Shepherd seems surprised. She lowers her shepherd's crook to the floor. The dog runs forward, looking up at Esa with his tongue lolling.
"I could do that. But not all day. I only have 10 sheep left after the Iron Circle hobgoblins butchered the others for no reason while I was in town, helping defend it. But the remaining sheep keep me busy. And since the Iron Circle have been here things have been weird on my property. You probably felt it as soon as you crossed the creek. Yesterday a bunch of twig blights appeared from nowhere and attacked me - you've seen their remains. Birds don't come close to the house. The sheep stay far away as they can. Rollo here," she nodded towards the black and white dog, "would probably like to stay away too, but dogs are loyal. At first I thought the locals were doing it somehow but now I think it's something else. I wish I knew what, then maybe I'd sleep better."
She sighs. "Part of me half thinks your offer is some kind of trick to give me hope, or make me look stupid. I haven't had an easy time of it here. Tieflings are not well regarded, sadly for good reason most of the time. But you are one of the fey, if it's a trick it would not be so blatant. I will take you on your word, Esa the Delver. Were you thinking daily lessons? Regardless it will cost you 1sp per daily lesson."
Esa listens intently, understanding the Sheppard's hesitation. "I understand your reluctance. My kind are known for their trickery, though I will say there are some of us who are judged too quickly because of that, something I'm sure you've experienced first hand." Esa gestures to the Sheppard's horns.
"I search only for knowledge. If you are willing, daily lessons would suit me well, and I am happy to pay your fee. And in return, I will gladly provide any help where I can. I am not needed back with my party for a few days. If you'll permit me, I can camp out here and use my down time to look into the issues you're facing. Perhaps my skills and knowledge can be of assistance. Though I must return to my party in time for our next venture, I will gladly emplore them to return here once complete if need be to assist you further, as well as to hopefully resume my studies."
Shepherd shrugs. "If you can I would gratefully accept your help, but I've just realised you're one of the delvers everyone has been talking about. Apparently you're going to storm the keep in Harken and put everyone of of the Iron Circle to the sword. If you can do that I suspect you wouldn't really need to learn Infernal," she smiles. Some of her teeth are pointed. It makes her look even more predatory. Esa can see how some humans would be unnerved.
"The best way to learn is the same as a child. Words first - for objects and concepts. Then making words into sentences. Let's start learning words."
For the next few hours Shepherd taught Esa words for objects. She got Esa to repeat constantly while touching the object if they had it to hand, or doing it should it be a verb.
"In your mind link the word in Infernal to the object or action. Do not translate it into common or fey first."
Esa got through a suprisingly long list of words and remembered most of them by the time the sun set.
"You did well, you have a good mind," smiled Shepherd. She gestured and the firepit burst into flames. Esa started. She hadn't realised Shepherd was a spellcaster.
Shepherd noticed her surprise. "I don't know how I do it, really. It's a bit chaotic with me. I've not studied magic, it's just... in me. It came in handy when those twig blights appeared." Esa remembered how some of them had been burned, others frozen, and others damaged by acid.
"You must off back to town, and I must put my sheep in their enclosure, and feed Rollo. See you tomorrow, Esa the Delver."
Shepherd shrugs. "If you can I would gratefully accept your help, but I've just realised you're one of the delvers everyone has been talking about. Apparently you're going to storm the keep in Harken and put everyone of of the Iron Circle to the sword. If you can do that I suspect you wouldn't really need to learn Infernal," she smiles. Some of her teeth are pointed. It makes her look even more predatory. Esa can see how some humans would be unnerved.
"The best way to learn is the same as a child. Words first - for objects and concepts. Then making words into sentences. Let's start learning words."
For the next few hours Shepherd taught Esa words for objects. She got Esa to repeat constantly while touching the object if they had it to hand, or doing it should it be a verb.
"In your mind link the word in Infernal to the object or action. Do not translate it into common or fey first."
Esa got through a suprisingly long list of words and remembered most of them by the time the sun set.
"You did well, you have a good mind," smiled Shepherd. She gestured and the firepit burst into flames. Esa started. She hadn't realised Shepherd was a spellcaster.
Shepherd noticed her surprise. "I don't know how I do it, really. It's a bit chaotic with me. I've not studied magic, it's just... in me. It came in handy when those twig blights appeared." Esa remembered how some of them had been burned, others frozen, and others damaged by acid.
"You must off back to town, and I must put my sheep in their enclosure, and feed Rollo. See you tomorrow, Esa the Delver."
