June 9th Hunter: the Vigil post - Cells
Jun. 9th, 2008 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiat_knoxJune 9th preview for Hunter: The Vigil
Posted: 2008-06-09
A cell is the smallest and most common element of hunter society; at its core, it’s a group of like-minded people dedicated to stopping the monsters that threaten their homes and loved ones. These groups usually comprise only a handful of individuals, often with minimal resources and limited knowledge of the supernatural, and their area of influence is extremely local. They come together to investigate and fight the thing that’s stalking children in their neighborhood, or is leaving bodies drained of blood in the alley behind their apartment building.
Any given city features dozens, if not scores, of hunter cells. Many operate in complete ignorance of one another, never glimpsing the larger struggle going on around them. They operate out of living rooms, tool sheds and Internet cafés, fighting with a combination of wits, courage and improvised weapons against a foe they only barely understand. Their composition can be as varied as the circumstances that brought them together: a cell can be composed of a group of neighbors plagued by the same angry spirit, a team of cops who decide to take the law into their own hands in the face of a seemingly unstoppable murderer, or a band of college students out to investigate the mysterious death of one of their friends.
Hunter cells are typically focused on short-term results: they track down and deal with the immediate threat by any means necessary. They find where the vampire sleeps during the day and drive a stake through its heart, or they burn a haunted house to the ground to keep more kids from disappearing into its depths. The emphasis is on survival: us versus them, with little room for negotiation or compromise.
The lifespan of a hunter cell is often very short; with little support and few resources to draw on, the deck is stacked against it from the start. Apart from the physical risks, the Vigil takes an extreme psychological and emotional toll on hunters as well, and unless they are very careful, a cell’s activities can often draw the attentions of local law enforcement. Even those cells that survive a confrontation with a monster will sometimes try to disband and return to their everyday lives, hoping that theirs was an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Only the most dedicated hunters see the Vigil as a true calling, devoting their lives to protecting humanity against the horrors that walk among them. These cells can persist for months or even years, accumulating hard-won knowledge and experience at an often-terrible cost.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The primary strength of a hunter cell is its size — with only a handful of members, the team is stealthy and agile, able to react to changing situations quickly, take action, then blend back into the crowd. If they are careful and keep their numbers small, cells can operate invisibly for a very long time, avoiding notice until they are ready to strike. By drawing on the individual skills and resources of their members and using their wits, the cell is self-contained, self-reliant and, with experience, can become extremely effective.
A cell’s limited size is also its primary drawback. Its operations are limited to the availability, resources and skills of its members, and it’s difficult to replace losses quickly. The members of the cell have no one to turn to in a crisis except one another, and no safety net in the event things go catastrophically wrong. These shortcomings are the primary factor in driving hunters to band together when possible and form larger organizations.
