~ two

When deciding to leave via the northwest gate to follow the dragon when you get to it.  Lazy ass.

Gate-keep - Riflepoint, "You're not going anywhere.  You're under arrest."

Explorer - "For killing all the vampires ?  Are you insane or suddenly realizing you should thank us ?"

Northwest - Sharpens the aim, "Insane."

Killer - "I like this one.  You hungry ?"

Explorer - "Not really, vampires take forever to digest."

Killer - "What about you ?"  Fast-draws to point, "You hungry ?"

Northwest - "Starved actually, just about to go on break.  Killed the vampires yeah ?  Thanks for that."

Gate opens, now they're under military rule.  And into the woods ...

Here a firmer ground set over stony cliff and mountainside, an ancient woodland as opposed to the swamps after plains of the northeast.  Here the only plains are what seems desperately cut back, moss-grown stumps with their saplings to the side.

As far back as a coward may seem to have ventured or survived, the last of the work tools at the rim of where the woods go dark.  

At one time it seems the town did venture here, perhaps before a wall or when one braved further, but here scorched houses from some long time ago amid what was once an outskirt.  

The rest door fallen, looted by those left to the woods for living out of count, the mosses carpet while the vineworks pulse though.  Looking around, this would have to have been be hundreds years ago, some buildings so fallen the roof indistinguishable for a hill.

But one dark ages to another, it's not so distinguishable from the rest of the town's architecture.

Somewhere in there an animal has made its home, as it is inside many of these places, all quiet with a stranger beast walking and poking at things, but many things watching, human bone-piles near the wall.

The most notable difference in some beasts in these woods is that they fall under a demon's control, creating a near hive mind in them.  If the player disturbs one, they will all attack in leaping strikes.

Wide eyed creatures of darkness, as snakes with birdlike uppers as it recoils in observation, analysis before strike. 

Their jaws are extended to accept serpent's teeth and dislocation, short forearms to claw, more to land missed springing strikes and adjust for another or perhaps just to strangle with.

In some way's under those wide eyes so stung by the light if you did come by day, they're reminiscent of these vampires, something about the way the teeth work if one sees it close enough.

All of which would be epic as hell to watch safely from above, Killer blasting away in all directions at this closing circle of serpentine beasts leap frogging side to side for the kill until the big one comes along.  

Thirty feet long springing out from beneath and old workshed, a circle and coil recovery on the claws before attacking from above, Killer gone in a swallow.

...

Its eyes go wide, the shooting from within until it just pops, Killer standing there disgusted.  In most cases this will all have happened before the player can really respond.

Gate-keep calls from the distance - "Thanks for that !"

Killer - A laugh.  " 'Demonology.' "  Wipes the muck off the face.

Explorer - Looking over a bone-pile of other beasts of the woods, antlers near the forest line.  "His name was Aamon.  Apparently, in this place, he was a line in the sand which neither side wanted to cross."

...  

Looks back at the Killer, they both break out laughing.

Killer - "Prime directive."

Explorer - "Totally prime directive."

The little ones literally wait around for what the big one shits into these piles, probably be better they move on anyway (totally extinct next play-through).
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It is possible to just battle it directly if the player can hit it in time before it turns on the Killer, causing it to equally hilariously spring in the air a lot until, it turns on the Killer.

Most things will, because the bullets and suffering.  

Very useful for an exploration character, especially if they want to play like a ninja.  

The attacks from above transitioning to human, then back to the bird after lopping the head make excellent assassinations, especially while they're all distracted by the loud madness, you know everyone's about to leave their post.

For finding ze secrets ...

Or ideally being allowed a decent range of companion control, even to have the Killer move as quietly as the player may feel, moved to position then released at the right time ... options would be good.

We'll see what works in the engine with all these already so lofty goals.  They may just do their general thing to allow for scene continuity or not just break a lot, but their consistencies are predictable enough to plan for.

The Killer would always be a distraction one wouldn't need to worry about, the player could play the majority of the game through without ever being seen but the ones that require direct interaction.

Also cool if there's a bonus for that.  Add it to the list.
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Into the woods, it's clear what they had tried to trim back some hundreds of years ago, before said line was drawn.

These elk eating Hell's berries off the vine witched over like a shepherd by the demon Furfur who makes notice. 

Elk faced but upright as a man and winged, proud in his stance with club staff and nothing to fear, he stretches his wings across in a flex and looks away.

In one were to attack or from the heard, he would just spin away into a mist, the rest into the woods before response or follow.  In one gets a single elk it's known for food, so forever then treated as a predator.

Not likely to see his herd again.

As the birds chirp everything through the woods and across this land like any other.  Some seem somehow related to Aamon, similar but only birds, so seem other birds that they may be related to something else.

Everything is, as Hell's vine grows, spreading across and throughout, above weaving platforms and walkways as is in the swamps.  Down trees used for reinforcement, sprouting the berries so many things eat.

As other things eat them.

A biosphere taken over by foreign elements, where the predator which eats the prey is thrice as desperate for this berry's nutrient, because the effect is only second hand.

The woven world above the only truly safe place from it all, where surviving humans converge with the demons who remain, 'humanesque'.  Strolling this place amid the culture of madness grown.

It makes sense, by its own rules, these are animals.  

The aggression, the posturing, what are you to them ?  Just passing through more likely, the player is nothing to this pack.  Guns run out of bullets, what are you to them ?

There's a few market stalls.  It would probably help.  They revere the crow but seem interested in eating the human.

Meat and skin from any beast is easy trade according to rarity and usefulness, but there is no gold.  They would however have hunting weapons in case one does run out of ammunition.
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Killing everything would be Really hard to do without the Learner so that would be The Killer's Tale.  Explorer's Tale is for it's name as well, which isn't to say I wouldn't myself try.

Some will want to for their 'master plan set up' for the future period.  In which with nothing to eat from the vines, vines don't prosper and the future is more naturally biological.

Which has literally nothing to do with the plot.  It's just a thing you can do.  Make the world boring.

Whereas the Learner just seals them, so there's no effect other than being able to just randomly summoning mister beefcake antlers over here for whatever reason.