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PHYSICALITY

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Description
Most would describe Bear as an interesting fellow. He’s got a long flowing beard of red hair (which has been braided into ethnic knots that seem to belong to no culture in particular) he’s got a bushy main of the same color as well. Rippling muscles, body hair in all places, and this gigantic figure stands at an impressive height just shy of... 4 feet. Bear was raised on a Halfling lifestyle. Long days were spent eating, planting, and eating some more. And while eating might have been the primary past-time of many of his neighbors, Bear never quite jived with all that.

Why? Because Bear likes to fancy himself as a dwarf. A long beard which took him 15 years to grow adorns his big nose. His face looks friendly, although if you’re an orc or a bear, be warned. The brilliant glow of his eyes, the usually wide grin tucked just beneath a mountain of hair disappears, and his fearsome eyebrows becomes a snarling bushy creature.

Being raised in a gentle home has given Bear some peculiar traits as well. Bear tends to wear a smile, and finds nearly everyone to be a comrade. Although do be weary of the rather hearty pat on the back (or butt for those of you big-folk) that the halfling uses to address all of his new-found friends. Unlike many in his Halfling village, Bear has decided it to be a great idea to wear a full set of armor and chainmail everywhere he goes. This used to slow him down somewhat, but surprisingly enough Bear has become used to the weight over time. He also carries dual purpose weapons nearly everywhere, and all this in conjunction with one another is enough to make other villagers stare. It should come to no surprise that Bear is something of a black sheep.

Bear is a hearty creature. He spends his time doing any-and-all manual labor he can. A disapproving neighbor needs to move some furniture? Bear is still always happy to help. Need an entire field plowed before sunset? Bear’s on the move. The little man would fell an entire forest by morning if he could find an axe sharp enough to do the job. Physique is incredibly important to the little dwarf. Anyone who lives on a halfling diet is most likely going to get fat, and there’s no such thing as a fat dwarf in Bear’s eyes.

Appearance
Hair: A tangled mess of twisted red hair, wrangled mostly into an ornate beard and something resembling a lion’s mane. if he is keen on showing off his tattoos, Bear will sometimes shave his head. 'Else, he's got a full head of the thickest hair you will ever see.
Facial Hair: It took Bear fifteen years to grow his beard, an impressive feat for a race that tends to only grow out hair on their feet.
Eyes: Green.
Build: Stocky, ferocious, hypermasculine, and if you ask him, still not good enough.
Skin Tone: Somewhere between sun-kissed and tan!
Height: 3’8”.
Weight: About five goats. Very very heavy. Trust him. Don’t pick him up, go away.
Voice: Rich, smooth, melodiously glorious. Like a beautiful dwarven Valkyrie.
Handed: Right-handed.
Body Markings: Tattoos on his scalp, done by a lovely elven lass he did a huuuge favor for once upon a time.
Scar Tissue: A scar above his right eye from a very tall human coffee table. Vicious creatures. Smashed it good.
Unique Body Features: Hairy arms and legs and arm pits and leg pits. He’s very proud of his hair.

Name Cubert “Bear” Bringswood.


Nickname Cub, Cubby, Bear Cub, DAMMIT BEAR.


Title The Dwarf.


Race The DwarHalfling.


Visual Age ‘Bout 40.


Factual Age ‘Bout 40. Ask his parents, they remember better than he does.


Gender Male dwarf.


Sexual Orientation Female dwarves. And female other things, too.


Mage Ranking Noram, the Mundane.


Class Commoner, personal business entrepreneur, slave. Currently a freed slave.

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MENTALITY

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Personality
Halflings are known for the cheery, outgoing personalities. There isn’t a Halfling for miles who would be caught dead being anything other than polite. Bear Bringswood is no exception. His personality shines out of him like a bonfire, and can illuminate even the darkest, dingiest of human taverns. Bear is the kind of Halfling who is known for his all-around good attitude. Despite being the oddball of his village Bear always wears a smile.

