Acquiring the totem: King Crocodile

[Varthakh]

8th Ashan 717

Just a trill ago...

Fridgar watched as the woman sped away on her horse. Wow, was she sarcastic. One thing certain was that she would have a hard time in Etzos talking to people like that. Still, Fridgar would pummel someone for her again; he appreciated her honesty. This wasn't the time to contemplate events that had just passed. Pieces of his intestines had been shredded along with his abdomen and he didn't have ANY hope of using Chrysalis after previously exhausting his ether while beating the bird thing. With a horrific, gore spattered tear in his gut, Fridgar removed the long bow he'd stolen, then his leather jacket and what was left of his shirt.

Groaning with pain, he pressed into his wound with his paw, hoping to somehow put it back together. No, he was well and truly fucked if he tried this on his own. Fridgar recognised that he needed to get Alistair's attention, but needed to collect his dues first. Sore as all hell, Fridgar bent over while clenching his gut and gripped his bag before slinging it over his bare shoulder. With his core strength greatly impacted, ordinary actions were difficult, very difficult. It was as though there was nothing to hold his body upright.

Clutching his wound, he stumbled for the dead crocodile before dropping to his knee at the water's edge. Blood had, of course, ran down into his trousers and along his legs, staining his trousers with dark patches of tinted red. With a heavy arm, he would roll his shoulder and cast the bag to the floor. With his hand still pressing firmly into his open flesh, the Lothar used his free paw to work a bandage free of his bag. Without mercy, he wrapped the bandage around his abdomen as tight as he could without breaking the fabric of the dressing. he applied two other bandages just to be sure, all wrapped around the one wound.

It would hold until he could cast Chrysalis once more, but could he? Time would soon tell. Fridgar removed the empty vial from his bag and set it gently among the rocks after removing the cork. Then, he pulled his masterwork dagger from the fractured skull of the creature in a hefty yank that left him wincing. The bandages around his waist darkened as he further exerted himself. Refusing to slow down, he lifted the head of the beast to reveal its neck before slashing it open with the dagger. it took some working to break through the plates, but he had all the time in Idalos; or at least until he haemorrhaged.

Blood soon began to leak from the wound with the aid of gravity, Fridgar collected it with the empty vial. Once satisfied, he stowed it away with his other belongings. Another firm tug freed the knife from the jugular of the beast, Fridgar felt lightheaded. He'd slowed down a little by the time he rammed the dagger into the joint of the crocodile's leg. The Lothar felt woozy as he used the blade to cut through the armoured plates in a saw-like motion. When at last he was done, Fridgar separated the bones with the point of the knife and pulled apart the tendons with raw strength.

Fridgar slung his bag back onto his back before standing weakly with his new King Crocodile leg in hand. Now, all he had to do was get hold of Alistair. They'd developed a tactic for communicating with each other at long distances, but it was rather limited. Being able to sense the position of his lover came in handy, as such he'd noticed a few times when Alistair paced, it drew his attention like a caress to the skin. Alistair was a new sense to him, and he was a new sense to Alistair.

They'd made plans to come running should either of them land themselves in a difficult situation. Fridgar needed to run back and forth a long distance. However, he could not run in his current shape. He put his bag down gently and clutched his gut with both hands, Fridgar knew what he needed to do. Utilising his superior strength and harnessed adrenaline, he sat into a squat before pressing at full force into the ground. The Lothar would leap a good five feet into the air before crashing down on his leather boots. The impact broke his balance and he fell forward, catching himself with a bloodied paw. Once again, he readied for a jump before leaping into the air, a little less high than previous but still very high.

Over and over, Fridgar jumped up and down, hoping that Alistair would notice him and come to his aid. Meanwhile, his heart rate increased and more crimson flowed from his broken gut.

[Alistair]

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It was midday in Etzos, and evening in Novilane. With his duties for the day performed - and giving himself little time for practical studies or leisure to his lonesome - the Baron decided he would come to visit Fridgar in preparation for their few days together, out in the plains to the west of Etzos.

With Kamden off from his duties for the evening, the mage delegated Tamlen in overseeing the incoming affairs, despite his relatively shaky opinion of the Spymaster. He would test his loyalty soon enough regardless, and for now, he imagined the man would not act so quickly. He would, of course, first gauge whether or not Alistair was suitable to his own personal goals - and surely he had some, for Spymasters were naturally precarious individuals, and Tamlen in particular had eyes of ambition.

With the Spymaster going through his list of duties and the Baron agreeing with his presumptions, Alistair retired to his quarters, leaving Icarus and Andreas within to ensure that no one meddled with his belongings while he was gone. Stepping into the closet and through the portal, connected to the Eye he'd left in the Coven Compound, Alistair took a breath - before inevitably, his eyes opened to the sight of Talia carving sigils into the walls and debating an equation for the efficiency of well usage. He paid her little mind, and she him, both of them with a duty to complete. In Alistair's terms, that duty was to see Frid, who he could feel was outside of the city limits - not far from the Crocodile they'd fought just the trial before.

