KRAE IS THE ONLY SURVIVING SON OF THE DWARVEN WARLORD GRATTMIR, SECOND GENERAL TO KING RAATH FORN’GOM OF THE NORTHERN RIDGE. FROM AN EARLY AGE KRAE WAS SHELTERED AND KEPT CLOSE TO HIS FATHER, WHO TAUGHT HIM HOW TO BALANCE A WEAPON EVEN BEFORE HE COULD FULLY TALK.

WHEN GRATTMIR WAS KILLED BY GOBLINS, KRAE WAS DEVASTATED; HE HAD LOST HIS FATHER AND HAD BEEN FORCED TO STEP UP AND FILL HIS SHOES. AS A LEADER, KRAE IS FILLED WITH SELF DOUBT AND TROUBLED BY THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WORLD. IT IS THE SURVIVAL OF THE DWARVEN RACE THAT HAS FALLEN ON HIS SHOULDERS. HOWEVER, KRAE’S DESTINY IS EVEN GREATER THAN HE CAN IMAGINE, AND AS THE LAST DWARVEN KING HE WILL LEAD THE ELDER RACES INTO ULTAMIT VICTORY OVER THE DARKNESS.

KRAE IS MOODY AND SERIOUS EVEN AMONG DWARVES, AND THOUGH HE IS DOUBIOUS ABOUT HIS DECISIONS HE IS QUICK AND FIRM WHEN EXECUTING THEM. KRAE IS DISTINGUISHABLE BY HIS BEARD. UNLIKE THE BLONDE AND REDDISH BLONDES OF HIS RACE, KRAE’S HAIR IS ESSENTIALLY “GOLDEN” IN COLOR. KRAE IS STOCKY AND POWERFULLY BUILT, EVEN AMONG HIS FELLOW WARRIORS, AND AT 60 YEARS OF AGE, HE IS STILL YOUNG FOR A DWARF.

GRIMBLE IRONFIST

GRIMBLE IS A CURIOSITY AMONG THE DWARVES OF THE KORTHIAN HOLD. BORN AND RAISED IN A GOBLIN PRISON, HE SPENT HIS YOUTH AMONG OLD AND MAIMED DWARVES IN THE BITING COLD OF THE NORTHERN WASTE.

EVEN WITH AN ANCESTRY IN THE NORTHERN WASTE, GRIMBLE IS LARGE FOR A DWARF. STANDING WELL OVER FIVE FEET, HE IS SEVERAL INCHES TALLER THAN EVEN THE LARGEST NORTHERN DWARF. LIKE HIS BARBARIAN BRETHREN, GRIMBLE IS PALE SKINED AND HEAVILY MUSCLED. HIS EYES ARE A PALE BLUE, ALMOST TRANSLUCENT, AND IN THE TRADITION OF HIS LOST KIN IN THE NORTH, HE BRAIDS HIS HAIR, ENTWINING RINGLETS IN HIS BEARD. GRIMBLE IS UNSURPASSED IN STRENGTH, COMMONLY USING “KNUCL E-DUSTERS” AND ENTERING A FRAY UNARMED. HIS SURNAME REFLECTS THIS.

GRIMBLE IS TROUBLED BY A DARK SECRET FROM HIS PAST, A PAST THAT HE STILL SEEKS ANSWERS TO; BUT IT IS HIS PRESENT THAT PROVIDES THE GREATEST HURDLE, AS HIS ATTENTIONS TO AN ELF MAIDEN STIR UP HATRED AMONG HIS BROTHERS IN KORTH.

COREK
THE CUNNING EYE

COREK IS THE OLDEST DWARF IN THE KORTHIAN HOLD. AS SCRIBE, SCIENTIST, ALCHEMEST, INVENTOR, AND SEER, COREK IS KRAE’S ADVISOR, AS HE WAS GRATTMIR’S BEFORE HIM. THOUGH HIS EXACT AGE IS UNCERTAIN, COREK’S WISDOM PRE-DATES THE FIRST DWARF KING XERE DORINTHIUM.

COREK’S GREATEST DEED, HOWEVER, IS YET TO COME, WHEN HIS MASTER, THE LIZARD LAROD CHRAKEN'TAHL, PUTS HIM IN CHARGE OF THE TIME SPIRAL. THIS ANCIENT SCROLL, WRITTEN BY THE FIRST DWARFS TO WALK THE ONE LAND, PREDICTS THE ENTIRE CYCLE OF THE WORLD, FROM BIRTH TO DEATH TO RENEWAL.

COREK CARRIES WITH HIM AN ORNATE STAFF THAT ACTS AS A FLAIL IN COMBAT, AND PERIODICALLY A GREAT EMERALD BIRD CAN BE FOUND PERCHED ON HIS SHOULDER. THIS BIRD IS SAID TO BE THE IMMORTAL SPIRIT OF THE LAND BEFORE THE ELDER RACES.

SHAMA

SHAMA‘S STRENGTH IN THE KORTHIAN HOLD COMES FROM HER CHILDBEARING ABILITIES. FEMALES ARE RARE AMONG THE DWARF RACE, AND THOSE WHO CAN HAVE CHILDREN ARE EVEN RARER. BECAUSE FERTILITY IN SHE-DWARFS IS UNCOMMON, SHE IS PROTECTED AND KEPT CLOSE TO HOME. AMONG HER KIN, FERTILITY COMES WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT, AND SHE IS TREATED WITH ALL THE REVERENCE USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE GREATEST OF WARRIORS.

SHAMA IS A THOUGHTFUL AND OPTIMISTIC DWARF, AND EVEN IN HER 800 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, STRUGGLING THROUGH THE TERRORS OF WAR AND THE DECLINE OF HER RACE, SHE HAS NOT LOST SIGHT OF HER COMPASSION.

SHAMA IS SMALL AMONG FEMALES, OF LIGHT HAIR AND FAIR SKIN. CURRENTLY, SHE IS MATED WITH GRIMBLE. HER ATTITUDES SHIFT FROM PASSIVE TO AGGRESSIVE AFTER A MEETING WITH THE SAVAGE SHE-DWARF PRAHLA

THE GOBLIN RACE

THE GOBLINOIDS WERE ORIGINALLY ELVES AND DWARVES WHO WERE MUTATEDAND CORRUPTED BY THE BLACK WIZARD INTO THEIR PRESENT FORMS.

GOBLINS EMBODY ALL THAT IS EVIL IN THE ONE LAND, AND BECAUSE THEY WERE THE LAST OF THE ELDER RACES TO ARRIVE, THEY HAVE ALWAYS HELD GREAT ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THEIR “SUPERIOR“ COUSINS THE ELVES AND DWARVES.

GOBLINS COME IN THREE PHYSICALLY DISTINCT HIERARCHIES: LESSER, THOSE OF SMALL STATURE AND INSTINCTIVE NATURE; GREATER, THOSE THAT MAKE UP THE BULK OF ANY GOBLIN UNIT; AND THE “HORNED” GOBLIN, THE NEWLY ARRIVED MENACE WITH THEIR GREATER STRENGTH, BONEY ARMOR-LIKE EXTRUSIONS, AND SUPERIOR INTELLEGENCE.

GOBLINS ARE ENTIRELY MALE, AND MUST STEAL THE WOMEN OF OTHER RACES TO PROCREATE. GENERALLY WEAKER THAN THEIR ADVISARIES, GOBLINS WILL USUALLY RESORT TO OUT NUMBERING OR AMBUSHING THEIR FOES.