One of the most defining personality traits bear has, is his earnest delusion belief that he is, in fact, a dwarf. Dwarves, to Bear, are a mystical, mythical, race of super-halflings. They lived among the stone, were said to be the finest crafters in the lands, and had a mighty standing army. Their warriors were said to be top-notch, and fearless in battle. Bear has very much based his entire life off of this belief, much to the annoyance of his neighbors.

The little man can actually be quite fearsome too. One of his favorite articles of clothing, is a cloak made out of the skin of a Great Bear. The beast weighed easily 7 times the man, stood 4 times as high, and stunk worse than Bear on a camping trip. Yet, Bear took down the beast, and now wears its skin as a trophy. Sort of like a deranged serial killer, without all the wanted posters.

As Bear believes it is his duty to carry on the dwarven legacy, and to become fully immersed in their culture, he eagerly consumes any piece of media with the word “dwarven” on it that he can find. Oftentimes these are merely elven stories, which use dwarves as a fictive race, designed to allow elven heroes a race to fight, and not feel bad about, but Bear reads them all as if they were holy scripture. Taking it deep into his heart, and welcoming it into his soul.

Quirks
Stand back and watch me whittle some. Bear is a hell of a whittler. If given long enough, he whittles pipes, or statues, or pipes! He’s pretty good too, preferring denser trees like steelwood, or stones, over easier trees like oak.

He’s a lover Watch out ladies! Bear’s nickname came about because of his cuddly nature. If you’re a pretty lady, you might find Bear being awfully flirty. He’s pretty unabashed about age, too.

Ohhh Not another story! Bear loves to regal any who will listen with stories of the Dwarves. He also likes to tell stories to anyone who won’t listen. These stories must seem fantastical, but he earnestly believes them, and hopes they impress those who listen, for the thousandth time.


Moral Alignment
Neutral good

Virtue/Creed
“FOR DWARVEN KIND!!!!!!!”

Motivation
“I ain’t never found another dwarf before, but I would like to meet m’ folks.”

Fears

not reviving the dwarven race Bear would hate it if his entire species was lost. As he’s the last one left (in his eyes) it is his duty to find the lost civilizations and make sure there’s enough dwarf babies running around to fill them.

’suppose torture This dwarf might have lived as a slave for a spell, but he was never routinely tortured. He supposes that would be an awful experience he would like to avoid.

lizards He hates all of their ilk. Especially the dragon variety. However, the smaller ones do it for him too. Normally the sight of a lizard is met with a swift chop of his axe. This is not a fear which stops the man in his tracks, more of a wound to his soul. His parents question why it is he is afraid of little garden lizards… They suppose it has something to do with those stories he’s always reading, and is entirely self-induced.



Goal
‘d like to find the lost city of Orzia, and fill it ta’ the brim with babies!


Likes
Whittlin’, drinkin, craftin’, fist fightin’ wildlife... Oh! And Iphigenia. This dwarf respects the heck outta' that Big-lass. She's a great leader and plan-thinker--exactly what he needed! Bear reckons he'd follow her to the gates of Death and beyond if she asked it.


Dislikes
Lizards, going hungry, when people call him a “half-ling”.


Strengths
Believing he is a dwarf [perfect] Bear believes so hard, that he is a dwarf, that he will do his best to “live up to the legacy.” Any and all stories that he hears of how “mighty” the dwarves were he immediately works incredibly hard to try and be exactly like the dwarves of legend.


Material gatherer Bear knows a good material when he sees it. He’s worked with woods, cloths, metals, stone, skin, and bones. If he sees something rather rare, or powerful; Bear would try to fetch this as soon as possible.


hit takerAs far as Bear is concerned, there’s no Dwarven word for “dodge.” As such, he’s grown quite used to taking damage. He’s like a sponge, sucking it all up, and shrugging off mighty blows from trolls, and bears.


Weaknesses
Formal combat training The halflings are a peaceful folk. There’s no training in combat of any kind in the village. Thus, Bear swings his fist, or axe, or hammer, in a rather stumbly fashion.


ya sure ya wanna fight m8 Bear tends to ask this very same question to rowdy humans, or halflings he encounters. He’s too nice for his own good, being a Halfling and all, and tends not to like to fight if he can avoid it.

