Bone To Pick

[Phelan Lyall]

Phelan waited as the hedgehog hesitated for a moment, then stayed silent as he began to explain his race. When he finished his explanation, the Kelvic smiled and nodded. "Sounds convenient, being able to change shape like that. Though wandering around all the time like that doesn't seem like a safe idea, especially in Kalea." he said, shrugging slightly. He had to admit that Pycon's were interesting, but he didn't think he'd actually want to be something so very small.

When the Pycon asked about his race, the blacksmith shrugged slightly. "Fair enough. But I think you might be disappointed. I was raised by a human, so I don't know anything that only Kelvic families or some such might know, and while I have done research into my species, there's a good bit I don't really understand. But I'll do my best to tell the tale." he said, before taking a deep breath.

"All right, as I understand it, before the Valterrian, some human scientist whose name I can never remember, except that his last name was Kelvic, lost his sister and started searching for her. Eventually, he somehow tapped into some other plane and got his hands on some kind of mimic with a name I can't remember, Keldorian or something like that I think." he said, pausing as the Pycon broke a stone spear on the ground.

At the request to continue, the Kelvic gathered his thoughts and nodded. "Anyway, this man was somehow able to mix the mimic with animals and then somehow with humans, creating the Kelvics. After that he sent us out to search for his sister and then the Valterrian happened and in the end I don't think anyone actually is searching for the sister now. So much for our history." Phelan shrugged, having long since lost interest in his species history.

Gathering his thoughts again, Phelan changed how he was sitting a bit to alleviate some mild discomfort before continuing. "Anyway, as for our species abilities...we can only shift into the animal we were born as and that's the only form we can use. I don't believe we can teach others how to do it either, though I guess maybe if you got some of the original mimic and...I dunno, maybe swallowed it or something you could get that ability. Maybe." he said, shrugging again.

"As for me....well, not much, I'm a little over three years old and I'm a blacksmith. What about you?" he asked, his tone curious.

[Cyq]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Safety seemed like the last thing on his mind at that moment. Heck, he was more likely to welcome whatever danger decided to try their luck against the hedgehog. In the end, after all, they'd all end up bones and coats to be maledicted upon and used as his new weapons. Even the stick grasped tightly in one paw was evidence of this. "I must admit, it has its upsides. Although there are some problems with it as well. Being this small and this.. ahem, squishy.. does make it difficult to move large objects and the like." Which became incredibly important when taking on the larger creatures.. for example, the wolves. The humans too, although they often seemed too civilized to really bother fighting with a hedgehog.. and if not, they were far too cowardly to bother with one that pulled spears of rock from thin air. Granted, just making one was taxing enough and he was next to useless in actually using the things - however, it was all in the intimidation factor.

Either way, he waved his paw through the air in a motion to let her continue with her story as she made her small excuses. None of them really mattered - the hedgehog only knew what he knew, because he was raised around his own species over the course of two seasons. It'd been a bit of a surprise to see humans around, considering the lack of travel around the Kalea region because of simply how difficult it was.. let alone others like shape-shifting wolves and creatures with big elegant horns sticking out the sides of their skulls.

Most of those thoughts vanished when the girl went on with a story that involved a man.. a person.. tapping into another plane. That was quite a feat.. something that he'd certainly want to research himself, if the man had managed to accomplish anything near it. "Keldorian..." Not only was this person apparently able to tap into other planes to conjure up strange beings that existed inside them.. but change these creatures to suit his needs? Now that didn't sound possible.. and by now, the hedgehog was all but balancing on his walking-stick with the intense leaning that he was doing. "I see.. so, I suppose this man and all of his work have been lost.. supposedly." He was more or less mumbling to himself by now, with the implications sinking into his little clay skull.

