Beli Tenfee is a redheaded dwarf who takes after her father in being stout and stubborn, and her mother in being tender-hearted. She will shield a child from the strike of a bully, or an elk from the shot of a poacher, but woe be to whom would water down her ale! She learned to fight from her uncle, Esk "Sourbreath" Steldrum. From him, she also picked up the habit of being particularly blunt, with a gruff voice and honest eyes. It was a terror to the male dwarven population when she decided against the milita, then a relief when she wished to explore the world and prove that even the females of the Tenfee clan could be better than those taller races. It was only her mother who regretted that she seemed to have no inclination to continue the line, though her three other siblings give hope for grandchildren. Beli grew up in the Ire mountains, second eldest in the rather small Tenfee clan. Her mother was a cobbler and a mean cook. Her father was one of many miners in the area. Her two brothers (one older, one younger) took after their father when they were old enough to. Beli preferred to spend her time with their Uncle, practicing with various melee weapons. Her favorite was the axe, thrown or not. A sword just didn't have the same feel in her stout arms. The Tenfees were rather isolationist. They were friendly enough when meeting others, but didn't go out of their way to visit. They were mainly self-sufficient, and their main trade was to sell the little extra materials they mined and the shoes that were made. The seasons could be hard, and at times tempers flew, but the Tenfees were very family oriented, even for dwarves. It was thus a wonder to the family that Beli came to resent being confined to such a place. Her parents suggested that Beli go work for another clan for a while, perhaps become an apprentice. She took their advice and left when she was 51, and took a few jobs in a few clans. Most of the time she was a cook, sometimes acting as a mercenary. Everyone was glad to have a helping hand to rebuild after they'd experienced similar hardships as her clan. She was still restless, however, as the life and scenery were mainly the same, just with new faces. Four years after parting from her clan's home, she left the mountains entirely, eager to experience new things and test her merit in the world. The Dark Age was unmerciful to the small Tenfee clan. Everyone able was needed to do such things as finding food, something which had been appreciated in long Winters before, but became especially desperate now, especially as neighbors ventured out less and trade became harder to find. There were occasional interferences from wild things, seeking shelter in their convenient hole in the mountains. Wolves, mainly, and these were butchered for their meat and hides to keep the family alive. Despite their efforts, they were slowly losing lives. The eldest two dwarves, a widow and widower from opposite sides of the family were the first to go, making the difficulties all the more real for the clan. Two years before the age ended, a stray group of goblins decided they wanted to have the dwarves' home for their own. The whole clan fought against the handful of goblins and were able to keep their dwelling, but not without some loss and injury. This was a turning point for Beli. She realized the value of defending, not only her family, but others, so that they would not feel the same empty feeling of losing someone close. These thoughts fueled her through heated arguments with her father and the heart-pulling farewells, but she wanted to give the world the good that only a dwarf, and a daughter, might.