Rebuilding the Sabertooth Warriors - Clearing Space [Special]

https://magiworld.forumotion.com/t11741-rebuilding-the-sabertooth-warriors-a-tier-chain-reserved-plot-voda

Vodarara had much to comprehend since he had returned with Asisiak from her ritual and invitation that he had accepted. He had many challenging trials and while he hadn't lost any of his companions, a number of Imuchakk that had come with him to repel the invaders on the ice had been slain in the fray. While they hadn't followed the huntsman's plans, it still bled on him, they knew the risks but Vodarara did recruit their aid for his own benefits.

He had got an egg at that time as he sat himself within his isolated lair. It was a large thing 1.5 metre ornate metallic and studded with gemstones but the Huntsman didn't know what to do with it, it ended up in his possession but he had no understanding of the item and believed it to just be an ornate rock, he didn't even know who he'd sell it to and it had quite the weight to it but it was pretty warm to the touch and as such it had its uses in his little abode as a heat source rather than having to light a fire.
Vodarara after all had little to no comprehension of magic, beyond it being bad voodoo. Even the lantern of the storm hung as a eerily blue-white light that produced a humble light into the abode. From its handle hung the chain that held the frozen tear, an object that seemed oddly cold but beautiful that Vodarara had to remember to gift to the Chief as tribute next time he was in passing.


In the past weeks, he had wondered if there was more than just hallucinogenic properties to the drink Asisiak had given him. He found his arrows striking with more force, something that took him time to adjust to after some prey fell into rather awkward positions to recover. This was caused by the blessing of the Djinn, Guison and its storm magic enhancing the potential of the huntsman's arrows but he was not yet aware of such magic. After all, he had never even witnessed the rumoured power that Asisiak could wield and believe it just to be local superstition about the Chief's natural prowess.

.....

Vodarara would find himself attended during this time by a messenger owl. It brought him an order that seemed to have urgency in it as Vodarara tried to decipher what it meant. As he spent at least an hour trying to make heads of tails from the simple message. It was an order, an instruction from the Chief to clear a beast out of a cave and this beast was a creature referred to be the locals as a Cave Stalker or to Vodarara as a Blind One.

This was not all, she had outlined many tasks that the huntsman had to process and understand, he was to have the land cleared afterwards

Four metres in length, these thickly furred burrowers with half metal long claws. Such creatures were honestly the bane of the huntsman, it couldn't be trapped due to being burrowed and could attack from angles that the huntsman had little influence over.
It would be rather tricky prey, honestly the easiest way to handle such a creature was to poison it, allowing it to consume a toxic to weaken the creature and either dispatch it or let it succumb to such afflictions. A head to head battle was more a test of luck and prediction but having animals made such a battle easier due to the creatures heightened sense compared to the huntsmans.

If it had made its lair in the cave, it likely would be burrowing to the location and have created a mixture of tunnels. Seeker, the huntsman owl would not prove to be of any benefit beyond the initial travel as a scout. Though Shevika on the other hand would have significantly more use.

Vodarara began to construct a plan, Cave Stalkers were eyeless and thus his  blinding arrows would be effective, though his shriekers should prove more effective against the creatures improved senses of hearing. They weren't nocturnal hunters but rather random in their habits of hunting and this made them exceedingly dangerous to intentionally hunt.

It would have the advantage on this ground and Vodarara would have to hope he would reach the cave and the creature wouldn't be present at that time, he would hope to use its faeces and any desiccating carcasses within its lair to hide his presence and ambush the creature on its return.
It would most certainly be a melee fight due to the tight quarters of the cave, which would prevent him effectively using his bow.

In all honestly, it was a suicide mission to take on such a creature and the Chief wanted it dealt with swiftly. Vodarara couldn't guarantee even he would be able to slay the beast, yet alone get out of the fight without significant injury.

He would prepare his equipment, he would of course take Siyah his bow and its quiver with him, his skinning knife, the Kukri, Gauntlet and the numerous other useful tools that weighed the huntsman's frame would also come.

Shevika and Seeker, were his long-term companions and thus the Owl and the Rabbit-Wolf would journey will him on the return to the cave.
He had no reason to bring any of the weird tools with him that were there more out of the huntsman's hoarding mentality rather than his actual understanding of the items themselves, they would just be additional weight and thus they would remain in his lair.

The only exceptions was a weird potion, the elixir he had first encountered in his ancient tower adventure with Tai, the huntsman had seen their effectiveness in treating wounds and thus decided to take it with him for safeties sake. Packing the potion carefully near the top of his pack and the Wolf-Marked Lantern which emanated light which would prove significantly more useful that torches.

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WC: 996/1500 - B Tier Job







Health Potion x 1  https://magiworld.forumotion.com/t71-potion-of-good-health-20000-huang

The huntsman made his travels, snow compressing underfoot as he made headway across the Tundra. He first planned to stop at a local settlement and would make the final preparations for his hunt.

He would also be able to investigate the option of bartering with the local Imuchakk to assist with the clearing of the area once the cave stalker had been dealt with. After all, the Chief seemed to want a rapid schedule that risked the huntsmans hunt and one man alone, especially a human one. Wouldn’t be able to clear the debris in the area that she wanted prepared.

The settlement had a sparse population and Vodarara doubted his word would lead anyone to working for free but he wasn’t so foolish to expect that. He had pledged himself to the Chief for many reasons and he was now her bow to wield.

