The Word of Clotl'thoa

The Word of Clotl’thoa

Slethh spent the morning basking by the light of the lavaflows. It would be an exhausting day, and he needed his energy to chase down the saliraptors he was charged with hunting. Their meat was delicious and held above all other deinodons, and with the number of hunters headed into the tunnels, he could only guess that the ceremony today would be something special indeed.

Isolate, pace, exhaust, strike…

First, Slethh’s party isolated one of the saliraptors from its pack. They were dangerous enough as a single target, but saliraptors were clever, and a group of them were truly deadly. One at a time, carefully peeled off from the pack, was how this was done. Once isolated, their prey dashed off as expected and was easily tracked through the winding tunnels. It panicked and trampled through the fungus and scraped across the rock – its seemingly adamantine talons gouging great tears that the party used to gauge its progress. Though it could sprint faster than any of the Allu’thoa on this hunt, it could not maintain this speed for very long. The easy loping pace of the hunters only cost a small bit of energy, conserved their strength until the final blow was necessary. They were patient.

Slethh took two great steps, juked left, then leapt right. The saliraptor lost its footing as he followed Slethh’s new vector, and slid a bit before its claws finally found purchase on the hardscabble floor of the tunnels. Slethh’s foot found the wall, and his body coiled against it, nearly horizontal before he pushed off like a spring. In that moment he flew, weightless, spear held high above his head, as his warcry violently echoed down the passage.

And in that moment, after several hours of hunting, it was over. They delivered their prey back to their tribe, triumphant, glowing. The ceremony approached with great anticipation.

So many Allu’thoa gathered – those from the heart of Zavith’loa joined by those from the furthest reaches of Dshinn’s lava tubes. The din was overwhelming, their numbers were legion. It was a day of glory, the day that Clotl’thoa spoke! They would hear his word! The Allu’thoa had pleased their god, and so it was said:

“Today marks the start of a new day. The day we must leave our home. We, the Allu’thoa, will follow the tunnels upwards. We, the favoured of Clotl’thoa, will search until we find the light of Clotl’thoa! We will know when we see it, as it will burn as a thousand glowing charnels! It will float and illuminate all before us. We will spill out, under its light and its heat, and we will take our weapons and we will conquer all that he reveals to us! Clotl’thoa has spoken! And as he speaks we cannot be defeated! His enemies will take up arms against us, but we will cover this new land with the bodies and the blood and the cry of their failure.

The Allu’thoa will stand amongst their bones, and a new world will be ours for the taking! Praise to Clotl’thoa!

The sound of the Allu’thoa response shook the very earth itself. Those on the surface worried that Dshinn might erupt once more. It would, but not with lava and fire, instead with spears and swords.

Several days later, Slethh shielded his eyes from the wrath of Clotl’thoa. It took several minutes before the glare abated and he could take in the view without pain. He saw a vast expanse of water and earth and greenery. Amongst the giants of this new land, he saw the tiny forms of humanoids.

And thus, the hunt was on once more.