Calvin, the not-so-mighty-wizard

In Gordor, there are mighty magicians: men and women that can bend and even break the laws of reality, play with the fabric of time and shape the world around them.
Men and women who seem to be larger than life itself.

Then, there are wizards like Calvin.
Short and skinny, Calvin is the essence of mediocrity. He’s not nearly powerful enough to even annoy the laws of reality, and he would even have problems shaping a pile of clay.

Having failed every single test at the Academy during the last semester, Calvin was finally thrown out and told to leave wizardry to those who actually had talent.
Angry and resentful both at his tutors and at himself, Calvin set out to show them all that he could actually amount to something.

Somehow, he managed to trick his way into getting a place in a group of grand adventurers, men of honour and skill, who were just about to set out on the mission that was to be the highlight of their carriers.

When, after two weeks journey, Calvin’s lack of skill was demonstrated during a fight with a group of pirates, he was degraded to being nothing more than a servant; carrying gear and cooking dinner for the others.

Finally, after one month of travel, the group reached their goal: the tomb of Khar-Zak, the shape shifter king. Legend had it that the king’s strange and uncanny powers originated from an artefact that had allowed him great powers.

The group started to work their way through the tomb, their numbers dwindling fast as they battled with undeads and demons; creatures set to watch the tomb.
In the end, they reached the throne-room.

By then, only two heroes remained, and Calvin; who had stayed in the rear of the party.
“Stay here, boy. Leave this to us men!” Ugrook the mighty Orc Berserker said to Calvin and then took a step forwards.

Ugrook and Yrd the Enchanter carefully made their way across the room towards a closed casket. Suddenly, a clicking noise was heard as Ugrook sat his foot down.

A nanosecond later, Ugrook the Berserker, slayer of Rauk the Bloodthirsty and conqueror of wastes, and Yrd the Enchanter, grand wizard of the order of Yffrdzzx were incinerated by a torrent of fire.

Watching the two lumps of charred bones on the floor, Calvin nearly wet himself with horror.
He was all alone at the bottom of the most horrible tomb ever explored by humans.
Suddenly, the casket opened.

Screaming in horror as he saw a blue light appear from out the stone-casket, Calvin stood transfixed as the light flew towards him.
In the centre of the light was a transparent blue stone, which hit Calvin in the chest.
Thrown backwards onto the floor, Calvin could feel his chest burn.

So this was how he was going to end his days, weeping hysterically as his life seeped out of him.
Gods, he wished that he was back in Gordor!

Suddenly, Calvin’s ears were filled with noise: the sound of feet on cobblestones, wooden wheels turning, people talking and shouting.
Opening his eyes, Calvin was awestruck to find himself in a small alleyway.
Looking up towards the night sky, Calvin could make out Lord Xerxes’ tower.
He was back in Gordor!

Standing up and shaking his head, Calvin wondered what the hells had happened.
Then he remembered the blue light.
That must have been the artefact, and it must have absorbed itself into him!

Calvin jumped around in the alleyway and shouted out his joy, but quickly regained his senses.

He remembered that the artefact had been rumoured to hold four powers that it granted its owner, even if the exact nature of those powers were disputed by scholars everywhere.
Transporting himself to wherever he so pleased seemed to be one of them, but he doubted that it was the only one.

Transporting himself inside one of the warehouses in between which the alley laid, Calvin set out to determine at least a few more of his newfound powers.

As he went to work finding out what they were, he also remembered that Gordor was the city of busty women, none of which had even given him the light of day during all his time here.

That, he knew, was about to change.