Grock

Grock is a native of the rugged and diverse land of Lun'elnazj, and the current Drottin, or mayor, of Valtara. He is a dwarf, a race with tough, stony skin and copper blood. The oxidization process has given Grock a blue-green coloration that sets him apart from others.

Early Life
As a member of the Lunezj Dwarves, he was raised in an underground city-state known as a Thaig, surrounded by the rugged beauty of the mountain forests and the peat bogs. Growing up, Grock was taught the skills he would need to survive. He learned how to hunt cave-crabs and gather glow lichen, how to navigate the subterranean labyrinth. Despite the challenges he faced, Grock had a happy childhood. He was surrounded by a close-knit community of family and friends, and he was able to find joy in the simple pleasures of life. He spent much of his free time searching the crags and rifts for hidden treasures and secret passages.

The Corpsethorn
In later years, Grock became more aware of the dangers that threatened his community. The Corpsethorn, a parasitic infection brought to Lun'elnazj by foreign Otjel cultists, had already begun to spread, and many of Grock's friends and family members had fallen victim to the disease. Through the fear and uncertainty, he worked alongside other members of his tribe to develop new techniques for fighting it and slowing its spread.

The Corpsethorn decimated much of Lun'elnazj, spreading its deadly influence throughout the land and infecting countless beings with its grotesque growths. Even with all his preparations, Grock did not get by unscarred. A vestigial face, complete with eyes and a deformed nose, marked him as a victim of this scourge. While it is unable to speak, it possesses some low level of sentience divergent from Grock's own, and has been able to communicate through blinking. While the constant nose-bleeds through his lower jaw are difficult to deal with, Grock has learned to live with this other half, and has even named him Grim.

The Taralaget
While cultists and fleshy abominations seized his homeland, Grock searched for an escape. His Thaig equipped him with all they had and sent him out, the chosen survivor of this eldritch onslaught. The Briartouched. With these new resources, he made a great trek to the harsh northern plains, and met with the Taralaget, another group of Otjel who had been living among the natives prior to the arrival of the cultists. They had lost much to the disease, and were preparing to set sail and find a new home, a refuge. Grock offered his services as a scout and cartographer, and joined the Fleet's hasty getaway, along with a few other natives like Lilith. He was among the crew of the flagship Netirbri when they made landfall in Valtara.

After Gwyn Frothac's sudden conversion to the Soleannen faith, Grock became an outspoken voice calling for the removal of Frothac rule in Valtara. With the people behind him, he was able to take the title of Drottin with little resistance, and the Frothacs, including Nathaniel and Selene, have abdicated in search of new lands to hold.