As Dragons see the great prophecy, I see the works of the Traveller. --Baruder Mroranon
Raised as most dwarves are in the Mror Holds, to follow the teaching of Kol Korran and the Sovereign Host, Baruder was not a particularly religious Dwarf. In his youth his attention span drifted, learning the crafts of war, smithing, stonework, banking and mining as much as was required, but never finding work that he connected with.
When encountering something unexpected or inexplicable, the Sovereign Host is quick to claim it as the work of the Traveller. These words rang true to Baruder. Early in his lessons as a miner there was a nearly tragic accident. Durnnam Soldurak, a master miner and mentor to Baruder, was giving a tour of a mine after hours, pointing out the support system allowing for excavation of a new seam of iron. While underground they spotted a heap of tools an extra supports strewn about in a side cavern. Every dwarf knows a tidy mine is a safe mine, and such haphazard storage was very unusual; Durnnam and Baruder set themselves to tidy up the mess. No sooner had they entered the side cavern than an explosion rocked the ground and sent gouts of flame speeding along the passage they had been in moments ago. Vision spotty from the violent burst of light, Baruder is sure he saw an unfamiliar dwarf sneak up passage with an extinguished torch. This was the first of many times Baruder saw the Traveller.
The war had once again brought itself too near to the Mror Holds for life to remain uninterrupted. Baruder was drafted into Mroranon's 3rd regiment, The Iron Guard. He worked closely with the medics and learned to set bones and sew up wounds. There was a day near the end of the war where he life changed. The air was cool up in the mountains; The Guard had been stationed along the Karrnathi border. Unable to sleep Baruder was walking around the camp when he spotted an old man hiding along a ridge. The man realised he had been spotted and started to run for it. On impulse Baruder did not call alarm, but gave chase to the old man. He climbed over rocks and ran down gullies with a speed he had never before possessed. He crashed through trees and onto the road leading west toward Irontown. On the road ahead was not an old man, but a boy flying Brelish colours being attacked by a pair of Karrnath's vile undead soldiers. Baruder gave a shout that resonated with power he never before possessed and the skeletal warriors turned to flee from his presence. The boy was dying, beyond the simple healing he had learned to preform over the last few years. As Baruder approached the too still body of the Brelish soldier white lightning started to leap from his fingers. He pressed his hands to the gashes left by the Karrnathi steel and felt them close themselves up without even a scar. The boy awoke. “I bring news from Thronhold” his voice was eager “A treaty's been signed, the war is over!”
The dwarf's heart knew the old man for what he was: The Traveller walks the earth in a thousand disguises; Baruder follows and learns his secrets.
