An Act of Kindness/An Alliance with Dwarves
(The Real World)
"So...what's going on" inquired Lucy, "who's blowing that horn out there in the caves?" Rather than answer her, Albert used this opportunity to perform a quick Investigation Check while seated at his throne. Thankfully, the Council had their trusty Game Screen to keep said rolls private from the other players. Still, everyone (including the Loud Sisters) wondered what the old man's reasoning was for doing this.
One dice roll later and finally, Albert was ready to make his reveal. "So...Karuk does his horn business with the mystery blower in the cave for two more tries" he explained, "then, he rises up from his seat and makes his approach towards the entrance...but not before telling his guard to keep watch on the Party." To emphasize his point, Albert asked for several players to set a few of the dwarf guard minifigs around the girls' own in a semicircle; which they did.
Afterwards, everyone saw Mrs. Johnson fishing about inside of a large box. They couldn't help but wonder what she might be looking for in there. Finally, she let out a cry of victory and placed something down at the table. It was another dwarf minifig, which (to the likes of the Loud Sisters) seemed rather anticlimactic/disappointing.
"I know this may not seem like much to you, girls" Mrs. Johnson stated, "but...the truth is, this particular NPC shares a connection with your characters." Upon hearing this statement, the Loud Sisters suddenly felt their interests being restored. At which time, Leni proceeded to ask who the dwarf was and how she and the rest of the Party actually knew them.
"You see, girls; this particular dwarf...was also a prisoner within the Grand Colisseum of Ciscero" Lynn Sr. exclaimed, "and as you can see on the figurine here, he barely survived his time there." With this reveal, the Council handed the minifig over to Lori and asked for her group to look at it closely. Upon doing so, they noticed certain features that made their faces contort in disgust.
The face of the figurine showed a cloth wrapped over its right eye, indicating that the dwarf must've lost it. The armor looked mangled, the beard design possessed several missing parts (including a cut off half of the mustache) and there looked to be several purple splotches painted on the arms; which Rita proclaimed were meant to resemble bruises. "SHEESH! I haven't seen anyone looked this beat up since the last Blow-Out Sale at Reininger's" Lori grumbled, "what happened to him?"
In response to this, Albert reiterated the fact that the NPC came from the Ciscero Colisseum. However, he had been fighting for his freedom for nigh on four decades; long before the Party had even arrived. "Wait...WHAT?! How's that even possible" cried Lana, "how long do these dwarf guys live for?"
As if on cue, Lincoln and his Guy Squad each smiled in unison while proclaiming "pretty dang long." This, of course garnered quite the confused expressions from the girls. After a bit of a lark at this response, Zach explained that the average dwarf lifespan could be between 250 to 300 years.
"No wonder Pop-Pop chose to play a dwarf, then" Luan interjected, "in dwarf years, he's about as young as me!" As expected, the young comedienne broke out in a brief fit of laughter at her little joke. But much to her surprise, not only did Albert laugh, several other players did as well.
But this jovial atmosphere did not last for very long and Mrs. Johnson (while in character) quickly brought everyone back to business. "Now then...where were we" she murmured inquisitively, "oh, yes...the dwarf warrior's arrival." Once everyone regained their composure, they turned their attention back to the table and waited for the campaign to resume.
It was here that the Game Masters went about describing the next scene, which involved The Party following Karuk and his dwarves towards one of the nearest gates.
(The Game World)
Within moments, The Party found themselves standing before the main gate leading into the throne room. At first, they mistook it for being the same gate they discovered upon entering the tunnel. But Leoric Strongjaw told them otherwise, revealing how that particular gate was merely an escape route used during times of crisis; such as invasions.
"The gate before us is the throne room's entryway" he explained, "the true gate into the kingdom is a secret...one that I'm not inclined to tell the likes of you." Ventris would've been put off by the dwarf's continuing disrespect towards herself and her comrades. But she soon realized the importance of establishing trust between them and thus, she chose to hold her tongue.
Meanwhile, two sets of guards proceeded to pull open the massive stone doors; which required all of the strength the diminutive warriors could muster in their limbs. When the gate had finally opened wide enough, a lone dwarf came trudging his way through. As he drew closer, Karuk gasped in horror at the poor state his comrade was in.
His armor had been broken in many places, his arms were coated in bruises, his beard appeared horrifically disheveled (as evident by the missing half of his mustache) and he wore a bleeding cloth over his right eye. "BY MY BEARD...what has happened to you" Karuk exclaimed in horror, "where have you been all this time, friend?" The poor dwarf wanted nothing more than to tell his king everything he had endured.
But due his current state of health coupled with the exhaustion of his journey home; it was a miracle he could still stand, let alone speak. In no time, Karuk urged for everyone to help the warrior towards the nearest seat so that he may rest. Meanwhile, the Party could only watch the scene in silence; all while trying to think of a way out of their situation.
"I say we leave here now" Ursa whispered, "while these boorish dwarves attend to their own; you, Ventris can cloak us with an illusion and we'll sneak right out the gate." In theory, such a plan would prove successful but Shadow was quick to point out a few noticeable flaws in it.
Among them, she reminded everyone how they were still under watch by the dwarf guard. "Even with them distracted by their injured comrade, if one of them notices a spark of magic, we'll be slaughtered" she explained silently, "any other options?" Straightaway, Velra considered using her strength to burst free from her binds; where she would then do the same with everyone else's.
But as she flexed her muscles, Velra felt a sudden wave of fatigue wash over her lightly. "Nay, Madame Elf" cried Fatima, "I can't bring myself to think of our own safety while someone else is in such a poor state." The Party only grumbled softly in response; yes, the dwarf's ill state was most certainly cause for concern. But at the same time, the opened gate offered them the best chance at escaping.
"Maybe so...but how do we intend to leave this place while still bound in shackles" Fatima asked bluntly, "even if we managed to get through the gate; in our current state, we would surely fall from exhaustion halfway through the path!" With a bitter hiss, Ursa glared at her in annoyance and was moments away from giving her a verbal lashing. But as she lifted up her wrists, she suddenly felt the weight of her chains and they fell back down seconds later.
