Dorin Heldour, along with Katalin Kandoom, is considered one of the greatest Dwarf heroes in history.[1a]
History[]
Dorin was one of the Warrior clansmen who provided protection for Thori Grundikson's expedition to the region west of Black Water in 657 IC[1b][2a][3a][4a]. There he became friends with Katalin Kandoom, and their success in discovering gromril and repulsing the greenskins left both of them with an appetite for adventure.[1a]
Dorin and Katalin petitioned their respective clan elders at Karaz-a-Karak, requesting to be relieved of their clan duties so that they could seek out and recover lost Dwarf treasures. After much discussion, both were granted their wish. The two scored ancient texts with a loremaster, and found references to the Heartstone of Aldin Getgold, a powerful artefact lost with the fall of Ekrund. They made their way to the Dragonback Mountains by way of Barak Varr. Travelling alone, Dorin and Katalin easily eluded roaming bands of Orcs and Goblins, and entered the ruined Dwarf mine. In the depths, the two battled the few solitary creatures that inhabited the ancient tunnels and shafts. Eventually, they found their objective hidden in a damaged temple. In 662 IC[1b][2a][3a] Dorin and Katalin successfully brought the Heartstone back from the Badlands and presented it to the High King.[1a]
The two Dwarf heroes accomplished many deeds and recovered a number of ancient Dwarf artefacts - in 684 IC, they discovered the Axe of Dail deep in the ruins of Karak Varn, and one year later Dorin brought the skin of the dragon Fyrskar to Karaz-a-Karak; both were presented to High King Finn Sourscowl.[1b] Heganbor the Runesmith later fashioned the dragon's skin into a cloak engraved with potent runes.[2a][3a][4a]
Their most famous deed was the rescue of the sons of the High King from the dungeons of Black Crag.[1a] In 742 IC[1b][2a][3a] while on a hunting expedition south of Karaz-a-Karak, Princes Elmador and Oldor Finnson were captured by a large Orc warband. The few Dwarfs who escaped the ensuing battle returned badly wounded to the Dwarfhold with the news. High King Finn Sourscowl pleaded with Dorin and Katalin to return his sons to him. Unable to resist a challenge, the two heroes set forth.[1a]
The stealth that served them well over the years enabled them to enter the Orc-infested Black Crag through a secret tunnel undiscovered by the vile greenskins. Along the way, Katalin used his mining skills to create a number of traps and to weaken the tunnel structure at certain critical points. These carefully crafted alterations were meant to slow down the pursuit they knew would come. Deducing that the Orcs would use the old Dwarfhold's cells to house their prisoners, Dorin and Katalin made their move in the morning hours, as the Orcs slept away the previous night's fighting and wagering. They quickly overpowered the few half-awake guards, broke into the cells, and freed the princes before the alarm was raised. Katalin's preparations paid off, as a number of pursuing Orcs perished in the cave-ins he had engineered. Though there were several harrowing moments, Dorin and Katalin returned the two princes to Karaz-a-Karak. In gratitude, the High King honoured and rewarded the two heroes by giving them a tenth of his enormous wealth.[1a]