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            What self-respecting leader of Xia’s most vicious, ruthless, and dangerous mercenaries would I have to be, to not start with the most infamous and greatest of them all; Myself?

            I have received many titles and names in the past, but only one has truly persisted; The Shadowed One. You may have heard of me- Especially since this Tome of Dark Hunters is only accessible to myself and those I trust. If you aren’t a part of this niche group, then congratulations- Perhaps you have a position within my Dark Hunters! No need for an application… I’m sure my spies have all the data they need on you for me to observe.

            As for myself…

            I had my humble beginnings during Xia’s ancient past, long before the island became choked my mechanical industry and polluting smog. With my lieutenant Ancient on one side and a cache of Viruses on the other, I established the Dark Hunters; A guild of mercenaries, assassins, bounty hunters, and other ruthless warriors and skilled beings willing to do anything for the right price.

            I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of empires, and facilitated many of such events myself. I have struck fear into the hearts of Xians from all across the island, challenged many others and conquered them, and have earned my position at the top of Xia’s criminal hierarchy. Although I may not yet be able to boast my own status as a member of the Powers That Be, my machinations and influence can and have spread just as far as those young upstarts.

            My abilities are simple, yet effective; From my eyes, I can charge forth devastating beams of energy that atomically disintegrate anything and everything they come into contact with, from the thinnest of gases, to the most durable and indestructible of ores. My eyes are everywhere, and whatever they can not see past, my gaze will destroy it regardless.

            My staff has the power to summon and manifest crystals, gems, and other faceted minerals. Some I conjure for the sake of a minor profit, but mostly I make the point of hurtling spikes and crystals to impale my enemies with. Some, I can conjure to be large enough to crush entire beings beneath, and all of my gems are of an incredibly durable nature, enabling me to freeze and trap someone within them.

            But even the greatest weapon is meaningless in the hands of a simpleton- I did not get this far merely on powerful abilities and tools, but also on my own cunning. My own intellect, my own charima, and my own sharp business mind. Wherever I saw opportunity, I sought to exploit it and have succeeded. Every victory I have had is my own, and ever Dark Hunter, personally recruited or not, is a reflection of my own achievements and power. To sully a Dark Hunter is to disgrace the organization, and by extension, my name- So take kindly not to cross us.

            And, make no mistake… I do not value the lives of my Dark Hunters, out of some pitiful sentimentality. If the situation called for it, I could and would sacrifice every single one of them for whatever means necessary. But as I stated before… These are MY Dark Hunters, and thus MY property to do with as I please. To act upon my property is to ignore my say and authority, to decide that one’s own pitiful will somehow supercedes what I have to say on the subject. And while I am always willing to make exceptions to my rules to welcome any advantage… Such an insult is unforgivable. I believe many things aren’t worth personally dying for, from profit, to ‘doing the right thing’, serving a nation or a community… Such ideas are foolish and temporary, and lack tangible substance.

            But I would go to war if my name was tarnished. I will and I have, and any Dark Hunter that has gone out of their way to insult my name by defecting, will find the full wrath of the entire organization bearing down at them, at any cost. I would sacrifice a hundred loyal Dark Hunters to kill one defector if necessary- For THAT is the value of one’s reputation, especially one as long-lived as mine.

            …Even so; Not all Dark Hunters are expendable. Some are rather commendable, and dare I say, irreplaceable! This Tome of Dark Hunters, contrary to its name, does not describe every member that does and/or has existed; It is reserved only for the mighty, only for those powerful enough to earn not only a reputation, but a new name… A codename, personally bestowed by yours truly.

            These codenamed Dark Hunters are my championed prizes, as well as an extension of myself; For as horrifying, lethal, varied, and powerful as all of them are…

            Never forget who they all answer to.

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ADAPTER

Real name: Reidak

I’ve seen countless, petty attempts at immortality amongst the Xians, mostly among the likes of the foolish such as Tyrant and so forth. Whilst I myself am interested in the concept, its attempted executions have been laughable at best. There is an exception, however, among Adapter…

Originally the leader of a biker gang named Reidak, he was infamous for his tendency to wreak havoc on the streets and commit petty acts of random vandalism, no more than a pathetic thug, and unworthy of being a Dark Hunter. However, the Nynrah Ghosts weren’t picky and sought after a durable Xian; and Reidak fit the bill. Countless crashes and other accidents should’ve finished him off, but he’d always get back up with a few scratches and shrug it off, being one of the more implacable Xians. One of his most infamous stories is how a Vahki Enforcer rammed a fully-powered taser into his chest, and out of sheer will and determination, he beared through the pain and tore the circuits of the machine.

Needless to say, the Nynrah Ghosts believed they’d found their perfect candidate. Reidak was snatched off of the streets, and experimented on. In order to achieve immortality, or more specifically, an undying soldier, as per Roodaka’s requests, the Nynrah Ghosts created special nanomachines, and injected them into Reidak, alongside an additional reservoir of life energy. These nanomachines have a unique, spectacular function; whenever their host is damaged, they repair the harm done to the body, whilst also analyzing the wounds. With the gathered data, they ensure their host has respectable defense against more causes of death influced by this type of damage, and alter their body accordingly. For example, if Reidak, say, was impaled multiple times, they’d heal his wounds, and analyzing them, alter and strengthen his skin to impervious conditions. If he drowned, his lungs would be quickly adapted for water-breathing. The energy required for these resurrections and alterations was enormous, so that’s where the additional reservoir of energy came in.

The experiment was a success, which is good for the business of the Nynrah Ghosts, and MY business as well… Reidak was subjected to multiple deaths, only to rise from them seconds later, altered and immune to the same repeated demise, making him a nightmare for uncreative foes with the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” sort of mentality. In their first initial test, Reidak was sent to wade through the flames of the Tametru District, and was immediately horribly burned to death. However, his skin soon inexplicably reformed and healed, and when he got back up, he was able to walk right through, remarking that it only “tickled” and so forth.

Of course, as the Nynrah Ghosts soon discovered, Reidak was not without flaws and weaknesses. As I mentioned before, bringing him back, altering his body, and maintaining these transformations… it all required a MASSIVE amount of energy. Reidak’s reservoir was naturally self-replenishing, but if he died too many times in a row, his energy would deplete itself, and Reidak would stay dead. In an attempt to subvert this, Reidak’s body would only maintain its alterations for a short period of time, before reverting in order to keep energy from being wasted. Additionally, his corpse was vulnerable during its ‘Adapting’ stages, and if it were, say, horribly dismembered, vaporized, and so forth, his nanomachines might be too damaged to function, or else simply no longer have a body to even work with.

Nevertheless, he was still, in the end, a raging success. The Nynrah Ghosts presented him to Roodaka, who commended their work and paid them handsomely, and requested more of these ‘Undying Soldiers’ to be mass-produced. As you can imagine, at this point… this is where I come in. A soldier who comes back to life, and immune to the previous cause of death; Imagine that. I doubted I could buy Reidak off of Roodaka- she can be tenacious. Instead, I contacted Reidak himself, making an offer he couldn’t refuse; the chance to wreak more destruction and havoc above Roodaka’s orders, actual wages, and a ‘Von Strudel’, which was apparently a favorite food of his.

Reidak couldn’t refuse, and he escaped from Roodaka’s grasp. He arrived at the Odina Fortress, where we welcomed him with warm, welcome arms, and a ring of membership. It took little prompting for me to give him a codename, and I suitably dubbed him “Adapter.” After all, is that not what his body does, in order to maintain its immortality?

As for Roodaka and the Nynrah Ghosts, the deal was called off… why, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve made some guesses, but none of them are truly sufficient in my opinion. Perhaps the Nynrah Ghosts suffered an accident that prevented them from recreating the Nanomachines, is my guess. Or, instead, perhaps Reidak was simply a special kind of person, not just a simple grunt you could snatch off of the street (unlike a few other Dark Hunters on this list) and that he possessed a certain will, a special type of determination, that allowed him to bear the nanomachines. And because of this, all successive experiments were a failure, and the Nynrah Ghosts were unable to uphold their end of the bargain.

That’s fine by me; I like to keep a sort of trademark and monopoly on the various abilities and strengths of my Dark Hunters.

Anyhow, Adapter has fit in well amongst the Dark Hunters. Although his extended absence has caused his old gang to desert him, he’s found far better accomplices. He is loud, blunt, and over the top, and a bit of a bully at times, though the only one who really minds him is Jailer, the former owner of a motorcycle, that Adapter now owns as a result of a transaction that was unwilling on one of its sides. I typically send Adapter on tasks normally classified as Suicide Missions, but as a result of his near-immortality, they’re just a somewhat painful walk in the park. Additionally, he’s useful for cataloging various types of damage and their affects on the human body, and so I like to have him used as target practice and a test dummy for various weapons, such as the recent Firework Revolver we ordered from his creators. For the aforementioned transaction, Jailer likes to use him as a test subject for weapons, at a rather frequent rate, and in times of stress he seems to request Adapter’s presence more often…

Adapter’s abilities, as stated above, are his adaptive immortality. His tools consist of a laser-edged chainsaw crafted by Jailer, alongside his infamous motorcycle, which can tear through streets with ease. Adapter also wears a pair of thermal goggles that allow him to track down heat signatures and can also be tweaked to allow night vision.

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AIRWATCHER

Real Name: N/A

Nearly all of my Dark Hunters have some kind of decipherable origin. Some were the results of Spiriah’s experiments, or were an order given to the Nynrah Ghosts. Others had traumatic experiences or were forced into the organization by either circumstance or by the very group itself.

And then there’s Airwatcher.

His origins are… underwhelming, I suppose. Nothing to bother with. Simply put, the massive, squat buzzard-thing was flapping along the shores of Xia, when two unnamed Dark Hunter operatives stumbled across him while returning from a mission. The creature squawked and attacked them with its razor-sharp claws and beak, and whilst one died, the other lived to tell the tale, and also drag the thing all the way back to the Odina Fortress.

I’m not entirely sure what I was thinking when I decided to turn that thing before me into a Dark Hunter. Nevertheless, with some help from Ancient, we somehow trained it, or at least taught it, to regard the Odina Fortress as its new home. As we discovered, the creature was extremely territorial, and it made the likes of Poison and others resemble geniuses of the highest caliber. Luckily, it knew how to stick to a task; guarding. We taught it through a process of reward and punishment to let Dark Hunters through, and it knows the scent, smell, and look of every member. The creature essentially became a guard dog, but for the skies, a rarely patrolled area of the Odina Fortress. When the creature succeeded in tearing apart a group of flying spies sent in by an enemy group before we could send any other Dark Hunters in the scene, I rewarded it with a codename, Airwatcher, as a result of its task… I also gave it a large hunk of meat, a reward it was more likely to understand and appreciate.

Whenever I’m bored, and I hear the rampant, grating cries of Airwatcher, I like to imagine and make up various stories for it. Perhaps it is a legendary Xian cryptid, along the likes of Keetongu or the Kanohi Dragon? Maybe it’s a bioweapon that escaped its confinement? A result of mutagenic subtances gone loose? Or a very, VERY ugly offspring of another species born wrong? Whatever the case, while I could easily divine its origins, I simply don’t care. Airwatcher is useful, but it’s no game breaker. If I needed others with abilities like its own, I could always use a few viruses, or make an order to the Nynrah Ghosts. It simply isn’t worth the effort to discover Airwatcher’s origins, unlike Ravager.

Airwatcher can fly and is equipped with razor-sharp claws and a beak, making it a ferious hand-to-hand combatant. Its screeches are able to alert others, and its eyesight is powerful. For its victories I bestowed it a staff with a shard from a Xian Heart of Poison attached to the end, giving it a more acidic taste to its fighting style. It also has a Rhotuka launcher grafted into its stomach that launches energy-wheels which turn non-living surfaces into soft, sticky versions of themselves that stick to those in contact. Airwatcher frequently uses its Rhotuka to turn the ground its prey is standing upon into a sticky consistency like melted caramel or quicksand. This hinders enemy movement as they attempt to break free of the flexible, strong strands that remain attached to them, all while sinking further in until they either suffocate to death or are torn apart/melted by Airwatcher. Due to his territorial nature and dimwittedness, Airwatcher’s only, single mission is that of an aerial sentry for the Odina Fortress.

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BARRACUDA

Real Name: Amphibax

I’ve received some of my greatest agents from just about any source. The Nynrah Ghosts have given me quite a few, as have Spiriah, and of course Xia’s scum births the occasional member. This makes Barracuda rather unique and even a bit of a milestone in that she was given to me by an enemy of mine.

Barracuda is a posthumous Dark Hunter. She was alive during the war between the Six Kingdoms, which plagued Xia in its earliest days, back when I first arrived. Before her induction, she was known as Amphibax, and was a loyal servant and mercenary of the Barraki Warlord known as Ehlek. As my presence at the time was very recent and young, and Dark Hunters were beginning to be recruited by Ancient, Ehlek, in his rightful paranoia, sent in Amphibax to keep an eye on me. He ordered her to feign the guise of a regular mercenary seeking work, though in reality she was a mole meant to learn more about the Dark Hunters and send back intel to him about this foreign presence.

I knew of this full and well from the beginning, but still welcomed Amphibax in with open arms. Why? Because in the end, there was NOTHING she could to harm my organization… her mind, like everyone else’s, was simply too small to simply fathom the goals of my Dark Hunters. In the end, the only intel she would send back would be information that years later would be widespread and common, nothing worth keeping secret. To her and Ehlek, however, it would be vital secrets, and they’d be satisfied, believing they knew the truth when they’d simply scratched the façade.

In return, I got one of my most efficient, ruthless, and skilled Dark Hunters, a true milestone and the first recruit to receive a codename; Barracuda. I came up with it after learning of her brutal murder tactics; Amphibax was a powerful, graceful swimmer. Her speed was like that of a shark, and she had all of the strength of a crocodile. Her lungs could handle enough air to last her several minutes in the water, and she was a natural ninja in murky lakes and rivers.

She would often wait in small ponds, lakes, or other water sources for her targets to arrive at, desperate for nourishment. Amphibax would wait, and when they edged too close to the water, she’d spring forth and either kill them instantly, or if they survived, drag them in to their deaths. In the water, she displayed her true prowess; a lethal combatant not only adapted for, but complimented by the physics of water itself. Whilst victims flailed about, the water seemed to only her enhance her speed and strength. Amphibax could circle around, above, and below victims, striking randomly, drag them closer to the bottom to drown them, and so forth. A popular move of hers was to ensnare both arms around a victim and spin around like a crocodile, disorienting them and slamming their body into the edges of the water source, even as they suffocated. This, coupled with her multiple weapons, made the source of life itself the gateway to the death.

For these unique skills that I have yet to see be redone, even after all these years, I named her after the graceful yet ruthless barracuda. Now known as Barracuda, she did missions for the other Warlords, assassinating all but Ehlek’s commanders- Instead, she’d lie, claiming the army stationed elsewhere was crippled, and when enemies attacked, they’d be greeted with Ehlek’s most tactical minds backed up with brutal strength.

Eventually, however, I faced the prospect of having to eventually kill her due to her status as a mole, but in a stroke of luck, the Barraki Warlords, including her master Ehlek, mysteriously disappeared off the face of the planet. With no more purpose or guidance, Barracuda had no choice but to regard me as her new master, and I gained a permanent addition to my ranks.

Ultimately, it was not an enemy, nor my own hand, nor disease that ended the life of Barracuda; it was simply natural causes, a peaceful demise of old age in a gentle sleep. This unique cause of death, old age… gives her a place in my tome of Dark Hunters. For the life of a Dark Hunter is perilous that death almost never comes as a result of a long life fully lived out… most of those who died elderly are a result of few missions and a lax job. Barracuda, however, is amongst the legendary few who died in peace after a glorious life of combat and murder, and even more famously is the first to have ever done so. Thus, she marks a milestone and champion amongst the Dark Hunter Legacies, and many look up to her in hopes of bearing the same fate and fame she had acquired all those years ago.

In her life, Barracuda was a ferocious, unstoppable aquatic combatant. She was equipped with multiple knives, a spine whip, and a breathing tube for notably longer waits. Barracuda was lithe and muscular, and an able climber and swimmer. I always sent her on missions involving ambush and assassination, and occasionally infiltration if the location was linked to a water source.

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BLASTER

Real Name: Hakann

Many Dark Hunters have joined my organization, and countless have a wide array of unique, legendary, and infamous abilities. Some are able to come back from the dead. Others practically glow with raw power. Others are gifted with unique abilities others can’t replicate, and one can even replicate said abilities.

But, by the end of the day, as I sit back in my throne and consider my successes, I note my losses, and wonder, perhaps, that maybe the key to victory is not fancy weapons, unique abilities and traits, gimmicky functions and so forth… perhaps in the end, the key to a competent Dark Hunter was simply straight-forward, ordinary, old-fashioned weaponry that you simply couldn’t go wrong with. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, after all.

And thus, I commissioned the creation of a Dark Hunter that met such a straightforward yet effective criteria.

Ancient set out into the streets of Xia, with no real standards for our subject; just make sure they didn’t have morals. Otherwise, he could simply snatch the randomest loser out of the bunch and call it a day. Surely enough, Ancient came across Hakann, a simple, petty thief trying to steal some fruit from a nearby stand, of all crimes.

But, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Ancient grabbed Hakann and hauled the yelling, cursing thief all the way back to the Odina Fortress. Then, with some modifications, namely laser cannons all over and incorporated into his body, I created a walking, talking arsenal of laser beams.

I told Hakann he had no more choice but to work for the Dark Hunters, and that he’d better prove useful lest I unleash Eliminator upon him. Helpless against circumstance, Hakann begrudgling accepted his fate, and I sent him out on a few test runs. Surely enough, my theory was proven correct, and Hakann rendered his enemies to smoldering crisps. I gave him the codename of Blaster (is any explanation necessary?) and as a bit of a joke, rewarded him with all of the fruit from the stand he tried to steal from.

Blaster is a bit of a foul-mouthed jerk and a bully, so he lacks any ‘friends’ amongst his fellow Dark Hunters. As a result of his arrogance, others like to deride and taunt him by noting how anyone can replicate his abilities by carrying plenty of guns on them; in response, Blaster always repeats the old saying of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” His untrustworthiness makes him prone to messing with others, and occasionally I’ve had to remind him not to sabotage other Dark Hunters by sabotaging some of his own systems. He’s a loner, but also a bit of a sadist who likes to murder others for his own amusement, making him the perfect choice for my little experiment.

Blaster isn’t particularly unique in his arsenal, but nevertheless exudes competence and destructiveness with it. He has countless laser-cannons and beams grafted and incorporated into his body, including his own eyes and mouth. His lasers are typically explosive, though he can concentrate them in order to melt through sturdier substances. Additionally, he has enhanced eyesight to help his aim, though his vision is blurry after using his eye cannons too many times in a row. I typically assign him to missions involving plenty of destruction, death, and an overall disregard for collateral damage.

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CHARGER

Real Name: N/A

As Spiriah toyed with the life force of other beings like a child, he eventually began to notice that some beings possessed superior souls to others, such as myself, for example. Likewise, it seemed that animals invariably had weaker souls than Xians, and a lower intelligence to boot. Thus, it sparked the question in his mind; what if he strengthened the soul of an animal? Would this create a beast that was able to think like a Xian?

I was eager to provide for this kind of experiment, as many animals possessed powerful abilities that were hampered by diminutive intelligence. Thus, I gave him a special kind of creature; an incredibly rare bull with a handsome coat of crimson fur. Red bulls are considered a sign of luck amongst Xians, although I supposed the farmer I killed to acquire the bull wasn’t so lucky to have owned it after all. Nevertheless, while I lack superstition, I did like the style of the beast, and I sent it to Spiriah.

I half-expected it to be dead by the next morning, but to my pleasant surprise, the bull proved to be a very lucky creature indeed. It survived the strengthening and adding to its own soul, and likewise developed a bit of its own self-awareness and consciousness. For this, we celebrated with a fancy dinner and some aged wine I’d been preserving since the War of the Six Kingdoms, and Spiriah declared it a milestone in his experiments on the soul.

Indeed it was. Our very lucky bull was not particularly bright, but it could still think. With some training, we taught it how to fight and think, and pitted it against champion bulls. Everytime, its special advantage of sapience granted it a brutal victory, and soon we began placing it in gladiator matches.

The authorities of these matches would raise an eye on our entered fighter, and other combatants would laugh at the idea of challenging a mere bull- until that beast overwhelmed them with seemingly-sapient, thinking intelligence and strategies that could come from no mere animal, impaling them all on its horns.

After the victories and the consequent betting money it brought us, we then had another fancy dinner, before Ancient and I made the decision to strengthen it even further. Using viruses, we transformed its body into a more humanoid form, likewise altering its tongue, jaws, and voice-box to allow it regular speech. With the gift of extra armor, I dubbed it Charger for its species’ stereotypical fighting tactic, and inducted him into the Dark Hunters. Though Charger finds no friends as a result of his origins, species, and dimwitted aggressiveness, it doesn’t matter to me- however, Subterranean, as typical, tries to extend the ‘magical’ hand of friendship to our resident minotaur. All Charger cares about is exuding dominance over an opponent- I suppose some things never change, now, do they?

