholars and monks that collect the Shi’s ancient history, lost Qiao techniques, and
records of the monsters that stalk the night. The Confederation of Martial Arts- a
more modern society, they have integrated into various martial dojos to find and
recruit members that have been exposed to the supernatural. Status: 0- (disciple)
may spend merit dots on Qiao endowment. 000- (veteran) gain 1 dot in Brawl or
Occult. 00000- (master) you gain 2 dots in Allies (Shi Disciples) and 3 dots in
Relics. Endowment: Qiao (each Bridge is between 1-4 dots)- Qiao of the Feng
(Phoenix style- pre: Iron Stamina 1, Medicine or Survival 2. 0- Barrier of Pain- spend
a WP and roll Res + Sta, ignore all wound penalties or penalties from conditions
inflicting pain or discomfort for the entire scene. 00- Closing the Wound- spend WP
and make a meditation roll, each success removes a point of Bashing damage and
a Poison or Sick Tilt. 000- Spiritual Healing- spend 2 WP and make a meditation
roll, each success removes a point of Lethal damage, and removes a Poison, Sick,
Leg Wrack or Arm Wrack Tilt. 0000- Escape from Death- spend 3 WP and make a
meditation roll, each success removes a point of Aggravated damage, though this
power can only remove a max of Stamina in Aggravated per day and the subject
must roll Integrity. This power can also remove most Tilts, but not permanent ones
such as limb loss). Qiao of the I Shen (Celestial God style- pre: Academics or
Occult 2. 0- Celestial Punishment -spend a WP, make a Wits+Occult roll to bless
strips of paper, each success creates one prayer strip that acts as a level 1 blessed
item that lasts until the next day that can be thrown at a supernatural target to deal
1L regardless of their bane. 00- Heavenly Flames- the created prayer strip now
acts as a level 2 blessed relic and deals Fire damage which can cause extra harm
to creatures weak against fire. Can hold the damage and cause it to explode later
for 2L fire damage up to ranks in this Qiao in turns later. 000- Celestial Barrier- by
holding a polished surface and spending a WP, the user gains a +2 to resist a
supernatural power including the bonus gained from spending a WP, it can also be
added to Defense to protect against a physical attack. 0000- Judgment of Wan
Kuei- spend 2WP and brandish a talisman, rolling Res+Occult vs. Com. A success
gives the target the Stunned Tilt and renders useless for each success one point of
the creature’s vitae, mana, essence or other energy trait for the scene). Qiao of the
Meng (Dream style- pre: Meditative Mind 1, Medicine or Occult 2. 0- Balance of the
Spirit- 1WP, on each success target gains a +1 benefit to their next Breaking Point
roll until they use it or sleep, and may remove the Insane, Broken Down or
Insensate Tilt. 00- Focus of the Mind- once a day, Meditate to recover 1 WP. 000-
Nightmare Exorcism- spend 1WP, on a success, you may shed one Mental
Condition but do not gain a beat for it, or suppress a Persistent Mental Condition
for a number of hours = successes. 0000- Soul Dominion- spend 2WP, for each
success, you gain a +1 resistance to any supernatural power that affects you
mentally until the next time you sleep, if the target fails in their power and
successes exceed the target’s Resolve, inflict 1L damage). Qiao of the Mo Kung
(Devil Warrior style- pre: Iron Skin 1, Brawl or Weaponry 2. 0- Celestial Eyes- +2
bonus to perception rolls which are always active, by spending 1WP, you can
reduce penalties to target weak areas by 2. 00- Serpent Speed- by spending 1WP,
each success adds +1 to Init and Speed, and allows 1 point of Defense to be used
against ranged attacks. 000- Ox Body- spend 1 WP, grants +1/1 to armor [which
stacks with other sources] and each success adds 1 box of health which lasts until
the end of the scene. 0000- Tiger’s Might- spend 2WP, gain +1 to any physical
attribute +1 per success [max 5] which lasts the entire scene, at the end of the
scene, gain the Exhausted Condition). Qiao of the Yu An (Jade Harmony style- pre:
Indomitable 2; must also carry a piece of jade. 0- Opened Eyes- no cost, but by
making a Wits + Empathy vs. Com roll, the Shi can detect if the target is under
supernatural influence [such as dominate or a spell], this doesn’t tell you what the
influence is or who gave it, just that it exists. 00- Divine Perception- by spending
1WP when using Opened Eyes, the Shi can identify a supernatural by type. Each
additional success grants another piece of information such as clan, bloodline,
age, rank / blood potency, or bane. 000- Revelation- 1 WP, gain the ability to see
into Twilight, can also see invisible targets or through illusions on an opposed roll.
0000- Twilight Walking- spend 2WP, gain the ability to touch and harm entities in
twilight, in addition, they gain a +2 bonus to Warding, Abjuration, and Binding rolls).
Qiao of the Shi (Serpent style- pre: Martial Arts style or Grappling style 1, Brawl 2.
0- Thousand Fists- spend 1WP and roll Dex+Brawl, each success adds 1 extra dice
to the fighter’s next attack. 00- Spear Hand- spend 1WP, roll Str+Brawl, each
success allows their attack to ignore 1 point of armor for that scene; by taking a -2
penalty on the attack, you may also inflict one additional point of Lethal damage.
000- Steel Body- spend 1WP as a reflexive action against an attack, roll Sta+Brawl,
each success allows the hunter to soak a point of damage, either Lethal or
Bashing, but not Aggravated. 0000- Thousand Swords- spend 2WP, roll Str+Occult,
each success grants a turn in which unarmed attacks inflict one additional point of
Aggravated damage on a successful strike and the Bleeding Tilt; when the power
runs out, the warrior takes 1B for each turn it was active as the muscles are torn).
Qiao of the Long Ling (Dragon style- pre: Air of Menace 2, Intimidate 2. 0- Eyes of
the Dragon- 1WP, roll Pre+Intimidate vs. Com, success inflicts the Stunned tilt for 1
turn. 00- Dark Reflection- before combat, reflexively spend 1WP, and roll
Man+Occult, each success reduces the target’s initiative by 1. 000- Underworld
Gaze- spend 1WP and roll Pre+Occult vs. Res, on a success the target gains the
Frightened or Fugue condition for the scene. 0000- Voice of the Yama Kings-
spend 2WP, roll Man+Intimidate vs. Com, on a success the target suffers both the
Cowed and Demoralized Condition for the rest of the day, an exceptional success
adds Broken). Qiao of the Zhu Mao (Resilient Cat style- pre: Fleet of Foot 1 or Fast
Reflexes 1, Athletics 2. 0- Misty Step- leave no footprints by default, efforts to track
you take a -2 penalty, by spending a WP, you double this penalty and also leave no
scent behind for an entire scene. 00- Cloud Walking- spend a WP, for a number of
turns = successes on a Dex+Athletics roll, you may move your full speed over any
terrain regardless of difficulty, even running on water, leaves, snow, even heavy fog.
This can also be straight up a wall. Once the power wears off, you immediately fall
if not on solid ground. 000- Mountain Stance- by spending a WP, you automatically
negate Knockdown conditions for the scene, and by rolling Sta+Athletics, you may
channel any damage from the next attack into the ground at your feet, each
success absorbing the damage and directing it into the ground, shattering the
stone or earth, on an exceptional success, you channel the blast under your
opponent, knocking them down. 0000- Celestial Wind- spend 2WP, for the scene,
you can use your full defense against any ranged attacks; roll Dex+Athletics, each
success adds +1 speed, initiative and defense. On an exceptional success, each
success also penalizes any opponents’ attempt to pursue or evade you during a
foot chase). Mo Chi Kung Fu- Shi are also trained in certain Fighting merits; for
example, they can take Ground Fighter at a 1 dot discount. They can also learn
unique Fighting merits: Fading Light Strike * / *** (pre: Killer Instinct. When using
Killer Instinct, you add a 4th dot to the merit and a 4th option: you may corrupt or
steal a point of their energy, vitae, essence, mana, sekhem, whatever. This energy
is dissipated into nothingness. For the 3-dot version, you may transform ½ of that
stolen energy into Willpower, rounded down, and add a 5th dot to Killer Instinct that
can only be used to steal energy), Chi Breaker *** (pre: Brawl 3, Medicine 1, Occult
2. Spend a WP, against a target whose type of supernatural you can identify, you
may replace each success on the attack roll with a turn where they can’t activate
their dread powers instead of dealing damage.), Hundred Star Shower ** (pre:
Thrown Weapons style 2, Athletics 3. Spend WP, on a successful attack you may
attack a number of secondary targets = your dots in Dex; each subsequent attack
takes a -1 penalty), Fang and Claw Cutter ** (pre: Brawl or Weaponry 2. When
making an aimed attack, you may target the creature’s jaw or claws in order to
break them and render them useless. Successes over the creatures’ stamina deals
damage and also prevents them from using their natural weapons, reducing their
damage with claws or bite by -1 per success).

