The Wild Hunt
The enigmatic and awe inspiring Wild Hunt are a court of their own within the first world, though their activities hardly limit them to that realm. Seeking both worthy prey and the simple thrill of the 'hunt', the nobles of the Wild Hunt often lead grand incursions into other planes where they then seek to cause havoc, killing for sport and pleasure with the aim in part to draw out heroes that would stop them, making for legendary prey.
Whether they are defeated or not they eventually return to their realm, but not before extracting a wage of blood. In defeat they are banished and, according to the complex rules that govern both their court and the planes, may not simply return for a time. How long is anyone's guess, but rumor has it that they may be bidden before such a period has run its course.
Beyond their violent desires for the planes beyond, the court and its nobles often bicker among themselves, constantly looking to embarrass or defeat one another in various contests. It is in this way that mortals can come to the favor of their chosen noble, or simply interact with the court with the need for battle. There are tales aplenty of powerful mortals travelling to the First World to seek out these ancient fey for a boon or simply to study. If nothing else the noble lords and ladies see such visits as a break from monotony for their true enemy, beyond all else, is boredom.
The Wild Hunt Makes Itself known on Etera
On the 24th of Arodus, 45 IA, An open letter was delivered by a member of the Wild Hunt to the slayers of the Herald of Sharpened Ice following his rampage near Grey Hollow. After some debate the adventurers resolved to release the letter and it's contents to the general public. What followed was intense debate about what was to come, culminating in the formation of a special scout team dedicated to seeking out and reporting on the impending Wild Hunt incursions. The opening of this letter reads as follows:
"Greetings! You have been granted a great opportunity to meet some of the most distinguished nobles of the fey! Unfortunately, it will most likely be the last thing you do experience, but do not worry, we will stretch it out as much as we can! However, before we get carried away, we should introduce ourselves." - The Duchess of the Cruel Sun
The introductions followed, each noble having prepared a taste of what was to come.
The Fey Court of The Wild Hunt
The noble Lords and Ladies of the Wild Hunt are mythically powerful beings even by Eteran standards. Each noble holds power over a malevolently twisted theme of nature with abilities that suit their style and personality. When beyond their realm in the First World these nobles are less powerful, but that is all a part of the sport for them. Those that would choose to battle them within their realm may as well be doing battle with gods.
The Countess of Green Graves
"I am the flowers that grow from your corpses, the vines that swallow your buildings, and the trees you hang your criminals on. Normally, I would have to sit and wait until you mortals died of your own accord, which you are annoyingly reluctant to do, but now, everything's on fire, dead, or both! So really, it's the perfect opportunity."
The twisted personification of a verdant grove, growing upon her deceased victims, and the slow destructive force of nature reclaiming civilisation after some great extinction. While not the most potent of her kind, she remains formidable in her own right. Her favored tactics are the animation of trees and plant life, catching foes unaware and dragging them down to feed the earth. As one might expect, Treants often number among her chosen minions.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA she began terrorizing an area south of Grey Hollow, launching nightly raids upon the town of Dawnchurch. Ultimately she was slain on the 6th of Rova by the adventurers Maria Ikandral, Faenor, Evi De Sangri, Alesia and Sabine who also cleared out the now ruined town.
The Duchess of Silent Snow
"There are times when you are alone in the dark and the cold, when the clouds cover the moon and silence reigns supreme. In those times, if you look out into the void that surrounds you, you can see how truly alone you are. Worry not, I will join you there, in that lonely dark, and then I will feast on your fear and insecurities. Because you are never truly alone when your nightmares are there for you."
Winter can often be associated with death, but the Duchess turns this further still to something yet more sinister. A master of Illusion and Darkness while no slouch with a blade either, The Duchess of Silent Snows is a personification of isolation. Using her power she seeks to isolate her prey, cutting off their senses and rendering coordination void. Peculiarly she was host to traits often present only in undead despite being clearly alive. Perhaps unsurprisingly her minions were mostly undead and she delighted in raising her fallen prey as minions with which to wreak havoc. If that was not bad enough, she and her minions also took great pleasure in mentally puppeteering the living, having them fight her foes for her amusement, raised again when they fall. Only by taking advantage of her susceptibility to fire and using highly enchanted weapons could an opponent hope to bring her down. Much of the information we have on her was acquired by Lady Avalia Ceres Naramoore, detailed in her field report.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA her influence was felt, to the south of Grey Hollow, when the winter snows took on an even more lethal chill than normal. Some small villages had already fallen prey when the team of adventurers arrived to face her, leaving undead minions and controlled villagers in their wake. On the 13th of Abadius she was faced down by the adventurers Rikki Nentovya, Avalia Ceres Naramoore, Kori Yanhu, Zelyae Mailstrum and Annabelle Sinclair in a battle that saw her slain and banished to the First World once more.
