The two sages stood nervously before Daggat. He basked in the feeling for a moment before laughing. Kraxith, the lizard-like sage, laughed awkwardly with him.

"So, you are Calion's friends?" Daggat asked. Skiz, the gremlin, perked his ears.

"You know the human?" It asked. Its voice was gruff and old. Not at all like the high-pitched squeaks of standard gremlins.

"We do. And we owe him. You may rest here, as a favor to him." Daggat said. Kraxith relaxed.

"Guests!" Hunter said excitedly, drawing everyone's attention. "I'll get some food made! I hope you like bear." He practically ran for the kitchen. Everyone relaxed as the tension faded away.

"Take a seat. I'm Daggat. That's Klaw. Anath." He thumbed towards his party members. "Big guy's hunter. Oh, she's Zuss." She had dropped down from above and nodded at them. Kraxith took a seat and smiled. The gremlin easily hopped onto the table and walked down it, studying the room like a displeased inspector.

"Oh, what luck! We found friends, not foes." Kraxith said. "How do you know Calion?"

"The old man took us in for a bit," Klaw answered. He took his normal seat next to Daggat.

"Are you visiting him?" Asked Zuss.

"We are, yes. We meet once a year, rotating who hosts." Said Kraxith. "It's his turn this year."

"Ah, so you haven't heard," Daggat said, mournfully.

"What?" Asked Skiz in a threatening voice.

"Calion's home was attacked. We were there to help defend it, of course, but unfortunately, his home burned down."

Skiz sprinted to Daggat so fast he could hardly keep up. Klaw growled and brandished his claws. Anath was at Daggat's side in an instant. Zuss was on the table a moment later, behind the gremlin. Daggat held up a hand.

"What happened to him? How do we know YOU didn't burn his home down and rob it?" The gremlin said, pointing at Daggat's nose with a cracked fingernail. These guys didn't seem to be affected by the hypnotic gaze. That meant they were fairly powerful.

"Relax, Skiz. He's fine. Went to go live with his daughter. Even his cat is fine. We've been taking care of It since he had to travel so far." Daggat said.

Skiz sneered at him, then huffed. He stomped away and jumped into a chair.

"Please forgive my friend." Said Kraxith. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "He's quick to jump to conclusions, but he is a good man-"

"Gremlin." Said Skiz and Daggat at the same time.

"Yes, ah, sorry. Gremlin." He chuckled. Klaw and Anath backed off. Zuss slipped off the table to a chair and made a tutting noise. Birdy flew into her lap a moment later. "And there she is!" He said.

For a moment no one said anything. Daggat and Skiz were measuring each other. Daggat's grin was met with a scowl.

"So, um, nice place!" Attempted Kraxith. "Whenever we pass it, we've been wary of its reputation and the warnings."

"Thank you, worked hard to claim it. What have you heard of the place?"

"It's supposed to be haunted. And deadly." Skiz answered.

"Still is," Daggat said. Skiz grunted.

"How did you not die a terrible death? There are some pretty scary guys out there. Why didn't they claim it first?" The gremlin asked.

"Quite nosy, for a gremlin," Daggat said.

"And you are quite suspicious, for a twerp." Replied Skiz. Klaw chuckled. Kraxith looked back and forth between them nervously. Daggat broke the tension by taking a sip from his wine.

"We have a Hearth Tender. He protected us from most of the undead. Helped us recover from the life drain. Without him, we would have died the first night. That, and we have a lot of spunk." Daggat answered. He felt that this situation called for the truth. After a moment, Skiz nodded.

"Well done. I suppose." He grumbled.

Hunter burst into the room with a tray full of cups and a teapot. He began pouring everyone tea. The lizard-folk graciously accepted while the gremlin sniffed it, then tossed it aside casually. The porcelain shattered and tea spilled. Anath sneered at him. Well, that was a gremlin alright.

"So, you guys are sages, right? What's your specialties?" Daggat asked conversationally.

"Ah! So you know of our callings?" Kraxith said, excitedly. "My study is that of life!"

"Wait, isn't that Calion's thing?" Klaw interjected.

"No, no. Calion focuses on the mundane. Day-to-day tasks. I, on the other hand, am exploring the VERY basics."

"Such as?" Daggat asked. Kraxith inhaled deeply, far more deeply than he should have been able to. Then he breathed out, causing a gust of powerful wind to whip at Daggat's ear. His breath smelled of fish.

