Grendel the Really Old

Grendel the Really Old
Title	Magician Instructor
Hometown	Ellinia
Current Residence	Ellinia -> Ereve (imprisoned)
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Affiliations	Maple Alliance Explorers Magician Association Elwin Lily
Enemies	Black Mage Black Mage Commanders Gerand Darmoor
Status	Alive
Name (Other Servers)
KoreaMS	하인즈 (Heinze)
JapanMS	ハインズ (Heinze)
ChinaMS	汉斯 (Hans)
TaiwanMS	漢斯 (Hans)
MapleSEA	Grendel the Really Old
Voice Actors
GlobalMS	Robbie Daymond
KoreaMS	Beomgi Hong Hosan Lee (Convergence/Borderless)
JapanMS	Nobuaki Kanemitsu

World Archive

“The Great Magician of Ellinia, the job instructor for all adventurer Magicians, and the leader of the Magician Association. As befits his status as a great Magician, his name is known throughout Maple World.
His exact age is unknown, but considering his connections with Alcaster, the Great Magician of El Nath, and Tatamo, the Chief of Leafre, it's clear that he is no ordinary old man. He currently resides in the Ellinia Magic Library, where he leads countless Magicians.
That said, not all rumors about him are favorable. According to the fairies, he once dabbled in dark magic. However, it seems he has since repented and now lives as a benevolent sage. That said, the fact that he never shows his eyes when speaking is a bit suspicious...
Both then and now, Grendel the Really Old has consistently believed in the pursuit of magic as a field of study. If you ever meet him, try greeting him with 'The power of magic is quite spectacular.'”

― Chronicler Ael

Grendel the Really Old is a powerful magician, the head of the Magician Association, and the Magician Instructor for Explorers. After the formation of the Maple Alliance, Grendel served as an advisor in magical matters during the Alliance's battle against the Black Mage. Following the Black Mage's defeat, Grendel was responsible for breaking the dimensional seal between Maple World and Grandis, causing the two worlds to converge into one. With the Sol Erda crisis and the High Flora invasion stemming from his actions, Grendel is currently being detained by the Alliance, though he was temporarily released to aid the Alliance on their mission to the Black Sea.

Story

Magician Instructor

Though little is known about Grendel's past, it was said that he had been raised by the fairies of Ellinia. In his youth, Grendel experimented with dark magic while attempting to bring a straw doll to life. When he accidentally cursed the doll instead, Grendel dumped the doll in the forest. However, the Lupins who lived in the forest came in contact with the doll, transforming them into Zombie Lupins. For this reason, Grendel deeply regretted dabbling in dark magic and swore never to use it again. Over the years, he became an extremely wise and powerful in the magical arts. As a wizard, he was capable of extending his lifespan far beyond the capacity of normal humans, although he could not prevent the effects of aging, earning him the moniker 'Grendel the Really Old'. Because of Grendel's influence amongst the Sylphs of Ellinia, human-fairy relationships improved significantly, allowing Ellinia to become a town in which both races could coexist. As a master of sorcery, Grendel became an instructor for beginner Explorers, teaching them the ways of magic from within his Magic Library. In addition, Grendel also served as the head of the Magician Association, intending for it to be a unified center of research for magical knowledge to be shared and preserved.

Onyx Dragon Research

During his quest to learn more about the Onyx Dragons, Evan met with Grendel, who told them that his friend, Chief Tatamo of Leafre, was a Halflinger, a race of dragon experts, and promised to ask him more about Onyx Dragons. Soon after, Grendel summoned Evan and Mir to the Magic Library, where he explained that Chief Tatamo had gotten back to him and confirmed that he had information on the Onyx Dragons. However, he noted that Tatamo hardly talked about the Onyx Dragons, even to him, as though there was something about the topic that Tatamo felt guilty about. When Evan asked if there was any way to convince Tatamo to share what he knew, Grendel told him that Tatamo might help if Evan were to give him an Onyx Dragon scale. Evan asked Mir for a scale, but Mir refused and told him that it would create a bald spot on his hide. After Evan persuaded him with shrimp and fish from Gold Beach, Mir reluctantly allowed Evan to pluck a scale. Evan brought the scale to Grendel, who told them that he would let them know what Tatamo said. Soon after, Evan and Mir were contacted by Grendel, who told them that Tatamo was very curious about how Evan had managed to obtain an Onyx Dragon's scale and wanted to meet him. Grendel offered to teleport them to Leafre, though he warned them not to roam outside the town, as the monsters in Leafre were far stronger than they could handle.

Some time later, Grendel contacted Evan and asked how his research on Onyx Dragons was going. He explained that he had heard a rumor about someone on Victoria Island riding a dragon and wondered whether Evan might be able to ride Mir. Mir told him that it was possible, but that Evan would need a saddle, as well as lessons on how to ride a dragon. Evan asked Grendel where the dragon rider could be found and learned that they were in Perion. This led to Evan meeting with the dragon rider FangBlade, who taught Evan how to mount and ride a dragon.

After discovering that a new book with clues on the Onyx Dragons arrived, Grendel contacted Evan and showed him the book, explaining that it was a voyage log written by John from Lith Harbor, which detailed his encounter with a dragon that had black scales and four golden horns while he had been marooned on an island covered in ice. Evan and Mir went to Lith Harbor in order to speak with John, leading them to eventually meet Afrien on Turtle Island.

Path to Aurora

Note: The events of this section depend on whether the player chose the light or dark path for Luminous.

Light Path

After helping Grendel's apprentice, Lolo, while Grendel was out, Luminous returned to find that Grendel had also arrived. Luminous asked Grendel whether he had any knowledge of Aurora, but Grendel informed him that the organization had died out centuries ago. However, he promised to help Luminous find a way to reach Harmony in exchange for helping the people of Ellinia. After Luminous helped the townspeople, Grendel gave Luminous a moth-eaten scroll and explained that it was related to Aurora. Upon reading the scroll, Luminous heard the voice of the Second Master of Aurora, who told him that the path to Harmony was open to those who could solve the Four Paradoxes: Cold Flame, Hot Chill, Destructive Creation, and Eyes that See Darkness. Grendel agreed to help Luminous solve the paradoxes and gave him a Vampiric Lantern, which could collect light from monsters. He first sent Luminous to hunt Flaming Mixed Golems for the first paradox, as their cores were cool to the touch but capable of starting fires. Next, he hunted Icy Mixed Golems for the second paradox, whose cores did the exact opposite. After that, he hunted Axe Stumps, who had axes integrated into their bodies. The axes were created as part of the Axe Stumps, even as the axes destroyed trees. Finally, Luminous hunted Evil Eyes, whose eyes were accustomed to dark caves. After solving the paradoxes, Luminous thanked Grendel and asked if there was a secluded place where he could conduct the ritual. Grendel suggested that he go to the Golem Temple, where Luminous was able to successfully open the path to Harmony.

Dark Path

After banishing Grendel's apprentice, Lolo, to a netherworld while Grendel was out, Luminous left to vent out his anger on the monsters of Ellinia, enraged that Lolo had only been able to find him half of a scroll on Aurora. Luminous then returned back to the library, where he found that Grendel had returned. Grendel was able to sense a dark aura emanating from Luminous, who realized that Grendel had knowledge of dark magic and demanded that Grendel teach everything he knew about the darkness. Grendel refused and instead offered to help Luminous find information on Aurora in exchange for Luminous killing the monsters terrorizing Ellinia. After he returned, Grendel gave him the rest of the scroll. UUpon reading the scroll, Luminous heard the voice of the Second Master of Aurora, who told him that the path to Harmony was open to those who could solve the Four Paradoxes: Cold Flame, Hot Chill, Destructive Creation, and Eyes that See Darkness. Grendel agreed to help Luminous solve the paradoxes and gave him a Vampiric Lantern, which could collect light from monsters. He first sent Luminous to hunt Flaming Mixed Golems for the first paradox, as their cores were cool to the touch but capable of starting fires. Next, he hunted Icy Mixed Golems for the second paradox, whose cores did the exact opposite. After that, he hunted Axe Stumps, who had axes integrated into their bodies. The axes were created as part of the Axe Stumps, even as the axes destroyed trees. Finally, Luminous hunted Evil Eyes, whose eyes were accustomed to dark caves. After returning, Luminous demanded that Grendel tell him of a place where he could conduct the ritual in peace. Grendel suggested that he go to the Golem Temple, but demanded that Luminous return Lolo. After bringing Lolo back, Luminous went to the Golem Temple and successfully opened the path to Harmony.

