Mighty Hands, Gentle Breath Ch. 01

Chapter 1: Fresh air

Ren was packing his things even before the D&D game was officially over. Once again, the dice hadn't rolled in his favour; and yet again, his latest pretty, noble, girly, magical elf character had died.

As the DM wrapped up, Ren picked up his glittery, shimmering d20. Staring at it with frustration, he realized it wasn't this beautiful die that was to blame. With a resigned sigh, he dropped it into his bag along with his books and notes. He muttered some quick goodbyes and thanked the game store clerk, and he hurried home.

He had tried with different DMs, different groups of friends, and still hadn't found that great roleplaying experience he was chasing. Nothing close to what those groups of actors playing D&D on youtube had going on.

But that last game had been the worst so far. It was the first session with this group; how could that game have gone so wrong on so many fronts? The other players had made fun of his girly character, and the DM had been an asshole that focused all the damage on him after Ren complained about a game rule he didn't understand. It was obvious Ren wouldn't be coming back for another game at that table. Maybe he would try to be a DM himself, but then he couldn't fulfill the need to embody a cute little elf princess. It shouldn't be this hard to find other people like him!

Back home, Ren was enjoying some instant noodles while watching some videos about roleplaying advice and character creation. Then a new video with few views from a channel that he hadn't seen before caught his attention. The thumbnail read "SOLO PLAY" in bold capital red letters, and featured some cool fantasy art that resembled one of his drawings. Ren clicked before he even thought about it.

"Echoes of Vaeldan" was the title. It was basically an ad for a new tabletop game, much like other fantasy roleplaying games, but with solo play in mind. It emphasized the word immersive so many times that it made Ren cringe a little. It almost sounded like a scam. Ren raised an eyebrow and spoke to himself "yeah right, immersive game... sure" but he also wanted to believe.

The video had a simple but cool animation that featured a few fantasy adventurers fighting a huge monster, dancing in a ball, and sailing a boat into the horizon. It ended with a limited promotion. The first copies sold would get a great discount and an additional module for free: "The Hollow of Two Breaths".

Ren thought about it for a second. "The price isn't expensive at all, and they have an online character creator. Might as well try it, just in case it's half as good as they say it is..." Ren said, trying to convince himself. His eyes lit up and his heart raced as he clicked the link to the web that said: "Echoes of Vaeldan -- Enter the World You Deserve."

After creating an account, buying the promotion and a few clicks more, Ren was staring at the character creator. A huge man with full plated armor and a warhammer was striking an heroic pose in the middle of the screen while a floating menu circled around him. There were loads of options, but Ren quickly went to the first one and selected "Body Type B" in the sex category. The character in the middle of the screen changed into a tall and strong woman in the same armor. Ren kept exploring the options until he stuck with the type "Body type F", and a petite and beautiful young woman appeared on the screen. The character creator didn't have that many customizable aspects for the physical aspect of the character, but it sure did have them for adventurer class, species, background, craft proficiencies, skills, and statistics. The game seemed to be greatly focused on social interaction and occupation, rather than just combat.

After a couple of hours, Ren was completely hooked. He loved it! Creating a character in this game had been an immense joy, and he couldn't wait to play the The Hollow of Two Breaths module. His beautiful little elf was a spiritbinder, a class that blended elements of the classic cleric with the spirit and soul abilities of a medium. He first fleshed out the more gameplay-oriented details of the character and then started to imagine her personality, background, and most importantly, her appearance. The character creator gave enough customization, but it wasn't as good as Ren's own drawing skills.

Ren spent some time drawing her and changing some things from the character creator version. Her skin was quite pale with a faint golden undertone, after all she was a sunlight elf. She had long black hair tied in two high ponytails, and two straight bangs that slightly gleamed purple. Her eyes were light brown with a tint of golden too, and her big lips wore a subtle purple shade of lipstick.

Her clothes were visibly religious themed, but also made for traveling and adventuring. Soft fabrics adorned with small purple talismans or runes, covered with boots and a coat made from harder and more resistant materials. She wore a sun sigil that rested between her collarbones, and some sun themed pendants.

Ren went a bit naughty with the drawing, and her attire didn't leave that much room for imagination despite it being some clothes made for traveling. He drew her with a slender and delicate figure, but her hips were considerably wide, and her butt and legs were full and soft. Her bust, on the other hand, was quite small, barely a subtle bump on her torso.

Ren knew he wasn't reinventing the wheel with the design, but who was going to judge him? It was the kind of character he had been wanting to play for the longest time, and now he had the chance.

After what felt like less than ten minutes but most probably had been a couple of hours, Ren had completely envisioned and created Selene. He smiled at the drawing, satisfied with a job well done. After admiring it for a couple of seconds, Ren yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Fuck me!" Ren screamed, and covered his mouth after just a moment. It's almost 5 a.m. already..., Ren thought. At least tomorrow uni classes start later.

