Abyssal Road Trip

After dealing with the last giant they’d spent a few days combing through the contents of their hold. Julia was chewing on a bit of spiced rock worm jerky when the notification came. Julia teleported to Torm’s side with a glance out of the window, where he was taking inventory on the Giant’s stockpile.

[Summoning Notification

You have received a summons from Víðarr of Eyrarháls, Priest of Týr via a ‘Use’ name.

Your willpower, intelligence, and total levels all exceed that of the summoner.

They meet no conditions to compel you to respond.

Do you wish to accept the summons? ]

What is he doing summoning me? I’ve not seen him since I told him off for having his head up his arse and delaying Rana getting help.

“Víðarr is summoning me,” Julia stated, the words almost coming out as a question in her surprise.

“He hadn’t returned from seeking to wipe out some Gnarls.”

Pulling a storage bag from Inventory, she held it out to him. Torm didn’t even question her, but simply stuck his hand inside, and Julia willed it to store him before returning the bag to inventory. As soon as it vanished, Julia acknowledged the summons and experienced the sensation of breaking ice she’d first felt back at the Stronghold.

The feel of frost vanished, and she emerged, racing through the wormhole, its beauty just as breath-taking as the first time. Rainbow hues shone along the tunnel’s walls; that beauty reflected her proper form, despite her current shape. The wormhole’s end raced toward her with the same glorious luminance.

As she hit the far end of the shimmering tunnel, the light went from brilliant to near darkness within the chamber. True Sight let her see the entire room in all its horrid state. Her arrival point was near one wall of the chamber, standing gave a nearly unimpeded view. Around her wasn’t a circle as when summoned by Wajet, rather just a bare stone floor covered in mud, straw, and shit. Some walls appeared to be natural limestone while the construction of others was of precisely joined blocks of granite.

The chill in the chamber wasn’t good for those crowded within. The room’s occupants pressed together, sharing warmth as they sat or lay amid matted fibres, despite the stench in the room. Their clothing was little better than knotted rags. Two things they all shared: features set in misery and despair, along with a tight collar of blackened steel etched with the sharp-edged vicious Abyssal script.

A heavily pregnant woman nearby held a burning reed aloft, one of the few sources within the chamber. Its glow illuminated the mud and filth smeared woman and the man who lay chained against the wall near her feet. Stumps of amputated legs drummed against the stone floor as his teeth ground audibly in agony. From his fingers, a scorched parchment dropped away, though Julia wasn’t sure how he’d held it. His fingers bent wrong, obviously shattered and healed with the bones out of position; exhausted, twitching, undoubtedly adding to the misery of the figure in front of her.

The gaunt figure looked to have closed his eyes in exhaustion until Julia saw the blood running under his eyelids. It added to the already caked mess of hair, that his neatly trimmed beard had become since Julia had last seen him. Sturdy manacles bolted him to the wall and provided so little range of motion they kept him in his mess.

Analysis

[Name: Víðarr of Eyrarháls

Race: Human (Norse Ancestry)

Class: Priest / Fighter / Judge

Level: 32 / 14 / 10

Health: 80

Mana: 0

Defence: 0

Combat Skill: Unavailable because of crippled state

Conditions: Crippled, Blinded (Abyssal Runic Backlash), Cursed (Abyssal Runic Backlash), Suppressed Mana

Details: Víðarr, priest of Týr, is currently mana suppressed and blocked from channelling blessings because of slave manacles of Set.]

“Give him a moment please, don’t kill us till Víðarr explains.”

The desperation was apparent in the woman’s voice, and Julia kept her voice soft as she replied.

“I won’t kill you.”

Julia wasn’t sure what else to say as disbelief and regret battled hope on the woman’s features. Drawing out the storage bag, and released Torm. With a grim look he moved to Víðarr’s side while chanting low in Celestial.

Julia turned on Soul Sight and wished she hadn’t as the women’s Soul conveyed the details of what they’d endured. Even without that knowledge, the blighted cancerous things inside of them made the situation they’d endured clear. Gnarl offspring sat within all the women. The growing mortal shells contained Souls already black and twisted with hate and bloodlust.

“Verdandi mentioned Gnarl breeding pens; I should have asked questions,” Julia whispered. Horror twisting her features as what these women had suffered rushed in through Soul Sight.

The woman turned towards Víðarr but didn’t risk disturbing Torm. The motion pushed her rags aside, allowing Julia to see the stomach crisscrossed with scars that Julia already knew would be there. Soul sight having shown her firsthand the Shaman ripping the babies free. Painful ‘blessings’ from their dark power had sealed the wound so they could impregnate them again. Breeding stock needed to be maintained, ready for use.

