Join Sunset and the gang as they gather together every week for a game of Dungeons and Dragons!
Sunset heard about a new game that peaked her interest. Dungeons and Dragons. It was a game of imagination and where the only boundaries were those of your own mind. Sunset took a while and studied, researched, and got the required books she would need to host her own adventure. When she felt she was ready she brought the idea to her friends and they were all aboard. Now join them every week as they journey through the lands of Valatorium.
“Okay. We got chips, drinks, we could probably order some pizza if we want to, some candies for Pinkie,” Sunset went down her shopping list as she walked down the isle. “What else?”
“How about some popcorn, darling?” Rarity suggested as they turned down the next one.
“Good idea!” Sunset walked about halfway down and stopped, taking a look at all the different choices. Grabbing a couple packets of a few different flavors she tossed them into the cart.
“Thanks for coming with me today, Rarity.”
“Don't worry about it. Do you think the girls will be excited to play?”
“I'm pretty sure they will be. Even though I had to go over some of the rules a few times with Twilight. She seemed to take it all literally while I kept reminding her that it's just a game.”
“Well she's still getting used to being at Canterlot High and having so many friends.” Rarity waved it off as she had another thought. “Oh, we should make some brownies!”
“Pinkie would love that,” Sunset giggled as they headed towards one of the cashiers. “I bet she already has all the ingredients at home. Why don't you send her a text and ask,” she suggested as she started to place her items on the moving belt.
“Already did,” Rarity said as she replaced her phone back into her small purse. The two girls shared a smile while Sunset paid for the groceries. They were only a few minutes walk from Sunset's apartment as the two girls headed down the cement path each holding a few plastic bags. Sunset pulled out her phone and sent a group message to everyone, save for Rarity as she was already with her.
Game tonight. 7PM my place. Don't forget to bring paper, a pencil and a set of dice. Will have snacks and drinks but feel free to bring anything else. See you then!
Nearing the door to her apartment, Sunset swapped her phone for her set of keys and unlocked the door. Holding it open for Rarity they both stepped through and placed the bags on the table. Checking the time, Rarity told Sunset that she would be back in time for the game as she had a few things to do today. Giving her a gentle hug Rarity let herself out as Sunset started to put everything away.
A bit later in the day she had the table all set up for the seven of them. It would be a bit cramped but it would work. Walking into her room she grabbed a small stack of books from her dresser and placed them on the table where she would be sitting.
“Alright, I think that's everything that I need. Player's handbook, the DMG, monster manual,” Sunset spoke as she pointed to each of the books. “Well that should do it, for now. Oh, I hope this goes well. Never really done anything like this before but it just seems like so much fun.”
Sunset continued to talk to herself as she started to get the snacks all set out for her friends. “I mean I've been reading up on how to play and been studying the rules,” she paused for a moment as she thought about something, “well, they're more like guidelines per say but all in all I think I've got the hang of it.”
By the time everything was all set up and Sunset gave herself a well deserved smile, there was a knock on her door. Quickly stepping over and opening the door, Sunset's smile grew wider as she saw Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy standing in her entry way. Welcoming them in she closed the door but only briefly for when she told them to make themselves at home there was another knock.
Upon reopening the door, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, both with smiles and hugs, greeted Sunset as they to passed over the threshold. Twilight was last to arrive apologizing about some experiment she was working on. Sunset told her to not worry about it and to get herself some snacks or a drink before taking a seat at the table.
Once everyone was finally settled down Sunset got their attention. “Did everyone bring the required items?”
“Ayep.”
“Sure did!”
“Y-yes.”
“Of course.”
“Uh-huh!”
The only one who didn't seem to answer was Twilight who looked kind of ashamed that she forgot. “It's alright Twi. Here,” Sunset handed her a sheet of paper and a handful of differently shaped dice. “Okay so that takes care of that. Now tonight we're just going to make our characters and create their backgrounds,” Sunset explained as she looked over the group.
“I got a few books you guys can use but it would be helpful if you can pick up this one,” Sunset held up the player's guide for them to see before passing it to Applejack who sat to her left. “If you're not able to that's alright. We can all share.” She handed an extra one to Twilight who sat to her right.
“Also everyone take one of these please,” she continued as she handed a small stack of papers to Twilight, who already had one, passed the rest to the group. “So go ahead and spend some time going through the book and see what kind of character you would like to play.”
As the night wore on and the food was consumed, much progress was made by the girls. Sunset had many questions to answer as they started creating a character that appealed to each one of them. Some questions she had to look up and make a decision on while others were given a quick simple answer. Sunset was very much enjoying her new role as a Dungeon Master, or DM as the book often refers to the term.
After a few hours and many questions everyone had their own character sheet filled out with the basic details. They rolled for their stats, chose a background, equipped themselves with standard gear, and were all in all ready to start their big adventure. But before that could happen Sunset wanted to go around the table and make sure everything was correct and have her players give an introduction, to breathe life into this character that they have created. Turning to her left she pointed at Applejack who cleared her throat as she looked down at her sheet before her green eyes returned to her friends.
“Ah will be playing a human paladin. Her name is Roxanna Mourneblack and she serves the platinum dragon god Bahamut. She's on a holy quest to figure out the recent visions she has been seein' and to avenge her late father who was captured and slain by Rystion the Mad, a mage of incredible power.”
“Sounds good. Rainbow you're next,” Sunset said, pointing to her.
“Alright! My character's name is Thandra Lockcat. She is a half elf rogue who likes to sneak around in the shadows and who takes anything shiny or worth of any value.”
“Okay,” Sunset said, giggling as Rainbow Dash gave her best sneaky impression. She then turned her attention to Fluttershy who was sitting next to Rainbow. “And you?”
“Um,” Fluttershy paused for a moment before continuing, “my character's name is Lohen Greenbranch. She is an elven druid who lives in the forest taking care of the trees and animals.” Sunset nodded as she turned to Pinkie who was sitting across from Fluttershy.
“Oh, my turn, my turn! I will be playing a gnome bard who goes by the name of Aresim.”
“No last name?” Rainbow asked.
“Nope!” Pinkie just smiled as she popped some more candy into her mouth.
“It's not required,” Sunset told Rainbow who just shrugged before turning her attention to Rarity now. “You're up.”
“My character's name is Lady Lavanya who also serves the platinum dragon,” she gave a smile to Applejack. “She is also a human and has her own personal quest to heal those in need of it.”
“So you're playing a cleric then?” Sunset asked.
“Why yes, darling. Did I not mention that?” Sunset just shook her head as giggles could be heard around the table while Rarity apologized. Now turning her attention to Twilight, Sunset gave her the floor to introduce her character.
“Yes, um,” Twilight started off as she adjusts the glasses perched on her nose. “Going over the classes I believe that I have decided on being a wizard who goes by the name of Jeana Sparks. She is a high elf who resides in the capital studying the arcane ways.” Twilight looked shyly down at her character sheet when she was done. Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder as she stood up and looked at her friends.
“Great! Everything seems to be in order. We now know who everyone is going to be and what class they are going to play. I'm sorry it took so long but next week when we get together you'll be starting your very first adventure. If you guys have any other questions please let me know before then. Oh! And don't forget to grab a book if you can,” Sunset held up the Player's Handbook once more to remind them.
As the girls started to gather up their things and say their goodbyes, Sunset began to clear off the table when a pair of hands joined her. Twilight gave her a slight smile and the two of them got it done fairly quick. As the rest of their friends left, Twilight hung back for a moment hesitating for some reason.
“Is everything okay?” Sunset asked as she gathered up the rest of the trash and walked her to the door.
“Well,” Twilight started but then stopped, unsure of how to explain herself.
“Don't worry about it to much. It's just a game and the most important thing to remember is to have fun.”
“I've just never done anything like this before.”
“Neither have I,” Sunset reassured her with a smile. Twilight returned the smile and let out a quiet sigh.
“Okay. I promise to give it my all and have fun,” Twilight said as Sunset walked outside with her carrying the trash bag. Tossing it into the dumpster she gave Twilight a hug and watched her leave before heading back into her apartment.
