"The Call to Adventure"
"April 15th, 8:05 PM
Location: Talonwood Settlement, Jura Forest"
"Located deep within the expansive woodlands of Jura Forest on the Eastern side of the continent, Talonwood is a large lumber town situated near the eastern edge of the vast deciduous wilderness. Having been erected some fifty years ago by one Louis H. Dodson, it was known as a major contributor of lumber, supplying wood for most of its north-eastern neighbors living on or near the coast line. With the start of the "Industrial Explosion", the settlement was given new tools and machinery to help keep up with the demand of wood, causing them to rapidly grow from a quiet town to the large city that it is today within a matter of a few years."
"Even now it continues to expand with a great many applauding the efforts. Yet at the same time, it's been also contrasted by a majority of the long-time locals and aspiring outdoorsmen. The once pristine wilderness of green and blue were now dominated by large buildings formed of stone-like materials, accompanied by bellowing smoke stacks that pollute the air and the insufferable screeching of saws slicing through wood that can be heard for several blocks per yard. It would be no surprise that some would like to leave for quieter pastures, yet how long would it be until the expansion reaches them? How far must one travel to escape the madness of expanding civilization to gain - or perhaps restart - a new living out in nature?"
"And for a small handful of lucky individuals, they will soon receive an answer regarding a chance for deliverance..."
Location: Talonwood Settlement, Jura Forest"
"Located deep within the expansive woodlands of Jura Forest on the Eastern side of the continent, Talonwood is a large lumber town situated near the eastern edge of the vast deciduous wilderness. Having been erected some fifty years ago by one Louis H. Dodson, it was known as a major contributor of lumber, supplying wood for most of its north-eastern neighbors living on or near the coast line. With the start of the "Industrial Explosion", the settlement was given new tools and machinery to help keep up with the demand of wood, causing them to rapidly grow from a quiet town to the large city that it is today within a matter of a few years."
"Even now it continues to expand with a great many applauding the efforts. Yet at the same time, it's been also contrasted by a majority of the long-time locals and aspiring outdoorsmen. The once pristine wilderness of green and blue were now dominated by large buildings formed of stone-like materials, accompanied by bellowing smoke stacks that pollute the air and the insufferable screeching of saws slicing through wood that can be heard for several blocks per yard. It would be no surprise that some would like to leave for quieter pastures, yet how long would it be until the expansion reaches them? How far must one travel to escape the madness of expanding civilization to gain - or perhaps restart - a new living out in nature?"
"And for a small handful of lucky individuals, they will soon receive an answer regarding a chance for deliverance..."
With the day once again drawing to a close, night settles upon the inhabitants of Talonwood. By this point, most of the populace were finally within the comfort of their own homes, no doubt exhausted by the bustling work they had endured. The sawmills and lumberyards - once plagued with the ear-splitting screech of saws and bellowing dinosaurs - had at last been silenced; with only a handful of workers remaining to check the machinery and to unpack any lumber shipments that had arrived last-minute. The civilians near these noisy establishments would breathe a sigh of relief, savoring the arrival of peace and quiet for as long as they could, before going to bed and start the cycle all over again tomorrow. Any other business still up and running at this hour would either in the process of closing down for the night, or would only be up for another two hours or so.
And high in the cover of the night sky, illuminated only by the pale moonlight, a weary courier was about to complete his long journey upon the back of a huge pterosaur - a Quetzalcoatlus to be precise. The man riding it had on him a large leather bag strapped onto his shoulder, containing various packages and letters to be dropped off at every town he was required to visit. It was a rather taxing job for anyone to accomplish, one that would take up to several days depending on the roadmap. Thankfully for him, Talonwood would be his next-to-last destination before his last stop at the coastal town of Dover Vista, in which afterwards he'll have to make another several day trip back west to his employer.
Soon they would begin to descend upon seeing the town's local post office. The Quetzalcoatlus screeched as it began flapping its wings to maintain control before landing and folding them back. As one of the largest flying creatures alive, its size would be both intimidating yet marveling to any who gaze upon its 5 and a half meter (18 feet) height and its 10 meter (33 foot) wingspan. It was a perfect mount for long distance travel, so as long as one could afford one. The courier would drop a rope down from the pterosaur's back and then slide down it with his brown leathery gloves. Upon landing he would tie the lead attached to the creature onto a large metal column before entering the post office.
The building was nearly empty when the Courier entered, being illuminated only by a few lanterns that hung from the ceilings. The only person he could see was an older man who sat at the front desk, who rose his wrinkled face from the book he was reading. He set it down upon the wooden desk and gave his attention towards the courier.
"Evenin' sir," the older man welcomed in a gravelly voice, "Here for a late night delivery?"
The young brown haired carrier nodded. "Yes sir." he said tiredly as he planted the bag on the desk and took out the mail assigned to Talonwood. From it he took out two large packages and thirteen letters - with five of said envelopes sporting gold trimmed edges and a fancy red-ink stamp that resembled a large lake.
The receptionist inspected each entity carefully before nodding approvingly. "Thank you." he replied slowly as he let the courier go.
As soon as he exited, the receptionist would call over a younger assistant and have him manage with the larger packages. While he did, the receptionist grabbed the letters and take them into a backroom - where he would be greeted by the chirping of five grey-haired Jeholopterus scampering around in a large metal cage. These tiny pterosaurs were most active during the night with their huge eyes, making them ideal candidates for late-night delivery sessions. The old man approached the cage and petted one of the creature's head with his index finger, cooing to them softly with a whistle.
"Good lads..." the man said to them with a light smile as he opened the cage for them. He then extended his arm towards the cage to allow all five of them to crawl onto his arm as they continued with their soft chirping. Some would bicker with one another - wanting their owner's attention all to themselves - while a few nuzzled the man's neck or nibbled at his ears. Their tiny needle-like teeth would hurt a bit, but the man was used to their chaotic antics.
"Alright, alright," the man chuckled as he carefully placed them onto his desk, "Y'all can settle down now. We got some work to do."
The man would then proceed to take the letters and the pterosaurs cage as he proceed to head through a back door outside. There he would be greeted to his female telmatosaurus mount in the yard, who arose from her nap to greet his owner. The old man gently patted the hadrosaurid, giving her a fresh piece of fern before they went on their way to complete the job.
For every stop, the old man would ring his bellow to announce his presence before assigning any of his Jeholopterus a letter. He would then instruct them to fly towards the house or apartment before returning to him and being rewarded with a mealworm as a reward. They could drop the mail off at either their respected mail box or fly through an open window and drop it directly inside if need be.
For the five lucky individuals receiving the gold-trimmed envelopes, the contents of which contained both a letter and a map. The letter would be written as followed:
