Daggat let out a sigh of relief when the human let them in.

He knew they would attack him as he approached. Daggat didn't expect how hard it would be to suppress his reactions. Pain tolerance be damned, it still felt awful. But, the show did its trick. He hoped.

The idea was to give them a sense of mystery and grandeur. Really hammer home that he and his companions were a step above the common goblin folk. Maybe fluff up his image a bit.

Slowly, The simple gate swung open on a rope hinge. Three humans, maybe three humans, one was a bit short, were waiting for them. Each of them had a serious look. The tallest in the middle was scowling. He was pale-skinned with long, braided hair. A tattoo of some flower dominated his cheek. He had the build of a warrior. Muscular and lean. Around them were several other humans, each with bows drawn and arrows ready. They didn't look as angry as the others.

"Come on, boys, let's say hello to our neighbors," Daggat told his companions, Klaw and Hunter. Hunter gave him a worried look, but they followed.

The village reminded Daggat of the head takers' camp. It was about as large, but the buildings were more permanent. Stone and log structures with roofs made of tied-together pine branches. One building was in the process of burning down. Elyndris's handiwork. However, a handful of humans were throwing buckets of sand and water in the fire's general direction.

"Hey, sorry about the fire. My mage can get a bit spell-happy," Daggat said.

"Quiet," the taller man said. He was certainly their leader. "No talking until we get to the warm house. No using your mind magic to manipulate people. Hand over the spear." He held out a hand.

Daggat sneered, then looked at the spear. He didn't trust this guy, at all. There was no guarantee he would get the spear back. But, he was here to be diplomatic. Daggat handed him the spear.

The human led them to a long building that was decorated with carvings on the wooden surface. They were primarily knotted angles and interlocking lines, but a few blocky images of stags, wolves, and fish were scattered around. Whoever built it either spent a lot of time on it or had some sort of carpentry skill.

Mirroring the warm house was another central building. This one was a stark contrast to the more regal-looking building. It was little more than a shack built out of logs and sticks. Bones decorated it, dangling on ropes like grim wind chimes. A few humans lingered around it. One, a wild-haired old woman, was spitting and arguing with a younger man. She kept throwing evil glances towards Daggat.

He smiled at her and gave her a friendly wave. This seemed to overboil whatever kettle she had inside her.

"Monsters! Foul sacks of experience! You are undeserving to walk into our home. You will be trophies soon enough!" She screamed at them.

"The fuck is her problem?" Klaw asked.

"I said, be quiet. Get in." The human held a heavy curtain aside for them. Daggat slipped in, more out of curiosity than obedience.

The interior of the warm house was much like his great hall. It had a large hearth at one end. The familiar, calming sensation of the hearth washed over Daggat. They had a hearth tender as well. Instead of a single large table, several smaller tables were strewn about the room. A large, ornate throne sat right where a throne ought to go.

The room smelled of cured meats and sweet wines with hints of smoke and sweat. The human kept his eyes on Daggat while he sat on the throne.

It suited him, Daggat decided. As though he was made for the throne.

"Sit." He demanded. The other two humanoids stood at either side of them. One, a fat human, had no weapons, but the other shorter one had a crossbow and an ax.

Daggat sat on the nearest chair and kicked his feet onto the table. He wasn't a fan of being ordered around. Once again, he reminded himself to play nice.

"Nice place you got here. Bit small, compared to mine. But, your seat is more impressive. I'll have to fix that." Klaw did the same, but Daggat recognized an edge to his posture. He was ready to strike. Hunter looked around for a chair his size. Finding none, he awkwardly sunk to the floor, sitting cross-legged.

The human just stared at them for a while. His hard gaze never left Daggat or Klaw.

"I've given my name, human. Who is it I am speaking to?" Daggat said. The human narrowed his eyes before speaking. This guy did not like goblins, it seemed.

"I am Leofric. Chief, mayor, king, or whatever title you pick. I am in charge here. Those two," he pointed to the others, "Will cut you down if you try anything stupid. Before we start, we wait."

"For what-" Daggat started before he was interrupted by someone bursting through the curtain.

"Sorry! I was out when it started. Is everyone- Is that a bugbear?" It was a human girl. Only a few years older than Anath. She wore hide fashioned from a variety of monster pelts. Daggat recognized warg fur, drake leather, and even orc hide.

"Lisa, these monsters wish to speak with us. I called you here to hear what they have to say and for you to learn. Now, sit." Leofric said.

She did so, taking a position near him. Daggat put his feet down and leaned forward a bit.

"You ready to talk now, chief?" Daggat said.

"Start from the top. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Daggat rolled his eyes. "Daggat, Klaw, Hunter." He said, pointing at the respective monster. "I am the new lord of Titanfell Manor. Pleasure to meet you. We were on our way to Brinehaven before one of your men shot my brother here."

"Lord of Titanfell? Come on, we're not idiots." Lisa said. Leofric cut her off with a glare.

"She's right. We are not idiots. That place has been a death trap for decades. The very land drains your life away. If you are going to lie to us, make it believable." Leofric said.

"Trust me, if I was going to lie to you, you wouldn't know. We cleared and claimed the place. Even have paperwork with proof, but this doesn't seem like a paperwork kind of town." Daggat gestured to Hunter. "That's the reason we made it. The land that drains your life, that's the Death Roots. They are a type of undead that was weakened by my companion here. He is a hearth tender that specializes in weakening demons."

"Oswine?" Leofric said. The fat man stepped up and gestured his hands in a wide, sagely way.

"If they speak the truth… that is plausible. Any torchbearer can shine a torch, but Hearth Tenders can weaken the dead. Ogre," He addressed Hunter, "that weakening effect is limited to the hearth. How did it affect the entire land?"

