The wind whistled their arrival, lilting and chilling, a welcome repose from the humid, sultry affairs of Tallsun’s reign. Their journey had been without folly, chattering and conversing about this and that, flanking their whimsical movements with charitable exchanges. She told him of their sovereigns, “We have two leaders, Lord Deimos and Lady Ophelia – both are very strong,” and other keen etchings of note, “The lake is grand during Tallsun!” But as they drew towards the Basin, in all of its imposing glory, in all of its grand opulence, she wondered how Karnivool felt, suddenly traipsed between beauty and danger. The lithe nymph remembered their first opportunity to touch, to grace, the valleys and peaks, and it’d been a holy, magnificent ritual for barbarians who’d lost their home, who’d done nothing but wander the vast arches, caverns, and steppes, growing hungry, weary, and downtrodden by their defeat. There they’d stayed, refugees of the mountains, ensuring its growth, providing nuance, presence, and piety amidst its unwavering sanctuary. Even when they’d all been forced to leave for those raw intervals of disease and shadow, it had stood mighty, stalwart, and strong; upon their arrival back into the distinct outlier, into the north, into Siberia, she’d remained, dominating, staunch, unchanged by the darkness shrouding and enveloping her. Perhaps Karnivool could see the aurora’s fortitude, the gallant, enigmatic unwinding of forest and plain, of deep, plentiful snow, of melting icicles and cool, beatific caverns. Perhaps he could see the tranquility, the serenity, the treachery, lying in wait, emboldened shards to hold, to trace, to sketch out his fate. She glanced back towards his sable features, grin fully enveloping her lips, extending her patronage as they came to the first of many monuments, the high rising sentinels. The sylph painted one dulcet breath, strung it with finesse, with elegance, with power and prestige, proclaiming ardent delights, even while beneath the sanctity of a metallic giant. “Welcome to the Aurora Basin!” Kitsune and Mender moved, maneuvered closer, towards the entrance so the newcomer could spy upon the riches, could delve into their secrets, could explore the vast regions. “These,” pointing to the monoliths with her maw, “are our sentinels. They’re not quite finished, but they protect our borders.” She left how and why as a mysterious, intriguing element, didn’t explain why the Basin was constantly bombarded by those who yearned to exploit, finishing on a lush set of dance steps towards the broad aperture, venturing into the sunshine and valley. “Is there anything else you’d like to see first?” Her eyes gazed back over the unfreezing lake, perfection in the hot, hazy days, towards the hot springs, ignored at this time of year when heat was no longer necessary, along the caves, coated and veiled in obscurities, and the lovely, bountiful forest. The healer finished on a crisp, softened note, finale lush and positioned back upon him. She could visit each and every one of the reigning precipices over and over again, but it would be his choice upon which ones to see, which ones to witness and examine.

Welcoming thread for @[Karnivool]! Please join in! ^__^

The chatter continued, and the fairy was content to oblige, ruminating and speculating over which subjects she could gloss upon without too much villainy or violence, with all the wonder and whimsy and beauty the Basin deserved. Karnivool seemed to pay no heed to the curious statues, other than paying them due credence, to which she smiled, inclined her gaze back over the rolling, sweeping turns of valleys and hues, exalting a resolute breath in the crisp outlines, in the summer formations. What should he have seen first? She could take him on a tour, wander through the clear, open world, become enchanted by the timber and copse, the nestled boughs, the moss and shrubbery. She could push him towards the lake, fine and glassy, or the Time God’s mirror shining and shimmering in a sanctified cave, where she’d seen friends reappear, where she’d seen no reflection in the strange, unnerving portal. She could set him towards the pathways along the summits, where a day’s journey would leave him breathless and tired, but surrounded by incandescent, luminous color, streaks of aurora benediction. Before she had an opportunity to answer his question, for she’d been far too busy daydreaming, Imogen gave the slightest chirp, indicating another stranger in the midst. It was a stalwart credit to Lena’s calm and composure, because no sooner had the warning been lilted that a newcomer enshrouded in a skull appeared, and while seemingly friendly, a smile blooming beneath the skeletal mask, the femme certainly embodied a frightful appearance. If the nymph was unnerved, she never hinted at the distinction, glossing another formidable, earnest smile over her lips, ghosting and dusting the fibers of her fortitude and might in the sway of her soft, dulcet candor, bright, cheery, animated in the notion of new allies and brethren. Whether she had to be guarded, had to be alert, was a sentiment strung between the florets and charms, the crackling, snapping plumes of her Time God feather, and the delicate balance of staunch capability. “I don’t believe we have – it’s a pleasure as well. I’m Lena, a Time Mender.” Here she winked toward Karnivool, imploring their fresh acquaintance into the toils and foils of their impending crusades. “We were just going to wander the Basin. Newcomers should always be aware of their empire.” Polite and infused, finessed, with grace, elegance, and poise, her gaze swept over the skull, the belle under the bones, and coiled another invitation. “Would you like to join us?”

[Thank you for joining! Whee! @[Karnivool] @[Waprevah]