With that, Ren turned off the computer and went to bed. He was too excited to sleep now! But out of sheer fatigue, he closed his eyes and started thinking about the wonderful Selene. About the wonderful adventures she would live in the fantastic world of Vaeldan. About his wonderful fantasy coming to life.

A gust of wind brushed against his sleepy face and he inhaled deeply without opening his eyes. The air was cool and rain-soaked, far too sweet to be the smell of his street. Strange, he thought. He hadn't slept with his window open. His sheets felt rougher and slightly wet. He opened his eyes worried, thinking that maybe he could have in fact left his window wide open. But he was almost blinded for a few seconds, the morning sun shining brightly on his face.

After covering the sunlight with his hand for a few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the light, and Ren saw his hand. Weirdly soft and beautiful. It wasn't his hand. Slim fingers adorned with some silver rings, a light skin with a faint golden shimmer, nails neat and purple. He felt his heart beat faster and faster; but quite lighter too, as if it had forgotten its usual weight. He looked down to see he was wearing some cleric robes he instantly recognized; soft fabrics in tones of gold, deep purple, and ash white. And a good pair of leather boots.

Not wanting to give in to the exciting but also terrifying implication of what he was thinking, Ren finally lifted his gaze. And then he saw: a far green country under a swift sunrise.

It was now clear that Ren wasn't in his room anymore. He pushed himself up from the grass, blinking against the light. A vast, rolling field stretched in front of him into a wide valley. A worn-out stone road cut through it not far away, and beyond some trees came the magical sound of running water.

His eyes frantically searched for something, anything that confirmed or denied the idea that had been flooding his mind since he woke up. A wooden post by the road was not far away, and as he marched there, he noticed the difference in the balance of his legs. He could swear his hips were wider than before, if only by a size. But that thought didn't linger in his mind for too long. The sign nailed to the post read in some big black markings: The Hollow of Two Breaths.

That was it. "No way", he whispered. Hearing the higher and softer voice, he touched his throat and froze again. This wasn't a game. And if it was, it was even better than his wildest dreams.

He had no idea about how any of this was actually happening, but an overwhelming and warm sense of adventure was brewing in his mind.

He inhaled deeply, the scent of grass and earth settling somewhere deep in his chest. A smile tugged at his lips, unbidden. Without realising, Ren was following the sign's direction, not quite sure why his steps felt so easy.

After walking for a long while, Ren finally spotted a village in the distance. During the stroll, he had taken in the fantastic vistas of the valley. The rolling hills, the glistening water that flowed near the road, tall mountains far away in the distance, and soft clouds drifting around them. Now, the path led to what looked straight out of a fantasy town: a stone bridge arched over the river. Behind it, clusters of sturdy houses were grouped next to a great rocky hill. Ren noticed some windmills in the highest part of the village, and a bigger building made out of white stones, alone at the top of the hill.

Thin grey threads of smoke were rising from the chimneys, and even further away, darker and wider columns of smoke curled from somewhere at the foot of the hill. As Ren came closer to the town, his nostrils were filled with the smell of wood, metal, ash, and cinder. These new sensations weren't as pleasant as the ones from his previous walk in the fields, but Ren felt they were completely authentic, and gave this new world he was living in great points for realism.

Talking about realism, Ren was starting to notice that one key component that was advertised in the roleplaying game was missing: social interaction. He had finally entered the village, and he hadn't seen anyone yet. It might be too soon to worry, but: what if the inhabitants of this place were hostile? Ren had been so enthralled about the environment and the way just being here felt like, that he hadn't even checked what was on the small sack he carried.

He hastily started rummaging through his newfound belongings. Some fruit, bread, and a weird book, but no weapons could be found, and he wasn't exactly equipped with a full plated armour. Maybe the charismatic skills of Selene would have to be enough in the case things went bad. But then he found something. An iron talisman of some sort that had a very soft golden glow. This has to be one of those magic channelers that every game has, he thought. Ren felt something stirring in his chest when he caressed the talisman with his fingers. I must be a magic adept of some sort if I carry some of the characteristics of Selene. But that doesn't mean that I know how to cast any spell. Ren sighed in disappointment.

"Hey! You're not from around here, aren't you?" a deep voice asked from behind him.

Ren squealed and almost jumped from the scare. He had been focused on searching his bag, but not so much as to not be able to hear anyone getting so close. But he calmly exhaled and slowly turned around to face whoever was talking to him.

He couldn't believe it! Waking up in the middle of the green country wearing different clothes had made him realize he wasn't in Kansas anymore, but he hadn't prepared himself to talk with a fantasy character that locked straight out of one of those videogame cinematics.

