Description
Mardrek's skin is a sickly shade of grey.
His hair is a pale greyish-white, thick and bristly.
Matching eyebrown, sproutly thickly from his
heavily ridged brow. Fierce eyes are surrounded by
wrinkles of a perpetual scowl, his lip upturned in a
sneer. His beard is trimmed, neatly and short. Blackish
nails tip the fingers on his oversized hands, ragged and
torn. The muscles of his jaw work, unclenching and
clenching unconciously.
Role
The Fall of Stonethew Clan
Added Wed May 12 13:04:00 2004 at level 10:
Mardrek Stonethew son of Harrdrek Stonethew was born the third child.
Third of three sons. His father Harrdrek was himself the seventh child, a
huge family by dwarven standards. Harrdrek became chieftan of the Stonethew
Clan after his father and brothers were killed in wars
with the surface dwellers. Being the seventh son he was never groomed
in the arts of ruling the clan, the expectation being that one of his
older brothers would assume the role. Harrdrek, Mardreks father, was
a poor chieftan, under his leadership the clan, already a minor one,
continued to decline. It's territories were infringed upon by other
clans and it's mining rights given to appease the strongarm tactics
used by larger clans. Mardrek watched with horror as the minor but
respectable Stonethew Clan fell from it's honored position under his
fathers leadership. Although small, the clan was an old and well
respected in duergar society. At least before the leadership of
Harrdrek.
One night, or what passes for night in the continual gloom of the
underdark, some unknown enemy decided that the Stonethew Clan's
time had come to an end. Their forces had dwindled to next to
nothing and the clan was vulnerable to attack. Soldiers clad in
black, wearing no clan colors or insignias stormed the Stonethew
holdings. Harrdrek, perhaps finally finding some shred of courage,
fought them in the stone halls, wearing nothing but his sleeping
furs and the Circlet of the Stonethew Clan, he held the assassins
at bay whilst his wife escaped taking their youngest son, Mardrek,
with her. They fled into the secret ways of the keep, known only
to the Stonethew family. For hours it seemed they ran through the
darkness, finally emerging behind an underground waterfall not too
distant from the duergar home of Aren'gird.
Leaving Aren'gird
Added Thu May 13 14:03:26 2004 at level 13:
Mardrek grew to adulthood resenting his fathers weakness. He and
his mother scraped out an existence in the Beggar's Quarter of
Aren'gird. She used her skills as a weaver, to support them.
Once she had woven fine silks as to be presented as gifts to the
noble clans, now she laboured long and hard to produce rough
garments to be sold to the denizens of the Beggar's Quarter.
Absent as his mother was most of the time, slaving for a poor
merchant who could barely afford the pitance he paid her,
Mardrek spent his youth consorting with the rough youngsters
of his new home. At one point, when he was nearly a man by
duergar standards, he got into a brawl with another youngster
who had said the his mother was selling herself to the guards.
Outraged, Mardrek tried to kill the youth, and would have but
for a spiteful old guard. The old man, seeing and hearing what
the fight was about broke to two apart, and took great pleasure
in pointing out to Mardrek that his mother was indeed a whore
and that at this very moment she was in the guards barracks,
even offering to take him there. Convinced the old man was
lying Mardrek accompanied him to the barracks and was shaken
to his core when he saw his mother dancing barely clothed on a
table in the guards messhall. Mardrek swore at her and cursed
name of his father, cursing him for his weakness. Had he been a
strong leader, Mardrek wouldn't be where he was now. Ignoring the laughing
youth, Mardrek turned and walked away silently, resolving to be nothing
like his father. He would be a leader of men.
Returning to his home, Mardrek dug out the fine clothes he had been wearing
the night they had fled from the Stonethew Holdings. Looking at the torn
leggings and the Stonethew crest on the tunic, he placed it across the
kitchen table as a sign to his mother. Then grabbing what few possessions he
had and a short supply of food, Mardrek set out to find the Surface.
Mardrek's future
Added Thu May 20 11:05:41 2004 at level 16:
Having made his way to the surface, Mardrek spent the next few
years seeking Zulghinlour, Lord of the Flaming Crown. Both
inwardly and outwardly he searched, seeking both the Knowledge
to become a great leader and for a cause that he could be
Passionate about. During this time he also searched the breadth
of Thera for the Shrine of the Dark Dream of Emporers. First
exploring Kiadanah-Rah, for he had heard that it was located
near where a giant that exemplified the path of the Flaming Crown.
Finally in the heart of the Frozen Wastes he stumbled across
the shrine near the cave of Jumnarl the frost giant. Time and
he prayed with no answer to his prayers, but he was not disuaded.
In his search for Knowledge, he heard tell of the Empire, a
mighty surface clan that would accept all those who swore to defend
it. Upon hearing this Mardrek new where his future lay. Seeking
the Imperial Palace he found a Dark Knight by the name of Unar
who told him more of the Empire. Unar told him that any Citizen
may come to lead the Empire if they were worthy. Hearing this
Mardrek was pleased, for he would not be happy serving forever.
Mardrek's Beliefs
Added Thu Jun 10 16:19:30 2004 at level 17:
Is this name found in any dictionary or a common slang term?
ld do whatever must be done to strengthen the Empire and takes
a perverse pleasure in it. He sees the Empire as his new clan and wishes to
lead it to the dominion of all Thera, there by creating a safer world.
He is cruel and mallicious and believes the ends justify the means.
He does not slay others without cause but then again believes
he has a reason for killing most non-imperials. All those of the light
represent those who oppose the empire. Those whose hearts are dark but are
not imperial represent dangerous rogues who cannot be trusted. Of those who
lay somewhere in between he considers any who resist the civilizing force
of the Empire (particularly Druids, Rangers, Wood-Elves and Outlanders) to be
enemies also.
Zulghinlour embodies the leader he desires to be, the leader his father wasn't.
If he can become a true leader then he can stengthen the Empire and make it safer
for the children on the Empire. This is essentially because of his own endangerment as a
child during the fall of the Stonethew clan.
He doesn't necesssarily want to become the Emporer but would challenge a weak
leader for the betterment of the Empire. He does however wish to lead by
example, showing all that Passion and Knowledge will ensure Victory.
To this end he chooses his opponents carefully and picks his fights to suit
his advantage. Tactically he wishes to find the best strategies for various
opponents. His dedication to Zulghinlour is tied strongly to belief in the Empire.