The Fearslayer

I don't normally spend a ton of time in the demon-infested waters of the "dark and bloody" portion of setting-creation; but when called upon to do so, who am I to complain?  As part of a challenge, I was given the following task by Jack from Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque:


"Stat [James Fenimore] Cooper's Hawkeye as a demon-possessed villain."


Okey-dokes.

"I can taste your fear, little one, but fret not.  I can take that fear from you in an instant..."

THE COMING OF HEX-EYE THE FEARSLAYER

Born to human parents on the frontier during the aftermath of the battles at Cadaver Canyon, the man known as Hex-Eye the Fearslayer was abducted from the crib by Chaotic warriors of the barbarian Death-Clans, and raised as one of their own in service to dark, demonic lords.  As a boy, he cavorted with snake-men and learned to hunt and track with hell-hounds and barghests; during adolescence, he learned something of runewerk, and of the courts of the Vicelords and Horned Ones.  Finally, he proved himself a great Death-Clan warrior, and a fetal demonshard was transplanted where once his human heart had been - thus was born the Fearslayer.

Now, this frontier half-devil and his evil companions stalk the night in the wilderness, leaping upon innocents when the opportunity presents itself.  While his associates are rapacious, the Fearslayer himself is more selective about his prey, hunting only the souls necessary for the nourishment of the demonshard within his chest.  Some of their time is spent in trying to prevent internecine war between the Death-Clans, who have fallen to squabbling in the years following their defeat at Cadaver Canyon.

The Fearslayer appears as a tall, strong human male in his thirties, clad in buckskins.  Upon closer examination, however, the hunter's leather-stockings are obviously made of human skin, and his eyes are a hollow darkness.

The Fearslayer
AKA Hex-Eye, La Languissant Carabine
HD 8 (54 hp)
AC 5
attacks as Fighter 8
saves as Fighter 8, with a +2 versus spells and death magic (see Gear, below)

Gear & Powers:
Demonshard - the fetal demonstone within his ribcage invests Hex-Eye with his powers, as well as boosting his STR, DEX, and CON to 18 due to long exposure to the evil enchantment.
Scion of the Death-Clans - once per month (measured new moon to new moon), the Fearslayer may gate in 2d6 hell-hounds.
Hexing-Eye - It is said that the Fearslayer cannot miss any target he can see; this is, thankfully, an exaggeration.  However, any creature of Lawful or Neutral alignment which is in his sights suffers an instant curse (no save) which reduces their AC by 4 that round.  Note that since this is a decrease in AC (rather than a to-hit boost for Hex-Eye), the Fearslayer's companions benefit as well.
Hell-Rifle - Hex-Eye carries a custom, rune-encrusted longrifle which does regular rifle damage, plus those struck by its rounds (who survive) must save vs spells or be slowed as per the spell.
Leatherstockings - Hex-Eye's enchanted suit of human skin, meticulously crafted by sorcerors of the Death-Clans, provides him (and any Chaotic creature wearing them) with a +2 to all saves against spells or death magic.

HEX-EYE'S COMPANIONS
The Fearslayer is often (70%) seen with his dear friend and 'brother', Big Snake; there is a further 15% chance each that Hex-Eye's other occasional associates are in tow.

BIG SNAKE is a 7HD snake-man of noble Death-Clan blood, one of the last of his kind in Wampus Country.  Although Big Snake is a skilled hunter and fierce warrior, he also possesses the abilities of a 2nd-level sorceror, learned from his demonic masters.

DOCTOR BAT is a 3rd-level cleric and a werebat.  He thinks himself very clever.

"FLOATING TOM" is a (male) penaggalan of 3HD; he was scalped and murdered before his conversion, so now he covers his exposed brain with a top hat.  When feeding or in combat, Tom removes his hat, and his grey matter swells like a balloon, causing his head to detach from his torso (trailing innards) and float about.