Harbringer's Studies

The following article is a /tg/ related story or fanfic. Should you continue, expect to find tl;dr and an occasional amount of awesome.

A story from the world of Harem Knights regarding the character Harbringer and his experiments regarding elves and fey.

The Evolutionary Hierarchy of the Elves, and Reactions to Outside Stimuli

Opening: A while ago I had announced that I was going on a research expedition to the Elf lands, not too deep, just slightly within their borders, to observe behavior in the outlying villages. My purpose was to observe if the social hierarchy of the elves was enforced biologically or only psychologically. My plan was to observe the village with its elder alive, dead, and the introduction of a new leader. To ensure my protection, accompanying me was Helbrey and, despite my protest, the twins Eryana and Aryana, who claimed the fact that they were elves could allow me to interact with the elves much more than I would have been able to without them.

Hypothesis:With the absence of the higher elves, who I designate as the High Elves, the follower elves who lack the gland at the base of the spine, that I shall designate as Low Elves, that the Elven kingdom will crumble in on itself from internal strife and lack of leadership.

Process: Having arrived at the village called Al’hwyn Dah (translates to Righteous Wood), I had immediately set base camp in a nearby cave network with Helbrey setting out almost the moment we had finished setting up to go hunting. The sisters had set off to gather intelligence from the village as I began to get a lay of the land and possible observation points of the village that drew little attention to myself. By the end of the day, I had a list of all the important individuals of the village, the name and schedule of their leader, who I shall name Lead A, and a large beast that Helbrey dragged back, proud of herself.

Note: Discern species of animal I consumed that day.

Process cont: Initial observations showed that Lead A made continuous rounds through the entire village, to ensure that he had contact with each villager at least once a day. Once a clear schedule was in my mind, a trap was laid to ensure Lead A’s demise at exactly noon. Trap sprung. Lead A was deceased. Cover story was that Lead A met a tragic end to the tusks of a rather large porcine creature. Will now observe effects on the rest of the village. Note: Species identified to be a very aggressive breed of dire boar, changed over time by exposure to Elf magic.

Day 1: Elves grow listless and apathetic. They are unsure of what to do. I notice several elves simply staring at their work stations and doing nothing for hours until a noise stirs them from their stupor. The sisters note the difficulty trying to get a reaction out of any elves and they seem to be dulled to outward stimuli, including pain, as noted when Aryana threw a rock at one elf, and he did not react for five minutes until blood obscured his vision.

Day 2: Elves continue with their lives as close as possible, with limited success. The Elves resume work, but not with the spirit they once had when Lead A was alive. Initial hypothesis would have chalked this up to grief, but when Eryana tried to mention Lead A, the Elves give a dazed reaction as if they are unsure who she is talking about. The aim of their hunters is off. They spotted me once; I blame myself as I was observing the different fauna that were picking at the corpse of Lead A. The hunters had a much delayed reaction, as if unsure how to react to my presence, giving me ample time to escape.

Day 3: Attempted to make contact with village. Reaction was mild surprise. Followed by dull acceptance. Any attempt at resistance to my presence is halfhearted at best, any weapons drawn on me batted aside, and the offending elf makes no effort to threaten me again. Other than my presence, elf life seems to resuming its normal routine. Overall morale is increasing, and memories of Lead A are fading from all except the village militia. Likewise, reaction to my open relationship with the sisters is met with nothing more than dull surprise, and quickly accepted, as if it was too much an effort to be disgusted.

Note: Find out what elves put in their beds. Material is much softer than anything I have experienced in TeeGee.

Day 4: Village life has all but returned to pre-death levels, the Low Elves returning to life with the oddly positive attitude observed when I arrived. My presence in the village and is mostly ignored. Some of the children come up to me asking why my ears are not pointy. Low elves show some hospitality to me, especially when I make my request an order. This opens a possible theory that long ago, the Low Elves were bred specifically to follow order and only be happy when they are following orders. In the absence of High Elves to issue said orders, they seem to search for another leader to take their place. Theory supported by my placing a work order with the local smith for several swords. The Elf happily agreed to a commission price of nothing when I made it an order that could not be turned down. The smith seemed much more happy and his work speed increased by a notable 20%. Note: Still haven’t answered children about my ears.

