Logo of the Knights of Saint George
The Knights of Saint George, otherwise known as the Order of St. George, is a society of hunters who specialize in hunting and killing malevolent Tulpas such as Alternates and Egregores.
Overview[]
The Knights of Saint George differ from most paramilitary groups specialize in typical monster hunting as their speciality is the destruction of Tulpas or Egregores which are entities created in the mind, acting independently of, and parallel to one's own consciousness. Essentially the Order hunts down the dark parallel of Fables and creatures whom are the uncanny reflection of humanity's fears, that being monsters born out the Collective Unconscious where the turbulent streams of subconsciousness are rabid with fear, despair, hatred, and the like, giving manifest to a monstrous beast that embodies said fears.
The origins of the group is unknown other than the reason why they took the name of Saint George is that pertains to the moment George slayed his first monster which was a dragon and that these Tulpas which were born out of a child's fears and despair would be the first monsters they confront and the first that they somehow manage to kill. They are also known by other paramilitary organizations like Federal Bureau of Control of whom they are often at odds with as the bureau wishes to detain and study the Tulpas they kill. More solitary supernatural hunters also know of them and often take to acquiring resources from their stocks in the hopes they possess a tool that is used to kill a specific monster.
Description[]
In the old days, young people who survived an attack would be tested against the Tulpa that traumatized them. They would face off in a shared dreamscape, where they get a chance to tame the Tulpa and lock it in their totem, an item, usually a toy, of great meaning to the hunter. Due to the survival rate being relatively low, the Order largely changed the initiation test, except for certain circumstances, like Erica Slaughter. They would profile orphans and test them against random monsters, as opposed to the one that attacked them.
If they pass the test, they receive the Mark of St. George, a tattoo of a dragon with spears through it. They also receive a solid color bandana to wear in their chapter house. They are trained in the ways to kill monsters. Once they get their first kill, they receive a new bandana with teeth on it, making them a full-fledged monster hunter. Before they leave their teenage years, the initiates must pass one more test so that they can perform the Rite of Trepanation, which will allow the monster hunter to continue seeing monsters into adulthood, since only children could see them.
Weapons[]
For weapons, they are given random objects that can actually be weaponized by the power of Thought called "Gestalts".
Types[]
There exists two types of "Gestalts ; Attacker and Defender. When a person wants to get the best use out of their object it becomes an Offensive Gestalt which gives it powerful combative abilities, on the other hand, someone who prefers to preserve their object, and doesn't want to damage it, will likely be defensive meaning they won’t be able to use their object offensively and will instead gain non-combative abilities. Each Gestalt is unique under the wielder, adapting and materializing based on the wielder's character.
Memetics[]
Memetics is an even rarer ability to manifest in an object. It occurs when an object is passed down between generations, allowing the thoughts of several hunters to build up within the object, making its power even stronger. Like genes, memes are selfish replicators and have causal efficacy; in other words, their properties influence their chances of being copied and passed on. Some succeed because they are valuable or useful to their human hosts while others are more like viruses.
Factions[]
- Azure Masks: The Blacksmiths, they build all the hunting weapons and moderate the the tests of skill.
- Black Masks: One of four types of hunters, they are hunters that work alone in the field.
- Emerald Masks: One of four types of hunters, they are considered the most dangerous.
- Scarlet Masks: The Bookkeepers, who track the lives of hunters. However, they often double as servants, caring for the chapter houses.
- Silver Masks: One of four types of hunters, they are specialists. They hunt monsters with established rules, like vampires or werewolves, and are more prevalent at chapter houses in countries with more culturally ingrained folklore.
- White Masks: One of four types of hunters, they are pack hunters. They are trained to take on big game as a team.
- Violet Masks: Emissaries of the Pontiff, the head of the Order. They oversee the transition of Dracons (heads of houses), resolve territorial disputes between houses, and to revoke house charters.