Author Note: This story is a written version of a current Dungeons and Dragons (5e) campaign that I hold with several friends and with my brother as the Dungeon Master. The world, the lore, the NPC's, the cities, the backgrounds – everything is sourced from my brother's mind, and I claim no rights to any of his masterful world-building.
My character is the main character of this story, as most things are told from his perspective. With the aid of my friends, I have also tried to incorporate some other perspectives in places where the party got split or I felt that their inner narrative was important to the reader's understanding of the story. Most of the time, the greatest depth and detail will remain with the main character, as I am hesitant to tread on the intentions of my friends.
After several early sessions, I had the idea to begin writing this in story form mostly for us players to have something more concrete as reminders of past sessions; we have busy schedules and typically only meet to play every few months, and we can forget a lot between sessions. But they liked the idea and gave their blessing to start posting chapters here on .
As such, I started with posting summary chapters encompassing parts that I have not written as full stories (due to lack of memory, mostly) that detail the events that occurred during our campaign before my writing began. These will be abbreviated and less detailed, but hopefully can communicate some level of character depth. While you can skip them, many events are referenced by our characters during the story, and you might be a bit lost if you don't read them.
Please note that these chapters will posted as we play, with gaps between anywhere from one month to twelve. Adult lives, man… They suck sometimes.
Also please understand that the structure of the story will not hold as much organization as my other stories, of course, because of the nature of D and how it is played. I have also restricted myself on imposing my own narrative on the other characters, and therefore, some parts may feel like they lack depth, especially compared to my writing for The Legend of Dragoon. Please bear with me!
If you'd like to skip the background and summaries, skip ahead to Chapter 2.
Since starting this story, we have compiled a playlist that encompasses our characters, though it focuses mostly on Bash, Enna, and William. If you'd like to check it out, search for "The Natural Misfits" on Spotify.
Our story takes place on the continent of Jebrigar, a dangerous land riddled with perils. In the south, a group of adventurers who call themselves the Natural Misfits have been placed together as joint members of the Mireguard, defenders of the southern province of Marshfall. Each of them is here for his own reasons, but fate, it seems, may have its own designs.
The most noticeable character is the aarakocra cleric/ranger named Aribis. An absolute sharpshooter with his crossbow, Aribis has an eagle eye for his prey. Standing around three feet tall, this diminutive aarakocra resembles an oversized raven, and his dark countenance is frequently offset by his aloof and flippant attitude. Little is known of his story, and he likes to keep those things to himself, though he is known to have a few serious moments now and then. That infrequent seriousness is how you know that he really means something, and his companions can sometimes be taken aback by it.
Second behind him is the lovely tiefling sorcerer/barbarian Sopheta, brimming with wild magic and ready to unleash it on the world. As the future leader of her fey realm, Sopheta has set out in the world to learn about it and gain experience before becoming the queen. Sadly, all she wants is to be with her beloved, a commoner who is far beneath her – according to her family. She is all too eager to try new things and learn more about the strange customs of the world.
William the half-elf monk sits stiffly with the group, likely thinking about his obscure, dark past. He speaks of it to no one, but ripples of that story emanate from him in his perpetually serious demeanor. A man of few words, he has become a mystery to his companions, though he seems loyal and caring.
A carefree wood elf also graces the table, the druid Enna, lover of nature and especially animals. She has spent her life traveling the world and taking in new sights, and eventually she decided to visit her half-brother Rolen Delthorn in the large city of Agneward. Here, she met and befriended a curious rogue and joined him on many adventures until they became fast friends. Certain events pushed her back out of the city, and the rogue followed. She has arrived in the Mireguard eager for new experiences and the promise of helping those in need. She spends much of her time mothering her companions when she isn't morphing into deadly beasts to rip out the throats of her enemies.
That rogue is the main character of our story – a high elf assassin named Sebastian, or Bash for short. An expert with a short sword and a dagger, Bash charges into tense situations with a sneak attack and a dash of humor on the side. Viewing himself as dashing and suave, he is very flirtatious, though any fool can see his strong attachment to his companion Enna. He'd lived in Agneward for two centuries before she came to town and weaseled her way into his operations, eventually working together for over a hundred fifty years. When things went sour, he opted to leave his city behind and follow her to the Mireguard.
This group of five misfits have gathered in the Mireguard outpost called the Wayfarer's Wake to receive their next missive from their captain, who explained that there have been problems with bullywugs in the marshes. The Natural Misfits were then tasked with protecting the people of Marshfall by finding and eliminating the root of the problem. The next day, a suspicious merchant promised them a copious paycheck if they could bring him a flail snail.
