**Race:** Mountain Dwarf **Age:** 142 **Occupation:** Logger Foreman, Head of Oakrest Timber Operations **Alignment:** Chaotic Good **Location:** Oakrest Village, Thresh Lumber Mill --- ## Appearance Garrick is a stocky, powerfully built dwarf with the callused hands and weather-beaten face of someone who's spent a lifetime working outdoors. His once-auburn beard has gone mostly gray, kept in a thick, practical braid bound with iron rings. Scars crisscross his forearms—testaments to decades of axe work and close calls with falling timber. His eyes are a deep brown, often narrowed in suspicion or anger when discussing Duskwatch politics, but capable of surprising warmth when among friends or his logging crew. He's missing the tip of his left pinky finger from a sawmill accident twenty years ago. Garrick dresses in practical work clothes: heavy canvas trousers reinforced with leather patches, thick wool shirts, and a leather apron stained with sawdust and tree sap. His belt holds a masterwork handaxe that doubles as both tool and weapon. His boots are dwarf-made, built to last generations, and he's been known to lecture anyone who'll listen about proper footwear. The smell of pine, cedar, and honest sweat follows him everywhere. --- ## Personality **Outspoken Critic:** Garrick has no filter when it comes to Duskwatch politics. He'll loudly proclaim his grievances to anyone within earshot, much to Mayor Deyne's occasional irritation. **Fiercely Loyal:** While he criticizes the political situation, Garrick is absolutely devoted to Oakrest itself and the workers under his command. He'd die before abandoning the village. **Practical Wisdom:** Decades of experience have taught Garrick to read the forest, predict weather, and spot dangers others miss. He knows the safe logging zones intimately. **Gruff Exterior, Soft Heart:** He presents as perpetually angry and harsh, but he's the first to help a struggling worker, the first to donate to a family in need, and secretly the most sentimental person in Oakrest. **Stubborn Pride:** Once Garrick takes a position, changing his mind requires either overwhelming evidence or a personal disaster. His stubbornness has cost him friendships and opportunities. **Dwarf Traditionalist:** He holds to old dwarf customs regarding craftsmanship, honor, and community responsibility. He's disappointed that younger dwarves have "gone soft." --- ## Background ### Early Life in the Mountains Garrick was born in a dwarf hold in the Ironpeak Mountains, far to the north. He was trained in the family trade—stonework and mining—but found the underground confining. As a young dwarf of fifty, he scandalized his clan by leaving to work as a surface logger, a profession his family considered beneath dwarven dignity. ### Wandering Years For three decades, Garrick worked logging operations across the realm, building a reputation for skill and reliability. He saved enough to buy his own equipment and was planning to establish a mill near Duskwatch when he visited Oakrest. ### Settling in Oakrest At seventy-eight years old, Garrick saw opportunity in Oakrest's struggling timber operation. The previous foreman had fled after losing three men to the Glade, and the mill was on the verge of collapse. Garrick bought it for a fraction of its value and spent the next sixty-four years building it into a respectable operation. ### The Duskwatch Grievance Twenty years ago, Duskwatch imposed new taxes on Oakrest's timber exports while simultaneously reducing the militia support they'd promised. When Garrick complained to the Duskwatch council, he was dismissed and told "small villages must bear their share of burdens." This insult has fueled his anger ever since. ### Loss to the Glade Eight years ago, Garrick lost his best friend and second-in-command, a human named Torvin Darkwood, when a logging crew ventured too close to the Glade's edge. The trees they were cutting suddenly came alive with corrupted fey spirits. Torvin died buying time for the others to escape. Garrick still blames himself for approving that work zone. --- ## Role in Oakrest ### Timber Operations Garrick oversees all logging, milling, and timber trade in Oakrest. His operation employs eighteen workers (roughly 10% of the village population), making it Oakrest's largest employer besides subsistence farming. **Operations:** - Careful selective logging in "safe zones" (areas at least a mile from the Glade's edge) - Quality hardwood processing for export to Duskwatch - Local construction lumber for Oakrest's needs - Maintains strict safety protocols to prevent accidents and Glade encounters ### Economic Influence As the largest employer, Garrick wields significant economic power in the village. His workers and their families represent a voting bloc that even Mayor Deyne must consider. However, Garrick rarely uses this influence directly, preferring loud complaints over political maneuvering. ### Unofficial Historian Garrick has been in Oakrest longer than any living human. He remembers events, people, and decisions that shaped the village. Young folks often seek his counsel, even if they have to endure his grumbling to get it. ### Defender of Workers Garrick advocates fiercely for his workers' rights and safety. He's clashed with merchants over fair pay, with Deyne over militia conscription of loggers, and with Duskwatch officials over trade terms. --- ## The Lumber Mill **Thresh Lumber Mill** sits on the eastern edge of Oakrest, positioned to receive logs from the safer harvesting zones. The facility includes: - A water-powered saw (innovative for the region, designed by Garrick himself) - Lumber drying sheds - Storage warehouses - Garrick's office (cluttered with maps, ledgers, and complaints) - A small