Making a short-lasted compression portal, Alistair bridged the gap between himself and his mate immediately, the portal inverting into a suppressed clap as it collapsed once he passed through. Straightening his collar to say hello to his mate, he was met instead with an incredibly grim visage: Fridgar attempting to jump through the air, surely to try and draw attention, whilst blood oozed from his stomach and his wounds worsened with each swift motion. Alistair immediately acted, preparing his ether to replicate air in order to properly coagulate the wound. "Stop moving, Frid!" he yelled without hesitation, as if he were already prepared for this situation... after experiencing it so many times... totally not because he actually had experienced it so many times...

...

Fucking Frid, he almost wanted to say, for the man's habit of so recklessly endangering himself - all the time. But he loved him, and he loved his adventurousness. So, he ran towards his injured lover, set him down against the floor and reached into Fridgar's first aid kit. He pulled out... fuck, he whispered. He pulled out nothing - the man's first aid kit didn't have Acid Crocodile Blood, Rockmaze Moss Powder, Scarf-Rot, or even Strangler Fig Bark! The mage thought out his options - and then, he realized the solution.

Acid Crocodile Blood - the beast whose blood that tonic was spawned from was right here, right in Etzos. Solghannon, King Croc. From what he saw as he rushed to the body of his mate, the Lothar had already felled one. He just had to -

"Oh fuck!"

As the Rupturer looked up, the King Crocodile who they'd both thought dead began to lunge at them, crawling with a missing leg, heavy bleeding and disorientation that seemed to be coming from a brain injury. Alistair had to ensure Fridgar was not bitten - he directed his focus to creating replicative folds in front of him rather than against Fridgar's bleeding stomach, creating a physical barrier. The crocodile, not aware of the changing density of the air he was charging into, slammed his open jaw into the thick folds and made as monstrous a sound as it could; it was, after all, a wounded animal.

Alistair took the opportunity, pulling the folds back to create a small entry point. Pulling his longsword from is scabbard, he lunged through the circular hole and plunged the blade into the crocodile's throat, causing serious damage and managing to partially sever his tongue. Then, blinking past, the mage appeared on the back of the monstrosity and swiped for the back of the skull that Fridgar had previously penetrated. Failing to puncture the first time, he created a Skystep beneath his feet to maintain his balance before stepping off, his blade aimed for the now larger chunk of sundered skull that Fridgar had impaled.

With a heavy drop, Alistair fell onto the beast's scales, causing a painful shiver to jolt through his nerves though his blade impaled deeply through the creature's brain, sword held firmly by both hands wrapped around the hilt. The blade ran almost entirely through the skull of the creature, with the momentum of Alistair's drop guiding it to point out slightly at the base of its underbelly from the bottom of its jaws. The crocodile was dead, and Alistair couldn't wait overly long mourning for his bum nor his legs that still felt the great discomfort of falling upon the Solghannon's hard scales.

He needed to extract blood from this crocodile, and fast. He grabbed his blade and pulled hard to release it from the creature's skull, dropping off of its back until he came to the creature's maw, slightly parted after its death. As afraid as he was that somehow it might still be alive, he saw on this creature all the telltale signs of death, and he knew he could probably react quickly enough to save his arms even if the creature did snap at him. He stuck his sword into the bloodied maw, and finished severing the tongue, slashing through the thin and tender line that kept it connected down his throat. He reached in to grab the tongue from its tip, then grabbed it by the wound and squeezed it tight to keep the blood compressed within the vessel.

Holding it carefully and sheathing his blade, Alistair turned the tongue over upon coming back to Fridgar, dumping the blood into the boiling pot. "Fridgar, I need to teach you this, okay?" he asked, acting very seriously as part of his 'doctoring mode' that he'd gotten himself so heavily into. "This is the tongue of a Solghannon, which carries within it a medicinal reagent known as acid crocodile blood. The blood must be exposed to open air for a short period of time, and only that - a short period. Afterwards, if applied moderately to wounds, it will heal injuries such as yours quite rapidly." He poured the antiseptic alcohol, in low amounts, onto the wound, his eyes warning Fridgar of the pain. Afterwards, he emptied the bottle onto the floor and filled it with a moderate amount of the blood. Mixing the alcohol and the blood wasn't dangerous, and if anything would work well against infection.

Pouring a sort of lathered layer of blood across Fridgar's wound and soaking up excess amounts with the man's medical sponge, Alistair sighed in relief, as the blood began to - in appearance - steam upon making contact with the Lothar's flesh. This meant it was working as intended.

The Baron grabbed the set of needles, both curved and straight, and attached onto a curved needle a line of spool of thread; 50' total, though he wouldn't need so much. He began to sew up the wounds and did so quickly, yet carefully; meticulously well, proving his skill as a legendary doctor. Within bits and trills most of Fridgar's wounds were looking extraordinarily better, Alistair binding the wound together to ensure it did not re-open, and closed more easily. Then, he grabbed for the bandages and began to wrap them around the man's back, his hands and fingertips working tirelessly as his mind calculated each and every necessary action to ensure the greatest chance of health for his mate.

When finally he determined that he'd done the best he could, Alistair nodded once, and lowered his eyes. "Fridgar," he said, breathing quickly. His heart rate had accelerated rapidly since stepping through the portal; though interestingly enough, instead of feeling worn out or aggravated by the wildness of this situation, he found himself incredibly exhilarated. The thrill of the rush ran through, and in a motion swift enough to surprise but not reckless enough to re-open the wounds, Alistair jumped his mate and wrapped his arms firmly around his back. "You silly man, what have you gotten yourself into again?" he asked, smiling lightly as he hugged his dearly beloved.

