Wild Hunt

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Wild Hunt (狂猎)
Alias(es)	Red Riders; skeletal knights; specters of war
Species/Race	Aen Elle elves / Alder Folk
Affiliation	Aen Elle of Tir ná Lia
Occupation/Role	Interdimensional military force and hunters of Adagath's Gate fragments and the Elder Blood
Status	Active
First Appearance	Attack on Gors Velen 240

Background / History

The Wild Hunt are the Red Riders of the Aen Elle: warlike elves capable of traversing worlds through the Spiral. Unlike the Aen Seidhe who remain in the Blue Mountains, the Aen Elle are described as conquerors who ruled the worlds they reached. Their appearances are regarded as ill omens and signs of war, but they act with intelligence, hierarchy, and strategic purpose rather than as a natural phenomenon. 210 243

Their incursions into the Northern Continent were initially linked by observers to warfare, beginning with the devastation of Gors Velen and continuing eastward toward Ard and Cidaris. Ailin identifies their actual interest as the Conjunction of the Spheres and himself, whose connection to Adagath's Gate makes him a target. 240 243

The Hunt's wider objective includes recovering missing fragments of Adagath's Gate and a Guiding Stone. After discovering that these items had been stolen, their leadership ordered Regis's force to investigate the powerful source connected to the theft and retrieve the artifacts. 428

Appearance

Wild Hunt riders are usually encountered as skeletal cavalry: armored figures with skull-like heads, hollow eye sockets lit by spectral fire, and tattered cloaks mounted on skeletal horses.

• Blood-red or rusted armor, often with thorned or spiked details. 243 371
• Skeletal horses exhale ghostly blue-white breath. 243 426
• Ordinary riders commonly bear gray-blue or gray-green spectral fire in their eye sockets; Centurion Regis's burns crimson. 426 597
• Their apparent skull faces can be an armor-based illusion. Injured members have been shown to bleed and possess living, charred elven faces beneath the disguise. 371 375 402
• Navigators wear distinctive gray robes embroidered with silver stars beneath their armor. 426

Organization

Rank / Figure	Role
Eredin Breacc Glas	Leader associated with the title King of the Wild Hunt; commands through possession across worlds and directs the Red Riders' operations. 375 625
Avallac	Aen Elle sage involved in the Hunt's flight through the Spiral and a superior to whom Regis reports. 401 428
Centurion Regis	Field commander of the force sent to recover Adagath's Gate fragments; possesses crimson spectral fire and exceptional awareness of being watched. 426 428
Navigators	High-status spatial-magic specialists who guide the Hunt between worlds and through the Spiral. 426
Shupros	Navigator killed when Ailin breached the Hunt's golden barrier with a venom-infused Ice Lance. 622
Sera	Fallen Hunt member whose corpse Eredin possessed during the Ban Ard confrontation. 375

Abilities & Tactics

Spiral Travel

The Hunt moves through the Spiral, an endless interdimensional passage where images of other places and worlds appear along its route. Their armor enables physical traversal of this realm, while Navigators direct the force's movements between conquered worlds. 243 402 426

• Can rapidly enter, leave, and reposition between worlds.
• Standard Conqueror's Armor records Tir ná Lia as a destination point. 402
• Their movement is tied to their search for Adagath's Gate fragments and other spatial powers. 428

Aerial Cavalry and Siege Magic

The Red Riders can gallop through the sky and strike targets from above, creating an advantage that ordinary soldiers and most witchers cannot answer. Their attacks have destroyed city districts and caused mass casualties. 292 327

• A magical strike from their scepters devastated Arland during the May Festival, destroying roughly one-tenth of the city and killing nearly ten thousand people. 283 327
• Their passage through Gors Velen left ice formations and frozen corpses. 240
• They employ fireballs, lightning, ice, storms, and other elemental attacks. 372 373 375
• A force led by Regis instantly destroyed Rotfiends, undead, and seven Corpse Lords. 597

Magical Barriers and Formation Defense

Wild Hunt units employ individual runic defenses as well as coordinated golden barriers. Their discipline allows them to cast and defend as a formation under a commanding officer. 371 620 621

• Individual barriers can repel sword strikes and withstand ordinary weapons. 371 372
• The golden formation shield resisted repeated Black Dragon breath attacks before Ailin changed tactics. 621
• Regis can halt disorder within the ranks and rally his riders through the Oath of the White Ship. 622

Conqueror's Armor

The Conqueror's Armor of the Wild Hunt is a magical set created by Avallac and Eredin after the Aen Elle's flight from the White Frost. It provides the Hunt with much of its characteristic appearance and survivability. 593

