Adding a touch of geek to the plate...
When I met my girlfriend, she invited me to play Dungeons & Dragons with her friends. I was very interested because growing up a had been given a set of the original board game, but never knew anyone with an interest to play. So, this was very exciting for me... well, at least, it started out that way. I was interested in a good interactive story, but soon realized I was one of the few enthusiastic players with any verve to that characters. One or two others had some life, but mostly they just played their parts. I decided that we needed more dialogue and life to the story and took a chance... So, my character, a Dragonborn Fighter named "Goran Diamondhide"-- for whom I made a very in-depth backstory -- was going to attempt to breathe some life into this rather doldrum experience by adopting the pseudonym of "Brightfang: Savior of Ham". A very bombastic character who was traveling the world to teach others about the glory of ham and what could be learned from the Path of Ham. (This became very amusing to some of them when it was learned that I'm a vegetarian.) Occasionally obnoxious, this character whom was merely a facade for the much more roguish character of Goran, was quickly accepted & well-loved and "For the glory of Ham!" became a welcomed battle cry. That is still referenced outside of gaming. My girlfriend had also developed a darker character, a Genasi Blackguard, who went by "Lady Ashford." I had devoted so much energy into the story of my character and seeing as it went well with her's I'd occasionally be inspired to write short stories with the two of them and later one with our whole group.
The group is now defunct for a number of reasons, (No, I swear it wasn't my fault.) We had several other games that we played and I wrote stories for including a Dresden RPG, that I really enjoyed, but unfortunately didn't go very far. Though maybe not the best of them, here's the first story I wrote that was inspired by our D&D game which changed the very nature of our quests throughout this game. Thanks for reading!
The Tavern The lights dimmed, he slowly entered her room, carefully, and heard the sharp thud of something thrown at him, embedding itself into the heavy oaken door, likely a dagger.
Not careful enough. "None of that, please... It's late and I'm in no mood for that kind of tussle. Anyway, I come in peace and wish only to talk." his deep voice sincere.
The room was dark, lit only by a few candles and her own glowing violet & electric-blue skin. In the soft ambiance, he saw that she was bathing and she drew herself more tightly into the bath as he entered. She seemed to be reaching out for something; some form of blade no doubt. His eyes, normally a more golden tone, became an icy blue and his voice became as stone. "Hold there, girl..." he cautioned, a low growl starting to rumble through his voice. He pulled over a chair. "If I need to subdue you, I will, but I meant it when I said I only came to talk.” His jaw starting to form a smirk. “Tonight, anyway."
Still gazing at him suspiciously, she motioned to him to sit, "Very well, then. Talk if you will, Ham-savior, but know that you are in the presence of Lady Ashford and you will address me as such. Nor will I forget this ins-"
His smirk continued. "You are no more 'Lady Ashford' than I am 'Brightfang: Savior of Ham' nor would an elemental consider anything I've done to be insulting or offensive."
The corners of her violet eyes betrayed the slightest hints of amusement and surprise at this.
"So, introductions first, I should think. I am called, 'Goran Diamondhide' by my people. I'll spare you the titles. Whom are you truly?"
"I am known by many names, and you would not be able to pronounce my true name. However, in the common tongue, I believe it would translate as 'Lillia Azuretone'." Her eyes glimmered. She didn't know why she was being straight with him, it wasn't as though she trusted him, but his demeanor was relaxing and he was plainly as deceptive as she. Instead of longing to become drunk on his blood, (although she was still curious about it, as was her vice) she wanted to know more about this draconian relation. She rose from her bath. Her body, fully exposed, as her name and person had been, now glistening with water. "That, if anything, is the truest name that I might give you."
"Well met, Lillia Azuretone." The pleasing image of her naked body made him smile a toothy grin, but he knew it was a farce; A trick in the attempt to distract him into lowering his guard. An assassin's tool: the subterfuge of a spider. He was sure she had used similar tricks before to greater success than it would this night. He wouldn't be caught in her web.
"Why are you here, Goran?" she inquired, her voice soft as silk. Her lips smiling.