“The collars stop us from killing ourselves, each other, or harming the things inside us. We can’t disobey their orders. Víðarr just needs to give you information to pass to the Jarls and Churches; then you can kill us.”

The blessing Torm channelled began washing through Víðarr, easing his agony as the woman spoke. Before she’d finished explaining, Julia had already acted. As she touched the woman’s collar, Julia absorbed it, and the woman went wide-eyed in surprise.

“I’m not killing any of you. We’re getting you out of here. What can I call you?” Julia asked, not wanting to unsettle her by displaying she already knew it.

“Ragnhild.”

Notifications off. I don’t want to get snark about what I’m about to do.

Julia spent a moment pulling Abyssal heat from her hand, ready to heal Ragnhild before she continued.

“Alright, Ragnhild, now for the thing,” Julia said, softly touching a hand to her Ragnhild’s stomach. The monster and its placenta shifted into Inventory, causing the woman to gasp in surprise as its weight vanished from her stomach. “I know you didn’t want to give birth to another horror.”

Neither Soul Sight, nor True Sight showed any impact to her health other than a moment of discomfort; not knowing how Inventory managed it, Julia could only mentally breathe a sigh of relief. Checking again with Analysis showed Ragnhild in the same battered state, but her health remained intact.

At least this is going to be easier than I expected.

“No, by Freyr no. They throw any woman too broken to breed anymore to those recently born. They devour them!” Ragnhild sobbed softly, shuddering with suppressed tears as Julia wrapped arms around her.

Julia extended Dominion to convey comfort and reassurance to those in the chamber as hair-thin filaments spread across the floor. Julia took the collars and unborn monsters from each woman they touched as they spread out, Soul Sight allowing her to leave all the women uninjured.

“How many chambers with prisoners?” asked Julia

“Dozens, maybe I don’t know for sure, they make those newly pregnant help move food. It’s the middle of the night. Víðarr didn’t want to risk a guard overhearing your arrival.”

“Torm, I’ll start moving as many as I can to near Eyrarháls. Will you come with me to speak with the guards or stay here?”

“I’ll come as well. Víðarr, would you allow me to form a bond with you? I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay here without one. “

“Torm, the cult of Tiamat and the church of Set, they’re both allied with the Gnarls. Tell Verdandi, please, leave me and form a bond with another worthy of your help.” Víðarr groaned out his response.

“Don’t be stupid Víðarr, we’re getting everyone out of here,” Julia responded, cutting off whatever else he might say. Gently moving past Ragnhild and Torm, she quickly removed all his manacles, ejecting them onto the floor from Inventory.

“I called for you. How is Torm here with you? Am I already dead?” asked Víðarr, his voice rasping with the effort of every word.

“Just accept Torm’s bond. You’re taking up time we might not have,” Julia insisted, and relaxed as Torm nodded to her.

“Gnarls operate at night, so if they’re sleeping it's daytime, deep night for them is close to midday. Transport them to appear on the side of the road just south of the first farmhouse. It would be too great a risk, despite Greater Teleport, to get closer to the gate. I’ll go first to the Temple and then to meet you there.” Torm instructed and then nodded his understanding as Julia held a storage bag out to him.

“Take a group of women directly there, as well as Víðarr,” Julia said, before extending her sense of Greater Teleport around her. “Ladies, it’s going to be bright shortly, so close your eyes, hopefully, no rain. I think it’s early spring. We can’t take everyone at once, but we will rescue all of you. But please stay quiet for now.”

Held within the calm of Julia’s aura, the first women found themselves under an overcast sky. A momentary jostling as they settled in the spring grass alongside the road. Guards walking by a nearby merchant’s wagon cursed and grabbed for their weapons, shifting from startlement to horror when they saw the state of the sudden arrivals. A driver suddenly hauled on their reins, startling the wagon’s horses into neighing protest.

“Merchant, if you have foodstuffs or blankets available, I’ll buy the lot. There are more Gnarl prisoners we’re rescuing. Their captors kept them fed, but I’m sure they’d prefer something else.” Julia called out. Hoping the lure of a fast sale might tempt the greying merchant with his guards to stay close and help avoid trouble. Soul Sight showed her the guards’ reliable nature and the merchant’s sharp bargaining but reasonable nature.

{{And if they misbehave; we can hunt them down and kill them!}}

“What did you plan to pay?”