With her bravado quelled, the young rogue stood silent with her arms awkwardly crossed. Meanwhile, the others felt just as indignant as she did with Ventris in particular questioning why they should help the people who took them prisoner. "This isn't like what Gunari had done to us...or have you forgotten that" questioned Fatima, "these dwarves only shackled us out of fear...but if we show them we mean no harm, things might change in our favor."
For several moments, no one among the Party had spoken a word. But from their tense expressions alone, it was evident that their minds echoed with their inner voices screaming for them to consider their options. Meanwhile, Karuk's guard did what they could to keep their injured comrade comfortable in his poor state.
Among them, Master Leoric did his best to keep the fellow's wounds from worsening. This sight made Fatima's already growing concerns escalate higher. "Bebother it all" she cried suddenly, "I cannot simply stand idly by any longer!" With that, she pushed herself past the rest of the Party and made her way towards the injured dwarf.
As expected, this sudden show of boldness came as a surprise to both sides with the dwarves appearing most alarmed. As the half-jinn maid approached, Floki Ghost-Hand looked poised to strike her soundly with his metal fist. Were it not for the pleading look of innocence in her eyes, he would've done exactly that.
Still, Floki wasted no time in accusing the half-jinn in making a possible attack. "I swear to you, Master Dwarf...I mean you no harm" Fatima urged softly, "I only want to help." In spite of the sincerity in her words, Fatima could still see a look of apprehension on Floki's face but she remained undeterred.
"I am a healer...much like your friend, Master Beris" she stated, "our combined power may help heal your comrade's wounds more swiftly." With these words, Fatima hoped the dwarf had some level of kindness in him to accept her help. But Floki only gave a dismissive grunt as a reply, as if to say she were bluffing.
Such talk did not go unnoticed to Velra's ears and she outright demanded for him to apologize to her friend. "Mind yer tongue, savage" Floki growled, "how do I know your 'friend' won't simply knife my kinsman the moment she rests her hand atop his beard?!" Soon, both sides found themselves swept up into yet another verbal dispute; one that seemed more vicious than the last.
At one moment, a guard looked ready to strike the Party with his axe until they heard the sounds of someone coughing loudly. All eyes soon turned towards the fallen dwarf, who seemed to be at a far worse state than he did mere moments ago. "Something must be done, now" Karuk demanded, "stranger...you have my permission to approach; all others, move aside."
The guard did just as they were told and parted away slightly, allowing Fatima to make her way through. When she finally got close enough, she took her place next to Beris and fell to her knees. Thereafter, she took in a series of deep breaths before chanting a series of soft words.
For a moment, the dwarves almost assumed that she was preparing some form of curse or spell but Karuk urged them all to only stand and watch.
(The Real World)
Back at the table, everybody's eyes were fixed upon Leni as she reached for the d20 with quivering hands. Upon picking it up, she did her best to take a few calming breaths to steady herself; just like her character. "Okay, Leni...this is your big moment to shine" thought the young teen, "no pressure or nothing...right?"
With these thoughts in mind, she soon went about shaking the dice with great fervor between her hands. She shook and shook and shook them like crazy for almost a minute and a half, leaving many players around her feeling almost bored. Finally, a voice finally broke the tension with the simple yet forceful words of "QUITE STALLIN', GIRLY!"
This seemed to do just the trick in snapping Leni out of her fearful daze, which led to her finally throwing the dice across the table. As it bounced, she could not help but demand to know who at the table "scared" her? "It wasn't any of us, Leni...we swear" Lincoln said defensively, "it sounded like it came from the other side of the room."
With these words, all eyes turned in the aforementioned direction and they went about searching for the "mystery heckler." It didn't take long, though due to many people already recognizing the voice. It was here that the Council of Game Masters suddenly called out the name "BOJAN" in tones of disapproval.
As all the players turned their attention towards the snack table, they soon found Flip (A.K.A. Bojan) gorging himself on some dip. "HEY! That Scorpion Dip is meant for all of us...not just you" cried Lynn Sr "it took me all week to measure the exact number of peppers I needed for the proper Scoville intensity!" Without even showing the smallest lick of fear in his eyes, Flip simply shrugged his shoulders and proclaimed he got hungry while "waitin' for the girl to roll."
The Loud Parents looked ready to scold him for such behavior but then, they remembered the bylaws they and their fellow Game Masters established; specifically the "No Quarreling" rule. With that in mind, Huggins (while in character) warned Flip to be mindful of his actions; lest he risk himself being replaced. "AH! Nuts to ya" Flip grumbled while stuffing another handful of dip in his mouth, "I'd like to see ya try and find somebody who'd do this job for free."
Soon, the entire table of Game Masters looked ready to do exactly what Flip suggested. But yet again, they reminded themselves of the example they were trying to set for the younglings. With that in mind, they decided to turn their attention back on Leni's earlier dice roll.
Thankfully, Mrs. Bernardo was at the side of the table already and she swiftly went about taking note of the aforementioned roll. "From the looks of it, young Mistress Leni has earned herself...a 13" she decreed dramatically, "repeating...Mistress Leni has earned a 13 on her dice r-r-r-roll." It took everything in the Council's power to not laugh at Mrs. B's dramatics, particularly when she chose to roll the "R."
But much like they did with Flip, they chose to maintain their decorum and continued on. "How do you wish to proceed, child" inquired Mrs. Johnson in her Agathe voice, "do you have a specific spell or action in mind?" Straightaway, Leni responded by mentioning one of her class's top spells; Healing Hands.
"An excellent choice, dear" Albert said with praise, "unfortunately...your 13 dice roll doesn't make your healing spell all that strong." For a brief moment, Leni almost looked disappointed in herself over this news. She felt that if Flip hadn't distracted her, she could've done better.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Leni" Clyde said with a reassuring shoulder pat, "this kind of thing happens to the best of us." After this, Clyde went on to ask if there was a way to have Leni's powers combine with those of his own character. "That could probably work, young man" murmured Mrs. Johnson, "but...does this mean Beris trusts Fatima to help him?"
This inquiry came as a bit of a surprise for Clyde and yet, he seemed to know exactly what to say. As his turn began; he explained that while he still held some suspicions towards Fatima and her friends, saving the life of his comrade was the more important thing to focus on now. "In that case, you might need to roll for Channel Divinity as well" Principal Huggins stated, "and...what the heck, we'll be lenient this once and let Miss Leni re-roll."
