The Last Hunter

Illithid behind the Curtain: Place your Bets

The sound of violence was almost primal in its intensity.

In the box with the other VIP's, I watched on intently at the opening matches below, but my mind was on anything but. Instead, I was thinking on two things, and everything was a distant fourth or fifth in my mind. Namely, where was Cinder and the White Fang?

Scrying had shown me only a blankness, the absence of information alarming me in regard to Cinder. Someone powerful was hiding her and I had no idea if it was Salem h...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Evil unto Evil

"This is your plan?"

Cinder frowned, sensing something laden in those words as she glared in suspicion at the doll. For one of Salem's pet beasts, it was far wordier than expected and she ignored the use of its name as she spoke. "Of course. Her majesty demands the removal of Beacon and so, Beacon shall fall. Between the Grimm, the White Fang and our hidden trump in the form of the dragon, it should be enough to deal with mere students. Atlas shall have its hands full with the virus, a...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Aftermath and Secrets

Every channel it was the same. The same clip of magic unleashed, of alien creatures, of a dragon going mano-a-mano with an elder grimm and the visions of the dead. All but buried beneath these stories would be tales of the police and fire department, the hunters and huntresses, fluff pieces that would give hope and renewed faith and keep the grimm away.

All at the cost of killing any chance of controlled narrative.

I sighed out, leaning back on the couch and into the warm, comfo...

Illithid behind the Curtain: The Breach; Part 2

Vale was burning and Ruby could see it from here.

On the ship, the other students would be murmuring, eyes wide or grimly narrowed and preparing themselves in various ways. It would be the new Academies trial by fire, as the first generation of Quadling Hunters and Huntresses prepared to help however they could. And with them, Ruby and her friends would help as they could.

Blake seemed quietly uneasy, her bow twitching oddly in the wind as her partner seemed to meditate quietly ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: The Breach; Part 1

Panic surged over the city of Vale, expanding like a wildfire and urged on by its dark heralds. Such an invasion was rare, the great cities normally all but protected heavily but now? With a pipeline of sorts deep within the heart of the city, it was as if Vale had been bitten by a snake.

Venom, of tooth and claw and bone white masks would spread and tear, fought back desperately by the law enforcements, hunters who had been on holiday and more. And then from the skies, Beacon arrived....

Illithid behind the Curtain: Origin Story

Branderscar Prison was a memory now, but they were still in chains.

Nobody breaks out monsters, just out of the goodness of their heart and if that smiling bitch was human, C'gorath was an octopus. He was a psionic after all and she offered a number of captives and slaves for his consumption as well. It wasn't hard to glean their collective, chattel minds for details and compare it to the sergeant at the prison.

Enthralled, one and all and the list of creatures the wizard knew t...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Where the Shadows Lie

I had told Taiyang once that if I put my mind to it, I could raze the four kingdoms in a day.

Now I was exerting this on a single, legion of Eladrin and what chance did they have?

Absolutely none.

Time stopped at my command; the arrows frozen in midair as I exerted my influence on it all. I hasted myself, followed with my bladesong as I allowed time to come back.

And for the first time, as arrows hit the place where I had been, Toril heard the sounds of 2024-04-09 07:22:36 +0000 UTC View Post

Illithid behind the Curtain: March of the Witch of the East

Slowly, my project I had started from the beginning was taking form. It was a semblance of what it could had been of course, but it didn't need to be perfect. It just needed to work, and if it could work it meant I could do it again and again.

Prohibitively expensive though it was and demanding enough that I needed my true form to perform the working, deep in the bowels of my Dungeon. Far underground, beneath the foundations of my original tower in Patch I had crafted my own, personal ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: A Waterdeep Interlude

Waterdeep: City of Splendors.

Despite invasion, despite cultists, demons, Blackcloak himself and more, the city had always survived and in no small way due to their own efforts. Oh certainly, the rest of the factions had always had their vested interest in Waterdeep and its survival, but when it came to the common good, the Harpers were first and foremost at the front and it was the reason Sharia joined them in the first place. She didn't look like the classic image of a Harper spy, al...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Heads of State

"You must understand, this is incredibly unprecedented."

Introductions had been made, hands had been shaken and now I was currently entertaining General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin in the office I used to impress people, as I raised an eyebrow in turn. I do believe I threw him off, though that was the original intent of the body I was wearing now. I was small, petite and cute when I wanted to be and Mettle or not, so long as he didn't activate it, it was as much a weapon as anything ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Quadling City

As the airship docked, General Ironwood would be watching with a cautious eye.