[Varthakh]

When at last the portal opened, Fridgar fell to his knee. "Huuaa!" he sputtered as he gathered his breath. His endurance had evidently taken a massive hit in losing as much blood as he had. "Alistair!" he called out while clutching his wound tightly. Then, in his woozy lightheaded state, he jumped some more, reaching for the clouds. When at last Alistair told him to stop moving, he fell to his arse and laid back, sprawled out across the pebbles of the river bank. "Alistair! Some fucking bird thing gutted me!" he spoke through deep, exhausted breaths. "I can't Chrysalis either, 'gone and spent all my ether." the tired Lothar explained. This could very well have been the end of Fridgar if Alistair didn't show up.

Laying shirtless against the rocks, he pulled free his bandages to show Alistair the damage. A crevice in his lower abdomen that showed plenty of exposed muscle and torn organ, pooling with blood as he laid back. His lover searched through his bag for his first aid kit before turning away dissatisfied. Not a good sign, what did that even mean? Did Fridgar not have the tools he needed? Unlikely. His eyes turned to the crocodile corpse that Fridgar had killed, meanwhile Fridgar kept his eye on Alistair. What was going through his mind?

When the mage spoke in shock, cursing something, Fridgar looked to the crocodile. It was still alive and charging for him. "Oh." was all he could muster as he turned his body over, if he couldn't see the crocodile, it couldn't see him. After Alistair had driven his sword through the back of the beast's head, Fridgar called out in pain "Alistair... help..." without realising the beast was already long dead again. Fridgar watched as Alistair returned, doing something with a boiling pot and a muscle of some kind. "No, Alistair the crocodile is still alive... I thought I killed it..." Fridgar was blatantly out of it.

He turned over again to see the crocodile, a few feet from him with its jaws parted, smiling at him? Fridgar parted his lips in a weak attempted smile before turning back to Alistair. "Nevermind, we're cool now..." he nodded, closing his one eye as fatigue overcame him. Then, as Alistair explained the process, Fridgar spoke up "Alistair, I didn't know you spoke haltunga..." before listening to the rest of the instructions. King croc tongue holds a cool medicine called acid croc blood, it needed to be exposed to the air for a short time. Fridgar gave a thumbs-up with one claw before wincing at the sudden stinging alcohol in his wound.

The Lothar didn't struggle, but accepted his mate's treatment. Even as the boiled blood was poured into the wound, Fridgar merely bit down on his fangs, resisting the urge to yelp or cry out in pain. The pain soon faded in his abdomen and Alistair looked pleased before setting into the edges of the tearing with Fridgar's needle and spool of thread, stitching him up then wrapping a fresh bandage around the wound, Fridgar helped by raising his body slightly. Soon after, he pushed his body up into a sitting position, remaining careful of his stitches. Alistair then pounced him, taking the big dummy into his embrace.

Fridgar simply purred and wrapped the human in his muscular arms. "My hero." he spoke as he kissed Alistair softly on the top of his head. "Thank you for saving me, my love. I'm still a little dizzy, but I'll wait 'til I get my blood back." Fridgar explained as he lovingly cuddled his mate. "Ugh." he spoke in response to Alistair question before continuing with the full story. "So I wanted a better specimen of king croc. I bought loads of meat and threw them in the river, trying to draw it out. Then this weird girl comes out of nowhere and starts talking shit. The crocodile attacked and I fucked it up, broke its skull, stabbed it through the head with my new knife..." fridgar took a breather, he still wasn't 100% better after all.

Fridgar motioned his head to the masterwork dagger that lay next to the crocodile leg a little ways away from him. "Then this fucking bird thingy appears out of nowhere and holds us at bow point. I tried to scare him off with lightning, but he just shot the girl. I got pissed cus he ignored my warnings, so hit him with a lightning bolt, blinked at him and smashed him into the dirt!" Fridgar bared his teeth, a rush of excitement that quickly dissipated. "He crawled away later, but then I went and healed the woman. I figure I'd pulled enough arrows out of myself and turns out I was good at it, I think. Sure, she has some ugly scars from the cauterising iron, but oh well, she'll live!" Fridgar beamed, very pleased with himself.

He'd promised to make changes, be a better person. Here he was, healing people and punishing evil in ways that didn't end with death. "That bow." Fridgar pointed a free paw while holding Alistair with the other one "It belonged to the bird thing that attacked." he swiftly returned his embrace to the human with a sigh. He was in no fit state to craft a totem, but the materials were still fresh! A thought struck as he held his fiancé. "My love. I need to craft a totem, but I can barely see straight." The Lothar explained, kissing the human softly as they cuddled warmly. "Would you be willing to learn how to make a totem? It might come in handy if I ever get stuck in animal form." Fridgar explained with a turn of his hand.

