Fables of Faerûn VI: The Cheerful Deep Gnome

This book is redolent with the enticing smell of paper and ink.

Properties

• Books
• Rarity: Common
•  Weight: 0.5 kg / 1 lb
• Price: 14 gp

Text

Deep in the Underdark lived Doyle, a plucky deep gnome slave. Day and night, he and his brother toiled for five duergar smiths, mining iron and mithral until their arms ached and their eyes burned. 'Faster', cried the duergar. And faster Doyle would dig, even into the night while his masters slept, smiling all the while. 'How can you smile while we slave?' asked the brother. 'Because I wish our masters much success!' was Doyle's reply.

Words of the duergar's quality weapons and armour quickly spread. To meet demand, the duergar brought in more slaves, and began to forge and stockpile their wares at the dig site. Yet Doyle dug harder than ever, his wide grin never faltering. Soon, the duergar's operation grew so great that they commanded twenty deep gnome slaves. The day the twenty-first came, Doyle laughed and whooped so loud, his duergar captors sought silence in a nearby grotto.

The slavers returned to find Doyle and his fellow deep gnomes clad in robust mithral armour and carrying mighty iron weapons, all taken from the slavers' stockpile. The five duergar fell quickly, for they were no match for twenty-one armed deep gnomes. And Doyle? He never stopped smiling.

[Beneath the fable, an incensed reader has written a brief review.]

GARBAGE. THIS WHERE THE GNOMES ARE GETTING BRIGHT IDEAS?

ANYHOW I DON'T GET IT. THE LESSON MAKES NO DAMN SENSE!