LucidTripZ

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?))

Example: 

"Oh, I just, uh…" he stuttered, tensing up. He eyed the crone, then back outside the tent. For a moment, the air thickens with anticipation, until he took a moment to gather his thoughts. A lot has happened to bring him to this moment, but to be confronted by the old crone as if she was familiar with him.. it put him on edge. Granted, he had seen a lot of creepy things in his journeys, so he tried not to let it throw him off too much, but there was just something about the hag that he couldn't decipher. 

He decided he'd play this out and see how she knew him, and more importantly, what he wanted with him. He took a seat on the cushion, which was oddly enough more comfortable than he had initially imagined it would be. With a deep breath, he began..

"Well, it started when I was born-"

"No, no, no!" The old crone interrupted. "Spare me all that gibbery gabbery! Get to the real story."

He scrunched up his face in irritation but took a deep breath and continued, this time a little later in life. "Well, I suppose I can do that.. I guess the real story began when I caught my first glimpse of it. I couldn't have been any older than sixteen years old when I saw the mysterious person, glowing in the woods. I figure it was a woman, but the light was so bright, I could hardly tell you.."

"The light?" The old crone interrupted again.

"Yeah, it was almost as if she was just radiating this bright, pure, and holy light.. it was beautiful. She waved me towards her, and so I followed."

"Wait, wait, wait... let me get this right... you saw a mysterious glowing woman that could have had every intention to kill you... and you decided to follow it?" She asked, looking at me as if I was an idiot.

"Yeah, I did. And obviously it didn't intend to kill me, did it?" He snapped back. "Now, do you want me to tell my story or are you going to keep interrupting me?" He asked with mild irritation.

"Bleh! Carry on then."

He sighed. "Anyways, I followed her into this clearing where the moon shone through the trees, giving the clearing this beautiful misty scenery. To this day I've yet to see anything like it. I couldn't describe it to you to its fullest extent even if I wanted to. I remember asking her, 'who are you?' to which it responded, 'I am the one who will show you what you're capable of.' It was at this moment I realized the figure was a woman. I remember her reaching down and grabbing some strange looking fungi off the ground, before handing it to me and telling me to eat them."

"And did you?" She asked.

"Well, yes..."

"Oh, you're a smart one! Sure let's just eat mushrooms from the strange glowing lady! What could go wrong!" She retorted, however after seeing the looking Melmor was giving her, she retracted her statement. "Yes, yes. No interrupting. Sorry."

He sucked his teeth before continuing. "After I ate them..." He hesitated, to the demise of the old crone. It seems she was getting very interested in this story. "things got very strange. I remember being able to make out a gentle, yet loving smile through her glow.. it's all I could make out of her. Then, she disappeared.." he glanced at the old crone, expecting her to interrupt again. But to his relief, she didn't. And so he continued, to the old crone's relief. "Nothing happened for about half an hour, but then things started to move. Not really, but... kind of? The trees started to dance aroun-"

The old crone couldn't hold it anymore. "Move? Dance? The trees??"

"Just let me finish dammit!" he snapped. The old crone scowled but let him continue nonetheless. "No, not literally moving and dancing, but they looked like it. I was so happy. I never felt so happy in my life. I could still feel the woman's loving smile, and the warmth from her glow lingered. I remember hugging the trees, and dancing and giggling and agh! I wish I could relive those moments, those feelings. It was amazing. And suddenly, I heard a voice... it was her voice. 'You're destined for great things, young highlander.' it had told me. I wanted to ask what she meant, but the words wouldn't leave my tongue. And so, I did what any reasonable human would do. I kept dancing! I don't remember much after that. The next thing I remember, I woke up in my own bed.."

"Could it have been a dream?" She asked.

"No... I don't think so." He hesitated. "I don't know. I do know that it was this encounter here that began it all. It's what convinced me to pack up my belongings, and leave my small village. It's what made me decide to go discover what I was destined to become. I travelled through unmapped swamps, towering mountains, deserts where the sun beats into your skin... it's what brought me here, to you and your mysterious tent, leaving me wondering... who are you?" He asked.

The old crone responded with a gentle smile. "I am who you've been looking for." She said, when suddenly the tent began to glow bright.. the same glow from that night in the woods. Melmor's eyes began to light up with excitement, followed by disappointment when the tent disappeared, and along with it, the old crone. However, in the old crone's place, was the most beautiful bow Melmor had ever seen. Engraved with golden lines was the most beautiful bow he had ever seen. It had an emerald coating with a gold plated finish. He picked it up and held it in his hands. He was familiar with the bow, as he had used one on more than several occasions when hunting in the surrounding forests. However, this bow felt different than the others. It wasn't made to hunt small game such as squirrels, it was made to hunt bigger game... it was perfect.