Creation and Rules

Carlin kissed her mother goodbye and hefted her pack. Turning to go, she was interrupted by a clearing throat. She looked back over her shoulder to see her grandmother giving her a disapproving look. Glancing down at herself, she could see nothing wrong, so she shot a puzzled gaze at the old lady.

"Ye've forgotten yer broom," the old lady intoned with exasperation.

Carlin sighed and tried one last time to reason with her, "Gran, don't you think it's a bit on the nose? For a witch to carry a broom? It's like waving a sign over my head saying 'look, I'm a witch! Lynch me!"

The matriarch crossed her arms and replied only with a steely-eyed gaze.

"Fine, fine. I'm taking it. Come, Esme," Carlin called, and a thick wooden broom with stiff bristles flew out from behind the hut and to her hand.

Her grandmother nodded her approval then turned away. That wasn't a tear in her eye, seeing off her only granddaughter. Must be dust. She hadn't cried in decades.

Giving one last wave and a sardonic smile, Carlin turned and headed for the city. Come what may, she was going to get to the bottom of the mystery...for the coven, and perhaps, for the worldturtle itself.

How's this?

Isuna Duskgaze, the halfling devote of Mercury, was on the run. It totally wasn't her fault, but angry mothers rarely saw things with clear eyes.

It was harmless really. She was performing a love con, just for fun. You have to try all of the classics. This plot was to get a young magistrate's son to fall for her, and then use that to leverage stealing the magistrate's signet. Classic right?

Where things went edgewise was that poor schlepp actually feel hard, and turned out to be a wee bit more kidnappy than she liked in a guy. The blood from his broken nose was tracked back to her hideout. She barely had enough time to get a rubbing for her forgery before she was on the run.

Good thing they all thought that her name was Candace Rubblebottom and not her true identity! But at least she had a passable forged signet ring of the magistrate Duke Trentop. And that necklace she grabbed from the Duchess's nightstand. It sure was shiny. Now, what to do for her next trick...?