“We’re just trying to help you, Hunter. Being a pussy won’t just get you killed. Might as well go feral now.” Klaw grinned at Hunter. It has been a while since he has had this kind of fun, a battle, spirit to spirit. Of course, it wasn’t fair that they were teaming up on the kid, but that’s life.
“Please, just… stop.” Oh, the poor kid just made a mistake. When two predators are circling, never show weakness. Daggat’s smile widened. Oh, he had something harsh in mind. Then he activated his hypnotic gaze. Wait… that was going a bit far, right?
“What would your Mum think? I thought ogres were hunters. Would she be proud of you?”
Hunter stood, slowly. Klaw looked at his eyes. Ooh, that wasn’t good. He knew those eyes. He had seen them once in Daggat years ago when he pushed him past the brink. Those were the eyes of someone utterly, and completely, done with the orc shit.
It was his sign to back out. From this point on, things tended to get either physical or personal. Klaw didn’t like it when it got personal and he didn’t want to fight the ogre. Klaw liked him. He cooked meat really nicely.
“You think I haven’t seen horror?” Oof, yeah. Time to LEAVE.
Klaw backed away from Daggat and Hunter. He made a note to grab the brush as he left.
His hair was sopping wet. This certainly wasn’t in his mind when he selected the biotrait to insulate his hair. He also didn’t plan for the shedding. But, what can you do?
No one was in the boiling room, so it was a great chance to use the fire. He wrapped a towel around himself, a warrior needed SOME modesty and got to work.
The brush felt wonderful going through his fur. It caught every piece of dust, corpse wood splinter, and specks of blood from who knows where. Not to mention removing the itchy loose fur. He didn’t care much for the bath. But this was a luxury.
Klaw zoned out for a while, ignoring the sounds from the next room. By the time he felt like he was done, there was a Birdy-sized pile of hair next to him. He briefly wondered where the cat was. Eh, she was probably fine.
The fire was warm and inviting, like that of… well, he wasn’t sure. Not like the fires back at the goblin camp. That fire burned hot and smoky. This one was almost friendly. He started to drift to sleep. A nap couldn’t hurt?
“KLAW!”
“Gah, fuck, what? I’LL KILL-” Klaw was alone. The fire had lost its friendly aura. What was that? His ears still rang from the volume. Daggat!
Klaw charged the door to the bath. It shook but didn’t open. The door felt as if someone was holding it shut. He growled. His growl was much better now that he was a bugbear.
Three steps back, burst of strength, and a solid kick. The door exploded inwards.
On the other side was a mess. Roots slithered and reached for him. Daggat was held by his throat by the demon.
This fucker again.
Klaw roared and charged. This wouldn’t go like last time. The demon said something, but Klaw wasn’t in the mood to listen. Then it threw Daggat at him. He caught his little brother with ease and tossed him. He could handle himself. Klaw didn’t have the most brain power, so he focused what little he had on the task at hand. It’s worked so far.
He stretched his claws. Finally, something that wouldn’t just collapse.
The first few rakes cut shallow gouges into the wooden tendrils. They felt hard like he was cutting stone, not wood. Luckily, there was a perk in selecting Dense Bone. His claws also became denser. Harder. He had to sharpen them on stone now.
It still wasn’t enough. This thing was STRONG. Each tendril had the weight of an entire tree behind it. And it was toying with him. Klaw could feel the disrespect. It was just letting him cut and slice. Almost gently nudging him around. Klaw felt his face heat up in rage.
Then, he stepped right where the demon wanted him. In less than a second he was wrapped up. His arms, legs, and mouth were locked tight.
If he could speak, even the demon would have blushed from the most choice curses he had in mind.
Klaw struggled as hard as he could, but it was no use. The demon dragged him into the dark. His burst of strength ran out.
Eventually, he calmed down and waited for a moment. Once he was let loose, THEN he would scratch and holler like a wet cat.
The two of them went through a dark hallway that Klaw hadn’t seen. He was sure he searched this wing of the house. He tried to pay attention to the turns, but after four, he was getting a headache.
“Distract them for a while. I am going below.” The demon spoke to someone, but Klaw couldn’t see who it was.
A short time later, they started moving down. A rotten smell permeated the air. Every movement of the demon was accompanied by a clang. Metal?
Then he heard the moans. Down this long passageway, creatures groaned and cried to either side of him. No words, just groaning in pain. What the hell was this place?
