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D&D

The party arrives at the village of Chris after a few days of travelling. They’ve grown weary of Rodrigo’s terrible jokes. The sight of the town fills the party with the relief that they would get to part with the new addition to the crew.

“I was going to tell a time-traveling joke, but you didn’t get it.” The party groans. B.U.D. claps and lets out a genuine laugh. “Get it?” B.U.D. says, unable to hold back his laughter “Because he went back in time and told us the joke!” The party groans louder. Their pace quickens towards the village.

It is about noon when they arrive to Charis. Charis is a small logging village hidden in the Lotusden Greenwood, away from most of the world. It’s a rustic quiet village whose draw is it’s quaint charm, but today all this is undermined by its current state of disrepair. The houses are dirty, with planks of wood falling from its face. The windows are boarded up and the party walks over puddles of shattered glass that have settled into the dirt. There are a few people out and about. Most of them are guards who are busy with apprehensive gazes that scan the tree lines. They take no notice of the passing party except to give half-hearted greetings. Those who are not guards are in a rush and don’t acknowledge the party.

It’s about noon when they make it to town. The streets are empty except for the few guards who keep an apprehensive watch towards the treeline. They take little notice of the party except to exchange a quick polite greeting. Eventually the party asks for directions to the mayor’s house. A guard points the way, but his gaze never leaves the tree line. They make their way to the center of town where, although the buildings seem to sit in a better state, they are also in a state of disrepair that has become the theme of the town. The mayor’s house is not much bigger than the buildings that surround it. It is built like a personal home, with nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the houses. As the party approaches, they notice deep scratches along the door and frame of the house all belonging to different animals. There is a blackened ring of burnt wood where a lamp used to hang. Bits of glass still linger scattered about, mixed in the ashes. Zarmir walks up to the door and knocks loudly. There is a moment of silence before the door opens revealing a young blond finely dressed man. There are dark circles under his blue eyes. He looks puzzled by the strangers at the door.

“Oh hello. Do you have business with the mayor?” He says as he looks over each of the members carefully.

“You aren’t the mayor?” B.U.D. Asks.

The young man laughs nervously. “Me? Oh no I am just his assistant, Albert. Do you have business?”

“Yes, we’re are here from the school. We are here for a job. I have a letter” Tal says he pulls out a letter that with the dark red wax still sealing it’s contents. The symbol of the school, a screaming beholder with the initials XSH written neatly under.

The young man takes the letter and examines it without opening it “Please come in, we’ve been expecting you. You must be tired from travel.”

“Yes, quite” Zarmir exclaims. They follow him into a modestly decorated house. There is a bookshelf with unmarked books against one of the walls and a small desk and chair in which to read them. There are clear signs of neglect as thick puddles of dust collect and stick to every inch of the room. They follow the young man into an adjacent room where an older man is busy writing in a ledger. He stands when they enter the room. Confused by the strange company, he looks towards the young man who in anticipation says “This is the party the school sent over to help us with our issue” He hands over the letter.

The man looks at the seal and without breaking it, he sets the letter down on the table on top of a stack of disorganized papers and books. He is an older man with gray and thinning hair. He has a slender frame and behind his glasses lie deep dark circles, deeper than those of the assistant. He clears his voice and addresses the party “Welcome, I hope you’ve done well in your travels. You must be tired, please sit, would you like something to drink? Some water, tea?”

“Tea would be nice, if it’s not too much trouble” Tal is the first one to speak up. The mayor motions for his assistant to bring the party some refreshments.

“I am relieved to have you here. We have been requesting aid for quite some time, but you are the first and only to actually come and respond. We can’t afford much I am afraid to say, so we are forever grateful for your presence. I don’t know how much you know of this arrangement, but we don’t have that much money so at this point we can only pay you in gratitude”

“We aren’t getting paid?” Varus snaps

“Oh we already paid the school, it was part of the agreement. We pay them half, they send aid, and then we send the other half when the job is done. Did they not inform you?” the mayor answers, looking worried and sounding anxious.

“They didn’t tell us shit” Varus replies.

“Well that was the deal I have the contract somewhere here” He says as he begins to look through the mess on his desk “We can’t afford to pay you guys right now. We sent the money over” He continues to shuffle through the pile

“What is it we’re doing exactly?” Tal chimes in.

“Oh my apologies. We have been having issues with animals attacking our humble village.”

“We’re here for Animals?” Zarmir checks

The mayor steals a worried look towards Zarmir. He worries that the party will leave for having to deal with a problem so trivial. He desperately explains “I know. I know what this sounds like, but these aren’t normal animals.”

“How aren’t these animals normal?” Tal asks as he pulls out a small journal and a pen to jot down notes.

“Well when it all started, we thought it was just animals too. Animals that got rabies or maybe someone stepped on a nest. It started slow at first, there were odd instances of small birds and mammals randomly attacking but nothing serious, just strange. But then they started working together, and the attacks became coordinated. Then the type of animal changed. It started with birds and small rodents, then it was raccoons and small dogs. Boars. It’s like they are possessed by something. “

“Do you know where it all started?” Jalila asks

The mayor starts riffling through the books and pages scattered on his desk until finally he says “Like I said, we didn’t think about it too much when it all began. We thought it was just animals so it’s hard to pin point the exact time and place it all started. The earliest incident recorded was about three months ago and it occurred near one of our logging sites, right around here” the mayor says as he circles a point on a map of the area that he flips around for the party to see. “We had the most concentration there initially before they started moving in on us”

Tal raises his hand to his chin as he examines the map, without looking up he asks “Can we take this?”

“Please do! It is the least I can do” the mayor responds as he folds up the paper nicely and hands it to Tal.

“Do you have any working theories on what might be possessing them?” Jalila asks.

“Well we don’t have any working theories. We’ve searched the area but there doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. At least not how we understand it” The mayor responds.

“Tell them about the witch” the assistant says as he stands at the doorway, listening intently.

“What witch?” Varus asks, growing suspicious.

“Come now there’s no need for that” the Mayor interjects “There is no witch, that is just mean town gossip”

“Stop protecting her!” He exclaims, his face turning red, “This whole thing started when that old woman moved to town”

“What woman? What are we talking about?” Jalila asks concerned.

“There are people in this town who think, wrongfully so I might add, that Willow, the older woman who moved recently is behind the whole ordeal because the troubles started when coincidentally right around the time she moved to town. She is harmless and keeps to herself, there is no need to bother the woman”

“Joan said that she saw her performing strange rituals at night. She speaks in tongues and collects strange plants and creatures in jars” The young aid continues as he tries to convince the room on his theories.

“Well Joan is a drunk and we can’t go around trusting everything she says she saw. Just the other day she was in an uproar about the seeing Tiamat in a potato” The mayor changes his focus towards the party with a look of sincere apology on his face “Please ignore him, he is confused”

“Well maybe she knows something regardless. Doesn’t hurt to check all our leads. Where does she live?” Tal asks, still jotting down notes. Glancing over papers in hopes that they might reveal more.

The mayor examines the party and thinks for a second. “I will only give you her location if you give me your word that you won’t hurt her”

“I can’t make that promise” Zarmir replies, a smile begins to creep towards his ears.

Jalila smacks him on his shoulder “Don’t say that!” she shifts her focus towards the mayor. “We promise she won’t be hurt. We’re just want to see if she knows anything”

“Yes, please excuse my brother, he is just a bit hot headed but he means well” Tal says in an attempt to reassure the mayor of their intentions.

The mayor stays silent as he begins to weigh his options. His eyes find their way to the unopened letter of the recommendation that still sits on top of the pile. A neat stamp of a beholder screaming and the school’s initals, “XSH”, stare back at him in dark red wax. He sighs as he picks up a pen and motions for the map. He says “Okay, but please don’t hurt her, this is all just a huge misunderstanding” He marks up a point on the map opposite of the initial marking. “She lives in a small hut around here. You can’t miss it. It is the only building out there”

The aid grows visibly angry. His face is bright red, his eyes are blood shot, and his fists quiver as he says “Watch out. Make sure she doesn’t put a spell on you”

Without missing a beat, the mayor snaps “Stop it boy! I have had enough of your nonsense. Pick up your things and go home, I am done with you for today!” the young man is paralyzed by the sudden outburst, but he regains his senses, grabs his belongings and walks out. He murmurs something incoherent under his breath as he storms out of the house.

“I am sorry about that” the mayor says as he fixes his collar ” He means well, it’s just this whole situation has us all stressed. The people are desperate for a solution so they can go back to living their normal lives. I don’t know where this whole witch nonsense started but it’s getting out of hand. I am doing my best to quell it but people are tired of waiting” He stares after the aid who is no longer visible and becomes lost in thought. A clear moment goes by before he regains his composure and says to the party “Please be kind to the old lady. If there is a witch in these woods, it won’t be her.

“We will see” Varus murmurs as he pulls out his flask and takes a swig.

