Teal and his village of elves are a rather close-knit and self-sufficient group. They have survived centuries off of the same land and have gained significant wealth through trading with other nearby towns and villages. Many of them are expert craftsman, known for creating great bows and strong swords for more brutish clans. Others, like Teal, deliver elegant jewelry and fanciful trinkets to those who partake in finer things.

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One trade, though, Teal’s clan kept very to themselves: their herbology and farming techniques. One of the biggest reasons they had been so successful in their other trades was their magical herb [insert fantasy name here]. When correctly prepared, it gave the eater full nutrition and a sense of “fullness.” This feeling would last days, meaning that no elf in the village would ever have to eat more than once a week, and they would spend the rest of their time learning, studying, and enjoying the company off others. It also meant that they sported lithe, flowy physiques, and would often mock other groups for wasting so much of their time hunting and scavenging and feasting, only to be satiated for a short while.

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Teal was no different from his fellow elves. His form was rather tall and smooth. He wore light, baggy pants that cinched below his calf, and a flowing outer shirt that he wrapped below his waist with a fine cloth sash. Teal stood out from his brethren through his ornate accessories and his piercings. Granted, most of his friends were admittedly put off from the very gaudy accessories, he wore. However, they let him be, chalking it up to him trying to sell his wares to foreigners by standing out.

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Teal, however, absolutely loved decorating himself with his wares. Gold was his favorite metal to use, and it showed. Gold rings pierced both of his long ears, with gold chain links connecting them from tip to lobe. He wore gold necklaces and one fine purple gem at the center of his chest. A golden ring pierced his right nostril, two more through his nipples, and a stud right below his navel. His hands were enamored with rings on each finger, and leather bracelets on his wrists. Pearlescent beads draped around his ankles and one set of black beads adorned his right wrist. His favorite jewelry were his toe rings and gold ankles that gave off the slightest clink whenever he’d take a step. He felt like a little wind chime whenever he’d walk through town center.

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Despite all of his intricate wares, most people he came across were infatuated with another feature, his hair! It was his namesake, after all, being a vivid blue-green tint. It flowed behind him in a simple braid, nearly brushing the ground as he walked. Women (and some men) from other villages swooned as he walked by, wishing to know his secret hair care routines. Those in his village assumed he had used magic to grow his hair, and found it wasteful (and unfair) to do so. The men of his village wore their hair long not as a vanity, but more of a showing of the passage of time, and how long they’d lived. It was an “ode to their wisdom” so to speak. Teal, being a relatively younger elf, did not carry that same ideology, and was happier reveling in their jealousy than paying homage to the passage of time.

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If there were one thing Teal actually paid homage to, it would be to his village’s leader, the king. A high elf of grand standing ( in more ways than one), the king ruled over Teal’s village and several others over the span on the countryside. He was known for having a quick wit and a pleasing tone, when he was gracious enough to use it. Otherwise, he came across as snide and rather catty for lack of a better term. Despite his nature, it was apparent that his words had weight behind them, as the areas he ruled over had been diplomatic and peaceful for centuries. He chose to build his home in Teal’s village, for he loved the area, and he loved his wife, the queen. She was an elf born in this village long ago, as was an integral part in creating and maintaining the herb that kept Teal’s village healthy and prosperous. Even the king, for all his power and wit, could not convince her to leave the village, and so he willingly stayed. And to his credit, he has never revealed the wondrous herb to his many kingdoms to this day.

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The king also brought with him his son, a handsome prince, and future ruler of the many villages his father had brought under his reign. And he was very much like his father in wit and tongue. He did, however, possess one unique feature, his ever-present scowl. It was a common talking point among elves in Teal’s village how the prince seemed cold and distant, regardless of the social situation. During social affairs and wondrous festivals, no one would ever see him crack a smile. Rumor spread that he was probably planning something devious, and just couldn’t disguise his wicked intentions. Others said that he was simply miserable and wished for a simpler existence. But in all honesty, the prince just had an angry resting face. He wasn’t all too fond of his father, yet no one trying to live up to the king’s high standards would be. Instead, he like to focus on different projects and tasks, mainly trade and merchants.

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The king was fond of making public addresses to the village about the comings and goings of the kingdom, whether it be to hear his own voice or to have an open discussion within a smaller group was better left to the imagination. And during one said forum, the prince was in attendance, scowling as usual. Teal, who had usually missed such occurrences by being on the road, found himself fortunate to finally be able to hear the king speak in person, and had walked over in his usual fashion. During a brief pause in the king’s speech, the prince heard the slight clinking of Teal’s jewels and looked over to see the long-haired elf standing near the edge of the king’s platform.

