Demonjagers

A **Demonjager** is a monster-hunter specialising in demonology - both theological and practical - and hunting demons (a practice known commonly as demonslaying), as well as associated fields such as exorcisms. Much like tarkhans, demonjagers are not unified under a singular guild or authority and instead are divided amongst lone wolves, minor guilds or "schools" or groups that serve a particular temple.

Besides demons, Demonjagers may often be skilled in parlaying with genies, infernal spirits and banishing or slaying them, as well as being capable healers and magic users. Many specialise in alchemy, often brewing powerful concoctions to aid them when banishing a demon or fighting one. Their weapons are primarily silvered, as demons are generally susceptible to it, and more well-to-do and experienced Demonjagers may carry a set of sainted arms - silvered blades enchanted with powerful magic. Most Demonjagers are capable of breaking curses of varying strength.

## History

### Origins

Demonslaying and other such practices have existed for as long as folklore has, with even the earliest evidence of exorcisms and banishments of demons dating back to the earliest days of the Second Era. In truth, demon hunting is probably one of the oldest professions in the known world.

### Role in Society and Culture

Like tarkhans and knights, Demonjagers play a role in the cultures around the world but primarily human culture. They are often the centre of ballads and songs, stories and folklore, and it is not uncommon for children to want to be a demonjager in the future. They are easily recognisable based on the silver swords they carry and the wards sometimes visible on their clothing, armour or skin. As demon hunters, they are generally met with praise from both the commoners and nobility, as well as some clergy, although mixed feelings exist. The sometimes nonchalant attitude demonjagers have towards the use of wards, and the past instances of demonjagers falling into demonic possession or becoming corrupted to the point of massacres, have been remembered in history and are sometimes the justification used to ostracise demonjagers, in some cases leading to witch hunts against them or pogroms. The effects wards have over prolonged periods of time, particularly the visible ones, have led to the perception of demonjagers turning for the worse with insults such as "fiendborn" or "mutant" being thrown in their direction. The most common effect of on-skin wards is one's hair turning black or ashen, or their eyes turning a deep red.

The practices and activities of demonjagers are policed in one way or another almost everywhere. In the Lanthyrian Empire, the Imperial Mage Hunters do their utmost to identify and imprison, or execute, demonjagers, although some have been recruited in the past to serve as special agents. In Fano, prior to its incorporation into the Empire, independent demonjagers were organised under the Black Circle by the crown in an effort to eradicate the mercenary and freelancer aspects of demon hunting, instead replacing it with a singular guild that hunted demons out of chivlaric values and honour-bound duty. In Enroth, demonjagers are policed through the Demonjager Laws which mandate that demonjagers register with a temple, one of the Schools or with a Royal Charter so that their identities can be recorded - the demonjager noble House Mormont was made exempt from these laws. For the most part, the laws failed to reduce tensions between citizens, religious conservatives and demonjagers, and failed to record the identities of the vast majority of demonjagers unaffiliated with any organisation, tensions between demonjagers were also not diminished.

### Controversies

Throughout history, there have been instances of demonjagers falling victim to demonic possession as a result of their wards which, in many cases, led them to commit massacres and atrocities such as the massacre in Kagen's market square where some 109 people were mercilessly slaughtered by a possessed demonjager. This has helped cultivate animosity or sometimes outright hostility towards demonjagers,

#### Tale of Arthur Claisse

Arthur Claisse was a legendary demonjager between 400AC and 419AC who was renowned for dispersing the anomaly located at the Ruins of Kaham in 406AC, breaking the Hym possession on the daughter of a Lebiodan castellan in 408AC, as well as performing many other exorcisms and slaying unknown numbers of demons in his 19 year career. He was the centre of many tales and ballads that often exaggerated his achievements, and his name was well-known throughout western and central Antagarich. He gained great fame and renown after successfully banishing a powerful demon that was nesting in the catacombs underneath Kagen in 414AC.

