Marvel: The DnD Game Master in the Shadows

Jason now stood before an opulent building nestled in the upscale, lightly-touched district of New York. With a discreet sling bag slung over his frame—a bag of holding in clever disguise—he directed his gaze towards the address plaque adorning the building's side. The engraved numbers read 177a Bleecker Street, a place that held a certain familiarity for the young man. It wasn't his first time here; he had frequented this location multiple times, for research purposes…

Approaching the entrance with an air of nonchalance, the boy forwent the customary knock, instead opting to simply swing the door open and step inside. As he crossed the threshold, a resident at a nearby desk seemed to briefly acknowledge his presence, only to then return to her duties with a studied indifference. Undeterred, he ambled past a grand staircase, his trajectory set for a recently established makeshift library. The ambiance within the room was one of freshness, an atmosphere that suggested new beginnings.

With a discerning eye, Jason scanned the library's offerings, his gaze dancing along the spines of numerous volumes. Finally, he selected a book from its appointed place on the shelf, clutching it firmly before selecting an unoccupied seat. 

Placing the book on the desk before him, he extracted another from his bag, along with a pen that he also positioned on the surface. He proceeded to open the retrieved book, inspecting its pages one by one. This particular tome contained drawings and descriptions of creatures, not the familiar ones found in his DnD monster manual, but rather those discovered by the sorcerers native to this world.

Turning to the page where he had left off during his prior reading session, he then opened his personal notebook. This notebook served as his customized monster manual, a compilation he had assembled himself. Within its pages resided monsters from DnD, now supplemented with the newly uncovered creatures from the sorcerers' library. He was meticulously adding these beings, formulating their abilities, shaping their traits to align with reality, all the while keeping their realism intact.

Positioning his pen, he resumed his dedicated work, fully immersed in the task at hand. However, a sudden interruption broke his concentration. The sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears, prompting him to turn his gaze. His eyes met a bald woman standing at the makeshift library's entrance, her arms folded behind her back.

"Good evening, Jason," she greeted as she advanced, choosing a seat opposite the young man.

"’Lo," he mumbled, diverting his attention back to his labor.

Her gaze traced over his writing, emitting a contemplative hum. "How's the progress?"

"I'm taking my time," he replied in a succinct manner. "What do you want?"

"I hear you've made some new acquaintances," she cut to the chase.

"Them? We just did the new tutorial event," Jason informed. "They're only at level 2, not even out of the colosseum yet."

"Ah, so you're creating a fresh campaign?" Her curiosity prompted the question. "Based on… what?"

"The Roman Empire, gladiators, that sort of thing," he responded. "With a touch of fantasy, of course."

"I see…" Her voice held a thoughtful note. "Jason, have you considered that inviting strangers into your game might lead to problems? Mishandled power could have disastrous consequences."

"They won't misuse it. They're just kids trying to run away from gangs," Jason stopped his writing, regarding the woman before him intently. "The session was enjoyable; some of them had fun, some didn't. I don't blame those who didn't; it's an intense start."

"Jason…" The woman's sigh was laden with concern. "They might employ that power against the very gangs you mentioned. And those with ulterior motives might trace their newfound abilities back to their source."

"I told them to use it," the boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Plus, why are you discouraging me from recruiting new players? I already assist your disciples in training fighting interdimensional creatures from this book. Quit disturbing my work."

"I'm not trying to disrupt you, Jason. I'm trying to caution you. Those kids could be at risk," she stressed.

"They can handle themselves. I gave them power, unlike your disciples," Jason asserted. "If someone targets them, they'll earn extra experience points."

"Very well, I won't linger on the matter," she acquiesced with a resigned exhale. "However, I want to extend an offer for you to stay in our sanctum. Living as a homeless boy atop a building isn't suitable for your well-being, Jason…"

"And again, no thanks." Jason's response was firm. "I like the view, and I don’t want to wear robes every day. Though good food might be—"

An abrupt noise of footsteps echoed from outside the library, this time noticeably louder. Jason's gaze shifted towards the entrance, and to his astonishment, he saw disciples from the sanctum moving through, carrying sacks laden with something. After a swift appraisal, he realized the sacks contained gold, procured from the very campaign world he had crafted for the sanctum.

Narrowing his eyes, he inquired, "Why are they bringing those gold outside?"

"For exchange, naturally," the woman responded.

"Exchange it?" Jason's surprise was palpable. "Wouldn't that disrupt the economy or something? And isn’t it illegal?"

"We're employing conservative rates," she reassured him with a faint smile.

"Oh… Why didn't you tell me about it?" Jason's expression fell. He retrieved a pouch of gold coins from his bag of holding—currency from his worlds, the kind favored by merchants and nobles. "Can you exchange it for me?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. "And what do you intend to do with the money?"

"Don’t know yet," he explained. "Maybe for food."

"Very well," she consented, her tone thoughtful as she accepted the pouch. "You can collect the funds tomorrow."

"Thanks," Jason acknowledged before submerging himself once more in his literature. The woman sighed softly at the sight; he was deeply engrossed in his 'occupation'. With a resigned nod, she rose from her seat and exited, leaving him to his solitary work.