#imbued

[doli-nemae]

Hunters, I reckon?

(Dennis belongs to @voronyi !!!!!!)

[seaplusglass]

Citizens of Meteor City

To challenge myself, I decided to draw all the player characters (+1 mod character of @zeirt's) for me and their RP group! Being able to draw everyone was super fun and cool!!

[bethanythebogwitch]

Intro to Hunter: the Reckoning lore

Hunter: the Reckoning is a tabletop roleplaying game for the World of Darkness setting. Or more accurately, it's two games with the same name that use a lot of the same terminology for different things. This requires some real-word explanation. World of Darkness's original run was in the 80s and 90s and all the games were leading up to an apocalypse. In the 2000s, the apocalypse happened and the games were ended. The same publisher then started a new line of games called the New World of Darkness or Chronicles of Darkness that shared the same general theme of multiple games sharing a setting all revolving around supernatural creatures hiding amongst humanity. Then, the old World of Darkness came back with a 20th anniversary edition of most games that ignored the apocalypse. Currently, the old World of Darkness is undergoing a reboot of sorts, with new games coming out that change the setting's lore and the themes of the games. This rebooted World of Darkness currently has new versions of Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, and Hunter. Hunter had its original edition back in the 90s and it's second edition as part of the reboot. The 2nd edition is also called Hunter 5 because its part of the same edition as Vampire 5th edition. Yes, it's confusing. The issue with Hunter in particular is that 1st and 2nd edition are really totally different games. 1st edition has you playing as the Imbued, people who have been granted powers by mysterious voices and instructed to fight monsters. 2nd edition has you playing as ordinary people fighting monsters, with no powers or mystic voices. I'll cover them both here. Links to previous World of Darkness lore posts at the bottom.

1st edition

In 1999, a lot of things happened. The Camarilla and Sabbat, the two biggest vampire societies, waged a shadow war over control of the east coast of the USA. The god-like Antediluvian vampire Zapathasura rose from slumber and devoured most of his clan and a good chunk of India before being put down by science wizards with space mirrors. The Sixth Great Maelstrom ravaged the underworld, destroying the society of ghosts and hurling countless of them into the world of the living to possess corpses. The gates of hell cracked open, allowing demons to escape and begin possessing bodies. Mages had their access to space and the spirit world cut off by the Avatar Storm, leaving the most powerful and influential mages unable to access Earth. A red star only visible to the supernatural appeared in the sky and supernatural beings across the world had nightmares. And in the aftermath of all this havoc, ordinary humans started receiving messages from mysterious beings that granted them powers and the urge to fight back and reclaim the world for humanity.

For as long as the supernatural has lurked amongst humanity, there have been people who took up arms and fought back. The Imbued are different from those earlier hunters in their powers and connection to the mysterious Messengers. The moment of imbuing happens different for every person who goes through it. For most, it starts as an ordinary day, until suddenly the veil is peel back and they understand that they are looking at something supernatural. In this moment, their perception is altered, seeing supernatural beings as exaggerated versions of themselves that are impossible to ignore. You boss could show up with a grotesquely large mouth lined with fangs. A glimpse down a dark alley could reveal a slimy horror with too many eyes peeking out of a dumpster. A politician in a local rally could have swirling stars orbiting her head and tendrils of darkness extending from her mouth. Regardless of how it happens, in that moment, the Messengers will contact the new hunter for the first time with a command: "inherit the Earth". What happens next depends on the hunter. Those who take action against the monster they see before them will become Imbued, receiving the special powers that mark them. Those who fail to act, who get scared off or decide it's not their problem, become Bystanders. They get no powers, but remain aware of the existence of the supernatural. Many will try to go back to their old lives, but find that they cannot ignore the monsters around them. It's too late for them, though. The chance to become Imbued never happens twice.

All Imbued gain some supernatural abilities, but these abilities by themselves rarely make them a direct match for monsters. This forces the Imbued to work in groups, carefully plan their hunts, and utilize mundane skills in combination with their powers. All Imbued have access to the Second Sight, an ability to see the supernatural hiding amongst humans. To a hunter who has their Second Sight activated, Spirits possessing people appear projected on their skin, ghosts look physical, illusions fall away, and supernaturals can be distinguished from humans. A vampire could appear unnaturally pale or look like they aren't breathing, a werewolf in human form could seem unnaturally hairy or smell like a dog, and a changeling could have pointed ears or an aura of fey magic around themselves. Another ability the Imbued share is the instinctual ability to understand a series of symbols called hunter code or the Word. These symbols seem to have been invented by the Messengers and their meanings are imprinted in an Imbued's mind, giving them an easy way to communicate through language barriers and without monsters being able to decode their meanings. Indeed, most supernatural beings struggle to even notice hunter code, let alone interpret the symbols. Imbued are also resistant to magical effects that would alter the mind or reshape the body. This does not protect them from magical harm. A mage may not be able to mind control an Imbued or turn them into a frog, but they can still roast the hunter with a fireball. Finally, Imbued have powers called Edges.

Edges are different from the Second Sight, hunter code, and resistance to magic in that they are not universal. Different individuals will get different Edges based on their skills, paths, and the desires of the Messengers. Edges are not innate to the Imbued, they are granted by the Messengers and must be earned. The way to earn Edges is to further progress on the path the Messengers have set you on and to devote yourself more and more fully to the hunt. Imbued have a well of power called Conviction, a measure of their determination and faith in their cause. The more Conviction one has, the more powerful the Edges they get access to, but the more disconnected they become from reality. The most powerful Imbued are completely insane, leaving their old lives behind and becoming solely devoted to the hunt as the words of the Messengers drive them to ever more extreme acts of violence against the supernatural. Many Imbued are disturbed by the implication that the Messengers want them to become effectively thoughtless killing machines.

There are multiple types of Imbued, each given a different mission by the Messengers. While there is a lot of debate by Imbued over what the types are, the biggest consensus is that there are 9 Creeds of Imbued divided into three Virtues.

