Excellent Speed Reading App

Amongst the many things necessary for a successful hunt is detailed background information. Unfortunately the taxonomical notes, regional analysis, individual histories, techniques, research notes, etc. can be quite extensive and force a hunter to dedicate hours to reading documents that may or may not be useful.

Unfortunately a lack of information will more often than not prove more fatal than not. Not properly reading a document linking the weather conditions with a Snow Maiden's hunting habits may result in a cooling body where once a warm blooded hunter rested.

Yet the very quantity of information can often overwhelm DPRCD field operatives, especially the young and impatient.

That's where an app such as Spreeder comes in. To see the benefits first hand copy the rest of this article below this paragraph, go to the spreeder link and paste it into the text box. Then click the spreed button. For the best use go to settings and adjust it to the fastest you feel comfortable with. (This author feels comfortable all the way up to 600 words per minute, after that point I begin missing words, I have been playing around with the app for about a week now.) You can also adjust the chunk size (How much is displayed on the screen at one time.)

One of the largest impediments to reading is the micro movements of the eyes themselves. While you have read this word and are ready for the next one the eye will jump around the paragraph moving backwards and forwards every now and them. This is known in academia as "regression"; a person won't notice these jumps and the brain will appear to continue reading normally. However while you might be ready for the next paragraph your eyes have jumped backwards and gone back over the sentence you just read, even worse sometimes it will jump back two or three lines and reread them.

One of the techniques that speed readers use is to take the finger and move it along and under the words as you read them. This helpful pointer focuses the eyes on only the word being read rather than what is coming before or after. Using this a person can increase the number of words per minute as it prevents regression.

Now the normal range for college-level educated readers is between 200 to 400 words per minute. Using speed reading techniques it was found that a person can improve their performance to 600 words per minute. The only issue is the faster a person reads the less comprehension is found. Anything above 700 words is considered skimming as you begin skipping over words and sentences to get the gist but not the information.

Certain speed readers claim to be able to achieve over 1,000 words per minute, but the studies show that this causes a loss of comprehension.

There are two settings which I find help. To speed up the process you can go to advanced settings and have it get rid of filler words such as "the, an, a, etc". I have yet to lose comprehension from the loss of these words and depending on what you are reading it can cut a significant number of words out of the sentence. If you were reading normally in paragraph form these lost words would be glaring omissions, but speed reading your brain will either automatically add them or adjust without them.

The second setting that I take advantage of is the pausing after sentences, the extra moment of pause that it gives to the punctuations allows for better comprehension.

If you have a digital reading list this program definitely helps you get through it. An important note however. You will not be achieving the much talked about 1,000 words per minute due to an important distinction. Those people who claim to be doing over 1,000 words per minute are not reading, they are skimming. Instead of reading all the words they will take just enough to get the general gist of a paragraph or page and move on. The studies done into this generally show that once you go above the hundreds to thousands comprehension drops off quickly.

A good example of this would be the following paragraph.
"We went out hunting werewolves in the Rhine forest today October 15th, 2012. The pack which we had been hunting for the last five days continued to elude us. They had attacked a small child in berlin the month before and we were going to ensure that they would not have another chance. On the fourth day of the hunt we picked up the trail of a different pack and stalked them to their lair. We eliminated them without incident and headed home successful."

While speed reading you were able to get the important details from this story. The 10,000 words per minute skimmers however would pick up that the team were hunting werewolves and that they were successful. They would not be able to recall details such as when, where, why. Most importantly they would miss that the operatives eliminated a different pack than the one they were hunting.

Legality of Hunters: Equipment Laws

A wide variety of equipment is also available and can be used during operations. Ranging from portable electronics to armor there are limitless possibilities to be added to one’s kit. A hunter might decide to make use of something such as a thermal sensor to detect exceptionally warm or cold blooded creatures, many wear bullet proof or stab proof vests to protect themselves from attack, and most teams will make use of cell phones and/or radio to communicate.

Holy Ammunition is creating a database for those who work to protect humanity from monsters independently and may not have access to the same depths of information as those with more resources at their disposal.

In this regards HA divides areas up by Category with 0 being the least restrictive and 5 being the most restrictive.

Equipment law will be listed slightly differently than other laws. Herein unless listed as more restricted all classes of equipment shall have be set as Category 1 by standard.

Category 0:

In these areas there are no limitations on that equipment type. Anyone can own and use it.

An example of this would be handheld radios in the United Kingdom. There is a small limitation when it comes to larger sets and certain rules associated with emergency channels, but they are so inconsequential as not to count.

Category 1:

There are very few rules in these areas. The majority of people can own and use these with few requirements.

Cell phones within Australia would qualify. They are easily available for purchase however you have to give proof of identity documents and have a credit history to be able to acquire even a pay as you go phone.

