The potion brewers

Weslyn - 980s

986 – 988: North of Galway, Weslyn and Dreid rested on the rippled shoreline of Lough Corrib. The druid thought of every possible reason his father would have for abandoning him so suddenly, no less his grandson who had done absolutely nothing against him in his life. The respite was interrupted by the slow trudge of a tall black horse that walked along the shore and rested near Weslyn, who stood up in preparation to defend himself from the stallion's wrath. The horse remained docile and calm, allowing Weslyn to gently approach and touch his mane.

 Weslyn had heard the horse coming from the woods before it walked along the shore to him and judging from the lack of fear in its eyes with no one to call a master, the horse was a fine example of a feral animal that roamed free with a timid air that showed how it had some prior experience around humans. The horse stood up and allowed Weslyn to ride him on the lake shore after fashioning a stirrup from tree vines, becoming the druid's trusty steed. Fully aware that Runof had entrusted the secrets of the invulnerability potion to him, Weslyn garnered the responsibility of being the third potion brewer.

 Weslyn retreated with his son Dreid to central Ireland, deep inside the realm of Lannan the Dwarf King at his capital of Tullamore in the land of Offaly. Stunned by the opulence of the royal palace, Weslyn was greeted by Lannan in a state of seeking refuge. The druid told the story of his abandonment and life to the dwarf, who took pity on a descendent of Grom and gave him a chance to prove that he was worthy of a place in the king's court. Lannan took charge of the young Dreid while Weslyn was sent to a battlefront between the forces of the Dwarf King and the kingdom of Connaught. Hails of arrows, blood and bodies drenched the glens of Mount Bellew as the druid made good time to the encampment of Lannan's army, where he brewed the potion of invulnerability to make them an unstoppable force to be reckoned with as well as to heal the wounded. 

Among the men Weslyn treated was a courageous warrior from Waterford named Dermot, who regularly led cavalry charges against the enemy to either defend or retake the mount and would soon become Weslyn's best friend. With the two armies engaged in a standoff, Weslyn rode across the battlefield, risking his life to rescue the injured from the previous charge. After bringing back several men on his horse, Weslyn and the commander of Lannan's forces were alarmed to strange beings that appeared over no man's land. From the edge of the two camps, ally and enemy could see towering red spirits with white eyes and thin limbs. These were the Banachah, a race of demons known to stalk and haunt battlefields. 

A group of Connaught soldiers used the Banachah to their advantage and launched a surprise attack against the Dwarf King's army, in turn drawing the demons' attention to the human camp. Weslyn was given command of a small group of soldiers to protect the front as an expendable unit against the demons and Connaught, but rather than total annihilation, the druid led a heroic defense of the camp using fireballs and strobes of light. His commanding officer and much of Lannan's army either were annihilated or defected to Weslyn's front as the Banachah, and Connaught forces were swiftly defeated and made to retreat from battle. At a service held in honor of the fallen, Weslyn was praised by the surviving soldiers as the hero of the day who had captured Mount Bellew. Returning to King Lannan's palace in victory, the dwarf granted Weslyn the title of royal advisor.