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General

One of the most bizarre factions, the origin of the Head Hunters are unknown, and much is based largely on speculation and pieces to an unsolved puzzle. From what researchers could gather, the Head Hunters were originally an alien race that crash-landed on the continent thousands of years ago. They were then captured and enslaved by dark sorcerers of that time period, and mutated due to their enslavers’ genetic experiments. The Head Hunters – miraculously – broke free somehow from their shackles and scattered across the land, their anatomy unchanged even hundreds of years after. Many blades – location and length varying from subfaction to subfaction – of sharp, solid bone harder than diamond decorate their body, and each individual subfaction seems altered to hunt and kill another faction. Thus, they are shunned by the other eight groups, and are more often than not hired for assassinations. Though powerful hunters, something seems wrong with each subfaction – some sort of flaw that makes an otherwise perfect predator imperfect. However, though they have such flaws, they find creative and often lethal ways around them. Though they look strange and reptilian in their true forms, often called grotesque and unnatural as they can walk like a human but then immediately switch to galloping like an animal with a deadly sharpened tail, they have a contradictory beautiful native tongue, and constantly sing songs when many of them gather in one place. It is also rumored that they might have some form of immortality, seeing as how they never seem to age or grow less capable of fighting – the same individual has been seen in action for over two hundred years. Their numbers also seem to stay completely constant – never getting bigger, and never, ever getting smaller. It seems for as long as there has been a world, there has been Head Hunters.

SUBFACTION ONE

Underground

About

As blind as an Earth Dragon, Underground Head Hunters are lethal to the Rogue Vampire Subfaction. Though they hunt nocturnal beings, this Subfaction of Head Hunter is not sensitive to light in the slightest, which makes their blindness so peculiar. It also poses another question: how could an unholy creature kill an undead being like a vampire? Many Human and Gryphon scientists believe that Underground Head Hunters have some sort of magical property in the masses of bone they use for their weapons. This Subfaction is able to extend certain bones out of their reptilian armor to use as their main source of offense and defense against the Rogues. The bones in their forearms above the wrist and the bone beneath the kneecap all seem to have the ability to grow, and the result is a powerful and quick self-repairing weapon and shield. All Underground Head Hunters kill in the same pattern: stab the vampire through the heart, chop off their head, and vanish. Though the actual process of killing a Rogue is highly predictable, the methods of killing – such as isolating or terrorizing the prey – seem to vary from Head Hunter to Head Hunter.

SUBFACTION TWO

Plains

About

Powerful creatures, Plains Head Hunters have large legs and small arms, which they use for chasing down fast-moving Lycanthrope. The blades on their elbows are average in size – around half the length of their upper arm and curling upwards towards the shoulder – but the blades that curl upwards from their heels to behind the knee – are large and wickedly sharp, capable of slicing, given enough force, through solid rock and bone. It is because of this anatomic structure that scientists believe these Head Hunters prefer to leap above their prey, flipping and slashing downwards with either heel, catching their prey across the throat and slicing off its head. Another rumored attack strategy is that the Head Hunters tackle their prey, forcing it to the ground and pinning it before killing it that way. Whatever the form of attack, the Head Hunters are rumored to take the heads of their prey and eat them, because whenever a body is found, the head is always gone. Coming in a color of bright gold, the Plains Head Hunters have been responsible for the deaths of many Sogen Lycanthrope, and are treated with fear and hatred. Keeping mostly to themselves, Plains Head Hunters are thought to be incapable of sleep, seeing as how they seem constantly on the move. This, however, does not impair their capabilities as a hunter, and they appear only to do business with possible clientele.

