Page 357 - Hunter - The Vigil

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A APPENDIX TWO: PHILADELPHIA,
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M MONSTER HUNTING IN THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
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And then, time stopped. The bizarre creatures froze in mid- nature to convince everyone that Barbara, Frank and their

flight; the dust and litter kicked up in the fray hovered motionless three teenage kids were the best thing to happen to the
in the air. Two columns of blue-white flame erupted before him; neighborhood in years. Even their dog is friendly and polite.

Jared fell to the ground but could not turn away. Inside each But the Johnson household has another, unseen resident: a
blazing light, he saw a vision of the casino to come: in one, the shadowy, once-human thing that clings to the attic rafters
place attracted twisted and inhuman beings from all over the city, and dominates their lives. They call it “Uncle Spider,” or
which came there to exploit and prey upon unsuspecting victims. sometimes “Uncle Chuck.”
In the other, the casino was ground that horrors feared to tread, Out of fear, loyalty or blind faith — probably a mix of all
where the dark predators were exposed to the light and burned three — the Johnson family accepts the edicts of Uncle Spider
by its radiance. The timeless moment ended; Jared found himself without question. It, or he, claims to once have been Charles
retching onto the pavement, surrounded by the charred and Carroll, a distant ancestor of the Johnsons and a signer of the
smoking remains of the demonic hunter and its would-be quarry. Declaration of Independence. According to the Uncle, he
Jared hasn’t shared all the details of that incident. At fi rst, he was granted a revelation by a giant spirit-serpent that dwelled
couldn’t, as he found himself unable to speak a single word for three deep beneath Independence Hall: a complex mythology

days. When his voice returned, he told of the fire-pillars — the in which all creation is represented by 13 transcendental
Messengers, as he calls them — but kept the visions to himself. The manuscripts. Five such books have already been written, and
Abbey was thrilled by Jared’s story, and quickly acknowledged him it’s Uncle Chuck’s task to shepherd the Sixth Manuscript

as a bold go-getter who could take the club in new directions. And into existence. Doing so requires the sacrifice of dark energy

that suits Jared just fine. Because he understands that he’ll have to — “atramentous ink,” as he calls it — to the manuscript’s
choose one or the other of the two visions. And he senses that to make metaphysical authors: Black Hood, Finger Crow, Just Heart,
either come true, he’ll need to seize control of the Abbey and use it He of Wood and the others.
to coordinate — or corrupt — the activities of Philadelphia’s hunter And so their Uncle sends the Johnsons all across the

factions. He’s not sure yet which path he’s going to follow, but that’s all city on a twofold mission: first, capture supernatural creatures
right. A hunter has to be patient, after all. and bring them home, to be gradually drained of their power

in a prolonged ritual of confinement and torture. Second,
Antagonists: bring home new “family members” (hunters, usually) who
The Johnson Family Cult will be brainwashed into carrying the Johnson family name
They moved to Philadelphia just a year ago, but it and who will serve Uncle Spider with pride. With Uncle
didn’t take long for the Johnson clan’s friendliness and good Spider’s guidance, the family’s developed a useful expertise in
identifying and stalking the weak and inexperienced among
both monsters and hunters.
System: Uncle Spider gives his family some of the energy
taken from their captives. For each point of Health “taken”
from a supernatural prisoner, a family member can raise his or
her Stamina or Strength for one scene on a point-for-point
basis. They can also use one stolen point to heal two points of
bashing damage or one point of lethal damage. Five points can
heal one point of aggravated damage (this takes two nights).
They can store up to five “stolen points” at a time, but this

can only be replenished from another “gift” from their uncle.
Antagonist:
The Manayunk Man-Eater
A former industrial center that’s reinvented itself into a
neighborhood of upscale restaurants, condos, boutiques and
nightclubs, Manayunk is a lively area with lots of choices for
eating, drinking and socializing. One fairly popular dining
spot is Stella’s, a small, upscale eatery tucked away on a
Manayunk side street. Famous for its strip steaks and crab
cakes, Stella’s boasts fi ne dining in a semi-casual atmosphere.
It’s a comfortable, welcoming restaurant housed in a former
church, with an understated decor enhanced by a few
surviving stained-glass windows. And it’s run by a magician
who feasts on human souls.
Stella’s is owned and operated by a woman named Esther
Blake — or, at least, that’s the name that appears in the public
records. She’s reclusive for a restaurateur, rarely seen by her
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