Darik Stoneveil
Guardling of the Runehollow Beat, student of law, lore, and lives between
Darik Stoneveil is a young dwarf currently serving as a Guardling on the Runehollow Beat in the City of Or. Though newly stationed, he has already earned quiet praise from superiors and citizens alike for his calm under pressure, his thoughtful manner, and his keen observational skills.
Darik represents the newer generation of Orinite Guards—those raised on stories, city lore, and the conviction that service is not just duty, but understanding. While others stride, Darik watches. While others speak, he listens. And while his record is modest, his reports are often more insightful than his rank suggests.
Guard Duties
Assigned to the Runehollow Beat, Darik’s regular patrol covers the stretch from the Undercity’s outer gate into the heart of Stonehollow, including the steps of Runehollow Hall. His beat includes overseeing scholar traffic, assisting visiting researchers, safeguarding civic relics, and responding to minor disturbances—often involving passionate debates that spill out of libraries, taverns, or temple halls.
He carries standard Guard-issue gear, though his cloak is often dusted with fine stone powder from leaning against ancient walls while reading during breaks. His eyes are sharp but not intimidating, and his style of enforcement is rooted in de-escalation and empathy rather than show of force.
Darik’s arrest record is minimal; his conversation record is extensive. He is particularly skilled at calming overzealous mages, redirecting lost tourists, and navigating the city’s quieter tensions—such as misdelivered scrolls, feud-prone scholars, and the occasional over-resonated artefact.
Notable Traits:
- Known to quote city law and Orinite poetry interchangeably.
- Occasionally walks his beat with a book tucked into his bracer.
- Reads field reports from prior decades for comparison—not out of obligation, but curiosity.
Appearance
Darik is a young adult dwarf with a lean, angular build and a dark brown beard in early growth, kept tidy in a way that suggests both pride and preparation. His hazel eyes are alert and slightly magnified by his circular reading lenses, which rest securely on the bridge of his nose even during pursuit.
He wears a standard Guardling uniform—a deep charcoal tunic, reinforced boots, and a well-fitted belt pouch containing scrolls, a charcoal stylus, and annotated maps of the Undercity’s older sectors. His boots are often dusty, and his cloaks surprisingly clean, indicating both exploration and care. When not actively engaged, he can often be found leaning against a Runehollow pillar, book in hand, one foot tapping a rhythm from the Brazen Burp.
Inner Life and Literary Mind
Behind his official duties lies Darik’s deeper self: a reader, a thinker, and perhaps, someday, a writer. Raised in a family with deep roots in Or’s civic life, Darik inherited both tradition and a subtle yearning to understand the soul of his city. His reading habits are wide-ranging: political essays, romantic fables, rune-theory treatises, and marginalia-laced patrol logs left by former guards.
He’s known to write reflections in the margins of his own Guard manual, and has occasionally submitted annotated copies of old reports to his Watchwarden—not as corrections, but as conversation. He believes the city speaks, not just through its council, but through alley walls, broken bridges, and the way people pause before saying the truth.
Favourite Reading Subjects:
- Historical council debates
- Poetic commentary on stone resonance
- Guard ethics across district lines
- Quiet heroism in low-footnote entries
- Anything once banned, later reinstated
Reputation and Relationships
Though soft-spoken and not well-known beyond his district, Darik has built meaningful bonds with those who watch closely:
Watchwarden Berrun Dimmabrow – Darik’s commanding officer, who sees great potential in him. Berrun often tests Darik with odd or overlooked assignments, trusting that he’ll uncover what others miss.
Brother Ienor – Darik respects the healer deeply, and occasionally visits the Red Palm Hall—not for wounds, but to ask questions about empathy, faith, or phrasing.
Stonfin Dustbinder – The halfling librarian of Runehollow Hall and a quiet friend to Darik. They share reading notes and footnote theories over shared tea breaks.
Local Remarks
- “He doesn’t talk much, but he’ll remember what you meant.”
- “One of the few guards who’ll admit they were wrong—and quote a better answer.”
- “If you hear humming on the library steps, that’s him. Don’t interrupt unless it’s important—or poetic.”