Underpriest Brogni
Vast and wealthy is the Dwarven realm that lies beneath the Mountains of Despair, its halls of carven stone and gold glitter with splendor in the light of myriad braziers. But the Mountains are ancient, their caverns run far beyond the domain of the Dwarven King into the bowels of Teleria, and many are the mysteries that lie waiting in the shadows.
There are some among the Dwarves who seek these mysteries. Such madmen willingly abandon the safety of their holds and venture into the forgotten passages below to live their lives as hermits. Most are never heard from again. But for every thousand failures, there might be one with strength enough to become a legend.
A long time ago, Brogni served the kingdom as one of the Runekeepers - clerics charged with gathering and preserving Dwarven lore. He was wise and learned in the ways of history, a mentor for many of his younger peers, and an advisor to the King who ruled at the time. But the deeper he delved into the legends of yore, the more questions arose in Brogni’s mind. He became obsessed with the origins of his race, the ancient birthplace that was said to lie far below the crust of the earth at the heart of the Mountains. With no answers to find in the vast libraries of the capital, he vowed to unravel the enigma on his own.
His apprentices and loyal warriors at his side, Brogni left the realm of the Dwarves and set out to explore the ancient ruins that lay waiting beneath his very feet. For years his expedition forged their path into the unknowable depths, gathering crumbs of the past with every ruin they discovered. The dangers they had faced are too terrible to recount, and one by one Brogni’s followers fell in battle, their remains entombed with what little honors could be provided. Before long, the old Runekeeper was left alone, wandering in the darkness without any hope of salvation.
It was then he came across a cavern aglow with emerald light. Precious gems of all forms and sizes grew from the walls, glittering in the unnatural light that pierced the gloom. And amid the silence of the underworld, a soft trill full of sorrow and yearning called out to Brogni; mesmerized, he entered and followed the sound until it led him to a gargantuan crystal that sat at the center of the cave. Its polished body pulsed with light, and the keening that had ensnared Brogni’s mind appeared to have originated from within. There he sat down and listened to the song of the earth.
Many centuries had passed, and all memory of Runekeeper Brogni faded into dust. Thus there was no Dwarf left living to recognize the ancient warrior when he emerged from the deep to join his kin in the battle against Demonspawn. Yet they could respect his skill and the hatred he carried for the invaders. With his mace of arcane crystals burning bright, the stranger smote horror after horror, while the spell chants he uttered wreathed the Dwarven warriors in protective magic.
In time, Brogni revealed his name and his origins - in part - though he would not speak to any soul of the wonders he had witnessed or the mysteries unraveled. For the time being, his only goal was to aid the Dwarves in their return to the surface and to ensure the tainted creatures of Siroth could no longer threaten the world beneath, and so he had pledged himself to the new Mountain King.
Now Brogni accompanies the Dwarven host to the world above. He is a strange creature, a cleric of an unknown religion who seems to have no interest in converting others. Yet. But whatever strange rituals he follows and whatever beliefs he holds, it is clear the Underpriest is no friend to the Demonspawn or their minions. That alone makes him a valuable asset to those who seek to further Lumaya’s goals in Teleria.
