To the lair.

You decide that the best choice for now is to return to the glade. You may regret it in the long run, but the adventurers will find it sooner or later anyways. At least this way you know the knowledge is out there since you’re taking control of putting it out there. It won’t be a surprise when the next group of heroes enters your territory.

“You’re right, I’m sure that they will be back. Follow me.” You tell her, thinking that at least now with the ranger bearing your mark you won’t be caught off guard when she does return. The entire time you lead her on, the mage watches you and surprisingly remains silent on the short journey to your lair. Soon enough you’re back to the runeglade, and you navigate the thorny barrier that now surrounds it with ease.

The moment you enter the lair you know that something is amiss. It doesn’t take you long to figure out what. Sylvana watches your entry silently from within the shaded cover the trees provide. You can’t quite read her expression and you don’t look too closely to draw Ciani’s attention towards her.

As you enter the clearing you hear a soft sound of surprise from the halfling behind you. You turn your head back and see her gaze locked on the runestone triad at the center of the glade. The system had listed it as a unique feature. Her reaction was perhaps a clue as to how unique it was. You grin and lead her towards it. It’s certainly the most impressive of the structures that have begun to fill in the clearing. Your ramshackle lodge and the dumpy little barracks that the goblins had constructed at the edge of the clearing were just eyesores for now.

“You’re surprised to find these here.” You state softly, not asking. The mage nods quickly.

“I wasn’t expecting that your lair would be centered around a pact site.” She looks at you and then asks. “You’ve used it haven’t you? Is that what the God Touched trait means?” You nod in response.

“I don’t think that you’ll be able to use it, but lend me your aid and I’ll let you try it if you want. Or maybe there’s something else that you’re after?” You ask, drawing closer to the reason she’d accompanied you here.

She thinks about it and then shakes her head. “I’m an arcane caster. There wouldn’t be any use for my class to make a pact. I’m sure that there’s some other unique resource or item that you can provide as a reward.” You weren’t entirely sure what she was talking about in regards to being an arcane caster, but you nodded anyways. “What aid do you need?” You think about that and the first thing that comes to mind is resources.

You needed all manner of things to further improve your lair, one resource in particular seemed to be most valuable to enhancing the location: Life Essence. The goblins hadn’t provided any when you laid waste to a small village worth of them. You’d been able to harvest it from an adventurer corpse, and from your activities with Sylvana. The one you’d used before had taken ten hours off an upgrade time, and you had the feeling that there were more uses for it beyond that. You withdraw the essence from your inventory and hold it up for the halfling to see.

“What would aid me most is for you to bring me more of this. Life essence. Do you know any ways to obtain it?” You ask watching the mage for any reaction to seeing the item. She shook her head and your ears dipped back momentarily in disappointment.

“I’ve never seen it before. Must be a new resource added in with the patch. How’d you get it?” She asked, apparently she’d not noticed anything when you’d received it initially.

“I can harvest it from my kills because of my pact. There’s also a dryad in this glad that can produce it, but the process is draining for her. I need more than she can provide and if I have to go hero hunting for each one then it’s going to take me a while to build my reserves of the stuff.” You explain and she thinks on your words. Before your conversation continues another voice cuts in.

“What were you thinking, bringing her here?” Sylvana’s voice carries to you as she strides through the clearing towards you. You’re silent for a moment as you watch her approach. Her movement is graceful and you’re reminded of the way the grass bends to a gentle breeze. It’s a joy to watch, and you nearly let her question go.

“I was thinking that this is my lair and I had business to discuss with her. I know you dislike the heroes. It seems though, that your goddess has a use for them too. She aided me in my hunt earlier to dispatch another two adventurers.” You explain, your words sharp with your irritation at Sylvana questioning your actions. Ciani watched the exchange with interest, never before having seen such a natural interaction between NPCs, and also appreciating the beauty of your resident nature spirit. “Now that you’re here though, perhaps you can tell us if there’s any other way to get Life Essence.” It’s not quite a question, nor a command but Sylvana picks up on your annoyance and nods.

“Like I already told you. I can refine it… as you’ve experienced.” Her cheeks flush to a deeper shade of green and the mage grins, wondering just what the process entails to embarrass the dryad so. “You can also harvest it from living things with Nire’s blessing.”

“The goblins didn’t have any.” You press for clarification and Sylvana’s skin flushes for a different reason now. Anger.

“I heard about that. I can’t believe you did that to a group of innocent goblins.” She crossed her arms under her substantial breasts and glared at you. “I thought I told you that you should focus on heroes.” Right, you hadn’t told her what you’d heard from Nire.

“I’ll hunt as I will.” You tell her, glaring straight back. A low growl built in the back of your throat. You wouldn’t make any excuses for doing as you’d been told by a higher power, you certainly didn’t have to explain yourself to her. “You didn’t explain about the goblins though.”

“They weren’t… potent enough. If they’d had a chance to level or develop more they may have yielded some, but everything had just reset. They were only just starting out, and you ended them before they could live enough of a life to yield its essence.” She reluctantly explained the reason. You guessed that it made some sense. It still didn’t answer how you were supposed to get ahold of more of the stuff without risking your neck against heroes all the time.

“So those are the only ways then? Have a pact with NIre or fuck a dryad?” You ask bluntly and Sylvana shoots a furious glance at you for putting it so crudely. Ciani shakes off to the side trying to hold in her giggling.

“I-i didn’t say that. You don’t need a pact with Nire, just her blessing.” She tried to downplay the other half of your question, her bottom lip pushed out in a slight pout. She refused to meet your gaze, looking down off to the side away from the mirthful halfling.

“And how would someone else receive her blessing then, if not through a pact?” This was proving to be a promising direction.

“Someone with her favor can bestow it.” She was getting uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going. You didn’t think that she liked the idea of you bestowing blessings on the heroes she found so destructive. You thought again about the sudden appearance of your new favor abilities. You concentrate for a moment and pull up your character sheet.

Fade, Warg Runt, Level 7

Monster, Wolf, Humanoid, Explicit, God Touched

Experience to level up

210/700

Attributes:

Strength: 25 | Dexterity: 44 | Endurance: 14

Charisma: 17 | Manipulation: 17 | Appearance: 14

Perception: 36 | Intelligence: 29 | Wits: 34+9

Skills:

Athletics: 10 | Awareness: 25 | Brawl: 30

Dodge: 30 | Occult: 10 | Resistance: 10

Stealth: 30 | Survival: 25

Feats:

Fade into Shadow

God Touched

Hunter’s Cunning

Invite

Micro-Boss

Monstrous Appearance

Favor Abilities:

Mark of the Hunter

Hunter’s Favor

Favor Level: Disciple of Nire (1/10)

Fame: 41

Evolve Form: 500 Fame (Requires at least level 10)

Wargen Packleader: 1/10 (Racial Ability) 10 Fame

Master of the Hunt: 1/10 (Pact Ability) 50 Fame

There it was. Your favor was showing now. It didn’t seem to have a specific value. Just the current level of favor you held with your chosen deity. The very first level was seriously enough for you to bestow a blessing? How would you do that? Sylvana didn’t seem to really want to go into further detail. You could push her further of course; but you had been thinking about trying to be a little more accommodating of your minions; and she was a special one. Maybe there would be additional options at the rune triad? It was the pact site, and you hadn’t really looked at them more closely since making your pact with Nire.