Beyond Chaos – A DiceRPG

”Kaza Adam, kaza Adam,” Inakan squealed, fleeing from her father, who rushed after her with a gentle pace, the girl hiding behind Adam’s legs.

“Oh ho?” Adam held Shikan’s gaze, his handsome uncle holding his gaze for a long while, all the while Inakan giggled wildly behind him.

“Kaza Adam, you must protect me!”

“Is your father trying to take you to see the Shaman?”

“No! I do not want to go!” The girl peeked at her father from behind Adam’s leg, hiding behind it once more, giggling even more furiously.

‘In times like this, you are so swift,’ Shikan thought, though then again, she was rather swift of foot whenever it came to causing him trouble. It seemed her cousin and niece influenced her so greatly.

“Unfortunately, Inakan, against the likes of your father, this cousin of yours is no match,” Adam said.

“Kaza Adam, you are so strong! You can beat up daddy!” Inakan declared, striking a deeper wound to her father than even Adam could manage.

“Perhaps I could, but when it comes to facing a father when he is fighting for his daughter, it is extremely dangerous, and I’m not confident,” Adam admitted, reaching down to brush the girl’s hair. “Are you afraid of the Shamans?”

“No, I do not want to go.”

“Why not?”

“I want to play, kaza!”

“I will come along and we can play a little together, how about that?” Adam offered.

“Okay!” Inakan beamed up from behind him, her eyes sparkling from behind her glasses.

Adam held her hand, following her to meet with a Shaman, adorned in their dark robes, their face hidden behind a scarf. Their little cabin was quaint, full of medicinal herbs out of reach for children, the smell of earth and health permeating throughout.

“Oop! That’s a four, so you fail, Inakan, but we can mark a slot,” Adam said, allowing the girl to mark a single slot on her sheet.

“Inakan, it is time for medicine,” Shikan said.

“Huu!” Inakan closed her eyes, readying herself to accept the small cup of what was medicine, but tasted like poison.

“May I flavour the medicine?” Adam asked, brushing the girl’s hair gently.

The Shaman blinked.

Trick: Tricks

Adam called forth the magic through him, the magic clinging to the medicine within the cup, changing the flavour. “I made it taste like a strawberry milkshake, Ina.”

“Strawberry?” Inakan peeked open an eye and looked down at the murky liquid. She narrowed her eyes, but sipped the medicine lightly, the familiar yet foreign flavour danced along her tongue. Her brows shot up in surprise, the girl greedily slurping up the medicine, letting out a satisfied sigh.

The Shaman wiped the girl’s lips, slightly annoyed she didn’t take the exact dosage, but it was fine. However, to flavour the medicine…

The Shaman then recalled one of the new initiatives of the Iyr, and how in the future this would become the norm. The Shaman’s eyes fell upon the half elf, who had been the reason why so much in the Iyr was beginning to change, the Iyr which had stood for thousands of years, and would, with the will of Baktu, and the hearts of the Iyrmen, for thousands more.

“Our Inakan drinks medicine so well, doesn’t she?” Adam asked, carrying the girl who clutched at his collar and rested her head against his shoulder.

“When she was a little girl, she would cry and complain, but recently she is softer with the Shamans,” Shikan teased.

Inakan narrowed her eyes towards her father. “Kaza Adam, daddy is bullying me.”

“Let’s tell mummy, shall we?”

“Yes!”

Shikan blinked.

Shikan held a thousand thanks for the half elf, as Adam skilfully deflected the girl’s attention once they were within the estate, bringing all of his cousins towards him to give even more gifts to them, though he paused, disappearing a short while later to deal with something, returning with a few books, and readied the children to play Warriors and Wanderers.

Elder Lykan sat within his chair, noting the results of the various tests. Adam’s children, as expected, tested well. Even little Jarot, who did not possess his sister’s intelligence, tested well when it came to studying. The girl had surpassed even those a few years her senior, along with her elder siblings. However, what surprised him was that all the children around Adam scored well, even his younger cousins, who had yet to study more formally, but they possessed scores equal to children who had been studying for a while.

Lykan’s eyes fell down to one of his books, peeling it open, noting the words Elder Zijin had written.

‘The principles are similar,’ Lykan supposed. However, the game had perfectly brought together so many different skills, from cultivating one’s imagination and creativity, to making them understand their families and their techniques, as well as their literacy, numeracy, their knowledge of history, spells, and sometimes even alchemy.

‘Adam understands the game will influence the children and their abilities, but he has yet to understand to the extent, but I am certain once you test them, you will know,’ Zijin had said, and yet…

Could Lykan have expected this much? Even the least intelligent of the children surpassed some of their more naturally talented peers in the Front Iyr.

“Sure, I can do that,” Adam replied. “Although, it’s a little awkward, since it’ll be difficult to coordinate so many different Game Masters in a single world, so we should have every GM run their own world, it’s better that way. Although…”

Lykan listened intently to Adam’s words, and seeing the half elf think so deeply, he was glad the half elf was taking it so seriously. Seeing the half elf flush awkwardly…

“Speak.”

“What I’m about to say might sound stupid on the surface, but… I think it’ll be helpful.” Adam cleared his throat, trying to consider his words. “You should employ a full time Game Master.”

“What do you mean?”

“Someone whose role it is to run games throughout the week, who keeps track of their notes, though you can also have multiple take on duties, some Vice Game Masters, who can assist them in keeping the game running. You will need some people who are creative, some people who are smart, and someone who is consistent.” Adam continued to explain to Lykan about his thoughts, and how in depth he was considering Lykan’s request.

“That would be difficult.”

“You know, Elder Lykan, I…” Adam wasn’t sure if Lykan knew, but he needed to speak his mind. “I have heard, that…”

Lykan waited for the half elf to form his words, who obviously wanted something like this to happen, since he enjoyed the game so much, which had swept up his family.

“War gaming is very useful in running simulations of war that can end up rather accurate,” the half elf said, recalling how much it assisted during the World Wars in his first life. “I can’t say anything more than that, since I don’t know if you know, but-,”

“I know you are from another Realm.”

“How much do you know?”

“You were born in a country by the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. You went to school for many years. Your favourite flavour of crisps is prawn cocktail.”

“Why do you know about my favourite flavour of crisps?”

“I must know,” Lykan replied, as though it were truly that simple.

“Alright, well, war gaming played a large part in the World Wars, and not just that, but it’s been a staple in war beyond just the two greatest wars my world has ever known,” the half elf said. “This game that I played, it was a fantasy version of war gaming, but in this world, it’s not a fantasy version, it’s just the norm, so it’ll be useful. If nothing else, I would ask every family to pick up someone to be a Game Master to run games weekly for the young children, instead of one mega game, it would be fun to have dozens of different games. Eventually, you could even form your own rules, your own genres, so on and so on.”

“It may be best.”

“Elder Lykan, live a long life, so then in fifty years time, I can tell you I told you so,” Adam said, half joking.

“I will consider your words, but in this time, it may be difficult due to the preparations we are making for the Reavers,” the Front Iyr Elder informed.

“When it comes to the Reavers, if you need my assistance, please call for me, I’d like to show off for my wife,” Adam said, his tone implying it was a joke, but he and the Front Iyr Elder both knew he was completely serious.

“Do you intend to take your children out of the Iyr during such a turbulent time?”

“I’d like to, but…”

“It is difficult during this time, but if it must be done, it will be done,” Lykan said. “When it comes to the safety of the children, the secrets of the Iyr are but a pittance.”

“Thank you,” Adam said, feeling the heaviness that was the Iyrman’s duty, and the adoration he held for the Iyr.

PATREON LINK

The Iyr is the Iyr.