“What a night!” she said as she leaned against the closed door. “Well, got a lot of work a head of me but this should turn out to an interesting adventure!” With a smile and a nod Sunset knew her friends wouldn't let her down. She just hoped that she could do the same for them as she guides them through the lands of Valatorium!
Today is going to be a good day. All week Sunset has been doing more research on the over all game of Dungeons and Dragons, getting more information where ever she could ask questions. She has been fleshing out her world little by little getting things ready for her players to immerse themselves into it. Sunset even went out and found a bigger table that was on sale and still fit comfortably in her apartment. After sending out another group text reminding her friends of the game tonight, Sunset started to set the table as she did last week, making sure things were good to go when they arrive.
She made a quick trip to the nearby store and stocked up on some more drinks and snacks for everyone. Returning home Sunset then took a moment to relax and go over some of her notes for the start of their very first game. Everything seemed to be in order as she took a deep breath and let out a soft yet nervous sigh. It's just your friends. You'll do fine. she told herself as a gentle knock was heard upon her door. Getting up and making her way over she was surprised to see Fluttershy be the first to arrive and a little bit early.
"Hiya, Fluttershy. Welcome," Sunset greeted her with a smile and a wave as Fluttershy stepped inside.
"Hello, Sunset," Fluttershy replied quietly as she walked over and took the same seat she had last week. "I know I'm a bit early but I had a question about my character," she added as she pulled out a Player's Handbook, some dice and her character sheet.
"Sure, what's up?" Sunset asked as she took a seat next to her.
"Umm, it says here that I can change into any type of animal," Fluttershy pointed to the Wild Shape ability.
"Yes but you can't use that ability until you reach level two."
"Oh, I see," Fluttershy took another look at the page. "Do you think I could become a tree?"
Sunset gave her a curious look before shrugging, "I'm not sure...maybe at a higher level you can? We'll have to look into it later on when you guys gain some experience."
"Alright," Fluttershy smiled. "I'd like to be a tree." Sunset just shook her head and returned the smile. Soon after the rest of the girls began to show up and they all took their places around the table, all sitting in the same places that they did last week. Either it was a very strange coincidence or that's how they wanted to be placed, Sunset wasn't sure but it really didn't matter. They were there to have fun and Sunset hoped that she could give it to them.
As all the girls got comfortable Sunset started the session. "Okay. You are all in a land called Valatorium. A land filled with all kinds of races and cultures, magical items and plenty of riches. A land of dangerous monsters and wondrous treasure. It is ruled by the House of Denigar from the imperial city of Eritor which stands at the center of the land in the far North. But that is not where our story begins tonight. Our story begins with two adventurers being chased by a hill giant into a dark cavern that leads deep under the hills near the town of Crestwood." Sunset points to Rarity and Applejack as she continues.
"Roxanna and Lady Lavanya find themselves in a very dark cavern which smells moldy and wet. Underneath it all you can pick up the faint traces of a metallic scent very similar to the smell of blood. The sound of the giant that was chasing you seems to drift off as you can hear it's heavy foot steps fade farther away until the only thing the two of you can hear is your heavy breathing." Sunset looked from Applejack to Rarity who are looking at each other from across the table as they are now thrown into their very first actions with these characters. Looking over her sheet Rarity was the first to speak up.
"We can't see a thing, right?"
"That's right. It's pitch black in here," Sunset confirmed.
"Okay I cast Light on my mace so we can take a look around."
"You can feel divine power fill your hand as you channel the spell casting it on the end of your mace brightening the area. It takes the two of you a few moments before your eyes adjust to the suddenness of going from complete darkness to light. As you now can see your surroundings you notice the area is slightly humid which means that there might be a water source nearby. Moss covers most of the walls on either side of you and as you proceed a bit farther into the cavern it opens up before you gradually getting wider. You can't see the ceiling any longer as the walls continue to move out and away from you. The metallic scent you picked up starts to get stronger as you come across a few piles of bones and what looks like the remains of a few dead bodies. The bodies look only days old and probably the work of the giant that was chasing you only moments ago."
"Where did that thing come from?"Roxanna exclaimed as she tried to catch her breath.
"I have no idea but it might come back. Perhaps we shouldn't hang around here to long,"Lady Lavanya suggested. As they made their way deeper into the cavern they made a quick inspection of the bodies followed by a few words to Bahamut before pressing on following the left wall as it seemed to gradually head down at a slight decline. Coming to an entrance which shoots off to their left they took a moment to listen, seeing if there was any danger ahead.
"Alright go ahead and make a perception roll."
"That's a d20, right?" Applejack asked.
"Correct. Roll a d20 and add your perception skill to it." Sunset explained as the girls made their rolls.
"Nineteen."
"Seven," Rarity gave a slight frown at her number.
"Okay. Roxanna as you listen closely to the darkness beyond your light source you could hear what sounds like rushing water but just faintly. You also pick up on what sounds like someone or something banging making some noise. From what you can make out it sounds like metal hitting metal but with the echoing in the caverns it's hard to tell."
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what, darling?"Roxanna held a finger up to her lips as she listened a moment longer. She waved to her good friend as they both started down the narrow cavern entrance. It was only about ten feet wide and at some parts it narrowed even more to where they had to almost walk sideways. After what seemed to be a few intense minutes of silence as the two continued down the cavern they came to an opening which led them into another large cavern. The sound of water could be heard much clearer now as they stepped out of the cramped area.
"Hey! You! With the light! Come here! Get me out of here!"A voice in the darkness shouted at them. Roxanna held her sword and shield at the ready just in case anything or anyone decided to surprise them.
"Who's there?"
"Stop lolly gagging and let me out of here!"
"Where are you?"Lady Lavanya called back cautiously. She didn't like making so much noise in an unknown place.
"To your right, about a hundred feet from you,"the voice answered, a bit more quietly this time. Both the paladin and the cleric strode carefully over to where they were instructed when quite a few small cages came into their light range. There were about a dozen or so of them scattered around the area. Only a few of them were occupied, one being to whom the disembodied voice belonged to. As they approached the three foot by four foot cage they saw it contained a half elf. Beaten, bruised, dirty and all around not in the best of shape, she looked up at them with a small smirk.
"Well you gonna get me out of here, or what?"She asked as she had barely any room to move around in it.
"What happened to you?"
"Listen they might come back any moment. Just get me out of here and I'll explain everything to you."There was a look of desperation in her eyes as the two glanced to each other for a moment before giving the half elf a slight nod. Bringing her mace above her head, Lady Lavanya swung at the lock in an attempt to smash it.
"Go ahead and roll an attack for it."
"That's a d20 plus my strength, right?" Rarity asked. Sunset nodded as Rarity rolled her die upon the table. "I got an eleven."
"So as you swing your mace up above your head and bring it down on the lock you hear the metal crush against each other and a moment later the lock falls to the ground with a soft thud. Crawling out of the small cage the now freed half elf stretches getting as many of the cramps out of her muscles as she can. She gives you two a grin and then seems to disappear into the darkness only to reappear a moment later with her items in hand. As she starts putting on her gear she introduces herself as quickly as she can."
"Listen, my name is Thandra and I'll explain more as we get out of here,"she said as she finished up and looked at herself."It'll have to do. Anyways, thanks for releasing me from that so called prison. Follow me, I know where we can get out of here."
Now with Thandra in the lead the three of them began to head what seemed to be deeper into the caverns. It wasn't to much longer that they could tell they were starting to head upwards as a soft breeze passed between them."Just a bit farther and we'll be in the Sanguine Forest,"Thandra explained over her shoulder. A few more minutes along with some more twists and turns they emerged out of a small cave entrance which seemed to be hidden by a few trees that grew near it. Dispelling her Light spell, Lady Lavanya put down her mace and took a deep breath of fresh air seemingly glad to be out of the darkness.
"Well you kept to your word and I thank you,"Roxanna said as she held out a hand to the half elf."My name is Roxanna Mourneblack and this is Lady Lavanya."
