Meet n' Greet at the Arena

(The Real World)

Back at the table, everyone in Lori's group had looks of pure horror plastered on each of their faces...except for Lucy. Apparently, she found her father's vividly gruesome description of the arena fight to be "music to her ears;" which left several people at the table "feeling concerned." But as for Lucy, Lana, Lola and Lily; they couldn't help but tremble slightly in their seats.

Although they remembered that all the stuff going on in the game would just be in their heads, the idea of possibly having to go up against someone like Lynn still terrified them. Meanwhile, the Council of Game Masters continued on with setting up the next scene of their game. "Your party, along with the rest of the prisoners, eventually fall asleep in your cells; despite the fact that your 'beds' are nothing more than worn out cots or piles of straw" Rita explained in her Eliana voice, "then, just as the sun slowly rises...you hear the loud 'thud' of clashing metal!"

Soon after this, several people start banging their weapons up against their shields to help provide the aforementioned sound effects. Naturally, this spooked everyone in Lori's group; even Lucy, confessed that she now understood what her family must've felt whenever she would suddenly surprise them. Once everyone calmed down enough, Lynn Sr. (after reassuming his Acheron voice) revealed that a group of soldiers were the ones responsible for the "unannounced wakeup call."

"One of them makes her way towards one of the cells and commands her men to flush out one of the prisoners" he stated, "adding that if necessary, they were allowed to give the desired occupant...a little persuasion." Just then, the "guards" proceeded to jab their swords at the air; making sure not to inadvertently hit the players. Of course, Lori could already guess this behavior was simply the players all acting out the scene her father just described.

However, she still felt alarmed whenever she saw somebody jabbing their weapon near her personal space. Eventually, the "guards" ceased their jabbing and Lynn described how it all managed to drive out one of the prisoners from a nearby cell. The character was described as a lanky, timid and not very intimidating wood elf dressed in shoddy-looking leather armor and sandals.

Imagine the Loud Sisters' surprise when they saw that no one at the table seemed to mach the character's description, not even the "wimpy players" like Rusty or Zach (according to Lynn Jr.) "That's because, dear this character isn't being played by any of us" Albert explained in his normal voice, "the elf in this scenario is what we call in the game...an 'NPC,' which is short for 'Non-Playable Character.'" While the rest of the Loud Sisters seemed to be clueless about what an NPC was; Lisa, surprisingly, seemed to have an idea and wished to share it with everyone.

"If my assumption is correct...which it usually almost always is, an NPC or 'Non-Playable Character' is a term meant to describe side characters or background figures" Lisa surmised, "think of them as...extras in a film or stage production." Upon letting all of this information process, many people at the table heaved out sighs of relief; the Gal Pals among them.

If a character was about to go out into the arena and fight, they all hoped it wouldn't be any of them. "I'm not ready to die just yet" Kat murmured, "not until I've gone a few rounds in the game, at least." The Game Masters team chuckled softly at the young lady's comment and assured her that she had nothing to worry about...for now, at least. "Meanwhile...let us resume with the scene at hand, shall we" inquired Lynn Sr. in his Acheron voice, "without delay, the guards roughly escort the elf up the steps; paying no mind to the fearful whimpers and murmurs he was giving."

Although this NPC was not affiliated directly with any of them, everybody at the table suddenly felt worried for him; even the Loud Sisters. That's when things started to get, as Luna and her bandmates called it, "really gnarly." First, Mrs. Johnson took out her phone and accessed a music playlist entitled "Fantastical Ambiance" and played a sort of intense piece of battle music; the kind that his powerful drum beats.

Then, to go along with the music; she asked for Mr. Loud to add in a series of sword-fighting sound effects on his phone. Miraculously, the combination of all this audio helped set the scene perfectly; one that actually made the Loud Sisters' skin crawl. The clanging swords and fierce battle noises along with the creepy atmosphere of the game room really made everyone think they were all smack dab underneath a gladiator arena.

"Okay...um, not to literally seem rude here" Lori murmured uneasily, "but could we please move things along, all those sounds are making Lily feel scared." To prove she wasn't joking, the eldest Loud Sister positioned herself in such a way that everyone could see the youngest Loud Sister quivering slightly. This was more than enough to urge the Council to tone down the music and sound effects for now.

"Let's see...Lori; how would you describe your character, Ventris' current mood during all this" questioned Lynn Sr., "I know it sounds silly of me to ask...but it's a way to help players really immerse themselves in the game." After giving a slight nod in understanding, Lori said that Ventris was...probably feeling the same way she did now; confused, frightened and disturbed by all the carnage going on. "It's about to get worse, I'm afraid" Rita revealed in her Eliana voice, "for through all the cheers, you suddenly hear the ear-splitting bellow of an elephant's trunk!"

