The next three days went relatively smooth. In the following days I tested my magic moving from beast to beast. I found a number of helpful things. The first was that spiders and lighting magic made for very dead spiders. The first spider I came upon took a few blasts of different magic all doing very different amounts of damage. Once it was hit with an electrical orb it was catastrophic and the spider curled up and died. I decided to test it again on the next healthy spider when I came upon one. I did so and found that the tree spiders took one hit to kill and the ground spiders took two. This test also had me find a new spider variant, one that lived underground.
The second thing was that the rats were weak to almost every form of magic. The only spell that did not take effect was the Infect spell, they were immune. Everything else seemed to kill them quickly. The third thing was that the snakes were resistant to a lot of different magics. They succumbed to mostly wind, water, and ice spells. They were resistant to most other forms of magic and electrical did little to no damage. Ice was most effective since it had the effect of dropping their body temperature.
I also found that the hamster-looking animals were edible, and had taken to hunting them at dusk before camping for the night. It had been going well enough that I had started to believe that my survival was no longer in doubt, as long as I could keep moving, I believed I should be fine.
I had stopped along a creek after clearing the area. Getting water was still a dangerous activity, I had killed the beasts near where I had stopped. I even managed to snag a fish that came too close and got trapped in the suction as my canteen filled itself.
I was getting ready to move on when I noticed that the forest had become uncharacteristically quiet. There was nothing in my immediate area so I climbed a tree and looked at my map. After a while a large dot showed up, this was new the dots had not been different sizes before. This one was also a different color. All the other dots showed up as red while this one was gold. Even the alpha’s I ran across did not show as gold on my map it must have meant this thing was uber dangerous. I watched as it moved across the map all of the dots near it disappeared. This thing whatever it was rolled through an area like a big dick in a locker room. I only took relief in the fact that it was heading in a different direction than I was. I did take notice that its path was going to cross mine but it would be way behind me. I decided to move on deciding to put more distance between myself and this beast.
I continued for two more days until I woke up and realized that the surrounding forest was not as lively as normal. When I checked my map, I noticed that the gold dot was at the edge of my map. More concerning was the fact that the path it was taking seemed to be the same one I had just taken. This was concerning, was this thing following me? If I had not had this skill, I might not have recognized the possibility of that being the case. I decided that I would find out one way or another today if it was tailing me.
I started my day just like any other but today would be different. I would be pulling several “Crazy Ivan” maneuvers. I had learned this from watching several submarine movies the maneuvers required one to make a series of hard turns. I would be doing something similar. I decided I would weave off the strait path some ways and then head back to my original heading at random points. Then I would go to a place and watch the results if the beast followed my random course changes, then I would know it was following me and take action accordingly. I followed my plan limiting my conflict with the beasts leaving them when I could. And then sometime after noon I found a perch to watch my map.
I was heartily dismayed as I watched the beast follow my exact path. I had taken more than one turn during the day and my path had zigzagged and done some intentionally weird things I had wanted to make obvious. Whatever this thing was it was hunting me and had been now for a few days. This was not normal behavior it made this beast different and dangerous.
The next few days were spent efforting to lose my tail. I did the normal thing I had learned to do so I traveled up a creek through the water. I climbed trees and traveled through the branches. I had also used my fly spell to travel off the ground without touching anything. After that, the dot dropped off my map, and I was sure I had lost it. I went back to traveling as I had before, I wanted to just sneak through the forest but I needed to kill beasts to level just in case.
Three days later I woke as normal, I had been checking my map before bed, and when I woke up at a maximum distance. The gold dot had returned, this fucking thing was persistent.
“Today I choose violence. Anyone or thing that attacks me will be met with overwhelming violence that means you gold dot” I said sternly.
I decided that I needed to get eyes on this thing to see what it was that hunted me. I would find a suitable area where I could do a crazy Ivan where I could get a sightline on this thing as it followed me. I headed off until I found a suitable area it was by a stream that had some offshoots. I turned left up the river away before crossing the water and flying into the trees a bit off the stream. I was high enough that I believed that I should be safe to watch as this thing arrived. The fly spell was very mana intensive or I would have used it to leave the area as it was, I could only maintain the spell for short periods.
I sat and watched for some time until a massive head broke through the brush by the stream. The gold dot belonged to a truly massive snake.
