💉Journal Entry 8: Discovering The Source…

In rapid time, carrying the body of the Arctic Wolf with me, I arrived back at my home in the land of the Piesons. I wasted no time delving into the mystery of what happened to this poor creature, and I began my examination as soon as I stepped through the door.

I examined the Wolf in great detail. There were clear track marks on the animal’s limbs, implying she’d been injected numerous times. Her fur had completely melted away in some areas—a clear sign of stress. Her claws and teeth had a bloody redness to them. Her tongue was a dark green and discolored. Her eyes, which had glowed green before, were now a dark, soulless black.

Using the instruments I had at hand, I began studying the blood of the Arctic Wolf… It didn’t take long to uncover the source of her transformation—a strange, spooky, glowing Nectar coursed through its veins like an invading army. The poor animal had been poisoned.

What could have driven the Pieous to do this—to poison this beast in such a way as to drive it to dangerous madness? And what dark purpose lay behind the creation of a Nectar that could do this? These questions haunted me as I continued to run tests. Despite my best efforts to remain detached, I couldn't shake the unease that it could be partially my fault. I had been a pawn for the Pieous, and now I wondered…had every animal I took to them been subject to this? Would the Dinosaur I captured for them be turned into some berserk, riled-up, dangerous monster?!

As I delved deeper into the wolf's anatomy, I discovered further proof of the Pieous' involvement—the creature had been subjected to untold torment and experimentation. Multiple injections, different concentrations of Nectar, tests on its skin and fur after being injected, and who knows what else. It was clear that the Pieous wanted to turn these animals into monsters. To what end, I did not know. All I knew was that the Pieous had to be stopped.

As I began to refine the results of my findings, my peace was shattered by an unexpected intrusion. The Pieous, accompanied by a cadre of armed guards, burst into my home without warning. Their weapons were drawn and they had me surrounded. I’d been too focused on my work and didn’t realize hours had passed. Of course, the Pieous would come looking for me, considering the massive implications this Arctic Wolf’s body would have.

Before I could utter a word, they accused me of theft and treachery for daring to claim the wolf's corpse as my own. They claimed the body, and any data gleaned from it, was their property. I barked in protest, stepping forward to argue. At that moment, their guards seized me and held their blades to my neck. They had me at knife point as they seized the Arctic Wolf and destroyed my instruments in the process.

Once they finished ransacking my home, they tossed me aside. They said any owed bounties I had would be dismissed, and with that, they took their leave.

I rose from the floor and surveyed the wreckage of my home. Books had been ripped apart, furniture kicked over, equipment destroyed, and artifacts from my travels scattered on the floor. Yet amidst the chaos, a single thought burned brightly in my mind—I had to stop the Pieous.

I knew those guards only left me alive because they didn’t realize what I’d uncovered. But once they arrived back at the Three Vapors and showed their scientists my data, they would realize I’d figured it out. When they did, they would come back for me. I knew the next time I encountered the Pieous, they wouldn’t leave me behind.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I could not stand idly by and wait for them to find me. Nor could I sit and watch as these abominations were unleashed upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of Pieland. Just one lone Wolf attacked an entire village. What damage could a dozen of these creatures do?!

I began gathering only what I would need to survive, and started making my plan. The Pieous must be planning to use the creatures they had injected with the Nectar for something. I knew if I could capture and study enough of the creatures, I could find a cure for its effects. At the very least, I needed to monitor them. Study them. Defeat them.

But I wouldn’t be able to do it alone. Pieland is too vast for that. I would need to gather some trusty hunters to fight alongside me. We could set up a camp close to the Three Vapors and then track down the animals' movements from there. We must stop these monsters the Pieous have created before the Octopies of Pieland suffer any more!

This is my duty—to defend our home and our way of life from the encroaching tide of darkness. And so begins the battle against... the Spooky Nectar Affected Creatures!