John R Schulz

Guardians of Oak John R Schulz

Empathy can be a rare commodity, it is something that keeps you and I from crossing the line to animalistic intentions and thoughtless provocations. Caring for the people around us may seem a simple task, mitigation of their depression seems a natural thing, an obligation. In the small northern province of Kamton we visit the simple life of a dwarven pig farmer and his family. In no way was it a profession looked upon as filthy or poor, it was an honest living and one that afforded their family a large patch of acreage and a comfortable lifestyle. Buri the youngest of the house, was most like all other dwarves but he lacked a certain calculation when dealing with challenges in life, he was disconnected inside, his spirit was over here while his body was over there. Come along with Buri as he finds out about himself, about the rare magical world just beyond his grasp and his lone place in a world where revenge hides behind the excuse of torture and evil. This is a story of magical lands that have suffered for generations being disconnected from the song of creation. Forces dark and brooding have plotted for millennia, soon their plans will be irrevocably sewn into the world and not one dwarf, elf, or goblin will escape, and magic will die. Can one lone dwarf, a pig farmers son, bereft of magic and empathy, shine as a hero or remain as a villain as the world crumbles?