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?))
Elanor just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As she looks around, her gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. She ducks and steps 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.”
Elanor pondered if she should tell her story or not- though she was more curious why this old granny had been expecting her, who was a stranger nonetheless. She sat down, crisscrossing- lifting her hand to scratch her chin “Ay… what brings me here, huh?... Just trying to find somewhere to live, that's all” she said with a husky and confident tone.
As the smell of rotten wood gets to Elanor, she pinches her nose- before waving her hand to get rid of the rotting smell from her face. “gosh.. how long this place has been abandoned? Anyways I shall amuse you with my story”
Elanor cleared her throat before she opened her mouth to speak “My story… is quite a simple one, I suppose. I was abandoned by my parents when I was just a baby, left in the woods with nothing but a small blanket. I was fortunate enough to be found by a kind human couple who adopted me and raised me as their own."
The old hag's eyes narrowed as she listened intently, her gnarled fingers steepled beneath her chin.
"Growing up, I had to hide my heritage. My elven ears marked me as different, and in the human village where we lived, being different wasn't safe. My parents helped me disguise my ears, teaching me how to blend in. Despite their love and care, the years caught up with them, and I didnt... want to say goodbye- so i uh.. Left them. Their loss left a hole in my heart that never quite healed."
Elanor sighed, a tinge of sadness flickering across her face. "After I left them, I decided to travel. I boarded ships, visiting other kingdoms and lands, always searching for a place where I could belong. But the more I traveled, the more I realized how alone I was. My long lifespan meant I outlived friends, acquaintances, even entire generations of humans. It was a lonely existence."
She shifted on the cushion, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Eventually, the loneliness became unbearable. I grew sick of always being a wanderer, always looking for a home that never seemed to exist. So, I came here, to this town. It might be dingy, it might smell of rot and decay, but perhaps here, I can finally find a place to stay."
Backstory:
Elanor was abandoned by her mother as a baby, left in the woods with nothing but a small blanket. She was found by a kind human couple who adopted her and raised her as their own child. Growing up, Elanor had to hide her long elven ears to blend in with the human villagers, a necessity her adoptive parents helped her manage. Despite their love and care, her elven heritage meant she outlived them, leaving her with a profound sense of loss and loneliness.
After realizing the fact, Elanor decided to travel in search of a place where she could belong- leaving her human parents as she did not want too see them slowly dying. She boarded ships and journeyed to various kingdoms, experiencing different lands and cultures along the way. However, her prolonged lifespan led to an overwhelming sense of isolation as she continuously outlived friends and acquaintances. The loneliness of her travels eventually became unbearable.
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