Sean took his character sheet back from Nate with a nervous look. Nate patted his shoulder, telling him with a small smile. "It'll be fine. I'll go easy on you for your first time." Nate collected his books up, moving over to his dining table. Sean got the feeling that he should follow and Nate gestured for him to sit across from him. Nate set his books out and retrieved two sets of dice from a drawer by the table, that held random desk supplies in it. Sean took the set of white dice from Nate, stating still rather nervous. "I don't really know how to play..." Nate huffed softly, getting comfortable in his seat, while telling him casually. "I know. I'll walk you through it. I just got to get out the solo mission. Normally, solo missions are ill advised... Most creatures in D&D need at least a party of four to defeat. But, Since I'm walking you through it. It should be fine. I can make it work." 

Sean laid out his character sheet, then began turning one of the dice over in his hand as he waited. Nate finished setting up a small cardboard screen that blocked his view of the papers Nate had. After which, Nate straightened up and began to tell him very clearly. "Alright. D&D can be a bit overwhelming with its rules. However, I'll save you the heartache and tell you as we go through this small mission. It should cover the basics well enough. Ok?" Sean gave him an anxious shrug. He didn't know what to expect. Nate cleared his throat, looking something over in front of him. Then told him in a broad storytelling voice. "We start our adventure just outside a small village. Out amid a lush forest at midday. The air is brisk from the slight cloudy overcast, but there is a pleasant warmth to this day in the few sunny breaks in the clouds. Before you, stands your mentor. He takes you to the edge of the wood line, staying partly hidden amongst the trees. From here you can see the small village across the meadow clearing. Your mentor eyes the village with a distant look, before turning to look at you. Would your character like to ask him anything? Or say anything at this time?"

Sean gave Nate a wide eyed look in stunned shock. Nate smirked, calmly stating out. "You can ask him anything you want. Or you can stay silent. Whatever you think your character would do in this moment." Sean looked over his character sheet, mumbling out a little shyly. "Ok... I ask him... Why are we here?" Nate nodded with a warm smile, continuing on in a slightly gruff voice of an older man. "You have completed your training. However, there is one more test that I need you to preform. A test to prove you are ready to strike out on your own. A test of the skills you have learned. Are you ready?" Nate waited for him to answer. So, Sean took a deep breath, muttering out. "Oh, I hope so..." Nate chuckled for a few seconds, composing himself to add in the mentors gruff voice. "Very good. Always expect the unexpected. You see that village there? Your mentor points toward the village. Then he says; 'Go to the inn and find yourself a mission with a beast. When you have finished. Return to me with proof of your victory."

Sean nodded to Nate, allowing Nate to tell him normally. "So, you control your character and his actions. You can head for the village inn. You can stay and talk some more with your mentor. You can choose to venture off and do something else. It's all up to you at this point." Sean glanced down at his character sheet, answering Nate hopefully. "Ok... I guess, I'm going to flip my green hood up and pull my black face mask up over my nose to hide my identity and... Go to the inn?" Nate brushed his bangs from his eyes, telling him in his storytelling voice. "Alright. You stroll out across the meadow, heading for the little inn called the Ram's Head. How would you like to enter? You want to be friendly or cautious?" Sean rubbed his collarbone unsure. So, Nate told him openly. "You're character has never been here before. You do not know this village, nor anyone in it. You can remain cautious, or you can throw caution to the wind. Your choice."

Sean tapped the dice on the table quietly, replying softly. "I'll... I'll enter and kind of keep my distance from everyone. Keeping to the shadows as much as I can." Nate suddenly smirked wickedly, causing Sean's arms to break out in goosebumps. Nate licked his lips, telling him devilishly. "Ok. I want you to make a Perception Roll. That means that you roll your dice with the twenty on it. If your roll is higher than the number I have, you might notice something important or neat." Sean picked up the white D20 and rolled it on the table. Sean bit his lower lip, asking him curiously. "Eleven?" Nate gave him a thumbs up, chuckling out. "Not quite enough. So, as your character enters the dark smoky inn. All you notice is that everyone is watching you with strange looks. It appears that they mistrust strangers. What will you do? Will you go to the barkeep? Or will you try talking to someone?" Sean shrugged, asking curiously. "What do I see exactly?"

