[nWoD] Campus Vigilantes 3: The Root of All Evil

Leon glances over at Adam. "Should be, once he comes back from..." Leon leans down and looks at Jonah's face. "...Norway, and memories of his hunting trip, I'm guessing." Opting to let Jonah come back in his own time, as he didn't appear to be having anything more serious than a memory attack, Leon returns to his "couch." As he sat down, he looked at Conrad and gave him a shrug. "We're Hunters; we've all seen things that don't sit right with us. Things that made us sit up and take notice, things that keep us up at night, things that haunt our dreams. And we've barely scratched the surface of what's out there. Whatever happened in Norway, it clearly had a profound effect on Jonah. He mentioned that he nearly lost his leg; my guess is that somebody, possibly many somebodies, lost a lot more than a leg to that beast." He lay back down on his "couch," closing his eyes as he did so. "We're Hunters; this is what we face, this is what we risk. But we do it anyway, each for our own reasons. I can't really comment on the idea of hunting for fun. I mean, I'm in this at least partially so I can do science to the things that go bump in the night, so it'd be a touch hypocritical of me to say it's wrong for them to hunt for fun. On the other hand, if they're looking for fun, why not just hunt, like, bears, or something? Why the beasties what lurk in the dark places?"

Adam shrugs and opens his brochure again, "Psych isn't my field. You'd have to ask Semira....or Allison. But I'm guessing that game only gets so big before it loses its edge over the human mind. Something that can think and plan poses more of a challenge. Just so long as humans don't make it on the menu, I guess it's not too dangerous."

Adam doesn't sound too sure of what he says, but he returns back to the catalog. He speaks a moment later, addressing Conrad, "Leon's right, though. Not everything we see and do can be shrugged off, or forgotten. We do things that give us nightmares. Some nightmares, like Jonah's, don't wait until you're asleep. It's a rough life we live, but we don't exactly have any other choice..."

Jonah gives a small shake of his head, snapping back to reality. He smiles sheepishly. "Sorry about that. That was, uh... Bit of a trick the werewolves have, actually," he says, before setting his book down on the table and putting his feet down on the floor, wincing slightly as he moves his right leg, so that he can sit up straight and have proper posture. The other Hunters may recognize this as Jonah going into "Hermione Granger" mode, when he likes to babble about the occult and various beasties, real or imagined.

"Werewolves actually possess a mind-altering... quality, of sorts," he says, tapping the side of his head. "From what my colleagues told me, seeing a werewolf, particularly in its man-wolf hybrid form, tends to send most people into a blind panic. Even Hunters, who fully grasp what they're seeing and have been preparing for the encounter, can be affected. And then recalling the experience is a challenge in and of itself. From what I've been told, most people can't even remember the experience, or can only remember bits and pieces. Others, well..." he shrugs, gesturing at himself. "It really depends on the individual, I think..."

He then gives a shake of his head, before turning his gaze back to Leon and frowning. "At any rate, I didn't bring you back any samples because it's impossible to do so. The Abbey loves to take trophies, but werewolves are nearly impossible to take pieces from due to the fact that upon death, they revert back to human form, as does any part of them that has been removed prior to death. So a werewolf fang, even if it were expertly extracted and preserved, would turn back into a human tooth the moment the werewolf expires. And I doubt airport security would have let me back into the States with a suitcase full of human teeth and skin samples," he says with a wry grin.

