Fantasy Order of the Hunt (Closed)

[TagochiRein]

"The night air had finally descended onto the land, waking all those who seek refuge under the stars.


The creatures of the night had begun to play, while the creatures of the day had gone away.


Tip toe goes the traveler. Worried to be seen, For the monsters will surely make him bleed.


They say to travel by night is a fools errand.


The vilest of things lurk in every darkened crevasse, waiting to snatch and swallow you whole.


Be careful dear traveler. Oh do be careful.


For there is no one who will here your screams."


-Rolph Rexhepi, The paranoid
​

With all it's might, the moon had stretched to the highest point into the sky, giving blessings to all those who dwell in between: monster and man a like. A select few of Hunters and humans are to arrive at the destination within The Tyni Forest under the instructions of The Order of the Hunt.


"The Order of the Hunt" was created a year ago by the Hunter known as Daemon of the Wild and Axlen, The Spirit Walker. Daemon had been a Hunter for twenty-two years before realizing the error in the Hunter's code. For years, Hunters traveled and fought alone. Rarely did they seek the help of others. It wasn't because of their pride conflicting with them; it was because that's what they had simply done for generations and what they continued to do there after as if they were all lions hunting their own prey, but unlike their lion comparison, they died miserable and agonizing deaths with only a shadow by their side. Daemon of the Wild had seen many of his brethren die through his long service as a Hunter and decided to make a change to the way the everyday Hunter carried themselves.


On one his hunts, Deamon of the Wild had come to a high point in which he could not climb over himself. The Fomorian group was larger than what was disclosed originally and the hunter was not prepared for the difference. It was too much of a risk to take the lot head on so he decided to head back to the nearest village and re-think a plan to slay the group of monsters plaguing the land. A couple of days later, another Hunter had entered the same inn that Daemon of the Wild had been staying in for the duration of this particular Hunt. He asked the Hunter for he his name. He quickly found out that the man sitting next to him was in fact the renown Spirit Walker. With this new discovery, he had to make his request known... A request that would forever change the way the world had worked...a pivotal moment in time with comparison to the moment humans first witnessed fire...

After stepping outback to relief himself, he returns back with a resolve strong enough to shake a mountain..

He approached The Spirit Walker and asked him a simple question...

"Will you help me with my Hunt?"

With that, The Order of the Hunt was born.​

"The Campfire"





Now besides the seven Hunters that belonged to The Order of the Hunt, 23 humans were summoned to the meeting location as well to participate in the Hunt. The shabby group of human fighters had resembled mercenaries for hire due to their disorganized uniform and inconsistent weapon choices, but they were in fact Warriors from the village that lied just north of The Tyni Forest. The pitchfork in one of their hands should solidify this claim. They were the first to arrive.

For the past week, they had been plagued by an army of Barbarians who sought to take their food and women. Day after day the barbarians attacked, leaving The Village of Rouke in a state worse than the day before. They had sent a message to The Order of the Hunt earlier that week requesting assistance immediately. The message had been received and a plan of action was put in place.

The Rouke Warriors stood by the large rock that favored the face of a horse and started a campfire just as the note had told them to do so as they waited for the other Hunters to join them. Anxiously staring into the wild, they had their weapons drawn and pointed into the night beyond where the light of the campfire couldn't reach. They wanted to be prepared for whatever came their way, for they knew of the dangers that lurked through the night. They hoped the Hunters would make haste and get there soon. Only then would they be at ease.


And so the journey begins.....

From here, you will talk about how you got to the location. You can include what you were doing before starting the hunt at any point in time until finally reaching the meeting location. BugDozer73 H Hal lucination KaldorDraigo Proletariat Berries HaruAketchi

 

[Hal lucination]

The first Hunter was heralded by a flickering blue light. A couple of howls cut through the silence of the night. The light flashed brilliantly twice, lighting up the night sky as if it were day. The howls were abruptly silenced. The hunter slowly stepped into the light of the campfire, throwing back his hood. He appeared to be no more than a boy, wearing a short cloak and a plain shirt. The blue light came from a flame that flickered on the boy's long Sword.

Avyn slowly let the blue flame his sword was shrouded by die out, and he sheathed it. He bowed to the Rouke Warriors. "I'm Avyn, of The Order of the Hunt. I'm here to help. More hunters are on their way, but I'm the first. I'm pretty fast."

 

[BugDozer73]

"The second, actually" Maeve watched in pleasure as some of the men squirmed and jumped as she made herself known, lounging on a branch at the far reaches of the fires light.

Maeve had watched the boy arrive. Quick as he was, Maeve had been quicker. Her feet were the fastest in the land, and only made faster by the prospect of gold. She had however, been sitting silently in the trees, watching the men and the fire with casual disinterest. Most of them were poor anyways, and whats more, Maeve didn't like being the first one noticed. As he introduced himself, Maeve shifted unnoticeably on the branch, bathed in shadows, doing a once over on the child. He was even younger than she, something she found quite curious.

That sword he carried seemed quite valuable. She smirked as she let the image of her slipping it off him and toting it to a fence slink across her mind. But then, she would most likely have to abandon her quest here, and the gold that came with it. A quick sigh and she leaned back, not willing to add anymore to the conversation. Instead, she resolved to wait for the others to arrive, and with a quick twitch if her nose she inhaled the scent of the night air, and the scent of the other six hunters: They wouldn't be long now.

 

[KaldorDraigo]

"Then I guess that would make me the third!" A voice, deep and loud rumbled from the treeline as the thud of heavy boots and clink of plate accompanied it.

Leaves shook and pebbles shifted as Sven emerged from the gloomy forest into the clearing. A full seven feet in height out of armor, in his full plate he towered above every man and woman present. The haft of his hammer resting comfortably against his right shoulder and a crossbow the size of small child strapped to his back, the giant figure made his way towards the gathering group and warm fire. A horse trailed behind him obediently, untethered and unbridled it carried several leather bags, eyes glowing with suspicious intelligence. "Greetings fellow hunters and adventurers." The giant boomed into the night, seemingly unnoticing of the erie silence that swirled around the atmosphere. "My name is Sven Krakmar, reporting to aid your village in it's time of need." And because there was the potential of gold. Lots of gold.

 

[Proletariat]

Before...

Spoiler: Battle Music

Mission: Kill the Troll

Torston stared across the rocky hillside, short grass and rocky outcrops dominated the landscape. The sun was getting low, it was a bit darker out now, he watched a family of mountain goats idly grazing in the open. He knew his prey would come to feed, now that it was getting darker. He hadn't planned on goats providing him with perfect bait, right out in the open in front of him. The rugged hunter laid in the short grass, quite a distance away at a slightly elevated position so he could survey the area. It wasn't easy to get a good line of sight in those damned hills, and he wasn't about to get caught off guard by a 500 pound troll. For as dopey as they appeared, he knew they were surprisingly quick and deadly creatures. The only thing sticking out of the grass was the hilt of his massive blade, it poked above his head wherever he went from its back holster. At distance, it appeared as a stick in the field. Just as the bottom of the sun dipped beneath the mountains, Torston spotted a large bald head poke out from behind a boulder on the other side of the field. Beneath the speckled dome was a hideous Troll's face, the beast had come to stalk the goats as he imagined. Unfortunately for Torston, there would be no ambush, there was too much ground to cover and trolls could hear better than they could see, anyway.

The troll quietly came out from behind the huge boulder and dragged its makeshift club-a moderately sized log- on the ground behind it. In the dim light of dusk, the goats did not notice the grey skinned beast approaching them from behind. Torston made ready to charge the troll. Once it began chasing the goats, he would have a narrow window to attack before the troll left him in the dust to hunt its own prey. It was peculiar to see the grotesque beast hunched over, slowly closing the distance to the mountain goats. As it got closer, the scraggly hairs on its face became more apparent. A grayish moss grew on its legs, thick scars adorned its arms, and mud patches covered the beast's torso. Torston found humor in the situation despite the danger, he observed the troll awkwardly crouch walk, covered in filth and drooling on itself. The hunter crawled forward slowly and slid down the gentle slope on his back, careful not to lose his balance and cause a commotion. He too, crouch walked towards the goats, as the sun drooped halfway beneath the mountain horizon.

