Through Sorcerer's eyes - Oct 13, in which the sorcerers come under a new threat

Part of a series analyzing Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October through Sorcerer.

Starts here.

October 13

After a short update on the Great Detective's progress, including sending his companion on a misadventure which sprained his hand at Owen's, we get to the meat of the chapter: someone who is out to get all the sorcerers and their companions. Snuff finds Needle knocking at an upstairs window, and lets him in after quipping about how he knows creatures like him shouldn't be invited in - Needle responds that that's the Count, not him. This might suggest this as a Telltale.

The reason Needle wants in is that he's being hunted by Vicar Roberts, who has gotten the impression that there was something unnatural afoot in the neighborhood, possibly due to the exsanguinated corpses and people with blood loss and dreams of large bats. Snuff has seen the Vicar, and heard of how heated he gets at sermons, and certain unconscious "transports" he goes into after twitching. It's not clear how Snuff knows this.

The Vicar has taken to taking his crossbow and patrolling the neighborhood at night. He knocks at the door, but Snuff assures a frightened Needle that Jack would not let him in. They hear them arguing, and then there's the sound of a scuffle, but by the time Snuff runs forward to check up on him, he's repelled the rude clergyman and locked him out. He then overtakes Snuff going back to Needle and feeds him some fruit. Jack then goes away, and Snuff and Needle continue to chat. Needle says that the Vicar has shot at Nightwind and Cheeter, too. He's had a vision that some unsavory individuals and their familiars were around for some big psychic events that will cause them to fight each other and bring about some evil to humanity - pretty well-versed in sorcery in this setting, him. He also seems to be recruiting other parishioners into his hunts against the sorcerers, so Snuff and Needle agree to spread the word, and track all the hunters down, as it seems like a shared interest of everyone involved, whether Opener or Closer.

The Vicar knows enough about what's going on, and is able to hunt demons, which suggest that he might be a sorcerer himself. Spreading the word about it definitely seems to go against the Rule of Secrecy for demons, so he might not have any demon bound to himself.

Sorcerers and Demons

• Jack - Binder of Snuff (probably 0 or +/-1), a wand, and a big knife, as well as a Container of several Things. Described as cursed and having to do much of his work at night - perhaps his Price has to do with insomnia? Has played the Game before.
• The Count - Binder of Needle, and possibly another Parasite? Telltale: needs to be invited in.
• Vicar Roberts - Possibly a sorcerer railing against sorcery, with no Bound demons of his own.
• Snuff - a Passer whose Cover is a watchdog. High Will. Possible abilities: Command: dogs, Hold, Perception: heightened senses, Perception: sorcerous pattern, Special Damage: claws and fangs, Special Damage: holy hell. Able to trace paths between sorcerers. Able to communicate with Jack verbally right after midnight. Has played the Game before
• Needle - a Passer whose cover is a bat.
• Count's Parasite - Possible abilities: Perception: heightened senses, Shapeshift: Large Bat, Travel. Possible Need: other people's blood.

Sorcery and Setting

• There are dangers to sorcery that might cause all factions to work together - in this case, protection from outsiders, and keeping the secret.
• Sorcery is abhorrent enough that spreading word about it easily recruits hunters against it.