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?))
For a moment, the air thickens with anticipation... "Very well," Hwa Vi says. He sits down, straightening his back before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I was born to a small farming village, living as an only child with my mother and father. Gradually, a drought came upon my village, causing our crops to die along with our people. With few in condition to do so, we searched for aid in neighboring towns, but they shut their gates to us. My parents passed shortly after we found refuge in a far-off forest temple run by wanderers. I grew up with the many wanderers who'd pass through our temple, many of them soldiers, monks, and those looking for refuge. When I became old enough, I moved along through the wilderness, hopping from temple to town, joining troops in battles for a place to stay. Then, sustained myself through trading and collecting, and to this day, I still do." Hwa Lan finally opens his eyes with a slight smile. "That is what brings me to this town, I am a passerby, nothing more."
The elder meets his eyes, "and I am to believe that you are just passing by, Hwa Vi?"
He nods solemnly, "Do as you may."
She shakes her head and motions towards the door, "You are foolish, but you are brave."
