Known as Athos Hammersong (Hammer of the Gods to some) in his mortal life Athos once was Jizmak's most trusted general, He helped Jizmak maintain his order and lead his troops to victory. When he became immortal he was chosen to be the Earthlord and slept for many thousands of years communing with the earth. When he awoke he found that Jizmaks rule had passed and that the Gusher himself was in deep slumber so tired was he from the burden of rule. In this time Athos delighted in sharing tales with all the new inhabitants of the land. Telling them of the mountains he had traveled or the things he had seen or other stories he had heard. He was soon to be known as Talespinner as well as Earthlord. He had little trouble befriending the many new faces. Even so he tended to be something of a recluse. In time the lady Azurel came to the land and the two became good friends. When Jizmak return Athos was overjoyed to see his friend again, but soon the power struggle began. Athos has done his best to seperate himself from the matter, though he finds it hard. He has often been seen speaking out in favor or cursing either side. This has made him more a recluse as of late, for he s trying to avoid what will inevitably happen. The day he must once and for all chose where he stands.

He speaks ...

My begining's date back to a days long ago. I remember when this world was much much younger and primitive. It was a time of combined simplicity and chaos all at once. I was one of the earliest of my people to journey out from the mines that we had cut into the side of the mountains. I am Athos Hammmersong, once known as the Hammer of the Gods in the mortal realms I have since become the elemental earthlord of Aurealis.

My rise was far different than most of the deities that make Aurealis their home. Most of the deities (save a select few of us) are divine by nature, sleeping until they had awaken upon the world. I on the other hand was but a mere dwarven warrior who traveled from his home and found such great facination with it all that I could not rest until I had explored every last inch of this realm.

My travels took me far and through many wonderous sites. And I have the scars prove it. I gained many scars in my travels. I remember how I gained each one. From the one above my eye I was dealt in the midst of my quest to find the legendary Half-moon Axe, to the one across my chest I was dealt in one of my many duels with the dragon Aglandiir. As a traveled the more I fought the less content I was. I to this day like to consider myself one of the greatest warriors that the Realm of Aurealis has seen, but that knowledge gave me no comfort. One day as I sat in a bar in a drunked stupor I heard someone ask me about the gash that ran the length of my arm. And in a child like glee that I had not felt in years I told the tale. Little did I know what signifgance that simple event would have in my life.

In time my trials and tribulations caught the eye of the two great forces of our land: Vall, the lord of Order, and Chaos the master of Entropy himself. They gave me an opprotunity few receive. They gave me chance to acheive immortality, and the gave me a chance to do it how I do things best, by the blade of my axe.

The mission I had undertaken to prove my worth wa grueling indeed, I felt lost and alone in a foreign place that was indescribable in words. I fought long and hard but i eventually prevailed. I gained a scar on that day as well.

So the lords of the realm embued me with the power to be immortal, but how thi power was to manifest itself in me was of my own choosing. I had assumed incorrectly such things are taken care as part of the boon, nothing could have been farther from the truth. I floated formless for a time looking for something to cling to. As all I was at the time was a ball of _something_ with no purpouse. I gravitated towards the one thing that I was comfortable with, the earth.

I float closer until I was submerged in the rock. It was the most comforting feeling I had felt my entire life. It was like a homecoming, returning to what I had come from the dirt and rock and the soil. The dwarven people it is said have come from the rock, and I had completed the circle, I felt like my purpouse was clear, I had a protecterate now, all things tied to the earth. I pulled myself free from the rock and looked at the new form I wore. I still had the same height and broad dwarfish frame I had possessed in my mortal years but my skin was as stone now. Where my scar's had once been veins of metal cut through my rocky skin.

As I looked at my scars I realized that I had the power to remove them now, but I did not desire to. As I looked them over I realized that each one had a story. Each one had a memoried tied to it. It occured to me at the moment what a beautiful metaphor a scar is. I immediatly called upon my powers to take me to things I had seen in my past. I saw that the earth itself was what beared the scars of the world. Rock slides, floods, storms all these leave their scars upon the earth. I look about even closer and find where man has left scars behind. From battle fields to burnt down forests, from ruins to the most glarring examples of modern architecture. Everwhere I looke there were scars, and everyone bore a tale.

Now much time has passed since that day and my duties have become many, but I never forgot that day. I search everywhere for the scars of this realm, each holds a beautiful story. A story to great not to be told. Stories surround us everywhere and they are what give us inspiration to move on. Stories I make it my business to find and pass on so that all may here.

I am Athos, Earthlord and Talespinner. Enjoy a fine flask of dwarven spirits and listen well; I have a story to tell you.....

(written by Athos Earthlord and Talespinner)