A bunch of men and women sat around a table, holographic cards floating in front of them. They were playing a game of Founder’s Folly, a popular card game played amongst the various Clans. Each person had access to four cards to start, a founder card, and three randomly drawn cards that either encompassed building, destruction, or business collaboration with another player. With each of the three cards you use, you get to draw another one next turn. The goal of the game is to utilize your founder’s strength, along with the three cards in your hand to try to build up your district before the others. Played over two to four rounds, depending on the number of players whoever had the most districts in their possession by the end of the rounds wins the game.
When a full cycle has completed, with each player getting a chance to play their turn, the dealer sets down a random encounter card. In it, a random development or hindrance may occur, which includes things like permit-use limitations, increased infrastructure costs due to varying circumstances, and worst of all, an Enthipid attack, which is categorized into three grades, each of which requires your own resources and turns to defend against. A successful win against an Enthipid gains you little unless you play smartly and prepare ahead of time, and a loss could cause you to fall behind everyone else. Once you’ve developed your district enough, the player is able to use their obtained resources to start a local hunter board, in which players can target other players and their resources. This is when the game really got crazy, as those who have established hunter boards could turn the tide of the game, even if their resources end up low. This game required strategy, and a mindset fitting for a hunter in order to get ahead of your peers.
As Kat, one of the regiment sergeants of the Clan’s local militia, readied to play her trump card, which would turn her five-game losing streak into a victory, she heard a creaking at the tower’s entrance. She nudged her companion nearby, jerking her head towards the door. He nodded in response. The Imperial Court had issued an edict mandating a reorganization of Clan staff and troops for reasons they haven’t explained. The Clan’s militia was the standard regiment allowed within all of the major clans. They weren’t hunters, but could be called upon to defend whenever a Clan’s operations would be jeopardized by local hunter activity. They did not owe their allegiance to any particular clan, but once payment was set, they were bound by contract to fulfill their limited roles unto completion. Magrest was known for housing the most militia members in one place, but as of these past fourty-eight hours, Kat saw more troops walking in and out of the Clan of Tribute’s headquarters than she had ever seen in her entire time working career. Even Magrest’s numbers felt minute compared to the number of people inside the headquarters right now. Something big was about to happen, but she wasn’t sure what.
However, this meant she was keenly aware of anything that might happen over the next few days. As her companion neared the door, the others sitting at the card table caught wind of Kat’s demeanor. They picked up their nearby cudgels, readying themselves for whatever may come. Johrei began creeping along the surface of the weapons. These were weak weapons, but easy to produce, as resources were limited.
These will have to do for now.
Some riflemen occupied the stairwells, waiting to provide support if needed, as well as medics standing watch from behind. The Clan did warn they might be expecting company, but this felt much earlier than expected. The troops haven’t even been given the orders to set up perimeter defenses around the outside yet.
Kat’s companion kicked the door open and, seeing nothing, eased the grip on his cudgel.
“We’re really getting worked up over nothing right now,” he said, turning back to walk towards the table. “Kat, you sure you ain’t trying to cheese your way out of another lo-”
Right as Kat’s companion was about to finish his sentence, he was knocked out by the rear end of a long metallic staff. It was then that Kat realized who the man at the door was.
“Sorry about the rough entry. I couldn’t find anyone outside to speak to. And the intercom – seems like someone forgot to turn it on. I know, crazy thinking, but putting two and two together, I’m getting the sneaking suspicion that the Clan of Tributes is holing themselves in this tower because they want to. That couldn’t be the case, could it? They have nothing to hide after all.”
The militiamen were frozen in place by the absurdity of the situation. Kat was the first to get her bearings back, and her eyes began to focus in anger at this incoming threat. Something about him seemed familiar.
Caz continued, “I’m glad your companion there was gracious enough to open the door for me. Saves me from having to break it down. Now then, I need one of you to bring me to your council. I have something to speak with them about.” He began striding in towards the center of the room slowly.
“No?” he said, as he closed in. “You don’t seem to be connected with the Imperial Court. Mercenary hires?”
Caz’s presence emanated across the minds of everyone in that room, and hesitation followed their action. Kat had no qualms about eliminating this newfound threat here and now and commanded, “What are you all doing?! Hunter or not, this man has trespassed on the Court’s territory.” She looked at Caz, face unreadable behind his Johrei veil, and charged in roaring.
“Uooaahhhh!!” she screamed, lifting her Johrei cudgel in her right hand, ready to strike. Caz stood, unmoving.
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Let the first be the feint, she thought, recalling her training. Right as she was about to swing down, she planted her left heel, and threw the cudgel straight at his face, aiming to obscure his vision. The weapon clanked against the Johrei veil hanging down from his large frustum hat. Weapon throwing was an oft frowned upon tactic, for its considerable risk, and severe disadvantages. However, Kat was made leader of the militia for her particularly unique brand of combat ingenuity, and, placing a hand on the Johrei knife at her waist with her left hand, pulled it out aimed at his right flank, bring her blade down in a cross-slash.
Vision obscured by the cudgel, attacking the opponent’s dominant side, with my dominant hand, Kat thought, running through the methods of attack she postulated on over the months, settling on this one.
