Witch Hunters
The Witch Hunters are enhanced humans and half-elves who hunt witches, demon-hosts and cults in The Gold Empire. They are lethal predators who hunt their prey with tenacity, savagery and cunning. Individual witch hunters are selected young and subjected to numerous surgeries and implantations of arcane organs, allowing them to use potions to enable superhuman feats.
The Witch Hunters are taught from a young age that they weapons of Aurathear Darastrix against evil magic, that they are holy warriors in a secret war directed by the Ah Vokul Arkanic of the Brass Metal Church, colloquialy known as the Brass Inquisition.
While the Ah Vokul Arkanic directs the Witch Hunters, it is the Alchemists of the Green Order and Red Order who are responsible for creating the Witch Hunters using arcane biomancy gleaned from the ancient teachings of the High Elven Empire.
The Witch Hunters are taught from a young age that they weapons of Aurathear Darastrix against evil magic, that they are holy warriors in a secret war directed by the Ah Vokul Arkanic of the Brass Metal Church, colloquialy known as the Brass Inquisition.
While the Ah Vokul Arkanic directs the Witch Hunters, it is the Alchemists of the Green Order and Red Order who are responsible for creating the Witch Hunters using arcane biomancy gleaned from the ancient teachings of the High Elven Empire.
Structure
Ranks
The Witch Hunters are at the lowest level organized into different packs, groups of 4-6 hunters who live, hunt and fight together. These packs are sent out on missions together, and are formed and reformed as the brass clergy and alchemists see fit. A Witch Hunter Corps describes the packs associated with a specific geographic location or home base. A Corps will often be headed by a Master-at-Arms, an older Witch Hunter who represents their younger kin in discussions with the clergy and alchemists, though traditions between regions vary.
Witch Hunters are generally, though not always, under command of brass clerics of the Ah Vokul Arkanic, who send them on missions and follow their progress. A corps will often be associated with a brass monastery, led by a Presbyter of the church. Such presbyters will occasionally use the formal draconic title of "Tovitaan", which literally translates to Seeker but is more often referred to as Inquisitor. These monasteries will also often have a complement of alchemists, led by a doctor of the green order, to monitor the biology and metabolism of the Witch Hunters. The creation of new Witch Hunter generally happen in Brass Cathedrals, with larger complements of alchemists.
The presbyters of the Brass Monasteries are under the authority of the Brass Metal Bishop in their region, who often belongs to the Onikaan Vahlok. However, the leader of all the Witch Hunter corps in a province falls to a different Brass Metal Bishop explicitly associated with the Ah Vokul Arkanic, who will be in charge of the recruitment, training and disposition of Witch Hunters within their province. Such bishops ocasionally use the formal title of "Thur Tovitaan", which is often translated as Lord Inquisitor. In the provinces of Sceya, Dhuchai and Kreit, these Bishops hold particular power, due to their roles as leaders of Hunter Schools.
The Hunter Schools
Another important organizational aspect of the Witch Hunters are the Hunter Schools, groups of older and expert Witch Hunters who train younger Hunters in specialized hunting. Most hunters will travel to a school after a few years of active service, to make sure training them will be worthwhile. There are about a half a dozen hunter schools, but the most important ones are:
School of Kreit
The northern School of Kreit is famous for its use of ignean weapons: guns, grenades and specialized bullets. The Kreitan School was born from ingenious Witch Hunters fighting ignean sorcerers about three hundred years ago, who wished to level the playing field with their firewielding opponents and took the weapons of the Kreitan Royal Army and upgraded them to fight their magic opponents.
The Kreitan School has thus always valued ingenuity and craftsmanship in its Powderhunters, who are expected to make their own equipment from standard issue Kreitan equipment. The Powderhunters are a valuable asset to Witch Hunter Corps all over the Gold Empire, with their unconventinal approaches to their enemies and impressive capacity for finding clever solutions, often involving Firepowder and fast-moving projectiles.
School of Sceya
The southern School of Sceya specializes in teaching its adherents to dedicate themselves to the core of hunting: fighting with silver and skill, and bringing down sorcerers before they can bring their magic to bear. The Sceyan School is particularly reknown for its use of magic pressure points to rob their enemies of their magic.
The Silverhunters are professional, thorough and zealous hunters, who are particularly familiar with cooperation with other Imperial authorities to track and kill their prey.
School of Dhuchai
The eastern School of Dhuchai specializes in advanced toxins and potions, hard lessons learned hunting Yuan-Ti infiltrators in the depths of the Dhuchaian jungle. The Greenbloods educated at the Dhuchaian School are known to be particularly sadistic and sociopathic Witch Hunters, as the toxic potions they submit themselves to degenerate their amygdala and anterior insular cortex.
The Witch Hunters are at the lowest level organized into different packs, groups of 4-6 hunters who live, hunt and fight together. These packs are sent out on missions together, and are formed and reformed as the brass clergy and alchemists see fit. A Witch Hunter Corps describes the packs associated with a specific geographic location or home base. A Corps will often be headed by a Master-at-Arms, an older Witch Hunter who represents their younger kin in discussions with the clergy and alchemists, though traditions between regions vary.
