Gottfried's father Gustav was always the lucky sort. He married the prettiest girl in Weiler, inherited her fathers farm, had two lovely daughters, one handsome son, and...well...Gottfried. Things started out OK for Gottfried, the youngest child...perhaps unexpected, but at the age of two he caught the pox. Adding the scaring to his already unsettling purple eyes, and copper hair, (Neither of which his parents had), he wasn't the most popular boy in the village. Gustav also lucked out once again when Gottfried was 4. He sold the family farm, and moved on just before the forces of chaos struck, and subjugated the whole village.
Gottfried was however smart, and pretty handy with his hands, as well as being a hard worker, so when his older brother Axel went off to fight for the forces of Sigmar, and his oldest sister Hilde got married to some old local petty noble, he thought he might have a chance to inherit the family farm when his dad passed away. Once again he had been smart, or lucky, and farmed tobacco, which he sold, and made quite a pretty penny with, buying up some of the surrounding land as well. His future looked bright. Then his other sister Agnus ran off to Altdorf, to peruse some career, (That his parents never spoke of by the way). His future seemed bright indeed.
Then came last Tuesday. His father particularly enjoyed the weekly trips to market, to show off his fine goods, and flaunt his success. He often took Gottfried with him to "teach" him how to get the best deals possible. Gottfried was a bit surprised when Gustav told him to take the ox and cart into town himself. He claimed he was feeling a bit under the weather...though he looked perfectly fine to Gottfried. Still, this was the opportunity to show his father what he had learned, so he packed up the small farm cart, hitched Heinrick to it, and whistled for his sheep dog Hannah to follow him, and headed off just before dawn for the market. Things went fine, he sold the goods he had taken in, and purchased the few things that his father had requested, and even had enough coin left to buy a few new snares. All in all a good day...till he arrived back at the family farm at dusk.
Silence...no barking of the family sheep...no light from occupied windows...no smoke from the fireplace. Had something happened? Had bandits murdered his family? Hannah seemed calm, so after watching for a while he approached the farm. There was a note tacked to the door. Unfortunately, Gottried had never taken the time to learn his letters. But no sign of his mother or father...and worse all their possessions seemed to be gone. Panicking now he jumped back in the cart, and rode, his lantern shining through the foggy darkness to Widow Marlen's farm...she could read.
Banging hard on her door, he finally roused her from her sleep about the time her hired hands showed up behind him pitchfork in hand. After things had settled down a bit, the widow, still dressed in her nightclothes, put in her monocle, and with growing sadness read the note.
Gottfied. Didn't want to tell you this to your face, but Mom and I sold the farm to Fredrick of Altdorf. It's time you were on your own anyway. Keep the cart, and old Heinrick, and there's a few coins I'll leave in town with Fraulein Bertha. Hope you don't die... Gustav.
"I'm so sorry Gottried". "Spend the night here, and we'll figure out something tomorrow".
Gottfried in shock fell asleep on the floor by the Widow's fire. How could they do this to him? How could things get worse?...then they did. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he felt a presence in the room. There standing naked before him was the widow. her scraggly gray hair unbound, and wrinkled flesh hanging where gravity pulled it.
"I think we can make room for you here", she purred seductively.
Gottfried ran screaming from the room. Jumped on his still hitched cart, whistled for Hannah and rode off through the night. Which found him here...sitting on his cart, staring at the inn before him. Well he had to get some rest, for both himself and his animals. Let's see what this inn had to offer.