Jalila shakes her head and sighs “Ignore him too. We will be kind and cordial” Jalila moves forward and places her hand on the mayor’s shoulder. He looks exhausted and it is clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep. She notices the old stains on his clothes and he smells dirty. But she also notices the sincerity in his eyes and reassured by his request.

He moves up to her and grabs her hand “Thank you so much. This means so much to us. If there is anything we can do for you, please let me know”

“Where can we sleep? Do we get food?” Zarmir asks

“Oh right, you can try the tavern in town “The Sleeping Toad”. We haven’t been getting much in the way of visitors so there should be rooms available. As for food, it’s not great, but it will fill you up”

“We can make it work” Varus says as he walks out of the room.

“We will come back if we get anymore leads” Tal says shaking the mayors hand before following the group out into the street.

“If it’s all the same to you all, I rather sleep outside” Varus says ” I feel safer at the edge of town away from the people. It’s harder to be surprised”

“I agree with Varus” Zarmir says “I’ve got weird vibes from this town”

Tal stops and turns to his brother and loudly exclaims “You litterally just asked for food and a place to stay”

Zarmir lets out a laugh at his brother “We both know I am not the smart one”

“Agreed” Jalila smirks “So I guess we’re camping”

D&D

D&D Sessions: The Road to Charis

April 30, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a larger series. Check out the full story here!

It was a warm day when they leave the school. I few birds fly overhead, slightly obscuring the cloudless sky. A light refreshing breeze passes over them, giving them a brief moment of respite from the heat of the sun. Dust settles on their boot straps as they move carefully through the forest. They leave the mountains and the school behind them. It disappears behind the growing canopy. B.U.D. moves the most confident, despite not quite knowing where he is going. His head is caught up on the parameters of his mission. There are a lot of new and wonderous items in this forest and B.U.D. attempts to collect them all. All in the name of the mothership.

Jalila and Tal follow close behind B.U.D., constantly pulling him back to the path whenever he veers too far from the path. Their sighs become as common as the bird songs that follow them on their journey.

“B.U.D. come back!” Jalila yells, sounding more and more annoyed as the day grows longer. For a moment, B.U.D. will follow the directions and walk at stride with his companions, but this is short lived as something new and shiny always plucks him from the path. Tal and Jalila continue after him. Making sure he never gets too far from the party.

Varus and Zamir keep their distance and watch the spectacle curiously. They are amused by their struggle and never once offer to help. Zarmir chuckles as he watches Jalila and his brother struggle with their large metal friend. Night begins to fall on the party. They are behind schedule but it is getting too dark to move safely through the forest. They search for a safe place to set up camp. Varus builds a small fire. Zarmir sits and chews on some of his dried rations as he polishes his glaive. Tal begins to prep the various ingredients for a rabbit stew. Jalila finds a tree to lean against and drops to her seat. She takes off her boots and massages her feet letting out a sigh of relief. Without looking up she says “We need to tie you up B.U.D.

B.U.D Claps and replies “I had a busy day! Look at all the data I have gathered for the mother ship” B.U.D begins to set down a myriad of rocks, plants and other odd objects he found along the way. He begins to organize it by type and size, mentally documenting the novelty of each item. Satisfied with their placement, he begins to pop each item into his mouth, swallowing it in turn. He savors the item. Not the taste, B.U.D has no sense of taste, but the new experience he collects from each item. As much as he is proud to have collected items for the mothership, it is his own curiosity in tandem that motivates him to complete his mission.

“So” Tal asks as he chops carrots. “What’s the mothership?”

“Thank you for asking” B.U.D. replies with a large grin in his face, “The mothership is where I come from. She made me and she gave me my mission.”

“Excuse me? What mission?” Zarmir perks up. He eyes his metal classmate suspiciously.

“The mothership has sent me to this planet to learn all I can about it” B.U.D. continues to eat away at his collection in between replies.

“What are you gunna do with it?” Zarmir grows more suspicious.

“Do? It is my mission to learn everything there is about this planet for the mothership” B.U.D says, excited to talk about the mothership to his friends.

“Why?” Varus asked, also suspicious by the answers.

“Because the mothership asked me too. It is my mission.”

“This isn’t going anywhere” Jalila chimes in “How do you collect data anyways?”

“Oh it’s quite a simple processes. I put the items I have collected into my mouth. They are pulled down into my, I guess you would call it a stomach, where nanobots break down the item to its basic components. I then analyze said components and collect the data. The data is then saved into my memory at which point it is duplicated and sent to the mothership through a special connection I share with her”

“Ok?” Tal replies, not quite understanding the answer. There is a shared confusion that washes over the group as they try to piece together the nonsense of B.U.D.’s reply. “So, where does the mothership come from?”

B.U.D. perks up at the sound of the question and with his voice full of excitement he replies “Well the mothership has always been. She comes from mothership before that who comes from the mothership before that. And she comes from the mothership before that. And she comes before the mothership before that. And…”

“Ok we get it! But what planet do you come from?” Tal asks.

“I don’t come from a planet. I come from the mothership who comes from the”

“Stop!” Zarmir interrupts, his head beginning to throb ” We get it B.U.D. Thanks” He is unsure what to think of his new classmate or his mission, but he sure is annoyed by B.U.D’s strangeness.

B.U.D. continues eating his collection of items. He wanders a bit as he spots new mysteries around the camp.

The night settles and the only light they share is the fire that sits between all of them. Tal passes out the bowls of hot soup. The sounds of slurping and idle chatter fills the space and drowns out the sounds of the owls and crickets. They watch as the smoke floats away into darkness. Suddenly, a russtling in the forest interupts their peace. They can hear the sound of footsteps crunching at leaves and twigs and moving violently through shrubs and bushes. Arms reach for weapons. Bowls are placed gently on the ground. Bodies stand up quietly and move slowly to greet whatever it is that comes for them.

A lone figure steps out of the forest. He is a slender man with shoulder length black hair. He is sweety and dirty. His hair matted from the sweat humidity. He looks at the party as the feeling of fear and apprehension overcomes him. He throws his empty hands out in a feeble attempt to ward off oncoming attacks and shouts “No wait! I saw the fire and came to check it out. I mean no harm. I’m a bard!”

Zarmir and Varus keep their weapons trained on the stranger. They eye him closely. His clothes are dirty and covered in small tears from travel. Over his shoulders hangs a small worn bag that has begun to fray at the seams. There is no visible weapon on him. Zarmir moves closer, closing the distance between him and the stranger. He places the blade end of the glaive inches from the stranger’s chest. The metal rings that line the dull end of the glaive jingle as the blade comes to a stop. Zarmir in a hostile voice says “Who are you? What are you dong here?”

Caught off guard by the sudden hostility, the stranger nervously lets out “Um. I. My name. My name is. Is Rodrigo and I um. Can you please point that somewhere else?” Rodrigo motions slowly towards the glaive and waits for an answer. Without a word, Zarmir moves closer, now pressing the blade to Rodrigo’s chest. The cold polished steel makes a small cut in his tunic. Rodrigo swears he can feel the blade digging into his skin. He swallows hard, his hands start to shake. Cold sweat starts to run down his back. His voice shakes as he lets out “I’m not. Im not here to fight. I saw the fire and thought you were adventurers. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark in this forest. I’m on my way to Charise. To visit my aunt. I swear that’s all it is. I don’t have any weapons, check my stuff” He drops his small bag by his feet. Zarmir watches Rodrigo closely, still filled with mistrust.

“Back up” Zarmir orders, he pushes the glaive a bit into Rodrigo’s chest who moves back slowly. His hands still shaking and raised. Sweat starts to fall down the side of his brow and glistens with the light of the fire. Zarmir reaches down and opens the bag. He spreads the contents around on the dirt. Within the small bag there is a journal full of stories and poems and songs. A worn out pen and half a bottle of black ink. There is a flute, polished and delicately wrapped in cloth. There are a few dried food rations and a waterskin that is mostly full. Zarmir drops the blade from Rodrigo’s chest. We walks away from the mess he’s made, back to his bedroll where he picks up his bowl and continues to eat. He watches Rodrigo from the corner of his eyes.

Rodrigo picks up his belongings. Taking long breaths as he tries to calm himself. His hands still shake. “So. Would it be all right if I spent the night here with you guys. I won’t be any trouble I swear.” He slings the bag over his shoulder and waits for a reply.

“I don’t see a problem with that” Tal says as he begins to pluck at his lute.

“Thanks a lot. This forest is no joke” Rodrigo drops to the ground and takes off his bouts. He breaths a loud sigh of relief as he wiggles his toes in the fresh air. “So what brings you guys out here?”

Tal still a bit suspicious replies “We are going to Charis to investigate some issue the village is having.

Rodrigo perks up at the mention of the town. “Wow that’s a coincidence. Would you guys mind if I tagged along for the rest of the way? I can play music, tell stories, jokes?”

The party is silent until it becomes uncomfortable. B.U.D. is the first one to break the silence. He says in his happy go lucky tone “Yes that seems logical. We are going the same way.”