Nalaches/Lesser Great Beast, Hatchling lvl 47.
The beast came out of the brush and dipped its head to drink. It was black with grey scales on its belly, the black was unnaturally dark and seem to suck in the limited daylight. I watched as three Dire rats emerged from the brush not noticing its presence. One of the rats happened to be an alpha I hoped that the beast would take some damage and go off to lick its wounds. I was amazed and dismayed by what happed next. I watched as the beast reared back like a cobra.
Nalaches casts stunning sight.
Stunning sight does not affect you MR is insufficient.
All three of the rats are frozen stiff as the Nalaches rears back and strikes each one. I watch as it takes seconds for the venom to take effect. And the beast then swallows them whole. I can see as it moves its tongue flicks as it begins moving in the direction my trail leads it. This beast it ID’s different the description is different, and it seems to be able to use magic. I have resolved that this thing needs to go.
For the next three days I continue to play cat and mouse with the giant snake. I never let it get closer than the edge of my map. I continue to “Crazy Ivan” in random directions. I kill random beasts but not in mass just what I have to.
On the fourth day, I stumbled across the perfect ambush location. By chance one of my “Crazy Ivan’s” finds a dry creek bed. I immediately veer away from this area. I go as far as to go in the complete opposite direction. I also make a messy kill while doing so hoping that that smell wins out in the end. I go a day further before I turn around and fly back in that direction. I would use fly more, hell I would fly away, except for a few issues. The fly spell is mana intensive using sixty mana per second, which means I can only hold the spell for one hundred and twelve seconds. I also cannot get above the trees which means when I fly, I have to weave in between the tree trunks. So, I can never build up any real speed. This also does not account for the spiders and their webs that I also have to deal with. If I could have flown away from the beast, I would but in this forest that was not the case.
Once back in the area with the dry creek I follow it as it cuts through the topography. I find what can only be described as the perfect location. The creek had cut through the side of a hill leaving a narrow ravine. This was the only easy way down the hill for some distance. The ravine is about thirty feet long and has random stone offshoots. I even take the time to sharpen a few heading in the right direction. When you step out of the ravine the bed is still about waist-high, and there is a dead tree to one side. I know that this will be the perfect place. It just needs some setup and I should be able to spring the perfect trap here.
I spend the rest of the day and most of the following day setting up this area to be a death trap. When it is all said and done, I have three rolling rock traps, and two log traps set up. Someone might say that my trap laying was excessive, but for a gamer, in this type of situation, they might say it’s not enough. One of our group was former military he would always say “Two is one, and one is none” and “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” I had always liked the quote from Iron Mike “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the face.” Either way after gaming for years you never laid just one trap you always set multiple because you never knew what might happen. All of my traps were set to be triggered with my [Telekinesis]. When the snake was in the right place, I would trigger my TK and use it to set off the traps. I had no experience with tripwires so I didn’t want to take a chance with them not working or going off early.
By the end of the second day, the snake is on the edge of the map, and I can tell it is looking again. I can tell by the way it is moving that it will be here by midday tomorrow. I go and find a new campsite in the same area, I have learned through gaming and other sources to never camp in the same site twice. Even with my camp, and alarm stones, it’s not a chance worth taking. I am quickly proven correct as my new campsite is within visual distance from the old one. I watch as the area where I had been camping, is overrun throughout the night by different beasts. The beasts also crawl over the area where my traps are set, making me glad that I did not use tripwires. Even without the tripwires, one of the stone traps is set off during the night. I have to spend most of my morning resetting the trap.
I wait for more than half the day as the dot approaches. As it gets closer it makes a b-line for the area I am currently in. Even with its more direct path it still is well past midday by the time it gets to where I am. I can tell that it is being cautious since I have left many false trails before.
I hear the beast enter the ravine, the scraping of its scales is not a natural sound to the surroundings. I wait a few agonizing minutes until I see the beast's tongue flicker between the stones of the exit. It hesitates for a while before it pokes its head out, as soon as it does, I trigger all of the traps. I watch as three of the traps hit and lock into place one of the others is close and can be moved into place with the right adjustment. The last part of my plan is a large log with three sharpened and fire-hardened branches. I lift the log and slam it down on the back of the snake’s head. One of the branches pierces the top of the snake's mouth causing it to hiss in pain. Once it was done, I stepped back to look at my handiwork. The snake was trapped and stretched out over thirty feet.