He knew that the creation of the Pycons had been due to some strange false-prophet, but only because of the influence of the god Harameus that had pushed him to such feats. However, he'd never heard of an entire race of people being created solely from the work of a single man. It sounded like he had control over them as well. It was a shame that it didn't seem like they were completed, however.. they could only take on a single shape. If he ever gathered together the notes, the experiments.. if ever he gathered the time and the opportunity, he could perhaps delve deeper into these creatures to discover just what it was about them that made them able to transform. Who knew, perhaps he could instill multiple forms... he didn't know what could and couldn't be possible at this moment.

"I ask because I think you and I might be able to strike a deal." He was always looking to make a good deal, after all. It was a shame she didn't seem to have any other hunting talent than her natural abilities to switch into that of a wolf. "I'm having trouble with catching animals. I could use someone with your natural skills, in my quest to find them. The only reason I wished to kill you before, was because I thought you were a feral wolf that I could use." He didn't explicitly say what he wanted to use the animals for, of course.. and neither did he have any intention of explaining it. Strangely, the few Pycons he'd explained the branch of magic to had recoiled in disgust or simply seemed disinterested in talking about it. There was, therefore, no reason to taint such an opportunity with such things to worry about.

[Phelan Lyall]

Phelan nodded as the Pycon said his body had its advantages, then listened quietly as the hedgehog mused about whether or not anything remained of the original man's studies remained. As far as Phelan knew, virtually all information about the man outside of what he had just told the Pycon was long gone, though he supposed it was possible that some information had survived this long, if not necessarily recognized as his.

When the Pycon explained why he had asked Phelan about himself, the Kelvic simply shrugged and nodded. "All right. I mean, I'm not a great hunter, but I'm good enough to get animals. Course, I won't do someone else's hunting for free, but I figure that would go without saying. Do you need the whole animal though, or just some specific part?" he asked, cocking his head to the side in a distinctly canine manner despite his currently human form.

[Cyq]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He already knew that the man would be needing payment for services, and the hedgehog merrily nodded its head in agreement. It wouldn't matter either way - the Kelvic one would provide the animals, and the hedgehog would maledict them into powerful items before selling them off for a profit. The Kelvic would make a gain by getting something to do and a little money on the side from it, and the hedgehog would be able to craft all the Legacies he needed, as well as sell off those that were less useful to himself. It was the perfect agreement, really.. as long as the Kelvic kept up to his side of the deal, and kept the supply running. "Yes yes. We can work out a payment plan.. based on the animals you can provide, of course. I'm not looking for just the occasional rat or small bird. I want something that I can work with." Especially since those birds had brittle and weak hollow bones either way, so they were next to useless in terms of malediction.

"I don't mind if you're a fantastic hunter or not, as long as you can do what I ask.. and all I ask is that you keep up a supply of animals for me. Reasonably large animals.. mostly unscathed. I don't want broken bones or any of that nonsense, if you can help it. If you can do that, then there's no problem." To an inexperienced hunter it might have been a big order, but the hedgehog wasn't focusing on that. "Oh, and I need all of the animal. The more of the animal I have, the more I can work with.. bones, skin, all those parts are important. Muscle and organs, not so important. They just decay after time anyway, not like the bones.."

He was getting carried away again, thinking about all that he could do in this golden opportunity. He wouldn't need to keep sneaking out of the city just to spend bell after bell searching through the mountains to find small mice and other rodents.. he wouldn't need to hide himself away constantly, and find useless excuses to break away from time he could be spending doing much more important things. Oh, if only there were more that he could hire to follow his bidding... oh, wait. "By the way.. you wouldn't happen to know about any others in the area, would you. Other Kelvics, like yourself, that could join you as potential hunters?" More hunters, more bodies, more weapons. It was the perfect plan, now that he had a starting point. "If you see any, you can let them know.. they'll be paid well, just like you."

[Phelan Lyall]

Phelan nodded as the Pycon said they could work out payment, then shrugged as he said he'd need something he could work with, not rodents or birds. "
Good, I don't hunt birds and rodents, they're too small for me to really be able to hunt effectively." he said, smiling slightly before giving a brief grimace as he said he'd need all of the animal and undamaged. "I can bring you all of an animal, easily enough, but there will be some damage, usually the throat since I assume you don't want these creatures alive. However, there are times I need to break legs in order to stop them running so I can actually kill them. And you'll mostly be getting deer and the like, I'm not really big enough to tangle with most of the predators around Lhavit."

