Thorgrom Blackgranite
The pioneer, son of Lomdael the Betrayed, last of the Ezdhulian High Thanes and the madman whose ambitions nearly brought the world to ruin
High Thane Thorgrom Blackgranite (a.k.a. The Worldrumbler)
Are we not sons and daughters of those who stood against the Infernal Host? Those once lauded as the Bulwark of the World, who were thrown to the wolves when oblivion knocked at our doorstep, the rest of the world too cowardly to do anything but watch as our Rockcrusher Legions fought back the end of days?! What has become of us? Our capital Nan-Dhurgalir is lost, and our empire is in ruins - never to rise again...while my father Lomdael, greatest among us, lies forever sealed in the City of a Thousand Smiths, forever imprisoning the Celestial Host that betrayed us! Is this our lot in life? No, I say! We must stand now, or wither away into obscurity! The history and future of our people hangs in the balance, my countrymen and women...and if we do not seize it now, we shall be forgotten forever! So rise! Shout! Let the great manufactorums roar their furious cries! We shall rise again, reclaim our legacy, and fight to the very end on this hill of ours - even if it means this hill shall become our graves!
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Though much information on Thorgrom's physical appearance and condition has been lost to time, he is described as being in somewhat failing health in the latter years of his life - requiring a specialized suit of mechanized armor to move around independently due to failing health from old age, injuries, and more.
Body Features
Though he was believed to be a Dwarf, little else is known of Thorgrom's bodily features - such information has been lost to time, destroyed by his detractors, and such. Instead, all that remains is a loose approximation of his height and the imposing, mechanized suit of armor powered by the mysterious Ezdhûl technology "Wraithwind" he wore at all times during the latter period of his life.
Facial Features
Unknown. No details, depictions, carvings, or images remain that depict his facial features - he is instead depicted in a helmeted suit of mechanized armor.
Identifying Characteristics
As no information remains on his physical identifying features, the only identifying feature remaining that is known is the unique set of mechanized armor he wore during the latter years of his life, custom-built in the deepest Ezdhûlian Worldforge of his home citadel, Kal-Dûlhral, to protect him and allow him to walk independently.
Physical quirks
Mostly unknown - he is known to have become crippled from the waist down sometime during the latter years of his life, requiring mechanized assistance to move around on his own.
Special abilities
None. He was simply a man gifted with extraordinary charisma, drive, and intelligence.
Apparel & Accessories
Unknown.
Specialized Equipment
Most iconic is the suit of Adamantine Mechanized Armor he wore during the latter stages of his life, hand-built by the best Ezdhûl smiths in the Moutnain Citadel Kal-Dûlhral's Worldforge. This suit of armor was powered by the mysterious Ezdhûl energy known as "Wraithwind" using a specialized reactor core that was never able to replicated for mass-production - this strange suit of armor allowed for High Thane Thorgrom to breathe even in a vacuum, exhibit strength and endurance far in excess of what his old age would allow, and move faster than the quickest of monks. It was so durable it shrugged off even the biggest Lead-spitters and Artillery Cannons of the Ezdhûl armies, and was said to be unbreakable by even Kyra Aenai herself. In addition, this suit of strange armor allowed him to launch himself into the air, flying under strange thrust power, even capable of hovering or moving about in the air like a mage.
In addition, he wielded a unique weapon designed and built by his own two hands - a belt-fed lead-spitter with three barrels known as "Devourer", capable of unleashing such a titanic hail of lead rounds that it allowed him to mow down entire legions of trained knights in seconds, creating such a sound akin to the scream of some abyssal monster whenever it was fired. This insane, beastly weapon was used right up until his final, fatal duel with Kyra Aenai, where its ultimate fate is unknown.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Thorgrom was born to his father Lomdael during a time of great strife for the Ezdhûlian people, when the Celestial host, armies from the far-distant outer planes that were summoned by the Ezdhûl to aid them in their battle against the Invasion of the Infernal Host, turned on those who had summoned them once the Infernal Host had been defeated and waged another war to exterminate them. Raised during this troubled times and eventually forced to abandon his father during The Fall of Nan-Dhurgalir when his father gave his life to seal away the armies of the Celestial Host away in Nan-Dhurgalir forever, Thorgrom led his people on their great exodus to the Mountain Citadel of Kal-Dûlhral, far to the southwest - a journey of many years that saw much death, famine, disease, and bloodshed.
