Dloin Stonehammer

Current Life
Dloin Stonehammer has recently come down with a strong sense of apathy towards his life, falling into a short-tempered demeanor that is very uncharacteristic of how he once was. He is beginning to show his age as his hair lightens from black to gray, and while he was a fan of drinking before, in his recent days he is either intoxicated or hung-over from the night previous. He's finding little reason to take action in his life anymore, and it seems the loss of his crew, the Pirates of Khaz Modan, and his ship is weighing heavily on his mind. He can oftentimes be found in Stormwind, frequenting the various bars, staggering through the streets drunk, or sitting at the harbor and enjoying the view.

Most recently, after reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, Dloin has found it in his best interest to keep active and seek out jobs as he once did, even if he does so without a crew this time around. He can be found keeping an eye on social events and gatherings, walking around Stormwind and Ironforge with his friend and former crew member Taedius Valdeon, or trekking across the wilderness of Kalimdor with a strange, kryptic map in his hand, of which he says nothing.

History
There are a lot of stories surrounding Dloin Stonehammer's early years in life. Some say things about the day he was born, that he didn't cry as most infants do, that his mother bathed him in rum, or that he was born with a full beard. When confronted with these tall tales, Dloin neither confirms nor denies them, simply stating that "me life is me own." Dloin is particularly tight-lipped about his own past, and has been known to disappear for months at a time, out of reach of anybody, even those who would regard him as a close friend. The few times Dloin has been so inclined to share any information about his past, his stories are as wild and outlandish as the rumors spreading around Alliance and Horde territories alike, and none can seem to verify any truth behind his claims, so his history remains as elusive as ever.



What is known of Dloin's past before his reputation in Azeroth began to grow are mere stories and anecdotes he has shared here and there, along with a few significant names. Dloin has shared his surname of Stonehammer on more than one occasion, though he is often reluctant to give it out until he feels he can trust someone. He has also shared that this surname is the name of his family clan. In trying times, or in times of great shock to the dwarf, he has let slip "by Grongeddin," and "blessed veins of Silverim," yet when asked about either one, he has said little to nothing about the meaning behind these exclamations.

It can be verified by multiple witnesses that Dloin was a member of the Explorer's League some years ago. He traveled all around Azeroth with his fellow dwarven archaeologists, learning everything he could not only about the past, but about the present state of the world as well. But when he looked on his friends and colleagues, he found it was too hard to make an honest living, to difficult to keep their heads above the water, so to speak. The war in Outland and the war with the Horde were devouring the Alliance's funds, and many commodities that went towards the good of the community were now sent to the warfront.

It didn't take long for Dloin to set a plan into motion, finally seeing an opportunity for his dreams to reach fruition. Over long months he saved every single copper he received, denying himself all but the most dire of necessities. When his purse was large enough, he left the League of Explorers and traveled to the new Stormwind Harbor to speak with the chief engineer. Paying all the money he had, Dloin had a vessel built. Not a large ship, but a sturdy one that a small crew could man. After a tough time gathering a ragtag group of would-be sailors, adventurous farmhands, and experienced travelers to the Stormwind port, the ship so aptly named Windward set out from the grand city of Stormwind and into the great blue sea.

The group took small shipping jobs wherever they could, and Dloin soon found that the less-than-legal jobs paid the best. Needing to feed his crew, and swearing not to raise blade nor barrel against any who didn't deserve it, Dloin Stonehammer began to make a name for his crew as they dodged Alliance patrols, smuggled goods to questionable destinations, and employed some less-than-honest folk. The name given to them by the few common folk who knew of them was the Pirates of Khaz Modan, a name as attention-grabbing as a Dwarf who fancied sailing.

Unfortunately, the Windward was caught in a nasty gale off the coast of the Wetlands. The crew emerged unharmed, but the ship fell to the depths in a hefty wreckage. Now without a ship, and struggling to keep themselves afloat financially, the Pirates of Khaz Modan wandered Azeroth in search of jobs. Broken, scattered and secretive, the crew awaited the day when Captain Dloin Stonehammer could get them another ship worthy of their cause.

Dloin Stonehammer the new ship the Seastorm, with a strict sense of morality and ethics, which is as rare among pirates as a Dwarf is. Operating at once as both a haven for vagabonds and rogues, and also as a vessel to move goods under the nose of the Alliance, Captain Stonehammer has become a Robin Hood of sorts. He isn't afraid to raise a threatening blade against Alliance guards and officials in order to get money and supplies to those who need it, away from the greedy wallets of the nobility. Such a reputation for ambushing trade ships and supply-lines has earned him the title of 'Pirate,' and the captain of the 'Pirates of Khaz Modan,' both labels he detests greatly.

