Humans referred to these people as "flat-tailed demons." In the stories that Ollie had grown up on, they were voracious beasts with long rabbit-like teeth that could sever a man's leg in a single bite and wide, flat tails that were powerful enough to crush a man's skull in a single swipe.
Such beastly demons were said to be masters of traps, dangerous and cunning. As a child, he'd heard stories of "flat-tailed demons" luring people to their deaths by crushing them with falling logs or flinging them into deep pits lined with wooden spikes before ultimately using human bodies as mortar in the dams they built for their villages.
Marcel had corrected him before they set out. These "flat-tailed demons" referred to themselves as the Heartwood Clan. According to the vampire, they were legendary for their woodworking skills and had once formed a small community within the Vale of Mists.
