cornsoda

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?)) Allamanda rubbed her eyes, doing as the woman instructed. "I don't usually start talking to others so quickly, but there's something quite off about you. You're lucky." She admitted, her accent soft, but still noticeable, "When I was born, I was the first child to be sired in my village for many moons, I was named after the most plentiful flowers in our small village: Allamanda. There was constant pressure from the elders to be something great- it made me so incredibly tired. My last straw was when one of the village women became pregnant; I didn't like the attention I was getting due to my age, but for some reason I was beyond terrified of suddenly losing it. So, like a coward, I ran." She paused to take a sip of her water, chuckling without humor, "You know how they say, 'The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down'? I've always wondered what would happen if the village instead embraced that child, but to a suffocating degree. I think it would then push past the crowds and find its own path in the dense wood. It's what's happening with me now, is it not? My path, if you were wondering- and don't laugh! -is north towards The Vailu Valmiran. Yes, I've always been passionate about music, I play mandolin, lyre, write songs here and there, and also sing. I'm hoping to find work around the area to pay for it, and a new harp! I won't settle for not achieving my goals, I'm afraid I can't get enough of being able to forge my own path." Her tone had gotten a little more passionate and cheerier during the interaction, though she still had a hint of tiredness in her voice. "My travels have been long and on foot, thank the Father I've managed to stay safe. I've no talent for combat, I'll tell you that much." She yawned to further emphasize her statement, "Say, I'm very tired, ma'am. If it is alright with you, I shall rest here and return to my journey in the morning. What do you think? And who may you be, anyway?"