Ptractomena

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?))

"It's not one I would think important or of interest, but I've not the faintest idea where I am. So I'll make you a deal, I'll tell you my story and you tell me the story of this land," she said as she found her way to one of the seats scattered about. "Im from a small village that I imagine is a good ways away by now. It wasn't much but it was peaceful and always full of life. I spent my time learning about the plants we grew and the ones around me, they have always fascinated me. It's interesting to see what more they can do! Botany is truly under utilized in the field of medicine, in fact I think," she was cut off by the deep and harsh sound, of the hag clearing her throat. It seemed she did not appreciate the botanical rant, and likely wouldn't want the gardening tips that usually followed. "My apologies, I believe I may have gotten ahead of myself. It tends to be easy to do when you feel passionate about something, and that passion is exactly why I left my home. I wanted to see more and learn about what other biomes where like, so against the advisement of my people I left." She searched the eyes of the crone for any emotion or sign iff interest, but she found none. "It's not common for our people to wander, one in 50 they say." Still the woman said nothing, but she decided to continue. "I spent 7 years wandering the wilds and studying the plants, and I even apprenticed under a respected healer for a time and afterwards under an alchemist! It was truly wonderful, but I eventually decided to return home and share all I learned. the journey back was very long, but I won't bore you with it, after all what happens next is far more interesting. For when I returned I found the strangest thing, it was gone. The village, the people, the fields, all of it had vanished without a trace. At first I thou perhaps I was lost, but there was the stream where I played as a child, the mountain that watched over me, and the tree I planted when I left. But any sign of the village I held dear was gone." She was on the verge of tears now, unable to look up at the older woman due to her embarrassment. But she pushed on, "I didn't know what to do or what to think, so instead I ran back the way I came, hoping to ask for help at the nearest town. But I fear I tripped and hit my head, and the next thing I knew I was here."