Roll for Initiative

by David Silver

5 - End Episode 2 - Gather Your Party

And so stood Brightwing, his rapier comfortably at his side. He hoped he would not need it, but having it made him feel better.

"Ho, adventurer," called out the barkeep. "Are ye seeking respite or a chance to plunge into your kind's namesake?"

Spike tilted his head. "Good voice."

"Thanks." Shining smiled as he nudged a die in a mild movement. "It's been a little while, but good to hear I still have it. So, what do you say to the barkeep?" Just as Spike opened his mouth, Shining clopped the table. "Before you can get out a word, the door behind you bangs open."

Brightwing spun to face the sudden noise, snout lowering towards the hilt of his rapier in preparation should it prove to be an ambush, but his grip never came. Framed in the light of the door was a haggard but comely lass, her mane disheveled and tail frizzy. "Help!" she cried as she rushed into the inn. "I need a hero!"

Spike quietly snickered to himself. Shining's girl voices were less spot on than his barkeep voice, but he didn't openly berate him for it. "I ask the mare what's wrong."

"She seems pretty worked up and is having a hard time getting out the words. Why don't you give me a kindness roll to calm her down."

Spike's eyes swept over the dice before grabbing a d10.

Shining's hoof came down on his hand lightly. "Nope, this one." He guided Spike over to the larger d20. "Go on!" He sounded excited for the roll.

Spike snatched up the right little die and gave it a shake. "Alright, I try to calm her down and assure her I'm here to help." The die tumbled and rolled on a five. Spike winced at the small number on such a large die.

Shining was less discouraged. He peeked at Spike's sheet and gave a small nod. "Your kind words reach her and she begins to calm down enough to get out her tale. She speaks of the undead! Strangely animated bones of ponies long passed that have come to haunt her and her farm. 'Oh, please, get rid of them!' she cries, eyes brimming with hope."

Spike nodded softly. "Well, I'm not going to let a lady despair. I tell her I'm on the case! But, uh, why was five good enough? That was a pretty bad roll."

"The DC wasn't that high, and you said the right thing. She did come here to get help, and here you are, armed and ready to go to battle for her." He grinned a little. "If you had mentioned rewards, she would have been harder to calm down."

"Well, Brightwing got into fighting to show that the fey ponies can be honorable and just. He wouldn't bring up rewards at a time like this. She needs my help!"

"Nice roleplaying." Shining gave a soft nod, like a mentor proud of their student. "Following her directions, it's not hard to find her farm. She didn't run that far. This must have been the first inn she came across while she was galloping away."

"Do I see any of these skeletons around?"

"You..." Shining rolled a die without explanation. "Do! There are two roaming the corn fields without clear direction."

Spike peered over his sheet. "You said feyponies get some tricks." He spotted them and raise a finger. "Here we are! I make a noise behind them, away from me, of a bunch of clopping hooves, like a party of adventurers approaching."

"Oh ho! Skeletons are not very smart. On hearing the noises, they turn to investigate it, leaving their back ends exposed."

Spike thrust his hand up as if it held a sword. "I charge! Brightwing is going to prove his stuff."

Brightwing thrust his rapier into the depths of the skeleton, quickly discovering that jabbing weapons were less than ideal, but with perserverance, and a few kicked hooves, he sent one tumbling into pieces. The second skeleton silently turned towards him before approaching with the clatter of bones. It swung a hoof at him, but he nimbly dodged aside.

With a quick jab, he forced the skeletal remains of the pony back, his reach superior to his foe.

"Give me a roll."

Spike blinked. "What kind?"

"Go ahead." Shining nudged the d20 back towards him.

Spike gave a little shrug, wondering what he was rolling, but gave it a shot. 18! "Alright! That's good, right?"

"It is. Just before you can step forward to finish off your foe, you hear something behind you, and you're pretty sure it isn't your magic."

"What is it?"

"You spin around to see the new danger! Unlike the skeletons, this pony still has most of its putrid flesh still attached. It's stumbling towards you with no goodness in its dull but glowing red eyes. Now that it sees you've seen it, it groans as a way of a battlecry."

Brightwing thought fast. The zombie needed dealing with, but it wouldn't do to end up pinned between two enemies. He stabbed and lunged as he circled around the skeleton to put it between himself and the zombie.

The skeleton, as if emboldened by reinforcements, made a reckless charge, trying to grab hold of Brightwing, With a quick buzz of wings, he lifted up and out of the reach of the sudden grab and came down in a crushing blow of his hooves, crushing the skeleton to dust just as the zombie arrived.

"You're doing quite well." Shining let loose a roll with his magic. "Are you sure you never played this?"