Much like Clyde, Leni was taken aback by the old man's show of charity and asked why he did it. In response, the Council ruled that she only made a bad roll because Flip broke her concentration; thus, it didn't exactly count. However, it was agreed that they would only give Leni this one chance to fix her mistake.
"If you get another bad roll, dear...it will be your doing and yours alone" Rita said firmly, "do you understand?" With a look of mild anxiousness on her face, Leni swallowed a nervous lump in her throat and nodded silently. Afterwards, the table went silent and all waited for her and Clyde to make their move.
"OH! One quick reminder before ya roll, Sis" Lincoln interjected, "as Clerics, both you and Clyde get a 2 Proficiency Bonus while using Channel Divinity." Leni gasped softly at this sudden reveal and was prepared to "squee" with joy until she had a sudden "Brain Fart" moment, one where she failed to understand what he meant. It was here that Lincoln explained that the particular bonus he referenced worked almost exactly the same as Lori's Intelligence Bonus.
"Simply put, your character gets a two-point boost on whatever roll you have" Rusty stated, "it could come in handy is all we're sayin'." Upon taking all this information to heart, everything finally became clear to Leni and she thanked the boys for their help. After that, she and Clyde wasted no time in shaking their dice.
"C'mon, Mr. Dice...I know I'm still a newbie at this whole game" Leni thought tensely, "but I could really use some help!" Much like before, Leni soon found herself shaking the dice for what felt like ages while Clyde had already sent his flying off five seconds earlier. This time, however; she wouldn't need anyone to snap her out of the daze she was in.
Instead, she gave herself a mental countdown from five and then, she threw the dice forward with a grunt for effort. As it skipped along the table; everyone agreed that while Leni may have been a touch overzealous, she still did well on her own. "Now, then...let's see what'cha got" Becky said eagerly while looking down at the table, "hope it's a good number this time!"
Everyone watched as the die skipped rapidly across the surface of the game table, bounce off the wood of the boarder wall and stumble backwards with near equal speed. It rolled along for almost a full minute until finally, it came to a stop right near where Leni sat. "I'm too afraid to look" she murmured while holding her hands over her face, "Clyde...could you tell me what it is?"
Not needing to be asked twice, Clyde looked over the table and fiddled with his glasses slightly in order to get a good view of the dice. When he found Leni's, he let out a gasp that was just loud enough for her to overhear. "I knew it...I got another bad roll" she sighed shamefully, "just give it to me straight."
At first, Leni half-expected to hear someone laugh at her or tell her something like "too bad" or "almost there." Instead, she not only heard Clyde laughing cheerfully but some of her friends as well. "Babe, open your eyes" Chaz said while shaking Leni's shoulder, "you did really good here!"
Going against every impulse telling her otherwise, Leni braved a look down at the table. When she caught a glimpse of her dice roll, her face shifted from a look of worry to more of confusion. "Hold on, the dice thingy says I got a 14 roll" Leni said matter-of-factly, "how is this a good thing?"
Once more, everyone reminded her of the Proficiency Bonus points, which slightly changed her result from fourteen to sixteen. Lynn Sr. went on to explain that while not perfect, it provided just enough of a push needed to keep the dwarf's wounds from worsening. "It's a heck of a lot better than my roll, Leni" Clyde admitted, "even with the bonus, all I got was ten points."
Upon hearing all this, the Council went on to describe the scene unfolding within the game. Try as he might, Beric's power didn't seem strong enough to help heal his kinsman's wounds. But thanks to Fatima's assistance, they were both able to save his life. "True, your combined healing powers weren't able to fully mend the dwarf's wounds" Rita said in her Eliana voice, "but with enough bedrest and medicine, he will be as hearty as ever."
After this, Lynn Sr. puffed out his chest and proceeded to speak in a gruff, accented voice; proclaiming that every scar was like a badge of honor to a dwarf. This little display caused quite a few players to laugh, even his children. One in particular couldn't help but think it was rather adorable...namely Lori.
"I gotta admit, this is...actually kinda fun" she thought with an outward smile, "but I can never let my siblings know; they'll literally never let me live it down, if they found out." After that, Lori quickly put her game face back on and refocused herself on the game situation at hand.
(The Game World)
For what felt like ages, Fatima and Beric pushed themselves to the near brink in channeling their healing power through the injured dwarf. At first, the wounds appeared too great for even their skill to heal but the scars had soon stopped bleeding, the bruises had begun to subside and the dwarf's breathing seemed less ragged than it did moments ago. In short, he looked beaten still but he was very much alive.
"Thank ye, old friend" he murmured softly to Beric, "and to you, milady...I recognize your gentle touch anywhere" he said to Fatima. While the dwarf meant well in his words, they still chilled the young maid to the bone with memories of the carnage she had been forced to witness under Gunari's "service." For this reason; she fell to her knees, bowed her head and clasped the fallen dwarf's hand in her own.
"I...I'm so sorry, I'm sorry for everything you and all the others had to endure for so long" she wept sorrowfully, "I should have done something...I should've fought for my freedom sooner." As the half-jinn maid continued to weep, members of the Party did their utmost best to console her. Meanwhile, the injured dwarf tried to move about as gently as he can without risk of injuring himself.
But much to his surprise, he felt nothing; no sting in his limbs when he moved them, no pains in his side where the bruises once were and while his scars were still present, not one of them had reopened. "Aye, that's a fine healing touch the lass has" chuckled the dwarf, "as for not savin' me when ye should've...there was little else you could do, what with Gunari's collar wrapped about your neck."
As his comrades helped him up to his feet again, the dwarf took one look at the Party and saw Velra standing with them; a sight that near made his blood run cold. Then, he took a dive under the nearest table while pleading for Velra not to run him through with her axes. "I take it you and our new companion have a history, eh" inquired Ezra, "given your story earlier...'tis to be expected."
It took the word of both King Karuk and members of his guard to finally convinced the healed dwarf to come out of hiding, all while doing their best to assure him Velra meant no harm. Yet even this did little to ease the fearful chills running through him. Finally, Velra let out a weary sigh and decided to speak to the warrior for herself; claiming it would help ease the tension between them.
