The Amazing Adventures of Zelphie! ((series, closed RP))

[Zelphie]

OOC:

Contents
Episode 1: Damn the dam, damnit! ( http://wow-tng.org/showpost.php?p=91994&postcount=2)
Episode 2: Mucking Around (Part 1) (http://wow-tng.org/showpost.php?p=98194&postcount=6)
Episode 2: Mucking Around (Part 2) (http://wow-tng.org/showpost.php?p=98526&postcount=7)
Episode 3: Like sheep to the sprocket! (http://wow-tng.org/showpost.php?p=99458&postcount=8)

Introduction

Before you will be, in no pre-determined time interval, a series of Zelphie's adventures. Most of these span from the creation of my character, September 2005, to current date, capturing some stories and memories from then on.

I originally posted the first episode more than a year ago on the WoW forums and never reposted, (but brainstormed ideas and made notes). I hope to continue what I started now :) Hope you enjoy her adventures!

-Player of Zelphie

[Zelphie]

((This is a faithful attempt at replicating my first story based on Zelphie's Adventures, posted some time in winter of 2006 on the WoW TN boards.))

The Amazing Adventures of Zelphie!

Episode 1: Damn the dam, damnit!

AS WE LOOK NORTHEAST PAST THE SCENIC DUN MOROGH, we come across a lake and large valley most unspoiled by the rigors of war. Fertile plains with bear and boar, lush valleys of bunnies and rams.. and.. well, Troggs. Everywhere. Loch Modan is the unofficial Trogg suburb of Gnomeregan, with plenty of areas to smash bunnies and dig in dirt and whatever else Troggs do. Looking unto the lake we see several encampments of Troggs.. with the minor explosion or two peppering the isles...

"Mwehehehe... BOOM!!" Zelphie's eyes gleamed with excitement. Another Trogg Shaman faces the wrath of her bombs! The sheer delight in her destruction, her child-like features and superficial innocence, make it seem as if a doll house was stage to an execution. As countless Troggs run confused, helpless, at her rain of explosive power, she reaches one last time into her engineering bag, to find it empty. A look of disappointment paints her once gleeful face, and she decides to return to the town of Thelsamaar to restock on supplies and craft more implements of destruction.

Upon arriving, the guard captain of the town approaches her.
"Eyy you look like lot o'good 'elp that ye can give th'mates o'er at Stonewrought a hand fer"

Zelphie quirks a brow and turns towards the dwarf, uncertain if he was addressing her, or was just a rambling drunk who escaped the tavern. You can never tell with many of these dwarves, she thought.

"Why yes I can help, if it involves keeeling or blowing stuffs up!, Yup, I enjoy blowing stuff up, that's right!" She replied, the expression she had over on the Loch Modan isles dimly reflected past her mute concentrated face of craft-work.

The dwarf cleared his throat and attempted to be more formal. "Aye, see we be hearin' reports of t'Dark Iron plannins for a'sabatoge! They be seekin young blood as yerself to do the reconnaissance. Why dun you head o'er there after yer finished with construction?"

Zelphie made a nod and sound that represented a "yes", and finished her tinkering shortly and headed to the Dam.

Stonewrought Dam, a marvel and pinnacle of engineering, was something that the combined and long friendship of the dwarven and gnomish people can be proud of. It sat over a mile above the vast wetlands below. The history and effort it took for these people to craft it was astounding. Zelphie knew most of this, however her first impression of the Dam was replaced by an awe not quite what you would get from the Dam's lore...

"Oh my.. wow.. of all that is good and right to blow up, to destroy, to make chaos of.. mwehee.. muahaha... BWAHAHA!!! Boom! mwhehehe.. must... boom!! BIG BOOM!!" Zelphie was gibbering, whipped into a frenzy in the size, and immensity of some object that demanded change, that was there to be destroyed, that existed for demolition. Approaching the Dam, she stared eyes glazed over at the structure, involuntarily killing half a dozen Kobolds in her lust without thinking.

She got onto the dam, and peered on one side, then the other, and got woozy and almost lost her step. She was finally approached by a dwarf and gnome, the maintenance engineers for Stonewrought Dam.