He caught a glimpse of it as the demon moved farther in. He was on a metal walkway. On either side of the walkway was a dark pit. But the walls had cells built into them. Thick iron bars held numerous creatures. Animals, monsters, and mortals. Each was in various stages of living decay. Some had mushroom-like growths. Others were partially made of wood. If they escaped, they would simply fall into the pit below.
Where did the demon get them all? Did he take any large animal or monster that wandered into the manor's property? Was this his fate?
Nah, no chance of that. He needed to find a way to get free of this demon.
Klaw was taken into a large room. The metal floor had expanded into a wide circle. A pit surrounded it. On tables and shelves were all sorts of strange objects in large glass jars. Eyes, hearts, claws, organs, and the like. All floating in a greenish liquid. There was a sent in the air that burned at his nostrils. Like strong alcohol and vinegar. Blood and dirt hide behind the strong scent.
The walls of this room were round, almost spherical. Roots covered them completely. He couldn’t see the stone below.
In the center of the room was the base of the giant tree. It took up a large portion of the platform. The edges of the tree seemed to melt over various tables and shelves. It had grown over them. A small stone oven glowed and something bubbled in a cauldron above it.
There were also a lot of glass and brass objects that twisted and turned at weird angles.
The demon placed Klaw on a table lying at an angle. His mouth was free.
“WHAT I AM GOING TO DO TO YOU WILL MAKE THE ANGELS WEEP!” He roared. “They won’t be able to tell the insides from the outsides!” The demon ignored him and strapped his legs to the table.
“Hey, what are you doing? Let me go! Talk to me, you coward!” Still, the demon ignored him. Klaw managed to get an arm free and slashed. He hit it in the face.
The demon’s head slowly turned to face Klaw. Two lines across his cheek oozed a greenish/black liquid. A tentacle flashed at Klaw faster than he could see. It snapped on Klaw’s temple like a whip, and he blacked out.
Klaw’s head was made of dense bone and thick fur. Mostly, at least. That was what saved his life. He came too while he was being moved. Even he knew enough to shut up and look around first.
He was still strapped to the table. It moved a foot or two with a loud scraping noise, then stopped. Then it moved again and stopped. He was being slowly dragged somewhere.
Opening one eye, he stole a glance at who was moving him. To his surprise, it was not the demon. Rather, it was an awakened corpse wood. It was built like a house. Wide shoulders, thick arms. Grey skin that peeled like paper, revealing white wood beneath.
It wore a leather jacket, which was buttoned neatly and a simple cap sat on his head.
The creature looked utterly bored.
Klaw considered his next move. He peeked down. He was being dragged to the edge of the platform, where the railing left a gap. He was going to be tossed into the pit! His arms and legs were still bound.
Klaw withdrew a single dagger-like claw. He could just barely reach the strap with it. He needed more time.
“Hey, do you work here?” He started sawing at the leather with his claw.
“Yup.” It didn’t seem phased. Klaw was shoved another foot or two towards the edge.
“You, uh, like your boss?” It stopped, then looked down at him. His mossy eyebrows furrowed with the sound of twigs snapping.
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“You’re supposed to be dead.” It spoke slowly and deliberately. As if it had to think of the next word in the sequence.
“Who told you that? I’m too tough to kill.” The leather was starting to fray, he could feel it.
“Master hit you in the head. That kills you folk.”
“I’ve got a hard head.” He could feel the leather weaken. They had underestimated him far too much. The demon KNEW he had claws. Yet, he still strapped him in by the wrist.
“Well, don’t reckon I know what to do, now. Dead’s supposed to go into the pit. Livin’s supposed to be cut and poked.” The corpse wood scratched his head. Some woodlice skittered away.
“You could let me go? I promise I won’t kill you.” As if Klaw would keep that promise. But, this guy seemed a bit… slow.
“Nah, can’t do that.”
Klaw had an idea. It was a dumb idea. Which meant it was the right kind.
“You could just kill me real quick. Stab me or something.” If he could get him close, maybe he could break the binding and grab him. Then maybe throw HIM into the pit.
“Yep. That’d be the way to go.” He lifted a large woodsman axe to his shoulder.
“Whoa! Hold on, don’t you want to use a knife or-” The ax came down upon him like a felled tree. It was aimed right at his chest.
Klaw hissed and snapped the restraint. Then, he punched the ax head as hard as he could, given his awkward position. It knocked away from his chest and was slowed, but it still chopped into his wrist.
Klaw screamed in pain and rage. It had cut to the bone. But, it had also sliced the leather. His arms were free.