That’s the plan! There is no plan. There never was, there never will be. Bear doesn’t think about how he fights in combat. He rushes straight in, and tanks any damage he can before becoming a whirlwind of death and destruction. If a situation calls for a plan, and he realizes this, Bear will wait for someone else with a plan to show up first, before throwing himself headlong into combat.


Is your character literate? In what languages?
PICTURE BOOKS!... just kidding. Bear knows a bit of common, from sight, and a bit of Elvish too. (the latter he inscribes on his weapons, because surely they stole the language from dwarves.)

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ARMAMENT

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Head
A helmet made of heavy metals, found near creid. It can take quite a beating.


Neck
Bear wears the cloak made of a great bear. The skin is resistant to cold, and blends in well with the forest. It’s right mean lookin’ too.


Chest
This piece is so good, you’d swear it was made by an ancient and powerful race of subterranean mining folk.


Back
The cape from around his neck extends to Bear’s ankles. An anvil. A dwarf’s got to forge.


Arm/Shoulder
More armor, and these pieces can take a beating.


Right Hand
A gauntlet of superb quality.


Left Hand
A gauntlet of superb quality.


Right Accessory
Shoes are accessories for halflings.


Left Accessory



Waist
Nothing more than a belt.



Legs
More armor, this little guy exists for taking up damage.


Feet
Has had to craft his own shoes, for his rather large halfling feet.

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COMBAT PROWESS

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Combativeness

Hand-to-Hand Combat:[good] Bear is a bruiser through and through. The only problem for his opponents is the part he tends to “bruise” is a mighty important dangly part. Bear’s reach is subpar, and he can only reach so far. He’s also got a mean “bear claw”, which is used for ripping. Add in his height disadvantage, and this little bear can do some unforgivable damage. He is, of course, better at fighting animals than man. Bear has a Halfling heart, and doesn’t like to hurt people.

Melee Combat:[good]Bear uses axes mostly. They can be useful for cutting down trees, or cutting down foes. He’s good with any weapon he makes for himself, but these are mostly “dual purpose weapons” such as axes, hammers, pitchforks, or clubs. Weapons that can be useful in or out of combat.

Ranged Combat:[good] Ever seen a man hurl an axe through the skull of a troll? Bear can. He’s a crack shot, and he can do some pretty mean damage with a weighted axe.

Magic Combat: Hahahahahaha! Everyone knows Dwarves don’t have magic silly. That’s saved for the afterlife when they can fly!

Mounted Combat:[poor] Ponies make poor mounts, and he has yet to find a dragon, to tame.

Racial Abilities
magic resistance Excellent. Even the strongest of magic users would have a hard time making their spells so much as singe Bear’s armor. Maybe his beard, but that would make the little guy mad!

low presence [poor]Bear inherited this from his adoptive parents, but his fondness for heavy armor, and clanking weaponry
completely voids this.

Natural Talent

Damage sponge[excellent] If you’re fighting Bear beware, attacks barely put a chink in his armor. Even if they did, he’s used to fighting Great Bears, Trolls, and Ogres. What’s a little man with a sword gonna do? Bear’s hide has been toughened over time. Even if he didn’t have armor on, he’s still a tough opponent. He might be in trouble if someone came after him with a hammer, but who does that?

Hits like a truck [above average] Bear is strong, really strong for his size. This is probably do to his hand-forged muscles. If he’s using a weapon that Bear crafted, this seems to make him stronger, as he knows every nuance of the weapon, and how to use it.

Impervious to insults [excellent] Halflings hardly ever utter an insult. As such, Bear laughs them off as if they were a summer breeze. Of course, if someone keeps trying, he’ll get a bit embarrassed with them. But, otherwise Bear keeps on trucking.

Class Skills

Crafting weapons/armor, unique Very good- perfect Since no one in the village made weapons or armor for “half-lings”, Bear decided to be the one to do it! As such he can make weapons and armor which would be perfect for any dwarves around. These armors and weapons are of magnificent quality. They might even be among the best ever produced, however there’s a catch… Bear only knows how to make “Dwarf-sized” equipment. He could easily make an armor, or weapon for a big-folk, but they might lack in quality. As Creid is a tiny village, and they don’t tend to care much about wears such as these, his crafting has gone unnoticed from the rest of the world.


