Prince Kardakar Thunderfist

Prince Kardakar “Thunderfist” is a dwarf warrior of the Grimbolt Cripplers. He is described as brutal, stern and honourable. He never uses his surname and goes by his nickname, Thunderfist, as if it were one. He is in his late seventies.¹

Exile

Kardakar was once a prominent and respected figure in the halls of the dwarven kingdom, a dwarf with striking sky-blue eyes who embodied the honour, loyalty and strength his people cherished. When a demonic incursion threatened to engulf the Dwarven Halls in darkness, he selflessly donned the infamous Gauntlets of the Red Storm, a powerful artifact crafted with the blood of an archdevil. They gave him unmatched strength and prowess in battle and let him defend his people against the threat.²

His people could have accepted the defeat of their beloved prince, but they could not bear to see him corrupted and swayed by the gauntlets' malevolence. The dwarves cast him out of the Dwarven Halls and exiled him to the surface world, sixty years after the Grimbolt Cripplers had first been banished.²

The Grimbolt Cripplers

Learning of the famed mercenary guild's quest to redeem its honour, Kardakar saw a chance to join its ranks. Among the Cripplers he found a new purpose as the right hand of Hemlock Twinhammers, driven by duty, loyalty and an unshakable determination to prove his worth to himself and his people. Journeying with the guild in search of the Lost Axe of Glodein, he seeks a path back to his homeland and a way to make peace with the conflicts within himself.²

The gauntlets' influence has turned his once radiant blue eyes a haunting blood-red. They hunger for more blood, and their dark allure threatens to consume him entirely; the violence of a mercenary's life lets him wield them without suffering their full toll.²

He favours sieges and high-stakes missions, and never takes a job in which no killing occurs. He can be found at the Cripplers' headquarters, Fort Drake’s End.³

Spoiler: His lineageRevealSpoils: Mercenary Compendium · Say what you have read

Kardakar was born to the noble Ironbeard Clan, with royal blood in his veins and destined one day to take the throne; he is the fourth son of the current king, Karagrin Ironbeard. In the Lands of Exile, dwarven surnames ending in "beard" mark a noble line. He wishes to keep his surname secret: only Ember and Hemlock know his true lineage, and they keep it secret too. Ambitious though he is, he does not want the throne for himself; he wishes only to restore his honour and his rightful place as head commander of the dwarven armies.¹

In battle

Kardakar fights with the raw power of his fists, strengthened by the lightning magic coursing through his gauntlets, with which he can electrify enemies or break through walls and structures. Shunning complex strategy for a direct and brutal approach, he makes the enemy's spellcasters his first targets, closing the distance with lightning-charged strikes before they can unleash their full power. His love of direct confrontation sometimes sends him charging headlong into enemy lines at the risk of being surrounded, and the thrill of combat can cloud his judgement and lose him in a blood-soaked frenzy, so he needs the watchful support of his comrades.³