Leo - Visiting Quarry Pub

Ah Quarry Town, such a quaint place, excellent for unwinding after a long journey. I always visit the White Rock Pub at sunset. Workers from the Quarry, traders, and a few farmers and ranchers flow into the pub at the end of the workday. It becomes a boisterous place and ale flows freely.

The workers come to unwind from their day. They joke, laugh, drink, get a bit rough with each other but everybody is a friend. I’d say everybody in town passes through the pub except for one: Rocky. He owns the largest farm in town. From what I gather his family was fortunate to settle on extremely fertile soil. It grows the best crops in the entire region. Rocky inherited the land and has made a fortune establishing an agriculture trade at the pavilion. He also sells to the townspeople but not many buy from him. The folks at the pub do not care much for Rocky and, therefore, won't buy from him. He’s the only wealthy person in town.

Occasionally some of Rocky's workers come into the pub. They're not liked very much either because they're not from Quarry. Rocky hires workers from outer villages. But when they do get a word in, the workers often complain about the way Rocky runs things. Nobody seems to like the guy but they all wish they enjoyed the same comforts he does.

Anyways, Quarry’s pub is by far the liveliest one I’ve ever been to. It’s also a great place to learn about the local monsters and hunters. Deadlings and Banshees are the usual vermin here. Banshees are fliers that mostly go after crops, livestock, and left out food. They're mostly a nuisance to farmers. I haven’t a clue what a Deadling is.

The main hunters in Quarry are Clyde, Smythe, Grimey, and Scully. Scully is the newest and youngest hunter. Grimey sounds like he’s the most skilled but likes to stay in town. In fact, I'm not sure if he's ever been outside of Quarry. Clyde and Smythe are no slouches in the hunt and will take an occasional job outside of Quarry. Scully doesn’t hunt outside of Quarry because he’s the still learning the skills.

Kane and I are looking to form a hunting party and we've stopped at Quarry to recruit. I want Grimey to join us. Kane thinks we should recruit Clyde because he’ll be more inclined to travel with us. But if Grimey is as good as I suspect, he will be a valuable asset.

Grimey - Casted Out

Treacherious bastard! I couldn’t believe what Smythe and I found in those woods where that man was digging the other night. Buried underneath the disturbed patch of dirt was the body of a young woman. The same woman that’s been missing. The same woman that was supposed to have been killed by some new monster. A monster that we can’t find, by the way.

Taking a look at her body we found that the woman had been stabbed. Several knife wounds dotted her upper body. If she were killed by a monster we would fine bite marks, claw marks, or something messy unlike the incision caused by a blade. Monsters don't use blades, people do.

Smythe and I took a trip into Woodlawn Village. People weren’t happy to see us as we were met will suspicious eyes but who cares. A woman was killed by one of her own. We were met by Eli, the village elder who's pretty much the leader of things around here.

“What brings the two of you here, Grimey?” He asked. Even though Woodlawn mostly keeps to itself we're still familiar with each other. Eli was a hunter in his younger days. Nowadays he's a peaceful man whose focus is spent on passing down his knowledge. He also knows these woods better than anybody else.

“We heard about the rumors of a new monster and came to check things out.” I said. Eli cocked his chin back questioningly. I continued before he could speak. “But we found something else you need to see.”

We led Eli to the woman's body. He noticed the same things we did: stab wounds, no bite or claw marks. A murder took place. Back in the village Eli gathered all the people and we pointed out the bastard we saw in the woods the night before. Eli had some trusted people raid his house and found a bloody knife next to a lock of hair that looked a lot like that woman's hair. The digger, knowing that he was cornered, admitted to murder. Said something about she betrayed and broke his heart. Whatever. People shouldn't kill other people. But here we were with somebody who did just that. So now what to do?

Some wanted to kill him. Others wanted to tie him up in the woods and leave him for dead. I’m not much for killin’ people regardless of circumstance and I'm also against giving monsters a free meal. So I suggested he be cast into the wood, exiled from Woodlawn. Eli rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Our friend from Quarry has a good idea.” The elder said. “If he is worthy of living the woods will let him. Nature shall decide his fate.” And with that the murderer was sent off.

