After your departure from your friends you once more set out to explore the world and learn more of the natural order of things. You have been drawn to the south and east by various omen and dreams. You pack away the fancy clothes and sword your friends bought you for possible future use and set out on your journey. Skirting the foot of the Markill Mountains you make your way to the rolling hills and valleys of the land of Gnomish.

You have never been to the land of the gnomes before but you have heard that the are a friendly people. With this in mind you travel their lands openly but watchful because you have also heard that strange things abound in their land.

Travelling for a day through the hills and valleys you have yet to meet anyone but this has not raised any concern, you may just be in a remote part of the region. During the afternoon of the second day you hear what sounds like thunder from the south but there is not a cloud in the sky. Using the keen nose of the bear you check for the smell of fresh lightning. Instead of the lightning smell you were expecting something unfamiliar and acrid assaults your senses, you quickly dismiss the nose of the bear. Deciding that this vile substance bears investigating you unsling your bone axe, ready your shield and cautiously approach the area the thunder is coming from.

The sound of thunder gets steadily louder as you travel. You also begin to notice that it is not the deep rumbling sound of thunder but more of a sharp crack similar to the sound of two rocks striking one another. When you judge that the sounds are coming from just over the next rise you become aware of a new sound, complete and utter silence. The "thunder" has not sounded for a couple of minutes now.

Becoming even more wary you crawl to the top of the rise and peer over. Before you is one of the strangest sights you have ever beheld. There are wooden crates strewn everywhere, most of them in various states of ruin. In some places the ground itself has been thrown about like the splashes of raindrops. A light pall of smoke drifts about the area obscuring some of the details but it looks as if a violent and localized storm has struck this area.

In a bewildered awe you rise to your feet to better view the area. As you are standing there surveying the destruction a small figure, presumably a gnome, about the same height but much thinner than a dwarf comes running up the hill towards you. His clothing and face is smudged all over with what looks like ashes from a campfire, his hair is even smoking a little. He is waving his arms and yelling something at you in a language that you don't understand.

As he gets closer he switches to Imperial and yells, "Run you fool. The whole thing is going to go up."

Not really understanding what he means by "the whole thing going to go up" but recognizing the abject fear on his face you turn to follow him as he runs down the hill as fast as his short legs can carry him. As he reaches the bottom of the rise he slides to the ground and turns around to watch the top of the hill.

Stopping beside him you hear him say, "I really hope this is far enough away."

Turning to look up at you he motions for you to lie down.

"You should really lay down. It's going to happen any second now."

Shrugging, you settle yourself to the ground beside him and turn to ask what in the Great Mother's name is going on. Just as the first word leaves your mouth a tremendous explosion rocks the ground and batters your ears.

As the dust begins to settle and the ringing in your ears subsides the gnome turns to you and grins.

"Hi. My name's Talus Baerbellow. Nice to meet you."