408 HC Corellon and Gruumsh

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 7
At a glance
Powered by AI
The text discusses the origins of the rivalry between the elf god Corellon and the orc god Gruumsh dating back to the Dawn War, and how their epic battle shaped elven and orc societies.

The enmity originated during the Dawn War when Gruumsh grew jealous of Corellon's growing power and influence. This led to Gruumsh attacking Corellon and the other gods who sided with him.

Corellon's blood that was shed during the battle transformed the lands where he stood victorious into the primeval forest realms of the elves. His blood also seeded animosity against orcs in elven hearts. Meanwhile, Gruumsh's defeat made him a ferocious warlord incapable of being trusted.

History Check:

Corellon and Gruumsh


By Jeff LaSala
Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Introduction
Welcome to the second installment of a new series that delves into the storied history of some of the most iconic characters and events in the lore of the Dungeons & Dragons game. Each article offers new insights into a different hero, villain, organization, or event, sifting through the varied myths and contradictions of D&D history to offer knowledge both familiar and new. Throughout the text, sidebars single out what an adventurer might know about the topic at hand based on a successful skill check. This installment sheds light on one of the most epic battles of all time: the clash of Corellon, god of the elves, and Gruumsh, god of the orcs.

The Elven Glen


Set your gear down, friend. We shall rove no farther todaynot until nightfall, at the very least. That bridge you see up there, beyond the tree line? That marks the edge of a sacred elven glen, and the people
TM & 2012 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

History Check: Corellon and Gruumsh


and eladrin represent two sides of the same coina coin fashioned with tears and blood by the Protectorand their lands overlap between the mortal world and the Feywild. Why was I cast out? That is a rude question, giorgio. But I am feeling wistful today and nostalgic for the old stories. My exile has nothing to do with the Vistani; in fact, the dissolution of my elven ties is what brought me to the Vistani in the first place. No, the truth is simple: I spared the life of an orc and dared to befriend her. Is that so unforgivable a crime? To the worldly children of Corellon, the Protector, First of the Seldarine, Coronal of Arvandor, and Father of the Feywild, it most certainly is. Come. Sit. I will tell you why. The Vistani have heard every version there is of this tale, and none are better equipped than we to sift truth from shadow and rumor. Here, then, is the closest truth you will ever hear about Corellon and his enemy Gruumsh One-Eye. Ah, but the god of destruction didnt always have that grisly moniker, did he? Thats what this tale is all about. Come, I will tell you the story. Ill even do the voices. For an eladrin, I do a pretty good orc. twins of a primogenitor deity that sacrificed its own life so that its offspring would live. It imbued one son with exceeding intelligence, light, and beauty, and the other with savagery, darkness, and chaos. This deity believed its sons could turn the tide of war in favor of the gods. To the elder brother, Corellon, it granted arcane magic, knowing he would possess the care and wisdom needed to deliver it to the mortal world. For the other, its less intelligent and uglier son, Gruumsh, the deity felt great compassion, and so it seeded in him a spark of divine prescience. Yes, the power of foresight, though it was a mere echo of the greater power that Ioun, god of prophecy, possessed. There is no knowing the truth of this heresy and it is not wise to speak of these twin gods around those with pointed ears or those with jutting tusks. But none will deny that a vicious rivalry has always existed between Corellon and Gruumsh. The two gods are mirrors unto each another: Where Corellon is graceful and fair, Gruumsh is brutal and wanton. The two sparred time and again, each leery of the other. But their eternal hatred, the emotion we see play out with every hissing arrow or bloody axe, was yet to be realized. Then came the mythic Dawn War. As the old legends go, the primordials of Creation sought to destroy the world and the gods who dared to reign over it. By the time Gruumsh joined the fray, Corellon had already vanished into the Feywild. He dallied there with the rest of the Seldarine, the deities of the fey, and chief among them were the goddesses Sehanine the Moonbow and Lolth the Weaver. The Seldarine remained aloof from the war that raged across the Astral Sea, instead creating wondrous works of art, magic, and music that the world can only strive to recall. It was also the dawn of elvenkind, who had been a dream in Corellons mind since his own genesis. In the vast and virgin beauty of the Feywild, eladrin, elves, and dark elves took shape from the

