Lar Tathvaal watched ‘Häerz Castle’ become ‘Castle Redmane,’ and he grinned from ear to ear.
An ‘anomaly’ indeed.
He’d bet on the right chariot.
No normal Faction could have upgraded their Sanctuary so swiftly. Not even in a Blight this massive. It had been mere days, but Redmane had transformed the very land, invested it with something which enhanced its Gnosis generating properties greatly. He’d never seen anything like it. Every Zone under the control of his Faction was rapidly becoming a powerhouse.
Faction Sanctuaries were essentially Taracon in miniature, central nodes for the gathering of Gnosis in their region, unwittingly operated by native Imbued who were by and large ignorant of their true purpose.
The same could be said for Blights, in part. The System did indeed use Blight Protocol to contain outbreaks of Monsters, but the game of the Blight had more than one purpose. It was a handy way to replace local governments with Imbued, loyal to Numantia. And it began the harvesting of Gnosis on a regional level, through the Sanctuaries.
All preparations for the true harvest.
Lar Tathvaal had learned more about the colonial system than he’d really have liked, in these last few years.
Just because one wants to eat the veal doesn’t mean they want to meet the calf it came from. But at that moment, sitting in his office with his eyes on the atlas of Volos, he felt gratitude for this thankless provincial assignment for the first time.
A thrill of anticipation shot through him.
With a pawn such as Redmane, he could achieve much.
The possibilities were limitless.
It may be time, soon, for a proper introduction.
But how to do so, under the watchful eyes of Mecia Porsena…
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Redmane and Flora rose up through the Abyssal Well onto its surface, upon which they stood as if the water were solid ground. Redmane raised an eyebrow, looked down and realized there wasn’t a drop of water on either of them. Unlike the first time he’d surfaced from the Abyss, like a drowning man.
Flora had her eyes on the image carved into the stone wall before them.
A regal figure stood at its center, adorned with a crown and attired in a way that evoked a bygone era. The ruler held a mighty hammer in his right hand and two chains in his left. One chain extended towards a fearsome hound seated at his feet, his posture suggesting grudging obedience, while the other connected to the neck of a captivating woman, her ears pointed and her hair flowing wildly. Surrounding the ruler, on both his right and left, a multitude knelt in reverence before him.
She tilted her head, narrowed her eyes a bit,
"She bears a likeness unto me, doth she not?"
Redmane followed her gaze to the graven mural, to examine the woman. He nodded. “Aye, it does. Do you know who these people are?”
Flora shook her head, smiled wryly. “I fear I know but little, my Lord. My life began a few days past, when thou didst plant me in thy castle yard.”
“True,” said Redmane.
Then he swept back his cloak, called forth the wings of the Manticore and took Flora around the waist. She smiled, pleasantly surprised at the sudden closeness, and he took flight for the surface, and the town of Rollo’s Pass.
At the Priory of the Well they parted ways. Redmane let go of her and made for the door, and Flora caught his wrist.
“Be safe, my Lord,” she said, and Redmane felt a warm something in his chest, at her tone of voice.
He smiled, nodded, and took his leave.
Now that the town was his, he no longer needed to skulk from rooftop to rooftop. He strode down the main street toward the bridge where he’d done battle with Captain Solveig. His hair and cloak blew in the wind as he crossed it, went through the gatehouse on the opposite side, and faced a dramatic view.
Wispy clouds drifted through the vast expanse of sky, and the breeze carried the distant cries of seabirds. The road snaked down the rugged mountainside in switchbacks, flanked by jagged outcroppings of rock, sparse vegetation clinging to the rocky terrain in sheltered cracks and crevasses. The road narrowed and widened throughout its lazy northward descent, guiding the eye toward the distant horizon.
Many miles below, barely visible even to Redmane’s keen eyes, a quaint fishing hamlet nestled against the northern coast. It was a crescent of small, weathered cottages clustered around a rocky cove. The dark sea stretched beyond, waves crashed against the rocky shore, and fishing boats bobbed in the cove's protection.
You have entered Zone: Skalla Mountains
Tasks:
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Slay Great Grandmother Gruu
Slay Demi-Human Chief Vang
Slay Warlock Dobrogost
Tasks Completed: 0/3
More Gruu burrows. Interesting.
He had experience with those, at least.
A Demi-Human Chief implied a Demi-Human clan somewhere in the area. Could be difficult to find. Like the Gruu they favored undreground dwellings, but theirs tended to be cleverly hidden.
A realization arrested Redmane’s line of thought.
He remembered something about Demi-Humans. Perhaps his memories weren’t entirely lost after all.
As he began to walk down the winding path toward the fishing hamlet, he wondered what it could mean. Perhaps the Seal of the Manticore had dislodged something, freed a part of his mind. He didn’t feel any different, though. And as memories went, he didn’t suddenly recall anything monumental.
Perhaps one had to be face to face with something, to call forth the memory of it.
But if that were the case, Flora most certainly should have called forth memories he’d lost. He did not know why he felt that way, he just did. Looking at her gave him a strange sense of recognition, as if he’d met her many times before. In different lives, perhaps.
Evidently he had lived several.
It could be that the solution lay in the Seals. Perhaps the Seal of the Sphinx would further mend his mind.
