Anath pounced, attacking with her full focus. The tiny green gremlin simply sidestepped and dodged her attacks. His coin pouch jingled as he moved. She hissed and felt the spider's mandibles wriggle in frustration.

"Stop dodging!" She demanded. Skiz gave her a wide-eyed look.

"No! I don't want to be hit." He said. Anath had a pair of wooden swords that Skiz had carved from some branches. They were simple, but it was better than using her actual swords.

The wooden swords crisscrossed towards him. With a casual kick, he knocked one up and into the other. This left her open to a deadly attack.

"Stop, stop," Skiz said. "I've seen enough."

Anath sat down in frustration. She watched as the gremlin walked back and forth, thinking. A thwack drew her attention. She zoomed her vision in on Klaw, who was on the other side of the room repeatedly hitting a log. Sometimes, his claws got stuck. He had been doing that since she got here.

"Alright. Question." Skiz said, turning on her. She stiffened. "Why don't you use the spider leg things?"

Anath felt her face redden. The spider shifted uncomfortably as well. Its mandibles clacked together.

"It… doesn't want to sometimes." She mumbled.

"What?" Skiz put a hand to his ear. "I'm old, you have to speak up."

"The spider doesn't do what I say all the time." She said, louder. "It only fights when I'm in danger."

Skiz gave her a skeptical look, then walked slowly around her. Anath stiffened. She felt as though she was being judged like a horse at the market.

"What do you mean… the spider?" He asked, slowly.

"Um… the spider. It's just that? The legs. Mandible things. It's in my status void and is really annoying."

"And this spider won't let you use your extra limbs?" He asked.

"They aren't mine! It's the spiders." Her voice wavered slightly. She started to instinctively look for an exit.

"Fascinating. I've never heard of such a thing. Is it parasitic? Does it feed from you?"

"No… Um, it can get its own food. If I let it." She turned green from the memory. Not from the taste of it. What sickened her was the thought of how pleasant the texture was.

"So, tell it to fight for you. It's your body, after all."

"No, I… I…" Anath thought for a moment. She WAS stuck with the spider. It did help her, technically. Still, she hated it. She didn't want to rely on it for anything. Even though she has so far. "I will try."

"Good. Fascinating variant. Remind me to ask about your evolution choices. Now, about your fighting style."

Anath sat up straighter. She was glad to be able to help. And if she could REALLY fight, then she didn't need the spider at all.

"You have speed and strength. The legs naturally provide a defense. So, what you lack is accuracy. Follow me." He led her towards the door outside.

"FUCK!" Klaw yelled as they passed him. He was struggling to unstick his claws from the log. Skiz stopped to give him advice.

"One fluid movement. Don't think of it like palm, claws, pull. Think of it as one movement. Ripping out its throat. You should be developing muscle memory, so start to lean into your instincts. Savagery is an instinctual fighting style, don't discount it."

Klaw grunted and tried again. His claws got stuck again.

"Or maybe," Skiz mused, "You just aren't cut out for combat. There's no shame in it. I hear farmers are moderately respected."

Klaw growled in anger and lashed out at the log. This time, the log rocked on its base and Klaw had ripped out a large chunk of wood.

"Ha ha! I did it!" Klaw presented the piece of wood to the pair. Anath clapped. "What's next?"

"Rip and tear, until its second nature. The trick to savagery is to keep the enemy thinking you are just a wild animal. In reality, you are a wild animal with DISCIPLINE!" Skiz grinned at him. It was the same uncomfortable grin that Daggat and Klaw sometimes got. Whenever they smelled weakness of any sort or got a devious idea. Zuss probably wore the same expression under her mask.

After a few more pointers, Skiz led Anath outside. A pile of logs was waiting for them. Klaw had gathered them when he was playing with his ax. He had grown bored of the ax in time, however. Now, the lumber was being used for practice and Hunter's hearth.

Skiz straightened a log and then scratched several X's on it.

"Alright. The key to precision is the stance and balance…"

Over the next hour, Skiz walked Anath through a routine to work on her duel-sword style. Developing her wild swinging into something useful against a real opponent. After a while, Skiz stepped back to let her practice.

After a time, she got into a rhythm. Strike with one sword, the other, then both. It was almost like a dance. She didn't notice when the spider legs joined her, adding their strength to the attacks. Lost in the rhythm of each strike. When Anath finally noticed, she scowled and knocked the legs to the side with her practice swords. They curled in and out in frustration.

"ZUSS, ANATH COULD YOU COME TO MY OFFICE, PLEASE?" Called Daggat. Birds that were roosting on their roof scattered and a pile of stubborn snow fell to the ground. She scowled. Stupid Goblin. She was busy!

