Jackalope

The Gauthrel Plains reach from the coasts of western Idalos to the very edge of Ne'haer before meeting the forests surrounding Hiladrith. The Fields of Gauthrel can be a dangerous place, one that is home to the most deadliest of creatures. It holds many secrets in the history of the land and may offer rewards to those who choose to journey out into the wild plains. It is best not to wander out alone in these fields. Even caravans have been known to go missing.

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Jackalope

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52nd of Ymiden, Arc 717

"Wake up," the Jackal whispered. He sat in the darkness, half covered by shadow, the rest of him mounted upon a sleeping Jor Thalla with his leg hanging loosely over its resting cheek. Before him laid a sleeping Trachadon, though he knew the man was far more than that. If he recalled, his words were... I Becomer, you cunt, stating his magical capabilities openly to the voracious group of Jegers that had... subdued him.

Ganren, of course, was a pragmatic man - Royand had explained to him in detail the events of Fridgar's arrival, and with little hesitation the Jackal found himself impressed with the man's capabilities, as well as his endurance and ruthlessness. He survived, and in all likelihood, he would continue to rebel. Fridgar, he'd learned his name, was not a man of great reasoning capability. That would have to be seen to - Ganren would not allow an opportunity to slip by without an attempt at nurturing it, and he would also not allow for Fridgar to rampage within his titanic cell against men who he could not even properly communicate with.

So, he sat. The man pursed his lips and blew a black gas through them, forming shapes through the air. One of them, he caught, taking a shadowy hand in his own and pulling it to him. The creature leaned forward and whispered into his ear, telling him secrets, longings and thoughts. Before anyone could see it, the shadowy hand disappeared, dispersing into nothing.

Thorburn, Clan Nordhoff... Son of Robek. He recorded these thoughts, information given. Nordhoff -- perhaps that was why he held animosity towards the Stahlmark Jegers. That desert shithole held its own Paths, and none of them paid much due to the "Northern" Hunters.

As for the rest, he knew little of the name, the family or the man he spawned from. But -- Fridgar was a Lotharro, which meant that to some degree, he respected strength. He had to.

Ganren did not lack in that respect. If Fridgar rebelled against his presence, he would do more than force his submission.

"Wake up," he commanded again, eyes narrowing. "The time I've allotted to you for rest is over. Now, it's time to learn," the man stated. "There are constants in Uthaldria that one must understand in order to survive -- always stick to the paths, shadow groups of Hunters and other adventurers to ensure the forward paths are cleared... and always respect those same Hunters you're relying on for your continued survival. The Jegers, more than anyone, risk life and limb to protect the people. We die in extraordinary numbers, young and old alike, fighting until our last breath. You can understand that such pain heralds a desire for accommodation - a respect. Men like you, who do not belong to us, cannot know just how important respect is to our people. We demand it; it's all that many of us really have."

While his explanation may not have alleviated Fridgar's pain, he hoped to open the door to more understanding between the two of them. The Becomer was clearly confused on how things worked in this realm - that was subject to change.

"I acknowledge that our men told one of yours to 'fuck off', if I remember correctly. I have spoken to these men about mutual respect after the whole ordeal, and I've subjected them to disciplinary action for inciting a violent altercation. The only thing is - I need you to do your part as well. They learned, they apologized, they respect their superiors. And you? Will you be like them, or will you attempt to gore me on your mangled tusks? The choice is yours."
word count: 623
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Danger. Fridgar was in danger, it loomed over him, running him down like some sort of game animal. He had become like prey despite all the strength he'd accumulated. Never had he ran, but his instincts wanted him to, now more than ever. Before long, a calmness washed over him. His legs were sticky, sort of. Caked in a thick, dry substance that crumbled to the touch. The smell of copper filled his trunk, blood. Calming blood? Yeah. He was at ease, the pain in his hind legs had faded, dulled.

A deep voice brushed over his thick stone skin vibrating softly against his fore-legs, dozens of times greater than the source. He paid no heed to the voice, it was insignificant. He had grown comfortable wherever he was, soothed even. The floor was hard and had grown warm with the heat of his body pressed against it. Even if there wasn't much room to move about or roll over, he was comfy. Fridgar had always been a sucker for a nice lay-in wrapped in sheets with his beloved rose tucked away between his big muscular arms. For a trill or two, the Trachadon would... purr? Perhaps just growl, it was difficult to say.

