Stephen Lambert, "Moderator87" is a Bystander. He is also the founder and leader of the hunter organization, the Moderators.
Overview[]
Stephen Lambert was the first hunter-net poster to break its primary rule: Don't reveal who you are. He posted his name, phone number and the fact that his wife was crippled because of his personal inaction when a creature assaulted her. Perhaps he suffered from intolerable guilt over the event and sought an end that he could not inflict upon himself. Or perhaps he sought to start a grassroots movement among this electronic community to help him undo the damage he had indirectly caused.
Since making himself available in the real world, Lambert has been the target of ongoing attack online. If it were true that he could not detect creatures after that first time, many asked how he found hunter-net at all, fearing that he might actually be one of them laying a trap for the gullible. Others asked how he could acquire information about creatures when he professed to have no capabilities or "sight" like the imbued.
Lambert ignored the questions and attacks, responding only by giving information on suspected monsters' whereabouts, habits and behavior. He sources of information on the list. Lambert's intelligence gained him some respect and even a following. But other posters insisted on knowing how he acquired his information. By then, Lambert's evasiveness online stood in stark contrast to his initial candor. And yet, those who have dared to gather reports from him have described a rewarding relationship and positive results against the enemy. They propose that he is an exceedingly effective organizer with numerous allies and sources, be they other hunters, "duds" or perhaps even deserving creatures with whom he has allied. The most extreme theory suggest he is in fact one of the Messengers, and that his words are carefully disguised mandates from above.
The fact is that Lambert is a lonely, terrified blind man with a crippled and utterly dependent wife. His so-called "ring of associates" is a handful of fearful but alert hunters and other lost. All that he truly has at his disposal are well-placed contacts from his life before, excellent facility with his specially developed computer technology, a natural sense for human nature and a study of statistics and probabilities.
Lambert was born in New York City. His father was a prominent lawyer who was unprepared and emotionally incapable of raising a disabled son. Fortunately his mother was more forgiving, and she taught him an intuitive understanding of the world. Combining his mother's empathy and his father's alertness and savvy, Lambert became a keen analyst of human behavior, paying close attention to people's statements rather than their appearance.
Despite his disability, Lambert lived a fairly normal life. That all changed, however, when he and his wife were attacked by a walking corpse - or so Lambert identified it afterward. They were out late when Lambert heard the inexplicable words, "THE DEAD WALK." He was then struck by the overwhelming stench of rot, followed by his wife's screams. Lambert himself was left untouched and helpless, but his wife was left in a coma.
It was in the tortured weeks that followed that Lambert discovered hunter-net and began to guess what really might have happened that night.
He has since dedicated his life to identifying creatures with his existing talents, and he demonstrates a willingness to put himself on the line to get results, even though he was never truly "imbued." Perhaps his reliance on senses and observation beyond sight have made him receptive to and capable of digesting the existence of monsters.
He uses gathered sources of information from across the country such as newspapers, publicly available documents, email, websites and reports to search for odd occurrences, anomalies, contradictions and flawed cover stories. After turning seemingly random pieces of information into a coherent picture of possible monster activity, Lambert makes the information available to list members who might operate in the vicinity of a suspected creature.
Those who have the respectable or solemn honor of meeting Lambert encounter an obsessed blind man, who sequesters himself in the darkness of his small home with his voice-operated computer when his is not caring for his invalid wife. His goal is to identity the monster that crippled her, but not even he knows how he'll respond if and when that day comes. For the moment, hunters might hope that it never does. Despite the crushing odds against him, Lambert has become an invaluable contributor to the cause.
References[]
- HTR: Hunter: The Reckoning Rulebook, p. 291-292
- HTR: Hunter Players Guide, p. 72-73
- HTR: Hunter: First Contact, p. 67-69
- HTR: Hunter Book: Hermit, p. 49