Eluine

The Wild Hunt
A story often told to children in and around the Margreve that long ago that a great hunting party of Pineys left their villages and roamed the Magreve with great anger and purpose, sword and bows in hand in search of a new quarry. It was said that the Pineys were overcame by a savage need to shed the blood of those who did not belong in the Magreve or lived their lives in conflict with the old ways while others claim they were simply thinning the herd. There are even those who claimed to have witnessed a dying follower of this dark host who said with his last breath "Each quarry they hunt, whether upon the borders of their own realm or in the lands beyond, serves to protect the Magreve and preserve the balance brought by the old ways upon which all living things depend". No one knows what causes the Wild Hunt, if some malevolent god or a dark misinterpretation of the old ways. It has long been regarded as a children's story to teach them to not to stray too far into the forest or be met with a murderous Piney.

Sidenotes:
Not all Piney were part of the Wild Hunt
If any outsider brings the story up most Pineys will act surprised and claim that they have weird fantasies about their people even though they were also told of the stories(not as actual history)

Auuri was patrolling high above the forest canopy one spring morning when he heard a faint whisper in the wind. Quickly scanning the forest around him making sure that there aren't any immediate dangers and/or trespassers to his peoples' realm, he hurried to the tallest part of the ancient pine he was on and closed his eyes. He took it all in, The wind coming from the North was cool on his skin as it blew gently towards him, the creaking and groaning of the ancient pines and all the other sounds of the forest around him. He smiled contentedly to himself and whispered... Eluine... The same name he's been whispering every spring for the last 5 years.

Humans have long been fascinated by the wild wood — living in its vicinity was the source of tales about creatures ferocious and benign, friendly and hostile. As they started to settle deeper and deeper into the forests, respect for the unknown diminished. Lumber was gathered, stone abodes were built. As the pestilence that was humanity grew bigger, so did the forest's and its inhabitants' wrath.At the heart of the forest lies a secret. In a place born of darkness and primeval nature, resides a mighty and terrifying guardian. Immune to human steel, it is believed the leshen is nature's way of protecting the forest and the animals that live within it from the threat humans started to pose upon their ravaging expansion deeper into the lands.Along with the animals it commands, the leshen became a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes worshipped, this creature can heal other woodland animals and summon nekkers or crows to protect the forest. Its attacks are slow, but deadly — be cautious not to get shackled by its underground roots.

Eluine was very disturbed of the news a lone piney told him that night. A king of thorns? who or what could this possibly mean. None of the stories he knew of the wild hunt told of the king of thorns, if of course all the stories he had been told of the wild hunt when he was a kid is true which he was still skeptical of. But then again what can explain the feral pineys roaming
the Margreve lately. Derriel Glass did say something about a wounded seeker near Bluth Grove but I don't know where he could be right now, perhaps back in Adara? hopefully they're alright and maybe he has more information on the matter.

Eluine was patrolling their hidden ancestral lands deep in the Margreve when he saw a stranger lurking about, seemingly looking for something. The stranger was getting awfully close to some rare flowers the People of his village used as offering to the forest. He was about to confront the stranger when a monster (DM's choice) suddenly leapt out of the bushes and started attacking the stranger who was obviously outmatched when suddenly adventurers emerged from the trees and helped him fight off the monster. After watching the whole scene play out hidden behind some bushes Eluine decided to make his presence known and talk to the adventurers as to why they would risk their lives to help a stranger. At first the adventurers were wary of the Piney as his people did not usually take kindly to outsiders but eventually they fell into friendly conversation. Eluine has always been curious of the outside world and was intrigued by the adventurers and their ways. It was during this sharing of cultures however when they were attacked by feral Pineys who upon seeing the carcass of a native creature of the Margreve shouted at the adventurers and said "You dare murder one of Margreve's sacred creature in it's own home?!?! All the branches you break, the leaves and vines you tread on, will rise up in anger and punish you for your insolence!"  turned to Eluine and shouted "Traitor! The Wild Hunt is upon us and you commune with the outsiders who know not the way of the woods!? Your corpses shall nurture the Margreve." A battle ensued this time with Eluine fighting alongside the adventurers. The fighting had been brutal and cost the life of one adventurer. Moved by the selflessness of the adventurers he let them go including the trespassing stranger and bid them farewell but warned them that this is his people’s ancestral territory and that they were not welcome to come close again.

