I'm looking for motivated volunteers to run a few encounters for with the intent of helping me learn the ropes around here! While I'm by no means new to D&D or DMing or to creative writing in general, playing a game like this is a little different. After spending some time looking over other play-by-post threads to get the gist of things, I figured it best to start small with something of a trial game before committing to something too ambitious. Luckily enough the community here appears to be both helpful and welcoming, so if I could snag a few of you fine folks for this experiment I'd be most grateful!
Here's what I'm thinking:
Characters will start at 3rd level using the standard point array. Race/class from any non-unearthed arcana source is fine, and feel free to have whatever starting equipment you want. (No magic items).
Set in generic fantasy-land (i.e. no particular campaign setting), the premise of this one-shot is a simple one - the local baron's ten year old daughter has been kidnapped, and your player characters have answered the call to help. My stories tend to have an adventurous tone capable of both lighthearted and dark moments, edging slightly towards exaggeration over pure realism. Likewise when making rulings I try to favor fun factor or "rule of cool" over rules as written (because I love players' shenanigans), but that does have limits.
Due to the smaller scale of this game I'd only be looking for a few players. Maybe around 3 depending on interest. And to be clear, this is an introductory game for me, not for players completely new to D&D. So sorry, I'm more or less looking for people who already know how to play so I can focus on adapting to this new format.
No character backstory is necessary for our purposes. That being said, I do enjoy my D&D with an emphasis on role playing, so having a general idea of personality would be nice. Also as an extension of emphasizing RP, I would appreciate it if players avoid single-sentence replies like I've seen in some other threads. A large part of the fun of D&D for me is the mental imagery and narrative descriptions (something I believe D&D played this way should have an advantage over face-to-face games). I'm not saying it has to be long and drawn out, but even if your character is not doing much I'd encourage you to include a little detail.
I'll try to post every day, although I might miss a day here or there. Therefore I expect the same from my players - try to post when you can, but if you miss a day I won't get on your case about it unless it becomes frequent.
How to join:
Please post below with the following things:
A little bit of info about your D&D experience and preferences.
A brief description about the type of character you want to play.
The link to your character sheet.
This is not first-come first-serve. Again, since this is new for me I'll make selections based on who I think would be easy/helpful to play with and matches my style.
And of course, if I'm missing anything or there are any questions be sure to let me know!
DND preferences... I tend to go with the flow of the other characters. If they seem to enjoy quick and simple responses, then that is what I tend to do as well. For games where more content is preferred I easily follow suit. I enjoy many aspects of DND and don't feel it is necessarily just one or two things that are what keeps me here playing.
Character I am looking at...
Morgan is a noble's son, the heir apparent. he needs to prove his worth to his family, and that he is ready to take his father's place in their house. He has been a rash and anger-driven young man, but is trying to curb those tendencies of late. I am looking to have him be a barbarian, ancesteral, and to play him as a tank character.
I’ve been playing 5e for about 3 years, but only recently started out with PbP. I mostly enjoy roleplay and exploration, but combat can be very fun depending on how it’s run.
Character
Morthos, the half-elf traveling minstrel. He’s a top nobleman’s illegitimate son, causing him to be marked for death. He tries to escape the wrath of his father by traveling to faraway lands, hoping to share his music on the way. The local baron had saved his life from assassins, and he hopes to repay the debt. https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/RazorDawn89/characters/33405702
DND preferences... I tend to go with the flow of the other characters. If they seem to enjoy quick and simple responses, then that is what I tend to do as well. For games where more content is preferred I easily follow suit. I enjoy many aspects of DND and don't feel it is necessarily just one or two things that are what keeps me here playing.
Character I am looking at...
Morgan is a noble's son, the heir apparent. he needs to prove his worth to his family, and that he is ready to take his father's place in their house. He has been a rash and anger-driven young man, but is trying to curb those tendencies of late. I am looking to have him be a barbarian, ancesteral, and to play him as a tank character.
I could easily see Morgan's father sending him to aid the Baron, who could easily be one of his father's friends. If you are looking for a way to tie this into the campaign...
