The Owlbears' Den

(The Game World)

As the party took their defensive positions, Shadow appeared to be lost in some sort of trance; which her compatriots considered to be rather ill-timed. "This is no time for a rest" Ventris hissed in a hushed yet irritated tone, "we are surrounded by vicious beasts and need to be on our guard!" Alas, her words met no reply; which left the young she-elf even more flustered.

Then, at that moment; Shadow let out a sudden squawking sound, alarming the others. "These creatures...they're not acting on their own will" she groaned, "someone...or something else is manipulating them!" At the moment; not one member of the party doubted the witch's words, after seeing the odd looks in the creatures' eyes.

Those that belonged to the lone Owlbear they met before appeared black as pitch beneath their narrow slits. But the eyes of the pack that now surrounded them seemed to give off an eerie green glow. It was then that Ezra noticed the exact same light emanating from within the cave up the slope.

But before they could think anymore on it, the pack leader suddenly bellowed out a vicious screech; causing the others to charge forward. "Whatever...or whoever is inside may be the one controlling these beasties" Ezra stated, "so, try not to harm them too much." The moment her brother said this, Ursa gave him a disgruntled look that seemed to say "who's side are you on?!"

Meanwhile, Ventris understood Ezra's notion and began to think up another method to subdue the Owlbear pack. At the same time, however; it was difficult to do so and defend herself from each of their swiping claws. As she was being driven backwards, Ventris looked down and spotted something in the grass; a collection of fallen pinecones.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori had given the dice a toss and managed to gain a sixteen number roll. It is with this roll that her character was able to spot the aforementioned pinecones with a Perception Check. "What's so special about pinecones, Lori" Lola shrieked with both fear and annoyance in her voice, "what good could they be against these monsters?!"

Rather than answer her little sister's question/demand, the eldest Loud Sister turned towards the Council and asked one of her own. "I know this idea is literally a long shot" she murmured, "but...could I use my magic to somehow, enchant these pinecones and attack the Owlbears with them?" Upon hearing her words, the Game Masters huddled up and began to deliberate.

Then, after almost half a minute of discussion; they broke away and smiled at Lori. "Okay...first of all, Lori/Ventris; I'm happy to see you finally getting into the swing of things" Rita said in her normal voice, "second of all, it all depends on what you want to do." At that moment, Lynn Sr. tagged in and explained that Lori could enchant the pinecones (if that's what she wanted.)

"But there are so many ways you can do that" he said with nerdy glee, "you could use an earth magic based spell and have it grow into a living tree...or you could set each of the pinecones on fire and throw them at the Owlbears' faces or you could have one of them explode, sending its bits flying everywhere and hit one or more of the Owlbears in the face!" Within moments, everyone could see Mr. Loud going into full "geek mode" and politely asked him to calm down. Upon snapping out of his joyful tirade, Lynn chuckled sheepishly and offered the floor to Lori.

After taking a moment to collect herself due to her father's behavior, Lori considered each of his suggestions carefully. "They all sound really good" she murmured, "but out of all of them...I would have to go with Option Two; set the pinecones on fire." After making this choice, she picked up the dice and began to shake them vigorously; hoping to get a good roll.

Sadly; after tossing the dice, she was disappointed to see that she only got a thirteen. "Do not lose hope so easily, young she-elf" Pop-Pop said in his Game Master Karuk voice, "you still have your class perk, which offers you a slight bonus towards certain abilities your character possesses." With this bit of news in mind, Lori felt a small glimmer of hope well up inside of her.

But at the same time, she started to wonder if she was losing it. "Look at me, I'm getting worked up over a game" she thought with a light groan, "I literally am starting to turn into them!" As Lori began to inwardly shame herself over how she was behaving, another part of her reminded her of other times she'd become invested in a game; golf being a prime example.

With this in mind; a part of her started to think that maybe, the D&D players' world wasn't quite that different from hers. But the moment this thought came into her head, Lori's pride intervened and she vigorously shook her head; desperate to clear away any unwanted ideas. "You're thinking nonsense here, Lori" she thought bitterly, "the sooner you finish this...the sooner you can go back into the real world."

With that, she picked up her character sheet and tried to find whatever sort of "pluses" her grandfather was talking about. After a while, she found it; just below her character's profile picture. "Okay...According to this, I seem to have a...plus 2 Intelligence Bonus" Lori murmured with uncertainty, "is that a good thing?"

Without pause; Huggins (in his Fastred voice) explained that Intelligence is often used during moments when your character is studying something from a book or a room, investigating an area for signs of danger/traps or in this case, performing magic. "In regards to the plus 2, that means you're given two extra points to your roll" Lincoln interjected, "which adds it all up too...fifteen." With all this in mind, Lori hoped that her character's attack would prove successful.

After taking note her roll; Mrs. Johnson explained that while the pinecone didn't explode, it did strike one of the Owlbears in the face. "The creature screeches in alarm, as the flaming object slams betwixt its eyes" she stated, "several sparks then lightly catch fire upon its eyebrows!" From here, she explained that the Owlbear leader starts running about the area in alarm.

"Alas...due to your roll, only one of them is hit by your pinecone attack" Rita added in her Eliana voice, "the others meanwhile, immediately dodge the rest of them and snarl at you in anger for attacking their leader." After this; little Lily proceeded to bark and growl eagerly like a wolf, which seemed to be her way of "asking" to go next.

"Love the enthusiasm, sweetie...but no" Lori said firmly, "ain't no way I'm letting another one of those things literally toss you like a rag doll." Lily whimpered slightly in disappointment, sad that she wouldn't be allowed to play next. But somehow, she understood her big sister's reasoning and didn't let it upset her too much.

After this, Lola was given the next turn and presented the idea of distracting the other bears. "Could you be a bit more specific, luv" Chunk interjected from the sidelines, "how do you propose to distract the beastie?" Lola offered up a smile to the roadie and proclaimed that while she was still new to the game, she already knew a thing or two about trickery.

(The Game World)

As one of the other Owlbears charged toward her, Ursa simply remained where she stood; looking rather unafraid. "That's it, beastie...come on" she thought slyly, "just a little closer." At another area of the battleground, Ezra was in the midst of fighting off another of the creatures.

When he caught sight of what was happening and let out a startled "mewing" sound. But before he could tell his sister to move aside; she held up her hand his way, quickly silencing him. "Oh...Ursa" Ezra murmured worriedly, "whatever you are plotting, you're mad!"

As he watched the beast approach ever closer to his sister, he saw her attach a small pellet to her wrist crossbow. Then, just as the Owlbear pounced, Ursa fired the pellet into its mouth. As the beastie proceeded to chomp down on the object in question, a cloud of smoke suddenly bellowed out of its mouth; alarming it.

"That was a nice distraction, if I do say so myself" Ursa mentally chuckled, "now...time to mount up." With that thought in mind, she leapt atop of the confused Owlbear's back and grabbed hold of its plumage; startling it. The party watched, as the beast proceeded to try and shake the Tabaxi female off of him; wondering what she planned to do next.

Then, with all the strength she could muster; she managed to divert the Owlbear towards the one standing before Ventris. "Best take a few steps back, She-Elf" Ursa shouted, "lest you wish to be caught in the crossfire!" After giving a slight nod; Ventris, with the aid of her staff, levitated slightly upwards.

Not long after doing so, Ursa rode in and slammed the two Owlbears into each other. "Excellent work, everyone" said the Tabaxi rogue, "but I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." Her compatriots couldn't help but agree; it seemed as though that the creatures wouldn't stay down, no matter what they did.

With this in mind, their only option was to flee; which meant they would have to head towards the cave. "Are you mad" questioned Shadow mentally while emitting an outward shriek, "if we go there, we will be at the mercy of who knows how many more of these creatures!" Just as he was about to make an argument with the Kenku; Ezra shrieked loudly, as one of the Owlbears suddenly swiped its claws across his back.

