Outgrazed wastelands are a terrifying sight this time of year, when everything should be full of life. Cold seasons and lack of nutrients must have made the grass unsuitable for prey. Herds are rarely seen on the horizon, and the antelope are lonely and scarce, having been constantly on the move; they're all paranoid from restless carnivore attacks.

Today, hunger has made your sense of smell focus on a gentle, sweet rotten aroma in this area. You notice a carcass among dry bush.

As you approach the carcass, the dead hartebeest moves! A male striped hyena, covered in brown, rotting blood, grunts at you. He's a little shaken by your approach, unsure whether to engage in a fight or leave you be.

The hyena eludes bigger blows and runs away a bit to cower nearby, while watching you consume the barely-edible remains. Maybe he's starving? There should be enough meat on this carcass for the both of you, but… he's a *hyena*.

You don't give the creature another glance, and continue to eat for a bit. When you gaze back, the hyena looks at the carcass longingly, but does not disturb you. He looks very sad. In the complete silence, you hear only flies buzzing around the kill.

After a few more bites, you hear a deep sigh. You look at the hyena again, only to see big, watery eyes looking in your direction. He notices you're returning the look, so he takes another deep breath to show off his sunken ribs and eternal sadness.

You move aside and lie down to eat soft parts from the kill's thigh, thus making some space for the hyena to join in the front. He approaches you warily, but within minutes devours what's on his side of the meal. It's not very fresh, and there's not too much good meat to pick from, but it's enough to satisfy you for a little while.

When you're both done, you look at each other.

The hyena chuckles, then proceeds to clean his muzzle with a few licks. It does not help much.

"Thanks for sharing… Times are utterly crappy to be a small carnivore these days. I'm Laharu, by the way."

Okay, fine. For a hyena, he does not seem to be overly smelly or annoying.

"Nice name. Did somebody hiccup when putting down your name? Eh?"

Laharu looks at you with a hopeful smile that fades quickly. You do not have a hyena's sense of humour.

"Mm, lions. Anyway, the lack of herds in this area is very peculiar, don't you think? We were lucky to find this carcass. I could investigate migration patterns outside of your territory and bring back some news in a few days. You could do a few things to help me out with this task, though. You know, a small collaboration? Bring me some food that you hunt down with your pride, so I don't have to worry about my survival. I will find out what's going on with the prey in the meantime."

"Okay, [NAME], could you bring me a carcass with 4 uses? That should be enough for tomorrow's trip."

"Anything with at least 4 uses will do. I tend to get hungry on my long trips along the wasteland. Please be aware that if you give me a carcass with more than 4 uses, I will take the whole thing."

"Oh yeah! That's the stuff. That should be enough for the trip. Thank you kindly! Can you come back tomorrow? I might have something to share, if I'm lucky!"

You got +50 SB, +1% Impression and +2 LB!

Laharu isn't here. Or, maybe he is, but he's hiding very well. Either way, you should come back tomorrow.