A mare, trotting inside, took a gander around the room. Outside, the storm raged on, and she was all too happy to be out of the cold rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance, her fur soaked to the bone.
“Really? A dark and stormy night? Can you think of anything less cliche?”
Sombra looked up from behind his screen, the unicorn narrowing his eyes slightly. With a defensive look, he said: “What?”
“It’s just…” Starlight said, having been only half-listening to his narration. Waving her hoof, she said: “It’s just, it is a cliche. Maybe I’ve been trapped inside for far too long, and read only too many schlock murder mysteries, but they always start like this.”
“Roll for perception,” Sombra said grumpily. “You’re meeting someone inside this tavern, only you don’t know who they are.”
“See, now, that’s the point I was going to raise,” Pharynx said, shaking a cup of dice anyways. “A tavern, really? Look, I know they’re always great meeting places, and if ain’t broke don’t fix it, but why not on the road? In the middle of a city square or something?”
“You said it yourself right?” Spike said with a shrug, rolling his own dice. “If ain’t broke… And ‘sides, Sombra’s the DM. The adjudicator, what he says goes. It’s his campaign, his rationale.”
“Yes, thank you,” Starlight said. “I may have issues with how it begins, but I just want to shut my brain off for a few hours thank you. Tonight, I’m not Starlight Glimmer, apprentice unicorn. I’m Moonbeam Gloworm, Paladin of the Right!”
Pharynx’s wings buzzed a little, impatient and ready to get to it. He looked across the table. Could they answer the call, digging deep in their souls? As the legend began to unfold, soon it would be their turn to roll.
“Lovely weather isn’t it?” Moonbeam said sardonically, her armor hanging almost limply off her sides. “I swear, I think my armor was about to rust if I spent one more moment out there.”
Lightning flashed outside, and thunder rumbled only to be drowned out by the music beginning to manifest all around the room.
“You’re a paladin, aren’t ye?” a green-toothed, wild-eyed stallion said, leaning in. “Don’t get many like ye round these parts. Yes…”
He stroked his raggedy gray beard, and nodded before breaking out in a raspy bout of laughter. Moonbeam averted her eyes, and grimaced in disgust wondering if he’d ever heard of personal hygiene.
“I recognize that look in your eyes, all wild-eyed and full of promise. Thinking you’re going to be some great hero, and free the lands from evil and oppression. But be warned, I warned ye I did. Don’t say I didn’t!” the bartender said, leaning forwards and Moonbeam’s nose wrinkled from the beer on his breath. “So many like you have come before, and so many have been chewed up and spit out!”
“Well, aren’t you… Well, thanks for the advice, I’ll be sure to keep it in mind,” Moonbeam said, backing away slowly but surely. Something crumpled to the floor, a chair falling behind her as she accidentally backed into it. “I’ll just… I’ll just be over here then, sharpening my swords. I need my swords sharp right, for GREAT JUSTICE and all that right?”
Laughing nervously, she couldn’t wait to be out of sight.
“I’m sorry about him, really I am,” said another voice, a little brass dragonborn with a hurdy-gurdy hanging from his neck. A tall pointy hat, covered in stars was on his head. “He’s been hanging around here for a long time. If you believe the rumors, he was once an adventurer himself.”
“Once?” Moonbeam raised an eyebrow, pulling up a chair with her curiosity piqued.
“Yeah, well, you know how the old story goes,” said another voice, a mountain of a stallion striding up. “You go on a few adventures, your fame grows but with it your infamy as well. Soon your enemies know exactly who you are, where to find you. Where to find your family.”
“Oh!” Moonbeam said, nodding in realization before it hit her and she shut her eyes in sadness. “...oh…”
“Yeah, oh,” the dragonborn said, putting the instrument aside and adjusting his hat. “Can’t blame him for turning everyone off at the gate like that, if you will. For growing so cynical.”
“Aaaaaagh, can’t be helped. The past is the past, no changing it,” his companion agreed. “Skorn, call me Skorn. Skorn the Barbarian. And that’s my partner-”
“Is that Skorn with a K or Scorn with a C?”
Starlight looked up from the table.
“Sorry, it’s just… Can you repeat that?”
“K! Scorn with a C sounds like a wimp!” Pharynx barked, somewhat defensively.
“Scorn with a C sounds like he respects proper grammar,” Starlight deadpanned.
Pharynx just made a noise, his wings twitching in agitation but said nothing.
