Bushwalker

The Tongue-Told Legend

The legend of the Bushwalker began with four friends, travellers and comrades sat around a fire in their camp. They were travelling the border between the southern Velian territories and the Tveyan Wilds and had stopped for the night to rest and recuperate. It was a clear, moonlit night and the small clearing that they had set up in was well sheltered from the ridgeline they had followed to get this far.

Naris, a Velian woman familiar to these lands was their guide. She was a timid being, and her jumpiness had become somewhat of a running joke in their travelling band with pranks being played and friendly banter being had. But this night she was silent.

Her watch was first, as it usually was, and as the camp was settling in for rest, the only words she said were of worry. She commented on how the air felt different -it was thicker, more humid- and that she felt like there were eyes digging into her back. None of the others felt similarly, so her comments were ignored.

Silence fell over their camp. Not even the cracking of a fire around them as they'd dare not light a beacon this close to Tvey. But for Naris, it was an unnerving silence. She could still hear the rustling of the bushes in the wind, the occasional chirp of a bird or small weasel but there was a strange discordance in the atmosphere. She could feel her panic welling in her stomach and steeled herself. She knew how to deal with her paranoia and so she did. She screwed here eyes shut and took control of her breathing. In- one, two, out. In- one, two, out. As she opened her eyes once more, she felt more relaxed, confident that her mind was calmed.

A crack from the undergrowth around Naris startled her from her waning consciousness. As she shot up to spin around, a chill shot over her. There was nothing around her -although her lack of seeing anything in the dark didn't fill her with confidence- but something felt severely off. As she deliberated over waking her companions, she noticed something. Her skin felt... Slick. The air, humid but not warm. She decided; if there's something out there, her companions need to be aware. If her mind is playing with her like this, then something may be worse.

She knelt down and shook Renal awake. He was next on watch, so it seemed fitting. He groggily woke to the sound of Naris' hastened breathing and tense form. He sat up and made an attempt to calm her, but his pressing was ignored as Naris begged him to focus for a second. She pointed out the strange atmosphere and Renal soon noticed the slickness to his own flesh.

Renal, not someone to be doing nothing, took initiative. He told Naris to wake the others as he pulled a torch from his pack. The others, Luther and Gren, came to as Renal was in the process of lighting the torch. As it flared, everyone froze. The torch was dull, its flame barely licking the air two inches over the pitch and shone a deep blackish red colour.

Under Renal's order, the four of them grouped closer, weapons drawn and looking around the meagre light offered by the strange torch. Luther believed he saw something on the edge of the camp and so they moved -as a unit- to see. Reaching the bushes, Luther reached out and ran his thumb along one of the leaves. It was coated in a liquid. He looked at it in the dim light, then sniffed it, then tasted it... Blood.

Gren was a wizard in training and the definitive knowledge that something was wrong, he muttered an incantation. A second later, a pale blue orb of light bursted into light in the centre of the camp. And then the scene became clear. Everyone at once saw that the slickness to their skin seemed to make it a pale pinkish colour and whatever liquid this was didn't seem to be able to be cleaned or wiped off.

As they were discussing this, Naris groaned, gripping her head. Renal rushed to see what was the problem as the other pair scanned around for anything. Naris seemed in great pain but she extended a hand to Renal as he approached. After a few seconds, the pain faded. Renal asked if she was okay but cut himself off as Naris looked toward him. Her eyes were blood-red and weeped down the sides of her cheeks. She wiped her eyes then looked to her hand, shaking at the knees. Renal wrapped his arm around her as she fell into panic, the other pair now determined on leaving, began packing what little they had unloaded. Then Renal felt a heavy weight on his own mind, like his own consciousness was being torn from him, but he forced the feeling away.

Naris was shaking in his arms as he saw Luther and Gren simultaneously collapse before him, the brilliant magic light now extinguished by the wizard's lack of conscious focus. Then Naris went calm again, breathing heavily but no longer shaking. Renal helped her to her feet but she didn't seem to need his help. He ordered her to pick up Gren as he grabbed Luther- they were leaving. But she didn't move. Instead she just looked blankly into the darkness, the blood weeping from her eyes now dripping across her front. Her head seemed to follow something.

That's when he saw it, a hulking, bipedal creature. Its form only betrayed by the moonlight hitting the side of its hideous body. The creature walked like an ape into the camp. Renal watched, frozen in fear as it approached Naris, who was completely unmoving. As its gaping maw lowered over her head, Renal's heart lurched. He stood from his kneeling position, his fight-or-flight instinct kicking in. He watched in silence and awe, backing up slowly as the creature's mouth and long neck completely enveloped Naris, consuming her whole.