Unit Huo- the official hunter compact of the PRC, members of Unit Huo use
purifying fire to cleanse society of reality deviants. Members are dressed in special
police uniforms, with fire-retardant armor, gas masks and carrying flamethrowers
and flash bangs. Formed from the disbanded remains of the Red Guard that were
sent out to destroy the wealth of vampires. Special training involves exposure to
fears, such as darkness, being covered in spiders, and seeing gore; as well as
constant brainwashing for loyalty. Merits: Anti-Fear Training 1-3 dots (when
exposed to a fear-based effect, Unit Huo soldiers can spend a willpower point to
gain a Res + Com roll at a +rank die bonus to resist it), Reinforced Loyalty 1-3 dots
(Unit Huo soldiers gain a +rank die bonus to resist mind-control effects). Status:
0- gain access to Anti-Fear Training and Reinforced Loyalty. 000- gain an extra two
dice on any Investigation. 00000- gain 4 dots in Allies.

Red Envelope Society- They come from many parts of society; businessmen, cab
drivers, party functionaries, construction workers. They all had brushes with the
unexplained, all suffered somehow at the hands of unseen tormentors, and they
kept quiet. When this happens, they get sent a red envelope containing help: it
could be money, instructions, or a phone number. This is the Red Envelope Society,
Hongbaohui, 紅包会. Their history is unknown, perhaps from the Tang dynasty,
while their membership is also unknown. Each person who receives the red
envelope eventually pays it back by sending envelopes on their own. Status: 0-
gain a free specialization in either Streetwise or Politics. Status 000- you start
sending your own envelopes, gain the Fixer merit or Small Unit Tactics. Status
00000- a major operator and leader in the society, you still receive orders from red
envelopes, gain 3 dots in the Anonymity merit.

The Dragon Lotus Temple- Masters of the Nameless Path, founded by the Green
Monk who taught them to control the flow of Chaos to prevent the stagnation of
society. They combat the monsters that try to control order and humanity using
the secret arts of the Dragon Lotus Sutra. Factions: the Monk Disciples- the
scholars of the order, they catalog the sutras written by the Green Monk and
meditate in their hidden temple. The Emerald Flame- the anarchists of the group,
they are the teeth of the order and fighters. The Unified- they believe the temple
should organize with other hunter societies, which some regard as a betrayal of the
master’s teaching. Endowment: Dragon Lotus Sutra- roll Man + Dragon Lotus
Sutra to activate each sutra. Changing Face Technique- channel chaos into your
face to alter it, each success adds a bonus die to subterfuge checks to disguise
yourself. Seed of Discord- a target affected by the sutra gains the Condition
(Rebellious) which causes them to refuse to obey orders or follow rules- the
condition is resolved by a successful Res + Com roll - ranks in Dragon Lotus Sutra,
or after a number of days = Dragon Lotus Sutra, or the effect is dispelled
supernaturally. Butterfly Effect- each success affects a target by stealing one dice
from their next action (dice roll reduced by target’s Composure); if the result is a
failure, it is automatically upgraded to a dramatic failure with serious
consequences.

JAPAN HUNTER GROUPS-

more hunter organizations than any other country, thanks to the abundance of
monsters.

Ama-San (the pearl divers of Japan, a female organization. Thanks to encounters with
sea monsters while diving, some members have mastered the technique of “isobue”,
the ability to use the sea whistle to call up monsters from the deep so they may be
killed; but the kill belongs to the Okaa-san, the harpooners).

Azusa Miko (the sacred shrine maidens, an order of them have trained to hunt
monsters with the sacred bow and exorcism rituals. They practice fortune telling and
talk to spirits, gaining the Medium merit when they join the order, and at the highest
level, spirits or ghosts of rank 2 and under flee at the sight of the Miko).

The Hototogisu (a conspiracy of merchants formed in the Edo period, who discovered
monsters in their midst, involved in their business. A merchant named Inoue
developed the Setto Endowment, the power to steal the supernatural abilities of
monsters. He taught the trick to others for a cut of their earnings, and he’s still alive,
having stolen immortality. They don’t always kill the monsters, but if they cut into
profits, they will).

The Otodo (the oni-blooded conspiracy of hunters, they use their tainted blood to
hunt creatures. They can even sense Oni. They can live up to 250 years. They have
the power of Seitokuken, which allows them different abilities, such as transforming
into an oni, to see souls, to control the weak-willed, to craft a new ban for a spirit or
demon, to mark targets with a symbol, to ignite their body with flames or even devour
souls).

The Aki Ten (the Tsuchimikado clan held great power over spirits using their magic
called Onmyodo; this art spread to others, and the descendents of these Onmyoji
families resurrected this lost art after the Tokugawa ban ended during the Meiji under
the authority of the Bureau of Onmyo. They were able to bind spirits into paper dolls
called Shikigami to control them. Status: 0- able to use the Shikigami Endowment and
act as rank 1 when dealing with spirits. 000- Bureaucratic Navigator merit for free,
plus rank among the spirit world increases to 2. 00000- gain 3 ranks of Contacts, plus
spirit rank increases to 3. Endowment: Shikigami- can bind a number of spirits = dots
in Shikigami, but rank is limited to dots in endowment + status [max 5]. Roll
Endowment+Occult to bind a new spirit, and can sacrifice a spirit to gain a bonus
equal to its rank on the roll. Descendents of the original Onmyoji clans gain the Spirit
Beloved Merit at character creation. 000- able to see and touch spirits in twilight.
00000- able to hold essence in body = to Stamina, can harvest from loci using a
meditation roll; gain spirit rank = status in an organization [max 5])

