[44] Ready For So Normalcy
The Poison Cloud started to dissipate as the final warrior succumbed to the toxin and wendigo defenders. Hrolf ran to his son, who was lying in the destroyed camp. There was nothing Bjorn could do in that situation so he continued flicking his tongue to see if he could detect any other gnolls.
“So the Poison Cloud worked like intended,” Failsafe said.
“Yeah, none of the wendigo were hard at all,” Bjorn said.
Owen entered the camp; Bjorn had left him behind when he ca up with the plan to use Poison Cloud. Owen ran up to Hrolf, who was holding onto Tyr. The boy was still conscious despite his blood loss.
“I have a healing potion from Tanisha,” Owen said. “We have to take the arrow out first.”
Bjorn turned away from the sight; he needed to stay vigilant in case there were more attackers around. The wendigo seed apprehensive around him anyway, which was understandable. The last ti they saw him he was the size of a big dog. Now he was larger than a horse and Tanisha was nowhere in sight. He walked around the camp, continuing his patrol, and picked up a new taste.
Maya and gnolls out in the field. He took off running in their direction to find blood and craters from explosive impacts. The grassland looked more like a warzone. It wasn’t long before he found the body of a gnoll spearwoman, at least what he thought might be the remains of one, in one of the craters. The spear was broken just like the body next to it.
“Bjorn?” Joha’s deep voice questioned. “You have gotten… taller.”
Bjorn looked around with each of his heads, finally noticing the tiger demon standing behind him. In one hand was the head of a gnoll warrior. A different one than the dead spearwoman, who still had most of her head. Joha was thinner with black fur instead of his normal tiger coloration.
“They are all dead here. This was the leader,” He held up the head in his hand. “The fact you are here instead of with Tanisha I will assu ans the others are dead as well.” The maya shifted around him and he returned to normal. “Let's go back.”
The night was long and everyone including Bjorn was on high alert. He noticed that as the night progressed he shrank slightly and the gray coloration of his scales slowly diminished. The maya his scales had absorbed was slowly released in the form of purple smoke, revealing new green scales beneath. Helina used her hydromancy to rinse the blood and other remains off him as he watched over the camps. He looked over his status and skill nus again.
Status nu
Na: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Unknown
Level: 21
Vitality: 30 / 75
Restoration: 70 / 120
Constitution: 30 / 80
Strength: 20 / 50
Dexterity: 25 / 30
Stamina: 20 / 40
Maya: 50 / 50 (DO NOT USE!)
Magic: 10 / 25
Magic Regeneration: 20 / 50 ( 100 from bond)
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Skills Analysis
Reincarnation Failsafe
An incomplete reincarnation magic and your best friend who has your back no matter what!
Error: Unknown Pact
You are connected to a Progenitor Being from the Infernal Planes. They are watching you.
Venomous Bite
Magic Cost: 0
You have a neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a bite with your fangs. (II) Bite of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 10, Your venom becos infectious and will spread to nearby targets within five feet of the injected target. Allies are unaffected by your venom.
Poison Cloud
Magic Cost: 5
With your right head you can mix venom into the air using magic creating a large area of poisonous gas. This gas will rapidly reduce the health of those inside. Allies within your Poison Cloud are unaffected by the poison. (II) Breath of the Infernal One, Maya Cost: 15, Exhale a breath infused with the decay of the Infernal Planes. Targets within the cloud will rot over ti as long as the effect is not cleansed.
Plague Fire Breath
Magic Cost: 6
Stamina Cost: 7
With your left head you can breathe a plu of superheated toxin which will ignite enemies and infect them with your neurotoxin. Flas retain toxicity until you release the spell. Plague Fire will spread like normal fire. (II) Infernal Fire Breath, Maya Cost: 20, fire will spread over non-flammable material at a reduced rate.
Hellmouth
Maya Cost: YOUR SOUL (Seriously, if you use this we die!!!)
I really don’t want to tell you what this is because if you use it our heart is going to explode or sothing, I just know it! However, your middle head can exhale all of the maya stored in your body. This maya can be breathed in by your other heads to use maya infused breath attacks. It can also enhance the durability of your scales and potency of your venom.