The oldest goat, a hardened looking fellow missing half of his left horn, raised his head and snorted. He winded the filthy-smelling troll, the chase began. The troll, realizing the goat blew his cover, growled and began stomping towards the goat family, smashing his club against the ground beside him in anger and excitement. The goats darted up the hillside to Torston's right, the time for stealth was over. Torston rose to his feet and pulled his Artifact Blade over his armored shoulders. He began to sprint towards the troll, which also terrified the goats, who were now in a mad dash to escape from both of their perceived predators. 100 feet remained between the troll and the hunter, both parties were keen to the situation now. The troll slid to a halt, nearly tumbling to the ground due to its own weight and imbalance. It eyed Torston angrily, he was interrupting dinner time, so he would have to be the appetizer instead. The troll smashed the ground with his club and roared at the hunter, spittle and foul smelling breath spewing out of its mouth. That was the hunter's first opening, which he took great advantage of. The hunter stood about 30 ft away from the troll and raised his sword with both hands, holding the hilt in the air about shoulder height, close to his body. In an instant, his body became a total blur. It took less than half a second for the hunter's "blink strike" technique to launch him towards the troll, who had no time to react. Luckily for the monster, "blink strike" was nearly impossible to land accurately, so Torston ended up dashing under the troll's arm and forcing his blade completely through the troll's bicep. The troll didn't even realize what happened, until the bicep of his left arm split open, dark colored blood gushing out of the impressive wound.

Torston got cocky, he almost severed the bastard's arm in one strike. He thought he could finish the fight then and there, standing behind the wounded troll. He quickly gathered himself and ran for an attack on the Troll's back. The hunter leaped into the air, heavy blade over his head, he was going to cut the Troll's back wide open! Or so he thought. The troll realized where Torston was and baited him into making himself vulnerable. Quicker than the hunter imagined, the troll rotated his body, side stepped the attack, and slammed the tree into Torston's side. It was a clean backhanded strike, the hunter was launched into the rocky soil, he rolled three times before landing on his stomach. Torston heard a loud *crack* as he started to lift himself off the ground. 'Shit.. that felt like a rib' he thought to himself. the strike definitely broke some ribs and potentially punctured his organs. 'Gotta end this fast..'

Now feeling much angrier, Torston's body throbbed as his hunter's curse filled him with strength. His adrenaline kept the pain at bay, but he knew he was hurt badly, and couldn't last through an extended fight. He needed a haymaker to end the troll immediately. He knew he had to use the ability Warblade, which consumed his emotional energy to enhance the power of his strike. The hunter decided, he would bait a strike as the troll had, then counter with a killing blow. The hunter gave a roar of his own as he charged towards the bleeding troll, who was only too happy to roar back and begin stomping in the hunter's direction. Torston carried his blade down at his side, to feign an upward diagonal strike, which would expose his ribs again. The troll saw this, and the moment its club could reach him, it swung horizontally to brush the hunter aside as it did before. This time Torston was ready. He ducked low and rolled beneath the attack. Now at the troll's side, with his blade at the ready, the hunter screamed, "WARBLADE!" His artifact blade glowed neon blue and he lifted it towards the side of the troll's neck with all his might. The troll, off balance and still recovering from its missed attack, was in no position to dodge. In the blink of an eye, Torston's blade cut through the meaty neck of the troll and its head tumbled down into the earth. The troll's body gently dropped to its knees before falling onto its side, blood squirting from the clean cut on its neck. The sun just finished its descent beneath the mountain top, darkness began swallowing the hillside. Torston slowly knelt down and cut off the troll's ear, he violently coughed into his hand, blood mixed with spittle. Something inside was definitely bleeding. 'Need to get to a doctor.' He thought, and then began his long journey back to town, breathing heavy and ragged the whole way back.

Now:

Spoiler: Intro theme song

The veteran hunter made his way to the horseface boulder away from the Village of Rouke. He followed the campfire light and the dirt trail that the villagers informed him about on his arrival to the village an hour before. As was his way, Torston didn't rush, he took his time to survey the area, get to know the situation from the locals, preparation trumped haste in his book. Not much for introductions, the old soldier walked into the firelight, the warm glow casting across his face, revealing a hardened looking man with weather and wear on his skin. He merely looked over to Maeve and gave her a knowing wink. That kid was one of his few friends in the world, though she was a pain in the ass. He decided to quietly wait for the rest of the party before speaking up. He liked the quiet of the night and the crackle of the fire..

 

[Berries]

[div class=fyurifauxtabs]Johanna Blackfoot | "Fireball" | Campfire | Proletariat [/div]​

Strolling with an ax leaned up against either shoulder, Joha's steps were veering slightly to the left and surrounding her was the familiar stench of alcohol. Humming with a spring in her step that was unnatural considering her usual demeanor, the woman was quite obviously tipsy and on the border of drunk. Seeing as she was heading right into a hunt this was far from a good thing, but perhaps her drinking was the only reason she had ended up at this hunt in the first place: Joha was known to continually ditch hunts in favor of lounging around, and seeing as she had recently completed a different hunt she had enough money to skip this one. Drinking made her many things, but adventurous was one of them, and could very well be the reason why she had made it out tonight. Continuing to stroll merrily towards the campfire and waiting hunters and Rouke Warriors, it was clear that Joha was in high spirits - both in her mood and in her liquor intake.

Eventually arriving at the quickly forming gathering at her relaxed pace, Joha looked around for a few seconds before plopping down to take a seat. Crossing her legs with a long, satisfied sigh, she stifled a yawn before waving slowly at the others around her. She hadn't worked with any of them before but recognized a few by face. Two overeager children, a giant, and a near-giant. Interesting assortment. "Joha, hunter," she introduced herself with surprisingly short words considering her jovial mood. Planting the blades of her axes in the ground and resting her weight on the palms of her hands, Joha yawned again. She was transcending into drowsiness, which was yet another bad sign leading up into the hunt. Lifting one of her hands to fumble around for her water canteen, the woman drew it from her belt and had a few gulps to drink before clumsily twisting the cap back on and returning the bottle to its storage place.

As usual, her shield was strapped to her back which meant she couldn't recline back and lay down without discomfort which successfully prevented her from falling asleep right in the flames of the fire. Her axes were buried solidly into the dirt at this point on either side of her legs and her gaze turned to how the firelight reflected in the metal. Seeming to remember that she was there to fight something, Joha immediately woke back up. Eyebrows furrowing briefly as she tried to remember what she was there to do, the woman gave up after a few seconds and figured it didn't matter as long as she got to give something a good whack. Her eyes next settled upon the nearby forest which made her sigh in disappointment, realizing that it would likely prevent her from using any fire in the upcoming fight at the risk of burning the entire forest down.

Turning her head to the side to check who was close-by, realizing she had sat by an older looking man with a massive sword. Her eyes had regained their usual sharpness as she nudged him with the toe of her foot. "What're we here for again, old man?" She questioned Torston, figuring that he seemed to have himself the most together out of the gathering.

 

[BugDozer73]

Maeve watched with interest as each of the smells became people, stepping from behind the cover of the trees. Her keen vision let her discern more about them than the fire light would allow the others. Not that it mattered. She could see how large the knight was, but she could feel the vibrations of him moving nearly a mile out. As for Joha, it was clear by her slight missteps and dulled expression that she had been partaking in the creature before this little rendezvous, but the smell of the alcohol on her breath brought that to Maeve's attention even before she had emerged from the leaves.

When Torston emerged, she let her eye brow raise, and a smirk touch her lips when he winked at her. She liked him, though she would never admit it. He was strong, dependable, and he didn't talk much. There really wasn't much else she could ask for. She gave him a small purr in return and casually waited for the others to arrive. There were still smells that hadn't shown themselves yet, mixed in with the sweat from the nervous villagers, and some urine from the really nervous ones. For some reason, the smell of fear always brought out a bloodlust un Maeve, if you could call it that. Often she would ignore some hunts and search for money on the belts of all the unsuspecting people from the towns she visited, but when she could smell fear... the hunt made her heart race a little faster, and her mouth water.

