“Yes.”
“The scholarly game?”
“The very same.”
Exemplars, according to Fawkes, was the Aernor equivalent of a pen-and-paper role-playing game, a popular pastime among nerdy scholars and academy students with too much time on their hands. When Hunter had first tried to jot down a list of his attributes, skills, and abilities to help Fawkes understand how the System worked, she’d remarked on the striking resemblance.
“It might be a surprise to you, sirrah, but Aumir was not always of the Hunt. He once used to be a student of more scholarly pursuits, twice a donkey’s age ago and more. Which is to say, yes; Aumir knows Exemplars better than Aumir would care to admit.”
“Good, that makes this much simpler. Us Transients, see, have this thing I like to call the System. It’s a way to quantify—“
“Aumir also knows what your System is, greenhorn,” the huntsman cut him off, already catching on. “Let Aumir see, then.”
The man took the notebook from Hunter’s lap and began poring over the handwritten pages, pausing only to pack a fresh bowl for his pipe. Smoke curled lazily around his head as he read, eyes narrowing in concentration. Time passed—more than enough for Aumir to finish his smoke, tap out the ash, and pack his pipe again. Hunter didn’t interrupt him.
“Let Aumir get this straight,” he said at last. “This list, these Abilities. You can learn how to use them, but you have not done so yet, yes?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Why so?”
“Learning each of these Abilities requires me to spend one point of Inspiration,” Hunter turned a page and pointed at the Attributes section of the handwritten copy of his Character Sheet.
“Of which, as I understand it, you have… five?”
“Correct.”
“What good are they, just sitting there?”
“Good question. I’m saving them up for now, in case something more interesting comes up.”
“To be frugal is one thing,” Aumir shook his head. “To be stingy and a skinflint, sirrah… that’s quite another.”
Hunter opened his mouth to protest. He’d had more than enough of being talked down to over the past few months, and it was starting to wear thin. The other man, however, beat him to it.
“…that is not to say you are either. A wise man treads lightly where the path is dim, as the old proverb goes. Still, unless I have misread your notes, it would serve you well to learn a few of these as soon as possible. If you mean to walk the path of the Hunt, that is.”
“Show me.”
“This one, and this one, for starters,” Aumir pointed at the names of a couple of abilities on the page. “And this one. And maybe this, too. Let’s start with these four, and then we’ll see how things go, yes?”
Hunter focused on his HUD and pulled up the descriptions of the Abilities. He hadn’t written everything down in the notebook; some of the entries were too long for him to bother copying by hand. Lines upon lines of text flickered into view, and he started reading them out lout for Aumir to hear, eyes glazed over.
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Wildcrafting is a practical, field-oriented skill closely related to Herbalism. It enables the identification and harvesting of plants, herbs, fungi, and other natural materials found in the wild.
These resources can then be processed into crafting components, basic alchemical remedies, poultices, and survival supplies, making it a versatile and valuable ability for explorers and wanderers alike.
At higher ranks, Wildcrafting becomes more efficient and effective. Increased mastery improves yield, enhances the potency of crafted items, and reduces the likelihood that any adverse or toxic properties present in raw materials will carry over into the final product.
Pathfinder grants an in-depth, intuitive understanding of the land and those who move through it. This ability allows you to identify, discover, and navigate the fastest and safest routes across nearly any terrain or natural environment, whether forest, swamp, mountain, or wasteland. It excels in situations where time, stealth, or survival are critical.
At higher ranks, Pathfinder also aids in tracking the movements of others, human or otherwise, and in concealing your own trail to avoid detection. Improved proficiency enhances your ability to read subtle signs in the environment, from disturbed underbrush to faint footprints, while minimizing your own impact on the land.
Make Contact allows the practitioner to reach across the boundary that separates the seen from the unseen, drawing upon their Insight to commune with a spiritual presence or a place steeped in hidden power.
The connection is never guaranteed, as uncertainty is woven into the act itself. Those attuned, however, may glean truths, omens, or guidance whispered from behind the veil.
Success depends on where the contact is made, the entity’s willingness to be known, and the practitioner’s grasp of deeper perception.
At higher ranks, the communion becomes more stable, less hazardous, and, ideally, reciprocal.
Rite of the Hunt allows the huntsman to mark a chosen target as their prey, declaring a Hunt. Once invoked, this rite grants a range of mystical advantages that aid in tracking, pursuing, and ultimately bringing down the chosen quarry.
These benefits may include heightened perception, increased tracking and movement efficiency through terrain, insights into the target’s behavior or weaknesses, and the ability to create special trophies from the remains of the hunted.
At higher ranks, the rite becomes more precise and potent, unlocking new advantages tailored to different prey types and increasing the overall intensity and duration of the Hunt’s bonuses.
Aumir listened in silence, pipe smoldering at his side, waiting for Hunter to finish.
“It is as Aumir thought,” he said at last. “These skills, these abilities… Aumir meant to teach you anyway. It would save us a great deal of precious time if their basics were already planted in your mind by that System of yours.”
“What do I do, then?” Hunter asked. “Do I learn them?”
“If you so choose, then yes,” Aumir shrugged. “Others can show you the way, yes, but in the end, your path is yours to travel.”
Hunter couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Fawkes, Wroth, now the huntsman—everyone and their mother had an opinion on what he should focus on. But at the end of the day, he was the one who’d be stuck with the responsibility and the consequences. Was he being a bit unfair? Probably. Still, he felt like he was being tugged in every direction, and he was starting to get sick of it.
“Baheep,” he said with a sigh. “In for a penny, in for a pound.”
Your Wildcrafting has increased to 1. Your Inspiration is now 4.
Your Pathfinder has increased to 1. Your Inspiration is now 3.
Your Make Contact has increased to 1. Your Inspiration is now 2.
Your Rite of the Hunt has increased to 1. Your Inspiration is now 1.
Hunter braced himself for the sickening recoil that came with the knowledge of four different Abilities being forcibly downloaded into his brain. To his surprise, it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d expected. It still kicked like a horse, sure, but this time he was spared the migraine and nosebleed.
“I sense a change in your spirit,” said Aumir, studying his pained expression. “Is it done, then?”
“It is.”
“So quickly?” he marveled. “If only I had this System, back when I was a greenhorn like you…”
“So, what now?” Hunter cut in, not in the mood for ifs and buts.
“Now we practice,” the huntsman said, turning his attention back to the slow-boiling stew. “Between these four abilities of yours and your archery, we’ll have more than enough on our plate for quite some time. More time than we actually have, probably—but what can you do? Stew’s ready, by the way. Grab a bowl and a spoon.”
Aumir served him, and Hunter attacked the stew with as much chagrin as gusto; he was still vexed from before.
“Patience, sirrah,” the huntsman said, as if reading his mind. “It will all pan out in the end. You’ll see.”
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