HUNTERS & HELLFIRE: Chapter One

[caesar193]

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CHAPTER ONE:
Of Iron and Idiocy

The sun rose, shedding dawn’s light, but it never reached the city below. A thick blanket of clouds hung over the river, as it cut its way through the city’s heart, over the walls, as they stood guard against a stern wind and not much else, over the Governor’s Home, as it sat in wait for the day democracy would stop staining its walls. The clouds, the dark grey of a dead coal miner, were pregnant with rain.

Still, the city began to waken. A few wary upward glances, but the people of Onesia began their day. Most were used to the rain by now. The Month of Floods brought with it rain and meltwater, a torrent from the skies and the mountains. The Rutilus River took it and funneled it, the water splashing up onto its banks, and pouring it into the sea- and into the Flooded District, but it had long since been prepared to withstand the waters. High sidewalks and ramshackle bridges allow for some means of travel. The rest of the city, however, was not as well prepared, but it didn't really need to be. The banks of the river only rarely flooded elsewhere, and this year would not be one of those times. All the never-ending rain would do is turn the dirt streets into what seemed like muddy ditches, but even that did not deter foot traffic.

And some of that traffic turned towards the Dock District. The area had seen better days, that was for sure. A decade ago, this place had been lively, the docks filled with mighty ships from foreign places with exotic names. Strange languages would permeate the air, clashing against each other in a hectic fray of linguistic warfare. But now... now the once-mighty ships lie old and forgot, their decks aching and rotted. Except for one. A single barge, tied to the dock, floats still in perfect condition. On that boat awaken a motley crew of Hunters.

Soon after awaking, the group goes about their morning activities until they find themselves ready to face the rain, the mud, and the unknown.


Upper Bellus, Hunter's Barracks

"Ah, my favorite hunters!" cries out Cornelius upon seeing the five of you. Cornelius, a halfling with a smile wider than he was tall and the general air of someone with a casual relationship with the truth, sat behind his desk in the lobby of the Barracks. Behind him sat a filing system crammed full of scrolls, random bits of paper, and a couple bits of... was that papyrus?

No matter what it was, Cornelius was the person who supplied the contracts for the Hunters, and as such, was well-worth the effort to get in his good graces. Luckily, that wasn't hard.

"Watcha in the mood for, ladies and gents?" the halfling continued with a grin. "Lessee 'ere... we gots some noble who lost somethin' of their's in the Flooded District... ooh, Commander of the Guard Sigurd Sturmsrath's got a bit of a kobold problem he needs some help with... ah, and some merchant's found a hill giant on the southeastern road. Any o' those catch yer interest?"

[AtS]

Nantir "Chipped Tusk" Corr'ukgar

Nantir, a slight, studious-looking, and bespectacled half-orc, clad in simple explorers attire of a cotton tunic and leather breeches, the length of his body encircled with several leather belts and bandoliers buckled by steel, gives Cornelius a quick wave and a tusky smile. On his feet, two common but well-made leather boots, and on his back, a well-made, well-laden pack with masterful stitching and leatherwork. Each pouch and pocket covering his body is filled with some assortment of wizard's implements and arcane oddities like feathers, creature tails, rune-inscribed stones, powders, and tinctures. His clothes cover most of his green-hued skin, though it's clear that much of his arms and legs are covered in swirling tribal tattoos and arcane symbology, and the designs continue onto bit of chest peeking out from the loosely-laced front of his tunic. His usual red scarf has been removed from his neck and rests wrapped around one forearm, tied in a loose knot while he attends to his task in the Barracks.

"Kobolds sounds like the most work... and the best pay, I'd wager." Nantir strides up to Cornelius' desk and gestures for a hunter's contract to peruse. "Mind if we take a closer look?" He asks, his clawed hand outstretched and waiting.

[Kallor]

Torvald was a stony faced human. He was about thirty years old, and had remained as dry and humorless as ever. He wore armor over his drab clothing, and carried a cutlass at his side. Slight of build as he was, it was unlikely that he relied much on brute force to wield his weapon.

“Kobolds. Nuisances,” Torvald said, “I prefer the hill giant. Easier to find, faster to deal with. Less crawling around tunnels getting trapped and ambushed. Potentially more worthwhile too.”

Giant or kobold, though, he certainly considered either of them to be more worthwhile than finding the lost trinkets of some decadent nobleman.

[Therumancer]

Solange


Solange is a gorgeous young half elf, with sparkling blue eyes and her knee-length blonde hair tied up in braids. She's currently dressed in form fitting pink silk with low boots and a traveler's cloak.

