"Many have been our brave and honourable warriors who had laid their lives upon the altar of battle and joined our ancestors in their hallowed halls, may their flagstones never weather. Each will be remembered for their valour and steadfastness. Each shall be avenged upon the Elves. Yet none is such a loss as that of our own blood, our son and heir, Snorri Halfhand."
- —The fallen Prince of Karaz-a-Karak.[1]
Prince Snorri Lunngrin, named Halfhand, was the son of the High King Gotrek Starbreaker of Clan Thunderhorn and the cousin of Morgrim Elgidum in the years before the War of Vengeance.
History[]
Proud, stubborn and xenophobic, Snorri Half-hand sought to gain a name for himself that would impress his father. For this reason, he led many expeditions into the tunnels of the dwarf empire, seeking to keep them safe from monsters, together with his cousin Morgrim. During one such expedition, his hand was mangled by Giant Rats in the abandoned dwarf hold Karak Krum, leading to his name. Such an ignoble wound made Snorri even more eager to prove himself. [1a] Within the tunnels, they also discovered Ranuld Silverthumb, Runelord of Karaz-a-Karak, who was in search of ancient magic. Ranuld prophesied that one of them would be a king and a defeater of dragons, which Snorri took to mean him.[1a]
On their way back, they were met by Imladrik on his dragon. The dragon prince offered to fly them to Karaz-a-Karak. While Morgrim found the idea smart, Snorri was incensed and began to antagonize the elf prince. As a result, they walked on foot back. [1b] Once returned, Snorri was summoned to the Great Hall after his wound has been treated. Gotrek Starbreaker assigned him the place of the Skarrenawi, which the prince took as an insult. Afterwards, the prince was scolded for his foolishness, warning him that being a king was not about warring and killing, but keeping peace in the realm for as long as possible. [1d]
Snorri, on his part, wished to leave his own mark on the world. He hoped to achieve this through war against the High Elves, who apparently harassed and attacked dwarf caravans and who he believed to be easy targets consisting mainly of merchants.[1e] After Runelord Agrin Fireheart of Barak Varr had been slain en route to Karaz-a-Karak by elves, the prince decided that enough was enough and planned an attack against Asur settlements with aid of the kings of Zhufbar, Kraka Drak and Barak Varr, taking up quarter in the fortress at Black Fire Pass and waiting for the escalation he believed to be inevitable. [1f] After eight years, Snorri decided to take matters in his own hands and march on Kor Vanaeth, in order to finally bring the sweltering conflict into open war and win the glory he believed to be his destiny.[1g] Against the wishes of his cousin Morgrim, the dwarf armies razed the city to the ground, which in turn provoked Caledor II to his treatment of the ambassadors sent by the High King.[1h]
During the resulting War of Vengeance, Prince Snorri served as one of the chief generals of the Dwarfen forces. He lead the failed first Siege of Tor Alessi, where the dwarf host was defeated.[1i] He was present when, upon the bloodied heath of Angaz Baragdum, the vain Phoenix King Caledor II took to the field for the first time.[2]
According to dwarf records, the noble Snorri saw that perhaps the darkness that descended upon the Dwarf and Elven realms might be ended. Snorri issued a personal challenge to the Phoenix King, so that the matter might be settled. Displaying integrity and bravery beyond all call, Snorri deigned to offer the Phoenix King an honourable means by which the devastating war might be brought to a conclusion. For his part, the Phoenix King accepted, his words full of pride and arrogance, dismissive of the skill at arms of the Dwarfs.[2] Other sources claim that he saw Caledor in his armour styled afterr the dragons of Caledor as the dragon he was prophecied to slay and that he goaded the Phoenix King into the duel to prove himself.[1j]
As Snorri observed the proper preparations for single combat, Caledor struck him a mighty blow with his spear, breaking Snorri's helm and casting him to the ground. Though dazed and confused, Snorri ably used his shield to fend off the vicious blows of Caledor to regain his feet. Then, Snorri's guard failed and the Phoenix King's spear found its mark once again, piercing Snorri's thigh and pinning him to the bloodied dirt. Drawing his sword, Caledor cleaved open the Gromril breastplate of the Prince's armour and opened up his chest with a great spilling of blood.[2]
Though the victory was clearly his, the Phoenix King did not relent with his assault, and struck off Snorri's arm. Lifting it as a trophy, Caledor walked in front of his host holding the the severed limb aloft. It was only when Snorri's guard intervened, lest more ruin be laid upon the remains of their Prince, that Caledor withdrew, casting Snorri's severed arm into a nearby pool.[2]
The High King was enraged when he heard of the death of his only son and heir, pledging great wealth to any subject who slew Caledor II. His grudge would later be settled with the death of Caledor's brother, Imladrik, at the hands Morgrim Elfdoom, and when Gotrek himself slew the Phoenix King at the final siege of Tor Alessi.[2]