Mernos and vespoids fly through the tree canopy, the sounds of their wings echoing through the...
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A New World, A New Hunt (Bloodborne X Monster Hunter World)
- Thread starter LinkOnScepter
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The Hunter Arrives
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Mernos and vespoids fly through the tree canopy, the sounds of their wings echoing through the forest. As they fly under the low hanging trees into the sun bleached beaches their flocks and swarms spread out to search for food.
Stomping along the sand, Aptonoths slowly graze upon the grass that covers the ground. Packs of the large herbivores peacefully trundle along as the waves lap at their legs. The cold, night air brushes against their skin to match the salty water.
The moon shined brightly its soothing light bathing all it touched in silver. The tides bent to the celestial bodies will, slowly caressing the sand and dragging it back into the bottomless sea. At times the ocean would leave upon the earth some manner of debris or possibly even a form of aquatic life, such as a Gajau.
Tonight, however, as the tides turned high for a moment and consumed more of the beach before receding back into the unfathomable seas, it left behind something new.
Someone new to be exact.
The sea continues to soak their prone form yet never enough to pull them back into the ocean's embrace. They lay there, upon the sands, their heavy black clothes sticking to their body from being soaked in the sea for an unknown amount of time.
Many would be unable to tell exactly who they are, but one look at their hands would give away what they are.
They are a Hunter.
But not one from this world.
They are:
[] A Good Hunter (Further Character Creation)
[] The First Hunter (Gehrman)
[] The Hunter of Hunters (Eileen)
[X] The Lady of the Astral Clocktower (Maria)
[] A Father (Gascoigne)
Been wanting to do something with Bloodborne. Never got a good enough idea until now.
This is exactly what it looks like. Contrary to most of my other Quest, however, I to actually make this have a good update schedule.
If the votes are obviously leading towards one way, I'll call the vote early and continue from there.
Not many Mechanics, but during battle I will expect some kind of plan for the engagement. Don't expect it work out 100% all the time, but don't be afraid to make them.
As for the Choices:
If The Good Hunter is selected, there will be more choices for character creation later. Mostly this will include what kind of Build they had, their weapon, gender, clothes, and any items that they would logically have on them.
If it's any other Hunter, they will have the Equipment they did when they were alive/killed by the Good Hunter/died, and will have any items they would logically have on them even if they weren't used during the Boss Fight.
One thing all of them will start with is a supply of 15 Blood Vials.
Oh yes, and nothing will be limited by Game Mechanics.
Expect Monsters and Hunters alike to do things they normally can't do in the game.
As always, any questions or criticism are welcome.
Stomping along the sand, Aptonoths slowly graze upon the grass that covers the ground. Packs of the large herbivores peacefully trundle along as the waves lap at their legs. The cold, night air brushes against their skin to match the salty water.
The moon shined brightly its soothing light bathing all it touched in silver. The tides bent to the celestial bodies will, slowly caressing the sand and dragging it back into the bottomless sea. At times the ocean would leave upon the earth some manner of debris or possibly even a form of aquatic life, such as a Gajau.
Tonight, however, as the tides turned high for a moment and consumed more of the beach before receding back into the unfathomable seas, it left behind something new.
Someone new to be exact.
The sea continues to soak their prone form yet never enough to pull them back into the ocean's embrace. They lay there, upon the sands, their heavy black clothes sticking to their body from being soaked in the sea for an unknown amount of time.
Many would be unable to tell exactly who they are, but one look at their hands would give away what they are.
They are a Hunter.
But not one from this world.
They are:
[] The First Hunter (Gehrman)
[] The Hunter of Hunters (Eileen)
[X] The Lady of the Astral Clocktower (Maria)
Been wanting to do something with Bloodborne. Never got a good enough idea until now.
This is exactly what it looks like. Contrary to most of my other Quest, however, I to actually make this have a good update schedule.
If the votes are obviously leading towards one way, I'll call the vote early and continue from there.
Not many Mechanics, but during battle I will expect some kind of plan for the engagement. Don't expect it work out 100% all the time, but don't be afraid to make them.
As for the Choices:
If The Good Hunter is selected, there will be more choices for character creation later. Mostly this will include what kind of Build they had, their weapon, gender, clothes, and any items that they would logically have on them.
If it's any other Hunter, they will have the Equipment they did when they were alive/killed by the Good Hunter/died, and will have any items they would logically have on them even if they weren't used during the Boss Fight.
One thing all of them will start with is a supply of 15 Blood Vials.
Oh yes, and nothing will be limited by Game Mechanics.
Expect Monsters and Hunters alike to do things they normally can't do in the game.
As always, any questions or criticism are welcome.
Last edited:
Character Sheet
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Personal:
Name: Maria
Titles: Lady Maria Of the Astral Clocktower
Gender: Female
Height: 7 ft
Weight: ???
Age: ???
Equipment:
Weapons:
- The Rakuyo - Trick Weapon that starts as a double-bladed sword, but the hilt can be split off to become a dagger for duel wielding. The user requires a lot of skill to use it. It is Lady Maria's personal weapon, though she discarded it when she "could no longer stomach using it".
- Evelyn - A special pistol used by the Cainhurst Vileblood Knights. It uses the power of their cursed blood to empower it's bullets. It fires Quicksilver rounds that don't do much damage, but are perfect for catching a foe off balance. Can't be used when Vileblood Lineage is active.
Armor:
- Personal Hunter Clothes - Clothes specifically created by and for Lady Maria. Like many hunter outfits, it is light and focuses on giving the wearer speed and agility rather than blunt defense.
Items:
- 14 Blood Vials
- Hand Lantern
- The Hunter's Mark
- 20 Quicksilver Bullets (May add 5 more by injuring yourself to a max of 10)
Special Traits/Abilities (Combat/Normal):
- Vileblood Lineage - May coat your weapons in your own cursed blood to empower them. Increases Range, Damage, and Speed of attacks. May further empower them to increase Range and Damage even further, and set the weapons ablaze dealing Fire Damage. Each use causes damage to user, increasing with each empower.
However, due to Maria's intense hatred of her lineage, she will not use this ability willingly. She will only be open to using it when she either has no choice, is brought down to the wire, or must defend something with all her might.
- Old Hunter - As one of the Old Hunters, you know the Art of Quickening and may disappear from sight for a few moments to disorient your foes. It only last for a short distance, however.
- Poison Resistance (Max) - You have an innate resistance to poison of any kind. Poison either has a lesser effect on you, or is completely ineffectual in lesser amounts. In Lady Maria's case, almost all poison's are ineffectual against her.
Special Abilities/Traits (Non-Combat):
- Blood Sight - As one of the oldest Hunters and a distance Vileblood relative, you can "see" the quality of others blood. This does not go beyond surface level for the most part. Without a sample of the target's blood, you can only tell their immediate health and whether they have some minor ailment (Common Cold, small Infection, etc). You will require a sample of someone's blood and time to examine it to be sure.
- Beast Sense - As a Hunter, you and Beast are drawn to each other. Whether you are aware it or not. If a Beast is near, or something/someone has been infected with the Beast Plague, you will know immediately.
Name: Maria
Titles: Lady Maria Of the Astral Clocktower
Gender: Female
Height: 7 ft
Weight: ???
Age: ???
Equipment:
Weapons:
- The Rakuyo - Trick Weapon that starts as a double-bladed sword, but the hilt can be split off to become a dagger for duel wielding. The user requires a lot of skill to use it. It is Lady Maria's personal weapon, though she discarded it when she "could no longer stomach using it".
- Evelyn - A special pistol used by the Cainhurst Vileblood Knights. It uses the power of their cursed blood to empower it's bullets. It fires Quicksilver rounds that don't do much damage, but are perfect for catching a foe off balance. Can't be used when Vileblood Lineage is active.
Armor:
- Personal Hunter Clothes - Clothes specifically created by and for Lady Maria. Like many hunter outfits, it is light and focuses on giving the wearer speed and agility rather than blunt defense.
Items:
- 14 Blood Vials
- Hand Lantern
- The Hunter's Mark
- 20 Quicksilver Bullets (May add 5 more by injuring yourself to a max of 10)
Special Traits/Abilities (Combat/Normal):
- Vileblood Lineage - May coat your weapons in your own cursed blood to empower them. Increases Range, Damage, and Speed of attacks. May further empower them to increase Range and Damage even further, and set the weapons ablaze dealing Fire Damage. Each use causes damage to user, increasing with each empower.
However, due to Maria's intense hatred of her lineage, she will not use this ability willingly. She will only be open to using it when she either has no choice, is brought down to the wire, or must defend something with all her might.
- Old Hunter - As one of the Old Hunters, you know the Art of Quickening and may disappear from sight for a few moments to disorient your foes. It only last for a short distance, however.
- Poison Resistance (Max) - You have an innate resistance to poison of any kind. Poison either has a lesser effect on you, or is completely ineffectual in lesser amounts. In Lady Maria's case, almost all poison's are ineffectual against her.
Special Abilities/Traits (Non-Combat):
- Blood Sight - As one of the oldest Hunters and a distance Vileblood relative, you can "see" the quality of others blood. This does not go beyond surface level for the most part. Without a sample of the target's blood, you can only tell their immediate health and whether they have some minor ailment (Common Cold, small Infection, etc). You will require a sample of someone's blood and time to examine it to be sure.
- Beast Sense - As a Hunter, you and Beast are drawn to each other. Whether you are aware it or not. If a Beast is near, or something/someone has been infected with the Beast Plague, you will know immediately.
Last edited:
Allies
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Reserved for Allies
Monsters
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Small Monsters:
Jagras:
Type: Carnivores
Food Chain Level: Scavengers/Pack Hunters
Strategies: Numbers and Fast Attacks
Weakness: ???
Drops: ???
Jagras:
Type: Carnivores
Food Chain Level: Scavengers/Pack Hunters
Strategies: Numbers and Fast Attacks
Weakness: ???
