“Oh, I’m sure she has been just fine without me.” I look over at Cassie standing with Jayme by the kitchen island. We lock eyes, and she blushes, looking down.
Ash looks over toward Cassie and spots Jayme first.
“Well, hey there, Cassie. Is this your new boy toy?” Ash jokes.
“No, princess. I’m not Cassie’s. I’m Lucian’s.” Jayme says, giving me a devilish grin.
“What... Holy hell. Hello Handsom.” Oh, good lord, now Sunny has his eyes locked on Jayme, devouring him from head to toe. I swear these two are embarrassing. “Damn, Lucian, I thought you didn’t swing that way, but I can definitely see why you were persuaded.” He winks at Jayme.
“We aren’t together. He is just my friend and my boss’s son. Geeze, Sunny, behave.” I snap.
“Ouch, Luci. That hurts. You act like all the fun we had together has meant nothing to you.” He smiles and winks at Sunny, then makes a kissy face at me.
“You are insufferable.” I roll my eyes at him.
“I want details.” Sunny walks over to Jayme. “So, what’s your name.”
“Jayme. Jayme West. You must be Sunny. And you...” He walks over to Ash and kisses her hand, “You must be Ash.”
“Ashley. My friends call me Ash.” She pulls her hand back, flicks her hair over her shoulder, and walks over to hug Cassie. HA! I forgot to mention to Jayme that Ash prefers to chase down her prey rather than let it walk willingly into her trap. She is evil, but she is an amazing friend—loving and loyal to the end.
“Well, welcome, everyone. I got everything all ready; help yourself. We each can make our own mini pizza; they shouldonly take 15 minutes to cook. We can eat in the front room since the dining room is all set up for the campaign.” Cassie takes Ash’s hand, and they go around the island to start making their pizzas. Sunny is still staring at Jayme, and I can’t help but laugh. This is what home feels like—surrounded by your friends.
AFTER THE PIZZA WAScooked and everyone got their fill, we made a round of margaritas. We are all seated at the table. Everyone has a good buzz going. Cassie’s always been good at making strong but delicious drinks. It’s finally time to get this campaign started.
I have everyone start by telling me the names of their characters and what they are.
Cassie’s character is a Tiefling named Liana, who is a Rogue.
Ash’s character is a Tabaxi named Juno, who is a Druid.
Sunny’s character is a Dwarf named Reggie, who is a Barbarian.
Everyone starts at level 3 and has their character's spells and traits figured out.
I’m happy everyone is of different races and classes this time. It really helps bring variety to the game. I start setting the mood. The lights are dim. Three candles are lit on the table, one for each of their souls. That will come into play later. I made a massive playlist of different background noises for different parts of the campaign. I love being a dungeon master. It’s so creative and exciting.
I set the scene.
"All 3 of you are from different towns. There was a notice on the job board in each of your towns that piqued your interest. "TOWNSFOLK MISSING. NO TRACE. NO BODIES. NO RANSOM. Come to Wildwood Tavern, 3 miles West of Milterville. So that’s what each of you are currently doing.Trekking through the wilderness to the tavern hidden in the forest on the side of a mountain. So let’s roll for initiative and see who will be starting."
Ash rolls a 10 with a modifier of 2, so a 12.
Sunny rolls a 13 with a modifier of 1, so 14.
Cassie rolls a 9 with a modifier of 4, so 13.
Because of Cassie’s modifier, the turn order will be Sunny, Cassie, and Ash as they trek to the tavern. Sunny starts.
"Ok, after starting my trek, I want to start looking for clues as I get closer to the town. I know they said there was no trace of what happened to these folks in the notice, but I would like to use my keen sense of smell to sniff for any blood trails."
"Ok, give me a perception check," I ask.
He rolls an 8. With a modifier of 2. Ooof.
"Unfortunately, there is a lot of snow on the ground, and the air is too cold. You inhale deeply, and the icy wind causes your nasal passages to get icy and cold. You can’t smell anything."
"Shit." He said. Welp, Sunny’s turn is over.
