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Lurking Krog
Name
Alberich son of Gudmund Thorson Orebender and Isolde Tyrasdaughter Rocksplitter, of the Orebender ClanAge
98Gender
MaleAppearance
Alberich is of average height for a dwarf, but somewhat heavier than his fellow brothers and sisters. He has blonde hair and beard, often braided and bound to keep it from getting in the way in the smithy. His small, tired eyes are a light shade of brown, peering thoughtfully from under heavy brows. He has pronounced cheekbones and a massive nose, which often acts as his primary emotional tell. Alberich is heavily muscled, his arms brawny beyond what is normal for his kind, a feature which has gotten some of his brethren speculating that he probably lives up to his family name. He usually dresses in simple, durable clothes of wool and leather, opting to walk barefooted even when working at the forge.
Alberich is never seen without the ornamented silver bracelet on his arm, a wedding band gifted to him by his deceased mate, Holga Ingridsdaughter Oakenshield. He has a slow, deliberate way of walking and talking, never seeming to make or say any unnecessary moves or words.
Skills & Flaws
Alberich is a respected and reknowned blacksmith in the halls of Thrillem, known for his qualitative craft. He can work any kind of ore in the forge, having learned many secrets from the master smiths of the senior Orebenders. He has just recently passed the test of mastery himself, finally earning the right to work his own anvil and take on apprentices himself. Apart from being good with the hammer and tongs, Alberich likes to cook and has become skilled with the craft, experimenting with whatever herbs and spices he can get his hands on from traders and travellers. He plays the drum, as could be expected from a blacksmith, and sometimes blows the horn, one of which he has forged himself from bronze.
What Alberich lacks, however, is speed. He can be slow and thoughtful to the point of stagnation, always careful and deliberate in his actions. This has a tendancy to drive younger, more eager dwarves to frustration or even anger at times, as Alberichs slowness of action is extraordinary even among his kind. He also suffers from bouts of depression, fueled by the loss of his mate. During such bouts he becomes distant and unresponsive, often secluding himself from others for days at a time.
The greed is constantly there, of course, always surfacing at the worst of times. Alberich has a hard time separating from the more expensive and exquisite things he makes, to the point where he sometimes is unwilling to part with them without further compensation or persuasion.
Background
Alberich was born to Gudmund Thorson Orebender and Isolde Tyrasdaughter Rocksplitter. It was decided that he should follow in his fathers footsteps and learn the blacksmiths trade, and he has spent the most of his life as an apprentice to the master smiths of the Orebenders, learning their craft. He met his mate, Holga Ingridsdaughter Oakenshield, at a feast in the hall of the Oakenshields. His family had been invited there as thanks for supplying the warriors of the Oakenshields with weapons and armor to beat back a particulary nasty infestation of goblins in the lower tunnels of Thrillem, and the two dwarves quickly fell in love. Their union was quickly negotiated and accepted by both clans as a suitable bond of friendship, and they were wed after only a decade of courting.
Disaster soon struck, however, not twenty years into their marriage. Holga was slain among many brave dwarves in an attempt to plug a breach by marauding goblins in the mines, and Alberich went into mourning. They had been preparing to sire children of their own, but Alberich knew that he now had lost both his companion and the prospects of carrying his bloodline to a new generation.
It took him over a decade to find the strength to once again lift the hammer, but when he did, he regained some semblance of a purpose to his life. Work consumed him, and he was deemed ready to face the masters trial at a staggering tender age of only ninety. He passed to thunderous applause from the collected Orebender, Rocksplitter, and Oakenshield clans, and a feast was held in his honor that has seen few of its likes before or after. Alberich was fondly regarded as the future of the Orebender smiths, and his name was immediately mentioned by the three clans as a candidate for the expedition to the surface.
