《Tabletop》 Prologue: Old Memories Lenny Blinkman let out a sigh after he closed the door behind him, his body aching from the constant heavy-lifting that work demanded from him. He unzipped his hi-vis vest, hanging it up on the coat rack by his door before removing his boots. Rubbing at tired green eyes, he made his way to his bathroom, lazily shrugging off his clothes before stepping in the shower. After the grime of the day was washed off, he put on some pajama pants and slinked back into his front room, collapsing on the couch. As he looked up at the ceiling, he found himself wondering how long it had been since last he¡¯d ran, or played, in a tabletop game. It had been a lot of fun when he was younger and had the time, nowadays though? Well, work kept him busy, that and his old tabletop buddies had either moved away or had lives as busy as his own. It was hard to get a game started, much less keep a consistent group¡­ between that and his work life, running a session felt impossible. His eyes found the shelf by his television, filled with long forgotten miniatures, coated in a fine layer of dust. It was the same for the books too, containing rules and campaigns both, similarly neglected. Lenny felt bad¡­ but what was he to do? You couldn¡¯t play a tabletop session by yourself, at least, he couldn¡¯t. He¡¯d love to get back into it though, there were so many builds he had yet to try, so many character ideas that he still hadn¡¯t explored, but unless he could get a group together, there was simply no way. He smiled as he remembered his character, Tresh the Mangler, a half-orc barbarian.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Lenny had played him like a classic WWE professional wrestler, specializing in unarmed combat, trash-talking, and grappling. Tresh had been a dual-class between Barbarian and Swashbuckler, perfect for a pro-wrestler type character. The build was great fun, executing suplex¡¯s and using objects from the environment to his advantage¡­ but the best time he had with Tresh was during roleplay. He was always taunting, always egging on rude NPC¡¯s to attack him- maybe he could replay that character if he could get a group together? What if he ran a session though? Hmm¡­ well, Tresh might make a pretty cool DMNPC. He sighed, settling into his couch as exhaustion muddied his thoughts. Then, his eyes shut¡­ But he did not wake up at home.
There are no guarantees that this one will survive. If he perishes through his journey, we will need to take another candidate from similar people. Fate will determine his course, for good, or for ill, but perhaps we can have some control over where he will begin¡­ what do all of you think? Chapter One: The Tavern Lenny¡­ er¡­ Tresh? Opened his eyes, feeling something hard beneath his cheek. The orange light that entered his eyes blurred the world as he sat up in a wooden stool. Rubbing his eyes, he stared down at the wooden counter, a dozen empty mugs of ale before him. Tresh blinked, confused. Hadn¡¯t he fallen asleep on his couch at home? He blinked again. Couch? At home? Tresh had no home, he was a wanderer, a warrior of sport¡­ but for some reason he felt that he shouldn¡¯t be here. Where was here anyhow? He looked around, seeing that he was in a wide tavern with a vaulted ceiling, three chandeliers hanging down illuminated the space. There was also a fireplace off to his right, in a pit surrounded by comfy looking seats. Wasn¡¯t the first time Tresh ended up in a tavern after a blackout, and by the gods, it wouldn¡¯t be the last. Lenny- Lenny? What was that name? it seemed important somehow¡­ He looked down at himself, shocked to see that he was shirtless, and more than that, he was built like three pro-wrestlers combined, rippling muscles with thick scars overtop them. Was Lenny dreaming? He didn¡¯t have his phone, in fact, he had no pockets, as he was wearing little more than a fur loincloth. Tresh shook his head, of course that was what he was wearing! It had been what he wore when he wandered in here right? He checked his coin purse, frustrated at seeing that only a few copper coins remained. Why did he keep thinking his name was Lenny? That was a stupid name! After a moment of consideration, Tresh shrugged, swiping up a half-filled mug of ale before guzzling it all down, gasping before slamming it down on the counter, ¡°Another ale!¡± He declared loudly, drawing the attention of the barkeep. A fat human in a stained apron, the sign of an exceptional keeper. Couldn¡¯t trust them skinny keepers¡­ Lenny knew that was the truth, Robert Jordan taught him that. Tresh frowned at the invasive thought, but chose to ignore it, there was booze to drink! The man approached, brow furrowed as he stared at Tresh, ¡°...When the hell did you get here?¡± ¡°What?¡± Tresh asked, ¡°Can¡¯t remember, but ya gave me my drinks yah?¡± The barkeep shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve been working since yesterday, since I can¡¯t get good help around here!¡± He shouted suddenly, causing a similarly dressed fellow to flinch. He was a younger man, maybe the barkeep¡¯s son based on their similar facial structures. He stood behind the counter as well, serving another mug to a different patron while shooting a nervous glance at his boss. The barkeep sighed, ¡°But because of that, I know that I haven¡¯t served you, and the boy hasn¡¯t either, since I have to do everything here.¡± Tresh narrowed his eyes, gesturing to the empty mugs before him, ¡°I guess the mugs got here by themselves then?¡± ¡°Listen here, orc.¡± The barkeep replied, ¡°This is Ket¡¯s bar, and what Ket says goes, and I say that you ain¡¯t been in here before.