Hello everybody! Welcome to a brand new story of my making, this time taking place in the wonderful world of Dungeons and Dragons! This should prove to be a very interesting writing experience; set in a world based on a tabletop game where there are no set characters and story line of any kind. Is it really fair to still consider this a piece of fanfiction when the players themselves are always in charge of the story setting and the things that go on around them to some degree?

Anyway, the reason why I'm starting a new story is because I've recently gotten bit by the D&D bug. I've enjoyed playing the tabletop version of the game, but it is hard to find groups to play with or to make the time to play for an hour or two. As such, I decided to write out my own story. In this case, I am both the Dungeon Master and the player, roles that should never be put together into one person yet must be necessary in this case. For all intents and purposes, all the stories I've written practically follow that mindset; this story should prove no less different or difficult.

That said, things are going to be done a bit differently in terms of how I've written my other stories. I will get into that at the ending author's note. Until then, I wish you all a happy read!


Chapter 1

"Is there anything else you'd like, sir?"

The customer, caught off-guard by the other's appearance, immediately sat up straight. He knocked over a cup of cider in the process that thankfully spilled away from him. It was also a good thing he was dining at the outdoor patio where most were not at because of the overcast weather. It helped him to avoid any further embarrassment.

"N-No, I'm good!" he stuttered out. His voice was like that of a teenager growing into his voice. By Dragonborn standards, however, he was a young man two years into adulthood. "I'll just pay the tab now."

The elvish man was clearly amused as he watched the customer try to clean the mess. He made no move to help, though. Instead, he reached into his vest and pulled out a small leather book. He then said after flipping through a few pages, "One Dragonborn customer; a leg of braised lamb sided with bread and cheese along with a mug of hard apple cider. That'll be two gold pieces."

The blue scales above his left eye shifted upwards slightly. "Sounds a bit steep for a simple meal."

"Not when you dine at one of the finest restaurants in town," the elf proudly proclaimed. "Food this good needs to be meticulously prepared to achieve its flavor. The cheese is made in-house and aged for at least a year. The lamb is from the finest cut possible and seasoned with only the freshest of ingredients. I wouldn't dare try to serve anything of lesser quality. I have certain standards to uphold, after all."

The Dragonborn had his suspicions about that being true. For one, the cheese tasted like it was aged for only a short time. The lamb was kind of stringy, a sure sign it was anything but a fine cut. It also tasted like the cook hardly used any flavorings to season it. He honestly had better in other towns he travelled through. The elf was definitely overselling his food. Either that or he used some expensive spices that somehow failed to give the meat exceptional flavor. Whatever the reason, two gold pieces was definitely a high price to pay.

Unfortunately, he had no standing to complain about it now. After all, he finished all the food they served. It would be in poor taste to counter the elf's boastful words at this point. That and he was dealing with a high elf. He would most likely find some way to make himself sound right despite being painfully wrong. Instead, he silently fished into his leather coin purse and pulled out a two tarnished gold coins. He then tossed them at the man who caught them with little effort.

"Thank you," the elf said with a professionally emotionless smile. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

He was about to refuse before remembering this was his first time in town. He needed to know the area lest he wandered around like a lost puppy. Despite not liking the elf, he was not one to turn down an offer for help. "Well, perhaps you could tell me a bit about the area. I just arrived today, and I'd like to get to better know the place."

"I see. I take it then you're a traveler?"

"In a sense. It's more that I'm here on business."

"Business, huh? Interesting." It was clear in the elf's tone he did not believe the other. It made sense, to be honest. Most people claiming to travel for business were often dressed in more than simple clothes under a traveler's cloak. That and the leather pack tucked securely between his legs were the only notable belongings he had. Unless he had a wagon full of goods that managed to miss the town's attention; those were not signs of someone coming around for business. "Do you mind if I asked what kind?"

"Personal," the Dragonborn simply said. "Some private matters; not something I'd want to talk about to a stranger. I'm sure you understand. You wouldn't want to tell me about the sordid affairs of your restaurant, right?"

The elf was clearly not pleased with the answer, especially when it was countered with a veiled jab at his business. Still, he accepted it with a slight nod. "I suppose you're right. People don't want their whole lives laid bare to the world. The simplicity it'd offer could easily disrupt the balance of power.

"Unfortunately, I can't be of much help to you," he added with a wry smile. "I'm rather busy today. We're short on able laborers, and the kitchen staff has been performing poorly. It's amazing how the food's still managing to come out at acceptable standards. It's almost too much for me to handle, but I've worked through worse."

"Sounds like you got your hands full," the other said. He started wondering, however, if the food would disagree with him later.

"When is it never? Anyway, I wish you all the best with whatever it is you hope to finish here. Just beware of the street urchins. They're likely to pick your pocket while another amazes you with magical feats. Though I'm sure nobody would dare steal from you."

"What was that?"

The elf simply smiled before walking back into his restaurant.

"He's got to be of high elf descent," the Dragonborn muttered as he gathered his things and went on his way. "What other kind is there that makes acting above everyone else an all-day job? You think he'd at least bother telling me some things about the town! And then there's him making me into some kind of rough-eyed brute. Oh well, at least he's out of my scales. Time to do some surveying and figure out what's in this town."

