“Blovo” is a Hill Dwarf. he has been raised by a farming human couple (Krogg and Portclia Ephenbald), living quite far away from other towns or settlements. the couple lived in a long and narrow glen, a dead-end valley surrounded by tall mountains, about a 4 hour walk through hard terrain from the end of the valley. life was hard there and the weather extreme at times, but for some reason they decided to settle there and were usually left alone. they were not unfriendly but were mostly self-sufficient and didn’t visit the closest village (really just a sparse group of farmhouse) often, perhaps 4 times a year, mostly just Krogg to barter and keep in touch. one night after a week of heavy Winter storms, the Sun finally broke through and they woke up to find a landslide occurred on one of the furthest slopes, not putting in danger their settlement, their crops, nor the main stream of water for the valley. he was worried about a shed where he kept his traps and some tools, as well as a minor stream of water which crossed that slope and could have been affected. it was not a very important stream but it was one of the main sources when he went hunting around there. knowing the weather would stand for a couple of days, Krogg decided to investigate immediately, packed some tools and overnight gear, and approached the head of the landslide. made his way higher up to check the shed and the nearby area. when he got there saw the shed partially covered but it seem to be in place and not toppled over or opened, mainly due to it being on the outskirts of the affected area. he worked a bit to clear the entrance and surroundings to make sure there was no damage. once he confirmed everything was ok and the structure was not in danger of rotting of being broke in or fall down (he could use springtime to better clear the area), he decided to call it a day and took refuge in a cave. the shed couldn’t be entered yet, and although it had space for the material and a good amount of storage it would be very wet and probably muddy. instead of risking going back at night or keep shovelling soil to enter a damp shed, he preferred getting further up the slope and starting a campfire for the night. he was reading while heating some rations. the night sounded a bit strange that day, the same animal sounds as usual but more cautious even than when he was hunting, some animals clearly unsettled but perhaps also on the prowl, or just afraid and nervous. nothing that should worry him ( there was no lack of food in the area, he was far from burrows, dens or breeding grounds, and anyway had his trusted bow with him). but there was another sound. the sound of someone falling and weeping, moving through wet soil at times. some metal clanking. then what seemed like two words maffled out of breath and energy: “de?” (mother?), “pai?” (father?). also some sharp yelps. a somewhat high-pitched voice, albeit hoarse, the noise becoming closer and clearer. carefully, Krogg approached the lip of the cave, his bow in the hand and ready, but not charged nor raised. squinting into the dark he saw a child, wrapped in furs, a belt with some metal reinforcements, a chain with a golden pendant hanging from his neck. looking tired, dirty and clearly in distress, the kid he was limping a bit, all limbs on the ground, scrambling up towards the light. Krogg went back to the cave, left the bow, grabbed a burning stick, and went back to fetch the kid. as soon as he appeared again on the lip, this time clearly visible and noisy (“hey, kid!”), “Blovo” froze, unsure. Krogg showed his hands, using his calmer voice. “hey, kid. do you need help? are you ok?” “where are your folks?”. seconds of silence. 10 meters away, the kid looked frightened but also hopeful, needy. “de? pai?”, some other words (perhaps help? hunger? dirty?). Krogg moved closer, the kid startled, moved to scramble sideways, slipped and fell hurting his leg further. he fell down crying, with some words in what sounded like Dwarvish (Krogg didn’t know the language, but that’s how he thought it would sound). Got closer, slowly, the torch held up to one side, so that it lighted his path, his face and the kid. speaking reassuringly and constantly, friendly and calm. he got close to the kid and stretched one hand, offering it to the kid. the kid was shivering, probably thirsty and hungry. the leg didn’t seem broken but there was some blood. “it’s ok, I can help, there is water and food up there. shelter. let me help you.” the kid seemed a bit calmer, but inquiring, not fully trusting him. sobbing the kid looked into his eyes, the face behind the visible breath, didn’t as much make a decision as just follow an instinct. he grabbed Krogg’s hand as support, Krogg helped the kid up, they got to the cave (not carried, helped), where he ate and drank. spoke no words at all, and Krogg didn’t expect any, just talked about how he was safe now, and he would find out what happened after some rest. the kid eyes seemed grateful but also uncertain, but he allowed the inspection of his leg. nothing looked broken, but there was a big scrape and some bruising, swollen and red. Krogg chew some herbs, applied them. the kid collapsed tired but now warm, and Krogg made plans for the next day. there is more to tell about that night and the following days, but essentially Krogg took the kid back home in the morning (the kid woke up when he greeted Portclia). got the kid in, realised he was suffering from some infection. after talking to Portclia, Krogg went out again to try to find out what happened. following the kids steps from the cave he got to some boxes and crates of supplies, unorderly in the border of the landslide. investigated further and saw a what looked like parts a wooden wagon wheel, some leather straps, also the remains of two ponies, half buried and suffocated, some bones broken. didn’t find the carriage, didn’t find any other corpse. Krogg understood there was an accident due to the landslide, and a carriage tumbled down and was sepulted, probably there under tons of soil and rocks, perhaps with the bodies of whoever was with the kid (his parents, Krogg assumed). “Blovo” has been told all this, he doesn’t remember that well as he was 3 years old and traumatised/shaken at the time. plus at 3 year old memories are foggy. Krogg and Porclia were on their 30s. it took until almost the beginning of Spring (several weeks) for the kid to recover from the infection and fever, and the couple called him “kid” and then “Blovo” because of some runes inscribed in the leather of the toy (Ylbifin in Dethek, https://www.fonts4free.net/dethek-stone-font.html). he recovered while the weather was still cold, they attempted to communicate and bit by bit came to the conclusion his name was Ylbifin, even though they kept calling him Blovo. from then, the couple took