A little bit of info about your D&D experience and preferences. I've only been playing since the start of the year and started out as DM for my local group as no one else could/would at the time. I play on PbP to get my chance to play characters and ideas that I otherwise don't always get to explore. I love a bit of everything in a campaign, but great role-play between characters always makes a campaign fun.
A brief description about the type of character you want to play. Thad is a member of the Baron's watch and has been for a number of years now. Not known for his agility, Thad is a little pudgy thanks to his love of food and drink as many dwarves do, but that never gets in his way of a good fight should the watch need his help. Some time ago, Thad swore his oath to the crown (Paladin Oath pathway) to maintain law, order and peace in the barony. Thad is a tank, who also looks to heal and buff allies where he can.
Been playing D&D for about 2 years online, before that years of board/pc games based on rules of D&D. Ive also made worldmaps and battlemaps, even on D&DB, and love the creation process of it.
My preference goes to a mix of combat/rp. Combat is often the goal and easiest way to keep a group focused on a mission. But the game becomes truly fun when the rp between characters sets in (since this is a short campaign i would suggest the characters might already know eachother, most likely being from the same town/area).
Brief description about the type of character you want to play.
Ive played this character a bit before but the DM went afk with covid and all. Lilandra is a bleeding heart kind of character. I try to make her full on support (which should be interesting in a small party). She wont be against attacking enemies herself but would just focus on buffing/healing allies or debuff enemies instead of focussing on dmg. She is the daughter of the local alchemist so her family has always had a supportive role in the community.
Possible hooks:
Depending on the size of the Barons land he might know her parents.
Being a druid type Lilandras job in the family business is collecting resources to make potions. Wandering around town she might of encountered the Baron's daughter while playing in a forest close to the border of the town. Creating a personal link.
After Morthos was saved from assassins he and/or those that helped him were in need of medical aid and met Lilandra. (mostly party hook but the Baron might be personally involved in helping and came to the store himself or heard of it in this way).
I'm closing this thread to further applicants. I know I said this wasn't first-come first-serve, but honestly I'm really liking all these characters! So congrats, you four are in! Thanks for your interest and swift applications, I'll do my best to provide a fun little story for all of you!
I could easily see Morgan's father sending him to aid the Baron, who could easily be one of his father's friends. If you are looking for a way to tie this into the campaign...
Thad is a member of the Baron's watch and has been for a number of years now.
Did you have any sort of rank in mind? For example, after years of experience is he now a watch captain? Or perhaps commander of the watch in its entirety?
Depending on the size of the Barons land he might know her parents.
Being a druid type Lilandras job in the family business is collecting resources to make potions. Wandering around town she might of encountered the Baron's daughter while playing in a forest close to the border of the town. Creating a personal link.
After Morthos was saved from assassins he and/or those that helped him were in need of medical aid and met Lilandra. (mostly party hook but the Baron might be personally involved in helping and came to the store himself or heard of it in this way).
A little bit of info about your D&D experience and preferences: Experienced player, (4+ years of 5e), I enjoy heavy RP, and i have been doing PbP for about 6 months. it is easier than it looks believe me. I will be able to post once or more times a day easily.
A brief description about the type of character you want to play: you seem to have a lot of casters so here is a rogue.
An ambassador sent by the King, to keep an eye on the baron. He volunteered to help the baron when he saw his plight, mainly because he thinks these kidnappers may be a threat to the crown.. A very reserved person, and he reports what he sees back to the king. As i am all about character development, I would love to have some reason to also not trust the king...
1. I've mostly DM'd and am looking for an opportunity to play. I feel that playing a character entails making decisions for my character and describing his/her intent and what s/he does, says, or thinks. In combat, I'll make rolls when appropriate, but outside of combat, I prefer to let the DM decide when to call for a check.
2. I want to play a wizard, necromancy school, human, guild artisan (carpenter).
Thad is a member of the Baron's watch and has been for a number of years now.