Setting this last task in the backs of their minds (largely pressed by Aribis and Bash), they headed out into the marshes and encountered – to their shock and surprise – a bullywug that could speak. He begged for their help, claiming that the bullywugs had been enslaved by a dark power. Some following their missive and some wanting to help the strange little Chirp – as the bullywug called himself – the group followed him deeper into the marshes, seeking to help him find and confiscate a black orb imbued with the power to control dragons. Eventually, Chirp went on ahead, leaving the group to navigate for themselves.
Fortunately, Aribis had extensive knowledge of the marshes, and from his skyward vantage point, he was able to lead them expertly throughout. He kept them on their path and found adequately dry shelter for them each night.
One night, as Bash kept watch, Chirp returned. But he charmed Bash, leading him to trust Chirp completely, and the talking bullywug sneaked deeper into the camp and stabbed Aribis before disappearing into the marshes. The group woke, enraged, more determined than ever to find their quarry, and hopefully, Chirp.
They traveled farther south until they reached a felled ancient forest, petrified and hollowed by time. Within one of these massive trunks, they found a black dragon wyrmling… and Chirp.
The bullywug had the orb on him, used it, and then disappeared. The group then turned their attention to the black dragon, who now carried the orb in its forehead, and they demonstrated their strength and slayed the beast. After retrieving the orb, Enna found herself seared by it, and she let it fall to the ground. William picked it up, but he became subject to the dark recesses of his inner self. Carefully this time, Enna retrieved the orb from William's possession and safely deposited it in her knapsack.
One exploding chest later, the group found some loot and headed back to the Wayfarer's Wake.
On the way, they took a pit stop by a dark lake, across which they could make out a small island. Aribis investigated and then carried a transformed Enna across the lake, where she met with a powerful archdruid who lived on the island that was covered with flail snails. Upon requesting the shell of one of these beautiful creatures for the odd merchant back in town, the archdruid promised one in return for handling two great evils that plagued the marshes: one to the north and one to the south. A new charge to their names, the group returned to the Wayfarer's Wake, orb in hand.
As they approached the outpost, Bash grew worried that someone would press them about the orb – which they wished to keep quiet – and thieved it from Enna's bag without her noticing. (If she was questioned, he wanted her to be able to be honest about her ignorance.) A mighty storm soaked them on the way in, and each of them recovered in their own way at the tavern.
Aribis tried to brew his own ale, which turned out horribly (though he was quite proud of himself), and then proceeded to serenade the tavern's patrons. William saw to his solitude and took time alone in his room. And Bash, Sopheta, and Enna took some time to warm up in the bathhouses.
It was here that Enna discovered the missing orb and stormed into the men's side of the building to ask Bash if he knew where it was. Quite proud of himself, he showed no shame in his figure as the two women stormed in, barely distracted by him thanks to their frenzy. Bash was forced to admit what he'd done in taking the orb, and Enna's wrath had her stomping out, Sopheta following in support.
In the tavern later that evening, three dragonborn entered – two maroon, one a shining silver with brilliant armor to match. This one was named Caetrin. Aribis and Bash cooked up a half-baked scheme to steal from them, but Bash retreated after seeing a demonstration of their strength and will. Instead, he joined in conversation with the dragonborn and the two women of the group. There they learned of a tale of the dragonborn, which intrigued Bash, and he stored it deep in his memory.
They learned that these dragonborn were after a black dragonborn that had come to the region working evils. Though their descriptions were vague, it became clear that they were also after the black orb. But the group did not trust easily, and it was not until Bash peered into Caetrin's eyes and saw there an earnestness he couldn't deny that he passed on the orb to those more worthy.
The next day, their captain ordered them back into the marshes to find the ruins in the middle of Marshfall, where scouts had seen huge masses of bullywugs. And so, they marched out, heading just a little farther north of the direct path to approach the area the archdruid had sent them.
As usual, Aribis scouted ahead, but this time fell into some trouble. Investigating a small lake, he was suddenly grappled and pulled under the water by a froghemoth. Fate had other plans for him, however, and he just managed to get away and return to the group relatively unharmed.
They continued north to a small forest, which appeared dead as they approached. Enna reached out with her mind and heard the trees screaming in pain, foretelling of some great evil within. And so, they roped themselves together and crept through. In the center of the trees, they found a nest of hags, and quickly a fight broke out. After much battle, a polymorphed shambling mound, and a spontaneous, irritated unicorn, the group emerged victorious. Enna, however, found and kept what appeared to be a seed of the shambling mound, writhing and oozing evil thoughts.
