The hunt for the Rum-pum-allorey (prologue)

On that cold windy eve i fell upon that Inn,
The rickety shack is where my story begins,
As I fought off the cold by the warm fire within,
A scarred one eyed stranger beckoned to the bench next to him.

I strode to the stranger in the corner alone,
His face dark and shadowed by the light of the moon,
He gestured me sit with fingers like bone,
and asked me for a penny for a story with a dark, sombre tone.

'A tale of great valor, of hero's unknown,
a story so gripping you'll no be let down,
a tale of the demise of a man far from home',
and he flashed me a grin, his pitch had me thrown.

I knew not what to say, unsure of all this,
Was this bloke for real?, what a load of old shi...,
but i found myself  thinking of what i could  miss,
If i passed up this tale.....so  i said 'oh all right mate, go on then tell me',

He leaned in closer, his voice hushed and taught,
'This tale i do tell thee is with danger thwart,
you gave me the coin, so tell thee i ought,
hush now and listen and for fu*k sake, try to keep up'.

'Have ye heard the saga of young Greggor Bane?
His father a lord and his uncle a Thain,
Of old Lamavic, son of proud clan Malraine,
All anger and trouble and aggro and rage.

By the age of just ten he could fight off a bear,
At the slightest wrong look his great temper would flare,
His father did fear for his son lacked all care,
With the neighboring Lords and their first sons and heirs.

He would fight them for fun without any reason,
when young Greggor turned man even the greatest lords feared him,
And his father dispaired at the eve of campaign season,
For his son wished for glory, even if it meant treason!.

A plan was hatched to harness his wish for glory,
To send him a'quest before shit got gory,
So father summoned son and told him the story,
of the rare and much sought Rum-pum-allorey.

At first big young Greggor scoffed at the tale,
'Whats wrong with ye father, ye been on the ale?
But his father assured him the creature was real,
and its pelt was worth so much it would turn his boy pale.

At the scent of great riches and glory to find,
Greggor very quickly came to one mind,
'I will capture this creature and skin it alive
and come back and claim all these lands for my prize!'
'Father, give me brave men and ships meant for war,
we sail with the dawn so tally no more,
over sea and ocean we head for far shores,
just tell me where i can find this odd beast once more'.

His father said to him, 'head eastward my son,
as far as the tide and into the sun,
you will be at that shore before the next season comes,
and the Rum-pum-allorey?,  you'll hunt the last one'.
'Men i will give you and a fleet to your need,
and i will hold you the last time and wish you god speed,
for i know you will do this for fortune and greed,
to become a great man.....oh and bring me back something nice, not just some fudge that's a right bloody cop out, something exotic i can show off, you know a talking point i can show to the lads down the mead hall'.

They hugged like true men and then Greggor made speed,
and to tell you his story more coins i will need,
This tellers all thirst and needs a large mead,
so buy me a drink while i.....um.......think of the rest'.

He sank back on his bench into the dark,
i sat there not knowing to stay or embark,
This bloke was a nutter but good for a lark,
so i thought 'sod it' and turned to the bar...................