Themes
The Woods are Dark and Deep
Whether by choice or circumstance, Anchorage remains a bastion at one of the farthest corners of the world. The Last Frontier, few who come here do so out of willingness and often find themselves victims of circumstance or wanderlust. These days, even these factors draw less. Job growth has grown stagnant and so too has the population which grows ever older and more recalcitrant to outsiders and younger generations. Despite all of these factors and the hardships there is warmth to be had and hope to be found in this cold port city. Beyond these streets, the lights, and towers of concrete only darkness remains. If the Last Frontier is old and set in its ways, the wilderness is older still. There are things here that call it home. Others call it a hunting ground. There are places here where ones only companion is ever present dark, and the warmth of spilt blood. It's here that Hunters find themselves more often than not.That is not dead which can eternal lie
We held it at bay once; the Thing in the Dark. The Calamity with the Red Gaze. Decades ago it brought storms and ruin, then disappeared. Some believe the first call to action laid the thing to rest; others remain unconvinced. Especially now when the signs of something stirring again are slowly culminating once more
Allies in the Darkness
Are you familiar with the phrase "too many assholes in the kitchen?" That's the hunter community by and large. Everyone from the newbie chasing shadows in dark alleyways to the grizzled veteran stitching ragged claw marks back together has a damn opinion. Every Hunter knows that the supernatural exists. Those that refuse to acknowledge it even after The Calamity are varying levels of stubborn, ignorant, or both depending upon who one asks. They cleave to what's familiar and take solace in their personal expertise. Some go so far as to surround themselves with an echo chamber of likeminded individuals.
While there are some who are trying to mend bridges and hold the city to a higher standard, not everyone wants to play ball. Where will you find yourself in this morass of egos?
Moods
Paranoia
You spend all day at your 9 to 5 trying to satisfy one bloodsucking leech only to gear up on the weekend to take out another that is less metaphorical when it preys on your neighbors. You've chosen a life that is often thankless, exhausting, and full of secrets. Your family doesn't understand, your friends think you've lost your mind, your boss has your performance eval and well, it's not looking great. Forget romance. The people you think you can trust you can count on one hand; and even then it's not a guarantee.
Encroaching Darkness
We are (most of us) mere mortals. The writing is on the wall for everyone that takes up The Vigil. It's only a matter of time before we succumb to the struggle of burning the candle at both ends.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster” - Friedrich Nietzsche