Open Chronicles Where The Wolves Hide

[Lia]

​

Allirian Reaches - 40 Leagues from Alliria

Sliding off the side of the Horse Lia came to ground with a muted thud. Her armor clanked slightly, the metal plates striking against one another as her boots dug into the soft soil of the forest.

Behind her the great stallion whipped it's head, sputtering slightly as he scented the blood within the air. A frown touched her lips for a moment, and slowly the Ranger pulled the creature by it's reigns and patted his nose. "Shh. It's long over."

She told the beast, her lips thinning as the horse slowly calmed itself.

Leading him over towards a fallen tree she tied the reigns to a small stump, knowing that it wouldn't be enough to hold him if he truly wanted to get away but guessing that wouldn't happen.

Whatever had happened here was over, that much she was sure of. The danger had passed several hours ago and she was only here due to the concerns of the village less than a mile away. It seemed that a group of boys had stumbled upon a rather gruesome scene, and after telling their parents news had quickly spread through the village. The Mayor had approached the Rangers this morning, and Lia had been sent with two others to investigate.

Resting one hand on the pommel of her short sword she stalked through the woods for a moment until she reached the small alcove. Within it stood two men dressed in attire similar to her own, between them lay a body, or what was left of it.

What had once been a man was now a mess of flesh and organs. His torso was completely torn open, his face mangled, and most of his innards gone. "A beast of some sort?"

Lia asked as she stepped into the clearing, one of her companions shaking his head.

"Would have eaten the whole thing."​

A frown touched the young Ranger's lips, her mind beginning to race with possibilities. The Allirian Reaches were generally a calm place, despite the recent Naga attacks. This was...unusual, especially for being just a days ride from Alliria itself.

There were possibilities though. Cultists, rabid beasts, necromancer, even Werewolves.

"Let's take what we can back to the village." Lia said slowly. "Ask some question."

She could only guess that this man had once lived in Veril, the town that sat closed by. She hoped that somebody would be able to identify him, and if not at least they would be able to gather some information about what's been going on around here.

OOC:

Hi there! This thread is open for anyone and everyone to join. The intent is basically to have a more slow paced mystery-ish thread going. There's been a murder, it wasn't normal, fun times! Please feel free to hop in.​

 

[Angharad]

Angharad dismounted from her mare with a sigh of relief. Long hours in the saddle could be torment even for an elf. Rest wasn't critical for her but the break was more than welcome. She stopped each evening for her horse's sake rather than herself. Tending to her first, she brought the horse to a trough to drink, letting her have her fill. "You earned it" she told the beast with a pat of affection. She murmured soft encouragement in Elvish, her head turning to survey the town.

A generous word to describe it. Human settlements tended to be larger than elven ones but they lacked in grandeur. The place looked thrown together, barely more than an upgraded village. I doubt they'll have much better than some crudely stuffed mattress with rats roaming the room, she thought with a grimace. Her arrival had already attracted attention, she was used to that outside of the cities. Her height alone was enough to catch the eye. The armour and ears did the rest.

She let down her hair and shook it out before taking a sip from her own canteen. Two months, she'd been gone for more than two months. Dispatch riding wasn't her favourite duty but it was one the elders insisted on for the most outlying ports, outposts, fortresses, and watchtowers that maintained the trade routes to Fal'Addas and warned her of any dangers. Far flung garrisons and sentries that guaranteed the city's protection.

There were quicker ways of course but some were too important to entrust to magic or messenger bird, even if it was to half the world away. At the very least tonight she could sleep properly without having her sword hugged to her chest or ears pricked for the slightest sound. She was sick of waking to the sound of footsteps of heavy footed mortals trying to sneak up on her camp.

Making for the tavern, she ducked her head to avoid banging it on the door frame. Her delicate nose twitched at the smells inside but she steeled herself and made for the bar. "What wine do you have?" she asked, her tone more suited for a banquet in Elbion. The flustered barmaid seemed a bit perplexed to have met an elf but she made a game attempt. "Well we have red or white milady". Angharad fought down a wave of a nausea and forced a thin smile onto her face, her mind imagining a king's banquet being served by ones such as these. She forced her voice to be civil.

"Might I have a snifter first?"

Lia

 

[Lia]

The three Rangers riding into town with a makeshift litter dragging behind one of them made quite a scene. Around these parts the Allirian Rangers were well known, men and women who brought peace and general calm to the whole of the Reaches.

