The Next Game Master Pt. 01

She kissed his cheek. They ate and set up camp. The Wagon Master ordered Raven to bed. "You will head out and start hunting early after you got your spells back."

Raven looked at him, "You will want to dispose of those bodies. With a chest here and no wagon, I would think they are expecting a wagon at some point."

He nodded and he got the other guards to take care of the bodies deeper into the woods. Raven laid down to sleep. He had 2 ladies curled up beside him and he rested.

The goddess visits in his dream, "Everyone is getting a message that they advance a level and will have more spells and abilities." She asked, "Where do you want to go with this build?"

He sighed, "I was thinking 1 ranger/ 5 wizard, 3 Eldrick knight, 8 arcane archer, then 3 more Eldrick knight."

She chuckled, "You have advanced in your wizard class. You're effectively a level ahead of the others because of your aptitude in guiding the others, even accounting for the head start which I worked off in this first part.

You have gained bonus XP for your creativity and trying to get the party involved in the combat situations and training them in the camping aspects. This group has made it past this point twice. The next Adventure's Inn the party will be effective level 5. They have never made it that far before. They have a really good shot with you. Your mother's ring doubles all first level spells."

He sighed, "We never discussed my bonded object."

She spoke to him, "What do you want it to be?"

He thought for a moment, "My father's mithril wedding band. Index finger on the right hand. I fight left-handed so my other hand is my casting hand normally."

She sighed, "It is not supposed to be of a special material but it does fit well with your background. It also explains how you got it. I will allow it. Your favored enemy troll means all giants by the way."

Raven smiled, "I know but calling out trolls just sounds cooler."

She laughed. "As to your combat feats you have your precise shot and weapon focus, you can pick up your Point blank shot at fifth level. I know your previous DM kind of winged it and I am having to tweak your skills and feats to align with the rules of my world."

He asked, "What of the one 2nd level spell I have listed in my spellbook."

She chuckled, "You cannot cast it. It just lets me know one of the spells you took. I have to ask, Why web?"

He smiled, "Went well with the whole fighter archer ranger theme."

She chuckled, "Explain this build to me."

He thought to her, "Saves are 11/10/10 without stats or items. I have 4 attacks, Burst arrows, a hail of arrows, and am still able to cast up to 8th level spells. I would get 14 feats counting the one mage bonus metamagic, 3 combat, and 10 any type feats.

The mage bonus feat I would pick up quicken. An effective level 16 caster with a base attack bonus of 17."

She smiled, "You are a gamer. Too bad you are male or you would make a great Game Master."

He laughed, "I have enough trouble looking after the 6 other party members. You need to consider tempering the treasure. It is coming too fast. Just a thought."

He saw an image of her face fading as she smiled. "Rest well and I will think about that, but this group has needed the boost." He woke, memorized up his spells, and summoned up the raven.

He grabbed a bite to eat, packed up his gear, and kissed each of the ladies on the cheek. He saddled up his horse and nocked an arrow and rode out of camp quietly while the sentries nodding to him. He got out on the road. "Road search pattern."

He traveled for about an hour at a slow pace and the woods were quiet. Too quiet. He sent the raven a message, "Go up a few hundred feet and look around. Then return."

The raven returned to him, "Lots of men, big camp on the left side of the road."

He sighed, "Damn, fly up a 100 feet and glide over me and look at the camp. I will look through your eyes."

His raven headed up and glided. His vision faded as he looked through the raven's eyes. He could make it out. It looks like a military encampment of the Barons.

A couple of hundred yards off the road. A couple of hundred men. Raven returned to his vision and rode back toward camp as his raven landed on his shoulder, "Hunting is not going to be good today."

He got back to the camp and woke the Wagon Master. He looked at Raven, "Something wrong?"

Raven nodded, "Up ahead, the left side of the road, about 200 yards back is an army camp of a couple hundred. The banners are for that Baron. I recommend we get this camp packed and moving before they start sending out morning patrols."

He sat up, "Take your guys ahead while I get the rest moving."

Raven went around and collected his guys. He told Ersa, "Study on horseback."

"Flar, you will just have to heal us up when the wagons catch up. If we run into trouble."

They got grouped up. He told the raven, "Scout the road."

