The D&D Adventure

By Adam Thomas

In August 2015, my wife Leah and three of our friends sat down at the table in our basement, praying that the baby monitor would stay silent, and opened up our brand new Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Player’s Handbooks. None of us had ever played the game before, but we were eager to give it a try. I’ve always liked creating games, so DM-ing seemed like a natural fit. I had been studying for months at the “Matthew Mercer School for Dungeon Masters,” better known as Critical Role, so I felt ready. I had created the map of a new fantasy world called “Sularil” in the days leading up to our first meeting, and it gave us a focus for where our characters might hail from. My players spent a laughter-filled evening creating their characters: deciding races and classes, thinking up names and backstories, rolling dice. Here’s who they came up with:

Norros Arborshade

Wary and itchy-fingered Half-Elf Rogue
Hometown: Torniel-by-the-Sea
Favored Weapon: Shortbow
Archetype: Arcane Trickster
Created by Jarrod Antkowiak

Nadarr Kasdann

Innocent but impulsive Dragonborn Paladin
Hometown: Krivann, Dragonclime
Favored Weapon: Silvered Longsword
Archetype: Oath of Vengeance
Created by Allissa Leonard

Danath Errandir

Boastful yet honorable Half-Elf Ranger
Hometown: Unknown, Somewhere in the Region of Daen
Favored Weapon: Longbow
Archetype: Hunter
Created by Jack Leonard

Elendithas Day

Perky and resourceful Human Bard
Hometown: Thousand Spires
Favored Weapon: Bardic Magic, Rapier
Archetype: College of Valor
Created by Leah Thomas

We’ve been gathering two to three times a month since that night and hope to do so for the foreseeable future. After each session, I’ve been writing a narrative version for our own enjoyment and now for yours. While the narrative doesn’t capture the action and dialogue perfectly, it does preserve the choices of the players and the interactions with my non-player characters (NPCs). Here’s the story so far. We hope you enjoy it and get sucked into the world of Sularil.