Ghrolok Stonecrusher

## Bio

An atheist among the Genasi in the *Elemental Dominion*; Ghrolok does not believe in the powers of *Gena*. Ghrolok spent his time attuning to the four elements of the plane as all atheists of the plane do. During his attunement, he traveled to all four guilds to learn as much as he could and stumbled upon a strange bracelet. The bracelet contained seven different colored rocks of lava that when donned, he experienced a surge of magical power in his body. Voices spoke to him in his dreams that explained his newfound enlightenment. The voices instructed Ghrolok that they could be found within the *Fade* and taught him how to weaponize his spiritual aura. The voices repeated the same message as if a recording and Ghrolok set out to try and find them. While training in the fire guild, a cloaked stranger approached Ghrolok and explained the meaning of the bracelet he donned and the powers it can provide. Ghrolok then followed the stranger who created a portal to the *Material Plane* which Ghrolok went through with the stranger leaving him behind.

## Adventures

Ghrolok’s first encounter with the Material Plane was in a dense forest, surrounded by wildlife. He soon after sought information about the world he was in and found a pack of druids who luckily spoke sylvan in order to communicate with him. With the help of the druids, Ghrolok learned to speak common and set out into the world trying to find a way to access the Fade. Ghrolok has resided in many places around *Therinox* during his time in the Material Plane. His travels take him to central Therinox near *Pilfanx* just after trekking the lands of the *Yh’farian Alliance*. During his travels, he has encountered an occasional anomaly due to the bracelet on his arm causing him to see flickering images in the fade. His search for those knowledgeable in the Fade has been mostly unsuccessful and began pursuing his goal blindly. His most recent endeavors have him wandering small settlements around the Pilfanx kingdom.

Ghrolok awoke one morning in a tavern in *Rohndur* which was a mystery to him as he couldn’t recall the prior day or how he got to where he was. He learned that a “man in knight armor” delivered him and *Arizu Valbis* to the tavern and set out. After the two communed and attempted to raise money to travel off of the island, they learned that magic was afoot as they teleported back to the island after paying a barge fee. The group then met *Elder Dragon Rider Cobalt Ulphul* who explained that they were shackled to the island by a mysterious force in the Fade and instructed them to free themselves of it if they wished to leave. Ghrolok and Arizu managed to discover the source of their binding and destroyed it which simultaneously transported both of them into the Fade. Colbalt utilized a *Lens of Fade Sight* in order to see them to bring them back onto a boat and set out to take them to *Elder Dragon Rider Kaiden Armov* to explain their misfortune.

Ghrolok met with Kaiden who made a deal with him in exchange for information that they desired from each other. Ghrolok obliged and set off to acquire an artifact Kaiden desired called the *Razer Onyx* located somewhere within *Bervaque*. After spending some time investigating the whereabouts of a skullduggery organization named *The Black Hand*, Ghrolok made a deal to acquire the *Tome of Ten Thousand Deaths* in exchange for possession of the Razor Onyx. Ghrolok traveled to *The Scarlet Crypt* and looted the tome, but learned of its nature after being met with *Darius Leopold*. With his newfound vampire companion, Darius lead the group to the remnants of the Scarlet State and allowed them to loot the state’s secret coffers while striking a deal that they would pay for the Razer Onyx instead of trading the Tome of Ten Thousand Deaths. The group eventually made their way back to Bervaque and queried the Black Hand to pay for the Razer Onyx in place of their original deal, which they reluctantly accepted but at a high cost.

Ghrolok traveled back to Kaiden’s *Dragonscale* encampment with Arizu and Darius to hand over the Razer Onyx. Once they bestowed the artifact to Kaiden, he told unveiled many mysterious regarding their true origins which Kaiden refers to them as *Phoenixborn* - seemingly immortal abominations of the Fade. Kaiden offered his knowledge once more to the group, but tasked them to seek out someone among a roaming satyr society. The group contested in a game of Materialization Shiritori to determine the leader and headed to the *Cursed Barrens* in search of a satyr named *Cragorshx* who belonged to a roaming satyr society. The party managed to successfully trek the Cursed Barrens and found the roaming satyr society, but quickly discovered that all the satyrs were named Cragorshx. After some investigation, the party waited for the satyr they were looking for and left the cursed barrens with him. Cragorshx took the party to *Raven’s Crossing* to purchase materials for a ritual which the party performed and he introduced them to the *Dreamscape*. Once the party awoke, he instructed them how to return to the Dreamscape and parted ways. Ghrolok then guided Arizu and Darius back to Kaiden before encountering the Divination anomaly in central Therinox.

