The Pale Hunt

The Pale Hunt is an organisation of undead-hunters based in Kyria.

History of the Pale Hunt
The Pale Hunt was founded in -1699 EM (499 JY), the final year of the Century of Frost, at the behest of High Queen Kasthyrha of Ardulidyl. The order were originally established as an elite group of cleric-assassins tasked with hunting down the most important undead generals of Vydhrar's armies.

Following Vydhrar's defeat at the hands of the ascended Kasthyarhi, the Pale Hunt was charged with hunting the remnants of his armies and Faithful. From these beginnings, the organisation blossomed into an elite group of vampire-hunters, lich-slayers, and zombie pest control operatives, skilled and specialised in slaying of the undead.

The Pale Hunt grew in influence during the years of Zhetanax's power in Kyria, acting as specialist assassins for the Empresses of Ardulidyl against Zhetanax. It is widely claimed by the current members of the Hunt that they were directly involved in Irisia's successful campaign against Zhetanax, although the orthodox Church of Delenthor officially condemns such claims as heresy.

In -1240 EM (960 JY), after the defeat of Zhetanax, the Pale Hunt were temporarily disbanded, as the threat of undead incursion began to pale in comparison to Delenthorian expansionism as an existential danger to Ardulidyl.

However, only 6 years later, Dhigofynt, one of Vydhrar's Faithful, resurfaced in the Frostgrave, massacring a village and raising its members as undead to march south. In response, the daughter of the previous Head Huntsmistress declared a New Hunt, which has remained active throughout Kyria ever since.

Principles and Beliefs
The Pale Hunt is forged on one principle: when the dead walk, they must be put back in the ground.

For some members of the Pale Hunt, this belief is forged into a complex ideology based on the natural cycles of life and death; for others, it is a simple observation that undead are wrong and dangerous, and that they should be defeated. Whether philosophical or pragmatic in their approach to undeath, all Pale Hunters agree that the abomination of undeath is sufficiently evil, and sufficiently important, that it is worth devoting one's entire life to its eradication.

For the most part, the Pale Hunt is seen as a good organisation. Their stated goals include the protection of the vulnerable who could be harmed by the undead the hunters hunt. However, the clandestine nature of their opperations, their willingness to desecrate graves to prevent the dead from rising, and the fact that the presence of a Pale Hunter in a region usually precedes an undead incursion means that Hunters themselves are usually treated with suspicion and distrust at best.

Religion and the Pale Hunt
The Pale Hunt is not officially devoted to any deity. However, due to the powers clerics and paladins hold over the undead, most Pale Hunters are religious to some degree, either a cleric of a god or religiously devoted to a paladin oath.

Within the Hunt, the Kasthyarhi and Irisia, the Watcher, have particular prestige. These two ascended gods are particularly revered as Kyrian mortals who made their stand against undeath and earned their godhood through this means, and are worshipped as goddesses against the undead in particular. However, any deity which takes particular exemption to the undead may find worshippers in the Hunt.

Ranks and Renown
If you choose to join the Hunt, you must prove yourself to earn the respect and acknowledgement of the other members of the Hunt. This respect is marked by gaining Renown in the organisation.

Joining the Pale Hunt
If you wish to join the Pale Hunt, two things must first be achieved. First and often most difficult, the applicant must find a sufficiently high-ranking member of the order. Once such a member has been found, the applicant may begin the Trial of the Pale.

The Trial usually involves recovering three components, often recovered from slain undead. The most common reagents are: wraith dust, a ghoul's claw, and the bone from a skeleton warrior. However, the components are adapted to fit the undead currently plaguing the land and the apparent capabilities of the applicant.

Applicants join the Hunt in one of two capacities. Hunters are those who patrol the frontiers of the world, seeking to hunt down and destroy undead wherever they are found. Seekers are scholars and reconnaissance agents, specialising in gathering the knowledge needed to find undead, predict undead incursions before they come, and research new ways to slay the undead that are found.

