by Kevin Culp
They had completed many incredible quests since from driving off kobold invasions, to stopping necromancers from corrupting a forest, and even banishing an avatar of the Succubus Queen Malicentha. During all this, they realized that their differences made them an extremely formidable party and even the greedy Kreego had good intentions in general at the end of the day. For their adventures to come to an end would truly be the end of an era.
Honestly, I’m not even sure what kind of character I would want to play anymore if it wasn’t Archaeus. I wouldn’t mind going back to playing some kind of rogue-ish character, though that would probably make John mad because he loves playing rogues. I could be a barbarian or some kind of caster, though miss “let’s shoot a fireball at the red dragon” might not like me being a caster.
I don’t know I might even end up sitting out the next campaign for a while and try to focus more on finding a better job. I’m sure they would let me come in later if that happened. The downside to that though, of course, is that my tabletop days are one of my few days I look forward to. I don’t really do much other than punch the clock and hear people complain during my workdays.
I guess I really shouldn’t be worrying about this right now. I will continue to play Archaeus until Dan says otherwise.
“Shoot, I think I passed my apartment.”
Somehow, I had gotten so lost in thought I didn’t realize where I had walked off to. I was in the woods on a relatively worn trail about ten feet wide. I honestly couldn’t even think of where there were woods like this around town close enough that I could have just wandered into them. It wasn’t too dark yet, but I looked both ways down the trail and couldn’t really see anything. I know that Wilson is a small town, but you would think I could see at least some lights.
When I went for walks, it wasn’t uncommon for me to mindlessly wander around and forget where I was going, but I could always figure out where I was. I didn’t think I had been walking for very long, but who knows how long I had spaced out for. Honestly, I couldn’t remember at this point which direction I had come from so I just picked a direction and decided to walk.
As I walked down the path, things started to feel different. I was breathing much easier than I normally do, especially considering how long I really must have been walking, and my backpack was lighter. I’m sure that it was just my imagination, but I also felt like I was walking a lot straighter and was a little higher from the ground than normal.
I couldn’t tell what kind of trees were around me, but they were all lush and green, and I could hear birds and squirrels running through them. It just struck me that this area was quite beautiful, and I kind of wished I had found this trail to walk before.
The most annoying thing though, is that I somehow had gotten something stuck in my eye and it was messing with my vision to the upper left. I rubbed my eye, but it wouldn’t go away.
The stars were all out, and the sky was perfectly clear. It had been a nice clear day when I left for Dan’s house, but I don’t think I had ever seen the night sky this clearly.
Suddenly, I heard talking and looked forward. There were people walking towards me on the trail, but they looked kind of out of place. I mean they were pretty normal looking, a young woman and a child, but they were dressed funny. All of their clothing was dreary and brown and looked to have been made from a cloth sack or something. She had on a pretty simple dress, and the boy was wearing what I could only describe as a tunic and breeches.
I called out to them, “Hello, I’m not sure where I am but can you help me find my way back to town?” My voice sounded a little strange. I hope I’m not coming down with something.
The girl looked at me, and I’m sure it was my imagination, but she seemed to blush a bit.
The young boy seemed in awe at the sight of me, but he pointed the way they had come from and said, “It’s just down the road a little further.”
I thanked them and continued on my way, though I wasn’t really certain about their reactions to seeing me.
After a short walk down the trail, I came to what seemed to be a small village that I guessed was an Amish settlement or something. All the buildings were crudely made from wood, and there were a few horses with wagons in tow. Now I say crudely made, though I only mean by modern standards as they at least seemed sturdy and as though the people who made them knew what they were doing. To be honest, I didn’t even know there was a settlement like this anywhere near Wilson.
There were very few people on the streets, which didn’t surprise me given that it was getting late. I wouldn’t describe the people I saw as Amish though in contrast to the settlement. They were dressed very similarly to the boy and girl in the woods though some had a little more color, I couldn’t see much in the dark.
I approached a man that seemed to be leading a mule pulling a small wagon. “Excuse me, sir. Can you point me back to Wilson?”
He stared at me for a moment as if he wasn’t sure what I was saying then replied, “I’m not sure who this Wilson is, but you might check if he’s in the Tavern.” He pointed to a small building that still seemed to have quite a bit of light pouring out of the windows.
“Umm… no, I’m talking about the town, Wilson. Do you know where it is?”
“Oh, no I’m sorry I haven’t heard of it. You can probably get a map from Gadrick, but he’s closed for the night.”
Obviously, I can’t wait for morning to head home, but this guy is no help.
I headed into the tavern which was a pretty interesting sight. It was mostly empty at the moment except for a few young ladies sitting in the corner drinking and gossiping with an old drunkard trying to flirt with them.
All the furniture was wooden, the tables, chairs, and bar and all looked very well done. There were small open lanterns on pretty much all the tables and near the windows. There was an old man behind the bar with thinning salt and pepper hair and a huge nose. He wore a basic white tunic with what looked to be a butcher’s apron over it and a young girl stood next to him.
