[Species name: Diseased camel
Species grade: D
Attributes: Disease, Earth
Height: 3.2-4 metres
Evolutionary history: The diseased camel is a species belonging to the 'Calamitus camelum" genus and comes from the the toxic emerald dessert, the dessert is an extremely hostile environment, the sand of the dessert itself is a hazard as every grain is saturated with disease mana, giving it its green colouration, this has caused the diseased camel to live out its entire life bathed in one of the most dangerous mana types, this has caused its physiology to change drastically to adapt to the environment. All diseased camels have growths of flesh that grow all over their body that resemble puss filled boils, the puss is actually liquified diseased mana, as it is constantly being collected due to its constant exposure to the mana. Due to the constant build up of disease mana, the diseased camel has special 'geysers' that turns the liquid mana into gas and ejects it so the level of mana never gets too dangerous, creating a thin layer of gaseous disease mana around them at all times.
Defining features: As mentioned previously, The diseased camel has many fleshy growths filled with liquid disease mana, the growths having no real pattern of growth and are random for each camel. Their coat is also extremely scarred and matted, as when the camel is born, they have not fully developed their growths are not fully formed, meaning they can't absorb the disease mana in their surroundings and bring it down to a level that their resistance can handle, as such, their coat still retains damage from their youth.
Hunting behaviours: The diseased camels do not actively hunt, and despite being omnivores, their diet mostly consists of a special kind of grass that grows in the toxic emerald dessert, though they will devour any carcass they happen across, including the bone. Though they will actively hunt anything that attacks them first, being extremely vengeful creatures.
Mating behaviours: The diseased camel will stick with its partner until death, if two diseased camels are seen running through the dessert, they are almost always a pair, they will have multiple calves, the highest recorded being three, though, not many are willing to see if there has been a higher number due to the hazardous nature of their habitat, if one partner dies before the other is outside of the age of fertility, then they will find another partner of similar age.
Symbolism: The diseased camel usually live around the outskirts of the toxic emerald, just around the border where the concentration becomes dangerous for humans, as such they are seen as a warning, but more of one out of concern for the recipient than personal gain, as such they gained a slight reputation as mysterious protectors, and encountering one is seen as good luck by many of the tribes that live around the toxic emerald dessert, many of these tribes will carve effigies of the diseased camel near dangerous areas.]
Alex considered his options carefully, should he risk it all, or play it safe, there where just to many options.
As Alex pondered his options, his expression became darker and darker, his frustration rising.
"I fold" he muttered in a subdued tone, causing Nicolas's eyes to flash with delight.
"Then the pot is all mine" he cheered in delight, grabbing all of the coins placed on the table, the clatter of metal on metal reverberating throughout the room.
"It's not fair," Alex suddenly shouted, slamming his cards into the table, "how am I supposed to win when your wearing a mask, it's just plain unfair"
"You have a skull on your head" Nicholas pointed out, rather fairly "if anything, I have it worse, besides, a good poker player never shows their true emotions, never trust the smile of a poker player, the face is only one part of it, the rest of the body is a lot more honest, you just have to learn to look for it"
"I came here for poker, not a psychology lesson"
"Ah, but that is the thing, poker is a psychology lesson, you would do well to learn from it"
"bullshit, it's a game, besides, when did you become a fountain of wisdom"
"Ah, but I have so much left to teach" Nicolas said in a condescending tone raising his arms with a confident air.
"How about you start by learning how to play a game fairly" Alex retorted pointing out the edge of a card, just visible from the top of his sleeve.
"Well, you didn't catch me, so I say I still get the pot"
"Fine then, if you want to play like that" Alex said in a smug tone, throwing a meaningful glance to Stephen, who had been watching the game with intrigue.
From then on, Alex played to near perfection, calling out Nicolas every time he cheated with pin point accuracy.
"I guess the pots mine" Alex gloated, watching with delight as Nicolas crumpled his cards in frustration.
"Cheater" Nicolas muttered under his breath.
"Oh my," Alex said in a condescending tone, "do I here the pot calling the kettle black"
"At least I was subtle" Nicolas snapped back in a measured tone.
"Subtle my ass," Alex retorted, "I caught you in three rounds"
"I caught you in one"
A loud cough from Coal caught the attention of the two, who where now fully up in each others faces.
Alex stared around the small pub, almost all of the patrons where giving him the side eye, maybe this wasn't the best place to have an outburst.
He had been procrastinating for a full day, trying to pick up his hammer all day, only to feel soreness in his arms, or a small nag to go chat with Nicholas, or any of the pub goers, though most of those interactions ended in an awkward silence.
He just couldn't find the motivation.
"So," he asked Nicholas, trying to spark life into the slowly dying conversation, "how is the living situation"
"Not that good" Nicholas admitted, throwing his hands up, "while normally, we could live for a few weeks in these conditions, you eat enough to make a pig look reserved, we have maybe a week and a half before we are out on the streets, speaking of which, how are those weapons of yours coming along"
"Not good" Alex admitted sheepishly, "with these conditions, I'm thinking of putting the order on hold and making some models to sell for some cash"
"Well what are you waiting for" Nicholas snapped, "get to it, I'll take some hunts, keep us afloat a little bit longer"
"Don't do anything to risky, maybe you could hunt with the wolf pack, they must hunt something other than humans, leave the meat and take the cores, got it?"
"Sure, sure" Nicholas replied dismissively, getting ready to leave "just make sure those items are finished, or there will be consequences"
Alex watched as Nicholas left, Blanc hurrying after him.