Maeve made no noise when she slunk over to get closer to her old friend, drawing no looks from the villagers. She had spent a lot of time perfecting the art of not being seen, and not being heard only made that illusion more powerful. From behind where they were sitting, Maeve smiled her impish grin, eyes darting over both the lady and her old pal, searching them over for any loose valuables, before speaking quietly, but loud enough to hopefully scare them a little. "I heard we have a few barbarians to hunt. It's been a while since I carved up a savage." The memory of the last lumbering man foolish enough to notice her fingers slipping away with his booze money replayed in her mind, only elongating her snicker she had worked on even longer than her stealth skills. However, a lot of larger men tended to feel her wrath because they reminded her of her father. Just the thought of the demon was enough to sour her playful attitude, but she didn't advertise her quick slide show of emotions over her face.

"It's good to see you again, old man. You've gotten more wrinkles since the last time we talked. Need me to steal you a cane yet?" Had she had a tail, it no doubt would have flicked about playfully as she teased him. Their banter was almost as valuable to her as loose gold, all alone in an unsuspecting mans pocket.

 

[HaruAketchi]

"That should do it..." Aldous thought to himself, sitting Indian style against a tree with his eyes shut. His vision descended from the sky and back into his own eyes; as it did Aldous stood, the third eye that had formed on his head disappearing, replaced with the hunter's mark. Aldous had sat against the tree for 30 minutes, valuable minutes most likely, he wasn't concerned with this. Aldous' mind was too busy scouring all of the information he had just gathered from using his hunting ability. Every tree, every bush, every migrant squirrel was under the gaze of his scrutiny; relentlessly searching for any indication of a strategic advantage, shortcut, or anything that could be useful to the current hunt.

It was at this moment that Aldous recovered his mission orders from a pocket on his cloak, reading over the details quickly before crumpling it and tossing it to the ground.
Orders.. He mused to himself, pondering on who had perhaps beaten him to the rendezvous, then resuming his journey toward his comrades. Aldous stepped lightly, briskly, practically gliding across the forest floor. His footsteps were silent, as a muffle spell cloaked the sound. Aldous did this not out of fear, or suspicion, simply force of habit. Watching so many hunters come and go throughout the years, would cause any man to want to remain hidden.

It was not long before Aldous reached the campsite, stepping within the light of the fire. Initially taken aback at the number of hunters that had arrived before him, Aldous regained his composure.
"Greetings, friends." Aldous glanced at each of the hunters present, subtly activating his Scan spell; assessing their skills and getting a read of their mana stores. It only occurred to him afterwards that those attuned to the arcane arts may be able to detect this sleight. Not wanting to upset his new comrades, or cause suspicion of himself unnecessarily, Aldous deemed it necessary to mask his spell with the casting of a few more.
"I am Aldous Rhidelon," With a slight gesture, a small flame appeared in his left hand.
"Mage," The fire then vanished and was replaced with a large purple bow, glowing with magical energy.
"And archer," The bow's energy dissipated, causing it to vanish from sight. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Aldous combed over the group once more, noting the visible calm of the auxiliary soldiers. A slight smirk painted his face.
"It would seem we are waiting on Axlen, he should be here shortly. He mentioned something about being lost in a battlefield...?"

Aldous pondered his last statement, wondering how Axlen could let something like a battlefield hold him up. With a sigh and an audible thud, Aldous plopped against a large oak tree not to far from the fire, patiently awaiting his friend, and master.

 

[Proletariat]

Torston watched the fire crackle for a good while, letting the dim glow warm his face. There was always something about fire that entranced him, he could stare into it for hours, watching the flames shimmer and wave, a fiery tale unfolded for anyone who was willing to watch. The soldier wondered if he spent more time in a bed, or next to a fire... he couldn't decide. After humoring his own idiosyncrasies for a few minutes, the soldier returned his focus to the task at hand. Like any diligent hunter, he regularly researched the active hunter registries available from multiple sources every few weeks. There were two main reasons a hunter needed to know about his peers. The first reason, the positive reason, was so that he might best complement his peers' abilities on the hunt. The second reason, the negative reason, was so that he might be able to learn his peers' weaknesses, in case a hunter went rogue, and needed to become the hunted. Scanning over the present hunters, he gathered the following:

Avyn: A scrawny looking kid, Torston was surprised to see someone so young at a hunt. Torston knew nothing about the kid. The soldier knew better than to underestimate someone because of age, but he did not expect very much from a rookie.

Sven: Torston knew many things about Sven. The veteran hunter was accomplished, and not very quiet. You don't get to be massive, armored, and powerful, without getting noticed just about everywhere you go. Torston heard about many of Sven's exploits and read up on his abilities in different registries. Torston expected professionalism and exceptional performance from the tested hunter, though he never personally met him. Typically the hunter's with the worst personalities got very negative attention from the public, the soldier only heard good things from his sources. Sven definitely didn't look like someone to be trifled with, though Torston definitely didn't foresee the giant winning any footraces.

Aldous: Although Torston was older than the magical bowman, he knew that Aldous was a much more veteran hunter. In general, Torston wasn't much of a fan of mages, or archers, but he had no personal experience with Aldous, so he didn't judge. His introduction wasn't out of the ordinary for a hunter. Most of the lot were cocky, too many were also dramatic. Torston always figured that once someone was on the hunt for long enough, they were bound to feel above normal society. There weren't many humans alive that could perform the sort of feats that seasoned hunters could. Regardless, Torston never made a habit out of making assumptions about people based on first impressions.

Joha: Speaking of first impressions, Torston was not impressed by the hunter who referred to herself as Joha. He recognized the obvious signs of alcohol intoxication in her actions and speech. His eyes tracked her as she stumbled over towards him. She looked to be in her late twenties, though he could've been overestimating due to the dark, and his mounting irritation. Torston could not remember anyone by her description or her name, so he had no idea what to expect from her. He thought she looked rather rough, and smelled like alcohol, but again, one could never tell with hunters. His years of professional life scratched at the back of his brain as he watched her and listened to her words, but he knew better than to judge a hunter. They went through some of the most difficult challenges of any human beings. Some were better suited to it than others.. He watched carefully as her toe nudged against his boot. His dark brown eyes slowly drifted over to her.. but before he could respond, the trickster, Maeve, was behind him.

Maeve: Torston knew better than to take his eyes off the girl for more than a few seconds. She was sneaky to say the least, cantankerous to say more accurately. He knew her for three years, and not one day of her life was she ever up to any good. Although he was a much more moral and principled person, he saw a lot of himself as a youth in her, and he promised himself that he would never play father to her. She deserved more respect than that. Torston already had a firm grasp on her physical and magical abilities, so he didn't feel the need to spend time sizing her up. The soldier heard her voice coming from behind him. He half turned his head and acknowledged her with his peripheral vision, habitually checking his pockets, which were empty to start with. She predictably opened with pointed words, aimed at himself. The phantom of a grin formed at the edge of Torston's lip, before he tactfully responded, "You know I'm a principled man Maeve, I would never accept a gift from you.. I know better than to deal in stolen goods. I am surprised to see you here though, I figured you and hard work were about as compatible as water and fire.." If it was brighter, and there was a wealthier crowd around, Torston would've looked her over more seriously to check for anything she recently acquired.. For the moment he continued to ignore Joha, since Maeve answered her question anyway. That, and he was pleased to interact with the little shithead. 'She's still a tiny thing... a giant could fart and knock her on her ass..' Torston thought.

BugDozer73 Berries

 

[TagochiRein]

The Rouke warriors circled the fire pointing their weapons outward into the thick of the night. Sounds of all sorts caused them to jump. The occasional cricket was the worse. Never underestimate the sound of a small insect they thought in unison as they kept their guard up. The crackling fire sat in between all of the warriors, waiting for someone to sit by it, but the nerves of the warriors were like pins and needles. Sitting down would hurt too bad with the amount of stress they were under.