Eluine returns to his village and told his people and the Village leaders of what happened. Some were quite displeased at his actions, saying piney do not interfere or associate with outsiders while others think he handled it well and didn't cause conflict with outsiders but all were disturbed by the feral Pineys and the Wild Hunt having returned. And what of the Monster's Odd behaviors? They’ve done all the necessary offerings and sacrifices to the forest. And why are outsiders are getting very close into their hidden ancestral lands?

To help answer this questions the Village leaders decided to name Eluine and several others as Seekers. Seekers are Piney sent away from their villages for a variety of things. Often to Scout, investigate and learn more about the lands outside their boundaries and even the Margreve. Seekers are marked with green orchids on their chest so other Piney know who they are and not mistaken to be mere banished Piney

Eluine, relieved that he wasn't getting punished was eager to go on this journey and learn more about the outside world. He set out immediately toward the village of Levoca

Eluine's from the Piney village of Adara (Gnarled Oak). The Pineys in Eluine's village still uses the ancient hand language which is sometimes perceived as fidgeting. The hand motions communicate emotions and/or signs of respect between pineys and to other inhabitants of the Margreve, However Eluine quickly finds out that outsiders follow no such practices and have stopped doing so among them but wouldn't hesitate to show the gestures of respect to other Margreve inhabitants who are friendly to the pineys.

Eluine is of average height, bark skin, long hair, flowers in certain parts of his body most prominent of which is a Green orchard in his chest and he's around 23

So is this it?... is my mission over? Eluine pondered as he gets started in collecting the Briar Kings' head. Is this the end to the Seekers calling? Should I simply go back to Adarra, present the traitors' head to the Elders and... Go back to the way life had been before all this? After all that's happened it somehow sounded rather bizarre. No, he can still feel that there is something wrong with the forest and he can feel that the Margreve still wants him to do his part for his home. Eluine looks towards his chest at the Green orchard still a Vibrant green. Does this mean that he was right to assume as much?

Eluine had been so deep in thought that he had almost accidentally cut himself with his dagger while cutting the Briar Kings' neck. It was then looking at his hands that he noticed he wasn't bleeding blood but with sap. Had he really been a Piney? He spoke Piney fluently enough and Eluine might've never admitted it out loud but he knew that some Pineys shared his sentiments. "The Margreve shall not suffer the presence of Men, nor Orcs, nor Dwarfs, nor the will of the Gods. If a foe takes a single step upon such sacred soil, they shall not take another." Those words he heard all those years ago rang in his head. And what of the others who joined the hunt? Eluine had kept an eye out for any Feral Pineys and saw none. Are they still out there in their vicious hunt? Culling the forest of who they deemed unworthy? Damn Eluine thought, we would have to hunt them down ourselves, the irony. But he knew it was necessary for the safety of his village and the Pineys as a whole. They have to stop them before they angered too many of the wrong people or other denizens of the forest.

As Eluine eyed for the right angle to properly cut the cartilage his thoughts turn on the other Pineys wore the bright green orchard on their chest, his fellow Seekers. Hopefully most of them are ok and some of them had been his friends ever since they were kids. He thought about the injured Piney near Bluth Grove. He thought about going there and investigate himself since he already knew the way, as he had been patrolling his ancestral lands and a little bit beyond since he was about 14 summers old but it might be polite to feign ignorance and ask Stev. I knew the village had been occupied by horse alsei- Centaurs and their houses seemed to all look the same but didn't think much of it. After all it wasn't his business to wonder about those who didn't follow the ways of the woods.

As he thought about all that has happened and all the work that still needs to be done he sighed to himself, such is the life of some of the Margreves oldest sentinels. As he sat there admiring his finished work he smiled to himself for he couldn't imagine living anywhere else