Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Kildare (First Appearance)
Villains:
- Direlings
- Direling Queen
- Bork (Only appearance; dies)
- Sacred Gypsy Cult (First Appearance)
- Delia (First Appearance)
- Lynelle (First Appearance)
- Neil Lasley (First Appearance)
Other Characters:
- NYPD
- Bucce
- DeFalco
- Douglas
- Mackie
Locations:
- Top Cow Universe
- United States of America
- New York City, New York
- Manhattan
- New York University
- Manhattan
- New York City, New York
- United States of America
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for 1st story
In the sewers beneath New York City, police officers find a group of sanitation workers in a zombie-like state. At a masonic temple, cult leaders from around the city meet to discuss finding an artifact called the Ptiiorish Mirror. At his shop in Greenwich Village, the Mirrror’s protector Kildare senses their pursuit. The NYPD pulls Ripclaw out of a class he is teaching at NYU and asks him to examine the workers they found. Unable to diagnose them, he decides to investigate the sewers himself. He finds rune-like markings on a tunnel wall and is attacked by two large creatures. Sensing they have no souls, he punches holes in their guts, and they flee. Kildare draws Ripclaw to his shop and explains that the creatures are Direlings working for the Direling Queen. To sustain her, the Direlings bring her human victims she drains of life essence, leaving them zombie-like. Trapped beneath the city for 300 years, the Queen seeks the Mirror in order to escape. For protection, Kildare gives Ripclaw a root from Yggdrasil which when used will give him additional strength. Beneath the city, the Direling Queen kills the two Direlings who attacked Ripclaw for failing to kill him. Then, she enlists a group of young witches called the Sacred Gypsy Cult to finish the job. They find Ripclaw on the street and attack him.