Nightingale

“Wrath, Greed, Pride. These are the evils that fester like a root of all sins. A root I have sworn to cut out.
As the loa whispers from my blades, we serve as the sworn watchers of the veil. Threading grounds where no one else dares walk as we hunt the sinners down. Bringing justice and order to all who oppose the balance.”
-Quote Unknown

Avenger of Arzawak

Though monster hunters exist in many different shapes and forms through culture to culture, the Arzawakii Nightingale go back to tribal times as the first slayers of all things evil.
From a time where magicians were scarce and gunpowder wasn’t even fantasised about, mankind had to develop other means to defend themselves against the apex predators of the wildlands.
The Nightingales were known among the tribes as culturally unaffiliated heroes wandering the lands in service of their bargains with loa.
Unlike most other combatants that gained their powers through divine beings, these hunters are not sworn to any master though. Rather, they work as mercenaries. Demanding tribute from the people they defend, to which they offer the gifts to various loa in exchange for magical or physical blessings that aid them in combat.

Writing by Tonarus
Art AI generated with Midjourney

Type

Hunting

We are more than mercenaries.
We are more than heroes.
We are the ones that bring balance between man and spirit.

Gear and combat styles

The weapons of choice for a Nightingale are the spear or scimitar and dagger, and a bow or crossbow.
As they often battle creatures far deadlier than themselves, a Nightingale strikes through stealth and uses lethal toxins with a combination of defensive fighting and strategic retreats. Utilising the nature around them as well as what gifts they’ve been granted by the loa to dip in and out of action for swift decimating strikes before falling back into the shadows.
To protect themselves, as well as making sure they can stand out in a civil crowd, they wear a cloaked woollen surcoat painted in royal aubergine colour. Their vitals are covered with a tight fitting but breathable chain and hide other padding to keep agile while still relatively protected.
The colour of choice also ensures that they can easily slip into the shadows as the dark purple blends into the night, while also signalling to the local people their status as hunters of all things vile.

Antidote to Evil

One of the most important tools at hand for a Nightingale are their poisons. While some could foolishly call the use of toxins as cowardice, the act of fighting a large gryphon or manticore is practically suicide without the right preparations.
Sometimes, poison wont work as a creature is resistant or immune towards it. This is where the usage of their loa given powers become vital. Such as unleashing brutal slashes of cursed blades purifying their foes with shadowburns, diseases or boiling blood, to mention but a few among many terrible conditions to which the Nightingale can maim and weaken their targets.
These effects can be applied to their bolts and arrows as well. Technically they can unleash the powers unto their own bodies as well, although it is recommended only to use empowering rather than detrimental blessings on the self.