House Hilltopper

House Hilltopper
Symbol of House HilltopperDorfus Hilltopper ,

gnome-king of Highforge. Dorfus is a typical gnome, though he isn’t too fond of humans; while not impolite, he avoids dealing with them whenever possible.

Dorfus Hilltopper: Gnome-King of Highforge

The only other king in Karameikos, the gnome-king’s lineage stretches back to before the Thyatian invasion. Dorfus’s grandfather swore fealty to Stefan in exchange for maintaining their ancestral land, and the (human) king’s law ends at the gates of Highforge. The 23rd of the Hilltopper line, Dorfus took the throne 20 years ago, when his father was slain by goblin raiders while accompanying the annual Gnome Caravan. Since that time, he has ruled quietly (or mostly quietly) from his vaultlike home-burrow. Sascia and Yolanda of Luln have staunchly battled the depredations of the Black Eagle Baron. Sascia (right) has defended her town from nonhuman invasions, while Yolanda has used her singing to promote von Hendriks’s downfall. 84

Personality: Dorfus is reclusive even by gnomish standards, and he has never passed beyond the gates of his city. He treats humans with mild distaste, greeting them in a chamber hall with five-foot ceilings, forcing them to stoop. Dorfus is ill at ease with humans and finds them unpleasant, almost monstrous. To gnomes and dwarves he is a kind, helpful ruler.

What He Says: “I have no time for giants” (a common response to requests by humans for an audience).

What Others Say: “Humans assume that everyone who does not barrel along at top speed is strange and reclusive. I understand Dorfus’s manner and find him a loyal Karameikan” (Bolto Nordenshield, dwarf ambassador of Rockhome).

Appearance: Dorfus looks typically gnomish to most humans, short and slender with graying muttonchops and thinning hair. His robes of state are sumptuous and well made. Using Dorfus: Dorfus won’t generally be glad to see playercharacter adventurers, particularly if they’re human. He comes into their lives only if they journey to Highforge, perhaps as guards for the Gnome Caravan. One thing to keep in mind is that laws vary between Karameikos and Highforge, and the justice of Highforge is slanted heavily toward dwarves and gnomes. Dorfus’s relations with Stefan are good, such that criminals who seek asylum from a crime in one kingdom or the other soon find themselves pursued in both.

Combat: Dorfus is an able fighter and has honed his abilities in the caverns beneath the gnomish settlement.

Dorfus Hilltopper (7th-level fighter)

THAC0 14; #AT 1; Dmg 2d4 (broad sword); AC 10 or 2 (at war: plate mail and shield); hp 45; MV 12 or 9 (in armor); ML fanatic (17); AL LN. Str 13, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14. Languages: Burrowing mammals, dwarvish (Highforge dialect), gnomish (Highforge dialect), goblin, kobold, Thyatian, Traladaran. Proficiencies: Appraising, blind-fighting, endurance, gem-cutting, survival (underground).