The Battlehost

"The Battlehost ... truly one of the most evil organizations, most deceptive cults ... one of the worst foes to have to face. Long ago, we thought we wiped them out. We should have known that such a task could never be accomplished by our proposedly righteous crusade."
--Ylena Kais, former leader of the Greyknights

Beginnings of Divisiveness

Everyone - the humans - knows that the flight of the human race across the ocean was not entirely independent. They say that they were led by Syrrha, the goddess of the Lost, who guided an entire peoples across a fathomless ocean. It is said Syrrha took the form of a Blood Raven, holding a marten in its claws.
And this is where the story diverges.
Some say that Syrrha spoke through the marten, though her avatar was that of the raven. Other say that Syrrha was the marten, and the raven was her means of locomotion.
Some tell an entirely different story. Some say it was not Syrrha at all who guided the humans. They say it was instead Athes who first led the humans across the sea to Ravengrin. They claim that that he desires humankind to spread like wildfire, to conquer, dominate, and subdue every corner of the world.
And to purge all other intelligent races from the land.
This cult of xenophobic zealots is called the Battlehost, and is comprised of all walks of life.

Hidden in Mundane Savagery

The Battlehost are one of the most ancient organizations in Ravengrin, having been founded before even the end of the Ashen War. Throughout history, they have functioned in varying levels of prevalence - in some eras, they were thought to have been stamped out by the crusades of better men. In others, they had free rein, with none to stop the barbaric violence wrought by their hands.
This is one of those ages.
In a world where violence is common, no one stands in the way of those who choose to exploit such a time. Savage raiding parties exterminate entire dwarven villages in the name of Athes, while craftily intelligent townmasters subtly manipulate animosity between towns.

Structure and Leadership

In the past, the Battlehost was very much a glorified cult of overly zealous barbarians. Over the centuries, it has evolved into a far more structured organization. The Battlehost is headed by a single occult sect of intelligent coordinates of unknown identity, called the Core Council. Working directly with the Core is the First Ring, a group of assassins, warlocks, and mages, who dispense the Core's orders to the final sect of the Battlehost: the Second Ring.
The Second Ring is by far the largest subsection of the Battlehost, composed of nearly all who are willing to pledge their allegiance to the cause. Bandit chieftans, corrupt townmasters, and deserted military companies.

Notable Figures

There are actually no living members of the Battlehost whose identity is known. The Core is said to have several members of vampiric nature, and rumor has it that the mastermind behind the entire faction has a pact with a creature from the lower plains.
It is said Yaeza the Tyrant had strong alliances with the Battlehost, and it is postulated as well that Sargon, the greatest barbarian chieftan of this age, was a member of the cult. Such claims are impossible to prove, however, since both individuals are nearly a decade dead, and those who possess such knowledge would hardly be willing to divulge it.

Type

Religious, Cult