| “ | If you see any vampires, let me know. I will dispose of them.
|
” |
The High Stakes Club is a high school club[1] from Reality: 783 whose main objective is to hunt vampires and other monsters. They were first introduced during Chapter 3: Season 4.
Overview[]
The High Stakes Club is made up of four hunters, three of which consider themselves above all family: Joni the Red, Helsie, and Lucien West.[2] Their goal is to hunt vampires and other monsters to defend the innocent.
The club were mega-fans of Starfang (Countess Daraku), their favorite musical artist, until they were targeted by The Countess - who turned out to be an ancient cunning vampire that enjoyed hunting her fans. They sought revenge by defeating her with newfound allies, proving themselves as capable hunters.
On Oninoshima, demons have broken free due to a shard of The Zero Point crashing into the island. The club now has taken on demons in their monster hunting. Minato Hakaru - a vigilante monster hunter and an old friend of Joni's known for partially breaking her trust - is revealed as a member of the club.
Members & Allies & Weaponry[]
Leader[]
| Leader | Description |
|---|---|
 Joni the Red |
The intense leader of the High Stakes Club, Joni the Red is their tactician. Rumor has it she'd do anything for a friend. Joni is fueled by a passion to achieve justice and protect the innocent. She relates to others through a shared passion for music. |
Club Members[]
| Members | Description |
|---|---|
 Helsie |
Member of the High Stakes Club, Helsie is a bobarista and their Club President. Despite her bubbly personality she is quite a threat. She is the social butterfly of The Club, interacting and offering services to the other residents of the island. |
 Lucien West |
Member of the High Stakes Club, Lucien West is their protector. Nothing matters more to him than keeping his friends safe, so much so he forgets to take care of himself. He considers his friends to be found family. |
 Minato Hakaru |
Member of the High Stakes Club, Minato is a merciless monster hunter as well as an old friend of Joni the Red. Both of them were attacked by a monster a long time ago, and survived. Unlike the other members, he mainly acts solo. For reasons unknown, Joni's trust in him is limited. |
Allies[]
| Allies | Description |
|---|---|
 Victoria Saint |
Mentor of the High Stakes Club, Victoria Saint has adopted them as her protégés on their shared quest to slay Countess Daraku. Despite Shimmerdusk's warning about Joni's potential, Victoria learns to be a pack hunter, finding a little change may be good. |
 Shimmerdusk |
The dark fae who has been hunting Kado Thorne across space and time. She is Victoria Saint's mentor and a reality-crossing monster hunter. Shimmerdusk believes a true monster hunter works alone, but is ultimately proven wrong. |
 The Looper |
Allied with and taught by the High Stakes Club, Victoria Saint, and Shimmerdusk, they want to kill both Countess Daraku and Kado Thorne. |
 Jade |
Old friend of Helsie. The two haven't seen each other for quite some time but recently reconnected. |
Weaponry[]
| Name | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Stake Shotgun |  |
Fire wooden stakes that deal significant damage at close range. Created to fight the vampires and the undead - but still good against most things. |
| High Stakes' Shotgun | |
Fire wooden stakes that deal significant damage at close range. Created to fight the vampires and the undead - but still good against most things. |
| Westward Knuckles |  |
Carves its own path. |
| Oath's Hold |  |
It seems another sword was cut from this strong alloy. |
| Twice Bitten |  |
Take two big bites out of the competition. |
| Big Bite |  |
Coffins, gravestones, ancient tomes... This'll cut through anything. |
| The Scarlet Oath |  |
No vampire can stand against it. |
| Westward Star |  |
Let it guide you. |
History[]
Unknown Period of Time[]
At an unknown time in Helsie’s childhood, she met Jade. They became best friends, wild about sharing myths and stories. As they grew up, distance gradually came between them.
In an earlier time, Joni the Red alongside her then best friend Minato Hakaru were attacked by a monster. Surviving the attack, both friends learn from the incident. Minato adapts to be monstrous in his hunting to survive - believing that it takes mercilessness.
Despite being rather harsh in her own hunting since the attack, Joni couldn’t bring herself to trust Minato’s harshness. The best friends stopped hunting together after Joni made a new friend in Helsie. The two newly friended hunters met Lucien West, another hunter with shared passion. Moving on from past friendships, the new group of friends went on to become chosen family.
Chapter 3: Season 4[]
The High Stakes Club resided on their home world Reality: 783 - facing a vampire escaping from a tomb, before being dragged into Asteria.
Chapter 4: Season 1[]
The High Stakes Club and Starfang are pulled from their reality, and are brought to the island by The Zero Point as it creates Asteria.[3]
The Ageless welcomes the club into his kingdom, and offers them safe haven under his rule. Helsie awkwardly thanks him for his generosity while Joni is quick to question The Ageless' intentions.
| “ | Have you ever heard the adage 'those who seek power shouldn't wield it?'
|
” |
As the club settles in, they all leave for separate hunts of their own. Helsie takes down a coven of lowly vampires with the Big Bite in Oathbound territory.[4] After, she stays at Hidden Henge.
