Gotrek

Gotrek is an ancient dwarf berserker who spent a millennium trapped in stone as a petrified statue before being rescued by the adventuring party known as The Magnificent Five (also referred to as the Fantastic Five). Having lived during the era of the historic Pact of Phandelver, Gotrek serves as a living window into a forgotten age of the Sword Coast, hailing originally from the ancient dwarven fortress-city of Axeholm.

Discovery and Liberation

Gotrek was first encountered by adventurers along the road to Phandalin, where he stood as a silent, petrified figure. During their initial discovery of his statue, the elf Erëvyn recovered a Ring of Protection nearby.

At a later date, the party successfully freed Gotrek from his stony curse. Though understandably disoriented and confused after being encased in stone for 1,000 years, he quickly recovered his senses and shared vital historical intelligence with his saviors regarding the peoples, cultures, and locations of the Pact of Phandelver. In gratitude for his liberation, Gotrek reluctantly gifted his powerful, though cursed, Berserker Axe to the warrior Hope and made his way toward Phandalin, where he was invited to stay at Tristan Manor.

This axe was later discovered to be cursed. After intense negotiation and some minor bloodshed—during which the wizard Farwald was nicked for 11 points of damage—Farwald and the academic gnome Dusty successfully dispelled the curse and returned the cleansed weapon to Hope.

Historical Knowledge and the Pact

As one of the few surviving individuals to have personally lived under the Pact of Phandelver, Gotrek possesses invaluable knowledge of the ancient world. Upon his release, he and the ancient banshee Agatha helped map out several legendary locations from the days of the Pact:

• Axeholm: Once the grand seat of Queen Kima and the Dwarves, and the location of Agatha’s cursed sister, Vyldara. Gotrek himself originally hails from this grand, mountain-side fortress.
• Gnomengarde: A gnomish settlement renowned for crafting magical items and clever contraptions.
• Highthorn: The ancient summer seat of the human King of the Pact, which today is known as Cragmaw Castle.
• The Hand of Sehanine (also spelled Sehahine): The elven tower and seat of Larellion the High Mage.

Secrets of the Spell Forge and Gond’s Smelter

Gotrek holds specific technical knowledge regarding the legendary Forge of Spells and Gond’s Smelter in Wave Echo Cave. He revealed to the party that activating Gond’s Smelter requires blue-burning wood, specialized ore from the caves, and some kind of elvish spell. This crucial clue allowed the druid Nalini to deduce that the required magic is the Moonbeam spell, clarifying an ancient mistranslation of “Elvish Tears” (representing the Grace of the Elves or Selûne).

Journey to Gnomengarde

Rather than remaining idle at Tristan Manor, Gotrek chose to actively assist his liberators. He joined the Magnificent Five, the academic gnome Dusty, and the monks Jaque and Zoe on their travels to Gnomengarde to seek magical inventions to aid against the dragon threat.

Upon arriving at the settlement, the party was met with a cautionary sign from King Korboz reading “No visitors!”. When a disguised doppelganger offered hospitality, she permitted only three members—Nalini, Gilmore, and Farwald—to enter. Gotrek, along with Hope, Dusty, and the monks Jaque and Zoe, remained outside to camp and keep watch while the others investigated the strange happenings within the caves.

Return and Redemption at Axeholm

Following the clearance of Wave Echo Cave, the defeat of Nezznar the Spider, and the successful activation of the Spell Forge, the Magnificent Five resolved to lay the spirits of the elven sisters Agatha and Vyldara to rest. Since Gotrek originally hailed from Axeholm, he served as their guide back to the silent, grand stones of his ancestral home.

Upon their arrival at the dwarven fortress, they were confronted by Vyldara, whose spirit was consumed by rage. Vyldara unleashed a devastating Banshee’s wail that ripped through the chamber, immediately knocking nearly the entire party unconscious. Thanks to his formidable dwarven resilience, Gotrek was one of the only two individuals—alongside the elf Erëvyn—who successfully withstood the wail. Their survival bought crucial time for the fallen party members to be healed and prepared.

Before her spirit dissolved into moonlit dust to go to Selûne’s embrace, a redeemed Vyldara addressed the party. Bowing directly to Gotrek, she acknowledged that she still saw the “mettle of Dwarves” among them, and apologized to him specifically:

With Vyldara’s soul shepherded to the Raven Queen, the sun shone through into Axeholm after a millennium of darkness, leaving Gotrek with the hope of reclaiming and restoring his ancestral home.