When you first set out of the village this time, it came with a bit of a realization that you had never gone so far without at least headhunters. To be quite honest with yourself, you couldn't even remember the last time you
left the village unless it was your duties as chieftain. You never had a good reason to leave as a Wave-rider, you helped with harvest and gathering nuts and fruits in the past but that hardly involved you going so far outside the village as you were.
Not to say you weren't well protected though.
Jor'kill walked at your side, idly flipping and twirling the humongous two-handed mace he sported in his hands. The head looked like it could fit an entire troll head underneath its face, while the tree-like shaft would not be as easy to lift as Jor'kill made it seem. You almost wondered if you could have lifted the thing as he did now. In Between Jor'kill's strength as the greatest of your warriors and, as the tribe has oh so lovingly called them despite it being so well known now, the Secret Lovers, you were sure you were as protected as you could be. Not to mention it left Krah'ranik in charge in the case that both you and Jor'kill died in whatever you were walking into.
Shame that the armor wasn't ready yet. Jor'kill would have made a much more intimidating sight, no doubt about it. Suppose a tall and broad troll who you had seen knock down a tree in a single swing would have to do.
"Don't ya' be talkin' to the t'ing." You commanded, voice quiet as the two of you approached the edges of the vale, the Headhunter ahead of you, quirking his head as he listened in. "We can't know what d'at t'ing will say an' we ain't gonna be findin' out if we be upsettin' d'em."
Jor'kill nodded, his face a stonewall for all that it was revealing what he was thinking. "'Ah figured as much. Don't cha' be worryin' 'bout me." The hammer finally came to rest on the troll's shoulder "'Ah be here to keep mah mouth shut an' keep ya' safe, Chief." He nodded a second time in confirmation, even as for a moment a bloodthirsty look flitted across his face. "'Ah know how to do that."
The moment you broke through the jungle's edge you knew you were in the right place by the smell alone. Burnt flesh had a distinctive smell, that this one had been incinerated instead of cooked told you all you needed to know about where you were. Even still, the description of the creature did nothing but injustice to what it was. Matted or coarse fur covering its legs, its hair fell with grease, slime, and indifference while the fur on its arms was a mixing of all of that.
Then you met the orange eyes that looked towards your arrival with impatience and you saw all of the cruelty this thing was capable of.
"Finally!" The creature exclaimed, throwing its hands into the air "I thought you would keep me here till the end of the century." The ever-present sneer transformed like it was some sick joke into what could have been a charming smile. Once. But the extended wolf's teeth in its maw made the smile feel like a threat; it would tear your throat out if you let it get close. "Are you the chieftain these poor poor mortal souls sent word to?"
You squinted at the creature for a moment, before inclining your head. "Aye. 'Ah am Jalo'ki, Chieftain an' Wave Rider of the Shatterspear Trolls." It was strange to speak with the creature because what it spoke was
not Zandali. It was some strange language that sounded similar to what the Elves spoke, yet this was some sort of bastard tongue to that. Full of harsh sounds that wouldn't be out of place with violence. The headhunters that had not escorted the prisoners to the village were on edge and their leader started jogging over to you the moment you entered the clearing. "Who are ya', an' why have you intruded upon Shatterspear lands?"
The Headhunter began whispering in your ear, while Jor'kill began doing his inspection of the creature. "It ain't done not'in' other than be angry or annoyed at us. Been playin' with rubbin' fire to life between its fingers to pass the time, then in amusement, after it scared ole' Ihzi."
The creature scoffed in amusement, "Don't forget to tell your leader how at least half of you were almost going to spear me to death…" The creature looked around at the headhunters still watching it before it corrected itself. "...Try, anyhow." The creature sighed mournfully, "I fear for the beasts in this jungle if this is what you call warriors."
You dismissed the troll with a wave before repeating your words "Who are ya'? Why are ya' here? To just insult mah people?! Or did ya' plan to speak of what ya' told mah Headhunters?!" You saw Jor'kill from the corner of your eye roll his shoulders and almost reconsidered the meeting right then. The taller troll wasn't sure if he could defeat the creature, that alone made you worry, but the confidence as it started down half a dozen headhunters and Jor'kill believed just how dangerous it might be.
