BuckTootha

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?)) Ailas softly smiles and sits beside the woman. "Thank you for receiving me. If you've been expecting me, I suppose that means my cousin got through safe. Thanks for receiving him as well. If you wanna know our story, I'm afraid I can't offer anything you probably haven't heard before. The Mauri got to our town, and," They stare at nothing, though it's clear they're seeing everything again. They put their hand over their mouth and let out a chuckle. "Gods. We were military kids, y'know? When you're in the thick of it, you think you know everything everybody else is looking for. It bothers you when they don't see what you see, makes you mad, even. You think that oath is all there is to the world, all there is to strive for. You confuse yourself with what you think is your purpose, and you lose yourself." They make a pause and lean back in their seat. They seem to suddenly remember where they are, "Sorry, I lost myself for a moment there."

Talahan was born into slavery, in Atlas, within Krugmar. His lot saw him separated from his family, then moved from province to province, serving anywhere from opulent forts and castles to the brutal gem mines. Everyone he met, he noticed had a similar mentality: "This is our lot in life, so let's make the best of what we have." For years, he lived reluctantly satisfied with this outlook. But, hold on, who got to decide his fate for him? Who ordained the world in such a way that a few wily orc traders and fat-chinned guild merchants thrived from the suffering of the malnourished masses that toiled away in the mineral mines? He may have been a slave, but he was born free, so he fought his way out: the rebelling slaves murdered at least a dozen of the orc guards and slavers; all the while freeing even more slaves in the revolt. That was seven years ago. For seven years he hid away, and tried to live a simple life, but that wasn't happening. His life had been taken from him. He has no reason to live for now but to give what's left of his life and energy to prevent the cycle from repeating, and to save as many people from his horrible fate as possible. How will he go about this? He's not sure yet. All he knows is he has nothing to lose.