The Runic Challenge: The Gateway to the Hunt
The Hunt does not welcome all. It is a shadow that one must earn the right to wear, a silence that must be understood before it can be wielded. The Runic Challenge is the crucible in which aspirants are tested. It is not a measure of brute force or loud proclamations, but of acuity, discretion, and the unwavering will to see a task through to its conclusion.
It is a filter, designed to separate the observant from the oblivious, the resourceful from the reliant. If you cannot navigate the city's hidden language, you will not survive ours.
The Nature of the Challenge
The city speaks a silent language, etched into its very bones. These are the Runes. They are not grand monuments, but subtle markers hidden in plain sight—a particular scratch on a tavern door, a loose cobblestone in a forgotten alley, a deliberate stain on a merchant's sign. Each rune is a whisper, a piece of a puzzle. The Challenge is to follow these whispers to their final, unspoken word.
The Process: A Step-by-Step Trial
Should you be deemed a potential candidate, your trial will begin. The process is absolute and allows for no deviation.
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The Summons: You will not seek us. If we see potential, an unmarked parchment will find its way to you. It will contain a rendering of the First Rune and a single, cryptic riddle. This is the only clue you will be given freely.
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The Unseen Path: The riddle will guide you not to the second rune, but to the location of the first. Your task is to find the physical rune in the environment. Its design and placement are your true first test.
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The Language of Whispers: Once found, the First Rune itself will contain the clue to finding the Second. This may be a direction, a symbol, an anagram, or a riddle carved into or near it. Each rune you uncover is a stepping stone, leading you deeper into the city's labyrinthine secrets. The path is a chain; break one link, and you are lost.
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The Final Key: The last rune in the sequence does not point to another. It reveals a final instruction. This may be the acquisition of an object, the delivery of a message, or the identification of a person. It is the ultimate test of the skills required to join our ranks. Complete it precisely as instructed. Your success is your only announcement.
Core Principles of the Trial
We seek specific qualities. Understand that the challenge is designed to reveal them.
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Acuity, Not Strength: A brute can kick down a door. We seek the one who notices the key hidden under the mat, the loose hinge, the unlocked window. Observe everything. Assume nothing is a coincidence.
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Discretion, Not Fanfare: Your passage through the city must be as a ghost. Draw no attention. Leave no trace of your passage. The hunt values anonymity above all.
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Resolve, Not Hesitation: The challenges presented by the runes, especially the final task, will demand a cool head and an unwavering hand. Second thoughts are a luxury the hunted cannot afford.
Essential Mandates
Violate these, and your challenge ends.
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You Work Alone: This is your shadow to cast, and yours alone. Collaboration is contamination. Any sign of outside assistance results in immediate and permanent disqualification.
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No Arcane Reliance: The use of magic in any form is strictly forbidden. It is a crutch for the weak and a beacon for the unwanted. Rely on your wits, your senses, and your nerve. The consequences for breaking this rule are severe.
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Failure is Silence: There is no notification of failure. There is only the end of the path. If you cannot decipher a rune or complete the final task, the trail goes cold. Do not seek us out. We will not seek you.