As a result of his soul’s alterations, Charger possesses Xian intelligence, allowing him to plan and strategise to certain extents, catching foes off-guard. He walks on two legs, though can fall into four for a maximum impact; likewise, he fights by charging forth with a massive, thickened skull and horns that can tear through solid metal, and has rammed through entire fortresses in a single run. With direction, he can topple these buildings, so I assign him tasks meant for blind destruction and massive force. I’ve also equipped him with a special staff that can either deflect or absorb energy shots or bullets by compressing and generating an energy-shield, so as to prevent him from accidentally running into his own death. Said staff also makes an effective club, pleasingly enough, that upon impact will release the stored energy, kinetic or otherwise, that its shield had absorbed and deflected.

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CONJURER

Real Name: Madj Hoodini

Irony is the most delicious thing in the world- that is an objective, indisputable fact. Such as a fool falling for his own trap, or an attempted murderer accidentally helping their intended victim. One of my favorite instances is how a family tradition that brough wealth began to introduce ruin, or how an angry public, in an attempt to instill justice, brought about yet another Dark Hunter that declared injustice.

Conjurer came to me thanks to these two ironies. Born as Madj, he was a member of a family line known as the Hoodinis, famous street magicians that brought all sorts of wonder to the eyes of others. It wasn’t the fact that they seemed to have magic that made them a marvel –no, everyone knew it was solid physics and science- but rather the idea that a person could accomplish such tricks with mere trinkets and handiwork.

Madj, in an attempt to follow in the steps of his forefathers’, began a successful career as a magician that he furthered through his own inventiveness, creating special technologies and tools that amplified the grandeur of his own show. His simple tricks brought delight to the Xians, and he began to get more and more ambitious with his shows, wanting to give his beloved audience their wildest desires.

Unfortunately for Madj, the Xians wanted shows with danger, and his audience included the children of many influential people. One fateful show involved him removing a volunteer from a horrible, impending doom that he had set up; and his volunteer was a paid client, the daughter of a rich businessman. For her birthday, the young girl wanted to be in this show, and had arranged it as such.

Countless had come to witness it, including her father, friends, and other influential people. The show started off spectacularly, and cheers were loud, until the girl was brought on stage for the final trick. Madj waved his wand as impending doom came forth, and…

Well, at this point, you can guess exactly what happened.

That night, a young girl, not even past her teenage years, died a grisly death that spattered blood all over the place and turned the show –and the audience- a handsome shade of red.

There was a massive outroar from the horrified crowd, and the girl’s father wanted Madj’s head on a silver platter- quite literally, actually. A mortified Madj didn’t even know what to do as the father sent his men in to recreate his daughter’s death, but with Madj in place.

At this point, my faithful lieutenant Ancient stepped in. For, he had heard of Madj’s shows, and intrigued, attended quite a few, including the one that occurred that night. And when he saw Madj’s circumstances, he realized he had an easy Dark Hunter to be made.

Ancient saved Madj, slaughtering the men and spraying even more blood in the process –it was a VERY messy show, moreso than usual- and brought him before me. I told Madj that I could protect him from the wrath of the public, who wanted his head- in return, he had to serve me.

Madj had no choice, and I had a new Dark Hunter. With some help from Ancient, he managed to ease himself into the Dark Hunter lifestyle and amorality, and with Jailer’s advice managed to weaponize many of his famous tricks. I sent Madj out on a few small-time missions, and gradually he became more skilled, more powerful with his murders until he finally became a mercenary of flashy grandeur, impossibly to predict, with death able to spring from any corner and object.

For his final test, I sent Madj in to kill the businessman that had hired him for the show that ruined his life. Upon success, I gifted him the codename of Conjurer, for his seemingly magical abilities. Now, Conjurer is very well-known, and infamous for his tricks- not too unlike his forefathers, in fact, so perhaps his dreams DID come true, after all. Conjurer has a bit of an ego, though, as a result of his flashiness and grandeur, and the praise he receives for the shows he puts on in the Odina Fortress, many of which involve killing victims in new, fancy ways. As a result, some find him to be a bit of an annoying snob, though to the likes of Devastator, he’s a close friend and a great person to indulge each others’ fantasies of fame and glory in. However, he’s sensitive about his bloodline, and he seems to have loved his mother very much, so insulting his blood can ensure that yours is spilled all over the place- He seems to have a natural penchant of spraying blood…

It’s impossible to list all of Conjurer’s tools and tricks. He does have quite a few noteworthy ones, such as a cloak of invisibility that makes it seems as if he can teleport, nearly-invisible strings that can grapple foes’ limbs and pull them around, and a fine powder that when blown out of his palm inflates into several spiked spheres. They can all be classified as flashy, grandiose, and deadly. As a result of his various tools and tricks, I like to send Conjurer on missions requiring stealth, assassination, distraction, and so forth. And, if I’m in a good mood and given sufficient pay, I’ll even send him to birthday parties.

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DARKNESS

Real Name: N/A

Many rulers must have a shadow, keeping an eye on their every move, acting almost as their guidance, their mentor… ensuring that they do not fall out of line, that they do not betray their standards and let go of themselves in even a single moment of weakness. These shadows act as reins, as leashes, as failsafes, as the final obstacle between a ruler and their downfall.

The Barraki Warlords possessed powerful Shadows, as does Roodaka. In my own admitted paranoia, I have created a shadow so powerful for myself that it’s alive, sapient, and lives only to kill me should I show weakness.

It has no real name, so I call it Darkness. Using Viruses, Magic, Souls, and other… methods… I’ve animated my own shadow into a living, ruthless being and a Dark Hunter. My shadow, Darkness, is naturally connected to me, and due to his properties has an elastic body that can change shape and form at will, making him invulnerably to physical harm. Darkness is armed with long, flexible blades that he can sprout from himself, and the ability to travel at lightning speeds.

Darkness was created to kill me if I ever show weakness, mercy, compassion, doubt- any trademarks of the inferior. The leader of the Dark Hunters must be of a certain standard, and even I am subject to these rules. If I fail, I invariably am slain, for Darkness’ connection to me ensures that I cannot escape nor defend myself from him, and that I am unable to kill him without destroying myself.

The same cannot be said vice-versa for Darkness. If I die by his hands, Darkness becomes the new ruler of the Dark Hunters, and I have decreed this fact to Ancient, Sentrakh, and Lariska. Though only those three, and possibly an incredibly few more, know of Darkness’ existence, I know they can ensure and support his new authority if Darkness takes over. Likewise, I trust in the malice and competence of my own shadow, for he is forged without a petty heart or morality.

In combat, I use Darkness as my secret weapon, as my ace-in-the-hole. Few know my existence, so practically all who somehow are able to not only challenge me to combat but are in the presence to do so find themselves unable to move from their position, for in their own ignorance they stand in my own shadow, in Darkness’ grasp. And in this helpless state, I am able to finish off my opponents before they can recuperate, and if they do… they still fall anyway.

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DEVASTATOR

Real Name: ???

Among the Dark Hunters, Devastator is quite a bit of a… special case. He has the grandiosity of Conjurer, the arrogant aspirations of Tyrant, the mysterious origins of Ravager, and the power of Shadow Stealer.

Well, perhaps the strength of Shadow Stealer is disputable… but whatever the case, he definitely stands out as quite the enigma.

Devastator first arrived at the doorstep of the Odina Fortress, loudly proclaiming himself as one of the most powerful beings in existence, and likewise proved it when he managed to barge in through the front door, an extraordinary feat. When I decided to appear before him, Devastator, calling himself as such, declared that he intended to join the Dark Hunters, and began listing off a long list of abilities, such as the ability to breath fire, resurrect the dead, and having the strength of five Okotan Deities surging through his veins.

How he knew of Okoto and its spirits, or whether or not he possesses these abilities I am not too sure of. Regardless, I, skeptical, ordered Gladiator to test out his skills.

Gladiator fell almost instantly.

Having met the requirements for the Dark Hunters, I inducted him and used his self-proclaimed title as his own codename. Despite his blatant untrustworthiness and arrogance, I decided to let him stay in the organization, for despite all of his power, he was still insignificant in comparison to me. He couldn’t harm me, so I figured, why not take advantage of his strength?

When questioned of his origins, Devastator claimed to have emerged from the depths of Hell. Overall, his snobbery, arrogance, and overall obnoxiousness seems to support these claims. Nevertheless, when I sent Tracker and the Recorder to investigate his origins, eyewitness accounts told them that he purportedly emerged from the ruins of a forge in the Tametru District.

Regardless of his mysterious origins, he does not seem to be a double-agent nor does he intend to betray me, evidently. His motivations appear to be nothing more than a grandiose need for fame and glory. Needless to say, his power deserves him of a status, as he quickly earned himself the status of an Annihilation-Class Dark Hunter; a type of Dark Hunter so brutally, so rawfully powerful that they are straight-up weapons of mass destruction, capable of destroying entire city blocks.

Even now, Devastator is a bit of an enigma, and I am still doing research on him. In his spare time, he likes to lounge around the Odina Fortress as if he owns the place, and his bragging, snobbery, and even occasional flirting has made him incredibly unpopular, with Conjurer as one of his few friends. Devastator has shown a strong will and signs of rebelliousness, and should I tire of his antics, he shall return to his supposed birthplace.

Devastator is a massive, armored titan filled with powerful energy and an enormous soul. He boasts a long list of powers, including breathing fire, telekinesis, creation, self-transmutation, raising the dead, and, of course, the strength of five Okotan Deities, and even more. While he’s proven some to be true, other powers need more evidence… As a result of his strength, I send him on missions involving total destruction and annihilation, and he shares a room with other Dark Hunters of his class. Despite this, Devastator prefers to hang around the fortress and predictably, show off.

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DWELLER

Real Name: ???

Many Dark Hunters boast great power yet lack longevity, making them temporary assets to me at best. One, in particular, has proven otherwise and is one of my most loyal servants, having spent centuries hidden away in another world, another land…. The mythical island of Okoto.

Dweller was one of the earliest recruits of the Dark Hunters back when we began during the War of the Six Kingdoms. Despite being a diminutive albino, he showed competence and promise, alongside staggering loyalty. For this, I inducted him into the Dark Hunters, granting him mechanical enchancements, alongside Viruses that gave him eternal youth and longevity, and a wide array of mental abilities.

To test him out, I sent Dweller on a mission to kill one of Mantax’s most effective commanders. Said commander sensed Dweller, and avoided the area for years, until they made the mistake of returning to that spot, having assumed Dweller had left.

Instead, Dweller had remained in the exact same position for all those years, and with the commander caught off-guard, he assaulted the unsuspecting general with a mental onslaught that killed them.

For his incredibly patience and longevity, I gave him his codename. Although Dweller currently has one of the fewest number of missions amongst any competent Dark Hunter, his patience and the nature of these tasks grants him more than enough credibility.

Case in point, his latest… and current mission. While lying in wait in an underground cavern for the Barraki Warlord Kalmah to move his capital over his hiding place, he sensed the presence of a band of pirates, mercenaries, and thieves known as the Skull Raiders, led by a warrior named Kulta, who inherited leadership of the tribe following his parents' deaths and showed the competence and ruthlessness of a Barraki. Scanning their minds, Dweller discovered that Kulta had plans for his tribe to leave the war-ravaged island of Xia, in hopes of finding another land out there…

At first, I’d laughed this off. Nevertheless, I decided to keep track of such a powerful and competent tribe; if I was able to make an alliance with the Skull Raiders…

Thus, I gave Dweller a new mission; to follow the Skull Raiders and keep track of their progress. Kalmah’s death could wait- and thus, as the Skull Raiders began loading their ships for the uncertain voyage, Dweller sneaked in during the dead of night, hiding in the cargo hold as I had a feeling that I might not see him for an incredibly long time…

Hidden in the ship, Dweller stayed put as the Skull Raiders sailed off, keeping contact with me by mentally messaging various animals he trained to be loyal to the Dark Hunters, ranging from fish to birds. Despite his massive patience, able to entertain himself by simply sitting there, huddled in a corner, he would occasionally use his powers to mentally torture the Skull Raiders in their sleep by giving them nightmares, his favorite target being Kulta himself.

After a while, I expected Kulta to eventually turn around and go back to Xia, where I could begin negotiations. Surely, there was no land beyond Xia…?

And then, the unimaginable happened… the Skull Raiders sighted an island in the distance, a massive one even larger than Xia, much to the utter disbelief of Dweller, who contacted me. In turn, I ordered him to keep an eye on this island, and stay stationed in the nearest underground cavern.

In the dead of night, as the joyous Skull Raiders docked, Dweller snuck out, using his powers to influence the guards to look the other directions as he escaped the camp, and eventually found a cavern deep underground that he settled and began to dwell in.

Dweller… told me very many shocking things that have changed how I see this world. This island is named Okoto, and it is rampant with a civilization that is in touch with the very life force that flows through everything, that are able to manipulate their souls. They can incorporate life energy into mere objects, and throughout their world exists strange spirits of massive power known as Okotan Deities.

Likewise, Okoto has two mysterious brothers known as the Mask Makers, named Ekimu and Makuta… they create masks imbued with various energies and powers, and wield unimaginably powerful masks themselves.

Dweller kept me up to date with the events on Okoto, including the subsequent war between the Skull Raiders and Okotans. He told me tales and history he divined from the memories of passing Okotans, of the history of their world, of legendary forces… they knew things that I thought was exclusive to my knowledge only. They possessed raw, unimaginable power that could be tapped into with ease, yet were held back by petty morality…

From Dweller, I learned all about this Okoto, and only I know the directions to Okoto. He has, since, kept me up to date on the events there; the defeat of the Skull Raiders’ elite army, the Kal, and Kulta… the various attempts of Umarak to steal the Elemental Deities’ power… the power of legendary Rahi, the crimes of Makuta… the creation of the Mask of Life, and the ensuing Great Cataclysm which he barely survived.

He has seen Makuta’s spirit slowly amass a powerful army, and has even contacted two inhabitants and turned them into the Dark Hunters known as Shadow Stealer and Rebel. Even now, he keeps me up to date on the events of Okoto, including the war with the mysterious Skull Spiders. All of this he’s done, sitting through countless centuries in the exact same, unchanged, spot, quietly observing the events on the surface world. Rather recently, he’s told me of how the Okotans are beginning to place hope in mysterious beings known as Toa…

Dweller possesses a potent running and jumping ability, among other skills. Likewise, he has a large, clawed right-hand, and for physical defense has a pair of extendable blades on his left arm. Dweller’s real power, however, comes from his mind- thanks to several Viruses, he’s able to mentally assault his targets, tearing their minds asunder and killing them. Likewise, he can scan the minds of others and their memories to learn information, subtly influence them, and give them visions, nightmares, and/or telepathically communicate. His unique body has the ability to slow down its life processes to an absolute zero, entering a state of total hibernation with only his mind active to explore; Supposedly, his mental powers arose from the meditative state of these hibernations. Every few centuries he does need to resurface for sustenance, but he requires little and tends to bypass the issue entirely by packing food preserved by Viruses on his person. Currently, Dweller still resides on Okoto, updating me on its events so that I may strike when the time is right and take its power for my own.

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ELIMINATOR

Real Name: ???

Many fates can befall a Dark Hunter. Some are slain in combat or as a result of enemies…. Others for a brutal accident. And then, the particularly foolish are murdered for betrayal, and the particularly weak slain for incompetence. Legend has it that a natural law exists in the world- that only the strong can live, and the weak must die to make room for their strength.

I believe in this law with all my heart, and Eliminator is a representation of this fundamental concept.

Eliminator’s origins are a mystery to others, though some believe she is Spiriah’s final experiment, prior to his untimely demise. What part of the incomplete truth that I will divulge is simple, yet potent; A while back, I gathered multiple orphans from the Voymari District, for the purpose of raising them from childhood into the ideal Dark Hunters. Indoctrinated at a young age, rescued by their beloved The Shadowed One, these orphans were placed through the most vigorous, unimaginable hell of training. Failure was brutally punished, either by myself or the threats of their missions.

Group exercises were conducted that required the full participation and unyielding performance of all participants to be a success; If a single child was too weak or failed, they would pull the entire group down with them. The failures of the trainees' class quickly became looked down upon as a result, when many of the powerful would be left starving as punishment for the group's downfall earlier that day. Nobody was allowed to help one another, save for close combat against each other, and in those situations it was not permitted to grant advice to others.

After a period of years in which my little assassins were allowed to grow and show their competence, I passed a new policy; Every year from now on, all of the Dark Hunters-in-training would be placed into pairs, and forced to fight one another in an annual exam. Instead of a typical training exercise, the expectations were a bit more permanent; The winner had to slay the loser. 

Weakness was not permitted in my organization, and I made this fact clear by making it a matter of life or death for these children; Death for most of them. Each annual exam halved the number of candidates, until finally, only two remained... and then one. This lone victor, who stood atop the rest through sheer killing instinct, strength, and ruthlessness in combat towards others and herself, became my prized victor. Any comrades she may have had amongst her peers were brutally slain, a few of them by her...

I had taught and drilled into the very fabric and essence of her mind that the weak were a disease- That they died, and would spread their weakness to others. To keep Xia alive and healthy, it was this remaining champion's sole purpose to purge the weak, to wipe out this pestilence at its root so that the population could maintain its healthy strength. This was not just the child's personal philosophy; To her, it was the very rules and reality of the world that had governed her life, and it was not just a mere task but a societal responsibility to maintain the wellbeing of Xia by removing its weaker, parasitic parts to make room for stronger limbs. The weak that survived willingly jeopardized the rest of the world for their own selfish desires and deserved justice for their crimes of existence, no matter what- Ranging from Xian nobles to the lowliest of the homeless, anyone who was 'weak' was thus fair-game and liable to removal.

Eliminator is my personal assassin, entrusted with the horrifying task of murdering Dark Hunters who fail or are simply too incompetent to live in the organization. I think of her ironically as a plague… killing the weak, and making the strong even more powerful. That, or she is a surgeon whose task is to excise the tumors and infected parts of a body to keep the rest healthy; After all, she DOES wear a surgical mask. I suppose part of the inspiration came from Xia's occasional pestilence or epidemic here or there in its past, as well as the brutal lifestyle of its workers.

Eliminator's abilities justify her purifying purpose and task, as she is able to manipulate her own life-energy and directly target and attack the soul itself, making others such as Adapter, Ghost, and so forth perish from a single blow. She can unleash these attacks in the form of powerful energy bolts that ravage the soul, severing its ties to the body.

As a result of her ghastly profession, many Dark Hunters fear and despise her. Indeed, many have even conspired to murder her at times, with Primal often spear-heading these assassinations. To avoid this, I’ve sent Eliminator to live in her own private quarters elsewhere on Xia, far from the Odina Fortress.

Eliminator is equipped with gauntlets, each long and spindly finger extended into a scalpel-like blade that she can wield with cold, surgical precision. Four mechanical arms extend from her back. From her claws, she can shoot bolts of life energy that can directly attack and harm her target’s soul. Likewise, her mechanical arms can combine together to form arcs and spheres of energy attacks, including barriers and massive waves of lightning, giving her protection against even the attacks of Targeter. Her massive, monstrous physique can outclass many Xians in physical combat. With the enhancement of a Virus, Eliminator also attracts shadows to her body at will, allowing for the stealth necessary to slay the incompetent Dark Hunters I send her after. After Eliminator kills a weakling, she hangs their body on the front of the Odina Fortress as… motivation.

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GATHERER

Real Name: Pheare Gald

Dark Hunters’ motivations for their occupation range enormously. Some perform their heinous acts out of a sense of justice… or for honor… glory, fame… pure sadism… necessity… loyalty… and then some are Dark Hunters simply because I told them they had to be.

Gatherer started out this way. Legend has it that the Xian known as Pheare Gald hailed from a bloodline of beings able to manipulate their life force to the extent that they could essentially possess and become one with objects they maintain physical contact with until it’s a part of their body. How the Gald bloodline could possess this ability is a mystery to me, and I’ve sent in the Recorder to do investigations, but few results have come up.

Regardless, spies such as Silence, Lurker, and Phantom had confirmed this for me, and seeing the potential in Pheare’s abilities, I sent Prototype in to take her. Unsurprisingly, she put up quite a bit of a fight, as I’d hoped and expected, using her abilities to hurl massive objects as if they were regular parts of herself.

Despite her admirable attempts and defense, however, Ancient came in to support Prototype, and the two defeated her. Stuffing Pheare into Prototype, the two carried her back to the Odina Fortress, and I personally told her that she had no choice but to become a Dark Hunter.

When Pheare attempted to object, I demonstrated an extension of my will by having Inferno raze an entire Xian neighborhood to the ground. Realizing how helpless she was, Pheare, after a few tortures and persuasions, broke and fell to my will. With training from Gladiator, I sent Pheare in to kill a target in order to hone away and get rid of her morality.

To my interest, when she succeeded, she took a heavily-armored gauntlet and wore it, incorporating it into her life force. Surely enough, as Pheare continued more missions, wearing away at her conscience, she would keep taking various weapons, armor, and trophies from her opponents… necklaces, bracelets, gauntlets, shields, blades, guns, cannons… she would keep adding to herself, keep possessing them with her soul, that by the time I gave her a codename, she had become a hulking, flying titan of armor and weaponry.