Witch Hunters are generally, though not always, under command of brass clerics of the Ah Vokul Arkanic, who send them on missions and follow their progress. A corps will often be associated with a brass monastery, led by a Presbyter of the church. Such presbyters will occasionally use the formal draconic title of "Tovitaan", which literally translates to Seeker but is more often referred to as Inquisitor. These monasteries will also often have a complement of alchemists, led by a doctor of the green order, to monitor the biology and metabolism of the Witch Hunters. The creation of new Witch Hunter generally happen in Brass Cathedrals, with larger complements of alchemists.
The presbyters of the Brass Monasteries are under the authority of the Brass Metal Bishop in their region, who often belongs to the Onikaan Vahlok. However, the leader of all the Witch Hunter corps in a province falls to a different Brass Metal Bishop explicitly associated with the Ah Vokul Arkanic, who will be in charge of the recruitment, training and disposition of Witch Hunters within their province. Such bishops ocasionally use the formal title of "Thur Tovitaan", which is often translated as Lord Inquisitor. In the provinces of Sceya, Dhuchai and Kreit, these Bishops hold particular power, due to their roles as leaders of Hunter Schools.
The Hunter Schools
Another important organizational aspect of the Witch Hunters are the Hunter Schools, groups of older and expert Witch Hunters who train younger Hunters in specialized hunting. Most hunters will travel to a school after a few years of active service, to make sure training them will be worthwhile. There are about a half a dozen hunter schools, but the most important ones are:
- School of Kreit - The Powderunters
- School of Sceya - The Silverhunters
- School of Dhuchai - The Greenbloods
School of Kreit
The northern School of Kreit is famous for its use of ignean weapons: guns, grenades and specialized bullets. The Kreitan School was born from ingenious Witch Hunters fighting ignean sorcerers about three hundred years ago, who wished to level the playing field with their firewielding opponents and took the weapons of the Kreitan Royal Army and upgraded them to fight their magic opponents.
The Kreitan School has thus always valued ingenuity and craftsmanship in its Powderhunters, who are expected to make their own equipment from standard issue Kreitan equipment. The Powderhunters are a valuable asset to Witch Hunter Corps all over the Gold Empire, with their unconventinal approaches to their enemies and impressive capacity for finding clever solutions, often involving Firepowder and fast-moving projectiles.
School of Sceya
The southern School of Sceya specializes in teaching its adherents to dedicate themselves to the core of hunting: fighting with silver and skill, and bringing down sorcerers before they can bring their magic to bear. The Sceyan School is particularly reknown for its use of magic pressure points to rob their enemies of their magic.
The Silverhunters are professional, thorough and zealous hunters, who are particularly familiar with cooperation with other Imperial authorities to track and kill their prey.
School of Dhuchai
The eastern School of Dhuchai specializes in advanced toxins and potions, hard lessons learned hunting Yuan-Ti infiltrators in the depths of the Dhuchaian jungle. The Greenbloods educated at the Dhuchaian School are known to be particularly sadistic and sociopathic Witch Hunters, as the toxic potions they submit themselves to degenerate their amygdala and anterior insular cortex.
Culture
Hunters without peer
The Witch Hunters are hunters of witches without peer, a singular role they have in the Gold Empire. Whether it be hunting alchemist heretics through brass-lined streets, or chasing druids through deep forests, the Witch Hunters live for the hunt. Any spare moment is spent in training, studying their quarry or participating in routine inspections of the cities of the Gold Empire to strike fear into alchemists and remind them of the punishment for magical heresy.
Many Witch Hunters also carry a disdain for all magic users, regardless of their legality or providence, as they believe that magic is an inevitable road to heresy and the hurting of innocents. Such traits are selectively supported by their cleric overlords, as it makes the hunting, dehumanization and killing of heretic mages easier.
Living Weapons
Each Witch Hunters is a massive investement of time and resources for the Brass Metal Church, with their designer organs and magical weapons. The Witch Hunters are thus taught to not regard themselves as living people with meaningful inner lives, but rather as weapons of the Church against its enemies. The Witch Hunters are thus willing to pitch themselves into battle on the orders of the clerics, no matter the odds.
The Witch Hunters are hunters of witches without peer, a singular role they have in the Gold Empire. Whether it be hunting alchemist heretics through brass-lined streets, or chasing druids through deep forests, the Witch Hunters live for the hunt. Any spare moment is spent in training, studying their quarry or participating in routine inspections of the cities of the Gold Empire to strike fear into alchemists and remind them of the punishment for magical heresy.
Many Witch Hunters also carry a disdain for all magic users, regardless of their legality or providence, as they believe that magic is an inevitable road to heresy and the hurting of innocents. Such traits are selectively supported by their cleric overlords, as it makes the hunting, dehumanization and killing of heretic mages easier.
Living Weapons
Each Witch Hunters is a massive investement of time and resources for the Brass Metal Church, with their designer organs and magical weapons. The Witch Hunters are thus taught to not regard themselves as living people with meaningful inner lives, but rather as weapons of the Church against its enemies. The Witch Hunters are thus willing to pitch themselves into battle on the orders of the clerics, no matter the odds.
Public Agenda
Eradicate Magical Heresy
The function of the Witch Hunters is the eradication og magical heresy in all its forms, wherever it may manifest. They are directed in this by their Brass Metal Cleric masters, who give them their targets and orders, but leave the prosecution of a hunt in large part up to the Witch Hunters themselves. This role is what is most understood by the imperial public, but very few understand the inner workings of the Witch Hunters, and their stories, victories and struggles are not documented for the general public but locked away in forbidden archives around Dain.
