# The Woodpecker By [Helixa TCG](https://paragraph.com/@helixa-tcg) · 2023-08-08 --- _“Known among the local populace as the Shattra Kal, or "Noisy Death," this creature is nocturnal, devoid of any hair, and bears a size and weight akin to a war horse. Despite being blind, it emits a loud drumming sound that, paired with its large membranous ears, seems to provide it with an acute awareness of its immediate and distant surroundings._ _This beast moves with a speed that defies its size, and the damage it can inflict with its teeth and claws is horrifying to behold. Heavy armour offers scant protection against its raw, terrifying strength, as even the most heavily armoured soldiers sustain bone-crushing injuries under the force of its blows. It does not appear to fear bright light or magic of any sort, in fact, I do not believe it fears anything. Its brutal behaviour strikes me as highly territorial, more so than predatory in nature._ _Despite being hairless, the creature's skin is notably resilient, far tougher than the hardened leather the Empire can produce, and it possesses an inherent resistance to heat and magic. This has led to the creature's hide being highly sought after, transforming it into a prized commodity among those wealthy enough to afford such a rare and valuable treasure.”_ _~ Maelo, Imperial Historian of Benemor._ A year before the period known as the Ten-Year Lar Zal War, the Benemor Empire’s fourth army, under the command of General Berculus, landed on the Western coastal desert of the Lar Zal continent. The plan was for the army to march through the hundreds of leagues of the Silent Desert, traverse the Daggerspine mountains, and attack the empire of Hal Hassa from behind, where it lacked defences due to the natural bulwark the mountains and desert provided. Supplies and logistics were meticulously prepared and accounted for, and the fourth army was drilled for months in advance in preparation for the conquest. Unfortunately for General Berculus, he was uninformed about the reasoning behind the Silent Desert's name. The uncanny silence of the desert was not indicative of an absence of life in the sun-baked sands. Instead, it reflected the choice of its inhabitants to maintain a silent existence for the purpose of self-preservation. The inevitable nocturnal clamour generated by a force of twenty thousand soldiers unfailingly drew the attention of the desert's apex predator. The first time the drumming of the Shattra Kal was heard, it caused puzzlement among the sentries on watch. At first, the sound was distant and mistaken for the drumming of a woodpecker. The confusion arose from the knowledge that they were in a desert where, of course, no trees existed. Clarity came shortly after when, emerging from the shadows, scores of horrifying Shattra Kal swarmed into the encampment. As soldiers were still rousing from their slumber and fastening their sword belts, the monsters were already among them, carving a bloody path through the army. The Shattra Kal proved so calamitous, and the efficacy of blades, bolts, and magic so woefully inadequate against these newly encountered desert nightmares, that in the grim aftermath, General Berculus issued an order for a full retreat back to the Benemor Empire to rethink their approach. Deeming the Shattra Kal too hazardous an obstacle, Benemor chose to abandon covert tactics. Instead, they decided to mount a direct assault on Hal Hassa from the North-West, a decision that ignited the decade-long conflict known as the Ten-Year Lar Zal War. The soldiers who returned to their homeland brought with them terrifying tales of creatures they had dubbed "Woodpeckers." These stories were so spine-chilling that mothers began using them to dissuade their headstrong children from making noise and staying up past their bedtimes. --- *Originally published on [Helixa TCG](https://paragraph.com/@helixa-tcg/the-woodpecker)*