Chapter 595 446 Neighborhood Gang (Popular Science Chapter)

"Did they?" Dacus used the same trick again. He looked at Drusala to confirm. After seeing Drusala shook his head, he continued, "No! That Orion, who is no different from a Chaos Egg, and that moth, did not fulfill their so-called obligations! You must know that Aldeid made me very impatient. If these woodland lords are like Aldeid in the future, I will have to evaluate this place. This place is very important. The internal logic is very important to this world. If..."

"No, Dacus. Those woodland lords know of your arrival through various means. They welcome your arrival. You will meet them soon. I promise you that you will be satisfied." Lilith raised her eyebrows and looked at Dacus, with an expression of "I will watch your performance quietly". She had seen Dacus's pretentiousness, but she still interrupted Dacus.

Lilith didn't think that Dacus' words were empty, because she knew that Dacus could really do it, really transfer the lizardmen from the Lustria continent and the southern jungle, drive out the Asrai living in the forest, and make this place the garden of the ancient saints again, a real garden.

"Okay." It's meaningless to say more. Dacus nodded, picked up the wine jug and poured it. After refilling Lilith and Drusala, he picked up the Avelin fruit in the fruit basket without any image and started to eat it. After taking a bite, he frowned.

The pear-shaped Avelin fruit exudes a charming sweet fragrance, but strangely, the flesh is full of strong bitterness. This pear-shaped fruit is favored by Asrai and can be called a staple food. Asrai can't resist the temptation of this fruit. Eating this fruit is an unparalleled feast. Eating it helps human wizards meditate and has a buff effect. However, this fruit has no effect on elves except for causing an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.

"Not bad." Although the fruit was bitter, it became tasty after swallowing it. Dacus felt it was quite delicious? Then, he changed the subject, "Madam, how much do you know about the stray elf of the Gilandil family?"

"Didn't He tell you? Yes, He has been preparing gifts for you recently. There are many stray elves. Let me think about where to start..."

There are many elven settlements in the vast forest of Elsin Alvin, such as what Dacus found in Lolai some time ago, and the same is true for Gilead met in Altdorf.

There is a tribe in the Reikwald Forest. They are descendants of Asur. At the beginning, they were residents of Kor Vanas. After Kor Vanas was captured by the dwarves, Leandra organized a reconstruction, but was attacked by Drusara and Bloody Fangs. The residents of the city left at that time. They evacuated southwest along the Anurein River and sneaked into the forest.

The Anurein River is now the Reik River.

The Elves established a settlement in the forest, which remains hidden to this day. In culture and customs, they are fully Asurian, for whom the cycle of life is like the cycle of water. They believe that the first Elves descended from raindrops from heaven, and that the great river Anurain carries their departed souls back to Ulthuan to be reborn at the end of time.

This spiritual belief has its roots in the old Ulthuan legends of Dragunir, the Father of Dragons, and in the Golden Age, the bodies of deceased Elves who were eligible were sent on ships returning to Ulthuan, this funeral journey symbolizing the passage through the body, tail, and finally back to the mouth of the Father of Dragons. Today, the dead are buried in river mounds with fishbone wind chimes. The Elves regularly make pilgrimages to the rivers surrounding Reikwald to mark the passing of loved ones, casting material offerings into the river.

Dacus and Drusala looked at each other in bewilderment. This group of Asur lived in the triangle between the Reik River, the Bogen River and the Weisbork Canal, which was very close to Altdorf. It was so close that the team could have found it by chance when passing the Monastery of the Holy Word, but they didn't run into it.

But if you think about it carefully, if it was really that easy to find, it would have been discovered by the humans and monsters passing by, and it would be impossible to hide until now. But in the future... With the opening of the Weisbork Canal and the reproduction of humans, more and more humans will appear there, and it is only a matter of time before they are discovered.

But this is not a big problem. The elves will return to Elsin Arwen sooner or later, and we will look for them then.

There is another group of elves far away in the forest of Kislev. They call themselves Sesle. During the War of Revenge, they fled the colony and settled in the forest of the current 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.

A tragic song known as "The Fall of the Ancients of Islith" is circulated among the Elves. Although the location of Islith has long been forgotten, the verses of the song describe a battle between the Elves and the Plague Legions led by a Nurgle Champion. After the battle, the late reinforcements found that every Elf who had fought was dead.

"The Fall of the Ancients of Islith" is a sad allegorical song, sung to inspire hatred against Nurgle and teach young Elves the importance of helping friends in need. As time passed, descendants began to sing different stories, saying that the elders sacrificed themselves to allow the young to escape.