When you join the Hunt, you will also join one particular Pack. Each pack is semi-independent, grass-roots driven, although all the Packs bow to the authority of the Head Huntsmistress. There are twelve Packs, each responsible for protecting one-twelfth of Kyria.

Gaining Renown
You can gain renown with the Pale Hunt by completing quests and missions for the Hunt, by slaying powerful undead, or by recovering secrets of necromancy that might help the Hunt counter their undeathly opponents. As you gain renown, you gain influence with the order, and you also gain rank. If you have a renown of 10 or greater, you can also take levels in the Pale Hunter prestige class (at your GM's discretion, see below).

Ranks in the Hunt
You gain the following ranks as you gain renown with the Pale Hunt:

Rank 1: Whelp
Renown 3 or greater with the Pale Hunt

As a whelp, you have become an established member of the Hunt, and you are recognised as one of their members. You can call upon scholars of the Pale Hunt to provide you with information about the undead you are currently hunting, although they will not accompany you into dangerous circumstances. In addition, members of the Pale Hunt will sell you resources for your hunts (such as holy water) at a discounted rate, and you can use Pale Hunt safe houses.

Rank 2: Hunter / Seeker
Rank 1, Renown 10 or greater with the Pale Hunt

Your rank title depends on your role in the Pale Hunt. If you focus on information and recon, you gain the rank of Seeker. If you focus on slaying undead yourself, you gain the rank of Hunter.

You are recognised as a notable member of the Pale Hunt, meaning even those outside the Hunt will recognise you as a member, respecting your authority on matters of undeath but otherwise generally suspecting you.

The Pale Hunt provides you with certain resources whenever you start a mission for them. You gain a Pale Charm (detailed below), and you gain the service of 1d4 whelps (use the Scout statblock) who will continue to aid you until the completion of the mission.

" Pale Charm . When you active this charm, you can cast the daylight, detect evil and good, or protection from evil and good spell. You can choose whether to use Wisdom or Charisma for your spellcasting ability for these spells. Once you have used this charm, it disappears."

Between adventures, your work with the Pale Hunt allows you to easily maintain a modest lifestyle.

You also can gain levels in the Pale Hunter prestige class.

Rank 3: Burier / Finder / Pale Scholar
Rank 2, Renown 25 or greater with the Pale Hunt

Your rank title depends on your role in the Pale Hunt:


 * If you were a Hunter, you become a Burier.
 * If you were a Seeker who specialised in reconnaissance, you become a Finder.
 * If you were a Seeker who specialised in study and theory, you become a Pale Scholar.

When you engage in a mission for the Pale Hunt, you can call on up to 3d4 whelps and two clerics from the Pale Hunt to aid you.

Between adventures, you can maintain a comfortable lifestyle on your work with the Pale Hunt.

Rank 4: Pack Leader
Rank 3, Renown 50 or greater with the Pale Hunt, special

As a Pack Leader, you lead one of the major divisions of the Pale Hunt. There are only ever twelve Pack Leaders, each appointed individually by the current Head Huntsmistress, and you can only become a Pack Leader if one of the current Pack Leaders is removed from position.

As a Pack Leader, you have full access to the resources of your Pack, a section of the Pale Hunt tasked with protecting one twelth of Kyria from undead incursions.

Loosing Renown and Excommunication
If you fail in a mission for the Pale Hunt, you may lose renown. In addition, if you are ever found to have engaged in necromancy, you are immediately excommunicated from the Pale Hunt and lose all renown with the Pale Hunt.

Prestige Class: Pale Hunter
Members of the Pale Hunt develop specialist skills for tracking down and slaying undead. At your GM's discretion, if you are using the multiclassing optional rule and you join the Pale Hunt, you may be allowed to take levels in the Pale Hunter prestige class. You can only take levels in Pale Hunter if you have at least 10 renown with the Pale Hunt, alongside other conditions.