When Alistair agreed, Fridgar released the human with an appreciative kiss on the lips "Thank you so much, my love. I've brought all the tools with me, they're in my bag. But, you'll need the knife to cut through the armoured plate scales." Fridgar pointed at the dagger. "First things first, you've gotta fish for the bones by opening up the flesh of the limb. Just cut it open and remove the bones, try not to damage the scales too much though, you'll need them for later." Fridgar pointed to his bag. "I've got some clamps and tweezers in there if you think it would help." the Lothar would smile to his mate. The thought of getting to teach Alistair something was exciting. The mage was already the smartest person he'd ever met, Fridgar would be adding to that knowledge in a way that secured that they could always be together.

[Alistair]

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My hero, his mate whispered as the two held one another, Alistair - as always - melting and melding into the firm embrace of his lover. Except, this time, it wasn't so firm. Fridgar's muscles were weak, he was fatigued, and his wounds were significant. The mage's eyes began to water, though he knew at this point that he'd have to get used to seeing his beloved like this. He would simply do what he could: treat him, protect him, love him with all of his heart.

"My Thorn," he whispered, kissing the Lothar on the lips, shortly after he'd smooched the Baron's forehead. "I love you," he added, feeling a burning sensation in his chest. He always remembered just how much he needed Frid whenever he saw him like this; on his way to losing him forever. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Just don't go jumping around when you're like this, again. It's not enough movement to trigger a change in my sense for you. We're going to have to think of something better than just moving around erratically, for when you're like this." He didn't have the answer right now, but he knew he could find one. Magic was vast and incredible, and within it laid many opportunities. He would find a way to ensure that his Fridbear could always depend on him. He would.

In the meantime, he'd listen to his lover's story, laying atop his chest and comforting him. Alistair massaged his mate as he spoke, attempting to augment the healing process by forcing his beloved's muscles to relax. He did this all with a smile on his face, somber as it might have looked, whilst nodding his head attentively to each detail of his story.

He mentioned the croc, now dead, a girl and some avian creature. An intelligent avian - must have been an Avriel. The bloody bird brains were vicious, and his mate had just experienced that first hand. It occurred to him recently, and right now, that his mate seemed to constantly weave around him the wildest adventures. People came, they went, and inevitably he met a large array of new people, whether incredible or murderous. Fridgar was always getting into something, and it was never just himself and some beast, instead it was a bloody fiesta.

"Honey, describe the Avriel to me - the bird thing," he requested. He didn't give his reasons, though the Lothar might have guessed the obvious conclusion: Alistair was going to murder it for him. Anyone that laid a hand on his beloved was due to be viciously diced across the pavement. From what Fridgar described - which he knew to be accurate, as Fridgar's descriptions always were - the man simply came in and attacked them for no reason. The birdshit had hell to pay for that.

Fridgar on the other hand was going to be getting tender cuddles for the rest of the night, especially after his mention of his impressive healing of the stranger, an act of altruism to the point of prioritizing another before himself. Alistair was slightly mad that he didn't protect himself first, but it was a reminder of the giant's innate kindness. Alistair took a breath and tried to remind him of his priorities, but still, his heart sang of the caring nature of his love.

"Fridgar, if something like this ever happens again, you need to promise me to treat yourself first. There is only ever one time you should treat another before yourself, and that's if they are our child. It's a basic medical precept that the doctor must ensure their own health first, because otherwise they'll die before they can successfully treat anyone. And don't forget that I bloody love you - I'd be shattered if you died from self-neglect. Please, please, heal yourself. An arrow outside of an organ isn't going to kill the girl, but these wounds might have killed you if I hadn't come when I did."

He sighed. The mage didn't wish to lecture his mate, but he had to ensure that Fridgar was taking care of himself. Alistair couldn't always be there, and Fridgar was too valuable to let himself slink around in agony, risking death to help another. Whoever that girl was, she was inconsequential in comparison to his beloved mate. If they wanted to look out for one another, they had to look out for themselves, too.

But still, it was an act of goodness. He was bringing himself closer to the day where he'd become a father. The mage was impressed by his lover's compassion, and his bravery.

Though, he was totally unsure of how to make a totem. He remembered Fridgar showing him his totems, and letting him touch them, but making a totem was a different thing altogether. His eyes widened in confusion. "Stuck in animal form?" he asked, though now that he thought about it, it made sense. All totems were equal, in a sense, meaning Fridgar could lose his initial form for good if it was lost or the totem was destroyed. Alistair needed to be able to make a totem, and likely to keep some sliver of the man's body, in case he really did lose his self totem at any point.

He nodded his head. This was incredibly important, he wouldn't fail his mate's expectations, especially not when Fridgar was kissing and cuddling him like this. He nearly swooned at how tender his love was, and he recognized just how much Fridgar needed him. So, of course he couldn't fail him. He'd become the best totem crafter in Idalos.

Kissing Fridgar back, the male blushed, nodding his head gently. "No issue, my love," he whispered, taking Fridgar's paw in his hand as he listened to him. With Fridgar's other paw pointing at the dagger, Alistair released his lover's hand and went for the sharp object. It was incredibly well made, he realized upon picking it up, with viscerally sharp edges that could dice through a man's skin. The dagger was similar in quality to some of his scalpels, and in essence it was Fridgar's scalpel - he'd be using this to cut off tendons, ligaments, and appendages of the beasts he'd be hunting in the wilds.

