The Rhode Wardens

The ways across nations are long and dark, and as the light of civilization fades into the distance it is only the Rhode Wardens that provide a glimmer of hope in the wild lands that lie between. The Rhode Wardens are guards and hunters, carrying the torch of civilization down the darkest roads and hunting down whatever stalks weary travelers.

Rhode Wardens

Beholden to no government but hired by many, the Rhode Wardens establish stations along the long roads and winding paths and patrol the routes in between. With a bit of coin, nobles and settlement leaders can ensure their routes are secure, without committing forces beyond their walls. Though they are few in number, a single warden can cover great tracts of land, providing valuable intelligence and advance warning.

Structure: Council of lodge leaders, led by an elected head council member.

Symbol: The silhouette of a diving hawk.

Base of Operations: Decentralized. Reedside Station (Grade 5 training hall) serves as a center of operations, while most stations are Grade 2 or 3 encampments or training halls.

Beliefs: The cities and the wilds both deserve respect; the hunt should be undertaken quickly and honorably, regardless of the quarry.

Goals: Protect travelers and settlements; protect both nature and civilization from each other.

Tireless Hunters. The Rhode Wardens work to keep beasts and monsters that endanger remote settlements and the roads that connect them in check. Whole monster populations often decline sharply before the rest learn not to threaten well-traveled paths. Whether on principle or as a paid job, wardens often find humanoids in their sights as well—bandits rarely prosper on their roads, and when caught are treated as less than beasts, left to bleed out unceremoniously in the dirt. For those with a price on their heads, escaping the reach of the town guards often means running right into the waiting arms of the Wardens. Few bounty hunters or thief catchers chase their prey past national borders, but these hunters know no such limitations once they have chosen their quarry.

Old Hunters’ Holds. According to their own lore, the Rhode Warden stations started as simple hunting lodges along the roads— places where a tired trapper or a wounded hunter could rest and recuperate before making the long trek home with their catches. The tricks of the old hunters were passed to the new, and with many watchful eyes and full quivers their humble hunting trails became safer than well-traveled roads. The modern warden stations still reflect their humble origins, and the innocuous thatch longhouses mask the lethal accuracy waiting within.

Eyes of the Hawk. Young hunters must prove their worth by bringing in the fresh head and pelt of some monster that haunts the local area. If successful, the head is stuffed and mounted on the wall beside each other wardens’ prize, and the pelt is ceremoniously cut into their coat. With training in the ways of the Unerring Hawk, these young hunters are molded into proper Rhode Wardens. No hunters can hope to rival their aim, and no creature walks their path unnoticed.