The beautiful, bubbly young Oracle says "Hiya Cornelius! You always find us the best missions!" she listens excitedly as he details the current jobs. "Dealing with the giant seems like it would be a good choice. From the way it sounds, it's probably the most time sensitive given that it's near a road and someone else might remove it while we're busy elsewhere if we don't deal with it first."

[Snow Fox]

Freydis

Tall and muscular, Freydis will standard guard behind the others. She is dressed in a green tunic and legging. One will quickly note the tattoo at her eye. Her battle axe is sheathed but she watches everything wearily.

While one might think of her as a dumb barbarian, when she speaks she is anything but. However, she knows that she is not the best at negotiating and feels it is better if others do so. While not a ranger, her skills are far more useful in the wilderness than at the negotiating table.

Her hands steeple together slowly.

[caesar193]

"Uh, yes, yes, of course!" Cornelius replied, his smile increasing in size at the sight of the half-orc and decreasing in sincerity. He ducked below the counter, and started rummaging through the unorganized chaos. "Ah, here we are!" he said, sliding the contract over to Nantir.

He then turned to Solange. "Anything for a lady as pretty as you," he replied with a wink, before retrieving the contract for the giant and handing it to Solange. "Merchant by the name of Benjamin Ackerman put that one up. Used to bring in iron from the dwarves before we lost contact, so he's been real eager to get that up'n running again. If you want to talk to him, see if he's got any other info for ya, he said..." Cornelius started searching quickly for a scrap of paper. "Ah, knew it was around here somewhere! So, uh, yeah, he's got a place over in Lower Bellus. Feel free to go ask him some questions, but I don't know how much help he'll be. Merchants don't tend to know a lot about giants, eh?"

Behind you, the doors swing open to reveal another group. By the collection of various weapons on their belts, they were Hunters as well. By the nervous expressions on their faces, they were new to the game.

"Will that be all?" Cornelius asked.

[Therumancer]

Solange

Solange beams at the compliment and takes the contract eagerly. "Thank you Cornelius, your the best! I guess we'll head to see Mr. Ackerman then"

She prepares to leave for the merchant's house. As she does smiles and tries to be reassuring as she tells the group of new adventurers "Don'y worry, I'm sure you'll do just fine!"

[Hattish Thing]

Marcellus Rackham:

Marcellus "Richard" Rackham stares ahead from beneath a tall, fashionable, wide-brimmed leather hat, the shine of bright sunlight flashing against the extravagant blue bicorne's golden lining. Tidy, well-maintained locks of well-groomed, brown hair fall over his sun-bleached forehead, while almond-shaped eyes of bright and cheerful gray hazel peer out at the world from behind ornate spectacles of silvery siccatite and brilliant white porcelain. His sunburnt skin is leathery and blemished, and although many of his more prominent scars have been concealed with makeup, many late nights spent without suitable rest have caused dark circles to manifest beneath his brown eyes. In addition to his bright eyes, the ex-noble possesses a large, hooked nose and curling lips seemingly permanently set to grin in a charming yet crooked sort of fashion. A thin layer of dark stubble can be seen lining the man's prominent chin, and a particularly thick, bushy mustache can be seen, just beneath his oversized nose.

The pirate turned monster-hunter is clad in a long, threadbare greatcoat, dyed in faded, but luxurious shades of bright gold and navy blue. The well-worn greatcoat is decorated with lines of faded gold, and complicated patterns created of threads crafted of actual spun-silver. An extravagant, ornately-carved, gold-plated pistol can be seen at hisd belt, and an expensive looking rapier can be seen hanging from the man's side. Beneath his tattered greatcoat, the ex-noble wears a frayed crimson vest, decorated with complicated golden designs and glittering rows of perfectly polished amethyst's set into lines of glittering, spun-silver threads. A dusty, cracked platinum wayfinder decorated with flecks of gold and silver hangs from his neck, glowing with a soft light, and a sharp, angular collar of threadbare navy leather rests upon the man's shoulders, wrapping about his neck. A polished mechanical prosthesis can be seen attached to the man's right leg. The prosthesis itself appears to be an ornate clockwork leg-brace, digging into the man's own flesh just below the knee. Platinum gears lined with shimmering amethyst's turn in place and grind softly, protected by layers of well-maintained, golden plating, each panel decorated with platinum inlay, which has faded over time.

