05-17-2022, 12:46 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-06-2024, 08:27 PM by Ulfgar Gravendak.)
Born of pure Shield Dwarf stock, the young warrior son of a weapons-maker and his wife, Ulfgar had seen much of the Sword's Coast and lands further east in about the same time it would have taken a human to reach middle-age. Still considered a young lad by his parents he was raised in proper dwarven fashion. Taught the use of the hammer, both to forge weapons and defend their freedom. Schooled in the shield to protect kin and kind, to be a bulwark in the face of the horde. Brought up in the belief of Moradin, creator of his kind, as well as all the other dwarven deities. And still, he found himself falling into one scrape after another. Nursing head wounds or knife gashes and assorted broken bones, the young dwarf was always getting into trouble.
It wasn't until his families return to Citadel Felbarr that Ulfgar's inclinations toward violent displays got him beaten nearly to death by several gold dwarf thugs, who assaulted the fiery young Gravendak when he spoke of confessing his admirations for a non-dwarven lass. Awaking from his near demise, those around him were distressed to hear him speaking openly to Moradin, to Clanggedin, and Dumathoin or any number of other reverent Dwarven gods as though he were having a simple conversation with a fellow dwarf. Some say it was all the blows to the head that had addled his mind so, though many others believed it was his confession of love for the half-elven Ranger, Senna of Silverymoon that had won him the curse of the Soul-forger Moradin himself for such heretical statements. He was even observed angrily admonishing The Father of Battle for not warning the fiery bearded youth about the coward of a hill dwarf who'd cracked him over the head in that previous fight. And while many considered this blasphemous in the least, a priest, a distant cousin of Ulfgars simply laughed and said that Clanggedin enjoyed a good laugh as much as any dwarf.
After a few years of traveling back and forth between the Citadel and Silverymoon, to spend time with the pretty Ranger, Ulfgar arrived back home in Felbarr only to be met by a counsel of young dwarves like himself. They tried to pressure the fiery bearded youth to give up his farse of a relationship with the non-dwarf. That his children should be of pure Shield Dwarf stock and "Not some mongrel, from a half-bree,...." The words were never finished and the dwarf who'd spoke them had nearly lost more then a dozen or so teeth when the outraged Ulfgar waded into the bunch with fists and curses flying. Howling his fury to The Silverbeard, he drove into his fellow dwarves with a rage that rivelled those of the fabled battleragers and was only subdued when his own father tore his son away from the melee.
More than a little angry at his son's actions and more than a little proud of Ulfgar's defense of Senna's good name, the wily ole dwarf drug his son off to their home where they were met by several of Felbarr's officials. After a heated discussion, where Ulfgar's father began raging about himself, though his threats where of packing up his business and relocating to Mithral Hall, or Silverymoon, or by Berranor's rounded arse, to Waterdeep. It was decided that Ulfgar would have to leave Citadel Felbarr, exiled from the place of his birth instead of being imprisoned.
And so the young dwarf set his boots to the road and headed for Silverymoon and within a few weeks time, he was reunited with his half-elven love. "Fool dwarf," was among the nicer things she'd had to say to him when he told her what had transpired. "What about your Ma, and your Da. Who will run the Gravendak Smithy when they can no longer lift hammer to anvil, Fool Dwarf!" It took Ulfgar several days to finally get back into Senna's good graces for she truly loved the warrior, their races not withstanding. "You cannot stay here though my love," Senna told him one day, after they returned to her small abode, which the city paid for, for her services, "This city will drive a firebrand like you mad in a fortnight, and I cannot stick around to keep you from getting into mischief." So after much discussion it was decided that Ulfgar would strike out with the caravans heading west. "If we are able to quell the tribes of goblins to a manageable level, I'll give notice in the spring and meet you in Luskan by Winter. Who knows, maybe we can escape to Ten-Towns and open a nice little smithy up there."
It wasn't until his families return to Citadel Felbarr that Ulfgar's inclinations toward violent displays got him beaten nearly to death by several gold dwarf thugs, who assaulted the fiery young Gravendak when he spoke of confessing his admirations for a non-dwarven lass. Awaking from his near demise, those around him were distressed to hear him speaking openly to Moradin, to Clanggedin, and Dumathoin or any number of other reverent Dwarven gods as though he were having a simple conversation with a fellow dwarf. Some say it was all the blows to the head that had addled his mind so, though many others believed it was his confession of love for the half-elven Ranger, Senna of Silverymoon that had won him the curse of the Soul-forger Moradin himself for such heretical statements. He was even observed angrily admonishing The Father of Battle for not warning the fiery bearded youth about the coward of a hill dwarf who'd cracked him over the head in that previous fight. And while many considered this blasphemous in the least, a priest, a distant cousin of Ulfgars simply laughed and said that Clanggedin enjoyed a good laugh as much as any dwarf.
After a few years of traveling back and forth between the Citadel and Silverymoon, to spend time with the pretty Ranger, Ulfgar arrived back home in Felbarr only to be met by a counsel of young dwarves like himself. They tried to pressure the fiery bearded youth to give up his farse of a relationship with the non-dwarf. That his children should be of pure Shield Dwarf stock and "Not some mongrel, from a half-bree,...." The words were never finished and the dwarf who'd spoke them had nearly lost more then a dozen or so teeth when the outraged Ulfgar waded into the bunch with fists and curses flying. Howling his fury to The Silverbeard, he drove into his fellow dwarves with a rage that rivelled those of the fabled battleragers and was only subdued when his own father tore his son away from the melee.
More than a little angry at his son's actions and more than a little proud of Ulfgar's defense of Senna's good name, the wily ole dwarf drug his son off to their home where they were met by several of Felbarr's officials. After a heated discussion, where Ulfgar's father began raging about himself, though his threats where of packing up his business and relocating to Mithral Hall, or Silverymoon, or by Berranor's rounded arse, to Waterdeep. It was decided that Ulfgar would have to leave Citadel Felbarr, exiled from the place of his birth instead of being imprisoned.
And so the young dwarf set his boots to the road and headed for Silverymoon and within a few weeks time, he was reunited with his half-elven love. "Fool dwarf," was among the nicer things she'd had to say to him when he told her what had transpired. "What about your Ma, and your Da. Who will run the Gravendak Smithy when they can no longer lift hammer to anvil, Fool Dwarf!" It took Ulfgar several days to finally get back into Senna's good graces for she truly loved the warrior, their races not withstanding. "You cannot stay here though my love," Senna told him one day, after they returned to her small abode, which the city paid for, for her services, "This city will drive a firebrand like you mad in a fortnight, and I cannot stick around to keep you from getting into mischief." So after much discussion it was decided that Ulfgar would strike out with the caravans heading west. "If we are able to quell the tribes of goblins to a manageable level, I'll give notice in the spring and meet you in Luskan by Winter. Who knows, maybe we can escape to Ten-Towns and open a nice little smithy up there."