"Nice to meet you. My full name is Thandra Lockcat,"she grinned to both of them as she shook Roxanna's hand.
"Pray, tell us why you were being kept in such a dark place all locked up like that?"
"That's a long story. Perhaps I can tell it to you over a cup of ale? Just on the other side of this forest is the small town of Breeze, about a half a day's march to the south."Thandra leads them through some of the trees and shrubbery for a few hundred feet when they all finally come to a well worn path snaking it's way through the forest."Here we go. Now we just gotta follow this path and it'll lead us right out of the woods."About a half an hour into their trek the howl of a wolf could be heard nearby. A moment later there seemed to be another followed by a third.
"I try to see if there's anything near us," Rainbow Dash said.
"Alright. Make a perception check."
Rainbow pulls a face as she looks at the die. "Only a six."
"You can't see anything near you for the trees and other foliage blocks a lot of your sight."
"Can I try?" Rarity asked.
"Sure, go ahead."
"A nine."
"You don't really see anything out of the ordinary either," Sunset tells her then adds, "but you do feel as if something or someone is watching you."
Rarity turns to Applejack and asks, "What should we do?"
"Let's keep movin' but cautiously," she replies.
"As the three of you keep heading down the worn path it bends to the left and disappears behind some trees. Right in front of you, as if the forest itself was alive, you see a druid step from out of the dense forest, the trees seemingly parting before her making way for her before settling back into place. Standing on either side of her were two light brown wolves, snarling at the intruders, only waiting for her command to pounce."
"Why do you trespass in this forest?"The druid demanded, her right hand holding a staff which was pointed at the three figures.
"I apologize if we caused any harm. We only wish for safe passage through. We were lost in the caverns beneath the hills and our friend Thandra here helped us find our way out."
"Is there a way to see if she is telling the truth?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes. You will want to make an insight check. So roll a d20 plus that skill modifier," Sunset explained as she watched Fluttershy look at her sheet while she rolled the die.
"I got a one. Is that good?" Sunset just shook her head.
"Rolling a natural one is very bad. You never want to see those come up but it does happen." Fluttershy looked a bit saddened at the fact but Rarity cheered her up a bit while Sunset continued. "You're not sure if she is telling the truth or not but getting a better look at her now you can see she is a paladin, from the armor and the holy symbol that's engraved upon her breast plate. Seeing that puts you at ease slightly as you decide to take them for their word."
"Safe passage is what I will grant you. Follow me and do not stray from the path,"she told them as she turned and started walking down the path, both wolves in tow. It seemed like the very ground itself moved around her making the journey much easier to travel now as the three followed silently behind.
"I don't know about you two but I'm getting a bad feeling about this..."Thandra commented aloud as they continued on wards.
"Do you feel that, Roxanna?"
"Ayep. There is a darkness gathering in these woods yet I can't seem to tell what the cause is. Protector of the forest, do you know anything about what is going on here?"Roxanna called forward as the druid looked over her shoulder to reply.
"My name is Lohen Greenbranch and no I do not. This is very sudden and I can feel an uneasiness to the trees and the wildlife around,"Lohen explained as they walked. About another twenty minutes goes by and they started to see the trees start to thin out and the path starts to become a bit wider. They were nearing the edge of the forest and could see the small town of Breeze in the distance. The uneasiness that Lohen spoke of continued to grow and the sky above them seemed to darken slightly over the town.
"All of you roll me perception, please."
"Five," said Fluttershy.
"Fourteen," Rarity replied.
"Sixteen from me," Applejack said.
"I have a ten."
"So Roxanna and Lady Lavanya you hear what sounds like screams and the familiar sound of battle drift towards you."
"Can we tell where it's coming from?"
"Yes. It is coming from the nearby town. You guys are still to far away to actually see anything but the sounds are unmistakable."
Drawing her sword Roxanna turns to her companions."We must help them! Quickly now!"Roxanna then turns and starts running towards the small town with Lady Lavanya right behind her. They were soon joined by Thandra who has decided to stick with them for a while. Surprisingly the druid Lohen caught up with them, her two wolves by her side.
"Do you plan to help us, darling?"Lady Lavanya called to her as they ran.
"I do not care for those that reside in the town,"she said at first then added when Lady Lavanya's face grimaced,"but if whatever is attacking the village decides to come for my forest next, that I will not allow. So it is better to stop it now before things get out of hand."
"What ever your reasons are are yours alone but I thank you for assisting us,"Roxanna called back before putting on a burst of speed. It didn't take long for the small group to cross the open plains and reach the outskirts of Breeze. Some of the buildings were on fire and general chaos filled the streets as people fled in fear. As they continued farther in they reached the center of town where they stopped to see a wizard with a shield around herself and a few of the locals. She was using all her might to keep her focus up on the shield but the strain of keeping it together could be seen on her face. Above her about fifty feet in the air floated another mage who seems to be casting a continuous beam of magic down upon the shield. Running over, Roxanna placed her shield in front of her and stepped between the two casters, deflecting the beam.
"Quickly, go. Run to safty!"She called back as the force of the magic seemed to push her back a few feet.
"Thank you,"said the wizard as she dropped her concentration and started to usher those that she was protecting. Thandra and Lohen ran over and gave her a hand while Lady Lavanya went to Roxanna's side. The power of the beam was getting to intense and it suddenly knocked Roxanna's shield away from her as it hit her squarely in the chest.
"You take four points of damage from the blast and you are knocked prone," Sunset said as she rolled some dice behind her screen.
"Prone?" Applejack echoed.
"It means you're knocked down." Applejack nodded understandingly as she wrote down the damage on her character sheet. "You now are able to get a better look at this person floating in the air and it is someone you recognize from your past. What confirmed your thoughts beyond any doubt is his insane maniacal laughter."
"Rystion!"Roxanna said through gritted teeth as she got back up to her feet.
"Are you alright?"Lady Lavanya asked worriedly to her friend as she had her mace and shield out.
"Yeah. I'm fine,"she replied as she glared upwards at the figure. More laughter followed by a few streaks of lightning, which brightened up the area, before the mage seemed to vanish from sight the sky returning to a light yellowish orange color. The sun has started to set while all of this was happening. The towns people did their best to put the fires out and with the help of the party they managed to save most of the buildings that were on fire. A few were to badly charred as one or two collapsed under it's own weight. Seeking out the wizard who was protecting the villagers, Roxanna and Lady Lavanya found her with those that she shielded.
"Is anyone hurt?"Lady Lavanya asked as she started to check for any injuries. Handing the wizard a flask of water Roxanna pressed her for some information.
"That was a very noble thing you did, protecting those who can't protect themselves."Taking a long drought of the water the wizard handed the near empty flask back to the paladin.
"I only did what I could to help,"she explained as she looked around the town as it slowly calmed down."But it wasn't enough. He was just to powerful..."
"Do you know what he wanted? Was he looking for something?"
Shaking her head the wizard answered,"I'm sorry but I do not. He just appeared out of nowhere and started attacking everything."
"His name is Rystion the Mad,"Roxanna told her as she spat out his name. The wizard looked up to her with wide eyes as Roxanna just nodded to her."It seems he's grown even more unstable since the last time I've seen him."
"Do you know him?"She asked Roxanna in wonderment as she attempted to stand on shaky legs.
Roxanna helped steady the wizard as she explained,"Yes. A long time ago he captured my father and tortured him for information. My father died with honor for the mage gained nothing out of him. Now it is my duty to take him out, not only for my father, but for everyone else he has hurt along the way."
"I'm so sorry,"the wizard said before formally introducing herself."Thank you very much to coming to my aid. I wasn't sure if I could hold that spell any longer. My name is Jeana Sparks. It's a pleasure to meet you."Shaking hands, the paladin and the wizard continued their conversation when suddenly another figure, who seemed to just pop out of the ground next to them, appeared.
"Well that was a lot of fun. I mean one minute you're in the middle of a song and the next the whole place is on fire. Who knew, right?"She elbowed the wizard with a small giggle.
