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The following day, everyone went to the gnolls' cave to invite the others to the outpost.
The reminder of the former settlers were wary, but the presence of their brethren convinced them to come.
The kind welcome they received finished to break the barriers and the downer mentality that had kept them distant during all these years.
After deliberations, it was decided to wait at least the consolidation of the outpost before announcing to Hayjar what was discovered. A fifth species was something huge after all, such a reveal had to be prepared.
Those of the gnolls who had families could send letters through a messenger of the Red Claw to tell them they were alive, but had to ask in them to keep silent about it. Said families would be able to give answers and replies directly to the messenger.
This done, everyone focused on the outpost.
No one balked at the work, and in barely two months, the small outpost, limited to a main lodge and crude huts, had evolved in a solid little village, with powerful braziers fed by alchemy dispersed a bit everywhere. They wouldn't hold against a snowstorm, but in clear weather, they completely repeled the harsh cold of the summits and made the exterior really pleasant to live.
Still, a cave network was digged under it to make a safe haven in case of truly extreme storms (the events of their mutation made the gnolls a bit paranoid about storms), and there was also a wall around the village, just in case.

In his spare time, Coelho focused on his researches.
He had collected little fragments of the mysterious crystals that infested the cave, and was trying to study them.
He took the precaution of locking them in a sealed metal box, taking them out only as strictly needed.
For they indeed emitted a strange energy.
In parallel, he also studied many of the plants made accessible by his deal with Carrios, and tried to see if they could do new reagents in alchemy.
And luck smiled to him: he recently managed, thanks to them, to make a third, even more powerful version of the growth elixir.
Right now, he was watching a vial he did of the new formula, resting on a table outside, and intending to announce Cletus the next experimentation. He chuckled, knowing the orc would be very happy about it...
When a hand - or rather paw - snatched the bottle.
The High Alchemist lifted brutally his head and recognized Rokk.
"Thank goodness, something to drink!" heaved the exhausted Gnoll, who was working himself very hard on the expansion of the outpost. "My throat is so dry it hurts!"
"WAIT, NO!!" yelped the elf.
Too late: the vial was already drunk.
The effect wasn't long in coming: in just a few seconds, Rokk was already taller than houses, his muscles swelling bigger, his clothes reduced to shreds...
Since the gnolls had heard about Coelho's discoveries, and actually saw the weakest, diluted version at work to help the hardest works on the wall, Rokk's shock and surprise didn't last long, and pleasure quickly replaced them.
Which was the best reaction to have, since the growth was just getting started...

Art by  SpiderDaSquirrel
Rokk © me