Crypts and Creatures
Jan 22, 2017 20:03:35 GMT
Post by Mittens on Jan 22, 2017 20:03:35 GMT
The lift doors slid upon with a friendly ding and Aurora, Lucio, Ed, Signe and Herbert stepped through them. Lucio stared at the buttons before pressing the one for the top floor. They stood in silence for a few seconds as the lift started rising.
"So, remind me who exactly is running this game again, Bella?" Ed asked to break the silence.
"Someone I know through Olympus, don't worry. I want it to be a surprise though." Lucio grinned at them all.
The rest of the group groaned. Lucio's surprises, while well-intentioned, were not well thought-out. The most recent one had involved a funeral, a large group of utterly heartbroken friends lost in their grief and a flawless rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Champion still wasn't talking to him because of it.
"30th Floor." the elevator chimed as it came to a halt. The group filed out, following Lucio's lead. He moved straight towards one of the apartment doors and rang the bell. Ed peered at the name under the doorbell;
"Sid Ste- Bella, is this the house of Cana-" She was cut off by the door opening to reveal a tall, brown-haired man with lilac eyes.
"'Sup nerds." the man beamed. He was wearing loose jeans and a large red and blue hockey jumper with a large letter C plastered across the middle. What immediately caught the eyes of all but Lucio, however, were his tiger-feet slippers.
"Holy shit you're Canagold." Aurora stated bluntly, looking slightly dumbfounded.
"Am I wearing the costume? No. So stick to Sid. Or Mr Stevens if you want to be formal." he said, still grinning. "Well, are you going to stand outside gawping like a bunch of idiots or are you going to come into Le Chateau de Stevens?" he waved them all indoors, fist-bumping Lucio as the came in last.
Sid's apartment was big. Very big. Most of it was open plan; there was a large kitchen and dining area next to a lounge, with a huge white setee opposite possibly the largest television any of them had ever seen. The windows, too, were large, lighting the room up brilliantly and offering an impressive view of the London skyline. Adorning the walls were a variety of things: Photos of Canagold doing various heroic acts (notably punching a supervillain in the face with one hand while giving a cheesy grin and thumbs up to the camera with the other hand), a couple of photos of Sid in academic garb surrounding a few framed degrees, a signed hockey stick next to a large post of Canagold, in full costume, next to a hockey team with the words "Canador est avec nous!" written in a loud font above them. There were also a few photos of a younger-looking Sid in a different, white and blue costume doing a few heroic acts, one of them tackling an armed man next to the Hollywood Sign in LA. Pride of place in the walls, however, was reserved for a small hole in the wall displaying the full costume of Canagold, lit up perfectly like a museum piece. It was ostentatious, sure, but it was damn impressive.
"Oh, wow." Signe murmured.
"That's my reserve costume, before you ask. Imagine trying to get it off the mannequin in a hurry. Anyway, greet the actual masters of this domain: Marius, Sulla and Julius." Sid said as he returned, after disappearing when the group entered the house. In his arms were three cats, one tabby, one ginger and one tuxedo, all with gold-coloured collars with a black maple leaf as a tag. They all looked very comfortable, and he set them down on the arm of the sofa to greet their guests. They bounded towards the group, tails held high, and were very interested in Ed, who wasn't quite sure what to make of them. Being a dog person really changes some of your opinions on some things.
"Right, follow me, you bunch of nerds, to the best room in this place." Sid said and he led the way to a room next to the kitchen. They stepped through the doorway and, as a group, their jaws dropped.
In the centre of the room there were a number of beanbags surrounding large coffee table. The walls were decked with bookshelves and the they were, in turn, filled with a huge variety of books: rule-books, source books, fantasy novels, books on writing and on character generation. Signe felt like she had died and had gone to heaven when she spotted the complete works of Tolkien. There was, nestled away in a corner, a small fridge, and next to it was a control panel for the fairly lights that adorned the room. There were speakers in the corners of the room and also one under the coffee table, presumably for sound effects and backing music. Next to the control panel there was a shelf filled with small models, dice, bits of scenery and all sorts of other bits and bobs. And next to that shelf there was-
"Sid, is... is that a 3D printer?" Herbert asked, dumbfounded.
