hector dorf

He's a dwarf barbarian whose earliest memory is of a cave filled with small lizards. His nourishment was the
fungus on the walls, the rain streaming in from the only entrance - a tiny hole in the ceiling, just large enough
for a baby - and the bodies of the lizards that had succumbed to death. He lived in this cave for years,
constantly in a state of unstable depression, mania, and fury. All of the lizards had family that they would
cling to in times of crisis, when horrible sounds emanated from the depths of his cave, when predatory animals
dropped in from above seeking a fresh meal, when his own hunger overtook his pathetic scraps of sanity and
self-control. But he was alone. Even some outside animals looked like one another, but not him. He was truly,
utterly, alone. This loneliness helped fuel a desire to grow, to leave the cave and search the world outside
for others like him. He knew there had to be a world above, but what would it be like? All he knew of it was
that there were dangerous predators - predators he had slain, sure, but predators nonetheless. So he fought.
He fought the lizards crawling around aimlessly in the cave. He fought the predators and foreign animals that
entered his world of carnage and growth. He fought the stalagmites, frail as they were, and bloodied his fists
until they gave way. He fought the unfeeling stone walls, chipping away steadily, day by day, generation of
lizards by generation, until his arms ached with power, until his fists were as the walls themselves.

On the day of his exodus, he looked out at his family in a rare moment of clarity. From his perch upon the
tall, rounded stalagmite that had claimed the lives of so many animals dropping in from above, he could see just
about every member, and every family. They had no names. He had no words for how he felt, or what he wanted to
say. He only hoped that his family - the only one he had ever known - would forgive him for his transgressions,
and prosper in their home until he returned. Heavy-hearted, he prised stone free from the walls until he had
amassed enough to build his way out of his home. With one last look at his old life, he effortlessly climbed
the pillar leading to his new life and gazed upon the world above for the first time.

His first realization was that the entire world was as bright as the brightest his home had ever been, and
then infinitely moreso. Clutching his eyes protectively, he scrambled under a nearby tree and waited there.
When the sun had gone down, turning the world a more bearable shade of light, he began traveling. He didn't
know where he was going, or what he'd find up above. His resolve wavered some days, as he tried to sleep under
whatever cover he could find. He sometimes feared being truly alone, forever, since he had abandoned his first
family. His mind clouded with fear, pain, and regret, though he didn't know the words. Finally, after so long
in the fire of despair, he found his salvation - a small cluster of buildings. Tall, alien bipeds walked
between them, sometimes stopping to pick things up or make noise. He approached warily, not knowing whether they
would attempt to fight. One of the creatures spotted him and stopped, staring in wonder. His approach slowed to
crawling speed, as yet more fear and doubt speared the dwarf's mind. After an eternity of getting closer and
closer, he reached out to the other creature and tentatively grabbed its leg. It recoiled slightly at his touch.
The creature bent down to make itself as tall as the dwarf, and made strange noises. He could only stare in
response.

The creature came to take the dwarf into its home. The dwarf never came near any other creatures, and was out of
his building only rarely. As time passed, the dwarf learned many new things - the walls of the building, for
example, were not to be treated as the walls of his old home. He was gifted by his new family with a band of
black cloth to keep around his eyes, which would allow him to venture outside during bright hours. He was given
cloth to put on his entire body, which would allow him to be near the other creatures. He learned the language
of the creatures slowly, and befriended one other, who said they could help him find his family. He was told to
become stronger, so he could journey on his own. He was told to assume the standard of another creature, so he
could blend in among others like him. With the new creature's help, his fists became as dense and tough as
granite, and he adopted a member of his old family as his guide. The new creature outfitted him with tough
woven rags, light enough to allow powerful punches, but tough enough to withstand the wear and tear of
adventure. The back bore an insignia of his old family, a powerful lizard. With his twinned, natural weapons, and
the strength of his lizard family guiding him, the dwarf set out once more on his own, in perpetual search of his
own blood family.