Page 76 - Hunter the Vigil - Mortal Remains

COmPACTS

a nearby member (or occasionally the help) meets a sudden, The Long Night
accidental death just at that moment. This may seem random,
but Abbey members realize there’s a pattern behind this. It’s These creatures have traditionally been, in the Long
has happened often enough that it seems to be unavoidable — Night’s view, a mockery of Jesus and the resurrection and are
unless the hunters flee and leave the ghostwalker alone. an affront to all the righteous holds dear. But, as yet another
Worse, the haunted seem very good at warning their apocalypse approaches? Ghostwalkers are now thought to play
fellow ghostwalkers of what’s going on. This used to be a a part in the end times.
minor problem for the Abbey, but it has moved from an The Long Night has discovered that ghostwalkers
inconvenience to a real pain in the ass. Kill a guest of honor sometimes refer to themselves by other names. The compact
at one party and no haunted will speak to any members in originally thought the haunted were a type of witch, up until
the area. Some may attack Abbey members on sight…possibly they seized materials from a group of ghostwalkers in Phoenix,
without even being present. How they seem to know who killed Arizona that revealed their true affiliation. The group referred
who is not something the Abbey’s hunters are certain of, but to themselves as “chosen” and aligned each member with all
such betrayals often lead to this result...sometimes just before a four colors associated with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse:
chapter goes silent. white, pale, black, and red. Symbols were found, too, like the
The situation is tense, and it’s leading up to a great con- scales associated with Famine. This evidence has led to the
flict. Many interactions — if not all — are hostile between the firm belief that ghostwalkers have been, in fact, created by the
two groups. Ghostwalkers don’t seem to know a great deal Horsemen to further the Tribulation and battle the forces of
about the Abbey, but they know enough to have some idea of the righteous.
what the compact represents. This association has changed how the compact views the
And they are angry. haunted, and now the Long Night takes an active interest in
The Response their comings and goings. It is thought that when Judgment
Day arrives, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will ride out
Thrill-seeking members have figured out what gets to spread chaos across the world, and ghostwalkers will follow
ghostwalkers out of the woodwork: a good, old-fashioned in their wake. To the Long Night, the haunted are the Horse-
haunting. The haunted seem able to tell the difference between man’s servants, and exist for a specific purpose. Many hunters
a “haunting” Abbey members have set up to draw them out, in eschatological circles suggest these Horsemen serve the Anti-
and a bona fide haunting once they can examine. Curious christ, and that the pale rider who sits atop the white horse — a
hunters have to find real spooks and haunted houses to poke ghostly figure — may even be the Antichrist. Thus, ghostwalkers
around if they want to run into a ghostwalker. This can be a lot may be, in fact, demons who work to bring about the end of
of fun in and of itself, of course; a run-in with a ghastly spirit the world.
can be very exciting, and haunted houses are great places for Though many hunters in the compact agree that
meetings and parties. ghostwalkers have something to do with the apocalypse, fierce
Once they have a haunt, members of the Abbey will have to debate rages on as to their true nature. Were they inhuman
try to conceal who they are. More than a few times, an encounter monsters created by the Horsemen? Or, have they been
started off well — until a ghostwalker was invited to a party. The summoned from the dead, former humans who are now slaves
ghostwalker’s typical response is frustrating for hunters, especial- to the Horsemen’s will?
ly since not all Abbey members treat them the same way. Recent evidence suggests that ghostwalkers have no free
When hunting, Abbey members understand that superior will of their own, but the matter is far from settled. Some Long
firepower seems to be the best plan, and that surprise is Night hunters believe it’s their duty to determine how ghost-
very important. They have yet to isolate just what it is that walkers regenerate and replenish their numbers. After all, if
weakens ghostwalkers, but they are sure they will stumble onto the Four Horsemen aren’t responsible for their creation, then
that secret at any time. After all, the fae are affected by iron, slaying ghostwalkers as quickly as possible will prevent them
vampires by fire and sunlight, werewolves by silver…there must from spreading. To the Long Night, the situation is dire. It’s
be something. apparent that they’ll be restored from the dead again and again
For a while, the word was that sea salt — loaded into shot- by their dark masters to battle the armies of the Lord — and
guns or thrown right at them — would devastate the haunted. the compact will do whatever it takes to prevent the apocalypse
However, it seemed that sea salt must have been a fluke, an old from happening.
wives’ tale, or deliberate misinformation. Of course, the Ab-
bey won’t let such a trivial matter slow them down. If nothing, The Response
members will enjoy experimenting with what will work. For the most part, the Long Night deals with ghostwalkers
For now, though, the Abbey parties with ghostwalkers one at a time, and seeks to discover what can keep the haunted
when they can, hunts them when they can, and enjoys doing down. Those hunters who believe they’re demonically possessed
both as much as possible. Sure, dealings with the haunted have have tried to capture and use increasingly invasive exorcisms to
a higher mortality rate than other monsters, but that just makes cure them. Joshua Waverly, a pastor in Arkansas, has set up a
the Vigil more exciting. facility that can imprison several ghostwalkers where he carries

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