Drops: ???
Last edited:
Waking up Waterlogged
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Silence.
That's the last thing you remember before your death.
As life left you for the last time, your body perforated with wounds both self-inflicted and otherwise, the Hunter stood.
They were just as injured as you were. Their own blood dripped onto the floor from almost every part of their body. Much of it was yours, so fierce was the battle that the very ground itself was marred by your strikes. The shelves were smashed into splinters alongside any contents that they might have held. Knowledge that many would dream of possessing, even if it would drive them mad, lost in the fight between you.
This was a new Hunter.
Gherman's latest addition to the ranks, who had stumbled upon this Nightmare. One of their own making. The Sins of their past were held here, kept secret from all so that the descendants of those responsible may forever come and face their punishment. The shackles of the past wound tightly along the future's body.
Yet, here was this Hunter, one of the New Guard, stood poised to undo everything that had been accomplished.
You had tried to stop them. To give them an honest death and protect the hidden shame of the Church. For the sake of the past, the future, and them.
But you failed.
The blade you had discarded, taken up to fight for something bigger than yourself, fell to your sides.
Your legs gave out as your body slowly lost its coherence.
You had long since lost the Dream.
There would be no return for you.
You fell to your knees, head held high looking at the Hunter.
He stepped forward, weapon flashing in the light of the Clocktower beyond.
He stops a few feet away from you.
His eyes meet yours for just a second.
….
He turns and walks onward.
You feel yourself slipping away.
You mutter one final phrase;
"Mother Kos….please….forgive me. I….couldn't…keep my…promise….."
Air returns to you.
You breathe in sharply, lungs burning at the amount of seawater in them. You cough uncontrollably to clear your airways and stop yourself from drowning. Instinctually, your right-hand grips your weapon tightly as your left claws away at the coarse ground beneath you. You try to yell out, but choke on the water within your throat.
You manage to get to all four of your limbs, expelling as much liquid from your body as possible. Just as you feel the last of the water leave your system, you become aware of a great pain in your side.
Grunting, your left-hand flies to the right of your torso. When you pull it away it is warm and a dark red.
Your vision is murky, but you can tell when you're injured. Thoughts swirl through your head so fast that you have to put the cold handle of your weapon to your temple.
You force yourself to one foot, then the other.
You can't stay here. It's too open. No telling what or who you may run into. You need to find a place to heal. Everything else can come later.
Your eyes scan the surroundings, taking in only quick assessments of the environment. You're able to pick out three possible areas to rest in:
[] Head towards the trees. You should be able to find an alcove deeper in.
[] Head further along the beach to the west. You should be able to find a cave to take refuge in.
[] Head east where there's is less vegetation. You might be able to find some civilized people who can help.
[] Write in….
That's the last thing you remember before your death.
As life left you for the last time, your body perforated with wounds both self-inflicted and otherwise, the Hunter stood.
They were just as injured as you were. Their own blood dripped onto the floor from almost every part of their body. Much of it was yours, so fierce was the battle that the very ground itself was marred by your strikes. The shelves were smashed into splinters alongside any contents that they might have held. Knowledge that many would dream of possessing, even if it would drive them mad, lost in the fight between you.
This was a new Hunter.
Gherman's latest addition to the ranks, who had stumbled upon this Nightmare. One of their own making. The Sins of their past were held here, kept secret from all so that the descendants of those responsible may forever come and face their punishment. The shackles of the past wound tightly along the future's body.
Yet, here was this Hunter, one of the New Guard, stood poised to undo everything that had been accomplished.
You had tried to stop them. To give them an honest death and protect the hidden shame of the Church. For the sake of the past, the future, and them.
But you failed.
The blade you had discarded, taken up to fight for something bigger than yourself, fell to your sides.
Your legs gave out as your body slowly lost its coherence.
You had long since lost the Dream.
There would be no return for you.
You fell to your knees, head held high looking at the Hunter.
He stepped forward, weapon flashing in the light of the Clocktower beyond.
He stops a few feet away from you.
His eyes meet yours for just a second.
….
He turns and walks onward.
You feel yourself slipping away.
You mutter one final phrase;
"Mother Kos….please….forgive me. I….couldn't…keep my…promise….."
Air returns to you.
You breathe in sharply, lungs burning at the amount of seawater in them. You cough uncontrollably to clear your airways and stop yourself from drowning. Instinctually, your right-hand grips your weapon tightly as your left claws away at the coarse ground beneath you. You try to yell out, but choke on the water within your throat.
You manage to get to all four of your limbs, expelling as much liquid from your body as possible. Just as you feel the last of the water leave your system, you become aware of a great pain in your side.
Grunting, your left-hand flies to the right of your torso. When you pull it away it is warm and a dark red.
Your vision is murky, but you can tell when you're injured. Thoughts swirl through your head so fast that you have to put the cold handle of your weapon to your temple.
You force yourself to one foot, then the other.
You can't stay here. It's too open. No telling what or who you may run into. You need to find a place to heal. Everything else can come later.
Your eyes scan the surroundings, taking in only quick assessments of the environment. You're able to pick out three possible areas to rest in:
[] Head towards the trees. You should be able to find an alcove deeper in.
[] Head further along the beach to the west. You should be able to find a cave to take refuge in.
[] Head east where there's is less vegetation. You might be able to find some civilized people who can help.
[] Write in….
Surrounded
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Forcing your feet to move, you drag yourself away from the beach. The sand beneath your feet threatens to suck your shoes into the ground. You pay it no heed. This isn't the worst environment you've ever been in after all.
Your right-hand drags your weapon behind you, making a line through the ground as you go. The slightest sound of steel skidding against the ground reaches your ears. Your hat slightly sinks down to cover one of your eyes, causing you to frown. You prepare to move it out of the way, but the pain from your injury resettles your priorities.
Your left-hand goes into your bag. You doubt you'll find very much, but if there's a chance…
You feel something small, cold and cylindrical brush against your fingers. Quickly seizing it in your grip you pull it up to your face for examination. Sure enough, the small vial is filled with a dark substance that sticks to the glass that holds it, making it look murky.
Though you would question exactly why you have these after your separation, the pain in your side makes a good argument as to why you shouldn't care about the hows or whys right now.
The injector needle is uncovered as always. You don't hesitate as you jab the needle into your upper right thigh and depress the upper button on the vial. The position is awkward and it hurts fiercely, but you feel the blood go into your system rapidly. It disperses quickly and the pain from your injury starts to numb somewhat. Flesh starts to knit itself back together on your right side, making you sigh involuntarily. It's not an instant fix, but it'll be enough to get you back on your feet.
You pull out the Vial and toss it to the ground where it shatters into pieces. They catch the moonlight for a second before disappearing in the clump of grass they landed in.
Used 1 Blood Vial
You keep heading east following the closest thing to a road you can pick out from the vegetation on the ground. Soon enough, you get into a rhythm. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You don't know where you're going or if you'll even find anything or anyone.
But it's better than staying out in the open.
As you walk your consciousness slowly retreats into the back of your mind. With your body (mostly) taken care of, it's time to start thinking about…well, everything really.
Though, as always, you end up with more questions than answers.
Where are you? You haven't gotten a good look at it, but this place doesn't even look remotely like Yharnam. Or even the Hunter's Nightmare. Could it be another Nightmare? No, things look too….natural for that. A Dream then? But you're not getting the same feeling you normally do from being in a Dream.
What about the Church? Or the Hunters? Are they here as well? Did any of them make it out? If they did, does that mean the Plague came with them?
Why do you have the Rakuyo? You threw this cursed blade away. Down the well where it would never see the light of the moon again. You used it during your battle, but—
You stop walking.
Your head starts to ache to the point where you almost cry out in pain. You stumble to the left, a hand going to a rock for support. Your other hand goes to your face, placing the metal of the weapon against your forehead again. The realization rockets towards you as your mind attempts to make sense of it all.
You should be dead.
You fell to that Hunter.
The Dream had ended.
You could finally rest after all those years.
Yet, here you are.
Why? How? What happened?
Is this the Waking World? It can't be. Can it?
Too many questions.
Too many questions.
CHRRRP
Your eyes snap open.
You feel your body tense up. The grip on your weapon tightens as well.
You're not alone.
Not making any sudden movements you turn your head towards the sound. Instinctively, you feel your feet loosen up, muscles that remember what battle is like getting ready to be used once again. Your possible foe….foes come into sight soon enough.
When they do, you are both surprised and relieved.
What you see are three lizard-like creatures. They aren't Beast, that much is certain. The feeling that all Hunters get when near one isn't there when you look at them. No, these three with their small claws, beady eyes, feathered backs, and yellow and green skin wouldn't even pass for minor Beast from your time.
Normally you would ignore them, but something about the way they eye you while circling your form makes you think they aren't gonna let you go. One of them screeching and flashing its sharp teeth fit for a carnivore proves it.
At least the question of why they are attacking you has an answer.
They smelled the blood on you.
Probably thought they'd get an easy meal out of a wounded person.
You suppress the urge to laugh as you come up to full height. Absentmindedly, you reach into your bag again with your left hand. After some searching, you feel the familiar handle of a firearm meet your grip. Yet another relic from your past comes into your hand when you pull it from the container. You grimace at how soothing it feels to be in your grip again, but turn to face this opposition nonetheless.
You may still be recovering, soaked to the bone, and in an unfamiliar land, but you are still a Hunter.
You will not fall to these creatures so easily.
You are currently surrounded by three Jagras. To your back is a large rock. The full moon is out, giving you good visibility of your area. It is mostly sand with some patches of tall grass here and there, with a flora of some kind in specific areas. You hear the sound of frogs nearby to your right.
The Jagras are just circling around you right now, looking for an opening. You have your Rakuyo in its double-bladed form in your right hand, with Evelyn in your left.
[] Plan of attack?