As the young druid fell over in pain, he clutched his hand at his side; trying to use a smidgen of his magic to heal his wound. Unfortunately, this process would take a moment or two to do properly; which left him exposed to another possible attack. As the Owlbear hunched itself into attack position, its ears suddenly started twitching due to the sound of leaves fluttering.

The beast looked over its shoulder and spotted a mysterious rustling in the bush, which was something Ezra also notice; in spite of his pain. "Oh...hang it all" groaned the young druid, "just what we needed, another opponent to fight!" With all the strength he could muster, Ezra tried to ease himself into attack position and was prepared to do battle with the stranger.

But then, he saw them leap effortlessly upon the back of the Owlbear; where the figure proceeded to strike its head with a war mace. The blow, while not very damaging, did do its part in knocking out the beast. With that done, the figure proceeded to help Ezra with his wound.

"Quickly, use these along with your healing power" they said while handing over a small pouch, "the herbs inside will help stop the wound from festering." While he was still quite suspicious of this stranger; due to the current situation they were in, Ezra had little time to argue. Thus, he rubbed the herbs onto his wound and began to chant a healing mantra.

Within seconds, it began to heal instantly and all the pain seemed to wash away. "Thank you for the assist, stranger" Ezra purred gratefully, "whoever you are." While trying not to be rude, the figure told him to "repay her" by helping lead the others into the cave.

"Are you mad" cried the young Tabaxi male, "that is the creatures' den; if we go in, we'll be at their mercy!" Rather than argue with him, the stranger shook her head and proclaimed that the Owlbears were "not what they seemed." Upon hearing the stranger speak, Alexi let out a soft gasp of surprise; believing that it sounded rather...familiar to him.

But he had little time to think about it further, as the other Owlbears slowly started to regroup. "GET IN THE CAVE, NOW" shouted the hooded figure, "OR BY THE GOLDEN BOW OF CORELLON, I WILL LEAVE YOU ALL HERE TO DIE!" Not needing to be told twice, the group hurried up the slope and into the cave.

But before she went in with them, Ventris decided to try and slow down the Owlbears from following them; albeit for a brief period.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori could be seen looking through her character sheet intently; as if searching for something. "You have a plan, Lori" questioned Lucy, "if so, I hope it will work." After looking over her list of spells, let out a soft gasp of surprise and raised her hand; catching the Game Masters' attention.

"Yes, Madam" inquired Principal Huggins in his Fastred voice, "you have a question about something?" Lori nodded slightly and questioned the nature of a spell in her list of abilities. "It's something called...'Transmute Rock' or something" she murmured, "what does that mean, exactly and can it help me here?"

After taking a moment to look up the spell in question, Lynn Sr. explained that it would allow her to turn the rocky terrain of the slope into mud. "In that case, I wish to go with that spell" Lori announced, "it'll keep those creepwads from trying to chase after us." There was a light murmur of approval from the other players surrounding her, all of whom thinking it was a clever move.

"On that note, I'd like to bring up a little something" Rita interjected, "there is a chance for one or two of them to pursue you still...if their Strength saving throw proves successful." The moment the sisters heard their mother's statement; they suddenly felt a little dizzy, proclaiming that the information made their collective brains hurt (with the exception of Lisa.) "Okay, first thing's first" Lincoln chuckled, "Lori's gotta perform her spell before the Saving Throw can be done."

With that said, Lori took hold of the dice and began to shake them; while also blowing onto them for "luck." After a while, she gave a good throw and the dice went rolling across the table; startling several other players. "Uh...he-he, sorry about that" giggled Lori, "guess I literally don't know my own strength."

Everyone smiled slightly at her and assured her it's happened once or twice before. Then, Chunk took a look at the dice for himself and smiled. "Bangers, luv" he said with glee, "you got yourself an eighteen and with your plus two Intelligence Bonus, that adds up to...20!"

Upon hearing this reveal, Lori couldn't help herself and started squealing with delight. But after a while, she quickly realized her behavior and calmed down mere seconds later. Back with the Council, Mrs. Johnson began to make the saving throw for the Owlbears. After giving her dice a quick yet gentle roll, she then called out the number two.

"After the mountain slope turns to mush, thanks to Ventris' Transmutation Spell; one of the Owlbears attempts to climb up after you" explained Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "but try as he might...the mud proves too deep for the creature to gain proper footing." Lori's group cheered loudly with joy at this reveal and congratulated Lori on her roll. But before they could go any further, everyone asked to know the identity of the hooded stranger.

"This mysterious warrior overhears your murmuring and presents themselves before you" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "she appears happy that you are all unharmed." After this, Bobby announced he wished to approach the stranger; adding that he might actually "know her." "How can you tell the warrior's a girl, Bobby" questioned Lola, "isn't their face covered?"

The young Santiago teen looked towards her, smiled slightly and reminded her that while her hood may be up; it didn't cover up certain specific things...like the figure's eyes. "There is no point in concealing your face from me" Bobby said in his Alexi voice, "why not show yourself to our friends...Sister?" Upon hearing her "cue;" Ronnie Anne let out a hearty chuckle, placed her character's figurine upon the board and drew back her hood.

"A new player has joined the board" announced Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "please; do share your tale with us, milady." Now, Ronnie Anne already made her point about giving new things a shot. But still, they wondered if she'd actually willingly give role-playing a try?

"There's no way she's actually gonna do it" Lynn Jr. thought, "if she does, then...I'll eat my sneaker!" Back at the table; Ronnie Anne rose from her seat, turned towards Lori's group and cleared her throat. Then, when she spoke again; Ronnie Anne addressed herself as Aayla Silverspear, only child of late Salem Silverspear and Alexi's half-sister.

This intro surprised everyone...but what was truly amazing was how she managed to change her voice to sound like a mix of her mother and grandmother's accents. Upon hearing and seeing all this for herself; Lynn proceeded to stand up from her seat, remove her left sneaker and stick it into her mouth. "Wow, Ronnie Anne; I'm...literally impressed" gasped Lori in slight awe, "but wait, did you say you're his half sister?"

The young Latina nodded her head and resumed telling more of her character's backstory. "My father would explore the farthest reaches of the land, seeking out dangers to ward off or game to collect for supplies" Ronnie Anne explained, "this is how he crossed paths with Queen Arcaena, long ago." While the story, so far was a bit to take in; the girls still felt relatively intrigued by their friend's character.

"My father's skills with a bow and his tracking abilities impressed the elves of Lemerius" Ronnie Anne stated, "the Queen among them." As she prepared to continue; Ronnie Anne willed herself to change her expression from pleasant to sullen, as if something saddened her. "In the time Arcaena and my father started bonding, he shared with her a most tragic secret" she murmured, "the day I lost my birth mother."

The moment this particular bombshell was dropped, the Loud Sisters felt an icy chill of dread run through their collective spines. Soon, Ronnie Anne began to regale everyone with a tale of how Salem Silverspear and his wife went on a hunt together. "The two of them were a wonderful team" she sighed, "my father's tracking skills would find the perfect path to their quarry, while my mother's ferocious spirit would startle the beasties from out their dens."

Upon mentioning this, Ronnie Anne bellowed out a fierce battle cry; one that combined a mixture of ululating and trilling her tongue. Needless to say, this sort of sound really got everyone's attention; including the Louds'. But then came the moment where things swiftly became...unsavory.

"Then, during one of my parents' hunting trips; tragedy struck" Ronnie Anne announced, "a fierce pack of Saber-Fang wolves appeared from out of nowhere and surrounded them." Naturally, the mere mentioning of a wolf pack attack was scary enough. But the moment Ronnie Anne addressed them as "Saber Fangs," the Loud Sisters felt even more terrified.

