The Grand Arena

(The Game World)

After leaving the city of Maravillosa behind them, the adventuring party continued on its quest for the Bloodstone Keep. But after three days of walking, riding and a brief sailing voyage; they had finally decided to make camp in a rather tranquil forest. "We shall make camp here for the night and continue our trek at sunrise" Ventris stated, "it's also recommended that one of us should keep watch while the others rest."

After sounding off in agreement, everyone briefly debated on who should be the first to stand watch. The first suggestion came from Ezra, who said that Mituna should do so; to help earn her place within their party. "A fine thing for you to suggest that on new blood, Brother" Ursa hissed, "you just don't want to miss out on one of your many...many naps."

The Tabaxi druid grumbled softly at his twin with a mildly venomous tone and proclaimed that after almost losing one of his nine lives at the hands of Count Fastred, he felt that he "earned" a proper rest. "We were all there with you during the time in question, Ezra" Shadow's voice said through the circlet while she let out an outward squawk of irritation, "by your logic, all of us should be entitled to rest now!" In the earliest days of their quest, the young druid would take such comments in stride and wrinkle a whisker.

But after all the walking he did, their encounter with Count Fastred, several days without sleep and barely holding down his distress during their short voyage across the sea; he was almost at his wit's end. Thus, Ezra considered Shadow's attitude to be in poor taste and was prepared to discipline her accordingly for it. But the instant she saw him draw out his claws, Ursa swiftly took hold of her brother's tail and held him thus like a dog.

"Let us do this in a manner we can all benefit, Brother" she growled softly in annoyance, "first...you shall stand guard for the first hour; then, Shadow can take the next and we shall alternate thusly until sunrise." After giving the idea some thought for a few seconds, Ezra came to the conclusion that this truly was the best option to go with. "Very good; let us prepare to rest, then" Ventris stated, "and Ezra...sound off the very instant you catch sight of trouble, understood?"

Begrudgingly so, the young druid gave as respectable of a salute he could muster; signaling that he was in agreement with the plan. Then, he took his position over by a nearby tree; where he then proceeded to lean up against it in a lazy manner. When he noticed the daggers that his comrades happened to be giving him, Ezra defended himself by saying he was exercising a sort of "middle ground option."

"I shall take the first watch, as per our agreement" he grumbled, "that being said...my body still requires rest and I need to be at full strength, if we do happen to meet bandits or other unsavory folk." Despite however much she hated to admit it, Ursa knew her brother spoke the truth and assured everyone that he knew what was best...to a degree. With the matter settled, everyone went about their business; Ursa prepared the tents, Shadow tended to the fire, Mituna was helping keep Lupa entertained and Ventris was studying their map for the next path they should take.

Time passed and with every hour that went by, each member of the adventuring party took turns standing watch for signs of danger. At first, this did not seem like that much of a bother...except for those who were reawakened while in the midst of a good rest (like Ursa.) As a result, when the time came for them to stand watch; they either felt too tired to stay awake or they came close to venting their aggressions out on everyone else.

After changing watch two times over, almost half the night passed by and the party seemed to be on edge; none more so than Mituna. As she soon took up her next watch, the Tortle felt incredibly weary; so much so that she could string her mandolin properly. "No...No, Mituna; this is not the time for music" she growled mentally, "you must stay awake, your new friends are counting on you!"

(Line Break)

Back at the table; the Loud Sisters suddenly let out a series of yawns, after hearing the Game Masters Council describe their current scenario in the game. Upon realizing this, Lori quickly snapped back to her senses and reminded her sisters that was only 10:15 AM; meaning that they shouldn't be feeling tired. "We...(yawn) can't help it, Lori" Leni murmured after letting out a yawn, "after hearing Dad saying all that stuff, I just got super relaxed."

Up at the Game Masters' seats, Albert let out a jolly chuckle and said that his son-in-law couldn't take all the credit for their relaxed state. "Half of it goes to the band" he stated, "they may not have the spells bards have in this game but one thing's for sure, the ambiance they create can really set the mood." No sooner had this been said, Sam and her group giggled softly with humble embarrassment; insisting they weren't quite that good.

Meanwhile, the Loud Sisters desperately tried to get their heads back in the game (i.e. keep their focus) but because of everyone's antics; such a task was becoming harder to do. It was here that Lucy, in the most polite way possible, asked the Council if they could continue on with the game. "Oh...yes, almost forgot about that" gasped Mrs. Johnson, "I'm so sorry; young lady, everyone."

Once everyone regained their focus, the Council reached into a nearby box and pulled out what looked like a handful of armored figurines. Afterwards, Lynn Sr. then proceeded to place each of them around a specific spot on the game board; the adventuring party's campsite. "Um...What's going on here, Dad" questioned Lana, "why are all these guys surrounding us like that?"

Almost immediately, Rita interjected and explained that the figurines represented a group of mercenaries; which were warriors who did work for the highest bidder. "In this particular case, these warriors were exploring the woods for food when they happened to notice your campsite" explained Principal Huggins in his Game Master voice, "when one of them spots Mituna, he chuckles and says 'look at that big one, I'll bet she'll fetch us a pretty penny.'"

