My eyes open, to the sounds of crying. It sounds horrible, comparable even to chalk on a whiteboard level of horrible. I try to get my bearings and look around, before noticing a pain in my throat, and realising that I am a part of this horrible choir.
'how did this happen? What happened?' are my last thoughts before something slimy and wiggly is shoved into my mouth, and I fall asleep once again.
The next I wake, there is no more horrifying wails, but a chattering. Groggily I sit up and look around and see that there are goblins running around everywhere, grabbing weapons, armour and anything that can be used as such.
How did I know it was a goblin you may ask, well I have read many a story, watched many movies, but my favourite past times was gaming. If I wasn't reading I was gaming. Whether that be video games, or the reason I knew these were goblins. D&D.
These creatures had the signature green skin, bulbous noses, small stature, unkempt appearance, it was straight out of the books. This caused me to look down at my hands. I could only think of two possibilities for my situation.
First I had died, and reincarnated in an alternate world, like many novels have shown. Or B, monsters have invaded the world and I was dragged to this cave to be eaten or used as training or.. Well that line of thinking didn't matter, as I was clearly the former.
Small green hands enter my view, nails already at a length where they could scratch and deal some damage. I zone out entirely at this point. My mind only going to my past life.
I was playing a game, a new one that was based on Dungeons and Dragons. It allowed for great customisation, of everything between race, class, backstory and even location.
I remember an odd selection to be "the hero", and I thought that would be fun so I clicked yes. I found it wierd that the rest of the character creation was slightly different in wording but I thought maybe it would be patched out later.
I had created a little goblin, smaller than average, of about 4'10. He had a head of black hair and yellow eyes, with a few more customised options he actually looked kind of cute. Good thing too, I'm sure alot of people would want to make cute or sexy characters, even if they play orc or goblin or something along those lines.
After creating the character came the class, the Backstory etc. I have to admit, my favourite class is the monk so I didn't even hesitate to choose it, followed with a custom Backstory, just choosing proficiencies and stuff like that.
After about 2 hours of Character creation, it is the best thing to come out of gaming, I had my monk with really good stats. I was surprised at how good I had rolled, even had a 20! With two 18s and three 16s. I had never rolled so good in my life.
My little gobbo would be mopping the floor in almost everything he did, this would be fun. Picking the starting equipment normally I started the game and..... Nothing. There was nothing else. I woke up and well.. I already said what happened.
Still staring at my hands, I'm suddenly pulled to my feet and pushed toward the cave exit. The other goblins are still screaming and roaring and as I get to the exit I notice its not just goblins. The goblins are fighting against kobolds.
These things things are basically dragon versions of goblins. They both live under ground. They both are considered dumb. Both are seen as cowardly and crafty. But they are both very different in that kobolds usually follow the orders of a dragon!
"what are you staring at, grab your weapon and fight!" an older goblin yells at me, pushing me to the side as he charges toward the kobolds.
'I can do this. This is a game. This is totally not a game! Vr isn't this good, and I didn't even own a Vr headset!'
I look around and grab a nearby sword, and just in time too, as a kobold has broken through the front line, and charges me. Time seems to slow down, my heart is beating so fast it feels it is going to burst out of my chest at any moment.
If I don't kill it, it will kill me, there isn't another option, and so I take a step forward and slash at the kobold. It seems I'm faster than the kobold as my sword reaches it first, and slashes down its chest, and finally finishing off the injured enemy.
My heart still beating like a herd of horses i look around, I need to be tactical. If i just charge in i WILL die. The first thought of mine was to flank them.
I can't go alone or il just get cut down and so I run to the back lines, approaching the other goblins. "I need some people. Il need ranged attackers, il need people who can be like those in the front lines and I need fast people who can dash in and out of the melee."
The goblins just stare at me in confusion, after all they don't know me, after all I was apparantly just born recently! A few other goblins that look more.. Smooth skinned, I'm assuming that means they are younger, approach me with their own rusty weapons.
"what are you planning. We can help."
I begin to explain my very basic plan, operation sneak attack. I use my sword, which I have realised now is also pretty rusty, to draw on the ground.
"this is the front lines, right there. If we go and sneak around the back, we can deal great damage to the kobolds, and scout out if its onky the kobolds attacking AND spread confusion among the army. But its really dangerous. Are you in?"
The other goblins look at eachother, and back to the drawing. They chatter and whisper quickly before getting up and nodding.
" Alright, we need to be sneaky to well.. Sneak around them, so be careful where you are stepping."
And so we left the battlefield with a plan. Hopefully these kobolds don't follow the orders of a dragon, or we are really screwed.