Poison Claws
Magic Cost: 3
You can infuse your claws with neurotoxic venom, making even small scratches fatal. Allies are unaffected by your venom. (II) Claws of the King of Reptiles, Maya Cost: 5, venom becos harder to cleanse.
Infernal Scale Armor
Maya Cost: 25
Absorb maya into your scales, making them more durable and resistant to physical and magical damage.
Delta Familiar Contract
Magic Cost: -100
You are a bonded delta class familiar. You gain 100 to magic regeneration. Your bond has grown, allowing you to convey emotions though your bond. Your bond is more resistant to outside influences and can not be forcibly severed by outside parties.
King of the Reptiles
Passive Skill
Dragons, lizards and amphibians all show hesitation and fear around you, going so far as to run away. More study needed.
Head Regeneration and Random Growth!?!?!?
Magic Cost: 40-ish
(or)
Maya Cost: 150-ish
(So funny story, we grew another head, I have no idea why…)
So bear with here, we can convert experience into maturation, or healing major wounds including decapitation, or growing more heads I guess. Honestly I have no idea why we grew a head this ti but here we are, three heads in and I am getting worried. Anyway more study is needed, but let's not for a while, please.
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“You ready to talk about the mories of your past life as Isin?” Failsafe asked.
Bjorn closed the nus. “Yeah, I was a nephilim, and we know what a True Human is now.”
“Do you want to go by Isin or Bjorn?” Failsafe asked.
Bjorn was silent for a few monts. “It was a past life, I have a new na now.”
“Alright, Bjorn it is,” Failsafe said. “True Humans; the Angels created humans as a slave race. I guess they were here building sothing that required more manpower than they had. They used a mixture of… I guess, Higher Plane technology and aether focused through it. Those orbs were essentially their version of a wand or staff. I hope you got to hold one of them at so point in your old life so I can get a better look.”
“You think it was my fault they showed up?” Bjorn asked softly.
“Huh? Oh um… I don’t know.” Failsafe was caught off guard by the question. “The gate seed to be so kind of barrier to keep out the monsters, and that was years later when they showed up. So, it could have just been a matter of ti before they found out what your father was doing. Well whatever your father was doing, we still don’t even know what.”
“But if I didn’t ss with the gate to begin with…” Bjorn sighed.
“We don’t know the limitations of the Angels or if you tampering with the gate had anything to do with them finding the enclave. What we do know is that your father made the enclave against the will of the other Angels and that he had been tampering with mories. The Angels were here for sothing, and they needed to create humans to do it. Hasmanual seed surprised and upset that Patr and the others could use aether, aning your father could have done sothing to them.”
“You an like what Joha did to Tanisha and by extension us?” Bjorn asked.
“Yes, but with you it was different. I think you were the only nephilim there. You had a… uhh, aetheric core, yeah that’s what we’ll call it. It wasn’t tied to anything external like the maya is. It was your core, that is why your magic core now is trying to recreate it.”
“So when he said I was special was it because I was the only greater human?” Bjorn asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Failsafe stated.
“Well back to the current , my stats and everything; what happened?” Bjorn asked.
“When maya was introduced into you, your magic core freaked the fuck out!” Failsafe said. “You went into shock and I had to convert the maya into experience and then into maturation so your body could accept the maya veins and push it out of your core. That worked for a while. You gained a lot of levels, and I had to grow your body again to keep up with the amount of maya being flooded into you.”
“Why did I lose control?” Bjorn asked.
“Everything was going well. Your magic core was acclimating to having maya around it and starting to direct it. I believe you would have woken up in a day with barely any more changes. Then the gnolls put a magic suppression collar on you. As soon as that happened your magic core lost control of the maya and its demonic nature overpowered your reason. If what you said about the skill I can’t see is right, you have a patron in the Infernal Planes and they really want you to go berserk.”
“If soone puts another collar on will I lose control again?” he questioned.