Luan couldn't decide which part creeped her out the most, the tone Huggins used while pretending to be the merc or the fact the group wanted to capture and sell her like an animal. However, she pushed that feeling aside for the moment and asked if she happened to notice these mercenaries coming. "To do that, Luanna-Banana, you'll need to make a Perception Check" Lynn Sr. replied, "and it's gotta be a high one too."

In addition to this, he told his daughter to make a Disadvantage Roll; which would be determined by a completely different colored die from the current one she was using. "To give you an understanding of what your father is going for, look at it this way" Rita explained, "one dice could be blue, which would be considered the Advantage roll, whereas the other dice could be red...that's for Disadvantage." To end their point, the Loud Parents said that whatever number Luan would get with her red dice would put a dampen on whatever kind of Perception Check she would get.

In which case, even if she were to get a huge dice roll; the Disadvantage points would knock it down a smidge. "Okay...here we go" Luan murmured while taking the first d20 in hand, "give me something good I can use, bucko!" After blowing on the dice softly, she gave it a few good shakes and sent it rolling along the table.

When it finally stopped a few inches away from Whitney's spot, the poofy-haired teen stared intently at the bauble for a few seconds before crying out "EIGHTEEN!" "YES! Sounds like I'm in the clear, now" Luan cheered, "all that leaves is...my Disadvantage Roll." Not only did this realization cause her to groan in frustration, but the rest of the Loud Sisters felt just as displeased.

However, Lisa was quick to remind everyone that Luan would only be in trouble if her second roll proved to be strong. "In which case, my elder sister unit may actually be in the clear here" the wee genius stated, "but...let us cross that proverbial bridge when we come to that, shall we?" With this point made, all eyes turned over to Luan; who seemed to be acting so nervous that some players could see sweat seeping through her gloves.

When the young comedienne was finally able to calm her nerves once again, she took hold of the red d20 and shook it. But...much to her disappointment, the aforementioned sweat from her gloves caused it to suddenly slip out and land on the table; where it proceeded to bounce up and down three times before finally stopping in front of Lucy's spot. "This dice says...eight, if I'm reading it correctly" she murmured, "and if you take that away from her earlier 18 roll, Luan has a Perception Check of...ten."

After taking a moment to applaud the young Goth's mathematical skills, the Council decreed that she was quite correct; which meant that Mituna would have the perception of a sluggish retail worker on a 24 hour shift. "In other words, despite your best attempts to stay awake; your eyelids soon become rather heavy" Albert said in his Karuk voice, "thus, you don't quite notice the band of mercenaries approaching so easily." Soon after this, Lori and the younger sisters wasted no time in "congratulating" Luan on her dice rolls; all while glaring daggers at her.

Desperate to save herself, Luan tried to convince the Game Masters to give her another chance; proclaiming that her roll wasn't "legal." "Sorry, dear...but the dice slipped out of your hand, one way or another" Mrs. Johnson said sympathetically, "no take-backs." With this plan shot, all Luan could do now was hope her sisters would be able to stop the mercs from doing...whatever they planned in the game.

But before they continued on, she took a moment to ask if anyone had any Talcum Powder on hand. "Got you covered there, little lady" Miguel called from the sidelines, "the girls and I keep a surplus on hand in case any of us have the same problem you just had." Mere seconds after this was said, Fiona and Mandee approached the table and gave Luan's palms a soft sprinkle of the powder.

After taking a few moments to give her hands a good rub, she finally felt dry enough to keep on playing...but asked if she could keep the Talcum Powder close by in case of future needs. Once this was done, the Council of Game Masters called for everyone's attention and were about to move the game's story along. "It is now Mituna's turn to stand watch near the campsite and as she situates her shell slightly up against the trunk of a large tree for support, all seems calm" Rita explained in her Eliana voice, "for the first few minutes, all appears quite calm and serene; which causes you to almost dose off to sleep several times over."

When asked what she planned to do in order to keep herself awake, Luan responded with the most obvious answer; slap herself silly. Of course, she only pretended to slap herself across the face; doing so in a style near similar to that of The Three Stooges. This, of course caused several people to laugh and chuckle a little; which was music to the young comedienne's ears.

"Hey...this feels exactly like when I'm on the job at parties" she thought to herself in surprise, "maybe I was wrong to think I wouldn't enjoy this game." After a few more moments of laughter, everyone quiets down and Lynn Sr./Game Master Acheron asks Luan if her character wanted to say something now. "Okay...After I slap myself one more time, I give a little growl and say 'NO! No...this is not the time for games, soft shell; your new friends are counting on you" Luan whispered sternly in her Mituna voice, "'you must keep vigilant and...ever-watchful, no...matter what.'"