Strike Force Zero- the main security team for Shinzui Industries, under their Shinzui
Dynamic Technologies department which produces the more experimental
cybernetics, VR, quantum computing and weapons. Secretly a front for the
Technocracy that wishes to eliminate all supernaturals to control Consensus Reality.
Founded post-WW2 by Okamoto Geichin, a former spy for the Emperor descended
from a Ninja clan, he had experience with a Tengu that tried to eat him as a boy.
Shinzui has some 50 agents for SF0 around the world, based in Japan, Russia, the US,
and some in Taiwan and South Korea. New agents are recruited, declared legally dead
and have a new identity created for them, which includes new fingerprints and dental
records. Status: 0- agent gains a free device from Arsenal and can buy further dots in
the Endowment. 000- agent gains the ability to requisition minor equipment, gain a
free 3 dots in Resources solely for requisitioning equipment once per week. 00000-
agent has the manpower necessary to order hits on his own, gain 3 dots in Allies (SF0)
and one free additional device from Arsenal. Endowment: Arsenal (0-00000; each dot
equals a device or weapon implanted into the agent plus the one free device they get
when they join the conspiracy, thus a maximum of 6 devices, with the level of the
device limited by dots in Arsenal. (1-3) Emotion Suppressors (each dot adds a +1
bonus against dread powers that affect emotions, especially fear, as well as mundane
attempts to affect emotions. When faced with Lunacy or other supernatural powers
that cause insanity, the agent may spend 1WP to ignore it, though this causes the
Nightmare condition when they next sleep), (3) Gills (spend 1WP every 30 minutes,
the agent can breath underwater for that duration; in addition, they add +2 to any
rolls against airborne toxins), (2) Night Eyes (spend 1WP, until the end of the scene,
they can see perfectly in the dark, much like night vision goggles; a sudden bright light
can cause a temporary blindness for a turn until the eyes adjust), (1) Video Eyes
(spend 1WP, for the next hour, the agent can record video and sound using that eye
and send it wirelessly to command if they are within a ½ mile radius), (3) Taser
Knuckles (spend 1WP, on activation, taser nodules protrude from the knuckles and
unleash nearly 500 volts, supposedly enough to drop a charging rhino and seriously
injure a normal human; acts as a supersized taser, with 4B damage and dealing the
Stun condition for 1 turn per success), (4) Pulse Cannon Implant (spend 2WP, a
weapon of last resort, it bursts out of the arm and fires a single burst of superheated
electrified plasma, at 6L damage, half fire and half electricity; it must be reloaded after
firing), (2 or 4) Cyberclaws (spend 1WP, ceramic blades pop out of the various joints,
making all Brawl attacks deal 1L for that scene; at 4 dots, the blades are upgraded to
microfine and vibrate at supersonic speeds, dealing deep cuts at 2L and adding the
Bleeding condition on an exceptional success), (1) Cyband Comms (as an implanted
radio or comm set, the agent can contact, listen and speak to others on a set
frequency within a ½ mile radius), (2) Poison Injectors (1WP, compressed air needles
hidden in the fingertips inject deadly venom or other toxins on a successful Brawl
check; inflicting a Poisoned condition), (1-3) Cybernetic Limbs (by spending WP, each
dot adds +1 dice to physical actions taken with the limb, such as Athletics when lifting
[if an arm] or running [if a leg] for the entire scene. In addition, artificial limbs can be
used to block attacks and have armor 1/1 per dot; rank 3 limbs are obviously artificial
and provide a -1 social penalty), (3) Internal Tracking Software (once locked on by
spending 1WP and aiming, the implant guides the user’s hands to constantly aim at
the target, granting a +2 to Firearms rolls and removing up to 2 dice in penalties from
firing blindly or into smoke for the scene), (2-3) Subdermal Plating (acts as 1/1
concealed armor, with no penalties to defense, initiative or speed, and stacks with
other forms of armor; upgrade to 2/2 with a -1 pen to def, init and speed), (1)
Keypads (spend 1WP, sensors in the fingertips and palms decode any electronic lock
or security feature, providing a +3 bonus to any Larceny checks involving electronic
security systems or lockpicking), (1) Kabuki Masks (spend 1WP and take 3 turns,
implants in the face pull the muscles and skin, subtly altering the agent’s appearance.
While it’s not enough to fully disguise the agent as someone else, it is enough to add
+3 dice to Subterfuge checks to disguise oneself as a different person, and it lasts until
the agent relaxes his face), (1-2) Concealed Weapons (subdermal sheaths hidden
under the skin allow the agent to conceal a weapon up to size 1-2 depending on the
rank of this advancement. These sheaths are shielded against x-rays and metal-
detectors, providing a +5 bonus to smuggling in or concealing the weapons).

Odd USA Organizations (that I might want to use):

Hotel Mascaron (during the Cold War, the CIA experimented with MKUltra and other
projects, including a mind-control project called ThetaNu, a carry-over from Nazi
research under Operation Paperclip by the OSS. Founded by a CIA agent called Harold
Mandrake, he had discovered a plant in Vietnam that produced a chemical that could,
with the proper conditioning [including a chant in an unknown language], create an
undercover agent, an ordinary citizen who could be activated with a code phrase, sent
out as an assassin to kill a target [in Mandrake’s case, he was obsessed with
“changelings” and the “green screen”], and then completely forget the horrors of their
actions. In 1977, the project ended, and Hotel Mascaron became an independent
unsanctioned black ops. The Mandrake Induction continues to recruit even unwilling
agents, as Harold’s Burmese widow, the Madame steers the project to taking out
enemies of the USA- both mortal and supernatural. Status: 0- as a “guest of Hotel
Mascaron”, you can spend merit dots on Figments. 000- promoted to handler, your
awareness of the Green Screen grants the Unseen Sense merit. 00000- you’ve met
the Madame at her complex in Miami, you give orders to handlers; gain 3 dots in Allies
[Guests of Hotel Mascaron]. Splinters: the Kesey Agenda- the fundraisers and
information brokers, gain Streetwise [organized crime]; the Mindszenty Movement-
the researchers working to improve the process, gain Academics
(Psychopharmacology); the Shangyin Concern- the soldiers, all ex-military, they prefer
their “guests” to be trained in improvised weapons, gaining Weaponry (Improvised
Weapons). Mandrake Induction process- the hunter “checks-in” when experiencing
great stress by spending a WP, or automatically at no cost when “activated”. While
operating as a “hotel guest”, they do not need to roll for degeneration against
integrity for any actions committed as a guest unless exposed to evidence that they
were responsible. In addition, they may purchase a Figment for this secondary
personality. Every 4 dots purchased in Figments gives the hunter one derangement.
Figments: Red Delirium- the first protocol, it created several slashers before
Mandrake corrected the formula. *Crimson Face Card- by putting on a mask, people
who witness the hunter must make an Int+Com roll to remember any details about
them with a penalty = number of merits purchased in Red Delirium. ** Vermillion
Knack- secondary personality gains 4 dots of merits while “checked in” that the main
personality doesn’t know; additional merits can be added at ½ the cost. *** Russet
Clamp- Red Delirium dots reduce penalties due to pain, disease, poison or injury and
adds +1 to rolls to remain conscious at zero health. **** Cockerel Crow- any action
enhanced with WP is erased from memory as a red smear, but while checked in, any
such action gains the 8-again trait. White Dementia- * Gray Veil- on “checking out”, a
hunter may pick and choose memories to remember, receiving a bonus = to White
Dementia on Integrity rolls to avoid degeneration. ** Waxen Seal- treated as a
distinct character from their guest for purposes of magically-reinforced oaths or
sympathetic magic, or lie-detection spells. *** Pale Shadow- blur the line between
guest and main personality, while “checked-out” can access up to dots in White
Dementia in Figments by spending WP, this however will activate a derangement
unless a Composure roll is made. **** Chalk Tabby- being around a changeling or
other fey allows the hunter to “check-in” without a WP, and they regain a WP by
killing a fey creature whenever they willingly succumb to one of their dormant
derangements. Blue Delusion- creates voices in the head that can do the dishes. *
Indigo Alarm- whispers alert the character granting them Danger Sense while
“checked-in”, and may detect threats even if they have no way of physically noticing
them, those already having this merit gain a +4 bonus and +1 init. ** Azure Friend- the
guest hangs around while the hunter is “checked-out”, talking to them through their
phone or TV and offering advice, granting the use of the Mentor merit = dots in Blue
Delusion. Oddly enough, this mentor CAN send messages to the hunter’s superiors in
Miami. *** Cerulean Brain- induces a lucid state, the hunter is immune to attempts to
induce emotions either supernaturally or naturally, is immune to glamor harvesting,
and attempts to deduce their emotional state only reveals they are on some extreme
psychotropic. **** Sapphire Servant- while checked-in, hunter gains an imaginary 5-
dot retainer that can’t leave his domicile but can communicate through notes or
phone calls; it avoids any efforts to be seen and gets frustrated at any attempts to
witness it. It spends its time cleaning the house, repairing any broken objects, and
cooks meals. It might even decorate the house, using Resources 1 to purchase odd or
eclectic furniture [due to an alien sense of design, this decoration induces a -1 to
attempts to meditate or avoid derangements]; while it cannot physically confront
intruders, it may try to stall them by locking doors or setting traps, inflicting a -2
penalty to them. Black Depression- * Ebony Eyes- eyes turn black, on checking-in, the
hunter can see through the Mask, seeing how changelings really look. ** Jet
Compass- perceive entrances to the Hedge, add dots in Black Depression to any rolls
to navigate or escape the Hedge. *** Sable Tongue- taste buds changed as a guest for
bizarre pairings like pizza & jam; in addition- can use goblin fruits and tokens as if a
Changeling with Willpower in place of Glamour and Figment dots as Wyrd. They
instinctively know the effects of a goblin fruit or token, but not the drawbacks. ****
Inky Mirror- guest appears to be a changeling to other changelings, and any iron
weapon becomes cold-iron to their touch by spending a WP, though it blisters and
splinters while doing so, losing 1 durability and shattering at the end of the combat
scene. Secret: the plant used for Mandrake Induction is a toxic Hedge weed, a type of
goblin fruit; the Hotel is actually based on an older Indochinese society called the
Hacksaw Society which was founded in 853CE, the same year that the true fae The
Lady of 813 Masks was banished from Arcadia and forced into mortal form- that being
the Madame of Hotel Mascaron, who appears to be a middle-aged Burmese woman
with green eyes. The masked agents of the Militia fight alongside [and against] the
reincarnation police of the Avichi Sutra and their obliterative mudras, the kukri-
wielding soldiers who make up the Royal Kauda Corps, the anarchistic sorcerers called
the Seven Wanton Horns, the gangsters of the Diyu Tong who cover themselves in
squirming tattoos, the ritualistic thugs of the Feringhea Phansigar, the penniless
master-killers known as the Guild of Assassins, the psycho-manifesting spirit hunters
trained by the Extranormal Society for Special Execution, the loyal communist
investigators of the Wang Jun Xiu, the Taoist arms dealers dedicated to the Blood
Principle, and more besides. The current leader of the Hacksaw Militia is the Young
Lady, the Madame and Mandrake’s daughter with one gray and one green eye).

