Author's Note:
1. I don't know how to do the yellow box T.T
2. No need to be sorry rawr7. I actually really like branching paths to my stories. Seeing more and more people expand onto stuff I've written is usually really fun. I always took that as the point of the website that anyone can add chapters whenever they see something they want to add to. It's nice that other people have different ideas on where the story should go and what should happen in it. I can guarantee you that I would have never thought to take it in the direction you and stormwolf went with. Plus those last couple chapters you added were really awesome. =D
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Troy and Lancer went deeper into the game store to the large booth in the back. It was easily big enough to fit a family of eight, which was good because Lancer, Greg and a familiar looking Great Dane each took up two spots. Dustin was trying to do the same, but his slimmer more athletic build couldn't quite compete with the broad shoulders of the other men.
"Oh! You made it!" Mark got up from his seat and shook Troy's hand, followed quickly by shaking Lancer's. "You're Troy's new boyfriend?" he quickly asked. "I see why he chose you..." Leaning in as though it was an inside joke.
Troy was about to strangle the tall elf, but Lancer took it upon himself to simply say, "You think he picked me? I picked him." Then lifted Troy off the ground and gave him a tight hug. The other guys laughed as they watched Troy struggle in the tight grip of the massive lion man and then face flush red when he was set back down. He turned back to the table and introduced himself. "I'm Lance--" he was about to add the 'er' but almost felt like he preferred them knowing him just as Lance.
"I'm Mark," Mark pointed to himself, then went around the table from left of him to right. "The big bad wolf dog is Dusty. The half-orc is Greg. And the Great Dane is Jerimiah." Then pointed to Lancer and Troy, "This is Lance and Troy."
Jerimiah stood up to shake Lancer's hand then looked down at Troy. "Sorry bout the other day. Halbrook can be a bit of an ass sometimes. Lucky for you, we didn't find anything wrong." Then paused. "Not that there was anything wrong. Just--" he stopped himself before putting his foot in his mouth. "Never mind," then sat back down next to Greg.
"Right..." Troy nodded and then took his seat next to Dustin, who gave him a couple of friendly punches to the arm. His tail was wagging like there was no tomorrow.
"He's handsome," Dustin complemented as he reached his arm over Troy to give Lancer a proper greeting. Troy glared as he got an arm full of brown and black fur in the face. But Dustin was quick to change the subject back to the game. "So! How do we start?"
Mark pulled out a half dozen pieces of paper with all sorts of marking on them. "These," he held them up then handed two pieces of paper to Lancer, Troy and Dustin, "are your character sheets. Don't lose them." He then pulled out two more and handed them to Greg. "I took the liberty of writing them all out so you don't have to. Just a simpler way to start the game instead of spending two hours describing each stat, background, racial traits, etc. Now we can just get started with the game and then you guys will have an idea of how the game is supposed to run and what each trait will mean. Also, I didn't want any of you misinterpreting anything and giving yourself a 25 AC with +10 to your initiative. It's more fun when you can actually follow the rules."
Mark continued to explain a quick rundown of all the rules and what would be expected from them as players. He really did have a surprising amount of confidence as he spoke. Troy wasn't sure if it was because he was finally an elf, or if this was just a more natural environment for him. Either way, he quickly ran through what each of the of the stats meant, to ask for rolls and not just roll for them, what each of the dice were used for and a general idea of what to expect. Also, to understand that roleplaying would be a bit awkward at first but just try to roll with it as everyone was expected to be friends. And besides Greg and Mark, it was everyone's first time so don't be harsh.
"Understand?" the group nodded, giving weak 'I guess so's, except for Dustin who was ready to slay some goblins. "In due time," Mark said. "We need to start off first. You find yourself in a tavern," and pulled out gridded map of a tavern with a bar, three circular tables and 4 long rectangular ones with chairs surrounding both. Then pulled out a chest with what looked like dozens of little figures and then handed Lancer a Leonin piece, Troy a human one, Dustin his Gnoll and Greg and Jerimiah each already had their half or and giant respectively. Mark then put a bartender behind the bar and a few patrons around the bar. "Put yourself where you want to be."
Dustin slammed his piece down next to the bar tender. "I'm going to order a beer."
"Maybe you've already had a bit too much," Troy interjected, sliding his piece next to one of the rectangular tables. Lancer slid his right next to it.
"Too much?" Dustin questioned. "Maybe you haven't had enough! Two beers! And then I'll put two gold pieces on the bar."
"That's a mighty fine tip there," Mark said. "Beer's only a copper."
"Keep the change mate," Dustin said. "I'm about ta be an adventurer and this won't look like shit then."
"Well," Mark said. "That's mighty fine of you. He takes the two gold pieces and slides two beers down to you. What do you do?"
"I take the beer?" Troy said.
"Same," Dustin asserted. Then turned to Troy. "Drinking contest?"
Troy's eyes narrowed. "You want a drinking contest?"
"Yeah!" Dustin said. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and tail started wagging again.
"I'd be down for that," Greg said. He slid his piece across the bar. "I set a gold down and tell the bartender to keep them coming."
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Troy tried to stop the two. "Can't we find out any more information before you two knock yourselves out?"
"Sure," Mark said. "But the bartender still gives them two full mugs of beer. Roll a 13 con save. First one to fail three times loses. Each time you fail, raise the DC by one." He turns back to Mark while Greg and Dustin roll their D20s. "What'd you want to know?"