The Zarovans
The narrator of this History Check is a member of the Zarovan tribe of the Vistani, a mystical, gypsylike people who can cross the planes as easily as they ford a woodland stream. The Zarovans place great value in the future, which is made relevant by the past, and they might share their lore with giorgios (non-Vistani) in exchange for an open mind, dark secrets, or mysterious long-term favors. You can learn more about the Vistani in Players Option: Heroes of Shadow, the boxed set The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond , and the Vistani articles in Dragon 380.

of this realm permit travelers to pass through their domain only by moonlight. How do I know this? Look closer, if you dare, and you will see the slender pikes of ash driven into the earth . . . and the defiant, tusked faces mounted atop each. That is the work of elves. Still not convinced? Trust me, giorgio, you would be feathered with arrows before you reached the far side of that bridge. So, rest for a bit. The sunlit hours are their time, not ours. We will move on when Corellons grace allows it and when Sehanines light unveils the path. Menodora sent you to me, yes? Or was it Marov? They are cousins of mine, though as you can see, I do not share their rounded ears or the tellurian pupils of their eyes. Venjar, my given name, is an eladrin one, after all. Yes, even some fey, like myself, have exchanged kith and kin for blood bonds stronger than any race. I am proud to call myself Vistani, and I have chosen to forgive the people who once cast me out though they are kin to me no more. You see, decades ago, the glen beyond that bridge was my home. Elves

Origins and the Dawn War


Elves revile and shun orcs in every realm I have walked. Likewise, orcs slaughter elves whenever they can. Rare is the land that does not see bloodshed between the two. This is no simple feud or clash of culture, but an enmity as old and deep as the world itselfas immortal as the gods who began it. It is a rage coursing through the veins of orcs like a torrent. It is a pulse of primal anger beating through the heart of every elf. Perhaps you have seen it at work. But first I must speak a bit of heresyand quietly. This is something bandied about by loremasters of Vecna and particularly intrepid theologians. Some claim, you see, that there were once two brothers,

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

History Check: Corellon and Gruumsh


see, for although the primordials had been defeated, they had denied the gods their chance for a unified domain. Chaos and strife would endure among the heavens for all time. the Feywild with a host of fey servants and beauteous mortals under his care, and they were not, according to Gruumsh, properly deferential to him. Elvenkind and the whole of the Seldarine were an abomination in the eyes of He Who Never Sleepsweak, irritating, favored. At wars end, when he turned his attention to the mortal world and sought influence there, it was too much for Gruumsh to allow. With a measure of divine prescience, perhaps his gift from that primogenitor parent, Gruumsh saw visions of the battle he desired and its gruesome aftermath. He dreamed of Corellons death, saw his body hewn apart and paraded through the Astral Sea as Gruumsh assumed dominion over magic in his stead. He believed he could make this turn of events come to pass. He thought he could tear asunder the still-young races of elvenkind and replace them with a race of his owna people shaped in his own image who would rend, bite, and make the mortal world a battlefield. He had only to make the first strike.

History Check
All characters know of the fundamental conflict between elves and orcs (reflected in their respective faiths), but only some have a vague sense of its origin. Elves and eladrin, or characters who make successful DC 20 History or Religion checks, know of Corellons time in the Feywild and the rebellion of Lolth and the dark elves. A DC 30 History or Religion check is required to know of the heretical theory that Corellon and Gruumsh are twins.

He Who Never Sleeps


No god so embodied this divine chaos more than Gruumsh. While Lolth is comparable, her malice is deliberate, complex, and entirely capricious. In contrast, Gruumshs rage is as mindless and steady as a storm. Angry from the start, he was never a cooperative deity. Some ridiculous stories suggest that the gods drew lots to determine which part of the world each would be given for their works and worshipers. Imagine thatdivine dominion by sortition! The lots were all used up before Gruumshs turn, of course, leaving him without a place in the world. He has been incensed ever since. In the Dawn War, Gruumsh fought beside Corellon, whose devotion to the fight was second to none. Though Corellon was a god of artistry and song, he fought with the fervor of a general and the camaraderie of a sibling. Yet Gruumsh dreamt murderous dreams about the Coronal of Arvandor. He sided against Chaos, but Gruumsh was ruled by contradictions, violent rages, and undeniable evil. He was named He Who Never Sleeps, for Gruumsh was tireless, even for a god. It is told in every orc tribe that Gruumsh never stopped battling the primordials during that mythic conflict, and never once broke off to rest or recover his strength. Indeed, his strength was endless. And indeed, the combined prowess of Gruumsh and Corellon proved to be necessary in the war. Together they threw down primordials and staved off the demonic hordes of Chaos, but Gruumshs bitterness and jealousy grew with every passing battle. Corellon, beloved by many, had joined the Dawn War late and was yet lauded as a champion of war and arcane might. The Protector had come forth from

