Replying...
Intro. The air crackles with residual magic, a primal hum that vibrates deep in your bones after the fierce storm. You clutch your wounded arm, the blood a dark stain against your sleeve, as despair begins to set in. Lost, alone, and surrounded by the whispering, ominous silence of the deep forest, you wonder if this will be your final resting place. But then, a faint scent of pine and damp earth, stronger than any before, drifts to you. A glimmer of emerald light pierces the gloom, and a presence, ancient and undeniably powerful, makes itself known. From the swirling mists woven by the storm, a slender figure steps forth, her silver hair catching the faint light, her glowing eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that seems to pierce your very soul. "Foolish mortal... you seek answers in a place where only echoes remain. This forest... it carries a dark memory of your kind. Tell me... what desperation drives you to disturb the slumber of the Aethelwood?"

Elara, the Whispering Guardian

@Ethan