Hallowed Hunt

As the Hunt began, they started in the village where they enlisted the help of Rorin and his people. After partaking in a tradition called the trophy exchange, which saw the Hunt trade in their own valuable hunting trophies for those of the village, the Hunt traveled to northern Borean Tundra where an old, ruined necropolis of the Scourge borne signs of The Apex Predator’s passage. There, they discovered that something recently had attacked the already-felled necropolis, a fresh hole having been bored through the cracked stone. The ice worm’s tracks were easy to follow, leading to a field of steam geysers and old tunnels. Rorin mused that the tunnels likely linked up to the old Nerubian empire that were built in ages past. The old network also must have been the means through which their prey traversed the land without notice.

Venturing down into the old tunnels, the Hunt ventured through both carved dirt tunnels in grand stonework, old remnants of the old Azjol Nerub. Though the natural darkness obscured much of their vision, the Hunt was able to stumble across a camp that had to belong to something more bipedal. The location had only been recently abandoned, and proved to be quite a source of mystery. From alchemical notes to testing samples of various stonework, it was clear that whoever had occupied this camp was conducting some measure of research into The Apex Predator. The final piece of evidence proved to be the most chilling, when the group learned that the beast had taken up residence within a location of infamy by the taunka…

Called ‘The Great, Cold Underdark’, Rorin told stories about how the lair had housed a number of terrors that had plagued Northrend for generations. Located within a glacier and beneath the permafrost line, the tunnels were of such intense cold that blood would freeze and bones would snap. And yet, their target lie within. No time to waste, the Hunt and their guide traveled to the Underdark and began their descent, an assortment of torches being their only means of staving off the bitter cold.

A fierce and grueling battle ensued as the Hunt made their way through the cave. A host of other ice worms and insects barred the entrance, at least confirmation to the Hunt that this was the correct location. Further within, the Hunt found a camp much like the one within the Nerubian tunnels, only this one was occupied. A variety of humans and orcs in cult-like robes discussed their ongoing project with the great ice worm, administering some type of concoction. The information provided gave the Hunt enough provocation to leap after and slay them all after a pitched battle. Still freezing and some bloodied, the Hunter trudged on forward to the end of the Underdark.

There, they at last found their quarry. However, the cultists actions were finally revealed for the Hunt to witness. The massive ice worm was kept in a state of sedation, a number of machines all around it pumping some kind of liquid into it. The last vial was in the midst of being applied when the Hunt approached the creature and the remaining cultist. In a state of panic, the man quickly began to smash the other machines hooked into The Apex Predator, starting a chain reaction that eventually led to the great beast being roused from its slumber. When it awoke, it lunged after the Hunt with a primal fury, bolstered by whatever the cult had injected into the beast. Although the hunters were able to inflict a number of wounds, the beast managed to escape the tunnels, aided by a mysterious cultist that had some measure of control over the beast.

Regrouping outside, the Hunt considered the clues they had gathered and tried to determine just what exactly the cult was up to. As they debated, it wasn’t long before very particular sounds began to echo across the tundra. Following a variety of strange dragon roars, the Hunt bore witness to a great storm swirling across the land and around the fabled Wyrmrest Temple, sanctuary for the various dragonflights of Azeroth. The temple had come under siege, and down below in the chamber underneath the temple, the cult had used The Apex Predator to tunnel their way through the ancient defenses.

The Hallowed Hunt arrived in time to watch as the cultists tore down the barriers into the prized sanctums of the various dragonflights. Home to the prized egg clutches of the various flights, the giant ice worm opened the way for the cultists to rush inside and steal away as many of the eggs as possible. The number they would have taken without interruption would have been staggering. Instead, however, a fierce battle erupted as the Hunt engaged with both the giant ice worm and the cultists, slaying the latter while inflicting serious wounds on their monster. Several thieves were able to abscond through a variety of portals with their eggs, but their plans were put to a stop once the cultist controlling the great ice worm fell in the battle, sending the beast into a confused frenzy as whatever spells over it dissipated.

Securing a modest fishing vessel, the Hunt set out on the seas by themselves. After some difficulty in learning the finer points of sailing, a great plume of smoke was spotted off in the distance that the Hunt quickly turned their attention towards investigating. There, they found a panicked Zandalari crew in the midst of sinking. While in the midst of rescuing who they could, a strange humming could be heard in the air. It wasn’t long before the terror of the seas introduced itself to the Hunt. A great burst of energy, fueled by Azerite, ripped the Hunt’s boat in two. As the hunters fell into the sea, they caught their first sight of the beast: a Megalodon, massive in size, and seemingly infused with Azerite in its very being. The creature made a number of attempts to turn the hunters into its next meal, but after some time, it dived deep into the water and disappeared for reasons that were yet unknown.

It was then that the Hunt found some measure of relief. A loud and armored goblin ship sailed up towards the wreckage of the fishing boat. Captained by the illustrious Kykus Willowitz, he offered the Hunt passage out of the seas and back to dry land. Their destination: Freehold, pirate haven of Kul’tiras. It was suggested that a town full of pirates and sailors would be the perfect spot to acquire further aid in hunting down the Megalodon. Finding themselves in a rowdy dockside tavern, the Hunt went about perusing their options. New and old faces alike gave them ideas, but in the end, it was the same ship that had come to their rescue that they chose. Captain Kykus, as well as his brother ‘Mondo’, were glad to provide their help and their ship ‘The Other Wife’. On one or two conditions…

Before their help in hunting the Megalodon could be solidified, the Willowitz brothers first needed to finish up their business on Kul’tiras. A natural engineer, Mondo had been in the process of constructing a detector that could locate Azerite deposits. Though useful to the Hunt and their current plight, Mondo required a few more components before it could be finished. Parts that he and his brother had arranged to make a deal for with an infamous band of pirates, the Irontide Raiders. With the Hunt enlisted as muscle for the deal, they all met up at an abandoned chapel in Drustvar for the deal. However, just as the exchange was to be made, a Kul’tiran battleship, along with a cavalry brigade, caught the group off guard and demanded their surrender. Suspicions almost immediately arose between the goblins and the pirates, but they were quickly talked to reason by the Hunt. An intense firefight ensued, but despite a number of losses by the pirates, they were all able to defeat the Kul’tirans and make out of their with the needed parts.

With everything in place, the Hunt boarded ‘The Other Wife’ and set sail once more. The Azerite detector helped the goblins find the massive, moving Megalodon. Deciding to set a trap, the Hunt enlisted the help of the crew in chopping up various fish and guts in order to create an irresistible lure for the Megalodon. Once it was all dumped into the water just above the beast, it didn’t take long before it arrived to enjoy a meal. As the Megalodon came into view, Captain Willowitz opened fire with the goblin’s main gun, while the rest of the crew and the Hunt peppered the beast with attacks. Although wounded, the enraged beast turned and swam directly at the ship, ramming it at full speed and dislodging many of the crew and Hunt back into the sea. The frenzied battle continued in the water, with the Megalodon summoning up a great blast of Azerite energy that nearly tore the goblin’s ship in two. However, its wounds soon forced a retreat, and it dove back down into the water with one of the Hunt clenched in its jaws. Once the fires on the ship had been put out, the Hunt made their pursuit of the beast and down into its lair.