Rodrigo eyes B.U.D. curiously. With the tension settled, Rodrigo looks at B.U.D. for the first time. His metallic body glistens in the light of the fire. It isn’t armor, he thinks to himself. At least not the kind that can be removed. “What are you?” Rodrigo finally lets out, not quite sure what to make of this strange creature. He had never seen anything like this. He pulls out the journal from his bag and begins to take notes. He describes B.U.D. in short bullet points.

Metal humanoid. Seems to speak and understand common.

B.U.D. replies ” I am a Biomechanical Universal Diplomat and I was sent here by the mothership to learn everything I can about your planet. People here call me B.U.D.” Rodrigo starts taking notes furiously, squinting at the letters on the page he can just barely make out.

“What is the mothership?” Rodrigo asks without lifting his gaze from his notes.

“Well the mothership made me and tasked me to come to this planet to gather data. She comes from the mothership before that who comes from the mothership before that who…”

The rest of the party move as far away as possible from the two. Jalila and Tal relieved that someone else gets a turn with B.U.D. Zarmir and even Varus chuckle to themselves as they hear the murmurs of the endless loop that is the story of the mothership.

D&D

D&D Sessions: A Warforged’s Backstory

March 26, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a larger on going story. Click here for the full story!

ALIEN MOTHERSHIP by DorianoArt on DeviantArt

Our story begins on a large bio-mechanical ship. The large circular ship moves through space on a mission to learn everything it can about the universe. It is within its metal walls where it all begins. The mothership is life. From the outside, the ship looks alone and almost abandoned as it journeys through space but inside it is alive. Inside you find the endless rows of pods of dormant warforges. Smaller versions of the mothership, designed and manufactured to carry out the ultimate mission. Each one is meticulously created for the greater purpose. In the darkness, large arms move franticly, checking vitals, making repairs, and birthing those ready to be awaken.

Interior mothership concept. by alexdrummo on DeviantArt

Today is B.U.D.’s birthday. A long arm connects to his pod. Slowly it checks for vitals as it begins the awakening protocols. It begins to upload the history of the mothership and feelings of fondness towards the her. It uploads important objectives and protocols and any pertinent to the mission. He is also imbued with an unrivaled curiosity. Aside from that, B.U.D. is a blank slate, eager to learn.

The arm detaches from the pod. B.U.D.’s eyes open slowly. He is blinded by the light. He blinks wildly as his eyes become accustomed to the light. The shadows come first, slowly creeping up against the corners. Slowly the colors start to fill in, erasing the white that blinds him. Details are made clearer until he sits in his pod staring at an empty metal corridor. Hot steam blows out from a nearby vent. He is mesmerized by the beauty of the mothership and stands there motionless.

Warforged Cleric by ThatweirdguyJosh on DeviantArt

A voice in his head directs him to his first objective, get to the pod. Prepare for departure.

A strip of light on red light illuminates a path that turns down a corridor, leading him away from his ship. He follows it past the rows of dormant pods. Past arms in a frenzy with pre-programmed instructions. Past the pipes that leak hot steam at almost random intervals. As he walks, he takes it all in. Every curve, pipe, sound that fills his head with wonder and amazement. He commits everything to memory and moves in silence. He follows the lights until he comes to a pair of doors that slide open revealing an area just big enough for him to stand snuggly. He fits himself in and watches as the hatch closes. There is a small window for him to see out of. A large console wraps around him full of monitors, buttons, switches, dials, and blinking light. A moment of silence goes by as he sits in darkness. He feels a rumbling coming from somewhere in his new pod as he is spit out into space.

In his amazement, he looks onto the Mothership. He analyses every feature he continues to float away slowly from the massive ship. Another strange rumbling from within and he watches as the pod adjusts itself, aiming towards an unknown direction The rockets fire and he watches as the Mothership disappears into the darkness. Time passes. He spends his waking hours looking out the window and listening some of the data that was left for him to learn.

Eventually the ship enters the orbit. B.U.D. watches the bright blue mass grow in front of him. Around him, the air heats up turning red as it falls through the atmosphere towards the continent of Wild Mount. The pod lands in a massive explosion that shakes the whole continent. Large chunks of earth and trees give way as it nestles itself into a giant burning crater. A large cloud of dust and smoke hide him from the rest of the world. The hatch pops off and a mixture of hot and cool air hit B.U.D. instantly. It takes him a moment to get out, mostly because he is distracted by the smoke and the dust and the fire. He takes his first step. His feat lands on soft chard earth. He feels bits of gravel scratch at the souls of his feet. With increasing confidence, he takes more steps until he is out of the massive crater.

He watches the crater as the smoke and dust continue to do their dance in the north blowing wind. But he also makes out the nature he has disrupted. The green of the trees that sit somewhat skewed away from him. He is overwhelmed by this new influx of color that he stands there motionless for a long lingering moment. He takes more slow steps towards nature as he stops constantly to collect new data. Rocks, sticks, flowers, anything new to send to the mothership. He pops them in his mouth, his body digests it. Analyzing everything in it’s composition and saves as data that he will later send out to the mothership in the form of what he calls prayer.

He is distracted when the army comes. Guards armed in shinning new armor. Weapons are drawn with fingers tightly laced around their hilts. He is distracted by the world so he doesn’t here the archers knot their bows and take cautious aim at this strange creature. He is so distracted that he doesn’t hear them advance slowly behind him. Studying him. Judging him. Trying to decide whether he be friend of foe.

Captain Trainer leads his men silently. His armor freshly polished, his sword sharpened, his heart beating furiously in his chest he moves forward. When he is at earshot he lets out in feigned confidence

“State your business. Are you friend or foe?”

B.U.D. hears the new sound and begins to process it. He turns around and sees for the first time humanoids slowly moving towards him. Data for the mothership he thinks to himself. He opens his mouth and parrots the words that greeted him.

“What the fuck is that?” a guard whispers nervously to his group. They move forward with caution as B.U.D puts another flower in his mouth. When he turns around, he spots a few soldiers inching forward. Unsure at what to do he waves his arms wildly. The soldiers tense up. The captain of the troop is the first to speak

“Where are you from? What are you doing here? Did you cause that racket?” Bud repeats the words, not quite understanding the common.

“Do you understand me?” no real response. Captain Trainer sighs and in his growing frustration and confusion he asks “Are you a fucking Kenku?”

B.U.D keeps repeating the new sounds, stringing them in random order. Confused by this response, Captain Trainer tightens his grip on his sword. His men tense up as he inches closer and closer to the creature who stands, watches, and spouts nonsense in common. “My name is John Trainer. I am captain of the royal army military guard. We are here investigating a strange explosion. Did you cause that explosion?”

Still no answer, instead B.U.D. takes a flower he holds in his hand and pops it in his mouth.

Captain Trainer sees his and says “I’m going to get close to you and give you this flower, yum” Captain Trainer begins to mime with his hands, hoping the creature understands gestures. B.U.D. sees this and begins to mime as well. Captain Trainer reaches out his hand with the flower. B.U.D. moves to accept making all the soldiers tense up, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Captain Trainer uses his free hand to motion his men to continue holding. His heart races and a thick dirty beads of sweat run down his temple. He can see the detail etched into B.U.D.’s armor. It isn’t armor he realizes almost instantly, it is his skin. The metal beast moves his hands to accept the flower “Kenku Trainer Army” he spits out as he grabs the flower. Trainer feels the cold metal on his skin. He sees the unnatural mechanics that allow this creature to move. For a moment the world is still as they continue to decide on whether or not this beast is friend of foe.

It takes a bit of a coaxing and a lot of frustration but captain trainer is able to get B.U.D and back to a nearby barracks. For four years he remains the country’s most well-kept secret. For four years he was constantly watched as he learned everything he could learn about the new world he fell into.

Now B.U.D walks freely with a group of adventures he is growing fond of. Now he is free to continue his mission.

D&D

D&D Sessions – The First Quest

March 4, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

ArtStation – For honor warden_Fanart, Kim Junghun

Zamir and Jalila drop to the ground, letting out audible breaths full of exhaustion. Weapons fall to their side, kicking up small clouds of dust as they settle in the sand below.

“Thanks for the help” Zamir says between breaths. His right arm extends for a hand shake. His palms dirty with blood stained sand.

“My pleasure” Jalila clasps Zarmir’s hand, giving off a loud clapping sound. When the adrenalin begins to wear off, she feels a soreness in her left arm and shoulder. She begins to massage it.

Tal makes his way to his brother who remains on the floor. He looks over Zarmir, his armor bloodied and scuffed from the battle. Although most of Zarmir’s wounds have closed, some of them have opened up again sending sharp burning pain through his body. Tal drops to his knees. He clasps his hands together in a prayer and whispers “may her light sooth and protect you”. His hands begin to glow as he waves his hands over Zarmir’s wounds. A soothing calm dulls the pain and Zarmir starts to feel better.

B.U.D’s clapping fills echoes over the empty arena. He walks over, his energy levels low but nothing he can’t handle. He examines the metal creature carefully and without much hesitation picks op one of the arms. “Can I have some of this for the Mother Ship?” His voice unaffected by the battle.