No sooner had this been said, nearly every player at the table tried to perform their best elephant sounds. Sadly, it all sounded like a combination of high-pitched whistles or raspberry noises (or as Luan preferred to call them, man-made toots.) "Okay, folks; step aside" Lynn Jr. said boldly, "since this is my character we're dealing with, I'll be the one to make the noise."

Before anyone had the chance to either speak up, question or even attempt to stop her; the young jock had already taken in a lungful of air and unleashed a powerful trumpeting sound from her lips. The sound came out so strong that not only did several people fall out their seats in shock; all others, like Lisa, swore it sounded near identical to that of a rogue elephant. "Very nicely done there, Junior" Lynn Sr. said with a hearty laugh, "looks like somebody's finally getting into the swing of things."

Upon hearing her father's words and his tone, a sudden wave of realization suddenly washed over Lynn Jr.; as if one of her sports teams had doused her with a cooler filled with the frostiest Flippee drink ever. She had been so impatient to actually get a chance to play in the game that she completely forgot all about trying to avoid being "suckered in" with the rest of the "dorks." Meanwhile, Lori and her group were trying to keep themselves together while the Game Masters continued on describing the scene of the game.

"Down below, you all can hear the sounds of battle echoing loudly; as well as the cheers from the crowd watching the scene before them" Mrs. Johnson explained in her Agathe voice, "then, all of a sudden; you hear the wood elf from earlier scream in pure terror, the unmistakable noise of a blade piercing through metal and then...all is quiet." It didn't take very long for the Loud Sisters (Lynn especially) to realize what had happened and soon, their collective faces became white as a sheet.

But before any of them had the chance to mentally recover from all this, the Game Masters were already progressing with the story. "After the...untimely end of the wood elf fighter, the guards return to the cells and collect another poor soul from the ranks" Huggins said in his Fastred voice, "tell me, girls...what do you plan to do about it?" Straightaway, Lori was the first to give an answer; which (ironically) came in the form of a question.

"I throw myself at the bars in hysterics and demand to know what's going on" Lori cried with terror, "I look towards the nearest guard and ask 'what's going on...why are we here?!'" No sooner had this been said, the entire table either chuckled heartily or lightly applauded at the eldest Loud Sibling; praising her for "an outstanding performance." But then, Rita was quick to remind her of the fact that her character was still chained to the wall and thus couldn't move towards the bars.

"However, you are still able to ask your question" Lynn Sr. added, "in which case, honey; I'll need you to make a quick Persuasion Check for me here." Not needing to be told twice, Lori picked up her D20 and shook it so hard that it almost sounded like she was shaking one of Lily's rattles. When she finally let it roll, she hoped to get a high enough number for this turn.

As luck would have it, her hopes paid off in the end and Lori saw that she gained a "17" dice roll. "At first, the guard simply snubs you; thinking you are 'far too beneath her' to speak openly with" Mrs. Johnson said in her Agathe voice, "but then, she tells you 'I see no point in telling you anything, slave...since you won't be with us for much longer.'" While this wasn't the kind of response she had hoped for; from the tone alone, Lori could tell she and everyone on her team may be in some deep trouble.

(The Game World)

Once more, Ventris pleaded for someone to give her answers; why were all the "slaves" here, what happened to the elf who left earlier and above all...what was the cause of all the cheering above them. "Have you learned nothing yet, She-Elf" questioned a wee Halfling known as Zenda, "you've been sold to the empire of Cicero, same as the rest of us here!" After this, she explained how almost every creature within the cells had been sold off to the fighting pits of Cicero for one reason or another; whether as punishment for criminal actions or for profit.

"How long have all of you been here" questioned Ezra, "we've only just arrived a day or so ago." Reluctantly, several slaves revealed that they too were newly delivered slaves while others confessed they've been imprisoned for so long; they had nearly forgotten about their old lives. "But why send us here, of all places" Mituna demanded, "my friends and didn't do anything wrong!"

In response to this, a Leonin warrior named Kira Lightclaw revealed that it wasn't just prisoners who were sent to the fighting pits. Anytime mercenaries encountered strong beings or creatures on their travels; they'd subdue them, capture them and ship them off to Cicero straightaway. "I was such an unfortunate soul, five moons ago" she murmured sullenly, "in an attempt to protect members of my pride from being hunted for sport by outsiders; I was overwhelmed, captured and sent here to serve as part of the humans' 'entertainment.'"

Following this; the Goliath warrior, who addressed himself as Makon Dream-Speaker, confessed that he met a similar fate as Kira's. The difference between them, however was that the shaman of Makon's "herd" (which was a term used to describe his clan) spoke of an odd dream he had one night; a dream that involved "shadow warriors invading their land." "I'm willing to bet them 'shadow warriors' your shaman spoke of were the same lot who jumped all of us...eh" Ursa interjected suddenly, "quite a web this emperor has woven."

