Gossamer Highlands and the Hai, an introduction to the Battlehunt -

The Mountains of the Descent are aglow white far in the distance to the west. The clouds lay below in the Tear River valley, as they do in the early mornings of the spring. From the point of the western edge of the highlands overlooking the cloud valley, the only permanent community of the Hai stands. Bivouac is a city of a race of nomads, and is a dynamic society with a curious history of unrest in multiple arenas of human interaction, that may be addressed. Of the Hai people themselves, there is to say that they are of a roving feline race that climbed the river of Tears and then up the steep rise of the Gossamer. These hunters by nature followed their prey and found new prey in the highlands on which they would now sleep their nights. It is important to discuss some of these new prey in more detail, for from an objective view these beasts and the stalking of these animals have become the core of the society of the Hai. The 'battlehunt' of these immense beasts has become a rallying point, requiring the cooperation and organization of the many, a contrast to the hunts of their ancestors and cousins and possibly their own nature.

The charge of the stallions had broken through the ranks of the striking party made up of the most sturdy Hai in the troop. Our east hill was now in danger of a second offensive. Fifteen or so of the stallions had abruptly and without warning faced the northward advancing Hai which were slowly advancing at 100 strides away from the edge of the herd. The massive steeds slowly accelerated to a pounding saunter . The advance party as a whole looked stunned and acted as such. They halted without order, the grey hair, Elian, looked naught but straight on toward the oncoming horns and hooves. Later I discovered that this was the first such beast manuever in the battlehunt. I would not have initially guessed this from the reactions I witnessed, the stunned Hai could easily be mistaken for the patient tradition of the hunters. The first sign of lack of resolve was when half the intervening distance had been covered, and the runners and captains on our hill looked to Lord Yew and then to each other, curiosity turning to unease. Elias left no more time for such discomfort, as his call for advancement chimed in the narrow valley. He smoothed to a trot, leaving his central position to the point of the party. They followed, the dozen heavy tan backs. There were some more harmonious calls as the beasts careened. Half the dozen Hai turned back instantly, the impact imminent. The forward Hai stopped sliding their pikes to length and raising them in defense, their size shrinking as the stallions approached. The six that had retreated stopped, turning back to look on. The fury that transpired was imperceptible. The line was overtaken without so much as a stumble. The second line retreated at a frantic sprint, pursued on without a change in direction. Once the stampede had passed, one shiny gray hair lay motionless in the path left behind by the ruddy coated beasts. There were other Hai limping away to the flanks. At one point, I saw Lord Yew wip his head around to look to the southeast up Descension Canyon to the plateau, obvious concern in his squinting eyes. He must have found solace somewhere internally, because there was no comfort to be found in the direction the stallions stampeded, still in close rank. His previous calm appeared immediately. He was silent.

Rue crouched crouched in the shadow of the husky frame that was facing her. When she looked up, the late afternoon sun still glared in her eyes, and the light peaked from around his pointed ear. She closed her eyes and looked down at her knees, resting her elbows there. His bellowing voice deeply soothed her.

“What’s this young one? Has something happened to have left you in this disposition. We’ve been talking around you all day.”

“Have I not performed my duties?”

He did not answer and he decisively turned around. He creeped a small distance to a lone willow on the neighboring ridge, from behind which he scrutinized from a considerable distance a small group of peculiar creatures crouched together in a huddle in a clearing in the wooded area beyond.

Rue stayed crouched, without raising her head or eyes. She had already seen that view.

Rue Hai:

Rue is a female in the Hai race of feline hunters. She is a scout in the Battlehunt troops, and has been for a couple years. She is young at twenty-five years old and is known as one of the fastest and enduring of those scouts by her superiors. In her last experience in the Battlehunt, she witnessed a defeat of her troop by a stampede of the goliath beasts, and she was significantly traumatized. She was overwhelmed with flashes of telepathic empathy apparently emanating from the subjects in the battle she observed, feeling glimpses of the horrific fear, surprise and the animal intensity of battle. This was not the first time she had felt mysteriously observing the potent emotions of other beings, but never had this experience been so overwhelming in the past. Together with this experience and the potent dream she recalled of a beast speaking while lying in a pool of its own blood, she had the uncanny desire to hide, to run and leave this place, and leave the voices of fear and anger behind... or to learn to talk with them.

(Character Sheet to Follow)

The Hai live in a relatively simple existence, at least the tribe of Gossamer of which she is a member. There is legend that speaks of other tribes in distant lands, but there has been no recent evidence or contact, likely due to their limited roaming only to the Beastpath. In there lands there are times of plenty and of famine. Winters bring scarcity as there is no battlehunt at this time, yet it also brings times of leisure and art to their culture. A rich culture has developed which will be further described.