Pointdexter: A Swooning Over Stan-fiction

Chapter Thirteen

Dipper cleared his throat, settling into a Dungeon Master's persona.

"When we last left our heroes, Miv the Meddling trapped the great elven wizard Vhernan and the halfling fighter Tyrros in a dungeon filled to the brim with puzzles, riddles, and brain-teasers!" Dipper explained, his hand waving in front of him as a wide grin passed her face. "To reach Miv and end this journey once and for all, they'll have to brave the dungeon's mysteries and escape with their lives intact."

Alice watched, occasionally scanning the character sheets in her hands, as Dipper set two figures on the game board. The former figure, she assumed was Vhernan, was imposing with flowing robes. And the other, Tyrros, was much shorter but poised with a will to prove himself.

"But what would our two heroes find in the first room of the dungeon?" Dipper bellowed, clearly in character. "But a potential ally, just as trapped as they are, who will join them in their quest for freedom."

He placed three figures on the carpet, just to the side of the game board.

"And now you get to choose your character now," Dipper explained. "These are starters with premade templates, so they're good for short-notice additions."

Alice slipped one of the papers out from the stack of three, handing the other two back to Dipper, "I think I'll go with the bard."

"Good one-" Dipper grinned at her. "Bards can use songs to encourage their allies or use their insults to deal damage. I've kinda re-evaluated my stance on bards lately. You'll come in handy if we encounter any undead."

Ford hummed obviously, "Will we?"

"Mayb-" Dipper started to answer before cutting himself off and moving the figure of the bard to the board beside the other two. "Hey- Stop trying to play ahead. What's their name going to be?"

Alice pondered a moment, snapping her fingers, "Odan Summers." She could hear Ford muttering the name under his breath a few times. 

"Alright-" Dipper continued, clearing his throat once more. "Our heroes encounter Odan, in the first room of the dungeon. Odan, what's your deal with our main villain, Miv the Meddling."

"Hmm," Alice mused, tapping her finger against her paper. "Miv promised me eternal glory and amazing skill, but left a dagger in my back."

Dipper explained in turn, that Tyrros shared how Miv once beat him in a duel, an embarrassment because sorcerers aren't known for their prowess in combat. But he waved his hands, turning to his notes.

"None of this matters, because it's time to face down Miv, and escape." He glanced down at his papers and started to set the scene. "Behind you is a plain door. On the far wall of the room is a set of red doors and to the left and right are old stained glass windows, with familiar motifs on them. Having woken up here with no memory of how you got there, you don't know which door you came in, should go out of, or even what direction you should head in at all."

He paused, glancing back up at Alice.

"And now you guys decide what you want to do. You might wanna take a look around first."

"And by that-" Ford interrupted. "We mean rolling a die to see if we can notice anything. The outcome of nearly every substantial choice we make is tied to a roll of the dice."

"Alright," Alice nodded, straightening slightly and rolling her dice with Ford's instruction. "I'll take a look around the room then."

"Nice roll-" Dipper muttered, flipping through his notes. "Tacked to one of the walls in the room is a note that reads 'Proceed with Caution, Homies". Tyrros pockets the note, and you can hear the faint sound of rushing water in the distance. What do you do next?"