"I know it's not much, given what you've been through up till recently" she said solemnly, "but...I truly am sorry for what I've done to you and all the other gladiators I faced off against in the arena." To the ears of those like Fatima or even Ventris, these words held a truly genuine tone of sincerity behind them. Yet to the ears of the dwarf warrior, it seemed as though he were deaf to it.
"Tell that to every warrior Gunari's guard dragged back down to the stockade after they dueled you" he growled bitterly, "tell that to those others who almost met their end by your hands!" This revelation came as a shock not only to the dwarves but to the Party as well. But the latter bunch swiftly realized that everything the warrior spoke of must've occurred before their capture and arrival at Cicero.
Still, this knowledge left the likes of Ventris and Ursa to wonder if Velra was one to be trusted. But before either of them could raise their voices, Fatima swiftly intervened. "What's done is done" she said firmly, her arms raised out wide in a separating gesture, "it is fruitless to hold bitter grudges when we have far greater matters to attend to."
Upon hearing this, Karuk nodded in agreement and turned his attention towards Ventris; reminding the She-Elf that her group had yet to explain how and why they came upon their dwelling. "It...It's a bit of a story, Your Lordship" Mituna murmured shyly, "might we refresh ourselves a bit while we explain?" At first, the dwarf king offered no reply; choosing only to hum softly under his breath while tugging his beard in thought.
This silence lasted for nigh on a full minute until at last, Karuk gave a call out to his advisor; a rather rotund dwarf with his beard pulled through a pair of gold and silver rings. "Chamberlain...bring forth the kegs and tell the cooks to ready the spits" Karuk commanded, "we must greet our returning hero with a feast!" Almost immediately, the room echoed with the sounds of raucous cheers of joy; a sound that was quite painful to the ears of a certain elven mage and pair of Tabaxi.
Meanwhile, some among the cheering dwarves felt confused by this proclamation; the guards especially. "What of the outsiders, my Lord" questioned Floki Ghost-Hand, "what are we to do with them?" Straightaway, Karuk proclaimed that a good meal would do just the trick to help ease the tension in the air.
"This way, our...guests, shall we say, can give us a proper explanation on how they came here" the king explained, "what say you lot...shall we feast?!" Without a moment's delay, the room erupted into yet another series of cheers (which brought back a familiar painful sensation to Ventris and the Twins.)
(Line Break)
Time passed and the Party was soon brought to king's great feast hall. The whole room was simply buzzing with activity from the cooks prepping the meals, the musicians playing their boisterous Dwarvish tunes right along to the many dwarf warriors clacking their mugs in a toast. At which point, Ursa found herself nigh overwhelmed by the vast varieties of different smells and sounds that filled her senses.
She was especially captivated by the scent of the meat being roasted on the spits. It took every ounce of will she possessed to keep herself from lunging towards the nearest one and risk burning herself while trying to claim a slice. "UGH! How much longer must we wait" she groaned, "it feels like ages since we had a decent meal!"
Ezra nodded silently in agreement, doing his best to satiate his own hunger by sampling some mead Jaspur had poured. Meanwhile, Ventris took the chance to share with Karuk a small portion of their story; right up to the point they escaped from Gunari's coliseum. "The elf maid speaks the truth, my Lord" said the formerly injured dwarf, as he sampled his grog, "were it not for Fatima blasting down the wall, we and all the other gladiators would not have been able to escape."
Upon hearing mention of the others, Fatima proceeded to ask about their fates; hoping for the best. "Be not nervous, milady" the dwarf assured with a hearty chuckle, "they're all safe, every last one of 'em." Within seconds, the warrior regaled his people on what had become of all the emperor's former slaves.
He told them of how the Halfling warrior, Zenda led the charge; proclaiming she fought with the ferocity of a hundred warriors. He spoke of how Varra Stormbreaker, the orc warrior, struck a guard so hard in the chest that he swore he heard a few of the "poor fellow's" ribs break along with the chest plate of his armor. "After that, we made a run through the city; all while Gunari was hot on our collective tails" the dwarf stated, "but then...something odd happened."
With these words, the jovial mood of the room swiftly died down in an instant and all eyes slowly fixed themselves upon the warrior. With a grim look in his eyes, King Karuk urged for his comrade to continue. "I most certainly would, sire...truly" he said matter-of-factly, "but you may think me mad for what I might tell you."
Without so much as a second thought, Ventris rose from her seat and insisted that the dwarf finish his tale; stressing to not leave out any details. "Very well" murmured the warrior, "as you might expect, Gunari is not someone who is known for running on his own; preferring to travel place-to-place atop his chariot." This bit of information caused all present to suddenly chuckle to one another with Karuk laughing near the loudest.
When all was silent again, the healed dwarf explained how Gunari was prepared to have his guard shoot them all from behind. But before he could give the command, he just...stopped. "That's it...he stopped" questioned Ezra, "how exactly do you mean? Did he fall dead or simply decide to give up?"
Following this question, Ventris presented her own; how did the dwarf see this happen, if he were running for his life. Without pause, the dwarf said he came to learn what had happened from one of the other freed gladiators; Dyris. "While running, a spied a hawk flying next to me" he explained, "it wasn't until I looked into its eyes that I was able to fully recognize her."
This explanation seemed to please everyone, the Party especially and they urged for the dwarf to continue. It was here that he revealed that Dyris was able to watch for Gunari's pursuit from the air, after she had assumed her hawk form. "Mind you, even she had no idea what came over the fool" murmured the dwarf, "it was as if...something commanded him to stop pursuing us."
Despite however odd the tale sounded thus far, everyone at the table was still hanging on the warrior's every word. After this, it was revealed that some of the freed gladiators had "commandeered" Gunari's finest ships and used them to sail for freedom. "As for me...my injuries made it nigh impossible for me to make it halfway out of Cicero" sighed the dwarf wearily, "but thanks to the strength and kindness of the Leonin, Kira; I was led to safety."
This tale both pleased and soothed Fatima's spirit, which was almost overcome with worry. As for the rest of the Party, they did not feel quite as jubilant about what they've been told. Ventris was particularly curious of what caused Gunari to stop his pursuit of the fleeing slaves.
