Bruner the Smith

Bruner Axehand was a humble dwarf. Hailing from the village of Ferro in the Fingerling mountain range, Bruner was the next up in a long line of master Smith's. The Axehand clan could trace their roots all the way to the great awakening, where Bruner's ancestor, Ferros, forged the first iron blade, and staked a claim in the new settlement he named after himself. Working in the Axehand forge for the better part of two centuries, Bruner made a name for himself as the premiere maker of axes in the region. And when you grow up during The Bleeding, there is a high demand for axes. Bruner even found love during these trying times, and married his beloved, Runla Ironbone, a warrior as fierce as any bear. Bruner and Runla even had a child together, Ragnar. They had a beautiful home for Ragnar to grow up in, and before you knew it, Ragnar was old enough to lift a hammer, and that meant it was time to learn the family trade! Unfortunately, Bruner did not have the chance to teach Ragnar more than how to stoke the kiln. The Bleeding was bound to come sooner or later. While asleep in their beds, the Axehand clan didn't see the mist creep into the city that Summer's night. While asleep in their beds, they could not feel the temperature drop down, to a cold that could chill you very bones. While asleep in their beds, they could not hear the crunch of bones, and the tearing of flesh. Until the screaming began. Bruner could do little but watch, as a tornado of teeth and decay turned his son's room into a canvas for blood and viscera. Having lost her world, Runla grabbed Bruner by the arm, and drug him out of the house, and to the edge of the village, and with tears in her eyes, tossed her love over the side of the mountain. Some say it was to save Bruner from a violent end, some say it was attempt to save her last bit of family. As Bruner fell, he could only see the stars above, and think of how he would soon see his son, safe and sound. As Bruner came to, he had lost everything. His son, his beloved, even his village was left but a ruin, with not even bodies to bury. That's when Bruner got to work. Being a man of forge, he was not known for his combat prowess, and he knew not the ways of war. All he knew what's how to forge iron into weapons, so decided to treat his body the same way he treated his iron. In an attempt to harden his body, Bruner abused himself to nearly the brink of death, and then went beyond. His body became as hard as iron. His fist could do more damage than any hammer, and his very skin could stop an axe blade. With little more than his fists, and his trusty battle axe, Bruner took on the forces of darkness, and found other like mined individuals to join his cause. By the time it was all said and done, Bruner could count felling Titans amongst his accomplishments. The rumors go that Bruner turned his village of Ferro into a school, to train others in the way of the broken blade. That village is in the middle of a dead land and surrounded by treacherous mountains, so it's hard to say anyone would even be able to make it to the village to see for themselves.