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D&D

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”

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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 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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