He barely went a minute into the plan, however, until something caught his attention at the next corner. Heading towards him from the other end of the street was a familiar sight he was not keen on seeing any time soon. It was an elf, this one also of the high elves, with whom he had run-ins with in the past. Even though the streets were a bit crowded, he recognized the face. While having expected to meet again at some point, he did not think it would be so soon after their last run-in.

"Are you serious?" he groaned. He barely managed to avoid having a couple crash into him because of his abrupt stop. While the woman merely cast him a dirty look, the man bumped his shoulder in protest. The Dragonborn noticed none of that, however. "Why's he walking around town? I thought he'd be keeping himself in his luxury room at the local inn like usual! He hates being outside unless absolutely necessary!"

If past experience taught him anything, it was that the elf was someone he did not want to pick a fight with. The last time they fought, he got some serious injuries before managing to escape. The scars thankfully faded, but the impression left on the village caught in the middle of it was probably still fresh. And that was with just the man himself causing most of the damage! This time, he had a paladin accompanying him. If they were just as skilled, then he did not want to be forced into a fight now!

Thankfully, the run-in was avoidable thanks to the dense crowd and the two's attention being caught at a nearby stall. This allowed him a chance to briefly glance over the paladin. It revealed little, however. All he could see between the throngs of people was metal armor and a leather sword sheath. At least the person's armor build gave strong indications they were a male. Still, him standing around and admiring some random bauble did nothing to reveal his level of martial training.

Giving up on that, the Dragonborn searched for a place to hide. That was when he saw a nearby store. It was pitch black inside, so he could not see what they sold. He tried to look up at the sign, but it was weathered and in disrepair. It was like the owners cared little about letting the public knew they existed. It was clearly open, however, as a woman left a couple seconds ago. He decided to walk inside, feeling confident both the high elf and paladin would simply pass it by.

His thoughts were proven true. Despite the dark tint from the outside, the inside was well lit. He also had a clear view of the streets, a show that it was a one-way window. It was thanks to that he could see the two pass by without giving the building a glance.

"Nice to know they're predictable," he thought aloud. His eyes never left the two walking by outside. "But why make a store with a one-way tinted window? Seems like bad business practice."

"Only to those of the lawful public," a man suddenly said. His voice was clear and deep. "It's a good way for those who deal in the black market to be discreet."

"I suppose that's true," the Dragonborn replied. He just watched the high elf and paladin continue on their way down the next street corner. "Regular people probably think this is a run-down shop not worth looking into."

The other person let out a whine. "That's it? No yelp of surprise? No visible jumping at a sudden voice speaking up?"

"You're talking to someone who's used to your antics." He then turned around and saw wooden counter where a small but burly figure was leaning against. Even with the room dimly lit, it was clear he was talking to a dwarf. "That and I was expecting something kinda shady to happen."

"You're calling me shady? That's a low blow, even for you!"

The Dragonborn settled on giving a deadpan look. It did not last, however, before his face changed to a smile. "Aren't we both shady, though? A thief and a crooked merchant aren't exactly on-the-level jobs."

The dwarf let out an amused scoff. "Yet jobs like those to be very lucrative. I can't tell you how much I've made conning these villagers." He then said while standing straight and crossing his arms, "But seriously, it's great to see you made it, Markus."

Markus continued to smile as he reached into his coat and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "As if I'd ignore a letter from you."


Dice Rolls Used In:

Being addressed by the elf waiter: Perception Check (Fail)

First seeing the High Elf and paladin: Stealth Check (Success)

Observing the paladin in a crowded street: Perception Check (Fail)

Looking for a place to hide: Perception Check (Success)

First hearing the voice in the shop: Perception Check (Natural 20 Success)


And that's it for this chapter. I don't really have much to say about it; it's really just a means to set up the basic information about the main character. I hope it came out well.

That said, let me mention a couple of things. First off is that there will be no names to the chapters. One reason is that it is a pain for me to continually come up with new chapter names that make sense as to what the chapter is all about. Second and most importantly, details in each chapter will vary based on the dice I use to dictate the flow of the story.

That's right; you read correctly. To stay true to the tabletop Dungeons and Dragons, I will be using dice rolls to dictate certain events. It could be playing a game of chance or the middle of a fight; each roll will dictate how the story will progress. In this case, I truly don't have full control as to where the story will go. As an example, this chapter had two potential branches. One is what you're reading now; the other was that Markus could have had a street fight with the high elf and paladin. Thanks to a good dice roll, he was able to avoid their attention but was hindered in his ability to observe the paladin because of the thick crowd (a low perception roll).

Some of you will think I'm crazy or even lying about me using the dice mechanic. I don't blame you if you do; but let me say that I take creative writing seriously. If I choose to employ a certain gimmick or inflict myself with a handicap, I will follow through with it. That means the usage of the dice is going to be throughout the story. I will, however, list in these notes where I did the dice rolls and their success/failure like I did up above. I'll also try to put in the dice number; I won't for this chapter because I've forgotten about them.

But that's honestly it. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and story. Please leave a review telling me what you think about it. Until the next update everybody!