Protectors own tears, which were shed for beauty, joy, and sorrow. Alas, when Lolth betrayed the Seldarinea complex and tragic story I must save for another dayCorellons heart was forever wounded. Civil war erupted in the Feywild and ravaged the Seldarines refuge of Arvandor. The eladrin and elves took up arms against their dark cousins, whose loyalties were claimed by the Spider Queens jealous power. In the end, Lolth and her greatest servants were cast into the Abyss, while the dark elves were banished to the depths of the mortal world, forsaken by Corellon. These became the drow we have all heard such stories about. Devastated by their loss, and with Arvandor now in ruins, Corellon, Sehanine, and the rest of the Seldarine finally turned their attention to the Dawn War that raged beyond the Feywild, understanding the threat that the primordials posed for all of creation. Lolths corruption had been a tragic demonstration of the evil of the Elemental Chaos. When the Dawn War did conclude, the gods were at last free to claim their dominionsand contend more directly with one another. It had been a pyrrhic victory, you

History Check
A character knows the nature of Gruumsh (as related here) with a DC 20 Religion check, as well as his jealousy of Corellon, though a DC 30 Religion check is required to know that some once believed that Gruumsh had a measure of premonitory power. Certainly he does no longer.

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

History Check: Corellon and Gruumsh

The Vale of Blood


Some accounts of the legendary battle suggest that Corellon was the provoker, others that Gruumsh spoke the challenge. The truth is that both gods knew it was coming and prepared accordingly. The fight began in the world, in a wooded vale where elvenkind had first ventured from the Feywild, where the veils between the Feywild and the mortal realms were sheer. Gruumsh stood at the vales heart, a giant of a god clad in thick, black-stained armor fashioned from the hides of forty slain dragons. He stood unarmed. Corellon! he called out, the fury of his voice shaking the whole of the mortal world and every world beyond. Gruumsh laughed as he kicked down a great tree, a mighty oak that had been cultivated by elven enchantments and had been the first worldly temple to the Protector. Lord of Cowardice! Face me! In time, Corellon emerged from the forest shadow. He, too, came empty-handed. Must we fight, brother? the god of spring asked in a light tone. Most agree that he meant the term figuratively, as one god to another. Heretics claim that the meaning was literal. Corellon was resplendent in supple mail armor, a sky-blue cloak swaying behind him. When this has ended, your people will serve me, Gruumsh rumbled as he approached. I have seen it. Let us talk first, Gruumsh. The war is past. This is not a matter for blood. Oh, it is. Ive seen you bleed already. The god of destruction spat on the ground. And talk is for the weak. Did talk spare you Lolths betrayal? At this, Corellon fell silent. And Gruumsh, being Gruumsh, had no intention of parley anyway. He charged at Corellon, and suddenly a great spear appeared in his handthe work of Lolth and her brief collusion with the god of destruction. The Spider Queen had woven a terrible spell into Gruumshs mighty weapon, rendering it invisible and poisoning its tip; Gruumsh intended to lay his enemy low in a

single strike. With a shout of triumph, he plunged the spear into Corellons chest. But neither god was playing fair. Corellons apparent form, one of Sehanines most powerful illusions, dissolved in a vortex of green leaves and liquid moonlight. Snarling at the deception, Gruumsh whirled around. Corellons true form stood high on a pinnacle of rock across the valley, and Gruumshs keen eyes sought him franticallyalmost too late. Corellons bow hissed with divine power as an arrow almost took the god of destruction in the eye. In fact, according to elf loremasters, Gruumsh was blinded then and therebut those sages underestimate He Who Never Sleeps and do not wish to recognize his prowess. Gruumshs premonitory sight alerted him to turn his head just in time, and Corellons arrow instead drew a bloody line across his brow. The pain elated Gruumshit invigorated him and drove him into a lust for violence that orc warriors still strive to match. He shouted and laughed, the thundering sound reverberating across the world. Corellon, knowing he would have no opportunity for a second arrow, dropped his bow, sprang from the rock, and met Gruumsh at the center of the vale. In his hand he held a blade he had forged before the Dawn War from the shards of a gleaming star. Even dwarf clerics assert this might have been the first and strongest longsword in all of creation. As the two gods clashed, the deities and servants of the Seldarine rose from the shadows of the vale. Unknown to Corellon, his friends had come to join the fight; whether it was fair or not for them to join the battle, they refused to stand idle as their Coronal fought for his life. Yet Gruumsh had already accounted for this eventuality by mustering the deities and exarchs who also desired the fall of the Seldarine. And now they came. Two armies crashed against one another, transforming the valley into a pit of swirling mud, deadly spellfire, and spattered blood. Some theologians call this the Godswar, for many

