Two halflings, Marlasue and Bendis Flubacres, were married and wanted the ultimate halfling life of owning their own tavern and be bartenders. The one impediment in their way was that they were both born of poor families. They reached out too some well connected friends of theirs and asked for help in their endeavor. Being that they had no collateral, the friends all kindly turned them down. Being desperate to get out of their poor situation, they begged and pleaded once more. Although none of the friends could or would help them financially, one friend told them of some dwarves that may be able to help but that help would come at a high cost. Marlasue and Bendis headed to the craggy rock town of Reggus Krumkyl to have an audience with one of the lesser dwarf miners (as all the others were too busy or refined to deal with the likes of them). There they conversed with Suðri and Vestri (meaning Southern and Western from the old world mythology for the 4 dwarf gods of the 4 winds.) These dwarves we names as such for how they were able to demonstrate great skill in healing as well as in smithing. In the early legendary sagas, they are "small and usually ugly", suggesting that they may have originally been thought of as lesser supernatural beings, sometimes referred to as black elves or little elves. The halfling couple and the dwarves were able to come to an understanding and settled on terms and contracts were signed and sealed.

 

The dwarves then handed over a bag of coin to begin their future as tavern owners. At first, things went great and the tavern was the hub of gossip and grog. Suddenly, some marauders entered the town and raised it. Not a single building was left, including the tavern. With their life up in flames, the once happy little couple could no longer send payment to their dwarf financiers. As a result of the secondary terms in the contract, they became indentured servants to their new dwarf lords. They were tasked with the backbreaking labor of working in the mines to enrich the the already rich with more gold and gems from the Reggus Krumkyl mountains. 3 years in the mines and the couple were at their breaking point. Desperation had set in. One night, while they were tasked with making some premium ale for the up coming feast in celebration of Hanseath’s glory, they found out that their “benefactors" were barren and heart broken. It was at this moment the two halflings saw a new way out of their debt. So they set to having their first born, which did not take long. 10 months later Marlasue had a baby boy. Within days of the child's birth, the new parents approached the beholden. They offered up this new born baby boy in exchange for forgiveness of their debt and to be set free. The Dwarves were taken aback at this offer but the female was in such a state that she readily took the child and named him before the male could even object. The deal was done. Without a single ounce of fanfare, the halfling couple were kicked out of Reggus Krumkyl and told to never come back and to never speak of this exchange for if they did, they and all that love them would be sent to the mines without hope of relief. This halfling baby boy was never told of his halfling lineage throughout his youth and was for all intents and purposes, a dwarf with slightly odd features. The young lad was then not only raised as dwarf but was also raised in the knowledge of the one deity that his family and dwarven brethern ascribed to. Hanseath Bearded One.  

 

As the halfling grew up, he became quite a stout one. Given his strength and propensity to just go headlong into whatever presented itself, he was sent to attend the Military Academy of Dwarves (MAD). Upon graduation, the now stout dwarf man was allowed to choose a name that others would be able to chant when singing of his deeds. After some thought, his chosen name became Dalnik Imrig of Reggus Krumkyl (DIRK). In short time he would earn the monicker Mad DIRK. This was not just from the fact that he went to MAD but also that he would go a little mad (insane) when watching/seeing anyone perform magic. The stronger the magic, the more mad he would become. Temporary magic would lead to temporary madness but any permanent magic would leave him permanently screwed (a little) in the brain. When DIRK turned 25, he was told of how he came to be a part of the dwarf society. at first, he was heartbroken and sad, for all he knew was the way of the dwarf. That sadness then turned into anger and that anger into rage! he thought "How could halflings be so course as to purposely have a child just to settle a debt?!?!" So now, whenever he comes across a halfling, he forcefully asks their name in the hopes of some day hearing his parents names so as to cleave their heads with his axe. He does not trust any halfling and would rather kill them as much as see them.