I took the time to look the beast over up close. I had always had a fascination with snakes, and this one was truly spectacular. The keeled scales were a dark purple that gradually turned black the lower they got. As I got closer to its head the scales started to have bands of lighter green. On the back of its head was a pattern of some type. I guessed that it would be more visible if the snake was able to rear back.
“It’s too bad you are a truly beautiful creature. It’s a shame I have to kill you now” I say as I draw my sword.
This is mostly for my benefit since snakes don’t hear like we do. Snakes mostly feel vibrations instead of hearing as we do. I had seen a video that showed while snakes do hear some sounds the range of what they did hear was different. I doubt it understands what I said anyway. As I get closer to its head the eye locks onto me.
Nalaches casts stunning sight.
Stunning sight does not affect you MR is insufficient.
“Nice try bud but that does not work on me. But I am sure this will work on you” I say as I raise my sword to its eye level.
Its cats eye pupil narrows when it sees my sword. For the first time, I can tell that it is surprised and a bit panicked, based on the narrowing of the pupil and its increased struggles.
“I guess it’s time to kill you now. I wish I didn’t have to. But you decided to keep hunting me even after I tried to lose you. I chose violence though you hunted me and became the hunted” I say as I jump onto the back of its head.
The nalaches attempts to shake me off. But, between the boulder on its neck and the log poking through its head, the attempt is mostly futile. Since snakes lack legs, they cannot lift anything heavy. Most reptiles’ heads are built so that their strength is in the downward bite, that is why you see people holding things like alligator’s mouths shut with tape.
Once I am positioned, I start to stab down with the blade of my sword. There is some slight resistance as the blade starts to pierce the scales. There is more slight resistance once the blade hits the skull. But once it is through, I can see the snakes HP start to drop. I can feel the snake try to shake free one more time before I feel it concede. I get a new message across my interface, this one is impossible to ignore as it is bright red.
Akurra recognizes its defeat, and offers a familiar contract. Since this contract is being offered instead of death the familiar contract has no terms and is complete surrender. To accept this contract, you have to have an open familiar slot 1/2. Do you wish to accept Akurra as a familiar Y/N?
I am surprised, not only by the fact that I have the space for a familiar. But, that the beast below me was smart enough to recognize its defeat. It had also surprised me by offering itself as a familiar. I select yes and am hit by a rush of new information. I realize that now that I have accepted the offer the giant snake cannot attack me. I also realize that the contract is not complete I need to do more. I withdraw the blade from the beast and remove the log from Akrurra’s head. I did not realize that this was a named beast which explained its intelligence. It also explained why this beast tracked differently on my map.
Once I had its head clear I removed all of the other traps. The contract requires one more step to be completed. I sheath my sword and pull one of the other knives out of my storage. I could have used my sword but the way it cuts is too dangerous, I only need a few drops of blood not to lose a finger. I use the knife to prick my finger, it splits the skin with ease. I add a few drops of blood to the cut in the snake’s skull. I feel the connection snap into place. I am also hit with a deluge of notifications. This is not the time for that though, as we are still exposed.
I send Akurra the thought of moving on since the night will be upon us. I receive a mental shrug from the behemoth snake. It is not worried by much. Communicating with it is strange based on how its mind works. He doesn’t think in terms of words I get mostly feelings from him. He doesn’t fear the night beasts in fact for the most part the impression I get from him is that he fears very little in the forest. It fits with him being an over forty-foot-long venomous snake. I would guess that most things would give him a wide berth, in fact, I had tried as well. I send him that I need to review the notifications and that they might change things as well. He lifts his head and nods.
We walk for a few hours until I find a new suitable campsite. I was initially concerned with my travel speed now with my new companion. My concern was quickly removed as we traveled. Akurra moved more like a Cobra or even a Mamba than a large constrictor. He was easily able to keep my pace, I surmised that he was even able to move faster but that was saved for emergencies. While we walked, he even killed and ate a wandering spider. The spider wandered into an area with us and before I could even think he had stunned it and struck. I had not been paying attention to my map an error I quickly rectified. I could tell he was not happy with his meal, he did not like the way the spiders tasted. He had been hungry and the spider while not to his taste had been edible. Once we had found a suitable spot, I lead him to an area with three dots. I know that the dots are dire rats. I watch as he stuns the group and strikes out at two, while I dispatch the alpha. I store the alpha while he eats the other two. I can tell he is happier with this meal. The good thing is that since I have entered this forest, I have not found a lack of beasts so feeding him will not be an issue. We head back to the campsite and I choose the larger setting on the campsite stone to cover for my new companion. I can feel his interest peak when I use the stones. I can tell he wondered how I was making my way through the forest, and hiding from the other animals.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Once I am sure we are safe and comfortable for the night. I start to look at my notifications. Most are about gaining the familiar and the terms of the familiar contract. There is one that shows promise.
