With the aid of her hand shielding the her view from the bright sun- that she mused must have slept-in this morning,
Peggy Powler could just make out the split-rail fence that marked the end of the Pook Hill community's acreage.
The pine woods were now behind her and hopefully, so was the rain.
All around, the hop bines stretched away in battalion rows and offered no haven for a brute the size of her suspected
prey. Blue-smocks walked silently among the tendril-laced supports of twine and posts and would occasionally meet
those of an advisory capacity, the ones in the green apparel. Obviously, throughout Peggy's viewing of the Pook Hill
commodity-conservation, nobody looked towards the little woman in the wide-brimmed hat.
A neat line of clipped turf separated the grove of evergreens from the beginning of the bittering plants that brought a
substantial income to the pious folk who sought the Witch's aid. However, a mild surprise accompanied the solitary
sorceress as she surveyed the farmed land, Peering to her left, she noticed the devout Pookers had branched out to
enhance that revenue with four fields of barley that seemed out of place in the strict practices of the sect.
But out here, alone with her thoughts, Peggy felt more at home than back within the environs of those who gained from
the earthy-smelling vegetation and breathing in the rain-freshened air, that was fine by her. The damp grass sparked
with sun-kissed droplets as she walked along the tidy avenue and ruminating on her situation, she had to admit that
apart from the couple of enormous footprints in the loamy soil under the pines, there was no Hyder roaming the fields
and kidnapping the righteous worshippers of the deity called Pook for nefarious reasons.
Brenna Hobson had mentioned that the giant had invaded their village and stolen Alaric, an act that one would think
afforded more than a mere remark in mid-conversation. So it was this paltry manner of purveying information that had
brought Peggy to the conclusion of investigating on her own would be a more productive stream and only when she
chose to tickle some talk from one the thirty-or-so Pookers, would she do so.
In Peggy's way of explaining, one would mutter "Bugger 'em!"
Reaching for a canteen in her faithful magical satchel, the Last Witch of Underhill mentally assembled what she
knew about the giant known as a Hyder.
...................................................
The book that held the knowledge about the huge humanoid Peggy suspected as being the culprit at Pook Hill
was titled 'Donovan's Practices', a handwritten lexicon of creatures and beings that a cadet magician catalogued
during the time of The Great Coven.
Leaving the reasons for the fall of the illustrious cadre of theurgists to another time, many of the members believed
that the need to have authored documentation of the otherworldly and ethereal characters discovered during their
journeys, was of paramount importance. This concern stemmed from the notion that as time moves on, solutions to
assist in expulsion, spells to contain and talismans to control, could be lost due to changes in social development.
Hence, Donovan's Practices was written.
The Hyder can be described as belonging a primitive culture based on a rejection of other life-forms and a distrustful
view of the reality around them. Stemming from a time before standard humans began to amplify their effects around
them, this gigantic species believe their natural placement in existence was being ousted by an organised long-term
strategy by their smaller similar-looking inhabitants of the land.
Hyders -within their own civilisation, became socially-inherently paranoid and unable to procreate at the momentum
of the smaller-in-stature human race, took the pitiable position of concealment and avoidance as a way of continuing
their existence.
Peggy had read that most Hyders are primarily the height of two to two-and-a-half average humans and resemble
-to some extent, their presumed enemy. Their shoulders are covered in a thick matting of hair, however this growth
wanes towards the lower-back. A long shaggy mane assists in hiding facial features which are the same as standard
humans. Two eyes, broad nose and prominent incisor teeth.
An aversion to wearing clothing, but some Hyders have been seen with their genitalia hidden by a cloth. No footwear
in the fashion most would accept, but some witnesses report that Hyders do wrap their feet with diverse materials like
fur and animal hide.
Procreation only takes place when the full moon blooms in Summer. It is stated that Hyders leave their solitary-living and
meet to pro-generate in the natural manner. Mothers rear their offspring alone and yet the males hold a similar notion to
their alleged foe and work to protect the young and their female parent.
Insight of communication between Hyders is still limited at this time, but verbalisation may be of a language yet unknown.
...................................................
Feeling good about her own type of isolation -especially in the community that endorsed such behaviour, Peggy knew
that her hunt was to be a difficult, but a self-fulfilling one. Whoever Donovan was, the pint-sized warlock guessed that
field-work wasn't his best oyster and so, some of his statements may have been based on mere hearsay.
Still, looking for a naked long-haired giant on a terrain that could not hide a Hyder would not be easy and peering down
at her rain-damp bare feet, Peggy wondered if the dictum 'As Above, So Below' could help her in seeking the thief of
Alaric Hobson.
