Quote:
Originally Posted by Phantasm
In my short-lived Hellmouth: Cleveland game, they were "Private Investigators", "PIs", and related terms.
|
Is that what they self-identified as?
I mean, don't they distinguish themselves in some way from Private Investigators who don't know about the supernatural and who don't engage in combat with monsters on a regular basis?
I realise that in a world where Monster Hunters operate in secret, they'll have cover jobs and front companies, with some of them continuing to work in their previous profession (street cop, detective, tactical team member, air assault infantryman, etc.), albeit with an entirely different focus. Some groups of Monster Hunters
are military or police units where the commanding officer is also aware of the existence of monsters and magic, though the entire chain of command rarely knows the entire truth.
Cops, soldiers or private investigators who are aware of the supernatural and have taken upon themselves the burden of defending humanity might still think of themselves as members of their professions, but they also self-identify as members of another, more exclusive group.
For one, they are among those who know the Truth, of how secular science cannot explain the world anymore and how humanity is threathened by otherworldly forces. Second, among those who know, they are an even smaller, more exclusive group, who elect to risk their lives and break the laws of their society to defend a humanity that is unaware of their sacrifices.
Some Monster Hunters might be well informed about the occult underground and be aware of many other groups of people clued-in to the paranormal who do the same thing, defending their local communities or a larger area or interests not geographically defined. Others might believe they are the only ones who know or at least the only ones who are doing anything about it.
In any case, I imagine every group has some self-designation, some identity they think of themselves as. It would never be used with outsiders, as their existence is secret, but the member of the ingroup might use it among themselves, as members of vigilante groups or criminal organizations have done in real life.
It's unlikely that every group of people in the world who fight the supernatural would define themselves as 'Monster Hunters', no matter their background, motivations or even native language.
So, I'm looking for some self-designations and ideas on what groups might be using them.