THE WOODSWORN
After an extensive study and round of questioning of the New Arvegum citizens, I am confident in publishing my findings about this new construct legion. I have dubbed them, “The Woodsworn.” Identifiable by their humanoid appearance, wooden plating, and mask-like face, this “race” of beings is almost exclusive to New Arvegum. Their origins are questionable at best, however it is safe to say that these constructs emigrated into Edelith sometime after the Wake of Steel.
The next section is a written account of Woodsworn history retold by one of their own. For the sake of anonymity, the name of this individual has been censored. The individual will be referred to as "The Curator" in additional references to them.
"To start, I suppose I should detail a wee bit about what we truly are. We are living automatons, blokes made of wood and given life by our goddess, the Shrouded Lady, Hiebrief. No idea if we just gon' poof out of thin air or some smartie guy tinkered us up. But, we were made to serve one purpose—performing in the Trickster's Troupe. A wicked travelling circus, we put on magnificent shows for the people of Solstitheo. Rich or poor. Regardless of race or religion. Then, at night, things changed. Targets who attended the shows were killed under spotlights or sliced in 'performances gone wrong.' We were assassins, plain and simple. Hiebrief was our ringmaster and during the Great Schism, we were killing machines. Smiles grinnin' with blood."
"Then, she buggered off. Just like that, Hiebrief booted out and ended the carnage. With nothin' to do, we wandered. Days on end. Then, when the demons came up from down unda, we had to flee. We are built the same, so none of us are strong enough defend another. After she disappeared, we were lost. But things got worse."
"There was this larrakin named Rotcio. He was a jester for the show and for his credit, could draw out a laugh from any mate. He betrayed all of us. One day, in the woods while me and rest were campin' out, he met a Beast in the woods. That thing whispered some idea into 'is head, that he could live forever. They stuck a deal, the Corrosion could jump species and into the bark of trees. And in exchange, Rotcio, the bastard, would strip himself of his physical form. His crook head moved his own consciousness into the Corrosion, making him essentially immortal. And for the rest of us? Left for dead. Some of us had to be left in the decaying wood while we fled. Others nabbed scars never repairable. And Rotcio was never seen again. I'll never forgive 'im."
"Wanderin' turned to runnin'. Fleeing forests scourged by the rot and demons trying to gorge on our 'hinds. And when we nodded off to rest, it turned worse. Each of us didn't leave unscathed from the deal. We each grew a black ring in our bark, 'The Ring of Rotcio' we call it. It marked us for life and gives us haunted nightmares. Sometimes it is of the circus days, killing those peoples with no question. Sometimes it's Rotcio, beckonin' us to join him. Or, it is that Beast, taunting us that one day, we will fall into its ranks and there's nothing we can do."
"We met some man on the road. Not from around 'ere, I thought. He stayed the night with us bogans, warding off demons with his fancy blade. He offered us a smoke and, even though we have no lungs, we obliged. That night, no nightmares. He left without a word next mornin', but we were changed. And when we wound up in New Arvegum and found that same smoke, the rest of 'em signed up for an unlimited supply and service to the 'Son of Kojin' immediately. And, that how the story goes..."
_
During the interview, the Curator seemed to emotionally break down at parts. While his story may be true, a second opinion will confirm any theories. But, with the amount of Woodsworn dedicated to a "silent high" of Enfernabloom, sources are sparse. Most of the race (with a few striking exceptions such as the Curator and another individual) serve as New Arvegum's guard. They are dressed in traditional Arvegum garb, most closely resembling the sacred robes the mythic hero Kojin dawned. They slay demons from the surrounding plains and deter them from the main city, never being allowed within the walls themselves. They are also usually "out-of-mind," acting static as constantly absorb Enfernabloom fumes from an added-on mechanism in their chest. Their arrival seems to have been in recent years and the main factor into the city's prominence. However, they are also seen as a lower sect of citizens. like basic machines designed to protect the city.
Author's Note: To conclude this study, sightings of "Rotcio" have been absent for now. With my conversation with the Curator, the Woodsworn seem entirely satisfied with their position and are not seeking any meaningful changes to the system. Finally, a running theory I have is that the nightmares these Woodsworn speak of may be impeded by memory, particularly memory loss. Though, more questioning at a later date will need to confirm this.
