Witch Hunters

Summary

People in the Imperium have a healthy sense of awareness, cultivated over centuries of exposure to the depraved beings that dwell on the fringes of society. After centuries of fencing livestock and keeping away from forests after dark, several unlanded lords banded together to form one of the most famous guilds on the Continent. Founded over seven centuries ago in the Andorian city of Dunwich, the Guild of Witch Hunters has since expanded to twelve chapter houses scattered across the Continent.
Despite their name, the Guild of Witch Hunters does not only deal in rooting out and destroying witchcraft wherever it arises. They are the foremost experts in the knowledge of tracking, hunting, and slaying the foulness that inhabits the most desolate regions of Galisia. Despite their impressive reputation, Witch Hunters are often not the first to be called to deal with a problem. If a local lord or magistrate starts noticing a surge in dead livestock, missing persons, and other suspicious activities, he will generally start by sending members of the local militia to dispatch the pests, usually thought to be local wolves or bandits. When his militia inevitably do not return, he will send several of his knights. When these men are claimed by the threat, every other option has been exhausted, and the source of the disturbances has proven to be greater than local animals or bandits, then and only then will he call for a Witch Hunter.
Why would a lord go through such as process as this, you may ask? By the time a lord knows the threat he faces is greater than a few wolves or vagabonds, he has likely already lost more than a dozen men to the horror that walks his lands. The answer is economic: while the services of a Witch Hunter may prove to be indispensable, their services are rarely affordable. The average price of a Witch Hunter's contract is similar to the annual rents collected from a large village, a healthy sum for many lords. But, for discerning nobles, the price is well worth it. Witch Hunters are known throughout the realm as some of the most skilled duellists in single combat, proving more than a match for most knights. This is due in part to both their rigorous training as well as their array of strange and often downright bizarre equipment. During their induction into the Guild, it is said that their minds are broken and abused through torture methods that would give a dungeon master pause. But despite these harsh methods of indoctrination, it is largely believed that these reasons are precisely why Witch Hunters are known as men with hearts of steel, able to face down giant spiders, feral ogres, and blood cults without showing so much as an ounce of fear.

Structure

Witch Hunters are organized into twelve chapter houses located in some of the more populous cities of Galisia. Each chapter house is managed by a Guildmaster that wields supreme authority over as many as fifty Witch Hunters. These Guildmasters manage incoming requests and dispatch individual Witch Hunters to fulfill these contracts throughout the realm. Often acting alone or in pairs, Witch Hunters are known to be highly self-reliant, able to act with little direction or supervision. The rank of Guildmaster is the only chapter house rank above that of a standard Witch Hunter. In the City of Dunwich, the Guild of Witch Hunters' Headquarters, resides the Grandmaster of the guild. The Grandmaster oversees all Guildmasters and the activities of hundreds of Witch Hunters in the Guild, often dealing with special contracts and requests personally. Both the ranks of Guildmaster and the Grandmaster himself are comprised of veteran Witch Hunters with decades of experience. Chosen by the current Grandmaster, Guildmasters serve for life, and are given a generous amount of discretion and authority in their chapter houses. The Grandmaster of the Guild also serves for life. Upon the death of a current Grandmaster, the most senior Guildmaster is appointed as their successor.

Culture

The Guild of Witch Hunters makes few distinctions among it's applicants. Nobles and commoners alike from the three major ethnicities are allowed to apply for induction into the ranks, provided they can meet the Guild's lofty standards. Above all else, Witch Hunters pride themselves on being men without fear. Thought by many people to be wholly incapable of fear, the unique qualities of Witch Hunters are actually the result of constant conditioning and mind-breaking methods of indoctrination. Applicants are subjected to several trials that assess abilities in combat, tracking, and mental strength. As expected, the vast majority of applicants are woefully unprepared, and fail these tests before being unceremoniously ejected from the chapter house. The ones who pass, however, are given over to their chapters for training in the art of hunting and slaying the most vile creatures on the Continent.

Natural Predators

Witch Hunters exterminate some of the most foul abominations in the realm, so it's really no wonder that each and every Witch Hunter is regarded as a living weapon among men. Feared and respected, they are an individual match for all but the most gifted warriors in the Imperium. Their usual quarry, however, makes no distinciton of this fact. Witch Hunters have faced all manner of horrors throughout the centuries, from giant arachnus spiders in the Spinnenwald to cannibal cultists in the Witchwood. Over time, the Witch Hunters have truly seen it all. Centuries of experience led to the creation of the Black Bestiary, a collection of various tomes used by novice Witch Hunters to identify and combat various types of beasts and abominations. Considered tainted literature by most commoners, the Black Bestiary is a staple in most Witch Hunter chapter houses. While the bestiary is already quite extensive, it still receives updated entries every few years, a reflection of the often changing nature of the work of Witch Hunters.

Founding Date

614 AG

Type

Guild, Professional