When greeted by Kaiden once more at his new location, Kaiden took Arizu and Ghrolok to *Caelum* where they witnessed most of the elder dragon riders meeting to discuss recent events. Upon returning, Kaiden commissioned another job for Ghrolok and his companions. They were to investigate the wealth behind the *Darkleaf Clan* as Kaiden suspects them of abnormal Fade rituals. Kaiden teleported Arizu, Darius and Ghrolok to a Dragonscale fort near Calnlian where they met Jaeger Mjoltnir who briefed them on their mission. The group had a hard time determining their course of action, but eventually made their way to the clan’s village after learning information about them from merchants in Calnlian. Ghrolok bartered with *Hualthir* to bestow 50,000 gold upon the clan in exchange for the location of a beast he believed to be the source of the clan’s wealth and the abnormality in question. *Shelaighleh* then guided the party to show them their hunting grounds where they saw the beast which turned out to be a *Fade-Embedded Hydra*. Ghrolok sought counsel with the dragonscales and determined that they would slay the beast which caught the attention of the eavesdropping Shelaighleh. She didn’t mind that the group planned to slay the hydra, but insisted they do it while she was clan warden and that they agree to let her join them in their adventurers. The group agreed and slayed the hydra before returning to Kaiden with Shelaighleh in tow. During their travel back to Kaiden, Ghrolok experienced harsh seizures in his sleep when he dreamt of encountering a *Dreamscape Sentient*. He struggled to communicate with it and eventually awoke with Darius hogtying him to prevent harming himself during his seizure.

Arizu, Darius, Ghrolok and Shelaighleh returned to Kaiden to report their resolution of slaying the hydra at a crucial time for the Dragonscales. It was the eve of the Assault on *Mount Spire* which Kaiden instructed the group to partake in the battle by traveling along the right flank. During the battle, the group was roughed up significantly until an *Undead Giant* nearly killed them by smashing them into the ground. Arizu and Ghrolok mysteriously were transported into the Fade right before the moment of impact where they were chased by wraiths. Mysterious *Fade Knights* came to their rescue and killed the wraiths, then one turned to Ghrolok and whispered “Devourer” before Kaiden suddenly appeared and struck it down. The two were teleported to safety back in the dragonscale forward camp along Mount Spire where they communed and reflected on the battle. Ghrolok had also began suffering from a sporadic magical curse that caused his skin to turn purple permanently. Ghrolok and the group were then charged to delve a temple that the Dragonscales had uncovered and was expected to have some connection to Zinnath. The group left Shelaighleh behind due to her great injuries and were instead aided by their newfound companion *Lucian*. The temple in question was sealed by a demonic seal which Lucian lifted and the party delved the temple through magical darkness until they reached a *Baphomet Cultist* guarding the temple’s treasures. The party defeated the cultist and Ghrolok looted the *Muladhara Mask*. Upon exiting the temple, the party was assaulted by a Fade Knight who mysterious materialized nearby. The group was quickly overwhelmed which Darius lured the creature away for the party’s escape. They then rendezvoused back at the camp and debriefed with Kaiden. The group then successfully thwarted Zinnath’s ritual by destroying his well of power during an epic showdown involving the Dragonscales, Kaiden, *Elder Dragon Rider Lilith Marrow*, *Elder Dragon Venia*, Dragon Inquisition and the Fade Knights. The battle took a large toll on all involved.

Ghrolok and his companions returned to the Dragonscale forward camp where Kaiden fulfilled his promise to break the seal on the Muladhara Mask he discovered before. After donning the mask, he encountered Muladhara himself where he specified that he would begin training Ghrolok to hone his chakra. Additionally, Muladhara instructed Ghrolok to seek out a notable temple in northern Therinox which the group conveniently was free to make their way towards.

During their travels to *Yh’farian Alliance* territory, Ghrolok and his companions stumbled upon a port town named *Kelthnir’s Crossing*. They discovered the party leered against the supernatural and tried to find a map of the north to guide them. Ghrolok instead hired a guide named *Yestow*. Darius became chased down by witch hunters which required the party to save him.

