Fae of the Witchwood

Scouts of the Summer Court

"We were sent here to seek information on our court's claim to this land. We do not wish to remain here any more than we have been ordered to do so. My people will mean you harm no longer, provided those Risen townsfolk do not step past our boundaries. We are on orders, just as you." - Branchtalon, addressing The Wardens

Deep inside the Witchwood lies a clearing where rumors of a gate to the Realm of the Fae have been told for centuries. These accusations were always treated as insubstantially as every other story about the fabled forest until a series of attacks on tourist wagons would be traced back to them. This was the town's first taste of dealing with the Fae of the Witchwood, leaving a taste of disgust and hatred towards the Fae of the Witchwood.
The band of fae in the center of the Witchwood is a small regiment of the Summer Court, brought over by the gate between their realms. Like the rest of their court, they are anthromorphs, with the majority being mammalian in relation with the exception of their shaman, an anthro named Talonheart who exhibits the features of an owl. They were originally sent through the gate as part of a scouting regiment. Members of the Summer Court had agreed that the gate and associated land around it belonged to them despite its current presence in the Realm of the Gods. As such, they dispatched this group with two leaders in mind; the aforementioned Talonheart, who would be the brains of their group, and Quiverfang, a wolflike anthro who would be their brawns. Talonheart communed with the forest surrounding the gate as it was seeped in fae magicks. This communion summoned a Treant who would watch over them and the forest as a guardian and protector. He led them into creating a temporary settlement as they awaited further instructions from the other side of the gate.
After a long stay and a brief confrontation with the denizens of Devil's Waystation that led to an encounter with the local chapter of the Wardens, the fae called a ceasefire. They agreed to diplomacy negotiations and to let the town resume their tours provided they keep to their original edge of the woods. The members of the scouting regiment had been dealt a serious blow in their members and their pride and deemed that this land very well may not be worth keeping. They sent word to have their leave orders issued once the gate was reactivated and waited for the hopeful news to return home.
Unfortunately, no news would come soon enough for them. The Magick that had seeped into the woods was discovered to be coming from the gate rather than through it; the gate could no longer be activated on demand. Months would pass in between activations of the gate and these activations would hold for such a brief period that only one or two of their number could pass through in a single attempt. One squire of the Summer Court, Broadtusk, would return with news that their council would not be meeting on their orders regarding their regiment for some time, only that their ruling was to remain where they were on this side of the gate. The Fae of the Witchwood now remain as stragglers, waiting for permission that may never come, through a gate that may never open.

A Fae Out of Water

One of the members of the Fae of the Witchwood would grow to find themselves dissatisfied with their previous lifestyle and envious of the lives that the Risen led. Following the peace negotiated between the Wardens and Talonheart, a sasquatch of the scouting regiment would leave their clearing and head to the town of Devil's Waystation. He situated himself in the center of town, clearing trees to construct himself a log cabin and label himself as a member of the town. A simple creature, he named himself Watch and began to do his best imitation of living the risen lifestyle despite the constant fear he inflicted on the surrounding townsfolk.
Afraid of another violent affair, the mayor of Devil's Waystation would request the assistance of the Wardens once again to deal with this. They went straight for Watch's cabin to confront him and expected a violent confrontation themselves. Instead, they were treated to a poor excuse of a dinner and an excellent display of attempted manners and hosting. Being the diplomats that they were, they met with Talonheart once again to seek a solution to this issue. The fae shaman wished to keep peace not just with the town but also for his people and asked if there was a way for Watch to stay in town and both parties to maintain peace. The wardens returned to the mayor and struck a deal with him that Watch would work both as a powerful manual laborer for local businesses, as well as be a scare attraction on the tours. Finally seeing the money that was possible in this exchange, the mayor happily agreed and made Watch a full resident of the town. This led to a deeper peace between the Fae of the Witchwood and the residents of Devil's Waystation, who continue to stay on healthy terms to this day.
Watch would bring great profits to the town, eventually attracting a traveling scholar on the fae as his Risen wife, winning both the hearts of his fellow townsfolk and the next race to become mayor of Devil's Waystation.

Confrontation with the Wardens

Quiverfang, known for being aggressive even in his time back in the Fae Realm, decided that a passive defense was not enough to secure the interests of the Summer Court on this side of the gate. It was he who began leading the attacks on the tours held by the residents of Devil's Waystation. He would attack risen stragglers and actors who ventured too far off of the beaten path before turning to lead the treant summoned by Talonheart against whole wagons. The scout leader, proud of his easy conquests, would begin setting eyes on the actual town of Devil's Waystation.
The town mayor requested the La Patria chapter of the Wardens to come and assist them in their plight. The Warden Officer Sylvaine arrived with three Warden recruits to investigate the attacks. Having discovered claw marks alongside strange bits of fur among the recovered wagons, they had assumed that the attacks were the responsibility of a Magickal Beast. The Wardens specialized in such matters and agreed to investigate and likely dispose of whatever beast was causing these attacks. The recruits were sent into the Witchwood to investigate, which led them to an encounter with Quiverfang. They discovered that he was capable of coherent speech and turned to diplomatic efforts instead of an attempt to kill him. He let them go originally with a strong warning that this forest now belonged to the fae and that he would kill them if they returned.
Upon returning to the town, they met with Sylvaine and came up with a plan to engage the fae creatures. Sylvaine drew their attention to herself in the woods while the recruits headed for the fae at the center of the clearing. The recruits encountered the squire Broadtusk and turned to diplomacy once again, quickly making friends with the boar-like anthro who pleaded for peace while they went to regroup with their officer. Sylvaine had slain one of the scouts, left another mortally wounded, and was locked in battle when the recruits arrived and pleaded for peace between their kind, not wishing to start a war with the fae. Both combatants begrudgingly withdrew.
Quiverfang would be the first to return to the Realm of the Fae the next time the gate opened, claiming to still be following orders as he went to request a larger force and to engage in war over the Witchwood. Those fae left behind met with the Wardens again, agreeing to peace for as long as their court would allow it, as well as the townsfolk keeping a respectful distance from their clearing.
Talonheart went on to become the sole leader of the remaining Fae of the Witchwood, promising to uphold the peace as he awaited hopeful news of a return journey to his home in the Summer Court.
The Wardens would be granted special diplomatic privileges by the Marquis of Sicerrone, specifically to represent the crown in relations with the fae.