Joseph Dornstrike

Joseph Michael Kenneth Dornstrike (a.k.a. Space Dwarf)

He has been a grandfather to many and father to few, Joseph Dornstrike always seems to guide his grandchildren even after walking through the misty gates of The Realm of Eternal Slumber. While some of his grandchildren continue to spread the word of his legacy, one of them believes that Joseph is now a guide in this new realm helping new arrivals find their freedom as he has done many times before.

I bet he's having awesome adventures in The Realm of Eternal Slumber! I'm telling you, he has a baby dragon and a phoenix because he's way awesome. Knowing him, he'll definitely be guiding other people in their adventures. That's what I believe, at least.

— Rosaline (22)

Fair warning! A few headings of this article contain heavy elements of war and death. If you do not like to read those, skip the headings Tristate War, Choson War, and Indecorous Inquiry.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

In his 85 years of wandering the world, Joseph has seen many things during his lifetime.

What the hell? You survived all that in your previous life? What are you made of? Who have you been made by? Space Dwarfs?

— An utterly confused Theiket

Early Years

Born in a Wicklip, a small settlement in the state of Dothela, Joseph grew up in a fairly quiet and friendly neighbourhood. However, at just four years old, his parents took him and his brothers to live in Chorac, a big city a little further away. Here, he went to school where he always scored high and managed to impress his teachers with his knowledge of general sciences.
His true passion was with Chess. Strategic thinking and anticipating on the opponent's playing patterns was what he enjoyed most. At age 12, he was the best player at his local club and soon after he defeated the best player in his school as well. He was well on his way to becoming the city's best player, were it not for the dreadful war that wedged itself in his way.

The Tristate War

Joseph was just 13 years old when The Tristate War broke out. His dad was called up to partake in the war as a simple soldier, while he stayed home with his mother and younger brothers. Even with war waging around him, he tried to make the best of it, trying to find work where he can to support the family.
However, as the war waged on for a few years, the opposing soldiers from Otrain began to round up people to send them off to worker camps. At first, they took the healthy men who were fit for duty. As time progressed, they started to round up older people. Then younger people. By this time, Joseph was 17 and he foresaw that, if he did not leave the city, he would be sent off too.

Chorac after an Ostian bombing by museumsvictoria

As quickly as he could, he packed a single bag and ordered one younger brother, who was 15, to do the same. His other brothers were all under age 12 and were not at risk of being taken away. He gave his mother one swift kiss goodbye and a few encouraging words, before he walked into the night with his brother in tow. Together, they lifted and walked until they ended up in the south of their state far away from their family. There were far less Otrainian soldiers in this part of Dothela, providing them some safety.

A family of tree farmers took the boys in and provided them a hiding place and food. In return, they had to work on the fields to make their stay useful. They had to sleep in the attic of an animal barn where hay was stored for the winter season. With the few clothes they had, and the three blankets they were given, they had to make do which was already a challenge during the late summer and autumn months.
However, nothing could have prepared them for the winter that year. It was the coldest winter Dothela had experienced in years. Unfortunately, that was not the worst that happened that winter. Large parts of occupied land had a famine going on because the Ostian soldiers were blocking any and all ways of food coming in and out. Still, Joseph and his brother worked hard on the farm and tried to make the best of it.
Seeing his younger brother shivering in the cold, Joseph gave him the rest of this clothes to keep him warm. He also made sure his brother had all the blankets during the night, while he slept in the bitter cold. He managed to craft a blanket out of hay laying around that kept him just warm enough to get a few hours of sleep. How the two boys managed to survive this winter nothing short of a miracle.
In the months that followed, the allied troops finally managed to free the south of Dothela. Freedom was in sight and the brothers were thrilled to go back to their mother. They travelled along with the allied soldiers, staying well behind the lines while marching up to the city of Chorac. It took a few more months for the city to be liberated, but they were finally back home with their mother and brothers.

Joseph! Brian! Oh, how glad I am to see your faces again after all these months. Come, let's celebrate.

— Their relieved mother

Soon after, they were reunited with their father as well. Unfortunately, it was for a very short time, as he had sustained quite a few injuries during the war. Two months later, they waved their goodbyes as he was taken by Zeronis to The Realm of Eternal Slumber and Joseph became the new head of the house at age 19.