For her unique style, I dubbed her Gatherer. Her voice is heavily distorted, and having practically discarded her name and any reference to her old life, Pheare Gald is essentially dead, with only Dark Hunter Gatherer left. Likewise, what was once a well-intentioned person has turned into a ruthless, megalomaniacal Dark Hunter filled with greed, a natural thief and kleptomaniac. Of course, this has forced me to punish Gatherer for stealing from loot she was contracted to give me, but otherwise, she remains a powerful, ever-growing-and-changing collection of death. And yet, one thing that bothers me is that, no matter how many twisted layers she wraps around herself, Gatherer has not entirely removed that Xian woman at her very core.

As a result of her constantly incorporating parts of victims into herself, Gatherer is now a massive, hulking titan made of countless layers of miscellaneous, mismatched armor and weapons. Decorated in war trophies, she possesses countless weapons, such as laser-cannons, disk launcher, massive blades, a piece of levitation technology, and a cape that can whirl around into a slicing blade. Gatherer is also able to shoot off energy bullets and summon bombs of gravity and power, amongst even more abilities.

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GHOST

Real Name: TH-0K

My Dark Hunters have many, countless abilities that are remarkable, but all are identifiable as science and realism, even those like Conjurer. Few invoke nor dwelve into the concepts of the supernatural, but those that do are often used as the perfect source of intimidation, such as Ghost.

In hopes of achieving his next milestone, Spiriah desired to create a soul capable of existing by itself. Thus, with my funding and resources, he burned through several masses of life energy that he generated and extended, until his final work, dubbed TH-0K (or Thok, as Ancient felt its real name was a bit of a mouthful anyway), succeeded.

An incorporeal mass of life energy, a sentient soul, Thok developed his own mind. After having his purpose and nature explained to by Spiriah, Thok was tested out, instructed to possess objects… much to our delight, he met every hope and standard, and I turned him into a Dark Hunter, eventually dubbing him Ghost as a result of his strange nature and abilities that seemed almost supernatural.

Ghosts is a bit of an opportunistic loner and a sleazy snarker, and prone to sudden fits of anger for ridiculous reasons- Usually other people. Despite this, he has a rather morbid sense of humor, playing pranks on fellow Dark Hunters and regular Xians, and some skeptical of the Odina Fortress’ rumors claim he’s the source of the supposed paranormal activity. Others, however, ask Ghost if he is able to sense and verify the supposed hauntings. Regardless, his mischievousness can get in the way of his tasks, and he and Conjurer frequently team up.

As a result of his strange form as a moving soul, Ghost is incorporeal and is unharmed by the attacks of the physical world, and vice-versa. Likewise, he can cloak himself, making him an affective spy and follower of targets, and he can possess objects using his soul, often manipulating his tools from a central form that his main soul resides in. However, by becoming corporeal, Ghost can become vulnerable to pain should his central object of possession be harmed. Likewise, if his central form is harmed and attacked enough before he can abandon it, Ghost can actually be harmed, and even killed.

Due to his seemingly supernatural nature, I often send him on missions involving intimidation and interrogation. More than once, I’ve had him pretend to be the ghosts of the family members of his targets, haunting them and instructing them to perform tasks that ultimately prove to be profitable for me, such as selling a property, for example.

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GLADIATOR

Real Name: Serrla

Slavery is a common and easy way to get someone to do something for you- or so rich fools believe. Many seem to forget that while many slaves are timid and pathetic, subservient to the will of others, most have genuine souls and feelings… feelings of hatred, wrath, bloodlust, and that their morality is more easily worn away than most. Slaves can only be bought and owned by the rich and the powerful- usually the ones who forget this.

Serrla was one of many victims of this neglect, but unlike most, she refused to serve. Initially, however, she served as a meek household servant of a rich, pompous landowner that was, as some might say, ‘too big for his britches’. In Xia, Slave-Fights are a popular sport for the rich, who will enter their slave fighters to compete in gladiator matches against others, betting massive amounts of money and gaining fame and glory. In return their slaves… well, their slaves gain pretty much nothing, though some more fortunate ones are given better living conditions or even freed. I myself have indulged in gladiatorial matches by entering Charger in, both during his time as a bull and Dark Hunter, as it’s one of his favorite sports.

Anyhow, when her master’s favorite slave fighter died of sickness, Serrla was forced to fight as her master had made a bet with a rival to pit their slaves against each other to win. Doomed by circumstance, timid, meek Serrla was forced to clash against a far stronger foe.

Survival of the fittest applies to the arena… and in this case, in this single life-changing moment, Serrla’s eyes widened as she now understood it for the first time of her life, and at that moment she was never the same ever since. Even as her opponent attacked, she suddenly began to strike with renewed, primal ferocity unprecedented, unseen. Her own unexpected savagery was so overwhelming and sudden that her opponent was slain by the end of the match.

Shocked yet pleased, her master began using Serrla as his new champion, and she began to participate in more matches, winning more bets for her owner. As her victories began to pile and she earned the title of Glatorian, awarded only to the most ruthless fighter, Serrla slowly became more and more blood-thirsty. She began to train only to fight, and her strength doubled overnight. Her kills became gorier, more fantastic, and her bloodlust was beginning to go unrestrained.

However, one fateful match, she was pitted against another Glatorian, the champion of a slave-master even richer than her owner, one who was unafraid to use his money to get what he wanted. Prior to the match, he paid Serrla's owner to instruct her to throw the match, to purposefully lose. Caring only for money and having never realized Serrla's status as a person, he told his slave to lose, after a convincing match. And although Serrla allegedly obliged, during the actual battle she quickly forgot -or purposefully ignored- these directions and fought with that same, unbridled ferocity. When Serrla began to win, and it was evident she would kill the Glatorian that got him so much money, the rival owner went back on the rules of the arena and used bribery to try and save his champion. Several brutes were sent in to restrain Serrla before she killed her opponent.

This was the tipping point for poor, poor Serrla. At this point, she devolved into a murderous beast, and she went all-out savage. The details are best left at this- she escaped the arena and ran as far as she could, leaving a trail of dead bodies that included her opponent and both slave owners, seeking people to murder, seeking to assert dominance.

Eventually, she was surrounded by several Vahki enforcers and seemingly doomed, until Ancient, who like with Conjurer, had observed her matches, stepped in. He destroyed the Vahki and offered Serrla plenty of bloodshed and combat, and for once finding someone who didn’t treat her as a toy to play with, she agreed.

She was instantly given a codename on induction; Gladiator. After all, she’d already proven herself by earning the title of Glatorian, so why wait? Given a mechanical exoskeleton grafted to her body that sprouted blades all over alonsgside buzzsaws, Gladiator became the head-trainer for Dark Hunters. Whenever someone wanted to join, they would be pitted in combat against her. If they fought sufficiently, then they were given membership, regardless of whether or not they beat her in combat. Usually, those who failed initiation were killed.

As a result of her lust for combat, she frequently challenges other Dark Hunters to combat, all for the sake of battle. Though others avoid her, she still finds plenty of training matches with others, and she trains day and night to defeat Devastator and reclaim her honor, making her a natural friend of Vengeance.

Gladiator is a powerful, lithe individual whose brutal capabilities and incredible fighting skills have been enhanced by a mechanical armor that has been attached to her form. Buzz-saws, hidden blades, and retractable arms are equipped all across her mechanical form, and despite her massive frame, Gladiator is a surprisingly agile fighter.

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GUARDIAN

Real Name: Shan Steelquill

Punishment is an often occurrence to a Dark Hunter that is either weak, foolish, rebellious, or all of the above. However, even the most foolish know not to desert, or heaven forbid, desert the organization… but of course, as competent as Eliminator is, she occasionally misses a spot-check, and these fools ultimately live long enough to make their mistake.

While Eliminator kills the weak, Guardian ensures that traitors and those she fails to look over are rightfully murdered in cold blood, as befitting a coward.

Guardian’s backstory and experiences ensure she remains true and loyal to her task, never faltering in her mission to kill the traitor. When she was younger, she was known as Shan Steelquill, and her people were forced to form a militia in order to fight off against oppression and other rivals in the Zakaz District.

Steelquill had a natural sense of loyalty, and her time in the army gave her a sense of attachment to her own side. Armed with a sniper rifle, she was an incredible shot, and was often sent in to take out key commanders and other weak points amongst the enemy.

However, Steelquill’s efficiency and skill were not enough to win the war, and the battles kept raging on in an apparent stalemate. One night, Steelquill stumbled across one of her closest friends while keeping watch from above on her watch tower, and followed them.

By the time she was able to call out to them, she noticed they were in contact with an enemy from the other side. Steelquill confronted the two, and her friend revealed they intended to betray everyone else by giving their opponent key information, so as to save their own hide and gain profit. Steelquill’s friend offered to bring her along with them in the deal, but Steelquill refused out of loyalty.

However, her friend was going to reveal information- likewise, she was up against an armored opponent. While she could get a shot in, it wouldn’t kill them… the enemy could kill her in one blow, though.

That meant either killing her friend, silencing the both of them so that the information wouldn’t be spilled and Steelquill’s people might win… or betraying everyone else and siding with the enemy. Ultimately, Steelquill could not turn against her people, and knowing it was her last choice in life, tearfully but defiantly shot her friend, killing them.

Expecting to be slain, she attempted to at least fight to the death against her armored opponent… until he revealed himself as Ancient, a member of the Dark Hunters.

What a coincidence, hmm?

Ancient was so impressed by her loyalty that he gave her a card to contact him, in case she ever wanted to join the Dark Hunters as a side job, and left. Steelquill kept the card, and the next day, the camp she was in was ambushed by the enemy and wiped out, save for Steelquill.

As it turned out, another one of her close friends had betrayed everyone else as well.

The crippling blow, alongside the vital information, allowed the enemy to strike down her people, and within a few days the war was lost and everyone she knew massacred. In the end, cornered as the enemy began to move in on her location and all of the people she knew dead, Steelquill contacted Ancient. Even as enemy soldiers moved in and prepared to shoot, Ancient appeared, killing all of them and bringing Steelquill to the Odina Fortress, where I myself gave her the task of killing traitors and protecting our secrets.

Steelquill morbidly agreed, having learned to detest slimy treachery, and I dubbed her Guardian for her protectiveness of our knowledge. Armed with a special helmet with an aiming visor and interface, as well as sleek armored exo-suit, Guardian is tasked with tracking down defectors, traitors, and such, killing them. Often times, she will shoot her target from above while they’re conversing with the enemy, ignoring one target for another- Guardian’s job is to kill traitors. The enemy can be slain by her fellow Dark Hunters. Her rounds are infused with tracers, leaving a unique, glowing red trail behind every shot, as a trademark and warning of her presence and my very own wrath. If necessary, she has access to non-tracing rounds, as well as other gadgets and tools; But usually, her aim is so efficient, and her confidence in her abilities so high, that she always operates on the assumption that the first shot will hit its mark. And while assumptions are dangerous, so is Guardian. Additionally, her exo-suit provides immense protection, mechanical strength, and has magnified boots that enable her to walk on surfaces. Guardian's cybernetic right-arm can also split apart into a Rhotuka launcher, that transmutes whatever it touches or passes through into glass.

As a result of her almost heroic loyalty and punishment of the treacherous, Guardian is good friends with Primal. Likewise, her task of protecting secrets pairs her up with Minion, her partner and close friend, and the two often work together to guard the Odina Fortress in their spare time. Guardian is considered by many who wish to leave as the ultimate obstacle towards freedom, and she has not failed at all, save for Targeter, whom she wishes to kill even to this day.

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IMPACT

Real Name: Vezok/Vezon(?)

Many weaknesses plague a ruler, all of them ranging from foolishness, to doubt, and so forth. One of the worst, however, is indecisiveness, the result of being heavily conflicted. A trait I despise, I’ve seen many Xians die as a result of conflicting viewpoints, so as a result, Impact stands out due to having survived because of his conflicting mind.

The being that would become Impact was plagued with a split personality; one named Vezok, a hardened, calculative, and brooding mind; the other Vezon, a psychotic, casual, and talkative personality. Rumors have come about which of them was the original personality, assuming there was even even an original to begin with. Likewise, some even accuse the being of having forged the ‘split personality’ due not quite matching other cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Doubters believe the being's condition to be a façade to hide its true intentions- though that makes one wonder which personality is the real one as well, if any of the two are real to begin with.

Regardless, the split minds of Vezok and Vezon were employed by the Nynrah Ghosts on a gamble. On orders from Roodaka, they intended to create a being who could deploy blasts of concussive force from their mind, making ammunition no longer an issue and allowing them to attack with the damage of a heavy weapon without being weighed down by one.

However, when all of their test subjects failed, lacking the mental dexterity required, on a gamble (and, more than likely as I suspect, because they simply felt like it) they used a test subject plagued with a 'split personality', Vezok/Vezon. As a result of their constant bickering, both were destined to get killed, and yet were sought after for their mental deformity.

To the pleasant surprise of the Nynrah Ghosts, Vezok/Vezon survived the experiment, which raised the question if split personalities were what was required to employ abilities like these, or if they were just ‘special’. Regardless, the Nynrah Ghosts handed them over to Roodaka, who promptly auctioned them off to a warlord. After being used in combat to affective force, the two were later sold to a slave owner to fight in arena matches, and then lost in a bet to land owner, and so forth, until they were finally bought by Tyrant, who heard of their abilities and tried to keep his powerful servant a secret from me.

No secrets can be kept from me, however, and Shape Shifter alerted me to the presence of such a powerful candidate for a Dark Hunter. As punishment, I personally seized the split-personality duo by forcing Tyrant to pay me to sell the two to yours truly. And, because I was in a particularly bad mood, I had Ravager wipe out one of his foundries as a lesson.

Nevertheless, I now had my hands on a new, potential Dark Hunter, and explained that unlike their previous owners, I would happily give them more freedom than my predecessors and an actual wage, of all things- imagine that. As I soon discovered, however, the two were… difficult to work with, as they found it difficult to work with each other, and Vezon in particular is a thorn in my side whose name I almost excluded from this particular article in exchange for Vezok’s. Nevertheless, I managed to negotiate between the two of them, and they now reside as guards for the Odina Fortress, often taking ‘shifts’ by switching between dominant personalities. Needless to say, the both of them lack any ‘friends’ so to speak, not so much because they have no desire for them, but simply because the duo ward off everyone as a result of their switching, highly contrasting personalities, which are too difficult to stomach for others. This can work either way for me- fools are easily manipulated by friendship, and yet can also use it as motivation for rebellion. Either way, I at least have their loyalty and cooperation, and should I feel like it, perhaps I’ll choose a victor amongst them to take total control of the body while the losing mind is permanently locked away. For now, I won't announce such a competition until the winner has already been chosen- I don't want the two sabotaging one another and thus their missions in the process.

Armed with Impact Vision, an ability that lets them fire concussive blasts from their minds, Impact is able to attack from both a distance and up-close as long as they don’t accidentally aim at themselves in the process. However, their attack requires concentration, and should they be distracted, the blast can turn on them instead. Due to allegedly being the more sane of the two, Vezok uses their Impact Vision more frequently than his other personality, who conversely uses a bladed shield, hook, and harpoon crafted for them by Jailer.

Chapter Text

INFERNO

Real Name: Dracax

Many Dark Hunters are shunned from society not necessarily for their relations or actions, but rather simply for who they are- namely for their state of mental being, for their personality, and so forth, shunned over such pettiness. However, while I welcome many of these Dark Hunters regardless of their eccentricities, some I welcome because of them, such as in the case of our local pyromaniac Inferno.

His parents were killed in the Nynrah Incident by Visorak Spiders, rendering him an orphan. Despite this, Dracax was a seemingly ordinary child, and was able to blend in with the others at his Voymari orphanage more easily than other sadistic Dark Hunters in their pasts. Of course, he still had to have been sadistic to have indulged in burning things to a crisp, a hobby he kept secret until in a fit of excitement, he burned down the entire orphanage, killing at least three people.

For his troubles, he was deemed clinically insane, and Dracax was dragged off to a mental asylum, where as you can imagine, instead of being properly treated for his condition, only had it catalyzed by the brutal conditions and treatment from the staff, turning a place of rehabilitation into a community of broken individuals, most of whom were disappointingly, contrary to popular belief, not particularly efficient as Dark Hunters and criminals.

As you can imagine, I personally found Dracax while rooting through his asylum for potential recruits alongside Sentrakh, and hearing of his pyromaniac delusions, knew I’d found the best kind of Dark Hunter- one who will indulge in their missions as their very dreams and life. With almost no persuasion on my part, I recruited Dracax along as part of my planned experiment involving Viruses.

Surely enough, Dracax agreed in hopes of out the intended outcome, and subjecting him to countless viruses, I amplified his body heat into a blazing fire and further, until his form had dissolved into a raging, sentient inferno that grew unbridled.

Alas, perhaps I should’ve had more foresight, or perhaps it was simply a greater success than I’d intended; Dracax, going into a fit of hysterical euphoria, melted through his restraints and began vaporizing everything in the vicinity, burning everything down as he grew to a massive size, slowly consuming the Odina Fortress.

Thankfully, I had Jailer construct the perfect prison for Dracax, trapping him inside, before we afterwards constructed a more permanent version of the same metal coffin to encase Dracax in. As we did so, I reminded our eager Dark Hunter recruit that while he could have as much fun as he wanted, I was in control.

As demonstration, I unleashed Dracax shortly afterwards on a random neighborhood I’d wanted burned to the ground, and just before he could have all of his fun, trapped him back inside his prison to remind him of my power.

With proper training and similar tests, I eventually managed to teach Dracax to obey my will, and for the power he already exuded and his eventual obedience I awarded him the codename of Inferno, for what else is he now that my experiment proved to be a success? Now labelled as an Annihilation-Class Dark Hunter, I keep him locked away with others of his classification, right next to Ravager. Due to their similar destructive tendencies, the two make frequent partners for discussion and are each others’ only friends, for some strange, unknowable reason, of which who could POSSIBLY fathom?

Being a living, blazing inferno, Inferno can expand his form and raze entire city blocks to a crisp at will. His soul is concentrated in a central ‘flame’, which is his natural weak point, yet also the hottest point of his form, so any attacks that somehow make their way to his core will be vaporized by then. Likewise, the amount of liquid nitrogen, ice, and water that would be required to kill him is simply… astonishing. I only ever assign Inferno to missions of mass destruction, as he’s simply so unrestrained, uncontrolled, that he causes maximum collateral damage. As a result, he’s carried over to the center of the designated area to destroy and dropped from the sky in his prison, which, upon landing, opens up to unleash Inferno. This method of deploying him from the air has made the weak-minded believe his prison is simply a massive bomb, and the blazing Dark Hunter is simply the explosion of fire that it unleashes… and in all honesty, perhaps this description is not too inaccurate, after all.

Chapter Text

JAILER

Real Name: Avak Warrel

Although people accuse us Dark Hunters of being nothing more than relentless killers, I personally disagree with this- after all, our skills and resume expand beyond simple murder, and we’re able to provide services ranging from theft, persuasion, and even protection, and likewise have Dark Hunters well suited to these special tasks. One of the best at his job, incapacitation, is none other than the aptly named Jailer.

For his next milestone of many experiments, Spiriah discussed the possibility of a person who could create objects using their life force- perhaps not coincidentally, the son of a prison warden named Avak complained to the Powers That Be that his father’s political prison had faults, such as feeble structure, poor system, incompetent staff, etc.

Deciding the political warden’s son was a thorn in their side, the Powers That Be agreed to let me do with Avak as I pleased… so, I contacted the foolish boy, promising to give him the power to make his father proud of him. The fool that he was, he cooperated and agreed to the experiment, and Spiriah had yet another test subject to mutate, change, or accidentally/intentionally kill as he pleased.

During our experiments on poor little Avak, I personally guided Spiriah, having learned from Dweller the stories of the Mask of Creation on Okoto and how it worked. Having learned enough of life energy to dabble in some of my own alterations, I helped nudge Spiriah to create something along the lines of the Mask of Creation in naïve Avak’s soul, and likewise helped equip an additional reservoir of energy for him to draw power from.

Surprisingly, pathetic little Avak survived, and ended up becoming another milestone in Spiriah’s experiments, something we toasted to- his father, however, was horrified over what had happened to his son, realizing full and well what would happen to Avak as a result of his interactions with yours truly. Truly, his father was one of the more aware Xians- which was a shame, since after he disowned his child, he committed suicide out of grief... possibly because I had also helped facilitate the escape of nearly every prisoner in his custody.

Broken and lost, Avak, depressed and resigned to his fate, accepted his membership in the Dark Hunters, and for all of his handy cooperation I took pity and gave him his codename earlier than most, dubbing him Jailer for his abilities and aspirations. For his first mission, I had Ancient release a few bioweapons from a lab, making it seem like an accident, and when the Dark Hunters were hired to fix the problem, I sent in Jailer, still a young teen, to fix it.

Said bio weapons possessed a wide array of abilities, ranging from sonic screams to the ability to melt into puddles. To my pleasant surprise, Jailer not only survived but succeeded in capturing one by utilizing his powers- summoning energy and using his mind, analyzing and consequently designing and creating the perfect prison for his opponent, before manifesting it through his life energy around the victim.

