Exorcists

Exorcists are individuals who fight dark forces throughout the world. Despite the name, they don't always deal with possessions or spirits and most often find themselves in the role of monster-hunters or simple paranormal investigators.

History
Exorcists were formed at the same time as the Mage families 800 years ago, when the original Heroes split apart. Since then they have gone through numerous changes, but have always worked to protect humanity from supernatural forces. During the Grim Ages they were warriors, and for the longer period after they were mostly connected to various religious organizations. They eventually lost much of their recognition and influence, becoming as they are in the current time.

Hierarchy
Exorcists are, for the most part, loners. They sometimes work in small groups, but due to the nature of their work they tend to not stay in any one place. For this reason and due to the fact that little real monetary gain exists for fighting monsters, they are often seen as vagrants.

The highest power for the exorcists is the Redwick Club, comprised of some of the worlds most experienced and respected exorcists. It manages those working in the field and also conducts the tests that determine qualification for becoming an exorcist. Exorcists are expected to take one or more apprentices and train them privately, then eventually send them to an organized exam which will allow them to potentially become full-fledged monster hunters.

Collectively, the Exorcists as a whole are referred to as the Guilds. This is because exorcists are classified into numerous groups, each one administered by a member of the Redwick Club.

The Redwick Club has the authority to command the exorcists in the field, and works in tangent with the Mages Association.

Various smaller exorcist organizations exist, though they are treated with varying degrees of mistrust due to their independence.

The main exorcist power in the world besides the Redwick Club is the Holy Church, which has been the leading defender against supernatural forces since the Grim Age.

The Church
Many of the world's exorcists work under the Church, which for many centuries was the world's leading power against supernatural forces. The Church's ranking system is below.

Executor- The main enforcers of the Church, who hunt supernatural threats and destroy them. Also act as the Church's main anti-mage force, and are trained specifically to deal with Mages.

Knight- More decorated exorcists, trained in more conventional combat roles than the more assassin-based techniques of the Executors. They are trained from a young age, and are always given specially made enchanted equipment.

Inquisitor- When an enforcer or knight becomes experienced enough, they may be chosen for the rank of Inquisitor. These individuals tend to lead their own personal force, and are always exceptionally skilled individuals.

Paladin- The most skilled and experienced exorcists of the Church may eventually become Paladins, the trump card of the Holy Orders. These are the most powerful and deadly warriors the Church commands, and entrusted with the most dangerous and important missions.

Skills/Abilities
There is no uniform way to deal with supernatural forces. Every exorcist tends to have his own skills, tools, tricks, and eccentricities. Many exorcists rely on simple sorcery, the use of tamed spirits or monsters as familiars, or specially made weaponry. It takes a lot of training and study to learn how to deal with the various supernatural creatures in the world, as many of them can't be dealt with in straighforward ways.

Blacklisting
Blacklisting occurs when a monster or spirit becomes a deadly threat to human life. This generally only happens if the creature is powerful enough to threaten large numbers of people. It gives any and all exorcists the authority to eliminate the monster permanently (non-blacklisted monsters are expected to be dealt with in a non-fatal way most of the time). To date, all vampires are blacklisted- likely the reason they have been driven to near extinction. Note that blacklisting only counts towards sentient creatures. Less intelligent monsters, such as Shady Devils, are often simply destroyed.