The creature's head swung around, blood now dripping from its abyssal form. Renal's mind screamed at him to flee, the creature slowly stumbling towards Luther, still lying helpless on the floor. He so desperately wanted to help, but the inch that he stepped forward felt like running a marathon. The creature halted over Luther's form and lowered its head. Renal didn't want to see any more and his mind broke. With one gasp for air, he fled into the bloodsoaked underbrush, his own red tears smattering his clothes as he ran.

The only records that exist of this creature come from Renal himself. His diaries from his travels on the Velian Tveyan border were taken from him and his hastily made notes and sketches were decoded and recorded. In his babblings, he labelled this creature 'The Bushwalker'. While most believed him crazy, some accusing him of trying to cover up the murder of his comrades, the guards of the local down definitely can't forget the sight of a bloodslick man with crimson eyes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Bushwalker is a hunched, bipedal figure standing at around fifteen feet in height that walks with the assistance of its two hands. Its spindly arms and digitigrade hind legs make its movements sluggish but stable. Around half of the creature's height consists of its long neck that ends with a flat, mask-like face with a gaping, open mouth that has never been seen to close. According to Renal's account, the creature was loosely covered in faint wisps of light that signified its eyes, claws and the tips of its three curved tails.

Ecology and Habitats

The few sightings of this creature that have been reported come from the border between Velia and the Tveyan Wilds. Such an area is a faintly wooded badlands of scrubl and drylands. The focused areas of these sightings are around various lightly wooded areas, most commonly places that would make for excelent campsites. This has led people to believe that the creature is much smarter than it appears; being able to understand that its victims must sleep and knows exactly where they will do so.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Bushwalker eats humans and demi-humans and is unknown to dine on anything else. Its long neck and constantly open mouth allow the creature to descend their neck over an individual whom they then grip with the neck. Effectively consuming them whole, like a snake.

Biological Cycle

Sightings of the Bushwalker are mostly reported in spring and autumn, where the night is long, but the ground not cold. This lends to the suggestion that the creature hibernates in the winter, utilizing summer for another purpose. Said purpose is unknown, as no sightings of the creature have actually been made in the summer time.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

In sightings and speculation, the creature seems to be able to judge intent. It generally seems to ignore those who do not mean it harm and it acts animalistically to those who do.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The creature, judging by its semi-human looking face appears to utilize a sense of sight, although with some darkvision abilities to allow it to see through the darkness in which it resides. Other senses are not known, though it has been speculated that the creature would also be able to pick up on the scent of blood.

Renal's sketch of the creature.

Crimson Air

The Bushwalker has a strange theming of blood around its myth, Renal himself reported directly to the extent of this ability. Local flora becomes wet to the touch with a light coating of crimson before the same happens to any fauna in the area. As the creature approaches, its oppressive (potentially mind-altering) presence causes severe pain to the skull which is suspected to be internal hemorrhaging. And when the pain fades, the victim's eyes begin weeping blood.

Renal's Accounts

Like an unstoppable force, it moves like it can't be stopped, like it knows what you're going to do, like it know's you're going to run. Why? How? What kind of devil is that thing and why is it here? Velia says the civilization keeps us safe- is it Tvey? Did those anarchic bastards make this thing?

— Renal's Diaries (Page 034/125)

Its huge, but its thin. So many things exist that are that size. Bigger, even. Trolls, Ogres, you name it but even they don't eat like that what kind of godforsaken horror eats people whole?

— Renal's Diaries (Page 038/125)

Why didn't she move? I swear I said something, anything to her but she just stood there like she wanted it. I don't understand... I don't think i want to understand...

— Renal's Diaries (Page 061/125)

Why the nightmares? It was a year ago, why do I still see it every time I close my eyes? My nose started bleeding earlier... Is it coming back for me? Does it want to finish me off?

— Renal's Diaries (Page 088/125)

My head hu rts. A lot. I can bar ely focus on writing thls. Its so close to me' i can hear it outside but when I look thers nothing there why is it following me in th e middle of the day?

— Renal's Diaries (Page 0102/125)

No. No chance in hell. No chance in all the nine circles, the bloody pits, the cold depth or the ancient demons of hell am I going to let that thing come for me again. The peope say I'm crazy but the headaches have gone. I'm so much better. I put spikes out my front door, that thing can barely walk so it'll go right into them. I carry a blade now, I wont just stand there like Naris did, I'm not that stupid.

— Renal's Diaries (Page 0120/125)

I haven't slept in a week. The moment i close my eyes is the moment it strikes. I don't want to beeaten by that thing. I'd do anything to make sure that doesn't happen... Right?

— Renal's Diaries (Page 125/125)

The town's constible found Renal dead in his home two days after he wrote his final entry. His death seemed to be caused by the combination of sleep deprivation and blood loss from numerous small gashes on his forearms.