Day 10: Word is heard that a new High Elf is coming from a neighboring town. Reaction is mixed. Many Low Elves, especially soldiers, are happy that a new leader is coming to guide them. Others are not sure they want to feel that way again. Unsure of what ‘that way’ means. Decide to leave the village and hide away for the remainder of the day.

Note: Work Order complete. Will present swords to Fatwelder to gauge quality of Elven steel.

Note 2: Still did not give children an answer.

Day 16: Am informed that leader has arrived to the village. Harsh reprimands are handed out when he is informed of a human that had been living amongst them. Followed by sweep of the forest. Two discover my cave, and I am forced to mindwipe them. Skills with mental editing are still shaky. One elf now has forgotten how to properly take their pants off to defecate. Mental retardation accredited to head injury by elves upon return. Cover remains. Will now enter phase 2 of experiment.

Note: Still formulating answer for children.

Day 18: Plan enacted. Using mental suggestion, the mindwiped elves go ‘temporarily insane’ and murder the new High Elf, I will call Lead B for sake of organization. Reaction is much more intense. Villagers turn on one another due to the violent death of Lead B. Family members kill each other. The men strangle the women, the soldier butcher anyone they can find. Children roam in packs, dragging down and killing anyone they can find. Will search the village for survivors tomorrow.

Note: Never found an answer for elven children. Point now rendered moot.

Day 19: Point no longer moot. Found two survivors. The aforementioned elven children. Names were Nenothin, Gewaini and Arnen, a boy and two girls respectively. Reaction to my presence is bewilderment. Any memories of yesterday’s events are a blur when they attempt to recollect them. The sisters have decided to adopt them as their own children. We broke camp and began to return to TeeGee. I finally gave answer. “My ears are not pointy because they were not rubbed enough.”

Note: Still did not mention to the wives about my involvement in the massacre. Attempting to do so is becoming uncharacteristically difficult.

Conclusion: There is a discernible difference between High Elves and Low Elves. High Elves exert a dominance through some means, that may have a relation to the presence of extra organs within the High Elves. Have noted that during my stay in Al’hwyn Dah, that there is also a difference in body size to the elves. High Elves are notably taller, with a more pointed, lithe body structure. Below them are Low Elf soldiers, how are not quite as lithe, but almost as tall. The soldiers seemed to be the ones most resistant to the loss of the High Elf leaders, and reacted the most violently when Lead B was murdered. Other Low Elves are not quite as lithe, and are a full head shorter than High Elves, the tallest of them still being shorter than either Lead A, or Lead B. Also noted that when witnessing a violent death of a High Elf, all Low Elves are whipped into a violent frenzy, possibly a defense mechanism intended to kill offending threat to High Elves if such an offender manages to kill one. ‘Forgetfulness’ of such events possible another defense mechanism to ensure the Low Elf does not have any psychological damage should they survive the frenzy, as a damaged slave is much less effective than a healthy one.

Recommendation: Infiltration of the Elf hierarchy and have Leader(s) killed in full view of population. The ensuing chaos will ensure that no retaliation can be bought against us, and allow us, or any other force, to assume control of Elf Lands with minimal effort.

Note: Children adapting to life in TeeGee remarkably quick. Still have not mentioned my involvement. Now becoming near impossible to do.

-signed, Harbinger.

Addendum: Helbrey is pregnant with twins. She wanted me to announce it in my report. Brings back uncomfortable memories of that night...