You have won a familiar by combat. Due to you forcing a beast to submit without assistance you familiar will be more versatile than other familiars.
I am quite pleased with this revelation because something like this could be a game-changer. Plus, anything that helps me survive is a win in my book.
Familiar upgrade pending. Do you wish to initiate familiar upgrade Y/N?
I send Akurra that it is showing that there is an upgrade for him. This gets the most enthusiastic response from him. The giant snake is almost puppy-like in his response. I send him the query, as to if this is why he was following me. The response is immediate and visceral. I get a vision of him eating and growing. I get the impression from him that he believed that if he ate me with my magic, he would have grown more. I get the impression that he believes his form would have changed. Now he is going to change, and it’s making him very excited. I initiate the upgrade and watch as his scales start to cloud over.
Familiar upgrades commenced.
I have watched enough snake videos on YouTube to know that he is going into shed. This is a good thing as it should help replace the snake's damaged scales. Normally in the videos, I would watch the people would soak the snake to make the process easier. In this case, it would not be possible since we did not have something that would hold the amount of water needed to soak a snake this large. I figured I would just have to wait, and help him after if needed. I watch as a new timer appears by his name, it seems like we will be here for about ten hours.
The rest of the evening and night go by without any issues. There were a few large beasts that wandered through the area during the night. All of whom sniffed the air and immediately left. It seemed that even though the beasts were larger than my new companion they were not intent on tangling with it. I guess that would be the benefit of being a giant venomous reptile. I sit there for a while watching before I decided it would be safe enough to sleep for a while.
When the morning comes, I look at the timer that appeared next to Akurra’s name we still have about an hour and a half. While I am waiting, I hunt one of the smaller beasts that I can find. I have gotten much better at hunting, but my skinning and prep is still not very good. I also am a shit cook in this situation. My meal while filling is poor and I get a mouthful of burnt hair with one bite. But I can survive, the food while not as good as back home is still food.
An hour after I get done eating Akurra begins to stir. At first, he shakes but then he begins to slither around until the scales on his nose begin to split. From there, he rubs against a tree and some stones, to peel the dead scales off.
The changes to Akurra are very interesting. He is still a very large snake but he has lost length, being more than ten feet shorter. At over thirty feet long and two and a half in circumference, he is still massive, while he is not as large as he once was. His scales are still a deep purple that darkens to black the closer they get to the ground. The scales are thicker and kneeled, they look like individual linking armor plates. The areas that were previously green are now a steel gray and the diamond pattern on the back of his head is now clearly visible. There is also another more pronounced change that I only see once he does his “Snake yawn”. When I saw him before I had only seen one set of hinged fangs in his mouth. Now he possessed at least ten that I could see. I could tell the difference between his fangs and his normal teeth since his fangs were a black metallic version of his normal teeth. Three of the sets of hinged teeth were on the upper jaw and hinged like a fan. The front fangs were longer being nearly a foot long and razor-sharp. The next two sets as well as a hinged set on the bottom jaw were shorter with the set on the bottom being the shortest. The last set on the bottom was fixed and towards the rear of the mouth. The manner of this evolution was terrifying, Akurra had developed the means to deal with almost anything he was likely to encounter. With all the new fangs he could deal with creatures heavily armored to one side.
I get the feeling from him that he is very pleased with his new form. I am now rushed with new notifications as my vision becomes impaired by the sheer volume.
Upgrade results: Lesser Minor Devine Beast, Size Change.
Owner Upgrade results: +2000 to mana pool, +7 MR increase, +600 Natural Armor, Mana Regen Increase, Envenomate, Stunning Sight, Thermal Vision, Improved Tremor Sense, Scent, Resist Toxins, +10 to all stats.
