by Guardian Lurker (Hunter: The Reckoning | Fiction)
Memo : DOC20001007135927.1597
Date : 7 October 2000
To : [censored], Director, Project Theseus
From : [censored], Special Agent in Charge of Special Operations, and
Liaison
Subject : Progression of an Imbued Hunter
After observing the Hunter Net List (ref : DOC20000812172334.3), and the surveillance subjects (ref : DOC20000815091445.45), I have reached some conclusions about the developmental progression of an Imbued Hunter.
An Imbued Hunter has 7 developmental stages, each stage building on the experiences of the last as the Hunter becomes more and more powerful. There are no fixed time scales for these stages; it is the Imbued's exposure to supernatural entities that seems to be the key. As an example consider Subject 117. He has progressed rapidly and has repeatedly, and consistently demonstrated powers and abilities that have yet to be demonstrated in others. Contrast 117 with Subject 23. While 23 has been imbued for much longer than 117, and despite the initial similarities in their abilities, 117 has rapidly outstripped 23 in both the effectiveness and number of his abilities. I attribute this to the greater frequency of 117's missions. This is born out by similar comparisons made between subjects 116 and 23, 17 and 91, and 142 and 1.
As exposure increases, the Imbued either dies, or survives and becomes more dedicated to his mission. Imbued in areas with higher concentrations of supernatural entities will typically advance through these stages faster than others. So will the less cautious Imbued, who are like wise exposed to supernatural entities with greater frequency.
In order, the stages are :
This is when the Imbued is exposed to the reality of the Monsters living in our society. Every Imbued reports receiving a message that only they can see or hear, as part of the Initiation. For some, that First Message is a guiding principle or goal. For others, it reveals the nature of the monsters they are fighting. Some receive instructions. Others do not. The First Messages are almost completely unique. It is rare for an Imbued to encounter another that received an identical First Message. The gifts that Imbued are first given either protect them, or allow them to see the monsters, although a significant portion are given edges that aid them in hurting the monsters. Initiation typically lasts only a few minutes.
This occurs right after the Imbuing. It typically lasts a few weeks. In this stage the Imbued is trying to deny or accept the revealed reality. He is trying to decide whether or not he is sane. Some decide yes, others no. In most cases, regardless of the Imbued's faith in his sanity, he feels compelled to do something, to seek out other monsters. If the Imbued encounters other people who support him, he is likely to advance through this stage quickly. If alone, the stage may be prolonged or delayed. It is almost never completely skipped. This is also the stage where an Imbued will start learning new skills - martial arts and firearms skills are the most common choices. Others may engage in research, or physical conditioning. Regardless, their behaviors change, and often radically.
Once the Hunter has accepted their new role and begun their Hunts, they are novices. This is the most dangerous stage for a Hunter, especially if they are alone. The Initiation is typically a brief chance encounter; neither the Hunter or the Monster are prepared. As a Novice, the Imbued typically believes they know more than they do. Unable to discriminate between the errors and the truths in the mythical lore, they accept it all, placing themselves in danger. A majority of Imbued are lucky enough, or cautious enough to survive their first few months to become Journeyman. The gifts revealed as a novice are typically expanded versions of the gifts seen during the Initiation.
A novice is confident, typically overly so. As a Journeyman, the Imbued has realized the dangers, and has started to feel the stresses of his calling. At this point, many hunters start alienating themselves from their old support structures, or have those structures fail them. Reports of divorces, break-ups, firings, drop-outs, and other social failures are common. A hunter can remain at this stage for an extended period, becoming more and more stressed. The gifts begin to differentiate themselves, becoming better suited for the Imbued's approach to the Hunt, and instead of affecting the Imbued themselves, the gifts begin to affect others.
The master hunter has gained the confidence imparted by experience and wisdom, but at the cost of greater alienation from society. The process of breaking away from their previous ties that most Imbued seem to undergo starts when they are Journeymen. By the time the Imbued has reached master status, the process has been completed. An Imbued Hunter can remain within the Master Stage for an indefinite period of time. However, if they continue to be exposed to the supernatural, or continue to be active within the Imbued community (on- or off-line), it seems almost inevitable that the Master Imbued will progress to Grand master.
At some point, the stress of the Hunt becomes too great, and the Imbued begins to show signs of derangement, insanity. The dedication to the Mission increases, but at a cost of further separating themselves from humanity. Quickly, the Imbued become less rational, less predictable, and more alien. Many describe the master hunters as being inhuman. The gifts revealed during this stage are powerful, almost impossible to believe. This stage is typically one of the shortest. The Imbued either burns out and dies, or Falls.
The dividing line between Master and Fallen seems to be a conscious one. Some grand master hunters, unfortunately too many grand master hunters, trade their soul, their identity, or equally precious things for more power to use in the Hunt. Some yield to the Powers behind the Imbuings, others to the Enemy. But the Gifts they receive in return are astounding and capable of affecting many subjects at once. Unhappily, fallen hunters are so dedicated to the Hunt that they demand that _all_ other hunters follow their philosophy. There have been numerous cases of fallen Hunters attacking their fellows for "betraying the Ideals". This phenomenon is so common that the Imbued have given it a name - the Archangel complex, and will talk about a Hunter "going archangel". Once a hunter becomes an archangel, a Fallen, he is so dangerous that other hunters will often seek him out to destroy him.
For the purposes of recruiting (ref : DOC20000704120000.1 and DOC20000901212016.68), Project Theseus should concentrate it's efforts on Novice and Journeymen Imbued. When Initiation occurs, and who will be initiated cannot be predicted, nor does Initiation persist. Awakening Imbued are not generally approachable, nor detectable, as they tend to low activity cycles. Should an Awakening Imbued be encountered, we should make every effort to recruit them, as they will be more open to the Project's mission. Masters are too unstable for recruitment purposes, given the Project's mission, it is all too likely that any Master will progress to the Grand master stage and become unmanageable. Fallen Imbued, of course, are antithetical to the Project's mission, and should never be considered for recruitment purposes.
Any recruitment benefits that the Project can offer should be tailored to be more attractive to Novice and Journeymen Imbued. To wit, the benefits should offer immediate and concrete aid, shelter, and safety.
Sincerely,
[censored]
Special Operations
After the events in New Dijon and the Week of Nightmares, the US Government decided that it's current stance against the supernatural was inadequate. It formed Project Theseus as an amalagam of the various departments, divisions, committees and teams investigating the supernatural. Project Theseus's mission is to combat the supernatural threat. Thanks to Jared Shoemaker, and others, the government is aware of the Imbued. In Project Theseus's case, the Imbued agents are used as semi-independent special operations teams. The head of Special Operations is Imbued himself, and he encourages the recruitment of Martyrs, Defenders, Avengers, and Judges.
Perhaps the best way to conceive of Project Theseus is as an updated FBI Special Affairs Division that accepts Imbued agents knowingly. Project Theseus can either co-exist or replace the FBI's SAD in your campaign. Any adventure appropriate for Project Twilight is also appropriate for Project Theseus. For more information on the FBI's SAD (and other government agencies' involvement with the supernatural) read the Year of the Hunter supplements, particularly Project Twilight.
