//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Enter the Forces of Tambelon // Story: The Bewitching Bell Campaign // by Leondude //------------------------------// It is 2052AA, in the year of the alicorns, eons since the brave heroes of old banished a dark and terrible foe known only as the Father of Monsters. While the echoes of their heroics slowly faded away into legend that soon became myth, life continued on in the peaceful realm of Equus. Until one day, the peaceful town of Horsehorn was invaded by an unnatural force of the living dead and other abominations. And at the reigns of this horrific horde was a demonic ram of unfathomable power that would make even the alicorns that ruled this land quake in their horseshoes. The Father of Monsters has returned. “Mwahahahaha!” the Father of Monsters cackled, “I have returned from my imprisonment to rule this land once again! And any who defy my will shall be destroyed then reforged as a part of my army!” But what this foe didn’t predict was that a group of adventurers have banded together to stop him. “That’s us!” Furnus whispered excitedly. “What?!” the Father of Monsters asked in shock, “Who dares defy my will?!” “Us, duh,” Rogue dryly replied. “Your arrogance blinds you, fools!” the Father of Monsters boasted, “Now it has cost everypony in this village their cutie marks!” The Father of Monsters cast a fiendish curse on the ponies of Horsehorn, in which they were stripped of their cutie marks. Apart from anypony that didn’t get their cutie marks yet, the villagers ran about screaming their lungs out. “I hope you enjoy a life without destiny except to serve ME!” the Father of Monsters bellowed. “Or we could just do our own thing,” Rogue pointed out as she pointed at her butt, “That’s what I did.” “SIIIILENCE!!!” the Father of Monsters shouted. The Father of Monsters conjured a gargantuan portal of darkness and summoned a boney behemoth clad in black armour. It wielded a massive jousting spear long enough to poke somepony’s eye out should they get too close. “As punishment for your insolence,” the Father of Monsters snarled, “I summon the Skeletal Dragon Dragoon to destroy you!” “Welp, we’re boned,” Rogue quipped. “Woah, we’re having a boss battle already?” Melody asked. “Uh...any way I can try and reason with the dragoon?” Usterlay asked, “I’m new to this and I really don’t wanna die on my first try.” “We could try a persuasion roll,” the Game Master replied. “Hey there, Mr Dragoon, sir,” Usterlay said nervously, “I was wondering if me and my friends could pass through so we could defeat your boss.” The Game Master rolled the twenty-sided die, which came up as a six. “None shall pass!” the Dragoon bellowed. “Pretty please,” Usterlay pleaded. Another persuasion roll was cast, this time coming up as a ten. “None shall pass!” the Dragoon reiterated. “Wait a minute,” Furnus said, “Did Luste-I mean Usterlay have two turns? Pretty sure we’re meant to have one each before the enemy has a turn.” “Enough talking,” Putia stated, “More fighting. I charge at Dragoon with axe.” The Game Master rolled a 20. Putia charged at the Dragoon with enough force to cleave one of the Dragoon’s arms off, in addition to costing the Dragoon 25HP. Impressive for the level 1 barbarian. “Tis but a scratch,” the Dragoon boasted. “A scratch?!” Usterlay exclaimed, “Your arm has been cut off!” “No it isn’t,” the Dragoon said in denial. Usterlay pointed at the dismembered arm bone, “Then what’s this?” The Dragoon shrugged, “I’ve had worse.” “I call upon the spirits of my draconic ancestors and summon a Meteor Swarm to rain fury upon this eldritch foe!” Furnus bellowed. The Game Master rolled a 17, which was enough for the level 10 sorcerer’s spell to work. A shower of meteors crashed down upon the undead dragon with so much force that it dislodged his other arm, in addition to taking away 108HP from the eldritch foe. “It’s just a marrow wound,” the Dragoon wheezed out. Melody hummed an enigmatic tune as she summoned the forces of nature to entangle the draconic revenant. “What are you doing?” Rogue asked. “I call upon the Wrath of Nature to tear this foe to pieces,” Melody replied. After a roll of 16, the Dragon Dragoon was entangled in many vines that ripped its armour clean off, with the Dragoon losing 97HP and now becoming more vulnerable to the party’s attacks. Oh, and one of its legs was torn off too. “Right!” the Dragoon shouted angrily, “I’ll do you for that!” “What are you gonna do?” Rogue asked sardonically, “Bleed on us?” “I’m invincible!” the Dragoon boasted in its delirious state. The Dragoon picked up its jousting spear with its mouth and hopped at Rogue. “I’m just gonna dodge that,” Rogue said matter-of-factly. After a quick roll of the dice, which landed on 15, Rogue swiftly dodged the Dragoon’s attack. “And they said Dexterity was for wimps,” Rogue said coolly. The pressure the Dragoon put upon itself caused it to collapse into a pile of bones. But it was far from finished. “Alright,” the Dragoon said, “We’ll call it a draw.” “Wouldn’t hurt for me to just whack it with my staff,” Usterlay said. A paltry roll of 10 later, Usterlay gave what remained of the dragon a slight tap, causing it to collapse into dust. “1000XP for all!” the Game Master announced. “Yay, that means I levelled up,” Usterlay said happily. “Me too,” Putia said, “Is nice.” “You may have defeated my Skeletal Dragon Dragoon, BUT YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!!!” the Father of Monsters yelled before disappearing into a puff of smoke. From the sky, an alicorn with the pearl-iest coat a pony could ever possess and a long, illustrious mane like honey descended from the sky in an elegant fashion. "Ah, yes," the princess spoke, "I was hoping a group of friends like yourself would fight the Father of Monsters and his army from the mystic realm of Tambelon for me. Despite my all-powerful nature, I'm afraid I do not have it in me to face them myself." "Real subtle social commentary, GM," Rogue said sarcastically. "Maybe the princess is worried that she lives in a world of cardboard," Usterlay retorted, "Metaphorically speaking." "I know the feeling, sister," Melody said casually. "Now go," the princess commanded, "Save the world. And get me a cup of coffee." Usterlay curtsied, "Right away, your majesty."