Balroon

=Physical Description= He is rather average for a dwarf with light brown hair with blue eyes, his skin is tanned and weather beaten like darkened leather from the years he has spent in the wilds, he maintains a rugged appearance similar to a mountain man giving him a very rumpled look.

Balroon primarily wears his hunting gear except on special occasions when instructed to do so or when serving as bartender at the Mug & Sandvich. He always wears a large belt around his waist with numerous pouches of varying sizes tied to it. He also wears a bandoleer that it is suspected contains his ammo. Over his shoulders is a varied selection of drinking skins.

In general Balroon appears and probably is at least half drunk, his drunken behavior is becoming something of legends (not always good ones). His constant consumption of alcohol in public leads to his occasionally smelling more like a brewery.

=Personality= Balroon is a creative but extremely guilt riddin dwarf with little more than pain in his heart. He plays the jovial drunkin prankster to keep people away from his hidden secret. His years in exile has hardened him in such a way to make it hard to find what is within even when he is completely smashed. He follows the teachings of the clan shamans and pays tribute to The Earth Mother at every opportunity and has been known to disappear into the mountains for long periods to commune. In the end if he has promised himself to something or givin his word, nothing will stop him from fulfilling that promise.

=History=

Balroon grew up as a Wildhammer dwarf and suffered with his family the fate of Grim Batol while many of the other wars in Azeroth have had little impact upon him. He became attached to his gryphon at a very young age and raised the noble beast as his friend and companion. Many times while growing up Balroon could be found near a lower peak curled up with his gryphon in a quiet meditative state. This lead to the belief that he was lazy but was quite the contrary, he was learning to commune with The Mother in his own way. Though he was not a shaman he attempted to learn some of their ways and with the support and love of his gryphon he was able to learn basic shamanistic techniques.

As Balroon grew older he entered into formal flight training and the comparison between he and his older brother became much more evident, his father would many times compare how his older brother was so much better at the flight training and combat upon his mount than Balroon. Over the years of training the berating grew in level and drove a deep wedge between Balroon and his brother. Finally Balroon was accused of being lazy and not even attempting to perform as a warrior despite his high marks in his training and his constant practice. He was sent up into the peak to work on the siege weapons and was pulled from flight training by his father.

The day came when Balroon could take the insults and the ignoring of his father, he struck out in the only way he knew. He attacked his brother during the infrequent times Balroon was permitted to fly. He flew his gryphon into his brother and knocked him off his mount from high above the peak. Balroon's brother fell to his bloody death near the near to the entrance of the peak and in sight of all that were watching the training. Balroon had committed one of the worst crimes the Wildhammers had seen in a great many years, he killed a clan and family member.

Balroon was captured immediately and brought before the High Thane. He was to be put on trial for his act despite the large collection of witnesses that wanted his immediate execution. That night Balroon was able to escape his captivity and slip away into the night. His shame already taking hold of his mind he was unable to retrieve his friend and constant companion, his gryphon.

The trial was swift in his absence and the sentence proclaimed quickly, Balroon was to be shamed, cast out and exiled to never return to his peak. The Wildhammers were given orders that if Balroon were spotted he would be captured and returned to the peak for his sentence to be carried out, the removal of all hair so that all dwarves may see his shame and so he would never again be accepted in dwarven society. Balroon was alone in the world, no gryphon, no family, no friends, nothing but the clothing on his back and the boots on his feet.

For many years Balroon lived in the wild, surviving on what game he could capture and the plants he new to be safe. He dared not go near to any settlement for fear that he might be caught. He began to change his appearance, he used what shamanistic power he had to begin changing his hair and eye color, to change his posture. His time in the wild had leaned him greatly so his appearance became less and less of that of the Wildhammers. During this time in his life he fund an abandoned worg pup and began to raise it like he did his gryphon. Caring for it and attending to its needs. The bond grew deeper and stronger between the two until they are inseparable now.

Balroon met an elf hunter one day in the woods and was taught the way of Elune and was trained to be a stronger hunter. The elf found him a weapon more suited to his size and capabilities. The gun nearly completed his transformation as no real Wildhammer would use such a thing. The elf guided him to Dun Morgh where Balroon began to assimilate with the gnomes and the outlying Bronzebeards, testing his transformation.