“Oh gosh” Jalila replies. Would it be canabalism? She thinks to herself as she begins to take off the heavier parts of her armor. Massaging the sore parts on her body.

“I don’t think its eatable B.U.D.” Tal adds, his hands still hovering over his brother.

Varus walks up behind the group. His fingers are wrapped around the arrow lodged into this shoulder. Quick movements cause a sharp pain to shoot through his shoulder. He shuffles forward slowly trying not to cause more pain. He is used to the pain. The myriad of scars that cover his body prove he is no stranger to it, yet he is also human and the reaction to pain is only natural. He does his best to hide it, no one notices.

“Well that was easy” he finally lets out “B.U.D. a little help please” he points to the arrow in his shoulder.

B.U.D. drops the metal arm and nods “of course”. A small cloud of black metallic specks flow from pours that appear on his shoulder. They hover over his head before they surround Varus. Instinct kicks in and Verus tenses under the B.U.D’s strange cloud. He tenses even more so as they start to cover his body. He relaxes as the pain in his shoulder starts to numb. Underneath the thick cloud he hears the sound of crunching wood. He feels the weight of the arrow begin to fade as the cloud gently tugs and pulls at his skin. The cloud disperses and B.U.D. reabsorbs the cloud. Varus looks at his shoulder, the arrow is gone and his shoulder is completely healed without a scar.

“Well aren’t you handy” Varus finally says, still astonished by his companions strange magic “Thanks”

“You’re welcome” B.U.D. replies “Does anyone else need any healing”

“I’m good” Jalila answers. She whispers a quite prayer as she massages her sore parts. Her hands glow and the pain and soreness starts to fade away.

“So what happens now?” Tal asks as the lights from his hands go out. He is completely drained now. His eyes start to grow heavy as he watches Toula who seems to be lost in thought.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never gotten this far. Most of my students either die or quit” she lets out a nervous laugh. Her left arm rubs at the back of her head. “Well officially, I am your new advisor. I will be giving you missions when they come in. But that is all I know for now”

The lack of information annoys the party. Toula’s lack of preparation doesn’t help. The group grows disheartened looking on to the person who was in charge of their career. The school’s bad reputation was no exaggeration. But the exhaustion weighs on them heavily and they lack the energy to protest. Instead they gather their gear.

“Can we leave?” Zarmir stands up gripping at his glaive.

“Yeah, class dismissed. I will contact when you get an assignment. Go get some rest” Toula turns to walk away, taking long deep gulps from her bottle.

Outside, the heat of the summer day starts to set in. There are more students out and about, talking and laughing as the party slowly makes their way back to their room. They spend the rest of the day resting and exploring the school waiting for their next assignment.

“I don’t like our new advisor” Zarmir says, not hiding any disdain he has towards her.

“I don’t know, I kind of like her” Jalila responds thinking of the strange drunk woman. She wasn’t uptight like the other teachers she has had since joining the military. Toula was the first adult who didn’t talk down to her or mention anything about her upbringing. “At least she’s not a snooty uptight instructor”

“She is a character” Tal chimes in. Unsure what exactly to think of her.

“She is unprofessional. Did you see the bottles?” Zarmir retorts, unbelieving that he was alone in his sentiment.

“Nobody’s perfect. We can’t judge her on her vices. She’s a teacher for a reason. Maybe she’s a good fighter?” Varus says as he moves his left arm in circles, unbelieving how good it felt after B.U.D’s little trick. It might have been better than it was before.

“Well I don’t see it. She is always unprepared. It is bad enough I have to be in this school, I would at least like to have someone who does their job.”

“Is that not how teachers are supposed to act?” B.U.D. asks, not seeing a problem with the strange woman who smells of booze.

“No B.U.D, they are at least supposed to know what is going on and that lady doesn’t know what day it is!” Zarmir adds growing more annoyed by the fact that he has to explain his disappointment.

“What day is it? Is it important to know what today is?” B.U.D struggles to understand the situation.

“It’s an expression B.U.D. He means to say that she doesn’t know anything.” Jalila chimes in. She didn’t think B.U.D was going to be this much work. “In any case, I don’t think we can do anything about her. We get what we get at this school. “

Zarmir continues his walk in frustrated silence. B.U.D. pulls out a glass bottle from his cloak pocket and takes a bite. Jalila lets out a soft sigh as B.U.D. slowly chews the glass. The party moves in silence except for the sound of crunching glass. The Party spends their day performing different tasks. Tal explores the school until he finds a nice place to play his lute. He works on new songs but mostly plays to relax himself. Zarmir finds a place in the woods where he can work out. He works until his muscles begin to give and continues to push himself until he can no longer move. Jalila spends her day cleaning her armor, polishing her shield specifically. She can see the dents of where the claws hit. She eventually ends up in the schools weight room. She works out until nightfall. B.U.D. walks explores the school’s grounds, eating interesting objects that he finds. He collects a lot of data for the mother ship. Varus spends some time praying to the Raven Queen when no one is looking. He spends the rest of his time trying to find any information about Captain Elaran. He finds none.

At night, the party gathers in their room. They share small exchanges of conversation that ultimately ends in an early night. B.U.D. is left in the his corner as everyone has long since retreated to their rooms. He watches the night fall over the mountains. He thinks about all the new things he ate today and hopes the Mother Ship is as pleased with his findings as he is. In a deep gravelly voice:

Hello residents of room 304, this is your courtesy wake up call. I have one announcement for you when you are all here present and ready

Doors open cautiously as the doors open to reveal a very confused B.U.D.

Was that you?

“Up here.” says a small stone gnome statue. He wears a pointy hat and his stone features animate as he talks. “Sorry to startle you, my name is Steve and I will be your point of contact with the school. I will give you announcements and send deliver any messages addressed to you”

B.U.D. begins to move forward, hand out ready to touch the talking stone gnome.

“Please don’t touch me” Steve snaps at B.U.D. “Anyways, you have a 9 am appointment with your advisor Toula. Please don’t be late. Bring whatever you would take on an adventure” with that the gnome’s eyes close. B.U.D. waves his hand in front of the gnomes face. It doesn’t react.

“I guess we have a mission” Tal breaks the silence as he gathers his things. B.U.D. continues to inch towards the curious statue. He wonders what kind of data it would send to the Mother ship.

Jalila watches and lets out a silent sigh. “B.U.D. don’t eat the thing” She shakes her head and walks to her room to get ready. B.U.D. stops and moves away, his eyes never leaving the small gnome statue.

The party once again stands outside of Toula’s office. The stench of stale liquor seeps into the hall. Again their knocking goes unanswered. A frustrated Zarmir walks through the door announcing “We’re here for our meeting”

A sleeping snoring Toula is slumped over her desk this time. Space has been made for a her head and a small perimeter of crumpled up paper that surrounds her. There are more scraps of paper mixed in with the bottles that are scattered around her desk. B.U.D. gets excited by the sight. Zarmir continues forward. A less than gentle shove to the shoulder brings an aggressive Toula from her slumber. Fists in the air, ready to strike at the intruders she looks around blankly. It takes her a minute to calm down before she lets out a yawn. “Sorry” she finally says “didn’t think you would come back. This is all new to me. You guys are early”

“It’s actually five minutes after” Zarmir says. He debates on whether or not he should leave the office and make an appeal to have anyone else be his instructor. How will he prove his family wrong with this person as his teacher?

“Right, well there was supposed to be someone else here but I guess I’ll start on what I got” Toula pulls out a small sheet of crumpled and dirty paper. She clears her throat and begins to read slowly. Each word read more unsure than the last.

” You made it! I am. glad. I congratulate you my students. This makes me feel good. I hope”

Before she is able to finish her thought Zarmir interrupts “It’s fine you don’t have to read anything. We get it”

“Yeah please stop” Jalila adds.

“Yeah I don’t really know what I’m doing here. You are the first to pass my test, I wasn’t prepared” she says. Zarmir lets out a small involuntary laugh.

“Really? The only ones? But that was so easy” Jalila adds smuggly

“It must mean you are worthy. I couldn’t tell by looking at ya, but I’m glad you didn’t die”

“Did you build that thing yourself?” Jalila asks

“The metal thing? Nah that wasn’t me. That was Terry. He makes all the shit around here. Odd fella but he knows how to make some fun toys”

Suddenly, there is a soft knock at the door. The door opens slowly. Headmaster Xanather walks in. His suit is freshly pressed. His wild hair reaching out in every direction almost like tentacle. His piercing yellow eyes seem to glow even in this properly lit room, Behind him, the door closes as he stands at the center of the group. He smiles and says “As you might already know, I am Headmaster Xanathar and I would like to take this moment to welcome you to my school. I am here to tell you that you are not here by accident. I have been following your careers very closely and I for one am impressed. You have a lot to learn and I am honored that you are here to learn it.”

Like we have a choice Zamir thinks to himself.