Aliens? Dragons, things of legend suddenly returned and moreover in positions of what appeared to be perfectly mundane jobs which threw him off his rhythm. Something that Ozpin knew very well, the bastard as he smiled and walked without fear as they headed for an inspector.
Or at least, their badge identified himself(itself?) as one. It was a tiny little critter, vaguely dragon like and in possession of a...

Illithid behind the Curtain: A Blake and Yang interlude

Yang paused. Slowly, she slipped off her shades, folding them neatly as she handed them to a shocked Blake, who already looked like she was regretting everything. And stepping onto the stage, ignoring the calls and the laughs she turned to her opponent, looking up... And up, into the guttural features of the half orc before she flashed a smile all teeth and less savage than a dragon's maw.

"You've done it now mister. No one beats Yang Xiao Long in a pun battle! No one!"

Blake sl...

Illithid behind the Curtain: First Impressions

There was an Atlas airship approaching.

This was expected. I had honestly been prepared for the worst possible timeline, but it seemed like Ozpin had been able to run interference or at least, a stay of execution. Even so, I was stressing out like crazy as I floated from one side of my office to the other, in my true form as my tentacles writhed and flicked in an expression of frustration. Oh, not with the city... Town? I don't know, it felt like I'd blink and suddenly a new form for a...

Illithid behind the Curtain: A Jaune Interlude

"Hmph. Again."

Jaune's newest teacher was a relentless man. He slammed the hunter through all manner of exercises, forcing him to take a heavy backpack filled with weights for example and begin jogging. And much later, other things as well. He would be expected to carry it when climbing, when crossing some kind of obstacle course and when sparring. Even the times he did some good only garnered a dismissive 'do it again' or worst, something like 'now do it backwards.'

It was a re...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Growing Pains

"Morning Mrs. W."

"Morning ma'am."

"Morning Aunty Em!"

One after another, the various children woke up and came to the breakfast table, set outside on the lawn due to the unusually large number of people we had. Pyrrha Nikos with her new, red dragon wyrmling and wasn't that a shock to see, Ruby who seemed to be crafting some new bullets with a dust press field and shells while she waited, Ren and Nora as the latter clapped to see her friend produce flames, frost,...

Illithid Behind the Curtain: A Salem Interlude

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same Salem mused to herself.

Centuries had passed and she was still in a tower, albeit of her own choice now. Her heart was cold, the sensation of humanity all but gone, in no small part due to her curse. It colored everything from her interactions to her goals, the driving hatred of humanity making her continue this farce of a war but mostly, she was just tired.

She was tired of living, tired of the rot that was humanity, tired ...

Illithid Behind the Curtain: A dusty old Crow

C'gorath burned with rage.

Talingarde had been an utter failure, the paladins and inquisitors of this place far more adept than he had imagined. His little spot for research had been discovered, his books and works plundered and he himself captured and brought in the most humiliating manner to this prison. The Illithid was bound to a table, shackled about the mouth and around his head to prevent his natural abilities from being used. Outside, in the various other cells would be other c...

Illithid Behind the Curtain: Staking my Claim

"Gentlemen. Ladies. Thank you all for coming."

I smiled, leaning back in my seat as Artemis Entreri stood by my side, shades on and quite at ease in the room of what would have certainly been a mass of criminals Toril and most spheres as a whole would happily mass-meteor struck if they knew.

I had designed the room on purpose, based after the throne room of Ankh-Morpork. The throne itself would be raised up on the steps as below, a simple desk and seat denoted where I'd usually ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Me, Myself and I

There was a part of me that was already regretting the steps I had made to change this world. For the better, I told myself but really, just looking at my actions now spoke of a far greater struggle than any number of words. I liked power, a bit too much perhaps and nowhere was that more evident than in my current seat and who exactly, I surrounded myself with.

Because even as I dazzled with one hand and spoke the nice words with my mouth, I was preparing for the worse with the best of ...

Vale Interlude: Always a Bigger Fish

Roman Torchwick was a simple man, with simple wants. Namely, that of having people to rob blind, to become filthy rich and perhaps to be around to enjoy all of it? Oh, and Neo too of course, that went without saying. His little partner in crime might had been more fucked up than an entire hospital worth of crazies, but she was his crazy. But alas, the problem of being as incredibly good and handsome as he was, meant that he was the defacto person to be approached for anything nefario...

Illithid behind the Curtain: A change of Perspective

"That's the last of em!"