The young girl was probably his daughter because they bore a striking resemblance, though she was quite attractive. She had long black hair tied back with a piece of string, with a prominent yet cute nose, delicate features, and stood a good head shorter than him, though she was dressed in a manner similar to the old man. She smiled when she saw me.
“Hi, I’ve never seen you around here before. What can I get you?” She asked.
“Umm, I’m not really hungry, and honestly, I’m broke. I just seem to be lost and am looking to get back home. Can you point me towards Wilson, Kansas?”
“I’m sorry that isn’t a town I’m familiar with. Have you heard of it Papa?”
“Nope, never heard of it.” The old man muttered.
“Man, I really must have been spaced out, but it still doesn’t feel that late. How far did I walk?”
I sat down at the bar wondering what was going on and how I had gotten so lost. The girl behind the bar smiled at me sympathetically and went to work washing cups. I started trying to eavesdrop on the conversation the two girls were having in the corner since the old drunkard had apparently left.
They seemed to be talking about some heroes that defeated a monster that had been wreaking havoc in the Far East. I guess even in a settlement like this they had storytelling and maybe even adventure novels.
Whatever had gotten stuck in my eye, was really starting to bother me now it seemed to be flickering and changing constantly. I rubbed my eye furiously trying to get it out but couldn’t get rid of it.
Then I noticed my hands. They were large and calloused leading into muscular forearms. These weren’t my hands or arms. I was a nerd who worked forty hours a week at a computer and never exercised. I mean I’m not fat, but I’m not muscular and my hands are probably softer than I’d like to admit.
I stood up, heart racing, and tried to look down at myself. I certainly wasn’t wearing what I should be wearing. I had on a white tunic that seemed to be pretty n
ice; I assumed it was made of cotton. My pants were some kind of hide breeches. I had thick leather boots that were laced up with what also seemed to be leather strips.
What was going on here?
I looked at the girl behind the bar. “Excuse me, do you have a mirror?” My voice was deeper than usual. I had assumed earlier I might be coming down with something.
“Uh, not down here and not usually for customers, but I think my mother actually had a mirror if you want to look at it.”
The old man scowled. “You know that mirror was expensive, and your mother loved it. You can’t just let any customer use it.”
“Don’t be mean papa. If he just wants to look at it I’m sure it will be ok.”
“Umm, yes I’d like to see that mirror if it isn’t too much trouble.”
The girl wiped off her hands on a towel and ran off up some stairs in the corner.
The old man glared at me, which oddly made my first thought to be about how that was bad customer service. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a shining example of good customer service, and my work isn’t done face to face, but if using a bad voice tone is bad customer service, then bad facial expressions certainly were.
I looked away from him.
A few moments later, the girl came back clutching something to her chest.
“I can’t let you hold it because it was very precious to my mother, but I can let you see it is that okay?”
“Yes, please.”
It was a small, silver mirror that was an oval shape with a slender handle. She turned it towards me.
Then, I looked in the mirror and gasped.
Chapter 2
What I saw in the mirror was definitely not me, but maybe what I wish was me. The man had sandy blonde hair and deep, dark blue eyes. His jawline was strong and rugged with a five o’clock shadow. He had a prominent chin and a stoic appearance about him. He was handsome.
I reached for the mirror, but the girl pulled it back.
“Oh, um, sorry I know you said I couldn’t hold it. I’m just a little startled.”
“It’s okay. Did the mirror help?”
“I guess so, just give me a moment.”
What the hell was going on? The image in the mirror was actually the spitting image of what I had always managed Archaeus to look like. He was tall, strong, and handsome. Clearly this was a dream, but what had happened.
“Man, that guy is hot, but he sure is acting weird.” I heard murmuring coming from the gossip girls in the corner.
I got up and walked to a table in the opposite corner and sat down. I took my backpack off, and I wasn’t really surprised that it didn’t look like my backpack, but what I would imagine an extra-dimensional backpack would look like. It was a brown leather with buckled straps holding it shut and a pouch on either side. It was cool that I had the backpack, but it’s too bad I don’t have Archaeus’ armor and weapons.
So, let’s think about this logically. I look like my tabletop character, and I’m in what seems to be an old-time settlement. I guess the only logical explanation is I’m dreaming, but when and where did I fall asleep.
I seem to be thinking clearly for a dream, but I guess your mind often tricks you into thinking that you are while dreaming. Still, it seems strange how vividly I remember being at game night and leaving Dan’s house but nothing thereafter.
I’ve been watching and reading an exorbitant amount of anime lately where the main character gets trapped in some kind of alternate world as his character from some mmo, so maybe that’s what brought this on. It’s always kind of funny to me in those stories because the main character seems to almost immediately assume he’s in some other world rather than thinking he’s dreaming.
