Brothers War

Story

Chapters

Characters

  • James Allen Jr.; Big Game Hunter, Killed outside Pink Dance club at 16-Dec 2006 @ 11:13 PM
  • Lisa Campbell, Security Guard for Townplace Mall, Killed at Mall 16-Jan 2007 @ 4:18 AM
  • Paul Gray; Former US Army Ranger, Killed at Fairfield Park on 13-Feb 2007 @ 6:58 AM
  • Mitchell Anderson; Changeling targeted for death
  • Jackson Spencer; Ph.d Student Temple University, Killed at Lilly's on 16-Mar 2007 @ 11:35 PM
  • Alicia Wilson; Lead singer for punk/slash band “Bloody Balls”, Changeling
  • Radka; Dola fae, Protective spirits of Fate.
  • Bannik; Bathhouse spirit
  • Leshy; Shape-shifting wood spirit
  • Adam Phillips; Department of Homeland Security
  • Amber Price; Assistant to Adam Phillips
  • Daniel Roberts; Detective Philadelphia PD
  • Mark Ramos; ME for Philadelphia PD
  • Charles Gomez; Team Lead of the Black Knights
  • Lonnie Watts; Black Knights
  • Malcom Goldberg; Black Knights
  • Tyrell Jackson; Black Knights
  • Colonel vonStigler; Commander of the Death Heads
  • Sgt. William; Death Head
  • Johanna Schmidt; Founder of the Witches of Wissahickon
  • Sister Catherine; Witches of Wissahickon
  • Amy Carter; Witches of Wissahickon
  • Reverend Damion Williams; Pastor of the First Baptist Church of God (7th street)
  • Marcia Broooks; Entertainer High Class Gentleman's Club (Aces and Eights)
  • Bloody Balls; Girl punk band
  • Samuel Anderson; Father of Changeling (actually step-father)
  • Elizabeth O'Bannon; Employee of Heilsing
  • Andrew Stone; Employee of Heilsing
  • Sons of Abraham; Jewish Kabbalah hunters
  • Amanda Cole; Researcher of the Supernatural
  • Mordechai Terebelo; Rabbi of Ahavas Torah
  • Darnell Wilkins; Shore Patrol at Philadelphia Naval Yard
  • Captain Harold Issac; CO of Shore Patrol
  • Melissa Cox; Witnessed killing of James Allen Jr.
  • Anthony Allen; Mob hitman, Uncle of James Allen Jr.

Locations

The Hermit of Wissahickon

See Also: Witches of Wissahickon

Johannes Kelp - Founder

They slept under the stars. They ate only what they could grow or find. Some say that they were members of America's first Doomsday Cult – a secret order formed in the 1600s called The Hermits of Wissahickon. The hermits – who also called themselves the Tabernacle of the Mystic Brotherhood, or The Society of the Woman in the Wilderness – fascinated local residents with their esoteric practices. Ritual magic, herbal medicine, numerology, alchemy, astrology, shamanism, and body modification – those are just a few of the alleged practices of the Brotherhood.

According to legend, the hermits actually succeeded in creating the Philosopher's Stone – an alchemical feat that turns ordinary matter into gold. When the last hermit of the order was dying, he asked his friend to return the stone to the “lady of the lake” – in other words, to throw it into the Schuylkill River. The friend decided to bury it instead. The hermit anticipated this, and again he asked his friend to throw the stone it into the Schuylkill. This time, the friend complied. There was a bright flash, and the stone was gone. Thousands of glittering small garnets lay scattered on the ground. In another version of this legend, it was a not a stone but a “casket” that exploded in “flashes of lightning” when thrown into the river.

Did the Mystic Brotherhood really exist? Certainly. Not only are Hermit Street and Monastery Avenue named after it, but an eight-foot granite monolith built by the Rosicrucians stands in Fairmount Park in honor of the order's founder, a German immigrant named Johannes Kelp – known to his followers as Kelpius the Mystic. Kelpius is also the subject of America's first oil painting. Kelpius' concrete-lined cave, where he and his followers spend their days, still stands in Wissahickon. Did the order really create a Philosopher's Stone? That, like many other secrets, is one that the hermits took to their graves.

Working to prepare the way

  • Raróg: hawk, falcon, or fiery dwarf who turns himself into a whirlwind
  • Strzyga: female demon a bit similar to vampire in Slavic (and especially Polish) folklore. People who were born with two hearts and two souls and two sets of teeth (second one barely visible) were believed to be strzygas
  • Naw: ghosts/souls of persons that had met a tragic or premature death, un-christened babies.
  • Vodyanoy: Male water spirit

Dedication Stone of the Free Quaker Meeting House

The Free or “Fighting” Quakers were those disowned by their faith for supporting the American Revolution. Some fought or sold military supplies. Others were expelled for simply taking a loyalty oath to the new American government or holding some civil office.

