Just being a dark elf in Warhammer

"Is there any?" Darkus repeated his trick again. He looked at Drusala for confirmation. After seeing Drusala shaking his head, he continued, "No! That Orion is no different from the Chaos Egg. And that moth didn't fulfill his so-called obligations! You must know that Aldade made me very impatient. If these forest lords are like Alded, I will evaluate this place. Internal logic is very important to this world, if..."

"No, Darkus. The woodland lords knew about your arrival through various means. They welcomed your arrival and you will see them soon. I promise you, you will be satisfied. "Lilith raised her eyebrows and looked at Darkus with an expression like "I'm quietly watching your performance." She had already seen Darkus' pretentiousness, but she still interrupted Darkus. .

Lilith didn't think Darkus's words were empty, because she knew that Darkus could really do it. He could really transfer the lizardmen from the Lustria continent and the Southland jungle, and bring the lizard people living in the forest to the other side. Asrai was driven out, making this place once again the garden of the Ancient Saints, a garden in the true sense.

"Okay." It's pointless to say this now. Darkus nodded, picked up the wine bottle and poured it, and after refilling Lilith and Drusala, he picked up the Aveling fruit in the fruit basket and took a bite. Finally, he frowned.

The pear-shaped aveling fruit has a charming sweet aroma, but the flesh is strangely full of bitterness. This pear-shaped fruit is favored by Aslay and is considered a staple food. Aslay could not resist the temptation of this fruit. Eating this fruit is an unparalleled feast. Eating it by human wizards helps meditation and has a bonus effect. However, this fruit has no effect on the elves, except for triggering an unparalleled of satisfaction.

"Not bad." Even though the fruit is bitter, it starts to feel good after swallowing it. Darkus thinks it's quite delicious? Then, he changed the subject, "Madam, how much do you know about the stray elf of the Gillandir family?"

"Didn't He tell you? Yes, He is preparing gifts for you during this time. There are many stray elves. Let me think about where to start..."

The vast forest of Elsin Alvin is dotted with many elven settlements, such as what Darkus discovered in Lolei some time ago, and the same is true for Gilead he met in Altdorf.

There is a group of people in the Reikvald Forest. They are descendants of Assur. In the earliest times, they were residents of Cole Vanas. After Cole Vanas was captured by the dwarves, Liandra organized Rebuilt, only to be attacked by Drusala and Bloody Fang again. The residents of the city left at that time, evacuating southwest along the Anurein River and into the forest.

The Anurein River is now the Reik River.

The elves established a settlement in the forest that remains hidden to this day. In terms of culture and customs, they fully maintain the Assur tradition. For them, the cycle of life is like the cycle of water. They believe that the first elves descended from the raindrops of heaven, and that the great river Anureyn carried their departed souls back to Ulthuan to be reincarnated at the end of time.

This spiritual belief originated from the ancient Ulthuan legend about Dragunir, the father of dragons. In the Golden Age, the corpses of deceased elves who were eligible would be sent to ships returning to Ulthuan. This kind of funeral ceremony The journey symbolizes the journey through the body, tail, and ultimately back to the mouth of the Father of Dragons. Today, the deceased are buried in river tombs with fish bone wind chimes. Elves make regular pilgrimages to the river surrounding Reikvald to commemorate the death of a loved one by throwing material offerings into the river.

Darkus and Drusala looked at each other in confusion. This group of Asurs lived in the triangle between the Reik River, the Bogen River and the Weissbork Canal. They were very close to Altdorf, so close that the team I happened to notice it when I passed the Holy Word Monastery, but I didn't see it.

But if you think about it carefully, if it was really that easy to discover, it would have been discovered by humans and all kinds of monsters and monsters. It would have been impossible to hide it until now. But in the future... with the opening of the Weisbok Canal and the proliferation of humans, more and more humans will appear there, and it will be a matter of time before they are discovered.

But this is not a big problem. The elves will return to Elsin Alvin sooner or later, so we can just look for them then.