Holding the dagger firmly in his palm, he took the dismembered leg of the dead predator and looked for a precise point from which to cut through the appendage. He decided he would rend the flesh where the leg had been torn off from the rest of the creature's body, taking the knife to the creature's torn flesh and cutting through, the knife carving through the crocodile's muscles as Alistair fluidly sawed through. Peeling back the cut flesh, he could see the bones, though he knew he'd have difficulty in actually acquiring those bones. He wasn't as strong as Fridgar was, and using clamps didn't really seem efficient. He had to have better options.

And he did, after thinking about it. Necromancy, which would allow him to completely manipulate dead flesh and bones. Realizing just how easy Corpse Molding would make totem creation, Alistair set down the knife; he wouldn't need it anymore. The mage shaped the Croc's dead flesh to his will, peeling back the muscles and scales of the beast with a manipulative touch, crafting with the creature's dead body as he desired. Then, with a firm grip he reshaped the bones, separating each bone from one another in a swift motion that ran across the creature's skeletal leg. The bones snapped and popped off one another, separating the long bone extending from the body from the smaller bone connecting the hand, and then the hand itself.

Before Fridgar knew it, and quite rapidly, Alistair not only had a sleeve of totally isolated Solghannon flesh and scales, but also several individual bones. He didn't need the clamps and tweezers after all.

Looking back to see the Lothar smiling at him, Alistair smiled back, proud of his work. "Did I do well, honey?" he asked, seeking affirmation. "I don't know what to do now," he stated, reaching over to the Lothar's bag to begin looking at each tool. "What do I do for the totem creation?"

In this regard, he seemed as clueless as a child, depending on his fiance to guide his hands.

[Varthakh]

"The Avriel? Oh." Fridgar spoke when Alistair asked about the description of the bird thingy. Apparently, it was its own separate race. Immediately, Fridgar raised his eyebrows. A request like that only came with a blood lust, Fridgar knew all too well. "Uhh, I don't remember too much..." The Lothar replied at last, the truth and all. "Honestly, I was more focusing on beating it up than what it was wearing..." Fridgar confessed, humming as he reviewed everything he'd seen to aid his mate in the destruction of an evil. "It had a male voice, I can remember it's voice." The Lothar would nod. "Also, he had black feathers with these piercing red eyes." The Lothar pointed his two claws to his eyes for emphasis. "Uhh, also he only had one wing on his right side. I feel like there should have been two... AND he was wearing plate armour when I zapped him. That's all i can really remember though, sorry." Fridgar stirred, running his paws over his fiancé’s back.

"I love that you're so protective of me, Alistair. But maybe we should try and resolve this without violence? I stole his bow, broke his bones and used him as a hammer, then threatened to take his eyes out once he was defeated - I think we're square." Fridgar asked then explained, apparently serious. Both knew that if their roles had switched, there would be no calming down Fridgar; he was being a hypocrite even if he didn't realise it in this instance.

After the discussion was dropped, Alistair had a new bone to pick with the Lotharro. "...Treat myself first?" Fridgar asked as though the request were absurd. Soft kisses met with Alistair's skin as they cuddled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Fridgar spoke in a tone that Alistair might recognise as teasing. It made sense, how was he supposed to heal anyone if he was too busy haemorrhaging? Also, if he'd died for what he did, Alistair would be left alone. "I understand, I'm sorry my rose." Fridgar started, lifting the human a little to meet his lips with his own, Alistair tasted so good in his embrace, good enough to get him a little excited even. "I had my reasoning." Fridgar spoke after breaking the kiss. "I had no idea how to treat a wound that deep without Chrysalis and I'm a Lotharro, she was a human, I thought I could handle a little blood loss for some reason." I also wanted to impress you Fridgar deliberately forgot to mention that part. Alistair would feel awful if that had been the case.

Fridgar sighed "Yeah. If I lose the totem, I can't turn back into Fridgar anymore." he explained. "I was hoping to give you a finger every season then regenerate it." Fridgar raised an eyebrow with a smirk to his lover, fully aware of the implications of his offer. "On a serious note, I think that's the best way to preserve this form." Fridgar nodded solemnly, it was a fair enough tactic in his opinion, but would Alistair be interested in carrying around a dismembered finger and a vial of blood?

Alistair took hold of Fridgar's paw with his own hand and he immediately looked from the dagger to his mate with a light blush forming in his cheeks. They were holding hands, had they held hands before? Fridgar was unsure. This felt different however, he was much closer to the human in recent trials. To hold hands with his mate a symbol for their affection, it felt good. It was also a symbol that Alistair was his territory and was likely to land someone on a list of the deceased if they laid a filthy digit on him. Fridgar quickly stole a kiss from the human before speaking "Thank you, my rose." and the human stood to approach the knife. While Fridgar was feeling a lot better, he still had some difficulty working his core muscles.

Alistair did as instruct, his doctor-trained hands made the cut perfect, better than he'd ever achieved even. Then, before his eyes, Alistair put the dagger down and.... moulded the flesh? it all separated, popping free from one another in a neat order for the mage. "Holy shit." Fridgar mustered. "Alistair, that was amazing! It normally takes me a couple dozen bits to sort through the bones!" The Lothar chuckled. Totem creation was perhaps the most boring part of becoming, but Alistair made it all so easy and quick.