Prior to handling the demon underneath Kagen Claisse carved an incredibly powerful ward combining 16 different runes onto his abdominal region. This was unprecedented, as no one has ever before carved such a powerful ward. The ward granted him superhuman speed and strength, enhanced the potency of his magic, rendered him immune to poison and disease, made his skin incapable of catching fire and increased his sight and enabled him to see normally in darkness both natural and magical, but it also had immediate consequences as mere days after the procedure Claisse's irises turned a dark red colour and the whites of his eyes turned a similar, albeit lighter, shade, other effects became apparent later on as Claisse's hair, previously blond and flowing, began turning black days before the encounter with the Kagen demon. After the slaying of the demon on the 14th of Vigles, 414AC, Claisse was paraded around the city as its saviour. He did not begin showing major symptoms of infernal corruption until 416AC when the skin on his lower torso and right hand and forearm, the hand he used to carve the ward, turned ashen black and pulsated with red veins. After his skin began turning, Claisse began behaving differently and started engaging in unscrupulous practices such as whoremongering, wanton violence and the consumption of spice - a drug originating in Sicair.

Between 416AC and 419AC Claisse was a wanted man after he perpetrated the massacre of the market in Port Shaned where he killed some 102 people and damaged roughly three city blocks before departing when a troop of knights and other demonjagers. During this time he appeared irregularly across Enroth, wreaking havoc wherever he was. He was slain by a troop of demonjagers on the 5th of Alene, 419AC, after it was discovered that he had been attempting to conduct a Garathys ritual in the ruins of a familial crypt belonging to House Everec. It took 6 demonjagers, 4 Sisters of the Temple of Derwana and 2 sorcerers, alongside a sizeable force of swordsmen, pikemen and crossbowmen provided by House Everec. to slay him, as well as a Knight-errant acting on behalf of the lord of Kagen. The battle resulted in many lives being lost and the desolation of the already ruined sanctuary and surrounding area. It is believed by the historic community that by the time of the battle, Claisse was already well under the influence of a demon and had been since at least 416AC. The spot on which Claisse was slain is marked by a minor anomaly known as Claisse's Ward, it was created when he died and his ward imprinted itself onto the stone ground beneath him, creating a permanent copy of his ward in the world that, as of the 542AC has not been successfully removed and Claisse's Ward continues emitting magical energy.

#### Massacre of Bremervoord

On the 28th of Alene, in 542AC, an unnamed demonjager slaughtered the inhabitants of the village of Bremervoord after completing a contract to expel a "demon in the well" that turned out to be a wraith rather than an actual demon. The demonjager pointed this out to the village elder who then refused to pay him for his service, stating that since no demon was present he was not entitled to the pay for the contract. An argument ensued between the men, which ended when a villager attempted to stab the demonjager in the back with a pitchfork, but he narrowly evaded it thanks to his ward's powers which granted him increased situational awareness and reaction speed. For the attempt on his life, the demonjager massacred every man, woman and child, as well as livestock, in Bremervoord, killing somewhere between 40 to 60 people and setting some homes on fire.

Initially the slaughter was attributed to necrophages when travelling Wester Knights led by Sir Mance Trant discovered a nest of ghouls and rotfiends feeding on the village's inhabitants and murdered animals. However a quick investigation after the necrophages were dispatched showed that the victims all died of precise slashing wounds, far too precise to have been the work of bandits which led the knights to believe that this was the work of a specialist, a tarkhan or demonjager, or a mercenary equal or greater in ability to the cutthroats Xenofex or Thomas Barrenheart. Further investigations revealed facts about the contract and the altercation that occurred between the elder and demonjager, but his identity could not be ascertained, leading to a bounty being issued for a "unnamed man of tall stature but thin build, carrying undoubtedly a silvered longsword and other tools and markings of a Demon Hunter." The unnamed demonjager has not been caught since the massacre.

### Organisations, Guilds and Bands

#### The Black Circle

The Black Circle was founded by the King of Fano in 449AC as a way to organise and police the activities and practices of demonjagers within his realm. It operated as a guild, administered by a central authority of loyal demonjagers, and acted in the King's name when performing their duties as sworn enemies of demons and infernal spirits. The Circle trained its members internally and sourced them from among Fano's children, searching for boys and girls who showed a particular affinity for magic, taking them from their parents and raising them inside the Circle's Keep at Drakenborg. The children were trained, conditioned and branded, then sent out into the world with tools of their trade, expected to hunt demons and other malevolent forces. The Circle also obtained its members by raising the children of its own members, by adopting orphans or allowing outside demonjagers - many of them rejects from other parts of the world - to join their ranks.

