Midnight Animal

[Dreamspeaker]

"Know this - Osrona and Order will suffer for what they've done to us."

"This is for Caritas. This is for every one of us that has fallen."

"These lands are not yours."

"Stay away, or die."

After the public execution of the Knight Solon and the Moonfall's Festival, the lands surrounding Osrona have become far more dangerous to roam, for there's a wicked presence that ruthlessly hunts down those that belong to Osrona in any way possible; this being does not discriminate, targeting anybody who belongs to the city, from any walks of life. Wounded people, spilled blood, destroyed possessions and merchants having their caravans destroyed.. something is terribly, terribly furious, and witnesses have been made.

A testimony of those that have been witness to the scenes of violence speaks of horror that targets anyone from Osrona, making even the areas very close to the city no longer safe.

"I thought it's going to kill me! This-- this madman just butchered magi, one after another! I was confident that it would be stopped, but it ripped through them without stopping! By the stars.. I ran as far as I could. I'm.. I'm not going outside again. Not until something is done about it."

"You heard about it too? One of the servants to upper class was attacked as well. Poor girl... she came back home terrified and covered in blood."

"Isn't this about the rise of Occultists as of late? This madman claims he fought for Cornelia, for Caritas' fall and for the new age. Is this why he's attacking all from Osrona?"

"I heard the madman tore through several magi at once without slowing down at all... is it really that bad? I think people exaggerate it. This has to be some Occultist, he'll be dealt with."

The rumors linger in the city, but medical reports do not lie; at least several magi from different walks of life in Osrona have returned severely wounded, and many more non-magi. The rising threat is as dangerous as ever. 

[Dreamspeaker]

"Do you think this is over?"

"Cornelia is dead - but her will lives on."

"Osrona will pay."

"And city will drown in blood."

(Pictured: one of magi victims fallen to masked madman. Credits for player consent.)

Despite Cornelia's death, it would seem that attacks upon Osrona denizens, no matter what walk of life they take, continue with alarming frequency; more and more magi are sent home wounded, some barely alive, and the crimson spill paints the nearby forests next to Osrona. The rumors of the beast, of the horror that roams the woods echo on, with people shortening their trips to the outside. More decide to opt out from foraging of any kind, unless in large groups.

"When is this going to end?! My son went to forage but returned covered in blood and barely standing! We had to call the doctor and they barely saved his life! When is Order going to put these bastards to the sword?!"

"I heard that Vandroy woman cry out for her close friends nearly butchered by this madman. Those poor Stepford sisters..."

"A lot of people seem to be desperate in reaching out for Order to do something. Does the Crown even listen, I wonder?"

"Some consider to take matters into their own hands. Heard people are gearing themselves up and wandering in large groups to find them, even if they're not part of Order or Watch..."

"That guy, Chem Borg I think? He ran all the way to the city, panicking. Said that this murderous creature chased him. Some drakanite woman stayed behind to cover his retreat so he could safely escape. Those poor sods... I wonder if that girl is still alive."

The city's topic of the madman in the woods is on the rise, and with Moonfall's declaration of war, as well as given Ultimatum, many cry out for fire to purge those that hurt their loved ones. Regardless of the announcement made by the Order Command, it seems that this does not stop the attacker - the Midnight Animal is still on the prowl.