At the question about whether or not he knew any other Kelvics, the blacksmith shook his head. "Not that I've seen in a long time, and most aren't major hunting species. A few cats and the like, some birds. There aren't a whole lot of us, really, and we're pretty diverse. I've seen a horse Kelvic at least once." he said, shrugging slightly. "Oh, I never introduced myself. My name is Phelan, Phelan Lyall, I'm a blacksmith by trade. And yourself?" he asked politely.


Common

Thoughts

[Cyq]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Well, of course he'd need the animals dead.. as long as it wasn't the bones that were damaged. Throats would be fine.. as long as the skulls were left intact, then he didn't really need the throats at all. However, a small uncontrollable wince came at the mention of breaking the legs to stop the animals from escaping. "Throats are fine, I don't need to use that.. muscle, organs, those are parts that can be destroyed without effect on the result. Breaking the legs.. well, I may need those bones, so if it can be avoided, I would prefer that." He might be able to work with the fragments, it depended on the body and how far down the line he would go before dealing with these things.. after all, there were two parts to any Legacy. The creature they were made from, and the skill of the maledictor in question. He liked to think he was quite a good maledictor.. although it was true, he couldn't work with sentient creatures bones just yet. Soon, though. Soon he'd be able to collect human bones and the like, and use them to learn just what he needed. He wouldn't have to worry about this damnable co-operation.

"As long as it's not mice.. well, honestly, as long as it's something. The bigger the better, whether it's deer or bears. Doesn't matter." The real point of it was to gain access to the creatures that were too large and too dangerous for the Pycon to be able to find by himself, alone. A wolf Kelvic would have better luck bringing down those animals than a tiny hedgehog Pycon ever would be. It was interesting, to note that not all of these Kelvics were predators.. some of them were prey. Did that mean that some of the Kelvics took to eating the other Kelvics, when in animal forms? He still wasn't entirely sure.. apparently they could control themselves in both forms, it wasn't a split of personality or the like.. just the body and not the mind. However, who could say how feral their minds were deep down? Phelan looked quite normal, but he'd only known the boy for a matter of bells and little more.

"Yes, that's the second time you've told me that. Blacksmith, three years old." He'd made a note of it already - he could become useful, if he ever needed iron. He'd be useful if he could hunt animals as well - overall, an useful companion to have in his explorations. Now it was time to see just how useful he could be, though. Once the hedgehog had finally explained what he was, as well. "I suppose you want to know what I am, then." Should he really entrust his secret to this person.. this Kelvic? Well, he supposed it was worth the risk, as long as the boy swore himself to secrecy and made sure to keep the supplies of animals running continuously. "Put simply, I kill things and then use the bones of those things to make powerful weapons. Animals, for now." His eyes narrowed, literally, as he leaned a little closer to the boy that was apparently three times his age and well over six times his height. Now or never. "These things have power, boy. If you tell another soul about what I do, you'll know just how much. It's not exactly smiled upon by others, including those in Lhavit."

[Brandon Blackwing]

CYQ

XP Award:

• Mountaineering +2
• Observation +4
• Stealth +1
• Reimancy +3
• Rhetoric +1
• Negotiation +1
  

Lore:

• Dreams of Sahova
• Hedgehogs are not meant for sneaking around
• Using Reimancy when pressured
• Phelan: a Kelvic wolf
• Kelvic history (basic)
• A deal with Phelan
• Phelan: tends to repeat himself
  

Notes:
Phelan, your grade has been withheld due to inactivity

Cyq, I kind of enjoy reading how you portrait Cyq’s cold and businesslike attitude. And the remark of Phelan repeating himself was brilliant! Nice work!

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credit goes to Adelaide Sitai