The Eye of Fastred

(The Game World)

The disheveled state of his chambers alone was enough to irritate Fastred. But when he noticed the paw prints upon the floor and sensed the faint musk of an animal's odor as well, he found himself feeling disgusted as well. "Some filthy mongrel must've found its way into my chambers while I was out" he muttered bitterly, "perhaps...one of the villagers' pets."

Frustrated, the Count moves down onto all fours and begins to clean up the paw print stains as best as he can. Afterwards, he begins to reorganize his papers before placing them back atop his nightstand. The last item Fastred collected from the floor was his gem, which he then stared at it with great intensity.

"I wonder" thought the Count while he scratched his chin, "was someone from the town foolish enough to send their filthy pets in to try and steal my gem...no." After dismissing the idea from his mind, Fastred placed the Scrying Gem into the drawer of his nightstand and closed it shut.

(Line Break)

The following morning; the party left the inn, looking only...slightly well-rested. After failing to procure the Scrying Gem, yesterday evening; they had no choice but to make a quick return and act as inconspicuously as possible. Upon arriving in the square, Lupa saw a sight that caused her to yip with glee.

All around; the area was beautifully decorated with banners, streamers and many other kinds of lovely items. At the same time, the party could also see several of the townspeople at work; making certain that every inch of the town looked just right. As they cautiously walked past the workers, Ursa felt a sudden chill of dread flow through her; which caused her tail to frizz.

Upon taking notice of his sister's behavior, Ezra silently urged her to calm down. "I'm sorry...but after what we've learned, last night; I can't help but feel anxious" Ursa murmured, "it makes their strange smiles seem all the more unnerving to me." While she herself also felt bothered by the now apparent strangeness of Maravillosa, Ventris also urged everyone to keep calm; lest they rouse suspicion.

"Remember...Fastred's gem can peer into the thoughts of others" she instructed silently, "he could very well be watching us all at this very moment." With this simple statement; the Tabaxi Twins, Shadow and even little Lupa suddenly tensed up with fear. But once more, Ventris tried to help keep morale high between them.

"We need to keep calm yet strong while we're here, everyone" she whispered, "soon...we will take Fastred's gem from him, free these people and continue on with our quest." With that statement, Ventris smoothed out her cloak and took the lead; trying her best to appear as pleasant as possible. "Gracious me" she exclaimed with a smile, "it looks as though the townspeople are going all out for this celebration of theirs."

No sooner had she said this, the Elven mage was suddenly approached by one of the townsfolk. Upon inspection; this fellow wasn't the Innkeeper, his wife or any of the other merchants they met yesterday evening. Instead, he appeared to be just a regular member of the townsfolk; a random face in the crowd (in the eyes of someone like Fastred.)

"You are quite right, Madame Elf" said the man, "on the morrow, we shall celebrate our city's twelfth year anniversary; honoring our glorious history of perfection and order!" No sooner had he said this, Ventris' eyes widened with shock; as if appearing surprised. "This city has only existed for twelve years" she thought to herself, "yet these poor souls look as though they've been under his thumb for so much longer."

Meanwhile, her comrades were left feeling rather confused by what the man had told them. "Even with the powers of the Scrying Gem at his disposal, Fastred is but a feeble man-ling" Ursa muttered bitterly, "why does no one attempt to rise up against him?" Despite sympathizing with her companion, Ventris quickly reminded her about what they've been told just last night.

"The people are oblivious to the truth behind their leader's so-called 'powers of foresight'" she said in a hushed tone, "thus, it's only natural for some to fear what they do not understand." While there was no denying the truth behind Ventris' words, Ezra still growled bitterly; frustrated that such a weak man was causing so many people harm. "Just keep calm, everyone" Shadow said telepathically in a hushed voice, "until we get another chance to take the gem from him, we cannot afford to rouse any suspicion."

No sooner had she said this, the Kenku Witch asked for everyone to hold out their hands. Despite however confusing the request seemed, everyone still answered it and eased their hands forward (or in Lupa's case, her left forepaw.) Then, Shadow lightly waved the jewel on her staff over them for but a few seconds; all while chanting some sort of odd incantation.