Esa thanks her teacher and departs. However, as soon as she gets to the edge of Sheppard's lands, she flies high into a nearby tree and sets herself up there. Partly to give her the most time here that she can, Esa is also curious to see if there is another attack on Sheppard's farm.
She will sleep in the tree, amusing herself by imagining how RL and Grimbald do this so often, and awake early to watch the area until it's time to return to Sheppard.
Esa thanks her teacher and departs. However, as soon as she gets to the edge of Sheppard's lands, she flies high into a nearby tree and sets herself up there. Partly to give her the most time here that she can, Esa is also curious to see if there is another attack on Sheppard's farm.
She will sleep in the tree, amusing herself by imagining how RL and Grimbald do this so often, and awake early to watch the area until it's time to return to Sheppard.
Esa sees Shepherd round up the chickens and put them in the pen. She feeds her dog some meat, and cooks and eats some herself, along with a raw carrot, both of them sitting at the fire pit.
At one point there is a.. Esa thinks of it as a cry, but an eerie one.. she's not sure if she actually heard it or felt it. Rollo starts barking running in a circle and the chickens in the pen cluck wildly. Shepherd starts and looks to the house. It stops and she shakes her head, muttering, and goes back to her food, but is clearly disturbed.
Shepherd looks like she doesn't feel like eating any more and throws her food into Rollo's tin bowl. Then she spends the next hour rounding up her 10 sheep and putting them in a small building off to the side of the house. It's too small to be a barn, was perhaps a storage shed at some point. Then she sighs, takes a big breath, and goes into her house, holding the door open for Rollo who needs to be coaxed inside. Then the door closes and Shepherd stays there for the night.
Esa's sleep is troubled by dreams of being trapped in darkness, of not being able to find a way out, confusion, desperation. It doesn't help she really doesn't have any warm clothing and it is a cold night. The pixie wakes several times before dawn finally comes.
RL will hang out at the inn until its time to sleep.
If Esa isnt back he will talk to Grimbald, Augustin and Vakiel about whether we should be worried and go and look for her, who knows whats going on in the countryside after finding the Ankheg caverns.
“Well to be honest Reithann, I am not 100% sure what to do with this or anything information. Im not much of a thinker, im more of a doer” He says whilst pretending to shadow box the air. “Not to say I'm stupid, I mean I know things, but I don’t know what those things mean” He mutters to himself; “I hope that makes sense”
“What I do know can be summed up quite simply…The Iron Circle is wrecking the joint, to find? To kill? To destroy? These Primal Sprits, which apparently is represented by my friends and I.”
He takes a sip of the tea and does a quick scan of the room, looking for nothing in particular, just taking in the strange environment around him. If he does see anything interesting he will politely enquire about it after the business side of things is attended too. He looks like a young man stuck recognising he is out of his depth, lost and alone in the strange world before him.
“Now, two things here. I do not like my friends and I being targetted and hurt on a regular basis. I have run out of appendages to count how many times I have died. And my friendship extends to beyond my travelling companions to everyone being persecuted by the Iron Circle as I made an Oath to protect people, but more importantly their ideals.”
“Secondly, The Iron Circle is just bad news for everyone. If these Primal Spririts or whatever they are called are the barrier to stopping the end of the world or….look I don’t have the exact details, I just know they are important and no one seems to be looking out for them. From what I have heard is they keep everything in order? Balance? They keep the place running…well.” Augustin trails off lost in his own thoughts.
“If these Primal Spirits are real and as important as everyone thinks, and I think they are, given all the secrecy, then perhaps we should find out what they want us to do.”
Augustin pulls out his horn and turns it around in his hands a few times.
“Apparently these Ancient relic… things are….I don’t know. But the Iron Circle want them, and their willing to wage to obtain them. A few of them have turned up in the company I keep, which doesn’t seem entirely coincidental either.”
He takes a big gulp of his tea before standing up and pacing around the room. Desperation and confusion starts to creep into his voice, the frightened out of place looking more like a timid boy being scolded for not doing his chores.
“…I just, its been a big few weeks and I don’t like nearly dying every second day. I know who I am swinging my sword at, which is what I am good at. I just don’t see the big picture and I need to understand why we are doing this.”
He stops pacing mid room and focusses on nothing in particular. Augustin appears to come back to the present and straightens himself back up, literally shaking off his nerves and anxiety. He composes himself and sits back down, pouring another tea for himself and Reithann.
