Horst makes good money making quality weapons and armor for the garrison, but he also takes time to do low or no-cost blacksmithing for the regular folk. A little bit of metal on a shovel or plow can be a godsend to a farmer, and everybody needs sharp knives. He also helps train the militia (and maintain their weapons) in his free time.
He has two sons, Njorl (late adolescent - his apprentice - serious and shy) and Lars (preteen- a runner for the forge - a lighthearted and playful boy, fair haired like his mother).
His wife, Luda, died in childbirth with a stillborn daughter three years ago. He visits their grave on holidays, and before he takes an extended trip away (and again when he returns). She loved blue flowers.
His successful business, philanthropy, and noble heritage (his father's position is lost, but people remember), not to mention his empowerment by The Father, have thrust Horst into the position of community leader. People in his corner of the Hammersmith come to him for advice, to settle personal and business disputes, and to seek justice for wrongs against them, all of which Host accomplishes to the best of his ability. He has no official authority, but people trust his judgement and find him more reliable (and expedient) than the official courts. Fortunately, his son's apprenticeship is almost at and end, and he can be left to tend the forge when his father is interrupted.
Horst's father Jan (Yahn) was the chief warder of the fortress who was ousted in a scandal involving dereliction of duty (a grave misdeed among dwarves in general, and the nobility in particular). Jan came to live with Horst, Luda, and young Njorl in the Smith's Quarter, but he was a broken man. When he died 30 or so years ago, Horst took it hard that he could not protect the father who had cared for him and made him into a man, and relocated to Mosval, where dwarven smiths are in high demand. All old friends from Kedron's Tor are welcome in the Ironbrows' home (those willing to be seen with the family fallen from grace anyway).
Horst gets on well with the majority of his neighbors, taking a paternal attitude towards the community both due to his age and his dedication to The Father's values. He and his sons live comfortably, but their business does not grow except by marginal degrees due to Horst funneling much of his profits back into the community, supporting the destitute, paying off oppressive debts etc...
He does find himself at odds with some of the more unscrupulous merchants in the area from time to time: those who habitually try to cheat their fellows, or loan money at exorbitant rates to bankrupt the desperate in order to buy out their land and businesses. Being an adherent of The Father, he believes the law to be a crucial tool in protecting the people, but he is not one to allow the spirit of laws to be undermined by allowing the letter of the law to be used to oppress and exploit people. If he operated in a more affluent area this would bring him at odds with certain elements of the judiciary, but even the wealthier members of his community lack the money and influence to have him censured, much less prosecuted, due in large part to his position and popularity in Hammersmith.
They have long since stopped hiring goons as well, as they have proven ineffective in intimidating or brutalizing Horst or his family. His son Lars was once roughly "given a message" for his father while out playing with friends. The goon in question was soon found in the gutter in front of a certain counting-house with both arms broken. Though he was found on a public street in broad daylight, there were no witnesses.
Horst spares no effort to protect his community, its members, and its institutions, whether he brings his craft, his influence, or his arms into play.
