"I'm so glad everyone is willing to play with me!" a silver-haired, freckle-faced boy unloaded his gaming supplies onto a table in the Blue Lion's classroom.

"It sounds like a ton of fun!" his blonde companion said, helping him set up. "I must admit, when you told us about the game I got way too excited. I spent all night building my character."

"Yeah?" Ashe Ubert smiled and looked up, meeting Ingrid's eyes. For a brief moment they both stopped what they were doing-

Ashe coughed and looked back down again.

"I used to run games for my siblings all the time," he said, freckles popping against his suddenly-red cheeks. "Sometimes Christophe would even join us...it makes me feel nostalgic, breaking into this stuff again."

"That's really nice, Ashe. It sounds like your childhood was fun," Ingrid responded, gazing away to hide her blush. "Even if I'd known something like this existed, I wouldn't have had anyone to play it with. My friends were never as interested in stories and legends as I. They much preferred-"

The clamor of overlapping voices met the pair's ears as a party of four more arrived.

"I'm just saying, I'm pretty sure she stuffs her bra," a roguish redhead remarked, as if his statement was a completely normal thing to consider on a daily basis. "There's no way that's all real. Right?"

"How many times do I have to spell out that I don't care?" a boy with his dark hair tied up closed his eyes in frustration.

"You should, Felix," the redhead said earnestly. "That's our future I'm talking about. Who wants to end up with someone who lies about what she's got?"

"I'm sorry Sylvain, but who are you referring to?" a tall, princely blonde asked. "My mind was elsewhere."

"God. I can't take you people," Felix huffed, hastening over to Ashe and Ingrid as to remove himself from Sylvain's audience.

"Don't worry Dimitri, I wasn't talking about our lovely Professor," Sylvain said with a wink. "I know that's all you care about."

"I-what? That's quite the accusation to make, Sylvain." Dimitri's ears turned red.

"Please refrain from teasing His Highness," the lumbering form of Dedue Molinaro warned Sylvain from behind Dimitri.

"It isn't teasing if it's true," Sylvain shrugged. "Anyways, excuse me your Highness-Hey Felix! Felix! D'ya think Mercedes is really gonna be here?"

Sylvain loped over to the table, where Felix was doing his best to ignore his friend's prattling.

"Hmm. Well, we'd best join them, Dedue. I wouldn't want to be accused of not helping set up."

"Or course, your Highness."

The two young men joined the growing crowd and began sorting through various dice. Sylvain grabbed two of the more sphere-like offerings and held them up to his chest.

"Hey Felix, what do you think these look like?" he said.

Felix stared back at him, stony-faced.

"I think they look like two twenty-sided dice."

"Yeah, but-" Sylvain gestured at their placement on either side of his chest again, grinning.

"Hey, uh, you only need one there Sylvain," Ashe piped up, grabbing one of the d20's from his left hand. "Everyone grab a d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12 too."

The other five looked at him blankly. He blushed again.

"Oh! Sorry. Um, the triangle, the cube, the diamond, the spinning-top, and...this one," he held up a twelve-sided dice. "Does that help?"

"Sorry we're late everyone!" a kind voice came from the doorway. Two young women stood there-one on the taller side, her abundance of soft blond hair tied loosely over one shoulder, and another much shorter, perky and orange-headed.

"Mercie made a little bit of a mess in the kitchen," the shorter one giggled. "So I helped her clean up."

"Annie," Mercedes chuckled back. "There's no need to 'call me out'. Let's join our friends at the table."

"Excellent-ow!" Sylvain jerked his shins out from under the table, where a glaring Ingrid had given them a well-aimed kick.

"Don't worry, you aren't late," Ashe assured them as he set up a screen in front of his notes. "We were just about to begin. Now, does everyone want to introduce their characters? We can go around, starting with Ingrid-oh! And I hope I made it clear to everyone that we're starting at level three instead of one. That's when you get all the cool features."

"That sounds great, Ashe. Um, is everyone ready?" Ingrid asked. There were nods and murmurs of assent, so she began. "I'm Elizabeth Grandvale, a loyal knight serving the Kingdom of Margus. I've heard rumors of a force that seeks to overthrow the Kingdom-and I'm out adventuring to stop it!"

"Excellent! Next-" Ashe began, but Felix interrupted.

"That's just you, isn't it?" he asked.

