Chapter 1 - Homeward Bound In the beginning... The land of MUD is a curious place with many a strange creature. It holds many secrets and puzzles to which if you solve them then the rewards can be high. But have you asked yourself was it always like this? Where did the people go? Well read on and I will tell the tale through Thorins's eyes and maybe, just maybe all may make sense ... You are Thorin, a courageous young man who for the last two years has been away from the land travelling to far off places in which you have gained the title Thorin the Champion. Many a village has been saved through your heroics. Yet you have grown tired and weary and decide to spend some time back home with your father who is a simple yet hard working gravedigger. After a tough sea journey in your coracle you arrive at the rickety old jetty. Its scars mark the power and relentlessness of the coastline. From experience you know it's not the best place to be when it's raining. You make your way to your father's cottage and when you arrive it suddenly dawns on you that strangely you haven't seen a living sole. Not even the woodsman who is always out whatever the weather, making up wood piles for the winter months. The cottage itself is an old thatched cottage, half covered in a twine of ivy and other green foliage. On closer inspection, you find that it is all locked up with no trace of your father let alone anyone else. In the eerie silence you suddenly catch wind of a smell that you have only once encountered before. The smell of "FEAR". How could you be so naive in not noticing it before? Maybe it was the anticipation of seeing your father that clouded your senses or maybe after all those years fighting you have just blocked it out. With a much clearer vision you notice signs of sorcery battle. Trees still ting with the remnants of a fod and scorched grass shows the burnt remains of disintegration. But where on earth is your father you ask? He hasn't the skills or strength to do battle with even the lowest of warriors. You panic and quickly scan the horizon for any signs of life, until with a quick double take you see what seems to be figure slumped to an old yew tree. With agility and speed you trudge through the muddy gorse reaching the figure only to be astounded to see an old cloaked wizard, although by his appearance he seems close to death. Wizards in this land? That was just stories father told. Anyway surely wizards are immortal? "They can't die," you say to yourself aloud. "We were once," coughed the wizard. "A power greater than ours has taken the land. Most people have fled in terror. A powerful overlord has united the secret goblin realm with the dwarfen realm and created many a demonic creature for protection. Even the powerful Dragon is shackled with its life fading every day! Most of the wizards are dead and the few that are alive have been imprisoned." Your mind fills with all manner of questions and images. With your mind trying to comprehend such notions you blurt out, "The land has a dragon?" Looking back from the cottage you turn to the wizard only to see his presence fade into nothingness. With hand on hilt, rage fills your veins once more. A voice from nowhere says in a confident yet sarcastic voice. "That will never win this battle! Only the combination of metal with magic will succeed." "I am no magic user. I'm only the son of a grave digger!" you say, looking around for the voice. "That's where you are wrong young Thorin. Your father was a very wise sorcerer. He decided upon a family rather than following the next progression up to wizard status. He could have been a great Wizard!" "Who are you?...show yourself!" you question. "I am here... stuck in the side of this infernal tree!" To your amazement you see a spectacular mighty sword wedged into a side branch. But wait it speaks! "My name is valetant and I may be your only hope!" it gleams. You continue to listen in awe of this amazing sword. "You already have the fighting skills, yet you must acquire magic to even get close to succeeding! Take me and we will begin our quest!" "But where do we start?" you ask, "Well to start with you can clean yourself up. This is no time to playing in mud. Then we will start at your home of course. Your farther still practiced sorcery, all sorcerers have hidden sorcery rooms and that is what we must find in order to start our quest. You must learn how to gain magic!" And so you begin your quest at your father's cottage with your newfound companion..not knowing what puzzles and fights will lay ahead, but one thing is for sure it's going to be a long journey........ Adapted from a story line from Morloc's MUD 2 Duke TC email: Cmirfin@tesco.net