SUBFACTION THREE

Volcano

About

Powerful and bloodthirsty, this Head Hunter subfaction specializes in the Phoenix Faction, preferably the hunting of the Red Phoenix that’s rumored to be hidden away in the shelter of The Phoenix Lair, which is guarded by the White Phoenix. Capable of changing the color of their scaly armor from shades of dark brown to fiery red, the Volcano Subfaction seems incapable of feeling any sort of pain at all, the opposite of their Desert Subfaction cousins. Volcano Head Hunters can feel temperature change, but aren’t really affected by hot extremes, capable of withstanding temperatures of up to two thousand degrees Celsius. The way they are able to cope with such heat has baffled all other factions for years. With keen senses than are unaffected by intense heat, light, or noise, they hunt the White Phoenix in search of the Red. That said however, they haven’t succeeded a single time in killing a Phoenix. On the flipside though, none of the Phoenix subfactions seem capable of eliminating the Volcano Subfaction either. Unable to feel pain to any degree, they are ruthless and have blades stretching up out of their spine and directly out of their elbows. The weapons are apparently laced with some form of ancient magic, seeing as how Phoenix fire doesn’t seem to faze them in the least. It is also rumored that Volcano Head Hunter blood is laced with poison, which is possibly where the magic comes from.

SUBFACTION FOUR

Peak

About

This Head Hunter subfaction is by far the strongest of all the Head Hunters, able to slice a dragon’s hide down to the bone. While the rest of the faction remains primarily on land, these Head Hunters have a tendency to take to the sky occasionally in their chase of the elusive Water Dragon, who can change easily from water to air. Using thick, rubber-like webbing that attaches their arms and legs in place of the blades their earth-bound cousins have, Peak Head Hunters are skilled fliers and – in case a ‘wing’ is torn or injured in flight – incredibly fast healers. Tall with a lean frame but equipped with powerful arms, legs, and chest, they can keep pace easily with some of the bigger, slower dragons. The Peak Head Hunters – as their attack of choice – can form massive spikes made of some strange mix of unusual elements that create a hard silver spike when it makes contact with the outside air. Peak Head Hunters can then literally crush their lungs using their diaphragm and expel all of that air at once, literally firing the projectile out of their mouth at a speed fast enough to shoot clean holes through rock. Though they can fire several in a short while, Peak Head Hunters must quit the chase and go re-supply themselves with the strange components needed when their ammunition runs out, which puts them out of commission for a few days. However, they have deadly aim, and are choosy with their shots. Due to this strange method of attack, it has been questioned of the Peak Head Hunters – in truth – eat anything at all, seeing as how the flesh for the scarce few victims’ heads have been left behind, the skull missing from the carcass and the rest of the body untouched. Several sketches of a Peak’s anatomy have been made, but scientists can only speculate for now, because it doesn’t seem like any Peak – or any Head Hunter at all for that matter – will be dying any time soon.

SUBFACTION FIVE

Stone

About

The most human-looking in their true forms, Stone Head Hunters are incredibly tall, and have taken to wearing the white and gold robes of the human Priest Subfaction. Restless and always roaming the halls of monasteries and schools, the Stone subfaction is apparently mute in their true form, and has no voice that any faction besides its own is capable of hearing. However, in their human disguises, their voices can be heard by other factions – though it carries a signature, silken quality – but they are still capable of speaking the songlike tongue of their people. Often times they are found ‘singing’ in the walls of churches and other religious sites, but this in all truth could be a spell or prediction for destruction and doom for the building, hidden underneath the high, melodic tones of the Head Hunter cant. The reason the Stone Subfaction has targeted such a peaceful group such as the Priest Subfaction is unknown, but their ability to learn quickly and blend in flawlessly with the subfaction makes them extremely hard to find and get rid of. Possessing incredible power, they have gained the nickname ‘Stabber’, for they have the ability to stretch the bones in their back and hands to create sword-like weapons, the sword-bones that erupt from their back taking the shape of wings. They are also called ‘Kinu-Gax’, or ‘Sword-Hands’, because seeing the wing-like bones is rare during battle with a Stone Head Hunter. They instead prefer to use the swords in their hands most of the time and – in their human form – a strange marking similar to a scar is present on their knuckles, and thus they often wear white gloves or long-sleeved robes that completely hide their hands to keep this a secret from the Human Faction. Often, it works flawlessly. Though the ‘Stabbers’ are incredibly strong, they are rather slow in their clothing of choice, and they prefer sneak attacks and surprises rather than face-to-face combat. Nevertheless, they are a threat to Human subfactions everywhere.

