Rare+Breed

//This is part of the Hangover city, Liverpool, uk setting// =Rare Breed.=

Rare breed are a group of ‘humans’ who, under Ream's guidance, act as the strong arm of the High Council. They have been trained in the weaknesses of all the supernatural races and are equipped with the magical items to defeat them. When the Covenant was first drawn up it was recognised that some one would need to enforce it, but no one trusted any one other faction with the task. It was theorised that as any individual mortal would not live long enough to capitalise on the skills and powers they gained in service of this group, it would be relatively safe for this force to me made up from ‘May-fly lives’ as the Fisher king termed it. Thus the Breed was born by selecting suitable candidates from the mortal families of the city that had close ties to various supernatural groups. As the years progressed the children of these initial candidates fell into the roles vacated by their fathers and the Breed quite literally evolved.

As much as the Breed members are ‘mortal’, they are far from being your typical humans. They are, as Simon boasted, the best humanity has to offer and at the end of a long selective breeding and ‘survival of the fittest’ programme. Most are equipped with talismans and artefacts that are designed to protect them and give them a fighting chance against the supernatural enemies they face, and it is not uncommon to find one or two in any group that has mastered a smattering of ritual or channelling which they can bring to bare on an opponent.

Additionally they are well trained and well briefed and have the advantage of numbers. Over the years certain talents and knacks have emerged and bred true in the families; for example the Mathers Family almost puritanical attitude which has made them particularly adept at resisting the charms of the White Court Vampires, or the Claytons inherited talent for seeing through Faerie glamour, said to be a gift from the Fisher King for a kindness shown to him in 1654. This, along with Ream's habit of teaming up Uncles and nephews, has lead to lines of specialisation in the breed. A trait that is almost essential as learning all the techniques against all the supernatural elements would take longer than a human life time. It is also seen as something of a reassurance amongst the rest of the community, as if any one group of Breed were to get ideas above their station, chances are they would be some supernatural group who could slap them down again. As a result most know that if you have a ‘wolf’ problem the people turning up are likely to be the Stanleys, but if it is a group of Sorcerers up to no good, the phone will be ringing in the pocket of a Molyneux.

That said once you get past all the armour and wards what is left is human flesh, with little of the advantages of toughness, regeneration, or even longevity of other faction and the Breed are all to aware of this. It makes them very cautious and tactical in their out look - they live by the motto retreat and live to fight another day. A breed member fleeing from a conflict is not a coward running away; he is the man who has worked out the strengths and weaknesses of those they face, and is reporting his findings back to Ream whilst the rest cover his retreat. Then he will be back, with reinforcements. Lots of them, and a couple of the Mages and local chimera just to be on the safe side.

Mortals of Liverpool believe them to be a biker gang, and give them a wide berth. Breed members can clear a bar is seconds just by entering it in their leathers and looking round - which is a useful talent if you want to deal with a drunken Lycanthrope without bystanders getting hurt.

Brief Guidelines for Rare Breed Characters.
Given the training, talismans and ‘selective breeding’ they benefit from, they fall better into the Minor talents, focused practitioners or emissary templates than ‘True Mortal’. They should have a High aspect that refers to the Breed, the family line they are descended from or the group they are trained to face. The following are typical ‘supernatural’ powers found amongst the breed, although any individual breed member is only likely to have one of the them: • Items of power designed to act against a type of supernatural threat. • Pack instincts with other breed members that has come form a lifetime training and working with the same group. This is the most common power. • Cloak of shadows, Though Simon claims its really just the art of being scouse • Ghost speaker, for those charged with dealing with the spirit world. • Marked by power, typically possessed by older breed members who are acknowledged experts in their field. • Psychometry, popular with the breeds investigative branch but sadly uncommon. • The sight, often found in the Molyneux who are charged with keeping the Wizards in line. • Ritual or channelling • Guide my hand, which comes more from their faith in the training and Ream than any deity related process but works the same way.

• **Supernatural sense - see through the glamour**, the power possessed by the Clayton line as mentioned above. People with this power have to actively concentrate to see the glamour rather than the other way round. The danger is, in this city, they are so used to seeing the Faerie walking around it might not strike them as anything unusual any more! • **Dedicated to the cause [-1]**. The Mathers power referred to above, the breed member effectively counts as being in ‘true love’, or similar catch effect, when facing a White court vampire, as his dedication to the Breed and what is stands for prevents him from being swayed by their powers.
 * 2 new abilities**

There is more specific information in the Rare Breed Families, including the powers and skills associated with this group.

Rare Breed as a group:

 * High Aspect:** Your Supernatural Emergency Service
 * Trouble:** Memento Mori.
 * Aspects:**
 * If there is a weakness we know it.
 * We are legion and we are many.
 * Home turf advantage.
 * Friends in High- and Low- places.
 * Best humanity has to offer.

Locations associated with Rare Breed.
The caverns are actually a number of locations spread across the city which are used by the Breed to detain their captives. All are set up to be able to contain the creatures they Breed bring in and hold them there for trail and are fitted out with wards, armoured walls, and equipment to ensure that happens.
 * Temple Street Cavern
 * The River Pen
 * Smithdown Cavern
 * Wavertree Lockup
 * Temporary Caverns