Did you have any sort of rank in mind? For example, after years of experience is he now a watch captain? Or perhaps commander of the watch in its entirety?
Captain or Commander would make sense. Commander maybe moreso, the Baron would be more trusting of his commander and would send him on such a delicate mission.
Sorry GoodBovine, you just missed the cuttoff. Perhaps you were typing up your post at the same time I decided to close applications, so for that reason I did take some time to consider you anyway. But I already bumped the player count from 3 to 4, and Hriste, who also missed the cutoff, graciously bowed out upon noticing. So I appologize but I think this game is already at capacity.
For everyone else, I'll work on getting the opening post up today, so if there's any last minute game or character questions please voice them soon.
Sorry GoodBovine, you just missed the cuttoff. Perhaps you were typing up your post at the same time I decided to close applications, so for that reason I did take some time to consider you anyway. But I already bumped the player count from 3 to 4, and Hriste, who also missed the cutoff, graciously bowed out upon noticing. So I appologize but I think this game is already at capacity.
For everyone else, I'll work on getting the opening post up today, so if there's any last minute game or character questions please voice them soon.
Will you have a campaign for us to link our characters to?
The little girl’s face lit up with pure glee upon cresting the snow-frosted hill. It had been an arduous climb, at least by ten-year-old standards, but the wonder she now beheld erased any complaint of the long hike and early wakeup.
The field below was filled with majestic creatures she had never laid eyes on before. They were like slender deer with white coats that matched the wintery landscape as they stepped delicately through the riverside snowbanks in a great herd of many dozens. Adorning their heads were wide crowns of antlers, larger and more intricate than she had seen on normal deer, and within those antlers were a complex pattern of grooves from within which soft lights of either pink or yellow emitted. Under the dim sky of this pre-sunrise morning, the spectacle of that glowing herd took her breath away.
“They’re called dawn harts,” her father said, standing beside her. “So named because they circle the world, following in the twilight of the winter sunrise.”
After watching the herd together for a short while, he asked, “Would you like to see them up close, Caelia?”
Little Caelia audibly gasped, eyes sparkling. “Can we? Yes please!”
Her father smiled and reached down to take her hand. He led the way down the hillside all the way to the edge of the herd, which continued to travel along. As they passed by, a few of the regal creatures turned their heads to regard the approaching humans but did not appear to be in the least bit disturbed by their presence. In fact, after mere moments some even diverted slightly from their course to investigate. Caelia reached out with a mittened hand to the inquiring nose of a baby hart whose antlers hadn’t even sprouted yet.
“It’s said they can tell if you’re a good person,” her father explained as he patted the flank of a hart that came up to him. “If they sense any evil in somebody’s heart, they’ll avoid you long before you even see them.”
A blissful few minutes passed as the dawn hart herd walked along. Caelia’s father watched as she mingled with the gentle animals, ran with a group of fawns as they pranced alongside her, and stared up in awe at the big ones’ glowing antlers. Eventually the last of the herd passed by as the shining disc of the sun began to lift past the opposite horizon, and together they waved goodbye and watched the dawn harts go.
“What did you think, snowflake?” her father asked, kneeling by her side.
“They were amazing!” she cried, clamping onto him with a big hug. “Can we see them again someday?”
Baron Elias Vanderos was snapped out of his reverie by a touch on his arm. Suddenly he was no longer in that snowy field, but standing in the observatory of his keep. Located at the top of the structure’s largest turret, the observatory was a wide circular chamber with glass windows ringing the three-quarters of its circumference that faced out overlooking the town and verdant forests beyond. Overhead, a round opening in the middle of the roof was covered by a glass dome, the concave metal frame of which was shaped to resemble a fearsome dragon. Beyond the dome, the twinkle of stars could be seen hanging in the night sky in the formation of summer constellations.
Still feeling a light contact of fingertips upon his arm, Lord Vanderos looked to his side. A robed woman was seated there. Long wavy tresses of brown hair tumbled out from beneath the wide brim of a tall pointed hat, which was angled up to gaze at him with eyes shimmering with concern.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this.” She told him. He placed his other hand onto hers and held it, nodding in grave acknowledgement, but he knew her well enough to detect the waver in her reassuring tone.