SUBFACTION SIX

Desert

About

Built to go for over four months without food or water, these Head Hunters prey of focus is the Gryphon Faction, namely the Iron Subfaction, though they have been known to attack any other subfaction. Coming in shades of dull gold or bronze to match the desert sands and rocks, they are chillingly cold to the touch, though they thrive in hot climates. Capable of retracting and extending the nails on their fingers, toes, and tail-tip, Desert Head Hunters are fast and unable to sink into the desert sand due to their long toes and fingers and webbed feet and hands, which help spread their weight more evenly in the sandy oceans. They seem unable to feel any sort of temperature or temperature change, which might explain how they are capable of sinking their hands into a roaring flame without flinching. However, this doesn’t mean they are incapable of feeling any pain at all, in fact – numb to pain brought on by temperature though they may be – they are highly sensitive to any other type of pain. But wounding a Desert Head Hunter often brings lethal, vicious results, for this type of Head Hunter is notorious for literally exploding in a bout of wild, unsuppressed rage, completely mutilating the culprit and continuing to do so even after the creature is dead. That being said though, it takes a great amount of effort and luck to harm a Desert Head Hunter.

SUBFACTION SEVEN

Gem

About

The Gem Head Hunter is quite possibly the strangest of the strange – gifted with a powerful ability to change the color and texture of its reptilian armor to blend in with any kind of terrain. Their weapon of choice is absolute stealth – they seem unable to smell, possibly because smell would be a distraction with all the animals around, and they thusly carry no scent – blending in perfectly into the terrain. And for the Beast Keeper Faction, scent is everything, making the Gem Head Hunters a threat to all subfactions of Beast Keeper. Average in height and incredibly agile, Gem Head Hunters thrive in all landscapes, specializing in sneak attacks and ambushes while using their generally small body-blades to use the prey’s own weaknesses and weapons against them. That said, they prefer to work in pairs or small groups of three to four members, any gear they carry specialized for the task at hand. They are also very strong for their size – able to slice a Beast Keeper’s protective armor nearly all the way through in a single strike. Fights with Beast Keepers are often bloody and rather long – seeing as how there’s a strong possibility that many other Beast Keepers will rush to the aid of the one. Often, these Head Hunters – if met with a swarm of resistance, will retreat temporarily. But then they will return with several of their kind, ruthlessly battling the same exact group of Beast Keepers when they least expect it. Most of the time the battles then aren’t long, but Beast Keepers are a powerful, stubborn race. The heads often look like they’ve been yanked off quickly and impatiently when the bodies are finally found, but needless to say, the heads are always gone.

FINAL SUBFACTION

Wave

About

Capable of breathing underwater, these Head Hunters are masters of disguise, capable of hiding effortlessly on the ocean floor as they lie in wait. Capable of breathing both salt and freshwater, the Wave Head Hunters have fins built into the blades on their elbows, which curl towards the wrist and not the shoulder. Sleek and aerodynamic, less awkward and lanky than their fellow subfactions, they also have fins on the blades of their heels, which remain curled upwards to the back of the knee, while their tail is capable of unfolding into a massive tail fin, able to smash a hole in the solid hull of a ship in one swing. These Head Hunters can extend or retract all the fins, like one would unfold a fan, except these fans can cut through stone. Such sharp edges are necessary for slicing through the tough hides of the Miza Demons. Not much is known about these Head Hunters, but it is believed that all subfactions eat the heads and keep the skulls as a trophy, for a Head Hunter’s mark is a missing head. Wave Head Hunters are a brilliant combination of speed and power, agile both in water and on land, but truly lethal in the depths of water. They appear to be a bit more sporadic than other subfactions, often killing Miza Demons or sinking sailing ships for seemingly sport, occasionally massacring everyone onboard and hunting down any survivors. Because of this, they are hated passionately by all other factions, and the fins they carry – which can be striking iridescent shades of blue, green, and red – are worth more than their weight in gold. Of course, no one has been able to kill a Wave Head Hunter before. And though they are skilled, they are also completely deaf, but they have nearly unparalleled senses of sight and smell to make up for it. Wave Head Hunters are capable of traveling hundreds of miles in one swim.

