Chapter 139: Bears, Boars, and Fursnakes

Chapter 139: Bears, Boars, and Fursnakes

Gristle was so happy with his new foot. He could wiggle his toes! The healer had insisted that he sit back and relax for a few hours and not walk on it, but really, it already felt better. And it looked better! The rest of his skin was a dark red, seamed with old scars and still recovering from his emergency wake up. But the newly healed foot was pink and smooth. Maybe he should break the other foot?

The adventurers had left him here in a comfortable spot with a cool drink and several tasty muffins. He hadn't eaten anything except meat in ages. The muffins were a glorious change. He decided to take their advice and relax while they straightened things up a bit.

"What do you think, Ben?" Ozzy was staring at the walls of piled stone that comprised a building that was barely standing.

Ben shook his head, "Can't fix something that broken. I say we tear down the walls and rebuild it. We have an abundance of ruins around and no lack of better stone. I'd like to lift the roof though, to save work. The trusses are intact and braced on those two long beams. If we lift the four corners, we can clear out the old walls, rebuild the corners, and set the roof back." He scanned the ruined buildings around him. "It would be even better if we had pillars to use on the corners."

Ozzy looked over at Runt, who was enjoying himself by doing nothing at all, "Hey, Runt, are there any nearby buildings that used to have stone columns? Or does the stockyard have any good wood we could use?"

Runt thought for a second, "Just my advice, but don't take anything from the stockyard. If you take apart a pen, even an empty one, it might fill up later and we'd have critters running all over. But there was a temple over that way. It was at the edge of one of the big hunting preserves that became the Beastwoods. It was mostly made of big white pillars."

Suzette came out of the guild hall with an armful of cleavers, chains, and old knives. She dumped them into a pile on the ground, "I like the idea of tearing the thing down. Ben and I can clean out anything worth keeping. You four can run over to the ruin and drag back some pillars."

She paused for a moment, "And I have a cantrip I think would help. I thought it was useless at first, but maybe not. Take a look."

Consecration of Stone

Bless the foundations of a building, shrine, or fortification. The blessing will extend to the entire structure. Cost will increase with increased building size. Other conditions may apply. Will not work on the foundations of fast-food restaurants, office buildings, or other godless constructions.

Ozzy was unsure about its use, "Seems like you're invoking a god for a blessing? Careful with that."

Suzette grinned, "I've got a pretty cool god I can use. Not worried about it."

Ozzy nodded. From what he'd seen, Hermes seemed pretty benign. But he was still puzzled about what the gods were, and how much they controlled this world. He put it out of his mind. A problem for another day.

Ben had a question for her. “Does any god work? Or is Hermes a god of butchers along with his other stuff?”

Suzette pondered that for a moment. “I’m not really sure about that. Ozzy, is there a god of butchers?”

“Sort of. Artemis can be considered one. She’s normally associated with hunters and nature but it got a little fuzzy when it came to the people who dressed the game as offerings. She picked up a lot of followers who were skinners, butchers, and leather workers.”

Suzette turned to Runt. “Do you know who the ruined shrine was dedicated to?”

Runt thought for a moment. “Probably a goddess instead of a god. Lots of carvings of a woman with a bow and a hunting dog.”

"Sounds like her. Hope she doesn’t mind an old building getting recycled. Time to go drag some stone back, rebuild this mess, and dedicate it to her."

It was a short walk through the ruins to the beginnings of the Beastwood. Everyone in the group had night vision, making the landscape seem almost pretty in the light of the moon. The trees were spaced far apart with little undergrowth. Their bark was thick and fuzzy with moss. Ben noticed that while there were a lot of oak, cypress, and ash he saw none of the trees common in the druid’s grove. Every once in a while, they heard the sounds of something moving through the ruins, but nothing attacked.

Runt was very cautious at first, then moved quicker, "I don't think everything is awake yet. This place used to be a lot more dangerous."

The shrine was just a hundred feet into the woods. Once it had been an ornate building of white marble columns and granite blocks. Many of the blocks were carved with scenes of hunters battling beasts and monsters. But over and over, the most prevalent pictures were of a goddess out hunting with dogs and bears attending her.

