Page 34 - Hunter - The Vigil

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was accidentally killed, along with two members of the cell, known to oppose the efforts of groups that, in their opinion,
and the rest were arrested shortly thereafter. The grimoire was threaten a potential opportunity to gather vital data. Rumors
taken into police custody, and disappeared not long afterward. persist that Null Mysteriis scholars have sent warnings to sub-
Despite the challenges and pressures that weigh upon jects under observation, allowing them to escape destruction at
these collective cells, some still manage to flourish by focus- the hands of other hunter cells — in one case resulting in an

ing more on what its members have in common than the ambush that led to the death of an entire cell of Long Night op-

things that divide them. Though the Long Night and the eratives. In another example, hunters affiliated with the Union
Malleus Maleficarum often disagree on what to do about a found themselves at odds with a chapter of the Ashwood Ab-

given threat, they share a commitment to protecting inno- bey in Moscow. The members of the Abbey, all well-connect-
cent souls from the forces of evil. Both compacts disdain the ed oligarchs or members of the local Mafi ya, were capturing
dissolute behavior of the members of the Ashwood Abbey, monsters and then releasing them into the city slums to hunt
but they can at least agree on bringing a monster to bay and for sport, something the Union militantly opposed. When a

ultimately destroying it. Such a combination of conflicting Union cell moved against one of the Abbey hunts, it led to a
ideologies existed in a single cell — the famous (and possi- series of violent street battles that left hunters of both compacts
bly apocryphal) Greenwich Village Irregulars, who operated dead (or serving permanent prison terms).
in New York City during the late 1970s. Though constantly In some cities around the world, the prominent hunter
pressured by their superiors in the organizations they served, groups come together and create an agreement or framework
these hunters refused to let their individual beliefs trump the intended to prevent confl icts — or, failing that, to create an im-
friendship they had for one another. For many years, their partial means of adjudicating large-scale disputes. An example of
activities were a symbol of unity for New York’s embattled this is the historic Chestnut Street Compact (a.k.a. the “Candle
hunter community, and survivors of that period credit the Ir- Compact”) created by Philadelphia’s hunters back in the 1700s,
regulars with keeping the Vigil alive at a time when many or the famous Night Pact of Berlin, crafted in the years just af-
were willing to surrender the city to the monsters. ter World War I. Such agreements are very difficult to maintain,

however — much less enforce. The Papal Concord of Rome is
Confl ict one exception, but that owes more to the overpowering presence
Despite the many reasons hunters have to work together, of the Vatican and its agents than anything else.
just as many pressures exist to drive cells, compacts and con- In addition to conflicts of ideology and ethics, hunter

spiracies into conflict with one another. One hunter cell may compacts and conspiracies sometimes find themselves com-

believe that a few innocent deaths are a small price to pay in or- peting with one another for the resources they need to con-
der to destroy a powerful monster. It may not think twice about tinue the Vigil. The Union might find itself struggling to re-

setting fire to an apartment building in order to destroy the build its rosters after a tragic loss in San Diego, only to find

flesh-eating ghouls lurking in its labyrinthine basement — but that a chapter of Aegis Kai Doru is aggressively seeking out
another cell of hunters with friends and family who are living hunter cells in the city and recruiting them. This can lead to
in the building may have other ideas. Or a cell of Network Zero strained relations and occasionally open conflict between ri-

broadcasters may be trying to compile footage of vampire activ- val groups as they attempt to continue their operations in the
ity in their city — even if that means catching other hunters on city. Often, unaffiliated hunter cells are drawn into the midst

camera and exposing their identities as a result. of these rivalries as the participants maneuver for advantage,
The most common form of confl ict between hunter cells and sometimes a clever or ambitious contact will learn how to

tends to occur when allied groups find themselves at odds over play one hunter group against another for a handsome profi t.
what to do with a particular supernatural threat. One cell may Hunters also find themselves in competition for influ-

be in favor of destroying the monster as quickly as possible ence in the local political arena, for contacts in law enforce-
before it claims more victims, while another cell may prefer to ment and sources of information on monster activity in the
watch and wait, gathering valuable information and looking area. Although it seems irrational that members of the Vigil
for the right time to strike. Still another group may believe wouldn’t be willing to share these resources for the greater
that not all monsters are irredeemable, and are determined to good, the fact of the matter is that there is a finite number

try to negotiate a peaceful outcome instead of going in with of these assets in any given city, and time is frequently of the
guns blazing. With passions running high and lives hanging in essence when hunting the enemy. Time spent tracking down
the balance, alliances can collapse and, in extreme cases, one information for one group means that another group must go
cell may act to prevent the efforts of another, culminating in without, leading to lost opportunities or tragic reversals if the
a violent showdown. This can sometimes occur even among cell decides to act without proper intelligence. As a result,
cells belonging to the same compact or conspiracy, requiring most experienced hunter cells guard their resources jealously,
quick thinking and strong leadership to defuse the situation sharing them only when they can afford to or stand to gain
before a tragedy occurs. something in return. Groups like the Ashwood Abbey and
In the case of hunter compacts, issues of ideology and the Cheiron Group are especially notorious for this, placing
methodology can bring groups into conflict. While the Loyal- contacts and political figures on “retainer” in order to guaran-

ists of Thule frequently offer their services to hunter cells and tee access to their services at a moment’s notice. This has led
organizations in return for new information, they have been to some tragic situations in the past, as desperate hunter cells
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