Played from 01/15/2021 to 01/21/2021
Gab: It’s good to know that Lyssa has some support now, and both hers and Lotlyn’s journeys can start in earnest! But I gotta ask: now that Lyssa has accepted she’s in a fantasy world, is she going to just give up on her “old life” and stay here for good?
Kreios: Yes, actually!
Gab: …oh no.
After resting that first night, Lyssa had decided to double down. She had to stay here now. This was her life, and as far as she could tell, there was no way back. If she didn't wake up in her normal bed this morning, then she’d accept this new life- and so she would.
Though, Lotlyn could tell there was more Lyssa wasn’t saying. Being able to stay with Lotlyn was a big offer, but Lyssa seemed to be totally fine helping her around the ramen shop and the house, no questions asked. Lotlyn had told some of her customers about Lyssa, and a few were quick to point out how strange her story was, and how her attitude change was even stranger. She knew she needed to ask Lyssa more about what she knew.
Lotlyn: Hey Lyssa, not that I ain’t enjoying the good mood today, but you, uh, wanna try telling me a bit more about what happened to you? Like, what do you remember about getting here?
Lyssa: Oh, well, uhhhh…
Kreios: It doesn’t even matter what Lyssa tells Lotlyn, she’s going to believe it.
Gab: Oh noooo.
Lyssa told Lotlyn that she was hesitant to say anything, because she was embarrassed. She didn’t remember much of anything about her home, where it even was, its name, etc. The few things she did remember weren’t “helpful,” and all she could say was that her home was very different to Lotlyn’s. They agreed this would be some sort of amnesia then, maybe even magical in nature. The thought of some sort of curse actually did intrigue Lyssa too- that may not have been far off, even if the amnesia part was a lie…
Lotlyn offered a few ideas here and there: Was Lyssa a princess? Some kind of powerful mage? But Lyssa could only deny it and say she was a normal human, no powers and no memory. Lotlyn realized it at that moment, the start of their adventure...
Lotlyn: That’s it then, it’s decided!
Lyssa: What is?
Lotlyn: We’re gonna get your memory back!
Lyssa: W-what?
Lotlyn: Yeah! I mean, if this is a curse, then there must be a wizard out there that can help you remove it! You’ll get your memory back and be able to go home!
Lyssa: …do you… do you think there are any wizards that can actually do that?
Lotlyn: Well, uh, to tell you the truth, I don’t know. But it’s worth a try, yeah? We had some powerful wizards come by our village a few years back, and I’ve always wanted to get out of here and explore the world. Actually, it’s been a dream of mine to make a traveling ramen stand and go on an adventure. I don’t know, maybe that’s just silly-
Lyssa: No, no, that’s not silly at all! You actually have a dream for your life, and… y’know what? I wanna make that happen for you too. If you want to do this for me, then let’s… let’s go on an adventure!
Lyssa had this internal pain—Lotlyn had a goal for her life when Lyssa had none. She wasn’t sure if they were comparable due to age (Lotlyn was 26, and Lyssa was 19), but she still couldn’t help but feel like Lotlyn’s cause was way more noble than anything Lyssa could come up with. Maybe they would focus on Lotlyn’s journey and forget about this “find a wizard” nonsense.
Gab: Time to get the adventure started in earnest, then! Although... this is pretty small for a “party,” and Lyssa is still level 0 too… Are they gonna run into another character first thing on their travels?
Kreios: My my, someone’s in a hurry. No, but they may be able to meet someone new during their travels.
Gab: It was worth a shot, haha. Let’s see how well Lotlyn knows this area, then.
Lotlyn didn’t know this area very well. She’d been living in Lathtarl's Lantern her whole life, learning her crafts and training as a monk, but she’d never really gone anywhere. She would hear about the outside world from adventurers who’d stop in the village, but she didn’t retain much about the immediate area. Still, if they followed the main roads, they’d be sure to find a city, right?
Lotlyn and Lyssa took the rest of the day to make their travel plans together. They were going to buy a traveling cart and horse, any and all supplies, and take it to the next city to the north in search of a wizard to aid them (and just people to sell ramen to). Any profits from selling ramen would go back into the cart and supplies. Lotlyn did admit to Lyssa that there was a good chance they may not meet any wizards on the way to the next city, but that didn’t bother Lyssa (and in fact, that was better in her opinion, but she wouldn’t say that). It filled Lotlyn with ease that Lyssa was so chill about it, and that they’d be traveling together. They were both really excited for this trip now!