Your right-hand drags your weapon behind you, making a line through the ground as you go. The slightest sound of steel skidding against the ground reaches your ears. Your hat slightly sinks down to cover one of your eyes, causing you to frown. You prepare to move it out of the way, but the pain from your injury resettles your priorities.
Your left-hand goes into your bag. You doubt you'll find very much, but if there's a chance…
You feel something small, cold and cylindrical brush against your fingers. Quickly seizing it in your grip you pull it up to your face for examination. Sure enough, the small vial is filled with a dark substance that sticks to the glass that holds it, making it look murky.
Though you would question exactly why you have these after your separation, the pain in your side makes a good argument as to why you shouldn't care about the hows or whys right now.
The injector needle is uncovered as always. You don't hesitate as you jab the needle into your upper right thigh and depress the upper button on the vial. The position is awkward and it hurts fiercely, but you feel the blood go into your system rapidly. It disperses quickly and the pain from your injury starts to numb somewhat. Flesh starts to knit itself back together on your right side, making you sigh involuntarily. It's not an instant fix, but it'll be enough to get you back on your feet.
You pull out the Vial and toss it to the ground where it shatters into pieces. They catch the moonlight for a second before disappearing in the clump of grass they landed in.
Used 1 Blood Vial
You keep heading east following the closest thing to a road you can pick out from the vegetation on the ground. Soon enough, you get into a rhythm. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You don't know where you're going or if you'll even find anything or anyone.
But it's better than staying out in the open.
As you walk your consciousness slowly retreats into the back of your mind. With your body (mostly) taken care of, it's time to start thinking about…well, everything really.
Though, as always, you end up with more questions than answers.
Where are you? You haven't gotten a good look at it, but this place doesn't even look remotely like Yharnam. Or even the Hunter's Nightmare. Could it be another Nightmare? No, things look too….natural for that. A Dream then? But you're not getting the same feeling you normally do from being in a Dream.
What about the Church? Or the Hunters? Are they here as well? Did any of them make it out? If they did, does that mean the Plague came with them?
Why do you have the Rakuyo? You threw this cursed blade away. Down the well where it would never see the light of the moon again. You used it during your battle, but—
You stop walking.
Your head starts to ache to the point where you almost cry out in pain. You stumble to the left, a hand going to a rock for support. Your other hand goes to your face, placing the metal of the weapon against your forehead again. The realization rockets towards you as your mind attempts to make sense of it all.
You should be dead.
You fell to that Hunter.
The Dream had ended.
You could finally rest after all those years.
Yet, here you are.
Why? How? What happened?
Is this the Waking World? It can't be. Can it?
Too many questions.
Too many questions.
CHRRRP
Your eyes snap open.
You feel your body tense up. The grip on your weapon tightens as well.
You're not alone.
Not making any sudden movements you turn your head towards the sound. Instinctively, you feel your feet loosen up, muscles that remember what battle is like getting ready to be used once again. Your possible foe….foes come into sight soon enough.
When they do, you are both surprised and relieved.
What you see are three lizard-like creatures. They aren't Beast, that much is certain. The feeling that all Hunters get when near one isn't there when you look at them. No, these three with their small claws, beady eyes, feathered backs, and yellow and green skin wouldn't even pass for minor Beast from your time.
Normally you would ignore them, but something about the way they eye you while circling your form makes you think they aren't gonna let you go. One of them screeching and flashing its sharp teeth fit for a carnivore proves it.
At least the question of why they are attacking you has an answer.
They smelled the blood on you.
Probably thought they'd get an easy meal out of a wounded person.
You suppress the urge to laugh as you come up to full height. Absentmindedly, you reach into your bag again with your left hand. After some searching, you feel the familiar handle of a firearm meet your grip. Yet another relic from your past comes into your hand when you pull it from the container. You grimace at how soothing it feels to be in your grip again, but turn to face this opposition nonetheless.
You may still be recovering, soaked to the bone, and in an unfamiliar land, but you are still a Hunter.
You will not fall to these creatures so easily.
You are currently surrounded by three Jagras. To your back is a large rock. The full moon is out, giving you good visibility of your area. It is mostly sand with some patches of tall grass here and there, with a flora of some kind in specific areas. You hear the sound of frogs nearby to your right.
The Jagras are just circling around you right now, looking for an opening. You have your Rakuyo in its double-bladed form in your right hand, with Evelyn in your left.
[] Plan of attack?
Last edited:
The Gate
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
You have nothing to fear from these scavengers.
This wound aches, yes, and you won't be performing any feats of excessive skill for a while.
But you are still a Hunter.
And these three are nothing to fear.
Still, you must end this quick. A long, protracted fight is not something you can afford right now.
At your full height, you easily tower over the three lizards, causing one to squawk out something akin to surprise. It communicates something to the other two who start to move around to your left and right.
Ah, they're going for your blind spots.
However, they've left their leader wide open.
You step forward, legs poised and tensed. You shift your weight to the balls of your feet, leaving one heel raised and ready to move. Your toes are slightly curled for your move. You take a breath, eyes locked on the creature in front of you as it hisses low to the ground.
You can feel your soaked clothing weighing you down. You frown, you didn't account for that. Though it shouldn't matter against these opponents.
With a single push, you're in front of the leading animal. It squawks in surprise as you bring the Rakuyo down in an overhanded arch.
The creature sees the blade coming and leaps backward, dodging your blade by a hair. It lands as it back feet, squeals, and leaps with its claws ready to rake into your body.
With a swift upward lunge you plunge the dagger on the weapon's hilt deep into the beast chest. It lets out a panicked, gurgling screech as it's lung is pierced and it's left suspended some feet from the ground. Its claws try to find purchase on your skin but only succeed in flailing around in pain.
Your face is as impassive as stone as you stare at the beast impaled on your blade. Its struggles have started to wane, the strength slowly leaving it as its lung fills with blood. You let it flail until its eyes start to lose the spark of life in them. Then, with a flick of the wrist, you tear the dagger from its chest.
It flops to the ground, blood leaking from its chest and forming a small puddle. You glance at it for one moment, before turning to look behind you.
Its companions must not have expected for you to do what you did, because they are standing there just staring at you with what amounts to shock on their faces.
You don't stay immobile for long, your feet instinctually strafing the two remaining creatures. You slowly step to the right side blade and gun ready. Your feet briefly pass through some tall grass as you move.
The two remaining creatures stare at each other, then at you, then at each other.
They reach some kind of agreement. Both lift their heads into the air and let out some kind of low pitched bleat. Next thing you know, they're running back towards the forest, tails almost literally between their legs.
You watch them as they go to make sure they aren't coming back for an ambush or worse. You see them disappear into the foliage that makes up the boundary of the forest.
You wait for some time.
Then, when the moon has slightly dipped into the horizon, and the first creature's corpse has become cold, you finally let out the breath you've been holding in. The adrenaline that was coursing through you starts to dissipate, leaving you with slightly less strength than you had before.
A small smile breaks onto your face. At least you haven't lost any of your skills.
The pain has started to recede now, to the point where you can safely ignore it and move on. You flick the blood off of your blade. It splashes to the ground wetly, adding to the small puddle made by the dead lizard.
Stepping around your kill, you start to make your way east again. On the way, you take a closer look at your clothes. One sniff is all it takes to make your face scrunch up in disgust. A lock of blonde hair drops into your face to emphasize your situation. Then, as if to compound your misery, the wind starts to pick up. It combines with the wetness of your clothes to create some rather terrible conditions on your part.
With a sigh, you continue walking. You don't think you can get sick any more. Becoming a Hunter changed you in many ways. Some useful….some terrible.
Even so, you now have two objectives when (not if, when) you find civilization:
Wash your clothes and take a bath.
Your walk soon comes to an end.
Your wound has completely healed up by this point. Unfortunately, the blood still stains your clothes, increasing the need to wash them.
Thankfully, you believe you've found exactly what you're looking for to accomplish that.
You took a bit of a detour off the path, cutting through some underbrush when a hunch told you it'd be the faster way. That hunch paid off in the massive gate you currently see in front of you. It's made out of spiked longs taller than even you with a rope pulley system tied to each end. You can see the wheels that pull the gate from hear, even as the Moon starts to dip below the horizon.
This was obviously made by human hands, but while the sight is a welcome one, it does raise more questions.
Who built it? Are they still here? Judging from the smoke coming from over the gate you'd say so. If so, who are they? And what is their technological level? It most certainly isn't Yharnamite in anyway shape or form. Not enough dark towers and gothic colors.
However, those are questions for another time.
Right now the question is; how are you getting inside? And do you want them to know you're here?
[] Yes. No point in remaining hidden. As such, you will:
- [] Knock. Someone should still be awake.
- [] Call out. Maybe someone will hear you.
- [] Jump the gate. You're….confident you can do that. Maybe.
- [] Write in…
[] No. You don't know who or what could be beyond that gate. Better safe than sorry:
- [] Try to find another way in. This can't be the only entrance.
- [] Try to climb the gate. You see plenty of handholds.
- [] Knock, then hide. When they open the gate, dash in.
- [] Write in…
[] Write in….
This wound aches, yes, and you won't be performing any feats of excessive skill for a while.
But you are still a Hunter.
And these three are nothing to fear.
Still, you must end this quick. A long, protracted fight is not something you can afford right now.
At your full height, you easily tower over the three lizards, causing one to squawk out something akin to surprise. It communicates something to the other two who start to move around to your left and right.
Ah, they're going for your blind spots.
However, they've left their leader wide open.
You step forward, legs poised and tensed. You shift your weight to the balls of your feet, leaving one heel raised and ready to move. Your toes are slightly curled for your move. You take a breath, eyes locked on the creature in front of you as it hisses low to the ground.
You can feel your soaked clothing weighing you down. You frown, you didn't account for that. Though it shouldn't matter against these opponents.
With a single push, you're in front of the leading animal. It squawks in surprise as you bring the Rakuyo down in an overhanded arch.
