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December, 18--
Hunters,
I write to you today to inform those new to our ranks of important information that will aid those Hunters lost to us by—how else to put it?—damnation. Though I use this religious terminology here, I must admit: we do not know if these Hunters have been lost to us because of the damning curse of an angry God, or because of the influence of the very demons we hunt. You will be familiar with the existence of our religious affiliated chapters, but—and please forgive the dark nature of my thoughts on this matter—the things we have encountered in the Louisiana chapter have led many of us to believe that the former, if He ever existed at all, has abandoned us to fight this battle alone.
A single Hunter, many, many decades ago and whose name has been lost to us, discovered a phenomenon we now to refer to as “Rifts." These Rifts bubble with dark energy, and appear to be fissures in the fabric between worlds. Though evil they may appear in visage, unlike those fissures that opened the gates to the corruption we now fight in the form of plague, grunts, and monsters, the Rifts allow us to access a positive energy that can help to heal those whose souls have been sullied, or so to say, damned.
A Rift is a puncture in this inter -world-ly fabric. It is, in fact, little more than a leak, and through it a finite pool of valuable energy is slowing escaping—energy capable of healing damaged souls and that is worth much more besides. Should a Hunter close four of these Rifts, they will find themselves able to access that larger energy pool—something we have termed the Wellspring. Close four Rifts, and you will become connected to its Wellspring, and begin to absorb its energy. We cannot yet explain why this is so—the phenomenon was discovered entirely by accident in the desperation experienced by those close to death. That solitary, damned Hunter gave us all a great gift in recording the experience. Many may yet be saved.
The signs of the damned are multi-fold: at first there is no visual indication, though in later stages the body may begin to deform and putrefy. All cases end in death. The energy of the Wellspring can heal this ill, and afflicted Hunters will be sent out to do so, for both their own sake, and the benefit of the AHA, who has great need of the Wellspring's energy, and will exchange bounty for any retrieved and brought in.
Rifts are visible in Dark Sight, and should your soul fall to this cursed damnation, you must seek out four of them immediately. Close four, and empty the Wellspring of its power, and do it quickly. A single Wellspring can save but one Hunter. Many of your brethren may fall, perhaps even by your own hand. But it is a small price to pay for the return of even a single damned individual. It is a mission you must take on your own.
If you do not complete this task quickly enough, all nearby will fall to its power. These Wellsprings are volatile, and when they have been completely depleted by the slow leak of energy through the Rifts, a cataclysmic event occurs, killing the remaining damned in the area. Furthermore, the creation of a Wellspring brings into being a kind of energy wall that is harmful to pass through. Stay close as you absorb its energy, and proceed, as always, with caution.
In high regard,
Philip Huff Jones, M.D.
Honorable Director, AHA