Rufaic Snowsteel

Grynik Snowsteel (Father)

Torfus Snowsteel (Half-brother)

Marindonn Snowsteel (Cousin)

### Affiliation

Shield of the Lost, Dawnforge Order, Alliance, Ironforge, Bouldershoulder Brigade (Formerly), Order of the Silver Hand (Formerly), Argent Dawn (Formerly), Argent Crusade (Formerly).

## Physical description

### Eye color

Green

Rufaic is a Bronzebeard dwarf from Thelsamar, who has traveled across the world throughout the numerous conflicts as a Paladin of the Silver Hand and as a Paladin of the Alliance.

He currently holds the title of Thane of Clan Snowsteel, although given his clan's small size it holds little weight. Rufaic holds the title of Keeper of the Dawnforge, a fairly new holy Order based in Khaz Modan. Following a series of unexpected events, he was recently elected as Thelsamar's representative in the Ironforge Senate. He is commonly found in or near Ironforge, working to protect and repair his homeland.

## Characteristics

### Physical Appearance

Rufaic is about average height for a Bronzebeard dwarf, but weighs considerably more due to muscle from years of training and fighting. His broad shoulders and thick neck bear the weight of heavy armor, which only enlarges his already hefty frame. The parts of his skin that aren't normally hidden are a dark contrast to his comparatively pale self. Scars mark his torso and back, but he is mostly unmarked elsewhere. He maintains his long black beard with pride, while his hair is generally less well kept. His hair has slowly become marked with grey, although the cause appears to primarily be from stress and magical influences than age.

His right hand is replaced by a silver metal prosthetic shortly behind the wrist, the runic replacement created by Grazni Forgeheart. It isn’t as flexible as the real hand was, but it is far more durable and still allows him to take part in combat.

### Typical Equipment

When expecting conflict, Rufaic typically appears in full armor - a rust colored adaptation of his old Silver Hand armor. This armor, while not made of anything too fancy, has seen considerable modification and enchantment from Rufaic and his allies, making it more than sufficient to withstand blows from all but the mightiest of foes.

Due to his position as an Ironforge Senator, Rufaic is commonly found wearing plated robes and a metal crown to better fit in among the Senate.

He always carries a Libram on his belt, attached by a metal chain. The time was recently set into a new rust-colored metal casing with blue colored runes. It is both a copy of the Libram of Holiness and a record of his master’s journeys, with his own personal stories being written down as he has time. It is his hope that should he fall, another Paladin or Squire would be able to take it up and follow the lessons within.

### Personality Traits

Rufaic is generally a calm and thoughtful dwarf, preferring to sit and listen instead of argue and fight. However, he will make quick decisions in combat or in anger which may not reflect this. His short temper, which he works to keep down, and stubbornness are his greatest weaknesses, if not his innate desire to advise and aid others in ways he sees best. He is instinctively protective of his friends and other Paladins, and will fight to the last if he thinks it will accomplish something, but is intelligent enough to leave a lost cause.

## History

### Clan Snowsteel

The Clan Snowsteel was quite prominent before the War of Three Hammers, but it was almost completely wiped out in the days before the War began. Rufaic's great-grandfather, Torric Snowsteel, earned the family name through the forging of weapons that would glow white when their enchantments were activated. His forging techniques were lost with his death.

### Early Life

Rufaic was born in Thelsamar in year -81 to Grynik and Erma Snowsteel, growing up in relative peace. Erma was killed by kobolds early in Rufaic's life, leading his father to remarry and give Rufaic a brother, Torfus Snowsteel. The pair trained together, fighting against murlocs, gnolls, and anything else that posed a threat to the town. Rufaic learned the basics of combat from his father, as well as the techniques of armor smithing. He would study with a traveling cleric over these years, attaining some minor healing skill with the Light and a firm knowledge of that cleric's views - which directly contradicted that of the Church of the Holy Light's at several points.