Category 2:

Equipment falling within this category can mean that either a law prevents certain people from owning an item or there are licensing requirements to their use.

Body Armor within the United States would qualify as Category 2 equipment. While a normal person can own and even wear Body Armor those, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony from wearing Bullet Proof Vests.

Category 3:

Items within category 3 are licensed or restricted from the general population or have use restrictions in place.

Within Canada, low powered radio equipment such as walkie-talkies and baby monitors are considered Category 1 items, however medium to high powered radio equipment such as long range and Ham radios are licensed and require permits to operate and only within certain ranges.

Category 4:

Category 4 equipment is generally reserved only for those who go through special licensing and equipment certification or has strenuous use restrictions placed upon it.

In Poland it is legal to own a Mobile Phone Jammer; however the use of it in public with special licensing and permission is illegal.

Category 5:

The highest category, this equipment is illegal to own and use. These items are generally reserved for the government only. Operatives are encouraged to use great discretion and forbearance before using any Category 5 equipment and even then only if absolutely necessary.

Wiretapping equipment in most countries is considered Category 5 equipment. Most governments reserve the right to spy on their and others citizens and take great umbrage at anyone else treading on their territory.

It is important to pay attention to the law when tracking your prey from one country to another. This is very true within the European Union which has very close borders and a hunter may have to cross through several countries while in pursuit. Night Vision devices, while considered a Category 1 device in many countries, within certain European Union countries, are a category 4 item. In Germany they are classified as a Category 5 item if they are attached to a firearm, but a Category 2 item if not.

In this way both what the item is and how it is used play a factor. Bullet Proof vests are legal to own in Australia which would nominally make them a Category 1 Item, however if you wear it and do not have a need and agreement from the police it is illegal, pushing the item up to a Category E charge, the same as having an illegal concealed weapon. This makes Bullet Proof Vests in Australia a Category 4 item.

Silver Ammunition Hardness

A very common trope in movies about werewolves and vampires is for an individual to grab a handy piece of jewelry or silverware and melt it down into a bullet mold. They then load the bullet and defeat the rampaging beast which is terrorizing them and their community. While this makes for an amusing piece of McGyvering it leads to the spreading of misinformation that may cost an individual their life in the real world.

The hardness of a regular bullet has a large range which helps determine its performance. When the pressure wave of the expanding gas hits the bullet it will obdurate, the official name for its expansion into the rifling grooves. If the bullet is too soft it will allow some of the gas to escape past it, reducing the energy imparted to the bullet. If the bullet is too hard it will fail to engage the rifling properly, this will also cause the gas to escape.

As the heated gas rushes past the bullet part of it will melt. The melted lead will be left on the barrel and lead to inaccuracy and partial blockage of future rounds. This is known as leading and is very detrimental to the weapon’s performance.

Pure lead has a hardness of 5 BHN (Brinell Hardness Numbers), original smoothbore and muzzle loading rifles were made with rounds anywhere from 5 to 10 BHN, handgun rounds may be anywhere from 10 to 18 BHN range, rifle rounds made from Linotype will generally be about 22 BHN. The hardest round used in rifles is 30 BHN.

There are two methods that may be used to determine the hardness needed for any bullet. They correlate to pressure and speed.

Pressure:
The ideal hardness for a round based off the pressure in pounds per square inch is:
BHN=Pressure/1,920

While the maximum hardness a bullet should ever have for that pressure is determined as:
Max BHN=Pressure/1,422
This can be seen as the do not exceed number, it is the highest BHN a bullet can have and still properly obdurate.

The .45 ACP is rated to 21,000 PSI.
This means that the ideal BHN for the .45 ACP round is 11 while the do not exceed number is 15.
The 9mm parabellum has a max pressure of 37,500 psi this gives it a much wider BHN rating of 19.5-26 BHN

Velocity:
The Velocity rule is even simpler.
800-1000 fps 10-12 BHN
1000-1400 fps 12-16 BHN
1400-1700 fps 14-20 BHN
>1700 fps 20-30BHN

Using this chart a .45ACP will fall into the range of 850-1,250 fps based on the bullet weight (hollow point vs ball) and powder charge. Using this as reference this gives the BHN range of the .45ACP to be between ~10.5-14.5 BHN. This closely correlates to the Pressure rule and allows the loader to base the hardness off of the speed of the round for greatest effect.

The 9mm parabellum’s velocity falls into the range of 1,000-1,450 fps giving it a range of 12-16 BHN. This is obviously a much lower number than the pressure rating, but it is also the more accurate one and the range that a ammunition smith would ideally use.