"You're that performer that was in the tavern when it was attacked."
"Bard actually, and yes I am. Nice to meet your acquaintance. The name's Aresim. Aresim is my name and singing is the game."She shook hands with both the wizard and the paladin as they said their introductions.
"Jeana Sparks."
"Roxanna Mourneblack."As if on que Lady Lavanya, Thandra and Lohen joined them as they all made their introductions, shook hands, smiled and all around took in their surroundings.
"And we will call it there for the night," Sunset said which was immediately followed by a chorus of Ahhhh's. Checking the time Sunset saw that the session went for a good three hours and from that last reaction she could tell that they were really getting into it. As the girls packed up their things and got ready to say goodbye, Sunset told them what a great job they did and that next week will be just as fun.
"Oh and tonight everyone gets 200 xp for doing so well."
"What's 'xp'?" Asked Twilight.
"Experience points. You get those from killing monsters, role playing with your other players or the NPC's, and coming up with good ideas. Things like that. When you get enough points you can level up. It's all in the book under your class." Sunset explained as they all nodded to her. When the last girl left Sunset let out a quiet cheer as she started to put her things away. Everything went more smoothly than what she had expected and next week is going to be even better.
"That'll be $42.75," the clerk behind the counter said. Sunset handed him her card and waited for him to return it with the receipt. Giving him a slight smile she grabbed the plastic bag and headed out the door. It is a really nice day out as Sunset headed down the street back towards her apartment. She gave herself a slight giggle as her thoughts turned to tonight's adventure. Excited for the game, Sunset stepped into her favorite cafe and stepped up to the counter. There is one other in front of her but they were finishing up their order allowing her to place her's
"Hey Sunset!" The girl at the register called to her.
"Hiya, Lyra. How's it going today?" Sunset replied with a smile.
"It's a bit slow today but alright. The usual?"
"Yes, please. Could you add some extra whipped cream?"
"Sure, no problem!" Lyra smiled back as Sunset paid her then stepped to the side waiting for her coffee. It only took a few moments that she had to wait before receiving her hot cup of coffee with extra whipped cream of course. Waving a good bye to Lyra, Sunset stepped back out into the warm sunlight as she continued her trek back home. There were still a few hours left before her friends would arrive but Sunset already had everything set up as she walked into her apartment. Setting the bag down on the table, along with her coffee, Sunset double checked her information for tonight's game, making sure she had it all covered for her players.
As her friends started to arrive she greeted them with smiles and hugs as they took their seats, each one seemingly just as excited to play as Sunset is to DM. Applejack brought a home made apple pie, Fluttershy made some sandwiches for them, while Pinkie had a whole bag of randomly assorted candies. Once the girls were all set, each with their food or drinks, Sunset started the session.
"Before we start I got something for each of you," Sunset said as she brought forward a plastic bag. Reaching into it she pulled out a small figure still in it's box. She handed each girl their own before explaining. "I was able to find miniatures of all your characters," she smiled to them as they opened the boxes taking a closer look at them. "They will represent each one of you as we play." The girls all thanked her and placed them on the table as Sunset reminded them where they last left off.
"So we last left off as Roxanna, Lady Lavanya, Thandra, and Lohen made their way through The Sanguine Forest with Lohen's guidance. As they approached the small town of Breeze, sounds of battle could be heard as the party rushed towards the town. Some of the buildings were on fire as the people fled all around them. They spotted a wizard protecting some of the locals as another caster was blasting down upon a barrier she had up. Roxanna," Sunset pointed to Applejack, "rushed to the wizard's aid letting her and the locals she was protecting run to safety as she recognized the other caster as Rystion the Mad. He suddenly vanished as the party helped put the fires out and gathered more information as they met Jeana Sparks, the wizard, and a bard named Aresim who just seemed to pop out of no where."
Sunset nodded to both Pinkie and Twilight as she continued, "You all now find yourself in a make shift tavern for the actual one was on fire, collapsing under it's own weight. You were all served some food and drink from whatever the locals could scavenge up. Sitting in front of you is the elder of Breeze. An older gentleman with small glasses resting on his nose, a graying beard with matching short hair."
"Thank you for saving our small village," the elder said in a tired voice. "I know it's not much but please accept this as a token of our appreciation." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small bag and held it out to the party. Being quick, as well as the closest to him, Thandra snatched it from him and jingled it hearing the familiar sound of coins clinking together.
"I guess it'll have to do,"Thandra commented.
"I want to open it and see how much is in there," Rainbow said looking to Sunset.
"Okay make a Dexterity check."
"Natural twenty!" Rainbow called out as the rest of the girls around the table cheered.
"Okay then," Sunset smiled as she went on, "as you opened the coin purse you could see a handful of platinum coins in there. As if having a sixth sense you immediately tossed the purse away from the group as it suddenly explodes filling the room with a bright light. You managed to save the party from any damage but as your vision clears you all find yourselves in the middle of a forest."
"Is everyone alright? Anyone hurt?"Lady Lavanya asked as she looked at her companions.
"All that money..."Thandra frowned slightly.
"Forget about the money, what just happened? Where are we?"Roxanna called out as she took a look at their surroundings.
"These trees are not familiar to me,"Lohen said as she inspected the plant life around her.
"Give me a Nature roll, Lohen."
"I got a twenty."
"The plants look the same but you can definitely tell they aren't the same nor do they have the same smell as you are used to. As you guys continue to look around you noticed that the area you are in has mostly been undisturbed. There is no path you can see and the forest does not seem to respond to you, Lohen."
"I'm not sure where we are. It all looks the same but it's not,"Lohen explains as she continues to inspect the trees.
"Well I like it here. It's quite peaceful,"Aresim said with a giggle as she skipped around the area, playing a few chords on her lute.
"I'm not sensing any magical presence around us,"Jeana informed them as arcane magic flowed about her."Where ever we are its real. I'm just not sure exactly where we are."
"Well what ever the case is, I'm just glad everyone is safe,"Lady Lavanya chipped in as she walked back over to her friend Roxanna.
"Aye, thank Bahamut, for that,"Roxanna agreed then added,"perhaps it's best that we move on and see if we can find a way out of this forest."
"As you guys continue to travel through the trees and bushes you find your footing pretty easily even though there is no path to walk upon. The forest is relatively quiet as small beams of light shower down from up above through breaks in the canopy. About an hour of traversing the trees suddenly end and you now find yourselves staring out into an endless plain of rolling hills. A slight gust of wind suddenly crops up and the stench of burnt flesh and fresh ash accompanies it."
"What's that awful smell?"Lady Lavanya held a hand to her nose as she pulled a face.
"Smells like somebody cooked their dinner for to long,"Aresim said as she smiled to Lady Lavanya."It's coming from over there,"she pointed towards the East where a small hill rose before them.
"I could go check it out real quick,"Thandra offered as the group agreed that would be probably the best course of action for the time being.
"Give me a Stealth roll," Sunset told her.
Rainbow rolled her die as she looked at the stat, "Eleven."
"As you feel hidden you slowly move up the nearby hill and upon reaching the crest of it the smell is almost unbearable to the senses. Give me a Con save."
"Another natural twenty!" Rainbow cheered with a big grin.
"Way to go, sugar cube!"
"You're awesome, Dashie!"
"Good job!"
As the girls commented on her roll Sunset explained what happened. "Even though the stench assaults your smell and vision you shrug it off, holding back the vomit that wants to come up. Looking over the top of the hill you see a large fire pit which what looks like it held a pretty big bonfire which has now been reduced to embers. Around the pit you see a small group of kobolds who seem to be gnawing on some bones and chattering among themselves."
"Is the smell coming from the fire pit?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes. It looks like there were a few bodies which look badly burned. One of them is fairly large while the others seem to be about average."
"Okay, I head back to the group and tell them what I saw."
"Well that doesn't look good,"Thandra said as she reached the others. She went on to explain all that she saw."So, what do you wanna do? I mean it's really none of our business but I'll continue along with you guys till we figure out where we are."
