Page 109 - Hunter the Vigil - Mortal Remains

CHAPTER FOUR: THE UNDYING ONES

The Habibti Ma’s tactics, grounded in law and psychologi- You were a second generation corrupt cop, as crooked as
cal sciences, haven’t changed much since their inception. The they come, who turned a blind eye to a lot of wrongdoing in
compact is slowly educating itself about the World of Darkness your district. When the Habibti Ma came to town to break up
and the supernatural creatures who might orchestrate a cult a local cult, they blackmailed you into their service. You almost
to better help rescued victims. The “addicts” they’ve found in refused and considered suicide until you saw the victims. That
vampire cults, for example, can be treated better when identi- changed everything.
fied as such. Those pulled in by ancient monsters like mum- You were an American “information specialist” working
mies may require further study; that effort may translate into on contract due to your background in psychology and en-
failures along the quest for knowledge. Justice is necessary, sure, hanced interrogation tactics. The Habibti Ma offered you a lot
but it’s not always fair. The concept of fairness is one Hassan of money to leave your job and work for them. You don’t buy
and her compact continually struggle with. into the group’s motivation, but their checks do clear, and the
Members are beginning to realize that their techniques seem new cultists they’ve dug up has this year’s highest journal im-
to work best when accompanied by pact factor written all over it.
prayer. Even those who weren’t You arrived in Egypt to
particularly religious be- find your brother
fore have found that, who was studying
in their work rescu- Jewish history and
ing cultists, calling wound up get-
upon a human ting swept up in
god has impacted a cult. A recent-
cultists who ly discharged
serve the undy- IDF combat
ing. No one un- trainer, you’d
derstands why planned to
this technique is take the cult
effective. It may be down by yourself
the gods mummies and would have
have long-forgotten died if the Habibti
are not the same as Ma hadn’t come to
those worshipped in modern your aid. You intend on
day? It could also be true that tar- paying them back by teaching
geting a cultist’s faith — their true their field operatives to fight even as
set of beliefs — engages a primal you struggle with the possible costs
defense mechanism. of doing so. You and your brother
The Habibti Ma also rec- are alive thanks to them, and
ognizes these specific cults you’ll never forget that.
are participating in poli-
tics and city power struc- Duties
tures and are starting Mothers Against
to thwart their efforts. Cult Activity: MACA is,
They are rapidly be- strictly speaking, a po-
coming a secondary, litical action commit-
legal threat, forcing tee that raises money
this compact to and awareness on the
tangle with their dangers of cult activity
enemies on two fronts. The third front, the physical front, has yet all over the world. It is a newly-formed organization, and primar-
to be explored by the Habibti Ma. By and large, Hassan considers ily concentrates its efforts in and around Egypt. Officially, they
themselves to be angels of mercy — not swords or vigilantes. have no ties to the Habibti Ma. In practice, however, MACA is the
That may not remain true forever.
political and financial arm of the compact. Hunters or everyday
citizens who have a way with people, political influence, or donate
Hunters handsomely to the compact will probably end up in the MACA.
You were inducted into a cult as a child, raised in service Watchers of Isfet: Some friends may not have the strength
to a god-priest that could not be named nor looked at directly. or poise to save people directly, but still recognize the signs of
You had a sense it was all wrong and weren’t as brainwashed as a cult at work. Watchers can spot cult-like activity at a hundred
the others. When the Habibti Ma came to liberate your com- paces. Like Neighborhood Watch organizations in other coun-
pound, you helped, and haven’t stopped helping despite your tries, the Watchers of Isfet rove the streets, scour city papers,
dreams of the god-priest’s voice. and visit hospitals looking for telltale signs of cults. They may

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