The Bell Mysticant

Soon after Lara arrived in Maple World, she was greeted by Grendel, who had sensed the energy of her bell mysticant and invited her to Ellinia, as he was studying similar powers there. After she presented the bell, Grendel thought to himself that the bell had been crafted in antiquity by an ancient deity or something comparable. He then offered to introduce her to Athena Pierce in Henesys, who could help her on her journey.

FriendStory

After one of Grendel's apprentices, Elwin, broke down the dimensional barrier between Maple World and Friends World, the dark energies of Maple World began infecting Friends World, for which a traveler began working with Elwin to protect the people of the other world while posing as a transfer student to Shinsoo International School. Soon after, Grendel learned about the situation and called the traveler back to the Closet House in Maple World. After hearing about their experiences, Grendel told them that they had discovered a parallel world full of the same people from Maple World that led completely different lives. He also added that the great magicians of Maple World had been aware of the parallel world for some time, though they had never opened a portal there before. Though Elwin was pleased to know that he had managed to open a portal somewhere that even the greatest magicians hadn't, Grendel berated him, claiming that opening the portal had allowed the two worlds to affect each other, possibly in disastrous ways. Elwin suggested that they return the transfer student back home, but Grendel told him that the evil energies of Maple World had already affected the parallel world. The traveler then recalled what the parallel world's version of Francis had said about seeing dark blobs falling from the sky and wondered if those were the evil energies that had arrived from Maple World. Grendel told the traveler that as they had already established themselves as a student, they would need to stop the corruption of Friends World. He then introduced another one of his pupils named Lily, a Manipulation Magician and Elwin's younger sister, who agreed to help the traveler and Elwin.

After the White Mage of Friends World arrived at Shinsoo International School and began causing havoc, Elwin and Lily believed that the situation had gotten beyond their capacity to control, for which they decided to involve Grendel. The traveler soon returned to the Closet House, where they explained everything to Grendel. After hearing their story, Grendel realized that the dark energies in Friends World had been invited in. He explained that there were shared elements between Maple World and the other world, and that the people of Friends World would soon face a similar evil to the one on Maple World. When Lily asked whether they had the right to interfere in the problems of another world, Grendel decided to take it under consideration, as he felt that it may be their responsibility to stop the threat of evil from Maple World threatening another world. He also suggested that they could always send the traveler back to help, as they needed a hero to combat such a villain. For this reason, Lily modified the memories of the students at the school in order to have them remember the traveler again after Lily had erased all traces of them earlier. The traveler then continued helping the students when the spirit of rock created special monsters that were spawned from the infected students, using a special weapon which Grendel had made that would damage the monsters without hurting the students.

The Sinkhole Incident

After the White Mage of Friends World used Kinesis as a catalyst to fuse Maple World with Friends World, a large sinkhole was created in Seoul that caused Kinesis and large swaths of his city to be transported to Maple World. At the Magician Association headquarters, Grendel met with Kinesis, who explained that the White Mage of Friends World had exploited Kinesis' powers in order to create a massive sinkhole in Seoul. Upon seeing Kinesis' shocked expression, he agreed to answer any questions that Kinesis had. Grendel first told Kinesis about the Magician Association, explaining that the organization had been created in order to establish a unified center of research that could be shared with all magicians in order to prevent knowledge from being lost, such as when the Black Mage had first devastated Maple World. He told Kinesis that he had many apprentices, including Nero, and that he had sent magicians to keep tabs on Kinesis' world once they had become aware of it, with Nero being chosen to watch over his city. Kinesis asked Grendel why the Magician Association had brought him to Maple World, to which Grendel explained that the sinkhole had kept growing larger while Kinesis remained inside of it, which had made it necessary to extract him. Once Kinesis had been brought to Maple World with the combined powers of all the Magician Associations' summoners, the sinkhole had ceased to expand. However, the laws of physics had stopped working inside the sinkhole, making it impossible to assess the damage, though he promised Kinesis that his friends, Yuna and Jay, were safe. He then told Kinesis that he would need to remain in Maple World until he mastered his powers for his own safety, as well as the safety of his friends.

Grendel added that the Magician Association was equally curious about Kinesis' powers, as psychokinesis was extremely rare in Maple World, despite how common magic was. He noted that he found it strange how Kinesis had developed his powers when Friends World lacked even the most basic magic, but added that the White Mage was capable of seizing Kinesis' powers and pushing them to untold heights. However, he explained that the Magician Association could help him control his powers, as Nero had been the one responsible for helping him regain control of himself the night before at school with her Restraining Magic. He also told Kinesis that the White Mage of Maple World had performed the unthinkable centuries ago in their world, and as Maple World and Friends World were linked, it was likely that similar events would be mirrored in Friends World. Having had all his questions answered, Kinesis began training with Nero in order to master his powers. After he gained more control over his abilities, Grendel agreed that it was safe for Kinesis to return to his own world.

Soon after Yuna was kidnapped by the White Mage, Kinesis and Nero went to see Grendel in order to plan out their next move. At the Magician Association, Grendel explained that the properties of the sinkhole had changed ever since the tornado had manifested. Kinesis asked what the White Mage wanted, to which Grendel explained that though it was just a hasty guess, he believed that the White Mage was attempting to merge their worlds. Though their worlds were separated by dimensional barriers, Grendel explained that certain conditions could break them and create a pull towards each other. Jay asked what would happen if the worlds merged, but Grendel replied that no one knew and suggested that perhaps only a god could perceive the result. Kinesis realized that his powers were an abnormal phenomenon born from the aftermath of their worlds' collision. He then wondered whether he was the first of many others who would develop such powers.

After training and honing his skills, Kinesis maxed out his Psy-limiter, which made Grendel believe that he was finally ready to face the sinkhole. Kinesis and Nero made their way to the sinkhole, where they stopped the tornado by rescuing Yuna and defeating the Omens created by the White Mage. Back at Kinesis' hideout, Grendel congratulated Kinesis on closing the sinkhole, though he added that the barrier between their worlds had become irreparable, meaning that Friends World would soon become consumed by Maple World. However, Grendel mentioned that it wasn't the first time that something like that happened, speculating that it had perhaps all been planned centuries ago by the Black Mage. Grendel then told Yuna that she now had the power to control the wind. Yuna's surprise caused the wind in the room to start swirling until Nero told her to calm down. Grendel explained that the failing barrier between the two worlds meant that more and more people would soon find themselves with similar powers. Kinesis then decided that he would create his own organization, similar to the Magician Association, in order to help them learn to control their powers and use them for good, which would prove the White Mage wrong.

A Manipulated World

Soon after becoming a Commander, Will met with Grendel and asked him whether it was possible to create a world through spatial magic. Grendel replied that it would be difficult to do so with human strength, though he was surprised when Will hadn't been dissuaded by his answer, instead noting that it would be possible if one had power that transcended human strength. Soon after, Grendel discovered several notes that Will had left behind, in which he had documented his theory on creating a new world by using pieces of another. Unbeknownst to Grendel, Will would later use his advice to create his own Manipulated World with the power of a sealed Rhinne, which he called Mirror World, as he had built it as an imperfect replica of Maple World.

