The Circle of Ozahn

A society of hunters and protectors; their practice is ancient and their quarries uncountable.

We are above beasts. We are the Hunt. We fear no quarry.

— Letomont Proverb

The Circle of Ozahn is an ancient hunting society. They are a group of renown hunters who serve as protectors, mercenaries, adventurers, and conquerors. No beast is too daunting for the Circle to hunt, no risk too great. They maintain their dominance over nature's fiercest predators.

The Goal of All Hunters

Hundreds of trophies under my belt. My pack of twelve has fed from my bow alone for years.

Yes, I have heard of the Circle of Ozahn, but I never expected to find the Schaeus arrow in my kill.

There is no greater honor. I will find you, Letomont Mara.

— Prospective Ilaru of Black Canyon

The Calling

To be called to join the Circle is a great honor. They recruit from only the most accomplished hunters. A Letomont will tail a Prospective, watching their deeds until deciding to send an offer. An offer is made by landing a arrow of pure Schaeus in the Prospective's next quarry. On the arrow, the name of the offering Letomont is engraved.

Hunting the Hunter

If the Prospective understands the meaning of the arrow, then begins the hunt for the Letomont. If they catch their Letomont and return the arrow, they will be brought to the nearest Lodge to be initiated. This hunt can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Once the Letomont departs the planet, the Prospective has failed. Whether or not the Letomont returns to try again is their choice.

The Initiation

When the Prospective enters the Lodge for the first time, they will partake in their first hunt. They join their Letemont as a pair, known as a Fanged hunt, to take down a beast. This gives the Letemont a chance to see how they cooperate and hunt from a closer perspective. Depending on the success of the hunt, the Prospective then becomes a Letemont.

The Upbringing

The new Letomonts is instilled with both the skills and the Values of the Circle of Ozahn. They learn techniques honed over thousands of years. They learn to protect those who protect themselves, and grow closer to the thrill of the hunt. Letomonts are expected to find their own Prospectives so they can pass down their learnings, and to share their knowledge with other Letomonts.

History

The First Hunt

A trial as old as the Circle, an ancient ritual. I spent weeks in the rugged wilderness hunting for Mara.

She was deserving of her title, I give her that. I always felt her eyes upon me, but I could not catch the wily huntress.

It was a thundering night when my devious tree snare finally caught her. So glorious was the whip of the snare and the howl of her distress, I knew she was mine.

— Prospective Ilaru

The Circle of Ozahn can trace its roots back over ten thousand years to a time of turmoil for the Verin people. They were just attempting to colonize the mainland of Jhoutai. The poor masses of Verin holding to their coastal towns were picked off like rats by a massive pack of Sazakraht lead by a monstrous alpha.

This alpha, the size of two Verin stacked atop each other, took hundreds of lives to sate its own voracious hunger. Ozahn the Trapper, who had lost his wife and all but his eldest son to this beast, decided to do what no other had done: he was to slay the beast. He would conquer nature as no other Verin could do. And so, he began The First Hunt.

The hunt was an epic that lasted a month. Ozahn and his son rode out with bows in hand. They tracked the beast, baited him, lured him into trap after trap. After whittling the beast down with traps, they finished it off with two arrows fired simultaneously. Ozahn punctured the beast's neck, his son the lung. The village celebrated the kill, feasting on the carcass of the beast for days.

With the revenge for their village sated, Ozahn and his son spent the rest of their lives to ensure a beast could no longer strangle the Verin into submission. They established the Circle of Ozahn and its practices based on their first hunt. The pair had gone on the first Fanghunt. They constructed the first Lodge. Through their exploits, they taught dozens of the first Letomont how to hunt previously insurmountable beasts. To this day, many Letomont bear a symbol of that legendary hunt. Some wear a Sazakraht fang on a necklace, some wear bands of Sazakraht talons around their wrist; the first Sazashi Letomont replaced his tusks with a Sazakraht's.

No Frontier Untouched

The Circle of Ozahn still thrives. They are affiliated with the Verin Haimarchy, and work with colonists and enthusiasts to hunt and secure superiority over beasts. They are one of the few Haimarchy organizations that hold all Sophont under equal rights. The ability to hunt outweighs the history of the Banners; power and respect comes from your trophy room instead of your bloodline.

If there is a frontier that lies untamed, the Circle of Ozahn is there, bringing it to heel.

Navigate

A Hunter's Code

There is no fixed hierarchy in the Circle; the name of the Circle itself is a reference to this. A circle has no top. Instead, the Circle abides by a set of simple traditions and honoraries.

To the astonishment of historians, these traditions have perpetuated through the millennia.

Hunters

Letokenda

^{The head of the hunt}

The honorary term for the hosts of events, or seasoned hunters. It is derived from the term for hunter (Leto), and the term for leader (Kenda).

Letomont

^{An established hunter}

The universal title for people accepted into the fold of the Circle. They are accomplished hunters who have all felled great beasts. A Letomont often holds their own Lodges, hunts, and Contests.

Prospectives

^{Lifted from the pool of predators}

Prospectives are hunters that can come from any walk of life. They are chosen by a Letomont. Prospectives are tracked and evaluated over the course of weeks before being given the Calling.

Traditions

Lodges

^{The Circle's Outposts}

Every Letomont owns a Lodge ranging from an unassuming hut to a luxurious mansion. In their Lodge, a Letomont hosts Moots and Contests, receives messages from other Circle members, or simply relaxes on their own turf.

Fangs

^{For the prey too big for one}

Named after the two massive fangs bottoming a Sazakraht's jaws, a Fang is a pair of Letomonts working together take down a beast. This tradition is a callback to the first hunt of Ohzan and his son.

Contest

^{A gathering of skills}

Competitions of survival and sharpshooting held at the Lodge of a Letomont. These affairs are often attended by other Letomonts, Nobles, and enthusiasts alike.

Moot

^{An exciting occasion}

A great hunt consisting of many other Letomonts and lead by a Letokenda. These are called in severe circumstances, such as a super predator or a predator invasion.

RPG Content

^{There is hidden RPG content on this article for Master Aspirants and above. If you would like to read it, please consider joining the ranks and supporting the continued development of Ethnis!}

My first Fanghunt with Mara solidified my place among the greatest. We spent a month on Fenu-Tri, searching for the Tempestasa.

We found it in a week, it took us three to take it down. Just like the legend of the First Hunt, two arrows flew true. When I walked up to see the clean puncture of the beast's neck, I knew I had found my place. Perhaps I will make my Lodge on this planet.

— Letomont Ilaru