care of him and help “Blovo” recover. a couple of time he went into the forest to go back to his family. didn’t make it too far. then Krogg accompanied him (after preparing for the day out) and showed him what he found, minor wreckage of the carriage (a part of a wheel, some crates with clothes). Blovo cried, hugged to Krogg’s legs. they went back. what Blovo remembers about the days? hours? he was alone in the mountains is not clear. he has a blurred memory of his Dwarf mother and father, travelling on a wagon, the smell and touch of ponnies. “de” being “mother”, “pai” being “father”, a couple of additional words, the name of his toy. from then, the couple kept taking care of him. “Blovo” recovered fully and learnt to speak Common. during the next year Krogg went a couple of times trying to find out more, usually as part of his hunting trips. “Blovo” stated with Porclia, who loved him and played with him when she could. when “Blovo” was older he went with him, and then also on his own. never found much, perhaps pieces of wood, some ornate metal work, the carcasses of the ponies. but Blovo grew and helped in the farm, learning from both, helped with light chores (heavier ones as he grew stronger), learnt about the woods and hunting, to read the terrain, to read Common. there was not known mountain pass on that valley (that was one of the reasons whey Krogg and Portclia settled there without issues), so the provenance of the kid was a bit of a mistery. there were no Dwarf settlements around, no commercial trade over the mountains, there haven’t been any conflict there in ages. Blovo might have been kidnapped, or travelling with his parents (that seems to fit his memory). were they escaping? trading? did they get to this side of the mountains via some tunnel? via a high pass? where were they going? Blovo doesn’t know, and nobody seems to know much. when they went back to the village, they tried to find out if there were any news, or some old lore about passes, Dwarfs, but nobody knew anything. with time they introduced “Blovo” as their kid (as an adopted kid), giving a short version of the story, so the rest of the valley was aware “Blovo” was a dwarf and not just a sturdy, shorter human kid. they called him “Blovo” Ephenbald (nobody spoke Dwarvish in the area and “Blovo” didn’t know his surname). he was raised as a human kid (neither the family nor the villagers had any knowledge of Dwarven traditions), and he shaved, drank wine. the only things “Blovo” kept from this time are a mountain goat toy (made out of wood, leather and some iron, “Ardhmalo”), and the chain. he also has a small box with scraps he managed to get together from the accident. nothing that was providing a clear clue about his point of origin. the landslide was never cleared, the forest was recovering and the only remainders were the broken carcasses of the ponies, the slightly altered geography and the slightly more naked slope of the mountain (not something you would notice if you didn’t remember how it was). “Blovo” stayed with the Ephenbald until he was 36 (when they were roughly 63). he really cared for them but also wanted to find out more about his origin and his clan. and, during that time, via some traders that visited the village regularly, made contact with Hill Dwarves (not from his clan) that offered to introduce him to their customs and traditions. he spent some time with them for a couple of months at a time (several years) and learnt the language and their ways. not as well as if had been raised in that environment from birth but with the enthusiasm of a human teen and the questioning eye of a partial stranger. he didn’t find any information about his clan at that point, and used Ylbifin Ephenbald as his name with the dwarves. Blovo was his name for the family and valley friends. always came back to help in the farm. he took care of them as they grew older, but they had been talked about Blovo spending more time with their own, not just a few months, and it was decided that we would do so. the Ephenbald were quite old for human standards (63) while Blovo was 36 (not yet mature enough for dwarves). he was old enough and they could manage on their own, the weather had been kind the last couple of years, the farm was doing really well and trading/visits were more frequent nowadays. he did so and went on to spend the next 14 years leaving fully with the dwarves, putting into practice his experience in the forest by acting as a ranger. at the same time learning about the Dwarven ways and history, their military practice, their love for tradition and dedication to the clan. he didn’t manage yet to find his original one, regardless of the time he invested talking to visiting dwarves, or reading the chronicles. messages were sent, enquiries made, no positive response received. or not yet. he also took some interest in Gnomish narrative, learning their language to read their stories and treaties about nature while he was out in the wild. this, woodcarving and playing the shawm are his main hobbies. once a year or so he would go and visit the Ephenbald to stay with them (they were his clan). it wasn’t the shortest of journeys, but it wasn’t a hard trip though, and it gave Blovo a chance to explore some other areas and paths on his way to the valley, as every time he chose a different trail to get to stay a couple of days in new towns, try to get some information about his past (perhaps) and get some money on the way, honing his skills. Ephenbald were still doing ok, still strong even if a bit weaker and less energetic. still taking care of the farm and foraging. Krogg didn’t go hunting as often now, and didn’t spend that many nights away from the house (14 years later, when Blovo was 47, they were 77). Blovo took to carving and working with wood due to his upbringing in the forest, and didn’t take much interest in brewing or working the stone (fascinated about the history though, but perhaps more anthropologically than feeling it in his blood). he has been growing his beard for the last couple of years, and can drink beer, just not as much as a “proper” dwarf. and still prefers wine, something he can carry easily in a wineskin when in the woods. It was the beginning of Fall and the harvest season, time for a belated visit, after not being able to visit the previous year, and not receiving any news for many months (they didn’t correspond too often, but they did at least for his “birthday”, really the anniversary of this recovery, at the end of Winter). so now Blovo is on the road back to the valley. References: Dwarvish language reference: https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Dwarven_Language#:~:text=The%20Dwarven%20Language%5Bedit%5D,they%20have%20in%20those%20languages Dwarvish script: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Dwarvish