Calm before the Storm

With the Tristate War over, peace returned to the lands once more. Joseph became part of a small and elite regiment of shock troopers, and helped the city and state recovering from the war. He was primarily tasked with rebuilding houses, transporting food, and lending a helping hand in the hospitals that were overflowing with wounded.

While working at the hospital, Joseph met a young woman, Margareth, just a year younger than he was. She was a nurse tending to the people with relatively minor wounds and illnesses, since she was technically still in med school and thus not fully qualified yet. They frequently worked together to care for the patients. Joseph ran around getting and bringing medicine from one nurse to the other, or he carried patients from one room to another because there weren't enough rolling beds to transport them properly.

A makeshift hospital in Chorac after the Tristate War by British Library

As the months progressed, the bond between Joseph and Margareth grew stronger to the point where they fell utterly in love. Unfortunately, their time together came to an abrupt end, as a new war was on the horizon.

Choson War

Unrest was stirring up on the horizon within Choson, one of the other states further away from Dothela. Within the state, two parties were about to go head to head with one another. A few other states, together with Dothela were keeping an eye on the situation. However, it did not take long for the two parties to take up arms. As allies, Dothela had to send troops to Choson to help subdue the situation.

Landing at Choson by Duncan Kidd

Joseph, being part of the shock troopers, was notified that he had to deploy to Choson when he was 24 years old. He and Margareth were in a relationship for a few years at that point. He could not just leave like that. Therefore, a few days before getting deployed, they tied the knot.

The war at Choson was rough and in ways worse than the Tristate war. Being far away from his home and loved one, Joseph was having a tough time but he always kept his focus. Margareth kept writing him letters to the point where he could not take them all with him. Fellow soldiers have told the family long after the war was over that Joseph would burn the letters he could not keep in a tin box. The ashes from those letters, he put in a little vial that he hung around his neck, so he would always have the letters close to his heart. The others, he kept safely tucked away in his backpack and he would read them every night before he went to sleep.
The hilly grasslands of Choson made it difficult to traverse the terrain. Therefore, keeping the backpack as light as possible was very important and the reason why Joseph could not keep all the letters from Margareth. Still, with everything in it to fight many battles behind enemy lines, the backpack was easily half his weight and he had to run the hills multiple times.

JOSEPH! THE COMMANDER, GET HIM! WE'LL COVER YOU!

— A fellow shock trooper

Joseph and his fellow shock troopers made their last stand on one of the critical hills of Choson. He has seen his commander in arms die in front of his eyes, but he persevered. With his comrades and his friends, the grenades, they managed to face off the enemy for almost a week until reinforcements arrived. A few days later, they had won the battle which ultimately gave them the victory in the war.
With a heart of scars, Joseph finally went home after three years, back to the arms of his beloved Margareth. By order of the king, he was offered the bravery award for his performance during the war. However, Joseph refused to go to the award ceremony or to even receive the medal. In his opinion, he was not worth it.

"But dad, why didn't you get the award? It would've made you so cool!"
"Dear son, what do you think of freedom?"
"Freedom? What do you mean?"
"Simple, what do you think of freedom? Does everyone deserve it, or only a few people?"
"Everyone deserves to be free, of course!"
"If everyone does deserve to be free, doesn't that give us, those who are free, the task to help others achieve that freedom?"
"I suppose so, why?"
"You cannot be awarded for something you believe in strongly. I did what I had to do to make sure those people in Choson would get their freedom back. It's what anyone would have done."

— A conversation between Joseph and his oldest son

Back to "Normal" Life

With the Choson war over, Joseph was back at home with his beloved wife. Soon after his return, they started a family and moved a few cities further away from Chorac to live in a quieter place. Over the course of seven years, the family grew to seven heads with Joseph as head of the house. He taught his children the values he learned during the war, while being a volunteer at the local army corp.

Margareth became a house wife and cared for the children, and Joseph made sure there was always enough money in the bank. He also picked up his love for chess once more and moved up the ranks very quickly. Within a year he was champion of the city, and he continued to climb until he was playing at state level.
However, his true character showed once more one day before the state finals. He received word that his wife was due to give birth to his fifth and last child. In a split second, Joseph dropped everything and made his way back to Margareth as fast as his horse could take him. He also quit smoking cold turkey, a habit he picked up during the Tristate war, because he wanted to make sure that he would live as long as he could for his children and grandchildren.