Symbols of Fear
The Witch Hunters also serve as deterrents for large concentrations of mages, to remind them of the consequences of magical heresy. Witch Hunters occasionally approach the streets of Goldstadt, and make the rounds on Alchemical University campuses as specters and executioners. When an alchemist or brass dragon cleric's work is deemed near-heretical, Witch Hunters will be sent alongside Brass Metal Clerics and Royal Army soldiers to remind them of their obligations. On occasion, the Witch Hunters will travel unburdened by their less lethal compatriots to steal away heretics to the cells of the Ah Vokul Arkanic.
The function of the Witch Hunters is the eradication og magical heresy in all its forms, wherever it may manifest. They are directed in this by their Brass Metal Cleric masters, who give them their targets and orders, but leave the prosecution of a hunt in large part up to the Witch Hunters themselves. This role is what is most understood by the imperial public, but very few understand the inner workings of the Witch Hunters, and their stories, victories and struggles are not documented for the general public but locked away in forbidden archives around Dain.
Symbols of Fear
The Witch Hunters also serve as deterrents for large concentrations of mages, to remind them of the consequences of magical heresy. Witch Hunters occasionally approach the streets of Goldstadt, and make the rounds on Alchemical University campuses as specters and executioners. When an alchemist or brass dragon cleric's work is deemed near-heretical, Witch Hunters will be sent alongside Brass Metal Clerics and Royal Army soldiers to remind them of their obligations. On occasion, the Witch Hunters will travel unburdened by their less lethal compatriots to steal away heretics to the cells of the Ah Vokul Arkanic.
History
Establishment of the Witch Hunters -- 162 IA to 184 IA
Following the reform of the Brass Metal Church of 162 IA, it was decreed that a new group of warriors would be trained to hunt heretical mages more efficiently and discreetly than the previously commanded army regiments. There was disagreement precisely what such a force would consist of, some argued in the favor of alchemical automatons, others suggested the creation of a new Holy Legion. In the end decarch Nande Shona supported the work of deacon Blacthorne of Cyneland, who had studied the lost biomancy of the dread magelord Glaedgod Laedscyth. Magelord Glaedgod, whose honorific means "slave twister", came to the rocky coast of Cyneland after their fortress in Ethalland was destroyed by the Knights of Corellon with an army of slave soldiers, hobgoblins and orcs. Glaedgod used their magic to make a tower-fortress for themselves, which they called Geadtorr, and ruled for many years as a cruel tyrant while using their magic to create new and terrifying slave soldiers. Freed from the intruige of their fellow magelords, and driven to desperation in the face of attacks from Cyneland and leonin tribal warriors. Glaedgod was defeated by a united army of leonin and High Elves, and committed suicide rather than face capture. Glaedgod's knowledge was buried, even the Umthetho of the leonin refusing to learn such dread power. Their knowledge on how to make biologically superior slave soldiers was lost to time, until deacon Blacthorne came to Geadtorr.
Deacon Blacthorne had been an original believer in Aurathear Darastrix, one of the Scholars of Corellon who were converted to faith in the Dragon God, and they believed that the knowledge of Glaedgod would be important to seek out, understand and bury in archives, to ensur that no one else would use such cruel biomancy. While working in the Geadtorr with her Brass Metal Clerics and alchemists, she came to understand more and more. She found many biological horrors, including instructions on how to make them, but she found one of the more stable biological constructs which would create a superior warrior, and worked together with the Order of Alchemists to perfect the instructions. When the Ah Vokul Arkanic was critizised for its use of royal army units in its purges, deacon Blacthorne was approached by Konarik Tovitaan Okamura Satoshi to employ her creations in battle against Heretic Mages, and the deacon agreed that fighting evil mages would be the perfect way to use, and redeem, the knowledge she had gained from study of Glaedgod's work.
After the reform, decarch Nande made deacon Blacthorne the Archbishop of Geadtorr and leader of the Ah Vokul Arkanic, as Blacthorne had her plan ready to create these mighty warriors. Archbishop Blacthorne changed the name of Geadtorr to Hunthofaesten, and ordered a considerable expansion of Hunthofaesten. She sent Brass Metal Clerics throughout the Gold Empire, scouring youth academies and war orphanages for youth who would be willing to give their lives for the Gold Empire, and soon she had many volunteers. In order to create a more stable Witch Hunter than what Glaedgod had deemed nessecary, the biomantic organs had to be implanted at a young age, ideally before puberty, to make sure that the Witch Hunter could grow new tissue and adapt their nervous system to the heightened senses and improved physiology of their new body. Thanks to a great deal of preparation and hard work translating the texts of Glaedgod, as well as experimentation on heretics, the first generation of Witch Hunters was a resounding success when it came to implantation acceptance rates. Inspiration for fighting style was taken form the Blademasters of Blacthorne's homeland, and after twenty years of work the first batch of battle-ready Witch Hunters was a success, ready to fight with silvered sword and biomantic prowess.
Archbishop Blacthorne was however not succesfull in two respects, which she had hoped to conquer before she died form old age in 423 IA:
The Witch Hunters were first dispatched throughout the Gold Empire of the late Great Conquests, acting on many years of intelligence collected by the Ah Vokul Arkanic on enemies of the Gold Empire. The First Hunts were great successes, and reminded heretics on the frontiers of the Gold Empire that no matter their magical might, they were not safe from imperial justice. Witch Hunters worked just behind the front lines and in close communication with both Imperial Army command and Crown Legion orders to eliminate magical dissidents and rebels, aided by the Ah Vokul Arkanic's meticulous collection of data and information on their enemies.
