The stone of lode

[Ettouffe]

The Stone of Lode
Before the big explosion where magic was taken from the land, there was a mighty wizard named Hermataclese. Hermataclese while mighty was also very generous in his gifts to the people who surrounded him. One day a youth named Quinton approached Hermataclese and asked him to teach him magic. Hermataclese was moved by the lad’s sincerity and soon the two had made their way back to Hermataclese’s home.
Many years passed while Quinton labored and studied under Hermataclese. All the while Quinton longed to be as powerful as Hermataclese. Alas there was a limit to the youth’s power. Hermataclese knew this to be true. In time Quinton realized this was true as other apprentice’s of Hermataclese surpassed Quinton’s power and knowledge of spell casting.
As time went on Quinton became bitter as he could not figure out why others were so much more powerful than him. Finally one day after tending to his chores, cleaning the laboratory, Quinton came upon a rare text that talked of an enormous boulder with tremendous magical energies. Quinton thought perhaps the answer to his lack of power was in reach. He carefully copied part of the text describing the approximate location of the boulder. He packed his belongings and took off without saying a word of this to his teacher, Hermataclese.
Quinton searched night and day for the boulder. During his quest for power he expended nearly all of his resources. He began to be rude to those around him. He would cast spells that would deprive others of much needed resources. Until one day he happened across a meadow where children were playing with pixies and sprites. The sound of their joy was nearly more than Quinton could bear. His heart and all compassion for those he loved had turned cold and black. When he approached the children he noticed several tell tale landscape features as described in the text he copied. He left the children to play peacefully as he thought this may be it! As Quinton quickened his pace to find this marvelous stone of magical power he became aware of something terribly wrong within himself. It felt as though he was getting fatigued at an alarming rate. Still Quinton thought it is better to press on rather than delay his destiny anymore.
Quinton found a dry creek bed that had a boulder approximately as tall as an adult male and twice as thick. Upon seeing the rock he nearly fell unconscious from fatigue. He mustered all his remaining strength to approach the boulder. When he touched it he felt as though all the fatigue and strain had been lifted from his body. Quinton actually felt quite good. This feeling didn’t last long. Whenever he tried to cast a spell there was no effect. He frantically searched his spell book to make sure he had the proper incantations and ingredients but all his attempts were fruitless.
Quinton returned to Hermataclese’s home. He pleaded for Hermataclese to help him. Hermataclese was reluctant because of the stories of the mannerisms of one of his pupils had gotten back to Hermataclese and he was not pleased. However wizards lead a life of privilege and must be free to live their life as wizards. Hermataclese tried many different experiments to help Quinton regain the ability to use magic. It was if the ability to channel magic itself was removed from Quinton. Upon a full confession from Quinton as to what had happened, an examination of the original text, it appeared that one of the more cruel apprentices had left the manuscript out where Quinton would find it. Only there were certain omissions as to the true nature of the boulder.
Quinton was overcome with remorse as swore to never let this happen to any wizard again. He used his remaining resources to hire a wagon team to transport the boulder to the peak of Mt. Alvantes, which was an active volcano. Quinton failed to realize that over time, the boulder had absorbed so much magical energy that destroying it would cause a terrible cataclysm. Unfortunately that is how Quinton and many of the people of the surrounding lands met their ends. As the boulder hit the lava in the crater a tremendous blast occurred that shook the very foundation of the continent. This would be the end of the story except that recently, near streams, brooks, lakes, and other areas where water flows and collects, small dull gray and purplish-blue pebbles have begun to appear. While the frequency of the pebbles is rare they have been showing up.
It was recently discovered by Auldsbel that when he tried to cast a spell while carrying a dull gray pebble will yield no results. While holding the pebble, magical energy is slowly drained away from the wizard. In fact (in game terms) magic would not affect anything in a 3x3 area centered on the grayish stone. Upon further examination of the purplish-blue pebbles revealed that any spells cast while in the presence of such a pebble would cause an immediate random effect. Usually the result of the spell was just the uncontrollable release of magical energy but sometimes random spell effects happened.
Many of the leaders in Hurnscald and Thulmishar have asked that the pebbles be gathered so that they can be kept under lock and key to protect the public which favors magic. Sadly the voice for the people did not represent all of the people. Some of the people who found these pebbles hid their stones usually upon themselves as a protection against unwanted magic. However the guards at the city entrances have been issued magical torches which will go out if a dull gray pebble comes within range to affect the torch. Those found with a pebble are often thrown in jail for a day and their pebble removed from their person. The prominent wizards of the land have yet to find a test that is less hazardous for the purple-blue stones. City wizards have named the stones “Lode Stones” since the place a tremendous load or strain on magical environments.

[The Scarlet Rhus]

Brilliant.

~would they be an item, or just a place in the map where you cannot cast magic?
The Scarlet Rhus

[Ettouffe]

I was hoping for an item. Although I'm sure it would be really a boon to archers / warriors and a real pain in the tuckus to wizards (and developers). But it might be nice to have a magic free zone. Regardles, I just wanted to thow an idea out there.

[Crush]

tl;dr

Can someone please write a synopsis?

[John P]

Summary:
Sincere boy wishes to work with talented wizard.

Over time the boy realizes that his magic is limited by ability, and all of the other wizards surpass him. The boy is bitter, but still working to improve.

The boy finds a map that leads to some 'magic enhancing' stone.
While traveling to the stone, the boy does very mean things to villagers, like destroy their resources.

He finds the stone, touches the stone, and loses his magic. It turns out, one of the other apprentices placed the map and information knowing this stone to actually remove magic.
The talented old wizard reluctantly decides to try to help the boy regain magic, but is unsuccessful.

Boy uses his money to have the boulder thrown into a volcano, which kills everyone in the area with magic-overload-explosion.

Pebbles of the rock end up in some rivers, where people find them.
Anyone near the pebbles or carrying the pebbles are not affected by magic.

[Balthazaar]

nice great background story i really hope it is used