Gunnar Forgeheart

Gunnar Forgeheart, youngest son of Alkar Forgeheart, spent much of his life living simply with his family. Gunnar worked in his family smithy alongside his father and brothers, supplying weapons, armor, and tools to their fellow Dwarves, and repairing items when the Dwarven work ethic outlasted the tool's capabilities.

Unlike many of his peers, who aspired to lives of adventuring and fighting, Gunnar was content to continue his father's trade.

Fate had other plans for Gunnar, however, and a raid on the cave which held Gunnar's small Dwarven village began Gunnar on the path of the heroes who populated the dreams of the other young dwarves.

A band of Orcs, led by an unknown but brutal war chief, attacked the village in a combination of pure bloodlust and seeking the superior Dwarven-forged weapons. Alkar and the elder Forgeheart kin joined in the defense of the town, instructing Gunnar to stay in the forge and protect the equipment within.

Gunnar stood guard as requested, but as he witnessed the hardened Orcish warriors slaying defenseless women and children, a rage grew in Gunnar. Armed with little more than one of the heavy smithing hammers from the forge, Gunnar charged out of the smithy and attacked the Orcs. Like one of the legendary Dwarven Battleragers, Gunnar was lost in a crazed violence, bludgeoning enemies wherever he saw them.

The battle continued for several hours, but as the Dwarves gained the advantage, the Orcs fell back to regroup. Gunnar found himself moving with the other defenders to pursue the retreating Orcs, and after tracking them all the way to their camp, assisted in wiping out every last one.

Awestruck by the twisted visceral feelings he experienced when slaughtering the Orcs, Gunnar decided to join his peers in seeking adventure, seeking to experience the bloodlust again.

Despite his actions during the raid, Gunnar's adventuring life mirrored his upbringing. Raised by a tradesman father, for whom devotion to the craft and dedication to uniformity in every action was the key to skilled workmanship, this same work ethic was instilled in Gunnar. This methodical way of performing every action took hold as Gunnar adventured. Just as his time at the forge had involved refining metals, thus did Gunnar's experiences refine him to a moral, disciplined warrior.

While time has cooled Gunnar's rage, he continues to adventure. Memories of the raid, and what would have happened if the Dwarves had lost, drive him to journey the world, ending anyone who Gunnar perceives as having done wrong.