The Word is what hunters call the strange symbols that they alone can understand. The ability to create and understand these symbols was given to them by the Messengers.
System[]
All those imbued by the Messengers share two specific powers: Second Sight, and the ability to understand the Word. Any hunter who sees the Word instantly understands the symbol's meaning, despite never having seen the image before. The exact meaning behind each symbol depends on the creator's intent: a symbol for "haven" can have different meanings depending on the creator.
The Word goes unnoticed by supernatural creatures; this seems to be a safety mechanism, the Messengers seeking to make the Word invisible to non-hunters. This camouflage is not perfect, however, as there are several incidents of monsters discovering the code; thankfully, Word symbols drawn by non-Hunters seem "wrong" to hunters who see them, and they generally recognise that they are fake.
Creed Symbols[]
Although there is a general list of symbols that is understood by all hunters, there are several that may only be understood by followers of the same virtue. Some hunters speculate that this is because followers of each virtue experience the hunt in very different ways; an Innocent doesn't know the fury of an Avenger, for example, while an Avenger would have a hard time relating to the compassion of a Redeemer.
Creating new symbols[]
A unique ability available only to Visionaries is the ability to create a new symbol. In order to do this the Visionary must have a clear idea of their vision and spend Conviction over an extended period of time. Any Hunter who views this symbol will instantly know what that hunters Vision is. What's even more impressive is that the first several symbols that the Visionary creates makes a psychic link back to them, allowing them a vague idea of what is happening around that symbol.
Links[]
- Hunter Code Quick Reference - A list of most of the Word.