Dloin holds his crew to an interesting ethical code, one that has been undoubtedly ingrained in his mind since a young age. In Dloin's own words, "if I were ta fell ye, ye'd be armed and ye'd see it comin'." That is to say that Dloin Stonehammer believes in honor on the battlefield, and getting stabbed in the back is one of the single lowest things someone can do. He holds his crew to this same belief, training them to use diplomacy where possible, including intimidation, and only resort to violence if there is no other course of action. The nobles and officials of Stormwind, however, encourage the use of excessive force against the 'Pirate' crew, and so Dloin often finds himself on the run from conflict.

Yet the day came when a member of Dloin's crew fell to the Alliance while on a job. One of Dloin's own mates was shot and killed in Westfall when the crew was attempting to carryout a job for a less-than-honest client. Dloin took the loss to heart, feeling more than responsible for the death of such a young recruit. As such, he disbanded the crew, sold the Seastorm, and turned his eyes inward, seeking solitude and alcohol, leading to some of his darkest times. He fled Azeroth, making his way through the Dark Portal and into Outland, where the urgency of the Burning Legion worked perfectly to keep the old Dwarf's mind focused on something, and ignoring the problems that were really plaguing his thoughts.

He spent a good amount of time in Outland, fighting back both the Horde and the Legion in Hellfire and Shadowmoon, helping to stall the efforts of the Naga in Zangarmarsh, and quieting the elements in Nagrand. Yet, every time he passed through the grand city of Shattrath, he saw the portals leading back to Azeroth, and he knew that soon there would come a day when he would have to face his own demons, let go of the past, and move on. Letting go of the past was never something Dloin excelled at, though, and he remained in Outland until he heard the conversations of other adventurers, claims that the elements themselves were rising up against the civilizations of Azeroth, that a cult of doomsayers had become more apparent in the streets of the grand cities, and that the world itself seemed as if it were taking the deep breath before the plunge.

Dloin's inability to forgive himself is only surpassed by his drive for adventure. Even with much of Outland still a mystery to him, he headed back to the city of Stormwind to see if the words of these people were true. Sure enough, he soon found cultists being hauled into the stockades by the dozens, shouting about the impending doom of the world as they were escorted. Knowing that living a life of fear was something nobody deserved, Dloin did his part to keep the cultists under control, quieting their cries, sending them to the same stockades he had served in on more than one occasion. Yet it all proved very futile, as within a few weeks the elements of Azeroth rose up and assaulted all of the lands, and Dloin found himself fighting off the forces of wind and water, of earth and fire, freeing entrapped commoners, losing his sorrow in the knowledge that there were more people to protect.

Yet nothing Dloin could've done would have protected Stormwind, or the rest of Azeroth, from the terror that came after. Deathwing himself rising again was a force nobody could have hoped to expect, and the Shattering that rang across all of the world was a wake up call in the worst kind to many people, Dloin included.

Personality and Traits
Dloin is a Dwarf of strong moral values, morals that hold sway even above his connections to the Alliance. In his travels he's seen the hardships of the commonfolk while the rich prosper from taxation and other charges. Unable to swear allegiance to a society so entrenched in aristocracy, Dloin found it in his best interests to become a free-trader. He moves goods and wares from one part of the Alliance to another, dodging the standard trade routes, bypassing tolls and shipping taxes and other laws that keep the rich head, shoulders and chest above the rest of the Eastern Kingdoms.

He is an aged Dwarf, but he is lit with the fires of youth, with a spirit and vigor that goes well beyond his age. Dloin is mighty fond of rum and mead, much like the rest of his kin, although he has been known to overindulge on occasion, making nothing but a fool of himself in public.

He leads his small, ragtag crew with great respect. They are the travelers, the road-weary, the adventurous, the old and the young, the lawful and the chaotic. They are from all walks of life, and they come and go amongst his crew as they wish. Labeled as pirates by local guards and militia, his crew has been hunted in the past for their evasion of trade laws, but every time they seem to skirt by without much conflict.

Dloin is a calm and collected Dwarf when his head isn't loaded with drink. He is precise and calculative, he is greatly receptive to criticism and advice from all others, and he takes all consequences into account for his actions. He tries to lead the "pirates" as best he can, and no one questions his ability to do so more than himself. Always working for his own approval, he is constantly just shy of the standards he sets for himself, and has, on rare occasion, presented this vulnerable side of him to a few trusted others.

When Dloin is intoxicated, however, be it from the seductive alcohol or the heat of battle, he is reckless, brash, overconfident and abrasive. He is known to charge into a battle with a bloodied frenzy, swinging wildly and without much regard to his companions.