The traditional image of the demon hunter is that of a lone wolf, moving from hamlet to hamlet in search of evil to slay. Most modern-day hunters follow this trend, preferring to take on the risks of demon-hunting alone. Yet others prefer to bring along friends on their expeditions, and still others band together with fellow hunters to bring down their prey. These "packs", as they have come to be known, are rarely formal affiliations (with a few exceptions) but are fairly common among the lesser-known demon hunters serving Heaven.
While hunters come from diverse backgrounds, the average hunter tends to be Caucasian, male, of above-average intelligence, and with some military training. Most veteran hunters are overachievers, obsessive-compulsive, and paranoid -- survival traits which serve them well on the front lines of the War. While many Soldiers of God carry Demon Hunter Licenses, few of them actually work as solos or even pack hunters, having more to do with the angelic bureaucracy and organization. As a result, the average hunter tends to have only five Forces -- a shortcoming compensated for in good measure by a decent sniper rifle and a healthy dose of booby traps. Almost all demon hunters operate in their country of origin, are single (or divorced, or widowed, as the case may be) and are between the ages of twenty to forty.
Still, there are exceptions. While no demon hunter has yet lived beyond the age of forty, a few have come close. A fair number of hunters are women, not a few of whom have managed to distinguish themselves in hunter lore. Trinity Investigations, a small private-investigation company with headquarters in Utah, is made up of three female hunters who are well-known in celestial circles. A few even use their real names while hunting -- Caleb Baker, known as 'The Preacher Man', was a well-known televangelist before he turned to demon hunting. Many have criminal records as well.
In a very few cases, hunters are even Hellsworn turning against their former masters. The famed Chinese hunter, Mei Li, is known to be a mummy who rebelled against Saminga. Such hunters are rarely trusted; other hunters may even take it upon themselves to rid the world of such creatures.
Seniority among hunters is determined by two things -- kills and 'renews'. Most hunters keep a record of their kills, and not a few are compulsive diarists. Renews, on the other hand, refers to the number of times that the Demon Hunter's License has been renewed -- the current record is three renews, although four hunters are currently in the second year of their third renew. Officially, emphasis is placed on renews, since they symbolize a willingness on the hunter's part to maintain contact with Heaven; unofficially, especially among hunters, kills are given more emphasis.
Visits to angelic Tethers by hunters are infrequent at best, but are amply rewarded by the Tethers' Seneschals. In an effort to keep these hunters in line, Archangels Laurence and Michael have issued standing orders to provide preferential treatment to these mortal ronin. Hunters visiting Tethers are often given briefings of infernal activities in the area, access to the Tether's armory (mundane weapons only), and offers of training, food and shelter. The hunter is not, however, briefed about angelic forces in the area, or may even be misled about Heaven's projects -- all it would take, after all, is possession by a Shedite for the hunter to give up this information. In exchange, an accounting of his activities is requested, with copies made for Heaven's files.
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