"What? Not at all! I'll have you know I thought long and hard about Elizabeth!" Ingrid protested.

"Fine, fine. It doesn't matter to me," Felix shook his head. "I'm a ranger beastmaster. I'm known for my pet boar, which is especially brutal in combat."

"Ah, that's a very interesting choice!" Dimitri said enthusiastically. "I look forward to fighting alongside you. What's your name?"

"Don't have one," Felix grunted. "The boar does though."

"Oh!" the prince said innocently. "Well, what's the boar's name?"

Felix smirked.

"-ahhhhh I don't think it matters!" Ashe said hurriedly. "Sylvain, who're you?"

"Rambonis Hardwood," Sylvain winked at a confused Mercedes. "Elf bard, and the finest musician on the continent. Need I say more?"

"No, actually, you don't," Ingrid rolled her eyes. "I think we all, somehow, know everything about-ugh-Rambonis already."

"Heh, got that right," Sylvain leaned back in his chair. "Everything."

"I am an Oath of Vengeance Paladin!" Dimitri said energetically and unprompted. A shadow crossed over his face. "There are so, so many rats in the world, and I aim to get revenge for all they have wronged. Mark my words, Nikolai Urvan will have his recompense!"

Everyone sat in momentary silence. Dimtri cleared his throat and looked down.

"Anyone still curious about the name of my boar?" Felix said, amused.

"I don't believe we are," Dedue rumbled, but then his tone shifted. "I am just a druid called Matthias. That is it."

"Ooh, interesting! Druids are fun!" Annette said. "I'm an evocation wizard named Clarine Clario! I'll blast all of our enemies away. Bam!" she snickered, and the mood at the table was restored. Even Felix smiled.

"And I'm Annie-sorry, Clarine's older sister," Mercedes smiled, "Martha Clario! Bam!"

Everyone laughed, and Ashe looked much more confident than he had before.

"Awesome! So...ready? You seven adventurers have all been hired by a wealthy merchant to investigate kidnapping rumors in a local town. Whatever your reasons for joining-money, justice, plain curiosity-"

"Babes," Sylvain interjected.

"-or babes," Ashe took it in stride, "you've all gotten a table in a tavern to meet and discuss your next move. You were all informed by the merchant that the group you're investigating is known as the Dark Star...but that's it. Let's begin!"

"So we're just sitting at this table?" Felix asked.

"Yep! You can start roleplaying your characters and interacting with the world from here," Ashe confirmed.

"Okay," Ingrid nodded. "I look around-is there anyone suspicious in this tavern?"

"Good question!" Ashe smiled. "Roll an insight check for me."

"So that's-?"

"The twenty-sided one-"

Sylvain snorted.

"-and then you'll add this number to it."

"Ah!" Ingrid said. "Okay...fourteen plus...seventeen!"

"That's pretty good!" Ashe said. "Elizabeth, you gaze around the tavern, keeping an eye out for anyone shady-looking. You notice, a few tables away, sits a woman with heavily lidded eyes and a black, star shaped tattoo on her arm."

"Oooh!" Annette gasped. "Okay, we don't want to give ourselves away. How do we approach her?"

"Call her the roach that she is and demand information!" Dimitri growled.

"Hold on there," Sylvain said. "Ashe, is she hot?"

Ashe chuckled. "Roll me a d20 Sylvain."

"Alright...TWENTY!" Sylvain whooped. "She's a certified babe!"

"I can't believe we're wasting our criticals on this," Felix mumbled.

"Friends and Felix, leave this one up to Ol' Rambonis. I have a +6 to persuasion," Sylvain said. "I saunter up to her and lean on the table."

"What do you say?" Ashe asked.

"'Hey smokeshow,'" Sylvain crooned. "'What are you up to tonight?'"

"Alright, give me that persuasion check," Ashe said.

There was a clatter of dice and Sylvain's face fell.

"Ahh…"

"Wow. One plus six is only seven," Ashe shrugged. "She casts an eye over to the table that you arrived from, clearly seeing that you have ulterior motives."

"Who said I have ulterior motives?" Sylvain objected.

"She shifts her weight ever-so-slightly, revealing a knife strapped to her side," Ashe plowed on. "'Careful, pretty boy,' she says. 'You don't know what you're dealing with,'."

"I'm bored. Can we fight something?" Felix said.

"I don't wanna fight her, she's hot!" Sylvain panicked. "Can I try again?"

