Forgotten Dragon Realms

[STSF_Scooter 0]

Audraya walked through the city, separated from the rest of the landing party, her mind goggling at what she was seeing. Sure there were the usual steampunk elements, but interwoven were creatures out of Forgotten Dragon Realms. The glitter of gold from altitude above the city indicated a gold dragon flying overhead. “Must make for some interesting air traffic control issues,” she pondered.

 

As she stepped into a tavern she was immediately assaulted by images she had forgotten about while in high school, all those years ago...

 

::insert wavy flashback special effects...here::

 

Wade T. Wilson HS

Pittsburgh, PA

September 4, 2238

 

A 17 years old Audraya walked through the doors of Wade T. Wilson High, before the first bell rang, in shock and awe. All of Earth year 2238 had been a shock to her. Purchased by the man who adopted her and brought her home to be a part of his family, a crash course to bring her up to where she should be in the Pittsburgh secondary school system. Even five years after the destruction of the Kelvin, the even was still being talked about, and its far ranging implications for the Starfleet.

 

Heading to her locker, she ignored the looks she was getting from her classmates—mainly the lustful looks from the boys. It was a skill she'd learned during her rather recent tenure as a slave.

 

“Hey look who're back—its the geek brigade,” was called out, to accompanying gales of laughter, by this year's starting quarterback.

 

Audraya looked over, and saw five of her classmates, surrounded by several jocks. A couple of them fit the stereotypical “geek” look—pasty acne sufferers with thick lensed “birth control” glasses—but the others didn't. “Gus,” the tallest of them said, “we have nothing to do with you.”

 

“Bullsh*t, Gabe. You have plenty to do with us. In fact we're going to make it our busi...” 'Gus' felt a slender hand on his shoulder, and was spun around. “Well, hello there darling. Didn't see you there, you want something?”

 

The lecherous look on his face twisted her stomach, but Audraya had seen that look on board the Audacious. “Gus was it?” Not waiting for an acknowledgment, she continued “Why don't you leave these kids alone? They haven't done anything to you. Oh, wait. I'm sure they have. They've embarrassed you every year at...what is it you have, finals? Yes, finals. I'm probably even sure a couple are on the debate team, while you probably can't even argue your way out of a wet paper bag.” The ironic thing about this? Audraya had managed to figure out most of that in about the first five minutes of her being in the hallways.

 

“Why you little green skinned slu...” whatever else Gus was going to say was cut off when her slender hand gave him an open palmed slap across the face.

 

“No man calls me that and gets away with it. And Gus, I hate to say it but...you are no man. Just a little boy. Heck, even if you were my type, which you're not, you probably wouldn't know what to do in the bedroom.” Snickers, and outright laughter filled the hallway as the new girl belittled the star quarterback. She was saved from Gus's 'witty' retort by the first bell.

 

At lunch, Gabe invited Audraya to join the local gaming group, and introduced her to both the group and the original text-based Forgotten Dragon Realms, 2d Ed. “Purely the best edition that RST has put out. Sure there's version 3, 4, and an online edition, but 2d Ed has simply the best compromise of between character generation, combat, and storytelling. We meet in the library after school, and I'm sure one of us can get you a character rolled up before then.”

 

-=-=-=-=-

 

Elves, haflings, hobbits, and humans rubbed elbows in the taproom. A half-elven minstrel was reciting a tale about a goddess falling in love with a clueless mortal, her melodic voice somewhat buried by the more boisterous voices of adventurers recounting their latest “heroic deeds of derring-do.” Audraya chuckled to herself, having done some that herself, in character, after many an adventure.

 

An elderly elf, in the vestments of a traveling priest, walked past her, and out the door. With a most modest of head shakes, Audraya grabbed a table, and wondered exactly what she's gotten herself into this time.