Arbitori Bannerguard¶
"They are ruthless and thorough, with a well earned reputation for destroying everything which has been tainted and then some." — the clergy's notes, of the Dae'Venari (S321)
The Arbitori Bannerguard is the largest of the five branches of the Sancturi Clergy: the police of the Sancturi Empire in matters of citizens and magic, its fighting orders on campaign, and its missionaries of forced conversion. "Arbitori Bannerguard act as an internal police force, military forces and missionaries (forced conversions). The largest of the Sancturi branches, they are composed of many orders each with their own Principate. An Arbitori governing body is composed of all the Principates and reports to the Qeokrati Council and Emperor" (S321). Its orders include the Dae'Venari, the witch and Hollow hunters, and the Onyx and Splithorn Orders.
Also called: the Bannerguard; the Arbitori.
Organisation¶
The Bannerguard's ranks run from the Bannerguard Principate who heads each order, through the regional Consallon, local Commanders and company Captains (each with a Senior grade), to the members, Junior, Senior, Elite and Orbis, and the recruits, Junior, Senior and Ring Acolytes (S321). The clergy's example of a full title is "Ring Acolyte Bladewarden of the Bannerguaud in the Splithorn Order"; an order's head is simply "Bannerguard Principate of the Splithorn Order" (S321). Rank in the Divine Grace adds "High" to the title, as with the Onyx Order's High Consallon (S321, S189).
"Arbitori wear attire according to their order and the only defining (common) feature is a slightly specialized Arbitori holy symbol normally displayed prominently on a necklace. The Arbitori symbol is a traditional Sancturi symbol with a sword overlaid on top" (S321).
Letters found in Kurano come from Hana Puscavit, "High Priestess of Namaka, Principate & Grand Seer of the Arbitori", asking for "additional sacrifices for our experiments. A dozen or so should be sufficient" and urging every effort to identify a found Eldritch soulcrux (S169; see Minor Figures of the Sancturi Imperium and Eldritch Soulcruxes).
Roles¶
Police¶
"An independent policing force made up of Sancturi clergy which often work closely with Magistrates with capital crimes involving citizens and any magic-use" (S323). A magistrate of the Imperial Government "will coordinate with the Bannerguard for capital crimes involving citizens or magic-users" (S323), and every temple has a Bannerguard Temple Guard (S321). Kurano has its "Sancturi Temple. Bannerguard Barracks. Castle (Provincial Administration)", and the Bannerguard investigator Amano Martin is marked there for death by a smuggler's agent (S169). On the Dalmar frontier a Bannerguard fought the campaign's party beside an Imperial Runebinder and village watchmen (S168, S169), and in the character arcs a group of Bannerguard is "sent to hunt" one of the player characters (S125).
Military orders¶
"There are several orders of Arbitori Bannerguard which operate alongside Sancturi forces when conquering foreign lands. Arbitori Bannerguard also often lead their own raids into foreign territory to seize and forcibly convert heathens" (S321). A cohort of the Nightshade Legion at Haddensfield counted "30 arbitori bannerguard" with its 160 legionaries (S191; see Sancturi Military). A Bannerguard "Brigade (15 men, 3 Squads of 5)" escorts the Dae'Venari in the field (S162).
Missionaries¶
The Bannerguard's missions are conversions by force. In Brusau after the treaty that made it a province, "the Sancturi (Arbitori Bannerguard and Covenant Agents, Dark Gods via Namakan and ?? priests) are hunting worshippers of Arcantus" (S187, S189; see Arcantus).
The Dae'Venari¶
The Dae'Venari are "a militant order devoted to Hollow and witch hunting. They are ruthless and thorough, with a well earned reputation for destroying everything which has been tainted and then some" (S321). The Hollow notes call them "an order of Sancturi Clerics devoted to Devil & Hollow destruction. They are called in as the last resort, due to their numbers being few, their scorched earth tactics and expense" (S325, S146).
The order grew from the ruin of the Keepers of Abaddon. In 681 SM the Keepers' leaders were "put on trial for treason and heresy" and executed, and "Keepers refusing to renounce their sins and become Sancturi are executed." In 685 SM "many Keepers that swore loyalty to the Sancturi go on found the Dae'Venari (the Sancturi's religious order devoted to devil and witch slaying)" (S326).
Within the Imperium it is "a capitol offense for individuals not in possession of a seeking license to knowingly enter a Hollow", and the licensed Seekers must include "at least one Sancturi Cleric and one accredited Runecaster" (S325). Of three "very experienced witch hunters" who arrive at a frontier village, "Sancturi Dae'Venari - or Arbitori Dae'Venari", the leader is High Venator Trakin, "a brutal man with a reputation for effectiveness and heavy handedness. Led a force that cleared a tier 2 Hollow, but purged most of the population of the surrounding area as well", with Senior Runeblade Cava and Elite Slayer Garhil; they "will kill villagers to create a Spectre to force the witch out" (S162; see Minor Figures of the Sancturi Imperium). In Harwith the "Sancturi witch hunters" burned a grandmother and her house and hanged her daughter's family, a child among them, "guilty of obstruction" for hiding her (S138).
Their quarry are described under Witchcraft and Hollowcasting.
Gap
No source gives the Dae'Venari's numbers, their Principate, where they are based, or the meaning of Venator as a rank.
The Onyx Order¶
An order of the Bannerguard in occupied Brusau. "Principate Sadau of the Onyx Order (Arbitori Bannerguard) is overseeing the assimilation of the natives" of Altandon with the Magisters, and "High Consallon Toshidae of the Onyx Order (Arbitori Bannerguard) is charged with responsibility to recover the Eye" (S189).
The Splithorn Order¶
Known only from the clergy's examples of titles: the "Ring Acolyte Bladewarden of the Bannerguaud in the Splithorn Order" and the "Bannerguard Principate of the Splithorn Order" (S321).
In Play¶
The Dreadwitch Nicoleta, wanted across Brusau for "Mass Murder, Demon Summoning, Unlawful Necromancy, Patricide and Blashphemy", is "often seen disguised as a member of the Sancturi Clergy, an Arbitori Priestess" (S192). See the Sancturi Campaign chronicle.