Kalvath Gemshaper

Kalvath Gemshaper carries a hammer with a flattened face, handle scored by years of knuckle-gnawing. His beard is braided into three cords threaded with tiny copper spacers, each one stamped with auction-house numbers he “borrowed.” A dwarf in oiled slate-gray with soot under his nails, he cracks vaults for a living—then sells the gems already sorted by cut and resale value. When he drinks, he counts coin aloud, slow, like a lock picking itself.