They rode for about an hour and a half. His raven came back, "6 men on horses riding toward you."

He stopped, "Marshal go back a 100 yards when Gardner and Lirana get to you start riding back to this point.

Gardner and Lirana I want you to ride forward. If they are the Baron's men, they will see 2 and charge toward you. Ride back to Marshal. Turn and ride forward and try to engage them in this area. The mage and I will be firing bows from the woods, I want to put the rogue up a tree so she can drop onto one those assholes if he rides in toward us.

After you take one down find cover go back to stealth or range with your dagger. We cannot let any getaway. If one runs, take out his horse. Save your magic for that."

She nodded. The 3 took off and they made their way into the woods. He found a couple of trees to hide behind. A few minutes later they saw Gardner and Lirana as they shot past them headed toward Marshal.

They heard the sounds of horses. He looked around and one rider held back. He took aim on him. He pointed the wizard at him as well. They fought past the ambush site. The pair fired and took out the guard holding back.

Raven moved up to the edge of the road. He started firing at the next man from the road so he could see Raven. He stuck an arrow in him. Then another of his friends.

They came riding back toward Raven. He took cover in the woods as they approached. One came around on each side of the tree and he waited to see which one the rogue would take out. She took the one furthest from the rest of the group. He thought, "Good girl."

The wizard fired on the other and finishes him off. He got back out to the road. They had a man down, Gardner was off his horse on the ground.

He rushed forward and he was still alive but bleeding. He applied pressure on Gardner's wound. "Marshal, do you have lay-on hands?"

He nodded and came over and helped to stabilize the fighter. He looked over, "Lirana ride back with Gardner so you can both get healed up first."

Lirana laughed, "The blood on me is from the fuck I took the head off of."

Raven nodded, "We got to get all of the horses now so they do not go riding back into that camp without a rider."

She nodded and went after the furthest horse. Ersa grabbed the 2 near her. Marshal grabs the other 3.

Raven walked up to Marshal, "I expect you to be making calls like that. If something is wrong, I will tell you. Take charge like you got a pair."

He laughed, "I got a pair."

Raven smirked, "When they are not slapping against Gardner's ass or chin use them for battle."

He smiled and nodded. "You forgot when he has them sucked into his mouth."

Raven looked at him, "Not an image I wanted, the other 2 were bad enough."

He laughed. They got the horses tied off and pulled the bodies off the side of the road. Deeper into the woods and stripped them down. "Two more magical blades, one set of magical full plate human size, and one magical cloak. Ersa looked it over, protection ring and armor are both minor enchantments. The cloak is a minor cloak of displacement."

Marshal looked over, "That came off the guy in the full plate. Gardner and I had a hard time finishing him off."

Raven nodded, "That should go to Gardner then, he bled for it."

Marshal nodded and stripped naked and put his clothes back and then the full plate. Ersa looked over, "Both blades are minor magical but that is the first two-hander we have gotten."

He nodded, "I know a big barbarian babe who would love that then."

Lirana laughed at Raven's comment as she was back already.

He picked up the two swords and threw the two-hander to Lirana. He walked over and handed her the ring. He looked at the group, "I will scout ahead you keep an eye on the extra horses and wait here for the wagons or for me to come riding back fast screaming like a whining bitch."

They laughed at him as he headed off. He scouted forward slowly for half an hour and found nothing.

He checked the army and they had moved away from them. The bulk anyway. He rode back and got to the group as the wagon approaches. The Wagon Master rode over, "Just the one injured?"

He nodded, "We played them into fighting where we wanted them. Gardner, this cloak is for you. You bled for it." He smiled while Ersa told him what it was and he threw it on.

"The Army, the bulk anyway, has moved away from us. We should get moving. I will get to scouting. Hunting will be crap with that army nearby."

The Wagon Master nodded and took the 6 extra horses and tied them off. He looked at Raven, "There is a shortcut that runs that way. I do not use it as it is ripe for bandits. I bet that other caravan went that way. They passed us last night as they travel at night as well. If they did, they have an army to deal with."

Marshall looked at Raven and nodded.

Raven rode off, "Scout the road."