http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-
darkness/hunter-the-vigil/344770-repost-revild-s-hotel-mascaron

The Carpenters (change the name? The idea is theoretically sound:

http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-
darkness/hunter-the-vigil/460312-repost-the-carpenters )

The Final Girls Club (a society of women who are the survivors of a slasher attack.
Founded in 1980 by Laurie Carpenter after she discovered her brother was the
Masked killer of Toluca Lake. They research the psychology of slashers, how slashers
are formed, and how to survive them. They then hunt down slashers. 3 factions:
Slayers- they hunt down slashers and teach others how to kill them, Weaponry
(Improvised Weapons) or Craft (Traps); Unmaskers- they research how slashers form
and methods to stop them, Occult (Slashers) or Academics (Serial Killers); Loomis
Group- they focus on the survivors, treating PTSD and some even treating slashers,
Science (Survivor Psychology) or (Slasher Psychology). Status: 0- a survivor, you gain
one dot in either Tolerance for Biology, Relentless or Greyhound. 000- you have
survived several close calls and no longer sleep well, gain Mind of a Madman merit.
00000- you know slashers too well, choose a single Dread Power, when a slasher uses
it, you can sense it anywhere in a mile as a tingling sickening sensation and briefly see
through his eyes for a turn; in addition, you gain the Danger Sense merit for free.
Members of the compact can also learn the Know Thy Enemy tactic [1-3 dots]: discern
a Clue during a successful Investigation to discover a pattern; by spending a WP point
for the scene, you can follow the killer’s rule or enact his weakness, inflicting a penalty
equal to your dots in this tactic against his actions towards you; in addition, the killer
needs to roll Res+Com if they want to harm you while you are following their rule.
Breaking the rule however makes you fair game).

The Cursed Strain (Lucifuge bloodlines):

The L’Enfant Diabolique

- those of the Lucifuge bloodline who reject being a hunter and choose to live as a
demon instead. Instead of gaining Castigation, they have their own Dread Powers.
Their main society is the Children of the 7th Generation, a cult that limits their
number to 666; hunting down their relatives who are descended from the same
demon lord.

al-Rih al-Asuad (the Black Wind)- the Plague Bearers, children of Pazuzu, born in the
lands of Babylon and Assyria, from the pacts new mothers made with the Demon
Prince of Air to protect their offspring with an amulet from the Lamashtu, the
demonic eaters of babies. The rise of Islam forced them to convert, but even as they
prayed at the Mosque, they kept little statues of their Dark Father concealed in boxes.
Led by the Uluma, who refuses to deal with the Lady of Milan. They gain Hadiat Layla
instead of Castigation: control the air, deal Bashing damage; gain immunity to poisons
and diseases; become invisible; breath on target to inflict the sick tilt; turn hands into
ice-cold weapons that freeze flesh; enter the twilight or affect it; steal souls from the
dead. http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-
world-of-darkness/hunter-the-vigil/893684-al-rih-al-asuad-strains-of-the-cursed-
blood-mesopotamia

Other Strains: Usiji (Zorasterian Iranian)

http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-
darkness/hunter-the-vigil/866426-strains-of-the-cursed-blood

Indian Hunter Groups:

Deva Corporation- Stigmatic company that serves the God-Machine. They back the
Utopia Now! organization with nearly 100% of their funding.

Avicii Sutra- Indian offspring of Asura, reborn to challenge the gods as they chose this
incarnation to fall into demonhood. They are seized by the temple monks as infants to
be trained in controlling their powers, studying martial arts, and demonology.
Narakkee Mudra: their powers are controlled by gestures or dance. When conducted
properly, they become multi-armed gods of destruction.
http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-new-world-of-
darkness/hunter-the-vigil/1015191-avici-sutra-strains-of-the-cursed-blood-indian-
subcontinent

Haans-Chowdhury Productions - In 1931, the struggling actor/director of silent films

