Dori

[puckrox]

Dori

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THE BASICS:

Name: Dori
Age: 144
Gender: Male
Race: Dwarf
Birthplace: The Blue Mountains
Current Location: Dori has lived in the Blue Mountains with his family for all of his life. However, he is currently on the quest to reclaim Erebor with Thorin Oakenshield and company.
Weapon(s): Dori has two weapons when it comes to battle. When facing enemies long range, he uses his bolas. His bolas allows for him to attack foes at great distances by spinning them over head and launching them at his enemy. For close range fighting, Dori sticks to his sword. His blade, a rustic gray with an aged brown hilt, was passed down to him from his father, and while Dori does not consider himself a warrior by any means, he is quite proficient at wielding a sword.

APPEARANCES:

Facial Appearance: While certainly not an old dwarf quite yet, he is well into his middle age. The years of fretting over his two younger siblings has grayed his beard and hair quite early on. Being the perfectionist that he is, he braids his beard and hair in a neat, intricate pattern on a daily basis. He's got a plump nose, a thin mouth, and light green eyes. His face often bears a stern expression or a scowl; however, it's not uncommon for someone to catch Dori wearing a grin - when the time is appropriate and calls for such merriment, of course.

Build: Dori is of an average height for a dwarf, with a somewhat stocky build that has become stouter as he's aged. He is one of the strongest of Thorin's dwarven company, and the task has fallen on him (more than once, to his disliking) to carry poor Mr. Bilbo Baggins on his back as they continuously escape from danger.

Distinguishing Marks: While he has seen his fair share of battles, Dori does not have too many scars from fighting. Oh he has some marks about him, but nothing that stands out much.

Face Claim: Mark Hadlow

A LITTLE MORE IN-DEPTH:

Personality: Dori is a dwarf of sophisticated tastes and pleasures. He enjoys nothing more than a cup of fine tea and rich food. Though not as scholarly as Ori, Dori enjoys reading when he finds the free time in his busy schedule. He's a dedicated worker, taking on the profession of tinker since he was old enough to hold a job. Unlike many dwarves, Dori enjoys his peace and quiet. He enjoys a lively party just as much as the next, but most nights back home he prefers to spend on his own, lost in thought, or in the company of family. He is well versed and believes in good manners.

He has gained a reputation, no thanks to his brothers, for being a bit of a fusspot. He's quite the perfectionist in all that he does, be it work, appearance (his beard is proof), or tasks in this day-to-day life. He can be slightly judgmental of others when they do not live up to his expectations. He is not fond of when things go awry or when plans are spontaneously changed, and he hates when people attempt to place blame on him. He has the tendency to be suspicious of others and their behaviors. Dori's biggest fault is being a tad selfish at times, especially when thinking of his and his brothers' well beings.

If Dori is known for anything (besides being fusspot), it is for being a mother hen. His number one focus in life has become his youngest brother, whom he can't help but care too much for. Ori, still a baby in Dori's eyes, still has much to learn about the world, and Dori hopes to teach him all that he knows. Having raised Ori since he was a small child, Dori is extremely protective of his little brother. He has a much more complicated relationship with Nori, the middle child, and is not as close to him as he once was.

History: Born into the line of Durin in the year 2797, Dori was raised in the sanctuary of the Blue Mountains. He was born fifty years after the sacking of the Lonely Mountain by the dragon Smaug, and only grew up hearing stories of the reign of Thror in the heart of Erebor. Dori's parents were a loving dwarf couple, and his father began to teach him at a young age how to wield a blade. He had a close bond with his father, and loved him dearly. Unfortunately, when Dori was only thirty, his father was slain in battle. It wasn't long before his mother married another dwarf, and soon gave birth to her second son, Nori. Dori took to the role of big brother immediately, and found he was quite fond of looking after his new baby brother. When Dori had just begun to warm up to having a new father in his life, his stepfather left them one night, while Nori was still a baby, for a dwarf lass he had met.

It was some time before their mother remarried, as she felt it was more important to focus on raising her sons. Dori gained the proper schooling as he grew, and went to work as a tinker when he reached the appropriate age. His main task at home was keeping an eye on Nori, who was quite the rambunctious child and had a thirst for mischief. When both Dori and Nori were full grown (though still living at home), at last, their mother married for a third time. A year after she was married, she brought her third child, Ori, into the world. Dori fell in love with Ori upon first sight, glad to play big brother once more. When Dori was only 108, his mother grew frightfully ill and, after several weeks of fighting the sickness, passed away late one eve. Their stepfather could not take the heartbreak that the loss of his wife brought about, and proceeded to abandon his only child and two stepsons. Ori was a mere child, and so it was this moment that Dori stepped up, claiming the role of patriarch for the family.

Dori managed to raise Ori to become a proper dwarf, leading him towards more scholarly pursuits and away from the horrors of battle (Dori had already lost a father in war and did not wish to lose a brother as well). He knew Ori felt a bit smothered at times due to his constant mothering, but Dori felt that he was doing what was best for his youngest sibling. After several years of Dori trying to control Nori's life as well, Nori took off on his own. This caused a riff between the two eldest brothers. Even though Nori would visit home on the rare occasion, Dori still took much offense that Nori would abandon him and Ori after all their family had been through.

