The old man was a wizard from Misthalin and the son of a smith. Near the end of his life, he told his tale in exchange for ale. He was born in a time before runes, back when man struggled to survive and they held an alliance with the dwarves. When he was young, his father told him a tale about a mage that had visited his shop for basic tools like hammers. The old man wanted to learn of the magicks, so he snuck out in the middle of the night to find the man. He did not tell all that he knew, for he feared the knowledge would be used for evil.