"No problem. So, werewolves have defense mechanism that is capable of triggering a flight response in their prey or attackers when in non-humanoid form, and it is incredibly difficult to overcome, even if you're aware of its presence and effects. And it makes it difficult for survivors of werewolf attacks to recall the event with any degree of clarity..." Leon sits up and looks around the room, his eyes darting from face to face, a manic cast to his features. "Imagine how convenient that would be for us if we could find a way to replicate its effects. We'd have to find a way to inoculate ourselves against each other, of course, and we'd have to find a way of preventing it from triggering when we're in crowded areas or not hunting, but just think how wonderful it would be to not have to worry about getting caught by the police, or being able to send a vampire running. Do you know if it's a biological process, or is it something supernatural?" Leon's eyes focus solely on Jonah now, boring into his fellow Hunter. "For that matter, what about their shapeshifting ability? You said that they revert to humanoid form when killed; that implies the transformation process requires some degree of focus and attention, even if it's negligible. We may be able to find a way to disrupt it and force them back into human form. I could have used tissue samples from the humanoid form as well, of course; a live specimen would be ideal for studying the shapeshifting process, but even dead flesh can hold clues. I also want to know about their silver vulnerability, and their regenerative capabilities. Tissue samples from the humanoid form would likely have been sufficient to yield some insight into the nature of their aversion to silver, at the very least, even if I couldn't glean any useful data regarding the regeneration process they're so often attributed." He blinks, for the first time since he began ranting, and his demeanor returns to normal. "I do understand why you would have had trouble getting the samples through customs. I don't suppose you would be willing to ask your compatriots in the Abbey if they have any tissue samples, or would be willing to retrieve some the next time they go hunting?"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ToySoldierCPlus

"Careful with those ideas you're giving him; he wanted to build some blunderbusses out of PVC at the beginning of last term. Matt, make sure you use something sturdier than that for these, all right?"

---

Working on his stuff. Matthew listens to his friends speak one after the other. It had been a long time since he felt the sense of comraderie that comes from belonging to a real like group. Online raids had their appeal to him of course. But nothing could compare with being a part of a real group of Hunters. Hearing Leon's remark he raises an objection.

"Hey i only did that once! It's okay i use lead pipes for the new Blunderbusses now.In Fact if we can get enough of those pipes i bet i could make a canon that fires a bunch of them at the same time... it wouldn't be very mobile but it could serve as a trap... "

Then he continues to hear them ramble about different things when again Leon's comment's catch his attention.

" Or maybe there are no chemical reactions on werewolves.. maybe they are just.. you know... Magic? "

Jonah shrugs. "My money is on supernatural, from what I understand of them, and witnessed myself. I honestly doubt you could replicate it in a normal mortal, unless you feel like giving yourself a nice case of Lycanthropy. As for the silver bullet stuff..."

The scholar waves his hand dismissively. "Shoot 'em enough times with a normal gun, and they'll drop. Werewolves aren't as immortal and hard to kill as a vampire. Cause enough trauma, and their body will eventually give up the ghost. But, silver saves a lot of time and trouble. If you can hit the right spots, at least. Non-lethal ammo like tazers or tranquilizers..." his voice trails off as he takes a moment to look down at his leg, before looking back up at his friends and frowning. "I wouldn't recommend trying those on a werewolf, unless you have some really good fallback plans."

Jonah then looks back at Leon, and tilts his head a bit. "I can already tell you, no, my contacts in the Abbey don't have any physical samples taken from Lycanthropes. That was actually one of the main purposes of the Hunt, aside from sport," he says with a wry smile. "And if any of them did have something, it's not the sort of thing they'd share or show to a non-member. Werewolf trophies are highly rare and sought after in the Abbey, and they're the sort of thing that makes a member famous," he observes, frowning a bit. "Or infamous, when you consider what it would take to get a trophy or sample from a werewolf that manages to maintain its non-human state..."

"Damn shame, here I am reading about TASER shotgun shells. Weight's about right, too, coulda put 'em on an arrow. Damn."

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It's funny because TASERs and stun guns prevent a werewolf from changing. But then, that's the fun of Hunter!

Adam glances up again, "Still, it's good to know in case we ever find a werewolf here. Already got some silver ammunition in the case..." He jerks his head at the armory, ...and I'm sure more could be made. Here's a question, though. Did the nonlethal stuff work before it went all hybrid? Or is it just immune all around?"

He glances over at Conrad, still holding the saber, "I take it you're a sword aficionado?"