Hunting was not completely terrible. He did take down one 80-pound wild boar and took him to the cook after gutting it. The cook smiled, "Bad hunting day."

Raven nodded, "Too much army in the area."

He nodded. They made camp just as the sun went down.

Having put as much distance from the two combat sites as possible. He looked at the Wagon Master, "I only used one minor cantrip today. I want a guard shift."

He looked at Raven, "Take the middle shift then."

Raven nodded and spoke to his bird, "You got pig intestines today so you scout the camp tonight."

The bird went up into the tree.

Raven grabbed some sleep with 2 ladies at his side. He got woken for his shift. He got a telepathic message from the bird, "Danger approaches, men."

He grabbed the arm of the guy who woke him and whisper, "Start waking everyone quietly." He stuck his hands over the two ladies' mouths and whispered, "Prepare for battle. I am going to see what my raven sees. I cannot see or hear while I do this but I will tell you I count 16 men that have us surrounded.

Two in heavy armor. One looks like a dwarf. The others are all in dark leather. This is not the army. If it is it is an assassin squad. Get others up. We got less than a minute."

Raven got his vision back. He told the Raven, "Fly away from the danger squawking. Then fly back to me quietly and disappear as soon as you can."

He grabbed his father's sword and his bow and two quivers and got them on quickly. He slid under a nearby wagon and then moved behind a tree. The ladies followed. He had an arrow nocked. He heard them approaching now and they were too close for a bow so he slung it and drew his blade. The ladies looked at what sword he took out and knew this was big.

He heard them approaching on either side of the tree he was behind. He saw Shia was hiding near a tree close to him on one side. He nodded at her. The wizard was under the wagon with her crossbow. As the two emerge He jammed his blade through the first one and activated it, "Under attack!"

The one he stabbed was dead. The other went for his back but Shia got his back first.

She dropped back in behind the tree Raven had been at as he moved over to the one she had hiding behind.

He knew there were eyes watching that blade. He heard the sounds of battle around the camp. He had 2 rushing toward him. One got a bolt in the shoulder. Raven threw a magic missile at him and sent him to the ground. The other guy swung wide and caught the tree.

The rogue caught him in the back. Raven moved along the tree line slowly toward the sounds of battle ducking behind a tree. Shia followed. Ersa watched their backs. One of the rogues dropped down from a tree. He caught Raven with a dagger really good. Shia caught him with 2 daggers.

Raven got up but knew he was hurt bad.

He looked at Shia, "Get to the other side of this tree we fight from here. They will come to me. They will come for the sword."

She nodded, he stood and waited. Shit, the dwarf in full plate came running toward him screaming. He dropped the sword and switch to the bow and put an arrow into him. A magic missile hit him from under the wagon.

He picked up the sword and backed away from the approaching dwarf. Drawing him into the rogue. Another bolt hit him from the mage. He thanked Myssara, "Glad dwarves are slow and full plate makes them slower."

He dropped the bow. He hit the dwarf with a ray of frost and saw a bolt hit. The dwarf was in position and the rogue finishes him off from behind. Before he could swing on Raven.

The sound of battle died down and Flar came walking over, "No bolts this time."

Raven laughed, "Just a nasty dagger." Flar hit him with some healing. Raven pointed to the dead dwarf and Flar starts striping the armor off of him.

Raven called forth his bird, "Scout the road they must have horses somewhere."

Marshal started coordination, "Strip the gear off the dead enemy and bring it by the fire. We can check for magical gear."

The raven went off and returned, "On the road. Many horses and a wagon."

Raven looked at his two ladies, "Ersa, you go and help with the gear, Tell the cleric and Lirana I will need their help."

The Wagon Master came over, "You are worth 10 times what I am paying you."

Raven laughed, "I did not take this job for your pay. I took it for all the idiots who would try and attack you. They have money and gear. We are in no need of a raise."

He laughed, "What are you doing?"

Raven smiled, "They have at least 21 horses and a wagon down the road and we are going after it. My raven can count to 20 but it is more than he can count. We finally have transportation for our dwarf. He gets his own little battlewagon."

The cleric laughed. Raven looked at him, "You been learning to cook too right?"

He grumbled, "Yes. If I were any good with a bow, I'd have you cooking!"