But before they could actually head out, Lotlyn needed to prepare. One of the top priorities was to explain to Lyssa about Lotlyn’s training. She was training to be a monk, but she hadn’t yet picked a monastic tradition to follow. Her teacher, Ashok, didn’t live in Lathtarl’s Lantern, and only visited occasionally to help spread his teachings. Lotlyn offered to teach Lyssa a bit of what she knew, but Lyssa declined for now. Lyssa was athletic in her own right, and she was hoping that they wouldn’t have to resort to any fighting. Though, it did make her wonder, what kind of “classes” were out there for her to choose while she was here? Magic was a thing…could she learn how to use spells? Guess she might want to meet a wizard after all.
Gab: Well, it sounds like it’s time to go over the nitty-gritty details!
Kreios: Of course.
Gab: First thing to get squared away… did Lotlyn save a lot of money in preparation for this trip? I know she’s been dreaming about this, sooo…
Kreios: Yes, actually. She has a small fortune saved away.
Gab: Oh nice! But uh, how small is “small”? Like… 2d100?
Kreios: Let’s go with that, yes.
Kreios: I bestow you a 108.
Gab: That’s pretty good! But I wonder if this’ll be enough… welp, time to haggle! What is the difficulty of trying to haggle these prices down? I’d say the situation is an average one, since Lotlyn knows these people and they might wanna help her out.
Kreios: For this average situation, the difficulty is Medium with a DC of 15.
Kreios: Well well, you passed.
Gab: Woo!
Lotlyn was a shrewd business woman when it came down to it, and she managed to haggle a carriage from 100 gp to 50 gp. She also got a draft horse for 25 gp, supplies and feed for said horse for 2 gp, and about a week’s worth of food and ingredients for 7 gp. She was left with 24 gp after all those purchases, in addition to the 17 gp she started with on her sheet, for a total of 41 gp left over.
Also, the horse’s name is Buckwheat.
Gab: I LOVE BUCKWHEAT. I WOULD DIE FOR HIM.
Kreios: Careful what you wish for.
It took the rest of Lyssa’s second day in Faerun to finalize all their plans and pack, but it would be best to leave early in the morning. She woke up realizing that it was indeed her third day here now, and she wondered if she’d lose count after a while?
Lotlyn, meanwhile, went and said her goodbyes to her friends and neighbors. Truthfully, she was more than ready to leave, as she had everything she needed: a carriage, an amazing horse, enough supplies, and most importantly... a friend to go with her.
Lyssa was there to help with the goodbyes, but felt the weight of her lies on her back. Every time Lotlyn shared Lyssa’s story to a stranger, Lyssa felt guilty. Could she keep up this lie? Would it ruin their friendship? She could always just say it was her memory finally coming back… She sighed, but played along, She’d have to see how it would go on their trip. It was finally time to leave.
Gab: Oh boy, it’s time… Is their first day on the road normal?
Kreios: Yes.
Gab: Phew! That’s good news!
Lyssa’s head had been buzzing with worry that morning, even when she was finally in the carriage. The wooden walls and canvas cover kept the inside of the carriage fairly dark, and it made her feel a little worse. She felt very alone… until Lotlyn spoke up from the driver’s seat.
Lotlyn: Hey Lyssa!
Lyssa: Uh… yeah?
Lotlyn: Come take a look at the view!
Lyssa peeked through the left side of the carriage, and she was greeted with the most serene view of the sea. The sun hanging above them made the waters glitter with light. The skies were clear, the surrounding greenery was breathtaking, and a slight breeze brushed Lyssa’s hair aside.
Lotlyn: So? Whatcha think?
Lyssa: …it’s amazing.
Lotlyn smiled to herself, hearing the joy return to Lyssa’s voice. She was keeping them steady on a dirt road that led north from Lathtarl’s Lantern. They were making good time without going too fast- she wanted to enjoy the ride too.
Lyssa, finally out of her rut, dug through her bag to get her sketch book and pencils. She wasn’t the best at drawing, but she was learning! And she enjoyed it a lot. She was more used to manga- style portraits, but drawing life scenes was another goal of hers. Now that she could relax, she tried to draw what she could see.