The Witch Hunters grew famous among circles who knew of their existence, and soon there were calls from Imperial Army commanders to get the Witch Hunters on the front lines fighting alongside Holy Legions and hunting enemy battlewizards. However, decarch Shona refused all such petitions on archbishop Blacthorne's instructions, as she argued that using Witch Hunters on the front lines would be tantamount to using the same slave soldiers of the High Elven Empire, and would open the doors to further biomantic experimentation, and that the Witch Hunters were needed for their designed purpose, the hunting of witches, and could not be spared for the front lines.
The Witch Hunters, led by the Ah Vokul Arkanic, destroyed the independent magical heritage of all conquered peoples, burning the heresy and killing its practitioners. Such violence was a central part of the Gold Empire's goal of cultural plurality and integration, but not at the cost of imperial unity, and the Ah Vokul Arkanic worked closely with the Silver Metal Church and Gold Metal Church, especially the Office of Secret Services, to strategically isolate and destroy heretical magical heritage. Such missions, and their strategic justifications, were kept secret from the general population, another advantage to the more elite and isolated nature of the Witch Hunters.
During the era of the First Hunts, a new doctrine of purges were also developed. Provinces with a great number of heretic mages who had survived initial imperial conquest could petition the Brass Metal Church for the employment of a large number of Witch Hunters and Ah Vokul Arkanic to their territory, who would work in tandem with Royal Army forces to purge a great number of heretic mages. In practice, such purges also required the sponsorship of the Gold Metal Church. During such purges, Witch Hunters took operational command of Royal Army forces and were supported by Ah Vokul Arkanic, and such purges were among the few times that Witch Hunters had control over the goals, scope and completion of their missions. A Witch Hunter of seniority would command such purges, and be given the temporary military rank of Commander during the purge. Five major purges were performed during the First Hunts and about two dozen smaller ones, particularly in the Imperial East and Imperial South.
However, such purges were unpopular among both the general populace and liberal nobility, so they were rarely employed.
Witch Hunters in peacetime -- 197 IA to 202 IA
After the conquest of Salantano in 197, peace finally came to the Gold Empire for the first time in nearly a hunrded years. The Witch Hunters carried on with their duties as usual for the first couple of years, but after a certain point there were no more magically deviant conquered people to purge, and the Witch Hunters shifted more to focus on domestic foes, such as sorcerers, cults and heretic alchemists. The Witch Hunters' role became one of fear, to stop magical heresy from ever happening by the simple threat of the hunt. The Witch Hunters thus hunted less sophisticated mages from ancient magical cultures, but more magical criminals and those who either gained their power accidentally as sorcerers, or those who worked with fell powers to overthrow the Gold Empire. During these few years of peace, the archbishop brought many Witch Hunters back to Hunthofaesten to escalate the training of the next generation of Witch Hunters, using their important experience to improve the education of Witch Hunters. Orders were also given by the decarch to escalate the creation of new Witch Hunters in order to cover more provinces and allow larger Witch Hunter packs, which forced the archbishop to utilize additional biomantic machines in the depths of Hunthofaesting.
The Hobgoblin Rebellion and Witch Hunters let loose -- 202 IA to 210 IA
The Siege of Hunthofaesting -- 27th of Ssifissv to 30th of Ssifissv
It was not common knowledge that Hunthofaesten was the sole production site of Witch Hunters, but the warlord Koshina discovered it through his extensive network of spies and informants in the Imperial Army. It was deemed a major goal for the Hobgoblin rebellion, and they had many allies who wished dearly to avenge their fallen mages. The duty, and pleasure, eventually fell to Atarwaur Flamefather, a Red Dragon who had sired many children and created a kingdom for his lineage in Yolfraad, which had been conquered and incorporated into the imperial provinceof Ashefell. The conquest of Yolfraad was an insult, but the Witch Hunters were responsible for killing Atarwaur's wives, children and grandchildren, and completely extinguishing his lineage. With the chance to avenge his family while the Gold Emperor and the Gold Dragons were distracted, Atarwaur mustered a fleet of young Red Dragons, Dragonborn, human soldiers and ember elves from the Draconic Empire and set sail for Hunthofaesten.
Atarwaur's assault on Hunthofaesten was brutal and timed perfectly with the Hobgobolin rebellion. While the Cyneland Royal Fleet was engaged fighting Frost Giant and Sea Elf mercenaries, Atarwaur's fleet made landfall virtually unopposed in Whiteplain, and burned their way north towards Hunthofaesten. Hunthofaesten came under siege from this draconic warhost, who crashed into it with incredible fury. Many of the outer wards of Hunthofaesten were destroyed in a matter of horus, its priceless biomantic machines destroyed in dragonfire, while Witch Hunters sold their lives dearly fighting the vanguard of Dragonborn and Red Dragons. The Brass Metal Clerics of the Ah Vokul Arkanic fought back with proscriped, powerful magic, keeping the draconic army away from the main tower. During the thick of the fighting, the archbishop prayed and received intervention from a mighty Brass Angel, whose draconic form and arcane power decimated the enemy army and mortally wounded two of Atarwaur's children, though it was finally destroyed by Atarwaur himself. The archbishop grew desperate, failure here would mean the murder of both the future and the past of the Witch Hunters, and the destruction of the ability to make more.