There is also an elven group in the forest as far away as Kislev. They call themselves Sethlai. During the Revenge War, they fled the colony and settled in the forest of the eastern state of Kislev. This place is called the "Forest of Souls" by the Urgo people. It is a dangerous place where human witches will leave all kinds of strange sacrifices.

There is a tragic song called "The Destruction of the Ancient Tree of Islis" circulated among the tribe. Although the location of Islis has long been forgotten, the verses of the song describe a battle between the elves and a Nabar. After the battle between the Plague Legions led by the Grim Champion, belated reinforcements discovered that every Elf who had fought was dead.

"The Destruction of the Ancients of Islith" is a sad, allegorical song sung to inspire hatred for Nurgle and teach young elves the importance of helping friends in need. As time passed, descendants began to sing different stories about the elders sacrificing themselves to let the young ones escape.

This people came to the Eastern States because they heard mysterious whispers calling them eastward with promises of salvation, and eventually they came to a land of cold, disease, and hunger, where there was a vast pine forest. When they arrived, the Whisperers manifested, taking the form of an elf with cyan skin, hair of growing grass, and emerald green eyes.

The Whisperer claims that the refugee elders made a deal with him, leading to the failure. He will devote himself to the welfare of the elves if the survivors abandon the teachings of their elders and follow only his ways.

These elves who called themselves Sethlai unknowingly made an agreement with the Whisperers. They gave up their previous pursuits and used black magic to tame the animals in the forest. Their hearts became the same as the harsh winter they now endure. Ice cold. However, they do not realize that they have been cursed and believe that they can only survive by accepting the cruelty of nature.

The Sesilei are fascinated by the union with the beasts to become one with nature, rejecting the use of metal tools and weapons, relying instead on horns and claws. Under the guidance of the Whisperers, ancient fertility rites were twisted into beastly rituals involving communication between elves and beasts. Their faces bear decorative scars, they have no allies, and they believe that trading with humans will only weaken their people.

The Sathlai hate humans, believing that it is humans, not the Whisperers, who are responsible for the corruption that destroys their homeland. Outside loggers and other interlopers are led into booby-trapped trails, and trapped victims are captured and tortured in ceremonial woodlands to attract Deha. Although they have no contact with humans, they form bonds with local human women in exchange for the witches' dark secrets.

"If I'm right? This Whisperer should be a demon?"

"Yes." Lilith nodded in agreement.

"They are hopeless."

"There is another group that lives in the Black Mountains. Their ancestors have some connection with your ancestors. If you stay here for a while or leave from the south, you will meet them." Lilith sighed and looked at De Rusala said.

"This is why we can never talk to each other. Let's talk about Athel Loren, such as customs and culture?" Darkus raised his eyebrows and looked at Lilith who smiled at him, and then he said somewhat speechlessly.

"no problem."

Aslay made little use of the written word, reading and writing being reserved mainly for religious rituals. The mystery of Athel Loren has affected their language system. Just like the Drukhi of Naggaroth, Asrai gradually evolved his own language system, "Fin-Elthalin" language. Elsarin means forest, and of course Loren also means forest.

Fin-Elthalin is rougher, and Asrai's dialogue is more succinct and concise than the flowery and overly lengthy speeches favored by Assur. In more relaxed situations, however, Aslay's speech becomes more lyrical, almost like a whispered song.

Certain terms and phrases have become more meaningful, and Aslay has a habit of giving certain words deeper symbolic meanings. In the Elsalin language, "Esso" means nobility, but for them, "Aesso" is the same as "Esso". The noblest bird is related to the phoenix, which is also the messenger of Asuryan. Therefore, for them, Esso means rebirth, new creation, the dawn of the world.

The name Athel Loren has a more nuanced translation in Fen-Elthalin, which is "the forest of the dawn of the world", rather than "the noble forest" in the Elthalin language.

