NationStates Jolt Archive

Professor Jonathan Artemis checked his gear one last time before beginning. A few weeks ago he’d been a doctor of elven languages, then he’d been recruited for this, rather interesting semi-covert mission. He’d only really had contact with a sub-group of the Office of the Emperor for this, they’d given him some nifty stuff for this, but on the whole, his mission was generally to observe, learn the language, customs and mindset of his destination, and perhaps do a little research on their origins too.

They’d simply displaced him here; a precision feat they rarely even attempted at such range, however, in this area, the lack of electronic signals was reassuringly low, and they’d manage to pull it off without incident, sending three bundles of equipment with him, stuffed in a large and drab carrying sack. In there was everything from a disturbingly expensive medical kit to numerous changes of clothing, both local and fashionable, or rather, as close to local fashions as could be devised, from long range ocular enhancers, capable of providing clarity and zoom up to two kilometres to basic survival equipment. Perhaps the most useful thing however, were a pair of discrete energy weapons and some discrete body armour.

That said, he hoped not to use them, and considered the small computer panel, which he’d been informed had been modified to be good for at least a century, complete with vast storage space and a decent audio-visual feed, to be the item he’d use most, all things going well. Leaning on his staff he checked the compass. He was supposed to be somewhere to the south of a minor settlement in Giltheran.

He emerged from the trees the lowerhalf of the Body was that of a Horse but the upper Body was clearly a humonoid Male, and a ruggered Male at that across his back was strapped a Bow, and at his side swung loosly a sword, on his Horses Back was strapped the Corpse of a Deer, killed recently, and by an arrow from the Centaurs bow.

He stopped to look upon the intruder and gave a small start of surprise his front hoofs rising up. Then he spoke in what he had learnt to be the common of this world, the trade language, English. 'You are no Elf, What are you doing on Giltheran.' His tone was at least in part threatening, obviously displeased at the intruder.

It was… a centaur. He’d not believed such things existed until now. Jonathan reached up to brush his free hand, one decorated with an ornate ring, through his dark black hair, peering at the creature from behind. He was of course, taller than the local elves, on average at least, but this creature was rather larger than he was.

“Err, wow,” he muttered under his breath, “Hello, I’m a traveller, I’m interested in this land and its customs,” he said, quite truthfully, and sounding it.

The Centaur looks thoughtful a moment and then then peers at the man a little closer, 'A Traveller hmm I had not heard of any humans in the woods, and Githras normally ensures we hear of such things, still you don't appear to mean us any harm. I will allow you to pass, whether others do is up to them. I would suggest you hurry to the Sy-Tel'Quessir encampment and present yourself...' A Look of wry amusment comes across the Centaur's face as he speaks. 'They might decide to let you stay, they might even mark you as welcome.' The tone of the voice suggested that such marking may not be pleasent for the visitor in short run.

'Or of course they may not, if they don't worry not, they will simply ensure you are gone from our woods.' With that the Centaur tuned and trotted off into the tree line once more seemingly unconcerned about the man behind him.

He watched the centaur go, “You wouldn’t care to point me in the appropriate direction?” he asked, curiously. It wasn’t that he was lost, for he knew precisely the direction he had intended to go. However, open to detours as he was, and not knowing precisely where this encampment actually was he was hardly able to find it.

This lot were a suspicious bunch, that much was clear already.

The Centaur stopped a moment and gave a small chuckle. 'There is no need' he answered without turning to face the man. 'They will ensure you reach them, won't you my friends.' He seemed to speak to the air and no answer was given but his tone suggested he wasn't being light in his assertion that the man was watched or that he would arrive at the encapment.

'I like you human so I shall give you a little advice, be very, careful for the next few hours they are watching you... and deciding if they can trust you.'

As he spoke a bird flew over head and settled into a nearby branch, and other creatures seemed to stir aroun dthe Centaur uncorned by it's presence, or that of the good Doctor.

'As I said they are watching you.'

‘Curious,’ he thought, and after a moment of watching the centaur walk off, he decided to walk north. It was most obvious after all, that was the way he had originally intended to go. The birds didn’t entirely go unnoticed, indeed, one in particular seemed to be following him, quietly and skilfully, but it was there. Normally he would have dismissed this as something natural, but at this exact moment, he didn’t, having already decided to take nothing for granted here.

