Preview - Native people of Outlaw Country

[Author's note: This entry takes place in the past, back when Europan/Federal Union/Nienpon/Russo Confederacy all had resource extraction colonies in the land that would be late called Outlaw Country. In the modern era, the natives of Outlaw Country still carry on, albeit with little to no hostilities between them and Outlaw Country's newest inhabitants. For the most part, the two sides keep to themselves, outside of the occasional trade and assistance] The following is an excerpt from Captain Anders Mertens of the Brabantian Military, Expedition Force #23: [Captain's Log, Entry #02 - Date: ██/██/████] In the three months I've been stationed at this colony, I've only ever come across the natives of this land...maybe three times? The first encounter was with an elderly woman a month ago. She was a traveling bread merchant who exclusively bartered for goods (She had a soft multi-grain loaf she called "Mefta" which pairs wonderfully with either butter or even sharp cheese). The second encounter was with a group (7? 9?) of young adults (mid-to-late 20's) who were washing clothes and bathing along mild river about 3 kilometers northwest of our camp's location. The third, and most recent encounter, just took places a few minutes ago (I am writing now, while all the memories are still fresh in my mind) and I am still stunned by the encounter! This will sound strange, but myself and a few others noticed a young native man, with his two (pet?) wolves, walking right in the middle of our camp! It still astounds me that no one, myself included, ever noticed the young man or his wolves until they were in the center of our camp! Surely, someone must have seen the three enter our camp AT SOME POINT?!...but no. Of all the men here that were questioned, myself included, no one saw them enter the camp! There has to be some sort of logical explanation for this...but whatever it is, it eludes me. I would say we detained the young man...but that isn't entirely correct. When suddenly spotted, the young man was asked to stop and raise his hands. He stopped, but calmly protested when asked to raise his hands. When asked of his intentions, he calmly stated "I am traveling to the river up north, to look for medicinal plants and fungi. Your camp was in the middle of my path, so I am just passing though. I assure you I, and my traveling companions, mean you and your people no harm." When the commanding officer on duty ordered two of his soldiers to detain the young man, the two soldiers attempted to approach the young man, but stopped maybe 2-3 meters away from him. Once stopped, the men seemed to have lost all motivation to detain the young man. When questioned, the men seemed to be sympathetic to the young man. "He's just traveling through. Is detaining him necessary?" The commanding officer was furious at first, but in an instant...he too was sympathetic to the young man! After a few more words of dialog (I was too far away to hear what was said) the officer allowed the young man and his wolves to pass through the camp and the three walked on, until line of sight with them was lost. To say this was an odd situation is a understatement. Him entering the camp undetected, he put up mild resistance, and no one really had the desire/motivation to show him even the mildest form of aggression. The soldiers at the camp here are by no means saints, either. Many of them, including the two who were commanded to detain the young man, are hardened soldiers. They have killed men and super predator alike, without hesitation... I would like to state, for official record, that I am aware of why Captain Maes was relieved of his duty and why I was called to take his place. Over several months stationed here, he had come down with a form of madness. No one knows the origins of this affliction, nor do they know when he came down with it. Many say he began showing symptoms weeks before his mental collapse...and it was a devastating collapse. One afternoon, he had barricaded himself in his quarters and was screaming like a lunatic. He prattled on about spirits and creatures in the forest. How the natives are colluding with the natural entities to expunge the colonies here, Brabantian or otherwise. "The natives know magic! The forest...it gives the natives their magics!" The captain's quarters were eventually breached and the lunatic captain apprehended. The entire time he was being subdued, the man was screaming and crying about the natives and their magics. He must have fancied himself a version of the Oracle of Delphi. I'm hardly a superstitious man. I am a man of the modern era, who firmly sides with science over superstition...but I cannot explain what happened today and how it happened. I firmly don't believe in magic and the supernatural...but I cannot explain how this easily noticeable young man and his two wolves managed to enter our camp undetected nor can I explain how no one was able to detain this young man. The more my mind tries to process what happened earlier, the more I find myself thinking back to Captain Maes ranting about magic and supernatural entities... I think I'm due for some port wine and maybe some semi-hard cheese and some Mefta bread. Perhaps a nice meal would take my mind off of this magic nonsense... [END OF LOG]