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You unroll a scroll and begin to read the wiry script of fancy curves:

Here follows a brief verions of life story of myself - Nom Aerandir, the wanderer.

I was borned 133 years ago, far away from these lands, in the realm of High Elves which was known as the Caves of Everlasting Glitter. Quite unordinary for the High Elves to live underground, yes, many have told me that - it is now countless years since first of our ancestors have found the beautiful Caves and began to cultivate them(first with the help of dwarves). And before their ruin, the Caves of Everlasting Glitter were a place of undescribable beauty and full of magic that only few mortal men have witnessed(though their doom was to die).

(** a clumsy painting of a cave, you see pillars of stone shaped like trees **)

It was not folly of my ancestors that brought us underground - the constant war between good and evil, as everywhere, was raging in the land. The course of conflict was getting ill for us since I can remember, and when I was just 30 years old, our forces(and allied forces) were utterly defeated by the minions of the Enemy - the Great Wyrm, the One Eyed cahnt.

(** a picture of a horrible great wyrm with one large eye is drawn here **)

In that final battle, most of my kinsmen and whole family fell. I myself, by some wicked twists of fate was caught and enslaved to work in the realm of that One Eyed bastard. I did not count how many years have I spent in the underground hell, slaving in the mines, always haunted by the ill thoughts - why me? why was I left to live? why are they all dead?

I have learned a valuable lessons in the mines - the art of sneak and treachery was what proved to save my life later. Lurking down below the mines, in the places where only few have walked, my orientation sense has increased greatly, though as I noticed later, my precious ears have grown as well! Apart from that, countless gems and nuggets of raw ore went through my hands.

(** **)

After the years of slavery I and my ten companions, deep down below the mines, have discovered the way out and crawled to the freedom and fled from the land, where all that was good was trampled into dusty ground. Our journey was long and perilous, and after many months we have reached the coast and left the realm for good on our makeshift boat.

(** there is a picture of makeshift with some people on, boat caught in a storm **)

With great ammount of luck we have sailed across the sea and arrived in a port town of Duilwen. When I count it now, I recall it was my sixtieth birthday that day. The welcome there was nae warm, and indeed even there the news of great war in the realm beyond the sea was heard and many have suspected us to be evil, the spies of that One Eyed cahnt. At this point, I felt the need of solitude and left my companions - and never heard of them again.

(** a map of a town is attached here **)

Then my fate has once again picked me a twisty and uncertain road - after I have saved life of a bucaneer(unknowingly) in a rat-hole inn in Duilwen, I joined a band of pirates and cruised the sea with them - funny how it seemed just right for me at that time. They were more than willing to receive training from me - they were just a band of rough fighters. Though I have also learned, and soon became a respectful fighter and second mate.

(** quite detailed map of some isle is drawn in a box within the following text **)

I tried to civilise that thieving band, but to nae success, and therefor, sick of the turn of events, I have retired after some time and lived on the pirate isle. From the stolen loot I have furnished me a forge and began my self-studies in the art of weaponsmithing. I was still the mentor of the pirates, overseeing the training, fixing their weapons and later even forging new. I have found a passion in shaping the metal and the years just flew and the great number of rough pirates passed my training.

(** a detailed painting of a forge built in a cave **)

This all has changed after some twenty years that I have spent among the band, yet in peace of their isle. The pirates were too daring, and at last provoked a strength that we could not fight off - the king himself has sent many ships and defeated us. I, seeing the situation be lost, have surrendered to the king's knights and were taken as prisoner - a fancy toy for the Marsh King maybe?

(** a picture of a tall man in rich robes, sitting on a throne **)

Later I learned, why it was just me that was left alive. The Marsh King and his allies were planning to assault my former realm - now realm of the One Eyed cahnt. Indeed greatly stuffed must have been the treasuries of the Great Wyrm! I, being the only known person(noone ever heard of my ten companions, they have passed into other tales) who has encountered the bastard and again saw the Moonlight.

(** a picture of elf with long pointy ears, kneeling on one knee before some king **)

The reason I was left to live was the information I had. The deal was, I'd be left alive, yet still watched, in exchange for all my knowledge about the land, the tactics and the stronghold of the One Eyed bastard. This was my chance to start leading a 'normal' life of lone elf in the human society. I agreed on the terms and gave the tacticians all information about the realm, maps and also the little I knew about the One-Eye.

