The Whispering Willows

The Whispering Willows ranger guild has existed for as long as the empire has, as far back as the eldest elf's memory at least. They are a band of secretive scouts and spies, infiltrators and saboteurs, trackers and skirmishers, hunters and guides. They offer their services at a price but serve first and foremost the Kingdom. Although the vast majority of the rangers of the whispering willows are spread out across the land they have a permanent encampment in Nexus at the Grove of Whispers ; their leader is known as the Keeper of the Willows.

Structure

The Watchers operate similarly to The Judges in that they are lone agents who cover vast swathes of territory but will sometimes congregate if the need arises. They differentiate themselves from The Judges however due to their ranking system.
They begin at the lowest rank: Watcher. The highest rank they can attain is: Sentinel. They also have a classification system within the rank itself, which is First to Tenth. An example rank would be: Tenth Watcher (which is the starting rank of all recruits) and as they worked up the ranks they would be Ninth Watcher, then Eighth Watcher and so on.

Culture

Many rangers are independent almost to a fault, so when a corrupted bear or a zombie hoard attacks a town, the ranger might be the first—and possibly the last—line of defense. This fierce independence causes rangers to have no problem taking the law into their own hands if the situation calls for it, confident that the Judges will understand and not convict them if they are caught. The Whisperers are well suited to their duties, since they are accustomed to life far from the comforts of a dry bed and a hot bath. Faced with city-bred folk who grouse and whine about the hardships of the wild, they respond with some mixture of amusement, frustration, and compassion. Coddled city folk might not know how to feed themselves or find fresh water in the wild, but they make up for it in other ways.

Public Agenda

The Whispering Willows rangers are most often employed by herdsman who lost one of their cattle and need to track it down or to hunt a pack of wolves that are killing their herds, usually for a couple of silver coins; While these tasks are the most common request they are far from being the most important. The rangers act as bounty hunters, guides, protectors and so much more. Though a ranger might make a living as a hunter, a guide, or a tracker, a ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the threat of predators that press in from the wilds and to defend wilds from the ever present threat of the undead hordes that press in from the Balemist. The only group that can count on the aid of the whispering willows at no cost however are the druids of Eocra Esci . While about their duties for the guild the rangers act as the eyes and the ears of the kingdom often times relaying potential threats quickly enough for the intervention of the Judges, whom the rangers will sometimes aid if they are still around.

History

The Whispering Willow Rangers have always been allies to the Kingdom of Man and have served dutifully for millennia, they have been responsible for a great many victories in the past. Recently they were pivotal to the victory over the Necromancer in the Great War 40 years ago, their intelligence was a determining factor in the battles leading up to the end of the War. Furthermore, the contribution of Valas Hune , a young Watcher at the time, defeated the Necromancer himself.

"Ever Vigilant"

Alternative Names

The Silent Sentinels, The Watchers, The Whisperers

Leader

Valas Hune

Location

Grove of Whispers

Controlled Territories

• Grove of Whispers

Notable Members

• Valas Hune

"This is my oath, from the wilds I stand my ground, forever watching the places that men fear. This is my oath, my blade and bow will strike down whatever threat comes near, but my hand will be offered to those that I do not need to fear. This is my oath, I will defend the wilds from the destruction of man, with claw and fang if I must. But guide those who know the right path. For we keep the peace of both worlds to one day find peace between them. But until that day comes I will remain ever vigilant. This is my oath, this oath I shall keep, and it will never be broken so long as there is breath in my body and blood running through my veins."
-The Ranger's Oath