Korgoth Stonehand

Race: Goliath
Class: Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager archetype)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Homeland: Mindspin Mountains (bordering Numeria)
Current Residence: Torch, Numeria

Appearance:
Korgoth is a walking mountain of muscle and resilience, embodying the raw strength and endurance of his Goliath heritage. Standing well over seven and a half feet tall, his frame is incredibly broad and densely muscled, built for hardship and conflict. His skin is the characteristic grey of his people, mottled like weathered granite and crisscrossed with a network of thick, pale scars – souvenirs from countless battles and harsh survival.

His head is completely bald, revealing the strong, bony structure of his skull. Covering his scalp, neck, shoulders, and much of his upper arms are intricate, deep blue tattoos. Unlike the swirling patterns often seen on Kellids, Korgoth's tattoos are starkly geometric, featuring sharp angles, thick lines, and dense blocks of color, depicting stylized mountain peaks, fractured stars, shattered metal, and perhaps abstracted forms of monstrous beasts he has slain or feats of strength he has accomplished – lithoderms marking his personal history.

His face is broad and square-jawed, seemingly carved from rock. His brow is heavy, and his piercing grey eyes, set deep beneath it, miss little, observing the world with an unnerving, unblinking intensity. His expression is habitually blunt, bordering on grim, rarely showing overt emotion beyond occasional flashes of irritation or, even rarer, a gruff sort of approval. A particularly jagged scar runs from his left temple down across his cheekbone.

He wears rugged, practical gear suited for the harsh Numerian environment. Thick, hardened leather forms the base, reinforced with scavenged plates of dark, slightly iridescent skymetal bolted crudely onto the shoulders, chest, and forearms. Furs line the collar and edges for insulation against the cold winds. His attire is functional, prioritizing protection and durability over aesthetics. On his back, strapped securely, rests a massive greataxe. The weapon is clearly of Goliath make – oversized, heavy, and brutally simple in design, though its haft might be wrapped in worn leather and the blade shows nicks and scratches from heavy use, perhaps even flecked with hints of embedded skymetal from repairs or encounters.

Personality:
Korgoth is the personification of bluntness. He speaks plainly, directly, and often with brutal honesty, seeing little point in social niceties, metaphors, or sarcasm – which he invariably fails to understand. He takes everything literally, which can lead to unintentional humor for others and frustration for himself when dealing with more nuanced speakers. He values strength, endurance, and direct action above all else. Weakness is something he observes with a detached sort of pity, while deception or manipulation earns his immediate contempt.

Beneath the granite exterior lies a core forged in loss, though he would never speak of it. This loss fuels his solitary nature and his suspicion of others, particularly outsiders who seem ill-suited to the harsh realities of Numeria. He is fiercely independent and territorial, viewing Torch as his current ground to protect, though his methods are more about eliminating direct threats than community building. He possesses a simple, almost brutal code of honor: speak truth, face challenges head-on, respect strength, and do not betray those few who earn his trust (a feat rarely achieved).

He can be surprisingly observant, noticing details others might miss due to his intense, focused gaze, even if he doesn't always grasp the social implications of what he sees. His reactions are often physical; a perceived threat might be met with a hand tightening on his axe, while confusion might simply result in a prolonged, silent stare. He has little concept of personal space and finds overt displays of emotion perplexing or irritating.

Background:
Korgoth hails from one of the Goliath tribes dwelling in the rugged, unforgiving peaks of the Mindspin Mountains, which form the western border of Numeria. His people were hardy survivalists, accustomed to harsh weather, scarce resources, and the dangers lurking in the high altitudes. They lived a relatively isolated existence, occasionally trading with or raiding lowland settlements, their lives dictated by strength, endurance, and tribal tradition.

Korgoth's early life was marked by the typical trials of a young Goliath warrior – brutal training, hunts for dangerous mountain beasts, and tests of strength against his peers. He excelled, earning his 'Stonehand' moniker for his crushing grip and resilience. His life took a tragic turn when his tribe's mountain stronghold was attacked. It wasn't merely orcs or rival tribes, but monstrous creatures warped by the strange energies bleeding out from Numeria – perhaps beasts mutated by radiation from a nearby skymetal deposit, or horrors drawn from the Darklands by the alien energies. The attack was swift, brutal, and utterly devastating. Korgoth, through sheer ferocity and perhaps luck, was one of the few survivors, but his family, his kin, his entire tribe – were wiped out, their home shattered.

Lost and driven by a grief he couldn't articulate, Korgoth descended from the mountains into the Numerian plains. He drifted for a time before eventually arriving in Torch. The town's focus on strength, metal, and resilience resonated with his nature, and the ever-present danger felt familiar, if different, from the perils of the mountains. He found work leveraging his immense strength – guarding smithies, hauling heavy materials, occasionally acting as muscle for caravans brave or foolish enough to traverse the plains. He keeps to himself mostly, finding lodging in a simple, sparse room, his past a heavy stone he carries in silence.

Motivations & Goals:
Korgoth's primary motivation is simple survival and maintaining his hard-won independence. He seeks to be strong enough to withstand whatever Numeria throws at him. There's likely a deep, buried desire for vengeance against the type of creature or force that destroyed his tribe, though he wouldn't voice it. He aims to earn his keep through strength and live by his straightforward code. He has no grand ambitions beyond enduring and perhaps, one day, finding a death worthy of a Goliath warrior. He protects Torch passively simply because it is where he currently resides, confronting direct threats but showing little interest in its politics or long-term future.