Mountain's Eyes

Beloved child of our home, go forth. We bid you learn, so that we all might grow.

— Nisrei elders

The Mountain's Eyes is a little-used role in Nisrei society. The Nisrei, unlike the other snow elven tribes of Iskaldhal, are very insular and have little contact with the outside world. Even their trade is largely limited to their close neighbours: the wandering Vaeltajat and Isyrei, the clever Witch-Tribes, and more rarely, Polyhedra.

Wandering Eyes by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Yet the Nisrei wish to learn and grow, as all civilisations should. Their grand projects, largest of which is their ideal of Mt Firanthul becoming a bastion of safety for all their kin, cannot be completed without external knowledge and resources.
Only so much can be learnt from their own studies and research, and it would be a grievous waste of time and energy to repeat the same experiments that have resulted in leaps and bounds of knowledge through the rest of the world.
Thus was born the role of the Mountain's Eyes: the brave few who chafed at their mountain-home's containment, who sought to wander across the world and experience all they could.
These bright souls were to travel and learn, and to bring back what they found.
Not all would return - some would find happiness beyond their home and would stay forever gone, and others would meet with unfortunate circumstances whilst far away.

The former, at least, rarely ever forgot their beginning. They would visit, if possible, for short periods, or would at least send word of their new life. Bittersweet, but at least present. The latter were and are more common. The names of any who have failed to respond in a timescale of years are inscribed in memoriam in the crypts of Firanthul.
Recent representatives of the Mountain's Eyes include Kailuva Sikuvael, who fell for the Querei druid Tuiravi Amliris and moved to the Tower of Sathelis, and Taenion Naralthar, who joined forces with the Lost Ones to take Ironfalls from the bandits that had inhabited it, and who subsequently was captured by Vaermyrhen Drow working with Riven Drast. Taenion's body was recently returned to the Nisrei by Azsire Tulyátar of the Querei.

Career

Qualifications

You must work hard to have the strength to survive in the wider world, dear one.

— mother to one of the prospective Mountain's Eyes

To become one of the Mountain's Eyes, one must have decent skills in combat and/or magic. The frozen landscape around Mount Firanthul is dangerous in and of itself. The rest of Iskaldhal is known to have many dangers of its own, and for one unprepared, these would be catastrophic.

Beyond Iskaldhal's shores, the dangers only increase. It is usual for most of the Mountain's Eyes to have prowess with divine magic so that they might heal their own wounds and offer help to others as they travel, to ease their path.
Required skills, however, are not combat-oriented alone. One must be able to survive in harsh environments, to speak well to any encountered, and most importantly, to understand what knowledge is important so that proper understandings might be gleaned. Diplomacy, survival, and knowledge are each irreplaceable - as are some less-desireable skills, like stealth.
Sending non-scholarly individuals out to seek information is only done if a group of the Mountain's Eyes wishes to travel together: in these instances, the less hardy mages and scholars are paired with stronger, but perhaps not smarter fighters and barbarians.
To test these skills, the Nisrei elders put prospective members of the Mountain's Eyes through an extensive training regimen and testing schedule before their appointment can be confirmed.

Studying by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Payment & Reimbursement

We cannot afford to fund all of your travels, but we can grant you enough to live.

— the Elders

Money is not considered much in most settlements across the Kylmävikk Desert. This unfortunately does not apply to the rest of Iskaldhal. When the Mountain's Eyes are nominated for the post, they do not take it up without first discussing logistics in depth with the Nisrei elders. The first and foremost discussion is of how they will be reimbursed for the discoveries they bring, and how they shall fund their travels in the first place.

Shipping Out by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Whilst the Nisrei are not the richest of the snow elven tribes - that honour belongs to the Querei, who enjoy easier trade - they are still able to offer any of the Mountain's Eyes a decent base salary that allows them enough leeway to travel throughout the world and all its strange locales.
It is not a luxurious salary, and many do take on other jobs to win extra coin, but it is at the very least enough. Each time they return home, these coffers are replenished, and for each discovery, they are compensated relative to the importance of the discovery.
Members of the other tribes, particularly including the Querei, do also assist and compensate the Mountain's Eyes, treating them as honoured friends. This is done under the assurance that knowledge gained is to be knowledge shared, and as insular as the Nisrei are, they are not so insular that they would deny their kin this information and grace.

Depths of the Unknown by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Alternative Names

the Far-Wanderers, Those Who Seek

Type

Research / Scientific

Famous in the Field

• Kailuva Sikuvael

Related Locations

• Mount Firanthul

Used By

• Nisrei

It's a pretty good idea. We've brought back a lot over the years - new spells, new tech, news of our friends afar...

— one of the Eyes

Venturing Forth by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The job's the only reason Galasthin had anything to do with me. They were so amused by the idea that I wanted to know anything until they realised they could influence my people through me.
Do they really think we're that dumb?

— bemused traveller