The creature with the sonic scream was trapped in a sound-dampening box, and quickly shipped back to the lab accordingly- the other beasts had escaped into the night, but with some assistance from Ancient, Jailer tracked down and captured each one, being paid handsomely for each bio weapon he retrieved. Somewhat encouraged, Jailer continued his membership as a Dark Hunter, and became one of our greatest geniuses, using his creative, analytical mind to design the perfect tools for all of our Dark Hunters, alongside prisons and rooms for others.

Likewise, he designed Lariska’s replacement arm, and ever since the both of them are good enough acquaintances that Jailer tolerates her. Among his ingenius inventions are the prisons of Inferno and Ravager, Reidak's latest motorcycle, Charger’s club, and so forth. Dark Hunters frequently visit him for new weapons and improvements, and he always knows exactly how to defeat every target he’s assigned after- likewise, I find him particularly useful in that, besides being our main engineer and mechanic, Jailer also knows exactly how to kill every Dark Hunter in the organization and has told me of this. Only a few exceptions to his knowledge exist, such as Sentrakh, Darkness, and Lariska- As well as myself, of course.

Like the fabled Mask of Creation from Okoto, Jailer has a reservoir of life energy that he can tap into. Using his analytic skills and creative mind, he is able to dissect an opponent’s abilities, traits, and weaknesses, and within his thoughts construct the design for the perfect prison, suited for them. Once his designs are complete, Jailer manifests them in physical form using his life energy, forming the prison around his target; practically invariably, once a target is trapped, Jailer wins the whole fight.

However, his abilities have limits- it requires mental dexterity and concentration to maintain a single prison, and likewise, he has a limited supply of energy for a prison, and the more complex, the more it requires, usually limiting him to one at a time. Thus, while one person is trapped, he becomes vulnerable to another attacker, forcing me to pair him up with others, usually Lariska. Likewise, Jailer’s prison can only be prepared for traits he knows about; should his enemy hide a secret ability or trait he’s unaware of, that key ability can allow them to break free of the prison. Finally, Jailer’s prison appears as a silhouette around the target just before turning solid, allowing them the chance to get out of range. To compensate for his lack of physical dexterity and occasions such as this, Jailer equips himself with multiple, varied weapons of his own design. 

Now older, harsher, and wiser, Jailer has unfortunately gained a bit of a rebellious streak, and his more irritable nature makes him dislike being told what to do by others, often finding cooperation with 'lesser minds' to be much of a hassle. Some Dark Hunters he manages to respect, or at least tolerate, but otherwise he is arrogant about his intellect, and like his late father feels entitled and will do anything to maintain some degree of power over others- Even keeping a record of how to perfectly imprison fellow Dark Hunters. Thus, he is deemed untrustworthy. I can tell that Jailer is even now chafing under the idea of being beneath my control, but as long as he doesn't get any foolish ideas about betraying me (or at least doesn't act on them, I have my suspicions), I doubt Jailer will ever need to consider what the perfect prison to contain him would be like- That is a schematic I have already devised and perfected long ago, with Guardian and Lariska's input. How ironic... The one whose specialty is imprisoning others, wants to escape from a prison of his own that he can't just dissect and break through!

Chapter Text

LURKER

Real Name: Kast Romeyus

Contrary to popular belief, words DO have power; And by consequence, so do images, because as a wise man once said, a picture is worth a THOUSAND words!

Many have taken such advice to heart and employed it powerfully in propaganda meant to deceive, indoctrinate, and radicalize- I myself am rather familiar with this concept and have used it enthusiastically, although unlike most I do not need posters when the threat of my wrath alone can suffice. That being said, while nobody can deny the usefulness of a good propaganda poster and its art, there is one I know of who wields the power of art to a rather literal degree…

How Lurker gained his abilities is a bit of an enigma to me; He claims he was once a cursed painting, made by a mad artist who was so desperate to create lifelike portraits that he took the lives of others and used their blood to paint his artwork. After being imprisoned for his crimes and without access to his usual materials, he eventually resorted to using a brush of his hair and his own blood for a final self-portrait; One that came to life as the being later named Lurker. The Recorder’s attempts to verify the credibility of these claims have yielded little so far, but on the other hand, nothing else seems to explain his nature; I supposed it could be an ability related to the Life that Spiriah and the Okotans are familiar with. Although I would much like to replicate Lurker's powers for less unruly individuals, for now I must be content with what I have… For now . But regardless of origins, Lurker’s actual abilities are obvious and clear; The ability to turn himself into an image, projected onto a wall or any other surface as if he was a part of it, and move across it as a 2-D image!

Initially, Lurker, then-named Kast Romeyus, started off as a horrific serial killer, working under the embarrassingly on-the-nose title of ‘The Crimson Blood’, no doubt meant to invoke his all-red outfit and gear, as well as his MO of painting areas with his victims' blood. Still, while his taste in fashion and aesthetic is questionable, his penchant for assassination is objective; While many will look over their shoulders at any slight movement or stranger, who would suspect an image?! Many of Kast’s targets would note a strange art-piece depicting a clad-in-red figure, before brushing it off as graffiti… However, they would soon be perturbed to find that graffiti popping up, again and again, in places they didn’t recall it being. And of course, the paranoia would rise as the person immediately left the scene, locked themselves in their home, and turned around to find the Crimson Blood’s reddened visage painted across their bedroom walls.

Perhaps due to his nature as a part-time piece of art, Kast has a rather artistic inclination, and for each and every kill, he would paint the sites of his murders in the blood of his enemies, dedicating painstaking detail and effort into making each as unique as possible; Personally, I found them all rather dull. He gained an infamous reputation, with the Vahki ordering a bounty for either his arrest or execution, and this infamy only worsened when Kast began committing murders in public and crafting his 'masterpieces' in such obvious locations. He began to call himself a misunderstood genius, although frankly I thought his motives were obvious and predictable. His killing spree became an enigma as others wondered how he managed to slip in through the smallest cracks and crevices, but my eyes, such as Phantom, had already figured out the truth. Rumors of Kast's 'cursed paintings' came to pass, with some even believing that the ones he made from his victims would come to life. Given his alleged origin, perhaps this is not out of the question, and perhaps Kast was seeking to create more of his kind...

Kast continued his grisly, over-the-top-killings, and his depravity began to know no bounds as soon even the actual bodies of his victims were arranged as grisly art pieces propped up in horrifying situations. Kast had no standards and was not above anything; Stalking, murder, torture, graffiti, desecration of the dead... All of this, I watched from a distance, mildly amused, until Kast committed the one thing I could not let past myself… the one act in which I had to put my foot down.

He became a business rival .

Suddenly, Kast began taking JOBS from others, being hired to stalk, torture, kill, and mutilate victims (not necessarily in that order), sending photos of their predicament before death all around Xia. He was paid rather handsomely, as one of my agents discovered, and then I realized I might be having competition.

I detest competition. The very idea of others competing with me is a defiant, and foolish, gesture on their part of their own belief in somehow being near my level, when in reality there is no one in existence capable of that! Having potential profits being stolen from me by a competitor who my clients turn to instead of me, is also a form of theft, alongside a personal affront to my honor by disgracing the image of my Dark Hunters, and myself by consequence.

Ordinarily, I would’ve killed Kast to send a message… but then, I reasoned, perhaps another message could be sent, one more profitable. I’d already sent plenty of THOSE kinds of messages before, the ones I’d almost done with Kast… why not a new one?

So, I had Ancient set up several posters from supposed ‘fans’ of Kast, asking to meet the killer and be sacrificed for beautiful artwork. Perhaps Kast realized this was too good to be true; perhaps he hoped he finally found someone who understood him. Regardless, he fell victim to the bait and arrived at the location that had been planned. There, I personally confronted him, and decided to educate little Kast on the ways of the world by asserting my own dominance. I disintegrated the wall he was applied to, leaving the fragment he was on floating in a pool; He can’t travel across liquids as a painting. I levelled my blade at his neck as soon as he returned to physical form, reminding Kast that I could KILL him for his trouble, for the money he stole from ME…

Only, he could prove to be a useful asset, and I had my own assets he could use.

Thus, I made sure to remind Kast that while words have power, and a picture IS worth a thousand words… By the end of day, I have both words and action. I convinced Kast of the impermanence of street art, as well as his life in general, and persuaded him into joining my Dark Hunters; It would be an ideal business arrangement on both sides, with me maintaining my absolute supremacy over the mercenary business, and Kast having the privilege of not becoming a painting through the roundabout method of having his blood drained and slathered across the walls… Now, whenever Kast performed well in the field, it reflects well on me .

In the end, Kast let go of yet another one of his standards; Not joining the Dark Hunters. Or, perhaps he never had that standard to begin with. Either way, he agreed in exchange for his own gallery with which to display his artwork, and with a proper wage negotiated, he joined the Dark Hunters. Having proven himself already by displaying himself as a rival, the only known Dark Hunter in existence ever to have done so, I gave him the name of Lurker, for his method of stalking his victims, waiting for them, and so forth. 

Lurker is a somewhat obnoxious and arrogant individual, but he serves his purposes well. His ability to turn into an image has him compress into a flattened, 2-D version of himself that fuses with whichever surface he chooses; Thus, the wood of a floorboard is not so much painted, as it becomes red in Lurker’s image. This image can move quickly and across any surface without issue, and Lurker can temporarily ‘pop out’ one of his limbs from this image, rendering it solid once more to stab a victim with one of his sais or added mechanical arms. While in image form, Lurker is still vulnerable- He MUST conform to the surface of whatever he is going across, or else simply turn solid once more. Likewise, if the surface he is a part of is damaged, Lurker himself is hurt in the process. I have also yet to see him apply himself to the skin of a victim, simply their clothing…

Lurker can be disturbingly touchy-feely, preferring to get up-close to his victims by ensnaring his image across the clothes or armor they wear, before finishing off his embrace with a slit throat. He can turn his clothing, gear, and small weapons such as his sais into an image alongside him, but otherwise Lurker possesses his limits. He can also perform missions of stealth by hiding in cracks and crevices, although he much prefers to kill; Thus, I have often assigned and restricted him to reconnaissance only . Every now and then, Lurker will resort to ranged weaponry, being content with the outright destruction of inventions such as the Hagah Plasma Cannon- Multiple interests ARE possible after all, and such powerful weapons are in their own way artistic. Speaking of art, his artistic inclinations often lead him to prolonging his kills in order to 'capture' the essence of a dying victim with a painting of their blood. If Lurker is an artist, it seems that death and destruction is his brush, and the bodies of others and the world itself are his canvas.

Peculiarly, he seems to have a penchant for fellow Dark Hunters Prototype, Poison, and Spinner, regularly hanging out with them- Prototype is one of the few beings he can apply himself to due to Prototype’s unusual nature as a suit of armor, so this may better explain this phenomenon. Likewise, in image form, he is unaffected by Poison’s toxins unless they directly corrode the surface he is applied to. Spinner's apathy and the other two's general dimwittedness makes them all not appreciate Lurker's work, unfortunately for him.

Frequently, I use Lurker to send a message to others, and he is always enthusiastic, but I must remind him not to take too many creative liberties in adapting what I have to say. I suspect Lurker’s appreciation for art is more a reflection of his own ego than his enjoyment of the works of others, especially since he has only ever been observed praising his own work; Others’ are usually critiqued by him as poor. I, too, have an appreciation for the arts- Namely, the value and profit they provide. I do hope Lurker remembers this fact, so he does not delude himself into thinking I actually like him as a person, instead of as a source of income…

Chapter Text

MIMIC

Real Name: Val Kopi

From time to time, I hear of this thing called… ‘friendship’. I hear how it’s the most MAGICAL thing, and how its superior form, LOVE, is even BETTER, and all of that mushy little stuff. How it makes life worth living, and gives so much meaning, and how AMAZING it is…

Perhaps… perhaps I can’t argue with any of that. After all, taking advantage of ‘love’ and so forth, I managed to gain the permanent cooperation of an all-new, competent Dark Hunter, after all.

I suppose life is hard when you’re an orphan… Val Kopi was supposedly left to die by her parents for unknown reasons. Perhaps she was too costly… too annoying… or they simply forgot. Or perhaps, someone killed them… but who would do that, and why?

Regardless, Val was left without a home nor parents, and quickly was forced to survive as a thief and a street urchin. One day, however, she came across the most wonderful girl, another homeless orphan out on the streets… smart, funny, and her name was cute, too- Ferri!

Anyhow… Val and Ferri became close friends, and whatnot. As they grew up, they managed to get jobs and money, and worked together to build a solid house they lived in. It wasn’t much, but it was safer than the Xian apartments… though not that much safer.

Case in point, their house was destroyed when a mysterious fire consumed the entire neighborhood while they were elsewhere. Who could have been so careless, one might wonder?

Still, they weren’t giving up, and the two of them were married. Val was SO happy, even without a house, even with a meager wage! After all, she had the LOVE of her life, Ferri, her wife and friend since childhood!

Then, one day… Val walked by a street magician doing flips and tricks, some infamous one named Madj, or something. After he left, Val, inspired, decided to do some of his stunts, all on her own. Without practice, she did it PERFECTLY, without practice, all because she BELIEVED…! And, perhaps, because it was her, special, unique talent!

Happy little Val went to Ferri, told her the news! They tried more of this stuff… Val watched someone do a complicated maneuver, and repeated it flawlessly while blindfolded! Come to think of it, Val always had picked things up remarkably quickly…

Then she tried other things- she could imitate voices! Her memory was practically photographic! One day, she saw a fighter take on a group of brutes, and tried the same thing, blindfolded! She beat them ALL up, and everyone was so amazed!

And THEN, the next day…!

Ferri disappeared without a trace.

Poor Val was so shocked… she searched all over Xia for her love. But, poor Ferri could not be found, and poor Val became sick with grief… she became desperate… Val broke into prisons, looking for Ferri. She FORCED people to talk. She broke into a lab infamous for experimentation and was so desperate, she MURDERED the guards in cold blood before going on, only to see Ferri wasn’t there, either!

She could’ve searched underneath all of Xia and gone to Okoto looking for Ferri, but luckily the good old SHADOWED ONE approached her…! He told her he could FIND Ferri- He had pretty cool friends, like Tracker, or Savage, who were great at finding people!

Val was SO desperate, she agreed! And so her new pal The Shadowed One got a new friend to commit HEINOUS deeds, and gave her a cool nickname, Mimic! Unfortunately, Mimic still hasn’t found Ferri… and poor Ferri is so poor and lonely without Mimic! Luckily, The Shadowed One will make sure to give Ferri company in the Odina Fortress’ most secure dungeons!

Mimic, as her name rather bluntly implies, is able to duplicate any feat, no matter the physical and mental dexterity, instantaneously and without flaw, as if by instinct. Just by having her attend several matches between Xia’s best Glatorian, I was able to teach her some of the most advanced fighting skills and tactics on the planet, making her a ruthless fighter and unstoppable hand-to-hand combatant, capable of defeating even Gladiator. Likewise, she can figure out how to operate any equipment simply by watching another do it, making her a very relieving and useful assistant for Jailer, and she can duplicate any voice without effort. Finally, Mimic has a photographic memory, allowing her to replicate every scene she’s seen with explicit detail, making her almost like a security camera of sorts. Armed with a specially-crafted weapon able to switch between an axe, blade, and other forms for feats involving a tool, I usually send Mimic on some of the most various and miscellaneous missions, as a result of her massive skill set.

Chapter Text

MINION

Real Name: Test Subject J-B

Legends and rumors on Xia always speak of the ‘sixth sense’, a strange ability that allows one to divine conditions of an ethereal, unfathomable nature… as far as I knew, it was a myth, until I delved into the world of the life force and the soul. And thus, with help from Spiriah, I created the only person with a true sixth sense on Xia, giving them the ability to sense the presence of others’ souls.

As we sat down and discussed during a successful dinner the nature of the soul, I proposed to Spiriah if one could see the life force in things similar to how some can view radiation, infrared, and so forth. In response, Spiriah had a bit of an… inspirational breakthrough, and realized that for his next big milestone, perhaps he could create a being that could SENSE the life force of others, being in tune with the presence of souls.

A person that could sense souls sounded like the perfect guard, unable to be fooled by any disguise or trick- well, except for soulless machines, but I suppose there were other Dark Hunters who could deal with that. In the end, I decided it was a worthwhile venture, and I funded the project.

Deciding to test with animals first, Spiriah used a massive species of crab found near the shores of Xia, experimenting on its soul until he had an unexpected success and breakthrough, when he’d intended for his first success to be on a human. As we discovered, the crab was able to sense prey trapped within a metal box, underneath it, and so forth. I even had a Dark Hunter approach it with a cloaking device, only for it to snap the simpleton in half, not being fooled at all by the machinery.

Again… imagine a being able to sense all others, unable to be ambushed, surprised, and so forth.

And so, we took the experiment to its natural next steps and employed the same process we did on Charger, but on the crab, enchancing its soul, and with perhaps more Viruses than necessary, turned the creature into a massive, hulking crustacean of a titan, with a vaguely humanoid shape, a head shaped like the body of a crab, and the spindly fingers of crab legs.

Yet another toast was held, and the creature was introduced to my organization. With a thick shell and razor-sharp talons, I discovered the beast was able to sense souls in a massive radius, and not only that, but recognize souls as well. Not only could it detect intruders- it could sense impostors as well.

Surely enough, I discovered this when what appeared to be a faithful Dark Hunter was inexplicably torn in half by the creature, which I’d stationed as a guard for the Odina Fortress. I almost killed the beast for its foolishness, until the severed corpse morphed into the true form of the infiltrator, evidently sent by the Nynrah Ghosts. That night, I had Lurker punish some of the Ghosts personally, and I dubbed the creature Minion for its accomplishment.

Why not a name like Radar or Crab, I am not so certain. Perhaps I wasn’t feeling very practical that night… regardless, Minion was stationed as the Odina Fortress’ main guard, able to detect all souls that come within its vicinity and alert others likewise. Should an enemy march forth or attempt to sneak in, Minion will know and welcome them with wide, open, crushing arms.

Despite its enhanced soul, Minion is evidently voluntarily mute. However, something interesting I’ve noted is that, when discussing one of Spiriah’s old experiments with Ancient in Minion’s presence, he nodded as if he KNEW exactly what we spoke of…

Now I wonder if his soul was already sentient when we tried to make it so, and how much he overheard of our experiments. How much information is locked in that skull of his? Is Minion perhaps the last remaining record of Spiriah’s research?

Regardless, even before rumors of this had spread, Minion’s muteness and loyalty made him useful in keeping secrets, as I was able to confide vital Dark Hunter secrets I lacked the faith to place in physical form into Minion’s memories. Surely enough, they say you can trust him with your deepest, darkest secrets, and many, ranging from Lurker to Seeker, have been seen confiding with Minion in secret. For his ability to keep secrets safe, he’s a natural friend of Guardian, and while she is the defense, Minion is the safe that keeps secrets locked up and secure…

Aside from his massive, physical dexterity, including his shell, strength, and claws, Minion’s most prominent ability is his power to sense souls and life force, and recognize and discern various souls. Because of this, impostors and intruders that possess a soul are unable to sneak into the Odina Fortress when Minion is stationed there. In the rare instances I send him out on missions, I give him tasks involving guard duties, tracking, basically any mission that involves noticing a person’s soul. Don’t even try to hide from him in a crowd- he can see your soul blazing amongst everyone else’s.

Chapter Text

PHANTOM

Real Name: ???

Some things in life you can’t control. Be it the tides, the winds, or the weather itself. Likewise, it is a futile effort to control every little aspect of how others feel about you. Frankly, I do not need to control how my subordinates feel towards me; Being able to control the trajectory of the eye-beams with which I can destroy traitors is sufficient enough.

But alas, others reek of a paranoia and weakness that they can’t overcome, an insecurity that drives them to monitor and desperately control everything possible, instead of simply keeping a leash on what is only necessary. That foolish dictator Turaga Dume is guilty of this, with his pathetic desire for a total surveillance state, and a new order enstated by his mindless Vahki. I do not need cameras in every corner and shadow to keep my presence and eyes known to my minions… That being said, to the Dark Hunters, anyone and anything, from the smallest scrap of trash to the most pathetic junkie, has a use and value. Thus, while I do not place too much stock in surveying and spying on my enemies and even allies, I nevertheless have put my own hand towards such an effort.

Phantom is the ideal peak of this ability; He is my invisible eyes in the sky, that nagging feeling one gets of someone or something watching you from afar, but when you turn around, nothing is there! The most vital difference is that Phantom is very much real and tangible, as are his reports to me and the knowledge I gain from them.

His original career prior to his promotion to my Dark Hunters was the employ of the Nynrah Ghosts, as a biomechanical being created by them. Under their patronage, Phantom received a wide variety of tools, including a pair of exo-skeleton wings that enabled him to fly and levitate with as he pleased, with minimal noise, as well as a camouflaging ability to cloak himself. Underneath the Ghosts, Phantom was sent out into the quarantined district of Nynrah to observe and record live footage of their experiments and various other bioweapons in action, in the most natural lab environment of all; The real world, in all of its chaotic messiness.

Phantom had his uses, with his technological suit and armor designed to make him virtually undetectable to just about any animal or creature. But while he did well, he was unhappy, alas! Mostly he was bored- Watching the same mindless creature, over and over, got tiring. He desired for something a bit more lively and entertaining. No doubt he would enjoy Kratakal’s incessant reality programs, but for the time being, he sufficed by also spying on his own employers from afar.

