INTRODUCTION:

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The Sciath Cúigear, known in modern times as the Hunter Society, were formed centuries ago as a result of repeated terrorizing caused by monsters and other supernatural creatures. It used to be that the Lycidas (the original race of werewolves) had protected the land but soon they were gone and humans had to protect themselves. A large majority of modern hunters have lineages that span generations, all with the knowledge and skills passed down from their ancestors. These hunters honed their craft, becoming deadly forces to be reckoned with. 

 

The supernatural realm is kept concealed from human eyes and hunters are tasked with making sure it remains that way.  Hunters work in the shadows, intertwined with governments, police forces, medical workers, and much more. Their main function is to protect and serve humans, ensuring that the potential threats supernatural creatures pose never come to fruition. There are , however, hunters that work purely to keep the world at peace and then there are those who are simply in it for the money. Bounty hunting can be lucrative.

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On the surface, the Hunter Society claims to be a peacekeeping organization but, as with all big corporations, there are many corrupt practices flying under the radar. Many hunters enslave and sell supernatural creatures either in one piece or for their parts on the black market. If kept alive, those who are considered “monsters” are used for entertainment. Gambling, auctioning, and underground fighting rings are some of the most common illegal practices. Most of these activities are prolific within hostile branches as they regard non-humans as inferior. 

There are instances where a human of the public is welcomed into the Sciaths. This someone would need to have something of merit to offer to the society, such as exceptional resourcefulness, high intelligence, or tremendous skills with weapons or combat. Ideally a combination of all three will set someone apart from the crowd.
 

DEMOGRAPHICS: 

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Currently, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan each have their own official Hunter Branch. Each branch has their own cultural values and views on supernatural beings. In addition to the main five, there are many smaller, lesser known chapters of hunters across the world. All official hunter organizations answer to the main six; Together they are known as the Sciath Cúigear, or the “Sciaths” for short. Currently, there is only one inactive branch, the Russian Branch, due to its destruction in 1891.

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• USA Branch: Neutral/Hostile toward supernatural creatures

• Mexican Branch: Hostile toward supernatural creatures

• Brazilian: Hostile toward supernatural creatures

• Australian Branch: Lenient 

• UK Branch: Neutral/Lenient toward supernatural creatures

• Japanese Branch: Neutral/Hostile toward supernatural creatures

• Russian Branch: Neutralized*

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*Although the Russian Branch was destroyed officially, there are still Society operations there run by the Mirchev family, one of the only Russian hunter families that survived the destruction of the Russian Branch.

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The current Branch Leaders are as follows:

• USA: Dante Powell

• Mexico: Enoch Serrano

• Brazil: Rosita Romero

• Australia: Keith Hester

• UK: Winona Caudery

• Japan: Michiko Honda

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There are also a few prominent hunter families such as the Montenegro, the Romeros, the Mirchevs, Arcanos, the Caudery, and the Grants. The Montenegro and Romero families have merged recently in many aspects through the marriage of their family members, and are mainly situated within the Mexican, Brazilian and USA Branches. While the Arcanos hail from Italy to India in origin, you will find much of the family in eastern shore of the USA. The Mirchev family is what remains of the Russian branch and while there is no official Russian branch any longer, they are mostly in charge of Eastern Europe. The Cauderys are within the UK Branch.​

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To find more information about individual hunter families, click here.

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How a person joins the Hunters: 

While most hunters are hunters through being born into the society, many hunters are also handpicked by either a family or a Branch's leaders for their skills, intelligence, and resourcefulness. For example, the Grant family of hunters are known for sponsoring talented kids into the hunter society from as young as elementary school, personally seeing to their training and traveling. Hunter Society looks for athletic and beautiful people usually at sporting or other athletic competitions. Civilians who were victims of or exposed to the supernatural may be recruited depending on how they handled their situation (of course, also depending on what their situation was.) If they see potential in someone's mindset, they may also be recruited. Children as young as ten can be seen as having potential and if such, their whole family, if need be, will be indoctrinated into the society.

