The Quest for the Fire Rubies
Written by A.Cuddy aka Wolfsage
We begin our story in Lore, a land of many vile and loathsome creatures, and of many great wizards, creatures and other beasts. I remember being asleep at home in my chair by the fire when I suddenly awoke to the sound of someone shuffling close by. I opened my eyes and found myself dressed in the weirdest of outfits, and knew that I hadn't been wearing these clothes when I went to sleep. I was dressed in the flowing robes of a wizard, and they were a deep purple and acid green colour, making a very strange sight of me. I jolted back to reality when I heard the groans of someone or something in pain coming from the direction of the branches on my left. I went to investigate and was startled to find a very short man with the longest of beards laying on the ground, a good half a dozen or more arrows protruding from chest and stomach. He looked at me and began to speak, sinking slowly into the inky depths of darkness that would become his death as his wounds continued to bleed.
"I want you to take my map of the land and find the seven Fire Rubies," he began, now that I was certain that this was a real life dwarf.
"The Fire Rubies?" I asked him, looking inquisitively at the dying man.
"The rubies are the only thing that can stop him. You are a great wizard, so you must stop him before it is too late," gasped the dwarf, who knew that his time was near.
"I am not a wizard, I have no idea how I got here," I cried, holding back the tears that were threatening to run down my cheeks. The dwarf did not answer, however, because his last breath passed as I finished speaking. Holding him in my arms, I carried him to a small clearing just off to the right and began to dig. Upon completion of the grave, I checked his pockets for some more information. In the left pocket, I found the map of the land, which I now knew to be the land of Lore, and three gold coins. I found nothing more in his right pocket but a piece of paper with what I assumed was his name, Fanglore. I buried Fanglore and returned to where I had first awakened, more confused than ever and now faced with a problem. Do I take the quest and fulfill a dying man's request, or do I ignore his last mortal plea and try to find a way home? Okay ladies and gentlemen, this is up to you. If you think I should take the quest, provide feedback to