PCs:Thror Stormhammer
Galdokin Dwarf nearing 275 years of age. Grey streaked brown hair and beard with a scar running from just below his eye to his jawline. Is hardly ever to be seen not wearing his gold and blue platemail with a variety of weapons on his person, including his heavenly gifted maul, Cothrochtfairboch; many warhammers, and a rather large axe. He was the High Paladin of the Order of Gorethar, recently now retired from that role, though he still holds the rank of High Paladin in the Church of Gorethar, but does not sign himself as such to avoid confusion with the new High Paladin of the Order of Gorethar. Known for being overly grumpy and extremely hostile towards all of maleki's children he's come across, whether with words or his hammers.
Thror can currently be found in the Kurathene Empire, after deciding to head north and return closer to Stormhammer Hall, his clanhome located in the western mountains of galdos, bordering on the kurathene. Upon hearing of his intentions to return north, his brother in the Order of Gorethar, Lord Vian Valorian, offered him a place in his fiefdom of Valorian. After some contemplation, Thror accepted the offer and now resides in the fief known as the Valorian Kingdom. There he serves as the Patrician of Archeous, the military and smithing heavy region of Valorian, where he looks over the Mithoran Mine and the town of Argenkargh from his keep of Mitbelkargh. Thror serves as Knight Templar and head of the Silver Sword of Valorian, and so commands the brunt of the fiefdoms offensive armed forces, the crusaders of righteous battle.
If you happen across a tavern in deglos or perhaps a bard with a penchant for dwarven tales, you may here this tale about him: (hero of avlis entry)
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High in the mountains of Galdos there sits a strong dwarven stronghold hewn from the mountainsides. Upon the stone gates is a finely carved depiction of a crossed hammer and lightning bolt.
Deep within this stronghold lies a burning fireplace, and about it sit many young dwarven beardlings, some even yet to have stubble upon their chins. Their attention is fixed upon a much older dwarf with a beard like silver and the passing of many years visible upon his face.
"Now, laddies, allow me to be tellin’ ye the tale o’ one o’ yer ancestors. Tis good for ye young Stormhammers ta be knowin where ye be comin’ from. Tonight oi’ll be tellin’ ye some o’ the tale o’ Thror Stormhammer, or more precisely, the second o’ our Clan ta be carryin’ that name."
"As ye all be knowin’, Thror were a mighty Paladin in our Lord’s service, and fer a time afore his passin’ did lead this Clan, as were his right, but oi doubt ye beardlings know the whole tale. So let’s be startin’ from the beginnin’." The aged dwarf then took a long draw on his old pipe, as he delved into the tale.
"Thror were born inta this noble clan o’ Stormhammer to his da, Uther, who were a powerful Paladin in his own rights, and his wife, in this ancient stronghold where we now be sittin’, Stormhammer Hall. Blessed he were, upon his birth, by his own grandda, and current head o’ the Clan, Oden Stormhammer, a battlepreist of our Lord strong in his faith.
He grew up here as a wee dwarven lad, just as ye all are, and at the beardlin’ age o’ 25, was sent to the nearest Monestary o’ Gorethar fer trainin’, just as some o’ ye may. While he were there, Thror trained under the eye o’ Olstag Firebeard, a very old Paladin who’d retired ta the instructin’ o’ beardlins en our Lords ways. After many, many years o’ hard trainin’ and intense prayer, Thror felt what he’d been searchin fer, Gorethar’s presence. He felt His Light and were enlightened, becomin’ one o’ Gorethars Fightin Order, the Paladins. Fer a few more years, Thror trained with ol’ Firebeard at the Monestary and the surroundin’ regions, learnin’ how to use his newfound blessins from the Battle Lord. Afterwards, he returned here ta his Clanhome, where over the next many years he spent much time in prayer and in the doing of Gorethar’s works with his kinsmen.
One day, word reached the Clan o’ a pocket o’ maleki’s scumbucket giants holdin up in the nearby mountain passes. So a party o’ Stormhammer warriors, includin Uther, Thror, an’ Thror’s brother, Ogrim; set out to smite these foul buggers, as were their duty. While they were away, the Hall were attacked. When the giant huntin’ party returned from smitin’ the foul malekispawn, they found the Hall’s doors broken inwards and bodies o’ the fallen lyin’ about. It turns out that those dwarves who’d remained in the Hall had been caught unawares when the attack had come, and much damage were done and death dealt before Oden Stormhammer could rally a defense. Mighty Oden were found lyin’ dead surrounded by a throng o’ fallen foes, who were blasted inta death by his mighty hammer, the Stormhammer, an heirloom from the days o’ the Clans start. The Stormhammer were gone from his grip, seeminly taken by these invaders. Survivors reported the enemy as a bigarse band o’ goblins an’ ogres, lead by a hulkin’ ogre shaman. After seein’ ta the wounded as best they could, the huntin’ party set out again on the trail o’ those who’d attacked their home.