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HUNTER CULTURE: 

 

Hunters begin training from a very early age (5 - 7 years old) typically by their parents and/or hunter mentors. They don't live the traditional life of going to school and graduating; Instead, they are sent to the other branches and hunter families to learn different techniques and get hands on experience with that region's climate and supernatural beings, learning how you use a wide array of weapons, strategies, and fighting techniques. By the time they are 18, hunters are expected to be able to complete an official hunt on their own without assistance from a parent or mentor. 

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Each of the five branches have their own practices and cultural influences that tie into how they treat different species of monsters and how they conduct themselves, but there are fundamentals that all the Branches follow:

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• The world of the Supernatural must be kept hidden from the rest of the human population. 

• When a human is turned into a monster, willingly or not, their humanity has been forfeited and they will no longer be protected or treated as a human.

• Humans who become aware must have their memories repressed. It is of utmost importance that normal society remain unawares of the supernatural.

• Supernatural creatures that mean harm to human society will be placed on the Bounty List and killed.

• Hunters who have become monsters forfeit not only their humanity, but also their positions and standings within hunter society. They are either to become monster partners or be disposed of.

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Tolerance

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USA Branch: Neutral/Hostile

The USA Branch takes a pragmatic stance toward supernatural creatures. While they are not openly aggressive, their tolerance is limited. They view supernatural beings with suspicion, prioritizing human safety above coexistence. This branch tends to act on a case-by-case basis, using strict evaluation criteria to determine whether a supernatural creature should be left alone, monitored, or eliminated. While not as openly hostile as others, their methods lean toward preemptive strikes against perceived threats.

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Mexican Branch: Hostile

The Mexican Branch is one of the most hostile branches of the Hunter Society. Under the leadership of Enoch Serrano, the branch conducted a mass genocide of vampires, nearly eradicating their population in the region. The branch views supernatural creatures as dangerous liabilities that must be eradicated to ensure human dominance. Their operations, including the illegal Fighting Rings, further cement their reputation as merciless and exploitative. This hostility extends to any supernatural presence among human populations, making their stance one of total intolerance.

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Brazilian Branch: Hostile

The Brazilian Branch shares a similarly hostile outlook toward supernatural creatures. With a history of violent clashes against local supernatural populations, they view coexistence as impossible and seek to eliminate threats preemptively. Their hostility is deeply ingrained in their practices, and they rarely tolerate the presence of supernatural beings within human territories. The branch's significant influence in South America has led to an aggressive stance across the continent, fostering an unforgiving reputation.

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Australian Branch: Lenient

In stark contrast to the more aggressive branches, the Australian Branch is notably lenient toward supernatural creatures. They prioritize coexistence and believe that working alongside certain supernatural beings can be mutually beneficial. This branch is open to alliances and even offers sanctuary to non-hostile supernatural creatures willing to cooperate. Their leniency often causes friction with more hostile branches, but they remain steadfast in their belief that coexistence is the best long-term solution.

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UK Branch: Neutral/Lenient

The UK Branch takes a moderate approach, balancing leniency with caution. Historically, they spearheaded the global protection ordinance for werewolves, which shows their willingness to advocate for supernatural rights. However, they remain wary of threats, taking a neutral but observant stance. The UK Branch often mediates disputes between other branches, emphasizing careful evaluation over outright hostility or unbridled leniency.

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Japanese Branch: Neutral/Hostile

The Japanese Branch adopts a complex stance toward supernatural creatures. While they officially maintain a neutral position, their actions often lean toward hostility. This duality reflects the branch’s secretive and strategic nature, as seen in their covert funding of the Fighting Rings in Mexico. They focus on controlling supernatural threats rather than outright exterminating them, but their methods are frequently ruthless and utilitarian.
 

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Hunter Ranks 

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Hunters are categorized by rank based on their skill and seniority in each branch. Rising through the ranks is not a matter of seniority but of prowess and expertise. Those who display these traits are promoted to mid and high ranking positions within the organization at the behest of the individual’s Branch leader. Below are the ranks universal within the hunter organization.

