Hunter

*"The trail is old, but I can follow it. Go back to camp and start a cookfire. We’re eating coney tonight."*

## Basic

(Core) While the Empire has come far from the tribes that founded it 2500 years ago, some things haven’t changed at all. Although Peasants till parts of the land, huge expanses of the Empire are still covered with forest or are hostile to agriculture. These are the lands where Hunters and trappers thrive. They use the same techniques as their ancestors to take down game, be it a trap or a well-placed shot. It takes skill to stalk wild animals while avoiding the dark creatures of the woods. Hunters in their animal skin clothes and fur hats may appear uncouth to city folks, but they don’t much care what others think of them.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Concealment, Follow Trail, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Search or Swim, Secret Signs (Ranger), Silent Move or Set Trap

**Talents:** Hardy or Specialist Weapon Group (Longbow), Lightning Reflexes or Very Resilient, Marksman or Rover, Rapid Reload

**Trappings:** Longbow with 10 Arrows, 2 Animal Traps, Antitoxin Kit

### **Career Entries**

Animal Trainer, Charcoal-Burner, Kithband Warrior, Woodsman

### **Career Exits**

Animal Trainer, Bounty Hunter, Charcoal-Burner, Fieldwarden, Kithband Warrior, Miner, Scout, Soldier, Targeteer

## Tools of the Trade

**Weaponry:** The weapons used by hunters have changed little over the centuries. While there have been advances in technology, such as the advent of the crossbow and forged steel, hunters have hardly been affected by the application of these developments. A crossbow functions similarly to the bow, forged steel behaves similarly to iron.

**Horn:** In dense forest or grassy plain, the hunter requires a method of communication with his fellow Hunters when game or danger is spotted. The horn can also be used to call a trained animal.

**Skinning Tools:** The hunter requires a selection of specialised knives to prepare and dress the kill for transport.

**Horse:** The domesticated horse is the hunter’s great equaliser against speedy forest prey. The horse should be strong enough to carry the hunter over long chases, agile enough to maneouvre through scrub and underbrush, and fearless when encountering wild beasts. After the kill is made, the horse can also help carry the meat home in a swift manner.

**Dog:** The trained hunting dog is indispensible to the solo hunter. A well-trained canine will locate, drive and corner the prey as the hunter moves in for the kill. Hunting dogs are trained to obey the signals of the hunter’s horn.

**Hawk:** Sometimes, the wide-open plains where the herds run cover too large an area for a dog to locate and chase game. In addition to its prowess at hunting other birds or small game, a well-trained hawk can also direct its master to larger prey.

## The Master of the Hunt

When the nobility of the Empire goes hunting, they employ a specialist hunter called the Master of the Hunt to ensure a successful venture. The Master of the Hunt is a common position in most noble households. It is this huntsman’s responsibility to locate the prey for his lord. The lord then determines if the game is worth pursuing or not. If the lord is pleased with the selection, the huntsman flanks the animal and begins herding it towards the hunting party and the chase is on.

The Master of the Hunt and his lordship are always assured the widest selection of game because they hunt in Imperial forests. An Imperial forest is a large region of prime hunting land reserved for the sole use of the Elector Count and his approved guests. As most Elector Counts are busy with matters of state (and not hunting), protected Imperial forests typically sit empty and teeming with game. Provincial law prescribes harsh penalties on any form of poaching in an Imperial forest, and the killing of a field hare carries the same punishment as the killing of a stag. There is a popular misconception that Imperial forests are restricted to wooded regions, and this is not the case. An Imperial forest can include any type of terrain that supports wild game, whether it’s grassland, wetland or plain.