Eternal Chaos

Authors Note: The characters in this story are fictional. This story is based off of DnD elements and any references to DnD content is fan based, hence the name "fan fiction". I would also like to point out that even though this is DnD, never will I refer to thing using words like "Skill Check" or "DC 15". If a character hears something, then he heard it, thats all there is to it. Also, I will refer to, and stick with, actual DnD Spells, weapons, and armor, so most of the things the party carries are taken from the actual DnD handbook.

Any names that coincidentally match a real name of a person you know, or are, is not intended and should not be taken as a personal attack on you. Thank you for enduring this authors note, and please enjoy reading the first chapter of my fan fiction. Reviews are welcomed warmly :D.

Chapter One:

The rickety boat swayed on the tide of the sea as it floated to the country of Oblifox. The night sky cover their stealthy arrival perfectly. They would float ashore and sneak to their town. It was not like they were enemies of Oblifox or anything, but they had pulled some unfriendly pranks a few too many annoying times. Frankly, the guards of the eastern ports didn't seem to like it.

So Steven and Ivellios had to land out of port on some random patch or dirt, or rather a designated patch since they land there every time they visit Oblifox's eastern shore, and then sneak across three acres of forest to reach Cherry Grove, Steven's town. The plan was simple, and it had been done hundreds of times before.

The only problem with this time was that it felt different, something was wrong with the setting. The guards of the ports were not there, or their torches were out anyways. Steven wanted to chance landing in the port to see if there was a problem, but he figured if something was amiss that was at all important to him, then Cherry Grove would know.

They keep floating along at a turtles pace, till finally the shore came into view clearly. The dirt patch in the middle of the grass, made permanent by the numerous times they left their row boat there, was visible. They drifted ashore and hopped out, grabbed their possessions, and then hoisted the boat to the dirt spot, grabbing various shrubbery to conceal its wooden frame. Then they quickly glanced around and head off to the west, towards Cherry Grove.

Ivellios spoke up during their run, barley audible against the wind and cracking of branches as they ran, "I have a feeling that we might find something unwelcoming in Cherry Grove!"

Steven called back, "What? You mean like a giant ogre or something?"

"That, or a burnt town!"

"I don't know, I hope we find the town safe, but I feel it too, something is definitely wrong!" With this they quickened their pace to the town and slowed to a stop as they reach the edge of the forest, which now seemed like a barrier to some type of nightmare that they didn't want to see.
Ivellios moved his bright white hair out of his face panting as he tried to speak, "I think...that something...is following us."

Steven, sweating but not showing his mass fatigue, replied, "I thought I heard another pair of footsteps, but we can't worry about that, I think I can hear yelling in the town." They both slowly peaked through the branches to see the town, not aflame, not burnt down already, no, not even damaged, but surrounded by a massive purple dome.

"What in Boccob's name is that? I've never seen anything like that in my years as a sorcerer. It seems to be an extremely widened version of a Plane Shift spell of something," commented Ivellios.

"Plane Shift spell? If I am correct in my minimal knowledge of spells, I do believe that means it takes someone to another plane?" Steven asked.

Ivellios sarcastically replied, "Amazing! You knew what that spell could do by just hearing it's title! All this time you led me to believe you were dumb! Fascinating."

Steven's eyes widened seriously and he boasted, "Why yes! I know much about magic, I have just been declining to tell you about it."

"Really?"

"No, not shut up and lets find out who is following us." Then Steven turned and walk back towards the forest cautiously.

"Sorry...I didn't realize you couldn't take a joke," Ivellios muttered. Then he saw something shine out of the corner of his eye and he turned quickly to see a dagger flash behind a tree. And attached to that dagger was a hand, and to that hand belonged a small body of a, was it a gnome, or a half-ling, Ivellios could never tell the difference.

"I think I smell something." Steven announced, and then a bright flash emitted from behind him and he turned to see Ivellios holding up a disarmed gnome.

"Could it be a half-ling you smell?"

"No...It was gnome, that is a gnome. I thought I told you the difference already?"

"Damn it! I get them confused all the time. Well anyways, he doesn't seem harmless. What should we do with him?"

"Um. If that is his dagger I think I renders him a potential threat. But since it's on the floor then he's fine. Here, tie him up to a tree, well interrogate him then." With this he tossed Ivellios a long rope and began to tie the gnome up. Steven continued to watch the forest incase there were more, but the only thing he could see was the moon and a lot of trees. He could hear the gnome whining in Gnomish as Ivellios tied him up.

"Hey, Ivellios, do you speak Gnomish?"

"I met one on the road once, he taught me a bit of Gnomish, but I accidentally teleported him to hell, so I never finished my lessons."

"I'm not going to ask how that happened, but do you understand any of this guys crazed yelling?"