The Virtue of Mercy is followed by Imbued who focus on protecting the innocent and helping monsters seek redemption. In their Imbuing, Mercy Imbued often perform actions like evacuating civilians, trying to reason with the monster, or taking the bullet for an innocent. Other Imbued often view Mercy hunters as too sympathetic or even in bed with the enemy. The Mercy Creeds are:

Innocents believe in trying to understand monsters. They believe that through mutual understanding, monsters (or at least some of them) can be redeemed and prevented from harming innocent people. They prefer an open open dialogue, but understand that isn't always possible. Walking up to a vampire and asking it what it's like to be undead is a good way to get your and all your friends quietly disposed of. Thus, they often use Edges that focus on observation and understanding monsters, as well as using their knowledge to support other Imbued.

Martyrs protect the innocent by putting themselves in harms way instead. They believe it is their duty to take on the harms of others and thus they will throw themselves into danger. These are the people who will jump between a raging werewolf and their target just because they think it's the right thing to do. Martyrs often need the help of other Imbued to function best and even then they tend to be the shortest-lived of all Imbued. Martyr Edges typically focus on empowering others at their own expense.

Redeemers believe that not all monsters are bad and that some of them can be healed. They view the supernatural not as inherently evil, but as an unnatural condition that should be cured. In the case of some, this means a clean death, for Redeemers know that some monsters really are just plain evil. Redeemers have an ability to create a substitute for sustenance that a monster could otherwise only get from humans. For example, a Redeemer could substitute blood for a vampire or Glamour for a changeling. Their edges focus on helping monster control their dark urges and find redemption.

The Virtue of Vision is followed by Imbued who focus on long-term strategies and understanding the big picture. In their Imbuing, they took actions such as planning out what to do and seeking to understand the new world they were confronted with. They seek greater understanding of the world and knowledge of how to create lasting change beyond just the next hunt. The Virtue of Vision is the rarest and only one of its creeds is common. The other two are generally considered failed experiments of the Messengers. The Creeds of Vision are:

Visionaries are the only common Vision creed and the most functional one. They are full of questions about the nature of the world and the rule of the supernatural. Knowledge is the best weapon and they wield it well. Visionaries are the best at making long-term plans and tend to place themselves as the strategists and leaders of Hunter groups. Every Visionary believes they can create a better world with the right resources and plan, not just for humans but maybe even for the monsters as well. Their Edges focus on information gathering and communication.

Hermits are those who can hear the words of the Messengers constantly. All Imbued get these messages, but for hermits, they never stop. These poor Imbued are in a state of constant sensory overload that only gets worse when near the supernatural. They get their name from the tendency to isolate themselves in remote places to try to control the constant barrage of stimulus. Despite this, they are still Imbued and have the tendency to pass along the information they gather from the Messengers to others. Their edges focus on channeling the will of the Messengers and long-distance communication, making some suspect they were intended to be mission control for the Imbued.

Waywards are defined by an overwhelming desire to see the supernatural purged at all costs. Stuff like civilian casualties, moral limits, and reasonable behavior is all irrelevant to them. If a hundred people have to die to kill one vampire, they will do it without hesitation. What's worse is that they aren't just rampaging berserkers either. Waywards are cunning, intelligent, and capable of long-term strategies that make them terrifying to their enemies and supposed allies alike. Waywards have the 'detect monster' part of the Second Sight permanently turned on, meaning they are constantly bombarded with the influence of the supernatural, something that only makes them even more ruthless and determined. Most Imbued view waywards at utter psychopaths little better than the monsters they hunt.

The Virtue of Zeal is followed by Imbued who focus on confronting and slaying the supernatural. During their Imbuing, they turned to violence. Zeal Imbued are filled with righteous fury and the desire to destroy monsters. However, they are not all warriors. Some have found other ways to defeat their targets. Many Imbued of Zeal view themselves as the only true hunters and the rest as posers and cowards. Creeds of Zeal are:

Avengers focus on punishing monsters who deserve it. The criteria for this varies depending on the Avenger, there are plenty who think all supernatural beings deserve destruction. Still, the majority target monsters who have committed some kind of crime like killing people. Once a monster is judged guilty, the only proper punishment is death. Avengers prefer to work alone or with other Avengers. Their Edges tend to focus on dealing damage and enhancing their weapons.

Defenders believe the focus of the hunt should be on protecting innocents. While they are certainly capable of attacking monsters, Defenders think that focusing all on offense is a good way to get yourself killer or become a worse monster than what you're hunting. They believe that the Imbued need to hold onto their compassion lest they become rampaging mobs of mindless killers. Defenders tend to focus on strategy and protecting their allies when on the hunt. Unlike Martyrs, Defenders are not compelled to take damage on behalf of others. They would prefer setting things up so nobody gets hurt. Their Edges focus on defense.

Judges believe that it is necessary to understand monsters so you can determine which ones deserve to die. They believe that evil is a choice one makes, not an inherent condition of the supernatural, and that those who choose evil must be punished. Unlike Avengers, Judges do not always believe death is an appropriate punishment. Some Judges have the ability to brand a sinner (human or monster) with a curse that will punish them with some kind of effect if the sinner breaks a condition the Judge sets. Their Edges allow them to force monsters to face the consequences of their actions.

The messengers are central to the Imbued, but nobody knows what they are. The Imbued experience their messages differently. They may come as a voice in the back of your head, text messages from an unknown number, Morse code in flickering streetlights, or any number of other things. The messages often conform to an Imbued's pre-existing beliefs. For example, a Christian Imbued could experience the messages as visits from angels or hidden meanings in Bible passages. The Messenger's words are rarely straightforward, instead layered with uncertainty and metaphor that must be deciphered. The one common phrase all Imbued receive is "inherit the Earth", which most take to mean their mission is to wrench control of the world away from the supernatural, if not exterminate it entirely. There are considerable debated amongst the Imbued about the nature of the Messengers, arguing over whether they're angels, gods, spirits, aliens, or something weirder. They also argue over the goals of the Messengers and even how many there are. Most assume there are either three Messengers, one for each Virtue, or nine, one for each Creed. The Messengers themselves are so ambiguous that they aren't helping with the confusion.

