Pairing: Thief X Assassin/ Bounty Hunter

Genre(s): Drama, Suspense, Mystery, Action

As the sun continues its endless rise and fall, the plight of the common man expands in its intensity. Families work themselves raw and bloody, and wealthy merchants continue to profit off of their suffering. Where miners could once feed their families for days with a full--week's hard work, they struggle to make ends meet for even half of that in the wake of price increases. King Ardik and the parliament have imposed a new set of taxes in order to prepare the city's militia for open conflict with Saraphinia and Valtorem, and once prosperous mines and sawmills now find themselves dismissing dozens of workers in the wake of similar tax hikes. . The poor are faced with the likes of famine, pestilence and disease, and haven't the coin to so much as feed their families, let alone that of their struggling neighbors.

It goes without saying that the common man's life is a hard and solemn one. No matter how hard one worked, they found themselves slowly sinking into the pools of debt and despair as they watched their children starve. As the pestilence and suffering reached a crescendo of churning rage, whispers of revolution began to drift throughout the city's taverns and market stalls. These rumors were met with unexpected relief in the form of glimmering silver coins-- Not from the ruling family, but from an anonymous benefactor whom had delivered the bags of life-saving silver in the silence of the evening. Night after night, families whom had previously lost hope for survival woke to find their shimmering gift splayed across their kitchen tables, accompanied only by the hastily scrawled image of a black cat upon a cheap strip of parchment. Before the news of their mysterious savior began to circulate, the captain of the city guard presented himself before King Ardik, the senate, and his fellow guardsmen, and announced that a string of robberies had taken place within the Market, Temple, and Upper districts of Mist's Bounty. . Soon after the proclamation had been made, rumors of the mysterious Black Cat's gifts of silver coins rapidly spread amongst the city's populous. Unfortunately for the lower class, it didn't take long for the guard to point their fingers in the direction of the Black Cat, and before a week had passed, wanted posters proclaiming the entity's status as a fugitive had been posted on every street corner in Mist's Bounty. Even worse, the poor were now faced with a quandary. Were they to accept the nefarious gifts which could save their livelihoods? Or were they to attempt to capture the fugitive with their own hands in an attempt to grasp its lucrative bounty of 1,000 gold?

As the chilly days came and went, rumored sightings of the Black Cat leaping amongst rooftops and dashing through alleyways ran rampant throughout Mist's Bounty. The city guard increased its number of patrols, the wealthy began to hire elite mercenaries to protect their estates, and the heads of noble merchant families whom had been victims of the 'Abyssal Feline' boldly and publically declared their intent to mount the thief's head upon a pike. In spite of the entity's negative publicity, gifts in the form of gold and silver slipped themselves inside of the poorer denizen's homes; Usually alongside the now familiar artistic depiction of a grinning black cat. The elusive feline managed to avoid capture at every opportunity, and the elite members of Mist's Bounty's class of merchants began to put political pressure upon the legislature to apprehend the supposedly dangerous criminal. Now, even the likes of Mist's Bounty's militia are becoming involved in the manhunt, and noble households have begun to contract bounty hunters and assassins from outside of the city-state in order to deal with their new problem efficiently and decisively. One such bounty hunter would soon have an extremely close encounter with this deceptive thief, and it will fall upon their shoulders to deal with him as they see fit.

