Niall Dunmore
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Only recently arrived in the past five years to Dornie, Niall is a younger master blacksmith known not just for his magic with fire, but for his magic with smithing. The local saying goes, “When it comes to metalwork, if you need it done, you need it Dunmore.”


Info

Full Name: Niall Dunmore
Age: 35 years old
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel

Status: Magic
Occupation: Blacksmith
Origin: Northern Ireland
Allegiance: Independent

First Seen: Barter And Banter
Last Seen: None

Description: Niall is a 5’10” tall, burly looking man with a shaved head and face that, left to its own devices, would grow a deep brown hair on crown and cheek. One might question where he is from or what he has been through, seeing a lone hairless scar that cuts cruelly from beneath his left jaw and down the neck to disappear beneath his clothes. Also, a good portion of his body has streaks of scar tissue as evidence of a previous life in strenuous, even torturous conditions. Yet, he gives off the impression of a quiet, steady strength through a slow but ready smile, hazel eyes that are full of fearlessness, and a calm tone of voice filled with practical intelligence.
His clothing is very simple but rather poor in quality, consisting of a sooty, dirt-stained brown tunic, at times a heavier black overtunic with a hood, and a utility belt that loops about his waist and over his pants.

Family:

Portrayed by: Jason Statham


History

Niall Dunmore’s family consisted of cliff-side cave diggers, stone masons, potters, metalworkers and other earthen-based smiths. The Dunmore family used their skills of the trade to provide hard wares and habitats for others. He was barely past 13 when a large ship of slavers and seafaring pirates lead by the pirate lord Banning the Black descended upon his camp, killing many and kidnapping the rest, imprisoning and enslaving the able-bodied survivors. Using the tradesmiths as his slaves, Banning planned on creating a large seaside fortress for his hideout. In the end, Niall did not wind up dying and being buried in the walls of the fortress. Banning was killed in a mutiny of his own crew where the first mate named Cirrus took over the small pirating fleet.

Cirrus however, proved not to have the leadership competence that Banning had. After abandoning the fortress plot, the pirates sailed out to plunder. Niall was separated from what was left of his family, instead uniting with an old mute smith who came to be known as Scully. Together the two managed to get through the days, with the pair communicating in silent looks and signing in secret code. Niall grew in his rebellion despite the position he was in, and over the course of time he eventually couldn't stand for the conditions that the slaves were put through, especially on his old friend.

The breaking point came when Niall attacked Cirrus in a heated fight, and Niall lost the fight badly, earning a deep scar delivered from the sword of Cirrus that nearly sliced his throat open. Rather than being killed, Niall and Scully were both tied to the top beam of the ship’s main mast with heavy hammers tied to their necks with sailrope, for slow torture by the gravity weighing down upon the tools of their trade. Three days following, a deadly storm destroyed the ship they were on. Miraculously Niall and Scully survived, making it to land on the shore far north of Dornie. They were alone, but they were free.

Scully and Niall traveled together further south, surviving in peace and quiet, bartering (with Niall doing the talking) with others they met. In return for their skills, their services were paid for with food and a few night's shelter. The two wandering smiths sought, somehow, to find some place to settle and finally reach a long wanted and heavily desired peace. After hearing of Dornie, the two set out for the town. Scully, however, quietly passed on to the next world less than a week before the two of them managed to get within sight of the town. Niall buried his friend and vowed to reach Dornie or die trying.

Well, Niall didn’t die. He reached Dornie to find the town in need of a good blacksmith. Not that they didn’t have one already, but the old man who ran the local forge had taken to drinking more than he did working. Niall convinced the man to give him a shot at being a journeyman under his tutelage, and after some heavy work eventually the old smith ceded his position to Niall in favor of a cut of profits – just enough for him to toss back his worldly worries with each shot.

It took some time, but eventually Niall relaunched the blacksmith’s forge under his own name, and gradually his work permeated into the markets of Dornie. From the high clansmen running the munitions and hydroelectric plants to the low farmhand needing a new locking bar on their plowbeast’s yokes, Niall found his world settling to a decent pace. Familiarity soon bred comfort to reveal his own familiar, and soon enough the town knew of Niall’s abilities and magical companion. The revelation wasn’t quite as shocking as Niall thought it would be, though those who were wary of him before found further excuses to distrust him and those who weren’t wary of him before found him not much more different.

Now, about five years from when he first arrived at Dornie, it seems the Dunmore forge and Niall's life have finally started to settle in and come into play.


Personality

Niall is an everyman’s man who had earlier in his life fallen to circumstances more extraordinary than expected. Between his own magical abilities opening him to a world of fanciful possibilities and his past history of pain, tragedy and loss, he is still able to cope with the surrounding elements by utilizing sound common sense, faithfulness and steady work ethic. The lessons of his early life taught him well: focus, discipline, and hard work will see the day through.

Though generally a sensible man not prone to giving in to impulse, creativity, spontaneity and adaptability have fallen in to Niall’s deeper layers of personality from the birthplace of necessity. He needs confidence to use his magic - playing with fire tends to inspire courage in the face of it. He needs confidence to ply his trade - the fearful need not strike a hammer to an anvil. Overall, he is confident on his own ground, only bending willingly in the moment should such need apply; like the metal he works, the conditions need only be right to manipulate the man, otherwise he can be as unbending as a cold iron rod. Niall has at times found himself unable to contain dissatisfaction if something doesn’t sit right, be it from witnessing cruel injustice or discovering imbalance in one of his works. He is, as others would say, still an artist.


Magic

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Dude. Your ears are too big for your head.

Niall’s magical abilities are of elemental magic, specifically in the element of fire. His abilities fall into categories involving not only actual fire (combustion) but also heat. Generally speaking, the energy the magic uses is proportional to its size, temperature and duration. He applies his magic mainly through the manipulation of outside sources because it is easier to do so than to magically create fire out of nothing. But, he is also capable of creating fire by itself.

When he does have magic control of the fire element, he is able to “shape” the element in a loose sense of the word - for example, creating a flame around his fingertip to light up a cigarette, or even creating a fireball. Though it takes much effort and concentration, Niall can also create fire to “coat” his body in flames and will not be burned when doing so. He is still able to be burned by fire he does not actively control.

That said, his magic often focuses on what he knows of blacksmithing and much of his focus comes through the application of fire to metal elements. He will use his magic to manipulate the heat, such as sustaining a high degree of heat in a forge fired piece, or can apply enough heat to solder metal.

Often found in the form a highland bull, Stands-Fast is Niall’s familiar and can be seen around Niall’s shop most of the time or in the grazing fields. He is of very even temperament and serves as Niall’s buddy. The two have been through much together. Other forms Stands-Fast has taken before are: rat, seagull, seal, dog, turtle.


For more, see Character Notes For Niall.