Legends of Belariath
Menhir
Over a century has gone by, since the Elder Dragon Arishnak, Metallic dragon of Bronze, gave life to the thought that is Menhir. The interest of the Elder based in the mortal desire of warfare and bloodshed. Menhir being given the order to go out into the world and experience such things and to live the life of the power- hungry, which then is to be explained in full upon Menhir's return to stand before the Council of Elders.
For the first couple decades of Menhir's new 'life', he restricted himself to the surrounding mountains and valleys of his Dragon's Lands, which were populated by a few of the barbarous races of Mankind. These he studied from a distance, their Art of War. Primitive and brutal, yet efficient in their simplicity, from these primal races he learned the strength of brute force.
Soon he began to range further and further away from his 'Homelands', across vast plains and expansive forests housing a wild variety of natural and unnatural beasts that vie for survival every day of their lives. Instinctual, and yet controlled at times, he spent a couple more decades observing the works of magic and might wrought by the Fae races, Wolven packs and Cat-men in their cultures. Each having their own special Art to Violence, Magic, Tooth and Claw, and the strength of Numbers. His time observing giving him a healthy respect for the powers of Geia and the Nature of the Wild Warfare.
To the Mountains and the Marsh, where all manner of creature dark and torrid dwell. The Trolls, Ogres, and Goblin races, mingled and made their own Art of War endlessly amid themselves, their neighbors, and at times even managing to come together in great Hoards to terrorize and plunder for the sheer enjoyment of the act. Here is where he spent the vast majority of his time within the 'Mortal Lands', for here was truly the essence of Violence and Combat. Several decades he spent, following the rise and fall of the Tribes, studying those who would 'lead' these terrible forces, here he learned the application of Whit and Cunning, Manipulation and Control of the masses. Yet another aspect to the Art of War, and inherent in any effort he had seen to date, only then understood for what it was as he watched the effects in their rawest applications.
To the depths of the Underdark, the realm of that race of beings known as Moriel, the Dark Elven some call them. These beings of fear and betrayal, dominance of the spirit and dark sorcerous deeds enforced with martial skill that is a true Art in itself. He has spent several decades in the dark recesses watching and observing this malign race, learning from them some of the more potent uses of the Mystic Arts, Martial Arts, and Deceptive Arts truly taken to a level above and beyond the 'Upworlders'.
And now, to the present, in the service of his Elder, he comes to the lands of Man, Empire they call it, stretched and sprawling wherever they happen to find root. From all walks of life, beings mingle and mix, forming alliances based on power or greed, waging war based on these same principals against brother and neighbor for anything and everything that would be possible to claim. The power of Adaptation is the greatest Human asset. Gifts of magic, at times almost brilliant leaps in knowledge, the spiritual, the physical. They bend all to their need of the moment if given half the chance.
Menhir continues, to this day, garnering knowledge and beginning to set himself more physically into the mortal play of War in all manners discovered, experiencing for himself now through practice, what his Elder wished to know. In the Human Realm, he is most freely able to experiment and grow an ever deeper understanding.