Finally, everyone was really getting into the nitty-gritty of hunting. Conrad had little fear of anything and the possibility of a wolfman coming at him gave a greater sense of excitement than anything else. As he listened to the conversations, he sat down on the couch, sabre across his lap as Jonah and Leon discussed. The part about the defense mechanism appealed, as there were several times where he wanted people to suddenly forget who he was and run the hell away. "This defense mechanism... If it was scientific in origin, or genetic or something that could be harnessed, it would be incredibly effective in the grand scheme of the world. Just think of it: being able to bring irrational behaviors out in anyone in close quarters. Political Leaders could browbeat their opposition in debates, organized crime could not only avoid but impose more fear than guns and muscle could ever do... Think of how many card games I could win if I could passively force people to fold in the heat of the moment." It took a moment for Conrad to realize, in retrospect, how horrible that actually sounded. "Though... Perhaps it's best that the world didn't have all that power. I mean if we were to harness it, it'd have to be such a well-guarded secret. What if the government got hold of it?"

Conrad spent a scant few seconds tapping the edge of his sabre with his fingertips concernedly. It was sort of a scary thought, the world with such powerful enemies lurking about. He could hardly be considered a child, but he pondered how he could change from a single encounter with a werewolf or a vampire. He could be completely different. Fortunately, Adam was there to break him out of this funk, asking about the blade and causing Conrad to sit up and shake himself out of such heavy thinking. "Swords? Yeah... I spent most of my life practicing with a short man and a foil. Dad thought I needed discipline, so I got good enough at fencing that I could whip any competitor in the state. I guess it's been a bit of time since I've actually competed, but I'm still as sharp as ever." A moment of serendipity hit as he glanced up at the weapon cabinet, retorting to Adam, "From the looks of you... And of course the fanciest goddamn bow I've ever seen, I'm assuming one of you is an archer? I mean there's only one thing more archaic than swordsmanship around here, so I wager it's yours." He gave a small wink and a grin, trying to keep light of humor despite the heavy situation he found himself in.

Jonah turns and smirks knowingly at Conrad. "If you want that sort of power, we could always let you get bitten and turned by a Vampire. They've got all sorts of fun mind-altering powers. In fact, I bet I could convince the Abbey to let us experiment with the vampire we keep locked down in the basement of the clubhouse. We nicknamed him Nosferatu, and he's so much fun to mess with," he says with a cheery grin.

Jonah allows a moment of silence (and awkward tension, no doubt) to linger, before he bursts into uproarious laughter, shaking his head in amusement. "I'm kidding! Kidding, of course. Well, about the vampire in the basement. Vampires really do have crazy mind-control powers and stuff, though," he observes with an aloof shrug.

"I can attest to the mind-control powers. One of 'em tried them on me back in September. Didn't take, but it was more than a bit unsettling."

Adam smirks at Conrad, "Yeah, the bow is mine. Grew up with it. See, vampires shrug off bullets like flies, but a fire hardened wooden arrow through the heart? Drops 'em like a sack of potatoes. Then it's just a matter of finishing them off." He shrugs nonchalantly, "Also, I just took first place in the Illinois state tournament. Soon enough, I'll be in the Olympics."

Conrad was intrigued. Now that these guys started talking, they seemed more and more interesting. He was probably playing too negative, but what with the werewolf hunting and the mind-bending vampires and the frozen hearts and all, this vigil actually seemed halfway exciting! From his suit pocket, the gambler pulled out a large half-dollar and began to flip it into the air. He always enjoyed having a coin to manipulate, either as a symbol of his nature or just because cash was king. "Mind-bending powers, huh? The stories never said anything fun like that. I mean, I bet most kids think that the bastards just wear capes and go 'bwah!' and glitter or all that junk. I swear, the things people will believe. To think I didn't hear about all of this until now? "

An idea flitted by Conrad's brain and without consideration, he spat it out, "I was just thinking. Why don't people know that these creepy-crawlies exist. Everyone thinks they are figments of imagination and folklore, but we know... I mean I'm sure a lot of people know, if Ashwood Abbey had enough for global presence. Why shouldn't as many people be aware as possible that things could quite literally suck their blood or rip off their head in the full moon? It seems so secretive, like a boy's club... No offense to your Abbey-ites, Jonah."