Headmaster Zanathar lets out a sneaky smile as he continues his lecture “We run things a little different here. Most students will have a normal class schedule and training to get them ready to join the ranks and fight for our great country. You and a select few have been chosen to perform some extracurriculars. You can think of it as a supplemental work study program. You well be sent out on various jobs, whether it be to escort politicians or fight monsters. There will be small bits of compensation but the real reward is the experience you will gain in the field. You have already proven yourself extraordinary students so I am sure you will do splendidly. The only rule is that you will be representing the school on these missions so act appropriately.

He pulls a small silver watch from his coat pocket. A beholder is engraved on the cover. Shock starts to wash over his face and before anyone has a chance to ask a question he lets out “Oh well I apologize for my rudeness but I simply must get going. Welcome to my school and good luck out there.” The door closes as he is out before he even finishes his sentence.

The party turns to Toula who is in mid gulp. She takes another drink before finally setting it down. “I’m sure you have questions, I don’t have answers” She opens a drawer and pulls out a map. “But I do have your first mission”

Pushes more bottles to the floor, the bounce creating a loud ruckus. With the map spread out on her desk she adds “There have been reports of animals savagely attacking people in the nearby village of Charis” her dirty finger moves and points at the small village’s name. “What we need you to do is go investigate and solve this little problem. Think you can handle it?”

“Yes but do we have any more information about the situation” Tal asks, a worried look on his face.

“No, that’s why you need to investigate. Can you handle a bunch of animals?”

“No problem!” Zarmir says as he flexes his slightly bigger arm “Nothing me and my glaive can’t handle”

“Can we have the map at least?” Tal asks as he studies the map.

“Yeah it’s yours. Leave when you’re ready. Report back to me when you’re done. Don’t die on me”

“Do we get any other help? Any potions or weapons? Maybe horses?” Varus chimes in from the corner of the room, Toula lets out a loud bellowing laugh. It shakes the bottles as the sound fills the room.

“Oh gods no. You seem to forget where you are. Unfortunately there aren’t many funds so you will have to be resourceful. I’m confident that you will manage just fine all the same” She winks, pulling the bottle of liquor to her mouth to take a swig.

A bit disappointed yet unsurprised by the answer, Varus pulls out a silver flask from his pocket. “Can I drink in here?”

Toula shrugs “I ain’t your mum”

Varus pops open his flasks, the scent of warm cognac mixes into the air. Toula’s nostrils start to flare, her mouth starts to water and after a big swallow lets out “What’s that you have there bud?”

“No I’m B.U.D. That’s Varus”

“Oh geez” Jalila says as he pats B.U.D on the shoulder. B.U.D. Pats her back not quite understanding the strange ritual.

“It’s a bit from my personal reserve, you want a swig?” Varus hands over the flask. Toula takes it gingerly and brings it to her nose for a sniff. It was fancy compared to the stuff she has been drinking so far. She takes a sip, the warm cognac washes down her throat.

“Wow!” she goes for another swig “this is good, what is it?”

“It doesn’t have a name, its just something I like to do for fun” he reaches for the flask and takes a long swig.

“Well if you ever get more, send some this way”

Varus smiles “that’s easy enough”

“Is there a place where we can buy potions and supplies” Zarmir asks

“Uh you can try the book store”

“It’s probably expensive never mind” Zarmir replies, already halfway out the door. The party leaves Toula’s office. They meet at the school gate, it’s a nice day. There are no clouds in the sky and a few birds fly overhead. With bags packed, weapons sharpened they take their first step on their journey to the village of Charis.

The Whole Story

D&D

D&D Sessions – The First Team Fight

February 19, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

The party walks down a long and dank brick corridor. They pass flickering torches. The corridor ends at a large metal barred gate. On the other side sits a large ring. The floor is covered in freshly packed sand. Surrounding the ring, a twenty-foot stone wall that holds up rows of seats that stretch back to an open ceiling. The sun has begun to peak over the eastern wall, illuminating a small section of the ring like a spotlight. A few birds fly over the large opening, creating the only blemish against the blue backdrop.

The gates are opened with loud chains that clang heavily against one another. The sound carries into the ring and bounces off the empty seats. The party moves forward to the center of the ring. Hands clench weapons tightly as eyes scan the ring for danger. There is none noticed, and they continue their trek slowly towards the center. Each footstep lands with a slight crunch, leaving behind sloppy imperfections on the sand. They pass by red blood stains that have since soaked into the sand and dents where hammers and other blunt weapons fell. On the walls, they notice the countless nicks and deep cuts that were never mended. There are bits of wall that are missing. The party moves forward.

When they reach the center, the ring remains silent. A large metal gate looks back at them somberly, unmoving. A door shuts loudly in the distance. It is followed by the faint sound of feet lazily shuffling over stone. About a minute goes by and Toula appears along the wall with a wine bottle in each hand. She makes wobbling trek along the edge to the center of the wall and plops down. Her feet dangle over the edge of the wall and she looks down the confused party. With out a word, she raises a bottle to her mouth and bites the cork off. She spits it over the edge. it lands with a silent thud a few feet away from them. She takes a big swig and her thirsty gulps echo off the walls of the empty colosseum. She stops and looks down letting out a satisfying burp before adding “Welp? Get on it”

With that, the large gate drops, bouncing heavily on the sand below shaking the ring. It kicks up a thick cloud of dust and sand. Grips get tighter. Eyes try desperately to look throw the thick dust and past the darkness. The dust settles and a feint sound of footsteps can be heard from somewhere in the darkness. With each passing second, the sounds get heavier. Small bits of sand start to bounce in resonance. It gets closer, but the tempo never changes. One step after another, closer and closer until the footsteps are accompanied by the sound of metal scraping onto stone.

Tal is the first to see it. A large metallic orb inching through the darkness with 9 long metallic arms reaching out to pull it forward. At its head sits a small metal helmet with no face but emotionless red eyes that illuminate the darkness.

“Well, okay then” Tal lets out trying to hide the anxiety from his voice. No one else sees what he is talking about. The metallic creature stops suddenly. It’s long claws dig into the stone around it and it begins to brace itself.

“Um, you guys. Something is happening?”

“What is it?” Jalila asks, half squinting, trying desperately to see through the darkness.

Before Tal could answer, the creature launches itself out of the tunnel. The sunlight shines off the metal, sending out beams of hot light into the stands. Instinct kicks in and the party scatters as the giant metallic orb lands, creating a large crater where they once stood. The metallic creature raises from the crater, towering over them at 15 ft it scans its surroundings. It starts to make its way towards Zarmir who is the closest.

“By the light of the gods, be gone demon” Tall says clutching the holy symbol that hangs around his neck. The small cross warms under his touch. A large purple beam falls from the heavens, engulfing the creature in blinding purple light. When the beam stops, the orb stands seemingly unaffected. The metal glows purple. The creature sets its glowing red gaze towards Tal and in the same second makes a run towards Tal.

Zarmir tightens the grip on his glaive and takes his first confident step towards the purple glowing metallic creature. Each step comes down quicker and harder as his years of training start to set in. He closes the distance as he feels streams of sand being kicked in his direction. When in range, Zarmir leaps at the creature, swinging his glaive at the creatures back. The iron glaive meets resistance. Sparks fly as it begins to cut into the hull of the orb. The metal rings that ornate the back of the blade jingle wildly as it starts to slowly cut through. Purple glowing metal starts to bend under the blade until it gives, leaving a the creature with a large wound on its back. A black ooze starts to seep from the wound. A claw swings at Zarmir in retaliation, but instinct kicks in and he deflects the attack. Zarmir takes his chance and swings at the joint between the claw and the arm. The blade catches and the sound of metal tearing fills the field. Zarmir’s glaive goes through and the offending claw lands lifeless besides him.

Zarmir doesn’t see the second claw attack. It moves too quick and swipes him at his side. Pain shoots through his body as he is lifted from the ground and thrown from his position. The armor below the claw bends and cracks as he tumbles over the sand leaving small clouds of sand and dust. He lands breathless. The side of his body hurts. He struggles to stand. His ears ring and his vision has blurred. It takes him a second to realize he no longer has his glaive. It takes another for his vision to return and find it lying halfway between him and the beast. He takes a step forward and a bloody cough escapes him.

The creature is upon Zarmir before he can take another step. It towers over him. The purple menacing glow looking down at a defenseless and hurting Zarmir. It’s arms stretch out for one final attack. Zarmir stands his ground. He lifts his left arm to try to ineffectively shield himself from the creatures final blow. The claw comes down quicker than Zarmir remembered. More precise. More deadly.

It lands with a heavy clank as it digs into Jalila’s metal kite shield. It scratches at the symbol of her holy order. Her arms start to shake. She mutters a small incoherent prayer. She clenches her teeth, digs her heals in deep into the sand before successfully swinging away the attack. She clutches her long sword and swings. The blade catches metal as sparks spray back at Jalila’s unflinching face. Her muscles begin to burn but she pushes on. The blade goes through and long arm drops besides the creature. It stumbles back a bit.