“Annnnnnyways,” Spike coughed, slipping back into character easily. “Skorn’s been my partner for a while now, we met clearing out a nest of ghouls. Sent those foul demons back into the abyss, we did! He’s the muscle, I’m the heart. I smile at the children, he scares them away.”
Yep, Moonbeam could easily see that.
“No, you’re the guy who thinks up a spell to totally kill-steal my glories!” Skorn growled, though there was little trace of actual malice in his eyes. “All the while, with a wink and a smile and then a bad pun probably.”
“You two seem to have your whole thing worked out…” Moonbeam trailed off, slightly intimidated.
“So what about you, what’s your story then huh?” Skorn grunted. “The old man was right, you do have that wild-eyed look that only a young crusading mare has. Let me guess, you’ve heard stories from your great grandpappy of him slaying monsters, freeing villages and getting all the babes right? That’s who you wanted to be?”
“Well…” Moonbeam started, but before she could say anything else…
“Or no, it’s less complicated. You’re on a mission from your god right? That’s usually what it is with you Paladin types. All about righteous smiting and judgement right?” Skorn guessed.
“I’m just a simple mare on a mission to rid the world of evil. There’s too much of it in the world today,” Moonbeam said. “Too many monsters ready to chomp on the innocent. They must be fought back, so that’s where I come in. With blades and spells at the ready. Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling... makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary.”
Skorn only chuckled.
“Well, I think you’re on a noble quest and oh look at me, where are my manners?” his partner said, his brass cheeks flushing pink. “I never introduced myself!”
He stuck out his claw.
“Drealmixalud Goraqrin, I’m a wizard. Hehehe, if you didn’t guess by the hat which of course you did and… oh I’m rambling,” the dragonborn flushed pink again. “Just call me Dreal.”
“Moonbeam, it’s an honor and a pleasure to meet another in the fight against justice.”
A deep low rumbling laugh came from behind them all, a dark-coated stallion walking up. “Please, none of them are in it for justice. They’re not like you paladin, they’re only in it for fame and glory. For gold.”
Moonbeam swallowed. He was tall, very tall. Just as tall as Skorn. Except he was far better-dressed, and better-groomed for that matter. He was wearing a black duster over a vest, dirty oil-caked goggles ready to be lowered over his eyes at a moment’s notice. Indeed, at first glance, that seemed to be the only thing wrong with his attire and then Moonbeam looked closer. Smudges and scorch marks covered him, the smell of a working stallion about him.
“W-Well I like to think that…” Dreal said in a nervous stammer.
“You’re false heroes, hiding behind what you claim to be valor and honor. You’re nothing but frauds,” the stallion rumbled. “The only true hero I see here is the young mare. It’s in her eyes, which I’m sure you’ve noticed. They shine of duty and justice, something neither of you know a thing about.”
“W-Well that’s not fair, is it?” Moonbeam said, feeling it only right to speak up in their defense. “Working for money is just as valid as anything else, they have to make ends meet somehow right?”
“Yeah, what she said!” Dreal stammered out.
“Agreed,” said the newcomer. “But when the time comes, do not expect them to have your back.”
“We’ll see, and who are you anyways, Mr. High and Mighty?”
“I am Lord Somber,” said the stallion with a grin that promised thrills and adventure, but danger as well. “And I’m who summoned you here.”
And just like that, their lives began to change. The wheels of fate had only just begun to churn, and were just now set in motion…
“Wait wait wait,” Starlight said out of character, holding up her hooves. “Kay, Lord Somber? Isn’t that just a few letters removed from… Well, your real name?”
“Hmmmmph, it’s a wonderful regal name,” Sombra rumbled in his deep bass voice. “It carries weight, it carries gravitas with it. When my name is spoken, ponies listen.”
“Mhmmmm, if you say so,” Pharynx snorted. “You’re just too proud to admit you have no imagination. Cliche starts, cliche weather, and now the old cliche of inserting yourself into the campaign.”
“Oh hush!” Starlight said, reaching around to whap him gently around the back of the head. “It’s his first campaign, I want to see where this goes! Better for him to be tyrannical to the player characters, at any rate, than being tyrannical to real life ponies.”
“Yeah, I like this idea of yours Star by the way,” Spike said with an approving smile. “It’s genius, let former villains work their rages out in more creative ways.”
“I do have my moments,” Starlight said, trying not to sound too smug.
“Uh-huh, and do you forget he’ll be working his rages out on us? Did that slip your mind for a moment?” Pharynx raised an eyebrow, looking directly at him with one eye. The other was shiftily watching Sombra.
