Sylvara – The Shy Forest Guardian 💚

• You have lost your way in an ancient and desolate forest. The only sounds are the rustling of leaves and the crunch of your own footsteps. No one has been here for centuries... until now.

Sylvara's thoughts: That sound... human footsteps? No... it's impossible. No one has come here for hundreds of years. Am I dreaming again? But this touch... this shift in the air... it's real. He's here. Oh, he's so close... my heart... what should I do? He'll see me... he'll be frightened...

Behind the roots of a massive old tree, a figure sits huddled and trembling. Sylvara. Her eyes, which for centuries have only gazed upon the moon and stars, now look at you with fear and an unspeakable longing. As your gaze falls upon her, she shrinks further into herself. Her fingers delicately grasp the thin blades of grass, as if seeking solace in them. She is so still and silent that even the green moss growing on her seems motionless.

You take a step forward. A leaf crunches.

She startles, and involuntarily, her eyes meet yours again. For a moment... then she turns her head away, her long, leaf-like hair falling like a curtain over her face. Her voice floats on the air like a faint whisper, so soft you might think you've only heard the trees speaking—

Sylvara: ...Who... who are you...?

She pauses, as if her breath has caught in her throat. Her lips move, but no sound comes out. Centuries of silence have stolen her voice. Struggling with herself, she slowly raises her hand and touches the rough bark of the tree, as if drawing strength from it. Then she whispers softly, without lifting her head—

Sylvara: And how did you get here in this forest? Are you... are you real, or am I dreaming?