"Perhaps it would be best not to involve ourselves in this strange land. Let us head in that direction," Roxanna pointed to the North as she continued,"and see if we can find a vantage point where we can get a better look of the area."They all agreed with her decision as they turn away from the awful smell and headed Northward.
"After traversing the rolling hills for what seems to be about an hour or so you notice that the day light has been dropping very rapidly. Almost unusually fast as you stop to watch the sun set behind the horizon. What would take about an hour's time for the sun to travel it seemed to move within minutes." Sunset explained as she looked around the table. "Do you stop and make camp or carry on through the night?"
The girls looked to each other for a few moments and decided to make camp for the night. "Alright who's going to take first watch?" Sunset asked them.
"Oh! Me, me!" Pinkie said as she waved her hand in the air.
"I'll join 'er," Applejack said.
"Got it. Who's taking the second watch then?"
"I will," Rainbow replied.
"Me too," Rarity chipped in.
"Okay. So that leaves, Jeana and Lohen for the last watch." Sunset marked down who's on which watch as the girls placed their minis around the fire on the small map Sunset had made for them. Making a few rolls behind her screen Sunset then continued with the story. "The night passes mostly without incident but on the last watch Jeana and Lohen you hear some noises coming from the other side of the hill where you guys are camped at."
"Do we recognize the sound?" Twilight asked.
"Give me a Perception check."
"Seventeen."
"From the description that Thandra gave you earlier it almost sounds like it could be a band of kobolds."
"Do you hear that?"Jeana said as she stood from reading her spell book. In the quietness of the last few hours before dawn multiple sounds could be heard not far from their camp.
"What is it?"Lohen asked as she also stood looking the possible direction from where the sounds were coming from.
"I'm not sure but maybe we should go check it out. What do you think?"She turned to her new friend with the question.
"I don't know. Maybe we should just stay here,"she replied, worried about the others who were sleeping.
"Okay you stay here and keep watch. I'll go take a quick peek and see what's making all that racket,"Jeana told her as she crept off into the shadows.
"Roll Stealth," Sunset told her.
Taking a quick look at her character sheet she replied, "I rolled a fifteen."
"So slipping into the darkness around you you quietly make your way up the side of the hill to take a look over it. Laying down to remain hidden you spot a small group of roving kobolds circling the base of the hill. From what you can gather it looks like they will cross into your camp within the next few minutes."
"Okay, I make my way back down and wake the others," Twilight replied.
"Roxanna, Thandra get up,"Jeana called out quietly as she made her way back into the camp."Lohen wake the other two as quietly as you can, please."Lohen nodded to her and within a moment the party was awake as Jeana explained what she saw."There's a small group of those kobold things, that you saw earlier Thandra, heading our way."
"Which way are they coming from?"Roxanna asked as she put on her armor.
"From that direction around the bend,"Jeana answered as she pointed towards the darkness. Just then a loud screech could be heard as many hastened footsteps headed towards them.
"Okay everyone roll Initiative," Sunset told them. As all the girls rolled their dice and added up the numbers Sunset went around the table writing down each number. She then pulled out 5 minis and placed them near their camp site on the map and explained to them that they are charging in. "First up is Roxanna. What are you doing to do?"
"How close are they to us?"
"About sixty or seventy feet from you guys," Sunset told her.
"I move closer to them so I'm between both of the groups," Applejack told her as Sunset moved her mini closer to the kobolds.
"Jeana you're next."
Looking over her sheet Twilight's gaze turned back to the minis on the table and her sheet before making her decision. "I would like to use Magic Missile."
"Alright, on one target or a few? You can choose up to three of them if you want," Sunset explained.
"The one right in front, closest to Roxanna."
"Got it. Go ahead and roll the damage."
"Nine points in total."
"Nice one," Sunset told her as she took the closest kobold mini off the table. "As magical energy flows from your hand you watch as three magical bolts fire at the kobold and he falls to the ground dead."
"That takes care of one of them!"Jeana called out as Roxanna runs past her to protect the group with sword and shield in hand. Raising her shield in front of her Roxanna blocked an incoming attack and returning one of her own, slaying the creature as it stumbled past. Out of the shadows Thandra appeared and struck another one in the back as it spun around to counter attack. Suddenly a thorny vine wrapped around it's neck as it took a swing at the rogue but was pulled back out of range of the attack, knocking it to the ground where it lay still.
"Thanks, Lohen!"Thandra called back as she turned to face another one. The last two kobolds were ganging up on Roxanna as Lady Lavanya ran to her side swinging her mace at one of them.
"Go ahead and roll to hit."
Rarity pouted as she replied. "Five."
"That's a miss. Okay their turn now. Both of them are going to try and hit you Roxanna," Sunset said as she rolled her dice. "Both of them miss you. You're up," she said to Applejack.
"You alright?"Lady Lavanya asked as the kobold ducked away from her swing.
"Ayep. Let's finish these two,"She said as another powerful swing from her long sword brought down one more. There was only one left as Thandra moved up behind it, striking it true with her dagger before Jeana dealt the final blow with another blast of missiles. When things finally settled down and the only thing they could hear was the crackling of the fire along with their heavy breathing they took a few moments to search the bodies.
"Ohhh shiny!"Aresim said with a grin as she showed them a handful of gold and silver coins. Nothing else was worth taking as the party took their places around the fire, not one of them ready to go back to sleep just yet. Morning eventually came without any other further incidents as they packed up and continued their trek through the hilly area. Around noon, as they crested a rather large hill, they spotted what looked like a walled city in the distance.
"Finally! Maybe we can get some answers to where we are now,"Thandra said with a sigh as they started to descend the hill.
"Do you think they are friendly?"
"We won't know till we get there,"Roxanna answered without looking at the druid. It was still about another half a day's march at least before they would arrive at the wall.
"Who goes there?" A guard from atop the wall called down to them.
"I am Roxanna Mourneblack and this is my party. We seek a place to stay for the night and some information about where we currently are."There was a minute of silence before the thick wooden doors opened up and a few more guards stepped out to confirm her words. After the inspection they let them through the gate as it closed tightly behind them. One of the guards told them that the only place open right now is the Spider's Nest which can be found down the street a bit to the left.
"As you walk down the dirt roadway you noticed that most of the buildings have no lights on or closed signs posted on the doors and windows. As you near the Spider's Nest it becomes clear that it's a popular place as it's lights shown brightly and lots of sounds of people come from inside it. As you enter the tavern you see that most of the tables are full and there are quite a few people at the bar as well. Almost every one in there seems oblivious to your entrance."
"I would like to walk up to the bar keep and see if we can get a couple rooms," Rarity said.
"Alright, as you do that a few of the patrons at the bar give you a look over but then go back to their drinks as the bar keep walks over towards you."
"What can I do for you missy?"
"Yes, hello, I would like a couple of rooms for me and my companions, please."
"Let's see," he says as he pulls a book out from under the counter and flips through a few pages. "You're in luck tonight. I have two rooms available at the moment. It'll be five silver pieces a night. How long do you plan to stay?"
Lady Lavanya turned to look back at her party who took a seat at one of the empty tables before turning back to the bar keep."Hold that thought, dear. Let me find out."Stepping over to her group she asked them how long they want to stay and told them the price for a night. They debated for a moment before agreeing to stay three days here to get as much information as possible. When Lady Lavanya gathered up the coins she walked back over to the bar keep and told him they were going to stay for three nights. Coins where traded for two keys as she said her thanks and walked back over to the party.
"Well I think we should get a good night's rest and start bright and early in the morning. By the way, has anyone seen where Aresim went off to?Jeana asked as they all started to look around the busy tavern. It was Lohen who spotted her and pointed to a small stage near the far wall.
"There she is."Right as the rest of them lay eyes upon her, Aresim bolted out into song and dance as she played her lute. The crowd watched and cheered as she kept going playing a few songs before stepping down holding her hat out as everyone in there cheered for an encore.