A few of the villagers bowed respectfully, as the three passed, though most simply tipped their heads or waved in greeting. A few children of course ran among them excitedly, though Berik, one of the other Rangers, quickly waved them off. There was no need for the children to see what was in the litter.

Lia might have let them see, if only to teach them not to poke their noses where they didn't belong.

Still, they scattered away as the Three Rangers stopped in front of the only Tavern within the Village. Veril was small, barely large enough to be called a town. Most merchants used it as a stop over if they didn't have the energy to complete the last of the miles to Alliria.

"Cedric, find the Mayor and bring him here." The other Ranger shot her a nod. Technically speaking Lia and Berik were of equal rank, but both men knew that Lia couldn't quite stop herself from giving orders.

Especially when something was of interest to her.

Berik smiled slightly, watching as the other Ranger walked away. He motioned to Lia as they tied up their horses, pulling a blanket from his saddlebags to cover the litter.

"I'll stay out here. Make sure no one goes near the thing."
​

Lia nodded, and headed into the Tavern.

Horatia Cara Maecilia | Angharad​

 

[Cedric Miller]

"Cedric, find the Mayor and bring him here."

Cedric's lip quirked in a soft smile as he nodded his head, leaving his reins to Lia. He turned away quickly, and walked towards the mayors house, hoping he had turned quickly enough to hide the flush that rose to his face whenever she spoke directly to him. It wasn't a reaction he was very proud of, and not one he'd been able to stop yet.

He shifted his shoulders a bit, settling the quiver on his back a bit better as he walked, slipping the bow in his left hand onto his shoulder. Most of a block later, Cedric's boots turned onto the well tended gravel path that led to the mayor's front door. Cedric made no move to silence his movements on the rough stones. Truly, he may have ground his feet in a bit more than necessary to make sure he was heard approaching. He'd been called a ghost and caught fine folk off guard more often than he liked to admit, so when not needing to be quiet, he tried to make noise.

A few moments after he knocked on the door, a man servant came to the door, a slight Half-Elf with graying hair.

"May I help you..." the eyes of this elderly half-elf were still sharp, and clearly picked out the fact that Cedric was an Allirian Ranger, "...Ranger?"

"Yes, m'lo...Sir." Cedric had grown up in a nearby Duchy, one who gave out minor titles like candy. He was used to m'lording his way up and down the streets. "We need the mayor, we've got some disturbing news. Senior Rangers Lia and Berik are with me." Being only just fully initiated into the Rangers, Cedric wasn't very well known. Lia and Berik, on the other hand were well known in these parts, as far as Rangers went. The half-elf smiled and nodded.

"Where shall he meet them?"

"We've got the bo...remains covered over near the tavern." Cedric replied, then took a deep breath.

"Excellent, young ranger. I shall see to it he is there post haste."

Cedric nodded and stepped back, the door closed in front of him. Cedric closed his eyes for a moment and took another deep breath.

He'd joined the rangers because he was the best shot in his duchy, and he hadn't wanted to become a miller or a baker like the rest of his family. He wasn't very good at the social aspect, he didn't have his command presence like Lia and Berik did. He preferred to be in the background too much, and it was something his instructors in training said he would need to work on if he was to go any higher than where he was now within the Rangers.

Cedric turned and walked back towards their horses. He heard the door slam behind him as he made the street, and a few steps later a regal looking halfling was striding next to him with a grin.

"Ranger Cedric, yes?" The halfling mayor said, though it wasn't really a question.

"Yes, Mayor Proudfoot."

"Excellent, show me what you've got." The mayor was energetic in the typical halfling way, and surprisingly able to keep up with Cedric's long strides. They were soon within eyesight of Berik and the horses. Cedric remained quiet, but nodded in the direction of the Senior Ranger.

Horatia Cara Maecilia | Angharad​

 

[Kaska]

Kaska came riding down the main street at a leisurely pace, looking none out of sorts as she slowed her horse down to a trot. She was dressed in full gear, recognizable at once as another ranger and a new arrival. She scanned the streets for a sign of her comrade's location. She spotted Berik down a ways and gave a lazy nod, kicking her horse to surge in his direction.

"What are you doing here, ranger?" He greeted, brows pinching slightly.

"Change in plans," she told him, bringing her horse to a stop and slipping off him. She landed lightly, flicking her cloak properly over her shoulder. "You were meant to stay in Alliria, Corporal wanted something with you. ...Sir," she added, the respectful address an afterthought. He was her superior after all.

