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Post by wronga on Apr 17, 2019 13:34:50 GMT -5
Bill Guritz
USMC (ret), Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia (Desert Shield/Storm)
Former construction foreman, current monster hunter
Bill came back from his military service and settled down with a wife and kids. He was living the American Dream until a fateful camping trip with his family twenty years ago. While he was fishing at the creek, a werewolf attacked their camp and slaughtered his entire family. Bill was spared only due to the intervention of a team of monster hunters that had been tracking the creature. The team (which included Lawrence’s father) killed the werewolf and took Bill in. Since he had lost everything, Bill joined up with the group and learned their ways. He has spent the last two decades honing his skills. He’s seen (and slain) werewolves, chupacabras, angry little faerie folk, and even weirder things that go bump in the night. He is the lone survivor from the crew that taught him his craft.
A few months ago, just before his 52nd birthday, he was diagnosed with cancer. He knew that death was just over his shoulder all this time. He just never thought that it would come in such a mundane form. He's not going out like this. He has a crazy plan. Bill has never encountered a vampire. He's not even sure they exist. But, he has done a ton of research while tracking various terrors. He has read that if he can drain the blood from a vampire, he can gain it's immortality without becoming a bloodsucker himself. This is going to work. It has to work. There's no one else skilled enough to protect the world from the things that are out there. He’s tracking down any lead that suggests unfamiliar supernatural entities.
Bill’s heard about the trouble brewing in Handfast. He’s read the local rag and that editor is either completely off his rocker or he’s got insight into the dark forces perhaps gathering there.
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Post by Oliver on Apr 17, 2019 15:34:51 GMT -5
Cool. Everyone who already has their relationship options should pick one to apply to Bill. Bill, you should choose one of the following for each of the other characters: - They helped you at a critical point in your quest for revenge. Tell them what you needed help with. - They stood between you and what you needed to find out. Ask them why. - They also lost a friend or relative to these monsters. Ask them who it was. - Relations, close or distant. Tell them exactly what. - You saved their life, back when they were a pathetic newbie hunter. Ask them what you saved them from. - You respect their hard-earned knowledge, and often come to them for advice. - They showed you the ropes when you were learning how to fight. - They saw you absolutely lose it and go berserk. Tell them what the situation was, and ask them how much collateral damage you caused.
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Post by lawrence on Apr 17, 2019 20:23:09 GMT -5
{cross post with story board chat}
Lawrence's 1984 Ford Escort effortless drifted through the local, elementary school's 20mph zone. Turning the manual steering wheel (quite the effort despite's Lawrence's hone body) right the agile car turns from Magnolia road onto Main street and towards Stephen' office. Last night's nightmare still swirling about in Lawrence's noggin, Lawrence almost drives on autopilot...only somewhat aware of his surroundings.
Suddenly, Lawrence realizes he has been subconsciously drifting and quickly notes in alarm the 75mph speed (it has been said that 1984 Ford Escorts can only reach 73mph) as his sporty Escort tears down the 35mph Main Street. To make matters worse, as the four door dream jumped the lone, hill (two wheels almost off the ground) a man crosses the street and is almost certainly marked for death by the brilliantly designed Ford Escort. This man, somehow more alert than most, dives out of the way as Lawrence hits the non, ABS brakes, creating a significant noisy slide as the Escort drifts effortlessly towards a stop (coincidentally) near Stephen's superb, Econoline.
Lawrence jumps out of the car, his body super charged from the exhilarating drive, and a bit chagrined knowing that he almost ran down a civilian.
This well built man stands up and looks menacingly towards Lawrence. As their eyes meet both men size the other up. Lawrence immediately knows that if he had to, he could probably put this older man down. The man looked gaunt...AIDS...Lawrence read that homosexuals who engaged in ungodly acts were cursed with the AIDS....
But, no...this man was no stranger. No stranger at all. I know this man, thinks, Lawrence. And, then the memory returns:
"Bill 'Fuck'n General Lee' Guritz", Lawrence exclaims. Baghdad, 1992! "Holy fuck." "Sir," as Lawrence salutes.
Lawrence watches his former, military comrade's puzzlement...his eyes glancing from Lawrence to Stephen's office.
With dawning realization Lawrence realizes that Staff Sargent 'Lee' Guritz was walking towards Stephen's office.
"WTF..." murmurs Lawrence...
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Post by sabathius42 on Apr 18, 2019 11:08:18 GMT -5
Both Stephen and Sister K were on high alert, adrenaline at the ready, as they confided in each other their thoughts on the strange events over the past couple weeks. Neither had a solid idea of EXACTLY what it might be, but both were certain there was something....twisted....as the origin. As usual when discussing unsolved mysteries the journalist tended to attribute them to earthly origins, such as secret societies or alien operatives. He preferred the comfort of knowing a good shotgun blast could put an end to such threats. The nun, however, seemed to favor a supernatural or divine origin for the mayhem. The thought of enemies he couldn't expose and defang was one that kept his anxiety razor sharp.