He looks solemly at Reithann, the timid little boy fading away to a distant memory.
“Reithann, were finding these relics and hearing of shrines, of rituals of worship, of gods and deities. I am going to stop the Iron Circle. I at least want to know that what am I protecting wants that to happen.... but...”
Augustin trails off whilst whilst sipping his tea. He is no longer looking confused our lost, a broken man with no direction. He is fit, he is prepared, but most imporatntly he is has a purpose and a meaning. His eyes catch the light and reflected in there it looks like a small fire has been lit.
“I am the Avatar of the Master of the Hunt. I have found my prey. I do not need reason to pursue it. We will bring the Iron Circle to its knees. The Primal Spirits need to decide now if they wish to help us or watch.”
Reithann snorts and gives an almost girlish giggle.
"Oh my boy. You are not the avatar of the Master of the Hunt. You do have the artefact of that primal spirit. You could become the avatar of the Master of the Hunt if you find the required ritual - oh I don't know what it is - and a temple dedicated to the Master of the Hunt. But you have no idea of what becoming a Primal Spirit would entail, what it means, what you would have to give up. You should know this before you commit. I think it's about time you talked to Missy White. She is, as I think you know, the primal spirit of the White River. But.. that's not all she is. Talk to her."
Reithann finishes her tea and puts the cup on the table. Lorel asks if she wants another and the elderly druid shakes her head and smiles. Reithann turns back to Augustin.
"Aiwili lives in Dal Nystiere. She keeps it free of monsters - or at least free of non-fey monsters. If you've been there, or near there already, I expect she would have seen you. There's not much she doesn't see. She will not suffer fools, so you must know what you want of her before you go. She may ask something of you in return for knowledge or favour."
Reithann sighs.
"One more thing. The primal spirits - the big five at least - are not in any position to either watch or help. They are not conscious, not even sentient. You will get no help from them. I do not know much, but I know that. And with that I will bid you farewell. I have things I must do before the end of the day."
Augustin knows a polite dismissal when he hears it. He thanks Reithann graciously and leaves, heading back to Albridge.
Once back he is met by RL, looking worried. RL tells Augustin that Esa has not been seen for many hours. Some locals in the pub have told him that she was asking about the way to the tiefling farm. Chances of finding it in the dark are not good.
A grey, overcast day. Mist from the river in the morning, followed by drizzly rain for the rest of the day.
Events for today:
Dwarf merchants from Hammerfast arrive around midday. They bring ale, fungi products, and are leaving with agricultural products, including fish and fish products. Grimbald is planning to approach them to return the body of Tholarn Goldspinner in the plain coffin, along with a note from Grimbald.
Augustin is due to get his tattoo today from Elza Wood, partner of Stervun Nilsson the carpenter and woodworker. He also plans to call on Missy White.
Esa to continue her Infernal language sessions with Shepherd.
Esa awakens in the tree, cold although protected from the wind and dew by the branches and leaves.
She sees Shepherd leave her cottage around dawn. She lets the sheep out and feed them, checking a couple for whatever shepherds need to check sheep for. The sheep look happy to be running off to the far paddock away from the house. Rollo keeps an eye on the sheep and helps them gather as a flock in the far paddock, then trots back to his mistress, his happy tongue lolling out of his mouth on one side.
Shepherd gathers eggs, then feeds the chickens and lets them out to scratch around the yard. They don't seem to be too bothered by much although none go near the house. The tiefling inspects her nearby fences and grounds and apparently satisfied, goes back inside. There are no reoccurences of the noise Esa heard, but she still feels that sense of discomfort.
RL will follow Augustin around for the day if Augustin is ok with that, he is interested to see what the tattooing will be like as well as seeing more of social interaction from a different party member.
Grimbald warns the party. "I don't trust that Missy White, It's no hospitality to invite me into their home only to compel and coerce the truth that was freely offered. Im not going to her house. never accept her tea or offers of anything else"
Grimbald warns the party. "I don't trust that Missy White, It's no hospitality to invite me into their home only to compel and coerce the truth that was freely offered. Im not going to her house. never accept her tea or offers of anything else"
Grimbald will you and Vakiel if you are both not busy please keep an eye our for Esa and an eye on Missy Whites while we are in there?