What was next? Fridgar groaned. "You have no idea how much of a pain in the arse this would be without your help, my love." Fridgar grinned, spying the bones from his position. "We have to choose one of the bones, one we think suitable." The Lothar pondered, the metatarsals were usually a good pick. "The bones that connect to the fingers, hand bones, I guess. Use the smallest of those and put away the rest for now, please." Fridgar did not know the name of that bone and went by its location on the body. "There's a vial of the creature's blood in the bag, could you somehow put the blood in the bone? I normally saw it in half and hand drill the marrow away, fill it with blood then glue it back together." Fridgar explained, hoping to give Alistair an idea of how to go about this. "If the beast has any hair or fur, I often put a few strands of that in with the blood. Then, to secure the weakness in the bone, I use a strip of the dead skin or scales to tightly wrap around the breakage, again, I use glue to bind it. Can you manage that, honey?" The Lothar looked beyond impressed with his Lover.

he'd never focused on making the totem look good before, he always just focused on efficiency. With all the time they'd saved, Alistair could surely manage this next experimental step just fine. "If you're feeling artsy, my love. Could you carve the head of a solghannon into the bone? It would make it easier to identify." he might have been pushing his luck, but he wanted to see the limits of this ability, if there were any?

When the creation of the totem was over, Fridgar would stare amazed at his fiancé. Weakly, he would push himself to his feet, remaining mindful of his stitches. He stumbled over to Alistair and wrapped his arms around the man before kissing him softly on the forehead. Thank you so much, my love." he voiced his appreciation and affection. "You can't help me with the next part though... I need to meditate my spark on your hard work for a whole trial, twenty-four breaks." Fridgar explained further. In the meantime, he released his lover and squatted, putting more effort into his leg and back strength than his core, to pick up the dagger. Once he got a hold of his discarded shirt and jacket, he wiped away at the blood before sheathing it at his waist once more.

After he finished cleaning up the boiling pot with the rags of his clothing and the running river water, Fridgar stood and packed away his things. Would you mind looking after me while I meditate? I know it's a long boring process and you lead a busy life as baron and all..." Fridgar trailed on. In truth, he didn't really want to slip into a trace at the water’s edge. Not after being attacked by two of the biggest crocodiles he'd ever seen in near enough the same place.

[Alistair]

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He listened to the description of the man intently, nodding his head and jotting down mental notes. He'd remember all that. The man's appearance had already begun to draw itself in his mind - a single winged Avriel, unique. Had it been cut off? Was it a genetic deformity? Was he actually a grafted subject? He wasn't quite sure. The fact that he had red eyes seemed to tell otherwise - in all likelihood he was a sort of Avriel, albeit a monstrous sort.

Though apparently not the sort that Fridgar wanted harmed, as he suggested that they attempt to deal with the creature non-violently. "Without violence?" he asked. "Something I thought I'd never hear from you, my Thorn," he whispered teasingly, though ultimately he decided he'd move on. If Fridgar was trying to be diplomatic for once, who was Alistair to stop him? He was trying not to encourage the bear's violent streak, and that meant not actively fanning retributionist flames. Though indeed, he realized that if someone had raked across Alistair's chest, Fridgar would have - after getting the Baron to safety - immediately gone on the hunt for the individual. Still, Alistair and Fridgar were different in this respect.

One of them fought primarily with words, and one fought primarily with action. They balanced one another out, and right now, he would let Fridgar be that balancing influence.

But of course, he needed to be alive to be Alistair's other half, and so the mage pushed the idea of self-preservation adamantly. "Yes, treat yourself first," he said, before being caressed with a dozen soft kisses, causing his body to be lit with an incredible warmth. Fridgar had this talent of making him feel like some daydreaming youth, spending moments with heaven through their own imagination. But the Lothar wasn't his imagination, he was real, and he was really as good as the man Alistair once envisioned in his dreams.

Fridgar needed to live. Alistair decided that, and as he was lifted to kiss his mate, the mage began to think of how they might ensure that the bear gained the protection he deserved. Then, it hit him, and when the kiss broke and Fridgar had finished speaking, the Baron decided to propose an idea.

"Fridgar, why don't I teach you how to heal yourself better?" he asked, feeling a strong inspiration come over him. "You can work at my hospital - I'm moving it to Oxentide, quite literally in the building right across from my estate. We can see each other all the time, we can work together, and I can teach you how to mend even the most gruesome injuries. You'd have to bear a disguise, of course, but... I know we can arrange that somehow," he said, quietly referencing the fact that Frid could always get the totem of a human or a biqaj. Or Kaiserion, who was more than capable of regenerating any lost limb necessary to create said totem. Kaiser was a Lothar, too - a body Frid could be comfortable in.

It was a possibility worth exploring. It meant a lot of good things for both of them, so long as Fridgar didn't start to feel uncomfortable living outside of his own body. The self was only one totem, but Alistair had never seen him become another man. It was a very strange thing, he imagined.

"My Thorn, I'll help you make another self totem, of course. I'll make a dozen for you if you want, and keep them in places all over. However you want to do it. You know I'd never want you to lose your self totem. I know you don't see yourself as being strictly one body, but when I think of my love, I think of this form, and when I think of... pleasure, I think of this form," he said, a slight blush growing on his cheeks. He was just being honest, but it was sort of embarrassing.