In the year of 2941, on one of his visits home, Nori regaled Ori and Dori with plans of joining up with Thorin Oakenshield's company to reclaim Erebor once and for all. Despite being related to the line of Durin, Dori had no desire to go and seek their once-was-home. He liked life in the Blue Mountains and was proud of all he had accomplished. Ori begged Dori to let him accompany Nori on the journey, but Dori turned him down, telling Ori he was far too young and not yet experienced enough for a quest. The next morning Dori found a note on Ori's bed, telling him that he had gone to follow Nori. Immediately, Dori set out to bring Ori home. The three brothers happened upon themselves on the outskirts of the Shire, leading to one big quarrel about who was and wasn't going on the quest. In the end, they finally came to an agreement: they would all go together. Dori did not wish to go, but he wanted to ensure Ori would come back home alive. That was enough reason to make him go.

**** ((Author's note: Seeing as there's no Nori or Ori as of yet, I've taken some liberties in creating a more detailed back story for their family. Of course, if this RPG ever recruits a Nori and Ori, this back story is subject to change and can be discussed amongst their players. (I'm not trying to be a God-mod already, I swear! It's just difficult to come up with a family history when the Ri brothers are so closely tied together in the movie canon.) ))

Roleplay Sample:

Dori sighed, rolling onto his back. He gazed up at the night sky, the stars ablaze in the dark blue heavens above. In the distance he could hear a frog croaking peacefully to itself. He listened to the frog's merry melody, finding sudden solace in the croaking, only to have the noise devoured suddenly by a snore erupting from Bombur only several yards off. Another sigh.

Normally Dori did not have much trouble sleeping. On the contrary, the constant travel of Thorin Oakenshield's company usually left him tired and worn out by the end of the day, causing him to pass into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the ground. Not tonight. Tonight his mind was buzzing with thoughts and questions about what lay ahead in their journey. The group had already dealt with so much in these first couple months together. They had nearly become supper to a trio of trolls, they had reluctantly been the guests of the elves of Rivendell, they narrowly escaped the caves of the Goblin King with their very lives, and they hung suspended from trees as wargs attacked until eagles swooped in to save them at the last moment when all hope seemed lost. Dori cringed as he remembered some of those moments. Being tied up on the troll's spit and rotated over their fire was not exactly the high point of the journey for him, nor was running away from wargs across vast plains.

The memories of the Goblin Caves and Azog's return remained freshest in his mind, for they had only happened during the previous evening. Grunting, he brought himself up to a sitting position, knowing full well sleep would not be visiting him anytime soon.

He glanced around at the band of dwarves, who were all fast asleep - except for Gloin who was keeping the night's watch a ways off. Even Mr. Baggins, their burglar, had found the comfort of sleep. Dori did not see hide nor hair of Gandalf, their wizard companion, which only furthered Dori's suspicions of Gandalf's true motives for joining them on this quest.

As Bombur's snores continued to fill the night air, Dori took notice of Ori sleeping just a couple feet away from him. Despite knowing that he wouldn't even be here were it not for Ori's sneaking off and begging to go on the quest, Dori could not help but smile. His brother looked so peaceful. So content. Dori remembered back in Bag End when Ori so boldly stood, proclaiming to all he did not fear facing the dragon, Smaug, when the time came. The older dwarf shook his head, remembering how he immediately scolded Ori and told him to sit down. Dori knew his baby brother all too well. He knew Ori wanted to prove himself to the group, showing them that he was more than just a teenager, but Dori also knew how ill prepared Ori was for this quest. He used a slingshot, for Durin's sake. The vision of Ori clinging to his legs as they hung suspended in midair during the warg attack plagued his memory. He could still hear Ori's desperate cries for help as he clutched his brother for dear life. Dori grimaced at this thought. What would his mother think of him now? He had promised to watch over Ori while she was on her death bed, and he had been doing a fairly decent job of it. Until now. There were too many close calls; too many times he could have lost his brother on this quest. He would need to keep a closer eye on Ori for the duration of their journey. Yes, Dori thought to himself, from now on I won't let the boy out of my sight.

His gaze began to drift, and Dori's eyes found Nori sleeping a ways off. He smirked. That hair was recognizable from miles away, that was certain. Some of the other dwarves often poked fun at Dori for the amount of time he took every morning rebraiding his beard, but all Dori had to do was point out that at least it wasn't as complicated as his brother's hair and beard. Nori and him had been getting along better as of late, though they found it was still difficult to hold one-on-one conversations. I should have a word with him. Maybe he could help watch after Ori with me, Dori noted. Maybe that would get them on the path to a better relationship...

As Bombur's snores slowly began to transition into softer breathing, Dori was overtaken by a yawn. Seeing this as a sign, he laid back down, hoping he'd at last find sleep. He glanced up at the night sky once more, admiring the stars that shimmered as brightly as the treasure they hoped to find. With that, Dori closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by the thoughts of the treasure that awaited them in Erebor and the gentle croaking of that nearby frog.

BEHIND THE SCREEN:

Alias: Puckrox
Codeword: hobbit
Experience: I've been RPing for about twelve years now, and I like to think that I've come along way. I'm a proficient writer, and am currently about to graduate from college with a degree in Creative Writing. I've also written my fair share of Tolkien fanfiction in life.
How you found us?: I was recruited by Pumpkin via Tumblr.
Other Characters: N/A
How should we contact you?: Email is probably your best bet.