But, she also needed a break. Anath took her time on her way to the office.

—

Daggat reviewed his notes while he waited. So far, he had talked to Klaw, Hunter, and Elyndris. Elyndris didn't need much help, as he expected. Hunter was pretty much locked in. They had a bit to think about, with his monster soul, but until he hit level five, it wasn't much of a concern. Alfred, while technically a member of the party, was not really a… member of the party. He had his own things going on, and Daggat had enough on his plate already.

"What?" Said a voice. Daggat did a double take. He was too focused on his notes. Zuss was lounging in the chair across from him.

"Zuss! How's… things?" Daggat said. He wasn't sure what she did all day. She gave him a wry look.

"We planning the heist?"

"No, not yet. I want to talk about your path. Join me in the status void."

They entered the status void. The assistant nodded, or bowed, at Zuss. It was difficult to tell. Her chair automatically adjusted itself to her red and orange color scheme. Daggat switched to the page he had for Zuss. It was a mess of ideas and sources. There weren't many portraits or drawings of anything for Zuss.

"So. Got a few options for you. This is all class focused, for when we get them."

"Okay, it's good to have a plan."

"Based on your current skills and capabilities, I suggest Rogue. I'd like to find you a specialized class. But, honestly, there isn't much information on those sorts."

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"I bet the humans would know a thing or two. They seem sneaky."

"Right. So, tertiary goal, track down some rare base classes for you."

"Tertiary? What's the other two?"

"The heist, of course. The other goal is to set up some connections with the town. Get people here to clean up, do repairs, that sort of thing. And I want some… other connections too. You get me?"

"So, you want me to track down-" Zuss asked. There was a polite knock on the door.

"Come in," Daggat called. Anath walked in tentatively. "Ah, good. Take a seat and feel free to join us in the status void. We're almost done with Zuss." Anath quietly took a seat.

Her assistant, the spider, scurried over to Daggat's assistant. The two began talking in low murmurs.

"So, rogue. Fun. But, you have other options?" Zuss asked.

"Indeed… how much do you like Birdy?" Daggat asked. Zuss shrugged. "There is an alternate to Listener called Beast Master. You can grow Birdy into a beast of war."

"Tempting…"

"And then there is a Mystic alternative called Shadow Witch. I don't know much about it, but it might suit you."

"Can I mix and match?" Zuss asked.

"Eh, probably? You get the one class. But you can draw ideas from others. I think that's the whole point of making your own path. So, what are you leaning towards?"

"Something roguish. I'll keep an eye out. I've got some shadow stuff already, so I could lean into that. But, you know what to look for."

"Great! Now, Anath's turn. Zuss, could you stay here for a bit?" Daggat asked. Zuss raised an eyebrow at him, then nodded.

"What's this about? Building our paths?" Anath asked. The spider scurried over.

"Yes, yes. Planning is good." It said.

"I just want to be on the same page as all of you when it comes to picking classes and… other things. How are you enjoying Berserker?" Daggat said.

"It's okay, I guess. It's hard activating the rage. I've been practicing though. I can almost do it every time."

"Skiz teaching you how to fight?"

"Yes, until YOU called me away." She stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled back.

"Well, can't be helped. Lots to do. Lots to prepare for." Daggat leaned forward and folded his hands under his chin. "Anath, what do you know about Brinehaven?"

"Not a lot. I've heard my father talking about it sometimes. He didn't like it much."

"I have some friends there. One of them I think you will get along with, actually. I'll introduce you." Daggat cleared his throat. "We aren't going to have any… problems there, are we? You-"

"He wants to make sure you're not going to chicken out," Zuss said, cutting him off.

Anath shook her head. "No! I think it will be good for me. Hard, but good. I can't hide from people forever."

"Great! Though… monsters are- you know what, never mind. So, about your path-" Daggat began.

"You're not going to try to convince me to evolve, are you?" Anath cut in.

"Evolve! Yes, yes. Good idea. You should! Armor, too." The spider said.

Daggat took a moment to steady himself. He WAS indeed going to try that. He considered what to say. What did he know about Anath? She was emotional and immature. Prone to bursts of anger and fits. He had to play into her personality. Make the lie believable. Daggat gave her a big, warm smile.

"Anath, we're friends, right? I'd never ask you to do something you aren't comfortable with." He said. Anath seemed to relax.

[You have trained a skill, Deception, to apprentice level. Divine skills available.]

Zuss put her face into her hands. "You moron." She said.

"What?" Daggat asked. He looked over to see Anath with her mouth wide in astonishment.

"You just LIED to me?" She accused.

