Hubris and Greed: The Island of Monsters

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The main story, still under construction
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Introduction

Luxicato

nº1 Squid Fairy
Location
Star sea
Some people would call me crazy for doing this… And they are right.

I have two other quests that need my attention, but lately, I've been wanting to write something different. Something more combat-based… And that's why we are here. My other quests are 90% social and 10% battle. I want this one to be at LEAST 70% battle.

This quest's idea started as a pseudo-Monster Hunter quest, but as I was adding more and more stuff I realized that the Monster Hunter quest was just in the way… And that's how I created this. It uses my original setting (First public story using it) and will be my testing grounds for it.

The hunters will still be called hunters because I'm a hack writer.

This setting will be based on your typical medieval fantasy but with my own twist on races, magic, and civilizations. You will be playing as a hunter sent by the Merchant's Guild to a remote island where they are extracting a valuable resource. There you will complete missions, try to get enough money to live while protecting the settlements and maybe even form your own adventurer's guild!

… But of course, there are things on the island. Dangerous things. That's why you are there… To fight them when no one else can or dares to do it.

Most stuff here will be experimental. From the mechanics to the setting. I don't want this to get in the way of my other two quests so it might get updated less regularly than the other two.

But who knows what will happen in the future. For now… Enjoy the quest.
 
A Rough First Day
"Fuck!"

"FuckFuckFuckFuck!"

Your name is Grey and you are having what most hunters would call a bad day.

For normal people, it probably looks like you are running for your life through a forest. Escaping from a bunch of naked hairless men with claws as long as your arms and no face, swearing loudly every time you feel like they are getting closer, almost tripping with every root and branch in the way while they practically glide through the terrain. For most people, your lack of weapon, supplies, and armor would be disturbing and make you seem borderline suicidal… But what normal people don't know is that you have a plan to hunt those things. A plan where your hunter companion looks for the weapon you dropped gods know where while fleeing from a pretty similar group of foes and brings it to you. Something that…

"… SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED BY NOW!" You shout, turning your internal monologue into an external one.

Of course, you get no answer or reaction from your companion because she isn't here. The things chasing you don't have the decency to at least grunt in acknowledgment while you talk, they only care about your sweet, sweet human flesh. Rude.

You skip over roots and branches but with each step, your muscles start to ache more and more. It's not like you are not used to this kind of activity, you passed the Guild's test too… But the things behind you are kind of dampening your performance!

Finally, you reach a little clearing. Things like these are usually a blessing because the Lurkers don't like leaving the cover of the trees. This time it isn't because the small clearing is bordering a vertical stone wall. Some kind of ruins of one of the many old settlements lost to the Pale ones. Kind of a bummer because now those things have you trapped.

You rush as far away from the trees as possible and put your back to the wall. The forest is dense, dense enough that you missed the ruins until you entered the clearing. It's dark but you can kind of see at least five humanoid figures crawling behind the closest trees. They could reach you in a couple of seconds with a good sprint… and the wall behind you seems to be surprisingly solid. Of course, you found the only ruins in the whole island that were well built enough to stand without holes or crumbling. Running along the way could work, maybe you could find an entrance… But if it's dark in there… Can Lurkers see in the dark? You are not sure, they don't even have eyes. If they usually can't these five probably will because fuck you Grey, the universe doesn't want you to live today.

The creatures seem to become braver, crawling into the light and leaving the cover of trees and bushes. You've been chased by them, you've been terrified since you lost your weapon… But now that you see them in the light, the fear is a bit deeper. More chilling and numbing. They are unnatural. They are not animals, they are not sapient species, they are not normal monsters… No one knows exactly what they are and you will probably never know because they are going to eat you.


Definitely a bad day by hunter standards.

You close your eyes and raise as one of them starts to sprint. You kind of want to punch it but also not look at it so you end up being in a kind of useless position. Can't think straight. Too scared. Where is your stupid…?