According to official material intended for GMs and not players, the Messengers either are or are led by the Ministers of Creation, known in Asia as the Scarlet Queen and Ebon Dragon. According to the Asian vampires known to outsiders as the Kuei-Jin (Who you can read about in my Kuei-Jin post), the Scarlet Queen and Ebon Dragon are the embodiments of Yin and Yang and the last loyal members of the Celestial Bureaucracy that God set up to managed the world. This would make the Imbued the modern incarnation of the Wan Xian, heroes chosen by the Queen and Dragon in ancient times from among the ranks of humanity. The Wan Xian eventually fell from grace and became the Kuei-Jin, making the Imbued a second try at the same idea. Meanwhile, Lucifer (yes, that one) believes the Messengers are the last two angels left in creation after God abandoned it. These theories are likely both true as the god of the Celestial Bureaucracy and the God who created the angels and turned Caine into the first vampire are pretty explicitly the same guy. As for why the Imbued only started appearing in 1999, it's likely that the havoc of that year was either the last straw that convinced the Ministers to take action or that something was preventing them from acting beforehand.

One of the biggest resources the Imbued have is hunter-net, an anonymous internet forum created by a Visionary Imbued and granted protection by the Messengers. On it, Imbued can share tips, coordinate hunts, and debate over the nature of their powers, the Messengers, and the mission. The Messengers' protection helps keep other supernatural beings from discovering hunter-net, but this protection is not flawless and hunter-net has been breached more than once. Because of this, there is a strict rule that no user may reveal personal information or use their real names and many users prefer to use coded messages while communicating.

The Imbued aren't in Hunter 5, but the lore never explicitly says they don't exist anymore. If you know how the rules work and have the old rules, you can recreate them in H5.

Hunter 5

Unlike the Imbued of 1st edition, the hunters of H5 are ordinary people who have learned that the supernatural exists and have chosen to fight back. Monsters have lurked among humanity for as long as humanity has existed, preying on and manipulating people for their own ends. For just as long there have been brave people who have stood up and refused to be prey. The vampires were chased into hiding by the Inquisition and the werewolves' domination of stone-age humanity was ended in part by humans learning to use silver against them. You are the newest generation of this ancient legacy, someone who has learned the true nature of the world. While others would try to hide, resume their normal lives, or join the monsters, you stood up and said "no more". This new life is a dangerous one. You are constantly outmatched, have to be paranoid, and you will get little rest, but as long as there are people like you who stand up, the monsters will never fully win.

Hunters come from all walks of life, but they are all defined by their Drive. Drive is a gameplay term, not something used in-universe and it refers to a hunter's conviction and why they do what they do. For gameplay purposes, there are multiple types of Drive that are very broad categories defining why a hunter does what they do.

The Drive of Atonement is followed by those who seek to redeem themselves from some past transgression through the hunt. They may have knowingly or unknowingly aided a monster in the past, failed to protect somebody, or committed some other transgression and not believe the only way to redeem themselves it to kill monsters. Atonement can lead to indomitable will, but can also lead to taking unnecessary risks to earn forgiveness.

The Drive of Curiosity is followed by those who want to learn more about the supernatural. They are insatiable, constantly looking for more information on the nature of this new world they find themselves in. While different hunters use this knowledge in different ways, the desire to learn is the key trait. Knowledge is useful on the hunt, but many Curious hunters will prioritize learning something new over the hunt.

The Drive of Envy is followed by those who see the powers that the monster have and get jealous. They want what the monsters have, either to better hunt in the future or out of simple personal desire. These hunters seek to become supernatural themselves, but on their own terms. Becoming a vampire, stealing the skin of a werewolf, or learning the secrets of magic is what drives them. These hunters bring a great amount of knowledge to the hunt, but their loyalties are always in question.

The Drive of Greed is followed by those who are in it for the money. Supernatural beings have ways of accumulating vast resources, whether it be the generation wealth of vampires or the advanced technology of the Technocracy, and these hunters want it. Greedy hunters can bring vast resources to the hunt, but can you really trust someone whose in it for the money?

The Drive of Pride if followed by those who have something to prove. They can't stand that the monsters are just stronger than them and need to make sure they're the ones on top. These hunters often follow honor codes that demand them to challenge and overcome their quarry. These hunters will almost never give up, but their pride can make them make stupid mistakes.

The Drive of Vengeance is followed by those who were wronged by monsters and are out to settle the score. Either they or someone close to them was harmed or killed by something supernatural and now they demand justice. These hunters can be counted on to bring the pain to the supernatural, but their desire for revenge can override their better judgement.

Hunters come from all walks of life, but most can be sorted into one of five Creeds. These are very broad categories describing a hunter's attitude and the skills and methods they bring to the hunt. These terms are not usually used in-universe, instead being gameplay terms.

Hunters of the Entrepreneurial Creed believe in bringing innovation and creativity to the hunt. They are constantly on the lookout for ways to make the hunt safer, more effective, and more profitable. Entrepreneurials tend to come in two varieties: inventors and merchants. The former type tends to focus on creating new tools and methods for the hunt. This can be anything from making some silver bullets to take out a werewolf to advanced feats of machinery or enchanted artifacts. These devices tend to require field-testing and its always a good idea to have a backup The latter type focus more on amassing resources and finding ways to make money from the hunt. The hunter lifestyle does not lend itself well to holding down a steady job, so having someone on the team who can afford all those guns, medical supplies, and fake IDs is always a benefit. Entrepreneurial hunters tend to prefer capturing their quarry to killing it. Dead prey gives less information and that doesn't lead to profit. Example Entrepreneurial hunters could include an engineer constantly trying to improve their homemade weapons, an accountant who embezzles money and funnels it to other hunters, and someone who has figured out that vampire blood is the ultimate narcotic and now hunts to make sure their customers have a steady supply.

Hunters of the Faithful Creed are holy warriors driven by the power of their beliefs. They know that the monsters spoken of in their holy scriptures are real and it is their sacred duty to fight back. They burn with passion, for they know their cause is just. While other hunters tend to stereotype the Faithful as fire and brimstone zealots or obnoxious evangelists, they are far more diverse than that. While one hunter could be a firebrand bringing the wrath of god down on the demons, another could be a reluctant warrior who resents the burden placed on them or a pacifist who seeks to redeem the monsters. Many Faithful hunters have rituals they follow such as insisting on offering the quarry a chance to repent before the hut can begin, but they also often come with unshakable resolve and esoteric knowledge. Faithful hunters can come from any religion. You can find animist shamans, Buddhist monks, and avowed Satanists just as much as you can find members of the Abrahamic religions. Example Faithful hunters include a modern-day paladin out to bring the wrath of God down on the unholy demons, a shaman using their knowledge to keep the dead in their graves, and a priest who seeks to guide monsters to redemption.

