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Docsi grew strong and broad and began his dwarven education. He learned to mine the bright metal and gleaming gems from the rock. He learned to process that metal and forge it into things of immense beauty. He learned the craft of forging the hardest armor and keenest blades and learned to sing the runes that would make the metal glow as if alive. He became quite astute at the dwarven craft but the voices in his head told him there was more, much more. In his spare time he studied the intricate machines the Tinker Gnomes brought into the mines. He became fascinated by how the gears fit together and how a forge fire could be used to produce steam. He learned how the Tinker Gnomes harnessed that steam and used it as a tool to power their strange machines.
His father constantly disciplined him about the lunacy of Tinker innovations. The other dwarven children constantly made fun of him, calling him the giant gnome, yet Docsi continued to study the gnomes' creations and soon was making gadgets even the gnomes envied. By combining the skills of an expert dwarven smith with the gnomes' ingenuity, his machines worked better than even the finest gnome creations which invariably only worked some of the time. Docsi's machines worked most of the time. He continued his creating and crafting until he reached his majority at which time, like all dwarven men, he gegan his military training.
He trained hard, mastering the hammer, the axe, and the crossbow. He studied tactics and woodslore. But it was his skills as an engineer that finally earned him some respect from the dwarven community. His seige engines were some of the best ever created and he served King and Country for 15 long years, during which the voices in his head remained mostly quiet, as the King's chief engineer. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and a lucky shot from an orcish catapult destroyed the ballista he manned, wrecking his knee in the process. After months of recovery, he was pentioned out of service and the King he served so faithfully abandoned him to old age and infirmary.
It was not long after his forced retirement that the voices in his head began to speak again in earnest. Docsi listened to them and taking his tool kit and weapons disappeared into the wilds. He came upon a site unlike any he had ever seen. A large canvas bag floated upon the winds from which was suspended a wicker basket. Gnomes and humans ran everywhere in the camp surrounding the strange contraption. Docsi was enthralled and the voices in his head giggled to see the gnomes climbing ropes and adjusting machines. Docsi walked into the camp, his eyes upon the strange, flying machine, and was soon surrounded by gnomes pointing strange crossbows at him and shouting. He was relieved of his weapons but when the gnomes found his tool kit a great cheer went up. He found himself pressed into the service of the Gaslight Sky Pirates.
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Duke, Squire Docsi HardAnvil
aka the Mad Dwarf
GMR of Dreadmoor
Squire to Sir Logan T. Black
Clan Chieftain of the Turtle Clan
Ship's Surgeon, HMS "Turtle's Revenge"
Gaslight Sky Pirate
"Dwarves and mountains have one thing in common: It takes an almighty hammer and a tremendous amount of persistence to overcome them."
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