The Knight, Josephs Favourite Chess Piece by Piotr Makowski

"Grandpa, what is this?" Rosaline asked Joseph while waving with a small packet.
"That, dear," Joseph said as he snatched the packet from her little hands, "is tobacco. And it's not good for you."
"Tobacco? What is that?"
"It is a substance that people use to smoke."
"Isn't smoking bad for you?" Rosaline's eyes grew large as Joseph opened the packet. "It is! Here, just have a little sniff," he said as he held it towards her. She took a little sniff and her face turned disgusted.
"Yucky! You used to smoke that?"
"Yep, I did," Joseph sighed as he closed the packet again and put it back from where Rosaline took it. "However, I swore off smoking when your dad was born. That is the packet I had in my pocket and I've kept it as a keepsake to remind myself why I don't smoke anymore."
"Oooooh, you're the coolest, grandpa!" The little girl said as she gave Joseph a big hug.

— A conversation between Joseph and his youngest granddaughter Rosaline (6)

Aside from playing chess, Joseph also took up another old hobby of his: painting. He started simple by painting fruit bowls and then continued to painting people and landscapes. He adored sitting in the wind absorbing the image in front of him, usually grassy landscapes, or ships sailing on the lakes or the sea side. When his children were getting children of their own, he began to paint them. One of his masterpieces is a portrait of his oldest grandchild. He made a painting for every grandchild for them to keep before and after his passing.
Furthermore, he loved toys in every shape or form and his children certainly inheritted that trait. He helped one of his sons with building an amazing speaker set. He helped another with the motorbike. While he did not understand much about knitting and crochet, he always paid attention when his youngest daughter was playing with the yarn. He would sit on a miniature chair having teatime with his oldest daughter and her stuffed animals. He was a true family man that tried to spend as much time as he could muster with his children and his wife.

Grandpa Joseph

As the years passed, and his children were starting families. They tried to stay close to their parents and Joseph loved playing with his grandchildren just as he did with his children. He took them on adventures, took them camping in the woods, played catch in the backyard, and so much more.
Rosaline, the daughter of his youngest boy, was one of his favourites. Oh, how often they made a mess of the kitchen trying to bake cake. He taught her how to play chess and how to make progress in drawing. He has taken her horseback riding many times, venturing through the lands around their property.

Joseph and Rosaline! What have you guys done?! Have you seen the kitchen?

— Margareth yelling at her husband and grandchild, but failing to keep a straight face.

Joseph and Margareth by Marc A. Sporys

Even though Joseph grew older with the years, his strength never faded. He managed to stay fit throughout his life. He even helped one of his children with building their house, lodging stone, hauling timber, and in general doing all types of physical work without breaking a sweat.
Just like his physical strength, his love for Margereth never faded. He always managed to show his love in all kinds of ways to her. One day he comes home with flowers. On other days he takes her out for a nice dinner, and leaves the kids home with the oldest in charge. Joseph always made sure to let his wife know that she was still the only one for him. All the letter that she had sent him during the Choson War were safely locked away, always to be preserved until the day that his body would give up on him.

The Last Year

As Joseph was approaching age 85, things slowly began to go downhill. His mind became slightly foggy and he would jumble the names of his grandchildren. The strain of living for for such a long time became apparent, but nothing too worrying. He lost some strength, though still managed to keep most of it.
For someone of his age, he was still extremely vital. He helped his youngest son with building an extra large shed alongside the house. It was not hurling boulders like he did previously, but he was performing some serious physical work. He took a good long walk at least three times a day to keep himself moving. Margareth, who was now 84 years old, was worse off as she was having trouble to walk properly. Joseph helped her around the house and made sure she was always comfortable.
Together, they celebrated their 60 year marriage with their children and grandchildren. They even received a letter from the king, congratulating them for their diamond marriage. Not many people manage to stay together for such a long time. The family threw a big party inviting Joseph's brothers and other extended family in celebration of this achievement.
However, after this event, things went downhill quickly for Joseph. A few months later, he got lost on his usual walk and it took him three extra hours to come back home. Margareth was worried sick about him, but all seemed well. A few weeks later, Joseph was rushed to the local hospital. He had suffered a heart attack and his condition was deteriorating quickly.
Doctors at the hospital were gobsmacked. Their research concluded that Joseph had suffered three heart attacks within a span of two months. His sheer willpower has pulled him through the previous two, but the last one was the last fatal blow. It was at that moment that they witnessed someone who might actually have a Space Mithril Soul for the first time.
Three weeks later, Joseph closed his eyes one more time before stepping through the misty gates of The Realm of Eternal Slumber.