Varus sees the opening and fires his crossbow. The bolt flies over the sand in a loud whirls as it flies through the opening left in his back. There is a loud clanging sound as the bolt bounces around the creatures insides. With that, the creature’s arms retract within itself leaving behind a large glowing purple orb. It begins to spin, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it rolls towards the other end of the ring. The loud sound of gears reaches out from behind the cloud.

“You good” Jalila asks, her breathing has become labored and heavy. A bead of sweat runs down her forehead.

“Ye” is all Zarmir is able to let out before another bloody cough escapes his throat.

B.U.D with a clear line of sight claps his hands together. Under his breath he lets out “let the mother ship give you strength”

A calming warmth comes over Zarmir. The pain in his chest dulls and his breathing eases. His bleeding wounds begin to close. With his newly found energy he runs towards his glaive. This time there is no cough to interrupt his trot.

At the other end of the ring, 9 long renewed claws extend from the orb. The wound at it’s back has mended. It’s red glowing eyes scan the field, and it starts to speed forward. Again, making it’s way towards Zarmir.

“Let your light fill the darkness” Tal exclaims with his hand clutching the small tin cross around his neck. A purple light, this time originating from his free hand, shoots towards the creature like an arrow. The creature sees it in time. It drops its shape into a ball and the guiding bolt flies over where the creature was. It catches itself and continues forward. A bright blue beam catches the creature on its side leaving behind a deep darkened dent in the armor. B.U.D. stands at the other end of the beam’s trajectory, his hand extended with his two long fingers extended. Seeing that he hit the target, B.U.D starts to clap.

The creature sets his sights on B.U.D. It begins to take deep confident steps towards him, quickly closing the gap between them. It moves much more quickly now. It is clear that creature is out for blood.

Across the ring, Varus has taken aim. A bolt releases from his crossbow, hitting the creature in a reaching arm. It stumbles from the impact, but only for a moment. It continues forward. The creature turns it’s head towards Varus. It’s soulless gaze locking onto his position. A small hole opens up at it’s side releasing an arrow towards varus. Before he can react, the arrow lodges itself into his left shoulder. Pain isn’t foreign to Varus. His childhood was full of pain and this was nothing new. But Varus is also human and he can’t help but to wince as the arrow pierces his skin and digs himself into his flesh. He feel a warm liquid start to flows down his shoulder, soaking

The creature continues towards B.U.D. B.U.D closes his eyes and whispers a silent prayer as he reaches for his mace.

Zarmir rushes forward, glaive in hand. The rings on the end of the blade begin to jingle with each step. With a quick leap, he brings his glaive down, this time full of fury and rage. His glaive meets metal. His muscles burn, his breathing becomes labored as the glaive slowly makes its way through the creature’s arm. It falls to the ground; it flops once before it remains still. Zarmir continues, this time lunging at the creature. His blade pierces the creature, this time it meets little resistance as his glaive sinks deep into the creature’s side.

The giant purple orb stops moving and turns to Zarmir. Zamir watches as gears turn slowly within the beast. A claw comes down for another attack but this time Zarmir is ready. He raises his Glaive and deflects the claw leaving enough of an opening for a swift and precise strike. The claw falls to the ground and twitches before it lays there motionless.

A crossbow bolt flies over Zarmirs shoulder. The wind lightly tussles his hair. It pierces on of the creatures red glowing eyes and it explodes with small bits of glass. The creature stumbles back. Each step more unsure than the last. It uses its desperate moment to sends another desperate claw attack at Zarmir. Zamir deflects but one of the claws is able to leave a deep burning cut on Zarmir’s face.

A third claw comes down, but this time it meets the face of Jalila’s shield. Her heals dig deep into the sad as the force of the claw attack moves her back slightly. With the impact still resonating over her body, she pushes the claw away. Her forehead begins to cover with sweat. Her muscles burn and her strength begins to give. Rage fills her. It can’t end here she thinks as she makes a last desperate push at the claw, pushing it away. The blade of her long sword follows. It sinks into the creature’s metal armored arm, this time it cuts like butter. The claw lands creating a deep crater in the sand.

The orb tries to mend itself. It tries to run away but instead is met with two more guiding bolts, one at each side. It turns its head, searching for a source. A bolt comes flying towards the creature. It finds the other eye. It sinks in deeper into the skull of the beast. It digs itself towards the back and finds itself at the center of an expertly drawn magical seal. The seal erases under the arrow. The creatures yes go dark and it falls over, lifeless.

Toula claps and laughs loudly. Her hands come together for a slow clap as she jumps from her seat into the ring. She walks forward slowly.

“Well, you done it” she exclaims loudly “I am impressed”

The Whole Story

Poems

In the Box My Grandfather Made

February 8, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

I’m going to tell you the story of how I caught lightning in a wooden box my grandfather made

It is a simple wooden box,

Carefully stained in pretty cherry and on the front cover,

He carved his initials.

My grandfather is a meticulous man and each day he would spend hours completing his first incision until little by little, the box was made. Some day’s he would only carve at it once and leave it on his workbench to sit idle underneath the hot Mexican sun. Sometimes it would sit there idle and untouched for days while he worked, drank, and lived his life away. There are a lot of untold stories sewn into the streets of that little Mexican Village.

My grandfather spent years working on that box,

Slicing at it piece by piece until slowly it took the shape that I now hold in my hands.

You see, this box is magical.

But its not due to some ancient Aztec spell infused into its wooden fibers,

We aren’t Aztec. Nor is it magical because it can hold lightning.

It’s magical because mixed into the lacquer and the glue is mix are our history and traditions. It’s magical because within these tiny wooden walls house more love than I could put into words. It is magical because he gave it to me to hold.

He probably doesn’t think it’s magical. He probably doesn’t even remember giving me the box. To him it was a gift for me when we had nothing. To me, it was everything thing.

To me, it is everything.

It is just a wooden box with small fading initials in the front. Along it, the scars of a life well lived.

Oh right. I was telling you the story of how I caught lighting in the wooden box my grandfather made.

The other day, emboldened by its magic,

I climbed to the peak of Mount Olympus. With the box in hand, I looked up at Zeus and with my clearest voice I yelled

I am here too. I dare you to forget me.

Zeus looked down from his thrown and with a look that I thought was anger he thrown down one of his bolts of lightning.

In self-defense I raised the wooden box in self defense and waited under its cover. It landed with a loud explosion that shook the world and crumbled the mountain into nothing.

When the smoke cleared and the dust settled,

I stood there with a wooden box full of lightning and a cool story to tell.

D&D

D&D Sessions – Toula the Combat Teacher

January 27, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

The next morning, the room was still and quiet. Zamir wakes up before the sunrise to train. The rest sit in their room. Varus takes out a symbol of the Raven Queen that he kept hidden under his shirt, kneels and begins to pray. B.U.D stands in his corner in silence, watching out the window as the world begins to grow brighter. Tal pulls out his loot and begins strumming some notes softly, half distracted by thoughts on the upcoming exam. He spent the night trying to prepare, but there was only so much he can do. Jalila sits in her room polishing her armor. She had a great nights sleep on the incredibly luxurious bed that was provided for her. She has spent most of her life sleeping on the floor, the mattress is a welcomed change.

As the sound of the morning alarm finally rings, Zarmir finally returns from his training. B.U.D watches as Zamir makes his way to his room. He listens as he can hear the rustling of people finally getting ready. Tal sings a muffled song in his room. B.U.D becomes fascinated in this planet’s morning rituals. This is the first time he has lived in such an intimate environment. B.U.D is excited by all the data he collects as everyone finishes getting ready.

When our heroes step outside, the morning dew has long since evaporated. The sun has not yet reached its highest point and the cloudless sky offer no relief to what is sure to be an unusually hot day. There are some people out and about. Some lounging about having idle conversations while others rush to their next appointment. Aside from that, the school is silent. Each footprint echoes off the walls of the dormitories with only the songs of birds to give the world variance. The group makes small talk. With their minds preoccupied by the exam, the talk consistently ends awkwardly.

Our heroes arrive at the coliseum. It is a large, impressive stone building, visible from any where in the school. Massive pillars hold up its side. There are large statues, almost as tall as the building itself, of heroes in mid combat. The large gates of the coliseum are open. A small party stand outside, their bodies drenched in sweat. They talk about their class schedule.

The group moves past them, into the large lobby of the coliseum. A few banners hang with the school’s insignia neatly etched into the fabric. Around the edges of the lobby are more statues of heroes, these with name plates and dates decorating their basses. A few tables set up, but only one was occupied. Behind it, a young man who at the moment is slumped over the table, sound asleep in a pool of his own drool. His heaving breathing echoes off the walls of the chamber. The group makes their way towards him.

“Excuse me” Tal says as he gently taps the shoulder of the sleeping figure.

The young man stirs from his slumber. He takes a long blink as he wipes away the drool from the rim of his mouth. “I apologize, I must have dozed off. How may I help you?”. His voice is groggy. He wipes the sleep from his eyes.

“We are here for the exam. We have room 5a. Can you tell us where that is?”