The bullhead door was closed and slapped once, the air vehicle taking off and flying off into the skies. Off to the side, Yang observed their neighbor with a contemplative air. She knew what he... Or she really was, it was never a big deal even when the truth came out. If she really wanted to hurt them, they could had done it at any time.

As far as Yang was concerned, that was the end of it for her. Even the casual displays of power while interesting, di...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Laying the Foundations

It was one thing to have a goal, another to immediately do it. Wizard though I was, even I had limits and I had much to do first. Money was no problem there thankfully, my hidden stores of plunder and petty cash safe right where I put it. Stored with Leomund's Secret Chest, out in the ethereal plane. In a number of bags of holding, Hannibal had stored the majority of the party cash, citing himself as the responsible one and while the rest grumbled, it worked well enough. We all had our own pe...

Illithid Behind the Curtain; Yo ho, yo ho

"Esme?"

"Yes?" I ask, as we're led into the cavern by our escort party. The Drow are cautious, but after a messenger was sent, apparently, we were intriguing enough to actually be brought in. With my knowledge of the Drow, I could see various traps and a few ballistae set up, but my attention is fixed on iron spikes set about and radiating a bubble of something I'm hard pressed to put my finger on.

It feels almost like Pass Without Trace, but different. It's also a litt...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Revelations and Secrets

I was somewhat surprised by the reception. Then again, this had been my first time with a large, faunus group and it blew all my expectations out of the water. Not every faunus was White Fang or a sympathizer and mostly they were like anyone else. They wanted no trouble; they came as far out as they could to avoid it, and were well and determined to not be dragged into it.

I sympathized.

That and the children were so, incredibly adorable and in my Esmerelda form I could hug them a...

Illithid behind the Curtain: A moonlit walk

I make the announcement a few days after Ruby and Yang are gone. I fix any final problems, tidy up my tower and set up my defenses. As far as anyone now knows, Dr. Rincewind left due to an emergency and his assistant, Nurse Weatherwax was just dealing with the aftermath. It goes more or less as expected, as Weatherwax's smile and gentle features makes the blow softer, makes the town more pliable to my leaving. And then I see Taiyang, leaning on my fence and looking curious as I approach. His ...

Illithid Behind the Curtain: Heroes and Monsters

"I did it!"

The cry of excitement broke the quiet of my tower like a thunderclap, a comparison not half wrong as rose petals scattered about my study and a Ruby Rose appeared. I lowered my books I was examining, curious as I regarded my sometime student. Out of both sisters, Ruby was the most intensely interested in magic, something not entirely surprising. Yang had seen the study involved and immediately went to punch something, the memory of her father hoisting the Tyrant Belt aloft ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Calm and Quiet Days

That little meeting with Ruby changed everything.

Yang soon followed suit, her only reaction being to ask me if I pooped and then I found the courage to show myself to Taiyang. At first, he had been alarmed but seeing the utter lack of fear on the part of his girls, he had been embarrassed and apologized to me. From that point, my quiet days only grew all the dearer as I was able to expose more of what I was and where I had come from.

"There are planes and existences far beyond ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: Mistakes were Made

I loved to cook.

Well, I did, and it was something of a joke for Hannibal at the table as well, and with a calmer mind then I had for ages I started in on my preparations. My knife flashed, chopping up the cow brain I had cleaned and prepped into six chunks. Then taking the spices, I coated them lightly and then began to rub olive oil over the lot, examining it carefully as I considered carefully my next move.

I made sure on my raid to get as much brains as I could, some for my ...

Illithid behind the Curtain: I want to Believe

Taiyang Xiao Long was utterly terrifying. Oh, not in the way he could fight, I've seen and experienced worst. But rather in the sheer, relentless manner he earnestly tried to be friends with me despite everything I did to reject it. And what was worse was the fact he meant every moment of it, coming to my door with his daughters to foster food of one kind or another. His psionic sense felt brittle, pain and depression coloring his otherwise happy nature and what part of me was still human was...

Illithid Behind the Curtain: The Wizard of Patch

Yang Xiao Long blinked.

Like she'd seen on tv, she began to rub her eyes and then peered outward again. Nope, it was still there. There was still a giant tower that hadn't been there before. That by itself would have been confusing all on its own, she'd hiked far enough that she would have remembered something like this on Patch. No, what made it truly confusing was the rest of it that made her doubt her senses, just as Ruby began to wake up from her place on the wagon, yawning cutely b...