Augustin gets his tattoo in the morning with RL watching. It takes a few hours and is after lunch before he is ready. She uses needles of various sizes, and pots of various coloured ink. They talk as Elza Wood works, and Augustin and RL find out that her husband Stervun Nilsson is from the Winterbole Forest which was at the northern border of the Nentir Vale, and he was part of a tribe of barbarians of comprised of both human and shifter members called the Tigerclaw Barbarians. The Tigerclaw are a people of two castes: the tiger-blooded shifters who rule, and the horde of human barbarians that form the bulk of the tribe. There was scope for advancement and Stervun tried to elevate himself to the ruling class, but to do so had to overcome a sabre-tooth tiger and he was unable to do so. Rather than revert back to his station as "tamed", Stervun decided to leave his home and soothe his disappointment with travel.
"Lucky for me he did," said Erza. "We met, fell in love, and we have our two strong sons, Jorgen and Anders. Lucky for him too, of course." Erza grins. She looks at her work. "Looks like we're done now!"
The tattoo on the back of Augustin's hand is of an acorn spliting and vines with blossoms growing from it. The vines are just beginning to grow up his arm. The colouring is subtle and effective, and the shading is exquisite, giving it a 3D effect.
The money exchanges hands (1sp, 5cp) and Elza suggests rubbing alcohol on it for the next few days. Preferably spirits, not beer.
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Esa listens intently, understanding the Sheppard's hesitation. "I understand your reluctance. My kind are known for their trickery, though I will say there are some of us who are judged too quickly because of that, something I'm sure you've experienced first hand." Esa gestures to the Sheppard's horns.
"I search only for knowledge. If you are willing, daily lessons would suit me well, and I am happy to pay your fee. And in return, I will gladly provide any help where I can. I am not needed back with my party for a few days. If you'll permit me, I can camp out here and use my down time to look into the issues you're facing. Perhaps my skills and knowledge can be of assistance. Though I must return to my party in time for our next venture, I will gladly emplore them to return here once complete if need be to assist you further, as well as to hopefully resume my studies."
Shepherd shrugs. "If you can I would gratefully accept your help, but I've just realised you're one of the delvers everyone has been talking about. Apparently you're going to storm the keep in Harken and put everyone of of the Iron Circle to the sword. If you can do that I suspect you wouldn't really need to learn Infernal," she smiles. Some of her teeth are pointed. It makes her look even more predatory. Esa can see how some humans would be unnerved.
"The best way to learn is the same as a child. Words first - for objects and concepts. Then making words into sentences. Let's start learning words."
For the next few hours Shepherd taught Esa words for objects. She got Esa to repeat constantly while touching the object if they had it to hand, or doing it should it be a verb.
"In your mind link the word in Infernal to the object or action. Do not translate it into common or fey first."
Esa got through a suprisingly long list of words and remembered most of them by the time the sun set.
"You did well, you have a good mind," smiled Shepherd. She gestured and the firepit burst into flames. Esa started. She hadn't realised Shepherd was a spellcaster.
Shepherd noticed her surprise. "I don't know how I do it, really. It's a bit chaotic with me. I've not studied magic, it's just... in me. It came in handy when those twig blights appeared." Esa remembered how some of them had been burned, others frozen, and others damaged by acid.
"You must off back to town, and I must put my sheep in their enclosure, and feed Rollo. See you tomorrow, Esa the Delver."
RL will go and wait for the others at the inn and proudly smoke a pipe of pipeweed while he waits to show that he has learned how to do it.
There's some other patrons smoking with pipes, but they are all shorter than RL's pipe.
Esa thanks her teacher and departs. However, as soon as she gets to the edge of Sheppard's lands, she flies high into a nearby tree and sets herself up there. Partly to give her the most time here that she can, Esa is also curious to see if there is another attack on Sheppard's farm.
She will sleep in the tree, amusing herself by imagining how RL and Grimbald do this so often, and awake early to watch the area until it's time to return to Sheppard.
pipe envy must be a thing :P
Esa sees Shepherd round up the chickens and put them in the pen. She feeds her dog some meat, and cooks and eats some herself, along with a raw carrot, both of them sitting at the fire pit.
At one point there is a.. Esa thinks of it as a cry, but an eerie one.. she's not sure if she actually heard it or felt it. Rollo starts barking running in a circle and the chickens in the pen cluck wildly. Shepherd starts and looks to the house. It stops and she shakes her head, muttering, and goes back to her food, but is clearly disturbed.
Shepherd looks like she doesn't feel like eating any more and throws her food into Rollo's tin bowl. Then she spends the next hour rounding up her 10 sheep and putting them in a small building off to the side of the house. It's too small to be a barn, was perhaps a storage shed at some point. Then she sighs, takes a big breath, and goes into her house, holding the door open for Rollo who needs to be coaxed inside. Then the door closes and Shepherd stays there for the night.