"Uh...I'm sorry, everybody; if this sounds like a dumb question" murmured Lana uneasily, "but...what are Saber-Fang Wolves exactly?" Much to both her surprise and relief; the Council welcomed Lana's inquiry, brought up a book labeled "D&D Bestiary" and began flipping through the pages. When they found what they wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Loud turned the book towards their daughters and showed them the image inside.

It was a wolf but to the eyes of both Lana and Lisa, it looked far bigger and more menacing than a normal one; about half the size of Vanzilla. "You girls' have heard of Saber-Toothed Tigers, yes" asked Principal Huggins, causing Lana to nod; "well, these wolves are sort of like that...but they are slightly bigger and nastier by comparison." Not long after this was said, everyone began to put the pieces together on what happened to Salem and his wife.

Needless to say, the mental images they envisioned were not pleasant. "I know this is all a game and all this stuff's just in our heads" Lucy thought, "but it all makes even me shiver, regardless." After taking a moment to shake the unpleasantly dark thoughts from her head, the young Goth urged for Ronnie Anne to proceed.

(The Game World)

For what felt like ages, the party of heroes stood silent; trying their best to process what they've been told. Then, after letting out a soft outward squawk; Shadow asked Aayla what became of her mother during the Saber-Fang attack. "As they started to surround us, we began to fear the worst" she murmured sadly, "then...my mother looked me in the eyes, kissed my cheek and told us to run."

Soon, everyone could see poor Aayla's fists quivering at her sides; as tears started to well up in her eyes. She tried her best to continue her tale, in spite of her emotions. But the only sounds that passed though Aayla's lips were strained groans and stifled sobs. Not wishing to appear "weak" in the group's eyes, she squeezed her eyelids shut and turned away from them.

But then, almost a split second later; she suddenly felt a pair of arms coil around her shoulders in a tender yet loving embrace. Aayla looked over her shoulder and saw Alexi standing behind her, a look of sorrow plastered upon his face. As if sensing her distress, he offered to finish his sister's tale for her.

"Master Salem and Aayla did as they were told and ran as fast as they could" he explained, "meanwhile, her mother remained behind; choosing to help keep the Saber-Fangs' full attention solely upon herself." The moment this was brought up, something within Ventris' mind flashed; as if the grim image of the battle's aftermath suddenly appeared to her in a vision.

Due to the Saber-Fang's size, they would prove too difficult for one hunter to take down on their own; lest they were strong of body or of skill. But it didn't matter to Aayla's mother, all she needed was to keep the creatures from following after her family. With all this in mind, the young elf mage could only think of one thing to say; "how old were you when it happened?"

While such an inquiry felt rather sudden, Aayla fully understood Ventris' reasoning behind it and sighed. "I was no older than eight years old, when it happened" she murmured sadly, "after such tragedy, I vowed to never loose another loved one again." After this decree, Aayla's demeanor swiftly calmed down slightly and her tale took a sudden yet moderately positive turn.

She spoke of the day she and her father came to Lemerius, met with the Queen's people and about how close she and her father became. "In time, the two decided to join together in marriage" Aayla murmured, "and in the years that followed, Alexi came into the world" Upon hearing this part of her tale, the party almost fell over themselves in shock.

"How can you be the elder sibling, milady" questioned Ursa, "Alexi appears taller and more mature-looking in appearance than you." Upon hearing this, the young ranger laughed heartily at her words and helped Ursa back onto her feet. "I confess, such circumstances even leave me surprised" Alexi chuckled, "but...while I may appear older, it is only the result of what you humans would call a 'growth spurt.'"

From here, Alexi explained that he was relatively sixteen years of age; in terms of human years. With all this information, the party slowly began to fully understand their two compatriots. "You already know the rest of the tale, thanks to the queen" Aayla stated, "but as for why I am here; the answer is simple, I am not letting my brother venture off into mortal danger on his own!"

Alexi groaned in annoyance at his sister's words, insisting that he was capable of handling himself against the Owlbears. "Perhaps under normal circumstances, you are" Aayla said bluntly, "but as you saw before...these do not seem to be any ordinary bears." Alexi couldn't deny the truth in his kin's words; however, he still felt skeptical about having her come along with them.

"We may need all the help we can get, mate" Ezra said bluntly, "and she seems to be the only one of your people who actually wants to assist us...even if she is only half-elven blood." After choosing to ignore the druid's rather backhanded compliment, everyone steadied themselves and continued on into the cave. With the aid of a spark of light from Ventris' mage staff, their journey in went rather smoothly.

"It's too quiet in here" murmured Ursa, "at this point, we should've run into a trap or another one of those beasts." Upon hearing her words, Shadow let out a soft yet bothered squawk her way; as if to tell her not to risk tempting fate. Then, at that moment; they could see the odd green light pulsating at the end of the path.

"There is great evil in this place" murmured the Kenku Witch, "I can feel it from my talons to the tip of my beak." Ventris couldn't help but agree with her; whatever resided in this cave, it was making even her elven senses flare tensely. Then, all of a sudden; Ursa tripped over something on the path and stumbled over.

Upon recovering, seconds later; she was met with a most horrific sight. All along the path ahead, the party could see all manner of bones scattered about. It was then that everyone realized their earlier assumptions were correct, this cave truly was the Owlbears' den.

(The Real World)

Back at the board; poor Lori and Lola were scared out of their wits, when the Council brought up about the bone piles. "I feel like we're literally in some kinda horror movie cliché" Lori grumbled, "which means it's only a matter of time before someone...or something starts picking us off one by one!" While Lola was in full agreement with her sister; Lana and Lucy, in the meantime appeared cool as cucumbers.

"Bones and creepy caves are my go-to ideas for relaxing atmosphere" the young Goth murmured, "but something feels a bit off here." The moment she said this, every other player at the table faced her; apparently eager to hear what she had to say. "I mean...if all the bones are Owlbear ones, how does that explain the ones we just fought" pondered Lucy, "unless...unless the others weren't real at all!"

While the other three members of her team thought Lucy was crazy; the Council, on the other hand thought she may be on to something. "If what you suggest is true, honey; we recommend making a Perception Check" Rita stated, "that will help you detect anything odd around you." After hearing this, Lola exclaimed that a cave filled with bones was odd enough already...but Lucy chose to ignore her.

After giving the dice a good shake, she threw it across the table and was elated to hear that she gained a "Nat 20." Meanwhile, Lori and Lola crossed their arms bitterly and proclaimed that it was "nothing but a lucky roll." "With the aid of your magic, Shadow; you discover that these bones have been within the cave for many years" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "you also sense an odd aura surrounding them."

Upon hearing mention of an "odd aura" surrounding the bones, Lucy had a good idea of what was happening; someone may be resurrecting the dead Owlbears within this cave and sending them out into the forest. "My Goth side can't help but find this form of sorcery impressive" Lucy thought mentally, "but the other half, my more 'normal' half, thinks it's wrong to disrespect the dead this way." After shaking that thought out of her head, she brought up her theory to the others and the Council all murmured with approval.

"That feels like a sound theory, sweetie" Pop-Pop said with a bright grin, "but the only way to find out if you're right is to go deeper into the cave." The moment this was suggested, Lola immediately sounded off her disapproval; proclaiming how she "knew" the bones would soon rise up and attack them. "Don't fret, young one" Bobby said in a bold voice, "I shall protect you."

While she still refused to let go of her biases towards the game, Lori couldn't deny how much she loved seeing Bobby be so deep into character. To her, it made him even more attractive; if that was possible. "I'll take the lead point, everyone" Bobby offered, "you all follow close behind me and watch each other's backs."

The girls each murmured softly in both gratitude and agreement, picked up their figurines and slowly moved them down the cave path on the board. By the time they've reached the midway point, Lynn assumed his Acheron role and called for their attention. "After much traveling, you come upon a dark cavern" he explained, "the pungent aroma of the damp atmosphere soon fills your collective sinuses."

