Chapter 7: Game Night Rules Part Two

Rules of the Black Arts for Advanced Users was there.

I ran my fingers softly over the top of the book, thrilled that it had not been taken.

Not sure what came over me, I clutched my backpack and pulled it close to my chest.

The unexpected affection startled me.

As I let go, relief displaced my anxiety.

The void of losing it was filled with vivid visions of sharing the book with everyone. I pulled it out, flipped through its pages, and imagined the great adventures to come.

The booming, guttural voice of an orthodox chant interrupted my daydreaming.

Weird Nikki’s musical countdown was underway. I needed to get back to the table.

I nudged the book into its snug spot.

Zipped the backpack.

Slung it over my shoulder.

When I re-entered the room, Weird Nikki lowered the volume. I guessed she had it cranked up as a beacon for me.

Everyone else was already standing by their chairs. I joined them and secured my bag close to me under the table.

We all waited to be seated.

Since Weird Nikki took on the role of GM, she steeped the game in ritual. It took some getting used to, but eventually, it grew on us.

She walked to our ceremonial game night candles and lit them—one for each of us.

[GAME TABLE]

GM

With her back to us, she draped a black shroud over her face, then turned and sat at the head of the table. From that point on until our break, no one saw her face. She was now fully immersed in her role as the GM.

One by one, everyone else took their seats.

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

I, a Nephilim sorcerer called Malvic the Chaos-Ryder, had the second seat at the table.

Vaughn Cipher

Next came Gene, a human cleric known as Vaughn Cipher. He lifted the tail of his simplified hussar overcoat so he wouldn’t sit on it. For some ungodly reason, he wore that bizarre coat everywhere. Supposedly, it was crucial to his station as the Cleric of Stories.

Sin Alerion

Then Myles, a dark elf rogue named Sin Alerion, took his seat.

He was still tugging at his rogue bracelets. Once settled, he swept his hood over his head and pulled a tuft of his brown hair over his left eye, leaving the rest of his face in shadows.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

Finally, Nate, a Cimmerian warrior bearing the title Cull the Bloodsoaked, dropped into position.

All ten of his fingers gleamed with pewter and silver rings. He cinched his dark hair into a battle-ready ponytail and drew his headband into place as if it were a crown.

We sat in silence until the chant ended.

In the past, this moment was a giggle-fest. But over the years, we grew serious. Entering the world had become a solemn part of channeling our characters.

The operatic chant faded into atmospheric music. Then the speaker pulsed with the mellow tones of the GM’s voice.

GM

“It’s time to enter your avatars. At this time, go ahead and put on your AR glasses.”

We all tapped the compartments embedded in the table. A soft pop rang out.

The AR glasses unlatched and slowly rolled out.

After we grabbed the eyewear, our trays silently slid shut.

One by one, we equipped ourselves. The built-in mini speakers in the arms of the glasses hummed with the subtleties of the soundtrack.

Finally, the GM took us online.

Both the glasses and table lit up with a beautiful LED glow. It gave me chills every time.

Overlaying us, our avatars came into view.

Then, our party’s coat of arms, a heraldic hellhound, hovered over the middle of the table and rotated in place.

GM

“Prepare, party of Nightshade. It is now time to return to your world of Eurydice.”

A swoosh, like a free-fall, rushed through the sound system, firing a burst of phosphorescent lights and swirling colors that flooded our vision—a perfect fusion that lulled our senses into believing we had leapt into another realm.

Three buttons pulsated in the center of our vision: VR Mode, Third Person Mode, and Free Mode.

We all pressed Free Mode. It rendered our full-sized 3D avatars seated at the table, while our miniature counterparts animated on the tabletop screen.

One by one, our avatars stirred from their slumber until the last of us stood.

Their awakening powered our cDecks, shifting our character sheets into view. Swiping left to right, I opened mine: core stats, features, inventory, and more.

Two of the sweetest things about the cDecks—one: it updated all stats in real-time, and two: as we progressed, even the GM’s bonuses or disadvantages updated.

[WELCOME TO EURYDICE]

GM

“Welcome back to Eurydice, Nightshade.”

The terrain unfolded on the holographic table.

Our characters huddled on black sand as hexagonal rocks jutted from the mountainside. Off to the right, in the distance, purple ocean waves crashed against the beach’s scattered rocks.

We all cheered to be back.

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

“Hell yeah, we’re out of the dreariness of base world.”

Swiping my finger in the air across the AR control screens, I made my character emote a deep stretch.

I took a quick tally of my stats.

I suspected from our previous session that this outing was going to be hellish. Habit kept me a very cautious player, ready to solve problems before they even unfolded.

GM

“As your party takes stock and acclimates to the crossover, the last of the day’s sunlight washes away as a faint smell of burning sulfur rides the cold mist that creeps in. There are no auditory or visual cues of danger, but you all begin to feel uneasiness in your bones.”

