Urrhi

Urdrek was [chieftain of his tribe, as was his father, and his father before him. His father, Furnuren, was lame from his youth, and more of a scholar than a warrior. Furnuren also tried to defy the priests of the Following. For that he was cast out as chieftain and banished from the tribe. The people of Urdrek's tribe worshipped the power of Darkness, whose name was Melkor. The priests of the Following were many and had insinuated themselves into the everyday lives of the people. Urdrek was unhappy with the stale of things, but dared not speak against the honeyed words of the priests, for he would be cast out as had his father; he feared that they would lead his people lo destruction one day. When Urdrek was but a child and his father was chieftain, Furnuren told him the tale of the sudden death of Urdrek's grandfather, Undarak. Un- darak had wholeheartedly welcomed the priests; not realizing the evil ways they would bring, corrupting his people. When he realized the error of his decision, it was too late. Undarak delved into the old journals of his tribe, seeking a way to be rid of the priests. He learned of a holy place; a tomb of seel ancestors of the Dunlendings, a tomb which reputedly held items of power. In a high vale in the white mountains it lay; a cave on a lake. All pen about the lake were sheer cliffs, doited with other caverns. There were also ambiguous references to 'Giants of stone which hurled rocks upon those unwelcome'. Undaunted by this. Undarak gathered ten of his most trusted warriors and set off to seek the holy tomb. It was seven weeks later that one of the men from the expedition returned - alone. He was in a delirious state, apparently driven insane by something he had seen, for he had no wounds, but was unable lo speak clearly, or even recognize friends. He would just spout gibberish about "the giants who hurl stones from the cliffs"; and how the giants "came down from the walls, ripped men limb from limb, and ate them like roasted rabbits." The man had escaped because he had fallen behind the others as they hiked into the vale, as he had injured his ankle the day before and was resting. Hearing the screams of his fellows, he edged forward, to view ihe scene of the men being crushed by boulders, and tossed about like rag dolls. The man's last memory was of one giant ripping Undarak's head from his shoulders, laughing, and popping it into his gaping maw. The man turned and ran.