The grumpy Gnome
Oedipus
Friday evening, the 30th day of the 10th Month, A great storm blew in. I decided to stay inside the healers guild, rather than brave the weather. Saturday evening, I had a strange dream.
I dreamt that I was a new Exile to Puddleby again, yet I knew some of the other Exiles already somehow. There was a Halloween party of sorts going on, with several people in costumes.
Anyway, a group of us decided to venture down to the hive to try our luck with the myrms. After several encounters with the Myrm, our entire party lay dead or dying, and we had about given up hope.
Suddenly a gnome, dressed in blue pants, a green shirt and matching hat, appeared. This was no ordinary gnome. He healed us quicker than I have ever seen anyone be healed before.After saving us once or twice more, the gnome brought out a pair of curiously engraved dice, and challenged us to play against him. The first person to play the gnome won 100 coins(not such a great sum in some of our eyes, but being new exiles this seemed a tremendous sum). The second person to play peeked at the dice, which the gnome took great offense at (justice was swiftly adminstered by way of weapon). After this the gnome indicated that he would like to play a more honest player. Hesitantly I volunteered myself(having only 1 coin, I wasn't sure what I would have to pay if I lost). Lo and behold to my surprise, I rolled a double grotto, and the gnome gave me a slightly worn axe(the only one in Puddleby, I believe).
The gnome again indicated that he would like to play again, and Aldernon stepped forth. Aldernon was not quite as lucky as some of us were. He rolled a pair of spiders, and shortly thereafter, Aldernon disappeared.
We would not learn until later that Aldernon had been transported to the Arachnoid cavern to die. Several other reports surfaced about the gnome showing up in other places, saving the fallen, and then disappearing again just as mysteriously as he had appeared. It was a strange dream, and I hope that the storm ends soon. I am attaching some sketches I made upon waking from this dream.
--Oedipus