Esfir watched as offers turned into violence, the orcs squabbling over who was first in line. There was a time, perhaps, where she’d be magnanimous. She couldn’t eat 60 alone, after all, and what was cooked would only grow worse when left for the next day. Sharing fostered a sense of community, and communal ties were the bonds that kept them all above the surface.

Perhaps if she were fifty years younger.

Instead? Esfir took one of the juicier sausages, one sizzling with extra globules of fat, the casing on the verge of cracking and popping, and jammed it right in the mouth of the Runt that had managed to squeeze themselves between the clashing titans and was making some inane offer about giving a penis-shaped mushroom. As they chewed on reflex, the old-souled Runt focused on her core just a bit, trying to envision that strange energy feeding out of her and mixing with her emotions, her gaze. If her Intent towards that Tatzelwurm had been an explosive burst, this one was just a trickle, enough so that her voice had an edge to it, one that demanded attention and forced a pause in the action.

[b]“Oi, break it up, you! While you’re slapping each other ‘round, the sausages are going away!”[/b]

She made a show real quick, taking a bite of a Tatzelwurm Sausage for herself. It was [i]heavy[/i] in flavor, even if the flavour wasn’t anything that could be described as meaty. No sugar, no salt, no spices would do that. But it was sausage all the same, a miracle that transformed organs and blood and other undesirables into something edible and filling.

[b]“I need to eat too, so I won’t be giving them all away, but look at these things. Big, strong orcs like you could eat them all and still be hungry!”[/b] Especially when they all wanted it. [b]“So here. All of you can have some as a taste, and if you like it? Bring me a big beast with big guts. The bigger the better. A pot of water too. Gotta boil it up real proper.”[/b]

She was already cooking the next batch, spreading the links out over the flames.

[b]“And I’ll [i]make[/i] sausage for you boys, ones as big as my arms, so long as I get my share of the meat.”[/b]

Her gaze settled on the Runts that came over. Compared to grown orcs, whatever they brought over could not compare, but their hands were smaller, their minds more pliable.

[b]“You bunch can get some too too, if you do what I tell you to.”[/b]

[hider=Skills][list]
[*][b]Ingestion[/b] - [i]After consuming a required amount of biomass from a particular Creature, 1 of that Creature's Skills can be copied at its lowest Rank.[/i]
[*][b]Frost Arc[/b] - Rank I - [i]An expanding spray of icy cold, over 10 feet in one direction and 5 feet wide at its furthest edge. The cold is more intense the closer the target is to the origin, reaching its lowest temperature within a span of about 2 feet. It constantly expends Magic Power the longer the cone is maintained.[/i]
[*][b]Murderous Intent[/b] - Rank II - [i]Focus hatred and the desire to kill through the subtle senses. A creature that is weaker than you must exert its willpower or be Intimidated (Intimidated creatures suffer reduced speed). A creature that is already Intimidated, Shocked, or Unaware may instead become Fearful and be unable to act for 5 seconds. Creatures that are stronger than you can only be Intimidated by this Skill if they are already Shocked or Unaware, but their willpower threshold is higher. [b]At Rank II[/b], creatures weaker than you will be made Fearful instead of Intimidated. If they are already Intimidated, Shocked, or Unaware, the effect of Fearful will be extended to 10 seconds. Creatures that are equal to you will suffer Rank I effects.[/i]
[*]Empty Skill Slot[/list][/hider]
[hider=Equipment and Inventory][list]
[*][b]Swaddling Pelts[/b] - Equip, Clothes - [i]Old animal skins used to keep an Orc baby warm as they sleep. Once the Runt is old enough to start hunting, these are usually just enough to cover the parts that need the most covering.[/i]
[*][b]Antler Bracers[/b] - Equip, Armor - [i]A type of bone armor used to protect the arms. Materials such as fangs, teeth, horn, antler, etc can be quite tough, but typically aren't as hard as metals. They are somewhat resistant to physical damage, though less so against Blunt impacts. [b]Light Defense Boost![/b][/i]
[*][b]Sharp Rock[/b] - Equip, Weapon/Tool, Material Component - [i]A rock with a slightly sharp edge. Useful as a primitive knife or chisel. Can be thrown.[/i]
[*][b]Flint Hatchet[/b] - Equip, Weapon/Tool - [i]A sharper edge than a Stone Hatchet of equivalent size, but lighter and more brittle. Requires more strength and proper alignment to get a good chop, but most wood will be cut faster.[/i]
[*][b]Borrowed Antler Pickaxe[/b] - Equip, Weapon/Tool - [i]A pickaxe made with a sturdy piece of wood and a sharpened antler. Can harvest softer stones and some ores! It can be used as a piercing weapon, even on hard shelled creatures, but it wasn't designed for that. [b]High Quality. On Loan from Bowbh.[/b][/i]
[*][b]Jackalope Spear[/b] - 2H Weapon - [i]A decent, if primitive spear. Not suitable as a throwing weapon due to its weight, but made of tough, sturdy materials. Jackalope horn is surprisingly sharp, almost as much so as metal.[/i]
[*][b]Stomach-Bag[/b] - Small bag, improved from an Elwet's stomach.
[*][b]Rotleaves x5[/b]
[*][b]Rotleaf Seedpods x6[/b]
[*][b]Gizzard Sparkstone[/b]
[*][b]Elwet Feathers[/b]
[*][b]Raw Chalcopyrite Ore x3[/b]
[*][b]Bufonite x3[/b]
[*][b]Tungem Branch x3[/b]
[*][b]Jackalope Point x3[/b]
[*][b]Broken Jackalope Point x2[/b]
[*][b]Pimplestool Mushroom x2[/b]
[*][b]Crushed Pimplestool[/b]
[*][b]Mushroom Shreds x3[/b]
[*][b]Mycellium Lash x2[/b]
[*][b]Frayed Mycellium Lash x2[/b]
[*][b]Cracked Tatzelwurm Fang x1[/b]
[*][b]Tatzelwurm Fang x2[/b]
[*][b]Tatzelwurm Claws x3[/b]
[*][b]Cracked Tatzelwurm Claws x2[/b]
[*][b]Tatzelwurm Coilbone x1[/b]
[*][b]Crushed Tatzelwurm Eye x2[/b]
[*][b]Harpy Tooth x1[/b]
[*][b]Harpy Talon x3[/b]
[*][b]Broken Harpy Talon x1[/b]
[*][b]Harpy Wing Membrane x2[/b]
[*][b]Harpy Screech Valve x1[/b]
[/list]
[/hider]
[@Zeroth]