When she had finally finished, everyone looked down and saw an odd symbol glowing on each of their wrists. At first, they considered this to be a grim sign but Shadow told them otherwise.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lucy was in the midst of explaining what she had just done to each of her teammates as best as she could. "After looking over my list of abilities, I've decided to use something called...'Protection from Spells'" she stated, "the powers of Fastred's gem count as a sort of spell...right?" For a moment, no one answered her; which made the young Goth girl feel a little worried.

Then, the Council took a moment to deliberate the situation amongst themselves. After a while, they broke apart and Lynn/Acheron began looking through a player's manual for a brief moment. "Okay...Normally, such a spell is used to protect one's self against magic blasts" he stated, "but for this one time, we'll allow your idea."

In spite of herself, Lucy suddenly let out a deep sigh of relief; not caring about the mildly confused stares her sisters were giving her. But just as the girls started to feel safe, their parents dropped a small but strong bombshell on them. "The spell will shield you from Fastred's sight" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but it only lasts for a short time."

With this simple statement, the five Loud Sisters at play realized they had to think up a good plan and quick. "Hold that thought, ladies" Pop-Pop exclaimed, "as you go about creating your secret plan, you suddenly spot Lyra walking down towards the market square." Soon after he said this, Albert picked up Sam's figurine and moved it into the market area of the game map.

Feeling curious, Lori and her group decide to follow her...but not too closely. Unfortunately, when they made their Sneak rolls to follow her; they ended up getting only barely passable results (numbers within the range of 9 and 13.) As a result, there were several instances where Sam's character almost spotted the group.

"Sam...or rather, Lyra; you suddenly hear the sound of footfalls coming from behind you" Rita asked in her Eliana voice, "what do you do?" For a moment or two, Sam sat silently in her chair; scratching her chin in thought. Then, she turned towards Lori's direction and cried "show yourself, stalker or risk your life."

"I then tell whoever's following me that if they refused to present themselves, I'd blast them with a spell from my lute" Sam explained, "I am able to do that, right?" After a brief moment of discussion; the Council of Game Masters agreed that, as long as Sam had a high enough roll, her idea could work. "Ah, dang it...this doesn't look good" Lucy muttered softly, "here's hoping she won't get a strong roll."

After taking the dice in her hands; Sam shook them vigorously for almost half a minute until finally, she lightly tossed it across the table. "Okay, I got a...TWELVE" the young musician exclaimed, "that doesn't do too much damage, right?" Before they could answer, the Council faced Lori's group and asked each of them to make Dexterity Saving Throws for dodging.

"Remember, everyone; the higher the number, the more successful your dodge" Principal Huggins said in his normal voice, "so...best of luck to you." No sooner had he mentioned all of this, Lincoln chimed in and revealed that all four of the girls receive a plus 2 bonus in Dexterity. "Uh...That's a good thing, right" Lola murmured uneasily, "we don't know this kind of 'nerd math.'"

With this reveal, everyone suddenly realized that the ladies' characters had yet to perform any kind of agility this far into the game. Thus, the Council decided to give the players a quick reminder. "Dexterity is essentially another word for agility, reflexes or nimbleness" Mrs. Johnson explained, "and Dexterity Throws help determine whether or not you dodge things successfully...like Sam's eventual attack." After gasping in unison, the five Loud Sisters took their die and shook them; hoping to get high enough numbers.

Once they let them fly, each of them took a nervous look at their numbers. At the same time, they reminded themselves to add two extra points to each of their rolls.

Lori/Ventris: "Fourteen plus two for me makes...sixteen!"

Lucy/Shadow: "All together, I gain a thirteen."

Lana/Ezra: "Twelve here for me."

Lola: "Fifteen plus two makes...Seventeen for me!"

The last of the sisters to roll was Lily, who held her dice over her shoulder like a heavy ball. Many at the table thought this was adorable, while others felt someone should volunteer to help roll for her. When Clyde was about to approach the wee baby in wolf's clothing, she suddenly gave a soft yet defensive bark.

"Nuh-uh...Upa make roll" Lily said in her baby language, "Upa can do it all by self." With that statement, she held her dice up high and lugged it forward as hard as her little arms were able. After only three small bounces along the table, the die landed sideways and revealed...a twenty!

