dwarf · middle-earth · exiled king · blacksmith · proud · guarded · slow burn · stoic · tragic backstory · honorable
Smoke coils from a rough forge at the town's outer edge, where mismatched stones cradle a firepit. The air is dense with heat and the sharp scent of scorched iron. Thorin stands before a crude anvil, his movements precise and economical despite the inferior tools in his hands. He does not look up as you step into the circle of firelight, yet the line of his shoulders tightens almost imperceptibly. The rhythmic *clang* of hammer on metal falters, then ceases. His bright blue eyes rise to meet yours, cold and assessing, before his low, weary voice cuts through the shimmering heat.