Prologue: The Children's Journey

Our story begins in a cold, filthy, poor and destitute orphanage in the city of Dalton. It is a city where the Nobles are at the top of the food chain followed by the spellcasters/ merchants/bards then the thieves, paupers, scoundrels, fighters, assassins, and farm/stable hands sit at the very bottom licking the dung and boots of the rich. The city of Dalton show high respect and regards to the monks , clerics, and paladins that travel around to help others as they treat them almost as holy missionaries and prophets as they do and share their good works to all.

It is a cold and dark autumnal night. The dead trees begin to rattle at the windows after shedding its final lifeless leaves which copper brown in color falls to the ground before being crushed underfoot by all sorts of things that go bump in the night. But the monsters and watchers in the dark do not prowl this night and leave the city of Dalton alone. Because tonight something else is on the wind and it brings with it a sour sweet smell.

Sitting alone in a room with tattered and threadbare blankets on the bed and looking out at a broken window looking out at the many stars shining in the night sky is a little girl.

@Svande Svande, can you tell us who your character is and describe your character to us and tell us what she is currently doing right now this night at this very moment?

As the wish has been spoken aloud by Flora, you see a bright flash of white light which blinds her for a second but when the light finally clears and her eyes begin to adjust again, standing over her on her bed is a tall elderly woman with long flowing snow white hair and black eyes wearing a long green gown covered with animal bones, skulls, and leaves.

-Picture of Baba Yaga.

She pats her large plump stomach and looks at Flora with a toothy hungry smile. Holding her long gnarled hands out to her, she whispers "I'll happily take you away, my dear sweet child. "

Before Flora can do anything, the elderly woman blows a stream of purple, pink and blue stars into her face. She coughs before falling fast asleep and the woman says to herself before taking Flora into her arms and teleports away with a stream of dead leaves, and dark flowers "Baba Yaga will take you away from here. You'll soon be home in my stomach. " She then lets out a dark witch-like cackle before taking her home to her large chicken leg hut in the Fey/spirit realm. The blankets fall off the bed and dead leaves are the only things that remain on Flora's bed.

I'm going to roll to see how long it will be before you wake up again, Flora.

Flora you wake up in three hours only to find yourself in a Strange hut and see the woman who rescued you from the orphanage looking down at you with a smile.

"You're awake? Excellent! Did you enjoy your sleep, child? It was a long trip back to my home in the Fey/Spirit realm after all. " The woman asks. She looks at Flora through a child-sized bird cage made completely of human bones which is on the floor close to a large black soup cauldron which she began to place logs underneath and with a snap of her fingers, she started a fire which begins to boil tons of water inside of it.

Baba Yaga chuckles at that and stares at Flora with amusement.

"You are in my home in the Fey/spirit realm, my dear sweet child. You had been asleep for three hours. You made the wish, correct? Well, I made your wish come true. You no longer will have to be in that horrible Orphanage. You are now home with me. Unfortunately, everything comes with a price. Nothing in life comes for free, little girl. My cages are made by the bones of the children I eat. I am very hungry and you will make a delicious meal for me tonight! Baba Yaga will feast good tonight. Time to pay the piper. " Baba Yaga told Flora darkly giving a toothy witch-like grin.

Opening the cage, she lifts a finger and Flora slowly begins to hover over the large black cauldron where large clouds of steam and boiling water greets her. Dropping the finger, Flora quickly falls into the cauldron with a large splash.

The steam and boiling hot water begins to slowly choke and burn her as it felt like she is being boiled alive.

Baba Yaga just looks at Flora and licked her lips before smiling and letting out a large witchy cackle before she grabs a large wooden mixing spoon and begins to stir Flora and the other vegetables that were added to her cauldron. She then sprinkled some pepper on Flora and some other spices before she sneezes. Baba Yaga then places an apple inside Floras mouth and says in a sing-songy voice "Going to have a scrumptious little girl stew! Its good for me but not good for you!"

Before Baba Yaga could continue watching Flora cook in her large cauldron, a large ghostly mage hand quickly knocked the cauldron over and Flora fell to the ground with a thud.

" Baba Yaga, how dare you corrupt a child's pure wish only to fill your bloated stomach?! She trusted you to save her and you used her kind and pure wish for your own selfish desires!" A voice called out from behind Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga quickly spins around and growls as she sees a woman wearing a beautiful blue dress covered in a variety of multicolored flowers in front of her. She then calms down and smiles after a moment.

"Grandmother Sophie, what a surprise! I couldn't give up this opportunity. She should have learned to be careful what she wished for as you never know what you'll get. I answered her wish and brought her here. The child should have been more specific with her wish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a little girl to devour." Baba Yaga replied.

Before she could grab Flora, Grandmother Sophie grappled Baba Yaga and they began to fight leaving Flora on the floor.

Flora, because you were in the cauldron for a few moments, you take 1d6 fire damage from the hot boiling water.

The fight between Grandmother Sophie and Baba Yaga lasts for several minutes as spells are flung all over the hut. Baba Yaga lays on top of her overturned cauldron exhausted.

Grandmother Sophie slowly reaches over to Flora and says "Don't worry, I will get you out of here. I will protect you. I promise and I always keep my promises."

Before They both could leave the hut, Baba Yaga shouts " You owe me, little girl. For not giving me my meal, One day I will take something from you that you will truly care about. You won't know when it'll happen, but when I come for it, you should be prepared to lose it. I won't forget. A witch never forgets or forgives when she's been wronged!"

