Hunter's Mark

Hunter's Mark is a very rare divine spell first invented by the Meako of Loanua many centuries ago. Some warrior-scouts who dabble in druidic magic have been able to replicate this spell, but the physicality and mindset required to learn Hunter's Mark makes it extremely hard to master for full-casters.   Hunter's Mark allows the caster to place a magical curse on their quarry. This curse is basically undetectable to the target but allows the caster to know where the quarry is, and provides special advantages for the caster in tracking, finding, and attacking the marked target.    Hunter's Mark lasts for an hour if it can be sustained, though powerful Meako have reportedly maintained the spell for much longer.    This is a spell known by Potha Sarana.   Given the marginal cultural position of Loanua and the rarity of the spell outside of the island, no global magical institution knows or understands the spell at all. Some even claim that the spell doesn't exist.    In Loanua, Hunter's Mark has critically shaped the nature of hunts and warfare. When tribes have raided or fought, Hunter's Mark spells have allowed Meako to track and then identify specific culprits for raids, trespasses, or poaching. During the old Loanuan Settler Wars, the Loanuans used this spell to track down and kill individual settler bandits and invaders. Settler courts and governments have refused to accept these Hunter's Mark based accusations and acts of retribution as legitimate and have gone as far as to call the spell 'witchcraft' to criminalize these acts.