Standing 4’7” tall, Hymguard Lothbrook embodies the enduring strength and density of the dwarven race. His frame is built thick and solid — all squared muscle and endurance layered beneath a lifetime of forge-scars and soot. His chest and arms are massive, forged by centuries of hammering anvil steel and wrestling molten ore into masterpieces. His shoulders are like anvils themselves, rounded and unyielding, while his back bears the slow bend of time, though pride keeps him from ever slouching. His gait is firm, deliberate — a craftsman’s rhythm, the slow, heavy walk of a man who carries more than his share of ghosts.

Every inch of Hymguard’s skin tells a story. His forearms and chest are marked with navy-blue tribal tattoos from his home kingdom, the Stoneheart Holds, ancient designs symbolizing unity between dwarves and the forge-spirits they revere. Each line curls and knots like molten rivers, representing his family’s lineage of smiths that stretches back before the founding of Calthera itself.

Overlaying those tribal marks are faded dwarvish runes and smithing sigils, once bright cobalt, now dulled to steel gray. His right shoulder bears a circular burn brand — the insignia of his former adventuring guild, seared into his skin the day he forged his first Diamond-Tier relic. His hands are thick and scar-corded, the palms calloused so heavily that they feel more like hammered leather than flesh.

Despite age’s creeping toll, his movements are still steady and precise. Even when his joints ache or his eyes fail him, his hands never tremble when he forges.

Hymguard’s face is as chiseled as the stone halls he once called home — lined, rough, and soot-smudged with the permanence of labor. A broad salt-and-pepper beard, tangled and graying unevenly, frames his jaw and is loosely braided near the chin. His mustache forms proud handlebar curls, waxed slightly upward, giving him a stern but oddly endearing look.

His eyes, once a warm and earthy brown, are now clouding into a pale gray-brown, a slow descent into blindness. The light of the forge still reflects in them faintly, as if the embers of his craft refuse to fade entirely. His hair, still thick and long, is dyed jet black — the color his late wife adored. It’s worn in his signature loop-tail style, drawn down to the small of his back before looping upward and tied to his head with a charred red ribbon — her ribbon, singed during the dungeon raid that claimed her life.

He never speaks of the ribbon’s state, nor of that day.

• Looped black hair tied with his late wife’s charred red ribbon, the most personal relic he possesses.
  
• Navy-blue tribal tattoos across his arms, shoulders, and back — markings from the Stoneheart Holds, denoting his royal smithing bloodline.

• Gray-brown, fading eyes, clouded from oncoming blindness.
  
• Faded dwarvish smithing runes and burn-brand guild insignia on his right shoulder.
  
• Worn leather apron and chaps, permanently scorched and gashed from centuries of forging, yet somehow never fully cut through — rumored to have absorbed trace enchantments from decades of Diamond-tier crafting.

• Frequently stumbles into tables or tools due to his fading eyesight, though he’ll bark and deny it if anyone points it out.
  
• Uses the dwarvish slang “Walabe” (jackass/stupid) whenever he’s irritated, teasing, or bluntly honest — a phrase passed down from his father and grandfather.
  
• When thinking deeply, he unconsciously taps rhythms with his thumb, mimicking a forge hammer’s beat.
  
• His hands twitch subtly when idle, recalling the ghost weight of his tools.
  
• When emotional or uneasy, he adjusts or touches his red ribbon, grounding himself in the memory of his wife.
  
• When proud of a finished piece, he always mutters, “Still got it, old man,” under his breath before letting anyone else touch it.

Blessing of Hephaestus — “The Divine Mechanism”

• Domain:
• The Eternal Smith • Flame, Metal, and Endurance Hephaestus’ flame isn’t for war — it’s for those who refuse to stop crafting even while bleeding. 
• His chosen are living forges, able to hammer their will into the world mid-battle.
• Living Forge:
• As an action, reshape or repair non-magical weapons or armor within 5 ft, restoring 1d8 + proficiency bonus HP to the item or undoing armor damage mid-combat.
• Enduring Embers:
• Gain resistance to fire and nonmagical bludgeoning damage while wielding a weapon or tool you forged.
• Creator’s Endurance:
• When crafting, imbue a weapon or armor with one temporary enchantment that lasts until your next long rest (e.g., +1 to hit, +1 AC, or minor elemental damage). You may maintain only one enhancement at a time.
• Forge Momentum: 
• When taking the Attack action, you can replace one attack to heat your weapon— the next hit deals +1d8 fire damage and ignores resistance

