Ellyjobell Nemelgel went to sleep as she usually did, not expecting anything unusual to happen.
Elly awoke lying flat on the grass, outside of a camp of strangers. Clearly, someone had stolen her away while she slept, and perhaps did horrible things to her that she did not wish to think about. She ran screaming from the camp, and happened upon some strangers, whereby she attempted to explain her circumstances.
The folks kindly gave her clothing, which she used to cover herself.
The folks told her that she had not been kidnapped by the people of the camp, but Elly knew that certainly someone must have kidnapped her, else she’d awaken in her bed and not naked in the grass.
Seeing that the folks either did not believe her, believed she was mad, or were mad themselves, Elly asked to speak with the town’s guard, for the town or city that she saw in the distance. The strangers informed her that the gates were locked at night.
Seeing a temple of The Morninglord, a name that sounded hopeful, and hopefully of a good deity, Elly entered the temple to seek help and perhaps await inside until dawn, so that she could enter the city, and speak with the guards.
While sitting in the temple, trying to gather her thoughts, she saw her Worst Nightmare! A creature with a horrible face, a demon perhaps, and it approached her. Elly then ran screaming from the temple and into the Inn for shelter. She told the Inn Keeper her story, and the Inn Keeper was kind enough to allow her to stay for the night. (META: “Your Worst Nightmare," was the name of the character, and they had an Illithid mask/face, and they were “badly hurt” so I imagine covered in blood.)
Elly went up stairs in the Inn and there was a Tiny Creature, a tiny demonic looking thing, that attacked Elly. Being attacked, and seeing the ugliness of the creature, Elly ran from the Inn Screaming, out of the Inn and to the gates of the city, and pounded on the gates, demanding to be allowed in, to be heard. She wanted the guards attention, but they did not answer.
Elly then ran away from the city and into the forest.
There, in the forest, a massive furry creature appeared out of the woods. Elly ran for her life back towards the town. Massive furry creatures attacked Elly, bit, tore, and ripped her flesh, until she blacked out. Elly then awoke in a bright place, feeling both alone and watched. She walked around in this place, feeling lost, feeling the presence everywhere, and then re-awoke in the same place she had awoken before, just outside the camp of strangers.
And that's when Elly realized it was all a dream! A nightmare, in fact, or at least so far. Realizing it was a nightmare, she composed herself. She walked up to an animal, and spoke to it. And it spoke back! So, it was a dream! How else could she understand animals speaking to her? She then went around speaking to other animals. She spoke to a bat, a bird, and deer. The deer even followed her, until a Dwarf shot and killed it. She was about to cry, but composed herself, it was all just a dream anyway. The Dwarf was part of her mind, the deer was part of her mind. All a dream.
It was dawn, the doors of the city should be open, she decided to see, and they were. She entered the city to explore, but found herself asking the first man in armor with a shield if he were a guard. The man lit up a cigar and said he was not, and told Elly she should go back to the temple and seek guidance there. Elly explained to the man that she could not, the monster was in the temple. He then told her to go to the Tavern, and she told him, she could not, there were monsters in there too. So, the man told Elly she could follow him, if she wished.
Having nothing else to do, and the man seemed kind enough, and it were all a dream anyway, she decided to follow the man.
The man went back to a place between the temple and the inn, and he asked her if she wanted a job.
Elly replied, “I have nothing else to do until I wake up, so why not?”
The man told her, “Go up to people and tell them that, 'Louse Grand Emporium is open for business, and if we don’t have what you want, you can go strait to hell!'”
Under normal circumstances, Elly would have refused such a thing. She’d be concerned that people would be offended, that they might attack her, that they’d think she was rude, or mad. But, figuring it was all just part of her strange dream, she agreed to the deal. The man told her he’d pay her handsomely if she did, but that she could not slack off or he’d know.
Believing he was part of her dream, and that he would indeed know if she slacked off, she put her all into it, and found it to be enjoyable. After the day was over, the man packed up shop, and Elly asked him if he were leaving. He told her he was, and paid Elly for her time.
Elly ended up using her money to purchase a room at a tavern in the city, and she went to sleep hoping to awaken in her old bed, at home.
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What a first day in Ravenloft, aye? I just had to share.
I’m certain some people caught some of the story, but this being a roleplay server and all… Some things people aren’t to know in Roleplay, other things, you get to witness as you sit at the table. I felt this story would be fun to share.