Eventually he sat down to rest, laying the staff on the ground at the edge of a clearing, over the fairly large pack, and sitting down on the pack. Pulling a book from a side pocket of the pack he opened it and took an expensive ball-point pen from a flexible holder on the spine, and began to write in the hieratic necrontyr script, something he was sure no one here could read without great difficulty.

“Day one; Interesting encounter recently, it turns out there are centaurs in Giltheran, and they’re rather interesting people. If cagey. I’ve been told there’s an encampment around here, it’s been suggested I go there, but the centaur didn’t bother to tell me where. Evasive chap.”

He closed the book, replaced the pen, then, after taking a brief drink from his canteen, stood up, taking up his property again and walking off to the north once more.

That was long enough he thought, he has not been too clumsy for a N'Tel'Quess nor shown too much disrespect. The hawk then seemed to land at the mans feet looking up at him before, a shifting of weight and an enlargening of the body, before long standing before the man was a tattoed Elf, his body seemed to be covered in them, and what little clothing he wore was reminiscent of the Ancient Indian Tribes of the American continent, at last as shown in old Westerns. There was a faint tint of green to the mans appearance but whether that was more body paint or the natural shade was hard to determine.

'So N'Tel'Quess you seek to discover more of our people, hmm I suppose I shall show you, come take my hand I grow weary.'

His hand was offered to the resting man as he chuckled a little, a slightly cruel look in the mans eye, or at least the sort of look a person who is about to do something that will disturb another and finds it amusing. Although it would not harm the human it was promising to be an unusual journey.

'Curiouser and curiouser,' he thought examining the elf that stood in front of him. He was exceedingly surprised to see the elf's transformation. He extended a hand to the shorter druid's, grasping his baggage carefully. The Druid smiled a little and stepped back towards the Woods, and into one of the trees, careful to ensure he still held the man he waited to see if he would follow. The traveller paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, then he stepped forward, and into the tree. Scientific curiosity affected him far more than caution.

Then they where gone it only took moments for the journey to occur, the Two passing through the Earth, carried by the roots of the Trees, and the roots of other plants, passing between them where they met and entwined around each other. Within seconds they emerged from another Tree, ahead of them could be seen dozens of elves working and laughing with each other.

'Welcome to the Shrine of Rillifane Rallathil, step carefully for you are on sacred Ground and know no harm will befall you while you remain within this Grove' He felt a compulsive urge to keel over and vomit, but he managed to hold it back, and looked around the grove, "Interesting," he said, after a moment, "what can you tell me about Rillifane Rallathil?" he said, managing to get the pronunciation right. The Druid looks a moment at the Professor and laughs, 'He is one of the Seldarine, and Lord of nature the hunt and the wild. He is the protector of the Sy-tel'Quessir.'

'The rest well perhaps when we know you a little better.' He nodded without hesitation, "Well then, I shall ask again another time..." he said, "Very well, what about this place?"

'This is a Grove and an encampment, dedicated to Rillifane. We tend it for all the Tel'Quessir in time we shall move off and other Sy-Tel'Quessir shall come and replace us. It's a place of quiet contemplation and serenity.'

The actual Grove was a peaceful place a small stream ran through the middle and wild animals drank from it freely, Predator and Prey alike seemingly unconcerned about each other. Here at least they where at rest. "I see," he said, nodding slightly, looking around once more, wishing somewhat that he had the opportunity to record this scene, but concluding that it could cause problems, "So, I was told I should... present myself."

'And you have done so, most of the other peoples who live in this area will respect my decision to allow you into this Grove. For now I would suggest you limit yourself to here and the immediate surroundings.' A Small smile crosses his face 'I will admit one of the reasons I brought us here in the way I did was so that you would find it hard to leave without my blessings.'

'Do not through think of it as imprisonment, should you wish to leave I will be happy to lead you away, rather that you would find it hard to find your way back.' After a moment's deliberation, he decides to not interpret this as a hostile act, merely a cautious one, and looks questioningly, presuming that by the druid's tone he's free to wander around the grove at least.

