Chapter Text
Long ago, the citizens of Ravensburg knew nothing but paradise. Its people basked in the clear blue skies, and their stomachs and pockets were always full. They weren't at the behest of kings or governments; everyone lived together in perfect harmony.
That is, until this small town attracted mysterious Boowrays. These spirits hid in plain sight and corrupted even the most upstanding citizens. They whispered... advice into their victim's ear, and easily gained their trust. And before they knew it, their morals had been corrupted.
When one fell, so did the rest. Night by night, these Boowrays would slowly pick off the unaware citizens of Ravensburg, turning them against each other.
And soon, civil unrest broke out. The skies turned grey, their minds filled with rage, and their pockets were no longer full. Their mutual trust evaporated, and no one could trust each other anymore.
Friends turned to foes, lovers to enemies.
No one knew what to do because these spirits were always two steps ahead.
And so the few remaining citizens who hadn't been corrupted by Boowrays put out a call to any noble warrior to aid them in defeating the invisible enemy. And you three answer their call. Will you be able to bring peace back to the citizens of Ravensburg? Will you be able to trust anyone, let alone each other? Will you-
A truly inspirational opening monologue by Swann was interrupted by the childish sounds of an impatient Kat Mikaelsen, who was high... on sugar, that is.
"Oh my god, Kat, stop blowing raspberries! Are you even paying attention?" Swann said, glancing over to see Kat and Nora laughing together.
"Swann, I love you, but like... can we get a move on? I haven't got forever..."
"Oh, sure, Kat. Sorry, I kind of got carried away there, didn't I? Anyways, let me introduce your characters. Then you can tell me their names and... oh! Um... never mind. Ready to create an atmosphere, Autumn?"
And with a subtle nod to Swann, Autumn blew out all but a few candles that lit up Fawn's Rest. Swann grabbed a flashlight and she pointed it upwards to illuminate her face, creating an atmosphere.
She gathered her notes and prepared to introduce the characters to the girls.
"Ok, guys. Get ready... it's time to introduce you all."
Swann composed herself and began looking down at her notes, and started to narrate.
A bard without allegiance, and freedom that stretches all across this mysterious land. You listen to your heart, and you're kind of a rule-breaker. With an irresistible charm and unrivalled musical talent, you answered the call because of your desire to spread your talents far and wide. Oh, and because there may or may not be a reward if you succeed. Armed with your ever-trustworthy lute, you find-
A confused-looking Nora looked toward Swann and said:
"Swann... a lute? Where's my shiny sword? Wait... what about my guitar? Please! Please, can I have a guitar instead? I could like rip a sick guitar solo, and every girl would fall in love with me!"
It was a fantastic idea, Swann thought. Why shouldn't a bard in a mystical, ancient world have access to modern equipment with the ability to seduce every girl in Ravensburg?
Sadly, there was no guitar for Nora. However, there were other, more lethal weapons for her.
Swann informed her that a lute was the best age-appropriate musical instrument. But there was nothing in the rules about her not being able to seduce every person she encountered...
"Crap, I forgot to ask: do you have a name for your character, Nora?" Swann asked.
"Yeah, she's called Celka Drily," Nora replied. She was trying her best to keep a straight face, but one look at Kat and they both burst into a fit of laughter. They both knew what the name really meant... Swann remained oblivious.
There was no time for her to use her brain power to figure out the true meaning of Celka Drily, because it was Kat's turn. Swann turned to her, and with the flashlight still illuminating her face, she introduced Kat's character.
You are a master of disguise, murder, and espionage. You cross every line in order to achieve your goals. The adrenaline rush of a cold, steel dagger piercing an enemy's heart is what thrills you. You are the anarchist. Rules are made to be broken. You always think two steps ahead, my little rogue assassin...
Kat's hands were clasped together, resting on her chin as she lay on her front, staring into Swann's eyes (again). Initially, she wasn't that interested in playing, but she did it for Swann... and because she was told she could pretty much do what she wanted.