While Lori and Lola both gagged bitterly from their father's description of the environment; Lucy and Lana, on the other hand, felt overjoyed by it. "As you enter the cavern, all seems eerily quiet" Mrs. Johnson whispered dramatically, "Lori, I'd like for you to make a quick Perception Check roll for us." At first, the eldest Loud Sister felt confused by such a request.

But after hearing Mrs. Johnson's description of their current scenario, she realized things were far too quiet. "After living with ten often crazy siblings all my life, there's no way a situation like this could be so calm" she said matter-of-factly, "time to see what secrets this place has." With that said, she took hold of the dice and gave a quick roll; only to be met with an "8" as the result.

With this in mind; Principal Huggins regretfully announced that despite her best efforts, she couldn't clearly see if anyone was around in the area. "However...you do catch glimpses of the odd green glow you noticed before" he informed, "albeit faintly." Despite feeling discouraged from her roll, this announcement helped give Lori some reassurance.

"Guess there's literally only one thing we can do" she sighed, "forward march, everybody!" With that said, the other three members of her team moved their figurines along the image of the cavern on the game board. While they do this, their mother announces that they soon hear faint sounds of chanting echoing on the cave walls.

"Creepy cave, smelly odors, weird chanting" Lola shrieked, "things are sounding worse and worse by the minute for us!" While she didn't use her exact words, Lori couldn't help but agree with her sister. "PLEASE...Tell us the bad guy is somewhere close" groaned Lori, "the sooner we take him out, the sooner we can all leave!"

The Council smiled softly at the girls and said that the enemy was at the heart of the cavern, which was only a stone's throw away. The moment she heard this phrase, Leni questioned just how far a "stone's throw" was. "Father means to say that our sisters' quarry is not too far apart from their location" Lisa murmured dryly, "do try and keep up, Sister."

(The Game World)

After surviving their first Owlbear ambush, crossing paths with the elves of Lemerius moments after and surviving a second ambush outside of the cave; the party feared what might happen next. But in spite of all this, they still forged on; vowing not to turn back until the enemy is defeated. "Be on your guard, everyone" whispered Ventris, "we don't know what...or who else might be here."

Everyone nodded in unison, drew out their weapons or claws and continued walking further into the cavern. In time; the odd green light slowly became much brighter and, though spoken with a relatively soft voice, sounded much clearer. "My friends...I cannot fully explain why" muttered Alexi, "but the language of the chanting sounds rather familiar to me."

While doing their best to keep their collective voices low, the others were surprised by this revelation. But before any of them could question Alexi on his words, the green light suddenly burst in a great flash from somewhere nearby. Then, from high above their heads; a pack of glowing green bats suddenly flew overhead and bellowed out a cacophony of horrid screeches.

These noises were then echoed all about the cavern, creating a rather painful noise. This was immensely painful to the ears of the two Elven and Tabaxi members of the party. Meanwhile, Shadow and Aayla appeared relatively unfazed by it all; thanks in part to their not quite so sensitive hearing.

This granted the two of them the chance to help defend their friends, while they were momentarily incapacitated. Thinking quickly; Aayla drew out her sling, picked up a collection of rocks and threw them at two of the bats overhead. The attack struck the creatures successfully, causing them to disappear into puffs of green mist.

"They are not real" cried the young manling, "they're some sort of beastly illusion, conjured by whoever is performing the chanting!" Upon hearing this, Alexi rose to his feet and drew out his bow. After letting one of his arrows fly and strike another of the bats, he also saw it disappear instantly. "This is dark magic here" said the young ranger, "keep moving, everyone; these are only distractions!"

With this command, everyone gathered as much courage that they had and rushed forward. As they did so, the remaining glowing bats also charged them; poised to sink their fangs into any part of their faces. But as they drew closer; Lupa growled at the bats, leapt off her mistress' shoulder and swiped at them with her forepaws.

This caused them to burst into puffs of mist, just like what happened to the others. With this minor yet rather bothersome distraction dealt with, the party hurried off into the distance; following the still pulsating green light ahead of them. In time, they came upon the heart of the cavern; which was a rather vast and bleak looking place.

Then, Ezra gestured up towards a long rock formation that resembled a sort of platform. There, they saw what looked like a shadowed figure standing there; performing a series of odd body spasms. "That must be the fiend behind all of this" growled Aayla, "time to bring him down!"

Before anyone could tell her to stop, Aayla was already making a beeline up towards the platform. While Ventris and Co. were mildly bothered by this, Alexi couldn't help but worry. "Rhaich!" he muttered in his Elvish tongue, "I won't let her throw her life away so recklessly!"

With this in mind, he took off after his sister with his weapon armed and ready. Ironically, Ventris and her compatriots soon felt the same twinge of worry Ezra did mere seconds ago and immediately followed after him. In time, they've all reached the platform; where they could fully see the figure they spotted earlier.

(The Real World)

At the board; Lori decided to make a quick Perception Check roll, hoping to get a clear idea on who exactly they were dealing with. "Alright, you; I literally don't like you and you don't like me either" Lori thought bitterly while shaking the dice, "but...PLEASE, give me a decent roll here!" After this plea was made and after she blew on the dice for luck, Lori sent them flying.

When the dice eventually stopped rolling, everyone looked down at the number and cheered. "ALRIGHT, LORI; TWENTY-FOUR" cheered Bobby, "that's your highest roll yet!" Upon hearing this news, Lori suddenly felt a little proud of herself; much to her surprise.

Once everyone had calmed down, the Council of Game Masters proceeded to describe the next scenario. "With the aid of your keen elf eyes, Lady Ventris; you get a clear view of the figure ahead" explained Lynn Sr. while in character, "despite his clothing being black as pitch, his snow-white locks and pointed ears are clearly visible to you." Upon hearing that the figure had pointed ears, Lori presumed that it was one of her character's people and smiled.

"Maybe he can help us deal with the Owlbear crisis" she suggested, "that is, after I've talked with him." This suggested course of action caused all the other players to gasp in alarm, while the Council looked at each other and at her warily. This behavior did not go unnoticed by Lori and she immediately asked what she did "wrong."

"It's not that, sweetie" Pop-Pop murmured, "it's just...well, this guy may look like a member of your character's race...but he isn't." At that moment, a young man appeared beside the elderly Game Master, startling him. "Game Master Karuk speaks the truth, Elfling" said this mysterious player, "despite some minor similarities, my kind are far different than yours."

Mere moments after she heard him speak; Lucy gasped in surprise and turned towards the player, eager to learn who he was. But once she faced him, the young Goth child suddenly froze stiff and her usual pale face started to blaze red. The player's painted black complexion, snow-white locks and attire were appealing enough; in her mind.

But once she got a good look at the young man's eyes, her heart started pounding like mad. "It...I-It can't be" she thought in disbelief, "of all people, I never thought he would be playing this game." Meanwhile, as if sensing her ever-growing surprise; the young player smiled softly and approached Lucy.

"Al tha, Kenku" he murmured in a foreign tongue, "I am called Lokon Snowmane of the Drow." Upon hearing the boy's voice, something clicked in Lucy's head. Even with the odd lingo he used earlier, he still sounded rather...familiar.

Then, after taking one more look into his eyes; Lucy's heart came close to bursting with shock. "What the...Silas" she gasped softly, "so, I truly wasn't imagining things." After this realization, both of the young Goths appeared locked in each other's gaze; something the rest of Lucy's siblings couldn't help but find heartwarming.

But, as tragic as it was; their touching moment had to come to an end and the Council quickly called for their attention. "Not to seem rude here, younglings" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but we must continue with the quest at hand." With that said; Silas, while acting out as Lokon, bid Lucy farewell and offered up a quick apology.