…Of course, the Nynrah Ghosts were unhappy about this and immediately tried to revoke his living privileges. But by then, it was too late- For Nynrah was not the only place he observed. There was also the district of Stelt, as well as the Odina Fortress itself… And of course, Minion sensed his presence and reported it to me as always. Intrigued of his skill-set, I made sure to intervene on his behalf and offered him a new position amongst the Dark Hunters, no resume or recommendations needed! It had better pay, opportunities, more lax work hours… No paid sick leave however, but beggars could not be choosers! And it wasn’t like Phantom would ever HAVE an actual choice if he actually refused… But luckily for him and I, but mostly me, he accepted! Initially I did not know what to name him, but after he proved his use to me as my greatest scout, I opted to give him his codename for his invisible, stalking nature and ability to disappear and cast projections.

Phantom is my eyes in the sky. I send him out on field missions to observe targets and events from afar, entirely undetected. Frequently he has trailed behind objectives, stalking them incessantly, with his wings able to operate 24/7, to the point where he can even fall asleep mid-air while his camera continues recording and his wings keep him aloft. Through Phantom, I can spy on not only enemies, but my own Dark Hunters as well, and many have been shocked to see me know about many of their hidden actions and secrets- This has led to a not necessarily incorrect belief that my gaze and hearing spreads through walls. Although I usually try to keep Phantom’s presence and location a mystery, I have nevertheless let the tales of him emerge to keep Dark Hunters in line, for fear that Phantom is watching. Some don’t even know his true nature, believing him to be a Ghost! Alas, he is not one… But I DO have an actual Ghost in my employ, so does it really matter in the end?

Phantom’s mechanical suit enables him to fly and levitate completely quietly thanks to advanced engines and fans designed to suppress noise. His armor can create a potent cloaking and camouflage that renders him totally invisible. He regularly bathes himself in bleaches and other chemicals to remove any and all scents, or even mixes them together to mimic smells to ward off the more nose-inclined. His enhanced eyesight thanks to genetic modifications enables Phantom to see in 360 degrees and focus in on faces from afar, and he can read lips; However, his powerful ears will also suffice to accurately capture audio as well. He is in constant flight, and has gone entire months without landing, thanks to the energy-efficiency of his wings, which enable him to fall asleep while still in flight as his camera continues recording.

While Ghost also has his uses for reconnaissance, his abilities are more geared towards possession, with Phantom's towards observation. His strength and durability from his bioweapon-nature, as well as his ability to fly and see all around him, makes Phantom a potent foe. Additionally, he wields a Mask of Teleportation, gathered from Okoto by Dweller and shipped all the way to Xia. This invaluable creation, personally crafted by Ekimu himself, enables Phantom to get past any defense or retreat from any threat, and he can also project holograms of himself to disorient enemies and to aid in his escape.

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POISON

Real Name: Lily

Sometimes, in the pursuit of healing, one finds destruction. A person once meant to defend against harm becomes the most ideal person to deal it out, and as I mentioned before, I find irony delicious… so the ironic nature of Poison and her lethal abilities made her quite an amusing Dark Hunter to my eyes.

One of Spiriah’s earliest experiments, before he even began toying with life energy, he sought to create a person immune to toxins, poisons, etc. Thus, grabbing a bunch of test subjects from the street, he finally settled on a ditzy, rather dimwitted girl named Lily.

To make her immune to several venoms, he slowly introduced a toxin to her system, altering Lily’s body so she could slowly, but surely, fight off the pain and agony, and survive its affects. This he did, slowly adding poison after poison to her system, until he inexplicably added a sac filled with nearly every toxin known to Xia.

For, see, halfway through his experiments I came in, and pointed out that a person immune to poison could use it without fear, no?

It was at this point Spiriah’s eyes lit up dangerously, and he agreed. And so, the experiment took a second direction as well, and we incorporated multiple venom sacs into Lily’s organs, simultaneously altering her body using Viruses and other methods to make her immune to her own venom. This continued until we finally had a successful experiment, a Xian filled with an immeasurable amount of toxins and able to emit them from various orifices, many we added ourselves.

For her abilities, I dubbed her Poison, and inducted our new Dark Hunter into the organization. While generally unintelligent and none too ‘bright’, she nevertheless understands the concepts of murder and torture and utilizes them excellently. She quickly started off a massive kill count, making her Spiriah’s first notable experiment turned into a success, and was his introduction to me and vice-versa.

Poison, as her name implies, wields countless toxins and venoms in her system, all of it stored in a gathering of sacs, and is completely immune to her own weaponry. With the help of Viruses, she has multiple openings around her skin from which to secret lethal venom, and syringe-like talons that extend from her fingers and nail to inject toxins with. Poison’s own breath can become poisonous and taint the air, turning it fatal, and skin contact is ill-advised, needless to say.

As a result of her abilities, she is an excellent assassin, possessing a wide array of undetectable poisons that can take months to activate, making the source indecipherable. Just passing by her in public can cause you to inhale one of these toxins, and while countless who spent even a second near her may be dead the next morning, the trade-off is worth it. Poison is also able to spray poison from her mouth, and with her venomous breath is a constant killer of close-range combatants. Her toxins come in use for ransom and hostage situations as well- I can have her infect a person with a venom that takes a certain amount of time to kill, forcing them into my temporary servitude in exchange for the antidote.

The introduction of DNA from reptilian creatures has partially mutated Poison to have a tail, scales in some areas, massive colorful frills, sharp claws, and a climbing ability. Additionally, as an unusual side-effect of the Viruses and genetic modifications given to Poison, her ability to age -both physically and mentally- has drastically slowed, and even now she still appears to be the youthful girl she once was, just more... hazardous. I question if she ever lost the capacity to get smarter from the experiments, as one needs to have something in order to lose it in the first place...

As a result of her generally lethal nature, Poison is mostly avoided by other Dark Hunters, though Lurker seems to be a friend of hers, perhaps initially drawn by pity towards her inability to live the physical joys he has and eventually find her a decent person to be with. Likewise, Prototype, being inorganic, is able to interact without difficulties, and Spinner… well, I’m not sure. I think she’s just friends with Poison simply because. Regardless, they make an unstoppable team, the four of them, as those who are immune to Poison’s toxin (usually the inorganic) are quickly overwhelmed by the likes of Prototype, Spinner, and Lurker.

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PRIMAL

Real Name: Emago

As the leader of the Dark Hunters, I must face countless hurdles, few as high and difficult as the personalities and motivations of my own minions. I must quell the rebelliousness of those such as Rebel, restrain the wrath of beings like Inferno, guide the idiocy of morons such as Airwatcher, and so forth. One of my greatest and most difficult Dark Hunters to work with, however, is one guided by one of the most hated virtues amongst our group; morality and justice. While most Dark Hunters acknowledge and revel in their villainy, some take advantage of their group for acts of… heroism, of all things, and I must struggle to use their eccentric motives to my advantage.

Emago herself -with verification from the Recorder- hailed from the Nynrah District, born an insectoid, centaur child between two Vorox; Mutants created by the VISORAK that leaked into the district all those years ago. Two Vorox having random mutations that still enabled them to produce offspring, combining the genetic traits of both... Imagine that; According to Spiriah, such a feat warranted more research, but as far as I'm concerned, all that matters is how strong and skilled the child is. It's not as if Emago's abilities themselves are particularly ground-breaking...

Emago grew up with her parents, and no doubt had a loving childhood with them; So naturally, a rich noble who sought to hunt Vorox, sapient or not, for 'sport' ended up killing them while they were asleep, taking Emago's parents' heads as trophies. The traumatized Emago sought vengeance; But much to her dismay, she discovered that her parents’ murderer was an influential man with plenty of money and power, and that even if she somehow got Xian lawmakers to convict the man on the basis of hunting and killing sapient Vorox -which legally speaking, his 'main' crime would just be breaching quarantine for a luxurious hobby- the culprit would be able to evade prison through petty bribery. Disgusted at this realization, disregard for life, and overall aversion of justice, Emago swore to kill him one day, and it was then that she joined the Dark Hunters to accomplish this, after Phantom saw the whole incident play out and contacted me about the potential recruit; I obliged.

Initially seeing this as a mere revenge mission, I permitted Emago, and even offered her whatever variety of weaponry she desired for the task. As her parents’ killer had failed to pay me for a previous mission, I sent Emago in to see if she could prove herself... she declined my offers of weaponry, resorting to a simple spear, and the next day, she returned with the bloodied corpse of her parents’ killer and hung it in front of the Odina Fortress, but not before skinning it and laying the skin out as a 'rug' for other Dark Hunters to enjoy.

Hmm. I like her style.

Thus, Emago became an official Dark Hunter, and I was able to sleep well that night. However, as the days passed and I forgot about her, I began to hear… stories… of various Xians with rich influence escaping prison and consequence, only to be found impaled to death by unknown weapons.

I had Emago brought before me, and she explained rather valiantly that she merely brought justice to them, earning her the title of a vigilante. Initially taking concern, I brushed the incidents aside, and continued my business. Even if there was some concern over a Vorox having escaped Nynrah, I could always pass her off as a generic, manufactured bioweapon; I already had the likes of Minion and Airwatcher operating in broad daylight, after all. Sometime later, a client requested the destruction of a Vahki squad investigating a series of crimes that they were responsible for, hoping to cover their tracks- Something involving severe negligence that led to the unnecessary demise of several workers, many of them children.

Thus, I sent in Emago and a partner infamous for having slain his parents over some petty disagreement, and sat back, expecting my payment to arrive any time soon. Emago had proved to be very powerful as did her partner, so a few dismantled Vahki was no high order for them.

The next day, Emago returned with bloodied hands, silent, and with no money at all and a missing partner. Before I could question her, it appeared on the news- how the Vahki squad she was instructed to destroy had inexplicably found all of the necessary evidence to incriminate my client, only to discover said client impaled to death, alongside the body of another unknown Xian that suffered a similar death. Both of their heads had been severed clean and mounted on impromptu plaques.

Two seconds later Emago was dragged before me, and I almost vaporized her on the spot.

However, Ancient quelled my anger just in time, and demanded an explanation. In turn, Emago, without any falteration, coolly explained that her partner and client deserved justice for their actions, being arrogant enough to believe they were above consequence.

Consequence… the word intrigued me, and for a long while I stared into her eyes, considering what to do with her.

Finally, I came to a decision and spared Emago, granting her the codename Primal as a result of her fury and animalistic nature.

Thus, Primal resumed her membership, and began taking missions involving the murder of escapees and horrid beings whom she felt needed to be punished by death… likewise, I’ve learned not to send her with partners or give her clients with less-than-moral ideals and actions, as those usually tend to turn up dead whenever Primal is involved.

As a result of her… unique ideals, many Dark Hunters avoid her, seeing as her quite the black sheep for wanting to punish the criminal despite our infrastructure. Despite her ferocity, however, she seems to take pity on Subterranean somewhat and hang out with the fool from time to time…

Thankfully, Primal’s efficiency and rage as a Dark Hunter ensures the success on every mission I send her on. Of course, should I tire of her eccentricities and find far too little missions that fit her criteria, then her existence will come to an abrupt end, and like her parents and victims before her she shall become yet another trophy, plaque, or display on the mantle-piece. In the meantime, I shall take advantage of her use as much as I can.

Primal is a Vorox hybrid, combining the best of both parents into a perfectly insectoid creature with a centaur-like lower-body consisting of spindly limbs, as well as a bladed scorpion tail. She is unsurprisingly much larger, faster, and stronger than your typical Xian, but also has an unusual ability; Should she lose a limb or suffer a major injury, Primal can simply take the time to molt from her previous form, emerging as a smaller, weaker-shelled version of herself, healed anew... Although vulnerable in the short period of time it takes for her exoskeleton to harden, Primal manages to off-set her weaknesses through sheer ferocity and ability in combat. DNA tests and samples retrieved and studied by Spiriah had him suggest taking in Primal to be studied and potentially dissected, but I see no particular point as her strength lies in her ability and skill, a trait not necessarily genetic. Still, Spiriah believed that while Primal wasn't capable of reproducing as her parents were, her genetic template offered much to learn from, and even hinted at a 'hidden potential', whatever that means. Regardless, I have still kept DNA samples of Primal amidst a gallery of genetic templates from other Dark Hunters, in case I ever feel the need or desire to sell her genetic information to those who wish to clone Primal or create a hybrid from her, for whatever purpose.

Amidst her mutated nature, Primal's true talent lies in her combat ability; She wields a make-shift spear from her time in the Nynrah District, having learned how to hunt and the fight the most powerful prey -but only those who weren't sapient- alongside her parents. As a result of her fierce determination and motivation, Primal is an incredibly powerful and fierce combatant, able to murder several of her partners, clients, and victims, and her skills are among the greatest I have seen of any Dark Hunter, or warrior, for that matter. For her tricky morality, I send her on missions involving the death of the cruel and amoral, usually alone and with well-intentioned clients. Despite this, she will still, in her spare time, actively seek out various targets to murder, making Primal a difficult and frustrating Dark Hunter to control.

Additionally, Primal is armed with a device grafted to her palm that she can paralyze opponents with, but she only ever uses it for emergencies that have 'innocent lives' at stake, preferring to fight with 'honor' and other such inane concepts. Not wanting her own skills to rust and dull -a sentiment I can respect- Primal has chosen not to buy and cook food like a regular Xian, instead opting to hunt for prey; Specifically, those she deems as deserving justice. While some are left alive for the Vahki to interrogate, just about all of Primal's victims have had parts of their bodies removed, stripped and cleaned, and cooked by Primal for her consumption. Her skill and efficiency at her work ensures that Primal is never in want of nutrition, even when one takes into account her greater metabolism, and it's not as if her prey of the wretched scum of Xia is in any shortage, anytime soon. After killing a victim, Primal will usually ritualistically display their corpse as a message, and occasionally even take a 'trophy' -such as teeth, a bone, an article of clothing or a weapon- as a personal trophy to keep on her at all times. Otherwise, however, her tool-set is incredibly minimal, consisting of just her spear, a satchel and bandolier for carrying key items, and her mechanical implant.

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PROTOTYPE

Real Name: Prototype 57

Imagine a soldier that is unable to tire- that can not feel any sort of pain whatsoever. A soldier that doesn’t need to be fed, doesn’t need to breathe, requires no kind of sustenance whatsoever, and has no waste to expel. Such power and advantages is amazing, but indisputably one would have to sacrifice the joys of life in order to achieve such immortality. Thankfully, in the case of Prototype, he has never had these joys and is thus unbothered, with only benefits from his form to receive.

Spiriah discussed this idea with me after hearing a rumor that Roodaka was seeking to create such a soldier. As we considered the possibility, we noted it couldn’t just be a Vahki- those required energy to remain active. We needed something that could move indefinitely, without requiring any sort of sustenance or care…

Eventually, Spiriah was inspired to create something similar, whilst simultaneously pursuing another possibility; if he can add life force to a living thing, why not an inanimate object? Alas, despite his intentions, he was unable to start anywhere without a base object with some life force to add to, for he lacked the ability to infuse energy- only enhance it.

Luckily, I knew of plenty of inanimate objects already infused with life energy- the Masks of Power from Okoto. Contacting Dweller, I had him send me several of these Masks, preferably those made by Ekimu, the superior Mask Maker. Upon receiving the masks from me, Spiriah was delighted, though I refused to disclose the origin of these objects.

Despite this, Spiriah began his experiments, experimenting and adding more energy to several masks in order to create a soul. Though many were hit-or-misses, progress was made, and I continued requesting Masks of Power from Dweller, who managed his best while competing with scavenging agents from the Brotherhood of Makuta, all without being seen. Eventually, Spiriah combined multiple masks and through careful, extensive care, welded them into a massive suit of armor, combining their life energies into one before catalyzing it into a soul.

He continued these various attempts, burning through fifty-six prototypes, until the final, fifty-seventh one, succeeded. Prototype 57 was the first and only living armor that gained proper sentience and was able to move and act as expected. Marking Prototype 57 as his next milestone, Spiriah later wondered the next day if he could take advantage of the concept of turning masks into living armor…

Nevertheless, I took possession of Prototype 57 and recruited him. Though somewhat silent and dimwitted, he nevertheless makes a cooperative Dark Hunter. As a result of his very nature, he’s able to stand guard for an indefinite amount of time, fight ceaselessly without tiring, and chase after a target eternally. His inorganic body, a suit of armor, makes him immune to the weaknesses of the living and venoms. Likewise, his hollow body allows him to carry precious cargo, and his shape as an armor even allows him to function as a moving package to transport prisoners. With his massive, unbridled strength, durability, stamina, and razor-sharp claws, Prototype 57 was able to earn the codename of… Prototype.

I wasn’t feeling particularly creative that day.

Despite his somewhat brooding demeanor and status as a loner, Prototype is a friend of Poison, likely because he’s one of the few beings who won’t be killed by her mere presence. As a result of his form, I often send Prototype on missions involving kidnappings, as his massive form allows him to carry just about any kind of prisoner, and he makes an excellent transporter of important items. His inorganic form allows him to survive hazardous conditions that would kill living beings, so I send him on missions involving these requirements. From time to time, Prototype will allow a partner to wear him, and while they unleash attacks, he absorbs all the damage for them.

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RAVAGER

Real Name: ???

Admittedly, the origins of some of my Dark Hunters means little to me. All I am concerned with its their competence and obedience- otherwise, they might prove to be too much of a thorn in my side, and I will have Eliminator tear their souls apart. However, one in particular is an enigma to me due to the vast potential she offers should I divine the source of her powers, and if I must tear her mind out to access those missing memories, so be it.

What makes Ravager such a charming person, one might wonder? Is it her overwhelming strength, able to cleave entire buildings in half? The speed of the fastest vehicle? Or perhaps her destructive tendencies… how she desires no two bricks to be held together no more, or her feelings that every living being she encounters would be better off dead?

Such charm was discovered when a mysterious, armored knight wielding a strange sword and shield was found wandering along the shores of Xia in a dazed trance. At first, the workers paid no attention- their masters might punish them for getting distracted from their work. However, as the day waned and their efficiency proved them well, a few began eyeing the mysterious knight that was still standing there, until, finally, when the day had ended, one curious Xian ventured forth and asked her who she was and what she was doing there.

As we all know, curiosity loves to kill the cat.

Our little curiosity suddenly snapped awake, and as pure wrath blazed in her eyes, she raised her massive sword and cleaved the worker in half, from head-to-toe, and screamed at the top of her lungs before going on a rampage. The warrior tore apart the work stations and went on a massive run throughout Xia, massacreing everyone in her path and tearing everything apart with her terrible weapons.

Countless Vahki enforcers, brutes, guards, and soldiers were sent in to stop her. All were reduced to their most base components. Rail guns were unleashed, but her shield was able to somehow withstand their devastation before she crushed them. The mysterious knight waded through Xia, leaving a massive trail of destruction unprecedented. Quite a few city blocks were leveled, and the Powers That Be eventually became desperate enough to contact and hire us Dark Hunters to deal with the problem.

Thus, I had my fastest Dark Hunters appear and taunt the mystery being, taunting her before escaping back to the Odina Fortress, luring her there. After all, I reasoned, there was little the knight could do to withstand the full brunt of every Dark Hunter and the various weapons and defenses of our fortress, after all.

There was little she could do… except, well, annihilate nearly a third of the base upon her arrival.

Eventually, after a grueling battle, I had Jailer trap her in a vacuum prison that depleted all oxygen within. Not even the mighty destroyer could live without air, and she eventually succumbed, falling unconscious from her suffocation.

I was paid VERY handsomely, and with Jailer’s assistance I crafted the perfect cell for her and placed her amongst the Annihilation-Class Dark Hunters, deciding to take advantage. When she awoke, the mysterious being attempted to escape, but the prison held, taking gradual damage, and I finally calmed her down enough to communicate.

I offered her a massive amount of wages and a home with the Dark Hunters. Without my protection, she would be hunted down once more, and this time, killed. Only my mercy kept her alive, and I could have her cell suffocate her. She could perform destruction for me as she always did, but with MY leash…

It took a staggering amount of charisma and training, but we finally negotiated with her, and I inducted the knight into the Dark Hunters, dubbing her Ravager, for what else is she? Ravager was kept in her cell for a while, however, as punishment, until further notice, and I am always wary whenever I unleash her to wreak havoc. When I interrogated Ravager for her past, she merely stated she had no memory of it whatsoever, which intrigues me. If I could unlock her memories, I might be able to find or create more beings like her… and at my disposal, I would have an unstoppable army of the likes Xia has never witnessed before. Curiously, the first time she and Devastator encountered one another, the latter seemed to display something almost akin to recognition, as if there was at least something familiar to him about Ravager...

As a result of her omnicidal tendencies, Ravager’s only friend is Inferno, her fellow roommate and the one person she can relate with. Otherwise, all avoid her like the plague. Due to her unrestrained power, she’s only sent on missions involving total annihilation, and is otherwise restrained to her cell, which she occasionally damages in various fits of madness. The more damage to her cell, the more I take out of her pay- what does she need money for, you might ask? Well, due to my restrictions, she can only destroy when a client hires her to do so… in her spare time, she uses her wage to buy various properties, vehicles, and other structures to destroy to quell her boredom.