Chandra Amit Chowdhury fled into the Thall desert along the border of India and
Pakistan to escape the murderous mob that didn’t take kindly to his latest film. With
him was his trusty camera man, the Dutchman Jan-Hendrik Haans. Taking shelter in a
deep cave system near the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro, the pair stumbled upon a
miraculous discovery- several suits of armor made of an unknown metal that was
nearly indestructible (which Chowdhury termed áyas or “metal” from the Rigveda)
and plated in gold. Some of the suits even had several arms or held weapons, many
were heavily damaged or missing parts. Trying the suits on, they discovered that the
suits responded to their mental commands and granted them great power- these
were the Deva-Kavacha, the armor of the gods, armed with the Devastra- the god
weapons, for the purpose of slaying Asura and other supernatural demons that
threatened humanity. Their first test was to destroy the Preta that attacked the cave
that night, with Chowdhury and Haans realizing these weapons were too powerful to
sell or give away- Nazi archeologists were roaming the countryside looking for lost
lore, and the British didn’t deserve them either. Instead, they decided to keep the
armor a secret, they repaired a few of the suits with bronze and copper (thanks to
Haans having an engineer background), and used them to hunt monsters, human and
supernatural alike; while the rest were buried in the cave. Chowdhury hit on the idea
of using them in their films- relying on the idea of hidden in plain sight, as no one
would believe a film could be real. His first film, a silent film produced in 1933 was
based on the Vedic texts, called the Battle of Ten Kings, it was 40 minutes long and
featured the heroes dressed in golden armor and performing some of the best stunts
ever seen for that period (only some production photos survive in public archives,
though the organization still has the full film). In 1934, they created the character
Vālī, the Guardian (in Gujarati), which some film historians consider the first
superhero. In a series of three films, in Technicolor (though only one of the films still
survives in full color), the Guardian fights against Nazi occultists, a giant scorpion,
Naga serpent folk, vulture demons, the Rompo Corpse-Eating beast, the Yeti,
Pishachas (skeletal flesh-eating demons), Preta, the Vetala Witch-Vampires, Thuggee
cultists, and various Rakshasas and other Asuras. These were some of the most
popular films of their day, considered startling real in terms of practical special effects,
and popular both with the local Indian population and British soldiers, though the plot
development was considered weak. Chowdhury and Haans basically filmed their
exploits, but the huge amount of monsters that lived in India meant they had to
recruit others to help them. Film was the perfect cover. You could travel across the
country in a large group, with luggage full of weapons, and enter practically any
location, as long as you had a camera and told everyone you were filming a movie.
1947 was the last time the pair visited the cave, as the Partition of India and the
Dissolution of the British Raj meant their armor was soon to be on the wrong side of
the border. Besides the Guardian films, their production house produced historical-
fantasy blockbusters (the Ramayana and Mahabharata were a huge influence) and
horror films (inspired by some really horrific things they ran into). Chowdhury was the
first to die, in 1950, as he was overconfident in his suit’s power, he fought a demon
that vomited bees which were able to enter the gaps in his armor and face mask. His
sons would carry on his legacy. This conspiracy is quite small, Haans and Chowdhury
only had 27 suits to work with and over the years 4 have been rendered inoperable; in
1970, another cache was discovered containing two suits still containing their
skeletons, giving hope that more suits could be found. Secrets: the suits belong to the
Svarnaga Raksaka, the Golden-Bodied Guardians, an ancient sect of warriors from pre-
Vedic times. Factions: The Location Scouts- they search for “filming locations” but in
reality are looking for more suits; they believe that the Indus Valley Civilization had
more hidden for some purpose away from their cities and they aim to find them. They
also try to discover the origin of the suits and what happened to their builders. Gain
specialization in Academics (Pre-Vedic History). The Prop Masters- forget history,
these spiritual descendents of Jan-Hendrick Haans want to figure out how these suits
work so they can build more. Some pieces can be replaced, but they haven’t figured
out the power systems yet; they know they are powered by “Prana” but that’s it. Gain
specialization in Craft (Reverse-Engineering). The Actors- the stars of the show, they
are the hotshot fighters who dive into battle and make it look good. They want to
take the battle to the supernatural even further, and many are addicted to having the
power of the gods. Gain specialization in Expression (Theatrics). Status: 0- a new
member of the crew, perhaps a production assistant or struggling actor that has been
recruited for the company’s “special program”. Gain access to a suit that you can
borrow, as per the Shakti-Kavacha (Power Armor) Endowment. 000- You’ve gotten
quite good at fighting with the armor on; gain access to the 2-dot version of the
Armored Fighting merit and a specialization in Athletics (Stunts). 00000- exposure to
the weird energies of the suit have made you aware of your past lives; gain the 3-dot
psychic merit Channeling (Past Lives); in addition, your role in films makes you a
celebrity, with 2 dots in the Fame merit, though limited to fans of Bollywood movies.
Endowment: Shakti-Kavacha (Power Armor)- a glistening suit of gold-covered ayas
metal, mixed with components of bronze. These act as suits of heavy armor, at 3/3,
with a -2 penalty in defense and speed. Normally heavy armor would require a 3
Strength to wear, but when powered by Prana (1WP for 8 hours of run-time), it adds
+1 Strength to the wearer and increases their speed by 3. It covers the head, torso,
and limbs; and the durability is an astounding 8, except that most suits are repaired or
have parts replaced with bronze-plated steel (3 durability). At 1-dot, only the torso is
ayas (8 durability), each dot after that adds another ayas piece, at 4-dots the suit is
complete. Each dot in the endowment will also add a slot for the addition of a Shastra
(weapon) or Khazaana (treasure). Users can only add a rank equipment = dots.

Mani (Forehead Jewels): installed on the helm.

** Ashwathama Gem (emits a forefield that keeps body integrity static, while it is
fixed in place, the suit-wearer does not require food, diseases or afflictions will pause,
wounds will stop bleeding- when removed, these conditions return)- spend 1WP for
the next 24 hours, the user ignores the Deprived condition (from lack of food or
water), and pauses the effects of the Sick, Poisoned, or Bleeding Tilts. These
conditions or tilts activate once more after the forcefield wears off.

* Manichaka (“Moon Stone”- absorbs light and releases it; can act as a powerful
flashlight for hours, or suddenly release all the light at once, creating a brilliant flash)-
for each hour of daylight, the stone emits an hour of light as a high-powered
flashlight; if 1WP is spent, the wearer can release all the light at once to create a
brilliant flash of light; with at least 2-5 hours of light, it inflicts the Blind tilt for one
turn on everyone within 10 yards. With at least 6-8 hours, it not only inflicts the Blind
tilt for 2 turns, it deals 1B of damage as a sunburn forms on the skin- for creatures
vulnerable to sunlight, this inflicts 1A.

*-*** Nagamani (“Snake Gem”- protects the mind of the wearer, blocking psychic
control)- spend 1WP, add between 1 to 3 bonus dice on resistance rolls against mental
powers affecting the mind while armor is still active.

***** Syamantaka (emits a beam that turns targets into gold, at least temporarily)-
spend 2WP to emit a yellow beam, roll Dex+Athletics; each success deals 1L damage
and the target’s outer layer is transformed into a gold-like material, leaving them
immobilized for 1 turn per success.

Mala (Garlands): installed on the chest of the armor.

*** Khadgamala (“Sword Garland”- resembles a collar of swords, the chestpiece

sends out invisible cutting frequencies to strike those who come too close to its
owner)- as long as your defense is available and you haven’t moved last turn, by
spending 1WP, anyone entering a circle within 4 feet of you is suddenly cut for 1L and
receives a -2 penalty to their next attack roll.

*** Mundamala (“Skull Garland”- a necklace made of human skulls)- spend 1WP for
that scene, while active, the garland generates a cutting field around the hands and
other joints; granting each unarmed or brawl attack 1L damage, and the possibility of
inflicting an Arm or Leg Wrack with a called shot and damage exceeding Stamina.

**** Vyjayantimala (“Victory Garland”- a psionic effect that infuses the wearer with
fresh energy and renewed vigor after every victory in battle) - spend 1WP, during a
combat scene, for every exceptional combat success or foe knocked unconscious, the
bearer refreshes one point of willpower up to their maximum.

** Padmamala (“Lotus Garland”- creates powerful magnetic fields to stop arrows or

even bullets)- when fired upon by a ranged weapon, reflexively spend 1WP to activate
a force field; this provides a -3 penalty on any attacker firing at the wearer while this
field is active. Drawback: if the penalty reduces the roll to a chance-die and it misses,
the arrow or bullet strikes anyone to the left or right of the target.
Kundala (Earrings): installed on the helm.

*Karna-kundala (filters act to eliminate any poisons or airborne viruses)- the user is
immune to any airborne poisons or diseases, ignoring Poison or Sick tilts from such
vectors.

** Makara-kundala (targeting system that identifies and locks on to targets)- system

provides a +1 dice bonus to hit a target and ignores up to 2 dice worth of penalties
from smoke, darkness or other distractions.

**** Shiva-kundala (sensor system that warns of attacks and reveals the invisible or
unseen)- provides the Danger Sense merit, which also works against invisible or
hidden attackers as it outlines them for the wearer, adding +3 dice to spotting them.

Akshaya (Jars/Vessels): installed on the back of the torso.

** Akshaya Tunir (the Endless Quiver- when connected to the armor, any ranged
Astra wielded by the user renews ammunition faster)- Spend 1WP to instantly refill a
single weapon’s magazine or quiver when it’s attached to the suit.

*** Akshaya Patra (a life-support system, it supplies the wearer with air, water and
food while they wear the armor)- spend 1WP, for the next 24 hours, the user is
provided with fresh air, water and food; avoid any Deprivation conditions from thirst
or hunger, and Drowning or Suffocation.

*** Kalasha Amrita (the Amrita Injector- it injects the wearer with Amrita, the drink
of life, healing their wounds and preventing death)- Amrita is the nectar of the gods,
by spending 1 WP reflexively, you can heal 1L or 2B instantly; in addition, long-term
drip-mechanisms double the effective natural healing rate of the user.

*** Akshaya Soma (the Soma Injector- it injects the drug called Soma into the body,
the warrior becomes more aware and stronger, a berserker)- spend 1WP, and roll
Stamina +Shakti-Kavacha, each success grants 1 turn of the effect, with the wearer
gaining the Energized condition for their first combat action of each turn and their
strength increasing by +1; an exceptional success grants the Berserker condition, but
+Shakti-Kavacha dots in bonus dice to remain controlled, while an exceptional failure
inflicts 1L damage and the uncontrolled Berserker condition.

