Korik was born to Gwenael and Taelin of Clan Stahlmark of Uthaldria as the youngest of a pair of identical twin sons by a few minutes. It was up until the age of five when he and his brother had to follow their own paths. Drawn by the ways of combat, he joined the path of the defender. The idea of using his giant ax to protect the people of Ulthaldria brought pride to him and honor. Not unlike his brother, Korik enjoyed the feeling of battle against the monsters of the fields. Though the training of the Defenders was harsh, Korik took pride in the suffering. He knew that once he was done, he would be an ever greater man than before. As he trained Korik's abilities in combat, both unarmed and with a broad ax, so did his love for showing off. The once quiet kid grew into a towering man of determination and pride.
Korik spent a lot of his youth with his twin brother, being with him when he had been inducted into the magic of Defiance by Halvdan Firespeaker. Korik had experienced little fear as he was growing up, but in the moment of his brothers path until magic, he experienced a great fear in losing his brother. As the twins grew up in Uthaldria, Korik's love for celebration grew. At the age of ten his mother taught him how to dance. Korik enjoyed the movement that flowed with the beat of the music much like battle itself.
He spent the other half of his childhood training in unarmed combat with his father and with his mentor Tardain Starindar. Between the bruises he earned from sparring with his father and the scars from his mentor, Korik felt that he had grown into his own. One day of training with his mentor they were attacked by a large Fen Lokk. The two fought side by side until they had finished the beast off. Returning to the city
Korik had learned of Halvdan's death from his brother when he had returned from a hunt. Seeing his brother hobble into town with a limp, Korik had moved to help him quickly. Shortly after Kaelrik had explained to him what happened, his brother informed him and their parents that he wished to travel away from Uthaldria. Without a second thought, Korik told his brother that he would travel with him. He believed that it would be a way for him to grow as a man and escape the shadow of his father.