### Second and Third War

Rufaic and his family were forced to flee Thelsamar when the Horde ravaged Khaz Modan. His aunt, Mirva Snowsteel, and her husband fought to their last breaths in Thelsamar as the rest of the family fled, too prideful to flee from the orcs.

Grynik, Torfus, and Rufaic escaped to Ironforge, where they fought alongside the rest of the Bronzebeards to repel the invading orcs. Grynik fell in combat near the gates of Ironforge, but his sons survived the war and spent the following months clearing Khaz Modan of orcs and rebuilding what was lost.

Rufaic would split from his brother to visit Lordaeron and expand his knowledge of the Light as a Priest under Archbishop Faol and his Paladins of the Silver Hand. Sadly, he had only begun training as a Paladin a few months before Arthas returned and he fled with his fellow squires under the Paladin Aldurec Morlanin.

He finished his training several years later, being granted full Paladin status in the remnants of the Order of the Silver Hand. He traveled to the remnants of Lordaeron to join the Argent Dawn, where he would remain until the return of the Lich King.

### Northrend

Rufaic traveled to Northrend with his brother, working to support the Alliance military as part of the Argent Crusade. He was stationed in Dragonblight until the events of the Wrathgate, at which point he was sent to multiple Argent outposts in Northrend before joining the Crusade's push into Icecrown with his fellow Paladins Aldurec Morlanin, Jack Morlanin, and Victor Jaenoran.

### Cataclysm until Legion

Following the fall of the Lich King and the emergence of Deathwing, Rufaic returned to Khaz Modan to heal and rebuild the land. Most of his time was spent trying to rebuild his family home in Thelsamar and deal with the new dangers brought by the destruction of the Stonewrought Dam.

Following the attack on Theramore by the Horde, Rufaic left Khaz Modan to fight the Horde once more. He was sent to Ashenvale, where he aided the Night Elves against the Horde forces. Much to his disappointment, he was never sent into Orgrimmar.

He returned to Light's Hope Chapel following the fighting, working to train a new generation of Paladins following the exodus of heroes to Draenor. He remained there until the arrival of the Legion, when he followed the Crusade to the Broken Shore.

He was sent to Suramar after the defeat at the Broken Shore, along with Jack Morlanin and several other Paladins. The group was ambushed in a cave by a group of Nightborne and demons, leaving only Rufaic alive. He was sent back to Khaz Modan to recover and defend his homeland.

### The Bouldershoulder Brigade

Rufaic joined the Bouldershoulder Brigade shortly after returning to Khaz Modan, finding within them kindred spirits and able warriors. Following the fall of the Legion, Rufaic left their ranks to focus on more peaceful and constructive projects.

### The Stormhammer Covenant

Rufaic took part in most attacks on the Legion in Khaz Modan, doing his best to keep his home safe. He personally led an attack on Dun Modr, after receiving a letter from his uncle Trodin Snowsteel, and based the Bouldershoulder Brigade there. He also directed relief groups of Dwarves to Greenwarden's Grove and Menethil Harbor during the retaking of the Wetlands.

He led Bouldershoulder forces during the Battle of Wyrm's Bend, meeting with the other Dwarves for the swearing of the Stormhammer Covenant at Warbrand Dunmar's “request.”

He took part in the downfall of most Legion Lieutenants in the Highlands, and personally saw to the fall of a Pit Lord and Eredar Commander during the fighting.

### Fall of the Legion

Once the Overlord and Techlord were killed in quick succession at the end of the Highlands campaign, Rufaic was summoned to his great-grandfather’s smithy. In his exhausted state, Rufaic became irritable at Torric’s attempt to lecture him and attempted to prove the strength and skill of his smithing and runecrafting. His pride led to the overloading of the faulty runes on his hammer, accidentally destroying the undead form of Torric as well as the destruction of the smithy, the melting of Rufaic’s armor, and the loss of his right hand.

Rufaic was forced to come to terms with his fault in the event, having been rescued by his old friend Ranmyr Shortstep. He decided to step away from the Bouldershoulder Brigade and his headstrong ways, leaving most of his pride behind. Once a replacement hand was crafted and melded to him, Rufaic began to form the idea for his new organization.

