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?))
Cillia, always cautious, reflexively grabs her sword's hilt and partially pulls the weapon out of the sheath. Seeing a person, especially seemingly old and incapable, in these desolate ruins is not an experience one would want to have.
Cillia: Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?
Rag: You come to my home and ask me who am I? It is you who seems to be an uninvited guest here, yet I treat you with hospitality... at least so far, so sit down and tell your story
In early childhood, father read various books to Cillia, and she still remembers the stories about powerful witches of the swamps. Being left with no choice, Cillia pulled back the sword, for a second raised up the hands to indicate surrender, anxiously sat down and, with a shaking voice, started:
Cillia: My.. My name is Cillia. I-Im from a city nearby, from aaa... relatively wealthy family offf.. artisans, yeah. Myyy.. father is a shoemaker aaand my mother is a weaver. I was born in 1900, 18 years ago. I.. I enjoy gardening and hunting and.. I practice fencing aand.. I.. I'm thinking of joining the army perhaps aannd...
Rag (interrupting): Interesting, very interesing, so tell me, what did you forget in our wonderful settlement?
Cillia: I.. I'm... uhhh.. I'm just.. travelling, yeah, exploring the countryside aandd...
In reality, Cillia came here to loot. Some bandit sold her a map of recently depopulated due to wars or diseases villages, most of the marks on the map turned out to be empty fields or dense forests, but Cillia was committed to her quest for quick easy money.
Rag (interrupting): Travelling, I see, very, very interesting, it's been a while since someone travelled through this land, would you like to see some of our local sights, he-he-he
Cillia: Hah (anxiously),uhh, yeah, I'd love to, of course, that's why I came here!
The two move out of the tent and enter a big rotting house nerby, with wood it's build from being all green. Inside the house there is a big cauldron surrounded by numerous dim candles. The smell of rot and disease inside is unbearable, upon approaching the cauldron Cillia could see dead human body parts and bones in the water
Rag: Here we are making food, ohh, I didn't eat anything in sooo long, would you like to help me coo.. (interrupted)
Realising she needs to act before its too late, Cillia quickly grabs a dagger and stabs the rag in the throat. Loud demonic screams almost stun Cillia, the screams are followed by some words in an unknown language, the room gets filled with rats and bats, Cillia rushes out of the building and sprints towards her horse, dropping all the loot and galloping wherever the eyes can see. The sky turns red and the ground starts burning, the horse stumbles and Cillia falls dow...
Cillia wakes up. A week ago she bought a map of abandoned villages, but for the last 3 days has suffered from severe fever. On the nightstand she finds a glass with some liquid and a note:
"Drink this mixture when you wake up, it should ease the symptoms"
Stefan, medic
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