Role

Chapter 4

The sun shone brightly in the sky over Galadon as a small gnome and a human
girl walked hand in hand in a beautifully kept garden. They could be seen
laughing and playing together in the lush grass that appeared even greener
wherever the gnome lay.As the day wore on the gnome and girl were found
napping under the shade of the tree by the girls father. He seemed a very
angry individual and addressed the gnome with scorn as he told them to enjoy
their last day together. The girl cried and her father assured her that
everything would be ok, but that they wouldnt see each other hardly at all
anymore as she was going off to study. After her father went back inside the
little gnome also assured her that he would come to visit her. The two
hugged and the girl went inside to finishing packing her belongings. As was
his custom, the gnome found a nice little bush to curl up under.

After a few hours the gnome was awoken by a number of voices speaking in
hushed, yet angry tones. It was the girls father speaking with her mother
on the patio. He was making a number of gestures and posturing in such a way
to display his anger. He cursed the gnome and promised the mother that he
would make sure it had an "accident" in the near future. The mother
disagreed and seemed to plead with her husband not to have it be so. The man
slapped his wife and walked away, ending the discussion.

The gnome was very alert to the fact that his life would soon be in danger.
That night when the lights were out he snuck into the masters study and used
his innate ability to understand objects to figure out the pattern needed to
open the masters magical journal. Upon opening the journal the gnome
learned far more than he bargained for.He learned that he was purchased
illegally from some place called Hillcrest and that the Tribunal guard were
implicitly involved in trying to satisfy the desires of one of Galadons
riches patrons.He read of his own imminent demise once some time had passed
and the girl was lost in her studies at the mages tower. It was at this
moment something clicked in the gnomes mind and he knew what he must do.