Julia cut off the haggling by tossing him a ruby the size of his thumb. “Hold this as collateral. We can bargain once I’ve rescued the others. I’ll include a bonus for you and your guards for keeping the women safe. I’m sure I can trust all of you to protect them now; they’ve lived horrors enough.”

The sparkle of profit was unmistakable in the merchant’s gaze. At the same time, the closest guards nodded earnestly and smiled appreciatively at Julia. The nearest drew off his cloak and moved to wrap it around a woman before the merchant had even started calling orders.

Tossing off a Mercury’s Whisper to Yngvarr asking him to bring help south from Eyrarháls, Julia teleported to the pen again. Torm was still getting women into the storage bag as Julia teleported with another set of ladies. They quickly emptied the first pen between them when Torm departed. Julia slipped under the pen’s door and started exploring. Snores from the end of the corridor drew her towards a slumped creature.

With every snore, serrated teeth showed past its thin lips, the mouth wider than a human and resembling a bear trap. The round hairless head sitting on an elongated neck, wobbled with every breath. Bluish-green skin sat loose over flesh and bone reminding Julia of how they grew to fill it out. Long, gangly limbs ended at claws on both fingers and toes, and Julia didn’t give it any time to wake. Her claws found a sheath in its throat and the body vanished without a trace.

Julia found the corridor joined a ledge set high on an underground chamber’s wall. While the shelf itself only continued in one direction, it looked to run the chamber’s length and curve around the border. Julia could see more dozing guards along its length stationed at every corridor. Within the space Julia could see structures of finely crafted stone and along the cavern wall stood carved statues with faces hacked away. The proportions spoke of the Dwarves she’d seen the first time visiting Eyrarháls. Buildings sat marked with crude renditions of Abyssal script, at odds with the fineness of the stonework. Natural archways led off in a few directions from the cavern; indicating other caverns joined it.

Telepathy touched the sleeping mind of humans and Gnarls alike. Shying away from the sick dreams of the latter, Julia moved towards the next sleeping guard. With the last of them disposed of like trash in the original breeding pen, Julia carefully opened the door to another, letting a calming Dominion extend ahead of her. Soul Sight showed her the brutalised state of the women as the closest startled awake at the door’s opening. In the gloom, another newly awakened woman drew breath to cry out.

“Don’t,” Julia said, simply pressing down with Dominion the calm reassurance of the aura stifling the need for alarm. Suppressing the will from these women twisted a knife inside Julia, but she could sense more minds above and below this ledge.

“My name is Eakcï. I’m here to rescue you all,” explained Julia, doing her best to keep her tone soft and reassuring.

“What about the guards?” the question came quickly in response; the woman thankfully having kept a hushed tone.

“We’re not going out past them; we’re escaping via magic. Now first things first,” Julia said, crouched to touch the woman’s collar and watched her delight as trembling fingers rose to touch her bare neck.

Outside the woman’s notice, filaments were reaching out along the floor, removing collars and unborn as Julia rested a hand against her stomach. The blackness within it vanished from Julia’s Soul Sight, and the woman’s eyes went wide as her stomach deflated. As much as she wanted to close it against the horrors they’d experienced, Julia kept Soul Sight active to aid in removing the things inside them.

“No more monster,” Julia said as she added more collars and unborn to her inventory.

“Please, just kill me! I can’t go back.” another woman begged. Grief twisted scarred features and Julia could tell enough by their remains to see her ruined beauty. The scars appearance looked as if bites and claws had inflicted them.

“Have hope,” Julia said, “and if you can’t have hope, remember there are Gnarls and their allies to make pay. Together we can find a way to make that happen.”

Julia touched the woman’s collar and removed it from her neck, taking the unborn a moment later.

“Everyone, remain quiet. I’ll be back shortly, and I’ll be moving you a group at a time,” Julia said, adding conviction to the sense in her aura. Waiting till she saw those woken outside the first group she’d Teleport nod, Julia took more to freedom.

* * *

The pens of that first level emptied in short order, the cramped conditions having held four hundred or more women. By the time she returned with the last group, Julia could see town guards, and Priests and Priestesses from various Temples moving among the women. Blankets the only thing covering some of them, but they clutched whatever they had with trembling hands as emotions overwhelmed the survivors. A priestess wearing Eir’s symbol was passing out blankets near Julia’s arrival point and stared in surprise at her sudden appearance.

“You’re Eakcï?”

