"'Ello! Let us in. I don't want to have to say please." Daggat called. He and Anath had made it back to the village. Night had fallen, but various torches and small fires provided plenty of light for the two of them. Night vision was handy that way.

A human poked its head over the wall.

"Oh, hey there. Mind letting us in?" Daggat said with a voice full of honey.

"Um, I'd like to. Leofric said to call him when you got back. One moment."

"He's going to let me in any way. You'll probably be doing him a favor. Lisa already gave us the thumbs up."

Daggat gave him a warm smile and let his beguiling aura do its thing.

The man smiled back. "Well, alright. One moment."

Daggat turned his smile to Anath. "I'm going to have so much fun here."

The two snickered, well, Anath giggled, but it was close enough to a snicker, while the door swung open.

Slipping their way into the village, Daggat was overwhelmed by the overlapping auras of the people within. Most were smaller than his and Anath's. A few stood out.

The largest of them was Hunter's, who had his torch out and was speaking quietly with a silver-haired man.

Lisa, Zuss, and Leofric were arguing with Dominic and a few others. Near the warming hut, Klaw was talking with Ketil and Pote.

Most folks were shut into their homes, but a fair number were out and about restlessly smoking pipes or pacing, staring off into the night. The tension was almost palpable.

A lot was going on, it seemed. Daggat decided to start from the top and move his way down.

"- and leave us with them, undefended?" Dominic said as Daggat approached. The rest turned to him. Zuss glared daggers at Daggat, then her eyes went wide at the sight of Anath. She was all over her in a heartbeat, inspecting the exoskeleton. The two moved aside to talk.

"Daggat." Leofric acknowledged, "The guard was supposed to let me know when you arrived. What took you so long?"

Daggat shrugged, "personal stuff."

He shot a glance at Lisa, who, surprisingly, looked sheepish.

"So, what's the news? Folk seem nervous." Daggat asked.

He noted the auras. Leofrics was the strongest, with Lisa a bit behind. Dominics was on par with Daggats, which was just below Lisa's.

If what he suspected was true, that meant Daggat was catching up to Lisa already. Was she level 12? Only one level away, yet so powerful. Doubtless, she would level up soon.

"Headtaker scouts. Two of them showed up earlier today." Leofric explained.

"As if he didn't already know. It's obvious they are spies. Why can't you see it?" Dominic said.

The man with him, a plump sort with a receding hairline, said, "Yeah. Spies."

"You fought them, Dominic. If they were with the enemy, they would have attacked by now. At least you would be dead. Besides, they aren't exactly… gobliny. No offense." Lisa said.

"Eh, the others do goblining poorly. So, the attack. How'd that go? Did they kill many of you, I can pay reparations." Daggat said.

"Nobody died. Thanks to Hunter. You have a good team, if a bit… undisciplined."

"That ogre is a beast! I don't care about your so-called traditions. Cast them out!" Dominic hissed.

"Okay, the fuck is your problem? We haven't done anything to you." Daggat said.

Dominic marched up to him. "You are not meant to be here. Your lot is to give us mortals experience. Not to frolic about, pretending to be people."

"Ouch. Who told you that? Some monsters contribute to the world. And you know some of us are human, right?" Daggat said.

Dominic glanced towards Anath and sneered. "Human? She gave up her humanity a long time ago. Disgusting."

Anath, who was whispering with Zuss, stopped suddenly. Her mandibles quivered and she glared at him. She looked as though she was about to attack. "I…" was all she managed. She dashed off.

She was still emotionally vulnerable, yet had chosen not to engage. That was probably lucky.

Zuss's shadows darkened. Her eyes disappeared in her scarf. Her attention was squarely on Dominic. Then, she followed after her.

"Leofric," Daggat said sweetly, "would you do something about this man before I spear him from ass to throat."

"See! It threatens-" Dominic began.

"DOMINIC!" Leofric yelled, "back off. I know you have your own opinions, but right now, we need every fighter we can get. Back off."

"Fine. But when this backfires, don't expect me to save you." The man walked off in a huff, his thug following.

