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: (delete this)
Crimbo's jaw drops, his yellowish eyes going wide. "Expectin' me? Hah! That’s somethin' no one's ever said—mostly 'cause they don't want me anywhere near 'em!" He shuffles closer to the warmth, hands rubbing together. "Been kicked outta my band, you see. Just a small misunderstandin'—nothin' Crimbo’s not innocent of, but still."
He sits on the cushion with a thud, the candle’s light flickering as he leans in conspiratorially. "I’d been runnin’ with them louts for weeks, y’see, rain or shine—mostly rain—‘til this very mornin’!" Crimbo shakes his head. "They all tossed me out, called me a traitor 'cause some fool went an’ thought I was the other Crimbo."
Crimbo puts his hands on his hips, his ragged cloak flopping over his thin shoulders as he stares up at the hag. "Other Crimbo! Imagine that! We got ‘nother one of us goblins out there who looks just like me! Near impossible, I says, since I got the ugliest mug this side of the marshes."
"Anyway, turns out this ‘other Crimbo’ went an’ raided the band’s stash in the dead of night. Lifted half the shiny things! I says, 'Not me!' But they weren't havin' it. Said I was the only goblin with a nose that squints left." He gestures at his nose, which, true enough, leans at a peculiar angle.
"And then, then, y’see, right as they’re about to toss me out, this ginormous spider the size of a birch tree—aye, a birch tree, if I'm lyin’ I’m dyin’—it comes skitterin' up outta nowhere!" Crimbo's eyes widen, and he waves his hands around in wild circles. "It was absolutely terrifyin’! Nearly had me droppin’ me britches right there! And would you believe, they still kicked me out after that, spider an' all!"
He slumps back, casting a sulky glance at the candles, which are sputtering faintly. "Said I was bad luck, said Crimbo brings trouble. Bah! Trouble’s just got a way of findin' me is all." He sighs, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. "But they tossed me in the swamp, left me to me own devices. Can ya believe it?"
Crimbo tilts his head, squinting. "So, ol' crone, how come you knew I’d be comin'? Ain't many go around expectin' ol' Crimbo to turn up at their door—unless you’re lookin' for a bit of mischief yerself…"
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