At this point in the game, she explains how Mituna tries to summon all the mental strength she could muster to keep herself awake. But as a result of her low dice roll from moments ago; try as she might to ignore it, the weariness of her travels soon got the better of her and her eyelids soon became as heavy as stones. Anything and everything ahead of her that was moving appeared too blurry for her sleepy eyes to see.

"Once you finally give in to her desire to sleep, Mituna; you mentally remind yourself that it would only last for but a moment" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "after that, you would more than well-rested enough to return to her guard duty." At first, Luan thought everything would be okay from this point on; both for her character and her sisters' own. But unfortunately, it was soon revealed by her Pop-Pop that she only had her eyes shut for about thirty seconds when she suddenly overheard the sounds of loud clattering and shouts of outrage filling her ear-holes.

"With a yelp, Mituna turns around to find a group of armored figures at their camp; ambushing her friends" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "what will you do next, young bard?" Without the slightest delay, Luan proclaimed that she would do her best to either scare them off or (if necessary) fight them. Of course, she was more of an entertainer; which meant she didn't know how much of a fight she could put up against four armored goons.

"Quite the contrary, honey; Bards are a lot stronger than you give them credit for" Benny said while patting Luan's shoulder lovingly, "but...I will leave it to you to discover that." Although she felt thankful in her boyfriend's support, Luan still felt slightly embittered about him being so secretive in her characters abilities. But for now, she had to focus on saving her party from danger; which she hoped would be just a little easy.

"I charge towards one of the warriors and shout 'you there, stop what you are doing'" she exclaimed whilst moving her figurine towards one of the men on the map, "'leave my friends alone or else!'" Upon letting all of this process, the Council asked for Luan to make an Agility Check; which would determine how far her character would move. Thankfully, after making certain her hands and gloves were both dry, Luan was able to earn a Sixteen Agility roll.

This meant that while Mituna couldn't be face-to-face with any of the warriors, she was still close enough to make a possible attack on her next roll. Meanwhile, Lori and the others were still at the mercy of the mercenary band; despite putting up a mildly decent fight. "The leading mercenary warrior offers you no reply or response to your threat, Mituna" Lynn stated in his Acheron voice, "instead, he keeps his focus on trying to bind Lupa's forepaws together with rope."

As expected, this reveal not only startled little Lily; it also angered the eldest among the Loud Sisters; Lori in particular. "Do not fret, ladies" Albert/Pop-Pop assured, "in spite of her situation, the wee Frost Wolf wasn't willing to be taken captive so easily without putting up a decent fight." In spite of herself, Lori felt intrigued by her grandfather's words and asked what happened next.

Of course, as an immediate response; the Council asked for Lily to make her attack roll (hoping it would help save her.) With a soft wolf-like growl of determination; she picked up the dice, held it over her shoulder slightly and lobbed it across the table. When it finally stopped rolling, Rita revealed that her daughter managed to get a fifteen.

This meant that even though Lily's attack wouldn't be fatal, it would still be quite painful for the mercenary. "As the warrior attempts to muzzle you, Lupa; you suddenly lunged forward and bite at his hand" Rita said with glee, "though the sensation is only as painful as a pinch, your tiny fangs sink into the flesh; allowing a pinprick of blood to seep out." Upon hearing mention of blood, both Lori and Lola grimaced in disgust; while Lucy simply muttered "lucky" under her breath.

Then, it was revealed that while the bite itself wasn't quite that severe; it still felt rather painful to the warrior. "On reflex, he swings his arm hard to the side; thus sending Lupa flying" Lynn explains in his Acheron voice, "within seconds, the wee pup smashes into the trunk of a tree on." As Lily whimpered sadly at this reveal; Lori, in spite of every part of her brain telling her this was all fake, was suddenly overwhelmed by her protective instincts.

"Is it my turn yet" she asked through clenched teeth, "I'm going to literally make those punks suffer for what they did to my sister!" Upon realizing what she had just said, mere seconds later; Lori's sanity finally kicked in and her brain was practically screaming for her to get a grip. Meanwhile, all the other players simply smiled at her knowingly; as if they could sense that the eldest Loud sibling was ever so slowly becoming "one of them" (as she called it.)

"What about the rest of us, can we still put up a fight" asked Lola, "because I wanna see if my character is able to claw at those creeps' faces!" Despite however much she wanted to remind her slightly older sister that the mercs were all wearing helmets; when she saw the fierce look in Lola's eyes, Lisa immediately withheld her comments. Meanwhile, the Council suggested to the wee pageant princess/Tabaxi Rogue to roll for Intimidation; which would allow her to briefly or completely scare off her attackers.

"Huh...I actually like the sound of that idea" Lola murmured, "okay, I'll try it out!" With this in mind, she picked up the dice and shook it vigorously between her hands before sending them flying. Miraculously, it was later revealed that she earned an eighteen on the roll; which seemed to please Lola greatly.

"Okay...so, I look these creeps square in the face (or lack thereof) and tell them to leave us alone" she said with a fierce growl, "all while showing off my claws in a threatening manner." As the rest of the table's occupants praised Lola for finally getting into the swing of things; Lori, on the other hand, was starting to fear she was "losing her sister to the dork side."