“No, it shouldn't, you’ve been matured to the point your reason and your core can’t be overwheld by the maya,” Failsafe said. “In fact right now your body is releasing all of the excess maya it built up, which is why you’re getting a little smaller. You’ll still be bigger than a horse when it is over. In a few weeks when the maya veins in your body have recovered you should be able to increase your size at will with the Infernal Scale Armor skill. That skill is why you are so big right now, by the way. Oh, that reminds ,” Failsafe said with glee. “I’m working on sothing new and you are going to love it once I’m done! I should have it ready by the ti we make it to the fort city.”
“What is it?” Bjorn asked.
“It is a surprise,” Failsafe said.
“Then why did you tell you were working on sothing?” Bjorn asked.
“So you would be surprised,” Failsafe stated.
“But now I will be anticipating it,” Bjorn rebutted.
“And when you see it you will be surprised,” Failsafe said enthusiastically.
“You could have just… eh, nevermind,” Bjorn said. “We get to see a wendigo city tomorrow so it will be nice for Tanisha. I am sure she is ready for so normalcy.”
***
Ingrid Salstar sat stoically in the largest banquet hall of the Nazem Noble house. Her expression was unchanging as Audun, the head of the house, driveled on and on about his successes as head of the Nazem Domain. The rotund wendigo was especially proud of the trade and comrce of Lavi. The success of the fort city was impressive, but was built on underhanded tactics and foreign capital.
Ingrid knew he had been postponing this very eting for the past few days, no doubt to gather support from his beneficiaries. His wife and two young children sat quietly eating their als, which Ingrid had yet to touch. The hall had tighter security than what should be necessary for a banquet with a neighboring domain’s Lady.
The Salstars and the Nazems shared a border and had been rival houses for years. However, the newest head of the Nazem had not gained his position through magical ability, as was custom. He gained his position through political gas and the weak practices of humans. If he were a true head he wouldn’t feel the need to have so many guards. Ingrid couldn’t tell what she found more disgusting: the corrupted pig of a noble that sat across from her or the poor excuse for magic she sensed around the room from his so-called elite guard.
“As you can see Lady Salstar, despite the current disruptions caused by the brazen druid attacks on our territory we have managed to secure our borders,” Audun said with a smug look. “I understand the Salstar domain was also attacked, and several major trade routes have been disrupted. We will be more than happy to help with relief supplies, at a discount of course.”
“Ah, yes I am happy to see that the Nazem have managed to successfully hold the line against those disgusting druids,” Ingrid stated. “I think that you may have assud incorrectly about the purpose of this eting, as the Salstar domain has had no major disruptions to trade or significant loss of life due to the recent attacks.”
“What, how… I an good, that is good to hear,” Audun said with less confidence. “If that’s the case why have you co? Not that you aren’t welco here of course, but wouldn’t the Lord prefer to have his Lady ho?”
“Ulfar wanted to co but he is busy preparing our heir for his role,” Ingrid stated. “As for why I am here…” She locked eyes with the large wendigo. “We captured every single druid fucker that entered the Salstar domain, all of them. They have been executed of course, but not before being questioned. We found so pretty interesting things in the possession of the one hundred and fifty captured n and won.”
Audun stood up suddenly. “This sounds like sothing that should be discussed in private. We can go to my…”
“Sit down Audun,” Ingrid demanded, her tone sharp. “I think you will find this quite interesting. Especially what they said about you. Traitor, smuggler, druid sympathizer; you have built quite a reputation within their ranks.”
“Shut your mouth! The Nazem Domain has also been attacked by those savages,” Audun retorted. “I don’t like what you’re implying while you are a guest in my house.”
“Tell what was targeted here in the Nazem Domain? A few insignificant farms, a small fire at a nearly decommissioned and strategically unimportant outpost, a few missing wendigo here and there,” Ingrid stated, her voice just as unsettling and calm as before. “Why would they be so disorganized and attack such poor targets when every attack on us has been so focused and precise, almost as if they were fed information. Incorrect information, that we leaked to your intelligence officers, which you snuck into our domain. They have been taken care of by the way.”
“Gerd, take the children and go to your rooms,” Audun said to his family.
Ingrid stood up, a smile stretched across her face. “It is a sha really, your father was such a good man,” She sighed. “By order of the King of Yuhia, the Nazem House is to be executed. Every mber is to be put to the sword. I will be that sword today. The Fort City is now the Salstar’s domain.”
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