She reached into pack and pulled out a roll of parchment containing the official command. It would be noted that it was two days old, and perhaps some haste from her could have saved him all this effort. However, her hair looked particularly nice for having spent the night on the road.

"I couldn't find your camp. I came as fast as I could," she shrugged. "Sergeant Lia anywhere?"

Berik pointed to the tavern, pinching at the bridge of his nose as she turned and pushed inside.
After a quick scan of the room, Kaska huffed and approached the Sergeant, pulling at the woman's attention with a drawling, "Ma'am." She held out a second roll of parchment, sealed and containing a copy of the new orders for Lia to keep.

She offered no other explanation, standing in a casual ready position as she awaited orders.

 

[Angharad]

Angharad made a face as she sipped at her cup. The red wine tasted like vinegar, the white like piss. She'd opted for the former, choosing to take the lesser of two evils. The main point was that it was alcoholic. She forced her mind to think of other things while attempting to 'savour' her drink.

The door opened, a source of interest in a place as sleepy as this. Her gaze took in a woman, short (but then all humans were), and looking decidedly travel worn. Angharad knew she was no prize pig herself but at least she didn't look as grim as this human. The armour looked well worn and it had seen use but she recognised the mark of the Allirian Rangers.

"Ranger" she said in greeting, her voice slipping into Common. Even in that she couldn't shake her haughty manner. "Do the Allirians police taverns now as well?" a slight note of challenge there. She'd been too long in the wilderness, "What news from the city?"

Lia

 

[Lia]

Lia glanced up at the elf, her eyebrows raising in slight surprise.

The woman's kind were not entirely uncommon in Alliria, but on this side of the city they were certainly more rare. Finding one in a town like this even more so. The Ranger frowned slightly, opening her mouth to speak as she was interrupted by the clank of boots and armor behind her.

She turned to find Kaska, her eyebrows raising even more as a look of puzzlement dawned on her face. Lia knew the girl of course, though was somewhat surprised to find her here. "Kaska."

The sergeant said greeting, grasping the parchment and unfurling it. Her eyes wandered across the paper for a moment, her lips growing tight as she did. It wasn't that she had anything against the girl, just that she tended to have a bit of an attitude problem at times.

Still, she wouldn't turn away more help.

"Talk to the inn Keeper and get us a room, one with a large table." It would save her from having to do it.

With the small command given Lia turned back to the elf.

"There hasn't been much from Alliria since the Naga attack." The Ranger explained, ignoring the woman's earlier comments. "The city is still recovering."

Kaska | Angharad | Cedric Miller | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Kaska]

"Maaa'aaam," Kaska acknowledged with subtle dryness, using the address despite their same age. That was often all Kaska had ever called Lia, Ma'am. She barely knew the woman, but her distaste for the fact that she was a her superior was a poorly kept secret.

Kaska looked around for the innkeeper and walked away, barely glancing at the elf Lia was holding a conversation with. She found the woman and made the request, their conversation soft murmurs to those who may have listened. She glanced over her shoulder then followed the worker through a set of doors, going to check the condition of the room before accepting it.

 

[Cedric Miller]

Cedric and the mayor reached Berik's side as he mounted up. Cedric looked awfully confused, and Berik looked annoyed.

"Orders from on high." He said by way of explanation to Cedric, then turned to the mayor. "May want to talk to Lia before you look at what we found. She's in the tavern with Ranger Kaska." He continued.

"Wind at your back." Cedric offered as a farewell, then took position by the remains.

"Ride well, Ranger Berik. I hope to see you again soon." The mayor said, "though hopefully next time it isn't over...that." He nodded at the covered remains, then turned towards the tavern and stepped inside.

"Ranger Lia!" The halfling mayor said by way of greeting as he spotted her. "Always a pleasure to have you grace our town. I hear you had something you needed me to see..."

While the mayor was often a happy go lucky type, he knew how to be circumspect when he needed to be.

Outside, Cedric fidgeted as he paced slowly around the remains. He had his thumbs tucked behind the buckle on his belt, his eyes travelling around the town and nodding with a half smile to those who looked his way.

 

[Lia]

"Excuse me." The Sergeant told the elf, turning away from her and regarding the Halfling mayor.

Lia gave the man a short bow. "We found the body where your people said it would be, but we thought it best to bring it here for closer inspection."

Though none of them were surgeons, most of the Rangers had been trained in first aid at least and had an eye for injuries. Lia already knew that whatever had torn the man apart likely hadn't done it with a blade, but she wanted to take a closer look anyway. Specifically if they were going to do this right.

