Weresnail Satchel
The Weresnail Satchel is a bag found on a Weresnail on Nurend 19, 308 while the Spiritual Travelers were helping Tympi find her way home.
The bag contained some insight about why these Weresnails might have attacked the group of travelers...or rather, perhaps it simply provided some insight into Weresnail Culture? A note was found in the bag with the following message:
“The plan is flawless! Just make sure you’re displaying the stolen icons of Mutsonomes, and please try to not attack anyone on the way…wouldn’t want any reason for them to not trust you. Follow the map and find Spalsis, time to put an end to that pretentious Hermit once and for all.”
It seems that the weresnails were not supposed to attack anyone along the way, however, the seemed to be unable to resist the temptation of a little highway robbery, as a treat.
In addition to this note, the satchel had a dossier about the mentioned Spalsis. Apparently he is an ancient hermit and the first of the weresnails. After being transformed at the hands of some sort of cozy cottage spirit, Spalsis went mad and started attacking everything he came across. This madness was short lived as he quickly came to realize what his disruptive behavior was doing to the forest and all that lived there. He devoted his life to a path of isolation, vegetarianism, respecting nature and being a hermit. His teachings were passed down to some of the weresnails that he had inadvertently created during his rampage, though some of these weresnails became feral as they rejected his teachings. Apparently Spalsis is a legendary figure amongst weresnails and others in The Gates. His height is often greatly exaggerated and inconsistent amongst descriptions. The dossier itself shifts between "11ft tall" and "large enough that his shell has a tree growing from it". One consistency amongst descriptions for this person involve his shell. It always has some amount of plantlife and sometimes even some animals living on it, this suggests that he spends a great deal of time sitting still, possibly meditating. His shell is also always described as having "10 spirals, each in a different direction". Spalsis's pacificst nature and his teachings are a point of ire for the more feral or otherwise aggressive weresnails. The aforementioned note suggests that they are killing him for this reason.
The bag also had a book of prayers, poetry and stories relating to Mutsonomes. This text provides some insight into this goddess that would have been otherwise lost on the less religious.
She is apparently part of a Voldaren trio of goddesses known as "The High Triplets" of which she is the goddess of Isolation, Hermits and Nature.
Along with this book there were also several icons of Mutsonomes mentioned in the note. It was gathered, because of this, that the friendly weresnails of the world likely worship Mutsonomes and follow the teachings of Spalsis.
Lastly, the stachel also had a rolled up map. A spiral marking indicates the likely location of the target: Spalsis, and a few landmarks were recognized almost immediately by Agave which all suggested that this hermit is incredibly far to the west.
Thankfully, a Mothlight Tree appears to be near this location, however, another big and dangerous tree is also nearby and very close to where the weresnails suspected the target to be. This tree was previously indicated by Croak when the Spiritual Travelers first spoke with him on Nurend 04, 308 as The Sleeping Oak. This tree is apparently incredibly massive and, as the name suggests, spends a lot of its time sleeping. The calming nature in the area of forest around this oak is so intense that all nearby animals, plants, spirits and the like are all sleeping as well.
When the tree awakens all the surrounding wildlife and spirits awaken as well. According to the dossier on Spalsis, it is said that plants, animals, monsters, spirits and the like all grow to a rather frightening size while near this tree if they spend too much time sleeping there. This note was included as a warning to the assassination team. It is unclear how they hoped to get to Spalsis without awakening the surrounding dangers, or without succumbing to the sleep themselves. Perhaps they weren't thinking that far ahead.
In addition to this note, the satchel had a dossier about the mentioned Spalsis. Apparently he is an ancient hermit and the first of the weresnails. After being transformed at the hands of some sort of cozy cottage spirit, Spalsis went mad and started attacking everything he came across. This madness was short lived as he quickly came to realize what his disruptive behavior was doing to the forest and all that lived there. He devoted his life to a path of isolation, vegetarianism, respecting nature and being a hermit. His teachings were passed down to some of the weresnails that he had inadvertently created during his rampage, though some of these weresnails became feral as they rejected his teachings. Apparently Spalsis is a legendary figure amongst weresnails and others in The Gates. His height is often greatly exaggerated and inconsistent amongst descriptions. The dossier itself shifts between "11ft tall" and "large enough that his shell has a tree growing from it". One consistency amongst descriptions for this person involve his shell. It always has some amount of plantlife and sometimes even some animals living on it, this suggests that he spends a great deal of time sitting still, possibly meditating. His shell is also always described as having "10 spirals, each in a different direction". Spalsis's pacificst nature and his teachings are a point of ire for the more feral or otherwise aggressive weresnails. The aforementioned note suggests that they are killing him for this reason.
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