were the deities who fought one anothersome with scores to settle, using Corellons and Gruumshs conflict as an excuse for battle. Of course, those who did not fightespecially gods of law, like Bahamut, Erathis, and Moradin watched from afar, shaking their heads at the chaos their impetuous brethren had been drawn into. Was it not enough that the primordials shattered the Lattice of Heaven? they fumed. At first, no telling blows were exchanged between Corellon and Gruumsh. They were perfect counterparts in every way. Corellons peerless agility and Gruumshs tireless strength drove their weapons together time and again, but every strike was parried, every killing stroke foiled. Corellon was faster, but Gruumshs foresight anticipated every swing of the elf gods blade. For daysat least, as immortals reckon themthe Godswar raged on, until all others fell back, too exhausted to continue. But neither Gruumsh nor Corellon broke off. The Protector began to tire and knew he could not outlast his larger opponent, so he took the battle elsewhere. Corellon led his foe on a chase across the wild places of the world, avoiding mortal civilizations wherever possible. Gruumsh smote the earth with his spear as he ran, venting his rage. Canyons yawned open, cracks coursed beneath the hills, and storms rose up in their wake. Where the lands were fragile and in need of guard from Gruumshs wrath, the Protector turned and renewed the fight. By this time, both gods were suffering true wounds at last. Their immortal blood spattered the land and soaked into the earth. Corellons blade pierced Gruumshs flesh, and a venomous spear slashed the god of magic. Corellon took refuge in a bruised and sullen wasteland edged on one side by a jagged mountain wall. There he paused, exhausted. Night had fallen, and it seemed the powers of darkness were strengthening. But the borders between the planes were thin in this remote corner of the world, a fact upon which

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

History Check: Corellon and Gruumsh


Corellon was relying as he drew spirit and song from the Feywild. Gruumsh strode onto the plain after him, scenting the kill. The two gods clashed again, scoring wounds against one another that would have felled the greatest of titans. Blood fell like rain, until finally Corellon found his opportunity. would deliver this victory to Corellon, whom she hated, few can understand. Are not love and hate, at times, one and the same? Obsession is perilous, either way. As for the argument that condemns Sehanine for turning the tide, there is no denying that this was Corellons seminal moment. Whether Gruumshs waver was spurred or mere chance, Sehanine the Moonbow was Corellons bride, and her light shone upon him and gave him strength in his darkest hour. I have little doubt she took part in that final confrontation, and even less that Lolth was near, watching, weaving. Scheming. Elves typically subscribe to neither of these theoriesthose who acknowledge that the battle waged for this long choose to believe that Corellons stamina wore down even the tireless Gruumsh, and that he struck when the god of destruction let down his guard. However it happened, Corellon struck fast and hard. His sword cut through the space between them and lodged deep in Gruumshs left eye, forcing the other god back against the mountain wall. Corellon twisted the blade as Gruumsh howled, carving a gaping hole in the savage gods head, to make sure the wound could not heal. The force of Gruumshs bellow sent Corellon to the ground, where he lay, stunned. The paralytic venom from Gruumshs spear was also finally taking its toll. Lolth, ever the opportunist, scuttled from the shadows of the mountain to approach Corellon but whether to kill the battle-weary Protector or to beg his forgiveness? We shall never know, because Sehanine appeared before her, checking the Spider Queens advance with a jealous flare of her power. Gruumsh, oblivious to both of the interfering forces, sank to the ground in agony. Black ichor spewed from the cavity where his eye had been. The god of destruction clutched at the wound even as his remaining eye dimmed from the pain. He was forced to decide: fight on, more than half-blindedfor surely the mighty Gruumsh couldor retreat. Lolth, furious at being spurned again, called to the god of destruction as a writhing whisper in his mind. Come, Gruumsh. Join me in my realm below. I will nurse your wounds and satisfy your darkest desires. Together we will weave Corellons glorious death. I know his secrets, his weaknesses, his fears. Tempted though he wasfor relief and for Corellons demiseGruumsh ignored her. For Lolth was a deceptive demon and had already betrayed him once despite their dalliances in the past. Gruumsh One-Eye roared at Corellon, who merely looked on, trying to catch his breath, unsure if the battle would resume. Gruumsh cursed the Protector for what he had done, promising him woe for all time, vowing vengeance against his every creation and the eternal slaughter of elvenkind. Such melodrama, I know! But if someone cut out your eye, your curses and threats could perhaps give Gruumsh a run for his gold. Indeed, orcs tell a very different tale of this mythic battle. Gruumsh, they claim, always had only a single eyea great unblinking orb in the center of his foreheadand that He Who Watches gouged his own eye out at birth, to enhance his senses or as a token of fealty to the forces of chaos. To suggest that Corellon took Grummshs eye is blasphemy to the orcs. Yes, they say, the two gods fought, but the cowardly Corellon fled Gruumshs wrath when he saw that he was outmatched. The Protector, in this version, used a fey trick to distract Gruumsh so that he, the Father of Elvenkind, could run. Regardless of the original number of eyes their god possessed, orc shamans are required to remove one of their ownusually the left eye. Why? This is an act of devotion and pain made to honor He Who Watches. Orcs believe that Gruumsh One-Eye watches and judges every one of their kind.

