You wake up slumped against a bar.
A small puddle of drool has formed around your mouth where your head was resting on the dark wood surface. You rub your eyes and look around blearily, wiping the crust from the corner of your mouth. This strange place seems to be a tavern, a low chatter fills the room as several groups of people eat breakfast around you. As you scan the room you get the feeling something is out of the ordinary.
Your gaze comes to a rest on a man with the head of a newt.
'What the hell?'
Upon looking back at the other patrons they all seem to have some animal trait. From tails to ears to hooves, you can't seem to find a single human. That seems odd to you, though you cant seem to think of a reason why...
Before you can think about it any more you hear hooves clopping against the wooden floor from further down the bar. You look over and see a very friendly looking ram horned bartender clopping towards you. He sees you looking and poses a question;
"G'morning sleepy, can I get you something?"
Your mouth opens, then closes again, it takes you a moment to gather your words and push them though the cotton in your mouth.
"Uhh, where am I?"
The barkeep flashes a small knowing smile;
"Rough night huh? Well, welcome to the Kingsparrow inn"
"The... where's that?"
His smile grows, he nearly laughs;
"Wow you must have really had a wild night… you're in Portguard city"
"Port… guard? What? I've never heard of any Portguard…"
Wooly eyebrow raised the barkeep sets down the glass he'd been drying.
"Is that so? What's your name?"
"It's… "
Just as you're about to say your name it eludes you entirely, like you walked into a room and forgot what you came for. You wrinkle your eyebrows;
"uh..."
Despite your better judgement your heart starts beating faster, your eyes move left and right on their own as you fail to recall a shred of information beyond what happened in the last half minute. Panic starts to seize you.
"What the hell? Why can't I remember anything?"
You stand up and hold your head
"Why can't I remember my name??"
Some patrons of the bar look to the commotion. The Barkeep's smile has quickly turned into a deep look of concern, he holds out his hands;
"Hey, calm down! I've seen this kind of thing happen before, I think you're under a hex."
Your spiraling subconscious latches on to the thought of a solution and jumps at it. You look to the barkeep and your heartrate starts to calm down.
"A hex?"
He nods and grabs the glass, reaches up above him to a large keg and fills it with clear liquid.
"Yes, usually just a prank... here, drink this-"
He hands you the glass, you swirl it around and take a sip, just water.
"-normally they only last a couple days max, but if you can't remember your name… hold on a second"
The barkeep clops down the bar, his hoof falls the only sound in the now silent tavern. Some of the more reserved guests go back to their meals. You watch the barkeep kneel under the bar, his voice is muffled by the wood.
"There's an old hexmaker here who owes me a favor…"
He rummages under the bar.
"Ah, Here it is"
He produces a small card the size of your three middle fingers. He clops back over and extends it to you. You reach out to grab it, but as soon as it touches your skin a small arc of electricity shocks you. You pull back and shake your hand, the barkeep flinches too.
"Ow!"
His face indicates remembrance and he sucks air through his teeth.
"Ah, right. Um..."
He clears his throat;
"I , Langley Thorson hereby entrust this coupon to… uh, you"
He gestures for you to take the card. You hesitate for a second, then grab it. This time it glows momentarily, then shocks its previous owner. He does the same maneuver as you did.
"Ow! That old bat… anyway, that card will show you the way to her shop, it's in the lower level of the city."
"Lower level?"
Langley grins;
"Yep, you're in for a treat, Portgaurd's quite the sight. Especially for a newcomer, keep your things close though"
He nods to your hip. You look down and see your attire for the first time, it consists of a cloak, tunic, leather belt, leather boots, and simple cloth pants. A sheathed dagger and a small pouch are attached to the belt.
"Okay…"
You look at the card that now belongs to you, a golden arrow points to the door, you rotate the card and the arrow stays stable, making a slight crackle. In the center of the card is a glowing inscription:
(Hexorium)
Langley nods and smiles;
"Just follow the arrow and you'll find the shop, good luck friend."
You look to Langley, then the card, then back to Langley, feeling just a little overwhelmed by all this.
"Thank you"
You look in your pouch, in it is an assortment of coins, they're all made of the same unfamiliar metal. You take one of the larger coins, which is surprisingly heavy, but the wooly barkeep holds up his hand and shakes his head.
"No need for that, just come by and grab a drink when you get your name back."
"Oh, well thank you."
"Of course, If you need anything just come back, I'll always be here with an empty bed and a hot meal."
"Sure thing."
Still being watched, and feeling very overwhelmed, you make your way to the door. You steady yourself as you turn the handle and step out into the unknown.