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.

Leo - Northern Island Washed Away

I knew something was wrong when we got near the island. There was no welcoming party. There was no sign of anybody on the shore at all. Surely somebody should have spotted our canoe by now. What sent a chill down my spine was nothing was moving nor was there any smoke rising from fire pits, blacksmiths, or ovens.

We landed on the beach and immediately felt a difference in the sand. It wasn't the usual powdery consistency but felt thicker and almost damp. Two of the crew stayed with the canoe while Kane and I led the rest inland toward the center of the island. We sloshed our way through the jungle. I noticed that all the plants and trees were leaning south and some of the smaller trees were uprooted.

Our group emerged from the jungle to find the village destroyed. Shacks and houses had been completely swept away. Other than spots of rubble that littered the ground there was no sign the village had ever existed. There were no signs of civilization and so signs of life. Any life. We explored the village and found nobody. Our group split up and searched the island and still nothing. No person, no birds, no animals.

The day was growing late when Arlen, one of the crewmen, came running up to me and Kane with news of a body on the west side. Kane and I made our way west to the rocky crags that contain the mineral we trade for to find them flooded. What was once a natural depression filled with columns of jagged rocks that stood taller than the high ground had become a basin. Only black rocky peaks stuck out of the water. It looked like a lake with spikes.

Stuck against one of the larger rocks was a body floating face-down motionless. The skin looked pale and bloated. This man had drowned here. He was a Northern local but where was everybody else? Something terrible had obviously happened here. It seemed like the entire island had been flooded and battered by some great force. We found no survivors and no other bodies. Everything was gone.

By the time Kane and I returned to our canoe the sun was setting and our companions were ready to leave. We set sail back through the shallows and left Northern Island behind us. I hear murmurs from the crew about an island tomb and curses. I have a feeling many superstitions and fantastic stories will rise from their accounts. All those people...gone. The entire Northern civilization wiped away. I must figure out what happened here. I must travel back to the continent and visit the archives at Thurn. I may find some answers there. How could this happen so suddenly?

Grimey - Boiling Seas and Fiery Skies

The last thing I remember was my eyelids getting heavy and my mind drifting away. When I opened my eyes I was on a white sandy beach. Crystal blue water kissed my feet as the sand gently massaged my ankles. The sky was clear, the sun was bright and warm. Nice place I thought, a paradise for many but I'll take a mountain wood any day.

I looked around and saw nothing on the horizon ahead. Just an endless blue sea. I felt the water at my feet get warmer. Before I could move the sand got thick and clamped down on me. The water got even hotter and started to burn my feet. Something moved on the horizon and I spotted a face peering out of the water. Whatever it was it only rose high enough so its eyes broke the surface. Thing must have been miles out but I could see its eyes. Those green, narrow, and cunning eyes. It glared at me and I could tell it was laughing with a sneer. The water got hotter.

The sky above turned blood red and the sun began to burn with ferocity. Everything was getting hotter. The water begin to boil and and the air became like a furnace. Sweat poured out of me and I glance up to see the sun burst into a red ball of flame. It burned crimson and then opened to reveal a ruby-red eye. At the eye's center was a black, narrow slit. It looked like the kind of eye found on a cat or lizard or something like that, well except that it was red and wreathed in flame. It blinked and looked down at me. Flames shot out from the edge of the sun-eye thing and red rain began to fall from the sky. The rain was even hotter than the water and I felt the burning all over and around me. What the hell is going on, I thought.

There was a tug at my feet, next thing I knew I was swept into the boiling sea. Laughter echoed all around me and I was pulled into the darkness of the deep. The currents whirled violently and shook me every which way. The Laughter was deafening and pounded on my entire body. The world around me grew darker and even hotter. My limbs flailed wildly. I tried to scream but nothing happened. I was helpless and running out of breath.

My eyes shot open with a jolt. My body was covered in a cold sweat, which made things a bit cold. I took a moment to catch my breath and remember where I was. The air was cool, trees whispered in the breeze, and the skies were clear. I'm in the woods outside of Quarry. There's a faint glow on the horizon. Sunrise soon. No point in going back to sleep. What a dream. But I swear it actually felt like the ground had really been shaking.