Haugrum

Haugrum was the founder, leader, and Black Captain of Thollgûnd, a volcanic town residing in Rodinnbrok.

Origins
The life of Haugrum before his death is relatively undocumented, however it is known that he belonged to an ancient tribe of Sandweavers who lived in a town that once rested upon the land now known as Thollgûnd. Due to the tests of time and volcanic activity nearly all that remains of these Proto-Sandweavers is forever lost, burned away by Thollgûnd's searing magma or crushed beneath smoldering stone.

Of the few structures of Sandweaver origin still remaining in Thollgûnd, the majority are akin to ancient tombs, built to withstand the elements for eons. It was inside one of these tombs that Haugrum's remains were uncovered; his bones desecrated and given new life by Ailmar the Blind Omen, becoming first of the Sandwights.

Sandwights themselves are the renimated corpses of ancient Sandweavers, long-dead from whatever entropic decay or cataclysm befell their ancient town. These sickly remains were excavated from their tombs and utilized as a source of labor under the control of Gholoth the Great.

Appearance
As an undead being, Haugrum possesses a sickly appearance. The tomb performed admirably to preserve his remains, with bone and sinew tightly wound under dry, discolored skin. His figure is of an unsettling sort; an abnormally high stature of 2.6 meters combined with his undead nature and disfigured spine brings about a looming presence. Attributing to his sandweaver heritage, Haugrum can be seen garbed in tattered desert robes, as well as sporting a pair of rotten leather sandals.

It is theorized in Ogmund's writings that Haugrum's immense height, and that of other Sandwights, is due to the extremely hot and arid conditions that the Ancient Sandweavers lived in, wherein being tall provided a better means of decreasing overall body temperature.

Biography
After being reanimated, Haugrum's long-dead muscle tissue and bones were immediately put to work in servitude of Gholoth the Great, a deity who's corporeal form slumbered beneath the volcanic plateaus of Thollgûnd. Alongside Ailmar and his fellow Sandwights, Haugrum would sow the seeds for the Thollgûndi Horde's buildup. Haugrum built many of Thollgûnd's architectural marvels, such as forming the volcanic biome, constructing the forges, as well as the Smoldering Wastes' two imposing blackstone fortresses, the Western Watchtower and Ghûrbad. Stones were gathered from the deepest pits of the mines, hauled forth by aching limbs and feeble frames to the tallest peaks of Ghûrbad's many towers.

When he wasn't working night and day in his deity's service, Haugrum would travel to all manner of Rodinnian cities, meeting his fellow countrymen and forming bonds of fellowship along the way. Attending many of Rodinnbrok's famed parties and celebrations, Haugrum was able to integrate himself within Rodinnian society in a manner that normalized Thollgûnd's foreign and undead nature. Being both of Sandweaver and Thollgûndi origin, Haugrum found himself trapped in an ultimatum concering Rodinnbrok's various emerging covenants. Both the Taisho Honorguard and the Deluge of Sol were vying for control of the Smoldering Wastes, as recruitment of the few Thollgûndis would greatly sway the balance of power between either covenant. Although Haugrum would eventually choose to side with the Deluge of Sol, next to nothing would become of the arrangement due to Rodinnbrok's inherent lack of cohesion and its population's collective brain rot.

There were a multitude of Rodinnians that Haugrum shared comradery with, hailing from all manner of regions. His Sandweaver brethren were familiar starting grounds; great lengths of time were spent conversing and sharing knowledge of Sandweaver culture and lore with the likes of Chero and Oman Mustaba. The Sandweaver and Rohkian subcultures had long harbored a mutual bitter hatred towards each other, often roping newcomers into their feud. This bitter rivalry turned to cheerful friendship, as Rodinnbrok's tensions eased Haugrum would make friends and mend past wounds with many Rohkians in his time, namely Shogun Maguro and Shinsui.

Death
However, things would take a turn for the worse for both Haugrum and his home. The decades of looming war and hardship had become a strain upon Rodinnbrok and its people, and had too been felt deep within the Smoldering Wastes. Gholoth would soon begin to fade as the god expended all his strength on maintaining Thollgûnd and the few remaining Sandwights. The Gholothic Sect and its dominion would crumble in the coming years, and Haugrum had a front seat to bear witness upon the entirety of his failure. Haugrum worked idly, waiting for the inevitable as his fellow Thollgûndis either deserted or perished upon the umbral plateaus.

Ailmar, his most trusted friend and second-in command within the Gholothic Sect had died as well, overtaken by his burden of maintaining a neural link with corrosive evil of their deity. Soon enough, Haugrum found himself in utter solitude within the Smoldering Wastes. His rotten muscle tissue had broken down, and rendered immobile upon Thollgûnd's charred rock he waited for Gholoth to perish and his servitude to conclude. Haugrum would die in 145 TE as naught but a broken vessel; he was cold, alone, and utterly spent by the Lord of Limbs.