The party o’ Stormhammers caught up ta the maraudin’ band a few days later when the ogres an’ gobbos were forced ta retreat back the way they’d come by a patrol o’ the Galdosian Army. A hard battle were fought atween our kinsmen and the foul smellin’ gobbos and ogres that day. A number o’ good dwarves fell in battle unner the bastards’ press, but they managed ta overcome em in the end with superior tactics and the graces o’ Gorethar. As th’ Ogre Shaman leader fell dead, he fired off one last fingertwiddle, strikin’ down many dwarves with a rainin blast o’ fire, Thror’s da, Uther, included. Those remainin’ at the end o’ the battle tended the wounded and did what they could fer the dead, givin’ proper burial when possible. They then returned ta the Hall, Uther’s body with em, where t’were buried along with Odens in our Clan’s tomb fer those o’ such line. But oddly enough, the Stormhammer were nae ta be found amongst the dead durin’ the battle, its whereabouts be still unknown now, ta our dismay, laddies.
Fer days Thror prayed in tribute ta his fallen Da, Grandda, and clansmen. After a time he felt a tug pullin’ at him, compellin’ him ta venture south. He came ta believe that twere Gorethar’s will guidin’ him, to do His work. But whether twas actually Gorethar, or one o’ his servants, or somethin’ else entirely, be nay truly known. As insane as it sounded fer any o’ us Galdokin ta head outa Galdos fer any amount o’ time, Thror decided ta head south and follow the call, wishin ta serve Gorethar as best he could. His brother, Ogrim, remained behind ta lead our Clan and ta rebuild the Hall, wishin Thror go in peace, though he himself disagreed with his brother’s decision ta leave the mountains.
His trip south were largely uneventful ‘cept fer a run in with a pocket o’ unlife, Thror managed ta dispatch it with little trouble, though he did earn himself a scar on his face that runs from below his eye ta his jawline in a moment o’ foolishness. He’d carry that scar ta the end o’ his days, as a lesson against bein’ a dumbarse in combat.
Thror eventually found himself in the southern tip o’ Avlis, and shortly after met a fellow Paladin by name o’ Vichan Lyonsen, o’ th’ Order o’ Gorethar there in the South. Vichan invited Thror ta a meetin’ later that day, where he met some other members, and started on his path within the Order. From there on he traveled with his newfound brethren, doin’ Gorethar’s works in the South. Durin’ this time he traveled with other new Order members like himself, mainly: Mouse Hammerpaw, Daimein Songshire, Kaegan Clovenhelm, Wynys Lyonsbane, Zahn Reyer, Vastan Thenald, Brian Deville, and Tharin Ironboard. These names would later dissappear…gone ta death or disappearance, until only a few were left: Thror, Kaegan, Vastan, and Zahn. By this time Thror and Kaegan had become good friends and traveled together often.
After some time, the ore started ta disappear and dry up all across South Avlis. Twere soon learned that a coven o’ witches, the Coven o’ Nature, was behind the ore disappearance and was ransoming it back ta the nations. Thror, then an Initiate, were assigned ta investigate the Coven by the Blessed Head Cleric, Jorio Alerian. During this time o’ investigation he based himself mainly outa Mikona, and would stay on there fer some time afterwards. After some time looking inta the Coven, he figured out that they had a movin base o’ operations across South Avlis, and he were later contacted by a skilled ranger and tracker. This tracker had been trackin the base’s movements and told Thror where the Coven would be at a certain point in time. Thror gathered a force made up o’ members of his Order and citizens o’ Mikona to strike at the Covens base when twere located in the warrens o’ the Mchek wilderness. The force fought through the witches and their black werewolves until there were none left that could be found, whether they got em all, or some managed ta escape be unknown. But shortly after the strike, the ore started ta return ta South Avlis. Whether each nation all decided ta pay the ransom in that short time afterward or if the strike force was the cause of it, were unkown to Thror.
