Orebic Underheld

"So nobody else may suffer."

Orebic Underheld is a member of the Sewer Crabs. As a guardian sworn in service to the Blathin family, he arrived at Haaft's Landing to find and guard Keila Blathin.

Appearance
Orebic is a dwarf and is thus short and stout in stature. Notably, however, he is extremely large for a dwarf, coming in at a relatively massive 4'6" when dwarves rarely breach 4 feet tall to begin with. His weight of 210 pounds is a little less staggering but still incredible by human standards. His hair is a deep rust-red, swept back neatly on the top and flowing down seamlessly from his chin in the customary beard that all (sane) male dwarves have.

Orebic is hardly ever seen without his distinctive full-plate armor, though he prefers not to wear the helmet in public locations such as cities when he's not on some sort of duty. He carries his equipment wherever he goes in an effort to stay prepared, which means donning not one but two shields (the second is carried on his back) and holding his warhammer at his side. On the rare occasions where Orebic is not wearing his armor, he is normally wearing a plain, simple tunic with a symbol of Moradin on the front.

Background
The Underheld family of the dwarven city of Yuulg is a storied clan. The Underhelds are traditional defenders and guardians that have served many clans, even the Ironbloods, as well as the Moradin temple. Many years ago, Orebic's father Seaorin Underheld had his life saved by an ancestor of the Blathin family. Seaorin swore loyalty to the Blathin and accompanied him on his travels, ensuring he would be safe from harm. This tradition extended to the Blathin's son, as well as his grandson.

Orebic himself spent practically all of his early life within the underground confines of Yuulg. Raised with kindness from his mother and sternness from his father, Orebic grew up soft-spoken, polite and constantly aware of his own actions. He also grew up, as most dwarves do, with a heavy work ethic, equally heavy taste for alcohol, and an unfortunately equal distrust or distaste for orcs, goblins, and other such unsavory folks.

In his early 40's, Orebic became a paladin of the church of Moradin and began to take his teachings from earlier years of his life, merging them with martial training. While he trained to become proficient with his hammer, armor and shields, he had never left Yuulg and thus had no hard experience in battle. He would serve as a guard to the city gates as part of his service to the church, but never had to fend off anything more dangerous than a juvenile goblin attempting to sneak into the city to play a prank or three.

It was not long after Orebic's 90th birthday that he received news of the youngest Blathin's coming of age, thanks to a message received by his father at their residence in the city. Suiting up and wishing his family a heartfelt Rally-Ho, he left home for Hafft's Landing.

History
Shortly after arriving in Hafft's Landing to meet Keila Blathin for the first time, Orebic witnessed a murder in a crowded square and was thrust into the events of Chapter 1. Eager to do his duty for duty's sake and to carry out his duties as a paladin, he gladly volunteered any and all services to the city watch and was thus joined with the likes of Floriano Derosa, Aeta Tideturner, Lisbeth Rand, and Keila who he assumed as his protective charge as per the blood oath of families.

Dry in humor and firm in beliefs, Orebic was quick to take up a fatherly role in the group that would come to be called the Sewer Crabs, though seldom if ever assumed an actual leadership role. He was a key player in negotiating and talking to various groups across town, even developing a close friendship with the suspected man Valk, but would often have to fall back on the rest of the group to grasp fine details of the increasingly complicated plot unfolding before them. Eventually, he, along with the rest of the party, laid witness to the unraveling of the attempted assassination of Tolstygg the Younger and was able to enjoy a well-earned vacation.

About a month later, Orebic departed with the rest of the Sewer Crabs (minus Lisbeth who had left the group some time earlier to pursue other interests) to the city of Cliffwatch in order to investigate some strange happenings. Yet again driven by his powerful sense of duty and being a public servant, Orebic had offered to do the job for free, to the annoyance of some of the others (mostly Aeta). Shady details became apparent as the group was first waylaid by a roadblock led by a mysterious elf, and not too long afterward when the party had to defuse conflict at a lighthouse down the road.

It was at this lighthouse that the Crabs apprehended the elf from earlier, who revealed his name as Vir. Vir revealed to the party a tale most disturbing, paving the way for darker events to come. When the city approached the city of Cliffwatch itself, they were met with a disturbing quiet and a strangely acting populace. Through some sleuthing, it was quickly determined that something was greatly amiss and the Crabs sought to return under the cover of night in order to get to the bottom of the issue.

