Goldenrod

Not all the Dwarf families had paid the great price that our Gemstone family had endured. And after many years, some of the families heard of Stonegrip's hardening hatred for all that had been upon Ea. They grieved at the loss of such a great Father's faith and wondered what might be done to restore him.

Now among the families there was a young dwarf by the name of Goldenrod. She had been orphaned in the war and had been adopted by her family. She had not followed the female ways, but like her mother before her, instead had trained in the arts of the warrior. Though she was beautiful and of fair skin and golden hair, and sought after by many of the youg men around, she paid no heed to the harping of the women there about.

Instead she wore her hair severly back and tucked beneath her winged helmet. Her mail was of the finest Mithril and her weapons she had received from her Father were of the finest quality and hummed with the magic wrought in them. The glowing of her amulets and banners bathed her in a mystical glow and her fair skin, and the wisps of her golden hair that fell here and there from around her helmet, fairly shimmered from the radiant light.

Upon hearing of the families' concerns she spoke with her Father. 'Let me go to these Realms beyond our land. I will find your lost brother and I shall bring him to you. Thus you might rekindle his spirit and love for all things living.' And though her Father counseled against this quest, for he did not want to lose his most beloved daughter, he could not dissuade her.

She gathered the few supplies she required, for her knowledge of the lands and the crafts she had mastered allowed her to live well, though sparsely, in any environment. And though afraid he might never see her again, the Father at least blessed her and she traveled West then North to the place where she had been told the Realms lay.

And after a time she began to ask adventurers on the road where she might find Stonegrip or his family or his heirs. Some knew the Great War many years before had destroyed all in that place. One or two even knew of Stonegrip but assumed he had died. 'He is no longer with us' they would say. 'He left to the Great War and he never returned' she heard. But many more did not know his name, had not heard of him, did not know of his great deeds.

Yet she continued to hear rumors of what had once been the fabulous Gemstone Hall. Its beauty and majesty had been so great that the lore of its name survived even the First War of Darkness. It was from these vague memories of that once great hall that she arrived at least in our very Realms. And she camped outside of DarkHaven to the West and each day she would make inquiries of those about.

One day, happening upon a dwarven beggar at DarkHaven, whom she paused to help and feed, she asked about Stonegrip. And though the beggar was frail and his clothes were shabby, he straightened his bent back. His eyes shone brightly for a moment even as the tears rolled down his cheeks. And at least Goldenrod heard the full story of Stonegrip Gemstone, of his great deeds and of the wonderous works that had once been Gemstone Hall. And she marveled that such a Dwarf could exist and wondered all the more about him.

'And where is this Stonegrip now' she asked the beggar as she comforted him. 'Some say he died' the beggar said, 'and some say he never returned, but I believe he is here stlil, for sometimes at night, from the deep mountains north of ere, I can hear a sobbing and the sounds of great sorrow mixed with the winds from those places. And I believe in those mines of old, somewhere beneath the great stone, you will find Stonegrip still.'

And so, feeling the end to her quest at hand, Goldenrod arose, gave a few silver coins to the beggar and began her journey to the mountains of the northern Realms.

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