“Yes. There are prisoners on other levels; I’ll need to clear out more guards to get to them,” replied Julia.

“By the Eir’s mercy. How many women are still there?”

“At least a thousand, more if they have prisoners in other places. I think they’ve taken over an old Dwarven complex, I don’t know how many Gnarls are there,” Julia replied, nodding respectfully before she vanished. Sickened, she dumped the unborn and shredded remnants of collars in the last chamber and made her way to the next level. The despair and horrors she’d seen in every woman’s Soul feeding her Willpower with a burning inferno to push on.

{{Do we get to kill some Gnarls that will fight at least? }}

Prisoners first.

{{See, you’re not clamping down, you’re feeling it and burning it all up. }}

((Do not become a monster by letting hate drive you. Even to monsters you’ve shown compassion with a swift death.))

I’m not dumping the situation on Verdandi and the other Priests. You call it compassion; I call it not passing the buck.

Julia had a final Gnarl guard pinned against the wall when she felt Torm’s mind nearby in Telepathy’s net. Arms had grown from her body, letting clawed hands lockdown every joint, while a vice-like muzzle held its maw shut. With the Gnarl restrained, Julia pressed more questions into its vile mind and gathered knowledge prompted in response.

“Julia, what are you doing?” Torm asked, soft concern in his voice.

“Gaining information, he doesn’t know much, but he knows where there are more breeding pens, the mushroom groves and dire swine. And their pleasure dens holding women that aren’t pregnant.”

“Prisoners are the priority. Why the rest?” asked Torm.

“It’s what they need to feed everyone. Once I’m done with the rescue, I’ll be moving onto burning and killing.” Julia replied, her tone grimly matter-of-fact.

“We’ve only another few hours left before they become more active.”

The claws around the Gnarl’s neck snipped and blood sprayed up to lick the wall as the body vanished.

“That’s fine I know where there are other pens. After that, I’ll wipe out their food and their pups.”

“Your priestesses have joined the ones tending the woman on the road.”

“I’ll have to thank them,” Julia said curtly before heading towards a corridor.

“If you destroy all their food, you’ll force them to attack somewhere. Víðarr doesn’t know what’s nearby on the surface,” Torm said, his words careful with concern.

“Then I’ll start killing their pups, then work my way up the ranks. Kill as many as I can,” Julia said, biting off every word.

“Be careful, there are at least three groups of Priests involved in this evil. Whatever the Gnarls think, they’re likely pawns for others. Julia, is a copper a Gnarl and a silver per human in league acceptable for a contract?”

“Deal. Not that I want it, but I need the levels,” replied Julia, moving to open the first pen on the ledge, retracting the extra limbs before she did.

Torm watched on as Julia set her rage at the Gnarls aside and washed the room with calm hope. The edges of it brushing against his awareness, as he saw her touch reassuring fingers to yet another collar. A spiderweb of hair filaments weaving among the women, left freedom and shrinking stomachs in their wake.

“This evil was here long before you first appeared among us. You aren’t responsible for ending it all,” Torm stated, putting a hand on her shoulder for a moment.

“Everyone, after I remove your collars, please come over one at a time. We are getting you to safety, put your hand in the bag offered to you. When you do you’ll find yourself in a safe dimension inside the bag. It will be dark but it’ll let us rescue more at once. Once everyone has their collar removed, I’ll start moving groups as well.” Julia said, and she gestured towards Torm as she spoke, showing the women the bag before handing it to him as well. The women closest to Julia who had already noticed the absence of their collars stood, and Julia instantly retracted the filaments and started to slide between rising women.

“Proceed calmly. We’re going to free you all.” Julia repeated, before glancing at Torm. “If you can’t carry the weight of both of them with your Teleport, I’ll take the second with me.”

“You’ll need to,” Torm replied, as the first of the women disappeared in a bag.

The women were still approaching Torm when Julia freed the last. Already at the back of the chamber, she started to teleport groups away. When Torm and Julia teleported together at last and set to release women, they’d crowded the long road with survivors. Julia could pick out women and children delivering clothing to the survivors while more men and women stood guard.

“You were right. I’ve got plenty of things I want to kill now,” Julia said. The cold grimness not matching the calm aura she kept extended for those around her.

What Julia could see revolted her but focusing on immediate needs she peered through their eyes before teleport took her into the room. Mana wreathed spears lashed out in every direction as Julia arrived. As she pulled their bodies into Inventory Julia stepped forward and caught the screaming women before she could collapse. Teleport lifted them to safety, and she set the woman into the arms of a Priestess of Eir. The screams continuing, and the woman struggled blindly as the Priestess’ hand glowed and a soft, calming chant began.

