ItsSchum

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?))

As I settled onto the cushion, my gaze never leaving the old hag's piercing eyes, I took a deep breath, the weight of my own story pressing upon me. The swampy town and its enigmatic inhabitant had an uncanny way of drawing out the truth, and I felt compelled to share my tale, even though it had been one filled with heartache and loss.

"I come seeking a new beginning," I began, my voice steady, though tinged with the pain of memories not easily forgotten. "I've journeyed far from my homeland, a place of rugged landscapes and unforgiving clans. My family, my kin, they were taken from me in a brutal raid, and I was left with nothing but the ashes of our home."

I paused, my eyes momentarily welling with the raw emotions that still haunted me. "I set out for vengeance, to hunt down those responsible for the pain they inflicted upon me. But along the way, I met wise souls who showed me that revenge would only perpetuate the cycle of suffering. They guided me towards a different path, one of healing and redemption."

I turned my gaze back to the old hag, her presence now both comforting and unsettling. "I've arrived here in this swampy town in search of a place where I can start anew, far from the memories that haunt me. I yearn for a fresh start, a chance to build new bonds, and perhaps, find a new family and friends who can help me mend the shattered pieces of my heart."

As I spoke, I couldn't help but wonder why the old hag had been expecting me and what her role might be in the path I had chosen. But for now, all I could do was wait for her response, hoping that she held the key to the new life I sought.