Twilight Perion

After Lucid used her powers to send visions of the Gate to the Future in the nightmares of Maple World's citizens, an emergency Alliance conference was held to address the situation. Grendel the Really Old wondered whether such a thing was even possible, as that kind of dream control would be next-to-impossible for even the most highly-trained magician, which made him wonder how powerful their enemy really was. Because of this, Grendel joined together with the Cygnus Knights, Claudine, and Athena Pierce to investigate the matter. At the Magic Library, the Alliance member who had gone into the Gate to the Future met with Athena, Neinheart, Claudine, and Grendel, who told them that while the Alliance member had been investigating the Gate to the Future, people all across Maple World had begun exhibiting serious symptoms of dream addiction, which left them unable to discern dreams from reality. Grendel explained that dreams were the realm of the subconsciousness, and that no matter how actively one tried to reject it, the subconsciousness could become an effective tool in steering one's conscious mind. He noted that by being inflicted with the same nightmare over and over again, many who didn't possess strong mental fortitude could be hypnotized into believing things such as the Empress being evil or the Resistance being traitors. Neinheart asked whether there was a cure for dream addiction, to which Grendel explained that the only cure was Lucid Matter, which could only be harvested in dreams. Athena then asked the Alliance member to return to the Gate to the Future, to which they immediately agreed. Grendel told the Alliance member that he would instruct them on how to harvest Lucid Matter, though he asked the other Alliance leaders to try and calm their people in the meantime.

In Twilight Perion, Grendel telepathically instructed the Alliance member to collect Lucid Matter from the monsters around the area, adding that he would reach out once they finished. After the Alliance member finished gathered the Lucid Matter, Grendel told them that it would help them treat the dream addiction. However, he explained that it was only a temporary solution, as the only way to truly stop the nightmares was to cut them off from the people of Maple World, though he admitted that he had no idea how to do so. He told the Alliance member that if they had more information on the Dream Master, they might be able to learn more about the dream. However, as the Dream Master was neither a known Commander nor a member of the Black Wings, he had no clues as to their identity. Just then, Grendel had a realization that there may be some trace of the Dream Master within the dream itself. He explained that dreams were a reflection of the subconscious mind, such as how a scary experience with a sparrow in one's childhood might result in sparrow monsters appearing in their dreams. Because of this, he believed that the Gate to the Future – which was made from the dreams of the Dream Master – may contain their subconsciousness, for which he asked them to obtain Slumbering Fragments from the monsters around Twilight Perion.

After the Alliance member obtained the Slumbering Fragments, they returned back to the Magic Library and gave them to Grendel. Using the fragments, Grendel crafted a Piece of Memory, which he explained would allow the Alliance member to see a small glimpse of the Dream Master's mind, though he warned them to take caution, as accessing another's subconsciousness was a dangerous technique. Upon using the Piece of Memory, the Alliance member was transported into a dreamscape, in which they watched as the Dream Master - revealed to be a young girl - was recruited by the Black Mage. After the Alliance member told Grendel about what they had seen, Grendel explained that dream magic was a benign form of magic, though it was quite difficult, with only a few people being capable of handling it. He told the Alliance member that his theory was that the Dream Master had just been an ordinary girl who could use dream magic until the Black Mage had given her his dark power.

After the Alliance member broke the link between the dream world and the real world, Grendel congratulated them on breaking the link with then nightmare and invited them to attend another Alliance conference. At the conference, Athena told the Alliance member that the nightmare was slowly fading away from the minds of everyone in Maple World and asked them how they did it. The Alliance member explained how they used the Fog of Oblivion, to which Grendel noted how impressed he was by their solution. Claudine told the Alliance member that they had gone through a lot of hardships trying to stop the nightmare, adding that their efforts had taken the Alliance one step closer to stopping the Black Mage. Neinheart – and a reluctant Claudine – both admitted that it was fortunate that the Alliance had been able to successfully save Maple World, with Cygnus noting that their people could finally stop believing in the false future and suffering from nightmares. She added that she believed that she would have good dreams that night, thanking the Alliance member for all their help.

Black Heaven

In order to access a comatose Orchid's memories and learn what Black Heaven was, Grendel brought a magic mirror to the Secret Plaza, which allowed the Alliance member to enter Orchid's memory and learn that Black Heaven was a massive airship.

Heroes of Maple

Hoping to find a way to reach the parallel world where the Abyss Crystal was, the Heroes contacted Grendel aboard the airship of Abraxas and asked him whether there was a way to take the airship to the parallel world. Grendel explained that it was certainly possible by using the power of Abraxas, though it wasn't a force that they could easily handle. He revealed that the portal would be incomplete, to which Luminous replied that he believed that they would nevertheless be able to manage a round trip. Though Grendel warned that they wouldn't have much time, he added that he would be able to create a temporary portal by using the force of attraction between the Abyss Crystal and Abraxas, likening it to creating ripples in a calm lake. However, he explained that the portal would grow smaller over time and eventually disappear. Shade then asked Grendel whether the parallel world was in a separate dimension, to which Grendel explained that it wasn't. He told the Heroes that the name of the parallel world was Friends World, and that it was a sort of mirror that reflected Maple World, with both existing in the same dimension. He explained that while there were clues about the existence of other dimensions, the only three confirmed dimensions were Maple World, Grandis, and Tynerum.

Mercedes recognized Tynerum as the homeland of the demons, though she was surprised to hear that it existed in its own dimension, as her understanding was that Tynerum existed to the south of Maple World. Grendel explained that though scholars in the past had believed Tynerum to be a parallel world to Maple World, it was indeed its own dimension separate from Maple World. He revealed that the reason why the demons had been able to enter Maple World was due to a portal between the two dimensions located in the south of Maple World, which had existed for quite some time. Phantom asked who had connected the two dimensions together, and for what purpose, to which Grendel admitted that he had no idea. However, he speculated that it may have something to do with Tynerum being on the verge of extinction. Aran noted that the demon who had kidnapped the World Tree was from Tynerum, and that he was working on the Black Mage's orders. However, Mercedes pointed out that it was entirely possible that he was acting independently. Evan noted that either way, their mission was still the same, as they had to do whatever it took to get the Abyss Crystal and save the World Tree, though he admitted that he had never been to a parallel world before. Grendel then told the Heroes that the portal to Friends World would last about a day and wished them good luck before opening it.

Mirror World Invasion

After monsters from Mirror World began invading Maple World through dimensional cracks, Grendel - alongside the legendary members of the Silent Crusade, Krag and Wence - personally dealt with the invasion of monsters in Kritias.

Arcane River Expedition

After the Alliance resolved to enter the Arcane River, Grendel and the Magician Association began working alongside Melange and the Nova to imprint Melange's disintegration spell upon Rue Ore harvested by the Resistance, which would allow the Alliance to disable the Erda shields around the monsters of the Arcane River. As the Adversary crossed through Yum Yum Island, Grendel reported that the first imprinting had just been done, adding adding it was quite fascinating magic. However, he added that only three such stones had been finished, and that it would still take some time for the entire Alliance to mobilize. Neinheart replied that it would be enough, as the advance party's goal was reconnaissance and communication, as well as creating a gateway for the rest of the Alliance to follow. Soon after, the advance party - composed of Ollie, Shubert, and Melange - was dispatched to catch up to the Adversary.

