
Kelgin was born into the Fire Rock Clan, a once-great dwarven house that had fallen into disrepair due to centuries of internal strife and external threats. From a young age, Kelgin showed a fierce determination to restore his clan’s former glory. Unlike his predecessors, who ruled cautiously and sought peace among the other clans, Kelgin was driven by a singular vision: to unite all dwarven-kind under his rule, no matter the cost.
As a child, Kelgin often listened to the old tales of the Fire Rock Clan’s golden age, when they were the undisputed rulers of the underground kingdoms. These stories ignited a burning ambition within him. He trained relentlessly, mastering both the hammer and the art of war. When he came of age, Kelgin challenged his father for leadership of the clan, a brutal fight that ended with Kelgin claiming victory and taking the mantle of Clan Lord.
Under his rule, the Fire Rock Clan began to rise again, but it wasn’t enough for Kelgin. He wanted more than just the restoration of his clan; he wanted to rule all dwarves. His ambitions led him down a darker path as he began to view alliances and friendships as weaknesses. When the opportunity arose to ally with Erlek, a savant known for his twisted experiments and dangerous knowledge of forbidden magic, Kelgin saw it as a necessary step toward his ultimate goal.
Taller and thicker than any of the others, it was a dwarf who surely was the king of perdition, for he burned. Flame not only surrounded him, it swathed him, his entire being ablaze with red-orange hellfire. Far from contorting his body in agony, he delighted in it, his wide eyes and face lit with pleasure, for the flame did not consume his black hair, skin, or the ragtag swaddling of furs and hardened leather that was his armor. The whole of him burned so brightly it hurt to look upon him. There was only one part of this dwarven demon affected by the smoking flame. His hand, though it did not burn, was a blackened ruin, the fingers charred and mangled, the hand itself, useless.
- ENGINES OF ALCHEMANCY
Kelgin’s alliance with Erlek was not without cost. The dwarves of Fire Rock began to notice strange occurrences within their halls: shadows that moved on their own, whispers in the dark, and a growing unease that spread through the clan. But Kelgin dismissed their fears, convinced that the power Erlek offered was worth the risk. He grew more ruthless, crushing any who opposed him, both within and outside his clan.
Now, with Erlek’s dark influence at his side, Kelgin is poised to strike at his rivals, willing to sacrifice anything—and anyone—to fulfill his ambition of becoming the undisputed ruler of dwarven kind. His name is both feared and revered among the dwarves, a testament to the power and danger he represents.
FIRST APPEARANCE
Kelgin first appears in Engines of Alchemancy (The Alchemancer Book One).