Pairing: Assassin x Assassin

Genre(s): Action, Suspense, Thriller

War is on the horizon for the denizens of Mist’s Bounty. Tensions between Saraphinia and Valtorem have reached a boiling point. As these two military juggernaughts begin to mobilize their armies and prepare for battle, it is inevitable that the citizens of King Ardik’s neutral state will suffer in the ensuing conflict. The Snowspear mountains are tall, jagged, and near-impassable, and Mist’s Bounty is located directly within the heart of the treacherous mountain range. The only safe path through the Snowspears is along the well-travelled ridges and roads which the hardy people of the city-state carved into the mountains over hundreds of years. The city’s geographic location is it’s greatest blessing, as well as it’s greatest curse. It allows the merchants, artisans, and woodsmen whom call the Snowspears home to create a prosperous life for themselves by trading with Saraphinia and Valtorem respectively. It is thanks to the citizens of Mist’s Bounty that caravans are even capable of travelling through the Snowspears at all; If not for the roads which the people’s ancestors had built, communication and trade between the two nations would be near-impossible. However, these conditions only exist when Saraphinia, Valtorem, and Mist’s Bounty maintain civil relations with one another. With the ever-present reality of the encroaching war placing pressure upon the nations’ ruling class, the elite have been forced to take extreme measures to ensure their people’s survival.

It has become clear to Mist’s Bounty’s neighbors that King Ardik, his administration, and his citizenry have no intention of declaring allegiance to either Saraphinia or Valtorem. Several of the city-state’s local leaders have become outspoken supporters of placing economic sanctions upon their war-hungry neighbors, and as a result, both Saraphinia and Valtorem’s governments have decided to take matters into their own hands. Blinded by their hatred of the enemy, and their lust for bloodshed, the leaders of the quarreling nations have silently decided to remove King Ardik and his supporters from the equation altogether. Unbeknownst to their enemy, both Saraphinia and Valtorem have arranged multiple assassinations—but not against their rivals. The targets they have in mind are that of Mist Bounty’s most influencial traders, craftsmen, miners, healers, and politicians. Both nations wish to replace their vocal opposition with politicians whom will be more cooperative with their own respective war strategies. Obviously enough, if word were to spread of the existence of assassins stalking through the streets of Mist’s Bounty, panic would spread throughout the citizenry like a virus. Only the best could make their employer’s dream a reality.

Hitmen were hired, and targets were designated. Two of the most skilled assassins to ever exist upon the face of the planet had been hired by opposing countries to assassinate some of the most influencial figures in Mist’s Bounty. Business was business, and the job paid well. Unfortunately for this duo of killers, they would soon find their list of targets to be remarkably similar—identical, even. It would soon become rapidly apparent to them both that this contract would be the most difficult venture they had ever undertaken.

NOTE: This is a plot that is not exclusively centered in Mist's Bounty. However, we can use the city as a starting point for the adventure if you're so inclined.

Pairing: Monster Hunter x Wizard/Sorceress/Monster Hunter

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Military, and Romance (if applicable)

The world of Trinity, like most, is a world filled with all manner of oppurtunity. Vast, untamed fields, undiscovered ruins of ancient and powerful civillizations, and a plethora of gold, silver, and platinum to stack along the way. This oppurtunity is quick to blind the feeble with visions of greed and grandeur, but it is wise to remind oneself that with great oppurtunity comes even greater danger. Many folk, whether elven, dwarven, gnome, human, orc, or any species in between, have attempted to capitalize upon the world's plentiful oppurtunities with varying results. The powerful slay the dangerous creatures which obstruct the path of advancement, but the treacherous beasts which exist upon the face of Trinity far outnumber the humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and orcs whom wish to establish themselves upon the world's frontier. As a result, there exists a miriad of work for the strong-bodied men and women whom wish to benefit their fellow sentient minds. The all-important work which I refer to is that of the monster hunter.

Where there are sentient minds, there are dangerous creatures which impede their progress. Goblins stalk the woodlands, ambushing travelling caravans and plundering their valuable wares. Ankhegs create vast tunnel systems under the feet of desert villages, collapsing and destroying them from the foundation up. Ogres cut a wide swoth of carnage through mountain villages, feasting on the corpses of fallen foes and taking settlements for themselves. Lizardfolk mercilessly attack any trespassers upon their swampy territory. Even the likes of ancient dragons soar through the skies, subjugating entire civillizations for no greater reason than their own amusement. These are only a few of the more common dangers which the weak are faced with on a day-to-day basis. If not for the invaluable efforts of the talented monster hunters which roam through the lands, the expansion of intelligent life's influence would come to a swift and decisive halt.

