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The Infinite Bestiary
Norin had been hoping for the group to come to some sort of consensus about their destination. It seemed as if everyone wanted to go somewhere else--as if they wouldn't get everywhere eventually, or something. These people lacked Norin's sense of foresight and chronology. Going one place did not mean they could not return to another--it was simple! Yet, he didn't know how to say that to the group.
Luckily, he didn't need to.
"Why don't we just split up?" a woman said. She was one of the cartographical experts Norin had brought along. If he recalled correctly, her name was Vela. "We probably won't get turned around anymore since we've already made it this far in, and we can keep in contact with these." As she said this, she took three bracelets off of her arm.
As it turned out, each bracelet allowed the wearer to speak to anyone wearing one of the other bracelets. A useful thing by any metric.
"A wonderful idea! Of course each and every one of us no doubt wants to see the entire forest, but we all have different priorities, yes? We can simply split up how we see fit!" Norin exclaimed, grabbing one of the bracelets. "I'll be heading to the clearing to the left. Vela, you lead a party to the river, and you, Florence, you can take a party into the harsher looking part of the forest, yes?"
Most everyone was in agreement.
The small party broke off into three even smaller parties--which was of course not dangerous in the slightest.
Norin Astrom
Norin and his team tread into where the forest opened up. In the middle of the clearing was an enormous fire pit, unlit, and various other indications of human life. Most obvious of these traces of humanity were the homes built into the treetops. Norin was ecstatic at the early discovery of other humans, but would soon become frustrated; the inhabitants were nowhere to be found!
It was clear they were not a nomadic people, as their homes were quite complex and sturdy, not fit to be quickly deconstructed. And it was unlikely that something tragic had occurred, as the sacks of fresh fruit, the worn grass as a result of much foot traffic, and relatively well kept state of the forest indicated that there were people still around. Perhaps they were out hunting, Norin thought.
"Well, isn't this a fantastic discovery?" he said to Boyd, a large bear of a man that had tagged along with him. "I wonder where they could be..."
Vela
Vela hadn't intended to lead an expedition, but she was up to the task. It was rather simple for someone like her, for she was very organized, motivated, and personable. Why, it was likely that most people in the party thought she was much more able than Norin himself, who was indecisive and somehow always seemed uncomfortable.
It had always been her dream to create maps of foreign places, so she had no problems being told to delve into the heart of the forest. After all, she wanted to see it all. She kept those that tagged along with her in line, taking notice of but trying not to disturb the fauna they found there. There were all sorts of jungle beasts, but none of them were too strange for Matalans. They had yet to see anything of particular interest.
The river broke off into a number of smaller streams, however, and the route they decided to follow led into a small sanctuary. There, they saw the ethereal form of a young woman, standing by the water. Vela called out to her and the woman turned to them in shock, then disappeared without a trace.
As if triggered by her disappearance, the group felt a sudden heaviness to the air and heard a rumbling from the forest. None of them had ever heard anything make a noise like what followed: a gut-wrenching roar, loud and fast footsteps that seemed to shake the earth they were standing on, and the snapping of large branches as if they were bones.
Florence
Florence and the others that wishes to travel into the perceived dangerous portion of the Infinite Bestiary found that their decision had left them feeling sweaty and disgusting. The air was hot and heavy, and the foliage was thicker than just about any wood they'd ever been in. A large man with a machete, Flynn, tried clearing the way for the group, but it was slow going.
Eventually they came across a mysterious building, ruins reclaimed by the forest. They stopped for a moment to deliberate on whether or not they should enter the dank building, but before a decision could be made, they were interrupted by a booming bird call, as though whatever animal it came from had somehow amplified its voice by a thousandfold. The ringing in Florence's ears hadn't gone away before she saw the source of it: a common sparrow
The thing that was strange about the sparrow was the fact that it was five times the size of Flynn, who was not small by any means. It cocked its head to the side, curiously. Florence thought it looked hungry--she was right. The bird snatched Flynn, who screamed all the while, and fled into the large set of ruins, hoping on its gigantic feet as its wings couldn't even spread in this overgrown area of the Bestiary.
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