Training Thread - Teheboq

[deadlychair]

Teheboq ran his tongue over his lips as he stared at crocodile floating in the river in front of him. He could almost taste the juicy meat already. Lacking any coinage with which to purchase food in the tavern, he had been forced to abandon his search for Sarkitek temporarily in order to hunt for food. Normally he would not be interested in a crocodile as large as the one in front of him, but his hunger and bloodlust had dulled his senses. Unable to contain himself any longer Teheboq leapt from his hiding space and tackled the bull croc dragging them both into the murky water. Teheboq struggled to maintain his grip on the large reptile as it thrashed around trying to get a bite on him. Teheboq's lungs filled with water while he screamed as the crocodile bit deep into the unarmoured section at the base of his tail. His sight diminishing, Teheboq grabbed onto the reptile's tail as he struggled to find his footing. Locked in the crocodile's infamous "death roll" Teheboq felt murmurs of doubt in his mind. Was this to be the end of his sacred quest, slain by a mere crocodile. His shame would be recorded dutifully by Skink scribes, his weakness would be remembered for the rest of time.

Teheboq felt anger flood his body. Invigorated he spotted the marsh floor beneath and planted his feet, burying his claws like a tree's roots, and rose above the water's surface. With a surge of his newfound strength Teheboq ripped the crocodile from it's grip on his body and threw the beast out of the water into a nearby mangrove tree. The monster hit the tree with a sudden crack and it fell into the water below, dead, its spine snapped from the impact. Teheboq's body shook as he struggled to steady his breathing. Teheboq chastised himself for his carelessness, in his hunger he had almost died from what should have been a mild exercise. He had even forgotten his sword! Chastising himself Teheboq began to strip the crocodile of its meat. He would have much to say to himself as he ate and dressed his wounds.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+1 W, +2 S.

[FlyingPinkPony]

I'll make the appropriate changes on your character sheet.

[deadlychair]

Dirt crumbled from the walls of the cavern as they shook from Teheboq's massive body crashing to the floor. Slowly Teheboq rose from the floor. He had not expected to find much difficulty climbing up, believing that his greatest difficulty would be in finding a root that could support his weight without snapping. Instead, Teheboq was finding the real problem to be within himself. Having trained his whole life to toughen his bodies natural defenses, Teheboq had developed into a very large Saurus. However, during his training he had neglected his upper body, instead relying on his poisons and his superior weight to land killing blows. Now, in a position where his powerful legs were not able to properly aid him, Teheboq discovered that he was not strong enough to pull his body weight up more than a couple of feet.

Infuriated at his own weakness, Teheboq grabbed the root he had been using and began to climb again. Teheboq was able to get a few feet off the ground, but as he reached new ground he stopped. His legs were stretched out as far as they could go, immediately above them lay the slicker section of the wall, Teheboq would have to pull himself up, rather than the push himself as he had done previously. Carefully Teheboq relaxed his grip with his left hand, simultaneously tightening the opposite's grip. Reaching upward Teheboq allowed his feet to slide off the wall. His weight suddenly being born only by his arms, Teheboq tried to pull himself up higher, but to no avail. Shaking, Teheboq tried to propel his right hand above his left, but the moment he let go of the root with his right hand his muscles gave out and Teheboq fell to the floor with a resounding crash.

Teheboq lay for some time, letting the strength return to his weary arms. He could climb up with no problem as long as he could use his feet, but once he was a few feet off the ground the wall became too slick for his feet to maintain their grip. Teheboq stared at the wall, his claw marks etched into the wall clearly delineating his progress. Teheboq's heart raced, his claw marks! Rising again, Teheboq grabbed the root and propelled himself swiftly up, this time using his claw marks as footholds. Upon reaching the slicker section, Teheboq began to dig a hole into the wall using his claws. After carving out a small hole, Teheboq lifted his foot and placed it in, feeling the immediate security of a proper foothold. Emboldened, Teheboq carved another hole, and then another. It would not be long before Teheboq reached the top.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+3 S

[FlyingPinkPony]

Stamp of approval. Stats have been edited. Nice tie in with the current campaign.

[deadlychair]

Roaring triumphantly Teheboq swung his bone sword at the goblin's neck a second time. With no shield-arm to block this second attack the sword plunged into the goblin's neck. As if underwater, Teheboq watched as the swords sawed through the goblin's neck, carving out muscle and bone like a woodcutter would carve through bark and tender wood. As the bone sawseparated the goblin's head from it's body a brilliant red flash blinded Teheboq. Reeling from the sudden blast of color Teheboq dropped his sword and rubbed his eyes furiously trying to regain his vision. Still blind, Teheboq heard the shaman shout commands to his comrades in an unfamiliar tongue. Realizing the danger he was in, Teheboq knelt down slowly and retrieved his sword from the ground, keeping alert for the of feet that would alert him to his enemies positions. Suddenly Teheboq felt something sharp and made of metal jab between his ribs. Wounded and furious Teheboq swung with his sword at the invisible enemy, but to no avail. As he completed his swing Teheboq felt another stab on his opposite side and Teheboq grunted in pain as he felt the rusty metal tear at one of his precious organs. Realizing he had to be more careful, Teheboq lowered his stance, letting his arms block the vulnerable areas where he had already been, but this a futile gesture, as Teheboq had many more weak spots where his natural and crafted armors did not defend him. Strike after strike hit Teheboq, and with each piercing Teheboq altered his position more and more. Finally All of his enemies attacked at once and as their weapons neared Teheboq instinctively tightened his stance even more. Teheboq felt a myriad of weapons strike his body, far more than the number of goblins he had been fighting could have used, but each was turned aside or shattered upon his armoring.