"You have no need to apologize to me, Silas" said the young Goth with a smile, "if you enjoy this game...I'm okay with that." While it did both surprise and please everyone to see how accepting Lucy was being towards her crush's interests, Lynn Sr. decided to drop a rather serious bombshell regarding his character. "I...hate to do this to you, sweetie" he murmured hesitantly, "but I'm sorry to say that Silas is the enemy here."

To say that Lucy was surprised by this news would be a gross understatement. Truth be told, a small part of her felt hurt; thinking that she may have to fight one of her deepest crushes. "Forgive me if I sound stupid for asking this" she murmured, "but...why are we enemies?"

Much to everyone's surprise, Silas chose to provide an answer for her. "It is nothing personal, my angel of the night" he said with a light smile, "I'm afraid...it is in the nature of all Drow Elves." From here; he explained that the Drow...or Dark Elves were often referred to as "neutral evil" within the world of fantasy.

"Drow are known for being devious, scrupulous and would do anything to help them gain glory or power" Principal Huggins stated, "which leads me to question why a young man would choose to play such a character." Without missing a beat, Silas reminded everyone that he always enjoyed creatures of darkness. "Make no mistake, however" he said bluntly, "I take no pleasure in expressing my character's villainous whims."

In that moment; Lucy didn't know whether to be nervous, determined, smitten or some odd combination of the three. Regardless; she shook herself out of her daze, turned towards Silas and smiled slightly. "I understand and respect your character choice, my fellow Night Crawler" she murmured, "but make no mistake...my sisters and I will not be going easy on you!"

Silas raised an eyebrow at her, as if feeling pleased by the challenge and spoke something in the Drow Elf tongue; which Mr. Loud translated as "have at thee, fellow spell-weaver!" With that, both sides readied themselves for the battle to come. But before they continued, Lori stepped forth and asked why a Goth kid would be interested in playing a game like this.

"I mean no disrespect in saying this" she said matter-of-factly, "but I thought you guys would think this game is literally only for geeks and 'conformists.'" Much to everyone's surprise, especially Lucy's; Silas threw back his head and let out a hearty chuckle. "You are right...we Goths often do stand against the status quo" he stated, "as such, we do not choose to live in fear of feeling ostracized for the things we love; including this game."

To continue; Silas proclaimed that Haiku, a fellow Goth, was the first to introduce the game to him and his colleagues. At first, they felt they were "losing her to the enemy" but Haiku assured them otherwise. "You were wise to listen to her" said Lincoln as he rose from his chair, "last summer, she showed my friends and I there was another side to her at the Renaissance Faire; one that we all thought was really cool."

Upon hearing this; Lincoln's group of guy friends, some of his female classmates and even students from Lori and Lynn Junior's schools started siding with him. With all this happening; the Loud Sisters, once again started wondering how "crazy" the world was becoming. But they had little time to think on this, as the Council quickly brought them all back to the game.

"You find yourselves face-to-face with a lone Drow Elf" explained Rita in her Eliana voice, "you also notice something familiar about the glow his magic gives off." After taking hold of the dice, Lucy was asked to make a quick Insight Check. Once she made her roll, the wee Goth was pleased to receive a 17; not a perfect result but still quite high.

"Using your foresight, you learn that the magic this elf is using is near identical to the glow you saw emanating from the Owlbears' eyes mere moments ago" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "but alas, it proves too strong for your mind to handle and you immediately retreat back towards your friends." If Lucy wasn't feeling nervous about things before, she certainly was now.

(The Game World)

For a moment or so, Shadow was desperately trying to ease the pain throbbing in her head. Whoever this Drow Elf was, he was certainly quite powerful. "Who are you, what are you doing in this place" demanded Ventris with her staff at the ready, "are you behind all the attacks on Lemerius?"

In spite of himself, Ezra threw back his head and let out a sarcastic "HA" in response to the idea. "How could one spell-caster muster up an army of beasts" he asked, "he's not that powerful...right?" With a broad smile upon his face, the Drow Elf raised up his glowing hand; which caused the glow from behind him to flare profusely.

"I am called Lokon Snowmane, master warlock of the Drow" he decreed, "and as for my pets...behold!" As the dark elf took a few steps back, the party was met with a disturbing sight. Before them was what looked like the skeletal remains of an Owlbear surrounded by some sort of odd green aura.

"As you can see, the creatures you were battling were nothing more than illusions" Lokon said smugly, "lifelike creations born from both my magic and...what remains of these creatures' collective essence." After taking his words to heart, the party was amazed how illusions were capable of inflicting pain upon them and the elves of Lemerius. At the same time, they were horrified that he would defile the dead in such a manner.

"You're clearly impressed by my abilities, strangers" chuckled Lokon, "do not deny it...it's written on each of your faces." Flustered by the elf's behavior, Ursa crouched down and lunged herself towards him; only to find herself ensnared by Lokon's powers. With a coy smile upon his lips, the young Drow Elf gave a gentle flick of the wrist; which sent Ursa flying down into the cave puddles below.

Though it wasn't a high fall; she had little time to land herself safely and thus, ended up crashing onto the murky puddles of cave water. "Sister, are you alright" shouted Ezra, "anything broken or damaged?" After taking a moment to dust herself as clean as she could; Ursa assured that aside from her fur feeling "soiled," she was alright.

"It's one thing to mistreat these dead creatures, Drow Elf" hissed Ezra, "but when you try to hurt my kinfolk...that's where I get mad!" With that said, he drew out his claws and was prepared to charge Lokon. But he quickly stopped himself, after a pair of hands rested themselves upon both his shoulders.

The young druid looked behind him and saw the elves Alexi and Ventris standing over him, both of whom bearing a wary look upon their faces. "You must be smart about this, feline" said the elven ranger, "Lokon is not the sort of opponent you can simply charge down...this requires a different approach." With that said, he tossed what looked like a small glowing rock into Ursa's hands and asked her to load it onto her crossbow.

"I doubt this will do any damage against the likes of him, Sirrah" murmured the rogue, "but...if you insist." As she placed the pellet onto the bowstring of her weapon, Lokon was growing weary of having to wait for them. "Whatever you are plotting, it will do you no good" he muttered smugly, "nothing you have can compare to my..."

Before Lokon could finish his statement, Alexi gave the signal and Ursa fired the pellet at him. "Everyone, shield your eyes" shouted Alexi, "and be ready to attack when I say so." While still quite confused by the order, the party did as they were told and closed their eyes as tightly as they could. Meanwhile; as expected, Lokon used his magic to destroy the pellet before it could strike him.

But upon doing so, he was met with a most startling surprise. Once the pellet had been shattered; a blinding flash of light suddenly exploded from within its shell, blinding him. "GAH! You miserable wretch" Lokon seethed painfully, "how dare you use such trickery!" Rather than answer him, Alexi gave the signal and everyone swarmed the incapacitated Drow Elf.

Aayla struck him in the belly with her mace, Ursa slashed at him with a knife in one hand and used the claws from her other to attack his face; nipping it. Using his druidic powers, Ezra collected some cave moss and coated it with a light amount of fire. He then sent it flying towards Lokon's chest; where it proceeded to lightly singe him, upon contact.

Meanwhile, Ventris summoned the same form of levitation magic he used on Ursa moments before and held Lokon aloft in the air. This left Alexi and Shadow with an opportunity to deliver the possible final blow. "Quickly, while he's still recovering" shouted the young elf, "enchant my arrows with your magic!"

Shadow gave a soft nod, raised her right hand and soon; every arrow within Alexi's quiver was encased with a light green aura. "I have enchanted them with an Acid Splash spell" she said telepathically, "make your next shot count, Master Elf." After giving the Kenku Witch a silent yet appreciative nod, Alexi nocked one of the arrows and took aim.