Through the double doors of the chamber, the sounds of footsteps against the stone floor could be heard in the outside hallway.
“They’re here,” she said. She then placed a hand to the side of her head and focused for a moment. “Perfect timing too. I’ve just received word from Lord Amcathra’s wizard that his son will be arriving momentarily.”
At one side of the chamber, a round platform inscribed with a magic circle began to radiate light with increasing intensity, and the footsteps outside were drawing near. Lord Vanderos took a deep breath and steeled himself for possibly the most difficult challenge of his life – entrusting something so incredibly precious in the hands of others.
You are all free to begin posting. Thad had been dispatched to fetch Morthos and Lilandra from town, and the three of you are now approaching the observatory from the hallway just outside. Lord Vanderos has also reached out to Morgan’s father, who is having Morgan sent directly via teleportation circle.
Thadraes walks ahead of the half-elf and the human. His dwarven stature matched only by his barrel chest and rotund stomach. He adjusts the shield slung on his back and rests his other hand on the hilt of the war hammer at his side. The quickened pace leaves him breathing a little heavy, but he maintains pace nonetheless.
"It's been a while Morthos. How has your music been improving? It's been quite a while since the lord and I found you at the hands of assassins. I hope that you've managed to keep yourself out of trouble," Thadraes chuckles as he thinks about the many bards and entertainers he's dealt with over the years. He looks over the other shoulder, "How has your father's business been faring Lilandra? I'm sorry I have not visited his shop for sometime. My duties have been keeping me... a little occupied lately unfortunately."
Lilandra keeps up her pace with Thadraes, making sure she stays close to him as she is not known to these halls. Often looking left and right to get an idea of where they are walking. Throwing back her long blond hair over her shoulder to get a clear look. Her clothes are mostly plain cloth on the outside with laced leather pants. But even in these clothes few men would find her unattractive.
As Thad asks Morthos how hes been Lilandra will listen for his answer but look down at her attire to make sure she has everything, she does not often go out on missions like these, so she will double check. Wearing several bags on her belt she goes through them in her mind then readjusts her scimitar that is held on a beltloop on her right side. It bounces of her leg as she walks, she rarely brings it when venturing into the woods so the feeling is something to get used to. On her left hand she grips a small round shield and hopes she will not need it.
Replying to Thad Its going alright, we have been getting more travellers in the shop at times so some days are busier than others. She adds a genuine smile. I suppose its good you did not have a need to visit. I know your busy here. She pauzes a moment checking out her surroundings again, a bit nervous for the meeting to come.
Im sure mother would love to see you again some time, you know how she is. Wanting to hear the latest gossip from the nobles and all.
Morgan always felt foolish standing in one of these teleportation circles, just waiting on a spellcaster to perform the magic needed to send him to another such circle. The fact it was none other than his mentor, Scirkhel Wands, doing the complicated magic this time told him this mission was of utmost importance to his father. Scirkhel wore his family's symbol on the chest of his dublet, a black sleeve below three gold stars against a field of purple.
As the magic rose Morgan stood straight and regal, wishing to portray his family well in this task. He wore a black leather surcoat, his own family symbol on the chest, a shield with a red field, light blue flames and silver stars. His raven black hair was cut short, framing a strong jaw and intense gray eyes. Under the surcoat he wore the finest armor, and his weapons were from his family's smithy, renown across the land for their workmanship. For him this was a greatsword, sheathed on a harness across his back, the hilt above his left shoulder. He knew he would look the picture of nobility, the black of his surcoat setting off his gray eyes and fair skin to contrast with that black hair.
As the room started to come into focus, he noted the baron, having met the man multiple times before, as he was a close friend of Morgan's father. He stayed posed as the magic surged and, suddenly, he was fully standing in the Baron's own teleportation circle. He cocked his head slightly though, hearing Scirkhel murmur, "Watch yourself Morgan..." through the last of the lingering magic.