With a sickening plop of the goblin's head, Teheboq's vision returned and he became aware that none of what had transpired had been real. Grinning broadly to reveal his serrated teeth, Teheboq lowered his body, adopting a new stance, aware that while the vision may not have been real, what he had learned from it was.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+2 T, +1 W.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Updated.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq crouched, still as the tree he was pressed to, watching as the small human swallowed the black mushroom he had hidden in the cooked alligator meat. So farTeheboq had tested the mushrooms a number of lizards of varying sizes, two mammals, and three humanoids. Teheboq hadn't expected much results from the dwarf and the orc, as their bodies were notoriously sturdy, but this human was very similar to the insane pirate he had encountered in the cave. Teheboq felt a momentary triumph as the human sat down looking sleepy, but was disappointed to see the human pull out a knife and start whittling a nearby piece of wood. Hours later the man finally stood up and walked back to the town, his freshly carved toothpick dangling from his lips. Failure again! It seemed that all these mushrooms were capable of, despite their grisly breeding, was giving minor nourishment. Still, there was one testTeheboq had left before he could write the mushrooms off completely. It was dangerous to test potential poisons on oneself, and after an experience early on in his life,Teheboq was not looking forward to doing so again. Despite his own misgivings, Teheboq carefully placed one of the delicate fungi into his mouth, and began to chew slowly...

Teheboq awoke to a deep, thrombing sound, like a strong wind passing over a rack of blow pipes. Opening his eyes Teheboq was astounded to find himself surrounded by an endless variety of bones carefully placed together to form a massive dome. After a moment,Teheboq realized the sound he was hearing was coming out of tiny holes that had been bored into the bones. This was like nothing Teheboq had ever heard of, and the sound was calming in a way that he had never experienced.

A voice from behind startled Teheboq, "It is the song of the dead."

Turning quickly Teheboq was dismayed to find nothing behind him.

Another voice spoke from behind Teheboq, "The wind gives power to their bones."

"Who are you? Where am I? Teheboq shouted, frightened that he couldn't sense the speakers at all.

A third voice drifted down from the ceiling, "The wind gives life to the bones. The wind gives us our voice."

A seemingly endless array of voices spoke in turn, each coming from another part of the room, "Guardian. The wind heals that which has passed. The wind blows only through valleys. Bones surround the Guardian. The dead can stop death." With their final utterance the room collapsed buryingTeheboq in bones harder and heavier than any stone.

Teheboq woke up to find himself drooling on the side of the tree he had been crouched next to when he ate the black mushroom. Groggy and stiffTeheboq stood up slowly. Noticing that he felt heavier than normal Teheboq guessed that the mushrooms must have a slight opiate effect in addition the hallucinations. Teheboq began to rummage in his make-shift bag to see if he had any more mushrooms when he noticed that the bone plates on his forearms were much larger than normal. Looking around at himself carefully,Teheboq realized that all of his bone defenses had grown significantly while he slept. Even odder, Teheboq had the sense that he could feel a slight breeze passing between him and the tree, yet not a single leaf was moving. Clearly the black mushrooms had a powerful effect on Saurus bodies. Teheboq would have to gather more for the future...

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+3 Wp

Skill Increases
Juggernaut Rank 1 -> Rank 2 - Cannot take over 50% of maximum hp on any single hit.
Adrenaline Rush - Rank 1 - Passively Regenerate 1W each round when in the same range as an enemy.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Approved and updated.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq's eyes widened as the creature erupted from the trees, his mind reeling back to the lessons he received from an aged Skink priest during his youth.

"Teheboq, I should have expected you to be here. How long ago did your training exercises end?" The old Skink spoke as he beat the young Saurus back with his cane.

Smarting from the blows, Teheboq stepped back from the wall that held the text he had been trying to read, "We were relieved twenty minutes ago to rest our bodies for night patrol."

"Ah, of course. Teheboq, the knowledgeable weapon. Wishing to know is a virtue, but do not let your curiosity to lead you or others into danger. You are a Saurus, the hands of our people. It is for the Slann to ponder the Great Plan."

"I understand, but knowledge can help on the battlefield as well. One cannot use the same tactics against the man-beasts as against the wild lizards. Could there not be similar differences between individuals of the same race?"