Once he had reclaimed the long-abandoned citadel of Kal-Dûlhral, Thorgrom set about restoring his people to greatness at any cost - building up his people's newfound home for many decades before eventually unveiling his insidious mechanized machines of death and beginning the War of Boiling Skies.
Sexuality
Unknown
Education
As one of the last Dwarves born in the ancient capital of Nan-Dhurgalir and the last of the legendary Blackgranite line, Thorgrom recieved the very best education his father, High Thane Lomdael, could afford covering all topics from modern medicine, science, to astronomy and theology.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Led his people from the far-distant northern capital of Nan-Dhurgalir to the abandoned citadel of Kal-Dûlhral, far to the southwest, enduring the great exodus of half a decade at his people's side.
Retook Kal-Dûlhral and gave his people a new capital to live within and rally around. United the scattered holds and forged them into an empire.
Led the single greatest leap in technology Zheng-Kitar has ever seen, with Zunairah the Hundred Mind acting as his chief scientist as he would champion the invention of all manner of advanced and strange technologies.
Failures & Embarrassments
Abandoned his father Lomdael in Nan-Dhurgalir, leaving him to eternal imprisonment alongside the Celestial Host.
Began the War of Boiling Skies, which would see the deaths of millions as his mechanized units of mass slaughter rolled across the continent.
Died at the hands of Kyra Aenai, and let his people be broken in the post-war era of hatred.
Mental Trauma
Abandoning his father Lomdael in Nan-Dhurgalir disturbed Thorgrom greatly - so much so that it was something he never truly recovered from. Many speculate his ultimate goal with waging The War of Boiling Skies was to eventually reach the gates of Nan-Dhurgalir and undo the seal, defeating the Celestial Host with his new mechanized armies.
Intellectual Characteristics
Analyst, Tactician, Charismatic Speaker, ???
Morality & Philosophy
Despite his failings and villainy, Thorgrom was said to be an avid believer in Iroh the Dragon, and held his morals and philosophic teachings in high regard.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Though countless historians and scholars have debated the 'whys' and 'hows' of Thorgrom's reign for decades and centuries after his death, desperate to give meaning to the mind-numbing genocides that took place during his rule, they have come to frustratingly simple conclusions - driven by a simple, burning desire to live up to his father's invincible legacy and to provide for his people, Thorgrom walked the path into damnation and despair, plunging the world into darkness out of some misguided desire to bring the advances wrought in his people's labs to the world.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Good at Public Speaking, Military Tactics, Economics, Outside of the box thinking, Seeing the potential in others, ???
Bad at Seeing the consequences of his actions, Bending the knee, Quitting while he's ahead, ???
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: His people, Innovation, His father Lomdael, Shen the Meek, Stargazing, Astrology, Inventing new things, Craftsmen, Science, His pet Winter Worg, ???
Dislikes: Close-mindedness, The Zheng-Kitaran hatred of technology, Seeing others suffering or destitute, Things getting in the way of his people's salvation, ???
Virtues & Personality perks
As a subject of controversy for centuries, Thorgrom's virtues are almost exclusively spoken of in the texts and stories written in and spoken by the Ezdhûl people - which tells a tale of a man of overwhelming charisma, drive, and the power and force to get what he wants as well as the morale code to always hold his people in his heart as he did so. He was a man who could get anything done, who could drag greatness out of a pauper, and who was an invincible bulwark against the darkness of obscurity threatening to envelop his people - in every way, he is spoken of as the personification of the "perfect" Ezdhûlian Monarch - tempestuous, utterly driven, with an unfaltering set of morals that saw him put his people's needs and desires first and foremost.
His virtues are especially espoused in the modern day, as the Ezdhûl people have lacked a monarch ever since his death nearly 800 years ago - a man who wanted nothing more than to bring the perfection, innovation, and greatness of his people's inventions to the world at large, even if it meant at sword or gunpoint.
