A man closes the inn door, looks around and observes the round table with only one free chair inviting him to sit. He approaches and sits down, while friendly eyes salute him. At the other end of the table a man wearing a black hoodie west takes off his cowl, revealing his face he starts talking:
"I am glad that you all made it, because the story that I will tell is worth your precious times. I'll tell you a story about a man, a man called Zack Crowe. He was a simple human being, at first at least. He was born in Arabel, in northern Cormyr on Toril. He was the son of a merchant family, but he was raised not just by his parents but an elder tiefling he met in a cave in the nearby forest. This tiefling taught him everything he well could about surviving in a harsh world dominated by the strong, where the weak need to work ages to earn their living. As he grew, he became a proficient pickpocketeer, several crimes and thieveries were known by his hand, thus his parents abandoned him. Although being alone didn't make him feel lost in the world, as contrary, he felt pleased that he is free to do his liking. "
"So he began adventuring..." - says a clumsy gnome with an ironic tone.
The old man takes a sip from his wine and continues:
"That is an odd way of putting it. I would rather say he began to see the world as it is, he began to learn. He knew he could escape any situations and get away with anything so he took advantage of his skills. He quickly learned to read, then began studying different languages including elven, draconic, dwarven... He even dwelled into the arts of alchemy, thus making packs full of firebombs ready to burn down his enemies homes. But what else could a young man at his age desire? Oh yes you guessed... women. He wasn't quite the talkative kind of person, he was shy, so instead he simply took what he wanted. But he made one simple mistake: he once robbed a nobleman's daughter, not like she wasn't into it... but still the family was't happy at all. They even set a huge bounty on his head. On one night he was found in one of the inns in town, but luckily he escaped through the window. While running out of town he was ambushed by hunting dogs. One of them jumped on him, tripped him on the ground and scratched his face leaving a bleeding wound. He somehow managed to get a grip of his dagger thrusting it into the dog. The rest of the dogs fled in fear hearing the scream of death of their fellow. He somehow got out of the city and ran into the King's Forest inhabited by orcs. Everything went exactly as he planed if something went wrong except, that he forgot that it was the time of the year when wolves give birth to cubs. When the mother wolf appeared in his face he knew he was looking death in the eyes. Until know his motto was 'I'll vanish from your sight as fast as your pain transforms into death', but then he knew he has no way to escape. He was struck down. That is the end of the story of the man called Zack Crowe. Or is it? I still remember his face: pointy nose, round face, light blue eyes, and yes, brown hair. He was such a determined fellow, he always knew what is the next step, like a true strategist, still he was too nervous to use his talent for helping others, instead he followed his own needs. His own recklessness led him to his death. At least that is what I thought. I saw the day after he died some strange... people in the forest, wearing black, it was hard for me to observe them more carefully. But when I approached the exact place where he died, I found no corpse there. As we all know this world in which we live is full of ending and beginnings, and maybe for him a chapter ended, but somewhere a new one started. Hope I will meet him again some day." finished the old tiefling.
Journal entry #1
Dear journal, today I woke up in front of an inn, in a place I never saw before...
I guess it's a fresh start. And they don't even know what's waiting for them.
Zack Crowe