### Battle for Azeroth

Rufaic founded a guild named "Shield of the Lost" following his departure from the Bouldershoulder Brigade, a group of well-meaning Alliance races for the purpose of protecting, rebuilding, and healing Khaz Modan.

He went on to break from the Order of the Silver Hand due to their lack of full-throated Alliance support following the burning of Teldrassil. He would join with other dwarves of faith within Khaz Modan, such as Modarin Slatefist, Bromrok Ironbane, Muirdan Stonefist, and Breldra Stoneguard to create the Dawnforge Order. This Order was formed for the support and revitalization of the Light faith within Khaz Modan, and the support of the Alliance. The Dawnforge name came from the creation of a holy forge within Ironforge, created for the purpose of creating and empowering Light artifacts.

Troubles within Khaz Modan began to arise, with Horde raids into the Dark Iron lands and conflicts in the Badlands. An odd orb that was found among the fallen Horde began a string of events leading to the depths of Uldaman, where a C'thrax was accidentally released from a Titan vault. Rufaic and a party of fighters were unable to defeat the monstrosity, and it escaped to the sea.

A force of Gnolls, Murlocs, Kobolds, and even some Troggs were empowered by the Horde using Azerite, and forced Rufaic and his allies to focus upon Loch Modan and Dun Morogh following the C'thrax's release.

An investigation into the Horde presence within the ruined stronghold of Dun Modr led Rufaic and his allies to discover a population of dwarven holdouts, hidden beneath the city since the Second War. These civilians were eventually reintroduced to Khaz Modan at large, and the Dawnforge purged a significant Twilight cultist presence within the fortress. When the confrontation with the Horde finally came, the C'thrax finally resurfaced and interrupted the diplomacy.

Prior to following the C'thrax, Rufaic experienced a vision he claimed to be from the Light, guiding him and his allies to the cave where the Overlord was slain in the Highlands during the Legion invasion. The Dawnforge found an unusual chunk of metal infused with the Light, in the process of attempted corruption by Twilight forces. It was recovered successfully, and forged by Bromrok and Daircath into a sword by the name of Othakar, Keeper's Fury. It would see great use against the C'thrax and other unholy foes.

Rufaic led an expedition to slay this C'thrax, allying with a group of ex-Horde soldiers that survived the attack at Dun Modr, following it to a number of locations across the Eastern Kingdoms, such as Tol Barad, Gilneas, Silverpine Forest, and Tirisfal Glades. The expedition encountered an imprisoned Pit Lord in Tol Barad, which they slew. The C'thrax was eventually cornered by the expedition within Tyr's Tomb, where it was slain at the cost of two expedition members - Keeper Nellea Lennon of the Dawnforge and Baradurin Stonestein of Loch Modan. The surviving members returned to Khaz Modan victorious.

Surviving members of the expedition include: Golnon Stoutsteel, Tyrman Bladebreaker, Nisvik Highhelm, Idda Redaxe, Nemaira Brightblade, Volgorm Coaltooth, Entalinval Velonhil, Olivien, Brundal Brightbraid, and Bromrok Ironbane.

Several members of the expedition found unexpected items in their packs when they left Tyr's Tomb, and Rufaic was quickly able to identify his as a Spark of Tyr. He began investigating it shortly after his return, but was interrupted repeatedly by more pressing issues.

Rufaic "retired" following this expedition, but was still drawn in to several issues across Khaz Modan. He intervened in a conspiracy involving remaining homunculi from the Legion invasion, where he fought to take an open Senate seat from a member of the conspiracy in an election. Through the aid of the Dawnforge, and several other individuals, he won the election by a landslide and took the position of Senator of Thelsamar.

The conspiracy was eventually unearthed and destroyed, and Rufaic moved on to helping his friend Modarin repair his leg in Ulduar - along with unearthing some ancient lore from a Titanic machine.

He continues to assist the Dawnforge and Khaz Modan as he has time.