Heavily armored, Ravager possesses a staggering amount of strength, speed, and durability, being superhuman beyond the extent of any enhanced Xian. She wields a seemingly sentient sword and shield that are able to adjust their strength and size to her opponents, and Ravager is able to seemingly able to move them telekinetically, throwing her weapons, only for them to return. Taking advantage of her strength and her ability to move her weapons with her mind, Ravager is able to summon an unfathomable amount of force to destroy other beings, and her weapons are seemingly indestructible. And as if those abilities weren't already enough, Ravager can also channel a destructive energy power not unlike my eye-beams, enabling her weapons to molecularly tear apart and deconstruct whatever they tear through. No defense, no creation can last before the destructive entropy of Ravager, it seems.

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REBEL

Real Name: Kratakal

I detest disobedience. As the leader of the Dark Hunters, I must assert my authority and dominance, lest I fall to my own troops- assuming they can reach me before Darkness tears me apart for my weakness. Unfortunately, I still possess many Dark Hunters, who display such rebelliousness and are responsible for their membership because of this attribute. Only their usefulness keeps them alive, and I am only able to control them through the promise of the rewards they sought that they knew their previous masters were unable to provide them.

Case in point- One of my most unique Dark Hunters of all time, making a massive impression due to his birthplace; The legendary island of Okoto. Even more intriguing is his creation by a potential enemy of mine…

As Dweller discovered and told me, countless years after the Great Cataclysm, the spirit of Makuta somehow survived and lingered despite the destruction of his body. Based on his observations, he seemed to be crafting some sort of… army of his, starting with a group of his ‘sons’, which he dubbed the Rahkshi.

As Makuta’s spirit began crafting his army, one of his Rahkshi, named Kratakal, proved to be somewhat rebellious and arrogant, desiring fame and glory. Alas, his father denied him these rewards, and eventually, Kratkal escaped the servitude of his creator, bringing with him an army of 'Power Serpents' that he dubbed Kraata after himself, along with a machine necessary to create them.

Sensing an opportunity, Dweller contacted the fleeing Kratakal and offered him a membership amongst the Dark Hunters. Hearing the stories of the world of Xia, Kratakal, fascinated instead of the other way around, complied, and with directions from Dweller headed towards Xia.

Upon his arrival, we warmly welcomed Kratakal to the organization, and I tested out his strength through a battle with Gladiator, and various missions. He performed excellently, and I had seemingly found the perfect source of intel from which to learn about Makuta and his plans…

Except, as Kratakal showed rebelliousness to his father… his defiance carried over to the Dark Hunters.

Kratakal willfully kept his information a secret, despite my attempts to force the secrets out. He often returned from missions having taken money from the amount meant to be delivered to me, and he often looted from objects he was meant to retrieve for others. Often, he defied orders to do whatever he pleased, and openly ignored several of my commands.

Angered, I sent Minion in to punish him accordingly, but Kratakal sent back my servant wounded and defeated. Eventually, I sent Eliminator and Guardian to kill him, but Kratakal defeated them as well. I almost went forward to kill him myself, but his usefulness proved genuine, even if his disobedience was becoming painful.

When Kratakal approached me, pompously hoping to gain a codename for his achievements, I gave the name of Rebel as a reminder. In turn, Kratakal kept the name as a medal of honor, but then insisted on using his real name simply to irritate me. Even worse, he refused to let me access his army of Kraata, and all attempts to seize them have ended with dead Dark Hunters.

Kratakal quickly realized his tendency as a showboat, and desiring fame and glory, became a TV show host, starting several shows and becoming an insanely popular celebrity amongst the Xians. Multiple times I have tried to have him killed, even on live television, and each time his impervious hide of Bohrok armor has saved him.

As a result of his glorious, showboat personality, Kratakal has amassed a legion of followers and fans and will openly talk back against me. Currently, the only reason he has not been officially kicked from the organization and declared an all-out enemy of the Dark Hunters is due to the fact that I am able to occasionally negotiate and ally with him, making deals and having him do favors… ultimately, however, I intend to have him DEAD. And he will be- when I deem his usefulness stagnant and the time calls for it. For now, I keep up with his petty desire for fame and glory and his outright defiance, but begrudgingly.

A rebellious, defiant, and over-the-top showboat, Kratakal desires fame and glory, and revels in his status as Xia’s only celebrity. He hosts countless TV shows and owns multiple brands modeled after him, and likewise has many workers and servants, almost making him a rival to me. Furthering this, he has an army of Kraata, each with countless, various powers. Kratakal himself is a large armored being, and at his core is a single Kraata that acts as his soul, from which he enhances its powers to his own effect. Should this Kraata be damaged or use up, he’ll replace his soul with a new one, his mind bonded to his armor. Equipped with wings, a tail, and claws, Kratakal is made of bohrok, making him impervious to nearly every attack I have thrown at him. He often wields a sword and rail-gun in combat, and thanks to his various Kraata can access multiple powers, though only one at a time.

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SAVAGE

Real Name: Bohma

Legends have it that inside all of us, there exists an ancient, primal beast… an instinctual urge to kill, the desire to ravage and tear everything apart. Dark Hunters such as Primal and Ravager have cemented my belief in this core being, and to take full advantage of the beast inside all of us, I unleash it from the depths of Savage’s soul.

Having witnessed multiple beasts and bio weapons in action, I had a desire to create a Dark Hunter like them, only stronger and more intelligent than my faithful Hordika Dragons. Thus, I offered to make do with a person Roodaka was displeased with through a horrible fate, and agreeing, she sent me a detective named Bohma. Detective Bohma had been quite the thorn in her side due to his insistence on uncovering all of Xia’s corruption, as if no one knew it existed. Many of these underhanded deals were facilitated by Roodaka, and although she did not fear Bohma, she felt he needed to be made an example of.

So, my Dark Hunters seized him and dragged him back to the Odina Fortress, where I subjected him to countless Viruses that twisted and mutated his body until he was completely unrecognizable. Now a massive, ebony-furred beast resembling a hunched-over, vaguely humanoid cross between a bear and a wolf, I had Bohma tamed and trained. As a result of the Viruses, his mind regressed, though he is still able to think and plan somewhat.

Armed with massive claws on his right hand and a self-reloading rocket launcher grafted to his left arm, I tested out Bohma’s newly enhanced sense of smell, and surely enough, he was able to track an escapee all the way across Xia and dismember them. With his massive strength, speed, jumping ability, and durability, I had him paired up with Tracker in order to take full advantage of his sense of smell.

As a result of his success and bestial mind, I dubbed Bohma with the codename of Savage, for what else is he now? Now, Savage often spends his alone time locked up and huddled in his cell next to the Hordika Dragons. Should we want someone dead, we gather a sample of their scent and present it to Savage, before opening the gates and getting out of his way as soon as possible. Usually within the span of the day, Savage will have had them torn apart. Those who hire him must take my word of his success, as the corpses of his victims are mutilated and unrecognizable, and he has occasionally even eaten them completely. His primal state has had many Dark Hunters consider him an animal and not a sentient being, and he is infamous for having taken down a massive fortress alongside Tracker, a frequent partner of his who uses his smell to assist in missions.

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SEEKER

Real Name: UP-VK 33

Often, many will join the Dark Hunters in pursuit of their own selfish goals and desires, just as I had kickstarted the group for my own gain. Many of them use the resources and alliances in the organization to help them accomplish a certain life-long task, and upon completeing it, may feel they have no need for the organization, that the Dark Hunters are of… no use to them, and that they can leave. Truly, these beings are pitiable, and one of the most saddening to watch is Seeker, and for his sake I hope he lacks the arrogance to attempt to leave once he accomplishes his goal.

A specially-built and upgraded Vahki model coded as UP-VK 33, he was programmed to stand guard for an enhanced supercomputer code that supposedly could be used to perform incredibly powerful tasks… or perhaps it was a super weapon? Or an energy source? The stories differ, but whatever it was, it was incredibly valuable and precious, and as ordinary Vahki were deemed insufficient, an upgraded model was manufactured. Over time, however, UP-VK 33 gained sapience… whether because his programming was more advanced than expected, or as a possible result of the artifact he was guarding, that is left uncertain. Regardless, UP-VK 33 grew a desire to possess the artifact, until it suddenly disappeared without a trace one day.

For his failure, UP-VK 33 was set to be scrapped in order to create another generation of Vahki, but he rebelled and escaped, searching all over Xia for the Artifact, until he finally joined the Dark Hunters, hoping to take advantage of our resources to accomplish his goal. Seeing his use, I welcomed him, and had him prove his loyalty by performing several missions.

For his success and motives, I labelled him as Seeker, and permitted him more freedom on which missions he performed. Personally, I am intrigued on this Artifact which Seeker desires, and should he somehow retrieve it, I will undoubtedly pry it from his hands, be they cold or active. I do not know what it is, but whatever this artifact, this ‘secret’ was, it’s valuable enough that Seeker would rather be scrapped than disclose its identity… not that he would permit such murder on his life so easily, anyway. Indeed, shortly after he joined the Dark Hunters, Seeker was put under fire by various bounty hunters, mercenaries, organizations, and other groups and individuals who seemed interested in him, in the secret he guarded… each time they were either killed or else interrogated, but those who were found had all been sent by another and did not know the truth.

As a result of his similar motives for joining the Dark Hunters, Seeker and Mimic often get together to discuss their goals in life, their dreams, etc., and prefer to use each other as partners. Likewise, Seeker often pesters Tracker to help him find the Artifact, but per my orders she refuses, as I’d prefer to prolong Seeker’s usefulness as long as I can. Seeker prefers to take missions that take him places he’s never visited before, out of a vain hope that he’ll eventually stumble across the Artifact and claim it.

As an upgraded Vahki model, Seeker was programmed with special functions, namely his ability to cause powerful tremors. Equipped with four legs, each have a seismic jack-hammer that he can plant into the ground to kickstart powerful quakes. Additionally, Seeker was given a special staff that could further enhance and cause these massive vibrations, and when using all five of his shockers in tandem, Seeker is able to cause entire structures to crumble. For this, I often send him on missions involving destruction, though he lacks the range necessary to classify him as an Annihilation-Class Dark Hunter. As a result of his programming, Seeker is able to view the world in infrared, thermal, and various other visions, and so he makes an excellent guard. Due to his mechanical nature, he is mostly resistant to Eliminator’s soul-targeting attacks, and is immune to poisons and other forces hazardous to the living, though anything else can still be used to cause sufficient harm.

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SHADOW STEALER

Real Name: Umarak

Though Dark Hunters such as the likes of Conjurer love to boast of having magic, and others such as Ghost seemingly invoke the forces of the supernatural, none of them are truly of this nature. All are of natural physics and science, real life, grounded forces that can be dissected, understood, and analyzed. Never has there been a truly supernatural member of the Dark Hunters, until Dweller stumbled upon one in none other than Okoto, the world of the strange and the soul. Thus, I received a Dark Hunter of mythical origins, and one of my strongest and most dangerous, even to me.

Legend has it that there exists a primordial force that existed prior to even Okoto, the Shadows. Those who seek to defy the shadows' desire to spread and propagate are deemed enemies of the darkness, and when the fabled Elemental Deities chose to stem the tide of darkness, the shadows needed their own champion to defeat them.

Thus, they birthed the Spirit of Darkness, Umarak. In the Okotan tongue, his name means Shadow Hunter- a deadringer for my Dark Hunters, perhaps not coincidentally. Umarak challenged the Deities and almost overwhelmed them, but after a brutal war, the Elemental Deities opted to create a new island of Okoto and bury Umarak beneath it, trapping him beneath several miles of bedrock. Trapped and seething between the old and new Okoto, Umarak succeeded in leeching off a portion of his essence and fusing it with a tree, creating a severely weakened, yet still optimally powerful body for himself, the Hunter. Armed with his pack of Shadow Traps, Umarak the Hunter now has one purpose- to drain the Elemental Deities of their power and use that strength to raise a Shadow Horde to raze Okoto to the ground, freeing the Darkness Below and allowing him to consume the world at full strength.

After the Great Cataclysm, Umarak had sensed the presence of Dweller after my spy attempted to scan Umarak's mind and confronted him, cornering my faithful Dark Hunter. Hearing of the tales of Xia, he traveled over to the island using the power of shadows, surprising me as he appeared in my very own throne room.

Recovering from my shock, I demanded to know who he was, and he explained his purpose. Umarak declared that although he needed no assistance from my Dark Hunters, he was intrigued in the missions it offered and the world of Xia, and wanted to become a member and perform missions in his spare time.

Having an Okotan Deity at my own disposal was a brilliant tactic, and I carefully accepted. For his obvious strength, I instantly dubbed him Shadow Stealer, due to his origins and purpose. Shadow Stealer returned to Okoto, going back to gradually draining the Elemental Deities of their power. Ever since, he often appears on Xia from time to time to perform a mission out of boredom and curiosity, and with Dweller updates me on the happenings of Okoto, alongside his progress on the Elemental Deities. To my dismay, he has yet to lend me any of his Shadow Traps for study or any other purposes, even after a potential rival of mine, Makuta, began capturing a few for his own experiments.

Personally, I am wary of Umarak. I know full and well of his strength and intentions, and how he sees the Dark Hunters as a mere hobby that, should he become bored of it, he might annihilate for fun. Shadow Stealer is not a mere pawn, but a powerful ally, and so I am careful in my interactions with him, and cautious. He is enormously powerful and skilled, rivaling Devastator in terms of strength, and will take on the most difficult and lethal missions, always completing them in record time. Due to my inability to control him, he is both a wild card and my secret ace in the hole, should I declare war on the growing Brotherhood of Makuta, Roodaka, or anyone else. Because of Shadow Stealer’s very nature, he is rather cold and callous towards Xians in general and thus apathetic of his fellow Dark Hunters, who wisely avoid him.

As the Spirit of Darkness, Shadow Stealer is the true master of his element, able to manipulate it to full force, and likewise use the power of Shadow Travel to move from point to point almost instantaneously- as a result, he frequently visits Xia, unlike his fellow partner Dweller. Armed with massive strength, speed, and durability, Shadow Stealer is armed with a bow and unparalleled hunting skills, allowing him to track down and capture the Elemental Deities. He is capable of absorbing the life force of others, and has an army of hound-like Shadow Traps at his disposal that can disable opponents by concentrating their soul in a single area, rendering the rest of their body immobile. Shadow Stealer is able to sense the darkness in others, and is an enigma amongst all of Xia. Shadow Stealer has virtually no weaknesses, being able to shrug off the attacks of Eliminator. I have seen attempts at using Light or something like that to deter Umarak, but flashbangs and other sources merely annoy him, and even the most advanced methods do nothing. Amidst all of his power, Umarak is also incredibly cunning, a skilled combatant and hunter capable of utilizing guerilla warfare tactics to gradually whittle down even the legendary Elemental Deities over time into a fragment of their former strength. 

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SHAPE SHIFTER

Real Name: Triglax

The paranoia of knowing the Dark Hunters are after you has driven many a weakling insane, even moreso knowing they could be anywhere… hidden in the shadows, watching from the light itself, or else invisible. From a mile away they could be watching you, and they can even be concealed as the people you know and trust.

My competent, albeit strong-willed Dark Hunter Shape Shifter embodies all of these traits and is an expert in instilling this sort of paranoia in others. Originally a willful slave I bought for an experiment, I exposed Triglax to countless Viruses, until I finally achieved my goal; a being able to change shape and form at will.

Triglax quickly proved his strength and ability by going on various missions and coming back, successful. As time went on, he learned to explore his abilities to the fullest, and for this I have dubbed him Shape Shifter. A natural chameleon, Shape Shifter is somewhat willful and considered a bit of a snob to other Dark Hunters, who dislike him for his tricks, with the exception of Conjurer and Ghost. Unfortunately, Shape Shifter has often disobeyed my will by looting from riches I contracted him to bring me, much to my dismay… as punishment, I have frequently had Lariska sever more than a few limbs from him, although his shape shifting allows Shape Shifter to recover from the wounds as if they never occurred. The memories of the pain and agony, however, will always remain dear to him…

Possessing the legendary power of shape-shifting, Shape Shifter can take on virtually any kind of form with any kind of power, making him an expert on virtually every kind of mission and task, from infiltration to impersonation. I have tricked many into deeding their riches and property to the Dark Hunters by having Shape Shifter impersonate a business partner or the person themselves. Shape Shifter’s main limitation, however, is the inferiority of his forms- all of them are invariably weaker than the true ones, and so to compensate he assumes countless forms per battle in order to surprise and overwhelm opponents. Likewise, he is somewhat unskilled with using different powers and has never quite gotten used to any of his forms, and is clumsy in the guise of something non-humanoid.

I often have Shape Shifter spy on unsuspecting Dark Hunters to ensure their cooperation and loyalty. Rumors of this have spread, so many warn each other not to talk too carelessly, for Shape Shifter might be listening… naturally, he loves the fear this causes, and Shape Shifter’s pranks make him one of the less popular Dark Hunters.

Attempts to replicate others like him have, unfortunately, failed. Such is not only the volatile and unpredictable nature of Viruses, but also the fact that some people simply possess a drive, a will, or some other attribute that others lack... Regardless, reports from Dweller have alluded to the existence of a legendary 'Rahi', named Krahka, whose abilities are not only similar to Shape Shifter's but even more potent. Unfortunately, she has also been frequently hunted down by Umarak as part of his attempts to preserve various Rahi before he razes Okoto, so her overall distrusting nature and Shadow Stealer's affiliation with me make things... complicated.

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SILENCE

Real Name: Taefe Daut

Although I could simply kill all of my targets by unleashing the likes of Devastator, Inferno, and Ravager, such a mentality is clumsy and foolish. Murder should not be confused with mere mass destruction, as it often requires a kind of special, unique subtlety and stealth that most Dark Hunters lack… thankfully, to subvert this, I have my faithful assassin Silence to carry out my more discreet kills.

A regular Xian lawyer named Taefe Daut, Taefe held a secret side job of performing murders and assassinations, alongside infiltrations of that sort. He was of a decent success, but not enough to grab my attention like Lurker did. However, one day, Taefe was caught infiltrating a fortress in the hopes of assassinating the target within. He was captured, and almost executed, until Shape Shifter, who had been sent on an identical mission and was posing as one of the guards, let him out of his cell and brought him to the Odina Fortress.

I offered Taefe a job amongst the Dark Hunters and enhancements to dramatically increase his efficiency, and he agreed. Subjecting him to multiple Viruses, I gave Taefe the ability to project a field of silence with a radius of a few feet- those outside could not hear what was occurring inside, and vice-versa. To allow him to hear both inside and outside his field, Jailer crafted a special helmet for Taefe.

Now a covert assassin and kidnapper, I have given Taefe the name of Silence. Due to being unable to be heard, Silence can ambush nearly anyone so long as they aren’t looking in his direction, able to run towards them as loudly and clumsily as he pleases without a worry in the world. He is armed with retractable blades in his sleeves and a silenced pistol for quick assassinations, but after realizing the full potential of his abilities, has also gone around wielding massive, heavy weaponry with destructive power, from shotguns, to rail-cannons, and so forth. One of his favorites is a device designed by Jailer; The Disintegrator, a large cannon with capturing claws that he can latch onto targets from behind, restraining them as the cannon begins its process of disintegrating them. Despite his rather thin frame, Silence is able to carry such weapons around with little effort, and is able to perform covert assassinations on incredibly durable targets who otherwise could not be taken out by a mere bullet or a slit throat, but something more akin to a bomb.

Silence also makes an excellent kidnapper, able to sneak up on a victim and with a choroform rag knock them out. Any struggling will be unheard thanks to his field of silence, and if the situation requires it, his gloves can administer a paralyzing shock. Despite his efficiency, surprising amount of strength, and skill, especially when others are able to distract a target for him, Silence is a poor fighter. His tactic consists of doing the job as quickly as possible- in a direct physical confronation, he will surely fall.

Polite, reserved, and dressed in a suit and tie, many refer to Silence as ‘that evil lawyer’, which is an honestly accurate description. Silence secretly loves to terrify those he’s sent to receive daily payments from, but he nevertheless maintains a calm, business-like air and demeanor. Being one of the few polite mercenaries, Silence is often invited by fellow Dark Hunters to the occasional party at the Odina Fortress, the hang-out at the sauna, etc. For his suave attitude, I occasionally use him as a recruiter if Ancient is busy.

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SPINNER

Real Name: Karra Guthrie-Bicardi

Some refer to us Dark Hunters not simply as amoral and cruel, but as straight-up villains. Personally, I fail to see why I should deny this claim out of some misguided sense of gray morality- we pillage, murder, sabotage, and perform heinous acts. Although the world is not divided into black and white as some might claim, in the end, there is no denying our status as ‘villains’, and we proudly flaunt it. And yet, despite this, we still manage to find plenty of enthusiastic recruits, even amongst our natural enemies, the ‘heroes’ and ‘good guys’.

