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?))
Gnerva sits down, eyeing the hag with a calculating look, before opening his mouth and speaking with a neutral, but not entirely cold voice.
"Well, I've never been one to deny a lady's request. I was born in Urguan, where I was a bit of a rambunctious child. I spent my free time exploring and gathering plants and other bits and bobs to make into what I called potions. My parents indulged me, often pretending to be cured from ailments or effected in some other way. Of course, I was bullied for scraping moss of the walls instead of wrestling like the rest of my peers."
A thin, faint smile etches itself onto Gnervas face.
"Eventually, I discovered Bats Eye Bulb and its effects after accidentally getting some of the spores into my Pa's face. After a bit of tinkering, I decided to take my classmates up on their offer of wrestling, armed with a bottle of spores ready to blind them with."
His smile fades.
"I didn't manage to uncork the bottle in time. They beat me to a pulp and left me there. Ashamed, I decided to leave the city and perfect my skills, and learn some new ones along the way. I was 16 then, and I'm 20 now. I've had my scrapes, but between some basic combat training and use of the plants around me, I've managed to survive this long."
His eyes drift to look over the hags shoulder, almost lost in thought.
"When I make it to Talons Port, I'm going to set up a small shop with a bunker underneath. That's where I will live, work, and experiment. I'll keep my distance from the locals if I can, and act sociable with the ones I interact with. Being intentionally rude never got anyone anywhere."
Gnerva rises from his seat, a warm, almost genuine, smile stretching itself across his face.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to leave before the day ends. Thank you for your hospitality, and have a pleasant day!"
For a moment, the air thickens with anticipation, until…
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