Chort

“Chorts are smaller than fiends, true. But still big enough to kill.”—Agnes Thistle, herbalist from the Black Forest

Chorts are the somewhat smaller kin of fiends and bumbakvetches. Yet any witcher who thinks their diminutive stature means they present no danger commits a grave error—the kind that can end his career permanently. These denizens of dark and ancient woods are some of the most dangerous monsters known to man.

Legends often mistake chorts for sylvans, ascribing to them the ability to speak, stand on two legs, gobble up cabbage, play pranks and work mischief around the household. The arrival of a true chort in a region soon puts an end to such tales. The creatures do not speak, at best communicating with each other through grunts, snorts and moans. They get about on four legs and as for their “mischief.” They destroy farmsteads, devouring anything that can be devoured, including cabbage, if such is available, but also extending to poultry, pork, the family dog and then the family itself.

Chorts fight with little finesse, running straight towards their opponent and trying to knock him to the ground with the force of their charge. After downing their foe they bite, kick and strike with their claw-tipped paws. Due to their size and four-legged posture, they are mostly unperturbed by the force of the Aard Sign, and the regenerative powers of their body allow any wounds they receive to heal at a rapid pace.

Combat Tactics
Chorts are speed and brute strength personified, rivaled only by fiends among relicts. They use their arms to pummel, claw, and smash their prey. They also charge with such speed they can barely control themselves as they smash head first into their unfortunate victims.

A stand-up fight against a chort is not an option, even for a witcher. Use their size and speed against them: bait them to charge, roll aside, and hope they run headlong into something they can just charge through. While they recover from this mishap, you can freely cut into their flanks.

A less direct tactic involves using Devil’s Puffball bombs to poison the chort. If you can drag it through the toxic fumes, it will breath in the poison, and ideally help resolve the fight sooner.