Weak of leg and strong of arm, Osric is a man who from an early age is forced to face the world alone. A dwarf, standing barely four feet tall, his childhood in an church-run orphanage leaves deep emotional scars that never fully heal. Strong arms, a sharp mind, and a wicked sense of humor are his weapons when dealing his his oppressors. After failing as a grave digger, Osric is apprenticed to a slow witted candle maker. From the age of sixteen, his life is divided between the candle shop and its garret, and the cathedral where he works as an unpaid bell ringer. His Sunday's in the bell tower are made all the more unpleasant by the presence of his childhood nemesis, Brother Benedict. His unhappy life takes a modest turn for the better after meeting Fendrel the rat catcher, a fellow survivor of the orphanage. A life long friendship is forged between the unlikely pair, and is cemented by their mutual hatred of Brother Benedict, and their love of brown ale. Osric's life takes the most extraordinary turn of all when King Urloch II passes through his town, and an unfortunate turn of events thrusts him into a life far beyond anything he could have imagined.