Peggy Powler could just make out the split-rail fence that marked the end of the Pook Hill community's acreage.
The pine woods were now behind her and hopefully, so was the rain.
All around, the hop bines stretched away in battalion rows and offered no haven for a brute the size of her suspected
prey. Blue-smocks walked silently among the tendril-laced supports of twine and posts and would occasionally meet
those of an advisory capacity, the ones in the green apparel. Obviously, throughout Peggy's viewing of the Pook Hill
commodity-conservation, nobody looked towards the little woman in the wide-brimmed hat.
A neat line of clipped turf separated the grove of evergreens from the beginning of the bittering plants that brought a
substantial income to the pious folk who sought the Witch's aid. However, a mild surprise accompanied the solitary
sorceress as she surveyed the farmed land, Peering to her left, she noticed the devout Pookers had branched out to
enhance that revenue with four fields of barley that seemed out of place in the strict practices of the sect.
But out here, alone with her thoughts, Peggy felt more at home than back within the environs of those who gained from
the earthy-smelling vegetation and breathing in the rain-freshened air, that was fine by her. The damp grass sparked
with sun-kissed droplets as she walked along the tidy avenue and ruminating on her situation, she had to admit that
apart from the couple of enormous footprints in the loamy soil under the pines, there was no Hyder roaming the fields
and kidnapping the righteous worshippers of the deity called Pook for nefarious reasons.
Brenna Hobson had mentioned that the giant had invaded their village and stolen Alaric, an act that one would think
afforded more than a mere remark in mid-conversation. So it was this paltry manner of purveying information that had
brought Peggy to the conclusion of investigating on her own would be a more productive stream and only when she
chose to tickle some talk from one the thirty-or-so Pookers, would she do so.
In Peggy's way of explaining, one would mutter "Bugger 'em!"
Reaching for a canteen in her faithful magical satchel, the Last Witch of Underhill mentally assembled what she
knew about the giant known as a Hyder.
...................................................
The book that held the knowledge about the huge humanoid Peggy suspected as being the culprit at Pook Hill
was titled 'Donovan's Practices', a handwritten lexicon of creatures and beings that a cadet magician catalogued
during the time of The Great Coven.
Leaving the reasons for the fall of the illustrious cadre of theurgists to another time, many of the members believed
that the need to have authored documentation of the otherworldly and ethereal characters discovered during their
journeys, was of paramount importance. This concern stemmed from the notion that as time moves on, solutions to
assist in expulsion, spells to contain and talismans to control, could be lost due to changes in social development.
Hence, Donovan's Practices was written.
The Hyder can be described as belonging a primitive culture based on a rejection of other life-forms and a distrustful
view of the reality around them. Stemming from a time before standard humans began to amplify their effects around
them, this gigantic species believe their natural placement in existence was being ousted by an organised long-term
strategy by their smaller similar-looking inhabitants of the land.
Hyders -within their own civilisation, became socially-inherently paranoid and unable to procreate at the momentum
of the smaller-in-stature human race, took the pitiable position of concealment and avoidance as a way of continuing
their existence.
Peggy had read that most Hyders are primarily the height of two to two-and-a-half average humans and resemble
-to some extent, their presumed enemy. Their shoulders are covered in a thick matting of hair, however this growth
wanes towards the lower-back. A long shaggy mane assists in hiding facial features which are the same as standard
humans. Two eyes, broad nose and prominent incisor teeth.
An aversion to wearing clothing, but some Hyders have been seen with their genitalia hidden by a cloth. No footwear
in the fashion most would accept, but some witnesses report that Hyders do wrap their feet with diverse materials like
fur and animal hide.
Procreation only takes place when the full moon blooms in Summer. It is stated that Hyders leave their solitary-living and
meet to pro-generate in the natural manner. Mothers rear their offspring alone and yet the males hold a similar notion to
their alleged foe and work to protect the young and their female parent.
Insight of communication between Hyders is still limited at this time, but verbalisation may be of a language yet unknown.
...................................................
Feeling good about her own type of isolation -especially in the community that endorsed such behaviour, Peggy knew
that her hunt was to be a difficult, but a self-fulfilling one. Whoever Donovan was, the pint-sized warlock guessed that
field-work wasn't his best oyster and so, some of his statements may have been based on mere hearsay.
Still, looking for a naked long-haired giant on a terrain that could not hide a Hyder would not be easy and peering down
at her rain-damp bare feet, Peggy wondered if the dictum 'As Above, So Below' could help her in seeking the thief of
Alaric Hobson.
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.