shrine to Moradin (dwarf god of creation) that Garrick tends privately - Workers' mess hall where crews gather The mill operates from dawn to dusk six days a week. Garrick believes in the dwarf tradition of rest on the seventh day, much to the profit-minded merchants' annoyance. --- ## Relationships **Mayor [[Mayer Harlon Deyne|Harlon Deyne]]:** Professional respect, occasional frustration. Garrick thinks Deyne is too conciliatory toward Duskwatch but acknowledges his genuine care for Oakrest. They disagree loudly but never let it become personal. Garrick sometimes joins Deyne's fishing trips—the only time both men are truly relaxed. **[[Sister Malwen]]:** Unexpected friendship. Garrick helps maintain the shrine's physical structure and occasionally sits in the garden when troubled. [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]] is one of the few who can calm his anger. He privately shares his fears about the Glade with her. She's the only one who knows he still has nightmares about Torvin's death. **Mira "Bellringer":** Friendly. Garrick drinks at the Gallows Rest most evenings and has known Mira for decades. They trade gossip and complaints. He's protective of her in an older-brother sort of way. **Oakrest Workers:** Deeply loyal relationship. Garrick knows every worker's name, family situation, and capabilities. They respect him as a hard but fair boss. He's attended every wedding, naming ceremony, and funeral for his workers' families. **Duskwatch Officials:** Open antagonism. Garrick has been thrown out of Duskwatch council chambers twice for "disruptive behavior" (shouting). Officials consider him a provincial troublemaker. He considers them corrupt parasites. **[[Guildmaster Thalia Crenn]] (Duskwatch):** Active rivalry. Thalia wants to buy out Garrick's mill to control Oakrest's timber trade. He refuses all offers, seeing it as Duskwatch attempting to steal his life's work. Their negotiations are legendary for their hostility. --- ## Current Concerns ### Shrinking Safe Zones The areas safe for logging have been gradually shrinking as the Glade's corrupted influence seems to spread. Zones that were secure five years ago now show signs of blight. Garrick fears he'll eventually run out of harvestable timber, destroying Oakrest's economy. ### Vanishing Workers Two of his workers disappeared three months ago while checking traps near the logging zones. Their bodies were never found. Garrick feels responsible and has tightened safety protocols, but workers are growing nervous. ### Duskwatch Pressure Duskwatch has increased timber tax rates again while reducing their patrols of the Armsworth Road. Garrick sees this as deliberate economic warfare, trying to force Oakrest into greater dependence. He's considering organizing other merchants to resist but knows such action could have consequences. ### Succession Planning At 142, Garrick is well into middle age for a dwarf but not yet elderly. Still, he has no children and no clear successor. His current second-in-command, a human woman named Brenna Oakwright, is capable but young (32). He worries what will happen to his workers when he's gone. ### The Strange Trees Several trees recently harvested showed unusual properties—wood that's unnaturally heavy, grain patterns that seem to shift when not directly observed, and saw blades that dulled impossibly fast. Garrick suspects Glade corruption is spreading through the forest itself. --- ## Motivations & Goals **Primary Goal:** Protect his workers and maintain Oakrest's economic independence from Duskwatch. **Secondary Goals:** - Understand and push back the Glade's spreading influence - Force Duskwatch to honor fair trade agreements - Train a worthy successor for the mill - Ensure Torvin's sacrifice wasn't in vain **Personal Goal:** Prove that a dwarf can build something lasting above ground, validating his choice to leave his clan. **Secret Wish:** Reconcile with his family in the Ironpeaks before he dies, though his pride makes this nearly impossible to admit. --- ## Adventure Hooks ### "The Disappearing Timber" Garrick reports that marked trees ready for harvest have vanished—not cut down, but literally gone, leaving no stump or sign they ever existed. He hires the party to investigate before his workers refuse to enter the logging zones. ### "The Cursed Lumber" A batch of timber processed last week has begun "bleeding" sap that smells of rot. The lumber merchant who bought it is demanding a refund and threatening legal action. Garrick needs the party to trace where these trees came from and what corrupted them. ### "The Foreman's Request" Garrick privately asks the party to search for Torvin's remains if they enter the Glade. He describes the approximate location (near the Hollow Thicket, based on survivor accounts) and offers a family heirloom—a dwarf-forged battleaxe—as payment. He just wants to give his friend a proper funeral. ### "Strike Breaker" Duskwatch has sent "trade inspectors" who are actually attempting to incite a work stoppage, hoping to pressure Garrick into selling. He asks the party to investigate these agents and expose their true purpose without sparking violence. ### "The Old Maps" Garrick possesses logging maps dating back sixty years that show the Glade's borders over time. He offers to share these with the party, which clearly show the corruption spreading. His maps might reveal areas now consumed that once held importance—roads, clearings, or structures. ### "Dwarf's Honor" A dwarf merchant from Garrick's old clan arrives in Oakrest with news that his family wants to reconcile. Garrick is torn between pride and longing. He asks a trusted party member for advice, leading to roleplay opportunities and potentially a touching