"Baron." Morgan said, his voice even and respectful. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the woman as well. "My father sends his sorrow at your troubles and hopes it shall be resolved quickly." As he speaks Morgan stepped out of the magical circle, glancing to the door as the sound of approaching feet grew closer.
The half-elf Morthos walked alongside Thadraes and Lilandra. He stared at the cold stones of the keep, the beautiful glass dome that reflected the stars above. Those stars...those were the same stars he saw on that fateful night. In torrential rain and thunder, he had fled to the Baron's estate carrying nothing but a lute. The Baron hadn't hesitated in allowing Morthos inside, who was barely a teenager at the time, the bastard son of a great Duke. The assassins came soon after, but the Baron wouldn't let them step inside. They threatened the nobleman with death, but he stood steadfast. His strength of will is the only reason Morthos is alive now.
When Thadraes began talking to him, Morthos drops his grim expression and smiles. "The music? I've had the opportunity to travel to far lands, learning from the greatest minstrels they have to offer. Perhaps I can perform for you today? It's the least I can do after all you had done for me all those years ago."
However, as Morthos answers, he knows that the Baron had not called him here to hear his music. Something awful must have happened. Morthos grits his teeth at the idea of ruin falling upon on the nobleman. Whatever it is, Morthos is certain that he will help fix it. The debt from all those years past must be repaid.
Hello dndbeyond!
I'm looking for motivated volunteers to run a few encounters for with the intent of helping me learn the ropes around here! While I'm by no means new to D&D or DMing or to creative writing in general, playing a game like this is a little different. After spending some time looking over other play-by-post threads to get the gist of things, I figured it best to start small with something of a trial game before committing to something too ambitious. Luckily enough the community here appears to be both helpful and welcoming, so if I could snag a few of you fine folks for this experiment I'd be most grateful!
Here's what I'm thinking:
Characters will start at 3rd level using the standard point array. Race/class from any non-unearthed arcana source is fine, and feel free to have whatever starting equipment you want. (No magic items).
Set in generic fantasy-land (i.e. no particular campaign setting), the premise of this one-shot is a simple one - the local baron's ten year old daughter has been kidnapped, and your player characters have answered the call to help. My stories tend to have an adventurous tone capable of both lighthearted and dark moments, edging slightly towards exaggeration over pure realism. Likewise when making rulings I try to favor fun factor or "rule of cool" over rules as written (because I love players' shenanigans), but that does have limits.
Due to the smaller scale of this game I'd only be looking for a few players. Maybe around 3 depending on interest. And to be clear, this is an introductory game for me, not for players completely new to D&D. So sorry, I'm more or less looking for people who already know how to play so I can focus on adapting to this new format.
No character backstory is necessary for our purposes. That being said, I do enjoy my D&D with an emphasis on role playing, so having a general idea of personality would be nice. Also as an extension of emphasizing RP, I would appreciate it if players avoid single-sentence replies like I've seen in some other threads. A large part of the fun of D&D for me is the mental imagery and narrative descriptions (something I believe D&D played this way should have an advantage over face-to-face games). I'm not saying it has to be long and drawn out, but even if your character is not doing much I'd encourage you to include a little detail.
I'll try to post every day, although I might miss a day here or there. Therefore I expect the same from my players - try to post when you can, but if you miss a day I won't get on your case about it unless it becomes frequent.
How to join:
Please post below with the following things:
This is not first-come first-serve. Again, since this is new for me I'll make selections based on who I think would be easy/helpful to play with and matches my style.
And of course, if I'm missing anything or there are any questions be sure to let me know!
Here's my application for this...
DND preferences... I tend to go with the flow of the other characters. If they seem to enjoy quick and simple responses, then that is what I tend to do as well. For games where more content is preferred I easily follow suit. I enjoy many aspects of DND and don't feel it is necessarily just one or two things that are what keeps me here playing.
Character I am looking at...