Blessing of Vulcan — “The Infernal Design”

• Domain: 
• Volcano, Innovation, and Destruction Vulcan’s blessing is a controlled detonation. His chosen weaponized creation itself — tools, traps, and combustion. Where Hephaestus refines, Vulcan explodes.
• Combustive Genius:
• Convert scrap, metal, or mana crystals into a bomb as a bonus action (DC = 8 + prof + INT). 10-ft radius explosion; 3d8 fire damage (Dex save half). Uses/day = INT modifier (min 1).
• Volcanic Core:
• When below half HP, emit a blast of heat — enemies within 10 ft take 1d6 fire damage. (Once per long rest.)
• Furnace of Fury:
• When crafting weapons or siege devices, your creations deal +1d4 fire or force damage
• when used by you or your allies.
• Magmatic Flow: 
• Channel your flame through tools or hammers, turning them into weapons dealing 1d10 fire damage for 1 minute (1/short rest).
• Blessing of Brokkr — “The Iron Artisan”
• Domain:
•  Challenge, Competition, and Unbreakable Craft Brokkr’s blessing is raw, industrial mastery — the act of fighting while crafting, forging under pressure, hammering through chaos. He grants the perfection of motion and metal alike.
• Rivalsmith’s Edge: 
• Gain +2 bonus to attack rolls made with weapons you personally forged or repaired.
• Forge Flow: 
• During a short rest, you can repair or enhance an ally’s gear, granting +1 AC or +1 attack rolls until their next long rest.
• Steel Will: 
• When damage would knock you unconscious, make a Constitution save (DC = 10 + damage). On success, stay at 1 HP and gain advantage on your next melee attack (1/long rest).
• The Dwarven Tempo: 
• Use your reaction to parry with a crafting tool, gaining +2 AC against one attack.

 Blessing of Sindri — “The Artisan’s Soul”

• Domain: 
• Precision, Aesthetics, and Golden Perfection Sindri’s blessing gives perfect synergy between elegance and efficiency. His chosen create beauty that kills, art that protects, and refinement that inspires.
• Refined Craft: 
• When you forge or repair an item, roll a d20. On 18+, it becomes a Masterwork (+1 AC, +1 attack, or +1d4 damage).
• Grace of the Golden Hand: 
• Gain expertise in one type of Artisan’s Tools of your choice.
• Immaculate Design: 
• Summon ethereal, golden tools as a bonus action for 1 hour. They grant +2 bonus to crafting and Sleight of Hand checks.
• Resonant Beauty: 
• Allies wielding or wearing your crafted equipment gain +1 on saving throws while within 30 ft of you.■■ Synergy of the Four Smiths If a mortal bears the blessing of more than one Forge God, the divine craftsmanship within them collides:
• At dawn, roll a d4 to determine which forge’s influence dominates for the day:
• 1. Hephaestus — Endurance; gain resistance to fire for the day.
• 2. Vulcan — Aggression; weapon attacks deal +1d6 fire damage.
• 3. Brokkr — Precision; gain +1 AC and advantage on tool checks.
• 4. Sindri — Refinement; allies using your creations gain +1 to hit

The Master’s Set of Hymguard Lothbrook

• Rarity: 
• Legendary
• Attunement:
•  Requires attunement by a creature proficient with Smith’s Tools or possessing at least one Artisan’s Specialty.

1. Shirt of the Eternal Forge

• “When you’ve stood at the heart of a volcano to quench a blade, you stop worrying about the heat.”
• Description: 
• A soot-stained undershirt woven from fire-spider silk and infused with powdered salamander scales. 
• Despite its ragged look, it radiates faint warmth and never burns, even in dragonfire.
  
