September 2021 Lore Post!

Hello Fellow Trappers!

Here's the lore post for this month! Enjoy!

Snub-Winged Horn Crest

The fierce draconids of the Letonan Savannah, Horn Crests are fiercely territorial brutes with little regard for the laws of men. Their hides are exceptionally thick, hardening to almost stone-like invulnerability by the time they reach adulthood. These intelligent creatures are exceptionally powerful, and can be incredibly dangerous. They are, however, smart enough to make deals with local tribes for protection and a cessation of hostilities if such deals benefit them enough.

There are a number of tribes across the savannah that pay tribute to the Horn Crest that claims their territory as its own. In exchange for their tribute, their lands are theirs to do with as they see fit, and the dragon promises to protect them from any of the greater harms that may come to them from the dangers of the savannah. These deals are not entered into lightly by village leaders, however, as any perceived breach in the arrangements can spell doom. A Horn Crest slighted is synonymous to a village razed, and though these creatures are smart enough to enter contractual deals, they don't always see the terms in the same way that their "subjects" do

The lands claimed by a Horn Crest are known to be exceptionally bounteous in terms of the creatures that live therein. Though these creatures are exceptional hunters, they are wise enough to make certain that the herds that they prey upon function well and maintain high populations. As such, Horn Crests typically try to prey only upon males, leaving the breeding females alive to reproduce

A Horn Crest takes any slight to be worthy of death, and maintains a long memory for every insult it has been given. In most cases, the creatures' lust for vengeance is not sated merely by the one who gave offense, but must include the destruction of their home town or offspring to be considered complete. Those who are born to one who has gained the ire of a Horn Crest must be constantly on their guard, for their progenitor's blood alone is not enough to meet these creatures' vengeful appetites.

Though these massive creatures are already terrifying enough due to their claws and teeth, those who have observed them note that perhaps their most powerful weapon is their stone-hard body itself. Their charging attack churns the earth itself and is a death sentence to anyone foolish enough to attempt to hold their ground against it. Luckily, it requires a lot of stamina so they can't just keep charging, but watch out all the same.

In addition to their obvious physical prowess, older Crest Horns boast a breath attack that slows and disables their prey, making them easy to pick off while their movement is hindered. This allows the Horn Crests to slow massive numbers of creatures, and pick off only those they want, allowing them to hunt carefully an precisely.

Among the Horn Crests, only the males possess wings. The females are far more lithe, and seem to boast more leonin qualities than their counterparts. Male Horn Crests use their wings to stabilize during a charge.

Zaeri

Zaeri are horrific demons that drain the vitality and will of other creatures before finally allowing their victims to succumb to death, and then decorate their terrifying masks with the skulls of these unfortunate souls. Local legends say that the Zaeri are created and fueled by evil emotions and actions, and that they are particularly fond of sinister dealings in dark corners. When a Zaeri takes physical form, it is often due to the shady dealings of a person or group of people near its first recorded location.

Zaeri thrive off of negative energy, and while their formation is typically due to sinister deeds and secret plots, once they gain corporeality, they seem to be strengthened most by feelings of intense anguish or loss, particularly emotional pain. As such, these creatures do not often kill those who they seek to gain sustenance from. Rather, they find creatures with already fragile emotional states and seek to cause further harm to their already fragile psyches. They do this in a number of ways, from simple and straightforward tactics such as killing those their prey loves, to more practiced efforts such as using their hypnotic powers to force those around their prey to assault them with vitriolic verbal abuse

Just as the Zaeri thrive on negative emotions, they are drained and repelled by positive ones, so much so that festivals, celebrations, and other such events in close proximity to a Zaeri can be a death sentence to it. Thus, Zaeri rarely stay long in places where life is good for the majority of people. Rather, they retreat to the far reaches of the savannah, seeking small settlements that have fallen into disrepair, or abandoned travelers who are succumbing to hopelessness and despair.

Zaeri are powerful incarnations of negative emotions, given form by rarer and more dangerous deeds. They take command of lesser demons in the area, including the malicious Nyovuu.

