Braddoc Rüdenheim is a young Shield dwarf, just 55 years of age. He lives with his grandfather in a small flat above the blacksmith’s Smithy in the town of Clearwater His clan has been unintentionally un-rooted, for reasons that will become clear later
Braddoc Rüdenheim has family and associates as described in the following sections.
Braddoc Rüdenheim has two surviving family members, although one is missing. His grandfather, Rengaard is an ancient, taciturn old dwarf who regales Braddoc with tales of yore. Braddoc’s elder brother, Delgaard, is the missing member of the family, having left to search for surviving members of the clan. More later
The rest of Braddoc’s immediate family (mother, father and younger sister) were all either killed during the disaster where the clan stronghold was lost, or died of injuries soon after
Braddoc has a trainer in the town of Clearwater, who has been teaching him the art of war. Gort Caranras, a grizzled dwarven Fighter veteran and Clearwater’s Smith has been instructing Braddoc in the techniques of organised war, and the proper use of hammer and tongs!
Braddoc counts Gort amongst his friends. However, he also has a friend in Whitewolf, a human Bard of a barbarian tribe from the far North-West. In addition, the Rüdenheim clan has traded with the people of Clearwater for many decades (they breed sheep).
Likes: Few. The rest… In a word, many. Examples follow.
Braddoc likes the following: Gold and gems, especially crafted into jewelry. He also likes: Ale, dwarf spirits, harmonic dwarven bardic singing (think: Welsh choir), architecture (especially anything on a grand scale: temples and the like), and well-crafted arms and armour.
Braddoc dislikes: Wine (and wine drinkers), elven choirs (all eunuchs!!) forged or simulated jewelry (would offend any dwarf) and any arms or armour enhanced by magic (lazy, and usually showy to the point of unusable).
Like many dwarves, Braddoc has a distinct dislike of magic. However, in Braddoc’s case this may well be slightly pathological when it comes to possession enchantments. Loss of voluntary control due to charm-type spells will almost certainly trigger a ‘rage’ if possession is unsuccessful; or a ‘rage’ as soon as possession ends, if it is successful. It is believed that this reaction is due to Braddoc being forced to murder old and infirm dwarves during the disaster at Rüdenheim stronghold. Braddoc will not discus this matter, so further confirmation is not possible
Dwarves have many traditional foes; the Rüdenheim clan is a very traditional dwarven clan. Braddoc has been known to join up with raiding parties hunting goblins, hobgoblins and orcs. He’s also offered to join in the hunting of bugbears and trolls, amongst others, but has yet to be accepted.
However much Braddoc hates other races, he reserves his most cold-blooded fury for ogres, as it was an army of ogres lead by an ogre mage, who committed the atrocity at the Rüdenheim clan stronghold. However, Braddoc has since discovered (from Rengaard) that it was likely that the ogres were under instruction from a greater evil. That source was known only to come from the Underdark, and Braddoc has sworn to uncover the truth, when he has the wherewithal to survive a journey to the ‘Dark Pits.’
The attack directed from the Underdark on Rüdenheim stronghold may have been aimed at eliminating an elite cadre of dwarves that were suspected of being resistant to magic. It was believed, by surviving members of Rüdenheim, that all these dwarves were killed in the attack. However, in conversation with Whitewolf, Delgaard discovered that some of the older human barbarians had similar abilities (Whitewolf called them ‘Forsakers’). Delgaard promptly set off in search of the missing dwarves, who he believed must have taught the humans. No news of Delgaard has been heard for five years, and it is Braddoc’s wish to search for him as soon as he has either the skills to survive alone, or a group to join up with who is heading in the right direction (north, south, east or west from Clearwater…).