Patricia
**Martin Koern, The Rustlands**

Martin looked down at the mauled corpse, eyebrows knitted together as he took in the gory sight, wincing at the splattered guts of the dead man.

"No..." He said slowly, wracking his brain for what manner of beast could have caused such a wound, his eyes darting between the fallen raider and the other surrounding corpses.

"I don't think they would at that, certainly no fellhound could do such a thing, and I doubt any man, northerner or not could muster the sheer strength to do so either."

Martin's hand moved down to the hilt of his blade, frowning as he attempted to envision how the man must have died. 

"Well," He swallowed nervously "You wouldn't think any of those northerners were carrying any bear claws along with them would you? From how hairy some of the bastards are I would not put it past them." He laughed, a cheap attempt to quieten his nerves, a futile one at that.
Ronald
**Rian Koern 🔸The Rustlands**

Martin's joke got a laugh out of everyone, not just Rian. Gallows humour was much appreciated by the rangers.

"Yeah, they're quite furry alright," Said Rian. "Honestly it would make more sense than if they didn't."

But the fun was short lived. Soon he was shouting commands again, urging the rangers to search the other houses.
Patricia
**Martin Koern, The Rustlands**

Not wanting to be left aside Martin too quickly jumped into action, barking orders and directions for the rangers of his band, the Rivers Peakers, not wanting to be shown up by their comrades were more than happy to comply, pairs of rangers quickly split off, each small group heading for the nearest houses, sorting through the burnt-out husks.

Having set the main bulk of his rangers to their work Martin too turned to searching "Hoy! You there!" He barked at the remaining man, a clean-shaven young fellow adorned in a well-polished set of mail, he spun about "Y-yes Ser?" 

Martin nodded "Aye you, come, we have work to do." The ranger quickly nodded, rushing to his Captains side. From there Martin set to searching the ruins, him and his companion uncovered little, mostly charred bones and dust. Eventually however they came to what must have once been a warehouse, what appeared to be one of the only large buildings left untouched by the flames that had scorched its neighbors.

As they neared it a frown came upon Martins face, soon turning into a pained grimace "By the gods, what a bloody foul smell!" He spat off to the side, wiping his mouth before nearing the large entranceway. He sniffed once more, wincing before drawing his sword, his companion did the same. Nodding over to the ranger at his side they both kicked open the door, Martin coughed as a wave of dust hit him, he waved away the cloud before starting to look around the inside of the building.

It was the stench that hit him first.

He was almost knocked off his feet by it, the all-consuming wave of rot and decay, it took all that Martin could muster to not empty his guts all over the blood-encrusted floor, his companion was not so composed. "Fuck!" The man yelled "Fuck, fuck fu-" He stumbled off to the side, wiping his mouth with a trembling hand before slipping, he yelled yet again, this time it came out as more of a high pitched scream, he had tumbled right onto the twisted and mauled corpse of what must have been a southerner, his limbs entangling with that of the emancipated corpses.

Martin shook his head, he had never seen such a sight in all his years, modest amount as they may have been. He took in the utter horror of the scene, corpses, what seemed to him like dozens littered the walls and floor of the building, ruptured and pierced in almost every way possible, he felt almost certain that no mortal man could have done such a thing, twisted as some men may be.

It was too much for Martin, he lurched and evicted the mornings meal from his guts, spewing the half-digested stew upon the gore-soaked flooring of the building, gasping he turned back to the doorway, back to the outside "Rian!" He hollered "Rian! Co-" He withheld another wave of nausea "Come see this! I don't know what the fuck it is but you bloody well might." He wiped his mouth, inhaling a fresh breath of air from the outside, clearing his lungs of the stale air of the slaughterhouse.