"Again you surprise me with your wisdom. Knowledgeable Weapon, your naming was not one that we are likely to change soon. You are correct, especially of the races more attuned to the winds of magic. Chaos affects their being more easily, so they are more varied individually, such is the way of Chaos."

"I am as such then."

Noting Teheboq's tone the old Skink laid a hand on the young Saurus. "You are different from your brothers, yes, but do not think you are weak to Chaos. The elves and the humans were made to be more susceptible to Chaos as a species. Their purpose is clouded. You, Teheboq, were forged for a reason. You have a purpose. That is why you are different."

"And yet none of the scribes have been able to discover that purpose..."

"All will be revealed in time. For now, however, I believe your purpose is to learn of the text you were trying to read. This wall speaks of the ItzaKai, the races that existed before even the Old Ones arrived at this world."

"Races? I know of the dragons, but what other races are so old?"

"Even more than this great wall could hold. The dragons are one, your ancestors, the first Saurus were another. The section of the wall you were trying to read speaks of a different race, a fallen race. The Dragon Ogres. They were secretive, even in the earliest times, so our records of them are little. We know that they began to die out. Either from the changes the Old Ones made to this world, or by Chaos' influence. Either way it would only be a matter of time before their race was nothing but dust and memories. To save themselves from this fate, the Dragon Ogres made a terrible bargain, promising themselves to aid in the wars of Chaos in return for eternal life. They have become like the dragons, increasingly difficult to rouse as their power and age grows, as the two are intrinsically linked."

Teheboq sat, fascinated by the Skink's words as the old being took a moment to regain his breath.

"Dragon Ogres grow as they age, similar to you Saurus, but to an extreme. The oldest Dragon Ogres tower over even our temple cities. Thankfully only the four major powers of Chaos and the most powerful of lightning storms can revive these monstrous creatures."

Teheboq cocked his head, "Lightning storms?"

"Yes, the Dragon Ogres gain energy from lightning itself. Though few would believe it, I think that it may be one of the few links to this planet remaining from the creatures they once were. Know this Teheboq, if you face a Dragon Ogre in battle, you face a creature not only physically beyond yourself, but a being that is tied to both this planet and Chaos itself. Such an opponent will never be easy to defeat. In such times you must trust in the way of the Old Ones. Chaos is power, but only when it is given form by Order."

The memory took but a moment to experience, but in that time the Dragon Ogre had already killed the man-beast that had escaped Teheboq and his allies before. Steeling himself, Teheboq prepared to impart Order on the agent Chaos that stood before him.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for (absurd) word count.
+2 Wp, +1 T.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Approved.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq stumbled backward from the beasts blow. While the attack lacked the force to knock him off his feet like before, it was enough to upset his footing and in his uncoordinated state Teheboq tripped over his own tail and fell to the ground.

"Stand up and rejoin the line spawnling."

Teheboq tried to hide his shame as he followed the Saurus veteran's command. Quickly launching himself up, Teheboq stumbled clumsily into his place between the other spawnling Saurus. Even after regaining his position within the line Teheboq couldn't have stood out from his brothers any more. While his brothers seemed like identical statues, Teheboq with his bony spikes had trouble keeping his place in line as his larger size caused him to start crowding into his brother's positions. More noticeable than anything else however was Teheboq's stance. Row upon row of Saurus warriors in stances that masters would find difficult to insult, and in the middle stood Teheboq in a stance that was so sloppy that it couldn't even be called amateur.

Noticing the terrible stance the Saurus veteran barked more commands at Teheboq, "Spawnling! Tighten your stance! Lower your weapon slightly! Slightly!"

Order by order the Saurus veteran slowly corrected Teheboq's stance. Never growing tired or angry, even as Teheboq's stance began to degrade quicker than he could help him fix it, the Saurus veteran continued to train the spawnling. Thus were Teheboq's training sessions. Endless drills and corrections for things that his brothers had been born into the world knowing. While Teheboq enjoyed some benefits from his unique body, lacking the innate knowledge of war his brothers held was a weakness that not only alienated Teheboq from his own kind, but would be more than likely to cause his death. Teheboq had even been denied from the Temple Guard because of his weakness, despite having better natural defenses than any of the current Slann protectors. And so Teheboq was forced to endure his shame and complete these endless training exercises...

Getting back on his feet Teheboq felt a light smile touch his lips. Yes he had been forced to undergo endless, embarrassment-filled drills. But he had endured through those routines, and he had learned their lessons. Teheboq was still less skilled in warfare than his brothers, but he was no longer the novice he had once been.

Teheboq tightened his stance into a mimicry of the brothers he had left in Hexoatl, ready to charge the Dragon Ogre anew.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for (absurd) word count.
+3 Ws.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Updated

[deadlychair]

Grasping one of the writhing demons in his claws Teheboq took a moment to inspect the creature. While creatures that had been "bestowed gifts" by the plague lord had boils, distended bellies and other marks of their diseased state, this monstrosity lacked such markers. No, that was incorrect. Instead of having a humanoid shape marked by the icons of disease, this thing was an open sore that just happened to have claws and a mouth. Even worse, Teheboq could feel the liquid inside the creatures body; a disease filled boil that would release nothing but corruption once released. To fight hand-to-hand against this aspect of Chaos was to chance infection. Even ranged combat would be risky.

