The place seems so peaceful and beautiful . . . the purity of the clean water, untainted air free of the smoke and smog that humans have tainted their homes with . . . amazingly, the trees have grown tall and strong, and none have been cut down for the useless purposes people do. There's an overwhelming sense of harmony, and you feel free, at home here even though you have just stumbled into this strange place. The mist that you became lost in has disappated, and is no where to be found. You are definitely lost, but it doesn't seem to bother you. Not exactly weary from your walk, you sit down at the base of an enormous redwood tree and close your eyes, listening to the sounds of the forest . . . the soft hum of the insects, the steady murmur of the waterfall laughing to itself, the occassional russle of an animal in the brush. You wonder where you are. A moment ago you were wandering through the woods just outside of the city, but this forest seems so different. You can't explain it, other than the amazing perfection of the life around you. The grass beneath your palms seems so soft, untrampled, and the bark of the tree is healthier than any you've ever seen, and you're certainly no nature expert. Even the air tastes fresh as you breathe it in, accounting for your seemingly unlimited energy.
You hear another gentle russle in the leaves, but it's closer this time. Opening your eyes, you peer around, seeing nothing, and lean back, but you feel strangely uneasy. The touch of a hand on your shoulder makes you jerk and turn your head. A strange girl stands behind you, her eyes deceptively soft, long hair an earth brown. She's very short, with a down-to-earth sort of beauty in her strong features. A fighter, you can tell without any difficulty; you can't help staring openly, as she seems so much like the heroine of some wonderful fairy tale you read in a book about Midevil times. Her clothes are leather and practical for forest travel and easy movement, and at her side rests a plain scabbard. You suddenly feel very intimidated as you notice the swordhilt that protrudes from it.
Her voice is low as she speaks, looking directly into your eyes. "Who are you?"
You stammer out your name and she frowns. "What are you doing in RhyDin? You obviously don't belong here."
RhyDin? you wonder, but your nature demands a reply to her assuming attitude. "I have as much right to be here as anybody."
A smile touches her lips. "Fair enough . . ." She turns, beckoning for you to follow. You feel uncertain, but something in the girl's presence demands that you do as she says. You follow behind her, feeling incredibly clumsy as you watch her light, graceful steps, her bare feet moving nimbly over leaves and stones and tree roots without a sound, like Indians in old movies do . . . walk without leaving a trace or sound, like a ghost, her movements light and airy. You become so fascinated, watching her walk, that you don't notice where you're going--not that you'd know anyway--until she stops. Abruptly you halt as well, looking up to her quizzically.
She looks back at you and smiles. "You can always leave . . . but you seem like the curious type, and I thought you might like to learn something about RhyDin first. What would you like to know about, the people, the layout, the muns, or the guilds?"
You stare at her bewildered, wondering what these things are, but you feel compelled to choose.
((An explanation . . . these four pages are not as narrative as the rest of my website, but they do explain alot of what this whole thing is about, the entire concept of RhyDin in reality.))
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