Yestow guided the party across *The Frosted Steppes* for roughly a fortnight before they eventually found the temple of Chakra that Ghrolok’ sought after. After bidding farewell to Yestow, Muladhara manifested to the group and escorted them throughout the temple while regailing them in world lore regarding events during the *Divine Power Struggle* world era. Muladhara created a portal for the party to enter, which they did but found themselves in the Dreamscape rather than the Fade. Befuddled, the party returned and set back out to temperate climate after achieving Ghrolok’s goal. Darius murdered Ghrolok in his sleep due to an intense confrontation during their travels in the Frosted Steppes and also murdered Arizu while setting Shelaighleh free.

## Player Written Backstory

Growing up Ghrolok never really understood why so many others put so much faith into their “God”, Jena. While others were putting their faith into their so called God, Ghrolok was more concerned about becoming more intune with the four elements of his plain. Although he proffered earth because he was part of the earth dominion he would still do his best to learn everything he could of the other three elements. Ghrolok wanted to become in tune with all of the other elements because he was trying to become one of the elite defenders for the earth dominion and he believed that the more in tune he was with each other element it would give him an advantage while either defending or attacking against that element. During his training he would travel to the other dominions seeking guidance and knowledge from members of the other dominions. During his travels one day, Ghrolok stumbled up a bracelet that seemed very odd to him. It was a bracelet containing seven different colored rocks all surrounded by black lava rocks. Not sure of the bracelets origin he decided to keep it hidden in his pocket until he returned home. Once he arrived home and was alone in his room, Ghrolok decided to put the bracelet on. Upon doing so he felt a rush of multiple energy surge type feelings rush through his body, at first he was a little concerned but after a few seconds he realized that he felt an enlightenment of sorts and decided to keep the bracelet on for the night.

Later that night while Ghrolok was sleeping it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His dreams seemed completely real, he had full control of himself and his surrounding. While in his dream he started hearing voices. These voices explained to him that the bracelet he had found had awaken his aura, which his why he felt enlightenment from it. The voices kept talking telling Ghrolok that he could find them in the fade in the material plane. The voices also seemed  to recite instructions on how to use one's aura. After waking up Ghrolok decided to take the brace the night for the time being. For the next few nights the voices always came back and they would always tell him the same exact things like some sort of recording. After about a week of these dreams Ghrolok decided to wear the bracelet during the day and found private areas in the domain to start training his aura as instructed by the voices in his dreams. After a few months of training Ghrolok felt that he had made great progress and felt that it was time to try and find a way to the material plane and find whoever was behind the voices in his dreams.

Wondering where to even start Ghrolok started his search where he found the bracelet. He had found the bracelet at the edge of the fire dominions border, the border here was completely bare and uninhabitable, but for some reason Ghrolok always had a feeling that someone was watching him while he was in this area. After a week of searching the area Ghrolok still felt that he was being watched so he decided to train and perform techniques using his aura hoping that maybe if he was being watched that whoever it was knows of the bracelet and origin. After hours of training Ghrolok decided to start heading back home. As soon as he started to walk away a figure came from what seemed to be nothing. As the figure started walking towards him he was unable to identify it as it was completely cloaked. Once the figure approached Ghrolok it started to speak in a very deep gurgly voice and began to explain to him what the bracelet was. The figure explained to him that each of the seven colored rocks was a way to identify each of the seven auras. After explaining the bracelet the figures starts to walk away and says that Ghrolok may follow if he pleases. As Ghrolok starts to follow the figure, the figure seems to disappear right in front of Ghrolok. As Ghrolok kept walking he became very concerned as he saw himself walk though some illusional wall. As he enters he sees the figure sitting back on a rock pointing at what seemed to be some sort of portal or another illusions door. The figure began to speak and said that through there is what you are looking for, as he continued to point at the portal. Ghrolok started asking the figure what he meant and how he knew what he was looking for but the figure would no longer speak to him. After trying to get the figure to speak Ghrolok decided to nervously approached the portal and step through. Once he stepped through he saw was surrounded by dense forest. The climate was considerably different from what it was before he stepped through the portal, and he heard sounds of wildlife. Scouring through the forest trying to find anything or anyone, Ghrolok had assumed that he had traveled to the material plane and had now started his search for the Fade to hopefully find the people behind the voices in his dreams.