Just as they were about to lose their minds collectively from anticipation, a blue flame could be seen through the trees. It slowly crept closer until it was right upon them. A young boy presented himself as a hunter. Despite his young appearance and jovial demeanor, they couldn't of been happier to see a hunter fill their ranks. Whatever his age was, the sigil on the forehead granted a comfy hug around their hearts. The mark bore a sign of respect that very few are able to attain so the boy that stood among them commanded their trust in strength without any display. If they actually mustered up the courage to question, they would find out that he was only commenced as a hunter just a year ago. Very green in many areas.

Shortly after the rest of the hunters started to join the fold. First a tiny cat like girl popped up in the trees, followed by a giant, a drunkard, brutish warrior, and a mage, all with distinct characteristics and disposition. The collection of sigils put the Rouke warriors at ease. They put their weapons back into their sheathes and started to conjugate closer together, giving the hunters room to stand. Even though they still feared the Hunters and what they were capable of, they knew that the Hunters fought on their side, and that was enough for them.

The Rouke warriors watched the them from a far, discussing whether or not to get closer among themselves or what their battle tactics were going to be as if they actually had a say on what the plan was going to be. After long and drawn out whispers, the leader of the warriors decided to tend the fire and not mind the rumors that his brethren shared with each other near the rock . He didn't fear the hunters as much as his men did. Despite never meeting one in person, he assumed that they bled all the same as any man and he was right, to a degree of course.

He stood up and returned to his men after taking one good look at all of the hunters that had been summoned. He listened to their casual and carefree banter for a while before joining the conversation that his men were having. He hoped that they lived to their reputation. For Almanzor Beaumarchais, Leader of the Rouke village, and his men had a lot to lose if this situation wasn't settled once and for all. If not, his village would have to leave the place that they called home, for they would not be able to take another assault rom the barbaric faction known as the Iron Claw Clan. Ruthless savages that plunder and exploit weaker villages and towns for the sake of greed and chaos.

Moments later, all of the hunters immediately stop all conversations and drew their weapons, shifting their focus northwest of the fire. A strange shifting in the darkness caused all of the hunters with their keen ears and senses to be on their guard. The Rouke warriors unaware of what was happening followed suit. If the Hunters were raising the weapons, they would be fools to not do the same.

"Take it easy," said a voice from the darkness," I am not a foe, but an ally instead"

A man stepped from outside of the blackened forest and into the light that leaked from the fire. The man wore a chest plate that resembled an ancient monster known as Medusa. Any hunter who heard the stories knew this man was in fact the "Eye of Medusa", a hunter of six years. Rumor has it that he is able to petrify an entire village with the gaze of his eyes, rendering any onlooker of the many eyes into stone within moments of viewing. Many people feared him because of this deadly ability.

Before anyone could take a breath, another voice revealed itself from behind the new hunter, then followed by a body to represent itself.


"Good evening. For those who do not know me, I am a hunter that goes by the name of Axlen Wyundil and this man before me is a hunter that goes by the name of Rylde Londyth. He will be joining us on this hunt."


"Greetings. I look forward to working with you all ," said Rylde as he stepped around the fire and onto the side closer to the Rouke warriors.


"Seems like we were the last to arrive," said Axlen as he walked into the middle of the circle, next to the fire,"We were crossing through the Valley of the Dead on my way here to cut time and found myself guiding spirits still attached to this world to the next."

There he put the bag that he had slung over his shoulders beside him. He reached into it and pulled out five fire bombs and then tossed one to each of the hunters standing there. Once he was finished distributing them, he resealed the bag.

"Listen up and listen well for I will not repeat myself. As Hunters, we must know when to shed blood and when not to. We are protectors of the peace in our own right. We may not be ordained by those who rule castles, but we still have a duty to its people, for they are also our people. We do not have the luxury to choose sides nor fight for anyone but peace. With that said, Sven and I will go to speak with the leader of the Iron Claw Clan and ask them to lay down there weapons against the village of Rouke in hope that this matter could be dealt with in a simpler means. I don't know you well, but I take it that you will handle yourself accordingly. If negotiations fail, then we will have no choice, but to slay all of the Iron Claw warriors due to the disruption of peace that they causing this land. Leaving nobody alive," said Axlen as he spoke to the crowd of people before him," Aldous, Torston, and Maeve, I want you positioned on the west, north, and east side of the encampment respectively. You are to wait on the edge of the forest. Avyn, you will shadow under Torston so you shall go to the North end of camp when he departs. You may have become a hunter at an early age, but there are many things you still must learn. Rylde and Joha, you will be positioned south of the encampment with the warriors of Rouke. That is the where the main entrance is. You will provide aid for them and support as they storm the camp if it comes to it. Your main duty is to make sure that they all make it back safe and sound to their homes after this is all over."

Axlen looked them both in the eye before continuing with his brief, "None of you are to make a move against the Iron Claw Clan until you have seen the signal which would be an explosion from the middle of the camp. From there, each one of you will throw your bomb into the encampment for crowd control and cover your respective sides, making sure none of them escapes. Sven and I will work our way from the middle of their base. My contacts stated their army has roughly 500 troops with no use of magic, so we can assume that their are no mages among them, but we will not rule it completely out, so tread carefully if battle ensues.

With this, our hunt will be finished and we will proceed to the next. This is our first hunt together so I elected for something of lesser scale to fine tune chemistry and build repertoire with each other. Are there any questions?"

Axlen looked around at all the gathered warriors. Open the floor for any who wish to speak any words at this time.

 

[BugDozer73]

Maeve snickered. The old man was as sharp as ever, much to her quiet delight, despite her disappointment at the lack of shock on his face. She rolled her eyes, and didn't dwell on it. Unlike most people, Maeve had never been able to scare Torston. It had almost become a goal of hers to make him jump, but she knew she would have better luck trying to surprise a rock: Torston could probably beat one in a staring contest.

"The milk doesn't buy itself." She didn't really drink milk; rather it was her euphemism for booze. "And pockets have bottoms. But there will always be bounties to collect, and thugs to cut" Maeve let her eyes flicker over the Rouke warriors, a few of them trembling slightly under her glowing eyes, which brought a smile back to her face. Unlike most hunters, her eyes glowed because of her hunters ability, which also turned her pupils into feline slits. She was used to unnerving the people she gazed at, the feeling of their uncomfort empowering her.

Another scent emerged, pulling her from her thoughts. With some flare and a flaming hand, the white haired man introduced himself as both a mage, and an archer. He was handsome, with a chilling gaze, similar to her own. She was more interested in his person. Most thieves didn't like Mages because of the lack of items they carried. Maeve wasn't most thieves: A thief can't steal an etherial bow, but a good thief knows that items, ANY items belonging to hunters can be sold at high prices. A hunter like Aldous would carry a lot of weight on the black market.

Maeve felt his eyes fall over them, casting a scan spell. Maeve touched her own wrist with subtlety, casting a magic aura, making her appear unmagical to all divination spells. As a general rule, her discretion and illusions kept her alive; that required keeping secrets. For the next 24 hours, should arrow boy try scanning her, all he would see is a flash sack with a lot of knives and the cutest pink hair in the land.

Maeve turned and hissed slightly at the shadows as a man in a purple robe emerged from the trees, a copper colored plate with the head of a gorgon imprinted on it. Maeve hated snakes; every one of her senses screamed danger around this man. She knew who he was, too. The Eye of Medusa had made quite a name for himself on the streets, and she heard every whisper. She let her fingers run delicately over the silver blades strapped to her frame, which brought her some comfort.

The only thing that could bring her to work with the snake was the man who came through next.
"Woah.... That's Axlen, The Spirit Hunter." Maeve took a step back in awe: Everyone in the world knew who he was. A half of the reason that hunters even worked together, not to mention one of the longest lasting hunters to date. What the hell was he doing here? And with the snake?

Axlen spoke with authority as he gave a run down on how the hunt was supposed to go. Maeve found him tossing them each a fire bomb, which she caught gingerly and turned over in her hands to examine. The east side of the forrest? Shouldn't be a problem. The child would go with Torston, and the others would split respectively: The snake was to be paired with Joha, the drunkard.

