Melinda, a 41 year old mother with one daughter of 7 years and an ex-husband who ran out some years ago, was walking listlessly down the hallway of her small, one-story house. She was very poor and cleaned houses as a living. She had just tucked her sleepy little daughter in, and kissed her good night. Times were rough in Tharelynn. It was hard to find work and the goblins made their weekly raids on the town. The goblins hadn’t attacked in a while so they were bound to any night. The town’s militia wasn’t much of a help either. It’s not like a bunch of men with spears and pitchforks and brittle swords could hold off a bunch of well armed goblins riding wolves. Melinda pushed the door to her room open and plopped onto her straw mat. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She smiled as she realized she was about to get some well deserved sleep. All of a sudden there was a crash of a window smashing and then followed by some screams and snarls. Melinda’s eyes widened with fear as she realized what just happened. She pulled off her covers and ran into her daughter’s room before the covers even landed on her bed. She ran into her daughter’s room panting and slightly shaking her head as though she was silently saying “this can’t be happening…” She looked around her daughter’s room frantically and noticed a shattered window with glass on the floor and ruffled bed covers. Her daughter, Ginny, was gone. The goblins had struck again…
    Garfoodle and his band of gnomes were marching proudly through the Wood of Fangs en route to Tharelynn.  Behind him marched Zooknip, the gnome cleric. He carried his shield and held his chin up high. He carried no weapon for he needed his other hand to cast spells. He was a young gnome, born in the region of Keoland. He is one of the best clerics you will ever find. He strode grinning with his magical breast plate shining in the sun. Zooknip was short, about 3 feet and 2 inches, and weighed average, for a gnome that is. He had short spiky brown hair and vibrant brown eyes. He is the brother of Garfoodle
    Garfoodle, on the other hand, is a plump and stout little gnome. At 3 feet and 6 inches, he weighed 57 pounds. The gnome warlock carries a quarterstaff. He has flaming red messy hair and a large bulbous nose. He wears a purple wizard robe and a purple cap and wears heavy extravagant jewelry around his neck and on his fingers.
    Alas, there is another companion to the brotherhood. Thunderlips, the gnome barbarian. Towering at 3 feet and 11 inches, this gnome ahs muscles bulging all over his body while he only wears a cloth around his waist.  His head is bald but he has thick bushy blonde eyebrows with blue eyes set deep in face. His beard and chest hair grow unruly from his skin. He carries a vicious Heavy flail that he swings with immense force. Legend has it that Thunderlips used to be a rowdy peasant that spent his life in bars challenging people to a game to see whom could knock down whom first. Bets were made and that is how Thunderlips made his money. However, there came a day when Garfoodle entered the bar and too was challenged. Garfoodle smiled and accepted. The game began and almost instantly, a burst of short magical astral ribbons exploded from Garfoodle’s hand and Thunderlips found himself on the ground. Bewildered by this, Thunderlips swore his loyalty to Garfoodle and they have remained friends ever since.
    Still on the road to Tharelynn, the brotherhood of Gildenstone strode on the barely trodden path. All of a sudden, the gnomes heard a rustle in the trees and 5 goblins dropped down. Snarling and wielding their scimitars and bows, they began to walk towards the gnomes. Thunderlips gripped his flail tightly and charged with an intimidating roar. Meanwhile, Garfoodle and Zooknip began to cast spells. Thunderlips swung his might flail and bashed in one of the goblins heads crushing the bones and making blood spurt from the smashed head. The goblin flew backwards and hit a tree and sank down.