Hunters of the Inquisitive Creed known that knowledge is more powerful than any gun. They focus on learning about the supernatural and using that information to aid in the hunt. If any Creed can be said to be the most important, it would probably be the Inquisitives. You can't fight what you don't understand. Inquisitives are the ones who can tell you that vampires aren't actually repelled by garlic before you make it a central part of your plan. Inquisitive hunters tend to prefer pragmatism and careful planning when on the hunt. There's very little value in getting yourself killed in a blaze of glory when you could instead get away and use what you learned to come back stronger. Some hunters distrust Inquisitives, viewing them as more interested in amassing secrets than they are in the hunt. It is true that actually destroying monsters is often a low priority for Inquisitive hunters, but they can be just as devoted to hunting as any other Creed, they just prefer to do it smart. Example Inquisitive hunters include a professor who discovered a tome of occult secrets deep in the university library and now seeks out more hidden knowledge, a cybersecurity expert trying to break into the secret accounts of vampires, and an information broker who makes sure other hunters are well-informed.

Hunters of the Martial Creed are the hunters among hunters. Marital hunters believe that the best defense against the supernatural is a good offense and they are therefore the Creed most focused on combat. While other hunters often stereotype them as meatheads and glory hounds, a smart Martial hunter knows they are the perpetual underdog in the fight against monsters and they aim to even the playing field with combat training and heavy firepower. Members of this Creed are the most likely to have formal combat training and while they focus on the destruction of the target, the smart ones are more than willing to engage in recon or research first. A target you don't understand is much harder to kill, after all. What a lot of Martial hunters don't like is ambiguity. They tend to dislike grey areas and the idea of using the supernatural to fight the supernatural. Many have a philosophy that says anything supernatural must be destroyed, with little room for nuance. This often frustrates their more flexible teammates, but when the chips are down and an angry reality bender is coming for your head, it's always a good idea to have a Martial hunter on your side. Example Martial hunters include an ex-soldier who discovered that there are much worse things than terrorists lurking in the night, a survivalist willing to turn their massive collection of guns against local werewolves, and a former victim of a vampire who now seeks the destruction of all bloodsuckers.

Hunters of the Underground Creed come from the outcasts and countercultures of the world. They start at the bottom and are forced to make do with what they have. Stuff like resources, backup, and good equipment are things that Underground hunters often just don't have access to. This means Underground hunters often have a policy of doing whatever it takes on the hunt, no matter how heinous. Morality and ethics are luxuries they can't afford. Underground hunters are often stereotyped as being criminals and there is an element of truth to this. Criminals are often the people with the kind of skills and connections that you need to be a hunter. When you live life at the bottom, getting in bed with cartels and making deals with smugglers are just the kind of things you need to do to survive when there are monsters on the prowl. That being said, anyone who makes use of underhanded tactics and limited resources can be an Underground hunter. Underground hunters tend to be skilled at stealth and subterfuge and will almost never choose to face the quarry on even ground. Their connections and lifestyles leave many other hunters wary, but if the choice is between having a gangbanger by your side facing a demon or going it alone, most hunters will be glad for the help. Example Underground hunters include a gangster who runs a protection racket keeping the local prostitutes safe from vampires, a radical political activist who targets monsters infiltrating local governments, and a member of a poverty-stricken community who has taken up arms against the creatures who prey on those nobody will miss.

Any halfway-intelligent hunter will quickly realize that they are deeply and dangerously outclassed by their quarry. Even the most thin-blooded vampire or novice witch has powers and abilities that are simply beyond what regular humans can accomplish. To defeat such prey, hunters need to work together. The basic unit of hunter society is the Cell, a small group of hunters working together for a common goal. Members of a cell don't need to agree with or like each other, but they better be able to work together because the monsters won't give them a second chance. Cells are extremely diverse in how they are structured and the people who join them. A cell could be anything from a pair of brothers who wander the country in a muscle car fighting monsters along the way to a trio of kpop idols who battle demons to a group of Californian high-school students led by a British librarian whose school has a weird tendency to attract monsters. Every hunter brings something to the hunt and these advantages are called Edges. There are as many types of Edges as there are hunters, but they can generally be classified into three types. Assets are resources the hunter can bring to the hunt, anything from money to weaponry to sources of information. Aptitudes are special skills such as equipment maintenance, cybersecurity access, and animal handling skills. Endowments are supernatural artifacts or abilities that the hunter can bring to the fight, such as an enchanted sword, basic skill in sorcery, or the ability to abjure the unholy.

Contrary to what one might think, actually fighting monsters is a small, albeit very intense and dangerous, part of the hunt. Because hunters are so outclassed by their quarry, they need to work to turn the odds in their favor. Most of the hunt therefore consists of doing research, gaining intel, devising a trap, and springing it. Direct fights are something most hunters want to avoid. Charging into a werewolf Caern guns blazing is a great way to get yourself torn to shreds while accomplishing nothing else. It's far better to learn the target's habits, lure it into a trap, and then pump as much ammunition into it as possible before it gets back up again. Being willing to cut and run or being good at improvising when something goes wrong are very good traits for a hunter to have if they want to survive long enough to hunt. Probably the biggest enemy of hunters is ignorance. The World of Darkness is a deep and strange place where the truth is hidden behind countless veils of lies and secrets. Even the supernatural beings themselves don't know all of what's going on. For example, a common vampire will have a pretty good idea of the political happenings of their city, a decent understanding of the Clans and their powers and weaknesses, and a working knowledge of what the Camarilla, Sabbal, and Anarchs are, but they probably will be in the dark about the global-scale power players and the ancient history and dark secrets of vampirism, let alone the nature of the underworld, the werewolves and their war with the Wyrm, or the reality-shaping conflict of the Ascension War. For hunters, this is even more true, as they don't have the benefit of being in one of the in groups. This lack of knowledge is extremely dangerous for hunters, especially when they think they've got a good handle on how things work. For example, a Cell may have figured out that some vampires can turn into wolves and think that's the origin of all werewolf myths. That Cell then would be completely unprepared should they face an actual werewolf that works very differently. There's also the matter of knowing what to hunt. For example, a Cell could take out a local witch only to find out afterwards that she was benevolent and keeping some dark spirits imprisoned. Because the Cell didn't do their due diligence, they now have a much worse problem on their hands and just killed a potential ally.