Me and Smythe were invited to stay the night. We were given a nice little shack in the middle of town equipped with two soft cots. Much better than camping on the ground. Good folk here. Glad they don’t get many real monster attacks. Be a shame to see good people hurt by mindless beasts. Well, except for that murderin’ creep. But Eli is right, he’ll get whatever he deserves out alone in them woods.

Grimey - Strange Digger

Smythe and me camping outside of Woodlawn tonight. Clyde stayed back, of course. Heaven forbid he bends some rules. Anyway, we spotted the usual beasts in the woods. Deadlings, nothing out of the ordinary. But since we got to Woodlawn we haven't seen a thing. That is until we spotted somebody sneakin’ outta town.

We followed him the lad. Something felt wrong about the situation. It's odd to see anybody leave a village after sundown, except for a hunter. But this guy didn’t carry a weapon. Lad only had a shovel! Smythe and I stayed low and quiet in the trees. We watched the man creep to a patch of dirt. Looked like it had been previously disturbed. Then the guy started digging. I figure it’s a good thing Smythe and I were there. If he was doing something wrong we’d see it and if a monster attacked we could save the lad.

Back in Quarry we got word that a woman had gone missing. Apparently she was killed by the new monster rumored to be in these woods. Smythe and I left immediately. That was a few days ago. Now that we're here there's no sign of a new monster and we're just watching this fool dig a hole.

A strange noise came from deeper in the woods. Sounded like a man trying to growl while gargling. Creepy, spooked out the digger. He stopped and hurried back toward Woodlawn. Smythe and I kept an eye on the fella until he reached the village then went looking for whatever made that sound. We couldn’t find nothin’.

Now that we’re settled for the night I been wondering what that guy was diggin’ up. I’ll take Smythe and check it out tomorrow. I've also been wondering about that sound. Never heard anything growl like that before. It was a low sound too. Means the beast has some size to it. We have some work to do.

The sky is clear tonight and every star is out. No moon though. It’s peaceful here. Very quiet. So quiet it seems even the air is resting. If anything is out there we’ll hear it. And once we know where to go it’s huntin’ time, and my axe is thirsty for a murderin’ monster.

Grimey - Rumors

Been hearing about some monster attacks down in Woodlawn. Small village south of here. Sometimes they send runners this way to ask for help. Me, Clyde, and Smythe usually go. From what I’m hearing I’m expecting a runner any day now. The gash in my shoulder from that damn Kingpin hunt is still healing but that won’t stop me if the call comes.

Rumor has it there’s a new monster down in Woodlawn. People been getting’ hurt real bad. Cuts and gashes, bites and bruises. But the monster is so clever that it hasn't been seen. Pretty good, I say, for a monster to sneak up and bite yer leg and not even be seen. Also this new monster walks upright like a person, not a common thing. It's smart at finding prey, has fangs, claws, those are normal. Horns, not so normal but some monsters got ‘em. Apparently the beast is strong and as large as a person. That's the rumor.

One thing is for sure though, it's not a normal thing for a new monster to show up. And if something new has arrived it’s a wonder nobody has gone missing yet. They got good hunters in Woodlawn but there's not many of them. Plus the village is so small it's pretty easy for beasts to sneak around the outskirts without being spotted. Any intelligent beast can stalk a villager for a long while before attacking. That’s why I’m surprised nobody gone missing yet. Well if it ain’t stopped there'll be a killing for sure. Makes me wonder why our town agreed not to help Woodlawn unless asked. Stupid agreement I say. If there's a monster out there to hunt, I say we hunt!

I think Smythe and I should go check it out. Make a helping offer. Clyde won’t come, he respects the agreement and won’t breach it. But Smythe, he don’t like beasts at all. Lad will go out of his way to hunt somethin’. Good man to have along. And hell, if a beast can stalk a village we should be able to go unseen too.

Leo - Hiking Foothills

It’s less than a one day voyage from our Southern Isle to the continent. On a clear day like today was the continent is visible on the horizon. Kane and I departed soon after dawn and landed a little after midday.

