Virehound of the Ravines

By Eryndor Valequill, Naturalist of MirMarnia

Habitat of the Ravines

The Ravines are a place apart from the rest of MirMarnia. They are narrow, twisting gorges carved deep into the earth, their walls slick with lichen and shadow, their floors strewn with stones that echo underfoot. The air is damp and heavy, carrying the scent of iron and stagnant water. Few birds nest here, and fewer still sing. The Ravines are not merely landscape; they are threshold. To step within them is to cross into a domain that does not belong to humankind.

It is here, and nowhere else, that the Virehound dwells. The creature is bound to the Ravines as surely as moss to stone. It does not roam the plains, nor haunt the forests. Its presence is woven into the silence of these chasms, and the silence itself seems to deepen when it stirs.

Behaviour and Presence

The Virehound is not a beast that announces itself with noise or spectacle. It arrives with a scraping whisper, claws tracing unseen patterns into the stone. The sound is deliberate, patient, and it moves with intent, circling, pausing, resuming, never hurried. To hear it is to know you are marked.

Unlike other predators, the Virehound does not rush its prey. It lingers, measuring, as though weighing the worth of those who trespass into its domain. Its gaze is said to pierce through flesh and thought alike, leaving the witness altered. Those who survive an encounter speak of dreams that follow; dreams of narrowing paths, walls that close in, eyes that gleam in the dark.

The creature does not hunt for sustenance alone. It hunts for recognition. To be observed by the Virehound is to be claimed, if only for a moment, as part of its dominion.

Folklore and Testimony

Villagers who live near the Ravines speak of the Virehound in hushed tones. Some say it is the spirit of the chasms themselves, given form to guard what lies within. Others believe it is a remnant of an older world, a predator born before the age of men, bound to the stone by ancient law.

Testimonies are consistent in one regard: no one describes the creature in full. Eyes are mentioned, gleaming with unnatural light. Fur is spoken of, bristling like grass before a storm. Limbs are recalled, sinewed and patient. Yet no witness ever claims to have seen its whole form. The Virehound does not allow itself to be seen entirely. It is shadow given substance, a watcher that chooses when and how to be glimpsed.

Encounter in the Ravines

I myself descended into the Ravines at dusk, against the counsel of those who warned me. The light was already fading, and the shadows clung to the rock like living things. I had not gone far when the silence deepened. Birds ceased their calls, insects stilled, and even the trickle of water seemed to falter.

Then came the sound: slow, deliberate, claws upon stone. My lantern guttered, its flame shrinking as if reluctant to reveal what lay beyond. I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck, and though I strained to see, the creature remained hidden. Only the sense of its presence grew stronger, pressing against me like a hand unseen.

I knew then that I was prey. The Virehound was a predator, and I stood within its domain. My heart pounded, yet I dared not move. The silence was absolute, broken only by that scraping sound. Then, without warning, it ceased. The air shifted, lighter yet colder, and I knew it had withdrawn. I never saw it entirely, yet I felt its departure as keenly as its arrival.

Conclusion

The Virehound is not merely an animal. It is a presence, a threshold between what is known and what lies beyond. To encounter it is to stand at the edge of something vast and unknowable, a darkness that regards you with menace and recognition. The Ravines are its sanctuary, and those who enter do so at their peril.

Even now, when I close my eyes, I hear the scrape upon stone, deliberate and patient, and I know the Virehound remembers me as surely as I remember it.

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For some reason, my drawing turned out looking like a giant cat, which wasn’t my intention for the very eerie Virehound! So, my suggestion is to glance briefly at my drawing on this post and then re-imagine your own (hopefully) much creepier Virehound and replace it as the creature!