"The first hunt? Are there going to be more afterwards?" Maeve had planned on making a bit of gold before slipping away again, living comfortably in the shadows of an alley until her pockets ran dry, but something about the spirit walker left her feeling that she was going to be with this motley crew for longer than she would appreciate.

 

[HaruAketchi]

Aldous sat against the tree, staring deeply into the flame before him. His mind nowhere in particular, simply at rest. Moments later a noise could be heard, someone emerging from the bush. Aldous quickly and silently rose to his feet, flexing his hands a bit as they began to glow a faint red. He shortly glanced around at the rest of the team, weapons drawn.
Will the battle begin before our commander even arrives? He thought to himself. It was then that he saw a familiar chest plate breach the brush, Rylde.

"Axlen's lackey..." He muttered to himself almost inaudibly, relaxing his stance and dismissing the aura that surrounded his hands. Aldous had never been too fond of Rylde. Not because of his personality, or an offense of any kind, but because of the nature of his hunter ability. The Eye Of Medusa was one that could finish most hunters, even with a large gap in skill. Because of this Aldous has always been wary of him, in awe and slight jealousy of the gift.

Interrupting his thoughts was another man emerging, Axlen. Aldous listened intently, silently nodding his head after each of his remarks. When he finished speaking Aldous cleared his throat and spoke up. "I have no questions, but a gift for you all." It was then that Aldous reached into one of the pockets on his garb and removed a hand full of yellow balls, no larger than than a treenut. He caught the explosive Axlen tossed him in his left hand, pocketing it as he begun to speak.

"If you find yourself in any situation you cannot handle, crush these." He proceeded to toss one to each of his comrades, save Axlen. "It will begin to emit a yellow smoke, that should conceal your retreat, and notify me to your location. I will have my eyes to the sky, and I will move to assist immediately." With the end of his remark he shoved his hands into his pockets, glanced over the team, then met eyes with Axlen.

"I am ready at once."

 

[Proletariat]

The Rouke warriors circled the fire pointing their weapons outward into the thick of the night. Sounds of all sorts caused them to jump. The occasional cricket was the worse. Never underestimate the sound of a small insect they thought in unison as they kept their guard up. The crackling fire sat in between all of the warriors, waiting for someone to sit by it, but the nerves of the warriors were like pins and needles. Sitting down would hurt too bad with the amount of stress they were under.

Just as they were about to lose their minds collectively from anticipation, a blue flame could be seen through the trees. It slowly crept closer until it was right upon them. A young boy presented himself as a hunter. Despite his young appearance and jovial demeanor, they couldn't of been happier to see a hunter fill their ranks. Whatever his age was, the sigil on the forehead granted a comfy hug around their hearts. The mark bore a sign of respect that very few are able to attain so the boy that stood among them commanded their trust in strength without any display. If they actually mustered up the courage to question, they would find out that he was only commenced as a hunter just a year ago. Very green in many areas.

Shortly after the rest of the hunters started to join the fold. First a tiny cat like girl popped up in the trees, followed by a giant, a drunkard, brutish warrior, and a mage, all with distinct characteristics and disposition. The collection of sigils put the Rouke warriors at ease. They put their weapons back into their sheathes and started to conjugate closer together, giving the hunters room to stand. Even though they still feared the Hunters and what they were capable of, they knew that the Hunters fought on their side, and that was enough for them.

The Rouke warriors watched the them from a far, discussing whether or not to get closer among themselves or what their battle tactics were going to be as if they actually had a say on what the plan was going to be. After long and drawn out whispers, the leader of the warriors decided to tend the fire and not mind the rumors that his brethren shared with each other near the rock . He didn't fear the hunters as much as his men did. Despite never meeting one in person, he assumed that they bled all the same as any man and he was right, to a degree of course.

He stood up and returned to his men after taking one good look at all of the hunters that had been summoned. He listened to their casual and carefree banter for a while before joining the conversation that his men were having. He hoped that they lived to their reputation. For Almanzor Beaumarchais, Leader of the Rouke village, and his men had a lot to lose if this situation wasn't settled once and for all. If not, his village would have to leave the place that they called home, for they would not be able to take another assault rom the barbaric faction known as the Iron Claw Clan. Ruthless savages that plunder and exploit weaker villages and towns for the sake of greed and chaos.

Moments later, all of the hunters immediately stop all conversations and drew their weapons, shifting their focus northwest of the fire. A strange shifting in the darkness caused all of the hunters with their keen ears and senses to be on their guard. The Rouke warriors unaware of what was happening followed suit. If the Hunters were raising the weapons, they would be fools to not do the same.

"Take it easy," said a voice from the darkness," I am not a foe, but an ally instead"

A man stepped from outside of the blackened forest and into the light that leaked from the fire. The man wore a chest plate that resembled an ancient monster known as Medusa. Any hunter who heard the stories knew this man was in fact the "Eye of Medusa", a hunter of six years. Rumor has it that he is able to petrify an entire village with the gaze of his eyes, rendering any onlooker of the many eyes into stone within moments of viewing. Many people feared him because of this deadly ability.

Before anyone could take a breath, another voice revealed itself from behind the new hunter, then followed by a body to represent itself.


"Good evening. For those who do not know me, I am a hunter that goes by the name of Axlen Wyundil and this man before me is a hunter that goes by the name of Rylde Londyth. He will be joining us on this hunt."


"Greetings. I look forward to working with you all ," said Rylde as he stepped around the fire and onto the side closer to the Rouke warriors.


"Seems like we were the last to arrive," said Axlen as he walked into the middle of the circle, next to the fire,"We were crossing through the Valley of the Dead on my way here to cut time and found myself guiding spirits still attached to this world to the next."

There he put the bag that he had slung over his shoulders beside him. He reached into it and pulled out five fire bombs and then tossed one to each of the hunters standing there. Once he was finished distributing them, he resealed the bag.

"Listen up and listen well for I will not repeat myself. As Hunters, we must know when to shed blood and when not to. We are protectors of the peace in our own right. We may not be ordained by those who rule castles, but we still have a duty to its people, for they are also our people. We do not have the luxury to choose sides nor fight for anyone but peace. With that said, Sven and I will go to speak with the leader of the Iron Claw Clan and ask them to lay down there weapons against the village of Rouke in hope that this matter could be dealt with in a simpler means. I don't know you well, but I take it that you will handle yourself accordingly. If negotiations fail, then we will have no choice, but to slay all of the Iron Claw warriors due to the disruption of peace that they causing this land. Leaving nobody alive," said Axlen as he spoke to the crowd of people before him," Aldous, Torston, and Maeve, I want you positioned on the west, north, and east side of the encampment respectively. You are to wait on the edge of the forest. Avyn, you will shadow under Torston so you shall go to the North end of camp when he departs. You may have become a hunter at an early age, but there are many things you still must learn. Rylde and Joha, you will be positioned south of the encampment with the warriors of Rouke. That is the where the main entrance is. You will provide aid for them and support as they storm the camp if it comes to it. Your main duty is to make sure that they all make it back safe and sound to their homes after this is all over."

Axlen looked them both in the eye before continuing with his brief, "None of you are to make a move against the Iron Claw Clan until you have seen the signal which would be an explosion from the middle of the camp. From there, each one of you will throw your bomb into the encampment for crowd control and cover your respective sides, making sure none of them escapes. Sven and I will work our way from the middle of their base. My contacts stated their army has roughly 500 troops with no use of magic, so we can assume that their are no mages among them, but we will not rule it completely out, so tread carefully if battle ensues.

With this, our hunt will be finished and we will proceed to the next. This is our first hunt together so I elected for something of lesser scale to fine tune chemistry and build repertoire with each other. Are there any questions?"

Axlen looked around at all the gathered warriors. Open the floor for any who wish to speak any words at this time.