"Are you absolutely certain you were not followed here, sir" she prodded gently, "not one of the emperor's guards or anyone else?" With a look of pure stern certainty plastered upon his face, the dwarf vowed that every slave made certain they were not followed. Those who escaped by ship at the harbor had destroyed the docks, thus stopping the guard in their tracks.
"As for me, I wanted to stand and fight alongside the others" the dwarf stated, "but Kira insisted that I run for safety...so, I did." Karuk nodded silently during the whole tale, taking a mental note on every detail presented. Finally, he rose from his throne and proclaimed the warrior made the wise choice in retreating.
"The injuries we saw on your person moments ago, my friend clearly proves that you were in no condition to fight" he said firmly, "I'm just happy you're still alive." Every dwarf at the table muttered loudly in agreement while having their fill of ale to calm their nerves. Then, Leoric Strongjaw proclaimed that the time had come for everyone to discuss a more pressing issue; namely the Party's accidental intrusion.
"Indeed...you said earlier, Madame Elf that you and your comrades are on a sort of quest" Beris Stormclaw muttered, "what, pray tell is it?"
(The Real World)
"WHOOO, DOGGY! We're in for it now" Liam hollered excitedly, "time to see if Miss Lori and the others can truly earn our trust." At first, everybody felt a little tense at the boy's words; thinking they might result in Lori becoming frustrated...again. But much to their surprise, it was Leni who chose to speak up instead.
She questioned how the Party had yet to earn the dwarves' trust, even after her character healed the other one. "One act of kindness can help ease the tension, that much is understood" Albert said in his Karuk voice, "but as we mentioned earlier...Dwarves are notoriously stubborn." Following this, Mrs. Johnson added that the Party still needed to explain the reason they were all so far from their homes and how they ended up captured in the first place.
"We already told them...didn't we" questioned Lynn, "we're all on a quest to find the Bloodstone Keep!" The instant she said all of this, Lynn suddenly noticed all the players dressed as dwarves murmuring amongst themselves in alarm; including her Pop-Pop. It was as if this were their first time hearing this...even though they've discussed the quest several times before.
That's when she saw Rusty put his "game face" on, clear his throat and begin to speak. "You want to go to the Wastelands...you lot are dafter than we thought" he said in his best attempt at a Scottish brogue, "no living thing exists there anymore, nay plant nor bird nor beast." The next to approach was Zach, who went on to describe how he saw a dwarf go mad after sampling some water he discovered.
As expected, many players voiced their displeasure at the idea of anybody drinking water from unfamiliar places. But Zach was quick to counter this; saying that while everyone's concerns were valid, the dwarf was dying of thirst after trekking through scorching desert for almost three days straight. "So...what happened after that" Lana asked eagerly, "did he get sick and vomit all over the place?" Before anyone could question the young lady's eagerness over someone else's nausea, Zach's demeanor went bleak in an instant; silencing everyone.
"Yes...the poor fool did fall ill after tasting the water" he said with his character's accented voice, "but that is not forced his fellow warriors to flee." Without hesitation, the young man went into a grim detail on the exact nature of the dwarf's sickness. First, his skin turned a deathly pale; then, several members of his company swore they saw what looked to be black veins along his face.
Then came the coughing fits, which sounded so painful and hoarse it looked as though the poor fool might expel one of his own lungs through passed his lips. Finally, when the moment that the dwarf fell to his knees and vomited; his comrades saw an awful sight. Whatever the warrior expelled from his body looked like nothing they've ever seen.
"'It was as black and murky as the pool he drank from'" Zach said grimly, "'it looked almost like bile!'" Upon taking the full description of the game's current scenario, the Loud Sisters suddenly felt their own bellies churning as well. After taking a moment to force every ounce of will she had to not projectile vomit over the game table, Lori pleaded for the story to proceed.
"Right...Right, sorry about that" Zach murmured apologetically, "sometimes, I don't know my own imagination." Everyone chuckled weakly at the lad's words while trying to push the image of black bile/vomit out of their minds at the same time. When they finally calmed down enough, the players were able to finally continue with the game.
(The Game World)
"Many souls have attempted to cross the waste in hopes of finding the Bloodstone Keep" Karuk murmured, "alas...they either die from thirst, collapse from exhaustion or some unfortunate combination of both." Floki Ghost-Hand added his own say on the tale, reminding his king of a far greater fate that befell those who met their ends within the Waste. "Every thought in my head is practically screaming for me to do otherwise" muttered Ezra, "but...what fate could possibly be worse than what you've told us?"
Without a second thought or nary a pause, Jaspur Spirit-Forge told them of something he learned from one of the few survivors of the aforementioned venture into the Waste. Said survivor claimed to have seen a light shooting up towards the sky off in the distance. "This light...it pierced through the clouds and fire up towards the heavens themselves" he proclaimed, "then, the light shaped itself into a dome; bathing everything within reach under its blood-red glow!"
The moment the light's color was mentioned, the original members of the Party suddenly had a strong suspicion on what caused it; the Crimson Orb. Thus, they went on to explain how each of them had near similar experiences of their own before traveling together. "We...that is myself, Shadow and the Twins were tasked by King Acheron and Queen Eliana to reach the Bloodstone Keep and stop the fiend responsible" Ventris stated, "mayhaps you heard of her...the so-called 'Queen' Malaena."
Upon hearing mention of Malaena's name, every dwarf at the table suddenly felt their blood run cold. It was here that King Karuk revealed how he and his people were once allies with Orianna, the true queen of the Waste. Of course, before the darkness fell, the Waste was known by a different name; Haverbrook.
Upon hearing mention of the name, Mituna's face was simply glowing with joy. When asked why she seemed so jubilant, she revealed that her mother once hailed from Haverbrook before she and her clan went on their migration. The moment she let her words sink in, her joy swiftly gave way to sorrow.
"I cannot believe what has become of my mother's home" she whispered sadly, "we must do something!" While Karuk felt incline to agree, he was still curious of everyone else's involvement on the quest outside of the main four. "Actually...there were five of us originally" Ventris interjected, "my wolf pup, Lupa; she..."
