[Regin Hardhammer]

Regin was very pleased with the progress on the foundation of the Inn. They had all come a long way from the time of the fire. The foundation had been damaged beyond repair and all the Inn razed to the ground. Immediately after the demolition, the guests and volunteers had started to rebuild the Inn from the ground up. He had already written a letter back to Master Samwise, telling him he’d work on the gates shortly.

Now, only a short week later, the workers had made substantial progress on the foundation and completed the fireplace in the kitchen. The larger fireplace in the Common Room, which warmed the bones of tired incoming travelers, was in the beginning stages of restoration. Most of Regin’s waking hours, which were more than he cared for, were spent on the half finished foundation, since this task was more immediate than all others. Regin, determined not to sit idly when others worked, helped drag heavy rocks into place. The hours were long and the work arduous, but Regin’s resolution remained as firm as the stone with which he worked. “Harder lads, harder,” he would say even though he realized that they all were working as hard as they could.

Regin was proud of his crew, but none of them possessed much knowledge of masonry. Often times they would place a stone in the wrong spot or use the wrong type of stone. None of them knew how to carve and finish off the large stones for the foundation, a simple task for Regin. Regin did his best to keep his criticism constructive, although his patience was often stretched. His lack of sleep certainly did not help matters, and sometimes he let his frustration get the best of him. However, such events were few and far between, and he always made amends when things went awry. Yet inside he complained. I would shave my beard for a crew of dwarven stoneworkers, he thought.

There was one other dwarf whom Regin had seen him at work yesterday shaping stone to fit holes in the foundation. Regin wanted to talk with him and ask if he could do more, but was exceedingly busy himself and did not get the chance. Now the other dwarf was nowhere to be seen, and Regin was dismayed. He could certainly use a fellow Dwarf knowledgeable in the matters of stone.

Suddenly, Regin saw the dwarf again sitting alone in a corner devouring some stew. Determined not to miss his chance, Regin walked over to the Dwarf who drew back and looked a bit nervous.

“I will not bite,” said Regin, “I come to congratulate you on the fine work you did yesterday with the foundation. Your knowledge of masonry is impressive, and your hard work is greatly appreciated. I do not know who you are, but I implore you to hearken to what I ask. I spend most of my long day working to rebuild the foundation, and have little time for other tasks such as the fireplace in the Commons. Could you take control of that project? Regin sat back and waited to see if the Dwarf would respond.