"Breath. And that's not all. Meditation, the calmness of the mind, sleep, eating, drinking, and so on."

"You, what, drink REALLY well?" Zuss asked.

"Among others. The idea is to search for any hidden skills, feats, and so on. Not to gain the skills myself. But, yes, I can drink very well." He chuckled.

"What do you know about blood control?" Asked Klaw.

"More than most. Why?" He replied. Klaw grinned.

"Might have a few questions for you, is all." He said.

"Hey, so, been wondering. What are you? Never seen your kind." Daggat interrupted.

"Oh, I am a drakyn. My people come from beyond the mountain." Kraxith explained. Daggat had heard of that race in passing. They were mortals.

"Where the elves live?" asked Hunter.

"Indeed. My people and theirs share a cultural symbiosis. Are you interested in culture?" Kraxith asked.

"Fascinating, great stuff," Daggat said before Hunter could derail the conversation. "What about you Skiz? You're a gremlin, but clearly high-level. Why aren't you a goblin or something?"

"It's a part of my sage research." He said. "My focus is evolution. Or, rather, a lack of it. You ever wonder what happens if a low-tier monster never evolves?"

"No," Daggat said, truthfully.

"Well. I did. Once I figured out the whole system."

"Learn anything good?" Daggat asked.

"I did. Turns out, if you get to a certain level as a low-tier monster, you get access to unique biotraits. Supernatural biotraits."

"How's that?"

"Biotraits change your body, mostly. These biotraits are different. They are like… skills. Can't explain it any other way."

"What did gremlin give you?" Daggat asked. Then he had a thought. "One moment. ELYNDRIS!" He used hypervocal chords. Everyone winced and covered their ears. "Go ahead."

"I'll show you." Skiz sneered at him. He hopped off the chair. Then he kicked it.

The chair fell apart. It didn't just break. It simply fell apart as though held by a glue that simply failed. Daggat's eyes went wide.

"Gremlins break things. It's what we do. Now, we've answered your questions. Answer mine. What is that?" He pointed directly at Anath, who went wide-eyed.

"That… can speak for herself," Daggat said. He looked at her. "Go ahead."

"Um… I'm Anath." She stammered. Daggat smiled at her encouragingly. Zuss nodded at her. "I'm, um, a human. But, with… a variance."

"Fascinating," Kraxith said. "So you were born with the arachnid traits? How did your people react?" Anath paled.

"I… don't want to talk about it." She managed to squeak out.

"Anath is our berserker." Daggat said with an air of pride. "So, best not venture too far into her past if she doesn't want to."

At that moment Elyndris flew into the room.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" She screamed. "Oh. Guests. What do YOU want?" She yelled at them.

"This is Elyndris. Skiz, you might want to have a chat with her. She cannot evolve."

"Really? Why not?" he asked.

"Because the angels are assholes." She said before landing on the table. "Thanks for revealing my weakness, idiot goblin. Yes, I am stuck as a worm. Why would you care? Who are you?" She turned to the drakyn. "Who are YOU?"

"Relax, they are friendly," Daggat said. "That's Skiz and Kraxith. They are sages. The little one specializes in research in avoiding evolution. Might have some neat tidbits for you."

"Interesting. Let's chat, then, shall we?" Elyndris said and slithered towards him, her tone completely changed.

The two of them started talking, while Kraxith and Daggat talked about Calion and their experiences. The two sages met at Skiz's shack since it was on Kraxith's way. The fourth member of their group lived in the city, so he usually arrived separately. Calion's family was in the city, so that was where he likely was.

Hunter served bear steaks, which were a tad overcooked and chewy. No one outwardly complained, though. Hunter was still learning. The conversation continued, but as the night went on, the guests began to yawn.

"As my guests, I must offer our fullest hospitality. We are still in the process of rebuilding, as you can see. But, we do have an in-house bath. After that, you can select any room."

The two sages agreed and Hunter took them to the baths. Once they were gone, he addressed the rest of the party.

"So, what do we think? Keep 'em around a bit?"

"They would be an easy experience." Elyndris offered. "Old and frail."

"I doubt that, they are resistant to my hypnotic gaze. Plus, we have a reputation to maintain." Daggat said.

"How long will they be here?" Anath asked.

"And how much of our food will they eat?" Zuss added.

"I don't know. But, they might be able to help us with our goals. Klaw, you might be able to learn a thing or two from the lizard." Daggat said.

"Maybe. He might have the blood thingy. If not… I could spar with him at least. See what he is made of." Klaw chuckled.

"Don't hurt him too bad," Daggat warned. "Elyndris, you learn anything?"

"The gremlin claims I will have a powerful ability available to me at level ten. But he doesn't know what that is. Besides that, he seems wise. Grumpy, but wise." Elyndris had moved onto Anath's shoulder. Anath patted her head, which only resulted in a snap from Elyndris's jaws.

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"Then we should use them while they are here. Good, good. If either one of them tries to kill us, yell loud. I don't think it will be an issue, though." Daggat said. "Now, there is something I want to talk about."

"We should wait for Hunter," Anath said. So, they did. It was a good half an hour before Hunter strode into the great hall.

"They are all set up. Friendly people. I like 'em." Hunter said, then settled onto his bench.

"Good. Now that everyone is here, into the status void." Daggat commanded.

They each entered their shared void. Since they were sitting, each person seemed to be squatting in the void. The assistant floated nearby and the Spider scuttled about.

"Alright! My quest has finally-" Daggat began. Anath hit some screen and a chair popped into existence underneath her. Daggat was stunned for a moment. "Anath." He said with forced patience.

"Yes?" She said with mock innocence.

"What the fuck?" He asked. She laughed, then fiddled with some other settings. The table appeared in view, as did the rest of the furniture. Then walls. The spider began skittering up and down them excitedly.

They were all painted dark black with darker accents.

"It's called virtual furniture!" She exclaimed. "I finally figured out how to spend my tokens." Daggat stared at her in disbelief.

"We were SAVING THOSE!" He yelled. "Do you know how expensive the messaging system is?!"

"Hey! They were mine to spend." Her mandibles wriggled.

"That was a stupid thing to spend them on." Said Zuss. Anath stuck a tongue at her.

"I think it's nice. Bit… black, though." Hunter said.

"I like black. It's pretty. Besides, it's practical." Anath crossed her arms. "With this, we can map out the whole manor. Then we can walk around while in the status void and not bump into stuff. We can even buy more accessories and things! Like more colors and decorations."

Daggat put his face in his hands. That would be handy. But long-distance communication was very important! He only had five tokens saved up. He took a deep breath. They were hers… he admitted.

"Oh, cool. I can color my stuff too." Klaw said. His chair was now blood red.

"Great. Just, good. Now, let's move on." Daggat said. The others were all changing their colors. "Assistant, please bring up the general's notes."

"As you wish, master. And greetings everyone. My, it is becoming lively in here." He opened the notes and expanded it so everyone could see it.

"We've managed to track down a way to get us a mortal soul," Daggat said. Klaw made a dismissive sound. "HEY! Not all of us were dumb enough to speak an oath."

Klaw showed him a rude finger. "Hey! Turns out flipping you off isn't dishonorable. Good to know." Klaw said.

"Anyway. A general in a past war-"

"Why is there a drakyn and a gremlin taking a bath in my… your house?" Alfred said as he popped into the status void. "Oh. Nice color."

"Thank you," Anath said.

"Will you people stop interrupting me!?" Daggat cried. "They're just guests. Nothing to worry about. Since you are here, I can tell you too."

Daggat gave everyone a moment to interrupt him again. When they didn't, he continued. "As I was saying. There was a general in the Brine War who was gifted a magical pitcher full of ichor. It will give us a mortal soul. Now, I don't know if it's still in his estate or not. We need to find out and get it."

"No problem. Sounds like a heist. Where is it at?" Zuss said.

"Just outside of Brinehaven," Daggat replied. "This is an opportunity for us as well. An excuse to get out in the world. We have a LOT of gold. We should spend it."

"Spend?" Klaw asked.

"Yes. I'll explain commerce to you later. We need food variety, tools, alchemy supplies, and decent clothes. I have a list. We should also start spreading the word that we are bringing this place back into operation."

"For that, we would need laborers. Trained, preferably." Alfred said.

"And we won't find them here. So, here is the plan. We are going to Brinehaven. We have contacts there that can get us set up for a week or two. We'll take care of the money stuff and the social stuff. The whole time we try to get intel on the general. Then we take the goods and come back."

"Wait! Go… into town?" Anath asked.

"Yes."

"Can I stay here?"

"No."

"Why not?!" Anath looked horrified.

"You need a tailor. And you need to get used to people." Daggat said.