“Oh? So you’re the group” He begins but he catches himself as he seems to remember some terrible truth. “Um just go down this hall, you can’t miss it”

“The group?” Varus adds suspiciously “What do you mean by that?”

“Yeah, can you tell us about the test” Jalila adds.

The young man lets out a nervous laugh” Oh uh. I’ve said too much. I’m sorry I’m not allowed to say more. I wish you all luck!”

“What can you tell us?” Varus continues to pry, growing more suspicious by the second.

The young man looks around for help but none can be found. A bead of sweat starts to take form on his forehead. He sighs “All I will say is that it will be tough. I wish you luck and good fortune, now I really must take my leave. I have too much work to do.” With that, he stands up and walks away from the group, leaving them alone in the lobby.

They make their way down the hall. Room 5A stands before them. A small moment of still quiet falls over the group. Tal knocks softly. No answer. Another soft knock, still no answer. The door is unlocked.

The door opens and the smell of stale ale fills the hallway. The room is plain, except for the piles of glass bottles that seem to be everywhere. Underneath one of these piles is a desk, one that feels sticky from this distance. There is no other furniture in the room except for a chair that now holds a sleeping dwarven woman. Her long-matted hair comes down in thick dirty dreadlocks. Her large muscular arms crossed over her chest. She is slumped back against the wall. She snores and the bottles shake as they react to the reverberation of her voice. She doesn’t seem to notice the intruders.

Zarmir uses his glaive to knock at the door frame “Hello?”

Still no response. Zarmir knocks louder. She doesn’t even flinch. With a loud sigh he walks walks up to the dwarf. The smell of stale ale grows thicker.

“Good morning!” he adds Impatiently.

The sleeping dwarf wakes in a jolt. She stares at the intruders, her face not hiding her confusion. There is more silence before she finally says “You’re late!” Her eyes already searching for more liquor.

“Actually, we were early. Waking you up made us late” Zarmir retorts. He doesn’t like this new teacher. She is incredibly unprofessional.

“Oh right” she responds as she continues her search for another drop of liquor. “Well I am Toula, you can call me Toula. No Miss, Mrs, just Toula.” Her voice is rough and gravely. She continues to sift through a pile of bottles on her desk as she talks.

“You, my unlucky friends, have the pleasure of doing the only kind of test that really counts for anything Yours will be a trial by combat. I only have three rules” she continues. She raises a bottle to her eye, shaking for the sound of liquid.

“One, don’t die. I am not responsible for any deaths. If death is going to be a problem, drop out now.”

All but Varus raise an eyebrow. No one mentioned anything about death. It isn’t even the first day and now death is on the table.

“Two” She raises two fingers up “go all out. Show me what you’re really made of. I need to be entertained. If you aren’t going to do your best” she pauses as she brings a bottle to her nose and sniffs. Satisfied by the scent, she continues “drop out now.

She takes a long gulp. “and three” She pauses, looking as if she is searching for the next answer “play it smart, I will not go in to help you. If you need me to save you, drop out now.”

“What are we fighting?” Varus asks. Aside from B.U.D. He seems the least phased by the new information.

Toula smiles “Now it wouldn’t be any fun if I gave you that”

“Yes there would” Tal responds “it be so much fun” The others nod in agreement.

“In war, you don’t always know what you are fighting before hand. This will test that. Now through those doors is your destiny, go forge a good one” She takes another gulp of alcohol. The group tries to protest but she is already walking to the door. Before leaving she adds “prove to me you deserve my attention”

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D&D

D&D Sessions – Character Introductions

January 16, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

Tal and his brother Zarmir stand in the middle of the crowded field. Zarmir nonchalantly musing about while, fiddling at his cape. Tal makes a quick scans the signs until he finds the grouping that includes their last names. Tal takes the lead and guides his brother through the crowds of students and parents to the table with the letters “Ne-0” printed in front of it.

The two make an unusual pair. Those who look at them would never guess they were brother. Tal is a slender red skin Tiefling, with his hair raven black hair falling to his shoulders. His eyes are a bright yellow. He has two large ram’s horns that come out the front of his forehead and loop around his ears. There is a freshly polished and painted lute that is strapped to his back. He is dressed in fine linens and would almost resemble a noble if his pants and boots were not sullied with mud and dirt from his travels.

Zarmir the other hand is a stout and tall human male. His broad shoulders and large arms prove to the world that he tirelessly spends his time training. His blue eyes scanning for trouble as he follows his brother. His short black hair is neatly kept. In fact, he keeps himself neatly. His suit is freshly pressed and his boots and pants don’t have a spec of dirt on them. His clothes are all brightly adorned with gold trimmings and his Northman family crest perfectly embroidered on the chest of his jacket. He uses the cape to slightly hide this small detail. Zarmir gows impatient with the whole ordeal. He just wants to get back to training and get stronger.

Tal gets them registered. They receive a sheet with the words “Sylvan Towers 304” written under room assignment.

“Cool we got the same room” Zarmir says, unable to hide his excitement “we aren’t going to be separated after all!” Tal nods, sharing in the excitement.

Tal thinks for a second. He has seen this name before. He remembers passing the dorm room on their way to sports fields. He remembers how to get back to it.

“Come brother, I remember the way” Tal says confidently. Zarmir shrugs and follows him without question. Tal was always better at these kinds of things.

The brothers are the first to arrive. The door reads 304 and it is decorated with five small pieces of parchment, each with a different name. They recognize their own names, but not the other three.

“I guess we have roommates” Tal says as he reaches out to open the door. The door opens to a large living space, cluttered with neat stacks of boxes, chest, bags and other miscellaneous items. There are 3 reading chairs scattered about the room. There is a small empty fireplace at its center for the winter months. There are two bare shelves on opposite sides of the room. There is a large window at the end of the room that looks out to the snow-capped mountains behind the school. Under it, a small table with two chairs neatly tucked under it. The large room empties into 4 separate rooms. Each room comes with a bed and a desk, but there is one with a bunk bed. That room is slightly bigger meaning that one of the singles is slightly smaller.

Tal takes a seat on one of the reading chairs and starts to play with his lute. He tunes it for a bit before fiddling with a scale he enjoys. Zarmir finds an empty space on the ground that fits his frame and drops to the floor to do pushups.

Jalila makes her way through the crowd effortlessly. Crowds don’t bother her. She is used to moving through the busy city streets of Rexxentrum, and this was a lot more spacious. She looks down at the piece of parchment she was given at orientation. The words “Sylvan Towers 304” neatly written under room assignment. It doesn’t take her long to find the building. Jalila walks down the busy hall. She passes open doors with people talking loudly inside. She passes others carrying large boxes. She reads the numbers, each one getting closer to 304.

Jalila is an unusual creature. Her soft brown completion seems to glow even in the shadow. Her eyes are a pretty golden amber color and one might argue that she is unnaturally beautiful. She doesn’t quite look human, although she mostly is. A symbol of Bast hangs around her neck. In her plain navy blue soldier’s uniform, she stomps through the halls confidently. Some people will stop and stare but she doesn’t take notice, she has a mission.

The door opens and Jalila barges in. Tal stops playing his loot and stares at the curious new figure who now stands at the front of the room. Zarmir continues doing push ups.

Looking at the two guys in her room she says “Oh, so the dorms are coed. Cool. Nothing I haven’t done before.” She takes in the layout of the room. It’s nicer than any place she’s ever stayed at. My name is Jalila. What’s your’s?” her voice assertively filling the room.

“My name is Tal and this” pointing at Zarmir who continues to do push-ups “is my brother Zarmir.”

“ The r is silent” he adds from the floor.

Overcome by obvious bewilderment, she stares at the odd pair and asks “How are you brothers?”

“Adopted” Zarmir adds as he finishes the last of his set. He stands up, towering over Jalila and adds “He’s my adopted brother” Zarmir flexes slightly and inspects his biceps for progress. Satisfied, he puts his hand on Tal’s soldier “We grew up together so as far as I’m concerned, he is my real brother”

“That’s sweet” she replied. She understands the bond between an adopted family all too well. Her guard drops a bit, but the room fills with an awkward silence. Zarmir, looking into the rooms, is the first to break the silence. “I want my own room” he says as he continues with his inspection. He chooses the room he believes is the biggest and begins to fill it with his belongings.

“I don’t mind getting the small room” Tal says as he begins to gather his things. Jalila shrugs and walks towards the last single. She tries to hide the excitement of finally having her own room.

The door opens a third time. Varus, another tall human, barges in without saying a word or acknowledging the inhabitants. He’s dressed in dark brown leather. A hunter’s cap with the rim bent up slightly. His face is scared and an eyepatch covers his right eye. A small crossbow hangs limply at his side. He passes the group wordlessly and walks up to a bare wall. He clears his throat and without looking away lets out “My name is Varus Silbarian. What’s your name? Why are you here?”

Tal confused by the new stranger’s mannerism replies “Um. I am Tal and I go to school here. This…”

“I wasn’t talking to you!” Varus interrupts sounding completely annoyed. He turns back to the wall and says “yeah I’m doing pretty good, how are you?”

