Social Rank: 8
Concept: Gruff Anvil-Beater
Fealty: Redrain
Family: None
Gender: male
Marital Status: married
Age: 29
Birthday: 7/13
Religion: Shamanism/Pantheon
Vocation: Armorsmith
Height: tall
Hair Color: dark brown
Eye Color: slate gray
Skintone: pale

Description: Marked by stern, craggy features, Dag's face looks like the sort that's more comfortable wearing a frown. Though his skin might once have been fair, exposure to the sun and an assortment of other weathering conditions leaves it darkened and abused. Still, sharp lines and an angled jaw blend together in a somewhat flattering manner even if the latter is covered by a well-groomed beard. Obviously a matter of pride for the man, he keeps it shaped and clean as it blends into the thick mane of hair atop his head. Both obviously started out a chestnut brown, and for the most part they remain so, but exposure to the sun has left its mark, bleaching it until streaks of pale gold layer in with the darker shades. If the state of his hair and skin still left any question as to his history of laborious work, his build should lay to rest any doubts. Thick, corded muscle, broad shoulders, and a dense frame suggest whatever his vocation, it comes with a fair helping of heavy lifting.

Personality: Gruff, short-tempered, and utterly devoted to his craft, Dag sometimes has a hard time building relationships; a fact that doesn't seem to bother him overly much. That said, if someone does manage to crack through his stern exterior, he's loyal to a fault and always willing to lend a helping hand; even if his help tends to come with a liberal dusting of insults and muttered curses. More stubborn than a mule, Dag never compromises his values or ideals, which has often led to friendship-ending fights or trouble with those in possession of misplaced authority. Perhaps the brightest spark in Dag's generally pretty rocky personality is his absolute love for his craft. On the rare few times the man ever really cracks a smile, it's usually caused by genuine praise for his work or appreciation of another's.

Background: Dag was born a poor farmer's son in one of the most inhospitable lands in Arvum: The Northlands. Though his tiny village is on few maps, they were always loyal to House Redrain and the Compact and enjoyed a relative modicum of safety. For most of his life, Dag expected he would always be a farmer, taking on his father's lands when he eventually passed. What he had not anticipated was that his father, exhausted and disillusioned by years of labor for little reward, arranged for his son to be apprenticed to the local blacksmith in an effort to give him a better life. At first Dag was reluctant, but he soon found himself taking to the craft with a passion he had never before experienced. Though tales of heroic knights in impenetrable armor wielding legendary blades against monstrous enemies had never really gripped Dag the way it had other boys his age, he found himself more and more drawn to the idea of being the man who made one of those mythical suits of armor. Dag was soon so enthralled by this dream, he poured himself completely into his work, laboring night and day at his master's forge until, before he knew it, he was a man grown with a formidable knowledge of smithing.

The little village had no need of two blacksmiths so Dag, taking the humble gifts his family and master provided to him, set out to find his own place in the world. His travels took him all over the Northern realms, into mountain strongholds and humble townships similar to his own. Though he traveled a dangerous road, the strength he earned at the anvil proved useful as he learned to wield his hammer not just to create, but to defend himself from bandits and the Abandoned. Along the way he honed his craft, often stopping to lend a hand in forges all over the Northlands to fund his travels. Sometimes he'd spend months at a time out in the wilds, almost always moving forward, seeking secrets of smithing and metalworking anywhere he could find them. Finally, after traversing hundreds of circuitous miles and spending years on the road, he turned his sights towards Arx to finally make a name for himself.