The decorations on the top of the marble columns showed the remains of gold leaf. Rolly picked up what seemed to have been large, hanging incense burner. It crumbled in his hands scattering ashes to the ground. The marble columns were mostly intact. Ozzy hefted one easily, "These aren't too bad. I can carry them and maybe you two can get one as well?"

Runt picked up a column onto his shoulder, "I don't need help."

Rolly could barely shift one by himself, or with Squirmie’s help, "The two of us will guard you on the way back."

Before they could leave, a ghostly voice cried out. "You dare to defile the Shrine of the Goddess of the Hunt?! "

Leaves, dust, and ashes from the broken incense burner swirled in a wind storm before taking the form of a tall man dressed in only a fur loin cloth and boots. Antlers sprouted from his head and his body was adorned with tattoos and ritual scarring. A flint spear was held in one hand, and a hunting horn in the other.

Runt tossed his pillar back into the rubble. "Or maybe we'll just leave these here? No offense intended". Ozzy also dropped his but suspected that wasn't going to be enough.

"The pillars of this shrine will stay here, along with your bones!" The ghost gestured and a ring of blue fire surrounded them, "The choice is yours: Accept my challenge and prove your worth, or cross the fire and die a coward's death." He raised his horn to his lips and blew three clear notes that were answered by roars and grunts from the forest.

"Not much of a choice. Challenge accepted, be ready Squirmie!" Rolly's skin changed first to a black chitin, and then further into what looked like an ornate set of black armor. From his forearms grew two long, curved scimitars. Whether he was holding them by the pommel, or they were attached to his arms was unclear. Squirmie's legs grew long talons and he hovered high in the air.

Ozzy summoned his Ancient Billhook and commented on Rolly's new look, "That's new. I like it. Much more 'adventurer' than 'freak of nature'."

Rolly acknowledged the half compliment with a bow, "Squirmie and I are working on some new looks. They come in handy."

Runt looked from the huge, glowing polearm to the dark knight and murderous bug, "Smart asses, all of you. What the hell did I sign up for? I could be scrubbing out a blood-soaked dungeon with an old rag now, you know. I'm sure there was nothing about this shit in that contract."

Into the clearing came three huge beasts. Rolly was attacked by a furred viper. The huge snake was the size of an anaconda. Its entire body was covered in a mottled fur that would normally make it invisible as it moved through the forest. Its fangs oozed a venom that smoked as it hit the forest floor.

Runt was charged by giant Erymanthian boar. Three tusks sprouted from either side of its foaming snout. Its eyes were red with madness. It grunted and charged at Runt, who stood swinging his cane.

Ozzy didn't have time to worry about his companions as he was charged by a huge Golden Bear that made a grizzly look like a cub. The bear was coming fast, and he placed the butt end of the pole arm on the ground and braced for impact. To his surprise, the bear suddenly stood on its hind legs and batted aside the billhook with a huge paw. With the annoying sharp-thing out of the way, it dropped to all fours again, and bowled Ozzy over.

The astonished butcher hit the ground on his back, with a mound of golden fur above him. He couldn't roll out of the way, trapped as he was between the two front legs. With no other weapons, he jabbed his fists at the bears face to keep it from biting him. The first two punches the bear ignored, snorting its contempt. The next few hurt more as Ozzy began to roll back and forth, getting in harder jabs. After a particularly painful punch to the bear's snout, it reared back away from him. Hoping to get free, Ozzy tried to stand, only to have a huge paw smack him in the head, followed by two more fast hits, the last one stunning him. A few seconds later he came to, and realized the bear had just been batting him with its paws. If the claws had been out, he doubted he'd still have a face.

The great bear was standing three foot away from him, just waiting. It nodded as if to say, "You done with that nap yet? Ready to quit slapping each other and fight like grown bears?"

As he gathered his senses, the beast gathered him into a bear hug. There was no escaping as the huge arms wrapped around him and began to crush his spine. He braced his feet, wrapped his own arms around the bear and squeezed back.