Vices & Personality flaws
As a subject of controversy for centuries, Thorgrom's vices are almost exclusively spoken of by all who opposed him and his people during the War of Boiling Skies - who speak of him as a Tyrant whose desperate desire to match the greatness of his ancestors broke him, driving him to increasing acts of brutality and carnage to prove his worth to his people as he brought his terrible, heretical machines of death into the world to ruin it forever. He is spoken of as a black-hearted monster who, while once perhaps virtuous, let his desire to lead his people into greatness consume him and became the very monster he once stood so valiantly against - grinding millions into paste beneath his mechanized legions all in a vainglorious, doomed quest to bring the "wonders of technology" to all citizens of Zheng-Kitar.
Personality Quirks
His ticks and quirks, if he had any, have been mostly lost to time - aside from one which notes that, towards the end of his life, he required a specialized, high-tech suit of mechanized armor powered by state of the art Ezdhûl "Wraithwind" technology to walk and move around, as his body was failing due to excessive battle damage, injuries, and old age.
Hygiene
His hygiene is unknown, but likely was quite clean as a High Thane of the Ezdhûl people.
Social
Reign
Taking the reigns left vacant by his father after The Fall of Nan-Dhurgalir, Thorgrom's reign lasted for several centuries and encompassed one of the most turbulent and violent periods in Zheng-Kitar's history, including The War of the Boiling Skies where the newly invented mechanized Ezdhûl machines of death and destruction rolled out across the continent, seas, and skies grinding entire countrysides into paste, bombing entire cities into ruin, and bringing industrialized mass genocide to the world at large.
His reign, remembered as one of progress, innovation, and the last great golden age by the Ezdhûl, is remembered as one of untold death, destruction, and mayhem where families were melted in choking clouds of poison gas, Ezdhûl Artillery Cannons pounded entire cities into sludge, and death became standardized across the continent...ending only with The Dûlhralian Accords that broke the backs of the Ezdhûl people and ended the War to end all Wars.
Contacts & Relations
During his day, as the last reigning High Thane of the Ezdhûl people, his network of contacts extended all across the world to the various Ezdhûl citadels scattered across Zheng-Kitar's various mountain ranges, as well as into many other surface kingdoms who, before The War of Boiling Skies, respected and held the Blackgranite line in high regards for their role in saving the world during the Invasion of the Infernal Host.
Once he led his people on their path to restore their great empire, Thorgrom's allies dried up in very short order until only his own people remained among his staunchest supporters.
Family Ties
His father Lomdael, greatest of the Ezdhûl High Thanes in history, sacrificed himself in The Fall of Nan-Dhurgalir to spring their last and greatest trap to ensnare the Celestial Host that had turned on the Ezdhulian Armies to seal them away in their once-mighty capital Nan-Dhurgalir forever...where he is even rumored to be even in the modern day, sealed and imprisoned forever.
His mother died when he was still just a child, and as he was an only child, Thorgrom was by little exaggeration the last of his line - he was said to have a good number of children during his time leading his people back into greatness, but all were supposedly hunted down and executed in excessively brutal fashion by Kyra Aenai and the allied forces which fought against Thorgrom and his Mechanized Armies of death in the War of the Boiling Skies.
Religious Views
Despite all of the chaos and death he caused, Thorgrom was said to be a staunch believer and pious follower of Iroh the Dragon, going to church multiple times per week and holding his tenets and beliefs very close to his heart even as he led his people into a new age of technology and innovation...and eventually, slaughter and damnation.
Social Aptitude
Though historians and scholars have debated for centuries after the fact on how a supposed "madman" like Lomdael came to power, many have come back to the same answer time and again - the man not only possessed the esteemed and highly regarded legacy of the Blackgranites, but had the same masterful charisma and force of personality possessed by his father Lomdael, said to be at such a level as to motivate an entire civilization of people to follow them on a path of no return - whether it be the war against The Infernal Host in his father's time or the path to The War of the Boiling Skies in his own.