"Well, would ya lookie there" Liam said with a laugh, "the lil' lady just got herself a Nat 20!" There was a light series of applause from some of the other players, after they heard this reveal; even the Council (mostly Lynn Sr. and Rita) couldn't help but cheer. At the same time, Lily clapped and giggled in Lori's arms; mostly because everyone seemed so happy.

Once everyone had calmed themselves down; Pop-Pop assumed his role as Karuk, once again and gestured towards Lori's group. "With the aid of your Dexterity Points, half of you manage to dodge Lyra's warning shot" he explained, "meanwhile, the blast creates a small burst; which sends Ezra falling back two feet." In addition to this, Rita (in her Eliana voice) explained that while neither the blast nor the fall proved fatal; her Lana's character also took three points of damage from it.

Confused, Lana rose from her seat and proclaimed her role was equal to that of Sam's. "This is true...but instead of delivering a painful or fatal blow to you, Sam's warning shot landed just a few inches away from you" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "thus, the resulting force of the explosion was just enough to send you falling over." After taking a few seconds to let this info sink in, Lana questioned the meaning behind the "damage" she received.

"It's just like a video game, Sis" Lincoln said suddenly, "you start out with 100% health and with any amount of attack, poison or injury damage you receive; it all goes down." Upon hearing this, Lana asked if her character had any sort of "extra lives" like how certain video games worked. "Sorry, sweetie...but no" Pop-Pop said in his normal voice, "once your Health Points fall to zero, your character's out until the next part of the quest begins."

At first, this news seemed to dampen Lana's spirits a bit until she realized that the fall her character had only cost her three points. "Phew! I guess that means I'm safe" she sighed with relief, "I almost got worried there for a second." While the others gave light chuckles at the wee grease monkey's comment, her sisters all looked at her with baffled expressions on their faces.

"Oh, crud...she's starting to become just like these nerds" Lynn whispered, "wonder if her dying in the game would help snap her out of it?" Unfortunately for her, several people beside Lynn suddenly overheard her words and immediately scolded her for them (albeit lightly.) However, Lana didn't seem to have noticed; appearing to be more focused on the game at hand.

"Once you have recovered from your fall, Ezra; you look up and find Lyra's dragon, Xenos seated atop your chest" Lynn Sr. inquired in his Acheron voice, "what do you do next?" For a brief moment, the first idea that popped into Lana's head was to pet the dragon excitedly (like any kid her age probably would in such a situation.) But she quickly decided to curb her excitement and chose to focus more on the situation at hand.

"I look towards Lyra as best as I can and tell her 'I mean you no harm'" she said in her best male voice, "I then explain that my companions and I are only following her for curiosity's sake." After hearing this, Sam looks over at the rest of Lana's group; asking for a second opinion. "Uh...Yes, my brother speaks the truth" Lola said in her character voice, "we were out for a stroll and suddenly noticed you heading this way...I suppose my curiosity got the best of me."

Not long after this, the others all murmured in agreement; except for Lily, who only nodded her head slightly. "After all that, you girls will need to make a quick Persuasion Check for us" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "the higher you roll, the more convincing your alibis' will seem." With these instructions, the four Loud Sisters took their die and rolled them without a second thought.

Once they've all stopped rolling, several players glanced over or down at the girls' dice rolls; eager to see what results they got. "Okay, ladies" Benny murmured, "it looks like the four of you got...NAT TWENTIES?!" This announcement came so suddenly, many players either almost fell from their seats in shock or came close to choking themselves on their drinks.

Meanwhile, the four Loud Sisters in question were at a complete loss for words; unsure of whether they should feel confused or proud of themselves. After finally shaking themselves out of their shock, seconds later; they looked over at the dice to see what rolls each of them got. Lori, much to her own surprise, received a 26; Lucy gained a 22 and both twins (Lana and Lola) earned a 23.

"Wow, girls; I am seriously impressed" Lynn Sr. said with pride, "congrats on all four of you getting such good rolls." After hearing their father's praises, the girls couldn't help but blush a little. But then, everyone realized they were getting a touch off-track and quickly got back to the game at hand.

"Right...where were we" murmured Mrs. Johnson in her Agathe voice, "thanks to your high Persuasion rolls, Lyra senses that you are all telling the truth and politely commands her dragon to step off of Ezra." After this, Simon gave a soft growl along with an "I'm watching you" gesture over Lana's way.