One after another, each slave revealed how each of them ended up imprisoned in the stocks; some for criminal reasons and others who were taken due to some twist of fate. "And what of the manling behind you, Jinn" questioned Mituna, "from the look of her attire, she could pass herself off as one of the fiends who did this to us!" Rather than be offended by the Tortle's harsh tone, the young maid in question gave a light shrug and proclaimed she held no affiliation with their captors...not anymore, least of all.

"You may call me Miranda Stone-Heart and in another life, I did consider myself a mercenary" the woman stated, "but after several years of committing acts of theft, larceny and...murder, I felt sickened by it all and betrayed my order." When asked what led to her being sold as a slave, Miranda revealed it was at the hands of her former guild leader; who viewed her resignation as a sign of betrayal.

But while this tale did intrigue Ventris and her company, they felt that the mercenary didn't quite seem like a trustworthy soul...not yet. Then, a wee gnome presented herself at the bar and offered to share her own tail. She had a head of shaggy blonde hair that seemed to match her diminutive stature, wore a raggedy hooded cloak that possessed several tears, a pair of plain leather sandals and was dressed in a suit of light leather battle armor.

She had a stout yet somewhat well-toned physique, piercing blue eyes and a small scar that run along her right cheek; possibly from a battle in the arena. "I am called Zita Fizzlebang and I'm afraid...it was my knavish ways that led me to end up here" murmured the gnome, "but...when ya don't got no home or family of your own to set ye straight, 'tis all about survival in any way ya know." This tale shocked the Adventuring Party to their collective cores and after a while, Ezra made the risky choice to ask Zita what became of her family.

"Da passed on when I was but eleven winters old" she replied, "and...I may have inherited some of my roguish nature from him, you see." With a heavy heart, Zita told everyone of how much her father would fall victim to two of her people's greatest faults; self-indulgence and trickery. Through such actions, Master Fizzlebang had inadvertently upset some very dangerous people; resulting in his...untimely demise.

"Such a tragedy utterly destroyed my dear ol' mum, it did" Zita murmured sadly, "so much so that...she tried to find comfort in the bottle."

(The Real World)

At that moment, the scene quickly cuts back to the present; where Lana is seen waving her hand up high. It didn't take long for everyone to see that she had something on her mind and so, the Council was quick to call upon her. "Sorry to interrupt, guys" she said apologetically, "but I've got a question...what does 'find comfort in the bottle' mean, exactly?" After letting this inquiry process, both the Council and all the other players at the table soon found themselves suddenly tensing up slightly; as if they were feeling uneasy about something.

But the truth is, in reality; no one knew exactly how to answer the young lady's question...at least, not in an "age appropriate" manner. Finally, Mr. Grouse cleared his throat and offered up the best explanation he could think of; hoping Lana would be able to understand. "Lemme put it to ya this way, lil' miss...you ever see people eat bucket-loads of ice cream whenever they feel sad" he asked, earning a slight nod from Lana; "when some people find comfort in the bottle, like your old man just said...they're doing something just like that...but with adult drinks, the kind of stuff they bring out on New Year's Eve."

Rather surprisingly, not only did Lana seem to understand every word Mr. Grouse said but by using the ice cream half of the explanation; she already had a good idea of what might've happened to Zita Fizzlebang's mother. She may have been young but she had seen someone like Lori eat more than her fair share of ice cream whenever she was sad. More importantly, she saw the end result of what happens when a person ate too much of such a food...a grumbly tummy and a quick trip to the bathroom.

"From the look on your face, dear; we can guess you have...some understanding of what happened" questioned Mrs. Johnson, earning a light nod from Lana; "do you have any other questions?" After taking a moment to shake away the image of someone getting sick from drinking out of her head, the wee grease monkey answered "no" and the game continued.

(The Game World)

"I could only watch in horror, as my Ma drank herself to death" Zita sniffled, "I...I-I tried to stop her, to remind her that Da wouldn't want her to be like this...but she pushed me away." The gnome's words alone were tragic enough but when she saw the bruise upon her back, Ventris realized that Madame Fizzlebang had quite literally pushed her own daughter away from her. From the look of said bruise, it seemed as though such a scenario may have occurred on a repeated basis.

"One day, she became horribly ill and the village clerics did everything they could to save her" Zita murmured, "but...t-they told me that while their abilities could save her body, her spirit was too far gone to save." To truly stick a pin on the tale, she revealed that such words were the holy folk's way of saying her mother had fully lost the will to live. In the end, they had little choice but to help her pass on in the most peaceful way possible.

"As you can imagine, the loss of both my kin left me emotionally devastated" sighed Zita, "I had no other family to turn to and everyone else in my village looked down on me for my father's actions." To say that the Adventuring Party felt stunned by such a sad tale would be a gross understatement. In truth, those like Mituna and the Ezra questioned how a community could turn their backs on one of their own so quickly.

