The Lost Forest - East of the Phoenix State

Ralf had been traveling for months, far and wide, but mostly directly south from his homeland: Asgeir. The cold, harsh, and otherwise unforgiving landscape and climate of Asgeir wasn't exactly a cozy memory, but Ralf felt homesick. There hadn't been much in the way of jobs or tasks where he could make a name for himself, much less score a large payout. Dispatching some bandits, or quelling some sort of monster infestation was decent work, but not what this Varan sellsword was looking for. He had caught wind of some rumors concerning 'the Lost Forest'. It was wilderness, at least, uncharted as well, and so it caught his attention.

The climate here was temperate, much different than Asgeir, but the forest that surrounded him reminded him of the wilderness back home - only it wasn't covered in snow.

There was not warning, no rustling of underbrush to warn Ralf of the stranger up ahead. But when he caught sight of the woman up ahead he instinctively ducked and placed his hand on his steel sword's hilt. She didn't look to be a hostile. Once the rush of caution ran over him, Ralf eased up and stood back up, proceeding to where she stood.

"Are you here about the beast as well, sister?" Ralf asked the woman politely with a light smile.

A sudden rustling was heard in the bushes behind Rani. A dragon's head slowly poked out of the bushes, it blinked its blue eyes twice at the two other creatures. Its silver scales and black horns glistened slightly in the sun.

"Oh? Hello Mon," replied the troll creature. "Ja, I here about a beast. I sense great distress in da forest. The animals know this, there be no birds here," she continued, leaning over to place her ear to the ground. Ralf observed her as she did so; she seemed to be one with nature.

And a sudden rustling erupted from behind both individuals, with a silver-scaled dragon-like creature rising from the bushes. "Who's behind me," the troll said, "I be listening to da earth now."

"I've never seen your kind before, troll-lady," Ralf said to the blue-skinned creature politely, "nor you," he finished, looking at the dragon-creature behind them. "Why don't you come out of the bushes, aye? My name is Ralf Valgard. I'm a Varan from the northern realm of Asgeir, and heir to the Valgard line, the House of the Wolf. What are you names?"

A rather tall elf in leather armors stepped out of the bush next to the Dragon. He heard everything said by ralf and the shaman. "Hello, Ralf? I'm Leiron." The elf smiled and patted the dragon's neck. "This is my good friend Asadobres."

While Leiron was talking the dragon stepped out of the bush more revealing a body of gleaming silver scales and wings with blue webbing. It craned its neck close to the back of Rani's head and snorted hot air on the back of her neck.



(ooc: I control the Dragon and this one, usually going to post as both, just so you knows.)

"We'll then," replied Ralf, acknowledging Leiron's presence. "Nice to meet all three of you. Perhaps we should head into the forest then," he said, pointing into the wooded area, "or perhaps wait on others? The day is yet young, and we could make a good journey if we leave now."

''Easy there, Annabelle''
The brown haired mare immediately stopped to a halt, humphing out of its nostrils as the cloaked figure on top held on to the reigns so profusely.
''If the notice is to be believed, this is....The Lost Forest?''

For indeed, the figure clad in black was here for the bounty, some long forgotten evil or whatever that gibberish was lurked in this towering piece of nature, what interested him was the promise of riches.

''Something doesn't feel right'' something laid heavy upon the man, as if something repulsive was beckoning him to take a step forward, and so he did.

Over an hour of traversal on horse felt like minutes, the forest a mesh of vegetation and tall, towering trees, it was hard to tell where you where exactly, but that same feeling that pushed him inside was pushing him forward, he just knew where to direct his mare at every turn of the way, till he came upon a most unfamiliar sight.

What appeared to be an elf, a strange blue skinned women, a man and most peculiar, a dragon.

The stranger's instincts took over as he galloped his force across the mud and grass that formed beneath his horse's hooves, he dashed from his horse, his cloak unable to keep up as it fell upon the ground, revealing chainmail, leather and steel underneath, his hands immediately went for his sword, and with a sharp pool of the reigns he jumped from horse back, landing on his two feet, his blade pointing directly towards the elf and the dragon.

He did not utter a word, he would let his sharp end speak, should the aggressors attack.

When the newcomer appeared he quickly drew his blade and seemed to threaten Leiron and his dragon, Asodobres. "Well aren't you lively," Leiron said to the newcomer, "it isn't smart to draw on me with my dragon so close. If you're here for the quest we are allies if not... I will kill you."

Perhaps now was not the time for threats, especially if these two guys were going to be working together real soon. "Ease up, the both of you," Ralf said hastily, moving closer between the two, his neck just a foot away from the men's locked swords. "Leiron, I'm sure our friend here was just being cautious," and then Ralf looked to the newcomer, "but there's nothing wrong with being likewise cautious either, Leiron. Why don't you sheath your sword, friend, we're all here for the same reason. My name is Ralf. This is Leiron, Asodobres, and Rani. You must be...?"

The men came at an impasse. For as soon as the new comer had drawn steel, the elf had matched him in speed, his own blade pointing directly towards him. But he would not let go, his footing held tightly against the earth he stood upon.

The elf let off the usual, a promise of a quick end should the situation escalate further, but apparently he was here for the bounty, too. Despite talk of working together, he refused to budge faced against elven steel and a dragon.

It wasn't until the other peculiar figure intervened.
''Ease up, the both of you''
He stood between them, a slight whisk of the hardened steel would most likely severe an artery causing a bleed out, but that didn't seem to bother him too much.
''Leiron, I'm sure our friend here was just being cautious, but there's nothing wrong with being likewise cautious either, Leiron. Why don't you sheath your sword, friend, we're all here for the same reason. My name is Ralf. This is Leiron, Asodobres, and Rani. You must be...?''
Soon after the pointy eared warrior had sheathed his blade. He lingered there for a second, awaiting any unexpected movements before his grip started to loosen, letting the blade fall back into its sheath.
''My name is of no concern to this group'' he looked behind him for a second, that same presence lingering on the back of his neck ''If we're to work together we need to stay focused and move quickly. Something isn't right with this forest''.

After all these introductions Rani would speak again. "I be a shaman, my powers should be helpful to us in our quest. Da elements are very distressed here though, dey aren't givin' me clear direction."

The troll woman readjusts her bag from it's jostled position from when she was crouched on the ground, "Can still use ma farsight to vaguely lead us to da big beast."