"…GRAAAAY!" You hear from behind you… From on top of the building. Theeere she is…

Did she waste time climbing a building to make an entrance while you were maybe getting eaten by Pales?



[] An arrow pierces the Lurker about to jump at you, killing it. The others seem to take a step back for a second.
[] A girl lands in front of you, twin blades at the ready, carving the closest creature in half.
[] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.



Next to you something heavy lands…

[] A longsword. Standard hunter weapon but a good mix between offense and defense. You can fight most things once they get close. You still have no money for a shield or armor.
[] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.
[] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.




Archer pros:
- Almost perfect aim.
- Will never friendly-fire and can use magic arrows.
- Most Pales can be killed with a precise shot to their core.
- Precise shoots to limbs can incapacitate them.

Archer cons:
- Practically useless for anything that isn't shooting.
- You kind of need to know where the core is inside their body before shooting.
- You also kind of need those cores for money to buy food.
- Sometimes Pales have more limbs than she has arrows.
- Magic arrows are not cheap.


Twin blades pros:
- Stupidly fast and agile.
- Stealthy.
- Twin blades are usually REALLY sharp.
- Can kill most things without armor easily.

Twin blades cons:
- Weak. Uses twin blades because she can't lift a heavier weapon.
- Heavy armor just shrugs her damage.
- She likes expensive stuff. Her living costs are increased.
- Finds Pales really gross. Doesn't like getting close to them.


Mage Pros:
- Explosions.
- Really high magic potential.
- Absurd mana pool.
- With enough training can learn different kinds of magic.
- Highest damage of all options. Actually able to kill bigger things.

Mage Cons:
- Explosions.
- Failed mage school, shouldn't be using magic by law.
- All kinds of co-lateral damage.
- Shameful Megumin expy in honor of my first quest.
- A chunni.
- Believes she doesn't need more training.

Longsword pros:
- Standard weapon means easy replacements and repairs.
- Works well with a shield.
- Only non-magical melee option.
- Can be later enchanted for magical effects.

Longsword cons:
- Everyone uses it so it's going to be hard to stand out.
- Needs armor to not die and that costs money.
- The strongest Pales are at least three times your size and crush anything that gets too close.


Rifle pros:
- Demon made with the highest quality materials. Will last forever with good maintenance.
- Can shoot any kind of bullet in the market. That includes all the powerful magic ones.
- Weapon with the longest reach. Kill enemies from safety.

Rifle cons:
- If something breaks you will need to buy expensive new parts.
- Standard ammoless shots are weak. You need money to make the weapon truly shine.
- Sometimes enemies find you before you find them. You are kind of slow carrying this thing.


Magic pros:
- Can use magic to fight close or long-range.
- Almost infinite utility. There is magic for everything.
- Highest damage ceiling. Most stuff relies on magic to truly damage the stronger Pale Ones.
- Most people is willing to hire a mage for extra work outside official missions.

Magic cons:
- Magic system needs you to know runes to work. It takes study to learn new runes.
- When you run out of mana you start using life force for spells. If you are not careful you die.
- Once you are out of mana you are kind of useless.
- Unlicensed mage. You technically shouldn't be doing this.
 
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You can vote now. Yes, the other companions will probably appear another time but this is the important one.
 
[X] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.

[X] A longsword. Standard hunter weapon but a good mix between offense and defense. You can fight most things once they get close. You still have no money for a shield or armor.

Explosion mage to kill big things and a warrior to keep everything away from said squishy mage. It's a classic set up for a reason.
 
@Luxicato a few questions

Do those magics laws apply here or is that more of a if you were back home across the ocean that would apply? What ways can we become legitimately licensed?
Are we able to find other companions as time passes?

Also not believing that she needs more training is kind of concerning.

[] An arrow pierces the Lurker about to jump at you, killing it. The others seem to take a step back for a second.
[] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.

Current thoughts, with strong enough magic we may be able to enchant our own gear and with a wizard and archer we just need to find some heavy armor user to be our tank.
 