The creature sighed once more, kicking one of the remaining bones of the elf it slaughtered. "At the very least we're making progress. Would of loved a proper roof over my head, but the fault was mine for setting such high expectations." The creature used one of its long wicked talons to pick some wax from its ear before flicking it away into the brush. "My name is Zalan, leader of the Deth'ryll Sect." It raised its arms wide and did a graceful bow towards you. "I come bearing a warning to you, o' mighty chieftain of the Shatterspear Trolls. The Kaldorei will soon invade your lands."
The casual way this creature spoke and demeaned your people set your lips into a thin frown. Jor'kill was almost completely a statue for all that anything seemed to bother him, while the Headhunters were still on edge enough that the words had yet to phase them. You were glad you had Tojiar & Junjie watching in secret. It gave you a bit of confidence to know you had something over it.
"So you say." You speak back to the creature, doubt clear in your voice "But if ya' so inclined to offer a warnin' while insultin' us wit' every other word, how are we to know ya' speak truthfully? Ya' look similar to d'em, how are we to know ya' ain't an Elf?"
Zalan looked at you for a long hard moment, clearly trying to look deeper into your words. Then realization came across its face. "Oh, you're- you're-" Its shoulder shook "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A guttural and manic laughter broke free from its throat as the Headhunters clutched spears and readjusted their stances to be ready to throw at the sound noise. Its laughter sent the creature hunched forward, its eyes wide and maw wide, laughter shaking the whole of its torso as spittle flew out at you.
Then the laughter turned from amused glee to spiteful, Zalan's smile turning into an angered frown as its gaping maw continued to laugh it's spiteful rage. "HAHAHAHAhaaaaa." It didn't straighten, instead glaring with an angered sneer back on it's face. "Were it not for wishes above mine, I would have reduced your corpse to ashes."
The threat sent a wave across the clearing, and trolls started to turn to anger and weary caution. Jor'kill didn't move, but you saw him tighten his grip. You pointedly didn't move, but you were already making plans of how to flee from the clearing and leave the creature to Jor'kill.
Zalan straightened, running a hand through its greasy hair atop its head, sneering even harder with its insulted pride. "Once. You would have been correct. But with the allowance of my Master, I ascended above their Ilk. Do not again compare me to them."
In acknowledgment, yet inclined your head for the second time this meeting, wearily looking at the creature once more, wondering if it was even sane. But if that was a concern before you arrived, you would now have to deal with reality. Fishing for answers with comparisons clearly would not work on this creature, lest a fight broke out. "D'en, how did ya' come to know 'bout the elves? Better yet, how 'ave ya know we be dealin' wit' troubles concernin' the elves?"
Zalan tsked in annoyance and disappointment. "Are you truly so blind? When last have you left your shacks and mud huts? Any savage with a set of eyes need only take a short jaunt down the forest to see the Kaldorei stirred up." Then Zalan began rubbing its bearded chin, realization once more crossing its face "...No… You haven't, have you… You thought the Vale's mountains would protect you… Did you not?"
You had no good response to that. "We 'ave an' agreement wit' the elves. D'ey leave us be, we leave d'em be."
"HA!" Zalan barked, "How has that gone for you?" It raises its arms towards the direction you came from "A Cleric wandering around your trees as if you did not exist, untrained riders attempting to find the girl on behalf of her father, and you?" it spread its arms wide and to either side of its body "Now face down the bows of the Kaldorei."
You grit your teeth before you say something unwise, grinding your teeth and tusk before opening your mouth once more. "Ya' still 'ave yet to prove why the Shatterspear should trust ya'. Ya' might be no friend o' the Elves, but what 'ave ya' to speak o' bein' friends to us?"
"Beyond the warning?" Zalan crossed his arms, one of its hands palm up with a finger extended "Beyond not allowing one of their dogs to escape?" A second finger "Beyond being here, allowing this conversation to happen and to leave you to whatever fate the Kaldorei hold for you and your people?" A thin lipped smile spread across it's face as a third finger joined. "But fine. Let's say that is not sufficient…" Zalan began to pick between its teeth with a talon "I came here to establish that friendship in any case. For so long as your people are enemies of the Kaldorei, my people will assist you."