Julia put the bodies in the original pen, then reappeared on the roof. She’d moved bodies to avoid the stench of death attracting notice, but she worried too many quiet rooms would do that all on its own.

She eventually found herself in a lavish chamber, quite different from the simple ones throughout the pleasure den. Then again, the occupant of it was also quite another matter as well. A Norse human with pale skin lay naked on a comfortable looking bed. Chestnut hair grew down past his shoulders, while his straight nose and square jaw was stereotypical heroic. Well-developed muscles lay over his frame, his skin showed frequent marks of shining healed skin, along his upper chest, red scales sat beneath the skin. The blackness in his Soul and what she saw there made Julia want to rip his oh-so-heroic jaw from his face and beat him to death with it. His bare chest showed a brand depicting a multi-headed dragon. Unlike the battered state of the women, he looked well-groomed, and Julia’s True Sight took in the protective wards that crawled over the bed. Mana gleamed from enchantments embedded in the bracers and rings that he wore even now.

Analysis:

[Name: Birkir

Class: High Priest / Fighter / Priest

Level: 45 / 42 / 42

Health: 11,271

Defence: 478

Mana: 40,338

Melee Attack Power: 348

Combat Skills: Dagger [M] (12), Heavy Blades [M] (47), Spear [M] (42), Various Blessings from Tiamat

Details: Birkir comes from a family that has served Tiamat since prior to the people of the kingdoms having fled for these lands. The cult of Tiamat looks to gain power enough to finish the work they started.

Analysis [Ad] (25->26)]

Fuck! I think I found a boss.

She had teleported within through the perspective of a female half-elf currently staring at him with hate-filled eyes. She was only one of three women chained to a wall nearby. Each wore the same collar as the rest around their neck and sported the marks of a fresh beating. As Julia took in the room, the half-elf’s eyes widened and Julia brought a finger to her lips to gesture for silence. Among the women there was one she wouldn’t trust after looking at her Soul, but she still had no intention of leaving her there.

As she drifted across the room she considered each of them in turn. The lady looking at her was a lithe red-haired half-elf, with pale skin, and fine features, emerald eyes gleaming with intelligence and growing anticipation. The first sleeping lady was a tanned Norse lady with solidly developed muscles, broad features, numerous battle scars, and a cruel Soul. While the kind featured Mediterranean skinned woman had black hair hacked off at her shoulders, and a nose that looked recently broken and untreated. It seemed the arsehole didn’t have a type, and Julia wanted to flag his type deceased. Though given what Analysis showed, she didn’t know it would be possible, even if she cheated.

Rather than risking the half-elf instantly attacking the man if Julia removed the collar, she teleported them all to safety. The two sleeping women started awake the moment they slumped without the wall and chains to support them. Late afternoon sunlight was still enough to make them squint and cry out as Julia removed the collars.

“Who are you?”

Analysis

[Name: Gellamel

Species: Sunset Elf / Human (Norse Ancestry)

Class: Fighter / Thief / Wizard

Level: 30 / 30 / 34

Health: 820

Mana: 0

Defence: 61

Melee Attack Power: 98

Combat Skills: Long Blades [M] (2), Short Blades [M] (1), Various Spell Forms - Affinities: Air, Water, and Nature

Condition: Beaten, Pregnant, Freed Slave: Morale bonus, Mana Suppressed (recovering)

Details: Recently captured by slavers working for the cult of Tiamat; Her group caught in a planned ambush after a cultist hired them to clear creatures from an area.

]

The Analysis made her wince as the woman didn’t have a black Soul inside her, but a grey mote that seemed newly developing.

“What’s wrong?”

“My name is Eakcï. You’re Gellamel aren’t you?” Julia asked, trying to sound as if she’d be looking for her.

“Yes, who sent you? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Víðarr got out a call for help. I don’t know how to break it so I’ll tell you straight. You’re pregnant but not from a Gnarl.”

“I don’t know a Víðarr. It would have to be that bastard priest of Tiamat whose room who found us in, we were his prizes” replied Gellamel, before sighing.

“Birkir, I believe his name is,” Julia said simply.

“It’s a child I can hold no fault with it. If the Goddess Mielikki sees fit for me to give birth, then I’ll look after them.” Gellamel stated, surprising Julia with her conviction. “Do you think you can kill Birkir though?”

