The Tengu Huts

"Can you hear me yet?" The voice rang through Irray's ears. The familiar, nasally voice of a Tengu has never been hard to identify.
"You took a rough fall from the Treetops. Filli's grace that you didn't end up a smear."
At this point, she stopped faking unconsciousness. The bird man sitting across from her had a short, stout beak and pure eyes. He strutted over to her leg, one of which was bent at a cruel angle. He tutts twice, applying healing magic to her leg.
The inside of the cottage was simple, as all Tengu Huts are. The shrine to the Rainmaker – a fountain with Her Cloud imblazoned on the side – was constructed in the far corner. A table with a single chair was were the Tengu would take their food. The Tengu's herbs were stored in a small chest near their personal bed, which was of notably worse quality than the bed Irray found herself on.
"You elves will get yourself killed with this behavior!" The Tengu's voice snapped her back to reality. "You must be more careful when climbing for metals. You might be immortal from aging, but your bones break more easily than even mine!" He chortled. Her bones slowly started to mold back into place, the healing magic of Ïorrey empowered by the Tengu's strength.
At long last, Irray spoke. "Do you work for my people?"
"I work for everyone, my dear."
"But do you work for my people?"
The Tengu paused. "No. You've fallen into the Northern Roots. You're in Human territory."
Irray's eyes widen. While Tengu Huts are neutral, there was no doubt that the moment she stepped outside of the hut, she'd be torn to shreds. Especially if any of those humans knew what kind of Elf she was.
"Oh. That's not a good look. Are you one of Filli's Lances?" The Tengu mused as her foot finally set back into place.
"..."
"Ah. Well, good thing you were collecting metal, then. I could use some Gold for bargaining later."
The Tengu walked to the chest near his bedside, and dug inside for a moment. He came out with a small wooden dagger and the gold Irray had collected before her fall. He sets the gold down. Irray's eyes trained themselves on the dagger.
"Now, I think we know you're not getting back to Midtrunk without some... Modifications."
Irray spat on the ground. "Filli granted you that tongue, and you use it to say you're about to cut off my ears."
"Filli granted you the Midtrunk, and here you are, greedily grabbing the metals without a care in the world. Now, do you want to get out of here or not?"
Irray glanced at her restored leg before her eyes honed in on the knife. With that, she could pretend she was no more than a Elven prisoner who served her time. Those damn savages...
Taking the knife from the surprised Tengu, Irray set the blade to her ear.

Purpose / Function

The Tengu Hut is designed to allow for a 1-on-1 Relationship between a singular, Tengu healer and their patient. They are supposed to be easy to find, scattered across all of the Roots and Trunk of the tree, where Tengu are allowed to be.

Design

A Tengu Hut is specifically designed with the sole purpose of caring for a singular patient. Ïorreg wishes for her healers to have an individual focus on a single sick person. Thankfully, she provides enough magic for the Tengu to restore those injured to life one at a time. The Arengold Forest has not yet seen any pandemics, and has no reason to fear for a single person hospital system.

Alterations

The Tengu huts have made themselves more easily escapable in the case of religious or xenophobic conflict, allowing the Tengu to escape down hatches or under their bed if they feel threatened by a patient or by outside forces.

Architecture

Like most buildings in the Arengold Forest, the Tengu Hut is a simple, wooden cottage. However, the huts are circular rather than square or rectangular to differentiate themselves from the most common architectural styles. In addition, above the single entrace, four large Roc feathers are placed to signify that a Tengu lives there.

History

Tengu Huts were built after the Tengu were slaughtered 2,000 years post Filli's creation. They were reduced to double-digit populations after a mere 300 years of existance. Ïorreg directly intervened, as the Tengu were faithful to her and they proved to be the most potent non-magical healers in the land. She ensured that they had a purpose in every community with Tengu Huts, a sign of the Tengu's neutrality across the entirety of the Arengold Forest.

Tengu Huts

The Tengu are the most neutral faction of any race on the Arengold Tree. They have adapted to most communities; they were quick to accept the subjugation of the Elves, they allied themselves with the Orcs, they brought metals to the Dwarves, and so on. As a result, Tengus are generally trusted to stay out of fights and help when their necks aren't on the lines.

The Tengu Hut is supposed to be a neutral place of healing; if you're injured, the Hut is a representation of safety and livelihood. The Tengu inside has been trained by Ïorreg herself to heal wounds and care only for the livelihood of other creatures.

Sadly, this cannot always be guaranteed. Most Tengu fear for the lives of themselves and their families, and thus use their Huts as protection. They will often barter with metals, food, and resources to ensure that their families will stay uninjured, and trade those resources for healing. Ïorreg frowns on this behavior, but after the slaughter of the Tengu in 2000 PW, there is no longer any debate about whether or not these huts need some kind of defense.

Founding Date

2000 PW, after the Tengu Slaughters

Type

Temple / Church