154. Shopping List: Wiremu.

At least Drugič will keep her leg. It was touch and go there for a while, but Ört’s work stabilising her paid off. Modrica was amazing. That was a very powerful skill she had. I am going to guess she got it in the final days of the Black Butcher, or she wouldn’t have so many scars.

Armour shopping is the first on the agenda. The Mercenary Guild usually has the best selection of merchants or crafters. The armour I peeled off after the trip monster fight was not repairable. The majority of armour materials from the Steam Lands are heat resistant, including the Boar hides we collected. I decided to make my own hide jacket from the Boar. Hide, as I process it, has the fur still attached, whereas the leather process removes all the fur and can produce much smoother and more flexible material. For a jacket, the toughness and fur give strength of their own. I purchased leather trousers and a light shirt. I also found a Cobbler to turn the boar hide into a strong boot.

Modrica also wanted me to make her a jacket. Tabitha had sourced some hair cream from an alchemist, so she now had eyebrows and short hair. It was the lack of eyebrows that was the most disconcerting.

I decided to put together another group to head into the Steam Lands. We would do without the guide this time. Najprej and Drugič were going to be out of action for a while, but Skavt,

Ört and Kryddor were keen. I was surprised when Modrica also wanted to go, although Tabitha had to sit it out and do Merchant stuff. Appā and Mutalil were also coming, although I suggested they leave their lion cubs behind. We would find safer places to take them out hunting. I let Mutalil bring his shield this time.

We exited the gate into the Steam Lands three days later. Modrica had a new one-handed mace and a large two-handed war hammer on her back. Ört had replaced his axe with a new one. He said this one had a sulfur and hydrogen compound mixed in, giving it an acid effect. Skavt had new gear as well. Her shield and spear were enhanced, and she looked good in new armour. She had gone with a chainmail vest and leather trousers. I am sure that was crab chitin armouring her thighs and boots. She also had an enhanced open-faced helmet.

Without a guide, I purchased a map of the pools and features, although there was no indication of what creatures were around. I also had a list of materials wanted from the Mercenary Guild with prices. We had also run out of Pukeko meat. That was surprisingly nice meat.

We headed off in a new direction, so Skavt and my personal mapping skills would fill in more. As soon as we were out of sight of the walls, Tāoke slid off my shoulder and moved into his large form. Steam continued to billow across the landscape, and bubbling pools were interspersed in low scrub. The Pukekos were everywhere, although we held off hunting them until the return trip.

Two hours later, we stopped for a rest by a hot pool. We had some of the more common materials on the Guild list, and I had two mid-sized crabs in hand. I scooped out the flesh from the crabs, and we cooked it in the hot pool. The fresh crab meat for a snack was fantastic. I cleaned the chitin and stored it in my pack. The Chitin armour on Skavts leggings has given me ideas to incorporate into my Hide Armouring. The Skill is hard to level now, and I need to keep trying new things with it.

We were now at the bottom of a hill. The hill didn’t have any pools, but there were still steam vents, and I knew from the map the Steam lands continued over several hills and valleys, and there was one active volcano further in. We had bought supplies for three days but expected that by the second day were would have a full load. Ört had the idea of building some hand-drawn travois that we could cart things back on. They were essentially like stretchers, but one end dragged on the ground. We had the materials for two of them, and we could make more if we wanted.

As we headed up the hill, the bush got thicker as the vents were further apart. The further we went from the main pools, the more animal life increased. I could hear more birds. There were more smaller creatures, squirrels, mice, snakes etc. I saw a deer trail, so I had Appā and Mutalil track them. We followed for an hour before catching the herd drinking at a stream. Appā, Mutalil, and I Stealthed around them, and I walked them through setting some traps, then Scavt, Modrica and Ört came at them, chasing them into the traps. Appā and my traps caught a deer, but Mutalil will be doing our camp duties tonight. Venison is on the menu.

For lack of a specific direction, we decided to keep tracking the herd. Monkeys, we got held up by monkeys. They were trying to steal our shinies. They threw a temper tantrum when we wouldn’t let them take our weapons. We got all sorts of stuff thrown at us, so I started throwing things back. Poisoned Darts were enough to slow them down, and I think the poison would kill them eventually if we left them that long. That was a very annoying two hours until they eventually got bored with us, or maybe we left their territory. Monkey brains are definitely on the guild list of wanted items, but there is a time limit to get them handed in before they spoil. This is where I missed Ruku and his Refreshing Mists Skill.

We caught up to the deer herd near dusk. They were grazing in a clearing. There was one large Stag overseeing the herd who was clearly enhanced. We backed off for now. The antlers and pelt would bring a good price, but we were not in a hurry. Following the herd will lead us to common animal areas, which is a good thing.