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The prince fixated on his appearance. Teal’s clothes and accessories setting him apart from his fellow elves. The prince’s darted around, taking in every jewel, every accessory. He could tell Teal was a merchant, no one else was even close to his gaudy apparel, not even then king. He found it absolutely infatuating. Then he noticed, as Teal leaned onto a barricade post, his long, flowing braid. The prince was taken back, for Teal appeared young, yet his hair nearly touched the ground. He, too, thought that he must’ve been enhancing his hair with magic, which admittedly turned him off for a minute. And then, he noticed something more, enticing for his eyes. Teal appeared to be, much softer, than the elves he stood around. His jawline a bit smoother, his stomach had more paunch. You could tell he was trying to hide it, having a cloth cinched tightly below his navel, but the prince knew his tricks for himself. Without even realizing, the prince’s lips curled into a half smile, thinking of how clever Teal thought he was.

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Unfortunately, some bored members of the audience had started to doze from the king’s speech and were looking at anything else that might catch their attention, resting their eyes upon the prince. And upon seeing him crack a smile, people immediately started to guess at what he was smiling about. No one had ever seen the prince break from his stony demeanor. This was greater news than anything the king had referenced! Elves took it upon themselves to trace the prince’s line of sight, to see what exactly he was smirking at, landing on poor Teal leaned against the barricade.

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The king noticed that he was losing the interest of his crowd, and stopped his cadence mid-sentence. He focused on the same target of everyone’s sudden curiosity, Teal. The king frowned upon the visual in front of him and sought to make him an example for others. “Ah, it seems we have an attention seeker in our midst. So eager to garner attention from the day’s informative meeting. And yet, lad, you seemed bored with my words? I mean, you must be to be LEANING on my BARRIACDE!”

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The king slammed his hand down on top of Teal’s with a loud smack, leaning in to meet him eye to eye. He looked Teal up down, much like his son had done earlier, except with more contempt. “What’s all this?” The king gestured to Teal’s garb. “All these bangles and earrings, jewels and charms. Merely an overcompensation for something.” The king reached out his arm and pat Teal’s midsection with the back of his hand, drawing snickers and murmurs from the crowd. Teal’s entire spirit flushed from him as he slumped down and quickly shuffled away. The king smiled and continued his oration to the crowd, while the prince’s stern demeanor quickly returned. He watched as his interest ran away towards a home nearby and marked the location in his memory.

Teal slammed his door shut, tears rolling down his blushed cheeks. He thought he had been careful enough to remain inconspicuous but the prince! He looked at him and…smiled? Had what he’d been doing become so obvious? He had only experimented with the plant a couple of times. Was he showing the results that obviously? Teal gathered himself enough to sit down at table, slouching into his favorite chair. He sat, twirling his hair in his hands and thinking about the events that led up to his embarrassment.

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Not a week earlier, Teal was on his usual route to go and trade with humans and dwarves to the northeast. It wasn’t a long journey, and he loved to stop and take in the sights of the nature surrounding him. On this trip he noticed peculiar smoke a ways off his trail in the distance. Being a rather curious elf, he wanted to see the smoke’s origins, hoping it wasn’t something more serious. Teal walked carefully onto this rough trail, being careful to not step on anything sharp and puncture his bare foot. The trail led him to a rather peaceful opening in the forest. A man was there sitting on a stump and taking in the scenery just below the cliffside. He appeared to be the source of the smoke, which had a peculiar smell, one that Teal had never smelled before. The man heard Teal’s jingling footsteps and turned on his stump. He smiled at the elf and waved him over with a grin.

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“Hello, Mr. Elf. I heard you coming from a half mile away, heh. C’mon, sit a spell!” The stranger gestured toward the ground. Teal, not wanting to dirty up his white linens, crouched beside the man and sniffed the air.

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“Sir, what’s that smoking thing you have there?”

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“Hm? Oh this?” he waved the small stick around in front of Teal’s face. “This is tobacco. Have you heard of this?”

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“No, I haven’t, but, I’m curious to know what it does. The smell is very intriguing.”

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The stranger smiled and reached in a small satchel next to him. He pulled out a similar looking stick and handed it to Teal. “This is similar to what I have here in my pipe. It’s rolled in a fine paper. Here, try it.”