Business entrepreneur Very poor. Not only did he want to restore the dwarven legacy, he wanted to spread the word by selling “real” dwarven armor. Unfortunately, he got into a bit of a spat with some local merchants, and two ended up with broken limbs, one ended up with a concussion, and the last one might have peed himself a little. Bear felt bad about this. His rather unique approach to doing business also ended up making him a slave.

Pack mule [excellent] Bear can carry a lot of stuff. Lots of Stuff really. If there’s something that needs carrying, Bear is likely to ask to do it.

Spells/Powers
Dwarves don’t need one, it’d be too much of an advantage! These are for humans and lily elves! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

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EQUIPMENT

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Items
He’s got bags for metals, bones, and woods. He’s always got some gold on a necklace near his throat. Bear also loves carrying trinkets, books, and any other goods which might be necessary for crafting. Lastly bear usually wanders around with an anvil tied to his back. It’s useful for forging on the fly. Thankfully, the one he brought with him while a slave was not his favorite.

Memorabilia
A locket bearing a picture of his dads. Also, the note he had as a babe when he was dropped on the porch of the Bringswood’s. “A day worth dying for” Vol. I.

Accessories
Tongs, a wind blowing device, and a fiddle.

Weapon
Weapon Name: Ankle crusher!
Weapon Type: Hammmer
Material: Made of an alloy of metal. It is light and fierce. It must seem laughably small to most big-folk, but this little hell raiser, is also what Bear uses to mend, create, and patch any armor or weapons that need it. He’s mighty skilled with the little hammer too!
Ammo: Unlimited
Length: 1 foot.
Weight: 2 pounds.
Weapon Description/Info:
This little weapon is a masterpiece. While it doesn’t look like much, with its worn leather handle, and dingy gray metal, it is a sight to behold. This weapon can break or make any armor or weapons Bear needs. His skill with this is simply superb. While it is normally used as a patching tool, he’d use it in a pinch if he absolutely had to.


Weapon Name:Haverty
Weapon Type:Throwing axe.
Material: Troll-bone handle with a thick metal blade, and weighted cudgel on the end.
Ammo: 1
Length:Two feet
Weight: 10 pounds
Weapon Description/Info:
Inspired from the Elven story “Death in the Mountains, the Dwarven King Returns” and in particular the Dwarf Dungeous, bear has crafted the legendary axe from description, memory, and a bit of his own character (as the axe, if made to specification was a bit weak). The axe which was wielded by the fictitious king is quite powerful. It’s both capable of chopping and throwing. Bear’s version can cleave through limbs, armor, and helmets with relative ease.


Weapon Name:Cooper
Weapon Type: Great Axe
Material: Heavy alloy, thick steelwood handle, and tough leather bindings, with a weighted bottom, perfect for counterbalance.
Ammo: unlimited
Length: Nearly four feet!
Weight: 20 pounds
Weapon Description/Info:A grand axe, inspired off the legends of great axes. This weapon is like no other before it. Any king or God would be happy to use such a marvelous weapon, if only it were larger. This great axe, is capable of being used with one or two hands. It was inspired mostly from tales of Dwarven leaders using incredulous axes. This weapon has killed many trolls, its bite typically removing limb before performing a killing blow. This is Bear’s primary combative weapon.

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BACKGROUND

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Group Affiliation
Slave Rebellion

Marital Status
Single

Relatives
Haverty, and Cooper Bringswood (his proud fathers)

Origin
Most certainly from the Dwarven Capital of Orzia. Spent his entire life in Creid

Social Rank
Commoner

Occupation
Smith

Bio/History
On a regular farm, in the plain village of Creid lived a lovely couple; the Bringswood’s. They were the kind of Halflings other Halflings admired. Smart, well liked, always throwing fantastic parties, outgoing, earnest, timely, and a host of other traits which the village prided them for. They were, if you will, the epicenter of the small town. The Brinkswood’s had no children of their own, on account that they were both men, but they would have liked to raise one someday. Then, a miracle happened. On a warm summer’s night, a knock happened on their front door. The sounds of a baby crying were soon to follow. Haverty rushed for the door and found a baby in a small basket. Attached was a note written in a foreign language, and bearing a rather crude translation in Common. “This baby goes to good home. Love him as if he were your own.” It sounded sort of like a poem, but it bore no name for the child, or where the boy came from.

