Fantasy The Night's Hunt (Lore)

[Brendanfp]

Centuries ago humanity was plentiful. Their race had claimed territories the stretched far and wide across a nameless land. While the humans were an ever-present part of the world, they were not the only occupants of this land. In the shadows of the night lurked a myriad of unclean creatures and there was nothing the unholy hated more than humanity. It was through their unmatched ingenuity and tenacity that the human race was able to thrive among the unnatural creatures of the night. This time of property for humanity was known as the golden ages and it spanned for hundreds of years. However, with peace came complacency and this proved to be the downfall of the human race. As the generations went by humans grew lazy and forgot the hardships of their ancestors. This weakness did not go unnoticed by the unholy creatures, and when humanity least expected it the creatures of darkness descended upon them. For the next decade humanity was whittled down to a select few hundred survivors. These horrid years were known as The Fall. There was little hope left when humanity hit rock bottom. With nowhere left to go the human race turned their prayers to the heavens, and to their surprise they were heard. From the heavens descended an Archangel who bestowed her divine light upon a single mortal man, deeming him the first Lunarch. This was a turning point for the human race. The Lunarch wasted no time assembling a legion of men and women, who he had blessed with the light of the angels. These were the first Hunters and with the power of light, they pushed back against the agents of darkness reclaiming a small territory where they guard the remaining few of humanity. Now the second age of humans has come, the silver age. Humanity has slowly risen from the brink of extinction with the aid of the Hunters as their guiding light. While small hope has returned to humanity, the reality of the world is still darkness, fear, and death. With the unholy creatures of the night more powerful than ever, the hunter’s duty is never fulfilled.
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• Locations
• Historical Figures
• Church of Avacyn
• Hunters
• The Gifts
• Clergy
• Holy Arts
• Magic
• Aresnal
• Index of Unholy Creatues

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  Thraben: Tharaben is one of humanity three settlements. This was the second town to be established after The Fall after Gastaf, however, it has flourished under the leadership of the famed hunter Thalia. It is a town surrounded by a fair plot of farmland to the west as well as daunting woodlands to the east. Tharaben is often called the heart of industry and is home to several well-known blacksmiths. Most metalworking and gunsmithing is done here. It is also here where the finest horses are bred and sold.
  
  Gastaf: Gastaf is a largest of humanity’s settlements as it was the first to be established after The Fall. A massive cobblestone wall surrounds the town protecting it from the nightly attacks of unholy beast. The large town also houses humanities largest active militia. They can often be seen standing guard and securing the border. The main trade of Gastaf is livestock, this includes chickens, sheep, goats, cows, and pigs. All of humanity's meat, cheese, milk, butter, eggs, pork, and wool come from Gastaf. Tailors from Gastaf will often work with Thraben smiths to supply armor to the Hunters.
  
  Kessig: Kessig is the youngest and smallest town by far, however, it still fulfills its job as a safe haven for humans. The small town is located directly north of Thraben alongside a riverbed. The town's location makes it an excellent location for fishermen. The river also provides power to humanity's only lumber mill. While the town is small and still developing the people from there are often incredibly strong both mentally and physically. The saying goes there's no resolve like Kessig resolve.
  
  Avabruck: Avabruck is a town to the south, near the southern bay, and perched beneath the towering peaks of the south. Avabruck is a mining townw and located above a large silver deposit. Their resources are an essential part of the Hunter's arsenal, and the war between humans and the children of darkness.
  
  Church of Avacyn: This church stands as the holy sanctum of the Lunarch and his Clergy. It stands directly beside the Silver Fortress. The church grounds are blessed by the Lunarch himself, therefore, making them unreachable by the unholy. It is here where children dedicate their lives to learn to live as members of the Clergy.
  
  Silver Fortress: This fortress is the home of the Hunters. It stands directly beside the Church of Avacyn. The Silver Fortress symbolizes the strength of humanity and serves as a base of operations. There are myriad of various training rooms to prepare Hunters against all types of threats. Other rooms include a mess hall, living quarters, strategy room, and armory.
  
  Eldritch Woods: A deep ancient woodland blanketing much of the land. The forest is so thick that the foliage blocks out all but a few rays of light creating a hotbed for unholy creatures to roam free. Humans know to stay clear of the Eldritch Woodlands during the day, but when night feel it was a place to avoid at all cost.
  
  Bloodfall Castle: The castle was once home to a wealthy family of nobles, however, since The Fall it now lies deep behind enemy lines. The castle is now home to a powerful clan of vampires, who rule the surrounding territories. The estate is located high upon a cliff overlooking the sea. The thick fog of the sea dampens the sun's harsh rays and creates a perfect environment for vampires to occupy. Several Hunters have gone missing near the castle.
  
  The Hunting Grounds: This massive forested land is often noted for its clawed trees and bloody trails. These being classic werewolf behaviors when marking one's territory. This land exists as apart of the larger Eldritch woods and is currently occupied by the Witherfang werewolf pack, a ferocious assortment of deadly wolfmen.
  