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• Low rank: Ensign- this is the standard rank for normal hunters within a branch, and the lowest rank.

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• Mid rank: Sentinel- Sentinels are the mid rank of the Hunter Association. When an Ensign is promoted to a Sentinel their duties expand beyond the typical responsibilities of a hunter. They are seen as authority figures and are expected to uphold and represent the code and customs of the Hunter Association. Often times Sentinels oversee sections of territory within their governing branch, and work together with fellow sentinels and ensigns to ensure the safety of the human populace under their care.

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• High rank: Commodore- Commodores are the highest rank within the Society, directly underneath the Branch Leaders. They oversee all the sentinels and ensigns within their branch and keep things in working order, often giving reports and advice directly to their branch’s leader. It takes great skill and accomplishments to achieve this rank, and because of this they are greatly respected amongst hunters. Their duties also include the upkeep of training facilities for potential monster partners. If a situation cannot be dealt with by ensigns or sentinels alone, a Commodore will be sent out to handle it. 

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• Exclusive rank: Ambassador - Ambassadors are special hunters that are well-versed in both the supernatural world and hunter society. They are also well-cultured in international hunter politics and know the rules of each Branch's systems. They usually run reconnaissance and maintain relationships between branches and supernatural world.

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HUNTING

 

In the Hunter Society, supernatural entities are assessed using three primary metrics: Danger Level, Threat Level, and Activity Level. Each of these metrics operates on a 1 to 100 scale supplemented by S to E ranks for more nuanced classification. This system helps hunters prioritize targets and allocate resources efficiently.

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Danger Level

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The Danger Level reflects how perilous it would be for a hunter to confront the creature. It is determined by several factors:

• The inherent abilities and nature of the creature (e.g., strength, speed, intelligence).

• Its known behavior and historical actions.

• The methods required to neutralize or kill it (e.g., specific vulnerabilities).

• The number of hunters it has defeated or killed.

 

A high Danger Level often indicates that specialized teams or advanced preparation are necessary to handle the entity. In some case, Danger level is so high that most hunters will be advised to not engage and allow only the highest ranking to handle the hunt.

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Threat Level

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The Threat Level measures the potential harm the creature poses to the general public. Factors influencing Threat Level include:

• The creature's actions, such as predation, violence, or spreading disease.

• The geographical area affected and the number of lives at risk.

For instance, a primal wendigo actively hunting and consuming humans in a forest might rank highly in both Danger and Threat Levels due to its lethal nature and direct impact on the community.

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Activity Level

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The Activity Level indicates how frequently the creature is active or interacting with its environment. This metric helps gauge how immediate or ongoing the situation is.

• Creatures with high Activity Levels warrant investigation to determine the severity of their behavior.

• If Activity Level is high but Danger and Threat Levels are low, hunters may opt to leave the creature alone. For example, house fairies are highly active, frequently cleaning, repairing, and relocating household items, but pose no real threat to the inhabitants and are generally ignored.

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Monster Partners and How to Get One

Monster partners are widely used by hunters all over the world, though the treatment and view of them varies depending on the branch of hunter organization and the individuals. Werewolves are the most commonly used species for hunter partnerships; they are the most efficient trackers, and also tend to be more loyal and easier to train. However, vampires and other species are used as well.

There are different ways for a hunter to begin a partnership with a monster. Some monsters enter a partnership of their own free will, but the majority of hunters select a partner through Training Facilities, where monsters are trained specifically for the role of assisting hunters. Roles can range from anywhere to being a bodyguard, tracker, personal assistant, or whatever a hunter may need.

Monsters that cause trouble or are deemed unable to be left on their own- along with rare cases of monster children- are typically taken to these training facilities. The facilities were created and are run by various hunter branches for the sake of housing and rehabilitating different monsters before allowing them to be selected for hunter partnerships. Their practices are harsh and focus more on conditioning a monster to be subservient and obedient more than anything; combat and hunting training is largely left up to the individual hunter once they’ve selected a partner. Monster partners in general are seen as tools to the hunter organizations, sub human and are to adhere to their hunter's orders without fail. Some branches emphasize a symbiotic relationship with respect, others are practically treated as slaves. 