Joni leaves for a hunt on the southwest part of the island. She starts off in Rowdy Acres. After a while, she tracks down three Driftwalker snapshots over at the abandoned bowling alley in Faulty Splits. She turns on the building's lights - revealing the Driftwalkers. She readies herself with her mask and sword, eliminating all three with The Scarlet Oath.[5] She then resides at the Faulty Splits bowling alley.
Lucien left for a hunt, but doesn't mention what or where he is hunting. He is gone for several weeks, leaving his friends worried about him.
| “ | I hope he's safe. He's never been out on a hunt this long…
|
” |
- — Helsie
Lucien reunites with his friends at Slappy Shores. Helsie wants to ask about the hunt but Joni tells her to give Lucien some space.[6]
Following the events of Lucien's return, Starfang holds a concert, giving the hunters some time to unwind with a night out.[7] She plays Joni's favorite album "Fangs."[8] The trio has front row seats, allowing Starfang to see them cheering more than everyone else in the crowd.
At some point after the show, Starfang writes High Stakes Club.[9] The song describes her plan for the club during the later eclipse, telling how she knows they will meet under a red sky, and how she looks forward to lowering her fangs on a burning heartbeat.[10]
Chapter 4: Season 4[]
With the blood moon eclipse nearing, Starfang puts her plan into action.[11] She announces another concert and resides at Eastern Watch, where her fans come to see her. She tells the club about how she is overjoyed her music has helped them cope with their lives. She is even more shocked to learn Helsie has all of her albums.[12]
| “ | That outfit is pretty cool. Always nice to meet a fan.
|
” |
In anticipation for the concert, The High Stakes Club all adorn new outfits and give themselves temporary names for the concert: Joni the Scarlet, Huntress Helsie, and Formal Lucien West.[13] They adorn new weapons resembling the originals in design and functionality.
Sometime before or during the concert Starfang drops her act, revealing herself as Countess Daraku: An ancient cunning vampire who loves to play with her prey and often targets her fans. Her reveal sends Joni to Kenjutsu Crossing where she meets Victoria Saint. Victoria mentions how she is on a quest to eliminate Daraku. Joni joins her and becomes her protégé. Joni now wants nothing more than to stop Countess Daraku.
Countess Daraku begins toying with the club. She belittles Joni's monster hunting ability. She makes Helsie double guess if she has what it takes to face the darkness. She makes Lucien doubt his ability to protect his friends.[14] Joni tells Daraku that she ruined her favorite album forever and that she really is a monster.[15]
| “ | You think you can slay every monster? That's cute.
|
” |
Shimmerdusk arrives on the Island to continue her hunt on Kado Thorne. Shimmerdusk tells Victoria she hopes she learns as much from teaching Joni as she did teaching her. Helsie and Lucien go to Windcatch Lake to meet Shimmerdusk. She tells them that monster hunters hunt alone and Joni will have to choose between her friends and true hunt.[16]
Fortnitemares[]
Helsie and Lucien ignore Shimmerdusk's warning, with Helsie writing a very glittery letter to Victoria telling her to meet them at Woodsy Ward.[17] Helsie and Lucien also invite The Looper due to their combat abilities. With everyone gathered, Victoria Saint decides to go against her teacher and adopt Helsie and Lucien as protégés too. Whilst training, Joni rigs up her new Wood Stake Shotgun and High Stakes' Shotgun. The club trains each other and The Looper under Victoria's guidance in the ways of monster hunting. The Looper shows great signs of promise and takes up the skill naturally.
| “ | You know how to move fast and keep your cool. Impressive.
|
” |
The High Stakes Club, Victoria Saint, and The Looper have completed their training and are now ready to challenge Countess Daraku. They go to Eastern Watch and challenge her to a duel. She is defeated thanks to the help of The Looper.
| “ | I… I can't believe it's over. Thank you.
|
” |
After the hunt of a lifetime, The High Stakes Club agrees that it's time to take a step back and figure out what comes next. They rest beside a campfire reflecting on their journey together.
| “ | No matter what The High Stakes Club faces next, we'll see it through TOGETHER!!
|
” |
- — Helsie
Chapter 6: Season 1[]
The High Stakes Club returned to Reality: 783, their homeworld, alongside the island of Oninoshima.