You have Gained the Skill Monstrous Familiar.
The skill Tremor Sense has become Improved Tremor Sense.
You have learned the skill Thermal Vision.
You have learned the skill Scent.
You have learned the skill Resist Toxins.
You have learned the spell Stunning Sight.
You have learned the spell Envenomate.
The skill Improved Tremor Sense has been integrated into the skill Map.
The number of changes is again too much and I blackout. When I come too, I find Akurra wrapped around me protectively. I can tell that there has been a scuffle as the protections from my stone have worn off. Akurra seems to be fine I can’t see any injuries. Whatever he fought with is either log gone, or more likely eaten. I can tell he is pleased with himself when I start to stir. As soon as I start to move, I am hit with sensory overload. I can all of a sudden smell much better as I smell the iron in the blood of whatever Akurra ate. I can also feel much more around me, as the improved tremor sense shows me much more about my surroundings. The last and most disconcerting is the Thermal Vision as I now see everything in grades of heat. It’s like being the predator everything shows up and grades of blue and red. It takes some time but I can learn to control it. I find that if I concentrate and think about how I want a skill to work, it allows me to turn the skill down or even off. At least for some parts of it anyway! When I am done, I have new text this text is different since it shows as bright green on my screen and I am not able to dismiss it.
You have learned Skill Manipulation.
This is different since the text does not say it is a skill. This is something else but similar. I decide to deep dive into my new skills and spells to see if there is anything else.
Improved Tremor Sense: Passive Skill
You are sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with surfaces you are in contact with. This is effective out to 20 meters.
Thermal Vision: Passive skill
You are able to perceive the infrared spectrum (i.e. temperature), allowing you to see temperature variations in objects and environment. This ability is incredibly useful for observation purposes, as the user is able to see the heat presences of any living targets.
Scent: Passive Skill
You can detect beings with thirty feet of yourself. You can detect its presence but not its location, unless it is within five feet of you. If the being is upwind of you this increases to forty feet, and drops to fifteen feet when downwind. You can use this ability to track others. Running water can ruin the trail for tracking.
Resist Toxins
Through bonding with a venomous familiar you have become able to resist toxins. Toxins are classified on a numerical scale from one to ten. Your familiar is graded as a four on the scale. You are immune to all toxins below six, and have resistance of %87 to all toxins on level five. You have a %25 percent chance to resist other toxins per level of the toxin, %75 lvl4, %50 lvl3, %25 lvl2. You are fully immune to your familiar’s venom which contains Neurotoxin, Hemotoxins, and digestive enzymes. You gain an additional %50 resistance to any toxin that contains any of the same components. (Human Bonus) You gain an additional %15 resistance to all levels of toxins. Your resistance increases if you are exposed other toxins and resist.
Stunning Sight lvl 4.
You stun the targets of this spell with your presence. Any targeted creature that can see you is stunned by your presence. This spell can be resisted by those with high wisdom. The target must be able to see you for this spell to take effect. 150 MP Cool Down 300 sec.
Envenomate lvl 6.
You strike a target and expel venom. The target is affected by any toxin you have been exposed to. The target has a chance to resist the toxin. If the toxin is resisted the target shows no symptoms. If the venom is not resisted the target will start to feel the effects of the toxin. As a Spellblade you can deliver these attacks with your weapon. Cast time instant. 150 MP Cool Down 500 sec. (Nalachesis venom, Neurotoxic, Hemotoxin, Enzymes.)
Skill Manipulation lvl 2.
You are able to manipulate your skills and the skills of anyone you control. You can change the intensity of certain skills, and can activate or deactivate certain skills. You can also transfer or teach skills to others, to transfer skills you must have control of their status screen. Teaching skills in this manner is faster than normal and will transfer a higher skill level to the student, transfers of skills are at you own level. You are also able to transfer skill from those you control to yourself.
The normal skills are what I expect from my reactions. The spells are easy enough to understand, I have seen Akurra use the one. The other gives me the magical equivalent of his venom, since I don’t think I could physically make venom. The last skill is both helpful and troubling. The fact that it says control leads me to believe that there is slavery in this world. Even worse is that there seems to be some way of magically enforcing it. I will have to be careful around other people if I ever find them.
I do find that I have a tab for Akurra, and Sky Cutter now has its own tab as well. Both sheets are very simple interfaces.