"Well, he saying something about how I tried to kill his family...of geese? cheese? Wait...his family...period. I have no idea what he's talking about." Ivellios finished tying the rope and backed up to look at his work. "Ah yes...such a beautiful knot."

"I hope you don't tie delivery bags because all that rope will hold is a dead rabbit." Steven walked to the rope that Ivellios had tied, and then made some expert unties and reties and then a couple loops here and there and pulled it a bit to test it's hold on the gnome, this resulted in a squeak from the little rogue.

"Why must you taunt me with you ropesmanship?"

"That isn't even a real word, so stop trying to sound smart."

"Quiet you! I am a sorcerer, if I make up a word, then it becomes a real word!"

"Being a sorcerer has nothing to do with making words. Now please do me the honor of shutting up and interrogating this bugger with what knowledge of gnomish you have."

"Fine," and with that Ivellios kneeled down in front of the gnome and listened a bit to his ranting before replying with some questions. "Well it seems to me that I apparently killed his father and after all these years he wants to come kill me and he managed to get off Herofit, hitch a ride on our boat in a barrel, and sneak up on us stealthily. Maybe that gnome I sent to hell did have a family after all."

"What? After all these years his child is finally coming to kill you?"

"Grand...child. Apparently I misunderstood him. I told you I can't understand gnomish entirely."

"How old were you when you met this Gnomes grandfather?"

"Roughly 35 years, I was only a child then, a teenager to you humans, but young none-the-less. Well anyways, I guess this Gnomes father cared nothing about me killing his father so this gnome wanted to take the revenge into his own hands."

Steven saw the opportunity to gain a helpful rogue on their upcoming mission. "Tell him that if he cooperates and does what we tell him, that he will get his revenge."

"Okay!" And then Ivellios proceeded to explain this to the gnome...realizing what he was saying halfway through, "Wait! What?"

"Don't worry it doesn't end with you dieing. But I can fake your death."

"How? Please, do tell me your plan before I agree on it."

"You said you banished his father to hell right? Well we can just banish you there, but since your a sorcerer, you can pop right back!"

"Steven...that isn't exactly how it works. First of all I stumbled upon that spell when I tried to create water in the gnomes plant bowl. Second of all, that spell can only be used by expert sorcerer's and wizards. If I used it once I could die from the energy loss."

"Oh pish posh, how did you do it as a child then?"

"Very painfully. I ended up having to rest for 3 weeks."

"Oh, well then there goes that idea. Looks like we'll have to use forceful persuasion!" And then Steven drew his Greatsword and stepped toward the gnome. Wide eyed the gnome started to try and squirm out of the ropes, but failing to budge at all.

"Whoa now! We can just ask for help."

"Okay, try that, when he spits in your face then we'll try my way." Steven stood there as Ivellios tried to convince the Gnome to help them. Using his knowledge of gnomish as best he could. Steven yawned as the Gnome turned his head refusing to listen to Ivellios' pleads.

"Well it seems to me that…your going to have to convince him." Ivellios concluded.

"Excellent." Steven then brought his greatsword into one hand and held it to the Gnomes throat, marking it as if he were getting reading to pull back and swing. As he lined up the blade and test the angle at which the sword would cut, the Gnome made constant pleas for help, Ivellios listen intently to these pleas, negotiating with the Gnome to get him to help them.

"Okay, tell him to stop moving so I don't miss."

"Wait. He says he will help us, if we pay him the cost of his grandfathers life."

"I don't think this is the time to be negotiation with prices, I mean, what with his life a stake."

"Wait, he said all he wants like twenty percent of the loot we find."

"Ten."

"He says seventeen."

"Fifteen. Final offer"

"Deal! He will help us for fifteen percent of the loot."

"Great, now we got a rogue for any traps or chests. Now all we need is a Cleric." Steven said, looking around in the forest as if one had been following them as well. But then he gave up his search and proceeded to untie the Gnome. After he was untied they walked back to the edge of the forest to look at the town.

"I thought you only knew a little Gnomish?"

"I lied, Gnomish is my second language, apart from Common and Elvish."

"All these years we've been friends and you never told me you could talk to Gnomes?"

"Pretty much."

"I hate you."

"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment, now can we get going into the giant purple dome?"

"You sound to anxious. First lets see if it's still there." Then they stepped out of the forest to see the Dome was in fact, still there, and that they couldn't see anything in it. "I guess this is where we die."

"I hope not, I got a couple hundred years left in me. Besides, there must be some reason they Plane Shifted Cherry Grove."

"Whatever the reason, it's more than enough for me to hate who did it." Steven and Ivellios both looked at each other and then ran towards the dome. As they ran the Gnome followed them, thinking that they were crazy, but still keeping his word. And right when they reached the edge of the dome, they passed through it, into a world they had never seen or heard of before.