Grove Sentinel

Whilst marching through the misty hills and shadowy forest of Skanwatre, opposing forces whisper amongst themselves about dusky figures stalking them. In mist and shadows, in the corner of their eyes. Ere the day ends they are missing some of their comrades. The forces are accompanied by eerie sounds echoing in the hills, as if the shadows were communicating with each other. Trying to feed off the land seems impossible as the nature of these lush lands suddenly seems to warp into barrenness. Skilled scouts are lost in the dank woods as if the forest are rearranging themselves when they turn around. The foreign soldiers must assume that nature itself has turned against them. Woe to those who enter these lands with ill intent. 

This couldn't be closer to the truth, as this is the work of the Grove Sentinels. Legendary warriors of Skanwatre who are in tune with nature and they patiently wait for their prey to slip up. They wear leathery armour and wooden masks that resemble the faces of demons and beasts. Yet they don't have to rely on trickery to crush an opposing force. Their martial skill with swords is excellent and they have mastered their clan weapon. Each clan has developed a secret technique with a specific weapon. Such weapons would be bows, throwing spears, swords, axes, spears etc. As the elite warriors of their clan they take on full responsibility to protect the clan and their leader, but most of all they protect nature. No one knows the exact numbers of how many of the Grove Sentinels exist, but intel shows the bigger a clan the more of them are trained.

The steadfastness of the Skanwatren Army doesn't apply to strength in numbers or a heavily organised military but to its adaptable special forces operations. They cut with surgical precision at the weak points of their enemies. The doctrine is all about a few attacks that will cripple the enemy forces permanently. Assassination of strategic personnel, cutting of supply routes, sabotage equipment and many more operations behind the enemy lines. They have mastered the art of shaping the battlefield and war to their advantage. One of these special forces is the Grove Sentinels and each member is a uniquely trained warrior with their very own strength that complement the others. 

The Aspirants

The Watren who desire to become a Grove Sentinels come from many places of the clan but only few shall pass the trials before becoming accepted as an acolyte. Warriors and Scholars are the usual applicants yet sometimes the farmers and the merchants apply to join as well. Many who try to join are maybe 16, sometimes 14 and other times they are in their 30s. It doesn't matter how old they are and what their social standing is in the clan. Each clan has its own rules for who will pass the trial yet it will always be a test about body and mind. Important to mention is that the size and importance of the clan decides on how many recruits they can take. Small clans might choose just one while larger clans will maybe train 10 or more. 

The Education

A teacher of the Grove Sentinels will accept the acolyte in their ranks and teach them about the ways of nature, shows them how to use the clan weapon and advises them in the matters of the spirit world. Their teacher is mostly an older veteran member of the Grove Sentinels. A lot of their first year is spent with meditation and tending to the gardens and nature itself. This should teach a new member to be at peace with himself and express calmness and control. It is also during that time where an animal companion related to the clan spirit animal will reveal themselves to them and choose the acolyte for the rest of their life. These animals will gain a bond with their chosen one which will allow them to prolong their life and strengthen their spiritual power, so they can rank up in the spirit world should their passing come one day. Of course the Acolytes are taught some practical skills as well, like medical care, sewing and herbology. Meditation will be a constant companion during their training; they will start the day with meditation and end with it. The very best of this elite will keep this habit for the rest of their life. 

In their second year of training they study the art of their clan weapon and deepen their connection to their companion animal. They are going to be able to use certain traits their companion provides; such would be the thermal sight of snakes, the sharp eyes of a bird or the endurance of a bear. During the next years they will deepen the connection further and gain more traits of the animal that has chosen them. Eventually if they spent a lot of time strengthening this bond they might be able to shapeshift. A great lot of them are satisfied enough if they can communicate with their companions. Usually for their clan weapon is something very personal to the acolyte. Before achieving their weapon they must gather the materials in the wilds before they are allowed to craft it. It is a spiritual journey where they can't just take any stick; Nature itself will reveal their components in places with high spiritual powers. Before starting the crafting process they have to meditate intensely until the spirits guide them on the steps of assembling the weapon. It could be argued if this is a necessary step but the elders demand it, with the reason that the pupils need to have a connection to their weapon. Afterwards they will bless the weapon in an hour long ceremony during night with more meditation involved. The Acolytes shall cherish and take care of this weapon for the rest of their lives.  Should the weapon break they must meditate and reflect upon their failure before they follow similar steps to reforge a new weapon.

In their last year of training they have to fulfill a pilgrimage by travelling to Skadraggn. They have one year to complete that journey on their own. Their master will wait in the city for them. During this journey they have to visit five temples and solve the challenge posed there. This grants them a token of success. All of these challenges are riddles to be solved even if they are of martial nature. While you can overcome all of them with brawn, sometimes this method will require a lot more of you then if you just used your brain mass. Once you have acquired all five tokens and arrived at the Temple of the Shizen Munkr in Skanwatre, the master wants to hear about the journey and how you reflect upon what transpired. He will declare the pilgrim to be a Grove Sentinels. Yet the journey is far from over; the clan often expects that the newly joined Grove Sentinels enter the tournament against other Grove Sentinels of different clans. The success will determine their standing in the clan. Declining this challenge will be a huge roadblock for the career in the guard. 

The Ranks and Duties

All of them are warriors at their hearts yet some chose the way of becoming a sage for their clan. Sages wage the battles of the spirit world in the clan which are not to be trifled with. An ill-willing spirit could destroy the clan from within, so sages look out for signs, omens and reflection of spirits around the clan. The new sages usually collect intel from the spirit world and make house visits to families if someone has fallen ill. They provide the collected intel to the Yokai no Koe - Voice of the Spirits - who tries to find patterns of intrusion of evil in the clan. They are sometimes referred to as Chief Sages. Their minds are always focused on the spirit world. They are advisors for the clan leaders about matters of spiritual nature. Their closeness, with every member of the clan as spiritual guides and doctors, allows them to paint a good picture of the mood of the people. Every once in a while the Yokai no Koe meet with other Sages of other clans in the Temple of Skanwatre. Here they share the intel they gathered about the spirits and make assessments on how to proceed on arising situations in the country and the rest of the world. It is important for them to see if the whole picture of the spirit world is intact. 

Those who stay warriors either train recruits of the standard forces or roam the clan land as rangers looking for predators terrorizing the clan, securing the land and enforcing the law of the Kay Shuryo. They bring home samples from their scouting they found peculiar and share it with the Sages, so they might analyze it. On other occasions they protect the sages on their expedition to foreign territory. Should the Shio Kejserina call for an army they will consult together with the Chief Sage and the clan leader if they should send levies and how many. If they decide to send troops the leading Grove Sentinels will take command of the company. 

Small Clans with only one chosen Grove Sentinels take upon the role as warrior and sage. This leaves them with no choice but to be the best in both worlds; physical and spiritual. Realistically they usually excel at one of these things the most. A member of the guard knows about the danger of the spirit world and often chooses to set their focus in this particular subject. 

Should a member of theGrove Sentinels fail to protect their clan they will be banished and spend the rest of their life pursuing redemption. Some join the Shizen Munkr, some pursue vengeance if their clan has fallen. It is not unheard of that some leave their homeland behind and offer their skills in foreign countries for the exchange of money. Their abilities, especially their martial prowess is sought after in the foreign market and the mercenary companies pay handsomely. Yet sometimes they just get trapped in contracts they don't really understand. This happens because it isn't in their culture to understand what indentured servitude is. They follow hierarchy because it creates harmony but the moment it does not they will leave this structure.  

There are also cases where Grove Sentinels Members turn against their clan, because they feel like their clan is actively working against nature. If there is proof for this; the crime is absolved and they are free to go on their ways. Often they are invited to the Kejsarinas Court and serve in her personal retinue.  

History and Events

The sages of the clans, tell many stories about the virtue of the Grove Sentinels. Yet one story in particular is known by every elderly folk and every child. It is the story of The decade of the nine Foxes. 

There used to be a very influential yet corrupt Shiokajser who ruled over the clans with an iron fist. He oppressed all the other clans by force or blackmail. The Shiokajser demanded high tributes from the clans and everyone who could not pay up was forced to flee the land or to perish due to his might. Many fought that unfair rule but none were successful. To add insult to injury he started to cut down the forests without the sanction of the priests. Unrest began spreading through the clans but yet there was nothing to be done. Too powerful were his armies, too many secrets to be spilled that could jeopardize an open rebellion. This was until the monarch summoned Kay Shuryo of a small clan settled at the foot of the northern mountain range. This was the Fox Clan. This clan had no particular riches and usually stayed out of the affairs of other clans, yet this time they obliged the call of their superior. The Shiokajser who only heard of them through myths and legends expected ancient and rare artifacts from this clan. But the clan only brought him the gifts provided by nature like food for commoners and clothing weaved from leaves. 

