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. An old hag raises her head at the back of the tent, “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?))
Astrid's eyes widen in surprise. She wants to know my story. She thinks. Astrid's eyes scan around the tattered tent, she realizes that this woman seems to be no harm to her wellbeing. The soft lighting of the candles seems to give the tent a warm atmosphere. She took a deep breath and sat on an old, rotting wooden chair. Astrid pulls out a seemingly old book and begins writing swiftly. Once finished, she handed the book to the old hag, who looked at her, confused.
(Astrid is mute. If this is a problem for the story, let me know, and Ill change it so that she is just very quiet.)
The note read:
My name is Astrid Blackwood. I am a freshly turned 20-year-old. If you want to hear my story, I will start from the beginning. As a child, my mother died due to birth complications while giving birth to my baby brother Mark. After my mother's death, my father, who had once been a kind, humble farmer, became a quiet, depressed person. He would sit in the house all day, staring into space. Because of his absence, the farm began to die, and we had no money for food. I couldn't sit by and watch my father and brother starve, so I took matters into my own hands. At the age of 13, I was taking care of both my brother and father, along with the farm. Business could have been better, but we were able to scrap by, and I put food on the table almost every night. Life began looking up as I got older. My brother started to help out around the farm as best he could, and my father seemed to be healing from his grief. However, the normalcy I grew to know changed one tragic night. A raid from the neighboring soldiers turned my life upside down. They stormed into the house, demanding all our gold. When I told them we had none, they screamed about how I was lying. They began to beat me until I was barely breathing. My father and brother got the same treatment. As the soldiers left, they took torches and set the house on fire. I tried to get to my family, but the fire cut off my path to them. As the house collapsed, I made it outside just in time. I can't say the same for Mark and my father. I was left with absolutely nothing. I had to start from the ground up. After that night, I never spoke another word to anyone. I gathered anything I could and began traveling to find new land. For the past 6 years, I have farmed and traveled all around to sell my crops. This is how I make a living. Recently, though, I have had a feeling of anger when I see soldiers; they are so carefree and without struggle, yet they are the ones who took everything from me.
End note
The hag looks at Astrid and smiles, "Thank you for telling me your story. Go on, you best be going. it's late, and I need my rest." Astrid looks at the women for a moment before standing and exiting the tent.