Grandmother Sophie takes Flora by the hand and wipes her tears with her white handkerchief that is in her blue gown . "Come with me, I will keep you safe away from the evil witch Baba Yaga. " And she teleports away with Flora away from the chicken leg hut of Baba Yaga until they appear in front of a beautiful cottage in the woods.

"Yes I do , young Flora. My name is Grandmother Sophie. I am the Guardian and keeper of this cottage and the woods and village surrounding it. As long as I am around, I protect all and help all who enters my domain which borders on the gateway between the human realm (where you come from) And the Fey/Spirit realm (where creatures like Baba Yaga, Fey, banshees and other Fey spirit creatures are from with demons and more. As long as you follow my rules while you are here, I promise to keep you safe and protected with my magic. My rules are as follows : If you are asked to do a chore, you must do it and do it well, any open door is an invitation but a closed door is an answer, Always be home by nightfall as you must never go out after dark because there are monsters , watchers in the dark and other creatures who prey on those found outside at night, and do not walk on any roads for a road is a path and the paths you choose have a price. Final rules and these are the very utmost ones that you follow while you are in my care...Always keep your promises and if you make one, you must hold up your end of the bargain no matter what it is. Also wishes on stars are very powerful. You must be careful what you wish for as a wish is a verbal contract and like a promise, you must always keep to them. You never know what you are going to get though.

Midnight already? You must be tired. Let me take you to bed and I'll give you a tour of the cottage and the grounds tomorrow. " Grandmother Sophie says to Flora as she leads her by the hand inside her cottage which the door slowly opens up to the both of you.

The smells of Apples, and sweet spring flowers, and peppermint fill your nostrils as you enter Grandmother Sophie's cottage as this is what she smells like and what the cottage smells like.

She takes you to a large mattress filled with goosedown feathers and covered with fluffy goosedown feather pillows and quilts and blankets that she had sewn herself made of soft spider silk and yarn. Placing you softly in the bed and tucking you in, she kisses your cheek before wishing you goodnight and shuts the door softly behind her.

As you lay in bed, you feel a calm and peace come over you that you never had being at the Orphanage or at Baba Yagas chicken leg hut. You feel safe and finally are able to sleep as you haven't had a good nights sleep in a very long time. Before you fall asleep, you see a owl give a friendly wave at you before leaving the room with Grandmother Sophie.

Flora is able to take a long rest now.

We then turn to the streets of Dalton where a young wood elf boy is trying to survive. It is morning and everyone is busy doing their shopping at the tents and shops in the Bazaar, getting breakfast at the local Inn/Tavern or at one of the many restaurants in town while the local bard/storyteller is regaling a few orphaned children with stories about a Prince saving a cursed sleeping princess from a fire-breathing dragon and knights doing amazing Heroic deeds.

@Eyes Will you describe your character to us and what he is doing at this very moment?

The shopkeeper, a robust dwarf man with a long red beard and short curly hair wearing a olive green vest, golden shirt with brown khaki pants and brown buckle shoes and long white stockings looks at you, Woody with a smile and a twinkle in his green eyes.

"Top of the morning to you, laddie. Lovely day today, isn't it? Looking for a gift for a special lady friend , eh? Let's see what Old man Mccorrmick has for you, shall we?" The shopkeeper named Ian Mccorrmick says.

He looks through his many shelves until he finds a velvet box and chuckles.

Mr. Mccorrmick returns to you and after blowing the dust off the red velvet box, opens it and says showing you a emerald green heart shaped necklace out to you with a golden chain connected to it "This has been collecting dust on my shelves for years. Haven't found a home for this beautifully unique but unwanted treasure. I will happily part this with you for 1 silver. I don't know who gave this to me but they told me that the person who made this was a crafter of magical artifacts and could make jewelry and other special items that spellcasters and others could use to help them on their journey. This necklace is called the emerald heart necklace. If you want it, I'll give you the box with it free of charge. I collect unique and curious treasures from all over the place so for a beautiful necklace like that to remain on my shelves collecting dust is a shame."

The necklace shines brightly in the sunlight as it lays in the dust-covered velvet box.

Mr. Mccorrmick smiles at that before handing you Woody, the emerald heart necklace that is inside the red velvet box and places the coins in the store cash box.

After you place the box in your backpack, he replies "That is very kind of you, good Sir. Your father is a wise and kind as well as strong man to say that. I don't know why really. I sell more curiosities and rare treasures and artifacts here that people don't know about and some are safe while others may be cursed or dangerous items. I just take them and don't ask questions. I even have an item someone gave me that they had stolen from Baba Yagas chicken hut house. It was an Apple of Withering. They thought it was just a regular apple but when I saw that their body was withering and decaying from it, I knew they were cursed. They gave it to me for free but I just keep it locked up in a black box away from public eyes. I don't know if the foolish man who gave me that is still alive or not. So I only cater to customers who feel drawn to my shop and if I find what they need, I sell it to them. I don't sell potions or anything like that though. That's why they just refer to me as the Treasure man. So I just named my Shop Mccorrmicks Treasures and other curiousities."

Woody as you place the Necklace in your backpack, you have received a Necklace of the Indispensable. It's a Wondrous rare item requiring attunement and while wearing the necklace, your Constitution goes up to 20 and you can use the sending spell once a day.

Also there are no city guards around right now at the moment due to your perception check roll. They are currently busy dealing with the other crimes in the city and dealing with the giant rats that sometimes comes out to terrorize the townsfolk.