Page 347 - Hunter - The Vigil

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A APPENDIX TWO: PHILADELPHIA,
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M M O N S T E R H U N T I N G I N T H E C I T R O T H E R L Y L O V E
M MONSTER HUNTING IN THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
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He’s also an accomplished demonologist, knowledge gained
from a life as a descendant of one of Hell’s many archdukes. Doesn’t
that make Thad one of the Lucifuge? No, because he chooses to
serve the sins of Lucifer and walk the paths of Hell — though, that
said, Thad isn’t yet aware that he has any other choice.
Thad does not perform great evils himself; instead, he
facilitates the evil of others, a task given to him in dreams by the
infernal specimens waiting behind the dark curtains of the Abyss.
He works behind the scenes to help absolve the sins of priests or
teachers who performed any kind of “clergy abuse” upon students.
He occasionally interjects diabolical teachings into his Theology
classes: just enough to plant seeds of doubt without drawing the
attention of the higher-ups (and he’s performed enough favors
for illicit administrators to skirt pretty close to the edge). He
sometimes even makes sure that heretical or demonological
rituals end up in the hands of students (some of whom go on to
summon demons or become enthralled to them).
Mind you, Thad hates that he does this. He believes
he has no choice (and in many ways, he doesn’t, given the
attention he gets from other demonic descendents). However,
if presented with an option to join the Lucifuge, it’s possible
Thad could turn on his ancestry and help right the wrongs
he’s committed. Then again, would the Lucifuge even grant
him such an option?
South Philadelphia
South Philly has seen its share of immigrants, from the
Italian and Irish families who began settling there in the

stood firm, and naturally became Philly’s Union core when that
th
19 century to today’s populations from Asia, Russia, the
group began uniting across cities.
Dominican Republic and other areas of the world. While
Too old to go out on missions anymore, Joey runs a
some areas, notably those near Center City, are experiencing
neighborhood grocery store and hoagie shop a block away from

gentrification and skyrocketing real estate sales, much of the
the house where he was born, selling steak sandwiches at the
area remains a place of residential neighborhoods, pizzerias,
front counter while his hunters in the back room plan raids and
ethnic grocery stores and family-owned restaurants. South
discuss strategy. Joey is a legendary advisor to the city’s Union-
Philly’s borders also include the massive sports complex that
affiliated hunters, and is often consulted by other cells as well.

hosts the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, 76ers and other pro
His longevity notwithstanding, Joe’s Vigil has cost him dearly.
sports teams, and the open-air Italian market featured in the
His body is burdened by old injuries and his mind is plagued by
Rocky fi lms.
frightful memories. Joey’s wife left him two decades ago, unable

Joey “The Grocer” Carcione, to comprehend his strange calling. And just five years ago, the
Union Steward hunt claimed his oldest son, Geno. As his comrades-in-arms
describe it, Geno was leading the cell up the back stairs in an
The son of Italian immigrants, Joe Carcione came back
empty house suspected of sheltering a werewolf, when he stepped
from serving his country in the Second World War to fi nd
through an ordinary-looking door and ...vanished. The hunters
that a blight had struck his old neighborhood. People were
who followed a few seconds behind found the room silent and
sick and afraid, two children had been found dead in their
th
empty. Geno has not been seen since. Yet on the 13 day of each
beds, a parish priest had thrown himself in front of a garbage
month, Joey receives a handwritten letter in the mail, a white
truck. The trouble seemed somehow related to a disease-ridden
sheet of paper with the following phrase written in black ink:
walnut tree growing on the corner of his block, so Joey and
SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS. And he’s certain
some of his friends and neighbors got rid of the thing. When
the handwriting is Geno’s.
a vampire came looking for the tree, Joey gathered some of his
cousins and brothers, most of them also war veterans, and they Antagonist: The Dead Milkman
took care of that thing, too. This led to a series of skirmishes in It’s been quite some time since a legion of white-clad
which Joey and a determined cadre of neighborhood allies took deliverymen made predawn deliveries of bottled milk to

up the Vigil in earnest, defending first their own neighborhood Philadelphia’s stoops and porches. One of those bygone
and later striking at supernatural threats elsewhere in the city. milkmen was Nate Fenstermacher, an unassuming mensch
As their skills and commitment increased, their cell came in who never missed a day of work in 30 years. He died on the
contact with others. Those unions rose and fell, but Joey’s group job, of a heart attack that left him sprawled out on Jim and
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