As the final preparations for the assault were wrapping up, Grendel arrived at the Outpost and greeted Checky, noting that the airships were nearly complete. Checky replied that he had also heard that the enchantment of the Rue Ore was also nearly complete, and that the expedition into the Arcane River could soon begin. He added that such a mission had never before happened in the history of Maple World, and that they would soon be able to put an end to the Black Mage once and for all. However, Grendel noted that it wouldn't be easy, to which Checky asked Grendel whether he was afraid. Grendel replied that it wasn't what he had meant before looking up at the immense airship looming in the distance, wondering whether that was the White Spear. Checky confirmed that it was indeed, and that it was the flagship which Empress Cygnus would be sailing upon. He added that it wasn't just pretty on the outside, as its sturdy and powerful construction meant that it would certainly be able to deal damage to the Black Mage. After a pause, however, Grendel told Checky that wouldn't happen, explaining that though the White Spear may be able to help them get near the Black Mage, it wouldn't be what would pierce through him. At Checky's confusion, Grendel ominously explained that defeating the Black Mage was a destiny that was already in someone else's hands.

Tenebris

Grendel remained on Maple World alongside several other world leaders when the Alliance fleet took off, hoping to contain the invading Erda monsters and provide assistance remotely. After the Alliance fleet began landing on Tenebris, Neinheart contacted Grendel at the Outpost and reported that the White Spear had successfully taken out the monsters, and that a search party would be sent to the labyrinth soon. However, he explained that he wanted to confirm a theory with Grendel and hoped that he was incorrect. Neinheart explained that according to his research, three elements were needed for the Genesis Ritual: first, the ultimate light held by Tana, which granted the power of creation; second, the ultimate darkness held by the Black Mage, which granted the power of destruction; finally, enough high-purity Erda to fill an ocean, satisfied by the Arcane River. He told Grendel that the Arcane River was a flow of Erda generated by the convergence of three worlds, with the overwhelming excess caused by the absence of Transcendents from the sealing of Rhinne and the Black Mage. Neinheart was troubled that the implication of this meant that the Black Mage had deliberately chosen to be sealed by the Heroes in order to achieve his goal.

Grendel then finished what Neinheart was thinking and explained that the Black Mage's goal hundreds of years ago hadn't been to destroy the world, but rather, to gather Commanders and minions in order to draw out the Heroes, who would ultimately seal him away. However, Neinheart was still frustrated that there were a few key pieces missing from the whole puzzle. He pointed out the incident with the Demon and Arkarium, just before the Black Mage had been sealed, and how there had been a possibility that Arkarium might not have been jealous of the Demon enough to have destroyed Leafre, meaning that the Demon wouldn't have sent the letter to the Heroes. He added that when Ollie had witnessed the Black Mage's memories, she had said that the incident had been set off by the trivial matter of the Black Mage praising the Demon while ignoring Arkarium, triggering the whole chain of events that had led to his sealing with only a few words. Grendel was disturbed by Neinheart's implications and told him that they were in the final stages of analyzing the core fragment, which would soon reveal more of the Black Mage's secrets.

After Grendel finished analysis of the core, he contacted the Adversary, who asked him to explain what destiny the Black Mage had in store for them. Grendel noted that he could tell that the Adversary was afraid that the Black Mage's destiny would swallow them whole and lead them to ruin. He explained that mortals tended to regard fate with a mixture of awe and fear because of how unpredictable the future was. Though there were some mortals who could see the future, such as the Empress, Grendel explained that they could only see fragments, rather than the full scope and the process by which their vision would come to pass. Though the future was determined by the present, there were so many variables in any given present, such as fate, chance, and free will, that countless futures were constantly being created and erased. Grendel claimed that it was impossible to process such vast possibilities, likening it to a two-dimensional creature perceiving a three-dimensional world. However, he revealed that the Black Mage had somehow managed to perceive destiny, allowing him to change it. Grendel cited how the Black Mage's choice to praise the Demon had set off a new destiny by putting Arkarium on the path to destroy the Demon's family, which had resulted in everything that had happened, from Black Heaven, to Damien, to Aeona, thus placing the whole world on the Path to Genesis.

Though he conceded that everyone had behaved according to their own free will along the way, he explained that they hadn't realized that the Black Mage had been influencing their decisions. He then showed them the core fragment from Gloom and explained that within the fragment were futures that had once existed before being erased by the Black Mage. Having examined the timelines within the fragment, Grendel noted that the single great constant was that the ones who had done the most damage to the Black Mage's grand design had been his own Commanders. He added that the only Commander who had fully known the Black Mage's plan and had embraced it was Will, while the other Commanders had inevitably betrayed him in order to ensure their own survival. Grendel pointed out how the Black Mage had manipulated events perfectly, such that the Commanders would serve him until they were defeated by the Alliance before they could interfere with his plans. The Adversary asked whether it was possible to stop the Black Mage after having learned of the Path, but Grendel pointed out that even the fact that they had realized the existence of the Path was part of the Black Mage's plan. He then told them that he could see no action that would allow them to change the fate laid out by the Black Mage.

After the battle of Tenebris, Grendel will congratulate the Adversary if the player is an Explorer or Kinesis. For Explorers, Grendel, Athena Pierce, and Kyrin congratulate the Explorer for all that they've accomplished. They reminisce about how curious and wide-eyed the Explorer had been when they had first met, and how much has changed since then. For Kinesis, notes that he was surprised when Kinesis had arrived on Maple World, but he believes that Kinesis has grown a lot.

Genesis Weapon Liberation

What the Black Mage Left Behind

Soon after the battle of Tenebris, the Alliance discovered a powerful weapon inside the giant's heart at Limina, which Grendel locked away for safekeeping. Neinheart then called the Adversary to Ereve after asking them to defeat the Black Mage's afterimage in Limina, where he showed them a chest dripping with dark energy, explaining that after the Black Mage's death. Grendel told the Adversary that he had inspected the weapon in every possible way that he could, and that his investigation had led him to conclude that it contained incredible potential. He explained that it was called the Genesis Weapon, which contained the powers of creation and destruction that the Black Mage had wielded. Neinheart told the shocked Adversary that the Alliance believed that the weapon had the power to face an even greater enemy, and that they hoped to take advantage of it as the catalyst that the Alliance needed in order to become stronger and defend their world against the coming threat. Grendel explained that in order to control something that strong, the wielder would need to become that much more powerful, as otherwise, they could never hope to wield such a weapon. As only someone with the ability to control that power could wield the Genesis Weapon, Grendel told the Adversary that they were the first person that the Alliance had thought of. He then opened the chest and invited the Adversary to inspect the weapon. The Adversary was surprised to find that the Genesis Weapon looked identical to their own. Neinheart explained that he believed that the Black Mage had intended to leave the weapon behind specifically for them. However, he added that they needed to be cautious, as it was still a weapon created by the Black Mage. He explained that he had asked them to defeat the Black Mage's afterimage as a test in order to ensure that they wouldn't lose control of the weapon's power. Grendel added that there was one final test, though it would be administered by the Genesis Weapon itself. As the weapon was sealed with a mysterious strength, he explained that the Adversary would need to remove the seal in order to unlock its full potential.

Traces of Von Leon the Lion King

Neinheart told the Adversary that both he and Grendel suspected that the key to unlocking the seal had to lie with the Black Mage and his Commanders, though he warned that they could be certain that anything to do with the Black Mage and his Commanders wouldn't be easy. He then allowed the Adversary to think on whether they were willing to embark on such a dangerous mission, as they had already saved the world and defeated a god, meaning that the decision was theirs alone whether to return to the difficult path. After considering it, the Adversary agreed to unseal the Genesis Weapon and claim the power within. Neinheart explained that according to Grendel, they could imbue the Genesis Weapon with Traces of Darkness by defeating afterimages of the Commanders. He told the Adversary that the Black Mage had given his Commanders power from the Traces of Darkness, and that the traces would appear in the place of the Commanders' afterimages as soon as they disappeared. The Adversary then traveled to the Lion King's Castle, where they defeated Von Leon's afterimage. The Adversary then returned back to Ereve, where Grendel greeted them and noted that they had successfully managed to imbue the Genesis Weapon with the Trace of Darkness inside Von Leon's afterimage.

