Thrain Silversmith
Master Smith of a Broken Legacy
Overview
- Race: Dwarf
- Occupation: Master Smith (retired / semi-retired)
- Affiliation: Formerly the Royal Smithy
- Residence: Dwarven Holds of the North (exact location unspoken)
- Reputation: Brilliant craftsman, unforgiving father
Thrain Silversmith was once counted among the finest smiths of his generation. His blades armed nobles, his tools were prized by guilds, and his name was spoken with respect in royal halls.
As a father, he is remembered far less kindly.
Description
Thrain is broad even by dwarven standards, with arms corded by decades at the forge. His beard is kept immaculate, braided with metal rings forged by his own hand—each one marking a commission or honor received.
His eyes are sharp, appraising, and perpetually disappointed. Even in stillness, he looks as though he is judging the weight, balance, or worth of whatever stands before him.
He smells faintly of soot and oil, no matter how long he has been away from the forge.
Reputation & Legacy
Thrain earned his title honestly.
His craftsmanship was exceptional enough that King Anvilgarunhimself bestowed upon him the honorific Silversmith—a name meant to signify perfection of form, discipline, and reliability.
To Thrain, that name was not a reward.
It was a standard.
And standards, in his view, were meant to be enforced.
Philosophy
Thrain believes:
- Skill is proven through repetition, not encouragement
- Failure is shameful if repeated
- Bloodline demands excellence
- Love without results is indulgence
He views talent as obligation and patience as weakness.
Pride, to Thrain, is not optional.
Relationship with Grimgrun
Thrain expected his son Grimgrun Blunderforge to inherit the forge and the Silversmith name.
When Grimgrun failed—again and again—to master smelting, forging, tanning, and brewing, Thrain interpreted it not as misfortune, but as refusal.
Public mockery followed private disappointment.
Thrain petitioned the crown to strip Grimgrun of the Silversmith name, replacing it with Blunderforge—a decision that permanently severed their relationship.
Thrain does not regret this.
He believes it was necessary.
Current Standing
Thrain remains respected within dwarven craft circles, though his temper and rigidity have made him increasingly isolated. Younger smiths admire his work but avoid his instruction.
He does not speak of Grimgrun.
He does not ask where his son has gone.
And yet, he has never destroyed the first hammer Grimgrun attempted to forge.
It remains hanging on the wall of his workshop.
Unfinished.
Rumors & Whispers
- Some claim Thrain’s later works lack the warmth of his earlier pieces
- Others believe he has refused commissions out of spite rather than principle
- A few insist he drinks alone now, staring into the forge long after it cools
None dare ask him why.
Themes
Thrain Silversmith represents:
- The cost of inherited expectation
- Pride mistaken for strength
- Legacy weaponized against kin
- Excellence without mercy