Still, Fridgar was kind, seeming to greatly enjoy the unification of his paws with Alistair's hands. In the moment, it seemed they both understood their growing closeness, the two of them becoming utterly inseparable over the last few trials. If he hadn't suggested the doctor idea this trial, he might have done it on another one, as he found himself unwilling to be without his mate for overly long, these days.

Still, though, they had work to do. He was glad Fridgar was impressed with his bone shaping capabilities, but he hadn't really finished crafting this totem yet. The Lothar had specific instructions.

Choose a suitable bone - he recommended the... "bones that connect to the fingers".

"The metacarpal?" the Baron asked. "Okay, sure," he said. Utilizing corpse molding again, he split the bones apart, each bone from each bone until the metacarpal and the finger bone running past it were distinguished, along each and every 'finger'. He used only the smallest one, as Fridgar instructed, sticking the others into his bag. In the same motion, he grabbed the vial of the crocodile's blood, and followed Fridgar's instructions.

The bone split, a hole being made, Alistair carefully filling the hole with the contents of the vial. Then, utilizing corpse molding still, he closed the bone and completely secured it so that the blood would not drip. He shaped the bones like clay, showing himself that - indeed - he was actually quite an excellent totem crafter. Listening more to Fridgar, the mage wrapped a coil of the Solghannon's scales around the totem, and with the same ability seemed to meld the skin and bone together, creating a packed layer of the two.

Leaving extra scales attached to build upon as a thin layer over the totem if needed, he began to transform the totem into a specific shape, not settling for a mere carved icon, but instead a complete form. Within moments, it seemed, the Solghannon totem looked just like the crocodile itself, Alistair splitting the protruded scales into much smaller fragments that now felt like a leathery texture over the totem. It looked much like a miniature King Crocodile, and while it wasn't quite as artistic as an actual sculpture or a real life-like impersonation, it more than passed for what it was intended to. Alistair's corpse molding ability had proven far better than subpar, something that brought him great enthusiasm.

He peeled off all of the extra skin, and sealed the totem, leaving it unmarred. With that, he offered the totem to Fridgar, and was given in return a warm embrace and another kiss. The mage nodded, his face flushed as the affirmation of his partner stamped out any tension or excessive thought. He was fairly quiet, his silence only broken by the request to remain protective for the next twenty four breaks. That sounded taxing, incredibly so, but he would never consider rejecting. He just had a request of his own, to ensure that he could actually help.

"I can look after you, but not here. Let me take you to my room in the estate? My minions, Icarus and Andreas, can stay with you while I'm working. I'm sure you remember their effectiveness as warriors," he reminded him, grinning sheepishly.

[Varthakh]

The Lothar looked to the human with a questioning glance "Teach me?" Fridgar asked uncertain. Wasn't doctoring a super hard thing to learn? That sort of task would take arcs, even for someone as smart as Alistair. Sure, Fridgar had been proven to be somewhat smarter than previously determined and he was capable of learning. But doctoring? Really? Fridgar had doubts, but as the list of benefits went on, Fridgar couldn't help but grow on the idea. They would get to be together a lot more, Fridgar would have a good alignment job... What more could he ask for? "Alright, but I'll need another totem." Fridgar beamed, surely, they could find a corpse of someone recently deceased and nick a finger or something?

Fridgar's brow raised. Make a dozen totems? "For fucks sake, Alistair, why can't I be as smart as you?" Why hadn't Fridgar thought of that? it was a brilliant fool proof idea, best of all, they didn't count as totems in his arsenal if he didn't dedicate them. "That's a brilliant idea! Whenever I lose one, you can just go pick up one of the pre-made ones for me to dedicate." Fridgar was blessed to not only have a mate as gorgeous as Alistair, but a mate with his intelligence. It would be simple too, Alistair could craft like 10 totems if Fridgar dismembered one of his hands.

A raised eyebrow would happen across his features as Alistair spoke of pleasure. The sly grin confirmed that Fridgar's head was way down in the gutter. "I'm glad, my rose. I'd be worried if you'd preferred I was a grizzly bear for our moments of indulgence." Fridgar chuckled softly through his toothy grin. He would kiss his mate plentifully as they held hands, sharing in more beautiful moments together. Eventually, their warm embrace had to come to an end and Alistair went to his instructions before proceeding onto impressing his mate.

Fridgar would look at him confused when he spoke the name of the bone he suggested. "Is that what it's called?" The wounded beast asked with uncertainty. he understood when Alistair chose the correct bone, the metacarpal was the bone that connected to the finger bones; Fridgar was already on his way to becoming a doctor! Fridgar watched with wonder as Alistair opened the bone by moulding it, then poured the blood in before sealing it seamlessly. Whatever his mate was doing, it was beyond useful.