The Duke of the Dread Monsoon
"You mortals are tiny. Insignificant. And there is nowhere you can truly see this as well as in the face of the monsoon. The Clouds that cover the sky and turn the air to water, that wash away your shelter as easily as you would sweep cutlery off the table, only to leave you shivering in the cold wet, not even important enough to deal with. That is me, and that is the fate your heroes will find when they come to do battle with me."
An embodiment of both the sickly warmth of a monsoon storm and the following chill of one soaked in it, The Duke of the Dread Monsoon is less of a fighter himself, preferring to empower his servants to terrifying heights and subject the battlefield to raging storms of thunder and lightning. The music he weaves is a superfluous element to his spells he wields in battle. By bringing his favored terrain with him he maintains a constant home field advantage. Unlike most of his fellow court nobles, the Duke boasts an impressive retinue of elites.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA a great storm settled over yet another unfortunate town south of Grey Hollow, wracking the place and its inhabitants with lashing rains and constant tempestuous storms. Initially the adventurers Avalia Ceres Naramoore, Kori Yanhu, Maldrik Shiarza, Morganus and Haroun did battle with the many minions of the Duke before finally tracking him down in the skies above the ruined town. The battle was long and hard fought with Haroun engaging the Duke relentlessly in close quarters while the others faced off against empowered minions. The tide eventually turned in their favor though and, through their combined efforts, the Duke was left bereft of his restorative lightning, struck down on the 15th of Neth.
The Lord of the Starving Forest
"I am passion. I am joy. I am fulfillment. I am the passion you feel when you're starving, when you haven't eaten in days, but you've finally spotted prey and you feel that surge of energy go through you, that panicked energy that propels you to feed. I am the joy that fills your body when you sink your bare teeth into the raw flesh, feeling the juices flow down your chin as you eat for the first time in oh so long. I am the fulfillment of having a full belly, even if only for a day, before the cycle begins anew and you are once again cold and hungry. But most importantly, I am will always be there for you, laying deep inside your bones."
Starvation and madness given form, a the sort of waking nightmare dedicated druids of a grove hope they never live to see. The Lord of Starving Forests takes the concept of a wood, most often considered a bright and verdant place, and warps it into an unnerving reflection where predator struggles to find prey and prey lack for edible vegetation. The madness of hunger is a potent weapon and the Lord grows strong for what those within his 'domain' lose, leaving only the insanity and pangs that hunger can bring.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA the effects of his presence were made clear when crops began to wither with both animal and person running mad. Through the efforts of Kori Yanhu, Maldrik Shiarza, Magnus Crimsonblade, Haroun and Bhelgra Jathslag he was defeated on the 27th of Rova, before the damage he wrought upon the area became permanent.
The Duchess of the Cruel Sun
"It is me, from the intro! The Duchess of the Cruel Sun! Bright, happy, and, I have been told by many, beautiful! I watch from upon high as you go about your tiny, pathetic lives, and ensure you have an exciting time on earth! After all, with all the new agriculture and industry things can get pretty boring! And so I bring you forest fires, droughts, mass dehydration, and other fun gifts! When you drag yourselves through deserts, feeling your skin peel off, when you're half dead because there hasn't been a drop of water in miles, that's me! Watching, and knowing that there's still entertainment to be had."
The sun beating down upon a dry, parched land. The Duchess favors works of masterful craftsmanship and beauty in her arms, armour and beyond. Her mastery of heat and dehydration are cruel tools of battle in and of themselves but her true power comes from the edicts she can lay upon the battlefield and her opponents, precluding certain actions lest the transgressor suffer violent retaliation.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA a heatwave struck, heralding the coming of the Duchess who lazily took up residence in a town. Responding to the call, adventurers Avali Ceres Naramoore, Haru, Baran Saltblood, Ymir and Zelyae Mailstrum did battle with the Duchess, both suffering and complying with the edicts of battle she placed on their duel until the Duchess was vaporized by a great beam energy in the stunning conclusion, sending her back to the First World on the 31st of Gozran.
