Rithal Hobgaer

(rih'-thal hob'-gayr) , is a Tundar Dwarf born in the Kerut River Mounds, which are located at the fork of the Big Ker and Little Ker rivers, flowing south from Augran and the Great Lake. The Big Ker eventually passes the Temple City of Manalar and is critical for trade.

Background

Many Tundar Dwarves spend a significant portion of their lives underground in the underhalls of their clan. Rithal Hobgaer comes from a population that adapted to staying above ground for most of their lives. Over one thousand years ago, the Kerut clan settled in a prime location for both farming and shepherding roughly midway between the ancient settlement of Manalar and the young Paxian cities of Alran, Bor, and Niss.

For centuries before his birth, Rithal's clan found prosperity and fulfillment of their love of crafting, sending their surplus along the river to go north and south. Many leaders from each city attempted to sway the Kerut clan to favor one over the other, especially as the population on the Great Lake swelled and their need for shippable food grew. The Hill Dwarves remained resolute in their neutrality, never trading more than they could spare and splitting their generosity equally.

Around five centuries ago, as trade agreements with Taiding lifted the burden among the blended cities which had become Augran, and as the Great Lake's factions resisted unification under one leader, the northern Paxian peoples took their attention from the river clan in the south as long as food, tools, and quality wool kept coming. Two centuries ago, shortly before Rithal was born, a shift occurred in the south, threatening the clan's neutrality with the increasing encounters with the Dyos Guerrimos of Manalar. Although he'd built a life in the tradition of his kin before him —discovering his craft in bridge-building, bonding with a reciprocating companion, and fathering two children by age one hundred-thirty — Rithal witnessed the gradual erosion in dealings with the southern Human city.

The influx of odd stories and accusations aimed toward Augran were used to justify the encroachment of Manalari forces among the clan's hills and near the river. This heightened tensions every decade of Rithal's life until they reached a flashpoint. It took only one day for the young Dwarf learned why the name of the holy warriors was conflated with 'witch hunters' by nearly every non-Manalari trader on the river.

Current

Rithal became a vagrant after the utter destruction of his clan and home. Where his bridge and fields and hillside home had once been now stood a garrison of Manalari, making passage along the Big Ker from Augran to Manalar arduous.

Reluctant to leave his family's ancient home at first, this sole survivor attempted to be a source of regular and unpleasant stings to the invading killers. Recruiting willing and trustworthy allies quickly, however, proved unrealistic for the bondless builder. To fulfill his need for revenge, Rithal compromised with a few bands of atrocious opportunists seeking blood, treasure, and more. After several conflicts which left robbed and mutilated bodies on both sides of the river and aboard a boat of innocents, Rithal barely escaped the area with his life and nothing else.

To hide from the following nightmares as well as the harsh winter, Rithal entered the city of Taiding. Here, the broken and homeless Hill Dwarf was given sanctuary among his distant kin. The first to coax him to speak of his origin was a young midwife, Ragura of Clan Baradum. In exchange for his story and a small demonstration of his knowledge as a bridge-builder, the clan's young midwife introduced him around to enough of her kin where tasks to keep him occupied abounded all over Taiding.

Over the next several winters, the underhalls of the Dwarven city had many new bridge traps, most of them aimed north toward the Ma'ab Empire.

"Why?" he'd asked early in construction.

"Because the pale ghosties are gonna make another hard push tah Manalar in th' next thirty years, like they did before."

Rithal perked up. "Before? How long ago?"

"Oh, two hunnerd? Ma'ab rulers really want somethin' there, be it the pool itself or a legend's shield, 'r somethin'. But we're in the path an' need to prepare tah dissuade them from makin' a stop here."

The Ma'ab are gonna attack Manalar again…

"How d'ya know 'tis comin'? An' why plan this far out?"

His fellow builder grinned widely. "Clan Baradum has connections, Hobgaer. Stay around long 'nough, ye might meet some."

Sadly, this hint of a mystery did not entice him for long, as the nightmares kept coming back night after night, always waking the sense of what he'd left undone. Finally, Rithal acted on the need to walk the rain-damp soil and feel the warmth of the sun on his back, having stayed underground just long enough to know what he sought.

A Hill Dwarf familiar and comfortable with the weather would find plenty of opportunity to meet all kinds out there, starting in Augran and spreading out from there. He had thirty years to find a plan to dig under the Bishops' Temple of Manalar so that the weight of the next Ma'ab charge would crush it.

Rithal didn't know what it would look like then, or who would be at his side…

But he would find a way.

Something Extra

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Born
2904 S.E., Kerut River Mounds,
Paxia, between Augran and Manalar

Affiliations
Kerut Clan (extinct)
Dwarven Halls of Taiding
Guild of Augran

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Parents
Shaona Hob (mother, deceased)
Nabrin Gaer (father, deceased)

Siblings
Deacon (half-brother, deceased)
Quir (cousin, deceased)
Mates
Brenna (partner, deceased)

Children
Hancet (daughter, deceased)
Pitrel (son, deceased)

Species

Tundar

Children