I walked up to Vanna*a and tried to ask him about his past. If he was always just a Slayer Master? If he was once a teacher?
I could see into his eyes that there was an answer. But for such a man as he, hardened by facing the most terrifying creatures in the world, was it sorrow ... pain ... or fear when he recounted his tale.
He told me of an island.
New adventurers come in, learn the basics, then get shuffled off into the cruel world.
It was grueling work, having to put up with the noobs. But he & the others did the best they could.
And for years, their work paid off.
Many wannabe adventurers & skillers were trained in the basics of gaining xp. Some went on to greatness. Others found their niche & were happy. Others burned out & left the world.
But times changed. They continued to teach the same basic skills. But the world was progressing. Other skills seemed to magically appear even though they had really been around forever.
The other tutors talked about hiring new tutors for these skills. Talking led to planning.
But it was never in the budget, & there was never enough room. There was a question of finding the time to do it, but there was no rush. They still covered much of what was needed.
This cycle continued for years.
Eventually, a new face appeared. A manager or something. His ideas were new, fresh, almost incredible. A new voice in the distance to lead the way.
But there was a problem. The tutors ... they wanted to do it. They wanted to be a part of this brave new world. They knew it'd be hard, but they'd finally see new faces & new things on the island.
At first, it was planting broccoli. Then a flock of wild warblers were penned up on the island. A huge sawmill was erected. People started seeing some giant spectral monster.
When the voice asked Vanakka to start assigning Rats as a Slayer Task, he asked to be transferred out.
As he left ... it happened ... it was gone.
To this day, Vanakka never assign rats. This was why.
16-Oct-2015 19:23:54