Akurra
Genus
Nalachesis
Creature Type.
Lesser Minor Devine Beast.
Class
Familar
Age
Hatchling
MP 2000
HP 4000
ST 1700
Lvl 1.
MR 28, AC 1200
Spells:
Detect Magic (Passive).
Elemental Aura lvl 0.
Locate Weakness lvl 0.
Weakening Blast lvl 0.
Stunning Sight lvl 5.
Conceal lvl 7.
Size Change lvl 2.
Skills:
Climb lvl 10.
Perception lvl 10.
Stealth lvl 7.
Move Silently lvl 9.
Survival lvl 10.
Animal Behavior lvl 9.
Enhanced Senses
Improved Tremor Sense.
Scent.
Thermal Vison.
Sky Cutter
Lvl 2.
MR 24
Skills:
Cut lvl 3.
Pierce lvl 0.
The interface was simple enough there was a slider for the skills allowing for me to change them. I made no changes not knowing what effect that would have. I also looked at my character sheet to see my own status.
Vandwon “Van” Moore
Race
Human 6ap MR2
Deities
Subrace
OutWorlder 6ap MR 5
Class
Arch SpellBlade 2ap MR 5
Class Type
Unique 2ap MR7
Profession
***** Hidden
Boons
Outworlder
Black Blade
Human Might 2
Human Regeneration 2
Arch Mage MR2
Storage
Insight
Accelerated Growth
Titles
First of my kind. MR 2
Class creation.
High magic. MR 2
Knower of the Lost.
Age: 26
Level: 19
XP gained 75% to next level.
+100% to Leveling XP.
HP: 5800
(Regen CON+STR per hour.)
MP: 7920 + 2000 = 9920
(Regen 96 per min. 48 per min/Combat)
ST: 5920
(Regen CON+[2xSTR/10]+15% per min.)
Attributes:
Strength (STR): 118+20+10(444)
Dexterity (DEX): 116+20+10(438)
Constitution (CON): 115+20+10 (435)
Intelligence (INT): 188*+10 (198)
Wisdom (WIS): 174*+10 (184)
Charisma (CHA): 111+10 (121)
AP: 304, 00 Unspent.
MR: 36, AC: 3800.
Spells:
Read Magic.
Minor Elemental Orb.
Runic Mark (Active/Passive).
Dancing Lights.
Detect Magic (Passive).
Ghost Sound.
Light.
Minor Telekinesis.
Clean.
Identify lvl 0 (Passive).
Reduce Gravity lvl 0.
Lesser Elemental Touch lvl 3.
Blade Lash lvl 0.
Blur lvl 0.
Bladed Dash lvl 0.
Enhance Self lvl 0.
Glitterdust lvl 0.
Invisibility lvl 0.
Mirror Image lvl 0.
Sonic Scream lvl 0.
Storm of Blades lvl 0.
Fireball lvl 0.
Elemental Aura lvl 0.
Fly lvl 0.
Haste.
Locate Weakness lvl 0.
Lightning Bolt lvl 0.
Dimension Door lvl 0.
Weakening Blast lvl 0.
Infect lvl 3.
Stunning Sight lvl 2.
Envenomate lvl 3.
Skill Manipulation lvl 2.
Skills:
Linguistics
Map
Pain Resistance lvl 5.
Climb lvl 10.
Cartography lvl 1.
Perception lvl 10.
Threat Detection lvl 4.
Wands lvl 5.
Weapon Focus (Sword) lvl 6.
Power Strike lvl 0.
Focused Strike lvl 0.
Cleaving Strike lvl 0.
Combat Casting lvl 0.
Spellstrike lvl 0.
Arcane Empower lvl 0.
Enduring Empower.
Bows lvl 7.
Unarmed Combat lvl 9.
Stealth lvl 6.
Move Silently lvl 5.
Survival lvl 5.
Animal Behavior lvl 3.
Iron Gut.
Improved Climb.
Enhanced Senses
Improved Tremor Sense.
Low Light Vision.
Scent.
Thermal Vison.
Monstrous Familiar.
Black Blade: Sky Cutter, Familiar2/3: Akurra
I made some simple changes to my own skills. I turned down the thermal vison and lessened the intensity of both Scent and Tremor Sense. After that I was ready to move on for the day. We were getting a late start since I had issues adapting to all of the changes.