The hut swallows the square’s cold light. Herbs hang from the rafters, and the blue fire outside is only a faint pulse through the doorway. The Elder sets three small cups on a low table and pours bitter tea with steady hands.
Rolph Kriegson stands in the warm hush, fur cloak loosening at his shoulders. Mika stays close, her relief easing into a shy, wondering calm as she glances from the cups to Rolph.
The Elder
Drink. Bitter things help the body remember peace.
The Elder slides one cup toward Rolph, one toward Mika, then keeps the third in both hands. Their gaze lingers on the pair like they are weighing a river’s current.
Mika
It feels strange, after all that noise, to hear only the fire settling.
She takes the cup with both hands. Rolph has a moment of quiet before the Elder’s expectant silence fills it, gentle now, not demanding.
The Elder
Dawn will ask more of you. For now, tell me what kind of future you mean to make.
✓ Quest Accepted
Tell the Elder what kind of future you mean to make
“I mean to build my own homestead with my wife, and to rais a large clan in my name.”
SUCCESS (Great Reasoning, rolled +0)
Rolph Kriegson
I mean to build a homestead of my own, with Mika at my side, and raise a large clan in my name.
The words settle into the hut like kindling laid in a hearth. Mika lowers her cup and turns toward Rolph, her face softening from shy hope into something steadier.
Mika
A homestead... not just a camp, then. A real place. I can see it.
The Elder’s brow lifts a fraction. They do not smile, but their grip on the cup eases.
The Elder
A clan asks for more than blood. It asks for shelter, bread, patience, and hands that return home.
Rolph Kriegson
The tea is bitter, but the room feels warmer than before.
Mika
Then let us make something that can hold all of that.
The Elder sets their cup down between them, and the small circle of light around the table feels suddenly shared. For the first time, Rolph’s future and Mika’s sit in the same shape.
Quest Complete
Tell the Elder what kind of future you mean to make