Unfortunately, Zita's struggles had only just begun; by the time she turned thirteen, she would soon make a choice that would change her life forever. "That was the moment I decided...if the people saw me as a trickster and a rogue like me Da, a trickster I would become" she decreed, "so, to survive; I stole whatever I could get my hands on." Upon hearing this reveal, the Adventuring Party agreed that pick-pocketing seemed...too small of a crime to warrant being sold as a slave.

But then, Zita told them of the very crime that led to her fate; which involved yet another pick-pocket attempt. "At first, I thought the chap I was after seemed like a typical high society traveler" she stated, "instead, I found out that they were a member of the royal court of Waterdeep." This reveal not only left the Party utterly stunned but many of the other slaves as well.

Waterdeep was among one of the most illustrious cities in all of Faerun, if not the world; thus, stealing from a noble of that city was a high offense. "But surprisingly, the nobleman was fair to me and offered me a choice" Zita murmured, "I could forfeit my hand, which was a fitting punishment for most thieves...or be sent here to Gunari and try to earn back my freedom." Upon hearing this, Mituna asked her if what she said was true; could it be possible for any of the slaves to free themselves from here.

"Aye, my scaly friend; 'tis indeed possible" Makon replied, "but it ain't as easy as you might think." Just as he was about to explain the matter further, the guards soon returned to the cells and flushed out another "challenger" for the arena. This time, it was a dwarf warrior; one who appeared to be at equal height to Zita (in terms of stature.) He carried several scars upon his muscled arms, the lower half of his beard appeared to have been cut off (perhaps from a battle) and he wore a leather eye patch over the left side of his face.

That than appear fearful of the coming battle, the dwarf marched his way out of the cell and up towards the arena floor; pausing only for a moment to growl at the lead guard. This gave Ventris and her compatriots hope that he might emerge victorious in his coming battle...but the other slaves did not appear as confident in him as they did. "I would not recommend getting too hopeful, strangers" murmured a shifter named Dyris, "that Dwarf has been here longer than most of us and he has yet to so much as leave even a single scratch on the champion."

The Party said nothing in response, as they watched the dwarf warrior make his way up the stairs to the arena floor. But in their hearts, each one of them felt the icy chill of dread coursing through them. Then, like a flash; Ventris suddenly realized that something was missing...or rather, someone.

Since their capture, she had not seen Lupa anywhere; not in the cell, anywhere along the walkway or even where the Dungeon Master sat himself. Within seconds, Ventris believed her wolf companion might have been in some sort of danger and demanded to know where she was taken. "STIFLE YOURSELF, ELF" roared the Dungeon Master irritably, "your pup is safe...for mow, she's been brought into the kennel; where all the other fighting beasts are situated."

Upon hearing this, Ezra suddenly felt his animal instincts get the better of him and let out a vicious snarl. As a creature of the wild himself as well as a druid, he detested the idea of wildlife being hunted for sport. But it was the idea of them being used for sport that made him all the more furious.

But while they shared in his frustrations, the rest of the Party did their best to keep him as calm as possible.

(The Real World)

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THESE CREEPS" Lana screamed in anger, "it's one thing to keep animals cooped up...but forcing them to fight people is extremely low!" While she did side a little bit in her older sister's rage, Lisa was quick to remind her that animals have been used as "creatures of sport" for centuries. "In this present situation, creatures such as lions and tigers were the...'go-to' beasts to use in keeping the gladiators on their toes" she explained, "there's also bull fighting, chariot racing and more commonly known, cock fights."

While everyone appreciated Lisa's well-thought out explanation, they politely urged her to ease up a little; so as not to overwhelm Lana's emotions with such dark ideas. "Oh, dear...I sincerely apologize for causing you any discomfort, Lana" she murmured sincerely, "but you see my point now, yes?" Although her body was still cringing at the thought of innocent animals being forced to fight, Lana still nodded in reply.

Meanwhile, Lori was in the midst of trying to process everything that has transpired; while another part of her was practically screaming for her to not "give in" to the game. "So...all the slaves that are with us have literally been stuck fighting in the Coliseum for like...who knows how long" she muttered, "what can they do to get out of this place?" Rather than answer her daughter's question directly, the Loud Parents decided to move the game along; assuring her that "all would be revealed soon."

"For what feels like untold hours; you and your party remain locked within your cell" Rita explained in her Eliana voice, "your ears echo loudly with the sounds of the carnage going on above you." To help bring life to his wife's words, Lynn Sr. took out his phone and played a series of battle sound effects from it; consisting of clashing swords, shouting and even dying screams.