"You added that last bit yourself, didn't you?" she asked Swann with a big smile on her face.
"I did. I couldn't help myself, you know? It's so cheesy, but I don't care."
As much as they wanted to keep staring into each other's eyes, again, Swann knew she had to stay in character and not get distracted for the 900th time.
"So, do you have a name for your character, Kat?" Swann asked, eager to hear what kind of weird, wacky name Kat had thought of.
"Yeah. Ok, she's called Bloody Maria. That's so cool, right?!"
Swann and Nora nodded enthusiastically. Of course, they loved the name. Autumn laughed under her breath, knowing Kat would pick something like that.
Kat and Swann kept staring and smiling at each other afterwards, lost in the moment. But their gushing was interrupted by Autumn.
"Guys, I get that you're like a thing now, but we've got a game to play, remember?"
"Sorry, Autumn. Ok, let's introduce your character now," Swann apologetically replied.
Autumn nodded as Swann turned to her and prepared to introduce her character to the group.
Your empathy is powerful, and so are your beliefs. You desire to help those less fortunate than you, whether they were the scars of battle, or someone you swore to protect. The sense of community, compassion, and care are what drive you forward. You joined this group to heal those wounded by the mysterious Boowrays and to reaffirm your tenets. Welcome to this mysterious world, our resident Cleric.
Visibly touched by Swann's wholesome introduction of her character, Autumn's heart melted. She felt this character embodied everything she was working toward.
"Aw, Swann. That's so cute, and so me! I love how you remembered my desire to help others, like you guys."
They all smiled at each other before Nora asked Autumn:
"Hey, Autumn. Can you fix me a girlfriend? Pretty please! Use your magical powers to summon someone. I'm gonna scream if you say no, so say yes. Say it. Say it, say it, say it, say it!"
Nora's insistence meant Autumn's hands were tied, and she was pretty much forced to lie to Nora in order to curb her enthusiasm and/or attention seeking.
"If I say yes, will you promise to shut up about it?" she asked, hopeful that Nora would simmer down.
It did the trick, as she mouthed "yes" several times. This definitely wouldn't come back to haunt Autumn at all...
"You're such a dork, Nora. Anyways, Autumn, do you have a name for your character?" Swann asked.
"I do. Her name is Ravina Lightfoot!"
It didn't take long for Nora to jump on that name and mock it with her usual sense of humour.
"Light... foot? Do you have a foot fetish? I bet you do. Hey, Autumn, you wanna see these bad boys?"
And she waved her foot in front of Autumn's face, wiggling her toes, before Autumn swatted her foot away. The sweaty stench of her feet... it was powerful, to say the least.
"Dude, they reek! And no, I do not have a foot fetish. I bet you do, though..."
Nora stuck up both of her middle fingers as the group laughed.
The pre-game shenanigans came to a close as Swann threw them into the deep end of her carefully crafted story. It was time to enter the mystical town of Ravensburg.
What could possibly go wrong?
You arrive in Ravensburg and are greeted by the deserted town square. Barricaded doors everywhere, and people glancing out of the gaps in the barricades, wary of anyone who wandered the streets. In the distance, a stranger beckons to you to hurry on over.
He introduces himself as Gus, the proprietor of the Blue Spruce. With not a moment to lose, he explains to you about how these mysterious Boowrays infiltrated their quaint town. All it took was one person to be corrupted, and then the chain reaction was set off. Time is not on your side. Only a handful of citizens remain untouched by the Boowrays, and they're scattered and in hiding.
With the context of the situation carefully explained to you, now is your chance to ask any questions. What do you guys do?
Autumn was the first to speak up. She had carefully listened to what Gus had said and asked him:
"Um... so, how many of you guys are left? And how did you all avoid these weird things?"
In a moment of panic, Swann decided the best way to reply in character was to inhabit a deeper voice to make herself sound more masculine...