We moved off, looking for a good place to camp. Everybody had Darksight or Nightsight, so moving through the dusk was no problem. We found a sheltered area, and while Skavt started cooking venison, I took Appā and Mutalil to set some traps. Some of these were for protection around the camp, but others were for enhanced moles. The Moles were valued for their earth-aligned and heat-resistant pelts and their blood, as they had an enhanced affinity for processing oxygen. Moles were solitary creatures, and we set traps widely, especially where there was evidence of them. This was one of the key items on our list for this trip, and I had specifically prepared traps and bait for it. The food was cold by the time we returned.

I was woken in the night by a massive roar and the sound of fighting nearby. We kitted up and went to investigate. It could be another team out hunting or two predators fighting over a kill. It was neither. There was a team of eight, which now only had three moving members. One was trying to drag a prone member away from the rampaging bear. The other two were fighting for their lives. The bear was not giving them a chance to run.

It used to be a Cave bear, the largest type of bear. This one had been enhanced and now was a mad rampaging monster. I could feel the newly formed core, and strange spiritual energies were swirling in the monster that was driving it mad.

On the ground near the bear were another dead adult bear and the body of a half-grown cub. The cause of death was the rampaging monster.

Skavt immediately started issuing orders. "Mutalil with me. Shields up, and we will get its attention. The rest flank it and attack. We need to kill it, or it will continue to rampage.”

My Triple Shot slammed into the side of the monster and barely broke through the hide from what I could tell, and that was enhanced with my Sudden Strike Skill. The Bear was now aware of us. I planted a second Triple strike in the same spot, and the arrow stuck. Skavt and Mutalil had got the bear's attention, and their shields took a hammering from a claw strike. The two other fighters didn’t stay to help but ran as soon as the bear was distracted. The one trying to save one of them dragged the body out of sight.

Tāoke struck from a nearby tree, sank his fangs into the monster's flank, and tried to wrap his body around the rear legs to hamper its movement. He wasn’t quite successful, and the bear got the claws from one rear foot into him, and he was thrown away into the bush. I could tell from the bond the claws had ripped through his scales and only stopped at his Granite Bones. That was the first Skill we got from our affinity, and it was still one of the most useful.

Modrica came in from the rear with her massive two-handed war hammer and slammed it against a rear leg. There was an audible crack as something broke. The bear started favouring the leg but was too enraged and mad for it to slow down.

I kept putting arrows into the same place as my first, and there was an open wound there now. I could see the poison affecting the flesh around it. This bear was just too massive. On four legs, its shoulders were higher than I was. Then it raised itself up and crashed its front paws on the two shield holders. Skavt had to take several steps back, but Mutalil went sprawling. The bear immediately pounced toward him. Fortunately, Catkin have a natural high agility to make up for their lower-than-human strength, and he kept rolling, so he wasn’t under those massive paws when they came down. Natural ability plus lots of training and Skill levelling.

Modrica kept hammering at the same leg. Ört and Appā were taking turns at the opposite rear leg to Modrica. Ört, with his two-handed axe, looked like he was trying to fell a tree, and Appā was trying to cut a tendon with his sword. I thought he would be better with a spear, but this wasn’t the time for commenting.

Then Tāoke tried something new. The bear had moved forward away from the tree he had climbed, so he threw himself at it in his large form and then shrunk to his small form in mid-flight, landing on the bear’s back. The bear didn’t even notice. We couldn’t see him as he was lost in the fur. He worked his way to the front of the bear and then enlarged himself again. This time he had his fangs in the bear's throat and his body wrapped around its neck. I sensed him draw a Strenght Boost from me, and his body tightened around its throat.

The bear didn’t like that and turned from the shields to try and bite Tāoke, but couldn’t get its mouth around enough. It raised a paw and raked Tāoke with its claws, and I saw scales stripped off him. Tāoke drew another Strenght Boost and tightened some more, and I sensed he locked his bones to keep on the pressure.

The Bear went to raise itself onto its hind legs to bring both claws to bear on Tāoke, only to find its rear legs wouldn’t hold its weight. Modrica had pulverised one leg, and the other no longer had tendons for the muscles to work from. The bear went back onto its butt and then toppled backwards. I put my bow down and went forward with my spear. I Granite Spiked its body on the ground, trying to make it difficult for it to roll back on its feet. Everybody moved in to try to keep it on its back. Skavt and Mutalil moved to either side of its head and took turns Shield Bashing the head to keep it disorientated and keep its attention on them rather than Tāoke.

Then Tāoke did something even smarter. Through the bond, I sensed one ring of his body around the bear’s neck, creating six Granite Spikes piercing from his body into the neck. Blood started flowing from between Tāoke’s coiled body. It looks like he got the artery. Not only was Tāoke stopping the bear from breathing, but the blood that was meant for the brain was now spilling out on the ground. Tāoke took another strength Boost and tightened the choking coils further. It won’t be much longer now.