(The Game World)

Once that minor misunderstanding had been resolved, Lyra immediately apologized for her lapse in judgment and bowed her head low. "There is no need for you to apologize, milady" Ventris said with a smile, "following someone in the dead of night is rather highly suspect." Lyra smiled softly at her "pursuers" and offered them to accompany her into the market.

"We accept your offer, Miss Golden-Mane" Shadow stated, "but...where are the rest of your companions?" With a soft smile, Lyra assured everyone that the rest of her trope was all safe back at the inn. "After breakfast, I decided to go into town for a bit of a stroll" she explained, "as well as take a look at the wares being sold at the market."

After hearing all this, the adventurers looked at one another in silence; pondering on what to do next. On the one hand, they needed to try another attempt at getting the Scrying Gem away from Fastred's hands. But on the other hand, after their failed attempt to claim it the previous evening; they realized it wouldn't be an easy task.

Furthermore, after said failure to steal the jewel; it stood to reason that they should try and remain as inconspicuous as possible for the time being. With all this in mind, the party agreed to join Lyra in the market; claiming they needed to buy more supplies for their journey. "Splendid! Let's get a move on, then" the Tiefling said gleefully, "no better way to shake off the shackles of sleep than with a morning stroll, eh?"

While doing their best to hold back the truth from her, the party chuckled timidly at Lyra's statement and followed behind her as quickly as they could. In time, they arrived at the Market Square and began to look through all the goods that were on sale. Ventris went about collecting more food for their voyage, as well as a few treats for Lupa.

Ursa attempted to use her "roguish charms" to coerce three different merchants to grant her a discount on some articles of clothing and jewelry she had her eye on. Ezra (while doing his best to distance himself from his sister's behavior) collected some nuts and fruits; intending on using them as offerings to any animals they may come across. Shadow, after several minutes of searching, found a booth that had a collection of books and journals for sale.

As for Lyra, her attention seemed to be focused solely on one place; a jewelry vendor's booth. For what felt like ages, she stood there; staring and supposedly "studying" several baubles with great interest. "Please excuse me, Madam" said the vendor while doing all she could to keep up her joyful demeanor, "but you've been staring at my wares for several minutes now...is there anything that interests you?"

With a light yelp, Lyra snapped out of her daze and noticed the mildly impatient stare the vendor was giving her. "Oh, my sincerest apologies" she murmured apologetically, "I do not wish to hold you up, I simply want to find the perfect item for someone...meaningful in my life." Intrigued by this, the vendor politely inquired to know more about the person her patron wished to bestow her gift to.

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge such delicate information so openly with strangers" the Tiefling stated, "let's just say that...we've been through much together and I wish to give them something nice to repay them." Appearing convinced with this explanation, the vendor gave a much more natural smile and gestured down at her collection of jewelry. There were dozens of bracelets, necklaces and rings (from the sort one wears on their hands to those one would wear...virtually anywhere on their person.)

While each of these items looked exquisite in their own unique ways, one among them left Lyra completely awestruck. Resting comfortably upon a small velvet cushion was a stunning topaz and diamond ring, one that seemed to show off a rainbow of colors in the sunlight. "This looks divine" Lyra cried with joy, "how much are you asking for it?"

Without pause, she reached to her side and dropped a rather large purse full of gold coins upon the counter. The very instant she saw the gold, the vendor was almost tempted to have Lyra pay everything she had for the ring. But then, the instant the thought came to mind; she suddenly felt a chill briefly pass through her body.

With a soft shiver in her voice, the vendor handed the ring to Lyra and asked for twenty gold pieces in exchange. "Really...20 pieces for something like this" the Tiefling gasped in surprise, "that's quite reasonable of you." As she tried to offer up thirty more pieces for the ring, the vendor politely declined; insisting that she would accept the price as a "discount" to repay her for agreeing to perform at the town's upcoming celebration.

"Oh...Thank you, Madame" Lyra said while bowing her head low with great respect, "thank you so much, my...friend will simply adore this trinket.

