The Nocturnal

The Nocturnal is an enemy book for Hunter: The Reckoning covering how to involve the Kindred as enemies in a Hunter chronicle.

Summary[]

The Children of the Night...

Vampires. Rots. Leeches. The name doesn't matter. All of them are inhuman, undead parasites that feed off the living and keep humanity under their thumb. They may have worked from the shadows before, but hunters see them now. The imbued know, and they won't let the nightcrawlers have their way anymore. It's time that bloodsuckers were shown the light - daylight.

Must Be Disciplined

Hunter: The Nocturnal explores the undead real of vampires as hunters perceive it, learning leeches' strengths, fears and weaknesses. But rots have discovered hunters, too. When ancient and mysterious vampires meet new and unprecedented hunters, there can only be bloodshed. Mortal or immortal, we all destroy what we don't understand.

Contents[]

Prologue: Secrets[]

(...)

Introduction[]

Source Materials
- Tomb of Dracula (Marvel Comic from the 1970s)
- Lust for Blood: The Consuming Story of Vampires, by Olga Hoyt
- Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat
- J. Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla"
- Frederick Cowles' "The Vampire of Kaldenstein"
- John Polidori's "The Vampyre: A Tale"
- Bram Stoker's Dracula
- Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting
- F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
- Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities
- Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Hell's Angels
- John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
- Blade
- The Crow
- The Replacement Killers
- The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II and Goodfellas
- The Hunger
- John Carpenter's Vampires

Chapter 1: Sleeping with the Enemy[]

Reveals just how subversive and subtle bloodsuckers can be, and how firm a grasp they can have over almost any mortal institution or endeavor, all from a skewed yet realistic hunter perspective.

Chapter 2: Awakened from the Nightmare[]

Explores a possible hunter first contact with vampires, and the creatures' awareness of mortal failings and fears.

Chapter 3: Dead but Hopeful[]

Gives a hint of the vampire take on immortality, and on discovering and working with hunters, even if such mortals remain strange and misunderstood.

Chapter 4: The Nightmare is Real[]

Part two to "Sleeping with the Enemy" and shows the same events of manipulation and plotting from the bloodsucker point of view.

Chapter 5: A Nest of Vipers[]

Continues "Awakened from the Nightmare" and suggests how even hunters can become the pawns of the undead - to be used and discarded at the creatures' whim.

Chapter 6: Better Judgement[]

Completes the story begun in "Dead but Hopeful," following organized hunters' response to the existence of leeches and examining undead existence from the imbued perspective.

Chapter 7: Rules and Storytelling[]

Intended for Storytellers alone. It offers tips and guidance on how to understand and portray the undead in your Hunter chronicle and embellishes upon information provided in the core rulebook and in the Storytellers Companion. This chapter (indeed, this whole book) operates under the tenets for depicting bloodsuckers explored in the article "Building Better Monsters" in the Hunter Storytellers Handbook (p. 48).

Sample Ghouls
- Animal Ghouls
  - Cat - Stats
  - Dog - Stats
  - Rat - Stats
Vampire Powers
- Common Powers
  - Aura Sight
- Power, Speed and Endurance
  - Power
  - Speed
  - Endurance
- Uncommon Powers
  - Acid Touch
  - Animate Shadows
  - Hellfire
  - Shake Tongue
  - Telekinesis
  - Warp
- Rare Powers
  - Demon Form
  - Shadow Form
  - Warp Bone

Background[]

The ad at the back of the book is for Dark Ages Vampire (May 2002).

Memorable Quotes[]

She said the word, Kingston, not me. She called me out, right there in the coffee shop but quietly. "Are you a vampire?"
What the fuck do you say to that? What would you have said, Kingston? - John Samuels

Characters[]

Prologue: Secrets
- Case - Vampire
- "Billy" - Imbued
- Lupe
Chapter 1: Sleeping with the Enemy
- Mrs. Finnegan
- Heather Cole
- Thomas Arturo
- Ynez - Janitor
- Hector Echeverria - Janitor, Fired, Imbued
- Mr. Bruce Rifkind - Vampire
- Clara - Hector's Wife
- Rosendo Cabrera - Janitor, Died
- "Jimmy"
- Colleen
- Lisa - Died
- Officer Holland
Chapter 2: Wakened from the Nightmare
- Bill - Imbued, Died
- Walker - Imbued
- "Johnny" - Imbued, Died
- Kuerten
- George
- Mr. Schmuck
- Ellen - Imbued, Missing
- Vazquez - Vampire
- Mr. Kinney
- A. Bramlett
Chapter 3: Dead but Hopeful
- John Samuels - Vampire
- Livia, "Liv" - Imbued
- Alfred Kingston - Vampire, John Samuels' Sire
- Joan - John's former girlfriend
- George Satow - Imbued, Died
- Celina Hartson - Died
- Nancy Marks - Died
- Harry Ballew - Imbued, Died
- Jim Turner - Imbued, Died
- Sandra Atkins - Died
- Drake, "Clockwatcher332" - Imbued
- Reynolds - Imbued
Chapter 4: The Nightmare is Real
- Hellene
- Jesus Degetau - Janitor
- Luis Castaño - Janitor
- Sila Muñoz - Janitor
- John McCormick - Imbued, Janitor, Fired
- Orlando Calderon - Janitor
- Qadir Al-Asmai
- Mr. Vanderweyden
- Miss Rebecca Carney
- "Angel" - Vampire, Nosferatu
Chapter 5: A Nest of Vipers
- Harrington] - Vampire
Chapter 6: Better Judgement
- Alejandro Ortega - Vampire, Destroyed
- Allen Gainor - Died
- Richard Cho - Cult Member
- "Gideon" - Cult Leader, Vampire
- Ann - Cult Member
- Bookworm55
- Dee
Chapter 7: Rules and Storytelling
- Jim Peters
- Mr. O'Brien - Vampire
- Eugene Smith

Terminology[]

Angel Urinal, Blood, Blood Points, Blood Slaves, Bloodsuckers, Brightways Custodial Services, Cain, Camilla, Clan, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Domain, East Harlem, Ghoul, Greenwich Village, Haven, Kentucky, Kindred, Kine, Liverpool, Mark Hotel, Mexico, New York, New York City, Ohio, Pakistan, Prince, Puppets, Richard Meier & Partners, Rot, Stuyvesant Town, St. Vincent, Texas, Toledo, United States, Vampire,

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