As the group crossed the meadow and got closer to the camp, they noticed more details. Smoke rose from fires, the clanging of metal on metal grew louder, the welcoming scent of roasting meat caught their attention and the rush of the water from the river to their right. Closing the distance, they saw several huts and a few foundation buildings spread out in seemingly no particular order. Walking closer they saw a giant of a satyr sharpening a knife on a wetstone.
"Excuse me, we are here for the barbarian course. Where is the camp chief," asked Vect.
The satyr was huge, brimming with muscle and bore multiple scars on his body, and one horn broken off. The only clothing he wore was a furred loincloth that trapped down to below his knees and a bandolier over one shoulder with multiple pouches for who knows what. After a few moments of waiting, the satyr looked at the traveler's and grunted, nodding towards the center of the camp giving them a look of distain as he did so.
Not wanting to continue their conversation, the satyr went back to his sharpening.
The four walked further into the camp and noticed the sounds of fighting got louder. Rounding a corner, they saw the middle of the camp was a type of training ground with spaces marked for sparring practice. In the center was multiple people paired off and sparring with each other, weapons clanging off of each other or off an occasional shield. As the quartet stood there, the fighters caught sight of them and stopped fighting to look at the intruders.
"Are we in the wrong place," whispered Jack, concern creeping into his voice.
Before anyone could answer a loud gruff voice answered his question, "You're Late."
An 8 foot tall Orc pushed his way through the crowd and toward the new arrivals. His skin was rough and covered in scars, most notably 5 deep animal claws along his chest and 3 along his face over the left side of his face, his eye covered by a patch of cloth. A similar loincloth, like the one the satyr wore was his only true clothing, but he had a belt around his waist holding various pouches and weapon sheaths. A necklace of various trophies hung around his neck ranging from animal to a few monster remains. "Why are you so damn late," said the orc, clearly annoyed. "The class was to begin a month ago."
"We had taken the old path trough the mountains to get here, the regular path was closed off," said Jack. "But we can't be that far behind. There was a group trying to get here too, but they had waited for the path to get cleared."
The orc's eyes narrowed. "All groups have reached here when they were supposed to, you obviously got lost for a week or so and wandered the highlands. But you are here and all recruits must go through the same initiation," the orc gave a toothy smile at this and motioned to the other people to move in.
Before they realized what was happening, they were grabbed by the others and started to strip them of everything, including their gear and clothes. When one tried to take the dagger Vect had given her, something in Sara snapped to attention and reacted. Her fingers had been hurting slightly ever since their jump in age in the cave, but now they felt like they were on fire. Sara clawed at the would be dagger thief, and at the apex of her motion Sara's fingers split apart as black claws forced their way out of her hands extending a few inches. The claw slashed at the man's arm, leaving deep cuts in his arm. He reeled back in pain, yelling, and all the others pulled backwards in caution. " YOU HELL SPAWN WHORE," yelled the man as he pulled a hand axe from his belt and brought it back in preparation for burying it in Sara's skull. But before he could bring it down, the orc grabbed it from his hand. "OK THAT'S ENOUGH," and the crowed backed off further. "Looks like we have someone with some guts. Still you all need to go through the same initiation everyone else has."
"Perhaps you should explain it to them eh?" The voice came from a man in a hooded cloak, several totems hung from his clothing. His yellow eyes looked back at the orc in amusement as he pulled back the hood revealing a pair of pointed ears.
Shifting his gaze to the newcomers, "I shall explain: here there is a starting trial to prove you have the tenacity and cunning to survive out here. Everyone is to remove their clothing and gear firstly and venture into the forrest, hunt some kind of animal, turn its fur into your clothing and return with its skull to be placed in that pile," the hobbit motioned to a pile of bones over near a hut they hadn't seen before.
'So that's why they are so similarly dressed, but slightly different,' thought Sara, as she looked closer at the crowd seeing them clothed in different furred loincloth made from deer, patchwork rabbit, wolf, and even one or two bear pelts. The only similarity they all shared was that all were bare chested, even the few women in the group.
"The greater the animal you clothe yourself in, the greater your standing among the students," continued the hobbit, "you shall have one week to return or else you have failed and shall be sent back to try again next year. You are allowed one item to bring with you on this trial from your personal effects. These totems shall prevent you from freezing to death, however you will still feel the discomfort of cold temperatures." He pulled out from one pouch on his belt 4 small wooden totems carved in the likeness of an ox.
Seeing no alternative they began to remove their clothing, much to their embarrassment. As Sara pulled down her pants and her flaccid member was shown to the world, several began to make jeers and taunt the freak standing before them until the orc put a swift stop to it with one murderous stare. Covering her privates as best they could, one arm on her crotch and the other over her breasts, mirroring lelu who had turned bright red and Jack and Vect using both hands to cover their members. "You won't get far in this trial if you are too concerned with modesty. Nature is what we are a part of, civilization has made some of us forget that, this trial is to make you understand that before progress, we were not much different from the animals roaming the forest now," explained the hobbit.
Each selected their item to aid them: Sara of course choosing her dagger Vect had given her, Vect choosing the tinderbox, Jack choosing a bow, and Lelu choosing her copy of the survival books they had started with.
"The enchantment on the totem lasts for a week, once it has expired you must return here or risk hypothermia. Well good luck," and they were sent on their way, nude as the day they were born, save the totem around their neck. Sara felt the small carving nestled between her breasts as she stared at her newly formed claws. 'At least my fingers no longer hurt,' thought Sara as she prepared herself for the trial before them.