Xx_Hestia_xX

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 lower my head just enough to pass beneath the sagging canvas, candlelight catching in my golden eyes as I straighten to my full height, my jewelry clinking lightly. The damp air clings to my skirts, and for a moment I simply watch the flames sway, as if listening. “So,” I say softly, my voice carrying the lilt of long roads and longer nights, “you’ve been expecting me.” I take the cushion she offers, smoothing my colored skirts beneath me, fingers brushing the white of my blouse as though to ground myself. The scent of moss and old magic is familiar, unwelcome to most of my kin, but, to me, it's honest. “I was born among elves who followed purity and quiet obedience,” I begin, meeting the hag’s gaze without flinching. “I had neither. My mind danced where theirs stood still, my blood sang of wandering, of bargains and hearth-fires shared with strangers. They called it dangerous. They called me dangerous.” A thin smile curves my lips. “So, they turned their backs, and I walked on. I learned history from hedge-witches and strangers, songs from caravans, truths from cups poured too full. And now…” I glance around the tent, then beyond it, toward the rotting town. “Now...I wish to learn more from travelers while I rest from my adventures.” My eyes return to hers, steady. “I’m here to build a tavern. A place for the unwanted, the curious, the cursed. Warm food, strong drink, and no questions asked unless invited. I do, however, would love to listen to their tales. Maybe even trade what I know or have for their knowledge.” I lean in slightly, candlelight gilding my gaze. “And you, old mother of secrets, if you’ve truly been expecting me, then you already know this town will need such a place. The question is whether you’ll help me keep it standing.”