¡± Orc? Lenny looked down to his broad, green-tinted hands, scarred and heavily muscled. Wait a second, Tresh already knew that! He stood to his full height, towering over Ket with a glower.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°You callin¡¯ me a liar?¡± Tresh questioned. Intimidation check: Failed. ¡°I know you ain¡¯t been in here.¡± Ket shot back, ¡°You fix that attitude or I¡¯ll have my boys over there throw you out.¡± He finished, indicating the burly men by the open door of the tavern. They were both broad, nearly as much as Tresh himself was, albeit with less height¡­ he was certain they wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with, but Lenny didn¡¯t see a need for conflict. Tresh shook his head, what was this Lenny creature, was it a spirit attempting to possess him!? He¡¯d get himself checked out at a temple later to be sure. ¡°Eh, sorry. Look, you had a long day yah?¡± Tresh asked, sitting back down, ¡°A long two days ¡®pparently, maybe ya just don¡¯t remember me coming in?¡± Diplomacy Check: Critical Success! Ket let out a breath and leaned heavily against the counter, the full bags under his eyes seeming to bear the weight of the world. ¡°Aye, perhaps you have a point there lad. I need myself a nap, but my boy simply isn¡¯t ready to take control for an entire shift by himself yet¡­ if only my manager hadn¡¯t quit so suddenly, we wouldn¡¯t be having this problem.¡± ¡°Yer manager quit?¡± Tresh asked, ¡°Why¡¯d he do that?¡± Ket shrugged, ¡°Beats me, but without him here my life has become hell.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hire someone else?¡± ¡°Tela is a small town, this is the only inn for miles, and the none of these locals are experienced in hospitality, I can¡¯t hire any of them. I¡¯d have to head to Lagos if I wanted to find one, and fat chance of any hoidy toidy keeper wanting a job down here in the middle of nowhere.¡± Lore Check: Success! Lagos¡­ that was the capital of the nation of Breynia¡­ but of course it was, Tresh knew that, somehow. It would be a long journey to get there, about a month on foot, it was no surprise that Ket didn¡¯t want to scout talent down there. The question was why bother? It couldn¡¯t be so hard to innkeep, honestly. ¡°You need an experienced keeper?¡± Tresh asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be betta to get someone who¡¯s gifted at it and train ¡®em up?¡± Diplomacy Check: Failed. ¡°The buffoons in this town? Are you kidding!?¡± He laughed, incredulous, ¡°I¡¯d sooner have them fill buckets with air.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be that bad.¡± Tresh pressed, ¡°Have you ever even tried it? Could be someone really gooder at it ¡®round here somewhere.¡± Diplomacy Check: Success! ¡°Suppose it wouldn¡¯t be the worst idea in the world, but I won¡¯t be expecting fantastic results. You said you wanted another drink right?¡± Ket asked, grabbing one of the many mugs in front of Tresh. He nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Yup yup!¡± Lenny- Tresh, found himself wondering if perhaps¡­ Perhaps he could try and help the barkeep here with this shift? Maybe he could get some coin if he took over and let the old man get a nap. Problem was that Tresh had no idea how to run things behind the counter, and really, was the potential coin worth the effort?
Ah no, this is bad. The candidate¡¯s original personality hasn¡¯t been completely erased. Which of you screwed up the soul transference? Bah, it doesn¡¯t matter now, it seems everything is fine despite this setback, we¡¯ll continue as planned. As long as the gods of this world don''t find out what he is, it should be fine. Anyway, I see no reason for Tresh to help this human with his insignificant tavern, we should get him out on the road and into the fray to build up his strength. Yet, I am not the one in charge here, as we are all equals, but I am certain that you see things the same way I do. Please, turn in your answers. Chapter 1.1 Nah, it didn¡¯t seem like it was worth the time, Tresh still needed to figure out how it was he got here. In fact, he needed to figure out where he came from. How had he ended up in this tavern exactly? Everything before this was all a blur¡­ in fact, the more he tried to remember his past, the foggier the details became. He couldn¡¯t even put a name or face to his own mother or father, or if he even had parents in the first place. This was¡­ this was¡­ Not really worth thinking about. They must not have been very important people if he couldn¡¯t remember them, the problem was that he couldn¡¯t remember anyone. There wasn¡¯t a single person he could remember from his past, no significant events either, hell, Tresh wasn¡¯t even sure how old he was. He knew he was a half-orc, that he liked to fight in front of a crowd and¡­ that was about it. He put a hand to his brow after taking another swig from the tankard, squinting as he tried to recall details about his life. Lore Check: Failure Try as he might though, he couldn¡¯t muck up any details. He may as well have been born in this tavern¡­ so, would that make Ket his dad? He smiled before shaking his head, leaving a copper coin on the counter. He¡¯d think more about it later on. He then straightened his back, and looked around the tavern once more, trying to find any faces that may look familiar. Most of these people were simple townsfolk, freshly done with fieldwork and looking to ease their back pains with booze. There were a couple people here that stood out though, much like himself.