Thrill of the Hunt

This is a historical article, describing a past event or events that occurred on Shartak.

Thrill of the Hunt

At some point Neil Tathers began to lose his sanity. Here is what happened, and the repercussions from the event.

Part One

The tiger happily licked it's paws, cleaning the blood off of them. Next to the tiger was the discarded carcass of a small deer, it's body ripped to shreds, bones scattered, the remains being picked at by rats, carrion birds, and other creatures courageous enough to get within the range of a tiger.

The noises of the night jungle suddenly ceased, and the tiger stopped in mid-lick. It's eyes, ears, and nose were on high alert, something was near, something big. It growled.

A blade erupted from the nearby brush, burning red, runes scarlet blazing on it's edge. The tiger leapt backwards, but not fast enough, the blade scoring along it's front leg, nicking and severing a tendon. Landing heavily on the injured leg, the tiger buckled, giving enough time for the blade striking it in the head, instantly ending the tiger's life. Cackling, the person walked into the clearing, surrounded in shadows, rubbing his hand in the wet blood, smearing it a nearby tree, and walking away.

Morning

Injured from his fight with a maddened elephant, Neil limped his way to the native village of Dalpok, seeking first Aid and more weapons so he could continue his hunt. Entering a clearing, he saw a few of Dalpok's stalwart defenders looking at a tree, all of them talking in hushed whispers, and urgent tones.

"What is it?" asked Neil, walking up the warriors, showing no fear.

The warriors quickly turned, several of them with machetes and daggers in hand, until they saw who it was.

"Neil," hissed one of them, a strange looking native. Neil still doesn't know if the lizard getup was real or simply an elaborate costume, "This problem stems from your village."

"The jungle is my village Star God, not Raktam, not since her death." said Neil.

"Look at that symbol Raktami, and tell me what it looks like."

Neil took one look at the symbol, and his eyes became wide. "How is this possible, I slayed him myself!"

"I don't know, but deal with this, we do not want this trouble in our village, it has enough already."

The Dalpokians left the clearing, muttering and casting uneasy glances at the foliage leaving Neil staring at the symbol in blood on the tree, the symbol of Armadox the Butcher.

"I...killed....him."

Part Two

Neil ran through the jungle, following the signs of Armadox's passing, blood here, a broken twig there, the faster he travled, the more heated his thoughts be came.

He killed my parents, he gloated over the dead bodies, he slaughtered my townspeople, he thought he was the best, the shaman shunned him, his last death was the end, and that was from my blades.

Neil's two kukri, etched with blue runes, where suddenly in his hands. He came into a clearing, and saw Armadox, with his Scavenger Mask on, in a river, washing the blood off himself. Neil pointed his kukri at him, "MURDERER!" and blood pounded in his head. His eyes glazed over, and he charged. Armadox didn't make a move to protect himself, and looked curious as Drove drove his kukri through Armadox's chest. The eyes under the mask looked surprised, Neil's vision flooded red and he started to laugh.

"Why?"

"Because you deserved it."

"Why?"

"You are Armadox, that's way."

"Neil...it's Jace..."

Neil looked down, the mask disappeared, the red faded away, his blood pounding in his head calmed down, and he looked at the body impaled on his blade.

"Jace...what happened to Armadox?"

Then Neil noticed something else, the blue runes on his kukri were glowing, glowing red like Armadox's own swords. Laughing erupted from around the jungle. Neil forgot all about his most recent victim, and left the body dead on the forest ground. He shouted at the clearing, "ARMADOX!" and gave chase almost immediately.

Back to the hunt.

Meetings

As Neil's sanity worsened, he began running through the jungle, harassing travelers and demanding answers. These are those transcripts

Meeting 1

• Neil Tathers enters the trading post, looking worse for wear. His lioncloth is in tatters, his usual bronzed tan is gone, instead his skin looks pale and sickly.
• Neil Tathers haggles with with the Trader, who keeps Neil at bay behind the desk, hands him some poison darts and tells him to get on his way.
• Neil Tathers mutters something about finally catching the killer and strides off leaving the hut.