"You mus be one of th'recruits our captain sent out!" The Cheif Engineer exclaimed with eager tones. "We need you for a mission of importance that be, you be up to it?"

Zelphie was still staring at the structure, imagining it's foundation, following the rivets and stone columns with her eyes. A tendril of drool started to form on her lower lip. "Mwahh... ughh.. yes!" she said absently, as if answering the dam itself.

"Well uhm," the engineers' tone changed from eager to apprehensive, "what is your name, miss?"

Zelphie regained herself and met attention to the chief engineer. "I am Zelphie Eredemire, yup yup, I am here to blow up the dam as ordered!"

The chief and apprentice engineers were startled and shocked. The apprentice rallies some guards and they approach. The chief evenly says "Say.. who were you sent by...?"

"Why, the captain of the guard of Thelsamaar! I'm here to help against the Dark Iron Dwarves!"

The chief's eyebrows furrowed. He was desperate for help, the signs were all too clear an attack was soon. Yet this daft gnome who said she wanted to help also said she wanted to blow it up? He decided he could test her out a bit..

"A'right. There's this suspicion of a scout of da Dark Iron o'er by the opposite end of th'Dam. Why don you check it out for us, to confirm?"

"Yes! I will check out the suspicions, the suspicious scouts! Yup!" Zelphie began running off towards the dam. An escort pair of guards trails her from a distance.

Zelphie approaches the end of the dam, with her imp Zepgup in tow. "Whaz iz diz da dwavzez wantz fromz uz??!?" Zepgup inquires.

Zelphie replies, hushed as she sneakily creeps over the corner. "Well uhm I think they uh.. well they want us to blow the dam up right? Ok! Sounds good to me yup yup.. we'll just-" She stops short as she sees several dark skinned dwarves with beady red eyes over the corner. Dark Iron.

They seem to be in an argument, standing over a small barrel. Zelphie peers over and strains to listen.

"No no no.. you gets da fuze har wets and it cause chain reaction' dat we cun stop! No way you be puttin unda the water." Another dwarf retorts "this be coarse blastin powda you dimwit! you be fine as to blowin up undawata.. no chain reaction is t'be spected.." the third dwarf replies: "he iz right! da be undawada proof!"

Zelphie busts out of her hiding spot, eager to explain, "no see you're all wrong, that's right! You're wrong! right? See here's how to do it. The fuse is made of wool that won't do underwater nope nope! You must first implement an underwater containment vessel that can shelter the fuse in a dry environment, like an upturned pot, yup that'll do! then you must make sure there is sufficient oxygen, so the pot must be big enough for the fuse to reach the keg! After that.. mwehehe boom!!"

The dwarves turn, startled, then listen to her explanation, dumbfounded. "Hey, daz gnome is right!... whut.. gnome is no Dark Iron! Kill'er!" Zelphie begins some incantations and sends one in fear, and kills the two others. She returns to the dam, explosion in hand, Zepgup in tow. She approaches the chief.

"See they had it all wrong! They thought the wick could be submersed, silly dwarves! Where do they learn to explode things?! From troggs I bet, yup yup no good! Not that I meant you dwarf, no no, the Dark Iron that's right! So anyway I think if we take this and get a pot... seal it with some earth clay, we can... mweheheh boom!" It had seemed she spoke all of this in one breath. The Chief Engineer sat there perplexed for a minute. They say there for a moment in silence, Zelphie staring at the keg. She began hitting a side of the keg with her spanner wrench. The apprentice caught her on the third whack, which showed irritation in Zelphie's face. Finally, Chief Engineer Heiderweir VII said:

"Ah even be uh... even be our bes'efforts to mod'fy this device.. we won get the dam to uh.. t'blow, without additional ingredients.. we needs a catalyst.. the powder is too dense t'light normally. We uh.. if you can get the tears of a crocolisk, some spider lurker venom.. and.. a mo'grosh crystal for channeling the power.. that wil' do fine for lighten up t'whole dam up, what you say, Zelphie?"