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Sitting over in the pit next to the cobbled fireplace, was a slender elven woman, her long ears poking out of her long blonde hair. She wore a purple mask that left only her eyes visible, matching the silken lavender robe she wore. In her hands she held a book, diligently writing into it with a quill. She had a pretty highborn way of holding herself, back straight and all¡­ what was someone like her doing in a hodunk town like this? Tresh then took his eyes off her, finding another notable person, sitting at a table by himself. He was a broad dwarf, with heavy shoulders that held up a suit of intricate plate armor, his square helmet sitting on the table beside a row of empty mugs. His long braided beard was bedazzled by a single, bright red gemstone, which matched the color of the steel axe hanging at his belt. There was someone Tresh could relate to, but with that angered brow and sour look, he doubted that the dwarf wanted company. Still, he wanted to talk with them, both looked as if they¡¯d have something interesting to say, maybe they could point him toward a new adventure? Yes, Lenny felt like they needed an adventure, that was the point of wandering wasn¡¯t it? Tresh agreed with the Lenny being, remembering that he¡¯d need to exercise it later. Still, looking between the dwarf and the elf, they both seemed to be getting ready to leave the tavern. The dwarf seemed to be done with his ale, and was merely waiting for his drunkenness to wear off before he left, and the elf woman had a bag packed by her chair¡­ whatever she was doing, she didn¡¯t plan to stay here long. So which one should he talk to? Chapter 1.2 It was hard to say, he felt pulled toward both. Best to leave this to a coin flip. He pulled out a copper, designating heads to the dwarf and tails to the elf before flipping it up and letting it land on the counter. Flip Result: Tails! The coin landed on tails, so elf it was then. Tresh stood from the counter, leaving the coin for Ket before he moved toward the pit. The elf, still diligently scribbling, hardly seemed to notice his approach. Until he was looming over her, casting a shadow across her book. She squinted before looking up at him, lavender eyes narrowing. ¡°No.¡± She said flippantly, ¡°Begone, I have no interest in half-breeds of any sort, your genes are insulting.¡± Tresh narrowed his eyes back, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in cranky elves, and that¡¯s not why I came over here.¡± She closed her book, ¡°What then, is so important that you must disrupt my work?¡± Tresh sat down in the chair beside her with a sigh, ¡°You look like an interesting person,¡± He said honestly, ¡°Talking with interesting people leads to quests.¡± Lenny confirmed this, but Tresh ignored the spirit ¡°Well go talk to the dwarf then, he-¡± She began, turning her head before her sentence was cut short, ¡°Isn¡¯t here anymore. Well then.¡± Tresh looked back to see that, indeed, the dwarf had disappeared. It seemed Tresh was correct in assuming he was getting ready to leave. ¡°Right, well anyway, you know anything interesting going on?¡± Tresh asked, ¡°I don¡¯t really remember how I got here or really who I am; figure a quest might help clear my head.¡± The elf, instead of berating him, put a hand on her chin, ¡°Truly? Your kind are not intelligent enough to lie, so-¡± ¡°Watch it.¡± Tresh warned, sitting up in his seat, face becoming hot, ¡°Didn¡¯t your momma ever teach you manners?¡± Lenny cut in. ¡°To people, yes.¡± She replied curtly, ¡°Tell me, half-breed, does your better side control that oversized body of yours, or will you allow impulse to rule you?¡± ¡°I control myself just fine, thank you very much.¡± He said, crossing his large arms, ¡°You gonna test me with hypotheticals now?¡± The elf paused, her eyes widening a slight margin, ¡°I suppose you are not quite as vacuous as you appear.¡± She said in a borderline praising tone, ¡°Perhaps you are only a quarter orc then?¡± ¡°Half.¡± He told her with a glare. ¡°How do you know?¡± She asked, ¡°You apparently remember nothing, yes?¡± ¡°Well-¡± ¡°So until you can confirm your parentage, I will consider you only a quarter.¡± ¡°I am green.¡± Tresh insisted, patting his chest, ¡°I don¡¯t think quarter orcs are green.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that, after all you don¡¯t even know your parentage.¡± She said, ¡°If I were to guess, you would be three-quarters human.¡± ¡°I¡¯m half, and can we move past this?¡± Tresh asked, ¡°This conversation is pointless.¡± ¡°Hardly pointless! If you are indeed half and not a quarter, that would mean that statistically some half-orcs are more intelligent than I previously thought.¡± She insisted, ¡°Yet, we may move on. I am Lana Urelian, a scholar from the highly-esteemed Lagos University.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tresh, from McCook Nebraska.¡± He said, pinching his brow as his head began to ache. ¡°Seems something¡¯s coming back to you, I have not heard of this ¡®Nebraska¡¯, where is it?¡± Lana asked, opening her book once again, flipping to an empty page.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡± Tresh stammered, brow beginning to sweat, ¡°I feel sick.¡± ¡°Focus on the words McCook Nebraska, try and pull it free.¡± Lana insisted, her quill hovering over her page. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ uh-¡± He struggled. Lore Check: Fail ¡°No use, can¡¯t remember.¡± He told her with a shrug as his headache subsided, ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll come back later.¡± ¡°Rats!