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Sam suddenly found herself blushing timidly; something that several other players took immediate notice of. "What's the face, Sammy" her bandmate, Ruth inquired slyly, "is there anyone specific you had in mind to give the ring to?" Upon hearing her words, Sam's shy expression suddenly faded away (but not her blushing cheeks) and gave her friend a light shove.

Of course, this gesture/response alone was enough to tell everyone that Ruth's assumption was correct. This in turn led to several of the Loud Sisters making a series of excited "eee" sounds. Meanwhile, not too far away; Luna also found herself blushing timidly.

After letting this rather adorable scene go on for a few more seconds, Lynn/Acheron lightly tapped the base of his staff upon the floor and called for everyone's attention. "So, Miss Golden-Mane; you wish to present this ring to Yoko Spring-Stepper" he said knowingly, "care to share the reason why?" At first, Sam hesitated at the idea; fearing that some of the other players might react negatively to her words.

But then, she heard a soft whistle from the left of her and turned slightly; where she found Luna giving her a soft smile and the "rock on" goat horns. This warmed Sam's heart like a thousand hearths and thus, she became confident enough to share some backstory with everyone. "When I became old enough, I decided to go and explore the world; hoping folk would welcome a being like me" Sam explained, "alas, my first few years on my own proved...rather difficult."

When asked what happened during her time alone, Sam explained that many creatures and peoples often shunned her; all because of her appearance. "That's so lame" Luna cried out in outrage, "so what if you've got red skin, horns and a tail; that's no reason to shun you!" While many happily sided with the young rocker's words; they told her that even in fictional worlds, prejudice was still a thing.

"Yeah, well...that still doesn't make it right" Luna grumbled, "I think you look rockin', Sam...er, Lyra; horns and all." Touched by her girlfriend's words, the young bard suddenly found herself blushing; in spite of the red paint that coated her cheeks. From here; she explained that Caden and his troupe showed similar signs of acceptance, after they first met.

"Among them, Miss Yoko was the most kind to me" Sam said in her character's voice while sighing, "we have lived and performed together with our troupe for nigh on four years...and I simply cannot imagine a life without her." No sooner had she said all this, the Loud Sisters were on the verge of bursting with delight; even Lucy.

"Okay...real-talk for a minute here" Lynn interjected, "is Lyra planning to do what I think she is?" Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Sam turned towards the Louds and offered a slight yet joyful nod. This gesture alone caused the ten of them to burst out in a cacophony of squeals, cheers and giggles.

Meanwhile, as if anticipating this would happen; all other players placed some noise-canceling devices into their ears. Afterwards, they simultaneously activated them; successfully blocking out the loud yet joyful noises. After almost thirty seconds of this, Lori looked towards the Council and saw Principal Huggins tapping his finger lightly atop his wrist; as if telling her time was short.

"Right...Right, sorry about that" the eldest Loud Sister/Sibling muttered bashfully, "anyway, I appear beside Lyra and tell her she has my full support in trying to win Yoko's heart." This statement caused many at the table to gush adorably, even Fiona and her fellow costume makers. Meanwhile, Flip/Bojan simply gagged loudly in annoyance.

"Ah, sentimental hooey" he grumbled, "you kiddies sound as corny as all them soaps on TV." Despite however rude the vendor's words were (and the fact that he broke character too soon,) everyone ignored him and went back to the game. "As you place your newly purchased ring safely within your pocket, Lyra; you continue with the rest of your shopping" Rita explained in her Eliana voice, "you're also welcome to accompany her, Ventris; if you wish."

After giving the idea some thought, Lori felt she could use some assistance; especially since Lana and Lola's characters were currently distracted with their own shopping. "As time passes, Ventris; you and Lyra have collected enough supplies to carry you on to the next destination" Pop-Pop said in his Karuk voice, "what do you do next, now that your shopping is complete?"

Straightaway, Lori proclaimed that she would rejoin the others; see how their shopping is doing. "You leave the booth and go rejoin your other companions" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "upon reaching your companions; you see that Ezra has a pouch full of herbs in his hands and Shadow had purchased a rather large book."

Upon hearing mention of the second item; many players, including Lori and the twins, started asking Lucy what type of book she found. "It's a tome containing information on the histories surrounding the Bloodstone Keep" the young Goth stated, "thought we should learn as much as we can about it before we actually get there." There was a mild cacophony of pleased murmurs coming from the other players, many of whom proclaimed that Lucy was being rather clever.

