PARANN0UL

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?))

He sat down casually with one leg on top of the cushion. Ierás' eyes were fatigued, and his hair was drenched from the rain outside.

"First, some liquor is in order."

He said it in a croaky and unrefined voice.

"What kind?"

"Preferably wine; if not, some mead would do... oh! And pour it in here."

Ierás then grabbed a dingy leather flask from his Toga and gestured at it. After the liquid had been poured into the flask, he proceeded to indulge himself by taking a few gulps.

"Kyaaa! Now that's the stuff!"

The old hag stared unamused.

"Are you ready now?"

"Yeah."

"I may be richly dressed, but I have no fortune to my name. My father was a merchant born and raised in the city of Lurin. He made something of himself by selling various wares, such as rare cloves, perfume, and dyes. When I turned 15, he took me under his wing and made me an apprentice to teach me the cunning and avaricious ways of a merchant. At age 18, I became much more than just an apprentice; I became a fully fledged partner beside my father, sharing profits and dealing contracts with local guilds. It was all going well until our ambitions for wealth convinced my father to invest in a ship and to finally expand from just our local business in Lurin. The shallow waters near the beaches were tame and quiet, but as we headed deeper, a thunderstorm engulfed our vessel, tearing the hull apart. Amidst the chaos, I lost everything—the cargo, written contracts, and my father, who perished after contracting yellow fever shortly after we made landfall on a beach. And so here I am in a shanty town far away from home, looking to forget the past by indulging myself in some fine liquor."