The creature sees the blade coming and leaps backward, dodging your blade by a hair. It lands as it back feet, squeals, and leaps with its claws ready to rake into your body.
With a swift upward lunge you plunge the dagger on the weapon's hilt deep into the beast chest. It lets out a panicked, gurgling screech as it's lung is pierced and it's left suspended some feet from the ground. Its claws try to find purchase on your skin but only succeed in flailing around in pain.
Your face is as impassive as stone as you stare at the beast impaled on your blade. Its struggles have started to wane, the strength slowly leaving it as its lung fills with blood. You let it flail until its eyes start to lose the spark of life in them. Then, with a flick of the wrist, you tear the dagger from its chest.
It flops to the ground, blood leaking from its chest and forming a small puddle. You glance at it for one moment, before turning to look behind you.
Its companions must not have expected for you to do what you did, because they are standing there just staring at you with what amounts to shock on their faces.
You don't stay immobile for long, your feet instinctually strafing the two remaining creatures. You slowly step to the right side blade and gun ready. Your feet briefly pass through some tall grass as you move.
The two remaining creatures stare at each other, then at you, then at each other.
They reach some kind of agreement. Both lift their heads into the air and let out some kind of low pitched bleat. Next thing you know, they're running back towards the forest, tails almost literally between their legs.
You watch them as they go to make sure they aren't coming back for an ambush or worse. You see them disappear into the foliage that makes up the boundary of the forest.
You wait for some time.
Then, when the moon has slightly dipped into the horizon, and the first creature's corpse has become cold, you finally let out the breath you've been holding in. The adrenaline that was coursing through you starts to dissipate, leaving you with slightly less strength than you had before.
A small smile breaks onto your face. At least you haven't lost any of your skills.
The pain has started to recede now, to the point where you can safely ignore it and move on. You flick the blood off of your blade. It splashes to the ground wetly, adding to the small puddle made by the dead lizard.
Stepping around your kill, you start to make your way east again. On the way, you take a closer look at your clothes. One sniff is all it takes to make your face scrunch up in disgust. A lock of blonde hair drops into your face to emphasize your situation. Then, as if to compound your misery, the wind starts to pick up. It combines with the wetness of your clothes to create some rather terrible conditions on your part.
With a sigh, you continue walking. You don't think you can get sick any more. Becoming a Hunter changed you in many ways. Some useful….some terrible.
Even so, you now have two objectives when (not if, when) you find civilization:
Wash your clothes and take a bath.
Your walk soon comes to an end.
Your wound has completely healed up by this point. Unfortunately, the blood still stains your clothes, increasing the need to wash them.
Thankfully, you believe you've found exactly what you're looking for to accomplish that.
You took a bit of a detour off the path, cutting through some underbrush when a hunch told you it'd be the faster way. That hunch paid off in the massive gate you currently see in front of you. It's made out of spiked longs taller than even you with a rope pulley system tied to each end. You can see the wheels that pull the gate from hear, even as the Moon starts to dip below the horizon.
This was obviously made by human hands, but while the sight is a welcome one, it does raise more questions.
Who built it? Are they still here? Judging from the smoke coming from over the gate you'd say so. If so, who are they? And what is their technological level? It most certainly isn't Yharnamite in anyway shape or form. Not enough dark towers and gothic colors.
However, those are questions for another time.
Right now the question is; how are you getting inside? And do you want them to know you're here?
[] Yes. No point in remaining hidden. As such, you will:
- [] Knock. Someone should still be awake.
- [] Call out. Maybe someone will hear you.
- [] Jump the gate. You're….confident you can do that. Maybe.
- [] Write in…
[] No. You don't know who or what could be beyond that gate. Better safe than sorry:
- [] Try to find another way in. This can't be the only entrance.
- [] Try to climb the gate. You see plenty of handholds.
- [] Knock, then hide. When they open the gate, dash in.
- [] Write in…
[] Write in….
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Being Tall/Getting a Bath
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Two swift knocks against the gate should be enough to announce your presence to whoever is on the other side. If anything, it'll at least get you noticed.
You rap against the wood with your knuckles, the sound carrying through the entire area around you. You hear some rustling in the trees but pay it no heed. Your attention is instead focused on whatever reactions you can glean from the other side of this threshold. Your ears stand at rapt attention, listening for even a hint of movement or sound of any kind.
At first, you hear nothing. Then a crash of some kind as something small falls over, followed by tiny footsteps as it scurries across a wooden surface. They stop after a while, replaced with the muffled sound of….something hitting something.
This goes on for a time and you get impatient. You knock again, a bit harder this time, and in burst to magnify the noise.
A small object falls to the ground again as a larger body moves around. The breathing patterns identify it as human, meaning most of your previous assumptions were correct. It also means your knocking is getting you somewhere. Unfortunately, judging by the regularity of the breathing and the return of the muffled hitting, you'll need to do something a bit more….obvious.
Taking a deep breath, you open your mouth and shout loud enough to be heard over the gate, "Pardon me."
You hear a loud snoring sound get cut off. A yawn follows it, then footsteps as you see a body look over to you from the upper left side of the gate. You can't see much from here, but you're certain it's a male. There's something clinging to his back but you can't place what it is from here.
Now that you have his attention, "Could you, perhaps, open this gate for me?"
"Hmm? Oh, oh, of course. Got it. Right away," you can hear the tiredness in his voice as he stifles a yawn while walking towards one of the pulleys. He disappears to the back of the gate while the small thing on his back jumps off to join him. You hear the sound of a lever being pulled and gears starting to grind against each other.
You can't help but be reminded of all the lifts in Yharnam as you watch the ropes pull the logs up into a horizontal position. Your eyes close picturing the time you and Ghreman ended up stuck on one for hours when a Beast got clever and clogged the machinery with an oil lamp. He got so nervous when you two were in there that he ran out of there when Eileen and Henryk came to get you out.
Those were better times….
Your reprieve is interrupted when you hear the clang of metal reaching its limit. Your eyes open and behold the figure who opened the gate for you. As he steps into the moonlight you're able to get a better picture of him. His skin is about as dark as his spiked hair is, making the muscles in his body look very defined as he moves. Eyes as green as the grass around you stare in your direction through a mist of tiredness. A calloused, scarred hand goes to his mouth to cover up a yawn, then scratch behind his head.
His clothes are made of some mixture of yellow fur and red scales, built for speed and protection from any kind of damage. You notice a red plume sticking out from his right shoulder, swaying in the wind.
He comes to stand in front of you, rubbing both of his eyes, "Sorry. I didn't think you'd be back so….so…."
His words die in his throat as he gets a clear look at you and realizes something;
His head only comes up to your chest.
His gaze turns upward to meet yours. When it does, he does a double take at your height.
You smile at him, causing him to cough into his hands. You think you see a blush starting on his face.
Movement catches your eye so you look downward at the man's feet. There you see….something that actually surprises you.
It's a feline.
But it's walking on two legs and has what looks to be goggles and a coat on. On its back sits a telescope of some kind.
It, much like the human, needs to look up to meet your eyes. Unlike the human, it only comes up to your knee.
It tries to look you in the eyes, ends up putting too much weight onto its heels, and falls over onto its backside.
You stifle a giggle at the creature's antics.
Seeing his….pet you suppose, fall to the ground shocks the man out of his reverie. His gaze next goes to your weapons, causing further shock to spread across his face.
You catch the beginnings of a question on his lips and stop him with your own statement, "Not to be rude, but might we save the questions for later? I am weary, smell horrible, and require clean clothes, a bath, and shelter. In that order, if you please."
The man's nose wrinkles to confirm your point, and he turns towards the inside of the gate with his eyes still on you, "Um, certainly. F-follow me."
With a smile you follow the man's steps as the tiny feline follows behind you, looking all across your form as it does.
You sigh happily as you fall onto the bed with a towel firmly wrapped around your body. Your hair hangs out of its normal style and hat for the first time in ages, forming a small forest of blonde hair behind you as it does. The bed itself is a welcome change from your chair and Yharnam, its softness caressing your back like a cloud. You could fall asleep right here….
The light of the sun cresting the horizon reminds you of what time it is. With some reluctance, you rise from the bed given to you along with this room. Sitting on the edge, you scan the room. You're currently in one that has obviously been prepared for a female guest. The bedroom that you're in is its own room down a hallway that can't be seen from the door. Across from you is the bathroom where you washed both yourself and your clothes. They're hanging up in front of your lantern to help them dry.
Out in what has to be the living room, a rug made of out of some sort of fur lines the floor. Along with it sits a single wooden chair that faces towards the door and not much else. Except for a fire pit in the to the right of the chair.
You stretch your arms until you hear your shoulders pop into place.
How should you greet the day?
[] Get dressed. Your clothes should be dry about now.
[] Brush your hair. No telling how bad it has gotten since you stopped caring for it.
[] Give your body a once over. Need to check for any other wounds or possible problems.
[] Think about your current situation. It is, after all, a strange circumstance.
[] Check your equipment and items. Don't want to go out there with poor quality…everything.
[] Write in…
As a heads up, you can go ahead and do every choice if you want, but keep in mind each choice will take up time. While you can take as much time as you want, taking too long will cause some parties who wish to meet you to get impatient.
It won't cause any real animosity or anything, but they may send someone down to meet you and bring you to them.
If you want a bit of a guideline: 3 Actions will give you enough time to get there before they send their messenger. 4 will cause the messenger to come to your room and knock on the door. Any above that might lead to some....interesting developments.
You rap against the wood with your knuckles, the sound carrying through the entire area around you. You hear some rustling in the trees but pay it no heed. Your attention is instead focused on whatever reactions you can glean from the other side of this threshold. Your ears stand at rapt attention, listening for even a hint of movement or sound of any kind.
At first, you hear nothing. Then a crash of some kind as something small falls over, followed by tiny footsteps as it scurries across a wooden surface. They stop after a while, replaced with the muffled sound of….something hitting something.