The Evolutionary Hierarchy of the Elves, and Reactions to Outside Stimuli, Part Two

Following the criticism of my peers, I embarked on a second expedition, this time alone into Elf territory, going even further inwards. Previous data is corrupt by personal misconstrued views, and will attempt to see things in a more neutral perspective. Procedures will need to be more invasive to collect more conclusive data.

Current Hypothesis: All High Elves are actually male elves in possession of a ‘dominance’ gland, used to exert standing in Elven social hierarchy.

Day 1: Arrived at the outskirts of Elf town. Name: irrelevant. Beginning experiment by abduction of several Elf hunters during their rounds outside the town. Four subjects captured.

Subject 1: Male. Organ present.

Subject 2: Male. Organ present.

Subject 3: Male. Organ present.

Subject 4: Male. Organ not present.

Summary: This places contradiction to both my previous findings, and hypothesis of my peers. Will require other subjects.

Day 2: Town Alertness raised, extra guards posted at every entrance to town. Acquiring subjects was more difficult. Acquired six subjects, four females, and two males.

Subject 1: Female. Organ not present.

Subject 2: Female. Organ not present.

Subject 3: Female. Organ not present.

Subject 4: Female. Organ not present.

Subject 5: Male. Organ present.

Subject 6: Male. Organ present, but severely stunted.

Summary: Females were all either wives, or mistresses of male elves and were passive to males of higher 'rank'. While Females do show a lack of the organ, there seems to be variations in the male population, many times it is in conjunction to their position in the Elf society. Subject 4 of Day 1 exhibited timid personality and was quickly ordered about by his peers. Subject 6 of Day 2 was actually the house servant to Subject 5 of Day 2. Also noted, that in those with organs present, the gland itself was of varied size and coloration. Requires more study, and wider range of social classes. Will isolate experiment to male population.

Day 21: Nearly caught several times, Elves may or may not be aware of my position. Acquired subjects of several social classes.

Subject 1: Peace Enforcer. Organ present. Size deemed ‘average’.

Subject 2: Prisoner, designated for transport to another location. Organ not present.

Subject 3: Prisoner, designated for transport to another location. Organ not present.

Subject 4: Prisoner, designated for transport to another location. Organ not present.

Subject 5: Personal Guard. Organ present. Size ‘small’.

Subject 6: Noble, or equivalent. Organ present. Size ‘above average’.

Subject 7: Soldier. Organ present. Size ‘average’.

Subject 8: Soldier of High military rank. Size ‘average’, but slightly brighter coloration than Subject 7.

Subject 9: Trader. Organ present. Size ‘above average’.

Subject 10: Male concubine. Organ present. Size ‘below average’.

Subject 11: Unclear. Clothing suggests someone of high political rank. Organ present. Size ‘large’.

Summary: Organs present amongst majority of male population. Size, alongside gland usage(coloration), seem to be directly related to an Elf’s attitude, and how peers react to him. The largest of which was recorded in Subject 11. All subjects terminated.

Day 22: Position compromised. Canceling further experimentation.

Conclusion: Unclear. Organ does seem to have some effect on Elf population, but even then the changes appear subtle. If elves are even aware they possess this organ is unknown. Town proximity to other population centers also calls into question if this may be some isolated case for a region or if such rules apply to entire country.

Speculation: This social/biological stratum may actually be an entire subspecies of Elf that was absorbed into the greater Elf kingdom. The central government may be an entirely different species of Elf where the gland does not apply. Would require further investigation but do not possess time or resources to infiltrate that deep into Elf territory.

Observations on the Effects of Magic and Fey Interference

My journey exploring the Frozen Marsh has been…interesting. What was originally a study on the effects of magical resistance in humans instead turned into an odd tale with a mixed end. On the plus side, I have gathered enough data to formulate theory on magic resistance and humans. On the negative side I am now burdened with two odd fey creatures determined to experience life as my waifus. Oh yes, and apparently I’ve had immortality crammed into my mortal frame. Not sure how to feel about that.