In order to save her life's work from the hellish hatred of Atarwaur, the archbishop ordered the opening of the deep vaults, which held Glaedgod's surviving monstrosities. Using their decades of research, the archbishop and her closest deacons uttered words of command to raise the sins of a dead empire. The monsters broke against the draconic army, bringing death to the Dragonborn and pushing them back. Even Atarwaur was forced to retreat for the day, but opening the doors of damnation would not save Hunthofaesting or the archbishop's legacy.
Turning the tide
While the Ah Vokul Arkanic discussed how they would survive the day after, Witch Hunters med of their own accords. There are not many great Witch Hunter heroes, in recent years hunters such as Theowulf of Sceya and Otchigin of Ypsilos have gained renown even outside of clerical circles, but in those days the work of Witch Hunters was secretive, inglorious and it was much easier to gain infamy than fame as a Witch Hunter. But one of them has had her legend written for the ages, Master-at-Arms Leonora "the First". Master-at-Arms Leonora organized and led the first and only mutiny of Witch Hunters ever, assembling other experienced Witch Hunters who had served all around the Gold Empire, and they agreed on a course of action.
Suddenly the clerics found that they had been locked in their quarters by the Witch Hunters, and that their shouts for help received no response. Master Leonora believed that the clerics and alchemists were so concerned with securing their future, that they could not see a clear path to victory, and that they would not set loose the Witch Hunters, using them in protecting the walls and corridors of Hunthofaesting, skills they had never learned. That would not lead to victory. She ordered the junior Witch Hunters to remain within the fortress and prepare to continue the fight in the morning, while the older and experienced Witch Hunters raided the alchemical storages within Hunthofaesting.
Ordinarily, Witch Hunters are given potions to enable them to fight and hunt across missions which could last weeks. They are taught to not use more potions than nessecary, lest they overload their physiology and kill themselves with the alchemy. Witch Hunters who do not expect to live until morning, have no such qualms. Master Leonora and her comrades snuck out through secret tunnels from the days of Glaedgod, and began moving among the draconic army. They killed as many as they could in silence, using their stealth and teamwork in desperation. They began among the weaker human soldiers of the army, killing those they could find in their sleep and mutilating their corpses, to inspire fear in those who would find them.
Eventually they were discovered, and the draconic army turned on them. It was then that they became alchemically infused demons, injecting arcane alchemical potions and decoctions until they were no longer truly human. They shrugged of blows which would kill ordinary men, their reactions allowing them to dodge arrows and block axes from dragonborn, while their strength let them pierce plate and dragonscale with equal ease.
Master Leonora's sally killed the two Red Dragons the Brass Angel had wounded, and even manged to kill the third child Atarwaur had brought with him. The Witch Hunters went toe-to-toe with dragonborn, warriors who are normally only the equal of Holy Knights.
When dawn finally broke over the field, the army's camp was an abattoir, with human, dragonborn and elf corpses mixing in rivers of blood, ocasionally broken by islands of dead Witch Hunters and broken silver swords. Atarwaur stood over the massacre. His human serf army had routed when met with the devils of the night, and his ember elves had taken many casualties. He had a core of dragonborn around him, but he had lost many of his ember elf warmages. The Witch Hunters had apparently come to those first, somehow.
Atarwaur doubted that he could take Hunthofaesting with only the dragonborn under his command, so he spent a day gathering his human forces, who had taken to looting nearby villages. That would be a fateful day.
The morning after, when Atarwaur's army was ready to destroy Hunthofaesting, gleaming white and gold armor and thousands of gleaming longswords could be seen on the horizon, and a roar of defiance could be heard on the wind as a massive Gold Dragon flew above the army. The Fire of the West, king Brandeck Cyne, had arrived, riding dread Ualinmorn Dawnfire.
After the battle that followed, the bodies of the Witch Hunters who followed Master Leonora were recovered and put in repose. Resurrections were attempted, but their bodies were too destroyed from the alchemy to survive resurrection without being crippled. After the long and bloody years to come, after all the hate and fury the Witch Hunters let loose upon the Gold Empire's enemies and traitors, the Gold Emperor ordered the bodies of the honored dead to Aurumis. The Witch Hunters had killed three dragons, and due to their service and sacrifice the Gold Emperor made them Dragon Knights and gave them rest in the halls of heroes, buried alongside the Empire's greatest and most noble souls, and given a place in the afterlife on the highest celestial mountains. The Witch Hunters would never produce greater heroes, and Master Leonora was declared to be the Saint of Sacrifice.
Years of Hatred
The loss of Master Leonora and her comrades was felt keenly by the remaining young hunters. It was like the loss of their collective parents, who would guid them in their new lives. And loss gave way to grief, which gave way to hatred, and the Gold Empire had use for hatred in those dark days.
With the Hunthofaesting secured by Cyneland Royal Army forces, archbishop Blacthorne finally relented under pressure from her decarch and the other Brass Metal archbishops, and allowed the Witch Hunters to work in tandem with military forces. The new packs were given instructions to travel alongside king Brandeck's army and reinforce Brass Metal churches throughout the Gold Empire, while the Ah Vokul Arkanic began gathering intelligence to find suitable targets for Witch Hunters.