  
• Properties:
• Immunity to Fire Damage.
• Resistance to Slashing and Piercing Damage.
• Forge’s Endurance: 
• You gain advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration or resist exhaustion caused by heat, long work hours, or molten exposure.
• Living Fabric: 
• The shirt automatically repairs minor tears and burns at dawn, hissing softly as the fibers knit themselves.

2. The Apron of Enduring Flame

• “There are things even dragons can’t cut through — this is one of them.”
• Description: 
• A thick, rune-engraved dwarven leather apron made from the hide of an elder magma drake. Its surface bears deep slashes and burns from centuries of work, none of which ever pierced through.
  
  
• Properties:
• Near Immunity to Slashing & Piercing Damage: 
• Reduces any slashing or piercing damage taken by 90% (rounded down).
• Fireproof Barrier: 
• Hymguard cannot be set ablaze or suffer from ambient heat while wearing this apron.
• Anvil’s Blessing: 
• When crafting, Hymguard can channel divine forge energy to instantly harden metal or imbue magic into an item without the need for cooling.
• Heat of the Ancestors (Recharge 1 Long Rest): 

Once per day, Hymguard can radiate the heat of the Eternal Forge — flames surge harmlessly around him for 1 minute, granting advantage on all Smith’s Tools checks and disadvantage to any creature trying to attack him in melee.

3. The Rings of the Forgemaster (Set of 5)

• “A precaution, not vanity. Each one’s saved me more times than I’d admit.”
• Description:
•  Five rune-inscribed gold bands set with small fragments of enchanted forge crystals, worn across one hand. Each glows faintly when their protective magic activates.
• Properties (Shared Cooldown):
• Forged Barriers (5 Charges): 
• When Hymguard takes damage, one ring activates, creating a shimmering shield of molten metal. Each barrier grants temporary hit points equal to 30 + Hymguard’s proficiency bonus and lasts for 1 minute.
• Each ring can trigger once, and all recharge after a long rest.
• Layered Forging: 
• When two or more rings are active simultaneously, Hymguard gains immunity to critical hits until the barriers expire.
• Soul of the Forge: 

While at least one ring remains unused, Hymguard cannot be charmed or frightened.

4. Ironweave Pants of Precision

• “Comfort’s important, aye — but so is not catchin’ fire mid-swing.”
• Description: 
• Woven from heat-treated adamantine threads, these pants move freely despite their weight. Embroidered in faint dwarvish runes representing focus and stability.
• Properties:
• Perfect Balance: 
• Hymguard cannot be knocked prone or displaced by nonmagical means.
• Craftsman’s Focus:
•  Advantage on all Dexterity and Strength checks related to blacksmithing, gem-setting, or crafting.
• Molten Comfort:
•  Immune to environmental discomforts from temperature, smoke, and soot.
• Runic Precision: 

5. Boots of the Hearth-Rooted

• “Even the gods of smithing need steady footing.”
• Description: 
• Heavy dwarven boots reinforced with silversteel soles, engraved with runes of grounding and resonance. They pulse faintly when near heat or magic-infused material.
  
  
• Properties:
• Unyielding Stance:
•  While standing on solid ground, Hymguard cannot be moved or knocked back against his will.
• Ancestral Anchoring: 
• His steps create faint echoes of hammer-strikes — comforting to allies, unsettling to those with ill intent.
• Artisan’s Rhythm: 
• Once per short rest, Hymguard may enter a “forge trance” for 10 minutes — doubling his crafting speed and guaranteeing no failed rolls during that time.
• Kindled Steps: 
• Immune to heated or molten terrain effects.
  

Full Set Bonus — “Forgefather’s Legacy”

• When Hymguard wears all five pieces, his mastery over craft transcends mortal limits.
• Forge’s Divinity:
•  Hymguard’s creations are automatically considered masterwork-grade and gain one additional magical property of his choosing (subject to DM approval).
• Soul of Creation:
• His forges burn with divine flame; any item he forges or repairs is instantly resistant to fire, corrosion, and decay.
  
  
• Aura of the Hearth: 
• Allies within 10 feet gain resistance to fire and slashing damage as long as they remain near him.
• Immortal Craft: 
•  Hymguard’s tools cannot break or dull while he lives. Upon his death, they cool permanently — becoming relics of the Eternal Forge.