Meeting 2

• Neil Tathers appears from the trees, "Here's been here hasn't he....YOU KNOW!"
• Neil Tathers waves one of his machetes around threatenly, "WHERE IS HE!"
• Neil Tathers eyes darts around, looking at some sudden moves, "I SEE YOU!"
• Neil Tathers darts through the trees, moving on.

Meeting 3, The Fateful Meeting with Etherdrifter

• Neil Tathers stumbles into the hut, wounds covering most of his frame, "You can tell me. YOU CAN TELL ME!"
• Neil Tathers eye's glow with an inner red light, "Tell me, WHERE IS HE!"
• Neil Tathers grabs a machete at his belt, and stalks across the hut, blood dripping from various wounds, "You will know if he is still dead, if I am seeing visions, wouldn't you?"
• Neil Tathers stumbles once more, this time dropping to a knee, and when he does, that inner light seems to go out, "Where am I? What is going on...."
• Neil Tathers looks around, "Why am I here?"
• Etherdrifter calmly regards the former court vizier, his eyes shimmering
• Etherdrifter whispers a soft word and watches the wounds close upon Tathers, his soft murmering presant till the last wound closes
• Etherdrifter says “Welcome to the spirit hut Tathers... It has been long since we last met no?”
• Etherdrifter chuckles softly
• Etherdrifter says “Do tell us your tale... Who is it you seek hrm?”
• You say “He came to me one night, the murderer of my parents, and he taunted me. I've been chasing him ever since.”
• You say “I think I may be losing my mind. I don't remember things, how I get to places....”
• You say “The only way to keep my mind, is to kill the animals. Hunting them...bathing in their blood.....”
• Neil Tathers eye's turn a bright red, his grin becomes contorted, his expressions begin to change, "The animals soon won't be enough. I will have him, and when I do, no one will be safe."
• Neil Tathers begins to laugh.
• Neil Tathers looks at Etherdrifter, the eyes losing their red color, "What is happening..."
• Etherdrifter says “Ah Neil... You desire blood... Armadox... He has marked you. He is not a person, but a spirit. Soon you'll slay all you know.”
• Etherdrifter says “Their screams will not be enough”
• Etherdrifter says “You'll kill for the sheer pleasure of it...”
• Etherdrifter chuckles
• Etherdrifter says “Thus is the end of one who denied our power. We could cure you, but we will not. Unless...”
• Etherdrifter says “Yes..”
• Etherdrifter says “It is just you do us a service...”
• Etherdrifter says “The Shartak Stone.”
• Etherdrifter says “A crystal said to possess the spirit of an ancestor...”
• Etherdrifter says “It's touch will heal you, should we compel the spirit...”
• Etherdrifter says “It lies at the heart of the caverns...”
• Etherdrifter says “Bring it to me and I will remove your curse...”
• You say “I usually don't trust you Etherdrifter, but I fear I have no other choice. I will go find this stone, and bring it back here.”
• You say “Hopefully, before my time runs out.”

Meeting 4

• Mencken uses a healing herb on you and restores 9 health.
• You hear Mencken whisper “Happy to heal such a famous native, especially in this wild part of the country. where are you going? I'm shipwreck-bound, myself.”
• You say “I need to stop the voices...they are getting stronger...caling for blood....I refust to give in. I must traverse the caves, and search for a special stone.”
• You say “That Necromancer is probably messing with me...I don't trust him a bit...but I must....I have no other avenue now.”
• Neil Tathers looks at the nearby Rhino...."BLOOD!"
• You attack the rhino with a machete for 3 damage. It dies. You gain 28 XP.
• Neil Tathers stalks away, rhino blood dripping from his machete, "I must reach it....soon."

Possession

Neil eventually succumbed in the catacombs to an invasive force. This spirit seeked the head of several shamans for transgressions against him when he was still human.

