Bounties: Monsters of Kayre

Various monsters of notorious capabilities crop up all across Kayre. Thus, the Lodge collaborates with certain factions in pursuits of these creatures and posts detailed bounties accordingly. Lurker's Lodge does not take any responsibility for grievous injury/fatalities that are caused by any of these bounties. Apply at your own risk!

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BOUNTY: 25000 GOLD

Sixty years ago, this terrifying dragon went on a massacring spree. It brutalized and cannabalized an undetermined amount of other dragons before falling into deep hibernation. Hailing originally from the Grimscathe Mountains, it roams the whole of Kayre to wherever it can scope out its main sources of prey; dragons and high-mana entities.

This dragon is brute force incarnate; the last confrontation sixty years ago had a 100% mortality rate. It doesn't breath any kind of elemental substance, nor does it employ the usage of any magical energy whatsoever. A biological powerhouse, Nergigante uses a deadly combination of rapid biological regeneration and sheer physical strength to overwhelm adversaries and prey. 

Its incredibly muscular body is lined with incredibly dense keratin spines that it will use in all of its offense. It is so strong that it will often break its own bones and spines from the force of its attacks, but like a shark it can regrow and restore itself in a matter of minutes, and even seconds for minor breakages. It is also reported to be able to launch some of these spikes out. Beware in both close quarters and at range!

Nergigante has awoken once again, and threatens to drive the already scarce dragon population of Kayre into extinction. If allowed to do so, there is no telling what it may move onto next to satiate its ravenous hunger. And all that dramatic stuff. Happy hunting!

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BOUNTY: 2500 GOLD

A dragon that shines like moonlight and has scales of metallic composition. It is often said in some parts of Kayre that when a terrible storm lingers on the horizon, it means that the Kushala Daora has become agitated and is now out on the hunt. These dragons are masters of the weather; their very presence is said to alter the very climate of the area it resides in. Most of the time, it is an incredibly mild effect that is presented as light breezes that constantly circulate around Kushala itself. However, if one of these creatures becomes provoked for whatever reason, a furious storm will develop that can threaten to level the surroundings.

Masters of flight, the Kushala Daora is incredibly difficult to combat in terms of melee or ranged offense; it will fly to stay outside of melee range and use mighty buffets of wind from its huge wings to deflect projectiles. This is not to mention the tough scales that adorn every part of its body, which are able to protect it from a lot of conventional weaponry. It can beat its wings strongly in order to create pockets of disrupted air pressure. The result of this usually culminates in the form of a small tornado that can cause serious damage. Additionally, wind pressure around Kushala itself can become incredibly powerful when it is enraged, making it hard to even get close to the beast.

Thankfully, this monster has some serious Achilles heels. Firstly, it is quite susceptible to many forms of magic. Electricity-based spells will more than likely ground and paralyze the monster momentarily due to its hyperconductive biology. It is also possible to distort the air pressure around Kushala itself with both electric and heat-based spells to tip it off balance and cause it to crash into terrain. The metallic scales also belie the dragon's weak immune system; illnesses and poisons wreak havoc on its body from the inside and make it unable to use many of its weather-altering capabilities. It is said that the best way to slay a Kushala Daora is by poisoning its food.

Because of its glaring weaknesses, the bounty is fairly low for these creatures. Hunting them is relatively regulated due to the fact that their numbers have plummeted due to the emergence of unusually powerful monsters and entities in Kayre. However, when one is causing a storm, they become a must-kill target before they cause widespread destruction of both populaces and ecosystems. While easy to kill with the right tactics, it is considered quite the accolade to battle and fell a Kushala Daora in direct combat without exploiting its weaknesses. Only few can claim they have accomplished this feat.

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BOUNTY: ???

A mysterious yet grim dragon that has emerged as a new species in the area known as Zehmyle's Grotto, located somewhere in the shallow South. It was first discovered when an expedition into the ruins located within the area intruded into its "nest", causing it to wipe out a good portion of the expedition crew. Originally, Zehmyle's Grotto was said to be the abode belonging to a scholar of the same name. Zehmyle's status was close to that of an independent baron and he spent many decades holed up in the complex of ruins performing independent research.

Until his presence vanished completely, and he was presumed to be dead by the few that knew of his existence. It is not known when he actually died, nor how he perished. However, his time of death can potentially be pinpointed to around the time the ecosystem of the Grotto started to shift. The previously boreal forest started to wilt away and the wildlife population became drastically reduced. It became a wasteland in a matter of months, but it was not void of life. A phenomenon that occurs even till now is that animals, greater beasts, and in some rare cases humans, will venture to the Grotto area and its surrounding forest. According to theories, they are going to this region to "lay themselves to rest". The reason for this is unknown, but it might be due to some specific strain of magical power being used that affects certain individuals.

The Grotto is also known as the "Deadlands", as dubbed by surrounding settlements. It is currently a land of decay, where the soil has been infused with the deaths of many and now emits a hazardous fog that covers the entire region completely, becoming denser towards the ruins. The discoveries of the expedition that investigated the area were great in number but opened up more questions than answers. For one, the very ecosystem itself is in a constant state of decay and is slowly spreading. The countless corpses and remains of dead organisms compose a startling part of the geography in the area as well, creating imagery that could only be described as "the aftermath of purgatory".

The hazardous fog, the decaying state of the land and the death of Zehmyle all seem to be linked to the de facto ruler of the area, the dragon known only as Vaal Hazak (as per the old, worn notes of the late scholar). According to a few witnesses that didn't have their sanity completely shattered by the excursion, it was a serpentine monster wrapped in a veil of musky fog and draped in the rotten fleshy slivers of its post-organic environment. The fog it emanated was enough to necrofy living flesh in seconds and there were even a couple of terrifying cases of its roar "causing the dead to stir". Aside from these accounts, its capabilities are unknown.

Due to the many unknowns, the bounty of this mark can only be determined upon its completion. Usually, the Lodge would ignore marks like this. However, the leader of Scaffi Hollow made an "urgent petition" to the Lodge to post this on their board, citing Vaal Hazak as a "potential hazard to the entirety of Kayre's ecosystems" if it is allowed to breed and expand from its area. Sounds like a good enough reason to go on a perilous hunt!