¡± Lana said, slamming her book in frustration, ¡°You will not be allowed to leave my side until I can learn about this ¡®Nebraska¡¯, if you¡¯re telling the truth about your circumstances then this is new knowledge I can add to the archives! Just think of the accolades I will receive!¡± She insisted, her tone tinged with just the slightest bit of mania. ¡°What, now you want to keep me around?¡± Tresh chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief, ¡°You were just calling me a dirty half-breed.¡± ¡°Oh that was so long ago, move on.¡± Lana told him with a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°You mean literally a minute ago?¡± He questioned with a scoff, ¡°I ain¡¯t doing nothing I don¡¯t wanna do unless you pay me.¡± ¡°Pay you?¡± She scoffed back, ¡°I¡¯m offering you the privilege to add to the archives, that is beyond any monetary reward I could possibly offer.¡± Tresh shut his eyes, leaned his head back, and promptly began fake-snoring. ¡°Damn, he must have narcolepsy.¡± Lana cursed. Tresh snickered, lifting his head back up, ¡°No I was just being rude, but yeah I don¡¯t care about your archives, if you don¡¯t got gold to give me for my time then I ain¡¯t interested.¡± Diplomacy Check: Success! ¡°Very well, quarter-breed, if you insist on coin, then so be it.¡± She said in an annoyed tone, fishing out a copper coin from her purse. ¡°I trust this will suffice?¡± Tresh glared, ¡°Are you joking? One copper?¡± ¡°You can buy two ales with one copper!¡± She pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s chump change, give me some silvers at least.¡± Tresh asked, holding out his palm. Diplomacy Check: Fail. ¡°No, I need my silvers to pay for my return to Lagos, the roads are rife with bandits and I need to hire someone to protect me.¡± Tresh rose his eyebrows, he needed to get to Lagos as well¡­ there was something cool there, he was certain of it. What was it? Lore Check: Success! He grinned, that was right, there was an arena there. That was a perfect place to earn some fame, not to mention gold. Lana, while she was insufferable, also knew the way to get there from here. Sure, he might be able to go by himself without issues, but all he knew was the general direction he needed to go. It would be a month long journey though¡­ The pay had to be good. ¡°I¡¯m pretty strong, I can protect you on the way to Lagos if you pay me proper. That way you can keep me close as well. That, and I want to fight in the arena, so it¡¯s a win-win.¡± ¡°So you remember that detail hm?¡± She asked, ¡°Not surprising due to your heritage, but do you recall anything about Nebraska yet?¡± Tresh shook his head, ¡°Not a thing, so what do you say?¡± ¡°No offense, but all I know about you is that you have big arms, besides that you don¡¯t have a weapon. How exactly do you plan on providing protection if we are assailed by armed thugs? I don¡¯t suppose you plan on punching their swords?¡± Lana questioned, pointing to his calloused fists. ¡°As a matter of fact, I might.¡± He told her, ¡°I can hit harder than a mace, that¡¯s something I remember.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure, Tresh.¡± Lana said, apparently unimpressed, ¡°But I need a professional, not-¡± ¡°Oi Let!¡± A gravelly voice shouted, cutting her off, ¡°Gimme a pint of ale or five, had a long day out on patrol.¡± Tresh turned his head, spying a tall wiry man stepping through the doorway, two other men standing beside him. They wore blue coats, with swords sheathed at their belts. Guards if he¡¯d ever seen them before which¡­ had he? Hard to say. Tresh then glanced at Ket, the fat man looking- Insight Check: Success! -Very unhappy to see the guardsmen, based on that frown. Neither were the townsfolk, based on the way they all fell silent and averted their gazes. ¡°Get the hell out of here now!¡± Ket shouted, ¡°You''re banned after that stunt you pulled yesterday!¡± ¡°Careful Ket,¡± The guard warned, ¡°I am the law here, and the law wants a pint of ale for him n¡¯ his boys. Protecting you ungrateful lot is hard work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are Becmun, this is my private property and you can¡¯t pull your rank here to get what you want.¡± ¡°Oh, well in that case very well.¡± Becmun said with a shrug, ¡°But it seems that someone has vandalized your good tavern, you need us here to protect it.¡± He finished, pointing to a nearby occupied table. One of his cronies, with a wide smile, flipped the table over, sending the villagers sitting there scattering before he began snapping the table legs. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Becmun yelled with a smile, the guard complying, ¡°See? I protect this place. Now, out with the ale or I won¡¯t be able to stop the next vandal from breaking a few chairs.¡± ¡°My boys protect this place!¡± Becmun shouted, ¡°Lads, get them out!¡± The two burly men by the door seemed to shrink back toward the wall, nervously looking at one another before staring at Becmun. ¡°Go on then, try and throw us out.¡± Becmun smirked, ¡°I¡¯m sure a month in the jail will set you two straight.¡± The bouncers then averted their gazes, and upon seeing this Ket¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°How vile.¡± Lana pointed out, ¡°Let us discuss this more outside.¡± She finished, urging Tresh to follow before striding toward the entrance. Tresh did not follow, causing Lana to turn around mid-stride, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tresh bit his cheek as he stood, mouth drawn to a thin line as he cracked his neck, ¡°Get out of here!¡± He yelled to Becmun, ¡°Or you¡¯ll deal with me.¡± The guards all turned to look at him, drawing swords. ¡°The hell is an orc doing here!?