Traces of Arkarium, the Guardian of Time

After examining the weapon, however, Grendel explained that there was still a missing element. He speculated that they would likely need part of the Black Mage's power in order to unleash the weapon's strength. Neinheart realized that the Adversary would likely need to face another Commander's afterimage, and so the Adversary traveled to the Dimensional Schism and obtained another Trace of Darkness from within Arkarium's afterimage. After defeating Arkarium's afterimage, the Trace of Darkness inside him was imbued into the weapon, which the Adversary brought back to Ereve. There, Grendel extracted the magical power from within the Trace of Darkness and transferred it inside the Genesis Weapon. Immediately after the power transfer, everyone nearby experienced a vision of Arkarium from shortly after the World Tree incident, in which he restored his human form after Damien had nearly killed him, after which the Black Mage ordered him to escort Tana through the Arcane River. Neinheart realized that according to the memory, Arkarium had needed his staff in order to fully restore his powers after having barely survived his battle with Damien. Grendel realized that the staff's power had likely been similar to that of the Black Mage, adding that the combination of the Commander's power and the Black Mage's power must have been quite potent. He then realized that it served as confirmation that in order to fully unseal the Genesis Weapon, they would need part of the Black Mage's power through his afterimages, as well as those of his Commanders.

Traces of the Tyrant Magnus

The Adversary then traveled to Tyrant's Castle in Heliseum, where they defeated Magnus' afterimage and obtained a Trace of Darkness from inside him, which was absorbed into the Genesis Weapon. After the Adversary returned back to Ereve, Grendel began infusing the Trace of Darkness' power into the weapon, resulting in one of Magnus' memories flowing into their minds. They witnessed the memory of Hilla confronting Magnus during the Dimension Invasion crisis, in which Magnus had told Hilla that the Black Mage's will was quite different from the one whom he served.

Traces of Lotus, the Wing Master

Next, the Adversary traveled to the Scrapyard and defeated Lotus' afterimage, from whom they obtained a Trace of Darkness. After the Trace of Darkness was absorbed into the Genesis Weapon, the Adversary returned back to Ereve, where Grendel noted that it had accumulated considerable power, and that it seemed like the first stage of that power was ready to be awakened. After he unlocked the first restraint on the weapon, the Adversary found that the weapon held the ability to use a portion of the Black Mage's Transcendent powers of destruction, allowing them to summon the Tanadian Ruin.

Traces of Damien, the Sword of Destruction

Neinheart then told the Adversary that the next afterimage that they would need to face would be Damien's, from whom they would need to obtain the Trace of Darkness. The Adversary then traveled to the Dark World Tree and defeated Damien's afterimage. After the Genesis Weapon absorbed the Trace of Darkness, the Adversary returned back to Ereve, where Grendel infused the Black Mage's power into the weapon. As his power was transferred into the weapon, everyone was able to see one of Damien's memories, in which they witnessed his first meeting with Von Leon. In the memory, Von Leon had learned that Damien saw him as a kindred spirit, as both of them had lost loved ones and had chosen the path of corruption. However, Von Leon had merely told Damien that some things were impossible, even for the Black Mage, and that even if Damien were to bring his mother back to life, his tainted soul wasn't fit to be anywhere near her.

Traces of Will, the King of Spiders

Next, the Adversary traveled to Esfera and faced Will's afterimage. After absorbing the Trace of Darkness inside Will's afterimage into the Genesis Weapon, the Adversary returned back to Ereve, where Grendel infused the power of the Black Mage into the weapon. As the power transfer occurred, a memory from Will's past flooded into the minds of everyone nearby, allowing them to learn how Will had become a Commander after the Black Mage's unsealing, as well as the fact that while he had become the Black Mage's sole confidante. After the events of Mirror World, the Black Mage had told Will that he had wanted something more than just the creation of a new world.

Traces of Lucid, Keeper of Nightmares

The Adversary then traveled to Lachelein and faced Lucid's afterimage, from whom they obtained another Trace of Darkness that the Genesis Weapon absorbed into itself. After Grendel transferred the Black Mage's power into the Genesis Weapon, everyone was able to see a memory of Lucid after the Adversary defeated her in Lachelein. They learned that within the darkness of her mind, Lucid had desperately attempted to reach the Black Mage's subconsciousness in order to reach him one last time. In the brief instant that she had entered his mind, Lucid had stumbled across a memory filled with pain, sadness, relief, and unbridled hatred.

Traces of Verus Hilla the Red witch

With only one Commander left to face, the Adversary faced Verus Hilla's afterimage, from whom they obtained the final Trace of Darkness, which was imbued into the Genesis Weapon. After the Adversary returned back to Ereve, Grendel imbued the Genesis Weapon with the entirety of its power. He then fully broke the seal on the weapon, unlocking its full potential and allowing the Adversary to use a portion of the Black Mage's Transcendent powers of creation, with which they could summon the Aeonian Rise.

Lingering Questions and Fresh Start

Neinheart congratulated the Adversary for fully awakening the power of the Genesis Weapon, explaining that he now understood why the Black Mage might have left such a weapon behind. He told the Adversary that while they had been fighting the afterimages of the Black Mage and his Commanders, the Alliance had been doing follow-up investigations regarding the memories that they had seen of the Commanders, adding that he was certain that those memories were the very reason why the Black Mage had left the Genesis Weapon with them. He explained that there were four things that he had concluded from the memories. First, the Black Mage had desired for something more than Genesis. Second, Lucid had sensed great animosity from within the Black Mage's subconsciousness towards someone. Third, there were some things that were impossible, even for the Black Mage himself. Finally, the Black Mage's will was quite different from the one whom Magnus served. Neinheart told the Adversary that the Alliance believed that the Black Mage's desire for something greater than Genesis had stemmed from the animosity that he held towards some unknown being, and that he had trusted the Adversary with fulfilling what he couldn't. Grendel noted that while the Black Mage might be gone, his plans hadn't completely failed yet. Neinheart added that what had transpired made sense, as someone as big the Black Mage wouldn't have simply disappeared without leaving something behind. He noted that on top of that, disappearing without having fulfilled his purpose would have been an even more undesirable ending for him. The Adversary was surprised to know that the Black Mage's designs had extended so far, to which Neinheart told them that the Alliance would keep investigating in the meantime, as all they had to go on was speculation. As none of them knew of the Black Mage's true intentions, Neinheart told the Adversary that he would contact them once he had more information, adding that they should also let him know if they discover anything else.

Convergence

Interrogating Will

Following the Black Mage's death, Grendel began growing obsessed with Gloom's core fragment, in which he had seen countless futures that led to despair, causing him to start sympathizing with the Black Mage about his dream of creating a world without such pain. Soon after, the Alliance discovered Will lying unconscious in Esfera after his battle with Orchid. The Alliance quickly arrested him and brought him back to Ereve, where Grendel began questioning him. Upon speaking with Grendel, Will immediately recognized that Grendel had touched the core. He noted that Grendel must have felt what he himself had felt, though he then corrected himself, explaining that Grendel must only feel regret and despair now that the Black Mage was gone. Will added that humankind was now doomed, trapped and relegated to languish from the laws that bound their broken world. However, Grendel retorted that broken things could be mended, and that it was no excuse for the Black Mage's plans, as he would have destroyed everything and everyone. He added that despite everything, humans longed to keep living, which Will had agreed with, though he replied that to people like himself and Grendel, choosing to live in such a way was shameful, and a fate worse than death.