Nyovuu

Nyovuu are baboon-like demons that are created by more common emotions than those that spawn their more powerful leaders, the Zaeri. These creatures possess vicious stingers and paltry wings that grant them only meager moments of flight. Anger and hatred fuel the Nyovuu, just as dishonesty and loss fuel the Zaeri. Nyovuu run rampant during times of war, making up for their relative weakness in comparison with other creatures with their sheer numbers. The creatures gather in packs, hunting wild beasts and devouring everything in their path. Where there is one Nyovuu, there are likely many more nearby.

Nyovuu feed on fear, living for the terror that exists in those that they hunt. While these creatures devour the flesh of those they have killed, their sustenance comes from the fear felt by those they bring down. The creatures are nearly immune to fear themselves, only becoming bolstered by its presence. The more frightened a Nyovuu should be, the more powerful it becomes. Some of the more disreputable bounty hunters capture Nyovuu, setting them free when they know that their target is near, and following it as it follows their quarry's fear.

Bushfire Boar

Though the Letonan Savannah is no stranger to dangerous creatures, weather, and events, no phenomena are more dangerous or rampant in their destruction than the fires that are spread by these massive elementals, whose appearance seems to be linked to exceptionally dry and hot seasons. Grasses burn at the slightest touch from one of these creatures, setting the brush aflame and consuming massive swaths of land. Though the creatures themselves are perhaps a bit less dangerous than some of the larger beasts on the savannah, Bushfire Boars have the capacity to do the most real damage to the populations that live here.

Although Bushfire Boars don't seem to cause trouble intentionally, their mere existence is a threat to many who live on the savannah. This has resulted in a widespread cooperative effort between tribes to hunt these mystical creatures down and eliminate them. Unfortunately, although this effort has drastically reduced the Boars' numbers, it has also created a deep seated antipathy towards humanoids in these creatures, who now tend to attack or flee on sight, both of which are potentially disastrous, as even in retreat, these creatures set the surrounds ablaze.

These creatures are particularly averse to loud noises. The few researchers that have survived a trip to study them think that this was originally because loud claps of thunder typically foreshadow rain on the savannah, which these creatures are, understandably, not fond of. Because of this aversion, they often stay away from larger populations. A Boar can often be found in sparsely populated areas with large rock outcroppings that it can take cover underneath, particularly when the rains are falling or closing in.

The flames covering the bodies of these boars are exceptionally hot, and are not easily quelled. However, if these flames can somehow be eliminated, the boar goes with them, as its life is tied to these fires. This is, unfortunately, much easier said than done. The rains across the savannah weaken the creatures, but even in full rainfall, they can survive. Ice and cold seem to be particularly effective, however. So if you're in a pinch, that will be your best bet.

Akosena and Tabiri

I’ve never seen a more serene yet terrifying person than Akosena. She has been here far longer than any of our other trappers. In fact, she’s the one that got us here in the first place. She’s a Soothsayer, and her vision into the future is second to none. A number of years before the lodge was established here, she had a vision of a Horn Crest attack on her village and came north seeking help. After travelling many miles, she found a group of trappers and convinced us to set up a lodge in this location. It was another year or so before that dragon attack actually came, but because of her foresight, her village was saved. She was also exceptionally adept in the battle, and chose to remain a lodge member after the attack as a way to thank us and to continue serving her people. If I remember correctly, she was actually the matron of her tribe prior to joining us, but she left that duty behind to focus on the lodge. She still has a strong connection to the tribe, but she turned over her authority to another woman.

From what I understand, most soothsayers aren’t warriors like her. They tend to be far more reserved, preferring to separate themselves from society and train acolytes in the far reaches of the world. She’s different though. Her visions of the future can be better controlled. She attributes this extension of her abilities to the water buffalo companion that she travels with, a creature she calls Tabiri. Apparently, the beast shares a mystical connection with her that allows her to use her abilities to a far greater extent than typical Soothsayers in other tribes. She never takes an assignment without the beast, and the creature is calm and collected even under the most stressful of circumstances.

We’re glad to have her on our side. Trust me, you don’t want to make an enemy of Akosena. She knows every move her opponents are going to make before they’ve even thought to do so. The only losses she takes are the ones that she intends. Her goals are rooted in the future, so its best not to question why she does what she does. Trust me, whatever it is, she’s right.