“Woodsman! I am going slice you to chips and use you for Birdy’s litter box!” Klaw sat up to cut his leg bindings. Just in time, he saw the woodsman ready for another swing.
Klaw slammed his head back down and the ax whistled by. It moved as fast as a switch. Klaw gulped. If he was hit by that ax at full strength… he would lose a limb. Maybe even two.
Fast as he could this time, he leaned forward and sliced his bindings. Then he rolled off the table.
The ax crunched into where he had been. The table was metal and it bent around the tool. The woodsman sighed.
“The master is going to be upset now.” He struggled with the ax. Klaw looked at his wrist. It was oozing blood in a steady river.
“Fuck. FUCK FUCK FUCK!” He yelled. That was a bad wound. If he hadn’t built up his defenses, he would have lost a hand, no doubt. He tried to ball his hand into a fist. It hurt, and his outer finger didn’t move. What did he do now? Klaw didn’t know much about fixing cuts. Only making them. What would Zuss do? What would Daggat do?
His sister wouldn’t have gotten into this situation. Daggat would have a clever plan. So Klaw had to be clever. Great.
First, he had a big bastard to contend with. It was still trying to unstick its weapon. Every movement bent more metal but loosened the ax.
Using one hand to squeeze his wounded wrist, he charged it. Klaw jumped in the air and kicked him with both legs.
It was like kicking a tree. Pain shot up his legs as he collapsed next to the woodsman, groaning. The woodsman only rocked forward slightly.
With a wrenching sound, it had finally pulled free the ax. Klaw was already rolling away when the ax dented the metal floor. The woodsman didn’t use as much force as before, it was still enough to kill Klaw in one hit.
“I gave you an out. You should have taken it.” Klaw growled as he stood up. The woodsman stepped towards him. Each step was slow like he had to be considerate of his weight.
How the fuck was he supposed to kill this thing? The last two took the whole team. Klaw grinned. When he killed this one, he would have bragging rights.
But… how? He backed away from the enemy, leaving a trail of blood. Not to flee, of course. He could, but Klaw would bleed to death before he would find the others.
Maybe Daggat was rubbing off on him because he did have a plan. Clever or not, he hoped it would work.
Klaw took in the battlefield, looking for any and every weapon he could use. His claws, he already knew, wouldn’t be enough.
The walls of the chamber wriggled and moved. Like millions of snakes crawling atop one another. There were jars of the brine, the tree, the face in the tree, the over with burning co- A face in the tree?
It was like an old human's face, wrinkled and knotted. It was made of the same stuff as the tree, as though it was a growth from it. Weird, but not helpful.
The woodsman suddenly ran forward a few steps and swung the ax. Klaw leaped back and hit the rail. A table next to him shook, and the glassware tinked off each other.
He knocked a lid off a jar and sniffed. His eyes watered and he coughed. That was STRONG alcohol. Perfect.
Klaw threw the jar at the woodsman. It shattered against his face and covered him with the brine. A strange monstrous heart fell to the ground and the woodsman crushed it under his foot as he moved.
Klaw nearly lost his head as he ducked the attack. Then he made a beeline for the oven. A handy pair of tongs rested nearby.
“You could run, you know,” Klaw told him. “I won’t hold it against you. Many have fled from me.”
“This is a bother. Just lay still. It will be quick.”
Klaw snatched the tongs and grabbed a burning coal. It took a few tries, he was starting to get woozy. He smirked at the monster as he threw it.
He missed. The coal went wide and clattered to the ground, where it skittered off the platform. Dexterity wasn’t his highest stat in the first place, and he had lost a lot of blood.
With a lazy roar, the woodsman ran at him. He lifted the ax high and brought it down towards Klaw’s head. The attack grazed him, slicing down the side of his skull. He had tried to dodge, but was too slow to avoid the attack completely. Luckily, the blade only glanced off his skull, rather than crushing it. He hit the ground and rolled. Stars flashed in his vision and his head throbbed in agony.
A flame ignited somewhere. Klaw groaned. He could feel a slab of flesh hanging on the side of his head. That was going to leave on hell of a scar. His attention was pulled towards the tower of flame. The woodsman had smashed the small over and a coal had ignited him.
Klaw laughed and dragged himself to his feet. The woodsman roared in pain and rage. He was like a walking torch. The peeling paper-like skin had ignited like tinder. He smelled like woodsmoke. Furious, acorn-like eyes locked onto Klaw.
The woodsman lifted his ax and threw it.
Well, that was it. Klaw thought. It was a good run. He could barely move. He watched the ax turn in the air, almost in slow motion.