“Well, like Star said, better us as player characters than real-life ponies,” Spike said. “Let Sombra indulge, it might just make for a good challenging campaign. Discord’s were like that, remember?”
“No, Discord’s were cruel and made no sense,” Pharynx said. “He’s a fun player, but a-”
“You expect the god of chaos to make any sense?” Sombra said, swift to point this out. He rumbled. “I don’t care what you think of me, but I will not be like him. I will at least try to guide you through a functioning campaign.”
“I’m sure you will,” Starlight beamed, Pharynx sending her a ‘look’.
“I mean, the stallion has a point…” Spike admitted with a shrug. “Discord, well I never really expected his campaigns to make much logical sense. I just loved a good challenge.”
“While you two are vouching for gods and tyrants, I need to take a breather,” Pharynx said, his chair screeching on the wooden floor below as he got up. “Grab a glass of water.”
“I’m sorry about him,” Starlight said sympathetically, watching him leave the room. “This is a bit more personal for him than anyone else. He’s suffered under a tyrant before, he’s still working through it.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have invited him, then if he cannot separate fiction from reality,” Sombra said, his voice continuing to rumble as he flipped through one of the handbooks. “If this will become too personal for him.”
“Pharynx may seem like a grouch, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Spike said, a strange look in his eye that had Starlight fighting back a giggle. “He’ll see sense, and I’ll see what I can do. What I can say to him.”
As he walked off, Starlight sighed to herself slumping into her chair. “Only one session in and we’re all off to a great start. I think I’m going to need something to drink as well, only a lot stronger.”
“I didn’t expect anyone to trust me in the very first session,” Sombra said. “I am who I am, and you are who you are. I have faith that you might be able to change me for the better.”
He sent her a smile, which Starlight wearily returned.
“All you have to do is put your faith in the dice, and in me.”
“Well, I’ll trust you, but my dice rolls have never been good,” Starlight giggled. “Like seriously, I have to have been cursed.”
“Well then,” Sombra said. “Maybe my evil will overshadow the curse.”
Starlight put a hoof on his shoulder. “You’re not evil, not anymore…”
Sombra chuckled. “Haven’t you heard? I’m a DM, it’s expected!”
The adventure went on, bonds starting to grow stronger and the spell lists longer.
“I don’t like the look of those fields,” Dreal murmured to himself, tall grasses stretching out for miles in front of them. “...and yet, we gotta go in sometime don’t we? That farmer… he seemed terrified. Said something in the fields, it took his son.”
“It?” an equally nervous Nhamashal Sarydark said, his hooves pawing away at the ground and prancing in place. “We don’t have anything beyond ‘it’?”
Pharynx had invited his brother along, and now the party had their ranger. He wore a helmet atop his head, antlers from a proud kill embedded in it.
“I really don’t think we should go in there, I don’t like it. Way too easy to get ambushed. If… If there was a tree or something, I could serve as your spotter, snipe anyone who got close. But nothing, there’s nothing,” Nhamashal said, his voice betraying him. “I really don’t think we should go in.”
“As much as I hate to agree with my brother,” Skorn said, nobody sure if he was speaking in-character or otherwise. “I don’t like it either. Hey Dreal, can’t you just burn the whole field down?”
“A-And risk the wrath of the nature gods?” Nhamashal asked, stunned.
“It’s a moot point anyways, my fireball isn’t all that great right now. I’m low on mana, I’d rather not risk a plan that won’t work and leave my magic dry as a bone,” Dreal disagreed. “No, there’s only one thing for it, isn’t there?”
He gazed into the long grass, and swallowed.
“We have to go in.”
“Bet you’re not being paid nearly enough for this…” Somber said snarkily with a wry look, enjoying the moment before it passed.
“No,” Dreal said, in no mood to argue. “No, I’m not.”
And so, cautiously they set off into the brush. Moonbeam used her swords to slash away at the long grass, her eyes every so often watching movements in the undergrowth.
The first thing that hit them was the stench, Moonbeam’s nose wrinkling and the mare nearly throwing up. Finally, the tall grasses cleared and they were greeted with a truly horrific sight. Another pony, slaughtered and ripped open, guts hangin-
“OKAY!” Moonbeam shouted, some of her compatriots looking a bit ill. Indeed, Thorax looked a bit greener than usual, with only Pharynx actually looking interested in what his DM had to say next. “That’s a little bit too much detail, don’t you think?”
“I was just setting the scene,” Sombra said with a rumble, before glancing back at his character sheet. “But anyways… My apologies.”
“Coulda warned us…” Spike said to himself.
