Chapter 1: The Portal

Wesley is surprised as a small feathered creature about the size of a turkey pokes its head out. It is covered in feathers but is clearly not a bird. It has a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth and walks on two legs, with a tail for balance. It looks sideways at Wesley and emits a strange cooing noise.

Everyone is quick to notice the rather impressive claw that tops its feet. If it brought the claw to bear, it could easily cause serious damage.

From the treeline to your left, there is a strange sound, like a burst of compressed air, and the creature suddenly staggers, then slumps to the ground. A bearded man wearing a uniform emerges from the treeline, carrying a rifle. "Who the hell are you idiots?! This is a restricted zone!"

"You're damned lucky I came along when I did. That raptor could have slit your throat! And you know the penalty for killing a protected animal." He checks the creature for a pulse and then retrieves something from its body. "Tranquilizer dart. It'll wake up in about an hour with nothing more than a headache. You're just lucky it wasn't a T. Rex, one of those wouldn't have hesitated to make lunch of you."

He extends a hand to Wes. "Sorry, guess that I could have been a little less aggressive. Name's William McKinley. I'm a warden. But that doesn't explain who you folks are and why you're in a restricted zone. How'd you get past the fences?"