The Ghost Claws of Naralon Forest

Along the north-western border of the Naralon Forest runs a renown pack of devanu, they pass silently between the trees, striking and vanishing before the local knights can bring their lances to bare. The Ghost Claws, as they are known locally, hunt all along the forests edges, often unheard of for months at a time then suddenly striking out at foresters and caravans before vanishing once again.

The Forest:

The Naralon Forest is one of the largest natural features in Anyaral, stretching from the shores and cliffs of the Western Ocean to the Central Empire in the east. In the south it reaches the Argoran Territories and the Argoran Wastes while in the north it grows upon the lower slopes of the Setir Mountains.

The northern border of the forest is a cold place with chill groves of towering Reeda trees; great boughs as wide as the towers of old, reaching up to the skies. Closer to the edges of the forest the short, squat Bren trees provide the local devanu with a number of lookouts to gaze over the plains and foothills beyond. The devanu of the Ghost Claws roam the northern borders of the Forest and up into the lower foothills of the Setir Mountains. The western boarder of the pack’s territory is the Talons; the last two peaks of the Setir Mountains that extend into the forest. To the east the pack runs into the territory of the Galin fubarnii. The Pack never strays too deep into the forest, fore any devanu that do soon vanish, this has always been the way of it since before the tower-dwellers arrived amongst the trees.

The Pack:

The Ghost Claws are renowned amongst the local fubarnii; they strike without warning before blending back into the forest. The swiftness and brutality of their attacks has earned them their name, Ghost Claws; better to instill fear in the young lest they stray too close to the forest.

The devanu of the northern forest are a hardier breed than those of the southern lands, for this country is bitterly cold to their race. The Ghost Claws are no exception, though many wear the furs of their kills to better keep out the cold. Despite the dangers and harsh cold of the region, the Ghost Claws are thriving. The large territory they run and the fact that it passes between the lands of two fubarnii clans has prevented the knights and local militia from thinning their numbers too efficiently. Like many devanu packs, the Ghost Claws are nomadic and never settle in one area of the forest for long. They have many favourite trees scattered throughout their territory and move from one to the next lest the Empire’s knights find them on one of their regular patrols amongst the trees. In good years, when prey is plentiful, they sometimes join up with other packs for a larger hunt. In such times the local fubarnii seal off their homes and the Knights of Naralon ride out into the forest, accompanied by Geth’ra and the clan militia, to break up the union, before too much blood is shed. The Ghost Claws are keen on surprise attacks, using the forest to provide both cover and lines of retreat. To help them locate potential targets and spot unwelcome patrols, they make use of a number of Eru Kosoks, winged predators of the forest. These brightly coloured hunters are swift and deadly, with some of the older creatures able to pluck a knight from their Enuk and carry them off into the canopy. They also make use of spear-wielding jenta, more so than many packs for they have grudgingly learnt the value of such weapons from the local fubarnii Geth’ra.

Diet:

There are many creatures that dwell within the forest, providing a suitable meal for the pack. As the pack skitters amongst the trees they find many small lesser creatures to feed upon, but ever do they remember the grand age before the treacherous days of the slave-Gehran. Kyatu are a particular favourite, especially the young, these small creatures climb amongst the tall branches where they make their nests. Most devanu are too big and heavy to reach the nests so they send the jenta up to reap this delicious harvest.

Not all the forests creatures are an easy meal, the blind Sgru-bu is a particularly off-putting creature whose spines can easily pierce a devanu’s skin; it is a desperate hunter indeed who eats of their flesh. There are many fubarnii settlements along the forests edges and it is not unheard of for young to be snatched in the night or jenta to stray from the safety of the villages. Such unfortunates do not last long as the devanu are ever watchful. Even groups of hunters or small caravans fall victim to the pack, which gorge themselves on the kill, before contentedly staggering off to rest in the safety of their trees while they digest their meal.

Myths of the Pack:

The devanu have little time or inclination for writing, considering it a slave invention and beneath them, nor do they have a love of fixing events in a history. Instead, they weave the past and present together in a tapestry of tales and myths. A few myths are common to most devanu while others may only be known to a specific pack. These tales are often shared at times of great feasting while others may be taught to a young jenta as lessons. The oldest myths, those that have the greatest hold over them that hear them may be found high up, crudely carved into the very bark of the ancient trees, each pack adding their own flavour.

Amongst the descendants of the Tower-Dwellers the oldest myths tell of a Golden Time, where any devanu strong enough, could lead a pack and own a great many slaves. They would dwell in a mighty tower and gaze out over their lands but then came the days of the slave-Gehran. The traitor of fire who brought low the many towers, their former masters cast down or consumed in flame. Those that survived fled, scattered and broken to dwell in the wastes and forests of Anyaral. Ever since, the devanu are in the Hunted Time, their former slaves ride out with many spears, each eager for blood. The tales of the Ghost Claws tell of the traitor-time, how a Tower-Master was hunting when the flames consumed his home. His eyes still burning from the sight of the Towers fury, he led his small pack of survivors into the northern border of the forest. Once amongst the trees they thought themselves safe but were set upon by a feral pack, those who had shunned the towers and slaves of their kin. In a terrible clash of beak and claw a new kopa rose to combine both packs, Tower-Born and Forest-Born. With the wit of the newcomers and the skills of the natives they managed to survive the hazards of the forest and avoid the spears of the knight patrols. To this day, the ancestors of this mighty victor lead the pack and all respect the pack-memory of the Great Kopa. Many packs within the forest share a tale of great warning; the Silent Death. They say there was a great pack in the east that sought to rule the deep forest. They pierced deeper and deeper, growing more wary as the sun slowly died unable to penetrate the depths of those glades. The few that returned tell of blood and death, the very trees themselves rejecting the pack, casting slicing lances of wood and stone. The great pack scattered as a terrible whooping noise echoed beneath the canopy. Whenever the forest went silent death would rain once again and few escaped alive. Now, all packs tale this tale lest they forget and follow the same fate.

Enemies of the Pack:

The Ghost Claws have many enemies, in the north and beyond the Forest boarders there are the fubarnii clans of Engu and Galin, in the west beyond the Talons are the feral devanu and towards the forest centre there is the darkness and silent death.

The fubarnii of the clans and the devanu of the forest have, for the most part, learnt to live alongside each other. Occasionally a zealous band of knights will ride out into the edges of the forest intent on killing all devanu but they soon loose their will as they ride beneath the gloomy canopy. Sometimes a devanu pack will attack a caravan or group of foresters but most are soon sent running from the lances of the local knights and the many spears of the militia. The Ghost Claws consider the feral devanu uncouth even after many generations of their exile. Where a Ghost Claw would make some attempt to clean a fur before wearing it a feral devanu would not, such considerations do not occur to them. Their packs are often less stable and, as a result it is not uncommon for ousted feral jenta or kopa to stray into the Ghost Claws territory. Such incursions are not tolerated and swiftly dealt with for these wayward devanu are a pest and will quickly form into a pack of their own.

Author(s): Lost Egg