So it's been awhile since I wrote something about Hunter, and Deviant's Kickstarter has finished recently, so I think it is time that we'll start to think about the unavoidable question that every Vigil fan has probably asked himself while thinking on Deviant. That is- if Deviants are people who got their very soul broken by a group of terrible people which composed what is known as conspiracies, and hunters are people who work together to fight monsters even when the prices are high and which many times composed organizations that are known as conspiracies, does it mean that Hunters take part in the infamous Web of Pain? Could it be that our good old monster hunters, who risk their lives in order to fight the darkness and bring light to the world, take part in doing terrible things to innocent people? Are our many, well intention (more or less. Usually less) compacts and conspiracies are a part of the dreadful network of information meant to create and hunt down the Broken?
The short answer: yes.
But as the short answer does not deserve a thread of its own, let's talk about the long answer. The long answer is yes- but. The Web of Pain is presented as some sort of a "social accord", a mean of community between many occult organizations who target the Renegades for their own uses. They may have created them, or that they try to get one and examine it, or maybe they want to kill it. heck, they maybe think they want to help it- even though the way they describe "help" and the way that Deviants do are far from the same thing. Considering that Compacts and Conspiracies (who, from Deviant's perspective, would just be called "conspiracies", as they don't divide those organizations by scale and reach like hunters do) are occult organizations, they should, at least on the surface, be considered a part of the Web. Yet, being a part of the Web of Pain usually means you are a part of the accord between conspiracies, and that you supply information in exchange for information. Conspiracies usually fight each other on regular basis, after all- there is not greater agenda which connects the many disparate conspiracies (or is there?), other than the fact that sometimes, they have common interests- especially in capturing Deviants.
As such, you can't, as an organization, grow old and big enough without at least getting somewhat entangled in the Web of Pain. Even if you don't want to make Deviants, and have little interest in capturing the poor bastards, you still need information about them, because when they get out of control you should be prepared to withstand the miniapocalypse which is formed when they go all out. Heck, even if you were to ignore Deviants entirely, the fact that they are monsters and that your job is creating monsters, you need to have contacts with other occult organizations for other reasons. For example, the AKD may want information about some lost relic they search, so they ask around in other circles and find it in an organization who is willing to give it away, with exchange for their help in capturing a Renegade. The Lucifuge wants to defeat a demonic cult and seeks for allies, and they find them in the Church of Holy Night who also wish to fight the demon worshipers- and free the angel trapped in the human body they created in their rituals. A lone hunter have his family member in a dire medical state when Cheiron comes in and are willing to provide treatment- if you'll take care of that rogue agent who got half mad after having the mind of a zombie transplanted into his head. Oh, and he bites, so make sure to wear safety clothing.
Willing or not, once you are an organization which deals with occult powers, beings or etcetera, you can't help but eventually being entangled by the Web of Pain. Some organization embrace that side of them, becoming forces in the Web which Deviants fearfully whisper their names (Cheiron, I'm looking at you. No, don't look back. Stay there), while others only turn to their contacts in the Web when they have no other choice- but the Web is binding, and an organization which somehow avoids its touch should be small, young and idealist- and probably, won't live for too long.
Ok, so by joining a conspiracy, you at least take an informal, small part in the grander, insidious Web of Pain. What's now? Does it mean you are an enemy for all Renegades, an immoral monster who supports human exploitation in exchange for profit?
Of course not.
Like, you could be- but it doesn't have to be the case. By the fact that you have contacts among the Web of Pain means that you are a part of it, but only by technicality. Sometimes, that technicality is what's important- especially in the case of Renegades who keep on burning one conspiracy after the other and do not know or care how and if those groups are connected, or perhaps that you have just messed up so bad that other people came to put you down for your own good. Some hunters can take part in the Web, but turn it against other organizations. It is not an uncommon practice, after all- conspiracies eat each other even without considering Vigilant organizations. However, Vigilant organizations can take down conspiracies not because of profit or interest in Deviants- but simply because of ideals. Because of the Code. Because they condemn their actions and their crimes against the innocents. Because they light a candle. Because they uphold the Vigil.
The Vigil is, after all, a Virus. It moves from one person to another, eventually lighting whole organizations meant to keep humanity safe from the monsters in the dark. In many ways, the Vigil works like the Web of Pain, but granting hope where the other grants despair. In a way, the Vigil may, just like a virus, have infected the wider Web of Pain, using its structure in order to spread around the world and bringing light to the darkest parts of our society. Just like how the Contagion spreads through the God Machine, ironically. The Vigil lives in the Web and turn it against itself, creating pockets of resistance and taking over it for its own agenda. The Vigil use the Web of Pain as much as the Web uses the Vigil. It may not matter much for that specific Deviant who is hunted by that specific hunter, but in the larger scale, it makes a difference- because just as conspiracies may recruit the help of hunter contacts in hunting a Deviant, Renegades may recruit the help of hunters in order to fight conspiracies. Perhaps Deviants have even went to storm the offices of their enemy conspiracy, only to find it dead and broken, as hunters took it apart as part of their Vigil. Would the Renegade by happy about it? Probably not- their vengeance was taken from them, after all- but it makes a difference. The world becomes brighter. The night becomes paler. And if that's not the whole point of the Vigil, what is it?
