"I nearly got caught a few times poaching up in Nordland. There aren't so many rabbits here in Altdorf, but at least I have all my fingers."
- —Solvej Vestergaard, ex-poacher[1a]
A poacher of the Old World
A poacher is a hunter who stalks game illegally on land owned by others, usually the nobility. Poaching is usually performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement their meager diets. It is set against the feudal hunting privileges of the nobility and territorial rulers.
Many common folk in the Old World believe that beasts and birds are sent by Taal, the god of nature and the wilderness, to feed any with the wherewithal to catch them. In the Empire of Man, however, whoever owns the land claims to own the animals that walk upon it, and even the birds that fly above it. From a poacher's point of view this is not how things should be and it is certainly not what the gods intended.[1a]
Poachers can be driven to their career through poverty and desperation, risking punishment to feed their family. Or they could see it as a test of their skill, the battle of wits between poacher and gamekeeper, just like the battle of wits with their quarry. This is not a decision taken lightly, every citizen of the Empire is warned to keep away from the wilds at night for fear of Ungor Raiders, Giant Spiders, roving Razorgor and other threats.[1b]
Role[]
"Mind you, in those days just about every man in our village was out in the woods at night poaching pheasants. They did it not only because they loved the sport but because they needed food for their families."
Poachers make a living by catching food from the estates of their betters. Small-scale poaching is a common enough activity across the Empire, as it is not usually seen as proper theft among the peasantry. This does not mean that the consequences are not serious and landowners who wish to can bring terrible punishments upon poachers who are caught but it is hardly the sort of criminality that sees the miscreants condemned by their neighbors though.[1b]
Often the locals are complicit in the act, providing cover for poachers and benefiting from their catch. It is seen as a pastime that improves the lives of all in the community, and one that the wronged landowner will barely notice.[1b]
Small-scale poaching is the occasional pursuit of many common folk in rural areas of the Old World, especially those with a well-stocked hunting ground nearby. Some poachers find they have an aptitude and a passion for the game and take things further. Instead of the occasional foray into private land when they are in need, they turn this into a full-time profession and are out most nights after illegal quarry.[1b]
The most successful poachers manage to catch enough that they can sell or barter their goods and make a tidy living. Those who manage this find they need to keep in with their neighbors as much as they can and so are inclined to spread the profit around. For example, it is a common scene in many areas for the local roadwarden to tuck into a game pie.[1b]
Poacher Gangs[]
After a period of risk and getting their hands dirty, some ambitious poachers step back from the nitty gritty and organise gangs to work on their behalf, living off the work of others. They might arrange a network of poachers and other petty criminals ranging across a number of villages, coordinating their activities, to accrue and dispose of as much ill-gotten game as possible. If they are able to keep their gang safe from the authorities, they will have gained a certain notoriety and respectability in their field.[1b]
Some nobles are surprised at the extent of such networks and how their employees and other locals benefit illicitly from their estates. The locals are apt to stick together and even some of the roadwardens and other officials will turn a blind eye for a brace of pheasant or a cut of venison.[1b]
Looking for Adventure[]
Poachers should not find adventure hard to come by outside of their patch. Perhaps they have been driven off by enthusiastic gamekeepers. Perhaps they have been caught, and next time it's their finger -- they may have even lost a finger, and decided the game is up. A poacher can use their knowledge to help any group of adventurers, especially outdoors. Their foraging could feed a party single-handedly, and their stealth in the wild is invaluable.[1b]
Poachers are familiar with evading a multitude of threats that can make life hard for an adventuring party, such as spotting the telltale webs of Giant Spiders, the spoor of a passing herd of Beastmen, or the spine-tingling bellow of a Great Stag marking out its territory.[1b]
Punishment[]
Throughout the Old World the typical punishment for poaching is for the miscreant to lose a finger. More lenient lords may force a poacher to serve the Cults of Taal or Rhya for a period of time. Crueller lords may set a poacher loose on their estate before turning the hounds on them.[1b]
In estates by the Reikwald it is seen as sporting to turn a poacher loose at night without weapons. If they can make it back to civilisation without being caught by Forest Goblins or Beastmen they are considered to have earned their reprieve.[1b]
Poachers in Sylvania[]
"To hunt here is to become the hunted, for the prey is vicious and probably dead already!"
- —Description of the Sylvanian Hunting Grounds in Total War: Warhammer.[2a]
The hunting grounds within the moors and forests of Sylvania see action from poachers, trying to find the odd emaciated hare to put on the table. There are also hunts organised for the Undead nobility. The Sylvania Vampires of the "Midnight Aristocracy" make a great show of a hunt, but it isn't small game the Vampires chase, for their prey is far more monstrous, and trophies far more advantageous.[2a]
Should the smallfolk organise themselves, a whole expedition of poachers will venture into the haunted woods in search of game. Poaching camps are forbidden by dread landlords who have long since forgotten the need to eat in the conventional sense. However, peasants can become so desperate that to hunt on von Carstein land is their only option. Of course, survival, even in a larger party, is far from guaranteed, even without the threat that their Vampire overlord will find out.[2b]
The flayer is a creature of Sylvanian folklore, a nursery rhyme monster to keep children in their beds. It is a myth, yet one that is all too real as it lurks deep in the woods, ready to do the bidding of the Vampire Counts, ready to bring the hides and skins of various beasts and to punish the smallfolk by skinning them alive should they displease their Undead overlords.[2c]