This goes on for a time and you get impatient. You knock again, a bit harder this time, and in burst to magnify the noise.
A small object falls to the ground again as a larger body moves around. The breathing patterns identify it as human, meaning most of your previous assumptions were correct. It also means your knocking is getting you somewhere. Unfortunately, judging by the regularity of the breathing and the return of the muffled hitting, you'll need to do something a bit more….obvious.
Taking a deep breath, you open your mouth and shout loud enough to be heard over the gate, "Pardon me."
You hear a loud snoring sound get cut off. A yawn follows it, then footsteps as you see a body look over to you from the upper left side of the gate. You can't see much from here, but you're certain it's a male. There's something clinging to his back but you can't place what it is from here.
Now that you have his attention, "Could you, perhaps, open this gate for me?"
"Hmm? Oh, oh, of course. Got it. Right away," you can hear the tiredness in his voice as he stifles a yawn while walking towards one of the pulleys. He disappears to the back of the gate while the small thing on his back jumps off to join him. You hear the sound of a lever being pulled and gears starting to grind against each other.
You can't help but be reminded of all the lifts in Yharnam as you watch the ropes pull the logs up into a horizontal position. Your eyes close picturing the time you and Ghreman ended up stuck on one for hours when a Beast got clever and clogged the machinery with an oil lamp. He got so nervous when you two were in there that he ran out of there when Eileen and Henryk came to get you out.
Those were better times….
Your reprieve is interrupted when you hear the clang of metal reaching its limit. Your eyes open and behold the figure who opened the gate for you. As he steps into the moonlight you're able to get a better picture of him. His skin is about as dark as his spiked hair is, making the muscles in his body look very defined as he moves. Eyes as green as the grass around you stare in your direction through a mist of tiredness. A calloused, scarred hand goes to his mouth to cover up a yawn, then scratch behind his head.
His clothes are made of some mixture of yellow fur and red scales, built for speed and protection from any kind of damage. You notice a red plume sticking out from his right shoulder, swaying in the wind.
He comes to stand in front of you, rubbing both of his eyes, "Sorry. I didn't think you'd be back so….so…."
His words die in his throat as he gets a clear look at you and realizes something;
His head only comes up to your chest.
His gaze turns upward to meet yours. When it does, he does a double take at your height.
You smile at him, causing him to cough into his hands. You think you see a blush starting on his face.
Movement catches your eye so you look downward at the man's feet. There you see….something that actually surprises you.
It's a feline.
But it's walking on two legs and has what looks to be goggles and a coat on. On its back sits a telescope of some kind.
It, much like the human, needs to look up to meet your eyes. Unlike the human, it only comes up to your knee.
It tries to look you in the eyes, ends up putting too much weight onto its heels, and falls over onto its backside.
You stifle a giggle at the creature's antics.
Seeing his….pet you suppose, fall to the ground shocks the man out of his reverie. His gaze next goes to your weapons, causing further shock to spread across his face.
You catch the beginnings of a question on his lips and stop him with your own statement, "Not to be rude, but might we save the questions for later? I am weary, smell horrible, and require clean clothes, a bath, and shelter. In that order, if you please."
The man's nose wrinkles to confirm your point, and he turns towards the inside of the gate with his eyes still on you, "Um, certainly. F-follow me."
With a smile you follow the man's steps as the tiny feline follows behind you, looking all across your form as it does.
You sigh happily as you fall onto the bed with a towel firmly wrapped around your body. Your hair hangs out of its normal style and hat for the first time in ages, forming a small forest of blonde hair behind you as it does. The bed itself is a welcome change from your chair and Yharnam, its softness caressing your back like a cloud. You could fall asleep right here….
The light of the sun cresting the horizon reminds you of what time it is. With some reluctance, you rise from the bed given to you along with this room. Sitting on the edge, you scan the room. You're currently in one that has obviously been prepared for a female guest. The bedroom that you're in is its own room down a hallway that can't be seen from the door. Across from you is the bathroom where you washed both yourself and your clothes. They're hanging up in front of your lantern to help them dry.
Out in what has to be the living room, a rug made of out of some sort of fur lines the floor. Along with it sits a single wooden chair that faces towards the door and not much else. Except for a fire pit in the to the right of the chair.
You stretch your arms until you hear your shoulders pop into place.
How should you greet the day?
[] Get dressed. Your clothes should be dry about now.
[] Brush your hair. No telling how bad it has gotten since you stopped caring for it.
[] Give your body a once over. Need to check for any other wounds or possible problems.
[] Think about your current situation. It is, after all, a strange circumstance.
[] Check your equipment and items. Don't want to go out there with poor quality…everything.
[] Write in…
As a heads up, you can go ahead and do every choice if you want, but keep in mind each choice will take up time. While you can take as much time as you want, taking too long will cause some parties who wish to meet you to get impatient.
It won't cause any real animosity or anything, but they may send someone down to meet you and bring you to them.
If you want a bit of a guideline: 3 Actions will give you enough time to get there before they send their messenger. 4 will cause the messenger to come to your room and knock on the door. Any above that might lead to some....interesting developments.
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The Council
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
You get up from the bed, hair trailing behind you in a wave. You go into the bathroom and close the door behind you. With a sigh, you let the towel drop to the floor.
First things first….
There's a mirror the size of a person leaning against the wall propped up on a stand. You stand in front of it, giving the front of your body a look over for any possible weaknesses. You start at your right side, where the wound from the beach used to be.
You place a hand on the flesh that was once an open wound. It's become as smooth as the rest of your skin. Pulling on the warm spot you confirm that it has completely healed. You nod, leaving it for later as you start looking at the rest of your body.
Your hands grab onto lots of places. Pulling, prodding, and all around examining all of your form. Each time you come away with a perfectly healthy body. You don't find a single injury, scar, or anything.
You frown.
This is actually more worrying than anything else.
Your memory tells you that the last thing you ever did was have that battle with that Hunter in the Nightmare. You sustained serious, fatal injuries against him. The Hunter was fierce, brutal, and unyielding. Each time dealing more and more damage to you as the fight went on.
You shouldn't have this flawless, uninjured skin. There should be marks of all kinds as proof of what happened. A Hunter's body can sustain and heal all types of serious harm it's true, but you literally died in that battle. You felt your spirit leave the Dream, your body tear itself apart into multiple echoes of the past. You couldn't feel a single part of your body after that.
Yet, here you stand.
Looking no worse for wear than when you first joined the Church to combat the Beast. Not even your self-inflicted wounds of desperation and last resort remain.
…Well, almost.
You place a hand on your neck and trace it along the thin line that still remains on your neck. You feel the tender flesh flex underneath your prodding fingers. You breathe in a deep sigh. The Blood that makes a Hunter a Hunter is powerful, you know this. You've seen comrades heal from fatal wounds, have their aging process slowed, and even receive strange powers from the transfusion.
But even the Blood has its limits.
This is one of them.
You find yourself staring at the mirror and the scar for a long time. Then, slowly removing your hand, you turn towards your clothes hanging up near an open hand lantern on a countertop. The flame inside dances without end, flickering to the left and right. You silently thank the Powder Keg Hunters for that. Both they and Paarl might have been a little….odd, but their inventions have proven themselves time and again.
Your clothes sit on a wire with pins to keep them in place nearby. You glance at the tub you used to scrub them as you grab your undergarments. The silver board sat in the water, metal ladder slightly shining from the soap. It was a nice surprise to see that they had such a thing here. Especially since you were more than familiar with it.
It isn't long before you click your cufflinks on, step into your boots, place your hat on your head, and pop up your collar. Your clothes fit perfectly against your body. As you turn to stare into the mirror again, a smile crosses your face. These clothes hold many memories of your younger days. Some good like when you and Gascoigne saved that family from an ambush of ravenous, wolf-like Beast. Others…less so. Like you're….departure from the Church and the ensuing knowledge you learned.
Your mood turns sour for a moment. Your smile fades but is soon replaced by a confused, upturned lip. One of your hairs has fallen into your face again. Placing a hand on your forehead with a sigh, you quickly return your hair to it's single, pony-tail style. One look at your reflection is all you need to see that it is adequate. It won't be getting in your way at least, though you think you'll need to brush it later.
Now, only one more thing to do. You close the door on the lantern and place it in your bag as you start to exit the bathroom. With a swift step, you are back in the bedroom, reaching into your bag to draw out everything you can feel inside of it. Once you grab something, you place it down on the bed. You repeat this process for everything, making sure it is orderly and in lines so that it is easy to keep track of.
Before long your bag runs empty and you place a hand on your chin as you take stock of what you have:
You have 14 Blood Vials lined up on the white sheets, meaning you came to this place with 15. You don't remember having these in the Clocktower, but it's more of a blessing than anything. There are obviously dangerous creatures here if yesterday is anything to go on. Best to be prepared in case you need a quick heal.
Below them sits a bag filled with small, whitish balls that can only be Quicksilver Bullets. You estimate having about 20 of them in that pouch. Once again, a blessing as you will more than likely be needing them in the future.
After that is your hand lantern. This is the one thing you do remember having with you. The Clocktower could get dark at times, and it was always good to have a source of light when you visited your patients.
When you get to the next three items your face turns sour.
Sitting in a vertical line from each other, were two things you had hoped to never see again in your life.
The Ra—your Rakuyo.
The original one.
The blade you tried so hard to be rid of has come back to you.
And, as if to compound this terribleness, the Evelyn has also come with you.
Two symbols of the past you left behind and attempted to distance yourself from as much as you could.
You feel your blood boil at the sight of the weapons. Your heart beats faster as you stare. Is it futile then? Is there no way to escape from your past? Are you forever doomed to be reminded of what you are?
You shake your head to clear your thoughts. It matters little right now. Though you may not like it, these are your only means to protect yourself wherever you are. You will have to use them to the best of your ability. You only hope you never have to use that again.
