Oskar Battleaxe

Oskar Battleaxe was born in the Dwarven Valley in Icewind Dale in 1300 DR.  He is a member of Clan Battlehammer who are exiled from their ancestral home of Mithril Hall.  

Within the valley there was a complex network of tunnels, subterranean passages and mines that composed the home of the dale's dwarves, particularly those from Clan Battlehammer.

Oskar was apprenticed in 1331 DR to Gindor Straightstone to learn his trade as a mason.  Nothing notable happened to Oskar during his apprenticeship, but, in 1342 DR Oskar was on his freeday exploring the valley with his friends when they were caught in a sudden and violent storm of thunder and lightning.  They hurried to get back to the safety of the underground caves, but unfortunately, Oskar was struck by three bolts of lightning.  His friends were certain the bolts were aimed at Oskar, as no one else was injured.  They carried him the remainder of the way back to the caves where he was given into the care of the Clerics of Moradin.  His family and friends thought Oskar was mortally wounded, but after a month in the care of the Clerics Oskar was as good as new.  However, Oskar's black beard and hair was henceforth streaked with blue tinged silver.    

Oskar can vividly recall the day in 1356 DR when Bruenor Battlehammer and his companions set out to reclaim Mithril hall, which they did successfully, and the celebrations when word came back that Mithral Hall had been freed from the dragon and its minions, and was once again suitable for habitation.  Many of the dwarves of Clan Battlehammer, including Oskar's familly, left the Dwarven Valley of Icewind Dale and resettled within the home of their ancestors.

King Obould Many-arrows launched an attack on Mithral Hall in 1370 DR with a huge army of Orcs. The staggering army came from the Spine of the World. Over the next few years the fighting continued and various battles and skirmishes between the dwarves and orcs caused huge amounts of destruction and bloodshed on both sides. To Oskar's dismay, his father and several of his brothers and close clansmen of clan Battleaxe were killed in the fighting, and to this day, Oskar has a hatred of all Orc and Goblinkind.

In 1372 DR, Bruenor Battlehammer and Obould signed a peace treaty at Garumn's Gorge which ended the bloody war between the two Kingdoms.  This dismayed Oskar, who felt that the Dwarf's of Clan Battlehammer should have fought on until his family's deaths had been revenged and the Orcs had been destroyed.  Oskar however stuck to the will of his King and reluctantly accepted the treaty.

Having completed his apprenticeship in 1380 DR, Oskar was a highly skilled and regarded artisan in Mithril Hall. 

In 1384 DR Oskar received a vision of Tempus, God of War.  Although, to this day, he can't remember any details of this vision, it left Oskar with a strong urge to leave Mithril Hall and travel south. Oskar made his way southwest and eventually arrived in the Sumber Hills in 1385 DR.  On arriving there, there was a sudden and violent lightning storm, much akin to the one in his childhood, during which a feeling of contentment overcame to Oskar.  

Over the next few days he sought for and found a remote cave in the hills where he set up a camp. He never abondoned this camp and over the years he made the remote cave his home, leading a simple, solitary life.  He put his masonry skills to good use, fashioning a small and simple, but beautifully crafted, dwelling in the side of the Sumber Hills.  He also occasionally sought work from Red Larch when times were hard.  Whilst building his cave dwelling, Oskar came across many artefacts of the Besilmer dwarves.  These artefacts and the long lost civilisation intrigued Oskar and he set out to learn as much as he could of them, which he has continued to focus on for the last 104 years.

Besilmer was founded in −4420 DR by Torhild Flametongue and his dwarves. They founded the realm above ground, in the belief that while dwarves created mines underground, they would be beleaguered as a race. Besilmer's aim was therefore to form a stable farming community and to prosper in building, inventing and repairs. Besilmer was attacked each year by trolls from the Evermoors, but the dwarves fought them off. Because the realm was unfortified, it became an attractive target for creatures such as giants and wolves. The underground fortress city of Tyar-Besil was built around −4320 DR in response to the constant threat to the overground dwarves and their settlement.

Torhild, the realm's founder, was killed in one-on-one combat with a hill giant at Stone Bridge, and the realm was plundered by its enemies. The inhabitants fled south to join the Fallen Kingdom, leading to the eventual abandonment of Tyar-Besil by −4160 DR.

The Halls of the Hunting Axe were occupied by dwarves from Delzoun for around forty years, but in the end, the combination of cold winters, orcs and wolves proved to be too much for them.

As of 1368 DR, the only parts of Besilmer to remain were the Stone Bridge and the Halls of the Hunting Axe. Besilmer's sign could also be found, on some rocks at Ironford, on the Stone Bridge, and in a few places in the Sumber Hills.

Over time his seclusion led him once again to Tempus and he began his journey to becoming a Cleric. His affinity for lightning drew him down the path of the Tempest. While in seclusion, Oskar met many travellers on their way through the Sumber Hills.  Members of the Order of the Gauntlet would regularly pass through and, over time, Oskar became friendly with these travellers.  As their ideals and philosophies resonated closely with Oskar's own developing outlook on the world, Oskar began to aid them as he could.

Eventually they recognised his alignment to their ideals and asked him to join their order, and act as an agent in the Sumber Hills.  In particular, Oskar developed a close relationship with Imdarr Relvaunder, a priest of Tempus (at the Allfaiths shrine in Red Larch) and a member of the Order of the Gauntlet.

In the course of his research, Oskar has discovered that Torhild Flametongue is buried in the Halls of the Hunting Axe, and feels compelled to find his remains.  

Oskar has found his way beneath the Halls of the Hunting Axe to a chamber containing Dwarven machinery, but the machinery seems to require some dwarven key to activate and progress further.  Whilst investigating, Oskar has noticed the ruins are being watched by an elf and two half-elfs.  Oskar has seen them a number of times keeping watch over the ruins, but they have shown no desire to talk with him, and have avoided him thus far, but made no effort to stop his investigations. 

After his last visit to the ruins, Oskar returned to his cave, having found no way to enter further.  After consulting with Imdarr in Red Larch, Oskar sets off for Mithril Hall to access the histories of the Delzoun Dwarfs to try and solve this riddle.  

He has made it as far as Triboar on 5th Mirtul, 1389 DR.  He is in need of some good ale, and has heard that the Ogre's Armpit in nearby Myrehall has a great selection of Dwarven beverages .,.