Needless to say, this and the overall atmosphere of the room did its job pretty well in making the Loud Sisters and all the other players feel like they were actually there beneath the arena. Of course, it all seemed to work a little too well on the little ones...or more specifically, Lily. Like most babies, they didn't much like loud noises and sounds of combat were among the worst to their little ears.

Upon sensing this, Lynn and Rita toned down the sound effects as quickly as possible. But due to their frantic movements; they ended up not only falling over each other, they almost knocked their fellow Game Masters from off their seats as well. "Here, you two; let me take care of this" Albert chuckled with a light eye roll, "honestly...you'd both lose your heads if they weren't bolted on."

Upon realizing what they were doing (eventually,) Lynn and Rita quickly pulled themselves together; completely oblivious to the light snickering going on behind them. When everything was finally calm again, Albert assumed his own Game Master persona and continued on to the next scene. "In time, the games soon come to an end...but your fellow slaves tell you that this respite would only be short-lived" he said in his Karuk voice, "on the morrow, the fighting will resume...and your party will be the next to fight in the arena!"

Almost immediately, Lori and her four younger sisters all felt their bodies suddenly shivering with dread; wondering what might await them in the arena the next morning. The only one excluded from this was Lily, who (as the Council quickly reminded everyone) was still locked within the beast pits. But even with this in mind, the wee babe in wolf's clothing couldn't help but worry for her sisters.

Then, just when they all thought things couldn't get worse; the Council decided to be a little devious. "As the moon rose high, Ventris; you and your comrades slowly drift off to sleep" Lynn said in his Acheron voice, "until...the sudden and thunderous sound of footfalls rudely awaken you!" Naturally, Lola hated the idea of being rudely awakened from her "beauty sleep" and this issue wasn't absent from her game character either.

As for her older sisters and Lana, they were more concerned about what was causing all the noise in the first place. "It's not really a 'what' that's causing it all, young lady" chuckled Mrs. Johnson in her normal voice, "rather...it's more of a 'who?'" Once this was said, she and her fellow Game Masters directed their attention towards Lynn Jr.; who appeared to be utterly clueless as to what's going on, at the moment.

"Lynn Loud Junior...or shall we say, Velra Spear-Tusk, this is your moment to shine" Lynn Sr. chuckled in his Acheron voice, "care to share some things about your character with us?" In a flash, Lynn finally came back to her senses and spent the next moment or so muttering and mumbling shyly; which she believed felt very weird to her. As a jock, she didn't know very much about acting; even when it came to roleplay.

So, she couldn't think of a single word or idea to say about her game character. As if sensing this uncertainty from her, Lincoln gave his sister a light arm punch; hoping it would be enough to snap her back to her senses. Miraculously, this actually worked...but it didn't change the fact that Lynn felt pretty mad about being hit while her guard was down.

"You're right about that and I'm sorry" Lincoln said apologetically, "but you were spiraling...I had to do something to snap you out of it." Almost immediately, several other players confirmed that he was speaking the truth; even the Game Masters. After letting all of this process, Lynn blushed lightly with embarrassment and openly proclaimed she had no idea what she was supposed to do. "I mean...is there a script I can read, some cliff notes I can look at" she asked confusedly, "what is my motivation here?"

At first, Lynn Jr. half expected everybody at the table to mock her ineptitude towards the game; which would've made her pretty angry. But much to her surprise, not only did she not hear anyone give so much as a chuckle, a few players openly told her that they understood her confusion. "Remember back at the beginning, when we told you that this game was all about imagination and improv" Lynn Sr. inquired, "this is your chance to do that, Junior!"

Sadly, even with this explanation given; the young jock still appeared unable to think of anything. It was here that of all people, Lincoln decided to go about things a different way; he would explain the idea of improv in a way only his sister could understand. "Let's put it this way, Lynn; you already know that a gladiator is...basically guys in those Lucha Libre, Boxing and MMA fights you watch; right" he asked, "well...this is your moment to try and intimidate us, just like those guys do to each other!"

Almost immediately, several voices cried out loudly with displeasure against Lincoln's words; half of them coming from some of his other sisters. They not only said that he made "zero sense" with his explanation but those like Lisa or Principal Huggins added that gladiators were a "more refined" group of fighters than today's sportsmen. Meanwhile, after giving her brother's idea some thought, Lynn decided to wing it but would need to get herself in the proper "zone."

For a moment or so, she sat in her seat; rubbing her temples slightly and chanting an odd series of words under her breath. At first, some players thought she might have been reciting a spell from the game. But Lisa quickly shot down their "hopes" and clarified that her sister was simply in a meditative state.

"Oh, I've seen her do this during our last ballgame during the last inning" Margo stated, "she almost lost her head with stress...that is until she remembered some meditation stuff she learned from Miss Rain a long time ago." Upon hearing mention of the name of their former Sensitivity Trainer, the other Loud Sisters let out a series of surprised gasps; as if now fully understanding the situation. Finally, Lynn's whispers suddenly stopped and she had placed her hands flat very slowly atop the table.