"What? You can SEE that?" Daggat asked. Now of all times!?

"That's the whole point of the shared status void, idiot," Zuss said.

Anath stood up. Her lower lip quivered. "I'm a human! You can't make me change that!"

"Listen, Anath. I'm just trying to help! We're all monsters here, you don't need to cling to humanity like some security blanket." Daggat said.

"He's right, Anath," Zuss added.

"You two… it's not… I can't…" Anath seemed at a loss for words, unsure how to express herself. She defaulted to screaming in frustration. "STUPID GOBLINS!" Anath kicked a chair out of her way as she stormed off.

They sat there in silence for a moment after she slammed the door on her way out.

"That went well, don't you think, Master?" Said the assistant.

"Shut up," Daggat told it.

"Is that why you wanted me here? Emotional support?" Zuss asked.

"Yeah. Figured you or Hunter would help smooth things along. Guess I should have gone with Hunter." Daggat said.

"Oh, that was NOT my fault," Zuss said. "There's something… deeper there. I don't think it's about being human. I'm not sure it's something you can trick her to do."

"Maybe. We have some time. It's not like we have a time limit or anything. I want to get us as strong as possible as soon as possible, of course."

"About that. I spotted some movement a few miles from Titanfell."

Daggat sat up. "What?! What were they?" Zuss shrugged.

"Didn't get a good look. But there's only a half dozen of them. They're big. Orc big."

"And you are telling me this now because…?"

Zuss shrugged. "You didn't ask. I would have dealt with it if it was a problem. Probably."

Daggat pinched the bridge of his nose. Orcs, or strong humans, outside his house. They would need to be dealt with.

"We can't just let people wander our territory… Go tell the rest of the crew. We need to see what they want. But, first, I want to make something."

Anath

True Name: Anathema Soul: Monster/Mortal Genseed: Human [ 3 Str, 3 Dex, 3 Con, 3 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Standard Size]

Monster Level: 5 Berserker Level: 5 [+3 Str, Dex Con, -1 Int, Wil, Cha; Berserker's rage, Great Vitality]

Attributes [0/7]: Strength: 12 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 13 Intelligence: 10 Will: 8 Charm: 7

Feats: Encounter: True Angel Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Vile Concoction Act: Devotion [layered feats]

Skills(0/8): System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] System Assistant: 1 Skill Boosts: Survival (1) Savage Legs: 1 Berserker's Spirit: 1 [Synergy: Warrior's Spirit (Burst of Strength + Burst of Alacrity + Burst of Vitality) + Berserker's Rage] Purge Poison: 1 Great Vitality: 1 Blood Rhythm: 1

Notable Natural Skills: Survival: Apprentice Savagery: Apprentice

Biotraits [1/5]: Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Vile Concoction] Extra Limb (Arachnid), x4 [Source: Variant] Venomous Mandibles [Source: Variant] Multi-eye [Mutations: Magnified, Night Vision; Source: Variant] Hardened Chitin

Transformations: Night Stalker form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Claws Dark Vision

Notable Gear: Blade of the Dessert Flower 5 Tokens

Other: Variant: Arachnid Traits

Daggat

True Name: Daggat Soul: Monster Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size] Genbloom: goblin [ +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Scavenger; Small Size]

Monster Level: 8

Attributes (0/6): Strength: 11 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 11 Intelligence: 20 Will: 10 Charm: 12

Feats: Encounter: True Angel Ability: Mighty Intellect Act: Fledgling Alchemist Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Devotion [Layered feats] Act: Usurper Act: Touch of Death

Skills(0/4): Alchemy: 1 [Source: Fledgling Alchemist] System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] System Assistant: 2 [Perk: Semi-sentience] Mind Codex: 1 [Synergy: Mental notes + Copy Tome] Party Leader: 1 [Source: Usurper]

Notable Natural Skills: Literacy: Apprentice

Biotraits (0/8): Base size: Small [Source: Goblin] Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin] Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin] Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin] Hypnotic Gaze [Mutations: Dominating Gaze, Mesmerizing Gaze] Temperature Resistant Skin [Synergy: Fire Resistant Skin + Cold Resistant Skin] Scavenger [Source: goblin] Death Sight [Source: Touch of Death] Increased Pain Tolerance Hypervocal chords

Transformations: Drakeheart Form: +2 strength +2 charm Extreme Temperature Resistant Scales [Synergy: Fireproof scales + Temperature resistant Skin] Fire breath

Night Stalker form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Dark vision [Night Vision Enhanced] Deepen Shadow

Other: Variant: +10 Intelligence Skill potions used: 1/5

Notable Gear: Strange pure-white sword shard Spear of Bracing 2 Mihr Contracts

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