Then, effortlessly and without glue, the mage melded the strip of King crocodile skin to the bone - it was beyond easy to him. A perfect totem, right there and made in less than two bits. When Fridgar asked for the carving of a crocodile head in the bone, he thought it would be the most that his mate could manage, by the seven was he wrong. Alistair went ahead and moulded the whole bone into the shape of a king crocodile and applied the skin to cover it entirely. It looked like a tiny king crocodile and it was a functional totem. Suffice to say, Fridgar was excited.

he could barely contain himself as he stood and approached his love. For a change of position, Fridgar leaned down to hug his mate. He didn't want to risk opening his stitches by trying to pick Alistair up and so, he went to him. Fridgar took the human into his arms, offering the most strength he could in his loving embrace. "Thank you so much Alistair. You're the best totem crafter I've ever seen, better than my master even!" The Lotharro congratulated his mate, beyond impressed. He would kiss along Alistair's neck to physically display his affection as well as verbally. "You're so talented, Alistair. I love that about you. I'd be overjoyed to learn about doctoring from you, my rose." but for now, he just wanted to hold the man.

All in less than ten bits, Alistair had saved his life, comforted him and crafted a totem of quality beyond anything he'd ever seen before. Now, they had a plan to secure Fridgar's selftotem, too. Totrial was a good trial, even if he had been gutted. In his paw, he held the totem of a fantastic beast, crafted by a fantastic man that he seemed to adore more and more every trial.

A sarcastic laugh left the Lothar as Alistair reminded him of his recent defeated. "Ha ha ha. You are as funny as you are charismatic, my love." Fridgar teased, releasing his mate after a kiss on his forehead. "That was hardly fair, three on one is no fun!" Fridgar reminded the noble, though he was certain that he wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon. "Still, I'm grateful. You'll be the first one to see the form when I'm done. I promise." And with that, Fridgar would step through a portal that Alistair would open, ready to begin his twenty-four-break meditation.

[Plague]

XP Award!

Fridgar:

Experience Award:

• Story: 5/5
• Structure: 5/5
• Collaboration 5/5

General Lore:

• Magic: Necromancy is an effective power to create totems
• Magic: Necromancy can shape dead flesh and bone
• Becoming: King Crocodile Totem

Notes: Some notes. First, a King Crocodile is a jungle dwelling creature as per its entry on the fauna list, living in swamps...not Etzos rivers. I'll let that go because I didn't see it myself till I searched. Also, a King Crocodile's max size is 29 feet, not 31, and I don't think maximum record size is necessary so I'll put it at 25 feet...which is still above a mid sized school bus, so I think you'll be good XD. Alistair also said it correctly. The Rupturing benefit you gain is a general sense of direction. You know a sense of distance mostly and direction. If they're in Rharne you don't suddenly know they're in Rharne, just that they're a very far way away. You can find them if you look hard enough, opening Scrying.

I liked you playing your injuries realistically...blood loss, delirious, it was all well played out. Your wounds should be healed by the end of the season, but given that you are allowing them to naturally heal rather than Chrysalis them, there will be some scars.

Also, a recent change to Becoming stipulates that the sacrifice you take to dedicate a Totem cannot be regenerated. As this is a recent change, I will not be penalizing you out of toes and fingers, but remember that for any more totems. The Sacrifice is respected by the magic. While the totem you take will be whole when you transform, the sacrifice made from Becoming will follow you from form to form. If you lose a toe or finger, it will reflect (in some way) within all forms you take. So be careful how many you make.

You are awarded 1 stylish and cool King Crocodile Totem.

This thread can NOT be used for magic...I didn't see any from Frid, let me know if I missed it.

Alistair:

Experience Award:

• Story 4/5
• Structure 5/5
• Collaboration 5/5

General Lore:

• Magic: How Becoming totems are made
• Magic: The Three Sovereign Substances of Becoming
• Magic: How long it takes to Dedicate a Totem
• Magic: in Becoming ones form could be lost if all totems are destroyed.
• Rupturing: Skystepping
• Necromancy: Corpse Molding (Bones)
• Necromancy: Corpse Molding (Flesh)

Notes: I am docking a point because you didn't do your research sir. A King Crocodile is not an Acid Crocodile. The blood remedy you gave to Frid comes from an entirely different species (Both from the same flora and fauna list) I will also not be awarding any knowledges regarding this remedy because...well, it wouldn't have actually been accurate. Also, while Corpse Molding is indeed an expert level discipline, I do not consider the small bits you did sufficient to award all points toward Necromancy, and your replicative shield and Rupturing was well within your limits. Remember, magic is about pushing. You don't have any lore for Corpse Molding (which you actually need to utilize the techniques, as it says in the guide) But I won't deduct a point for that, I'll just chalk it up to the 'consider more research' point dock I did for the croc and call it a day. In the future, when learning new techniques...be sure not to fall into the trap of 'One try' successes. Magic is a process, your necromancy spark is speaking to you in a language you don't understand...learn and fail....THEN succeed, that's where progress lies.


That said, your quick response will half the healing time it takes to recover from that King Croc's bite. I'll just let you use the Acid croc stuff and assume Alistair gets Frid to proper care rather than slathers useless blood on his wound XD. Easier that way.

This thread cannot be used for magic exp

► Show Spoiler

I love these tender moments between Fridgar and Alistair. It's nice to see Fridgar react so softly and warmly toward another individual. Alistair's concern is genuine and the inverse of seeing the brooding brute get taken care of by the pale noblemen is always a fun interaction to see. I like how their relationship is growing to rely on each other...enough so that they're utilizing their own magic to supplement the styles of each other. It's a really touching interplay between these two characters that have been developing their relationship and I think you two play it pretty well.