The group continued their journey through the marshes, eventually discovering a dead body with a helpful map on it. Using this map, they navigated to a massive tree in the middle of the marsh, its roots forming a hovel of shelter. As they stayed there that night, they were greeted by a curious character who named herself Thexia. With bright red hair and a pet griffin, she invited them to stay in her luxury hotel, accessible by magical portal. Everyone except Enna decided to pay the toll to go, and the group enjoyed a night of magical frivolity. Enna stayed behind and used the time to write in her journal and cuddle with Thexia's griffin.
The next day, they continued following the map until they reached the ruins of an ancient ship of the dragonborn. They found their way inside, and a path led down below the earth. A chamber demanded sacrifice to move forward, and William paid the toll, allowing a magical flame to burn him so that the door might be opened. Within this chamber, they found a naga, who presented them with a riddle. Should they succeed, they would be granted access to the treasure of the ancient dragonborn.
Recalling the old tale that the dragonborn had recounted in the Wayfarer's Wake, Bash was able to solve the riddle quite easily, and each of the group was able to choose one item. Bash secured a belt for himself, which he later identified as a Belt of Giant Strength. William found a Ring of the Ram, Enna a necklace with healing power, and Aribis a curious metal ingot, strikingly blue and possessing some sort of magic that he could not pinpoint.
After this, the Natural Misfits left the area and followed the map to the ruins in the middle of the marshes. Upon arrival, they were met by the three dragonborn who were in the middle of a fight with multiple bullywugs. After the battle, both groups decided to trek into the ruins together. Old rooms filled with antiques were discovered, but they pressed on deeper into the old fortress until they reached a central chamber.
As Aribis flew forward into the chamber, he accidentally tripped an invisible wire, causing a mighty boulder to be released and roll down the passage toward them. Everyone was forced into the cavern, which was filled with water, pillars, and ancient, open ruins on the other side. Within that room was a black dragonborn, and Caetrin charged forward with a willpower and resilience that surprised the Natural Misfits, inspiring and attracting William.
A battle ensued, and the dark sorcerer named Kaltress conjured enemies for them. Fighting valiantly, the dragonborn lent their aid until, at last, the foes were all slain. Caetrin mourned the loss of Kaltress, revealed to be her lover, and retreated with her two companions, each of them calmer for knowing that this evil was abolished forever.
Enna recovered the journal of Kaltress and kept it for further study, and the group left the ruins.
Before returning home, they agreed to visit an area to the south, a place the archdruid had bid them go. They discovered an underground graveyard, and at the bottom, they saw a group of dark worshippers chanting around a large sarcophagus. Interrupting the summons, the group took action to kill the worshippers, but not before a wraith was released.
Leaping from headstone to headstone, the wraith eluded them until William realized what was happening. As he leapt around breaking headstone after headstone, the others tried to land hits on the wraith. Bash lined up a shot and fired, only to fail drastically and pierce his nearby friend and companion Aribis.
Aribis was gravely wounded and fell unconscious. The wraith reached out to steal his soul, but just in time, Enna moved her powerful moonbeam and laid the final blow.
After the battle, Enna healed Aribis, and they took another look at the worshippers. With the wraith and its dark magic gone, they no longer looked like worshippers, but priests of the Raven Queen. It appeared their ritual was to hold the wraith, not release it. William took one of their holy symbols, and Aribis took an odd ring, which he slipped onto his finger later that night. Shaken in more than one way, the group departed, ready to tell the archdruid of their victories.
Guilt-stricken, Bash avoided Aribis for a time. The group reached the lake of the archdruid, and Enna told him of their successes and asked about the shambling mound seed. The archdruid told her that it would have to be destroyed, and that it could not be saved, and then in return for their assistance, he granted her a baby flail snail.
Over the next several days, the group made the journey back to the Wayfarer's Wake, enjoying their successes with another night at the inn. But Bash's guilt ate away at him, and he used alcohol to stem the irritation. While Bash was in a more open state, Aribis confronted him about his distance and forgave him for the accidental blow. Bash was overwhelmed and wept, proclaiming to the entire crowd that Aribis was his best friend.
The next day, the party was told that their captain had been replaced by none other than Aribis's sister, Freya. They also received a letter from Enna's mother, Althaea, who urgently requested her presence because Enna's half-brother Rolen Delthorn had been kidnapped by the Ghost of Agneward. After some intensive conversations, everyone decided to go with Enna back to Agneward so that she could investigate the family situation. To them, Enna was family anyway. After speaking to Captain Freya, the group was granted a leave of absence from the Mireguard.
Unspoken to the rest of the group, Enna and Bash understood the oddity of Althaea's letter; both knew that Bash himself had earned the title of Ghost of Agneward during his time there as an assassin. No one had ever seen his face, save once when Enna's brother had trapped them, eventually driving them both out of town to the safety of Marshfall.
