ABOUT THE HUNTERS

Introduction

I. The Founding
When the Fae Court of Bones came tearing through the veil, the cities burned, the dead rose, and the living prayed to gods that didn't answer.
But some of us didn't pray. We fought.
When the smoke cleared, and the Courts fell back to whatever cold hollow spawned them, a handful of us remained - too scarred to go home, too stubborn to die quiet.
So we did the only thing that made sense.
We built a place for the broken and the burning.
We called it The Hellhound Hunters Club.

II. The Purpose
We hunt what crawls from the dark, what whispers from the cracks, what wears a friendly face but stinks of the grave.
We take the contracts the priests ignore and the nobles pretend don't exist.
We fight not for coin, nor crown, nor glory - but because someone has to.
If you've got fangs, claws, or a conscience that still twitches - you're welcome here.
If you've burned, bled, or been betrayed by something that shouldn't exist - you're family.

III. The Oath
Every new member speaks the same words before the candle and the chain:
"I hunt the dark, not for light, but for those who can't see it."
"I burn, but I do not bow."
"My fire is my own."
Then they drink - a shot of something foul enough to sear the throat and cleanse the soul.

Background

What We Do
The Hellhound Hunters Club is a monster hunter guild that has dedicated itself to studying, preparing for, and defending against the various monstrous threats to the people of Solarea. Named in honor of founding member Malis the Hellhound, the guild has grown to include many members who stand against threats to civilization despite being far removed from traditional heroes. Hunters are bound to each other by the Hunt, sharing hard-won knowledge and standing back-to-back against what threats may come. Hunters can often be found compiling bestiary information on the various monsters around Solarea, running combat drills, leading monster-tracking workshops, and of course hunting monsters. While many of the guild's activities are closed, we do attempt to have regular open activities for non-members.

Identifying Hunters
Hellhound Hunters can be identified by their hound skull insignia. Depending on the member's rank, this insignia may be adorned with additional decoration, including a chain, a claw, or a fang. The guild's colors include Bone White, Yellow, Orange, Red, and Black. Specific shades can be found in the guild's style guide.

Guild Rules

I. No Hunter Stands Alone
No member is to knowingly abandon another to death or capture if aid can be given without dooming the Hunt.

II. Claim What You Kill, Share What You Learn
Trophies may be claimed, but knowledge belongs to the Club. All findings - weaknesses, behaviors, anomalies - must be reported.

III. Heed the Voice of the Hunt
When the Hunt is underway, confusion is as deadly as any beast. In the field, hunters are expected to act with unity and purpose, giving due weight to those who bear greater experience or have taken responsibility for the course of the Hunt.
Guidance offered in good faith - whether from a Fang, a Claw, or any hunter who sees the path clearly - should be considered seriously. To ignore such counsel without cause endangers the pack.
Even so, no hunter is stripped of their judgment. When doubt arises, speak it if time allows; when it does not, act as you must to preserve the Hunt and those within it.
When the Hunt is done, all decisions may be questioned, weighed, and learned from - so that the next Hunt is stronger still.

IV. Every Hunter Teaches
No hunter stands so high that they have nothing left to learn, nor so low that they have nothing to offer. Knowledge is the lifeblood of the Hunt, and it flows in all directions. Each member of the Club is expected to share what they know - be it hard-won experience, careful study, or simple observation - and to remain open to the lessons of others. A Fang may learn from an Initiate as readily as an Initiate learns from a Fang.

V. Track Contributions Fairly
Proofs of Worth should be logged clearly in the ledger. Care should be taken to avoid ambiguity about what "counts" for the purposes of gaining Proofs.

Our Mission

Mission Statement
The Hellhound Hunters Club exists to seek out, study, and eliminate dangerous creatures that threaten the balance of our world. We do not claim purity, nor do we pretend to righteousness - our ranks are filled with those who know darkness intimately. It is precisely because of what we are that we stand against what is worse. Where others hesitate, we act. Where others judge, we endure.

Purpose Statement
We hunt what others fear.
We understand what others condemn.
We end what must be ended.