Witch Hunters moved quickly through the provinces, outpacing the king Brandeck's army and linking up with other imperial armies, guerilla forces and Brass Metal churches. They did not generally fight on the front line or in battles, but hunted dissidents within provinces and striking out at enemy mages before disappearing into the fog of war. They were brutal and ruthless, no longer caring about limiting collateral casualties and engaging in sadistic treatment of the mages before killing them.
The Great Purges -- 210 IA to 230 IA
Witch Hunters in the Golden Age -- 230 IA to today
Formation of the Hunter Schools -- 245 IA
Beginning of the Tozeinvu Tiidnavir -- 320 IA
The eugenics program.
Following the reform of the Brass Metal Church of 162 IA, it was decreed that a new group of warriors would be trained to hunt heretical mages more efficiently and discreetly than the previously commanded army regiments. There was disagreement precisely what such a force would consist of, some argued in the favor of alchemical automatons, others suggested the creation of a new Holy Legion. In the end decarch Nande Shona supported the work of deacon Blacthorne of Cyneland, who had studied the lost biomancy of the dread magelord Glaedgod Laedscyth. Magelord Glaedgod, whose honorific means "slave twister", came to the rocky coast of Cyneland after their fortress in Ethalland was destroyed by the Knights of Corellon with an army of slave soldiers, hobgoblins and orcs. Glaedgod used their magic to make a tower-fortress for themselves, which they called Geadtorr, and ruled for many years as a cruel tyrant while using their magic to create new and terrifying slave soldiers. Freed from the intruige of their fellow magelords, and driven to desperation in the face of attacks from Cyneland and leonin tribal warriors. Glaedgod was defeated by a united army of leonin and High Elves, and committed suicide rather than face capture. Glaedgod's knowledge was buried, even the Umthetho of the leonin refusing to learn such dread power. Their knowledge on how to make biologically superior slave soldiers was lost to time, until deacon Blacthorne came to Geadtorr.
Deacon Blacthorne had been an original believer in Aurathear Darastrix, one of the Scholars of Corellon who were converted to faith in the Dragon God, and they believed that the knowledge of Glaedgod would be important to seek out, understand and bury in archives, to ensur that no one else would use such cruel biomancy. While working in the Geadtorr with her Brass Metal Clerics and alchemists, she came to understand more and more. She found many biological horrors, including instructions on how to make them, but she found one of the more stable biological constructs which would create a superior warrior, and worked together with the Order of Alchemists to perfect the instructions. When the Ah Vokul Arkanic was critizised for its use of royal army units in its purges, deacon Blacthorne was approached by Konarik Tovitaan Okamura Satoshi to employ her creations in battle against Heretic Mages, and the deacon agreed that fighting evil mages would be the perfect way to use, and redeem, the knowledge she had gained from study of Glaedgod's work.
After the reform, decarch Nande made deacon Blacthorne the Archbishop of Geadtorr and leader of the Ah Vokul Arkanic, as Blacthorne had her plan ready to create these mighty warriors. Archbishop Blacthorne changed the name of Geadtorr to Hunthofaesten, and ordered a considerable expansion of Hunthofaesten. She sent Brass Metal Clerics throughout the Gold Empire, scouring youth academies and war orphanages for youth who would be willing to give their lives for the Gold Empire, and soon she had many volunteers. In order to create a more stable Witch Hunter than what Glaedgod had deemed nessecary, the biomantic organs had to be implanted at a young age, ideally before puberty, to make sure that the Witch Hunter could grow new tissue and adapt their nervous system to the heightened senses and improved physiology of their new body. Thanks to a great deal of preparation and hard work translating the texts of Glaedgod, as well as experimentation on heretics, the first generation of Witch Hunters was a resounding success when it came to implantation acceptance rates. Inspiration for fighting style was taken form the Blademasters of Blacthorne's homeland, and after twenty years of work the first batch of battle-ready Witch Hunters was a success, ready to fight with silvered sword and biomantic prowess.
Archbishop Blacthorne was however not succesfull in two respects, which she had hoped to conquer before she died form old age in 423 IA:
- She was never able to succesfully implant the Witch Hunter organs in non-human stock, except for remarkable success in Half Elves, limiting the potential recruitment pool of the Witch Hunters to the Gold Empire's human population
- The organs Glaedgod had crafted were designed to fail after a few decades, likely as a counter-measure should their slave soldiers try to rebel. Blacthorne was able to increase this by a decade or so, but still most Witch Hunters would die in their 40s or 50s due to the malignant instability of the biomantic organs
The Witch Hunters were first dispatched throughout the Gold Empire of the late Great Conquests, acting on many years of intelligence collected by the Ah Vokul Arkanic on enemies of the Gold Empire. The First Hunts were great successes, and reminded heretics on the frontiers of the Gold Empire that no matter their magical might, they were not safe from imperial justice. Witch Hunters worked just behind the front lines and in close communication with both Imperial Army command and Crown Legion orders to eliminate magical dissidents and rebels, aided by the Ah Vokul Arkanic's meticulous collection of data and information on their enemies.
The Witch Hunters grew famous among circles who knew of their existence, and soon there were calls from Imperial Army commanders to get the Witch Hunters on the front lines fighting alongside Holy Legions and hunting enemy battlewizards. However, decarch Shona refused all such petitions on archbishop Blacthorne's instructions, as she argued that using Witch Hunters on the front lines would be tantamount to using the same slave soldiers of the High Elven Empire, and would open the doors to further biomantic experimentation, and that the Witch Hunters were needed for their designed purpose, the hunting of witches, and could not be spared for the front lines.
