The Crown

The Grotto

Gerald

Gerald walked into a cave that was built into a bar. A low counter ran all the way up one side with 3 bartenders Manning their posts. They worked quickly, filling the dwarves' drinks and taking their money.
Gerald sat at the bar and laid a silver coin on the table. Within a few seconds he had a full mug sat in front of him.
He sat back and enjoyed his drink for a few seconds before the bar went quiet.
He turned around and before him was a taller figure than those standing around him. It was a human. He pulled back his hood and revealed his aged face. With greying hair and a long white beard. He spoke up.
"I need workers that are willing to mine something for me"
Gerald chugged his drink and stood up to join several other dwarves who were approaching the man.
He spun on his heel, his dark green cloak flourishing behind him. The dwarves followed him out of the mouth of the cave and down the stone steps that were laid into the mountain. There were 6 of them all together, counting the old man. Gerald wondered what they were going to mine for him. He didn't really care, he was just more curious than most dwarves. His parents believed he'd be a good builder one day. Making devices that would make life easier for people. Dwarves were the main source of mechanical devices that aided the life of most people in the realm.
They arrived at a cave opening and walked inside. It was a spacious covered with a giant hole in the middle of that led to the sky. Trees grew in the cracks between rocks and moss covered the cool damp floor, a small stream ran down into a small waterfall that went from the surface above through the hole in the ceiling and onto the floor to one side of a large Boulder in the middle of the cave. Gerald could tell the boulder was put there by someone because of the way it stood straight up in the air. It was about two meters wide and 6 meters tall.
The man spoke to the dwarves.
"I want you guys to move that rock, any way you can. You'll be paid handsomely when you're finished."

Axel

Axel opened his eyes to the sound of his mentor's shouting.
"Up up up, very big day today"
He sighed getting out of bed.
"I'm up I'm up"
He climbed down the ladder that led to his bed in the tower.
He lived in his mentors workshop in the front right tower of a castle. His mentor was Court wizard to the king of Merlude. It's a very large and beautiful kingdom, down South there were warm beaches and beautiful tropical fauna. Up in the north there were icy winds and giant ship eating beasts that swam among the icebergs.

Axel put his dark red cloak on and pulled up the hood.
"Where are we going?" He straightened his cloak and looked up at the wisened old man.
"We're going to a dig site, I think I might've found something that's going to change everything around here."