The Madman

"Mr. Smythe, why did you cut your hand like that?" Dr. Burnell asked.

"I had to see if he was a vampire."

"And by 'he' you mean Dr. Raskin?" Dr. Burnell asked.

"Sure, if that's his name," the old man said, shrugging.

"I see," Dr. Burnell said, making a note on his clipboard. "And you suspected he might be a vampire because...?"

"Well he wasn't a robot, a ghost, or an alien, so I was checking all the options," Smythe said. He held up his bandaged hand, and gave Burnell a crooked, gap-toothed smile. "He only showed up at night, never entered without permission, didn't seem all too religiously inclined, so I tried it. Judging from how he threw up, my guess is he ain't a vampire, either."

"I see," Dr. Burnell said again, holding back a sigh. "Mr. Smythe, have you been taking your medication?"

"Twice a day, on the dot," he said, nodding.

"All right," Dr. Burnell said, making another note. "I'm going to recommend we switch you to a different medication. It will take a few weeks to work. Between now and then I need you to promise me that you'll keep Nurse Brighton informed of anything you feel"

Smythe's face darkened, and he made a face like he'd sucked on a lemon. Burnell drew another long breath, and let it out.

"I know you aren't fond of her," the doctor said after a moment. "But she is a dedicated professional who only wants to help. Would you please just keep her updated?"

Smythe rubbed at his hand, frowning. Finally, he nodded. "Sure, doc... I can do that. I can do a lot of things, when I have to."

An Eternal Vigil

Hunter: The Vigil is a game of mortals taking back the night from the monsters who haunt the shadows of the world. Men and women armed with ancient legends and modern weapons who aim to make the things that go bump in the night remember why it is they hide behind a masquerade, and to eradicate as many as possible. Some do it for vengeance, or out of a sense of duty, while some are driven by religious fervor, or to indulge the dark needs that beat in the secret hearts of too many members of the human race.

While the most dangerous hunters have access to huge armories, state secrets, well-trained teams of paramilitary squads, and ancient, mystical rites, not all hunters fall into this category. Some of them operate in small cells, making do with their own, limited knowledge and improvised tools. These are the hunters that most often meet bloody, violent ends... but what's worse is when they get picked up by the system.

After all, the things hunters do might be necessary for the survival of humanity, but they tend to break a number of laws. And most hunters can't tell the cops they're fighting monsters that no one else can see... those who do, though, are the ones who fall under the definition of the Madman.

A madman plays a dangerous game by faking insanity to make themselves seem confused, ineffectual, or like they aren't really aware of the things behind the veil. They try to make their kills look incidental by muddying the waters with unrelated statements, bizarre actions, and strange beliefs, making law enforcement and the legal system treat them as a sick person in need of psychiatric counseling instead of a hardened criminal.

It isn't just the cops and the judges they're trying to fool, though... it's also the very prey they hunt. A Madman tries to project this air so that the vampires, werewolves, changelings, mages, and others believe they were never really a threat in the first place. They want it to seem like the Madman got lucky so that the supernatural creatures look away and focus on other threats. This act allows the Madman to fake a "recovery" so they can be discharged and return to the hunt, or if that isn't possible then moved to a less secure facility where they can escape back to their cell, and perhaps start over again under a false name and identity.

Some Madmen, particularly those who are part of a vagrant community, start this act preemptively as a form of camouflage. No one pays any attention to the rantings of the burnout who always sits on the bus stop bench muttering to himself, or notices the old wino who wanders the neighborhood... so when they realize there's a wolf under the sheep's clothing, it's too late for them to run.

Of course, being a hunter can take a toll on someone. Night sweats, screaming fits, and derangements are all par for the course... so even if this started off as a way to blend into the population, or to escape notice and punishment, it's possible that a so-called Madman might, in time, become indistinguishable from their persona.

Additional Reading

For folks who are looking into playing Hunter, or any of the other Chronicles of Darkness games, I'd recommend checking out the following NPC lists to both flesh out the world you're playing in, but also to look for inspiration for your own hunter!

- Deadly Country: 100 NPCs of Central Florida: One of the most dangerous parts of the World of Darkness, Florida is full of people on both sides of the Masquerade.

- 100 Mediums: There are some humans who are either born with, or who acquire, the ability to see things no one else can... or should. Valuable sources of information, many of them will be potent allies. Some of them might be hunters themselves!

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That's all for this week's Unusual Character Concepts post!

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