¡± Becmun shouted, ¡°Leave this village now, beast!¡± Tresh grinned, stepping out of the pit before he approached the three men, ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°Or we¡¯ll gut ya like a fish and leave you out in the dirt to rot.¡± Becmun threatened, ¡°And-¡± ¡°That is quite enough!¡± Lana shouted, ¡°You ingrates are completely ruining the mood of this place, now begone!¡± ¡°Tell ya what knife-ears, we¡¯ll leave, if you come with us!¡± He laughed, his minions joining in, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t mind you biting my pillow tonight, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Tresh considered his options, looking between his fists and the three goons. Should he really start a conflict, right here in the middle of this tavern? 1.3 Seriously people!? A second tie!? I thought we would be more decisive than this. Let us leave it to the dice to break it this time, 1d3 should suffice, as none chose the apology route. 1 for fight, 2 for leave, and 3 for insults. Now, let us see where it falls¡­ Dice Roll: 3 Tresh grinned, and why shouldn¡¯t he? There was a crowd here after all, his very being demanded that he entertain them! Best thing to start with would be some old fashioned insults, ¡°Pillow biting? Come on now, leave that to the experts such as yourself.¡± Tresh smirked, pointing at Becmun. The tavern somehow managed to become more silent, more still. Becmun¡¯s hand went to the handle of his sword, ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°You heard me ya scrawny, bald, dirty, stinkin¡¯ pansy.¡± Tresh said, stepping closer until only the length of Ket¡¯s counter separated them, ¡°YOU, cannot handle the beast, that is Tresh ¡®The Mangler¡¯!¡± He shouted, flexing his wide arms over his head, ¡°You¡¯re just some small town chump with thin wrists and an attitude problem. Well I¡¯ll tell ya what brother, I¡¯m about to snap those puny wrists and remind you where you belong- beneath my feet!¡± He finished with nearly rapturous emphasis. Lana, with wide eyes, stepped aside, the other tavern guests leaving their seats to stand by the far wall along with her¡­ he noticed however, that none chose to actually leave the building. Perhaps they wanted to see a fight, or maybe they just wanted to see these guards get knocked down a peg, it was hard to say. ¡°You got one chance to get down on your knees and apologize to me.¡± Becmun said, half-drawing his blade, ¡°Or me and my boys will cut you down where you stand.¡± ¡°Same for you, pansy boy.¡± Tresh mocked, ¡°I¡¯ll let ya off the hook if you say sorry to these good people and leave¡­¡± He continued, eyes narrowing and smile disappearing, ¡°Or else.¡± Intimidation Check: Fail ¡°You forget the part where there¡¯s three of us, and one of you?¡± Becmun asked with a sly smile, fully unsheathing his blade, ¡°You¡¯ll die here, and these ¡®good people¡¯ will let the captain know that a savage greenskin had attacked us unprovoked.¡± Tresh cracked his neck and smiled, ¡°You aren¡¯t that guy pal.¡± Initiative Order: Becmun: 21 Guard: 8 Guard: 9 Tresh: Nat 1 Tresh HP: 18 Stamina: 9 AC:15 Becmun HP: 15 Stamina:4 AC: 15 Guard 1 and 2: HP:10 Stamina: 2 AC: 12 Becmund rushed forward with an angered shout, readying his blade to stab Tresh through the gut. Becmund¡¯s Attack: 12 Tresh easily dodged the initial thrust, still smirking at the enraged guard as Becmund swung again, looking to gash open Tresh¡¯s throat. Becmund¡¯s Attack: 2 Critical Failure! However, his wild swing missed completely, overshooting and embedding his blade in the counter, much to Ket¡¯s dismay. ¡°You¡¯ll be paying for that you bastards!¡± Ket screamed. The first crony then made his move, rushing forward with his blade drawn. Tresh prepared himself as the guard reached striking distance, seeing the blade flash toward him. Guard 1¡¯s attack roll: 14 He was barely able to duck the slash, the blade barely missing Tresh¡¯s head. No quarter was given though, as the guard swung again- Guard 1¡¯s attack roll: 3 Critical Failure! Spectacularly missing Tresh and instead slaying an innocent stool, lodging itself firmly in the wood. ¡°What are you guys, hourly?¡± Tresh mocked, ¡°You¡¯re boring me to death!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. That was when he noticed the second guard, who had circled around him with a growl, flanking Tresh. Guard 2¡¯s attack roll: Nat 1 Critical Failure! Beyond all reason however, the man had somehow managed to stab his colleague in the arm! Guard 1 takes 1d6 +2: 4 points of damage! ¡°Ow!¡± The man screamed, ¡°Watch what you¡¯re doing fool!¡± The man didn¡¯t reply, bringing his blade back before attempting another strike. Guard 2¡¯s attack roll: 9 Failure! Tresh then laughed, a vein popping on his forehead at the sheer absurdity of it all. Still, something bubbled just beneath the humor¡­ a sort of anger began to take hold of him, the fact that these buffoons thought they could be a threat to anyone was a joke. Much less Tresh the Mangler! Tresh Rages: +4 hp +1 unarmed damage ¡°Get ready for a world of hurt dirtbag!¡± Tresh screamed, fist lashing out at the jaw of the first guardsman. Tresh¡¯s Attack roll: 21 Hit! 1d4: 4 +4 +1 +2 precision: 10 Damage! Knuckles met chin and the man¡¯s head, for the slightest instant, became a blur after Tresh¡¯s fist connected; and the man dropped to the floorboards like a sack of bricks. He wasn¡¯t done there, whirling to face the second guard, a grin on his face despite the bubbling wrath he felt. ¡°I call this one the sink!¡± Tresh shouted, rearing back his fist, ¡°Cause your ship is goin¡¯ down brother!