Morgan is a noble's son, the heir apparent. he needs to prove his worth to his family, and that he is ready to take his father's place in their house. He has been a rash and anger-driven young man, but is trying to curb those tendencies of late. I am looking to have him be a barbarian, ancesteral, and to play him as a tank character.
https://ddb.ac/characters/33775096/Ccvs8o
DND Experience and Preference
I’ve been playing 5e for about 3 years, but only recently started out with PbP. I mostly enjoy roleplay and exploration, but combat can be very fun depending on how it’s run.
Character
Morthos, the half-elf traveling minstrel. He’s a top nobleman’s illegitimate son, causing him to be marked for death. He tries to escape the wrath of his father by traveling to faraway lands, hoping to share his music on the way. The local baron had saved his life from assassins, and he hopes to repay the debt.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/RazorDawn89/characters/33405702
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Nice! That actually works out very well. :)
That's one of the things that makes D&D so great - the collaborative aspect of playing off each others' ideas that enriches the story for everyone.
I could easily see Morgan's father sending him to aid the Baron, who could easily be one of his father's friends. If you are looking for a way to tie this into the campaign...
I've only been playing since the start of the year and started out as DM for my local group as no one else could/would at the time. I play on PbP to get my chance to play characters and ideas that I otherwise don't always get to explore. I love a bit of everything in a campaign, but great role-play between characters always makes a campaign fun.
Thad is a member of the Baron's watch and has been for a number of years now. Not known for his agility, Thad is a little pudgy thanks to his love of food and drink as many dwarves do, but that never gets in his way of a good fight should the watch need his help. Some time ago, Thad swore his oath to the crown (Paladin Oath pathway) to maintain law, order and peace in the barony.
Thad is a tank, who also looks to heal and buff allies where he can.
https://ddb.ac/characters/33816116/y9gpXc
D&D experience and preferences
Been playing D&D for about 2 years online, before that years of board/pc games based on rules of D&D. Ive also made worldmaps and battlemaps, even on D&DB, and love the creation process of it.
My preference goes to a mix of combat/rp. Combat is often the goal and easiest way to keep a group focused on a mission. But the game becomes truly fun when the rp between characters sets in (since this is a short campaign i would suggest the characters might already know eachother, most likely being from the same town/area).
Brief description about the type of character you want to play.
Ive played this character a bit before but the DM went afk with covid and all. Lilandra is a bleeding heart kind of character. I try to make her full on support (which should be interesting in a small party). She wont be against attacking enemies herself but would just focus on buffing/healing allies or debuff enemies instead of focussing on dmg. She is the daughter of the local alchemist so her family has always had a supportive role in the community.
Possible hooks:
Character link:
https://ddb.ac/characters/33817465/13gzJu
I'm closing this thread to further applicants. I know I said this wasn't first-come first-serve, but honestly I'm really liking all these characters! So congrats, you four are in! Thanks for your interest and swift applications, I'll do my best to provide a fun little story for all of you!
Perfect! Thanks for the suggestion.
Did you have any sort of rank in mind? For example, after years of experience is he now a watch captain? Or perhaps commander of the watch in its entirety?
How about all of the above?
An ambassador sent by the King, to keep an eye on the baron. He volunteered to help the baron when he saw his plight, mainly because he thinks these kidnappers may be a threat to the crown.. A very reserved person, and he reports what he sees back to the king. As i am all about character development, I would love to have some reason to also not trust the king...
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
1. I've mostly DM'd and am looking for an opportunity to play. I feel that playing a character entails making decisions for my character and describing his/her intent and what s/he does, says, or thinks. In combat, I'll make rolls when appropriate, but outside of combat, I prefer to let the DM decide when to call for a check.
2. I want to play a wizard, necromancy school, human, guild artisan (carpenter).
3. https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/Hriste/characters/33800363 This is at 1st level, and I haven't selected spells yet, but should give an idea of the character.
Edit: Just saw that recruitment was closed. Good luck!
Captain or Commander would make sense. Commander maybe moreso, the Baron would be more trusting of his commander and would send him on such a delicate mission.
