Halls of Prester John
Atos de Fé
The human beings that packed into Macau like sardines too often find themselves at the mercy of the shen who fancy themselves humankind’s benevolent overlords. While the evils done in Macau are more often done by regular people to other regular people, the witch- and demon hunters of the city know that many of those violent thugs act on behalf of their devilish puppet masters.
But the same population density that heightens violence also makes it much harder to single out and punish. Both Inquisitors and more traditional native demon hunters occupy a watch-and-react role in Macau. It is too much to ask for them to stop all the horrors, but maybe they can avenge them and prevent future harm in the doing.
Not unlike Oulu, Finland, the witch-hunters have established a system that they share with the handful of Shih demon hunters in town. This system calls for a mutual, ecumenical call of respect and sanctuary in any holy site, church or temple, regardless of faith. Clergy not involved in hunting only know of this system as a kind of “safe space” arrangement. The system was coined Sacrário (simply, “Sanctuary”), inspired by the old Catholic system of harboring fugitives from outraged lynch mobs until cooler heads prevailed.
Factions
There are a few kinds of hunter factions in Macau, though all operate with discretion in the face of overwhelming shen dominance.
Society of Leopold
Despite the Portuguese remnants in Macau, few now profess to be Christians. Catholic worship is at an all-time low. Many churches have become social outreach centers more than active congregations. Nonetheless, there are plenty of ordained priests in Macau, most of them of Eurasian descent. And many of them are members of the sect called the Fathers of the Good Death. They specialize in hunting vampires. While they lack the fanatical zeal of other Inquisitors, they temper that lack of passion with an almost amiable efficiency. They are not savvy enough on Kindred lore to know the differences between Cainites and Wan Kuei. All are damned that must sadly be purged. The Inquisition’s main base is out of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady, located in the Sé District, which is the southern part of peninsular Macau.
Shih
The Shih are in their homeland here among the shen, and vigilantly watch the supernatural as instructed. Many harbor bitterness for whatever tragedy turned them down this lonely and destitute path. They look for excuses to lash out, especially against whichever brand of shen hurt them in the past. Still, they’re far from fanatic zealots, and exercise discretion and judicious oversight. Their quiet and out-of-sight style keeps them from being resented by the shen. An elder, retirement-aged (Shih retire when they are killed in battle) has long served the city as a sifu for fledgling Shih. Her mastery of a ferocious hung gar method of mo-chi kung fu is legendary in Macau, even among the shen. She can be found eventually around the Pak Tai Temple, where the Sacrário accord was struck with the Inquisitors. Pak Tai is found in southcentral Taipa, just north of the Cotai Strip, where Master Yiu can keep a watchful eye on the casino-meddling shen.
Red Guard
This is the Chinese (Iteration X-backed) version of Strike Force Zero. It has only a minimal presence in Macau by the request of the Syndicate. It consists of a single team that spends more time conducting operations in the Guangdong mainland province. The Symposium prefers a lighter touch to hasten the Union’s time-table in this wealthy, glitzy town.
Special Events
Special events are annual (or more frequent) holidays or special ritual days that the main group or groups observe as a whole community. Attendance and participation are often expected of all members, and sometimes required.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
This traditional Catholic festival is held on December 8th with special masses to honor the virginal, sinless life of Mary before the conception of Christ. It is the most important Marian holiday. After the mass, a short saint’s parade with fireworks follows. Then a great Christmas-time feast is held, if not for the whole congregation than by multiple families gathered under one roof. It’s an officially recognized public holiday in Macau. Inquisitors in particular take this time to gather their wits for the mad tourist holidays ahead.
“I’ve buried enough babies to know when a monster is lying through blood-caked teeth. This is your only warning, you cretinous pig.”
-- Yiu Ka Yu, Shih sifu