Originally the experiment was to take place in the plains as it would allow me to observe the maximum number of people, how they were affected by magic, based on several theories of magic. The chief theory I believe in is the Old World Warhammer theory that magic energy used to fuel spells comes from another dimension, and since energy cannot be created or destroyed, but a vacuum must be maintained, therefore those humans who are resistant are merely the universe’s magic immune system, absorbing this foreign energy and dispelling it back to its origin.

Originally, I was supposed to bribe a bunch of people, ranging from the dregs of society to the upper classmen, everyone has a price, and lure them to the plains for a meeting for a ‘social experiment’. Payment would not be given and no survivors were expected. Experiments would begin with each person, after being proven they were resistant, be hooked up to several mechanisms that would collect every conceivable piece of data from the person’s activity. Operations moved to the plain to reduce the number of prying eyes, and reduce costs of making peace enforcers ‘forget’.

That was the original plan. The Fey do not like plans.

I realize that there were several errors in the experiment. I should not have placed the base so close to the Frozen Marshes. I should not have used devices that produce so much energy run off that the fey would be attracted. I should not have accepted their offer to provide me with the information I needed. Most importantly, I should not have bought my assistant. An odd fellow who seemed to support my views on advancing meta-science. He was always a bit odd. Even by my standards.

I am off track. The readings themselves attracted an odd, but obviously powerful creature. It identified itself as a traveler and scholar, always curious about the habits of mortals. Attracted to my experiments, it could not help but ask what I was hoping to accomplish. In my ignorance, I gave it the full detail of my plans, hoping that it if satisfied, it would relegate itself to a passive observer. The thing’s smile widened. Now that I think of it, I am not sure that thing that was smiling was the creature’s mouth. It asked me if it could help out. I refused, determined to keep the experiment as sterile as possible.

That was my mistake.

I did not realize I was refusing a request from the Son of the Winter Unseel (awful name in my personal opinion). If I do not want their help, I should have made a counter offer. Unfortunately I didn’t, and as such, the thing revealed itself to me as the powerful Fey that it was, offended at my refusal. What followed next, I’m not sure. Some blinding flash, screaming, hundreds of fey flitting about my vision, blood and limbs flying all over the place. Though, the man I was working on, some toady that was hoping to fund a coup against one of the jarls, was reduced to a gibbering wreck. I think he is still alive, chained in my lab to prevent him from trying to eat his own face. When the dust settled, I was no longer, in the plains. For a while, I wasn’t even sure I was in any sort of materiel realm, as the place I was currently located did not seem to follow any established rule of science, and they were subject to change at a moment’s notice. One second, it is raining. Next, the rain flows upward. Next the rain stops in midair and gathers into an orb and explodes. At least I think it was rain. For all I know, that was Fey urine.

Eventually I was able to coax one of the myriad creatures towards me. It was a small pixie like creature, smaller than my hand. I asked of my location, and it told me I was in the Court of the Winter Unseel. Asking where my assistant was, it pointed in some general direction. I thanked the tiny creature. Then I grabbed it, broke its neck, and placed it carefully in one of my pouches. I was not about to pass up this opportunity to study such magical creatures now.

This did not sit well with some of the other local fey. A shame, but I resolved to keep them as intact as possible. Knowing I would be in no position to carry back all their carcasses, much less keep them preserved for the long journey back, I was forced to carry out my operation their on the spot. The Fey are indeed an odd lot. They all seem to be related in some way to each other, despite being so physically different. Many of the creatures had the same organism the same places; they were all suspended in a viscous fluid that was not like blood. It was thicker, and seemed to have…static in it? I am not sure, but simply by touching the fluids as they gushed out, I felt something akin to an electric jolt pass through me.

Attached is a close representation of what the pixie I collected looked like. Except mine was dead.