The rest of the day was peaceful. They stopped in the evening to make camp, made sure to feed Buckwheat, and Lotlyn made them ramen for dinner with some of the ingredients they had. Lotlyn also opted to spear fish instead of using too much of their rations, offering to teach Lyssa, but she declined. They settled in the carriage in their bedrolls, and Lyssa was thankful that Lotlyn was not the snoring type. Lyssa took some time to stay up and look at the starry night sky. She’d never seen anything like it.
That next morning, the fourth day of Lyssa being here, she woke up to the carriage already moving. Lotlyn had let her sleep in while she got them going. Lyssa thought about it for a moment and realized that they had been traveling for a full day now, and she never thought to ask… Did Lotlyn know where she was going?
Kreios: Good question, but you already know the answer, don’t you?
Gab: Yeah…
Truthfully, Lotlyn had never been this far from her home. Lyssa couldn’t tell that Lotlyn was nervous, and assumed that yeah, she must know where she’s going. It was only the second day of their journey together, and they both felt they could trust the other, despite the lies.
Gab: I wish I could tell them that honesty is the best policy.
Kreios: It wouldn’t be nearly as fun that way.
Gab: I guess. Anyways, is everything as expected on their second day?
Kreios: Afraid not. Let’s remove a major element. And let these words jog your imagination: “taboo” and “avoid”.
Gab: Oh jeeze. Looking at the map, I get where those words come into play… North of Lathtarl’s Lantern is the Warlock’s Crypt, and the Trollbark Forest. I bet both places are known to be avoided… which means that the “missing major element” is probably the road. There was probably a turn she should have made, and no path would take them directly through the mountains.
Kreios: Yes, that’s exactly it. But there’s something else, too.
Gab: Something else? Okay… mind giving me another portent?
Kreios: Sure, try these: “throw” and “fire”.
Gab: …uh oh.
Lotlyn’s lie had caught up to her much faster than Lyssa’s would. The dirt road they’d been on just…ended. Lotlyn could see the path had faded, and what laid up ahead was the large mountain ridge. Lotlyn even knew to avoid those mountains, and realized she missed the turn to the main road, the Trade Way. Was there even a turn? Was this the right road at all? Her questions stopped there when she saw the rest of the area—the ground and trees around them were charred and damaged, as if there had been a fight here recently. Lotlyn reprimanded herself; had she just gotten them into trouble this fast? And just because she couldn’t admit she was lost?
Gab: Well, that was some fast karma. Please tell me there are no enemies nearby.
Kreios: There are enemies, but not in the way you’re thinking.
Gab: Okay so not Bandits. Maybe some kind of beast?
Kreios: Yes.
Gab: (PLEASE NOT A DRAGON) …Giant Fire Beetles?
Kreios: Close, not quite.
Gab: Is it maybe some kind of animal that doesn’t normally have fire abilities? Like, some kind of enchantment?
Kreios: Yes exactly! Now, think “erratic” and “breezy”.
Gab: Maybe some kind of bird? Hawks?
Kreios: Correct!
Gab: Alright… now the question of how many there are. Maybe d4 for this one?
Kreios: Sure!
Gab: FUCK.
It didn’t take Lotlyn too long to spot them- a group of four blazing birds circling over head! The burnt up land must have been their doing. She tried to calculate in her head how many she could take out herself, or if it would just put Lyssa and Buckwheat in danger…
What she did know, at least, was that these birds were not natural. She may not have known a lot about magic, but she could tell these birds were somehow changed to have these fire abilities. With that realization too, it dawned on her—maybe they were closer to a wizard than she thought?
Lotlyn: Lyssa, stay inside!
Lyssa: Wha-?
Lotlyn turned the carriage around, leaving some distance between them and the scorched earth. Lyssa began to feel a little alarmed, so she took a peek through the carriage canvas. She saw the birds overhead- their wings aflame and heading right after them. She ducked back inside quickly, and while she tried to catch her breath, she saw Lotlyn jump into the back to grab her spear.
Lyssa: Wait, what are you gonna do?!
Lotlyn: Sorry, just stay put!
