Rurik Stoneforge

Stocky and muscular, with the dense build typical of dwarves. His body shows the hard-earned strength of a forge worker, though softened by years of drink. His stance is slightly stooped, as if carrying invisible burdens.

His skin is a deep coppery tone with ember-like burns and faint scars from old forge accidents and perhaps magical mishaps. His hands are calloused and marked with tiny, old cuts and burn scars—signs of a craftsman and one who has communed with flame. His belly is slightly rounded from years of ale, but his shoulders remain thick and broad. His feet are heavily calloused and often bare when not in armor—marking the Molten Path during pilgrimage. 

A square, heavily lined face with a strong jaw hidden beneath a thick, wiry beard. His nose is crooked from an old break, and his high cheekbones are dusted with soot and ash that never seems to wash away. His eye are one dull gray, the other a flickering ember-orange, unnervingly bright in the dark. When in a trance, it seems to glow.

A long, charred scar runs from his right temple down across his jaw, a mark left by either an accident or a punishment (real or imagined) from The Emberborne. A tattoo of the Eternal Flame—a stylized flame cradled in a hand—curls around his left forearm, partially obscured by burn scars. a dagger-shaped scar burned into his left palm, self-inflicted during a vision where he "received" the Fallen Star. He keeps it bandaged and rarely shows it.

• His hands constantly fidget, whether with the edges of his sleeves, prayer beads, or a drinking flask.
• When in thought, he taps his temple with two fingers—the Peace Sign of The Emberborne.
• Occasionally, in trances, he tilts his head as if listening to voices only he can hear.
• He smells faintly of ash, smoke, and sour ale no matter how much he washes.

Rurik wears simple but durable dwarven attire: a dark brown leather tunic worn soft and shiny from years of use, heavy woolen trousers, and a soot-streaked cloak that smells faintly of burnt herbs. His belt is heavy with tools and charms, including a miniature Fallen Star Dagger and a charred, leather-bound journal stuffed with erratic notes and prophecies. Around his neck hangs a twisted iron pendant in the shape of the Eternal Flame.

Rurik Stoneforge was once the pride of Dur-Kazrath, a mountain village cradled in the volcanic shadows of The Emberwell. Born to a respected family of forge-priests, he exhibited a natural affinity for divine flame and unsettling prophetic insight. Under Elder Vaedrun Flamewake’s rigorous training, he mastered rites of endurance and firecraft, but his visions became dangerously erratic. In a moment of desperate ecstasy, he conducted a sacred Emberborne rite alone, summoning a flame that surged beyond his control. The fire engulfed the village temple and his home, killing his wife Kaela, and his children, Bram and Delra. Rurik survived, burned and burdened by guilt. He marked the ashes with his own scorched footprints—the Molten Path—and vanished into the wilds. Now he wanders, a haunted drunkard cleric called "The Oracle of the Bottle," seeking redemption in prophecy and pain.

Heterosexual, though now emotionally detached. His grief for Kaela, his lost wife, leaves him uninterested in new relationships. He fears emotional attachment, believing it leads only to pain and loss.

Rurik was meticulously trained in the ways of The Emberborne by Elder Vaedrun. His education combined spiritual devotion, rigorous physical trials, and sacred flamecraft, with a deep study of dwarven scripture and the art of deciphering omens. Though his visions grant insight beyond study, he struggles to control their chaotic delivery, often scrawling cryptic messages in soot and ash. His understanding of metallurgy and forging, once a source of pride, now lies abandoned.

Before the tragedy, Rurik was a rising forge-priest, expected to inherit leadership within Dur-Kazrath’s Emberborne temple. Afterward, he abandoned all titles and livelihoods. Now he survives on odd jobs, offering prophecies, blessings, and cryptic guidance to travelers. His notoriety draws both fear and reluctant respect among those who’ve witnessed his prophetic episodes.

• Recognized as a promising cleric of The Emberborne in his youth.
• Some of his drunken prophecies—scrawled in his charred journal—have come horrifyingly true, saving lives or warning of calamities.
• Survived the uncontrolled sacred rite that destroyed much of Dur-Kazrath.

• His ill-prepared sacred rite caused the destruction of his home and the death of his family.
• His erratic prophecies, sometimes mistaken or misinterpreted, have caused panic or mistrust.
• Once drunkenly declared a village fire to be “divine judgment” when it was started by an overturned lantern.

Rurik is tormented by the knowledge that his hubris and desperation for answers cost his family’s lives. His dreams are consumed by visions of fire, ash, and judgment, which blur with waking nightmares. The sound of crackling flames triggers panic or trance states, and he fears his own hands, once tools of creation, now marked with destruction. His reliance on alcohol is both a shield and a poison, a way to quiet the guilt and silence the voices he cannot escape.

• Intuitive and perceptive in reading omens and interpreting the movements of fire.
• Chaotic thinker, prone to bursts of insight and long stretches of drunken confusion.
• Limited literacy but strong oral memory of rites and prophecies.
• Once methodical and disciplined in his craft, now erratic and disheveled.

Rurik believes pain is a forge, not a punishment—the doctrine of The Emberborne. He seeks to embody this belief, accepting his suffering as the price for divine connection. His sense of morality is rooted in self-sacrifice and the hope of redemption, even if it costs his life. He is deeply mistrustful of secular authorities, believing only the flame’s judgment is pure. While he seeks to do good, he has a fatalistic streak and sees some suffering as unavoidable or even necessary.

• Refuses to forge anything of significance again, believing his craft is cursed.
• Avoids extinguishing ceremonial flames, viewing it as sacrilege.
• Cannot return to Dur-Kazrath or face his surviving kin.
• Will not knowingly spread false prophecy, no matter how tempting.