This was what Teheboq's tactical aspect knew, his Saurus instincts. But Teheboq was not a standard Saurus, and he had not been raised as one. Teheboq was more active than his brothers, especially when cold weather slowed them down, yet this bonus had it's price. Saurus warriors were known for their cold-blooded nature, facing even the most terrifying foes with their emotionless gaze. Teheboq, however, felt much more. That same foe that his brother's could face with steady hearts would cause Teheboq's limbs to shake, and the bite of an enemy lance could cause him to fly into a fit of terrible anger.

Instead of releasing the creature and destroying it with his weapon, Teheboq felt a rage that he had forgotten long ago squeeze his claws into the demon. The Saurus powerful grip and sharp claws shredded the small creature instantly, leaving only a brownish liquid and a few scraps of skin on the Saurus fist. Instantly the liquid began to burn Teheboq's hand, but in his sudden rage Teheboq ignored the pain and began to grab and squish more and more of the tiny demons. With each demon slain Teheboq's hand reached out with more ease, grabbing the next demon with more skill. His hand covered in the remains of the unlucky demons Teheboq's rage subsided as suddenly as it had arrived. Taking advantage of the Saurus' sudden stillness the demons jumped back onto the scaled warrior. Regaining his senses, Teheboq shook himself once more and prepared to stomp on the diminutive pus bags.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for (absurd) word count.
+2 Ws, +1 T.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Approved. Also in case you were curious nurglings are gluten-free

[deadlychair]

As he brought his sword down the hard bone chipped a small piece of stone off. It seemed significantly more fragile than normal stone.

As Teheboq's blade chipped off the small piece of stone a jolt of corrupt energy leapt out of the damaged obelisk into Teheboq. The foul energy cascaded across Teheboq's body, racking him with convulsions. Suddenly the energy encountered a barrier in Teheboq's mind and destroying itself upon the sudden wall Teheboq stilled. While the barrier had saved Teheboq from the sudden attack, it had been destroyed in the process and Teheboq found himself watching a memory he had no knowledge of.

"Where is Master Scribe CuaqMundi?" Teheboq demanded standing over the cowering apprentice skink.

"M-m-master CuaqMundi's b-b-business is no concern for a Saurus W-w-warrior." The tiny skink managed to stutter, his body shaking with fear.

Teheboq picked the diminutive skink up by his neck, bringing the apprentice to his eye level, "Matters of defense ARE my concern. Now where is Master CuaqMundi?"

The skink scrambled, trying to pry apart the Saurus' powerful fingers that clutched his throat. Finally the creature abandoned its struggle and croaked out its reply, "In the poison glade."

Teheboq's eyes widened at the news. Dropping the skink to the ground Teheboq took off running towards the forest. What was Master CuaqMundi thinking? Heading out to the poison glade when there were reports of Skaven in the area? Teheboq tried to calm his nerves as he ran, but to no effect. Teheboq's fear that his teacher might be attacked overwhelmed all rational thought.

When it was discovered that Teheboq had a gift for learning far beyond any of his Saurus brethren, it was Master Scribe CuaqMundi who had volunteered to teach the young Saurus. Furthermore, when when he found that Teheboq lacked the natural knowledge of war that all Saurus are gifted with it was CuaqMundi who arranged for the drills that Teheboq suffered through to learn the skills and pride of a warrior. Beyond this however, CuaqMundi had understood Teheboq more than any other citizen of the temple-city. While everyone had been cold and distant, CuaqMundi had seemed warm and even caring to the Youthful Saurus.

As the years progressed, however, Master CuaqMundi retreated from the community more and more, becoming ever more difficult to locate. While Teheboq was pushed away less than the others, he felt the increased distance to his mentor more. Worse, rumors began to spring up that Master CuaqMundi disagreed with the Slann mage-priests, and that he may have even begun to question the Great Plan itself. To Teheboq, who remembered the pain CuaqMundi's staff had caused when Teheboq had questioned both as a spawnling, the rumors seemed insane. Yet Teheboq knew in some part of his mind that there lay more truth to them than he was willing to admit. CuaqMundi had always carried a different view of the world then the other Master Scribes. The Master spoke of dragons and other creatures that had existed on the planet before the Old Ones with respect and sadness. His view on the younger races was equally different. CuaqMundi seemed to feel an almost fatherly affection towards them. He seemed to have a kindness for even the Orcs. Teheboq learned almost everything he knew from the ancient Skink, and so when he heard that there might be Skaven in the area he had made it his first priority to ensure that CuaqMundi was safe.