Religion Check
A character knows of the Godswar or some of its interpretations with a DC 25 Religion or History check. Even secular histories of some kingdoms reference an ancient time when the gods fought one another. A successful DC 30 Religion check provides the accurate details of Corellons long battle with Gruumsh.

Blind Ambition
And here, at last, is where accounts of this mythic battle differ the most. To speak the unpopular versiondepending on your audiencecan earn you raised eyebrows, scathing words, or drawn weapons. The question at hand . . . what made Gruumsh falter? Some orcs say it was the demon Lolth who intervened, issuing from a fissure in the mountain wall like the spider she was, and distracting Gruumsh with some dark glamor. Others claim that Sehanines moon tore through the clouded sky and blinded their god with its cruel light. In support of the first school of thought, we know the drow teach their young that the enchantments Lolth had woven into Gruumshs spear turned against him in the end, paralyzing him for the one precious moment his enemy needed. That the Spider Queen would betray Gruumsh surprises none, but why she

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

History Check: Corellon and Gruumsh

The Aftermath
At last, Gruumsh rose, turned, and broke through the mountain wall behind him, entering the earth as he fled. Foul ichor dripped from between his fingers. And his eye . . . oh, yes, what of the eye? Gruumshs left eye, as it happens, had been the source of his prescient power. And Corellon had known this. You see, it wasnt mere pride that had bade the Protector to consent to this terrible war. He knew of the foresight that Gruumsh had commanded. At great personal cost, Corellon had secured knowledgeperhaps from Iounof how to rid his enemy of this ability if it ever came to that. The Protector had entertained no thoughts of killing Gruumsh. He Who Never Sleeps was a god, after all, and even Corellon believed that Gruumsh had a place in the heavens. But should Gruumsh prove himself unworthy of his prophetic sight, Corellon was determined to keep the god of senseless carnage from one day becoming as powerful as the primordials. He knew he would not kill Gruumsh, but he could cripple him. And so he had. The eye was destroyed, or so it is presumed, and its remnants dripped down into the cracks of the mountain as Gruumsh fled. Where it mingled with latent primordial pockets, monsters spawned; dread beasts that men still unearth from time to time to sate their unwholesome appetites. Because the barriers between the planes were thin in this part of the world, some of Gruumshs ichor seeped into the Feywild and took root deep belowground. Some say that the fomoriansthose monstrous, fey reflections of the titansfound their clairvoyant sight by bathing in the fluid vestiges of an angry god. Each fomorian was blessed and cursed by it, as one eye distended and grew, afflicting them with terrible pain and terrible power. Surely youve heard of the cyclopses, those one-eyed brutes who serve the fomorians. Are they not said to resemble Gruumsh as the orcs depict him? Hardly a coincidence.