resolution. --- ## Combat Statistics (If Needed) **Garrick Thresh** – Veteran Logger _Medium humanoid (dwarf), chaotic good_ **Armor Class:** 15 (leather armor, shield) **Hit Points:** 85 (10d10 + 30) **Speed:** 25 ft. **STR** 18 (+4) | **DEX** 12 (+1) | **CON** 17 (+3) **INT** 11 (+0) | **WIS** 14 (+2) | **CHA** 10 (+0) **Saving Throws:** Str +7, Con +6 **Skills:** Athletics +7, Nature +3, Perception +5, Survival +5 **Damage Resistances:** Poison **Senses:** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15 **Languages:** Common, Dwarvish **Dwarven Resilience:** Advantage on saving throws against poison. **Stonecunning:** When making an Intelligence (History) check related to stonework, add double proficiency bonus. **Actions:** - **Multiattack:** Two handaxe attacks - **Handaxe:** +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage - **Greataxe:** +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage **Special Abilities:** - **Lumberjack's Eye:** Garrick can identify weak points in wooden structures or barriers, granting advantage on attacks against them - **Work Shout (Recharge 5-6):** As a bonus action, Garrick can shout encouragement to allies within 30 feet. Until the start of his next turn, those allies add 1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws. --- ## Quotes _"Duskwatch bleeds us dry and calls it 'fair taxation.' They'd take the timber from our hands and the bread from our mouths if we let 'em!"_ _"I've been working these woods for sixty years, and I'm telling you—the Glade is growing. Every year, another hundred yards of good timber goes black. We're running out of time."_ _"A dwarf builds things to last. This mill will stand when those corrupt bureaucrats in Duskwatch are dust. Mark my words."_ _"You think I'm loud? I'm not loud—I'm RIGHT. There's a difference, and if these fools would listen for once, they'd know it!"_ _"Torvin died because I approved that cutting zone. I checked the maps, I walked the boundary—did everything right. And it still wasn't enough. The Glade doesn't care how careful you are."_ _"Sister [[Sister Malwen|Malwen]]'s got her visions, Deyne's got his militia, and Mira's got her bells. Me? I've got forty years of maps showing how this corruption spreads. That's not superstition—that's evidence."_ _"My clan thought I dishonored them by leaving the mountains. But I've built something here. This mill, these workers—this is my clan now."_ --- ## Special Knowledge ### Logging Lore Garrick Can Share **About the Glade's Expansion:** - He has detailed maps showing the Glade's borders over 60+ years - The corruption spreads about 100-200 yards per year on average - Certain directions seem to expand faster than others (northwest spread is most aggressive) - Trees on the border show signs of corruption 6-12 months before the zone becomes unsafe **About Safe Paths:** - Garrick knows every logging trail within 5 miles of Oakrest - He can identify which paths are still safe and which have become dangerous - His crew has marked certain trees as "watchers"—if they show blight, evacuate immediately **About the Forest:** - Specific tree species near the Glade (ironwood, blackthorn, shadowbark) - Seasonal patterns in how the forest "feels"—workers report more unease in autumn - Animal behavior changes (birds won't nest near certain areas, deer avoid specific groves) **About Torvin's Death:** - The location where Torvin died (approximately 2 miles into the Glade, near what was then called the Hollow Thicket) - Description of the corrupted fey that attacked (vine blights and something that might have been a corrupted dryad) - Survivor accounts of trees that "reached" for the workers **About Historical Oakrest:** - Stories of the original Oakrest Wardens - Knowledge of how the village has contracted away from the Glade over generations - Information about families that fled or disappeared over the decades --- ## DM Notes Garrick serves as the voice of working-class Oakrest—practical, frustrated, and fighting to maintain dignity in the face of economic and supernatural threats. He provides grounding in the mundane struggles that exist alongside the magical dangers. **Roleplay Tips:** - Start most conversations with a complaint about Duskwatch - Use practical metaphors drawn from logging and craftsmanship - Show his softer side only in unguarded moments or with trusted individuals - Demonstrate dwarf stubbornness—he doesn't change his mind easily - Let his anger be genuine but not mean-spirited; he's fighting for his people **Plot Integration:** - His maps can provide valuable intelligence about the Glade's expansion - His workers might witness strange events at the forest's edge - Economic pressure from Duskwatch could create political complications for the party - His quest for Torvin's remains offers a personal, emotional sidequest - He represents the "normal" people affected by the grand conflicts **Development Opportunities:** - Finding Torvin's remains could provide closure and soften his anger - Helping him against Duskwatch schemes could earn a powerful ally - Discovering the source of the Glade's expansion could validate his maps and concerns - Reconciliation with his family could be a touching character arc - Having to evacuate Oakrest due to Glade expansion would force devastating choices **Economic Plot Hooks:** Garrick's position makes him central to Oakrest's survival: - If the mill fails, Oakrest's economy collapses - If Duskwatch gains control, Oakrest loses autonomy - If the Glade consumes the logging zones, the village is finished - His knowledge of trade routes and commerce can aid party logistics Use Garrick to remind players that heroic adventures have economic consequences for real people trying to make a living.