"Yup." Sid confirmed smugly, "Once we've got your characters all sorted out I'll design and make some figures for you guys. Makes it 10x more fun, and helps with combat a bit. Make yourself at home, people. I've got drinks and snacks and all that good shit here, and later on I'll get us some takeaway." The group collapsed onto beanbags, as Sid pulled out a large book from one the shelves, as well as getting some paper and pencils. He handed the latter out to the group and then put the book down on the table, staring at it lovingly.
"Here we go: Crypts and Creatures: 5th Edition." He threw himself down on a spare beanbag before smiling at the assorted nerds:
"Now, let's get you lot some characters, eh?"
It was about two hours later. Sheets had been filled and snacks nibbled. Lucio was busy stroking a purring ginger cat (Julius, his nametag said) and softly asking him questions regarding Julius' morality, swiftly confirming them in a second statement. Signe, too, had a cat, but Sulla (the tabby) had wrapped himself around the back of her neck and shoulders. He was warm and fluffly so she didn't mind. The final cat, Marius, had decided that the best place for him would be streched out on the coffee table,taking up a lot of space with his tuxedo-y goodness. Nobody dared move him.
"So." Sid said, relaxing back into his beanbag, "I think that's everyone done, right? I'll just recap before we start the first session." With this, he faced each of the group in turn and read out their character descriptions.
"Signe, we'll start with you: Aela Bjornsdottir, Skald of the North. Lawful Neutral. Armed with a spear and a fiery personality."
"Ed: Ora Brazad, Dwarven Rogue. Chaotic good. Twin daggers, crossbow and numerous thievery items."
"Aurora: Grognak the Barbarian. Chaotic Neutral. No armour but your glistening muscles and a greataxe in hand."
"Herbert: Malidrand the Witty, neutral good elven mage. Specialisation in illusion and lighting magics.
"Lucio:" here Sid sighed somewhat as the rest of the group sniggered, "Scootums, Cat-Paladin to the god of battle and deliverance, Mithris. Sword and board, lawful good."
With that, he looked at the group. Their character figures, fresh from the printer, stood ready on the board that had been set up on the coffee table. Sid cracked his knuckles and opened the large rulebook on his lap, before speaking:
"Right, let's get started. Our story begins, as do many, in a tavern..."
"So, remind me who exactly is running this game again, Bella?" Ed asked to break the silence.
"Someone I know through Olympus, don't worry. I want it to be a surprise though." Lucio grinned at them all.
The rest of the group groaned. Lucio's surprises, while well-intentioned, were not well thought-out. The most recent one had involved a funeral, a large group of utterly heartbroken friends lost in their grief and a flawless rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Champion still wasn't talking to him because of it.
"30th Floor." the elevator chimed as it came to a halt. The group filed out, following Lucio's lead. He moved straight towards one of the apartment doors and rang the bell. Ed peered at the name under the doorbell;
"Sid Ste- Bella, is this the house of Cana-" She was cut off by the door opening to reveal a tall, brown-haired man with lilac eyes.
"'Sup nerds." the man beamed. He was wearing loose jeans and a large red and blue hockey jumper with a large letter C plastered across the middle. What immediately caught the eyes of all but Lucio, however, were his tiger-feet slippers.
"Holy shit you're Canagold." Aurora stated bluntly, looking slightly dumbfounded.
"Am I wearing the costume? No. So stick to Sid. Or Mr Stevens if you want to be formal." he said, still grinning. "Well, are you going to stand outside gawping like a bunch of idiots or are you going to come into Le Chateau de Stevens?" he waved them all indoors, fist-bumping Lucio as the came in last.
Sid's apartment was big. Very big. Most of it was open plan; there was a large kitchen and dining area next to a lounge, with a huge white setee opposite possibly the largest television any of them had ever seen. The windows, too, were large, lighting the room up brilliantly and offering an impressive view of the London skyline. Adorning the walls were a variety of things: Photos of Canagold doing various heroic acts (notably punching a supervillain in the face with one hand while giving a cheesy grin and thumbs up to the camera with the other hand), a couple of photos of Sid in academic garb surrounding a few framed degrees, a signed hockey stick next to a large post of Canagold, in full costume, next to a hockey team with the words "Canador est avec nous!" written in a loud font above them. There were also a few photos of a younger-looking Sid in a different, white and blue costume doing a few heroic acts, one of them tackling an armed man next to the Hollywood Sign in LA. Pride of place in the walls, however, was reserved for a small hole in the wall displaying the full costume of Canagold, lit up perfectly like a museum piece. It was ostentatious, sure, but it was damn impressive.
