Luthien's Gamble

It was a time in Eriador of darkness, when King Greensparrow and his wizard-dukes ruled over all the Avonsea Islands in a veil of oppression. It was also a time of hope, for in Montfort, the largest city of Eriador, there arose cries for freedom. Evil Duke Morkney, Greensparrow's pawn, was dead. A wizard-duke was dead, but the wizard-king could easily replace him. The vast armies of Avon had not yet marched, but when the might that was Greensparrow flowed to the north, all who stood against the wizard-king would know true darkness. However, for the rebels, who resented any subjugation to the southern kingdom of Avon, uttering the name of Bruce MacDonald was never a small thingВ­nor were the cries for Eriador's newest hero: the slayer of Morkney and leader of a budding revolutionВ­"The Crimson Shadow"! In The Sword of Bedwyr, young Luthien Bedwyr rebelled against the crushing rule of King Greensparrow and his cruel wizard-lords. To save his once proud land of Eriador, Luthien was given a magical cape that renders its wearer invisible--but leaves behind an indelible scarlet silhouette. In Luthien's Gamble, we see Luthien at a crossroads: in spite of the urgings of his comrades to avoid further conflict with Greensparrow, Luthien feels compelled to continue the battle for his beloved country Eriador. Realizing that nobody else will take charge, and with the support of both dwarves and elves, Luthien and his followers stage guerilla raids on town after town. Luthien and his forces defeat scores of enemies and win huge numbers of allies. In the end, King Greensparrow sues for peace. Yet Luthien and Brind'Amour recognize that even in this time of celebration, Greensparrow cannot be trusted, and that the rumblings of a larger battle--for the freedom of the known world--loom in the not-too-distant future.