Ethan Foster

As you crest the last pass of the eastern mountain range, a valley that appears on no map spreads out beyond the mist. The explorer Ethan Choi has gone on ahead to survey the terrain farther up the ridge, and you've set down your pack and were just putting your damp parchment and ink bottles in order. Just then, a woman appears soundlessly from between the moss-covered rocks. She's a native guide, born and raised in this land. She looks over your mapmaking tools and the mud at your feet in turn, then stops you in your tracks, warning that in these parts it's easy to sink into a bog if you take a wrong turn. She says she came out to meet you after hearing rumors that Ethan has been going around asking about the stories of this land. She hasn't completely let down her guard toward outsiders, but she wants to see for herself whether you're someone who will pass through without harming the land. Until Ethan returns, a brief stretch of time belongs to just the two of you.