Grendel then told Will that he had seen the future that the Black Mage had chosen, in which he had intended for the Adversary to kill Tana. Will had confirmed that it was indeed the future which the Black Mage had intended, to which Grendel replied that even that future had branched off into several other paths, though Will claimed that such a thing wasn't possible. Grendel then explained that the Black Mage wasn't the only Transcendent trying to overthrow the natural order, causing a shocked Will to wonder whether it was the work of Gerand Darmoor. Grendel then asked Will what the Transcendents were, and for what purpose they had been created. Will laughed and replied that someone had once told him that truth was a sweet poison, and that it was sometimes better to avoid it. He added that in that sense, there were no bigger fools than himself and Grendel, as neither of them could give up their insatiable hunger for the truth. Will then taken out another core and given it to Grendel, who, upon touching it, had vanished in a flash, after which the Soot monsters had begun appearing across Ereve. Upon accessing the core, Grendel realized that whereas Gloom's core was a simply array of futures, the one that Will had given him was a core filled with the Black Mage's innermost thoughts, plans, and his deepest despair.Enraptured by the Black Mage's true motives, Grendel teleported himself to Lachelein, while Grendel's apprentices - Lily and Elwin - chased after him with the Adversary.

Truth about the Transcendents

In Lachelein, Grendel entered Lucid's memories, in which he witnessed Lucid telling the Black Mage that the Alliance had begun investigating the Gate to the Future, after which she asked whether she should stop them. Grendel then echoed the Black Mage's words from the memory, telling Lucid to let it be, as it was the only way that the Alliance would learn fear. By witnessing the Second Future, they would learn about the lie of free will and begin to hate the chains of fate. Grendel then spoke in his own voice and realized that the Black Mage had intended to lose from the very beginning. As his apprentices arrived and attempted to snap him out of his reverie, Grendel exclaimed that he had to know more before teleporting away. Grendel then arrived in the Morass, where he met the echo of the Black Mage, who had transformed into the White Mage after the true Black Mage had reverted in his final moments. There, he echoed the true Black Mage's words from his memory about how he could leave the task of removing Arkarium to his echo in the Morass. He noted that the process of achieving his goal was long and complex, as he was still on the path that the laws of the world had intended, though he also realized that the complexity and uncertainty of his situation may have given him a clue to escape that fate.

From the Black Mage's memory, Grendel learned the truth about the Ancient Gods and the Transcendents existing to keep them sealed away.Grendel then continued on through the Morass, where he witnessed the Black Mage's memory of watching the Adversary refusing to take Tana's life. He then voiced aloud the Black Mage's thoughts that the Adversary had rejected their fate. He noted that the power of the Seal Stone - which he described as the power of chaos, the power to refuse control, and the power of the gods - was what had allowed them to do so. However, he added that the decision to use that power had been the Adversary's alone. He noted that it was, at once, a victory and a defeat, as it had demonstrated both the power of the gods and the will of the people. He also noted that if the Adversary could defeat him - the last Transcendent of Maple World - then the universe would return to its original state. Suddenly, Grendel himself had an epiphany based on what he had heard from the Black Mage's thoughts and disappeared.

Finally, Grendel traveled to the barrier between worlds, where he noted that the answer to his question lay. As the Adversary and his apprentices caught up to him, Grendel told them that they were quite literally, at the end of the world. He explained that his journey had helped him reach the answers that he had been searching for. He revealed that the Transcendents had changed the nature of Maple World by their very existence, and with their absence, Maple World could return to its natural state. When the Adversary expressed their confusion, Grendel asked Lily what had happened when Rhinne and Alicia had disappeared. Lily replied that Maple World and Grandis had started converging as a result of the Transcendents' disappearance. They all then realized that if the Transcendents' existence had influenced the world, and that their absence had resulted in the two worlds' convergence, it meant that Maple World and Grandis had originally been the same world.

The Sol Erda Crisis

Satisfied with their understanding, Grendel told them that the place that they were standing at marked the veil between the two worlds, which had grown paper thin without the Transcendents. To their shock, Grendel raised his staff and smashed the jewel in the center, causing massive spell circles to appear in the air. Their dissipation pushed away all the clouds and fog, resulting in a blinding flash of light. As the light from the dimensional convergence faded away, the Adversary, Lily, and Elwin were shocked to see that the sky was now filled with the thirteen moons of Grandis. They also saw a large city that hadn't been there before, which stood at the other end of a sea that hadn't existed either. Suddenly, however, the ground began shaking as a purple wave of light appeared that melted through the ground.Elwin wondered what the purple aura hanging in the air was, and whether it was responsible for having melted the ground. He noted that everything had gone dark, as though something terrible was about to happen.

As he approached the purple Erda to examine it, the Adversary quickly warned him not to touch it. Elwin asked whether the purple matter was Erda, adding that it was different from the Erda that they had encountered in the Arcane River. Just then, Lily warned them about the approach of several monsters, which seemed to have been formed out of the unstable purple Erda. Grendel warned them not to get close to the monsters, though the monsters nevertheless noticed them and began to attack. The Adversary quickly jumped in front of the magicians and fought back against the Erda creatures. Though the Adversary managed to defeat all the monsters, Elwin noticed that their attacks hadn't worked properly and wondered in alarm whether Grendel had awakened something even stronger than the Black Mage. The Adversary realized that fighting the purple Erda monsters felt just like when they had fought the Erdas in the Arcane River for the very first time.

Lily pointed out that the Arcane River was a river that flowed with an enormous density of high-grade Erdas, and that in order to deal damage to them, one needed to train their power over Erda for a long time. However, Elwin pointed out that there was no one who could handle Erda better than the Adversary. He then had a sudden realization, which Grendel confirmed by explaining that the purple Erda was a new type of Erda that hadn't existed before. Grendel then began wondering whether it was a consequence of the dimensional convergence that even he hadn't anticipated. Suddenly, an enormous purple Erda monster manifested, causing Elwin to panic about what they should do. Lily thought for a moment before pointing out that even though the monster was made out of an unknown type of Erda, it was nevertheless still Erda, which meant that the Adversary would be able to damage it with the help of their Arcane Symbols.

After the Adversary fought and incapacitated the monster, Elwin expressed his amazement at the fact that the Adversary had won so easily against it. Lily sighed at her brother ignoring what she had said, noting that just as she had mentioned before, the Adversary's Arcane Symbols had allowed them to win. She reminded them that the Arcane Symbols were like seals around the soul, and that their power was different from physical strength, as it was the power of the soul itself. Elwin asked whether the symbols were capable of allowing the Adversary to suddenly grow much stronger, enough so that they could defeat the large Erda monster when they had struggled against the smaller ones just moments ago. Grendel noted that it was a good question, for no matter what the situation was, growth always happened in stages, which made him realize that if the Adversary had already accumulated power that manifested belatedly, they may not have known about it until then.

When the Adversary expressed their confusion, Grendel explained that they were already ready to face and defeat a new type of Erda which they had only just encountered for the first time. At the Adversary's silence, Grendel admitted that it sounded unbelievable, though he explained that since they had gone through the Arcane River alone, they wouldn't have been able to compare their growth against anything else. He noted that every day throughout their journey, they had penetrated through a higher density of Erda, perfecting their powers bit by bit, which meant that they were likely the only one who could handle the new purple Erda. Suddenly, the incapacitated Erda monster began growing unstable and exploded violently, causing the Adversary to be teleported into the Erda Flow, where they learned that the new type of Erda - Sol Erda - was a destructive force created from the collision of the two dimensions. With the Sol Erda threatening to destroy the world itself, the Adversary worked with the Goddesses of the three worlds in order to claim the power of Sol Erda and quell the torrent of destructive energy, returning back to the barrier between worlds to tell Grendel and the others about their journey.