"Wow. What a piece of shit. Why do you keep him around?"

Leofric sighed. "He holds half the wealth of the village. As much of a pain in the ass he is, his business is necessary."

"What does he do? Y'all seem fairly self-sufficient."

"He owns farmland."

"Okay. And…?"

"That's it, mostly."

"So, why not just give him the boot and take the land?"

"Because then… look, we don't have time for this. We can explain social-economic systems to you after the goblins are dealt with."

"Right, right. So, how many are there?"

"Your scout says a few dozen. They are held up in the barrow fields." He said grimly.

"What are those?"

"It is where we, and many surrounding people, bury our dead."

"Oh…" realization dawned on Daggat. "Oohhhhh. That's not good. That's really not good."

"Why?"

"How many folks are buried down there?"

"I don't know. Thousands?"

"Whew. Alright. So, thing about goblins. You know how monsters get stronger when we eat things?"

"Just get to the point."

"Well, normally, you can't just snack on something that's been dead for too long. Don't get any experience. Except, goblins can. We're scavengers. There is no time limit."

Leofric thought about it for a moment. Lisa gasped when she realized.

"They will have access to thousands, tens of thousands, of levels of experience," Lisa said.

Daggat shivered. That was a lot of levels. What if he could get access to such a treasure trove?

"How, exactly, are the bodies stored?" Daggat asked.

"We bury the dead for a decade. Then, the bones are removed and taken to the barrows where our ancestor's bones are stacked neatly. When a barrow is full, it is filled and sealed with the earth from a new barrow. It's been a practice for the last several hundred years." Leofric said.

"Okay, good. They might take time to uncover then. Got a plan to deal with them?"

"If we wait, then the goblins will surely attack us with more power than we can handle. So, we need to stop them before they dig too deep."

"What about other towns? Surely you keep contact."

Leofric nodded. "Some have already fallen. Monster activity has increased lately, but these large-scale attacks were so sudden, that everyone is scrambling. I haven't heard from many of them. We have ten villages in our network. No one has visited for trade for months. It's been too dangerous."

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"What a mess. So, we're alone?"

"Unless you want to go looking, we are."

"Oh fun, a challenge. I've got six good fighters, level eleven but full of spunk. You?"

"Three fifteens, a twelve, four elevens, and about 50 others. I don't think we have much choice but to attack first. Before they become unmanageable."

Daggat suddenly realized how bone-tired he was. The thought of marching out there and fighting right now was exhausting.

"It's been a rough couple of days for everyone. I'm willing to help, naturally. But, first thing in the morning."

Leofric chuckled. "I've already sent someone to confirm. No offense, but I still can't trust goblins right now. Not entirely. Have your rest. That building over there," he pointed to a wide, flat building, "is set up for you."

"Thanks. Well, I'm going to go check up on the rest of my team."

Leofric nodded at him as he wandered towards Klaw.

He was talking to the dwarves about his armor, but their conversation faded away as Daggat approached.

"Hey there, Pote," Daggat said to the dwarf, who gave him a slight nod. "I'm back."

Klaw held up a hand for Daggat to stop, then his expression twisted to a scowl.

"Turns out, a gut punch is dishonorable." He growled.

"What are-" Daggat began, but Klaw grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him to eye level. He walked him to a nearby wall and pressed him against it.

"But, a bit of threatening isn't."

"Now, now… I know you are mad about… Wait. What are you mad about?"

"' Oh Klaw, be my number two!'" Klaw mocked. "Orc shit. You told us ALL we were in command."

"Right. That. Um, well, it worked!"

"We got into a fight because of it!" Klaw through him to the ground. Daggat scrambled to his feet and looked around. They had gathered a small crowd of onlookers.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But, we should talk about this together."

"Fine. We'll chat at the tavern." He pointed towards it, "They set it up for us. Turns out, adventuring parties are supposed to be treated well. Fat luck with that so far."

"Eh, bigotry. What are you going to do?" Daggat shrugged. "So, what about your armor?"