Finally passing through the forest, Teheboq entered a glade filled with poisonous reptiles and plants, known to the Skink apothecaries as the Poison Glade. Teheboq felt relief flood his body when he saw Master CuaqMundi staring at him. "Master, what are you doing here? There are Skaven..." Teheboq trailed off as Master CuaqMundi's eyes widened and a trickle of blood began to flow from the side of his mouth. Teheboq's body felt like a thousand spear tips were pressed against it as he watched a Skaven covered in soggy, discolored bandages stand up from behind CuaqMundi and pull a wicked, fluid covered dagger from the Skink's back. Overcome with rage Teheboq charged the diseased rat with no regard for defense, but the Skaven deftly through a swath of bandages from his body at Teheboq and ran for the treeline. The moment the bandages touched Teheboq's body they began to burn like fire. Ripping them off his body in rage Teheboq caused one of the wrappings to hit his eye, which erupted in pain and began to tear incessantly. Half-blind Teheboq saw a figure approach him and lashed out with his sword, noticing only after he had begun the attack that the figure was a Skink scout. The scout rolled to the side, dodging the deadly blade, and Teheboq saw behind him a dozen Saurus warriors marching forward.

"Quickly brothers! A disease rat escaped into the forest!" Teheboq said as he pointed into the forest where the Skaven had escaped. The scout looked in the direction Teheboq pointed in, but simply stood where he was, the Saurus joining him in the glade. Filled with pain and rage Teheboq felt lost. Why were they not following after the Skaven?

Suddenly, pointing at Master CuaqMundi's body the Skink spoke, "He must be burned."

Teheboq's rage consumed him. CuaqMundi was a Master Scribe, he deserved to be venerated and have his body interred with the other masters. To be burned like some filthy animal was too much. Placing himself in front of the Skink's body Teheboq raised his weapon. The attacks came swiftly and with more strength than Teheboq could have expected, but with each blow Teheboq's resolve was strengthened. Two blows, five blows, a dozen blows, two dozen blows, still Teheboq stood, guarding his dead master. His body dripping blood from countless wounds and one of his arms hanging at his side, useless and broken, and still he stood.

Suddenly the attacks stopped, and Teheboq lowered his shield to see why. Despite one of his eyes beings temporarily blinded and the other nearly swollen shut and covered in blood Teheboq could still easily make out the form of a Slann mage-priest on his floating palanquin. Teheboq's rage gave way to confusion, and as he looked at the being in front of him the Slann's eye caught his. In that moment Teheboq's mind touched the Slann's and for the first time Teheboq truly understood why the Slann were so mysterious. Teheboq was smart, especially so for a Saurus, but even by Empire standards he would have been considered very intelligent if slightly un-educated in some areas. Despite this, Teheboq felt as though he could be considered as a tadpole barely visible within a pond, while the Slann was an alpha thunder lizard. No, not even that, the Slann was brilliant beyond compare. All of this Teheboq understood in an instant, and still the Slann kept the connection open long enough to utter three words directly into his mind.

KNOW YOUR PLACE.

Each word held more meaning than everything Teheboq had ever said in his entire life, and he realized that he could spend a hundred years trying to discover the true meaning of each individual word. In the time it took for Teheboq to receive this message he a portion of the Slann's plan. The Skaven had been allowed to escape. Followed by the best scouts, the Skaven would lead them to the Skaven's nest, as they always group together in such a way. From there an army would be sent to destroy them, and a few would be allowed to escape, and lead them back to other nests. This would continue until every Skaven was dead, and yet this was only the beginning of the Slann's plan. All of this Teheboq learned in the time it took the Slann to deliver the mental message, less than an instant. With the message delivered, the Slann cut the connection, and Teheboq stood still, his mind blank. The memory of the entire day having been eliminated with the connection.

Teheboq resisted the urge to vomit. His mind swirled with thoughts. Why had he forgotten this? Did the Slann eliminate the memory? Had the connection to the Slann's mind proved too much for Teheboq? What had happened to the Skaven that killed CuaqMundi? Teheboq turned his confusion into rage, he didn't have time to ask these questions at the moment. He couldn't ask these questions right now, but he could act on this new memory. The god that these cultists worshipped was the same as the Skaven that had killed CuaqMundi. He couldn't kill the rat, but he could tear down this obelisk.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+1 T, +2 W.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Approved. Added a special one time bonus +1T for the almost 1500 word count.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq emerged from the forest in the clearing where he and his allies had fought the Dragon Ogre. Scanning the area Teheboq was happily surprised to find the monstrous creature's headless body still lying there. It had been picked at by a few scavengers, but for the most part it appeared that the creatures of the jungle had left the unnatural beast alone. Teheboq was very pleased. His sword had been badly damaged trying to destroy the obelisk and Teheboq had planned to replace it with a weapon made from the Dragon Ogre's body and it would have been a more difficult process if scavengers had begun to gnaw on it. Setting his shield to the side Teheboq began the grisly work of separating the monster's femur from its body.