The Druid nods in answer to the unspoken question and gestures with his hands to the Grove. 'Feel free' For an anthropologist, he's strangely drawn to the animals, and walks over to the stream, setting his gear down a short way from it and watching for a while.

They appear under no enchantment or other inlaunce, indeed at the smell of a human they grow a little skittish, but it soon passes as they sense he means no harm and go back to lazing contently in the Sun or drinking. Some leave as time passes and others come, in no particular pattern, yet all act the same way, and even when a prey leaves a Hungry predator does not follow. At least not immediately, still the professor is left with a distinct impression that soon away from this place the natural order will be restored.

One wolf through appears different, Larger than any of it's kind the Professor has likely encountered it approaches him and smells him. An Intelligent glint behind it's eyes, another Druid approaches the man and smiles. He looks at the wolf with a little curiosity, not to say that he's not somewhat worried it'll try and bite him, and he fingers the ring on his hand for a moment, before looking at this new druid.

'Now howls-At-Stars be nice to our visitor and introduce yourself.' The Wolf Snarls for a second before... Laughing a curious sound from a wolfs throat it nods 'As she Said I Howls-At-Stars' Now this is far more surprising than anything he's seen so far, and he makes the oversight of looking at the druid as he said, "A talking wolf?"

The Wolf Snarls a little 'Hello Human I’m right here, yes I talk I'm still a wolf through, and feeling a little peckish.' He looks back at the wolf,

"I see. My apologies, no offence was intended."
'In answer to your question yes my friend Talks I awoke him some Five Years ago, for I could bear to think of him dying.'

The woman joined in the conversation now and sat next to the Professor a glint in her eyes 'he was so Young when first we met, but the years pass and I do not grow old.'

"Of course," he said, considering such claims of agelessness quite normal, among elves at least, curiosity about this 'awakening' written in his own eyes as he looked at her.

'A Complicated spell, but it grants Animals intellect and speech, as well as makes them grow larger.' she answered the unspoken question in his eyes. 'We rarely use it through, as it is not the Animals place to speak and be as us, but how could we not for our friends and protectors'

Her hand now strokes the wolf as if it where as harmless as a Dog and it seems to curl up next to her enjoying the experience it's tail wagging from time to time. He simply raised an eyebrow about this, muttering, "Fascinating."

'So tell me how did you come to penetrate this far into our Islands unnoticed?

'With Ermor so close a weakness must be closed down so you could be of surface to us in telling us this.'

"Well, to my cartographical knowledge, this is the far side from Ermor, but to answer your question, I arrived using a form of teleportation."

'Interesting we really must finish warding the Islands, you'd think we'd have learnt after the visit by the Wraiths to the Palace. But such things take time I suppose. And cartography isn't too important my dear. Where still far closer to Ermor than any of us would truly like.'

He nodded a little at her comment about warding, suspecting this was something to do with the sorcery he found rather common here, and would probably not impede technological displacement, but he had no intention of informing her of such without reason. "I can imagine," he said, "mercifully, I've yet to encounter the creatures of Ermor."

'You are indeed fortunate those foul corruptions of...' Her features turned dark as she spoke and Howls-At-Stars snarled from his contented position before she caught her herself and smiled 'Yet enough on such matters. For now the Seldarine blesses us and other than taunts between our leaders little violence has occurred.'

"I see," he says, "then that is good news. I had only heard of the nearness of the undead, not their actual behaviour."

'So you came here to learn about us, the Tel'quessir I assume as a whole and not just us Sy-Tel'Qussier.'

"Well, to be fair, and I assume the latter to be your own race," he said, a basic guess, and something he'd figured out rapidly, being something of a linguistics prodigy in his youth, "I was until my arrival, only aware of the Sy-Tel'Qussier."

She laughs a little 'I think you misunderstand Yes I am Sy-Tel'Quassir but Githras is not. If you where unaware of the King I'd be surprised. The Tel'Qussier are the Elves of these islands. the Sy-Tel'Quassir are my own sub-Species of these Elves the wild Elves as some call us.'

"I see, in that case, yes," he said, wondering what they called the rest of the creatures that seemed rather abundant on these islands.