The Corbeau Society
The Corbeau Society is a fledgling organisation of Monster Hunters that use magic and alchemy to give themselves an edge over the monstrosities that make prey of humanity. Unlike the Monastic Order, they are not beholden to any organisation or creed. They simply follow their own personal belief that humanity must be protected at all cost.
The order was founded by the now-deceased Jason Corbeau, a skilled alchemist and talented scholar who saw the need for an organisation that could do what the Monastic Order could not. He gathered a set of five disciples and trained them in the arts of Monster Hunting; teaching them various skills, such as tracking, alchemy, combat and much more. Of the original five disciples, only one remains alive. Merlion, the current head of the Society, has travelled to Lutetia in order to ply his craft; and has already begun to complete contracts in outlying villages and towns. Now, he heads to the city itself intent on proving his Society the superior group.
The Society - General Info
Much like the Monastic Order, the Corbeau Society is founded of individuals who are tasked with investigating, hunting down, and exterminating violent non-human threats that put human lives at risk. The key differences lie in their motives and their methods. For one, the Corbeau Society does not shun the use of magic; actively seeking out the assistance of witches and other magic users in their duty. They have also shown a general willingness to sacrifice far more in pursuit of the 'greater-good.' Merlion, for example, is known to imbibe toxic alchemical potions in order to imbue him with the strength, speed, and skills required to fight the terrifying monsters they seek. Entry into the order requires the undertaking of some mysterious ritual, and Merlion's own personal prejudice has made it so that non-humans are almost always rejected.
The Society itself seems to have a varied opinion on monsters, spirits, and the fey (which will be detailed further below) but the leadership of the Society seems to be a very loose affair, with Merlion serving as the closest thing to a leader despite rejecting the title numerous times. The main take-aways are simple though: Monsters that threaten humans and humanity, of any shape and size, are to be dealt with. Magic is seen as a boon to be used, just like any weapon, and the Corbeau Society will use that and any other method to achieve victory.
The Society - Appearance
The Corbeau Society has no standing uniform, and Merlion insists it stay like that. Due to the organisation's limited numbers, subterfuge and silent investigation are often key to the Society succeeding in its missions. As a memento to his old master, Merlion wears a pin on his cloak: a red feather. This red feather serves as the Corbeau Society's symbol, and often times serves as the icon by which the Society works under.
The Society - Opinions and Priorities
The Society follows a fairly simple set of generalised opinions on the various movers-and-shakers of the Lutetian lands, which are as follows.
Humans - Very Positive: Humans and by-extension other mortals are the cornerstone of Lutetia and deserve every protection from the monsters they cannot protect themselves from. These are the many that Hunters fight to protect.
Humans, Nobles - Neutral: The Corbeau Society knows that Nobles care for two things; their money, and themselves. However, since the Society has no delusions of revolution, they abide by the Nobility and will take jobs from them happily enough.
The Monastic Order - Neutral: The Monastic Order serves itself more than it serves the people, and the Hunters see the order as a threat. The two groups disagree on a number of fundamental values; such as how the Society does not embrace religious teachings, and embraces magic in all its forms. Sometimes, the two are forced to cohabitate for the greater-good, but never without much deliberation and a greater sense of distaste for one-another.
Practitioners of Magic - Neutral: It’s hard to judge Magic users as a whole, because they affect humans in such a variable way. Good mages, Witches, and Warlocks help the Corbeau Society to exist and function, while Evil ones harm humans irreparably. As a rule of thumb, the following mages are seen as constant threats akin to monsters: Blood Mages, Necromancers, Summoners, and Mind-Altering magic users.
On the other hand, various 'monsters' garner differing responses from the Society.
Vampires - Very Negative: The Vampires of old were monsters that feasted on humans and treated them as little more than cattle. Any vampires of the modern day will be met with pure, unyielding extermination.
Demons - Very Negative: Demons represent the truest threat to Humanity, and are the most hated of monsters that a Hunter might encounter.
Werewolves - Negative: While Werewolves are seen as a blight, the order knows it must respect the laws of the land. They wouldn’t go out of their way to purge non-Lunetia infected werewolves, but accidents might happen in the field, and any monster stricken with Lunetia will be purged without remorse.
The Fey - Negative: The fey delight in the mistreatment of humans, but most of it is not done maliciously; and is instead due to the alien nature of the Fey. They are untrustworthy, but not wholly evil. Generally, the Society tries not to tangle with the Fey, as their courts are deadly enemies.
Spirits/Ghosts - Neutral: Inherently, the Corbeau Society does not hate spirits. They understand that most seek revenge, or satisfaction so that they might move on; but many can be a nuisance, or even a very real threat. The Society will normally attempt to pacify a spirit, but know that this is not always possible.
Natural Spirits (i.e. Shamanistic spirits) - Positive: Many such spirits are inclined into helping people, and as such Hunters might commune with them either through practitioners or through other means.