The group came to the Eastern States because they heard mysterious whispers that beckoned them eastward with the promise of salvation, eventually reaching a land of cold, sick, and hungry, but fortunately there was a great pine forest. When they arrived, the Whisperer appeared, appearing as an elf with green skin, hair of growing grass, and emerald eyes.

The Whisperer claimed that the refugees' elders had made a deal with him, which led to their failure. If the survivors abandoned the teachings of their elders and only followed his way, he would dedicate himself to the happiness of the elves.

The elves, who called themselves the Sethrai, unknowingly made a deal with the Whisperer, abandoning their former pursuits and using black magic to tame the animals of the forest, their hearts becoming as cold as the harsh winters they now endured. However, they did not realize that they had been cursed, and believed that they could only survive by accepting the cruelty of nature.

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

The Sethlai hate humans, and they believe that it is humans who caused the corruption that destroyed their homeland, not the Whisperers. Foreign loggers and other intruders are led into trap-laid trails, and the trapped victims are captured and tortured in the ritual grove to attract Deha. Although they do not contact humans, they have established connections with local human women in exchange for the witch's dark secrets.

"If I am right? This Whisperer should be a demon?"

"Yes." Lilith nodded in agreement.

"They are beyond help."

"There is another one, living 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 Drusala.

"Is this why we can never talk to each other? Let's talk about Athel Loren, such as customs and culture?" Dakwus raised an eyebrow and looked at Lilith who smiled at him, then he said somewhat speechlessly.

"No problem."

The Asrai rarely use written words, and reading and writing are mainly reserved for religious ceremonies. The mystery of Athel Loren has influenced their language system. Like the Drukki of Naggaroth, the Asrai gradually evolved their own language system, "Fin-Elsalin". Fin means forest in Elsalin, and of course Loren also means forest.

Fin-Elsalin is rougher, and the Asrai's dialogue is more concise and concise than the ornate and overly long speeches favored by the Asur. However, in more relaxed situations, the Asrai's speech becomes more lyrical, almost like a whispered song.

Certain terms and phrases become more meaningful, and the Asrai are accustomed to giving certain words deeper symbolic meanings. In the Elthalim language, "Athol" means noble, but for them, Athol is related to the noblest bird, the Phoenix, which is the messenger of Asuryan. Therefore, for them, Athol means rebirth, new creation, and the dawn of the world.

The name Athol Loren has a more nuanced translation in Fin-Elthalim, that is, "the forest of the dawn of the world", rather than "the noble forest" in the Elthalim language.

The writing form of Fin-Elthalim presents swirling, spiraling runes, which is very different from the clear, elegant runes of Asur, and also different from the sharp, aggressive, and interlaced angular runes of Druki and Druzil. But no matter how it changes, all elven texts are extremely difficult to read and understand for non-elves.

In general, Elthalim is like Mandarin, and Fin-Elthalim and Druzil are both dialects that have evolved from Elthalim.

Under the influence of Athel Loren, the Asrai have become erratic and unpredictable beings who may rescue or kill human intruders. Their spiritual attachment to the forests makes them very sensitive to the balance of nature, and each territory has its own unique environment, with complex food chains and delicate synergies between plants and animals.

As the so-called defenders of the forest, the Asrai assess every situation in the greater context, and they have formed an almost symbiotic relationship with the forest. If it were not for their constant vigilance, the oldest woodlands of Athel Loren would be overwhelmed by Chaos, and the surrounding lands would be destroyed by the forces unleashed by the fallen forest. As such, they are most hostile to those who desecrate the natural world.

For the Asrai, balance is the key to the faith, and Aisha and Kunos represent the concept of balance. Their close connection with the forests makes them particularly sensitive to the natural order. They tend to feel frustrated and angry when the forests are damaged, and happy in times of peace. Like other elves, they constantly strive for perfection, and their longevity allows them to master their emotions, which can make them seem indifferent or cold.

Even the death of a loved one does not elicit an immediate response from the Asrai, instead their grief is expressed gradually in poetry and song, and like the Asur of Ulthuan, they 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 does not exceed 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. The members are all 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, mounted archers, couriers, nobles or noble lords.

Kel-Aisha, derived from the Elsalin word Quel-Aisha, means tears, sorrow, pity, patience, and mourning for the loss of a child. Members undergo basic training to become spellsingers before they can master the secrets of magic. They can only join after completing trials, which test their character and determination. The initiation ceremony involves retrieving spell materials such as herbs and flowers from specific parts of the forest.