The Circle ceased to exist after the Battle of Redmoren on the 16th of Dellen, 541AC, when the demonjagers fought alongside Marshal Jan Taralis' army against the Lanthyrian invaders at Redmoren. Out of the 200 demonjagers present, well over 4/5 of its total members at the time, most were either slaughtered in the field or deserted before or during the battle, effectively dissolving the guild. Some survivors would flee westwards to Enroth where they joined one of the Three Schools or enlisted with a temple that held similar beliefs to the Black Circle, primarily the School of the Bear, others instead chose to become lone wolves and entered mercenary service.

#### Demonjager Schools of Enroth

The Schools of the Bear, Cat and Viper are the three foremost guilds in Enroth dedicated to training, organising and arming demonjagers, acting autonomously or independently of the Crown. These schools were founded roughly a century ago, prior to the passing of the Demonjager Laws, during a period of political and religious persecution against demonjagers headed by reactionaries and religious fanatics. Today, the schools act much like guilds, the demonjagers trained there have strong bonds to their school and work for gold and silver, much like a bounty hunter would.

Unlike the Black Circle or temples, the Schools do not obey any given religious dogma or theology, but widely subscribe to the Faith. The School of the Viper is perceived as the most tolerant and progressive of the three schools, having outlawed the slaying or persecution of succubi and incubi and the use of blood magic, meanwhile, the School of the Bear is perceived as incredibly reactionary and actively engages in the hunt for succubi, incubi and other lesser and - largely non-dangerous and sapient - demons and infernals. Tieflings are barred from serving with the School of the Bear, but the School of the Viper and Cat do not adhere to this form of discrimination.

The Schools of the Bear, Cat and Viper are headquartered in their respective guildhalls: Dawnfort, Sedna Keep and Serpent Hill.

#### Sworn Demonjagers

Although religious fanatics and zealots often adhere to fanatically anti-demonjager rhetoric, many temples are often protected by a demonjager who is a life long member or was simply converted by the priests and priestesses. Although this breed of demonjagers is not as common as those affiliated with a school or those who are full-time mercenaries, they exist in some capacity.

#### House Mormont

House Mormont is a noble house in Enroth that was founded roughly 500 years ago by Assire Mormont, a legendary demonjager and bounty hunter. It is one of, if not the only, family in Antagarich with a 5 centuries long unbroken streak of demonjagers amongst its ranks, many of whom went down in history as legends and some as renegades. For centuries now, House Mormont has been a sworn banner of the royal House Gryffinheart of Steadwick, serving the Kings and Queens directly and playing a very important role in the military and politics of the kingdom.

## Equipment and Tools

### Arms and Alchemy

A demonjager is, inherently, a specialist hunter with far greater understanding of the entities they face than the average mercenary, cleric or peasant mob, at least any demonjager worth their salt is. There exists no standard for dealing with demons as of the 5th century after the Cataclysm, but general guidelines exist and have existed for centuries if not millennia. The primary piece of kit is a silver sword, every demonjager carries one and uses it to dispatch demons of different variants even if they may not be any more susceptible to silver than a human or elf. In addition to a silver sword, they will often carry different secondary weapons such as hand crossbows with silver-tipped or magically-stunning bolts made from adamantine or dimeritium, silvered knives and daggers, chains made from magically-stunning metals for the purpose of restraining demons. Sainted Arms are a particular breed of silver sword that are engraved with magical incantations and enchantments, giving them far more ferocity and strength than appearances may offer.

They are also skilled alchemists and brewers, utilising different elixirs and concoctions to enhance their own abilities and increase survival chances. In addition to such potions, demonjagers also utilise powerful oils - known collectively as Demon Oil - by applying them to their weapons. Demon oil works on a basis not to dissimilar to the oils used for hunting vampires, necrophages, spectres or cursed beasts like werewolves, amongst other things. in addition to potions and oils, a demonjager may also utilise other alchemical tools such as alchemist's fire or simple poison.

