Witches' Wraths

To the witches, they are stalwart guardians and trusted companions.
To their enemies, they are monster enforcers from a land of nightmares.
I would argue they are mere mortals, with powers we do not understand.

— Mazan Na-Ba, Head of Cultural Studies at Sophia-Hold.

The Witches' Wraths (or Heksenes Vrede in the local language), also known as the Berserkers of Hexadömonir, are the elite warriors of the wyches of Hexadömonir. Widely considered to be the most fearsome barbarians on Rakion and arguably on the Prime Material Plane, they are able to not only stand toe-to-toe with a Cyclops but also regularly hunt them.

Structure

While the true numbers of Heksenes Vrede, believed to be several hundreds, is unknown, they are divided into a number of distinct groups called perinteitä (singular perinne); these groups differ by their methods of fighting and source of power.

Domsomnymmar are berserkers who willingly give their mind to the wych they serve; they are the physically strongest among all wraths. Virtually mindless, droning ones seem to aimlessly roam the land and indiscriminately attack anything they encounter; however, rather than forfiting their mental faculties, they reallocate them to the wych and may regain full control over their bodies if they so choose. This state allows them to completely ignore pain and injury while being completly immune to all mind altering effects and scrying attempts.

Forvistsøgende - those who are exiled from their clan without offending the greater traditions of the wyches might seek their own path by aligning themselves to an ideal or a purpose. Eksilsøgende often become adventurers, sent to perform tasks for their wych in far off lands, or simply seek glory for glory's sake.

Heksakerr - practice shamanism and aligned with the Prime; tend to mate with their wych. The term "Heksakerr" is an exonym, and the wraths simply refer to them as Heksenes Vrede. This supports a fringe hypothesis that asserts a pact also being somewhat spousal in nature, regardless of perinne.

Heksefødt - aligned with the Feywild; they practice ritulaistic scarring rather than tattoos.

Skrigerskygger - aligned with the Shadowfell, these horrible beings unhinge their jaws when they scream, draining all emotions from those nearby, save for fear, anger, and despair. They are also known to desaturate color around them; this also affects artisitic depictions of Skrigerskygger, such as those below.

Left to right: Domsomnymmar, Heksakerr, Heksefødt, and Heksakerr.

Left to right: Skrigerskygger, Heksakerr, Forvistsøgende and two Heksefødt.

Recruitment

Only the most powerful of warriors may become berserkers. Once a barbarian seeks to become a berserker, they must undergo a series of rites, trials, and rituals that demonstrate not only their strength and power, but also their commitment to the principals and traditions of Hexadömonir.
The first, and most famous, of all trials is defeating a Cyclops. Those that fail the test and survive gouge one of their eyes, and grant it to a wych of their choosing. They may retry this trial immediately, and many do; every other warrior that attempts the same day succeeds, while the vast majority of those who wait to recover fail the second attempt as well. It is unknown what use the wyches have for the eyes.

A Shadow that Screams

Berserkers are imbued with magical tattoos that seem to abruptly end midway through; in fact, the tattoos are multi-planar: half in the prime material plane, and half in a non-specific material plane. These tattoos hold profound meanings which are impossible to discern without both halves being visible, and are constantly expended upon following significant events or achievements. Each tattoo grants a unique supernatural power or enchances the berserker's strength and physical prowess;

the first tattoo, made following the completion of the first trial, allows the berserker to enter a state of deep trance. The meaning of the prime material half of the first tattoo roughly means "Home", while the second half roughly means "Of the Witches".

Founding Date

500 BB

Training Level

Elite

Veterancy Level

Decorated/Honored

History

Neo-Elemental Era

Near the end of the Neo-Elemental era, the alliance with the hag covens granted the wyches access to Weird Magic. This allowed them to create their own pacts with whomever they wished, which they perfected over time; these pacts were often signed with powerful warriors who could offset the wyches fragile physique.
During this era, Witches' Wraths have yet to specialize, and lacked both the prestige and aura of mysticism the currently have. They were considered to simply be a warrior caste within society, and most contemporary historical entries describe them casually and almost as an afterthought.

Dualistic Era

As the Empire of Bafigron expanded into the Lindar Tribes, the wyches further developed their pacts, making them more demanding while allowing them to grant greater powers. Such powerful magic could only be harbored in the most formidable of warriors, elaborating the nature of the pact even further and making every pact much more specific.
The necessity for ever more powerful warriors, together with the added requirements for inducting Wraths, created greater differentiation between them. Over time these traditions gave rise to the perinteitä; the year when each was first attested is detailed below:

Perinne	First Attested
Domsomnymmar	12 BB
Heksakerr	1 BB
Forvistsøgende	120 AB
Heksefødt	928 AB
Skrigerskygger	924 AB

Trials

Each perinne has a different number of trials, the nature of whom likely varies between one perinne and another. However, all trials are considered to be intimate for lack of a better term and their nature is largely unknown; the following information is purely speculatory.

Perinne	Estimate (Alternative)
Domsomnymmar	3 (5; 6)
Heksakerr	5
Forvistsøgende	3
Heksefødt	12 (15)
Skrigerskygger	17 (1)