The family would name the child “Cubert”, or “Cub” for short, as they found the babe to be quite the cuddler, and was rather large like a bear cub. He always wanted attention, and when he got older he got no better. Always, did Cubert want to be around his folks. They encouraged it too! As the pair believed that a successful Halfling was one who wanted others near. That, and their want for children might have made them rather soft on their one and only son. It was around the age of 6 when Cubert started to notice he was a bit different. He was noticeably stockier than most of the other Halflings. Needless to say, he got picked on a bit. Other children in the village were beginning to notice the rangers which guarded the valley. Some could make the water in the pond rise, some could make firecrackers spring from their hands, and others could make the trees grow a thick canopy of shade. These rangers were immediately popular with the children, and of course anyone would feel a bit jealous. So, Cubert would do his best to learn magic, and not get teased. It was his new mission.
Cubert tried and tried but he would never gain magic. Every night he’d strain his arms till they hurt in the morning, to force out lightning from his fingertips, or make the earth move before him, or pour out a torrent of water. Unbelievably! He couldn’t do a thing. But, it wouldn’t take long for Cubert to understand why this was so. One day a traveling merchant came to town. He was elvish, and selling wares, as well as seeds to the villagers of Creid. Traveling merchants were always fun for children, and nearly every child brought their well saved chore money to the merchant to buy the toys, the sweets, or the magical-activated action figures (not that Halflings could use these). Cubert, unfortunately didn’t have much chore money. He had spent the majority of the month trying to learn magic, instead of sweeping porches, cleaning gutters, cutting lawns, or plowing fields.

The merchant must have seen the disappointed look on the young Halfling’s face and took pity on the poor child, as he brought him aside, and handed him a well-worn book. The cover was a bit greasy, the binding a bit frayed, and the pages had visible tears and stains on them. But, it was a present which would change the young man’s life forever. “A Day worth Dying For” Vol. I was the title of the book. The boy took the book home and when he opened the pages found not toys, or games, or action figures, but a history! his history. This book told of a mighty race like Halflings, one which could not use magic, but instead used their might! And, they could best most elves with brawn alone. Of course, if his literacy were a bit higher he would realize that the dwarves lost most of the time.

Needless to say Bear had found something he didn’t know he was missing. His life changed forever since that day. From then on the little Halfling would loudly proclaim himself a Dwarf, and even claimed he was growing out his facial hair (although he wouldn’t get any till he was around 18). People stared. Some chided, and other’s laughed. Yet, “Bear” as he began to proudly call himself, would never mind. His summers were now spent doing any physical activity he could. Plowing entire fields by himself, cutting down trees for winter, gardens, or lumber, and moving heavy rocks for plowing. While he might have been an oddball in the village, he was a useful oddball. His strength grew with age, as did his knowledge of the Dwarves, as every Elven merchant who came to the village would be asked to bring books of the Dwarves.

At the age of ten, when other Halfling boys were still playing with friends, or meeting girls at dances, Bear was spending his days as a smithy. Here he learned his way around an anvil and hammer. The work was hot, it was tiring, but it was exhilarating. He began to get pretty good too. By the end of the summer, his long nights (and the laziness of the boss) had paid off! Bear was easily as good as his master. He continued to work in the shop for another two summers though, honing his craft. Only stopping to read, eat, and see his parents. Every now and then the Bringswood’s would hold a gala, and Bear would have to attend. His parents still dote on Bear despite his newly proclaimed Dwarven ancestry, and to some extent they’d encourage it getting him birthday presents of rare materials, or a new hammer, or an anvil of his very own. Of course, they’d throw in “normal boy” presents too. Gifts of clothing, or a fiddle.

