"Okay..." - Said Lucas.
Spore. Dodge.
"...you are really..." - Said Lucas.
Spore. Dodge.
"...annoying..." - Said Lucas.
Spore. Dodge.
"Don't just dodge, do something!" - Shouted Makepeace. Yet, as much a great strategist as he was, Makepeace wasn't exactly good in tactics.
"...am." - Said Lucas.
The eight trait-takers fired... At one another, as Lucas ducked.
Gone were their own traits, restoring Flora as well. The trait-takers were no more, replaced by normal - in fact, very generic - flowers.
"Years being beaten up at school. You learn to dodge." - Said Lucas - "Didn't wanna risk exposing Exfreakingcalibur to an area attack that stals traits. So, FLora, was it? Where is here anyways?"
"This is my palace..." - Said Flora - "And a root... Potential, ideas... Archetypes..."
The trio walked by a darker path with stones and overgrown moss.
"...And... That?"
"That would be the oubliette..." - Said Flora - "In part, it's why you're here... It's been six years, I think... Go there, please."
Lucas went and took a look.
Three guys kept trying to climb out of the place. They seemed oddly clean and calm for six years there.
"What...?" - Asked Lucas.
"Six years ago... One year before the changes..." - Said Flora - "The Enemy made acquaintances with someone. And offered to... Be the DM to three people that had hurt the person... No one was at fault then. The person didn't know who the Enemy was. The three didn't know how much the person had suffered... Yet... In the middle of their game... The Enemy made them roll ones... And then, to drive the point home... Brought them here. It was all I could do to preserve their sanity; I cannot undo this..."
"Okay, I'll dive in..." - Said Lucas.
"Don't." - Said Flora - "That time is Before the Changes. You'll have to do it from here."
"Hmm... An RPG, you said?" - Asked Lucas - "And... They rolled ones..."
Lucas began to chuckle.
"Figures. HEY! YOU THREE! WHO'S THE DM THERE?"
Cobra looked up at the angel woman. It was like he was in a dream or something.
"I am! What the hell is going on?"
"Close! But relax, I'm helping you. Just let me into your game! Chronomancer fifteen, Fatespinner four, Theurge of Tymora one!"
"We aren't playing D&D;!" - Shouted one of the players.
"Yeah, well, fuck it, let me the fuck in if you wanna get out of there!" - Shouted Lucas - "I'll take you back to your own time later, but DM, let me in the game."
"Okay..." - Said the DM - "So everyone was about to fall into the pit... They all had rolled a one, beginning with Windstone, who could have prevented the others from falling if he had made his luck save... But everyone rolled 1s... It defied all possibility."
"That's because it wasn't chance. Now it is. Does anyone there have a die?"
"Yeah." - Said Cobra.
"DM, I'm using my Fatespinner's Fickle Finger of Fate. It lets me force someone to re-roll a test or save."
"It won't help, the dice are..." - Began Windstone.
"The dice are mine. The dice aren't the Enemy's. The dice are of fate and of chaos, the dice are chance, luck and only that. I'm a freelance translator and an RPG player, I live and die by the dice and so do my characters, it was so even before the Iridescent Sun. Luck had me owing ten thousand reais and luck had me gaining fifteen thousand reais, luck had my characters live and die. And then I gained control over it, or somewhat. And you know why? Because I don't use this control like a club. Because fate and chaos and luck and chance are incredible forces that will not be disrespected, but can be changed. They can always, always be changed, because that is how it works. Because chance is infinite, fate is changeable and chaos is everywhere. Because luck is invincible. My goddess is Selene, yes. She is also Neruite, the daughter of Nimb, god of chaos in an RPG. And Nimb, chaos, luck, chance... They teach us that there are always re-rolls. Now re-roll the die. Fickle Finger of Fate. Re-roll. I am the Angel of Chaos and my character is a Fatespinner. Re-roll."
Windstone grabbed the dice...
...and rolled an 18.
"What now?" - Asked the DM, Cobra, amazed that the dice curse had been broken.
"Describe! He just succeeded, didn't he?" - Asked Lucas.
"Okay, you jump over the pit..." - He said - "With you on the other side, you can help catch the others... So no need for rolling the..."
They appeared outside the oubliette.
...dice... Holy fuck, what is this place?
"Long story." - Said Lucas - "But, future reference? Feather Fall, Jump, Use Rope, "I turn back and try to find another way", Fly... Really, you need a caster. Or a Rogue, some race with a DEX bonus..."
Like... Catlings. - The trio thought, suddenly very aware that Cliff's character could have helped, while Lucas kept on waxing lyrical about the myriad of ways a well-prepared D&D; group could have avoided a measly pit.
