Elliot Grey was already tired of traveling. After more than a century of wandering through unknown lands, studying magic, crafting wands, and forming fleeting bonds, he longed for a place to call home.
His feet, once driven by curiosity, now moved with purpose. He decided to return to Westeros, the land where his journey had first begun centuries ago. But this time, he wasn't just a traveler or a scholar—he was a man who had learned, loved, fought, and endured. He carried within him knowledge from distant cultures, magical experiments, and memories of women and children left behind, many of whom he had placed safely within the enchanted globe.
He flew above the continent astride a thestral he had tamed and magically bonded with decades ago. From the skies, he surveyed the lands, seeking a place that felt right—not just for himself, but for the kingdom he intended to build.
When he reached the northern stretch of the region that would one day become the Vale, he felt something stir within. The mountains stood tall like sentinels, the forests dense and alive with ancient energy, and the coast stretched in an elegant crescent, touched by the cold but fertile waters of the Narrow Sea. The place was wild and untamed, but it resonated with the promise of power and permanence.
Elliot made his decision. He would settle there.
But first, he had to conquer the people who lived in that region. They were strong, primitive men, hardened by the land and suspicious of outsiders. Tribes with no kings, only chieftains. He would need to win them—or dominate them. Diplomacy might fail, and magic would not be enough. He would need to be both visionary and warlord.
Before any of that, he had to choose where to build his stronghold. He spent weeks traveling along the coast, walking the cliffs, listening to the wind, testing the soil, studying the tides. He sought a site where land met sea with strength and elegance—where ships could dock and where walls could rise.
He found it at the edge of a great bay protected by two natural cliffs. A river emptied into the sea nearby, rich with fish and ideal for trade. The land was fertile enough to support a city, and the high ground would allow for a castle to be built that could never be easily taken.
"This is where it begins," he whispered.
He marked the land and cast the first spells of warding and claiming. Soon, he would summon those who followed him—men, women, and children from across the world, kept hidden inside the magical globe that had traveled with him for generations. His descendants. His creations. The foundation of a kingdom.
---
L