Quest for the Gemgark

"Ah, yes, the Gemgark! I've heard rumors that it's located in a ruin in the mountains to the east. Do you have a map? No? Just one gold piece."

Norbert Patrice, a rather chubby, short man with a large black beard, watched with masked glee as the other man, obviously an inexperienced adventurer (judging by his frail-looking leather armor and unimpressive iron sword), reached into a small pouch and removed a second gold coin. He quickly grabbed a map from the box behind him and placed it on the table, and marked a path from Klangsbor through the mountains, terminating in a large X.

"Here's the safest route to the ruins. Be careful - I hear there are trolls in those mountains, ready to spring on any unsuspecting adventurers. The ruins are likely perilous, so look out for traps! Come see me if you find the Gemgark before any of your fellow adventurers - we'll have a celebration!"

Norbert smiled to himself as the young adventurer ran off for the Dragon's Chest. Seemed everyone was going there. He'd probably look for an adventuring party to join or something, as they tended to do. After all, someone like him could barely even take on a giant rat on his own, let alone something dangerous. Norbert deposited the two gold coins into his own bag, one which was quickly filling up. Setting up outside of the cheapest tavern in Klangsbor was good for business, what with all the Gemgark business. He'd already had dozens of adventurers come his way, and he'd sent them all to the same place. And why not? They could squabble amongst themselves for the treasure and whatever glory they thought they'd be attaining.

Just a few minutes later, a wagon pulled up, drawn by a team of ordinary horses. Not the fastest way to get around, but horses were certainly cheaper than the faster alternatives. Norbert put on his biggest smile as the door swung open, and a young woman, shrouded in a large cloak, her face obscured by the combination of a scarf and a hat, jumped to the ground. She flipped a gold piece to the driver and he pulled away. The woman briefly glanced around the city, her eyes settling on Norbert's stand. She soon approached him as he attempted to look his best, though beginning to break out in a sweat.

"What do you know about the Gemgark?" she asked him.

"That depends. Do you have any gold?"

Wordlessly, the woman flipped a gold coin onto the stand. Its design was not of the nearby nations - she'd obviously come from very far away.

"Now. The Gemgark?"

"Ah, yes, the Gemgark!" Norbert recited. "I've heard rumors that it's located in a ruin in the mountains to the east. Do you have a map?"

Norbert's smile dropped slightly as she pulled out a detailed map of the area. She had obviously prepared more than most of the louts looking for easy fame. He picked up his quill and dipped it in the ink; however, before he could touch her map an arm shot out of the cloak and grabbed his wrist. Another reached into a small bag and removed a small diamond as she adjusted her hat up with a third. Three pairs of eyes glared at Norbert, who very quickly lost interest in pursuing any further conversation than necessary.

"How many adventurers have you sent to these 'ruins' of yours already?"

"I... uh... well... somewhere around fifty? I lost count." Norbert was beginning to sweat profusely.

The woman held the perfectly-cut diamond up, looking at it for a moment before placing it on the stand. "What do you really know about the Gemgark?"

Norbert swallowed hard. "Can... Can we talk about this, uh, somewhere else? Can't have everyone hear."

"Of course." The definitely-not-human woman took the diamond back up and led him around behind the Dragon's Chest, an empty, dark alleyway. "Now. Tell me what you know, and it's yours. Don't try anything this time. I know enough to know if you're lying. And I don't like liars," she intoned, briefly flashing a dimly-glowing dagger.

"Okay, okay, no tricks. The ruins I'm sending them to don't have anything more than some skeletons and dust. I payed an adventurer to plant a fake Gemgark there. No one actually knows what it looks like, so who's going to know it's not real?"

"Okay. Where's the real one?"

"Right, it's, uh... Well, I don't really know where it is."

"Really."

"Really! But, uh, well, there was this one group of adventurers that came by. Heard them talking about some mines or something and that there's something important there. Maybe it's the Gemgark?"

"Where's this mine?"

"I don't know. Look, I'm just trying to make some money here!"

"And you've made more than you ever should have, con man. Here."

Before Norbert knew it the small diamond was in his hand, and a sudden, severe gust of wind blew him to the ground. When he stood back up, the woman had disappeared. Utterly confused, he looked around for a few moments, then waddled back to his stand and sat down. An apprentice mage, not a hair on his face, soon approached, offering a gold piece.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aureole re-adjusted her hat and drew her cloak around herself again. She hadn't learned much from the overweight con man, but she knew now that there would still be competition. She figured it couldn't hurt to join up with one of these adventuring parties, and soon found herself seated at a table in the corner of the Dragon's Chest. There already seemed to be a few interesting types gathering. A lizardman, a crudely-constructed golem, and, strangely, a traveler of some sort talking to the barkeep about acquiring a job or something. For now, though, she would wait. She had nothing to lose, after all.

Especially since the "diamond" she gave Norbert was a fake.