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“How do I use it?”

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The stranger handed Teal a small match. “Light it on the tip there. Inhale through the other side. Careful, though, the first drag is always the roughest.” The stranger chuckled and continued his smoking session with his pipe. Teal carefully lit the rolled tobacco and inhaled the smoke. The intense flavor and feeling hit him immediately, causing him to choke and cough violently. The strange man smiled and pat him on the back. “Told ya, Mr. Elf. But it’ll get easier, I promise.”

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Teal’s eyes watered as he tried to recover his bearings. After several dry heaves and coughs, he gathered himself to try once more, a lighter inhale this time. The stranger was right, it got easier after a few times. Soon, Teal became enamored with the feeling of light headedness caused from inhaling the smoke. His flickered in color, a tell tale sign of his elves that they were experiencing some kind of pleasure. The stranger noticed this and became worried for Teal.

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“Woah, what’s goin’ on there? Your eyes! Are you okay, Mr. Elf?”

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Teal took one long final drag of the cigarette, exhaling in a heavy sigh of pleasure. “I…love this.” He looked to the stranger. “How can I make this for myself?”

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“You like them that much do ya?” The stranger looked down, stroking his scruffy chin in thought. “Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve made anything from scratch. I’d have to go find out from my old pal. I tell you what,” the stranger picked out a scrap of paper from his satchel and scribbled some crude map of a nearby area. “Try and find me in this town tomorrow, and I’ll help you out, seeing that you look like an elf of good taste.” He smiled and looked Teal in the eyes.

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Teal returned his eye contact, not breaking from the stranger’s eyes.

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Something about the stranger felt off, but his eyes looked endearing, like you could trust him, if only for a little while. Hesitant, Teal grabbed the paper and thanked him for his help. “I’m Teal, by the way. What’s your name?”

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The stranger grabbed his belongs and stood up, never breaking eye contact with Teal. He gave Teal a crooked grin. “I’ll see you in town tomorrow, Mr. Elf,” he nodded and sauntered towards a rough trail leading the opposite direction Teal came.

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The next day, Teal wandered back out into the wilderness, trying to read the crude map the stranger had given him. After hours of walking, he finally arrived at what he hoped was his destination. The stranger had oddly never given Teal his name, which was making his search unnecessarily difficult. Teal tried asking around in local taverns about the man, trying his best to describe him in non-offensive detail. Eventually he stumbled across a farmer who luckily knew the man. He was a bit perplexed at why anyone would want to seek him out.

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“Are you sure he’s the guy you’re looking for?” the farmer asked curiously.

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“Yes, he said he could show me how to make tobacco cigarettes.”

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The farmer looked even more confused. “Cigarettes? What would he know about making those?”

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Teal was feeling a sense of inner dread and embarrassment. “A-am I in the right place?” Before the farmer could respond, Teal felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He could recognize the smell of the individual.

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“Ah, Mr. Elf! I’m glad you could finally make your way down.” Teal turned to face the stranger he had met the day before. He looked oddly different, in a more sinister way. He wore a grimy, old brimmed hat that covered his mysterious eyes, and his stubble seemed to have grown into a full beard overnight. His ratty clothes seemed even worse for ware, as if he had been in a struggle. His sly grin was still recognizable to Teal, however. “I see you’ve already met your new teacher, Mr. Farmer!” Teal turned back to the man, who looked as if he had seen a ghost.

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Teal reached out to shake his hand, “H-hello, Mr. Farmer, is it?”

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“It’s F-Fred…” The farmer kept his eyes on the stranger, remaining very still.

“Well, I’m here to learn how to make ‘cigarettes’ as you call them. I tried one of your friend’s here yesterday and-“

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“He’s no friend, elf.” Fred clenched his fists tightly, forearms shaking with rage. The stranger took a step towards him, forcing him to move back slowly.

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“Now, now, Mr. Farmer. Don’t be like that. We’ve been through thick and thin together. Surely you can do this elf a personal favor without getting me…involved, hm?” The stranger loomed over Fred, smiling a wicked grin. He slowly raised his hand and tilted his hat back, revealing his blackened eyes. Fred was clearly frightened by his interaction, with Teal merely standing there confused. The stranger’s voice lightened into a smooth, deep tone “Please?”

