Austrian Avian AssociationAustrian Avian Association

December 11th, 1898.

Something nasty is going down in Austria-Hungary... and no, it doesn't involve Franz Ferdinand in any way.

In the western part of the country, tucked away in the middle of the Alps, are a group of bundled-up birds known as the Schnabelperchten. They estivate throughout the warmer months in their village of Perchtam der Rauris, only waking once fall breaks back to winter. At January's start, the Perchts visit the local townsfolk and either give them gifts if they've been hardworking and kept things clean, or disembowel and stuff them with straw if they've slacked off big time.

It's a tough, yet fair system that's been an unbreakable tradition for hundreds of years... until now.

You are Maria Katarina "Trina" Berger, the 56-year-old doctor and herbalist of the Perchts. Making sure that your fellow fowls are healthy and stable before and shortly during their estivation, you always end up being the last to nestle up and start slumbering. But you are also the last to awaken, and it might have saved your bacon.

After coming out of your estivation, you get dressed, grab your tools, and head out to take count of your fellow flock. However, as you descend down the slopes, you notice signs of a struggle and subsequent battle in the local area. The sight of ransacked houses and dead beings confirms your worst fears - something attacked your village while you still sleep! While assessing the damage, you find Auguste - a Percht guard - slumped on a bedroom wall with multiple injuries.

She is fortunately still alive, and quite shocked that you're here. You treat the wounds and, while doing so, learn what happened while you were slumbering. Everything was going well until the 28th of November, when a strange beam of "dark light" shout out from the peak of Grossglockner (the area's second-tallest mountain). Soon after this incident, a legion of creatures - "bone hounds", tatzelwurms, and harpies - descended from the mountain. They proceeded to capture the local humans and kobolds, turning them into their expendable grunts.

When word got out, the Percht matriarch felt a sense of overwhelming danger and quickly organized a mass evacuation of the local area. A gang of guards were sent to assist and protect, though most of them would go missing one way or another. The Perchts themselves had mostly fled when their village was attacked, so casualties on their end was thankfully low. And, in the midst of all this chaos, a rumor spread that you had died in your sleep. That's why nobody woke you up!

Angered, you tell Auguste that you'll personally deal with the bastards who threw this land into chaos, and walk away. She worriedly advises against it - that you should join the military gathering up troops in the east! But you've already made up your mind. At home, you grab a map of the local area, your trusty basket, some rations, and a handful of throwing axes.

It's time for some aggressive alpinism.