Esa's sleep is troubled by dreams of being trapped in darkness, of not being able to find a way out, confusion, desperation. It doesn't help she really doesn't have any warm clothing and it is a cold night. The pixie wakes several times before dawn finally comes.
Esa won't say anything to Sheppard about sleeping in the tree or the cry she heard. She pretends to come from the town in the morning for her lessons.
RL will hang out at the inn until its time to sleep.
If Esa isnt back he will talk to Grimbald, Augustin and Vakiel about whether we should be worried and go and look for her, who knows whats going on in the countryside after finding the Ankheg caverns.
“Well to be honest Reithann, I am not 100% sure what to do with this or anything information. Im not much of a thinker, im more of a doer” He says whilst pretending to shadow box the air. “Not to say I'm stupid, I mean I know things, but I don’t know what those things mean” He mutters to himself; “I hope that makes sense”
“What I do know can be summed up quite simply…The Iron Circle is wrecking the joint, to find? To kill? To destroy? These Primal Sprits, which apparently is represented by my friends and I.”
He takes a sip of the tea and does a quick scan of the room, looking for nothing in particular, just taking in the strange environment around him. If he does see anything interesting he will politely enquire about it after the business side of things is attended too. He looks like a young man stuck recognising he is out of his depth, lost and alone in the strange world before him.
“Now, two things here. I do not like my friends and I being targetted and hurt on a regular basis. I have run out of appendages to count how many times I have died. And my friendship extends to beyond my travelling companions to everyone being persecuted by the Iron Circle as I made an Oath to protect people, but more importantly their ideals.”
“Secondly, The Iron Circle is just bad news for everyone. If these Primal Spririts or whatever they are called are the barrier to stopping the end of the world or….look I don’t have the exact details, I just know they are important and no one seems to be looking out for them. From what I have heard is they keep everything in order? Balance? They keep the place running…well.” Augustin trails off lost in his own thoughts.
“If these Primal Spirits are real and as important as everyone thinks, and I think they are, given all the secrecy, then perhaps we should find out what they want us to do.”
Augustin pulls out his horn and turns it around in his hands a few times.
“Apparently these Ancient relic… things are….I don’t know. But the Iron Circle want them, and their willing to wage to obtain them. A few of them have turned up in the company I keep, which doesn’t seem entirely coincidental either.”
He takes a big gulp of his tea before standing up and pacing around the room. Desperation and confusion starts to creep into his voice, the frightened out of place looking more like a timid boy being scolded for not doing his chores.
“…I just, its been a big few weeks and I don’t like nearly dying every second day. I know who I am swinging my sword at, which is what I am good at. I just don’t see the big picture and I need to understand why we are doing this.”
He stops pacing mid room and focusses on nothing in particular. Augustin appears to come back to the present and straightens himself back up, literally shaking off his nerves and anxiety. He composes himself and sits back down, pouring another tea for himself and Reithann.
He looks solemly at Reithann, the timid little boy fading away to a distant memory.
“Reithann, were finding these relics and hearing of shrines, of rituals of worship, of gods and deities. I am going to stop the Iron Circle. I at least want to know that what am I protecting wants that to happen.... but...”
Augustin trails off whilst whilst sipping his tea. He is no longer looking confused our lost, a broken man with no direction. He is fit, he is prepared, but most imporatntly he is has a purpose and a meaning. His eyes catch the light and reflected in there it looks like a small fire has been lit.
“I am the Avatar of the Master of the Hunt. I have found my prey. I do not need reason to pursue it. We will bring the Iron Circle to its knees. The Primal Spirits need to decide now if they wish to help us or watch.”
Reithann snorts and gives an almost girlish giggle.
"Oh my boy. You are not the avatar of the Master of the Hunt. You do have the artefact of that primal spirit. You could become the avatar of the Master of the Hunt if you find the required ritual - oh I don't know what it is - and a temple dedicated to the Master of the Hunt. But you have no idea of what becoming a Primal Spirit would entail, what it means, what you would have to give up. You should know this before you commit. I think it's about time you talked to Missy White. She is, as I think you know, the primal spirit of the White River. But.. that's not all she is. Talk to her."
Reithann finishes her tea and puts the cup on the table. Lorel asks if she wants another and the elderly druid shakes her head and smiles. Reithann turns back to Augustin.
