The Witch Fynders

Shortly after the coronation of King Beast  I was working in my office when I received a visit by Chaplain Hawthorne, one of the Wardens' pastors. I invited him in and greeted him warmly, but I was met with a stony stare.

"Brother Rufus," he pronounced haughtily, "you have sinned against the Wardens and against God Almighty himself. You must repent of your evil!"

I was quite taken aback. "How so?" I asked, puzzled by the accusation.

"You have placed yourself in the service of THE BEAST!"

I chuckled, which caused the chaplain to grit his teeth. I continued: "You are mistaken Chaplain. The Wardens support King Beast, a mere mortal who was won the crown of the Shrouded Isles. He has nothing to do with the Beast of Revelations."

"Fool." Hawthorne retorted. "How can you be sure of that? Wisdom dictates that we should have nothing to do with him!"

I brushed aside his concern, but he persisted in his denunciations.

"You have been far too lax in your associations. You ally us with abominations, like those cat-people that attended the coronation. You dabble with heretical, druidic magic. You have turned your back on our beliefs, and disaster has followed!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Faedwyr, the destruction of Ember Shoals!" Hawthorne shouted and his shook his finger at me.  "All because you have forsaken the True Faith."

"I believe you are mistaken, Chaplain." He would not let me get any further; he continued to rail against me.

After some fruitless argument, Hawthorne concluded with an ultimatum. "Either repent and shake off these impious associations, or we shall have to shake off the dust from our feet!"

"We?" I asked.

"There are others who feel as I do."

Three days later, a ship set sail from Freehaven port, laden with those zealots who followed Hawthorne. They were bound for Ember Shoals, determined to free the island from the control of the "abominations" and "servants of Baal." And thus was born the Witch Fynders.

OOC Notes

• The Witch Fynders were invented by Robb Rodgers as a faction in Ember Shoals's latest midreign. Robb described them as "a splinter sect of the Wardens. Disavowed for their fanatical doctrine & ruthless tactics . . ."
• I got into the spirit of the event by dressing as a Witch Fynder. I enjoyed it so much that I will be creating a new character, one of the Witch Fynders.
• Stay tuned for a report on the Witch Fynders' first combat action . . .