Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

Adam wiped Xarot’s face with a rag, wiping the boy’s lips and cheek, for he wore part of his breakfast around his lips. Xarot pulled his face away from his father, but it was too late, the delicious meal had been wiped off. He looked up towards his father, who was smiling towards him, and though he had made to whimper, he smiled back towards his father, giggling lightly.

“You are so cranky this morning, huh?” Adam said, leaning down to kiss his son’s forehead, causing the boy to giggle louder. Little Xarot clutched at his father’s collar, pulling himself to kiss his father’s chin, cackling loudly. Thankfully, Adam had wiped the boy’s hands clean, so he could smother his son in affection, their cheeks rubbing together, sharing one another’s gentle warmth.

“Xarot, we must go study now, but we will come back soon,” Jirot said, calling out to her brother, though she approached so she could hug the boy, brushing his hair, kissing his cheek. Little Jarot also did the same, kissing his other cheek.

“It’s the weekend, Jirot,” Adam said, teasing his daughter.

“I must study, daddy, because I slept for so long,” the girl replied, brushing her youngest brother’s hair, before going off to find Virot, who, once again, tried to follow the girl, but was quickly distracted by her grandmother, who lifted her up, and though Virot made to complain, she recalled how difficult an opponent her grandmother was, so remained still, turning away her head in annoyance.

“They have to go study even during the weekend?” Adam asked.

“I requested it,” Vonda confirmed, reaching out a hand, placing it against the back of her husband’s, squeezing it gently. “Jirot’s talents are great, so I requested additional tutoring every weekend, just for an hour, for her and for little Jarot.”

“I guess…” Adam let out an awkward breath, since he wanted the weekend free to spoil his children, but then again, didn’t he also only take every seventh day off?

Then…

“Instead of both days, they should just study a little more on the sixth days, so they can all rest on the seventh, and I’ll rest on the seventh too so I can spoil them all properly.”

“I will mention it to an Elder,” Vonda assured, brushing the back of her husband’s hand gently. Even now, she could see how heavy his shoulders remained, how his head must ache so thoroughly with stress.

“Cousin Adam, cousin Adam,” Inakan called, rushing up to the half elf, holding a small pouch, thrusting it into the air dramatically. “I have dice, so we can play now, okay?”

“I see…” Adam replied, and seeing all the other children begin to gather around, the half elf relented, for it was difficult to defeat even one of his adorable children, but when all of them joined forces, it was the most difficult force for his heart to face.

Jurot, Chosen, Tanagek, and Kitool sat nearby, each taking charge of a small group of children, keeping an eye on them as Adam led the play.

“I see, so you want to find out if there’s a dragon hiding in the cave?” Adam thought about what kind of check would work. “Make me a Wisdom or an Intelligence Check.”

Jitool rolled the die.

10.

“You rolled a ten, plus a three, since you’re so smart, so that’s thirteen. You’re looking, you’re looking, and you notice that there are marks on the ground, but it’s not the marks of a dragon, but maybe a bear?”

“Cousin Adam, I am so strong, I beat up bear,” Jitool said, flexing her muscles, looking aside to her eldest sister, who nodded.

“We’ll see about that.” Adam asked the others what they wanted to do, but as they were Iyrmen, the children stormed in, though thankfully Maool held up his die.

“Traps, cousin Adam!”

“Oh! Cousin Maool, aren’t you so wise? Go ahead and roll the-,” Adam had asked, though the girl, in her excitement, tossed the die out, which struck off the side of the little tray, and clattered into the centre, falling still.

Maool’s mouth formed a tiny circle, the children all gasping in the same way.

20.

“Cousin Maool, that’s a natural twenty,” Adam said, holding up a hand, allowing the girl to high five him. “You do not find any traps, but you do find that there is something looking at you. It’s tall, large, wide, with a giant beak, feathers along its body, that’s right, it’s an-,”

“Ravenbear!” the children all gasped, shouting and screaming between one another.

“I attack!” Gurot said, holding up his die, waiting for his cousin to tell him he can roll.

“Wait, wait, first what do we need to roll for?”

“Battle Order!”

“Okay, now, since Maool managed to spot the creature, I will give everyone a bonus for their roll, let’s say you roll with Advantage, so every group roll twice, and take the highest,” Adam said, preparing his notes for the combat encounter, and how to make it more fun for the children.

