## Grumthar the Barbarian **Race**: Orc **Class**: Barbarian **Clan**: Ironfurrow **Background**: Farming **Alignment**: Neutral Good **Role**: Frontline warrior, survivor of lightning and loss --- ### Overview Grumthar Ironfurrow stands tall and broad-shouldered, his physique hardened by farm labor and war. His skin is earthy green with a touch of sun-scorched brown, and his long black hair is bound in warrior’s braids. Across his chest and arms are faded burn scars from a lightning strike. He wears a weathered fur-lined cloak over simple chain and leather armor, with a battered longsword and chipped battleaxe strapped to his back. His expression is stoic, and his storm-grey eyes are intense—fixed forward as if surveying a battlefield. Around his neck hangs a silver clasp shaped like a crescent fang with a green jasper stone. --- ### Early Life Born the fifth of nine children in a large, modest home, Grumthar enjoyed a quiet, honest upbringing. His parents raised him with hard-earned values and the rhythms of the land. He lived simply, surrounded by close friends and fertile fields—until the lightning came. While tending the clan’s fields, Grumthar was struck by a bolt of lightning. During the storm, in a vision half-dream, half-revelation, his grandfather’s voice echoed: “Grumthar, you are more than you are.” When he awoke, he was different. A primal fury simmered in his soul—one that could no longer be contained by furrows and harvests. --- ### The Call to War Grumthar joined the warband of War Chief [[Urgan Tryce]], a legendary orc commander. There, he proved himself a brutal and dependable warrior. Among the fire and blood, he met **[[Sela]] Groatfang**, a lithe and sharp-eyed orc ranger. Together they fought, bled, and survived countless battles. Over time, they grew close—never lovers, never declared—yet bound by a deep, unspoken connection. In his 30th year, when **King [[King Gorath|Gorath]]** called his people to arms against [[Anam|the Withered One]] in the Valley of Ketaca, Grumthar did not hesitate. Against his father’s wishes, he took up his grandfather’s sword and axe—relics of a life his father had tried to forget—and answered the call. --- ### The Ambush at Skar Hollow It was in Skar Hollow, a ravine riddled with Withered horrors, that [[Sela]] vanished. While scouting ahead, she discovered a force of necrotic beasts led by a shadowed figure. In the brutal skirmish that followed, a pulse of dark energy shattered the battlefield. [[Sela]] fell to the depths of the chasm, dragging her enemies with her. Her body was never recovered. Only her cloak was found, caught on a broken pike. Grumthar keeps the clasp of [[Sela]]’s cloak—a silver crescent fang inscribed with Old Orcish runes and inlaid with green jasper—close to his heart. It is all he has left of her. Grumthar remained with Tryce for a time, but the fire within had changed. With honor, he requested leave and searched the valley alone for over a year. When hope dimmed, he returned to **King [[King Gorath|Gorath]]** and asked for a new path. The king has now sent him—to The Ruins of the Dead. --- ### Legacy and Lineage #### Ragivuh Ironfurrow — Grumthar’s Grandfather Ragivuh was a veteran of the old wars, known for the jagged scar over his left eye and his strange affection for his pet turtle, Rexy. Grumthar remembers little—Ragivuh died when he was young—but the tales live on. His father resented the legacy of blood and vowed never to follow it. Grumthar, however, carries it forward, not in spite of the past, but to honor it. Runes are etched into the blade of Ragivuh’s axe and sword, and the pommel of each is accentuated by gems. The purpose of the runes and the gems remains a mystery to Grumthar. --- ### Grumthar’s Weapons #### [[Stormgouge]] (Battleaxe) _A tribute to the lightning that awakened Grumthar’s rage._ - Weapon (battleaxe), rare (requires attunement) - When raging, [[Stormgouge]] deals an additional 1d4 lightning damage on hit. - Once per rage, Grumthar can invoke _[[Stormgouge]]’s Bite_, causing lightning to arc between up to 3 enemies within 10 feet of the target. Each must succeed a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 lightning damage (half on success). - Deals +1 to attack and damage rolls. #### [[Artifacts and Magic Items/Darklands/Whisperfang|Whisperfang]] (Longsword) _A blade that saps the will of its foes._ - Weapon (longsword), rare (requires attunement) - On a critical hit, the target must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on their next attack roll and ability check before the end of their next turn. - Once per long rest, Grumthar may cast _Dissonant Whispers_ (2nd-level, DC 14) through the blade. - Deals +1 to attack and damage rolls. ## **Highlights** ## **Physical Description** - Tall, broad-shouldered, built from years of farm labor - Thick arms and calloused hands from plow work - Hide marked by sun, dirt, and the scars of constant toil - Wears simple farming garb, often stained with soil - After the storm vision, he carries a subtle aura of change—something awakened --- ## **Personality Traits** **Strengths:** - Tireless work ethic - Deep loyalty to family and clan - Fierce determination - Natural physical power - Emotional honesty once his guard lowers **Flaws:** - Stubborn to the point of danger - Quick to anger - Struggles with pride - Makes impulsive choices when frustrated - Has difficulty reconciling inner conflict **Core Conflict:** Grumthar wrestles between the life he was raised for (family, field, responsibility) and the life he was _called_ to (battle, destiny, ancestral legacy). --- ## **Family & Clan Dynamics** ### **Father** - Stalwart, hardworking, emotionally guarded - Bears deep resentment toward his own father, Ragivuh - Values home and family over glory - Loves Grumthar but struggles to express it - Gives him the final blessing in the warrior’s forearm grip: _“Don’t die.”_ ### **Mother** - Loving and steady - Represents the home Grumthar will always long for ### **Siblings** - Numerous, lively, and deeply bonded - Grumthar is protective of them - His eldest sister cared for him during his three-day fevered sleep --- ## **Ancestor: Ragivuh Ironfurrow** A legendary warrior, scarred and mighty, remembered differently by each generation: - **To Grumthar:** a joyful grandfather who wrestled him, laughed loudly, and kept a Grathûl turtle named Rexy - **To Father:** a man who abandoned his family for war - **To the clan:** a hero of great renown Ragivuh’s death and funeral shaped Grumthar’s understanding of clan honor. His storm vision reveals Ragivuh’s desire for his grandson to reclaim the warrior legacy. --- ## **The Storm Vision — Catalyst of Destiny** During a violent storm, Grumthar experienced: - A near-death collapse at the pond - A vision of Ragivuh sitting beside him - A parable of the Grathûl turtle (a symbol of purpose within nature’s cycle) - A declaration: _“You are no turtle. You are meant for more.”_ - A command to uncover hidden weapons beneath the barn - The proclamation that Grumthar must plow **not soil**, but **the world** This marks the turning point of his life. --- ## **The Hidden Weapons** Found beneath the barn floorboards after the vision: ### **Stormgouge** A massive battleaxe carved with runes of fury, quenched in giant’s blood. ### **Whisperfang** A silent, swift longsword meant for finishing blows and cutting thoughts before breath. Both belonged to Ragivuh, hidden away after a life of war so that future Ironfurrows might choose differently. Grumthar chose destiny. --- ## **The Turtle Symbolism** The Grathûl turtle embodies the cycle of life and the role each being plays. In the story: - One appears before the storm - Another leads Grumthar to the hidden boards - They represent patience, wisdom, and the natural order - They contrast with Grumthar’s fiery nature, highlighting the path he _should_ follow, not necessarily the one he wants --- ## **Themes of Grumthar’s Story** - **Legacy vs. Family** He stands between the legacy of Ragivuh and the loving stability his father built. - **Destiny vs. Duty** He must choose between tending the fields or answering a supernatural calling. - **Anger vs. Patience** His life is shaped by emotional outbursts and the consequences they bring. - **The Circle of Life** Gonosh’s teachings—everything has its place—become the heart of his journey. --- ## **Turning Point: Leaving the Ironfurrow Farm** After weeks of work, a broken plow, a storm, three days unconscious, and a vision, Grumthar: 1. Repairs himself and the barn 2. Retrieves his grandfather’s weapons 3. Packs a small bundle of belongings 4. Says quiet farewells 5. Faces Father one last time With the morning sun rising, he leaves the furrows behind to forge a warrior’s path. This moment transforms him from farmhand to adventure-bound initiate of his clan’s forgotten legacy. --- ## **Summary Statement for Wiki** **Grumthar Ironfurrow is a farm-born orc chosen by destiny, marked by a storm and guided by the spirit of his warrior-grandfather. Raised in the furrows yet called to battle, he carries the weight of family duty, generational wounds, and ancestral expectation. With Stormgouge and Whisperfang at his side, Grumthar leaves behind the simple life of soil to forge his place in Gonosh’s Circle of Life.**