Orlin Vask
in Geldwood
Orlin Vask is Geldwood’s blacksmith, a dour and stubborn dwarf whose forge is one of the few constants in the struggling village. In his early seventies by dwarven reckoning, he is thick-bodied and powerfully built, with arms corded by decades of hammering iron. His hair and beard are iron-grey, the latter cropped short and often dusted with ash, while his deep-set brown eyes glow like smoldering coals in the firelight. His skin is rough and weathered, calloused hands blackened permanently by soot and oil. He favors plain, scorched tunics beneath a heavy leather apron, and wears a set of brass goggles perched perpetually on his forehead.
Orlin’s goals are simple but unshakable: keep his forge burning and his people equipped. He knows Geldwood has little coin, so he works more for barter and goodwill than profit, ensuring tools are mended and weapons remain serviceable. Though he grumbles constantly about rust, broken handles, and “soft-handed fools,” his loyalty to the village runs deep.
Orlin’s mannerisms make him memorable. He is rarely seen without a half-chewed cigar clamped in his teeth, though he seldom lights it. He spits into the forge before every day’s first hammer strike, muttering a prayer to the Maker. When speaking, he punctuates points by tapping his hammer against whatever surface is near, whether an anvil, a barrel, or his own knee. Gruff and sharp-tongued, he hides genuine care beneath complaints—an anchor of iron will in a village too often bent by fear.
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