The Gray Man
A mysterious figure from Dwarden's history and folklore, the Gray Man is generally depicted as a supraliminal being, existing just out of the perception of most mortal beings, but who chooses to intervene from time to time, often in the most mysterious ways and with enormous gaps of years, even centuries, between appearances. For the scholarly, history suggests that the Gray Man appeared well before the time of Mandador, but for most of the people of Dwarden principally from legends regarding St. Yathamian and his embassy to the Endolin Fields west of the Black River, near Arberd Island, where the half-orc warlord Gren once ruled. The Legate Yathamian alone could see the Gray Man, wandering amidst a copse of trees in Endolin, and asked the spirit to intervene, if he would, to humble and subdue the peerless Gren, who no warrior could best in strength, skills of arms, or battle craft. Thus three times in as many years, the Gray Man appeared before Gren's castle on his magical island, and each time he convinced Gren to indulge in his mightiness, relinquish his will, and soften his spirit. In so doing, Gren's kingdom crumbled, and the men of Endolin rebelled once more in the Battle of the Deacons, in which two hundred deacons ordained by Yathamian himself and a desperate army of peasants fought Gren's decayed army. Alas, even in his fallen state, Gren proved unassailable to any man, and the strength of magical girdle, spear and sword proved the end to many of them. The last hero of the Endolin villages, the young knight Balrand, could not defeat Gren either, and he was thrown down and soon to be killed. However, the Gray Man suddenly appeared, and somehow subdued Gren's enchanted strength enough for Balrand to rip off the magic girdle and claim it for himself. However, in so doing, the Gray Man blocked Gren's terrible spear of wounding with his own hand in order to get close to him, and lost his other arm with Gren's vorpal sword of wounding as he grappled with the half-orc to save Balrand from death. The Gray Man then held Gren's spear with his bleeding hand while Balrand guided Gren's sword into his chest with the monster's hand still grasping the hilt, for no other weapon would harm him. The Gray Man disappeared immediately after this, but was seen in and around the Endolin Fields in the days, months and even months thereafter, with villagers witnessing strange sights and prodigies related to the Gray Man, often involving his wounded and missing hands.
