Take a Seat

You want to hear the tales of a bounty hunter? Ha! You must be a traveler. You see, around here, bounty hunters don’t do anything for free. Don’t worry, your payment will come soon enough. Hell, by the end of it all, you’ll be begging me to take every gold piece you have. A transaction for another time. For now, pull up a stool, buy yourself a drink. Barkeep! Two more! There’s much to tell.

A New Life

No place like the beginning to start. I’ll spare you the fine details of my terribly lengthy search, but by its end, I knew where I belonged. I needed a small town, somewhere to start fresh. This little town right on the Deviant Sea was the place. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for the magical properties of The Sea. Day one, they slapped me with this bracer. I haven’t been able to take it off since. They call it a Toggl Tracker. If I make a kill, grab a new bounty, or so much as sneeze, the right people will know about it. Nicholas, the local wizard, does incredible work to these bracers. You’ll see many around here walking around with them. A prison? Eh. To some, maybe. In my case, a stage for me to announce to the town my accomplishments, and they’re numerous.

I remember when they slapped this on me. They wouldn’t let me enter Basecamp without it. Well, without that and a few other items. As if the Tracker wasn’t enough to show my greatness, the great wizard handed me a journal and a Systematic Linguistical Analysis and Communication Kit. SLACK for short. The journal would be for logging my stories. The SLACK was a magically endowed earpiece. It’s as small as a quarter of your fingernail. Goes straight in your ear.

With the right equipment, I finally was permitted into Basecamp. I had heard so much about this place. Think of a farmer’s market for bounty hunters: all around, knives pinning bounties to walls, posts, and fences. Want one? Tear it off and get your butt to work. Thankfully, I had my pick of the litter in this town. This is a small place, and The Monochromes were raising hell.

What? Who are the Monochromes?! You really aren’t from around here, are you? You’ll understand more in time.

My First Assignment

Towards the back end of Basecamp was where I spent most of my days… so did… they. Everyone called them Daye. Daye’s entire body was covered head to tow with scars, each one detailing the long journeys of their past. Daye knew all there was to know about the Monochromes: the ways they talked, walked, thought, everything. Daye became my go-to partner when I needed help on a bounty or just needed advice on how to go about a job. In fact, Daye gave me my first jobs. I still remember them like they happened last week.

Telebell Venquill was a pain back in the day for us bounty hunters. Strange name, right? That’s why most people just called her TV. Her partner Coat Rack didn’t help matters either. His signature black coat would flap in the wind, and that was the only thing you ever heard from him. Once upon a time, he never spoke a word. That’s how he got the name Coat Rack. After all, what else is a man who refuses to speak? They rode around causing a ruckus on their horse, known by the people as the Rocking Horse.

After interacting with the wrong people at the wrong times, I found their bounty in my pocket. I mounted my trusty steed, Unity, and rode off into the sunset. I struck down Coat Rack and Rocking Hoarse with ease. However, TV proved more challenging. It took hours and days of tracking her. Even with Daye’s help over SLACK, her whereabouts and behaviors seemed unnatural. Eventually, Daye understood. Daye gave me some direction and I found her. Let’s just say I collected that bounty. Unfortunately, at first, the reward for a bounty was another bounty.

Boy, that ale goes down quick. I suppose that just about does it for today. There’s plenty more to tell. Come back soon. Many tales await!

Teaser

Alright, alright! I suppose you’ll be wanting something to keep your curiosities piqued until next time. Fair enough. Next time, you’ll hear about the Bubble. What is it? You’ll find out. It’s an ancient magic in this land. Imagine being able to move things with your mind. Truly remarkable. Other than that, many more bounties are to come. Many of the Monochromes and their associates made lives miserable. Perhaps I’ll detail the Great Merger, or the time I was paid to keep my good friend Otto in his house (long story). You’ll have to return to find out.

Media Rec

Thanks for reading! Did this get your lips smackin’ for some fantasy? There’s a little-known show called Legend of the Seeker that came out in 2008. It lasted only a couple of seasons, but it’s great. The way I would describe it is a much narrower and more comedic take on Game of Thrones. You get terrible beasts, terrible wars, lovable characters, and plenty of magic.