Norgold Dragonsbane

"Though I walk through the valley of shadow and undead, I fear no evil. For evil is in fear of me" - Norgold Dragonsbane, AoR 597
Norgold Dragonsbane was a hill dwarf originally from Atmora, though he had spent much of his life traveling Naneth acting as a Cleric of Torm. In AoR 597 Norgold became a member of the Saviours of Barovia, acting as their primary healer during the group's tenure in Barovia. Eventually, Norgold settled down in Anu, a large port city in the frigid north of Atmora. Here he founded Northcross Temple, a sanctuary for primarily non-human or persecuted individuals. Though Norgold survived Baroiva, by AoR 606 he began to feel the effects of the mysterious Death Curse, a result of his previous resurrection. Norgold's current living status is unknown.

History

A Forgotten Beginning

Much of Norgold's origins has been forgotten, even by the old dwarf himself. What is known, was revealed to Norgold through flashes of memory, gifted to him by Torm. In AoR 450, Norgold was born to the Dragonsbane family, the same family line that traced it's heritage back to Eregoth Dragonsbane, the famous hero of The Alliance. Nothing further is known about Norgold's childhood, as once he grew to adulthood, his family and village was destroyed in fire. Through visions granted to Norgold, he could correctly identify the perpetrators as The Inquisition, and that this event was the likely cause of Norgold's life long struggle with amnesia. However, this revelation did not happen until much later in Norgold's life, prompting him to later found Northcross Temple as a sanctuary for those also effected by The Inquisition's actions.

Entry to Barovia

Norgold's travels finally took him back to Atmora, to the holy city of Krysset. Here, Norgold was prompted to join a hunt for dark creatures that had been terrorizing nearby settlements. The hunt was organized by The Uhara Sanctum, though the hunting party was composed of mostly mercenaries and adventurers. Led by a Paladin named Vindril, the group that would later become The Saviours of Barovia was led into the Pinetrost Woods in search of these creatures. The group would later be tricked into entering Barovia, a plan hatched by the traitor Vindril.
Upon entering and exploring Barovia, Norgold and the group began to contend with the will of a Higher Vampire known as Strahd Von Zarovich. It was Norgold and Colborn Sergeant that primarily agreed to protect a woman named Ireena, the target of Strahd's nefarious affections. As the Saviours further traveled the region, Norgold's healing magic would prove absolutely invaluable, saving the group from sure death on multiple occasions.

The Wizard of the Wines and Norgold's Death

Upon entering the depleted fields surrounding The Wizard of Wines, the group was set upon by enchanted tree blights and druidic magic. The winery itself had been infested by these plants, the work of an Arch-Druid that lived within. Working for Davian Martikov, the group was intent on ridding the winery of this enemy. The party engaged in combat, with Tylus almost suffering defeat at the hands of dozens of tree blights.
Norgold charged into the fray, quickly healing the rogue before he succumbed to his wounds. Unfortunately, Norgold was put into an ill position, as the Arch-Druid, now polymorphed into a mammoth, burst out from within the winery. The mammoth charged forward, successfully goring Norgold with it's tusks and knocking him to the ground. Now underfoot of the beast, Norgold was crushed to death, receiving several stomps directly to his body. Norgold's body was nearly unrecognizable after the battle, and the Saviours of Barovia proceeded to bury their Cleric.

Resurrection

As the party journeyed Barovia, they came across a unique opportunity in the small village of Krezk. Within the Abbey of Saint Markovia, the group met a strange being named The Abbot. The group questioned The Abbot on his abilities with resurrections, with the mysterious being confirming that he could indeed bring Norgold back from death, though there would be a cost. After a brief stint in Vallaki, the group returned with a wedding gown, the subject of The Abbot's strange request, and Norgold's ruined body.
Appeased with the group's actions, The Abbot began a ritual of resurrection over Norgold. The ritual lasted for the better part of 10 minutes, with The Abbot frequently muttering incomprehensible language and flashing fragments of arcane energy over Norgold's corpse. By the end of the ritual, Norgold's eyes opened once more, his lungs gasping for the breath they had long been searching for. He had returned to life, though not without undue consequences. As Norgold set out into Barovia once more, his amnesia episodes began to flare quite frequently, often causing him to forget where he was and the names of his allies. Though Norgold was alive again, a part of him had been permanently lost.

The Defeat of Strahd

The Saviours of Barovia soon clashed with Strahd Von Zarovich, with the final battle taking place on the Overlook of Ravenloft. During the battle, Norgold was primarily occupied with keeping Tylus, now an ally of Strahd, at bay. Through the use of a Hold Person spell, Norgold managed to hold the much faster rogue in place long enough for Sarge and Tanka to catch up and incapacitate him. Once the battle had ended, Norgold and the Saviours emerged victorious. Norgold watched as Sarge ended Strahd's reign over Barovia, plunging a wooden stake deep into the vampire's chest.
Before leaving Ravenloft, Norgold succeeded in communing with Torm, and for the first time, managed to summon an aspect of Torm himself. While present, Torm partially mended the mind of Norgold and gifted him a vision of his past. Norgold now knew the identity of his families' killers, a group of soldiers under the banner of Atmora's religious military branch; The Inquisition .

Return to Atmora and the Founding of Northcross

Norgold and his allies were now free to leave Barovia, passing through the mists that had kept them contained and landing them somewhere within The Teeth. Norgold decided to take Sarge up on an offer, and followed the human to his homestead in Greenfield. While residing in Sarge's home, Norgold spied a familiar symbol; that of The Inquisition. He discovered that Sarge had served very briefly with this order, a revelation he took very seriously. Though he trusted Sarge's explanation, Norgold decided to depart, choosing to find his own path.
In AoR 600, Norgold founded Northcross Temple in Anu, a city in Atmora's freezing north. Northcross grew into a huge complex, complete with multiple housing buildings and a large cathedral and hall of healing. Norgold's idea behind Northcross was to provide a safe haven for non-humans or other persecuted groups. Here they would be free to take part in the worship of any deity and practice cultural traditions, away from the ever growing ignorance of Atmora's primarily human population. To protect these people, Norgold established a small militia known as The Gatekeepers. His primary fear was the mobilization of The Inquisition against Northcross, an event that would surly end in immense bloodshed and international attention.

Suffering from The Death Curse

In AoR 606, Norgold, along with thousands of other across Naneth, became sick. This was the effects of the Death Curse, an illness that touched any that had previously been resurrected. Norgold himself could feel the pull on his soul, something beckoning it forward and out of his body. To combat this, Norgold locked himself within the highest tower of Northcross, surrounding himself with healing magic. How successful he was is currently unknown, as none have seen Norgold since.

Basic Information

Race: Hill Dwarf, Male
Ethnicity: Atmoran
Occupation: Adventurer, Cleric
Other Names/Titles: Dragonsbane
Home: Northcross Temple, Atmora
Status: Unknown (Possible Death via The Death Curse)

Dates

Born: AoR 450
Died: AoR 597
Cause of Death: Trampled to death by an Arch-Druid polymorphed as a Mammoth.
Resurrection: AoR 597