(Line Break)

With her claws at the ready and a fierce snarl, Ursa crouched low and lunged towards one of the armored mercenaries; startling them slightly. In their haste to put some distance between them, the warrior suddenly stumbled on a stone and fell atop the campfire. Although the steel chest-plate they wore protected them from the flames, the heat still heated the metal ever so slightly.

As a result, they yelped painfully when they felt the strong stinging sensation up against their chest. Desperate for relief, the warrior swiftly tore off their armor and threw it aside; thus exposing their body. "Bad move their, chap" chuckled Ursa fiendishly, "now, you've left yourself open for my claws!"

With this declaration, the young rogue arched herself down into attack position and pounced like the great feline she was. But just as she came within range of them, the mercenary swiftly reached for a pouch that was tied to their belt and lobbed it forward. It struck Ursa squarely in the face, releasing what looked like a cloud of purple powder; causing her to collapse on the ground in a heap.

"What...W-What is this, what did you do to me" she coughed violently, "how dare you use such dishonorable tactics on a lady?!" The mercenary only chuckled at her with great malice in their voice; telling her that for their line of work, "honor never put coin in their purses." Ursa hissed angrily at the stranger's coarse and rude behavior, wanting nothing more than to strike them where they stood.

But as she tried to get back up onto her feet; her knees felt weak, her vision was blurred, her mind was swirling in a daze and she lost all sense of smell. Upon seeing his sister in such a state, Ezra growled ferociously and made his own attempt to strike down the ruffian. But then, one of the other mercenaries suddenly grabbed hold of his tail and struck him swiftly in the back of the head with their metal gauntlet; thus knocking Ezra out unconscious.

Alarmed by the sight of two of her allies being so easily struck down, Ventris took immediate action. With the aid of her Mage Hand technique, she collected her staff and fired a small Fire Bolt as a warning shot; mildly startling the warriors. Despite this sudden scare, however; it did little to drive them away but Ventris appeared more than ready to fight.

"I shall tell you this only once, strangers" she growled softly, "leave me and my friends be or prepare to face my..." With a fierce battle cry, another of the mercenary warriors leapt over Ventris from behind and threw something at the ground. At first glance, it resembled the likeness of a small eggshell; which didn't seem all that strange.

But when the item in question struck the ground, it let out a cloud of the same odd purple smoke that was used to subdue the others. "That must be some form of sleeping powder" Ventris hissed under her breath, "I must not inhale even a fraction of it!" With this in mind, she took hold of her cloak and tore a piece of it off; which she then used to wrap around her face like a protective mask.

The mercenary band applauded her for her show of resourcefulness but knew it was all for naught, in the end. With three members of her band subdued, the she-elf appeared to be outmatched. But then, just when all seemed lost; the skies rang out with an ear-splitting shriek. "What...W-What the devil is that horrible sound" screamed one of the mercenaries, "it sounds like some sort of unholy beast!"

Although she was thankful for this sudden turn of events, this unnatural noise was especially horrid for Ventris due to her heightened sense of hearing. All the same, it gave her just the distraction necessary to approach one of her comrades and attempt to set them free. Meanwhile, the mercenaries scanned every inch of the area around them; desperate to find the source of the noise and silence it...for good.

Alas, they found nothing in the bushes or in the trees that seemed out of the ordinary...save for a rather large shadowed figure. "That must be the blighter behind all this" growled the leader painfully, "time to stifle her tongue." With that, they reached towards their belt and brought forth another one of the odd pouches; which they then proceeded to lob it high in the tree.

When the pouch struck its target, the strange shrieking ceased and what everyone heard next was a sort of startled squawking noise. This led Ventris to believe that Shadow must've taken shelter high in the branches, after the Twins and Mituna were subdued. "Good show with the distraction, Shadow" she thought with an outward chuckle, "I do hope you aren't hurt from...whatever these fiends are using."

With this final though, the she-elf let out a weary groan and passed out on the grass; as did Shadow, Lupa and all the rest of the adventuring party. Meanwhile, the mercenary band stood over them triumphantly; congratulating one another on a job well done. "A nice batch we got here, gents" said the leader maliciously, "we'll each get a pretty penny for them, once we find the highest bidder."

(The Real World)

Back at the table, Lori and her group were all staring down at the table in shock; each girl's face showing a look of utter shock and confusion. Then, all at once; they proceeded to shouting out rapid-fire questions about their situation. "Hold on, guys; I am LITERALLY confused here" Lori exclaimed while putting a strong emphasis on the "L word," "who were those guys, who sent them, why did they attack us...and what was that weird purple stuff they used?!"

Not long after this, both Lana and Lola started asking the same questions; the latter sister appearing rather annoyed to have been bested so easily. But surprisingly, the Council of Game Masters remained undeterred by the girls' frantic behavior and politely asked for them to speak one at a time. "Okay, I'll go first; since...you know, they attacked me first" Luan stated, "what was in those pouches those mercs threw at us and how was it able to knock us out so quick?"

