Character Sheet
Backstory
Early Years
Aengus was born into the MacGyver clan, an ancient and well-respected family of dwarves. During his early years, he spent little time far from the clan’s hillside stronghold, called Clefthome. Aengus was trained to forge weapons and armor and eventually became an esteemed smith in his own right. He was also raised to worship the All-Father, Moradin, and always tried to honor him with his craft.
A neighboring clan of dwarves by the name of Capfield resided in a lofty mountain citadel called Highgate, some 15 miles from Clefthome. The Capfields and MacGyvers had a friendly accord and trade relationship. When he was 70, Aengus fell in love with Cassie Capfield, and they entered into a long engagement to be married.
Captivity
Aengus is now 85 years old, which is still young for a dwarf. However, about 10 years ago, Aengus’s simple life as a yet-unmarried artisan took a dark turn that few experience in a lifetime. A small underground raid of duergar burrowed into the bowels of Clefthome and captured Aengus and several of his kin. The clan became aware of the raid only when it was too late. Rescue efforts were attempted, but the duergar hurried away with their new slaves into the Underdark.
For several years, Aengus toiled as a prisoner at the underground fortress of Kaz-Modir. A duergar devotee of Deep Duerra named High Priestess Drothmara oversaw the slave camp. She possessed powerful psionic abilities and appeared to be an important member of the duergar society. She enforced slave obedience both through the cruel actions of her underlings and using psychic torture.
Aengus’s captors capitalized on his skills and forced him to arm their warriors. For this he was treated relatively well. His fellows who lacked useful trade skills fared much worse. Aengus’s belief that Moradin would grant them justice kept him strong, and through concealed worship he became a beacon of faith and hope to his comrades. However, as the years wore on, his kin dwindled around him, ultimately succumbing to the abuses of the duergar. Last among them to perish were his young nephews Leith and Lochlan, who Aengus loved dearly.
Escape
After 8 long years, the last of Aengus’s captured kin died. For the first time he considered running, even when recapture and execution was likely. Fortunately for Aengus, he caught a break. One day, aberrations and other horrors began to assault Kaz-Modir. When they breached the outer wall, Thorngardt, the forge overseer who valued Aengus as a commodity, unshackled his wrists to give him a fighting chance for survival, though he left Aengus’s leg irons so that fleeing would be difficult. Amid the chaos and with Moradin’s guiding hand, Aengus scurried out of the fortress complex unseen and found refuge among scattered boulders on the outskirts of the cavern. There he prayed, and as he did his leg irons began to warm. Soon they were red hot, and the pain was almost unbearable. At last the metal softened and he was able to cast off his bindings. To this day, Aengus bears burn scars on his ankles that are a lasting reminder that the All-Father is watching over him. Utterly exhausted and wounded by his ordeal, he collapsed and passed out.
Hours later, Aengus was roused by two elven gloom stalkers, twins named Zax (male) and Zex (female) possessed of the peculiar habit of completing each other’s sentences. They were skulking through the Underdark in search of the source of the abominations. As they were still early in their investigation, they had little information they could share with Aengus other than that their village on the surface named Gammenora was attacked some weeks ago. Kaz-Modir still stood, as it seemed the duergar had successfully repelled the monstrosities, and it was likely that they were hunting for Aengus. The twins were familiar with nearby tunnels and offered to help Aengus escape from the Underdark.
As they neared the surface, they were attacked by a small band of troglodytes, and Zax was forced to hold them back while Zex hurried Aengus to the final fork in the tunnel. Zex pointed the way out and then rushed back to her brother. Aengus didn’t even have a chance to thank them and has ever since wondered if he should have turned around and tried to help them, even though he was injured and unarmed. As he emerged into the sunlight, he was overwhelmed with gratitude to his god and his guides, and he wept as he recalled the face of each of his brethren that didn’t get the chance to share in his deliverance.
Gammenora was nearby, and there he recovered from his injuries. He hoped to see the safe return of Zax and Zex, but after waiting many days he felt he was abusing the hospitality of the elves and bid them farewell. He was eager to get back to his family, and the journey would take a few weeks.
Blood Feud
When Aengus returned to Clefthome, he was aghast to find that the MacGyvers and Capfields were at war, ravaged during his absence by 8 years of skirmishes. Moreover, instead of receiving a warm homecoming, Aengus was immediately seized and imprisoned by his kin. Through a bewildering hostile interrogation by the clan elders, Aengus began to assemble the story of what happened during his time in captivity. The clan war between the Capfields and MacGyvers, which had decimated both sides, had a precipitating event: the theft of the Capfields’ most prized heirloom, the Highgate Crown. Not only did the Capfields accuse the MacGyvers of stealing the crown, but they specifically inculpated Aengus and several others who were abducted with him!
Upon hearing this story, Aengus returned to a blank space in his memory, a period of time shortly after his capture for which neither he nor his comrades could ever account. Piecing together what information he could, it seemed that under the charm of some duergar spell, Aengus and his compatriots arrived at the threshold of Highgate one night, claiming to have narrowly escaped their captors and asking for sanctuary. During an impromptu feast, the Capfields’ honored guests stole the Highgate Crown and tore off into the night. They must have delivered it to the duergar and had their memories wiped afterward. This crime resulted in the bloody family feud between the Capfields and MacGyvers that continues to this day. Aengus speculated that Drothmara wanted the crown for herself and that she is responsible for all of this.
With Moradin’s favor, Aengus was able to convince his clan that he acted against his will. They believed him, but he had still brought great shame upon his family. In a vain attempt to restore his honor and put an end to the feud, Aengus went to Highgate to try to persuade the Capfields that his clan bore no responsibility for the theft. The Capfields swore that nothing short of the return of the Highgate Crown could end the conflict, and Aengus barely escaped with his life. Even his fiancé, Cassie, seemed to shun him.
A New Calling
After returning again to Clefthome, Aengus attempted to resume his old life and to prevent any more senseless bloodshed among his clan. However, dwarves do not let go of grudges easily, and he felt in every sideways glance resentment for his part in this feud. Only his sister Ailsa, mother to Leith and Lochlan, harbored no unspoken grievances; she recognized everything Aengus did to care for her sons before they died and advocated for his unqualified reacceptance into the family. However, this was a matter of honor, and her forgiveness alone was not enough. Feeling unwelcome at home by his embittered family, Aengus prayed for divine guidance and determined that his destiny could, for now at least, be found outside the stone halls of Clefthome. With Moradin’s blessing, he made it his personal mission to put masterfully crafted tools of war into the hands of good folk throughout the wider world for destroying all sources of evil. He would love nothing more than to obtain justice for those he lost at Kaz-Modir, to recover the Highgate Crown and end the feud, and to restore his honor. However, he knows even greater evils exist and feels called to bring judgment wherever Moradin sees fit. He resolved to let his faith, forged in bondage, be his guide.
Shortly after leaving home, Aengus teamed up with Vara and later Urs, both of whom are also religious. Aengus is tolerant of other faiths, believing good can come from unexpected sources. They banded together, traveling the countryside and defending common folk from dangers. Their charitable mission is largely driven by Aengus, as Urs is mostly just bedazzled by the use of magic and will follow magic users anywhere, and Vara seems to be looking for an excuse to kill things. Aengus senses a darkness in Vara that he hopes to cure her of, or at least to steer her violence toward worthy targets.