FINAL FACTION

Head Hunter

END

Username: SilentShadowDreamer
Character Real Name: Z’loraiha Amarasi cua Odaiamantei
Character Alias: Chihara Crepusculari
Age: If anyone asks, somewhere in her early twenties. In reality, even she isn’t quite sure. She thinks somewhere in the two hundreds…?
Bio: Well…see…that’s the funny thing. Chihara doesn’t really remember much of her past. She knows she has a family of sorts, and she knows she spent a long time with them. She knows that she’s not a traitor – she’s welcome back anytime, and often does return if only for a little while. She remembers a few of the Beast Keepers she’s had run-ins with (oddly enough, most of the ones she remembers are the ones that got away). But that’s about all. It’s almost as though she’s blocking it out. Not that anything terrible has happened to her, she’s sure – if something bad had happened to her, wouldn’t her family tell her about it when she asked? Instead, they merely dismiss it. So it can’t be too important. Thus, Chihara doesn’t worry about it. Much.
Persona: Chihara is a strange little girl, even for a Head Hunter. Isolated, quiet and sad, she keeps her distance from others, but can be quite friendly if she’s approached right. She’s whimsical, tends towards the wistful, and often ends up losing herself in fantasies – what they’re about, no one knows. Almost completely in contrast, she is obsessively neat in every way, and needs everything to be in its place at all times, whether it be in a relationship, a hunt or a room. Having things messy or uncertain confuses her, and more often than not makes her angry. She doesn’t seem to be a fan of confrontation most of the time, usually choosing to leave rather than fight. When she is hunting, however, it’s like her entire personality changes. She becomes cold, ruthless and entirely serious; her apparent embarrassment about her true form vanishes. Once she’s set on the hunt, it’s nearly impossible to divert her from her course.
Weapons/Spells: Chihara’s built-in blades and natural stealth and speed are quite enough for her, thank you. She doesn’t even bother to carry weapons in her human shape – she’s not afraid.
Mission in Life: Aside from killing Beast Keepers, you mean? Oh, well…Chihara would never tell anyone this, but her one real dream in life is to have someone (anyone) outside of her faction just accept her. She’s so tired of being an outcast.
Quirks: Unless in the company of her own subfaction or actively chasing one of the Beast Keepers, Chihara absolutely refuses to take on her real form – even if she’s alone with no one to see. One might think she’s ashamed of it. She also has an odd obsession with pretty things.
Any Factions or Subfactions She Likes? Why?: Her own faction, usually, and she doesn’t mind most of the others.
Any She Hates? Why?: Well, she’d like to say she hates the Beast Keepers with every fibre of her being, no ifs, ands or buts, since she is bred to destroy them and all. But they’re so pretty…
Head Hunter Appearance:

Unless she needs to change it for actual hunting purposes, she generally sticks to green for this form – she likes green.
Pets: An odd little creature that looks something like a small dog…if one were to breed it with a lizard. Whimsically, she calls it Abellissa, or Lissy when in the company of non-Head-Hunters. It’s not really good for much of anything except occasionally finishing off Chihara’s leftovers and maybe biting a Beast Keeper’s ankle every now and then, but she loves it anyway. Make sure it doesn’t bite you…she says it’s not poisonous, but one never knows.

Theme Song: Full of Grace, Sarah McLachlan
Line of Song that Made You Choose That Song: The entire song
“Winter here’s cold/And bitter/It’s chilled us to the bone[…]It’s just that we’ve stayed/Too long/In the same old sickly skin…”
Other: Chihara has had many run-ins with Alaiza Mirai over the years. Every single one of them so far has resulted in a draw – much to the frustration of both.

