>>5935243As you draw nearer still, the trees bow and twist, tying themselves into living knots of ornate pattern. At first, it even appears that some have blocked the road to you, be they felled or fallen… But upon closer inspection, these are still living as well, and rather than form an absolute barricade they rather form a sort of labyrinth via a series of tight bottlenecks, forcing any who approach to slowly maneuver between them.
And there, perched among the boughs, are the elves.
You may be possessed of an elf’s in human grace and poise—at least in part—but you are also half-human, and a bookish sort not given to a great deal of physical exercise. These elves are Woodland Rangers, the elves’ elite force—in some ways akin to the Holy order of Hawksong and their paladins. Rather than armoured sentinels, they are lightly-armorued and agile, in a way you could never hope to match. The elfmen and elfwomen of the Ranger corps are adorned with leafweave armour—as alive as the trees—and with elegantly-cultivated bows strung with their own enchanted hair, as is tradition. Several notch arrows as you approach, though none are so gauche as to take aim…
Yet.
You slow still further, and eventually come to a stop at a polite distance. Four elves leap down, hopping from one branch to another or shimmying down sections with the agility of the great lunar squirrels. You all wait patiently, if not a little anxiously, for them to approach.
“Vendui!” you take the lead, slipping into your mother-tongue. “Vendui', kaovehen. Udos doer wun gre'as'anto.”
‘Greetings, cousins; we come in peace.’
“Greetings, cousin,” one of them returns your own hail, raising a hand. “You bring outsiders with you.”
“Friends,” you correct him, gesturing to those with you.
“Friends here on behalf of the Queen of Hawksong,” you add, pointing to the emblem on your carriage.
“The Council of Iternagreyn sent message to each of the human realms,” the ranger points out. “The road is closed, even to friends.”
And so they did—so it IS—but you will not be deterred.
“Why is that?” you ask. “This is very important, I assure you.”
“Ours is not to reason why, merely to protect the people,” the lead Ranger replies.
How will you gain entry?
>Appeal to their camaraderie as a fellow elf>Raise a stink, and threaten a diplomatic incident>Offer to submit yourself to inspection, if that will put them at ease>Ask if the council will send a representative to meet you here, then>Agree to leave… And sneak in by night>Write-in 