By Maradas Graham

Back in the day before Innismoor was more than a hamlet, it was troubled by all manner of foul beasts, from goblins to gundthwarts to grim. These creatures of darkness and evil respected no law above that made by their own weapons and might, making them unreasoning enemies of the small community deep within the elven woods. While this town had a town guard, it was a collection of farmers, with tools of their livelihood, lead by a mayor who had no experience in military matters, leaving them to fare poorly against the forces arrayed against them.

To save this town of a dark and grisly fate at the hands of its many unfriendly Neighbors, a small band of warriors came from the north. Calling themselves the Green Circle, this group of ten warriors and magicians were fleeing some great menace from a faraway land, and found that, despite the danger they faced in stopping their flight, they could not turn their backs on the poor village of Innismoor. They took it upon themselves to keep the small town safe and ensure the survival of its people.

The Green Circle were lead by a woman by the name of Arona Talerick, whom the people of the town soon took to calling Lady Talerick, despite her lack of true noble title. Lady Talerick was a fierce warrior and a powerful sorcerer, said to be able to restore life to the dead with her magical arts. These abilities she used to fend off the town's foes and heal its people, becoming the new midwife of the town when the old one passed on. She was as much a mother to the people of Innismoor as a protector, and was revered for it.

With Lady Talerick came her brother Joshua Talerick, a woodsman and archer who was also known for seeing spirits, and could supposedly find minerals by observing the flows of magical energy. He was known to be a special friend of the fair folk, who took him to their realm on several occasions, which was suspected to be the cause of his unusually slow aging. Some thought that through the touch of such magical beings he had become immortal like them, more, maybe, a fair folk himself.

Most of the other members of the Green Circle were warriors who had served under Lady Talerick for years in their foreign home against whatever foe had been pursuing them. Only one other amongst them was a magician, an alchemist known as Karen Rouge, who acted as the battle leader of the Circle. She retired from such duties, though, a few years after arriving because she was of extremely advanced age, and settled down to start a family amongst the people of Innismoor. Her line continues today amongt the defenders of Innismoor.

During their stay in Innismoor, the Green Circle set about keeping the town safe from all who wished it ill and making it a better place for those who lived there. They set about building woodworks around the main portions of the town and building a mill, the remains of which can still be seen down at the riverfront. Treaties were made with the surrounding elves to ensure peace and prosperity amongst both races, with Joshua Talerick taking a bride from amongst the elven people. They produced a human child named Braddock who would outlive the Green Circle to continue the Talerick line.

While the Green Circle protected Innismoor for nearly a decade, their time in the sun was to be cut short. When the grim began raiding in the next coming of their twenty year cycle, their attacks were the harshest seen in anyone's memory. They beat down the wooden defenses of the town and burnt down the mill, leaving Innismoor itself spared only at the cost of seven of the Green Circle's lives. Acting under the guidance of some greater power the grim took Joshua Talerick hostage, leaving only his sister. The grim received such a battle that they retreated into the mountains shortly thereafter, and did not return to the low lands of Arinth for the next forty years. In their retreat they took Joshua, though, imprisoning him in whatever dark citadels they hold beyond the eyes of good folk.

Not wanting to give up her brother Lady Talerick gave pursuit into the mountains, going alone against whatever forces held her brother hostage. All were sad to see her depart that day, and many suspected the truth, that she would never return to Innismoor. Still, none were to stand in the way of this noble lady, whom Innismoor owed so much.