"They said it can't be fixed. Something about it being moldy. But, they knew the corpse I got it from and are willing to pay for it."

"That might be for the best. I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"I'll handle it. It's MY armor."

"Alright, alright. You, the guy without the psychic aura, can handle it. Sure. I'll see you in a bit, Klaw." Daggat patted him on the shoulder. Klaw growled at him as he wandered away.

Anath and Zuss had joined Hunter. The man with the silver hair stood by, politely nodding along to their conversation.

"Cool armor, ain't it?" Daggat said as he approached.

"Very cool." Hunter agreed.

The silver-haired man stepped towards Daggat, a hand pointed towards him. "Hello, you must be Daggat."

"I am." Daggat had a feeling he was expected to do something with the hand. He gave it an experimental slap. The man raised his eyebrows, then chuckled.

"This is Keaton, the town's Hearth Tender," Hunter explained.

"Ah, nice to meet you. You, um, one of Desmonds or Leofrics?" Daggat asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Which side? It's clear there is a divide."

"Ah. Well, I try to stay… neutral. Though I must admit, I don't agree with their treatment of you."

Daggat beamed at him. "Not a fan, either." He turned to his party, "It's getting late. We should meet at the building they set aside for us."

"You told Anath she was second in command too, didn't you," Zuss said.

"Right, that was not very good, Dag. Started a fight." Hunter said.

"I know, I know. Klaw already laid into me. Tell you what, we'll talk about it. But, not out in the open. Also, where's Elyndris?"

"She's in the tavern, working on her spells.'" Hunter intoned. Then he smiled towards the human. "It was good to meet you, Keaton."

"Likewise. Please, come find me if you have any questions about being a Hearth Tender."

Hunter gave him a slight bow, then followed Daggat towards the tavern.

The tavern itself was one floor, but wide. It had a set of stables that had fallen into disrepair. Smoke rose from a chimney in its center. He pushed his way into the door and was met by a plain, yet warm environment.

A human woman was setting up chairs around tables. She was young, with braided hair. Her stomach was swollen with pregnancy. Based on her aura, she was weaker than Daggat.

"Oh, hello there. Just getting the last of this set up for you. Names Patricia, you can call me Pat."

"Charmed. I'm Daggat. You the, uh, tavern keeper?"

She shook her head. "No, my husband asked me to get this place set up for you."

"You're Leofric's wife?"

"More like he is my husband." She wiped some dust from a chair, then pocketed the rag.

"So, the tavern, not much business then?"

"We've used it as a gathering place for social events. Dances, weddings, things like that. Most folks spend time at the warming hall instead. It's meant to be a place for traveling adventurers, such as yourself. Feel free to rest here. I'll be out of your hair in a moment. If you need anything, I'll be around."

"Well, I am glad to give it some use."

She left Daggat to investigate the tavern. Two hallways led to a selection of smaller rooms, and one room was attached to the main room, though it seemed empty. A common room at one time. There was also a kitchen, a sizable fireplace that was lit, and plenty of furniture to lounge in.

One by one, the crew gathered in the tavern, taking in its basic comforts. Zuss and Klaw were angry with him. Elyndris eventually noticed them and fluttered into the room as well.

"Just so we're clear," Klaw said, "we are going to talk about this ONLY because my fucking oath won't let me beat you into the dirt."

"I don't have an oath." Mused Zuss.

"Come on, let me defend myself first! Look, I told you each that to make sure everyone was taking the adventure seriously. It worked!"

"It did lead to a fight that didn't have to happen," Hunter grumbled.

"And I didn't even get to burn any of them," Elyndris said.

"Look, I am glad to be back together," Daggat said. "I recognize I made a tactical error. But everyone is fine! Better than fine, we gained two levels in two days."

Daggat grinned at his companions, hoping they would just drop it. He was met with three scowls, a faceless worm, and a tired Anath looking back at him. He took a deep breath and prepared to hash things out.

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: 11

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 (1/11): 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)] Aura Sight

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 Strange Ring

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