Hunter drew his torch, as though to show them. "I have a skill called Brilliant Bash. Part of it allows my torch to act as a hearth. Not only does it produce calming, healing effects, but it is also a holy attack against demons."

"Tell us the story, then. Of how you claimed the manor." Leofric said.

Daggat told the story with only minor embellishment. He didn't mention Alfred. Partly to avoid any questions on why he was working with the undead, but mostly to keep it as a secret weapon. Leofric didn't seem to believe their story, but the girl was on the edge of her seat the entire time.

"And that's the long and short of it. Tale for tale, what's with the old lady out there?"

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"She is our priestess and a nuisance. Don't mind what she says. What's the real reason for your visit? You could have fled. Instead, you waltz up to the camp and ask to talk."

"Ah, simple. The manor is run down. I've got money. We happen to be in the market of laborers and craftsmen. We could make an arrangement."

Leofric laughed. "You leave the manor unprotected, and you come here asking for laborers? You, a goblin?"

"Yes," Daggat said, confidently. Leofric's eyes went serious.

"You burned down a part of my village."

"Ah, yes. Sorry about that." Daggat placed five gold coins on the table in front of him. Leofric and the other mortals shifted uncomfortably. Daggat pushed it forward. "For the trouble."

"Wow! That's enough to build five, maybe six shacks." Lisa said. Daggat cursed internally. Getting a grasp on the value of a gold coin was going to be a priority.

"Gold is useless," Leofric said. "We can't spend it with-" Somebody burst into the hut, shoving aside the heavy cloth.

"What is this!?" A man asked. He was older, with gray speckled in his hair and beard. Daggat gave him a friendly wave. The man sneered at him, "Bringing monsters within the walls? You've gone mad."

"This doesn't concern you, Desmond," Leofric growled. Lisa straightened in her seat and scowled at him. "Leave. Now."

"This won't stand, halfbreed. There will be consequences for you this time." The older man, Desmond, cast a sour look across the room. He stormed out of the building.

Daggat whistled after he pocketed the coin he took from the stack while everyone was distracted. "Don't quite have full cohesion here, do you?"

"Local politics," Leofric said dryly. "Don't concern yourself with it."

"I could lend a hand. I can be quite persuasive." Daggat offered.

"You'd make things worse. Their folk hate monsters." Lisa said. "And they don't even fight 'em. Cowards, the lot of them."

"Enough, Lisa. We don't need to expose our problems to our…" Leofric considered Daggat. Daggat pointed to the coins with his eyes. "guests. What was your name again?"

"Daggat. With two gs."

"Daggat, I can't trust you. You know this, surely. Goblins are running wild in huge packs, storming villages and devouring as they go. I can't guarantee you aren't with them. I recognize you came here in peace."

"Oh, sure, sure. Tell you what. Let us stick around for a few days. Get to know us. You'll find we are no Head-Takers." Daggat said.

"Oh, I know! Have him come on the hunt with me. You can learn a lot about a person out there, in the wild." Lisa said. Daggat pointed at her with a smile.

"Love a good hunt," Daggat said. Then he noticed something shift in Leofric's expression. A twitch of the eye. He had an idea and was trying to hide it.

"First thing in the morning. You have a quarry?" Leofric said.

"Tracked it to a lair this morning." She said.

"Perfect. I can't allow you to stay in the village. Not right now. Set up camp at the edge of the field. Your people may leave if they wish. But, do not approach the town yet. Not until Lisa comes back." He turned toward Lisa. "I'll leave it to you. Get a good read on him. He's tricky, but you should be able to handle him."

"Sounds good to me. But, I get a taste of whatever we hunt. Fair work and all. I'd like to bring a backup. In case I can't trust YOU." Daggat said.

"Fine. But only one body." Lisa said. "I can probably take you all, but I don't want to spook the prey."

"Are we done now?" Klaw asked, exasperatedly. All eyes turned to him. "What? I'm bored. This is taking too long."

"Yes. We are. Let's go. Ketil, Lead the way." Leofric said. He tossed Daggat's spear to him. Daggat caught it deftly.

As the short humanoid, which Daggat suddenly realized must have been a dwarf, led the three of them to the gate, Daggat took note of the other building across from the warming hut. The woman was standing outside of it, as she was before. She huffed in disgust as she saw them, then pushed aside the cloth tarp that served as its door.

For a brief instant, Daggat saw a hint of what was inside. Candles illuminated a large, skull-wreathed altar. Around, other skulls were stuck on spikes. Monster skulls. Daggat grinned as he began forming an idea.

Humans, and a handful of dwarves, mulled around. The fire was under control. Daggat gave them friendly waves, letting his beguiling presence do its thing. He wondered what kind of fun he could have in a place like this. It was time to experiment.

Before they left, Leofric stopped them. He turned to the group of humans watching them leave.

"This goblin and his companions are now our guests until I say otherwise. Unless they attack us, the monsters are under my protection." He said in a loud voice. The humans began muttering to themselves, some angrily. Daggat hummed in delight. He smelled deception, manipulation, and social games. This WAS going to be fun.

Daggat

Spoiler

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: 9

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 Act: Reborn by Fire

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 (0/9): Base size: Small [Source: Goblin] Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin] Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin] Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin] Temperature Resistant Skin [Synergy: Fire Resistant Skin + Cold Resistant Skin] Scavenger [Source: goblin] Death Sight [Source: Touch of Death] Increased Pain Tolerance Fire Core Beguiling Presence [Synergy: Hypnotic Gaze (Dominating Gaze, Mesmerizing Gaze) + Hypervocal Cords (Beguiling Voice) ]

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

Regenerator form: Advanced Regeneration

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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