@Luxicato a few questions

Do those magics laws apply here or is that more of a if you were back home across the ocean that would apply? What ways can we become legitimately licensed?
Are we able to find other companions as time passes?

Also not believing that she needs more training is kind of concerning.

[] An arrow pierces the Lurker about to jump at you, killing it. The others seem to take a step back for a second.
[] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.

Current thoughts, with strong enough magic we may be able to enchant our own gear and with a wizard and archer we just need to find some heavy armor user to be our tank.

Laws should apply everywhere but the island is so far from civilization that you will not find much trouble. The guards should still ask for your license but everyone in the island is hired by the Merchant's Guild and not the government. So it's kind of a grey area. They care more about usefulness than laws.

You can become legitimately licensed if you train under a certified master for at least a year and pass a test.
 
[x] An arrow pierces the Lurker about to jump at you, killing it. The others seem to take a step back for a second.
[x] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.

explosions vs no friendly fire => no firendly fire wins.
also, no armor and pales "crush everything that comes near" => longsword and dual sword out of commission for now.
rifle vs magic => expensive ammunition is expensive : me no like.

btw, if we get the mage option, do we know a few set runes or will we be able to choose wich one we know within a pool ?
 
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[X] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.

[X] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.
 
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btw, if we get the mage option, do we know a few set runes or will we be able to choose wich one we know within a pool ?

You will know the basic elemental runes, some modifiers and a couple more. Spells here work by constructing them using runes.

For example. A fireball would be a combination of the rune for fire, sphere and propulsion.

It's more complicated than that but you get the idea. If you pick magic I will make a more detailed explanation.
 
[x] An arrow pierces the Lurker about to jump at you, killing it. The others seem to take a step back for a second.
[x] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.
 
[X] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.

[X] A longsword. Standard hunter weapon but a good mix between offense and defense. You can fight most things once they get close. You still have no money for a shield or armor.
 
[x] A girl lands in front of you, twin blades at the ready, carving the closest creature in half.
[x] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.
 
[x] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.

High damage explosions and if she learns shields and restraints enemies she'd be a great support and damage dealer.

[x] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.

How is the gun not getting any support? Long range and can fire all kinds of bullets which lets it cover different monsters. It's awesome.
 
[X] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.

[X] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.
 
[X] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.

[X] A longsword. Standard hunter weapon but a good mix between offense and defense. You can fight most things once they get close. You still have no money for a shield or armor.
 
[X] A girl lands in front of you, twin blades at the ready, carving the closest creature in half.
[X] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.
 
[X] An arrow pierces the Lurker about to jump at you, killing it. The others seem to take a step back for a second.
[X] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.
 
[X] A girl lands in front of you, twin blades at the ready, carving the closest creature in half.
[X] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.

Mobile speed based ally, with us with a long-range support weapon, no illegality to really deal with. Just money problems that exist alongside the archery anyway.
 
The hunters will still be called hunters because I'm a hack writer.
Panic intensifies. :V:V:V

I kinda wanna
[] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.
[] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.
For MAXIMUM magic.
However I think a balanced party is probably smarter.

[X] A girl lands in front of you, twin blades at the ready, carving the closest creature in half.
[X] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets.
Twin blades cons:
...
- Finds Pales really gross. Doesn't like getting close to them.
Why are you using swords? :cry2::cry2::cry2:
 
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[X] A girl lands in front of you, twin blades at the ready, carving the closest creature in half.
[X] Your rifle. Demon made and customizable. Magic runes allow it to shoot transmuted pieces of metal at high speeds when the magazine is empty. Will be much stronger once you get money for different kinds of bullets
 
[X] A point of light appears between you and the Pale, suddenly turning into an explosion that almost catches you. The others seem intimidated. The one attacking is destroyed.
[X] A staff tipped with a violet orb. The staff helps you canalize your magic to use it more effectively. Without it, your magic is much weaker and expensive. You were panicking so much that… You kind of forgot you know magic.


MAXIMUM MAGIC
A
X
I
M
U
MAGIC
 
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