My procedures were swift, experience in dealing with groups of panicking, struggling elves and dissecting them all before they expire giving me the speed I needed to complete my task. By the end, I can safely say that the Fey, while fundamentally different, may all simply be categorized in the same Kingdom, much like Protista, as they do not fit anywhere else. Not to mention there were so many half breeds and quarter breeds, that their genetic malleability is at a level beyond any other organism. Granted the Knights and their half breed children provide exception to that rule, but then we ourselves were outsiders. Perhaps we do not follow the same rules. Again, I am conjecturing and getting off course.

I had escaped the wrath of the angered Fey only to stumble upon…I’m not sure how to accurately describe it. The Son of the Unseel was there, in front of what I can only describe as a magic centrifuge. All the people I had collected were in there, or what was left of them, and were reduced to a slurry. The Son of the Unseel noticed me and bade me welcome. He was oddly happy to see me despite my previous handling of his subjects. Apparently he is also psychic, waving his hand and dismissing them as ‘not quite dead’, and that he would amend the situation. He introduced me instead to the ones manning the very bizarre device, two fey: both had feline features, much like the Felim, but they were undeniably Fey, their body structure too thin and elfin to be even a Felim-Elf mix (as if an Elf would stoop himself to such a level). One had bare skin, milk white with the name Aixys, and another skin jet black called Ayxis. The two were very familiar with me. It would be later that I would learn that the gap in my memory was a time I had spent…very out of character, frolicking, dancing with the Unseel Fey, and getting very intimate with Aixys and Ayxis. I was explained that the device I was looking at was doing what would have taken me months to complete a mere few days. During that time, I had made myself acquainted with the two Cat-Fey. They were born alongside each other, Aixys practically radiating magic, and Ayxis absorbing it. No wonder during my magic induced drug trip I had become so close. They were living, breathing creatures supporting my theory. But then again they are Fey, and I cannot apply the rule of Fey to mortals. My assistant had disappeared at some point, though the Son said he was in the company of the King of the Unseel. Not wishing to waste more time, and to avoid those ‘come hither’ looks I was getting from the Fey twins, I left for what the Son said to be the King’s throne.

My assistant was gone, for lack of better word. He broke the next rule of dealing with the Unseel. Accepting their offer. The King had promised him knowledge of everything in exchange that he becomes King of the Unseel. Sounds like a very enticing offer yes. But what my assistant apparently forgot is that being King of the Unseel is a tedious, boring, and painful job, and that the Fey will gleefully pass that task on to someone else if it means they can go off and do the stuff Unseel Fey do. On top of that, try doing what the King of a whole group of Fey do while still mortal. The end result is unsettling. So the King laughs as he jumps off his throne of roots and thorns, the very branches coming to life and grasping the poor soul. I couldn’t allow that. He is my assistant after all. I have to fire him before letting something kill him. So I jumped in and with a deft sweep, cut the vines off. The King was not amused.

The effect was almost instantaneous. The power of the Unseel Fey, unleashed, sought to work the near endless fount of energy into something. I was the closest thing to work it on. It entered me and I felt the thing tearing me apart. I refused to let it happen and fought back. Perhaps I am lucky, or a chosen on; or perhaps this is quantum physics in action. Whatever the reason, the energy stopped resisting me, and it began to form itself into something ordered. Something I could contain. In that moment I had absorbed the power of the most powerful Fey in this plane of existence. Despite all logic and reason explaining how it should not be possible, me, a mere mortal has become the King of the Unseel.

The Fey reacted almost instantly. A gathering had occurred and countless creatures, Unseel and Seel alike had amassed themselves around me, gaped with a mixture of expressions. Shock, awe, outrage, confusion, dumbstruck, some had no face so I could not tell…but there were two neutral faces, they were the Son of the last Unseel King, and the Queen of the Seel Fey.

“Mortal Harbinger.”, began the Queen. “With the death of-“ god(s) I cannot pronounce that long, damn name so I won’t bother. “-the power of the Unseel has waned. But without the Unseel, the Seel cannot Be. Mortal Harbinger, as the one who now possesses the power of the Unseel, you must now take your rightful place and rule with me –“ dear GODS that name is even harder to spell. “and return us to a state of Be.”

