Quote: “Even monsters have loved ones.”

Meredith Fryte was born to Jason and Lydia Fryte, a Redeemed Promethean and a ghoul respectively, in 1945.  As Meredith got older, she began to learn her family’s secrets, although her parents tried to give her a life as close to normal as possible.  Despite realizing that she was related to monsters (or, at least, “sort-of-monsters”), Meredith accepted her parents for what they were.

Then, in 1962, Task Force: VALKYRIE came into town, asking questions.  Meredith helped to hide the evidence of her parents’ true natures; for example, by hiding her father’s alchemy notes in her chemistry textbook, claiming that it was for a thesis.  The Men in Black, thrown off the trail, made their apologies and left town.  By high school graduation, Meredith knew what she wanted to do: become an FBI agent, the better to keep tabs on Task Force: VALKYRIE.

During her college years, Meredith learned of other hunter societies, like the Maiden’s Blood Sisterhood and the Ashwood Abbey.  Upon graduation and entering into the FBI, she also made the acquaintance of Robert Milton.  Robert, sadly, turned out to be married – to a thousand-year-old jinn, as Meredith soon discovered.  The jinn, named “Jenna,” proved to be relatively harmless, however, and Meredith proved her trustworthiness by revealing her own secret.

Meredith’s goals changed, somewhat; not only would she keep tabs on Task Force: VALKYRIE and other hunter groups, but she would protect anyone being preyed upon by monsters…including other monsters.

When it comes to hunting monsters, the Family are quite possibly the sanest, most humane people you could ask for the job.  That is because unlike most of the other hunter organizations, they know who the real monsters are, from the True Fae to the Pure to those hunters who come too close to becoming slashers…or worse, Heroes.

Their method of hunting usually comes in the form of observing the local monster populace and spotting the troublemakers.  When encountering friendlies, they arrange for a “family outing,” a way of drawing the friendlies out in a nonthreatening manner.  Threats to their loved ones, or the community in general, are politely asked to leave the first time, warned in a way that means business the second time (the Prince’s hitmen might return with broken kneecaps, for example), and “taken care of” the third time.

To join the Family, one must be a mortal with a Merit that reflects a relationship with a creature of the Chronicles of Darkness, like Beloved or Sleepwalker.

You live with someone who fell from the sky.  You taught him about human customs and human behavior…like falling in love.  Your shining moment came when his master threatened to turn him into a dog, only for you to talk him out of it.  Now you have something to fight for.

Your childhood friend knew a lot of magic tricks.  It took some time for you to learn they weren’t just illusions.  Then you met that mummy, and that sea monster, and that creature made from stone that walked like a man.  It was only a matter of time before your family took up the Vigil, finding out which monsters you could trust and which ones to watch out for.

You took a job as a governess for a wealthy family in Maine.  You became romantically involved with a vampire, and he loved you too much to feed off of you, even going so far as to protect you from other horrors of the night.  Naturally, such love deserves to be returned.

Genealogists keep track of who’s related to who, who’s friends, who’s family, and who’s trouble.  They scout out local activity, keeping watch over the supernaturals and making sure they’re not endangering humans…or vice versa.

Orchard Keepers get their nickname from the fact that they prune the family tree to keep the bad apples away.  They’re the ones the Genealogists contact after encountering trouble, and they tend to be the most combat-ready and heavily-armed.

Peacemakers are the ones who arranged the family picnics, and the ones who (as the name implies) keep the peace between the supernaturals and humans.

Aegis Kai Doru/Keepers of the Source: You got a problem with werewolves and mages?  Meet me at Starbucks and we’ll talk.

Cheiron Group: We’ve been at war with these bastards ever since we discovered what Thaumatechnology was.  (Would you take it well if someone made a shotgun out of your uncle’s arm?)  And before you ask, we feel the same way about the Faithful of Shulpae, Utopia Now, and to an extent the Ashwood Abbey.  Seriously, don’t get me started on those guys.

Les Mysteres: If I catch one of these assholes spouting off about their precious so-called “Pure” one more time, I swear to God they’ll be talking through a knuckle sandwich.

Lucifuge: They’re the closest to getting it: you can’t choose who you’re related to, but you can choose how you relate to them.  Knowing what I’ve heard about the God-Machine, though, makes me question their founder’s true nature…but then again, it’s enough to make me cynical toward organized religion in general.

Network Zero/Null Mysteriis: Invite them to a family outing.  Maybe they’ll learn something.

Task Force: VALKYRIE/VASCU: Surprisingly the least of our worries these days.  Still, if you meet one of these guys asking questions, you'd better have the right answers.

(I'm kind of torn over whether this should be a compact or a conspiracy.)