(-Historical Note: The artist here was in error. The spear of Teheboq was made of bone, not metal)

Many hours later Teheboq was inspecting the edge of his new spear. The weapon was a better fit for Teheboq than the old sword. The reach and precision would allow Teheboq to defend himself more easily while scoring the hits he needed to apply his strength-robbing poison. Thinking about the poison reminded Teheboq that he had yet to apply any to the new weapon. Carefully Teheboq spread the poison, an extract from a local frog, on the weapon, making sure not to cut himself on the unfamiliar edges. As the poison spread on the blade Teheboq was surprised to find that it darkened considerably on contact with the bone. It seemed that the Dragon Ogre's plague-ridden body had caused a reaction with Teheboq's normal poison. As Teheboq gathered supplies to burn the creature's body he began to grow excited about the new poison's possibilities. He would have to test it on someone as soon as his wounds healed.

(2 skill points used on Weakness Poison raising it to Rank 3. Also switching out bone saw-sword for bone spear for fluff reasons.)

[deadlychair]

"Step away," Teheboq repeated. Despite the Saurus' words and presence the man in front of him refused to move.

"Sure. Soon as you apologize to my friend over there," the man said, pointing at his friend lying on the ground that had tripped over Teheboq's tail.

The man's words felt odd to Teheboq. He had apologized to the man who had fallen over, even offering to help him up, but before he could do so this second human had walked up and demanded that Teheboq apologize. Something about the way the man stood made Teheboq's believe that he was a threat. Preferring not to get in a fight within town, Teheboq had tried to leave without a word, but the man had blocked his exit. Looking into his eyes Teheboq realized now that the man wouldn't leave without a fight. Slowly sinking into a more defensible posture Teheboq waited for his opponent to move. Teheboq was thus rather surprised when the man he had tripped slammed the back of Teheobq's head with a hammer blow. Surprised by the attack, Teheboq fell over, and in that instant of weakness the two brigands ran up and attacked Teheboq with everything they had.

The blows should have been weak to Teheboq, but he had apparently overestimated his ability to recover from his previous wounds. The hard boot of one of the brigands connected harshly with Teheboq's side and he gasped in pain as he felt one of his ribs crack. Blow after blow landed on the stunned Saurus, but aside from the lucky strike that broke his rib neither of the bandits were able to do much damage. Recovering from the hammer blow, Teheboq lashed out with his powerful tail knocking both of the bandits aside with its weight. Teheboq stumbled to his feet as quickly as he could, but the two bandits had already risen and dashed off with the speed that only desperation can bring.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+2 T, +1 W.

(P.S. Don't forget about my +2 T from the Adventure)

[FlyingPinkPony]

Done. Approved.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq ground his teeth in frustration. The two humans had aggravated Teheboq's wounds and humiliated him. Perhaps even more annoying they had delayed him enough that the dwarf prospector had returned to his domicile for the evening. Teheboq had been looking forward to the work, despite it being underground. Ever since his encounter with the magical obelisk Teheboq had found it difficult to stay still. He knew that he was trying to avoid dealing with his new memories, but for now he just wanted to find the humans who had made him look like a buffoon. It wasn't thoughts of revenge which pushed Teheboq, but Teheboq had seen on the ship he took to the island that reputations were important among humans and easily ruined during first encounters. It would not do for Teheboq to be marked among the populace as an easy mark for thieves and braggarts, the constant interruptions would make his quest more difficult to accomplish than it was already.
Teheboq stopped walking as he heard a familiar voice shout out from around the corner.

"I said apologize to my friend over there. You damn near broke his neck!"

Teheboq could barely believe his eyes when he turned the corner. The two men were pulling the same tactic they had used on Teheboq. From his new vantage point Teheboq could see that the two men were thieves, and that the man on the ground was to steal from their target either in the initial tripping or after his comrade had distracted them. Luckily for Teheboq he had left his treasure outside the city in his sleeping area. Now that he thought about it, it was most likely his lack of stealable items that had led to the beating the two men had tried to give him. Thoughts of the humiliation finally prompted Teheboq to step out from his hiding place and confront the two thieves properly.

Teheboq walked casually towards the standing thief, his partner's eyes widened and he began to try and get his friend's attention. Luckily for Teheboq, the thief was focused entirely on his target, who had became more aggressive in his own right. Wordlessly, Teheboq wrapped his arm around the thief's neck, trapping him in a choke hold. Seeing the attack, the thief on the ground scrambled to get to his feet. Teheboq would not have this. Grabbing his spear from its makeshift holder on his back, Teheboq threw it at the thief. Teheboq's aim proved true, piercing through the man's leg, pinning the screaming man to the ground.

Seeing his friend's predicament, the thief in Teheboq's stranglehold began to struggle with all his strength. The thief threw back elbow after elbow into Teheboq, trying to locate some weak point, but whatever god that had enabled him to hit the Saurus' wounds before seemed to have deserted him. Finally tired of allowing the man to struggle, Teheboq relaxed his stranglehold enough to allow him to grasp the thief by his throat with his other hand. Teheboq lifted the thief up enough so that he was level with the Saurus' eyes. Teheboq stared into the man's eyes, white with terror, and spoke slowly, revealing his razor sharp teeth, "Apologize."