To put it simply, he was a man possessed of fantastic charisma, unshakable confidence, and a purity of heart and spirit that, even as the world burned around him, made his people believe in him so deeply that they vowed to follow him even into mechanized damnation - a man whose beliefs shone so brightly that others could not help but follow him, so motivated were they to see his dreams, ideals, and aspirations to completion for the sheer beauty of them in their minds eye. In truth, his social apititude is best described in this final quote from his General Callum Granndach during his trial after the war's end:
I loved him. We all did. His words, his beliefs...it's not something I could describe, if you were even inclined to listen. He lit a fire in us - 'that beautiful horizon', he'd say...'one day we shall reach it, together'. We believed him. We wanted to see that place for ourselves. That far-distant shore, where our efforts led to a better world and a glory we each shared.
Mannerisms
A passionate and vivacious man to the end, Thorgrom was extremely animated during his speeches - the few records of his speeches that remain after the post-war cleansing of information and records show a man with jerky, sweeping motions and a face that would go red from the sheer passion of his speeches, nearly shouting as he was during them.
While not speaking in public, he was a deeply analytical man - always in thought about something and analyzing the world around him, or debating some great inner mystery.
Hobbies & Pets
He once kept a pet Winter Worg, but it was assassinated and its head left in his quarters as a message to him by the allied forces early into the War of Boiling Skies.
Speech
Almost no records remain of his speech to indicate what he may have sounded like.
Relationships
History
Though he only knew him for a short time while the legendary Saint served at his father's side during the Invasion of the Infernal Host, Thorgrom thought extremely highly of the Saint, believing him an example of how his people and Zheng-Kitarans should act. Even long after his death, Thorgrom remained an avid supporter of his faith and remembered him fondly.
Wealth & Financial state
Though he began his reign as the High Thane of the Ezdhûl people in exile, Thorgrom accomplished the impossible and rebuilt his people's vast empire from his new seat in the Mountain Citadel of Kal-Dûlhral, rebuilding their riches, reputation, military might, and more with his wise and intelligent rulership. As such, he grew quite wealthy over the course of his rule as he began the next phase of his plan to restore his people to greatness, which involved bringing all manner of scientists and crafters from across the world to Kal-Dûlhral's deepest and most secretive reaches to begin construction of countless new wonders of technology that would soon become the basis for the Ezdhûlian war machine.
These projects proved a constant drain on his resources, and even as he led his people into The War of the Boiling Skies his wealth remained low to ensure his people could live great lives and his craftsmen(Led by Zunairah the Hundred Mind) could keep the great Manufactorums running at maximum efficiency. Many speculate about the location of Thorgrom's Personal Vault and what treasures it might contain, but such a thing, if it ever existed, has been lost to time in the chaos of Thorgrom's final days before his death at the hands of Kyra Aenai.
Current Status
Dead
Species
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Worldrumbler, High Thane Thorgrom, The Last of His Line, The Darksteel Emperor, Lord of the Iron Rain, The Destroyer of Worlds, The Ruiner, The Voidheart
Life
3477 ASK
3706 ASK
229 years old
Circumstances of Birth
Born to his father Lomdael in the midst of the battles against the Celestial host
Circumstances of Death
Proclaimed killed by Kyra Aenai in a cataclysmic final battle in the deepest reaches of Kal-Dûlhral.
Birthplace
Nan-Dhurgalir, City of a Thousand Smiths
Place of Death
Kal-Dûlhral, Last Great Ezdhûl Citadel
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Gender
Male
Eyes
Royal Blue
Hair
Bald
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Deeply tanned and leathery
Height
4ft 3in (1.29m)
Weight
Unknown
Quotes & Catchphrases
I will shoulder everything - Your dreams. Your despair. Your hope. Your Failings and Flaws. Entrust it all to me, and I will carry you to the furthest shores of the world.
If you expect apologies, you will find none here, whore of Ssarizzax - all I did, I would do a thousand times over! Either I die here and my people are broken like animals, or I finally put you down and show this world greatness!
Belief/Deity
Aligned Organization
Founded Settlements
Comments