Before Torston could interact any further with Maeve, they were interrupted by two more hunters. Some bandits require this many hunters in one place? Seems like a waste of time.. The soldier thought. He felt even more disillusioned when Axlen Wyundil and Rylde Londyth appeared from the darkness. Two of the most legendary hunters alive, they could take care of the bandits themselves.. it didn't sit well with the veteran. Although it didn't impress him, Torston listened carefully to Axlen's speech. His years of soldiering taught him that duty and obedience to your superiors were paramount to any military success. He internalized those beliefs into himself a long time ago. He had no problem with Axlen's plan, it was a sound one. The only hangup was his assigned partner. A relative unknown, Avyn. For some reason Axlen deemed it necessary to send the rookie along with Torston. Once it was announced, Torston quietly "Hmphed" in response. He was no whiner, and he would do what he was told unless he thought it was going to get a lot of people killed, but tutoring a rookie was not something he looked forward to. Avyn may have been tough, but he was inexperienced and in front of a big name lineup of hunters. He would be eager to impress, Torston knew that much. "Shadowing" Torston wasn't going to teach him much either. Torston didn't talk much, especially not to stranger rookies. He'd better keep up and stay out of my way, the old soldier thought. The angry looking warrior eyed Avyn for a few moments, looking him over seriously for the first time. He doesn't look like much, carries an interesting blade, but powerful blades don't make powerful hunters. After sizing up his new temporary apprentice, Torsotn refocused on his instructions.

The Iron Claw Clan was their target... Torston knew about them. He'd heard of them at least. An aggressive and powerful bandit clan to be sure, but he would much rather spend his time hunting powerful beasts. He killed plenty of men in his past, he never looked forward to it. After hearing their assignments, Torston left a respectable amount of time for others to comment before he spoke up. Aldous chimed in, handing a yellow pellet to each one of his allies. Torston listened to his comrade as he explained the purpose of the pellet. It seemed like a decent idea, but freely moving out of position could be dangerous, even if it seemed necessary to give someone backup. He wouldn't refuse a free resource, but the soldier couldn't see himself actually using the smoke when facing bandits.

His gravely voice carried through the night air after Aldous finished, "I have three questions. First, the Iron Claw Clan... is this their main camp we are attacking, or just a warband? Second, what terrain will we be facing to the North of the camp, is it a covered approach, or an open area? And Third, these bandits, is there something special about them, something you haven't mentioned to us? I get that you want our first group mission to be an easier one, but surely you wouldn't have this many hunters gathered together to kill 500 brigands.." The veteran noisily cleared his throat once he was done. That was the most words he had strung together in weeks, it always hurt his throat to do much talking.

The first two questions were simple logistics, but the second one aimed a little bit closer to the purpose of the mission. He didn't make a habit out of questioning his commanders, but he would feel uneasy unless he got a striaghtforward answer to the question. Axlen may have been an excellent hunter, Torston respected that, but hunters working together was a completely new phenomenon. Just because Axlen possessed remarkable strength and experience, that did not make him a good commander. He would have to earn that respect from Torston through competence, discipline, and savvy.


TagochiRein HaruAketchi BugDozer73 H Hal lucination

Rage Level

 

[Hal lucination]

Avyn fiddled with his hands, letting everyone else banter. He usually would have some jokes at the ready, but he had no prior experience with these people, and he knew that certain types of people would not take kindly to a kid spewing an endless stream of quips.

Avyn sensed something coming, and tensed up a bit, before two hunters came into the open. They introduced themselves as Axlen Wyundil and Rylde Londyth. Avyn's eyes widened. He'd only really been among other humans besides his parents for about 4 years, but even he had heard stories about the two hunters. He intently listened to their instructions, and stashed away the fire bomb they had given him. The only words he managed to get out were a quick "Yes, Sir." He took Aldous's pellet and quickly trotted over to Torston's side. It seemed like he was going to have a tutor for this mission. He looked up at the man. Avyn was never good at reading other's emotions, but as far as he could tell, Torston seemed to be mildly upset. Avyn sighed inaudibly and relaxed. It'd be a long time until he could garner some respect. Not that he blamed the other hunters, or anything, it was just something he would have to endure until he could prove himself.

Proletariat

 

[TagochiRein]

The weight of the pressure that surrounded the campfire started to leak into the air causing all near by insects and creatures to flee from area. The force of Hunters that conjured in one spot was of a magnitude of no other. This was a monumental moment that was currently taking place and the Rouke warriors could feel it. No where else in could you find records in history for this is event so if they lived through this, which they had small doubts that they wouldn't, they would immediately get with their scribes and bards and tell the tale of the Rouke Warriors that stood among them

The warriors of Rouke pushed back to their corner of the fire unconsciously as the Hunters began their deliberation, holding their breathe with every movement and word that was said.
Almanzor, Leader of the Rouke Warriors, signaled his men to gather around and absorb this information. Attention to detail could save you on the battlefield when normal means escape you.

Axlen opened the door for questions concerning the first major mission that the Order of the Hunt will embark on.

"The first hunt? Are there going to be more afterwards?" Maeve had planned on making a bit of gold before slipping away again, living comfortably in the shadows of an alley until her pockets ran dry, but something about the spirit walker left her feeling that she was going to be with this motley crew for longer than she would appreciate.
@BugDozer73

"Yes...there will be more Hunts in the near future. I have been compiling sightings of creatures or political struggles across the world. As long as there are people who need protecting, we Hunters will go anywhere necessary to grant peace, even for a second."

The Rouke Warriors heard the conviction in his voice and knew that he actually meant it, which soothed their doubt on the well being of their village. They were being tormented for so long. Living life without fear if they would last until the next was a refreshing idea. Aldous then began throwing out pallets of a yellow hue to all the Hunters. He explained that it would give a signal for Aldous to respond to in the event that there was trouble to great to conquer alone.

Torston then chimed in.

His gravely voice carried through the night air after Aldous finished, "I have three questions. First, the Iron Claw Clan... is this their main camp we are attacking, or just a warband? Second, what terrain will we be facing to the North of the camp, is it a covered approach, or an open area? And Third, these bandits, is there something special about them, something you haven't mentioned to us? I get that you want our first group mission to be an easier one, but surely you wouldn't have this many hunters gathered together to kill 500 brigands.." The veteran noisily cleared his throat once he was done. That was the most words he had strung together in weeks, it always hurt his throat to do much talking.
@Proletariat

"This will be a combination of both for the Iron Claw Clan. They have been taking over villages and recruiting desperate people with destroyed homes into the cause with the notion that they have nothing to lose if they don't. They are currently on a campaign for what I have gathered so this is the bulk of their force at the current time. It appears they are taking an all or nothing approach in order to gain power quickly in the surrounding areas. I will like to make mention that we will not destroy their main base of operation if they decided not to step down from their expansion due to the fact that they have their own cause as a collective of people. We will simply destroy their army and let the rest be to fate," said Axlen as he looked at all the Hunters that gathered around before ending his gaze at the leader of the Rouke Warriors. He could see the anger in his eyes but his decision wouldn't change because emotion is not how a hunter should be governed. Only balance and Peace.

"To answer your second question, this is a heavily wooded area so you should only find trees and possibly streams on your way through to your checkpoint on the North of the Encampment. It will also be heavily wooded so the avenue of approach will be covered. Now regarding the third question, they have been increasing their advancement at an alarming rate. It was as if they became a superpower overnight, which isn't impossible just, causes me to wonder....However, despite that fact sitting on my brain, this is indeed just a test to see how well we work together. When it comes to larger hunts, we need to make sure we are able to trust each others abilities because they will rest in each others hands. I wish for no more of my brethren who took the oath to protect the people to die...at least no alone..."

Axlen paused for a slight moment thinking about all the dead Hunters he came across in his journeys. He has seen many Hunters spirits linger for years because of their strong sense of regret, causing them to not be able to fade into the next world over. Before sending them on their way, he talks with them and hears their stories. With each of those Hunters engraved in his head, he knew that there was something wrong with our current system.

Johanna Blackwell, known as Fireball, started rotating her axes vigorously with anticipation, which then drew everyone's attention. Her buzz was starting to wear off slightly because she started to pace herself from the ale known as Frog Skin right before the Hunt. She acquired it from a little village north of Rouke because she ran out of her ale known as Swamp Feet from the village right before that. Being slightly intoxicated was not only satisfying, but helps take off the edge. She has had many close counters in the four years that she had been a hunter because she likes to push it as close the edge as possible, regardless of risk. One of the other main reasons is that it also dulls the pain when her fire from her ability starts to eat away at her flesh.

