Aendadus

You’ve just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As you look around, your gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. You duck and step into a tattered tent, illuminated by a series of candles suspended in the air. At the back of the tent, an old hag raises her head, “What brings you to this dingy town? she begins, then pauses to study your face—”Ah, it’s you. I’ve been expecting you. Sit,” she gestures at a cushion, “Tell me your story.”

((How do you respond?))

Elion hesitated for a moment before taking a seat on the offered cushion. He had finally found her, the seer, one who could glimpse into the future and unravel the threads of fate. "My name is.. is Elion," he began, voice shaking with nerves. "I, Elion, wish to become a mage and have come seeking knowledge to further my understanding of the arcane, and gain entry into the Eternal College."

The old hag nodded, her eyes seeming to pierce into Elion's very soul. "I see," she murmured, as if speaking to herself. "You seek power?" She asked quizzically. "One would have thought you'd have everything you seek in the Silver City" she said with animosity in her voice. Elion noted the change in the air, the room thickening with emotion, "It's true that the Eternal College of the Silver City does possess the most comprehensive selection of documented Arcane tomes to study" Elion said with pride in his voice, "I wish to be able to study the ancient texts held in the College, but I must give something in return for receiving entry into the College".

"I wish to understand..." but before Elion could finish his sentence the old hag interrupted. "Your heart is pure, young mage, but your path is fraught with danger." She leaned closer, her odour penetrating Elion's nostrils with the foul scent of the swamp and her breath was warm against his ear, "Beware the shadows that lurk in the darkness, for they seek to consume you. Trust in your abilities, but never become complacent. The world is full of mysteries, and you have only just begun to uncover them."

She then let out a maniacal cackle and with a wave of her hand, a sheer gust entered the tent, the candles flickered and went out, plunging the tent into darkness. When they flickered back to life, Elion found himself alone, the old hag nowhere to be seen. Her words played in Elion's mind... "Shadows lurking in the darkness?", he had simply sought out the hag to gain her knowledge of alchemical concoctions and thus entry into the Eternal College, but what had her words meant?

Gathering himself from his thoughts, Elion stepped out into the swampy town once more and he knew that his journey was far from over.