In a lot of those stories, the main character is hit by a car or mugged and seems to die before they end up in the world. I’ve always wondered why they never just assume that they are in a coma and dreaming, which seems like the most logical conclusion. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why I don’t remember getting home, because I actually didn’t.
Well, that’s a depressing thought. What if I am just lying in bed in a coma right now in some hospital?
I guess there isn’t much point in worrying about it though, this is actually a pretty cool dream, and one I feel I could try to enjoy. Apparently, I’m pretty handsome and muscular. I imagine I could handle myself quite well in a fight too.
The girl from the bar walked over to me. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I’m still broke.”
“I can get you one on the house. Would you like some ale?”
“Sure, that sounds great.”
The old man behind the bar was still scowling at me, and I think the girls in the corner were still talking about me. It may have been my imagination, but they seemed to blush and look away when I looked their direction.
The girl came back and sat down a drink. “Here you go drink up. I hope you feel better.”
“Thanks.”
The girl watched me as I took a drink. I swished it around in my mouth a bit. Maybe it was just because it was a dream where I couldn’t taste, but it really just tasted like water. I looked in the cup and it was clear. It even looked like it was just water.
“Is something wrong?” The girl asked.
“Oh, sorry I just thought you were bringing me an ale. Not to be rude I’m appreciative of any free drink.”
She looked at me confused. “Well, I mean I did offer you an ale, but you said you would prefer some water. Do you want the ale?”
“No thanks. I’m good.”
Well, that was weird. The thing in the corner of my vision shimmered some more. I thought about it for a moment and remembered that in all these anime I watch they often had some sort of game menu, but I was a tabletop character not from some full dive mmo so this would be different right.
I had only been trying to ignore the thing in the corner of my vision, but now I tried to focus on it and something came up. It looked almost identical to the notepad I used during our game sessions, but there was an absurd amount of notes there. I’m pretty sure Dan would freak out on me if I tried to get this much information from him.
There were notes on literally everything. My entire conversation with the girl and every time my passive perception would be high enough to see something. There was also a diplomacy roll from the first time I spoke with her. Apparently, I had rolled a natural 20 on top of my already high diplomacy with that. No wonder this girl was so helpful to me.
Most of it looked to be in my handwriting, but there was also something in red.
“Sure that sounds great,” was in bold red followed by the line Archaeus doesn’t drink alcohol except on special occasions, and then the line, “I appreciate the offer, but I’d prefer some water if possible.”
So, I guess that the dream was going to demand that I stay in character for Archaeus. That should be easy given that I’ve been playing him for almost two years.
“I wonder if this backpack is just full of my tabletop books and notepad, or if I’ve got some good stuff in here?” I wondered aloud.
I opened a clasp on the side. It seemed empty, but I stuck my hand in. Immediately, I felt tons of what felt like quarters and pulled one out. It looked pretty similar to a quarter I guess, just a small coin with a printed seal on both sides. I would guess it’s a silver piece it seemed to be that color. I shoved a handful of them in my pocket and kept one in my hand.
I walked up to the bar and said, “I guess I’m not broke, and I want to thank you for your help so here you go.”
I handed the coin to the girl.
She looked at me in shock for a moment, blushed a bit then said, “Oh, no sir, I can’t accept this you are too generous please take it back.”
I felt a little confused.
“It’s just a silver piece. I have plenty just keep it.” I showed her the handful in my pocket.
A confused look crept across her face, and she stut
tered a little as she said, “Are… are you nobility sir is... is this all some kind of joke?”
I really wasn’t sure why she seemed so caught off guard. The old man was really glaring at me now as if he also felt I was playing some cruel prank.
“Umm… Is something wrong? I wasn’t trying to offend you or anything. I guess I am kind of nobility, but it’s just a granted title, and I was genuinely just trying to thank you. Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Sir Archaeus Alexander Velnir,” I tried to speak and stand in a regal manner and ended it with a deep bow.
The girl curtsied, “It’s nice to meet you Sir Velnir, my name is Christina. I’m not sure what’s going on here though, but you know this coin you gave me is platinum, not silver, right?”
Wow, I didn’t even think about that. Archaeus only carried platinum and gold. This wasn’t because he was a rich snob or anything, but because Kreego was so greedy and loved money in just sheer quantity that the group always let him keep all the silver and copper even when they were getting change back from buying things. I really haven’t seen a lot of platinum in my life, so I had just assumed this was silver.
I better play it cool though I thought, “Of course I know it’s platinum, but you were a big help, and I was completely beside myself in some kind of state. I feel I am still further indebted to you personally.”
If this was like any normal tabletop world, then the currency was typically copper, silver, gold, and platinum. Each of them added up to 10 of the previous level of currency. A commoner working in a bar would be lucky to make five silver or so per day. I make a little over $100 per day so I guess this would be like someone walking in and handing me $1000 for letting them borrow a mirror to look at and handing them a bottle of water. Yes, that’s a little fishy.