The huntsman made his pitch through the instructions given by the Chief. As he declared his hunt to those he could gather or speak to in groups at a time. Once he had cleared out the beast he would offer hide, bone and other materials to reward the homesteaders for their work.
Of course, he would have to kill the cave dwelling beast first and that was going to be the biggest problem, he would make his move at first light to give himself as much time to sun-up to reach the cave, to make his hunt preparations and either return or wait out the prey.
At the very least if he got killed out there at least some people had the information as to where he was going and would be able to scavenge up his equipment.

….

The huntsman would set out towards the lair, his pack and the lantern strapped firm as Shevika moved alongside him and seeker flew on the winds on the sky. A fresh dawn was making its rise as the huntsman moved out for his final destination, his bow remained unstrung to prevent unnecessary stress on its arms.

As the day passed during his travels towards the cave, he came to see at least some significant changes had occurred around the cave. Such things were to be expected as the Cave beast would burrow through snow with ease and some even rock if given enough time to dig its route with its claws.
Snow had been clearly distorted, likely indicating the creatures burrowing routes near the entrance, while the ends would be collapsed or covered to prevent another creature entering them with ease.

Vodarara however, would not have expected others to notice these signs; those that lacked the senses of beast’s likely wouldn’t have picked up on them until it was too late. He was blessed with keen eyes, able to pick up acute details at ranges others would have just seen a blur.

While seeker remained in the skies, the huntsman would enter the cave with Shevika. He at least knew its original layout as he held the lantern in his left clawed hand, its bluish light adding light into the cave as he progressed deeper.
The cave had the miasma of blood and death to it, a good indication to where the creature had been bringing its prey. Broken rock was present on the ground, where it was not previously.

It was more than clear to Vodara that the creature had been burrowing rock as well. Which meant its burrows certainly drew into the cave.

Vodarara continued his way to its depths, carefully treading his step as he attempted to avoid disturbing lose rubble, his kukri remaining gripped in his right hand as he used the lantern light to progress.

Eventually, Vodarara would reach what he was looking for at the back of the cave. A collecting of carcasses, some with frozen flesh still to eat and others picked clean to the bone. Indicating through hand-movements he instructed Shevika to remain still as he moved closer to the carcass, sliding his kukri back into its leather sheath as he removed his pack from his back.

The huntsman would begin preparing a selection of his bomblets, he planned to lace them into the carcass and when the creature returned and feasted it would risk destruction of the bomblets and would expose itself to their contents.

It wasn’t exactly clean work as his gloved hands began to manipulate torn flesh and he began the painstakingly delicate process of preparing holes to plant the bomblets, being careful to avoid disturbing the carcass to obviously and also to avoid injuring himself on the aged flesh that could easily put him at risk of infection if he wasn’t careful.

Time would pass as he worked through this process, occasionally checking his environment through sight from the lantern light and sound from his ears and the reaction’s of Shevika… Vodarara would not be able to complete his original plan however, disturbances from the rubble covered tunnels.
The beast was likely close as Vodarara moved himself to be more central to the room, giving himself more light cover and putting himself further from the cave walls.

The huntsman's eyes ticked around the chamber, his breathing slow and collected. He was the prey in this situation and the creature had the advantage, it knew every hole and route in and the huntsman didn’t.

The huntsman immediately moved to lower his breathing further to Hide Presence, he wanted to make himself less visible to the creature as he moved to place his hand to the ground. If only he could feel out and reach out into earth and force a stalemate with the creature.

He would unfortunately not get the time as he felt the first lump of rubble bat off the back of his boot, he was outmaneuvered and in a near instant the creature had lurched its head out and clamped the back of the huntsman’s leg with its Gnashing Bite, it attempted to drive him into the wall as its teeth sent flares of what felt like fire over the huntsman leg as it lacerated his flesh.

Using its momentum, the creature would drive the huntsman against the side wall of the cave with its weight, planting Vodarara face first into rock and driving the air from his lungs. Shevika would launch her own strike as she attempted to drove her teeth into the Cave Stalker, the creature would writhe as it released its clamped teeth and wheeled swiping with its claws at Shevika whom the aged creature easily landed a blow on as Shevika’s nimble form helped her absorb some of the force.

As this was happening, Vodarara spun himself around on the rocks as he grasped for a weapon to throw from his equipment as he launched one of his improvised throwing weapons clean into the creatures maw, catching in the back of its airway the climbing piton effectively closed off the creatures airway, as it closed for the kill.

The creature clattered forwards, its strength dwindling as it attempted to Double Paw the huntsman, Vodarara had little choice but to meet the creature head on the see whom would kill the other as he Slash and Dashed towards the creature, Kukri in hand swinging from the right and Clawed Gauntlet swinging from the left.

Both creatures blocked each others blows as their momentum came to a halt as Vodarara swifted his grip dropping his kukri and drawing his hunting knife driving the knife into the creatures chest as its weight pushed him down using its weight to push the blade home into the creatures lung.

This proved enough as the creature’s body went limp as it passed out from the lack of air in its body and it would slowly succumb to its death. As he attempted to get himself out from under the creature.
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WC: 1319

Total WC: 2300

Stamina: 210/250
Magoi: 250/250

Injuries:
Vodarara - B tier lacerations to the leg, other injuries from impacts.
Shevika - C tier wounds from Claws

Cave Stalker - Dead - hits - Improvised Throwing Weapon (C tier), C tier Shevika's Attack, C tier Hunting Knife stab.

Ammo Used - 1 - Improvised Throwing Weapons (C tier damage)

Slash and Dash, Scale Hitx1:

Hide Presence: