It is early morning, and a light fog is seen throughout the trees. The soft glow of light is starting to engulf the forest. Birds are starting their morning songs, and everything is still. Due is dripping ever so slowly off the leaves and grass. The forest is awaking and all manner of life is starting to come to alive. A deer comes out from a small rocky creek having just drank. Stepping ever so gently and purposely. Its’ tail twitching ever so often. It raises its’ head looks about and then lowers it to eat, and then raising again to chew and look around.
In the distance we find a man with a bow strung and poised at the ready. The man’s name is Mathis. He lives in these woods and makes his living off the forest. He stands at average height, and is lean but fit. His face is rough and his black hair is long from living alone for a time. His green eyes ever looking and calculating. He is still and hidden in the brush. His breath is slow as not to be seen in the morning coolness. He is relaxed and patient, waiting for that moment that is right.
The moment draws near and with his left hand grips the bow tightly but soundly. He pulls it up and with his right hand he slides his fingers down the shaft to the back of the arrow. The feathers brushing through his fingers as he reaches the end of the arrow and hooks the string to draw. He rises slowly still hidden by the brush. He draws back the bow and then stands waiting for the target to show itself.
Mathis knows how the target is going to move and knows exactly when to release. Years he has trained to be patient and to wait on targets to move into position. Though deer was not his target and the stakes were much higher. Years of this had made this a reflex on instinct. Every muscle and sense heightened to the extreme as this was nothing more than a reaction to him. The air grows still and time seems to slow. His breath held and bow drawn. The arrow pointed towards the target is set loose. For a moment in time everything is frozen except the arrow as it moves effortlessly towards its target. It strikes with precision and the target falls. Mathis still standing poised after releasing the arrow closes his eyes thinking. Replaying the event from beginning to end and seeing it in slow motion. He sees every detail and what seems like minutes of standing and replaying is but a second. He was trained to always do this, and now it has now become a habit.
Mathis walks calmly to the fallen deer and kneels before it. He places one hand on the body and out of respect for the animal says thanks for the food that it has provided to him. After field dressing the deer and placing the remains in a leather pouch, he hoist the body of the deer over his left shoulder and proceeds to walk back home.
Mathis’s home is settled in-between mountains in the valley where he has made his home out of ruins of an old kingdom that long ago stood, but has long been taken back by the forest. His home is made up of an old stone dwelling whose purpose has long been lost. He has modified it to allow for a kitchen and living space. Modest and organized Mathis builds what he needs and sees to it to not disturb the forest more than needed. He has built a small forge out of another ruined building so that he might make and mend his arrows, axes, and swords. The forest is full of creatures and beings that have no master but their own. Mathis has learned how to live and survive here for long time, and has learned that protection from the world is always needed.
Upon arriving at his home Mathis sets the deer’s body on a table outside. Later he will carve it to his needs and store the rest for later, but first he must attend to something. Mathis grabs the pouch of the remains and very distinctly gives out a unique whistle. The whistle’s sound echos slightly through the forest and stone area, and then from a short distance the sound of quick footsteps can be heard approaching. Standing holding the pouch at his right side Mathis sees something moving in the bushes ahead of him. He kneels down and places the pouch on the ground. He unties it and pours out the remains. He stands and steps back. Giving out another unique whistle the creature springs forth and runs to the remains. In a matter of moments the remains are gone and the creature is laying licking its jowls and satisfied from the snack. The creature’s name is Kraygoss a wolf like creature that Mathis has befriended and is now his loyal companion.
Kraygoss is a Wargone, creatures that live solitaire lives and wander much of the world where forest meets mountainous regions. They stand to an average man’s chest and are covered in fur. Their senses are heightened and are extremely resilient. Their hide can even take a striking sword blow. Kraygoss’s face has black around his muzzle and that fades to a dark sandy tan down his back to his tail and down his legs with black slightly showing through . The inside of his legs and belly are white. He is Mathis’ closest friend and companion and travels with him everywhere, but Mathis does not chain him nor confine him in any way. Kraygoss is free to wonder and be what he is.
He walks over to Kraygoss and kneels to pet him and rub behind his ears. Kraygoss’ eyes sightly close as this is something he loves very much. Mathis bends his head over and touches his head to Kraygoss and speaks softly to him. “Good Boy Kraygoss, that’s a good boy”, Mathis says. Mathis then stands up, looks around, stretches some, and then walks over to the deer to finish what he started. Kraygoss stays laying down watching intently to make sure no scraps happen to make it on the ground for him to clean up.
The day moves forward and lunch time has come. Mathis whistles for Kraygoss and the two of them set forth down a path to a place that grows wild fruit. The walk takes some time to complete, but the fruit is very fulfilling and good for the body. Kraygoss doesn’t care much for the fruit, but unknown to him Mathis slips in some mashed up pieces just to help with his overall health. The fruit has healing remedies and helps a lot with soreness and sickness. This is also the time of the year to harvest them. It is spring and that is when they come out, but it is only for one month and then they are gone, so Mathis makes sure to get plenty. He has developed a way to store them, but only takes what he needs and makes sure to plant the seeds to grow more. He has even started a crop closure to his home, but it will be a few years before they are ready.
While Mathis eats, Kraygoss lays about in the sun and then in the shade as he gets too hot. Some birds flock in and start to talk. Kraygoss apparently gets pretty annoyed by them and starts to try to catch them, but fails many times as they are small and fast. He finally catches one and seemed particularly satisfied with himself when doing so. Giving out a short howl and he then looks at Mathis as to say “Look what I did.” Mathis laughs and says, “bout time.” Kraygoss tilts his head seeming confused, but quickly returns his attention to his prize and eats it.
On the way back home Mathis takes a different path as to check one of his traps he has set to catch small game. He has a series of these set everywhere, and checks them periodically as he travels to different areas for other supplies. They are always on his routes and this saves him a day of checking all of them at once. Upon getting to a small creek to get some water, Mathis notices something is not right. Even Kraygoss seems to smell something in the air. They cross the creek and on the other side is a trail that has just recently been created. Mathis can see that there are subtle hints that he can read that trouble him. He notices someone or something has been traveling through recently. In a common forest this would be nothing new, but this is no common forest. Traffic like this can mean only a few things, most of which are not good.
Mathis’ life before living here made him a highly sought after person. He was sought after by kings, Queens, and many others. Man, elves, dwarfs, and others of the like wanted him because of his abilities, and that is something he has had a hard time escaping. Through his travels and missions he has also made many enemies that would love to see him dead. That is why he has chosen this forest to live in. It is full of beast and other fowl creatures, but no army occupies it and rules over it. However, a darkness does seem to have a hold in some parts of the woods and mountainous areas. For goblins live in the mountains within the caves. Mathis himself has ventured to the caves with Kraygoss. He traveled to study them and find out their movements and where they travel, but they do not travel this far from their territory.
Mathis has an idea though as to the creatures that traveled here, and if he is right he will have to track them down and find out why they are here. The stench in the air is giving them away. Kraygoss can smell them very well, and even Mathis can smell them too. Even now Kraygoss’ hair on his back stands up and he is now smelling the ground on the hunt. Mathis skills have allowed him to stay alive and survive for a long time, and that has made it hard for him to be killed. The last thing he would want though is for his history to catch back up with him.
Then he sees a sign that says the creatures that made this trial are orcs. Nasty vile creatures that travel mostly in the dark or low light, and usually have a dark master that commands them. These creatures are blood thirsty and hideous. Mathis himself has dealt with many and fought among armies against them. Last he knew they had been mostly contained in another portion of the world, far from here, but if this was indeed an orc path then he had to find them and get some answers. The thick forest would provide enough cover for them to travel in daytime, and who knows maybe they came from one of the goblin caves and traveled to here. It looked as though having a nice day at home was out of the question now. Mathis and Kraygoss set out to track the orc party and see to it they didn’t leave this forest. As Mathis studied the ground he could tell the orc party was small and traveled light, meaning it was a scout party. For Mathis this told him many things and knew if these orcs weren’t found and soon, many more might be coming through. Mathis’ and Kraygoss’ way of life was in danger and they had to see to it that is wasn’t changed. Both Mathis and Kraygoss traveling fast and light could catch the orc party before dark according to what Mathis was reading off of the ground. This would allow for the perfect opportunity to strike, but hopefully they weren’t returning to a fortified position as there was no way to tell. Time would soon tell if that would be the case.