Case in point, Karra Guthrie-Bicardi, a member of a now-dead organization of voluntary heroes known as the Volunteer Militia. Those young fools aspired for peace and somehow believed in the inherent 'goodness' of Xians. Together they paraded around, fighting against various threats out of a sense of pathetic duty, taking no charge to protect the people from various threats, be it thugs, Dark Hunters, unleashed bio weapons, and so forth. They proved a temporary thorn in my side, but ultimately they fell just like anyone else, and I even gained a living 'trophy' of sorts from them thanks to Gatherer and Lurker.

Of the 'heroes' of the Volunteer Militia was Karra Guthrie-Bicardi, renowned for her unique fighting style that resembled a spinning breakdance. While she genuinely wanted to perform heroic acts, she also indulged in the fame and glory it gained her perhaps a bit too much, and she would often perform and flaunt herself off before her adoring fans, accepting gifts, and reveling in her popularity more than the others.

However, one day her team fought against a group of unleashed bio weapons, and in the chaos and confusion, Karra was wounded and fell down a massive, seemingly endless pit. Her screams were the last thing her friends heard before she seemingly died.

In reality, Karra had survived, but barely, having broken nearly every bone in her body, bleeding, bruised, and with multiple punctured organs. In undending pain and agony, she waited, unable to cry out, for her friends to rescue her… however, the other members of her team assumed she had died and left her to her doom, reporting the incident to the rest of the Volunteer Militia.

Ultimately, it was Ancient who found her, wounded, at the bottom of the rocky pit and brought her back to the Odina Fortress to be nursed back to health. Taking advantage of her vulnerable state, I whispered lies to Karra, telling her that her teammates were jealous of the admiration Karra received, and that they thought she was too interested in glory to matter to the cause.

Fueled by bitter rage, humiliation, and regret, I convinced Karra to join the Dark Hunters, promising that as long as she proved herself, she would always be welcomed amongst us. She agreed, and with the enhancements of multiple Viruses, we turned her into an even stronger Dark Hunter.

Having been hired to kill members of the Volunteer Militia by Roodaka, we sent out Karra to take her vengeance, and she did, brutally murdering all of her fellow teammates. However, even as the last one bled out, she explained to Karra that they thought she had died, and tearfully noted how sad they were for their foolishness and what had happened to Karra, before dying.

Crushed and realizing the truth of my deceptions, Karra returned to the Odina Fortress. I half-expected her to either betray me or commit suicide, but instead she shut herself in, and days later, emerged, a broken warrior, cynical of the ways of the world and viewing everything pessimistically… in other words, a person who saw the world for exactly what it is.

Bitter and full of regret, Karra came to accept her fate, despite what I’d done to her, and resigned to her job, continued performing missions. For her success and newfound wisdom I declared her Spinner, due to her unique fighting style, replacing her old codename of Green-Bio. A bitter and cynical Dark Hunter, Spinner despises society and expects the worst from them, loathing Xia with all of her shattered heart. Despite this, she seems to have formed a group of friends with the likes of Lurker, Poison, and Prototype, likely choosing not to be picky after having acknowledged the true nature of us beings. From time to time, she has discussions with Guardian concerning loyalty, ever since her betrayal of her friends, and Spinner will get into heated arguments with Primal on whether or not Xia is worth saving.

Slim, agile, and quick, Spinner is able to attack in a frenzied spinning-style of fighting, surprising her opponents and catching them off guard as she uses her momentum to her advantage. As a result of our alterations, she has mechanical enhancements to make her more flexible and agile, and the ability to instill vertigo and dizziness in others by making eye contact for about a second. Spinner has the ability to poison the air with nausea-inducing breath, and she wields a pair of bladed staffs of which she can channel her energy through, inducing motion sickness and loss of balance in those she strikes. If she charges her attacks enough, Spinner can also induce comas in her victim, though this is a risky move that can backfire on her.

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SUBTERRANEAN

Real Name: Seise Nuukor

Even amongst the ruthless Xians, prejudice is not completely devoid nor absent. Occasionally a person will be mocked for their deformity, usually by the more arrogant members of the upper class, though sometimes all will uniformly shun a single, unfortunate being, a particular freak. The bitterness and sadness is then easily harvested by yours truly to grow into the wrath and hatred of a Dark Hunter.

My favorite example of this method was a construction worker named Seise Nuukor. A member of the lower class, Seise fought hard to provided for his wife and children, working in brutal, dark, and unbreathable conditions, helping to mine tunnels in the Voymari District, all for his precious family.

As to be expected of a lower-class worker, working conditions were neglectful and often dangerous, and there were virtually no safety procedures. One day, while mining a tunnel underneath a lab, a dynamite explosion went off too early, too close to Seise. Momentarily dazed and deaf from the blast, Seise sat down to recuperate, closing his eyes to ignore the pain. In the several minutes that he did this, the tunnel began to collapse, rendered unstable due to careless design.

There was no big warning given out- workers who realized this merely ran off, and the smart ones noticed, asked, and escaped. Even then, a few were still trapped when the foreman sealed the tunnel, too neglectful to ensure everyone had gotten out, and Seise was among those who were trapped.

Even as scientists rushed out of the lab above, it collapsed, spilling its contents into the tunnel below. Everyone else trapped with him was crushed to death- Seise, however, barely survived, wounded and pinned underneath several piles of rubble, most limbs crushed to a bloody mush. Even as he wasted around in agony, the chemicals of the lab all mixed together and poured directly on top of poor Seise, hideously mutating and altering his already damaged and stretched body…

Two days later, another team was cleaning out the rubble. Poor infrastructure meant the Nuukor family was unaware of Seise’s supposed death. However, as the rocks cleared, a… thing emerged. Some sort of slimy, bubbling, serpentine blob, with mismatched limbs and a crumpled face, flexible spines, towering over everything, resembling an amalgamation of one’s worst nightmares.

Amazingly, the creature, Seise, somehow retained his ability to speak, even if his physical form had dissolved entirely. Seise tried to say hello, to reach out- but everyone reacted with fear and attacked with full force, even as Vahki were sent in to detain and/or kill what seemed to be some unleashed bio weapon. Seise tried to reassure everyone, to communicate, but no one would listen in their fear. When a Vahki struck him, he tried to push it aside, only for the slime from his body to dissolve the mechanical officer into a pile of mush.

People screamed even more, and hurt and wounded, Seise escaped, hiding underground in the sewers to recuperate. Alas, even this action made things worse, as he inadvertently poisoned the water supply of the neighborhood, and a bounty was placed on his head, with only one direction- Killing him.

As you can imagine, us Dark Hunters seized the tasks for ourselves, and Tracker found Seise hiding underground. Though repulsed, as Seise was far uglier than anything she’d seen in the Odina Fortress to date, Tracker managed to muster the restraint to not kill and instead talk to Seise. Shocked, Seise thanked Tracker for her compassion, and noting his abilities and status as an outcast, Tracker offered to not kill Seise, but rather, recruit him into the Dark Hunters.

Realizing he had no choice and would always be rejected by all others, Seise agreed. With caution, we brought Seise back to the Odina Fortress, and I inducted him into the organization. In return for his service, Seise had only one request- for me to send all of his wages and pay to his family in secret, knowing they might never accept him, but still desiring to care for them anyway.

I agreed, and Seise began working with a renewed ferocity and motivation, performing as many missions as possible, piling on massive amounts of money, all of it transferred to his family’s account under an unknown name. Many times, Mrs. Nuukor has attempted to divine the source of this sudden income, and even hired the famed Detective Bohma to find out- but by then, I’d already captured and turned him into Savage.

As a result of the massive amount of missions he will take, ceaselessly and tirelessly, day and night, I rewarded Seise with the codename of Subterranean, due to the location of his mutation and his tunneling abilities, and increased his wage, which in turn only doubled his efforts and motivation. Due to his hideous appearance, Subterranean is quite the sad loner, although the more merciful Dark Hunters, such as Poison and Primal, have offered friendship. However, in his depression, he declines, believing to be too much of a hassle and not worthy of companions.

As a result of his mutations, Subterranean constantly secrets a slime that can dissolve physical matter into a mush, allowing him to burrow underground with ease. Likewise, his massive form gives him greater strength, and his gelatinous body can withstand many physical blows. His flexibility and mismatched limbs make him an unpredictable opponent, and he can hurl blobs of acid at enemies. His eyes are equipped are with powerfully-hypnotic capabilities, capable of shifting into a dance of colors that can place those who look into Subterranean's gaze into a dazed, vulnerable trance.

Due to the explosion that damaged his ear drums and his mutations, Subterranean is incredibly sensitive to sound. Although special devices have been implanted in him to increase his stamina against these, he generally avoids loud noises whenever possible, preferring to live huddled beneath the ground as a result. I send him on missions that involve intimidation, thanks to his horrifying appearance; transportation, as a result of his burrowing capabilities; and destruction, because of his slime. Once, I sent him as an ambassador to perform negotiations with a tribe of bio weapons hiding in Xia’s underground, on the logic that he was one of the few beings uglier than them.

…Those negotiations… could’ve gone… better.

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SWARM

Real Name: Zaktan

Just as I possess Dark Hunters hailing from the natural world itself, such as Airwatcher and Shadow Stealer, I have beings of more twisted origins, and then those of mysterious pasts. One Dark Hunter in particular stands out as so…. Off, yet seemingly normal at first glance, that I can’t help but wonder what he is, though most would call him a Xian. He is a freak of nature, even more so than Subterranean, and he is known as Swarm.

I know little of his origins, except that he was a slave in a bohrok mine, one of the worst kinds of hell imaginable. Having earned a name for himself, Zaktan, he was found by Ancient on a mission that involved the illegal acquisition of plenty of bohrok, and noting something… odd… about Zaktan, brought him along.

As soon as I saw Zaktan with my physical eyes, I could tell something was wrong with him. A superificial glance would deem him as a regular human, but a true look would speak of something twisted and unimaginable, an intense, horrifying gaze in his eyes that spoke of nightmares. Something dark and unfathomable clicked in that skull of his, and it was as if pure evil and rage was stuffed into a human container.

Naturally, I added him into the Dark Hunters.

Seeking to create a special type of Dark Hunter, I exposed Zaktan to multiple Viruses… but they had no affect. Surprised, I added more, but Zaktan remained the same, horribly twisted and vile soul as usual. Confused, I had strains of his DNA isolated and experimented on, to little effect.

Eventually, I gave up, frustrated, and sent him off to do various missions. Zaktan had moderate success, and I soon forgot about him. However, one day, Guardian reported to me that Zaktan had left the Odina Fortress, and suspected he was attempting to defect. Asking for permission to kill him, I forbid her. Having felt especially murderous that day, I decided I wanted to do the task myself, and had Tracker, Savage, and Minion bring him before me. Before they could, however, it seems Zaktan himself had already begun to attempt a coup towards me, allied with other Dark Hunters such as Blaster, Adapter, Ghost, and Vezok/Vezon. Their brief, uncharacteristic rebellion immediately fell apart when they got lost in the Odina Fortress' changing corridors, and they were all captured.

When the shackled Zaktan appeared alongside his fellow conspirators, I explained to him the dangers of treason and cowardly defection, and before an audience of a few other Dark Hunters I felt the need to warn, such as Jailer, Kratakal, and Shape Shifter, I unleashed my disintegration beams on Zaktan with the full intent to kill.

And then… the unimaginable happened.

Zaktan’s body shuddered and shook, and it suddenly began to twist and crunch as he screamed. His body seemed to ripple, and suddenly flaky wings became sprouting all over his form until, before my very eyes, his whole body dissolved into a mass of frantic insects that flew all around the room, buzzing maniacally as a pile of clothes and shackles crumpled to the floor.

Only an idiot wouldn't realize something was not quite right, and as the insects began to disperse I had Jailer capture all of them, and I waited to see what would happen, hoping to analyze this… thing. To my complete shock, as time passed, the insects, the swarm, it began to seemingly calm, becoming less frantic… and then it began to take shape.

Soon, Zaktan’s silhouette was formed.

And as this continued, with an audience of Ancient, Sentrakh, Lariska, and the above-mentioned Dark Hunters and co-conspirators, the insects combined into a conglomerate, huddling so closely together they seemed to resemble a solid, albeit shifting, physical object, and their color changed to that of Zaktan’s skin, eyes, hair, and so forth, until he sat before me in his prison.

Zaktan had clear shock on his face too, but quickly changed to a grim expression. Nevertheless, I saw all I needed to…

I told Zaktan that if he should attempt to rebel yet again, his existence would certainly come to an end, as I could always stuff the insects he was made up of into a furnace, and, say, turn up the temperature. Jailer released him, and the shuffling Zaktan uncertainly walked out, his form crumbling only to reform, and he left the room.

I dismissed all others, reasoning that the horrors of today were a sufficient example and punishment, and had my four lieutenants remain to have a discussion with them.

All were baffled as to what had happened… I could even sense Darkness’ confusion. We discussed how energy that disassembled atoms turned flesh into a swarm of insects…

It was then that Ancient suggested that, perhaps, Zaktan was simply so twisted, so wrong a being that even physics, even my powers, were warped and twisted by his soul. It sounded ridiculous at first glance, but I nodded in agreement.

Still… just in case, I reattempted the same process on others. I exposed a fool to the same Viruses and tried out my eye beams. Instead, their essence was scattered.

I tried again, with slaves from the same mine Zaktan was found in. They, too, all died.

In the meantime, Zaktan learned to control his new body, able to take the form of his old body, but if need be, disperse into a swarm of voracious insects that could tear apart foes. Despised as a freak and loner, he was avoided, and even Subterranean has admitting to being scared of him. Eventually, Zaktan became so feared and successful that I dubbed him Swarm due to his nature, and even now, beings accuse him of being a twisted demon from Hell itself, hence his warped soul and the strange twisting of the effects of my powers.

At night, I sometimes even wonder… perhaps Swarm really IS a twisted demon from Hell… perhaps the tunnel Ancient found him working in was an entrance to Hell itself, after all…

Being a swarm of insects, Swarm is able to disperse himself and attack from countless angles, and form shapes and objects with his body. Armed with sturdy shells and metallic mandibles, Swarm’s insects can tear apart and devour victims within seconds, crawling into every orifice and clawing their way through. Once, on a mission with Swarm, Jailer left him to interrogate a victim alone. When he came back, Jailer found Swarm, and a pile of unidentified liquid with the victim’s ravaged clothes floating in the middle.

Comprised of males and females, Swarm is able to reproduce at a rapid rate, although often loses insects, meaning his mass is constantly varying between missions. A quiet loner, he often hangs around the darkest corners of the fortress at night. Swarm is able to manipulate the shaping of his insects to create a trio of golden, scissor-like blades from his hands, from which, upon slicing through an opponent, he sends his insects into the wound to further tear it apart. His insects can somewhat change their color through camouflage, enabling Swarm to not only use his abilities for stealth, but to also simulate his original appearance alongside clothing of whatever fashion he chooses. Occasionally, for combat and intimidation purposes, he will even create the appearance of an emerald-skinned, scarlet-eyed demon with horns and spines... Perhaps his 'true form', if he really did come from Hell.

So far, Swarm's horrific mutation and easy defeat seems to have humbled him, but I can tell that his is a naturally-scheming, power-hungry sort. I continue to have others such as Phantom monitor him; Usually I would also employ Ghost in these efforts, but as aforementioned, he was a temporary co-conspirator, and thus I can't trust him with Swarm... Even if I know full and well that Ghost would not hesitate to sell out his 'comrades' in a metaphorical heartbeat.

Chapter Text

TARGETER

Real Name: Vultraz

Collateral damage is a messy thing to work with. Often, precious property is damaged, forcing money to be lost in its reparations, and I have received multiple complaints about this. Likewise, some targets will hide behind barriers and even clients to survive, making it all a general hassle. So, in order to avert this, Spiriah and I created a Dark Hunter that was able to harm only his intended victim; Targeter.

For another grand milestone in his research, Spiriah wondered- since a being of pure life force such as Ghost was able to pass through solid objects, what if he used these same properties to create weaponry that could pass through physical matter, yet only affect the soul- it made sense that intangible matter could interact with itself, no?

And thus, an idea was formed- a Dark Hunter who could attack with their life force, passing through all objects, and even other souls, to attack and harm only a specific soul in mind. For his experiments, I gathered many test subjects, including a young teenager by the name of Vultraz.

Vultraz, already at such a young age, was sentenced to death for the crime of grave-robbing, kidnapping and selling children into slavery, and cannibalism- why he ate his family’s dead bodies when he could’ve gone outside to buy some food, or why his family was all of a sudden dead for him to eat, I wasn’t sure why. Regardless, there was a general consensus of disgust, and he was ordered to be purged.

Luckily, I managed to negotiate with the warden, promising a fate worse than death for the young man. Having heard of the Dark Hunters, he knew I was more than capable of keeping my promise, and apathetic, gave me Vultraz to do with as I pleased, and I handed him as one of many test subjects for Spiriah.

Ultimately, it was Vultraz who would prove to be a success. Grafting a mechanical sentry gatling gun to his spine and soul, Spiriah gave him an additional reservoir of life energy to wield, and taught him to use it. To see if it worked, I had a Dark Hunter I wanted dead tied up behind a glass wall, and ordered Vultraz to kill her without destroying the glass.

Some concentration and a few seconds, and Vultraz unleashed a wave of energy bullets that harmlessly passed through the glass yet ruthlessly tore up the disobedient Dark Hunter, killing her. Gleeful, Spiriah continued the tests, this time having an expendable Dark Hunter acting as the barrier, with the task of killing the one behind, not the one in front.

Just like last time, Vultraz succeeded.

He was deemed a success, Spiriah gave a toast to his own genius mind, and I hired Vultraz as a Dark Hunter, as he was the kind of person I needed- willing to do any sort of heinous crime in exchange for money. Vultraz was a crook, a thief, a liar, and a murderer, sadistic and believing himself above consequences, though I would always be there to remind him otherwise. The irony of it all was palpable; Someone who did not care about the consequences and damage, now had an ability that allowed him to bypass them entirely, created specifically to avoid the things he was so apathetic towards!

I sent Vultraz on multiple missions to kill others, all of them highly successful. For this, he became Targeter, due to his ability to seek out and harm a specific soul in particular. Due to his penchant for money, Targeter would often be bribed by other fellow Dark Hunters to perform certain tasks for them, and was even paid in a rallied attempt to kill Eliminator- otherwise, he had no real motive to do so.

Due to love his of money, I realized Targeter was prone to willingly betraying the organization for it, and occasionally even spared his intended victims when offered a greater sum of cash. Although this proved to be profitable to me as well, I’ve noted the dangers of such behavior and so had to remind him multiple times the potential consequences of treachery, such as the time I nailed him to the front of the Odina Fortress by impaling his palms and feet.

As a result of his willingness to do anything for the right price, Targeter could work with the most vile of Dark Hunters, and would no doubt have gotten along just fine with the likes of Lurker. He would also occasionally work to con others for their pay- due to this, Subterranean disliked the stories of him for lacking an integrity when it comes to honest, hard work. Targeter also had very selective and expensive tastes and was a picky eater, hence why he never chose to eat the flesh of others ever again. Nevertheless, I was certain that, as long as the threat of unimaginable agony and the prize of greater wages was hung before Targeter’s eyes, he would remain within the organization.

So imagine my shock when he DID betray the Dark Hunters, not out of greed, but rather… compassion.

Or something along those lines, I suppose- apparently, Targeter, while out on a mission, had met someone. His mission was long-term, and after a period of time he returned, seemingly shocked. He handed in my share of the pay, and then left his behind, seemingly not caring for it.

Noting it to be rather unusual of him, I had Ghost keep an eye. Ever since that mission, Targeter was never the same… he didn’t act nearly as cold and callous and wasn’t as swayed by money, if at all. Although this gave him approval by some such as Guardian, who thought he had changed for the better, I myself had a feeling something would turn wrong…

Surely enough, Targeter returned from his missions with less pride and took on less tasks, until one day, he disappeared. Unsurprised, I had Guardian, Savage, and Minion go after him, with the aid of Eliminator, one of the few beings able to defend against Targeter's attacks. Their trail ended at the docks of the Stelt District, and then, shortly afterwards, Shadow Stealer casually noted that Targeter had asked him quite a bit regarding the fabled island of Okoto…

I gave Dweller a simple order- kill on sight.

Months later, Targeter was reported to have been sighted on Okoto, underneath a new name, Narmoto. I almost had Dweller emerge from his hiding place to outright kill him, almost commanded Shadow Stealer to bring me his head… but then, when the Skull Spiders attacked the Mega-Village of Tawahi in the Region of Fire, Narmoto used his abilities to take out many of them, and he was hailed as a hero.

