Guards kept the crowds at a safe distance as the brave trailblazers lined up before the portal. Their wagon of supplies sat just in front of the portal with a single horse tied to it, ready to pull as soon as the signal was given. The mages scurried to and fro, checking and double checking all of the equipment to make sure everything was in order. They would only get one try, and the party would have to move quickly once the portal was turned on. Ayana had arrived at the city just one day before she was scheduled to depart. She was still frazzled at the hustle and bustle of city-folk, and couldn't wait to step away from the chaos for good.

There was the portal, a simple stone ring with ornate runes carved into every inch of it. There was a ramp with a gentle incline leading up to it, and countless orbs and crystals at its base that Ayana couldn't even begin to comprehend. Then, they gave the order. 

"All set! We wish you the best of luck, travelers! May naught but good fortune await you."

There was a thunderclap in the center of the giant ring, and then reality began to ripple. The portal didn't seem to have any visible features of its own, but rather made the image of their world swirl and spin like a kaleidoscope. The horse pulled the wagon forward, and within seconds, it was gone. One traveler stepped through, then another, and another. And, before Ayana knew it, she set her foot down on the new world...

[center][hider=The First Thing They Saw][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/29/2f/fe/292ffe7f03ecc7f23e450e0b76c19216.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]

Ayana found herself on a vast, grassy expanse. There were a few small trees and flowers dotting the fields, but no animals yet in plain view. No birdsongs filled the air, and the ambient noise of society was completely gone. The only sound, was that of a gentle summer breeze caressing the foliage. The land was still, but the sky was in a state of perpetual motion. The clouds swirled, merged, and split, seemingly at random, and the sky was tinted a gentle shade of orange, like a permanent sunset, even though the sun was still high in the sky. Whether this was a natural phenomenon or a magic one, Ayana wasn't sure, but she'd need to understand the weather patterns here if she was going to grow anything. 

The horse stopped several feet away from the portal entrance, and calmly began grazing. Then, once everybody was through, the portal closed. This place was now their home, and these people were now family for the next year.