"I am more interested in the booze that they will have. They are looters so I am sure they have acquired some good ale from their conquest. Not from this area so I am looking forward to what I find... Me and my axes are ready for combat." said Joha as she had a large smile on her face.," Not happy about the baby sitting job but I will take it for now."

Sven stepped forward and slammed the hilt of his warhammer into the ground," It would be an honor to serve next to you as we confront the Iron Claw Clan. I will be sure not to let you down."

Axlen nodded his head at both of them to Acknowledge their statements.

"Any other questions or concerns before we embark?"

 

[BugDozer73]

After taking the yellow orb and listening to some of what Axlen was saying, Maeve looked around at the other hunters as they voiced their approval, one by one. Their excitement only made her role her eyes, but she knew in her heart that her body was beginning to twitch with anticipation. Something about the energy of the camp brought her too her toes, and made her hairs stand on end. This... was going to be fun.

The trees were good: They would give her a lot of cover. Despite her skill with a blade, she relied heavily on her illusions and misdirection. The trees would give her cover to move through the enemy ranks, as well as shade to fuel her magic. The iron claw clan wouldn't know what hit them. Not to mention the others. Axlen and Rylde, Sven and Aldous were all seasoned hunters: Torston could Arm wrestle a troll: and they even had Maeve, the greatest hunter on the rise, the queen of shadow, the ally cat herself. She smirked as she praised herself in her mind, thinking about how lucky the others were to be in her company; not that they would agree, but t'was not uncommon at all for her to place herself above them all.

"Well then... what are we waiting for? Lets get to slicing." Maeve purred as she withdrew one knife and played with the edge, the hair splitting silver sparkling amongst the firelight.

 

[TagochiRein]

Axlen opened the floor for any questions or doubts in his plans. The general consensus among all that gather was the eagerness to carry out the mission and get to the hunt. This is what the hunters were bred for so the anticipation and eagerness were justified. Sitting still for too long without chasing a harpy or gutting an ogre would cause our skin to boil and the need to gauge our eyes out until we reach our brain would then wash over us. So we stray away from the idea. There was deeper questioning from the Hunter Torston that Axlen will indeed remember. Seems to have a keen sense for operations is what he thought as he continued his brief moment of pause for any other hunters to chime in before he set the plan in motion. The Rouke warriors looked around at all the faces that could save their village from annihilation. Their resolved was bolstered in the midst of them. They no longer had fear.

With no other questions, he ordered all that gathered before him to disburse toward the Iron Claw's temporary base and battle positions. They traveled through the blackened forest heading, east to the encampment. Once they got close enough, Axlen, Rylde, Sven, Joha, and the Rouke warriors hooked south east to wrap around the camp until they were directly south of the camp, where their main entrance lied. Aldous simply kept moving forward until the camp was in view, then he climbed the trees to get a better vantage point of the surrounding area. Torston with the new Hunter Avyn and Maeve hooked northeast, stopping north and east of the camp respectively. Everyone got into position hiding in the foliage of the forest. The moon was large and bright tonight so it peaked through the trees, granting more visibility than normal, even in this forest.


Axlen waited a couple of minutes so that everybody could get situated into their locations before proceeding with the plan.




(Imagine it fuller with more tents, and people and fires and such)


If any of the hunters or Rouke warriors looked out toward the camp from any position, they would notice the Iron Claw Clan celebrating their victory over the Rouke Village. Even though they had yet to conquer the village, they do this celebration for two reasons. The first would be for luck. Celebrating had become a ritual for their people since the clan's day of birth. They sang songs and drank of the finest mead that they could gather from the numerous villages that they pillaged before the day of battle. It was a way to shake the nerves for they were a close clan. Losing men in the battlefield was like losing a piece of their soul. They wanted to make sure that they had nothing stopping their best performance. The second reason would be for pride, which superseded the first. They had conquered many cities and villages along the southern most regions of Redanna. The empire was too busy fighting other wars that they had little time to deal with Iron Claw Clan. They used this time to spread their following and maintain power. People around that region now feared them more than they do the King of Redanna. After what they had achieved, they had the right to carry on as they did.

Once Axlen deemed it was enough time of preparation, he and Sven headed toward the camp with torches in their hands that lit the entire forest up. One would think that the Iron Claw warriors were off guard due to the festivities, but the person who would think that would be begging to be slaughtered like a pig who lost its purpose. Not even a second after stepping onto the outer area of their premises, they were surrounded by well armed and alert warriors. Blades and spears from all directions pointed at the two bold men, with bowmen covering their rear and pointing outward.

Axlen and Sven stood their, watching the men scurry around, assuming their fight positions.

"Now, now, now," said one of the men that stood before them," look at what we have here. Who would be bold enough to walk to our camp and interrupt our celebration? Do you know who your messing with?

"Yea...you idiots...you must be itching to die," said another.

"Hold your weapons...We are Hunters from The Order of the Hunt. We have come to speak with your leader. We wish for no bloodshed," said Axlen casually to the Iron Claw Warriors as he revealed the mark that sat on his forehead. He hoped they headed his warning. He looked over to Sven who jammed his warhammer into the ground so that it would stand tall. As if his height wasn't enough to intimidate people, he used the assistance of his warhammer to reinforce the notion.

Leaving the war-hammer in place, he walked up to the man questioning the hunters and stood directly in front of him, looking down on him. "Is there any drink for us? We traveled along way?" said the Hunter.

The Iron Claw Gate Warden stepped up, placing his leather armor against the steel that Sven wore. He was not afraid of the giant nor was any that stood among them. "We will pour you a glass over your dead body to send you on your way to the afterlife hunter."

Axlen didn't want the plan to implode within seconds of commencing. "That's enough Sven. Remember what we came for." He said, leaving the decision to Sven to make. He would either step away, back to Axlen's side or continue standing their making light of the existence of the man that stood before him.


Maeve reached her destination and found a small group of bushes and shrubs to hid herself for the attack. If she were to look out toward the camp, she would have a fragmented view of the camp due to the choice of hiding that she chose in order to stay away for the guard patrol. Despite this, she was still able to see the exchange that was happening from her location. As she inspected her knives as she waited for the signal to go off, she would hear shifting in the leaves around her. If she was a good hunter, she would know that the air around her was a little off. She could stay in position if she wanted to and stick to the plan, while adding more caution to her watch, or she could go an satisfy the eerie feeling that she was getting by entering deeper into the forest, in which she might have enough time to return before the plan had to be executed if nothing came up. It was up to her to decide.


Aldous climbed the closest tree to the camp that could properly conceal his presence. From where he sat, he could easily see the whole field with ease. He could see the warriors surrounding Axlen and Sven as they entered the camp from the south. He had his bow ready in the event that he needed to use it. Then out of nowhere, noises of rapid movements echoed through out the forest behind him and then quickly dissipated in the same instance. He snapped backwards to face the direction of the noise. A couple of iterations occurred of the same instance, which peaked his curiosity even more. It was faint at first but as the milliseconds crossed over to seconds, the noise grew in strength but for some very odd reason, he wasn't able to detect any presence of any kind from the direction that the sounds came from. He had a couple of options. He could advance toward the sound via trees or by ground. Each with their own merits. Or He could stay where he is, adding more caution to his watch. It was up to him to decide.


Torston was slightly restless and annoyed as she rested along the trunk of the thick tree, waiting for the signal to go off. He had the Hunter Avyn under his watch. An idea he wasn't too keen on. He soon calmed his mind and spirit to focus on what was important at the moment, for the mission was the priority and orders were given. He was stationed north of the camp, making it impossible to see what was occurring up front. He could hear the commotion and the movement of the men inside the encampment so he knew that the plan was set in motion. He knew his role. It is to wait here until the signal...so he did.

Avyn stood at the tree next to one Torston was resting upon. He kept his wits about him and continued to scan the forest every couple of seconds. He may be a young hunter but he took it seriously. Many times during the watch he wanted to open his mouth and say something to Torston but he felt the air around the two, so he decided to keep to himself for now...Maybe another time once he was able to prove himself in battle he thought to himself.