Our landing point is a small sandy beach surrounded by a light wood. The wood shields the beach from view giving it some privacy. We can leave our canoe here comfortable that nobody will spot it and get curious. A little ways through the woods is a path that leads east toward the foothills, the only manageable pass through the nearby mountain range. On the other side of the mountains is the small Foothill Village, which serves as our rest stop, and from there the continent is wide open for traveling. Kane and I secured our canoe to some trees and began our hike.

We reached the top of the mountain pass when the Sun began descending on the horizon. Mountains towered above us to the north and south. Their snow-capped peaks gleamed in the lowering sun. It's fascinating that the temperatures up that high are so cold but down here we sweat in the dusk. To the west the ocean, usually a brilliant blue but now turning a light purple, blankets the horizon. The shores of our Southern Island appear as a haze, almost an illusion. In the east Kane and I could easily spot the distant rocky-mountains where Quarry town lies. The sides of the mountains have been carved into revealing glistening white rock. Just ahead of us Foothill village lies on the hills below. Firelight danced in the streets and kitchen smoke rose from chimneys. Soon we'll be able to smell the aromas of supper upon the air. Kane and I wiped the sweat off our brows and continued on hopeful for a good meal.

We reached Foothill Village just after sunset. Kane and I greeted some familiar faces at the tavern-inn. A slow cooked beef brisket with gravy and vegetables was served for supper. It tasted especially good tonight and we washed it down with some very refreshing ale. After our meal Kane and I spent our time mingling with the town folk, which really meant he took a seat with a tankard of ale and I did the talking. Many asked what hunting expedition we are on.

“None.” I replied, “We’re heading to the archives of Thurn hoping to uncover a mystery of the seas.” I then told what we had witnessed at Northern Isle, I noticed Kane had another drink. Concern and horror swept the faces of the tavern-folk. None here know much about the sea. Not unexpected. One man, a hard-working farmer with a dirt-stained face, asked if the recent rumble may have something to do with it. They had felt the earth shake here a little but nobody felt the heated wind that ripped across Southern.

“I have no idea.” I said, “Hopefully some answers will be found at Thurn. Their records go back centuries and if this has happened before somebody must have written of it.” I hope as much, at least.

Hunt: Kingpin

I was up at sunrise, as is my habit, and dawn was bright and colorful. Great day for a hunt and I felt ready to run down the Kingpin. But first breakfast! Don't want to go on a hunt on an empty stomach. Then, time to arm! I holstered my great-axe across my back, filled my belts with my newly made hatchets, strapped on my boots and headed to the edge of the wood by McGrady’s farm at the east side of town. Trees had purple dots all over them. More banshees there today than yesterday.

Clyde and Scully showed up a few moments later. Both were armed with bow and arrow and a set of daggers. I'm running in the woods, and they're support. Scully is to stay out of the woods and pick off any brave Banshees that want to make their way into town. Clyde will follow after me and give me some cover fire. It's a good tactic that's worked well in the past. I could run in there myself but having an archer at my back lessens the amount of scratches I get.

I surveyed the edge of the wood for a while looking for a good entry point. Found the biggest clump of purple and knew that was it. Run to where there are more Banshees and I'll find the Kingpin. I took a deep breath and ran in with a hatchet in hand. I darted through the trees following the crowds of Banshees. A few of them swirled around above me looking for an opening to dive at me. So I kept weaving around trees zig-zagging so the flying bastards can't get a good shot. One of them came from my left but crashed into the ground, an arrow sticking out of it. Good ole Clyde. I threw an occasional hatchet. Killing a banshee every now and then helps to spook the ones that are chasing me. Gets them off my back for a few moments. They eventually swarm up again and get back after me. Gotta keep on moving.

The woods were getting thicker. I hadn't seen a Banshee come down with an arrow in a while so I think Clyde lost track, which means Banshees were probably attacking him too. I stopped throwing my hatchets, didn't want to lose too many so I would wait for the purple fliers to swoop down at me and then I'd slash and hack them outta the air. Took out a handful that way while running through the trees.

