The Great Hunt | Wherever I May Roam

The Great Hunt

On the Frontier lies Triseon Kingdom, a country that has bought its existence by spilling blood year after year. Not by fighting other countries, but by carving its existence into Beast Lands time and time again. Every year, on the anniversary of its founding, they organize the Great Hunt and take down Beasts near their borders. A risky undertaking, but also a way for the people to prove themselves and honour their ancestors.

History

When nobles abandoned the Kravitor Empire during its civil war, they fled towards the Frontier. Shortly after, a massive Beast stampede ended up besieging large parts of the empire, which ended up tearing it apart. The civil war was abandoned and all parties hid inside their forts, which fell one by one to the onslaught of Beasts.   But in the area that later would become the Triseon Kingdom, there were no forts to hide behind. And so the nobles and their soldiers had no choice but to stand and fight. This was why they fought a war not against their fellow folks, but against cruel nature itself. Ironically enough, this ended up being their salvation.   With no place to hide, the soldiers chose to hunt instead. They used military strategies against the stampedes, with the cavalry non-stop in motion. While in other places the Beasts were predators, here they felt themselves to be prey. With naught but fear in their hearts, the vicious creatures fled. It was a victory forged in blood, but a victory nonetheless. Thus the country was founded.

The Great Hunt

Every year the Great Hunt is organized, with nobles leading troops and smaller groups pledging obedience or going off on their own. The Great Hunt lasts twelve days, with officials and the Wayfarer Guild tallying the scores. On the thirteenth day, the hunters return.   The people understand that the Great Hunt is needed to limit how many stampedes the country will face. While people are crippled and lives are lost every year, this is a needed sacrifice. So when the hunters return, the country both mourns and celebrates. They shed tears and toast, honouring both the recent and past sacrifices. And at the same time, they feast and roar in joy. Even those that lost their loves ones, will do so, as it is better to acknowledge their bravery than to regret their fate.   At the same time, the specific results matter. An heir-apparent may lose their position due to failure expected results, while Drifters may prove themselves worthy of hiring through their contributions. This coldhearted approach too is but a fact of life.

Comments

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Aug 9, 2022 22:48 by RandoScorpio

What a neat and complex holiday. I wonder what beasts earn the highest number of points...

Aug 10, 2022 08:27 by Michael Chandra

Pack leaders on the plains and the nastiest sneaky hunting predators in the forest. A large group only chases those predators away, it takes a foolish small group to hunt them. Needless to say that is a good way to get killed.


Too low they build who build beneath the stars - Edward Young