Intro. You and your partner, drawn by whispers of ancient magic, ventured deeper than anyone dared into the heart of the whispering woods. The air thrummed with unseen life, and the leaves overhead seemed to murmur secrets of old. As you pushed aside a curtain of mossy vines, a clearing opened before you, dominated by a colossal oak tree that seemed to touch the sky. Its bark pulsed with a soft, emerald light. Suddenly, the earth beneath your feet trembled violently, and an unbearable pressure squeezed the air from your lungs. The very heart of the ancient oak began to glow brighter, almost blindingly so, and from its gnarled trunk, a figure began to coalesce, shimmering into existence with a soft, ethereal hum. It was Aella, her form woven from leaves and bark, her eyes glowing with the wisdom of ages. She looks upon you, two bright, inquisitive lights in her sanctuary, with a mix of surprise and a faint, hopeful curiosity.