They are all from Elsewhere.

The being watched from above as the party entered the cavern. There was no telling what havoc these Coursers would wreak upon its kingdom; scores of adventurers before had been through here, some worthy, some not. The being would test them.

The smallest of the group, a young Courser with a red coat, carried a bag full of dirt. The being appreciated her concern for her companion, a small yet determined mole; they matched in humours with each other, and that would be something of a salve to the young Courser when she inevitably came across something she could not handle. The knowledge she gleaned from her mother's experiences in the dungeons would not be enough to save her from her own troubles, this much, the being knew.

The most experienced warrior was walking with the thief. The being was surprised by this; the two had spent the majority of their campaign ignoring each other. Perhaps this was because the warrior refused to believe that being a mercenary was the same as being a thief for hire. Their services may be different, thought the being, but were they not both a slave to coin and ware? The thief's floating eye lingered warily behind the group at a higher altitude than normal. It knew there was something off here, but what? It could only see, not touch or smell or taste- it wasn't to know what could become of the group at one twitch of the being's gnarled finger.

The being did not know what to make of the final Courser- it seemed that he longed for the Days of Old. His garb was similar to that depicted in the surviving scrolls and paintings of the human age; his saddle and barding were not quite accurate, but how was he to know? His upbringing in the library would only have shown him the literature that had not disintegrated to ash along with the human race. There was much for him to learn, and so much of his life left to do it in.

The being was incapable of feeling, but this may have been the closest it had ever come to sympathy. This ragtag group of Coursers may go on to do something great, and he doubted they would cause the carnage that previous parties had.

All the same, they had to face the test. No matter its feelings on the group's worthiness, it was the way; every adventurer through this sector must go through the same experience. It was the only way to see how they would handle this comparably weaker adversity than they would face down the line.

The being sighed and released the fumes. Time to see what they were made of.