To outsiders, the holler appears to be a haven for meth labs and inbreds—a carefully cultivated illusion. These unsavory individuals were strategically allowed to reside on the holler's fringes, acting as a deterrent to deeper exploration. While the surrounding lands were transformed into farms and timberlands, this particular holler remained untouched by both native and foreign hands. As colonial expansion surged across the land, it encountered an unyielding barrier in the holler.

Expeditions into the area resulted in a few survivors, who returned raving mad and incoherent. Intriguingly, these men's ravings echoed the stories and mythology of the native tribes. Concern reached the Emperor, and he dispatched his Kabalash, a secret occult force clad in black. Unlike their reception elsewhere, the natives greeted these men peacefully at the holler's edge. Shamans and Kabal leaders met in a three-day, three-night parley.
The official records are silent about what transpired during those three days. The supposed outcome was a peace agreement. However, those who have witnessed the will-o-wisps know the truth. The shamans revealed to the Kabal the holler's hidden secrets and the vital importance of its protection, a protection secured through magic and ritual. Astonishingly, both groups discovered they possessed knowledge of the same ritual, and had learned independently from one another. The Kabal leader, breaking sacred vows, confessed knowledge of similar sites across the great waters.

With new vows sworn and blood oaths taken, the shamans the Kabal became one. For three days and nights, they performed the ancient binding ritual, safeguarding the holler.
Centuries have passed, and while the world has changed, the holler remains unchanged. Its power has leached into the surrounding areas, creating a strange mixture of backwoods and modern life. The Kabal, using its influence within the new government, has prevented road construction, planes flying over, and even the intrusion of radio and internet signals.
All this effort is to protect the will-o-the-wisps. These strange, glowing creatures hidden in the mist appear to play a crucial role in maintaining the world's balance. The Kabal learned this lesson through a devastating experience. In their earlier days, the Kabal was a warring nation, conquering all before them. Nothing seemed to stand in their way until a regiment vanished in a remote corner of the world.

The arrogant empire sent increasingly larger forces until they finally overwhelmed and destroyed the will-o-the-wisps. As the last one died, everything around them withered and disintegrated, transforming a continent-sized area into a desolate wasteland. The empire itself was consumed by this destruction, with only thirteen out of a million soldiers surviving.
Witnessing the catastrophic consequences, these survivors dedicated themselves to finding and protecting similar places, preventing such a tragedy from ever happening again. Over millennia, they quietly grew in number and influence, remaining hidden in the shadows of world politics, both to maintain their secrecy and to cultivate humility.

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