| The Tale of the Grand Reaver |
| You mean you've never heard of the Grand Reaver? You really need to get out of Cador you know. Ok If I gotta tell you... 'Bout 5 years back, the first guy to show up in Cador with the mark of the reaver was an elven guy by the name of Kittaran Simthias and I got this story from him for the price of a drink. Seems the man what put that tattoo on him went by the name Grant Dynasta. Grant used to run with a mercenary group called the Eyes of the Dragon. They were in the employ of a Blue Dragon called Mystreaver. Grant's group was notorious and made things so rough for the dragon's enemies that they collectively sought the services of a prominent assassin known only as Deathbringer to eliminate the group. Deathbringer found them camped on the edge of the Plains of Glass. Silent as the night itself an' guided by the Dark Lady he was, crept inta camp an' did both the guards before they knew what was happenin'. T'wasn't 'till he tried ta do the wyrm that he was found out. As he put the knife through the dragon's throat it woke with a bellow that alerted the mercenaries. Several of the men fell under the asassin's short blade before the last three got their chain on and their weapons in hand. Grant parlayed with the assassin and agreed to disband his group and serve as an apprentice if Deathbringer would cease his attack. The murderer thought this would be would profit him and still accomplish his mission, so he agreed to Grant's terms. Grant told his friends to sheath their weapons and leave. For a year Grant trained with Deathbringer, until his new master announced their newest target. Seems that the Blue Dragon Mystreaver had survived Deathbringer's assault, and the assassin pursued him. With Grant at his side, Deathbringer tracked the dragon to the site where the assassin had first fought the mercenary company. Deathbringer had intended to catch the dragon unaware, but as he crested the ridge, he barely managed to duck a blast of the dragon's lightning breath. Leaping down he launched a volley of attacks which unbalanced the dragon. As Deathbringer was about to deliver the killing blow, Grant attacked him! Unprepared for this assault, the assassin fought back, but to little avail as Grant batted asid his most skilled of blows easily. It appears that Grant had found a new way to fight by combining his straight up mercenary style of fighting with the assassin's dodgy style of evasion and stabbin' people in the kidneys while they're confused. Before he could deliver a final blow, Deathbringer fled out into the plains of glass. Turning to his former commander, Grant's heart sank, as he knew it was too late. Mystreaver was nearly dead from the assassin's poisoned arrows and blade but before he died, he whispered some great secret to Grant which spooked 'im but good. Since that time, he built this style into an art, and he tracked down his two surviving mercenary buddies who became students of this "Way of the Reaver". When he had finished training them, he swore 'em to the code of the reaver and let 'em in on the dragon's last words. Taking the symbol of the sword over the open eye in honor of their benefactor, they did Grant's tattoo together and he did theirs. As Kitt told me Grant believes that there's something past the Plains of Glass. Well I don't know about that, but whatever Grant saw out there has 'im scared but good.He told his new apprentices that each Reaver was to train two others. No fewer, no more. Take two students an' swear 'em to the code: Allegience to the Brotherhood, Courage in combat, and to accept honorable surrender. Each student to this day has taken two others, and the brotherhood has built up a great reputation. It's been ten years since Grant started his brotherhood, and each man of them is an army unto himself. I've heard tell that he's never once been beaten. Kitt figures the man who is called the Grand Reaver by his followers can't be beaten, least not by any creature born of this world. Formal or not, Grant Dynasta's built himself an army of armies, and noone knows what'll come to pass if he ever calls in the loyalty owed him by the brethren. Built himself a right fortress on the edge of the plains he has, an' I hear ol' Kitt is runnin' it for 'im. As for Grant, I hear he travels a lot, visiting other Reavers, preparing for whatever he thinks is coming. |