The Witch Hunters, led by the Ah Vokul Arkanic, destroyed the independent magical heritage of all conquered peoples, burning the heresy and killing its practitioners. Such violence was a central part of the Gold Empire's goal of cultural plurality and integration, but not at the cost of imperial unity, and the Ah Vokul Arkanic worked closely with the Silver Metal Church and Gold Metal Church, especially the Office of Secret Services, to strategically isolate and destroy heretical magical heritage. Such missions, and their strategic justifications, were kept secret from the general population, another advantage to the more elite and isolated nature of the Witch Hunters.
During the era of the First Hunts, a new doctrine of purges were also developed. Provinces with a great number of heretic mages who had survived initial imperial conquest could petition the Brass Metal Church for the employment of a large number of Witch Hunters and Ah Vokul Arkanic to their territory, who would work in tandem with Royal Army forces to purge a great number of heretic mages. In practice, such purges also required the sponsorship of the Gold Metal Church. During such purges, Witch Hunters took operational command of Royal Army forces and were supported by Ah Vokul Arkanic, and such purges were among the few times that Witch Hunters had control over the goals, scope and completion of their missions. A Witch Hunter of seniority would command such purges, and be given the temporary military rank of Commander during the purge. Five major purges were performed during the First Hunts and about two dozen smaller ones, particularly in the Imperial East and Imperial South.
However, such purges were unpopular among both the general populace and liberal nobility, so they were rarely employed.
Witch Hunters in peacetime -- 197 IA to 202 IA
After the conquest of Salantano in 197, peace finally came to the Gold Empire for the first time in nearly a hunrded years. The Witch Hunters carried on with their duties as usual for the first couple of years, but after a certain point there were no more magically deviant conquered people to purge, and the Witch Hunters shifted more to focus on domestic foes, such as sorcerers, cults and heretic alchemists. The Witch Hunters' role became one of fear, to stop magical heresy from ever happening by the simple threat of the hunt. The Witch Hunters thus hunted less sophisticated mages from ancient magical cultures, but more magical criminals and those who either gained their power accidentally as sorcerers, or those who worked with fell powers to overthrow the Gold Empire. During these few years of peace, the archbishop brought many Witch Hunters back to Hunthofaesten to escalate the training of the next generation of Witch Hunters, using their important experience to improve the education of Witch Hunters. Orders were also given by the decarch to escalate the creation of new Witch Hunters in order to cover more provinces and allow larger Witch Hunter packs, which forced the archbishop to utilize additional biomantic machines in the depths of Hunthofaesting.
The Hobgoblin Rebellion and Witch Hunters let loose -- 202 IA to 210 IA
The Siege of Hunthofaesting -- 27th of Ssifissv to 30th of Ssifissv
It was not common knowledge that Hunthofaesten was the sole production site of Witch Hunters, but the warlord Koshina discovered it through his extensive network of spies and informants in the Imperial Army. It was deemed a major goal for the Hobgoblin rebellion, and they had many allies who wished dearly to avenge their fallen mages. The duty, and pleasure, eventually fell to Atarwaur Flamefather, a Red Dragon who had sired many children and created a kingdom for his lineage in Yolfraad, which had been conquered and incorporated into the imperial provinceof Ashefell. The conquest of Yolfraad was an insult, but the Witch Hunters were responsible for killing Atarwaur's wives, children and grandchildren, and completely extinguishing his lineage. With the chance to avenge his family while the Gold Emperor and the Gold Dragons were distracted, Atarwaur mustered a fleet of young Red Dragons, Dragonborn, human soldiers and ember elves from the Draconic Empire and set sail for Hunthofaesten.
Atarwaur's assault on Hunthofaesten was brutal and timed perfectly with the Hobgobolin rebellion. While the Cyneland Royal Fleet was engaged fighting Frost Giant and Sea Elf mercenaries, Atarwaur's fleet made landfall virtually unopposed in Whiteplain, and burned their way north towards Hunthofaesten. Hunthofaesten came under siege from this draconic warhost, who crashed into it with incredible fury. Many of the outer wards of Hunthofaesten were destroyed in a matter of horus, its priceless biomantic machines destroyed in dragonfire, while Witch Hunters sold their lives dearly fighting the vanguard of Dragonborn and Red Dragons. The Brass Metal Clerics of the Ah Vokul Arkanic fought back with proscriped, powerful magic, keeping the draconic army away from the main tower. During the thick of the fighting, the archbishop prayed and received intervention from a mighty Brass Angel, whose draconic form and arcane power decimated the enemy army and mortally wounded two of Atarwaur's children, though it was finally destroyed by Atarwaur himself. The archbishop grew desperate, failure here would mean the murder of both the future and the past of the Witch Hunters, and the destruction of the ability to make more.
In order to save her life's work from the hellish hatred of Atarwaur, the archbishop ordered the opening of the deep vaults, which held Glaedgod's surviving monstrosities. Using their decades of research, the archbishop and her closest deacons uttered words of command to raise the sins of a dead empire. The monsters broke against the draconic army, bringing death to the Dragonborn and pushing them back. Even Atarwaur was forced to retreat for the day, but opening the doors of damnation would not save Hunthofaesting or the archbishop's legacy.