The man stammered, trying to get his words out as Teheboq choked him, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"

Teheboq spent a moment staring into the man's eyes as he tried to plead with him. Finally Teheboq felt that enough time had passed. "Never again. Go. Work." Teheboq said before he threw the man into the wall behind him, knocking him out. Teheboq said nothing as he pulled his spear out of the second thief's leg, eliciting another scream. Perhaps now thieves would stop bugging him.


Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+2 S, +1 Ws.

(Almost missed out.)

[FlyingPinkPony]

Approved and updated.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq walked to the center of the floor, trying not to step on the shards of mugs that seemed to cover every square inch of the bar's floorspace. While Teheboq had vented his rage against the thieves he still sought escape from his thoughts and memories. Fortunately Teheboq had discovered that one of the local taverns was holding a dueling competition and thus entered the the "Musty Mug". After a short dialogue that comprised mainly of hand gestures Teheboq found himself battling against a half-naked human almost the size of Teheboq himself in an unarmed battle.

Still looking at the floor as he made his way Teheboq was completely surprised as the man's fist smashed into the bridge of Teheboq's snout. Bits of light flowed past Teheboq's eyes as he tried to focus on his assailant. Teheboq felt his breath try to rush out as two heavy blows hit his sides in quick succession. Teheboq threw a fist out missing the man but causing him to jump back allowing him to recover his vision. Teheboq hadn't gotten a good glimpse of the man before the battle started, but now he could see his opponent fully. The man truly was huge, easily towering over his human friends, and covered with cords of muscle. The man was bald, but had a full and carefully trimmed mustache of the deepest black. Still struggling to breathe properly Teheboq threw himself at his opponent, knowing that if he could get him in a wrestling match then the Saurus' massive weight would help him counter the human's absurd strength. The man, surprisingly agile for his size, dodged to the side and slammed an elbow into Teheboq's well-bruised side. The impact caused Teheboq to stumble to the side into a pillar. Pain seared through Teheboq's side and he heard a loud crack as the human buried the sole of his boot into Teheboq's ribs. Teheboq felt his vision swim as he struggled to breath.

This human's strength was like nothing he had ever encountered. Teheboq winced as he heard a second crack, and then realized that while his ribs hurt terribly none of them felt like they were broken. The crowd began to panic as the support pillar Teheboq was leaning on began to crack and splinter. The human, focused on his opponent, launched a shoulder tackle at the Saurus. Desperate Teheboq front kicked the human in the stomach, sending him reeling back, and then turned and wrapped his arms around the support pillar. This bar was clearly popular with the townspeople, and if it was destroyed Teheboq knew that the humans would blame him, unfair as it was. Teheboq felt his muscles scream as the wooden pillar tried to shift one way and then the other. The support had been designed to withstand Ogres falling into it while still supporting the Ogres on the floor above, and Teheboq could feel his grip slipping as the monstrous weight began to bear down on him. Splinters shot out and embedded themselves in Teheboq's scales, but he refused to let go. Every moment seemed to last longer than the last, and Teheboq felt his claws sliding across the pillar despite his best efforts. This was it, Teheboq couldn't hold it anymore, and the whole building would crash down around him. He wasn't sure if even he could survive so much crashing weight. Suddenly Teheboq felt the weight lessen. Had his arms let go already? Teheboq looked up to see the human Teheboq had been fighting grinning like an idiot, his gigantic arms wrapped around the pillar like Teheboq's.

"This is how you do a bear hug lizard!" the human roared as he gripped even tighter.

Teheboq could only stare, his whole mind focused on maintaining his grip.

"Name's Kamen, but you call me Stone," the man said.

"Teheboq," the Saurus managed to grunt out as he dug his claws deeper into the support.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+3 S.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Very Alex Louis Armstrong. Approved.

[deadlychair]

Teheboq sat talking to his new acquaintance "Stone" on the steps of the Musty Mug while carpenters worked inside to repair the damage they had caused to the support beam.

"I am from the far north, Kislev. Above the Empire, the human lands," Stone explained in between swigs of his beer. "It is much colder there, and dangerous. Bears and wolves grow to great size there, and mutants come from the Wastes beyond. Sometimes worse."

Teheboq narrowed his eyes as the massive man spoke of his ancient enemy. "Chaos, I know this enemy myself."

"Do you now? This place seems so far from there. We have stopped the monsters for many years. We are the front-line," the man boasted, seemingly offended, "what would you know of chaos down here lizard, so far from the battles of my brothers?"

Teheboq thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully from his limited supply, "Chaos is many. Does not attack from front only. Sometimes back is front. Many battles fought."

The Kislevite took a deep swig from his stein, finishing the beer before replying, "Your words are truth. Maybe you have fought like us, but now you do not."