A shard of the destroyed Zero Point falls through a rift alongside Hope, Jones, and The Looper, causing demons to roam free across the island. Helsie stays at Canyon Crossing where she tells The Looper about the club's current status.
| “ | The gang's still kicking! Me, Lucien, Joni… For pretty much forever, we've operated in the shadows. Nobody believed us that vampires and monsters existed! But I guess they can't really argue if demons exist when they're so… everywhere.
|
” |
- — Helsie
Helsie shares her excitement of seeing actual magic with Joni and tells Lucien to remember to take care of himself. Jade, an old friend of Helsie's, reconnects after sometime apart. Helsie offers the club's services to help Hope find an artifact similar to Pandora's Box. Minato Hakaru, an old friend of Joni's and a monstrous monster hunter, is made known to the club as one of its members. Helsie informs Minato of Joni's lack of trust towards him, unsure of the reasoning herself.
| “ | Joni seems to trust you… but only a little. I wonder why.
|
” |
- — Helsie
LEGO Fortnite Brick Life[]
Joni, Helsie, Lucien, and possibly Minato are residents of Brick Bay - evidently attending Mourndale Academy. On campus, the club seems to share a bedroom with their peers. Just outside their room - across the hall, Lucien's plush wolf: Lil Louie, sits on a shelf. Inside the room resides a drum kit and several beds.
At Bobom Milk Tea, the club serve as bobaristas, with Helsie overseeing and running the café. When interacted with, she may share various thoughts, such as a desire to form a band but being torn between whether she should be the singer or the drummer.
Beneath Bobom lies the club's hidden room, where Joni and Lucien are located. To unlock the room, Lil Louie must be brought to the back of the café - and placed by the wall. Inside, Joni mentions her want for Bobom to serve red ice cream, while Lucien daydreams about hypothetical questions. The room itself features unique black ice cream, the club's banner, and four chairs at a round table.
| “ | You haven’t seen any vampires around, right?
|
” |
Trivia[]
- Each member of The High Stakes Club is named after a character from Bram Stoker's novel Dracula:
- Joni the Red/Joni the Scarlet is named after Jonathan Harker.
- Helsie/Huntress Helsie is named after Abraham Van Helsing.
- Lucien West/Formal Lucien West is named after Lucy Westenra.
- Minato Hakaru is named after Mina Harker.
- As the club's main adversary, Countess Daraku is named after the titular Count Dracula.
- All members besides Minato are known to like Bobom tea.[18]
- The Wood Stake Shotgun and the High Stakes' Shotgun were created by Joni the Red.[19]
- The Scarlet Oath and the Oath's Hold are the only two weapons known to be cut from the same alloy.
- Lucien West and Minato Hakaru are the only members/allies who haven't been characters on the island.
- The group's name is used with a capitalized "The" and a lowercase "the" interchangeably by Fortnite and the club's members.
- Joni, Helsie, and Lucien are labeled as teenagers, specifically between 14 to 18 years old. No official age is known.
References[]
- ↑ Sunflower said "Hey darlin', you could help on the farm for class credit..." to Helsie.
- ↑ Lucien West's description labels the group as found family.
- ↑ Helsie wears Daraku's album, Fangs on her shirt suggesting the club and Daraku share an origin reality.
- ↑ In the Helsie loading screen the architecture seen in the background is similar to that of Oathbound's.
- ↑ Joni the Red eliminates three Driftwalker snapshots in Joni the Red Dawns in the Fortnite December Crew Pack. Click for full details.
- ↑ Joni the Red's dialogue towards Helsie changed to say "Give Lucien some space. We don't know what he fought out there."
- ↑ The dialogue changes showing Lucien's return were introduced alongside A Night Out indicating the hunters went to a Starfang concert after Lucien's return.
- ↑ Joni the Scarlet says to Countess Daraku "You've ruined my favorite album forever. You truly are a monster." The only named album we know of hers is Fangs.
- ↑ Countess Daraku wrote High Stakes Club after setting her sights the club as her prey. The only known time she could've initially seen them to spark her desire is at her concert in A Night Out. It is likely to be a canonically unreleased song as it would've spoiled her plans.
- ↑ Lyrics in High Stakes Club by DEATHNYANN lays out Daraku's plan, history, and desires. For full details: DEATHNYANN - Fortnite chapter4 High Stakes Club (Official Music Video).
- ↑ Daraku's plan is written about in the High Stakes Club Lobby Track's lyrics.
- ↑ Countess Daraku's dialogue for the club members starting in v26.00.
- ↑ Joni the Scarlet's NPC description: "The intense leader of The High Stakes Club is dressed up for an awesome concert, as Joni the Scarlet". This is likely the same reasoning for the other two members name, outfit, and weapon changes.
- ↑ Countess Daraku's new dialogue for the club members from v26.10 onwards.
- ↑ Joni the Scarlet says to Countess Daraku: "You've ruined my favorite album forever. You truly are a monster."
- ↑ Shimmerdusk's dialogue to the club memebers.
- ↑ Victoria Saint's first line of dialogue to the player is this: "Do you know a "Helsie"? I got a very glittery letter from her, asking to meet here."
- ↑ In Helsie’s Bobarista Loading Screen the club besides Minato are featured with boba tea. Additionally in Brick Bay all club members npc’s have the bobarista job icon next to their names implying they work there. No NPC of Minato is in LEGO’s Brick Bay.
- ↑ Joni the Red says in 2023 Fortnitemares quests: "I've rigged up a new... 'high stakes' weapon to deal with the Countess. Or there's the old classic: explosive pumpkins."