Sunset rolled some dice behind her screen before she turned to Pinkie. "Your performance was pretty good and you receive a total of four gold pieces for it. As the night wore on you guys split into two groups and head upstairs to your rooms for the remainder of the night. And we will call it there for the night. Good job everyone! You all get four hundred experience points for tonight's session. Make sure to look over your class and any new skills for you reached level two now."
The girls smiled and made small talk with each other as they started to clean up. As they all started to leave Sunset couldn't help but smile to herself as she hugged each one and reminded them to look through their books at their class. Closing the door as just shook her head slightly as she walked back over to the table and picked up one of the minis to stare at it for a moment.
"What will happen next week girls? Will you find out where you are or will you dig deeper into the unknown?" Sunset couldn't help but giggle to herself as she finished putting her things away and took a seat on the couch, closing her eyes. They are getting the hang of it and I'm so happy that everyone is having such a great time. Sunset thought as she yawned slightly. Getting up she headed into her room to get ready for bed for tomorrow she continues working on her world.
Sitting around the table the girls chatted with each other as they doubled checked their sheets and character information making sure everything is in order before Sunset starts tonight's session. Everyone showed up a little earlier to go over a few things and one or two of them had a question for Sunset as they got settled in.
"Okay, is everyone ready?" Sunset asked as the girls gave her nods and "mhmm's". Taking a look at her notes Sunset waited a few moments as the silence filled the room, increasing the waiting tension as she slowly looked up at her friends. "Last week you girls saved some villagers from a mad mage who just seemed to vanish as quickly as he appeared. You learned that it was Rystion the Mad as you questioned the elder, learning all you could before being handed a small coin purse as a reward for helping them. Quickly snatching it from his grasp, Thandra opened it to see how much was in there but instantly tossed it aside sensing it was a trap and saving the party from damage. When your vision cleared you appeared in the middle of a forest, unknown to all of you. Making your way through you then found yourselves among many rolling hills. Turning towards the North you decided to head that way and made camp between two hills as the sun set behind the distant horizon."
Sunset looked back down at her notes before continuing on. "You were then almost ambushed in the middle of the night but thanks to Jeana's quick action in waking the rest of the party, you over came the small band of kobolds. The rest of the night goes on without incident. The following day passed on as you continued to traverse the rolling hills before coming to a walled city as dusk settled in the sky. You were pointed to the Spider's Nest and were told that was the only place to find lodgings this time of night. Entering the busy tavern you traded enough coin to stay for three nights." Sunset then looked around the table at each of them before saying, "So, morning comes and you all find yourselves waking early and heading downstairs one by one as one of the bar maids walks up and asks if you'd like anything breakfast."
"I go ahead and order for everyone as we should discuss about what we're going to do today," Rarity says as she looks around the table.
"Good idea. Ah think we should find out where we are first and then go from there. What do y'all think?" Applejack asked her friends.
"I take a look around the tavern. How busy does it look?" Rainbow asked Sunset.
"There aren't to many people around in the early morning. You see maybe one or two that are still passed out from last night's drinking, you see the day time bar keep behind the counter setting things up as well as the bar maid who came up to your table."
"I'll be right back guys,"Thandra said as she got up from the table and headed over to the bar. Taking a seat on one of the stools the bar keep gave her a smile and walked over to her.
"What can I get for ya, missy?" He asked as he continuously wiped the dark wooden counter top.
"We're pretty new in town, could you tell me what it's called and which region we are in?"Thandra questioned as she pushed a few gold coins subtly over to him. Quietly wiping the coins away with his cloth he continued to clean as he answered the half elf.
"Well you are in the city of Whitestar, known famously for it's fish export and other sea related items. I'm not sure what you mean by region though," he paused as if to think of an answer that best suited the question, "if ya mean by who's in charge well that would be his highness Lord Amarith. His keep is towards the southeastern end of town over looking the port."
"Thanks,"Thandra said as he nodded a reply. Walking back to the table and sitting with her friends she relayed the information she had been told to them."So, what's the plan guys?"
"Perhaps we should seek an audience with the person in charge?"Jeana asked.
"Yes, that might be the best course of action at the moment. We could even probably get more information there as well."Lady Lavanya agreed with her.
"Let's be cautious about it though,"Roxanna chipped in."We are still in an unknown land and who knows what rules and regulations they have here."The rest of them all nodded in agreement, keeping their wits about them as the morning went on.
"As all of you finish your food and walk out into the morning sunlight, you notice the street somewhat busy for this hour. All kinds of people rushing back and forth, most of them heading in an eastwardly direction. What would you like to do?" Sunset explained, followed with the question.
"We'll make our way to the castle or keep, which ever it is that Lord Amarith resides in," Twilight said.
"Okay. So you follow some of the crowd down the cobblestone road and it is now, with the rising of the sun, you get your first scents of the sea drifting on a slight breeze. Rounding a corner you can see a large palace type building which sits slightly higher than the rest of Whitestar. You can also tell that most of the roads that lead down to the port are at a slight decline for the city proper is roughly thirty or forty feet higher than the port itself. You come to an intersection which is crowed with people moving in all sorts of directions. There are four ways to choose from here and in the center of it stands a giant statue of a man. At the base of the statue is a small pool which has a sitting area around that for people to rest on. The man seems to be looking off into the great distance over the vast sea, one hand shielding his eyes from the sun the other resting on the handle of a long sword."
"Are there any signs around? Like direction signs pointing to where things are?" Fluttershy asked Sunset.
"Make a perception check."
"Thirteen."
"Heading over to one of the corners you see a few signs on a post pointing in various directions. To the east is the port. Back west, where you guys came from, looks like the trade district of the city. To the south leads towards the palace as well as some weapons and armor shops. There doesn't seem to be any sign pointing towards the northern part of the city even though there is a road leading off in that direction. Do you guys stop here or continue on towards the palace?"
"I think we should keep going," Rarity said to her friends.
"Yeah, let's get some more info then we can explore the city some more," Rainbow agreed.
"Ohhh, we can go shopping later!" Pinkie smiled brightly as the girls giggled.
"So you head down the southern road a bit before making a left following another path that rises lightly upwards. As the palace comes more into view you can tell this place is very ornately designed. There are marble pillars surrounding the main doors which have gold and silver flakes melted into them. There is a solid fifteen foot wall surrounding the entire estate which has iron spikes set into the top of the wall all the way around it. The building itself looks to be three or four stories high with multiple balconies and very large windows set every twenty feet along it's walls. Coming up to the gate you are stopped by two well armed guards."
"Halt! What business do you have here?" One of the guards calls out to them, his hand resting on the handle of his sword.
"Good morning. I am Roxanna Mourneblack, a paladin of Bahamut. We seek an audience with his Lordship."
"No one sees the Lord without a summons."
"Listen, darling, we have important news which must be delivered to him personally,"Lady Lavanya said as she stepped closer to him.
"Roll persuasion," Sunset said.
"Sixteen."
"Well I rolled a natural one," Sunset said as the girls giggled, turning to Rarity. "So the guard eyes you for a moment then turns to his friend and tells him to give word to the Lord as he lets you through the front gate into the courtyard. As you step onto the small stone path which leads to the main doors you can see that the place is very well kept. There are a few servants tending to the multitude of trees, bushes, flowers, and other various flora that has been placed there. The other guard has disappeared into the palace as you guys continue to walk through the courtyard. There is also two matching fountains which stand about twelve feet high, one of an angel and the other of a devil. Both of the fountains looks well crafted and very expensive. Would anyone like to do anything while you wait for him to return?"
"I wanna get some fruit!" Pinkie called out.
"Alright. You see a couple of fruit trees not to far from the path."
"I go over to them. Which kind is it?"
"There are two in bloom from what you can tell. A red apple tree, which some of the servants have been collecting apples in baskets, and a smaller cherry tree."
"Can I pluck some of the fruit off the trees?" Pinkie asked.
"You sure can. The servants don't seem to pay you any mind as you grab a couple of apples and some cherries. Is anyone else doing anything?" Sunset asked them.
