kenseikaizer

Your character has just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As they look around, their gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. They 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?))

 

Fenrick sat down on the cushion slowly, plain and direct, all his senses alert. He kept his loose hand within reach of his knife, but didn't unsheathe it.

"Greetings,” he says, voice low and steady. His one black eye narrows, not with suspicion, but with the restraint of a man taught to honor his elders, no matter how strange the meeting.

 “Not much to tell, I’m afraid,” he continues. “ I was just hunting game when I strayed too far from home and stumbled upon this town. I have just given up on my hunt and decided to rest here for a bit to recover and resupply,” his voice rasps slightly from the long travel.  

He hesitates to say more, his gaze locked onto the flickering candles, as he weighs the shadows for the faintest hint of danger.

“But my story, eh? I guess I can spare some time for a story,” he continues. “I am Fenrick Storm, of Norland. I am a follower of the Red Faith, only a mere hunter with hopes of serving my family and people, to protect them if I can, but I am no hero or prophet. I seek no glory, but simply… to do my duty where it lies. I am simply just a man trying to do right by my family, faith, and my nation. But…” he pauses, transitioning to a deep thought. 

Despite being alert for any hints of danger, the young Norlander wonders why he is still telling the old hag his story. 

Maybe it has been quite a while since he told anyone of his dream. Although he and his family are close, they had shut down any attempt to persuade them to let him join to serve the Allfather as a warrior in fear that he might perish. 

Maybe it has been quite a while since he told anyone of his dream. His family has been supportive of him in serving the Allfather as a warrior. His father has trained him in the sword and shield, the bow, and the axe so he could pursue his dream. However, it is his confidence and resolve delaying him from starting. But what about his family? Who will protect them if he perishes in battle? Thoughts like those race through his mind constantly whenever he starts thinking of his dream. 

But on second thought, maybe this is a sign. An opportunity. Maybe… a test from the Allfather to strengthen his resolve.

His hunt has led him here. Down in a sketchy swamp town, with an old hag inviting him into her tent to listen to his story. He doesn't know how or why he has even gotten this far from home. There should have already been danger, right? But there isn’t. 

Maybe he’s just overreaching slightly. But there is one single thing he can’t shake off in all of this interaction. 

The strong flickering of a candle in the dark — like his faith. 

It is then that he decided to use this chance. This opportunity — to show his faith in the Allfather.

“I carry what I can offer,” he continued, his hand reaching into his pouch to retrieve a small bone charm — carved with a flame in the center — which he then placed gently onto the cushion. “This is a token from my hunting, a reminder of home and of those I protect. This is all I have to offer, and I do so humbly. If it is enough to earn His guidance… If this is really a sign from the Allfather… I will embrace whatever may come. If not, I shall leave with my wits and my faith still intact.”

He kneels with one knee, his individual black eye surveying the tent corners a final time, his muscles as coiled and ready as a bow, not for destiny, but for survival.

The hag's gaze lingers, piercing and appraising, before sitting all the way back, enveloping herself in darkness. "Take your token, young man," she says, her voice a soft but insistent whisper. "It has spoken in your defense in this place. Beyond the lines of this tent… the swamp will test you in ways no charm, no prayer can shield you from. Be aware, be vigilant, and remember: caution wields a power as great as any blade."

She nods thoughtfully, a gesture that seems both dismissive and affirming.

The young Norlander stands up, steady in expression despite the tension coiling within his muscles. He rolls up his cloak, buckles on his knife strap, and casts one last glance at the candle flames. The air smells of damp moss and rotting wood, and the soft creaking from the swamp outside is a reminder, though he did not need it, that he is most certainly alone.

Yet, despite the heavy shroud of uncertainty, a quiet resolve begins to envelop him. Armed with his skill, his faith, and the guidance of the Allfather, he is now confident that the swamp will not easily shatter his spirit.

“Thank you for listening and for your help, madame,” he says, eyes full of resolve. “I shall be on my way now,” he continues, bowing his head with respect and gratitude and stepping out of the tent before she could reply. 

The young Norlander stepped out of the hag's tent, his solitary black eye scanning the fog-shrouded streets of this town. Damp air clung to his huntsman's cloak, and the smell of rot and moss was a reminder of how far from home he truly is.

He carries only his small bone charm, a token and a reminder of his faith and his people, but it is enough to soothe his hand and animate his senses. The town is quiet— too quiet — but he moves forward cautiously, alert for any sign of danger, ready to encounter whatever evils get sent his way. For he has a new hunt — a new goal. He is on his way back home. To Norland. To serve as one of the Allfather’s many worthy chosen.

Behind him, the flickering of the candlelight lingers in the shadows, but he does not look back.