The realm of Oceania faces a crisis. Men’s hearts are consumed by greed and personal ambition at the expense of others. Strange societies of creatures seek to conquer the land. Faith and trust in the Gods has waned into obscurity. Yet, as the world stands on the knife’s edge towards destruction, one man takes a stand in the name of the old ways. He is The Hunter, chosen by Poseidon to track down and bring justice to those who violate the laws of both man and God. With a faithful crew, a variety of skills, and a magic ship that can sail underwater, he battles evil in Poseidon’s name.
Hunter
Born as Willem Vanderheide, the man who would become the Hunter joined the Zilverland navy at a young age. Having risen to the rank of Commander, he was betrayed by his first mate, Bram Vos. Vanderheide was beaten, tortured, and eventually left for dead in the open ocean. Fortunately, one of Poseidon’s daughter’s had taken an interest in him and decided to spirit him away to his underwater palace. In a transitory state between life and death, Willem was given an offer from Poseidon to return to life in exchange for becoming his champion. Having sworn his oath, he returned to the surface and has since enforced the God’s will.
When he signed the contract to become Poseidon’s champion, Hunter was given a rigorous training regiment and several supernatural abilities to aid him in his quests. He has the ability to breathe underwater, with the added benefit that his body and clothing do not remain wet after emerging from the water. However, he still must expel water from his lungs in order to speak. Hunter was also given a volcanic piece of Tartarus that he welcomed into his soul. Though the ordeal was painful, it granted him the ability to conjure a projectile with the force of a small cannon. When he was first given the contract, he was still bound by ropes that had been used in his torture at the hands of his mutinous crew. These were enchanted to become animated and move to his will, allowing him to grasp objects and terrain as well as trap opponents. These were symbolically removed as he successfully executed his first targets. He found their absence to be a hinderance, and so he sought to replace them after he returned from his mission.
Red
Margaret “Red” Pelagia, a daughter of Poseidon, is a mermaid who became Hunter’s first mate. Her nickname comes from her hair color, and she has a tomboyish attitude. She has the ability to change her appearance between a humanoid shape and her shark-like mermaid visage. She has the physical strength of an athletic adult male, despite her ordinary frame. Red is trained in swordplay and is an experienced deckhand. Due to her mermaid nature, she is also very familiar with underwater currents and can communicate with marine animals.
Red first discovered Hunter as he was being strung up on the bow of his ship. She watched over him for days until he was cut loose. Once freed, she carried him to Poseidon’s underwater palace. There, she acted as a maid and companion for Willem as he trained to become Poseidon’s champion. Between providing him with food and cleaning for him, she was also training to become an adequate sailor so that she could work under Hunter’s command.
The August Moon
The August Moon is Hunter’s ship. It was given to him by Poseidon to carry him back to the surface. It is blessed with the ability to sail both on top of the waves and underneath them, and can utilize underwater currents in the same way it catches the wind. The August Moon was originally constructed in Dorastir, and though its original allegiance is unknown, it was eventually commandeered by pirates. The pirates, however, proved themselves to be heroes over time. After an attack from a powerful sorceress, the August Moon sank to the bottom of the sea. Knowing the effects of Emergent Magic, Poseidon salvaged the wreck and restored the ship in his own kingdom. It is a two mast brigantine with sixteen guns and can hold a maximum crew of 75.
Poseidon
The Earthshaker, God of the Oceans, The Lord of Horses. Poseidon is a powerful deity with connections to both land and sea. Straightforward and objective driven, he treats matters involving his worshipers as business transactions, even so far as modeling his entire palace after a modern accounting firm. He prefers to appear as an animal-headed human, choosing an equine appearance along with a well fitting suit. Oceania is his realm, and as such, is molded to his preference. It resembles Earth in the Age of Sail, however the American continents are non existent. Instead there are many island chains, subcontinents, and unknown civilizations. Despite the geography being to his liking, the cultures of men began to rebel against both his teachings and traditional concepts of brotherhood and fairness. Poseidon was faced with a choice. He could summon his strength to bring floods and devastation to the world, casting it back to an age of primitive barbarism. Instead, he chose to anoint a champion, one who would enforce his will and punish the wicked in his name. His daughter, Red, discovered Willem and recommended him for this role. Poseidon created a contract that offered Willem a return to life, a geass to hunt down those who had betrayed him, and his own blessings which granted supernatural longevity and abilities. Now known simply as the Hunter, Poseidon issues bounties to his champion, as well as any other odd tasks that he deems important.
The Hunter on the Waves