Glorving Alten Faroak
Contents
Summary
Glorving is the last surviving member of the Norvnoë House, a small dwarven settlement situated near the western end of the border between Tashminé and the Naltronian Empire. He is a skilled smith and competent warrior, and thus is never seen very far from either of his hammers. The smaller of which is his main smithing hammer, but it is usually stored in a sheath on Glorving’s shield, serving as a back-up weapon should Glorving find himself without the use of his much larger war hammer.
More remarkable than his offensive equipment is the armor and shield Glorving entrusts to his protection. Both made of solid mithral, Glorving is extremely over-protective of them, hinting that they may hold some sentimental value. In particular, his shield is never beyond arm’s reach, even when Glorving is busy at the forge. He has been seen spending long hours at night staring at its back, his eyes roaming back and forth as if reading.
Glorving is gruff and displays a remarkable penchant for sarcasm in varying degrees of blatancy. His spare time is spent at the forge, where he creates a wide range of weapons and armor. He also possesses some skill in basic blacksmithing, and it was this trait which led him to join the Brend-Forman expedition in early 985 LD. While he has spent most of the voyage repairing and maintaining the society’s equipment, his shield and armor are never far away, and Glorving has remained vigilant for a need to use them.
Early Life
Born in 932 LD to Norvnoë’s smithing family, Glorving received his birth name from the House’s elder and mystic, in accordance with tradition. He received his second name from his father and mother shortly thereafter. Much of his childhood was spent with his father, learning the art of smithing and the science of trade. Much of Norvnoë’s wealth lay in its vast deposits of mithral, and the outside world was willing to pay a handsome price for the goods which came hot off the dwarven forges. As the years went by, Glorving developed an affinity for the forge and became accustomed to the feel of a hammer in his hand.
Coming of Age
Glorving received his final name, again from the House elder, when he reached adulthood in 972 LD. After that day, he took over his father’s forges, allowing the older smith to finally join ranks with the Elders.
A Most Unusual Customer
For several years, Glorving worked the forges and traded with the outside world. He became at least a great a craftsman as his father, and his works brought great wealth to his home. Peace, however, is a fickle mistress. In 979 LD, a band of elves led by one Ki’Ver Maisel passed into the region where Glorving sold his wares. Recognizing the wealth which the mithral brought the dwarf, Ki’Ver’s heart was filled with greed. The amount of goods at Glorving’s stand suggested he had a large supply of raw mithral at his disposal, and Ki’Ver soon learned that the dwarf had been operating thus for many years. Knowing the typical size of a dwarven community, Ki’Ver reasoned that the elves under his command could easily take the mithral, if they could find the mine. And killing dwarves would be a welcome recreation for his men, after all. Ki’Ver was about to return to his band’s camp when a particular brooch caught his eye. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the sunlight caught the lines and curves of mithral in the most appealing way. Putting on a friendly air, he purchased the brooch from Glorving at full price; the wealth of mithral he was about to inherit would more than cover the cost.
Glorving returned home that night, ending his usual month-long cycle. For three weeks, he would craft the items which he would then take into town, where he would remain for one week or until his merchandise was all sold, whichever came first. He felt troubled; the elf that day had displayed an unheard of attitude: Being civil (courteous, even!) with a dwarf, even going so far as to not haggle on price. Trading with an elf was not something which Glorving enjoyed by any means, but his father had ingrained in him the knowledge that as Norvnoë’s sole representative and merchant in the outside world, he did not have the luxury of maintaining racial prejudices. Even against a damn elf that pays full price for the one-of-a-kind treasure Glorving had parted with earlier that day. Especially against a damn elf that pays full price, period. The brooch had been unique; a piece of art that Glorving had crafted the day before leaving for the market. With the reception it had received, perhaps he would have to make more. After brooding for a while on the road, Glorving sighed and cursed himself for being paranoid. Perhaps the elf was just as unique as the brooch he had purchased. He put thoughts of the town behind him. Tonight would be the monthly party celebrating his return, and tomorrow his kin would divide out the products and goods he had bartered for at market. A night of ale and song lay ahead of him, and no damn elf was going to ruin it.
Relations to other characters
Corwin Degalli - Glorving viewed Corwin as something of an over-dressed ass and an all-around reckless fool. Even strong enchantments did little to dull that, though they did give Glorving a grudging appreciation for Corwin's hair. Still, it was with a certain satisfaction that Glorving repeatedly plunged his war hammer through Corwin's head after the traitor made the mistake of trying to kill him. Frustrated at being unable to permanently kill Corwin's possessed body before it was stolen, Glorving summarily ground what few body parts remained behind into a bloody pulp. He looks forward to finishing the job with an eager anticipation.
Arden Krueler - While seemingly cut from very different cloth, working together on the Ethereal Plane has brought them a little closer to understanding each other. Krueler displays a sense of professionalism which Glorving appreciates to a great extent. He also seems to be a great repository for knowledge and theory of the arcane, a field of study which Glorving has had some interest in (if only for its application towards the arms and armor which he has a knack for crafting). While it is unsure where their relationship will go in the future, Krueler has earned Glorving’s respect, at least for the time being.