Gerald
Human Druid
*Gerland fumbles with the keys to a small shop on the ground floor of a multipurpose building with residential space above. As he turns the key he looks up and notices the note taped to the front door, hastily tearing it off. He already knows what the note is going to say. It’s his last chance to pay what he owes his landlord for this month (and last month’s) rent.
He closes his eyes and releases a deep breath he forgot he was holding. Looking around, he sees row upon row of exotic house plants. He never wanted it to end up like this. He remembers when he made a simple living farming rutabaga for the budding new town, his four exuberant boys running around his feet, and doting wife Norah always inventively working up ways to use the produce in their kitchen.
Then death flashes through his mind. He sees each of those boys dying in the dungeon and tries to shake the thought from his mind, but not before remembering the sound of the door shutting as his wife left for their home for the last time. Things changed for him after that. He tried to shut off his caring for others and just focus on making a living. One day to the next.
In his grief he tapped into his natural talent for plants and set upon creating versions of the planet’s local species into miniatures perfectly suited for decorating a home. He started selling them to people he knew and before he knew it he had customers. At first, the business took off, and with an expanding client base Gerald was talked into mobilizing the business with a wagon from Chad McBrad. He went around town and out to more remote settlements preaching the benefits of a connection with nature, and acquiring new customers along the way.
When he built up name recognition, he thought he could settle down again with a retail space in the city and the customers would come to him… but he was mistaken and after the initial excitement wore off, his profits flatlined, and he started losing money on the retail space.
Just as his thoughts come back to the present moment, the tiny bell affixed to the shop door tinkles and his landlord, Willis Hathway, walks in. Gerald can’t even meet his gaze as he holds the door half open, hesitating to enter the shop.
“It’s nothing personal Gerald, I like you, I really do. And after everything with your family I’m trying my best to give you every opportunity, but I have to get what I’m owed.”
Gerald sighs and nods knowingly, seeming to accept defeat.
“You should go pay a visit to your pal McBrad, maybe he can help.”
Gerald finally meets his gaze and gives a grunt of acceptance before getting up to flip the shop sign to “Closed” before realizing he never flipped it to “Open” when he entered. The landlord leaves and Gerald closes the door behind him before they go their separate ways.
*