Currently 56, 38 years ago, when just 18, Gregory was excelling at the basic schooling his parents had been able to afford. He wanted to go further, he wanted to become an apprentice at the wizards school itself. He was young, arrogant, and convinced he could become the greatest wizard ever. He even found a tutor, a transmutor by the name of Arnold Rasputin. However Gregore could not afford the expensive fees for the wizarding collage. Rasputin managed to get Gregore the job of librarian in a collage near his home where he could hopfully earn enough in a few years to pay for his tuition.
Over this timer however he fell in love with a local farm girl (Mary), and decided to spend his savings on their wedding and setting them up in a home. She continued to work for her father as Gregore stayed in the library, just a few more years needed before he could become a wizard and support them both.
Mary had to stop work when she became pregnant, which means Gregore's saving had to be spent again, and his wages now supported them and their son, so his savings couldn't grow any more. Shortly after the birth of Gregore's son (Strauss) Rasputin died of old age.
Gregore continued in the library working every hour. He taught his son to read an write himself, and at the age of 16 (Gregore 40) Strauss was offered a scholarship at a wizards collage in another city. These scholarships were never around when Gregore was too young and now he was told he was too old whenever he applied.
The years continued to roll by, Mary again returned to work but was mostly supported by Gregore. When Strauss was 26, by now an established wizard heading towards big things in the capitol city apparently, he convinced Mary to come and live with him as he could support her better than Gregore. Strauss had come to loose all respect for his father who had so dismally failed to achive what he did so easily, and over time turned Mary against him also, especially as Gregore had come to spend all his time working.
Depressed Gregore spent even more time in the library than usual, often not leaving for days on end. He became even more strict with the students, and frequently annoyed with the grounds wildlife, as there were usually a number of familiars flying around his library. One day while tidying away after students he noticed a mynah bird standing on one of the books, tapping it with his foot. Gregore shoed the bird way but it came right back and sat over the same book in the shelves, whenever Gregore looked it tapped the book with its foot. Eventually, after a few weeks gregore took the book from the shelves, he did this in the middle of the night as it was once of the books he was forbidden from reading. It was a text on familiar summoning. As Gregore read it the mynah flew away and returned with mistletoe and other common magical components. Once Gregore had completed the text the substances dissapeared and there was a brief glow around the bird, when then looked at Gregore and said in perfect common "You're going to be a wizard."
Initially Gregore refused the birds persitant plees for Geegore to teach himself from the books but eventually he gave in and against every rule at the collage taught himself wizardry. He spent all his money on materials for building his spellbook, and even went to the lengths of stealing some supplies from the university.
Of all this was was just descovered, and he was thrown out of the collage. He managed to sneak out his spellbook. Lost without much money or a home (as he lived in the university) he saw an advert for a competition to become an adventurer and Confuscious convinced him he was pecomming powerful enough to win, so he spen some of his only money on a cross-bow and rode on.
