RE: [IC] Swords Beneath the Starlight
09-07-2020, 08:27 PM
The birdman nods, his soft yellow hair bouncing as he does.
![[Image: iLKK99y.png]](https://i.imgur.com/iLKK99y.png)
"Very well. From the sound of it, you ran into two parties - wolves, and, by the sound of it, birds. Likely corvids from the Kingdom of Death. The laguz of the Wolf King's court are a warlike people, dedicated to battle. They see themselves as protectors of the goddess, and have long had rituals dedicated to reinforcing that role -- rites of passage which demand a pup face an opponent in combat and emerge victorious, having stared through the gate of death and come out the other side. Given the prohibition of bloodshed in their sacred forests, though, they've had to resort to... other methods to see their culture continued. From what I know of history, they had some early skirmishes against the Kings of Lions, all of which ended poorly for them, so instead they came to fight in the lands of the beorc. They turned from guardians, protectors, and warriors to callous raiders. The party you ran into was likely a band of these Unblooded. They're the most eager to kill, and the most vicious about it, from what I've heard. You humans hardly qualify as people to most of them, I'm sorry to say."
He sweeps a lock of hair behind his ear and clears his throat, clearly eager to move on to more pleasant topics.
"As for the birds, as I mentioned previous, they were likely from the Kingdom of Death. It's less a 'kingdom', if I'm being honest, and more a band of pretentious mercenaries. They're the descendants of my kingdom's exiles, living off the scraps of war and bloodshed, turning to banditry in times of peace. In that sense, as a representative of the land of the Bird Kings, I must apologize for the inconvenience, as we bear some share of the responsibility for their actions."
He offers you all a bow.
"As a way of expressing my apology, I'd be happy to answer any more questions you might have about the Laguz kingdoms and my relationship with Adara's resistance. Additionally, you're more than welcome to stay here for the next week or so."
![[Image: MDwphtF.png]](https://i.imgur.com/MDwphtF.png)
"Hah! An opportunity I'd encourage you to take. Birdfolk don't often offer up information for free."
"Very well. From the sound of it, you ran into two parties - wolves, and, by the sound of it, birds. Likely corvids from the Kingdom of Death. The laguz of the Wolf King's court are a warlike people, dedicated to battle. They see themselves as protectors of the goddess, and have long had rituals dedicated to reinforcing that role -- rites of passage which demand a pup face an opponent in combat and emerge victorious, having stared through the gate of death and come out the other side. Given the prohibition of bloodshed in their sacred forests, though, they've had to resort to... other methods to see their culture continued. From what I know of history, they had some early skirmishes against the Kings of Lions, all of which ended poorly for them, so instead they came to fight in the lands of the beorc. They turned from guardians, protectors, and warriors to callous raiders. The party you ran into was likely a band of these Unblooded. They're the most eager to kill, and the most vicious about it, from what I've heard. You humans hardly qualify as people to most of them, I'm sorry to say."
He sweeps a lock of hair behind his ear and clears his throat, clearly eager to move on to more pleasant topics.
"As for the birds, as I mentioned previous, they were likely from the Kingdom of Death. It's less a 'kingdom', if I'm being honest, and more a band of pretentious mercenaries. They're the descendants of my kingdom's exiles, living off the scraps of war and bloodshed, turning to banditry in times of peace. In that sense, as a representative of the land of the Bird Kings, I must apologize for the inconvenience, as we bear some share of the responsibility for their actions."
He offers you all a bow.
"As a way of expressing my apology, I'd be happy to answer any more questions you might have about the Laguz kingdoms and my relationship with Adara's resistance. Additionally, you're more than welcome to stay here for the next week or so."
"Hah! An opportunity I'd encourage you to take. Birdfolk don't often offer up information for free."