"No need," Dedue shook his head. "I would like to intimidate her."

"Feel free," Ashe said.

"I walk up behind Syl-er, Rambonis and place my hand on his shoulder," Dedue cleared his throat. "'I'm sorry for the trouble my friend here is causing, ma'am,'."

"'Oh, it's no problem,' she responds. 'Just tell him to leave me be,'," Ashe said.

"'Of course. But I do think there is a service you can provide us," I say," Dedue conversed. "And I shift my cloak to reveal my quarterstaff."

Sylvain snorted again, this time louder. "You're showing her your quarterstaff? C'mon, Dedue, we all know what that-hey!" Ingrid clapped him on the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry," he held up his hands in mock defeat.

"Roll for intimidation, please," Ashe asked.

"This could go very badly," Ingrid tittered nervously.

"Fifteen total," Dedue said.

"Okay! That's not bad. She casts another glance over to your table, and realizes that there's seven of you and one of her. She holds her hands up, away from her knife, and leans in to you. 'Fine," she whispers. 'All of you can meet me in the alley behind the market at dusk. I'll tell you what you need to know,'," Ashe roleplayed.

"Good job Matthias!" Dimitri crowed. "We have a lead!"

"This is so exciting! Wait-we don't have to wait for dusk, right?" Mercedes asked.

"No, we can fast-forward to then if you'd like. So!" Ashe's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Are you meeting her in the alleyway?

"It's all we have," Dimitri said. "I think we ought to."

"No objections here," Annette nodded.

"Good. As the sun begins to fall below the horizon, the seven of you congregate in the alleyway behind the marketplace. The town is beginning to settle in for the night, and the streets are no longer bustling with the commerce and activity of a weekday. But suddenly!" Ashe held his hands up, gesturing. "A group of three robed assassins drop from the rooftop, surrounding you. You see a secret doorway open in the wall of one of the buildings, and the woman from before walks out, cackling."

"I knew it!" Felix said. "This is what I've been waiting for!"

"Wait, you knew it was a trap?" Sylvain asked.

"Of course. I'd have to be stupid not to suspect as much. I was just ready to fight," Felix grinned.

"I figured this as well," Ingrid said solemnly, "But I have confidence we can beat them."

"We'll see!" Ashe shrugged. "Everyone roll for initiative!"

No one moved.

"Darn-sorry. You each roll the twenty-sided one and then add...that number to it."

There was the clatter of dice and everyone called out their number to Ashe, who recorded them on a piece of paper.

"First up is Felix!"

"Excellent. I'd like my boar to ravage one of them."

"Roll to attack."

"Fourteen."

"Hits! That'll deal one D6 plus one damage."

"That's it?"

"Yes…?"

Felix and Ashe stared at each other.

"So my bloodthirsty, legendary boar does," Felix rolled, "four damage?"

"It-it's an animal, Felix. You have a sword and it has tusks."

"Hmm," Felix's hand drifted to his chin. "Ashe, is there anything else near here?"

"Yes, actually!" Ashe said. "I made a map of the town in preparation, and...there's a blacksmith about twenty feet away!"

"Alright. Is he still out?"

"He's probably finishing up for the day. I'd imagine the furnace is still on, but not for long."

"Great. I'd like to use my movement then."

Ashe nodded.

"And I'd like to use that movement to shove myself in the active furnace."

"I...what?" Ashe's mouth fell open. "You're kidding, right? You realize that'll kill you?"

"I realize," Felix crumpled up his character sheet, threw it behind him, and then stood up. "I'd like to make another character. I'll be back."

He walked out of the room, clutching Ashe's Player's Handbook and a pencil.

"Unbelievable…" Ingrid muttered. "Ashe, don't mind him. We're all having a great time!"

"Yeah! I can't wait to see what happens next!" Annette agreed.

"Really?" Ashe gave a small smile. "Well, if you insist. Next up is Dimitri-my assassins rolled really poorly."

"I'd like to attack the one closest to me," Dimitri rolled his dice. "Critical hit!"

"Amazing! So-"

"And I'd like to smite as well," Dimitri continued, a strange look in his eyes. "That doubles both the damage dice of my greatsword and the damage dice of my divine smite. Meaning I'll deal four d6 and four d8 damage to the bastard."

Ashe nodded mutely.