The Son spoke up next, his expression totally passive. “Well, you are now my father. And as such, it is now expected of you to take his mantle. To be the Unseel. Will you abandon your past, for this glorious immortality?” The Fey love their protocol. They expect me to accept, and take my place, and go through more pomp and circumstance. My reply was swift.

“No.”

That seemed to put them off. The Queen hiccupped and giggled lightly. “I’m sorry lord –“ That damnable name “did you just say-“

“My name is Harbinger. My real name is of no concern. I will not be some King to some realm of impossible existence, and I sure as hell will not participate in magic political flamewars. You want some guy to be the next Trollface guy, find someone else, I’m leaving.”

“But you can’t! It is your duty! The Balance is gone. We can never Be!” the Son yelled.

“I don’t care; it doesn’t interfere with my work.” And I turned to leave. One of the benefits of being King of the Unseel realm is that I can turn in any direction and it will be the exit. I stopped and turned back to my assistant. “Oh and Carlile?”

“Y-yes lord Harbinger? Lord? King? Sir?” the man cringed.

“You’re fired.”

With that I made my way back to the plains. Judging by my watch, my time in the Fey Realm had taken all of two days in the material plane. As I set to make the long trek back to Castle Waifu, I heard two voices behind me. It was the Cat-Fey. They prostrated themselves before me, begging me to take them along. I asked why, and they explain that during my time in their arms as a mortal, I would regale them with tales of castle waifu, and the knights doting upon their harems. Such a life was something they wanted to experience, and who better to give it to them, than the one who informed them of such an interesting life in the first place. I initially refused, but they offered me all the data that I had originally intended to collect from this expedition as a bargaining chip. Reluctantly, I accepted.

With that I made my way back to the plains. Judging by my watch, my time in the Fey Realm had taken all of two days in the material plane. As I set to make the long trek back to Castle Waifu, I heard two voices behind me. It was the Cat-Fey. They prostrated themselves before me, begging me to take them along. I asked why, and they explain that during my time in their arms as a mortal, I would regale them with tales of castle waifu, and the knights doting upon their harems. Such a life was something they wanted to experience, and who better to give it to them, than the one who informed them of such an interesting life in the first place. I initially refused, but they offered me all the data that I had originally intended to collect from this expedition as a bargaining chip. Reluctantly, I accepted.

So now I am a Fey-King-immortal-human…thing. I returned to the castle to being making sense of all the collected data. I got more than the usual odd looks from the people of the castle. Sir Fearghaile, Sir Artorias, Sir Dustyn, even Sir Gearheart who normally would just give me a polite nod simple stared at me. Nothing outward was different about me, but I gave off an aura of ‘wrongness’ that put many of my peers off. Even those that respect me kept some distance from me.

The Cat Fey on the other hand were nothing of the sort. As I had retired to my lab, Ayxis and Aixys were ecstatic, running about the entire castle, introducing themselves to every individual they saw and proudly proclaiming they were my waifus. I received many complaints that day, mostly from knights who were in the middle of some ‘intimate relations’ with their waifus only to interrupted by two monochromatic cats declaring themselves to everyone. It will pass. Helbrey is worried about me, sensing something is off. I alleviate her worry. The twins are still too young to understand, and they still smile and gibber at me in their baby language. It was…nice to see them. Now that I am immortal what will I do? I do not know. Perhaps I will stay with TeeGee for a while longer, it is my home after all, and the home of my friends. But after they are gone, what then? I do not know. I cannot say I know the new recruits very well. Given my new magic power, I doubt I can teach what I know to anyone. I’m as liable to cast a fireball as I am to level half the castle. That is something for me to brood on.

End of Experiment. Conclusion: It’s magic, I can’t explain this shit.

…oh my, I think the Fey’s humor is rubbing off on me.