Upon noticing what his opponent was about to do, Lokon simply threw his head back and bellowed out a sarcastic laugh. "Do you really think a few flimsy arrows will harm me" he said smugly, "but...you're welcome to try, take your best shot." With that statement, the dark elf held up his arms and waited for Alexi to make his move.

At the same time, Alexi himself was growing flustered by his opponent's bravado. But he did everything he could to keep his mind calm. "Remember what Father told you, lad" he thought to himself, "ignore all unwanted noise, keep a steady arm and keep both eyes open."

(Back to Reality)

At the board, everyone was waiting on pins and needles; wonder what was going to happen next. Among those who were anxious was Lori, who was tapping the base of her mage staff worriedly against the floor. "Would you please, stop with that tapping" groaned Lola, "it's not helping anything!"

Lori did as she was told, feeling too nervous to give her little sister any lip. Afterwards, her eyes swiftly fell onto Bobby; who was busy shaking the dice between his hands. Now, this first roll he was making was for Perception; which would help him aim his arrow just right at Silas' character.

If it proved successful, Bobby would have a clear shot at his opponent. But if he ended up getting a low number, it would be as if he were a blind man trying to shoot a moving target; regardless of his damage roll. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, he let the dice fly and everyone waited patiently to see what number he would receive.

In the end, everyone was both shocked yet surprised to see Bobby earn a Natural 22 Perception; which seemed rather pleasing to Lori. "After steadying your arm, Master Elf; you aim your arrow perfectly at Lokon's chest" said Principal Huggins with a smile in his Fastred voice, "now...roll another D20 for your attack." Bobby gave a light nod, plucked up the dice and began to shake it vigorously.

Once again, Lori found herself waiting on pins and needles with anticipation; wondering if her "Boo-Boo Bear" will be able to succeed in his attack. But just as it seemed he was about to let the dice roll, Bobby suddenly stopped moving; which surprised everyone. "What's wrong, mijo" questioned Mrs. Santiago on her monitor, "having second thoughts on what move you want to use?"

Bobby shook his head towards his mother, unclenched the dice in his hand and (much to everyone's confusion) proceeded to kiss it lightly. Naturally, this gesture caused a few players to grimace lightly in disgust; particularly Ronnie Anne. "Okay, Bro...first of all, eww" she murmured, "and secondly, what was the point of that?"

Without missing a beat; Bobby turned towards his sister and said that for a roll as "important" as this, he needed some good luck. It was then that Lynn Jr., of all people, suddenly understood what he was doing. In all her years of loving, watching and playing sports; she had seen other athletes perform similar gestures out on the field.

Half of these players did so for the same reason Bobby was doing, luck; while others chose to do it for sentimental reasons. In any case, there was a part of her that hoped Lori's beau would succeed. Finally, after kissing the dice one final time; Bobby sent it flying.

Everyone waited patiently for the tiny piece of plastic to stop rolling, many of whom even had their fingers crossed; with the exception of Silas. Finally; the dice came to a halt and the entire table erupted with cries of joy, disbelief, excitement and even mild outrage. "HACKS, I CALL HACKS" exclaimed Joey from the far side of the table, "that's just too perfect of a roll!"

After listening to everyone's cries for a moment or two, Lori grew flustered and demanded to know what was happening. "Take a good look at your boy's roll, Lori" Carol urged, "then, you might understand why we're freaking out so much." With a light shrug of her shoulders, the eldest Loud Sister answered her friend's request and gazed down at the table.

The moment she saw the blue dice showing off the number "24," her eyes almost popped from her head. Not only had her boyfriend gained a perfect roll to aim his arrow; thanks to this roll, his shot would prove incredibly damaging (knock on wood.) When the rest of the Loud Sisters saw this, they were all as surprised as the other players.

"Bobby...you realize that there was a one and twenty chance of this happening just right, correct" Lisa murmured in disbelief, "you used that 1 in 20 chance on this scenario?!" Bobby chuckled sheepishly while blushing and claimed that he was "just lucky, I guess" with his result. This did little to dispel everyone's skepticism but they were still proud of him, nonetheless.

After taking a few moments to calm themselves down, the Council called for everyone's attention and Lynn prepared to continue with the story. But try as he might, he found it difficult to keep down his overall joy of the situation and remain in character at the same time. "Okay...Okay, let's get moving here" he chuckled, "you aim perfectly and, despite the fact that your comrades are standing around you, you let fly your arrow straight and true towards Lokon; as if they weren't even there."

After volunteering to stand in his place; Mrs. Loud, while speaking in her Eliana voice, explains that the arrow is sent screaming towards Lokon. "I would recommend you do whatever you can to block it, young one" she informed the young Goth boy, "pray you will get a good Saving Throw." With a worried murmur in his throat, Silas plucked up his D6 dice and shook it vigorously.

Then, after rolling it; he crossed his fingers anxiously and prayed Fate would "save him." Alas, he was rewarded with only a "3" on his throw; which only warranted slight protection from Bobby's attack. "With a coy smile upon your face, you snatch the arrow in your hand; just before it runs through you" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "but you fail to notice the enchantment that it carries."

Upon mentioning this; Lynn explains that along with his hand being burnt by the Acid Splash enchantment, he is also left partially incapacitated. "That's great and all" murmured Lana impatiently, "but what does it mean for us, exactly?" Instead of the Council answering her inquiry, Lucy decided to do so in their place; considering she was the one to cast the enchantment.

"Long story short; Lokon needs his hands, in order to use any of his spells" she said with a small smile, "but due to his injuries, he'll be open for us to attack!" With this bit of news revealed, Lori and the twin toddlers smiled broadly at their opponent. "I just wanna say, kid...this literally isn't personal" said the blonde teen, "it's all part of the game."

Rather than be bothered by his possible impending doom, Silas offered a simple yet silent grin. "I take no offense on what will happen to me, daywalker" he thought to himself, "all that matters is like it or not...you are slowly becoming one of us." After that, Lori's group of five was given their chances to attack.

Lana used a spell known as Flame Blade, which would conjure a scimitar-shaped sword of fire into her character's free hand. With it, she slashed Lokon's chest; delivering strong burning damage. Lola momentarily blinded him with a smoke bomb, which gave her the chance to use Sneak Attack and slash at Lokon's ankles.

With her eldest sister's help; Lily, as Lupa, charged forward and sunk her fangs deep into Lokon's other hand. This left the Drow Elf unable to defend himself with any magic. Finally; Ronnie Anne/Aayla, with her mace in hand, was ready to deliver the final blow.

But at the near last second; Lori, much to everyone's surprise, urged her not to attack. "Babe, are you nuts" Bobby said in his normal tone, "the guy's responsible for causing Lemerius all sorts of trouble...he needs to be punished!" The moment she heard him say this, Lori smiled coyly at her boyfriend and tapped the tip of her nose with her finger.

Admittedly, it took a solid fifteen seconds for the truth to hit Bobby. But when it did, his eyes grew as wide as dinner plates and he bellowed out a gasp that made him sound like a fish gasping on the shore. "OH...I get it, now" he murmured, "better to let justice be served than kill in cold blood?"

While she didn't quite like his terminology, Lori was still happy to see that she got her point across. "I must agree with the young mage" Mrs. Santiago stated in a dramatic tone, "but I also recommend binding his hands, to ensure he doesn't attempt to use any of his spells again!" Lori's group nodded softly in agreement with the suggestion and Lucy was mere moments away from summoning some restraints.

"Just as you prepare to restrain Lokon, he suddenly springs back up on his feet" Mrs. Johnson said in her Eliana voice, "he then draws out a knife from his belt and charges...what do you do?" Without missing a beat, Lori looks over her spell sheet and comes up with an idea. "Just as he gets within range, I use my Sleep spell on him" she explained, "I know it lasts only a minute...but it's all the time we need to bind Lokon's hands behind him."