The instant she mentioned her companion's name, the elven mage swiftly fell into a hysterical state. She wondered if during the chaos of the escape, Lupa had inadvertently got herself separated from the group. Worse, she wondered if a member of the guard had got a hold of her and had her killed!
With such thoughts in mind, Ventris immediately questioned the others if they had seen Lupa with them. "We were all running off rather hectically" Mituna confessed, "I...don't think I spotted her in the crowd." This only seemed to make Ventris' anxieties grow ever higher and it did not go unnoticed by the dwarves.
That's when they heard a sound; soft and far away, at first but to Ventris' ears, they were unmistakable. It was a bark; a soft, yipping one at that but one Ventris recognized all too well. "Lupa...LUPA, IS THAT YOU" she called out hopefully around her, "COME TO ME, PRECIOUS!" No sooner had this plea been made, another sound came to everyone's ears...the soft pattering clatter of tiny footfalls against the stone floor.
Soon after that, the barking became slightly louder than before; causing the rest of the Party to become equally hopeful. Then, they saw her...standing at the eastern side of the dining hall was the tiny wolf pup herself, Lupa. With tears of utter joy in her eyes, Ventris fell to her knees and eagerly beckoned for her companion to come to her arms.
With an excited yowl, Lupa did in fact race forward with all the speed her little legs could muster. But instead of heading for her mistress; Lupa, instead changed direction and made a leap for the closest serving table. There, she wasted no time in snatching up a slice of boar that lie beside the roasted haunch of the beast's other half.
Upon claiming her prize, Lupa hopped below the table and proceeded to take a hearty bite from it; much to the chagrin of Ventris. "Don't take it personal, mate" chuckled Ezra while patting the elf's shoulder, "the wee pup must've been starving from running so far." While she could not deny the truth in the druid's words; as her summoner, Ventris still felt bothered that Lupa chose food over reuniting with her.
Meanwhile, the healed dwarf warrior went on to say that it was actually he who brought Lupa to the gate...with assistance from a few of the other slaves. "She had, indeed been separated from your party during the escape, Madame Elf" he stated, "but we found her and brought her safely out of the city." The dwarf then went on to say he intended to present Lupa to the party as a token of goodwill.
But before he could do so, the pup fled is side and bolted off towards the kitchens. "HA! As I said, Lupa must've been hungry" Ezra interjected, "and so are we...when do we eat, Your Kingship?" Although Karuk fully understood the druid's eagerness for refreshment, he firmly insisted to hear the rest of the Party's tale.
With weary sighs, the heroes submitted to the request and continued where they had left off. They told the dwarves about the owlbear attack near Lemerius, how the people of Maravillosa were forced to uphold their former leader's twisted vision of perfection and how they came to meet with their fellow Party member, Mituna.
Needless to say, these stories seemed to pique Karuk's interests greatly. "To endure so much in the short time you've all been together...it's astonishing" he muttered while tugging his beard, "if I may ask, where do you intend to go next?"
(The Real World)
"Hey, yeah! That's actually a great question, Pop-Pop" Lana said suddenly, "do we have any idea of where we need to go next?" Straightaway, Lola reminded her twin of the map Mr. Grouse (AKA Alucard the Dragonborn) gave to Lori's character at the very start of the quest. The moment this reveal was made, Lori suddenly started to panic; thinking one of the guards took it from her back in Ciscero.
But before she went too far into a tizzy, her father quickly called for her attention. "Maybe it's still on your person, Madame Elf" Lynn Sr. said in his Acheron voice, "perhaps, you should take a glance at your inventory...you will find it somewhere on your character sheet." Much to her surprise, Lori sighed heavily at this news; as if relieved.
Then, as she took a peek over at her sheet, she saw that the map Alucard had given her was still in her possession. "But...B-But how" questioned Luan in disbelief, "Officer Simmons always tells us that perps are stripped of all items in their possession when captured." In spite of themselves, the Loud Parents smiled; pleased to hear that their godmothers' stories of their police work have remained stuck with them.
After that, Rita went on to say that while Luan spoke the truth, Lori had a little something that helped keep her map safe from even Gunari's hands; something called the Bag of Holding. "Wait...I think I saw that in the manual, weeks ago" murmured Lana, "it's that one with the weird smile, right?" Everyone cheered loudly with pride at the young lady's guess, amazed to hear her remember such a detail about the item.
After that, The Game Masters went on to give a brief description about the Bag of Holding. "Think of it like this, dear" said Mrs. Johnson, "have you ever gone on one of your Shop-a-Thon trips and came back with multiple bags in your arms that were heavier than stone?" Surprisingly, the teacher's metaphorical example seemed to click with Lori and she gave a slight nod in response.
Having baited the young lady, Mrs. Johnson went on to describe how the Bag of Holding was D 's "perfect solution" to her problem. "If you've seen it in the manual, you might assume it's small size isn't all that impressive...right" she asked, earning a slight nod from Lori; "well, the Bag of Holding not only has unlimited storage place inside but it feels light as a pillow, no matter how much you have in it!"
To say that this little reveal left Lori breathless would be a gross understatement. It came as such a shock to her, she almost stumbled right out of her seat. But she quickly recovered and proceeded to question how a small handbag. In response to this, the Council proclaimed that the item was neither a handbag nor a backpack of any kind.
"It's a sack that's mystically gifted with infinite storage space inside of it" Lincoln interjected, "you could carry something as big as a suit of armor about Chunk's height and it wouldn't feel even the slightest bit heavier!" The whole time she listened to these descriptions, Lori secretly found herself wishing the Bag of Holding were a real item. With it, she'd be able to score big time at the next Blowout Sale at the mall.
But before she could think on that further, Mrs. Johnson called for her attention; asking her to bring out the map. "Okay, fine" Lori murmured softly, "I, uh...I reach into my bag and search for Alucard's map." Upon saying these words, she wasted no time in asking how she'd be able to find any items in a thing with "limitless" storage.
"In previous editions of the game, one has to perform an Action to find the items they want" Haiku said suddenly, "but...I imagine our Game Masters will be most gracious to you in that regard." The aforementioned council blushed softly at the young Goth girl's comment, thanked her and did exactly as she said they would.