And the ax missed. Klaw guessed the woodsman didn’t have the best dexterity either. It flew like a discus and buried itself in the far wall. Klaw tisked. He wanted that ax.
Now the woodsman was charging him like a furious moose. Seriously, how long does it take to burn to death? Klaw opened his arms wide as if to embrace the monster. It was about to close its flaming arms around him when Klaw let himself fall backward.
Then he rolled, pulled his knees in, and kicked the woodsman in the stomach. He pushed with all of his remaining strength as the woodsman's bulk and momentum carried it forward. His legs burned from the heat, but completed the roll and threw the woodsman behind him.
It stumbled and tripped. Rolling like a boulder before breaking through a protective railing and falling to the pit below. It sounded like a tree felling, with the snapping of branches included.
Klaw just laid there, waiting. Come on… he thought. He held his wrist tight. It felt cold.
[You have defeated - Awakened Corpse Wood, Level 17. Experience Gained.]
Klaw felt cold. What? No… no it should have been enough. Where was his fucking level!? He needed that level. What happened? His instinct was to blame Daggat. But, there was no chance in hell that he would somehow get rid of the experience, even if he could.
Klaw stood to his feet. He felt woozy.
[You have defeated - Death Root, Level 2. Experience Gained.]
…
What?
[You have defeated three - Death Roots, Level 2. Experience Gained.]
Klaw wobbled to the edge of the platform and looked down. The fire had spread. At the bottom of the pit was a huge mass of corpses. Bones and dry flesh. Each one had roots growing out of them.
There were dozens of them. A light dawned in Klaw’s head. Maybe he could make it through this.
He moved around the platform, throwing every jar full of the strong alcohol he could find. Not just at the fire. But around the entire pit.
[You have defeated ten - Death Roots, Level 2. Experience Gained.]
[You have defeated twelve - Death Roots, Level 2. Experience Gained.]
[You have defeated fifteen - Death Roots, Level 2. Experience Gained. You have gained one monster level. One Biotrait point awarded.]
Klaw cackled. More notifications came, but he ignored them. The platform was starting to get hot, so he walked to the hall.
In his status void, Klaw scrolled through the options. Daggat and Zuss, hell probably the others too, thought he was stupid. They might have been right. But when it came to this stuff, to turning his body into a weapon… he knew what he was doing. Daggat hadn’t even scrolled through the options he had.
He had made too many mistakes before. The fur, the dense muscles. Well, that turned out not to be a problem. So, Klaw worked hard to make sure he wouldn’t mess that up again. Offhand, Klaw could think of a dozen ways to make himself more dangerous. But, that wasn’t what he needed right now.
He found what he was looking for. Cardiovascular control. Big words, but he knew what that meant. Just like how he could read the system's information without actually learning to read.
Awareness awakened in him. He could feel every vein and artery in his body. He willed them to flex. He slowed his heart with the same ease as slowing one's breath. Then he rerouted the damaged veins from his wrist, cutting off the bleeding and keeping his blood circulating. The wrist wasn't healed, he couldn't do that. But it did stop the bleeding. Then he focused on this scalp wound. That was harder. He had to be careful not to cut off blood flow to the brain.
He gingerly touched the wound. He hissed in pain when he brushed the flap of skin. It was just behind his ear. He pushed through the pain and felt a smooth, metallic bit of skull it had a chip knocked out of it.
That wasn't great. Hopefully, the blow didn't cause any brain damage. That was two heavy hits to the head in less than an hour.
Finally done, he let himself relax. Then he lifted both arms in the air and whooped his victory. The others were going to be so jealous of his win.
Klaw
True Name: Klaw
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size]
Genbloom: Bugbear [ +3 Str, +1 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Rough Fur; Small Size]
Monster Level: 8
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 19
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 8
Will: 9
Charm: 8
Feats:
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [Layered feats]
Ability: Mighty Strength
Skills(0/2):
System Aptitude: 1
Burst of Strength: 1
Attribute Boost: Strength (+2)
Notable Natural Skills:
Savagery: Apprentice
Biotraits (0/8):
Base size: Standard [Source: Gremlin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Claws [Mutations: Forged, Retractable]
Dense Muscle Fibers
Rough Fur [Mutations: Insulating Fur; Source: Bugbear]
Dense Bone
Cardiovascular Control
Transformations:
Drakeheart Form:
+2 strength
+2 constitution
Fire-proof Scales
Claws [Mutation added: Burning]
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
+2 constitution
Dark Vision
Notable Gear:
Mountain Heart Armor
