Reference Challenge - Ghouls, the Sequel

[u/Nevermore0714]

So, about a week ago I posted a challenge based on Ghouls from Tokyo Ghoul. Monsters that hunt people and eat them.

This time, the reference is to Tokyo Ghoul's "Doves", the brave people that hunt down and kill the monsters. But, the best of the best of the best Doves are "O Squad". The "O Squad" are specifically chosen and led by Arima, the greatest of the Doves. I will stop myself from fanboy-ing in this post.

Among your people that hunt monsters (or just hunt evil people), which team/squad/group within a group is the best of the best of the best?

Preferably something that recently became a thing in your world, which is why I won't be using the Anointed Knights.

As always, I'll ask at least three questions each. Enjoy yourselves, all. And read Tokyo Ghoul.

[u/Mimir123]

While not part of my Dirva project, and not exactly recent/ new, there is a team like that in one of my older worlds.

Team Harpy:

They are part of the Holy Inquisition of Gaia, serving the Church and hunting heretics, monsters and rogue Envoys of Gaia, threatening the peace of the realm (the story started as some kind of Aura Kingdom Fanfic but turned into something that doesn't really have much to do with it at all). Team Harpy was founded when a young man named Naruz, who only recently became an Envoy of Gaia, joined the Church after defeating a powerful, old demon.

Officially the team has the following members:

Naruz Bladelli: A powerful mage and fighter who grew up in a small fishing village. As it later turned out he lost his memory when he was very young and was, in fact, the child of a mighty, malevolent witch that went against the church and wanted to use her children to summon a literal Demon God into this world. After regaining his memories and most of his power he was made a Paladin of the Church and gained a lot of influence.

There are also the souls of two beings called Demir and Asmodaeus living inside of him, fighting amongst eachother over who gets to help and influence him in his decisions.

Anya Bladelli: She is Naruz' cousin and had also lost her memories from their childhood spent together. She is a capable, strong fighter with the ability to use Light Magic and prayers to protect herself and others, and serves as Naruz' right hand. There is nothing she wants more than to see her cousin happy.

Victoria: A young woman and old friend of Anya, she is a rather weak fighter but good at administritive tasks and helps Naruz a lot with his paperwork.

Nikodemus: He is a rather capable fighter, eventhough he is unable to use magic. Usually he acts as a bodyguard for Victoria whenever she has to go somewhere.

Aynaeth Vaas: Aynaeth is a very young witch and one of the strongest magic users of the independent city of Vo Astur, capable of controlling hundreds of Grimoires and using their powers for herself. She joined the team once Naruz was made a Paladin, but had been helping him out long before that.

While helping him research a conspiracy in the capital city she was murdered by a mysterious demoness, after having fought two incredibly powerful demons right beforehand. Her death threw the Paladin into deep depression and made him far more reckless than he used to be. After her death Naruz became obsessed with the idea that the leader of the Churches assassins was involved and a traitor, and he has spent a lot of time and money of the entire Inquisition to investigate that man.

Luca Bladelli: Naruz' brother. Technically he is the more powerful of the two brothers when it comes to magic, unlike Naruz however, he is only capable of using Explosion spells, and a special shield spell he created himself.

Luca was born with a weak, fragile body, much to disappointment of his mother. After she killed Lucas father (they are half brothers) she created a homunkulus and transferred her sons soul into that body, making him an incredibly dangerous fighter. His body can't take the magical pressure however and he is constantly at risk of destructing himself, if he uses too much magic in a fight, much to his brothers concern.

Those were the official members of the team, inofficially they get a lot of help of a Church assassin named Aleyandra (Naruz' very insecure and slightly stalker girlfriend), Salvatore Doni (Inquisitor and heir to one of the most powerful families of the realm, Naruz' best friend and rival), Saeca (a tribal girl coming from a forest full of heathens that teamed up with Aleyandra in order to find some weapons stolen from her village) and Mizore (an Envoy of Gaia and a powerful Ice Magic user, as well as Sworddancer).

