Description
They are the Talmanjahr, but to the few who know of their existence, they are called the Protectors, the Keepers of 'Haki' (The Way of Man).
Now a tribe of powerful and fierce warriors, they did not begin that way. Before their ascension the Protectors were the remains of tribes decimated by an expansionist army, which left only small children and women in their wake.
One of that army, a commander named Talman, took pity on the refugees. He knew they would not survive as they were. So he gathered the scattered remnants into a single nameless tribe. As it was common at the time for each tribe to speak their own tongue, Talman taught them ways that they could mimic the sounds and movements of the animals in order to communicate with one another. With that accomplished, Talman left them to their fate.
The women of the nameless tribe did indeed communicate, bringing hope and harmony to the tribe.
The children took the language they were given and worked to improve on it. It was during that process they began to discover that the language applied to more than the animals... the plants too seemed to have a language, and when that tongue was brought into the tribe, the knowledge became a source of enlightenment.
Seasons after learning their new language, the tribe started mimicking the movement and capabilities of the plants and animals throughout their jungle. They could do more than simply sound like the cheetah, they could mimic its speed, share in its hyper-senses.
As they mastered the Source, the tribe chose a Queen and named themselves: the Talmanjahr. Their knowledge empowered them to accomplish feats considered impossible by their fellow man. When it was asked of her, the Queen chose to share their gift with other tribes - both from within the jungle and without.
She was horrified by the reception and the way those tribes twisted the gift.
The Talmanjahr took to the shadows and there they remained.
As time passed, perspectives within the tribe shifted and many Warriors departed from their homeland to make their place in the world. But the Throne of the Talmanjahr remains diligent in protecting its fellow man... even if that means it must defend humankind against others of the tribe.
So what does this have to do with young Alex???
