A broad-shouldered hill dwarf with weathered copper skin, a thick russet beard braided with iron rings, and gray-green eyes that seem permanently narrowed against the wind. Old scars cross his forearms and one eyebrow. He wears practical furs over battered leather, keeps a massive greataxe within easy reach, and carries a bundle of carved animal bones from places he has survived.

Direct, observant, and fiercely protective, Brunna prefers honest silence to elaborate conversation. She is warm toward travelers, hunters, and underdogs, but suspicious of people who hide behind titles or polished manners. She enjoys testing strangers with practical questions about weather, tracks, and campcraft.

Brunna Stonewake was born beneath a lonely ridge where her clan mined iron and hunted the high valleys. As a child, she learned that the wilderness was not empty, but crowded with signs. A broken twig, a cold fire pit, or a raven circling too low could tell a sharper story than any map. She became a scout and trail guide, leading hunting parties through storm country and escorting merchants across passes where avalanches and raiders were equally common. When a mining expedition vanished beyond the clan's borders, Brunna followed its trail alone. She found the survivors trapped in a ravine, surrounded by beasts driven mad by an unnatural presence. Brunna fought until her axe broke, then entered a furious battle rage that carried her through the darkness. She brought the survivors home, but she returned changed. Since then, she has traveled beyond the ridge, seeking the source of the corruption and gathering allies capable of facing it. She distrusts soft beds, crowded cities, and anyone who cannot tell north from south without asking.