Tomb of Annihilation

 prologue 

Bear was a young Tabaxi who at the time was staying in a small town in the middle of open country.
(Tabaxies are humanoid cat people.)
Bear was a solid brown tabaxie with tuffs of fur on her ears and tail. She was around 5'10 and lean as most tabaxies are. Her eyes were a dark purple and her face was kinda heart shaped. Not too narrow not too round. She dressed in leather armor and a deep purple hood cloak. She had knee high black boots and she wore a ring of silver with a ruby on her pinky. A gift from her father. She wore gold earrings and another gold ring to match. A pouch hung from her belt for gold and so did a slender rapier. she carried a small pack under her cloak and slung to it was a short bow and quiver.
She made her money and spent her time preforming in the streets. Patrons threw her coin or while distracted by her acts she would slip it from them.
Her time in town told her of a witch that lived on the outskirts.
She knew witches always carried interesting or even magical items with them but they also carried knowledge and tales of all kinds. Bear was obsessed with the unknown. She spent her whole life looking for it. She loved the mystery of all things weather it were an item, a place, or a person.
One night she found the small hut like building the witch was said to live in and and snuck to a window. She peeked in and looked around to see what she could discovered. It was cluttered with all sorts of things. Herbs, plants, bones, spider webs, pots, jars and so on. It was all lit with the orange glow of fire light. As she looked there was movement and a shadow. Bear folded her ears so only her eye were over the top of the window seal. A heavy set figure came into view. As bear looked she could see long grey hair laying down the figures back. As the figure reached something on a shelf she could make out the wrinkles in its skin. Soon it sat at a small table and made a flicking motion with its old wrinkled hand. The creak of the window opening made Bear jump back in surprise. It opened slowly but the smells from the hut hit bear in the face. She scrunched her nose at the strong smell from the herbs. An old cracked voice followed the smell.
"Now now little Kitty, why don't you come join me by the fire and tell me why you've come to my window so late."
If cats could blush bear would be. She made her way around the hut and as she went to grab the front doors handle it swung open slowly just as the window had. She walked in cautiously but suddenly the smell of cooking fish drew her in with a smile.
An old lady sat at a table by a fire. Over the fire was a hanging pan with a whole fish inside. It sizzled and popped as it cooked and filled the hut with it's delicious smell. The old lady motioned to a chair on the other end of the table. Bear sat with a polite nod.
"Now little kitty, tell me why you've come."
Bear again felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
"I've come to hear a story." She smiled showing her little pointed teeth.
The witch let out a cackle and with another wave of her hand a cup slid across the table to bear. It appeared to be filled with milk.
"Well little kitty I don't get to talk to many people so perhaps I will tell you a story. In exchange stay here while you are in town and keep me company."
Bear nodded eagerly and began to sip her milk. It was somehow cold and tasted amazingly fresh.
The witch got up and pulled out a poker for the fish. She flipped it then continued to let it cook.
"My name is Syndra Silvane, and long ago when I wasn't so wrinkled and grey I had brown hair like yours. I saw many things but one of my favorite things I saw were the tabaxi tribes of the river. They were very far from here but I stayed there for a time learning about the tabaxie and how they lived. I always enjoyed their company because they enjoyed mine."
The old witch smiled showing her old blackening teeth but her smile was genuine. Bear was already hanging off the edge of her seat and the witch gave a cackling laugh.
The witch told her tale and Bear hung on ever word. They shared the fish and more milk and bear slept in front of the fire on her bedroll.
Bear would continue to stay till she heard about every story she could from witch. Like all witches she refused to show bear magic spells but she did show her magical items she possessed. Once bear obtained everything she could she went back to the town to earn more gold. Before bear cold leave to find a new place the witches called her back one last time. At the hut bear found there were six strangers sat at the witches table. This would be the start of Bears greatest adventure to come.