Raven smiled, "Well we got a place to store any excess gear now as well. Besides, you will look good in a frilly apron."

Everyone laughed even the dwarf. They headed out and the Wagon Master followed, "Interesting sword you were wielding."

Raven nodded, "The Baron killed my father trying to get it. Which is why it is not on display."

He sighed, "This Baron is becoming a real pain in the ass prick."

Raven nodded, "I was hoping to avoid his men but that has not worked out well so far. This road is on the border of the battle he is waging. You might want to take cargo out to a different location instead of returning this way."

He nodded, "I would have to hire my own army to get back through. You guys are going somewhere?"

Raven nodded, "Marshal knows where we are going. If you pick up a load going in that direction, we could be convinced to help you out again. You attract all kinds of goodies for us."

He laughed, "I like that idea. Glad you like the spoils."

Raven looked at him as they approached the wagon, "Regardless we will split the horses with you."

He laughed, "I have more than I can handle now these are all yours."

He looked at the dwarf, "Do you know how to cook horse yet?"

The Wagon Master laughed. They got the horses and the wagon which was loaded with some furniture and paintings captured from someplace. Worth quite a bit of coin. He looked around and there was nothing magical.

He saw a stack of small shields and a few sets of chainmail. He looked at the dwarf, "We get us some poles and leather strips we have the makings for our own smoker for you. Ersa can watch it while you drive your wagon. She can fix any straps and she is getting deadly with that crossbow."

Shia chimed in, "She has been practicing with it ever since you gave it to her. It is like an extension of her now. She loves it."

Raven laughed, "I thought she loved my cock."

They laughed at his comment. Shia looked at him, "The cock is only part of the equation the rest is what is in that head of yours. You do some outrageous stuff."

Raven smiled, "So, you like my dirty mind?"

She laughed, "We like your mind period. We just love the dirty side of it."

The Wagon Master looked at Raven, "You some kind of stud?"

Raven shrugged, "I fucked 2 of them silly when we met and they have been attached to my hips every night since."

He laughed, "I had noticed that."

Raven gave him a grin, "I venerate Myssara. She has done well for me personally. With this night raid, we will get a late start in the morning so we can recover spells."

He nodded, "Good goddess for you it sounds like. A late start is fine by me my men could use a little extra rest after that as well. We did not lose any but the cleric came in handy for a few of them. I am glad we did not leave the scout and cleric behind."

Raven smiled as they got back to the camp with the extra wagon and 20 horses. He knew at that point one had escaped the fight and would likely get word back to the Baron on the location of the sword.

Marshal looked at them, "We should check for magical gear on the wagon."

Raven nodded, "Already took care of that wise leader. The Wagon Master had questions about which way we are headed. With this route so bad he might look at taking a load in a different direction. If it aligned, I told him we might be persuaded to come along. He attracts the most interesting bandits full of goodies for us."

They laughed at Raven. Marshal looked at Flar, "Minor protection on that full plate."

Flar smiled and jumped down from the wagon and headed for the fire. Marshal looked at Raven, "There are a minor enchanted composite longbow and short bow over there as well."

He looked at Shia, "We need to get you using a bow. It would help to thin the herd of men coming at us."

She nodded, "It would have better range than this dagger though I do love it as well." He went and picked up the two bows. he drew the short bow back and looked it over and handed it to Shia. He pulled back on the longbow and it has some tension.

He looked at Shia, "Draw this bow back."

She took it and could barely budge the string. He took it from her, "Composite longbow with a nice strength to the string. I might plow an arrow through a man with this thing. I will use it. I will store my other in the wagon as I have not decided if I will pursue enchanting it."

Marshal chuckled, "Great another weapon for you to plow with."

The ladies laughed. Raven sighed, "The other is not a weapon the way I use it. I have yet to kill someone in bed with it. I have not really tried that either. I think that would be very bad and downright disgusting. At some point, you would become a necrophiliac. A person who enjoys sex with the dead. No thank you. That was bad, Marshal. You're a paladin, shame on you."

The guys laughed at Raven for chiding the Paladin. Marshal just smiled and walked away after that. Ersa handed Raven a ring, "Minor resistance ring."

Raven smiled and put it on. "I am maxed on rings at the moment."