A gnome by the name of Innleachadhspreadhaidh – though most simply called him ‘Innly’ had departed from his home in Mount Nevermind on the island of Sancrist, and had traveled south to a city known as Garrett. From there, he booked passage towards Qualinesti to reveal the greatest discovery of the world and he had every intention of sharing it with the Wizards of High Sorcery, so that his name would go down in the historical books for this incredible discovery.
However, upon reaching Qualinesti, he found himself barred from being able to enter the woods. Innly tried desperately to explain his discovery – but the Qualinesti had little time to listen to the prattling of a gnome who wanted to see the Wizards at the High Sorcery of Wayreth. However, as the other Qualinesti melted back into the woods – one remained and stared at the despondent gnome. Creid Dragonstone leaped from the trees and looked at the gnome. “Is it true what you said?”
Innly, excited to see one of the elves had come to talk, spoke in the traditional gnomish manner, so that his words collided into one another. Creid extended his hands, “You will need to speak slower, my friend. I have pointed ears and can hear far, but that does not mean my ears, no my mind can keep up with the speed in which your kind speaks.”
Innly reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a black kyanite and held it proudly towards Creid, as if the Qualinesti should be in awe. “It’s a gemstone,” the elf shrugged. “What of it?”
“Notagemstone,” Innly began, but was quickly reminded to slow down. “Not a gemstone. It’s a fragment of the Cataclysm; a fragment of the mountain thrown down by the gods so long ago.”
“I thought the same thing,” Innly was struggling to keep his dialogue slow, often times going too slow, in hopes this Qualinesti elf would understand the importance. “Then I try to use it for one of my tinkering – and it sparked.”
“Yes, I suppose it could spark if the correct pressure was applied,” Creid shrugged, still not understanding the importance. “Why would the Wizards of Wayreth be interested? What makes you believe it’s from the Cataclysm? A fragment of the mountain?”
Innly smiled and said, “Watch.” Innly put on what appeared to be a mechanical gauntlet that had wires and gears that whirred, chirred, and even seem to burp. He placed the gemstone in a slot that had clearly been designed to fit it. Suddenly the gears began to spin wildly, smoke came out from the area that would be the fingertips – and suddenly Creid was eye to eye with Innly.
The gnome… was… levitating?
A moment after, the gemstone turned green, the gauntlet sputtered and Innly collapsed to the ground. The astonished elf shook his head, “What happened?”
“Not perfected it yet,” Innly concentrated on talking slow still, but his excitement was getting the best of him. “Burns up fragment quickly. Siphons magic out. Can’t use it. Sometimes, some of the stones have recharged. But most of the time it just dries out.”
Creid was astonished. He explained they would need to gather more evidence before the Wizards would consider seeing him and that night Creid did the unthinkable – he left Qualinesti with this gnome and together they traveled north to Goodbay, where they booked passage towards Haligoth and from there traveled into Estwilde, where Creid assumed there would be far more fragments being closer to the impact of the Cataclysm – and he was not disappointed. While traveling across Estwilde with the gnome, collecting these unique fragments, he would surprisingly fall in love with one of the human native women there, who was both strong as a warrior as she was in her faith of the old gods, named Alienea Stormcloud.
When Alienea bore Creid’s son, Creid, along with their gnome companion, Innly knew they could not keep roaming the Estwilde with a child in hand and moved north to the capital city of Maelgoth, between the Plains of Solamnia and Nightlund. It was there that Creid and Innly opened a store, while Alienea helped raise their son, Tycus. She taught Tycus that the old gods may seem to be gone, but they’re in slumber, like the great bears of Estwilde; waiting to awaken when the time was right. Creid taught his son the ways of what became known as ‘artificer’ – centered on extracting magic from these ancient fragmented artifacts from the Cataclysm’s impact.
When a towering minotaur was hiring people to go on an expedition in Winterholm, you knew this was your chance to see the world and collect more Cataclysm stones...