The second time that the voice hit him, his small eyes would break open, a small crack between his eyelids would reveal his green eyes. The comparably small pupils would hold still as the lids fluttered open and almost instantly, he was assaulted with a barrage of words. It was too early in the morning to even begin to understand what the guy sat opposite him was on about. His eyes would dart about the room, gathering a feel for his surroundings. It was dark, smelly and damp. Not much could be seen beyond the bars except the other male.

Grunting, Fridgar would press onto his front paws and try to stand on the hind ones, only to collapse. They were broken, though the pain hadn't kicked in yet. Confused, Fridgar looked to his rear legs; they were matted with thick, dried blood and impaled all the way through with great big harpoons. The floor of the cage he was in had puddled with his blood and his tusks were mismatched - one broken and jagged while the other had been sawn clean from existence. What the fuck was going on? The beast grunted once more, turning his head forward; a look of confusion, fear, almost desperation about him as his eyes settled on the other Lothar.

What had happened? How did he get here? The last memories he'd acquired before he was subdued slowly became afloat in his head before rising to the surface of his conscious thoughts... He got romped. Dozens of Lotharen hunters had attacked him all at once, butchering him despite trying to break free and save him and his beloved; why? What had sparked the feud? Something so insignificant, he couldn't even remember. Alistair. Where was Alistair? he was by his side for a trill, wasn't he? Where was he now?

Fridgar roared, shaking the building they were being kept in. It was a roar of fury, anger, loss and pain. Fridgar's mangled tusks would shortly collide with the bars of the cell, thundering the echo of metal across the room. His eyes would settle on the humanoid before him, narrowed to pinpricks. "Nnnngrrrrroooooooo-!" he stopped himself. He'd forgot to use echo in his distress, speaking common wasn't possible with a Trachadon mouth unless he echoed. Searching within himself, he used Echo on the Fridgar totem and spoke through his voice. "Where is Alistair!?" The beast would bellow, pressing his head against the bars in a useless effort to close the gap between them.

"The human I was with, what did you do to him!?" The beast would roar, raising his head to the room of the cage before lowering it and slamming his face into the bars. Evidently, he hadn't been listening to what the man had to say. Coming out of an aesthetic was hard enough without some Lothar yapping in your ear. He wasn't impressed. I acknowledge that our men told one of yours to 'fuck off', the male spoke, only enticing more fury from the wild animal he'd caged. "One of my men!? That was my fiancé he insulted, my beloved! I should'a mushed the smug prick when I had the chance!" he continued to ram his head against the bars, making no progress with breaking them. Perhaps if he had the full bashing power of his hind legs to drive his horns and broken tusks, he could, but not in the sorry state he was in.

As the male continued speaking, Fridgar slowed down until he held his head against one of the bars of the cage. A snort would blow hot air across the ground of the room as his nostrils flared, the echo of his voice came once again, only calmer. "...No... I don't do that shit anymore," the beast withdrew from the bars, stumbling back a little before plopping his body in the floor of the cage with an ear-shattering slam. "I'm not gonna kill any of you, even if I weren't in this cage, I doubt I could anyway. You broke my legs, remember? Is this cage even necessary?" The Trachadon echoed with frustration before locking his mind's eye on a pocket of ether outside of the bars. Using chasing, he would blink to the location, disappearing from existence and re-appearing at the Lothar's side a good five feet back.

He remained laying down, though readied another blink for if this guy turned hostile for whatever reason."But I'd sure as hell love to one-on-one some of your men, you know? A good beat down never did anyone any harm," he motioned to his hind legs sarcastically. "You command respect, I command Alistair's safety. I swear to god if you've hurt him I'll flop my body all over this damn place a hundred times over!" he snarled, knowing full well the devastating damage that would cause.
word count: 1041
Whenever one finds oneself inclined to bitterness, it is a sign of emotional failure.
-- Bertrand Russell
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The man - or beast, depending on how one saw it - awoke. He roared ferociously, and loudly, though Ganren did not flinch. He'd heard a lot worse. He'd heard Abanaxus roar from hundreds of miles away, sure that if he were nearer, his eardrums would've burst. Fridgar was strong, and proud, and impressive - but not invincible. He seemed to think that about himself, but the Jackal decided that now was the time for humility.

