King Paralok

Paralok Mendoran was a famous king and the ruler of mankind in the days of Kerath, the first human nation, and the source of modern magic.

History
Paralok was born in the summer of 938, the first son of King Wilkar Mendoran. He grew quickly, and learned the arts of sword, bow, and rune magic. With these he excelled, and his martial knowledge became unrivaled as he aged.

By the time he was 25, Paralok was a knowledgeable military strategist and gifted leaders. When the kingship was thrusted upon him that year by his father's death in a war in the Orclands, Paralok accepted it readily.

His first step as ruler was to solidify the power of the king and unite the baronies of Kerath into one cohesive unit. Paralok established a standing army, which he dubbed "The Grey Legion." The Legion became a force to be reckoned with, and Paralok grew restless on his throne. He decided to seek the mythical West, where sailors spoke of small hairy cave dwellers and the mysterious forest-folk.

About this time, though the histories are unclear, Paralok cut a branch from the Elder Tree in Keratoria, capitol of Kerath. He fashioned it into a bow, tied to the power of the Elder Tree, and thus, the sun. This bow became one of the most powerful weapons ever fashioned.

With a fleet of ships, Paralok sailed west from Dead Rock Cove, and sighted land after three weeks at sea. After making landfall in Arimaethia, Paralok sought to carve himself an empire in what he thought were rich, unsettled lands. He established the fortress of Crunport, to server as his new home in Arimaethia. With a secure footing in the new land, he sent men out to explore.

It wasn't until two legions of his men disappeared into the forests of the Blue Coast that Paralok realized he was facing something inhuman. When the elves struck, it was hard and fast. Many of Paralok's men were slain, and he was forced back to Crunport. However, the fort provided a solid beachhead on the mainland, and more humans poured through from Kerath, including settlers and mages of the Black Tower. The settlers began to build farms in the Bluelands, and the elves were hesitant to kill unarmed men. Paralok took this hesitation as a sign of weakness, along with word of the source of the elves' magical power, and made a foray against them. In the Great Valley, where a river originated from Lake Naodor (what is now the Yellow Canyon) and flowed to the Medial Sea, there lay a temple. This temple housed a great, floating, pulsating stone of unmatched clarity. A diamond from the depths of the world, this gem contained the power of all natural magic, and was called the Heart of Arimaethia.

An intense battle took place around the temple, culminating with the slaying of the Elf Kind Gumi at the hands of Paralok in the Heart's chamber, and the destruction of the Heart by a stray shot from Paralok's Bow. The destruction of the Heart causes a massive series of earthquakes and natural disasters. Lake Naodor disappeared and the flow of its river reversed, falling into the canyon left behind in its wake. Kerath was obliterated by a magical storm that slew all intelligent life. The magical constructs there, bereft of masters and maintenance, soon malfunctioned and most of the grand cities of Man. Paralok and his few remaining soldiers, along with the settlers and surviving Black Mages, were all the remaining humans in the world. The elves took pity on them, and let them go in peace. Paralok went north, and built a castle on Normath. He soon died of grief for his people.

Personality
Paralok was hot-headed, stubborn, and loyal. His nature was such that he thought only of his race, and did not care to slaughter elves to clear land for Mankind. This was eventually his undoing.

Additional Information
Paralok was not an evil man, by any means. He was misguided and arrogant, and that played into his downfall.

Also, Emperor Katarn is a direct descendant of Paralok.