¡± Tresh¡¯s attack roll: 14 Hit! 1d4: 3 +4 +1 +2 precision: 9 Damage! He put everything into a viscous uppercut, colliding with the man¡¯s torso with such force that it momentarily lifted him from the ground. He let out a spittle filled cough, clutching his guts with both hands and doubling over, but not falling. Becmun growled and attempted to pry his sword free from the counter. Becmun¡¯s Strength check: 16 Critical Success! It came out with ease, flashing toward Tresh¡¯s head in the same motion. Becmun¡¯s attack roll: 17 Hit! 1d6: 4 +2: 6 Damage! Tresh ducked his head back, but Becmun¡¯s blade still sliced across his left cheek, drawing only a scant amount of blood. The guard grinned and thrusted, looking to impale Tresh through the chest. Becmun¡¯s attack roll: Nat 1 Critical Failure! Tresh dodged the attack easily, sending Becmun stumbling into his comrade, nearly impaling the fellow on his way past Tresh. While Becmun himself remained standing, his comrade was not so lucky, still reeling from the brutal punch he¡¯d received from Tresh, he fell over with a groan, still clutching his stomach. Tresh grabbed Becmund by the shoulders, attempting to throw the guard to the ground. Trip Attempt: 26 Critical Success! D6 of damage! Tresh has gained Panache from Gymnast! It was easy, like wrestling a pillow, Becmund collided hard with the ground, the back of his head rebounding off the floorboards. Despite that, he retained his grip on his blade. 1d6 from crit: 6 Tresh then raised his foot high over Becmund¡¯s head with a wild grin¡­ Tresh¡¯s attack roll, burning Panache point for an extra 2d6 of damage on hit: 9 Failure! The man moved his head at the last second, Tresh¡¯s sandaled foot missing Becmund and snapping a floorboard in his place. Tresh cursed and leaned down, grabbing the guards shoulders once again. Grapple check: 8 Failure! Slippery bastard managed to wiggle his way out from under Tresh¡¯s grip, standing quickly from the floor before swinging at him once again. Becmun¡¯s Attack: 26 Critical hit! Tresh Reaction: Flashy Dodge: Adds 2 AC as a reaction, cancelling the critical but not the hit. Becmun¡¯s damage: 1d6: 5 +2: 7 Damage! Tresh¡¯s eyes widened as he stepped backward, mitigating the damage he received but not escaping unharmed. The blade drew a diagonal line of blood up his torso, but he ignored the pain, already readying himself for the next attack as Becmun pushed forward with another thrust. Becmun¡¯s Attack: Nat 20, Critical hit! Becmun¡¯s damage: 1d6: 5 +2: 7 Doubled: 14 Tresh however, wasn¡¯t fast enough. The blade struck true, impaling Tresh through the ribs. Blood exploded from his mouth as Becmun cackled madly, ¡°I told you so you dirty freak!¡± ¡°I ain¡¯t done yet!¡± He wheezed, fist tightening. Tresh¡¯s Attack: Nat 1 Failure Tresh Burns a Hero Point to reroll! No Hero points remaining! Tresh¡¯s Attack: 9 Failure Becmund dodged the jab with ease, ducking his head to the side before withdrawing his blade. Tresh growled, moving to jab once again. ¡°Stop this nonsense this instant!¡± Lana shouted from somewhere in the crowd, ¡°Someone will die!¡± Tresh¡¯s Attack: 17 Hit! Tresh¡¯s Damage: 1d4: 2 +4 +2 precision: 8 Damage Becmun¡¯s nose flattened beneath the blow, sending him reeling back with twin trails of blood seeping down his face, ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that one!¡± ¡°Finish him!¡± Tresh heard a man from the crowd shout. Whether it was for Tresh to finish Becmun or vice versa, he couldn¡¯t tell¡­ but one thing was for sure, this would be over very soon. Tresh grit his teeth and swung again, putting everything into this last attack! Tresh¡¯s Attack: 17 Hit! Tresh¡¯s Damage: 1d4: 2 +4 +2 precision: 8 Damage Fist crashed into chin, the uppercut sending Becmun flying backward, his blade falling from his limp hand. Tresh clutched his bleeding wound, turning around to see the last guard, still reeling from the gut-punch. ¡°You still want a piece of this?¡± Tresh asked in a threatening tone. Intimidation check: 21 Success! The guard put his hands up, ¡°No sir!¡± He pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m done, honest!¡± ¡°Knock his lights out!¡± Another villager shouted, a chorus of cheers following. Looking to the crowd, they seemed filled with rage, not at Tresh, but at the guards. They must have been a bigger nuisance to the community than Tresh had originally thought¡­ and the crowd wanted blood. Should he finish this guy off even though he surrendered? 1.4 No, it wasn¡¯t right, even if the guard was scum, he was clearly done fighting. Maybe this would be a lesson to Becmun and these others not to trample over others because of their positions. Tresh pressed a hand to the wound in his side, leaning heavily against the counter as he tried to staunch the bleeding. ¡°So Ket,¡± Tresh huffed, still clutching his bleeding side, ¡°Did I put on a good show or what?¡± Ket glared, ¡°You and those morons just wrecked my counter! Do you know how much this¡¯ll cost to repair!?¡± Tresh shrugged, looking over to the remaining guard, ¡°I¡¯m sure you got some coin for the good keeper ya?¡± He asked. ¡°B-but-¡± The guard stammered. ¡°Right?¡± Tresh asked in a low tone. Intimidation Check: 23 Critical Success! ¡°Yes sir!¡± He replied hastily, removing the pouch from his belt before handing it to Ket, ¡°This should cover it, it¡¯s everything I made for this week, please forgive us!¡± Becmun snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll take your coin, but after this I never want to see you again. Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t report this to your captain, I think he may be more inclined to listen this time, especially with all the willing witnesses.