Sorry GoodBovine, you just missed the cuttoff. Perhaps you were typing up your post at the same time I decided to close applications, so for that reason I did take some time to consider you anyway. But I already bumped the player count from 3 to 4, and Hriste, who also missed the cutoff, graciously bowed out upon noticing. So I appologize but I think this game is already at capacity.
For everyone else, I'll work on getting the opening post up today, so if there's any last minute game or character questions please voice them soon.
oops, i think you posted just as i was writing my application, good luck with your game! :)
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Will you have a campaign for us to link our characters to?
Yes! Thank you for reminding me. I'll PM the campaign link to you guys now.
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RedArchknight Presents
RESCUE MISSION!
A dndbeyond One-Shot
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“Whooaaa!”
The little girl’s face lit up with pure glee upon cresting the snow-frosted hill. It had been an arduous climb, at least by ten-year-old standards, but the wonder she now beheld erased any complaint of the long hike and early wakeup.
The field below was filled with majestic creatures she had never laid eyes on before. They were like slender deer with white coats that matched the wintery landscape as they stepped delicately through the riverside snowbanks in a great herd of many dozens. Adorning their heads were wide crowns of antlers, larger and more intricate than she had seen on normal deer, and within those antlers were a complex pattern of grooves from within which soft lights of either pink or yellow emitted. Under the dim sky of this pre-sunrise morning, the spectacle of that glowing herd took her breath away.
“They’re called dawn harts,” her father said, standing beside her. “So named because they circle the world, following in the twilight of the winter sunrise.”
After watching the herd together for a short while, he asked, “Would you like to see them up close, Caelia?”
Little Caelia audibly gasped, eyes sparkling. “Can we? Yes please!”
Her father smiled and reached down to take her hand. He led the way down the hillside all the way to the edge of the herd, which continued to travel along. As they passed by, a few of the regal creatures turned their heads to regard the approaching humans but did not appear to be in the least bit disturbed by their presence. In fact, after mere moments some even diverted slightly from their course to investigate. Caelia reached out with a mittened hand to the inquiring nose of a baby hart whose antlers hadn’t even sprouted yet.
“It’s said they can tell if you’re a good person,” her father explained as he patted the flank of a hart that came up to him. “If they sense any evil in somebody’s heart, they’ll avoid you long before you even see them.”
A blissful few minutes passed as the dawn hart herd walked along. Caelia’s father watched as she mingled with the gentle animals, ran with a group of fawns as they pranced alongside her, and stared up in awe at the big ones’ glowing antlers. Eventually the last of the herd passed by as the shining disc of the sun began to lift past the opposite horizon, and together they waved goodbye and watched the dawn harts go.
“What did you think, snowflake?” her father asked, kneeling by her side.
“They were amazing!” she cried, clamping onto him with a big hug. “Can we see them again someday?”
“Of course we can.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Yay! Thank you so much! I love you daddy!”
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Baron Elias Vanderos was snapped out of his reverie by a touch on his arm. Suddenly he was no longer in that snowy field, but standing in the observatory of his keep. Located at the top of the structure’s largest turret, the observatory was a wide circular chamber with glass windows ringing the three-quarters of its circumference that faced out overlooking the town and verdant forests beyond. Overhead, a round opening in the middle of the roof was covered by a glass dome, the concave metal frame of which was shaped to resemble a fearsome dragon. Beyond the dome, the twinkle of stars could be seen hanging in the night sky in the formation of summer constellations.
Still feeling a light contact of fingertips upon his arm, Lord Vanderos looked to his side. A robed woman was seated there. Long wavy tresses of brown hair tumbled out from beneath the wide brim of a tall pointed hat, which was angled up to gaze at him with eyes shimmering with concern.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this.” She told him. He placed his other hand onto hers and held it, nodding in grave acknowledgement, but he knew her well enough to detect the waver in her reassuring tone.
Through the double doors of the chamber, the sounds of footsteps against the stone floor could be heard in the outside hallway.