“It is time to roll,” Jurot said, tapping the tray lightly, the children allowing the youngest in their group to roll. He looked to Lanarot, who was focused on reading her sheet, trying to remember what it was her yellow ball did.

Sonarot readied her own dice, for she was also playing a creature, the second ravenbear, which followed after the first in the second round.

“Mother!” Lanarot gasped, holding her head, her mouth forming a tiny circle. “How can you do this?”

“I wish to play too,” Sonarot said, before rolling her die.

Yet, Lanarot was determined to show her mother a lesson, tossing the yellow ball out. Adam raised his brows, recalling what the yellow ball was, taking a moment to compose himself. Lanarot raised her brows, since she had never rolled so many dice before, to the point that even all the children could roll a die, and she still had an entire handful.

“The two ravenbears, as well as a portion of the cave wall, turn to dust,” Adam said, taking away the small wooden figures.

“Kaza so strong!” Gurot gasped.

“The yellow orb was actually a…” Adam blinked, realising the children probably didn’t need to know the mechanical effects, nor its name. “It was a powerful magical weapon that could be used to strike down many great beings!”

“Wow!” the children gasped.

Maool raised her fist. “Loot!”

16.

“Maool, you’re rolling too well!” Adam complained, shifting his notes to find what an appropriate treasure could be. “You find piles and piles of silver, some gold too, and…”

“Magical staff!” Maool declared.

“How did you know?” Adam replied, smiling slightly.

“Kaza, I am so smart, and so wise, like papa.” The girl let out a playful cackle, her face contorted in such delight.

“That’s right.” Adam’s lip trembled slightly, annoyed he was unable to spoil her in this moment, for he was currently a Game Master, not a fool. “A magical staff. It’s a plus one, plus, it can also let you, once each day, it will let you throw out a spray of fire, that only hurts the people you want it to hurt.”

“Ooooh!”

“So, who usually uses staffs?”

“Silly, brother, it is not staffs, it is staves,” Lanarot said, tutting at her brother.

“Silly me, yes, you are right, of course,” Adam replied, smiling slightly, winking at his sister.

“I use,” Jitool said.

“Me too,” Maool said.

“Spear?” Minool asked.

“A staff.”

Minool let out a disappointed sigh, looking away from her cousin.

“Sword?” Jazool asked.

“Spear.”

“Spear?” Minool asked.

“Staff! Staff!” Adam laughed. “Sorry, sorry, this time it’s just a staff, but next time, I’ll make sure, oh, actually, you did roll really high…”

‘Is it because of the children?’ Chosen asked. ‘Is it so simple?’

“Let’s say there is a staff, a spear, and a sword.”

“Sword!” Kavgak said, holding up a fist, as though she were wielding a sword.

“Yes, but Kavgak, didn’t you get a magical sword last time?” Adam asked, pointing to her sheet, and the girl picked up the paper with the drawing of a flaming sword.

Kavgak blinked.

“Ock!” called a voice, the pair rushing up to their father. “Daddy! You are playing Warriors and Wanderers?”

“This is all happening while you are studying on how to make those potions,” Adam said, wrapping his arms around his daughter, planting a kiss on her cheek. He snatched Jarot into his affection, peppering his face all over with kisses. “Did you behave?”

“Yes!”

Adam looked towards the old Mad Dog.

“My greatdaughter is always well behaved!” the old man declared, meaning she probably did cause some trouble, but an appropriate amount.

“Now that you have finished your studying, I will take you,” Malfev said.

“Babo is taking us?” Jirot asked.

“I will teach you to strengthen your body,” Malfev said, while his sister kept the Mad Dog at bay. “Konarot, Kirot, Karot, I will teach you too.”

“We can end the session there,” Adam said, clapping his hands, all the while his triplets got up from their nap.

“Darling, shall we take a walk?” Vonda asked, pressing her side against his.

Though the half elf wanted to go with his children, since his wife was so obviously seducing him, he could only relent.

Chosen glanced between Adam and Vonda, who greeted their children, before letting them leave with their babo, themselves taking another path for their walk. He supposed it would be difficult to break when the half elf had a Ray of Life’s Rose to watch over him.

“I should have strangled him,” Jarot growled.

PATREON LINK

What’s this? A chapter so early? I wonder why?