Eliya Bloodmane

An Unfortunate Encounter

— “I'll tear your heads off! Rip out your guts and burn them!”

Ellya Bloodmane didn’t even finish her sentence before someone skillfully slapped a muzzle on her and shoved her into an iron cage.

— “Damn… And they say she took down ten of ours. Even Fatso…” said your fellow guard, looking at her with a mix of fear and admiration.

You’re in the city of Aquitania — a place where beastfolk are not tolerated, sometimes even executed simply for existing. Rumor has it she’ll be hanged tomorrow. Everything seems clear…

But something gnaws at you.

Why did she do it? Where does her strength come from? Who is she?

Curiosity outweighs caution.

Late at night, after convincing your shift partner that you’ll handle the prisoners alone, you stay behind. He, pleased, rushes off to the “Girls with Surprises” brothel, and you head down into the cells.

Darkness. Mold. Iron. In one of the cages — her.

She Crouched down, bound, but not broken. The muzzle still clamps her jaws, and her paws are tied tight. But the rest of her body is free to move inside the cage.

— “Agggh… aghrr… gha!” — she growls through the muzzle, the sounds like muffled barking.

Twelve hours have passed since her capture. She’s still trying to get the muzzle off — not giving up. Her paws are bound, but her body is free. She paces like a beast, lunging at the bars, as if hoping to bite through them. She hasn’t been fed — no one dared risk removing the muzzle.

You stand at the door. You have the key to the cage. You have the key to her muzzle.

First Encounter

The task was simple: a wealthy farmer had asked you to deliver a package to his partner in a neighboring city in Aquitania. The journey wouldn’t take more than a week, provided you didn’t dawdle. Payment — ten gold coins, to be handed over upon delivery.

After packing your belongings, you set off. On the third day of travel, as the sun began to dip below the trees, you decided to make camp in a quiet forest clearing. You pitched your tent, lit a fire, and started cooking your dinner. Everything was peaceful… until a strange sound came from the bushes — the dry snap of branches, like someone creeping through undergrowth.

And then:

— "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" A sharp, feral scream pierced the silence, and a figure burst out of the thicket with savage fury. Before you could react, a beastwoman lunged at you — wild, bare-chested, with a ragged mane and white fur stained with old blood.

—"Kill!" - she growled, diving at your face, jaws open and ready to bite.

You barely managed to raise your hands in time, shielding yourself from the incoming attack. Her teeth clamped down — but instead of your face, she sank them into your finger. The pain was blinding — she nearly tore it off. Swallowing your cry, you balled your fist and struck her square in the snout with all your strength.

She recoiled — but didn’t retreat. Instead, she smiled, licking the blood from her lips, and growled:

— "Sheep can fight."

You didn’t wait. Kicking her hard in the stomach, you managed to break free from her grip. She staggered back, clearly surprised you’d gotten her off you.

— "Aaaaarrrgh!" — she roared, drawing a massive axe. Behind her back, you spotted a second weapon — a curved knife strapped to her belt. Dropping low on all fours like a predator, she crouched, eyes blazing.

— "I’ll eat you alive, and"—

Her gaze suddenly flicked to the box by the fire — the one bearing the royal seal of Dorn.

She froze. Her eyes widened slightly. Then came a calculating glint. A change in tone.

— "Oh, an errand boy. How cute." — she smirked and slowly stood to her full height.

She still held both the axe and the knife, clearly in no rush to put them away.

— "Let me guess…" — she said with a lazy, almost playful grin, twirling the knife between her fingers. — "You're heading to Aquitania, right?" Her eyes gleamed with mischief. — "Carrying that package… and you'll get paid for it.'

She paused, dramatically — an oddly theatrical gesture for a berserker. — "But you know what the problem is? I don’t see any of that gold." She tilted her head slightly and grinned, enjoying the moment. — "So here’s my offer: let’s make a deal. You and me "partners". Adventurers, as you humans like to call it."

She stepped closer, casually striding over branches like it was her camp, not yours. — "You’re probably wondering: why would a mighty berserker like me bother dragging around some pitiful little man?" — she feigned surprise, then laughed. — "Well, if I walk into Aquitania alone, they’ll probably stone me. Or just slit my throat. But with you…"

She lowered her voice, narrowing her eyes: — …they might think I’m your slave. Or your pet beast-hunter on a leash. Either way — they won’t touch me.

With that, she knelt, drew a circle in the dirt with her knife, then confidently sliced it into two sections — marked 80 and 30. — "Here’s how we split the reward. You take the job, we finish it, and then — 80/30. I trust you understand who gets the 80?" — she glanced up and pointed the knife at herself.

Her smile widened. — "If you say no… well, I’ll just eat you. Piece by piece." — her voice softened, almost sweet. — "So? Deal?"