Dir

Even among the normally honorable and kind desmodu, Dir stands out as exceptional. He is thoughtful, generous, and brave, and he lives by a personal code to which he adheres with absolute devotion.

This code is what has led to him becoming the youngest member of the council of elders that oversees his tribe, as well as the leader of their warriors. It is also, sadly, what led to his estrangement from his wife, and his exile from his people.

When an ogre wandered into the desmodu settlement, seeking asylum, no one knew what to expect. Their dealings with the nearby stone giants had always been friendly, and the ogre's superficial resemblance to the giants was enough to lead the old council of elders to believe the his intentions were pure. Despite the reservations of Dir and a few other respected members of the tribe, the ogre was allowed to stay.

For a while, the ogre seemed harmless. He dealt in simple spells and charms, but mostly kept to himself. Slowly, however, he began to build around himself the beginnings of a cult. He cleverly manipulated the council, resulting in those who expressed suspicions being sent away on trading missions or other tasks. As more and more of the village came under his sway, many members of the community chose to leave, striking out on their own rather than suffer through unwelcome change.

Soon, before anyone really seemed to notice, the council of elders was subverted, and then disbanded. Then members of the village began disappearing. Dir returned from an extended foray into the underdark to find his home transformed, his wife distant, and his neighbors suspicious and hostile. When he confronted the ogre he was attacked by a number of his former comrades, and barely escaped with his life.

He lurked nearby, watching the activities of his former tribe. He saw them send out raiding parties, and whenever he could he frustrated their plans. By sheer chance, one of the raiding parties he followed launched an attack on the heroes of Anglesey during their traversal of the underdark, and Dir was in a position to aid them.

As a result, he befriended Alistair and the others, and enlisted the surface folk into helping him reclaim his home. Thanks to his new friends, Dir was able to expose and destroy the true power behind the ogre mage that had taken over his village, a small coven of mind flayers.

Dir promised his eternal friendship to his new compatriots, and asked them to return should they ever need his help.