Hesk “Ironback” Dornal
(a.k.a. The Shield of the Roads)
Hesk Dornal was born in the throp of Krarzeg, where the mountains of Kragthor flatten into long grass valleys and stone plains. His people — humans with traces of old goliath ancestry — were caravan guards, road wardens, and mercenaries-for-hire. They built no walls, no cities, only wayposts: fortified rest stops along the trading roads where travelers could find food, fire, and a night without fear.
During the Proxy Wars in Technara, his people was hired by both sides at different times — a decision that eventually disgusted him. The turning point came when an Adheath refugee caravan (later revealed to include Torren Wicks’ family) was caught between warring factions. Hesk defied his contract, broke rank, and led the Ironbacks in protecting the refugees instead. They were branded deserters and hunted for it.
Loryn Trav found him years later, living as a warden for a small border settlement at the Bridge of Chuldriz. The two shared a single night’s conversation — about routes, survival, and responsibility — before Hesk agreed to join the newly formed Wayfarer’s Guild.
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