Fin-Elthalin's writing presents swirling, spiraling runes that are very different from the clear, elegant runes of Assur, and from the sharp, aggressive, and interlaced runes of Druch Druzil. Angular rune. But no matter how it is changed, all elven writing is extremely difficult for non-elves to read and understand.

In general, Elsalin is like Mandarin, and Fen-Elsalin and Druzil are both dialects that evolved on the basis of Elsalin.

Under Athel Loren's influence, Asrai became erratic and unpredictable beings who might rescue human invaders or kill them. Their spiritual attachment to the forest makes them sensitive to the balance of nature, and each territory has its own unique environment, with complex food chains and delicate synergistic relationships between plants and animals.

As the so-called defenders of the forest, Asrai evaluates every situation within the larger context, with which they form an almost symbiotic relationship. If not for their continued vigilance, Athel Loren's oldest glades would be overrun by Chaos, and the surrounding lands would be devastated by the power unleashed by the Corrupted Forest. Therefore, they are most hostile to those who desecrate nature.

For Asrai, balance is the key to faith, Elsa and Kunos represent the concept of balance, and their close connection to the forest makes them particularly sensitive to the natural order. They tend to feel frustrated and angry when the forest is destroyed, and happy during times of peace. Like other elves, they are constantly striving for perfection, and with their relatively long lives, they are able to master their emotions, which can make them seem aloof or aloof.

Even the death of a loved one does not trigger an immediate reaction in Aslay; instead, their grief is gradually expressed through poetry and song. Furthermore, they, like the Asur of Ulthuan, are willing to listen and wait and see, as long as the forest is not threatened.

The longevity of the elves also makes the Asrai measure success differently from other short-lived races, with defeating enemies and amassing wealth not considered worthy goals, as both power and wealth are short-lived. Instead, they prefer to devote their energetic efforts to arts, crafts, and personal enlightenment.

Asrai are all excellent archers, far surpassing their cousins ​​in Ulthuan in terms of skills. All Asrai must receive bow and arrow training, and the same goes for war dancers. There is a difference between not using it and not knowing how to use it. Allowing them to defend their forest home from a safe distance.

The bow is drawn from the heart of ash or yew wood by a magical song and is more powerful than a regular longbow. Strings used for combat were often woven from fine hair, making them resistant to the effects of the weather.

Aslay usually gather in small groups called Neighbors, but unlike the club-like Enil Neighbors, Aslay's Neighbors are family-based. They lived among themselves, and these families were part of larger social networks called bands. Members of these neighboring gangs and their relatives lived together in villages, which in turn were loyal to the woodland lord, under the banner of the woodland lord, a Kinship is formed.

A Kithband is a small group of like-minded Asrai who belong to the same kin and live together, usually consisting of 10-20 individuals. Neighborhoods are fluid, and parents and children may not belong to the same neighborhood gang. Just like the dwarves of the Empire, you can do whatever you want. There is no need to be like the clans of the mountain dwarves who have to inherit the father's inheritance. If the parents make wine, the children must also make wine.

Kindred is a social group, defined by the common interests and ways of thinking of its members, and consists of 3-5 neighboring gangs forming a self-sufficient village.

A Kinband is a group of Asrai people who swear loyalty to a woodland lord or noble family. The entire Kinband usually consists of 300-1000 individuals.

Within each group, there may be conflicts of interest and loyalties among different kin members and their representative neighboring gang members. While forgiveness and reconciliation are Aslay's preferred methods of resolving disputes, sometimes competitive relationships develop. When a neighboring gang enters the territory of a lord to whom it has not sworn allegiance, these rivalries can alienate and suspect each other. Some groups have specific hostilities and deep-rooted mutual suspicions, sometimes escalating into violent conflicts.

In human terms, it is extremely exclusive and closed-off, and there are only a few people there. The total number of Asrai in Athel Loren is no more than 40,000. This may be an extremely exaggerated assessment. A conservative estimate is that it is only about 20,000, or even lower, which is enough for a large Druch army.