It didn’t take long before, disregarding the fact that his past was unknown (Targeter claimed he was the child of bold yet foolish Okotans who had left Tawahi to live their own lives before dying, not an unprecedented incident), Narmoto was declared the next Protector of Fire in training. And it was THEN, that I realized… perhaps Targeter still had his uses, after all. Perhaps he still had people I could pull his strings with, just as Mimic and Subterranean do…

Who knows…? Perhaps I could use Targeter as my first stepping stone towards total control of Okoto. In the meantime, I laid back, and told Dweller to wait, though I know even now that Targeter desperately searches for Dweller, seeking to kill his final tie to Xia. Now, he has been crowned the Protector of Fire, and if I use him well, I may be able to lay my hands on the Masks of Creation, Control, and the fragments of the Mask of Life…

Armed with a special sentry gatling gun infused to his spine, Targeter, as his name implies, is able to seek out a specific soul to harm. Once he is locked and loaded, he can unleash a barrage of energy blasts that pass through all souls and objects, leaving them unharmed, only damaging physical objects his victim’s soul is within. This allows him to easily slay victims who attempt to hide behind clients, hostages, and physical barriers- many have been killed expecting to find safety behind cover, only to fail. As a result, I often sent Targeter out on missions that required minimal collateral damage, and those who escape into crowds emerged dead. However, Targeter’s abilities also provide disadvantages- he is unable to harm soulless machines and objects, meaning his attacks will not repel nor cancel out incoming attacks. Likewise, he can only focus on one soul at a time, thus rendering him vulnerable when he fired. Thus, I often partnered him with others just in case, and when working in tandem with Prototype is unstoppable. For basic melee defense on his own, Targeter also wielded a pair of bladed tonfas.

It seems that since his arrival on Okoto, Targeter has lost his sentry gatling gun. What happened, I do not know, but a wide variety of threats exist on Okoto anyway, ranging from Skull Spiders, to its legendary animals and even the Rahi. Perhaps a chance encounter led to his gun's destruction and removal; Regardless, it seems as if Targeter has since replaced his old weapon with a gatling gun passed down amongst Protectors of Fire, with the altered nature of his soul allowing him to replicate his old abilities. Okotans' questions to this have had a simple answer, of 'Narmoto' simply having something 'special' about him that he does not know how to explain, like many other phenomena, beings, and even demigods in Okotan history. It seems the villagers that he so foolishly protects are inclined to believe this, but Dweller and I know the truth all too well, and as long as Targeter continues to wield his abilities for whatever purposes, heroic or otherwise, the truth of them will continue to haunt him forever- Or at least until he inevitably dies by my will.

Chapter Text

TRACKER

Real Name: Tahnu

Due to the infamous ruthlessness and success of many of my codenamed Dark Hunters, many Xians have spent every effort into completely disappearing should an enemy of theirs hire an assassin, making missions far more difficult when my mercenaries can not even find their target. I do not complain- Such Xians know to fear my organization, and those who can see to their survival will know better than to oppose me. Nevertheless, deaths make up a massive percentage of Dark Hunter income, and when my mercenaries can not instill these demises, I am left penniless in this department- thus, to avert this, I have my faithful seeker (no, not THAT Seeker), Tracker.

Tracker is an eccentric, contradictory Dark Hunter. Her inhuman appearance alone makes her stand out amongst other Xians and raises the attention of the Vahki, who suspect her of being an escaped Vorox from the Nynrah District. Sometimes Tracker is one; Other times, she was a member of an oppressed tribe who inherited their skills of seeking, only to be cast out by them for weakness, or instead she cast them out to maintain her strength. Other times Tracker has claimed that she was always like this, inexplicably born a monster and cast out by her parents or made by the Nynrah Ghosts, or else mutated by rogue Visorak Spiders, experimented upon by the criminal Karzahni… One particularly outlandish story of hers postulates that Tracker was the personal ex-girlfriend of Roodaka, before being mutated by her Rhotuka, and THEN broken up with… Some Dark Hunters like to joke that ALL of Tracker’s stories are, somehow, true. While certainly not a human Xian due her gray, amphibious appearance and anatomy, the exact nature of Tracker’s being is unknown. I can not say for certain whether she is a manufactured bioweapon, a mutated Vorox, or something else; Tracker’s stories on the subject are multipled, varied, and frequently contradictory.

All I know for sure is the certainty of Tracker’s skills, and that her name was Tahnu when she joined us. Tahnu initially sprung up in the Stelt District, becoming famous for being able to track just about anyone and anything; While I was not entirely certain of these claims, the sudden resurfacing of multiple escaped convicts long-thought dead convinced me. Before I could send out Silence to recruit her, I was pleasantly surprised to see Tahnu arrive at the Odina Fortress of her own volition! Though she fell quickly to Gladiator, I took enough interest to offer an alternate trial of membership- an elusive target of mine, an upgraded Vahki model carrying a chip of great data, had been avoiding my Dark Hunters for a while. I had heard of the legends of her tribe’s seekers and once seen them in action during the War of Six Kingdoms, so I told Tahnu to find me this Vahki- actually destroying and taking its chip could fall to either herself or my own Dark Hunters.

Ecstatically agreeing, Tahnu departed from the Odina Fortress. After requesting certain information and/or samples of evidence from time to time, Tahnu quickly located the Vahki within a week, having discovered it hiding at the bottom of the waters around the Artidax District, equipped with recent aquatic residency modifications. Tracker contacted me of this, and I had Swarm sent in to tear apart certain key mechanisms in the machine, so as to disable its self-destruct sequence before it could activate and thus save the chip.

For her success, I welcomed Tahnu into the Dark Hunters, and gave her a second seemingly impossible task, of which she excelled in. Thus, I gave Tahnu her codename, the simple yet fitting Tracker, and she was welcomed even more warmly into the organization.

Tracker's ability lies in a Rhotuka Launcher grafted to her chest, which enables her to launch a Rhotuka that reflects her soul's unique ability. In order for her Rhotuka to function, Tracker needs something from the target in question; An object in contact with them for a certain period of time is sufficient, an article of clothing is ideal, but an actual part of their body is perfect. With this piece of the target to 'trail' them with, Tracker subjects that piece to her Rhotuka at the site the piece was separated from the target. The Rhotuka absorbs the evidence, and from there begins to float and move through the area in the exact same path and patterns as it would have with the target, had it not been separated.

The Rhotuka proceeds to last indefinitely, hovering through the air as it mimics the exact movements, paths, and placements of the target in real-time; This process cannot be hurried up, meaning targets who haven't been seen for a while take an equally long amount of time to find. However, the process CAN be paused, slowed down, and reversed before speeding up back to the point it left off at.

For as long as Tracker can maintain consciousness, this Rhotuka will indefinitely follow in the footsteps of its target, always right behind them and only dissipating once it comes into contact with its goal. As Tracker cannot hurry up or alter the course of the Rhotuka, this can make missions complicated when the target being tracked has waded through a particularly hazardous area, thus usually necessitating that I grant Tracker a partner to help her with protection, mobility, and so forth. Even more complicated is the fact that Tracker must also be in close proximity of the Rhotuka at all times as well. Tracker often fulfills one role in a mission often involving a partner- usually Savage, and occasionally Minion, though I sometimes have her help Dark Hunters who have trouble finding certain targets, especially ones assigned death by Guardian and Eliminator.

Should Tracker fall unconscious while her Rhotuka is active, it will dissipate entirely, and the trace of her target she is working with will cease to exist. Thus, it is imperative that she does everything in her power to maintain consciousness, although it seems that whatever the nature of her unusual anatomy, Tracker can go for entire weeks at a time without sleep or rest. As I mentioned earlier, the trace of the target in question, depending on how closely related it is to them, can make hunts either straight-forward or finnicky; Objects that were in close contact can confuse Tracker's Rhotuka as they may end up chasing after another person who touched it or even a previous owner. Pieces of clothing tend to more closely follow the articles of clothing they came from, so if the target removed their shirt and abandoned it, the Rhotuka will end up tracking that shirt instead. Body parts are the ideal sample to trace from, but if a target had their limb completely hacked off, then that too can throw off the trail.

It seems that Tracker's Rhotuka operates more on the basis of the soul, although as aforementioned it can still deal with mechanical beings such as Vahki, albeit with less precision and accuracy, and the occasional 'glitch' in which the Rhotuka stalls, skips through sequences, and so forth. Thankfully, even without her Rhotuka, Tracker is a skilled and ingenious detective who can analyze past movements, survey context clues, and consider data to deduce where a target is; Thus, she may not necessarily need to have her Rhotuka catch up to the target -which isn't always guaranteed if the target is always moving and doesn't stop for a long enough period of time- and can simply work with the initial path and data from local sources she was given to figure out the rest.

Of course, she must be cautious when making a conclusion, as immediately rushing to her predicted destination will result in her leaving her Rhotuka behind and causing it to permanently dissipate; Thus, sometimes a second partner is assigned to go ahead of the others to verify Tracker's predictions, while the first maintains their role as a bodyguard. Likewise, she can find 'new evidence' while on her trail, which can lead to Tracker considering either abandoning her current trail in favor of a new, possibly more accurate one, or avoiding this option to avoid following a dead-end. On another note, it seems that those with teleportation abilities can easily make the trail go cold, as Tracker's Rhotuka will naturally teleport beyond her range and cease to exist as a result; Even if she were to predict its sudden movement, she must be nearby at all times regardless and cannot predict her Rhotuka's movements, merely slow it down.

Tracker wields average fighting skills, yet another reason for why I leave the fighting to her partners- Despite this, she still wields a more powerful and refined anatomy than that of a Xian, possessing greater durability, strength, speed, stamina, etc. Due to her surprisingly casual attitude, occasional compassion, and alleged experience with animals and other Vorox, she is able to tame and control Savage and the Hordika Dragons, and for this I have had her round up bioweapons that have escaped from their creators and humble them so as to prevent this incident… or else teach them to escape yet again so that Tracker will be continuously hired and thus paid.

Amidst her contradictory, over-the-top stories, all of which she recounts with what seems to be a genuine honesty, Tracker is overall a very relaxed and generally peaceful individual. She is not much for conflict, preferring to hang back and do the 'casual' work of tracing others' movements, before eventually stepping aside to let her partners do the rest. Tracker is not particularly concerned with morality, viewing her more hands-off approach as just business, with the real atrocities being up to those who apprehend her objectives. That being said, she does not bat much of an eye if someone she succeeded in tracking later ends up dead and at the bottom of a ditch. Her service also comes at an exorbitant price for clients, a policy I very much encourage; Tracker is the only one of her kind, and while her abilities aren't perfect, they are nevertheless so much more potent and accurate than all other known methods that people can't argue with the monopoly she -and I, by extension- has on her trade.

Due to the nature of Rhotuka reflecting unique, individual souls, I have unfortunately been unable to replicate her abilities. At the time of joining, Tahnu claimed that the ‘spirit’ of the land itself tells her of its layout and topography, and the location of objectives; That this 'soul' also contributes to the power of her Rhotuka, and not just her individual identity. Like all of her backstories, I find these claims highly doubtful, not that it makes much of a difference whether or not they are true when the issue of replicating an identity can't be bypassed by mere cloning of DNA samples.

On another note, I have had strict orders to keep Tracker from the likes of Seeker and Mimic as much as possible. The two have already approached Tracker in the past with as much amassed funds as possible, only for me to pay Tracker twice as much for her to sabotage the tracing process by secretly using her Rhotuka on something else, or having another Dark Hunter knock her out in the process of searching. I suppose it doesn't matter too much in Seeker's case, as he doesn't seem to have any traces of whatever he is looking for, and Mimic has mostly relied on clothing and possessions, the former of which is no longer accurate due to Ferri having been changed into a prison outfit long ago, and the latter interfered due to Mimic's own constant proximity to Ferri's possessions out of a sentimental foolishness that has both backfired but also motivated her. Despite having at least some vested interest in Mimic's search, Tracker has little she can do, and if she suspects my sabotage comes not only from a desire to maintain Mimic's placement in my organization, but also an actual hand in Ferri's disappearance, then she will disappear without anyone to ever find her.

Chapter Text

VANISHER

Real Name: ???

I despise thieves- This is a law often commong amonst Xians. You may maim, murder, and injure a person, but to take their own property is to be considered a coward who disgraces the items of the owner with your tainted and pathetic inability to provide money for yourself. I suppose this feeling exposes our true, possessive greed as Xians, more concerned with our possessions than our actual body- yet nevertheless, having someone so cowardly attempt to take what is rightfully mine has often resulted in torture and eventual death, the latter resulting if I am feeling particularly merciful that day.

I came across such a thief, the one that would become Vanisher, attempting to tear into the treasury of the Odina Fortress. Minion had reported briefly sensing a soul before it disappeared in a split second, and though initially dismissing it as his own imagination, had the wisdom and foresight to warn me of this. On alert, I naturally realized this mystery soul’s target, and headed down to the treasury with Jailer by my side, hidden using his latest cloaking technology.

Surely enough, as I inspected the seemingly abandoned area, the would-be thief appeared behind me to strike, only to in turn be caught in Jailer’s trap. As Jailer had anticipated, the thief had the abilities of teleportation, and the moment the thief was inside the prison, he was horribly electrocuted and knocked out.

When they had awoken, the thief was trapped inside a more permanent construct of a prison Jailer prepared, and I interrogated the fool. Although I would normally have killed him on the spot, the very idea that he could teleport and thus evade Minion’s gaze radiated potential. Thus, I offered him a deal- in exchange for his services, he would live- as simply put as it sounds.

With death as his other choice, the thief agreed, and when I interrogated him of the source of his dimensional abilities, he explained he was the failed result of an experiment by the Nynrah Ghosts to travel to other planes of existence, possibly to parallel timelines.

Though at the time his claims seemed to reek of doubt and suspicion, I ultimately took his story in stride and let him free. Thus, I gave him the loot he had attempted to steal as a show of grace of my hand, and sent him on a mission.

The thief quickly used his dimensional abilities to kill his target without them having an idea whatsoever of their impending doom. Impressed by the sudden quickness of his task, I tested him once more, and yet again, another had fallen.

Soon enough, the thief began murdering with ease, and those that realized his intent and purpose made the mistake to believe that so long as they kept an eye on him and maintained a massive distance, they could at least survive for more than a few seconds. All seemed generally well and I felt content, until the Recorder caught the thief talking with a person in the shadows.

When interrogated of this, the thief remained adamant that he was merely discussing with an old friend he knew, of which I asked him of their identity. When he refused to give a straight answer, I halved his pay and had Jailer trap him within a prison that tore a sonic scream into the thief’s ear drums.

He refused to answer even then, and I let him go, expecting him to either crawl back, or else continue the charade, before eventually slipping up out of arrogance and neglect, allowing my agents to pounce when the time was right. I sent various agents to keep track of the thief, whom I dubbed Vanisher for his success and teleportation, and had my minions keep an eye on him.

Each and every time, they all died of ‘mysterious’ deaths. The first was found with his body inexplicably reduced to a pile of acidic mush. The next, ground into the feed of several Xian livestock. Yet another, her insides perfectly removed from every natural orifice, leaving a perfect, ghostly-white corpse like a mannequin, and a most gruesome one was devoured in such a way that even Swarm was left mystified of its nature. And the most mysterious, in my opinion, was a Dark Hunter whose flattened corpse was trapped underneath the foundation of an ancient base that had not been stirred for countless years, with the position of their body making it impossible for Vanisher to have put it in, even through his abilities.

Every time, Vanisher would arrive back at the Odina Fortress as if nothing had happened.

For the more aware ones (or those who have read this tome of mine in alphabetical order) you can guess that I have only let him live due to his efficiency and ability to carry out missions, though I suspect foul play… after all, only a fool would believe Vanisher wasn’t somehow responsible. Considering the nature of my spies’ deaths, he likely has assistance from the person he has talked to… that, or someone knows I am suspicious and is attempting to murder my own mercenaries whilst simultaneously pinning the blame on Vanisher, enough so that I may finally grow tired of ‘his’ disobedient murders and have him killed as well. This would leave many dead Dark Hunters, rob me of a valuable agent, and divert suspicion. 

As of the time of writing this, I have begun to pursue the regular routine of sending a Dark Hunter to spy on Vanisher… but I’ve also added an additional one to keep track of both Vanisher AND the first spy, with neither aware of them. And to top it all off, I have a fourth agent keeping track of my second spy.

Ultimately, I feel my predictions I made that day will turn to be correct soon- that soon, Vanisher will slip up, I will know the truth, and THEN he will pay dearly…

A thief and assassin with dimensional capabilities, Vanisher is ruthless, secretive, and more than likely works for someone else, be it the sprouting Brotherhood of Makuta, Vortixx Industries, the Nynrah Ghosts he claims to have created his powers, or the Powers That Be. As a result of his strange nature, he is regarded with more suspicion than dislike by other Dark Hunters. Vanisher has the ability to open and close dimensional rifts, allowing him to teleport only his soul. Vanisher can likewise contain items and even attacks in these rifts, and he has earned the title of an unofficial master of the Art of the Silent Fist for defeating an opponent by trapping and throwing all of their attacks back at them. Armed with a spear and multiple spare blades, Vanisher can attack through these rifts, thrusting his spear through one side of the rift as the other opens up behind a victim, instantly impaling them behind no matter the angle or distance. This, combined with a flurry of multiple melee attacks, makes him a nearly unstoppable opponent, though his main weakness is an inability to withstand damage and injury, as I myself have discovered whilst torturing him for the truth. On another note, there are those who believe that Vanisher's unusual, technological spear of unfamiliar design is responsible for his gateway-abilities, but scans from Jailer seem to indicate otherwise.

Chapter Text

VENGEANCE

Real Name: Lumada Kisoku

Bloodlust is the motive for Lurker- Justice is what keeps Primal a Dark Hunter. Both are equally powerful reasons to both become a Dark Hunter, as well as competent- Thus, I took great interest in a samurai from the Lumada clan whom was motivated by a combination of these traits, alongside honor. He is fueled by vengeance, and I have thus named him as such.

The Lumada Clan is said to have descended from the remnants of Mantax’s fallen empire, following the Barraki’s disappearance alongside the other warlords of the Six Kingdoms. For years, they kept their culture intact, preserving a sense of pride and bloodlust that never quite went away. For this, they attempted to instigate a revolution against the Powers That Be, and due to their past, traditions, and knowledge passed down from Mantax’s greatest commanders, they had a very real and viable chance of doing so.

Realizing this, the Powers That Be struck first. They unleashed the power of a Xian Heart of Stone, inserting it into the soil of the Lumada Clan’s territory. The Xian Heart’s energies flowed into the earth itself, petrifying it and eventually the members of the Lumada Clan, leaving very few alive. Even as these few recuperated in horror, the Powers That Be unleashed waves of Vahki that quickly apprehended, imprisoned, and/or slaughtered them all, save for Kisoku, the crown jewel of the Lumada Clan.

Surviving just barely, Kisoku took with him the Masamune Blade, a sword with supposedly mystical properties, as instructed by his sensei before he himself was murdered by the Vahki. Escaping through the carnage, Kisoku, in his humiliation over the massacre of his clan without any honorable death, as well as wrath over the bloodshed, wore his clan name and predictably, swore vengeance.

Like many who seek to fell the Powers That Be, he joined the Dark Hunters. Providing sufficient combat against Gladiator, Lumada presented the Masamune Blade before me, demonstrating its supposed mythical properties- the ability to slice through any object. Demonstrating, he cleaved through an entire boulder of bohrok with no hesitation nor slowing down, much to my admitted amazement. Indeed, when I inspected it, it was no trick like the kind Conjurer would summon- it was the real deal.

Lumada explained that the Masamune’s blade could rapidly shift from solid to intangible in an innumerable number of frames per second, allowing it to pass through an object, turn solid, affectively ripping through whatever it was within, and become ghostly once more, expelling the tainted matter from the blade’s being and continuing in its strike, until the target was cleaved in half.

Amazed by his sword’s properties, I sent Lumada out on a test to destroy a Vahki manufacturing center, one supposedly in the process of creating a type of upgraded model coated in bohrok armor- In reality, the model was already finished. As I’d hoped, this surprise did little to Lumada, who was able to destroy the machine as soon as he got within striking range, and afterwards annihilated the rest of the factory, engineers, and the vital plans.

For removing a credible threat to my Dark Hunters, I dubbed Lumada after his sole purpose, Vengeance. Armed with the legendary blade of his people as its last remainder, Vengeance now serves one plan of mine in particular wholeheartedly- the anticipated, intended destruction of the Powers That Be. Using his pay, he has erected a massive shrine within the Odina Fortress to the Lumada Clan, and hopes to fly its banner when I succeed in my goals. As a result of his past and motives, he garners sympathy and an ally amongst Primal, though Spinner will occasionally deride his crusades as a lost cause without hope that will do nothing for him, having experienced the tragedy of revenge herself. Like many who have followed her path, Vengeance does not heed her words until when it is too late.

Armed with ancient fighting styles and tactical brilliance passed down from the remnants of Mantax’s empire, Vengeance is well protected by powerful, obsidian samurai armor and the Masamune blade. Though seemingly bulky and slow, he can move with astonishing speed, and upon reaching swinging range often wins his battles instantly, due to his sword’s ability to slice through anything. As a result, any attempts to block and defend against his strikes are futile and pointless- dodging and evasion is the only way to survive. His armor will keep Vengeance alive until he is close enough to kill, and he will even throw his blade, though when out of his grip the Masamune loses its cutting abilities. Unsurprisingly, Vengeance takes only missions involving blows against the higher ups of Xia and the Powers That Be, and regards failure with extreme loss and regret, a mentality that is useful to me. Luckily, the only reason he has not committed suicide out of honor is due to the Lumada Clan’s need to be avenged being his top priority, and thus I am able to keep using him. For these ideals, he is the only Dark Hunter I know of who truly supports Eliminator’s actions, and was even responsible for stopping a few attempts to kill her by either clashing with the conspirators or else warning me.