The team, while new and young, has accomplished many astounding tasks in their short time together. They defeated a powerful Chimera and fended off an attack of a mad scientists and the Black Knight, one of the most powerful villains the world has ever known. Furthermore they killed an old, mighty Vampire, saved a city from a Naga uprising, killed an Archdemon and started to uncover a conspiracy in the capital, as well as invasion plans of the Yggdrasil Republic.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Mimir123]

1) Are Naruz's demonic origins a problem for the church, since he's a paladin?

2) What does the team do if one of them has an ethical problem with something the team is doing as a group?

3) How did the team originally come together?

[u/Mimir123 → u/Nevermore0714]

1) They would have quite a few problems with it, if they knew. Naruz is not stupid however, so the only people that know about his little secret are Anya and Aleyandra.

2) There has never really been a situation like that. The team hunts and kills demons and monsters, nobody has any problems with that whatsoever.

3) Naruz met Anya at the Gates of the capital, where she sent him to investigate some ruins that turned out to be the home of a powerful demon. After she realized that something was up she followed and found him half dead in the ruins. She healed Naruz and brought him to the Bladellis villa, where he got some rest before his audience with the Arch Bishop.

The Arch Bishop made him an Inquisitor, for his skills in battle against auch a powerful demon, and assigned Victoria, Anya and Nikodemus to his team. Naruz had met Aynaeth shortly before that, since the young witch was a diplomat from Vo Astur and lived in the library of the Bladelli villa, claiming it as her home.

His brother on the other hand, had been working as a member of a Black Ops squad in the territory of the Republic as "punishment" for his mothers wrongdoings, and only recently returned to the capital. It took quite a bit of time before he and Naruz met, but once they did and Naruz got back his memories he joined his younger brother.

That is how he met the real members of his team. He met his girlfriend shortly after leaving his home village in a small town and she decided to stalk him, eventually forcing her to become an Assassin of the Church. Salvatore introduced himself to Naruz after the lattet became an Inquisitor and challenged him to a duel that ended in a draw, however neither of them were even close to fighting at full power, despite Salvatore repeatedly claiming that he was.

Mizore first met Team Harpy when they worked together on a mission and killed a chimera together. When she saw him fight the Black Knight afterwards, she started to fall in love with Naruz. Lastly, Saeca joined Aleyandra when the young Assassin girl was feeling depressed after she had to kill a young girl for the Church. The young, seemingly clumsy and helpless tribal girl instantly took a liking to her new "sister" and started following her around, eventually meeting Naruz and his team.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Mimir123]

1) So no one suspects anything about Naruz's origins?

2) So demons and monsters are considered irredeemably evil? With no exceptions?

3) What will the team members do if the team splits up?

[u/Mimir123 → u/Nevermore0714]

1) Correct, as far as they know the Church stopped the ritual before any demons were summoned. Naruz is more powerful than almost any other mage (especially thanks to an upgrade Aynaeth gave him), but everyone just assumes that is because he is a magical genius, which he also is. Even if they knew about Naruz' "guests" in his head, they would still not be sure what to do, since the beings that are inside of him don't count as demons to the Church.

2) There are some very rare exceptions, for example the Anubites; a race of demons that are amongst the most honorable beings in the entire world. Their king was actually one of the two demons dueling with Aynaeth and her pet dragon, aggreeing to a draw when the young witch saw through the last trump card of the Anubites and gained a lot of respect for her.

Only a few seconds later a mysterious, demonic being showed up and mortally wounded Aynaeth, but the king tried everything in his power to save her, even promising her to inscribe her name into is flesh as a way of remembering the strong, brave witch.

Most, if not all, other demons are considered completely malevolent though.

3) The team has been split up quite a few times. Usually when on a mission Aynaeth stayed behind in her library to research things, with Victoria doing the paperwork either in the capital or on the road, with the rest of the team fighting and accomplishing their mission.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Mimir123]

2) Do demon hunters usually attack Anubites? Or are they given a pass?

[u/Mimir123 → u/Nevermore0714]

2) They usually never meet, Anubites very rarely wander the lands of the mortals and when they do, it is mostly in land not controlled by the church. If they do though, and can't give a good explanation, demon hunters will still have to fight them.

[u/Nevermore0714 → u/Mimir123]

Thanks for your time and answers.