"Sun in the Stone" GraniteHeart || Arvid

The child was born at home, in a cramped bedroom that could fit no more than a couple of dwarves. They didn’t have the money for a midwife, but the head maid had taken a liking to Thilda, and volunteered her help when the time came. Everything went smoothly, and at the stroke of midday they had a healthy baby boy, whom they named Arvid. “Babies born in the mid of day do great things,” the head maid had told Thilda after the fact. “At its peak, the sun reaches its deepest into the tunnels, blessing those no matter how deep.” As much as she wanted to believe it, however, the likely reality was her child would end up like Durbus. A carver or builder if he was lucky, perhaps. Still, she always held hope in the back of her mind that the omen was true, and she and Durbus did everything they could to help the child flourish.
And as time passed, it seemed that perhaps the head maid was right, as Arvid’s mind seemed to progress faster than his parents could keep up. He wasn’t much of a talker or a reader, but very early on his prowess for tinkering was clear. Durbus would bring home scraps of metal and bits of rock from work for the toddler, and by the next morning they would be fashioned into some sort of intricate toy. Thilda began teaching him tasks to get help around the house, which he picked up with ease. As his dexterity grew, he could sew clothes in the blink of an eye, and one of his favorite tricks was threading a needle with his eyes closed. His mother took to calling him her “sun in the stone,” as an ode to his talents.
By the time he was 10, Arvid had moved on from toys and began asking for more and more materials from his father. He began constructing intricate gadgets, for fun and for his family. His first gift to his father was a tool belt that rotated on the waist so whatever he needed was right on hand. His mother often complained of hard to reach places in the rooms she cleaned, and so he fashioned her a duster that extended in whatever direction or angle she needed. As he aged, the gadgets got more and more complex- goggles that could penetrate the dark of the Catacombs to locate veins of ore, mechanized pick axes, self-operating sewing machines, and hundreds of other small inventions. By the age of 21, he had even managed to create small automatons to help his mother at work and around the house. The only limit to his designs were materials, as his parents could only procure so much.
Although coworkers and friends of the family knew of the young dwarf’s skills, his talent remained relatively unknown to those who might help him fulfill his potential. This all changed when the head maid fell sick, however. Short on staff, Thilda was temporarily promoted, and found herself attending to Hester himself. She served him well, and the position became permanent even when the head maid recovered from her ailment, in no small part due to the gadgets that Arvid had created. Still, she was just a chambermaid, and her son was still considered a child in the eyes of the dwarves. That all changed when Arvid reached the age of 25, however. Thilda began to bring him to work, now that he had reached an age suitable to begin providing for the family in a meaningful manner. Durbus objected, arguing that a strong young man may be better suited for the mines, but Thilda insisted that his talents would be of better use in the palace. She was right, to some degree. Arvid excelled at every task presented to him, but he quickly grew bored with the menial tasks undertaken by the maids of the palace. He began to experiment, creating gadgets for all of the staff in an attempt to satisfy his mind’s craving for a challenge. This came at a cost however, and he was constantly accosted for shirking his duties in order to work on his inventions. They worked though, and ARvid was reluctantly kept on staff by those in charge, hi gadgets contributing to the efficiency of the palace staff.
One fateful day, Arvid was summoned to the throne room to help receive a delegation from the east. Eager to try out a new invention, he set loose an automaton that performed all of the tasks he was supposed to handle, serving drinks and appetizers to the guests. A minor mistake eventually led to a pint of ale being spilled on the king himself, and the head butler was ready to fire Arvid on the spot. The king, however, was intrigued. He summoned the boy to a meeting, and after a short conversation realized that the young dwarf possessed potential unmatched by anyone he had seen in generations.
This was Arvid’s big break; Hester took a chance, and assigned him to an apprenticeship with one of the Tinkerers. It paid off immediately. With access to every material he could possibly imagine, Arvid’s creativity and skill flourished. He produced gadgets at a rate only matched by senior Tinkerers, and created inventions that few thought possible. In only a few years, he earned the title of Master Tinkerer, and led his own section of the foundry. He flourished in the position, and his division was one of the most productive in the clan. Some grumbled at the fact that he was shy of 30 and a Master Tinkerer, but few could argue with the quality of his work.
Everything seemed to be running smoothly, and Graniteheart technology advanced at a rapid pace. That is, until the war with the Crimson Army began. Initially, Graniteheart technology reigned supreme, and Arvid played an integral role in the war effort, designing weapons that gave the dwarves an edge against the vast numbers of the Crimsons. When they discovered the location of the central foundries, though, even the most advanced technology couldn't keep the Crimson horde at bay. Dwarves were slaughtered by the thousands, and the Tinkerers were hunted to near extinction.
Arvid managed to escape, and made his way into the wilds of Evermore at the age of 50. Uncertain of the fate of his parents but assuming the worst, he made his escape alone. With the Crimson Army hot on his heels, he fled deep into the heart of the forests of Ghayri, carrying as many tools and supplies as he could. He managed to avoid the initial wave of Crimson trackers, but there were many still to come…