During the creating process of my tabletop role-playing game Prowl, I chose to write stories within the world to better understand the inner workings of the different creatures and cultures. This is one such story… (12 minutes)
Our five heroes get into a heavy wooden card, attached to two thick ropes. A wheel on the inside is turned by the powerful bear. The cart slowly rises to the top of the cliff.
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Going up farther along the cliff side, the heroes become fully aware of their location. Slowly making their way up to the edge of the gargan – the massive walking island. At the top they find themselves stepping out of the cart and into a busy ridge-side village. Worry covers Spoose’s face.
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Naidó is standing away from the group, deeper into the town, where a richly decorated fox is talking to him.
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Pitora joins the conversation.
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Just then, a nearby fence falls over, bursting old paint and dust into the air.
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The Mayor walks away, as the other three heroes join Pitora and Naidó.
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The group eventually travels out of the town, into grassy plains with soft rolling hills. The sun is down, but enough light shines from the three moons. They continue walking, until the moons are almost at the horizon, and darkness slowly sets in.
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He disappears into a patch of trees, as the rest of the group unpacks. Spoose stands a few steps away form the group, looking out over the horizon. A few minutes pass.
Bosa finds himself surrounded by strong branches, too thick to break off. Picking up the dead branches from the ground, and collecting them in his massive claw, Bosa notices a shadow in the corner of his eye. Ignoring it, he continues his search for wood. Bending over to grab a branch, Bosa hears the zinging of an arrow flying over his head. It lands hard in the tree next to him. Dropping the branches and twigs his hands reach up behind his back and grab a hold of his massive battleaxe.
Back at the camp, Spoose’s ears twitch.
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The words had not yet fully left his lips as a gust of wind blows his cape into the air. A figure dashes passed him, and it takes Spoose’s big eyes a second to focus. It is Naidó, in full sprint, running straight towards the patch of trees Bosa disappeared in.
Deep within the forest, Bosa still has not found his attackers. Looking around in all directions, he only just manages to dodge the incoming arrows. Nothing but shadows can be seen shifting between the leaves.
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The magic orb in his hand starts glowing. It shines brighter and brighter, until all of the forest is as bright as the morning sun. Figures in the darkness are blinded and stunned by the sudden flash.
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Bosa rushing towards them, wildly swinging his weapons in his charge. He chops down two rats at the same time, and continues towards the third. But more now come crawling out of the shadows. One of them, painted black to mark its rank, lifts its massive bow and aims dead ahead. The arrow looses, and flies straight towards Bosa. He reaches up his hand in a feeble attempt to stop it. A moment passes, and still no pain has reached his arm. He takes another look at the archer, and finds the arrow floating in mid air in front of his hand. Beyond the rat stands Naidó, one hand out with a magical glow, the other with a dagger through the neck of the blackened rat. Naidó leaps from target to target, leaving only shadows behind.
Eventually the rest of the team come charging in, and the remaining enemies are quickly defeated. A couple flee, surely to be seen again.
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They go back to the campsite, and eventually find some rest. At the start of sunlight the heroes pack their things.
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Cotton’s magic orb brightens, and Spoose feels his body re-energize.
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They continue their journey, walking past lakes and hills. Eventually, they walk across a dusty road through a grass landscape, with mountain ranges on the background; They have reached the village.
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Entering the town of Greenwing, the villages look up at this strange group – their eyes full of awe. Cotton walks ahead of the group, eyes forward straight at the goal, whilst Pitora walks voluptuously behind with eyes full of secrets and desires. Bosa walks as broad as he can, intimidating any out of approaching. Lastly, Spoose shuffles behind, timid and shy, and Naidó seems not to even notice the people around him. They enter a building, and are greeted by a deer and a squirrel. They sit behind a giant table, covered with papers and scrolls, ink pots and quills.
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Both Cotton and Pitora but the back of their hands forward, showing the magic orb.
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Cotton and Pitora walk back to the other three and the leave the building.
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The heroes walk out of town, towards the long flat grassy plains that are only broken by the dusty roads that lead through it.
Beyond the group’s sight, much further along the road, a peddler travels with a cart of wares. He’s carrying all kinds of goods. Sunshine slowly passes as moonlight fills the sky. A soft rain falls from the sky, and the peddler halts. With fearful eyes he slowly rotates his head to see where the strange noise came from.
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The badger throws his sword above his head, holding it firm with both hands, ready to chop up his victim, when suddenly one of the barrels from the cart flies through the air, hitting the badger in the back of the head. Pitora lets go her grip on her magic orb, as its glow resides. The rest of the party surrounds and protects the peddler, as Bosa steps up to the badger.
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Spoose kneels down to turn over the knocked out badger. Instead of a right eye, the badger has a black opal, glimmering in the soft light of the peddler’s torch. Spoose retracts his hand as if touching fire, and looks at Bosa, not fully believing what he’s seeing.
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Their conversation is broken by a long an chilling howl that fills the air. All five of them stare in the direction of the origin of the sound, frightened as if having seen a ghost.
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They form a circle, looking in all directions. The peddler runs away into the bushes, screaming, but those screams suddenly stop. The bushes rustle, and small clouds of dust rise up behind it. The threat is coming closer, and light drizzle turns into rain.
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Figures move behind bushes and boulders, quickly escaping sight whenever ever one of the heroes lays his eyes on them. Darting shadows come ever closer.
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Spoose and Cotton run away, towards the town, as the remaining three close ranks and watchfully scan the area around them. Cotton’s old bones can’t seem to keep up with Spoose.
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Suddenly the rustling of nearby bushes becomes much louder.
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A giant figure jumps up from behind a large bush, and makes an impressive leap. A hulking blade shines in the moonlight, swimming down at Cotton. Spoose notices only the movement, and holds out his magic orb – closing his eyes, afraid of what he would see. Was he in time?
Spoose opens his eyes, and finds the sword pushing against an invisible wall right above Cotton. The old tortoise makes a roll backwards, only now fully aware of the ambush.
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Spoose’s knees tremble, as the hulking figure slowly walks closer to Cotton, who’s still half crouched on the ground.
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The end.
Art by Isabella Koelman.