Sighing, you grab up the blade and gun in your hands. The feel of cool metal hits your palms. You can't help but feel a deep sense of right holding these weapons. Like you were meant to wield them in battle. Use them to cut a crimson path through your foes wherever you went.
It sickens you.
You bring the blade of the Rakuyo up to your face. You look at it as it reflects the sunlight into your eyes. You don't see any chips or imperfections. Not even any damage from when you were dragging it through the sand. Then you turn it around and look at the dagger that acts as the hilt. This blade is thicker than the main one but shorter overall. It also looks to be in perfect condition, no marks or otherwise from killing that lizard creature from last night. Evelyn ends up being the same.
Satisfied, you give a few practice swings at a phantom opponent. Your weapon sings as it cuts through the air in front of you. You split the two halves apart mid attack, the resounding clanging sound music to your ears. Once you feel your limbs have loosened enough, you return to the only item left in your inventory.
This….this is something that causes you great confusion.
The Hunter's Mark.
This is not something you should have.
Only those still connected to the Dream have these. Oh, there are certainly replicas that old Veterans such as Eileen give out to new Hunters who might require them, but this isn't a replica.
This is genuine.
And you don't understand why you have it.
You woke up a long time ago.
What is it doing here?
Yet again, so many questions and no answers.
You sigh, beginning to put all of your items back into your bag.
Well, you won't get any just staring at your things. It's time to get moving and see what there is to see in this strange new world.
You double check to be sure the bag is secured against your hip, turn on your heel, and head out the bedroom door towards the main entrance.
Your walk through the...town isn't the word you'd use to describe this place.
It's much closer to a "base camp" than anything else.
While you're not sure exactly what to make of it, you do know one thing;
You are certainly not in Yharnam anymore.
Your observations on the whole area would have to wait though. The sun was out and you had a meeting to get to. That man who opened the gate for you, who you later found out was named Duncan, informed you of how "the Council" would want to hear about you. He mentioned a man by the name of "The Commander" with the amount of reverence you'd expect a high ranking authority to have. Before he left you in the guest room, he gave you directions towards where the Council met.
Putting a hand in front of your eyes, you spot the place to the west of where you are. As you walk you notice quite a few stares that come your way from the various people you pass by. You smile and wave to a few of them who return the gesture. Some of the more martially inclined you take particular note of. Primarily their weapons…which are normally bigger than their torsos.
You raise an eyebrow at this. The biggest weapon you can recall seeing was Ludwigs Holy Blade. And that sword was only as wide as his back. Here, you see some people walking around with weapons that no normal human should be able to wield. Let alone travel with!
More questions, but at least these you can just ask the answers for.
It doesn't take you long to reach the area you were directed to. As you enter the concave space you take notice of the large table with a map strapped to it. A buzz of conversation dies as you enter with all of the occupants turning in your direction.
You count eight in total. Four males, three females, and….one of those feline creatures. But this one looks…different. It's missing an eye and has a massive blade on its back, a black face surrounded by white fur. Its ears are covered by a red bandana of some sort. It catches your stare and gives you an equal one in return.
You'd guess this is the Council.
And by the look of things, they're waiting to see what you do.
[] You should be polite. Bow, introduce yourself and then wait for them to do the same.
[] It would be rude to begin the dialogue. You are a guest hear after all. Walk forward and await their introductions.
[] Walk forward, say only what is necessary, then move on to your questions.
[] Write in…
Do you wish to be the first to ask questions?
[] Yes. You have many of them after all.
- [] Write in questions…
[] No. You shall let them ask first, then ask your questions.
- [] Write in questions….
First things first….
There's a mirror the size of a person leaning against the wall propped up on a stand. You stand in front of it, giving the front of your body a look over for any possible weaknesses. You start at your right side, where the wound from the beach used to be.
You place a hand on the flesh that was once an open wound. It's become as smooth as the rest of your skin. Pulling on the warm spot you confirm that it has completely healed. You nod, leaving it for later as you start looking at the rest of your body.
Your hands grab onto lots of places. Pulling, prodding, and all around examining all of your form. Each time you come away with a perfectly healthy body. You don't find a single injury, scar, or anything.
You frown.
This is actually more worrying than anything else.
Your memory tells you that the last thing you ever did was have that battle with that Hunter in the Nightmare. You sustained serious, fatal injuries against him. The Hunter was fierce, brutal, and unyielding. Each time dealing more and more damage to you as the fight went on.
You shouldn't have this flawless, uninjured skin. There should be marks of all kinds as proof of what happened. A Hunter's body can sustain and heal all types of serious harm it's true, but you literally died in that battle. You felt your spirit leave the Dream, your body tear itself apart into multiple echoes of the past. You couldn't feel a single part of your body after that.
Yet, here you stand.
Looking no worse for wear than when you first joined the Church to combat the Beast. Not even your self-inflicted wounds of desperation and last resort remain.
…Well, almost.
You place a hand on your neck and trace it along the thin line that still remains on your neck. You feel the tender flesh flex underneath your prodding fingers. You breathe in a deep sigh. The Blood that makes a Hunter a Hunter is powerful, you know this. You've seen comrades heal from fatal wounds, have their aging process slowed, and even receive strange powers from the transfusion.
But even the Blood has its limits.
This is one of them.
You find yourself staring at the mirror and the scar for a long time. Then, slowly removing your hand, you turn towards your clothes hanging up near an open hand lantern on a countertop. The flame inside dances without end, flickering to the left and right. You silently thank the Powder Keg Hunters for that. Both they and Paarl might have been a little….odd, but their inventions have proven themselves time and again.
Your clothes sit on a wire with pins to keep them in place nearby. You glance at the tub you used to scrub them as you grab your undergarments. The silver board sat in the water, metal ladder slightly shining from the soap. It was a nice surprise to see that they had such a thing here. Especially since you were more than familiar with it.
It isn't long before you click your cufflinks on, step into your boots, place your hat on your head, and pop up your collar. Your clothes fit perfectly against your body. As you turn to stare into the mirror again, a smile crosses your face. These clothes hold many memories of your younger days. Some good like when you and Gascoigne saved that family from an ambush of ravenous, wolf-like Beast. Others…less so. Like you're….departure from the Church and the ensuing knowledge you learned.
Your mood turns sour for a moment. Your smile fades but is soon replaced by a confused, upturned lip. One of your hairs has fallen into your face again. Placing a hand on your forehead with a sigh, you quickly return your hair to it's single, pony-tail style. One look at your reflection is all you need to see that it is adequate. It won't be getting in your way at least, though you think you'll need to brush it later.
Now, only one more thing to do. You close the door on the lantern and place it in your bag as you start to exit the bathroom. With a swift step, you are back in the bedroom, reaching into your bag to draw out everything you can feel inside of it. Once you grab something, you place it down on the bed. You repeat this process for everything, making sure it is orderly and in lines so that it is easy to keep track of.
Before long your bag runs empty and you place a hand on your chin as you take stock of what you have:
You have 14 Blood Vials lined up on the white sheets, meaning you came to this place with 15. You don't remember having these in the Clocktower, but it's more of a blessing than anything. There are obviously dangerous creatures here if yesterday is anything to go on. Best to be prepared in case you need a quick heal.
Below them sits a bag filled with small, whitish balls that can only be Quicksilver Bullets. You estimate having about 20 of them in that pouch. Once again, a blessing as you will more than likely be needing them in the future.
After that is your hand lantern. This is the one thing you do remember having with you. The Clocktower could get dark at times, and it was always good to have a source of light when you visited your patients.
When you get to the next three items your face turns sour.
Sitting in a vertical line from each other, were two things you had hoped to never see again in your life.
The Ra—your Rakuyo.
The original one.
The blade you tried so hard to be rid of has come back to you.
And, as if to compound this terribleness, the Evelyn has also come with you.
Two symbols of the past you left behind and attempted to distance yourself from as much as you could.
You feel your blood boil at the sight of the weapons. Your heart beats faster as you stare. Is it futile then? Is there no way to escape from your past? Are you forever doomed to be reminded of what you are?
You shake your head to clear your thoughts. It matters little right now. Though you may not like it, these are your only means to protect yourself wherever you are. You will have to use them to the best of your ability. You only hope you never have to use that again.
Sighing, you grab up the blade and gun in your hands. The feel of cool metal hits your palms. You can't help but feel a deep sense of right holding these weapons. Like you were meant to wield them in battle. Use them to cut a crimson path through your foes wherever you went.
It sickens you.
You bring the blade of the Rakuyo up to your face. You look at it as it reflects the sunlight into your eyes. You don't see any chips or imperfections. Not even any damage from when you were dragging it through the sand. Then you turn it around and look at the dagger that acts as the hilt. This blade is thicker than the main one but shorter overall. It also looks to be in perfect condition, no marks or otherwise from killing that lizard creature from last night. Evelyn ends up being the same.
Satisfied, you give a few practice swings at a phantom opponent. Your weapon sings as it cuts through the air in front of you. You split the two halves apart mid attack, the resounding clanging sound music to your ears. Once you feel your limbs have loosened enough, you return to the only item left in your inventory.
This….this is something that causes you great confusion.
The Hunter's Mark.
This is not something you should have.
Only those still connected to the Dream have these. Oh, there are certainly replicas that old Veterans such as Eileen give out to new Hunters who might require them, but this isn't a replica.
This is genuine.
And you don't understand why you have it.
You woke up a long time ago.
What is it doing here?
Yet again, so many questions and no answers.
You sigh, beginning to put all of your items back into your bag.
Well, you won't get any just staring at your things. It's time to get moving and see what there is to see in this strange new world.
You double check to be sure the bag is secured against your hip, turn on your heel, and head out the bedroom door towards the main entrance.
Your walk through the...town isn't the word you'd use to describe this place.
It's much closer to a "base camp" than anything else.
While you're not sure exactly what to make of it, you do know one thing;
You are certainly not in Yharnam anymore.
