Monster Hunting, A Beginners Guide

Monster Hunting for the Late Nineteenth Century British Hero

If you have picked up this pamphlet at your local town centre then you are either a curious passer by intrigued by the superbly placed and named title or you are a prospective trainee in the fine arts of monster hunting and for either of these profiles we salute you for selecting this prestigious pamphlet edited and approved by our Royal King George the fifths government who is currently the main financier in this new line of civil service.
Now for those of you, who are new to this rapidly expanding trade, let's ask the question: What is Monster Hunting?
Absolutely spiffing question my dear boy, in short Monster Hunting is a new civil service for any keen, intelligent and physically fit young man to enter if he wants to serve his local community and by full extent his empire in the slaughtering and capture of many a supernatural beast whether he be fully educated but without work or looking for a change from the already exciting life of police work or a similar government job to the new adventures that await in Monster Hunting.

You must be joking, Supernatural Beasts?
Is a question many a young lad asks on his first day in training, yes Supernatural beasts were soon discovered soon after the second Boer war in Africa when various battalions decided to take time off alongside their rich captains hunting in the wilds when various numbers of troops came across supposedly un-killable creatures, beasts which no amount of blade nor lead could put down for good. Similar cases popped up in India, Australia and one very secretive case all the way up in Transylvania dealt with by the organisations very head and Chief Hunter Jonathan Harker. Yes these beasts were scattered all over the empire and sadly to say, it was only a matter of time before these terrors entered the home land which is where you come in.

What type of beast will we face on our ventures?
You may ask, well the Study and Understanding of Detrimental Supernaturalism or 'SUDS' for short,  division of the Monster Hunters organisation cannot be entirely certain how many variations of these beasts there are but we can provide a list of the troublesome monsters we have discovered which is as follows:
         Lycanthrope-Discovered in the bizarre and dark nation of India by Sir John Talbot on a hunting trip who later died in an undisclosed case and they were also discovered in the highlands of Scotland by Cooper Foxfield alongside his hunting troupe, he was the only one who made it out alive. These beasts possess a combination of the form of a man and that of a wolf, Standing over eight feet          tall with claws that can tear straight through the hardest of steel and a mouth full of canines that have the power to bite a whole man in half they are quite the adversary, if by a miracle you escape but are bitten or scratched you will become one of them on the next full moon in which case god be with you.
         Vampires-Discovered in the misty mountains of Transylvania where one Count Dracula presided and ruled the local area with an entire army of his kind alongside other forms of the un-dead, possesses inhuman strength, agility, speed, healing and finally a more beastly form when engaged in difficult combat. It is one of the most difficult of foes as they are almost human thus hard to spot. The visionary leader of the Monster Hunters, Jonathan Harker, was the first to confront this demon in disguise and he prevailed killing the dreaded Dracula alongside fellow hunters. It seemed with the death of Dracula vampires ceased to exist but it became apparent that second generation vampires (those bitten by Draculas first brethren) were unaffected by his death and so without a leader tore across the world like an evil plague. Infection occurs when infected blood enters the body.
         The Walking Dead-Discovered in rural parts of England where the art of necromancy and witchcraft is at an all time high, have also been found throughout the empire and have begun their albeit slow invasion of the major cities. Rotting corpses brought back to the fresh of life aimless and with only one thing on the slowly decomposing brain the hunger for human flesh and also in cases where they are summoned to serve any number of difficult yet simple tasks such as assassination and other such horrible deeds. The rigour mortis of the body make them a rather tough foe, a lethal bite which can turn any man dead then back again all within a blink of an eye and finally their eyesight although the same and in some cases worse than humans once it gets sight of you no matter how fast you run it will always find you. 
         Witches and Necromancers-Discovered in the late fifteenth century during the hammer of the witches or Malleus Maleficarum, although at first the church began to question themselves and their methods the hammer continued because of a genuine discovery of mysterious murders centred around a certain brothel in London. Almost impossible to detect new associates of the devil himself except from a pendant of sort, a ring or in some cases a black cat as a very close companion, much more experienced witches who have caste many spell and brewed equally as many evil potions are easy to spot as they are generally shrivelled old women but be wary of them as they could summon knives into your gut force a weak willed person to attack you or even worse make you take your own life. Necromancers are all the similar only they specialise in death magic the bringing back of the dead and the manipulation of evil creatures and even nature itself by way of communicating with the dead branches and leaves many ingenious but lethal traps could be formed. Necromancy is unlike witchcraft as it takes a little more than a pledge to the devil, it takes being born from a necromancer or being related to one and so It consumes your life and they generally become hermits sending the dead out for whatever they need.
         Imps, Goblins and other such pests-Discovered originally in the Americas, more specifically the Amazon Jungle and what is now known as Canada by various explorers mostly Spanish. Massive killing sprees of these pesky beasts were carried out in order to contain them as it later became apparent in the occupation of America that they could breed like rats and spread equally as fast if not more so. Each variation of these beasts have a different colour, language and ear shape to the last and they have different wants, most of them are different parts of the human body for example green Goblins love human bones. Standing four feet tall they have claws which a laced with a very small amount of a very potent hallucinogenic so {when scratched the victim usually wanders off with the scamps of their own free will, lots of fangs filling the most vile mouth laced with another form of poison which burns the skin, clothes and even steel on contact. One final point they all have a larger much stronger leader who takes charge in running different groups. Some variations have been reported but never been caught so we always must keep on our toes encase of an undiscovered type. 
These are just some of the beasts we were able to capture and study, all have weaknesses, all can be and will be exterminated off of the face of his majesty's glorious empire.

