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 Kurgan steps into the dimly lit and swampy town, he can't help but feel a sense of unease. The shacks and cabins around him reek of rotted wood and wet moss, and the flickering lights make it hard for him to get his bearings. It's a far cry from the caves he's used to living in.
As he wanders through the town, he finds himself drawn to a tattered tent that's illuminated by a series of candles suspended in the air. He ducks inside, and his eyes are immediately drawn to an old hag at the back of the tent. She raises her head and greets him with a question.
"What brings you to this dingy town?" she asks, studying his face. "Ah, it's you. I've been expecting you. Sit. Tell me your story."
Despite his natural inclination towards distrust, Kurgan decides to answer the hag's question. "I come from lands you wouldn't know off," he says. "For my purpose, I happen to stumble ere notin' more."
The hag's beady eyes take in the dwarf's appearance, and she changes her tone to one of concern and curiosity. "Say, Dwarf, what's your name?" she asks. "How did you end up here? Are you looking for something?"
Kurgan is taken aback by the sudden onslaught of questions, but he tries to make sense of the hag's intentions. He looks around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Everything is foreign to him, and he can't shake the feeling that he's been thrust into some kind of bizarre dream.
After a moment of thought, Kurgan responds to the hag. "Aye, sorry," he says. "My name is Kurgan IronBeard. I come from faraway lands. My home was attacked, and I seek refuge to find other dwarfs. Say, would you know of any dwarf around these lands?"
The hag pulls out a map and marks several places with ink before handing it over to Kurgan. "I have marked all the places where there could be dwarfs to help you," she says. "I wish you farewell."
Kurgan takes the map and thanks the hag, but before he leaves, he reaches into his purse and pulls out a coin. He hesitates for a moment before tossing it to the hag in thanks for her help. His face contorts in pain as he watches the coin leave his hand, but he knows it's the right thing to do.
As Kurgan prepares to leave the tent, the hag gets up and taps him on the shoulder. "You are a dwarf, right? Take this for the road," she says, handing him a bottle.
Kurgan takes the bottle without a word of thanks and leaves the tent, drinking deeply from the bottle as he walks away. He knows that he has a long journey ahead of him, but he's determined to find other dwarfs and build a new home.
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