Your observations on the whole area would have to wait though. The sun was out and you had a meeting to get to. That man who opened the gate for you, who you later found out was named Duncan, informed you of how "the Council" would want to hear about you. He mentioned a man by the name of "The Commander" with the amount of reverence you'd expect a high ranking authority to have. Before he left you in the guest room, he gave you directions towards where the Council met.
Putting a hand in front of your eyes, you spot the place to the west of where you are. As you walk you notice quite a few stares that come your way from the various people you pass by. You smile and wave to a few of them who return the gesture. Some of the more martially inclined you take particular note of. Primarily their weapons…which are normally bigger than their torsos.
You raise an eyebrow at this. The biggest weapon you can recall seeing was Ludwigs Holy Blade. And that sword was only as wide as his back. Here, you see some people walking around with weapons that no normal human should be able to wield. Let alone travel with!
More questions, but at least these you can just ask the answers for.
It doesn't take you long to reach the area you were directed to. As you enter the concave space you take notice of the large table with a map strapped to it. A buzz of conversation dies as you enter with all of the occupants turning in your direction.
You count eight in total. Four males, three females, and….one of those feline creatures. But this one looks…different. It's missing an eye and has a massive blade on its back, a black face surrounded by white fur. Its ears are covered by a red bandana of some sort. It catches your stare and gives you an equal one in return.
You'd guess this is the Council.
And by the look of things, they're waiting to see what you do.
[] You should be polite. Bow, introduce yourself and then wait for them to do the same.
[] It would be rude to begin the dialogue. You are a guest hear after all. Walk forward and await their introductions.
[] Walk forward, say only what is necessary, then move on to your questions.
[] Write in…
Do you wish to be the first to ask questions?
[] Yes. You have many of them after all.
- [] Write in questions…
[] No. You shall let them ask first, then ask your questions.
- [] Write in questions….
Questions and Answers
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
You shouldn't impose or act impertinently.
You are the guest here after all.
You bow with as much respect as you can manage without overdoing it, "Greetings to you all. My name is Lady Maria. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
You stand up straight and observe those in attendance. You check each of their faces, watching for any changes in emotion. One of the females, a black haired woman with an elegant white dress of some kind that wraps all the way around her body, chuckles a bit before composing herself. Peaking out from underneath her hair are her…pointed ears? And her nose it…it seems to be pointed as well.
Your surprise at that is well hidden behind a mask of impassivity, one that the man standing across from you doesn't catch. Instead, he coughs into his hand and crosses his arms over his chest. He is the most armored out of everyone here, though it doesn't seem to restrict his movement in the slightest. A horned gauntlet of some kind sits on his right arm. The white hair and scowling look tell you all you need to know what this man has been through. He speaks with a gruff, confident voice, "Yes, well, the pleasure is all ours I assure you. Name's Markus, though most just call me Commander. We are all quite surprised. The Commission didn't mention anything about a Sixth Fleet."
"Sixth Fleet?" you reflexively ask. This causes everyone's faces to furrow in confusion.
Another male speaks up, "Yeah, you know? A Fleet? Filled with people, supplies, all that stuff from the Commission?" He is the polar opposite of the Commander. His face is all smiles, cocky ones, with black hair and a youthful energy about him. His attire is very similar to the Commander's but with a more "relaxed" style, the neckline open to the chest area. He has the same gauntlet as well, the only difference being the massive blade on his back. It looks to be made out of the tooth of some great beast, or maybe his bone. His voice is filled with the invincible feeling you have when you're young, and you can't help but sigh inwardly in nostalgia.
You shake your head, "I'm afraid I do not know what this 'Fleet' you speak of is. I understand it is a group of seafaring vessels, but I was not apart of one. Or at least, I did not see one when I arrived here."
"How did you get here then?" an older looking woman with dark skin and nonexistent sleeves ask next. She has her elbows on the table, watching you with a critical eye, "Don't tell me that you swam all the way across the ocean."
You dismissively wave a hand, "Nothing like that, I assure you. I…don't even have any memory of how I arrived here."
"So amnesia then?" the old woman sighs in frustration, "Great. I don't suppose it's total memory loss is it?"
"Now now, don't be like that, Kiria," the elegant woman from before waves a hand to signify calm, "I'm certain that Lady Maria would tell us everything if she could."
You nod to the woman, "Thank you. Though, no, I do not have total amnesia. I remember everything about my life before I…arrived in this place."
The Commander nods before speaking again, "Well, you've introduced yourself, we should do the same. As you already know, I'm Markus, the Commander. I'm the man in charge while the Admiral is away on an expedition.
You've already spoken with the Tracker, Kiria," he indicates the old woman. She greets you with a stiff wave, "She's one of our foremost Hunters and expert on ecological information." Your eyebrows raise at the word "Hunter", but the Commander doesn't seem to notice.
He indicates the man who hasn't spoken yet, "That there's the Smith, Andre. He's Master of the Second Fleet and forges or improves all of the gear our Hunters use on outings." The man in question could almost be called the Commander's twin. Same gruff exterior, scarred face, white hair, and overall demeanor. The only real difference is the wicked looking curved blade on his back. He greets you with a nod and a smile.
As he turns to his left, the woman who defended you speaks up, "I'd like to introduce myself if you don't mind." The Commander lets his hand fall, as the strange woman turns to you, "Greetings. I am the Third Fleet Master, Ynnefer. And, since I know you will ask, no, I am not human. My kind are called Wyverians, and while we may look human there are a few obvious differences." At this you see her ears move just the tiniest bit, and her hands come up onto the table. You look at them and see what she means. She only has four fingers.
You can't help but feel slightly lucky. You've only been in this world for a few moments and you've already run into a new, strange, yet intereesting race! What Praal wouldn't give to be in your shoes right now…
"The Wyverians are some of our most steadfast allies and wisest friends, " the Commander says, before turning to the girl at his right, "This is the Handler, Ivanna. She's in charge of giving out dispatches and missions to the Hunters apart of the Guild."
"Hello there! Nice to meet you!" the young girl says with boundless amounts of energy. Her smiling face and goggles on the top of her head remind you of Gascoigne's daughters to an extent. Oh, how you miss the times they called you aunty when you first met them.
You giggle at the Handler, returning her greeting, "Likewise."
"Next we have the Huntsman, and our resident Chef," here he indicates the feline creature, and another armored man with a long, curved sword on his back. The man is armored in what is obviously bone and stands quiet and still as a sentinel. He slowly nods at your gaze.
"Neither of them talk very much, so I'm introducing them at the same time," the Commander shrugs. "That just leaves, him," the Commander points toward his younger counterpart.
He waves at you, "Hi there! I'm the Field Team Leader, Jacob. Jobs in the title. Pretty self-explanatory. Welcome to Astera!' He makes a big sweep of his hands towards the entire structure.
The Commander turns towards you, "And that's the Council. Any questions?"
You nod, "Well yes, but I'd much rather you all ask me your questions first. I am merely a guest here after all."
"So polite," Ynnefer says.
Markus looks around him at the assembled people, "You heard the Lady. Any questions people?"
Ivanna instantly raises her hand, "I have one! Um, are you a Hunter, Ms. Maria?"
That question gets everyone's eyes on you. Though you knew it was coming, it's still slightly strange. Back in Yharnam, Hunters were something to be feared. They were as seen as, at best, dogs of the Church and at worst the executions of its enemies. Yet, here the word seems to have a different, yet similar connotation. You smile at the young girl before answering, "Please, just call me Maria. And, yes, I am a Hunter. Though I feel like that means something different here than where I come from."
"How so?" Jacob says, stretching his arms out behind his head, "Do they hunt down rabid dogs or something?"
"That's….partially right," you say with an edge to your voice, hoping to avoid going into a lot of detail, "We were a group of individuals given….special items and equipment to fight against monsters, known as Beast, that normal people couldn't hope to fight."
Jacob shrugs, "Not too different from us then. Well, except the fashion sense."
"Jacob," Markus glances at the younger man, before turning back to you, "You said 'were' not 'are', I noticed. Do you know where the rest of your Hunters are?"
"No," you say quickly and finally. It's enough to get everyone to back off of that question, showing they've hit a sore topic.
Kiria coughs before continuing, "Alright. Here's a question. We found a dead Jaggi near the Ancient Forest. Was that your doing?"
"Yes, it was. The creature was planning to attack me with two of its compatriots. I was wounded so it thought I was easy prey. I showed it the error of its ways," you can't help the slight smile creeping into your voice.
Kiria nods before sighing, "That's fine then. It was just self-defense."
"Wounded? Where at?" Ivanna asks, face suddenly worried.
You touch the side of your torso where the wound was, "Right here. Do not worry. I'm a fast healer." No one questions that, but you do see quite a few of them frown at your explanation.
After that, there are no more forthcoming questions, so you ask some of your own, "This looks to be a base camp of sorts. Are you all explorers?"
"Keen eye there, Lady," Jacob taps his temple for emphasis, "You're right. Technically, we're a bunch of expeditionary forces sent to explore, research, and document the New World. That's what they call this island. The Commission, those are the guys back on the mainland, sent five Fleets filled with researchers, explorers, and Hunters to check the place out."
"A daunting task," you answer with slight awe.
"But one we are not afraid to tackle," Ivanna says with the same enthusiasm.
"And, I noticed I'm far from the only one armed. Is this area dangerous?"
"You're quite observant," Markus says, hand going to the table where a knife bigger than his hand rest, "And yes and no. While Astera is mostly safe, there are many creatures, that we call Monsters, out in the wild that are exceedingly dangerous. You've encountered a few yourself. Thankfully, those were only small Jaggi. Scavengers and cowards unless they're in a pack. If it was a Great Jagras, you'd probably have had more trouble."
"All those people you saw with a weapon were probably Hunters," Kiria shrugs showing off the weapon on her back as well, "They need to be ready at a moments notice, just in case something comes up." You can see the wisdom in that. It's what you all were taught back during your training, too.
