Page 262 - Hunter - The Vigil

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the motivation to do something. He cares about
STORY HOOK: these kids. Maybe he’ll make them a part of his
BEING SHUT DOWN own family. Suddenly, his Vigil is defi ned: protect
these children from harm at any cost.

Over time, the characters have amassed So, then, how does mystery define the Vigil?
a web of connections, contacts, allies, Fact is, the World of Darkness is home to some
friends and helpers. Their Vigil may never truly weird shit. This world does not work accord-
go smoothly, but it’s a lot easier than ing to the rules that everybody expects. Some
when they were working alone right at the things are askew, off kilter, just crooked enough
start. And now, things are starting to to inspire some to question, others to obsess.
go wrong. People are showing up dead, or Late at night, a power-company worker tries to

not showing up at all. Information from fix a blown transformer atop a telephone pole and
previously reliable sources is leading the sees something on the next pole down, and…it’s got
cell into traps. In the case of tier-two numbers for eyes and it seems to be feeding from the
and -three cells, their immediate superiors wires and…it’s gone. Did he see anything at all?
are being systematically killed or turned A teen girl sneaks into an old bookstore and
against the characters. pages through naughty romance novels for a cheap
The enemy has not only infi ltrated the thrill, but she gets to the last page and it’s folded

cell’s informal network, but the hunters’ over, and she lifts the flap and sees a language that
foes are also in the process of utterly isn’t English, can’t even be human, and suddenly
destroying it and leaving the characters she feels a flash behind her eyes. A gaunt, pale face

isolated. The characters need to act in the darkness turns toward her and says, “Ah,
fast: will they move to support their you,” and then she’s back in the bookstore. The
remaining allies and protect them from page in front of her is normal, written in English,
harm? How many secrets will they need not folded at all. What does she do?
to reveal in the process? How will the A guy driving home from a sales meeting sees
characters trace the mysterious attackers, a spherical craft in the sky, sunlight glinting off it.
and what unconsidered connection ties the A housewife looks outside and sees a black van
characters’ contacts together? The enemy parked in the neighbors’ driveway, and men with
must be exploiting it somehow. gas masks and nets throw something into the back
before they speed away. A jobless slacker keeps
getting UPS packages and contained within each
should inspire horror on some level, even if the monster is a porcelain mask modeled after his own face, each wearing
itself isn’t hostile. a different expression.
Remember that “horror” is not “terror.” The idea isn’t to Mystery gets under the skin. Horror answers the question
send the characters screaming into panicked flight (though in bold, stark lines, but mystery only leaves questions where

that certainly has its place…), but to inspire a sense of fear one prays for answers. A character sees something like that
and disgust by what plays out before them. This can range and must pursue it, must peel back the layers until some kind
from sick, deep fear at the gore spattered across a monster’s of satisfaction can be had. (Of course, therein lies the prob-
lair, or a sense of sincere revulsion at a “friendly” creature’s lem with the Vigil, and why it tends to be endless: one answer

predicament, such as a malformed vampire that wishes harm never suffices, and only opens the door to more questions. For
to none but still drinks blood because it must. Horror isn’t just some, madness lies that way, but hey, that’s the hunt.)
about blood and gore, though that’s certainly a visceral way Portraying mystery in a Hunter: The Vigil game ne-
to portray it. It’s about the awful sinking feeling a hunter gets cessitates invoking strange little coincidences, appearances

when he realizes the world is a brutal place, and humankind, or events — odd clues, ciphers, names, configurations of
for many monstrosities, is little more than a food source, a numbers, ghostly appearances, whispered threats: whatever
supply of slaves, or a box of toys. works to stir a character to say, “What the hell was that?” (Of
It’s easy to overdo horror. Keeping it on the right level course, portraying mystery also means, as Storyteller, know-
means keeping it personal. Look into the characters’ back- ing the answers to those mysteries. They don’t have to be
grounds and see what will speak to their fears, such as phobias easy answers, or comfortable ones, and they can just as easily
or nightmares or genuine worries about friends and loved ones. invoke more questions. But as the saying goes, don’t let more
Target those “weak” points carefully (threatening them occa- snakes out of the bag than you’re able to kill.)
sionally, sure) but focus more on creating scenes that resonate Horror is a shove through the door, a kick to the gut.
with those aspects. A family man who finds his neighbor’s chil- Mystery is the tickling itch you can’t help but scratch, the

dren cowering in a room crawling with yellow jackets (with crooked painting you simply must adjust. Both form the
the parents lying dead, bloated from anaphylactic shock under backbone of the hunt. And the best way to keep a Hunter
the dining room table) is struck with horror, but he’s struck by game interesting is to not use either one in exclusion of the
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