Nearly eight centuries past, a group of dwarven miners, searching for a site to search for unexploited ore, came across a shock while searching the mountains of Dragon's Spine. They stumbled upon a giant oak in a clearing, with roots buried deep in the rock. They marveled at the tree with the silver veins, and wondered how this tree could even survive in the desolate and dry area.
They soon discovered that the area was rich in magically potent mithril, and immediately set stakes in the clearing. In a decade, they had constructed a fortified enclave around the tree, and named their newly created clan after their icon, the Stonetree.
For seven centuries, they mined and forged, making profit and earning renown. However, this would not last, for, one day, the Stonetree paled and withered, forming into a petrified tree, the once silver veins now pewter. The dwarves soon could no longer find mithril, and they had no explanation why.
Cort was the third son of Alun, lord of Stonetree. The quiet lad was easily ignored in favor of his elder brothers, Amalrich, who seemed destined to inherit the dwindling keep from his father, and Halldor, currently studying to become a priest of Moradin. While his brothers sat with their father whenever they had an important function, he went to the stables and played with the beasts of burden. As he grew up, this resulted in him becoming a sort of introvert.
At last, before Cort came to age, he asked his father permission to leave the enclave, in order to explore the world. His father, currently busy worrying about the future of the clan, let him go, making Cort feel as though he was unimportant.
He headed west, into the woods of Havenwood, where he quickly found himself in conflict with a raiding party of orcs. After nearly being captured, he luckily found help in the form of a human druid, Brenna. After being rescued, he ended up following her to her grove, and impressing her with his skill with animals. Thus, he became an initiate into the ways of the druids.
For thirty years, he learned the ways of the wild. He became well renown amoung his fellow druids for his skill in navigating and foraging, and his changing attitude, which, due to his introvertness and his neglected childhood, makes him resemble an enraged badger. Over time, however, he felt that he needed to return home, to show his father that he was just as important as his brothers.
He returned to a ghost town. There was no sign of his father, brothers, or anyone; no sign that any battle took place. All of the tools, furniture, armor, everything, was in their rightful place, however. Cort went to the opening of the mine and looked into the darkness. As he looked, a cold chill ran up his spine, and it took all his willpower to walk away. Then, he looked at the Stonetree.
The veins, once pewter, shined slightly, and a light canopy of leaves hung on the branches.
With that, Cort sealed the mine, barred all of the doors, and locked the gates of the Stonetree enclave, destroying the keys afterwards.
For the next decade or so, Cort lived in the Dragon's Spine, serving as a guide through the treacherous passes alongside the Scouts of the Spire. His surly, introverted personality doesn't endear him to his colleagues, though his skills prove invaluable. However, under his anti-social persona, should someone choose to look deeper, can be seen a hint of guilt at abandoning his family. Also, though he seems to be very unfriendly (which he is), he is also unwilling to abandon people to poor fates, even if they deserve it.