As he listened to Adam, memories seemed to rise up about an archer in the school. He rarely participated in the happenings of Maxwell College, even in regards to classes, but he remembered something around Halloween about an archer and a crazy fella. Most had passed it off as some kind of stunt, but in this new light, "Waitwaitwait... You're seriously an olympic-level archer? I mean a school like this would foster someone who was that damn good? Why aren't you in Princeton or some sorta posh school? Now I feel bad for thinking you just another kid in this school... You must have had something to do with that Halloween thing. I mean, who else uses a bow around here? Why the hell aren't you some sort of lauded hero?"

"Most people don't want to know. The beasties keep their secrets the best they can, and the general public turns a blind eye to the weird crap that goes on around them. They'd simply rather go about their lives in blissful ignorance than face the truth."

"And yeah, that was me. Some people did call me a hero, but I'm not the limelight sort. This school does have an archery team, you know, and they gave me a scholarship. That's why I'm here."

"As an added bonus, all of the beasties are very keen on keeping humanity in the dark. We outnumber them by what must be hundreds of thousands if not millions to 1; if everyone knew about them, it'd take about a week or so for humanity to exterminate them. Figured that out in September."

"The Abbey keeps its activities a secret for many reason," Jonah says, giving a small shrug. "There are quite a few chapters scattered about, but our numbers aren't exactly great. Aside from avoiding the attention of our prey and things that would have just as much fun hunting us, there is also the issue of local law enforcement and the general public. Murder is murder, torture is torture, so on and so forth, even if you claim to have proof the little old lady you lit on fire was actually a bloodsucking abomination," he frowns. "I think it's safe to say that there are individuals in power, mortal or otherwise, who would prefer some secrets stay a secret."

"And, well, then there's the fact that, as I said, the Abbey tends to Hunt for recreational purposes. And some of their methods are.. er... questionable at best," Jonah says uncomfortably, shifting his posture and averting his gaze a bit. "Some members can be quite inquisitive, and go to great lengths to satisfy their curiosity. Others are borderline hedonists. Not exactly the sort of information you want getting out. I've heard quite a few stories, some amusing, some horrifying, particularly involving vampires."

The scholar lets out a small chuckle, and smiles wistfully. "If you ever have the sudden urge to try snorting vampire dust for recreational purposes, by the way, don't bother. I've been told it's rather disappointing."

Adam fixes Jonah with the dessicating stare of a disappointed father (the magazine over which he does only serves to complete the image), but says nothing further.

"Don't snort the Vampire, I'll heed that as well as I can." The gambler gave a little snort of a laugh as the idea of a bunch of old men cutting burnt remains of the hungry undead and snorting them through hundred-dollar bills... Or perhaps five-hundred euro notes... I mean they were in Europe, right? Seemed more fancy anyway.

Conrad felt himself at an impasse, the uncomfortable pause when a conversation stopped at the end of an attempted joke or faux pas and everyone involved merely sat around looking at each other. His eyes passed from the serious and limelight-avoiding Adam to Leon, who seemed to leak out just a wee bit of excited madness that intrigued the gambler greatly. Jonah, certainly personable and a respected member of an old boy's club full of hedonists, always the first thing to expect of a college student. Finally Mr. Matthew Michelin, fiddling away. The Warrior, the Scientist, the Thinker, the Techie and the Gambler. Still feel like the odd one out here.

Leaning back in his couch cushion and letting the top hat fall over his eyes, Conrad busies his hands with a deck of cards. He kept three sets of cards strapped to his belt: The normal deck, a marked deck that allowed him to facilitate his sleight of hand and fool quicker, and a set of Tarot cards. He always enjoyed mysticism like that and a lot of silly people would pay for a fortune from someone who looked like they had cryptic words and promises of fortunes about them, "Now I hate to be a bother, gentlemen. We've been sitting so long and I haven't offered you a game of cards. I am pretty well-trained in most styles and it would wile away this time while we wait for the big baddies to show their ugly head."

Adam checks the time and chuckles, "Only thing we're waiting for is classes, today." As he stands and stretches, he continues, "Though, I would appreciate it if someone could help me re-intimidate Danny Novak and get some actual answers out of him after practice later."