“By myself, I do not know. He’s got wards around his bed and enchanted items on his person.”

“Stupid half-breed get rid of his spawn.” The Norse woman looked at Gellamel with disbelief and spat.

“The child’s Soul is grey at present - it has the potential to choose. How they’re raised will guide them,” Julia said, the calm potential of the grey Soul comforting her.

“Then I’ll teach them Mielikki’s ways and hope they find joy. Is it a boy or girl?” Gellamel asked, marvelling Julia with her decisiveness.

“I don’t know,” said Julia, shaking her head slightly at the question.

“I’ll learn in time.”

“No,” The Norse woman snarled, as powerful muscles drove her to her feet, “I’ll have my revenge on his spawn since he’s not here.”

Julia was already between them and deflecting her grasping hands away from Gellamel.

“Calm down or I’ll put you on your arse. It’s her body, it’s her choice. The child isn’t a monster. I will not choose for her, and neither will you.”

The broad feature of the Norse woman darkened with murderous rage at Julia. As she yanked her hand back and clenched her fist, Julia let Ki Infusion fill with Destruction Mana, and the air between them screamed as her skin burnt white.

“Cross me, and I will kill you,” Julia said flatly, the horrors of the night leaving no hint of mercy in her words.

“By Loki,” gasped the woman, taking a step back as Julia willed her eyes into black orbs, and they drank the light within the whiteness.

“I can give you a new start, or I can find you a grave. Make your choice. The moment you harm Gellamel’s child I’ll see you dead.”

Analysis

[Name: Ketilriðr

Race: Human (Norse Ancestry)

Class: Fighter / Scout

Level: 36 / 24

Health: 723

Defence: 62

Melee Attack Power:

Combat Skills: Dagger [Ad] (12), Heavy Axes [Ad] (42), Hand Axe [Ad] [48], Spear [Ad] (41)

Condition: Beaten, Freed Slave: Morale bonus

Details: The third daughter of Jarl Waldemar Bloodaxe of Jorvik. She’s been working with groups from the Companions Hall for five years against her parent’s wishes. ]

{{Oh! Get involved in a blood feud, that could entertain! An excuse to kill people for generations. }}

((See how rage can twist a Soul. ))

Hush both of you, or I’ll be the one with the headache.

Analysis

[Name: Aggie

Race: Human (Greek Ancestry)

Class: Priestess of Artemis (Despoiled)

Level: 42

Health: 346

Defence: 35

Mana: 0

Melee Attack Power:

Ranged Attack Power:

Combat Skills: Hunting Bow [M] (22), Spear [Ad] (4), Dagger [Ad] (3) - Various Blessings (no longer granted)

Condition: Unfavoured, Beaten, Mana Suppressed (fading), Freed Slave: Morale bonus

Details: Kidnapped from the village of Aigaîon by a Tiamat Cultist. She’d been there serving at the Temple of Artemis after gaining experience aiding Argonauts with their quests in the eastern peninsular.

]

With her stony gaze still fixed on the woman, she released the Destruction Mana and quickly created three blankets. With a casual flick, she tossed the first to Ketilriðr before she passed the others over to Gellamel and Aggie.

“Gellamel and Aggie, would you like to come with me? Hopefully a friend has space available for you to room,” Julia said, as she created more blankets. She gestured towards Eyrarháls, wanting to keep both ladies away from Ketilriðr’s rage.

Aggie looked at her in surprise and gave a quick nod before setting off, carefully wrapping herself in the blanket as she walked. Gellamel moved further away from Ketilriðr - before heading off, giving Julia plenty of distance to intercept anything else Ketilriðr attempted. Julia continued to monitor Ketilriðr via a discretely added eye that blended with the leathers, passing out more blankets to survivors as she walked along.

Julia looked over notifications that were sitting in her log as she walked and felt like sighing.

Shouldn’t have gone looking.

[Achievement: Murderer

Condition: Kill a helpless sentient creature

Reward: Yeah, it’s dead, congrats. ]

[Achievement: Mass Murderer

Condition: Kill over two hundred helpless sentient creatures in a day.

Reward: You too can be told - They’re dead Jim! ]

[Achievement: Epic Mass Murderer

Condition: In a single day slaughter over two thousand helpless sentient creatures that had no chance to fight back.

Reward: Death Mana Affinity Unlocked! Cause you reek of it! ]

[Achievement: Gnarly Dudette.

Condition: In a single day slaughter over three thousand Gnarls below level ten.

Reward: Did you want a title for slaughtering the weak? ]