Utterly Mad

Deep within the jungles of Eniz, a recluse of an elf lived at the edge of his treetop village, within a small shack built into the trunk of an ancient tree. This elf's name is not important. Nothing about him is important, save that he's a rather curious elf. Lean and limber, yet intelligent, he delves into the jungle for the good of his village, mapping out the deepest reaches and searching for whatever secrets the ancient canopy may yet cover. It's dangerous work, and little appreciated by his people, but this elf doesn't care. Unearthing what's hidden is what he loves, and it's what makes him special.

On one deep foray into the depths of the forest, however, something seems....off. The shadows are darker, the silence is.....unnatural. There's none of the usual chittering of insects, rustling of primates. Imaginary eyes follow him wherever he steps, and this brave elf, for the first time in a long time, feels truly afraid. That is, until a voice rasps through the night, changing his mood from afraid to downright terrified.

"Dangerous is the work of he who exposes what is hidden." The voice is barely even that, seeming to echo from everywhere at once, from everything and nothing.

"It's....it's the only work I know." Says the elf to the voice, shivering with fright, his bow aimed at the dark.

"Then by my hand, new work shall come to you. No longer shall you lay bare the secrets of old. No longer shall you unearth what doesn't wish to be unearthed. The secrets of the world shall stay secret, and it is you who will keep it so."

The elf has no chance to argue, before the voice rises anew.

"You will collect compatriots of good trust, and bring them to the jungle. You will bring them to me, and I will speak to them as I have spoken to you."