Ratha (Chariot Wheels): installed on the legs and feet.

*** Yayati Ratha (these boosters grant the ability of flight to the wearer, creating an
anti-gravity field)- spend 1WP, for the scene, you are able to move double your speed
in any direction in the air or hover.

*** Rahu Ratha (Rahu is the god of the void, and like his black chariot, these
enhancements allow the wearer to step into the Shadow)- spend 1WP, enter Twilight
for the scene, which also grants the wearer the ability to touch or strike twilight
entities such as ghosts or spirits.
** Surya Ratha (the wearer of these boosters becomes supremely fast and
lightweight, moving like a golden blur)- spend 1WP and roll Dex+Athletics, for each
success, the user gains 1 turn where they gain +5 speed, +1 defense, and +2 initiative.

* Kali Ratha (these boosters grant incredible leaping ability and improved speed)-
speed increases by 3 and for every success on an Athletics check to jump, the distance
is increased by +1 yard- i.e. 3 feet, or 0.9m. A character can normally jump 1 foot
vertically per success, but with these boosters can jump 1+3= 4 feet per success. A
standing horizontal jump is normally 2 feet per success, but 5 feet per success with
these boosters. A running jump is usually Size + 4 feet per success (5 feet + 4 feet per
success, requires 10 feet of running space), but is Size + 7 feet per success with these
boosters.

Keyur (Armbands): installed on the arms, generally the upper arm so it doesn’t
interfere with the installation of Shastra.

*-** Asura-Keyur (Grants the strength of the demons, flooding the arms with extra
power)- when the armor is activated, instead of a +1 strength bonus, add +2 (with a
one-dot armband) or +3 (with a two-dot armband). This armband has no extra WP
cost. Maximum strength is 5 dots (due to the strain on the human body, which would
be torn into pieces by the suit if it went any higher).

*** Krishna-Keyur (grants the strength of Krishna, who was not only strong, but
nimble, able to catch arrows out of the air)- when the armor is activated, add +3 to
strength (replacing the normal +1 bonus). If the strength exceeds 5, the user can
maintain it for a number of turns = Stamina before he takes 1B (per point of Strength
that exceeds 5) in damage per turn from the strain In addition, the wearer may spend
1WP for the scene to add +1 bonus dice to any all-out attacks; or to retain defense
against ranged weapons by using a full defensive action.

**** Rudra-Keyur (the ultimate in strength boosting tech, the wearer of this band can
move mountains- well, maybe just lift and throw automobiles)- when the armor is
activated, add +3 to Strength (replacing the normal +1 bonus). As Krishna-Keyur, any
Strength exceeding 5 deals damage after Stamina = turns. However, the wearer may
spend 1WP for the scene to do a number of stunts: 1. The wearer can lift 4x their
normal weight without penalty (normally Strength x 25lbs; here Str x 100lbs; you add
another 100 lbs of weight per -1 pen to speed and actions, while pushing instead of
lifting is x2) as well as throw objects in size = twice their Strength. 2. The wearer is
immune to Knockdown effects. 3. The wearer can deal Knockdown with any attack
that deals more damage than the target has in Stamina. 4. Juggernaut- the wearer
can move their normal speed through walls or barriers with less durability than their
strength with a running start. When this effect wears off, the wearer is fatigued.

** Srivatsa Shield (this armband is installed on the wrist, blocking the installation of a
Shastra on that arm, it unfolds like a golden lotus blossom and acts as an incredible
shield)- as a reflexive action costing 1WP, this large shield made of ayas metal snaps
out like a flower, providing a -2 dice penalty to any attack rolls, acting as moderate
cover. Unlike normal shields, it has 8 durability and absorbs most strikes or blows-
negating any Knockdown tilts.

Shastra (Weapons): installed on the arms or hands. Unless otherwise noted, Shastra
that use ammunition restore their ammunition supply after 24 hours.

** Indra’s Net (a net-launcher on the arm, the net is self-repairing composite weave
and coated in a chemical similar to LSD)- spend 1WP to launch the net, range 2/5/-, on
a successful Dex+Firearms roll, the target suffers the Entangled tilt for 1 turn per
success, in addition, they must make a Stamina roll or suffer the Disorientated
Condition. Targets can successfully break free from the net if they make a contested
Strength roll = attack successes, or attacks the net with a knife, dealing 3 structure
damage against Durability 2.

**** Brahmadanda (a rod that nullifies any supernatural power it touches)- spend
1WP, on a successful hit, the 1L rod (as a baton) removes any shield spells or
supernatural effects on the target, at one dot of effect/dread power per success. The
user can also extend the rod into a staff to gain the reaching effect.

*Ekasha-Gada (a mace head attached to a chain, it generates its own gravity field
until it hits with the force of a dozen elephants)- a 2L mace (as a metal club), spend
1WP, on every strike during the scene that deals more damage than the target’s
Stamina, the weapon inflicts the Knockdown tilt and an added +1B.

** Drona Blade (a katar blade that pops out from the arm, it generates an energy field
around the edge that allows it to cleave other weapons or armor in two)- a 2L blade
(as a machete), by spending 1WP it ignores up to 4 points of armor or durability for
the scene, inflicting the Pierced Armor condition if it successfully damages any armor.

* Indra Axe (a fold-out axe that emits an electrical field)- a 2L axe (as a light ax) that by
spending 1WP, it deals an additional +1B of electrical damage, if it deals more damage
than the target’s Stamina, the weapon also inflicts the Stunned tilt for a single turn.

**** Yama Paasha (it unleashes a whip which drains the willpower out a person
entangled by it)- a metal coiled whip of corroded bronze with tiny micro-barbs, it is a
0L weapon with reach; by spending 1WP for a scene, the user can initiate a ranged
Grapple, on a success, the whip drains 1 point of Willpower per turn which can be
added to the user’s pool (up to max).

* Vel of Murugan (a retractable spear that springs out from the arm, the owner can
extend or shrink the length; it can also be thrown and return to the user’s hand)- acts
as a spear, when activated with 1WP for the scene, the owner can adjust the size as an
instant action- acts as a spear (2L -2init) which has reaching and is two-handed (size
4), or can be shrunk down to a shortspear with the same damage but no reach while
one-handed (size 2), or can be extended to a longspear (3L), with reaching and +1 def
against foes with shorter weapons (size 5). As a spear, it can be thrown (x2/x5/x10)
and will return on command as an instant action.
*** Madhu Trident (a harpoon-like weapon launched from the forearm with
retractable barbed tines and fins that stabilize it in flight. The user can direct its flight
path, to curve around cover and to follow a fleeing target; a thin cable allows the user
to retract the trident back to him)-

*** Praswapastra (a weapon that launches bronze eggs that emit a purple gas that
covers a battlefield and cause everyone to fall asleep)- spend 1WP and roll Dex +
Firearms to target an area (range 50/100/200), on a hit, an area 10 yards in size is
filled with a thick smoke, not only does it provide Concealment, the gas makes targets
fall asleep (as Comatose condition though this condition ends if injured) unless they
make a Stamina + Resolve check. A success instead inflicts the Lethargic condition,
while an exceptional success suffers zero conditions. This weapon has a magazine of 3
gas grenades; which restores at the rate of 1 per day.

** Agneyastra (a flamethrower weapon that attaches to the back of the wrist. The
blue flames continue to burn even under water)- as flamethrower (0L, range 2/5/10,
magazine 5 bursts of flame), spend 1WP and emit a stream of flame by rolling Dex +
Firearms; each success does 1 point of fire damage, ignoring all but total cover. In
addition, a person who receives at least 1 point of fire damage also receives the
Burning tilt. Unlike normal fire, this tilt can’t be resolved using water.

** Nagastra (a crossbow like weapon the length of an arm, it fires a heavy bolt with a
snake-like head that bites down on the target and injects potent naga venom)- while it
can act as a heavy crossbow (3L, range 40/80/160, reloads every 2 rounds, magazine
holds 5 bolts), when 1WP is spent, the bolts writhe like snakes and bare their fangs
for the scene. On a successful attack, the bolt inflicts damage and the Poison tilt with a
Toxicity = number of successes.