Not all hunters work in small Cells. Across the world, large groups of people have come together to react to the supernatural. Hunters refer to these larger organizations as Orgs and there is generally a lot of bad blood between Cells and Orgs. Independent and cell-based hunters often view the Orgs as ineffectual because they won't or can't devote everything to the hunt. They hunt monsters as a means to their own ends rather than for its own sake. It's also the case that large organizations have to deal with problems and conflicts of interest that Cells often don't have to and those things distract from or compromise the hunt. For example, if an Org receives government money to kill vampires and they actually do wipe out all vampires, they'll stop getting funding and lose their jobs. This means the leadership has a vested interest in not actually wiping out all vampires, just enough that they keep their funding. Cell-based hunters often accuse Org hunters of having little or no Drive and call them jobbers. Despite the bad blood between them, Cells can stand to gain a lot by working with Orgs. After all, this is an organization with way more resources and knowledge than you. However, this begs the question of why the Org is asking you to deal with the problem rather than just dealing with it themselves. What do they have to gain from contracting out some independents? Maybe they don't know what they're dealing with and are using you as guinea pigs. Maybe they do know what they're dealing with and want you to soften up the quarry before they swoop in and take the kill and credit. Maybe the quarry has powerful connections and the Org would prefer that the local Cell takes the fallout instead of them. Working with Orgs is always a risk despite the potential rewards and the question of whether or not to help them is always something the Cell needs to weigh carefully.

Orgs can be loosely divided into 5 types that act as mirrors of the Creeds. Each type can be thought of as the methods and ethos of a Creed left unchecked and taken to extremes. The Org types are:

Academic Orgs are the counterparts of the Inquisitive Creed. They focus on gathering and hoarding knowledge on the supernatural. Academic Orgs tend to be far more focused on studying monsters than hunting them. They treat knowledge the way the rich treat money: something to be horded rather than put to good use. Academic Orgs know their power comes from the secrets they have and thus they spend their time hoarding and spying on each other. This means that information that could be invaluable on the hunt is locked away in some dusty library becauce the librarian is too paranoid to share it. Some example Academic Orgs from canon include the Arcanum: a dedicated scholarly organization founded in Victorian England that has a pretty strict hands-off policy when it comes to hunting and the Gates of Alexander: Modern-day descendants of the Great Library of Alexandria that sell information to other Orgs at a steep price.

Corporate Orgs are the counterparts of the Entrepreneurial Creed. They have found ways to monetize the supernatural and have carved out power bases in the corporate world. The first priority of a Corporate Org is always its bottom line and shareholders and they will do anything to make the line go up. If a local Cell is hunting a vampire who happens to be a big investor or is wiping out the population of spirits the company puts in their products, then that Cell has to go. If you think regular late-stage capitalism is bad, just imagine all that plus dark rituals and alliances with vampires. Though many do not realize it, their businesses are often in deep with the corporate powers of the supernatural world, like Vampires with old money, the Wyrm-worshiping megacorporation Pentex, or the Technocracy's Syndicate. Exmple Corporate Orgs include Re:Venge: a start-up who mines date from hunters under the guise of supporting their hunts, Monster-X: hunters for hire who sell a lot of monster-repellent products that are mostly scams, and the Orpheus Group: a corporation who figured out how to temporarily turn people into ghosts, which they use for lots of corporate espionage and assassinations.

Government Orgs are the counterparts of the Martial Creed. They are government-funded monster-hunting groups that are usually highly classified and operate with impunity. Government Orgs operate first and foremost as agents of their countries, advancing national interests and the local hegemony over the hunt itself. Because their funding comes from their governments, these Orgs are constantly jockeying for power and status, with the people at the top more concerned with securing their positions than they are with hunting monsters. And if the political rival of the minister who's funding you is trying to shut you down, who's to say he wasn't secretly a vampire that needed to be put down? You're the experts, after all, and if your sponsor is now giving you even more money, well that's just an added bonus. Example Government Orgs include Division Six: a section of the UK's MI-5 whose leader is being blackmailed by vampires, and the Special Rehabilitation Program: a branch of the Philippines prison system that uses prisoners as cannon fodder against supernaturals and is manipulating the justice system to ensure they always have a steady supply of bodies.

Religious Orgs are the counterparts of the Faithful Creed. They range from cults to secret offshoots of organized faiths burning with holy zeal. Religious Orgs are always concerned with advancing the interests of their faith first and foremost. Think of all the religious atrocities committed throughout history; from the state-sponsored terrorism of the Inquisition to oppressive theocratic rulers around the world to the terror attacks of Aum Shinrikyo and mass suicide cults like Heaven's Gate. Religious Orgs can fit any of these archetypes and they have access to supernatural relics and powers. A Religious Org can easily become a zealous mob far scarier than the monsters they fight because they are convinced their atrocities are fully justified. Example Religious Orgs include the Nails of Christ, a militant and xenophobic Filipino movement who believes everything wrong with their country is the result of foreign supernatural influence, the Order of the Rose: an American offshoot of the Catholic Church who believes that monster attacks are the fault of the victims for not being spiritually pure and who seek to create a totalitarian theocracy with utter control over people's lives, and a trio of Religious Orgs: the Jewish Judges, Anglican Knights of St. George, and Muslim Ikhwan al-Safa, who are currently engaged in a shadow war over the religious dominance of the Middle East that is keeping all three Orgs from devoting much time to the hunt.

Vigilante Orgs are the counterparts of the Underground Creed. They follow the principle of taking out the supernatural no matter how many innocents get hurt along the way. Vigilante Orgs often start out as Cells, but when their desire for control and the death of the quarry overwhelms their desire to keep innocents safe, a Vigilante Org is born. These Orgs believe will commit atrocities in the pursuit of the quarry. Bombing a train car full of civilians to kill the one changeling in there, burning down the homes of anyone even suspected to be working with vampires, and holding the loved ones of monsters hostage are all tactics they will engage in. Many become obsessed with control, policing their communities for any hint of supernatural influence or deviation from the norm. Example Vigilante Orgs include the Mortician's Army: a collection of Cells who came together to fight the vampires of the American Midwest who will kill civilians at even the slightest hint they has any connection to Kindred such as unknowingly working in a company a vampire runs or being outside at night and dressed like a goth, the Toussaint Brigade: a gang of vampire hunters who are tyying to drive Kindred that is composed primarily of teenagers very prone to extreme acts, and the Cog Conspiracy: followers of an FBI whistleblower who posts coded messages in Youtube videos directing people to attack and kill the family members and loved ones of supernatural beings in the US government.

