[Sl'askia]

Vaalm sniffed the air tentively as he moved through the Great Forest. He could smell rain...but also decay. Through he is a creature often associated with death, the smell unsettled him for some reason. For the moment he shrugged it off, as he was hunting for his next meal.
His form moved easily through the underbrush; long limbs easily clearing obstacles in his path. His three pairs of eyes blinked one set at a time so he would always have two pairs looking about in the gloom of the night. He paused a moment, rising to his full height of 10 feet to get a better look around.
His head looked much like a Komodo Dragons, if you didn't notice the two extra pairs of eyes and the three fleshy protrusions that arcing out from just behind his nose and back over and to the side of his head. Also helped if you didn't notice the two-inch long fangs protruding from the front of his jaws. Neck was like Komodo dragons as well, but the rest of him, looked to be a mix of mammal and reptile. Course fur covered his back and at the 'rear end' hung down for about a foot. The only other 'hair' was on his chin, just was just small beard. The rest of the body was just skin, if not a little on the scalely side. The limbs looked almost too thin to support his lean frame, but those limbs were much stronger then they looked and each sported a foot long spur. His whole body was a matte black and the spurs and claws a dark gray. This coloration made it near impossible to see him in the dark.
He sniffed again; the smell of decay was stronger then before and again he got that unsettling feeling.
Why is this scent disturbing me so? Vaalm thought, shaking his head in puzzlement. He dropped back down to all fours and continued on, search for other warm-blooded life forms.
After about another 10 mins his heat sensors caught the heat from a mud. Changing direction he bee lined for it. Soon he could see it with his eyes: it was an old mud farmer, sitting in the middle of a dead field of crops. The Tuezo found this odd at first: there was no signs of it being a drought and it was in the middle of the growing season and once again he smelled decay. He didn't let it stop him now though...as he was hungry and needed his mud’s blood. The mud was taken completely by surprise and gave a satisfying screech of pain and fear his Vaalm drained him.
But something wasn't right...there was a bad 'aftertaste' to this mud’s blood that nearly made him let go and spit out the offending blood. A Tuezo not only consumes the blood of their victims...but a small part of their spirit as well. And this mud’s spirit tasted like it was dieing before he got there. But spirits don't die do they? Just ascend to the heavens and await the next life...
From the memories he gleamed from this mud’s consciousness as he drained him. He got confusion: confusion over the state of his fields, which had supported him and his tribe for so long. And fear: fear steaming from when he heard that the other mud’s fields were failing as well...from all over Mudos with no plausible reason for it. And wonder as why normal prey items have been harder and harder to find.
Vaalm dropped the now lifeless mud, shaking his head.
Must just be a bad year for them. He thought as the moved back toward the forest, And the other animals most likely just moved to fresher pastures...
But it nagged at him...it didn't seem right. There was no natural reason for the animals disappearance and the crops to die. And it was happening all over Mudos?
It is not any of my concern... Vaalm thought, shaking his head as he went to find a place to sleep off his meal. As long as there are still intelligent beings to feed on I don’t care….

He awakened when it was still daylight and Vaalm stretched within the safe confines of the cave he found. While direct sunlight wouldn’t kill him…it would weaken him considerably and gave him a nasty sunburn, so he avoided it at all costs.
He yawned as he stretched…and nearly choked on the sudden intake of the scent he got the night before.
What is going on? Where is that smell coming from? he thought as he regained his composer. Now determined to find out the cause…he made the decision to risk travel during daylight. Fortunately since he was still in the Forest there was plenty of shade to protect him from the suns rays. So with a snort…Vaalm set off…sticking to the shadows…