Michael Timmer - Werewolf (Crescent Moon-Ithaeur)

Michael is not a new werewolf, he has been one for almost ten years. He felt the change at the age of fifteen, and was taken in by a pack that very same evening during a crescent moon. His pack specialized in dealing with spirits, which was a boon to Michael who had been troubled by strange visions his entire life. He finally had reasoning to it, so he wasn't insane. This is always a comfort to find out.

Michael himself had studied with the pack's shaman, although that was only a minor training endeavor. All pack members trained with each other to learn the history and abilities of each other, to better mesh. Even so, Michael had an affinity for spirits, and was trained to track, fight, and even work with them when needed. He had been rewarded for his deeds with a fetish, an Aztec dagger with the ability to harm spirits. This was to assist him with his dealings with spirits, a task he seemed to spend more and more time doing. Besides, although his 44 magnum was a powerful weapon, it was unreliable on the spirit plane.

The pack was a large and healthy pack of fourteen members. This is just too large for any pack, so it was decided to start two new packs while staying in the state. This has to do more with the totems than any tacticle positioning. Michael's multiple skills made him an obvious choice to leave and help with the setting up of one of the extended packs.

Michael had left with two of his pack brothers (Matt & Bob) to begin their new pack. Three months later they were attacked without warning or provocation. Ghouls had managed to find them and attack for no apparent reason. The ghouls were all killed, but Michael found himself the only survivor. He found a clue, a death list on the back of a business card. Why these people were targeted was a mystery. Why they had been attacked made no sense. Ghouls were typically the minion of vampires though, so he had a start.

Micheal vowed to find his attacker, and make them pay. He sent word of where he was going, the names on the list, and his plans to his mother pack. He didn't ask for permission, he was on a quest: the attackers would all die before he went home.

Michael’s Journal

The days are not true dates, but just when I decide to make entries. It is my plan to ensure these notes make it back to my pack if anything should happen to me, so they will know of my failure and continue on to avenge our brothers.

The new group: Steven Rayne, Gordon Rayne, Daniel Chesterfield, Capt. Andrew Carter

Day 1: Arrival at the Rayne house:

This place is nuts, and there is so much going on it is hard to keep straight. I am still not certain how I fit into this entire goings on, but I am going to stay here until I’ve figured it out.

When I arrived, others had also arrived for various reasons, one is obviously a soldier and totally out of his element with the supernatural. The other three, as shocked as I was to see it, were mages. Powerful if not fully trained. I am only guessing at the later, they seem to be surprised by some of their own abilities.

And one of them is a vampire. Not the one I am after, and he seems to be just recently sired and unsure of what to do, so I will keep an eye on him especially in case he should turn against me.

The night became quite exciting when another vampire attacked. He had a European accent, his team was heavily armed, and he seemed in control of a full coven of vampires. He attacked the house, could be he was going for the next name on the list, which means I’m in the right place. I have his scent; I will be constantly on my watch for him. The house is heavily fortified against magic and physical attacks; I do not think I could have gotten in without their allowing it. Again, they must be powerful mages.

The others, well, it seems one of their own was attacked while at a clinic of some sort, so they want to find out what is going on as well. Apparently they are detectives, so it could be that their contacts in this city could prove useful. If nothing else, they can help see who Maxwell Clarke is and possibly lead me back to the European vampire.

I still am not certain why they let me sleep under their roof, seemingly unguarded, an overly trusting lot, or foolishly over confident.

They allowed me to wander through the large house, a mansion really. I went into their weapon vault; it is well stocked with a variety of odd items. I even sensed they had a portal to the spirit world in the basement, although that was the one room that was locked that I could not get into. Do they even know what they have in there? Powerful, but untrained I reminded myself.

I have not identified myself as a werewolf; it seems to really be annoying the detectives. I will wait to see if they find out on their own…I am not completely certain how the vampire will react. I must be the first werewolf he has encountered since the change. Does he have a genetic disposition? Could he attack without provocation when I am revealed? The longer I am with them and prove helpful, the less likely I will have to kill them. With their power, if I am not ready, I may not survive the fight.