Zooknip unleashes his spell and a pillar of fire rained from the sky burning two of the goblins to a fine, crisp, black, dust. Garfoodle unleashed his spell and one of the goblins burst into green acid as the remains of his body quickly dissolved. The last goblin fired one arrow and some how managed to hit Thunderlips in his side. Then the goblin dropped his bow and ran for life. Thunderlips roared as Zooknip ran over to heal him and Garfoodle cast a seize monster and the goblin stopped dead in its tracked squirming in place and cursing in his native tongue. Garfoodle changed his dialect and said to the goblin: “What is your business here, why have you attacked us, and who sent you”. The gobbling spat at Garfoodle. “I will never tell you filthy little gnomes!” .Garfoodle tightened the spell and it squeezed the goblin until he couldn’t breathe. “Alright…..I’ll talk….” Gasped the goblin. Garfoodle loosened the spell and all of a sudden an arrow flew straight and true through the air and landed protruding from the goblins skull, instantly killing him before any information could be obtained. The assailants attack was followed by the sound of snarls and rustling in the bushes. It appears one of the other goblins killed this one so he didn’t leek any information. Zooknip and Thunderlips with his newly mended side walked over the Garfoodle and they continued their journey to Tharelynn.
    The day came when the band of gnomes arrived in Tharelynn. At the gate, stood about 50 or so middle aged men. They were the town militia and carried crude weapons. The lucky ones had swords or axes that were still of poor quality. They were a pathetic bunch. They wore bandages all over them. The unfortunate ones were missing limbs. The Goblins tore them apart.
    It took much persuasion but eventually the men let the gnomes pass. Garfoodle led the gnomes through the city. It was half in ruins. Rubble littered the streets and broken building barely stood. It was as if a mini Armageddon had struck the city.
    Then the gnomes heard and shout and simultaneously turned in that direction. They noticed a woman in a sky blue dress flapping at her legs running turned them. She was medium sized and very thin. Her dirty blonder hair bounced behind her. Her face was soft but stern and her blue eyes shone with brightness. “My name is Melinda Copperhand. My daughter, Ginny, was taken by the goblins a few nights ago. Please you must help me get her back! If you know what’s right and if there is any justice in this world then you will get her back!”. The gnomes started dumbfound at her and Zooknip piped up: “We’ll get your daughter back! Don’t you worry about a thing!”. Melinda smiled and hugged each of the gnomes lifting them into the air and whirling them around like children. She hand some difficulty with garfoodle because of his weight and decided not to hug the serious look bald gnome but instead to pat him gently on the head. Melinda then scurried back into her little home. The gnomes decided they would go see the mayor of Tharelynn to see what they can find out about these goblins.
    The mayor was sitting in his tall chair ruffling through hundreds of papers. They seemed to be complaints from the citizens ranging anywhere from not enough protection to too much garbage in the streets. The mayor was a small old man with messy gray hair and a bushy walrus gray moustache. He looked up from his papers and said: “Well! What do you want!”. “We wish to know about these goblin raids” garfoodle said. “That is not you business!” the mayor retorted. “but we can help” Thunderlips said in a low and deep voice. The mayor’s eyes widened obviously in fear and said “Very well, Ill tell you”. “You see, we are the only town near these woods. We have to get supplies by caravan and we do. The forest is half dead. It has almost no supply of food anymore. So, the goblins have been attacking our caravans for food and also attacking our town for food and to steal little children to offer to their gods as a sacrifice in hope that they will be blessed with food. All we have for protection is the town’s men who get slaughtered in vain attempts to protect the town. If you can help well then by all means please do!” The mayor went back to ruffling through his papers and the gnomes left the room. The gnomes went to the Tooth and Nail tavern and had some Ale and had a meager dinner of bread and dried meat. They then purchased rooms for the night. They had to rest up well for they had a quest to embark upon the next day.
    The band woke up bright and early and gathered their supplies and left the tavern and then the town. The gnomes assumed the guards were glad to be rid of them by the dirty looks they got as they left the town. They entered the wood at nightfall and strayed from the path on which they had once been on. Weird noises emanated from the woods and a dark feeling crawled up the band of gnomes’ spines. They stepped onto a clearing in which a cave was standing guarded by two goblins, one with a bow and the other with a sword. The Goblins shrieked with fury and before they could raise the alarm, Thunderlips appeared in front of them with his flail protruding from the body of a guard he just killed ever so quickly. The other guard whimpered right before he was blasted 7 feet across the clearing from the blow of Thunderlip’s flail. The eerie moonlight cast a dark shadow as they entered the cave.