• Skull — projects a skull illusion and can terrify non-transcendent beings. 402
• Specter — grants a spectral state immune to physical attacks. 402
• Iron Grip — enhances strength and prevents disarmament. 402
• Equilibrium — balances elements and suppresses elemental unrest; it can also be used to manipulate unstable elements. 402
• Mana Surge — strengthens spellcasting and gathers magic power. 402
• Level Ground — negates many terrain hazards, including mud, swamps, and snowfields. 402
• Resurrection — when lethally struck, the armor can be sacrificed to return its wearer through the Spiral to Tir ná Lia. This explains why some apparently slain riders vanish rather than leave bodies. 402 599 620

Telepathy and Possession

Wild Hunt members communicate through mental waves, allowing them to coordinate without spoken language. Eredin can project his will across worlds and possess a fallen rider's body. 371 375

• Eredin possessed Sera's corpse, dispersed master-level spells with a gesture, and addressed the Ban Ard sorcerers directly. 375
• He later manifested through the dying Regis and attempted to use the Conqueror's Armor to teleport Ailin to Tir ná Lia. 625
• Eredin also employed mind-altering magic against Ailin through Regis's body. 626

Weaknesses

The Hunt is formidable but neither invulnerable nor truly undead.

• Wounded members can be killed, as Ailin proved during his first direct encounter. 371 373
• Their armor and barriers can be bypassed by Enhanced Hangman's Venom and Construct Oil, which allowed Ailin's Ice Lances to wound and kill members behind magical defenses. 622 623
• The Resurrection effect requires the sacrifice of the wearer’s armor and returns them to Tir ná Lia rather than preserving their position in battle. 402 599
• Eredin's remote manifestations consume energy and become unstable when the possessed host is severely damaged. 625 626

Relationships

• Ailin — primary target due to his connection with Adagath's Gate and the Conjunction of the Spheres; the Hunt seeks both him and the artifacts he possesses. 243 428 620
• Eredin Breacc Glas — commander and later identified as the King of the Wild Hunt; he directs the riders, possesses fallen members, and seeks to bring Ailin to Tir ná Lia. 375 625 626
• Avallac — Aen Elle sage and superior connected to the Hunt's leadership, Spiral travel, and flight from the White Frost. 401 428
• Regis — centurion commanding the expedition that tracked Ailin and attempted to recover Adagath's Gate fragments. 426 428 620
• Ban Ard sorcerers — recurring enemies and would-be researchers who pursued the Hunt for its magical knowledge and corpses. 370 375
• White Frost — catastrophic force that pursued the Hunt through the Spiral, driving riders to sacrifice themselves so the others could escape. 401

Story Role / Major Arcs

Gors Velen and Arland Attacks

The Hunt attacks Gors Velen, leaving frozen corpses and ice in its wake, then travels east toward Ard and Cidaris. Its later assault on Arland demonstrates its use of airborne siege magic and establishes it as a concrete threat rather than a legend. 240 241 283

Ban Ard Pursuit

After suffering losses in a confrontation with Henn Gedimidis, injured Hunt members are pursued by Ban Ard sorcerers and separately tracked by Ailin. Ailin kills one rider, while the remaining members retaliate against the pursuing sorcerers with destructive fire magic. 369 371 373

Eredin subsequently possesses Sera's corpse, overwhelms the sorcerers' attacks, and leaves them a message before abandoning the body. A later detonation devastates the area, allowing Ailin to recover a fragment of Adagath's Gate. 375 376

Spiral Observations

Through his connection to the Spiral, Ailin witnesses the Hunt fleeing the White Frost and observes riders sacrificing themselves to preserve the group. He later spies on Regis's unit, learning its visual hierarchy, Navigator role, and mission to recover stolen artifacts. 401 426 428

Battle of Ban Ard

Regis's force arrives during the Planetary Alignment conflict, destroys undead with ease, and searches for Ailin. When Ailin returns disguised in Conqueror's Armor and summons the Black Dragon, he confronts the Hunt directly rather than fleeing. 597 616 620

Ailin breaches the golden barrier with Enhanced Hangman's Venom, kills Navigator Shupros, and shatters the Hunt's formation. Regis is severely injured, after which Eredin manifests through him, attempts to seize control of Ailin and transport him to Tir ná Lia, and is ultimately forced to self-destruct his remote manifestation. 622 623 625 626 637

Notable Quotes

“Fear and panic will accompany you like the sun and moon, day and night, for you are now prey to the Wild Hunt!” — Regis 620

“Glory to the Alder Folk!” 401 621

Trivia

• The Hunt's “skeletal” appearance is partly created by the Skull function of Conqueror's Armor rather than proving that its riders are undead. 371 402
• Ailin's first confirmed Wild Hunt kill revealed that a true corpse is rare because the armor's Resurrection effect normally removes fatally wounded riders from the battlefield. 375 402
• The Hunt's ranks distinguish themselves through eye-fire color, armor ribs, and specialized clothing; Regis's crimson eye-fire marks him apart from ordinary riders. 426