With that, he heads back out of the safehouse to get dressed and ready for the day.

Jonah holds his hands up defensively. "Hey now, I'm not into that sort of stuff. I may be an Abbey member, but my interests lean more towards the gathering and compiling of knowledge, rather than firsthand experience. You know, gathering and providing intel, filming the events, record keeping and the like. None of the direct stuff," he says, giving a shake of his head.

The scholar then looks over at Conrad and smiles meekly. "What card game, precisely?"

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Sorry to cut this great roleplay short, but the plot has to move.

This update involves everyone, even though I'm using Jonah as a point-of-view character.

10:15 AM - Tyler Hall


As always, the main room of Tyler Hall – by far the largest room in all of Maxwell U – had been chosen to host the early-semester frenzy. By the time the members of the RPG club entered to partake in said frenzy, the room was filled with hundreds of students. Some of them were waiting in line to pick up their schedules, buy school supplies or apply for credit cards or student loans. Others were visiting the tables manned by various student associations to inquire about joining the school newspaper, the football team, the archery club, the book club, the LGBT club, etc. Others were browsing the various ads and announcements on the walls: job openings, used textbooks for sale, roommates needed to share the rent, a metal band looking for a drummer, lost or found items, language courses and such. A few students appeared to be there mostly for the free coffee and muffins.

On the left side of the room, near the main entrance, a dozen students gathered around a prominent poster, many of them taking notes excitedly. Coming closer, Jonah saw that it was an announcement from the student council.

Student Council elections on Friday, January 17!!!!

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It’s that time again – time to choose your student leaders for the winter semester or, better yet, become one!!!!! Register as a candidate for a position as president (incumbent: Michelle Warner), department representative, or class representative.

• To be a candidate for the position of president of the student council, you must fill out the application form available on our website, have it signed by five (5) supporters from the university and submit it to the student council by Friday, January 10, at 5 PM.
• To be a candidate for the position of department representative, you must fill out the application form available on our website, have it signed by three (3) supporters from your own department and submit it to the student council by Friday, January 10, at 5 PM.
• To be a candidate for the position of class representative, you must fill out the application form available on our website, have it signed by two (2) supporters from your own class and submit it to the student council by Friday, January 10, at 5 PM.

We need your voice!!!! Apply now!!!! :)


Web page: www.maxwellu.edu/studentcouncil/

Questions? Send them to [email protected].

At first the excitement surrounding the poster seemed strange to Jonah: Maxwell University’s student politics tended to stagnate due to a generalized lack of interest, and Michelle Warner had been president for two years straight with little or no serious opposition. He found a possible explanation soon enough: not far from the first sheet, there was another printed on blue paper and designed in a more professional way than the first. It seemed to draw as much attention and excitement, if not more, than the student council’s announcement. It read:

The Douglas Slater Scholarship Rewards Student Democracy in Maxwell U

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Are you active in your university’s student democracy?
Are you determined to make a positive difference?
Do you believe you have the profile of a leader of tomorrow?

Then the Douglas Slater Scholarship may be for you! Entirely funded by Slater Capital (www.slatercapital.org), this brand-new scholarship aims to foster young people’s involvement in America’s proud democratic tradition, starting at Maxwell University for its pilot year.

• If you are elected president of your university’s student council, every semester during which you occupy this position will be fully funded. In addition, you will receive a living stipend of $7,500 per semester during the same period.
• If you are elected vice-president, secretary or treasurer of the student council or department representative, you will be awarded a one-time scholarship of $5,000.
• If you are elected class representative, you will be awarded a one-time scholarship of $1,500.

No grades requirement.
Open to full-time Maxwell students of any country, program, or financial means.
All scholarships above are cumulative if several positions are obtained.


DEMOCRACY IS REWARDING.


More info: [email protected]

Adam holds the door open for his fellow members as they reach Tyler Hall. He has opted for a regular blue t-shirt under his leather jacket. As he follows the others in, he breathes a sigh of relief, "So glad I did this all early."

