If she were being honest, Astorea was probably a bit out of her level range. Magdalyn saw very few players in the same beginner gear she wore, and the enemies she managed to skirt were much stronger, and more intimidating, than any she had encountered. It was probably unwise of her to be traveling, then, in a place where she could easily be killed. But what do you have to lose? the more adventurous part of her prompted. As a beginner she had very little to her name - she had very little to lose were she to be bested in battle. Why, then, should she hide out where she was safer? Why not take advantage of being a complete newbie, and see the world before she was no longer willing to risk her neck? It was backward thinking for someone who saw Terra as a game to be won, a mountain to climb, a task to conquer. But it made a lot of sense for a woman who just enjoyed seeing the sights.
And the sights were magnificent, just as she had expected. The sprawling forests reminded her of Northern Michigan, with their dense foliage and thick trunks. Were she to spread her long arms out wide, her fingertips nearly always kissed rough bark, a testament to how closely-spaced the trees were. Recently, however, the trees had begun to part, making way for small meadows and little hide-aways. In one of the more sizable spaces, she had stumbled across a crudely constructed fort of sorts, a fire crackling in the pit despite the daylight. Suspecting it to be NPCs, Magdalyn gave the site a wide berth, but still marveled in the scene as she did so.
It was in one of these openings that the blue-haired woman spotted a single individual, standing apart from everything else. The early morning sun streamed unhindered, bathing this particular area in a warm light that could not permeate the heavy forest canopy. This gave the impression of a spotlight, or a lit stage that Magdalyn could not bring herself to look away from. That was fortunate, too, as a tree suddenly burst from the earth beneath the stranger's feet.
Even from thirty yards away, the ground rippled under Mags' feet. It took her a moment to find her balance, grabbing at the nearest tree trunk for support. The other woman, she realized with horror, had not fared as well. It appeared that the tree held her by her leg.
Images of nature monsters, and massive player-eating trees raced, unbridled, through Magdalyn's mind. Probably one of those mobs she had no business going up against. But she grabbed at her spear anyway, bounding for the center of the meadow, no more able to resist helping as she had been to watch the spectacle.
Only when she was standing directly below the tree, staring up at the player, did she realize there was nothing especially malicious about the big plant. Rather, it was jumbled branches that trapped the player, and not the angry hand of a forest-bred killer. She still held one scrap of hesitation, though, which led to her still holding her spear. With the other hand, the tall girl reached up toward the stranger. "Hey," she greeted, "can I help you get out of there?"
@Kaede Hoshi
Last edited: Nov 21, 2017