"Okay...this is really starting to creep me out a little here, guys" Rusty muttered nervously, "anybody feel brave enough to ask her if she's okay?" As if on cue, several people suddenly shouted out the words "DIBS NOT;" all while touching the tips of their noses with a finger. At first, the Louds expected Lincoln to be the last one to mimic this gesture.

But much to their surprise, they saw that not only did he have his index finger resting squarely atop the point of his nose; Lincoln confirmed that he "suspected/expected" that things would come to this and thus had his hands at the ready. "Well...i-i-if not Lincoln, somebody's g-g-gotta try and wake up Lynn" Clyde said while his teeth chattered, "anybody want to volunteer?" At that moment, before anyone could make such a reply; Lynn Jr.'s eyes suddenly flipped open and she had a look of stoic determination plastered on her face.

If the players and Game Masters didn't feel nervous about the young lady before...they certainly were now. The expression she had looked far too intense for that of a typical athlete's "Game Face;" rather, it looked more like the stoic expression of a warrior. Finally, after taking a small sip of Cherry Flippee from her goblet; she looked towards the Council and muttered "I am ready."

(The Game World)

The Adventuring Party and all the slaves beside them quivered slightly with fear, as the thunderous footsteps drew closer. At first, those like Ezra and Shadow believed something massive was crashing down the steps; perhaps the corpse of one of the fallen combatants. But then, the doors suddenly flew open and a team of armored guards came rushing through in two single file lines.

Upon taking proper positions, they tapped the bases of their spears atop the floor and took a few steps back; as if making room for someone. Then, soon after that; two strangers made their way into the cell room. The first was what looked like a nobleman; perhaps, the "exalted" Emperor Gunari. On the surface; he seemed to look like any other human folk would find in the world from his glossy black hair, his chiseled jaw-line and even his ocean-green eyes.

But like any other leader of his caliber; Gunari was dressed in the finest of velour robes, wore a pair of golden sandals on his feet, a woolen cloak on his back (with a train so long that a pair of servants traveled behind him to "help" carry it) and a magnificent golden crown atop his head. At his right was the massive form of a Loxodon warrior, whom the slaves recognized as Velra Spear-Tusk. She was eight feet tall in height, her arms were as thick as tree trunks (as were her legs,) her feet were larger than a human's skull, she was dressed in the finest of battle armor and true to her name, her elephant tusks have been sharpened to the point they resembled ivory spear tips.

On her back, she carried a war hammer that not only seemed to surpass even her own stature; its head looked as though it was made from a boulder. But perhaps, her most noticeable feature was a battle scar she carried along the length of her trunk. This gave Ventris and her compatriots hope in thinking someone, at some point, managed to land a successful blow upon the champion; if not a fatal one.

Upon taking note of all these traits, one thing was clear to the Party; Velra was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, the other slaves shivered with great fear; as the arena champion directed her gaze in their direction. Many who were not bound in chains scurried deep into the shadowy corners of their cell, while those who were bound simply glowered at her.

But Velra did not care about the other lambs, as she chose to call them. Instead, she seemed more interested in the newest group of slaves; who did their best to appear brave in her presence. "What is this...a wispy she-elf, a shaggy crow, a pair of mangy jungle cats and a tortoise" Velra cried out indignantly, "this arena is meant for warriors, not a motley crew of weaklings like you!"

In spite of the fatigue they felt from their lack of sleep earlier on, the tone in the Loxodon's voice couples with her slanderous words utterly infuriated the adventurers. But of all of them, it was Ursa who appeared the most insulted. "You wish to see how strong we are, eh" she hissed venomously, "unlock these bonds and my compatriots and I will be more than happy to oblige!"

Rather than be intimidated by the Tabaxi's words, Velra simply chuckled under her breath and beckoned for her to approach with her trunk. But then, as if by fate; Gunari commanded his soldiers to prod their spears through the cell bars. Upon doing so, they gave each member of the party a series of light pokes; not too fatal that they would feel injured...but painful enough to get the Adventurers back in line.

"While I do so love your enthusiasm, slaves; I'm afraid it's not your time to face the champion...not yet, at least" Gunari chuckled snidely, "new blood must first earn their keep here in the arena." Within seconds, every inch of Ursa's fur started frizzing up with anger and she soon barred her fangs at the emperor with vicious intent. Hearing Velra's demeaning tone alone was infuriating but to hear a snooty manling speak thus to her as well...she was furious.

