Born and raised in the lake village of Turva, Node and Dylon have been inseparable since birth: together, the young human and the sea tiger learned how to sail the narrow canals, swim against the current, and survive among the waters. Side by side, they became the most respected pair of hunters in the village, protecting it from dangers, delivering letters and messages to nearby settlements, and obtaining food, medicines, and other resources.
Everything changed during a particularly long hunting trip, when a ravenous and overgrown eelfang attacked their group: miraculously escaping the carnage, the two hunters developed a grudge against the beast, despite the warning of their old mentor, Stelarcte, and her stern exhortation to remember the souls of the fallen without bringing further torment to them. The duo left Turva for many months, trained hard, and finally faced and killed the beast, exacting their revenge.
Alas, awaiting their return was a gruesome silence: the village had been reduced to ashes, destroyed by a migrating lava beast. Node and Dylon came to a grim realization: a world populated by monsters of such power would never be safe for humanity, and the only way to save as many lives as possible was to preemptively hunt down and kill these creatures. None but them can bear such a burden, but, as always, having each other to rely upon will be enough.