¡± He finished, gesturing to the far wall where the villagers stood. They all seemed to glare at the guard, who visibly gulped before looking at the door of the tavern. ¡°I need some coin myself.¡± Tresh said casually, leaning down over Becmun and the other guard, ¡°Ain¡¯t no one gonna tell on me right?¡± He asked loudly, looking from the townsfolk and the man they were glaring down. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a thing.¡± A man said, scratching his beard. ¡°Aye, let¡¯s look at the floor here, it¡¯s got interesting patterns don¡¯t you think?¡± A woman asked, looking downward. The other villagers mumbled in agreement before simultaneously, they all looked down at their own feet. Tresh grinned, shooting the guard a warning glare before removing the pouches from the two unconscious men. ¡°The Mangler strikes again!¡± Tresh laughed, tying the pouches to his belt, ¡°Well, as fun as this has all been, I gots to get goin¡¯. Ass remains to be kicked in the capital!¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lana sighed, approaching the door as the crowd all began to cheer. Wincing, he followed after her, still applying pressure to his still-bleeding wound. He¡¯d need to get a potion here soon or this little nick would be a serious problem. Exiting the tavern, Lenny found himself strangely interested in the cobbled streets. Must have been a pain to set all those, it was hard enough doing roadwork in his world. Tresh blinked, his head aching for an instant before he shook his head. Internally he told the spirit to shut up as Lana rounded on him, her sharp features highlighted orange by the sun setting in the distance. ¡°I will hire you for protection on my journey, Tresh.¡± She told him flatly, shifting her bag to her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve shown me that you can handle yourself, even though you were almost killed. Not many men can take on three others, unarmed no less.¡± ¡°Of course I can.¡± He grinned through the pain of his side, ¡°I¡¯m gonna die if I don¡¯t get this patched up quick though¡­ can¡¯t leave yet, gotta find a doctor.¡± Lana sighed, retrieving a red vial from her bag. Lenny let out a sigh of relief, it looked like a healing potion. Tresh agreed, it was a sight for sore eyes. ¡°Just drink this, we don¡¯t have time for more conventional means of healing. I¡¯d rather not stay here longer than necessary, the trouble you caused may not be completely over.¡± She told him, popping the cork and handing it to him. Tresh took it gratefully, immediately swigging the entire bottle. Lenny winced, it tasted like minced garlic mixed into cough syrup. Yuck! Still though, all the nicks and gashes he received during the fight all began to seal up as the potions contents hit his stomach, working immediately to shore up the wounds. His hand left his side, seeing that the gaping wound had sealed over into a faint scar. The healing hadn¡¯t made the blood vanish though, he¡¯d still need to wash himself whenever he got the chance. Tresh then felt lightheaded all the sudden, nearly falling backward as an intense hunger came over him. What the hell was going on!? He was starving! ¡°Why am I so damn hungry?¡± Tresh asked, clutching his stomach, ¡°Was there somethin¡¯ else in that swig?¡± Lana blinked, ¡°No, have you never drank a healing potion before?¡± Tresh hesitated, ¡°...Can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Ah yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Lana said with a nod, ¡°Walk with me, we must leave town now, I will explain to you how it is the potion works.¡± Tresh nodded, quickly following after Lana with a sigh, ¡°You got any food?¡± He asked. ¡°A bit, but just so you know, the price of that potion and any food you consume from me will be deducted from your overall pay.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± Tresh sighed, ¡°But yeah, how do these potions work exactly?¡± ¡°Potions all bear some magical power within them, healing potions are no different in this respect.¡± She explained as they passed through the mostly-empty streets, ¡°All it does is accelerate the body''s natural healing process, utilizing the body''s own stores of energy. The result is usually intense hunger, as your body has burnt through much of its reserves to heal itself. Think of healing potions as accelerants, rather than cure-alls.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Tresh said, ¡°So wait, does that mean if I got stabbed through the spine and drank a potion, I¡¯d still be crippled after?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lana replied, ¡°All it does is accelerate how the body recovers from the wounds, they don¡¯t restore you to your original state. That stab you took earlier seemed to have missed anything important, luckily for you, otherwise you likely would have curled up on the ground in ceaseless agony.¡± ¡°...Lucky me.¡± Tresh acknowledged, fingers brushing the fresh scar on his side. ¡°Indeed. There are some rather rare potions that can restore people in a more absolute way, but they are rare, and incredibly expensive. It¡¯d take a year''s salary from my work to pay for one, if it could even be found.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± Lenny replied, ¡°How long to reach the capital again?¡± ¡°Give or take, three months. Later if we run into frequent trouble, which we likely will. Thankfully we¡¯re leaving at the beginning of summer, so we shouldn¡¯t have to contend with snow.