From right to left, tell me how your character reacts.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

The smell sucks, but the uneasiness arouses thoughts of bloodletting. I pound the head of my bludgeon against my hand and rush into the thick fog, hungry for something to hit.

“Cull, kill.”

GM

Cull disappears into a thick fog in the distance; it seems to envelop him happily. Sin, please proceed.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

What do you mean by happily? I think I made the wrong move.

Sin Alerion

Sin still cannot adjust his gauntlets, but he breaks free from the nuisance to voice his disapproval of Cull’s stupidity.

“We need a leash for him!”

Vaughn Cipher

“Who’s going to hold it, you?”

We all laugh at Gene’s joke.

Sin Alerion

Sin turns to the group.

“Do you guys feel it? There is something wrong here. This mist is unnatural. I say we move out. We must deliver the Orb of the Pelahuari.”

I briefly uncover the orb in my pouch to remind the group of our transport mission.

Then, I pick up my gear and prepare for a quick exit.

Vaughn Cipher

“Can’t do that. Cull’s off swinging at the wind. Besides, uneasiness is such a low threat. I’m always uneasy.”

Vaughn’s more interested in drinking and reading an excerpt from one of his books ’til Cull returns. He breaks off an Irontail Brew’s seal and passes it to Malvic.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

GM

Reading and drinking are abilities you excel at, Vaughn.

On his deck, Gene added a beer and book icon to his character, and the action of sitting on the ground reading and drinking Irontail Brew played out on the table.

GM

Malvic.

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

To Malvic, his traveling companions stink worse than the sulfur. I fly up and hover above the group in search of Cull.

“Cull, return!”

GM

Malvic, give me an investigation roll.

Yes, we embraced tech.

But there was no way in hell we would ever give up our physical dice.

I picked up a jade-green moonstone die and squeezed it in my palm, then let it fly.

The die clacked in the tray until it finally stopped.

The outcome was scanned, matched against my stats, and shown across all decks.

GM

“About 50 feet in the air, Malvic tries to gather clues from the area of Cull’s whereabouts. He notices the ocean has quelled its thunderous throes to the west. And to the east, it appears that the natural wildlife of the environment has become eerily quiet… Or is it afraid? The mist covers most of the terrain and is thickest in the direction of Cull’s blind run. Despite the limited visibility, Malvic finds it odd that Cull’s bulked-out, eight-foot frame is undetectable.”

Malvic, any additional action you’d like to take on your turn?

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

Yes.

I took keen notes of the GM’s clues. Focusing on the east, I looked closely at the holo table, and I saw it!

The color in the region slowly siphoned away.

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

“I cast Glitter Dust.”

GM

Oh, you do, you dirty dog. Hitting the situation with your highest detection spell. So go ahead and roll, but remember, if successful, it takes one full round to complete. Plus, you may be helpless, stuck in a cooldown round to recover your magic.

This time, I rolled an obsidian die. It rang in the tray briefly, then landed on the perfect roll. Weird Nikki sat quietly.

I could tell her story gears were turning.

GM

Okay, group decision time. You have two choices you can make. Listen carefully: you can sit out a round and wait for Malvic’s spell to finish, or you can go with your individual turns. Cull, Sin, and Vaughn must vote unanimously to forego your turns. Malvic, you can’t influence the group. You are too busy manifesting your spell. You have ninety seconds. Go.

The countdown appeared across our decks. Surprisingly, my party members immediately began bickering. They even moved from the table to talk out of earshot.

I was confident they would wait for my spell to be completed. So what the hell was the disconnect?

The time flew by fast, but the trio returned to their seats before the countdown ended. I had no clue about their final decision.

GM

Vaughn, speak for the group and provide the answer.

Vaughn Cipher

We couldn’t agree on a choice.

GM

Indecision. That’s bad. Why do you guys like to make things hard on me?

Cull the Bloodsoaked

I told you we should have all agreed to take our turns.

What the ever-loving crap? Nate held out on me. Kind of like he always does. Classic Nate.

But was he the only one?

I made the perfect move, and the team didn’t back me.

It was a no-brainer.

GM

“Cull’s whereabouts are still unknown. But the fog that aided in his disappearance penetrates the quarry. Soon, Sin cannot continue his travel preparations, and Vaughn can no longer see the words in his book. They are blanketed and lose their orientation to their surroundings. Suddenly, a fallout of tiny, illuminated gold flecks shines in the dense atmosphere. It is the visible magic of Malvic’s glitter spell. The flecks around Malvic make him a perfect beacon for the team.”

You have very little time left. What do each of you do?

Cull the Bloodsoaked

Do I see it from wherever the hell I’m at?

GM

Yes, but it’s barely visible, way off in the distance. But you may want to give attention to the graying and the soft flakes of ash in the forest around you.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

What the hell is it?