"One of my Rangers is getting us a room." She glanced towards Kaska who was now being lead by the Innkeeper towards what appeared to be a dining hall of some sort.

"If you have a doctor or Apothecary in town it would help to fetch them." She had no idea whether Veril had one of those. "Otherwise you may take a look."

Though she doubted he would be much help.

Kaska | Angharad | Cedric Miller | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Angharad]

Angharad gave a wave of dismissal as the Ranger excused herself. She noted the arrival of another Ranger, tsking to herself. Humans really weren't blessed with looks. She discerned the two rangers were female but their features were so coarse and blunt compared to the smooth angles of an elf. Their builds were blocky and squat, it made her think someone had tried to make an inferior copy of her species. All crude and misshapen.

And they breed like rodents. The elven reproduction rate was glacial by comparison. One large defeat and the effects would still be felt years later. She tried to focus on the wine but the halfling and ranger were just so loud. Did others have to shout all the time?

She sighed and pushed back off the bar. "Excuse me" she said, schooling her smile to be charming and not strained, "I couldn't but overhear" because you apes can't modulate your voices "I have some knowledge of chirurgical matters. Might I offer my assistance?". She was no healing mistress but she'd pit her wits against any local bonesetter or witch doctor.

Lia Cedric Miller Kaska

 

[Kaska]

If Cedric looked up he might spot Kaska's head popping out the window, taking a good look around before saying, "Yes. This view will do."

She ducked back inside, slipping the inn keeper her coin and depositing her bags at the bed by the window. The room was as requested-- a large dorm style with four beds that would serve the three nicely. A table big enough for five sat pushed against the wall. Kaska sent the inn keeper off to fetch enough chairs for the crew, running her fingers through her hair and letting it out of its tie.

The chairs were brought promptly. Kaska left the woman to set them up as she splashed her face at the water bowl and set back downstairs.

She pushed through the double doors, sauntering up to the group now crowding the edge of the bar. She wordlessly held out the room key for Lia to take, pinched and dangling between two fingers. She surveyed the others as she did so, haughty and indifferent.

"Room three o nine."

 

[Lia]

Lia took the key from Kaska, frowning slightly and twirling it between her fingers for a moment before she regarded the elf. "Very well."

The Rangers were in an odd sort of position when it came to The Reaches. Technically speaking they had no real authority save for what they could exert themselves. No one was obligated to listen to them at all, there was no law enforcing them and in reality they were more mercenaries than anything.

Still, most people listened and treated them with respect. That was mostly due to the fact that most people had been saved by a Ranger at one point or another.

"Kaska." Lia addressed the young woman. "Grab one of the men in here and have them help Cedric carry the body to the room. We'll meet you there."

With that she motioned to the Elf and the Mayor, heading towards their room.

Kaska | Angharad | Cedric Miller | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Kaska]

"Ma'am."

Kaska pulled away from the group, scanning the room for what appeared to be the most attractive guy. Short of that, she fetched a strong fellow with blond hair and nice thighs. She pushed out the front door, looking over her shoulder to give him a warm smile that did not make its way to Cedric.

"Ranger," she greeted. "This is Liam. He'll be helping you with the body, so do us a good one, pick it up, and follow me, hm? I secured us a room upstairs."

And just like that, she turned and started back indoors, not giving them that much time to grab the litter for the mutilated body. A task, by the way, that turned the blond fellow pale.

 

[Angharad]

My good deed for the day. Angharad kept her expression serene as she followed the ranger to the room. These backwoods hunter types were bound to make a mess of things otherwise. They might be fine for tracking their quarry or bushwhacking bandits but other things required a more delicate touch.

"I take it our recently deceased didn't pass away peacefully in their sleep then?" she asked, ducking her head under another unmercifully low doorframe.

 

[Cedric Miller]

"Ranger," she greeted. "This is Liam. He'll be helping you with the body, so do us a good one, pick it, and follow me, hm? I secured us a room upstairs."

'Ahhh, that must be Kaska.' He thought to himself as he nodded to Liam.

"Hi, Liam. Why don't you grab that side..." He said, lowering himself into a squat so he could lift the heavier part of the body. "...you'll be wanting to make sure you're grabbing it through the blanket, it's a bit messy."

They lifted together, then carried the remains into the building and into the room that Kaska showed them. In there, they passed Lia and Angharad to put the remains on the long table.