If there is a disagreement between the pressure and fps chart the fps chart should take priority as it will be the more conservative estimate.
These numbers bring the issue with silver bullets to light. Silver is considerably harder than lead. Elemental Silver has a hardness of 24.5 BHN as opposed to lead’s 5 BHN. This makes it an option for most rifles and some handguns. Through the process of annealing the silver can be reduced to as low as 20.5 BHN. Unfortunately for the average movie hero/heroin, Elemental silver is too soft for the majority of uses such as eating utensils and jewelry. As a result other elements are added in to increase the hardness. Sterling silver can end up with hardness anywhere between 100 and 185 BHN. This means the minimum pressure that would be needed to force the bullet to obdurate can be anywhere between 142,200 to 263,070 psi. Even the highest rated +P rounds will only achieve 50-65,000 psi. This means that the absolute highest BHN a bullet can achieve and still obdurate is 45 BHN.

As a result any attempt to shoot a bullet such as this would result in the bullet either jamming in the gun or exiting with very little velocity. (Editor’s Note: In actuality the bullet will most likely hurtle out of the gun without any rifling benefit as silver has a much higher thermal expansion than lead so if you put a silver bullet into a normal bullet mold the bullet will be drastically undersized.)

For this purpose all bullets produced by HA use pure silver shot in anything but custom requested rounds (HA will produce up to 30BHN rounds by mixing precious copper with the holy silver).

Black Equipment: Overview

There are infernal devices, dark tools, and evil relics that haunt mankind. These things are varied in shape, form, and function. Some serve little purpose but mischief and trouble, others will damn a soul with a mere touch.

Some of these items have reached such heights of infamy that their name is known even to those normally unaware of the arcane.

Such is the case with the Necronomicon, the cursed book is filled with demonology and sanity blasting passages. It has been copied, translated, and released in different forms over the ages, copied time and time again by those fools ensnared by its power. Yet the knowledge contained in the book will lure fools into thinking that it can be used for better purposes. (Editor's Note: For Inquisitors and Researchers of high enough clearance a a copy is available within the Black Library for perusal. For those wishing to read it a waiver of damages and mandatory quarantine are necessary.)

In other situations an inherent darkness can reside within an otherwise ordinary item. The Muramasa blades are a perfect example of this. An otherwise perfect blade something in the forging warped the soul of these noble katanas. Despite being amongst the finest blades created they instill a blood-lust within their wielder that drives them to new savage heights. So deep is the hunger in these swords that many, once drawn, can not be sheathed without first tasting blood.

Such reliquaries are rare, the aforementioned items grant immense power to the owner, but always at great cost. Yet there are more common items that DPRCD personnel will encounter into the field.

Items such as Wolf Belts, Tainted Athames, Dark Runes, Possessed Swords, and Desecrated Altars can be readily created with the right knowledge and rituals. The forces of evil constantly besiege humanity with ever new tools and implements.

It is only through knowledge and our own blessed weaponry that we can seek to stand against them.

Electricity and the Hunter

Amongst the greatest achievements man has ever done is controlling directed electrons. It has provided us a limitless source of light to keep the night at bay through the use of light bulbs. However beyond powering flashlights, radios, and night vision devices electricity can be used as a weapon in the fight against monsters.

Undead:

While Vampires (Genus Nosferatu) are little more than corpses animated with a dark energy and lust for blood, they still retain a biology very similar to that of a human being. This holds true for zombies, ghouls, and many other “undead” creatures.

As a result these perversions of natural law still have nervous systems capable of transmitting electric signals through the body.

The way a normal human body works is that the our living essence, beating heart, and functioning brain run off of very small amounts of electricity generated by all the cells within our body. To twitch your finger the brain fires off a series of electrical charges to the exact nerve cells which in turn release another electrical neurotransmitter that moves the muscle and sends feedback to the brain.

Depending on the variety of the undead these same nerve cells are either still functioning through the transmission of small amounts of electricity; this is most true for those undead which still mostly resemble humanity, or dark magic is forcing these same actions without the chemical and electric stimuli.

What matters to the hunter however is that the nerve cells that send and receive the neurotransmitters still function. Using the same devices that work on humans, stun guns & tasers, a hunter is capable of triggering the remaining nerves within a corpse and prevents the natural electricity/magic from functioning.

This is a great equalizer, it doesn’t matter if the creature is ten times stronger and twice the speed of a hunter, if a monster can’t even control a finger then they lose many of their unnatural advantages. With this in mind tazers and stun guns make up an essential part of a monster hunter’s arsenal. While these tools won’t usually destroy a beast it will provide the hunter with time and opportunity.

In some cases electricity can be a weapon itself. While not undead, Leechmen (********), have a flammable venom that runs through their body. The spark caused by a stun will set this fluid alight and consume it; against electricity the Leechman’s crystallized skin is no defense.