¡± Looking down at his half-naked form, Tresh found himself grateful that snow wouldn¡¯t be a factor on this trip. It¡¯d be hard to fight in the arena if his feet froze off on the way. Chapter Two: On The Road Tresh stared at the horizon, seeing the sun just now beginning to peek over the mountains, casting an orange glow upon their towering, jagged majesty. Apparently, the way to Lagos involved crossing through those mountains. The road they were on would inevitably become a large tunnel, one that had been carved out of those mountains years ago¡­ what had they been called? Lore Check: Success! Right, they were the Creebak Mountains. Little things like that seemed easier to remember, but trying to recall anything about himself was difficult. All Tresh knew was that he was a wanderer, and that he liked to fight. So far it seemed he was fulfilling those needs completely, though there was something off¡­ something he couldn¡¯t put into words. He felt like Lenny was involved somehow, and that the spirit was hugely important. In what way though, Tresh had no idea, but he¡¯d sure as hells find out. He rubbed at tired eyes as he stood, popping his back before approaching Lana¡¯s tent. He¡¯d been keeping watch all night for the past week, only getting a few naps in during the day so he could stay up¡­ but it was wearing him down. He needed some proper sleep or he¡¯d fall over eventually. Not that Lana would care. ¡°Wake up!¡± Tresh yelled, his voice echoing across the grassy plains, ¡°Time for breakfast!¡± ¡°Must you shout every time!?¡± Lana shouted back, her tone frustrated, ¡°Why do you not wake me up gently? I¡¯ve asked you time and time again to use an inside-voice for this, why is it that you insist on yelling!?¡± ¡°Cause you sleep through it when I do that.¡± Tresh replied honestly, ¡°Ya can¡¯t hear me over your snoring.¡± ¡°I do not snore.¡± She snapped indignantly. Tresh snickered, ¡°Yeah ya do, like sawing logs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°I dOn¡¯T¡± Tresh mocked, ¡°Just get ready, you said the next town was just half-a-day away and I need some real sleep, in a real bed.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been getting far more than should be necessary for one of your kind.¡± She told him. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Lore Check: Success! ¡°You¡¯re an elf, you shouldn¡¯t need to sleep half this much. Ain¡¯t it two hours a week or something like that?¡± He asked. ¡°I have a condition.¡± Lana replied, emerging from her tent with a frizzy head of hair and a scowl, ¡°I need far more rest than others of my race.¡± ¡°Is the condition laziness?¡± He questioned, raising an eyebrow. Lana let out a close-mouthed growl, ¡°Keep up that attitude and I¡¯ll only pay you half what we agreed to!¡± ¡°Nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh, I¡¯m Lana wah wah wah wah wah.¡± Tresh mocked, pitching his voice higher. ¡°Childish, as expected of your mentally stunted kind. Hurry and chow on your pig-feed, we¡¯ve a long day of walking ahead.¡± She said dismissively, emerging from her tent with a stretch, ¡°Otherwise, if you¡¯re willing to wait, I will make us breakfast¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t understand how you can possibly be so immature, have I judged you wrong? I had, for a moment at least, thought you above your mud-eating kindred. Clearly I was mistaken.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rude.¡± Tresh said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Wha-But- You started it first!¡± Lana stuttered, stomping her foot in frustration. ¡°No I didn¡¯t-¡± He paused, ¡°Oh, guess I did. Sorry.¡± Lana blinked, ¡°It¡¯s alright, just please try to act more professional from here on out.¡± Tresh laughed, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯ll try my worst.¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know why I bother, there hasn¡¯t been a sign of any bandits or monsters this whole trip, at least thus far. Breynia¡¯s roads are quiet, I could have saved a good amount of gold had I not taken you into my service.¡± She told him, approaching the campfire. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± Tresh told her, ¡°That¡¯s what always happens, seriously.¡± Lenny internally confirmed this to Tresh, no doubt today there would be trouble on the road. What kind of trouble , he couldn¡¯t say, but he knew it would be bad. Could be bandits, monsters, travelling salesmen, there was no way of knowing what problems would come their way today¡­ all because Lana jinxed it. She warmed her hands by the fire for a moment before letting out a sigh. ¡°Has anything come to you yet?¡± She asked, ¡°Has Nebraska come back to your hollow head?¡± Tresh squinted. Lore Check: Failure ¡°Sure don¡¯t.¡± He replied, ¡°I got a feeling that you aren¡¯t gonna be able to find it on a map though.¡± Lenny continued. Tresh quashed the spirit, ensuring no more of its dribble could exit Tresh¡¯s mouth. ¡°Well, that is something at least.¡± Lana replied, ¡°If it¡¯s not on the map, it could be an undiscovered continent.¡± Lore Check: Critical Failure! ¡°Sure.¡± Tresh replied, that sure sounded right to him. Lenny didn¡¯t agree, but what the hell did it know? It was just a dumb spirit. ¡°Right, well if you would please be a dear and pack up my tent while I prepare breakfast, that would be swell.¡± Lana asked, turning back to the fire. Tresh frowned. Pack up her tent, again? It felt more like he was her personal servant, rather than a bodyguard¡­ still, she was going out of her way to make breakfast every morning, maybe packing up the tent for her each day wasn¡¯t a big deal? Then again, he was Tresh the Mangler, things like this should be beneath him¡­