Shaman Death 1

• Your intentions toward others are no longer peaceful.
• You fire at Hodrali with a blowpipe for 4 damage. The poison acts quickly, taking another 2HP almost immediately. They drop to 94 HP.
• You fire at Hodrali with a blowpipe for 4 damage. The poison acts quickly, taking another 2HP almost immediately. They die. You gain 53 XP.
• Neil Tathers grins, blood dripping from the ends of his kukri, "Cannibals, they deserve this, THEY DESERVE IT!"

Shaman Death 2

Neil walks up to Atok, the grumbling roamer, who was scratching at the Earth.

"Hello Atok," said Neil, in a voice so unlike his own.

Atok looked up sharply at Neil, "How did you get back in a body."

"This one, this one has regrets, this one was a loner, this one is strong. They are the easiest to corrupt you know, thinking they can survive on their own, away from humans....oh, the easiest." Neil flexed one of his arms, "This one has so much hidden potential it is unbelievable."

Atok stood up, his staff resting on his shoulders, "Kill me if you wish, I'll rise back up again you know."

"Oh, I plan too, but I want you to deliver a message," Neil eyes glowed red, "Tell those village shaman, the ones that have grown fat, that I am coming for them too, I am coming for all of you."

"What then," smiled Atok, "We all shall rise."

"Then I'll find something else to kill, which will make this all permanent I believe," Neil took out his kukri, "Will you go peacefully?"

"Why make it easy for you?" The staff spun around the shaman's shoulders and into his hands, "I never made things easy for you."

Minutes later

Blood dripped off the Kukri, "Two down," said Neil, walking away. The headless body of Atok laid in the ground behind him.

Shaman Death 3

• You fire at Najdam with a blowpipe for 4 damage. The poison acts quickly, taking another 2HP almost immediately. They die. You gain 53 XP.
• You say “That is for holding my spirit captive so long Shaman, Warn your brethen.”
• Neil Tathers looks up at Mortis, his eyes bright red, "And tell your so called Lich master that I know his secret too. I'll be seeing him soon. Oh, feel free to kill me, it will just bring me to my prey"
• Neil Tathers walks away, laughing.

Shaman Death 4

• You fire at Tapran with a blowpipe for 4 damage. The poison acts quickly, taking another 2HP almost immediately. They die. You gain 53 XP.

Shaman Death 5

• You fire at Balchig with a blowpipe for 4 damage. The poison acts quickly, taking another 2HP almost immediately. They die. You gain 53 XP.

Exorcised

Ramblings of another shaman nearby caught the ears of the possessed Neil Tathers who went to find her.

Raktam Weapon Hut

• Cu'ki Kruh'sha nudges Neil while scrounging for more darts and whispers, "Igoban says you're a fool. Says you'll never be able to kill her. She's a tough chick, she's probably right."
• Kataara Kallos Moirae blinks as she lays eyes on Neil. "Weren't you the man I passed a few days ago?"
• Kataara Kallos Moirae says “You looked like tigers had gotten you. I actually turned around to find you...”
• You say “Yes, it was a tiger that got me. ”
• Neil Tathers turns his red eyed glare to Cu'ki Kruh'sha, "And you, the person who talks for Igoban. She's merely an apprentice shaman, not one of the ones who imprisoned me."
• You say “She survives on nothing but her hatred for her twin Zakano, and that hatred will kill her, and kill her soon."”
• You say “And I'll watch it.”
• You say “With glee.”
• You say “See you out there hunters.”

Chikram

Neil, upon devouring his latest kill, gets apprehended by a shaman dressed in odd clothing.

• Running Raptor says “Silence demons. I have had a vision of your coming and future events. You shall not succeed in your goal.”