Despite his attempts to protect everybody in the course of completing the mission, Orebic witnessed Aeta Tideturner, a man he had come to acknowledge as a friend and comrade, fall in battle against the sorceress Cannette. The event would shake the bonds of the party... and Orebic's resolve, knowing that it sometimes it would be impossible to save every person, and that with adventure comes inevitable loss. Ever since then, he has done his best to watch out for the physical well-being, as well as the emotional, for his two remaining comrades and any others he traveled with.

This would be a theme that carried over as the party took upon themselves the mission of transporting the cursed altar of the goddess Llewyii, discovered in the basement of a building in Cliffwatch, back to the mountain vault of Yuulg from whence it came. Understanding that tensions were growing high with the addition to the party in the form of Lori Silvermane, Orebic took it upon himself to diffuse any and all conflict or friction between his fellow party members. He is currently struggling with both his duty to protect Keila Blathin to the best of his ability, and his desire to counsel those around him through the many tough ordeals they've all had to face.

Relations
As a paladin, Orebic holds a very official and formal manner to those around him, only dropping his guard and enjoying himself in very select company. Diplomatic to a fault, he attempts to seek well-spoken discourse with anybody who is in any sort of position of power or office (so long as they aren't evil). In the face of true wickedness, he is fierce and convicted, unwilling to bend his morals or find middle ground.

Keila Blathin: While initially distrusted by the young sorceress, Orebic and Keila have forged a close bond that is not unlike that of a father and daughter. Orebic sees himself as bound both by honor AND by kinship to protect Keila, often having a hard time dealing with the fact that her spirit is very free and wishes to see the world without a censor and, sometimes, without a safety net. They have quarreled at time and have conflicting viewpoints on occasion, but are quick to resolve their issues.

Floriano DeRosa: As the other surviving original member of the Sewer Crabs, Orebic trusts Floriano and holds him in high regard for both his sword and song. Lately, Orebic has sensed trouble in the young half-elf and occasionally seeks him out to speak with him, checking in from time to time to make sure the bard is holding up well. While they don't share as many moments as himself and Keila, Orebic is nearly as quick to defend Floriano if need be, seeing him as a precious comrade.

Aeta Tideturner: Orebic was frequently annoyed with Aeta's greedy demeanor and overzealous willingness to kick a foe when they're already down for little reason other than to taunt them, but saw him as an invaluable member of the team all the same. Aeta brought out a playful side in Orebic and while this was largely expressed with sharp teasing directed towards the halfling, Orebic developed the same closeness he did with Keila and Floriano and was deeply hurt by Aeta's death.

Lori Silvermane: The relationship between Orebic and Lori is largely a professional one. For as long as there is a mission to be completed, he is polite in their interactions and attempts to be as patient with her as possible in dealing with the arguments that arise between the stiff-spined magus and the more free-spirited half-elves. His patience has its limits and has in fact been tested a couple times, but he does not want to see her harmed and seeks to guide her to acceptance within the group.

Valeau: As a fellow servant of the cloth, Orebic has a certain understanding with Valeau about the pressures she faces as the protector of her own squad, and attempts to guide her through both the rigors of clergy and the pain of losing those who follow you. He tries his best to cheer her up whenever possible, though is sometimes at a loss with how to deal with her or how to react to what she says.

Skills and Abilities
Orebic is a paladin, and is thus trained in martial combat as well as conjuring forth the power of his deity.

Orebic's defining trait in combat is his defensive superiority; indeed, he is almost always the most heavily armored combatant, and puts his considerable bulk to good use by wading into the thick of battle in order to draw as many of the enemy's attacks as he can. Capable of some healing as well as quick self-administered aid, Orebic soaks up incredible punishment without so much as slowing down.

He is also a skilled orator, using a powerful force of will to converse with those who would trust a paladin (which is damn near everybody as long as they aren't evil) and attempting to gain their trust. However, he has little tools outside of simply telling the truth, and thus sometimes needs to defer to Keila in order to get through to people who require more... clever tongues.