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.”
"Thank you. I must be honest, I don't believe much in this sorcery..." Hulrigg says, he's eyes scanning the place, somewhat disgusted at what looks like remains of rituals left through the tent. These feelings of unease get replaced quickly by the very uncomfortable cushion.
"Oh, I know..." Said the old hag "Yet, you're here, yearning to know the path, your path. Your people still wonder why you left... But you and I know why..."
It's true. Hulrigg surprised the whole mountain when he left "Looking for an adventure" as brief and mysterious as ever. No one understood how the youngest son of the blacksmith gathered the guts to leave the safety of the mountain.
Hulrigg was a fine and reserved fellow, good-mannered, pretty good at playing Reskat at the tavern, and an adept blacksmith apprentice, though a bit dim, let's not forget he lost an eye trying to shoe a horse. What was he after? Why was he on this journey? Why risk it all?
Hulrigg scoffs a laugh, still doubting the clairvoyant powers of the old hag but surprised she knows about the mountain. "I've been working on the forge with my father since I can walk. My father was a true artisan. He wasn't a famous blacksmith, but his work was unquestionable. I admire him very much. But that just couldn't be my life."
"You and your father argued a lot about your sudden departure. He first got angry, then he begged. He knows it's a dangerous world out there, he knows you're young and naive. You don't even know how to properly use a sword." Said the old hag while moving some dry leaves in front of her.
Hulrigg sat straight. Looking at the old hag directly in the eyes. "I know I'm not a fighter, nor an adventurer, but I'm not a blacksmith either. When that horse kicked me in the head and I lost my eye... I just couldn't..."
"The dream..." The old hag said interrupting Hulrigg "That dream... After the horse hit you, you fell into a deep sleep. The mountain saw a poor lad lying in bed, but you saw something else. In your dream it was you, an adventurer, brandishing a sword, walking through magical forests, jumping on ships, meeting adventurers, learning from them, becoming strong, important, powerful!"
"Yes. The dream. After losing my right eye I realized how fragile I was, how easily life could be taken from me at any moment like my mother's. My father, may the gods bless him, finds his passion and love through the metal he bends. I don't want that! I want to bend the paths ahead of me, I want to forge my destiny, I want to be that man in my dreams!" Exclaimed Hulrigg now standing in front of the old hag.
"Ah... yes! Finally! An adventurer comes through my tent..." The old hag scans Hulrigg "Well, at least a possible adventurer. Now Hulrigg, tell me, what can I do for you?"
"I need guidance, directions. Where could I go to live this adventure? When I left the mountain I just kept walking until the paths became fuzzy. I had to retrace my steps and come for your guidance" Said Hulrigg, returning to a more calmed manner and sitting again in the very uncomfortable cushion.
"I have a test for you, you'll enter a trance, and, if the judges deem you adept to travel, you'll instantly know where to go and how your journey begins" The old hag said while grinding some leaves in a mortar.
Hulrigg took a deep breath. "I'm ready. Thank you." He was nervous, but he trusted this old woman, many tales were told of how some of the most renowned adventurers started their journey here.
The old hag whispered some words in a weird language. She then placed the dust from the leaves in the mortar in her hand and blew them on Hulrigg's face.
Hulrigg fell on his back, as some old voices started asking about him. His name, what he looked like, and what happened after he entered the old hag's tent...
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