Different Divisions? Well which one is best for me?
Excellent question, there are infact five separate divisions which work very closely with each other in order to optimise the Monster Hunters work and its effectiveness throughout the empire. These five divisions are listed below so you will have plenty of time to consider what your future with us will be and also we are very flexible in the sense that if you want to change your division if the one you have selected is not suited to you then feel free.
         Hunter Guardsmen-This division allows for the simplest of mind but strongest of body to patrol streets in a battalion of fifteen or so troops depending on the danger levels in the area. Basic infantrymen who are the first to a fight and are always on hand when things get out of hand armed with either rifle or shotgun with specialised rounds this division is an excellent opportunity to          prove yourself worthy of the empires praise. Shortest training          course lasting twelve weeks including weekends where you will be          taught marksmanship with rifles and shotguns, understanding commands of officers and finally understanding the enemy and how to defeat          them in the quickest manner possible. Opportunities to climb higher in the ladder as there are two of the men in the battalion who are set apart from the others those two being Sergeant and Captain, prove yourself worthy enough times on the front lines and you too could rise through the ranks.
         SUDS-As you are already aware of from reading the previous paragraphs are the science division of the monster hunters and are responsible for the development of new weapons to use against the          supernatural monsters that roam the world and new fangled medicines          designed to combat certain infections and poison those we hunt. It's          not all sitting in a lab all day though you will have the option to          enter the field as a weapon and lore expert to help our boys in          brown on the front lines of combat, medics also occupy the ranks of          SUDS on hand at any and all times to help those wounded brave men.          Training course lasting thirty weeks, requirements are degrees in          any field of science or medicine. Training involves physical fitness          improvement, furthering the medical knowledge, learning and          understanding of all the beasts and finally all of the beasts'          weaknesses. We are constantly in need of bright brave young men to          join the SUDS division.           
         Hunter Agents-This division is for the bravest, strongest and          brightest of the many fine men from our great country as it involves          working by yourself or with a partner to root out all Supernatural          forms in assigned area and being prepared if necessary to take on          these adversaries alone. But it's not like we are going to chuck          you out in the wild with nothing but a sharp stick now is it, no,          you will be given and trained with some of the very finest weapons          and protective gear so you will be ready for anything and          everything. Set apart from other divisions as you can enter this          division from being hunter guardsmen for five years and have proven          yourself smart enough and capable enough to take on the job.          Training course for fresh recruits lasts for twenty four weeks,          seventeen in a training camp the remaining seven with an already          existing agent as a mentor. Requirements are either a degree of any          sort and good physical fitness or a good rank in the police or some          military service. Training involves a variety of things such as          various situations to handle, marksman training with all forms of          weaponry, basic field medicine, false personas for infiltration,          knowledge of every form of beast and their weaknesses and finally          how to interrogate suspected individuals properly and efficiently          and how to resist interrogation from the enemy. Men suitable enough          for the standard training course are difficult to come by so if you          meet the criteria please sign up for you are desperately needed to          stem the tide of evil which could ruin this once great country.           
         Foreign Collaborator Agents-A similar division to the Hunter          Agents in the sense they go through the same training but can only          be joined by experienced Agents and no raw recruits can join this          division as it requires not only experience but true hard earned          understanding of the enemy. This division works more specifically          out of the UK and instead all over the empire to help other          countries within and out of the empire to deal with the oncoming          storm. Fluent in most empire languages and resilience to all forms          of weather and different terrains these Agents are the backbone of          the empire and are responsible for defending all his majesty's          territories with as much zeal as priests. Never stopping and          incorruptible this division gets results all over the world and was          marked the aim in their lives of all new recruits in a recent          survey. Be the bravest, be strongest, be the smartest, be an Agent          of the Foreign Collaborators.
         Secretariat-This division is essential to all and every          operation, division and person under the employment and jurisdiction          of the Monster Hunters and is responsible for the printing of the          very leaflet you are holding in your hand. These boys are in charge          of communication, supplying and organising every aspect of the          Monster Hunters and require the quickest thinking and the hardest          working of men and women, yes indeed, women to ensure the          organisation remains intact and functioning. Training is ten weeks          of tests and understanding of various codes used by the          organisation, understanding the meaning of certain orders, learning          shorthand, typing lessons, printing of various documents such as          information leaflets letters of great importance and progress          reports of every employed individual and finally a very detailed          understanding of accounting so our hunters get their wages on time.
All divisions are equally as important as the last and any and all recruitment forms we receive are perused with unfaltering attention.
What kind of weapons will be available to us honourable hunters?
Well we can reveal some of our basic weapons but our more secretive ones will be kept for training on a need to know basis in short you need to know but spies don't! Below is a list of the weapons that Hunter Guardsmen squads will be issued with:
Either the Martini Henry Mk. 3 Sporterized or the Birmingham Small Arms Lee Speed Sporter-Both of these rifles are commonly found in the hands of hunters or wealthy English land owners which is precisely why they are standard issue as they are two of the most accurate and efficient rifles on the market for hunting any beast to date. Easy to operate and lighter than their military counterparts these are the standard issue to any battalion rifleman.
Holland and Holland Paradox-Previously a very rare and expensive weapon found only in the hands of seasoned wealthy Englishmen who are frequent African and Indian hunters has now become available by order of our king George the fifth to the Hunter Guardsmen battalions. With a very large caliber and stopping power this weapon will take any beast down easily with a single shot and are almost unbreakable. The men who wield this weapon in some reports have been the pivotal men to turn the tide of the fight.
Short Sword or Bayonet-When you're out of bullets and backed into a corner prove yourself worthy of your title as a hunter and take down the supernatural cretins with your very own blade in your fight for survival. Generally the blade is a foot in length in order to allow maximum stabbing capability, can be used in hand or attached to a lug located at the bottom side of any of the standard issue weapons barrels.