Teheboq looked at Stone quizzically, "Not understand you."

"I fight on wall, front-line. You wander city and hurt thieves, like mother disciplining little children," Stone said bursting into laughter as he finished his insult.

"The wall..." Teheboq trailed off as he looked up at the decaying structure. Suddenly Teheboq caught the glimpse of something small and furry out of the corner of his eye followed by an immediate rush of anger.

Stone took notice of his companion's sudden change, "What is it lizard?"

Teheboq grabbed his spear and shield from the steps beside him as he rose. Turning his head he looked at Stone for a moment before he spoke, "Skaven. Guard the wall." Before Stone could reply Teheboq ran off towards the street corner where he had seen the furry creature. Teheboq's side erupted in pain every time his foot hit the ground, but Teheboq ignored the pain. Whatever his condition, he would not allow one of the foul rat-beasts to infiltrate the city. Turning the corner Teheboq was greeted by an unusual sight. Standing before Teheboq was the Skaven, surprisingly well-groomed and presentable despite the tattered rags he was wearing, talking to a Tilean merchant as if it were an everyday occurrence! Teheboq was stunned, everything he had been taught about Skaven and their relationship with the rest of the world was at odds with the scene before him. Catching some words from the conversation Teheboq was stunned even further. The Skaven was bartering for cloth like one of the human females in town!

Suddenly the Skaven turned to look at the Saurus standing behind him and the two locked gazes. Freed from his surprise induced paralysis Teheboq roared and raised his spear high, "Skaven filth! Today you die!"

The Skaven's face contorted in horror and it stammered, "Wha-wha-wha-what!?"

Teheboq roared again and stabbed his spear towards the Skaven's stomach, undeterred by the pitiful beast's confusion. The Skaven jumped back, easily avoiding Teheboq's sudden attack. Undeterred, Teheboq let loose several more strikes. The Skaven dodged each with measured jumps, managing to stay just outside of Teheboq's reach. Switching tactics, Teheboq spun around, lashing towards the Skaven with his powerful tail and then flowing into a slash with his spear as he finished the spin. The Skaven dodged the tail like before, but his eyes widened in surprise as he realized that he was well within reach of the swiftly approaching spear.

The crack of a gunshot rang out, and Teheboq felt his arm reel back as he tried to maintain the grip on his spear. The Skaven glared at Teheboq holding a strange-looking rifle that Teheboq had not seen before, it's end pointed straight at Teheboq's heart. "Now that I've got your attention, I ask why are you trying to attack me, yes? I've done nothing to you."

Teheboq brought the spear back into his ready stance, surprised that the Skaven had not tried to flee immediately. "My blood hates your blood, Chaos animal," the words came to Teheboq, but he did not feel their usual conviction.

"Maybe so, but we are... I am not like my own blood, as you so succinctly put it." The Skaven responded.

Before Teheboq could come up with a response a quartet of small daggers landed between him and the Skaven. Both Teheboq and his foe looked up in surprise to see two other Skaven, dressed in dark rags with purple belts that held numerous throwing daggers. One of the Skaven was holding a small black sphere in its hand, while the other had a strange metal claw. Passing its other hand over the sphere, the Skaven threw the sphere between Teheboq and the rifle-wielding Skaven. Instinctively Teheboq threw up his shield just in time to protect himself from the sudden explosion. A second, much less expected explosion shook the ground, but the weighty Saurus was able to stand his ground, though he was unable to see any of his opponents in the strange gray-green smoke. Blind, and nearly deaf from the two explosions, Teheboq began to breath in heavily, trying to catch his opponent's scent among the strong odors of gunpowder and warpstone. A sudden terrible odor caused Teheboq to turn and raise his shield just in time to block a strike from the claw-wielding Skaven. The Skaven used Teheboq's shield like a springboard, and using its claw it pushed itself back into the smoke leaving a dark streak on the shield that began to smoke and smolder. Something in the smell coming from the poison smoke made Teheboq think of the diseased bandage he had been hit with years ago. Getting this poison in his bloodstream would spell the end for Teheboq, and with the smoke cover the much swifter Skaven had all of the advantage he would need against him. Teheboq knew that this had to be ended in one blow. Dropping his shield, Teheboq gripped his spear with both hands and shut his eyes, concentrating on the smells around him. There it was, that odd mix of wet fur, dried blood, warpstone, and rotting meat that identified the Skaven. Teheboq opened his eyes lunged forward with his spear towards the scent. The sudden rush of movement pushed the smoke out of the way and Teheboq saw a look of surprise cross the Skaven's face as it realized it had jumped straight into Teheboq's spear. Teheboq used the momentum of the Skaven's jump and threw the dying rat off of his spear into the wall several feet behind him with a satisfying crunch.

A sudden wind picked the smoke up and carried it away and Teheboq turned to stare face-to-face with the strange rifle-wielding Skaven.

Stat Increases- w/ Bonus for word count.
+3 Ws.

[FlyingPinkPony]

Approved.

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