To Court the Fèidh - Prequel - Order of the Hart -
#1 of To Court the Fèidh
Order of the Hart - Prequel - is a brief introduction to the Order, a group of borderline xenophobic religeous offshoots, whose sole purpose is to rid humanity of the threat of the Therian and the Were's.
Order of the Hart
© Cederwyn Whitefurr
7thOctober, 2021
All Rights Reserved.
History of the Order of the Hart
Founded over thousand years ago, the Order of the Hart was originally a religious group founded by the Church to hunt down and kill Therian's, Were's and other creatures that went 'bump' in the night.
Such beasts were the bane of humanity, often preying upon them as playthings for their cruel and sadistic pleasures - then when they tired of them, they were food for the 'beasts' as they came to be known.
It is long forgotten exactly when the Order broke from the Church and went their own way, making it their self-imposed mission to eliminate the Were's and the Therian's, wherever and whenever they were found.
They have a 'human-centric' belief in their righteousness and an almost borderline xenophobia about Therian's and Were's. They will capture, torture and execute these 'beasts' even going so far as to make a sport out of it, as they view them as godless, soulless 'beasts', that are a plague against humankind.
One in a thousand of the Order members know magicks and can wield them with terrible and frightening intent. Such magicks lean heavily towards the destructive and the dark arts, for such is the way of the Order.
When it comes to the 'beasts' they hunt. Humans allied or assisting the beast's are likewise tortured for information on the location and numbers of known Therian's or Were's, then executed when they are of no further use.
They have refined their art of capture for these 'beasts' and use silver tipped lances, pikes, swords, daggers and even crossbow bolts and arrows. They are exceptionally gifted in laying exquisite and carefully designed traps to catch the 'Beasts'.
Once caught, a "Beast' is restrained with heavy shackles and leg bindings, depending on the species being hunted. A iron collar is often also employed being affixed around their neck with a silver cored bar from the collar to the wrist shackles and the ankles.
In feral-like 'beasts' such restraints are a collar - usually attached to a long shaft so the handler can maneuver/force said 'beast' to go where they wish, whilst remaining at range from them. Hobbles are often infused with silver and cross-tied to prevent escape.
Imprisonment for an indefinite time is their accepted fate, where said 'beast' is tortured and starved until their will breaks and they divulge their information such as their numbers, location and any other pertinent details before they are led into the main square of the keep and before the whole order - they are usually pierced through with silver lances.
No mercy is shown for these 'beasts', anything they can and do say, including pleas for leniency or mercy, are merely considered to be lies and mistruth, intending to elicit responses of remorse or compassion within the Order Brotherhood. Such a thing will not and can not, be allowed to happen. They are 'beasts' abominations before man and the Gods, and as such, shall be according to succour, no compassion and absolutely, no mercy.
"We are the Order of the Hart, we have a sacred duty, no, a _righteousness_to destroy through whatever means we deem necessary, these godless, soulless 'beasts' that threaten humanity's very existence. We rule through fear, for through fear, we are strong and united as one, with one purpose and one goal."
By order of the Arch-Magi,
Lord Kelias Blackmane,
1,032 AD.