Ungrim Ironfist

"I fear there is no foe worthy of my death"

—Ungrim Ironfist, Slayer King

Ungrim Ironfist, the Slayer King of Karak Kadrin, is the last of the line of the Slayer Kings that have ruled the keep since his ancestor, King Baragor. Armed with the enormous Axe of Dargo, Ungrim deals woe and death to his enemies, carving a path of red ruin before him while singing songs of old in a booming voice. Atop his head is a bright orange crest that rises above a sturdy horned helmet set with a golden crown. For Ungrim is both a Slayer and a King, more than likely the last of the line of Slayer Kings of Karak Kadrin.^[1b]

Ungrim bears the burden of the unfulfilled vow made by his ancestor, King Baragor, who took the name Ungrim, meaning "oath-bound" or "unfulfilled oath".^[2a] By tradition, every king of the Ironfist line takes the Slayer oath. Ungrim is therefore bound by two conflicting obligations as both a Slayer and King - in addition to his duty to serve his city as King, he is also bound to seek out the most dangerous creatures he can find in order to achieve an honorable death in combat as a Slayer.^[1b]

History

The tale of Ungrim’s family, the Drakebeard Clan, is full of woe, as those in the clan of royal blood bear a history of calamities. Many years ago King Baragor, Ungrim’s five times great grandsire, suffered a terrible loss which drove him to take the oath of the Slayers. What caused such a drastic decision is not recorded. It is commonly assumed that the cause was the death of his daughter at the claws of the Dragon Skaladrak while on her way to marry the son of the High King of Karaz-a-Karak. In any case, Baragor became the first Slayer King of Karak Kadrin. He was torn between conflicting vows: the Slayer oath to seek out death and the oath of a King to protect his people. In the end, good Dwarf sense prevailed, and he found a way to honour all commitments. He founded the famed Slayer Shrine of Karak Kadrin, the largest shrine to Grimnir. Thus, he established a haven for Slayers that continues to this day. His son inherited his vows and continued the line of Slayer Kings, of which King Ungrim Ironfist is but the latest.^[1b]

Although Ungrim cannot seek his death in Slayer fashion, he grows ever more restless, leading the throng of Karak Kadrin into countless battles. Inspired by his High King and seeking to avenge his lone son who was slain, Ungrim will march to war with the least provocation. It was Ungrim who slew the Dragon of Black Peak and who broke Queek Headtaker’s siege of King Belegar’s citadel in Karak Eight Peaks. The Slayer King has beaten the Ogre mercenary Golgfag Maneater and held off a Chaos army in the Battle of High Pass. Most Dwarfs are amazed Ungrim has lived so long, and none think that a mighty death in battle can be very far away.^[1b]

Battle of Broken Leg Gully (2510 IC)

Always eager for battle, Ungrim Ironfist marched out of Karak Kadrin to seek Gnashrak Badtoof, a crafty Orc leader whose rampaging army had already eluded Thorgrim Grudgebearer. Three times, Ungrim’s throng defeated the greenskin host, but in each instance, the Orcs escaped, largely due to the bloody ferocity of Gnashrak’s hard-fighting mercenary Ogre contingent. Soon after the third battle, however, Gnashrak had a falling out with his Ogre Captain, a fearsome brute named Golgfag. Defecting to the Dwarfs, Golgfag and his Ogres delivered Gnashrak’s arm as proof of their ‘new’ loyalty. Ungrim accepted the Ogres’ offer, and together, the forces made short work of the remaining greenskins. All would have been well had Golgfag, a greedy and grasping Ogre, not betrayed the Slayer King. Before leaving for greener pastures, the Ogre mercenaries looted the Dwarfs’ baggage train, stealing all the ale for themselves.^[1a]

Although it took five years, Ungrim finally settled the score. While heading eastwards, Golgfag and his Ogres unwisely crossed the Worlds Edge Mountains at Peak Pass, a route which ran in the shadow of Karak Kadrin. While on that narrow trek, they found their path blocked by the Slayer King at the head of a hundred of his angry kin. Upon seeing that he had more Ogres than there were Slayers, Golgfag laughed, but his rumbling guffaws stuck in his throat when he saw the red ruin unleashed by Ungrim and his spike-haired crew. With his army massacred, Golgfag was summarily beaten and thrown into a dungeon to rot.^[1a]

Wargear

Axe of Dargo - The Axe of Dargo, a runic weapon of monstrous size, was made of the shards of King Baragors broken axe, tempered with Dragon’s blood and iron-oaths of vengeance.^[1b]
Dragon Cloak of Fyrskar - Gifted to Ungrim by Thorgrim Grudgebearer after the Battle of Broken Leg Gully, this cloak is made from the skin of the fierce Dragon Fyrskar, offspring of the mighty Skaladrak. It is now an heirloom of Karak Kadrin and a symbol of vows already fulfilled.^[1b]
The Slayer Crown - This majestic helmet has been worn by every Slayer King since the time of King Baragor.^[1b]