Gar StrongStone, the NonMetalist

As some of you may know, @NewbieDM has started a Basic D&D (OD&D) game via skype with some DM Bloggers (@SarahDarkmagic, @ThadeousC, @Deadorcs, @gamefiend, and @ChattyDM).  The game has evolved, after just one session, into something of a phenomenon, with it’s own website.  Several players have posted backgrounds for their characters online.  Since I am also a part of that game, I figured I would outline my PC’s illustrious past here.  Pardon the interruption in 4e content; I hope you enjoy this at least a little bit.

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Gar StrongStone, Dwarven Swordmaster

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Gar grew up in a small mining village (CreekFoot) at the Base of the Altan Tepe Mountains of Rockhome.  Gar’s father was a well-known miner and metallurgist.  His love of precious metals, skill, and innovative thought lead him to develop pick-axes specialized for different types of metal and stone – making extraction of valuable metals and gems much more efficient.  Gar’s father was revered for this invention, which revolutionized mining operations and made their little village famous throughout Rockhome. The family also became very well-to-do.

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Gar, the youngest of 12 sons, struggled for his father’s attention for most of his life.  While his mother doted on him, his dour father seemed to never have a kind word for the lad.  When he became old enough to become an apprentice miner, Gar resolved to become the “best miner in this whole forsaken mountain range!”  Not only to impress his father, but the rest of the family too.  Unfortunately, Gar lacked the natural talents that his father and brothers possessed and he failed to become proficient at finding and identifying metal ore, gems, and valuable stone.  No one could figure out why he couldn’t seem to get his act together.  His brothers whispered that he didn’t even like rich things.  After months and months of listening to them scoff, Gar admitted to himself: “Truth be told, I really don’t like rich things, maybe that’s why I can’t see them.“

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Eventually, Gar was assigned to the cave-front teams.  These are the lowest prestige digging classes among the  miners, and it was a blow to his ambitions.  Being on a cave-front team means that you simply dig a rough tunnel, under the foreman’s direction, without looking for precious inlays.  This was tough work and Gar became strong in body.  The members of his team all became friends and taught each other how to fight, practicing during lunches and time off.  He became quite proficient with the sparring swords carried by the teams, but made no progress in his desire to find and identify valuable mining products.

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One day, while cutting an especially difficult swatch into the tunnel-head, Gar struck something that felt different.  He couldn’t see anything strange, so he kept on picking at his position until he didn’t feel the strange material anymore.  “Must have been a shale crease” he thought to himself.  A few minutes later, he was stopped by his friend Lohf and told to look behind him.  He looked and saw nothing but bitter rock.  “No,” Lohf said excitedly, “you have found a vein.  Platinum.”  Gar looked and found that he couldn’t distinguish between the rock and the platinum ore. He told Lohf to take credit for finding the vein.

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Ashamed at being metal-blind (a derisive term used by the other dwarves to describe an inept miner), Gar decided to end his career in the mountain.  Not able to look his family in the face, he wrote a note to his mother and left the village.   The note read:

“My Mother, you have given me life and raised me to be a proud dwarf.  I cannot bear to bring you and father the shame of a metal-blind.  I must go and find the thing that can make you all proud.  Do not worry, I will return when I am worthy of the name StrongStone.”

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That night, Gar gathered his few possessions and left his home.  Soon he met up with two other adventurers, Lagos and Chillion.  They struck up an interesting friendship and have traveled together now for some time.  Gar is still searching for the thing to make him worthy of his family.

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I hope you enjoy my blog.  Is there something you wish I would address?  Is there a topic you would like discussed?  Did you use something posted on this site and want to give me feedback about how well it went (or didn’t go)?  Please post a comment and let me know (or send an email to the address below).  If you have an adventure hook you would like me to flesh out and post here, or you have fleshed it out yourself and want it posted, send an email to:

DMSamuel AT IronNeuronEnterprises DOT com

Follow me on twitter: @DMSamuel

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Until next time, I wish you good gaming!

~DM Samuel