By fifteen, Bear had made a name for himself in the village. Some might say that name was “Village Idiot”, but no one could deny he was different. Bear was visibly stockier than the majority of his village, and he knew his training had come to an impasse. It was now time to “use it or lose it” in Bear’s eyes. So, during this summer, Bear went off into the wilds in search of his very own materials, and for the chance to start his own Dwarven training regimen. In the most recent book he read, “Of Legend” it stated that Dwarves ages sixteen and older would train in the forest to fight bears, and trolls. Bear had figured that a year early would give him an advantage, and that a Greatbear was arguably better than a bear, and nearly as mighty as a Troll. So, this summer would be spent trying to kill one.

Oh the looks he got from the villagers when he marched out into the forest to “Hunt me a great bear.” His time in the forest couldn’t have been better spent. He got a chance to read, got the ability to forge his own tools, and learn to hunt wild beasts. Bear went hungry for a while, till he learned to fish by building a small dam in the water, and trapping the little monsters. But where fish are, so too are Great Bears. His first Great Bear was just down the stream, it would be an important conflict for the young man. Great Bears are infinitely more imposing in person. This thing’s paw was bigger than the boy. The hide was thick enough where an arrow wasn’t going to hurt it. Bear had to think logically… so of course he didn’t. The boy ran at it, his arms flailing, and wearing only the armor he had made. When the bear swiped, Bear took the swing directly and jabbed at its paws with his axe Otis. The screams were intense, but it was combat! The armor he had crafted for just this battle was holding well. Superbly even! The only hitch was, Otis wasn’t.

The axe snapped on the bone of the bear, and Bear was forced to use his only weapon left, his hands! With furious punches, gouges, and tears he went for the eyes, and teeth! Anything soft and spongey was a vital point for the boy. Within two hours, the bear lay dead. Bear too was bloody. His arms had gotten nicked. Yet his armor stay mostly intact. But this had only been the first week of an entire summer long adventure! What was the boy to do?... He was going to kill more Great Bears, that’s what. It was a summer to remember, and after the long two months, the boy came back visibly stronger, and wearing nearly tatters. His arms, chest, and legs had taken a beating, but his pride couldn’t be fuller. When the traveling merchants came back that year, they handed him bags of materials for pieces of fur, or claws.

As years flew by, his delusions sunk in deeper. Other Halflings kept their daughters away from the man, and his beard grew longer. His adventures had taken a turn for the extreme. Now it was, search for the ancient Dwarven city listed in this book, or Hunt trolls because it’s what this Dwarven Warlord did in this other book. There was just one problem with this lifestyle. Bear wasn’t going anywhere. Many of the Halflings Bear had grown up with, were now married to the girls they had gone dancing with all those years ago. Others opened shops, or started farms. One of the boys who had teased Bear as a youth, had made quite a stir with the locals, with his new farm. Yet bear remained like the stone. He still lived at home with his folks, and hunted the local game, and wildlife. Great Bear hides, and other rare materials while lucrative on their own, can’t sustain all the meals a Halfling eats a day, plus a farm, and maybe even a wife and child.

Bear’s parents were still as doting as ever. Always asking if Bear had found a lost city on his trips, or if he had found any clues. Of course he had found clues. He had found bits of broken pottery which looked like they came from a lost city. Or a bit of an axe which looked like it was smaller than most, and had seen battle. But never any decided proof. It was then that Bear had to make a sobering choice. He asked his parents for money, saved up what he could, and began to find as many reagents as he could. He would stake his own claim on Dwarven made goods, and he’d prove to the world that the Dwarves were a fearsome race, if only people listened.

The man would set off in search of the Human town of Nydoecia. It was a bustling trader’s hub, miles away. While a normal Halfling would be frightened, Bear was excited for the opportunity, and set off towards the big city. Along the way, to pay for his food, and shelters, Bear would make nails, plow fields, make horseshoes, or cutlery. His wares always made people happy, but no one had been interested in his “Dwarven Goods”. Upon reaching Nydoecia, it was more of the same. He could support himself, but only just. Bear found that the humans here were more interested in his ability to discern their materials, than his ability to make anything of them. Even his largest pieces, were but knives to the hands of the human. Bears pieces were weighted differently too, so the humans wouldn’t be able to wield it as precisely.