Jangling brown leather bandoliers lined with a decorative golden trim bristle with metal cartridges, while straps supporting dozens of small vials filled with colorful alchemical fluids jangle in place, and buckled platinum belts containing numerous glass bottles of exotic powders can be seen about the man. A platinum brace, fitted with leather straps and moving clockwork parts, can be seen worn over the stranger's left arm. A curious, sparkling weapon, composed of the same shimmering materials as his clockwork prosthesis and arm-brace can be seen worn upon the man's belt. It is an intimidating, but refined weapon, composed of a variety of exotic skymetals and glossy mechanical parts that sparkle in the sunlight. Panels of shimmering, silvery skymetals wrap around a sleek, wooden, handle-like section of the firearm, while the advanced firearm's smooth twin barrels are fitted with plates of expensive siccatite, adorned with a trim composed primarily of highly polished amethysts, ground into a fine powder. The barrels themselves are constructed of some dazzling, highly reflective bright white skymetal adorned with platinum inlay.

The man walks with a slight limp, and a confident grin can be seen on his face.

"Cornelius, my good man!"

"Giant it is."

[AtS]

Nantir "Chipped Tusk" Corr'ukgar

"Seems I've been outvoted again," Nantir says, handing back the Kobold contract to Cornelius with a shrug. "A giant will work, though. I wonder how far out the creature's been causing trouble? Are we in for a camping trip, or will we need to ask Mr. Ackerman to find out?" After passing off the contract, Nantir absently tugs on the knotted scarf around his forearm, a kind of unconscious habit, while he waits for Cornelius to answer his query.

[Snow Fox]

Freydís shakes her head. To her, it is nothing but a job. It is also certainly better than crawling through narrow tunnels with a dagger in her teeth.

[caesar193]

The group of Hunters muttered a quick thanks to Solange, before approaching the desk while the party left. As the party disappeared out the door, they could hear Cornelius say to the other Hunters "Ah, my favorite Hunters! Whatcha in the mood for, ladies and gents?"

The party, named the Golden League by its leader, Marcellus Rackham, made its way through the muddy streets and grimy people to the home of Benjamin Ackerman, where they asked him a few questions about their chosen target, the giant. When they left Ackerman's, they found the rain had ceased, though the clouds remained, covering the city in grey, dirty light.


The Wilderness

It took about three hours to get to the spot Ackerman had described. A mile past the edge of the forest, he'd said... and it wasn't hard to tell where the trail began. Bushes lay crushed, saplings lay splintered, and the occasional tree lay broken. The trail extended both to the left and to the right of the road, with no discernible way to tell which direction the giant had headed off in.

[Snow Fox]

Looking and then sniffing, Freydis states, "By the way the foliage is broken, it appears to have gone to the right."

Pushing her battle braid out of the way, she states, "It looks to me as if it has been a day, maybe two, and there has been some recent rain. It is definitely not fresh. It also has not been weeks."

Being as quiet as possible, the northern barbarian will start following the trail

[Therumancer]

Solange

Solange doesn't much care for the mud and the wet but sucks it up and follows Freydis as she tracks the giant. "I hope we find it soon" she says. She considers suggesting stealth, but sneaking isn't really Solange's forte.

[Snow Fox]

Freydis simply shrugs, she has been through far worse. The mountains in the winter will steal your breath in a moment.

[Kallor]

Torvald follows Freydis in silence, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword, watchful for any threats that might be less obvious than a giant.

[AtS]

Nantir "Chipped Tusk" Corr'ukgar

That morning, before setting out, Nantir proceeds with his daily preparations. In the small corner of the Hunter's Barracks that he called his own, he lights a stick of incense and opens his spellbook, pouring over the pages to memorize the arcane symbols and incantations of the spells he thought would come in handy for the task at hand. Clearly, a giant was going to put up some resistance, so the caster takes a decidedly combat-oriented approach to his choice of spells for the day. His task complete, he snuffs out the incense, waving his hands and muttering a swift word to magic away the smoke and smell to avoid disturbing anyone else sleeping late in the barracks.

Nantir prepares spells for the day.

Additionally, he casts Prestidigitation to cleanse the air of the smell of incense after his preparations are finished.

0th
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Light
Prestidigitation

1st
Divination: Comprehend Languages
Color Spray x1
Feather Fall x1
Grease x2
Mage Armor x1

2nd
Divination: Detect Thoughts
Levitate x1
Invisibility x2

3rd
Divination: See Beyond
Summon Monster III x2

---

When the group reaches the giant's tracks, Nantir takes a moment to utter some arcane incantations. First, a blueish force surrounds his body, forming a semitransparent protective shell. Next, his eyes emit a green glow as the half-orc gazes down the trail in either direction. "Not expecting anything magic from a giant, but I figure it doesn't hurt to check," he says while taking a position near the middle of the group's marching order. Using his arcane sight, he keeps a close eye out for anything magical in their surroundings, trusting Freydis' tracking skills to find their quarry.

Cast Mage Armor, with a duration of 5 hours.