He waves at the members manning the Archery team's table, making a mental note to go and make an appearance later, alongside the trophy from the Illinois State tournament they have displayed. Scanning the crowd, he keeps an eye out for anyone important* that might be scurrying about. As his eyes fall upon the crowd, and the reasoning becomes clear, he chuckles and mutters to the others, "Well damn. That's pretty good. Be nice to see someone knock Michelle off her high horse, as well..."



*Allison, Vishaka, Karen, or Danny.

Leon reads the notice that Adam points out. "You know nobody's gonna be able to beat her. She'll just play, "I lost my boyfriend in the massacre, nobody has suffered as much as me for this school," card, and we all know it." Leon is clearly still bitter about Michelle's behavior the previous October at the memorial unveiling. "Did Allison ever get an apology from her, by the way?"

"Ha! Good one!" Adam rolls his eyes, "I know it's not likely, but it'd be nice. Especially if someone calls her out on playing the martyr for so long. I can't see someone giving up that kind of money just because she tries to play the pity card."

Matthew follow the group into Tyler Hall having changed his previous Jacket with another one a little more fashionable that he had left in the RPG club before. Not looking as much as a dork as before he finishes reading the notice and comments in a low voice.


" That is a nice amount... wonder how the voting would be done... If it's electronic voting i wonder if i could find there's a way to... tip the scales... "

Jonah tries to downplay his faint limp as he goes to check out what all the fuss is about. He then slinks back over to his friends, his brow furrowed in mild confusion. "Scholarships to motive students into running for office? Doesn't that seem a bit... unethical? Almost like bribery. A student could easily gain office out of greed, rather than genuine desire for leadership and yadda yadda," he quietly says with a cynical roll of his eyes.

"Probably being groomed to take actual political office later, where they'll get even bigger bribes." Adam states dryly.

"Hmm...I don't need the money but the offices will be in a larger spotlight now. Best not run. Although... If I could fund the victors..." thought Jacob as he he started to think through the angles he could work here. He was sure that something was off with this much money for simply incentivising student leadership. Still it didn't really matter what angle someone else was working, he had his own to worry about.

"Michael, lets see if we can find Miss Warner. I have a proposal for her..." said Jacob after reading the flyer as he looked around the room and started scanning for any booth, or gathering related to the Student Government.

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What roll would this be Sentinel?

Adam scanned the room. Karen and Vishakha were nowhere in sight, but he did spot Danny Novak at the booth of the archery club, explaining something to a prospective member. Their gazes briefly met, then Danny promptly averted his rival's eyes with a nervous look on his face, as if thinking: If I can't see him, he can't see me.

Adam was so focused on the vast crowd that he did not even notice Allison sneaking up behind him until the mousy girl slipped her blond head under his arm to cuddle him rather possessively.

"Heeeeey, when's your first class, Illinois champ?" she grinned up at him, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Got time for a snack or coffee or something?"

The athlete noticed that Allison was making more of an effort at grooming and dressing since she had begun dating him. Over the course of Christmas break, she had switched to a more fashionable model of glasses.

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1

"Michael, lets see if we can find Miss Warner. I have a proposal for her..."

"Michelle Warner?" said Michael in a cautious voice, as if suspecting Jacob was up to something. "That's her over there."

He jerked his chin at a tall, attractive girl with long red hair and a stylish green women's-suit. The two-year president of the student council stood by her council's booth, speaking with a forced-looking smile to a shorter, brown-haired girl Jacob knew by sight but not by name.

Adam flinches reflexively at the touch, his entire body tightening and his hands balling into fists before he realizes who just glomped him. As he wills his muscles to loosen and his heart to slow back to normal pace, he smiles down at Allison, "Not for another hour. Plenty of time."

"Thanks Michael. Do you mind waiting for a second while I talk to her?" asked Jacob as he moved towards Michelle straightening his tie as he went.

Once he got close enough for the two women to see him, he nodded to the shorter one before returning his attention to Michelle. He was glad that he had decided to wear a blazer, shirt and tie as he looked far more professional. He smiled at her before extending a hand.

"Michelle Warner? It's a pleasure. I'm Jacob Cassick. If I could just have a moment of your time..." said Jacob confidently.