~~~ Overview ~~~
Once there was peace in these lands, trade routes ranging far and wide, and cities full of life, but that is the past. When the stars fell unto the earth, they carried strange minerals, and from these minerals, many discoveries were made. These minerals granted power beyond anything mankind was capable of, but it quickly proved itself dangerous.
This power corrupted the minds of most men, and it twisted their bodies into horrific monstrosities; only a few were resistant to the effects. This corruption was not exclusive to man either; it spread to the many beasts of the wild, with much more aggression.
These beasts and abominations slaughtered their way through the city and village populations who were unprepared; the nobles elected to hide away in their fortified homes with their hired guards while the commonfolk were left to fend for themselves. Knowing they stood no chance on their own, brave souls of the surviving villages gathered together to form the Hunters' Guild, a force dedicated to facing the dangerous beasts of the dark.
Though they train vigorously to match the beasts' ferocity, many hunters are lost to the beastly threat or even corruption, but their sacrifice inspires many to take their place. These trainee hunters must go through high-risk training to weed out individuals who are not suited for beast hunting as well as get the trainee accustomed to the dangers of beasts. It is not uncommon for trainees to quit or even perish during their training.
~~~ Underneath the Dark Moon I ~~~
In the midst of a cold wind, under the Dark Moon, a slim, elderly man with grey hair finds solace beneath a tree. Shortly, a younger, brawny man comes to him and asks, "Again, Henry?" The elder turns his head to face the young man before responding in a gruff voice, "Eh, what else is there to do in my age? I've done my time; I'd like to rest for what little time I have left. Now leave me be, Seth." After a long sigh, Seth debates internally and then speaks up, "Alright then, but you must be at the academy for the recruits' initiation ceremony." Henry groans, "Why must we have these ceremonies? They're purely for spectacle." Seth, once more irritated with Henry's reluctance, responds, "It's for morale; we've learned that increasing hunter morale reduces the likelihood of corruption."
Henry finally caves and decides to go along. "Well, I may as well go now, seeing that you have already spoiled my peace." "Finally." Seth sighs in relief. He then helps Henry up from the ground, and the pair make their way towards the Hunters' Academy. Along the beaten path, Henry takes time to admire the little beauty and peace around them, for he knew it was only a matter of time before the beasts arrive. "Distracted, are we?" Seth breaks the silence. "You should appreciate the little things while you're able; you never know when they'll disappear." Henry responds. "There'll be plenty of time for sightseeing when this scourge is dealt with." Seth says boldly, "And when is that exactly?" Seth pauses to think while Henry continues, "We've hardly learned anything aside from how to kill these beasts, but the beasts are a byproduct of the greater issue." "And that is?" Seth speaks up. "The stars... such powerful things, and yet we know so little. The beasts rose when they fell; that is no coincidence." Henry seems more distant than usual when speaking of the stars.
The cold wind suddenly ceases, and the cawing of crows alerts the two hunters: "Henry?" Seth says, "I smell it... foul beasts... are you armed?" Henry asks, "Just my sidearm; you go to the academy and bring reinforcements; I'll hold them here!" Seth answers. "No, this beast is different; you'll never survive alone. With me, quickly!" Henry retorts harshly and pulls an injection needle from his satchel. He injects the substance into his arm, and it works quickly through his body, filling him with renewed vigor and endurance. As the sound of the beast's steps get ever louder, Seth and Henry bolt towards the academy.
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The Hunters' Academy was a tall, dark wood building with spiked fences and torches to keep out beasts. Recruit hunters and their superiors fill the courtyard and training grounds, honing their combat skills. One of the hunters notice the distressed arrival of Seth and Henry and rushes to meet them. "What's happened?" he says with a look of concern. "Corruption beast... approaching from the woods." Seth replies in between heavy breaths, "Hunters! With me!" the hunter calls out to the others. The hunters charge out towards the beast, and upon witnessing the beast, many of the younger hunters and even some of the more experienced stand in shock and disgust at the abhorrent sight.
This beast is unlike anything seen prior; most beasts hold animal characteristics, but this creature seemed to be something more. Its elongated skull bore the fangs of a beast with wide eyes that held the void of space and the stars within them; it had the misshapen figure of a man, warped and twisted, covered head to toe with grey, rotted flesh. "Sir Williams, is this some corruption beast?" one of the young hunters asks his superior. "Yes, Garrett, be on your guard; such things are not so easily slain," he answers. The beast stands motionless before the hunting party; this behavior is not like that of normal beasts; this is certainly a corruption. Corruptions are not easy to dispatch; they act unpredictably and do things that make no logical sense.
"What's our first move, lads?" A one-eyed hunter asks with caution, "Surround it; cut off any escape route; it must not leave this place alive." Henry orders, knowing fully how dangerous a Corruption beast can be if left unchecked. The hunters acknowledge and follow his instructions and slowly circle around the corruption beast. "Now! Shoot out its eyes!" Henry shouts. The hunters fire their rifles at the creature's eyes, blinding it. "Keep out of its grasp!" Henry warns as the corruption beast flails its arms wildly, "Bring the beast down!" The hunters yell and charge towards the corruption beast. Two hunters slice its ankles, bringing the creature to its knees.
The beast lets out an ear-piercing roar that disorients the hunters, giving it the opportunity to claw at the nearest hunter, Graye, one of the new hunters. An agonized scream leaves him as he collapses to the ground, blood spilling from the deep gashes in his torso. "Man down!" Williams shouts as he recollects himself, "Shoot the bastard; we won't lose another!". The remaining hunters, with their firearms ready, opened fire at the beast, the volley of bullets filling it with holes.
With bloodied flesh hanging off its eviscerated body, the beast attempts to crawl its way back towards the woodlands, hunters still firing into its hide. After enough fire, the body of the beast could no longer move, with entrails spilling from its body and violently twitching. A new hunter appeared from the shadows of the trees and approached the crippled beast. "Sever the head and the body will wither," he spoke as he sent his huntsman axe through the neck of the beast, its body twitching for a moment longer before falling still. "What has happened?! How did this abomination slip past us until now? We are better than this," he scolds the group. "If we can hardly keep beasts off our doorstep, how can we expect to do so for the villages?" Amidst the scolding, Henry speaks up, "You are too harsh, Vergil. It was a beast of corruption; you know well enough what they're capable of."
"Exactly why we must not allow such abominations to run wild." Vergil retorts coldly before turning his attention to the deceased Graye. "We've already lost a hunter, and we are spread thin enough as it is. If we are to survive, we must stop this madness at its source." "What source?!" Williams interjected sharply, "We know nothing of their origin, only that they appeared when the stars fell. Do you want us to go stargazing now for secrets? That is for the astrologers; oh, I forgot, there are none left! They were all driven mad and corrupted." Vergil steps forward before being stopped by Henry. "Save your fight for the beasts, all of you." Vergil backs off and makes his way back into the woods to continue hunting.
"We will burn the young lad's remains and send his ashes home. Laurence, have the beast carted off for study." Henry says solemnly, looking down at the corpse of Graye with grief for the young hunter, "It is always difficult to lose a fellow, especially those who had much life ahead of them. Let the loss feed your fight against the beasts. One day they shall be no more than a painful, distant memory, and peace can once again grace our land. Until then, we must push forward and protect what remains of our life."