Not wishing to see his sister make a foolish mistake, Ezra did his best to calm her down; all while asking for the meaning behind the emperor's supposed "new blood" insult. "It's what he calls all of his newly acquired slaves, my friend" growled Kira, "and as 'new blood,' you will need to 'earn' a chance to face Velra." Following this; the Aasimar known as Arkoni added that in order to "earn the right" to battle the champion, all new blood needed to work their way up the ranks.

"'Work our way...'what in Nula's name are you talking about" Ursa demanded, "tell us quickly or I will rip off your champion's trunk!" Offended by her words, a guard swiftly yet painfully jabbed her spear over the Tabaxi rogue's arm; leaving behind a rather painful mark. Once the atmosphere became calm again, Gunari explained that all new slaves were required to partake in a series of challenges or rounds within the arena.

"Your first battle starts on the morrow; so, I recommend getting as much sleep as you can" he suggested, "until then...enjoy your stay with us." With that said, Gunari snapped his fingers and urged for his followers to accompany him to his bedchambers; where he intended on getting some sleep himself. But while they went off on their way, Velra remained fixed where she stood; all while giving the slaves a steely gaze.

"Take heed, new blood" she growled coldly, "if I don't end up ending your miserable lives here...either one of the emperor's pets or one of your fellow slaves will have that honor themselves...until then, tend to your wounds." After that, she stomped her way off down the hall; eager to return to what she called her personal "victory palace." The whole time she watched her walk away, Ursa could only hiss angrily under her breath; all while trying to ignore the pain in her arm.

Meanwhile, Ezra and the rest of the Party were curious to know more about their coming battle; not wishing to lose their lives before their quest had ended. "As the champion said, you will first have to hold your own against one of Gunari's beasts" Zita Fizzlebang muttered grimly, "I only hope you will fare better than the last fighter who faced them." Whether out of morbid curiosity or his desire to learn more about his enemy, Ezra questioned what became of the aforementioned champion.

He hoped that they might provide some insight on the best way to survive these twisted games. But alas, the other slaves lowered their heads in sorrow; which only made the Party feel even more worried. "Seeking help from the last combatant won't do you any good, strangers" Dyris said grimly, "mostly because...there's nothing left of them to speak to."

Understandably so, the Party was horrified by this revelation and they begged for anyone to share more of the story. What they got, instead was a rather short tale of the poor soul who met his end while dueling one of Gunari's most prized finds; a Gelatinous Cube.

(Back to Reality)

As the scene shifts back to the table, the "viewer" sees Lori and her sisters gawking oddly at the Council. The other players also couldn't help but laugh at the fact that each of them had their mouths hanging open. After a while, Lori finally came back to her senses and said three short but simple words; "what the what?"

"I'm right there with you, Sis" chimed Luan, "why should we feel jelly about something called a...'Gelatinous Cube?'" Just as everyone came close to groaning with annoyance at the young lady's corny joke, the game room suddenly echoed with the soft yet sudden clanging of a bell. It was here that everyone saw Mrs. Bernardo entering the room, still dressed in her "Crier's wardrobe."

"Hear me, good people of Castle Greyhawk...hear me" she announced with her usual dramatic flair, "the hour is now 4 of the clock...only one hour remains until we depart for hearth and home!" As expected, this decree caused many players at the table to groan loudly with annoyance; Lynn Jr. among them (much to her surprise.) "Seriously...MY CHARACTER DIDN'T EVEN GET TO DO ANYTHING YET" she exclaimed bitterly, "and why have the girls fight a stinkin' cube instead of me?!"

While they were busy collecting their things, the Loud Parents smiled mischievously at her and said "you'll have to wait till next week, honey." At first, every voice in the girls' heads were desperately screaming for them to think clearly; to actually feel thankful they were done with the game for another week. But for some reason, something about where they chose to end their session left them wanting more.

It was as if they had just lived through a big blockbuster film and they had reached the "to be continued" ending. Either way, the girls felt they might not be able to last with waiting for their next meeting. As for the others; they were either shaking hands, saying their goodbyes or happily embracing one another while saying "see you at the next game."

"OH, MY GOSH; I think that was the most suspenseful session we've had here yet" Lincoln said while laughing joyfully, "you guys were great tonight; especially you, ladies." At first, Lori and her group believed their brother's praises were being directed at them. But as they would learn, mere seconds later; he was speaking to both them and his Gal Pals group.

"Aww! Your real sweet for sayin' all that, Linky" Dana cooed softly while hugging Lincoln close, "most of the Gals and I didn't really get to do that much in the game." No sooner had she said this, several of the Gals sounded out in mild disapproval at the fact they didn't get to play yet. But then, Lincoln gave them his trademark smile and assured that their time would come; just like Lynn's.

"Who knows, Dana; maybe you, Whitney or Becky might go toe-to-toe with one of the members in Lori's group in the second Arena Battle" he stated, "and if I were a betting guy...I have a few ideas on who could last pretty well against their classes." The instant these words were said, Lori and Lola both shot daggers at their brother; as if silently demanding him to give an explanation.

