Orm Hrolfson

= Orm Hrolfson, The Dwarf of Axum =

Origins
Orm Hrolfson was born to Hrolf Uristson of the Aetharn Clan and Dura Ironfeet of the Ironfeet Clan. He was born in Axum, raised in a mining shack with his family, his mother mining materials and his father selling them to roaming caravans and travelers. Growing up he was told of his grandfather's exploits, as his father Hrolf was son of Urist the Spoken, the founder of the Aetharn Clan. Orm was told of Urist's travel with the great King Oin II, how he sailed with the mighty king from the north to Rathnir. Hrolf spoke to Orm about his grandfather's death, in a mining accident alongside the King of Erebor, King Oin II.

As Orm grew older, he helped his mother in their mines, learning the ins-and-outs of the systems and swirling caves. He learned to live off the fruit of the caverns, and was taught by his mother how to make great works of stone and gem, as was tradition to those of Clan Ironfeet. Carrying the minerals back to the surface, he was taught by his father how to trade with caravans in a way to get the best deal, and was taught to negotiate when possible, but also to refuse to deal with those who'd wronged him. From this time, Orm Hrolfson was intrigued by the wider world, and sought out to seek the ancient holds of his forebearers, the holds of Erebor and Khazad-Dum. From these travels, Orm learned much to surviving in unfamiliar lands, and was quick to know when to avoid conflict or throw himself into it.

Upon returning to his family's mining shack, they were set upon by bandits who'd heard of their wealth from trading. Hrolf, being the first to hear of the bandits approaching, grabbed his mighty hammer he used for forging the gold Dura had mined, and threw open the door to the attackers. Dura, upon hearing the commotion, grabbed her pickaxe and ran out too. Together, Hrolf and Dura slew the bandits, numbering three, and realized that had there been anymore, they might've not been able to win. Realizing this, the family of Hrolf Uristson left their mining shack, burning it to the ground to prevent any people from entering it and being mistaken as the family by another band of thieves. They also collapsed the entrance to their mine, preventing any from using the same tunnels as their family had.

Hrolf lead his family to through the deserts of Axum, to the city of Adwa, capital of the nation. Their family sustained itself off the same as before, Dura mining and Hrolf refining and selling the goods to the caravans coming to Adwa. As Orm reached maturity, he decided to leave home and seek out his own story, hearing tale of a group of separatists had recently sowed chaos in the nation. Orm then signed up to join the Axumite army, and began his journey to making his legend.

The Time of Fire and Axe
Orm Hrolfson, after leaving his home, sought out the King of Axum, King Bolivar1819 and his brother/advisor BlackAdder23. Meeting the two royals, he offered himself to the pair as their axeman, loyally serving them through this time of strife. The pair accepted him, and along he went with them on many travels. Such travels included gathering notable legends as Sipforge and madshadypeople, both of whom would help destroy the One-State Seperatists. Others gathered were FlawedAngel, TropicalFlak, and Cheli. This was a time of legends, people that would be pillars to helping Axum rise, and for this they should never be forgotten. After the One-State war, the nation of Axum intervened in a conflict in the nation of Halge to help install a king. Many from the olden days when it happened remember when Orm Hrolfson supposedly ran off from the group of Axum into the enemy lines, not bothering to even put on his armor, but diving into the fray with fiery axe and sword. Orm began to show prowess in combat, but also his stubbornness and rage in times that couldn't be quenched by any but himself.

After the placing (and then removal) of the Halgian King, Orm sought more glory to gain and prestige among his countrymen. Orm Hrolfson wished to be a diplomat, specifically to the nation of Skjoldrbrodir, where he would meet a long time friend known as BalloonDwarf, and meet their king of AC0N. As time passed, the threat of Axum's neighbor Alajaziar stealing the lands that Axum had fought One-State to reclaim became prevalent. Orm, thinking he could convince the people of Skjoldrbrodir to aid Axum in this circumstance, tripped over his words almost starting the very war he was wishing to avoid. After properly being unmade a diplomat, instead he was then made a General of Axum, seeing as war was something he was drawn to. Again though, war loomed over Axum, this time it being with Bardonia who had funded the One-State uprising. And Orm, being the absolutely brilliant character he was, decided to throw out the Bardonian Diplomat that was supposed to come and talk to Axum's leaders and threatened to:

"Take yer' head an' put in on my wall, dousing te'm red with the pig-blood flowin' through the rat-faced, vile-speaking, lying flea infested dog you are."

