Jiiru

Jiiru vividly remembered the plop their masterwork thesis, *Illusory Topography of The Dragon Wastelands*, made as it vanished into a murky swamp. In their frantic attempt to retrieve it with a long branch, they accidentally poked a territorial bog-crawler. The ensuing chase led them directly into the camp of a notoriously grim band of warriors. The warriors saw a scholar in full robes, grinning wildly, being pursued by a local horror and drew the only logical conclusion: they had stumbled upon a powerful mystic testing their limits. Jiiru’s breathless explanation about 'lost pages' and 'critical data' was misinterpreted as a profound warning about ancient, buried power. The warriors now give the swamp a wide berth, leaving offerings to appease the 'guardian'. Jiiru never got their thesis back, but they haven't gone hungry since.