"There are like ten of us now. We all-"
"Oh my god, Swann, that voice... it's um, it's..." Autumn replied.
Nora, Kat, and Autumn looked at each other and burst out laughing at the ridiculous voice Swann had put on. Even Swann let out a gentle laugh as she realised what she had done.
The impressions were probably best left to Nora, she thought. After less than ten seconds, the deep, off-putting voice of Gus was retired and replaced with Swann's normal voice.
"Crap. You're never gonna forget that, are you?"
"Swann, I'll forget it ever happened... if you give me a kiss," Kat cheekily suggested to Swann.
"Oh... um, sure. But later, ok? Guys, come on. Let's get into character and do this!" a blushing Swann hastily replied.
Kat pouted but nodded in agreement, much to the relief of Autumn and Nora.
Swann prepared herself to get into character again and proceeded to answer Autumn's earlier question, this time without the ridiculous, deep, masculine voice.
"Ten of us remain, dear adventurers. How did we remain elusive to those Boowrays? We simply shut ourselves off from the town. We've had to turn away so many people who claimed they were unaffected. I had to turn away my own daughter, too..."
While Autumn was making meticulous notes about what was happening, Nora and Kat did not care for that. They were simply looking for any opportunity to cause mayhem. And for Nora, she jumped into action as soon as Swann explained that Gus had a daughter...
"Wait, you have a daughter? Is she pretty? Is she single? What's her name? Tell me!"
Autumn rolled her eyes at Nora. Of course, she would use every opportunity to seduce someone, regardless of what the party wanted to do.
Nora's questions caught Swann off guard. She had to hastily get back into the mind of Gus and reply:
"I... I don't see how that is relevant. I thought you were here to help us deal with these Boowrays?"
"Come on, pretty please? I promise I have nothing but good intentions..."
It was time for the first dice roll of the session, and Swann instructed Nora to make a persuasion check.
The dice rolled, and rolled, before it finally rested on...
Four.
"Oh, fuck off. FOUR?! That's such bullshit. I'm like so persuasive, so how did I get four?" she angrily asked the group.
As much as Swann wanted to console Nora, she had to remain in character. But also, in her head, even she was questioning it. Four?!
"I'm so sorry, adventurer, but I never caught your name," she said, in character as Gus.
"Celka Drily," Nora bluntly replied, expecting not to get the answer she was hoping for.
"Right, Celka. Look, you're here because you answered the call to help us defeat these dastardly Boowrays. So, do that, please. There isn't much time left."
At that moment in time, Nora really wanted to punch the guy in the face... but remembered she was a Bard, and that as much as she wanted to kick Gus in the nuts, it was most likely uncharacteristic for her to do such a thing. Well, it wasn't completely out of the question...
Reluctantly, Nora backed down from questioning Gus and let Kat take over as she finally had the chance to speak up.
Her face was filled with rage as she got into character and began to speak.
"Dude, you talk to her like that again and I swear to god I will burn down your stupid tavern along with you and everyone else in it..."
Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do to let Kat speak so soon after Nora was scolded. Of course, she would defend her friends by violently threatening someone and then threatening to commit arson.
The girls looked in shock at Kat.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? He was being mean, and so I was mean to him as well. I wasn't gonna kill him... yet," she said, defending her actions.
They looked at each other and nodded. It wasn't a great response to someone they had just met and promised to help, but it was in character.
With the... pleasantries and/or violent threats out of the way, Autumn tried to steer the conversation towards information on the Boowrays. They knew of their existence and what they had done, but they knew nothing of them.
"I'm so sorry, Gus. Ignore them; it's been a long journey to get here, and they're just a little cranky. So, about these Boowrays. Do you know anything about them? Why are they here? What's their aim?"
Swann glanced at the notes she had made on these mysterious spirits. As Gus, she explained to the group that these things thrived on corrupting innocent people. They reveled in the idea of turning the most loyal, upstanding citizen into a wicked, chaotic person.
