Brunhilda

Deep in the great halls of Dwellindelf, where the songs of stone echo through ancient corridors, Brunhilda's laughter rings out above the clash and clamor of her workshop. Her fiery red hair catches the light of forge fires and enchanted crystals, while her remarkable mechanical arms move with fluid grace through complex manipulations of metal and magic. The glasses she wears—more fashion than necessity for a dwarf's keen eyes—occasionally reflect the arcane formulae that dance through the air around her latest creation.

The Cave-In and Loss

Like all dwarf children of Dwellindelf, young Brunhilda learned the ancient songs that speak to stone, the harmonies that reveal ore veins and structural weaknesses. She showed particular talent for hearing the deeper resonances, the subtle harmonics that even experienced miners sometimes missed. This gift would save her life on the day that changed everything—when she heard the first whispered groans of failing rock in the old tunnels where she played with her friends.

The cave-in that followed trapped several young dwarves, but Brunhilda bore the worst of it. Her arms, crushed beneath tons of ancient stone, were beyond even the most powerful healing magic. In many societies, such an injury might have ended a young dwarf's hopes for a craft-focused future. But Brunhilda's great uncle, Master Artificer Halfar, son of Helfar, refused to accept such limitations for his beloved "Hilda."

The Creation of Autonomous Arms

The creation of her autonomous arms marked a breakthrough in dwarven artifice. Over five years of research, consultation, and experimentation, Halfar developed a system that went beyond mere mechanical replacement. The foundation began with enchanted metal rods, crafted to exact specifications of dwarven skeletal structure, anchored directly into her shoulder sockets. But it was the revolutionary muscle sleeve, combining traditional metallurgy with life magic and mana manipulation, that truly changed everything.

The process of integrating flesh and metal proved excruciating. The enchantments woven into the sleeves coaxed living nerve endings to extend beyond their natural boundaries, growing into channels within the metal itself. Each successful connection brought both searing pain and increased control, until finally, Brunhilda could feel texture and temperature through fingers of enchanted steel as naturally as she once did through flesh and bone.

Rising to Mastery

The tragic loss of Halfar—caught in a perfect storm of mining accident, explosive gases, and cruel chance—thrust Brunhilda into the role of clan artificer far earlier than anyone had planned. Yet she rose to the challenge with characteristic determination, turning her personal experience with magical prosthetics into a foundation for innovations in multiple fields.

Today, Brunhilda's workshop in the Founders Academy represents the pinnacle of artificer craft. Her mechanical arms, now several iterations beyond their original design, serve as both tools and testbeds for new innovations. One might find her delicately manipulating enchanted clockwork with fingers that can feel the flow of magic itself, while simultaneously lifting a half-ton forge hammer with her other hand.

As a member of The Cabal, Brunhilda has access to resources and knowledge that would have amazed even Halfar. She's used this privilege to push the boundaries of what artifice can achieve, combining traditional dwarven crafting techniques with magical principles from multiple cultures. Her work on indoor plumbing alone has revolutionized urban living conditions across Aethoria, though she's most proud of the specialized tools and prosthetics she creates for those with various disabilities.

Every year, on the anniversary of receiving her arms, Brunhilda returns to Dwellindelf to teach young dwarves about artifice and possibility. Her mechanical arms, gleaming with enchantments and intricate engineering, reach out to guide small hands through basic principles of craft and magic. In these moments, she honors Halfar's memory not through mourning, but by passing on his legacy of innovation and determination.

• Lost her arms in a cave-in as a child, saved by her gift for hearing stone's warnings
• Received revolutionary autonomous mechanical arms from her great uncle, Master Artificer Halfar
• Became clan artificer after Halfar's tragic death, rising to the challenge with determination
• Revolutionized indoor plumbing systems across Aethoria
• Creates specialized tools and prosthetics for those with disabilities
• Teaches artifice at the Founders Academy, mentoring students including Mathieu Stonebow
• Returns annually to Dwellindelf to teach young dwarves about artifice and possibility
• Her mechanical arms serve as both tools and testbeds for new innovations