As was expected, this did NOT help the situation with Bardonia, and Orm again was demoted from his position. After this event, Orm decided to exile himself from Axum for a time, to prevent him from causing anymore conflict from occurring from his actions. He exiled himself to Skjoldrbrodir, who accepted him graciously and let him stay in the town under none other than BalloonDwarf.

After his time in exile, Orm returned to Axum, where he was fervent to once seek glory. He formed the OSS (the Order of the Sinking Sun), a paramilitary fanatical group hellbent on protecting Axum from all threats, by all means. While the group never grew larger than four people, it did works that changed nations and brought enemies to heel. The original members of this organization must remain secret, as to not jeopardize their current standing wherever they may reside.

The Time of Growth
After disbanding the OSS, Orm Hrolfson moved onto providing more for the nation of Axum as a whole. He became the Horsemaster of Adwa. He bred horses of all kinds, strong, fast, those that can jump high, for the people of Axum. He took commissions to breed horses for royalty and nobles in the city, and began to breed Llamas as well to better allow Axum move materials around her great country. This went on for a while, until Orm Hrolfson was granted the opportunity to refound the city of Grovehelm, a underground city that resided in none other than Khro-Korhaz, the cave carved out by his father so long ago. Orm, seeing no reason to allow such a gift to pass him by, took up the mantle, and founded the city of Khro-Korhaz in the ruins of Grovehelm. Time passed, and many came to the underground city to see it's halls and join. But after a time, people began to leave, and not return. Upon seeing this, Orm traveled back to Adwa from Khro-Korhaz, to see the city in disrepair and falling by the wayside, it's people scattered to the wind. Orm, with no real other choices, left Axum, abandoning Khro-Korhaz and becoming a refugee to the dying nation.

Orm Hrolfson heard tale from a friend named Zector he had met in Khro-Korhaz of a dwarven nation named Varn Torum. Orm, with no options, set out towards Eldham where this nation was famed to be, and began to settle in this new nation, in their capital of Khun-Drakhar. Orm, meeting with few of the locals such as Boggle and Sueyet, sought out their king, King GarriGoyle seeking work. Once again, Orm was given the job of being the Horsemaster of Varn Torum, and he supplied their nation with vast amounts of steeds they'd use to traverse the rocky landscapes. In this time, Orm Hrolfson was also made a Scribe to Sueyet, head of the Tokoran Church, and was tasked with helping him in many endeavors in the name of the faith. After a time though, Orm grew tired of the few dwarves he saw in this supposed dwarven nation, and wished to return to Rathnir and find purpose again. Sueyet tasked Orm with finding and resettling any ancient dwarven stronghold he could, to give a foothold in Rathnir for the Tokora to grow.

When Orm sailed back however, being left at the old port of Adwa of Axum, he found the city bustling once more! Orm heard from BlackAdder, now Grand Sultan of Alamayn, and Bolivar now President of Alamayn, that was on Alamayn's doorstep. Alamayn wished independence from their overlords of the Mithra. Orm, choosing to help his past countrymen, fought valiantly in the war, and helped free Alamayn of it's controllers. Orm slowly reintegrated into Alamayn, now freed, but never forgot why he was sent back to Rathnir. He worked first on attempting to resettle Khro-Korhaz, then gave up realizing ruins should remain ruins. Then he was almost granted to build a new great dwarf hold underneath Taeharel, but someone decided to tear down the mighty city, and again Orm was left to wander. After a while, and another war to claim back the rest of Aljazair from Mithra to Alamayn, Orm Hrolfson was granted the opportunity to resettle the ancient hold of Karak-Drong by Conqueror_Khagan who was made governor of Furontia, one of the province won back by Alamayn. This granted a great opportunity, and gave Orm a good friend who not only was generous, but interested in the going-ons of the dwarves.

Orm Hrolfson, now resettler of Karak-Drong, renamed the settlement to Barakor. The name meaning "Those Who Shield" in Dwarrow-speech, following in his father's tradition of being a shield barer. But, without settlers Orm couldn't properly resettle the hold, so he sought out the previous king of Karak-Drong, Barathul Deepcall. After weeks of searching, Orm made contact with the old king, and recieved his blessing to be named the new king of the hold, and was granted the king's sword Drakkentusk. Orm was also met by Slasher, the previous right hand of Barathul Deepcall, and recieved his sword as well.

