You are sitting in a small sailboat along the coast of Norway. Behind you, the shoreline is small, and before you, the great expanse of ocean sparkles in the sun. You forget how many hours you have been sitting here with your binoculars, searching the horizon for any sign of movement. You stop for a break when suddenly the boat rocks wildly. Searching the water for activity, you see a ship on the horizon. You try to wave a warning to the vessel, but you are too far away. Suddenly, the ship jolts on the water, almost tipping into the ocean. Enormous tentacles rise from the water and wrap around the vessel. The body of the monstrous creature rises to the surface. Even without your binoculars, you can see it is as big as an island. You are frozen in disbelief as the Kraken pulls the ship down into the ocean’s depths.

Your footsteps are heavy on loose gravel as you climb higher to the mountain peak. Rock shapes become more apparent as you trace the map given to you. There! The entrance to a cave, hidden within a crevice. On top of the mountain, there is a frigid winter snow, but as you enter the cave, the air becomes thick and hot. You trek along in the endless cave until you turn a corner and quickly turn back! Peaking around the corner, you see it! A great dragon, easily ten times as big as you, with large shining wings tucked up to his side, arm-length talons, and a strong tail wrapped around him as he sleeps. While so amazed at the sight, you didn’t notice you were walking right up to him! His eyes snap open to meet yours, and you quickly dive down to the cave floor just in time. The dragon’s fiery breath explodes with heat right above you!

In a stroke of luck, while exploring a mountain peak, you have spotted a beautiful Phoenix! As all adventurers know, the great phoenix lives for 1,000 years at a time. This phoenix has taken a journey from Paradise, a land beyond the sun. It has come here so that it may be consumed by flames and born again! You admire it from a distance, magnificent red, yellow, and gold feathers shining in the sun. You watch the great bird begin to sing as the sun rises. It is a song unlike anything you have ever heard, so beautiful that even the sun stops to admire it. The song ends in a blaze of fire, quickly consuming the bird! As the smoke clears from the nest, you spot a golden egg that will soon hatch, and from it, the phoenix will return!

After traveling for quite some time, your body aches terribly. You find yourself in a lush grove of trees. Twisted roots tangled with moss rise from the ground around you. Above, the golden light shines through a bright green canopy. As you walk along the soft forest floor, you stop at a small clear pond and sit against the trunk of a hawthorn tree. You wake suddenly to the sound of music, though you do not remember drifting off to sleep. Only a short distance away, there is a gathering of people. Some sit around a fire laughing and playing music while others dance. The smell of delicious food encourages you to invite yourself to the party. Nearing the gathering, you realize their details are different from humans, smoother and sharper in places, with no sign of age. They must be elves! You recall stories of the fair folk. They notice you watching and welcome you to dance and talk with them. Your head spins with music and wise conversation, knowledge of magic and the world, far greater than you could have ever encountered as a human. A bird calls through the forest and you wake suddenly. Once again, alone, leaning against the hawthorn tree by the clear pond but your feet ache of dancing all night.

Laughter, music, and sounds of a skirmish meet your ears as you and your traveling friends enter the tavern. Rain pours outside, but within is lit with golden light and heated by the merry crowd. The smell of sweet Bourbon and warm leather wafts through the air. Seated around a large table, drinks in hand, you share stories of past adventures; fights, failures, and characters you’ve met along the way. You all find yourselves tossing playful jeers at the rowdy table nearby. The talk turns to singing. Singing leads to dancing to the mandolin song. At last, you retire to warm beds, lulled to sleep by the soft chatter and laughter still heard down the steps.

The rocking chair creaks softly and the campfire crackles and pops as a breeze moves out through the trees. Soft moss, great oak trees; the smells of the forest surrounds you and you breathe deeply. Bright blue skies stretch out above you with joyful white clouds here and there. From your bag, you pull out a beautiful long-stemmed pipe. Beautiful oak wood carved with extraordinary creatures, some only heard of in stories. Taking a long twig nearby you poke it into the fire waiting for it to catch. You light the pipe with the small flame and lean back to watch the clouds pass by.