1454, the Hundred Year's War has ended, and calmness has spread across the lands and its inhabitants. Yet this calmness last not long as the Year of the Sun once again drenches the world in draught, the world has changed and the gods either punish us by waging war or are ready to boon us with great figures to lead on in these changed times.

Joen of Collias:

In these days of sadness, I had a reason to find happiness.

It was the month of Maia, and my wife Helinia went to the common house that day. Nearby, a monk had taken residence to help people through sickness and afflictions. Helinia had been feeling unwell the last few days; that and the dreadful heat kept me at unrest. I only hoped it would not develop into a fever. The monk had a Talent that let him see whether someone was plagued by illness and the like, that and he was quite the alchemist, so the lord told me.

Instead of taking her there myself, I had the duty to scour the country for anything threatening that might require the lord’s attention, such was a Ranger's task.

I was deep into the woods north of Collias, following an uncommon route through the trees, upstream. It was not rare to find unwelcome beasts along flowing waters. Despite the lushness of this forest and the high canopy of the trees, the air felt so very stifling and humid. The worry for Helinia made it all the more unbearable.

In the corner of my eye, I spot movement. I have been stalking the woods silently for half the day, nothing worth noting until now, a childlike creature slowly approaching the stream.

Further I hid in the underbrush, and closer I scurry towards my find.

The childlike creature, with pale grey hairless skin and elongated ears, had long bony fingers that reached towards the stream to cup some water to its mouth of tiny sharp teeth, a Nekker.

It looked not distraught for being alone but was very attentive nonetheless. This Nekker was a scout or scavenger for its pack. After a few sips, it sat down on its bum and turned to look around. Its head turned in my direction, I could see the eyes squinting, my heart started to pump a stronger than before, I slowly retrieved my knife from my belt, and the creature started hissing.

Hopping past me was a rabbit closing in on the stream itself, and I noticed the Nekker’s eyes following the rabbit.

In knew of the small rodent but I was unsure whether it would give away my position, and how perceptive the bastard Nekker was. Not the first time I became aware how much of a difference the Chameleon Talent made. It would seem no problem at all for me to follow it towards its lair.

I lay in wait for the beast to sink its claws within the hare, if the beast is a scavenger it should return as soon as it had made gains. The woods seemed yet to be afflicted by the little predators, so the tribe should have been fairly small. I would be enough to handle this situation.

As easily as I spotted the Nekker, as hard the rabbit finds to notice it itself. I had grown quite the stalker, I thought to myself. Without much effort the Nekker caught the hare and at once bit off its head, crunching the bones to dust between its sharp teeth, it grabed the animal by its rear legs, and let the blood drain to the forest bed, leaving a small puddle. Once the blood flowed no longer the beast used some water to clean any blood on itself and proceeded to carry his caught prey back the way it came. Quite sanitary the monster, or was it taught to leave no trails? No matter, it was not aware I was on its tail. My lips curled to a smile at the beast’s futile efforts.

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A mile of stalking later the beast turned a large rock and it was then spotted the moss-covered entrance to a cave. The Nekker entered, and I now knew the beast’s lair. Now the question remained whether the dwellers had another way out. I would go on to look for another entrance or hole.

It took me two hours to comb the rock that house the beasts and I only found a crack, as I treaded closer, I was starting to hear sounds from the crack. Hissings and whispers and sounds that I could place no language to, yet they sounded like Nekkers. No other entrances were to be found.

I distanced myself from the rock and began gathering certain mushrooms that produce a pungent smoke and some kindling and loose twigs and a few branches that I would have used to cover the sole entrance.

By nightfall the colony should gather back to the cave. That is when I would plan to strike, smoking them out and finish any that would manage to scurry back to the surface.

I had found everything I would need for the fire and managed to discover a spot to watch the hole unseen from any of the monsters. With nothing left to prepare I made myself comfortable and observed.

I would not want to leave anything to chance and rather finish them off at the entrance, so I unstrung my bow and secured it, along with any unnecessary gear there in my hiding place.

The activity subsided, and I counted 16 Nekkers, one wearing a crown of bones, that should have been the leader of the pack. I stayed further hidden until midnight and made sure I was clear to proceed with my plans. I placed two standing torches I had made close to the entrance and prepped my smoke trap, conveniently enough there was a bolder just large enough to cover the hole.

With the kindling ignited, I covered the entrance and let the draft carry the smoke deep underground and lit my torches. Should they have managed to move the bolder they would be blinded by the torch light.

I drew my sword and lay in wait, the crack I found would not be able to carry out the cold smoke fast enough as to give the monsters any breathing room.

After a dozen or so minutes I perceived stifled and choked coughs escaping the entrance, so I shut the entrance fully, the beasts would now be trapped inside while could just wait out their perishing.

No sounds reached my ears any longer. I waited for about an hour and my torches had by then also long died. My Night Vision Talent had let me see the outlines of anything in the vicinity with the light of the moon bleeding through the canopy.

I opened the hole, the stinking smoke escaping the tunnel, right away I saw the barely breathing leader of this tribe lying at the cusp of the entrance. I pierced its chest with my sword. Again, I waited, this time for the smoke to clear. I sheathed my sword and wet a cloth and tied it to cover my nose and mouth. Drawing my knife, I crouched through the entrance. Any Nekkers lying on the floor I stabbed, just to make sure all are dead. The cave opened up enough so I could stand. It quite the large cave for me to stand straight with my 6’ 6”. After having counted 19 dead beasts I found no more. I began to look whether they had found any trinkets that I could requisition.

Indeed, there were a few livre and sols and a blue gem and a golden necklace, though what made even me bloom a smile about this monster subjugation was a rather nice looking hunting sword. A 3-inch wide and 2 and half foot long, single edged blade, the guard covered the knuckle and extended a bit along the spine and the tip curved to a wicked point. It was untouched from wear and rust, and the blade had some runic script engraved with some inlay, an enchanted blade. The gods had left me a fortune to find, I just hoped Helinia would be in any state to enjoy our small newfound fortune.

I left the cave to head for my camp to find some sleep.