Torston then leaped off of the trunk of the tree and faced the direction of where Aldous was supposed to be positioned, which was the west side of the camp. He felt something off about the direction causing his mind to not be at ease but not enough to immediately spring to action. Avyn stood to action as well at the bodily response that Torston displayed.

"What is it," said Avyn.
"Not now boy...Stay quiet." Torston responded.

Should he investigate the feeling or trust that Aldous, a senior hunter, is able to handle it, staying in position and waiting for the plan to commence. He also had Avyn to command as well. He could send the boy to investigate but then he wouldn't be under his supervision any longer, which would also stray away from the directive that Axlen gave him. The choice was his.

Avy is currently under Torston's command at this time. He is instructed to follow his orders but he is own person, so he has the choice to disobey as well and speak his mind. What would he do based on what Torston says next?

 

[Proletariat]

Torston moved with surprising quietness through the thick brush of the forest. He didn't plow through the thicket like one might expect, but he also wasn't as silent as some of the other hunters either. He moved like he didn't notice the briars and brush scraping away at his skin. Because of this, he was able to move through terrain that most would likely avoid. He kept one ear focused on Avyn, who followed close behind. Thus far the boy stayed silent, which Torston appreciated. The last thing he wanted was the rookie asking some dumb question while they were moving into position to compromise their cover. The further they got to the North, leaving Maeve behind, Torston noticed that the camp seemed to disappear behind the trees. It was an interesting strategy to position Torston there, he thought. Generally, given his skillset, Torston preferred the front line. It suited his brawler-tank style of combat. He could keep anything preoccupied for as long as it took. However, there was a merit to stashing him away deep in the flank. After mulling it over, the soldier decided he tentatively agreed with his placement, though he failed to see how the rookie fit into the strategy.

Eventually they rotated far enough North that Torston decided to stop. There was a very small area that was clear enough to sit in, and it had cover on nearly every side. He leaned against a tree and held his hand up in a "stop" signal to Avyn, who complied. The hunter's thick skin was covered in scratches and scrapes from the brush, but he didn't seem to notice. His tenacity, combined with the Hunter healing factor, made minor wounds practically unnoticeable to Torston. The veteran took a small break to meditate and take in his surroundings. He did not want some over zealous patroller to stumble upon their location by chance, although he seriously doubted anyone was patrolling through the dense underbrush. After a few minutes of silence and patient waiting, a great sense of unease washed over Torston. It was enough to cause him to stir from his inner peace and look around the area, visibly alert. Once he focused on the feeling, he could tell that the danger was in the direction of Aldous, it seemed to be entirely centered around him. Torston's Hunter sense was telling him something, he even considered investigating it, or sending the kid to do it. Finally, he decided not to, and leaned back against the tree. Aldous could handle anything that this forest or the bandits threw at him. Getting out of position would only hinder the plan.

"I don't know if you can sense it, but something or someone is after Aldous. However.." He eyed the boy with a very serious look, "Aldous is more than capable of handling it himself. Our mission requires that we stay here and wait for the signal. People are depending on us to do that. I got two rules kid, don't be a hero, and don't do anything stupid. You don't want to break either rule, so stay here with me, as you were ordered." Torston wouldn't say any more than that to the boy. He couldn't control him, just tell him what he should do. If the boy fucked up, that was on him for acting like an idiot. Torston resumed his meditation, using all his senses to mentally recreate the area around him in an attempt to detect intruders.

H Hal lucination

 

[HaruAketchi]

Aldous eyed Torston inquisitively. Letting each of his words sink in as he questioned Axlen. There was a hint of doubt in his voice, and Aldous could hear it. Along side the audible doubt was an air of experience, this man knows that adversity and existence are one in the same.

Aldous nodded his head, half expecting the doubt from any that had never battled alongside the Spirit Walker, and surprised to hear Torston being the sole one voicing his concerns.

"Let us be off then, I was growing restless." Aldous said as the group split their separate ways. As Aldous journeyed to his assigned position, he recast his Muffle spell, and quickened his pace. Upon reaching his destination Aldous leapt from the ground, swiftly scaling a tree to offer himself a better vantage point.

"Nindolf..." He quietly called out to his bow, which then materialized in his hand. Simultaneously casting a Web of alarms, each 80 feet apart, in every direction save the one he was facing, towards the camp. Aldous gazed over the camp, relishing in the feeling of being above them, all under his gaze.

Aldous quickly flexed his right hand, summoning an arrow and aiming towards the Iron Claw bumping against Sven. "Negotations are no strong suit of his, noted..." Aldous smirked a bit, thinking of all the rowdy hunters whose blood has soaked the sand.

Snatching the smirk from his face was a presence creeping from his rear. Eyes wide and bow drawn to its zenith, Aldous quickly snapped backwards, his eyes glowing red as he activated a heat vision spell. "Nothing.. and past my alarms as well? This should be good."

Faint voicing could be heard from within the darkness, the source of which Aldous was still unaware. "It does not speak to me. A spell perhaps?" Aldous thought to himself. With no intention of being cast against Aldous dissipated his bow, and audibly clapped his hands together. "Delta...DIVIDE!"

Two slightly transparent copies of Aldous appeared in the air on either side of the branch he was sitting on, silently landing on the ground, armed with bladed brass knuckles.

"Careful friends, for your archer is occupied..." Aldous muttered to himself idly as he cast a light spell above both of his clones, commanding them to run into the brush where the source of this disturbance was from.

He took two steps backwards, resting his back against the trunk of the tree. Now resummoned and redrawn, Aldous aimed his bow into brush, eager to lay eyes on whatever fool had thought it wise to advance upon him. The idea of having his back toward his comrades disturbed Aldous, and he had more than an inkling to activate his Omnipotence, but strayed away from such taxing abilities so early in the hunt. For now he could only sit and wait, for his clones to reveal the intruder, or for said creature to do so themselves.

 

[BugDozer73]

Maeve moved easily through the Forrest, lightly moving from tree to tree as they went. It wasn’t that she was too good to walk near the others, but she had learned in her hunts that the high ground was the ground of the living, thought it wasn’t always possible. For the moment, it was, and she stayed there, moving in silence from branch to branch.

As the party split, she made her way to her own position, descending to the Forrest floor for a better view, but staying in some thick bushes to remain hidden. For the moment, she watched both Axlen and Sven begin to talk to the brutes, and Maeve listened to each word with her acute hearing, casually playing with her knife I disinterest.

In a moment though, her hair stood on end and she slid her sharp eyes around to scan the Forrest. Her nose also picked up traces of something she couldn’t place, but she knew something was off nearby. She took a quick glance back, making sure no one had died yet, before turning back to the disturbance.

Her curiosity easily winning, Maeve cast sight eclipsed and felt the shadows wrap around her like a cloak, removing her from all sight. She began to move forward in utter silence, towards the strange feeling, her gut beckoning her deeper into the trees. She knew that she had been ordered to hold, but she was certain a little peek wouldn’t keep her away for too long. Besides, rules were meant to be broken.

 

[Hal lucination]

Avyn looked around the territory. He relaxed. The forest around him felt just like home; the trees, the night sky, the ground, all of it felt too familiar to Avyn.

Suddenly, for a very brief moment, Avyn’s danger sense prickled. He looked up at Torston. It seemed he sensed it too. Avyn decided to follow Torston closely when he started moving. However, Avyn failed to see the benefits of moving through the brush. It was slow and somewhat loud. Avyn mulled it over as he followed Torston and decided that it was probably some unknown factor that he was uninformed of. As the two hunters crept through the brush, Torston came to a halt. Avyn made his way beside him and listened intently to his instructions. He looked outwards towards where Aldous supposedly was. Avyn didn’t want to leave a fellow hunter, but on the other hand, he had to listen to Torston’s instructions. He pondered this for a quick moment. Aldous was also a hunter he had heard of, and apparently was very skilled. Torston was right. Aldous could probably handle himself. Looking back towards Torston, Avyn nodded, and uttered a firm “Yes, Sir.” Avyn still decided to keep one hand on his sword, just in case.

Proletariat