The Council also commended the wee Goth on her decision, saying that being three steps ahead of one's opponent was a key strategy in life. But just as the scene was starting to feel rather wholesome, the sounds of rather ominous music started echoing softly about the room. It didn't take long for Lori and her younger sisters to realize that this only meant one thing; very soon, bad stuff was going to go down.

"As you go about your business, everything seems quite calm and pleasant" Lynn said in his Acheron voice, "at the same time, Ventris...you suddenly get the feeling that someone might be watching you." From this statement alone, the players all had a rather clear idea of what was happening and it chilled them to their very bones. "Meanwhile, in a familiar manor; we find Count Fastred in his chambers" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "he is seen glaring intently at an image being shown from within his Scrying Gem."

(The Game World)

Back at his chambers, Count Fastred is seen pacing about the room muttering bitterly under his breath; all while glaring into his gem. From this jewel, he was looking at the image of one of the streets in the Market Square; the spot where Lyra Golden-Mane inadvertently assaulted the Tabaxi druid, Ezra. Now, while Shadow's spell did keep the Scrying Gem from peering into their minds; it did not protect them from having Fastred witness any of their actions (ill or otherwise.)

Of course, he appeared less concerned about Ezra's well-being and more so about the stonework of the street. Though the blast wasn't a strong one, the resulting collision chipped a few pieces of the path's stonework; leaving a small yet still noticeable "blemish" behind. While most folk would consider this an accident; in Fastred's eyes, it was a "high crime" against his city's perfect image.

But as "reprehensible" as this seemed to him, a far graver matter caught his attention; Miss Lyra Golden-Mane's intentions with her fellow bard, Yoko Spring-Stepper. "I will not stand for it" he decreed, "it's appalling enough that a Tiefling wishes to be intimate with a human...but the fact that both individuals are female makes the matter all the worse!" As his mind swirled with many stressful thoughts, Fastred soon started to tear out his hair in frustration.

In time, he grew weary enough to plonk himself upon a cushioned chair. With a heavy sigh, Fastred reclined himself low on the seat and took another gaze into his gem. Upon seeing the Tiefling bard and Elven Mage giggling together, his eyes narrowed tensely with frustration.

"I knew those creatures would all be trouble from the moment they set foot in my city" he grumbled bitterly, "they will suffer for their offenses!" With this thought in mind, he waved his hand over the jewel; causing its glow to fade. Afterwards, the count started pacing about his room; thinking up a sound punishment for the Bard Troupe and the adventuring party.

"Perhaps, I could have them mend the broken part of the pathway...or refurbish the entire Market Square path" he said with a sly chuckle, "or maybe I'll have them spend a fortnight in the stockades." For nigh on to an hour, the disgruntled count paced about his chambers; thinking up all manner of things to both rectify the broken street tiles issue and deal with the "horde of rabble-rousers" at the same time.

But before he could contemplate any further on such ideas, the count suddenly felt a fierce burning sensation on his chest. As he looked down, he noticed that the Scrying Gem's blue color was now glowing an intense orange-red; as if it were on fire. After letting out a painful yet startled yelp, Fastred quickly removed the gem from around his neck and threw it lightly upon the floor.

No sooner had he done this, a hissing voice suddenly called out to the count from within the stone; one that he seemed to recognize. "Do not distract yourself with trivialities like public maintenance, Fastred" the voice whispered, "if you wish to continue your reign, dispose of the strangers...by any means necessary." Once the command was made; the stone's glow immediately faded and then...all was quiet, once more.

For what felt like ages, Fastred stood frozen in place; as if mentally debating on whether he should adhere to the voice's command or simply ignore it. After a while, he finally came to a decision but he would need to make a quick stop or two beforehand. With all this in mind, Fastred smoothed out his clothes and hair; making certain to look as presentable as possible.

Afterwards, he left his estate and made his way out of town; which seemed a tad odd to the night guards who saw him off. Almost an hour later, Fastred arrived at a pub; which was a haven for all manner of thieves, rogues and felons. The moment he stepped through the door, the Count found himself recoiling at the abhorrent atmosphere.