The Duchess of the Inevitable Hunt
"You may be wondering who could've done this, and why. Who could've brought so many figures of such power together, and why would they bring such suffering into the world? Because this? This is me. I am the hunting horn that releases the hounds into the woods, to root out and maul the foxes. I am the smiling noble, that sits atop his steed and watches with joyful fascination as living beings are torn apart before him. I hunt because I must, because just as you feed off the corpses of living beings, I feed off your fear. Your unmitigated terror as you run knowing that there is no escape, your death screams as I ride you down and that moment's euphoria, as you think you've escaped, just before you are ridden down."
A terrible and unerring fate is that which the Duchess of the Inevitable Hunt represents. In much the way as each noble boasts a theme of nature or seasons, the Duchess boasts the theme of the hunt itself, styled as their leader. A master of fate and destiny, she uses her powers to manipulate the odds in her favor and drive prey to her and to their demise. She is accompanied by a great host of hunters, but make no mistake, she is near the most formidable of her peers.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA she met the adventurers Avalia Ceres Naramoore, Annabelle Sinclair, Creighton Drumheller, Zelyae Mailstrum and Akhutai Jenkshi in a titanic battle. Hard fought it was but through clever tactics, relentless force and a little bit of luck the battle was won and the Duchess felled on the 26th of Arodus, leaving the hunt without a leader and but a single remaining noble.
The Duke of Thin Ice
"Apparently, we have to do these. Because "Reputation is important" and "we should put ourselves out there." I believe it foolish, but it doesn't look like I have much choice. Oh well, at least I could be somewhat poetic about it. I am the ice under your feet, unmoving, inscrutable, showing you nothing but yourself. However, I'm anything but safe. When you hear that one crack, as you step on the ice? See that hairline break rush through the ice under you? That's it. There's no more time for regrets, no chance to make up for your mistakes, you are at my mercy. The thin ice lays still as you fall into the freezing water, your body seizing up as you sink to the bottom, drowning, with nothing but the ice as witness. I am nothing but the mistakes you make, and the weakness you show."
Action, reaction. Choice, consequence. The Duke of Thin Ice represents all of these things and the uncertainty behind one's decisions, especially where venturing into danger is concerned. He is a master of arms and agile in spite of his heavy armour. As his chosen theme suggests, he is a highly reactive combatant, punishing not only his attackers but those unfortunate enough to be within their vicinity. It is known that he is the oldest of the Wild Hunt and remains the strongest of its noble court. To face him on the material plane is a monumental task that leaves one only to wonder what he is capable of within his domain.
During the incursion of Etera in 45 IA a lake froze over and a great castle of ice formed upon its center. Villagers and unfortunate scouts were taken and rendered as sculptures upon the lake as testaments to his power. When the adventurers Avalia Ceres Naramoore, Creighton Drumheller, Bhelgra Jathslag, Elyn Dayne and Akalis Giandras went to face him they found no minions, no retinue, only the Duke. There was some talk between them, the details of which are lost to time, before the battle took place by way of a challenge. Satisfy him and he would leave. Alike none of his fellow nobles, the Duke of Thin Ice brought incredible strength and power to bear against the adventurers, near slaying them before the battle came to a conclusion. The figure they had done battle with was a mere copy and, despite having weathered his assault, the Duke stood unharmed where he'd spoken to them prior. Satisfied, he agreed to stop terrorizing the plane and instead tour it peacefully on that day, the 16th of Rova, before returning some years later to the First World of his own accord.
Since then he has appeared here and there, free to appear on the material plane as he was never truly banished. Though lingering unease persists he seems to mean no harm and has reportedly conducted cordially with notable adventurers such as Alloces Veil and Cormick Thale. Intriguingly it seems he has either been convinced or stepped forward to help the efforts of the The Crusader's Council with the matter of The Ghostlands, though for what reason is known to none.
Herald of Sharpest Ice
One of the Duke's champions and his chosen herald for the 44 IA incursion of Etera. The Herald's demise preceded the release of the open letter to the citizens of Babel. From accounts of those who fought the beast it was clear that the Hunt was to be set into motion regardless of the recent events. Though his task was to deliver the letter's contents by word, he died before he could finish speaking and so forced the Duke of Thin Ice to deliver it in person.
Fond of the ice fields of the coldest lands, the Herald was an awesome beast whom none could defeat in hand to hand combat; until the unthinkable happened on the 24th of Arodus and he fell to Avalia Ceres Naramoore, Evi De Sangri, Faenor, Gideon Duskrun and Haroun.