Irvanshire,

You’ll never guess the surprise that befell me several weeks ago. As I was on the edges of my compound, patrolling for poachers and safeguarding the wood, I stumbled across several wood trolls making a beeline right for me. As I fight defensively, I drew my blade and awaited their attack, but, surprisingly, they proceeded to run right by me! Flabbergasted, I continued to patrol my lands and discovered several other groups of wood trolls doing the exact same thing! They all appeared to be heading north, but kept looking behind them to the south, as if worried that something was following them.

Since then, other colleagues of mine have reported similar findings all over Irvanshire. The common connection seems to be that they are either migrating or fleeing north. As a researcher of all things natural, I encourage anyone with any information at all about these strange occurrences to make contact with me via letter or seek me out at my lodge in The Great Frostwood in person. I eagerly look forward to any responses at all. Keep your eyes sharp!

Regards,

Arados Holfax
Woodwarden of The Great Frostwood

I will not lay me down to rest.

My heart beats quickly in my chest.

I sit at night in bed full dressed.

For in my dreams, it waits. It waits.

My eyes betray me- Dream takes O’er

Clouds of rank breath o’er me pour

Claws pierce my body spilling gore

That used to be me. That was me.

I will not lay me down to rest. I will not lay me down to rest. I must not lay me down…

Disturbing, isn’t it? This was a poem written by one of my constituents before he was found dead in his bed a week later. The frightened expression on his face and extensive internal bleeding perplexed his family and healers throughout the city- especially since there was minimal external damage (a spiraling bruise was found centered over his heart). His closest friends, when asked, said that he had been plagued by awful nightmares recently- especially ones in which a primal, clawed beast stalked him relentlessly before shoving its claws through his chest and killing him. The strangest thing about these dreams seemed to be that he stayed asleep through his dream death longer than most people do. Most people, for example, will wake up before they die in their dreams. However, this young man claimed that he saw himself die at the hands of this intelligent hunter in his very vivid dreams. Sadly, these strange dreams weren’t given much consideration until after his death. Since then, there have been at least a dozen or so people in Hatchport alone who have come to me relaying hauntingly similar dreams.

There have been several deaths recently that have very similar circumstances (all with spiraling bruises left on their bodies) and whose families have relayed similar concerns about nightmares, and it is my belief that this will continue to happen. I believe that we have a killer on our hands that is able to move, and kill, through dream itself. I will be taking pains to investigate the kingdom and stop this, so if you have information or have witnessed either these nightmares or know someone who has, please send information to me as soon as possible.

-Tellah Forgedheart

Minister of Hatchport, Irvanshire