The Witch Hunt
A group founded in a bygone era where occultism nearly toppled all of Arheim, the Witch Hunt tracks down heretics, witches, and users of dark magic to put them to the sword. They are an extremely serious group, and will only leave their home in Cirris when a Soothsayer hands them a name and/or location. Once they find a lead, they are nearly unstoppable. They will interrogate, bribe, kill, and break anything in their way to find their quarry, and will show no mercy to the wicked they come across. Their zeal is often frightening, and the dark countenance they keep belies almost no emotion. They are so feared across Arheim that parents tell naughty children that if they don't behave the Witch Hunt will come for them.
The Witch Hunt is not a clandestine organization. It doesn't try to hide what it is: a brutal group of inquisitors that border on sociopaths when tracking prey. When dispatched, Soothsayers warn the settlement that they are traveling to of their arrival, and if the settlement does not heed the Soothsayer's warning, many could perish. Hunters have been known to slaughter entire towns in order to be sure that no cultists or witches survive, but due to the history of dangerous cults and calamitous witches, governments deem their operation necessary. Even members of the House of Roses will stand aside when a Hunter is tracking someone down.
The Witch Hunt considers elven necromancy and Void worship heresy, and will hunt down any native who openly uses this type of magic in the Arheim. They do not consider non-natives a threat unless moving in groups or attempting to recruit others to worship the Void.
The Witch Hunt is not a clandestine organization. It doesn't try to hide what it is: a brutal group of inquisitors that border on sociopaths when tracking prey. When dispatched, Soothsayers warn the settlement that they are traveling to of their arrival, and if the settlement does not heed the Soothsayer's warning, many could perish. Hunters have been known to slaughter entire towns in order to be sure that no cultists or witches survive, but due to the history of dangerous cults and calamitous witches, governments deem their operation necessary. Even members of the House of Roses will stand aside when a Hunter is tracking someone down.
The Witch Hunt considers elven necromancy and Void worship heresy, and will hunt down any native who openly uses this type of magic in the Arheim. They do not consider non-natives a threat unless moving in groups or attempting to recruit others to worship the Void.
Structure
The Witch Hunt is secretive about its inner ranking system, but it is suspected that they have no leaders and instead operate as a small elite group. Since the group is no larger than thirty people, this system would work well. Another theory is that they follow the divine wills of Trass and Je'Grol, using both of their guidance to find their target.
Public Agenda
Find and kill witches, hags, occult operations, dark magicians, or any other magical person or persons that wishes to do harm to Arheim or its citizens.
Assets
They have the best weapons in Arheim, purchasing elven enchanted weapondry and tattoos as soon as they ensured that they were not evil.
History
Nearly a thousand years prior to the Awakening, an occult group known as Nordea's Chosen began to grow in secret, using underground meeting places to hide their activity as they recruited more members into their fold. They plotted to overthrow the three kingdoms and put themselves in power by sacrificing entire villages to Nordea, a powerful witch who channeled her magic into corrupting Trass' mists into poisonous gas, turning Artival's storms into hurricanes, and blighting the crops of Zetia. The cult became more and more powerful over a decade, managing to stay a secret by warding the meeting places with the skulls of Soothsayers to prevent scrying. All the while, they cursed the lands, killing in droves and continuing their dark rites to give Nordea mor power. The only way the people of Arheim discovered the cult at all was by a member sending an invitation to a meeting to the wrong address.
Once the cult had been discovered, a task force was put together to purge it from Arheim and to put an end to Nordea in Cirris. This force, the Witch Hunt, battled the cult for years, killing hundreds of violent radicals and even putting down two liches before finally confronting and killing Nordea. After her defeat, the cult went into hiding and tried to find a new leader, but the Hunters rooted them out and tortured them for information before executing them. With knives, cunning, and fire, the Witch Hunt excised the cult from existence, and moved on to put a stop to other suspicious groups.
Over time, the need for the Witch Hunt's gruesome duty lessened, and their number shrank from an army of over three thousand to the double digits. They became reclusive, staying behind the wooden walls of Cirris, where they prepare themselves for the next name they are handed.
Once the cult had been discovered, a task force was put together to purge it from Arheim and to put an end to Nordea in Cirris. This force, the Witch Hunt, battled the cult for years, killing hundreds of violent radicals and even putting down two liches before finally confronting and killing Nordea. After her defeat, the cult went into hiding and tried to find a new leader, but the Hunters rooted them out and tortured them for information before executing them. With knives, cunning, and fire, the Witch Hunt excised the cult from existence, and moved on to put a stop to other suspicious groups.
Over time, the need for the Witch Hunt's gruesome duty lessened, and their number shrank from an army of over three thousand to the double digits. They became reclusive, staying behind the wooden walls of Cirris, where they prepare themselves for the next name they are handed.
Type
Guild, Assassins
Alternative Names
Killers of Nordea
Demonym
Hunters
Location
Manufactured Items
Related Items
Notable Members
Comments