ROLL INITIATIVE
- (21) Hawk A
- (21) Hawk B
- (20) Lotlyn
- (13) Hawk C
- (8) Hawk D
- (6) Lyssa
Lotlyn - 10 HP / AC 13
Lyssa - 8 HP / AC 13
Two of the hawks (A and B) went for Lotlyn right away, both slashing at her with their fiery talons. Hawk A rolled an 18 and Hawk B rolled a 22, so both hit. They do 1 slashing + 1 fire damage each, so Lotlyn took 4 damage, going down to 6 HP.
Lotlyn moved to retaliate, using her spear to attack Hawk A, but missing with a 8. As a bonus action, she swung her arm around herself to hit Hawk B, this time hitting with an unnatural 20. The hawk fell to the ground from the force of her fist alone, knocking Hawk B out of combat.
The last two hawks (C and D) flew down to slash at Lotlyn right as Hawk B fell, both rolling 17 to hit. Lotlyn braced herself from the slashes again, as she took another 4 damage, taking her down to 2 HP. Lyssa could plainly see this was too much for Lotlyn alone, and it was her move now…
Gab: This is so bad, Lyssa can’t fight right now… wait, I have an idea! Are these hawks trained?
Kreios: Why, yes they are.
In a moment of panic, Lyssa jumped out of the carriage, quickly formulating a plan. She took her backpack with her, reaching inside and pulling out her whistle. She made sure she had enough space between her and the birds before taking a deep breath and blowing.
Suddenly, they stopped attacking! Instead, the three active hawks flew up in a circle above Lotlyn, almost like they were awaiting orders. She didn’t know exactly what to say, but whatever got the birds off of Lotlyn, the better! She waved her arms around, calling them towards her, as she ran back to the carriage and ducked inside.
One of the hawks (A) followed right away, trying to claw at Lyssa before she hid. Instead of hitting Lyssa though, it slashed at the carriage canvas! It rolled a natural 20, doubling the damage that the carriage took to 4, bringing it from 36 HP to 32 HP. Yes, the carriage has HP.
Lotlyn saw what Lyssa was doing, but before she could protest it, the hawks were flying after her. She saw one of the hawks slash at the carriage canvas, so she ran as fast as she could over to it readying her attacks. She swung hard with her fists at the hawk, missing first with a 6, then hitting with a 21. That second punch knocked Hawk A down to the ground, taking it out of combat.
Two hawks left, and they were trying to get at Lyssa now. Both hawks C and D attacked the carriage canvas, Hawk D missed with an 8, and Hawk C hit with a 23, bringing the carriage down to 30 HP.
Lyssa was realizing her plan was not thought through at all- what if they destroyed the carriage? Or hurt Buckwheat? She couldn’t sit and cower doing nothing, so she grabbed the first thing she could: her backpack. She leapt out the back of the carriage and swung at the birds. She rolled a 20 for her improvised weapon, knocking Hawk C out of combat.
It was actually thanks to Lyssa’s lack of plan that Lotlyn could get the last hit in. She swung once at Hawk D, getting a 19 to hit and taking the hawk out of combat.
COMBAT OVER
Gab: Ahhhh I’m so relieved!
Kreios: See? That wasn’t so bad.
Gab: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. That was HORRIBLE. They weren’t ready for a battle between the two of them!
Kreios: You might be underestimating them. They managed well together.
Gab: I mean, I guess so. I just wish they could level up from something like that.
Kreios: In due time.
Lyssa and Lotlyn watched as the hawks began to wearily get back up, flying away from the two who’d proven themselves formidable foes. There were a couple of burns and scratches on the carriage canvas, but nothing Lotlyn couldn’t fix up in time. She looked over at a very guilty looking Lyssa, but she couldn’t have been happier. If Lyssa wasn’t here to act quick on her feet like she did, she wouldn’t have made it out of this fight alive. She could deal with burns or scratches, to herself or the carriage, but Lyssa? She was now a priceless friend to her.
Upon realizing that Lotlyn wasn’t angry with her, Lyssa ran over to check her friend’s wounds. Lotlyn knew she was worse for wear, so she suggested they make camp for the night, just a bit further back from the scorched earth. Lyssa agreed, hoping to rest and heal as much as they could. They went through more of their rations and feed, but they didn’t have the tools to patch up the carriage yet; that would be a task for later. Hopefully they would reach the next city before running into any more foes… hopefully.
To be continued
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