Lions & Labyrinths: Christian Knockoff D&D! [IC]

[Zjaum]

Lions & Labyrinths: Christian Knockoff D&D

Prologue

The Good Book Tavern, Malachia

Abigail walked up the inlaid stone pathway, carrying nothing but her clothes, her necessities, the Bible (a little redundant, perhaps), and a small coin purse. She noticed a man at the doorway, clad head to toe in armor, a sign hanging from the sword he had planted in the ground. Abby was curious but mostly just wanted a drink after a long day. Gruffly, she approached the paladin: "Good evening, sir. What are you here to do?"

The paladin looked up at the Nephilim. "Well, madam, I'm here to recruit for an expedition. We need the finest soldiers of God to join us on a new endeavor! We're venturing into untold worlds, looking for specific artifacts and bringing them back to our clients!"

It sounded interesting. Not too interesting that it precluded a tad bit of respite first. Abigail bumped her head on the rim of the door before wandering in to the bar. She quietly placed her small pouch of coins on the table and called over the bartender. "Good morning, sir! Do you happen to have gin on your tab?"

The bartender let out a chortle before responding. "Lady, this is a Christian establishment; we don't sell alcohol here!"

Abigail cocked her head. "Wait, but didn't Jesus drink wine?"

"Yes, certainly, but have you seen the stats on that guy? His Self-Control is through the roof!"

"Never mind. What do you offer?"

"Juices, sodas (limited to one per day), and water, ma'am!" The jolly man replied. "We even provide them in large glasses for daughters of Anak, such as yourself!"

"Fine. Um... apple juice?"

She was handed a behemoth of a mug. She peered into the liquid and tried to pretend it was cider. She drank. It wasn't. At all. Oh well.

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Naphtali of Mt. Encilei,
Malachia

---

Naphtali's feet shuffled over the large stones before him. The pathway, composed of gravel and rock, made it so that those that stepped on it could be heard clearly. Naphtali looked around him. He could see people staring at him from their houses. He was drenched in sweat and dirt, and his face was covered with filth. He'd been wandering around to find a fertile and promising land, and he felt himself rejoice from within when he observed the bright green meadows around him.

He found a house of stone, and tried to read the sign. The letters said "GOOD BOOK TAVERN", but Naphtali was illiterate, and did not understand what the sign meant. He approached a man whose body was covered in iron, and asked, in his thick Hebrew accent:

"Brother, I am lost. I desperately need a place to rest. Could you show me the way?"

The young boy noticed the man's disdain for him and his dirty attire, and saw him pointing towards the pub behind him.

Naphtali opened the large wooden door, and watched as guests were enjoying their nights. He took the bow that he'd slung across his shoulder and placed it in a stand near the entrance. He took off his quiver and neatly laid it next to his bow. He looked around for a moment, observing the other people in the pub. Naphtali then went on to check whether his purse was still on him. He felt the tiny sack in one of his pockets, and slowly made his way down to the bar.

Once he'd caught up with the bartender, he asked: "Greetings, sir. I hope I'm not troubling you right now. I've travelled a fair deal of miles today, sir, and I would like to order a tall glass of goat's milk, if I may." he took out his purse, and fiddled to get a few bronze coins out, before carefully moving them over the counter towards the man opposite of him. He looked up to the bartender, and hoped that he wouldn't be thrown out because of his nasty smell and ragged clothing.

And so he awaited the man's reply, looking up at him with a tired and starved expression.

[Barapam]

The smoke from incense sticks shrouded the assembly gathered around one of the tavern's tables. Among the seated, was Bridget. She took a sip of her root beer, and looked down at the cards she had been dealt. Dead man's hand.

It was her turn. Bridget looked at her opponents, then back at her cards. She bit her lip, and thought about her options.

"Centurion, all of your eights, please."

"Go fish", the officer replied. Bridget did so, and she got a good card. Ace of hearts. Now she only needed a diamond to close the book. "The Good Book" however, would still be open for quite some time, which meant that Bridget and the other guests still had plenty of time to enjoy a few (non-alcoholic) refreshing beverages and some sets of card games (with no money involved). And Bridget saw that it was good.