A common belief among hunters is the Reckoning, a conflict between humanity and the supernatural that they believe will end with humanity either wiping out monsters or putting humanity in charge of the world. People have been predicting the Reckoning will begin any day now for a long time, but it may actually have begun. In the early 2000s, the USA's National Security Agency discovered SchreckNet, a secret vampire internet set up by Clan Nosferatu. The NSA then shared the information with other security agencies around the world and with the Vatican to start a global campaign against vampires. The vampires call this movement the Second Inquisition, though most members of the Second Inquisition have never even heard that term and don't identify by it. The main driving forces within the Second Inquisition are a collection of Orgs called the Coalition that share information and cooperate (to an extent) to wipe out the vampire threat both in their countries and abroad. There is plenty of legitimate criticism to be had of the Coalition, such as their use of their utter secrecy and dark resources to advance their own national interests without accountability, but they are posing a major threat to the vampire menace. The majority of Orgs that are officially part of the Coalition are Government Orgs, but the Vatican contributes Religious Orgs as well. The founding members of the Coalition were the USA's FIRSTLIGHT, the UK's Newburgh Group, Russia's GRU Direction 58, and Brazil's Batalhão de Operações Especiais Secretas, all top-secret intelligence and military task forces, as well as the Vatican's La Entità. La Entità is a modern organization that incorporates of the Society of St. Leopold, an ancient organization of Catholic vampire hunters who were a major player in the first Inquisition and provide most of the Coalition's knowledge on the nature of vampires. Since then, additional Government Orgs have been admitted to the Coalition, including Poland's Bureau IX, France's La Calcédoine, Sweden's G-Kontoret, Egypt's Homeland Special Program, Japan's Third Intelligence Division, and Israel's Unit 8211. The Coalition is so far focused in vampires, but they are definitely becoming aware of the existence of other supernatural creatures and may soon take action against them as well.

A constant temptation for hunters is the option of using the supernatural to fight the supernatural. Who wouldn't want to get every edge they can use in the fight against monster so much more powerful than you? The trick is finding a method of using the supernatural that doesn't bind you to it. Becoming a vampire's ghoul might seem enticing, but it binds you to that vampire's will. You could learn some Gifts from a spirit or let a ghost possess your body, but they definitely have some kind of ulterior motive in mind. Sometimes you can be born with the touch of the supernatural, such as being Kinain (fairy-blooded) or Kinfolk (if you use the pre-Werewolf 5 lore) but there's no way to become those outside of birth. The best option is to turn to Numina, types of supernatural powers that regular humans can use. Numina aren't technically part of Hunter 5, but they're easy to reconstruct in the system if you know the rules and have access to older edition sourcebooks. There are three main types of Numina: psychic powers, True Faith, and sorcery.

Psychic powers are rare and innate, you are either born with them or you aren't. They take a lot of practice and willpower to learn to use and even then they tend to be unreliable. Many people who have psychic powers never even realize it as they tend to be so minor as to be unnoticeable without intensive training. Skilled psychics are rare, but very versatile, with powers like hypnosis, ESP, clairvoyance, pyromancy, and teleportation, any of which would be a major asset on the hunt. Unfortunately, psychics tend to be sought out and recruited by groups like the Technocracy and Pentex, both of whom would see hunters as useful pawns at best.

True Faith is a rare quality. Any religious person can claim to have faith, but few have the absolute conviction and certainty in their beliefs that allows them to manifest their faith into supernatural effects. No religion has a monopoly on True Faith. A Taoist monk and a Catholic priest can both exorcize demons as long as they have the faith to do so. True Faith can repel and castigate the supernatural. Vampires can be repelled by holy symbols, ghosts can be banished back to the underworld, mages can find their spells failing, werewolves can have their rage quelled and their bodies forced back into their human or wolf forms, and so on. Vampires and demons especially can be harmed by True Faith. The powers associated with True Faith are mostly defensive, but can be used offensively. True Faith can also be used to make objects imbued with their power called Reliquaries, like holy water or ofuda. True Faith would be most common in hunters of the Faithful Creed or Religious Orgs.

Sorcery is the most widespread Numina. It refers to a type of magic useable by anybody who learns how. Mages call sorcery Linear Magic, Static Magic, or Hedge Magic and it is different from the true Magick they use. True Magick draws from the user's will, imagination, and knowledge of the universe, making it extremely powerful and incredibly flexible, but it causes the backlash known as Paradox when observed by normal people. Sorcery is linear, defined by rituals with fixed and inflexible effects, but it does not cause Paradox. Use of sorcery requires a lot of practice and a knowledge of the framework in which it exists. For example, a sorcerous path based around alchemy requires that the user understand alchemical principles and lore. Sorcery can be extremely powerful, if inflexible. While the emphasis on knowledge and study endears sorcery to Inquisitive Creed hunters, there are enough paths that any Creed could be drawn to it. There is sorcery based around combat and martial arts, sorcery based in religious rituals, sorcery based in technology, and so on. The Technocracy's hypertechnology is a type of sorcery. As long as you understand the principles behind that death ray or space ship, you can use it, though good luck getting your hands on the stuff. The Technocracy doesn't like to share.

Hunters on the various creatures they hunt (AKA, the PCs of the other games):

Vampires are among the most common types of prey that hunters go after, not because they are particularly common, but because they are deeply intertwined with human society. Vampires are also frustrating to hunt because they do such a good job of staying hidden and disguising their weaknesses. The hunter who charges into Elysium covered in garlic or thinks that the enemy can't get into their home uninvited is going to die very quickly. Vampires are also good at manipulating hunters into targeting their enemies for them. If you do pin a vampire down, you will find that their powers and weaknesses are so diverse it is hard to know what they'll throw at you. The Coalition has started making special anti-vampire technology, with will certainly help if you can get your hands on it. Failing that, go in with fire and hope.

