[x] Form of a Man, North.
The form I decided to take for traveling more discretely through this land was a tribute to an old friend, short as our time together was. A human that wandered the borders of creation, aiding those in need without question or price, he spoke to the sun and his words reached me as prayer. He was a strange man, never asking for boons or protection, simply speaking about his life to what many thought an uncaring god.
Though we never met, I knew his heart better than most and now I modeled my faux mortal form after his image. Tall and with broad shoulders that once carried the burdens of others. Strong arms tanned from years of exposure to the sun, with calloused hands. I did keep my "true" face, framed by short brown hair. I looked human, or at least enough like one to pass casual inspection. With no other qualifiers, I decided to head north towards the closest of my fulcrums.
The land I had woken in was one beset by darkness. Even the relatively small area I saw as I moved northward told me this. Trees and plants were twisted, stunted, parodies of what they should be and the light of the sun seemed to bring no warmth. Even the few animals I saw were sickly things. If I were find the source of this… Infection… I would not hesitate to purge it. But instead I had to make due with a mental note to return.
The seemingly endless woods did not so much end, as they transitioned smoothly into a dank swamp that reeked of rot. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of decay, I took stock of my situation. To the East I could see a single tower reaching into the sky, strange witch lights flickering across its surface. To the west I could faintly make out dozens of trails of smoke that probably indicated a settlement of some kind. Going through the swamp would probably slow me somewhat, but it was the closest path and I did not know how long it would take to skirt the fen in either direction.
[x] Straight through.
[x] To the East, The Tower.
[x] To the West, The settlement.
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Anyone know where you are yet?
Yes it's short. I know. Most of my time has been spent planning and plotting. Nothing bad can come of this, especially not for you.