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Fred glanced away for a second to Teal, but the stranger blocked his line of sight. “Eyes on me, Mr. Farmer.” Fred’s eyes darted up towards the stranger’s. From Teal’s perspective he could tell Fred was frightened into submission. “S-sure, man. I can do it. Just…stay calm.” The stranger’s eyes lightened and he smiled. “Good to hear. Mr. Elf, I leave you in the hands of this master craftsman. Maybe we’ll get together again soon and smoke a few of your creation, hm?”

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Teal felt very uneasy about what he had just witnessed, and stammered out a meager “Sure.” And with that, the stranger walked away along the road, joyfully whistling with his hands in his pockets.

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Fred looked at Teal, still trembling from his interaction. “Well. Let’s just go on back to the barn here, and I’ll show you what I’ve got.”

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“Who is that man?”

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“I don’t know.”

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“But he seemed to know you-“

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“I don’t know.” Fred clenches his fist in frustration. “Let’s just get this over with and get you on your way.”

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Teal, feeling very awkward about this entire ordeal, gave up on gathering knowledge of the stranger and focused on the task at hand.

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Hours passed as Fred taught Teal the ins and outs of drying tobacco leaves, curing them, and rolling the result into cigars. Teal was enthralled with the process, and was eager to start trying the techniques for himself. After a whole day of learning, Teal thanked Fred for his help and knowledge. He tried once more to get Fred to open up about the stranger he’d ran into earlier.

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“I’m not going to talk about him, okay? Please, just leave it alone, and be glad he’s hopefully through with you.” Fred looked away as if embarrassed by his own situation.

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“O-okay, I’m sorry. I won’t bother you about him again. But, thank you for teaching me. I’m grateful.” Teal reached into his satchel and gave the farmer a fine gem. It sparkled blue and seemed to have an aura of calmness about it. “Have this a token of my appreciation. It may be worth something if you trade it.”

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The farmer looked at the gem in his hand. His eyes glistened with curiosity as he felt a sense of calm wash over him. He felt at ease for what seemed to be the first time in a while. He looked up and smiled at the lean elf. “Uh, well, thank you. I’ll…see to it that it finds a good home.”

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Teal nodded and packed up his things, jingling as he walked away back towards his village. Fred took one more look at the gem, still smiling, and placed it in his chest pocket.

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The next day Teal enthusiastically began priming his grand experiment: a smokeable form of his elves’ special satiating plant. He was curious to its effects and how, or if, they would change based on changing the nature of the leaves. He carefully picked the leaves of his plant and hung them up to dry, and once dry he used a teeny tiny bit of magic to speed up the curing process he learned from farmer Fred. After a while, he had created his first magical cigarette, rolled neatly and banded with one of his many gold rings. As he held it in his hands, a sense of pride and accomplishment washed over him, and he was eager to try his creation; however, he wouldn’t dare try to light it in town. No one had ever thought to smoke in his town, let alone burn one of their precious plants for mere pleasure. Teal decided that the safest way to enjoy his creation would be to wait until he was at his trading post out of town, around people who wouldn’t be too unfamiliar with the process.

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And so he set off on his usual path, a bit quicker than normal, in hopes of enjoying his concoction on the way to his location. After a while of walking, Teal deemed himself “safe” from having any other elves of his village intercept his activities, and he sat down on a nearby stump to enjoy his magical cigarette. He unpacked his creation and snapped his fingers to emit a small flame to light up. Teal closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill his lungs before emitting a large puff of blue smoke from his nose and mouth. An incredible rush of ecstasy filled his head, his eyes glowing different colors. Teal smiled awkwardly and giggled to himself at the light headed high hit him. He took another long drag and exhaled, nearly falling off of his stump from the dizziness he felt. He was in a euphoric state. He felt as if he were floating above the tree canopy peering down at forest below. He attempted to take another drag off his cigarette and then came to the realization the he had, in only two puffs, burned the cigarette to the end. A sense of disappointment rattled his euphoric state and he frowned. “Hmm,” Teal thought, “I wish it lasted long- ack!”

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A sudden twinge of pain shot through Teal’s abdomen. He lurched over and grabbed at his stomach. “What’s…happening?” Teal’s mind ran wild with different theories. Did he mess up his process? Was this because of the plant’s magic?

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As Teal began to panic a load, roaring grumble emanated from his midsection, a sound he had never heard of before.

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“Oh gods! A-am I dying?!” Teal screamed out in confusion and pain, tears beginning to roll down his face. “Why did I ever try this?”