Without delay, each member of the Council answered this question with only three simple words; "Purple Lotus Powder." "I do believe I have heard of this type of plant before while studying Botany, in my free-time" Lisa murmured, "but how could such a plant have the sort of effects the game presents?" After taking a moment to process the young lady's question; Huggins cleared his throat and said that when prepared a certain way, the Purple Lotus of D&D could be quite dangerous.

"Correctamundo on that, Sir" Albert interjected, "in this particular case, the lotus can be made into a sort of knockout gas; which is able to knock anyone out in a matter of seconds." Upon hearing these words, Lori and her group suddenly felt rather worried; in spite of the voices in their heads telling them to calm down. This news coupled with the mercenary leader's ploy to possibly "sell" the six of them off made things even more alarming for them.

That's when the Council finally decided to continue with the story of the game, which involved the group waking up in (what Mrs. Johnson described as) the brig of a slave ship. "A SLAVE SHIP...LOLA LOUD IS NOBODY'S SLAVE" the wee pageant princess screamed in anger, "who's in charge of this clunker, how did we end up there...and where are we even going?!" After dismissing the first inquiry; the Council reiterated that after the party was knocked unconscious, they were all sold as slaves.

Afterwards, they were all stored inside the brig of a slave ship bound for (at least to the girls) parts unknown. "Your weapons have all been confiscated by the ship's crew and your arms have all been chained to the walls of each of your cells" Lynn Sr. explained in his Acheron voice, "what do you plan to do next?" Without a second thought or the slightest delay, each member of Lori's group sounded off with the same answer; "attempt to break free."

Of course, with Lily; her response was only a series of angry barks and growls but the Council guessed she was in the same boat as her sisters. "There are two ways you can try to escape your binds" Rita said hopefully in her Eliana voice, "you can either use your own strength to break free from them...or have either Ezra or Ursa pick your locks." As expected, the Twins questioned how they'd be able to perform such a task...only to immediately remember that they both had claws.

It was then suggested that Lola should be the one to attempt this, considering that her character was a Rogue. "If I could just interject for a moment" Huggins said suddenly, "according to the rules, Rogues are able to pick the locks of chains, doors and traps...but only if they have their Thieves Tools on hand!" After this, a loud groan of annoyance and frustration rang throughout the room.

Although it was expected for a Dungeon Master to get technical with the game, at some point; with Huggins involved, such a circumstance proved to be an even bigger pain. But then, as Lori's group glanced over at the Council's table, Lola could see Huggins giving off a rather sly grin. "However...as a member of the Council of Game Masters, I shall utilize something we have in the game known as 'Rule of Cool'" he decreed, "would anyone like to know about this?"

While Lori preferred to simply have the game proceed further, her other four sisters eagerly asked for more information on this supposed "Rule of Cool" thing. It was here that Lynn Sr. described the alleged rule as something used in many tabletop role-playing scenarios. "Basically, as Game Masters; we allow players the rare chance to bend the rules a little to do something awesome" Albert chuckled, "but...like all other things, you need to make a good dice roll to succeed."

After this, Rita added that if Lola wished to use her claws to pick a lock; she would need to make a successful Dexterity Check roll. "Don't worry, honey; you won't need a big number for this" she assured, "the roll just has to be either 10 or 11." While this reveal seemed just a little less of a shocker; to Lola, she still believed her chances of success were slim.

But regardless, she was determined to free herself and her sisters from their imprisonment; one way or another. After taking the dice in hand, she shook it loud and hard like Lily does her toy rattle and then...she sent it flying. Unfortunately, she threw it just a little too hard and as a result; it flew across the table like a hockey puck.

This caused many of the players to either gasp in shock or duck in cover beneath the game table. Next, the dice suddenly bounced off the Council's "Game Master screen" and came bouncing back to where Lola sat. "Uh...Heh-heh...Sorry about that, everybody" she chuckled nervously, "I guess I don't know my own strength sometimes."

While still slightly in shock over what had happened, everyone at the table chuckled softly and assured Lola that no real harm had been done. "Just promise us all one thing next time, dear" Mrs. Johnson suggested, "try and roll the dice with a little less...enthusiasm." After giving the teacher a respectable bow of her head, Lola glanced down at her dice; mentally hoping for something good.

Much to both her shock and confusion, however; she discovered that her roll only gave her a nine. "Wait...I know you guys said I needed to roll between 10 and 11 to get a success" she exclaimed, "but...this at least must count for something!" Although it pained the two of them to do so, both Lynn and Rita had to be true to their roles as Game Masters.

As such, they told Lola that while it almost seemed like she was almost home free; at the last second, she chips her claw inside of the keyhole while trying to unlock it. "Okay...first of all; rats, I can't believe my luck" Lola growled, "second...I'm thankful this is just in our heads because chipping nails is no joke!" Almost immediately, there came several loud outcries of agreement to these words; not just from the other Loud Sisters but also a few members of the Gal Pals crew.

