"Yes, ${character.name}, you're going to be spending the entire summer there. If you want to graduate on time, that is."

Your headmaster's words still ring clear in your ears as you sit on the deck of the ship taking you to the shores of the elven kingdom. Truth be told, you're a little bitter about all this. You were supposed to be spending your summer working with your father's artificing business to advance your thesis on runecraft. Now, thanks to the fact that you're in a less focused degree program, you have to spend your summer in the elven kingdom studying under some sorcerer in order to fulfill your 'cultural exchange' requirement.

Your train of thought is interrupted by the ship arriving at port, which is your cue to grab your bags and get ready to disembark. Hitting the streets, the village of Springvale is actually a lot nicer than you thought. The streets are packed with elves, all bustling around between various locations, as well as prepping the streets with a dizzying array of colorful and exotic flower arrangements.

Pulling out the slip of parchment in your pocket, you read off the address of your host family's location, '934 Blossom Street'. It's a bit difficult to navigate through the crowded streets, but eventually you manage to find the address in question. To your surprise, it's a rather lovely cottage, a mixture of natural woodwork and plant life interwoven with aged stone.

Walking along the path through the front garden to the front door, you knock on it to announce your presence. There's the sound of movement inside, and the motion of someone behind the circular cutout of frosted glass on the door, before it swings open. Standing in the doorway to greet you is an elven woman just as tall as you are, with flowing dark brown hair and dressed in a simple sweater and jeans. She seems a little surprised to see you.

"Oh my! You must be the exchange student! I'm Arliana. It's nice to meet you! Come inside, dear," she says, smiling.