"It's true. When we grow, more people will come here to offer tribute. You cannot show fear to them. Also, you need to be presentable. Presentation is important." Elyndris said. Anath drooped down in her chair.

"Cheer, cheer! I will be there. Comfort and companionship, yes, yes." The spider said.

"Alfred, you'll stay here. Obviously. I am hoping to be able to afford the messaging system. Maybe we can find a way to get more tokens in town. I'll message you when we can. In the meantime, just… do what you need to do."

"We can't leave yet. I still haven't learned to cast magic." Elyndris said.

"Of course. I don't want to leave our guests alone here either. That, and I want to talk to each of you privately. I've found a few things that will help you out."

After a few more questions and answers, Daggat called the meeting. These next few weeks were going to be important, he could feel. They needed to prepare the best they could for the real world.

Going to the town was… intimidating. But it was necessary. So far, he'd dealt with only a handful of people at a time. Or monsters. Now he was going headfirst into a situation he couldn't chew his way out of if things went south.

Daggat couldn't tell if he was feeling fear or excitement.

Daggat

True Name: Daggat Soul: Monster Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size] Genbloom: goblin [ +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Scavenger; Small Size]

Monster Level: 8

Attributes (0/6): Strength: 11 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 11 Intelligence: 20 Will: 10 Charm: 12

Feats: Encounter: True Angel Ability: Mighty Intellect Act: Fledgling Alchemist Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Devotion [Layered feats] Act: Usurper Act: Touch of Death

Skills(0/4): Alchemy: 1 [Source: Fledgling Alchemist] System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] System Assistant: 2 [Perk: Semi-sentience] Mind Codex: 1 [Synergy: Mental notes + Copy Tome] Party Leader: 1 [Source: Usurper]

Notable Natural Skills: Literacy: Apprentice

Biotraits (0/8): Base size: Small [Source: Goblin] Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin] Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin] Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin] Hypnotic Gaze [Mutations: Dominating Gaze, Mesmerizing Gaze] Temperature Resistant Skin [Synergy: Fire Resistant Skin + Cold Resistant Skin] Scavenger [Source: goblin] Death Sight [Source: Touch of Death] Increased Pain Tolerance Hypervocal chords

Transformations: Drakeheart Form: +2 strength +2 charm Extreme Temperature Resistant Scales [Synergy: Fireproof scales + Temperature resistant Skin] Fire breath

Night Stalker form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Dark vision [Night Vision Enhanced] Deepen Shadow

Other: Variant: +10 Intelligence Skill potions used: 1/5

Notable Gear: Strange pure-white sword shard Spear of Bracing 2 Mihr Contracts

Klaw

True Name: Klaw Soul: Mortal/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 [+2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Wil; Smite, Righteous Aura] Paladin Level: 1

Attributes (0/6): Strength: 21 (22, +1 belt) Dexterity: 10 Constitution: 13 (14, +1 belt) Intelligence: 8 Will: 11 Charm: 8

Feats: Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Devotion [Layered feats] Ability: Mighty Strength Act: Arsonist

Skills(0/2): System Aptitude: 1 Burst of Strength: 1 Attribute Boost: Strength (+2) Flame Affinity: 1 [Source: Arsonist] Smite: 1

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 Belt of Last Stand

Elyndris

True Name: Elyndris Soul: Monster Genseed: Larva [ 1 Str, 1 Dex, 1 Con, 1 Int, 1 Wil, 1 Cha; miniscule Size]

Monster Level:

8

Attributes (0/12):

Strength:

10

Dexterity:

8

Constitution:

8

Intelligence:

15

Will:

7

Charm:

7

Feats:

Encounter: True Angel

Knowledge: System Knowledge

Act: Devotion

[layered feats]

Act: Blasphemy

Ability: Mighty Intellect

Act: Vile Concoction

Skills (0/3):

Burst of Strength: 1

Pounce: 1

Construct Capacity: 1

Biotraits (0/8):

Base size: Miniscule

Jaws

Thaumic Sense

[Synergy: Tremor Sense + Magic Sense; Mutations:

Refined Sense

]

Complex organs

Limbs [Mutation:

Lesser Wings

]

Disease Resistance

[Source: Vile Concoction]

Force Distributing Flesh

Transformations:

Night Stalker form:

+2 strength

+2 dexterity

+2 constitution

Jaws [Mutation: Powerful Jaws]

Notable Gear:

5 Refresh Pills

Hero Scroll

Other:

Curse: Ungenesis

Zuss

True Name: Zuss Soul: Monster Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size] Genbloom: hobgoblin [ +1 Str, +3 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Nimble Fingers; Small Size]

Monster Level: 8

Attributes (0/6): Strength: 10 Dexterity: 16 Constitution: 8 Intelligence: 8 Will: 10 Charm: 9

Feats: Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Devotion [Layered feats] Ability: Mighty Alacrity

Skills(0/2): System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] Deep Shadows: 1 Path Finding [Type: Climbing]

Notable Natural Skills: Stealth: Apprentice Climb: Apprentice

Biotraits (0/8): Base size: Small [Source: Hobgoblin] Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin] Enhanced Night Vision [Mutations: Dark Vision; Source: Gremlin] Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin] Improved Body Control [Synergy: Improved Balance + Improved Nerve Conduction + Improved flexibility; Mutations: Autonomous Reflex] Nimble Hands and Feet [Synergy: Nimble hands + Prehensile Feet; Mutations: Mighty Grip] Cold Resistant Skin Enhanced Visual Acuity

Transformations: Drakeheart Form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Smoke Aura Lesser Wings

Night Stalker form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Enhanced Scent Deepen Shadow+, Widen Shadows

Notable Gear: Blade of a Thousand Screams Knife of the Traveler Mana Crystal Set Tiara

Pet: Name: Birdy Genseed: Cat

Attributes: Strength: 2 Dexterity: 4 Constitution: 2 Intelligence: 2 Will: 2 Charm: 3

Biotraits: Lesser Wings

Hunter

True Name: Hunter Soul: Mortal/Monster Genseed: Ogre [ 8 Str, 2 Dex, 6 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Ogre's curse; Large Size]

Hearth Tender Level: 8 [+1 Str, +1 Con, +4 Wil; Invoke Torch, Hearth Fire] Monster Level: 1 [Source: Ichor of the Beast]

Attributes (0/6): Strength: 14 Dexterity: 7 Constitution: 13 Intelligence: 9 Will: 15 Charm: 8

Feats: Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Vile Concoction Act: Devotion [layered feats] Act: Slayer Ability: Unshakable Will

Skills (0/9): System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] Invoke Torch: 2 [Perks: Mighty Torch] Hearth Fire: 2 [Perks: Healing Warmth] Sacred Flame: 2 [Perks: Debilitating Warmth] Encompassing Warmth: 1 Brilliant Bash: 2 [Perks: Hearth Flame] Bounty Hunter: 1 [Source: Slayer] Seek: 1 Fearless: 1 Peaceful Presence: 1 Condense Aura: 1

Notable Natural Skills: Healing: Apprentice

Biotraits (0/1): Base Size: Large Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Vile Concoction]

Other: Curse: Ogre Curse Boot of Rashail

Anath

True Name: Anathema Soul: Monster/Mortal Genseed: Human [ 3 Str, 3 Dex, 3 Con, 3 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Standard Size]

Monster Level: 5 Berserker Level: 5 [+3 Str, Dex Con, -1 Int, Wil, Cha; Berserker's rage, Great Vitality]

Attributes [0/7]: Strength: 12 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 13 Intelligence: 10 Will: 8 Charm: 7

Feats: Encounter: True Angel Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Vile Concoction Act: Devotion [layered feats]

Skills(0/8): System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] System Assistant: 1 Skill Boosts: Survival (1) Savage Legs: 1 Berserker's Spirit: 1 [Synergy: Warrior's Spirit (Burst of Strength + Burst of Alacrity + Burst of Vitality) + Berserker's Rage] Purge Poison: 1 Great Vitality: 1 Blood Rhythm: 1

Notable Natural Skills: Survival: Apprentice Savagery: Apprentice

Biotraits [1/5]: Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Vile Concoction] Extra Limb (Arachnid), x4 [Source: Variant] Venomous Mandibles [Source: Variant] Multi-eye [Mutations: Magnified, Night Vision; Source: Variant] Hardened Chitin

Transformations: Night Stalker form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Claws Dark Vision

Notable Gear: Blade of the Dessert Flower 5 Tokens

Other: Variant: Arachnid Traits

Party Loot

Magic Gear: Inkbeast Scroll (Serpent) Assassins Ladle

Wealth and holdings: 15k+ Gold 5k+ Gold worth of treasure Titanfell Manor

System Resources: 5 Tokens party tracker Experience Recycler

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