• Neil Tathers laughs, "Hehehehe, you really think you can stop me! This soul had more conviction than you!"
• Neil Tathers scores a hit across Running Raptor's arm, "You'll need to do better than that."
• You say “This humors me shaman, how you think you can exorcise my soul from this body.”
• You say “I have killed several of your superiors, each kill binding my soul to his. And you think you can win!”
• Neil Tathers 's red eyes gleam, "I doubt it."
• Neil Tathers looks perplexed for a minute, "Raptor...is that....NOOOO! Get out of here, he's making me kill innocents!"
• You say “I don't want to .....NO! You need to figure out how to exorcise him! Before he makes me slaughter all the shaman!”
• Running Raptor takes a few steps back due to the hit.
• Running Raptor lets out a small chuckle.
• Running Raptor says "Thank you for filling in the gaps there. There always a bit unclear in what they show their children."
• Running Raptor pulls out an ornamental bone dagger and charges past Neil to the wall.

• Neil Tathers face's contorts, "That hurt him! Keep it up!"
• Running Raptor tackles past Neil again to the other side of the room

• Running Raptor carves something onto the wall.
• Neil Tathers eye's begin to changed color, "No, he's coming back, HURRY!"
• Running Raptor says “Got somethin' that might slow that down”
• Running Raptor attacks you with a wooden club for 3 damage.

• Running Raptor carves something onto the wall.
• Neil Tathers staggers from the club hit, "My arms are pinned.....he's almost here, finish the sigil! Trap his legs so he can't run!"
• Neil Tathers eye's begin to turn a deep red again.
• Running Raptor charges at Neil once more dropping his club and pulling out an additional bone dagger.
• Running Raptor stabs one of the daggers into Neil's foot
• Running Raptor attacks you with a dagger for 2 damage.

• Running Raptor carves something onto the wall.

• There are four Strange Sigils in the wall. They glow with an eerie light.
• Running Raptor tosses a handful of rune-marked sticks onto the floor. They land indicating Air, Water, Earth and Air.

• The Sigils glow stronger.

• Running Raptor says "One last thing is needed then"
• Neil Tathers eye's glow a deep red as he ineffectually tries to grab the dagger in his foot, "You fool, once I get out of this trap, I will hunt you till the end of time."
• Neil Tathers says, "Your spirit will go where no shaman will ever resurrect it, FOR I AM FENRIS THE DEVOURER OF THE PURE!"

• Running Raptor says "Time and spirits are fickle things really"
• Running Raptor says "In the end all you have left in this world are bones"
• Running Raptor takes out a bottle from his garbs and throws it to the ground near Neil. The contents explode into a small flash of fire.
• Neil Tathers flinches away from the fire, but can't get too far as the dagger is still in his foot, "YOU DARE! YOU OF ALL DARE!"
• Neil Tathers says, "Now listen to this shaman, the end is still coming, the balance is still out of alignment, even if you succeed in banishing me, others will take my place."
• Neil Tathers chuckles, "Try your best, I am but one of many threats heading to this island."
• Running Raptor says "Then Him and his servants will take down every last one of you"
• Running Raptor runs to the wall behind Neil, that now displays his shadow outlined from the fire and drives his bone dagger into the shadow's chest and slicing downwards.
• Running Raptor begins to chant in a unrecognizable language
• Neil Tathers screams in torment
• Running Raptor finish's slicing downwards through the shadow and pulls the dagger back.
• Neil Tathers slumps down. Out from the shadow spreads the deepest black Raptor has ever seen. It lingers, taking the shape of a wolf with red eyes before dissipating.
• Neil Tathers looks up, "He is gone. I am in your debt Running Raptor. But now I must rest..."
• Neil Tathers collapses, his eyes closing in an instant.

• Running Raptor puts his dagger away into the folds of his robes before going to take out the other from Neil and tend to his wounds.
• Running Raptor uses a healing herb on you.
• Running Raptor picks up his rune sticks and club before slumping down in the corner himself observing Neil and his surrounding.
• Running Raptor lets out a small prey to his god

Repercussions

Neil Tathers and Running Raptor speak to each other about Gods, prophecies, and returning evils. It seems fate isn't done with Neil Tathers yet.