Guild Ranks

Initiate
The unproven, yet willing
Those who take their first steps into the Hunt are known as Initiates. They have sworn themselves to the guild, though their mettle remains untested. An Initiate learns by watching, by listening, and by surviving. Whether they carry blade, book, or bandage, they are expected to heed their betters and endure what the Hunt demands of them.

Chain
Bound to the Hunt, and to one another
A Chain has proven they will not break at the first scent of blood. They are full members of the guild, trusted to stand alongside their fellows in the field or behind the lines. Each Chain is a link in something greater - reliable, tempered, and bound by duty. Should one falter, the whole is weakened; should they hold, the Hunt endures.

Claw
The striking hand of the Hellhounds
Claws are hunters in truth, no longer guided at every step. They have faced the dark and left their mark upon it. Whether through steel, cunning, or careful preparation, a Claw knows how to bring down prey and see others through the danger. They are expected not only to survive, but to act - to take initiative when the moment demands it, and to sharpen those who come after them.

Fang
The killing edge, and the voice of the Hunt
Fangs are the masters of the Hellhound Hunters Club. Their judgment carries weight, for it has been forged in blood and hard-won knowledge. A Fang does not merely hunt - they decide when, where, and how the Hunt is carried out. They lead, they teach, and when necessary, they are the final word between the living and what stalks them. To bear the title of Fang is to be both weapon and will of the Club.

New Members

None join the Hellhound Hunters Club by name alone. All who would take the mark must be seen, must be tested, and must prove that they can give something to the Hunt. Whether by blade, wit, or will, each must show they will strengthen the pack - not burden it.

I. Sponsorship
A prospective member must be introduced by an existing hunter. The sponsor vouches that the candidate is worth testing. If no sponsor is immediately available, a Fang or Claw may choose to take the role as a default sponsor.

II. Declaration of Intent
The candidate presents themselves to the guild and state why they seek entry to the Hunt. They declare what they offer, be it blade, knowledge, or craft. Members of the guild may take this opportunity to question the candidate. This may be done live or in writing.

III. Trial of Worth
A candidate must complete one meaningful contribution to the guild from among a list of options. Which trial must be undertaken is decided not by the candidate but by their sponsor. The sponsor may choose to impose a time limit on this trial, or may allow the candidate to complete the trial in their own time. This may include aiding a Hunt, providing supplies, adding knowledge to the guild's library, or something else of similar benefit to the guild.

IV. Witness and Recognition
Once the candidate has completed the Trial of Worth, they are eligible to gain entry to the Hellhound Hunters Club. Two members of the guild, neither of whom can be the candidate's sponsor, admit the candidate as an Initiate in the guild. At this time, the Initiate will be given their rank insignia and introduced to their fellow Hunters for the first time as a sibling.

Rank Advancement

The Hellhound Hunters Club does not measure worth by a single deed, nor by the spilling of blood alone. The Hunt is not carried on fang and steel without the hand that steadies them, the mind that guides them, or the voice that calls the pack to heel.
To this end, the Club recognizes Proofs of Worth - deeds, works, and services that strengthen the Hunt and those who answer its call. A hunter may earn such Proofs in many ways: by facing monsters in the field, by uncovering their secrets, by tending the wounded, by forging what is needed, or by guiding their fellows through peril.
Each Proof stands as a mark that the bearer has given of themselves to the Hunt. Taken together, they form the measure by which an Initiate rises, a Chain is tempered, a Claw is sharpened, and a Fang is named.
No single path is demanded of all hunters - but all who would rise must, in their own way, prove their worth to the pack.

Upon achieving the necessary number of Proofs, a member must be sponsored for promotion by a member of at least the rank they aspire to. This sponsorship requires the sponsoring member to present the aspirant to the sitting Fangs and explain why the aspirant should be promoted to a higher rank, outlining the Proofs they have accumulated and any activities which they believe to show the merit of the aspirant's membership. The sponsor will then be given the task of choosing a Guild Trial for the aspirant to complete before they may be promoted to a higher rank in the guild. If the aspirant is successful and the Fangs approve of their promotion, the member will be promoted to the next rank of membership.

Proofs of Worth

Founding Members

• Malis
• Cass
• Matthias
• Morian
• Norus
• Sir Liam