Nobody told the bear that he should stay still and die. There was a massive surge of strength, and he rolled, bashing Skavt back with his head and breaking my Granite Spikes. He tried to get back on all four legs, but his rear legs didn’t work, so they just dragged on the ground. He got a front paw up and raked Tāoke again before I could pin it with a spear. Tāoke took revenge with another seven spikes into the neck. He must have levelled that Skill. Modrica was power hammering the front paw I had not pinned, and bones were cracking. Eventually, the bear stopped struggling and died.

Tāoke unwound from the bear's neck. He was the most wounded among us. There were nasty claw marks on several parts of his body. He got the Monster kill, so it was added to my total through our bond. He didn’t really want a potion but to let his Regeneration do the healing work. He knew I would look after him while he was less mobile. Ört would normally come and check up on him, so I looked up to see where he was. Skavt had not got up from where she had been thrown, so he was checking on her. She had hit a tree with her head and back and was winded and disorientated. She might not be alive if she hadn’t had that helmet.

We were all resting, but I wanted to find out what was wrong with the bear. Something was wrong to make it go mad like that.

“Appā, can you find out what happened to the fighter that dragged the body away? Somewhere over there, I think.” I indicated where I thought they went. “I want to look at this strange monster core,” I said and pulled out a knife. Tāoke curled up in a circle near me.

Kryddor came to lay beside him, but Ört said, “We need a scout Kryddor,” and he trotted off into the scrub.

Wiremu Hunter

Class

Hunt

QW

Spy

Pros

MHunt

Scout

Assn

Total

Type

Attribute

Level

12

11

8

3

6

7

1

Constitution

Physical

Strength (PS)

9

11

2

22

1 6

51

139.0

Agility (PA)

12

5

12 4 6

1

40

Perception (PP)

11

2

24

1

3 7 48

Mental

Strength (MS)

9

12

5 6

32

91.0

Agility (MA)

12

3

2

8

1

7

1

34

Perception (MP)

11

1

10

1

2

25

Spiritual

Strength (SS)

10

3

6

11

3

6

39

108.0

Agility (SA)

8

2

5

8

1

5

6 35

Perception (SP)

10

5

8

4 7 34 Totals

92

44

56

33

40

12

29

28

4

334 Free points

4

0

0

0

1

7

Resistances: Poison +19, Crushing +22, Cold +29, Pain +29, Heat +22, Fire +13, Disease 1, Acid 1

Skills:

Novice:

Lock Pick 4, Disarm Traps 4, Disarm Spiritual Trap1,

Detect Spiritual Trap 3, Detect Traps 4, Spiritual Trapping 4,

Petrification 4, Monster Lore 4, Sapient Lore 4

Roleplay 3, Sudden Strike 4,

Apprentice:

Fishing 8, Sewing 9, Cooking 8,

Truth Sensing 9, Sense Treasure 6, Hunters Mark 5

Butchering 7, Weapon Repair 7, Repair Leather Armour 8

Plant Lore 8, Mineral Lore 6,

Granite Quake 7, Granite Wall 5, Animal Care 7, Venom Arrow 8, Veneer 7,

Map Making 9, Dwarvish 9,

Triple Shot 7, Longbow 7, Granite Manipulation 6, Granite Sand 6

Journeyman:

Hearing Aid 14, Hammer 13, Mapping 11, Tutor 10,

Identify 12, Deceive 12, Manipulate Status 11,

Granite Spike 13, Granite Sense 11, Granite Bones 12, Granite Shield 12,

Trapping 10, Tracking 11, Skinning 10,

Bow 12, Small Blades 13, Unarmed Combat 11, Throw Weapons 12, Spear 13,

Quick Strike 11, Power Strike 11

Darksight 12, Far Sight 12, Bond Senses 11,

Orcish 12, Camouflage 11, Animal Lore 10

Imbue Venom 11, Snakeskin 11, Regeneration 11

Hide Armourer 12, Riding 10, Sense Spiritual 11

Master:

Stealth 16, Animal Bond 16

Affinity: Granite

Monster Kills: 9

Bond: Tāoke, Venom Serpent.

Resistances: Crushing +22, Cold +29, Heat +21, Fire +13, Pain +12, Acid 1

Skills:

Novice: Granite Sand 2, Sudden Strike 3, Hunters Mark 2

Apprentice: Granite Spike 7, Venom Spit 9, Granite Shield 7, Grow 9, Regeneration 9, Granite Sense 7, Granite Manipulation 8

Journeyman: Strength Boost 10, Camouflage 13, Power Strike 11,

Master: Venom Bite 16, Quick Strike 17

Affinity: Granite