Autumn, continuing to write down more notes, asked Swann:
"So, have we ever met these spirits before? Like, we've travelled so far to get here. Surely we've at least seen them along the way, right?"
Swann shook her head. Little did they know about their invisibility, rarity, or traits. She was saving the juiciest of details for later.
They could've pressed for more information, but Kat and Nora both had a look in their eye that suggested they wanted to get into the thick of it, and so Swann obliged and, as Gus, told the party where to head to next: a dilapidated, but boarded up Inn just across from the tavern.
You make your way across to the Inn. The streets of Ravensburg are deserted. You hear strange whispering and eerie noises as you make your way to the Inn... The door is barricaded by a wooden plank, and you hear a commotion inside the building. What do you do?
Kat was the first to act. She told Swann what she wanted to do without hesitation: attempt to kick down the door. And if that fails, a more violent approach.
"Um, Ka- I mean Maria, we're meant to help these people. You can't just go around kicking doors down and being constantly violent. Save that anger for when we actually fight, ok?" Autumn said to Kat.
"Ugh, fine. Whatever. I guess you can try and talk to them or whatever..."
Autumn signalled to Swann about her intention to carefully approach the door and attempt to talk to whoever was inside.
Ravina carefully approaches the barricaded door and knocks. You hear panicked talking and movement inside. All of a sudden, an eye pokes through the gap of the door and asks you:
"Hey! Who are you? What do you want? Go away. Whatever it is, we're not interested."
"Wait! Um, I'm Ravina, and we're actually here to help. The guy in the tavern said you-"
Before you could finish your sentence, the mysterious voice snapped back at you.
"That fool? Ha! You think you can trust him after what he's done?!"
The girls looked at each other, intrigued by the man's accusation of Gus. An inquisitive Autumn decided to ask Swann if she could tell whether the man was telling the truth or not.
Told to make an insight check, she rolled the dice...
And got an 18.
"Dude! That's pretty good, right?"
"Yes! Good job, Autumn. Sorry, I mean Ravina," Swann replied with a beaming smile on her face. She then proceeded to narrate what happened.
Ravina, you deduce that the man is telling the truth. Despite not knowing what Gus has done, you know that the mysterious man is not lying.
Intrigued by this new information, Autumn began questioning the mysterious man further about what he knew about Gus, much to the annoyance of an impatient Nora and Kat.
"Um, so you said that you know what Gus has done. So, what has he done?"
The man began to explain to you what Gus had done, before he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, he walks away, and your conversation is interrupted. Whatever he saw, he suddenly stopped talking to you and ran away...
"That was weird, right, guys?" Autumn asked the group.
Nora and Autumn nodded in agreement. Kat, however, was growing impatient.
"Come on, I'm getting bored! If we wanna get real answers, we've gotta get violent. Like, let's stab someone. Like stabby, stab, stab! And their guts spill out, and I can see the light in their eyes flicker out as I deal the final blow, and-"
Three shocked faces stared at Kat. She was toyfully waving her pocket knife around, occasionally poking it into her finger so it bled.
"Maria. Love your enthusiasm, but that's probably not the way to get information. We need to be like super smart about this. Why don't we split up? We can cover more ground easily if we do-"
"Good idea, my glorious leader. Oh, how the words of wisdom flow from your mouth. I'm like, so inspired." Nora sarcastically replied.
"Very funny. How about you head back with me and question Gus. Maria, um... do what you want, I guess? Since you're impatient... oh, and Celka? Stay close to me, for um... safety reasons."
That sounded like a very good idea for them. For Kat? It was almost like a dream come true. No more guard rails; she was off the leash and free to roam the place, politely ask questions to the fearful citizens of Ravensburg, and potentially start stabbing anything that moved because why not? She figured the best way to figure the situation out was through violence.
And before Autumn had a chance to evaluate whether letting Kat wander about was a good idea, Kat was already in Swann's ear, whispering to her about what she wanted to do. Either that, or it had nothing to do with the game at hand and they were busy goofing around.