    The cave was illuminated by torches in the walls. It was made of dirt and rock and was fairly empty. They snuck passed many rooms. One room they later passed by was the wolf stalls. The wolves started barking and then 3 goblins riding wolves ambushed the gnomes. They charged but a spray or rainbow ribbons from Garfoodle’s hand sent the wolves sprawling which made them launch the goblins off their backs. The wolves turned and fled but the goblins stood to fight. Zooknip cast magical weapon and animated a fallen sword that flew through the air and impaled one of the goblins. Thunderlips swung and knocked the wind out of one of the goblins and immediately followed that up with a hammer swing that smashed the goblins back and neck as he bent over. The third goblin turned his head just in time to see his comrade die and was struck in one of his temples sharply by Garfoodle’s quarterstaff. The last goblin sank to his knees and fell flat on his face, clearly dead.
    They marched on in the cave and it became much darker. Pitch black almost. So Zooknip cast a light spell and made it visible again. The gnomes froze and looked around. They were in some kind of throne room surrounded by many goblins, one of which was sitting in a throne gripping a battle axe. The gnomes could see Ginny chained up in the back. “Foolish gnomes!” said the goblin in the throne. “I am Snig the Axe. What brings you to my domain?” he said sharply. Garfoodle stepped forward and said “we have come for the girl. We have also come to end your raids. If you refuse, then we will fight to the death!”. “ Then let there be bloodshed…” said Snig as he grinned.
    The cave was filled with a mixture of snarls and growls and the goblins stepped forward to fight. Thunderlips roared and cleaved. He decapitated two goblins as their bodies slumped to the ground. Garfoodle sent an orb of lightning and it moved forward shocking goblins with great force as it passed. 6 goblins dropped dead from the shocking by the time the orb disappeared. Zooknip cast Flame strike and one again a pillar of flame erupted from the roof of the cave and incinerated 5 goblins melting them and their cries of agony. Zooknip’s animated sword shot forward and stabbed a goblin until it looked like Swiss cheese. The battle raged on with severed limbs and acid explosions and fire and crushed bones. At one point Thunderlips got stabbed horribly. Zooknip ran over to the rescue and showered Thunderlips in a golden light as the wound disappeared. With new found ferocity, Thunderlips charged in a wild frenzy and easily killed the remaining 12 goblins and horribly maiming their bodies. Finally, all were dead aside from the brother hood and Snig. Snig just smirked and clapped his hands and said: “Well played little ones, but the time has come for your lives to end!”. Snig grabbed his axe and flew from his throne with a blood crazed look in his face and his axe twirling above his head. to battle the gnomes. His blows were parried by Thunderlips but a few got threw and drew the first blood of this battle. With one blow, Snig shattered the animated sword. Snig struck relentlessly at Thunderlips while dodging Garfoodle’s spells. Another of Snig’s blows got through and cut Thunderlips across his chest. He roared and fell to his knees. As he was about to strike the final blow, he realized he stopped dodging spells.  All of a sudden he froze in place. He started trembling violently and his face turned red and purple. BOOM! Snig exploded sending organs and flesh and blood and bones everywhere. Zooknip ran over and expertly healed Thunderlips. Thunderlips grabbed Snig’s axe as a souvenir and as proof that he is dead. The gnomes walked over the back of the giant room and freed Ginny. She shrieked and smiled and danced around excited to get out of this cave and to see her mommy.
    The gnomes exited the cave and then the forest and were greeted by the guards. Unaware of what just happened, the guards still shot dirty looks until Thunderlips dropped Snig’s axe in front of them. The guards instantly knew what it meant. The town was safe………for now……
Epilogue
    There was much celebration and the gnomes became revered in Tharelynn. Melinda and Ginny were reunited and greatly thanked the gnomes for their kindness. The mayor awarded the gnomes Medals and a great sum of money which they said was not necessary to hide the fact that they really wanted it. The town was safe and sound and was even repaired and renewed. It looked as though the goblins had never been there. The celebration lasted for days until a new adventured called the gnomes to attention. They strode proudly out of the town gates with Zooknip’s breast plate and Thunderlips’ bald head gleaming in the sun and Garfoodle’s Flaming red hair gently wafting in the breeze as they faded into the Sunset of a free day.