[The Verdantderm Lands]

Marcella Vestalis

Marcella Vestalis walked up the inlaid stone pathway, carrying nothing but her clothes, her necessities, her staff, the Bible (a little redundant, perhaps), and a small coin purse. She noticed a man at the doorway, clad head to toe in armor, a sign hanging from the sword he had planted in the ground. Marcella was curious but mostly just wanted rest and refreshment after a long day. She approached the paladin, remembering that now that she'd become a Christian (her pagan family had cast her out at her conversion): "Good evening, sir. What are you here to do?"

The paladin looked up at the young woman. "Well, Miss, I'm here to recruit for an expedition. We need the finest soldiers of God to join us on a new endeavor! We're venturing into untold worlds, looking for specific artifacts and bringing them back to our clients!"

Marcella considered the soldier's news and pondered momentarily. Do I have what it takes to go on an expedition for the glory of the Lord? I know that others say that I'm an asset to our faith, but I have a number of shortcomings and faults because I know that I am often lacking in kindness, patience and self control. But I feel myself drawn to try, trust that the Lord will watch over me and I will fulfill my role.

"Good Sir," Marcella replied, "I am moved to volunteer and be a part of such an expedition, but I would know that we will not be depriving the faithful in these other realms of the things that help them seek God. Pray thee, sir, do you know if the clients be of that frame of mind? If that be so then I shall volunteer to be a member of that expedition."

[Zjaum]

(still doing introductions; will hold off on rolls for the next update)

The Good Book Tavern, Malachia

Outside the Tavern
The paladin let out a boisterous laugh. "I assure you, madam, that the faithful in these and all the other realms will be tended to in due time! I do not think that anything we collect will deprive them of that." He slapped the nun on the back. "Welcome to the party! Now, I feel like an announcement inside is in order!"


The Card Table
Response: Roll: 20
Neb the fisherman looked around the elevated table, believed to have been invented in an experimental carpentry by Jesus Christ himself, as stated in the film Passion of the Christ, which was banned in Malachia for being R-rated. Just goes to show what kind of a tough, hardcore guy Neb was.

He had a couple cards in his hand: A set of three fours and a six. It was a gamble, but one that he was very much willing to take. For a pot that tasty, he was willing to go to great lengths. He calls over to the officer: "Say, sir, could you lend me your... fours?"

The officer scoffs and throws down a four. That made six. The game would be over if he just made one more. He looks around, thinking his next move. Of course. Bridget has been awfully quiet about the bulk of her hand. "Madam Priestess, do you happen to have... sixes?"

Her reaction was all he needed to confirm his victory. He brought forth his arms to collect the massive pile of Fruit Roll-Ups that had accumulated in the middle of the table. The night was his, and he was just about to leave for the night. "Big day of fishing tomorrow. I thank everyone for the evening, and I'd be happy to share if you stop by."


The Bar
Response: Roll: 18. "Why, of course, Sir Archer! All of God's Chosen are welcome here!" The bartender boasts while tapping a sign that says "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight," with a small illustration that would have seemed a little off-putting in any other context. "In fact, we have a new fresh shipment of goat's milk from this morning! Let me get you the first glass. In fact, since you look like you've come a long way, it's on the house."

The bartender pulls out the compass as Abigail salutes her neighbor. "You look like you're from the Beraskai Valley. I haven't been there myself, but you seem to fit the description. I've heard it's beautiful there."


At that very moment, the man clad in armor barges into the hall. "A round of cranberry juice for me and the Eagle Expedition's newest recruit! And that goes for anyone else willing to join in this quest! Fine food! Fine armor! Fine company!"

Abigail found it a laughable endeavor, but she was looking for things to do, and she surely wanted to wash down the apple juice with a more substantial drink. She raised her hand and practically touched the roof. "I'll join, out of curiosity."

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

"Why, of course, Sir Archer! All of God's Chosen are welcome here! Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, In fact, we have a new fresh shipment of goat's milk from this morning! Let me get you the first glass. In fact, since you look like you've come a long way, it's on the house."

