I rubbed my hand down my face and my beard as I scrawled down the last spell I needed for my final. "This ha' been a long tim comin'." I said to myself. Tomorrow was the day I showed I wasn't just here because I could play Halfling ball. I will blow the socks off of those arrogant ass-holes who were once my colleagues. I reached out next to my desk and grabbed the end of my hammer. I felt the magic in the shaft immediately connect with mine. I am called "Hammershout" for a reason. I took it from its sitting position in my home. I needed to let off some steam before going to bed. I traveled out to the fighter's guild of Ironmaster and wasn't surprised to see no one around. I wandered around to the back, ducked under the fence and bashed the dummies they had set up for as long as I thought I could without having soreness the next morning. I returned to my home. I used none of my spells in the practice. They would've made a bit more noise than a shout. The next day, I awaked to the sound of anvils being beaten with hammers, like I do every morning. I pull my shirt over my head and my pants onto my legs. I then pick up the set of scale mail my father had gifted me and put it on myself. 'Thank you, father.' I looked at the crest of my clan on my chest. A hammer with lightning surrounding the head of it. 'I will make you proud today, and hopefully always.' I picked up my hammer once again and left my humble hovel. I cannot afford much while a student at Ironmaster's Academy of Wizardry. I continued towards my testing arena. Ironmaster's final exam is a bit… unorthodox. You were to perform your spells in an arena in front of judges that were from the school's board of directors. If you had enough spells that were strong enough, you passed. If not? You fail and bring dishonor upon yourself. I arrived early and sat in the stands before the first student took his shot. I studied my spells as I waited. My dwarvish mind was not as sharp as the few elvish bladesingers were. My body however, was at least three times as impressive as theirs. My arms were the size of their legs. In width, obviously. As I was studying, a group of dwarves who despised magic entered the stadium. It was just as the first student was proving himself. They came over next to me and sat down, almost constantly berating the prospective wizards. As the hours continued on, I nearly could not take it. Thank Moradin that it was finally my turn. I closed my spellbook and put it in my bag. I got up and jumped down into the arena, to the surprise of the dwarves beside me.

"One of our kind participates in this weaklings' art?"

"It is an art." I told him as I advanced towards the judges. "But not for weaklings. Those strong of mind exclusively can practice wizardry."

They laughed at me defending my passion. Many of them did not understand what "exclusively" or "wizardry" meant. I stood in front of the judges. Great spellcasters the likes of which the world sees every decade or so. In my hundred and three years, I have only seen one of this kind of wizard until today. The headmaster, who is sat in front of me.

"Good morning, masters and mistress." I bowed to them as one would to nobility. Well, others would bow to nobility. "My name is Bregg Hammershout."

"Hello, Bregg." The one woman among them said. She looked to be an elf. "What are you doing here? You have no arcane focus, and you are in armor. You look like no wizard I've seen before."

"I assure you, madam, I am a wizard of unusual nature." I came up from my bow and pulled my warhammer from my belt. "This is my arcane focus, and my armor is gifted from my father. It was to remind me to keep my combat training going while I was studying. And it has taught me much. Some of which, I will show to you."

"By all means." She said, disbelieving I would do anything worth note. My headmaster looked at me with a smile and nodded. He was the only dwarf on this board.

I took a deep breath. I slammed my hammer's head into the ground and a large cloud of fog appeared. I raised it high above me and shot a lightning strike from it at the anvil in the middle of this arena, keeping it coursing through continuously for a minute. After I stopped the electric stream I swung my hammer down into the ground and made a huge thunder clap, clearing the fog away me. Then, with the small granules of sand at my feet, I raised them into the air above me, shaping them into glass shards. I sent them spinning at high speeds, as I once again brought the top of my hammer down onto the sand, causing a cluster of ethereal swords to shoot out from my location. "I chose my focus a long time ago, madam." I told the elven woman. "I am an evocation savant, and by my father's grave, I will become the best wizard ye ha' e'er seen."