Grokal and his fellow hunters made their way back to their clan village at a double speed fearing the undead grass elementals would pursue them. Luckily they did not though they did not slow their pace so when the finally got back home Grokal let the rest of his hunters rest at the tavern well he headed to the elders hut.
As he walked into the elders hut elder Grekal of the farmers was informing the other two elders about how much grass pixies dust they had to trade. " We only have bags the fairy grass has not been producing that well the last couple of years." Grekal said before turning to Grokal rage in her eyes at his interruption of her reporting of their financial situation.
" I'm sorry elders for my interruption but I have just returned from the mission elder Gressel has sent me on." Grokal said to the elders of their clan to which Gressel looked at him in surprise as he expected him to be still be preparing not to have immediately gone out to scout the their new neighbors to the north which he must have done to be back from the trip now.
" Well then hunter who became a scout for task tell us what you saw with a spy glass?" The grand elder of the clan asked Grokal his attention fully focused on him his old body barley showing any signs of life but his eyes were as bright as a childs as they beheld Grokal to take in his report.
Grokal nodded and began his tale to their new neighbor to the north. " I got the twins Thrass and Blass then the giant pixie Thruxss and last the old hunting pixie Grast to go on the scouting expedition." Grokal said staring with who was with him on his trip to see what was building in the black smog north of them.
The elders of the hunters Gressel nodded his head in acknowledgment that he had heard of the four mentioned Grokal then continued his tale." We went north encountimg only a few a dangerous greater bugs that needed to be called along the way before we reached the wall of smog. We walked around the entire thing to see if the wall of black smog went all the way around whatever was in the center." Grokal said before he shuddered at he memory at had waited for them on the other side of the black smog wall.
The elders seeing his revulsion of the memory at the next part of the tale gave him a moment to collect himself before they had him continue. Once Grokal had gathered himself from his revulsion at the things that were counter to everything his people were began to continue his tale at the prompting by the elders.
" We walked through and saw things that horrified me to my very core and as one of the most skilled hunters of our people I have seen creatures with an unending thirst for their own kins blood and others that have been twisted by the magic they have taken in becoming twisted parodies of themselves." Grokal said his body shuddering as he spoke with revulsion at the very idea of the creatures he was about to inform the elders of.
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" We walked in and saw a human skull from which an unending stream of black smog came out of both eye sockets. The land tainted by the black smog and I believe the will of the skull as it sent some of its black smog after us has twisted the grass around it tainting it and giving birth to perverse nature elementals that are parodys of insects." Grokal stated finally with an empty tone but a shaking clench fist.
The elders had various different reactions to the information that a skull to their north was twisting the part of nature that was their duty to maintain. Gressel elder of the hunters was enraged at the very though his face going from the typical green of a grass pixies to dark red with rage. While the elder of farmers Grekal went to a pale green clearly horrified at the plant she spent so much time raising and maintaining being twisted to such dark purposes.
It was the grand eldars reaction that was the most tame yet at the same time his reaction was the greatest of the three. He simply sat there for a moment the point of calming in a storm of emotions. " We now have the knowledge we required to act. So thank you Grokal for your service in these uncertain times." The grand elder said to Grokal who bowed in thanks of the grand eldars recognition.
" Now may fellow elders we have to act with haste as elementals are born from the energy of their place of birth meaning these necrotic plant elementals will only multiply and most likely spread the longer wer wait." The grand elder of the clan stated to all in the room.
The grand elder then turned to Gressel who had calmed down his rage in the face of the grand eldar's calm and methodical approach to the situation. " You will have to prepare the hunters for a great hunt should the time come to pass for the call to come." The grand eldars told Gressel simply who nodded his face made of stone as he matched out with Grokal bowing one last time to the grand eldars before following him out.
The grand eldar then looked to Grekal who had regained her color in gaining confidence from grand eldar's nonchalant attitude to the violation of lands he had looked over for hundreds of years as he planned how to counter it. Seeing that Grekal was ready to hear what he needed her to do he began to tell what exactly that was.
" Grekal even with the power of a grand pixie hunt called itight not be enough to deal with the threat the northen skull poses but we do not have enough grass pixie dust to pay for the battle pixie mercenary groups as you have told me. So we will have to give all of it to one great champion and their is only one that fits that title we know." The grand elder said his face grave as he told her of the deal with the scoundrel she would be tasked to make.
Grokal nodded knew if the scoundrel he spoke if and welm she wouldn't like to speak to him much less make a deal with him. She knew that such dangerous times sometimes called for deals with dangerous people. She nodded her agreement with the grand elder heading out to where the grass pixies dust was stored to have it ready to be moved to the scoundrel his services they would need in the future.
Once he was all alone the Grand elder crumbled in his chair as thoughts of the battles to come and the carnage that would be unleashed because of it left him in a deep sadness. But then he shook himself as he needed to perform his own task. " We must do everything we can to be prepared for the times to come." The grand elder said to himself as he began to write letters on special magical grass. With the die having been cast by the grass pixies none could say what was to come of it least of all the skull who did not know of the war being planned against him.