After the Council took note of everyone's movements and choices, Pop-Pop smiled and announced that everything went well. "Your Sleep spell instantly puts Lokon into a deep slumber" he explained, "afterwards, you use your magic to bind his hands slightly behind him." Despite this moment being a relatively small victory, the five Loud Sisters couldn't help but cheer with joy.

"I hate to be a downer here" Ronnie Anne interjected, "but according to the spell sheet, the sleep spell only lasts for about a minute." With this reveal, the girls' joyful mood instantly faded away. How would they be able to bring Lokon back to Lemerius before he woke up?

"If I could make a suggestion, girls" Mrs. Loud said in her normal voice, "Lori...there's a particular spell that you may find interesting on your sheet." Confused yet mildly intrigued, the young teen took a look at the paper and found something at the near bottom of the list; "Teleportation Circle." "Okay...according to this, 'any creature within the circle is teleported to another location'" she muttered while reading, "this could work...I think."

Upon hearing her uncertain tone, Lori's younger sisters proceeded to grumble in confusion; wondering if she intended to get them killed. "Gimme a break here, girls" she growled lightly, "I'm literally working with things as I go along." This statement created a light murmur amongst the other players, many of whom appeared to be encouraging Lori.

"If that's what you wanna do, luv; have at it" Chunk said with a smile, "part of the fun of this game is improvisation." This bit of encouragement from Luna's roadie seemed to fill Lori with some confidence, much to her initial surprise. With that settled, she began drawing her finger along the open space at the table in front of her.

"Okay...so, my character draws up the portal circle" she murmured, "then, she writes the proper...er, what's the word; sigils or symbols along its rim." To emphasize her point, she draws a circle on the table and begins to mimic the shapes of the portal's sigils as best as she can. Though pleased by the fact that their daughter was starting to really get into the game, they quickly stopped her.

"Very well, then" murmured Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "your character begins to make the portal upon the ground, while your friends keep watch for signs of trouble."

(The Game World)

As Ventris begins to make the portal circle, the others draw out their weapons and take defensive positions around her; certain that things were going too smoothly. "I don't see why we're so on edge now" Ezra scoffed lightly, "with this fool's hands singed and bound, what trouble could he possibly cause now?" As if Fate had overheard him, somehow; a loud rustling was then heard from the bush; which made the party feel quite antsy.

"Then, all of a sudden; three Owlbears suddenly leapt out of the thicket. They each landed two feet apart from the party and screeched loudly in anger, as if demanding them to release their master. "You certainly have a way of tempting the Fates; don't you, Brother" murmured Ursa, "do what you can to keep them away from Ventris!"

With this simple command, the party readied themselves for battle. But after their earlier scrap with Lokon, they soon felt fatigue slowly wash over them. They had little time to contemplate on that, however; as one of the three Owlbears made a charge for them.

After mustering as much strength as they could, the rest of the party charged towards the beast; while Ventris continued creating the portal. Even though each of their blows were not at full strength; they were, surprisingly able to hold their own against the raging Owlbear. "Best be quick with that portal, Mage" Aayla grumbled, "I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!"

No sooner had she said this, the Owlbear slashed his claws swiftly across her chest; digging deep into her skin. The moment he heard his sister's cries of pain, a raging fury ignited deep within Alexi; offering him a sudden boost in strength. "I take no pleasure in doing this" he growled, "but for attacking my sister, beast; you must pay!"

With that, he drew out his sword and drove it deep into the beast's throat. As she watched the whole display, Aayla's jaw fell open with shock; for it reminded her of how her father battled these creatures...before he was slain. This time, however; it was Alexi who emerged victorious.

Once defeated, the Owlbear's body disappeared in a puff of smoke and all that remained was a pile of its bones. No doubt, this was one of Lokon's few remaining creations. Alas, though he was able to defeat his opponent; Alexi's strength had quickly drained away and he was left incredibly weak.

This did not go unnoticed by the other two Owlbears, who snarled hungrily at the young half-elf. "Come, children" beckoned Lokon sinisterly, "come and slay these intruders and free your master!" The two beast cawed loudly in reply and charged straight for their master's captors.

But just as they were almost in range, Ventris had finished the last of the sigils and the portal began to activate. "Quickly, everyone" she exclaimed, "climb through the portal!" After making this command, Ventris roughly throws Lokon through first before jumping in after him.

A split-second later, everyone else made their way through landing just outside the home of Queen Arcaena. Naturally, them suddenly appearing out of nowhere took the queen and her guards by surprise. But before they could question what was happening, an Owlbear lunged through the still open portal and was moments away from tackling Shadow.

Just as the beast was about sink its beak or claws into her, Queen Arcaena urged Shadow to duck in cover. Upon doing just that, the Owlbear was suddenly shot down by a small series of arrows fired by the queen's guard. Afterwards, Ventris quickly closed up the other portal; just before the final Owlbear could pursue them.

As the party of heroes lay upon the floor, catching their breath; Arcaena quickly noticed the scars on Aayla's torso and gasped in horror. "What...how did this happen" she demanded, "what was Aayla doing accompanying you and the strangers, Alexi?!" Sensing his mother's concern/anger, the young elven ranger rose to his feet and did his best to stand at attention.

But before he could speak up, Aayla did her best to crawl over and kneel before her. "Your Majesty...don't be cross with your son" she murmured painfully, "it...it was my choice to follow them and I was happy that I did." After she said this, Ventris stepped forward and was granted permission to continue for her.

"Without Aayla's help, Your Ladyship; we would've been slain by the Owlbears that infested Mara-Kai" she stated, "you can thank our prisoner for sending them there." After this; Ezra and Ursa stepped forward, each of whom holding Lokon by his shoulders. When Arcaena caught sight of the Drow Elf, her face contorted into a vicious scowl.

"You...I thought my warriors disposed of your kind moons ago" she seethed, "I suppose they weren't entirely thorough in their efforts." Not long after, several other members of the court began shouting vicious slurs at Lokon; which took the party by surprise. "Goodness" murmured Ursa, "I know he did these elves great harm...but I never thought it would warrant this much hostility."

The moment he heard her say this, Alexi suddenly tensed up in anger. But he did everything he could to remain calm, before he chose to speak to her. "Long before the Owlbears' plagued this forest, the Drow Elves of the mountains have desired to dominate the lands beyond their dark dwellings" he explained, "they harbor great hatred towards other races...but it is us Wood Elves whom they despise the most."

After this, Alexi revealed to everyone that Lokon was the one responsible for the Owlbear attacks. He also told them how Lokon used dark magic to create ghostly copies of the beasts. "He achieved this by utilizing the skeletal remains of slain Owlbears from the forest and a mountain den they once called home" Ezra added with a grimace, "Heaven rest the souls of those poor creatures."

Upon hearing both of the Drow Elf's crimes, Arcaena came close to burning red with anger. But before she could speak up, Lokon spitefully spat at her feet. "Believe me when I say...you and your people deserve a thousand times worse, for what you did to us" he growled, "go ahead, put me in chains...I will never stop until all of you are dead!"

Rather than be intimidated by the young warlock, Arcaena simply snapped her fingers at him. Afterwards, Lokon was suddenly frozen within a glowing blue aura. "Take this wretch to the waste pit" she ordered dryly, "I shall deal with him later." With that command, two guards approached Lokon and lifted his frozen form up off the floor; where they proceeded to carry him out through the gates.

Once he was gone, Arcaena rushed toward her daughter and rested her hands upon the claw marks. "I told you to stay behind, child" she said firmly while healing the wound, "if you were to die...who would help keep Alexi safe?" After letting out a soft chuckle, Aayla took the queen's hand in hers and smiled.