The Time of Sorrow
Orm Hrolfson, now undisputed Dwarf King of Barakor, rules from his halls underneath the World's Spine Mountains of Furontia in Alamayn. Some say he speaks of trying to unify the dwarves, something not done in long ages past. Others claim he is a madman, hiding in mines and speaking to jewels. But most can agree on one thing, that the Throne of Barakor holds a Dwarf as strong as his nation, and who refuses to allow any grudge set against Alamayn or the Dwarves of Barakor go unpunished."'Let any an' all who'd oppose us en' Alamayn or Barakor alike be in te' graces of their gods. For if they'd dare stan' against Alamayn or Barakor, they mus' be sure of the afterlife Oi'll put them in.' -Orm Hrolfson, Dwarf King of Barakor."After a time though, the Confederation of Alamayn broke apart, her leaders disappearing from the world of Stoneworks altogether. In this time, Orm Hrolfson became the High King of the newly independent Kingdom of Barakor. The kingdom, however, only lasted a singular day. Two neighboring regions wished to see Barakor apart of their own claims. These were the nations of Simulami and Veisten. Orm, High King of Barakor, did the only reasonable thing and declared that war would be brought to both nations from the Dwarf Hold, claiming that Alamayn's culture would survive in it's halls. After counseling with what few dwarves remained, as many had died or disappeared in the newly expanded mines, it was decided that instead Orm Hrolfson would challenge the King of Simulami to a duel for the kingdom.

The duel was between High King Orm Hrolfson and the heir to Simulami, since the King of Simulami was an old and ailing man. The duel was tough, and hard fought, and though barely, Orm Hrolfson bested the heir to Simulami in the fight. However, before any final blow was made against the false claimants to Barakor, Orm was shot in the chest by a bolt from a crossbow, held by none other than the King of Simulami himself. Orm Hrolfson died in the Arena of Barakor, on cold stones. Orm had convened with his few remaining subjects before the duel however, and in the case of his death the hold was to be stripped of many valuables and they were to head west into the heartlands of Alamayn. The remaining dwarves of Barakor did such, and carried Orm's body in a stone coffin to the city of Adwa. There, they dwelled deep within the mines and tunnels of the city, and reaching the bottom sank the coffin into the lava flowing from the walls into a large pool, and baptized Orm in the name of the Tokora (the Dwarven Gods).

Orm received a vision from Tokad, chief god of the Tokora, stating that Orm's time in the heavens was over, and once more he would rerturn to the mortal realm. Orm awoke from his baptism, and discussed with his subjects on what to next do. It was decided that a pilgrimage would be made to Barakor, then Khro-Korhaz to see about either resettling or reclaiming lost lands. However, Barakor was desecrated by the people of Simulami, destroying the statues and miracles preformed by the Gods that dwelt in those halls, and Khro-Korhaz was usurped by a foreigner known as Bagsmain, a lifelong enemy to the people of Alamayn.

With Orm's follower's morale low, Orm declared that they should go out into the world and seek other dwarf-kin to find refuge with, as he deemed himself unworthy to rule over any who knew him as High King.

Death of Orm, Son of Hrolf, the Dwarf of Adwa
After Orm's pilgrimages, and with his people scattered and lost, his nation of Alamayn dead, he decided to return where it all had started. He entered the city of Adwa, the Jewel of the Desert. Upon returning, he cloaked himself as to hide his identity, eventually working in the catacombs beneath the city. Orm lived there for many months, and during that time Alamayn had been picked apart by foreign powers. Hiding beneath the city, in the tombs of his long dead comrades and avoiding the outsiders and shiners that dwelt above, Orm Hrolfson contracted a disease among hiding the dead, slowly causing him to die to exposure.

As Orm Hrolfson, the Dwarf of Adwa, realized his death was imminent, dawned his antique armor, bearing the Banner of Adwa upon his back, taking his sword Drakkentusk and his shield, and prepared for death.

Orm busted forth from the catacombs, a fire in his heart not felt in ages. His form had changed, his skin pale and hair white, his eyes a yellow tinge, as though a corpse had awoken from his slumber to seek vengence. He charged from the catacombs, light blinding him as he did so. With reckless abandonment of his own safety, Orm slashed at all forms he could see, yelling in Dwarvish; "Come an' git' me! Ter' es' one Dwed en' Alamayn tat' still draws breath!"

Orm, after cutting down four figures from his rampage, was impaled by multiple crossbow bolts, piercing his ancient armor. Orm Hrolfson leaned himself besides a wall, looking to it to barely make out the names of the founders of the City. He saw his old comrades in arms that helped him so long ago. As he drew his final breath, still leaning on the wall, he leaned his shield aside, and passed into the afterlife. His body fell to its side from the wall, his anicent sword Drakkentusk turing to dust, fading away like the light of it's wielder.

And so died the last true king of Barakor, Orm Hrolfson.