Pairing: Warrior Guide x Unorthodox Royalty (sorceress princess, thief-prince, etc.)

Genre(s): Drama, Politics, Action, Adventure, Supernatural, Intrigue

NOTE: This idea does not take place exclusively within Mist's Bounty, but it takes place in the same universe.

Where there was once a great era of prosperity and peace among the denizens of Trinity, a great tension has begun to blossom and envelop the peaceful world in it's vice-like grasp. the two great military powers, Saraphinia and Valtorem are on the brink of open warfare, the silent desert nation of Wyfall has forbidden the passage of outsiders through their treacherous domain, and the peaceful empire of Evimeria has recently been overtaken by a spree of piracy and fierce competition which has threatened their intellectual and economic supremacy. As a result of this, the monarch of Evimeria, King Richard of the Burning Blade has been troubled by nightmares in recent weeks; images of demonic entities cutting down the innocent, and the nations of Trinity burning before humanity's helpless gaze. Consumed by the feeling that these dreams were a prediction of the future to come, King Richard sent an emmisary to the other leaders of the great human nations calling for a summit to negotiate the problems at hand.

None but Wyfall responded.

Prince Darrius Silverstar of Wyfall sent his champion as an emmisary to Evimeria, having been completely convinced that a letter would accomplish nothing but the waste valuable time. His champion was instructed only to maintain constant contact with Wyfall, and to do whatever King Richard required of him. But there was a catch; he was not to reveal his identity as Wyfall's champion, lest Richard arrange his capture in order to coax Wyfall's leadership out of their hiding place. With this fact in mind, he made haste to Evimeria’s capital city of Tribute with high hopes that his participation could make a difference in the conflict to come. Upon his admittance to the city, he would come to find that fate held a unique plan in mind for him and his future companion.

He spent his first evening in Tribute at a fairly unreputable tavern. It was well known for brawls, watered-down alcohol, and loose women ready to find their next conquest, but the champion was not in search of women or wine at this hour. He lusted after the savory flesh of information. He began to ask questions he should not have. Questions of Evimeria’s troubles with piracy, and questions of whether or not they felt threatened by their rival economic power, Moonfall. One irritated response led to another, and before the champion had realized, he had become mixed up in a brawl beyond what most would consider friendly or safe. A flurry of fists, an exchange of steel, and several broken tankards later, he was carried in chains to the palace by Evimeria's elite police force to undergo interrogation. He refused to answer so much as a single question, and before much time had passed, he was standing before the Burning Blade himself.

For the monarch, it was easy to identify the man as Wyfallin. From the superior craftsmanship of his weaponry, the design of his clothing, the careful cadence of his speech patterns, all of it was obvious and distinguishable to a king, and it was clear that the man was skilled. He swiftly came to the realization that a formal interrogation would not give him any strategic advantage, and made a gut decision which had the capability to morph the legal landscape of Trinity as a whole. He made the educated inference that no Wyfallin would willingly leave the desert on a simple journey of pleasure and relaxation, especially after consideration of the troubling times at hand. They were a secretive, serious, and deeply loyal group of people who would rather hide in the sand than face any sort of social interaction with outsiders. Richard's heart told him that this Wyfallin was important; too important to allow the man to slip out of his grasp. Richard took the man out of his bindings and escorted him to his personal chambers in order to maintain an atmosphere of privacy, and presented the champion with an offer he could not refuse.

Escort his daughter as a diplomatic emmisary to Wyfall, or be executed by Richard of the Burning Blade before a crowd of his loyal subjects. With this threat hanging over his head, the champion could do nothing but accept. Will the princess and champion be able to bring peace to the feuding empires? Or will they thrust Trinity into an unending war and force Richard's nightmares to become reality?