Keeping an eye on the halberd that this unknown hunter carried, she aimed for his wrist, attempting to injure his weapon hand, as well as block any incoming retaliation. If she’s lucky, she could keep his weapon hand in place while the others focus on him from the side. However, right as the blade was about to hit its mark, Caz let go of his halberd and jumped back.
Kat began to look up, not anticipating that he would relinquish his weapon as well. However, assuring herself that this outcome was acceptable and that he would be at a disadvantage regardless, she turned her head up to look at him, only to feel a crack against her face.
She flew back from the impact, Johrei shields barely holding out and landed with a thud on the floor. Her eyes darted to the tall hunter and saw him deflecting Johrei bullets with the cudgel she had just thrown at him. His head tilted down, the frustum hat absorbed the remaining bullets like rain against an umbrella. Just as he began to look up, four armed guards jumped him, raising their cudgels in unison, activating its Johrei properties in an attempt to break through the tall hunter’s defenses.
Kat tried to stand, feeling dizzy from the prior impact, and found two of the men downed in front of her. The other two looked shock.
What happened? she thought.
“With just his hands?” one of the remaining guards cried out, shocked. The other panicked and tried to attack again, only for Caz to grab his arm, lifting him up in the air. The man screamed as bones began straining under the pressure of Caz’s grip, and in the next moment, Kat heard a snap as the guard’s ulna shattered under Caz’s hands. The Johrei shield dissipated, failing to protect its host and Caz dropped the man back on the ground, who screeched in agony.
“Strength build!” Kat relayed to the others loudly. “He’s an Inner!”
Dropping the guard provided an opening as another volley of bullets hailed towards Caz. He didn’t even dodge. The bullets hit its mark, and the gunmen felt a tinge of satisfaction. However, as the like smoke from the shots dissipated, they found Caz standing upright, looking at the gunmen.
“He didn’t even take any damage,” one of the gunman said. The pristine armor of this tall hunter in front of them failed to show the fluctuating glimmer that typically accompanied the impact of weaponry against Johrei shields. Instead, was he blocking it…with just his Bastion Armor? That didn’t make any sense. How was he this strong?
One by one, Caz began casually knocking out the men standing in front of him. Bullets continued to track their target, and men surrounded him in droves, but he shook each of the militiamen off. The presence alone caused the remaining troops to hesitate. Kat stood up, room still shaking from the blow she received, waving her hands to the others in loud command, “Smoke out!”
A volley of smoke grenades were lobbed at Caz’s feet and he looked down. In the next moment, the entire tower floor was covered in a shroud of dust and smoke, obscuring the silhouettes of all but the closest of the militiamen.
When it was cloudy enough for Kat to sneak behind the hunter unnoticed, she pulled out her blade again, this time aiming to stab through his heart. The blade cut through the back of the cloak he had adorned, and then stopped dead on his skin.
No reaction?
To Kat, it appeared as if the metal itself stopped her blade. But that was impossible. Even Elite-grade armor would nick at a point-blank stab from a Johrei-infused blade. Did this have something to do with his ability? If that’s the case, she had to aim for his core. However, at that moment she jumped back, noticing motion from the tall hunter.
She readied herself to defend, only to find him strolling casually to his dropped halberd. She was flabbergasted at blatant disrespect of this man. And it was then that it dawned on her – his height, his raw strength, and his seeming invincibility – she’s heard of the hero of the underground, but her mind didn’t register the possibility he would be here. Why was he here?
“I didn’t come here for war,” Caz said, “though all of you made it pretty clear that you don’t mind starting one. I need to speak with your council. Something of great importance has come up and I require information. Auditor rules state that any hunter may freely request information that may be of relevance to a high-priority hunt, and that the holder of such information must be available to hear the request out, even if such information is denied access, in which case, a hunter may appeal to the Auditors directly. By barring access to this tower, and denying all communication to the Clan of Tributes, you have effectively forfeited your right to a claim of trespass under hunter rule and must bring me to your council.”
Kat, anger reaching a breaking point, took all she could to quell her rage. She looked at the men around her. She was in no position to deny him, not that she could stop him anyways. The Blackbird was infamous for having never faced defeat in all his years as a Division hunter.
“Look, Blackbird,” Kat said, spitting blood on the floor. She could hear some muffled gasps in the back, but ignored them, “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but your words ring hollow. You need to give us the name of the bounty before we can accede to such a request. If you’re telling the truth, we may forgive you for your obstruction in Clan business and for the collateral damage you’ve caused on unwilling participants of the hunt. If you think you can get away with what you did, the Auditors aren’t going to side with you once we take it up with them, and you’ll have to answer to them. And don’t even think about lying. We both knows what happens to those who lie about a rule of law of this magnitude.”
Silence followed for what seemed like minutes, but after a few seconds, the Blackbird responded, “Now you’re more rational than I gave you credit for. You’ve held back your anger and even attempted to hear me out, despite what I did coming in here. I had you all wrong it seems.” He chuckled at that, which only further enraged her. She clenched her fist to the point of bleeding.
“The leaders of the Revenant’s Forge, Cadmi and Siegren Trepidor. They are the hunt,” he replied matter-of-factly.
Kat dropped her weapon in shock.