Page 85 - Hunter the Vigil - Mortal Remains

CHAPTER THREE: GHOSTWALKERS

Malleus lower themselves to using the haunted to find what TFV encounters the Fog Men, they’re often told to consider
they want to eradicate more than anything else in this world? them a serious threat, one that should be handled carefully and
Such moral quandaries are rare, given how infrequently possibly ignored. Not only can the Fog Men wreak havoc on
the conspiracy has encountered a ghostwalker, and Malleus has TFV forces, they’re also difficult to kill.
yet to make a definitive judgment as to what’s best for their Despite TFV’s proven expertise when dealing with Fog
hunters. Should a cell capture one of the haunted, any pleas for Men, top brass hesitates to order Project: FORT to handle them
redemption or cries for help are typically decided by the hunt- in the field. What TFV’s commanders aren’t saying, is that they
ers involved — without any guidance from the Vatican. believe the Fog Men can be used to the conspiracy’s advantage.
That said, some hunters in the Order of St. Ambrose It seems brass figured out that the Fog Men do have something
remain convinced there is some way to separate the demon they want: the ability to travel to the Underworld. Now, the
from its host, and that all ghostwalkers are possessed victims, conspiracy hopes to test new equipment — the Gatekeeper De-
not witches who can control their actions. They see the vice — which may allow Task Force: VALKYRIE to open an
conspiracy’s failures as a challenge to their faith, not a sign that Avernian Gate (see p. 226, The God-Machine Chronicle).
they are mistaken. After all, even when tortured, most haunted Most hunters want to use the Gatekeeper Device to give
insist they are connected to a second entity, and some ask to them an edge on their hunts. Though the device isn’t fully
escape from it. operational yet, top brass believes that Gatekeeper will allow
To this day, these hunters continue to present their case TFV to target monsters at their point of origin. Though the
from time-to-time, and believe the haunted should be regarded project has been developed in a top secret environment,
as a special case. Thus far, the Order of St. Ambrose hasn’t some ghostwalkers are beginning to pay close attention to the
acquired enough evidence to make a convincing argument. conspiracy. Thus far, the Fog Men act only on suspicion; they
It seems that most Malleus hunters don’t want to overreact don’t know what Task Force: VALKYRIE is up to, if they are
and condemn innocents, not without hard proof, not while trying to recreate them, just what their tech can do, or what the
bloodsuckers remain the conspiracy’s top priority. conspiracy’s long-term plan is.
Project: FORT has not been eager to engage the Fog Men,
Task Force: so they’re not wise to the fact that the ghostwalkers are seeking
VALKYRIE to secure a spot within the conspiracy. A handful of hunters
within Project: FORT have dared to wonder if the haunted
Task Force: VALKYRIE first encountered ghostwalkers in serve some sort of purpose or higher power, and worry that the
Europe during the waning days of World War II. Though the conspiracy is interfering with the natural order. If ghostwalkers
Fog Men took out their revenge on Nazis and Soviets alike, exist to keep ghosts contained, why should they interfere?
they were rare compared to other supernatural monsters. So, Given how Project: FORT defers to top brass, however, they
while top brass did recognize that the Fog Men were a threat, mostly keep their opinions to themselves. After all, should the
they never really topped Task Force: VALKYRIE’s list of targets. bigwigs disapprove of their newfound morality and cut their
Deemed to be a phenomenon unique to the battlefield, brass funding, they’ll have to uphold the Vigil the old-fashioned way.
didn’t give much credence to the idea that Fog Men might exist
in America. That is, not until Task Force: VALKYRIE had a run Wandering
in with a few ghostwalkers in the 1980s, and quickly realized
that Fog Men were operating at home, too.
When Project: FORT began upping their efforts in earnest, Monsters
however, TFV encountered ghostwalkers far more often. Trying
to eliminate or contain ghosts ultimately drew the wrath of a It’s easy to introduce a ghostwalker as a high difficulty vil-
number of Fog Men, who proved to exhibit unusual powers, and lain for a local cell to hunt and kill. Ghostwalkers can also be
camaraderie with ghosts the conspiracy didn’t think was possible. used to change up the story, to offer a different type of mystery
Task Force: VALKYRIE hunters have few ideas about the and threat than what vampires or witches provide. Few enemies
ENE’s true nature — and top brass hasn’t fully disclosed what positively require the hunters to use their brains instead of
the Fog Men are, either. Amongst hunters, the dominant theory their bullets. Hunters who go after a gang of ghostwalkers with
is that the Fog Men are possessed, and only appear after a vio- guns blazing will more than likely be seriously hurt — or worse.
lent death — like dying in battle. Whatever they are, TFV has To succeed, hunters should be careful, and use the knowledge
figured out Etheric Rounds hurt ghostwalkers even though they they’ve learned against them. Ghostwalkers can make for an ex-
are made of flesh. While the Fog Men are clearly upset that TFV cellent story, and with their ability to come back from the grave,
has found a weakness, top brass has ordered the conspiracy not a single haunted monster can make a great antagonist that lasts
to use them. It seems that, at the highest level, some think the for several weeks. While this is the most obvious choice, it is not
Fog Men should be left alone — a belief that’s often ignored. the only way Storytellers may use a ghostwalker in a chronicle.
Ghostwalkers and hunters share more in common than
The Response they know. While the haunted are as idiosyncratic as any
In general, the conspiracy’s response to ghostwalkers is supernatural creature, they stick to a code, one that many
to kill them with fire, before they can kill anyone else. When hunters would recognize as a Vigil. Simply, ghostwalkers

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