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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ed Gentry" data-source="post: 3314028" data-attributes="member: 41901">This is a fictionalization of one of the tabletop games I currently play. We've been playing since last fall and so far it is, without a doubt, the best game I've ever played in. The game is set in the custom world of the DM, a placed called Arva. The world is pretty thick with original terminology, concepts and organizations so I will do my best to clarify things as the story continues through a combination of in-story explanation and footnotes where necessary. Also, hopefully the DM and other players will add their input.In the game, the characters are currently 5th level. We began at 1st. The story hour actually begins a short time after the characters first met (around 3rd level) and then flashes back to the beginning and continues from there. I chose to do this as an experiment in writing and because I particularly enjoyed the game session that will begin this story hour. I think it nicely embodies the tone of the game and the characters.I expect to post a new segment at least once a week, likely twice. When I have returned my current novel to my editor I should get some more free time and posting will likely increase at then. So far I've really enjoyed writing this story hour as it's very different from the writing I normally do. While fantasy is definitely my main genre, translating a D&D game into fiction is very, very different than writing a fiction story. I'm finding that I really enjoy both and am getting the opportunity to explore different styles of writing. This story hour is much more casual than my usual fiction, written much more quickly and loosely. I find it relaxing, really, so I hope to continue it for a while if the response is good. I find it important to note that this story will be done from the perspective of my character and I fully expect to get some things wrong as I rely mostly on my memory with some scattered notes for this retelling. I also reserve the right to change things ever so slightly for creative continuity.But, on to the point. Below are the characters as they are now class-wise. I'll get full stats and such soon. Also, two of the folks listed in the first few tales left the game so I am not including their information here as I will be trying to minimize their role as much as possible in the write-up. The names here are as the citizens of our city, Kingsbridge, know them, not necessarily by the true and given names.Lesarius Groth - human barbarian/scout/fighterEdward the Cursed - human paladin of Ymris* (my character and the SH's "star")Ruthen Fastfingers - dwarven rogue Idril Surion, the Iron Maiden - half-elf cleric Kelsenellenelvial Galanodel - elf duskbladeComolaan the Mad - human cloistered cleric of Tzaluth**Arilan Nameless - elf sorceress (will join game later)Lulu Ludaika - halfling rogue (will join game later)Comments are very, very welcomed and appreciated! I probably don't write fight scenes as well as Lazybones, character interaction as well as Delemental or keep up the gripping pace of JollyDoc, but I hope folks enjoy. Here we go...Book 1, Chapter 1:    The gray stone walls surrounding the courtyard glowed white hot even in the midday’s sun. Overgrown grass around the perimeter wilted brown from the heat before simply melting away. The stone and mortar of the walls cracked with a loud crunch and then shattered into millions of pieces as the Sisters Militant entered the property atop their magical golem-steeds. Designed to look like an armored defender of the faith, the golems whirred and buzzed with mechanics and magic, each bearing a member of the Sisters’ order on its back where they worked levers and buttons. The Sisters’ eyes all glowed visible even at a distance as they sang out prayer songs, sinking their magic into the golems. Each golem’s arms glowed with the same intense white heat that had disintegrated the wall as they shambled farther into the courtyard. The earth itself sprang into flames before them, the powers of hell in metal, stomping legs. The wererats pouring out of the asylum in the center of the courtyard charged the women and their steel mounts, their hairy flesh melting from the radiating heat as they approached. The infestation would end, the sisters would see to that. Every wererat hidden in the asylum would soon be ash.            “What in the name…” Lesarious muttered.             “If they see us here…” the elf Kelsen started, looking to the far side of the courtyard toward the Sisters and their steel steeds.             “They’re the least of our troubles,” Edward said.         “Here!” Ruthen shouted. The dwarf grunted as she yanked hard on a heavy metal lid leading to the sewers. Lesarious dashed to her side and straining together they made short work of heaving the heavy cover aside revealing a stench-filled hole beneath.    “Go!” Edward yelled with a grunt as his axe bit into another of the attacking wererats, dropping the creature at last to join its half-dozen dead compatriots. As that one fell two more of the beasts leapt from the third story window of the asylum to land hard on the ground mere feet from the armored axeman’s position. Kelsen shouted arcane words and leveled his rapier toward the newcomers. A flash of flame erupted along the weapon’s hilt, soared down the blade and launched into the face of one of the wererats.    The robed Comolaan, bald pate glinting with sweat, scrambled to the sewer entrance and began lowering himself delicately into the foul darkness when Ruthen huffed and kicked him inside. The cloistered cleric bit off a yelp as he splashed into the muck below. Ruthen nodded across the span of the hole to Lesarious before diving in herself. Lesarious motioned for Kelsen to go next which the elf did without a sound, making the drop into the darkness look easy with his lithe frame and agile form. The largest golem-steed bearing the Prioress Victoria of the Sisters’ order, crashed into the far side of the asylum. The white heat began to radiate throughout the side of the structure before the first bits of stone had even hit the ground.    Edward’s axe cleaved into another of the filthy rat-men as Lesarious dove for the prone body of Idril and pulled her away from the fight. The huge ex-mercenary swooped the unconscious Sister Idril into his arms, and gave a nod to Edward before dead-falling backward into the open hole to escape the blast of heat emanating from the now-crumbling asylum. Edward hacked through the neck of another wererat opponent and turned to join his comrades in the sewer. Another of the assembled wererats sent its claws along his back as the paladin turned but could not maintain a grip on his heavy armor which was starting to glow with the ambient heat. Edward rumbled across the final few feet, his armor clattering like pots and pans, and dove head-first into the open hole shouting, “Go, go, go!”    Edward splashed into the fetid water of the sewer as a wererat was blown apart by the explosive heat above him. He watched the beast’s innards melt as though time had stopped. The blast passed and Edward pulled himself to his feet to find his comrades, their chests heaving, nodding at his arrival before they began to make their way through the pipe away from the asylum.     “Well done, people,” Edward said as he took a step after them. His foot slipped and his heavy armor dragged him to the ground to splash face-down in the filth yet again. His comrades snickered, though less than he might have imagined. As he propped himself up once again he wondered how he had come to find himself in this place with these people. It hadn’t been that long that he had known them but he already felt connected to them and mused that the feeling must have come from the stressful way they had all met and come together.--------Notes:*Ymris is one of the Triune (three god-heads) of a religion called Ymrisism. Ymrisism is very complicated but it basically believes that divinity is not constrained to one single god but that divinity appears in all things and has many faces. In fact, it has as many faces as their are people in the world. However, it is represented by three gods: Ymris, Arva and Kalak. More to come on that as the story develops.**Tzaluth is the "one true god" of the people of the Kingsbridge region. Catholocism would be the closest real-world analogue to this.</blockquote>

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