Without missing a beat, Lynn Sr stood up and proclaimed he would "go easy on his Lori Loo;" considering how she was still learning the ropes. "Could you not use my silly nickname here, Daddy" Lori mumbled vehemently, "my friends are literally right here!" As if on cue, the eldest members of the Gal Pals chuckled heartily at her and assured her she was fine.
"Be glad your pet name a cute one, Lors" Whitney stated, "if my folks were here and they called me by my nickname, I'd literally die of shame right on the table." No sooner had this been said, Lincoln suddenly started snickering under his breath. Almost immediately, Whitney happened to overhear this and warned him not to say anything; lest he risk having a "Noogie Nuke" or a "Tickle Attack."
"Me...say something? Perish the thought" Lincoln exclaimed with an overdramatic flair, "I wouldn't dream of offending you...Powder Puff." All time seemed to either slow to a crawl or freeze up, the moment this name was spoken. As several of the younger players felt their jaws fall in slow-motion with shock, Whitney looked utterly flabbergasted.
Meanwhile, Lincoln pushed his beard over his lips in a vain attempt to stifle his giggling but to no avail. Then, he found himself snatched out of his seat and felt what seemed like a pair of backscratchers running their thin fingers frantically up and down his sides; all while a voice kept saying the words "COOCHIE-CHOOCHIE-CHOOCHIE" in an equally frantic tone.
While laughing madly, Lincoln cracked an eye open to see Whitney; who made good on her promise to punish him with tickles. "I WARNED YOU, MISTER" she said with a devious grin, "NOW...YOU PAY THE PIPER!" With that, she wasted no time in tickling the poor boy for almost a minute before Lori finally called for their attention.
"Not that your display of playful affection isn't cute and all" she murmured calmly, "but it's still literally my turn." Both Lincoln and Whitney realized the error of their behavior, split up and reassumed their seats. But before the round continued, Whitney vowed to give Lincoln a good tickling before he left.
"Now, then...if you want to find your map within the Bag of Holding, Madame Elf; you'll need to perform an action" Huggins explained in his Fastred voice, "therefore, might I recommend simply placing your hand within the bag...and focusing." While simple and straight-forward, Lori couldn't help but find the man's instructions still rather confusing. It wasn't until Mrs. Johnson spoke up that everything finally became clear.
"Just stick your hand in, like Principal Hug...er, I mean, Game Master Fastred said" she explained, "then, simply think to yourself 'bring me Alucard's map' and it should appear." Before went about doing this, she had a brief moment of realization and suddenly snatched her D20 right off the table. It was as if she knew she might need it for this turn.
After that, she gave the dice a quick flick of the wrist; not even putting the slightest effort into her roll. But much to hers and the other players' surprise, it ended up revealing a "19." "WOW! Talk about lucky, Sis" chirped Lana, "and you weren't even trying." With a look of utter annoyance on her face, Lori thanked her little sister as politely as possible before refocusing back on her turn.
(The Game World)
Upon opening the flap, Ventris dipped her hand into the Bag of Holding and did her absolute best to focus. But her hunger and overall weary state made the process rather difficult, to say the least. Still, she took in a calming breath for luck and concentrated as best of her ability. For a moment or so, nothing seemed to be happening; Ventris didn't so much as feel even the slightest touch of parchment upon her hand.
Then, she made the decision to have a quick peek inside the Bag of Holding; taking care to not stick her head into it...lest she risk getting lost within its void. The elf pulled her hand back up out from the bag, picked it up, eased the opening towards her face and...POW! Like a bat flying out from its den, something flew out from the bag and smacked itself against Ventris' forehead.
It was a rolled-up piece of parchment with a golden seal stamped upon the center. The moment after it struck Ventris in the face, the item flew into the open palm of King Karuk. Then, he drew out a dagger that hung from his belt and sliced the seal in half; causing the paper to unroll. Afterwards, Karuk placed the map upon the table and began to study it with great intent.
"Hmm...Yes. You and your comrades truly have traveled a long way from Avalonis" he murmured while running a finger along the map, "most of which was not your intended path." It was here that Karuk explained how the Party had traveled half the world away from their intended path to the Waste, after they were taken captive and sold to Gunari's fighting pits.
"Your best course of action is to leave this continent and return to where you were before" he explained, "afterwards, I recommend making your way towards the city of Semora." Upon hearing the king's words, Shadow suddenly let out an outward squawk; which many presumed to be a sort of gasp.
Curious, the rest of the Party questioned their kenku compatriot on their familiarity with Semora. "I...may have visited there, long ago" she replied telepathically, "it's a fabled city of magic folk; wizards, magi, sorcerers and a variety of others have traveled there to hone their skills with the best." This explanation seemed to pique the interests of Ventris and Ezra, who themselves possessed their own form of magical skills.
But they soon found themselves wondering what happened to Shadow during her visit to Semora. When asked about it, the Kenku claimed the magic schools there "did not appreciate her skills." "Something about your tone coupled with your words suggest there's something more to your story" Ursa prodded, "speak plainly...there are no secrets among friends."
For a moment, Shadow felt libel to challenge these words by claiming that some things were meant to be private. Even more so, she felt the desire to tell Ursa that they (along with the rest of the Party) had not known one another long enough to consider themselves friends. Yet upon giving the rogue's words some thought; Shadow realized that if trust truly was to be had between them, little next to nothing should be left out.
Meanwhile, Karuk assured the Kenku that she would be free to remain silent if she did, in fact harbor a personal secret. "It's nothing serious, I can assure you" Shadow said through her circlet, "I simply...made a rather embarrassing mistake, years ago." With an outward timid chirp, the young sorceress went on to describe an event that occurred during her time as a student at Semora's foremost magic academy.
At that time, she experimented with all forms of teachings/lessons to help restore her wings and/or voice from potions to spells. But each attempt came to the same result, complete failures to utter disasters. On one such occasion, Shadow thought about creating and spreading a Restoration potion upon her forearms.
Alas, she couldn't remember the proper mixture for the potion and as a result, created something that burned her skin. On another occasion, Shadow thought about using a spell to help grow her feathers back. But she had forgotten that this particular spell required the user to recite the incantation out loud.
Because she, like the rest of her kind, were cursed to only caw and screech; this attempt proved impossible as well. "In the end, I became frustrated and left the academy" Shadow murmured with an outward screech, "after that...I never returned there." For a short while, no one had spoken a word but the looks of distress on everyone's faces meant one thing; they truly pitied the young Kenku.
