ToR playtest - episode 1

Tamir
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=861518

Kara
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=901778

Laura
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=861480

Teela
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=861432

Our story starts in the small town of Oakhurst, just a little under 1000 souls, when a travelling troupe makes their stop there to buy some things, fix some other things and, while they're at it, mabe earn some coins.

Tamir and Kara are twins - though they don't really look that similar; they've been born in the troupe, and started getting lead roles - tough only in the kids' plays - recently, Kara usually as a Princess, and her brother as a Knight.

As the play goes on, a little girl in the front row shows the most vivid interest, cheerling for heroes with such enthusiasm and sincerity as if she really believes in everything happening on stage. Only Kara notices a deep sadness lurking in her eyes, behind the cheerful laughter.

The next day Laura, an orphan adopted by the troupe and the twins' good friend, performing her sideshow act at the town square - she's a juggler, an acrobat, and even a bit of the magician, of the 'sleight of hand' variety, but decidedly not an actor - hears a rumor. Apparently, in the night, the girl named Teela got missing.

A little asking around reveals that Teela is the girl from yerteday's play, and Laura learns her story. Teela is the adopted daughter of the paladin knight-errant named Sir Braford. They came to the town almost a month ago, and, upon hearing that the local merchant family forms an expedition to the nearby ruins, sir Braford offered to join them. None of the expediion members was seen since.

Putting things together, Laura and the twins decide that the play must have inspired the girl to go look for her adopted father...

Quite soon, three friends decide it's up to them to find the girl and bring her home.


Packing the picnic basket - since, of course, telling adults where are they ging is a no-no - friends set off and safely reach the riuns just before noon.

THe ruins themselves aren't much - the part that can be seen, at least - just two rown of columns standing on both sides of the 40-feet-wide ravine spreading parallel to the road for several miles. There is a rope tied to one of the pillars, and friends hear faint sounds coming from below... exchanging glances, they start climbing down.

The rope goes down for a good 50 feet, and the ravine actually gets wider as they descend, to the point where, at the bottom end of the rope, they can't even see the opposite wall - that sun doesn't really get inside through the relatively narrow opening doesn't help. And that's not the bottom, either, just a wde ledge carved in a stone wall, with a set of stairs leading further down. More importantly... from here, the sounds of flute are heard clearly, as is some hissing - and some kind of glow is coming from around the curve of the wall.

Rushing there, the fried see Teela, clinging to the wall in terror, holding an ornate flute against her lips; in front of her, stands a glowing, semi-transparent shape of a kinght in full armor, shielding the girl from a trio of large rats.

Without speaking a word, Tamir grabs a thick tree-branch he brought just in case and rushes towards the rats, swinging his weapon. At the same time, Laura picks up a sizeable pebble and throws it at the second creature.
Though both the club and the stone dobn't even glance the beasts ([i]7 and 8 on the dice; here and further the numbers on d20 checks are the actual numbers rolled on the dice[/i]), the moment of confusion allows the knight to go onto offensive. His sword swings in a wide ark, cutting one of the rats ([i]10 on a roll, 2 damage[/i]).

two of the rats turn around ard leap towards the newcomers, Tamir bravely standing between them and the girls. Before they can get their teeth into the boy's  flesh, though, Teela's flute lets out several notes, and a semi-tranparent shield appears in the air. One rat's teeth screech against it harmlessly; the second, however, reacher the boy's arm, making him flinch with pain for a moment. ([i]4 damage[/i])

The third rat lashes at the shining knight, but is powerless against its translucent, but, apparently, fully solid plate armor.

Gasping in pain, Tamir takes another swing, this time brushing its fur... but no more. ([i]9[/i])

Laura gets marginally more luck, a second stone she throws striking the rat - though it only makes her angrier, it seems. ([i]18, for 1 damage[/i])

The knight takes another swing at the wounded rat, but it manages to dodge this time. ([i]4[/i])

The rat hit by the stone dashes towards Laura - giving Tamir a perfect chance to land his club on its spine, crushing it for good - the second, however, tekes a second bite. ([i]3 damage, and Tamir fails his save against disease this time[/i])

Teela lets out a shriek as she sees the boy gets hurt, and quickly plays a different tune; immediately, the knight dissolves into thin air, and in its place a magnificent unicorn stands, which immediately charges! Dodging the equine's horn, the rat nonetheless gets swiped by its hoover, and flies over the ledge's edge; there is no sound of fall heard.