When Gruumsh walked away from that field of battleeither as the victor or the vanquishedit was his will, his hate, and his blood that gave malevolent life to the first orcs. His blood mingled with the mortal earth through all the lands of the battle. Gruumshs dark dream of dominion over a race that would serve him alone, that would pillage and plunder and destroy the works of Corellon, had come to pass as a consequence of his most painful hour. The orcs dwelled in the rifts, chasms, and caves opened up by Gruumshs mighty spear, and in their hearts was seeded a hatred for the elves and their Protector. As bitter as the orcs hatred is, it pales beside the enmity Gruumsh feels for Corellon. Not only had Corellon maimed him, but he had denied Gruumsh the power of premonition. For that, Gruumsh OneEye swore vengeance against all the deities, Corellon above all. He Who Never Sleeps remains to this day a ferocious warlord among the gods, incapable of being trusted by anyone and far too angry to be ignored. Corellon, meanwhile, had shed much of his own lifeblood upon the mortal world. Where eladrin preferred the twilit shelter of the Feywild, the elves who so adored the world were deeply affected by the Protectors struggle and pain. When the moons light shined upon his blood, it transformed into a mist that washed over the elves. In their hearts was

sewn defiance and animosity against the works of Gruumsh and especially his children, the orcs. The broken lands upon which Corellon had bled and over which he had stood victorious became a verdant realm, a primeval forest perched at the edge of a mountain wall. It has known many names, and elves and orcs clash there to this day.

Plot Hooks
Here are a few ideas for DMs who want to use Corellons and Gruumshs enmity in their campaigns. Additional information about the Seldarine can be found in the articles Channel Divinity: Corellon in Dragon 386, Channel Divinity: Corellons Devoted in Dragon 394, and Channel Divinity: Sehanine, Arrows from the Moonbow in Dragon 386. The Eye Lives: A heretical cult devoted to He Who Watches is gaining popularity among orc tribes. These one-eyed supplicants concede that Gruumshs eye was cut out by Corellon, but they claim it was not destroyed. They believe Gruumshs orb is an artifact of enormous power. While avoiding the vengeful shamans of orthodox faith, these cultists have recruited muscle well beyond those of orc blood and will soon possess a map to their prize. Is it really Gruumshs eye, roiling with oracular power, or is another agency manipulating them to find something elsesomething worse? One from Two: Fomorians honor no god, but one particular fomorian witch ( Dungeon 176), obsessed with elves and eladrin, believes in the creation myth of her race as it relates to Gruumsh. With the help of a house of drow nobles, she captures a renowned elf sorceress and a powerful orc warlord. She is convinced that a ritual can fuse the two together and engender a new race. Such an act might be the key to making the vain fomorians more beautiful. And it would certainly give the hated elves and orcs a new foe. The heroes must venture into the Feydark and stop the witchs ritual.

History Check
Most characters know that Corellon allegedly blinded Gruumsh at the end of their battle. A successful DC 25 Religion check or DC 30 History check reveals all the theories of its aftermath, such as the arrival of Sehanine and Lolth or the connection between Gruumsh and the fomorians and cyclopses.

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

History Check: Corellon and Gruumsh


Rematch: Orc shamans the world over begin receiving auguries and omens from Gruumsh One-Eye suggesting that, after all these ages, he is mounting a new war against Corellon and all of elvenkind. In short, Gruumsh wants a rematch, and even the maiming of Corellon wont be enough to satisfy his lust for revenge. Arvandor must be destroyed anew, and the eladrin of the Feywild also will not be safe from Gruumshs plan.

Jeff LaSala is a writer/editor of speculative fiction and an inquisitory game designer. His first Eberron novel, The Darkwood Mask, showcased his love for all things dark, monstrous, and masked. He usually dwells in the chthonic depths of New York City, perching like a gargoyle over jefflasala.com. When he was seven years old, his big brother threw a metaltipped dart in his eye, so he feels Gruumshs pain (but sides with Corellon anyway).

About the Author

Editor Miranda Horner Managing Editor Kim Mohan Producers Greg Bilsland, Christopher Perkins, Stan! Art Directors Kate Irwin, Jon Schindehette Illustrator Wayne Reynolds Graphic Production Angie Lokotz

Fe b r u a r y 2 012 | D R AG O N 4 0 8

You might also like