Hrothgurd hails from the halls of Ered Nimrais, born to Clan Hammersmith.  He started working the forges as soon as he could hold a hammer and tongs, as all Hammersmiths do.  When news had reached his halls that Orcs had been seen in the Drúadan Forest, Hrothgurd asked to join his father, Kurus, in his warparty, but was denied.  The warparty martched out to meet the Orcs with their allies, the Drúedain.  The Dwarves and Drúedain did not expect such a large host of Orcs, and were pushed back into the caves.  After hours of vicious fighting the remaining Dwarves and Drúedain made a last stand in the forge-works, fully expecting to die, but go out fighting.  That is when Hrothgurd and a party of Dwarves from Clan Mystguard arrived and joined in.  The battle was a pyrrhic victory at best, Clan Hammersmith was devestated, and the Drúedain all but destroyed.  In the fighting, Hrothgurd killed an Orc by smashing his head on an anvil, and got his nickname, "Anvil".