The Sons of Salem

Harold’s Enhanced Perception interprets every scent and sight as though it were a silent “speech act” embedded in the world around him. Just as Speech Act Theory suggests that language conveys intent and action, Harold’s senses allow him to detect unspoken messages within scents and traces left by touch, movement, or presence. Each scent or invisible detail, like a fingerprint, becomes a form of communication—a kind of sensory language revealing clues about who or what was present, and what actions took place.

Through his heightened sense of smell, Harold treats scents as unique “signatures” left by individuals or objects, each telling its own story. To him, a scent is a lingering “utterance” of someone’s presence, as if their movements and actions left traces in the air. By differentiating between scents with precision, he can read this invisible narrative and connect it to people, places, and events he’s encountered before.

Harold’s vision allows him to see normally invisible details—fingerprints, bacteria, residual marks—as the “evidence” of actions, each trace a physical “speech act” left behind. Just as words convey hidden intentions, these traces serve as residual expressions of past interactions. When Harold views these otherwise invisible elements, it’s as if he’s reading silent statements from the world itself, each detail contributing to a deeper understanding of what has transpired.

In this way, Harold’s Enhanced Perception transforms sensory information into a conversation with his surroundings, where every trace, scent, and hidden detail is a part of a larger dialogue that only he can perceive. His mastery of Speech Act Theory enables him to interpret these sensory “statements” and unravel the story beneath the surface, making him an expert at uncovering truths in silence.

Harry Johnson was haunted by the faces of those he had failed, each one etched into his mind like a scar that wouldn’t fade. Driven to the edge, he chose to blind himself, hoping that darkness would bring him the peace he so desperately sought. But in the depths of his self-imposed blindness, he found no escape—only a curse that bound him even more tightly to the world he longed to leave behind.

The darkness doesn’t hide from me anymore, but I wish it would. I can see everything—every shape, every flicker in the pitch black, and it’s overwhelming. And the smells… God, the smells. Blood is everywhere, in everything. My nose feels like it’s stretched too far, twitching at every whiff like I’m some kind of animal. My face feels different—leaner, sharper—my ears are pointed now, and I can hear things I don’t want to. I’m a vampire, sure, but this? This is something else entirely.

Gloria’s goggles have been augmented to be able to both magnify vision and show heat signatures.

Mark's heartbeat races as addrenaline surges through his body, affecting not only his muscles but his nervous system.
With focus, his perception cracks open like a whip, colors vibrant and sharp. His durability extends to every cell, every rod and cone, every hair cell in his cochlea, every neuron surging information into his brain, operating at full capacity without aging or wear and tear. Operating at 110% capacity without tiring, and processing the smallest scrap of information effectively.

The only problem is.. There's so much to see and hear. It takes real concentration to stay present.

The beastmaster closes their eyes and channels nature's bloody struggle for survival. When their eyes reopen, they catch the light and glow red like a dog's. While in this heightened state, they may sense heat signatures and triangulate the tiniest sound.

Even in human form, the werewolf retains their incredible sense of smell. This helps them track their prey and learn where people and things have been.

The detective has trained their eyes to notice the smallest of details.