Rurdri

Rurdri (Rubruk Icejaw) — “I fought for what I thought was right. Then I learned right wasn’t what I thought it was.”

Rurdri, formerly Rubruk Icejaw, Hero of Legend of the city-planet of Evermore, spent much of his life fighting for the highest bidder. Some of those days were good, most were boring, and a few were terrifying and heartbreaking. When he had had enough of killing for bad people and losing all of his friends, he found a small town, established a farm, and married a good human woman named Cora. They lived a modest but happy life in their frontier house, on their frontier farm. They survived the elements, lean times, and the occasional raid. The raids were a source of dread for Rubruk. He was tired of killing, but he was good at it and he wanted to protect his neighbors, his home, and his wife.

As fate has a way of doing, one of the raids he dreaded so much gave him the best gift of his life. After a particularly trying one in which the townsfolk barely survived, he and Cora found their purpose. Amongst the dead raiders they found a small, furry creature. Rubruk and Cora looked at one another, picked the mewling creature up, and took it home. That mewling creature became their joy, and they named her Jobella. Jobella the bugbear.

One may wonder why any sane person would not kill the pup. Bugbears are creatures of destruction and chaos. They live to terrorize. They are fey and thus cannot be trusted. Rubruk and Cora saw none of that. They saw a tiny creature that would either be killed by a fearful villager or die of exposure. They decided they had enough love for three, and the choice was made. Wordless but sure.

Life with a young bugbear was trying at times as Jobella fought against her nature and worked to fit in with her strange little family. Thankfully in this case, love overcame all and held the line like a company of dwarven shieldbearers. The bugbear grew quickly, but not into a monster. Jobella was quick, she was sly, but she was also very loving and devoted. Eventually most of the townsfolk accepted her as one of their own and even grew quite fond of her keen mind and giving spirit. As the years passed, the love in their little family grew, and they were happy.

Cora became sick, and despite Rubruk's best effort, she wasted away and died. Rubruk was lost for a long time. He no longer felt at home in that small town on that small farm. He decided to do what he did to survive in his younger years and walk away. He and Jobella packed a few things and left for parts unknown. Rubruk was conflicted. He no longer cared to live, and yet half of him knew that Jo-Jo needed him to keep her safe. He poured himself into the task.

It did not take long for life to grow interesting. Somewhere along the way they met a princess, her teacher, and a shape-shifting warlock. They travelled together for a while before things got really interesting. They were exploring some ruins and suddenly they were elsewhere. They met a vision, and it asked if they were worthy. Rubruk wasn't sure, but the vision made a decision and gave them a dragon egg. They learned that their lives were bound to the tiny creature. Her name was Draco and they learned that if she died, they would as well. Rubruk had since decided that he would actually prefer to live, so he slipped into his protector armor and fought to keep Draco, his companions, and his daughter alive.

They fought goblins and orcs, dragons and cosmic horrors. They moved through time and space. You would think that Rubruk was always in front, strong and confident. Rubruk was constantly petrified of losing the last person in the world that he loved and the thread back to Cora. He fought hard but always kept one eye on his adopted daughter. They fought often, but if Jo-Jo were threatened he would carve his way to her side to keep her safe.

Somewhere along the way, he realized that Jo-Jo no longer needed his protection. She needed his love. His steady, warm love. He learned many other things, and that knowledge changed his world. As time went on and they fought many enemies, his confidence in Jo-Jo's ability to fend for herself grew. Then the final lesson hit: not only did she not need his protection anymore, but he could not always protect her. That hurt him as much as Cora's death had.

Eventually the adventures came to an end, as adventures always do. When the time came to part ways with his friends, he wasn't sad. He knew he would miss the princess, the teacher, the shifter, the lion warrior, and the precise monk. They became heroes and friends. He was sad to leave them behind, but he knew they had their own journeys to make. Including Jo-Jo. It was at this point he knew that he had to let her follow that path. He longed to keep her with him so he could keep her safe, but that would trap her in a prison that he himself would put her in. So he told her goodbye, and that she could find him back on the farm. Then he picked up his axe, sheathed it across his back, and set out on the long journey home. A journey that he had to make alone.

He eventually made it back to the farm. The farm needed a lot of work after sitting empty for so long. After some time of the simple life of a farmer, he realized that he needed something more. One day, he started building a wall. Before he knew it, he had built a wall in one of his fields. The walls were closed by two heavy wooden doors bound in iron. His mind told him that this little fortress would help him and his friends stay alive during the raids. He just didn't know what to put inside of the walls. He started building inside, and before he knew it he had built a moderate inn. The walls would be the defense against raiders and the inn would be a gathering place for him and his friends. He named his keep/inn Draco's Hoard.

If you ever stop by Draco's Hoard Inn, I'll bet you will feel at home as soon as you step across the threshold. Ahead you will see a large fireplace that is always lit with a cheery fire. Most of the tables are close to the warm fire. To your right, a hand-carved marble bar with an old dwarf behind it, or you may see him at one of the tables talking with the patrons. At the tables you will see locals eating, drinking, and laughing. Draco's Hoard is a place where people feel safe, and not just because of the stone walls and thick doors. It's because you can feel the contentedness of the dwarven proprietor. If you are a down-on-your-luck adventurer, he will let you stay for free. He will even feed you. There is a price, but it is not measured in gold or jewels. No, if you accept his hospitality, the price is a story. He will bid you to sit by the great fireplace, and he will give you a drink and tell you to start spinning your tale.

Rubruk has seen many things and been places across time and the universe. Nevertheless, he will listen to your tale with rapt attention there by the fireplace. Why the fireplace? Because he laid the keystone of Draco's Hoard over the spot where Cora's body rests. He wants her to hear your stories and hear of his as you talk deep into the night. Eventually, he may tell you a story of his own. You won't believe him, but you won't be able to shake the feeling that some part of what he is telling you is true. You will feel it in your bones.

If you are lucky, you might see him sitting with his former comrades. You will know them if you see them and you will feel their bond even before you can hear what they are talking about. If you are extremely lucky, you will be there when Jo-Jo visits. When she does, Rubruk opens the bar and larder. Every day she is there, he puts on a feast fit for a queen, or at least a princess. Actually, the feast would be fit for a cleric teacher, but that is a different story.

You may ask yourself why this dwarf would give away lodging, food and drink as often as he does. The answer is simple. Rubruk needs people. He has stories to tell, but what he needs is contact with other beings. He misses both Cora and Jo-Jo every day of his life, but he knows they are there with him. They live in the stories. I hope you get to hear one someday.