But Shadow outright dismissed their pity, proclaiming there was a bit more to her tale. "My frustrations weren't solely limited towards my inability to master spell work" she confessed, "many of my teachers assumed I was a threat, proclaiming my experiments would put the rest of the school in danger as well, as myself." After taking these words to heart, the Party still harbored pity for their comrade and openly expressed it.
Meanwhile, Karuk declared that the "old buzzards" of Semora were daft in calling Shadow a threat. "In all my years as lord of my clan, I have dealt with my fair share of dangerous magic folk" he stated, "but you and the elf...you don't quite look that to me." Although she and Shadow were more than appreciative of the dwarf lord's words, something in his tone suggested he still didn't fully trust them.
Thus, Ventris asked the king if there was any way to earn that trust. "There is one" murmured Beris, "do you recall the tale we told you of Floki's encounter with the Xorn?" Without a second thought, the Party nodded their heads in silent unison; which seemed to please the dwarven cleric. "Those vile creatures have taken over our mines, collecting or devouring our gems to satiate their own appetites" Beris explained, "if you can find a way to drive them out...we will help you."
(The Real World)
"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! HOOOOLLLLD IT" Lynn shouted emphatically, "you really want us to get into another scrap, after barely surviving another in the arena?" Upon hearing these words, Lana quickly shot back in saying her sister had little to complain about due to being part of the aforementioned scrap. Almost immediately, Lynn was prepared to make a sort of snappy comeback to this...but froze with her mouth agape.
"Touché, Lil' Sis...touché" she murmured softly, "still, can we really take on these Xorn things?" Without missing a beat, Principal Huggins (after briefly rubbing his temples with a sigh) urged for Lynn to look at the chapter regarding Xorn inside the Monster Manual. Begrudgingly, she did just that and her sisters followed suit in reading the page
It was here that Leni almost screamed with fright when she saw the creature's maw of huge teeth, multiple limbs and three eyes. "Normally, I find such bizarre creatures to be fascinating" murmured Lucy, "but...something about the Xorn actually gives me chills and not the good kind." While she shared in her sisters' distaste for the creature, Lola urged for them to not get distracted and keep reading.
It was here that they came upon the one sole weakness the Xorn had, Bludgeoning Damage. "Bludgeoning damage" chirped Leni confusedly, "does that mean we gotta try and make it bleed?" The Loud Siblings resisted every urge they had to outright call the girl out on her ignorance. But, after a bit of breathing tips from Lynn, they managed to keep calm enough to continue.
"Not blood, dearest sister; bludgeoning" Lisa emphasized with a dry tone, "it means one must simply strike the creature with blunt weapons...things like maces, flails, or something simple like a club or a quarterstaff." Once the explanation finally clicked with her, Leni let out a gasp of realization/understanding and proceeded to ask her group if any of them had those kinds of weapons.
In response, Lana mentioned that her druid had a staff; which could prove useful against the creatures. Then, she suggested that Lori's character could use hers the same way. "Uh...Literally unlikely, Lans" the young lady retorted, "my staff is meant for channeling spells, not beating people over the head with!"
As if expecting this sort of response from their daughter, Rita and Lynn quickly interjected; informing Lori that most magic users often did "beat people over the head," as she put it, with their staves. For context, Mrs. Johnson compared Ventris' mage staff to that of a quarterstaff; a popular two-handed weapon of the Middle Ages. "Okay, that literally solves my dilemma" Lori muttered, "but what about my sisters, Lana seems to be the only one other than me with a...what'cha call it? A bludgeoning weapon?"
The Council took a moment's pause to consider Lori's words, all while having a sort of private discussion as well. Upon breaking up, they commended Lori for pointing out her group's problem; which seemed to actually make her smile a bit. But Albert was quick to tell her that a hero's weapon is more than just what they had on hand already.
"But...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" he said with a coy wink, "in the meantime, the dwarves will be more than happy to lend some of their own weaponry to you." While she felt a small twinge of comfort from her Pop-Pop's words, something deep down in Lori's gut told her that things were about to get harder and stranger for everyone than they already had.
Meanwhile, her other sisters were already talking with Al and Lincoln's group while in character. From the little she paid attention to; one side said that if Lori's group were able to successfully deal with the Xorn, they'll be shown the way out. If not, they might end up being slashed to bits by the creatures' claws.
"At least there's one good thing about this situation" Lynn stated, "our bodies may get sliced...but at least those things won't think about eating us!" Lori paled slightly at this, thinking that her sports-loving sis had an even stranger sense of humor than Luan did. But she had little time to think on that, as the whole table seemed abuzz with activity; prepping things for the next scene of the session.
"Just get through this, Lori...it won't take long" thought the young lady, "the sooner we kill those yicky things, the closer we'll be towards ending this campaign." As Lori kept mentally repeating these words in her head, she had no idea of what the Council had in store for her group in the next in-game encounter.
(First AN: Just when Lori thinks she's out, the game pulls her back in for another escapade. How do you think this will go? Will she and her Party be able to successfully dispose of the Xorn and if they do, what will happen to them on their way to Semora?
Tune in next time for answers to these questions and possibly more on Dungeons, Dragons & Dames)
(Second AN: Sorry for the long wait, I didn't expect this chapter to take so long to write. But I suppose this sort of thing happens in real world D campaigns, especially for the DMs/GMs who create the story. I thank you all for your continuing patience/support and hope you'll enjoy this latest installment)
(Third AN: For those wondering, the brief scene where Whitney gives Lincoln a Tickle Attack for bringing up her nickname is one of several instances where I try to interconnect this story with my Gal Pals universe of Loud House fanfics. While Carol, Becky, Whitney, Dana and all the others won't have as prominent of roles as some of you might like; rest assured, they will each have their time to shine in some way)
(Final AN: The big reason it took me so long to make this chapter stems from me doing proper research on Xorn creatures, the Artificer Class, the exact nature on how prosthetic limbs work within the D universe and a proper backstory for Lucy's character of Shadow.
I, once again apologize for the wait and hope I did proper justice for the aforementioned examples)