Later, Thror would aid a varied group o’ adventurers in Mikona to stop a powerful dracolich from layin waste ta the city. Soon after, he and Vastan would be named Asisstants to the Battlemaster in the Order by it’s Battlemaster, Kharak Hammerstar
After servin as Kharak’s assisstant fer some time, trainin the younger members o’ the Order in combat and tactics, Thror ventured away from the populated areas of South Avlis on a sojourn. He traveled throughout South Avlis, mostly outa contact with the major cities and with the Order, smiting the darkness of evil as he found it and spreading the word o’ our Lord
Upon his return he found turmoil ta have broken out ‘pon Avlis as the Second Fairy War heated up and began. He also returned ta find that his friend, Kaegan, had died durin his time away. And so his return was bittersweet, as shortly after his return and shock over Kaegan’s death, he were named Ordained o’ the Order o’ Gorethar, bein accepted as a full member.
Durin this time he situated himself mainly in Elysia ta help fight back lizard and titanian soldiers that were attackin’ the city’s gates. When the EAV were formed he joined as an officer so he might better fight the slaving lizardfolk and genocidal fey, as he saw the wiping of a goodly race of fey from avlis as an evil act that needed ta be halted, lads. He rose through the ranks, and by the end o’ the Fairy War he had attained the rank o’ Major, servin as third in command. In the closin battles o’ the Fairy War, he was present with a group that confronted the Demon that’d been summoned by the titanians and their allies and that’d killed Lady Vanoviel, Elysia’s Ruler. The demon were defeated and banished from this realm, but as t’were banished it reached out and grabbed Vichan Lyonsen, then the High Paladin of the Order, and dragged him ta the abyss with it.
In the days followin the Vichan’s abduction, as t’were found he still lived as a prisoner, Thror were made High Ordained and the leader o’ the Order in the absences o’ High Paladin Vichan and Arch Paladin Vian Valorian. One o’ the first things he did were ta make sure everythin’ were done in attempt ta find a way ta return Vichan to this plane.
He continued ta serve after the Fairy War, as Elysia focused more on the Drotid, and was present at the battle that drove invadin Drotid troops from Northeast T’Nanshi and back inta their own lands. When relative peace were reached with Drotid, Thror along with the rest o’ the Order of Gorethar took honorable discharges from the EAV. As the war in the north were done, there was nay reason for em to be EAV anymore, as by Church mandate, they wouldn’t involve ‘emselves in the fight in the south atween T’Nanshi and M’Chek
After months time o’ researching and trying ta find a way, Thror lead a group o’ his assembled brethren through a portal ta the 192nd layer of the Abyss, where they fought and grudgingly bartered, and eventually succeeded in retrieving and bringin home High Paladin Lyonsen. With the return o’ Vichan, Thror believed his brief stint as the leader of the Order to be at an end, but was soon to be proved wrong, as Vichan announced that he wished Thror ta lead. Soon after Thror were visited by an envoy from the Church in Galdos at an Order meetin’, and were officially made a High Paladin o’ Gorethar, an’ so took up the mantle as the High Paladin o’ the Order o’ Gorethar.
Soon after that, Thror engaged more in conflicts with the Deglos vampire lord, Dranuhl, and his forces. Thror’d been fightin this bastard fer a good long time, since he arrived in the south matter o’ fact, and thwarted his plans on a few occasions and even had entrance ta the vampires ever-locked tower on one occasion. After one confrontation with the vampire lord where Thror refused ta retreat and were struck down, he found himself the receiver o’ a gift upon rising agin. He found near him a mighty maul, a gift from the Battle Lord himself, fer his diligence in fightin’ the unlife. This weapon came ta be known as CothrochtFairboch, the Justice Bringer, and served Thror until his passin’.
Thror, as a member o’ the Order and o’ a group in Deglos known as the Dwarf Brigade, then aided with the migration o’ Mchekian peoples from Mchek north through Deglos ta the then new city o’ Visimontium, a mage city built fer Andrinor.
It then became apparent that the ancient corrupted gorethite temple in Ferrell, known as The Rift, were becomin more active as the leader o’ thet vile place, Se’Fassu, started attackin the surface o’ Ferrell with his minions. Thror and the Order were contacted by Arania, the Keeper o’ FEAT, fer aid in the matter. Thror worked alongside Arania an’ the rest o’ FEAT, actin’ as a contact ta the secretive gorethite Order in Ferrell whos dictate twere ta watch over the fallen temple. He also helped FEAT in a few o’ its endeavors on the matter, and fought back the attackin unlife invasions o’ the surface a few times. He and others o’ the Order were present as they, FEAT, and some others delved down inta The Rift, slayin unlife along the path, and eventually aidin in the ceremony and rite ta close the rift that powered the unlife there. This were done, though Se’fassu himself escaped, unfortunately.