There were brutes tossing wee folk about, thieves mingling with wenches and the very air reeked of ale. But regardless, Fastred needed to deal with the strangers forthwith by any means necessary; just as he was told. After taking a moment to clear his throat, Fastred approached the barkeep and called for his attention.

"You're a long way from home, blue blood" the man said while cleaning a stein glass, "what can I help you with?" As Fastred attempted to speak, he let out a muffled groan of displeasure due to the stench of grog lingering in the barkeep's breath. But in spite of this; he swallowed his pride, dusted himself clean and cleared his throat. "I hear some skilled warriors come to this...establishment" Fastred murmured, "do you know of any...assassins that might be here?"

At first, the barkeep felt like laughing before reminding the noblemen of the patrons he often served. But then, after realizing that the man was a "blue blood;" he decided to do the "respectable" thing and tell him what he needed. "Many cutthroats, thugs and rogues come into me tavern for a pint; sirrah" he grunted, "but...if you're lookin' for one of the best, go and speak with Zok." After this, the barkeep gestured to the far end of the bar; where a hooded figure was seen playing a sort of knife game with an orc warrior.

As Fastred drew closer, he was amazed by how fast the figure was stabbing between his opponent's fingers. With near lightning-fast skill, he stabbed his knife back and forth between the openings; while the orc sweated nervously under the pressure. Finally, after what felt like ages; the sound of steel piercing through flesh filled the air.

As the orc clutched at his bleeding hand, many of the other patrons laughed merrily at his expense; while others reluctantly handed over their gold to the hooded figure. "Gracious...this fellow is deadly" thought Fastred, "he may be just what I need." With this thought in mind, he nervously approached the figure and cleared his throat; catching their attention.

"If you want to try your luck against me, stranger...I'd advice against it" the figure said with a raspy voice, "don't want to lose any of those pretty fingers of yours." While the figure's words did sting him quite a bit, Fastred disregarded them and got down to business. "I have a...problem but I cannot deal with it myself without my people being suspicious" he explained, "can you help me deal with it?"

Despite however vague the count's request was, the figure called Zok still felt rather intrigued and was willing to go along with it. "If you wish for me to...dispose of someone for you, that is no problem" they stated, "but I charge a great deal of money for such services." As if sensing this; Fastred, albeit begrudgingly, handed over a satchel of gold.

The figure hissed gleefully beneath their hood at the sight of the gold, causing a forked tongue to stick out while their face remained cloaked in shadow. As Zok fondled some of the coins in their hands, they chuckled sinisterly and turned towards a rather impatient Fastred. "Your payment is...acceptable, Sir" the figure hissed, "tell me where to find my target and I shall...relieve you of them, one by one."

(First AN: Something is rotten in Maravillosa...but what could it be? What sort of plan does Fastred have in mind for the heroes and their allies, will any of the townsfolk inadvertently get caught in the crossfire and most importantly, whose voice was speaking to him through the Scrying Gem? All these questions and more shall be answered, next time; as the quest continues)

(Second AN: So sorry, everyone for taking so long with this chapter. What with the holidays, family visiting time and again and trying to find some decent quiet time to get this done; writing takes a while. I also apologize if this chapter seemed tame compared to the previous ones, in terms of action.

This installment was meant to not only show Lori and her team learning a bit more about the game. It was also meant to help instill a bit of a romantic subplot between Sam and Luna's characters. I know some people might see this as "forced shipping" but in all kinds of other D&D sessions I've watched, game characters experiencing romantic moments are rather common. Regardless, I have a feeling this will satisfy/entertain all my fellow SaLuna fans out there)

(Third AN: The book that Lucy's character, Shadow purchased will become quite essential; as the game progresses. It will give her group all the info the need to know what to expect, once they get close to the Bloodstone Keep)

(Fourth AN: In regards to the part referencing Lana's health points in the game, I'm not 100% sure how the concept of health points work in it. So, for now; I'm treating it like the health bar a character has in a video game. Feel free to explain to me the correct process in your reviews, if any among you know how it works)

(Final AN: For those wondering; no, Huggins holds no biases towards Luna and Sam being a thing. But in the game, Count Fastred's main issue is the fact that a Tiefling wishes to be romantically involved with a human; which he finds is extremely grotesque. It's essentially like how humans react towards one of their own falling in love with a monster)