Gonk Mudfoot

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A surly, morose half-orc has been seen wandering Greatgaunt of late. Barbaric in appearance, with a blood-stained greataxe strapped across his back, he seems to offset his inciting presence by clinging to the shadows as he moves about the village. Those that do get a better look at him see a pair of white hands bound in red cord crudely painted across the chest of his worn and battered leather armor.

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Merchant caravans that make the lonely trek between Mulmaster and Glister are at a constant risk of ambush by tribes of humanoids that roam the gray land of Thar. One such caravan fell victim to the Mudfoot orc tribe years ago, with some of its members being carted off as slaves. Gonk's mother was among them, and her remaining days were few and brutal.

Gonk's youth was equally grim, and death was often a few breaths away. Named for the sound he made when his father kicked him, the half-orc miraculously survived his brutal childhood, eventually building the strength and courage to flee one night. By the time he could see the River Stojanow in the distance two days later, he was nearly frozen, starving, and ready to die.

A savior came, though, in the form of a priest of Ilmater. The Ilmatari brought Gonk into his home in Phlan and showed him kindness and respect that Gonk had never before known. The following months were transformative for the young half-orc, but they went by too quickly. Before even a year had passed, Gonk's adoptive father was taken from him in the middle of a clear night in a dark alley of Phlan.

For the first time in his life, Gonk's rage was truly unleashed. The two murderers were dead within the tenday. And by the time their gruesome corpses were discovered by the city watch, he had boarded a ship and left Phlan and his past behind him.

Bound for Suzail, the ship encountered bad weather as it neared its destination. Seeking safe harbor, the captain sailed on to Valkur's Roar, where Gonk disembarked. By the time he reached the foreign land of Cormyr, he had plenty of time to ruminate over the emptiness of his vengeance. As Gonk headed for Greatgaunt, he resolved to honor the memory of his father and prayed for forgiveness and guidance from Ilmater. The Crying God saw fit to allow Gonk to follow in his father's footsteps, granting him the spells needed to keep himself and others safe and strike out against those with evil intentions.

But the rage still lives within Gonk. At his better moments, he channels it toward good and noble ends. But not always.