Katoki

Katoki is one of the best fighters we have here. His nation values ferocity and martial prowess above all else, and each warrior trains relentlessly. His father is actually the king, which would make him a prince. I believe his twin brother is the one in line to take the throne, however. From what he’s said though, he is more than happy with that arrangement.

With his brother taking on the burden of the throne, he has been free to undertake more and more intense training, becoming one of the greatest warriors in his kingdom. He speaks fondly of his brother, Kakura, and it appears that the two are quite fond of one another. However, he’d be back home were it not for his strained relationship with his father. The king seems to value newer, more foreign influences and ideals more than Katoki does, and his majesty’s focus on non-combative forms of diplomacy and honor has driven a wedge not only between him and his son, but also between the monarchy and the people, who are entrenched in the older traditions.

Katoki came across the lodge while hunting a Zaeri Demon. He and his band of warriors were badly hurt and likely would have died if a number of trappers hadn’t come to their aid. He chose to join us, hoping to further enhance his martial prowess and grow strong enough to protect his nation and others, particularly since he believes that his father is not doing enough to protect them at this time. He takes almost all of the assignments close to his city, and sees himself as a protector of the people. If his father isn’t strong enough to protect them, he will be.

Ajuge

Ajuge isn’t the reserved sage you tend to think of when you come across martial artists of his tradition. He takes every chance he can to show off his prowess in a fight, and by the gods if he isn’t confident. I suppose the cockiness isn’t undeserved though. His prowess is undeniable, and not many of our numbers here can hold their own against him in sparring matches. He comes from an Elexus tribe that lives to the far south. As you’d expect from Elexus, they kill almost any outsider on sight, and the few who are lucky enough to be captured instead of killed? Well, lucky probably isn’t the right word. I won’t go into the details of their blood rituals but suffice it to say, I couldn’t hold down food for a week after seeing what was left of a trapper they captured. Ajuge has seen things, that’s for certain.

Some see him as the good one of a bad bunch here, but for them, well, he’s an outcast for a reason. He decided not to kill for them and that was almost enough to get him killed himself. He barely escaped with his life and even now, it’s hard for him to find anyone willing to give him a shot – after all, most people take one look and simply see his race, not the person behind the trunk. Heck, even among the trappers, he’s usually given a wide berth. Given the Elexus’ history that reaction is understandable, perhaps even safer, but he really has proven himself to be a good one, in spite of the initial misgivings many of our number had about him.

He has been exceptional at handling some of the local threats. His speed and mastery of martial arts is second to none, and these skills seem all the better when there are others around for him to show off for. He loves an audience, that one. I think that’s part of the reason he came to the lodge in the first place. Well, that, and the fact that he’d likely be killed or driven out if he tried to integrate himself into decent society anywhere else. Whatever the reason, he has a chance to show his prowess here, and to make a name for himself, which seems to be his reason behind everything he does. If you want to make a good impression, just sit back, watch him work, and tell him you loved it. He’s a sucker for praise, and gets all too little from a collection of folks who either hate or fear every Elexus they come across.

Kiptanu

Kiptanu hasn’t been here very long, but he has already proven himself to be an exceptional trapper. Just be careful not to get too close to that Hyena of his. She’s terrifyingly protective of him. It seems that the two of them have a strong bond, and for good reason.

From what I’ve heard, Kiptanu’s family was killed by a Horn Crest attack when he was quite young. Somehow, he managed to avoid the creature’s detection, which resulted in him being the only survivor of the attack. This was when he was quite young mind you, no more than two or three years old. It’s a wonder that he managed to survive after that, but the story there is interesting as well.

Apparently the Hyena found him, and rather than eat the poor child, it formed a strong connection to him. She essentially raised him as one of her own, and they’ve been travelling together for years now. In spite of his size, strength, and skill, it appears that she still sees him as her pup, and will do everything she can to protect him. If you can get in his good graces, you get in hers too, and that’s no mean feat. Just be careful not to get too familiar. She might be amicable if you’re his friend, but she’s still quite protective, after all.

When he heard about the lodge, he sought us out hoping that we’d have information about the Horn Crest that destroyed his village. He wants revenge, and as much as we caution new trappers about taking on tough commissions at the start of their careers, he’s already looking for every scrap of information about the beast’s location. He won’t rest till he sees it dead.