Zander chains

When travelling through the country side of the northern provinces of Illaria, it is common to see a number of strange looking chains of varying shapes and sizes across the farmland and hamlets of these rural communities. Typically bunched together and brightly coloured, many locals travelling between villages at night are noticed to carry them. Outsider view this custom as peculiar, a backward way of rural life. Perhaps being a remnant of ancient pagan rituals conducted by their forebearers which they carry on. But if one were to ask the people of Piastzlava the purpose of these chains, they would tell you with absolute seriousness "They are to keep the monsters at bay".   Coequally known as Zander chains, the practice originally began in Piastzlava before time in memorial. The province has always been wracked with misfortune and grief. Particularly in its backwater rural regions. Farmer and their flocks, and women and children have been plagued for centuries by the bloodthirst beasts that come out into the night sky, searching for their next meal. The Xiiealiru, or Vaughasts as they are traditionally known amongst humans are colossal winged carnivores that plague it's the night skies, preying on livestock and travellers foolish enough to brave the eventide.   There is a legend amongst the people of Piastzlava that a farmer by the name of Zander once confronted a great Vaughasts that had devoured his entire flock and carried away his wife. He confronted the beast with nothing but a great long length of chain and a knife. The chain was so distressing to the Vaughast that Zander was able to plunge hid knife deep into the creatures throat and kill it. Since then it has been believed that due to the Vaughasts sensitive hearing, the loud rattling of heavy chains deeply aggravates and distresses warding the creatures away. Whether this is actually true remains to be seen, as the Xiiealiru still to this day cast an ominous shadow upon these rural communities.