"Okay...so, Lola isn't able to break herself free" Lucy murmured, "what happens to us next?" In response to this; Albert (while using his Karuk voice) explains that after failing to escape, the group suddenly hears a voice speaking from close by. It was here that one of the aforementioned Gal Pals (specifically the photography student, Phoebe.)

"You look across the way and spot a strange figure, who also happens to be chained to the wall" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "the figure almost has a sort of...otherworldly appearance, to your eyes." Not long after this; he proceeded to describe the character as something with a snow-white complexion, silvery hair, colorless eyes surrounded by black rings, pointed ears and limbs that were said to be "slightly longer in proportion to that of other humanoid creatures." To say that both Lola and all her other sisters felt creeped out by this would not do their situation proper justice.

In short; to each of their ears, it sounded as though Huggins was describing the appearance of a ghost to them. "Actually, while ghosts are part of this game; they aren't a playable creature" Girl Jordan interjected, "nope...Phoebe here is what's known as a Changeling, which is a type of shape-shifter." Upon hearing this reveal, Lynn Jr. couldn't help but think the creature sounded perfect for Phoebe; considering that she was part of the Middle School's news team and photo class.

When one is in that line of work, it pays to be skilled in the art of disguise. But before she could think any further about that, the Council quickly brought everyone's focus back to the game and asked for Phoebe to say a few things about her character. "Okay...just give me a sec or two first" she requested, "I've gotta get myself into the role just right."

Without hesitation, Phoebe suddenly went about doing all manner of vocal exercises; to ensure that she would get her voice just right. When she was finally ready, the young teen spoke in a voice that sounded both masculine and yet...somewhat feminine at the same time. "Greetings, dearies; you may call me Jinn" Phoebe said while in character, "I'm what you would call...a changeling, a shape-shifter or to put it simply, a trouble-maker."

For a moment, no one (specifically among Lori's group) had said a word about what they just heard; mostly because they didn't quite understand what sort of character Phoebe was playing. It was here that Lincoln, as if he had sensed his sisters' confusion, gestured for them to open up the Monster Manual. "There's a chapter that deals with shape-changing characters and creatures in the game" he stated, "Changelings being one of them."

Though this bit of advice was a relatively simple answer; Lori still thanked her brother for it, nonetheless and opened up the aforementioned book. When she found the chapter on shapeshifer characters, she and her team discovered that Changelings were described as "Genderfluid;" which they remembered was a real world term. "Genderfluid...you mean changelings can turn into water" Leni interjected, "I thought the book said only nymphs and spell-casters that use water magic could do that."

After taking a moment to resist every urge to facepalm themselves and/or groan in frustration, the Council calmly explained how "gender-fluid" was a term used to describe people who didn't conform to either male or female styles/looks. "See, Changelings often change looks at the drop of a hat and don't always look like a guy or a girl" Phoebe stated, "they change into whatever look they enjoy the most." In addition to all of this, Lincoln mentioned how the new VP down at Royal Woods Middle School introduced themself as "genderfluid."

"Oh, I think I get it now" Leni gasped in realization, "but...what does your character look like when they don't change shape?" In a few quick movements; Phoebe opened up the Monster Manual, flipped through the pages and revealed the most common look that her character usually has. Upon looking at the picture herself, Leni couldn't believe how accurate the teen's costume was to the illustration; right down to their utterly colorless eyes.

"One last thing; since my character shifts through genders on a whim, Jinn doesn't go by the usual terms we use for other characters" Phoebe explained, "so...instead of calling Jinn he or she, it's better to use they/them pronouns." While Leni and even some of the younger members of the Loud Sisters seemed to accept this idea, others thought it was a little too much (specifically Lynn and Lisa.)

But rather than have them debate or argue about the matter, the Council quickly urged the players to continue with the game.

(The Game World)

"There is no point in trying to escape, strangers" Jinn grumbled under their breath, "those chains are brand new, incredibly strong...and they come with a little extra surprise." Feeling both worried yet intrigued by this, Ventris eased her head slightly; in hopes of getting a good look at her binds. It was here that she happened to notice a series of odd symbols carved into the metalwork, almost resembling a series of odd runes.

"So, these chains have fine decorations upon them...what of it" she growled, "I will not rest until my friends and I are all free." With that said, the Elf Mage clenched her eyes shut and started chanting softly under her breath. It seemed as though she was going mad, at first; particularly due to the strange things she was muttering to herself.

That's when Lupa saw something that made her whimper happily, in spite of the muzzle clamped over her wee mouth. Though her mistress' eyes were closed, she could clearly see a faint glow shining beneath them. This meant that Ventris was attempting to use a sort of spell that might help free her wrists from the restraints.

But then, as the she-elf's whispers grew somewhat louder; strange symbols suddenly appeared upon the metal chains. Then, as Ventris shouted out an incantation to free herself; the aforementioned symbols suddenly flared with a fierce blood-red glow. At first, Lupa thought this meant that her mistress' spell worked and that she was going to be free soon.

