Greybark (328-265 b.S.) was the Brownie General at Carmalad in the defeat of Hourelin, orcish chieftain of the darkfriends during SW III. He led the all-Brownie Flying Militia, providing vital air support for the allied free races during these battles which changed the course of history. After Keekoo, Greybark is the historical figure most revered by Brownies throughout Caelereth. His name and story have become a legend even among the elves, humans, and dwarves of Sarvonia. He lived from 328-265 b.S.

Picture description. The famous Brownie general during SW III, Greybark from the Ferretmaster clan. Image drawn by Quellion.

Appearance. Greybark was grey in coloration, with grey skin, grey hair, and grey eyes. Weighing just over a tenth of an Od, he was big and large-boned, somewhat lanky, with a barrel chest. His height was fifteen and two-thirds nailsbreadths, tall for a Brownie, and he loved to smile. The bones of his face were strong, with high cheekbones.

Greybark preferred dressing in mouseleather, especially for his hunting boots. He nearly always carried a blowpipe with darts, a bow and arrows, two hunting knives, one stuck in the side of each boot, and an assortment of herbs to make various concoctions, mostly to paint on the tips of his weapons. His steed for much of his life was Ookpik, a snowy owl.

Greybark was raised bilingually, his mother teaching him the birdcalls of Aohu'o and his father teaching him LLaoihrr. During his training for the Ferretmaster clan, he got to be fairly good at Thergerim and Ancient Browniin (the language used between the different Brownie tribes), as well as learning the basics of Tharian.

Biography. Named for his unexpected coloration, Greybark was raised in the Vale of Brownies, home of the LLaoihrr Brownie tribe (also simple referred to as the "Vale Brownies"), eventually joining the Ferretmaster clan. Since he was the first Brownie in generations to successfully tame a flying animal for use as a steed (the Snowy Owl Ookpik), he was immediately made a clan council member and sent to gather information and re-establish contact with the world outside of the valley (for more info, please see the chapter "Greybark's Choice" in our Library).

After leaving the valley, Greybark's first stop was the dwarven town of Kor Donion. Remembering trade and friendship with the Brownies that the Brownies themselves had long forgotten, the dwarves of Kor Donion welcomed Greybark warmly. During his visit, they also told Greybark of recent terrifying events and the rise of the darkfriends.

Determined to warn his people, Greybark leaves Kor Donion and travels to other nearby settlements, double-checking the information he had received from the dwarves. Unfortunately, he never made it back. One disaster after another leaves him stranded in far-off Aeruillin, lost and dying in the desert of light.

A lightworm rider from the Memnoor Brownie tribe, living at the edge of the Void, finds him and rescues him, bringing him back to the Void Brownie settlement, where he was nursed back to health. During his five-year stay there, he fell in love with and eventually married the beautiful and talented Whisper, now a legend in her own right.

Rumors began to reach the little Brownie settlement on the edge of the Void that the problem of the darkfriends had not gone away, and more atrocities were reported by the occasional trader, visitor, or refugee. Greybark and Whisper finally rushed back to the Vale, halfway across Caelereth, to see how they could be of help.

Picture description. The steed of the Brownie general Greybark Ferretmaster, the snow owl Ookpik. Image by Quellion.

On arrival, they found that the LLaoihrr were oblivious to the darkfriend hordes that were sweeping down from the north, destroying everything in their path, closer every day. Greybark and Whisper quickly notified the Council of Clans and Greybark began to train an elite fighting force, trained to fight from the backs of birds of prey.

As soon as the first group of fighters were ready, Greybark led them to distant Carmalad, where they joined the united forces of the elves, humans, and dwarves. In a ferocious series of battles, the united armies of the free races utterly defeated the already demoralized orcish army, with Greybark's elite flying militia providing devastating air support.

After the battle had been won, and the northern threat ended, Greybark signed agreements with the leaders of the other races, then returned home to a hero's welcome. He was also honored, along with many others of other races, by royalty throughout Caelereth. Greybark and Whisper attempted to settle down, and had twins (a boy and a girl), but they now found life in the Vale to be not stimulating enough for their tastes. They had both done all they could to save Caelereth from the darkfriends, and now nothing seemed to be able to keep their interest anymore. After just four years of unasked-for peace and quiet, Greybark, Whisper, and their children left the Vale for the last time. They headed more-or less South, rediscovered the fabled Everbark, and after a two-year journey, arrived back at the Memnoor tribe settlement at the edge of the Void.

A year later they joined a Memnoor colonizing group composed of a variety of races, which went through a doorway they opened through the Void into another world. Their children, now five years old, were left in Caelereth with Whisper's dwarven father, Bluetwine.

Contact with the colony was eventually lost. Legend has it that someday Greybark will return to Caelereth, in the hour of the Brownie people's greatest need. Another legend states that Greybark and Whisper, both very old, died in their sleep in the same hour of the same night.

	Events in Greybark's Life 328 b.S. Born ...in the Vale of Brownies, a member of the LLaoihrr Brownie tribe. 298 b.S. Leaves the Vale of Brownies Visits Kor Donion and learns of the rising darkfriend threat. Goes through a series of personal disasters that will eventually leave him, half dead, lost in the deserts of the Aeruillin continent. 295 b.S. Begins to live with the Memnoor Tribe ...after being found by a lightworm rider. Meets Whisper, a beautiful and talented extremely rare Brownie/dwarf mix. 292 b.S. Marries Whisper 290 b.S. Returns... ...to the Vale with Whisper, and begins training the first group of the Llaoihrr Flying Militia. 288 b.S. Leads the Elite Flying Brownie Militia to Carmalad There they join the alliance of free races and provide vital air support to the battles to beat back the orcish horde. After the war is won, Greybark signs mutual protection treaties with the leaders of the other races - the first step towards a united Santharia. 286 b.S. Greybark and Whisper have twins ...a boy and a girl. 284 b.S. Greybark and Whisper leave the Vale ...with their children, bored with the security now found there, and head South. 282 b.S. Greybark and Whisper return to Memnoor ... the tribe at the edge of the Void with their children. 281 b.S. Greybark and Whisper emigrate to another world ...through the Void and together with a group of others, start a colony there. They leave their twin 5-year-old children with Bluetwine for him to raise. 265 b.S. Greybark and Whisper die ...in their sleep on the same night, according to legend.

Importance. Greybark is the most famous Brownie in Caelereth for non-Brownies (and the second most famous for Brownies, after Keekoo). He is remembered most for his participation in the Third Sarvonian War, in which he led the elite Flying Brownie Militia. After the war was over, he also signed a mutual-protection treaty for the Brownies with the humans, elves, and dwarves. This was the first document in a series that would culminate with the United Kingdom of Santharia.