Tal blinks, unsure on how to react. Finally he gathers himself and a bit annoyed asks “Im sorry…Who are you speaking with?”

Without turning away from the wall Varus says “I’m just talking to Dorthy.” The other two watch, confused by the whole situation.

“Ah Dorthy the door” Tal says, attempting to keep the conversation civil. They would be sharing a room after all.

“Dorthy is not a door” Varus turns looking offended.

“Ah Dorthy the wall, makes sense” Tal says as he rolls his eyes. He does not like this guy.

In an effort to break the awkward tension in the room, Jalila changes the subject. “Does anyone know what the test is on?”

“I hope it’s not a written test” Zarmir shrugs “I don’t know shit”

“Yeah” Tal laughs in agreement. “No one told us there would be a test, I didn’t see it on any of the introductory materials.”

“I don’t think anyone knew. Its kind of weird that they give us a test so early in the year.” Jalila continues trying to keep the conversation going but the conversation fizzles out naturally and they continue to unpack in silence. Tal takes it upon himself to break the silence once again by playing his lute. He plays relaxing melodies for his roommates to unpack to. No one objects.

Across campus, the robot continues to try to get registered, but he is distracted. Ha has never been around this many people, nor has he been to a school before. At this point, people have started avoiding him, creating a clear perimeter around him. They can’t help but to gawk at B.U.D. and they have good reason to. His body is entirely metallic. The platting that covers his body shines like in the sun. It isn’t flesh that connects the large pieces of armor together, but wires and cables visible through exposed patches. He towers over the crowd, peering over the heads of all the other students and their families. He moves slowly through the crow, distracted by all the new around him. He continues to grab at loose accessories and items until people no longer walk near him.

Eventually B.U.D makes it to the front of the correct table after trying all the other ones. He is intrigued by the concept. A tiny human woman hands him a piece of parchment. It reads “Sylvan Towers 304” written under room assignment. Without looking at the sheet, he grabs it and sticks it in his mouth.

“Wait no! you need that” a panicked hand reaches up to grab at the sheet of parchment. B.U.D. spits it out, not fully understanding why he couldn’t eat the paper. “It tells you where you need to go” the small woman adds, shaking her head at the strange creature.

“Can I have one of those then?” B.U.D points at the stack of papers on a table behind them.

“No. You need to go find your room” she says slowly, “ You’re in Sylvan Towers 304. Just follow that path and you will see the scenes. I’m sorry I don’t mean to be mean but I have more people I need to help. Good luck and welcome!” She tries desperately to sound enthused. B.U.D nods and walks away from the table down the suggested path. He continues to get distracted by everything.

The door opens a fourth time. B.U.D. Stands on the other side with his arms full of pieces of parchments, like the ones posted on the room doors. “Can you believe they just leave these for anyone to take?” he adds as he walks through the door. He takes a step inside and pops one of the pieces into his mouth, this time swallowing before anyone could react.

He looks around, the 4 who were already in the room stare back blankly. astonished and confused by this odd specimen, no one knows quite what to say.

“Hi” he finally says, breaking the minutes of silence. “My designation is Biomechanical Universal Diplomat, but you can call me B.U.D. It is very nice to meet you all” he adds with a slight respectful bow of the head. Taken aback by the tall new creature in the room they all introduce themselves. B.U.D towers over his new friends.

“Oh man. Check this place out you guys, and girl. Its so big!” He says as he walks to a corner, inspects it for moment and says “This is a pretty cool corner. Did you guys see this corner? I claim this corner if no one has claimed it yet!”

“No…that’s fine” Tal says, not quite understanding the situation. “Do you not need to sleep”

“I do a bit, but that’s why I picked this awesome corner.” Bud pops another piece of parchment into his mouth. The others look at him curiously. “Oh do you guys want some? They have these everywhere.” He begins to offer a sheet to Zarmir”

“No I’m good” he answers “I’m just going to be in my room. I will see you tomorrow.” And with that, he closes the door behind him. No one else takes his offer, and he gleefully continues to snack on parchment.

“Why are you eating parchment?” Jalila asks finally.

“I’m collecting data” B.U.D replies.

“Data? Data for what?” Tal joins in.

“Data for the Mother Ship”

“What’s the Mother Ship?”

“It’s the mother ship. I was sent here to collect data for the mother ship.”

“Sent? Sent from where?” Tal continues to ask. It seems the more he talked to B.U.D, the more confused he seemed to become.

“I was sent from the mother ship” Clearly this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Tal gives up on his interrogation.

They spend the rest of the night unpacking and exchanging more awkward conversation. They talk about what they think the test, but no one does anything to prepare for it. They all go to bed, all sharing different levels of anxiety. A new chapter to their adventure has just begun.

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D&D Sessions – Prologue

January 14, 2021 josechurape Leave a comment

This is part of a series. Click here for the whole story!

The year is 1414 A.Y. and there is peace in the Yozia Empire, although there are always rumors of war with Tal’Dorei. But these wispers do not carry fear or lament but rather excitement and enthusiastic anticipation. The Empire is strong under the rule of the great Lord Guillement and people are sure that any war will result in victory.

All across the country, the vast military might of the Yozia empire trains tirelessly. There are tales of warriors who wield unimaginable magic, swordsman whose blades can cut mountains, and the brilliant armor smiths who make weapons worthy of the gods. Across the continent, 13 academies have formed to foster the creation of elite officers. Heroes who will fill the rank and help bring the nation to a brighter tomorrow.

Our story starts in one of these thirteen. A school with a less than savory reputation. The blemish of the nation, yet here it stands at the border of the Ashkeeper Peaks and the Lotusden Greenwoods. Here it stands, gates open and still enrolling new students. Some students attend because they have no other choice. Others because they hope to one day transfer to a more reputable institution. There are few that go here by choice. Whose hears fill with joy because they get to go to one of the prestigious 13, but those students are rare.

The doors of Xenarthra’s School for Heroes and Heroism opens it’s doors to new students today. Small crowds of people start to make their way towards the entrance, The name of the school spelled neatly over the metal gate.

The gates open to a large white building. A gold plaque with the schools name neatly engraved sits attached to the right of large wooden double doors. Across it’s pillars hang signs that welcome students in common. The crowd is lead past the dormitory to a large sports field. At it’s center, a stage has been constructed. Behind it, a sign hangs that reads “Welcome” in common. There are tables with signs that read “registration and room assignments” that satellite the stage. The crowd begins to thicken. People line up to register. Others stand idly, making uncomfortable small talk with strangers. Others are quick to make friends.

About five minutes after the crowd stops pouring in, a woman makes her way on stage. She is an older human woman with graying black hair and brown eyes. She wears a purple suit with a white rose pinned to her lapel. She gets to the front of the stage and clears her through meekly. A soft whispering voice booms over the crowd. The crowd slowly gets silent.

“Welcome students. I hope you found us well. We are pleased to open our doors to the 74^th class of the X.S.H.H. I am the president of the first year class Ms. Andrea Wiggenstaff. Ms. Wiggenstaff is fine. I am here to make sure that your transition into our wonderful school is as easy is possible. If you have any issues or concerns, please do not hesitate to come to me for help. My door is always open and you can find that on the third floor of that big white building you saw when you first walked into the gates. Please make sure you get your room assignments before you leave here today, you can find them at the tables scattered throughout the field. They are ordered alphabetically. Now the headmaster would like to say a few words.”

At this point a slender human male climbs onto the stage. His fine black suit has been freshly pressed. His wild unkept white hair is in a messy mangled fro. His rimless glasses sit before his golden almost yellow eyes. He gets to the front of the stage and scans the room. There is a minute of silence before he speaks. His voice booms loudly over the crowd.

“I am Headmaster Xanathar and this is my school. You have come here today from far and wide because you are the best at what you do and I should be so lucky to have you. I look around me today and know that there is no one in this crowd that is worthy. Whatever trophy, award, or achievement you think you have that sets you apart from the rest means nothing today. And as ready as you think you are to go out there and prove your worth to the nation, I am here to tell you that you are not yet ready. You are still young and although what you may have achieved thus far may be impressive, it is not enough for what is to come. But you will be ready one day. And here together you will bear witness to something great. You will be the hands that help forge this generation into greatness. You will create a rich and meaningful history full of heroes and Heroism. Today you may not be ready, today you may not have what it takes to survive wars cold cruel clutches but today you take your first step towards becoming ready. I only ask you to do your best and work hard.”

The sound of a lonely pair of hands start to clap slowly. No one joins. Instead people start to move towards the tables, continue their conversations, or stare at the giant robot who stands alone, clapping awkwardly. He continues to clap until he sees an ornate flower braided neatly into a young woman’s hair. He reaches out, his arms genltly plucking the flower and before anyone could react, sticks it in his mouth. People move away from the strange robot and the strange robot goes on his way.

Ms. Wiggenstaff returns to the stage to make last minute announcements. “Don’t forget exams start tomorrow and..” her voice trails off, completely consumed by the hustle and bustle of registration day.

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