Intrusions

As you made your way back home, through the thick layers of leaves and twigs in the Utumn season, you’d come across something you hadn’t experienced before; a peculiar smell. Looking at your four legged companion, he seemed to have smelt it too.

“You got the smell Karniru?” You asked him, which he nodded along to.

“Alright, let’s go find em”, letting the superior nose lead the way, you shifted course to find the source. It was at least a vaguely familiar smell; that of smoke. It would still be several miles from home, so having that smell this far out would be most unusual. As you got closer, you could not only smell it, but feel it against your eyes, though it wasn’t quite heavy enough to see yet.

“Fools” You complained out loud, looking at Karniru “You’d think they’d never been out in the woods before. Unless…”

The thought upon you, you quieted your voice, descending upon the target with greater stealth and caution. As the smoke grew thick enough to see, it became easier to navigate around, avoiding the gaze of whoever caused it.

“Should have known” You thought to yourself as you saw the culprits. Foreigners, and worse, amateurs, having clearly started their fire with wet wood, causing all of this heavy smoke as they tried huddle around it for comfort, food, or both. That they could be successful in lighting wet wood and still be so dim suggested that they either had sophisticated tools about them, or that there was a spellcaster among them.

It was strange for foreigners to be in any part of Hlysa, let alone this far South. Along the southwestern most coast of the Tillanong continent, it meant there were no other nations to reach traveling through yours. The eastern and northern neighbors, the snobbish Bronzebark Elves and Federesal Protectorate could easily reach other through their own borders with each other. Your peoples and theirs weren’t at war with one another, but foreigners were still not entirely welcome in these lands, not without permission of the Khans or their authorities. It was becoming increasingly common for that code of honor, one of Quargh’s codes of hospitality, to be violated, though the stories you’d heard were closer to the borders.

It was a group of five; none of them were natives or locals, based on their appearances or language. One of them was an Elf, like you, though his manner of dress suggested he was of the Kingdom of Bronzebark. You were surprised he was with anyone outside of his own nation; they never stopped looking down at your people as being culturally backwards, you had assumed that their delusions of superiority wasn’t so strictly limited. He was some form of soldier or mercenary, seeing the armor he wore and the variety of arms on his person. Being quiet and observant, you suspected that he was either the newest to the grouping, or was merely a paid guide. The arrogance, you thought, trying to make money navigating through lies that weren’t even his.

a pair of humans, one male and one female, sat on either side of him. You couldn’t easily pick out their origins as you could the elf, but their manner of wear told you they were not of Hlysa, and the completely foreign tongue of their language told you they were from great distances, making their presence and business here all the more curious and suspect. It is most irregular for the goings on in these wooded lands to be of any interest or concern to outsiders. Traveling hundreds, if not thousands of miles to come here of all places must be for a reason, and you were hoping you could parse out what that reason was, and if needed, send them back on their way.

The other two were the most obvious outsiders to these environments. The first being a dwarf male, the short length of his copper beard and softness of his eyes suggested he was just old enough to call himself an adult, by their ages. The Dwarves of the Hammerdeep Empire, claiming the mountains of the Northeast scarcely ever traveled this far; their need for resources and markets both were satisfied by their immediate neighbors. His kin had spread through the disparate lands, so it was possible he could have arrived here from closer territory. Bound heavily in his clothing, he was unused to the chill of the wind coming in from the Bitter Sea, tending close to the familiar warmth of the fire, smoke and all. Though you couldn’t recognize the symbols, the adornments on his heavy cloak appeared to have a religious significance. If this individual was a cleric or a missionary of the God’s, traveling with this group, than it would suggest that the group were an adventuring party.

The last of them were the most unlikely sight of them by far. Though you’d never seen one face to face, it was unmistakable. A Goblin woman, shorter than the dwarf, disproportionate body twisted from the form of the Orcs during the Fey Crisis. They were unpredictable, chaotic, with a notorious reputation of destructive antics, yet she seemed no different from the others in demeanor. An unusual splash of makeup and color in her attire showed a greater focus on being perceived favorably. Holding her hands out, fingers spread in opposite direction, a gust of wind spread from her palms, blowing the smoke away in a gentle wind; making clear sign that she were a sorcerer or some other nature of spellcaster. It also, if racial reputations bore any truth, made her the most dangerous of the group by far, despite her diminutive size.

Hunkered down, you watched them carefully for any sign of their immediate intentions or long plans. Unfortunately, they gave no sign. You hazarded a guess that if they had built this manner of fire, one the Goblin likely created, and remained with it this long, they were likely setting in to retire for the evening. That was something you weren’t going to accept, not without effort. You were still clearly outnumbered, by a group that were clearly able to fight, regardless of their eagerness to do so. Even a threatening action like a warning shot could escalate matters in a way beyond your control.

“Alright Karniru” you whispered to your wolf companion, “Time to make a show. Belt it out”

With that command, he let out a loud and immediate howl. Keeping eyes on the strangers, the loud and proximity got their stark attention. On edge, but nobody moving for their weapons, the restraint gave you confidence they could be conversed with, assuming that there was a shared language among them.

