Heroes of the 6th Era

Chapter One: A Hint of Destiny.

Everyone in town gathered around the screaming child as the midwife wiped afterbirth off it's head. All were silent, except of course for the screaming baby. "It's a boy!" She said holding the child above her head. Naturally, the entire town exploded in joviality, each person shouting names at the mother and her child. Each name was ridiculous and a weird amount were for girls.

"All of you quiet!" The entire crowd silenced immediately and parted for an exceptionally old woman who slowly hobbled her way through on her cane. She stared down at the babe and furrowed her brow then stared up at the night sky waiting. The mother and the crowd all stared upwards expecting literally anything. Despite the happiness of a baby being born, it had actually been raining all day, so clouds covered the stars; not a single one poking through. The elder woman sighed and raised her cane to the sky and mumbled some arcane words under her breath as a beam of light shot from the end of her cane and punched through the dense cloud cover. A wide circle quickly opened showing infinite stars and the first of Wilte's three moons, Delgn. Aside from the few hushed 'ooohs' and 'aaaahs' magic usually gets, the town sat quietly, still waiting as suddenly a singular star shot across the sky. Everyone gasped as the old lady moved impossibly fast and placed a small kiss upon the child's forehead. "Say his name, quickly."

The mother looked down at the babe and smiled. "Alston. Alston Dandybrook." She looked up at the elder and both unleashed beaming smiles.

"Raidmyst." The elder croaked, tears flooding into her eyes.

The father stepped over and scratched behind his large round and pointed ear. "Quabar, for my father."

A couple of aunties and an uncle shuffled over and each excitedly shouted: "Niji!" "Jeff!" "Billiam!"

The mother thought for a second. "His full name will be Alston Niji Billiam Jeff Quabar Raidmyst Dandybrook." The entire town erupted into cheers and all began shouting names again as music came too life and fireworks shot into the sky spelling 'Alston' in common.

****

The town of Denbarc was located at the foot of the southern portion of the Malkavian mountain range about a dozen or so miles from where the borders of Malkavia, Drolldoan and De'Ardel all met. From all accounts it seemed like a small town, but everything is small for Gnomes. The entire town's population was made up of Gnomes, mostly the Rock variety, so the town was full of tinkers and their many gears. The town didn't really have a chosen layout, houses went up as needed wherever they could be fit, though the center of town was also a marketplace. No proper shops too be seen, but plenty of stalls and kiosks; plenty of meat sold on the daily basis, mostly boar, venison, fish and chicken. As well as a fair amount of produce stalls selling root vegetables and fresh fruit.

The houses were all built for the gnomes who lived in them, short in stature, however there was one building in town made for everyone. The inn was constructed of brick and had several floors as it also functioned as the town hall. The village elder lived there and also kept her offices within. A clock tower was built into the west wing of the inn and had gears and poles all connected to every single other building in town. At night with the clock, the shutters on everyone's windows would close signifying supper and bed times and open in the morning to start the day. There was a huge waterwheel on the back of the inn, planted in the river powering the clock tower. The entire contraption being the town's pride and joy.

During the day, the town's children, when not being tutored and mentored for their various inevitable jobs, would run and play, often pretending to be various famous adventurers and warriors from history. A certain boy, one Alston Dandybrook, would always be his favorite, Ariana Raidmyst, whom he was in fact named for.