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22.XII.479<br><br>Responding to a report of strange noises and screams coming from the area of the Royal Church, I came upon what appeared to be three bodies. Said bodies were mutilated beyond recognition and appear to have been dismembered and partially devoured. The ears had been removed from all three victims. The victims seemed to be a family consisting of one adult male, one adult female, and one female child, age 8-10. My attempt to ascertain the identity of the victims was hindered by the fact that their faces had been rendered unrecognizable by the assailant.<br><br>The few accounts I was able to gain of the attack spoke of barking noises, growling, and screaming (presumably that of the victims). Canine footprints, larger than that of domestic dogs, were abundant at the scene, suggesting more than one assailant. The tracks originated from the north and lead back in the same general direction. <br><br>Given Spellcaster Heatherdown's report of the gnoll attack at the King's Inn the same night, it will be assumed that the attacks are somehow related until some evidence suggests otherwise. All members of the Guard are urged to exercise extreme caution on their patrols, especially Guards whose patrols encompass the darker hours of the night. The horrific nature of the attack and the witnesses' accounts, coupled with the tracks noted at the scene, suggest a small group, no more than four in number. The threat of these creatures is a very real one, and the danger to the citizens of Drache cannot be overstated.<br><br>Signed,<br><br>CURSOR SERVILIUS, Armsman<br> </body>
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