Atop the Back of the Island Turtle (CK2)

Each Beast Tamer within Saeva must answer to one of three of Beast Tamer guilds. Sure, you could try to go without a guild. But soon enough the lack of supplies and knowledge would come to bite you, often literally, over and over. And Beast Taming was a job that afforded no mistakes. At the least, you needed the old, leather bound books that laboriously detailed the lifestyle, maladies, and tendencies of the beast. These 'Beast Tomes' were zealously guarded by each of the guilds, and they contained the entirety of the guild's knowledge within them. It was many Beast Tamer's dream to write one of these books themself, not just contribute to parts, but write an entire Tome. It was these Tomes that you would laboriously spill over every night, studying until the dark hours of the night.

Each of the guilds would trade in blood for copies of their competitor's tomes. The guilds often fought each other for this reason, spilling blood in broad daylight, and sometimes in the shadows. The Fang Guild in particular was known for their subtle warfare. They had a mastery of poisons and antidotes that dwarfed the other guilds, and often used it to their advantage.

Years and years ago, you had turned down an apprenticeship under the Fang Guild over the offer of the Shade Guild. Your 'talent' had been obvious even then, with the way that beasts preened and relaxed near you in a way that the other villagers thought was witchcraft. A tamer had shown up when you were just 12, with a Quetzal in one hand and a spear in the other. He pushed the Quetzal into your hands, and when it didn't fly away, he offered you an apprenticeship on the spot.

8 years later, you're 20, and things are starting to look good for you. Your withered, corpse-like hand from four years ago only has been aching a little bit, and you have finally gotten writing with just one hand down, and the Taijitu in your pens that will probably lay eggs soon.

Then you abruptly get news from the guildmaster herself that the Duke wanted you for a job. It was strange to think of. After all, the nobles rarely associate with the Beast Tamer guilds, preferring their pet Beast Hunters. When you went to the Duke's castle to receive your job in person, you were informed that you had been generously given the role of expedition leader, and that you were needed on a ship in two weeks to go to a beast infested island that emerged from the depths of the ocean naught but a month ago. When you were finally in private afterwards, you cursed the Fang Guild, their creator, their guildmaster, and every one of their ancestors.

If there was one thing taught by the Shade Guild, it was that everything suspicious was caused by the Fang Guild. Most of the time, it was a safe bet.

In two weeks you have given each of your beasts away to other tamers, written down every scrap of knowledge you could muster, and readied your bags for the ship. You give a brief goodbye to the cluster of Swamp Spirits who have followed you into the port city of Torchia, and step onto the ship that will take you away from everything you have ever known.


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Stat Rolls

Diplomacy: 6+2=8
Martial: 11-1=10
Stewardship: 11
Intrigue: 11
Learning: 12
Piety: 11+3=14

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[ ] Name: (Write-in)
[ ] Appearance: (Write-in)