“They’re here,” she said. She then placed a hand to the side of her head and focused for a moment. “Perfect timing too. I’ve just received word from Lord Amcathra’s wizard that his son will be arriving momentarily.”
At one side of the chamber, a round platform inscribed with a magic circle began to radiate light with increasing intensity, and the footsteps outside were drawing near. Lord Vanderos took a deep breath and steeled himself for possibly the most difficult challenge of his life – entrusting something so incredibly precious in the hands of others.
You are all free to begin posting. Thad had been dispatched to fetch Morthos and Lilandra from town, and the three of you are now approaching the observatory from the hallway just outside. Lord Vanderos has also reached out to Morgan’s father, who is having Morgan sent directly via teleportation circle.
Thadraes walks ahead of the half-elf and the human. His dwarven stature matched only by his barrel chest and rotund stomach. He adjusts the shield slung on his back and rests his other hand on the hilt of the war hammer at his side. The quickened pace leaves him breathing a little heavy, but he maintains pace nonetheless.
"It's been a while Morthos. How has your music been improving? It's been quite a while since the lord and I found you at the hands of assassins. I hope that you've managed to keep yourself out of trouble," Thadraes chuckles as he thinks about the many bards and entertainers he's dealt with over the years. He looks over the other shoulder, "How has your father's business been faring Lilandra? I'm sorry I have not visited his shop for sometime. My duties have been keeping me... a little occupied lately unfortunately."
Lilandra keeps up her pace with Thadraes, making sure she stays close to him as she is not known to these halls. Often looking left and right to get an idea of where they are walking. Throwing back her long blond hair over her shoulder to get a clear look. Her clothes are mostly plain cloth on the outside with laced leather pants. But even in these clothes few men would find her unattractive.
As Thad asks Morthos how hes been Lilandra will listen for his answer but look down at her attire to make sure she has everything, she does not often go out on missions like these, so she will double check. Wearing several bags on her belt she goes through them in her mind then readjusts her scimitar that is held on a beltloop on her right side. It bounces of her leg as she walks, she rarely brings it when venturing into the woods so the feeling is something to get used to. On her left hand she grips a small round shield and hopes she will not need it.
Replying to Thad Its going alright, we have been getting more travellers in the shop at times so some days are busier than others. She adds a genuine smile. I suppose its good you did not have a need to visit. I know your busy here. She pauzes a moment checking out her surroundings again, a bit nervous for the meeting to come.
Im sure mother would love to see you again some time, you know how she is. Wanting to hear the latest gossip from the nobles and all.
Morgan always felt foolish standing in one of these teleportation circles, just waiting on a spellcaster to perform the magic needed to send him to another such circle. The fact it was none other than his mentor, Scirkhel Wands, doing the complicated magic this time told him this mission was of utmost importance to his father. Scirkhel wore his family's symbol on the chest of his dublet, a black sleeve below three gold stars against a field of purple.
As the magic rose Morgan stood straight and regal, wishing to portray his family well in this task. He wore a black leather surcoat, his own family symbol on the chest, a shield with a red field, light blue flames and silver stars. His raven black hair was cut short, framing a strong jaw and intense gray eyes. Under the surcoat he wore the finest armor, and his weapons were from his family's smithy, renown across the land for their workmanship. For him this was a greatsword, sheathed on a harness across his back, the hilt above his left shoulder. He knew he would look the picture of nobility, the black of his surcoat setting off his gray eyes and fair skin to contrast with that black hair.
As the room started to come into focus, he noted the baron, having met the man multiple times before, as he was a close friend of Morgan's father. He stayed posed as the magic surged and, suddenly, he was fully standing in the Baron's own teleportation circle. He cocked his head slightly though, hearing Scirkhel murmur, "Watch yourself Morgan..." through the last of the lingering magic.
"Baron." Morgan said, his voice even and respectful. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the woman as well. "My father sends his sorrow at your troubles and hopes it shall be resolved quickly." As he speaks Morgan stepped out of the magical circle, glancing to the door as the sound of approaching feet grew closer.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd