The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, tonight on the interview couch is the best assassin the world has ever seen. Driven by a cursed dagger with an unquenchable thirst for blood and death, he kills only those who truly deserve to die.

He’s here to tell us of his world and of fight for his life as he tries to find a way to atone for his mistakes.

Tell us a little about where you grew up and your history before becoming the legendary assassin of Voramis.

I have no memories of my childhood or anything before arriving in the city of Voramis. My earliest memories date back to the day I walked through the city gates, with nothing but the clothes on my back and my dagger, Soulhunger. But even despite the absence of memories, I discovered I knew one thing all too well: the art of killing. With no other prospects, I took on the profession of assassin-for-hire, and have spent the last five decades building my legend.

What is it like, spending your life killing people?

Death comes for us all, I simply hasten its arrival. But I do not kill at random. I find those who deserve death for the suffering they have caused others, and I deliver justice. In Voramis, many hide behind their wealth and use it to not only evade retribution, but to inflict pain and suffering on others. I am the one that sends them to the Long Keeper to stand trial for their crimes.

What can you tell us about the contract to kill Lord Dannaros?

When I discovered the truth of what he was doing, importing young women to sell as slaves, I knew he deserved the justice I delivered. It was a simple matter to use my pre-existing relationship with the nobleman—through my disguise of Lord Anglion of Praamis—to receive an invitation to his annual soiree, where I could find him alone and put an end to his cruelty.

What did you first think when you found out he was working for the Bloody Hand?

The discovery that Lord Dannaros was serving the criminal enterprise that runs Voramis in all but name was a surprise, and a cause for concern. I have no doubt that the Bloody Hand will seek vengeance for the loss of their pawn, but when that happens, they will learn to fear the name of the Hunter like all in Voramis do.

What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

People fear the Hunter, not the other way around.

The one thing that brings me the most grief is the fear that I will not be able to protect those that matter most to me. Being an assassin has earned me many enemies.

Tell us a little about your friends.

Few know the Hunter’s true face, yet his many disguises have made friends among the people of Voramis. Chief among them is Graeme, an alchemist who serves as my source of information in the city and provider of the various poisons and alchemical mixtures that I use in my jobs.

Then there is Farida, a flower girl I found lying freezing in the snow as an infant. The Beggar Priests have cared for her, yet I cannot help visiting her from time to time to ensure she is well-cared for.

What does the future hold for you?

Once I have found out the truth of my missing memories and what it is that makes me different from “normal” humans, I cannot help but think I will be drawn to finding out more about myself. Who knows where that search for answers into my past will take me? The continent of Einan is vast, filled with hidden dangers and secrets to be uncovered. Watcher have mercy on any who stand in my way.

Andy Peloquin is, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist–words are his palette. Fantasy is his genre of choice, and he loves to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. he’s also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds he encounters in the pages of fantasy novels.

You can find The Hunter on the pages of Darkblade Assassin.

Join us next week to meet the ghost of the trusted lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right) to be notified when the next interview is posted.