A legend tells of a nightmare within the Forest of Cibola, where a stag warlock and a wolf witch, it is said, performed a sinister ritual in an unholy attempt to bring forth a child to honor and worship the Great Scourge. Whether this account holds any truth remains shrouded in uncertainty, as it was merely whispered through the local legends of the nearby village of Covingon. The offspring birthed by the wolf exhibited a gruesome appetite, violently ending its mother’s life by rending her apart and subsequently consuming the stag father, a gruesome act that devoured his very soul. This macabre feast bestowed upon the child an insatiable hunger, fueled by untamed magic, driving it to seek out individuals possessing similar powers to devour.

Fortuitously, a coven of witches was not too distant for the beast, and years later, this abomination hunted them down, feasting upon their theurgy. This grim feast caused the creature to grow to an obscene size, solidifying its reputation as a terrifying force within the region. The nearest city of Abaddar was compelled to issue a call for its extermination, yet no matter the attempts, the monster proved impervious to death.

As time pressed on, and the Scourge’s menace deepened, the local army launched a concerted effort to subdue the Vycan. Instead of ending its existence, they chose to bury it alive, harboring hope that it would remain imprisoned for all eternity. Despite this drastic measure, settlements throughout the Valley of Grin began vanishing one by one. Then, on the fateful Wick’s Eve of 1844, the Vycan descended upon the city of Grin as a colossal, towering behemoth, having devoured scores upon scores of aberrants throughout the country. The city rallied to confront the monstrous threat, but they proved no match for its savagery, and it laid waste to the city, feasting upon the hapless inhabitants. The survivors fled to Carcosa, where they alerted the inquisition to the horrors that had befallen Old Grin. Rather than seek to slay it, Carcosa prepared for a prolonged siege, beseeching reinforcements from any available source. It was during this dire hour that a wolf that later become the Slayer emerged.

This wolf, then a humble and solitary hunter, inquired of the head inquisitor about the creature’s whereabouts and was informed that the Vycan had taken up residence in the ruins of Grin. The wolf set forth, accompanied by a few guides, and a ferocious battle ensued. Yet, the local villagers’ accounts proved accurate; despite his most potent magical efforts, the Slayer found that they could not permanently slay the Vycan, as it regenerated with each blow and strike. This predicament led the Slayer to retreat deep into the forest, seeking clues to unravel the creature’s enigma. Then, during the winter of 1845, after an arduous quest, the Slayer cunningly lured the Vycan toward a village, using more mages as bait, and succeeded in dispatching the monstrosity in front of witnesses with a silver blade. The Vycan could not heal the wounds inflicted by this unique weapon.

From that moment forward, the first dreadnought of the Scourge had been vanquished, and the enigmatic wolf was forever branded the “Slayer of Grin.”

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