GM

Stick around to find out.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

Screw that. I move toward Malvic.

Vaughn Cipher

Me too.

Sin Alerion

I’m with them.

GM

“The team advances toward your position, Malvic.” Do you want me to explain your spell to them, or do you want the honors?

No way was I letting Weird Nikki steal my thunder.

Still, I was a little salty.

My party had little faith in me. I sort of wanted to teach them a lesson, and hide the truth, but…

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

“Nightshade to me.”

…I took care of my team like I always had. And I needed them for my recovery round.

The thick mist faded, and I could see that Sin and Vaughn were almost next to me. Cull was still many yards away.

When I took to the air, I saw the eastern horizon succumbing to a rot, turning ash gray. Peace was just a play on words. All the wildlife had been slaughtered. And their death dealer was barreling right toward us. Even though I had cast a revelation spell, I already knew what we were about to face.

Sin Alerion

“What is it? What does your spell say?”

Malvic the Chaos-Ryder

“Think about it. What are the only invisible creatures that can walk the plains but whose very demonic nature drains the life force of the environment around them?”

Sin Alerion and Vaughn Cipher

“Brimstone Wraiths.”

The group was both mortified and excited by the reveal.

But after my spell removed the creatures’ invisibility on the holo table, we were especially spooked by the sheer volume headed directly toward us.

Brimstone Wraiths were no joke. The sight of them disoriented the senses.

Their blackened, charred human faces, riddled with suffering, protruded from their enormous, spiky, brimstone husks.

And as they lurched forward, their hands dragged alongside them.

Their enormous presences demanded auditory cues. But there were none.

These creatures lived in the splinter between the physical and spiritual.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

Seriously, we are not prepared to fight them!

GM

Well, let’s find out. “As Sin and Vaughn draw closer to Malvic, Cull—maybe fifty yards away—watches the fog twist. From its mist, grotesque features of a horde of gigantic beasts begin to break from the shadows. There’s very little time to react, but Cull finds a sliver.”

Cull the Bloodsoaked

“Damn!”

GM

Cull, give me a dexterity roll.

Cull complied, and his roll bounced in the tray. Spinning. Spinning…into the number one. The outcome was tragic.

After the GM’s roll, all of our cDecks were updated with Cull’s depleted status.

GM

Sadly, Cull didn’t evade the onslaught of Brimstone Wraiths. His grunts and hard-hitting thuds echo from deep within the woods. After a unified, massive roar from the beasts and the harsh snapping of branches comes a sharp, fast-rising whizz. There is a brief silence. Then Cull the Bloodsoaked’s massive body bursts through the tree line and crashes, limp and broken, at the group’s feet.

Cull the Bloodsoaked

“Ain’t this some sh…”

Now this was role-playing. Game night ruled! Insurmountable odds that were followed by choices we pulled out of nowhere to win.

I looked around the table; everyone adjusted in their seats, eager to get their turns.

We had an epic battle in front of us.

But before that could happen, my AR glasses involuntarily switched to VR Mode.

Normally, we opted out of this mode because it changed the dynamic of the game, but damn, it looked good—so real.

I should’ve immediately switched back to Free Mode, but the environment was alive. All the details—fog, black sand, and even my glitter dust—were burning bright in 10K resolution.

The reality of the moment drew me in.

I bent down to examine Cull. He was bloody, dirt-laden, and lifeless.

I glanced at Sin and Vaughn—but they were frozen, locked in place like statues.

Something was wrong.

“Hey, guys. Sorry to break character, but are you all glitched too?”

There was no response.

Seeking to exit the game, I called up my AR screen and tried to switch modes; it didn’t work.

A strange, potent odor like a gazillion scorched matches or fields of rotting eggs forced me to investigate my surroundings.

“Guys? What’s that smell? Is something happening at the table? I can’t get the glasses off.”

Again—no response.

My avatar’s hands, in sync with my real hands, feverishly fumbled to remove my glasses.

I couldn’t.

“Hey! Power off. I’m stuck in VR Mode!” Everyone at the table must’ve heard the alarm in my voice—they had to.

A slow, foreboding realization crept in—I had lost connection with my real body.

Then, all at once, vibrations from a massive, booming crash of falling trees rocked me off balance.

As soon as I found my footing, I noticed the ground, devoid of color, decaying into ash. I knew exactly what that meant.

Countless Brimstone Wraiths had broken free from the forest.

But one striking detail paralyzed me: their heads were wrapped in the same white, open-mouthed symbol masks I’d seen earlier.

My heart fluttered with panic as I flailed, struggling to access my powerset screens. Every spell in my inventory was greyed out.

Damn! I’m in a cooldown round.

Magicless, I tried to yank off my glasses again. They wouldn’t budge.

Nothing came to mind to defend myself.

Before the impulse—run—could even form, the monsters slammed down on top of me.