Naphtali smiled, and graciously thanked the kind barkeeper for his hospitality, whilst also being slightly weirded out by his way of speaking. He took a swig from the glass, and looked around, before he heard a voice next to him.

"You look like you're from the Beraskai Valley. I haven't been there myself, but you seem to fit the description. I've heard it's beautiful there."

The boy put away his drink and laughed. A slim line of milk had formed around his upper lip, and it looked like he had a milky white moustache. He turned himself towards the woman, and once he'd opened his mouth, he heard a deep manly voice shout through the tavern.


"A round of cranberry juice for me and the Eagle Expedition's newest recruit! And that goes for anyone else willing to join in this quest! Fine food! Fine armor! Fine company!"

He hastily turned his head around to see the reaction of other people. Having a populated tavern with thrilling things going on was totally new to him. He saw the maiden that sat besides him raise her hand, and heeded her words when she said "I'll join, out of curiosity."

Gender roles in his community were quite strict, and Naphtali, who didn't want to be outdone by a woman, raised his hand up high, and tried to sound as manly as possible while saying: "I'll join you! For gold coins and the grace of God!"

this ofcourse, was laughable, as Naphtali was covered in dirt and refuse, and sounded about as manly as the woman besides him. The goat's milk moustache could also be seen quite clearly.

Naphtali started to wonder why people were smiling at him.

[The Verdantderm Lands]

Marcella Vestalis

'The Eagle Expedition?' thought Marcella, I hadn't realized that there were so many quests going on that they needed to be named. Or are we questing for something that has something to do with eagles? I could ask a question, but maybe if I just listen....

The Barkeep served Marcella a stein of cranberry juice. Since it wasn't clear glass, the liquid appeared very dark, except for wear it touched the side of the vessel where it produced a deep red ring. Marcella put her nose into the stein and inhaled deeply to enjoy the juice's aroma. It smelled good and undiluted. She took a ladylike sip and the taste brought a smile to her lips, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.

Marcella then looked at the young man that had just volunteered to join their company. She walked over and introduced herself. "Well met, companion," Marcella said with a smile. "I am Marcella Vestalis, a servant of The Lord in my own small way. The Lord has seen fit to gift me with some small ability to interpret dreams and understand his lesser creatures. Pray thee, tell me something of yourself, please."

[Zjaum]

"Fantastic!" announced the paladin. While he was louder than when he entered the room, his voice was crowded out by clamors towards the front of the bar and demands for cranberry juice. Even at the bar, Abigail chose to forego her reward and instead chose to join what was now showing to be a small, fairly-respectable party.

The man brought a large pouch of coins and tried wriggling his way to the front of the crowd without exposing it to the clutches of some of the more treacherous in the crowd. "Ho, ho! The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, friends, so please don't be tempted to take mine!" Once the sack was carefully and safely flung out of the customers' respective reaches, the soldier reached in his pocket to pull out even more. "I'll be broke soon, but better a poor person walking in integrity than one who is perverse in his speech! All right, I've been tasked to give these to you."

He pulls out silver coins and places one in each of their palms. "These are maneh. They are worth about fifty shekels, and you will use these for your armor and weaponry, and probably a bit of personal maintenance and upkeep at that! in addition to what you already have. We'll be heading to the market soon, and I hope you'll take some of this time to understand each other better!" He weasels his way back out the door, along with any who would follow.

Abigail shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll head to the market, then." She turned to Marcella and stuck out her hand. "It is nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Abigail Tithe-Giver, a daughter of Anak from the forest-lands."

Market Pricing:
Weapons:
Sword: 20 shekels, 1d6 attack, one-handed
Spear: 15 shekels, 1d6 attack, two-handed
Javelin: 10 shekels, 1d6 ranged attack, one handed
Bow: 20 shekels, 2d6 ranged attack, two handed
Arrow (x1): 5 shekels
Sling: 10 shekels, 1d4 ranged attack, one handed

Armor:
Gambeson: 20 shekels, -2 enemy attack
Mail: 35 shekels, -4 enemy attack
Plate: 30 shekels, -3 enemy attack
Shield: 20 shekels, 50% chance to block attack, one handed