### Armour

There is no true demonjager armour set, as every demonjager wears a different or varying set of armour based on the kind of demons they specialise in. Those that specialise in exorcising or expelling hyms may wear very little to no armour, those that specialise in physically slaying powerful demons may wear either armour consisting of plates and chain mail to allow them to endure far greater blows, or they may wear light or medium armour so that they can remain fast on their feet and evasive. While no true standard for weight, design or material exists, silver is usually always incorporated into the wider outfit worn by a demonjager because of the magical and protective properties it offers not just when fighting demons but any other beasts or monsters. Silver may be worn in the form of a necklace or amulet, be sewn into the knuckles of the wearer's gauntlet and gloves or be sewn into any other part of their clothing or armour.

### Wards

However, the common factor across all different kinds of demonjager armour - be it a simple cloth shirt with leather guards, chain mail underneath a surcoat, a steel cuirass and metal skirt, or a set of full plate armour - is the use of wards: powerful magical glyphs that enhance the carrier's abilities. Wards come in a variety of forms, sometimes being carved onto armour or sewn onto clothes, other times they are tattooed or engraved into the skin for greater potency of their effects. Wards consist of infernal and abyssal runes and symbols that are combined into a singular "diagram" that is then placed onto clothes, armour or skin, embedding the wearer, or physical carrier, with innate magical effects that enhance their strength, speed, endurance, increase the potency of their spells, make them resistant or immune to certain conditions and disease, allow them to see in the dark, increase the speed of tissue regeneration and the speed of their metabolism, amongst other things such as granting varying levels of fire resistance. The power of a ward increases based on what its placed on, as well as the number of runes and glyphs it contains.

#### Infernal Corruption

These wards are inherently corrupting, as they obtain their powers directly from infernal and otherwise demonic sources, and will begin to take a toll on their owner. Wards placed on clothes and armour can be easily kept in check as long as their owner avoids wearing the warded material leisurely and takes care to avoid spending too much time wearing them, but wards tattooed - or engraved - onto skin are largely inseparable from their carrier as even the most potent of spells and elixirs fail to rid the wearer of their presence. It is important that wards placed onto skin are limited, spaced out sparsely, and that proper precautions are taken to limit their influence through prayer and meditation, as to not allow their corruption to grow too powerful. But, no matter how well prepared one is, the wards will eventually start to take a toll as the body attunes to them, and the wearer will slowly undergo alternation in appearance - with some of their features like the eyes becoming more demonic - and mental changes if exposure if incredibly potent, sometimes turning them cold and unfeeling, ridding them of emotional capacity. There have been examples of demonjagers being rendered infertile by their wards, as well as cases of skin turning black and ashen, or veins around the affected area starting to pulsate in a bright red hue. In extreme of cases, wards can lead to demonic possession.

### Magic

Magic is a staple of demonslaying in the same way that silver swords are the primary tool of a demonjager. When pure physical strength fails, be it because a demon surrounds itself with physically impenetrable barriers or is simply unable of being slain in the same manner as a spectre, magic is the single best method that can be used to disperse the evil. Demons such as Hyms or Nightmare Demons, cannot be killed through standard means, and much like a noonwraith or banshee, must be expelled from the mortal world through magical means such as an exorcism or other expulsion. Demonjager often train extensively in understanding common, theoretical and theological demonology for the sake of being able to carry out such expulsions and exorcisms if the need arises, but they also extensively study barrier-breaching magic and powerful abjuration, transmutation and conjuration, as well as counterspells aimed at undoing, or in some instances halting, the process of *Garathys.* Some more infamous demonjagers were students of hemonancy, the school of blood magic, and sometimes quite cruelly dispatched living demons - succubi and incubi primarily - by viciously bending their life force to their own will in the most gruesome and brutal of ways. Other spells and magic used by demonjagers includes detection spells that allow them to find the magical or otherworldly scent of a demon if it lingers in an area for too long.

A very specific subset of magic used by demonjagers is known as curse-breaking. Although anyone skilled in magic can obtain the knowledge and ability to break curses, there are very few people who can do so effectively. Most demonjagers can break simple curses, very few can break curses placed by Hyms or other powerful curse-laying entities and those that can sometimes choose not to because of the harsh consequences that will come as a result of failure to successfully break the curse the first time.