"Excellent!" Dimitri yelled after rolling, making everyone jump. "Four sixes and four eights, plus my strength means I'll be dealing...sixty damage!"

"Good Lord," Ashe said weakly. "Okay that...that fully kills two of them."

"I take my sword, glowing with divine energy, and take a bloody swipe at them. After they hit the ground I stomp on their skulls and feel them break under my heel-"

"I didn't ask-"

"-and as I gaze at their partner I mouth but one word: 'You're next,'," Dimitri finished, pointing at Ashe.

"Um, isn't that two words?" Sylvain said sheepishly.

"One word, two words, who cares?" Ashe babbled. "Next up is the last assassin. He's going to attack Rambonis, since you're the closest."

"Damn, alright."

"Does a seventeen hit?"

"Yeah," Sylvain sighed. "What's the damage?"

"Fourteen," Ashe answered, and Sylvain winced. "You're next though."

"Hey Mercedes, mind healing me?" the redhead asked.

"I...what?" Mercedes cocked her head to the side.

"You heal, right? Can you heal me on your turn?"

"I...I don't think I can heal, right Ashe?"

"You're playing a barbarian? No, you can't."

"You're playing a barbarian?" Sylvain yelped. Mercedes giggled. "Putting aside how hot that is, who's gonna heal me?"

"I can!" Dimitri declared. "I can lay my hands on you and restore up to 15 healthpoints!"

"No offense, but I don't think I want Nickolai's hands anywhere near me. Ah, whatever...for my turn I'm gonna cast Vicious Mockery on the idiot that hit me."

"Alright, he...doesn't save," Ashe said, relieved they were moving on. "How do you mock him?"

"I just point at my bulge and then at his. No words needed," Sylvain grinned.

"Just-just roll the d4."

"Three."

"Okay, he takes three psychic damage from...that, and has disadvantage on his next roll. Ingrid, you're up."

"'You cravens have done enough evil around these parts!' I declare," Ingrid grabbed her D20. "'Prepare to taste my steel!' Um, that's a twelve?"

"Just hits. How much damage?"

"Ten!"

"Alright, he's looking a bit messed up. Mercedes, that's to you."

"Twenty!" the young woman smiled.

"Oh!" Ashe said. "Umm, like a natural twenty? Or-"

"A dirty twenty?" Sylvain winked.

"-yes, fine," Ashe sighed. "Which was it?'

"Well, the dice says twenty on it," Mercedes pointed at her roll. "See?"

"Nice!" Annette elbowed her friend. "That means you deal double damage!"

"Oh my!" Mercedes picked up her d12. "So I roll this one twice?"

"Yes," Ashe said in a defeated tone. "You guys are really good at this."

"Seventeen damage," Mercedes informed the flustered Dungeon Master.

"He's dead," Ashe waved his hand. "The woman from earlier is the only one left. Dedue, that's to you."

"Matthias is going to cast Hold Person on her," Dedue said. "What do I need to roll?"

"You don't roll anything, she has to save," Ashe flicked his d20 to the table. "Of course. She's paralyzed, and it's Annette's turn."

"I'm gonna walk up to her!" Annette sang. "And then try to intimidate her!"

"Okay?" Ashe leaned back. "What do you say to her?"

"I get right up in her face and conjure up an illusion of Melf's Acid Arrow! And then I say to her, 'You're frozen and all out of friends. Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can lead us to whoever you've kidnapped...or I can conjure up a nice, acid-soaked arrow just like this one. I'll notch it right in your neck and watch as the bonds between your skin and bones and blood break down. So...are you actually ready to help us this time?'" Annette looked at the rest of the table earnestly. "How was that?"

"Oh my God," Sylvain breathed.

"That was wonderful, Annie! She's sure to give us what we want now!" Mercedes said sunnily.

"I…" Ashe said weakly. "Roll to intimidate with advanta-no. You know what? That was terrifying. There's no need to roll. She points you down the hall she came out of. Next you-"

"I am back!" a voice announced from the doorway.

"That was quick! How long did you think about your character?" Ingrid asked Felix, who marched back over to his place at the table.

"I knew who I wanted to play. I am now a famously brutal barbarian."

"Does this one have a name?" Dimitri asked.

"He actually does," Felix folded his arms. "He's known as the Prince of Boars to his people. But that's not his actual name."

"And what might that be?" Dimitri said, still clueless.

Felix smirked.