  Black Crypt: A massive gravesite that extends far into the ground. This gloomy graveyard is found near the sea and Bloodfall castle. Once the place to bury all human dead during the fall, but now abandoned after the humans realized their honored dead were only being raised by witches to fight against the people they once stood with. Humans now burn their dead, so as to not let their bodies be desecrated by dark magic.
  
  Forgotten Marsh: Once a beautiful stretch of farmlands is now covered in water, and stinking of death. The ancient marsh is a harsh, inhospitable wasteland that many travelers say expels strange noises and odd shadows. One must remain cautious to the deadly gasses that rise up out of the marshes.
  
  The Witches Retreat: Deep in the Eldritch woods there stands an abandoned, crumbling spire. This is a well know place for witches to gather and practice witchcraft. It is lead by the most ancient coven of witches who are all extremely powerful in their own right. Rumor has it that darkness bred from that very spot is the same darkness that no consumes the land. Human will tend to stay very far away from this place, as many Hunters have become the plaything of the sisterhood.
  
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  Mikaeus, the Lunarch: The current head of the Church or Avacyn, Clergy, and Hunters. It is he who chooses the Silver Hand to lead the hunters, and a Golden Hand to lead the Clergy. Mikaeus is a kind man blessed with the power to push back against the darkness that surrounds humanity. His voice is as steady as his heart is true. The Lunarch is known to send his Clergy members out on pilgrimages to the other town, where they heal the sick and sow hope into the hearts of humanity. The Lunarch is simple terms is the symbol of hope for humanity.
  
  Odric Grey: The current Silver Hand, Odric is without a doubt the most powerful Hunter. Hand chosen by the Luncarch, he is trusted with the duty of leading the Hunters into the battle against the Unholy. He is known for being stony and cold, teaching his hunters in a militaristic fashion, however, those who know him on a personal level understand his love for the Hunters he trains. It is Odric who ultimately decides which trainees go on to serve the church.
  
  Azrael Amund: The current Golden Hand and most powerful Cleric. Azrael was chosen as the Golden Hand by the Lunarch and oversees the Clergy. Everything from lessons in the holy arts to rites and rituals is taught directly by him. He is bold and optimistic, which is quite strange for a man born in his dark era. Azrael works alongside Odric to organize and pair up his Clerics with the Hunters.
  
  Thalia Grace: The current mayor of Thraben and former hunter. Thalia took over her father’s position as mayor when he met his end at the fangs of the elder vampire, Dracula. During her prime, Thalia severed directly under the Silver hand as a member of the Elite Guard. She earned the nickname, Quicksilver, for her dangerous pair of silver rapiers that she wielded with immense strength and ferocity
  
  Gerald Francis: The current mayor of Gastaf and master butcher. Gerald is a rather portly man, however, he carries his weight when it comes to running the town. He leads his people with pride and dignity, never cowering when times get tough. He portrays himself as a common man, much like his people, and leads by example.
  
  Sigmund Roy: The current mayor of Kessig. Sigmund is a weasley man, who locks himself away in the safety of his manor when nightfall. He is slender with a head full of greasy black hair and can often be seen sporting his signature crooked smile. He rose to the position of mayor through trickery and deception. Though no outwardly aggressive, it is rare that he lends anyone a helping hand. It is due to this behavior that the townspeople have grown so tough and self-sufficient.
  
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  During The Fall there was little hope left for humanity, but then a miracle occurred. The Archangel Avacyn bestowed her light upon a single human who became known as the original Lunarch. It was he who established the Church of Avacyn in honor of the angel who had saved humanity from the brink of extinction.
  
  The role of the church is simple. Use the light of angels to vanquish all the darkness of the realm. The Lunarch, Mikaeus oversees all the functions of the Clergy as well as the progress of the Hunters. Many would say that he is the single most important person for the survival of humanity. His two most trusted advisors are the Head of Hunters and the Head of Clergy, known as the Silver Hand and Golden Hand respectively. The Hunters and Clergy work in tandem to combat unholy creatures in order to reclaim humanity's lost land. This church is where young children come to learn the ancient arts of the angels becoming a part of the Clergy. It is also where Hunters come once they have finished their training and become ordained by the Lunarch himself and are imbued with a fragment of holy power. Another one of the churches roles is to create blessed weapons to increase the potency of the Hunters, however, blessed weapons take time and energy to create, so they are rare and in short supply. The Church of Avacyn stands as the symbol of prosperity for all of humanity.
  
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  During The Fall there was little hope left for humanity, but then a miracle occurred. The Lunarch, now empowered by the light of angels granted fragments of that power to skilled individuals who would wield it against the forces of darkness and became known as the Hunters.
  