When he finally took notice of their looks, when his eyes weren't blinded by Dana's cheek; he cried "it's all in the manual, girls!" It was here that Haiku suddenly appeared and offered to help provide a little tidbit on Lincoln's earlier comment. She turned the page over to the Leonin character class and then, showed of the page regarding Tabaxis.

"Now, Lola...I need you to look closely at something on the page" she murmured, "note the part of the stats that describes strength, agility and armor class?" With a light grumble, the wee pageant princess did as she was told and studied all three stats very closely. It was here that she noticed a huge difference between her character and Dana's, despite them both being cat-like creatures.

While Tabaxis were agile, had great climbing abilities and claw attacks; Leonins were near identical to them...except for having bigger muscles, an extra proficiency point and something the book called Daunting Roar. "Says here that anybody within ten feet of them who hears the roar becomes scared" Lola murmured, "do Tabaxis have something like that?" No sooner had this question been asked, Huggins suddenly stepped in and decided to "help" the young lady in his own kind of way.

Since she appeared eager to learn more about her character, he suggested that Lola's group should study up on Tabaxi characteristics over the week; as well as their own individual classes and Dana's Leonin character. "Good idea there, Wilbur" Mrs. Johnson commented, "they should also probably study up on Gelatinous Cubes as well...to help them prepare for the upcoming battle." Without hesitation, the Loud Sisters let out a cacophonous symphony of bitter groans; all while some of them stressed how much they disliked studying.

"Seriously, it's Summer Break; kids don't study during Break" Lynn whined, "except for Lisa because she thinks it's 'fun.'" Rather than acknowledge her elder sister's rudeness, the Loud Family's resident genius expressed that she actually hoped to study a few things about the game. "Granted, I'm more drawn towards studying science and mathematical encyclopedias" she said dryly, "but...the mythologies within these manuals for each creature is rather, dare I say...intriguing."

To say that Lori was shocked to hear this from her genius of a sister would be the understatement of the lifetime. Between that, the fact that her sisters would all have to study during a week of off days and the fact that they all had to keep playing this game all made her feel like she was in a dream (or in a low-rated reality show.) "I've gotta pinch myself or something to see if I'm right" she muttered, "better make this quick."

After taking a moment to steel her nerves and close her eyes; Lori placed her right hand over her left forearm and gave the side the tightest pinch she could muster. She squealed and shrieked loudly, as the painful sensation flowed through her like a raging waterfall until finally, she stopped. With a whimper, Lori plopped down into a nearby chair while rubbing her sore arm; hoping it was enough to wake her.

But the minute she saw that nothing around her had changed, Lori realized that her "nightmare" was still going. "Oh...come on now, Glory Lori" Albert said fondly while hugging her from behind, "why not cut loose and enjoy the fun like your brother and sisters?" Upon hearing mention of her siblings, Lori looked ahead of her and not only did she see the Twins acting like their game characters; she also saw that Lynn had one of the game's monster manuals in her hands.

This meant that she must be getting a head start on Huggins' "reading assignment" before their next session. In any case; to Lori, one thing was clear...slowly but surely, she felt like she was losing her sisters to the "Dork Side."

(First AN: WOW! Things are really starting to kick in with the game, now. Not only is Lynn going to finally have a chance to play but it looks like she and the rest of the Loud Sisters are becoming even more immersed with the game, much to Lori's dismay. What will happen while everybody's back out in the "normal world," will Lori be able to "keep her sanity" until the next session...and will anyone really perform the reading assignment Huggins gave?

Tune in next time, to find out; as the game and the story continues)

(Second AN: Despite the instance where Paige's character talks about her father drinking himself to death and the Game Masters using violent battle sound effects for the arena ambiance, everybody's doing their best to keep the game as...age appropriate as possible. So; don't expect any slurs, swearing or hardcore romance in future chapters)

(Third AN: Waterdeep is a real location found within the original D&D game, for those wondering. I decided to use that for this chapter because I thought it would be cool to make that kind of a reference here...and the fact that Waterdeep is among one of the most famous names in D&D.

Just thought I'd mention this, in case anyone was curious)

(Fourth AN: To be clear, Lynn not understanding improv is not me turning her into a dumb character; for those wondering. Since she spent more time out on the sports field than the theatre stage, I figured Lynn wouldn't quite understand how to get into her Velra role. That's when I thought up the idea of pro wrestlers; I figured since Lynn was a fan of wrestling, she could imagine herself as such a figure...what do you all think)

(Final AN: FYI! Despite however silly the name might sound; trust me, Gelatinous Cubes are not to be underestimated. If you want to see what I mean, take up Huggins' idea and read up a little on them)