"Aiwili lives in Dal Nystiere. She keeps it free of monsters - or at least free of non-fey monsters. If you've been there, or near there already, I expect she would have seen you. There's not much she doesn't see. She will not suffer fools, so you must know what you want of her before you go. She may ask something of you in return for knowledge or favour."
Reithann sighs.
"One more thing. The primal spirits - the big five at least - are not in any position to either watch or help. They are not conscious, not even sentient. You will get no help from them. I do not know much, but I know that. And with that I will bid you farewell. I have things I must do before the end of the day."
Augustin knows a polite dismissal when he hears it. He thanks Reithann graciously and leaves, heading back to Albridge.
Once back he is met by RL, looking worried. RL tells Augustin that Esa has not been seen for many hours. Some locals in the pub have told him that she was asking about the way to the tiefling farm. Chances of finding it in the dark are not good.
Augustin leaves, quite pleased. He is fairly certain he got the answers he wanted and a new lead to follow.
When he catches up with RL he tells him what he knows and makes plans to find Missy White in the morning.
Augustin assures RL that Esa is safe. Providing she doesn't blow herself up again.
15th day of Latesummer
A grey, overcast day. Mist from the river in the morning, followed by drizzly rain for the rest of the day.
Events for today:
Dwarf merchants from Hammerfast arrive around midday. They bring ale, fungi products, and are leaving with agricultural products, including fish and fish products. Grimbald is planning to approach them to return the body of Tholarn Goldspinner in the plain coffin, along with a note from Grimbald.
Augustin is due to get his tattoo today from Elza Wood, partner of Stervun Nilsson the carpenter and woodworker. He also plans to call on Missy White.
Esa to continue her Infernal language sessions with Shepherd.
Esa awakens in the tree, cold although protected from the wind and dew by the branches and leaves.
She sees Shepherd leave her cottage around dawn. She lets the sheep out and feed them, checking a couple for whatever shepherds need to check sheep for. The sheep look happy to be running off to the far paddock away from the house. Rollo keeps an eye on the sheep and helps them gather as a flock in the far paddock, then trots back to his mistress, his happy tongue lolling out of his mouth on one side.
Shepherd gathers eggs, then feeds the chickens and lets them out to scratch around the yard. They don't seem to be too bothered by much although none go near the house. The tiefling inspects her nearby fences and grounds and apparently satisfied, goes back inside. There are no reoccurences of the noise Esa heard, but she still feels that sense of discomfort.
RL will follow Augustin around for the day if Augustin is ok with that, he is interested to see what the tattooing will be like as well as seeing more of social interaction from a different party member.
Grimbald warns the party. "I don't trust that Missy White, It's no hospitality to invite me into their home only to compel and coerce the truth that was freely offered. Im not going to her house. never accept her tea or offers of anything else"
Grimbald will you and Vakiel if you are both not busy please keep an eye our for Esa and an eye on Missy Whites while we are in there?
"Sure" Grimbald checks over his cross-bows
Esa decides not to mention her uneasy feeling. She returns to Sheppard's home on time for her lessons, masking her discomfort and remaining on edge.
Augustin gets his tattoo in the morning with RL watching. It takes a few hours and is after lunch before he is ready. She uses needles of various sizes, and pots of various coloured ink. They talk as Elza Wood works, and Augustin and RL find out that her husband Stervun Nilsson is from the Winterbole Forest which was at the northern border of the Nentir Vale, and he was part of a tribe of barbarians of comprised of both human and shifter members called the Tigerclaw Barbarians. The Tigerclaw are a people of two castes: the tiger-blooded shifters who rule, and the horde of human barbarians that form the bulk of the tribe. There was scope for advancement and Stervun tried to elevate himself to the ruling class, but to do so had to overcome a sabre-tooth tiger and he was unable to do so. Rather than revert back to his station as "tamed", Stervun decided to leave his home and soothe his disappointment with travel.
"Lucky for me he did," said Erza. "We met, fell in love, and we have our two strong sons, Jorgen and Anders. Lucky for him too, of course." Erza grins. She looks at her work. "Looks like we're done now!"
The tattoo on the back of Augustin's hand is of an acorn spliting and vines with blossoms growing from it. The vines are just beginning to grow up his arm. The colouring is subtle and effective, and the shading is exquisite, giving it a 3D effect.
The money exchanges hands (1sp, 5cp) and Elza suggests rubbing alcohol on it for the next few days. Preferably spirits, not beer.