The Hunters' Guild is dedicated to ridding Vorpal Lhura of all types of weres and undead - at least, officially. Unofficially, it's pretty obvious that they'll go after anyone or anything if the price is right. This supposed conflict of duty doesn't seem to bother them: evil is evil. And, let's face it, if you've got a bounty on your head, you're probably evil (at least, that's the way they think...).
Naturally, it takes great physical stamina and lightning reflexes to be a Hunter, along with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of undead lore. The Test to become a Hunter actually consists of a grueling obstacle course run/sparring contest and a written and oral examination on ghosts, vamps, weres, and zombs (their abbreviations; for some reason, Hunters like to keep things short and to the point, even when identifying their enemies).
Members do pay dues and fees to the Guild - money mostly earned by taking on less supernatural contracts such as bounties, temporary bodyguard duties, and the like. They have stepped in to fill the shoes left by the Sacresan, whose obvious decency and righteousness the Hunters hold up as an example on high. Nevermind the fact that Sacresan were genuinely humble and quiet individuals, not prone to drama and theatrics. Still, their successors, the Necrosan, are generally pricier and a bit less trusted than the Hunters' Guild, so good, honest, law-abiding citizens seek out Paladins and/or Hunters first and foremost when they need protection on a journey or for a large gathering.
The Hunters' Guild is a primarily masculine group, and it tends to operate as an old boys' network of sorts. Women are allowed in if they pass the test, and they're not disrespected or ignored in any way; they're just usually not "one of the guys." A male Hunter will respect a female Hunter's skills, will work with her on an assignment (unless it's a highly personal one), and challenge anyone who says she's worthless to a fist fight. But he likely won't drink with her afterwards, won't usually consider her a romantic prospect, and won't invite her out to hang with the guys. Female Hunters essentially lose their gender in the eyes of the male Hunters. There have been occasional romances among Hunters, even a couple of marriages, but most of these break up and fade away quickly, and the instances of them happening in the first place are rare.
Also, nearly every single Hunter is human. There are a couple of Elven Paladins in the Guild, but every single other member is human. The other races have no general problem with weres, and shun the Hunters because they have included weres in their list of "Things to Eliminate From This World." Also, when you start deciding that certain types of beings just don't belong here, how long until you start expanding the list? The Elves and Dwarves eye the Hunters anxiously, and if their races' names ever end up on the Hunters' list, they won't be terribly surprised, just very very disappointed.
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Playing a Hunter
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If you're an official Hunter, you're a member of the Guild. There's just no way around it. Anyone else is just pretending.
Most Hunters are self-righteous on an order that would make an Isola Paladin seem humble by comparison, but that doesn't mean they're all assholes, necessarily. It just means that they believe hard in their mission, whatever it may be, and they believe extra hard if that mission is to exterminate ghosts, zombies, vampires and weres.
Many Hunters are paladins or clerics, but an alliance with the Holy Orders isn't necessary, only a belief in their righteous justice meted out through divine smiting. Some Hunters have only a passing interest in the Gods. For them, the Hunt is much more personal: a vampire killed their family, their beloved's rest was disturbed when he or she was called back into being a zombie, etc. Choose your motivations carefully, because no matter what reason a man or woman has for being a Hunter, they are hard-freakin'-core about it. It is their main focus, bordering on Obsession, and a lot of Hunters do have this Disadvantage.
Hunters also have a flair, as well as a deep-seated craving, for the old melodrama. They are definitely the type to like flashy entrances and dramatic lines, though most of them are smart enough to realize when such things would hinder them. A Hunter may not be happy about having to forego his loud, roaring battle cry of "Beware, Foul Creatures of the Dark! It is I, Toran the Hunter, here to Vanquish Thee!", but if he's trying to ambush a vampire, he'll keep his trap shut and just swallow his pride (for the time being; you can be sure the floodgates of cheesy declarations will be let loose as soon as evil is truly defeated). Still, expect long, flowing capes and jaunty hats to be a required part of your wardrobe.
Hunters are fighters, but they're a different type of fighter: they rely on speed and intelligence instead of strength. They're not weak, mind you, but sheer brute force isn't as important to them as reflexes and cleverness. If you like thieves but don't want to be constantly hiding from every law enforcement officer you see, a Hunter might be right up your alley. Dodging until you seize Your Moment to strike is a key Hunter tactic. If you like sneaking around and being crafty all the time, a thief or rogue type character would be better for you. If you want to be loud, dramatic, and somewhat goofy, then a Hunter would be the better choice.
.:~Main Index~:.