- “Don't clomp about as if you’re a drunkard in Marienburg's slums, boy! Feel your way around. Let the forest talk to you. She'll tell you everything you need to know...if you're quiet enough to listen. Such things a forest can tell you...more than most city-folk’d dream...
- —Anonymous Scout.[2a]
A scout in the wilds.
A Scout is a rare individual who is more at home in the wild than in the teeming cities of the Old World.
Overview[]
Scouts roam through the wilderness, following trails that few other eyes can discern, while keeping an eye out for dangerous beasts and unnatural occurrences.[1a]
Scouts are often more comfortable with animals than other people. They frequently hire their expertise out to armies, merchants, and travellers who need to go far off the known roads. [1a]
They usually roam ahead of their clients, seeking out ambushes and other troubles that may beset a large group on the move.[1a] However, they rarely deal with hazards themselves, preferring to slip back to warn their employers.[3a]
Most Scouts have a specific territory they are most familiar with, where they have local contacts and extensive knowledge. However, a minority of Scouts specialize in guiding their clients through previously uncharted land.[3a]
Scouts Outside the Empire[]
- “You don't want to be going off the road down by the bluff without a guide. There's man-traps in them woods what the reeve put down to catch poachers. Almost 'ad old Billi's leg off last week it did.”
- —Gwyn, Scout.[3a]
While scouts are commonly found in the wildernesses among the Empire's borders, they also serve beyond them. While outriders are expected to blaze trails and reconnoiter for organized caravans and large parties, Scouts help smaller (or more covert) groups and individuals find their way around the edges of the Empire.[2a]
Equally at home in forest or mountains, a Scout can identify trouble, help hunt up meals, and keep watch. A Scout is an invaluable ally, whether the task is to discover where orcs amass in the Worlds Edge Mountains, map out the passes above the Ostermark, or lead traitorous discussions with the Goblins or Orcs of the Grey Mountains.[2a]
While it may take some time to grow accustomed to the nuances of a foreign land, truly gifted Scouts will slowly acclimate to any region. Their ability to adapt is vital to their trade, and their survival.[2a]
Notable Scouts[]
- Andrus Taurbach – Andrus felt the calling of the woods and the Horned God early in his life in Talabecland. By the age of 13, he found the god's grove near his village and became an Initiate. On his annual retreat in the wooded Farlic Hills, Andrus embraced true wildness.[2a]
- Markus Wulfhart – known by his title as Huntsmarhal, Markus is the Emperor's Captain of Scouts and the most successful hunter and monster slayer in the entire Old World. Markus was originally an ordinary townsfolk of the village of Drakenburg, situated within the deep dark forest of the Middenland province. He is the leader and captain of all Scouts, under his title as Huntsmarshal, and also as the leader of his own band of monster hunters.[4a]