"Wait, you're armed?" Andre speaks up for the first time, eyebrows up in surprise, "I don't see a weapon on you."
Smiling you nonchalantly reach into the bag at your side, carefully so as not to alarm anyone present, and unveil the Rakuyo for the smith. As your blade comes into view, all eyes go towards it. They look the sword up and down, checking its craftsmanship and otherwise. After a few moments, you bring the sword back down to your side, keeping it in your right hand. Andre's hand is against his chin, deep in thought about something or other. Everyone else is mutter or whispering something to each other.
Well, now that the preliminary awkwardness if over, time to see if you can get some of your other questions answered.
[] Do you have anymore questions?
-[] If so, what are they?
-[] If not, what do you do next?
This follows the same rules as the question on what you did before coming to the Council. How many questions you ask will determine what it is you can do once the meeting is completely over and done with. Also keep in mind that they won't give you a completely straight answer on everything.
You are the guest here after all.
You bow with as much respect as you can manage without overdoing it, "Greetings to you all. My name is Lady Maria. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
You stand up straight and observe those in attendance. You check each of their faces, watching for any changes in emotion. One of the females, a black haired woman with an elegant white dress of some kind that wraps all the way around her body, chuckles a bit before composing herself. Peaking out from underneath her hair are her…pointed ears? And her nose it…it seems to be pointed as well.
Your surprise at that is well hidden behind a mask of impassivity, one that the man standing across from you doesn't catch. Instead, he coughs into his hand and crosses his arms over his chest. He is the most armored out of everyone here, though it doesn't seem to restrict his movement in the slightest. A horned gauntlet of some kind sits on his right arm. The white hair and scowling look tell you all you need to know what this man has been through. He speaks with a gruff, confident voice, "Yes, well, the pleasure is all ours I assure you. Name's Markus, though most just call me Commander. We are all quite surprised. The Commission didn't mention anything about a Sixth Fleet."
"Sixth Fleet?" you reflexively ask. This causes everyone's faces to furrow in confusion.
Another male speaks up, "Yeah, you know? A Fleet? Filled with people, supplies, all that stuff from the Commission?" He is the polar opposite of the Commander. His face is all smiles, cocky ones, with black hair and a youthful energy about him. His attire is very similar to the Commander's but with a more "relaxed" style, the neckline open to the chest area. He has the same gauntlet as well, the only difference being the massive blade on his back. It looks to be made out of the tooth of some great beast, or maybe his bone. His voice is filled with the invincible feeling you have when you're young, and you can't help but sigh inwardly in nostalgia.
You shake your head, "I'm afraid I do not know what this 'Fleet' you speak of is. I understand it is a group of seafaring vessels, but I was not apart of one. Or at least, I did not see one when I arrived here."
"How did you get here then?" an older looking woman with dark skin and nonexistent sleeves ask next. She has her elbows on the table, watching you with a critical eye, "Don't tell me that you swam all the way across the ocean."
You dismissively wave a hand, "Nothing like that, I assure you. I…don't even have any memory of how I arrived here."
"So amnesia then?" the old woman sighs in frustration, "Great. I don't suppose it's total memory loss is it?"
"Now now, don't be like that, Kiria," the elegant woman from before waves a hand to signify calm, "I'm certain that Lady Maria would tell us everything if she could."
You nod to the woman, "Thank you. Though, no, I do not have total amnesia. I remember everything about my life before I…arrived in this place."
The Commander nods before speaking again, "Well, you've introduced yourself, we should do the same. As you already know, I'm Markus, the Commander. I'm the man in charge while the Admiral is away on an expedition.
You've already spoken with the Tracker, Kiria," he indicates the old woman. She greets you with a stiff wave, "She's one of our foremost Hunters and expert on ecological information." Your eyebrows raise at the word "Hunter", but the Commander doesn't seem to notice.
He indicates the man who hasn't spoken yet, "That there's the Smith, Andre. He's Master of the Second Fleet and forges or improves all of the gear our Hunters use on outings." The man in question could almost be called the Commander's twin. Same gruff exterior, scarred face, white hair, and overall demeanor. The only real difference is the wicked looking curved blade on his back. He greets you with a nod and a smile.
As he turns to his left, the woman who defended you speaks up, "I'd like to introduce myself if you don't mind." The Commander lets his hand fall, as the strange woman turns to you, "Greetings. I am the Third Fleet Master, Ynnefer. And, since I know you will ask, no, I am not human. My kind are called Wyverians, and while we may look human there are a few obvious differences." At this you see her ears move just the tiniest bit, and her hands come up onto the table. You look at them and see what she means. She only has four fingers.
You can't help but feel slightly lucky. You've only been in this world for a few moments and you've already run into a new, strange, yet intereesting race! What Praal wouldn't give to be in your shoes right now…
"The Wyverians are some of our most steadfast allies and wisest friends, " the Commander says, before turning to the girl at his right, "This is the Handler, Ivanna. She's in charge of giving out dispatches and missions to the Hunters apart of the Guild."
"Hello there! Nice to meet you!" the young girl says with boundless amounts of energy. Her smiling face and goggles on the top of her head remind you of Gascoigne's daughters to an extent. Oh, how you miss the times they called you aunty when you first met them.
You giggle at the Handler, returning her greeting, "Likewise."
"Next we have the Huntsman, and our resident Chef," here he indicates the feline creature, and another armored man with a long, curved sword on his back. The man is armored in what is obviously bone and stands quiet and still as a sentinel. He slowly nods at your gaze.
"Neither of them talk very much, so I'm introducing them at the same time," the Commander shrugs. "That just leaves, him," the Commander points toward his younger counterpart.
He waves at you, "Hi there! I'm the Field Team Leader, Jacob. Jobs in the title. Pretty self-explanatory. Welcome to Astera!' He makes a big sweep of his hands towards the entire structure.
The Commander turns towards you, "And that's the Council. Any questions?"
You nod, "Well yes, but I'd much rather you all ask me your questions first. I am merely a guest here after all."
"So polite," Ynnefer says.
Markus looks around him at the assembled people, "You heard the Lady. Any questions people?"
Ivanna instantly raises her hand, "I have one! Um, are you a Hunter, Ms. Maria?"
That question gets everyone's eyes on you. Though you knew it was coming, it's still slightly strange. Back in Yharnam, Hunters were something to be feared. They were as seen as, at best, dogs of the Church and at worst the executions of its enemies. Yet, here the word seems to have a different, yet similar connotation. You smile at the young girl before answering, "Please, just call me Maria. And, yes, I am a Hunter. Though I feel like that means something different here than where I come from."
"How so?" Jacob says, stretching his arms out behind his head, "Do they hunt down rabid dogs or something?"
"That's….partially right," you say with an edge to your voice, hoping to avoid going into a lot of detail, "We were a group of individuals given….special items and equipment to fight against monsters, known as Beast, that normal people couldn't hope to fight."
Jacob shrugs, "Not too different from us then. Well, except the fashion sense."
"Jacob," Markus glances at the younger man, before turning back to you, "You said 'were' not 'are', I noticed. Do you know where the rest of your Hunters are?"
"No," you say quickly and finally. It's enough to get everyone to back off of that question, showing they've hit a sore topic.
Kiria coughs before continuing, "Alright. Here's a question. We found a dead Jaggi near the Ancient Forest. Was that your doing?"
"Yes, it was. The creature was planning to attack me with two of its compatriots. I was wounded so it thought I was easy prey. I showed it the error of its ways," you can't help the slight smile creeping into your voice.
Kiria nods before sighing, "That's fine then. It was just self-defense."
"Wounded? Where at?" Ivanna asks, face suddenly worried.
You touch the side of your torso where the wound was, "Right here. Do not worry. I'm a fast healer." No one questions that, but you do see quite a few of them frown at your explanation.
After that, there are no more forthcoming questions, so you ask some of your own, "This looks to be a base camp of sorts. Are you all explorers?"
"Keen eye there, Lady," Jacob taps his temple for emphasis, "You're right. Technically, we're a bunch of expeditionary forces sent to explore, research, and document the New World. That's what they call this island. The Commission, those are the guys back on the mainland, sent five Fleets filled with researchers, explorers, and Hunters to check the place out."
"A daunting task," you answer with slight awe.
"But one we are not afraid to tackle," Ivanna says with the same enthusiasm.
"And, I noticed I'm far from the only one armed. Is this area dangerous?"
"You're quite observant," Markus says, hand going to the table where a knife bigger than his hand rest, "And yes and no. While Astera is mostly safe, there are many creatures, that we call Monsters, out in the wild that are exceedingly dangerous. You've encountered a few yourself. Thankfully, those were only small Jaggi. Scavengers and cowards unless they're in a pack. If it was a Great Jagras, you'd probably have had more trouble."
"All those people you saw with a weapon were probably Hunters," Kiria shrugs showing off the weapon on her back as well, "They need to be ready at a moments notice, just in case something comes up." You can see the wisdom in that. It's what you all were taught back during your training, too.
"Wait, you're armed?" Andre speaks up for the first time, eyebrows up in surprise, "I don't see a weapon on you."
Smiling you nonchalantly reach into the bag at your side, carefully so as not to alarm anyone present, and unveil the Rakuyo for the smith. As your blade comes into view, all eyes go towards it. They look the sword up and down, checking its craftsmanship and otherwise. After a few moments, you bring the sword back down to your side, keeping it in your right hand. Andre's hand is against his chin, deep in thought about something or other. Everyone else is mutter or whispering something to each other.
Well, now that the preliminary awkwardness if over, time to see if you can get some of your other questions answered.
[] Do you have anymore questions?
-[] If so, what are they?
-[] If not, what do you do next?
This follows the same rules as the question on what you did before coming to the Council. How many questions you ask will determine what it is you can do once the meeting is completely over and done with. Also keep in mind that they won't give you a completely straight answer on everything.