Spike squirmed a little. "Well, yeah, once..."

"Yeah? What'd you play that time?" He picked up a different die and let it tumble. "The zombie manages to land a painful thump against your chest, dealing four damage."

Spike quickly made a note of the damage and made his counter. "Oh, uh, a wizard?"

"Yeah? Those can be complicated to play. No wonder you got overwhelmed the first time. It's not a class I'd suggest to a new player."

Spike lifted his shoulders faintly. "The spells are fun to read and cast."

"They are," agreed Shining easily. "Just, you know, not straight forward like stabbing something with your rapier, like you're doing right now. Speaking of that, the zombie's fell magic fails it and it collapses to the ground, its meaty pieces flopping limply as if they had never been held together properly."

"Ew." Spike stuck out his tongue but was smiling. "Alright! I look around for any more creepy crawlies. Wouldn't do to have the mare come back just to be scared off again."

Twilight appeared in the doorway. "How are things going in here?"

"Spike here's a natural." Shining put a hoof on Spike's head and ruffled his fin lightly. "Already he's hard at work saving the day and protecting the innocents from the darkness."

Twilight gave a little laugh. "That brings me back... Glad to hear you're both having a good time." She trotted past, vanishing back to whatever duty called her.

Spike glanced at her and back to Shining. "Did she ever play?"

"When we were foals, yeah, but she kinda lost touch with it. She doesn't have time for 'make believe'." He pantomimed the quotes with his hooves. "I mean, I'm not, you know, being an adult is busy work. Still, it's nice to set some time aside for the good things."

Spike envisioned a younger Twilight, rolling dice while going on about her odds of succeeding at any given task. "Maybe it just wasn't her thing?"

"So! You have crushed the undead infestation under your hooves. The farm looks safe, for now." Shining tapped at Spike's shoulder. "Whatcha gonna do now?"

"Oh, hmm, well, if I can't find any more bad things, I'll look around."

"For loot?"

"What? No. This is that mare's house. That would be stealing. I'm looking for what they trashed."

"That's very nice of you." Shining smiled as he hefted the d100 up and let it roll ponderously across the table. "You categorize the damage and even manage to chase a few chickens back into their coop by the time the mare returns. When she does, she's elated to see all the hard work you've done on her behalf."

She approached Brightwing at an eager trot, tail swishing back and forth in a happy way. "My hero!" she cried as she moved to help seal the hole the chickens had escaped through. "I would have thought you would have slain those beasts and left me to mend my property alone."

Brightwing smiled easily. "What, me? Of course not. I am a knight of honor and will not leave trouble behind me if I can avoid it. I'm glad to assist, miss...?"

"Duchess Softtail."

Spike blinked. "She's a duchess? It's just a farm, right?"

"Sure is." Shining nodded at Spike. "A perfectly normal one from what you've seen so far. It's not even that large."

Brightwing put a hoof behind his head. "Pardon what could be a rude question, ma'am, but this seems like a curious place for a duchess to live."

She sagged, head hanging. "My family's fallen on hard times, alas. This is all I have left. Some would say my title means little without the land to back it up, but I hold onto it, onto hope." She smiled gently at her savior. "It is ponies just like you that remind me that there is still hope in the world, and I will soldier forward."

"Well..." Brightwing shuffled in place a moment. "What happened? Maybe we could fix it?"

"Oh, you are a brave one, eager to see wrongs made right, but this is, perhaps, above your means." She flipped out a fan and hid her face behind it. "It is a tale of intrigue and deceptions; one of cruel backstabbing and broken oaths."

Brightwing lowered that hoof just to clop it against the armor covering his chest. "Leave it to me! I'll see to it that the wicked is punished and your family put back where it belongs. Just point me in the right direction."

Shining gave a soft laugh, breaking the mood. "And that's where we'll break. You've succeeded on your first outing and have the way to much larger adventures." He spread his hooves wide. "Will the valiant Brightwing put the Softtail family back in their ancestral castle, or will he discover what happens to meddling adventurers who pry into the workings of nobles?"

Spike clapped his hands together in a quick applause. "That had more, uh, rules than I'm used to, but that wasn't bad."

"Don't sweat it too much." He made a dismissive wave of a hoof. "Rules are there to enhance the game, not take away from it. Never forget the golden rule of roleplaying."

Spike's eyes widened slightly. "What's the golden rule?"

"The guy telling the story makes the rules." He poked Spike lightly. "If you run a game, you decide what makes the game better. So long as you're working towards everyone having a good time, you're doing it right."

Spike hiked a thumb at the pile of books. "So if I don't go rushing out to get all those?"

"Up to you." Shining gathered his books into a neat pile. "You can't play your feypony without at least this one." He jiggled the book that held those rules.

