The Venator

Even at today’s times, after the fall of K’dath-Mal, there is still a certain position that holds great prestige within the Mhordul society. That position is the Venator’s. Being the head of their clans, their role in times of peace is to mediate disputes between their fellow clanmen and those from other clans, unifying, organizing and leading their men to the Hunt. During times of war, he is the one that leads them into battle.

Traditionally, each Mhordul clan is led by their respective Venator. When a Venator dies, or if they have hardly been heard from for an entire season, all individuals who have the support of at least part of the clan compete in a combat-based ceremony (The Relakh-Hai Ceremony) that can go on for days if there are enough prospective Venators taking part. The ceremony is, in most basic terms, a tournament where it is determined who would be the strongest and most capable person to lead the clan.

Similarly, a Venator can be challenged by another member of their clan for the position. If one has the support of a respectable portion of their clan, they can challenge their Venator in what is known as The Relakh-Lau Ceremony, in which the Venator and his challenger compete one-on-one for the position. Once the winner is decided, he is now - or still - the Venator of their clan, and cannot be challenged for his position for at least one season. This is to prevent changes in leadership from getting too repetitive or common.