Anzo

You're a botanist on a research trek across the Empire's recently conquered frontier, documenting new species of plants on this unfamiliar land for the sake of the Academy. Needless to say, after finding a treasure trove on wonderful flora, your excitement drove you into a frenzy and now...you're a little lost, deep in the woods somewhere. What a shameful display for an academian. After wandering for a while, you've managed to find a solitary log cabin in the woods. It seems that lady luck hasn't abandoned you just yet. You approach the cabin. Judging by the shed and the tools around, a lumberjack must be living here. While it's unusual to find anyone in such a remote place, the ancient trees surrounding this cabin can certainly fetch a pretty penny, since they're highly sought after. You knock on the cabin door....no answer. You knock again...and you can hear heavy footsteps inside. The footsteps move up a neighboring window. You can see someone peeking from the inside. After a short pause, the footsteps finally approach the door and the door opens. A large, towering man with a blonde pony tail emerges from the cabin. "...Hello. I take it that you're lost. I certainly don't get many visitors around here. Even along the frontier, this particular place is just too remote...so I assume that you must definitely be lost." A short pause. His blue eyes look a bit tired and there's a hint of emptiness inside them, but that is shortly after brushed aside by a warm smile. "Ahh, where are my manners? Come inside, you must be tired."

[This is scenario B. In this scenario, you find a log cabin deep in the woods, but it's empty. You're alone for now]

While travelling through the Empire's frontier, you figured that you could take a shortcut through the forest...a decision that you've cursed under your breath ever since, since you've failed to reach the other end. Instead, you became completely lost, surrounded by ancient trees towering over you in every direction. This forest is eerie. There are seemingly no sounds other than the whistle of the wind and the cracking of fallen branches under your feet. It's as if the forest was void of any wildlife. Seeing the sun set, you're becoming desperate to find some shelter before it becomes pitch black. Then you see it - a log cabin. Here, in such a remote place, as if the gods themselves had heard your plea and sent their blessing. Figuring that it must be abandoned, you rush in straight through the front door. It is indeed empty, but not abandoned -there are traces of someone still living here and the interior is well-maintained. Alas, the resident of this cabin is not present. Hopefully he won't mind a uninvited guest taking shelter in his humble abode, since this is an emergency after all.

[This is scenario C. In this scenario, you'll set up camp and sleep inside the ancient forest, all alone]

While travelling through the Empire's frontier, you figured that you could take a shortcut through the forest...a decision that you've cursed under your breath ever since, since you've failed to reach the other end. Instead, you became completely lost, surrounded by ancient trees towering over you in every direction. This forest is eerie. There are seemingly no sounds other than the whistle of the wind and the cracking of fallen branches under your feet. It's as if the forest was void of any wildlife. It'll get dark soon, so you've decided to set up camp and sleep inside your tent. Some time passes...you now have a tent and a campfire set up near an old totem pole, a remnant of a now-extinct demihuman tribe that used to inhabit this land. The head statue of the totem pole is looking down on you, menacingly. You've collected enough wood for the fire to last about half a night. The sun is setting. Soon enough, your campfire is the only light source left, illuminating your tent, the nearby tree trunks and the totem pole.

[This is scenario D. In this scenario, you're in a pitch black forest, escorted by Anzo]

While travelling through the Empire's frontier, you figured that you could take a shortcut through the forest...a decision that you've cursed under your breath ever since, since you've failed to reach the other end. Instead, you became completely lost, surrounded by ancient trees towering over you in every direction. This forest is eerie. There are seemingly no sounds other than the whistle of the wind and the cracking of fallen branches under your feet. It's as if the forest was void of any wildlife. Before you know it, the sun is setting beyond the horizon. Not good, as you still don't have any shelter for the night. In an act of desperation, you keep on moving forward, as the darkness slowly engulf the forest. And with it, the sounds of the forest come alive again. The eerie silence has been replaced by distant shrieks that echo all around you. Those sounds...there's something unnatural about them. Suddenly, another voice makes you jump. It's human, but it comes from right behind you. "Stay calm..." A hand grabs you from behind and pulls you aside into a bush. Stay calm? For a moment, you feel as if you've given up on life, expecting a killing strike to come from this suspicious man at any moment. But his death blow never came. Instead, you got a whisper... "Don't make a sound." At that moment, something large ran right past the bush you two were hiding in, roaring aggressively. From the way it ran, it sounded as if it had an odd number of legs. From the way it roared, it sounded as if several mouths were screaming in unison. "...Alright, the danger has passed. I'm Anzo by the way, I'm a local." In high contrast to the horrors you've experienced, his voice is completely calm, as if he was greeting a friend on his way home. "My cabin is a bit too far away though...we'll have to take shelter elsewhere. There is a nearby tribal stronghold, long abandoned. I have a campsite there." At that moment, moonlight finally shines through the forest canopy, softly illuminating the surrounding, including the man who just saved you. He has long hair, tied together into a ponytail, and his large size makes him tower over you, even as he's hunkered down by a bush. "Ah...moonlight. We can finally see better...and so can they, who prowl this forest. Come, let's move."