But then, she started sniffing about the air around her; as if she could smell something cooking close by. "I can smell it as well...but we're nowhere near the galley" Ezra muttered confusedly, "what else could it possibly...VENTRIS, YOUR WRISTS!" Mere seconds after she had heard her friend's distress call, the elf mage suddenly felt an intense burning sensation upon both of her wrists.

It felt as though she had dipped her hands into a bed of burning coals, it was so painful. Thankfully, this sensation only lasted for ten seconds (but the pain felt like it went on for ten years.) After taking a moment to collect herself, Ventris openly demanded to know what had happened.

"It's the runes etched into the metal of your restraints, She-Elf" Jinn grumbled sadly, "they're meant to keep all prisoners who have magic from escaping...just like me and a few of the others." With a slight nudge of her head, the Changeling gestured towards the other prisoners who were "traveling along" with them. The Adventuring Party were astonished by the variety of prisoners being held up in this one vessel.

Aside from Jinn; there were orcs, trolls, a Goliath warrior (presumably,) a few centaurs, a Leonin and even a small collection of humans...all of whom were either bound to the walls by chains or locked within uncomfortably small cages. Ventris and her comrades didn't know who these people were or where they were going...but something in their bones told them their destination wouldn't be pleasant.

(Line Break)

Like a rooster crowing at the rising sun, those held prisoner below the ship suddenly shot up from their slumber (or lack thereof) when they heard the loud groans of wood creaking. At the same time, Ventris and Ursa heard the rattling of chains; which meant that the anchor had been dropped. This all meant only one thing, the ship had finally docked somewhere; which meant they could all leave from this place.

But just as quickly as they came; the Adventuring Party's hopes were suddenly dashed, when the doors leading to the upper decks suddenly flew open. It was here that the prisoners could see someone making their way down the stairway. The individual was dressed in well-decorated Centurion armor, had a silver helmet atop their head with a long golden plume over it, a leather skirt beneath their breastplate, a pair of fine leather sandals upon their feet and held a long spear in their right hand.

No one knew who this fellow was but one thing was for certain, they were not someone to trifle with. After tapping at the floor slightly with the bottom of their spear, the warrior summoned for their associates to come down and release all the prisoners. "You...Y-You're setting us free" gasped Ventris tiredly, "I do not know who you are, Sirrah or where you came from...but on behalf of my friends, I thank..."

In the blink of an eye, one of the Centurion warrior's men rushed forward and struck the she-elf across the face, before she could finish her statement. Naturally, this not only left her feeling both confused yet frustrated but her comrades as well. But before any of them had the chance to speak up, Jinn urged the group to keep quiet; lest they risk the chance of losing their heads.

Afterwards, every prisoner on board was swiftly released from their restraints...only to later have metal collars be placed around each of their necks mere seconds later. "Bring this lot to the Arena immediately" ordered the Centurion, "the Emperor is anxious to see some new blood." After giving his commanding officer a salute, one of the men took hold of the chain that linked each of the prisoners' collars and gave it a firm yank; forcing them all up the steps.

But before the Adventuring Party was sent away, the Centurion warrior ordered the soldiers to confiscate each of their weapons; including Ventris' staff. Of course, the she-elf in question wasn't willing to relinquish it without a fight and lunged herself ferociously at the troops. "Even without the use of my hands, I can still hold my own in a squabble" she hissed, "drop my staff or risk your life!"

Much to Ventris' dismay, her threats did little to scare the Centurion officer or their men; who proceeded to lightly prod her with the pinpoints of their spears. Though this assault on her person wasn't all that severe, the amount of times her body was being nicked from all sides was just enough to force the she-elf onto her knees in submission. Naturally, her friends felt concerned for her safety and hope she was alright; in spite of things.

Meanwhile, the officer and their troops simply laughed maliciously at their quarry's misfortune; as if it were all some sort of game. "Let that all be a warning to you, Elf" growled the officer, "Lord Gunari doesn't have any patience for slaves who don't know their place." With that said, the Centurion commanded their troops to bring the Adventuring Party to the arena cellblock; where they would wait until "they were summoned."

(Line Break)

After being release from the darkness of the ship's galley, the Party found themselves forced into yet another pit of darkness. This time, however; they along with all the others who traveled with them were brought to an otherwise magnificent city. It's buildings were massive creations of concrete and marble, the roadways were as well-made as those from Maravillosa, many of the townsfolk were dressed in common clothes while others sported fine long-sleeved or sleeveless tunics and the warriors that monitored the streets were dressed in the same armor their captors wore.

It became clear to the likes of Ventris and Mituna that they were possibly somewhere in the southern region of the world, a long way from where they made camp not so long ago. With all this in mind; once they had been stored away in their cell, the adventurers made a feverish attempt to break free. But alas, their bodies were too weak from the voyage and without their weapons; those like Ventris, Ursa or Shadow felt helpless.

Just then, one of the other slaves called out to them from a cell across the way. It was a young woman with disheveled brown hair, high cheekbones and a look in her cat-like eyes that showed a sense of weariness; as if she had lost all hope. "There is no point in trying to escape, strangers" she murmured softly, "I've made countless attempts already...and was punished soundly for each one."