The journey northeast was long. For two weeks, the Natural Misfits traveled north, stopping briefly to stay in Bogindle, the headquarters of the Mireguard. Though this was normally where William's old mentor Dekkar stayed, William discovered that he'd left on a journey without telling anyone of his whereabouts. William thought this curious and unlike his master, but he did not pursue the subject.
After acquiring a wagon and three horses (Prince, Racer, and Whinny), they continued north, collecting spirited conversation along the way. Enna explained that her half-elf brother Rolen was a guildmaster in the large city of Agneward, and Bash detailed Rolen's evil nature, as he had spent most of the past century trying to thwart this very man's schemes. Thanks to a lost flying race, Enna confided in Aribis the actions that she'd hidden away in shame: after seeing her brother's cruel treatment of his staff, Enna intervened dramatically and brought Rolen within an inch of his life. She'd never been proud of that moment, deserving as Rolen might have been.
And so, with great apprehension, the group approached the city. Bash had engineered a flawless disguise on their way to the city, and the night before their entry, he read over his notes, mentally forming himself into Peren Starfell, trader of exotic goods.
But that night was interrupted by a shining beam of light. From that light, a voice called out to Sopheta, and she rose and approached it. The group fought to hold her in place, but she yielded to none of their concerns and joined her beloved within the beam. Then despite all their best efforts, the beam receded, leaving Aribis, Enna, William, and Bash alone on the hillside.
They spent a long while mourning their friend, despite the god-like intervention of the incident. Afterward, Bash felt incredibly anxious for their return to the city; not only had he not left on the best of terms, but now he worried about their safety. If Sopheta was gone so quickly, what would happen to the others in the group?
The next day, they entered Agneward – Enna disguised as a parrot and Bash as Peren, William and Aribis in the covered wagon. Not long after they entered, they encountered a young kenku with oversized boots, terrified of police but eager for food. She entered the wagon to try to steal something to eat but was caught easily by Aribis and William. Using kenku mimicry, she said that her name was Sooka, but she disclosed little else. William quickly took a liking to her and promised to keep her safe, offering her food freely.
As they continued through the city, much was as Bash and Enna remembered, and they made their way through the concentric circles of districts – Dandelions, Tulips, Carnations, and Daffodils – until they reached the highest district of the tiered city: the Circle. In the center stood the Bastion's Crest, a massive citadel topped with the impressive likeness of Erathis, goddess of civilization. In her hands was a pitcher continuously pouring water into the warehouse district that lay in the system of tunnels that converged in a large cavern below the city – also known as the Well.
Upon arrival in the restricted Circle, home of only guildmasters and other important city officials, a guard requested Bash's papers. He provided the forged documents, and they were granted limited access to the Circle so that he could get a writ approving his trade within the city. Instead of doing that, they headed for Marigold Manor, Rolen's oversized mansion.
At this point, Enna took the lead, greeting the help and letting the entire group into the manor. But instead of finding a house full of a worried staff stressed about their missing master, they found Rolen himself with two new bodyguards. He greeted Enna warmly, despite the hostile nature of their last encounter, though the evidence of Enna's wrath were apparent; he still wore the scars on his face, and he used a cane for support as he walked with a limp. He invited the group to dinner, and they uneasily agreed.
The evening was enlightening for them, tense as Bash and Enna may have been throughout. The group was accompanied by Rolen and his two bodyguards, another guildmaster named Illia Zen and her bodyguard Finwe, and Enna's mother Althaea. Rolen told them of a plague of a drug called black taffy that was taking over the outer Dandelions district, as well as the resurgence of murders by the Ghost of Agneward, a comment not appreciated by Bash. Learning that this "Ghost" had been seen was even more infuriating to him as he realized that his flawless reputation had been tarnished by someone else.
Though Rolen claimed to have turned over a new leaf, the group felt continually threatened by him, Enna and Bash especially. Despite the multiple reports from the staff that Rolen had become an amazing master since his mysterious disappearance a few weeks ago, Bash and Enna both knew the truth of his cruelty, and neither could believe that he was truly reformed.
After dinner, the group spoke with Althaea, who explained that Rolen had come back only a day or two after she'd sent them her urgent letter. And she said that ever since then, Rolen had been a delightful person. When it was later brought up in conversation, Althaea dismissed Enna's violent incident with Rolen as something of little importance, even believing Rolen's false word that Enna's violence had been unwarranted. Bash's anger flared at this, and he lost much respect for Althaea.
That night, the group stayed in Enna's old room at Marigold Manor, still untouched since they had left almost a year ago. But something was destined to happen…