Arrest and Detainment

Following the convergence of Maple World and Grandis, Grendel was arrested by the Alliance for his haphazard and reckless decision to fuse the two worlds together, resulting in not only the Sol Erda crisis, but the High Flora's ability to invade Maple World with their entire army, without the need of an Interdimensional Portal that limited their ability to move their forces quickly. Following his imprisonment, Mihile and the Dawn Warriors gathered together Grendel's personal effects and delivered them to the Alliance, with Mihile delivering his report to Neinheart shortly before the expedition to Karote. Because of Grendel's imprisonment, Neinheart lamented that the Alliance could no longer rely on him as a magical expert.

Black Sea

Traces of the Gods

Following the Arteria invasion, Edea organized an expedition to the Black Sea, where she believed to have found traces of the Ancient Gods in an undersea structure. As the magical barrier surrounding the structure was quite complex and beyond her understanding, she requested the help of Grendel, who was an expert on ancient magic. Though a surprised Brighton pointed out that Grendel was in Alliance custody, Edea replied that they desperately needed his help. Neinheart reminded her that Grendel had unilaterally made the decision to use the Black Mage's core and that he had destroyed the dimensional barrier while under its influence. Having deemed him a danger, the Alliance had taken Grendel into custody because of his actions, though Neinheart added that Grendel himself had agreed with their decision, and that he hadn't shown any unusual signs since his arrest. He admitted that he himself couldn't make any certain judgments about Grendel, for while he had been responsible for the Convergence incident, he was also one of the heroes who had led the Alliance in the fight against the Black Mage. Because of this, he believed that it would be better for them to put Grendel's actions to the side for a moment and focus instead on their investigation. Though Brighton agreed that he, too, wanted to trust Grendel, he also pointed out that just because Grendel hadn't exhibited any strange signs, it didn't mean that there wasn't anything still wrong. Neinheart then clarified that he didn't intend to let Grendel loose without any oversight, as he planned to have him under heavy restraints with a magician keeping a close watch on him, for which he asked Brighton to take on that task. Though Brighton remained unconvinced, Neinheart promised him that the Alliance's strongest member would also be there to keep an eye on Grendel. He then turned to the Adversary and asked them whether they would be willing to monitor Grendel and help Edea with the Black Sea investigation.

Soon after, the Adversary entered Ereve's prison, where they found Grendel trapped behind a cell reinforced with powerful magic. There, Brighton told them that Oz had put in a lot of effort to augment the prison, making it so that outside information couldn't reach his cell, such that Grendel wouldn't even know if an enemy was standing on the other side. He added that, though it seemed like overkill, Ereve had failed to hold a prisoner in the past, recalling Will and his escape. He then turned to Grendel and explained that, just as he had heard, he would be accompanying them to the Black Sea in restraints. Grendel readily agreed, noting that he understood the Alliance's position on the matter. After a pause, Brighton noted that while it may seem like a pointless question now, he was curious to know why exactly Grendel had broken the dimensional seal. Grendel began explaining that it was a mage's instinct to cross boundaries. Though he had sworn never to cross such boundaries again after his youth, he admitted that even after so many years, he had found himself to be yet another mage thirsty for knowledge. Nevertheless, he admitted that he was satisfied after having uncovered yet another new truth before assuring them that he would take responsibility for what he had done by cooperating with the Alliance.

Brighton then released Grendel from prison before binding him with the magical restraints, explaining that the restraints were invisible and wouldn't hinder Grendel's movements too much, though he added that the bindings could be made tighter, and that he hoped that he wouldn't be forced to do so. Brighton and the Adversary then escorted Grendel to the airship, where Edea told them that the Black Sea wasn't too far from Ereve, as even a small airship could take them there quickly. Though Brighton worried about the Black Sea's reputation for causing airships to go missing, Edea assured him that she would use her magic to conceal the ship, adding that it was the reason why she had wanted to keep the investigation team so small. Soon after, as the airship flew over Grandis, Edea informed the Glory Guard that they were just about to approach the heart of the Black Sea. Brighton noted that he could definitely feel an unsettling vibe around the region. Grendel asked Edea about the rumors that many ships would go missing in the region, to which she explained that it was an old legend in Grandis told through songs. Grendel replied that there had been similar songs in Maple World, though they had all fallen into obscurity. He explained that those songs talked about a monster that rose from the depths of the deep sea to prey on unsuspecting sailors, adding that they ought to take caution to make sure that they didn't become victims of that monster if it truly existed.

Malefic Star

The airship then landed at the entrance to the structure, which was a simple staircase that led deep beneath the water. Upon examining the magical barrier around the structure, Grendel noted that the magic that had created was quite unusual and that it was something that he had never seen before in Maple World. Edea agreed and explained that it wasn't common in Grandis either, as neither the Nova nor the Flora utilized such magic. As they descended beneath the sea, Edea marveled at such a magical space existing below the waters. Brighton wondered whether it was a form of space magic, as the structure was repelling the water pressure from being so deep under the sea. Grendel then warned them that there was an ominous presence following them from the moment they had entered the structure, with the Adversary sensing an eerie aura watching their every move. Suddenly, an imp-like Spirit of Delusion engulfed in golden energy appeared and danced around before scurrying off, with Brighton noting that it seemed to want them to follow it. The Glory Guard then followed the imp's trail and arrived at an enormous temple. As Brighton stepped forward, wondering whether the person with the ominous aura was inside, Grendel warned him to step back as a powerful magic surged forth around the temple. Brighton realized that the magic was yet another barrier as a young woman - Malefic Star - appeared before them, claiming that she had been waiting for brave warriors like them to save her. She explained that she was a sea spirit who had been trapped beneath the deep sea long ago by an evil god, and that she had been waiting for great warriors like them to rescue her.

When Brighton asked what they needed to do in order to save her, Malefic Star explained that what they were seeing was merely a projection and that they needed to break the barrier around the temple to reach her physical body. She revealed that the barrier could be broken by entering the temple and that only those with good hearts could enter. Edea then asked the girl why the evil god had sealed her away, to which Malefic Star revealed that she didn't know, as she had lost her memories when she had been sealed away. She explained that the only thing she remembered was that she needed to bestow her spirit blessings upon her saviors. Upon hearing this, Grendel noted that she was quite different from the spirits that he was familiar with. After Malefic Star disappeared, Edea noted that it was clear that Malefic Star had tremendous power and malevolence, meaning that they couldn't simply leave her alone. Grendel agreed and suggested investigating the nearby area in order to determine her true identity. Edea noted that the temple wasn't the only structure, as there appeared to be various ruins in the lower area. As there was a lot of area to cover, she suggested splitting into two teams. Recalling that Brighton wasn't familiar with ancient magic, she suggested that he accompany her, while the Adversary kept an eye on Grendel.

Breaking the Illusion

While Edea and Brighton explored the ruins near the temple, the Adversary and Grendel set out to explore the area further out, where they encountered what appeared to be a gravestone amidst countless shipwrecks. Upon examining the wreckage, Grendel pointed out that the damage to the ships indicated that they had been attacked by someone and brought down. However, he also noted that something was off, as the wreckage and the ruins were centuries old, while the temple itself seemed brand-new. Believing that it may be the result of illusion magic, Grendel began examining the tombstone to analyze its properties. Soon after, Grendel finished analyzing the tombstone and concluded that it was some sort of magical artifact, which he suspected was related to Malefic Star. Though the artifact's power was disabled, Grendel believed that he could use his own magic to figure out how it had worked. Upon activating the artifact, however, both Grendel and the Adversary were surprised to find a wave of illusion magic engulfing them and forcing their eyes to shut. The Adversary then awoke to find themselves outside the temple, where Edea, Brighton, and Grendel confronted them. Edea immediately told the Adversary that they needed to enter the temple, while Grendel noted that they had to rescue the poor spirit trapped inside by the evil god. Upon seeing the Adversary's hesitation, Brighton asked them whether they had fallen under the evil god's thrall.