***** Vaishnavastra (this recoilless railgun fires a bolt of ayas metal 7 times faster
than sound, it easily penetrates armor and most forms of cover)- acts as a railgun
dealing 5L damage (range 250/500/1000) with a magazine that holds 1 round. It
penetrates any cover or armor, ignoring up to 12 points of armor or hardness;
reducing cover to zero. Any target hit by the round suffers the Knockdown tilt,
Pierced Armor tilt, and the Stunned tilt for one turn, plus the Bleeding tilt if damage
exceeds Stamina. In addition, anyone behind the target can be struck as well, reroll
the attack at ½ the dice, hitting as many additional targets as there might be. Firing
the round costs 2WP, with 1 point spent on the turn before firing just to power it up.

** Varunastra (a liquid metal weapon, it can take the shape of any size 2 weapon)-
spend 1WP to shape the liquid metal into the weapon desired, it will hold the shape
until commanded back into liquid form. Any weapon of size 2 can be shaped, from
short swords, light axes, clubs, chains, katar, tiger claws, and even a crossbow, though
bolts have to be provided separately.

***** Narayanastra (a weapon that fires a rocket that bursts into thousands of metal
needles to hit multiple targets as it arcs down from the sky)- by taking an aiming
action, this can negate total cover. Spend 2WP to fire (with the 2nd point spent the
turn after it fires to detonate the charge), it acts as a 3L ranged explosive, dealing
damage within a 20 yard radius, with only 1 round in the chamber. The needles are 9-
inches long and made of ayas metal, ignoring up to 3 points of armor or hardness.
This weapon inflicts Knockdown and Pinned tilts, and Bleeding on any target who
takes more damage than their dots in Stamina.

**** Indra-vajra (Indra’s Thunderbolt, a weapon that fires a bolt of lightning, it looks
like a bronze rod with wings at the end)- Spend 1WP, this weapon fires a bolt of
lightning that deals 8B damage against a target, for each success on a hit, it inflicts the
Stunned tilt for 1 turn unless the subjects succeeds on a Stamina + Composure check
vs. the number of successes. This weapon has a second setting where it instead
inflicts 4L damage plus the Stunned tilt. It can be fired twice under the first setting, or
just once under the second setting.

*** Sudarshana Chakra (a razor magnetic disc launcher located on the forearm, the
discs spin incredibly fast to deal extremely deep wounds)- Upon spending 1WP for a
scene, this weapon fires several dozen discs in rapid succession, as a 1L ranged
weapon with the autofire capability up to medium burst (range 20/40/80; magazine
30 discs); in addition these discs cut through armor, with piercing 2; because the arc of
the discs can be somewhat controlled, using the aiming action, the user can negate 1
dice of penalties due to cover, or to target limbs or other parts of the body.

Lost Treasures: these are treasures or shastra that they have found records of, but
haven’t located yet.

***** Karna Kavacha (a full complete powered armor suit, it was designed for a king,
with the face mask of a bearded noble and extra plates of ayas metal inscribed with
silver runes added to the shoulders, chest and back)- operates as a suit of Shakti-
Kavacha, except it has 4/3 armor and all the pieces are of ayas metal with durability 8.
The suit also contains an AI named Karna, which communicates in ancient Vak, the
lost language of the proto-Indo-Europeans; though it can read and understand
Sanskrit in part. Understanding this AI and following its tactical advice can grant the
Small Unit Tactics merit at 2 dots and the Trained Observer merit at 1 dot.

****** Shiva Kavacha (the ultimate battlesuit, legends say it was made of red gold
and invincible)- operates as the Shakti-Kavacha, except with 5/4 armor, with the
pieces made of modified ayas metal with durability 9, and the strength bonus being +3
to start (with no damage for exceeding Str5). The armor has internal energy storage
in the form of a large crystal, being able to store up to 10WP for future use of the
armor’s systems. 1WP can be spent to initiate a number of effects: 1. The armor
heats up for the scene, dealing +1L (fire) damage with any Brawl or grappling attack,
and successes on the attack exceeding target’s Dexterity inflicts the Burning condition.
2. While heated up, the wearer gains the Energized condition for the scene. 3. The
armor can be set to self-destruct, burning through the remaining pool of WP stored
inside to deal 1L per WP, with a blast radius of 100 yards per WP burned; targets hit
by the blast gain the Burning tilt and are turned to ash if they die. Ironically, the
armor’s high durability means it often survives the blast while the wearer does not,
with the different pieces scattered far away. The crystal however is cracked and must
be replaced.

**** Jaivardhan (similar to the Srivatsa, but able to absorb even the blast from a
rocket)- This shield unfurls like a golden lotus flower as a reflexive action at 1WP,
providing a -3 cover penalty against any attacks. While in use, the shield absorbs any
vibrations or blast effects, negating Knockdown and Stunned tilts, and against any
beam or energy weapons can deflect it towards another target with a successful
Dexterity roll.

***** Kiriti (the Celestial Diadem, the Crown of Indra the Storm God)- wearer of the
crown ignores up to 4 electricity damage by default each turn; by spending 1WP
reflexively, they may instead absorb up to 12 dice worth of electricity damage per day
and turn 1/4th of that into bonus WP points.

***** Vaidurya (a Mani gemstone, it grants an aura of heroism and good looks)-
spend 1WP, while the armor is active, the wearer gains the 3-dot Inspiring merit and
the 2-dot Striking Looks merit.

******* Pushpa Vimana (said to be a flying palace in the old texts, it was a golden
battleship that looked like a floating many tiered stupa, bristling with energy
weapons)- treat as a size 50 Gunship (helicopter) with the same speed and ability to
hover, and similar weapons (as Heavily Armed except using beam weapons instead of
missiles or heavy cannons at 5L; each of the 24 weapons requires a gunner), and the
ability to carry up to 180 passengers, with 3 pilots to maneuver it (-2 handling).
Durability is 20 and Structure is 50.

**** Chandrahas (“the Laughter of the Moon”, a Shastra long curving blade that is
deadly to shapechangers, it flips out of the length of the arm)- a 3L saber with a silver
edge that continually sharpens itself, when 1WP is spent for the scene, any wound
also infects the shapechanger with a nanovirus that prevents them from
shapeshifting. Any attempt to shift requires a Stamina + Composure check with a -3
penalty.

**** Kali-Kharga (the demon slaying sword)- a 3L double-edged longsword, upon

spending 1WP, any demon or spirit occupying a body is expelled upon a hit, and the
sword can harm such spirits even in Twilight, dealing an extra +1L against them.

***** Jayantha Vel (a Shastra installed in the brow, it granted the power of Shiva’s
third eye)- once every 24 hours, 2WP can be spent to unleash a 6L beam of hot plasma
(dealing fire damage) that ignites targets in a row (as Medium Burst, up to 3 targets
near each other) and grants the Burning tilt. The beam burns through steel like
butter, ignoring up to 8 points of armor or durability.

******* Brahmastra (the deadliest Shastra, it was said that when fired, the soil and
air would be poisoned for years, even metal. Top experts on the Shastra believe it
was some sort of radioactive weapon)- spend 2WP, acts as a missile launcher that can
only be fired once (8L, range 150/300/600, magazine 1), the blast area is 500 yards,
with a Force of 5, dealing Knockdown and possessing Armor Piercing 12. In addition,
any target in the first 100 yards suffers from Acute Radiation poisoning (Toxicity 5)-
receiving an immediate 5L damage unless they make a Sta+Res-Tox check (or is
wearing an NBC suit), and is afflicted with the Fatigue condition and Nausea for the
next 12 hours, suffering a -3 penalty to all rolls. This is followed by 5L per day for the
next 5 days, suffering a -5 penalty to all rolls due to bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
They are also rendered sterile and if (somehow) they survive, they are likely to
develop several cancers in the next few years. Targets between 100-250 yards away
from center only suffer Severe Radiation poisoning (Toxicity 4)- suffering 4L unless a
save is made and afflicted with a -2 penalty to all rolls for 12 hours. This is followed by
4L per day for the next 4 days, and a -4 to all rolls. If they survive, they will be infertile
for 60 days and likely develop cancer in the next few years. Targets between 250-500
yards only suffer Moderate radiation poisoning (Toxicity 3)- suffering 3L, a -1 penalty
for 12 hours, and 3L per day for the next 3 days, with -3 to all rolls, infertility for 30
days and some chance of cancer. The soil, any equipment or metal, will be
contaminated for the next 3 years with Light radiation (Toxicity 2)- causing only 2B
damage on contact, but -1 penalty for 24 hours, with 2B per day for the next 2 days, at
a -2 to all rolls. Secret: this weapon’s radiation effect (but not the initial blast) also
affects the Twilight, with spirits nearby being poisoned by a spiritual radiation that
warps and mutates them unless they make a POW+Spirit Rank save.