Eventually the trees thinned out and the amount of Banshees thickened instead. I was on the right track. Came to a tree with so many Banshees on it it looked more like a dark purple cocoon. It was the Kingpins tree. Banshees covered it to shield their leader. Without slowing down one bit I threw a hatchet into the cocoon. Scared off the purple shield and sent all the Kingpins body-guards to flight. I could make out the Kingpin through the swarm of banshees. It was about my size and had bright green eyes that glared right at me. For some reason Kingpins have green eyes while Banshees have yellow eyes. Don't know why, don't much care.

I sprinted straight for the Kingpin with a hatchet in hand. The oversized flier flapped its wing to take off and I let my hatchet fly. Took off one of its wings. Sent the Kingpin crashing to the ground. I wasted no time. Drew my axe and bounded right on the bastard. Brought my blade down in an overhead arc splitting its head in two. No more Kingpin.

Usually that’s when the other banshees scatter so I relaxed a moment to take a breath. Big mistake. About ten o’ them oversized bats pounced on me. Their claws thrashed at my face, chest, back, and anywhere else they could get. I felt a sharp burning on my shoulder blade. One of them got me good. Pissed me off I tell ya! I swung my axe around and around, whirling it in the air letting the blade take out anything that came in contact with it. I didn't focus on anything in particular. If there was something purple flying around I kept my blade whirling. Killed all of them just in time to notice more of them bastards diving at me. Not wanting to get swarmed and scratched again I took off running. I had to run outta the woods faster than I ran in. Banshees chased me the whole way. Clyde must have been nearby because Banshees started to drop to the ground. When I got clear of the woods Scully was there with his bow ready. The extra arrows he shot was enough to spook the Banshees and sent them retreating back into the woods.

I got home quickly. Once the rush passes the pain kicks in and I knew I had a good-sized gash on my shoulder blade. I go to cleaning and mending my wounds. I'll get a balm from Marian later to help heal up the shoulder gash and keep it from scarring too badly. Very strange them banshees today. Not like them to attack so aggressively. Especially after taking out a Kingpin. Ah well, they’ve gone back into the woods now. The trees near McGrady’s are all green again.

Grimey - Another Kingpin

The banshees are definitely swarming again. I scouted the woods and found their numbers are increasing and now they're perching in the trees near McGrady's farm. Purple things look a little too comfortable like they're watching the town. There's another Kingpin in the woods for sure. That’s the only time they get organized and brave. I’ll need to head into the woods and track down the Kingpin. Once the beast is dead the rest of them banshees will scatter back into the woods in fear. Cowardly things.

You see every now and then a banshee leader is spawned. We call it a Kingpin. They're larger and ferocious. Your average banshee is about half my size. A Kingpin is a little larger than me. I once saw one twice my size. That sucker really got things buzzing. Anyway, the dangerous thing about a Kingpin isn't their size or aggression. They’re intelligent. They coordinate all the other banshees into organized attacks. Farms and livestock are picked at. Small groups of banshees attack one after the other. Things like that. More scary, Kingpins make the banshees brave enough to go after people straight away. Anybody wandering close to forest gets scratched up pretty bad. Banshees don’t scare so easily with Kingpins around either. So you gotta take out the Kingpin. It's the only way to get things under control.

The Kingpin dies as easily as the rest. Just a little intimidating if you’re a softie on account of their size. It's like a giant dark-purple bat that could rip a mans head off. But it's nothing. Just kill the thing before it takes flight. Most hunters have problems finding the Kingpin because it stays deep in the woods while all the banshees swarm and attack. The trick is simple though. Run into the woods and follow the banshees. The banshees protect the Kingpin so there’ll be more and more of them as you near it. Once found, put an axe in the Kingpin’s head. Or an arrow, or knife, or whatever weapon is handy. Hell, throw a rock at it even. Just keep running and don’t miss and you’ll get out without a scratch. It’s when you slow down the problems start. Can't let them banshees get a hold or they're scratch the hell outta ya and won't stop until you stop moving. Gotta keep running and hunt on the move. Good workout, I say.

I met with Clyde after scouting the woods to talk about the hunt. Scully will no doubt want to help. We'll keep him at the edge of the woods to cover McGrady's place. Smythe is out of town. Clyde thought about waiting for him to return in the next couple days. I see no reason to wait. Me and Clyde agreed to hunt down the Kingpin tomorrow. Kill the blasted thing before banshees start attacking town.