Kara, meanwhile, finally coming to her senses, runs towards Teela and lifts her off the ground, right out of the claws of the last rat... and takes a nasty cut acroos the arm herself. ([i]2 damage, and fail on the disease save[/i])

Caught between unicorn's horn and Tamir's club, the last rat quickly finds its demise. After that, there are lots of tears, and shouts, and hugs... then, just as Tamir offers to carry the girl up the rope, she says, to everyone's surprise, "No! I'm sorry, I know you risked yourselves to find me, but I can't go back! Not until I find Dad! You saved me, and I'm grateful, but..."

"What are you saying!" Kara shouts, "Do you have any idea what things might lurk down there?!"

"But I can't abandom my dream, no matter how hard, or dangerous, it might be! You said it yourself, didn't you?!"

Kara gasps in shock. Indeed, those words she did spoke... standing on a stage yesterday.

"You're hurt..." Teela continues, grabbing twins' arms, "let me do something for you, in gratitude, but after that... please, don't stop me." She puts her flute to her lips again and starts a slow, slightly sad tune. Barely believing their eyes, the twins look as the light-blue glow covers their wounds, and they start slowly closing on their own... ([i]Phoenix's Song heals both twins to full health[/i])

"Who... are you?!" Kara asks in disbelief, and Teela smiles, for the first time in a while, "It's a secret! Come with me, and maybe I'll tell you that..." The smile goes away immediately, though, as she pleads, "Please! I... I really can't do it alone, I know..."

"But what can we do?" Tamir asks, "I am, after all, just a boy with a stick... I'm not a real knight!"

"Yes you are!" Teela says, "You're brave, and kind! You only need a sword and armor!"

"Well", he replies, blushing and scratching his head, "that's kinda important, isn't it?"

"But I can give you weapon! It's my greatest treasure, but I'll give it to you if you agree to come with me!"

"Treasure... What treasure can i kid like you have? Surely it would be just some toy!" Kara says, somewhat harshly, and eela explodes, "Don't! Don't you ever dare to insult my treasure! You've no idea what you're talking about! Here, look and be amazed!" yelling, she pulls a small medallion from under her dress and opens it with a quite 'click'. Inside, three golden disks, roughly coin-sized, lay, one engraved with the picture of the sun, other with the lunar sickle, and the last with the starry sky, "Take them, and then try to cal them toys again!"

"Still doesn't look like a weapon to me", Kara mutters under her breath, "though maybe they'll fetch some coins..."

Luckily, it appears Teela doesn't hear her words. Handing Tamir the Sun disk, she says, "Please, would you be my knight?"

The moment disk touches Tamir's hand, it starts shining, strongert and stronger, until the glow covers the boy entirely - and cristallizes into a suit of armor so clean it would shine as a second sun if there was more light, a sword and a shield.

Three friends watch in amazement, barely breathing, as Teela hands Laura the second disk. "You", she says with more confidence, "will be a jester!"

"Well, I am one already..." Laura says unsurely, but stops herself as she, too, starts glowing - and finds herself clad in the jeser's outfit with the three-pronged hat, holding a set of juggling clubs in her hand.

"And I'm a princess, right?" Kara asks excitedly, grabbing the last disk.

"Of course not!" Teela says, puffing out her cheeks, "[i]I[/i] am the princess! But I'll let you be a mean witch if you want!"

At [i]that[/i] moment, the disk starts glowing, changing Kara into a black-and-white dress with the knee-length skirt and wide-brimmed pointed hat.

"That's not fair!" Kara exclaims, swinging a wand in her hand wildly, "Why am I a witch?! No, why am I [i]mean[/i]?! And, after all, it's just like I said - it's a toy!" she says, holding a wand in front of her for everyone to see. "What should I do with it, point it at a monster and say, [i]'comminuet autem impedimentum![/i]'? Eh? What did I just say?" The poiont of the wand starts glowing, and Teela shouts, "Lay down", showing the example herself.

THe next moment, a ray of pure white light strikes the cave's wall, making a dent large enough for Teela to stand in. "On second thought", Kara says in a week voice, "I'm fine with being a witch, I think."