"I mean, why not?"

"Because it has the stats, the new spells and exploits?" Shining looked baffled at the very idea of it. "How would you do it otherwise?"

Spike shrugged softly. "Just make it up?"

"I mean, sure, I guess? Nopony stopping you. Just make sure the guy running it's alright with it and you're good to go." He tucked the books away and began collecting his dice. "I'm going to say hello to Twily. It was a blast showing you the game."

"Oh, yeah, thanks!" He thrust out a clenched fist and Shining met it with a hoof in a friendly bump. "Say, uh, would you... want to join a game?"

Shining paused, ear twitching. "Are you asking me to run a game?"

"Nah." Spike waved it away. "I'd be running it. Wanna join?"

Shining rubbed one leg with the opposing hoof. "Love to, Spike, but you know how it is for me, always busy... If I get a moment free, I'll be sure to let you know."

He trotted away from Spike, leaving him to consider the game they had just played. "That was... interesting..."

Author's Note:

And... end episode? Hrm. On one level, that went well, on the other, I feel like it could have been more, but it wasn't. It is what it is? Your thoughts? Written at Bronycon!

Comments

[Daremo]

rapier in perparation - rapier in preparation

mane dissheveled - mane disheveled

Itry to calm her - I try to calm her

find her arm - find her farm
(either that or... she's a zombie too! It's a trap!!)

without explination - without explanation

jabbing spears - jabbing weapons/swords

with preserverance - with perseverance

he sent out tumbling - he sent one tumbling

the skeleton remains - the skeletal remains

as if embolened - as if emboldened

'make beleive' - 'make believe'

can't find anymore - can't find any more

She's a duchhess - She's a duchess

tale of intruige - tale of intrigue

your first outting - your first outing

the valliant Brightwing - the valiant Brightwing

---

A fitting end to the episode!

I'm happy to see that Shining isn't so forceful in his style that he sours the whole thing for Spike. He's a good pony, of course, kind and supportive and also creative on the fly.

The interesting part is coming up. How will Spike use this new experience in the game with Big McIntosh? How will Big Mac respond to a deepening of the rules?

---

Brightwing smiled easily. "What, me? Of course not. I am a knight of honor and will not leave trouble behind me if I can avoid it. I'm glad to assist, miss...?"

"Duchess Softtail."

Spike blinked. "She's a duchhess? It's just a farm, right?"

Ooo! This is a plothook, right? I've read about those! You're setting up an opportunity to investigate and set the stage for a 'campaign' right?

"I need a hero!"

~I'm holding out for a hero to the end of the night!~

"Give me a roll."

Spike blinked. "What kind?"

Cinnamon. With sprinkles.

"Ew." Spike stuck out his tongue but was smiling. "Alright! I look around for any more creepy crawlies. Wouldn't do to have the mare come back just to be scared off again."

Twilight appeared in the doorway. "How are things going in here?

There's one now! I mean... uh... Hi Twilight.

[RadicalDishonesty]

A kindness roll too?

Will there... be all of the elements rolls? Or, more specifically, the five that were known?

Normally I'd be dubious of such an obvious inclusion in a game confirmed to be old but... the elements were an old myth.

The exact sort of thing a game maker would research for inspiration. The social rolls could be based off of "mythical virtues" whose origin might even be lost...

[SuperPinkBrony12]

8359635 I believe in the previous chapter Shining mentioned honesty and generosity rolls. And I could see the possibility of loyalty rolls being included. Not really sure what you'd need a laughter role for, and magic rolls don't feel needed since the game is about adventure not necessarily making friends (though obtaining friends for your party can make quests easier, if you pick the right ones).

[RadicalDishonesty]

8359702
Magic wouldn't be included unless it were in a new update because it wasn't known in the lore... unless there is another location Twilight didn't know about.

[David Silver]

8359588
All fixed up!

[Voldine]

Brimane ghtwing spun to face the sudden noise, 

[David Silver]

8362626
Fix'd

[FanOfMostEverything]

her mane disitryheveled

Oh my. Don't think I 've ever seen anyone that disheveled.

And I have to love Twilight not having time for O&O. "No time for make-believe, BBBFF. My druid friend wants me to use my epic magic to find out why the local protean lord couldn't make it to this week's tea party."

[David Silver]

8383341
She's living the dream, right?

[OmniFox]

Brothers hanging out.

[HB_DS2013]

I don't get to see enough of Shining as Spike's brother.

[Xanderfox]

8383341
Equestrian where years of experience in fantasy roleplaying games are viable additions to your resume.

[ColtKit Productions]

That did seem like a pretty short session but then he was just teaching Spike the rules