The sound of claws scraping stone interrupted his musing.
Redmane looked up, found a familiar foe gazing down at him.
Gruu Hunter
Monster Type: Gruu
Level 98
[Gruu] Marked as Prey
This Gruu looked grown up.
It was the size and general shape of a man. Eyeless and noseless, like all the Gruu he’d seen before, and with a maw of jagged white teeth. This one had matching talons on its hands and feet, and its red skin was stretched tight over sleek musculature. The Gruu stood like a human, but when it crouched atop the rock and placed its claws down onto its edge, Redmane watched its body change form in the simple act of changing posture. Now it was like a large cat, sitting on its haunches.
Another Gruu Hunter emerged from behind a nearby rock outcropping. And another, and another. In a moment there stood an entire pack of them, surrounding Redmane from above on either side of the path.
A tense moment passed, where all parties remained still.
Then a Gruu lunged from its rock.
Redmane’s muscles tensed, his claws extended.
No sooner did the first leap from its perch did the rest follow. In an instant the air overhead became a rain of gleaming teeth and talons.
Roar of the Elder
Gnosis: 1386
The roar echoed for miles. It shook the ground faintly, dislodging dust and pebbles like a miniature rockslide all around him.
More importantly, its wave of force struck all of the leaping Gruu at the same time.
Blood spurted from ear sockets. A few convulsed mid-leap. All of them missed their mark, landing on their backs in a semicircle around Redmane rather than piling on top of him like they intended.
Flame Breath
Gnosis: 1361
While they were down on their backs, he hosed them with their favorite thing.
The sight of Grandmother Gruu roasting in flames hadn’t left him. Its effectiveness left an impression. The Gruu screeched when the fire touched them, and their hides instantly sizzled and blistered, producing huge quantities of thick black smoke as they flailed and kicked on the ground.
Redmane wasted no time. He lunged down onto the nearest Gruu and tore out its throat, feasting on it while it burned.
Corpus: 10235
—
Skill Rank Up
Carnivorous Metamorph
Bloodline Skill Monstrous (Gruu)
Rank 2 - Evolution Possible
Active - 10 Gnosis per adaptation
(Rank 1) The Monster is capable of changing form to mimic the natural qualities of any creatures it has previously eaten, to include attacks, defenses, environmental adaptations, and modes of stealth, perception and movement.
It can grow such things as scales, tails, insulating fur, forms of natural camouflage, venom sacs, fangs, quills and specialized organs such as gills or wings.
The Monster also acquires an instinctual understanding of how such adaptations are utilized by their own kind, conferring a level of aptitude equal to that of a young adult specimen of said species.
Upon learning this Skill, the Monster will possess an inner ‘library’ of adaptations that will grow as it consumes the flesh of eaten creatures.
Adaptations are permanent, unless dismissed by the Monster.
(Rank 2) The Monster gains greater flexibility with their library of adaptations.
It may combine the functions of different adaptations together, to create unique organs, tissues, or natural weapons. The Monster could combine a wolf’s winter coat with a porcupine’s quills, for example, creating a coat which provides both defense and protection against cold weather.
The Monster may also manifest organs and appendages anywhere on its body, such as an eyeball on the palm of its hand or a mass of horns on its shoulder.
Furthermore, the Monster may also increase or decrease its physical size, to an extent determined by its present Corpus.
—
So. Eating Gruu was the key to strengthening this Skill. Perhaps Spawn would work the same way.
The other Gruu Hunters had gone still, save for a bit of post-mortem twitching. Except one, who suddenly sprang to its feet and went pelting down the road as fast as its feet would carry it.
Redmane lunged forward, muscles tensing as he sprinted down the rocky mountain road. Ahead the lone Gruu dashed on all fours, its limbs pumping, desperate to escape.
The road twisted down between jagged outcrops, both hunter and hunted weaving through its sharp bends. Redmane's breath came in harsh bursts, his focus narrowed to the fleeing form before him. The Gruu glanced back, terror evident even without eyes.
Interesting. They could be smart enough to feel fear.
They descended, the slope steepening, rocks clattering beneath their feet. Redmane gained ground, his strides long and relentless. The Gruu stumbled, regained its footing, and surged forward, but the gap closed inexorably.
Until it leapt off the side of the road.
Redmane followed, unfurling the wings of the Manticore to arrest his fall.
Carnivorous Metamorph
Gnosis: 1351
The Gruu landed back on the road, however, having used its daring leap as a shortcut. And now Redmane could see where it was headed. Up ahead there was a large circular cavern bored into the side of the mountain, which looked very much like the ones he’d seen before at Midva Forest. Only this time it had a guardian.
Gruu Glutton
Monster Type: Gruu
Level 102
This Gruu sat on the ground, minding the entrance to the cavern. It was twice as tall as he was, three times perhaps, and certainly three times as heavy. Like the Hunter it had stout, muscular limbs, but this one had a rotund belly which was a near perfect match with the shape of its head.
The burnt Hunter came running up to it, yelping in pain, and the Glutton picked it up and chomped it down in two bites. And then belched.
Redmane landed in front of it, retracted his wings and snarled up at the Glutton, fangs and claws bared in challenge.
Which is when it rose to its feet, revealing how massive it truly was.