Still, he admired his vibrant, violent protectiveness of his lover. He was a havendal in all but name and blessing, but instilled with the passion, instinctual protection, and the fury of one who would go to any lengths to protect their partner. Even now, he rammed against the bars, he screamed. It was almost sad just how severely he'd been punished for his will to protect the person he cared about - a will instilled into him by his nature, by the Creator.

As someone who loved the Creator, for all that he was, Ganren understood this need more than most. He had a similar instinct for his son.

"He's not harmed. He told my son that he would join the Jegers in order to access the fort, so he can see you. He'll be returning shortly. We've treated him well, Fridgar. He did no wrong, and neither did you," the Jackal stated. "Our Father spoke to me when I witnessed the state you were left in. He whispered to me a singular command: to ensure that you survived. Here in Gauthrel, we live in a cruel space, but we are compelled by our Creator's empathy to do good. We will not be hurting you, or Alistair, or anyone who comes to us seeking aide with good intentions. The men who did so were very seriously misguided," he said.

And then, he stood up, and patted his Jor Thalla on the forehead. The creature woke up, too, the lion yawning and stretching out its paws.

Upon being asked if the cage was necessary, Ganren rolled his eyes. "Of course it was, don't be silly," he replied. "Look at what you began doing immediately after waking. You're a man of action." And then -- he went off again, threatening to destroy the place, flop over. Perhaps he was referring to that... aerial body slam thing he'd done before. It didn't matter.

"This is my Sanctuary," said the Jackal. "The fortress is nearly invulnerable as a result. It's blessed. Even if you body slammed against it from the sky, you'd find it very difficult to deconstruct. Your threats aren't necessary, and they carry no backing." Blunt.

"Now, my time is limited, and I've spent more than enough of it waiting for you to stir. So -- let me be forward. Join the Jegers. You'd be worth ten good men out there, and I need people like you, more than ever. You're a fuckin' killing machine -- the talents you have are not served by the Krigers. Become one of us," he requested, though it almost sounded like a command. "I have grafters, alchemists and others among my ranks. They can heal you and return your body to normal within breaks. Unfortunately, they give priority to members of our group. You'll have to wait for every last Jeger to be cleared up and free of wounds before you'll get your appointment. Sometimes, that takes hours. Sometimes, during the bad seasons, it can take upwards of forty trials. We've been tasked with dramatically increasing our kills in preparation for the wars to come. So, you can imagine... this is a bad season."

It wasn't a threat he was making. He was just being honest, and offering the man an opportunity. As Fridgar thought it over, Ganren stepped over to the door of the large cage, and unlocked it. It opened shortly afterwards, swinging open and showing the man that he was free to go. But - in his state, it wasn't a good idea to do so.
word count: 684
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The Trachadon huffed, partially relieved, partially offended. Alistair was unharmed, according to this man. But how could he trust him? He was obviously some sort of higher ranking representative for the jeger, and those guys had gone and maimed him for a single word. Alistair, as he knew, was verbally savage, he'd seen him destroy the enemy's spirits with words alone on multiple occasions. Just a few trials ago, he'd even reduced Fridgar to an emotional wreck following an argument of theirs. All he could hope for was that Alistair didn't annoy someone and give them grounds to skin him alive or something. God help whoever laid one of their filthy paws on his beloved.

Fridgar groaned for the sake of groaning. The pain in his legs had rekindled, though he wasn't bleeding anymore. His blood had clotted, whether it was the jeger's doing or the naturally thick blood of the giant beast, he didn't care. At least he wasn't going to haemorrhage from some shrimpy harpoons. "Yeah, that sounds like something he'd do," the Trachadon bellowed, though it was all passive. "He'd make a good jeger, I've seen him kill some real big monsters all on his own," he offered with a very slight nod that would see his jaw colliding with and denting the floor. He didn't seem to notice his clumsy destruction though and merely ignored it.

The fact that his body slam wouldn't damage what he had declared 'his sanctuary', however, bothered him. If he was bluffing, he was sure as hell a good liar.

The beast's eyes would roll at the mention of how busy the man claimed to be, then they would widen with what he said next. Join the Jegers, he commanded... requested? After that very brief order, he went on to explain his reasoning, sweetening the pot with words of praise. He even brought up the Kriger, Fridgar's current path. It wasn't designed for his talents? That being said, he struggled to derive enjoyment from beating down on criminals, that life was too easy for the battle hardened Fridgar.