“By the Gods,” Moonbeam said, her hoof going to a maple leaf hanging off a chain around her neck and rubbing it in prayer. “...what could have done this?”
“Well, I guess we can tell the farmer we found his son?” Nhamashal said. “So there’s a bright side?”
“I hardly think this is the bright side of anything,” his brother said, shaking his head. “A senseless waste of life.”
“The least we can do then,” Somber said, the artificer now loading a clockwork rifle with gunpowder. “Is to avenge his death. To make sure his killers meet their gods a little bit earlier than they intended.”
Something moved behind him, and he whirled around only to see the grass shuffle.
“Edgelord…” Pharynx muttered out of character.
“Right, look who’s talking,” Spike said with a teasing snark and a wily look in his eyes.
“I…” Pharynx started before seemingly deciding it wasn’t worth the trouble. “I’ll allow that.”
“And just like that, a pack of Death Dogs leap out of the grass. Their eyes glowed, and their fangs were sharp. Rot dripped off their teeth, threatening to burn away their opposition…” Sombra continued to narrate, excitement flashing in his eyes. He was really getting into this.
Starlight smiled, your first combat encounter was always exciting. Nerve-wracking too, as it could make or break a junior DM.
“Now… Roll for initiative!” Sombra bellowed, his voice seemingly echoing around the room.
“Damn, I forgot to check for good or for evil,” Starlight said, in-character, before rolling the dice. “We’re really paying for it now…”
“So, are you running now?” Somber asked. “Or is any of this worth the gold you’ve been promised?”
“Pffft, this isn’t about gold anymore,” Spike replied in-character. “This is about justice for the farmer and his family.”
“Somber gives an approving huff,” said his player.
“I summon my staff, and prepare for battle…” Spike narrated.
One hound leaped at Moonbeam, twin maws drooling with desire. With her best battle cry, the mare swung her blades hoping to draw blood but missing.
“I am my god’s divine instrument,” she said. “I refuse to fall here. You are animals, and you lead yourself to the slaughter. So come, to battle with ye!”
One dog was leaping away from Skorn’s massive axe, the handle in his mouth and teeth gritted. He’d worked himself into a frenzy, swinging again and this time plunging his weapon into the beast’s hide.
Blood splattered the muddy ground and the blades of grass springing up from it, though the dog was still far from dead.
The massive stallion let out a howl of pain as the dog bit into his leg, his flesh slowly beginning to rot.
“Oh no you don’t!” Spike said, pulling the beast off and throwing it to the side. “Now, let’s make sure you stay down. Earth Tremor!”
Dice were rolled, and the ground shook as the demon dogs struggled to find their footing. One tried to get up, only to receive an arrow through the mouth for his troubles.
“We’re boxed in!” Nhamashal said, his voice fearful.
“Well, we can’t run now,” Somber said, firing off a blast from his rifle as another dog leaped towards him. “If we run, they’ll chase us and they’ll never stop chasing us until they run us down. Here, we have to make our stand!”
One dog was leaping out of the way of Moonbeam’s swords, steel shining in the sunlight. Then, she twisted her blade, and the dog staggered about briefly blinded.
“Seaaaaaarrrrrrrrrring smite!” Moonbeam shouted, a little too thrilled from the sound of her. Even as her blade became encased in flame, she brought it down.
“Getting a little too into this, aren’t you?” Nhamashal asked, concerned watching the death dog become nothing but ash.
“Yeah, I thought you were supposed to be about truth and justice,” Skorn said. “If we die, and I don’t plan on it, I can at least take pleasure that you’re as fallible as the rest of us.”
“We’re not going to die,” Moonbeam said, again rubbing her prayer leaf. “The gods are on our side. Not theirs.”
Another blast from Somber’s rifle downed a dog, and seemed to echo her statement. The remaining members of the pack looked a bit nervous by now, and decided to cut their losses and run off into the undergrowth.
“Wait, what are you doing?” Nhamashal asked, watching Somber get out a wrench and began to tinker with something.
“They’re beasts from the abyss, foul creatures from the Underdark from what I understand. They didn’t get here by accident,” the Lord said, letting a little mechanical bird fly. “Someone summoned them. We need to find out who, something more is going on here.”
“I… I’m inclined to agree,” Dreal said. “Back in the village, we met multiple people who were attacked. Some were far less fortunate than us. This wasn’t just a one-off incident.”
“A-Agreed,” Skorn said, staggering to him.
Unlike before, Sombra was kind enough not to describe his injuries knowing they weren’t for the faint-hearted.