His entire soul is made of space mithril, isn't it?

— Theiket

Relationships

Joseph Dornstrike

Husband (Vital)

Towards Margareth von Davide

5

5

Frank

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Margareth von Davide

Wife (Vital)

Towards Joseph Dornstrike

5

5

Frank

---

Rosaline Dornstrike

Granddaughter (Vital)

Towards Joseph Dornstrike

5

5

Honest

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Joseph Dornstrike

Grandfather (Vital)

Towards Rosaline Dornstrike

5

5

Honest

---

Alignment

Neutral Good

Current Status

Adventuring in The Realm of Eternal Slumber

Current Location

The Realm of Eternal Slumber

Species

Human

Age

85

Date of Birth

5th of August, 1926 AD

Date of Death

16th of February, 2012 AD

Spouses

Margareth von Davide (Wife)

Siblings

Children

• Peter Dornstrike

Pronouns

He/Him

Gender

Male

Eyes

Jolly light blue

Hair

Chocolate brown, always standing up in all possible directions

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Peeled almond in colour with little freckles

Height

1.75m (5'8")

Weight

78kg

Employment Enigma

After his service in the shock trooper battalion, no one really knows how he managed to pull in the money for this family. There has been much speculation of the job that he performed after his time in service.
As his chess career grew, Joseph has managed to bring prize money home. He has won many tournaments and matches on state and intercity level. However, the prize money was never eccessive. For that, he would have had to play on national level. It certainly would not be enough to support his family consistently.
Rumours are that Joseph became a broker after he resigned from the army. He always worked during the same hours every day far outside the city, travelling by horse every time, but no one really knew where the went every time. His knack for numbers also certainly would have served him well in that field.

Scarred Soul

While Joseph had many great accomplishments in life, the wars he endured have definitely left his heart scarred. Having to leave his family behind during The Tristate War was one of the hardest things he had to do to protect them. He saw his brother suffering in the bitter cold while they were trying to get some sleep in the attic of that barn. He offered himself up by giving his brother his warm clothes while battling the cold and malnourishment with what little energy he had. Seeing how he was on the brink of losing his freedom, Joseph swore to himself that he would always do everything in his power to ensure others would not have to suffer the same fate.
After the Tristate War was over, and Joseph had returned to Chorac, he saw the city in ruins. The thought of innocent people having lost their lives haunted him. It sharpened his mind, as he tried his best to help the victims of the war to get back on their feet. Whether it was through his work at the hospital or building houses for the homeless, his sense for helping others grew exceptionally in that period of time. It is also the reason why he joined the shock trooper battalion; it gave him a means to help others through his position in the army.
Protecting and supporting those dear to him, but also strangers, became one of his corner stone values. It was the primary reason why he did not mind being deployed for the Choson War. He could not liberate his family during the Tristate War. But here, he could make a difference for the people of Choson. It was his way of trying to heal the scars caused by the previous war.
This sense of purpose drove Joseph for the rest of his life. While not everyone accepted his help, those who did gained a friend for life. He taught people the lessons he learned from the war and from his work, even though nobody knew what he did.
Some people think that the scars of his heart has left a genetic mark that has been passed down to his children who then passed it further to the grandchildren. A few of them have the same strong sense for helping others, even at the cost of their mental and physical health.

Indecorous Inquiry

Joseph was an incredibly smart man and loved to teach his grandchildren as much as he could. Sharing knowledge was one of his favourite ways to pass the time and a way for him to bond.
While he loved sharing his knowledge, there have always been two topics that no one was allowed to ask questions about: his time during the either of the wars that he has been in or has fought in. Specifically about the things that he did or had to do during those periods. If one did, they would get a very stern look and he would not talk until he had been asked a different question. General questions were fine, but largely not appreciated still.
Thinking back to those days caused Joseph too much pain. He had seen people die in front of him, patched up victims from the first bombings who had lost one or more limbs, and children so scared to death that they couldn't keep up with the evacuation. Once, he cried for several hours in his room after one of his grandchildren gave him a teddy bear for his birthday, because it reminded him of one he saw laying next to a small lifeless body.