Chapter 256 Traps
Kyra leaned back slightly in her chair, her mind racing with the details she wanted to share. The warriors around her were eager, hanging onto every word as they prepared for the challenges ahead.
"Alright," she began, "let’s break this down. First, let’s talk about traps. Depending on the kind of beasts we’re dealing with, we’ll need traps suited for their size and behavior. For the larger predators, you’ll need something robust, a pitfall trap perhaps, camouflaged with leaves and debris. You could also use heavy log traps that swing down from the trees especially near places they frequent."
One of the beastmen, a tall, broad-shouldered man with short brown hair, scratched his chin thoughtfully. "And what about for the smaller, faster beasts? Those ones that tend to sneak around the camp at night?"
Kyra nodded. "For the smaller ones you’ll need snares and nets. You can use wire or thick vine, set at different heights so they get caught no matter how high or low they run. You can also bait them with smaller prey. They’re scavengers, so once they smell an easy meal, they’ll come right into the trap."
The black-haired beastman with blue eyes spoke up next. "What about defending the perimeter? We can’t always rely on traps. Sometimes the beasts will be smart enough to avoid them."
Kyra’s eyes flickered as she considered the question. "True. That’s why we should use a layered defense. Set traps around the perimeter of the camp, but also create barriers—fences made from sharpened stakes, angled outward so that even if a beast charges, they’ll impale themselves before they can get to you. You can also dig shallow trenches filled with sharp stones around the camp. If something tries to rush in, it’ll lose its footing."
Damon, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a nod of approval. "These traps and barriers are good, but we can also use some of the terrain to our advantage. If we’re near cliffs or steep slopes, we can position ourselves in ways that make it harder for the beasts to reach us."
"Exactly," Kyra added, glancing at Damon. "We need to be strategic about our camp locations. Always choose places that give us a higher ground or natural defenses. Avoid valleys or low-lying areas where we can be surrounded."
The silver-haired beastman, who had been quiet after his earlier question, raised his hand slightly again. "And these beast patterns you mentioned earlier—how do we use that to plan?"
Kyra smiled, pleased that he was paying attention. "It’s all about observation. Set up patrols to monitor the area at different times of the day. Within a few days, you’ll start to notice patterns—when certain beasts pass by, which directions they come from, and what areas they tend to avoid. Once you have their routines down, you can set your traps to fit those behaviors. Think like the beasts—if you were hunting, where would you go? What areas would you avoid if you sensed danger? That’s how you outsmart them."
The beastmen murmured amongst themselves, nodding. The warrior holding the thick paper and pencil was furiously scribbling notes, his eyes gleaming with the new information Kyra was providing.
"Right," the silver-haired beastman nodded slowly, "So we study them first... and then we can set up traps based on their behavior."