A Drakkengard Observation of a Tel'kar Child.
The following article are historical recounts from an Drakkengard Emissary's journal, detailing the knowledge gathered about the Tel'kar's culture during the Drakkengard's first contact with the newly independent nation .
I heard rumors about the Tel'kar, a people once enslaved by the Tel'dar, a people that grew to endure suffering, sought out pain, and used it to escape their shackles. I thought they were nothing more than rebels. That is until I witness how they lived their lives. When I lived amongst them, I learned the rumors were false. The truth is much more terrifying.
Day of Crafts, Dawn of Law. 2158 CE
This is a rather ... intriguing insight into Tel'kar culture.I saw a mother and her child walk in the blistering heat, seemingly as comfortable as a Wyvern in the sky. Suddenly the child tripped and fell, I was caught off guard as the mother kicked her son in the side, knocking him to the ground and driving the heel of her foot against the back of his head, grinding his face against the gravel roads.
Shortly after the mother took no pause as she walked off her child. Remarkably the child stood up without a scratch on his face and boy caught up to his mother without a word, walking side by side.
Day of Pursuit, Height of Law. 2158 CE
Truly. If these accounts are accurate, then we may need to reassess our current agenda.Today I saw a child assailed by a wild dog. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. It started with a young girl, roughly 11 years old. I was intrigued when she stopped by the marketplace to retrieve a dagger, then proceeded to leave city limits unattended. I thought this would be a chance to learn more about the Tel'kar's daily routine so I followed from a distance. Then I noticed a changed in her expression, as a diplomat I have a knack for reading people. It was confidence. She noticed something but it wasn't me. Then I saw it, a large mutt likely a mixed breed between a stray dog and a dire wolf, almost standing as tall as the girl itself. It was strange, she seemed to have noticed the creature from quite the distance yet acted as if she didn't. The beast began stalking her, it silently crept closer until it was close enough to pounce. What happened next perturbed me. She had ample time to react but she didn't cower, didn't run, and she didn't reach for her weapon. She simply held out her arm where the beast latched on and began to throw her around furiously. I quickly pulled out a wand before I noticed the expression on the her face. Calm. Collected. Then I saw the beast's eye. Panicked. The beast began to thrash frantically, it's mouth covered in blood, the girl's hand in it's jaws. The girl began to thrust her entire arm into the Wolf's maw. The beast threw the girl around like a chew toy but slowly wore down until it fell to the ground unconscious, as the girl remove her arm from it's maw along with a fistful of a bloodied mass. She took a minute to light a fire, heating up a dagger, then pressing it against her wounds. Her blood burnt like vapors, cauterizing her wounds into fresh scabs that quickly fell apart to reveal fresh skin. I was too lost in my thoughts to recognize the grotesque healing technique. I wonder if she had intentionally trespassed on the beast's territory. Knowing the beast's instincts. Let her arm get caught. She could have ran, called for help. She could have used her weapon. But she chose to suffocate it with her bare hands. Then I saw her harvest the corpse. To this day. I will never forget the image of a child tearing out a Wolf's heart through it's throat. One bloody fistful at a time.
Aftermath
"Are these reports true?" the ancient Wyvern said curiously.
"Very much so, we have many similar reports regarding their citizens," the winged Drakken responded plainly.
"This is worrying. Their commoners rival our veterans. What about their warriors? Our Lorekeepers know nothing about what they're capable of! We can not afford to make an enemy of the Tel'kar," the Wyvern lower it's voice with a hint of apprehension.
"Agreed. We will withdraw our forces. If the Tel'kar were made to be like this then it seems the Tel'dar have decided to keep how poorly they treated their servants a secret from us. Let them manage their own colonies if they do not want us discovering the atrocities they've committed," said the winged Drakken as she walked away with a look of uncertainty.
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