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?))
(I invented some stuff about the swamp hag, hopefully that's allowed)
The man stared blankly at the cushion. As he took notice of the simple material used to make it his eyes wandered back to to the old woman, staring patiently back at him, "Well?" she gestured at the fusion again, "Sit, boy! Surely my humble abode cannot be that repulsive to you!". The man looked at the cushion once more and lowered himself to sit down. The hag chuckles.
"A spacey one, you are. Hopefully that means I'm in for a good tale today." The hag said.
"I don't have much of a tale to tell you." The man replied, staring down at the rotted wood floor, "My life is simple. "My father and mother died before I could ever remember. And so I lived impoverished as a child. One day, I stole something and was placed in jail. And now I am able to live life as a free man. So I hope to be able to live a normal life." He looked back up at the elderly woman, "That's why I'm here."
The hag studied the man's expression. He held a stern expression, but his gaze was so distant that he almost looked like a corpse. He was wearing such a simple and dirty outfit that she didn't feel the need to question if he truly was a convict. Most distinctive, were his many tattoos. Some in the shapes of religious symbols, some seals, a few bawdy doodles, some poetry or just seemingly meaningless phrases. Them being the one of many oddities that most indicated that perhaps 'simple' would not be how another would describe his life.
"Name, boy." She asked.
"Herwig." He responded flatly.
"Full name."
"I don't have a last name."
"Can you read, boy?"
"No."
The hag sighed, "Well then, Herwig. I'm afraid I can't promise you'll have many employers. But, I'll contact a few places I know who are looking to hire. Return to me in 3 days time, and I will tell you if anything turns up." Herwig simply nodded. Standing up from the cushion, he pulls a bag of coins from his pocket and places it on top of the the cushion. The hag lowers her head again as the man walks out the door.
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