Any Asrai can join a Neighbor Gang according to his preference. Joining a Neighbor Gang will give members special talents, representing the elf's practical skills and experience. Before joining, Aslay must first prove his worthiness by passing relevant trials. Of course, some specific neighbor gangs have absolute thresholds, such as war dancers and wild horsemen.

There are many neighboring gangs, covering almost all aspects of Aslay's fighting and life, and some of them are very representative.

The Les-Kuhns, a neighborhood gang sometimes called shapeshifters, have developed such a deep spiritual connection with the forest that they try to imitate wild animals, which they believe is the truest way to understand nature. They adopt the mannerisms of forest creatures, making them appear wild to other Asrai. Members are so isolated that they are reluctant to socialize even with their own relatives.

The trials required to become a Rais-Kun are almost unknown, and there are occasional rumors that they have been corrupted by their ability to change their appearance at will. The name Les-Kun originates from the word Rasain in Elsalin, meaning storm and wrath, and the rain that brings eternal sleep, combined with the name of Kurnos. Members' professions are usually shapeshifters, herbalists, and hunters who are proficient in shapeshifting, and have talents such as beast friend and healer.

Serasoi, the bravest and noblest warriors, join Cerasoi only after they have demonstrated their initial skills on the battlefield. Once they become members, they learn the skills in depth and have proven time and time again that their skills and courage are worth it. Of course there are well-respected veterans who have proven themselves many times and do not need to pass the test to join.

The name Serasoy is derived from the Elsalin word Salatai, which means unyielding resistance. All members are composed of eternal guards with the titles of champions, noble lords, and veterans.

Sehenlu, also known as Sion-Master, Sadr-Born, Riddelkin, and Eros in the Kavalok Territory. Sehenlu is derived from Senlui in the Ersalin language, which means swiftness and accuracy.

Its members are all composed of woodland cavalry. They are one of the best mounted warriors in the old world. The elves' natural agility allows them to perform a variety of incredible actions. Although these actions may seem reckless, they are far superior to those of other races. within your capabilities. Whether they are shooting arrows from their backs while traveling at full speed through the depths of the forest, or flying between enemy lines like lightning, they are often able to retreat unscathed due to their superior skills and unusually firm confidence.

When an Aslay wishes to join Sehenlu, they must prove their riding skills and demonstrate a strong bond with their mount by participating in trials. In battle they were woodland cavalry, in ordinary life they were messengers, horse archers, couriers, nobles or noble lords.

Kaer-Elsa, derived from the Elthalin Quel-Elsa, means tears, sorrow, pity, endurance and mourning for the loss of a child. Members must receive basic training to become spellcasters, and then master the secrets of magic. You can only join after you have completed trials that test your character and determination. Initiation rituals involve retrieving spell materials, such as herbs and flowers, from specific parts of the forest.

Asrai who prepare to become spellsingers must handle these tests carefully, as sometimes the test is actually a ruse designed to measure their sensitivity and patience. If the tester puts his desires above the forest and harms the forest in his pursuit of success, he will be regarded as a loser and rejected by his neighbors.

In addition to spellcasting, spellsingers usually engage in professions such as apothecaries, herbalists, tree singers, astrologers, envoys, maids, and scribes.

Yenaila, derived from Inluyi in the Elsalin language, means balance and harmony. Yenaela belongs to Kael-Elsa's advanced neighbor gang. The members are usually called Spellweavers or Charmweavers. They are the maids of Ariel and the priestesses of Athel Loren. The messenger between Sly and the ancient forest, he gave up his own needs and desires in order to maintain the balance within the forest.

Many Charm Weavers are cloistered hermit prophets who focus on the Holy Trinity of Elsa, Lilith, and Mora'ig. Of course, some Spellweavers ride Elsa's mounts, becoming the eternal Sisters of Thorns.

