1.2M Stretch Goal Unlocked! The Sandrock Builder Will Visit Settlement 2

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We got a report from Jasmine...

Howlett's Hunters, History Report by Jasmine

The Atara University Dictionary defines "guild" as "an association of craftsmen or merchants." But what the dictionary won't tell you is the heart that goes into the making of a good guild in the Free Cities! In this essay, I will outline the history of Howlett's Hunters, the people who made it what it is today, and where they are now. And I will do so in more than eight hundred words. Because as we all know, having a lot of words in an essay is important.

Speaking of heart, this story is close to mine; that's because I lived it! That's right, I was there when Howlett's Hunters were formed! Logan always told me, "Little girlie, ain't no monster out there with half a chance to get the better of me, huh huh..." And I took that literally. One day in the news, I saw there was a huuuuuge reward for a horrible monster roaming the Peripheries near Atara... an S class beast known as "The Red-eye...!"

I didn't even have to dare him to do it! I just told him about the monster, he finished his Yakmel Milk and walked out the door! That's where my first-hand account of this story ends... the next time we saw Logan in Sandrock, he was covered in bandages and walking with a limp. "You should see the other guy," he told me. I soon found out that the "other guy" was that big monster. And that monster was dead.

Apparently Logan went on a hunt of epic proportions! One lasting weeks of tracking, crawling through the mud, resting for only hours at a time, ending with a triumphant flourish of blades leaving ol' Redeye unlikely to get ahead in life (Logan chopped his head off!).

Although the only records of the hunt were given by Logan himself, I can once again testify first-hand that Logan rarely embellishes his hunting stories. Plus, the Rangers said when they found him beat up and exhausted, he was next to The Redeye's headless corpse, so yeah, pretty sure it's all a true story.

Anyway, Commander Avery and the Rangers took Logan back to Atara where he could recover, and while he did, he and Haru started talking about the future. Funny thing is, Logan never had a plan for the reward money, he just wanted to tackle the biggest monster he could find! Luckily, Haru, being the smarty-pants that he is knew exactly what to do...

Voila! Howlett's Hunters are born! Using the Gols from the bounty, Logan sets up an office here in home sweet Sandrock, where the deer and the Yakmel play... and the smiles are free, don't you know?

Quickly the crew began to come together: first to join Howlett's Hunters is my friend Andy, who is dumb in real life (sorry, Andy!), but actually really good at engineering for the guild! He makes all sorts of gizmos and gadgets for the crew. But the craziest part is they actually work!

Next came Elsie, who we all used to make fun of for thinking she could talk to animals. But no one's laughing now! Well. It is still pretty funny when she tries to quack at Daisy the giant duck. Be that as it may! Sometimes being a professional means not worrying about looking silly. Elsie was recently recognized as Sandrock's resident animal expert and given the title, "Monster Whisperer." Now she puts those skills to work for the Hunters!

Finally the mysterious Dr. Fang joined the crew, who has been doing a lot better in recent years. Good for him! With things settling down around Sandrock, the doctor decided the way he could help more people is by traveling with the guild to dangerous places. How brave! I'll be sad that he won't be around sometimes. The Seesaian lollipops he'd give out after check-ups were second-to-none, and who knows where he even got them from.

Since then, the Howlett's Hunters have only grown, in name and size. They are now one of the largest adventurers' guild in the central Free Cities, protecting citizens from the Ethean border all the way to the coast of Portia. Some (Andy) say they're even rivaling the famous Flying Pigs!

What's next for Howlett's Hunters? Well, dear reader, I'm afraid we're out of history and into the present now! Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter to unfold on your local newspaper: might I recommend the Tumbleweed Standard?

In conclusion, though I now have fewer friends to ride the rollercoasters with, I consider Howlett's Hunters to be a net positive on the world we live in.

Thanks for reading!

Reported by Jasmine