Glarif the Dwarf

Glarif was taller than most of his kin, but still short by human standards. He was always noticed in a crowd, and nearly everyone in the mining village of Hamiril Keep knew who he was despite not being of noble birth. His childhood was much like any other Dwarven child; he went to school and learned something of the dwarven trades of mining, smithing, forestry, tinkering, and even seafaring (though the last admittedly always made him feel queasy). He learned his runes, and did well in all of his studies. Smart; that's what people in his village called him. Upon graduation he took up smithing as his profession, and learned all that he could about the intricacies of making things from metal ores from his Uncle Hambrid, the local master smith. Working metal honed his body well and he became quite strong. The first thing Glarif made with his new smithing skills was a strong, single edged axe. He took his time making it, plying everyting his uncle had taught him; he even carved a scene on the side of the blade of the mines he called home. In the end it was sturdy enough to fell a tree, but mostly decorative.

Four years into his apprenticeship with his uncle, his village was raided by a group of wandering bandits attempting to pillage anything of value. In the battle his family was slain. When he awoke to find his family killed, he vowed to avenge them by any means possible. He went to his uncle's shop and grabbed one of the plain axes that he had helped his uncle make as well, as a pair of finely crafted knives that his uncle had kept hidden. He grabbed some of the armour he had made during his apprenticeship; sturdy enough to save his life if needed, but not made well enough to give to the Dwarven army. He continued to his home, where he grabbed his leather travel bag with a change of clothing and some food and survival gear. He grabbed his father's hunting crossbow and quiver of bolts as well. His father had taught him the basics of using it and hunting with it. He grabbed the few coins that the robbers had left behind during the attack and set out eastward to the cities of men to try to avenge the death of his family...