Zalan shrugged its shoulders "Be warned, for the Kaldorei are manipulative and untrustworthy creatures. They will then send their Sentinels, I suppose you might consider them a mix of your Warriors and headhunters, I think you called them? Into your lands to verify if you do indeed hold that cleric you managed to capture. Once that happens, they will escape with her and then descend upon you with arrow and fire… Much as they did when you first arrived on this land now that I think about it…"
Your head jerked when you heard that, and Zalan grinned an evil grin like the ocelot caught the parrot. You glared at it, to Zalan's absolute delight. "What do ya' know o' mah people's arrival?" The question was out of your mouth before you even could stop the curiosity burning in your throat. This was not the time for such questions!!!
"Oh, are you not aware?" Zalan leaned forward on its goat legs, no different than a child dangling bait above the fish in taunt. "Of how your ancestors arrived and were attacked by the elves?"
You grit your teeth, even as you sneer at the creature. "Enough!" You commanded it "Ya' 'ave given ya' warnin'. What more 'ave ya to say?!"
Zalan chuckled as he no longer leaned forward. "As I said, I offer to you an alliance between our peoples. If you would accept, I would catch you the sentinel they would send into the heart of your lands to prove myself, alongside lending the air of my Satyrs in defense of your home."
That was a deal far too good to be true. Your doubt must have been on your face because Zalan added even more "Not to mention, I will speak on the origins of your meeting with the Kaldorei… And for every captive of those hippogryph riders you give unto me, I will truthfully answer a question of your choice, sworn to be truthful upon behalf of my Master."
"What do ya' 'ave to gain from this?" You spit at, wearily leaning away from the creature who hasn't moved from across the clearing, distrusting his intentions already "Ya' offer to us everyt'ing we could ask o' ya'. What do ya' and ya'... Sah-tyrs, get outta' d'is deal?"
Zalan nodded once more, chuckling all the while "Beyond the enjoyment I receive at seeing the Kaldorei bleed?" It asked innocently, before shrugging his shoulders "Your soon-to-be enemy, is yet also my enemy. With the war about to break out, it will allow my people the opportunity to benefit greatly from the redirected attention of the Kaldorei. We are hunted and hunted in turn after all. When better to hunt than when they least expect it?"
"So ya' mean to let us bleed while ya' gorge ya'self?! Do ya' take me for a fool?!" Rage fills you with its words in your mind, at the image of this creature enjoying the fruits of your labor. "D'at ya' people be benefittin' moar d'en mine?!"
"No, you think WE benefit more?!" Zalan seemed earnly confused at those words "The Deth'ryll Sect is hardly bigger than your tribe! Were we to support you, it would be all or nothing!" Now the Satyr, so you assume that is what it is, anger "For the Sect has no allies within' Darkshore for the last ten thousand years beyond your tribe! We offer you EVERYTHING!" Zalan roars his frustrations at you "WE WILL NOT BE THROWN AWAY AND BE FORGOTTEN TO THE SANDS OF TIME!"
Flames licked at the hands of the Satyr as his rage becomes manifest, sending the Headhunters moments away from unleashing spears while Jor'kill raises his hammer and you prepare to run-
Zalan releases the flames, fists clenched as he exhales and all the anger falls away. When he next opened his eyes, it was with a lingering ember behind them, as ambition and pride mixed with its lingering rage. "My people would rather lose their lives than lose their lands or be forgotten to time. Name your price, Shatterspear. We shall honor it."
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Zalan the Leader of the Deth'ryll Sect comes before you with an offer born out of desperation and ambition. An offer to stand against the Kaldorei as he speaks it, Elves as you say it, and the full support of what his Satyrs can bring forth.
He offers in good faith to catch the Sentinel who would infiltrate your lands to rescue your captive alongside information of the fighting that broke out between the Shatterspear and Elves when they arrived at this land.
Alongside this, for each captive you just took you offer to him, will truthfully answer 1 question each.
[ ] Accept his Assistance against the Encroaching elves and Learn the History of your people's arrival to these lands
- [ ] Do you give him any captives to ask questions? What questions do you ask? (Any topic)
- [ ] Make Another Price of the Satyr, for one of the various reasons why. What is it?
[ ] Reject and turn your back on Zalan
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AN: Just a reminder I am more than happy to answer questions and heavily encourage it for this round of voting, even about Zalan though that will obviously not be as clear an answer. If you ask for clarification on what assistance he is offering, or have any questions for if he would assist with X, I will answer those in the thread.