***** Varuna Chhatra (a mystic umbrella, the engineers believe it was the ultimate
protection for repelling attacks)- upon activation, 1WP, for the next turns = dots in
Shakti-Kavacha, the bearer of this umbrella is protected under a forcefield that
provides 10/10 dots in armor and negates tilts like Knockback or Stunned.
Unfortunately, this armor also applies to attacks from the user protected under the
umbrella.

***** Dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma, a large golden wheel used for crushing
enemies under the weight of their dharma)- roll Strength + Weaponry, dealing +3L
damage. By spending 1WP, you deal an additional +1L damage for each point the
target’s Integrity (or Humanity, whatever system they use to track morality) is below
8; literally crushing them under the weight of their sin.

***** Manavastra (a weapon that could change a target’s personality, rendering a

demon of sin into a moral one)- a tight beam of light aimed at the skull, spend 1WP,
on a success of Dex + Firearms minus Resolve, the target replaces one of their Virtues
or Vices. With two successes, both can be affected, and with three successes, the
target can GAIN an additional new Vice or Virtue. By adjusting the setting, the user
can instead inflict a single Mental condition on the target that lasts one day per
success- for example, Doubtful, Driven, Emboldened, Faith, Guilty, Shaken, Stoic,
Swooned, or Withdrawn.

***** Suryastra (a weapon that uses beams of light, blinding foes and drying up
rivers)- Fires up to 5 beams, one per turn, upon spending 1 WP; each light beam deals
4L in damage (range 1000/2000/-) on a Dex+Firearms check, and if aimed at the head
(-3 pen), causes the Blindness tilt. Each target must drink water within the same
scene of being struck or roll a Sta + Com check, or suffer the Deprived condition due to
dehydration. Light beams deal Aggravated damage against creatures weak against
sunlight.

**** Mohini Astra (a weapon that could dispel any illusions and reveal true forms)-
spend 1WP to unleash a sonic weapon that inflicts 0B, but on a Dex+Firearms check
against a radius of 20 yards in a circle around the user, any illusions in the area are
dispelled and creatures concealing their true forms are revealed.

Adharma Astra- according to legend, once 4 Golden-Bodied Guardians went against

Dharma, betraying the order and using their powers for evil. They fashioned their
own divine weapons which are considered unholy and were lost after they were
defeated.

**** Mayastra (the weapon of illusion and delusion, it drives armies insane and sets
them to fighting each other)- spend 1WP and roll Dex + Firearms to target an area
(range 50/100/200), on a hit, an area 50 yards in size is filled with an invisible chemical
weapon that inflicts the Insane tilt for the scene unless the targets make a Stamina
check; success instead inflicts the Confused condition for a turn. Once the scene is
over, targets must roll a Com+Res check to avoid gaining the Madness condition.

**** Kakkai Kodi (a flag worn on the back, devoted to the goddess of misfortune, it
generates a probability field designed to increase mishaps and bad luck)- spend 1WP,
generate a field of bad luck, as 3-dot Thief of Fate merit except you do not need to
touch someone, the merit works as long as someone remains within 10 yards of you-
and the ill-luck can affect multiple targets. You gain +4 dice when spending WP on an
action, while those within your field suffer dramatic failures for all failed rolls (this
includes allies.

***** Halahala (the supreme poison, the deadliest toxin- scholars are unsure how
powerful this weapon really is)- this sprayer mounted on the wrist fires a 5-yard long
stream of blue liquid. This acts as an acid, dealing 0L damage on contact with a
Dex+Firearms roll that also inflicts the severe Poison tilt with a Toxicity of 10
(effectively 1L of damage per turn for 10 turns) to any target that fails a combined Sta
+ Res check minus Toxicity. Taking more than 3 turns of harm from the poison means
that after recovering from the toxin, the target will suffer a long-term Chronic Agony
condition as their nerves in the affected area are fused together. Unlike normal
poisons, this poison is supernatural and affects creatures normally immune such as
undead or lycanthropes, though they receive a +2 bonus to the saving roll.

***** Claws of Sitala (pop-out tiger claws that appear from the knuckles, even a
casual brush against the skin causes pox pustules to break out, along with weeping
sores and bruises)- as tiger claws, roll Str + Brawl to inflict +1L damage; by spending
1WP, the claws will also infect the target with a supernaturally modified variant of
smallpox that covers the target in bloody blisters, weeping sores, and large pustules.
A successful strike will inflict the Sick (Grave) tilt with a Severity = successes+1, which
inflicts a -1 penalty on all actions that increases by 1 every two turns unless the
character gets immediate bedrest (up to a maximum of -5 by turn 9). In addition, the
character will take 1L each turn. During combat, the target can resist the effects with
a Sta+Res check minus Severity. Supernatural characters normally immune to diseases
(like lycanthropes or vampires) are still affected by the disease, but receive a +2 bonus
to their checks to resist damage and the penalties. Upon bedrest, the tilt ends and the
character instead receives the Chronic Sickness condition (weaponized smallpox).
Targets receive Severity # in Lethal damage per day, unless they make a Sta+Res
minus Severity check to resist; after accumulating 20 successes, the target is cured. If
treated in a hospital setting with antivirals, the character receives a +2 bonus on the
roll. In the meantime, the character is infectious with smallpox, able to pass it on to
anyone not vaccinated by touch.

NPCs:

Keyur Chowdhury- CEO of Haans-Chowdhury Productions and a former film director

who produced a remake of the Vālī the Guardian films (I, II the Return, and part III) as
well as the TV series.

Victoria Haans-Chowdhury- a scion of both families that own stock in the production
house, she was a Romantic lead in several films in the 1980’s before becoming a
director.

Khan Shivatar Chowdhury- the male lead of several action pictures, famous for his
mustache and incredible stunts. He got his start as a stuntman before progressing to
lead actor. He played the character of Vālī in the latest films.

Edgar William Haans- an engineer and special effects director, he has gotten further
than most in determining how the suits work. The problem is acquiring the materials,
especially the rare crystals and ayas metal. He believes that a mission underground
can find the materials, as texts describe the underground lost kingdom of Agartha as
possessing many such crystals. Failing that, he supposes he could make fake crystals
to store the Prana energy by growing them in zero-G conditions on a space station.

Dr. Durgawati Nandi- not a member of the Family, but recruited into the Production
team due to her expertise in pre-Vedic civilizations and languages. She has been
translating some of the markings found on the suit and believes they are the mythical
language called Vak, the proto-Indo-European tongue. She acts as a Historical
Production Consultant on any epic films based on the Vedic scriptures.

Rudra Divakar, “the Rogue Suit”- a stuntman who discovered the Karna-Kavacha suit
but has run off with it in order to become a full-time monster killer. He’s obsessed,
with some believing he’s been taken over by the suit’s AI. Shakti-Kavacha Endowment
(5 dots): Karna-Kavacha suit, plus Jayantha Vel (5 dots), Rudra-Keyur (4 dots), Aksaya-
Soma (3 dots), Drona Blade (2 dots), and Kali-Ratha (1 dot). Also add Mundamala (4
dots) and Shiva-Kundala (4 dots). He appears in the city, suddenly bursting through
walls like a golden demon in glistening metal and ripping supernatural creatures apart.