Session 0001
Whitefire had lived his whole life inside the walls of the tiny monastery on the southern edge of the Lake of Steam, in the Border Kingdoms. He had just reached the autumn of his 125th year, and the dwarven monk had never seen the outside world, save a myriad of pictures in his learning books. He knew that the day must come for him to leave, but he wasn't ready. Not just yet....
"Wake up! You are ready," the voice in his head was saying (too loudly for this time of morning!). "Whitefire, it is time. Awaken!" Whitefire groaned and opened his eyes. He struggled to focus, and eventually he could discern the figure of his elder master, Tohna Qhan. Master had a stern look on his face, and he held Whitefire’s staff in his hands.
“The others have not yet wakened, Whitefire. Tradition holds that you must depart to meet the rising sun on the horizon. Swiftly now, take your possessions and go. There is nothing more for you to learn here. You cannot delay any longer, Whitefire. It is your time to face the world.”
This surely was not expected! Whitefire had planned on a leisurely breakfast, followed by a peaceful morning of reading and meditation. Travel wasn’t on his agenda. The look on Master’s face told the dwarf that he truly had out-stayed his welcome, however. He was out of excuses. It was time to go… but where?
“Waterdeep!” declared the monk as he gathered his few worldly possessions into a sack and headed towards the gate. “For years, I have read about the City of Splendors.... Now I will see it. Thank you Master, and good bye.”
“Remember what you have learned, young Whitefire. You will need your training and discipline to survive outside these walls. Return when you have discovered your destiny, and when you have wisdom to share with those who wish to learn from your example.” Master Tohna Qhan stood at the gate and watched as Whitefire marched down the path, and into the rising sun….
Whitefire walked for several hours along the southern shore of the Lake of Steam, gazing at everything he saw in wide-eyed wonder. How different the real world seemed from what he had imagined. It was so much… bigger! Master had told him that the journey to Waterdeep was many hundreds of miles. Having no concept of such vast distances, the dwarf wondered if he’d be able to make it by nightfall!
As the noonday sun reached its peak overhead, the rocky terrain forced Whitefire to make a turn towards the South, away from the lake. The water was barely out of site before the monk reached a narrow pass, and he stopped. A rocky ledge to the east stretched skyward and became a steep cliff, much too high for him to climb. To the west, a pile of loosely scattered boulders and rocks made travel in that direction impossible as well. His only option was to keep moving forward. Whitefire didn’t like that. He had been taught to always seek alternatives, as the most obvious path usually held hidden dangers.
Whitefire moved cautiously forward. There were a few scattered trees to his left, and a tiny pond bubbling with steam just beyond the largest tree. This place was uncomfortably hot and humid, and not a single living thing stirred. The monk’s senses went into high alert, and almost immediately he noticed that someone was watching him from atop the rocky ledge.
The figure was relatively short and stocky, much like Whitefire’s own build. However, unlike the fair-skinned shield dwarf, this creature’s skin was bright red and leathery in texture. In addition, Whitefire’s observer had hair that moved and crackled as if it were made of living flame! The inexperienced monk had never seen anything like this, and didn’t recall ever reading about such a creature. In a panic, he crouched into a defensive stance and drew a shuriken from his belt pouch.
In response to the dwarf's aggressive movement, the man-creature let out a furious cry and leaped down from his vantage point to charge at the surprised monk with a wide-tipped half spear. Frozen in fear, Whitefire cringed in agony as the blade slid between his chest and upper arm, putting a deep gash in both. Not only did the spear draw blood, it burned the flesh as well! Shocked into action, the monk let fly his shuriken directly into the face of his attacker.
The creature bellowed and staggered backwards for a moment, only to regain his balance once again. The tiny throwing star had stuck into its forehead. However, this thing’s skin was so thick and tough that the blade barely even drew blood! In a rage, the creature dropped his spear and swung his mighty fist into Whitefire’s face, connecting squarely with his jaw.
Whitefire’s head snapped to the side as the searing fist bruised and burned his chin all at the same time. Not knowing what else to do, the young monk pleaded with the thing, “Why are you attacking me like this!?” he asked in a helpless tone.
“Attacking you, you say?” the creature replied in a high pitched, gravelly voice. “Attack you, I did not. In my home you came, and drew the blade against me!” With that, the angry creature lunged once again at Whitefire. In his anger, however, the beast’s swing was off balance and he stumbled.
Instinctively, the monk brought his wrist down in a chopping motion in an attempt to shatter the shoulder blade of his opponent, who easily dodged the blow. As the thing reached down to pick up its spear, Whitefire attempted to kick it in the face. Again, it easily dodged aside and scrambled across the stony pass and into the steaming pool.
Weakened and afraid to approach this deadly creature, Whitefire drew another shuriken and lobbed it towards his foe. Unfortunately, a low-hanging branch snagged the projectile and dropped it harmlessly to the ground. With a growl, the fiery being hurled his spear back at Whitefire. The monk sidestepped the weapon and immediately tossed another throwing star, which plunked into the water several feet short of its target.
Unarmed after throwing his spear at the dwarf, the thick-skinned creature backed up further into the steaming pond, putting several feet of scalding water between himself and the intruder, Whitefire. Not wanting to get himself hurt any worse on his first day out in the world, the monk once again tried a more diplomatic approach to the situation. “I’ll leave if you stop attacking me,” he said plainly, trying to sound brave.
“Leave my home, you will. Come back you will not, or Dzee will finish taking the blood from you. Be gone now!”
Dejected, Whitefire made his way through the pass. As he came within a few feet of the pool, Dzee hissed at him and splashed some scalding water in his direction, just out of spite. Whitefire ignored him and moved quickly around the rocky outcropping and back out into the open. He winced in pain, and silently wished that he’d tried talking to this thing before drawing a weapon. The monk realized he had a lot to learn about the ways of the world! He quaffed his only healing potion and started moving once again towards the east, and the road that would lead him to Waterdeep.
**
The mini-adventure that I wrote for tonight's After Dinner Encounter can be found
here.