Turning the tide
While the Ah Vokul Arkanic discussed how they would survive the day after, Witch Hunters med of their own accords. There are not many great Witch Hunter heroes, in recent years hunters such as Theowulf of Sceya and Otchigin of Ypsilos have gained renown even outside of clerical circles, but in those days the work of Witch Hunters was secretive, inglorious and it was much easier to gain infamy than fame as a Witch Hunter. But one of them has had her legend written for the ages, Master-at-Arms Leonora "the First". Master-at-Arms Leonora organized and led the first and only mutiny of Witch Hunters ever, assembling other experienced Witch Hunters who had served all around the Gold Empire, and they agreed on a course of action.
Suddenly the clerics found that they had been locked in their quarters by the Witch Hunters, and that their shouts for help received no response. Master Leonora believed that the clerics and alchemists were so concerned with securing their future, that they could not see a clear path to victory, and that they would not set loose the Witch Hunters, using them in protecting the walls and corridors of Hunthofaesting, skills they had never learned. That would not lead to victory. She ordered the junior Witch Hunters to remain within the fortress and prepare to continue the fight in the morning, while the older and experienced Witch Hunters raided the alchemical storages within Hunthofaesting.
Ordinarily, Witch Hunters are given potions to enable them to fight and hunt across missions which could last weeks. They are taught to not use more potions than nessecary, lest they overload their physiology and kill themselves with the alchemy. Witch Hunters who do not expect to live until morning, have no such qualms. Master Leonora and her comrades snuck out through secret tunnels from the days of Glaedgod, and began moving among the draconic army. They killed as many as they could in silence, using their stealth and teamwork in desperation. They began among the weaker human soldiers of the army, killing those they could find in their sleep and mutilating their corpses, to inspire fear in those who would find them.
Eventually they were discovered, and the draconic army turned on them. It was then that they became alchemically infused demons, injecting arcane alchemical potions and decoctions until they were no longer truly human. They shrugged of blows which would kill ordinary men, their reactions allowing them to dodge arrows and block axes from dragonborn, while their strength let them pierce plate and dragonscale with equal ease.
Master Leonora's sally killed the two Red Dragons the Brass Angel had wounded, and even manged to kill the third child Atarwaur had brought with him. The Witch Hunters went toe-to-toe with dragonborn, warriors who are normally only the equal of Holy Knights.
When dawn finally broke over the field, the army's camp was an abattoir, with human, dragonborn and elf corpses mixing in rivers of blood, ocasionally broken by islands of dead Witch Hunters and broken silver swords. Atarwaur stood over the massacre. His human serf army had routed when met with the devils of the night, and his ember elves had taken many casualties. He had a core of dragonborn around him, but he had lost many of his ember elf warmages. The Witch Hunters had apparently come to those first, somehow.
Atarwaur doubted that he could take Hunthofaesting with only the dragonborn under his command, so he spent a day gathering his human forces, who had taken to looting nearby villages. That would be a fateful day.
The morning after, when Atarwaur's army was ready to destroy Hunthofaesting, gleaming white and gold armor and thousands of gleaming longswords could be seen on the horizon, and a roar of defiance could be heard on the wind as a massive Gold Dragon flew above the army. The Fire of the West, king Brandeck Cyne, had arrived, riding dread Ualinmorn Dawnfire.
After the battle that followed, the bodies of the Witch Hunters who followed Master Leonora were recovered and put in repose. Resurrections were attempted, but their bodies were too destroyed from the alchemy to survive resurrection without being crippled. After the long and bloody years to come, after all the hate and fury the Witch Hunters let loose upon the Gold Empire's enemies and traitors, the Gold Emperor ordered the bodies of the honored dead to Aurumis. The Witch Hunters had killed three dragons, and due to their service and sacrifice the Gold Emperor made them Dragon Knights and gave them rest in the halls of heroes, buried alongside the Empire's greatest and most noble souls, and given a place in the afterlife on the highest celestial mountains. The Witch Hunters would never produce greater heroes, and Master Leonora was declared to be the Saint of Sacrifice.
Years of Hatred
The loss of Master Leonora and her comrades was felt keenly by the remaining young hunters. It was like the loss of their collective parents, who would guid them in their new lives. And loss gave way to grief, which gave way to hatred, and the Gold Empire had use for hatred in those dark days.
With the Hunthofaesting secured by Cyneland Royal Army forces, archbishop Blacthorne finally relented under pressure from her decarch and the other Brass Metal archbishops, and allowed the Witch Hunters to work in tandem with military forces. The new packs were given instructions to travel alongside king Brandeck's army and reinforce Brass Metal churches throughout the Gold Empire, while the Ah Vokul Arkanic began gathering intelligence to find suitable targets for Witch Hunters.
Witch Hunters moved quickly through the provinces, outpacing the king Brandeck's army and linking up with other imperial armies, guerilla forces and Brass Metal churches. They did not generally fight on the front line or in battles, but hunted dissidents within provinces and striking out at enemy mages before disappearing into the fog of war. They were brutal and ruthless, no longer caring about limiting collateral casualties and engaging in sadistic treatment of the mages before killing them.
The Great Purges -- 210 IA to 230 IA
Witch Hunters in the Golden Age -- 230 IA to today
Formation of the Hunter Schools -- 245 IA
Beginning of the Tozeinvu Tiidnavir -- 320 IA
The eugenics program.
Viinazil Yol -- Silver and Fire
Type
Religious, Inquisitorial
Parent Organization
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