Werewolves are among the scariest possible things to hunt. As if being able to turn into a titanic mountain of claw and muscles that could fistfight an M1 Abrams tank and win wasn't enough, they can regenerate from practically anything, cause a primal fear just bey being in their war form, and have access to powerful magic and enchanted artifacts. They're also social predators so if you manage to take one down, expect the rest of the pack to come looking for payback. If you absolutely must fight a werewolf, bring a truckload of silver bullets. Few hunters realize that wiping out werewolves would be a terrible idea because the things they're fighting are way worse.

Mages have near-unlimited power to manipulate reality, so the best advice when fighting one is to use a sniper rifle and take them out before they even know you're there. A mage who knows what they're fighting is a nightmare and if that mage has prep time you might as well kiss your ass goodbye. Many hunters have issues fighting mages because they're human. It's far easier to justify killing a vampire or werewolf than someone you could pass on the street. Mages are so diverse in their powers and practices that you never know what tricks they can pull. You might be gearing up to fight a guy in a robe and pointy hat only to be blindsided when the Technocracy teleports a fully-equipped terminator into your base to shred you with nanotechnology. Most hunters wouldn't realize there's difference between a true mage and a sorcerer. The Technocracy often nudges hunters toward overt reality deviants and considers them a possible source of recruits.

Ghosts are a common foe of hunters and one that requires them to get creative. You can't just pump a ghost full of ammo and call it a day, after all. Banishing a ghost often means resolving what is tying them to the world of the living or performing some kind of ritual. What's worse is that ghosts can possess the bodies of the dead and animate them. Destroying the vessel doesn't destroy the ghost, so don't think the problem is solved when you put down a zombie. The vast majority of hunters have no knowledge of the nature of the underworld and the political struggles of the dead.

Changelings are like vampires in that they are usually integrated into human society and so incredibly diverse it's extremely hard to know what their strengths and weaknesses are. They are born from human dreams and often take on the forms and powers of creatures from folklore and mythology, meaning it can be hard to even realize what you're fighting is a changeling. Should you managed to track a changeling down, you will find they have access to all kinds of magical artifacts and the ability to force dream logic onto the world. They also love making bargains with people like you, and they can magically enforce the terms as well. Changelings reincarnate too, so just because you managed to kill one doesn't mean they're gone forever.

Mummies are so incredibly rare that most hunters will never meet one. Fortunately, most mummies (the Shemsu-Heru in games set before 1999 and Amenti after that) are the closest thing this setting has to good guys so there's a chance hunters won't need to go after them. If you do hunt a mummy, then you have made an enemy for life because they are immortal and no matter how many times you kill one, they will be back.

Demons are rare and so immensely powerful that fighting one is a terrible, if often necessary, idea. Demons need to inhabit vessels to live and destroying that vessel is the best chance of taking one out, but there's a good chance it will be back. Unfortunately, most of them inhabit people, and the courts will not believe you when you say the person you killed was possessed. The ones that don't inhabit people tend to be way, way scarier. Most hunters think about demons through per-existing cultural lenses that can mask what they actually are. It doesn't help that there are tons of things in the World of Darkness that can be called demons, from Banes of the Wyrm to spirits of the Astral Reaches born from human imagination to other types of monsters misidentified as demons. Telling those apart from the actual fallen angels is a tricky prospect for outsiders.

Outside of all of the other game's protagonists, the World of Darkness is just filled with all sorts of weird things hunters can hunt. Some game masters may think that running a game of Hunter means you need to know the lore and rules of the other games, but you really don't. This more than any of the other games is one where you can just make stuff up without having to worry about canon. If you want to ignore the lore of the other games and make a vampire that is weak to garlic but doesn't care about sunlight, this would be the game to do it in. The World of Darkness is a deep place and just about anything you come up with can fit in here somewhere.

I will end this post with a shout-out to the web series Hunter: the Parenting. It's a comedy/drama/horror animated series on Youtube that is based in Hunter: the Reckoning but incorporates lore from the other games. It does a really good job of balancing the wacky comedy with the much more serious subjects and is jut really fun to watch. It's also been made with the express permission and support of Paradox (who owns World of Darkness) but it is still entirely a fan project.

Previous World of Darkness lore posts: Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Wraith, Werewolf the other shapeshifters, Vampire the bloodlines, the Keui-Jin.

[vladstrain]

Oozing, 2025

Extremely evil and greedy work. It's not about what it really is. It's just that such exuding inevitably causes projection in the negating traits. Well, down the line, it's energy, and there's plenty of it here

[regularbeans]

[ ✨ IMBUED by Helyna L. Clove is out today ✨]

The first in a new dark fantasy duology is out today in, lots of places!

My best friend and light of my life, my sister's second novel EVER is publishing TODAY. And she didn't ask me but I'm doing my part in letting people know about it because I love her, and she's mad talented.

“Magic was always going to be my downfall.”

Calla has no memories of her childhood except for hazy, recurring nightmares. Working as a servant in Kiriong, the picturesque terrace garden home to one of the most influential families in the Kamphua Dominion, she’s content to live a simple life. As long as no one finds out about the forbidden magic stirring under her skin. When the estranged family heir, Gray—a magehunter in servitude of the royal hold—unexpectedly returns home, Calla’s secret threatens to surface. Instead of turning her in, however, Gray offers her the one thing she always feared: to teach her how to use her powers. And as the turbulent tides of long-forgotten magic draw them together, Calla finds it harder and harder to deny her potential. But Gray knows more than what he admits. In the aftermath of a vile political plot targeting him and with the shadow of a mage uprising cast upon the land, finding out what happened to Calla in her forgotten years might be their only chance to survive. Except the knowledge could break them both.

It could break the world.

>>> Check it out here <<<

More from the author

[captainrackjackem]

Alright night inquirers, friendly psa, don't trust any supernatural creatures. But if you absolutely have to, go for the so-called imbued.

These are normal mortals like you or me. But who go through a bloody ordeal and are ordained by extra terrestrial "messengers", maybe gnostic archons? The Imbued are chosen to kill the enemies of these mysterious messengers.

Personally I don't trust anyone who hears voices to choose who to kill and who to save

My sister was able to hack into a cell of these imbued and gather a handful of documents, and to me, they're worse organized then the Skull & Bone Bloggers, and we're not well organized.