A towering troll woman was looking straight into his eyes with a confused gaze. She was way taller and bigger than him, although Ren noticed she was kinda crouching to be closer to his eye level. She had light blue skin with a greenish undertone, and Ren couldn't help but notice the massive amount of scars and burn marks she had all over her body. She had white braided hair and a big nose with an uneven septum ring. But definitely, her distinctive face features were two large tusks that protruded from her lower jaw, even when her lips were closed.

The strong lady shifted her weight from one leg to the other and grinned while raising one eyebrow. "Hey, It's not like I mind getting ogled by a beauty like you, but I would rather have an answer. I would remember seeing a face as pretty as yours."

His cheeks turned red in an instant. Ren had been eyeing her up and down longer than he realised. But, could you blame him? He was completely awed, and there was simply a lot of her to look at.

"Yes! Sorry." Ren almost screamed. Then took a second before forming his next sentence. "It's my first time travelling around these parts. I had just crossed the bridge when you surprised me, heh" Ren made an awkward half-smile.

"Ahhh!" She yelled and smiled, as if she had won a bet with herself. "I knew it! Welcome to The Hollow of Two Breaths!" She stood up and raised her arms to show her surroundings. "We usually just call it The Hollow. Oh, I almost forgot." She bent downwards and did an overly complicated and almost comedical bow. "Excuse my manners" She said in a higher pitched voice and looked into his eyes as her warm smile returned to her face. "Name's Vraka".

Vraka returned to her crouched pose and had her hand right in front of Ren, expecting his. Ren smiled, it seemed violence and delicate diplomacy were not gonna be needed for the moment.

"It's my pleasure, Vraka." Ren said as he lifted his hand. "You can call me R- you can call me Selene" Ren felt a bit awkward as he said the last word. But for some reason, saying "Ren" didn't feel right on his tongue.

"The pleasure is all mine, Selene" She said, and firmly shook Ren's hand.

Ren couldn't help but feel the great strength with which she was gripping his hand. His gaze slowly climbed from her mighty fist to her muscular arm. It was hairy and full of scars, but apart from the burn marks, her skin was pretty smooth. She was wearing a dirty white tank top underneath a leather apron, so Ren could see her beefy broad shoulders. He was starting to get mesmerized by her fantastical appearance again, but he was quick to look into her dark blue eyes just as she was about to speak again.

Vraka kept her toothy warm grin during Ren curious glares "So, what brings this city elf to The Hollow? Trade, family, pleasure, work? Or are you just passing by?" Vraka crossed her arms under her bust, and made her breasts push up.

Ren quickly blushed again. He hadn't been able to tell because of the rough apron she was wearing, but her bosom was big and heavy too. Almost everything about her was big and strong. He didn't let himself get distracted this time, but Vraka was watching his reactions attentively.

"Adventure, actually. But you could say that I'm passing through, or here for business." Ren shifted his weight, straightening his back a little too deliberately, and tried to convey a sense of professionalism as he spoke. "I would like to visit the adventurer's guild and see if they have any job for me. Could you tell me where I can find it?"

Varka's posture relaxed, her grin softened, and one of her eyebrows raised slightly. "I've never heard of anything like an adventurer's guild" She cupped her chin with her fingers, trying to think. "I've never been to one of those big cities, so maybe that's something you have there"

Maybe something as obvious as a guild doesn't exist in this world. Damn, I should have read more about the lore before going to bed last night. Ren thought. "It doesn't have to be a guild, exactly"

He looked around to see if there were any buildings that could have something he could recognize. "Maybe a tavern or an inn where people leave requests for a hero or a fortune-hunter? You have those, right?"

"Course we've got an inn! Right there. Maera's Rest" she said, pointing toward one of the larger buildings near the village entrance. "But I've never heard of any hero business or fortunes to be hunted. Round here, heroes are for tales and ale."

"To be honest, you are the first adventurer I've met." She gave him a grin, then grabbed the strap of her apron and flexed a thick arm, the muscle rounding under her skin. "Folk in these parts earn their coin the old way; by working for it!"

Ren turned visibly upset. If this was a game like he thought and he couldn't even be an adventurer, why would The Hollow of Two Breaths be its own entire module?

"Hey, don't worry about that. You just got here!" Vraka picked up the huge sack of bricks and threw it over her shoulder. "I'm sure Maera has a job for you at the inn."

She placed her hand on his shoulder in a surprisingly gentle way. "How about I introduce her and invite you to a pint, what do you say?"

Ren was infected by her warm smile and positive energy; and his feet were already moving when he gave his answer. "I'll take you up on that offer, I could go for some beer". And together they walked towards the tavern.