Cori

A rugged Dwarf with dark brown hair and a twinbraided beard, Cori has ruddy skin and thick-calloused hands. His appearance betrays a life devoted to scratching precious metals out of the uncaring earth. Cori is, after all, an expert at building tunnels and finding his way through natural cave systems. His skills will prove invaluable to the adventurers. Cori has also made a thorough study of the maps of Khazad-dum. Although his maps are far from complete, he can fill in most gaps using educated guesses. Once he descends into the Seventh Deep, for instance, he should be able to locate the entrance to the chasm out of which the Balrog arose. Although not an expert on Dwarven legends, Cori knows Moria's rich history, especially tales about adventurers claiming to have made their way in and out of Khazad-dum. He theorizes that Durin VI's embattled people managed to get the Stone of Sealing down to at least the Fifth Deep before they were finally stopped. Records from Balin's rule lead him to surmise that the Stone is somewhere in the Sixth or Seventh Deep. Cori has no clue regarding the Stone's present whereabouts. Since the Stone is by all accounts indestructible, even by the Balrog, it is undoubtedly still somewhere in Moria. Cori suspects that the Balrog might have arranged to keep it in a secure refuge, a hiding place near his own home. If so, it is probably somewhere within the Demon's lair. This means that Cori must lead the adventurers down into the Sixth Deep, where the Balrog made his home. It is a daunting task, for though Umagaur has all but abandoned his master's lair, other guardians block the way. Cori never wanted to be an adventurer. He would have been happy digging mines for all of his days, but he could not find it within himself to pass up the opportunity to win Khazad-dum back for the Khazad. Hardly excited about the prospect of placing his life in such jeopardy, he remains a reluctant and dour explorer. While he manages to occasionally affect a pleasant demeanor, the extreme stress constantly cracks his facade of amused confidence.