Asrai who are preparing to become spellsingers must be careful in these trials, as sometimes the test is actually a ruse designed to measure their sensitivity and patience. If the tester puts desire above the forest and harms the forest in the pursuit of success, they will be considered a loser and rejected by the neighboring gangs.

In addition to spellcasting, spellsingers usually work as pharmacists, herbalists, tree singers, astrologers, envoys, maids, and scribes.

Yenaila, derived from the Elsalin word Inlui, means balance and harmony. Yenaila is an advanced neighboring gang of Kael-Aisha, whose members are often called Weavers or Charm Weavers. They are the maids of Ariel and priestesses of Athel Loren. They act as messengers between the Asrai and the ancient forest, giving up their own needs and desires to maintain the balance within the forest.

Many Charm Weavers are secluded hermit prophets, focusing on the holy trinity of Aisha, Lilith and Molayg. Of course, some Weavers will ride Aisha's mount and become eternal thorn sisters.

Arahant, derived from the Elsalin language Ahrien, means shadow, night, secrecy and secret. Many Asrai like the excitement of hunting, but find the warrior-type neighboring gangs too organized and aggressive. They prefer the freedom of searching for potential dangers in the forest. In the ceremony, the Asrai who aspire to become Arahant will be tested in their skills with bows and arrows. They must hit multiple targets at different ranges while remaining hidden and undetected.

Members consist of Woodland Guards, Deepwood Scouts, Rangers and Trackers. They are hunters, warriors and scouts with forest walkers, eagle eyes and pathfinders.

Nimrai, derived from the Elsalin word Mines, means martial arts and spiritual cultivation. Members are usually woodland captains, wild forest rangers, scouts or watchers. To enter the Neighborhood, one must complete a high-level test involving long periods of solitude. Typical tests include retrieving a rare plant or item from a remote area of ​​the forest.

Sessaila, derived from the Elsalin word Setai, means flying, wind and distant mountains crying. This Neighborhood is about playing with birds. Asrai who join the Neighborhood must complete a ritual to find the nesting place of the great birds. No, for example, the War Falcon. The Giant Eagle will only offer itself as a mount to a particularly trusted elf in rare or desperate circumstances, just like Talos during the Battle of the Golden Pool. That was a rare situation, but usually...

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

There is a fucked-up history between the War Falcon and the Asrai. After the reconciliation, it will be considered a blasphemy for the Asrai to kill a potential mount. Although the two sides have made peace, it is still a life-and-death challenge for the trialist to successfully establish a connection with a War Falcon, from climbing a mountain to facing the War Falcon.

Of course, there are also lucky ones who find eggs or chicks abandoned on the treetops during the search, and then hatch or raise them. A fledgling War Falcon raised by an elf will establish a strong connection with its owner. Over time, they are almost one-minded, and their existence is just to enjoy the excitement of hunting and chasing. But the probability of finding eggs or chicks is very small, just like the group of skinks.

Kedas, derived from the Elsalin word Kedais, means elegance, power, and music of the stars. Members are all true followers of Loik. Asrai who want to join must be believers of Loik and accept the test of battle, either against a large number of war dancers or dueling with shadow dancers. This ritual battle usually only draws the first drop of blood, and it stops when it is enough. It will not cause members or trialists to be seriously injured or die 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 will remain honorary members after leaving, while others will be regarded as traitors and excluded. This is the way of Loik, which contains deception and uncertainty.

War dancers are banquet masters, performers, dancers, sword chanters or death dancers, and some are shadow dancers who serve as priests.

Oriol, derived from the Elsalin word Oriul, means blood and birth. Sometimes also called the Spear of Kurnos, Brother Orion, and Hunter. Members attracted to the neighboring gang can join it and become wild riders, stirring up the thrill and fear of the hunt. But this decision is never made lightly. Once you join this neighboring gang, you really can't leave. Unlike Kedas, once you leave, you will become prey.

And after joining, you are no longer a true elf. The power of Kunos flows through their bodies, changing their nature, making them taller and stronger, with hair like beast-like manes and slightly glowing eyes. Members will be affected by corruption, and some will change into other forms, and then seek personal salvation.

These neighboring gangs include almost all the Asrai troops, except for the evil giant stag knights. In addition, there are some niche ones, such as the neighboring gangs that believe in the Queen of Vengeance, Dracola, and some Asrai in Windrich no longer believe in Kunos for some reasons, but instead believe in the goddess of wild hunting, Anes Lema.

"Are you satisfied?"

"Not bad?"

"Now, can we change the subject?"

"Of course." Daxus nodded.

"Ulthuan!" (End of this chapter)