"Honestly, beating up other people is boring, easy. The Jeger sound interesting and all, but I don't think I'd fit in after everything that just happened," he spoke honestly. There was no way he could live something like this down, especially if he was now intended to be living with these Lothar, they'd kill him in his sleep if he breathed the word 'fuck' while dreaming. "And what about a trial for changing my path? I can't even stand, let alone fight. How do you expect me to complete that before rotting away or being eaten by maggots from my exposed wound?" These were all valid concerns, he couldn't be treated until he joined the jeger and he couldn't join the jeger until he was treated. He was fucked.

A thought crept up from the depths of his mind, sort of mischievous. Fridgar would look at the man with a lucrative look in his eyes. "If by some miracle I manage to complete this trial and join the Jegers. Will I be allowed a portion of any kills I think would be useful? I'd be happy to share becoming with anyone interested in return." He would, of course, need to build a bond with any jeger interested in magic, but that could be done with time.

On one hand, this was intriguing, tempting, desirable. On the other, he wanted to rampage and slaughter every one of them for what they did to him and his beloved Alistair. Vicious cunts needed to be punished and they didn't seem to have anything coming their way. Though, perhaps this was his punishment? He'd done the same thing to plenty of humans, killing and maiming them for slighting him. The beast would sigh, though it sounded more like a soft growl with a big release of hot breath. Maybe he deserved this?

Even as the door opened, Fridgar did little but flinch and reel from the light, his tiny eyes had adjusted to the dark and it was blinding him. A groan of distress followed his evasive manoeuvres, but he didn’t even try to escape. Maybe the guy had forgotten that Fridgar's legs were broken, maybe he just wanted to taunt him, he didn't know. Either way, it was a dick move. Even so, it was a start for atonement of what he'd done as a past Fridgar. yes, he'd changed, but he changed too late. Lots of people had died because of his wrath and anger, families torn apart. He did deserve this.
word count: 797
Whenever one finds oneself inclined to bitterness, it is a sign of emotional failure.
-- Bertrand Russell
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The Jeger sound interesting and all, but I don't think I'd fit in after everything that just happened... the Lothar said. Ganren stopped him there.

"Actually, you'd fit in perfectly fine," the Jackal stated, dismissing his concern. "You'd be surprised at the extremities some of our members have experienced before and after joining our Order. Remember, many of us are Reborn, we've been serving the Creator for many lifetimes. Some of us, myself included, came originally to this place with bad intentions and a dark past. I... used to serve Icarus Iskariot, the Creator's son, a man who has twisted and amplified countless monsters and turned them into aberrations of reality." The Jackal spoke with... contempt, for who he used to be. He spoke bitterly, with grit teeth and a grimace accompanying them.

"I learned about the Jegers to return this information to my master," he admitted, "so that he could destroy this Order and rampage across Gauthrel. Instead, I told the Jegers about him, and of ways to counter the beasts he'd created. Bad beginnings don't mean bad ends. Do you think the Jegers were pleased when I told them why I'd joined? My real intentions? They locked me up, treated me like shit," he shook his head, deep accent digging into his voice as he grew more impassioned on the subject.

"And for good reason. We have to be strong, be peerless, command respect and fear. In truth, we are what keeps the Horde alive. The Krigers and Bonde are important, but we're the front-line. We die every day so that they can live in their beautiful homes. And that's fine, I feel no bitterness. This is the way that the world works, and it's not like we're less happy here. Being a Jeger is a beautiful thing - it's true liberation. There's nothing like being in a Pack, having five other people that would all die for you, and really possibly could. The only bond near as sacred as the marital life-bond is the bond between members of a Pack. You will fit in. Those people, the ones who join you, they'll come to love you like a brother. Where would you fit in better?"

He advertised the Jegers very clearly, but Ganren's heart did not lie. He loved his people, his flock. He would remain with the Jegers for this life, and all lives to come. He already knew that.

But... there was the question of Fridgar's trial, and to that, Ganren shook his head.

