Hunters

Career

Qualifications

Hunters and Operators are within similar areas in terms of qualifications.

There are very few regulations on who can be a Hunter, aside from a basic level of strength and a minimum age.

Upon signing up to be a Hunter, another Hunter employed by the association one is signing up at, occasionally retired, occasionally on active duty, will test the physical and combat abilities of the signee, assigning them a grade based off of how strong the Hunter believes they are.

This has led to... friction... between testers and signees in the past, however most Hunters who give these tests aren't egotistic enough to undersell the strength of new trainees.

Career Progression

Hunter heirarchy takes the form of a universal Letter grading system, which often directly correlates to the Hunter's personal strength.

Ranks begin at F and move up all the way to S, and relate to the type of threat that a Hunter could realistically handle.

Most Hunters are also part of a Hunting Party, which is a group of similar strength Hunters, usually 4-7, that will move on hunts as a group.

F - The Lowest rank, F-Rank hunters are the bottom of the barrel, lowest of the low, and the least populated of all the ranks, and make up approximately 10% of all Hunters. This is because the relative strength of an F-Rank hunter is only marginally greater than the average person within a Homestead. While this is admittedly not weak, it isn't extremely strong either, as Operators that have been active for at least a year are considered at least E or D Rank. This rank of hunter is most often capable of surviving a solo encounter with one simple creature within a Zone . A decent example of a simple creature would be The Dead Sea's Louse (though Lice have their own unique traits that complicate this type of fight specifically)

E - This rank is made up of the rank and file Hunters. About 30% of hunters are E-Rank, and this rank makes up the largest portion of the Hunter community. E-Rank is considered the baseline rank of Hunter one needs to be, in order to be qualified to enter a Zone. This rank of Hunter is most often capable of surviving a solo encounter with two to three simple creatures within a Zone.

D - This rank of Hunters is where the strength of the individual begins to move far past what a standard Homestead dweller is capable of. About 25% of Hunters are D-Rank, and they make up the up and coming Hunters. D-Rank is often considered as just a stepping stone to C-Rank, as any who are capable of reaching this rank are more likely to die than they are to never advance to C-Rank. This rank of Hunter is most often capable of surviving a solo encounter with one or two capable creatures within a Zone. A decent example of a capable creature is The Dead Sea's Mollusk.

C - C-Rank Hunters make up about 20% of the community. C-Rank is considered to be the rank on the cusp of veterancy. This rank of Hunter is most often capable of surviving an encounter with many capable creatures within a Zone, and in some cases, one Advanced creature.

B - This rank of Hunter is where the reputation of the individual begins to precede them if it hasn't already. B-Rank Hunters make up 12.5% of the Hunter population. B-Rank hunters are most often capable of surviving a solo encounter with one Advanced creature within a Zone.

At rank B and beyond, Hunters are basically never seen outside of a Party, since when put into groups of 4 or more is when their abilities compound upon each other, allowing them to punch well above their weight class.

A - A-Rank hunters are the top of their class, the Elites of the Hunter population. At this rank is when a Hunter and their party are likely to be directly contacted by the Operator of a Homestead to solve any large scale threats plaguing the Homestead. This rank of Hunter is most often capable of surviving a solo encounter with two or more Advanced creatures within a Zone.

S - This rank of Hunter doesn't necessarily have a common thread of strength, only that they are extremely strong and exceedingly rare. They make up about 0.1% of the Hunter population on average, however as of the current time there are none that exist.
The last S Rank Hunting Party was the Founder's Hunting Party, which disbanded after their death. The status of the 3 surviving members of the party are unknown and they are considered as missing or retired.

Perception

Purpose

Hunters exist to disrupt and destroy the significant threats that plague the Homesteads. If not dealt with, some specialised entities within the Zones, or even on rare occasions standard entities, can spread the boundaries of a Zone, which is not well understood and has yet to be observed. Along with this, Hunters serve as a specialised mercenary force that is available to any Operators or Homestead Captains needing assistance.

Social Status

Hunters actually garner a generally positive reputation among the Homesteads, unlike the Operators. While F-Rank Hunters do garner contempt from some within the Hunter population, labeled as "weaklings" or "cowards" by the unkind, all ranks of Hunters have uses that actively assist the people of the Homesteads.

Operators do as well, however the primary difference between the two, is that The Founder was a Hunter. This heavily weights the cultural opinions in favor of the Hunters due to their immense popularity.

Now there are some who tarnish the Hunter's good reputation with underhanded practices, like all professions, however most civilians will justify that as "a matter of Humanoid nature".

When we grow up, we'll be the strongest Hunters ever!

I bet that even The Founder would be impressed with us!

— --Unnamed Orphans

Operations

Tools

Hunters or Hunting Party's at B rank and beyond tend to garner a not insignificant amount of wealth, which allows them to commision the creation of a unique Vehicle for their purposes, which allows for quick travel at the cost of the absolute environmental safety that the Trains provide.