From outside an engine races and tires screech. Stephen tenses waiting for the following sound of twisted metal and broken glass to accompany the accident but none follows. The pair share a concerned look towards one another and rise simultaneously. Stephen creeps to the door and braces himself for what might be outside. Sister K takes up a position on the opposite side of the door and motions towards him to open it. As slowly and quietly as he can Stephen reaches down towards the handle and begins to inch it open. Suddenly a shout from outside. A voice, raised in anger? Is there an innocent out there about to be attacked?
Stephen turns options over in his head. Does he quietly close the door back and pretend he didn't hear anything? Does he rush out and play the hero? Seems safer to lock the door and wait it out. Stephen instinctively begins a retreat back into his sanctuary when he glances over at Sister Kalifa. Her disapproving scowl is going to haunt him for the next couple weeks. She, as angrily as Stephen has ever seen her, motions towards him with her head then towards the outside. Sister K isn't one to hide it seems. With a small sigh and a massive wave of guilt Stephen grabs the baseball bat kept by the office door. With a silent count of 1...2...3 he rushes out the door and onto the stoop.
Immediately his eye picks out the familiar haggard face of Lawrence framed by the gleaming freshly washed 1984 Ford Escort 4-door, antenna still waving to and fro. The white cloud of tire smoke wafts slowly away as time slows. Stephen immediately fears for his Econoline. That Escort seems AWFULLY CLOSE to his workhorse and there is NO FREAKIN' WAY he is evenly parked in the faded but still perfectly visible yellow lines. Surely Lawrence is in crisis to have treated his ride so harshly. Just last week he had described, in some detail, the three hours spent finding and repairing the blown right rear speaker short. Stephen would have just replaced the entire speaker, but then again he realized that not everyone could appreciate the truly sensual sonic qualities as those that might be found in a finely tuned audio package, such as that found in the Audio Upgrade kit available in the 1997 Ford E-250 Econoline. Base level audio is a fools game.
Stephen is pulled from his reverie as another gentleman clears his throat. On first glace the face looked familiar but he couldn't place it.
"Stephen my friend," shouted Lawrence from across the lot. "Say hello to Bill Guritz, an old friend."
Bill Guritz....why did that name sound familiar? Stephen searched his memory and recalled that about a week ago he had received an email from someone by that name. This person claimed to be investigating the Unknown and wanted to compare notes. What are the chances this Bill would know Lawrence. How is it that all four of us find ourselves standing in the same parking lot, all knowing each other from the past, yet all coming together again tied to one another by a mutual desire to investigate the unknown.
Stephen briefly ponders if life is just some sort of game and coincidence is the heavy hand of necessity. It's not the craziest theory he has come up with this week. Might make a good column.
"Come on in, gentlemen, I believe we have a LOT to discuss," Stephen announces, holding open the door and performing the time honored "go on in" hand gesture.
The four sit down in the small office and get to work.
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Post by Sister Kalifa on Apr 22, 2019 20:22:09 GMT -5
Sister Kalifa raised an eyebrow at the screeching tires outside and watched, curious to see what Stephen would do. He seemed indecisive...Sister K wondered if perhaps he was planning to sit quietly while someone outside might need their help. She resisted the urge to 'tsk' under her breath, but he must have read her mind and cautiously moved over to open the door.
A moment later, in strode Mr. Khalid and Sister K couldn't help but purse her lips disapprovingly. If there was some sort of disaster or crisis, it was no surprise that THAT man would be at the middle of it. She was starting to think Mr. Khalid might just be the herald of the end times.
But it WAS a surprise who walked in next - one of the monster hunters of the Society. 'Mr. Guritz', she thought to herself moments before Mr. Khalid announced him to the group. This was a most unexpected turn of events. The monster hunters are sort of the foot soldiers of Societe Angelique. The Society sponsors them through shell corporations, often arranges for promising fighters to be recruited and subtly plants leads to ensure that their firepower is directed the Society's enemies as often as possible. But these foot soldiers, like Mr. Guritz here, are not privy to the inner workings of the Society and generally show little understanding or appreciation for the knowledge and techniques of initiates, if they are even fully aware of their existence. They were once described to her as being like a messy explosive device marked "This end towards enemy". It seemed apt.
She had met Mr. Guritz twice before and had reason to believe that he had a greater understanding of the Society than most due to his extensive tenure in the field. There was a good chance that he was at least partially aware of her role. However, he nodded kindly upon being introduced and she couldn't detect any flicker of recognition in his expression. That was for the best, she thought. This was already getting complicated enough and she wasn't prepared to start fielding questions from Stephen about the Society just yet...
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