Thror were then contacted by the Noble Houses o’ Mchek and invited ta a meetin’ with Lord Grumbald, a fellow paladin as well as a noble o’ that land. There he were joined also by Vastan o’ his Order, as well as representatives o’ the Council o’ Balance, the Council o’ Dagath, the Keepers o’ the Cycle, and the Mchekian Guards. They were told o’ a new threat in the unnerdark under Mikona and under an area known as the Dwarf Quarters, where our brethren who’d built their city’d been slaughtered millenia before by ‘em humans, and apparently the dwarves were cursed as their spirits remained. This new threat were the dracolich Draxithrax that’d taken up livin down there, and were later found ta have been a creation in some form by the lich Sorvanok, who’d been defeated years afore. They wished fer an end ta this threat ta be found, as well as fer the dwarf spirits ta be released as part of plans that the city had fer that area and the unnerdark beneath it, fer this Thror and the Order were put in charge o’ the endeavor.
After some research and many conversations with the spirit o’ the dwarven leader down there, known as Kang, Thror and others discovered that what were keepin’ the dwarves spirits there was the Harpinger, who fer some reason believed that the dwarves shouldnae o’ died, so couldnae move on ta Gorethars Halls in the Heavens. Also durin this time o’ lookin’ ‘bout the Halls, in attempt ta find clues ta anythin’ that could aid in freein’ the spirits, a group Thror lead ran across Draxithrax in the unnerdark, and eventually retreated after bein’ attacked by the dracolich’s minions. On ‘nother occasion, Thror with a smaller group ran across the dracolich again, and after an argument where its said that Thror "insulted" it, it attacked ‘em. But Thror, with Justice Bringer in hand, managed ta best the foul creature and sent it crashin down inta ruin. He didnae destroy the phylactery o’ the thing though, so it would rise again later ta cause more trouble. But Thror did take from the dracolich’s possession, a ring that was on its claw, what happened with this ring or what it did oi rightfully don’t know, lads, but tis rumored that it was an artifact o’ our church. Where its at now oi could nay tell ye. Some time now passed, with more researchin’ goin’ on, and nary much progressin’ on the matter o’ the spirits, though Thror visited Kang many more times and followed many leads, never really sittin’ still too long.
Later on, Thror with a few other Order members would accompany the Guards in a trip to the unnerdark ta find the dracolich’s phylactery. After searchin fer some time they encountered Draxithrax and chased him ta Sorvanoks ol’ throne room. There they did battle with the beast and eventually it were again brought down by Thror’s mighty hammer an’ th’ fast strikes o’ Ayren Milen’s swords. Thror then used his hammer ta crush up the dracolich’s fallen bones. It’s phylactery would later be found and destroyed ahind a bookcase in Sorvanok’s library down there, which caused the dracolich ta reappear. But the bugger reappeared very weak from his bones havin been crushed ta pieces earlier, and so were felled in one meager blow by a Valokian. Though if ye ask me, oi been told that a stiff wind coulda done the job just as good. And as his phylactery were destroyed, that were the end o’ Draxithrax.
Soon afterwards, whilst talkin’ ta Garlack o’ Gorethar in Mikonas Temple District, Thror came up with the way ta freein’ our trapped brethren from their spiritual state. A week later, many Gorethites assembled and headed down inta the Dwarf Quarters. There in the ancient temple located in the Quarters, they performed a ceremony, lead by their Head Cleric o’ the time, Tanmar Stronghammer. This ceremony sent up calls and prayers ta Gorethar, whose gaze was turned back ta the Quarters where he had nay realized the dwarves’ plight. Once Gorethar’s presence again filled the Dwarf Quarters, the spirits were freed and rose ta their restin place in Gorethar’s Halls. Before risin ta the heavens, Kang appeared one last time ta Thror, and thanked him for his long efforts in freein’ his trapped brethren.
Later t’would be announced by the city that the ancient temple down there would be renovated inta a new Temple ta the Battle Lord. Afterwards, Thror became scarce ta be seen by most folks. He was nearly always away back in Galdos workin’ fer the Church, lecturin’ at Monestaries and trainin young beardlins there in our Lords ways. If nay there, he were busy around the many chapels and temples o’ southern avlis, and continued ta do his Lord’s works wherever he could be found roamin. "
"Now laddies, this be only part o’ Thror’s tale, long as it be. But oi’ll leave it at this fer now. Perhaps oi’ll tell ye the rest some other night. Now its time ta be gettin’ ta sleep." With this the old dwarf puffs one last time on his pipe, before getting up and heading for the comfort of his quarters.