Arahant, derived from Aherion in Elsarian language, means shadow, night, concealment and secret. Many Asrai enjoy the excitement of hunting, but feel that their warrior-like neighbors are too organized and aggressive. They prefer the freedom of finding potential dangers in the forest, and during the ritual Asrai, who aspires to become an Arahant, will be put to the test of their skill with the bow and arrow, where they must hit multiple targets at different ranges while remaining stealthy and undetected.

The members are composed of woodland guards, deep forest scouts, rangers and wanderers. They are hunters, warriors and scouts with the talents of forest walker, eagle eye and pathfinder.

Nimrai, derived from Menais in the Elsaline language, means martial arts and spiritual cultivation. Members are usually woodland captains, wildwood rangers, scouts or wardens. To gain access to Neighbors, one must complete an advanced test involving long periods of solitude. A typical test involves retrieving a rare plant or item from a remote area of ​​the forest.

Saisaila, derived from Saitai in the Ersalin language, means flying, wind and distant mountains crying. The gang is a bird-playing gang, and Aslay, who joins the gang, must complete a ritual to find the nesting grounds of the great birds. There is no example, it is the fighting falcon. The giant eagle will only dedicate itself as a mount to a particularly trusted elf in rare or desperate situations, just like Talos during the Battle of Golden Pond. At that time, it was a rare situation, but it was normal...

An eagle is an eagle, and a falcon is a falcon. In the medieval world, there was a difference between the two. They were completely different species with different origins and histories.

There was a fucked-up history between the War Falcon and Aslay, and after the reconciliation, it would be considered sacrilegious for Aslay to kill a potential mount. Although peace has been made between the two sides, successfully establishing contact with a fighting falcon can still be a life-or-death challenge for trialists, from climbing mountains to facing the falcon head-on.

Of course, there are also those who are lucky enough to find eggs or chicks abandoned on the treetops during the search, and then hatch or raise them. A fledgling war falcon raised by elves will build a relationship with its owner. Forging a strong bond, as time passed, they became almost of one mind, existing only to enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the chase. But the probability of finding eggs or chicks is very small, just like those skinks.

Kedas, derived from Kedais in Elsalin language, means elegance, power, and star music. The members are all true followers of Loic. Aslay who wants to join must be a follower of Loic and accept the test of battle, either against a large number of war dancers or dueling with shadow dancers. This kind of ceremonial battle usually only draws the first drop of blood, and will not cause serious injury or death to the members or testers during the test.

This neighborhood gang is very special. Once you join, you will be a member of the neighborhood gang for life. The consequences of leaving vary from group to group. Some war dancers remain honorary members after leaving, while others are ostracized as traitors. This is Loic's way, involving deception and uncertainty.

Wardancers are masters of feasts, performers, dancers, sword chanters, or death dancers, and some are shadowdancers who serve as priests.

Auriol, derived from Auriur in Elsalin language, means blood and birth. Sometimes also known as the Spear of Kurnos, the Brothers of Orion, and the Hunters. Members attracted to neighboring gangs can join them and become wild horsemen, inspiring the excitement and fear of the hunt. But this decision is never made lightly. Once you join this neighborhood gang, you really can't leave. Unlike Kedas, you will fall prey once you leave.

And after joining, they are no longer elves in the true sense. The power of Kunos flows in their bodies, changing their essence, making them taller and stronger, with hair like a beast-like mane, and eyes slightly glow. Members will be affected by corruption, and some will take on other forms to seek personal salvation.

These neighboring gangs include almost all of Aslay's soldiers, except of course the evil giant stag knight. In addition, there are some niche ones, such as the Neighbors who believe in the Queen of Revenge, Dracora who pays attention to revenge, Wendrich, and some Aslay no longer believe in Kunos for some reasons, but instead believe in the wild hunting goddess, Anes · Lema.

"satisfied?"

"good?"

"Now, can you change the topic?"

"Of course." Darkus nodded.

"Ulthuan!" (End of Chapter)