"Uhh... Uhhh..." Troy stammers. "Uhhh... I don't know. How about... Uhh..." Suddenly the realization that he doesn't know anything at all brought him to a halt. There were so many questions that he didn't even know a good one to start with.
Lancer was quick with a save. "Where are we?" he asked. "We've been traveling for a few days and I feel as though we've been turned around."
"Ah!" Mark declared. "You must be incredibly lost not to recognize the great desert city of Humaduri! Legend has it that the gods had abandoned the area until a small human who had run away from his slavers but having no water or food around, started to dig. The gods placed bets on whether or not he would survive. Days passed and the human continued to dig. Several of the gods continued to laugh. However, one only derived pity from the poor man. The other gods laughed at her, only drawing her ire. And with that ire came a large storm. Clouds formed and the rain came down filling the hole that man had dug."
"How about goblin slaying?" Dustin interrupted. "Any quests like that?"
"I'm sure we could find something equivalent," Mark said. "We tend to have more trouble with red lizards than goblins."
"As long as they pay per head, don't bother me none," Dustin said.
"A silver a head," Mark replied.
"Perfect!" Dustin said. "Nothing my twin axes won't love tearing apart. Point the way!"
"Well there's two main caves. One in the south and one in the east. But the one in the south has an oasis between this and Humaduri while the one in the east would let us rest in Barodu instead. It's just a day's journey from Gurudia and they've been having a bit of goblin trouble in... their... sewers..."
Everyone in the game paused for a second as they looked at Lancer. It wasn't Mark who had said that, rather the large lion man. Mark instantly shot a look to Greg who gave a confused and innocent shrug. Then a look at Troy for some kind of insight. But Troy didn't understand either. Until he stared blankly at Lancer, then turned to Greg. Suddenly he understood. Troy's hanging jaw started moving. "Do you have---"
"Eyyyyyy!" Somebody shoved their way into Lancer, removing any space in the already cramped booth. Even if he wasn't as big as a Leonin, didn't mean he was small either. He was about 5'9" with greasy black hair combed to the side and his weight was clearly starting to become a problem as he no longer had the fast metabolism in his youth. "Looks like you guys started without me. Luckily! I brought my dice and character sheets." He pulled out a large tower with a massive bag that he set on the table. It spread across the table covering a bit of the map. "What's deal with all the fucking furrys? You think they'd just lock all those zoophiles up and be done with it. Eh?" But paused a second as though to look around the table. "Eh?" he muttered again, noticing the anthro Great Dane, Wolf Dog and Lion sitting around him.
Each one had a strong scowl on their face as the looked at the person who just barged in. "Drew," Mark spoke in a harsh tone. "Leave."
Drew waved a book around. "Here's a suggestion, how about no. Really it's more of a mass suggestion, let me play with you and you'll enjoy it. Alright?" The tension died down a bit between Jerimiah, Dustin and Lancer. Even Greg seemed to have calmed a bit, though a scowl stayed on his face.
Troy felt something in the back of his mind telling him that Drew should just stay and play. After all, Mark had said, 'more the merrier.' He quickly shook the thought. Then noticed the book in Drew's hand. His eyes went wide. 'The book of mind...'
"No," Mark answered. "Leave."
"Maybe--"
"No," Mark instantly shot down. "Drew. You're not welcome here. Leave."
"But the furrys are," Drew grit his teeth, but tried to stay pleasant. He forced it into a smile. "Come on... Most the people here are new. You need more than one veteran to really show 'em how to have fun. So, I'll make another suggestion to the masses. Or a mass suggestion, you'll only have fun if I'm playing too."
Troy felt it in the back of his mind again. He knew he was having fun, but suddenly he wanted to have Drew here too. The looks on the other guy's faces seemed to be going onto Drew's side. Except for Mark. He shouted over his shoulder. "Frank!" Mark's confidence shook. "Frank," he called again. Still nothing. "Frank?" a bit of a wobble cut into his voice.
"Well," Drew shrugged with an evil smile on his face. "I think him and Daphne might be a bit busy... Maybe you can call him later."
Mark stood up from his chair. His billowing clothes seemed to understand his anger as they tightened around his body. "Out," Mark demanded, pointing at the front door. "We're not playing with you anymore."
That's when Drew stood up. Dusted off his pants and looked Mark in the eyes. "Elves are resistant to charm... But not command. Let me play with you and your group."
"Right. Of course," Mark took his seat again. His face was blank and not full of the same life as it had before. Drew had an undeserved smirk on his face as he watched it unfold.
"Drew. You need to leave," Greg said.
"Really?" Drew's eyes narrowed. It came out as a menacing growl. "Someone turns you into a half or and suddenly you become Mr. Toughguy?" For a second the table looked confused. "Really? None of you noticed? None of you noticed the pretty boy elf or the fucking furries sitting around you?" He continued going in on the other creatures.
Troy whispered next to Lancer. "You have to get his book." He was stuck on the other side of the large creature and couldn't get out of the booth.
Lancer seemed to understand as he stood up. "I think you need to leave," He put one of his massive paws on Drew's shoulder, squeezing it. "But I'll be taking this."
"Command. Stop!" Drew said, pulling it just out of reach. "Mother fucker. You know about the book? You all know about the book?" he scanned the table only to see confused faces. Then started laughing. "One of you knows about the book. So then, let's play a game of my choosing. Mass Command. Do as I tell you and nothing more."
Troy flinched as he felt a splitting headache run through his head. He could barely think. But then it passed. Looking at Drew, the man still held his book, but everyone else was frozen in place. He did his best to emulate them. This wasn't the game he wanted to play.