Moving out from the tree and brush you were hiding behind, you finally revealed yourself, to the sharp alarm of the group. Your hands outstretched to either side, you made it clear you had no weapon at the ready and were not prepared to cause trouble. They stayed their own hands, but you could see that with all of them on their feet, they were wary of you, and likely your wolf companion.

“You seem lost, cousin” You directed your attention to the Elf, the most likely to be able to speak with, your language and theirs having the same root tongue “Allow me to help orient you back north, so that you can make your way back home”

“How is it that Hlysans, who barely count as a civilized people, are so territorial over lands they can’t define the borders of?” The snobbishness and snark disdain were obvious

“Oh, It’s not hard to figure out. You know where the borders are by where the King’s Guard stand to kill over a nonexistent line. And if the Bronzebark Elves are so superior, why is it that King Yalph’s not only abdicated her role as sole heir to the throne, but left her identity behind so completely nobody has ever found her? And how is it that your people always seem to forget both Khan Galsa and Khan Selte have made it clear you are not welcome without their explicit permission?”

“Can you both stop?” The Goblin woman shouted, completely over the voice of the elf. “Let’s skip the familial bickering, and be about our business?” Her bravery and candidness was shocking to you, and from the looks of it, the others as well. “You want us to leave Hlysa? Help us out than. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the sooner we leave.”

“You can leave now,” You refuted. “If it’s in Hlysan lands, it’s a Hlysan problem. We do not need foreigners to solve matters for us.”

“It’s not just a Hlysan problem” The Dwarf spoke up “There’s a mystery to be uncovered that has the risk of harming us all. Energies have been forming and disappearing without rhyme or reason. Strange monsters that evade our classifications. We’ve heard of beasts in woods such as these.”

You were belligerent in your defiance “You are hunting myths and legends? And thinking you can do so without working alongside the people who have claimed these forests our homes since the dawn of time?”

“One can scarcely imagine why” The elf chastised

The Goblin woman spoke up again “We’re trying to avoid a panic. Even a society like yours used to hunting monsters and navigating the wilds fear a threat they don’t understand. We don’t want to tell folks to worry until we can tell them specifically what it is to worry about.”

You quietly had to concede the logic of her point, though you were less than excited about the scant details.

“If you’re really hunting monsters that might hurt Hlysans, than I’m joining you in searching for it and bringing it down.”

“We’re not asking you for your help,” The rival elf objected.

“I’m not asking to join you.” You countered immediately “You can stay with me helping you identify and stop this threat, or you can leave by force at the hands of the Warriors of the Khans.”

“Hardly a choice” the elf grumbled, such that even his own comrades did not find satisfactory.

“You’ll get over it.” The dwarf refuted him as he approached you, hand extended “Sroden, cleric of Hjanda.”

“Ralenna” you shook his hand contently.

“Ralenna what?” You were asked by the Goblin.

“Just Ralenna.” You answered simply, trying to avoid the conversation.

“You don’t know Hlysans, clearly” your Bronzebark rival goaded “They’re all a faithless people, belonging to two families. One of lust, and one solely to breed”

There was an immediate growl from both you and Karniru that disarmed them. Sroden gave him a shove so strong that he fell to his feat, nearly into the fire.

“That’s enough of you” he warned.

“I’ll apologize on his behalf” The young goblin lady spoke up “and for my own ignorance to asking the question. You may call me Hevak, and him Shemmar” You couldn’t entirely resist hiding a smirk, the seeming irony of her name sounding close the word Havoc.

“And what of these two?” You asked of the humans, neither of whom had spoken a word since you revealed yourself.

“They’re the ones who began this venture, if you will” Hevak explained “They do not speak the language, as they haven’t had the time to learn, but give them time. The gentleman is Ozza, and the lady is Zigel. Fear not, they are most capable when the time comes.”

“Capable of what?” You asked, skeptically. You’d seen the frivolous things people claimed to be ‘capable’ of that would be of no use down here.

“You’ll know when the time comes” Hevak answered smugly. “I know we just met, but you are going to need to trust us. We’ve come from Bordikia, all on ourselves.” That was a long journey, and not without it’s froughts and perils.

“Very well” You were cold in your reply, unsatisfied but compliant.

“If you’re going to stick around,” Shemmar prodded “You could start by being a helping hand with the tents”

“Sorry,” You shook your head “unless I’m home, the only canopy I need over my head is the trees. Besides, though you hail from a land of Kings, you are no King, and I am not your subject. I’ll be nearby. Until than”

As you walked away, giving the mysterious group their space, you heard a discerning, furious voice. “I cannot believe you asked her that. What is your problem?” Hevak asked. If anything, you felt comforted that she seemed the leader of them, or at least the one with the sense. Shemmar was, as most of his people, insufferable, but there was at least comfort that everyone else could see it.

You knew you had initially planned to venture home, but if this was really as dangerous as they made it seem, than you needed to accompany them, if only to ensure their bodies are buried properly when they fail.