"Can I go take a look at the fountains?" Rarity questioned.
"Sure, which one?"
"I'll start with the devil one."
"Alright. You step onto the soft grass and head over to the fountain and as you approach it the first thing you notice is how clear the water looks. Its so clear that if it wasn't from the sound of it running you could swear that it was almost invisible. There is no dirt or coins in the base of the fountain and as you stare at your reflection there is barely any ripple in the water. I need a perception check." Sunset told her.
"Eight," Rarity told her as she looked at her sheet.
"A moment of silence goes by and you could swear you heard a very soft voice in the back of you mind but shake it off just as quickly as it came. The rest of the statue is in extreme detail and if it wasn't stone you could swear that it was alive."
"Okay, that's kind of creepy. What about the other one?" Rarity wondered.
"The angel statue is in just the same detail as the devil and the water is just as clear as the other fountain as well. I need another perception check please."
"Twenty-two!" Rarity beamed as the girls cheered.
"There is another quiet voice in the back of your mind and this time you are sure of it. Where it is coming from you are uncertain but it vanished just as quickly as the first one. Just then there is a call from the door way for the first guard returned, beckoning all of you inside."
"His Lordship will see you now about this 'information' you speak of." As the party headed over to the two massive front doors of the palace, they could see that they were roughly eight inches of solid steel and stood ten feet high. As each one stepped over the threshold they were then led into a nearby waiting room and were told that someone will be along shortly.
"What a place!"Thandra said in amazement as a slow smile spread across her lips."I bet there's all kinds of treasure here."
"We're not here to steal from him, Thandra, we just want some more information."Roxanna said in a hushed tone. Not having to wait for long there was a small knock upon the door as a well dressed servant stepped in.
"Please, follow me," he said as he turned around not waiting to see if they followed or not. The party was lead through a series of hallways and doors before finally coming to a stop in front of another set of massive but well decorated wooden doors. "Behave yourselves in front of his Lordship and refrain from any unnecessary," he paused for a moment as he looked over the group, "behavior." With that he opened one of the doors, motioned them through then stepped back out closing it quietly behind him.
"So my guests have finally arrived. Please come closer, let me have a look at you." A well spoken voice called out to them from the other side of the room.
"Is this the throne room?" Fluttershy asked.
"It would appear so," Sunset replied.
"I'd like to make a perception check and look around the room as we walk up to him," Rainbow told Sunset.
"Okay, roll."
Rainbow rolled her die then looked at her sheet. "Eighteen."
"The room looks fairly huge, I'd say maybe thirty by twenty feet in size. As you guys walk closer you notice there are six statues, three on the right and three on the left, all set almost up to either side of the walls. They are evenly spaced out between them, all in different poses and seem to be made with the extreme care like the ones you saw out in the courtyard."
"Do they look just like the ones I saw earlier?" Rarity asked.
"Yes. As you pass by them you notice that they are a mixture of angels and devils. Along the left wall are a series of large stain glass windows which almost span floor to roof of different pictures, staining the floor and opposite wall with bright colors. Coming closer to Lord Amarith you can tell he's fairly young and also elven. He has long yellow hair which is braided and looped over one shoulder. The color of his sea green eyes, even from the distance that you guys are shown brightly with curiosity and caution. He is wearing a chain shirt, much to shiny for it to be iron or steel. He has two rings on his left hand, one has a large ruby in it, the other you can't recognize the stone. As you approach the steps which lead up to his throne you also notice four heavily armed guards standing in the shadows waiting for his command."
"I stop the group and then take a step forward to introduce myself," Applejack said.
"Good morning, your Highness. I am Roxanna Mourneblack, holy warrior of Bahamut,"she says with a respectful bow before standing straight and meeting his eyes."These are my companions and we are a bit lost. You see we are new to this area and are unsure of exactly where we are in the world. We come seeking information as well as the knowledge of any rules we should know in your wonderful city."
Amarith shifts ever so slightly as his eyes flicker from one to another, taking a few seconds on each of them before finally resting on Roxanna. "Welcome, Roxanna and friends, to Whitestar. Where do you hail from?" he asked, his voice echoing around the chamber.
"We are from all over Valatorium,"Roxanna replied as she watched him closely.
"I do not know of such a place and I have seen most of the world," the tone in Amarith's response shifts slightly as his eyes narrowed. "And what is this information you come bringing me? One of my guards says it's highly important."
"I must apologize for that. You see we thought the best way to get to speak with you was to tell a little fib,"Lady Lavanya said with a sheepish half smile and a small bow."We are only trying to figure out where we are."
"Or perhaps one of you is an assassin sent to kill me," Amarith's words cut sharply through the air as his guards unsheathed their weapons and started to surround the group.
"We're not here to kill anybody, I swear!"Lohen called out slight fear showing in her eyes.
"Make a persuasion check, Lohen," Sunset said.
"A four," Fluttershy said quietly as a couple of her friends moaned.
"You see Amarith stand from his throne as the rest of his guards form a complete circle around you not believing a word you said he points a finger towards the group."
"Lucky for you I am quite busy today so I will have to deal with you another time. Take them to the dungeon and lock them in separate cells!" As the guards relieved them of their equipment and put them in shackles they began to escort the group out of the throne room and down a few flight of stairs.
"As each of you are put into your own cell to await what fate has in store for you we will call it there for the night," Sunset said as the girls groaned and begged to go on longer.
"You can't just leave it there!" Rainbow called out.
"Yeah what's going to happen to us now?" Twilight asked.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be okay," Fluttershy said as she put her things away. As the rest of the girls gathered their things and said their goodbyes, Sunset told them they did a good job rping this session and they each get 250 experience points tonight.
"Make sure to look over any new skills and spells you might acquire and have it all ready for next week." The girls thanked her for the session and as Sunset closed the door behind the last one she smiled to herself and with a sparkle in her eye she headed back to the table to clear it off and to start working on next week's game.
Sunset clapped her hands together and smiled to herself as she looked around the table at her friends. They each returned a similar smile, eyes gleaming with anticipation with tonight's session. All last week at school they kept talking about it and wondering what is going to happen next to them. They even tried coercing answers out of Sunset but she wouldn't give in. As the girls settled down Sunset looked over her notes once more as she recapped what transpired last weekend.
"As you guys spent the night in the port city of Whitestar and headed out after breakfast, you got a little bit of information about the city and who's in charge. You then decided to explore the area a bit before heading up to the keep that sits on the south eastern side of town upon a small hill, over looking the entire area. You were stopped by some guards who asked you what business you had at the keep and Lady Lavanya persuaded to let the party in to speak to Lord Amarith."
Sunset nodded to Rarity as she went on, "Waiting for the summons you decided to take a look around the courtyard and saw two fountains with had matching statues. One of a devil and the other of an angel. You didn't have to wait for long before you were summoned to speak with Lord Amarith and were lead inside and to his chambers where you conversed with him. Telling him that you lied to gain entry, he then assumed you were there as spies or assassins and had all of you thrown into the cells beneath the keep. You were all put into separate cells, your gear taken and put somewhere out of sight. And that's where we pick up tonight."
"It's very dim down here, the only light source coming from two wall torches set across from each other near the stairs. There is a nasty stench of rotting food, stale water and probably a few things have died down here recently. You get the sense that those put down here very rarely come back." Sunset then looked around to each of them before asking, "So, what do you do?"
"I shout out, 'Hey! Let us out of here!'" Rainbow said.
"You wait for a moment and there seems to be no reply of any kind."
"How big are the cells?" Applejack asked Sunset.
"Taking a look around they are not very big, maybe six feet by eight feet."
"Is it a solid door or bars?"
"The doors to the cells are bars with a lock about midway down it. There is no handle as they just swing open when unlocked." Sunset explained. The girls looked to each other a few times as they bounced ideas off of one another. It was Rainbow Dash who turned back to Sunset with a question.
"Do I still have my tools?"
"Give me a sleight of hand to see if you have hidden them on your body instead of in your stuff."
