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?))
"Me... ah yes, it is me isn't it. I apologize for that," Ivordas musters. She studies the way that the candlelight reflects in this beautiful, strange woman's eyes. She already feels more comfortable with the woman in this dark space, as opposed to out in the broad daylight. When Ivordas’s sunny big brother was still around, he always spoke of her hiding in the tree's shadows, and warned her that if she didn't enjoy nature's daytime equally, she may never change... He was right. And now, this woman can likely see through that deficiency.
Ivordas sits down across from her, her black hair brushing against her back as she goes. "I am, as I'm sure you know, a wood elf. My mother was, is, a gem. Perfectly balanced, a steady lover of nature at all hours. As you know, it's incredibly difficult for elves to conceive, nevertheless for siblings to be born. That's where Sola comes in. My big brother was born first. Homely, sunshiny, and free. Goes to show that they were not expecting a restrained night-dweller as a second child..."
The old woman squints, something knowing in her eyes. Ivordas clears her throat. "Continuing, then. I was about 11 when my brother was killed. A human man bowed him down. Mother said that it had something to do with a spat with father, so a hit was out for Sola. Meant to teach father a lesson, I suppose. I've never been close to my dad, but he is a high chief amongst our people. After Sola died, mother was never really the same, and still isn't.
And as for me- when Sola died, I became even more... formal, reserved, if you could imagine. My night escapades turned into my entire life; I only truly lived at night. It was the clan of black foxes that I'd met that made me feel like I had siblings again. Frolicking with them, working to aid them against other clans... The way the moon shines through the deep forest... It feels like home to me.
These days, I make work for myself. I visit my mother and bring her sun and moon crystals to bring her joy again. I've excelled at healing, both animals and men. I enjoy the animal encounters I have, and... Do my best with encountering men." Ivordas feels a bead of sweat form near her left ear. Using her long, silver eartip, she flicks it away. "I'm seeking, perhaps, a healing job in the city that I'm en-route to. It feels wrong to be surrounded by manmade buildings, but it depresses my father to see me around the forest as an adult, since Sola never got to become a man. I seek a new home to enjoy the moonlight in, and... perhaps something to focus on besides my own uptight cordiality. I'll still go back and visit the black fox clan, of course."
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