Short-Term Goal

“Prove one prophecy true—on purpose.”
He wants to intentionally act on one of the visions in his journal and stop a disaster before it happens. He’s tired of being the madman after the fact.

 Mid-Term Goal

“Atone for his family’s death by saving another.”
Whether it's a child in danger, a town on the brink, or a fellow prophet spiraling toward ruin, he seeks someone to save—as if by doing so, he can rewrite history. But no act of salvation ever feels like enough.

 Long-Term Goal

“Find the Flame of Origin—a mythic ember said to speak directly with The Emberborne.”
He believes if he finds this holy flame, it will give him clarity, absolution, or even a way to see his family again. Others think it’s a legend—or that he’s chasing smoke. He’s willing to burn the world to find it.

Savvies:

• Interpreting omens in flames, smoke, or patterns.
• Performing sacred Emberborne rites, especially under pressure.
• Comforting those in grief or fear—his haunted demeanor lends unexpected authority.
• Reading subtle shifts in behavior or the environment, sensing danger.

Ineptitudes:

• Formal diplomacy—Rurik’s blunt honesty and erratic nature alienate many.
• Maintaining sobriety or clear focus in times of stress.
• Craftsmanship or metallurgy—though once skilled, he refuses to forge.
• Handling money or managing resources—he spends recklessly and often loses supplies.

Likes:

• The crackle of a controlled forge fire or campfire.
• The faint warmth of sunrise over mountains.
• Strong drink (specifically harsh dwarven spirits).
• Honest conversations, even when painful.
• Symbols of The Emberborne, especially the Molten Path and the Eternal Flame.

Dislikes:

• Crowded places or noisy taverns—he prefers solitude or small groups.
• Bureaucrats, corrupt priests, or those who exploit faith.
• Cold, wet environments where fire struggles to burn.
• Forced sobriety or sanctimonious “reformers.”
• The sight of abandoned or broken forges.

• Resilient: Despite physical and emotional wounds, Rurik endures.
• Intensely Loyal: To those he deems worthy of trust, he offers unwavering support.
• Brutally Honest: His words are raw but rarely false.
• Deeply Faithful: His belief in The Emberborne’s doctrine gives him a powerful spiritual anchor.

• Alcohol Dependence: He drinks to silence visions and dull guilt.
• Self-Destructive: He’s willing to suffer harm or make reckless choices if he believes it serves his faith or atonement.
• Haunted: Nightmares, fugue states, and sudden panic attacks can overwhelm him.
• Cynical: While loyal to his beliefs, he often speaks with bitterness and distrust.
• Grieving: His sorrow over Kaela, Bram, and Delra keeps him emotionally closed.

• Talks to flames as if they respond, often whispering to candles or campfires.
• Traces ash spirals absentmindedly while thinking or praying.
• Finger-taps his burnt leather journal when agitated.
• Mumbles prayers under his breath, especially when scared or uncertain.
• Pauses to check shadows before speaking, as if listening for an unseen voice.

Rurik is unkempt and soot-streaked, with ash-stained hands, a singed beard, and burned, calloused feet. His clothing smells of smoke and stale spirits. While he neglects cleanliness, his personal rituals around flame (such as washing his hands in ash and whispering prayers) show a lingering respect for sacredness.

• Elder Vaedrun Flamewake: His former mentor in Dur-Kazrath, devout but distant. Rurik’s failure brought shame to Vaedrun, who may seek to reclaim or punish him.
• Kaela Stoneforge (Deceased): His late wife, a healer known for her quiet wisdom. Her memory haunts him; sometimes he mutters conversations with her ghost.
• Bram & Delra (Deceased): His children. Rurik rarely speaks their names, but their loss defines his grief.
• Kurrik Stoneforge – Cousin who survived and now resents him.
• “The Ashwatchers”: A secretive order of Emberborne zealots who might view Rurik as a dangerous heretic—or a hidden asset.

The Stoneforge family was once respected in Dur-Kazrath, but most were lost in the fire. Any distant kin may view Rurik with pity—or fear that his madness is contagious.

• Faith: Unshaken belief in The Emberborne’s doctrine: suffering and endurance forge true purpose.
• Guilt: Believes his missteps were both personal failures and divine trials.
• Rituals: Despite his ragged appearance, he meticulously observes Emberborne prayers, especially marking ground with ash and speaking to fire.
• Conflict: Struggles with whether his prophecies are gifts or curses, blessings or punishments.

• Rurik is a social enigma—intensely awkward, muttering riddles and strange truths. He’s often shunned, though some seek his words in desperation.
• He’s unexpectedly gentle with children and the broken, showing flashes of his former self as a devoted father and healer’s husband.

• Tilts his head as if listening to something only he can hear.
• Traces symbols in ash or dirt with his finger absentmindedly.
• Talks to flames as if they answer.
• Worries his charred journal constantly—stroking it, clutching it to his chest.
• Often hums disjointed hymns of The Emberborne under his breath.

• No pets, though he sometimes leaves offerings for stray animals, murmuring blessings.
• Hobbies: Sketches in soot or charred charcoal; scrawls maps of places he’s never been, sometimes prophetic.

• Deep, gravelly voice with a rasp, likely from inhaling smoke during the fire.
• His speech fluctuates: it can be measured and reverent during rituals or slurred and cryptic when drunk or burdened by visions.
• Favorite words: “Ash,” “flame,” “ember,” “forged,” “burden.”
• Occasionally slips into Dwarvish phrases, especially when muttering prayers or during stress.

• Almost none. Rurik survives through barter, alms, and the occasional coin from adventurers who want his “visions.” His charred journal and an old prayer token are his most valuable possessions.