Part 1- Childhood of a Warlord Verdauga Greeneyes was born to be a warlord. It was in his blood, literally. This wildcat had the blood of King Mortspear in his veins. King Mortspear ruled the Highland Kingdom, the largest empire ever in all the lands. The wildcat King led his army of weasels, stoats, ferrets, and foxes from the frigid Land of Ice and Snow to the Highlands. There, the powerful commander set a path of destruction from the far Northern Mountains to the very borders of Mossflower Woods. His name though, was not always Mortspear. He gained that name from his famous spear, his signature weapon that he had led countless charges with. After establishing his immense empire, Mortspear set up a capital at the foot of the Northern Mountains. Mortspear settled down and married his childhood sweetheart and had two wildcat children: Ungatt Trunn, the future Conqueror of Salamandastron and the commander of the vast Blue Hordes, master of of the trident, and Verdauga Greeneyes, the Conqueror of all Mossflower Country, ruler of the Castle Kotir and commander of the mighty Thousand Eye Army. Verdauga's elder brother, Ungatt Trunn, soon grew tired of life in the Highland Kingdom and, in his teenage years, packed up his trident and belongings and set out to create his Blue Hordes. However, Verdauga stayed and cared for his now-elderly father. One day, an ailing King Mortspear called his son to his bedside. He spoke. "Verdauga. My son. You have in yourself a fire that burns bright. An energy that will fuel you throughout your life. I can see it in your eyes. They burn brightly. I do not have much life left in me. I must leave soon. Son, take this." Mortspear handed his young son his spear. Verdauga gasped, and took the weapon in his hands. It had a razor-sharp leaf-shaped blade and twin barbed cross trees. The haft was unbelievable sturdy and tough: Mortspear had spent many hours hardening the wood in the fire. "Use it wisely," said the King. "Thank you, father," sobbed Verdauga, knowing that his father was dying. King Mortspear looked into Verdauga's eyes. "Son," the king said, and closed his eyes forever. Verdauga rested his head on his father's shoulders for a while and stood up. "The mighty King Mortspear has passed," he shouted. And young Verdauga wrapped himself in his father's cloak, picked up his father's spear, packed up his belongings, and walked out of the castle.