Rainbow rolled her die then checked her sheet before answering, "Seven."
"Well luckily they were in such a rush to get you down here that they did a sloppy job of searching you that you were able to keep your tools."
Rainbow grinned as she then said, "I would like to try and pick the lock to my cell."
"Alright, go ahead and roll for your thieve's tools.
"Twenty-five!"
"And with ease you hear the soft clicking sound of it unlocking."
"Easy as pie."
"The darkness, watch out for the darkness..." a voice behind Thandra whispered. Spinning quickly she turned around to see who or what just spoke. Using her dark vision she saw a very old and frail man laying in the corner who kept repeating it over and over.
"What darkness? What are you talking about?"She asked him but it seemed he has lost his mind a long time ago and wouldn't give her any other information. Stepping close to the door she listened carefully to the sounds around her.
"Do I see or hear any of the guards around?" Rainbow asked.
"Roll a perception for me."
"Six," Rainbow frowned as she looked back over to sunset.
"You don't hear any foot steps around."
"Is anyone across from me in the other cell?"
"Yes, you can see Roxanna in the cell just sitting there."
"Okay. I would like to sneak out and try to make my way over there and unlock her door too." Rainbow said.
"Alright. Give me a stealth roll."
"Twenty-two."
"Got it. You stick to the shadows and move across the hall to Roxanna's cell unnoticed."
"Psst. Roxanna, you alright?"A disembodied voice called out from the shadows at Roxanna looked through the door of her cell.
"Thandra? Is that you? I can't see you at all,"she said as she stood up and made her way to the bars peering out into the dimly lit area.
"Shhh, give me a moment and I'll get you out of there,"Thandra whispered back as she suddenly appeared and started working on the lock. A moment later she had it open and Roxanna stepped out into the hallway."Keep watch and I'll go see if I can free the others,"she added as she disappeared into the darkness once more. It didn't take her very long to locate and release the rest of her party as they all gathered near Roxanna's cell for it was the closest to the exit.
"What do we do now?"Lohen asked.
"We should probably find out where they are keeping our things, dear,"Lady Lavanya told her.
"I agree. Our stuff should be a priority,"Jeana agreed.
"Shhh, quiet everyone,"Roxanna hissed as she continued to stare up the staircase that wound upwards to the right. There was a few silent moments as the group waited till Roxanna gave the all clear."Alright, I think the coast is clear. Not sure how long we've been down here but let's stay quiet as we move along. That means no singing or humming or any kind of noise, Aresim."Roxanna looked back at the bard who nodded understandingly for the situation they are in.
"Alright I need everyone to make a stealth check for me please," Sunset told them as the girls rolled their dice.
"Fifth-teen."
"Five."
"Nine."
"Fifth-teen."
"Three."
"Twenty-one." All the girls replied as Sunset rolled some of her dice behind her screen.
"Well luckily I rolled really bad for their perception so all of you make it up the stairs unnoticed. You enter a large room which you recognize as the waiting room where they took all of your things away before ushering you down to the cells."
"I quickly look for our equipment," Rainbow said.
"Aright. It doesn't take you very long to find the chest that they threw all of your things inside. As you all gear up what do you do next?" Sunset asked as she looked around the table.
"We need to find a way out of here," Fluttershy said to the girls.
"Yes, I agree, darling," Rarity nodded to her then turned to Sunset and asked, "Is there any other way out of here?"
"There is a door on the opposite side where you guys came in and the way back down to the cells."
"I'm going to head to the door and see if I can hear anything," Pinkie said.
"Okay, give me a perception roll."
"Nine."
"You don't hear anything on the other side."
"Is it locked?"
"No."
"I open it and take a peek through the crack."
"The door opens quietly and you can see it leads into a hallway that has two doors on the right side, both closed. At the end of the hall it seems to turn to the left. You can see sunlight on the floor at the end of the hall where it turns."
"Guys, I think I can see a the way out of here!"Aresim said as she shut the door. The party looked to each other and nodded as they drew their weapons just in case.
"How should we do this? Slow and quiet or make a mad dash for it?"Roxanna asked them. The girls took a moment to think about it and they agreed on just running for it, only fighting if they need to. Taking another look out the door, Aresim saw a pair of guards turn down the far end of the hall. As she quietly watched them they entered the first door on their left and when it was closed she nodded to her friends.
"All clear! Let's go!"Taking the lead the bard bolted out of the room and into the hall, the rest of the party after her. Making it to the end of the hall and turning left they saw an open arch way with no door which lead straight outside. Stepping out into the bright sun they noticed they were in a courtyard of some sorts. It was similar to the one at the front of the castle but smaller. Another one of those demon statues stood in the center in a grotesque pose. They spotted a small wooded gate near the southern wall and quickly made for it.
"Hey! Stop them!" A shout was heard from atop the opposite wall as a few bolts sank into the ground around them.
"Open it, quickly!"Lohen panicked as Roxanna and Lady Lavanya threw their weight against the door. It swung open without any problems as the group rushed out and onto a small dirt path that lead down the back of the keep and into some ruined buildings, long forgotten remnants of the town when it was first built. They continued to dash through the ruins and eventually making their way into the city where they slowed to a brisk walk. A ringing of large bells could be heard in the distance as the alarm went off. Most people around them continued on their day but a few of them stopped and looked up towards the keep wondering what is happening.
"That was to close,"Jeana said as she tried to catch her breath."I don't think it's wise to stay here for the night. Maybe we should make camp outside of town then return to get more information about Lord Amarith and those strange statues."
"When we were in those cells there was an old man in mine and he kept saying 'the darkness, watch out for the darkness.' I'm not sure what that means but he seemed rather scared about it."Thandra shrugged as they party made their way towards the edge of the walled city. Passing through the gates they headed towards the hills surrounding the area to make camp. The sky started to turn a reddish purple color as they found a spot on the other side of a large hill. As the last rays of sunlight vanished behind the horizon the party on their next course of action and what they are going to do with this new information they have received.
"As you guys set up camp and prepare for the night, what's the watch order?" Sunset asked them.
"The same as last night, I believe," Rarity said. The girls nodded while Sunset checked the order then turned back to the girls after rolling some dice.
"Fluttershy I need a perception roll please."
"A ten."
"That just barely made it. On your watch everything seems quiet and still but you then heard a scraping sound, almost like something is being dragged along the ground."
"Can I look around and see if I see anything strange?" Flutteshy asked.
"Sure. You look around the camp site and see your all of your party members there except for one. Jeana is missing from where you saw her last," Sunset explained.
"Oh no! I run over and check the area where she was."
"Make an investigation check."
"Twelve."
"Her stuff is still there but she is not. You can see drag marks on the ground leading away from the fire and into the darkness beyond. You don't hear the dragging sounds anymore though as you look around."
"Girls, wake up! Jeana is missing. I think she has been kidnapped!"Lohen shouted as she woke her party up. They started searching the area and found more clues that lead not back towards the city but away to the Southeast.
"We must go after her! Whatever or whomever it is couldn't have gotten that far,"Roxanna said as she drew her sword, the rest of the party following suit.
"As you all dash into the darkness of the night to track down whatever has taken Jeana in her sleep, that's where we'll call it," Sunset told them with a smile.
"Really?" Rainbow Dash questioned, obviously wanting to go on longer.
"Why me?" Twilight asked Sunset.
"Well it was random Twilight. I just rolled and it landed on you," Sunset explained to her.
"Well I think next week will be fun. We get to chase down something that took one of us and rescue them!" Pinkie said as she packed up her belongings.
"I think so too," Rarity said with a smile then turned to Twilight, "don't worry we won't let anything bad happen to you." Twilight just nodded and gave a small smile in return as the girls finished gathering their things. Saying their good byes to Sunset they all left once again leaving Sunset alone and with a smile upon her face.
"Next week, huh?" She giggled to herself as she headed over to the table to clean up the rest of her things. "Next week will be a lot of fun. Can't wait to show them what I have in store for the girls. It will definitely be exciting!"
