Ariel: (Throws hands up) Forget it! I'm just going to name my bird "Baron von Feathers".
Me: Is 'Baron' an acceptable name?
GM: No.
Ariel: How about "Lord Feathers"?
Me: Let's wait and see on that.
So no set name for Ariel's bird. Yet. But I'm sure it'll get one soon enough.
In the meantime, the game begins!
Once upon a time in a far away land, there was a location known as Arcadia. Which, contrary to what some thought, did not included a city known as Aphrodia (See the Edits in Volume 2, LSS, I misunderstood when the GM was describing the setting).
As our setting opens, Phineous the Alchemist is on his way home to his family, which runs an inn. This family includes Balian and is good friends with a Satyr known as Naper. On the way, Phineous is ambushed by bandits. Offering them something to drink, he gives one a bottle that explodes into smoke when it opens and runs like his butts on fire.
This causes him to pass by Ariel, who is passing through the area. Hearing of Bandits, she has her chariot (she gets a snazzy chariot as part of her Nobel edge) stop and sees six of them coming out of the smoke cloud. She tries to persuade them to stop where they are. Their leader, however, is unfazed and they charge in anyway. They quickly move in on Ariel and start trying to pound on her. She holds up pretty well, but still takes damage.
Ariel: They were a bunch of jerks!
This is when Balian and Naper show up. Having arrived from the nearby inn, they rush through the smoke cloud and start killing bandits. And Phineous turns around and uses his lighting in a bottle. Which, upon hitting one of the bandits, promptly disintegrates him.
Seriously, the guy turns into a pile of ash. Which his weapon falls into. The GM even described it as such.
The rest of the bandits quickly fall, save for their leader, who Balian's player convinces to take them all to where he's hiding his treasure. Which is also guarded by six more soldiers. Ariel attempts to get the leader to tell his men to surrender, but while she makes a convincing argument, the Leader is far too wounded, and faints.
Round 2, FIGHT!
While Ariel starts getting pounded on again, Balian starts breaking out the awesome. Or, as the GM described it, he started fighting like Errol Flynn. Leaping around, attacking two people at once, and nearly topping it off by cutting down one foe while throwing a second sword at another opponent. Even though the sword missed, he still earned an extra Benny for his efforts. It was a pretty awesome effort. Though, Balian's player kind of has a habit of going for big, flashy, crazy moves whenever he gets the chance.
And then the folks from the inn start collecting heads for the bounty on them.
So, with the thugs down, everyone goes on to the inn, where there are proper introductions. And Ariel explains that her reason for visiting is to hunt a white stag in the area. Which first means getting permission from the King (the drunkard) and the Satyr tribe. This takes place the next morning.
However, first there are some dreams for Naper and Ariel.
Naper gets one involving a crescent moon and a message asking him to return something to someone. Ariel gets a similar dream, but telling her to prove herself worthy first.
Ariel: No doubt this will all be important later.
So, in the morning, they all head to the castle.
Ariel: I wore my nice dress and everything! :-)
There, they first meet an old guard named Milelayus who's essentially Tim the Enchanter, but without the enchanting. And probably older. And in far worse shape. After a short meet and greet, they continue into the castle, and things don't look too great. The soldiers look all worn out, for one. Also, the King is a massive slob.
Ariel: And he smelled.
That too.
While discussing what everyone is there for, they first learn that the Inn folk are not going to get as much silver as they expected, the king pretty much doesn't care about the hunt and lets Ariel go on it, and then comes the Prince.
Needless to say that the Prince, being the Playboy that he is, hones in on Ariel ASAP.
Ariel: But I'm far to smart to let someone like that get the better of me!
A little maneuvering, the subject gets changed, Ariel evades further attention from the Prince (for now...), and essentially, everyone gets thrown out when the King and Prince start fighting with one another. The party's kind of happy to leave, anyway.
They proceed on to the Sacred Grove, where they are greeted by the local Satyr's and Ariel is informed of the restrictions on her Stag Hunt (which she agrees to), and told to come back in two days for it.
Ariel: I'm ready! I'm ready!
However, this is where the GM closed the session. 2 Levels are awarded a piece.
Tune in next time when we all go into the woods! Till then!