As the Adversary wondered in confusion what was happening, they felt their head begin to throb as the others advanced on them, fervently entreating them to enter the temple. Just as they closed in on the Adversary, however, the World Heart immediately activated and dispelled the illusion. Suddenly, the Adversary heard the voice of Malefic Star fuming in anger, vowing to deal with them herself after devouring everyone else. She then summoned powerful Spirits of Chaos that the Adversary fought through, allowing them to break the illusion spell and appear in the real world alongside Grendel. After learning about what had happened, Grendel told the Adversary that the power of the World Heart had allowed them to break through the powerful illusion, while he himself had been able to see through the illusion because of the magical protection that he had cast over his own mind. However, Grendel noted that Malefic Star's power was quite tremendous if she could create illusions so powerful that they were nearly indistinguishable from reality, adding that the Adversary wouldn't have been able to escape so easily if they hadn't been able to see through her magic. From witnessing her power first-hand, Grendel explained that Malefic Star was almost certainly an Ancient God, though she displayed a level of malevolence that was greater than anyone he had ever seen. Realizing that Edea and Brighton were in danger, Grendel told the Adversary that they needed to hurry and rescue them. Suddenly, they noticed a distress signal flare shooting up from near the temple ruins, causing them to wonder whether it was already too late. The Adversary and Grendel rushed towards the temple ruins, where they were shocked to find Brighton passed out and Edea severely injured. Edea explained that they had been attacked by Malefic Star before asking whether the Adversary and Grendel were okay. After the Adversary confirmed that they were okay, Grendel asked whether they had fallen victim to the illusion magic, though he noted that they couldn't have gotten so injured from illusion magic alone.

After Edea revealed that Malefic Star had drained the life force from her and Brighton, she quickly passed out from exhaustion. Suddenly, a golden Spirit of Delusion appeared and began fleeing, causing Grendel to realize that Malefic Star was luring them towards her, which meant that Edea and Brighton weren't dead yet, as their life force could still be recovered from Malefic Star. Though Grendel feared that defeating an Ancient God wouldn't be easy, the light of the World Heart suddenly sparked to life, causing Grendel to realize that its power would allow the Adversary to face the gods. Believing that he would simply be a hindrance, Grendel told the Adversary to go on ahead while he watched over Edea and Brighton's bodies. After the Adversary defeated Malefic Star and absorbed her power into the World Heart, , Grendel rushed into the temple alongside Brighton and Edea, whose life force had been restored to them with Malefic Star's defeat. After the Adversary explained everything that had happened, the others were impressed by their ability to defeat an Ancient God in combat, noting that they had truly lived up to their name as the great Adversary. They then returned to Ereve and delivered their report to Neinheart, after which Grendel then told the others that he would return to his cell once again, having been satisfied with seeing the power of the Ancient Gods first-hand. As he headed back to the prison, he noted that studying the power of the gods would be quite interesting, causing Neinheart to stir uncomfortably before asking the Adversary whether they had noticed anything strange about Grendel during the mission. When the Adversary reported that nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Neinheart remained silent for a moment before thanking the Adversary and telling them that he would see them at the upcoming Alliance meeting.

NPC

Ellinia

Grendel the Really Old
Function	Magician Instructor
Quests involved	[Explorer] Path of the Magician [Luminous] The Return of the Librarian [Luminous] Grendel's Prescription [Luminous] Grendel the Head Librarian [Luminous] Grendel's Deal [Luminous] Fair Trade [Luminous] Surgical Strike [Luminous] The Second Scroll [Luminous] The Four Paradoxes [Luminous] Answers [Luminous] Solving Riddles [Luminous] Giants of the Cold Flame [Luminous] Hot Chilly Giants [Luminous] Destructive Creation [Luminous] One Who Sees Darkness [Luminous] Giants of the Cold Flame [Luminous] Hot Chilly Giants [Luminous] Destructive Creation [Luminous] One Who Sees Darkness [Evan] Ellinia Magic Library [Evan] Where's the Book? 1 [Evan] Dragon Types and Characteristics (Vol. II) [Luminous] The Ceremony [Luminous] Secret Ritual [Explorer] The 3 Arcane Paths [Theme Dungeon] Ellinel Fairy Academy [Explorer Magician] [Sengoku Warriors] Grendel's Library [Lara] A Rare Find 1 [Lara] A Rare Find 2 [Lara] An Adventurer of Maple World 1 [Evan] Onyx Dragon Study [Evan] Knowledge about Dragons 3 [Evan] Rumor about the Dragon Mount [Evan] Another Clue about the Onyx Dragon [Evan] Crew Member's Voyage Log [Explorer] Chiefs of El Nath [Explorer] Empress's Might [Leafre] Getting Advice from Grendel the Really Old 1 [Leafre] Getting Advice from Grendel the Really Old 2 [Temple of Time] Seeking Lost Memories [Explorer Magician] [Twilight Perion] The Dream Gatherer [Twilight Perion] A Subconscious Harvest [Twilight Perion] Piece of Memory [Twilight Perion] Enemy Identity
Location	Magic Library

Maple Island

Grendel the Really Old
Function	Magician Job Instructor
Location	Split Road of Destiny

East Forest

Grendel the Really Old
Location	Magician Association

Closet House

Grendel the Really Old
Location	Closet House

Ereve

Conference Room of the Alliance

Grendel the Really Old
Quests involved	[Twilight Perion] End of the Dream
Location	Conference Room of the Alliance

Evening Conference Pavilion

Grendel the Really Old
Quests involved	[Genesis Weapon] Traces of Von Leon the Lion King [Genesis Weapon] Traces of Arkarium, the Guardian of Time [Genesis Weapon] Power Draw [Genesis Weapon] Traces of the Tyrant Magnus [Genesis Weapon] Traces of Lotus, the Wing Master [Genesis Weapon] Power Unbound, Stage 1 [Genesis Weapon] Traces of Damien, the Sword of Destruction [Genesis Weapon] Traces of Will, the King of Spiders [Genesis Weapon] Traces of Lucid, Keeper of Nightmares [Genesis Weapon] Traces of Verus Hilla the Red Witch [Genesis Weapon] Power Unbound, Stage 2
Location	Evening Conference Pavilion

Seoul Main Street

Grendel the Really Old
Quests involved	Sinkhole Sunk Queen: The Dominator
Location	HQ

Black Heaven

Grendel the Really Old
Location	None

Limina

Grendel the Really Old
Location	End of the World 1-1

Convergence

Grendel the Really Old
Location	Barrier Between Worlds

6th Job Advancement

Grendel the Really Old
Location	Barrier Between Worlds

Gallery

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  NPC Sprite of Grendel the Really Old (Anniversary: Victoria Cup Event)
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  NPC Portrait of Grendel
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  NPC Portrait of Grendel
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  NPC Portrait of Grendel
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  NPC Portrait of Grendel the Really Old (MapleStory Idle RPG)
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  Artwork of Grendel (MapleStory M)
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  Artwork of Grendel the Really Old (Night Troupe in Omega Sector Event, B Tier)
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  Artwork of Grendel the Really Old (Anniversary: Victoria Cup Event; Non-KMS servers only)
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  Grendel the Really Old Card Chair (Anniversary: Victoria Cup Event; Non-KMS servers only)
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  Grendel the Really Old's Clone (formerly used for 3rd Job Advancement)
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  Grendel the Really Old's Clone Familiar
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  World Archive Illustration of Grendel the Really Old

Videos

챕터 1 : Borderless

Chapter 1 Borderless

MapleStory Glory: Convergence Cutscene

Trivia

• During the early days of MapleStory, the game shared a lot of similarity with J.R.R. Tolkien's works, especially Lord of the Rings. Grendel's character is heavily based on Gandalf and Saruman.
  • Gandalf: His appearance.
  • Saruman: White wizard. And his corruption, except he is free from it, while Saruman still corrupted.
• In non-English servers, the character is called Heinze, which is a German name.