B;rock's; mother was a high-placed noblewoman amongst the royal families of Karaz-A-Karak. She was betrothed, practically from birth, to the son of a good family from a nearby drwarfholding. This unfortunately did not prevent her from falling in love (a very un-dwarvish thing to do) with a member of the militia.

When she became pregnant, before her marriage (an even less dwarvish act), her parents arranged a new, less well-placed marriage for her, on the condition that her new husband keep her pregnancy secret.

When the baby was born, her husband decided that he would have it killed, so as not to have to live with the reminder of his wife's actions. However, the baby's father took the baby, and left Karaz-A-Karak with him.

They travelled the Old World together. At first, Brock's father was able to get by by selling his services with a blade, but as they got further from the mountains, the anti-Dwarf sentiment made this more difficult. He turned to gambling, drinking away most of his winnings, and falling into the desperate life of a grifter.

However, he did teach Brock his skills with a blade, and once he was sure he could look after himself, left him to make his own way in a town where he thought he could get work. Brock has been selling his blade in one way or another ever since, working as everything from pit fighter to militiaman, and now as a bodyguard.