errant12345
New Member
Background:
Long ago, a Twilight who also fancied himself the greatest hunter in Creation, fashioned an island game preserve in the West. However, as the centuries passed, he became bored with hunting natural creatures, and the creatures of the Wyld were often too strange to survive long on his island. So, he and his greatest rival as both a hunter and a scholar, his lunar mate, decided to populate the island with chimeric beastmen to serve as their quarry.
Indeed, they were satisfied with the results. So satisfied infact that they were too engrossed in the thrill of the hunt to adequately defend themselves from the usurpation. However, their creations lived on, hidden by ancient anti-poaching screens powered by their creators manse... which has recently failed due to neglect...
The anti-poaching screens provided by the long-dead Solar's manse made the island seem both extremely dangerous to approach and completely desolate to those who did not bear the hearthstone or were not accompanied by the bearer. Those who braved the illusion found themselves attacked by a seemingly invisible and inaudible horde of enemies. In reality, this was the beastmen(who were fully able to perceive the intruders and the island itself) defending the island as per the wishes of their masters. When the screen eventually failed, ships soon took notice of the lush jungle paradise that now stood in the place of what was previously just a massive pile of rocks and dirt.
Strong and fierce as they were, the beastmen found defending the island much more difficult without the aid of their master's manse. While the invaders were still not coming in sufficient numbers to take the entire island, the power of the Dragon Blooded was now quite sufficient to build and maintain a foothold. Although Guild slavers, the Realm, and several nations of the West are interested in it, none were willing to commit to a full-scale invasion just yet. It would be foolish to charge in when so much was yet unknown about the island, and what other defenses it might have.
However, this has not stopped enterprising slavers and dealers in exotic creatures from trying to turn a profit. One such expedition, led by a god-blood managed to capture a fascinating specimen who called herself "Tora". A decidedly large and powerful mix between human, lion, tiger and octopus, she stood a full nine feet tall and had four powerful tentacles emerging from her back. She was not only strong, but as intelligent as the average human, and even spoke Old Realm(although she used it primarily to curse and threaten her captors). As violent as she was, the sorceror found her both too fascinating and too valuable to simply kill her and study her corpse. Binding her with the heaviest chains he could find, he eventually managed to engage her in conversation. Although she obviously knew nothing of how the island's powerful illusion worked or how it failed, she did share the only thing she did know. The island belonged to the master and his wife, and when they returned there would be hell to pay, for poachers like him.
As savage and dangerous as she was, her ferocity was tempered by a sense of honor and a fiery spirit that fascinated him. When asked if she hated humans, she said she hated only thieves, poachers, and other lowlifes such as the one she was currently speaking to. When asked if she would eat humans, she again stated that only dishonorable thieves such as himself were on the menu. She told him that she did not kill for pleasure, as the master forbade it. Nor would she kill the young since they did not know better. Although she preferred to speak in old realm, he managed to teach her Sea-tongue as well on the long voyage back to port.
The god-blooded sorceror was quite happy with his aquisition, and quite certain she would fetch a handsome price. When they finally arrived at port, he came to take her to auction. However, he had failed to notice that she had been slowly beaking her chains over the course of the long voyage. Hiding the now broken links, she waited for him to get close enough before pouncing on him and tearing his throat out. Taking his keys and shedding what was left of her chains, she swiftly and viciously fought her way up to the deck and escaped overboard. Finally free, she set out to find a way to save the master's island from the forces massing against it. Little does she know, she is destined for that and so much more...
Long ago, a Twilight who also fancied himself the greatest hunter in Creation, fashioned an island game preserve in the West. However, as the centuries passed, he became bored with hunting natural creatures, and the creatures of the Wyld were often too strange to survive long on his island. So, he and his greatest rival as both a hunter and a scholar, his lunar mate, decided to populate the island with chimeric beastmen to serve as their quarry.
Indeed, they were satisfied with the results. So satisfied infact that they were too engrossed in the thrill of the hunt to adequately defend themselves from the usurpation. However, their creations lived on, hidden by ancient anti-poaching screens powered by their creators manse... which has recently failed due to neglect...
The anti-poaching screens provided by the long-dead Solar's manse made the island seem both extremely dangerous to approach and completely desolate to those who did not bear the hearthstone or were not accompanied by the bearer. Those who braved the illusion found themselves attacked by a seemingly invisible and inaudible horde of enemies. In reality, this was the beastmen(who were fully able to perceive the intruders and the island itself) defending the island as per the wishes of their masters. When the screen eventually failed, ships soon took notice of the lush jungle paradise that now stood in the place of what was previously just a massive pile of rocks and dirt.
Strong and fierce as they were, the beastmen found defending the island much more difficult without the aid of their master's manse. While the invaders were still not coming in sufficient numbers to take the entire island, the power of the Dragon Blooded was now quite sufficient to build and maintain a foothold. Although Guild slavers, the Realm, and several nations of the West are interested in it, none were willing to commit to a full-scale invasion just yet. It would be foolish to charge in when so much was yet unknown about the island, and what other defenses it might have.
However, this has not stopped enterprising slavers and dealers in exotic creatures from trying to turn a profit. One such expedition, led by a god-blood managed to capture a fascinating specimen who called herself "Tora". A decidedly large and powerful mix between human, lion, tiger and octopus, she stood a full nine feet tall and had four powerful tentacles emerging from her back. She was not only strong, but as intelligent as the average human, and even spoke Old Realm(although she used it primarily to curse and threaten her captors). As violent as she was, the sorceror found her both too fascinating and too valuable to simply kill her and study her corpse. Binding her with the heaviest chains he could find, he eventually managed to engage her in conversation. Although she obviously knew nothing of how the island's powerful illusion worked or how it failed, she did share the only thing she did know. The island belonged to the master and his wife, and when they returned there would be hell to pay, for poachers like him.
As savage and dangerous as she was, her ferocity was tempered by a sense of honor and a fiery spirit that fascinated him. When asked if she hated humans, she said she hated only thieves, poachers, and other lowlifes such as the one she was currently speaking to. When asked if she would eat humans, she again stated that only dishonorable thieves such as himself were on the menu. She told him that she did not kill for pleasure, as the master forbade it. Nor would she kill the young since they did not know better. Although she preferred to speak in old realm, he managed to teach her Sea-tongue as well on the long voyage back to port.
The god-blooded sorceror was quite happy with his aquisition, and quite certain she would fetch a handsome price. When they finally arrived at port, he came to take her to auction. However, he had failed to notice that she had been slowly beaking her chains over the course of the long voyage. Hiding the now broken links, she waited for him to get close enough before pouncing on him and tearing his throat out. Taking his keys and shedding what was left of her chains, she swiftly and viciously fought her way up to the deck and escaped overboard. Finally free, she set out to find a way to save the master's island from the forces massing against it. Little does she know, she is destined for that and so much more...