It was his talent for discerning rare metals, however which got Bear into a small spot of trouble. A band of four merchants were selling “Ifrit Ivory” Blades. It’s a bone which looks remarkably similar to Silver Stag horn, only tougher, and lighter. They had customers lined up before their shop, and their prices were rock bottom. Thinking that Bear might be able to purchase materials here, he went into the shop. What he found, were four merchants who didn’t know any better. They had been selling Silver Stag Horn goods, believing it to be Ifrit Ivory! When Bear told them of their error, the four got immediately defensive. It was an easy statement to make. Anyone who purchased Silver Stag Horn, and believed it to be Ifrit Ivory, would be understandably upset.

It was around then, that the merchants drew their swords. Bear tried to calm them down, explain he was only trying to help them. But upon one of them swinging their sword, Bear knew these humans meant business. Thankfully, they’d never taken on a dwarf. Ten minutes later, the scene looked like a small stampede of Eastern Plains Rhino’s had trampled through the shop. Pieces lie scattered about, and the merchants were in worse shape. Two had multiple broken bones, one had a concussion, and the last had started to pee himself, the poor big-fella’.

Unfortunately, there was a small problem. Thousands of gold in broken goods, and damage to civilians tends to make an enemy of the peace. No matter how many times Bear had said that he had just been “rough housing” with the men, the guards wouldn’t believe it. This, is exactly how the Dwarf comes to find himself in the slave pens. Fighting for human masters, and ¬having the time of his life. Here in the slave pens, people listened to his stories ardently. Yes, they didn’t have any way to escape them, but they listened! The masses favorite stories tend to be the ones of Dwarven Aerial battles. Sure! He’d escape if he could, but he doesn’t have a plan, and Bear knows it’s best just to bide his time. He believes that if he is stuck in the pens for any more than six months, he’ll find a way to leave. Till then, he’s able to prove himself in a ring of combatants, and sometimes he even gets a good drink out of it too!

The slave fights were hard. Bear tried his best not to seriously hurt anybody. After all the people on the other side of the arena, were in the same boat he was. Sometimes, losing was the best course of action. But normally, Bear fought with the spirit of a dozen men. He made his boss a lot of money too. But bear gained something for himself, invaluable experience. Men were typically weaker than beasts. Men broke easier, and a few swings of a mighty axe, immediately made them regret challenging Bear… well most of ‘em. Beasts however, they could be nasty. They never stopped as they were always hungry, and Bear didn’t have his armor he had made himself. That would’a been cheatin’.

Then she came. Like an angel covered in fine silk. Iphigenia. She was just a concubine to Doran a boss of the arena. But any warrior could see it in her eyes, the girl had something not many others around had, spirit. It was late one night, when he heard her voice bombard him from slumber. “"Awaken! There isn't much time. Your chance to take back your freedom is now, at this very moment” Bear had half a mind to tell her to shut it, until he heard she was willing to break out. That in and of itself sounded fun. When his eyes looked around for the source of the commotion, he found it to be her. Now the Dwarf knew this was to be fun. It came as no surprise to the Dwarf, that she was the one to break all of the fighters out. Not one stayed. Many had been left to rot in the pens for years, and given an opportunity to die free men, or die slaves, they chose the Former. Bear however, was eager to try something new, and the cage he had been forced to sleep in, was starting to smell a bit like feces. Taking the opportunity, the moment his cell door was opened, he left with the group, and followed the girl like a puppy on the heels of his human master.

She was beautiful, and somehow, a decidedly better leader than many of the men around here. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she had a pack of men eager to escape their bindings. Before the Dwarf left the pens however, he tried to find his armor, and weapons. It would be no luck. The torrent of escaping prisoners, and the excitement in the air made it too hard to search for anything. So bear ran into the night, naked as the day he was born, punchin’ and a kickin’ anything that stood in his way. When the dust cleared, and the slaves were miles away from town, Bear promised he would come back. The beautiful human who had come up with the escape plan had earned Bear’s loyalty. However, he was in no shape to fight now. He’d need armor, and weapons before he joined a war. So he made a promise to return, as long as she lived, Bear would find a way to find Iphigenia.