"Well, well well laddie" A gruff voice came from behind Alex, "I think I just heard something interesting, a crafter are you, well, no wonder, someone that goes around with such, *Ahem* unique gear while being broke either wasted all their money on it, or made it himself"
Alex responded with a shaky nod, Coal, unnerved Alex slightly with his seemingly boundless enthusiasm, making conversations with him especially awkward.
"So, need me to show you any facilities" Coal continued enthusiastically, "I now a good public forge, while you will probably have a few old hands and eager eyed young'uns watching you work, it's still a great place, besides, maybe you'll learn something from them, a few social skill wouldn't hurt eh"
"Thank you" Alex said apologetically, "but I have my own arrangements"
"I won't pry," Coal assured Alex, "if you need anything just ask, can't have a new face wondering around on his own and wondering into trouble, non humans need to stick up for each other"
"Yeah" Alex replied, feeling a small twinge of guilt, "actually, do you know anywhere I could get some leather tanned"
"I know just the place" Coal replied with a smile, grabbing a cloth out of his pocket, "I'll right down the place to go, I have a pub to run so I can't come with, make sure to tell him Botch sent you, should at least look at the goods then. Oh, and please return the cloth when your done, while they don't cost much I would prefer if I didn't have to bye a new one"
Alex nodded and began to leave, thanking Coal every step of the way.
The trip to the place was pretty uneventful, while he had to stop and ask for directions a couple of times, nothing really happened till he was a few streets away from his destination, still a little unsure of where to go, he asked the first man he saw.
The man seemed to be a guard of some kind, as he was currently berating a group of rather familiar young soldiers.
Alex waited patiently till the superior had finished admonishing his subordinates.
"Can I help you?" he asked in a slightly exasperated tone, "you have been standing there for five minutes, this is not a side show"
"Ah, sorry" Alex apologised quickly, grabbing the cloth out of his inventory "I was just hoping you could help me with this, I need to get to this address, would you know where to go?"
"Oh yeah," the superior answered cheerfully, "quite a famous place, just down that street over there, take the fourth left and it should be the fifth store on the right"
Alex thanked the soldier, and was about to leave, before the soldier stopped him, and said, "Don't I know you from somewhere"
Alex was a bit confused, but then noticed two hatchets, covered in runic symbols, swinging from his waist, "oh yeah, you met me at the gates, nice to see you again Mr Haggar"
"it's nice to see you again too, well, you best be off now, I have these lugs to take care of, honestly, they let anyone join the military nowadays"
Alex left the Alister to his business, catching a few dirty looks from the familiar recruits, which Alex stiffly ignored.
He followed the instructions and came to a small store, a strong smell coming from the shop, causing Alex to wrinkle his nose at the smell, unable to pinch his nose due to the massive skull blocking his way, and his lack of any actual nose to pinch, his race having only two holes in their face.
Entering the shop only made the smell more pungent, Alex almost gaged from the scent, but held it in, trying to maintain composure.
"Smell terrible doesn't it" a massive green figure said from behind a small counter, its sheer size giving the scene an almost comedic look to the creature, they had to sit behind the counter just to fit in the store, it skin was smooth and almost reflective, its build build was Similar to Alex's but more muscular, its knees reached almost the top of his head as he had to bring his legs close to his chest.
"I would tell you not to worry about my looks" the big figure said jokingly in a deep, metallic voice, "but you aren't that much of a looker yourself"
"Yeah" Alex muttered awkwardly.
"Don't talk much do you?" the big figure asked, "Kellar, if you wanted to know, and you"
"Jack" Alex replied a little swiftly, "Jack Aubrey, nice to meet you"
"Hmm" Kellar said curtly, seemingly losing interest in Alex, "well, what you need, make it quick, I got customers to serve"
Alex stared around the deserted store, not another soul in sight.
"Do you want my services or not" Kellar asked in a low growl.
"Ah, yes, sorry," Alex quickly stuttered pulling out the diseased camel leather hurriedly.
When Alex finished pulling out the leather, he found Kellar's face mere inches from Alex's, his angular face becoming more prominent, sharp teeth poking out from behind his stiff lips, using his gangly arms as props to support himself as he leaned across the store, still keeping his legs behind the counter.
"where did you get that?" Kellar asked in a stern tone.
"U-uh-uh" Alex stuttered, the distance between the two making him slightly uncomfortable.
"Come on" Kellar snapped impatiently, "spit it out"
"I-uh found it?" Alex proposed hopefully.
"Fine" Kellar said backing off and returning to behind his counter, "keep your secrets, good thing you came to me first, would have been quite the show if someone with any knowledge of items spotted you with those"
"Why?" Alex asked quizzically.
"When you bring a pelt that simply reeks of disease mana" Kellar explained, "you tend to attract some unwanted attention"
Alex nodded in conformation.
"As I already said, it stinks of disease, and anything with that doesn't live in the best conditions, so not always the easiest to try and collect, so they will always have a high price"
Alex nodded in understanding.
"I'll take it, fifty silver"
"Uh" Alex groaned awkwardly.
"pay me when you come to collect it, now get out, I have work to do" Kellar hand waved impatiently, hurrying Alex out of the store.
Alex was thrown out onto the street, a dazed look clouding his eyes.
After coming to his senses, he picked himself up quickly and hurried back to the Inn, he would probably have to join Nicholas on his hunts, he wanted to start with Rambo, as he may be able to put a few points into his skill paths before moving onto the orders.