Then Nantir will periodically cast Detect Magic and maintain concentration while the group travels, keeping an eye out for the presence of any magical auras. If he spies any, he'll take a few moments to study the aura to glean more information about it, using Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0] (preemptively) to determine the school of magic if possible.

---

HP: 24/24
AC: 17

Active Effects:
Mage Armor - 5hrs.

0th
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Light
Prestidigitation

1st
Divination: Comprehend Languages
Color Spray x1
Feather Fall x1
Grease x2
Mage Armor x1

2nd
Divination: Detect Thoughts
Levitate x1
Invisibility x2

3rd
Divination: See Beyond
Summon Monster III x2

[caesar193]

The journey is long, and winding. Apparently the giant didn't want to walk in a straight line- or perhaps it was to have the occasional snack along the way. Every so often, the group would stumble upon some animal speared with a tree or underneath a rock. Most of these animals would be lacking most of the meat all ready; the rest went to the carnivores of the forest.

Nantir detected no magic along the way; some members of the party, however, did manage to catch the glimpse of eyes peering between trees at them. And before anyone could do anything, all trace of any watchers disappeared.

Finally, the trail reached a clearing- rather, a lake. A massive lake, sheltered in the foothills of the mountains in the east of Onesiphoria. On the far side, the party could catch a glimpse of the city of Argos; from this distance, all seems fine with the city, its walls stand tall and proud and whole. But it's multiple miles across the waters, and impossible for the eye to really get a good look.

More pressing than scenery, however, is the sight down the shore to your right. On the edge of a marsh a massive sack lies temporarily forgotten as its owner, a hill giant with a massive axe in one hand, kneels in the water next to what looks like the remains of a large animal. It does not seem to notice you.

[Snow Fox]

While she is not sure what the others are going to do yet, Freydis does very quietly draw her great axe. (ooc: I keep typing in battle axe and realizing my mistake so if it gets left as battle axe, it is just an oops on my part.)

The barbarian prepares for battle but does not yet go into a battle rage.

After a moment, Freydis motions to Marcellus to stealthfully go through the reeds with her towards the Hill Giant and slowly begin stalking towards the cerature

[AtS]

Nantir “Chipped Tusk” Corr’ukgar

“Shall we take a quiet approach while we’re able?” Nantir posits, his voice low. “I have just the spell prepared for such an occasion,” he says, digging in his pack. His rough orc hands rustle through his belongings for a moment, dipping into the extradimensional space of the bag of holding tied to his pack. In a moment, they produce a scroll case with gold filigree etched with arcane symbols encircling the top. With deft fingers, he unhitches the compartment door and unfurls a roll of scrolls, covered with row after tight roll of faintly glowing symbols. “With these, I can render us almost completely imperceptible.”

He looks at each other member in turn. “With this invisibility spell, even our least clandestine can close the gap undetected. And then we can all engage at once, getting the drop on it.” He balls a fist and punches his palm, giving Captain Rackham, Freydis, Solange, and Torvald a raised eyebrow. “Solange can immobilize it, then you three hit ‘em hard. Let me handle the axe if it comes to blows.” He gives Solange a look, hoping she’ll use her divine magic to bind the giant.

He stares at the marshy water with a frown. “The terrain may prove to be a problem. Even invisible, we might not be able to sneak close enough. The ripples could give away our position. Another option is to lure it to the shore and engage there. In that case, Invisibilty won’t be needed. The rest of the plan can proceed as stated, though. We can prepare to engage it at the shore.”

The report concluded, Nantir gives Captain Rackham a salute. “How do we proceed, Captain?”

[Snow Fox]

Freydis points at the reeds, "Go through the reeds, keep it slow, and we can get within a few rods of the giant. Your invisibility cannot hurt. Still, use the cover we have."

[Therumancer]

Solange


Solange knows giants are not generally known as benevolent beings so is willing to go along with the plan to bushwhack this one. She says "I'll stay back and cast 'Hold Person' when the rest of you get into position"

When the party is ready to attack she casts her spell.

[Kallor]

"Invisibility is good. Could use it myself," Torvald stated quietly.

[AtS]

Nantir utters a string of arcane words, while plucking a pinch of eyelash from his pouch. He draws them in a curious shape over Freydis and Torvald's chests, tracing some kind of symbol, and the two vanish from view. "That should do it," the Half-Orc says, satisfied with his Invisibility spell.

Cast Invisibility on Freydis and Torvald for 5 mins.

0th
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Light
Prestidigitation

1st
Divination: Comprehend Languages
Color Spray x1
Feather Fall x1
Grease x2
Mage Armor x1

2nd
Divination: Detect Thoughts
Levitate x1
Invisibility x2

3rd
Divination: See Beyond
Summon Monster III x2