A Nasty Little Habit.

[Varian]

There was an increasing concern for the stock of the forest within the valley that surrounds the manor which was House duMonde. It seemed a strange malady had come to affect those animals that might be hunted to sustain the staff of the manor, or perhaps even the community of nearby Myrken Wood.

A littering of carcasses had been discovered throughout the acreage, accompanied now by the foul odor of decomposition, amplified by a steadily warming sunlight. The ordeal, as a whole, had become so unpleasant that concern was expressed with the master of the estate.

Varian agreed to venture out the following evening, alongside a party of hunters, and inspect the grievous scene. As often they do, when hunting is abundant, the prey species of the area had, very apparently, abandoned the place. In turn, the predator responsible for the destruction expanded its domain as well.

An all too familiar affliction, these creatures drained of their blood. Mutilated, but left uneaten, to rot in the daylight. Their corpses were inspected for evidence of the creature; loosed teeth, hair. The area around each felled victim was examined for tracks, or any other method that might be employed to identify their attacker, but to no avail.

The Baron enlisted a large number of his retainers to dispose of the bodies. A massive pyre was constructed and the black smoke it dispensed billowed upward, into the sky, for days to follow. Though the effort was great, it proved to be a temporary solution. The carnage continued, as did the incinerations. It would soon become clear that it was not, solely, this small area of the region who had become affected by this horrific slaughter.