  The Hunters are a vanguard for humanity that serves directly under the Church of Avacyn. The Hunters are lead by the Head of Hunters, the Silver Hand, Odric Grey. Anyone can become a hunter, however, few often turn down that bloody path. Hunters are notorious for having short lifespans, so the general public often avoids the role, however, there are a select few who for one reason or another find themselves drawn to the Hunter life. For Hunter's life starts at the Silver Fortress, this is where a harsh training regimen begins and is often when the weak are weeded out. There are no prior requirements to join the Hunter's, however, once they have completed three months of continuous training they are allowed to begin a rite of passage known as the First Hunt. It is here where a small team of Hunter trainees is sent out into the Eldritch Woodlands to hunt for a specific unholy creature. The First Hunt is held once a year and every year the hunted creature if changed to suit the needs of the group. When a hunter successfully complete's his first hunt he is invited to the Church of Avacyn and is ordained by the Lunarch. When a Hunter is ordained he receives a gift (listed in the "gifts" tab) from the angels, however, some hunters may turn down this blessing for personal reasons. The mark of a true Hunter appears on their left hand when they are ordained. Hunters often work alone to complete their task, but when the forces of darkness are too powerful hunters will band together in parties to complete a mission. There is little to no hierarchy for Hunters, only the Head of Hunters and five elite hunters who serve directly under him, known as the Elite Guard. Special telephone lines run between the cities and allow the church to communicate with Hunters while they perform their hunt. The Hunters are the last line of defense against the unholy.
  
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  The gifts are blessing bestowed upon a hunter. There exist five gifts that a hunter can receive when they are ordained by the Lunarch. These gifts are assigned randomly and grow slowly over time as a hunter learns to harness their gift.
  
  Cleansing Flames: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to produce swathes of supernatural flames from their body. These flames can be used to burn away the flesh of the wicked as well as dispel curses caused by witchcraft.
  
  Buring Ashes: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to phase in and out of an ash form when they hold their breath. While in this form they are immune to physical damage and can use the form to get around obstacles.
  
  Awaken State: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to enter a hypersensitive state, where they can sense incoming attacks and anticipate the movements of their prey.
  
  Beast Mastery: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to exert their will over other animals, however, it takes more effort to control larger more dangerous creatures. Unholy creatures are unaffected.
  
  Blood Binding: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to create glyphs of blood that use in a ritual to bind and constrain unholy creatures with. They can also use these glyphs of blood to set up traps ahead of time.
  
  Light Speed: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to convert their body into light and shoot off in a set direction. This allows the hunter to achieve a short ranged ultra-fast dash, which can be chained in succession.
  
  Second Sight: Hunter's blessed with this gift are able to sense monsters within a 100-yard radius of themselves. They can also create a holy sigil which is affixed to an unholy creature and can be used to track a beast for an indefinite range.
  
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  During The Fall there was little hope left for humanity, but then a miracle occurred. The Lunarch now empowered with the light of angels created the Church of Avacyn and the Clergy who serve the church with extreme dedication.
  
  The Clergy is known as they holy body of the church. They attended to all of the day to day tasks required to upkeep the estate as well as go out into the human cities and complete tasks, like creating barriers against the unholy and healing the sick. For one to join the clergy they must be no older than twelve. This ensures that they have plenty of time to learn the ways of the angel. All Clergy members are trained to harness Avacyns light in some capacity, however, the Clerics are the selected from the most skilled and talented members of the Clergy. Clerics train directly under the Golden Hand, Azrael Amund, who oversees the Clergy as a whole. Once a Cleric has mastered the Holy Arts they are allowed to go out into the world and assist Hunter on their missions.
  
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  The Holy Arts are one of the only forms of magic that humans can perform. This is the primary weapon wielded by Clerics. This magic can manifest itself in many forms, for examples summoning the blinding rays of the sun, protective runes, binding chains, piercing blades of light, banishing the restless souls of the undead, and of course, performing healing ceremonies on comrades. While humans are compatible with the light of angels, if these abilities are overused it will degrade the body of a Cleric overtime. Many Clerics have been forced to retire due to over-exerting themselves in battle.
  
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  Throughout the land there are several forms of magic that exists, however, not all races have access to the same magical abilities. Human are the least gifted when it comes to magic, however through the light of angels they can utilize the Holy Arts. Other creatures such as vampires and werewolves are cursed with magic by other races transforming them into unholy creatures. Witches stand at the pinnacle of magic power, allowing them to conjure a myriad of deadly spells and curses. Because humans lack innate magic, when they see other humans display magical feats they label the mages as unholy and condemn them to death.
  
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  The weapons of this world are all based out of the 19th century victorian era. During this time the primary weapon of most combatants were sabres and rapiers and other sword variants. Polearms are also very popular as well as flailing weapons and blunt weapons such as war hammers. When it came to range the classical crossbow and heavy crossbow were obvious options, however it was during this time that another type of weapon was also on the rise. Firearms are still fairly new during this age, however gunsmithing has become a viable career leading to the standardization of guns. Pepperbox rifles, shotguns, and flintlock revolvers are a few of the types of gun that are usable by the people of this era. For hunters silver is the most valuable metal as it is potent to the undead in its raw form. When refined and blessed, silver weapons cannot be matched. Despite this silver is a rare ore and blessing a weapons takes time and energy for the church, so these weapons are not wide-spread.
  
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  Descriptions coming soon...
  
  Vampires...
  Werewolves...
  Witches...
  Trolls...
  Goblins...
  Ghost...
  Wraiths...
  Ghouls...
  Undead...
  Marsh Men...
  Lochs...
  Gargoyles...
  

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