Still, if a wraith is eating your brain, no one better to turn to than someone who might actually be able to execute them away.

[gravetidings]

Charlotte and Maroth for @chiss-ticism!! Thank you for commissioning me!!!

[chiss-ticism]

Realized when making this post that I didn't have a dedicated introduction post for Heather yet. Time to rectify that.

🩷✨ 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒦𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑒𝒹𝓎 ✨🩷

This comm was brought to life the talented @/sidver!!

A Brief Introduction:

You might not be a fan, but you have heard of her.

Kennedy might be a B-List celebrity, but she is an S-Tier marketing guru - having too many brand deals and collaborations to even bother trying to catalogue and keep track of… Her claim to fame was American Royalty: Glitter & Glam [2015], a reality T.V. show that ran for two full seasons - albeit with an unexplained hiatus in between… A gift to Heather from her father, It offered an unfiltered, raw look into the lives of the Kennedy family with the-then-17 year old at its helm. Rather than being per-recorded, however, each episode was streamed online before being professionally edited and put on air within the week. It was novel… Unique… Uncharted territory, in any case, that landed her in hot waters with the larger Kennedy family. Following an incident in which terms like like "vehicular manslaughter" and "a monster wearing human skin" were bandied about [see further below, ASIDE: GOVERNMENT HUNTERS], the show was quietly cancelled and pushed under the rug - giving Heather time to skirt passed any serious ramifications and resuscitate her public image rather easily; it wasn't even the most damning thing in the news cycle that day…| She did, however, have to attend community service for it...

THE BASICS

Name: Heather Kennedy [Yes. Those Kennedy's.]

Hunter-Net User ID: vogue92.

Sexuality: Bi.

Hunter Creed: Avenger.

Occupation: B-List Celebrity ✨'Actor' ✨Online Personality.

Preferred Quarry: Creatures - and 'traitors' - with an interest in social engineering and the spread of disinformation. [Vampires, Devils & Defiliers, certain Lupines, and any variation therein of 'servant of the supernatural']

REPUTATION:

A hedonist with a penchant for 'the Devil's Lettuce', vogue92's bull-headed stubbornness, lack of subtlety, and seemingly chronic allergy to punctuality are counterbalanced by her ability to fund a small militia, connections to more 'high profile' targets, and a genuine dedication to The Hunt.

She actually does know how to engage with the hunt when she wants to... Do not allow her to full you into thinking she's as ditzy as she likes to appear...

Very vocal. She makes sure that her voice is heard, should she have something to add. Just as often as it is a boon to herself and others, it is just as often not... She has a habit of saying the first thing that comes to mind, insightful or idiotic.

"The fuckin' Reality T.V. Star??" - Anonymous.

"Pink. Loud. The opposite of subtle. I mean, who the fuck carts around hot pink shotguns?" - Anonymous.

GOVERNMENT HUNTERS: Years prior, the patriarch of the local Kennedy clan provided the local S.A.D. subdivision with a generous contribution of new equipment. In an officially unrelated matter, Ms. Kennedy's vehicular manslaughter charges were whittled down to a standard bout of community service - the alleged 'victim' in question having been already had the division's eyes on them.

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION

Staying relevant is the name of the game...

- @HK_UPD8s [Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram] - - Tracks all of her latest projects, publicly showcases charitable donations. - @Kennedy_H [All major social media sites] - - Consistently updated, consistently parasocial. He main social media, mostly ran by her - if by queue. Her main bid at relevance has been to take a note from T. Swift's book - fostering a "healthy" community of loyal super fans. - - TikTok and Youtube offer more 'personal' glimpses into her life, with (albeit rare) uploads of vlogs, make-up tutorials (only her personal brand), and the reading of [vetted] fan letters. - H.K. Dolls - - What it says on the tin. Also see: H.K. Funko Pops. - A pink knife set in collaboration with the Harricks chain of supermarkets. - https://hkhs.biz/HOME - The Heather Kennedy Hot Spot: her personalized website. It includes, but is not limited to: - - Donations (51% of which goes to the Charity of the Month) - - Membership (discounts to the main merchandise, access to the exclusive, nominally secondary, merch store which includes autographed goods.) - - Clips from old shows, behind the scenes footage not available elsewhere, interviews, links to magazines... - - Also included is the poster for the cancelled Human: The Protagonist mockumentary, in which she would've played herself, albeit parodied and exageratted, as one of the deuteragonists. - She has cultivated a 'mother hen' persona on the sets of her shows - she's too valuable [nepotism] to be easily replaced. As such, she leverages her position to make sure that everyone has what they need / feel comfortable coming to her to report abuse or general discomforts. CHISS NOTE: While she does make good on the mother-hen persona, it isn't something borne of an innate desire to do good. It is, rather cynically, simply good P.R. & personal marketing. She's an elitist asshole who has absolutely laughed in someone's face for asking for a raise. - The controversies portion of her Wikipedia page has several exhaustive paragraphs detailing verbal blows with the Catholic Church and parents that were concerned about her being a bad influence on children in general.

NOTABLE BACKGROUNDS AND FLAWS

No merits to speak of...

Backgrounds

FAME [••••] "Your name is known across the nation - almost everyone has heard it."

Flaws

Vice [2-Pt Physical Flaw] - - Marijuana. 😶‍🌫️ - - "You're addicted to some sort of controlled substance. [...] The two point version represents a mildly illegal substance that inhibits your ability to hunt effectively, such as alcohol or marijuana."

Stubborn [1-Pt Social Flaw] "Once [her] mind is made up, there's no changing it. [She] clings to her beliefs the way a pit bull does a leg, and [she's] about as pleasantly comported when others challenge [her]. [She] hates being proven wrong and goes to extremes to avoid enduring the shame of it."

Terrible With Names [1-Pt Mental Flaw] Poor memory, a superiority complex... Who's to say? What matters is that she struggles with names.

Chronically Late [1-Pt Social Flaw] Heather is always running behind schedule, coffee in hand... It's best to plan around it - lie to her about start times if you must...

Poor Sense of Time [1-Pt Social Flaw] "[She has] no intuition for the flow of time. [She] can't even begin to guess the current time without looking at a clock, and [she] always overestimate or underestimate the amount of time that has passed since a specified event (or that remains before one).