“Come on, let’s get you healed up, and then the chase resumes!” Dreal said, looking off into the distance.
Night fell, and the party parked themselves underneath a cliff, knowing any further chase would be met by the dangerous creatures of the night. For now, they rested.
Firelight was making shadows dance upon the rock face, a gentle wind blowing up from the expansive plains.
“You alright?” Moonbeam asked, walking up to Somber. “You’ve been staring out at the plains for about an hour or so. Not talking to anyone, you should at least eat. Your food’s getting cold, and if you don’t touch it, I’m betting Dreal’s going to eat it.”
“Dreal…” Somber repeated to himself. “He really proved himself today, he… I guess I was wrong about him.”
“Wrong about… wrong about him?” Moonbeam stammered out, confused.
“I’ve lived longer than any of you, and it’s not always been a nice life. I’ve experienced a lot, some things good and some things bad. I’ll never forget any of it,” Somber said. “Especially…”
“Especially what?” Moonbeam pressed, unsure if she even should.
“My first adventure. We were hunting some kobolds, my party at the time. Everything seemed to be going our way at first, we were young and foolish. Reckless even, not really knowing what was out there. Then everything went wrong.”
He was looking out at the plains, though his eyes were obviously seeing something else. The fire seemed to generate shadows of reptilian creatures, and every howl from the plains sounded otherworldly.
“We were ambushed, caught on a mountain pass. My party… they were nowhere near as brave as yours, suddenly the real world was upon them and they didn’t like it.”
“They didn’t…” Moonbeam whispered, holding a hoof over her mouth in shock. “No, they couldn’t have!”
“They did,” Somber confirmed with a gruff nod, his eyes obviously seeing a time long since past. “The sniveling cowards left me to die. Me, a lonely artificer who was just making his way in the world. Somehow… I made it off that mountain, running scared for my life!”
His voice became a bellow, and then quieted itself. “I was no better than them! That’s the worst part I think.”
“No… you were running to survive, your party was just running because they were cowards. Their gods should have forsaken them, I hope they did. Worthless assholes…” Moonbeam whispered.
“...I’ve never told anyone about any of this,” Somber said quietly. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you.”
“Because…” Moonbeam said, linking her tail with his and laying her head on his shoulder. “You’ve never had a friend before.”
“Well, if you’re my friend, then there’s something else you need to know. The reason why we were hunting those kobolds, all of those years ago, they took my brother,” Somber said, not forcing her away. “He left only an unfinished spell in his place. If I can’t have my revenge, I can at least finish what he left me.”
“No, we’re finishing it,” Moonbeam said. “We’re finishing it. Because that’s what friends do. Friendship, I’ve heard that’s stronger than any other magic. Forget spells or cantrips, this is real magic.”
“Mhmm, cheesy, but I’ll allow it,” Somber said, allowing himself a real smile. “You’re my friend huh? I can’t say that… No I certainly can’t. I haven’t had any real friends in a long time. A very long time.”
“Then it pleases me to help amend that.”
“So what do you think the spell even does?” Starlight questioned, still in-character as Moonbeam.
“I don’t know, maybe it creates infinite wealth for the caster. Maybe it gives them a harem of mares, I’ve never questioned it,” ‘Somber’ said. “All I know is that I need to finish it. For him.”
Pharynx smiled at the two interacting.
“What? What is it?” Spike asked curiously under candlelight. “What are you smiling about?”
“Sometimes I think that the real fun of Ogres and Oubliettes? It’s not the adventure itself,” Pharynx said. “But the friends you make along the way.”
“I hear things are going well,” Twilight said over lunch. “That a certain someone is taking to Ogres and Oubliettes well.”
“Yeah, he is,” Starlight said, raising her cup to hide her wistful smile. “I think he’ll make a great DM someday.”
“Mhmmmmm…” Twilight said, with an almost knowing look. “You sound like you’re a fan already.”
“Wha… of course I’m a fan. It’s a great campaign, a little cliche in parts but still a fun time!” Starlight said, taking another sip. “What are you getting at?”
“Nothing,” Twilight said, still smiling. Like she knew something that Starlight didn’t. “Just observing the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.”
Author's Note
Okay, yeah, so honestly, I was hoping to make this a little longer but by the end of it I was tired and exhausted. I'd done two other Secret Santa pieces this month, each well over 7,000 words and indeed that was originally the goal with this one, but I just wanted to enjoy my holidays as well without stressing over a piece.
So if this seems half-finished, I apologize and Merry Christmas.
