Aka

“Do you know what hunger is? I mean really know. Not, a few days on the trail chewing on leather hungry. I mean the kind of hunger that hurts… hurts you so bad eventually eating is painful… That the very thing you need will kill you if you do it wrong. That kind of hunger?”

“No. No I didn’t think so. If you did, you wouldn’t be asking me about my time at that fort. You wouldn’t be looking to know what happened. You wouldn’t be asking me why only I and that child walked out. You’d let it lie, accept my written report… my resignation letter… let me disappear with my nightmares still in my head.”

“No, now you want to share them because of regulations. Cause you got orders. Orders you gotta follow. I know the drill. I resigned, but they haven’t accepted it yet. Still got my commission. I’m still Deseti Leader Otokar… and will be until we are done with this interview I bet…”

“Yeah? Ok then. I’m only gonna say this once, so get your crystal ready. Won’t repeat and won’t answer questions more than once. You ready? Ok.”

“For the record, I am Deseti Leader Otokar Vilkdzki. Officially, I was captured at the Battle of the Left Ridge, used my capture to infiltrate the Sarl fort and slay their leader, bringing to a close the last invasion. Unofficially, I got captured trying to hide during the battle after my whole Deseti got killed by a shit Sutoxojna Leader making shit decisions. I took advantage of the moment, but that same shit leader needed me gone, so sent my lucky ass up into the mountains to guard the Kowodrama Pass.”

“It is… well, rather it was an understaffed fort in the ass end of the world. Only seen by fools trying to get past the Sarls through the mountains to trade with Tree knows who. I was sent there to disappear and die like the six other assholes that got sent there for being embarrassing to someone.”

“You have no idea how fucking cold that place gets. It isn’t at the bottom of the pass, but at the top. Right before you start to head back down.”

“So much fucking wind. Storms that come out of nowhere, ripping off of the Everstorm… I have never been so fucking cold… and bored.”

“Seven men and women condemned to an unofficial death sentence. Only so much fucking and card playing you can do. After a year, my belt started looking mighty good to me, if you know what I mean. Just too stubborn to let that asshole get what he wants, I guess.”

“Any road, about a year in, I get woken in the middle of the night. Shocked the shit out of me, but there was Inuxojna Nowadzki shaking me like we been overrun by Sarls. Told me someone was at the gate asking to come in.”

“I scrambled like my hair was on fire, grabbed my arms, and followed her at a run…”

“See, you gotta understand, it was Fiorgrin’s Month. The Long Night was right around the corner. People die outside in minutes up there. Piss freezes on contact with the air if you don’t warm it up some around you. No one. I mean no one is on the road this time a year, let alone in the middle of the fucking night.”

“So I get to the gate, and it is already open. This half frozen fool had talked their way into our fort. I almost shot them, and Inuxojna Radedzki. I wish I fucking had. Probably should have shot myself then too…”

…

“Give me a minute. Not often you get to look at a choice right in the eyes and get slapped in the face by your regret about it…”

…

“Right, so there we are, me fingering my thrower, Nowadzki with her steel bare, and suddenly our fearless leader comes outside to demand we all come into the main hall. Fucker didn’t miss a beat. He just stepped out and opened the door to… well to that thing.”

“We were basically done at that point. The old bastard had signed our death warrants…”

“What? Oh, yeah I know that thing will come for me at some point. I am sitting here talking to you, but it told me we would meet again…”

“What? No. You don’t get it, do you. It fucking knows things man. What it says is true. Every time. Every. Fucking. Time. It is never wrong.”

“Wait. What did you just say? No. No I will not tell you what it said. Wait… Fuck… No… You don’t want to know what happened. You already fucking know!”

“Do you think I am an idiot? You morons want to capture it. Fucking use it. You think you can use it? You think you can fucking use me? Don’t you understand?”

….

“Ha. Hahahahahahahahahahaha!”

*sniff*

“What is so funny? It was wrong. I won’t see it again… But now I hope you do, you bunch of assholes.”

BLAM!

~ From Taubha’s Lesser Book of Names

Aka is a terrifying member of House Heiegh, striking fear in the hearts of all who learn of it. Aka has no true form like some Horrors, but instead takes on the forms of those it kills and eats… or eats then kills, depending on their mood. Inside their throat, no matter the form, are three rows of grinding teeth that make that subtle sound when they speak. Scholars believe that it was likely some form of scholar prior to the Madness, for it seems to be driven by a need to gather knowledge by consuming its victims.

In a game, Aka is best used as a monster encounter in an isolated place. It will work to pick off targets, taking their form to then try and pick off more targets. They can also function as a sort of serial killer to chase, should that be more appropriate.