Without saying a word; she reached behind her tattered shirt, pulled it up slightly and revealed a series of scars upon her back. Straightaway, the Party could tell that these were lashes left behind by the sting of a whip. After seeing the amount of scars upon her back, only now could they understand the reason behind this woman's hopeless demeanor.

But regardless, they were in dire need of answers and the Party hoped that maybe one being in his place could give it to them. "Where are we, how long have you been in this place, where did all these other slaves come from" Mituna inquired desperately, "and above all...who is this Gunari the lead guard referred to earlier?" Before the strange woman could answer any of these questions, another one of the slaves eased himself up against the bars of his cell.

It was a large Goliath warrior with skin as grey as a rain cloud with odd body markings along his torso, arms and face. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, as were his legs; his hands were as large as a human skull and though his head was completely bald; he sported a rather scruffy full-faced beard. Upon taking mental note of this fellow's every feature, Ezra urged himself and his colleagues to not get on this stranger's bad side.

However, despite her own uncertainties about the strange warrior; Ventris still did the respectable thing and introduced her party to him. "We have been sent on a quest to stop a strange plague that has overtaken our realm" she stated, "but as you can tell, it's been met with...an unforeseen detour." The Goliath nodded slightly in understanding, introduced himself as Makon Dream-Speaker and in the most polite way possible...urged Ventris to give up her quest.

"I'm afraid I must agree with him, Madam Elf" said the changeling Jinn from a high cell, "what we were and what we've done is of no importance now...when daybreak comes, we will all meet our end." Feeling both alarmed and confused by this sudden omen, the Adventuring Party was moments away from demanding an explanation. But before any of them could say even the smallest word, a loud cacophony of fierce battle noises and cheering could be heard above their heads.

There was the loud clashing of steel upon steel, the sounds of mighty blows being by the combatants, the shrill screams of terror and the loud cries of delight coming from a possible viewing audience. But of all these noises, it was what the Party heard next that truly struck fear in their hearts. Soon, like the powerful melodies of a royal fanfare, a loud trumpeting sound echoed through the skies...but it wasn't human.

In truth, it sounded as though whoever ruled over this arena had unleashed a rogue elephant into the arena. If this truly was the case, Ezra looked forward to the moment where he would confront those who trapped the beast and give them what for. As a druid, he detested the idea of people using innocent creatures for sport; almost as much as he disliked them hunting said creatures for sport.

"I quite agree, Brother...how could those people up there cheer so heartily" hissed Ursa, "those gladiators will likely mutilate the poor..." Before Ursa had the chance to finish her words, the supposed elephant let out a fierce growling blow from its trunk and charged. Following this; the Party could hear the terrified screams of several fighters in the arena, the sudden clashing of steel and the gruesome sounds of bones cracking.

For what felt like ages, these noises and the mad cheers of the crowd echoed through the holding cells like a ghoulish orchestra and try as they might; the Adventuring Party could not ignore it. "By the prophets" Ventris grumbled in disgust, "what is going on up there...who or what is causing all that carnage above us." At first, none of the other prisoners answered her concerns; their spirits feeling too shaken up by fear.

Then, after finally mustering up enough courage to do so; one of the slaves approached the bars of her cell and called out to the Elf Mage. At first glance, she seemed to resemble a member of Ezra and Ursa's species until Ventris saw that this feline humanoid had a more lion-like appearance. She had a chip in her right ear, was wearing a pair of aged steel leg bracers, a piece of leather armor over her left shoulder and her naturally smooth fur was tattered with battle scars.

The combination of all these things indicated that the warrior must have been her for some time, which made Ventris feel all the more disgusted. "That...was the sound of Velra gaining yet another victory in the arena" the lion woman murmured sadly, "she is the grand champion of the arena, the 'hero' of Cicero...and our executioner." With this sudden and grim reveal, the Party soon realized just how dire their situation was.

As horrid as being sold into slavery was; unless they could think of a way out, their time in the arena would be far worse by comparison.

(First AN: Uh-oh...things have really taken a turn for the worse, now. How will the Adventurers get out of their situation, who will be next to fight in the arena and just who...or what is the champion, Velra the slaves all seem to fear? Tune in next time for some gladiator action, as the campaign continues)

(Second AN: For those of you wondering; yes, this fanfic does in fact take place within the same universe as my Gal Pals stories. In fact, there is a oneshot story within my Day in the Life of the Gal Pals anthology story that ties in to this one. So, to all my readers who desired some more moments between Lincoln and his beloved friend group/found family; you've got your wish.

Bear in mind, not all of the Gals will be used in this particular chapter but the others will definitely appear in later parts)

(Final AN: Since I haven't played D&D for a good amount of years; I had to take a wild guess on how Advantage and Disadvantage Rolls worked in the game, after doing some research online. So, if I had made any mistakes in the outcome of Luan's roll earlier on; feel free to let me know)