"You've suffered enough, and you've earned your place. If you will accept us, I will name you Pup of the Jegers. It's not a fancy title, but it's something to strive to surpass," the man nodded. At that point, two individuals entered, each wearing light cloth and bearing instruments that they escorted on a rolling wooden platform. They were going to begin Fridgar's treatment, and with them were reagents and other liquids that the Lothar had likely never seen before, not even by Alistair. His cure, to the stone-skin, the mark of Kerad Reyn.

With their entry, Ganren left, offering Fridgar little more than an unremarkable nod.
word count: 551
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The Trachadon would listen to the man's story of how he joined the Jegers. He started off as their enemy? This was surprising, how did the apparent boss of the Jegers climb from the servitude of some bitchboy mortal born to command an army of monster destroyers? There was more to this guy than he was letting on, maybe he was just a hard worker? Even so, it was a pretty good origin story.

His 'ears' perked up at the mention of being locked away, treated like shit. "Believe it or not, I know what that's like," Though given his current state, it probably wasn't that hard to believe. In Andaris, they had done the same thing to him. He ripped a door from it's hinges before throwing it at someone, they lived, didn't suffer a scratch. Still, he was chained up by his ankles and wrists and left to rot in his own shit and piss for what felt like trials. There was no sun light, no food, no water. At the end of it all, he was facing the noose. Even seasons later, he could still remember the tightness of his limbs, the unbearable strain, the unending hunger. He often feared waking up in those chains, worse so for the time after he escaped.

The Trachadon's head lowered, having found something in common, maybe this guy wasn't so bad? "People that would die for you, people you would die for in return," he corrected. He only knew of one man like that, Alistair. Could a feeling of closeness like that really be spread among five others? Maybe not among humans, the selfish cuntly creatures that they were. But among Lothar? The passionate instinctual side surely had a part to play in keeping everything together.

The other Lothar's next question invoked even further self-reflection on Fridgar's part. Where would he fit in better? Where did he fit in at all was a better question. Wherever he went, Fridgar encountered violence from the locals, Andaris was obvious, Etzori were the ones that gut him and left him for dead on a riverbed, Ne'haer he was run through and impaled to the floor with a long sword, Gauthrel he was beaten black and blue for arcs by his father then mutilated by the Jeger. Nowhere in the world seemed to accept him, Alistair was the only one. Rey'na did once upon a time, before he ruined everything. At the end of the trial, did he need anyone but Alistair? He'd managed this long, after all.

"Pup of the Jegers, huh?" he asked, unamused. He was joking, right? they didn't call their recruits pups, did they? One look at his expression declared him to be very serious. "Oh," He spoke, still failing to be impressed with the title that he would be baring if he accepted. "Alright, I'll accept the Jegers," let's see how you guys do at handling me, he'd considered speaking, but contained himself. That was almost terrible.

After he'd accepted, the medical staff he'd assigned to do the job entered. The Lothar would nod lightly before leaving the room through the blinding light. He was left to the darkness with various medics and pieces of equipment that he didn’t recognise or care for. The sooner he was cured, the sooner he could dull the pain in his legs. Unflinching, he waited out the treatment, no matter the struggles he faced in the next few breaks.
word count: 596
Whenever one finds oneself inclined to bitterness, it is a sign of emotional failure.
-- Bertrand Russell
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Fridgar


Knowledge
Endurance: Fighting through the pain of two broken legs
Interrogation: Physical threats can help get a point across
Rupturing: Blinking via chasing
Rupturing: Useful for escaping cages
Unarmed Combat: Headbutting
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[NPC] Ganren Von Sidhe: Leader of the Jeger
[NPC] Ganren Von Sidhe: Respected you
[NPC] Ganren Von Sidhe: Apologised for the behaviour of his men
[NPC] Ganren Von Sidhe: Said that Alistair wasn't harmed
[NPC] Ganren Von Sidhe: Close to Thetros
[NPC] Ganren Von Sidhe: Offered you healing in return for servitude
Location: Kaer Jeger
Path of the Jeger: Treated your wounds after attacking you
Path of the Jeger: Were disciplined for their actions
Path of the Jeger: You'd fit right in
Path of the Jeger: Made an exception for you
Thetros: Looking out for you

Loot: N/A
Injuries: Healed of petrification and other prior injuries
Fame: +5 Personally Recruited by Ganren

Story 5/5
Collaboration 5/5
Structure 5/5

Comments: You lucky bastard, getting Ganren's attention with your crazy dinosaur rhino shit.
word count: 170
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