You each go your separate ways. Celka and Ravina, you head back towards the tavern to question Gus. However, on your way, you again hear strange whispers. Gus is outside the tavern, slumped to the ground, playing with a rock. He seems... different. Maybe something happened during your time apart. What do you do?
Autumn's mind began racing. Had a Boowray corrupted Gus? Or did he realise who they had been talking to and decide to come clean to the party?
"Um, hey, Gus. So we've been talking to the guy in the Inn... you um, you wanna tell the truth?" she asked.
"Sorry, I lied to you all. I wasn't honest. There aren't ten of us, there are five. Look, it's been really hard, and my mind isn't what it used to be; ever since my daughter was corrupted by those evil things, she hasn't been the same. I... I told her to find shelter with a family who had helped us before. But she... she went to them and-"
The realisation of what his daughter had done sent a shiver down his spine. He could no longer look you in the eye.
The sadness of that moment was interrupted by an irritated Nora.
"You know what? Fuck him. Fuuuuuuck him!" Nora said, without a shred of compassion.
"Really, Celka? Show some compassion. Maybe try and help him with me? Please?"
She looked at Autumn and laughed, almost sadistically.
"Yeah, what am I gonna do to help? Sing him a lullaby and hope he falls asleep? Oh, no, wait... maybe I can strum my dumbass lute and sing him a song. And if you so much as suggest charming him, I will shove my lute so far up your a-"
"Ok, nope. You don't need to finish that sentence. I'm good, thanks," Autumn hastily replied.
"You sure you don't wanna find out? Come on, provoke me!" Nora said, egging Autumn on to provoke her.
Sadly, Nora wouldn't get to experience that as Swann interjected, steering the conversation back to reality. She began narrating about Maria's sudden appearance after going exploring by herself.
Before your conversation had a chance to boil over, Maria suddenly reappeared. She seems... perfectly normal. Wherever she went, she clearly came back with new information. And a new attitude?
Swann leant over to Kat and whispered something in her ear. Upon hearing what Swann had to say, Kat looked at Swann initially in shock. But as soon as she processed what was said to her, she had a sinister grin on her face. It was finally time for her to shine.
She might actually get her wish.
"Hey, guys! So, I found this random guy waltzing about the forest. He told me so much; I have so much to share. This is big."
For the first time, there was an air of hesitancy in Autumn's answer. What was Kat doing? Was she wandering about in the forest, alone? And why was there a random guy just "waltzing" about?
Her curiosity, coupled with a generous dose of suspicion, began to question Kat about what she knew.
"So... a random guy was just walking about the forest? Did you not hear Gus say how they've all barricaded themselves in? Maria... I'm beginning to suspect-"
"Oh, um... I totally persuaded him to tell me what he knew. Oh my god, did you know-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Swann passed a note to her. Nora tried to take a peek at it, but Kat kept it close to her chest. As soon as she finished reading it, she grabbed a candle and burned the note, much to the dismay of Autumn and Nora.
"Ahem. So, what he told me was... DIE! DIE! DIE!"
As soon as she said that, Kat playfully stabbed the air several times in the direction of Autumn and Nora.
Nora and Autumn couldn't fully grasp what was happening. They quickly mouthed "oh, shit" at each other, before Swann took over and narrated what had happened.
The worst thing imaginable has happened: Maria was lured to the forest by a mysterious sound. As soon as she entered the forest, everything changed. And before she had a chance to escape, a gentle voice whispered something in her ear.
"So, you know how much Maria wanted to fight? Well... it's time to fight. Fight each other, that is! Guys, let's roll for initiative!" Swann said in a dramatic voice.
For them, the game was only just beginning. Instead of fighting the mysterious Boowrays, they were going to fight each other. Another twist in the tale by Swann Holloway.
And Kat was revelling in it.
Nora and Autumn looked at each other before looking at Swann and Kat, and shouted:
"What the fuck is going on?!"
To be continued...