Rolly was having an easier time of things. As the snake coiled and readied its strike, he swayed back and forth, prepared to dodge. The snake watched his swaying, timing its strike. As the strike came, the snake belatedly realized it had been focused on the wrong predator. Squirmie swooped down and struck with all six talons just behind the snake’s head. Beating his wings, he flew higher, the snake trailing behind him. Rolly began to cut at the snake as it hung in the air. The fur was surprisingly tough to cut through, but after that it only took a few more slices. Snicker-snack went the curved blades, and the snake fell into two pieces.

"Nice job Squirmie."

"So do giant Fursnakes. Did you think I didn't know you were a team of two?"

Rolly cried out as a viper only a few inches long bit him on the ankle. As he collapsed, the small snake slithered to the ghost and coiled about his ankle.

Further Quests:

-Kill 10 Chimerae and bring their tusks or claws to the Huntsman's Camp Reward: 1 Hunter's Guild Point

-Kill 100 Chimerae and bring their tusks or claws to the Huntsman's Camp Reward: 3 Hunter's Guild Point

-Kill 10 Large Chimerae and bring their tusks or claws to the Huntsman's Camp Reward: 5 Hunter's Guild Point

-Kill a Mighty Beast of Legend Reward: 25 points divided among the hunting party.

-Enter the Menagerie Reward: 1 Hunter's Guild Point

-Kill a beast in the Menagerie Reward: 3 Hunter's Guild Point

-Kill the King Chimerae of the Menagerie Reward: 25 points divided among the hunting party.

-Solve a Riddle Reward: 1 Hunter's Guild Point

-Fail to solve a riddle 1 Hunter's Guild Point

Training available from this Hunter's Guild. Costs may be paid with either Core Skill Points or Hunter's Guild Points.

Primary Weapon Skills available. Cost: 3 points each.

Weapon: Spear

Weapon: Bow

Weapon: Long Knife

Weapon: Blow Gun

Weapon: Boomerang

Weapon: Sling

Weapon: Harpoon

Weapon: Atlatl

Weapon: Woomera

Unarmed Attack: Bear Hug.

Perk: Beast's Senses Cost: 5 points

You have a heightened sense. The nose of a wolf, the ears of a fox, or the herd sense of a sedge bull. May be taken multiple times. May be taken once per tier with increasing cost of 5/10/15.

Perk: Hunter's Slyness Cost: 5 points

You know how to mask your scent with herbs or diet. You naturally approach from downwind. (Or maybe the wind shifts in your favor?) The earth absorbs the sound of your passing and your trail is hard to follow. May be taken once per tier with increasing cost of 5/10/15.

Skills available. Cost: 1 for tertiary, 2 for secondary, 3 for Primary

Skill: Novice Tracking PER

Skill: Novice Stealth DEX

Skill: Fishing

Skill: Boar Hunting (Spear, boar spear, or over-designed pole-weapon.)

Skill: Shark Hunting (Harpoon)

Skill: Predator Knowledge (Something went bump in the night? Something destroyed a town? Something is breathing down the back of your neck? You'll figure it out. You've learned to pick up subtle clues, match them to old legends, or decipher the ramblings of scared peasants. You have a pretty good idea of what's out there, and maybe how to stop it. INT)

Craft skill: Skinning

Craft skill: Hide crafting (gear, clothing, and light armor from hides and light leather.)

Crafts kill: Scrimshaw: (The carving of animal bones and ivory.)

More rewards may open with accomplishments.

For a minute or two, the workers read through the notice and began discussing how to use the rewards. Ben clapped his hands together, "Time to get moving. That's only one thing done tonight. Let's get to work on the Guild Hall. I assume Artemis won't mind us using all that marble to build a headquarters for a Butcher's Guild?"

The Huntsman spoke up from where he was playing with the cub. "Please, I beg of you, clean away all that stone and incense tainted rubble. I'll be happy to have it gone."

Runt and Ozzy each picked up a stone pillar and started walking back. Rolly hefted a large block of marble.As the group was walking back, Squirmie asked Rolly a question.

Rolly got a big smile on his face, "Why, only the coolest dragons that ever lived. The dragons have a lot of stories about them and how their great love for each other helped them overthrow the selfish gods of old and populate the world with baby dragons who grew up and began civilization. I've got lots of stories I can tell you about them."

"You and me both Squirmie. Buddy Dragons forever."