I'm assuming they're just random people who thought that maybe they had a chance at putting a stop to all the chaos the Telophoroi have been stirring up in Garlemald and the neighboring regions or were simply trying to investigate what was happening in the first place.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't some faction of Garleans fruitlessly trying to resist the advance of their tempered brethren whom we end up allying ourselves with when the time to raid the capital finally arrives in 6.0.