"But master," the apprentice interrupts, "wouldn't that neutralize the explos- OW!!" The apprentice engineer's head received a fresh bruise from the spanner wrench of the Chief Engineer.

"Rubbish! I knows what imma doin! Now get to work Zelphie!" Then the apprentice realized who they were dealing with, a maniacal demonic gnome bent on destroying the dam... the only way to get her to work with them was to trick her. Besides, they thought, the Mo'Grosh Ogres were far too powerful for anyone so far to challenge for their crystals.. this gnome may just do the trick.

Not an hour later, Zelphie returns with all the ingredients, virtually unscathed. Her imp however, is missing an arm, and cursing in all sorts of demonic gibberish. "I got the ingredients, yup yup! Now we get BIG BOOM right?! right?!" Zelphie begins making some fuses from powder and wool.

"Aye yes.. I'm impressed! You managed to wrestle the crystal from them ogres! Well done lad! But er.. I be thinkin we need more powder. You be proficient in the ways of mining yes? Grab some more stone from Ironband's Excavation will ya? That be a good lad" Zelphie was miffed, and after some protest eventually left to Ironband's. The Chief Engineer set out a crew to diffuse the explosives.

The Stonewrought Dam crew thought finally, they were done with the peril of the bomb threats, and with the unstable Zelphie to the rescue, were hoping she was to be at bay long enough at Ironband's until later reassigned elsewhere, far away from Loch Modan. However, vanquishing the Trogg threat easily at that excavation, she returned, with much more powder than before.. and set about placing charges on the dam.

"Mwehehehe.. time to go boom! BOOOM!!! MWAHAHAH!!!" The dwarves alarmed, threatened her and chased her away, but without first having her set off a few charges, causing weeks of reconstruction on the western side, nearly causing irreplaceable repair. Confused as to why they wouldn't let her finish her job, she wondered, in her eyes, just how hypocritical and two-sided the alliance would be years to come as she works towards the defense of her lands, and the destruction of things deemed worthy of destruction. Escorted to the Algaz Gauntlet, forbidden from entering the Valley of the Kings for several months, she embarks on new adventures.. sometimes more perilous to her allies than her foes...

[Solenev]

((Ack I want to read the next in the series. Lotsa Booms!))

[Rikt]

((Mmmm, explosive gnome goodness.))

[Everindela]

((*Snickers*))

[Zelphie]

OOC: Sorry for the long stay away from these forums.. been working on my shammy on overtime, so little time at comp aside from actually playing. I can pace down a bit so here's a new story!

The Amazing Adventures of Zelphie!

Episode 2: Mucking Around

THE FETID MUCK OF THE WETLANDS greeted Zelphie's nostrils with familiarity. This open wallow is not too different from the place she was raised: The Black Morass. It had been in the times before war, the coming of war, that she had learned many eccentric ways of demonology, of the harnessing of shadows. Her father, a pupil of the warlock arts from those who should not be printed, is lost in time. Not many know of this history, but those that do grimly fear she could live the Eredemire legacy of a more disruptive nature.

Zelphie takes a big sniff. "Ahhh! This is how home used to smell! A little more salty but that's ok I can do! Yup yup!"

Zelphie hopped about through the Algaz Gauntlet. Several Dragonmaw Scouts noticed her approach.

"Lok Tar! Be young blood for the axe! I be cravin dee stunties o'er the pass fer some time! Eh Groth, time to stunty smashy!" Groth gestured in approval as they stared Zelphie down.

"Alright she's be in range.. what the?!?" Before the two could comprehend, they were both a smoldering ruin decaying into the earth. Zelphie merrily danced along, as if the two orcs were a sprig of mageroyal she happened upon in the forest, picking it in a careless thought and sticking it between her teeth.

Zelphie's Imp, Zepgup, had always felt death was around the corner. And certainly, in situations it has been. Zepgup however had been her family pet so to speak, a companion that she has protected and trusted. This has done little to quell the imps neurotic and paranoid tendacies.

"Az rizkhl! Thiz be fel orcz they bez here to harmz us! You bez best to careful upon tread yezz? Zelphz.. Zelphiez?!" The last of which in a squeal or panic, Zepgup found her companion many yards away chasing an orc around in circles, cackling maniacally, prodding it with a stick. Eventually the orc collapsed face down, stopped twitching, and the prodding of sticks lost its appeal. Zelphie searched and found Zepgup. A smile reached the imp's lips.

The two reached the bottom of the pass, and came across the various corrupted wildlife of the Wetlands. Zelphie went on her continual rampage, killing slimes and spiders and shamblers with zeal.

"Bumbly muck, muckity bubbly buck.. YUCK!" Zelphie's shoe was in goo. She picked her foot up and started wiping the boot with the side of the imp.

"HAY letz goo! You are soo cruelz Zelphiez!" Zepgup cried. Zelphie giggled, a childish giggle that somehow made the imp feel not of a washcloth, but of a cherished friend. The feeling fell when the imp was forced to find the nearest bog to clean itself. Insanity is a developed trait, it told itself.

***

Over in the distance, the horde scout warband surveyed the land. With the keen ears of the troll, they discoved the commotion not more than a mile away.. it was a gnome with an imp, possibly a warlock. They hadn't had a skirmish in three days.. the feet of the band practically carried them of their own will to Zelphie.

The two orcs and trolls were spotted a quarter of a mile by Zepgup, a remarkable feat considering his position to the ground and the dense fog layer coming with the evening sun settling near the horizon. "Zelphz," the imp quirked in a hushed tone, "there are greenskinz approaching.. not ofz the fel... theyz may have spotted us!".

Zelphie's eyes gleamed in joy. "You mean.. mean.. HORDE!? Whee! Maybe they've been to ratchet ratchet? A greatest place for engineering! I want to go there some day I want to yup yup, maybe I can ask them!" Zelphie ran off towards them, a bewildered imp halted. Zelphie noticed and compelled its will, and like a prisoner to the gallows, the imp resigned to its fate.

When the fog briefly cleared the horde were startled by the sudden appearance of Zelphie. It could have been trouble or at least a difficulty for the band if she had taken the offense, but instead greeted them in a very loose and difficult common. The troll picked up some marginal words for greeting, and in turn broke into a poor version of common used in the goblin towns.

"You is gnome. Gnome be endemy. You be run now or fail." The troll managed to pronounce with harsh dialect, unsure if the Gnome understood.

Zelphie beamed. "Yes! I am gnome! Yes I be engineer how'd you know?! You say you sailed here? With rum?! Well I don't drink, nope nope.. hey you come from Ratchet??"

The troll stood there perplexed, finding little meaning in the words. She knew of "Ratchet", and had in fact came from there. Little of this mattered, as an impatient orc quelled in what universal language of hate any would understand, "You warlock, teach you!!" and smashed Zelphie's shoulder to the ground. Zelphie nearly cried and reeled from the shock. The orc raised his arms in a finishing blow, but was confronted by a firebolt to the face that stunned him; Zepgup had burst into rage. The other orc punted the imp several yards, which staggered to get up, and collapsed. Regaining her balance, she inspired fear into the orc who was stunned and backed off, cowering. She attempted to run, to gain control. Disorientated, she took out one of her grenades and threw it wildly.. it missed, the charged grenade thumped to the ground, rolled down a slope and detonated several yards away. The two other horde advanced, which helped the fear stricken orc regain his compsure, and they closed in. Outnumbered, it was a matter of several harsh seconds that Zelphie fell to the ground, bleeding, left for dead. Zepgup had nearly died, but phased out of this dimension in a last conscious effort.

Later when the horde had left, Zepgup attempted to revive Zelphie. "Zelphiez... speak to mez!!" the imp sobbed, putting pressure on a huge gash. Luckily, she had fallen on a major trade route, and in hours a caravan with a traveling priest found her. Seeing the imp, they immediately thought it had taken her, and attempted to kill it. Zepgup could do little but run, leave her master to fate, as two guards pursued it through the bog. The priest cradled Zelphie's head and saw her still alive.

"Can you hear me?" chided the gentle voice of the dwarf.

"Mwehe.. eh.. *cough* ehsh.. meany.. horde... no boom.. eh.. mwe.. *cough*" Zelphie said in small spurts of blood. She was put on a makeshift stretcher.

"To Menethil, post haste!" The caravan captain ordered.

To be continued!

[Zelphie]

The Amazing Adventures of Zelphie!

Episode 2: Mucking Around (part 2)

IT WAS MIDDAY IN MENETHIL, and the manners of the docks began settling down in time for the afternoon break from the morning rush. Menethil Isle was home to the busiest wharf of Khaz Modan, and many strange things have gone to and fro from the ships. Despite this, one strange, curious little gnome garnered the attention of several travelers, who had stumbled upon her, left for dead on a trade route.

In the tavern, the dwarf priest that had first found her stayed and nursed her back to health. At one point he saw her unconsciously reach around, and found the engineer tote bag to the side of her bed. With some mumbling, she reached for a grenade, pulled it out, and with a muted giggle pulled the safety. The moment she was about to throw the grenade did the priest catch the grenade and hastily throw it out the window, thanking the light not a soul was injured as it rolled off the bank into the water. The bag and sword then after was put opposite her bed.

She awoke in the evening.

"OooOOooo" complained Zelphie, rubbing the front of her right shoulder. "I'm in a bed?? Zepgup.. hey... oh hey... you're a priest huh? You look silly!"

The priest smiled reassurance. He then furrowed worry. "Darling, what happen to ye? You were dun about dead, the light near taken ye that it did.." the priest checked her head for fever, and replaced the wet towel. "Please save yer strength, that be a miracle we find ye in time!"

"Oh!" Zelphie's perkiness was returning, yet subdued. "Well you uh see there was horde and they didn't like ratchet or engineers or gnomes or warlocks and uhm.. Zepgup??" She began to worry. She bolted out of bed, and near collapsed after upright. The priest helped her and coerced Zelphie back to bed.

"You need to rest! Dun be a fool gettin' up like that! Do you know what ye gone through?!"

"Why yes I do silly dwarf! But I must make sure my Zeppy Zepgup is alright ok? Ok here we go! Nahz Eredun ir'kilh... " Zelphie had pushed the priest back, which surprised him with her strength, and began to chant demonic. Thoughts raced in the dwarf's mind as he heard the cursed language of the Eredar and the miraculous resilience and recovery of this gnome. Could she be...

She had finished her incantation. In front of the two, a short imp appeared out of thin air. It had what appeared to be a file, and was studiously working on, well, its tusks. What appeared to be a light makeup was on its face.

"ARAaAGh!! Tzzz... Zelphiezzz you knowz to askszz first for summonz!! The imp whined, with a shade of embarrassment.

"Imma sorry so sorry but Zelphie was worried yes she was I didn't know what happened to you nope not at all I wanted to make sure Zepgup Zeppy Zep was unconditionally unanimously alright ok?! Ok and you are!" Zelphie reached for the imp, hugged, and smeared rouge as her face met its'. The priest stood agasp and discreetly chanted some power words of defense. He clenched his stave tight.

The two came back to life like nothing had happened, they were not in danger, not before, not after. They had seen many troubles. Yet being at the defeated end always perplexed Zelphie, down deep. An unusual form of confession came to her lips, maybe in light of the person of the light who had rescued her.

"I am so sorry mister I didn't know who helped me to the inn, nope! What is your name? I am Zelphie! This is my little imp Zepgup, yes that's right!" She curtsied. The genuine and sincere actions of the gnome reassured the priest.

"I am to serve and receive no needs of praise or thanks, that be the selfless way of the light, miss." Zelphie didn't seem to mind knowing who he was, and went on:

She turned towards a cheap remake of an Azerothian scene hanging on the wall, eyes transfixed, as if in a masochistic chant, as if in repentance. "I can't let the horde attack me and win nope.. I must work, work harder that's for sure, yup! Work, work! Nothing good comes from not working must always be busy towards better knowledge and strength, that is correct!"

Zelphie began collecting her things and headed towards the door. "Wait, lass!" The priest stood, unguarded yet distant. "'Round ere ye may be best to hide yer practices.. that be fer sure. Been rumors rialin' up the populace of demons and magic.. best be hidin yer little companion eh?"

She turned around, smiled, an honest smile. "Yes that's right! Thank you mister! I won't forget you!" she giggled and waved, and with an unspoken conversation between her and the imp, Zepgup faded from their sight. The priest watched her leave his view, then turned toward the window, deep in thought.

Zelphie made her way through the tavern, turning heads. Not a night ago the regulars, the caravan and the innkeep thought of her grimly, and of what preparations they would need to return her body in respect and peace. The virility astounded them, and not a word was said but clear through all their minds of just how the endurance and strength of this gnome underestimated them. She left the tavern without a word.

She stopped a passerby. "How can I get to Ironforge fast!?" She asked. The person without a word gestured to the gryphon rider overlooking the docks, a roost of proud gryphons nearby.

Zelphie came to the gryphon master. "Oh hey uhm I need to get to Ironforge, yup! I need to study more you see I need to be stronger so I'll go to a wizened teacher yes that's right? How much will that cost?"

"That'll be a silver and 25 pence," she replied. The gryphon master motioned to a stable hand and without a word he presented a gryphon. "Now have you ran a gryphon before?"

"Uhmm.. sure! Who hasn't! Yup I always do that's right!" She hopped onto the back of the gryphon. The handlers eyed her skeptically. The proud gryphon was soon to buck her off, but not before a handler repositioned Zelphie and showed the way to to ride properly.

After preparations they took off. "WhoaaoOOOaaao whooo hooooo!!" shouted Zelphie, with glee. She was either excited or frightened, she couldn't tell. After gaining nerve she looked down, eyes wide. She saw several farms, dwarven. Later she saw some troggs. From a distance, you could see a gnome on a gryphon, dropping explosions, causing havoc. An echo of detonation and laughter, trailing to the peaks of Khaz Modan.

[Zelphie]

Episode 3: Like sheep to the sprocket!

WITHIN THE PEAKS OF KHAZ MODAN NESTLED THE MIGHTY IRONFORGE, its gates ajar like the snoring mouth of a drunken dwarf, and near similar in smell. Hundreds of drunken and dispirited, sweating, smelting and sullen members of this capitol reflect on former glories and grim futures as they carry on their business, whether it be hammer or ale in hand. Of the few sober aside from new travelers and the rare priest (many priests were drunk as well) was the mighty King Magni Bronzebeard and council. Zelphie passed by the auditorium of His majesty, curtsied, and headed soon towards a dark place that the proper citizens of Ironforge loathe to think of, a dark corner of their world. Before she got too close to this forlorn cavern however, a minor explosion caught her attention, and she smiled. She headed towards Tinker Town.

"Confound-it! Explicitly destructively deceiving! The latest edition of the Master-Sprocket manual has 17 errors and I'm only on page 60! Blast it!" A frustrated gnome paced about, with blast powder fresh on his mustache and chin and tunic.

Zelphie thought this was a great opportunity to surprise Springspiddle Fizzlegear. She gently placed a small improvised explosive on the ground, lit it, and rolled it to the left of the gnome, who was now busy shifting through pages in his manual, muttering. The explosive went off, and Springspiddle jumped two feet in the air.

"Blast it! Confound it! Who did that?!" Springspiddle raged, although it was more of a squeak. "Oh, Zelphie! don't scare me like that, you know how I am with explosions!" Being an elementary engineering teacher of Gnomeregan comes with its risks.

Zelphie ran up to Springspiddle and gave him a hug, crimping his arms and leaving little room to breathe. "Now easy there girl, I've missed you too. You've.. been working out?" he gasped for breath.

"I missed ya teach'! Yes I've been working! Working out, yup, outside! Work, work! Been doing some keeling and uhm well I need better training that's why I've come yup!" Zelphie explained to her former teacher. A nervous little imp appeared near her, and meekly waved at Springspiddle. Springspiddle grimaced, and reflected the gesture.

"Hmm, well then," the teacher set his manual aside and came back to his work bench. "Where did I leave off with you? What before all the troggs came down like an isotope shower..." he lost his thought briefly. Zelphie was tinkering with some random gizmo on his bench. "Stop that!" he grabbed the tool from Zelphie, and she pouted. "Ok.. well, can you make bronze explosives?"

"Can I?!" Zelphie exclaimed. She grabbed a sheet of wool, and some random parts from her tool box and grabbed a framework setting on the wall of her teacher's workshop. Within minutes she had designed a... sheep.

"It's a sheep and it goes boom! mwehehehe.. sheep boom! who expects the sheep of DOOOOMM!?!?!" her eyes lighted up with the fervor of ingenuity. She twisted a key several times, and the sheep moved and walked, right up to a patched up wall. It stopped there, walking into the wall wanting to go on. All the while a ticking was going off.. tick tick tick. "Uhm hey Mr. Fizzlegear I calculate we have uhm three seconds to run.. so uhm.." the two ran out of the shop right before the sheep exploded, creating a hole in the wall and throwing debris all through the shop. A frenetic owner next door complained the second time that week of Springspindle destroying the wall.

"Oops.. sorry," Zelphie giggled, not of malice but of embarrassment. The flush red of the teacher's cheeks soon paled and he sighed.

"Well it seems to me... there isn't much I can teach you anymore... except how to make grenades. Now grenades are more sturdy precise, and can be primed, or set to explode on impact. They are a refined bomb and you can use them in more situations." Springspindle went on to explain the grenade, several parts and a couple other devices, and provided the schematics.

Zelphie thanked her master, turned and started walking out towards the forlorn cavern. She entered the cavern. The underwater well was dark and murky. It seemed to do the opposite of what was expected and reflected darkness upon the dimly lit buildings and homes adjacent to it. Zelphie came to a door and said a few words in demonic, a passcode. The door opened on itself and she walked inside.

Zelphie was greeted by a shorter, darker gnome. He was twisting his mustache, looking into a mirror before she came in. Hardly a glance was made after and he sat there, studiously admiring his reflection. Zelphie sat there, reading some books in a shelf across the room. A minute later, he put his mirror down and spoke.

"Don't tell me: you are here to learn the power of the warlock magics! to study under the great Briarthorn!" he pronounced his own name with triumph.

"Erm.. Yes! I am here to learn of new powers, to work harder and to keel stronger! Yup, yup! I demonically deliberately demand to know more powers of the Eredar!" Zelphie exclaimed in bright, eager tones.

Briarthorn examined his pupil more intently. He became filled with a desire of her beauty and charm and radiance. "Yes," he answered, in a suave tone, "you seek to learn from the mighty Briarthorn. However in return I ask for one favor..." Zelphie stood waiting for her command.

His voice sharpened to a near-whine, and he reddened and smiled. "You must go out with me!"

"No!" Zelphie replied. Her brows furrowed.

"Please? Just a date?"

"No!" she yelled, and stomped on Briarthorn's foot. He squealed.

"Ow! That hurt! Please don't hurt me.. ow.." Briarthorn sat there rubbing his foot. Shortly after, as if nothing happened he returned to his former state and became starkly serious. "You see," he continued, "that was only a test, yes.. a test. For true power of the arts can't be gained through looks alone.. I require a task from you.." Zelphie giggled increduously.

"No seriously! I mean it! I need you to head to the depths of Gnomeregan and retrieve an item from my quarters. I could not take it during the evacuation, and now long for it. Write this to memory. My quarters are in the southern block section 5, room 114. Do you have that?"

"What is the item?" Zelphie questioned, jotting the address down.

"Oh, you will know.. when you see it." Briarthorn replied cryptically.

"Well.. ok! I will go get your item of value, yes that's right! I will explore the radioactive hollow of Gnomeregan and retrieve your item of value! And I, Zelphie Eredmire will return triumphantly, yes I will! Have no fear! Doom!" Zelphie hurried off in a near-run, slamming the door on her way out.

Briarthorn came to a shelf in his room, and removed some books hiding a plain, small box. He opened the lid and peered down. "Yes soon.. soon.. you will be united." He smiled wide.

Come back next time for Episode 4: Gnome place like Gnomeregan!