"Oh, wow." Signe murmured.
"That's my reserve costume, before you ask. Imagine trying to get it off the mannequin in a hurry. Anyway, greet the actual masters of this domain: Marius, Sulla and Julius." Sid said as he returned, after disappearing when the group entered the house. In his arms were three cats, one tabby, one ginger and one tuxedo, all with gold-coloured collars with a black maple leaf as a tag. They all looked very comfortable, and he set them down on the arm of the sofa to greet their guests. They bounded towards the group, tails held high, and were very interested in Ed, who wasn't quite sure what to make of them. Being a dog person really changes some of your opinions on some things.
"Right, follow me, you bunch of nerds, to the best room in this place." Sid said and he led the way to a room next to the kitchen. They stepped through the doorway and, as a group, their jaws dropped.
In the centre of the room there were a number of beanbags surrounding large coffee table. The walls were decked with bookshelves and the they were, in turn, filled with a huge variety of books: rule-books, source books, fantasy novels, books on writing and on character generation. Signe felt like she had died and had gone to heaven when she spotted the complete works of Tolkien. There was, nestled away in a corner, a small fridge, and next to it was a control panel for the fairly lights that adorned the room. There were speakers in the corners of the room and also one under the coffee table, presumably for sound effects and backing music. Next to the control panel there was a shelf filled with small models, dice, bits of scenery and all sorts of other bits and bobs. And next to that shelf there was-
"Sid, is... is that a 3D printer?" Herbert asked, dumbfounded.
"Yup." Sid confirmed smugly, "Once we've got your characters all sorted out I'll design and make some figures for you guys. Makes it 10x more fun, and helps with combat a bit. Make yourself at home, people. I've got drinks and snacks and all that good shit here, and later on I'll get us some takeaway." The group collapsed onto beanbags, as Sid pulled out a large book from one the shelves, as well as getting some paper and pencils. He handed the latter out to the group and then put the book down on the table, staring at it lovingly.
"Here we go: Crypts and Creatures: 5th Edition." He threw himself down on a spare beanbag before smiling at the assorted nerds:
"Now, let's get you lot some characters, eh?"
It was about two hours later. Sheets had been filled and snacks nibbled. Lucio was busy stroking a purring ginger cat (Julius, his nametag said) and softly asking him questions regarding Julius' morality, swiftly confirming them in a second statement. Signe, too, had a cat, but Sulla (the tabby) had wrapped himself around the back of her neck and shoulders. He was warm and fluffly so she didn't mind. The final cat, Marius, had decided that the best place for him would be streched out on the coffee table,taking up a lot of space with his tuxedo-y goodness. Nobody dared move him.
"So." Sid said, relaxing back into his beanbag, "I think that's everyone done, right? I'll just recap before we start the first session." With this, he faced each of the group in turn and read out their character descriptions.
"Signe, we'll start with you: Aela Bjornsdottir, Skald of the North. Lawful Neutral. Armed with a spear and a fiery personality."
"Ed: Ora Brazad, Dwarven Rogue. Chaotic good. Twin daggers, crossbow and numerous thievery items."
"Aurora: Grognak the Barbarian. Chaotic Neutral. No armour but your glistening muscles and a greataxe in hand."
"Herbert: Malidrand the Witty, neutral good elven mage. Specialisation in illusion and lighting magics.
"Lucio:" here Sid sighed somewhat as the rest of the group sniggered, "Scootums, Cat-Paladin to the god of battle and deliverance, Mithris. Sword and board, lawful good."
With that, he looked at the group. Their character figures, fresh from the printer, stood ready on the board that had been set up on the coffee table. Sid cracked his knuckles and opened the large rulebook on his lap, before speaking:
"Right, let's get started. Our story begins, as do many, in a tavern..."