Gorten of Clan Dohlan grew up quickly in the mines of Rhul, where he discovered early his inherent ability to wield the magic of earth and stone. His clan, a storied family of ore-smithing miners, saw great potential in the young dwarf, and Gorten found increasing tools and manpower at his disposal as he swiftly ascended the hierarchy of the Grundback mining conglomerate to which his clan belonged.
When Gorten began commissioning mining steamjacks to further his work, he also uncovered an affinity for the arcane energies associated with mechanika, which he honed during his trade expeditions with the dwarves of Llael and Khador. Tapping into the machines’ every vibration—from the deep resonance created in their multiton steps to the delicate frequencies within their cortexes— Gorten learned to command them just as he could the tremors of the earth itself.
One day Gorten had a revelation: he was meant to be a warcaster. Having heard tales among men and dwarves about the great honor and glory of those who can wield such magic in battle, he decided to leave the mining life behind. He turned the foremanship of his mines over to his nephew, gathered a few of his personal steamjacks, and ventured forth to become one of the few Rhulic warcasters in the Iron Kingdoms. For a while, he lived as any mercenary does—sometimes his coffers were full and his tankards overflowing, while at other times he had barely a scrap to speak of—but after proving the worth of his warjacks a time or two, his services became highly regarded by those able to afford them. His reputation and expert use of their ’jacks even earned him enough respect from the Grundback clan and they elevated him to full clan standing, letting him adopt their name.
Gorten brings a mighty command of stone and earth to the battlefield. At his call, walls of rock will rise from nowhere, molten ore will slag his enemies, or allies will become rooted to the ground so that nothing short of death can move them. He can even focus his will to send a gigantic landslide of stone and soil careening through enemy ranks while leaving his allies virtually untouched.
Gorten’s combat abilities are every bit as remarkable as his powerful and relentless magic. Physically, the dwarf is a block of armored muscle, plodding through battle to close with Forgefather, a mechanikal maul tempered to withstand terrible impacts and counterbalanced to add titanic force to its blows. If he faces foes too cowardly to meet him in battle, he also carries a double-barreled Stoneground pistol modified to his specifications. Gorten Grundback is a skilled technician, a masterful manipulator of geo-elements, and a proud and mighty Rhulic warrior—all available for a mere few thousand gold coins.