In 1783, the Free Quakers opened their own meetinghouse, which still stands on the southwest corner of 5th and Arch streets.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the brick, two-story structure is seen from the outside. In the pediment near the roof-line is a dedication stone that can be read easily:

  By General Subscription for the FREE QUAKERS
  Erected in the YEAR of OUR LORD 1783 of the EMPIRE 8.

Perhaps, these militant patriots believed that the United States of America would become a great empire. They may have seen the 13 states as an empire since we were not yet a united nation. The U.S. Constitution was still five years in the future.

The last two Fighting Quakers to worship in the meetinghouse were Betsy (Ross) Claypoole and John Price Wetherill. In 1834 (Betsy was 82) the pair decided to close the place down. The venerable structure was in use as a warehouse for plumbing supplies in the 1950s when it was restored as part of the Independence Mall project.

Grumblethorpe Blood Stains

History in Philadelphia is the real stuff. Take this Germantown Avenue summerhouse built by German immigrant John Wistar in 1744 as a prime example of authenticity. When the British occupied Germantown in the fall of 1777, Gen. James Agnew pushed the Wister family out and moved into what was then called John Wister's Big House. Agnew led a British counterattack after Washington's surprise assault on Germantown on the morning of Oct. 4, 1777. Described as “a dignified and kindly man,” Agnew was fatally shot leading his troops up Germantown Avenue. He was taken back to Grumblethrope — either dead or close to death — where he bled profusely on the floor boards of the front parlor. Attempts to either scrub or bleach out the stains failed. The faded stains are clearly visible today.

There are a lot of other authentic and interesting things to see at Grumblethorope, including the oldest ginkgo tree in America, a rent receipt from John Wistar for a tenant (in a city property) named Benjamin Franklin; a great colonial kitchen, a forge and the writing desk used by author Owen Wister. The only thing phony about Grumblethrope is its name. An early 19th century Wister lifted it from an English novel he was reading and it stuck.

Items Stolen

  • Sankt Georg Fahne (Saint George Flag)
  • Musket powder + ball/wad
  • Swaddling bed sheet
  • USS Eldridge prototype
    • Corporal Kevin Ross - died in electrical access
  • Pages of Diary of Sir William Penn
  • WWI Gas Mask used at Battle of Marne
  • Civil War jacket button
  • WWII Medals (Purple Heart, Silver Star of Valor)
  • Readcoat jacket Gen. James Agnew died in

Summoning Circle

  • Painters - Sight
  • Musicians- Sound
  • Aromatherapy - Smell
  • Sculpture - Touch
  • Chefs - Taste
  • Poetry - Mind
  • Yoga - Spirit

Vampire Hunting Gear

Main Article: Vampire Hunter Gear

  • Knife “Our Father who art in heaven”
  • Gun “Jesus Christ is in heaven now”
    • .50 smoothbore muzzle-loader pistol

Killings

  1. James Allen Jr., Big Game Hunter
    1. Pink Dance club - Dec killing (Dec 16, 2006 @ 11:13 PM)
      1. Melissa Cox, Witness
      2. Unknown woman, witness fled scene
    2. Anthony Allen (uncle)
      1. Mob hitman
      2. Katie Allen (married), George Gamboni (25-Life)
  2. Lisa Campbell, Security Guard @ Townplace Mall
    1. Single Mother
    2. Found outside of her SUV (Jan 16, 2007 @ 4:18 AM)
    3. William (son) 10 - Current at St. Joseph Orphanage
      1. Lisa is black, William is at least half-white
  3. Paul Gray, US Army Ranger-Discharge
    1. Big game hunting with James Allen
    2. 300 Winchester Rifle
    3. Fairfield Park (Feb 13, 2007 @ 6:58 AM)
  4. Mitchell Anderson
    1. Father is Samuel Anderson - D, Pres Primary 2004
      1. Senator President Pro Tempore (sixth term)
  5. Jackson Spencer
    1. Ph.d Student Temple University “Electrical and Computer Engineering”
    2. Nixie/Human changeling
    3. Lilly's (March 16, 2007 @ 11:35 PM)
  6. Alicia Wilson
    1. Lead singer for punk/slash band “Bloody Balls”