Norixius Balasar, or as humans would call him, Balasar Norixius, was born into a family of craftsmen. His father worked as a leatherworker, and his grandfather was (and still remains) a reputable blacksmith among his clan. He grew up with his father who taught him how to hunt, skin, make leather and ultimately, make armor. However, his interests soon turned towards smithing after stumbling upon his grandfather's forge (which, at the time, was still off limits to little ol' Balasar). His friends would describe him as a naughty child who never listened to the elders and always found ways to sneak into the forge and watch his grandfather pound away at metal. Eventually, his grandfather, Rhogar, began to teach him the ways of a blacksmith seeing as he couldn't keep the little devil out. By age 15, while the weapons he made were by no means of superior quality compared to his grandfather's, it was enough to earn the warriors' recognition. Through this, he earned himself the nickname "Gnomer", based after the Gnomes who were mischievous in nature but amazing tinkerers.
When he was 25 years old, Balasar had learned all the techniques that his grandfather and fellow craftsmen in his clan had to offer, but he still wasn't satisfied with his current self. He longed for more knowledge, in the hopes that perhaps he might also one day make things as great as the dwarves. He set out on a journey in search of other blacksmiths who would be willing to share their crafts with him. It was a long and arduous path, mostly because of his menacing look and large build, causing people to fear him. However, his perseverence paid off, and was taken in by an elder dwarf who had been a traveling guild artisan. His mentor, Thorin Fireforge, was impressed by his aptitude and eagerness to learn as well as by the items Balasar made. The disciple and master duo spent the next 10 years together, moving from one city to another, pushing each other to be the best at their craft. Thorin, seeing that Balasar had great promise and could make a name for himself, referred him to an old friend who was the guild master of the guild Balasar currently belongs to. Since then, he has settled down in the current city, and even took on a disciple, who was also a fellow dragonborn.
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