The ruler was furious about this display, one could say he even felt mocked by them. The Kay Shuryo didn't even look like someone from nobility or from legends at best he looked like a well-groomed commoner. The tyrant believed they must have played a bad joke on him and this made him vengeful. “You dare to insult me? The great and mighty Shiokajser!” he roared with a thunderous voice through his halls “I should sentence you to death to teach your clan a lesson on how to properly address the mighty!” he screamed lividly. “As you wish great Shiokajser”, answered the Kay Shuryo calmly. “But beware the spirits you angered are restless and they will come for you eventually” continued the clan leader while looking at the tyrant with a piercing gaze. “Is this a threat? You are a puny chief of a forgotten clan! I shall strike you down immediately” the tyrant spoke with anger in his voice. He stood up and with a quick strike he cut the head off his guest, but before the body fell to the ground it disappeared in blackish smoke. Besides the blood no evidence of the corpse remained. The threat and this occurrence bothered the Shiokajser, a thought that something out there might be able to topple his reign. As his response he outright banned the Fox Clan and spirit worship altogether. Just mentioning the clan or participating in spirit worship could cost someone's tongue or life. The more time has passed since the faithful meeting strange events started to pile up;

The first year a drought hit the lands and fields were so brittle that the dry earth started to crack and the wheat wouldn't grow. The next year a never ending rain caused several calamitous floods. This caused the malnourished cattle to be swept away, hardly to be found again. The following year a thick mist covered the land and sea. Ships sank, because they mistook huge stones for the harbour and merchants fell from the roads as they looked for them. Due to the lack of imports the starvation in the population grew. Yet miraculously the lost trading goods sometimes appeared at clans who needed it the most. A plague of insects hit the palaces of the Shiokajser and his followers the year after spoiling their food and gnawing on their structures; A devastating earthquake hit the Shiokajser palace and destroyed many of his precious artifacts and treasures; After awhile loyal followers of the Shiokajser started to disappear without a trace, many of whom profited from the devastation caused by their ruler. Their names and fates are lost to this day. The Monarch suspected treason and executed a few of the remaining followers, who tried to flee, in order to set an example for betrayal. 

The year after Shiokajser's beloved heir died an untimely death from an unknown disease. This grief nurtured his madness and he grew more violent as he started drinking to numb his pain. His dearest wife, also grieving for the loss of her child, could only watch her husband suffer for this long and she begged him to seek mercy and forgiveness from the Fox Clan, but was only met with insults and violence. She could not bear to suffer any longer and took her own life. She arranged for a ritual suicide. As she saw her executioner she was not surprised nor was she appalled it was only fair for them to end her life. From afar the Shiokajser watched this ceremony, witnessing how the masked figure beheaded his wife. Just as he blinked, the head of his beloved wife lay on his lap. He screamed and as he looked up and saw the masked figure disappearing in black smoke. The memory of a fox mask forever ingrained in his mind. 

It wasn't long after the tyrant woke up screaming from his sleep dreaming of the Fox Mask, stalking him and soon he started to hear the voice of his wife, son, vassals and others he had wronged in life. They tormented him with the guilt he carried around, when he fell asleep and every waking hour. In his madness he didn’t realize that the 10th year of this haunting had begun and nature returned to normal with no mist, no floods, no earthquakes and no bugs. The clans continued to prosper without him. For the people of Skanwatre he was just a lunatic locked in a tower. One day though he wasn't sure if he was asleep or awake- he barely could tell the difference anymore - a voice told him that the fox will come in 9 days to collect his debt. In his terror he bolstered the defences and locked himself in his room inside the palace. Told the guards to watch his room day and night at every hour. He himself picked up his finest sword and put it beside his bedframe.

Nine days had passed. At first nothing happened. A messenger brought news that nine warriors were spotted on the main road. Alas they were no simple warriors. They wore wooden masks that resembled the face of a fox; Every step they took on their solemn march different plants blossomed under their feet and an obscure mist engulfed them and followed in their wake; The guards who were sent to oppose them and actually thought they could stand a chance were quickly cut down. Others acknowledge the might of the spirits' wrath and dropped to their knees, the weapons falling by their sides, praying for mercy. The spirits' vengeance was not set on them. When they reached the barred down palace gate, one of the warriors commanded a swarm of ants to erode the door in no time. The palace guard shared the same fate of the others who opposed the spiritual tide before either they fled in terror or got granted a quick death. These nine warriors seemed to be an unstoppable force of nature. Nothing that was sent their way could stop them and when they reached the Shiokajser he cowered frighteningly in front of them as he held his weapon in shaking hands in front of them. He heard a hollow voice in his head “We are here to collect your debt; You can face death with dignity if you want, but you will face it”. If he faced death with dignity is unclear. Some say in a moment of clarity he accepted his fate and became free from his pain; Others say he tried to escape his fate by trying to attack them. These vengeful spirits exposed the corpse for everyone to see as a warning. They were never seen leaving the castle and the village of the fox clan has never been rediscovered. As a backlash to these events it started an era of unrest and civil war where it was every clan against each other until a new Kay Shuryo had enough influence to be called Shiokajser. Unsurprisingly this story is also the reason why the clans and the Shiokajser are even more devoted to nature than ever before in history and the Shizen Munkr grew even more fanatic to protect nature at all cost.