Claret Orders

Structure

There are various individual orders that make up the overall Claret Orders. They can be found in different locations across Wildemount and even Exandria, each with their own specialties. These different orders have their own leaders, who may coordinate and work with each other to identify and destroy dangerous threats. Individual hunters appear to operate in teams for safety and efficiency sake, often under the guise of traveling mercenaries.

Public Agenda

The creed of the Claret Orders asks its followers to commit their lives to hunting monsters that threaten the sanctity of life and joy. While the sacrifice is great, the reward is the continued existence of purity and good in the world. The orders strive to protect those who cannot protect themselves from the terrors that go unseen by their noble lords and ladies. Most take little credit for their services, beyond means to live and travel. Some have strayed, using their skills to amass a fortune, but the heads of the orders deliver swift justice unto those who exploit the people they are sworn to protect.

History

Centuries ago, the high cleric of the Julous Dominion made secret pacts with a devil of the Nine Hells, hoping to gain enough power to repel the aggressive Dwendalian Empire. However, he failed to read the fine print of the devilish contract-he succeeded in his mission, but his people paid a terrible cost. The empire was indeed repelled, but it was because the lands of the Marrow Valley were brimming with devils and undead. The common folks hid in their homes, and the valley grew unhallowed and gray. 
In this brief era of terror, a humble priest of the Raven Queen named Trence Orman prayed for a way to protect his flock, his people, and the lands they called home. The Matron of Death blessed him with the ancient secrets of blood magic. Trence trained his most trusted friends in the techniques of hemocraft, and they sacrificed a portion of their humanity in exchange for the power to defend the dominion. This marked the origin of the Claret Orders. Using their forbidden skills, the Claret Orders managed to seal away the source of this dark deal, free the high cleric from his torturous form, and clear the countryside of the evil that pervaded it. Unfortunately, before the Claret Orders could be celebrated as saviors, the armies of the empire swept into the freshly purged Marrow Valley and crushed the Julous Dominion. 
The newly installed Dwendalian lords blamed the Claret Orders for inviting fiends into the Marrow Valley. While some knew the truth and tried to clear their name, it quickly became clear the Claret Orders were no longer welcome in their own homeland. Trence and his troupe of blood-tithed warriors went into hiding. Even in the face of such opposition, they never stopped protecting their lands from the shadows, seeking and destroying evils that emerged from the scars of the Calamity. The orders have spread to the outskirts of Western Wynandir and beyond. They maintain small keeps to train new generations of protectors who are willing to take the Hunter's Bane and embrace their inner darkness to combat the outer darkness in the world.

Foreign Relations

The existence of the Claret Orders is largely rumor and myth in most places, as the orders have no alliance with or allegiance to any standing government or group. The empire is well aware of their presence and makes a point to ignore their heroic deeds while publicizing misdeeds of those few hunters that succumb to the corrupting influence of their powers.
Some splinter orders have traveled beyond the boundaries of the empire, seeking more welcoming folk and more unique challenges in lands across Exandria. Still, no matter where the guardians of the Claret Orders travel, they know they will never be free from the hatred of those that misunderstand them.

Founding Date

544 PD

Type

Religious, Holy Order