Nate leaned on the table, answering sweetly. "You see that the inn is dimly lit by these clusters of candles on each of the rounded tables in the room. The place has quite a few patrons. Mostly older men. They look like farmers and you can kind of smell the scent of livestock under the fog of tobacco smoke, that they are smoking from these long wooden pipes. There is one rather young looking woman that is wiping down tables with a dirty rag. Then behind the small wooden bar is a scruffy looking man that is smoking a cigar and cleaning a metal tankard in his hand with a worn dish cloth. All the men are eyeing you suspiciously, but the young woman has not see you yet. She is too busy cleaning melted wax from an empty table in the corner." Sean bit his lip, mumbling to himself. "Well... My mentor wanted me to ask the barkeep for a beast mission... So, I'll do that."

Nate cleared his throat, asking him curiously. "Ok. You make your way carefully to the bar. Is there something you want to do? How will you ask him this?" Sean took a breath to calm himself, then told Nate only slightly confident. "I'll put my hand on the bar and ask him nicely. 'Excuse me, Sir. I'm looking for information on any beasts that might be causing trouble in this area?" Nate gave him another thumps up, replying thoughtfully. "Ok. As you ask this, the barkeep stops washing his cup to remove his cigar. Blowing a puff of smoke at your face as his only response." Sean rolled his eyes, grumbling out. "What an arsehole... What can I do?" Nate gestured to his sheet, informing him lightly. "You have some points in Intimidation. So, you can try intimidating him into talking. You can try attacking him. You can try to talk to him again, because you have some Diplomacy points to persuade him into talking. Or you can walk away and talk to someone else."

Sean thought for a moment, trying to think about what his character would do. After a minute, he told Nate hopefully. "I'm going to try asking him again using Diplomacy on him... Can I do that?" Nate nodded, informing him reassuringly. "Ya, sure. This works a lot like your Perception Roll. Only now you add the skill point you put into that ability to your roll and try to beat his DC. His Difficulty Class. With me so far?" Sean nodded and rolled his D20. It came out to fifteen with the single skill point he had. Nate clapped his hands loudly, telling him happily. "Great job. You beat his DC. So, you ask him again and the barkeep gets this sense that you are here on genuinely good terms. He rests his arms on the bar. Relying to you in a low heavily accented voice. 'You seek a beast, you say? I know of one beast for you. A sheep killer. You kill it for us. I'll make it worth your time. It costs us a hundred gold coins in profits. You kill it and we'll give you a horse worth twice as much."

Sean drummed his fingers on the table, jokingly asking Nate. "Is he lying to me?" An evil grin spread over Nate's face as he told him bluntly. "I can't tell you that. However, you can try and make a Insight check. Roll your D20." Sean checked his character sheet to see if he had a skill point to add, than rolled. The roll came out to three. Sean groaned and Nate chuckled out. "You can't tell if he is lying, or telling the truth about the rewards. You do believe that there is a beast hunting their sheep though. Simply because the men sitting at the closest tables seem to grumble curses about it under their breath and spit across the floor." Sean turned his D20 over in his hand, saying aloud in his own confident storytelling voice. "I'll ask the barkeep where I can find this beast and if he knows what it is?" Nate leaned off the table to flip through something in one of his books for a minute.

Sean waited patiently, getting excited. He was enjoying this so far. It seemed rather simple, but he could see them playing this for hours together. Nate found the page he was looking for and told him swiftly. "The barkeep will point in the direction toward the south-west side of the village. While telling you in a grim sounding voice. 'We see it take the sheep to the cave by the pond. A slimy fellow. Big glossy eyes. We've not the men to hunt it down. We're simple folk. However... An adventurer like you should have little trouble with it." Sean narrowed his eyes on Nate, muttering out playfully. "Was that a jab at me, Nate? Are you going to try killing me with the weakest monster in all of D&D for a laugh?" Nate blushed a deep red, covering his grin behind his hand. It took him a few seconds to compose himself, before he casually told Sean. "I would never do that... But if I did, it would be hilarious."

Sean exhaled loudly, muttering out to Nate in a chuckling voice. "You're going to do me in like that, huh? I can't even be allowed a heroic death to something like a vengeful dragon?" Nate shook his head, smugly answering. "Of course not. Not all deaths are heroic. Besides, That is assuming you even make it to the beast." Sean groaned, dropping his D20 to rub his face with his hands. Brushing his bangs away from his face, Sean straightened up to confidently inform Nate giddily. "Before we continue to this next part where I die... I need a beer." Nate snapped his fingers in agreement and got up to fetch two bottles from his fridge. Nate popped them open, returning to his seat as he slid a bottle over to Sean. Sean took a long swig from the beer, savoring this moment. Then set the beer down, telling Nate slightly afraid for his character. "Alright, let's do this. I'm going to leave the Inn and go looking for this beast by this pond cave." To Be Continued...