The Primordial Stalker of Eternity's Undoing
From Changeling Venue
Overview
One of the first bits of Wyld to break from nothing, the stalker is old beyond reason and ancient even to other Gentry. None know from where he came, but all Gentry know that any who dare to trespass into his domain become his rightful prey. Occasionally a foolhardy Lord or Lady of the Fae will seek to cross his lands, only to be met by a primal force which is as terrifying to the Gentry as the True Fae are to the Lost.
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Appearance
The formless result of primitive man's fear of that which waited outside of the firelight, forged from oblivion into something, forever formless. The Primordial Stalker is an oppressive male presence. He is the ice down your spine when you know you are being watched, the fury of the most vicious of storms, the quickened heartbeat in the throws of violent passion. Most who encounter him are unable to describe him beyond these most visceral concepts of fear and lust, although this does not mean the Stalker cannot take form when he so chooses. However this form is constantly changing, taking whatever manifestation which allows his prey to conceptualize his primordial nature, whether that be the image of a wild and fantastic predator, the horned hunter in the woods, or even just the echoing sound of following footsteps in a dark alley.
Personality
The Stalker’s whims and motives are unfathomable even to most other Gentry. He is known to be highly territorial, and it is common knowledge that he will hunt other Fae who dare to violate his domain. Rumor holds that because of his unformed nature and his adherence to the most primal and visceral concepts to have emerged half-formed from the ether, that he is more powerful than other Gentry who have bound themselves into form and archetype. This may or may not be true, but the stalker commands a healthy respect amongst the Gentry and it is the rare and foolhardy Lord or Lady that will disregard his borders.
Those that do, whether Changeling or Gentry, find that they have violated ancient contracts and become the Stalker’s rightful prey. Sometimes the hunt is quick and brutal; sometimes his prey is slowly stalked, the haunting presence of the Primordial Stalker an oppressive omnipresent fear which cannot be escaped. When the hunt reaches its inevitable conclusion there is no negotiation, no mercy. The Stalker kills or ravishes his prey as suits his whim, and Gentry will often be forced to forfeit items or members of their retinues in exchange for their release unharmed from his domain.
The Primordial Stalker does not choose to leave his domain often, and when he does it is always to visit and torment his former prey amongst the Gentry, demanding further concessions or tribute from them. He has never been known to hunt outside of his domain, and one rumor whispered is that if anyone unlucky enough to become his prey can cross back out of his domain without being caught, they also escape his hunt.
Domain
Deepest woods, tallest mountains. The primordial foundation of the world, in all it’s archetypal and primitive glory. It is the landscape that comes to mind when oe hears the phrase 'Here there be Dragons." However, the landscape can be as unformed and shifting as its lord, changing to match its master’ whims when he is on the hunt. There are few permanent structures in the Stalker’s domain, but all fit the primitive landscape… a barbarian’s hall of rough-hewn wood and giant stone, a cave in the mountains where wild and ancient dragons come to roost, even the ruins of temples to terrible gods long gone and forgotten. The most defined thing about the Primordial Stalker's domain is its borders. While not marked or clearly defined in the traditional sense, to approach them is to become uneasy, and to cross them is to know in your gut that you are now being hunted.
Lost
There are Changelings in the Primordial Stalker’s thrall, either taken as forfeit from other Gentry, or who have inadvertently crossed his borders themselves. Changelings taken as forfeit are as often as not discarded, as the Stalker has no need for the pretty playthings of Lesser Fae. These Lost find themselves alone in the hinterlands of his domain, the lowest link in the chain of predator and prey which cumulates in the Stalker himself. Most fall victim to either the animals or mythological beasts which make their home in the wilds of his domain, while those that manage to survive do so constantly aware of the Stalker’s hovering presence. After a period of time, if they survive well, some are even used as pawns agianst their former masters, traded back for some humiliating concession, or even for apparently no reason at all that the other Gentry can discern.
Some changelings who enter his domain, and even the occasional Gentry, become his personal slaves and prisoners, and those made to live and survive within the favor of his attention become intimately familiar with the unformed and primal nature of the Stalker. Each of these ‘favored’ prisoners amongst the Lost see the Primordial Stalker in their own way, as their minds try and make sense of his primal and visceral presence. Usually the Lost taken as his pets are those who broke the pattern of the hunt, defying him in some way and thus attracting his especial attention. For these few the greatest danger is that of being broken, for it is only when they stop defying him that the Stalker looses interest and their lives are forfeit.
Escaped Lost
- Kalen Blazenheart- Originally taken by a Gentry who dealt in the capture and sell of slaves, and destined to be another concubine for The Lord of Sable and Aster, Kalen was given instead as forfeit when her captor made the mistake of trying to take a shortcut through the stalker's lands. Kalen saw in the Primordial Stalker the Horned God... primal, terrible, and sexual. She defied the Stalker and thus earned herself a place as a sort of favorite pet to be tormented, spending whatever time she wasn't being hunted chained to a monstrous fireplace in an oversized barbarian hall deep within his domain.
- Van Silverstorm- Given as Forfeit by a Fae Lady who was foolhardy enough to try and take a shortcut through the Stalker's woods, Van was thrown to the Stalker's Dragons for their treasure hordes. He survived to become more than a pretty gold statue, but when his draconic nature became evident he was traded back to his lady.