Day 2: The next morning at the Rayne house:

I encountered a spirit in their basement, probably trying to get to the portal. I think I scared them, talking to thin air and claiming to be conversing with a spirit, but they believed me. It was foolish of them to be so trusting but lucky for me that they listened. We went to investigate the spirits story and ended up rescuing the spirits kidnapped daughter. The spirit still hasn’t crossed over; I may have to force him to go. I am not certain how the others will take this, and they see to be against that, so I will hold off. I think I built up some trust in the group and don’t want to lose it.

Day 3 at Rayne’s:

Well, my cover as a werewolf is blown, not that I was trying to hide it. Max’s secretary Persephone was a much more experienced vampire than Gordon and figured out what I was immediately. The others actually looked relieved to have the puzzle solved, typical detectives. I think their curiosity was able to override Gordon’s programming if he had anything. Maxwell Clark, it turned out, is the resident Prince of the vampires in Chicago…whatever that means. That does seem par for the course though; this tale just keeps getting better. He didn’t try and kill me either, I think due to my working with the Rayne’s. I consider that a wonderful tactical move on my part.

We get some good leads on where to go next. Again, these guys are doing all the detective work for me, for free no less. I will just keep quiet and continue along, see what else we find out. Also, they seem to be descendants of some long lost group of mages from Scotland? Really? It’s like a bad science fiction novel, and I’m stuck in the middle. But if the leads turn out to be solid, I will gain more than lose by staying with them.

Later that day:

Ok, magic boys are getting weird. We just went to a river so Steven could suck up magic juice from it, calling it a Hallows or some such. It also seems they just ticked off another mage, who knows how powerful. I may have to re-think my staying with this group; they seem to be getting more people angry at them than helping.

Day 4 at Rayne’s:

I have never seen so many evil spirits at one place than the house we went to today. It could have been a trap set just for the Ithaeur if I had not known better. The house had spirits attacking in groups, bound by powerful magic and angry as hell. My Aztec dagger literally saved my life, my pack father would have been proud. I also have to admit that I would not have made it if not for this odd band we have formed. Even with my pack it would have been difficult, but I can’t go back to them until I have avenged my brothers, so for now, this band is my pack.

I seem to have upset a powerful magic user during the battle. A witch doctor has announced he is my enemy. The sci-fi novel has moved into a strange realm indeed if I have to travel to Haiti.

And to make matters worse, Steven has been possessed, possibly. The day is long indeed.

Day 4 evening:

The spirit back at the house keeps trying to take over Stephen, and it’s strong.

I performed my first cleansing ritual though. It was very odd, I paid attention where I could, and I can see how the training the shaman had given me worked well here. I may have to try some additional rituals from the packs book. I was not our packs shaman, it was Rice’s duty. But with his death, maybe I should do more than just learn to be an assistant? I will have to ponder this. Meanwhile, Stephen was purged of the evil and was able to push out the spirit, so a good ritual to have experienced.

It seems the people hunting the Raijn’s of old have determined these new Rayne’s are part of the family tree. Or at least suspect that some family members are around. I do not know why they are being hunted, but I think my European vampire may be a part of the group after them. If so, I will gladly help the Rayne’s eliminate all involved. One other things is certain, the deaths of innocents are starting to pile up.

We investigated a grocery store and were attacked by vampires. I was not able to determine if their scents were those that attacked the house. I walked through a portal in space today; the magic is also increasing in complexity. I am worried about the level of combatants in this game.

We managed to catch a dead man, Randal, who was being used as a mule because he was trying to protect Corey. This sci-fi novel has become a murder mystery without a body.

His story is exactly what I expected, as in totally insane with a bunch of impossibilities and fear thrown in. I have no idea what is going on, only proof that the people on the other end are powerful, oh, and I have pissed their leader off. Wonderful, I hope the mages have some great questions to ask. There is no way I can take on an army of ghouls myself.

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