Your character has just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As they look around, their gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. They 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?))
Balin puts his hands at the edge of his hood, hesitating a moment, giving the woman a once over before pulling his hood back and taking a seat. He glances back over his shoulder to the entrance of the tent as if waiting for someone to come in. Balin sighs and looks back at the woman. "Tis not a Heroic tale but I'll tell it to you all the same. When I was a young lad, I had always wanted to be a member of the royal guard. I'd see them training and hear them reciting their oaths." Balin starts to look into the dancing flame of a nearby candle, lost in another time, a slight smile forms on his lips. "My father encouraged me, bellowed the flames that burned hot in my blood. He was proud his son had such a noble ambition. He would constantly help me spar and train, to hopefully be the best soldier I could be. Me mother thought he was being too hard on me." He turns away from the candle, back towards the woman. The smile wiped clean from Balin's face. "It wasn't him. I wanted it that way. I knew what it would take" His face softens a bit as he relaxes more, almost sullen. "Aye but none of it was enough. When it came time to see if I had the grit to join the royal army ranks, I fell short." Balin's fist clenches slightly but then soon releases. "It wasn't all bad news though. I decided to leave home after that, try and find someone else who might be in need of a strong dwarf. Soon enough I met some guys looking to hire some new muscle for a very well off merchant's estate. After some demonstration of what I could bring to the table, I was hired." Balin shifts slightly as he continues "I was told never to talk to the owner of the estate, I actually never knew his name. They wanted to give us as little information about him as possible, something about keeping us as expendable as can be. He would only speak to the captain of the guard directly, and would give everyone this disgusted look. As much as I didn't much care for his snide looks, I now had a job to do. I would protect that man with my life. I had a duty..... just....one duty" Balin looks off to the side, sullen again "about 3 months into my new job, something happened. It was late, dark, overcast, perfect night for treachery. I was stationed outside the merchant's room this night, someone would be coming soon to swap shifts with me, we rotate every few hours. Suddenly I heard a noise come from inside the room, almost a gurgle. I push the door open slightly to peer in and I see a slender, dark figure, standing over the merchant in his bed, pushing a knife deep in his throat. I slammed the door open, yelling for them to stop. Once they saw me barreling towards them, the figure jumped from the bed and headed for the window. Just as I pulled my sword from its scabbard, they dove out the open window. By the time I reached it, I looked out and they were gone. I rushed over to the bed, the merchant lie there with the knife sticking from his throat. He was dead. Just as I pulled the knife out, some of the other guards had rushed in from hearing the commotion. I don't know exactly what was going on in their heads but I do know seeing the newest hire, holding a bloody knife in one hand and their dead boss in the other wasn't a good look." Balin takes a deep breath and just lets out a quiet sigh "They just rushed me at that point. Wouldn't listen to a word I said about nothing. Just dragged me to a storage closet, and locked me inside. It would be 3 days before they let me out. After the first day, I quit trying to plea with them, as my words were falling on ears that had already marked me as a criminal. I was brought before a man and a woman dressed in finer clothes than anyone else, friends or family of the one who was murdered I presumed. I was forced to my knees in from of them, they only asked me 'who hired you'. I asked for what? They said 'The assassination'. As I tried to explain what happened, I was stricken across the back of the head. I was then asked again 'who hired you'. I opened my mouth to speak but chose to not say anything, as I already knew what my fate would be. I sat silent for a bit, just staring at the two, one grew impatient and waved their hand with a grimace. I felt another sting at the back of my head but this time the world grew dark as I fell forward. I woke up, being dragged along the ground. As my eyes adjusted to the light of ourside, I could see a gallows had been constructed in the courtyard of the estate. I had no clue how long I had been out. When we reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to the gallows, I was hoisted to my feet, now noticing my hands bound together. I marched up to the top, looked out over the small crowd of hired muscle, some of the estates workers and the two whom I can thank for this sentencing. I stepped forward, as the captain of the guard looked looked noose around my neck. He took a step back to the lever and asked me if I had any last words." Balin's eyes squeeze shut as they begin to well up "I truly thought it was over for me. All I could say was 'I'm sorry mom and dad, I failed'. And with that he pulled the lever, but just as quickly as I felt the wood floor leave my feet, I felt the cool dirt hit me like a ton of bricks. It took me a second to get my barings but as I looked around I could see smoke filling the courtyard, billowing out from spherical objects tossed about, and everyone running around in a panic. The guards rushing to get everyone to saftey and protect them. I rolled over onto my back and looked up through the trap door. I saw the rope that had been fastened around my neck, perfectly cut, and an arrow now sticking out of the post the rope hung from. As my mind raced while I lay on my back, a hooded figure suddenly stood over me, I recognized the shape. It was the person that started all of this, the one I saw murdering my boss. Before I could react they grabbed my arms and cut the ropes that bind them. As I sat there rubbing my arms they tossed me their Cloak. Without the hood, their long brown hair now flowed freely. With a calm voice she spoke to me 'you weren't supposed to come in. You weren't supposed to take the fall. They'll never think you're innocent now, so run. Just keep running' and then she disappeared into the smoke. I knew she was right, after this rescue, They'll never believe it wasn't me. I quickly donned the Cloak you see before you, and rushed out of there, through all the commotion." Balin sighs and gently taps a floating candle, watching it float away. "Been on the run since. I tear down wanted posters whenever I see them and scrounge for food. I've been hiding and trying to find more information on the woman that saved me. But so far all I've found is more strife. At this point I might just be looking to start over, you know?" Balin looks to the woman, trying to read her face, hoping for advice