Non-Corporeal Creatures:

There are many ethereal and non-corporeal creatures in existence within the Order Necromunidae, they are almost exclusively within the family (*********). These creatures do not have a normal substance and can be made out of ectoplasm, aether, or many other magical elements.

One thing that most of these being have in common is that their presence disturbs the fabric of reality and generates an electromagnetic field. Electricity can disrupt the makeup of these creatures and unravel the very fabric which allows them to form. In this regards stun guns can be an extremely potent weapon against attacks from ethereal attackers.

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately efforts to create electrified armor have been suspended after the tragic and spectacular accident that consumed our last volunteer. However the State of Texas Penal system has shown great interest in these vests.

The Living:

It goes without saying that thanks to the quirks of biology what is effective against humans is also effective against many species of monsters. While not all creatures share the common biology of humans, enough do that stun guns and tazers should be part of every monster hunter’s kit. The use of electricity on different species will be explored in later posts and used to update outdated taxonomy reports in the hunter’s guide.

Good luck and safe hunting.

Body Armor and its effectiveness

One of the most important things to remember when hunting the minions of evil is protection. Many people just naturally assume because the thing you are hunting can throw a motorbike or rip a person’s head off with its bare talons that there is nothing that can be done for protection.

This is far from true and shows a distinct short sightedness on the part of the hunter. While it is true that normal bullet proof vests are of only limited use there are many alternative selections and protective devices that may be employed.

Bullet Proof vests: While these vest are useful in facing those creatures which make use of modern firearms it does not deal with many of the more common threats and natural weapons that monsters can bring to bear. The protection against firearms and weapons that rely on blunt force such as a thrown rock or club will be enhanced with stab protection.

Protection of a vest is established by the National Institute of Justice https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/223054.pdf they have standards that work out as follows:

Type IIA: This is the lowest recognized level of protection. They are lightweight thin vests that will protect again a 9mm short or a .40 S&W round.

Type II: Second lowest level. Only slightly more protection it will stop penetration from a 9mm or .357 magnum.

Type IIIA: Bulkier, weighs about as much as a heavy jacket. It will stop .357 SIG & .44 Magnum rounds.

Type III: Either Plate or extremely Heavy Weave. This is designed to stop up to 7.62mm Rifle Rounds.

Type IV: Heaviest Vest Class. Usually a mixture of flexible vest and ceramic/steel inserts. It is designed to stop .30 caliber armor piercing rounds.

Many bullet proof vests are now also rated on stab and spike protection. These vests are excellent for protecting an individual from claws and fangs of the night’s denizens. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183652.pdf

Stab vs Spike: The difference between nail and tooth. A stab is also known as a “knife edge” strike or the slash of a werewolf’s claws, while Spike would be more along the lines of a stinger, pincers, and horns.

Level 1: Will stop a fang or claw that impacts the armor with low energy 24-36 Joules, equivalent to a ghoul’s claws or a memphit’s sting.

Level 2: Will stop a strike of 33-50 Joules, equivalent to the swipe from a Japanese Baku or the beak of a Valravn.

Level 3: Will stop between 43-65 Joules of an impact, equivalent to an Amarok’s claws or a Manticore’s sting.

Now it is important to remember that just because it won’t stop everything doesn’t mean that it won’t slow it down or protect you. While there is little short of a brick wall that would stop a Minotaur’s horns from goring a man, it can mean the difference between being cut and being eviscerated.

There are other means of defending yourself, although in the modern world they may cause a raised eyebrow or two.

Chainmail is extremely good against slashing attacks, but offer limited protection against modern weapons or stabbing attacks.

Plate armor offers some of the best protection available against a monster’s claws, however the loss of mobility and extra weight generally negate the gained protection.

Leather jackets add a small amount of protection against both environmental hazards as well as the tools of monsters. It won’t draw too much attention in public, has no legal restrictions (most places), and can make the hunter look cool (a very real concern amongst many younger male hunters).

Motorcycle armor is often overlooked, but very useful. It is light enough to be worn under large jackets, offers excellent joint and impact protection, and is relatively inexpensive. One of the most useful components that many hunters have taken to wearing is the spine guard from such sets.

As always, knowledge is the hunter’s best defense when it comes to the forces of evil. Intangible and ethereal creatures will find faith and a strong holy defense more of a barrier than even the thickest armor while many dumb brutes will gladly swallow your holy symbol with the rest of your body. 

All forms of protection made by Holy Ammunition LLC come with not just physical protection but also charms and prayers woven into the very essence to best protect those who would protect humanity. While we are not able to foresee all calamities that might befall we believe in giving our clients the greatest possible level of protection for the best price.