"Alexi was the reason I left, Your Majesty" she murmured, "after losing both my mother and father...I refused to let anymore of my family be taken from me!" The Elf Queen said nothing in reply, feeling torn between whether to scold Aayla for getting hurt or to commend her for her love and dedication. In the end, she chose the latter and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"I'm happy you are both safe, my dear" she murmured, "and that our plight is now at an end." After making certain Aayla's wound was fully mended, Queen Arcaena rose to her feet and bowed in gratitude to the party of heroes. Not long after, the rest of her court did the same; some even choosing to bow low against the floor.

As one would expect, the heroes were quite surprised by this display and were at a loss for words. So, instead; Queen Arcaena chose to speak first. "You have our eternal gratitude, champions" she said with a bright smile, "with the Owlbear scourge dealt with, my people can resume their lives and the dead can rest peacefully.

Choosing to act for the entire group, Ventris stepped forth and bowed respectfully to the queen. "We were happy to assist you, Your Ladyship" she stated, "may your forest blossom with new life once more." After expressing her thanks one final time; Arcaena insisted that if the party desired anything from them, her people would be honored to bestow it unto them.

"Your generosity is most gracious, milady" Shadow murmured telepathically with a light outward squawk, "but there is but one thing we desire...to destroy the Bloodstone Keep." The moment this was announced the elves of Lemerius began fretting fearfully; especially Alexi. "Are you lot mad" shouted the young ranger, "the land surrounding the Keep is a desolate place, home to only the vilest of creatures!"

At that moment, a member of the guard suddenly stepped forward; proclaiming that the queen who rules Bloodstone made Lokon look like a novice, in terms of the power she wielded. "We are quite aware of that, Sir" Ventris said firmly, "but we promised Lord Acheron of Avalonis that we would travel to this Keep and stop Queen Melaena's power from destroying our world." Before anything else could be said, Queen Arcaena rose from her throne and approached Ventris.

As she drew closer, the party could see the Elf Queen's eyes glowing a bright blue. Before she could question her on what is happening, Ventris soon felt her own eyes glowing. "Peace, child" Arcaena said in a hushed tone, "let me in your mind, show me what you've learned."

Though still quite confused by what was happening, Ventris chose to adhere to the queen's request and calmed herself down. Afterwards, she felt Arcaena rest her hands on both sides of her head and soon; both their eyes flashed brightly. Not long after, the Elf Queen's mind was suddenly filled with images of death and danger.

In time, she drew back with a fright and gasped loudly for air; hoping to calm herself down. Meanwhile, Ventris was rubbing her head; nursing a mild throbbing sensation that filled it. After a while, both she-elves were calm enough to look one another in the eye and speak.

"I understand, now" murmured Arcaena, "you have a great task ahead of you, everyone...but you shan't face it alone." Not long after she said this, the rest of the queen's court shouted out loud in agreement; also offering their support.

(Back to Reality)

Back at the table, Lynn Sr. explained that Arcaena offered Lori's party to eat with them and rest overnight at her home. "The following morning, you all ready your supplies and prepare to leave the castle" he stated, "but before you leave; Alexi approaches you, Ventris and says he wishes to give you something." After this, Lynn gave Bobby the cue to approach her; while Lori bounced anxiously with anticipation.

Then, much to her surprise; Bobby took hold of her left hand and kissed it tenderly. "Your assistance was most appreciated, Lady Ventris" Bobby said suavely, "I do hope our paths will cross again someday." At first, Lori wanted to say something in thanks for her "Boo-Boo Bear's" gesture but she was too far gone in her own giddiness to say anything.

"After this, Queen Arcaena hands you back your map" Mrs. Johnson explained in her Agathe voice, "on it, you notice a red line leading away from Lemerius and up towards a town up along a northeastern path." From here, he adds that after leaving this town, the party would have to move east; where they would come upon a city known as Olwen. Feeling curious, Lana asked what sort of importance this "Olwen place" had.

"There in lies an interesting story, honey" Rita said giddily, "but...I'm afraid that will have to wait until another day." This announcement caused everyone to groan loudly with disappointment. Meanwhile, the Loud Sisters tilted their collective heads in confusion and asked if the game was over.

"I'm afraid we've been at this part of the game for a long time" Principal Huggins announced, "which means it's almost 5 PM, it'll be time for all of us to head for home soon." Upon hearing this news, the Loud Sisters didn't know whether to feel confused or relieved. The moment he caught sight of their expressions, Lincoln told them not to worry.

"Come next Friday, we'll all be back here to continue right where we left off" he said with a broad smile, "isn't that great?" The moment this piece of news sunk in, the Loud Sisters suddenly realized their situation. Until they were finished with the campaign, they would return to this place every weekend with everyone and keep on playing it.

But rather than risk offending anyone, Luna chuckled softly and murmured "yeah, lil' Bro...awesome." Lincoln cheered softly with delight, leapt out of his chair and hugged his elder sister tightly in thanks. Touched by this gesture, Luna decided to swallow her pride and return the embrace.

Meanwhile, Lori found herself in what she considered a "social crossroads." "This can't be happening" Lori muttered softly, "there is no way I'm going to keep on playing this nerd game over the next few weekends!" With this thought in mind, she was moments away from telling her parents she wanted out.

But then, Lisa quickly reminded Lori of their parents' earlier warning. "If we do not see this whole thing through, our parental units will have us punished for leaving the house on Friday night" she whispered, "which is worse...playing this game or facing something like kitchen duty or being without your electronics?" After taking a moment to weigh the two options; Lori realized that compared to losing her electronic devices/privileges, playing the campaign to the end was "a small price to pay."

With that matter settled, the Loud Sisters wished everyone good night and followed their parents and brother back to Vanzilla. During the drive home, Lincoln began to "drone on" about the fun that had yet to happen in the game. "Just wait until everyone else gets a chance to join with you guys" he murmured ecstatically, "I know you guys will love the game too."

Rather than answer him outright, the other Loud Sisters chose to offer up either a thumbs up or soft nods in reply. But on the inside, everyone wondered how they would be able to keep their sanity for the rest of the game.

(First AN: That's a good question; at the rate things are going, will the Loud Sisters go crazy with "boredom" or will they soon find themselves becoming part of the few, the proud...the nerdy? Find out next time, as the quest continues)

(Second AN: Just as Silas told Lucy during this point in the game. Though you might be playing a villain-like character, it's important to mind your manners and not attack other players out of personal spite or what have you. When someone does that, it ruins the fun for everybody)

(Third AN: The creatures known as Saber Fangs that Ronnie Anne mentions in her character's backstory are not actually part of any D&D campaign. Rather, they are loosely inspired by the massive breeds of wolves from World of Warcraft. When I saw their large front teeth, I thought "I had to make a critter like that."

Make no mistake, though; Saber Fangs are only slightly similar to the WoW wolf breeds. So, please; don't sue me.)

(Fourth AN: In regards to the death of Aayla's father, Salem; I used the divorce of Ronnie Anne's parents as inspiration for this. While RA's real world father, Arturo is very much alive, they have yet to get back together. Thus, I felt that this would be a good way to explain how Ronnie Anne's character is a half-sister to Bobby's.)

(Fifth AN: Lincoln's statement towards the Junior Mortician's Club, specifically him mentioning a trip to the Renaissance Faire, is a light reference to another fanfic of mine; A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals. To put it simply, this story is within the same universe as that of Gal Pals and I plan on doing a D&D inspired oneshot for A Day in the Life; in the future.)

(Final AN: To anyone who thinks that the four Loud Sisters weren't at the right levels to perform some of their spells, specifically the portal and Lucy's character enchanting Alexi's arrows, let me explain. While it's true that most D&D campaigns utilize the leveling up system, there are others that don't and it's the latter that I've chosen to base this story around. If you feel I've made mistakes in that regard, feel free to notify me; just keep your comments civil.)