Username: Doctor_Whiteface
Character Real Name: Amara'gurabad'orumb'adakeda
Character Alias: Amur(formerly), Keda(current)
Subfaction: Traitor
Age: 97
Why Did He Betray the Faction?: Amur was originally a member of the Gem faction, but grew tired of the insanity of some of his fellows. Then he saw one of them kill a dying comrade. He confronted them about it and they answered that the comrade was dead weight and might have betrayed them. Amur ran away soon after that incident.
How Did He Escape?: Amur was always very skilled with poisons, and slipped a potent hallucinogen into the food on the day he was supposed to prepare it. Complaining of stomach cramps, Amur returned to his dwelling, where he proceeded to wait until the screams started. He ran away as fast as he could as far as he could. He never looked back and the Gem have never caught him.
What Does He Do Now?: Amur(who now goes by Keda to any who ask), has set himself up in the most remote area he could possibly find, always meditating. He is something of an ascetic, constantly communicating with what he calls the Old Gods, in a language that no-one who visits can understand. He really has contacted otherdimensional entities, but whether they really are the Old Gods or not remains to be seen.
Persona: Ancient, wizened old man who seems to know more than the person in question about any given situation. In reality he just spies on people too much for his own good, but he's good at hiding.
Weapons/Spells: One staff that he uses to cast his magic, anything ranging from a fireball to a cloud of hallucinogenic dust, and a bag in which he carries a powdered mixture of every poisonous plant within a thirty mile radius of his mountain. He uses it to augment some of his spells, and one grain of the powder itself is almost always deadly.
Mission in Life: To live, laugh, creep people out, eat big, and sneak about.
Quirks: He looks to be about twice as old as he is and, almost unique among his race, he has a long beard-like lichen growing from his jaw that reaches down to his knees. It's the only thing he wears.
Any Factions or Subfactions He Likes? Why?: He likes the Dragons and Vampires because they can keep up with him intellectually and he communicates with every faction from time to time. He's truly neutral in all this.
Any He Hates? Why?: He dislikes the Gem subfaction of the Headhunters, but only because they have several members that are unnecessarily brutal.
Head Hunter Appearance: A very old, wrinkled Head Hunter with a white mossy beard down to his ankles, wearing absolutely nothing and leaning on a staff. He seems very slightly transparent.
Pets: Mazuth, a monkey wearing the clothes off a child's doll. It is very intelligent and has several spells cast on it. When under the non-light of a new moon it becomes a human for as long as it's standing outside. The clothes grow with it.




Username: Azrael_The_Death_Angel
Character Real Name: Bir'kim Olak Ayd'in Lan'imis
Character Alias: Zedraz Miel
Age (I suppose this is optional):
Why Did He/She Betray the Faction?: While following a target, he took this over the course of many days. He overheard the prayers and songs that this individual would sing and they found something within him that understood. Though he still planned to kill her, something seemed odd to him, but he couldn't place what. Then when he was about to kill her, she spoke up, questioning him about his salvation. She said that she would teach him the ways that eluded him, even without knowing who he really was (She didn't know). So he learned from her, and after a month or so, she died, but left him with the question, "Who are you to not pass what you have learned to others? Salvation should belong to all, not just one, spread the word to all who will incline an ear..." and with that she died. At that moment, all the teachings broke through any barrier he had set up previously, and he fled the temple, thusly betraying his subfaction because of his turning from their original ways of killing.
How Did He/She Escape/Get Away?: Since Zedraz kept his ways secret up till his flight, none in his subfaction suspected anything. They merely believed that he was stalking a particularly crafty prey and left it at that.
What Does He/She Do Now?: He travels, teaching the message that his mentor had taught him.
Persona: He is very calm and knowledgeable. He has much charisma, and he can calm a room with few words, sometimes not needing any. When he preaches he can inspire others or tear them down. He is a very powerful orator.
Weapons/Spells: His hand and back blades of course, but after abandoning his priestly garb, he took up a cross-like weapon. By pulling on the top, where the handles of both blades reside. This is the sheath, and can also be used as a weapon if needed.
Mission in Life: To teach the message to all in the world, a lofty goal but he believes it is his mission to carry on his teacher's wish.
Quirks: He prays a lot, saying 'faram' at the end of many of his sentences, and before battle will pray, and if interrupted he will go berserk before calming and finishing.
Any Factions or Subfactions He Likes? Why?: All those who are mostly friendly.
Any He Hates? Why?: Those who needlessly kill.
Head Hunter Appearance:

Theme Song: "Refined by Your Embrace" by As I Lay Dying
Line of Song that Made You Choose That Song:
"I cannot make it without you. All my efforts have failed, so that I will cry out in the need of you. Restore the strength of my dependence, send me through the fire, make me pure again. Everything I am, I give it all to you."