Woodsman

The Woodsman is a hostile Canaanite villager type encountered in rural settlements. They present as simple, pious locals who have embraced the Path of Petrae under the preacher Niketas; despite their outward plainness they are zealously hostile to outsiders and quick to label nonbelievers as enemies. Woodsmen are commonly encountered throughout village environs where they perform menial tasks such as cutting wood or idling near work sites.

Woodsmen will attack any intruder on sight and will attempt to raise the alarm to summon reinforcements when engaged. They move relatively slowly, but they are not trivial opponents. Each Woodsman wields the Woodsman's Axe, a weapon capable of delivering significant melee damage. Their axe attacks carry a moderate chance to cause heavy bleeding, a dangerous status effect that rapidly drains health and becomes especially hazardous when multiple villagers are attacking at once. In addition to bleeding, hits from the Woodsman's Axe can inflict Acid Burn, adding a persistent damage-over-time component and increasing threat in prolonged skirmishes.

Combat with Woodsmen benefits from awareness of their alarm behavior and status effects. Because they will try to call reinforcements, neutralizing alarm-capable villagers at range or isolating single foes before engaging the group reduces the risk of being overwhelmed. Defensive preparations against bleeding and corrosive damage—such as items or abilities that stop bleed or mitigate ongoing damage—improve survivability. Despite their slow pace, do not let approachability lull you into close, unprepared confrontations; their axe damage and secondary effects are the primary danger.

Woodsmen have a small but worthwhile loot table. Common drops include Silver Scrap with a 10% chance and the Woodsman's Axe with a 10% chance. The Woodsman's Axe is both a weapon and a source of status effects in its own right, which explains the presence of Acid Burn on their attacks. Every Woodsman yields a Human Skull as a harvestable drop with a 100% chance; this guaranteed item is useful for crafting or quest requirements that consume skull items.

Practical notes:

• Woodsmen are found performing routine tasks (cutting wood, wandering) across village areas; encountering them near work sites is typical.
• They will attack on sight and try to sound alarms; prioritize stopping alarms or separating foes to prevent reinforcements.
• Slow movement can be exploited for kiting or ranged takedowns, but prepare counters for bleeding and Acid Burn.
• Loot: 10% Silver Scrap, 10% Woodsman's Axe; guaranteed Human Skull when harvested.
• Treat Woodsmen as mid-threat villagers rather than disposable mobs due to their combination of high single-hit damage and damaging status effects.