"That requires several answers, some of them invoking more questions. I received an invitation, and found myself wandering the woods nearby. Almost obsessively needing to come to this,” he flicked a hand while thinking, “...charming backwater. What is an assassin doing here?"
She visibly frowned. He's much too clever for his own good, she thought and sat contemplatively as the voices in her head battled. One said, "He knows! He knows! Kill him! Kill them all!" Another chimed, "He's very pretty. We haven't had a mate in some time..." Yet another agreed with the previous voices," One and then the other... they would be refreshing." "No." she whispered, "He clearly knows something and can pull off this masquerade, at least as well as I. We shall see what he knows before we decide further."
"Similar to you, I received a missive inviting me to this 'gathering' for lack of better terms, but I can not remember how I received it nor how I arrived. I simply knew that I needed to be here.", She looked confused as she remembered the tale.
"So, we may be dealing with a form of compulsion. Enchanted ink or vellum, perhaps? Do you have a way of detecting this or do we need to find someone to do it in town?"
No, she wouldn't show that particular skill just yet.
Goran shook his head.
“Town then... Do you really believe this king or whatever he was would place a compulsion and send them out to random people?"
He smiled, "You probably know as much as I do in that matter, but I don't believe it was random. Though-," he sighed, "I'm not certain what the criteria was or how they found us."
"What did you think of the feast?" He inquired.
"I don't trust this 'king', his reasons, his quest, nor that goat-like creature.” Her skin flushed angrily and she almost snarled. “He's lucky that I didn't dismember him in his cell, but he was needling the knight-general and I found that highly amusing. Speaking of amusements... Why did you shout over and over about ham like a drunken younker fostering the affection of a circle of virgins?"
"Why not?" He exclaimed, a quick gesture of his hands. "Have you ever tasted ham? It's quite tasty.” He winked. ” ...and reasonably believable."
"A simple deception?" She giggled with genuine delight. "How wonderful! Act the fool and let them believe what they wish! I could almost like you, Dragonkin, on that alone." She blanched realizing that might even be true.
"I believe they call us 'Dragon-borne', actually, " Goran stated realizing the small victory, "Although Goran will suffice."
"Goran, then." She smiled, now enjoying the repartee. "What did you think of the night's festivities?" she said laying back, in a more relaxed pose. "I share your distrust of the king, quest, court, and other companions, but the Satyr was truthful. I distrusted him, at first, just as you do now, but he seemed rather sincere about his incarceration."
"What changed? Did his pretty songs addle your brain?" she chided.
"Knowing a bit about Satyrs from history, they are truthful... This is not to say they're honest nor are they innocent of skullduggery, if they were to find it humorous, but that they are quite playful and brash. They hope to be so overwhelming in their attentions that others are overcome." He laughed again, "So, we must still keep an eye on him for his actions, but may trust his words."
He took a deep breath and continued. "The other thing I'm concerned about is that the entire court may have somehow been corrupted. They did not behave with honor and they were quite lacking on security."
She nodded in response. “My thought is either that they lack in honor and strategy combined with a lack of wealth or that this corruption may be a part of, perhaps even a side effect of this 'magic-siphoning' the royal fool mentioned. In addition, I question his pallor."
Goran rolled his eyes.
"I believe I will join this quest,”he intoned, fatigue and resignation in his voice, “ if only to find the truth of this seeming curse before it can possibly spread. What say you?"
She took a moment to absorb his thoughts, her many voices having their say on the matter. Finally, she responded, "I don't trust this entire situation... The whole thing appears as a form of trap.” She didn't like it, but she felt she had no choice. “I think I will go with you, in this case. I may change my mind at some point, but if there is some manner of compulsion, we probably have little choice in the matter.” “At least until I find a way to break this compulsion...” she mused to herself, “then I'll gut the king and whomever else stands in my way.”
“Alright, then it appears our path is clear. Tomorrow, we'll check the town for someone to ascertain the truth about this compulsion and how to break it, then, possibly, to the king.” Goran said, rising from his chair, then he smirked and boomed, “...for the glory of ham”.
She giggled. ©2012 Jim Folliard
