Path of the Hunt

By Luke Green (thrythlind@aol.com), for the Cristas bloodline

Nickname

Hunters

Description

This path has two concerns: hunting the Sabbat and maintaining the Rules of the Hunt. They discourage hunting innocents or protectors of humanity, not because of any moral choice but because they aid the continuation of the Hunter's food source. Also, the Crista are well aware that they are the predators of a predator, and hunting these healthy members of society is more likely to evoke a violent response which they as a species could not survive. Instead the Hunter's choose their prey from among the lower stratus of human society. They prefer hunting evil mortals as these are detriment to their food source. If they view an individual as enough of a threat to the population they will even hunt those in the public eye.

Their other concern is the hunting of the Sabbat,;in the case of most kindred a Hunter will not hunt them unless they "break the Rules" or are a threat. The Sabbat has no such protection. Basically it is the individual Hunter's decision whether or not to spare them. Hunters see the Sabbat as a whole as a threat to the species, but most will admit that some individuals are worth saving. No Hunter will protect a Sabbat from another Hunter, despite any feeling for the Sabbat vampire. If a vampire renounces the Sabbat in such a manner that they cannot change their minds, they will be sparred. The Tzimisce are the only exception to this rule, though not many have surrendered. It is one of the proven edicts of the Hunter itself that all Tzimisce are to be burned, and no Hunter will ever feed on one.

The Ethics of the Path

Do not hunt the innocent or good unless there is no other food available.

Do not betray your own

Hunt the Sabbat any way you can

History

The history of the Path of the Hunt is virtually the same as that of the Crista. Crista herself was Road of Heaven before the Anarch Rebellion. She merged her slain Gangrel paramour's Road of the Beast with her own and the edicts of the Hunter to create the Path of the Hunt.

Current Practices

Hunters hunt the sabbat and any creature that they perceive as a threat to the human species. Diablerie is very common when killing Sabbat, except, as mentioned above, the Tzimice who are considered impure and burned. From what they have heard of the Baali, Hunters have decided to treat them the same way, though that might prove difficult if they ever encounter one as Baali sometimes are immune to flame.

Description of Followers

Virtually all Hunters are Crista. In other words, virtually all Hunters are merciless hunter/killers that only care about those that share their blood.

Hierarchy of Sins

Path Rating	Minimum Wrongdoing
10	Not inspiring fear in the Sabbat
9	Insulting any with Crista Blood
8	Feeding on the Innocent without need
7	Killing a Kindred outside the Hunt
6	Allowing a Rulebreaker to survive
5	Refusing to endanger self to aid the Bloodline or the Hunt
4	Letting a threat survive longer than needed
3	Killing the Innocent without need
2	Betraying any with Crista Blood
1	Ignoring a request from the Hunter's Dead

Views about the other Paths

Don't much care so long as they are neither Sabbat or Rulebreakers.

Following the Path

It appears fairly easy to follow this path at first glance, but the range of requests from the dead make this a very demanding path. The Cristas don't know the penalty for disobeying that edict, and they don't want to know. They also don't know which dead are which so they only rarely ignore a request. Most Cristas aren't mediums like their founder and thus miscommunication is rampant among wraith/Crista connections. Also some kindred find it ludicrous as it puts ghouls level with vampires.