Branding 

Every hunter is required to have a brand, designed to designate the monster as their property and responsibility. The brand is given to a monster at the beginning a partnership as a subtle way to show the monster is claimed without revealing their true nature to the human populace, and areas which brands are placed are discrete. It represents a permanent link between the monster and hunter, but brands also double as a way to identify the monster. Branded individuals tend to have more leeway among the Hunters but can mark them as traitors in the supernatural world. Other supernatural creatures often look down upon the branded.

Hot iron brands are almost never used as the scarring and marks left behind stand out; freeze brands are the most typical route. Dry ice is used to place the brand somewhere on a part of the body, and appears pale/white on the skin (on fur the mark is pure white). Some hunters don’t practice branding their monster partners, instead using aliases or nicknames; other hunters may do this in addition to the brands. Hunters that don’t use brands for their partners, however, are vastly outnumbered by those that do. Some brand designs are passed down through generations of hunter bloodlines; others may choose to design their own unique brands. They can be as simple as the hunter’s initials, or venture into more complex designs based on the hunter’s taste.

 

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HUNTER WEAPONS:

 

There are various types of weapons at a hunter’s disposal depending on the monsters they are facing. This could include anything from machinery and technology, chemicals, or even special items bought from the Druids. Different hunters have different preferences regarding their weapon choices, and it's up to the individual to use what weapons they feel are most beneficial to their fighting style. 
 

Basic Hunter Weapons Include:

- Any type of Gun

- Any type of Blade or Crossbow 

- Shock Collars, bladed chains, tasers  

- A monster partner

More skilled hunters can use: 

- Complicated Tech gear, night vision goggles, heat vision tech, tracking devices   

- Sigils and potions bought from the Druids (must establish an alliance with a Druid) 

- Traps

- Informants
- Multiple monster partners
 

RELATIONSHIPS: 

 

Druids: When they can actually get their assistance, they are a valuable asset to hunter society, supplying them with enchanted items or information. However, this is not usually the case and Hunter Society has only a very small amount of Druids at their disposal.

 

Vampires: In general, hunter society has a strainged relationship with vampires seeing as humans are a vampire's main diet; the history they share  is stained with blood on both sides. Many hunters have a healthy level of wariness in regards to vampires, and with good reason.

Wendigos: There is no wavering on the views of these vile creatures. Their increasing numbers have been a strain on the hunters Society for years and they're a threat not taken lightly. Wendigos are abominations, wicked in their craftiness and are to be killed on sight. No exceptions.

 

Werewolves: Hunters have relied on werewolves ever since their population have been back on the rise. They are viewed largely as assets to be controlled to fit a hunter's needs. They are especially seen as valuable due to their ability to track virtually every supernatural being. However, if a werewolf goes feral they are seen as an enemy, and are promptly put down.

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Oni: Although they could have been useful assets for similar reasons as the werewolves, Hunter Society feared Oni due to the possibilities of their immense power. As a result, they began systematically killing off oni families, leaving the relationship between them and society in tatters. The Oni that are still alive have no love for the Hunter Society.

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Hunter Q/A:

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Q: How many monster partners can a hunter have? 

A: 3 maximum.

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Q: If hunters can have more than one monster partner, can a monster be partnered with more than one hunter at a time?

A: No, a monster can only be partnered with one hunter at any given time.

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Q: Can hunters switch between different Branches? 

A: While they can switch branches, they can not flip-flip between multiple as each Branch has its own jurisdiction and rules. The switching of the branch must be approved by the Branch Leader whose branch they intend to switch to.
 

Q: Can Hunter's have romantic relations with supernatural creatures? 

A: Technically yes. Should they? No. In hunter culture across the world, it is considered disgraceful to do so. It can be punishable by death in some cases and individuals will face ridicule for a long time afterwards.