The Vale of Light- Prologue

THE STORY SO FAR.........
(Being a summary of the early adventures of Grendel Darkmoon )
Grendel Darkmoon moved from his home in the town of Kingshead, against his parents’ wishes, to the quiet backwater village of Doromir. Always a lover of magic, and knowledge, Grendel moved in order to be trained as an apprentice by the great wizard, Morandor. Living in the wizard’s tower, and delighted by the quiet rural lifestyle which helped his studies, Grendel quickly became a respectable mage.
Life in Doromir was easy, compared to the busy life he lead in Kingshead, and the people much friendlier. Grendel was welcomed and accepted, and began to earn a reputation as an adventurer, and general do-gooder, helping the local populace with their problems and performing errands. Whilst here, he became fast friends with Wilhaet Brem (Bremmy), a Morrim warrior from Krishkan, and Alf Mep (Mep), a half-Dryad shepherd-turned-farmhand. The three of them became inseperable, and were often found adventuring together, or spending their nights drinking in the Wizard’s Rest.
Grendel also became close friends with Pariel Azeroth, the daughter of the local Baron. Beautiful and beguiling, Grendel quickly fell in love with her, though she didn’t appear to return the feelings. However, she slowly began to love the adventuring life that Grendel introduced her to, and asked the young wizard to take her away somewhere, and to see the world with her. When Grendel refused, unwilling to give up his studies nor to get Pariel in trouble, she left with a man named Miagi, who promised to show her the world, and train her in the Eastern Arts.
Grendel also became friends with a girl named Maree, the local barmaid at the Wizard’s Rest inn. New in town, Grendel showed her around, and the two became close friends. Maree, in turn, introduced the young apprentice to thievery and banditry, manipulating the hatred of nobility that Grendel had, and she shared. The two of them pulled off many heists together, robbing noblemen and jewellry stores, for the love of excitement rather than the wealth. Slowly, as they adventured together, the two of them began to develop affection for each other, though neither would admit it.
Grendel’s reputation grew, and his adventures increased; he became both Dwarf-Friend and Elf-friend, and travelled as far away as the East coast of Rhutalath. He even found and adopted a small unicorn, by the name of Terelar. He became friends with Elestan, the local Starlord paladin, as well as with Turin, the well-travelled bard who taught Grendel the flute. However, Grendel’s adventures began to get him in trouble. At one point, he was arrested in Gothmarket, and locked away. He earned the disdain of most of the nobles of Nuledor. Most significantly, whilst on an adventure with Miagi, Grendel killed his first person. Drunk at the time, he vowed never to touch alcohol again, nor to do harm to any other living person.
Ironically, a few weeks later, Grendel was framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Uncertain of who started the rumour, and unsure of how to clear his name, Grendel left Doromir for a few months, returning to Kingshead in the hope that the rumours would die down............
Upon returning to Doromir, Grendel found that a lot had changed. Bremmy had left the village, to serve as first mate on a ship his father had bought. Maree’s mother had left, taking all her hard-earned money, and she had been forced to live in a house with Mep. More importantly, Morandor had a new apprentice- a boy by the name of Zardock. Zardock was everything that Grendel wasn’t- ambitious, greedy and powerful, and had an insane hair-cut which Morandor was always keen to comment on. But Zardock had become popular in the village, both with the villagers and with his friends. Maree and Zardock had become close, and were on the verge of dating. Zardock had taken over Grendel’s life entirely. Grendel immediately hated Zardock, who was better at studies than himself, and well-liked by Morandor. Moreover, Grendel had suspicions that Zardock wasn’t entirely sane; he seemed both power-hungry, and a little made. Grendel tried to prove how disreputable Zardock was, but to no avail; none of his friends believed him. Zardock was here to stay.
Everything changed, one day, when Zardock revealed his true colours. Somehow, Zardock had obtained a unicorn’s horn, an item of great power. Grendel’s fears and suspicions were confirmed when Terelar came home, his horn missing, and on the verge of death. Grendel, saddened and infuriated, went in search of Zardock, to make him pay. Yet Zardock could not be found, and slowly the extent of his teachery became clear......using the horn as a ‘compass,’ Zardock had set out to find the lost Vale of Unicorns. By gathering all the horns together, Zardock’s power would become unmatched, and he would achieve near omnipotence. In the hands of the insane, it could well mean the end of the world. With no time to waste, Grendel and Morandor set off at once, to Rhutalath, where Morandor believed the Vale was located.
After a few miles, Maree Mep and Bremmy (who had returned to Doromir for a visit) caught up with Grendel and Morandor, vowing to go with them, and to get revenge on Zardock who had fooled them so easily. So, uncertain of their destination, they made their way through Ardadain and wilderlands of Calendrudor, before crossing the Linule Bridge into Rhutalath.............................................
Category:Tales
Category:Doromir
Category:Hunt for the Horns