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?))
Olympe shrugs, digs in her satchel, and retrieves a notebook. She quickly scribbles down a simple statement: "I cannot speak." She rips the note off and hands it to the hag in the tent.
After a long, awkward pause, she begins scribbling away in the notebook again. The hag sips a cup of tea, waiting patiently for the apparently mute Olympe to write up her story.
"I was born in Alba on the realm known as Aevos. I grew up during the reign of the Prince of Alstion, Edward, and his wife, the Princess of Alstion, Cecily. In my youngest years, I was normal. But ultimately, I experienced a great trauma that I have no intention of sharing with a stranger. Because of this hardship, I have since that day, never spoken a word out loud. This caused great difficulty within my family and for a time they did not understand."
She paused, taking a deep breath and looking the hag up and down before continuing to write. "But through the gentle guidance and patience afforded to me by mother, I was able to learn to write, unlike many other lowborn families in our area. I used this to communicate when I needed. Within my family, my mother and I even developed a rudimentary sign system, where I could use hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to express myself."
She ripped the note off and handed it over to the hag, folding her arms and awaiting a response.