Cedric stepped back after her set his side down, taking out a piece of cloth from his belt to wipe his hands off. His eyes alighted on the Elf finally, and he offered a polite nod. His eyes may have lingered a bit over long, but aside from his Half-Elven grandparents who still ran the mill back home, he had met very few Elves.

His eyes then turned to Kaska, then Lia, and finally Liam and the Mayor, who had followed the remains in.

"Well, let's see what may have happened..." Mayor Proudfoot said, sliding a chair over and climbing deftly atop it so he could take a look.

 

[Lia]

Lia acknowledged the rather handsome lad that Kaska had found with a nod, smiling slightly, though allowing the expression to disappear as the boy shirked away from the corpse. "He indeed did not pass away in his sleep, Elf."

There was no derogatory sneer to the word, rather Lia made it sound more like a title than anything else. The woman had not given her name, and The Ranger was not the sort to ask for it. Instead she preferred to move her attention to the task at hand, specifically the corpse.

"Something killed this man, and I suspect it held little in the way of thought." Glancing at the mauled and cut up corpse she frowned for a moment, and then continued. "It was no wolf or bear, or any natural beast."

She frowned for a moment, then explained further. "More of the body would have been eaten."

Lia thought that was obvious, but Kaska was willfully ignorant and Cedric was still young. The elf might have known better, but she was entirely unsure of the Mayor.

Kaska | Angharad | Cedric Miller | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Kaska]

"Lycan," Kaska stated dryly, chewing on a hangnail. When the others looked to her, she gestured towards the body as if it was obvious.

"It was a full moon this week." She stepped forward, looking at the body closer for the first time. "And there's maggots." She pointed one out inside the folds of flesh.

"So the body's still relatively fresh, but they're full grown. Maggots live 5 days. So. A day to hatch. Four days to feast. I'll bet my month's salary they die tomorrow. And the full moon was," she held out her hand to Lia, knowing she'd have the answer. "Five days ago," she cut in, answering for her.

"Lycan." She stepped back.

 

[Angharad]

The body was brought in by two young men but it was the ranger of the pair that caught her eye. How drunk was one of my relatives when they met one of yours? Angharad had nearly missed it but now she saw it, the sprinkling of elvishness was all too clear. Well I've heard of orcs with elven blood, stranger things have happened. Curious, though he seemed to have been raised only among humans.

"We can forgo titles for now, Angharad will do" she murmured, moving past the main woman to look at the corpse. She'd prefer not to have her name or title butchered by inexpert tongues. Keen eyes took in the details, nodding while the ranger told her what she knew.

"It is one possibility but let us not rule out others" she said, taking a sniff of the corpse to be certain. It was putrefying. "Are you familiar with lycanthrophy then girl?" it was a slight challenge, implying her youth meant she wasn't up to the task.

 

[Lia]

In truth she had thought the exact same thing as Kaska. Werewolves were not exactly a plague here in the Reaches, but they did pop up from time to time. An Adventurer would return from some distant land infected, transform under their first full moon and then go on a killing spree.

One of her first tasks within the Rangers had been hunting a Werewolf. The mission had been at the side of Sir Edricc, a man who was famed throughout the Order as one of the greatest archers in Arethil. At least so it was said.

Leaning on her sword-breaker Lia considered for a moment, studying the corpse and glancing at the elf before her eyes slowly traced over towards Cedric Miller. "What do you think?"

The boy was young, but if he was to become a good Ranger his opinion would have to be taken early. That was something Sir Edricc had taught her. Even the lowest opinion should be considered when discussing a matter like this. She was almost sure that Kaska was right, but throwing around the accusations of Werewolves wasn't something you wanted to do lightly in a place like this.

People would hang each other before days end.

Kaska | Angharad | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Cedric Miller]

Cedric leaned against the wall, feeling fairly safe in his junior status and being out of the way. The conversation was only part of where his attention lay, his eyes were on the remains.

His parents had been bakers, and his grandparents millers, but he was lucky enough to have been allowed a different path. His skill at archery wasn't anything to sniff at, and his ability to remain unseen was likewise impressive. The duchy had employed him as a hunter since he was able to wield a hunting bow and prepare his catches. He wasn't a chiurgeon by any means, but he'd seen a fair number of wounds in his day, made by animal and unnatural beast alike in the eaves of the Duskwood.

"What do you think?"

The words slid into his awareness, and he looked up from the remains at last. He took a moment to replay the last few bits of the conversation back through his mind, then his eyes met Lia's.