(** a map of a realm is drawn here, an arrow points to some hold in mountains **)

The preparations for the war took the men about a decade, and in that time I served in the Royal Armoury of the Marsh King and slowly learned more and more about the weaponcraft - eventually surpassing the skills of the men. Those were a rough times in the forge, for the numbers of Marsh King's army were great nae to mention his allies - still I had the passion in smithing and I put a little bit of my hatred towards the One-Eyed cahnt in each blade, axe, mace or hammer that I have crafted. After countless number of forged weapons, I felt my hatred and lust for revenge receeding and hoped for a lucky twists of fate.

(** there is a pencil-painting of a massive forge with many smiths in it **)

And so it came to pass, that the Marsh King and his allies set sail towards my homeland to shed blood, to challenge the ancient evil and of course claim its uncounted riches. I was not permitted to join the ranks and had to stay in the kingdom, being the master smith while all other smiths followed the army to war.

In the absence of the King, the times in the Kingdom were nae that rough, also more trust has been put to me. Indeed at the time I was 'cured' of my hatred and therefor unlikely to cause trouble. To my surprise, the hearth of Marsh Queen Althea opened and I often did her company and we spent a lot of time in discussions - she indeed was a wise woman, a priest.

The years passed, and the news from behind the sea were sparse. At last it came to pass that after some five years since the departure the army of Marsh King, after many battles and casualties, has reached the hearth of the cahnt's realm - certainly the final battle of war was at hand. That year's summer was long and I finally found some rest and a good reverie in a distant forest wandering below the stars. I began to feel uneasy as the winter drew near and carried the news.

The One-Eyed cahnt was dead, his armies demoralized and scattered to pieces, the alliance was successfull - however with great casualties. Maybe it is in nature or men, or maybe the great treasure or the last evil spell of the Wyrm - for soon, strife begun over the loot and apparently the Marsh King whose army remained the strongest broke the alliance and attacked its past-mates - the battle for the loot.

(** a burning pyre is drawn here **)

At the end, the marsh king was victorious - but deceased together with his oldest son. The only living son Parazol then became the new Marsh King and eventually after half-decade returned with numerous ships full of loot and hordes of hired mercenaries - a part of his new army. Then the turn of events became quick.

Apparently the long-time war and many battles has made Parazol into a real cahnt, his realm in war with the ex-allies. He accused me and his mother, that we have tried to usurp the power in his absence and thrown us jail. There was a battle within the capital city in which the King's hired mercenaries killed many soldiers but also a number of citizens.

(** picture of a castle, fire bursts from some of its windows **)

In the chaos, Althea called for divine aid and we both escaped, killing many mercenaries fighting our way out from the capital. We have fled into wild and soon found a refugee with a band of outcasts. It was rough, yet exciting experience. We definitely had enough of adventure, Althea and I being a vicious pair in battle.

In constant pursuit we've fled northwards to a ruined lands of once great realm, looking for more adventure and hopefully a quiet place to settle - we have discovered an old abandoned keep at the foot of the great mountain. We have had a hard time fighting its undead guardians and once done, we decided to settle there and let things calm down.

(** there is a picture of down-leading stairway **)

It has happened after some four years since we arrived there that I have discovered a well hidden passage leading to the underground laboratory and my fate prepared me YET another twist. Poking around I have discovered many scrolls of wisdom and also an old book bound in leather. Althea has deciphered some of its pages and so we discovered the formula to open and close a portal to distant lands - but decided to only use it in worst need.

And that has happened few years later. Parazol, with the help of a traitor from our group(who have I personally slain), has discovered our hideout and caught us unprepared. Those days I often worked late in night in forge, honeying my skills in smithing and that has maybe saved my life. With help from inside the surprise was complete - the great shouting and screaming alerted me and I snuck to see what happened - Althea was dead, all were dead, they were all dead, only Dave that cahnt traitor was alive - a great anger and hatred has filled my mind and I've jumped from my hiding and plunged my dagger in his back, slaying him where he stood. I was instantly attacked by many foes and only with luck I have fought my way to the laboratory(slaying many in the process) and shut the secret door behind me.

I uttered the well known words of incantation and opened a portal to an unknown world. Seeing all behind me burning and ruined, all who I knew dead, without family, friends, nae future, nae future for me in these lands! I have walked into the portal.

(** here's a drawing of a rising sun **)

I came to senses in a dank cave, naked, I know nae how long I have been there, dust was everywhere. I walked out and realised it was morning and I was in a cave high in the mountains - couldnae remember anything but the the fact how I got here. In the distance I've seen a sleepy land sunken in fog and a small village. And so I arrived in Offestry, in the world of ShadowGate.