So, in that case, when we examine a certain compact or conspiracy in relation to the Web of Pain, we need to ask ourselves a few questions- can they create Deviants? Will they create Deviant? And what will they do with Deviants if they were to stumble upon one?
And I'm going to answer those questions- in the next post. I think I ran out of room.
The short answer: yes.
But as the short answer does not deserve a thread of its own, let's talk about the long answer. The long answer is yes- but. The Web of Pain is presented as some sort of a "social accord", a mean of community between many occult organizations who target the Renegades for their own uses. They may have created them, or that they try to get one and examine it, or maybe they want to kill it. heck, they maybe think they want to help it- even though the way they describe "help" and the way that Deviants do are far from the same thing. Considering that Compacts and Conspiracies (who, from Deviant's perspective, would just be called "conspiracies", as they don't divide those organizations by scale and reach like hunters do) are occult organizations, they should, at least on the surface, be considered a part of the Web. Yet, being a part of the Web of Pain usually means you are a part of the accord between conspiracies, and that you supply information in exchange for information. Conspiracies usually fight each other on regular basis, after all- there is not greater agenda which connects the many disparate conspiracies (or is there?), other than the fact that sometimes, they have common interests- especially in capturing Deviants.
As such, you can't, as an organization, grow old and big enough without at least getting somewhat entangled in the Web of Pain. Even if you don't want to make Deviants, and have little interest in capturing the poor bastards, you still need information about them, because when they get out of control you should be prepared to withstand the miniapocalypse which is formed when they go all out. Heck, even if you were to ignore Deviants entirely, the fact that they are monsters and that your job is creating monsters, you need to have contacts with other occult organizations for other reasons. For example, the AKD may want information about some lost relic they search, so they ask around in other circles and find it in an organization who is willing to give it away, with exchange for their help in capturing a Renegade. The Lucifuge wants to defeat a demonic cult and seeks for allies, and they find them in the Church of Holy Night who also wish to fight the demon worshipers- and free the angel trapped in the human body they created in their rituals. A lone hunter have his family member in a dire medical state when Cheiron comes in and are willing to provide treatment- if you'll take care of that rogue agent who got half mad after having the mind of a zombie transplanted into his head. Oh, and he bites, so make sure to wear safety clothing.
Willing or not, once you are an organization which deals with occult powers, beings or etcetera, you can't help but eventually being entangled by the Web of Pain. Some organization embrace that side of them, becoming forces in the Web which Deviants fearfully whisper their names (Cheiron, I'm looking at you. No, don't look back. Stay there), while others only turn to their contacts in the Web when they have no other choice- but the Web is binding, and an organization which somehow avoids its touch should be small, young and idealist- and probably, won't live for too long.
Ok, so by joining a conspiracy, you at least take an informal, small part in the grander, insidious Web of Pain. What's now? Does it mean you are an enemy for all Renegades, an immoral monster who supports human exploitation in exchange for profit?
Of course not.
Like, you could be- but it doesn't have to be the case. By the fact that you have contacts among the Web of Pain means that you are a part of it, but only by technicality. Sometimes, that technicality is what's important- especially in the case of Renegades who keep on burning one conspiracy after the other and do not know or care how and if those groups are connected, or perhaps that you have just messed up so bad that other people came to put you down for your own good. Some hunters can take part in the Web, but turn it against other organizations. It is not an uncommon practice, after all- conspiracies eat each other even without considering Vigilant organizations. However, Vigilant organizations can take down conspiracies not because of profit or interest in Deviants- but simply because of ideals. Because of the Code. Because they condemn their actions and their crimes against the innocents. Because they light a candle. Because they uphold the Vigil.
The Vigil is, after all, a Virus. It moves from one person to another, eventually lighting whole organizations meant to keep humanity safe from the monsters in the dark. In many ways, the Vigil works like the Web of Pain, but granting hope where the other grants despair. In a way, the Vigil may, just like a virus, have infected the wider Web of Pain, using its structure in order to spread around the world and bringing light to the darkest parts of our society. Just like how the Contagion spreads through the God Machine, ironically. The Vigil lives in the Web and turn it against itself, creating pockets of resistance and taking over it for its own agenda. The Vigil use the Web of Pain as much as the Web uses the Vigil. It may not matter much for that specific Deviant who is hunted by that specific hunter, but in the larger scale, it makes a difference- because just as conspiracies may recruit the help of hunter contacts in hunting a Deviant, Renegades may recruit the help of hunters in order to fight conspiracies. Perhaps Deviants have even went to storm the offices of their enemy conspiracy, only to find it dead and broken, as hunters took it apart as part of their Vigil. Would the Renegade by happy about it? Probably not- their vengeance was taken from them, after all- but it makes a difference. The world becomes brighter. The night becomes paler. And if that's not the whole point of the Vigil, what is it?
So, in that case, when we examine a certain compact or conspiracy in relation to the Web of Pain, we need to ask ourselves a few questions- can they create Deviants? Will they create Deviant? And what will they do with Deviants if they were to stumble upon one?
And I'm going to answer those questions- in the next post. I think I ran out of room.
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