"I'd have the same concern with werewolves as with less supernatural wolves." He said slowly, his eyes returning to the body. "Why isn't more of it eaten?" He paused, thinking. "Wouldn't a werewolf need to eat more of the body? I'd imagine such a change would be physically taxing..." He paused again. "If they don't tend to eat their kills, then I agree could be a werewolf."

He shrugged a little awkwardly, uncomfortable with expressing his opinion, even though he knew he needed to do so candidly. He'd never had a run in with a werewolf kill, or a werewolf itself to his knowledge. Therefore he had to fall back on what he did know, the traits of animals, specifically predators.

Kaska | Angharad | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Kaska]

"Are you familiar with lycanthrophy then girl?" it was a slight challenge, implying her youth meant she wasn't up to the task.

Kaska gave the woman a deadpan look, dropping her finger from her mouth. "No. I saw the word on a cover of a book and just decided to throw it out there." She crossed her arms, raising her brow in a challenge met.

Cedric spoke. She glanced at him. "Werewolves aren't normal beasts. They are driven solely by the urge to kill; the change is maddening, little else matters to them. Sure. They'll eat if they get the chance. But when another living thing jumps into their sight? They'll turn from one hunt to the next just like that. Why do you think the disease gets passed on? It's not instinct to finish the job. Clearly, something just distracted it. That's why it's not fully eaten. A natural wolf would not give up a meal so easily." She spoke to Cedric the same way she had been spoken to her whole childhood and subsequent career-- dismissive and with little tact. Not everyone was lucky enough to be under the command of someone like Lia.

Kaska had never had a werewolf case herself, but you can be sure she had studied the nature of them inside and out during one of her father's lessons. He knew everything that she might ever need to know for a case, and he had made her learn it. She wasn't going to fess up to that though. Let them think she had real experience...

"If not lycan, then what?" She challenged back to the elf. "A beast that mauls but doesn't eat? Where's your book on that?"

And as they spoke over this matter, the pretty blond began to slowly back his way out. The boys downstairs just had to hear about this. A werewolf? In their town?

 

[Angharad]

Angharad gave a closed mouth smile in response to Kaska's retort. "Interesting. I am impressed you can read" she told her, turning her attention to their leader while she questioned the boy. Wise enough to know the limits of his own intelligence at least.

"A lycan may eat also but the undead as a rule do not" she said, "I would rather not set out to hunt one creature and find myself confronted by another". She indicated the corpse, "Some form of revenant spirit or shade could also have done this. Do we know if there any ruins or areas of significance nearby?" Even Veril might have had greatness once. "I would prefer more evidence before we go hunt for the big bad wolf".

 

[Lia]

Lia seemed almost amused at the banter tossed between Kaska and the elf, though her stoic manner meant that amusement was tantamount to a small smile creeping at the edge of her lips.

Still, both of them made good points. So had Cedric really. The problem was there was really no way of knowing for sure. They could make a guess, but other than that there wasn't much in the way of actual proof. Of course, she knew for sure that there were no Ruins of significance nearby, and if it was Undead then this corpse likely would have joined them by now.

Kaska had been right in that.

A Necromancer would have used any corpse available, including those created by his own ghouls. The same went for undead made by reliquaries. This body would have risen. No, it had to be something living...at least she was almost certain.

A frown touched her lips, and then she noted something moving out of the corner of her eye. "Stop!"

Her voice boomed, freezing the young blonde man in place before he could get too far out the door.

"Sit down." Lia motioned towards a small wooden stool in the corner of the room, her expression about as dire as could be. Then she slowly shifted her attention back towards the rest of the group. "I believe Kaska is correct."

The girl would practically preen at that. "Though your point stands, Angharad. There are no ruins near here, nor is the area known for curses, relics, or anything of that note."

The Halfling mayor nodded at that.

"It could be Harpies, but they rarely venture this far west." She paused. "I think a Werewolf is the most likely, though It's impossible to say for sure. We have to go off the little detail we have, and investigate further."

Cedric Miller | Horatia Cara Maecilia​

 

[Cedric Miller]

Cedric nodded, he hadn't been able to think of anything else that could have done this either, he just didn't like having to make assumptions based on so little evidence.

"Alright then. What does the lore say about Werewolves?" He asked, looking between the three ladies in the room. His face flushed a little bit when all three of them were looking at him, but he mentally powered through the feeling. "How can we verify this is a werewolf, and how do we track it?"

Angharad | Kaska | Lia​